Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, December 12, 2019

The independent

To uncover

newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

and holy cross

it accurately

Volume 54, Issue 63 | tHURSDAY, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hong Kong program suspended Administration announces plans to cancel Hong Kong study abroad program

By ANDREW CAMERON Associate News Editor

In a Nov. 20 press release, the Universit y announced its decision to suspend Hong Kong study abroad programming for the 2020 spring semester, citing concerns for student safet y as v iolence surrounding pro-democracy protests in the region has escalated. Fourteen students had planned to study at one of Notre Dame’s three Hong Kong study abroad programs, based at the Universit y of Hong Kong, the Chinese Universit y of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Universit y of Science and Technolog y (HKUST). Follow ing the announcement, Notre Dame

International (NDI) worked w ith affected students to offer them alternative study abroad experiences at different sites around the world, said Michael Pippenger, v ice president and associate provost for internationalization.

“We are always monitoring events around the world.

Our first and primar y responsibilit y is to make sure our students are safe,” he said.

Hong Zhu, senior director of global education, said this semester, one Notre Dame student was study ing abroad in Hong Kong. As the protests escalated and began to disrupt classes, the institution

Observer Staff Report

see HONG KONG PAGE 4

SGA hosts holiday party

CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

Linda Timm w ill ser ve as Saint Mar y’s interim v ice president of student affairs follow ing current v ice president of student affairs Karen Johnson’s retirement at the end of the fall semester, Interim President Nancy Nekvasil announced in a campus-w ide email

A banner advertises the Student Government Association’s holiday party which took place in Dalloway’s Clubhouse this past Tuesday.

By MIA MARROQUIN News Writer

On a blustery Tuesday night in South Bend, Saint Mary’s students gathered at Dalloway’s Clubhouse to share in fellowship at the Student Government Association (SGA) Holiday Party.

Hosted by SGA’s community committee, Dalloway’s was transformed into a space

filled with decorations and food representing Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

Refreshments including egg nog, warm cookies and latkes were served. Tables were set with coloring sheets and markers so students could partake in creating art.

Giavanna Paradiso, a junior and co-chair of the committee that planned the event, see PARTY PAGE 4

Coach USA North America is ending the Indiana Supersaver bus route between Notre Dame and Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway Airport, WNDU reported Wednesday evening. As of Jan. 1, Coach USA will stop operating the route. Three hundred jobs are expected to be lost.A company official told the Times of Northwest Indiana that now “Megabus will run to and from Notre Dame on weekends and major school breaks,” according to WNDU. The story was originally reported in the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Interim President outlines SMC leadership change Observer Staff Report

Photo courtesy of Kelsey O’Connor

Bus cancels route

Wednesday. Timm prev iously filled this office from 1995 to 2006, and has also held positions at Illinois State Universit y and Mount Mar y College.

“Timm’s wealth [of ] experience in student affairs and extensive knowledge of Saint Mar y’s w ill prov ide a smooth transition upon [Johnson’s] retirement in

early Januar y,” Nek vasil said in the email. “Her decades of work in student affairs inspired her collaboration w ith other professionals to form the Association for Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities where she later ser ved as president.” see SMC PAGE 3

College to host semi-annual breakfast

By MARY MANSFIELD News Writer

For many, finals week is marked by late nights at the library, a resurgence of caffeine addictions and a general air of grim determination. However, Midnight Breakfast at Saint Mary’s provides students with an opportunity to tear themselves away from textbooks

and venture to Noble Family Dining Hall to enjoy a midnight feast Monday of finals week.

In an email interview, Karen Johnson, vice president of student affairs, shared some of the history of the event, which has been a hallmark of the Saint Mary’s finals week experience.

“Midnight Breakfast started in the early 2000s and

possibly even earlier than that,” she said. “As far as we know, it has always taken place Monday of Finals Week. Student Affairs started it, and it is now a cooperative effort of Student Affairs, Student Activ ities Board and Sodexo.”

At 10 p.m., students are ushered into the dining hall see BREAKFAST PAGE 3

Best Albums of 2019 NEWS PAGE 3

SCENE PAGE 5

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

W BASKETBALL PAGE 12

m BASKETBALL PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

What is your favorite Christmas song?

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

Asst. Managing Editor: Maria Leontaras Asst. Managing Editor: Mary Steurer Asst. Managing Editor: Natalie Weber

Notre Dame News Editor: Tom Naatz Saint Mary’s News Editor: Maeve Filbin

Viewpoint Editor: Evelyn Stein

Sports Editor: Connor Mulvena

Social Media Editor: Mary Bernard

Scene Editor: Mike Donovan

Photo Editor: Allison Thornton

Graphics Editor: Diane Park

Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf

Ad Design Manager: Ruby Le

Systems Administrator: Stephen Hannon Office Manager & General Info

Morgan Carpenter

Matthew Finley

graduate student off-campus

sophomore Stanford Hall

“‘Mistletoe’ by Justin Bieber.”

“‘Last Christmas’ by Wham.”

Kayla Nenniger

Rachel Walsdorf

sophomore Howard Hall

sophomore McGlinn Hall

“‘All I Want For Christmas is You.’”

“‘Jingle Bell Rock.’”

Ethan Low

Lizzie Fisher

sophomore Dillon Community in Baumer Hall

senior Walsh Hall

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising

(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com Editor-in-Chief

(574) 631-4542 ksmith67@nd.edu Managing Editor

(574) 631-4542 cedmond3@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors

(574) 631-4541 mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu, msteure1@nd.edu, nweber@nd.edu

“‘Go Tell it on the Mountain’ by James Taylor.”

“‘Mistletoe’ by Justin Bieber.”

Business Office

(574) 631-5313 Notre Dame News Desk

(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s News Desk

(574) 631-5323 smc@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk

(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om Sports Desk

(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk

(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Photo Desk

(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators

webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors.

Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged.

Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith.

Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.

A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester.

The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077 All reproduction rights are reserved.

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Tom Naatz Theresa Olohan Chelsey Boyle

Jimmy Ward Mia Marroquin

Graphics

Scene

Christina Interiano

Ryan Israel

Photo

Viewpoint

Erin Fennessy

Nelisha Silva

Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

The Notre Dame pep band perform as the Notre Dame women’s basketball team plays the DePaul Blue Demons at home in the Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday. The Irish lost 94-105 and were led by freshman forward Sam Brunelle who recorded 31 points.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Artful Yoga Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Capacity is limited.

All skill levels are welcome.

Study at the Snite Snite Museum of Art 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Galleries open to students as a quiet study space.

