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Volume 54, Issue 73 | friday, january 31, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Iranian ND student denied entry to U.S. ‘I started crying in the airplane’: Grad student turned away by CBP amid tensions with Iran By KELLI SMITH Editor-in-Chief
Photo courtesy of Hamid Mohabbat
Hamid Mohabbat prepares to leave for America on Jan. 10. Mohabbat was denied entry to the U.S. at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Saint Mary’s IT introduces new Wi-Fi network By MARIROSE OSBORNE News Writer
Soon after the start of the new semester, Saint Mary’s students noticed a new feature to campus life. The old Wi-Fi systems, ResNet and BelleAire, were retired and were replaced by BelleNet, the newest version of Saint Mary’s Wi-Fi. “We intentionally allowed the old ResNet network to remain active for a little more than a week beyond the start of the semester to allow for everyone to transition,” chief information officer Todd Norris said in an email to the campus community. However, by the second week of the semester, ResNet and BelleAire were officially deactivated and replaced by BelleNet. BelleNet is active in both the dorms and academic buildings, unlike ResNet and BelleAire, which were separated by location. BelleNet is also accompanied
News PAGE 3
with DeviceNet, which operates specifically for residents’ televisions and other large devices that require an internet connection. “These changes add security to our network to keep your information safer,” Norris said in his email. In general, the reaction to the change has been positive, sophomore Emily Tobias, an Information Technology Helpdesk consultant, said. “Professors were just confused and slightly frustrated at first, but once we told them to put in their username and password they were fine,” Tobias said. “There were some professors who ended up on the guest network, so we did have to help them get from guest to BelleNet which took some time, but we got them sorted out eventually.” The Helpdesk consultants are responsible for assisting faculty and staff with see WIFI PAGE 3
Scene PAGE 5
W hen Hamid Mohabbat’s plane touched down in Chicago on Jan. 10, he could hardly contain his excitement. It was his first time in America and he was one step closer to Notre Dame, where’d he accepted a fullyfunded offer to study civil engineering through a combined master’s and Ph.D. program. A 22-year-old from Iran, Mohabbat dreamed of earning a doctorate at Notre Dame and becoming a professor in his home country. But upon exiting the plane in the U.S., Mohabbat’s plans
changed dramatically. “I was shocked,” Mohabbat said. On Jan. 10, Mohabbat was detained at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and placed in a detention cell for 19 hours. He was interviewed — interrogated, as he put it — about America’s relationship with Iran and the downing of a Ukrainian flight, which the Iranian military had taken responsibility for earlier that day. Despite being placed in an isolated room, Mohabbat didn’t think anything was wrong. He offered the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer his CV and research plan. He says he was honest and direct. Some time later, the officer came
back. Mohabbat was given a foam mattress and thin blanket on which to sleep and was instructed not to communicate with anyone. The next morning, he was sent back to Iran. “I was asked to get out and make ready to leave,” Mohabbat said. “I was given no reason.”
A national occurrence Mohabbat’s experience is representative of a national trend occurring amid America’s heightened tensions with Iran. The New York Times reported at least 16 Iranian students have been turned away at U.S. airports see ENTRY PAGE 4
Students provide supplies to fight coronavirus
DIANE PARK | The Observer
By ZIXU WANG News Writer
The outbreak of coronavirus has killed 213 people and sickened 9,720 in China as of Jan. 30, according to the People’s Daily, the largest official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. The epidemic began in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province. Cases of the virus have since turned up in 19 countries, including the United States where six people have been diagnosed.
Viewpoint PAGE 7
On Thursday night, the State Department issued a travel advisory telling Americans to avoid traveling to China because of the health risks of the outbreak. Hospitals in Wuhan are facing a severe shortage of medical supplies, including N95 respirator masks, protection suits, goggles and coronavirus testing kits. Posts from doctors requesting donations are widely spreading on the internet, and some Chinese students at Notre Dame are responding with help.
Yizhi Hu, who graduated from the Department of Political Science in 2019, established the donation network with a group of volunteer students and alumni from Notre Dame, University of Chicago and other schools in the Greater Chicago Area. The network is comprised of logistics, procurement, communication with suppliers and hospitals, publicity and legal compliance, Hu said. “We established this network
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see SUPPLIES PAGE 4
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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
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Worshippers gather in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart for evening Mass. Masses are held twice a day in the Basilica, with a morning service at 11:30 a.m. and an evening service at 5:15 p.m. The two daily services are open to all students, faculty and the public.
The next Five days:
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Friday
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Higgins Labor Cafe Geddes Hall Coffee House 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Discussion of workers’ rights. All are welcome.
Men’s Basketball vs Georgia Tech Purcell Pavilion noon The Irish will take on the Yellow Jackets.
Women’s Tennis vs University of Kentucky Eck Tennis Pavilion 11 a.m. Irish take on Wildcats.
Arts and Letters Career Discussion 526 Duncan Student Center 11 a.m. - noon RSVP on Handshake.
Tools, Tips & Time 125 Hesburgh Library 11 a.m. - noon Workshop designed for dissertation writers to gather and work.
