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Volume 54, Issue 57 | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
PhotoFutures 2019 adds to Snite Notre Dame students select 1993 photograph for permanent museum collection By REGAN HULTQUIST News Writer
Museums are places of ideas, and the students of PhotoFutures 2019 had specific ideas in mind when choosing the new photograph for the Snite Museum’s permanent collection. The photograph added to the Snite’s collection was chosen by a group of Notre Dame students. Throughout the fall semester, members of PhotoFutures — senior Sarah Harper, sophomores Abigail Patrick and Claire Stein, junior Cameron Sumner and exchange student Stanley Ying — focused on helping choose a photograph in line
with the theme “American education.” (Editor’s Note: Patrick is a Viewpoint copy editor for The Observer.) Bridget Hoyt, curator of education for academic programs at the Snite, said PhotoFutures is responsible for selecting a photograph that “addresses a theme that adds value to the permanent collection of the Snite Museum, that is a good and important aesthetic object and that also supports the mission of the University.” “So [the photograph] doesn’t just belong in an art museum, but it belongs in this art museum,” Hoyt said. see SNITE PAGE 4
MLK keynote named Observer Staff Report
EMMA FARNAN | The Observer
The Snite Museum, pictured, acquired a new photograph that fit the theme “American education.” The piece was unveiled Tuesday.
Civil rights leader Diane Nash will serve as the keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King Celebration Luncheon on Jan. 20 at the Joyce Center, the University announced in a press release Tuesday. Nash has a long record of service in the Civil Rights movement. Her involvement began as a college student at Nashville’s Fisk University, where she was jailed for see KEYNOTE PAGE 4
ND student government hosts fiveHighsite South Bend scavenger hunt profile speakers to visit By GENEVIEVE REDSTEN News Writer
Observer Staff Report
Trevor Noah and Alexis Ohanian will speak during Idea Week 2020, the University announced in a press release Tuesday. Noah is a comedian and the host of the “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. Ohanian is the co-founder of Reddit, a social news website. Idea Week will now also feature the Fighting Irish Esports Invitational — Notre Dame’s first official esports tournament, which will take place in an all-in-one area folding out from a semi-truck. The week will take place April 19-25. Noah will perform April 19 at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center, and Ohanian will deliver a keynote address on see SPEAKERS PAGE 4
NEWS PAGE 3
For students who are looking for a study break or a change of pace, Notre Dame’s student government is hosting a scavenger hunt of the South Bend area. Students who visit the five sites on the Fall 2019 scavenger hunt list — and submit photo evidence — will be entered into a raff le for a prize.
see SCAVENGER PAGE 3
JOSEPH HAN | The Observer
College community gives back through Adopt-a-Family program By MARIA LEONTARAS Assistant Managing Editor
As Christmastime grows near, the Saint Mary’s community is gathering donations for the Salvation Army’s Adopt-a-Family program. Individuals
SCENE PAGE 5
and groups contacted the Office of Civic and Social Engagement to express interest in participating in the program and received the information, including age and gender, for an individual who will receive their donations.
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
Senior resident assistant (RA) Taryn Van Horn’s donations will go to a three-yearold girl. Vah Horn said she has been participating in the program since she was a first-year student and wanted to bring the tradition to her section.
ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 12
“I have just kept doing it,” Van Horn said. “Since I am an RA, I included my section. Even when I was little my family would do it, too. Just giving back around the holidays, I was like, ‘Oh it’s a see FAMILY PAGE 4
ND M BASKETBALL PAGE 12
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TODAY
The observer | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
What is your favorite band?
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 Scene Editor: Mike Donovan Photo Editor: Allison Thornton Graphics Editor: Diane Park Social Media Editor: Mary Bernard Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf Ad Design Manager: Ruby Le Systems Administrator: Stephen Hannon
Curry Cappel
Maria Sermersheim
junior Dillon Hall
sophomore Lewis Hall
“Zac Brown Band.”
“Queen.”
Ryan Vazza
David Moses
junior Dillon Hall
senior Sorin College
“Greta Van Fleet.”
“Notre Dame Marching Band.”
Jacob Lee
Thomas Eckburg
freshman Dillon Hall
senior Duncan Hall
“Far Caspian.”
“Green Day.”
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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
Today’s Staff News
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Sara Schlecht McKenzie Lookebill Rebecca Stella
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Joseph Han
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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 Marching Band plays in the student section at Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 16 during Notre Dame’s 52-20 victory over the Navy Midshipmen. The Irish finished their regular season with a 10-2 overall record Saturday after defeating Stanford.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Pizza, Pop and Politics Geddes Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Discussion on history of impeachment.
Opening Reception for Exhibition: “New Faces” AAHD Gallery 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Open to the public.
Naughton Fellowship Information Session 253 Nieuwland Hall 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. All interested students welcome.
Student Chamber Music Concert Labar Performance Hall 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Free and open to the public.
Red Cross Course Rockne Memorial Rooms 109 & 110 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. CPR/AED and first aid certification course.
Exhibit: “Looking at the Stars” Snite Museum of Art all day Featuring a wide selection of Irish art.
Snite @ Nite: Snow Day Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Enjoy all things related to snow days.
Code Cafe: A Coding Community 246 Hesburgh Library 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Coders of all skill levels invited to practice.
Handel’s “Messiah” Leighton Concert Hall 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Featuring Notre Dame Choral. Tickets available online.
Advent Lessons and Carols Basilica of the Sacred Heart 7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Open to the public.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | The Observer
3
JCC hosts first-ever Snow Ball Charity Dance By RENEE PIERSON News Writer
The Junior Class Council (JCC) w ill hold its inaugural Snow Ball Charit y Dance this Saturday in the Dahnke Ballroom. The event w ill run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. and is open to students of all grades. The main focus of the dance is to raise money for three charities that support the South Bend communit y. JCC v ice president Margaret D’Auria said students w ill have the opportunit y to choose to donate to either of the three charities: Adopt-A-Family Christmas Initiative, College Mentors for Kids or Camp Sweeney. “W hen you purchase a ticket, you get a choice bet ween three charities,” JCC social committee member Liam Champion said. “The money gets split into four parts, and then each charit y gets a quarter of the proceeds, and the last quarter of the proceeds is up for grabs and w ill be given to whichever club gets the most people to show up.” Members of the JCC actively worked to find charities that are not as prominent on campus to support, Snow Ball co-chair Ryan Vazza explained. “We looked at clubs on campus and how pronounced they were,” Vazza said. ”There was a couple of clubs that stood out that ever yone hears about. We wanted to find that second tier of clubs that maybe weren’t the biggest, but could still do great things w ith the money.”