Glee Club Christmas Concerts Leighton Concert Hall 2:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Tickets available online.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Exhibition: “New Faces” 214 Riley Hall all day Featuring work by MFA students.

Last Class Day campus-wide all day Last day of classes for the fall semester before final exams.

“The Christmas Star” DVT in Jordan Hall of Science 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Free, ticketed lecture on astrophysics.

Exhibition: “New Faces” 214 Riley Hall all day Featuring work by MFA students.

Reading Day campus-wide all day 23-hour quiet hours in anticipation of final exams.

Final Exams campus-wide all day 23-hour quiet hours during this week of final exams.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, december 12, 2019 | The Observer

3

student SENATE

Boyle delivers address, group takes up reform

By JACK JERIT News Writer

Elizabeth Boyle, a senior and student body president, delivered the annual State of the Student Union address to the student senate Monday night. The senate also discussed potential election reforms before the next election cycle begins in the spring semester.

Boyle extended congratulations and thanks to the senate for their performance this semester so far before moving onto significant events from the semester relating to residential policy.

“We started off the year with an announcement of new residential life changes, specifically the updates to the ID swipe policy. I would like to specifically thank the Sophomore Class Council for the incredible leadership you have all stepped up to and for taking this conversation on,” she said. “The senate as well has been engaged with this since Day One by passing resolutions, bringing forth questions from their constituents and forming committees to come up with creative solutions.

Additionally, on the executive cabinet end, our co-directors of student life, Abby Smith and Connor Whittle, have done a phenomenal job of expanding student engagement with administration specifically on the topic of residential life at Notre Dame.”

Boyle also had high praise regarding recent efforts to be more inclusive on campus.

“I have noticed an incredible growth in the way we as a student body truly embody the spirit of what it means to be Notre Dame— from an incredibly impactful Race Relations week hosted by Diversity Council and our director of Diversity and Inclusion Kenzie Issaac, to an increase in more inclusive student club like Acess-ABLE and even the physical presence of more ally stickers, pins and signs around campus, I feel that we are

Breakfast Continued from page 1

where they enjoy breakfast foods, music, singing and dancing.

“Around 800 students attend, and faculty and staff are invited to sign up to serve the breakfast, which has always been the case,” she said.

“The whole event is fun. It has evolved over time; we added music and some giveaways.”

For Johnson, she enjoys the annual celebration of finals week as an opportunity for the College to provide students with a chance to de-stress in a school environment while enjoying food and fellowship with their classmates.

“The whole event is fun,” she said. “It’s a stress reliever during Finals Week. There’s dancing, singing and games. I love to see students relaxing and having fun.”

Junior Sarah Catherine Caldwell,

truly moving in a better direction,” Boyle said.

She also commented on the administration’s efforts to create several new departments.

“The executive cabinet added two new departments — Student Empowerment and Sustainability.

We have been working more closely with NDPD to provide students with Know Your Rights materials, we have expanded campus access to the NYTimes,” she said. “Our director of Gender Relations Anne Jarrett has helped ensure that all student leaders will be GreeNDot trained, and our department of Community Engagement and Outreach led by Alex Yom has helped to redefine what it means to be a neighbor to the South Bend community.”

Boyle also condemned recent incidents of hate speech on campus.

“As we have discussed in senate, recent issues of hate targeted at members of our community, and specifically LGBTQ members of our Notre Dame community are repulsive and inexcusable. I decided to run for office in the first place because I want to make Notre Dame a home for all and I will continue to do that, but I cannot do that alone,” Boyle said. “It will take a coordinated effort of students, faculty, staff and administrators to push Notre Dame to be the truly Catholic — universal and accepting — place it was meant to be.”

Boyle wrapped up her address calling for senators to rededicate themselves to their legislative duties next semester.

“I challenge you to come back from this break with an intention to create policy and programming that will broaden what it means to be Notre Dame,” she said.

Following the address, the senators switched their focus to discussing election reforms before the upcoming semester begins. The topic at hand was about the rules surrounding enumerated officials’ ability to endorse candidates.

As of now, no person who was elected to serve in the Student Union may endorse a candidate, but certain officials who were appointed to their office are allowed to do so. This resolution sought to change that distinction for the following positions in the student union: Student Union secretary, parliamentarian, executive controller, Executive Cabinet department directors and Judicial Council president.

Some senators had questions about the rules surrounding endorsements in the first place and their necessity.

“What was the rationale behind stopping endorsements in the first place?” Keegan McArdle, a sophomore senator from Dunne Hall, said. “I don’t see why we have to stop it.”

Samuel Delmer, a sophomore senator from the Dillon community in Baumer Hall, was one of the sponsors of the resolution and spoke about fairness as the catalyst for the resolution.

“The rationale is to stop the divisiveness and make it more fair in an election,” Delmer said.

There were some brief questions

vice president of Student Activities Board, has had a special interest in Midnight Breakfast even before being on the Board to help plan it.

“When I was applying to Saint Mary’s, everyone always talked about Midnight Breakfast and how they said it was the perfect time to get loose for finals and de-stress,” she said.

“It’s part of what they love about Saint Mary’s, and they didn’t know any other college that did it.”

Reflecting on her time at Saint Mary’s, Caldwell said Midnight Breakfast is now one of her favorite memories from her time at Saint Mary’s as well.

“It’s such a fun and unique event. It’s one of those things where you see your president dancing around. Faculty and staff serve, and that’s something that’s really nice, too, because you get to see your professors. They’re also stressed out like we are,” she said.

“It’s a nice time to interact with

the whole campus. You see people that you don’t necessarily get to see all the time because of classes and extracurriculars. It’s just one of those moments where you get to come together as a community.

That’s something that is so big at Saint Mary’s, and this event just builds on that.”

In addition to providing some much needed downtime and relief from the stress of finals, Midnight Breakfast also serves as motivation to get work done and to persevere to the end.

“It helps me de-stress,” Caldwell said. “It gives me something to look forward to, and it helps me make sure I get my work done Monday night before the breakfast. I then have time to take a moment to breathe, and that’s something that’s really important during the craziness of finals week.”

about self-endorsements by enumerated officials running for a different office. Patrick McGuire, a junior and the student body vice president, spoke about his personal experience running for office while a member of the Hall President Council.

“I couldn’t say at Hall Council because I was Siegfried president that I’m also running for vice president, and you can’t in anyway imply that your office entitles you to the endorsement,” he said.

Some senators expressed opposition to the current rules governing endorsements.

“I personally think that’s kind of dumb that being at hall council just by the factor of being president that you can’t say to your hall ‘Hey I’m running.’ That seems to be an overly cumbersome restriction on your endorsement,” McArdle said. “You’re not necessarily using your office in that situation, so this might need to be revised further for exceptions like that.”