Reception: “Divine Illusions” Snite Museum of Art 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Public reception for Divine Illusions.
Film showing: “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” Browning Cinema 6: 30 p.m. & 9: 30 p.m. Ticketed event.
Conducting Recital Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Featuring conductor Howard Eckdhal.
Panel: “India’s Winter of Protest” 1050 Jenkins Nanovic Hall 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. All are welcome.
Summer Grants and Funding Info Session 155 DeBartolo Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. All undergraduate students are welcome.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, january 31, 2020 | The Observer
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Fiat sparks faith-based conversation By MARGARET CICCHIELLO News Writer
Saint Mary’s students will gather Thursday at 7:30 in the Sacred Heart Chapel in Holy Cross Hall for personal reflection and small-group discussions. Fiat, a Latin word that translates to “so be it” and references “Mary’s yes,” is the name of a new student group on campus started by seniors Amanda Fischer, Claire Conlon and Kathy Stalter and junior Alex Guevara-Stevens. Liz Palmer, the assistant director of campus ministry, said Fiat was created because these students felt there was “a need to have community life and to foster prayer life on campus.” “They specifically promote the Marian virtues on campus … they thought that Fiat would be a great way to integrate Mary into the lives of our students,” Palmer said. Palmer said that while
Fiat has been sponsored by Campus Ministry, the students lead in organizing and hosting monthly spiritual events that “are a way for someone to give their story about the intersection of faith and life.” At each event, someone is invited to share a personal reflection on one of the Marian virtues and elaborate on how they feel it relates to their life and the broader community. Students then spend time in small groups reflecting on the talk and discussing how it relates to other parts of their lives. While considering the amount of interest that has been generated so far, Palmer said much of the group’s success is due to the way student leaders have approached members of the campus community. “Something I have been reminded of through the Fiat group is the power of invitation,” she said. “Our Fiat
leaders have been doing doorto-door outreach.” The inclusive aspect of this group, which is open to people of all faith backgrounds, is essential to the environment that the members want to achieve. “I love that it offers a personal relationship with God in a communal context,” Palmer said. “As a campus minister, I constantly see the need for community among our students, so that’s my favorite thing about the events, that they are fostering that community.” Fischer, one of the student leaders of Fiat, said she is really excited about what she describes as a “student-led, intentional faith-based community.” During the group‘s monthly “signature” events, participants hear from speakers that talk about the Marian virtue for the month, then engage in small group time and fellowship. She went on to underline
Fiat’s goal. “It is so simple, but that is exactly what Jesus did — He built a culture of encounter in a simple way, and that is our aim,” she said. This Friday, members of Fiat will be joined by Beth Hlabse. Hlabse is a mental health counseling intern at Holy Cross College and a research project manager at the Kellogg Institute at Notre Dame, and is currently completing a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling with Divine Mercy University. In her talk, Hlabse will focus on the virtue of “constant mental prayer.” “So many of us don’t really know what prayer is or how to pray,” Hlabse said. “We don’t realize that prayer is the way we live in relationship with God … [and] the way we receive God’s love.” In looking at prayer through this different perspective, Hlabse found parallels with techniques she uses in her profession.
“Many of us … fall into patterns of negative and destructive interior dialogue, or ‘self-talk,’” she said. These unhealthy tendencies can be addressed in different ways, Hlabse said, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which assists people in recognizing unproductive thinking and particular stressors or misconceptions that might be causing it. The next step is then to reframe interior dialogue in a more realistic, constructive and positive way, she said. Hlabse will demonstrate “this process of tuning into and reframing our thinking is an opportunity for prayer” in her personal witness talk on Friday. “We can invite God into our headspace and consider how an all-loving God might be asking us to change the way we talk to and view ourselves,” she said.
Wifi
Computers, but once they came in we usually got them taken care of.” But some students have expressed frustration with BelleNet, Tobias said. “It is better than ResNet, but there are still improvements that need to be made,” junior Greta Minnema said. “Some people have their TVs on
BelleNet instead of DeviceNet and it makes BelleNet slower, which is annoying.” First-year Grace Anspach agreed with Minnema, but said she is happy with the increased BelleNet speed. “I’ve been having a little trouble connecting to BelleNet with my laptop,” Anspach said. “It keeps disconnecting. Although when it is connected, it is faster than it was with BelleAire or ResNet.” For the most part, however, the student reaction has been positive.
“I think BelleNet is fine,” junior Grace Grueninger said. “It didn’t work for one day, but that’s less than any issue I’ve ever had with ResNet.” Grueninger hopes she can use the new network both for schoolwork and personal use. “Hopefully my parents will be able to start FaceTiming me again now that the Wi-Fi’s been fixed,” she said. “They used to try, but the WiFi kept going out on calls.”
Contact Margaret Cicchiello at mcicchiello01@nd.edu
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technology problems. “Some [professors] had to come in to the Helpdesk personally to get BelleNet installed,” Tobais said. “It was a little harder for them, and there is a slightly more complicated process for Windows Paid Advertisement
Contact Marirose Osborne at mosborne01@saintmarys.edu
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Students complete homework in the Trumper Computer Center where the classroom space next door will be converted into the IT help desk.