Scavenger Continued from page 1
Junior Jessica Reeg and sophomore Erica Maggelet organized the scavenger hunt to promote the South Bend Adventure Guide, which the department of student engagement and outreach launched in August. The guide prov ides a list of sites and events students can explore in the South Bend area. The department hopes the scavenger hunt w ill help publicize the guide, as students share their experiences on social media. “As the department of communit y engagement and outreach, one of the biggest things we wanted to do is tr y to get more and more kids involved in the South Bend communit y — not just as a place to volunteer — but actually be a part of the communit y and go out, eat at local restaurants and shop
Health and wellness committee member Matthew Kirchmier said he ser ved as the JCC contact for Camp Sweeney because of his personal experience w ith the organization. “Camp Sweeney is the largest overnight residential camp for children w ith Ty pe 1 Diabetes,” Kirchmier said. “It’s just a normal summer camp, except the counselors and the medical staff are trained to have on-theclock management for their diabetes to make sure that they are well taken care of and that at camp, diabetes isn’t something they have to worr y about.” Champion said the impact College Mentors for Kids has on the local communit y is significant. “College Mentors for Kids works w ith local schools in the area, grades first through sixth,” he said. ”We bring [students] to campus after their normal school day is done and we basically work w ith them and tr y to encourage them to seek out higher education.” Event co-chair Hannah Ueland said she hopes students who attend the dance are able to comprehend their impact on the communit y while also enjoy ing themselves. “They’re doing something that’s going to affect a family this Christmas on their Christmas morning,” she said. In order to bring a large volume of attendees to the event, the JCC organized a number of enticing attractions, from special guests to giveaways. “We’re gonna have a
and v isit parks,” the department’s director, A lex Yom, said. Yom said he hopes the South Bend Adventure Guide can help bridge the div ide between the Notre Dame and South Bend communities, encouraging students to step off campus and experience the cit y’s culture. “We saw there’s kind of a gap in between the availabilit y of things to do in South Bend and not many people know ing about how to get there or what to do,” Yom said. “So we wanted to kind of fill that gap by developing a guide where people could turn to see, ‘If I’m looking to go off campus, this is somewhere I could go.’” Yom said the South Bend Adventure Guide offers “all kinds of different activ ities for students to do if they’re looking for a break from the ever yday routine on campus.” He noted that
RENEE PIERSON | The Observer
Junior Class Council members held a pop-up sale in South Dining Hall for tickets to the Snow Ball Charity Dance. The event will be held Saturday in the Dahnke Ballroom, with funds to benefit three local charities.
Snapchat filter, [the apparel committee]’s made t-shirts, mugs and ornaments, and a lot of other clubs are hosting events in the week leading up to culminate w ith the dance,” Vazza said. “There’ll be a lot of giveaways when we’re selling tickets. We’ll have a ton of food: ChickFil-A, mozzarella sticks, desserts and some other things.” D’Auria said they also hope to draw in students w ith a handful of additional attractions. “We’re doing the mocktail bar, we’re doing DJ DuLac—a lot of big things that kids w ill want to go to,” D’Auria said. ”The mocktail bar w ill be hosted by a campus celebrit y.”
However, the JCC hopes this is not all that the Snow Ball is remembered for. “I hope [students] remember that while they are there to have fun, the greater purpose of the dance is to give back and the money that they are spending isn’t just going to the class and funneling back into later events, it’s going directly to zcharit y to help kids who need it more,” D’Auria said. Va zza said he hopes attendees w ill have a better appreciation for how Notre Dame students can come together to support charities and groups on campus. Champion said students could benefit emotionally and spiritually from the event given its overall
purpose. “It feels good to give back to the communit y,” he said. A ll involved in the planning of this unique event had the unanimous goal of giv ing back to the communit y in true Notre Dame spirit. “That’s what Notre Dame’s all about—building communit y and supporting each other,” JCC president Sam Cannova said. Tickets for the Snow Ball are being sold in the LaFortune box office and by JCC members for $ 5. Tickets w ill be $7 at the door. More information leading up to the event can be found on JCC’s Instagram page.
students can now v isit South Bend’s Howard Park, which had its grand reopening on Nov. 29. As a fun way to explore the cit y, Reeg encouraged students to check out “First Fridays” in dow ntow n South Bend. Ever y first Friday of the month, she said, dow ntow n South Bend has a themed showcase of events, restaurant deals and a different monthly theme. A lthough this semester’s scavenger hunt ends on Dec. 13, Reeg said the department is planning a spring scavenger hunt for next semester. She said she hopes students w ill take the opportunit y to explore the communit y. “A lot of other schools have big college tow ns, especially state schools,” Reeg said. “And I think that there’s a tendency for Notre Dame students to stay w ithin their little safe bubble, not really leave campus much because, in theor y, you could really
stay here — we have restaurants, we have things to do. And a lot of dorm culture stays on campus so [students] don’t even really go out socially too.” Sophomore Emma Kerr said she thinks many students have stigmas and preconceived notions about the cit y of South Bend. “I wasn’t sure about the South Bend area coming to Notre Dame, especially as a lot of my friends were going to big and bustling cities,” Kerr said. She said she would be interested in the scavenger hunt and hopes other students w ill take the time to engage w ith the South Bend communit y in meaningful ways. “There’s a lot going on in the cit y,” Kerr said. “And I think that sometimes kids just don’t take that initial step into the communit y.” Yom said the department of communit y engagement
and outreach wants to foster a culture of engagement bet ween students and the South Bend area. Currently, he said the department is developing a partnership w ith the Moreau First-Year Experience program, and they plan to put the South Bend Adventure Guide on next year’s Welcome Weekend app. “We’re tr y ing to build a culture of getting off campus and enjoy ing the South Bend communit y from your first year on,” Yom said. Before the semester comes to an end, Reeg encouraged all students to v isit the scavenger hunt locations and DM their photos to @sbadventure_guide on Instagram. ”[If you w in the raff le], you get a gift card to Rocco’s Pizza — which is also another place on the guide,” Reeg said.
Contact Renee Pierson at rpierso1@nd.edu
Contact Genevieve Redsten at gredsten@nd.edu
4
NEWS
The observer | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Keynote Continued from page 1
participating in a sit-in at a desegregated lunch counter. The Chicago-native went on to help establish the Student Nonv iolent Coordinating Committee and was a member of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She helped organize a w ide variet y of protests, including the Freedom Rides and the 1965 Selma right-to-vote movement in A labama. She eventually returned to Chicago, the release said, where she continued to “advocate for causes such as fair housing and anti-war efforts around the Vietnam War.”
Family Continued from page 1
good opportunity, so let’s do it.’ I signed up my section as a program for justice and diversity to help residents know more about the community to help people in need during this holiday season.” Van Horn said her residents have contributed greatly to the program in the past. She attributes this bout of giving to the holidays. “A lot of residents get excited because everyone loves shopping, especially since it’s Christmastime so everyone likes giving people gifts,” she said. “There are organizations and clubs that are doing Adopt-a-Family. It’s kind of hard to get a lot of people to donate because they have something else to donate with.” Campus organizations have been encouraging members to contribute to the program. Senior Sheridan Sims first heard about Adopt-a-Family through word-of-mouth. “I heard about it through Lambda Pi Eta, the Communication National Honors Society and Dance Marathon, and I decided to participate to give back to the community, especially those in need,” Sims said in an email. Participating in the program made Sims feel thankful for all she has during the holidays. She said this inspired her to donate. “It is a wonderful way to help others in need and make them feel loved,” Sims said. Adopt-a-Family provides an avenue for the Saint Mary’s community to connect to the greater South Bend community in which the campus is placed. By donating, Sims
“Diane Nash is a passionate champion of civ il and human rights whose courageous leadership helped end the stronghold of segregation in the South,” Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins said in the release. “The example of her tireless commitment to justice and nonv iolent action inspires us all to ser ve the cause of justice.” Nash prev iously received an honorar y degree from Notre Dame in 2016. In 2017, she was the inaugural lecturer at Notre Dame Law School’s Dean’s Lecture on Race, Law and Societ y. She has also received major national awards for her civ il rights work. The Martin Luther King Celebration Luncheon is an
said she feels like she is applying what it means to be a student at the College by helping those beyond the tricampus bubble. “It ref lects being a Belle because Saint Mary’s is a sisterhood where others look out for one another,” Sims said. Similarly, Van Horn believes Christmas is the perfect time for the College’s core values to be applied to life beyond school. She said Adopt-a-Family is a great way to make sure these values become apparent. “The four core values are community, learning, justice and diversity and faith and spirituality,” Van Horn said. “I feel like with Christmas, you get a really good experience with faith and spirituality because you’re celebrating the birth of Christ. Then the community comes together to give the kids these gifts, and then justice — you’re having students learn that there are people in need and having them have a voice. You’re just learning how you can be there for your community.” Van Horn said passing the tradition of giving to other students is exciting and provides a way to get into the holiday spirit. “It’s just a tradition; you just keep giving back,” Van Horn said. “When we’re little, we always want the gifts, but when we’re older, we always just want to give the gifts.” Even if people aren’t able to give much, Van Horn still encourages anyone to give what they can. “Every gift counts,” she said. “Even if you can’t donate a lot, just some small little thing will always be better than nothing.” Contact Maria Leontaras at mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu
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Campus ministry members and civil rights activists speak Jan. 21 during the 2019 Martin Luther King Celebration Luncheon. The 2020 event will feature a keynote address from civil rights leader Diane Nash.