It is tradition for the senate to propose electoral reform before the next semester begins as any legislation passed on electoral reform in the spring semester will

not apply to that term’s elections.

Because of this and the fact that senate was not available to meet again before January, some members of the senate wanted to pass the resolution so that the rules were the same across the board for the Student Union.

However, after the discussion of the endorsement rules, the resolution failed to receive a majority and was rejected by the senate, one of the first resolutions of the year to be voted on and fail to pass.

After this resolution’s failure, the senate moved two resolutions to order and passed both with minimal questions and discussion. The first resolution allowed the Judicial Council president and the advisor to the Judicial Council to help the vice president of elections decide if allegations of electoral misconduct are valid. The second resolution fixed a spelling error in the Constitution.

The student senate will meet again in the spring to pursue new policy.

Contact Jack Jerit at jjerit@nd.edu

JACK JERIT | The Observer

Student body president Elizabeth Boyle and vice president Patrick McGuire, pictured, took office in the spring. Boyle delivered the State of the Student Union to the senate on Wednesday evening.

Contact Mary Mansfield at mmansfi4@nd.edu

SMC Continued from page 1

Nekvasil thanked Johnson for her 13 years of ser v ice at Saint Mar y’s. inwas “[Johnson] securin strumental grant $300,000 a ing from the Department of Justice to establish the Belles Against Violence Office in 2012,” she said in the email. “She was a tireless advocate for the and expansion construction of the Angela Wellness and Athletic Complex and the Patricia

’69 Purcell Wiedner Athletic Fields.”

Johnson also ser ved as the administration’s point person on the College’s parent Facebook pages, Nekvasil said.

“Regardless of where I am in the countr y, I’ve had parents express gratitude for [Johnson’s] commitment to keeping them informed on campus events and happenings,” Nekvasil said.

The farewell reception for Johnson is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 3:30 - 5 p.m. in the Reignbeau x Lounge.

Support student journalism.

Donate to The Observer. ndsmcobserver.com/donate

4

NEWS

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hong Kong Continued from page 1

the student was studying at, HKUST, announced it was allowing international students to leave early and complete their classes online. Zhu said NDI gave the student the option to either leave early or finish the semester in Hong Kong. The student ultimately opted to leave early, she said.

Pippenger said the student’s return led NDI to have “a natural discussion” about the study abroad program in the spring, and the issue was considered from multiple angles.

“We watched the events unfold in Hong Kong, and we saw that the protests and the government’s response to the protests was getting closer and closer to the heart of the university communities

there,” he said. “We looked to see what was going on in the global education community with our peer institutions to see whether or not they were closing their programs and getting a sense of where and why.”

Of the three Hong Kong universities affiliated with Notre Dame, only HKUST decided not to accept international students for the spring semester, but Notre Dame chose to suspend programming for all three institutions, Zhu said.

“Based on all these facts, together we decided the best decision is to suspend all of them, not just one, and then try to place [the Notre Dame students] in other locations when it is still possible,” she said.

“There’s too much uncertainty to continue in 2020 with the situation in Hong

Kong and with what we have benchmarked.”

The 14 students who had committed to the Hong Kong program for the spring semester were given four options for alternative study abroad sites.

Zhu said six students chose to study in Galway, Ireland, four chose Rome, one chose Jerusalem and no one chose São Paulo. Three students opted to stay on campus for the spring semester. Although the official deadlines for enrollment in the other programs has passed, all students who chose an alternative site were enrolled in their program of choice within a week of the decision.

Pippenger said Notre Dame’s decision to suspend the Hong Kong study abroad program came after Duke, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan and

other American institutions suspended their study abroad programs for the semester.

The decision to suspend the program currently applies to only the spring 2020 semester, Pippenger said.

“We would look jointly at what’s going on later in the spring to see if we would suspend the program again in the fall or if we would reopen it,” he said.

Pippenger said NDI has cancelled study abroad programs in the past, such as a program in Egypt during the Arab Spring and a program in Japan following the 2011 earthquake, but neither he nor Zhu recalled a cancellation during either of their times with NDI. Junior Bradley Batas is one of the students who had planned to study abroad in Hong Kong in the spring.

Batas said he and the other

students planning to study in Hong Kong were informed of the suspension by email Nov. 16.

“We didn’t really expect it to be officially cancelled, but we kind of had the feeling in the back of our minds that if things do get any worse, with all the things happening in the news, it was definitely a possibility,” he said. “It kind of did make things a pain, looking back at all the preparation we did, the flights that I booked, all the excitement which ended up building up, and then to have that all falling down in one day. At the same time, we got placed in other programs, so things kind of worked out.”

Batas said he will be studying abroad in Galway, Ireland, next semester.

Contact Andrew Cameron at acamero2@nd.edu

Paid Advertisement

Party Continued from page 1

explained the importance of hav ing non-Christmas specific events for students.

“We are the communit y committee, so I thought that part of communit y would be tr y ing to be inclusive w ith the different holidays,” Paradiso said. “Then also tr y ing to educate people on traditions from Hanuk kah, Christmas and Kwanzaa because I know I was genuinely curious about other traditions.”

To support this exploration of other traditions, the food ser ved at the holiday part y included traditional dishes of each holiday, such as sweet potato pie and coconut cake for Kwanzaa.

“I mean, you don’t have to celebrate ever y holiday or any of them, but just that you’re aware,” Paradiso said.

“I love celebrations, and if you see somebody, you can feel comfortable speaking to them about it. If they tell you they have, you know, a Hanuk kah celebration that night or they’re going to celebrate Kwanzaa w ith their family over the course of multiple days. Just being

able to open the door to conversations like that I think would be cool. I hope people leave this event more aware than they were when they walked in.”

W hile the event lacked any formal discussion regarding the holiday traditions being celebrated, Paradiso said she hopes the laid-back env ironment prov ided an atmosphere in which the conversation could f low and students could learn about the various different traditions on display.

Many students were draw n to the event due to the promise of French cross beanies and free food.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I was initially draw n here by the free beanies. But I also needed a break from the stress of schoolwork and finals,” first-year Annabelle Murray said.

First-year Becca Jones added to the sentiment of attending the holiday part y as a study break, but also as a way to meet new people and step out of her comfort zone.

“I think the timing of the event was ideal because ever yone could use a boost w ith finals around the corner,” Jones said.

Dalloway’s has become an

increasingly popular location for student events this semester since reopening this fall. Paradiso said she loves Dalloway’s and hopes more Belles w ill grow to love it, too. The new locat ion has acted as an appeal factor for students to attend the event as well.