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Entry Continued from page 1
since August. Mohabbat is one of such cases. Mohabbat waited eight months for his F-1 visa, which required his participation in an extensive vetting process. The State Department had already approved Mohabbat’s entry before he was turned away. Notre Dame has been in contact with Mohabbat since he was denied entry to the United States, said Paul Browne, the University’s vice president for public affairs and communications. “The University has also been in discussions with the State Department and is engaging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine whether anything can be done to remedy the situation,” Browne said in an email. Notre Dame has also been in contact with Jackie Walorski, a Republican who represents Indiana’s 2nd district in Congress. Jack Morrissey, Walorski’s
Supplies Continued from page 1
so people who have resources can directly provide their help to hospitals,” she said. “If you have purchased medical supplies in America, we can help to contact international logistics channels. If you have a bunch of masks in China, we can ask voluntary truck teams to deliver them.” The posts asking for support have been largely spread through Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, a Chinese messaging and social media app. The Chinese Students Association of Northwestern and University of Michigan helped spread the word. “We unite everyone’s power together, so we are able to accomplish something that is hard for a single person to do,” Hu said. As of Jan. 30, the group had raised $15,000 and delivered 50,000 N95 respirator masks and 1,500 protection suits to over 40 hospitals in Hubei Province. On Jan. 31, 150 goggles will be transported from Chicago to Shanghai, before being delivered to the Union Medical of Wuhan. The group plans to purchase and deliver more goggles. The network was built up from scratch, Hu said, with the initial network coming together after a number of phone calls made to the staff of 40 hospitals in Wuhan. In these phone calls, the group asked hospital staff to list the supplies they needed. They then worked with other groups and associations such as Wuhan Jiayou, (Chinese) International Students in North America and the China Chamber of Commerce to build the logistics channels to China from Boston,
communications director, confirmed the office is aware of the situation. When asked for comment, CBP public affairs officer Steve Bansbach said the DHS and CBP cannot discuss individual cases. But Bansbach did say that Mohabbat was not deported — deportations are performed by a different office, not the CBP. “He was found inadmissible and he was put on a return flight,” Bansbach said. “It’s not a deportation.” Notre Dame professor Diogo Bolster was planning to act as Mohabbat’s Ph.D. advisor. Bolster had arranged for one of his students to drive Mohabbat from the bus stop upon his arrival. When both that student and Mohabbat’s mother reached out saying they hadn’t heard from him, Bolster realized something was wrong. He called O’Hare and talked to a CBP officer. The officer confirmed Mohabbat was being sent home, which Bolster communicated to Mohabbat’s parents.
“I am really blessed to have him,” Mohabbat said about Bolster. Despite the uncertainty of the situation, Bolster continues to communicate with Mohabbat. He said he is looking for as many solutions as he can find, and plans to continue mentoring Mohabbat while looking into Ph.D. opportunities in other countries. “When I accepted him to become a Ph.D. student in my program, I consider that a certain commitment on my behalf and I believe I still owe him something,” Bolster said. Mohabbat was incredibly excited about attending Notre Dame, Bolster added. He described him as smart, bright and motivated. “In an absolutely ideal world, I would love to welcome him here,” Bolster said. “I don’t know if or how that’s going to happen.”
New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In order to ensure the donations meet official standards, Hu said one of the team members listed the types of masks that fit within these standards. Notre Dame law student Wuyue Wang also helped with the process. But the policies around receiving foreign donations are confusing and subject to change. On Jan. 23, foreign donations were rejected, according to the Wuhan Headquarter of Prevention and Control of Coronavirus. But on Jan. 26, Wuhan Red-Cross announced that foreign donations was permitted and would be uniformly managed by Wuhan Red-Cross. According to the China Youth Newspaper, hospitals forbid doctors from receiving donations. “The government changes their policy every single day, and we have no idea when and in what identity our medical supplies are able to pass the custom,” Hu said. “In order to cope with this uncertainty, we ship our supplies to Guangzhou and Shanghai, and voluntary truck teams deliver them to Wuhan.” Even the necessity of supplies is uncertain. On Jan. 23, the governor of Hubei Province said the medical supplies in Wuhan were sufficient, while at the same time, large amounts of doctors were posting on social media about the severe shortage of medial supplies and urgently requesting donations. Kay Xu, a member of the voluntary Chinese students group who graduated from Mendoza Business School in 2016, said that they directly contact doctors to avoid being affected by the lack of transparency from the Chinese government.
