Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, November 15, 2019

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Volume 54, Issue 50 | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Home game sellout streak ends Notre Dame football’s 273 home-game sellout streak to end Saturday Observer Staff Report

Notre Dame football’s home sell-out streak of 273 games will end this weekend as the Irish take on Nav y.

According to the South Bend Tribune, this Saturday will mark the first time since Thanksgiving Day 1973 that Notre Dame Stadium will not be sold out for a home football game.

The current streak is the second longest in NCAA history, per the Tribune. The only streak that is longer is the University of Nebraska’s run of 373 sellouts, which is still active.

Athletics director Jack Swarbrick said the streak itself was not a priority for the University, but rather the

environment that accompanies home games.

“It was never sort of important to me to keep it alive, but I understand why other people thought so,” Swarbrick said in the Tribune article.

“It’s a point of distinction to a lot of people and our fans. … For me it’s always been: W hat’s the stadium environment like? Are we creating a great environment for our team and for our studentathletes? That you can say it’s also sold out is sort of a byproduct of that.”

According to the Tribune, the sell-out streak has teetered on the brink of termination several times in the last several seasons. The Tribune see STREAK PAGE 6

VP of student affairs to retire Observer Staff Report

Saint Mary’s vice president for student affairs Karen Johnson announced Tuesday she will retire from the College at the conclusion of this fall semester in a Facebook post to the “Saint Mary’s Class of 2021 Parents” page.

“The time is right and I am ready for a new adventure (not sure what that is just yet),”

Johnson said in the post. “It has been my pleasure to work with all of you and support your daughters on their journey.”

Johnson came to Saint Mary’s in 2006 and has filled her position for 13 years.

“It has been my great honor and pleasure to serve and work at Saint Mary’s College these past 13 years,” Johnson said in see RETIRE PAGE 4

ND and Navy inaugural debate

By ALYSA GUFFEY News Writer

Notre Dame and Navy will meet for the 93rd annual year on the football field Saturday. Friday afternoon, an entirely new rivalry between the two schools will begin in Hesburgh Library.

Sponsored by the department of

News PAGE 3

film, television and theatre, the inaugural Notre Dame-Navy debate will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Carey Auditorium, and will be free and open to the public.

Susan Ohmer, Notre Dame director of debate and t h e see DEBATE PAGE 5

SCENE PAGE 7

Rape reported to NDPD Observer Staff Report

ANNIE SMIERCIAK | The Observer

Fans watch the Notre Dame football game against the University of Michigan in the stadium on Sept. 1, 2018.

A rape was reported to the Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD) on Sept. 28, according to Wednesday’s University crime log.

The alleged incident took place in a men’s residence hall in September 2017, according to the crime log.

Information about sexual assault prevention and resources for survivors of sexual assault are available online from NDPD and from the Title IX office.

Post BC game, Dalloway’s to serve students free food

By MEAVE FILBIN Saint Mary’s News Editor

Clarissa Dalloway’s will open its doors once again, Saturday, Nov. 23, to provide students with free food and hot beverages following the Notre Dame vs. Boston College football game. Saint Mary’s Student Government Association (SGA) announced this event in a Nov. 6 email and Google form polling students on what kind of food and drinks they would prefer. This feedback would “help SGA renew an old tradition on campus by bring back life to Dalloway’s Clubhouse,” the email said.

The upcoming post-game event is part of a much larger effort by SGA to revitalize Dalloway’s and reestablish the coffeehouse as a student space, a project announced in September, senior Terra Nelson, president of SGA, said.

“I think it’ll be a great way to end the season and then also a tradition that we can

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carry on until the next football season,” Nelson said. “I think, right now we want to show the College that students will go to Dalloway’s if we have events there, if we keep it open. I think that’s been one of the arguments is ‘Will anybody made it over there? ’ But I do think that people make it over there, especially if they’re coming back from the games.”

W hen SGA originally sent out a survey to gauge student interest in bringing Dalloway’s back to campus, they received a positive response from the student body, Nelson said.

“So I think that if this goes well and the attendance is there, it’s really something that we’re going to keep moving towards,” Nelson said. “I know that way back in the day, [Dalloway’s] was a place where students could go get a meal, do homework.

It was just a student space, and I feel like that’s something that we’re lacking at the College. So we’d love to

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see that.”

Nelson said the future of Dalloway’s will be shaped by students’ attendance to this first event, as SGA and the Saint Mary’s administration will only move forward with re-opening plans if students express interest.

“I think right now, just showing that you can get students to come out, that the attendance will be great, that getting the catering there isn’t impossible, just seeing how it f lows will help us know what we need to do for future events, and then hopefully, to just open the space completely,” she said.

“So just seeing how this works will give us a good understanding of what we need to do for the rest of the time to come.”

Junior Giavanna Paradiso, Community Committee co-chair and SGA Food Committee chair said this event will contribute to the incremental process SGA see DALLOWAY’S PAGE 5

hockey PAGE 12

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TODAY

The observer | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

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P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith Managing Editor Charlotte Edmonds

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“Dragon.”

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sophomore Holy Cross Hall

sophomore Le Mans Hall

“Piranha.”

“Puppy.”

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sophomore Holy Cross Hall

senior Regina Hall

“Manatee.”

“Moose.”

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ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

The Notre Dame band performs at the woman’s basketball game against Michigan State on Thursday. After being in the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Notre Dame lost the game 69-72. This was the second straight loss for the Irish.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

“The LGBTQ+ Past, Present and Future at Notre Dame” DeBartolo Hall 120 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Public lecture.

Exhibit: “Looking at the Stars” Snite Museum of Art All day Featuring a wide selection of Irish art.

Film: “At the Heart of Gold” O’Laughlin Auditorium 3 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Film screening and panel open to public.

2018 Tocqueville Lecture Jenkins and Nanovic Halls 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Open to the public.

Kellogg World Politics Series Hesburgh Center 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Topic on referendums and democracy.

Football Fridays at the Eck Eck Visitors Center 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Food, performances and giveaways.

Lecture Series: “Saturdays with the Saints” Geddes Hall 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Open to the public.

Baraka Bouts: Finals Dahnke Ballroom 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Final round of the Women’s Boxing Club tournament.

Discussion: “Stranger in the Villiage” Snite Museum 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Open to the public.

Lecture: Overpopulation in America Geddes Hall 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Reception following.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 15, 2019 | The Observer

3

Navajo code talker from WWII visits campus

By TRINITY REILLY News Writer

Peter MacDonald Sr. was greeted by a standing ovation when he walked into Jordan Auditorium on Thursday afternoon. After ser v ing as a Navajo code talker for the Marines during World War II, the welcome was much deser ved. MacDonald, a recipient of the Congressional Silver Medal, spoke on campus about the code talkers’ unique legacy in the war.

Phillip Johnston, the son of missionaries who grew up on the Navajo reser vation, was the first to suggest that the army create a code based on the unique language, MacDonald said. Originally, officers were against the idea.

“No. Don’t do that,” MacDonald said, quoting the Army higher-ups. “We don’t know these Indians.

A ll we know is what we see in the mov ies. They yell and holler and run around their wagon train shooting arrows. This is not that kind of a war, so leave it alone.”

Johnston had a hard time getting officers to accept his proposal, MacDonald said.

However, once they began training young Navajo men, he said, they did exceptionally well.

“At the end of base camp, each platoon camp is ranked,” he said, “and the Navajo platoon came up number one of all. Then the 29 young men went through combat training and they came out, all of them, either experts or

sharp shooters.”

The men then had to develop the code, he said, by taking common Navajo words and assigning each one to English letters, numbers, some common words and even punctuation. By the end of June 1942, MacDonald said, they had created and memorized more than 260 code words — and they then began to put the code into action, which included recruiting 170 other men from the reser vation, until there were just over 200 code talkers in the army.

“After that,” he said, “Navajo Code became the official United States militar y code to be used in ever y landing for all top secret, confidential messages. Messages they didn’t want the enemy to know

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went through the Navajo net work.”

The code was especially essential when the U.S. took Iwo Jima, MacDonald said.

“We’re working 24 hours a day until the island is secured,” he said. “If we sent a message in English code, it would take 30 minutes.

30 minutes in English code, 20 seconds in Navajo code.

Those guys who were fighting didn’t have 30 minutes.

That’s why the Marines really loved the Navajo code.

It was going through the air once ever y minute, nonstop, for 48 hours. Without Navajo, the Marines would never have taken the island of Iwo Jima.”

A lthough the code was so v ital to the war effort, code talkers were not allowed to share any thing about their

involvement in the war, he said. In fact, MacDonald said, army officers told them to say simply that they were radiomen during the war, and to tell people to stop asking questions.

MacDonald said he kept the secret until 1968, when the American government declassified Navajo code, and he could finally tell his family and friends what he truly did after joining the war effort at only 15 years old.

“Yes, I lied about my age,” he said. “W hy? Because my older cousin came home, wearing that beautiful Marine Corps uniform.

I said, ‘Hey Tom, how do I get one of those? ’ He said, ‘Join the Marines.’”

They accepted MacDonald w ithout a birth certificate, he said, because his cousin Tom vouched for him.

