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Volume 54, Issue 79 | monday, february 10, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Knights of Columbus hosts debate Student body candidates discuss platforms, parietals and student government improvements By MAX LANDER News Editor
With the student government elections this week, the Notre Dame chapter of the Knights of Columbus hosted a student government election debate Sunday evening in the Carey Auditorium in Hesburgh Library. The candidates discussed the parietals policy, areas for improvement in student government, the role of Catholicism at Notre Dame, student life and sexual assault prevention. The candidates running for student body president and vice president respectively this year include junior Noble
Patidar and freshman Connor Patrick, junior Connor Whittle and sophomore Jack Rotolo; junior Zachary Mercugliano and freshman Aviva Lund, freshmen Henry Bates and Thomas Henry, juniors Michael Dugan and Ricardo Pozas Garza and juniors Rachel Ingal and Sarah Galbenski. The Bates-Henry ticket was not present at this debate. Each candidate was given approximately a minute to answer each of the five questions posed as well as a minute and a half for an opening and closing statements. see DEBATE PAGE 3
Students create online textbook marketplace By CHRISTOPHER PARKER News Writer
Sophomore Jacob Novitch had a problem he didn’t know what to do with: his almost brand-new copy of “Theological Foundations for Environmental Ethics.” “I had gotten this book last semester, and I was unable to rent it,” Novitch said. “I just kind of had it, and I didn’t need it anymore.” W hile the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore offers a renting option for some textbooks, many students find themselves stuck with a textbook they no longer need after the semester finishes. Novitch’s close friend and roommate, sophomore Ryan Wigglesworth, recently started a project creating an on-campus network for buying and selling textbooks. Wigglesworth said the idea was inspired by his own frustrations with buying textbooks. “Last winter break, when I was at home with my parents,
SCENE PAGE 5
we were looking for ways to save money,” he said. “They wanted me to sell my textbooks on an ND mobile service.” Wigglesworth created a survey that canvassed students across the countr y and received 160 responses, about half from Notre Dame and half from other schools. “I figured if I had this problem then other people probably would, too,” Wigglesworth said. Wigglesworth said his survey showed that people spend an average of around $520 a year on their textbooks. In fact, the average cost of books per year at a private four-year university is $1,240, according to research from the College Board. The University of Notre Dame factors a slightly lower $1,050 into its 20192020 cost of attendance. “I learned that there’s kind of a huge need for it. About half the people who responded have tried to sell textbooks, but only half of those actually see TEXTBOOKS PAGE 4
Scene PAGE 5
MAX LANDER | The Observer
Candidates gathered two days before the student body election to debate issues presented by the Knights of Columbus. Five of the six election tickets were present for the debate. Above, they pose with the group’s flag.
Incoming Editor-in-Chief names supporting staff Observer Staff Report
Juniors Mariah Rush, Maeve Filbin, Claire Rafford and Sara Schlecht will help oversee The Observer’s Editorial Board next term, incoming Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras announced Sunday. Rush will become the Managing Editor, while Filbin, Rafford and Schlecht will serve as Assistant Managing Editors. The four
women will begin their new roles March 16. Rush, a junior currently studying abroad in England for the semester, was previously an Associate News Editor for the Observer. A former resident of Pasquerilla West Hall and a South Bend native, Rush has worked in the Notre Dame News department since her freshman year. She has written about a variety of topics, including the University’s
history of legacy admissions, ND’s history with Native Americans and her interview with presidential candidate and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg. “I have always loved being part of the Observer family, and I’m so excited to continue being involved as Managing Editor alongside four amazingly talented women,” Rush said. “We are see STAFF PAGE 3
SMC alumnae networking event connects graduates By JULIANNA MCKENNA News Writer
Saint Mary’s alumni hosted a casual networking event Friday to connect students and alumni, fostering a sense of support and community. The alumnae event included representatives of the Belles of the Last Decade (BOLD) committee, who work closely to assist new graduates with the
viewpoint PAGE 7
transition from Saint Mary’s to the workplace. “As soon as you graduate from Saint Mary’s College, you become a member of BOLD automatically,” Kristin Murphy, a member of BOLD, said. “If you would like to be more involved, BOLD representatives have meetings twice a year to help the College prepare for the annual Donor Challenge and also help lead initiatives to engage
with recent graduates.” Murphy said the BOLD committee is a valuable resource for graduates to maintain a connection with the Saint Mary’s community. “We try to assist recent graduates by highlighting grads around the country who are doing different things and hosting events like this, so
Softball PAGE 12
women’s lacrosse PAGE 12
see ALUMNAE PAGE 4
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The Notre Dame cheerleading team performs a routine at the Notre Dame men’s basketball game Feb. 5 versus Pittsburgh. The Irish defeated the Panthers 80-72. Samuel B. Jackson, one of the leprechaun mascots, performed alongside the other cheerleaders.
The next Five
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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Discussion on Gender Equity in Business Stayer Center Commons C 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Featuring Joe Holt.
Catholic Social Tradition Information Session 234 Geddes Hall 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Learn about the minor.
Graduate Career Discussion Duncan Student Center 526 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. RSVP to attend.
“Racial Violence, Historical Memory” Geddes Hall, Coffee House 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Open to the public.
ND Band JPW Concert Ricci Band Rehearsal Hall 6 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Free to all.
Lecture: “The Business of Being an Artist” 215 Riley Hall of Art 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. All are welcome.
“How to Succeed at Notre Dame Without Losing Your Soul” 131 DeBartolo Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Open to the public.
Lecture: “(Dock) Workers Matter” Geddes Hall, Andrews Auditorium 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. All are welcome.
BetterTogetherND Launch Geddes Hall, Coffee House 5:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. RSVP to attend.
JPW Opening Gala Duncan Student Center and Corbet Family Hall 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. Ticketed event.
News
Debate Continued from page 1
Candidates were asked to share their stance on the Universities parietals policy, specifically in light of growing concern over the policy voiced by student protests in Stanford Hall and Sorin College fall semester. Generally, candidates called for education about parietals amnesty and the need to foster open, meaningful and civil dialogues regarding parietals. “Given that parietals are going to stay at the university, at least in the short term, parietals amnesty is something that should be very clearly known from the first week that kids get here,” Patidar said. Mercugliano said that while he and his campaign welcome discussion about subjects such as the parietals policy, he criticized the form the protests Stanford and Sorin took last semester. “In Stanford and Sorin it was done in such a way that was
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Incoming Assistant Managing Editor
Sara Schlecht
Incoming Assistant Managing Editor
Claire Rafford
Incoming Assistant Managing Editor
Maeve FIlbin
so excited to continue to uplift our community’s voices through student journalism, and plan to further elevate our coverage in the coming year.” Filbin is a Saint Mary’s junior studying political science and economics. She is part of Notre Dame’s John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy, and currently serves as the Saint Mary’s News Editor. From LaGrange Park, Illinois, Filbin has previously covered the changes made to campus transportation, transitional periods within the College
Incoming Managing Editor
Continued from page 1
Mariah Rush
Staff
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, february 10, 2020 | The Observer
administration and the reinstallation of Clarissa Dalloway’s Coffeehouse. “I love The Observer and fully believe in its mission — to uncover the truth and report it accurately,” Filbin said. “I am so proud of the content we’ve produced over the past couple of years. Since 1966, we’ve established that we’re a student newspaper that is willing to dig deeper and ask the tough questions, and I am so excited to continue contributing to this legacy as an Assistant
Managing Editor.” Rafford, a junior living in Farley Hall, is completing her term as Associate News Editor. Originally from Tempe, Arizona, Rafford is majoring in English and minoring in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy and Business-Economics. Rafford has worked for The Observer’s Notre Dame News department since her freshman year and has reported on a variety of topics, including student senate, the University’s residential life
policies and Notre Dame’s admissions practices. “I am so excited to serve alongside these talented women in the upcoming year,” Rafford said. “The Observer has meant so much to me during my time in college, and I am honored to have the chance to contribute to the paper’s legacy.” Schlecht, a junior at Saint Mary’s, is majoring in history and English writing with a minor in humanistic studies. Originally from Chickasha, Oklahoma, she is completing
her term as Associate News Editor. She has covered various happenings at the College, such as changes in intercampus transportation and community service opportunities for students. “The Observer has been an integral part of my college experience, ” Schlecht said. “The paper is an incredible asset to the tri-campus community, and I am thrilled to be working with its impressive editorial board and staff for the year ahead.”