On Jan. 11, after being held in a CBP cell for 19 hours, Mohabbat boarded a flight home. He worried about his
parents, who hadn’t heard from him in 42 hours. “I was afraid not about myself, but the main worry was them,” Mohabbat said. The moment his plane reached Istanbul he texted his family. His mom’s response was instantaneous. “I received this message from my mom that ‘We were worried sick, it is going to be alright, you did a great job and [don’t] be sorry about your efforts, we love you,’” Mohabbat said. “I started crying in the airplane.” Mohabbat was confident his chances of becoming a professor would have increased exponentially had he completed an esteemed civil engineering program in America. He wanted to challenge himself for a better future, which is what led him to Notre Dame in the first place. “The fact is that home was [w]hat gave me the courage to apply for foreign universities,” Mohabbat said. Before accepting Notre Dame’s offer, Mohabbat was studying for his bachelor’s degree at the University of Tehran,
a top-ranked institution in Iran and one of the most prestigious in the Middle East. He had a 3.84 GPA and was hoping to research a range of topics in America. Mohabbat couldn’t comprehend why he was denied entry to the U.S. when the incident first occurred. Now, he says he understands the political force behind the denial. “This is not what a student from any country with any nationality deserves,” Mohabbat said. “It is against everything the U.S. has always stood for: a beacon of hope in the time of darkness.” Though Mohabbat is aware of attempts being made to remedy the situation, he is now enrolled in a master’s program in Iran. It was an offer he had previously denied in hopes of attending Notre Dame. “For now, I am just trying to come up with plans and ideas about my future,” Mohabbat said. “I have confidence in my efforts and I keep doing the best I can, as I always have.”
“All the demands are told by doctors or hospital staff in our chat groups on WeChat,” Xu said. “They are on the first line of battle. If they say it’s urgent, it’s urgent.” When the first donations arrived in Wuhan on Jan. 26, the large hospitals found their supply shortages alleviated, Xu said. However, smaller hospitals and those outside of Wuhan were still severely lacking. “That’s why our supplies are distributed to 40 hospitals to keep balance,” Xu said. “We know doctors are forbidden to receive donations but we have no choice. Wuhan Red-Cross is ineffective in distributing supplies and some volunteers don’t really trust it. Also, if we send supplies to the official department of hospitals, in some cases the official staff just put the supplies in a room, locked the door and doctors got nothing. Therefore, our strategy is sending supplies to specific doctors in specific hospitals.” Although Notre Dame students and alumni are busy, they all try to set aside time to help, Hu said. “I feel lucky about being in America, and thus I feel responsible to bring resources to China for people fighting against coronavirus,” Hu said. “I’m really, really painful when watching the news. It’s the Chinese New Year and the doctors don’t even have decent food to eat. They left their husbands, wives and kids, vying for going back to hospitals to rescue lives. It’s just so moving and so sad.” Hu is originally from Wuhan, and currently works in Chicago. In order to dedicate enough time to set up and coordinate the donation network, her work has taken a back seat. In the past few days, she said she has woken up to find
around 2,000 messages about the donation network. She usually spends the whole day on the phone and goes to sleep at 1 a.m., at which time the volunteers living in China head to work. “We had large progress but we are too tired to feel happy,” Hu said. So far, most of the students engaging in the donation network are Chinese. Senior Betty Qi, a member of the Chinese voluntary students group, said that they hope more American students and departments of Notre Dame will get involved. “Not only Chinese students, but Asian students ... all the students and school departments can help us and reach out needed resources and get through this hard time together,” Qi said. “As a part of Notre Dame community, we should all contribute to create a caring environment.” However, some Chinese students said they have experienced discrimination due to the outbreak of coronavirus in China. In response to these experiences, Dennis K. Brown, University vice president for public affairs and communications said that “the University has been caring for our students from China, and encourage any students to reach out if additional support is needed. Any student who is experiencing or knows of any harassment and discrimination is strongly encouraged to file a report through speakup.nd.edu or the Office of Community Standards so that the University can assist and respond.” The University does not believe there is public health risk to the campus at this time, Brown said in an email. “University Health Service worked with Notre Dame
International to identify recent students from Wuhan or travelers from the region, and then reached out proactively and confidentially to the relevant students with education and offers of support,” Brown said. ”International Student and Scholars Affairs staff is available as a resource for all international students, and they have referred any concerned students to appropriate campus resources.” The University will not suspend next semester’s international programs to China at the moment, according to Michael Pippenger, the vice president and associate provost for internationalization, said. “We are monitoring events closely to support our students, faculty and staff in this current moment,” Pippenger said in an email. Don Bishop, the associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment, said that the University “[does] not expect that this health issue will impact our recruitment and enrollment of students from China.” “We do not expect to make admissions decisions with this issue affecting decisions,” Bishop said in an email. Notre Dame International advises all travelers to avoid all travel to Hubei Province and reconsider any non-essential travel to mainland China in the near term given the fluidity of the outbreak and travel restrictions imposed by the Chinese government. Any student or staff member who returns from mainland China is advised to seek out a screening from University Health Services or the Notre Dame Wellness Center.