As the audience’s laughter died dow n, MacDonald remembered the sad ending to his cousin’s ser v ice to our countr y.

“A lways, at least a dozen Navajo code talkers go in w ith the first wave. Tom was one of them,” MacDonald said. “After Tom took about ten steps away from the landing craft, an enemy machine gun fired across the beach.

His body fell for ward.”

About a dozen other code talkers met the same fate as Tom, MacDonald said.

He ended his talk ref lecting on the nature of the war to which many say the code and the code talkers were instrumental in w inning.

“That’s war,” he said. “War is ugly. War is bad. But why do we send our young people into battle like that? W hy?

Because we love this countr y. That’s why. Someone said that our f lag does not f ly because the w ind blows it. It f lies w ith the last breath of thousands of soldiers who have died defending that f lag.”

Contact Trinity Reilly at treilly@nd.edu

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NEWS

The observer | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students discuss race, gender and sexuality

By SERENA ZACHARIAS News Writer

With the aim of creating a space for v ulnerable dialogue regarding questions of gender, race and sexual orientation, a number of groups on campus came together Thursday night to sponsor the second “Let’s Talk About Race” discussion in Geddes coffee house.

In order to facilitate small group discussion, organizers prepared a set of questions to serve as launching points for discourse relating to the intersectional nature of gender, race and sexual orientation.

Senior Kenzie Isaac, who was part of the event’s planning committee, said the discussion was shaped in light of StaND Against Hate Week, which served to combat hate

Retire Continued from page 1

an email. “I will always hold the College in my heart.”

in all of its forms.

“How does your racial identity inform your gender and sexual expressions? How are gender and sexuality in dialogue with each other in your personal life? And how does your racial and ethnic identities underlie this dialogue if at all? These questions can be incredibly difficult to answer even when you’re approaching the question with your own personal narrative,” Isaac said.

While the questions were complex and nuanced, Isaac urged people to understand that there were no correct answers.

“We are simply providing a setting for your story to remain visible, validated and celebrated,” Isaac said. “We know that speaking on multiple

[aspects] of your identities at once can be challenging and incite feelings of vulnerability especially because we are so used to navigating spaces where some of our identities are in direct contention with one another, compelling us to choose which ones to minimize and which ones to elevate, but this is not one of those spaces.”

Senior Sydney Porter, who also helped plan the event, said she was happy to see a number of new people who did not attend the last Let’s Talk About Race iteration.

“It’s good to know that we’re getting more and more people each time to show up and just talk about these conversations,” Porter said.

In regards to her discussion group, Porter said she gained insight as to the cultural

inf luences surrounding questions about identity.

“At my table I had a lot of international students, and that gave me a whole different perspective on how your society or the way you grow up can inf luence your race, you sexual identity and your gender identity,” Porter said.

Throughout the night, Isaac said she also felt the need to check her own biases at times.

“It just goes to show that even the students who initiated this out of passion have so much work to do and we are not approaching this space claiming that we are the authorities on how to navigate these conversations, so we are students and teachers in this space and in the Notre Dame context at large,” she

said.

Senior Vaishali Nayak, who attended the discussion, said she appreciated the opportunity for these conversations on campus. “‘Let’s Talk About Race’ provides a space for us to talk about things that we all go through but we don’t take the time to ref lect on … spaces like these let you talk about topics, let you think about topics in a more ref lective light which can advise how you live your life with your friends and other relationships,” Nayak said.

“Through ref lective discussion on myself and others, I live my life better.”

Last year, Johnson announced she would be retiring Oct. 6, 2018, but was asked to remain at the College following former College President

Jan Cervelli’s resignation and current Interim President Nancy Nekvasil’s installment.

“I am grateful to support Saint Mary’s and Interim

President Nekvasil,” Johnson said in an email to The Observer in 2018. “Retirement can be saved for another time.”

There is a plan in place to give parents more information and to answer any questions, Johnson said in the Facebook post.

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Debate Continued from page 1

William T. and Helen Kuhn Carey Associate Professor of Modern Communication, said she was approached by Navy students in August to set up the debate.

Ohmer said the debate will serve as a way to extend the relationship between the schools.

“We see this as another way for our schools to engage with each other off the field and really show the different talents of our schools,” Ohmer said. “The Midshipmen are smart and well educated as well, and they’re

Dalloway’s Continued from page 1

plans on implementing in the coming months.

If students seem invested, Paradiso said they can expect a schedule of “regular and predictable” events hosted at Dalloway’s.

“We are also hosting a holiday party on December 10th with traditions and food from Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah,” she said. “We are hoping to gradually increase events and usage more regularly for students in the spring and into next year.”

SGA decided that the best way to reintroduce the student body to the coffeehouse would be in

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 15, 2019 | The Observer

5

really preparing for this … and extending the tradition of engaging with Navy in a new way.”

Junior Conrad Palor and sophomore Patrick Aimone will represent Notre Dame in the debate, while junior Will Lewis and senior Nick Gutierrez will debate on behalf of the Naval Academy. The debate topic will be: “The United States should implement a universal basic income.”

Lewis, a junior midshipman, said he views the universal basic income question as a useful topic in today’s society.

“It’s not only a hot topic when it comes to the president ia l election cycle, but also it’s a topic

that a lot of economists are debating,” Lewis said. “…It’s something that we’re interested in, and we’re glad that it’s something [the] Notre Dame debaters were also interested in.”

To allow both debate teams to prepare adequate research for the debate, a coin flip determined the positions of the debaters, Aimone said. Notre Dame will represent the affirmative argument of universal basic income, and Navy will offer the negative argument.

To determine the winner, the audience will be polled before and after the debate., with audience feedback determining the winner.

Aimone said the structure of the

debate allows the audience to leave the debate with a different mindset regarding public policies.

“I think it’s a really good practice for members of the American body to be listening to and participating in active debates over public policy,” Aimone said. “… It’s the opposite of being an echo chamber. It’s a structured environment where you can guarantee that you will be exposed to both sides of an argument in a scenario … as opposed to a shouting match.”

Palor, a junior and president of the Notre Dame debate team, said the debate complements the historic football game by also demonstrating the academic rigor of

both institutions.

“I mean, it’s being held in the Hesburgh Library, and I think metaphorically that Hesburgh Library is known for ‘Touchdown Jesus,’ which is emblematic of football here on campus, but it’s also a home for a litany of academic resources,” Palor said.

Lewis hopes the debate establishes a tradition going forward.

“I think it’s going to be a really great tradition between our two schools and something that I think everybody can really enjoy,” Lewis said.

the hours after a Notre Dame football game, when Saint Mary’s students make the walk from Notre Dame Stadium down the Avenue.

“The idea is that … Dalloway’s is right on the way back from the game, if you’re walking, which I would imagine most of our students are walking that way, and so it will be like a meal right then and there,” Nelson said. “I think that it’s really great in terms of safety, like our students are walking on campus, they’re getting a warm meal and then also in terms of equity, we just know that all students have the opportunity to go out and enjoy the evening of the game because that can be challenging for some financially.”

Paradiso said events like these improve campus culture.

“Events like this help to foster sisterhood and conversation,” Paradiso said in an email. “They are just a small part of the large effort to make Saint Mary’s a home for everyone.”

This event will not only bring students back into Dalloway’s, but also help establish this year’s core value at the College – community, Nelson said.

“We just think it’s a great way to strengthen our core value of community that we’ve said again and again, is just like what our platform is all about,” she said. “We really want to keep Dalloway’s a student space, and that’s been something that has been a

constant conversation and our committees have worked really hard working towards this event.

So we’re excited to do it.”

While this event will be catered, Nelson said the ultimate goal is to operate food services directly out of Dalloway’s own kitchen.

“I think the hope would be eventually to have some sort of cafe in Dalloway’s,” Nelson said.

“That is like the goal is to really utilize that kitchen, utilize the space to its full capacity. But I think small steps and hopefully, by the end of the semester, next semester, we can see some of that come to life. To do an event like this in that space and really advocate for that has been a huge success. With lots of hurdles.”

Though much of student life takes place within the classroom, Nelson said, students can benefit from building relationships and having separate conversations outside of the academic sphere.

“I don’t know if you can really build community in a classroom,” she said. “I don’t think that that’s the best way to do it. I don’t think that’s super enriching to your college experience. So I would just say it’s a space where people can come together … if you can take like the essence of a Midnight Breakfast and put it into space, that’s what I’d like to see. Just a space where people can be.”

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Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu

Contact Maeve Filbin at mfilbin01@saintmarys.edu

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Streak Continued from page 1

referred to “creative” efforts on the part of the University to keep it going. Group ticket sales helped rectify the issue, Swarbrick said.

“Group sales were a big part of keeping the streak going, too,” he said. “We’d go to somebody who was ‘a friend of Notre Dame’ and say, ‘Gee, can you help us with this game? Can you buy 50 tickets and distribute them to your employees?’ That would be an example.”

Generally, such situations arise late in the season — especially in November, the Tribune reported.

In past years, when there was only one game in November, Notre Dame could focus on finding buyers for the extra seats.