disruptive to the life of that dorm,” Mercugliano said. “We would prefer to see discussions like that pursued in a more civil manner.” Ingal said that the need for having dialogues about issues like parietals on campus was essential, and she highlighted the need for education on parietals amnesty, specifically during welcome weekend. “[Parietals amnesty] is something that we would like to have mandatorily implemented in welcome weekend so that people are aware that parietals amnesty exists,” Ingal said. “Especially during the ‘red-zone,’ a time at the first six weeks of the semester where first=year women are susceptible to being sexually assaulted.” Dugan also said that parietal amnesty was very important but raised the possibility of altering parietals slightly. “I think the question itself is what is parietals, what is its purpose and how should that interact with the Notre Dame community,” Dugan said.
“I think there are actually a number of ways you can actually revise parietals within what the board is willing to do.” Whittle said that he agreed that key to the issue of parietals was better education about parietals amnesty but also said that civil dialogue was essential for assessing the root cause of issues with parietals as a policy. “Overall, these movements stem from a much broader issue on campus that needs to be handled and need a student government that‘s going to lead them in having civil discussions on this campus,” Whittle said. Candidates were also asked to share areas in which they thought student government could improve, as well as ways they planned to make such improvements happen. Overall, candidates highlighted transparency, communication and representation as some areas where student government could be better. Mercugliano said that
greater transparency was needed around student government and student government funding. He also said that he planned to make himself available to leaders of small and newly formed clubs on campus in order to keep them informed. “I believe in releasing frequent reports, so that the student body can follow along if they wish with what‘s happening in student government,” Mercugliano said. Ingal said that it was important for student government to mediate and represent the student body to those in power and that a greater effort should be made to make student government present in places like student dorms. “I think the way that Sarah and I have envisioned it is acting as a liaison between the people and power, so we understand student government is presented a lot of resources and what we want to do is disseminate that and really empower students,” Ingal said. “The idea is not only making
yourself available within your space but going out of your space to halls, not just being in the office.” Dugan said that the two main ways that student government could improve were by fostering better communication with the student body, citing the need for redundancy in roles like director of communications, and reducing the budget to provide greater club funding as a way to empower the student body. “Student government continues to prioritize its own initiatives and own funding at the expense of student clubs,” Dugan said. “The fact of the matter is this, more people are involved in clubs than experience the direct impact of student governments programming side.” Whittle said that he thought student government could do a better job working with rectors and hall leadership to ensure that all students feel integrated into and represented in the Notre Dame community in the first month or so students are on campus. Specifically, he mentioned working to promote greater diversity in hall resident assistants to accomplish this. “We need to make sure students feel like they are represented within hall leadership and feel like they are going to be integrated and an influential part of the overall Notre Dame community,” Whittle said. Patidar also focused on greater inclusivity and communication between hall residents and student government officials. He said he would promote a greater degree of communication between the two. “Connor and I plan to visit each dorm once a semester. It’d be a very rare occurrence but it would be enough where you could go to each hall, update them on policy initiatives and ask them for survey data, like what they think about x, y or z,” Patidar said.
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Alumnae Continued from page 1
we can connect w ith you guys and help you in whatever way we can by answering questions about transitioning to post-college life,” she said. For some current students, this event was an opportunit y to persona lly meet some of the a lum they have prev iously connected w ith in different settings and learn more about the transition after Saint Mar y’s. “I was inv ited to come because I am a Phonathon representative, meaning I have the delight of ca lling our a lumni ever y week and spea k ing to them,” junior Deirdre Drinka ll said. “Our department inv ited us to mingle w ith some of the BOLD members.” Drinka ll believes that a lumni events like this are the foundation of the Saint Mar y’s communit y. “Saint Mar y’s is such a specia l school, and we’re so built on tradition. Events like this help foster this tradition,” she said. “It reminds me why they
Textbooks Continued from page 1
succeed,” he said. “I figured I could maybe ma ke this more efficient.” With money from the IDEA Center, Wigglesworth created a protot y pe version of this ser v ice, ca lled BookSwap. “Basica lly, anyone can go on and post their books, and then if somebody else wants to buy it, they can buy it off the site,” he said. “It’s k ind of like Craigslist for college.” Wigglesworth launched the ser v ice this past fa ll semester to some success. “I had about 50 postings up there, and five people were able to ma ke sa les,” he said, including Nov itch, who parted ways w ith his theolog y textbook recently. Wigglesworth rea lized through the launch that quite a few students were w illing to sell their textbooks but don’t simply because there isn’t an efficient method to do so.