‘I keep doing the best I can’
Contact Kelli Smith at ksmith67@nd.edu
Contact Zixu Wang at zwang1@nd.edu
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DIANE PARK | The Observer
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The observer | friday, January 31, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Letter to the editor
Roman Catholic Church (RCC ®): brand proposal Mike Donovan Scene Editor
The Problem: Data and Context After a series of negative “reports” from various “media outlets” exposed best-practice violations within RCC®’s organizational structure, it appears the firm’s brand popularity has declined among consumers aged 18-24. According to Nielsen* survey data, 36% of consumers in the age bracket consider RCC®’s brand “outdated” with an additional 12% describing the brand as “actually pretty f-----.” Conversely, only 3% of consumers in the age bracket “stan” RCC®’s brand with a mere 0.8% going so far as to call the brand “kinda lit.” These figures (considered alongside the failure of RCC®’s 2019 multimedia campaign, “Collars Popping Off”) suggest RCC®’s current, guilt-based branding scheme might be incompatible with current market trends. Revitalizing the RCC® Brand: Christ is Content is King RCC® has always held that Christ is King. And, for most of the firm’s history, this cherished Christ = King identity was universally accepted. It wasn’t until 1996, when Mr. William “Bill” Gates published his groundbreaking essay “Content is King,” that the Christ = King identity met a worthy challenger. Consumers, torn between two forces of attraction, posed the question: If Christ is King, how can Content also be King? There can’t be two kings. That’s crazy talk! The Christ vs. Content conflict raged for years, dividing consumers along binary lines — content marketing’s equivalent to the Cold War. Families were split, sanities were lost and for what? The answer: a simple misunderstanding. RCC® wasn’t wrong. Christ is King. But Mr. Gates wasn’t wrong either. Content is King too. What everyone failed to see is the third identity underlying the two competing statements: If Christ is King and Content is King, then Christ must also be Content. Christ = Content = King This #revelation, which permits RCC® to use Christ as Content, opens the door for a major brand overhaul. RCC® can now, via content marketing strategy, Feed your Soul with the Content you Crave,™ turning every Pardon into a ParFun! ™.** Project ParFun!: Recommendations Deep Fried Jesus: While traditional images of the Christ-figure perform extremely well among select portions of the consumer base, they remain largely invisible to a Gen Z population increasingly concerned with memes and meme-related content. When Gen Z focus groups were asked to choose between (1) looking at a really super funny deep-fried meme or (2) freeing their families from Nielsen’s data-driven torture chambers, the overwhelming majority (95.6% of respondents) chose to look at the deep-fried memes. Based on these results, we believe “deep-frying” traditional images of the Christ-figure and pairing the “deepfried” images with popular (and culturally relevant) meme content will boost brand
engagement among the 18-24 cohort exponentially. White Clawmunnion ™: As we move toward 2020, consumer data illustrates a significant downward trend in overall Gen Z engagement with RCC®’s staple offerings (table wine + old guys in robes). Countering this decline in the popularity of table wine + old guy is an unprecedented uptick in Gen Z engagement with the younger, sleeker combination of White Claw® Hard Seltzer + friends. Consumers aged 18-24 are now 69% more likely to spend their Sunday mornings at Rich Uncle’s Shore House drinking White Claw® Hard Seltzer with friends than they are to spend their Sundays in St. Whathisname Parish, drinking table wine with old guys in robes. Foresight Forecasts, however, predict RCC® can shrink the 69% engagement gap via strategic partnerships. If RCC® substitutes table wine with White Claw® Hard Seltzer at weekly meetings, the firm can attract younger customers and cut the engagement gap in half. CruciFest ™: Guerrilla memes and updated product offerings in place, the only other thing RCC® needs for total-brand-domination is control over the hottest influencer-focused, experiential marketing event of the year: CruciFest ™. Modeled after the great influencer-gatherings of our day, CruciFest ™ will meet be everything the 18-24 demographic expects from full immersion music and arts festivals but with a classic RCC® twist. No spoilers! Annual CruciFest ™ celebrations are guaranteed to blow up social media, drawing all eyes to the whimsical mystery at the heart of RCC®’s brand identity. People will either flock to CruciFest ™ or post relentlessly about how they’re just dying to go. Next Steps By leveraging the above content marketing strategies, all of which leverage prevailing consumer sentiment in the 18-24 age demographic, RCC® will regain much needed market share in the devotional sector. With market share comes resources and, from resources, leverage. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. *Figures fabricated according to the highest professional standards. **Standard indulgence fees apply. Contact Mike Donovan at mdonov10@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Notre Dame student from Iran is one of us This letter to the editor was written on Tuesday in response to a New York Times article published on Saturday titled, “’Demeaned and Humiliated’: What Happened to These Iranians at U.S. Airports.” This past weekend as I was reading the news, I was shocked to see our University’s name in an article concerning an issue nobody on this campus seems to have heard about: Hamid, an international student about to start at the University of Notre Dame this semester, was denied entry to the United States at O’Hare International Airport and sent back to Iran. He was one of at least 16 Iranian students since August of 2019 to have been denied entry to the United States and forced to abandon their plans to attend a university in the U.S. According to coverage by the New York Times, Hamid was denied entry on Jan. 11, the same weekend all Notre Dame students were returning to campus for the spring semester. Admittedly, tensions between the U.S. and Iran were extraordinarily high at that particular moment – his attempted entry to the United States came merely three days after Iran had fired missiles upon a U.S. military base and tragically shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet. After arriving at O’Hare, Hamid was questioned about his thoughts on the downing of that jet and placed in a holding cell for 19 hours. The next day, he was sent back to Iran. It is possible the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers had good reason not to admit Hamid, but the lack of information provided to justify that decision coupled with the timing of the incident makes it appear that he could be the victim of profiling and discrimination based on nationality. Hamid had already waited eight months for his visa to begin the joint master’s and Ph.D. program in engineering he had been