But with three November home games against middling opponents, such a strategy would have proved ineffective, the article said.

Notre Dame’s national reach is another factor contributing to the end of the streak, Swarbrick said.

“When we’d have one game, we could clearly focus on it,” Swarbrick said in the article. “This is a circumstance, where you’ve got games in consecutive weeks in mid to late November, and so you don’t have some of the same strategies available to you. … And because of the number of our fans that travel (a great) distance to the Paid Advertisement

stadium, is just a challenge for us.

It’s endemic to that schedule. And we knew it a year and a half ago, as we were looking forward, that you know what, that might be the time where the streak ends.”

The Tribune reported there has been some consternation with recent policy changes regarding ticket pricing. The school recently abandoned a system whereby all ticket prices were standard, regardless of seat location and opponent. Swarbrick defended the change on the grounds that it was fair to consumers.

“It was basically an equity argument,” he said in the article.

“The person who sat high in the end zone and the person who sat on the 50-yard line shouldn’t pay the same amount. We wanted to discount and create a lower price for corner seats and upper seats, and adjust the premium seats in the other direction.”

The November game problem is not a temporary issue, Swarbrick said.

“You can say limit the home games in November, but then is that fair to your football team to make them travel so much at the end of a season?” he said in the article. “You’re balancing the competitive desire to put yourself in a position with the (College Football Playoff) versus the challenges of selling games.”

The Irish take on the Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

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The observer | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer

For more than 40 years, American TV game show “Wheel of Fortune” still continues to have people tune in and try to solve the puzzle. The game show is one of the most widely viewed game shows in history, alongside “Deal or No Deal” and “The Price is Right.”

Created by Merv Griffin on Jan. 6, 1975, the concept of “Wheel of Fortune” is based on Hangman. Each round of the game includes a category and blank word puzzle, with each blank corresponding to a letter in the answer and punctuation added as needed. The titular Wheel of Fortune is a roulette style wheel with 24 spaces, most of which are labeled with monetary amounts — ranging from $500 to $900 — and most of the spaces including a top dollar value: $2,500 in round one, $3,500 in both rounds two and three, and $5,000 in round four and any subsequent round. There are also two Bankrupt spaces and one Lose a Turn space, in which the contestant must forfeit their turn and any other prizes they won from the wheel.

In each round, contestants spin the wheel and call

By CAROLINE LEZNY Scene Writer

The cast of “Romeo and Juliet” circles up pre-show as Advisor Scott Jackson gives them a piece of advice. As he looks around the circle of nervous faces, Jackson reassures: “If you’re comfortable, if you don’t have nerves, you’re doing something wrong. [Acting] is not a comfortable profession.” The actors nod, and their anxiety seems to harden into something stronger: determination. The actors retreat backstage, the lights in the theatre dim and the play begins.

When I asked director Ellis Sargeant — a senior entranced by Shakespeare — why he chose to direct “Romeo and Juliet” over the multitude of other Shakespeare plays available to him, he responded that it is so well known that it is often dismissed by serious Shakespeare-lovers.

“Nobody doesn’t know something about ‘R&J,’” he says, “The names mean love story ... it’s in the cultural consciousness.”

Part of Sargeant’s motivation for choosing this particular play was to combat the audience’s negative perception of the famous lovers.

“If you read in the news that five high schoolers at the same school all either murdered each other or committed suicide, you would think it’s a tragedy,” he explains. “You wouldn’t judge them for being ‘dumb.’”

This production does an admirable job of driving this point home by reframing the lovers in a contemporary context; Juliet (sophomore Nandini Sadagopan) and Romeo (sophomore Aryan Gupta) feel more like desperately smitten high schoolers than the oversexed preteens of Zeffirelli’s famous film version or full-blown adults of many professional stage productions. They have enough maturity for us to take their love for each other seriously,

out consonants that might be in the puzzle. Calling out the correct consonant results in contestants receiving the monetary amount that they landed on, multiplied by the number of times that consonant appears on the puzzle. When a contestant calls the correct consonant, the control remains with that contestant, who has the option of spinning the wheel again to call out another consonant, buying a vowel or attempting to solve the puzzle. Control passes to the next contestant clockwise if the wheel lands on Bankrupt or Lose a Turn, the letter called is not in the puzzle, a letter that is already on the board is called, the contestant fails to call a letter five seconds after the wheel stops turning or the contestant attempts unsuccessfully to solve the puzzle. The winner is crowned when a contestant successfully finishes the final round.

Since the show’s running, there have been four hosts and two hostesses running the show. The original host was Chuck Woolery, who hosted from 1975 to 1981. Pat Sajak took over for Woolery after a salary dispute between Woolery and Griffin. Sajak hosted the daytime show until Jan. 9, 1989, when he left to host a late night talk show. Rolf Bernischke, a former placekicker for the

National Football League (NFL) took his place from Jan. 9 to June 30, 1989, when the daytime show was cancelled after running 14 years. Bob Goen hosted the newly formatted daytime show from July 17, 1989 to Sept. 20, 1991, when the daytime show was cancelled for the second and final time. Susan Stafford served as the show’s first hostess, from the show’s premiere until October 1982.

After Stafford left to be a humanitarian worker, Vanna White became the second hostess from 1982 until the daytime show’s second cancellation in 1991. Since the show was syndicated, Sajak and White served as the show’s host and hostess. On Nov. 9, 2019, Vanna White served as the show’s primary host for a week due to Sajak recovering from emergency intestinal surgery.

Since the show’s airing, there had been many international versions of the show that aired in Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. The show is currently in its 37th season and is the third longest running game show behind “The Price is Right” and “Jeopardy.”

but enough naivete that we understand their inability to deal with their family circumstances independently.

The famous “balcony scene” comes alive to a modern audience under Sadagopan’s vibrant and strikingly contemporary elation and Gupta’s innocent lovesickness.

Sadagopan’s delivery of the soliloquy following her discovery of Romeo’s banishment is particularly moving. She gives Juliet a certain descent into madness, more akin to Lady Macbeth than Shirley Temple.

The standout performances of this production are without a doubt senior Mary Elsa Henrichs’ entrancing Mercutio and senior Louise “Scout” Gregory’s Benvolio.

Whether roaming the streets, fighting in the square or drunkenly summoning Romeo they grip the audience with their chemistry and their obvious joy to simply be onstage. Mercutio’s famous “Queen Mab” speech through Henrichs’ nuance captivates the audience and hints at the darkness in the play early on. Mercutio’s untimely death is tragic more for the loss of Henrich’s presence onstage than the character himself.

Sophomore Jenna Rame (The Nurse), senior Zachary Spitzer (Friar Laurence) and senior Nicholas Taylor (Lord Capulet) also give engaging supporting performances throughout the play, more expertly flipping between comic and tragic moments than even the production’s leads.

The strong acting in this production is accompanied by a number of striking visual moments. Without giving too much away, the most compelling moments include the appearance of the wedding bed, its later transformation into a burial bier and a knife fight lit only by the glow of an electric lantern.

Where this production falls short is its technological ability. Beholden by no fault of their own to the limitations of the Washington Hall Lab theatre, the production unfortunately fails to take full advantage of the black box

space. Where Sargeant has had the ambition to embrace the literal darkness of the play (much of the action taking place at night or in dark spaces), it often resulted in lost moments and an awkward lack of ability to see the face of the actor speaking. Though the staging and the placement of the audience were obviously intended to draw the spectators into the piece rather than let them sit passively, the extremely sparse space and sometimes weak technical elements were often more distracting than advantageous.

When I wondered at the quick pace of the intermissionless piece, Sargeant responds “Half the text is gone,” giving me the answer to my question. The cut works narratively; none of the story gets lost or tangled in the considerably shorter text. If you are already familiar with Shakespeare’s great romantic tragedy, this production will feel more like the Sparknotes than a full rendition. But for the larger Notre Dame audience, my suspicion is that the shorter length will make the piece more accessible. With this production, NSR has clearly chosen to refine the necessities rather than tackle the admittedly monstrous original text.

In the play’s closing moments, the Prince (senior Patrick Harig) urges the Capulets and Montagues to “go now and have more talks of these sad things,” which, running at a quick ninety-minutes, this production certainly encourages its audience to do. Sargeant puts the play in a contemporary context: “When you’re 13 you’re not supposed to have the answer. And all the people who do are so wrapped up in the feud ... in their own fear, in covering up their own mistakes ... that they let the kids die.” “Romeo and Juliet,” when presented in our contemporary era, is a plea to audience members to put aside their conflict and seek peace.

Maybe a love story — no matter how tragic — is something we could all use right now.

Contact Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Caroline Lezny at clezny@nd.edu DIANE PARK | The Observer

8

The observer | friday, November 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Walter Cronkite’s glasses and me

The 50th anniversary of the Notre Dame Ten Annie Moran and Katie Hieatt Little Known Under the Dome

Colleen Fischer News Writer

Broadcast news brought forth a new era of journalism and new heroes within the field. One of these men was Walter Cronkite. Dubbed the “Most trusted man in America,” Cronkite continued to be welcomed into living rooms long after many Americans lost their faith in the country.