chose Saint Mar y’s and why they choose to keep coming back to Saint Mar y’s. It gets me so excited and inv igorated to be at Saint Mar y’s presently.” This event a lso helped ease students’ worries about the future as a lumni prov ided insight into the post-college experience. “I ta lked w ith severa l of the a lumni and learned some ver y good tips about how to transition out of college, how to find good internships, and a lso, how to find great places to live,” junior Claire Linginfelter said. The opportunit y to build relationships w ith a lumni helps students and a lumnae grow the Saint Mar y’s communit y. “It’s rea lly important to build relationships w ith a lumnae because it helps them feel more connected to our campus, and it helps students rea lize that Saint Mar y’s is broader than our campus communit y,” Linginfelter said. Both a lumni and students a like said that this event was a great way to bring both parts
“You can sell back to A ma zon … or you can sell back to the bookstore,” Wigglesworth said. “But the va lue isn’t great for people, and they would rather see if they could sell to a friend. They feel better about it, and they get a better price.” Wigglesworth believes that the bookstore’s advantage lies in the fact that “it’s easy, and that’s what people like.” He aims to ma ke his serv ice even easier by ma k ing it loca l, w ith different branches on different campuses. Nov itch said he would use the ser v ice again not only because it earned him a little extra money, but because he could feel good about the fate of a retired schoolbook. “I hadn’t rea lly thought about what I was going to do w ith it,” he said. “I just figured somebody else would have more use for it than I did.” Contact Christopher Parker at cparke22@nd.edu
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of the Saint Mar y’s communit y together. “I think this just highlights the overa ll connection bet ween those who have gone to
Saint Mar y’s and those who currently go to Saint Mar y’s,” Murphy said. “As soon as you graduate, you w ill a lways be an a lum and Saint Mar y’s w ill Paid Advertisement
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a lways be your connection. It’s a lifelong sisterhood.” Contact Julianna McKenna at jmckenna01@saintmarys.edu
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By WILLOUGHBY THOM Scene Writer
Before going on to review the new Green Day album, which was released Friday, I would like to take immediate action and retract the statement I made on Sept. 16, 2019: “Green Day’s new path is disappointingly weird, and we are not in for a treat.” In September of last year, Green Day fans received news of an upcoming album which promised “dangerous songs for dangerous kids.” Instead, they have given us bubble-gum songs for mainstream kids. The revolutionary East-Bay punk band has succumbed to the wrath of the highly commercialized modern music industry and have become a band which they have always proclaimed to hate. Green Day has become something worse than “sell-outs”: they have become hypocrites. Back in September with the announcement of their new album, Billie Joe Armstrong said, “Rock has lost its balls.” But I don’t think Green Day realizes that they are the ones who have become soft. As a fan wrote most poignantly: they are another band that has their music fading into the background of an Old Navy. Looking at “Father of All Motherf—ers” as a whole, you immediately notice two things: all three previously released singles are at the beginning of the album and the entire album is only 26 minutes. In most punk albums, those 26 minutes would be filled with fast-paced songs of energized, anarchic angst, but Green Day filled that
By DESSI GOMEZ Scene Writer
With a simple opening of Swift playing her piano, her newest addition to the family — Benjamin Button — confidently crawling along the keys and even the strings, viewers are immediately taken into Miss Americana’s home for a vulnerable opening to her documentary. In between reading passages from her collection of diaries, Swift tells her audience that she has always centered her life around “a moral code” that involved “the need to be thought of as good.” After further musing about where she sourced her validation in the past, solely from other people like her fans, she concludes, “I became the person everyone wanted me to be.” Cue the black screen with the title of the documentary and the anticipation that is spiked, knowing that the rest of the story is about to unfold. A transition between Taylor’s insecurity and her growing confidence can be seen in the shot of her receiving the news that “reputation” wasn’t nominated for any of the Big Four Grammy categories. Though this may have come as devastating news to her a couple years earlier, Swift immediately sets a goal of writing a better record. Swift also points out the desire for female artists toconstantly evolve, which she has experienced in her own
time with something that sounds like it was written by emokids attending Disney’s “Camp Rock.” I understand that bands must release singles prior to an album to attract attention, but when listening to a new album the first time through you listen to it in order. So when three previously released songs are sequenced at the beginning of a new record, you’re already bored. You have waited months to hear something new; instead, we lose the spark of the record in its entirety. Not only bored by the time the fourth song begins, you begin to notice the laziness of the album’s song writing and the album’s production overall. Billie Joe Armstrong gives us an unexpected and uncomfortable debut of his falsetto, unnecessary samplings of songs and strange sound bites throughout. When I first heard the song “Oh Yeah!” I thought that Green Day had pulled a Vanilla Ice. Their sampling of Joan Jett’s “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” on their song was executed in a way similar to Vanilla Ice’s ripping of “Under Pressure” on “Ice Ice Baby.” Green Day claims the song is their way of honoring punk legend Joan Jett. Sadly, they don’t do a very good job of it. Additionally, the sixth song on the album, “Stab You In The Heart,” is a mix of three woefully mismatched songs: “Hippy Hippy Shake” by the Beatles, “Greased Lightnin’” from the film “Grease,” and Billy Ray Cyrus’s “Achy Breaky Heart.” The strange sound effects are clear evidence of the album’s overproduction and lack of inspiration, and can
be heard in the introduction of both “Junkies on a High” and “Take the Money and Crawl.” Both songs could have done without the high-pitch rat squeaks, children’s piano backtrack and the Garage-Band record-scratch effects they added to prove that they are “hip” yet “old-school.” More than anything, this album is evidence that one of the greatest punk bands have lost their edge. As a result, they have sold their souls to the money-hungry men in suits in order to make a quick buck and try and remain relevant. What they don’t seem to understand is that they are still relevant; moreover, they would be even more so if they produced something truly transgressive and memorable like 2004’s “American Idiot.” They claim this album is “not political,” but by titling the record “Father of All Motherf—ers” and alluding to “American Idiot” you would expect a hot-take on our nation’s political climate. Instead, we are given a unicorn. Literally.
process of crafting a variety of albums and transitioning from country to pop. Her talent for storytelling has remained at the core of her success and identity as an artist, while she realized she needed to shed the layers of her identity that she based off of other people’s opinions. Swift acknowledges that she basically grew up in front of the world, many of her best and worst moments publicized for everyone to see. In this documentary, she seems to have learned that romance is best kept under wraps for her, and it seems to be working with latest lover Joe Alwyn. Viewers get the smallest sense of his involvement in Swift’s life with the brief post-show embrace and his home videos of Swift. The montage of these phone videos set to Swift’s acoustic demo of “Call It What You Want,” assumed that she is playing the song to Joe, gave an inkling of their relationship, and the song itself tells a lot about how they got together. Swift’s quirks still shine through the more serious tone of a documentary film. Her iced wine, cat backpack and other fun facts reveal themselves in her conversations and interactions with others. Such details reflect her powerful capability to capture the five senses in her songwriting, the process of which — while different every time — reinforces the work that she puts into her product.
It was certainly fun to see songs like “Getaway Car,” “The Man” and “Me” come together in the recording studio. Such transparency and honesty was hinted at from the beginning of the film. Though “Miss Americana” covered so many pieces of Swift’s public and private lives — her struggles with eating and body image, the encounters with Kanye West, her mom’s cancer and her political influence— I was left with several questions: What about her feuds with female stars? Is she still good friends with Ed Sheeran? Will she and Joe Alwyn get married? Was “Lover” one of her last big projects? I am looking forward to see where Swift turns next, especially after the release of a new single, “Only the Young” with “Miss Americana.”