“The beanie was a draw for me, but I really wanted to check out Dalloway’s too,” Rachel Oliver, a sophomore, said.

Contact Mia Marroquin at mmarroquin01@saintmarys.edu Paid Advertisement

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

5

CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

6

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

What does Notre Dame stand for?

Inside Column

SDH men’s room just might be fatal Tom Naatz Notre Dame News Editor

Other than my residence’s bathroom, my most frequently used restroom on campus is likely the basement men’s room in South Dining Hall. Spending between five and seven hours in The Observer office once a week drives up this location’s utilization in comparison to others (After all, there are few other easily walkable destinations when you want to stretch your legs at 3 a.m.). Which is why I was deeply troubled to find a posted notice outside the bathroom’s open door Tuesday afternoon.

“PLEASE LEAVE DOOR OPEN TO ENSURE PROPER VENTILATION” In addition to the bolding and underlining, “door open” was also written in red. But we at The Observer don’t believe in pretty colors.

At some level I’m not surprised. The South Dining Hall men’s room is objectively disgusting. It smells like noxious fumes. It is at least 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the building. The ground slants downwards towards an inexplicable drain — the necessity of which is troubling — located in the middle of the floor.

Actually, come to think of it, the entire basement is disgusting. I’m virtually sure water seeps through the floor — there is no other way to account for the occasionally sopping wet carpet in the broom closet … er, conference room … that The Observer Notre Dame News Department uses for its weekly meetings. I probably should not mention that we at The Observer not only churn out a killer paper five times a week, but we’re also killers in the sense that we’ve taken out at least one office mouse in our illustrious history. Did I mention we work less than 50 feet from Grab ’n Go? But that sign still left me rattled. Is the bathroom gross? Yes. But potentially deadly? I never even considered that possibility.

Two concerns fill my mind. First of all, bathrooms are supposed to be private places. Usually, they’re closed off to the outside world. It makes me mildly uncomfortable that the door absolutely must be left open, according to the bold, red, underlined type. What would happen if, say, a privacy-minded Observer ND News Editor closed it? The desperation indicated on that warning points to potentially fatal consequences if the door is shut.

Second, the presence of the phrase “proper ventilation” really does not inspire confidence. At first, I read this portion of the sign charitably. The bathroom gets rather toasty — maybe an open door would cool it down a few degrees? Then I thought about what “ventilation” means. It definitely refers to air flow. But I’m skeptical the sign was put up to improve air flow; “ensure” implies a sense of urgency that “allow,” for example, doesn’t. I’m no biology major, but I’ve always been told the whole oxygen thing is pretty critical to human survival. So, if, for instance, that Observer editor were to close the door, I’m a little worried the air flow to the bathroom would be cut off. Needless to say, that’s not good.

Until that sign disappears or I get some answers, I will be leery of using the basement bathroom. That sign is just too urgent, and the problems with the bathroom just too immense. Wednesday night, unfortunately, is a poor time to reach this conclusion. As soon as I finish typing this sentence, I’m reporting to The Observer office for my weekly editing shift. This could be a long night.

In other news, the bells and whistles of the Duncan Student Center are in tip-top shape, I’m told.

You can contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Ben Testani Off Campus, On Topic

Everyone who has ever set foot on the campus of Notre Dame has seen the famous photo of Fr. Ted Hesburgh and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The two are locked in arms, standing together against racial injustice. The image is plastered around our University, iconic for what it represents.

Less well known is a letter from Hesburgh, a former member of the United States Civil Rights Commission, to the Notre Dame community. The letter was also submitted for print in The New York Times. At the height of the Vietnam War, our University had become embroiled in political protest. A scene not unlike that of hundreds of other colleges across the campus played out at Notre Dame, as men (this was before Notre Dame integrated the sexes) grew out their hair, boycotted the Central Intelligence Agency and DuPont and generally voiced their displeasure with the support, implicit or otherwise, Notre Dame appeared to be lending to the war efforts in Southeast Asia. The letter from Hesburgh contains the line, “Anyone or any group that substitutes force for rational persuasion, be it violent or non-violent, will be given 15 minutes of meditation to cease and desist.” The punishment for violating the 15-minute limit will be suspension, with expulsion also outlined as a punishment if the demonstration continues.

My next question is how King would have felt about such a rule against demonstrations. Of course, King was tragically assassinated a year before Hesburgh wrote his letter cracking down on protests. If he had lived, would he have called out his friend Hesburgh for the policy? It is impossible to say, but fair to wonder. As the nation’s civil rights icon, King championed the use of nonviolent protest. He stood tall, literally, in the face of fire hoses and police dogs, to fight for what he believed. At Soldier Field, when King and Hesburgh joined 57,000 others to protest peacefully against civil injustices in America, they did not disperse after a mere 15 minutes.

I have wondered for seven semesters now why this is such a politically apathetic campus. It is easy to assume a university that displays a photo of its most iconic president with the nation’s most iconic civil rights activist would proudly embrace its heritage of nonviolent protest. But this is not the case. Hesburgh’s 15-minute rule makes it clear why.

Recently, when a group of students under the End

Hate at Notre Dame banner staged a sit-in to protest parietals and the use of racial slurs, amongst many other issues, Notre Dame Police were called. They informed the protestors that if they did not leave after 15 minutes, they would be arrested, suspended from school and possibly expelled. The same threat was lorded over those protesting the campus housing changes last spring at the Golden Dome.

In no way am I equating demonstrations on campus with the civil rights movement in America. The scope of the current Notre Dame movement is almost infinitely smaller and less urgent than the civil rights movement. But the movement’s small audience does not make it invalid. Seeking a more inclusive campus and a better experience for all Notre Dame family members is a noble and worthy goal.

Those who are displeased with the current state of affairs would be smart to take heed from the great civil rights leaders in America to further their cause.

Our University’s leaders, however, are insistent its students get in line and accept the status quo.

Taking a page perhaps from Hesburgh, Fr. John Jenkins seems happy to publicly support nonviolent protest when it fits his vision for the University. How many students does Notre Dame excuse from class to attend the March for Life each winter? Does the march last only 15 minutes before everyone packs back into a University subsidized bus to come back to South Bend? Obviously that is not the case. It is when a movement no longer makes life easy for the leaders of the University that they seek to squash it.

The outdated standard of parietals is an uncomfortable topic. So is sexual assault. So is the use of racial slurs. So is the erasure of local Native American tribes. And so on, and so on. These are hard concepts to talk about, and the fact that a vocal, passionate group of students is unhappy with the way they are handled at Notre Dame no doubt upsets the University’s leaders. But it does not excuse the way they respond to protests. Hesburgh’s legacy can be the man who stood side-by-side with King. Or it can be the man who outlawed nonviolent protest, sending students who disobeyed to the draft board during the Vietnam War. But it cannot be both.