Walter Cronkite, and his glasses. In one of the most identifiable moments in Broadcast history, Walter Cronkite removed them to inform the country that John F. Kennedy was dead.

I have seen this footage on YouTube, but also in countless movies and most notably the opening credits of HBO’s “The Newsroom.”

No one knows the exact reason why Cronkite decided to remove his glasses, but I like to think that it was to connect with the public, an attempt to remove one of the barriers between him and the American people. He may have done it so they could look him in the eyes when he told them that their beloved President was dead, and who knows, it might have just been an action to accompany the dramatic pause. Even if the last motive is the real one, Cronkite removing his glasses created a connection for me, even across the five decades that separate us.

I have read or listened to Cronkite recount this event in interviews and in his memoir. He usually doesn’t talk about his glasses, or even what he was thinking about in the moments leading up to announcing the news, besides wanting to get the most accurate information quickly. He talks about a phone call he received afterwards. A women called the CBS office to criticize him for not wearing a suit jacket. He says that he came straight from the newsroom to the desk and did not think of it.

At some point during the broadcast someone draped a jacket on his chair, but he simply did not think of it. This woman did. Who knows what she was thinking, feeling or intended, but what she said obviously stuck with Walter.

When Cronkite took off his glasses he was establishing a genuine moment between him and the American public, including the woman in his story. She set this opportunity for connection aside in turn for social conventions. Every time I see this moment in history I don’t think of a fatherless Jack or Bobby Kennedy with a bowed head and Jackie in a black veil. I don’t think of our leaderless country. I think of this woman who cared more about whether Walter Cronkite was wearing a jacket or not, then about his effort for sympathy. That, and how I should wear my glasses more often, and take them off for dramatic effect.

Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Join the conversation.

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

This coming Monday commemorates the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous moments in the history of ND campus activism: the Notre Dame Ten. Remembering this point in our history offers the chance to consider where we’ve been and where the current moment finds us with respect to when and how we choose to speak out when everything isn’t golden under the dome.

If you were flipping through the New York Times on Nov. 19, 1969, you may have encountered a headline tucked at the bottom of page 60: “Notre Dame expels 5 in C.I.A. Protest.” The short blurb that detailed the Nov. 18 protest would not paint the whole picture. Other accounts left in the protest’s wake leave a trail of contradictory details of the day’s events and those that followed, leaving the infamous power struggle between University President Fr. Theodore Hesburgh and student organizers shrouded by the haze of collective memory. So it goes with the stuff of Notre Dame legends.

Like many good stories, this one has an unlikely villain: the Dow Chemical Company. An otherwise uninteresting corporation best known for its Saran Wrap (to be fair, an exciting new consumer product at the time), Dow accepted a lucrative contract to manufacture napalm for the U.S. military’s campaign in Vietnam in the late 1960s.

Dow became the primary supplier of a notorious weapon for a notorious war, incurring the rage of student organizers on campuses across the country. Dow recruiters recall that they became so accustomed to students locking them inside University buildings during their recruitment events that they packed sandwiches and water to stay comfortable while they waited.

The 1969 protest was not the first time Notre Dame students stood up to Dow and the CIA. In November 1968, an overnight sit-in in the Main Building kicked off a 3-day vigil featuring music, speeches and a table set up to welcome dialogue with those who might have disagreed with the purpose of the protest. But the protesters that year did not hinder the recruiters from going about their ordinary business of ordinary industrial warmaking.

Fr. James Riehle — the dean of students at the time — praised the 1968 protest as an effective way to encourage passersby to “pause and consider the issues [the protestors were] raising,” and expressed this approval in contrast to protests that might hinder business as usual at the University. Riehle’s lecture on “acceptable” versus “unacceptable” nonviolent action hints that he understood that students were capable of much more disruptive acts — perhaps even ones that could challenge the balance of power within the University, or at least cause enough of a stir to call it into question.

Sensing continued unrest within the student body, Hesburgh released his letter containing the notorious fifteen-minute rule just a few months before the 1969 protest, forcing the protesting students to risk their status as students in order to speak their collective conscience.

The letter sent to the Notre Dame community in February of 1969 and picked up by the national news issued a warning for student protesters. It stated that any demonstrators that substituted “force for rational persuasion” would be given 15 minutes to disperse or otherwise face extreme disciplinary action.

The following semester, the Notre Dame Ten were the first to put the rule to the test. Here’s where the story gets fuzzy.

Reports of how many protesters were present vary. While news reports peg the number ranging from 75 to 200, the official section of the Notre Dame website commemorating Fr. Ted mentions no more than 12.

Some reports omit the fact that police in riot gear were called to campus to await a signal to enter the Main Building. Some sensationalized that the students had “locked up” a Dow recruiter.

While the five students facing expulsion successfully appealed to join the others in receiving suspensions, it is seldom mentioned that not all the students returned to complete their degrees.

Reports vary, but suggest that between one and three of the students did not return, leaving one to wonder whether the decision had to do with a loss of faith in Notre Dame’s commitment to the freedom of protest.

Other little-reported details of the event abound. While the protest was for the most part student-powered, faculty members also supported the students in their effort. Sister Joann Malone, a member of the D.C. Nine who broke into the Dow offices in Washington and sprinkled blood on their files, was among the demonstrators. Rev. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy resigned in protest of the University’s response and disciplinary action. Other professors came to the defense of the students to help in appealing their sentences.

While the fifteen-minute rule lives on in campus legends, the official guidelines listed in the current edition of du Lac make it clear that campus demonstrations are subject to careful regulation. They outline that “all demonstrations must be registered in writing with the vice president for campus safety and University operations” and may not “impede the freedom of the University community”— eliminating the possibility of a demonstration comparable to the peaceful disruptions of business-as-usual in decades past.

One might wonder just how much freedom we have to express dissent with the University if they must first give their stamp of approval on every instance of doing so. But while our protests may be regulated, students have worked with and around these policies in creative ways beyond just wearing leggings: by organizing in the wake of the 2016 election in support of DACA students and other vulnerable communities, by protesting and educating on the Columbus murals, by voicing disappointment over new undergraduate housing policies and by gathering with community members to protest the presence of Attorney General William Barr near campus just a few weeks ago.

These examples only scratch the surface of the myriad ways Notre Dame students have been able to make their voices heard in recent years, and we hope they continue to feel empowered to do so to make this University a more welcoming place — complying with du Lac when possible and deviating peacefully when necessary.

Annie Moran is a senior hailing from Chicago studying psychology and education. She can be reached at amoran5@nd.edu or @anniemoranie on Twitter. She’d love to hear your musings on the wonders of fresh basil, experimental theater or the sacred space of public transportation.

Katie Hieatt is a senior majoring in Economics and American Studies from Memphis, Tennessee.

Her go-to streaming recommendations are Russian Doll and Killing Eve. She can be reached at mhieatt@nd.edu or @katie_hieatt on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The observer | friday, November 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

9

Take time for yourself We’re all here because we’re high achievers.

We care a lot about our grades. We fixate on our futures, and it’s easy to believe every achievement is a notch on the ladder of success. The academic expectations are unrelenting, and those aren’t the only high bars we set for ourselves. We expect ourselves and each other to have passions outside of class, to be involved in dorm life and to go out at least once a week, if not twice or more. We compare the number of credits we’re taking, the minuscule hours of sleep we get each night, the number of clubs we join and the way we make it all look effortless.

But we know it’s not. We see what you’re going through.

We feel the pressure you’re under. We understand — it’s not easy.

The investigations team at The Observer has been working on a series about mental health. Last week, we reported on the availability of counseling services at Saint Mary’s in the midst of the resignation of the Health and Counseling Center director. This week, our reporters looked into eating disorders and evaluated the support systems available for students in need.

The tri-campus community does have resources available to help those who are struggling, and we encourage you to take advantage of them. McWell offers hot tea, trail mix, essential oils and more. The UCC lends a listening ear. But in some ways, these feel like band-aid fixes for a much deeper issue. If the unrelenting, pressure-cooker social culture of the tri-campus community doesn’t change, the limited resources available can only be a temporary solution.

The pressure we feel comes from many sources, and none of us are blameless in overextending ourselves. But

it’s important to also look at the institution and recognize the ways the University itself can perpetuate these feelings. Take the call, “Be a force for good.” It’s wonderful students aspire to be that force, and it’s encouraging the University believes we can live up to such a high ideal.

But even this call to action can be insidious to an alreadyoverwhelmed student who can hardly find the time to finish their homework, much less be that force for good.

We’re asked, “What are you fighting for?” Sure, many alumni and students are fighting to end malaria, bring about world peace, educate the masses. We admire them for their accomplishments, and we’re proud to attend that very same University. But some days, we fight to get out of bed or we fight to make time for friends, and those are the only fights we have the energy to take on. And we need to recognize that’s OK. In the midst of this anxiety-inducing environment, it’s hard not to compare yourself to others, but it’s vital to recognize that everyone is on a different timeline and path.

Just because your classmates are applying for a job or an internship doesn’t mean that you, too, should do the same.