Contact Willoughby Thom at wthom@nd.edu
“Father of All...” Green Day Record Labrl: Reprise Records If you like: Sum 41, The Offspring
Contact Dessi Gomez at dgomez5@nd.edu
“Miss Americana” Lana Wilson Where to Watch: Netflix If you like: “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” “Katy Perry: Part of Me”
LINA DOMENELLA | The Observer
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The observer | monday, February 10, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Why Trump will win in November
Inside Column
On being homesick Mia Marroquin News Writer
I’ve never been much of a homebody. But as of late, I find myself over whelmed w ith feelings of homesickness. Not in the traditional sense, but rather for the places and people I’ve encountered over the past 19 years. From a young age my parents shipped me away to sleepaway camp in the summers. Ever y year, w ithout fail, I quick ly hugged them goodbye and ran to my cabin, never looking back. Home is a bottom bunk in an old cabin filled w ith a dozen strangers who would become lifelong friends. Fast for ward to August 2017: freshman move-in. The day I’d been looking for ward to all summer, if not longer. At this point I had read all the “W hat to Expect During Your First Week at College” adv ice columns and, w ithout fail, ever y one mentioned homesickness. W hile not seeing my mom ever yday and showering w ith f lip f lops on was quite the adjustment, it did not quite constitute homesickness. Home is liv ing on your ow n for the first time w ith three roommates in a room the size of a shoebox. I’ve heard the adage over a hundred times: “The Avenue w ill lead you home.” I’d heard my peers’ testaments of getting goosebumps when they drive dow n The Ave. But yet I didn’t feel a thing — I couldn’t fathom creating an emotional connection to a bunch of old buildings. Quick ly did I learn that home isn’t the physical place, but rather the memories formed in the old buildings. Home is the laughs w ith friends in LeMans on a Saturday night or the stress-induced tears in Trumper on a Monday. Like many of my peers, I studied abroad during the spring of my sophomore year. By the time I had touched dow n in Spain I had lost track of the amount of times people told me that “it’s normal to be homesick during your first few weeks,” and yet I felt nothing. Home became the way my host mom would turn on the space heater before I’d take a shower and bring me tea w ith honey when I was sick, despite the language barrier. Over the weekend, I v isited a friend in Chicago, a cit y I was luck y enough to call home for 10 weeks over the summer. W hile walking to breakfast we passed the building where I interned and seemingly spent all my time at. Home is the court yard where I’d sit and eat lunch w ith a coworker in the warm July sun. W hile Saint Mar y’s is less than two hours away from my hometow n, my trips home are few and far between, which has enabled my parents to become big fans of show ing up to my dorm on a Saturday morning to “surprise me” — also know n as fill up my gas tank and catch up. Home is a South Bend restaurant, hav ing dinner w ith the people that taught me what it’s like to feel “at home.” The culmination of all these seemingly insignificant yet f leeting moments have given me a sense of comfort and familiarit y that I have never felt from four walls and a roof. There’s a bittersweetness to know ing that these feelings of home w ill never be recreated exactly the same. I can’t wait to see where I’m homesick for next. Contact Mia at mmarroquin01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Andrew Sveda Bow Tie Politics
With the Iowa caucus under our belts (maybe?) and New Hampshire coming up tomorrow, election season is finally here. After a year or so of jabs, one-liners, polls and drama, we’ve made it to the good stuff. Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. And as we kick off the primaries, ever yone’s asking the same question: W ho will face off against Trump this fall — and do they have what it takes to win? I can’t tell you who will be the Democratic nominee, but whoever they are, they’ll be facing an uphill battle. No doubt Trump’s reelection chances are fragile and so much stands between now and Election Day, but the way things are looking now, Trump, albeit in a close, hard-fought race, will be reelected on November 3rd. This is a surprising thing to say about an incumbent whose approval rating hasn’t cracked 45% since his first week of office, but approval ratings can be misleading. Polls ask Americans how Trump’s “handling his job,” and, with this President, saying you “approve” comes with a lot of baggage. Trump’s, well, Trump. He’s crude, he’s unpredictable, he’s incredibly narcissistic, he’s petty. But even so, you’ve got to admit, he’s down to the point and tells it like he sees it, and a lot of Americans like that for a change. Four years later and terms like “the swamp” and “Washington elites” still carr y their sting. And it’s playing right into Trump’s hands. Even after three years in the Oval Office, his squabbles with “establishment” figures like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, his incessant tweeting and his campaign-like rallies have kept him just as much of an outsider as he was in 2016. Such a dual role, President and outsider, is of extreme importance. Incumbency has historically been a distinct advantage, but Trump’s maverick mentality will definitely help him woo some disillusioned voters this fall. But if November becomes a referendum on Trump’s character, Christmas will come early for the Democrats. The strateg y didn’t work out so well for the President in 2018, and it won’t do him any better now. And Trump will have no one to blame but himself because, let’s face it, he’ll be the one who decides what this election is going to look like and what it’ll be about. In this arena, he holds near dominance over his Democratic rival. Just think about how much power Trump’s Twitter page alone has. A mere sentence or two from @realDonaldTrump could determine how the Dow Jones fairs for the next couple days, and it certainly defines the media’s relentless news cycle. Tell me the last time Trump’s written a crazy or controversial tweet and the Internet and T V news hasn’t exploded reporting it. Remember “cov fefe” ? Or when Trump superimposed his face on a shirtless Rocky Balboa? The media goes nuts over this stuff, and Trump absolutely loves it. It proves to him just how much power he has over the course of not only the news cycle, but our politics, on what gets talked about and what doesn’t. The Democrats have been struggling over the past few years to be more than just reactionar y to the storm that is Trump, but there’s still no indication they’re even close to solving this problem. No doubt about it, Trump’s in the driver’s seat. But for Trump to win, he needs to use this strategic high ground to focus on the economy. This is absolutely crucial, as it may represent his only chance at winning reelection.
According to a CNN poll last month, it’s one of his only policies more Americans approve than disapprove of, and decidedly so. Indeed, 55 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, with only 40 percent disapproving. That’s a whopping +15 percent in Mr. Trump’s favor, and a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll confirms this at +18% (56% -38%). These are huge leads, explaining why so many believe the economy will push the President past the finish line. And it ver y well might. It’s not uncommon to hear, “I don’t like Trump, but I like what he’s doing for the economy.” This isn’t forgotten on Election Day. But there’s an even larger problem for the Democrats: The raging moderate-progressive split is threatening to tear apart their party less than a year before the general election. This is exactly what Trump wants and is something he will do ever ything in his power to exacerbate. After all, his election chances hinge on such fracture and fatigue. Hillar y Clinton lost because so many disillusioned Bernie supporters stayed home or voted for Jill Stein (or even Trump). It’s more than likely a ver y similar situation would happen if the Democrats nominated Biden, yet another Obama-era establishment figure. As for Buttigieg, the other moderate Democratic voice, we might see less of this, but his unsettling inability to excite minority voters, an ever-growing base of the Democratic Party, and his youthful inexperience may prove challenges too difficult for the South Bend mayor to overcome in November. And for Sanders and Warren, it’ll be hard persuading moderate voters to stomach socialist policies like Medicare-for-all and free college. But even worse for their chances, the Senators’ calls to ban fracking would be the final nail in the coffin for Democrats in 2020. Trump will eat this up on the campaign trail in Rust Belt states where hundreds of thousands of jobs rely on the shale industr y. Forget about the pipe dream of turning Texas blue. Or Ohio, or Pennsylvania and probably Michigan too. If this even becomes a talking point, Sanders and Warren will lose — ever y single time. Americans simply aren’t ready for such radical policies, and it will show this fall if either of them become the nominee. Any way you slice it, none of the top four candidates have shown that strong, unif ying ethos needed to bring together a deeply fractured party, even if the opponent is Donald Trump. But Trump’s no perfect candidate either, nor is he invincible. Sure, he’s got the advantage, but he’s got a lot of v ulnerabilities too. Perhaps focusing on a non-Medicare-for-all healthcare plan, a reform of Obamacare that stands in contrast to the President’s wishes to repeal it, may be their best bet. But that is a general election strateg y, something that the candidates aren’t considering as they destroy each other in tr ying to keep their heads above water. The Democrats can certainly bounce back from this, but they’d be best advised to put personal egos aside now. They all want Trump out of office, but the problem is they all want to be the one who’s President. And they can’t have both. The Clinton-Sanders split cost them the election in 2016. It’ll cost them another four years in 2020. Andrew Sveda is a freshman at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh intending to major in political science. Besides politics, Andrew enjoys acting, playing the piano, and tennis. He can be reached at asveda@ nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | monday, February 10, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