annual event taking place during Walk the Walk Week, a week long series of events
Snite Continued from page 1
The photograph chosen was “Randy Sartori, 1st Grade, Mrs. Starkey’s Class, A.D. Thomas Elementar y School, Ha zleton, Pennsylvania” taken in 1993 by photographer Judith Joy Ross. Sumner said members of the committee decided to choose the photograph in part because they felt many Americans could relate to it. “The main reason that we chose this [photograph] is that we felt that it was just universal,” Sumner said. “So if you look at it, you can kind of see yourself in this boy. I think that a huge mundane aspect of education is that sometimes we are disengaged from what we’re learning. And it’s important to realize that and tr y to improve that w ithin
Speakers Continued from page 1
April 23 at the Renaissance District in downtown South Bend. The esports tournament w ill be held on Notre Dame’s campus April 23-24. Idea Week, described by the release as an “annual gathering celebrating entrepreneurs, innovation and the incubation of new ideas,” w ill also include a performance by the band One Republic. “Fun events like Trevor Noah, One Republic and the esports tournament are partly designed to act as magnets for students and the general public so they
beginning Jan. 19 that is designed to inspire the communit y into making Notre
Dame more welcoming and inclusive, the press release said.
the American education system.” The students considered photographs from several different eras, starting in the 1800s through the Civ il Rights Movement, and finally landed on a piece that is a bit more contemporar y. “We wanted the focus to be on education itself and not on some movement itself, like the Civ il Rights Movement or the Public Works projects that were going on in the 1800s,” Harper said. ”We really wanted the focus to be on a classroom and the students w ithin the classroom.” The unveiling ceremony took place Tuesday evening at the Snite. A crowd gathered around to see the acquisition that w ill now be a permanent piece in the museum. “W hen you look at the photo, you’re at the level of Randy,” Patrick said. “You’re looking in his eyes, and you
can place yourself in his shoes and the experience in that classroom. There’s something so momentar y, like you’re capturing him in this moment of being in the classroom, being in that space. We thought it was really powerful and mov ing and made it so v isually compelling and important to add to our collection.” Each member of the group ref lected on a different aspect of the piece, but all were pleased w ith the final selection. “It’s a real joy that the museum can participate in something that’s innovative and something that’s important—and because it’s coming into a permanent collection— something that’s lasting,” Snite Museum director Joe Becherer said.
can hear this important message, while interesting and educational key notes from entrepreneurs like A lex is Ohanian of Reddit are designed to amplif y it,” Br yan Ritchie, v ice president and associate provost for innovation at Notre Dame, said in the release. Noah’s show on Comedy Central has received t wo 2019 Emmy nominations, and he has w ritten and starred in a total of eight comedy specials. Noah is the author of the No. 1 bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories f rom a South African Childhood,” and he created the Trevor Noah Foundation, “a youth development initiative that
enhances youth preparedness for higher education or entr y into the workforce,” the release said. Under Ohanian’s leadership, Reddit recently passed Facebook in number of v isitors. It is now the third most popular internet destination for users in the United States, according to the release. Ohanian also founded Initialized Capital, a seed-stage venture fund, and has w ritten a nationally bestselling book. Tickets for Noah’s show go on sale Dec. 12. They cost $25 for college students and bet ween $45 and $ 95 for members of the general public.
Contact Regan Hultquist at rhultqui@nd.edu
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The observer | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
By JAKE WINNINGHAM Scene Writer
Despite its name, the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor has turned into a trophy for lead actors gunning for reduced competition in a lesser category. The recent trend of “category fraud” seemed like it had reached its peak (or nadir, depending on your outlook) when Viola Davis’ All-Universe performance in “Fences” ran in supporting so as to avoid a potential upset from “La La Land”’s Emma Stone. But somehow, three years later, “category fraud” has only increased in prominence — to the point where this year’s three best star performances are all running in the supporting races. Al Pacino, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez have no business in the supporting category. The three A-list actors all have their names emblazoned, in the largest fonts possible, on the posters for their Oscar contenders — “The Irishman,” “Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood” and “Hustlers,” respectively — yet they find themselves reduced to “supporting” co-stars Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio and Constance Wu. This is patently ridiculous.
By RYAN ISRAEL Scene Writer
A lot — and I mean a lot — of good music was released in the 2010s. Genres were blended, stars were born and social media gave us all an up-close view of the action. But the decade also saw a massive shift in the way we consume music. With the rise of services such as Spotify and Apple Music, streaming has taken over as the most popular way to listen to tunes. This shift isn’t isolated; it comes as the next step in a decades-long process that has slowly but surely transformed music. In 1979, as the already-revolutionary ‘70s wound to a close, Sony changed the game by introducing the Soundabout, a handheld playback machine that allowed people to listen to their favorite cassettes on the move. The Soundabout (and its later iteration, the Walkman) revolutionized music consumption. Up until then, listening to music had been a stationary activity. Vinyl discs and the record player, introduced in the 1950s, were the most common way to consume music for three decades, but physical size limited their mobility. And before the record player, of course, you had to have an instrument to enjoy some tunes. Throughout the early ‘80s, cassette tapes and players replaced vinyl and record players as the standards for music consumption. By 1986, 350 million cassettes were sold, as opposed to only 110 million LPs. Thus, the process of rationalization was set into motion. The term “rationalization,” coined by thinker Max Weber, refers to the systematization of ideas and leads to the development and supremacy of purely pragmatic, means-end calculations, much like those Weber saw in modern capitalism.