Ben Testani is a senior studying international economics, Arabic and Spanish. He comes to Notre Dame via central New York and while currently residing off-campus, will always be a proud Alumni Dawg. He welcomes feedback at btestani@nd.edu or @BenTestani on Twitter.

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

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt

7

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Finding identity regardless of stereotypes Rachel Dinh Diversity Council

The concept of race has always been a part of my life whether I knew it or not. When I was little, I noticed the obvious differences between me and others, such as my dark, almond-shaped eyes and straight black hair. I noticed that the sharp, inf lected sounds of the Vietnamese language weren’t heard in the majority of households in America.

I also knew that white rice with strange-smelling sauces was not a typical school lunch. In order to avoid drawing attention to myself, I brought PB&J sandwiches to school and spoke English to my mom in front of friends even though it would have been more respectful to use her native language.

Without knowing it, I was dissociating myself from my parents’ cultural heritage, one of the few things they retained after uprooting their lives from Vietnam. However, when I was younger, I didn’t care so much about race and cultural background as I cared about fitting in.

Fast forward to middle school when I was suddenly hyper-aware of not only these cultural differences, but the racial stereotypes associated with them. This awareness may have arisen through

my increased exposure to the portrayal of Asians in popular media, knowledge of racism and discriminations in history books or even just regular conversations in which I heard off hand comments.

Whatever it was, it made me constantly analyze how I was acting and speaking — the last thing I wanted to do was to fit in those Asian stereotypes that had become so ingrained in my head. If someone told me I was quiet, I silently cursed myself for reinforcing the perception that Asians were quiet and submissive. Instead of being proud of my desire to become a doctor (a dream of mine since I was little), I felt self-conscious about fitting into the high-achieving, parent-pleasing stereotype. And now I realize how messed up that is: You, the subject of these stereotypes, can be the one who internalizes them the most. Middle school and high school are often a time of discovering personal identity, but in my case, the process was more complex. By rejecting the mold of those stereotypes, I thought I was shaping my own identity. I realized, however, that falling under those stereotypes doesn’t make me any less of an individual.

Yes, my parents have strongly encouraged me to become a doctor. And yes, I want to make them

proud. But that’s not the main reason I’m working towards that profession. Growing up in a lowincome family with immigrant parents and having family members who struggle with medical costs, I’ve realized I want to play a bigger role in making healthcare accessible to those without resources. I enjoy Vietnamese food more than American food, and yes, most people would describe me as an introvert. I’ve accepted that some of my actions may fall under a stereotype, but at the end of the day, I am still my own self, and that is something I accept and celebrate.

Rachel Dinh is a sophomore at Notre Dame, majoring in anthropology and pre-health studies, with a minor in theology. She can be reached at rdinh@nd.edu The Diversity Council of Notre Dame advocates for awareness, understanding and acceptance on issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and other intersectional identities in the Notre Dame community. The viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Diversity Council, but are the individual opinions of the author.

You can contact Diversity Council at diversnd@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Letter to the editor

Regarding proposed off campus ‘differentiation’ policies As a young alum who cherished my senior year living off campus in addition to my three years on campus, I’m baff led by the University’s seemingly punitive policy proposals towards future seniors choosing to live off campus and am even more confused after reading The Observer’s reporting of the meeting with associate vice president of Residential Life Heather Rakoczy Russell on Monday.

Whereas I agree with Rakoczy Russell’s assertion in the lede of the article that the first question asked among ND alumni is “Where did you live?” and the residence halls are a “defining feature of the undergraduate experience,” I reject several key premises on which she advocates “differentiating the rights and privileges of on- and off-campus students” in the hope of increasing the share of on campus seniors from 34% to 50%.

Rakoczy Russell’s characterization of on- and off-campus living is completely inconsistent with my off-campus experience. She reportedly said at Monday’s meeting, “When something happens in the life of a friend — a great joy or a great sorrow — and you’re there by his or her side, that’s different than somebody who lives off campus.”

I disagree that off-campus seniors are inherently less connected with their on-campus friends for

the same reason I think Carroll residents are capable of maintaining close friendships with Mod Quad residents. Seniors are more than capable of arranging their schedules and social lives to align with the friends they have made, similar to how they will learn to prioritize their friendships post-graduation.

What’s especially troubling about Rakoczy Russell’s characterization is the proposed exclusion of off-campus seniors from dorm intramural teams and dorm dances would make the supposed schism even worse. For example, I officiated hundreds of intramural f lag-football and basketball games as a student that not only brought together on-campus and off-campus friends as teammates but also invigorated dorm pride as off-campus seniors attended playoff and championship games to cheer on their former dorms. Therefore, I reject Rakoczy Russell’s notion that the special bond in residence halls is “not tied to whether or not you can participate in on-campus activities as an offcampus student.”

Additionally, as reported by The Observer, “With more students living off campus, Rakoczy Russell said, many off-campus houses have become unofficially affiliated with on-campus residence halls.

Away from the supervision of hall staff, she said,

those off-campus houses host parties that facilitate binge drinking and lead to instances of sexual misconduct and assault.” It appears naïve to imply the goal of keeping more seniors on campus could have a material impact on reducing sexual assault, which is tragically prevalent on campus, too. Is there data available that indicates sexual assault is disproportionately prevalent at off-campus house parties as compared to on-campus dorm parties at ND and that moving 14% of the senior class on campus would have a noticeable effect?

For what it’s worth, I queried my backup of my 2011 to 2015 student email for NDSP crime alerts and found 19 instances of reported on-campus sexual misconduct (reported as sexual assault, forcible fondling and attempted rape) during my seven semesters as a student, of which 13 reportedly occurred within residence halls and six elsewhere on campus.

Requiring six semesters of on-campus living seemed extreme to many alumni (including myself ), but enacting exclusionary policies towards future off-campus seniors is a new low.

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

Liam Madden Class of 2015 Dec. 11

8

DAILY

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Evaluate your relationships, and be selective regarding who you have time for and who you should probably not see as much.

Making the most of your time and being honest with yourself as well as others will make a difference to how much you gain moving forward. Put your needs and your plans first, and you will get positive results. Your numbers are 2, 12, 20, 26, 31, 38, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look beyond what’s right in front of your nose.

Refuse to let someone sidetrack you or put you in an awkward position. Speak up, make your thoughts and intentions known, and offer suggestions that implement overall compromise, and success will follow.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make change count. Check your motives, decide what’s best and choose the most cost-efficient way to get what you want.

