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Volume 54, Issue 64 | monday, january 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Statue honors civil rights movement University President Emeritus, Martin Luther King Jr. join hands in iconic pose depicted downtown By MARIA PAUL News Writer
Two men joining hands stand firmly at Leighton Plaza. At times, people visiting the area pose next to them taking pictures. A historic snapshot, the statue featuring Martin Luther King Jr. and University President Emeritus Fr. Theodore Hesburgh permanently preserves an aspect of the civil rights movement in downtown South Bend. Created by local artist, Tuck Langland, the bronze statue depicts the iconic photograph of Hesburgh and King at the 1964 Soldier Field
rally in Chicago, when both men came together to sing “We Shall Overcome.” The photograph became a permanent part of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Galler y in 2007, and a copy of it was gifted to former President Barack Obama when he gave the Commencement speech in 2009. “President Obama knew of Fr. Hesburgh’s involvement in civ il rights and actually said to him, ‘I wouldn’t be here today if it had not been for you,’” Tim Sexton, associate v ice president for public affairs, said. “So when we
KELLI SMITH | The Observer
see MLK PAGE 4
A bronze statue in South Bend’s Leighton Plaza depicts Fr. Theodore Hesburgh and Martin Luther King Jr. holding hands in solidarity. The statue represents a photograph taken of the two men at a civil rights rally.
College enhances student spaces
Knott priest-in-residence embraces new placement By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer
W hen Fr. Dennis Strach found out he would be moving into Knott Hall at the beginning of last semester, he did not know what to expect. The last time he lived in a dorm, Strach was a student himself, and he wasn’t sure how he would approach
MAEVE FILBIN | The Observer
Changes include the newly renovated and expanded student 24-hour space in Cushwa-Leighton Library, available to Saint Mary’s students. By MARY MANSFIELD News Writer
Over w inter break, 17 renovation projects were completed across Saint Mar y’s campus in order to improve student life, and a few more operations are slated to occur over the coming semester, Benjamin Bow man, director of facilities, said. “In the librar y we
Scene PAGE 5
renovated and expanded the student 24-hour space which included new paint, f looring, lighting and furniture,” Bow man said in an email. “We dedicated package rooms for our residential buildings to secure student packages. New hydration and bottle fill stations have been installed in multiple locations and the pews and see SPACES PAGE 3
viewpoint PAGE 6
ser v ing as both a resource and a friend to his students. However, Strach feels the men of Knott quick ly and readily accepted him into their communit y. “It’s been short but it seems like in many ways I’ve know n them for a while or the welcome has been such that I’ve been moved by their openness and their
w illingness to let me accompany them in their time at Notre Dame and in their faith journeys especially,” Strach said. W hen Strach asked what Knott’s “thing” is, the rector, Pat Kincaid, said the communit y is rather spiritual. Though he was see PRIEST PAGE 4
Lawsuit moves forward against Notre Dame Observer Staff Report
Independent reproductive rights group Irish 4 Reproductive Health (I4RH) announced in a Friday email the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana will allow the organization’s lawsuit against Notre Dame and the Trump administration to proceed. The lawsuit was filed on
viewpoint PAGE 7
the group’s behalf by the National Women’s Law Center — which released its own statement — Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and law firms Fried Frank and Macey Swanson. Filed June 26, 2018, the lawsuit claims the Trump administration and Notre Dame reached an unlawful
w basketball PAGE 16
agreement which exempts the University from covering certain types of birth control on its insurance plans. “In February 2018, Notre Dame entered into a secretive deal with the TrumpPence administration to impose unnecessary and burdensome costs on us and see LAWSUIT PAGE 3
hockey PAGE 16
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TODAY
The observer | monday, january 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
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What was your favorite movie from 2019?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith Managing Editor Natalie Weber
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Notre Dame News Editor: Saint Mary’s News Editor: Viewpoint Editor: Sports Editor: Scene Editor: Photo Editor: Graphics Editor: Social Media Editor: Advertising Manager: Ad Design Manager: Systems Administrator:
Tom Naatz Maeve Filbin Evelyn Stein Connor Mulvena Mike Donovan Nola Wallace Diane Park Mary Bernard Landry Kempf Ruby Le Stephen Hannon
Chloe Koehr
Alyssa Chong
freshman McCandless Hall
junior Le Mans Hall
“Jumanji: The Next Level.”
“Little Women.”
Emma Watford
Sam Vorderer
freshman McCandless Hall
freshman McCandless Hall
“Rocket Man.”
“Knives Out.”
Megan Collantes
Morgan VanderWey
freshman Regina Hall
junior Le Mans Hall
“End Game.”
“A Star is Born.”
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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
Today’s Staff News
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ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Notre Dame senior Nolan Henry interacts with a young fan at the Camping World Bowl. The game was held in Camping Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida on Dec. 28. Notre Dame defeated Iowa State 33-9, marking the end of both teams’ 2019 seasons.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
MLK Luncheon Joyce Center 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Featuring keynote speaker Diane Nash. Free ticketed event.
Workshop: “Crafting a Strong Grant Proposal” 104 Bond Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. All students welcome.
“Reparations and Reconciliation” Carey Auditorium, Hesburgh Library 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Panel discussion.
Lecture: “Thomas Jefferson, Race, Slavery” McCartan Courtroom 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Open to the public.
“How Have Women Shaped the Judiciary?” McCartan Courtroom 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. Panel discussion.
Lecture: “Let’s Talk About Race” Geddes Hall 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Social Concerns Fair Dahnke Ballroom 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Meet local social service organizations in South Bend.
“Faith, Culture, and Mental Health” St. Liam Hall, 3rd floor conference room 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Discussion.
Snite Salon Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Guided discussion about a work of art. Open to the public.
31st Annual Student Film Festival Browning Cinema 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Films made by Notre Dame undergraduates.
News
Spaces Continued from page 1
f loors in Holy Spirit Chapel were refinished.” In order to limit weather exposure to students, Bow man said the tunnel connecting the librar y to Le Mans Hall w ill be renovated. “The renovation w ill include lighting, paint and a chair lift for accessibilit y purposes,” Bow man said. “This w ill allow students to travel from Le Mans to the 24-hour study space in the librar y w ithout going outside.” The renovations across campus are in light of the announcement in August that the College’s facilities staff would spend the summer working on projects to update dorms and the Cushwa-Leighton Librar y as part of a multi-million dollar plan to refresh campus facilities. By the time students returned to campus in August, a new elevator had been installed in Holy Cross Hall, Opus Hall had new f looring and the librar y was deep in the renovation process. A ll of the facilities projects were planned
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, january 20, 2020 | The Observer
w ith the students in mind, Bow man said. “It was inspired by the need to improve the student experience and tack le deferred maintenance items,” he said. “We know the needs of the students have changed over the years and we are always seeking to improve the student experience. We recognize that our spaces don’t meet those needs so we are working to update and refresh them.” The projects were developed as a joint effort of representatives of multiple groups to be most directly affected by the renovations. “The groups who help plan var y based on the project but in general the entire College communit y was involved,” Bow man said. Vice president of strateg y and finance, Dana Strait, said in an email that the projects were inf luenced especially by the students who call the College home for almost nine months of the year. As a result, students were consulted before the projects were put into action to ensure that the various groups all shared the same v ision.