To call Jennifer Lopez’s work in “Hustlers” anything but a lead performance is to do it a disservice; it is a supporting role in the same way that Atlas supported the heavens. The same can be said for Pacino and Pitt, both of whom are the “heart” of their movies (but in wildly different ways). Upon first viewing, Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa seems distractingly out of place in “The Irishman”— until you realize that his “otherness” is exactly the point. Pitt plays an outsider as well, yet his Cliff Booth is the calming presence at the film’s center. Quentin Tarantino wants to position Booth as a Silent Generation holdover standing steady against the encroaching counterculture of the 1960s, and Pitt does a fine job of illustrating the stoic disposition that Tarantino’s script obviously aims to conjure. He’s still Brad Pitt, though; no number of reserved line readings can distract from the innate charisma of the actor delivering them. Whether his character is throwing Bruce Lee into a car or watching TV with his dog, Pitt exudes a timeless kind of movie-star cool. If those three performances are “supporting” in the eyes of the Academy, what hope does that leave for true supporting roles — performances that are by no means
the focal point of their films, but fill in the margins instead? The Supporting Actor and Actress categories are where the Oscars have most often rewarded comedic performances, and 2019 has been a year unusually awash in bravura comic turns, from Wesley Snipes strutting away with “Dolemite Is My Name” to Billie Lourd jumping off a boat and into audiences’ hearts in “Booksmart.” Those two performers, and similarly assured supporting roles from Toni Collette in “Knives Out” and Stephen Graham in “The Irishman,” have almost no chance of being recognized with nominations. Pacino, Pitt and Lopez all deserve nominations for their work this year — in the lead actor and actress categories. The supporting races aren’t for the second or third names listed on movie posters; they’re for the actors whose names we learn or remember because of their performances. Lead actors carry the movie on their shoulders, but the best supporting performances threaten to steal it out from under them. It’s time for the Academy to recognize those roles as well.
Rationalization dominates the way we consume music. Each technological change since the ‘80s, from the cassette to the CD, the CD to the MP3 and the MP3 to streaming, has been centered around rational choices aimed at making music easier to consume. Considerations about the other implications of such changes have been pushed to the wayside due to a “laser focus” on maximizing convenience and efficiency. This rationalization has radically affected our relationship with music, as well as the length of songs and the interplay between music and art. Now that we’ve arrived at streaming, there’s no physical music “object.” You could hold a vinyl record in your hands and feel the grooves on the disc. You had to go to a store to buy a CD. An iPod needed to be plugged into a computer. With streaming, music exists in “the cloud,” accessible on phones alongside text messages, Snapchats and social media. A subscription to Apple Music or Spotify gives a person access to millions of songs; an internet connection provides even more variety. With only two taps, music plays. The unprecedented and relatively unlimited ability to listen to any song at any time means that people no longer feel that they have “ownership” of their music. When you pay for a Spotify subscription, you’re not buying one album or song but, rather, access to every album and song. Buying a vinyl record is an experience. You find the perfect album, take it home and display it among your collection. You can put your CDs in a giant binder and flip through pages of discs. Adding an album to your “Library” on Spotify is just not the same. That “Library” exists only in the land of ones and zeros. The music that artists make is informed by the
dominant form of music consumption at a given time. With streaming, artists are paid per play, incentivizing the production of more tracks with shorter lengths. Dan Kopf’s analysis of albums and song lengths from the most popular artists of today reveals a trend towards shorter songs. In 2019, Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” with a length of only 1:53, became the shortest number one song on the Billboard charts in over 53 years. The Billy Ray remix of the track, only 40 seconds longer, reached the number one spot and stayed there for a record-breaking 19 straight weeks. At the same time, albums are getting longer — see Drake’s “Scorpion” or Migos’ “Culture II.” The trend of rationalization in music consumption has also changed the nature of album art. Cover art was a key feature on the LP sleeve cover, which offered a 12” square canvas for artistic expression and was often put on display or hung on a wall. Back covers and liner notes added depth to the experience of listening. But the CD provided less space for album art, and the MP3 and streaming took it all away. Now, album art is a tiny digital image on your phone — and you can barely zoom in. Some more recent covers — Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” or Tame Impala’s “Currents” — will go down in our collective memory, but will they ever reach the ubiquity of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” or the Beatles’ “Abbey Road?” Next time you open your phone and play a tune, consider what things were like 50, 30 or even just 10 years ago. Consider how the rationalization of music consumption has informed the way you experience music. Or just enjoy the music instead.
Contact Jake Winningham at jwinning@nd.edu
Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu JOSEPH HAN | The Observer
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The observer | Wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
The timing of grief
Inside Column
‘High School Musical: The Series’ is actually a good show Allison Thornton Photo Editor
Look, I never meant to like this show. I thought I was going to watch and hate it because it wasn’t the original at all. But it has surprised me and I can’t help but tuning in ever y Friday when Disney+ releases the new episode of “High School Musical: The Series.” Yes I know, this is my second column talking about something that is about “High School Musical” but when I started watching this show I had to talk about it, and people w rite what they know right? Any ways, back to the main point. W hen my friend and I pressed play on the first episode of “High School Musical: The Series” we were already cringing about the concept of the show. The idea of the show is that the high school were they filmed “High School Musical” is putting on a musical of the mov ie. It follows the cast members of the musical through the preparation for the performance. This show is full of drama and songs that are honestly bops. I never thought I would put some of the songs in my daily Spotif y playlist. I’m not going to lie, my friend and I still cringe while watching this show ever y Friday but that’s why we love it. At the beginning I thought it was so bad it was good. But after watching more and more episodes I have grow n to really enjoy watching it. W hat I also love about this show is that it is ver y modern. For example, one of the main characters has two moms as parents, and a boy auditions to play Sharpay. This is amazing— I love this because it is teaching kids who are watching this that they can be whoever they want to be and they w ill be accepted. The director of the musical in the show supports all the teenagers and even defends them when they are being judged. Unfortunately, spoilers are a thing. A ll weekend I have been tr y ing to avoid spoilers of the next episode, I haven’t seen the latest episode but apparently this one is a gamechanger. I can’t wait to cringe and watch it later this week. I w ill say the one thing I am getting used to is that I have to wait a week for the next episode to come out. I am so used to being able to binge watch shows. “High School Musical: The Series” leaves you on a cliff hanger and makes it so hard to wait another week. I have to know what happens ! Disney had me hooked when I was eight, and now they have me hooked w ith the same concept about 11 years later. So thank you Disney for keeping it real. Contact Allison Thornton at athornton01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
Blake Ziegler News with Zig
On Monday, I recited the Mourner’s Kaddish, a Jew ish prayer in memor y of the dead. Exactly one year ago, I recited the same prayer after I had a lost a loved one that I held dear to my heart. For personal reasons, I w ill not delve too far, but I should note that this woman’s role in my life was instrumental to my character, success and v irtue. She taught me compassion and humilit y, forgiveness and joy and the abilit y to see the good in all people. As I laid awake remembering her memor y, I contemplated the mystif y ing concept humanit y w ill never satisf y its curiosit y for: death. This is not to say I was depressed, nor was I joy ful. I was mourning, and that does not have a definitive spot on the spectrum of emotions. Death is simply such a complex topic because we know nothing about it. For some, this lack of knowledge produces great fear. I do not share that fear. My Jew ish faith teaches me to focus on the present and my current efforts at liv ing a good life. Even for those who are not Jew ish or religious, the sentiment of liv ing in the moment speaks to the innate human tendency to work towards something greater. As humans, we focus on improv ing ourselves and building a better world. Worr y ing about death precludes the opportunit y to analyze one’s character and abilit y to do good in the world. If we continually fear that which we do not know, we cannot enjoy what we do know, and that is life. Plato, one of my favorite philosophers, articulates this further when Socrates says, “To fear death, gentlemen, is nothing other than to think oneself w ise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know.” Fear requires knowledge of that which we fear. Because we do not know death, fearing death is irrational. We should not allow a fear of death to control our lives; rather, we should continue to live in the moment and work towards being good people. However, I do fear grief. Griev ing and mourning is a personal reaction to death and ser ves as a grim reminder of what we have lost. It reminds us of ever y thing we miss about our loved ones, the time that is lost, experiences we w ill never have w ith them, and the struggle to remember our memories w ith them. The mourning process is supposed to help us move on, but it embodies ever y thing that is gone and we yearn to gain back. We tr y to summon the presence of our loved ones through memories and photographs, and that does bring comfort. But it does not bring closure. Now, we should grieve and mourn our losses. It is important to remember our loved ones. However, my worr y is that we get lost in the comfort of our sweet memories and refuse to move on, even if it seems like we have. Worse, we possibly move on too quick ly and fool ourselves into closure, only to reopen the untouched feelings sometime later. How should we mourn? How do we know our loved ones hear us grieve? Does that matter? W hen do we know we have moved on? The question of grief perplexes me. In a world driven by productiv it y and efficiency, always mov ing onto the next project, we are pressured to v iew mourning as a time period that can be opened and closed at