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The Observer endorses Ingal-Galbenski Over the last week, six pairs of students have been hard at work campaigning for the role of student body president and vice president in anticipation of Tuesday’s student government elections. The six tickets — freshmen Henry Bates and Thomas Henry; juniors Michael Dugan and Ricardo Pozas Garza (Editor’s Note: Dugan is a former systems administrator and news writer for The Observer); juniors Rachel Ingal and Sarah Galbenski; junior Zachary Mercugliano and freshman Aviva Lund; junior Noble Patidar and freshman Connor Patrick and junior Connor Whittle and sophomore Jack Rotolo — each offer distinct perspectives and solutions to various campus issues. The Observer Editorial Board interviewed all six tickets over the weekend. After weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates, the board unanimously offers its endorsement to the Ingal-Galbenski ticket. Ingal and Galbenski, along with their campaign manager junior Aaron Benavides, boast a wide mix of experience across multiple levels of student government (Editor’s Note: Benavides is a former news writer for The Observer). Both women have served in a variety of campus roles, inside and outside the student government apparatus. Thus, we have confidence they are knowledgeable, yet multi-faceted enough to offer new ideas and fresh perspectives. We trust in their ability to elevate all student voices through their feasible, thoughtful ideas. We were particularly impressed with their platform’s plans relating to diversity and increased efforts to engage with the South Bend community. However, our endorsement is not without reservations. One glaring omission from the Ingal-Galbenski platform is any mention of the residential life differentiation policies unveiled in April. As this issue is one of the most important facing the student body, its absence is a cause for concern. Furthermore, in their interview with The Observer, Ingal and Galbenski acknowledged they would have to wait until after taking office to build close relationships with the University administration, owing to their
outsider status. Making these connections will cost valuable time. Nevertheless, this lack of familiarity with Notre Dame’s administration is what distinguishes Ingal-Galbenski most from Whittle-Rotolo. Whittle and Rotolo boast extensive experience within student government: Whittle currently sits in Executive Cabinet as the co-director of student life, while Rotolo is Alumni Hall’s senator. The two men indicated in their interview with The Observer they would lean on pre-existing connections with University administrators to achieve policy goals. While it is helpful they would be able to, as they put it, “hit the ground running,” their closeness to the administration concerns us, as we wonder whether they would stand up to the University when student interests call for it. They also leaned heavily on their association with the outgoing Boyle-McGuire administration. We believe newer voices would be more effective at facilitating change. Patidar is another experienced student government hand. While his choice of a freshman running mate in Patrick gives this ticket a similar blend of experience as Ingal-Galbenski and this ticket demonstrated a strong commitment to improving diversity and inclusion, some aspects of their platform gave the Editorial Board reason to hesitate. Patidar and Patrick propose a more proactive engagement with the student body, namely through a physical newsletter delivered to dorms. However, in a time when the divide between on-campus and off-campus students is one of the defining issues at the University, this approach presents challenges as it necessarily excludes the off-campus community. The platform, while the most detailed of the six, was also overly concerned with “feasibility.” Though we welcome pragmatism, it should not come at the cost of aspiration. Depth of experience is also a defining theme of the Dugan-Garza ticket. As the candidates mentioned multiple times in their interview, their team offers a high degree of familiarity with campus policy processes owing to past and present student government positions. This campaign also expressed a willingness to stand up to the University administration when needed, which we applaud. However, their 46-page platform is overly
ambitious. We respect the data-centered approach through which their policies were constructed. However, it would be unrealistic to expect all of their lofty goals to be met in a year, despite their numerous protestations to the contrary. We appreciate Mercugliano and Lund’s fresh perspective and enthusiasm, but their lack of experience is a dealbreaker. Mercugliano transferred to Notre Dame from Franciscan University of Steubenville this year; Lund is a freshman. While these facts alone are not disqualifying, six months is simply too short a time to adequately grasp the issues facing the University. Furthermore, this platform is short and simplistic. Troublingly, it is the only platform that never mentions sexual assault policy. When pressed on their plans to prevent sexual assault and help survivors in their interview, the candidates stumbled through a vague answer. Bates and Henry represent the annual Zahm freshmen ticket. Among their policy proposals, some standouts included banning crime and climate change, building a bullet train line between Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross and giving every dorm a baby to raise. As always, the purpose of this ticket is primarily comic in nature. We would, however, like to commend the Zahm first years on a few points. They offered legitimately thoughtful answers in response to questions about Moreau First Year Experience, mental health and sexual assault. The Observer was concerned every ticket offered inadequate responses regarding transport between the three campuses of the tri-campus community. As the only publication serving Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross, we were disappointed with the platitudes offered and ignorance displayed on this issue. All students deserve a safe, free way of getting home after spending time at other schools. Experience matters. But it is not everything. For success, candidates must also offer a fresh approach. The Ingal-Galbenski ticket struck the best balance between these two crucial considerations. Armed with a feasible platform — ideally enhanced with an answer to the “offcampus differentiation” conundrum — we believe they offer Notre Dame the strongest path forward.
White poverty in Floyd County, Kentucky Brennan Buhr God, Notre Dame, Country
It is an abiding truth that poverty cuts across racial lines in the United States. Relatedly, a recent editorial decrying “whiteness” in our nation simply misses the mark. Let me backtrack a bit. Until the summer of 2017, I had always considered poverty only in the abstract. As a child and well into my teenage years, the concrete experience of poverty never impacted my life or the lives of others I knew well. Helping out at a local soup kitchen every once in a while doesn’t count. That 2017 summer, thanks to the Center for Social Concerns’ one-of-a-kind Summer Service Learning Program, I was afforded the opportunity to leave the uppermiddle class bubble in which I had lived my entire life and work as a home repair intern in a small town in Floyd County, Kentucky, neatly tucked within the hills that envelop the eastern quarter of the state. It is no secret that eastern Kentucky is one of the poorest regions in the United States. It is also no secret that the demographic composition of Floyd County and most other counties in the region is upwards of 95% white. The everyday reality to which these statistics correspond can only be fully understood through personal experience. During my eight weeks living and working in Floyd County and the surrounding region, I encountered dozens of homeowners and their families living in impoverished conditions to various degrees. However, one family in particular remains stamped upon my memory because of the extremely tragic lifestyle they endured every single day in their dilapidated trailer. The first time I walked up to that trailer one July afternoon
alongside my far more experienced project leader, the sky had already been pouring rain for hours on end since the morning. I greeted a soaked family (a mom, dad and their 6-year-old daughter) and hurried into their trailer to examine the ceiling in preparation for the repair work we planned to complete within the next week or two. As I walked inside, my eyes initially cast their glance upon numerous large, rusted buckets scattered across the room. A split second later, I lifted my gaze upwards. I saw a “roof” that was merely 90% ceiling and 10% gray, rainy sky. Water was leaking into their trailer at numerous points without obstruction. Inconceivably, this family had been living their past few years in this trailer with countless wide-open holes in their ceiling. The only way to ensure that the entire trailer wouldn’t get soaked on rainy days (and perhaps eventually collapse) was to position those old buckets underneath the open holes and bail nonstop for as long as it would be necessary. I did not witness a degree of poverty during my eight weeks in Floyd County that even came close to matching this family’s destitute situation, let alone had I seen anything like it throughout the rest of my sheltered life. The rain ended later that afternoon, which gave me the opportunity to kick a torn-up soccer ball with the daughter in her family’s weedy yard and talk with her parents as they sat outside watching us play, finally relieved of their bailing duties. Two weeks later, the rain ended permanently inside their house too, after we installed a simple but effective metal roof to cover their porous ceiling. Naturally, they were extremely grateful for this new normal. We apologized for taking a few days longer with the project than we had expected, but the father interjected before our project leader could finish: “A few days? We’ve been living like this for years. The fact that you were able to put a roof over our heads and change our lives forever in just two weeks … this is the