accepted into at Notre Dame. Upon his arrival to the U.S., this member of our Notre Dame community was treated, in his own words, “as if I was some sort of terrorist. It was both humiliating and dehumanizing.” To make matters worse, this humiliation is not a temporary setback. According to reporting from the New York Times, it appears that Hamid (along with the other 15 students sent back to Iran) will be unable to re-enter the United States for the next five years, a devastating roadblock for their future plans. I do not know Hamid personally – I don’t even know his full name since he withheld his surname from the New York Times article. However, as an enrolled student at the University of Notre Dame, he is (or at least was) one of us, a member of the Fighting Irish. I can only imagine how traumatic it must be to have waited so long for a chance to study at the University of Notre Dame only to have that chance cruelly ripped away at the doorstep. I am disturbed by the lack of information made available to the Notre Dame community about this incident. His story deserves more than silence. He could have touched our lives with his presence on this campus, and we his, but we have been cut off from that chance. Even if our University and student body are powerless to reverse the decision in Hamid’s case, we owe him more than ignorance. We owe him solidarity. We owe him an effort to prevent this from happening again. If Hamid was deemed admissible to the University of Notre Dame, he certainly should have been admissible to the United States of America. Mary Elsa Henrichs senior Jan. 28
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In the wake of tragedy We write this editorial with heav y hearts. Last week, we lost a member of the Notre Dame family. We are grieving with our community at this difficult time, and in particular extend our condolences to the Jerry family, Annrose’s friends, the Breen-Phillips Hall community and the Folk Choir. But know when tragedy strikes, the tri-campus community comes together, and this time will be no different. On Monday, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart was standing room only as students came to pray with
and support the family and friends of Annrose Jerry at a memorial Mass. The voices of the Folk Choir filled the space, and Fr. Pete McCormick offered a message of ref lection, gratitude and hope in the homily. The gathering continued after Mass with fellowship and food provided by student government in the LaFortune Ballroom. In moments like this, when answers are scarce and hope can be hard to find, we must turn to each other and lean on our support systems near and far. Processing these events will be different for everyone, but know you do not have to face this devastation alone. Check in on your friends. Ask for help if you need it, and offer help when you can. There is no set way to grieve. Of course, on campuses like ours, pushing back a deadline or canceling a meeting can sometimes
seem impossible. We ask for you to be patient with yourselves and with each other. Take the time you need to process, journal, watch TV or cry. Ask for grace and give it, too. But remember, you are not alone. Your classmates, your professors, your hall staff — they feel this loss, too. Cry together, sit in silence together, but do not be afraid to share your pain. And whatever you are going through, there are resources available to support you. At Notre Dame, reach out to the University Counseling Center (574-631-7336), available 24 hours a day, and Campus Ministry (574-631-7800). At Saint Mary’s you can reach out to the Health and Counseling Center (574-284-4805). At Holy Cross, contact counseling services (574-239-8383).
Remembering Kobe Bryant Patrick McKelvey With the Current
I’m a Knicks fan. I’ve been a Knicks fan my whole life. Outside of a few semi-magical seasons, I’ve been treated to two decades of bottom-of-the barrel, borderline unwatchable basketball. Sometimes a season will start out promising. But disappointment always rears its head by Januar y. W hen you’re a Knicks fan, you learn to enjoy the game in other ways. You have to. You pay attention to the other team. You get excited when big names come into New York. I grew up watching the Knicks, but I also grew up watching guys like LeBron James, Paul Pierce — and Kobe Br yant. Like millions of basketball fans around the world, Kobe became one of my favorite players. I remember watching his 2009-2010 playoff runs, his legendar y fourth quarter performances. I remember the day he signed his last contract with Los Angeles. I remember him dropping 60 in his last-ever game. I followed Kobe’s career, but you didn’t have to in order to know his legend. He was an international superstar; he transcended his sport. Even if you never played basketball, I know you’ve done the “Kobe” — taking that balled-up paper or wrapper in your hand, shooting a fadeaway jump shot and shouting “Kobe!” as it lands in (or misses) the garbage. I still do it ever y time. We all knew Kobe. And that’s why when he was killed suddenly in a helicopter crash Sunday, at the age of 41, it was so hard to believe. Perhaps more tragically, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, herself on her way to basketball stardom, died in the crash as well. The six other passengers, and the pilot, also lost their lives. I don’t really know how to write about Kobe’s