Students in Mendoza face immense pressure to secure an internship by sophomore year and solidify a job by early senior year. Medical school applications are different from law school applications which are different from job applications — and all jobs are different from each other. Set your own pace.

And no matter what happens, never conflate your success with your worth. Just as a snazzy internship doesn’t make anyone better than anyone else, not having a job or an internship doesn’t mean you did anything wrong, or that you are any less of a person. You are not your creditload or the number of clubs you attend. You’re a human being, not an achievement bot. You have inherent value outside of your wins and losses.

So, as the semester ramps up and nears its end, we hope

you keep this advice in mind. It’s OK if you watch an extra episode of Friends (or three) or skip your professor’s office hours or sleep through brunch with your little or not get an A on that paper. It’s OK to take time for yourself. Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself. Give yourself a break, not because you did or didn’t earn it, but because you deserve it, regardless.

And whenever you can, remind your peers that they deserve a break, too. When it comes to issues of mental health in a culture that encourages perfection, it’s easy to feel alone. But remember, today, that you’re not, and remind someone else that they’re not alone, either.

It still makes you a force for good if you’re just good to yourself. And if you don’t know what to fight for, today, just fight for yourself, your peace of mind and your mental health. We’ll be right here, fighting alongside you because you’re never as alone as you think.

RENEE YASEEN | The Observer

Letter to the editor

Where are the black Catholic students at Notre Dame?

Where are the black Catholic students at Notre Dame?

I find myself asking this question often. I myself am an African American Catholic and I understand the challenge.

But, as a member of the committee that has been for the last three years helping the University to celebrate Black Catholic History Month, it can be profoundly frustrating when so few Catholic students of African descent show up to programming.

In the United States, Catholicism is associated with whiteness. It’s mostly an accident of history. On the continent of Africa and in Central and Latin Americas, African Catholicism seems normal and not anomalous. In the United States, most white slaveholders were Protestant and passed on to their captives some distorted version of religion. So African Americans refashioned and reimagined Protestant Christianity in the image of a black God who valued their fundamental goodness.

Yet, there were always black Catholics in the United States and we currently count more than three million. African believers appear in the biblical stories, in Catholicism’s early history and in the Americas long before 1619, the year associated with the beginning of the chattel enslavement of Africans. Juan Las Canaries, who travelled with Christopher Columbus in 1492 was likely an African Catholic. The city of Saint Augustine, Florida was established in 1565 was both Spanish and African. But as proud as I am, I tire of justifying to others why it is reasonable for me to be Catholic.

I still wonder where the black Catholic students are. Did you know that of the 150 first year students who identified themselves to Admissions as black/African, 72 also identified as Catholic? And only nine of those black Catholics are also international students. That doesn’t even count sophomores, upperclassmen and graduate students. At a university in which the Catholic intellectual tradition and

Catholic religious culture is so central to its identity, you’d think this unique population would be celebrated and supported. You’d think that ND would be a place where the most promising young black Catholics received such strong social, intellectual and spiritual support that they would leave this place poised to be leaders in all of the many social milieus that they represent. Nevertheless, it seems to me like black Catholic students are both invisible and hidden.

Invisible because in concrete, pragmatic terms Catholicism at Notre Dame is presented as a white religion as if the rest of us are just visitors, at best. As if we are not real inheritors and agents of a universal, international religious family, but instead guests who should be happy just to be here. But that dog won’t hunt anymore; hospitality has its limits and I am not a guest. As Sister Thea Bowman once preached to all the American Catholic bishops, “I come to my Church fully functioning. That doesn’t frighten you, does it?”

Hidden because I think black Catholic students intentionally keep a low profile. I think many of them may not even attend Sunday Eucharist. I would guess that some struggle with knowing how to integrate their black and Catholic identities in ways that allows them to feel at home in this Catholic institution. Personal integration can be challenging for every college student, so being a person of color in a predominantly white institution would only further complicate the journey. There are some experiences in black life that need the benefit of the complex, dense, multivalent poetry of black religion. Black religion does not equal Protestantism. To not integrate black life into a Catholic framework can leave black Catholics feeling disjointed, rootless, homeless.

Is there one chapel on our campus where the religious imagery and cultural expression isn’t dominated by

whiteness? Perhaps the new Saint Martin De Porres Chapel in Baumer Hall, named for a mixed race Afro-Peruvian Dominican brother might represent a paradigm shift. But I tell you, when I walk into the Basilica of the Sacred Heart I am clearly reminded of who belongs and who does not.

Even the angels — who actually have no form — are white.

Notre Dame continues to fail at grappling with how whiteness (the color and the various cultures it represents) is deified in the Western tradition. As reasonable as it may be for any people to imagine the central sacred persons of their religion in their image, Christianity is incarnational and historical. In other words, Jesus was not white. Neither was Mary, our mother and patron, or any of the first century Palestinian followers in the Bible. So a religious and liturgical experience that draws from other sacred cultural matrices should not be surprising or peculiar to Catholics that claim to be members of a universal ecclesial tradition.

Here are my words of advice and hope to my younger black Catholic sisters and brothers: Come out of the shadows! Make yourselves visible and known. For example, show up Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. for the next Black Catholic History Month Mass in Lyons Hall. Be present at programming that highlights your uniqueness. Bring other black and non-black students with you. Demonstrate to them what Catholic can and could mean for all of us. To bring blackness to bear upon our theological and liturgical imaginations as Catholics is to combat the ongoing and deadly sin of racism, proclaiming that black lives do, in fact, matter to the God of Jesus Christ. Mary is our mother and Jesus is our savior and our brother. And as far as I am concerned, that makes them both black and beautiful.

Eric T. Styles Rector, Carroll Hall Nov. 14

10

DAILY

The observer | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Put more thought into how you handle your money this year.

Don’t let someone else control your finances. Invest in what suits you best.

Coming up with a plan that gives you leverage to make decisions regarding how or where you live is favored. A personal contract will bring you closer to someone you want to spend more time with. Your numbers are 9, 14, 22, 26, 39, 41, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): How receptive you are to someone you love will determine what happens next. Listen to the options you are offered, and consider how you can launch what you want to do next based on what’s available to you.

Romance is encouraged.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A change of plans will keep you on your toes. Make sure you have all your documents in order and are fully prepared for anything that comes your way. Communication will be the best way to overcome adversity.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be careful what you wish for. Someone is likely to take your actions the wrong way. Before you find yourself in a compromising position, make it clear how you feel and what you expect. Mixed emotions can affect your status or reputation.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take up an unusual hobby, or sign up for a seminar that will help you understand future trends and how best to use what you have to get ahead. A positive change can be made if you help others.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Make plans with someone who brings out the best in you.

Personal pick-me-ups will improve your attitude. Doing something beautiful for someone in need will make you feel good and encourage support and help in return.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Speak your mind; you will encourage others to help you bring about positive change. Control your emotions to avoid giving someone the wrong impression. Indulgent behavior and deception will lead to trouble. Don’t share secrets, passwords or your possessions.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Show how much you care by doing something awesome for someone you love. Take on a challenge that will test your strength and stamina. An emotional situation will take a positive turn if you are open and honest. Romance is encouraged.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll be faced with decisions that can change the way you earn your living or surroundings. A conversation with someone close to you will encourage you to follow your instincts and take the road less traveled.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Emotions will interfere with your thought process. Don’t make hasty decisions regarding someone or something you care about. You’ll be offered the wrong impression, and acting on an assumption will be challenging to reverse. Focus on fitness, health and emotional well-being.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your relationships with your peers matter. Listen carefully, and consider the best way to accommodate others without jeopardizing your integrity or reputation. A change may be required. Process what’s best, perfect your plan and make your move strategically.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Personal gain is heading your way. An idea you have will lead to extra cash. Getting into a fitness routine or improving your surroundings to live a healthier lifestyle is favored. Romance is in the stars.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Simplicity, moderation and determination will lead to success. Surround yourself with people who have as much to offer as you do.

Don’t let emotions cloud your vision or tempt you to get involved with someone you cannot trust. Set high standards.

Birthday Baby: You are innovative, understanding and inquiring. You are adaptable and persuasive.

SORIN ELEMENTARY | IAN SALZMAN

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Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports Authority

Predicting future sports geography Charlotte Edmonds Managing Editor

As sports become more and more entrenched with the business world, conversations will continue to arise about expanding markets and the changing demographic of sports fans. Whether it be through expansion or relocation, numerous cities have experienced rebirths through the welcoming of a major sports league. For the purpose of this Sports Authority, I’ll share my thoughts on potential professional sports market cities, focusing on basketball, football and soccer. While baseball and hockey certainly qualify as major sports, they’re facing other obstacles, notably interest and exposure, respectively, among American sports fans to address prior to expanding.

NFL The NFL is already ahead of the curve, making moves in the Las Vegas market via relocation of the Oakland franchise next season. Considering how touristy Las Vegas is, and the incentive for visiting team’s fans to travel to Sin City, this will likely be a unique setup for the league to experiment with.

Take the Golden Knights for example, who made the Stanley Cup their first year — sports are thriving in Vegas.