w ill. It is the few days after death, the funeral and the memorial. Then it is back to one’s normal life. But that is not right. You cannot package memories and the life of a person; it can only be expressed through life itself. Yet, sometimes I still wonder if I should be angr y at the world for mov ing too quick ly or thankful for the excuse of life, so I do not have to approach my emotions. Mourning is beyond the timeline of a funeral, wake and memorial. Now, these practices are important in recognizing the wonderful lives of our loved ones. However, they do not mark the end of the mourning process. The constant reminders of our loved ones in daily life months after their death, followed by sadness or grief in these moments, are indicative of this. Rather, just as the lessons of our teachers follow us beyond the classroom, the memories of our loved ones go beyond ceremonies. Mourning rituals should be accompanied by a liv ing component, where we live through the inspiration of our loved ones. Do not leave them in the casket. Remember their lives while practicing their teachings and celebrating their memor y. Ref lect on a loved one’s values and character, searching for ways to continue to act through her teachings. Acts of charit y, kindness or simply talking about our loved ones can all honor their memor y. W hen remembering a loved one, even small acts like eating her favorite food or watching her favorite mov ie display her impact on one’s life. Part of mourning is allow ing our loved ones to live through us by being the good people they encouraged us to become. It is this act of liv ing that enables the dead to live on. To be clear, I still advocate for the use of ceremonies as acts of mourning. My concern lies in our tendency to end mourning early and refuse to recognize its continued presence after the ser v ice. We feel grief and sadness but act as though it is normal and “time w ill heal.” But that w ill never happen until we accept that mourning is a normal part of life. We should remember our loved ones through memorials and how we live. They are not separate; instead, they are both necessar y components of the mourning process. I hope my ref lections ser ve some purpose beyond my way of coping w ith loss. I hope people see it is normal to take time in mourning. Mourning is a gradual process. In Judaism, it spans months w ith a variet y of prayers, actions and guidelines to memorialize a loved one. This time prov ides comfort and ref lection, enabling closure on this significant event. In a world of fastpaced liv ing and 24-hour news cycles, we neglect to have conversations on grief. We should feel comfortable to have this dialogue because death is something ever yone encounters in life. We should be encouraged to mourn and grieve, but we should also be encouraged to remember our loved ones by liv ing. Blake Ziegler is a freshman at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He hopes his writing encourages others to take an interest in politics and government. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or @NewsWithZig on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Letter to the editor
Why Advent At this time of year, you may frequently find yourself asking the question, “W hy?” Perhaps yours might even feel more like, “WHHHY Y Y Y????? ” W hy did that class that seemed so reasonable in August turn out to require a 20-page paper? W hy did those equations that made so much sense on the whiteboard in class suddenly become unrecognizable while sitting in the study lounge? Approaching exams in years past, I sometimes even asked God “why” in a prayer, such as, “W hy, God, did anyone think Financial Accounting was a good idea?” So while you’re focused on wrapping up the semester, getting enough sleep, finding something to wear that looks reasonably clean and shopping for your people back home who all want items from the bookstore, you may wonder why: why am I about to encourage you to step back and notice that we’ve begun the season of Advent? The reason is this: the four weeks of Advent remind us that, even though we can’t always answer the “why” questions, big or small, we wait in hope for the coming of Him who will bring clarity to the biggest and smallest questions of our lives. Some of the greatest figures of the Bible ask
“W hy? ” and it’s no accident that we hear from them during Advent. In this Sunday’s gospel, for example, we meet John the Baptist. Even though no one would have been able to describe why they found him so compelling (“He eats locusts! He wanders the desert! He calls people vipers!”), nonetheless we hear that people walked for miles and miles to follow him and be baptized. And what does he tell them? Do the very best you can right now, says John. Get ready, prepare, clean up your act as best you can, but never forget that the One coming after me will make sense of it all. The Sundays of Advent contain prophesies of Jesus Christ — they get at both the waiting and the “why.” On the third Sunday, the prophet Isaiah tells the people that even in the midst of exile and suffering, they could wait in hope. W hy? Because the One to come would make the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame leap and the mute speak. In the fourth Sunday’s gospel, Joseph learns that his pregnant wife Mary “will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Fr. Dan Groody says that of all the great migrations that have ever taken place, the greatest of
all happened when Jesus, the very image of God’s perfect love, migrated to the far and distant land of our sinfulness and brokenness. And again, we might ask, “W hy?” Because God wants our eternal companionship and life with him. Because such love can reassure us when nothing else makes sense. Because the example of Jesus, for whom we wait during Advent, invites us to answer all our questions through our wholehearted attempts to follow him. During these busy and stressful days, I invite you to make time to be aware of God’s presence all around you. Notice that we await the coming of Christ into the world. Allow all your questions to sit within the love that crossed all boundaries to enter into each and every heart, including yours. As John the Baptist might tell you, do the very best you can right now. Get ready, prepare, clean up your act as best you can, but never forget that in Advent, we are made aware of the One who wants to help us make sense of it all. Fr. Pete McCormick director, Campus Ministry Dec. 2
Prepare to vote for the ham sandwich Mary Szromba Banter from the Bend
“If it is between Donald Trump and a ham sandwich, I will vote for a ham sandwich — and so will the rest of America.” Over the course of this holiday weekend I have had to listen to this phrase from my father no less than 20 times. He first proclaimed it when he found out that my sister and I don’t like Amy Klobuchar as the Democratic nominee, again when my grandparents said they were worried about the upcoming election, again when my aunt and uncle asked why ever ybody hated Joe Biden all of a sudden and 17 more times after that. It was a bit repetitive. However much I hate to admit it, though, he does have a point. There’s nothing progressives love more than cannibalizing their own party, and we cannot afford to allow this habit to continue. There is no perfect candidate. Perhaps some are better than others, perhaps some options sound about as bad as voting for a ham sandwich, but ever y single candidate in the Democratic field today is better than Donald Trump. Don’t get me wrong, you should be fighting for your favorite candidate now, but you shouldn’t do so at the total expense of the others. The fact of the matter is, if your candidate doesn’t get the nomination, we’re all going to have to vote for the person you just spent the last few months on Twitter attacking. Sure, maybe you like Bernie’s healthcare plan better than Warren’s, but that doesn’t mean a tick in the box for Warren would be the worst thing your fellow voters could do. Maybe you think Buttigieg’s move to the center
is more troubling than Biden’s track record with young voters, but a vote for Pete isn’t going to be a disaster for the countr y. As my father was also fond of saying this holiday weekend, “There are 16 Democratic candidates in the running right now, I have them all ranked from best to worst, and I would still vote for number sixteen over Trump.” Picking a favorite Democratic candidate does not mean you automatically have to hate all the others; they’re on the same side, and, importantly, that side is against Trump. As Jackie O’Brien wrote in April, “There is a vital difference between pointing out the downsides of a candidate, and writing them off entirely for the smallest of mistakes or minor policy differences.” I’m not just worried about progressive voters going at each other’s throats, Democratic candidates share the blame too. I would never suggest that the candidates stop attacking each other altogether during the debates, but they have to be careful about the way in which they do so. Lately, there has been a troubling trend where instead of talking up the merits of their own platforms and pointing out the legitimate weaknesses in their opponents’, Democrats have been using Republican talking points to tear each other down from the podium. In the second Democratic debate, John Delaney attacked Elizabeth Warren while relying on the GOP falsehood that Medicare for All would make private insurance illegal, saying, “They’re running on telling half the countr y that your health insurance is illegal. It says it right in the bill.” Warren responded, saying not only was that untrue, but also “That’s what the Republicans are tr ying to do and we should stop using Republican talking points in order to talk with each other about how to best provide that healthcare.” She has a point.