Strategic plans will make a difference in how things turn out. When in doubt, ask an expert. Romance is in the stars.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If you are too accommodating, someone will take advantage of you emotionally, financially or contractually. Do your due diligence before you sign papers or commit to someone. Let intelligence be your vehicle when making important decisions.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Tie up loose ends, and plan to relax and mull over what you want to do to have fun. Make arrangements with someone you enjoy being around, or sign up for something that stimulates your creative imagination. Romance is encouraged.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t worry about what others are doing; concentrate on what you are doing. Gather information, test out a theory or sign up for something that interests you, but don’t sit idle. Say no to pressure tactics and impulsive purchases.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Refuse to let anyone railroad you into something that isn’t right for you. Open your eyes, do your own thing and make positive personal changes that will improve your life. Look at trends and jump on board. Romance is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take a mental, emotional or physical trip that will lead to information that will help you make a decision. Stop letting others decide for you, you are in the drivers seat on your life. Use your voice to get what you want.

Walk away from situations that are confining or unhealthy.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Dream on, dreamer. Let your imagination entertain you and encourage you to branch out in directions that excite you. Embrace friendships with people who inspire you to try something new, and offer alternative options to put your talents to good use.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Express your thoughts, feelings, likes and dislikes. Being on the same page as someone you spend a lot of time with will help you combine your needs and encourage higher personal growth and happiness. Honesty must prevail.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A particular change you make will improve your health and your appearance. Reach out to someone you don’t see often, and something that makes you happy will develop. An unusual find will be a surprise.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Make plans to do things with youngsters or to bring a little cheer to someone who doesn’t get out much. Don’t let the changes others make anger you. Go about your business, and do what matters to you most, it will pay off in the end.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be honest about the way you feel and what you want to happen. Take control, and be willing to put in the time and energy to get things done. Helping others will be the greatest gift you can offer.

Birthday Baby: You are imaginative, emotional and heroic. You are steadfast and possessive.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports Work Area

Make checks payable to and mail to: The Observer

P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556

Published Monday through Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information

Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester

on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross Communities.

Name

Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the three campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

Address City State Zip

DAILY sports

ndsmcobserver.com | thursday, december 12, 2019 | The Observer

Sports Authority

Apologies to Trae Young Charlotte Edmonds Managing Editor

Ever y Januar y for nearly the past 60 years, McCarthy Gy mnasium in Ok lahoma Cit y would prepare for some of the biggest names in Ok lahoma basketball to face off in the Bishop McGuinness Classic. Now before you scoff at the idea of big names and Ok lahoma being associated in the same sentence, might I remind you that Ok lahoma has been home to Blake Griffin, Josh Richardson, Mark Price and Way man Tisdale, just to name a few. W hile not on par w ith Chicago or Los Angeles or New York, Ok lahoma has consistently produced solid talent. One of their more recent stars is Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. Hav ing attended Norman North High School, just 30 minutes south of my high school, and graduating in the same year, I saw Young play on several occasions, particularly at the McGuinness Classic. W hile ever y time he managed to put up some absurd stat line to the tune of 40-plus points, 10-plus steals by the end of the third quarter, I was not conv inced this guy was the real deal.

Boy, was I w rong.

After averaging 42.6 points per game and being named a McDonald’s A llAmerican his senior year, Young decided to stick in his hometow n and play for the Sooners, averaging an NCA A-leading 27.4 points per game to go along w ith his 8.7 assists per game.

Still, I thought it was all hy pe. Don’t get me w rong, those numbers are insane.

But several lack luster defensive performances midseason and the faint memor y of him rarely passing the ball to his high school teammates seemed to spell disaster for him on the professional stage.

Then the Mavericks drafted him fifth in the 2018 NBA Draft … and then shipped him right off to Atlanta in exchange for a guy by the name of Luke Doncic. In his first season in the NBA,

Young took the league in stride. W hile he was no longer averaging obscene numbers, he proved to be a franchise-building player who could step up w ith the game on the line. His game certainly took some hits, notably in his 3-point percentage, but he still managed to average 19.1 points per game on his way to being named one of three Rookie of the Year finalists, an award he eventually lost to none other than Doncic.

He’s only continued to build on that resume in his sophomore campaign. He is currently fourth in scoring in the NBA and has improved his 3-point shooting percentage to 38.2. Young still has some glaring weakness, not the least of which is his defense, which came back to bite him t wo nights ago against the Heat. It’s hard to draw many conclusions about his abilit y as a w inner when he’s on a team that’s consistently in the bottom of the league, but at the ver y least he’s proved me w rong.

W hile I would hands dow n rather have Doncic, who’s currently lighting up the NBA w ith insane numbers and building a case for MV P consideration, I hesitate to say the Hawks definitively lost that trade. The Hawks gained a protected firstround pick and a player they could build their franchise around in Young.

Meanwhile, Dallas gained the second coming of Dirk Now itzki.

As an NBA fan, I just consider myself luck y to be able to watch these t wo guards come into their ow n just two seasons into their professional careers. W hile the Hawks, and up until recently the Mavericks, had a long ways to go to being competitive, should they ever achieve that, these t wo players have the potential to be centerpieces in one of the sports’ best rivalries.

9

Irish look to bounce back from losing streak

By JIMMY WARD Sports Writer

No. 15 Notre Dame hockey team (8-6-2, 4-2-2 Big Ten) will be returning to conference play with a game against No. 7 Penn State (12-5, 7-3 Big Ten) this weekend following tough losses to Boston College, Bowling Green and Michigan State.

Boston College jumped to No. 5 in the rankings when they outscored Notre Dame 10-1 last weekend in a home-and-home series.

After those two losses to the Eagles, the Irish have subsequently sunk below the Bowling Green in the rankings. The Falcons beat Notre Dame 5-2 in both games in their home-and-home series and is now ranked tenth.

Irish sophomore defenseman Spencer Stastney celebrates with his team after a goal during Notre Dame’s 3-2 overtime win over Ohio State at Compton Family Ice Arena.

The Irish will be hoping to regain traction this weekend, but they will have their work cut out for them.

The Nittany Lions have the best scoring offense in the countr y averaging 4.29 goals per game. Notre Dame is 24 spots back at No. 25, averaging 2.8 goals per game. Boston College is ranked No. 8 in scoring

and put up an offensive clinic against the Irish defense. The Nittany Lions will be heading into South Bend with a head of steam for the first game of the series, as they won one and dropped another against Michigan in Ann Arbor a week ago. The Nittany Lions have certainly not gotten off to the start they have desired, already losing five games. But after getting their postseason chances taken away last year in the Big Ten Tournament by Notre Dame, Penn State will be coming into Compton Family Ice Arena with a bitter taste in their mouth.