Next up, Orlando. Like Vegas, the 22nd-largest metro area is home to all things entertainment — NBA, Disney World and SeaWorld. San Diego and St. Louis are the only cities with larger populations without NFL football and both saw NFL teams recently relocated from.

Why not give Orlando a chance?

Now, let’s cross the pond to discuss the reality of a different kind of football in London. I get it, this one’s a bit of a stretch, but the ground work is already there. The newly constructed Tottenham Football Stadium was designed specifically with the purpose of being able to host NFL football and recently hosted two games at the beginning of the season. I know the distance and time change can certainly complicate matters, but the NFL is arguably the only league that could even marginally support such a travel schedule, with games spaced out far enough apart and the presence of bye weeks.

NBA It’s no secret that the NBA is always trying to expand its presence. They really do pride themselves as global brand,

with a number of superstars hailing from outside the U.S. They’ve recently shifted their focus to other parts of the country, even finding themselves tangled up in the politics of the protests in Hong Kong.

That experience means they’re always prepared to expand. But where to?

This one pains me to admit, but perhaps Seattle.

As a die-hard Thunder fan, I take personal offense to Supersonics fans’ bitterness, but also recognize the tragedy of their situation. They’ve watched their beloved team get stolen from them only to be heavyweights in the Western Conference in a way that Seattle hadn’t since Ray Allen’s prime. They nearly snagged the Sacramento Kings before the league effectively vetoed the sale of the Kings to a group that intended to move them to Seattle.

Now let’s look international. First, up north to Canada. The Raptors have taken off in Canada, and what better place to look than Vancouver? Home to the 2020 Winter Olympics, this metro area with a population of nearly 2.5 million is known for its diverse community, something the NBA seems to pride itself of and thrive in. And moving south — I feel strongly about this one — Mexico City.

Although certainly pushing the bounds of travel time, it’s only a two-and-a-half hour flight from Houston, and still in Central Time. With a metro area of 21 million people, it’s hard to imagine the NBA not having a bigger presence there.

MLS The MLS isn’t considered a major league by most people, but aspires to be one. Their recent approach of expanding to Miami, Nashville, St. Louis and Sacramento demonstrate their desire to hang with the big leagues. Why not use the model of the NBA in cities like OKC, Salt Lake, Memphis and Portland and allow soccer to be the only major game in town? For example, Albuquerque and El Paso would be nice targets.

Both have a large population, no other major sports and a heavy Hispanic influence that would likely support soccer as a major sport.

Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Roundtable Continued from page 16

Despite the loss to Baltimore, New England has been a consistent team and I don’t see them slipping up again this week, especially with the extra rest. Patriots win and cover.

Aidan Thomas My confidence in the Saints has been badly shaken after last week’s dud versus the Falcons. That being said, I think they’ll pull out the win, but the Buccaneers do enough to keep this one close — Saints win but do not cover.

I picked against the Ravens as underdogs against both Seattle and New England they laughed in my face, so I’m going to trust Lamar Jackson and his boys to win this one. However, Houston’s offense has developed more consistency recently and is coming off a bye week so they keep this one in doubt until the end. Ravens win but do not cover.

Another tight game, and another game where I like the favorite in a tight contest. The Pats showed weaknesses against the Ravens, but they are deadly off of a bye.

The Eagles are rested, but they have shown horrible inconsistencies this year. The Eagles keep it close and challenge the AFC leaders, but the Pats pull one out. Pats win but do not cover.

Liam Coolican I won’t put too much stock into last week’s shocking loss against the Falcons, as the Saints are still working Drew Brees back into their offense. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, always seem to be in close games and can never do enough to close the win. I’ll pick it to be a close game again. Saints win but don’t cover the spread.

The Texans, coming off a dismantling of the Jaguars in London, and a bye, should be wellrested for this one. The defense took a major blow with JJ Watt being ruled out, and without him, it will be tough for them to contain Lamar Jackson. The Ravens defense will make some big plays to shut down Deshaun Watson and the Texans offense, and the Ravens will win and cover.

The Eagles, as bad as they’ve looked at times this year, are still a tough team to pick against at home. However, they’ve shown a complete inability to compete with the top teams in the NFL this year. The Patriots, coming off a bad loss to the Ravens, will bounce back in this one, exposing the Eagles shaky defense. Patriots win and cover.

Nate Moller Last week the Saints were dismantled by the Falcons, scoring only nine points in that loss. Until last Sunday, the Falcons had given up at least 20 points in every game of the season. However, the Saints have Drew Brees, and I don’t think he will allow his team to have back

to back letdowns. The Saints will roll in this one and win and cover.

In a game that might have major seeding implications for the AFC playoffs, it is very hard to pick against the Lamar Jacksonled Ravens, as the Ravens have won their last three games by 14 or more points. The Texans, however, have not been playing too shabby themselves, so I think this game will be a close one. Jackson will make some plays late, though, and I expect the Ravens to win but not cover.

The Patriots have had a bye week to fix their defensive mishaps in their 37-20 week 9 loss against the Ravens. I think Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will right the ship this week and give the Patriots a win over a very inconsistent Eagles team that owns wins against the Packers and Bills but was handed three consecutive losses to the Falcons, Lions and Cowboys. I don’t expect the Eagles to play their top game against the Pats, and I expect the Pats’ defense to rebound. Pats win and cover.

Patrick Gallagher Tampa Bay is one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL and have lost each of their last three games by less than a touchdown. The Bucs will try to break this streak against the Saints, but New Orleans’ offense is just too overpowered. Expect Drew Brees to rebound from an awful loss against the Falcons and to lead the Saints to a victory while covering the spread.

In the matchup of the week, Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson look to strengthen their cases in the MVP race. The Raven’s defense has looked excellent in past couple games, and, if this trend continues, Baltimore will have a clear advantage due to the injury of JJ Watt. In my opinion, the Ravens have seemed more convincing in their victories, and I think that they will win and cover.

Coming off a bye week, New England has had some extra time to lick their wounds after a tough loss against Baltimore. The Eagles have earned some very impressive victories in the past two weeks as they dismantled the Bills’ and Bears’ formidable defenses. This pattern will not continue against New England.

The Pats earn an easy win while covering the spread.

COLLEGE AND NFL UPSET PICKS OF THE WEEK David Kramer: In their past two games, Oklahoma allowed 89 points on defense. Wow. This week, they face an undefeated Baylor team that — as evidence by its nail-biting victory over a previously-undefeated TCU last weekend — always finds a way to secure a victory. With the Bears playing in front of a home crowd, I expect high energy and electric offense in what will be the biggest game in the Big 12 this season. You heard it here first: the Bears upset Oklahoma.

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Dominic Gibson: Texas has been an underwhelming team this year, much to my disappointment. Despite the lackluster play, Texas is not quite dead yet in the Big 12 championship game hunt yet. True they need some things to go right with other teams but Texas will be hungry and desperate against an Iowa State team who has been inconsistent at times. Texas will be returning a few more healthy starters at the defensive secondary position and the inclement weather will perhaps favor the run game, a strength of the Longhorns. I think Texas will keep its hopes alive and pull it off in Ames over Iowa State.

Aidan Thomas: It’s still pretty hard to tell whether Florida is elite this year. I’ve trusted them twice in my roundtable picks, and they let me down both times.

So now I’m picking against them.

Florida has got to be a little deflated as their playoff and SEC title hopes went down the drain.

I think they are looking ahead to their rivalry game with Florida State, and as seven-point favorites, Florida drops their weekend battle with Kelly Bryant and the Missouri Tigers.

Liam Coolican: It is hard to tell which South Carolina team will show up on a given week.

Is it the team that beat Georgia and then nearly knocked off Florida? Or is it the team that got blown out by Tennessee and lost to Appalachian State? Now, though, with Will Muschamp’s team needing two wins in the last three games to be bowl eligible, I expect the former. Texas A&M has been in some close games with bad teams, and I think this is the week it finally catches up to them.

Nate Moller: The Rams and Bears have arguably been two of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this year, and both teams will face each other this week on Sunday Night Football.

Bears pull off the upset, putting the Rams in serious danger of missing the playoffs.

Patrick Gallagher: UCLA has caught fire recently with an impressive three-game win streak over conference opponents.

UCLA’s quarterback Dorian Thomson-Robinson has played consistently well scoring at least two touchdowns in each of his last three appearances, and I think he will lead the Bruins to a chaotic victory over the heavily favored Utes.

Contact Dominic Gibson at dgibson2@nd.edu, Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu, David Kramer at dkramer2@nd.edu, Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu, Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu, & Patrick Gallagher at pgallag4@ nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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 | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hockey Continued from page 16

games, it must take on a Big Ten foe in Wisconsin. The Badgers are returning home hungry after a road trip that saw them drop three of four games. Jackson believes his team is having the practice it needs to be up to the task.

“We’ve had a good week of practice,” he said. “The guys are good spirits, obviously when you’re winning it makes it a lot easier. You just don’t want to get comfortable.

Every weekend in the Big Ten is challenging. This will be a different type of challenge but a very big challenge as far as playing a very good offensive team, highly skilled, fast. They are going to give us more than we can handle at times. We’re going to have to be prepared to defend well.”