“We have t wo committees dedicated to improving student and learning spaces,” Strait said. “Both committees have significant student representation, and one also includes graduate students.” T he bond to f u nd t he renovat ions a rou nd ca mpus wa s issued i n late October of 2019 ; however, because t he spaces bei ng updated ser ve a s cent ra l spaces of st udent l i fe, most of t he work ha s to be completed when st udent s a re of f ca mpus, Bow ma n sa id. St ra it sa id t he renovat ions have been well received so far in the student body. “We want to foster a better student experience,” Strait said. “We need to be attractive to prospective students and promote collaboration bet ween students. It’s really been a w in-w in to both involve the students and then present them w ith some great updates to their spaces this year. Students have reported their excitement in seeing their recommendations being implemented across campus.” Contact Mary Mansfield at mmansfield01@saintmarys.edu Paid Advertisement
Lawsuit Continued from page 1
restrict our reproductive healthcare options to methods deemed acceptable by [University President Fr. John Jenkins’s] coterie of advisors,” the email said. The suit argues this agreement violates the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage requirement. “Certain forms of IUDs and emergency contraception are not covered at all by University insurance plans, putting survivors of sexual assault and people experiencing intimate partner violence especially at risk,” the email said. “In direct violation of the Affordable Care Act, we now incur costs for all office visits, medications and devices associated with
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reproductive health.” The court ruled against the University and TrumpPence administration’s efforts to have the suit dismissed. In an email, Paul Browne, University vice president for public affairs and communications, defended the legality of the school’s actions. “Our position is grounded in the autonomy of litigants, including the government, to settle claims, and we are confident that Notre Dame will prevail,” he said. I4RH also announced in its email that the group will travel to Washington, D.C. in March to be honored as the 2020 Students of the Year by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. The group is accepting donations to cover travel costs.
Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverNDSMC
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News
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Priest Continued from page 1
skeptical at first, Strach said he has found that to be true. “[They ask] good questions tr y ing to find the meat of their faiths, like ‘I don’t want to go to Mass and just have that be like a box to check or something I’m expected to do,’” Strach said. “W hy do we go, what is that? How do you pray? Do you just talk to yourself ? W hat is it? Good questions, not doubting their faith but wanting to tr y to get something out of it and be in relationship w ith Christ.” One of the benefits of hav ing a priest-in-residence, Strach said, is being able to see religion in a context other than Mass or in the classroom. “I think to be able to see you as a normal person sort of lends itself to a deeper relationship,” Strach said. “I find that in those moments or the informal gatherings … we realize that we’re on the same journey. We’re in different places, we might have taken different paths, maybe you’re called to the same path, I don’t know but liv ing alongside your students or being able to be an active part of their lives and build an actual relationship w ith them outside of just Mass or something lends itself to that. … It helps put some f lesh on the bones of that statement that we tr y to like walk alongside our
MLK Continued from page 1
look back at the sy mbol of that picture and that statue, we have to continue to remember both men as we continue to push for ward to exemplif y change.” Despite its emblematic nature, the photographer’s identit y remains unknow n. In 2016, Langland was tasked w ith creating the
students, not just in your academic endeavors but really just in your normal life. I’m blessed to be in that role.” Strach also ser ves as the associate director of vocations for the U.S. prov ince of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, and he focuses on high school students who are interested in the priesthood. Strach compared his goals to marketing but w ith a tw ist. “You’re not selling a product or recruiting, but rather what you’re selling is the authenticit y of your ow n life and the fact that I’m actually happy and if I could choose any thing else, I would choose this again. There’s a lot of people that would,” Strach said. One of the challenges and aims in Strach’s role as both a vocations director and a priest-in-residence is to break dow n the stereot y pes and misconceptions about life as a priest. “You’re always tr y ing to help people kind of create the space to think about your gifts and talents,” Strach said. “But I think [the role] any priest or brother really plays is probably just the w itness of their life, like a married couple: if you’re happy, people say like, whatever you guys got, I want to do that … authentic joy and integrit y in your vocation leads people to ask some good questions, but also want what you want.” Accompaniment, or
statue by the Cit y of South Bend due to his reputation as a national artist. “I was aware of the work of a local artist, Tuck Langland, and he was the first person who came to mind when we were searching for a sculptor to complete this work,” Jitin Kain, deput y director at South Bend’s department of public works, said. Hesburgh is recognized as a civ il rights champion, Kain said, especially since he was
@knotthall_nd via Instagram
Dennis Strach joined the Marion Burk Knott Hall community as a priest-in-residence during the fall of 2019. He also serves as the vocations director for the U.S. province of the Congregation of the Holy Cross.
supporting and listening to people on their faith journeys, is a big part of both of Strach’s roles. “The role of a vocations director is really just to kind of create some structure such that people have the space and kind of resources, accompaniment to think about this vocation, have someone to work w ith to ask their questions and line
them up w ith where they need to be,” Strach said. Strach stressed that priests in residents should be seen as a resource for all students, no matter their religious beliefs or lack thereof. “Hopefully through the w itness of so many people on campus and, again, steady presence and being around enough that they know of our care for them,
whether it’s explicit conversation or just being at their game or being at their play or their concert ... for those people that there might be some barriers to to our communicating or seeing me as a resource, hopefully those w ill break dow n,” he said.
one of the main architects behind the creation of the Civ il Rights Act of 1964. Kain, who was tasked w ith completing the fundraising, identif y ing a location and selecting an artist for the project, considers the statue more than a simple commemoration of the civ il rights movement — he sees it as a representation of the communit y coming together as a whole. “The entire project
represents communit y-w ide collaboration and commitment to the idea of civ il rights and social justice, which Fr. Hesburgh and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. both stood for,” Kain said. “During the entire process, the communit y and donors came together in the spirit of collaboration and prov ided the funds necessar y for the monument. In many ways, it represents the work and commitment of the t wo leaders who are depicted in the sculpture.” The sculpture’s installation represents an approx imately $300,000 cit y-led project that was funded through both public and private donations. “We had strong commitments from the Universit y of Notre Dame, including a couple of generous donors who helped make this possible,” Kain said. “Additionally, we received significant grants support from the Communit y Foundation. Local residents and businesses also came together to prov ide the rest of the support to make the monument possible.” After an approx imately 18-month-long process of collecting funds and
creating the piece, the sculpture was unveiled in a ceremony held in June 2017, exactly 53 years after the rally originally took place in Chicago. According to Kain, several hundred people attended the ceremony, including former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, Universit y President John Jenkins and several communit y leaders. Events included a march from the Civ il Rights Heritage Center to dow ntow n South Bend and a lineup of speakers. The ceremony finished w ith the sculpture’s unveiling and the group coming together to sing “We Shall Overcome.” Sexton described the event as “the mix of South Bend,” and said the event demonstrated an important sense of communit y unit y. “As a communit y we still have opportunities for improvement, but I think this was a way of show ing we can come together,” Sexton said. “These are t wo men who exemplified what we want to be, and that’s why it was so special to see the diversit y at the actual dedication.”
GRETCHEN HOPKIRK | The Observer
Tuck Langland was commissioned to create the pictured statue in 2016. The sculpture took 18 months to create and was unveiled in a ceremony held in June 2017, 53 years after the rally in Chicago took place.