legacy. His career on the court speaks for itself — 20 seasons, five NBA Finals Championships, two Finals MV Ps, two Olympic Gold Medals — I could go on forever. I could talk about his unrelenting competitiveness, the “Mamba Mentality” for which he became so famous, his promise to work harder than ever yone else in the world. There’s a million stories about that. My favorite is the time he played a casual round of ping-pong against Lakers reporter Mike Trudell. Br yant lost both games. The next week, he had an official Olympic ping-pong table delivered to his home. I could talk about how his dominance continued into retirement — his burgeoning business career, his endorsements, his Academy Award. That’s right. Kobe Br yant won an Oscar. And I bet if he wanted to, he would’ve won another. To tr y and encapsulate Kobe as any one thing, in any one statement, isn’t possible. He meant too much to too many. We saw that this week across the NBA, as teams voluntarily took 24-second shot clock violations in honor of his number. LeBron promised to continue his legacy. His longtime rival coach, Doc Rivers, said through tears that “We’re all Lakers today.” Derek Jeter, who played 20 contiguous seasons with Kobe, had perhaps the most heartfelt take. In an article for “The Players’ Tribune,” he wrote: “W hen I think of Kobe, I really just end up thinking about those special few personal conversations that we were lucky enough to share together, each time one of us had a new baby daughter … I’ve seen him win gold medals and championship rings. But I’ve still never seen him look as happy, in those big moments on the court, as he looked the other day off of it: with an arm around Gigi, sitting courtside … Kobe just loved being a dad. Rest in peace to Kobe Br yant — who knew that his life was only as important as the
love he had for the people in it. W ho knew that he was born to play basketball. But it was family over ever ything.” Kobe did love his family more than anything. And that’s why we all loved him — because to us, Kobe was family. We grew up with him. We thought we’d grow old with him, too. We thought we’d see him age and gray courtside at Lakers games, a legend of the old guard, imparting his wisdom onto a new generation of players that he could probably still beat. We thought we’d watch him mentor Gianna as she tore up college hoops, and later the W NBA. We don’t get that now. The stor y of Kobe Br yant was cut shorter than any of us could have expected. But that doesn’t mean it’s over. Not completely. Not yet. Like a parent or a sibling gone too soon, a part of Kobe lives on in ever yone he left behind. He lives in those he loved: in his wife Vanessa and their three young daughters. He lives in LeBron’s dominance and leadership; in Kawhi Leonard’s shot, his footwork. He exists in ever y athlete who stays after practice for one more round, who wakes up at 4 a.m. to get that extra session in. His legacy hangs from the rafters of the Staples Center, it surrounds its hallowed f loorboards. He’s there in all of us, in ever y fan, in ever y crumpled piece of paper shot into a bin, as a kid shouts his name, follows through and fades away. Patrick McKelvey splits his time between being a college senior and pretending to be a screenwriter. He majors in American studies and classics, and will be working in market research in New York after graduating. If you can’t find him at the movies, he can be reached for comment at pmckelve@nd.edu or @PatKelves17 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
RENEE YASEEN | The Observer
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DAILY
The observer | friday, january 31, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | jim page
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Consider your limitations as well as your attributes in order to maintain balance. Decline if someone imposes too much and offers too little. Concentrate on what’s important to you, not how to please everyone else. This year is not the time to take a risk emotionally, financially or physically. Plan your actions, choose your words wisely and do what’s best for you. Your numbers are 2, 13, 20, 24, 28, 37, 44. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotions can help you, or they can cause you grief depending on how you handle situations. If you overreact, expect to pay the price. However, if you focus on opportunities and where to channel your energy, you will gain ground. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you want a change, make it happen. It’s up to you to execute your plans, not someone else. Invest in your skills, knowledge and ideas. Opportunity begins with you. Think big, and expand your search for success. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Offer help, information and connections. Get together with people you have worked with in the past; a new opportunity will arise. Look for the good in everyone, but don’t give someone a second chance to hurt you. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Look for the positive in everyone and everything. Refuse to let emotional matters get in your way. Concentrate on what you want to transpire, and do your best. A creative idea can change your life if handled correctly. Romance is featured. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A short trip will encourage you to pay closer attention to the people around you. A change someone makes will affect you more than you expect. Take care of your responsibilities. Be cautious with money, possessions and your physical well-being. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A change will perk you up. What you learn will convince you to expand your knowledge, skills and friendships. Participate more, and you’ll discover that you have more options than you realize. Romance is on the rise. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Emotional matters will surface if you have been putting up with situations that are less than adequate. Don’t let anger set in when an intelligent solution will do the trick. Do your best to get along with everyone. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Leisure time spent with someone you love or doing something that brings you great satisfaction or joy should take priority. Distance yourself from situations that are only going to upset you or stop you from fulfilling your dream. Romance is in the stars. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take care of your responsibilities. Set your house in order, and take care of relationships that matter to you. How you treat others will reflect who you are. If someone treats you poorly, don’t let him or her get away with their actions. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be careful how you treat others. Don’t let an emotional situation escalate into something unmanageable. Let your intuition guide you, and keep your temper under control. A change you make to the way you live should be well-thought-out before executed. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Think before you make a move or spend a penny. Give yourself time to assess the situation, and consider what’s doable. Use your intelligence to avoid a costly mistake or an argument with someone you love. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You can offer your help, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Offer what’s doable and will benefit you as well. Someone you’ve worked with before will offer an alternative. Focus on peace and love. Birthday Baby: You are creative, opinionated and spontaneous. You are fun-loving and carefree.