greatest gift we’ve ever received.” Of course, most Notre Dame students, as the recent editorial correctly noted, are white in addition to being quite wealthy on average. Likewise, the family I met in Floyd County is white, though our lives could not have been more different before (and even after) they got their new roof. They were powerless to improve their condition for years before Hand in Hand Ministries accepted their home repair application. Even today, the odds that their daughter gets accepted into Notre Dame or a similarly elite school 10 years from now is incredibly low, although I am sure that their roof helps her concentrate much better on her math homework. With this in mind, the assertion that “whiteness” holds some kind of hegemonic influence in American society is truly laughable for most people outside the Notre Dame bubble (and inside it, quite frankly, although that is a topic for a different article). Believe it or not, there exists outside zip code 46556 a large swath of poor whites to whom the rhetoric of hegemony is a foreign language. That beautiful family I met three summers ago felt “endangered” not because they had any power to lose, but because their trailer was falling apart. At a time when universities are becoming increasingly detached from the real world, this kind of language is not very helpful, let alone accurate. Brennan Buhr is a senior Juggerknott from Albany, NY who studies theology, political science (but really, just theory) and history. He loves drinking cold glasses of skim milk and eating salad for dessert when he is not consuming “the living bread that came down from heaven” (Jn 6:51) at the Basilica. He can be reached at bbuhr@nd.edu or @BuhrBrennan 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 | monday, february 10, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | Robert FIsher
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Get ready to think and act responsibly. Make this a busy year filled with ideas and plans that will help you get closer to your goal. Don’t waste time debating or spending impulsively. Calculate every step you take to maximize your chance to achieve what you set out to do. Don’t make promises you cannot honor. Your numbers are 7, 15, 23, 26, 32, 37, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take stock of how you go about maintaining mental, physical and emotional wellness. Improve your health and well-being. Avoid discussions that could lead to discord. Participate in something you feel passionate about achieving. A personal situation will confuse you. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Discuss sensitive issues. Deal with people you work with, and pick up information and skills that will help you advance. The more you improve your image, qualifications and relationship with your contemporaries, the better. Make positive changes. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do what’s best for yourself, not what someone is pushing you to do. The best way to get what you want is to do the work yourself. A love relationship will improve if you are attentive. CANCER (June 21-July 22): You have more options than you realize. Don’t settle; look for something better. You may not like change, but a different approach to life will stimulate your mind, imagination and desire to make personal improvements. Take better care of your health. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Be realistic about what you can. Leading someone on who is counting on you will end up being costly. Personal gains are within reach if you are aggressively active in pursuing your goals. Romance is in the stars. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look for the less obvious, and you will understand what’s possible. Leave nothing to the imagination. Add as much detail to everything you do, including updating your appearance and your attitude. Build greater confidence in yourself and what you have to offer. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Strive to reach your goal and to help those who have something to offer in return, but don’t take on the impossible. Someone will take advantage of you and your generosity if you are too accommodating. Accentuate love and romance. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Explore lifestyles and pastimes. A tweak here and there to the way you’ve been living will help you appreciate what you have already accomplished. An offer is heading your way. Be diligent, and take whatever comes to you seriously. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A change may summon you, but before you take off or sign up for something, tie up loose ends. Red-tape issues can hold you hostage if not handled quickly. Put a deal together or close a chapter in your life. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Avoid getting duped by a fast-talking individual trying to part you with your hard-earned cash. Being generous doesn’t mean you have to pay for others; you can be generous with your time, affection and services. Make a difference. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Plan every move you take, and pay close attention to detail. Leave nothing to chance, and you will get what you want. Helping others is honorable, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you emotionally or financially. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Someone will have a hidden agenda. Whether dealing with a colleague, friend or family, look for ulterior motives. Make changes based on what will benefit you. People-pleasing will not help you get ahead. A lack of honesty and integrity is apparent. Birthday Baby: You are diligent, a humanitarian and resourceful. You are practical and intense.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Continued from page 12
NBA midseason power rankings Will Richard Sports Writer
With the NBA regular season now over halfway complete and the trade deadline passed, the league’s hierarchy of teams has been largely established, and the list of teams poised to make a run at the Larry O’Brien Trophy has dwindled. It is worth noting the teams below have not necessarily had the best seasons thus far, but instead are the teams I believe have the best shot of winning a championship. With that said, here are my top five power rankings to this point.
a “choke” by many NBA fans. This year, Giannis Antetokounmpo is yet again demonstrating astronomical levels of play. The team’s arsenal of shooters (Kyle Korver, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, among others) is vital for their success as opposing defenses will attempt to clog the lane and force Giannis to either drive and dish or become a perimeter player. Giannis must perform better come playoff time, and Middleton must chip in as a legitimate second option for Milwaukee to be a perennial title contender.
4. Philadelphia 76ers:
After single handedly taking down what seemed like the entire NBA last postseason, Kawhi Leonard will look to achieve the coveted repeat, only this time around he will be joined by one of the best two way players in the league in Paul George. Following a slow start , the Clippers have won 30 of their last 40 games. Lou Williams is the league’s best sixth man. At the helm is Doc Rivers, a legendary coach with a championship under his belt. If that isn’t enough, this roster pushed the full strength Golden State Warriors to a six game series without Paul George or Kawhi Leonard. Defense will be their strong suit, though they still trot out three unstoppable scorers on the other end. If their two stars can stay healthy, it will be an uphill battle for any opponent trying to knock them off.
The combination of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Al Horford and Josh Richardson may be the most talented assembly of four players on any current NBA roster. The length on this team is immense, making them incredibly formidable on the defensive end, something especially important in the slowed down version of playoff basketball. That formula helped propel the Raptors to a surprising championship in 2019. Embiid and Simmons are still largely unproven in their third year of partnership, and anything short of a title appearance may force 76ers’ GM Elton Brand to break the two apart. Simmons must establish a jump shot, or Embiid will have to ditch the three and establish a more dominant post presence offensively. Additionally, Richardson and/ or Horford will have to contribute in the third option role to the level of Klay Thompson during the 2017 and 2018 Warriors championships.
2. Los Angeles Lakers:
5. Boston Celtics:
Year 17 LeBron James has shown few signs of decay thus far to the tune of 25 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds per game. He is joined by perhaps the most talented player currently in the league, Anthony Davis. The Lakers hold a three game lead over the Clippers for the No. 1 seed in the West. Los Angeles is a Lakers town, and if two face off in a Conference Final, the Lakers will dominate the crowd advantage in Staples Center. The roster is loaded with deep playoff experience with Rondo, McGee, Howard and Cook all having been a part of NBA Finals to add to LeBron, perhaps the greatest active mentor in the league. Given the inconsistency of Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers have no definitive third scoring option, so a title run will require consistently dominant performances by James and Davis, akin to the 2016 Cavaliers title where Kyrie Irving and James were the dominant duo.
The transition from Irving to Kemba Walker at the helm of this Celtics team has been seamless, as the Celtics (35-15) currently hold the third seed in the East. Jayson Tatum is having a breakthrough year, averaging 22 points and 7 rebounds as the Celtics primary isolation scorer. With Jaylen Brown, Gordan Hayward and Marcus Smart, the Celtics have a multitude of two-way wing players with a great deal of playoff experience. Just two years ago, this roster (without Walker or Hayward) pushed the LeBron-led Cavaliers to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Last season, the Bucks knocked off the Celtics convincingly in 5 games, with Giannis averaging 28 points per game. A deep playoff push will require Tatum to ascend to another level as the primary option offensively, while also receiving exceptional contributions at the center position.