Contact Ciara Hopkinson at chopkin1@nd.edu
Contact Maria Paul at mpaulran@nd.edu
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The observer | monday, january 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
By COLLEEN FISCHER Scene Writer
I was making a playlist for a friend and procrastinating packing for my semester away in Washington D.C. that I was anxious about, when I came across Bug Hunter’s music. I added it to the playlist because he had a funny name, it had a fun melody and the lyrics made me smile. This sentiment continued the next couple of days while I continually listened to my curation. A few days later, I was having a bad day. It was just one of those days where it felt like the world was drowning out the good. I was driving with an old high school buddy who has different tastes in almost everything than me including music. I found myself asking him to put on Bug Hunter’s ”Be Glad I Love You (Go to Bed)” repeatedly. Something about the loving, sentimental and personal lyrics, made me smile even on a day I was not 100%. On our way home, we switched solely to Hunter’s music. I continued to run the cutesy personal lyrics of “Be Glad I Love You” in my head, while he nodded while grinning to the playful, meta and ironic “Disco! in the Panic Room.” After sending Hunter’s “Point to Prove” to another friend, and receiving back, “Wow I really felt both of those choruses hard; I feel seen right now,” back, I had decided that he was my new favorite artist. It was on the trip back alone, that I decided to reach out to him over Instagram when I got
By JIM MOSTER Scene Writer
Journalist and activist Naomi Klein hears the clock ticking on climate change. She sees the impact of current warming on innocent communities around the world. She fears the future that awaits us all. She also knows the solution — a Green New Deal in the United States and equivalent programs around the world. In her book “On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal,” Klein deftly makes the case for an ambitious restructuring of our fossil fuel-based economy. Once upon a time, fire was merely a useful rhetorical tool for conveying the urgency of global warming. Today, countries around the world are regularly ravaged by wildfires of unprecedented intensity — most recently, Australia faces a bushfire crisis. As Klein points out, hotter and drier weather due to climate change has created optimal conditions for apocalyptic fires. If drastic action isn’t taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then hurricanes, droughts, crop failures, loss of homes, mass extinction, oppressive air pollution and more fires await. According to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we must cut global emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 to avoid the worst of these calamities. How did the planet reach such a precarious position? Klein cites an economic paradigm shift toward deregulation, privatization, overconsumption and fetishization of GDP that has been building since the ‘80s. This trend originates in Neoliberalism, a barbarous ideology that aims “to vilify collective action in the name of liberating ‘free markets’ in every aspect of life.” Klein lays out the historical case for this diagnosis. In 1988,
home. The lyrics to Bug Hunter’s music are specific. I have never nosily read a love email over my neighbor’s shoulder on an airplane, nor have I been in a relationship where I repeatedly lost my keys and needed someone to hold down my shirt while I took off my sweater, but I do relate to the sentiment of his stories — the emotions they portray. In a world where relatability and authenticity have become synonymous, artists often make generic lyrics and experiences emotional. Bug Hunter does the opposite. He takes the uniquely mundane events in his life and makes them metaphors for emotions such as love, disappointment, self-resentment and boredom. I cannot relate to every one of Bug Hunter’s songs, but every one of Bug Hunter’s songs reminds me of someone I love, in this way they become instantly personal. His songs played a role in momentary connections between me and four friends in the matter of those 24 hours. He gave me a reason to contact them, to reach out to them on a day I needed them. They not only innately give me joy, but by reminding of the love I have for the people I think of while listening to them they gave me personal joy. I have heard countless hipsters in record stores talk about how they miss the connection an artist they loved had with them when they were less famous. Thinking of these constant laments made me want to reach out to Bug Hunter while he was still small, knowing that if he was showing
up on my Spotify he would show up on others. I opened Instagram looked him up. Read about how he married the girl he wrote “Be Glad I Love You for” and hit the follow button. I then typed out and deleted many different versions of my message and settled on simplified version of everything I have written in this piece so far the next day. “I was having a bad day yesterday and found your music it made it substantially better. I sent it to a bunch of my friends, and they smiled plus my mom. I decided that I owed you a thank you … so thank you for the tunes and have a good day!!” A few hours later he replied. Something I was not expecting. He said I was kind and my message was a confidence boost for him. In the end, this short conversation of actual communication, though cool, meant less to me than the way we were communicating before. His songs mean more to me than those words in my DM box. In a world where relatability is of utmost value in music, Hunter takes risks by writing stunningly specific lyrics. It is through these beautifully personal lyrics that he can relate to his growing audience and their friends’ interpretation of the world not just their thoughts and feelings, creating an unique bond. That leads to them texting, “I feel seen” and building up the courage to actually send the DM they have repeatedly drafted.
hundreds of policymakers and scientists met in Montreal to set emissions-reduction targets. TIME magazine named Earth “Planet of the Year” in place of its annual “Man of the Year” award, noting the dangers posed by the greenhouse effect. The odds of global consensus on climate change seemed high. Since then, world leaders have lifted environmental regulations and opened wide swaths of land for fossil fuel extraction. Climate change should be global enemy number one, yet governments have incentivized profit maximization for fossil fuel corporations. In the process, Klein writes, wealth and influence have been hoarded by a “screamingly homogenous group of U.S. power players.” Klein contrasts the free-market fundamentalism of today with the attitudes embodied by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and the Marshall Plan. These projects were flawed in their discriminatory distribution of benefits. It’s clear, however, that the U.S. can take bold collective action to face daunting threats. Enter the Green New Deal, a resolution introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey in 2018. This 14-page document broadly outlines a transition of the U.S. to a net-zero emissions economy by 2030. It calls for huge investments in renewable energy, including sustainable public transportation and housing. The resolution mandates job guarantees for displaced high-carbon workers and the inclusion of historically disadvantaged groups in the decisionmaking process. Klein spends little time analyzing the resolution itself or the logistics of implementing it. Instead, she compiles a collection of essays that illustrate why a Green New Deal is necessary and what should be included. Topics range from an unforgiving analysis of the BP oil spill in 2010 to a case
for funding art to inspire climate action in 2019. The essays gradually compound into a coherent argument for the Green New Deal’s vision. Some critics have called this vision a “laundry list” of leftist pipe dreams. Klein disagrees. Reactionary leaders have traditionally taken advantage of crises to push predatory policies on marginalized groups. This risk remains high if normal Americans are crippled by poverty and systemic racism — existential threats in themselves “if you and your community are in the crosshairs.” For this reason, the Green New Deal aims to reform health care, housing, labor unions and more. In short, the Green New Deal can’t “[force] people to choose between caring about the end of the world and the end of the month.” Klein views democratic, decentralized leadership as key to ensuring the inclusion of all voices during the transition to renewables. Massive public pressure and a relentless push for accountability can put an end to endless empty promises. Hope, vigilance and solidarity are the best tools for fighting the most powerful and well-connected forces in the world. As Klein puts it, “movements will make, or break, the Green New Deal.” This is Klein at her strongest. She aims to restore faith in collective action after decades of Neoliberal dominance. “On Fire” speaks to audiences already sympathetic to climate activism, but Klein makes it clear that hope-driven action is our only option. “Learning has become a radicalizing act,” she writes. Once you learn the threat posed by climate change, it’s difficult to do anything other than pull the fire alarm.
Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu
Contact Jim Moster at jmoster@nd.edu LINA DOMENELLA | The Observer
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The observer | monday, January 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
In defense of Tom Nook Mary Steurer Assistant Managing Editor
In celebration of New Horizons, set to be the newest addition to the almost 20-year-old Animal Crossing series, I would like to extend a defense of one of the franchise’s most controversial characters: Tom Nook. To the unfamiliar, Nook is a raccoon shopkeeper who, to my knowledge, appears in every Animal Crossing game. His store, “Nook’s Cranny,” is a one-stop shop for town commodities: furniture, textiles, tools, plants and so on. He also has his hand in local real estate. In many games, Nook gives you a loan for your first house — and enlists you as his employee so you can pay it off. As those of us who played Animal Crossing as kids enter our 20s and 30s, it’s hard not to be put off by Tom Nook’s financial carnivorousness. How can one not feel taken advantage of? He has a virtual monopoly on every good, save for clothes (which you often buy next door). Anytime you want an upgrade to your house, you’re put hundreds of thousands of bells in debt — presumably how he bankrolls the renovation and rebranding of “Nook’s Cranny” into “Nook ‘N’ Go”, and eventually “Nookway” and his franchise’s final form, “Nookingtons”. But Nook is a raccoon of humble beginnings. Just look at “Nook’s Cranny.” It’s rumored to be the old garden shed of the game’s tortoise mayor, Tortimer, which certainly would explain the shoddy wood panelling and tin roof. It doesn’t even have a floor, for Christ’s sake. And we have no evidence Nook has an actual house anywhere, so we can only assume he sleeps there. To pretend Nook is a bourgeois overlord is to ignore that he, too, is just trying to make it on his own. And at least his bloodthirsty greed is finite (in Animal Crossing: Wild World, that is). After you max out your house and he opens “Nookingtons,” he loosens up considerably. I like to think he enters a sort of semi-retirement, taking a step back to admire the empire he’s created. You know who never chills out? You, the player. There’s pretty much no other goal in Animal Crossing but to hoard material wealth. And unlike Nook, it’s not just dollars and cents you’re collecting. No, you quickly expand your conquest to the natural world, collecting fish and bugs to memorialize in the local museum. The only real Robin Hood in Animal Crossing is traveling dog-musician K.K. Slider, who gives out bootlegs of his music just to fight the man (“Those industry fat cats try to put a price on my music, but it wants to be free,” he tells you.) But we can’t all be as cool as K.K. Contact Mary Steurer at msteure1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
A note from Paul Browne on I4RH By linking its news coverage to a fundraiser for plaintiffs suing the University, The Observer fails to meet the standards of impartiality expected of serious journalism. Further, a more complete, balanced story would have included the fact that the Supreme Court had announced it would be considering the same issues raised by the Notre Dame case. Regardless, Notre Dame stands on firm legal and moral ground in refusing to subsidize the limited number of contraceptive products that can act as abortifacients and harm an unborn child. Paul Browne vice president, public affairs and communications Notre Dame Jan. 18
Is Notre Dame home? Ashton Weber Broken Home
Welcome Home. On Dec. 13, 2018, these two words f lashed across the screen of my phone and tears instantly welled in my eyes. They were written in a deep blue at the top of an email from ND Admissions. As I read them, I knew I was going to Notre Dame. I knew I was going home. After four years at a high school where I felt that no one really knew me, I was ready to become a “whole new me.” A me who was understood, loved, connected and safe in a place with a glittery dome and a pretty Basilica. Flash forward two years and I’m sitting in my room, tapping feelings into my laptop with a giant nav y weighted blanket draped over my legs. I’m here at Notre Dame, but I’m still not sure if I’m “home.” Honestly, though, what does home even mean? A few months ago, I was in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, participating in an Appalachia seminar. My group and I were sitting around the living room of our dwelling for the week, listening to a woman named Timi talk about her region and her people — her family. She came from an area where many experienced poverty and suffered gravely at the hands of corporate extraction. Several of her peers would not graduate high school, let alone college. Against the norm, Timi did both — she did more, in fact. She continued her education all the way to the doctorate level. After graduating, rather than leaving for the big city and a large paycheck, she decided to use her education to better her community. “It’s my home,” she said, “Why wouldn’t I come back?” As simple as that. But it’s never seemed so simple to me. I always dreamed of the day I could trade the suburbs of Ohio for the burrows of New York. The day rows of cornfields would become roads full of taxicabs and streetlights would become skyscrapers. The day I could run from the place I grew up into a place that was f lashier and fancier and more exciting. It’s a little perplexing that the first place I ran to when given a chance was Indiana — the cornfields and suburbs are ever-prevalent here too, but I guess the profound simplicity of Timi’s argument perfectly explains my decision. These are the things that I came from. They make up my comfort zone. Why would I leave? Beyond just being a place, home is also built on shared values and similar thinking. It’s not just where we’re formed, but also who forms us and what informs us, where we feel our thoughts and beliefs are welcome. A large part of my childhood and a large part of my home was the Church. I come from a region with a large archdiocese. I attended Catholic schools from first grade
onward. My family engaged in regular Mass and prayer. But, as I left high school, I felt detached from the spiritual aspect of the Church. It still held a lot of value for me, as it was such an integral part of my upbringing, but it was also a place I no longer felt myself represented in. So, I ran away from it and into a school which was still Catholic (comfort zone) but where I would not be forced to practice Catholicism. And I didn’t. Since I came to Notre Dame, I’ve stayed away from Mass and prayer. I stopped calling myself Catholic and I started questioning Church teachings more openly. A few months ago, I even wrote in this paper, “ I don’t have the strength to love the Church anymore, but I’m begging those who do to fix it.” But if I’m being entirely honest, that sentence just feels wrong to me now. Because the only thing that writing it did was give me even more courage to join in on the process of fixing. I’m coming to realize that, whether I like it or not, the Church is a crucial part of the place I call home. And instead of ditching it, I should be focusing on how I can use my knowledge and passion and skills to help fix it. I don’t think I can say at this moment that I love the institution of the Catholic Church. I don’t. And I don’t think that at this moment, I would consider it my home. And maybe I never will again. But I realize my obligation to the people I love who are part of it and the parts of who I am that come from it. I want it to be better for them and I want it to be better for me, so that I can feel proud of where I come from. Perhaps this is part of the reason I find it so hard to call Notre Dame home. It’s a school so deeply rooted in the traditions that I struggle to accept and it’s a place where Catholicism informs our community. In many ways, Notre Dame — like the Church — is a broken home for students. So, I’ve decided to carry the conversations this column sparked last semester into this year. Instead of “Welcome to Ashtown,” it’s going to be called “Broken Home” and we’re going to be diving deeper into what it means to be a Notre Dame student and what it means to question the institutions you’ve come from. There are many perspectives and stories of student life that often go unexplored, but it’s time to give them voice. Instead of running from my home and finding something “better” to call my own, I accept Timi’s challenge to be part of the solution for our roots. Ashton Weber is a sophomore with lots of opinions. She is majoring in economics and film, television and theatre with a JED minor. Making new friends is one of her favorite things, so feel free to contact her at aweber22@nd.edu or @awebz01 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
End Hate at Notre Dame manifesto The End Hate at Notre Dame movement is focused on relieving the broad structural burdens affecting racial minority, LGBTQ+ and low-income students on Notre Dame’s campus. Our principles match Notre Dame’s Principles of Diversity and Inclusion: 1. Respect the dignity of every person. 2. Build a Notre Dame community in which all can flourish. 3. Live in solidarity with all, particularly the most vulnerable. This document describes the goals of the movement. I. Institutionalize diversity and inclusion structures and programs A. Create the Office and vice president of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the President’s Leadership Council. 1. Candidates for the office must write a diversity statement as part of their application in order to demonstrate a commitment to promoting marginalized groups. 2. The search committee’s candidates for the office must be interviewed by diversity student groups (Diversity Council, Department of Diversity & Inclusion, Black Student Association, PrismND, etc.). 3. The approval of the vice president of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion must include the cosignature of diversity student groups. B. Develop a program for diversity similar to the rigor of GreeNDot certification. The purpose of such a program is to combat racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, xenophobia and ableism on campus. 1. The certification of such a program should be promoted and incentivized through University programs. The program must be promoted through First Year of Studies and Welcome Weekend programming. Similar to the Sex Signals program, Moreau classes should offer extra credit for completion of the program. Hall of the Year points should be awarded for those who complete the program. Student leaders, such as those invited to attend TeamND, should be certified prior to or during their leadership term. 2. The curriculum of such a program should be drafted with the help of and approved by diversity student groups. GreeNDot training is pushed and incentivized across campus. We support the same standardization of diversity training for each residence hall through the department of Multicultural Student Programs and Services to promote cultural consciousness and awareness of the power dynamics, which stem from demographics, at play in the world and on campus. II. Diversify curriculum A. The Core Curriculum should include at least one course with an international/ethnic studies attribute. B. All candidates for Notre Dame faculty positions should write a diversity statement as part of their application in order to demonstrate a commitment to promoting marginalized groups. The selected candidate for the provost position should have a strong record of cultural competence.