Wisconsin has received a ton of hype in the hockey media for sporting two 2019 first round picks on its roster. Freshmen forwards Cole Caulfield and Alex Tucrotte were top 15 selections, giving the Badgers a solid youthful core. Coach Jackson believes that their youth may be somewhat responsible for their slow start, but once they gain momentum they will be a tough

team to beat.

“They have some real good returning players, but the freshmen are what’s really created the buzz around their program. Guys like Caulfield, Turcotte, [freshman defenseman Dylan] Holloway, who will get drafted next year, all three of those freshmen are first round picks. They have some really good players returning as well so you know they don’t have any holes,” Jackson said. “They are young, and that’s why I think that they’ve had some struggles at times but it’s probably just more a maturity thing than it is of ability level thing so I expect that at some point they’re going to gain confidence, and potentially go on a roll, because they have so much ability offensively.”

The Badgers are not the only team relying on its youth, and coach Jackson had high praise for his young players as well.

“Certainly [freshman defenseman Trevor] Janicke has really elevated his game.

[Freshman forward] Jesse Landsdell is showing really positive signs playing more on the second and third lines more as well as Janicke,” Jackson said. “It’s a combination of the youth that we have up front, that’s really helped us in the last few weeks here.

Sports

[Sophomore forward Jake] Pivonka is starting to be more productive offensively. You know there’s positive signs up and down the lineup that you know that are helping us at this point.”

Even in a pair of wins over a strong opponent like Ohio State, coach Jackson knows his team needs to make adjustments to continue to get better. The team’s power play has been scoreless in four games, squandering the entirety of a five-minute major in their most recent game against Ohio State. Jackson said the team is still finding its power play identity without sophomore forward Michael Graham and may make personnel changes soon.

“It hasn’t helped us trying to get the power play [going] ever since Michael Graham went down it’s kind of gone down a little bit,” Jackson said. “We are probably going to tinker with it a little bit, you can’t go for games without a power play goal and not start looking at changes. We’ll take a look at taking a few guys off and adding a few guys, you know, see if we can get it moving in the right direction.”

GRACE AUBRY| The Observer

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu Paid Advertisement

Irish sophomore forward Jake Pivonka makes move around his defender during Notre Dame’s3-2 overtime win over Ohio State.

Sports

W Bball Continued from page 16

especially pleased with Brunelle’s performance.

“I thought Sam played very well.

She was the lone bright spot in the game today,” McGraw said.

Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant also spoke to how difficult Brunelle was to game plan against.

“She’s so quick. The one time we switched and didn’t get into her, she got a 3 late in the game. She’s so good like that, you have to [always] worry about where she’s at,” Merchant said.

Spartans sophomore guard Nia Clouden started the game red hot from deep, making three 3-pointers in the first three minutes, and McGraw was forced to call an early timeout while trailing 9-2. Clouden finished with 28 points. The timeout slowed the Spartans momentum, but their stout defense made it difficult for Notre Dame to get anything going offensively. The

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 15, 2019 | The Observer

first quarter ended with Michigan State leading 17-10.

McGraw praised Clouden’s performance, but was upset with her team’s mistakes.

“Our inability to get out and guard was probably the most difficult part of the game,” McGraw said. “Aside from [Clouden] I thought we just beat ourselves. We had so many opportunities. Free throws, so many [other] things we could have controlled and we didn’t. It looked like an experienced team playing a bunch of freshman, and that’s what it was. Our mistakes were really inexcusable. We can’t just keep saying that we’re young. We have to start focusing and executing and doing the things that we do in practice.”

The Irish missed 13 free throws and turned the ball over 18 times.

McGraw was exasperated by the turnovers in particular.

“It doesn’t get more frustrating than that,” McGraw said. “The way we’re turning it over is beyond me.”

Notre Dame started the second quarter with renewed vigor on

defense, forcing three turnovers in the first two minutes to pull within three points. After trading baskets, a turnaround jumper by Gilbert brought the Irish to within one point, but Michigan State responded with five quick points.

Every time Notre Dame got within a basket and the crowd got back into the game, it seemed Michigan State would respond with a timely basket to silence them.

McGraw was forced to use her inexperienced, short bench frequently, both to counter the Spartans depth and because of early foul trouble. Sophomore forward Danielle Cosgrove played important minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points and five rebounds, including four offensive.

To open the scoring in the second half, freshman guard Anaya Peoples finished a tough layup through contact, but picked up her fourth personal foul under a minute into the half, forcing her back to the bench after sitting most of the second quarter with three. Gilbert continued to get to the basket and

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ALLISON THORNTON| The Observer

Irish freshman forward Sam Burnelle jumps to tip the ball during Notre Dame’s 72-69 home loss to Michigan State on Thursday.

score, but none of her teammates could find a sustained rhythm

offensively. The Irish’s defense kept them in the game, as they kept forcing Michigan State into bad shots and turnovers. Michigan State finished the game with 20 turnovers.

Much like the Tennessee game, the Irish struggled to keep the Spartans off the glass, often giving them second and even third attempts. They finished with 20 offensive rebounds Thursday.

Down by nine points entering the fourth quarter, the Irish immediately cut into the lead on a Cosgrove 3-pointer and a free throw by Peoples. After multiple free throws by the Spartans, Brunelle hit a deep 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to make it a one-possession game, and on the ensuing possession, Gilbert and Brunelle each split a pair of free throws to make it cut the deficit to just a point, but the Spartans answered with an easy layup to take a 3-point lead to the under-five media timeout. The Spartans then drilled a 3-pointer and ratcheted up the pressure on defense. A tough, spinning layup from Clouden all but sealed it. The Irish made multiple baskets in the last few minutes to keep it interesting, and another Brunelle 3-pointer made it a onepoint game with ten seconds left, but the Spartans were able to make both free throws, and Brunelle’s game-tying attempt at the buzzer bounced out.

McGraw said she was upset with the effort of some of her players Thursday, “I was just so disappointed with the lack of focus of a couple of them today,” McGraw said “We can’t afford to make a lot of mistakes. We have six people, and everybody’s got to come and bring their game.

If you don’t do that, you’re really letting the team down,” she said. “We just have nobody else on the bench.

It’s really difficult to watch somebody come in and do absolutely nothing. I think we can control that, and you have to come ready to play.”

Notre Dame w ill attempt to bounce back when they take on Toledo at home on Wednesday night.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

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Sports

The observer | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

FENCING

Irish prepare to begin season in Philadelphia CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Managing Editor

One of Notre Dame’s most dominant athletic programs is set to begin its season Saturday at the Elite Invitational in Philadelphia. Head fencing coach Gia Kvaratskhelia and his team will travel to the TSE Center to face off against a number of teams including North Carolina, Ohio State, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Air Force and Penn.

After winning back-to-back national titles in 2017 and 2018, the Irish finished third in 2019, behind champion Columbia and runnerup Penn State. They did finish last season with a number of individual accolades, including an individual national championship for then-sophomore foilist Nick Itkin and silver and bronze medals for graduate student epeeist Amanda

Sirico and then-freshman foilist Amita Berthier, respectively.

However, things have changed significantly for Kvaratskhelia’s crew as Itkin and Berthier are two of four key athletes — along with epeeists Arie Simmons and Stephen Ewart — who have taken a year off from collegiate fencing to train and hopefully qualify for the Olympics.

While still early in the preparation period, Kvaratskhelia said the four Olympic hopefuls have showed promise in their training.

“In terms of their performance, Nick is really having a great season after winning the North American cup,” Kvaratskhelia said. “He finished top-32 in the World Cup so he’s in the top-three in the U.S. point standings. Amita has won one World Cup — satellite World Cup — and finished third in the second so she’s improving her

qualification chances. As far as the boys, they’re starting their season literally, you know the World Cup is in the next couple of weeks.”

Despite having earned the reputation of dominating the sports and historically landing key recruits, the loss of these four leaders is definitely felt this season.

“We have a very young team.

Amanda Sirico is the only athlete on the entire roster who has been tapped for an NCAA championship, so this is a completely new experience for us,” Kvaratskhelia said. “The last four years we had a veteran team but a lot of kids graduated as well as Olympic hopefuls who took the year off so we’re starting from scratch. I wouldn’t say this is the rebuilding year because we still have very strong athletes overall depth wise. We’re very happy with level of preparation. We just have to see how we fare with the

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ALLISON THORTON | The Observer

Irish graduate student epee Amanda Sirico, right, lunges toward junior Dasha Yefremenko, left, at Castellan Family Fencing Center.

competition at the beginning

of the year.”

Saturday’s competition is the only one of the semester before things kick into full gear in January.

According to Kvaratskhelia, the Elite Invitational will serve as a good litmus test to evaluate where the team is at going forward.

“It’s more of a testing ourselves rather than opposition out there — how do we … deal with anxiety?” he said.

He followed by adding that this team is so young and relatively inexperienced that leadership could come from a number of different athletes.