1. Los Angeles Clippers:
3. Milwaukee Bucks: The Greek Freak is a problem for any opponent. To give you an idea, his performance of 23 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists per game on 45% shooting in last year’s conference finals was considered
Contact Will Richard at wrichar2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Kendyll Bailey stroked a runscoring single to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Missouri got one more run on a wild pitch and then handed the ball to closer Eli Daniel who breezed through a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts to close out the Tigers’ victory. A late game collapse doomed the Irish in their second game as well, as they trailed 1-0 for most of the game. It could have been worse but a few stellar defensive plays from Mitchell at third base, as well as an outstanding diving catch from Hanks to strand the bases loaded, kept Auburn at bay. Hanks again sparked the offense, knocking a single and getting to third on consecutive wild pitches. Marino bunted her home to knot the score. Unfortunately, fatigue once again struck, as Holloway, after an outstanding six innings of work, cracked and Auburn struck three times in the seventh to pick up the victory. A new day brought better luck at the plate for the Irish, as after a slow start, they dominated
Missouri State. Scoreless into the bottom of the second, the Notre Dame offense, which had been virtually dormant for the first 15 innings of the season, exploded for eight runs. Sophomore infielder Quinn Biggio and Holloway both cracked RBI singles to start the scoring. A ground out, error and a botched rundown allowed three more runs to score before Sweet doubled in two runs, and Biggio blasted an RBI double to increase their advantage to 8-0. Notre Dame scored eight more times in the third — highlighted by Hanks’ two-run triple. With the advantage 16-0, the final two innings were a mere formality as Notre Dame closed the books on a mercy-rule win for their first victory of the year. Tidd had a rare shaky performance against No. 21 Ole Miss, as the Irish dug themselves a 4-0 hole in the first inning. A two-run base knock from freshman infielder Brooke Marquez sliced the deficit in half. In the fifth inning, Notre Dame turned to their senior captain to engineer their gutsy comeback. After a ground out scored a run and cut the Ole Miss lead to 4-3, the Rebels intentionally walked Mitchell to face
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Marino, a decision which did not pay off, as Marino drilled a two-run double to gift the Irish a 5-4 lead. Another ground out scored another run, and Notre Dame had a lead they would not relinquish. Ole Miss came within 6-5, but Marquez restored the two-run advantage with a single to account for the 7-5 final score. Notre Dame got all the offense they needed in the tournament finale in Clearwater with a two-run first inning. Sweet lined a rocket to deep center field for a run-scoring double, eventually coming around to score on an error. Tidd made her third start of the year, pitching three solid innings and allowing just one run. Both teams scored in the third inning, but that was all the Notre Dame pitching staff would allow for the day. Ryan picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief, and Holloway matched her output with two scoreless frames of her own for the save. Notre Dame finished the weekend at 3-2 and they’ll head to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on Illinois and Ohio State twice each as part of the Big 10 versus ACC challenge.
ALlison Thornton | The Observer
Irish senior infielder Katie Marino misses a pitch during an 8-0 victory over IUPUI at the Melissa Cook Softball Stadium on Apr. 3, 2019. Marino hit a homerun in the bottom of the third inning in this game. The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
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The observer | monday, february 10, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
W Lax Continued from page 12
one assist a piece. The other goals came from senior midfielder Erin McBride and freshman attacker Jackie Wolak, who both also notched an assist. The goal-keeping for the Irish was stellar as well with junior goalie Bridget Deehan recording eight saves on the day out of a total of 17 shots. Senior goalie Grace Steffens relieved Deehan for the final six minutes of the game and played stellar as well. The Irish also won crucial categories such as the turnover battle and draw control. The Irish forced 17 turnovers in the game while only giving up 10. Off the many draws in the high-scoring game, Buchanan secured four and junior midfielder Andie Aldave controlled three. The Irish secured the resounding victory in no small thanks to their early scoring, netting the first seven goals of the game in the opening 16:44 of play. In fact, the Irish took the lead just 37 seconds into the game off of a goal from Lynch. Just under four minutes after Lynch’s goal, the Irish were able to double their lead off of a free position attempt from Howe following a Golden Eagles’ foul. The Irish converted four of their 10 free position attempts on the day. The young talents of Ahern and Choma stood out early as well. Ahern scored her first collegiate goal in the first half and assisted Choma in getting her first collegiate goal just moments later. Choma is considered to be the top midfielder recruit of the 2019 class and Ahern the top incoming attacker recruit by Inside Lacrosse. Although the Golden Eagles were finally able to get on the board with 12:13 to go in the first half, the Irish continued to dominate play and took an 11-2 lead into the half. It was clear from the start that the Irish were the more experienced team. Marquette has just four seniors on their team compared to 12 freshmen and 10 sophomores. With the win, Irish head coach Christine Halfpenny improved her head coaching record at Notre Dame to 96-57 through her nine years at the helm of the team. Although Sunday’s game was a solid win for the Irish, the schedule will only get tougher from this point on. The Irish travel to No. 3 ranked Northwestern on Friday night. The Irish lost two close games to the Wildcats last year, including in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats also advanced to the Final Four last year but were ultimately defeated by the lacrosse powerhouse in the University of Maryland, the Terps come into this season ranked second overall. Besides the Northwestern game this week, the Irish will face stiff competition in ACC play against No. 1 North Carolina, No. 4 Syracuse, No. 5 Boston College and No. 9 Virginia. The Irish will take on the Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois at Ryan Fieldhouse on Valentines Day at 7 p.m.
hannah huelskamp | The Observer
Irish senior midfielder Savannah Buchanan looks to pass during Sunday’s victory over Marquette, in which she secured four draws.
hannah huelskamp | The Observer
Irish junior attacker Maddie Howe rushes towards the net during an 18-3 victory over Marquette at Loftus Sports Center on Sunday.
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A lso a standout player last night for the Irish was sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert. Gilbert scored a total of 17 points, making her a major contributor to the team’s victor y. W hen asked what the team could do to learn from this game, McGraw had more to say about the team’s motivations than their ability. “They have to move their feet, they have to box out and rebound, because we were just slapping at it,” McGraw said. “It wasn’t even a close call … we were moving, apparently, on all of our screens. I think that that is just focus and lack of discipline.” After the win, star of the game, Destinee Walker was ver y pleased with her team’s performance. “I think that we are all really excited,” Walker said. “We are starting to put a lot of pieces together and I think that this was a big win
ndsmcobserver.com | monday, february 10, 2020 | The Observer
for us. We just have to keep this momentum going.” Though she didn’t overshadow what the team can still improve on. “In the first half we had a lot of turnovers and they were out rebounding us at the half,” Walker said. “So, I think that those are two big keys that we need to cut down on and making open shots, obviously.” Accumulating three fouls in the first half meant that Muffet had to restrict Walker’s minutes in the second half. In response to how she managed to come off of the bench so hot, Walker said she used her momentum from this time to propel her for ward. “The whole time that I was sitting on the bench, I just wanted to come in and provide for my team,” Walker said. “W hile I was out and while Sam was out, Katlyn Gilbert held it down. W hen we got back in the game we just tried to provide as much momentum and energ y as we could.” Looking ahead, the Irish
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still have six games left in the regular season, before the ACC tournament. McGraw thinks that her team is more than ready for the challenge that lies ahead. “We have a lot of really tough games ahead,” she said. “Ever yone we play from here on out is above us. So, we will be the underdog going into ever y game. I think that is a good place for us to be. We just need to worr y about playing well. We don’t have to worr y about what’s going on in the standings or anything like that. We just have to go in and play our game and loosen up a little bit. I thought that we did that a lot tonight. I thought that we looked a little bit looser.” The Irish women will be traveling to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts for their next game against Boston College. The game will take place on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Contact Inigo Yturralde at iyturral@nd.edu