Cultural competence is key in building empathy for marginalized folks. No course or program of study should have a view limited to white, western and/or male voices. We demand that people who are of Color, Indigenous, Black, queer, or not male are represented in the authorship of major required readings. Diversifying the canon helps eliminate the violence of only privileging white scholarship. Everyone should see themselves represented in coursework. III. Replace parietals with quiet hours A. Quiet hours should be mandated during the hours of midnight to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. No loud gatherings are permitted during these times. All student visitation of all residence halls is permitted during quiet hours. B. The University should create and formalize an overnight visitor system that does not exclude members of any gender, in order to preserve the safety of dorm residents. Parietals trap students in unsafe situations. Experts agree that homosocial environments increase the risk of sexual assault. “Male controlled environments,” such as those in men’s dorms after parietals, create “rape-supportive culture.” Students of all genders should have the opportunity to visit their peers. Students of color and LGBTQ+ students often find community outside of their dorm. While it is important to preserve privacy and quiet hours for sleep, there is no reason that same-gender students should be permitted in dorms other than their own while opposite gender students are not. A number of Catholic universities allow opposite sex visitors during nighttime hours, including Georgetown University, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola Marymount University, Villanova University, Gonzaga University and Santa Clara University.
known to the whole campus community. V. Addendum After extensively deliberating with members of the Native American Student Association, we intend to simply stand with the NASAND community by supporting in their already existing endeavors. It is our hope that marginalized voices across our institution continue to have the spaces to advocate in the most conducive way towards their goals and we are thankful for their continued guidance. In closing, members of the End Hate at Notre Dame Movement are willing to aid in the process of implementing any of the above initiatives in any way that seems appropriate. This may involve student advisory groups for diversity coursework, diversity training programs, and Speak Up ND, considering committees that already exist. However, this work should not be evaded by senior-level University executives, for it is their expertise paired with will and motivation for the common good that will lead Notre Dame into a new era of true inclusivity.
IV. Call it out when you see it A. A Statement of Inclusivity must be added to every course syllabus across departments, encouraging students to report all incidents of bias, discrimination and/or harassment so that the University can take appropriate action to assist the students involved and improve the campus climate. B. Speak Up ND should be promoted in Moreau, Building Community the Notre Dame Way and in the Statement of Inclusivity to ensure students a means for maintaining anonymity in the reporting process. C. Statements of Inclusivity and promotion of Speak Up ND should be implemented in all Welcome Weekend programming for all dorms. D. Senior-level administrators should exhibit a level of accountability for campus climate by publicly denouncing hate speech and tolerance of such which is pertinent to dialogue surrounding incidents that caused End Hate at ND. There must be protocol for bringing awareness of incidents of racism, queerphobia and classism to the forefront. Caring for the health, safety and well-being of individuals is a top priority at Notre Dame. All confidential and non-confidential resources, including campus support services, should be actively made
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End Hate at ND Matthew Bisner sophomore Angelle Henderson senior Anne Jarrett senior Savannah Joye freshman Drew Lischke senior Lorena Morejon sophomore Savanna Morgan senior David Phillips junior Meilin Scanish junior Matthew Schoenbauer senior Ben Testani senior Kyle Weingartner junior Darrien Yafai senior Jan. 19
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The observer | monday, january 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Bill thompson
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Refuse to let someone beat you at your own game. Put your energy to good use, and use your intelligence to navigate your way to a higher position. Challenge yourself mentally, and pick up new skills, information and insight that will help you expand your interests, ability to earn, reputation and status. Walk away from dishonest or indulgent people. Your numbers are 8, 11, 17, 23, 29, 35, 41. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take advantage of an opportunity someone offers. Now is not the time to be too proud to accept help. Something you say or do for someone will be enough of a payback to warrant what you receive. Be grateful. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may desire change, but first, take a closer look at the consequences. You’ll achieve positive results if you do the groundwork to ensure success. Someone will probably shed some light on a dicey situation. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t feel you have to make a grand entrance. Let your intelligence lead the way, and you will control the fallout from someone who is trying to make you look bad. An open discussion will help you maintain control. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ease into change. Do your due diligence, and question the logistics and motives behind an offer. Before you accept, consider what you will have to give in return. Make a counteroffer, but be prepared to go it alone. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Get pumped up and ready to take action. Share your thoughts and feelings to find out where you stand. Take the information offered and consider what’s best for you. Connect with people from your past who can help you now. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Accept the inevitable, and work with what you’ve got. Process change and consider your alternatives, and you will come up with a plan that works for you. Sometimes a nudge is all you need to discover what you truly want. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Make a difference by reaching out to people who need a helping hand. How you relate to others will be crucial in discovering how best to treat yourself as well as your expectations and goals. An offer from a past acquaintance looks promising. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t let someone’s poor attitude stop you from getting things done. Discussions may be difficult, but they will also strengthen your position. Take a unique approach and physical action. Words alone will not be enough to reach your objective. Romance is encouraged. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Wait and watch. Everything will fall into place as long as you don’t overreact, instigate unnecessary change or are gullible to someone’s pretenses. Gather facts before committing. Use your experience and intelligence, and do your own thing. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep moving forward, regardless of what others do or say. You may not agree with everyone, but take what is offered that works for you, and give it a spin that will encourage success and ward off opposition. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take the initiative, and discuss the plans that can help you achieve your goals. Do the necessary groundwork, sum up the facts and prepare yourself to make a well-earned leap forward. Change requires work and patience. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Too much, too fast equals setbacks. Concentrate on personal gains, physical strength and endurance, and overall preparation for what you want to achieve. Don’t make a decision that will limit what you can accomplish. Expect change so you can adapt. Birthday Baby: You are broad-minded, enthusiastic and diligent. You are innovative and abrupt.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Hockey