“The athletes who do not anticipate being great contributors could step up and do it. So just looking from 10,000 feet down as of right now, and then we’ll start narrowing down the focus as we move deeper into the season,” Kvaratskhelia said. “ … Last couple of competitions we’ve had few really strong finishes at the national competitions. So that gives us the kind of indication that those particular athletes could be ready, like [senior foilist] Morgan Partridge, [who] had a great finish in the open competition two weeks ago in Kansas City. [Sophomore sabre] Kara Linder, has been doing really well. [Sabre] Jared Smith, who is a sophomore — he’s showing that glimpse of greatness that he could really elevate his game. He was third out of almost 250 fencers couple weeks ago.”

Saturday’s competition will be telling for Kvaratskhelia in terms of strategizing for the remainder of the season, but he’s confident that this team is fully capable of competing at the high level.

“We still have formidable athletes on a nationally known [level]. They’ve done really well in the national events and even almost qualified or they’re alternate going into the NCAAs the last couple of years,” Kvaratskhelia said.

“We just want to see how well they fare against the competition the beginning of the year.”

Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond3@nd.edu

Sports

XC Continued from page 16

sport. There is a confidence and comfortable feeling you get when you find your teammate on the course and you work together with them throughout the race,” Sparks said. “If they find each other, work together and push each other throughout the early and middle part of the race, then two of them will find themselves finishing in that top 35, which is where we imagine them to be.”

Despite the small concern about finding a fourth and fifth runner, Sparks is very confident in his top three runners in graduate student Anna Roher, and sophomores Maddy Denner and Jackie Gaughan.

“Anna [Rohrer], Jackie [Gaughan] and Maddy [Denner] have been consistent all year. As a coach you go in very confident with what you are going to see them do,” Sparks said.

Sparks also talked about Denner’s racing style of going out conservatively and then passing lots of people between the first mile and the end of the race.

“She gets lost in the crowd in the first mile, and then the next time you see her come by she is

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 15, 2019 | The Observer

50 spots higher,” Sparks said.

“It’s interesting because that racing style is usually someone who is ultra confident, which usually takes several years to develop that philosophy. She already has that in her first season. It is exciting to see what she is going to do over the years.”

The men’s side is in a similar spot as the women. After coming up a mere five points short of a conference title, the men will try to finish in the top five of the region and make a strong statement for an at-large bid to nationals. The 19th ranked men’s team will battle it out against No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 13 Indiana, No. 16 Michigan and No. 17 Purdue.

Head coach Sean Carlson emphasized the importance of racing well Friday, while at the same time understanding that the national meet is only eight days after regionals. Up until this point in the season, all of the races have been 8Ks, but regionals and nationals will be 10Ks. “We don’t want to run ourselves into the ground at regionals and then struggle to come back eight days later at nationals,” Carlson said. “Every other meet this year we have had two weeks in between, and now all of a sudden, we are running the first two 10Ks of the season at regionals and

nationals eight days apart.”

Carlson talked about how teams are remembered for their performances at the national meet — not the regional meet.

“Sometimes there is some danger in trying to overdo it at regionals, and you overplay your wad eight days before you should have,” Carlson said.

“Because at the end of the year, what are you gonna say? What place you were at the regional or national meet?”

Carlson is confident that his team will be ready for the 10K distance at regionals and nationals.

“Everything we do is strength based. Sometimes we pay for that early in the year when everybody is doing speed, but I think in these next two races, our guys are going to thrive.

A lot of what we do in training and what we talk about and prepare for is for the 10K,” Carlson said.

Carlson talked about how he is very confident in his top four runners and how a fifth runner needs to step up. Carlson believes sophomore Danny Kilrea who was nearly redshirted last season might be primed to be the person the team needs.

“He struggled a little bit this year, but I think he will step up and that will be a big difference Paid Advertisement

15

GRACE AUBRY | The Observer

Irish sophmore Olivia Niziolek strides toward the finish line during the National Catholic Invitational at Burke Golf Course on Sept. 20.

maker at the national meet,” Carlson said.

Kilrea placed 29th at the ACC Championship a couple of weeks ago, but last year he placed 33rd at the NCAA Championship. Carlson is hoping he can return to last year’s form.

“If he can take a step closer to where he was a year ago and

be consistent that can help us at the regional meet and a lot at the national meet,” Carlson said.

The gun will sound to start the women’s race at 12:30 p.m. and the men are scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

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The observer | friday, november 15, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Cross country | Great lakes regional

Postseason set for Notre Dame

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

Both cross country teams will compete in the NCA A Great Lakes Regional this Friday in Madison, Wisconsin. The stakes will be high when the gun goes off, as both teams try to build confidence and qualif y for the national meet. The top two teams in the regional will qualif y automatically for the national meet, but because of the strength of the region, it is likely that three other teams in the men’s and women’s race will receive atlarge berths as well. These atlarge berths are determined by a formula that considers wins over teams already in the national meet.

The goal for the women’s team is to compete for the second or third position and make a strong case for an at-large bid if they are unable to place in the top two.

The 16th ranked Irish will

have their work cut out for them, however, as they will be facing top teams in No. 6 ranked Michigan State, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 11 Michigan and No. 20 Ohio State.

Head women’s coach Matt Sparks is confident that his team can compete with some of these top teams if the fourth and fifth runners can step up.

“The big emphasis is closing the gap between our fourth and fifth runner, and if those two can be where we need them we feel that we can run with any of the top three in our region,” Sparks said.

Sparks talked about the importance of the fourth through seventh runners working together during the race.

“I think it’s going to be a combination of all them working together.

That’s the nice thing about our see XC PAGE 15

hockey

Irish to face off against conference foe Wisconsin

By JACK CONCANNON Sports Writer

ALLISON THORTON | The Observer

Irish junior defenseman Matt Hellickson waits for a pass during Notre Dame’s 3-2 win over Ohio State on Nov. 8 at home.

see HOCKEY PAGE12

Roundtable

nd women’s basketball | michigan state 2, nd 9

ND drops second-straight loss at home to Spartans

By LIAM COOLICAN

Roundtable Week 4: NFL games

By DOMINIC GIBSON, AIDAN THOMAS, DAVID KRAMER, NATE MOLLER, LIAM COOLICAN & PATRICK GALLAGHER

Sports Writer

Coming off a tough loss at home against Tennessee, the Notre Dame looked to bounce back against another challenging opponent, No. 16 Michigan State. The Irish were dominated inside by the size and strength of Tennessee, and looked to turn that around against the Spartans.

However, Michigan State was able to mix inside scoring and high volume 3-point shooting to beat Notre Dame 72-69 in a game the Irish never led.

Michigan State was playing without their leading scorer, senior guard Shay Colley, who is playing with Team Canada in Olympic qualifying events this week, but they still had a number of scoring threats to turn to.

Sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert and freshman forward Sam Brunelle finished with 19 oints apiece to lead the Irish. Gilbert was able to score effectively, but finished with eight turnovers. Irish head coach Muffet McGraw was

Sports Writers

Matchups New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5.5) Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens (-4.5) New England Patriots @ Philadelphia Eagles (+3)

David Kramer

ISABEL PATACSIL | The Observer

see W BBALL PAGE 15

After an impressive weekend sweep of the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Irish hockey team (7-0-1, 3-0-1 Big Ten) w ill get back to work this weekend, beginning a long road trip starting against No. 27 Wisconsin (5-5, 0-2 Big Ten). Irish head coach Jeff Jackson addressed the challenge ahead of the team during his week ly press conference.

“Six of the next eight are on the road so we’re going to have our hands full this weekend and the next several weekends are going to be challenging because even the non-conference games are against top 15 — top 20 teams,” Jackson said. “It w ill be a challenging remaining first half for sure.”

Before the team can worry about its non-conference

Irish graduate student guard Marta Sniezek dribbles during Notre Dame’s home game 69-72 loss to Michigan State on Thursday.

After falling to the Saints 24-31 earlier this season, the Buccaneers look for revenge on the road.

Perhaps Tampa Bay is catching Sean Payton in perfect timing given last week’s unspeakable performance, but nevertheless, “Teddy Time” will rule the day. The Saints win and cover.

In a true battle of elite quarterbacks, I expect an explosive day of offense in Baltimore this weekend.

The Texans’ defensive holes make them vulnerable to the lethal run game of Jackson and Ingram, and I seriously doubt the Ravens offense will stop rolling anytime soon.

Ravens win and cover.

I expect the Pats to be out for blood after their bye week. The defensive allowance feels more like a fluke than a holistic downturn, and the offensive threats of the Eagles at home pale in comparison to the Ravens’ performance in Week 9.

The Eagles defense stays consistent at home, and the Patriots gain a late lead. Patriots win and cover.

Dominic Gibson What happened to the Saints last week is an example that any team can beat another team on any given week. I still think that the Saints are a very good football team and bounce back from the bad loss.

Saints win and cover.

I am very excited to see both MVP hopefuls in Watson and Jackson go at it. While the Texans put on an impressive showing in ndon and are coming off their bye week, the Ravens offense led by the mobile threat in Lamar Jackson will find ways to gash Houston.

Ravens w in and cover.

The Eagles have shown flashes of looking like playoff contenders, but have also played some extremely bad games mixed in between. see ROUNDTABLE PAGE 11