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triples for the night. His sizzling performance from deep paved the way for Pflueger to put up 18 points on 6-8 shooting, including a pair of extremely clutch shots in the final minutes. Senior forward John Mooney chipped in with his 19th double-double, posting 16 points and 11 rebounds. Notre Dame led for much of the first half, but they never were able to pull away, as both offenses went cold for long stretches of time. Although their suffocating defense made things difficult on the Tigers, Notre Dame could not get their offense going. Pflueger hit back-to-back three-pointers to stake Notre Dame to a 25-23 lead, but the Irish scored just two more points in the final 2:47, as Clemson ended the sloppy first half with a 29-27 advantage. The Tigers hit a few shots to start the second half, while the Irish stayed cold and at the first media timeout, Notre Dame trailed by seven. Shortly after, Notre Dame ripped off an 8-0 spurt to surge back into the lead with Mooney cashing in on an open look from deep to give the Irish a 39-38 advantage with 11:21 left. The second half slogged on, with both teams missing shockingly large amounts of open shots as Notre Dame scored just four points in nearly six minutes of game clock, but with under six minutes to go, they still found themselves tied at 43 points apiece. There, Mooney came up big again as he took a pass in the right corner and offered up a triple that found nothing but net. He was fouled on the play and made the free throw
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to give Notre Dame a fourpoint lead. On the next Irish trip down the f loor, sophomore guard Prentiss Hubb got his only points of the night with a high looping shot from well beyond the arc that dropped through for a 50-45 Notre Dame lead. Clemson rallied to tie it, but then Pf lueger turned it on. Up 52-50 with the shot clock winding down, Pf lueger picked up his dribble and stepped back for a tough fadeaway on the left shoulder and drilled it to restore a two-possession lead for the Irish. After Clemson got back within two, both teams entered another scoring drought with a few turnovers and a bevy of missed shots. But with 1:07 remaining on the clock, Pf lueger would hit one more clutch shot, rising up and over his defender to hit a contested three as Notre Dame took a 5752 lead. Clemson drew within three points once more, but the Irish kept the Tigers at bay, as some great passing led to a wide-open sophomore guard Nate Laszewski layup and a 59-54 lead. Mooney cashed in twice more from the free throw line to ice the game, as Clemson hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to account for the 61-57 final score. It was a big win for Notre Dame, as they improved to 6-6 in ACC play with their fourth straight victory. Notre Dame is still on the outside looking in of the NCAA tournament picture, but the Irish will have a chance to continue making a case with road contests against Virginia and Duke looming this week. They stay on the road this week, heading to Virginia next. Tipoff with the Cavaliers is set for Tuesday at 9 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
ann curtis | The Observer
Irish senior forward John Mooney puts up a tough layup during an 80-72 victory over Pittsburgh at Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday.
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The observer | monday, february 10, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND WOMEN’s Basketball | ND 74, Pitt 52
nd Men’s Basketball | Notre Dame 61, CLemson 57
Mooney and Pflueger Irish win third straight ACC game help Irish win at Clemson By INIGO YTURRALDE Sports Writer
On Sunday the Notre Dame women’s basketball team faced off in a home battle against the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Irish are currently 10-14 on the season and 5-7 in ACC play. After a hard fought game, the Irish were victorious over Pitt, closing out the game with a final score of 74-52. The Irish rallied as a team to stretch their win streak to three consecutive games, a season high. Ref lecting on the game, Irish head coach Muffet McGraw ref lected on her team’s performance. “First off, I was really disappointed with all of the fouls. We showed a lack of discipline, I thought,” McGraw said. “For [graduate student guard] Destinee [Walker] and [freshman forward] Sam [Brunelle] to each get three fouls with a short
bench, it is really hard to sub at that point. I think we can get better and I think we did in the second half. First time that we outrebounded a team in a while and that was big for us. Destinee really played well. 24 points in 25 minutes, that’s pretty good production. W hen she plays well, we play well.” Destinee Walker made this night her own, with the 24 points in 25 minutes of play, 4 assists and two boards, the Orlando native continues to reaffirm ever y Notre Dame basketball fan’s suspicion that there is something special in Orlando’s water supply. “She really is, she is really gaining confidence,” McGraw said. “She is in the g ym all of the time, working on her shot and she is really feeling confident. We want her to shoot a lot and she is accepting that role now.” see W BBALL PAGE 11
Observer Sports Staff
Anthony reo | The Observer
Irish senior guard TJ Gibbs dribbles down the court during an 80-72 victory over Pittsburgh at Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday.
see M BBALL PAGE 11
ND Softball | NFCA Leadoff classic
nd Women’s LAcrosse | Notre Dame 18, MArquette 3
Women’s lacrosse shines in season opener
Squad wins three games in Florida
Observer Sports Staff
Observer Sports Staff
The seventh-ranked Irish women’s lacrosse squad began their season in resounding fashion, defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles by a score of 18-3 on Sunday afternoon in the Loftus Sports Center. Eight different players contributed goals for the Irish in the lopsided victory, but they were led by their newer members. Freshman attacker Madison Ahern got the Irish on the board on five separate occasions with three goals and two assists. Junior attacker Maddie Howe added four goals to her name, the first of which was good for her 100th career goal, while graduate student attacker Samantha Lynch matched Ahern’s three goals. Other multi-goal scorers for the Irish included freshman midfielder Kasey Choma with two goals, senior attacker Jessi Masinko and senior Savannah Buchanan with two goals and
Participating in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida, the Notre Dame softball team got off to a sluggish start to their season, losing a pair of games to Missouri and Auburn by 3-1 and 4-1 scores respectively. But a first-time opponent in Missouri State was the perfect recipe to jumpstart the Irish offense, as they trounced the Bears 16-0 for their first win of the year. The win fueled the Irish, who ended up concluding their weekend with three straight wins, polishing off Ole Miss, 7-5 and South Alabama, 3-1. After months of hype, it was freshman infielder Joley Mitchell from Rosebud, Arkansas who made headlines in her college debut, as she hit .538 on the weekend to lead the Irish offensive attack over the Jaguars. Senior infielder and captain Katie Marino hit .353 while junior utility player Abby Sweet bashed her way to a .368 clip. In the pitcher’s circle, the Irish were led by
see W LAX PAGE 10
Averaging 5.2 points per game, and having never averaged more than 8.1 per game, to suggest that Notre Dame graduate student guard Rex Pflueger is a mainstay in the Irish lineup for his offensive prowess would be laughable. Pflueger plays a gritty brand of basketball and leads the Notre Dame defense, which, although inconsistent, has shown an ability to play at an elite level this year. But on Sunday night, when the shots just weren’t falling for Notre Dame, the Irish (15-8, 6-6 ACC) turned to their fifthyear player to spark them, and Pflueger responded with a career night as Notre Dame won their fourth straight game for a 61-57 road conference victory over the Clemson Tigers. Shooting just 30% from beyond the arc on the year, Pflueger was a perfect 4-4 on
hannah huelskamp | The Observer
Irish junior midfielder Diana Kelly looks for a pass during an 18-3 victory over Marquette at Loftus Sports Center on Sunday.
junior pitcher Alexis Holloway who recorded a 2-1 record as well as a save throughout the weekend. Junior pitcher Morgan Ryan picked up the win in the final game. In their season opener, Notre Dame sent their sophomore ace in pitcher Payton Tidd to the mound, and for much of the game Tidd was engaged in a thrilling duel with freshman Missouri pitcher Jordan Weber. Both teams loaded the bases in the first inning, but neither squad could break through. Missouri went up 1-0, but in the bottom of the third, freshman outfielder Leea Hanks singled and stole second, eventually completing her trip around the bases on Marino’s RBI single. Having tossed six sparkling innings, Tidd came out for the seventh and immediately surrendered a single and issued a walk. Ryan replaced Tidd and got two fly outs, but Missouri struck with two-out magic, as redshirt sophomore infielder see SOFTBALL PAGE 9