With statistics leaning in favor of Penn State, Irish head coach Jeff Jackson will need to deploy a solid game plan if he hopes to defeat the Nittany Lions.

Jackson said for his team, the most important thing is getting back to the basics.

“Yeah, I mean, you can’t coach confidence. A ll we can do right now is just get back to basics, simplif y things get back to basics, or fundamentals and get these guys feeling good about themselves as much as we can.” Jackson said. “We want to have some success this weekend but we have got to focus on how we play probably more than winning a game. You know we

have to play better. And I think that constitutes ever y aspect of our game.”

Jackson also spoke about his upcoming matchup with Penn State, comparing them to Boston College.

“They’re not a whole lot different than Boston College. They have a lot of skill and speed and they apply a lot of pressure.

They’re ver y similar to Boston College in a lot of ways. They’re another veteran team too because BC is also a veteran team as far as classes go having a lot of seniors, especially on the blue line but this group that they’ve had together for three solid years that have been the same group. They haven’t lost much and you know they just go, go, go, and they put a lot of pressure on you. W hether it’s defensive pressure or forecheck and back pressure or it’s offensively, — leaving the zone and f lying guys and getting people in behind you.” Jackson said. “W hen I say ‘Simplif y our game’ is to not put ourselves in a position where that becomes a factor. Yeah, because a lot of what’s happening right now is we’re making mistakes that lead to the opponent’s success.

Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu

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. grace aubry | The Observer

Write Sports.

Email Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu

The Irish hockey squad embraces in celebration during Notre Dame’s 3-2 victory over Ohio State on Nov. 8 at Compton Family Ice Arena. The Irish return to action Friday at home against UConn.

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.

10

Sports

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

M Bball Continued from page 12

Chris Doherty announced his intention to transfer from the program.

A long w ith Goodw in, senior guard TJ Gibbs has been play ing ver y well recently scoring 22 points against UCL A and 18 versus Detroit Mercy (1-8) in his last two games, and senior for wards Juwan Durham and John Mooney have continued their tremendous play all season.

Goodwin says the team’s confidence looks better moving for ward.

“I think this definitely changes the mood in the locker room a little bit,” he said. “Looking up at the scoreboard and seeing us put up 110, that’s definitely a game changer, and we need our confidence to be high with some tough opponents coming up.”

UCL A (7-3), the seventh winningest program in college basketball histor y, is led by new head coach Mick Cronin, who was hired after a ver y successful career at

Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats to an NCA A tournament in nine-consecutive seasons. He has led the Bruins to a 7-3 start to the season. They feature a balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging double figures. UCL A is coming off back-to-back blowout wins following a close loss to No. 16 Michigan State. However, they have not beaten a major conference team either and rank 121st in scoring defense despite having mostly played mid-major teams.

This is the second season of Notre Dame’s scheduled home-and-home with UCL A. The Bruins won the matchup 65-62 last year. Notre Dame and UCL A have a storied rivalr y, having played 49 times since their first meeting in 1950. The teams met ever y year between 1966 and 1995.

UCL A leads the all-time series 29-20. Brey said after the win over Detroit Mercy that the team didn’t want to talk about the rivalr y.

“TJ Gibbs didn’t want to hear about it. He said ‘Coach, we owe them one.’ The way we lost out there, it was a long f light back,” Brey said.

“I do agree with him saying we should just focus on the game because that was a hard one to swallow.”

Indiana (9-1, 0-1 Big Ten), on the other hand, will be an even tougher opponent for the Irish than UCL A. The Hoosiers are off to a 9-1 start, with four players averaging more than 12 points per game.

The Hoosiers have a high scoring offense, averaging over 80.6 points per game.

They are led by freshman forward Trayce-Jackson Davis, who averages 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

This is the eighth season of the Crossroads Classic, an annual series bet ween Notre Dame, Indiana, Butler and Purdue. Notre Dame holds a 4-4 record in the series but are 1-3 against Indiana.

Winning one or both of these matchups w ill be important for the Irish as they head into ACC play and look to improve on last season’s last-place finish and make it back to the NCA A tournament. nola wallace | The Observer

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

Irish sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb surveys the court during Notre Dame’s 64-62 win over Toledo at Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 21.

W Bball

of contested layups. The Irish led 30-24 after the first quarter was all said and done.

Notre Dame continued to stretch its lead, starting the second quarter on an 8-3 run. Brunelle continued to establish a strong position on the low block, allowing her to shoot turnaround jumpers over the smaller DePaul defenders. Notre Dame’s guards also did an effective job of moving without the ball, and scored a number of easy buckets off of back door cuts to the rim. But midway through the second quarter, DePaul began to press the Irish in the backcourt hoping to slow down the pace.

This made it difficult for Notre Dame to inbound the ball and forced the Irish to commit five turnovers in the final five minutes of the quarter, one of which a rarely seen 10-second violation, as the Blue Demons press started to get to the Irish offense. DePaul was able to claw its way back into the game, and the half closed with Irish leading by just two.

The third quarter was back and forth from the beginning, with the teams trading buckets for the first nine possessions. The Irish looked ready to pull away from the Blue Demons when a Walker lay up put Notre Dame up five, but senior forward Chante Stonewall responded with a deep shot on DePaul’s next possession.

Stonewall then scored the next six DePaul points, and a jumper by sophomore guard Lexi Held gave the Blue Demons a fourpoint lead. DePaul led 81-76 after three quarters.

However, Notre Dame would score five-straight points to open the fourth quarter, knotting the game at 81. The teams continued to trade baskets until just 5:05 remained. Held then drained a clutch 3-pointer to begin an 8-0

Continued from page 12

allison thorton | The Observer

Irish graduate student guard Marta Sniezek guards an opponent during Notre Dame’s 105-94 home loss to DePaul on Tuesday.

ALLISON THORTONi | The Observer

Irish sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert goes for a lay up during Notre Dame’s 94 - 105 loss to DePaul on Tuesday at Purcell Pavilion.

displayed her potential over the last two games. She recorded her second-straight double-double Wednesday, posting 22 points and 15 rebounds in 37 minutes.

Brunelle continues to improve with each game and scored a career-high 31 points against the Blue Demons. She had her full offensive arsenal on display, dominating in the low post while also stretching the floor with her mid-range and 3-point shooting.

Peoples said she was glad to have her teammate back on the floor after Brunelle went down during Sunday’s game against UConn early with a knee injury.