W hen Democratic candidates rely on misleading Republican narratives to score points against each other, ever yone loses. Potential voters don’t get clear answers and persuasive arguments, and the nomination process begins to look more and more like a fight to the death between candidates. This cannot be the way we look at things. The fight for the Democratic nomination is a fight over who should lead the charge, and the winner shouldn’t have to utterly destroy his or her opponents (and future allies) to take up that mantle. We need to be a unified party in 2020, not one that limps to the mat still licking its wounds. Democrats lost the 2016 election for a myriad of reasons, most of which were our own fault, and if we’re going to win in 2020 we need to start fixing these issues. I don’t want to see another election where more than one in 10 supporters of one of the most progressive candidates in histor y voted for Trump because Sanders didn’t get the nomination. A Joe Biden presidency wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. A Bernie Sanders presidency wouldn’t destroy the countr y. A ham sandwich presidency isn’t the worst case scenario. The only outcome we must avoid at all costs is another Trump presidency. It’s time we stop acting like 15 out of the 16 Democratic candidates are evil incarnate and remember that we’re all fighting for the same thing. Mary Szromba is a senior majoring in philosophy and political science, and she’s never been wrong about anything in her entire life. Questions, comments and anonymous love letters can be directed to mszromba@nd.edu or @_murrrrrr on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Classifieds
The observer | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | JEFFREY HARRIS
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Look for answers. Question what appears to be faulty or overrated. Turn this into a year of discovery. Take an interest in what’s happening in your neighborhood and community. Protect your assets, reputation and integrity. Pave a path that is conducive to the beliefs and values you feel are justified. Walk away from temptation. Keep promises. Your numbers are 3, 18, 22, 28, 31, 39, 44. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Be a good listener. Learn about your family history from older relatives. Ask an expert when in doubt, and consider your options before you make a change. Put more energy into a meaningful relationship. Do your best to get along. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A change will inspire you to learn more and try something new. Expand your friendships, and look for ways to bring in more cash, take better care of your health or update personal documents that are about to expire. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotional matters will surface quickly, leaving you in a precarious position. If you feel pressured, take a pass. Time is on your side, and no decision will be better than the wrong one. Take care of your responsibilities and your health. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Speak up, be innovative and take action. Bring about a positive change that will help raise your profile and push you to the next level of whatever challenge or goal you set for yourself. An offer looks solid, and an improvement is forthcoming. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Offer those you live or work with the same freedom you want in return. Go about your business, and focus on what will help you get ahead. A financial change will be the result of an unexpected decision someone makes. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get together with people who share your interests. Someone will offer insight into a situation you are going through. A chance to do something beautiful for someone you love will improve your relationship. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Look at the possibilities and what you can do to make life better. Refuse to get locked in an emotional situation that is holding you back. Express your feelings, and discuss your plans with anyone who will be affected by your actions. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take a break. Do something that brings you joy. Make personal alterations that will help you relax and ease stress. Make your feelings, intentions and plans clear to someone you want by your side. A unique lifestyle will inspire personal growth. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Observation will help you avoid being used or misled. Question whatever you feel is farfetched or being used to manipulate you. A steady pace, practical outlook and wait-and-see attitude will help you avoid making a mistake. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll thrive on change, doing things differently and using all your skills and talents to manipulate your way into a critical position. An opportunity that presents itself will change the way you live. Romance will improve your life. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Listen and observe. Gather information, verify your findings and look at your options. Refuse to let someone from your past disrupt your life, a meaningful relationship or the goals you have set for yourself. Follow your dream, not someone else’s. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be creative in the way you express your ideas. A change to the way you handle your money will result in greater freedom. Invest time in something you enjoy doing. A romantic gesture will bring you closer to someone you love. Birthday Baby: You are imaginative, sensitive and outgoing. You are expressive and adventuresome.
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Stanford
Sports Authority
Orgeron leads with coaching Connor Mulvena Sports Editor
Last night ESPN published a feature, written by Alex Scarborough, on coach Ed Orgeron, head coach of the No. 2 LSU Tigers, that I highly encourage every college football fan to read. In interviews with phenom quarterback Joe Burrow and Orgeron himself, Scarborough dives into recent rise of LSU. But more than this, I think Scarborough’s feature, and the story of Orgeron in general, illuminates the unique nature of what makes a college football coach successful and the width of the role that a good college football coach can play. It’s hard not to like the Tigers this year, and a lot of that has to do with Orgeron, or “Coach O,” as he’s commonly known. He’s a fantastic motivator, so much so that even the uninterested bystander can feel moved by his calls to action. He has a deep cajun rumble to his voice, in the most loveable way possible. He’s tough, straightforward and full of energy. On a surface level, he’s just really easy to like. And people, even outside the LSU football circle, have taken to him. All over Twitter, you can find viral Coach O videos, and even the casual fan seems to rave about the energy he brings to the game. But beyond the funny Twitter videos in which Coach O rumbles “Go Tigahs,” there is a truly fantastic story of a man whose passion for coaching football, a passion so strong that it has often gotten in the way of his success, has driven a telling football story. Floating around between programs as an assistant, defensive backs coach and eventually assistant head coach, Orgeron was eventually given a prime opportunity in a big-time program as the interim head coach of USC midway through the 2013 season following the firing of Lane Kiffin. Orgeron would finish the season 6-2, including a win over then-No. 5 Stanford, an accomplishment he thought good enough to retain the head coaching position. But in the end, USC decided not to re-hire Orgeron, and he would be out of college football for a year. Orgeron describes how he just wasn’t himself that year, a story we’ve heard from many football coaches obsessed with the game. But after that year off, Orgeron was offered the position of defensive backs coach at LSU, and he would eventually take over as interim head coach in 2016 after the firing of Les Miles. And it was at that point when Orgeron turned a new leaf. The same man who was