Sports Authority
Mount Rushmore of NBA players Hayden Adams Associate Sports Editor
It’s a debate that Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman like to have on “First Take” on ESPN: who is on the Mount Rushmore of NBA players? Well, as I’m sure many people want someone to do, allow me to shut them up definitively. 1. Michael Jordan This is an easy choice. Jordan is the greatest player of all time. He holds the NBA record for career points per game and is fourth on the alltime scoring list only because he retired twice. He has six NBA championships and as many Finals MVPs. He was an outstanding defender, as evidenced by his second place ranking in career steals (again, in relatively few seasons). Jordan also fought through the flu in game five of the ‘97 NBA Finals, hit a championship-winning go-ahead jumper in the ‘98 Finals and was the first player over the age of 40 to score 40 points. Oh, and he punched Luc Longley in the face before a Finals game because he was soft. 2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar I feel like Jordan is pretty much a unanimous decision among everyone, but this one less so. Still, Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion and a six-time MVP. He is the alltime leader in points scored and revolutionized the center position. Most big men at that time were bruisers who threw their bodies around, but Kareem relied on grace instead of power and had immense success. Not to mention that he had the single most unstoppable move in the history of basketball. 3. Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird I’ll explain where I’m going with this. First of all, Magic and Bird are a package deal, like it or not. They faced off in the ‘79 NCAA championship in the most-viewed championship game ever. From there, their rivalry lived on in the NBA. Magic was a unicorn before that was a term. There had never been a 6-foot-9 point guard before, and he pioneered the Lakers’ showtime era and won five NBA championships. Bird, while possessing a very different background from Magic, was very similar in playing style with his statstuffing ability and own showtime moments, not to mention his legendary trash-talking. The reason I put Bird and
Magic on here together, aside from their rivalry, is their impact. The fact of the matter is that they saved the NBA. The league was not very popular in the ‘70s and games in the ‘90s were often not aired live. But Bird and Magic provided a dynamic that the whole country could buy into, and regardless of whether or not you subscribe to the race dynamic at play, you can’t argue that it didn’t make for great marketing. 4. Julius “Dr. J” Erving Now I’m sure this one is controversial. Julius Erving didn’t even play in the NBA for his entire career as he was the face of the ABA for many years. But that’s why he’s on here. He was the Jordan before Jordan. He was dunking from the free throw line and packing Rucker Park so tight that some sat on tree limbs and kids watched from their school windows. In the ABA, he almost singlehandedly kept the league from folding, even if it was prolonging the inevitable. He then helped keep the NBA aloft until Bird and Magic came along, and he was the inspiration for those guys and Jordan. Not to mention the numerous iconic plays he made that live on in basketball lore. That’s right. No LeBron on this list. Maybe if he had managed to win one more NBA championship, but a 3-6 record in the Finals doesn’t sit well enough with me to put him here, especially considering his impact in the context of the era he’s played in. You could also argue Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson or Bill Russell. But you know what? None of this matters. It’s entirely subjective based on what factors you weigh as more important. As much as I would love to put a cork in the mouths of Smith and Kellerman, they will unfortunately continue to spew absolute garbage out of their pieholes. Stephen A. is going to keep saying stupid crap like Dwayne Haskins is more of a running quarterback. Kellerman is going to keep desperately trying to appeal to young people with pop culture references. While this article (probably) failed in its objective, it’s still a fun debate to have. And it goes to show that little is more difficult than comparing players across eras. Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Continued from page 16
stanza as the horn sounded with the score tied at 1-1. But the Buckeyes found the back of the net on a power play in the next period and
it would prove to be good enough to earn them the win. Despite the loss, there were some positive takeaways as the Irish were able to hold the Buckeyes to just 11 shots on goal when at even strength. The Buckeyes win
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also pushed them into the lead in their all-time series with the Irish. The all-time record stands at 38-37-11 in favor of the Buckeyes. The Irish return home next weekend to play host to Wisconsin at Compton Family Ice Arena.
Allison Thornton | The Observer
Irish sophomore forward Graham Slaggert skates down the ice with the puck during a 3-2 overtime victory over Ohio State at Compton Family Ice Arena on Nov. 9. Slaggert has eight points on the season.
Allison Thornton | The Observer
Irish teammates Nate Clurman and Solag Bakich chase the puck during a 3-2 victory over Ohio State at Compton Family Ice Arena on Nov. 9. The Irish are 10-10-4 overall and 7-5-1 at home this season. The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
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The observer | monday, january 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
W Tennis Continued from page 16
returned for the afternoon matches, where Notre Dame fared equally well. The Irish again swept the doubles matches. The pairing of Freeman and Taylor prevailed 6-1, Bojczuk and Waldrum won 6-1, and junior Corse and Zoe Spence were victorious with the same score. In the afternoon singles, Koscielski won the first match, 6-1, 6-0, followed by victories from Bojczuk (6-2, 6-1), and a match-clinching victory from Freeman (7-5, 6-2). It was as good a start to the season as the Irish could have hoped for, as they enter head coach Allison Silverio’s second
season. Silverio, who was a national champion in her playing days at the University of Oregon, hopes to turn Notre Dame’s program around as they seek their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2016-2017. The Irish continue their season when they travel to Athens, Georgia next weekend. They will take on Furman University on Saturday, and then host the University of Georgia, ranked second in the nation, and Michigan State on Sunday. After they return home, they will have a fourmatch homestand where they face Akron, Kentucky, Butler and Northwestern which will carry them into early February before they head on the road again.
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michelle mehelas | The Observer
Irish sophomore Maeve Koscielski returns the ball during a victorious match against Bowling Green on Sunday at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Michelle mehelas | The Observer
Irish junior Julia Lilien prepares to return the ball during a victorious match against Bowling Green on Sunday at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
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JANUARY 19—25
martin luther king jr. day
COMMEMORATION Sunday, January 19
Candlelight Prayer Service 11:00 p.m. | Main Building Monday, January 20
MLK Celebration Luncheon A Conversation with Civil Rights Leader Diane Nash Diane Nash was a Freedom Rider, co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and played a pivotal role in the Selma Voting Rights Movement that ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
11:30 a.m. | North Dome, Joyce Center Doors open at 10:45 a.m.
• Free but ticketed • Classes are canceled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Community-Building Lunches 11:30 a.m. | North and South Dining Halls Notre Dame ID required for entry.
Members of the Notre Dame community are invited to gather with friends and colleagues for a complimentary meal between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to continue the day’s conversations.
Visit diversity.nd.edu/mlk for additional Walk the Walk Week events.