“It was great having her back in the court with us. We need that kind of performance from her all the time. We just have to keep giving her the ball when she’s hot,” Peoples said.

After a sluggish start against UConn, the Irish again looked flat out of the gate on Wednesday, turning the ball over on back-toback possessions to start the game.

DePaul jumped out to an early 5-0 advantage after a pair of buckets by junior guard Dee Bekelja.

Notre Dame quickly discovered its shooting touch however, as graduate student guard Martina Sniezek split a pair of defenders and found graduate student guard Destinee Walker open in the corner from behind the arc. The Irish continued to find great looks by pushing the pace and out running the visitors down on the fast break.

Sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert and Brunelle both knocked down transition 3-pointers in the quarter. Walker and Gilbert were both able to easily get to the basket off the dribble and forced a number

DePaul run that closed out the Irish for good. DePaul finished off Notre Dame with a pair of stops on defense, forcing the Irish into two tough shots as the shot clock expired. Turnovers by Gilbert and then Walker ultimately sent the Irish to their second consecutive loss at home.

“We stuck with them for the majority of the game, but it’s been the same things over and over again down the stretch. We just need to find a way to get over the hump,” Brunelle said.

DePaul’s win snapped an 11game losing streak against the Irish. This is also the first time Notre Dame has lost three consecutive games since 2007, an incredible 11-year run of consistent winning that came to an end Wednesday night. Replacing five starters that accounted for 10,230 career points was never going to be easy for McGraw, and her young team will have to continue to develop throughout the season.

Peoples explained that as an inexperienced team, the Irish will have learn from these difficult losses.

“Games like this are going to help us fight in every game that we play going forward,” Peoples said.

“We see that we can stick with ranked teams, so we just have to come back to this game and remember how to close it out.”

The Irish have two more games in December and will look to build some momentum before they begin fa ull slate of conference play at the start of the new calendar year. Notre Dame takes on the University of Guelph next Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by Clemson on December 29 at 4 p.m. Both games will be played at Purcell Pavilion.

Contact Colin Capece at ccapece@nd.edu

Paid Advertisement

12

The observer | thursday, december 12, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND woMen’s Basketball | depaul 105, notre dame 94

Squad unable to close against DePaul, drop third straight for first time since 2007

By COLIN CAPECE Sports Writer

Despite major contributions from their freshman phenoms, Notre Dame again couldn’t close out the visiting team on Wednesday night, this time falling to No. 16 DePaul 105-94.

Notre Dame (5-7) shot an efficient 57.4% from the field, but 27 turnovers and an impressive 3-point shooting performance (16-29, 55.2%) from the Blue Demons (8-1) ultimately sent the Irish to their third-straight defeat.

“Yeah, a lead is never safe when you play against a team like DePaul. The way they shoot the [3-pointer] you have to focus, and we really struggled to find the 3-point shooters,” head coach Muffet McGraw said after the game. “We knew they were going to shoot a lot of them, and we just had a lot of breakdowns, but I thought it was the turnovers that really killed us and gave them a lot of easy baskets.”

Despite the Irish scoring a season-high 94 points, DePaul’s press defense made it difficult for the Irish down the stretch.

Defending the Irish for 94 feet ultimately proved to be the difference in the game for the Blue Demons, as many of Notre Dame’s turnovers came off of inbounds after DePaul baskets.

McGraw made it clear that her team knew how to deal with the press, but simply didn’t execute properly.

“We worked on that, and all they really had to do was go to the ball instead of running away from it. We made it a lot harder than it needed to be.

And when they were double teamed, they didn’t cut hard to try to get open and really help each other,” McGraw said.

The Irish failed to capitalize on yet another pair of strong performances by freshman guard Anaya Peoples and freshman forward Sam Brunelle. Peoples has certainly see W BBALL PAGE 10

aLLISON THORTON | The Observer

Irish graduate student guard Destinee Walker dribbles down court during Notre Dame’s 105-94 loss to DePaul on Wednesday at Purcell Pavilion. Walker recorded 20 points and five rebounds against DePaul.

FOOTBALL

nd MEn’s basketball

Irish host UCLA, seek first major non-ACC win

By LIAM COOLICAN

Observer Sports Staff

Sports Writer

After starting the season 0-3 against Power-5 conference opponents, the Notre Dame men’s basketball team (7-3, 0-2 ACC) is seeking their first victory against a major opponent. They will have two opportunities over the next two weeks, as they take on two long-time rivals. First, they will face the UCLA Bruins at home Saturday then travel to Indianapolis to take on in-state rival Indiana in the Crossroads Classic.

The Irish, recovering from a heartbreaking 72-73 loss to Boston College on Saturday, dominated Detroit Mercy at home Tuesday. Sophomore guard Dane Goodwin scored a career-high 27 points off the bench. The Irish’s depth has taken a hit in the last few weeks as sophomore guard Robby Carmody was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury and sophomore forward see M BBALL PAGE 10

Chip Long to leave program

nola wallace | The Observer

Irish sophomore guard Dane Goodwin dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s 110-71 victory against Detroit Mercy on Tuesday.

Offensive coordinator Chip Long and the Notre Dame football program have mutually agreed to part ways, according to a Wednesday Football Scoop article. Rumors emerged Wednesday that he may not be retained as offensive coordinator with news that he would depart coming out that afternoon.

Long played collegiate football as a wide receiver and tight end at North Alabama from 2002 to 2005, then became a graduate assistant at Louisville and Arkansas for two years a piece. Aside from when he worked with quarterbacks and wide receivers at Louisville from 2006 to 2007, Long has worked with tight ends at every destination, beginning with his first coaching position as a tight ends coach at Illinois in 2010.

As his career progressed, Long spent time as the recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach at Arizona State from 2012 to 2015, then gained the first offensive coordinator

position of his career at Memphis. After spending one season with the Tigers, Kelly brought Long in along with several other new hirers following a mass exodus of staff during the 4-8 Irish campaign in 2016.

Long reportedly missed a recruiting trip to see 2021 allpurpose back Will Shipley, a four-star recruit according to Rivals, last Friday and has not followed through on a plan to be out recruiting this week. His tenure with the Irish could be deemed a successful one, having averaged 34.2 points per game in 2017, 31.4 in 2018 and a Kelly era-record 37.1 points per game this season, good for 13th best in the FBS. The Irish have gone 32-6 in his three years at the helm of the offense.

The Irish will look to fill Long’s shoes with a talented offensive recruiting class coming in, including five-star wide receiver Jordan Johnson, four-star running back Chris Tyree and four-star tight ends Michael Mayer and Kevin Bauman. He has reportedly not taken another job.