infamous for needlessly screaming at players during his unsuccessful stint as head coach at Ole Miss, for openly calling out other coaches in practice and just for generally working with reckless abandon and unsuccessful theatrics, began to ease down a bit. Not only that, but Orgeron also called former coaches and colleagues to apologize for his old harmful ways. And he set for himself a goal as head coach of LSU that he had always held in the back of his mind, a goal that would, in large part, be responsible for the resurgence of the program — to bring a modern high-powered offense to LSU. And after a few years, Coach O did just that. With relentless recruiting efforts, hiring of just the right offensive personnel and a willingness to bring about real, radical change, Coach O has built one of the most impressive offensive units college football has seen in a long time, and in the process he has restored a fanbase’s faith in a program caught in an SEC conference that is as competitive as it has ever been. But what is important here is that Coach O is not, nor has ever claimed himself to be, some offensive guru or defensive mastermind. He’s not an “X’s and O’s guy,” and he doesn’t have that genius prodigy that we’ve seen other largely unsuccessful “phenom” coaches given in the past. He’s a fantastic motivator — he has the ability to get 18, 19, and 20-year-old kids to come play for his new offense and leave it all on the field. He has the wherewithal to realize that the personnel below him is what will ultimately be responsible for execution on the field, and he has convinced the higherups at LSU to do whatever it takes to retain good coordinators and assistants on staff. And most of all , he’s willing to adapt, instituting a pro-style spread offense, with some run pass option mixed in, in an LSU program that has traditionally relied on the ground game. His journey to the top tells us that a successful college coach need not be a straight-edge traditional football mind, but might instead be a motivator, a facilitator who knows how to put together a staff and a adaptor to the ever changing landscape of college football. Perhaps these are the most important skills at the college level. Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Continued from page 12
around the nation, yet most of the student sections at respectable football schools came out in droves for rivalry week. I’d like to imagine that if this was a home game for Notre Dame, a good portion of the student body would have cut break short to show up for rivalry week. Despite its troubling past, the Stanford band is … unique. I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way. I guess it’s all part of their shtick, but I can’t imagine anyone getting pumped up from anything that band does … ever. Especially when you compare that to the band traditions of Notre Dame, or
the national anthem tradition at Georgia. On top of that, there weren’t any particularly striking stadium sounds or gameday customs. Perhaps I’m being harsh on the Stanford fanbase. It was a dreadful day, and I imagine it must have appeared even worse for someone accustomed to the generally good weather of Northern California (at least in comparison to South Bend). And I suppose my judgment might be too biased considering Notre Dame’s fan base is one of the most loyal and well-traveled in the nation. But nonetheless, the gameday experience, especially for the last regular season game, definitely lacked some hype. All of that said, Stanford’s
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campus, and the surrounding atmosphere, was almost unbeatable. The campus is pristine, and the mountains in the backdrop of the stadium contribute to a truly unique football experience. Stanford stadium is small, but there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. On a better day, during a more successful season for Stanford, under the lights, I could see the gameday experience in Palo Alto as one with a unique energy and plenty of opportunities for an enjoyable day. Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
annie smierciak | The Observer
Irish senior quarterback Ian Book looks toward the sideline during a 45-24 victory over Stanford at Stanford Stadium on Saturday. Book finished the regular season with 33 touchdowns and 2,787 yards.
annie smierciak | The Observer
Irish senior safety Alohi Gilman reaches for the ball during a 45-24 victory against Stanford at Stanford Stadium on Saturday. Gilman finished the regular season with 66 tackles and one sack. 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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Sports
The observer | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
M Bball Continued from page 12
our] strength of schedule,” Brey said. “[We’re] more confident. Our defense will be challenged because [Mar yland is] really a gifted offensive team.” The Terrapins are led by senior guard Anthony Cowan Jr., who is averaging 17.1 points per game. Brey had high praise for Cowan. “He’s a big time winner. [He] really makes them go,” he said. “[Graduate student guard] Rex [Pf lueger] will start on him, but a lot of guys have to guard him, we [might] change defenses to throw him.” Mar yland also boasts a stout defense. In their last game, a 21 point victor y over Marquette, the Terrapins limited Marquette guard Markus Howard, college basketball’s leading scorer, to just six points on 1-12 shooting. Brey commented on what the team needs on offense. “We’re going to have to score,” he said. “If we can’t shoot it solidly from out there, then we’re not going to beat good teams.” Notre Dame is shooting a
solid 42% from three-point range this season. The Irish’s experience in the front court will be key in this matchup, given Mar yland has a relatively young front-court and often plays four-guard lineups. The Irish are led by senior for wards John Mooney and Juwan Durham, who are averaging 14.3 and 8.3 points respectively, to go along with 13 and seven rebounds per game. Bench scoring will also be ver y important for the Irish as sophomore guards Dane Goodwin and Robby Carmody, and sophomore for ward Nate Laszewski are all having breakout seasons and provide the Irish with valuable depth. After the win over Fairleigh Dickinson, Brey praised their performance. “Goodwin and Laszewski coming off the bench and being aggressive are going to be important for us moving forward, so hopefully they are more confident to do it regularly,” he said. The contest will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. at the X finity Center in College Park, Mar yland. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu
ND Baseball
Irish baseball reveals upcoming spring schedule Observer Sports Staff
After a season that failed to live up to expectations, one in which the Irish finished the year 24-30 overall, going 13-17 in ACC play and losing their first and only two games of the ACC tournament, the Irish w ill look to bounce back in 2020 w ith new head coach Link Jarrett. The Irish w ill open their first season under Jarrett, once a member of the Notre Dame baseball roster, on Feb. 14 w ith a three-game series on the road against non-conference opponent UAB. The season opener for the Irish marks just the second time in program histor y they’ve faced off against UAB, the last time being during the 2011 Caravelle Resort Classic when the Irish defeated the Dragons 3-0. After that season road opener, the Irish w ill continue non-conference play w ith the A lamo Irish Classic from Feb. 20-22. The tournament w ill take place at Nelson Wolff Stadium, the home stadium of San Antonio, and w ill feature Incarnate Word and Toledo,
along w ith the Irish and UT San Antonio. Luckily for Notre Dame, they have faced all three of these opponents in the past, holding a record of 4-3 against UT San Antonio, 46-14 against Toledo and 7-4 against Incarnate Word. The Irish w ill close out non-conference w inter play in the days following the A lamo Irish Classic w ith a road series against Presby terian, whom the Irish w ill face for only the second time in program histor y. Notre Dame w ill get some time off after the road series at Presby terian, but they w ill begin ACC conference play on March 6 w ith a three-game road series against North Carolina. The series w ill mark the first trip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the Irish since 2016. Last season, the Tar Heels took two of three from the Irish at Frank Eck Stadium, and they went on to make the Super Regionals. Notre Dame’s conference schedule rounds out w ith series against Louisv ille, Florida State, Virginia Tech and NC State. However, in
the midst of this demanding conference schedule, the Irish take on non-conference opponent Central Michigan at home in a twogame series starting on May 9. Central Michigan put on an impressive show ing last year, claiming the M AC title and defeating No. 2 Miami in the Starkv ille Regional. The Irish are 21-13-1 all time against Central Michigan. Beyond these conference series, Notre Dame w ill have midweek matchups against non-conference opponents Radford, Western Michigan, Kent State, Chicago State, Michigan State, Northwestern and Indiana interspersed throughout the spring. Notre Dame has long held an in-state rivalr y w ith Indiana. This year that rivalr y w ill continue at Victor y Field in Indianapolis, home of the Indianapolis Indians, although the Irish didn’t face off against the Hoosiers at all in 2019. Notre Dame leads the series all time, w ith a record of 68-34-1, but the Hoosiers are coming off a fantastic season, one in which they managed to make the NCA A tournament.
allison thornton | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb goes in for a layup during a 6462 overtime victory against Toledo at Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 21.
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Email Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu
Observer File Photo
Irish junior pitcher Tommy Sheehan prepares to pitch during a 5-2 victory against Virginia at Frank Eck Stadium on April 5. Sheehan led the team with five wins and 92.1 innings pitched last season.