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ndsmcobserver.com | monday, january 20, 2020 | The Observer
M Tennis
Sports Authority
Michael Jordan is better than Lebron James Hayden Adams Associate Sports Editor
It’s been a question in the making since Sports Illustrated dubbed LeBron “The Chosen One” when he was a junior in high school, since SL AM had him and (gasp) Sebastian Telfair on their cover saying they were “about to take over the world.” The latter was half right. In any case, LeBron turned into the biggest household sports name in the world. He joined the ranks of legends that are known on a onename basis: Kobe, Shaq, Tiger, Messi, Pelé, Montana, Manning, Gretzky … and Jordan. The debate rages over who’s the greatest of all time (henceforth referred to as “the GOAT”), Jordan or LeBron? In brief, it’s Jordan. Easily. Those in LeBron’s camp love to shower praise on the King as they throw on their bandwagon LeBron Lakers jerseys and throwback St. Vincent-St. Mar y unis. And to be fair, they have a point. LeBron is fourth all-time in points scored, one spot ahead of MJ, and he’s arguably the most unstoppable player ever with his combination of size, athleticism and wellrounded skills (as evidenced by his fifth-place ranking in career triple doubles). Looking at the numbers, LeBron has averaged more than seven assists and rebounds per game for his career, compared to 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists for Jordan. Jordan is the superior scorer though, averaging an NBA record 30.1 points per game for his career and scoring over 30 per game in eight seasons compared to LeBron’s two. And Jordan was a MUCH better defender, regardless of LeBron’s game seven block on Iguodala. Jordan, as opposed to LeBron, wasn’t heralded as the savior. Ever yone’s probably heard the stories of how Jordan was cut from his high school varsity team (although he did go on to dominate on the junior varsity). Then, of course, Jordan was selected third in the ’84 draft behind Hakeem Olajuwon and (gasp) Sam Bowie (shout-out to the Kentucky alum). Back then, the prevailing belief was that you needed a big man to build a championship contender
around. And, to be fair, Bowie’s career was underwhelming due to injury and Olajuwon won two ‘ships (when Jordan was out of the league). However, Jordan’s lack of buzz at a young age, compared to LeBron, was a blessing for Jordan. He used that as motivation to become an unstoppable force. He worked and worked and worked to overcome all the obstacles in his path. First, Jordan had to overcome the Boston Celtics with the greatest front-court (Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale) of all time. He hung 63 in the playoffs on their franchisebest 1985-86 team, and even though his team lost, he eventually learned to start trusting his teammates more. With Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant in tow, after a few tries, Jordan finally managed to overcome the back-to-back champs in the Detroit Pistons’ “Bad Boys” team. Then, in his first Finals appearance, he led the Bulls to fourstraight wins against Magic Johnson’s Lakers and their first franchise championship. Jordan won three straight championships, then tried baseball because basketball was too easy, only to come back a year-and-a-half later and hang 55 on the Knicks in the Garden three weeks into his return. He then got another three-peat, shutting down the vaunted Seattle Supersonics and the modelof-consistency Utah Jazz twice. Oh, and on his final shot in game six of ’98, there was no push off. LeBron never faced real opposition, and it’s been apparent. Jordan came into the NBA during its golden age, while LeBron came in during arguably its worst state since the NBA-ABA merger. W ho was the toughest opponent LeBron faced during his first stint with the Cavaliers? He put the team on his back in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons and got them to a matchup with the Spurs, who swept them. Then, with Shaquille O’Neal on his team and the best record in the NBA in 2010, he couldn’t get past the Boston Celtics. Then he left for Miami, and honestly, I don’t blame him. Sure, it’s a bit of a
cop-out, but he could only get so far in Cleveland behind an incompetent organization that wasn’t getting him any quality help any time soon. But at the Big 3’s welcoming party in Miami, he promised “not six, not seven, not eight” championships … and he got them two. He couldn’t beat the Mavericks in 2011 after going down 3-2, then the next year he got down 3-2 and barely got past the Boston Celtics (even with Ray Allen f lipping to his team) and beat the Thunder for his first championship (they did have Ibaka, Westbrook, Durant and Harden, so kudos). Then it took him seven games to finish off the Indiana Pacers (no Bird-led Celtics or Bad Boys) in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, and he went down 3-2 again to the Spurs before Ray Allen saved his butt with a legendary clutch three. In 2014, LeBron couldn’t get over cramps in the finals and lost to the Spurs in five. Jordan fought through the f lu to beat the Jazz in game five. And notice that I’ve singled out LeBron instead of his teams because each one is LeBron’s team, and it’s on him to help them succeed. Then he ditched Miami and went back to the Cavs. Even though Wade and Bosh may not have been as good as Pippen and Grant/Dennis Rodman, they were pretty comparable. I’ll give LeBron a pass against the Warriors in 2015 when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were hurt, but even when winning in 2016, LeBron was yet again on the brink of destruction down 3-1. And I know the Warriors got Durant, but “the King” couldn’t do anything with Irving AND Love against them? No excuses. Five MV Ps beats four. Six rings beats three. 6-0 in the Finals beats 3-5. And the icing on the cake? W hen we talk about the best person in any field, what do we say? “He’s the Michael Jordan of [blank].” W hy? ‘Cause ever ybody wants to be like Mike. ‘Nuff said. Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Continued from page 16
Mov ing on the second part of the double header, the Irish men w ill play against the Purdue Boilermakers on Monday. This match w ill also take place at home, giv ing the Irish squad an opportunit y
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to sleep in their ow n beds before getting up to play again. The expectations are always high against a regional rival like Purdue. The Irish w ill be looking to bounce back hard from yesterday’s competition. The matches are set to start at 4 p.m. at Eck Tennis Pav ilion.
Ann Curtis | The Observer
Irish junior Tristan McCormick prepares to return a serve during a match against Boston College at Eck Tennis Pavilion on Feb. 8.
Ann Curtis | The Observer
Irish junior William Howells returns a serve during a match against Boston College at Eck Tennis Pavilion on Feb. 8.
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Email Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu
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W Bball Continued from page 16
block in the second quarter and was assisted by a stellar shooting performance from graduate guard Destinee Walker who was 4-7 from the field and 3-4 from behind the arc at the half. Walker and Vaughn had 8 and 13 points, respectively, by the time the first two quarters were in the book. All this offensive efficiency didn’t seem to phase the Hurricanes too much who were up 27-28 at the intermission. The Irish came out of the break with a steam that they did not possess in the first half of play. The Irish absolutely dominated in the third quarter of play. Freshman guard Sam Brunelle would pick up where Walker left off with the hot hand in the second half. Brunelle had just five points at the end of the second but would have 17 at the end of the third. The Irish were able to put up a 20-0 run on the Hurricanes in the third and would run away with the contest from there, as the onslaught was too much for the Hurricanes to overcome in the final 10 minutes of play. Additionally the Irish were not satisfied with what they had on the board quite yet. Brunelle would continue to rain down buckets hitting back-to-back threes early in the final quarter. The Irish would not slow down at all once they reached the final stretch and they would be
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, january 20, 2020 | The Observer
declared winners by a score of 76-53 at the final buzzer. The Irish put the game away with their efficient scoring from the paint, where they found 38 of their points. Irish head coach Muffet McGraw praised her team following their victory and reinforced the fact that this team has untapped potential but, after her emotional press conference a few weeks ago, McGraw was pleased to be sitting in the room with a win in the rear view instead of a loss. “I forgot what this feels like, feels really good. I was really pleased with the third quarter I mean we’ve had some really bad third quarters,” McGraw said. “We talked about guarding [Hurricanes junior guard Mykea] Gray a little bit better in the second half, she had 14 points at halftime, more than half their points. So I thought we did a better job defending her in the second half but I think the biggest thing really was shots just started dropping. “W hen shots drop our confidence grows. We play better defensively. We do everything better when our shots are dropping. I thought Sam looked like an all American in the second half. Destinee made some huge shots. [Sophomore guard] Katlyn Gilbert ran the f loor, got some easy baskets. I thought [graduate student guard] Marta [Sniezek] was just particularly efficient today and getting everybody in their spots.” The most impressive
aspect of the game as a whole was the ball movement. The Irish notched 23 assists on their 30 total made baskets, which was able to give them a solid cushion after their intense third quarter. Coach McGraw said she is looking
confidence to go into every game — at least the next game — just knowing that this is how we can play,” McGraw said. “We’ve never seen this, we’ve never seen what we can be. We’ve seen glimpses — very small even
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we defended [and] really the way we did everything. So I think this is the game we can point to to say this is what we can be and now it’s up to us to see if we can maintain that every game.” The Irish will have their
Hannah Huelskamp | The Observer
Irish graduate student Destinee Walker drives in for a layup during a 76-53 victory over Miami at Purcell Pavilion on Sunday. Walker has played in all 19 games this season and is averaging 14.1 points per game.
for her team to have a newfound confidence heading forward into the second half of the season and soon the inevitable month of March. “I think the biggest thing is just them now having the
hannah huelskamp | The Observer
Irish freshman Sam Brunelle looks to pass the ball during a 76-53 victory over Miami at Purcell Pavilion on Sunday. Brunelle has started 19 games this season and is averaging 13.7 points per game.
in games early in the season. We didn’t really play well even if we were able to win so I think this is finally the game where we can feel good about the way we played and the way we executed, the way
longest break of the season this week before they prepare to face off on the road against Virginia on Sunday. Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu
Hannah huelskamp | The Observer
Irish junior center Mikayla Vaughn puts up a shot over two defenders during a 76-53 victory over Miami at Purcell Pavilion on Sunday.
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The observer | monday, january 20, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd women’s basketball | Notre dame 76, miami 53
ND men’s tennis
Men’s tennis drops first match of 2020 Observer Sports Staff
The Notre Dame men’s tennis team faced off against the University of Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday for the first half of a double header. The match was the first of the season for the Irish squad. After a month since their last collegiate competition, the Wildcats proved to be a formidable opponent. Six players competed on behalf of the Irish. As a wall of snow descended upon campus, Irish junior Richard Ciamarra and senior Matt Gamble competed in a doubles match to start the afternoon off. The pair faced off against freshman Gabriel Diallo and junior Millen Hurrion. In an intense match, the Notre Dame duo fell to Kentucky, 2-6. That wasn’t the only Irish doubles team to fall at the hands of the visiting Wildcats. Irish senior Guillermo
Irish rout Miami to snap four-game losing streak
Cabrera and junior William Howells played against Wildcat freshman Alexandre LeBlanc and sophomore Kevin Huempfner in an equally heated contest. Kentucky took home the win, with a final score of 3-6. The Irish were much more successful in their singles matches on the other side of the competition. Junior Tristan McCormick dominated his match, winning two straight sets, 7-5 and 6-4. Adding to the team’s success was Ciamarra, who won his singles match against opponent freshman Liam Draxl. This match went straight to the wire, with Draxl taking the first set, 3-6, and Ciamarra claiming the last two sets for himself, 7-5 and 6-4. Tallying up the results of all the afternoon’s matches, the Irish fell short to Kentucky, 2-5. see M TENNIS PAGE 13
By JIMMY WARD Sports Writer
Hannah huelskamp | The Observer
Irish graduate guard Destinee Walker throws up a shot during a 76-53 victory against Miami on Sunday at Purcell Pavilion.
After four consecutive losses, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team was able to find their second conference victory this season as they routed the Miami Hurricanes at home Sunday. The Irish (712, 2-5 ACC) have not been the team they have been in years prior this season but their win on Sunday provided a glimpse of hope looking forward to the future. The Irish were able to get off to an early lead in the first quarter behind the length of junior center Mikayla Vaughn who got just her eighth start this season against the Hurricanes (10-7, 2-4 ACC). Vaughn went 3-3 from the field in the first quarter of action and added three rebounds to her stat line. She would pick up another basket, one more rebound and a see W BBALL PAGE 15
hockey
nd Women’s Tennis
ND struggles Squad opens season with sweep of Bowling Green against Ohio State Observer Sports Staff
Observer Sports Staff
In their first home matchup of the season, the Notre Dame women’s tennis team swept the Bowling Green Falcons at the Eck Tennis Pavilion on Sunday. In the first matchup, the Irish dominated Bowling Green 6-1, and in the afternoon play, swept the Falcons 4-0. The Irish opened the morning games by dominating the Falcons in doubles play. The pairings of junior Ally Bojczuk and freshman Page Freeman, senior Bess Waldram and junior Julia Lilien, and sophomores Maeve Koscielski and Zoe Taylor all handily defeated their Bowling Green counterparts. Bojczuk started the Irish off strong in singles play, winning her match 6-1, 6-1, which was followed by victories from Freeman (6-1, 6-1), Lilien (61, 6-1) and junior Cameron Corse rounded out the morning matches with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph. After a break, the two teams
The Notre Dame hockey squad recorded a tie and a loss on the road this weekend to conference rival Ohio State. The Irish (10-10-4, 5-6-3 B1G) were not able to record a big win on the road officially as their overtime shootout tie with the Buckeyes (15-63, 8-4-2 B1G) in the first game only counted for a Big Ten point. This all comes after taking two back-to-back losses last weekend at home against another conference rival, Michigan. Sophomore forward Alex Steeves kept the Irish treading above water in the first game of the series, scoring two goals on four shots. Senior goaltender Cale Morris recorded 27 saves in net, compared to Ohio State’s 14. Junior forward Colin Theisen and sophomore forward Graham Slaggert also contributed a goal a piece.
see W TENNIS PAGE 10
Michelle Mehelas | The Observer
Irish junior Ally Bojczuk prepares to return the ball during a match against Bowling Green on Sunday at Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Although Ohio State’s freshman goalie had recorded only 14 goals at the end of regulation, the Buckeyes were still sticking around as the score was knotted at 4-4. At the end of two overtime periods the game was still not yet decided. The game headed into a sudden death shootout to determine the winner of the conference point. Slaggert beat the Buckeyes freshman goalie Ryan Snowden in the sixth round of the shootout to secure Notre Dame’s second Big Ten point this season — but the game was recorded officially as a 4-4 tie. After a glimmer of hope in the thrilling sudden death shootout, the Buckeyes played with a chip on their shoulder in the second game of the series and were able to get the best of the Irish, coming away with a victory by a final score of 2-1. The Irish were able to keep the contest close in the first see HOCKEY PAGE 9