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | The Observer
W Bball Continued from page 12
ALlison Thornton | The Observer
Irish graduate guard Marta Sniezek looks for a teammate to pass to during a 72-69 defeat against Michigan State at Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 14. Sniezek is averaging four points per game this season.
Allison thornton | The Observer
Irish freshman forward Sam Brunelle looks for a passing lane during a 72-69 defeat against Michigan State at Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 14. Brunelle is averaging 13.3 points per game so far this season. Paid Advertisement
the Gophers have played strong basketball since — albeit all of those games were played in their home arena, and their game against the Irish on Wednesday will be their first road game this season. After their loss to the Bears, the Gophers defeated Vermont in a blowout 90-58, Milwaukee in well contested game 77-61 and Arizona State in another blowout 80-66. The Montana State Bobcats, who put up a good fight against the Gophers in comparison to the other teams they have faced off against this year, ultimately fell in Minneapolis 71-60. And Bryant University also succumbed to the Gophers by a score of 101-56. That has been the Gophers season so far. The Irish however, have gotten off to a slower start. The team won their first two games of the season against Fordham and Loyola Maryland in their home opener, but dropped just their third game of the season to the now 7-0 Tennessee Lady Volunteers. The women went on to lose another game against Michigan State at Purcell Pavilion, but they came back with a two-game win streak, after notching wins against Toledo at home and Michigan in Ann Arbor, which was a nail biter. This weekend in Cancun, the Irish dropped two games and won one, but they are looking for more wins to get under their belt as they come into their matchup Wednesday against the Gophers. While the Gophers will be looking to push their win
11
streak to six games, the Irish will be looking to crack that streak and assert their dominance in the neighboring conference. Irish head coach Muffet McGraw spoke on the three games in Mexico during the Muffet McGraw show hosted by Bob Nagle on Monday night. McGraw touched specifically on the Irish’s win over USF, which was a team initially ranked No. 21 in the country heading into the tournament. “It’s just so good to see improvement — that is the biggest thing,” McGraw said. “You go into three games in three days, the last game you’re going to really look tired. I thought that we looked in better shape than they [USF] did. We finally looked like we were playing much better basketball. Defensively we did a lot of really good things, we were able to play a lot of zone in that game as well. I think we’re getting better as a team, and that’s all we’re really looking for heading into a tough stretch here with a bunch of ranked teams and then we go on to the ACC so for us it’s just getting better, trying to keep our heads above water.” The Irish roster is relatively young and their clear leader is a graduate transfer from Stanford, point guard Marta Sniezek. Sniezek is not a heav y scorer putting up double digit points every game, but she does dish the ball out well, leading the team with 44 assists this year, tied for 13th most in the nation. Sniezek is an unlikely leader for the Irish, coming in as a transfer; nevertheless, she has played with a hard nosed mentality for the Irish, snagging 16 steals on the season as well, the third most on the team. She also racked up a whopping eight charges in Mexico just this weekend. McGraw spoke on the pride she has for the graduate point guard. “It’s tough for the point guards, they have to think for everybody on the f loor and with this group it is a lot of thinking,” McGraw said. But Sniezek said her biggest obstacle thus far has been staying resilient. “Staying resilient, it’s a new team, new players, I’m dealing with the same things that they are,” Sniezek said. “So I try to help everyone stay calm and poised and help everyone get to where we need to be in March.” The matchup against the Gophers will take place in South Bend at Purcell Pavilion with tipoff set for 8 p.m. Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu
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The observer | wednesday, december 4, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND Men’s Basketball
Notre Dame men’s basketball travels for tough road test against 3rd-ranked Maryland By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer
The Notre Dame men’s basketball team w ill take on another top 10 opponent on the road Wednesday night when it faces the No. 3 Mar yland Terrapins as part of the Big Ten-ACC challenge. After losing their season opener to then-No. 6 North Carolina on the road, the Irish have won six straight matchups at home. Head coach Mike Brey noted how much the team has improved since that North Carolina matchup. “I think we’ve come leaps and bounds, and I thought we were really good that night,” he said. “We played on a big stage in a tough atmosphere right out of the gate, and we weren’t quite ready to finish, I’d like to see us finish one now.” Brey also talked about how talented Mar yland is. “They’re really good,” he
said. “They’re on a roll right now, they’re confident. It’s a great opportunit y for us.” This game is a homecoming for some of the Irish team, as sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb’s hometow n is just outside of College Park, and Brey is from Mar yland as well. He even grew up rooting for the Terrapins. After a 91-66 v ictor y over Fairleigh Dickinson last Tuesday, Brey commented on the improved play at home. “Home identit y. You’ve got to start there,” he said. “Those were six games in 17 days. We had a little bit of ever y thing happen, and we had game pressure on us.” However, the Irish now need to go on the road again to face a team that is averaging 81 points per game. “Going on the road to play these guys, it’s an opportunit y for you, it [helps see M BBALL PAGE 10
annie smierciak | The Observer
Irish senior forward Juwan Durham backs down a defender in the post during a 64-62 overtime victory against Toledo at Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 21. Durham finished last season with 63 blocked shots.
FOOTBALL
nd Women’s Basketball
Irish women’s basketball prepares for Minnesota
Stanford offers new atmosphere
By JIMMY WARD
By CONNOR MULVENA
Sports Writer
Sports Editor
The Notre Dame women’s basketball team returns home this week from an eventful Thanksgiving break in Cancun, Mexico, to take on Minnesota in the 2019 ACC/ BIG Ten Challenge. The Irish (5-4) dropped two games in the course of three days in Cancun this weekend. The Irish lost narrowly to Florida Gulf Coast 69-60 and to South Dakota State 65-59. However, they would find a win in their last game of the tournament on Sunday against University of South Florida 67-51. The first game back will not be a game the Irish will want to walk into unprepared. The Gophers (5-1) are on a five-game win streak in which they showed no mercy to their opponents. After taking their first and only loss of the season at their home opener a month ago to Missouri State,
Allison thornton | The Observer
see W BBALL PAGE 11
Irish freshman guard Anaya Peoples defends the paint during a 72-69 defeat against Michigan State at Purcell Pavilion on Nov. 14.
Irish fans thinking they could escape the brutal weather of South Bend in the hills of Palo Alto, California, were sadly mistaken last Saturday. It was a dreary, cold and rainy afternoon, one which felt like it was missing a little energy one might expect during rivalry week. Stanford’s tailgating scene was certainly far different from that found at Notre Dame. The various lots surrounding the stadium provided ample open space for classic tailgating activities. There was plenty of tossing the football around, grilling over an open flame and room to spread out. On any other day, one without the relatively harsh weather conditions we saw on Saturday, I could imagine tailgating at Stanford being a great time — it leaves room for some tailgating activities that Stadium or Joyce Lots don’t. All of that being said, there
just weren’t that many people. I could imagine the tailgating scene being cool, but it really wasn’t anything to write home about because it felt like no one showed up. Notre Dame fans were everywhere, and those Stanford fans who did show up seemed not particularly interested in setting up some of the elaborate and exciting tailgates like you might see at Notre Dame on any given Saturday. And unfortunately for Stanford, the same held true of the stadium atmosphere. As you might have seen on television, the stadium had to have been nearly three quarters Irish fans. From the elevated view of the press box, it appeared as if the stadium was maybe half full, and of those in the stands, green stood out far more than red. Stanford’s student section was conspicuously empty. I understand most students were on Thanksgiving break, but so were all of the other students see STANFORD PAGE 9