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SPORTS
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, january 31, 2020 | The Observer
W Bball
Sports Authority
Breaking down Super Bowl LIV Will Richard Sports Writer
The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will face off in the Super Bowl, the culmination of the 100th year of the National Football League. This year’s game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Kansas City Chiefs opened as a slim one point favorite over San Francisco, according to Westgate Superbook, and as of January 27, that line has not moved. The over/under opened at 52.5, and currently sits at 54.5. Needless to say, football and betting experts alike expect this matchup could be one for the ages, in a battle of a historical Chiefs’ offense against a stifling 49ers’ defense. By now, the wizardry of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is no secret. After capturing an MVP in his inaugural season, Mahomes has picked up right where he left off, and has seemingly elevated his game to another level this postseason. In his two games against the Titans and Texans, Mahomes has thrown for a combined 615 yards with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions, while running for an additional 106 yards and a touchdown. Such astonishing numbers while failing to turn the ball over seems otherworldly for a quarterback who is merely 24 years old. With a world class tight-end in Travis Kelce in combination with receivers Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman with lightning 4.3 speed, there are bound to be offensive fireworks come Sunday. On the other side, the 49ers’ defensive front has been a nightmare for quarterbacks throughout this season. Just two weeks ago, San Francisco held Aaron Rodgers to a shutout first half in the NFC Championship, ultimately forcing three turnovers over the course of the game from a player whose talents might closely resemble those of Mahomes. Rookie defensive end Nick Bosa has taken the league by storm, posting 9 sacks and 47 tackles in the regular season while playing rotationally on a stacked 49ers defensive front. Veteran All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman returns to his third Super Bowl, hoping to avenge his most recent trip in which the Seahawks fell to the Patriots on a devastating Malcolm Butler goal line interception back in 2015. If there is a defense in the league which has a chance at slowing Mahomes, the 49ers have perhaps the best shot. On offense, the 49ers will undoubtedly come out looking to establish their run game, something they have had great success
with this season. In the NFC Championship, running back Raheem Mostert became the first player in playoff history to rush for at least 150 yards and three touchdowns in a single half. This is a formula which teams like Tennessee and Indianapolis employed in their winning efforts against the Chiefs this year, in which both teams had rushers eclipse 130 yards. In other words, perhaps the 49ers best form of defense will lie in their ability to keep Mahomes off the field. However, the Chiefs’ defense is a unit which they sought to address this past offseason, with the hiring of defense coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and notable acquisitions of safety Tyrann ‘Honeybadger’ Mathieu and defensive end Frank Clark. Though many were skeptical heading into their second matchup with the Titans, this time in the postseason, the Chiefs stepped up to the call. After running for 188 yards and two touchdowns in a victorious first matchup, Derrick Henry was held to merely 69 yards and a lone touchdown, this time in a losing effort. It will require a similar performance from the Kansas City front seven to be victorious in this contest. The matchup of Mathieu against the emerging offensive mastermind Kyle Shanahan will be a game of cat and mouse at the highest level, and will certainly be a spectacle to watch. In my mind, this matchup is comparable to Super Bowl XLVIII between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos. Though Mahomes’ career is miles away from reaching Manning’s career accomplishments, there is no doubt at this point he is an all-time talent. In particular, Mahomes has one skill Manning never had: escapability. Mahomes’ ability to leave the pocket, extend plays, or even take off and run creates plays which no coordinator is able to plan for. I believe Mahomes will continue his streak this postseason of not turning the ball over, and at the very least will not make a backbreaking throw under the duress of the 49ers’ front four. Furthermore, I think Spagnuolo will ride the existing momentum and draw out one final remarkable performance from his group. Therefore, I am going to take the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIV, Mahomes and coach Andy Reid’s first of potentially many more Super Bowls, in what should be an all-time classic game. 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.
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all scorers in the first quarter with 11 and finished with a team-high 17 points. Evans attributed the Cardinals’ quick start to their respect for the Irish, difficult as Notre Dame’s struggles may have been this season. “We knew we had to be aggressive and take it at ‘em because they were kinda short with their bench,” she said. “But, we know that they’re a great program … so we had to stay focused and go use the game plan that we had.” The Irish would respond with a little run of their own, and after sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert drove and hit a runner to make it 14-8, Louisville head coach Jeff Walz was forced to call a timeout of his own. “We were turning the ball over too much,” Walz said. “We were scoring .… The problem is I think we had like four turnovers in our first 10 possessions of the game. And you, you just can’t do that. We had six turnovers in the first quarter. And we were up 16, I thought it could have been 20, but unfortunately, we got really sloppy there. So I just told them, you gotta stay focused, take care of the basketball, get each other shots. And I thought after that we did a really nice job.” The glimmer of hope proved short-lived for the Irish. Louisville subsequently went on an 8-0 run featuring triples from both Evans and sophomore guard Elizabeth Balogun. The run was eventually broken by a stepback three from Irish graduate student guard Destinee Walker, but when Irish junior center Mikalya Vaughn tipped a seemingly routine rebound to Balogun, who finished inside and drew the foul, it was a microcosm of a disastrous first quarter for Notre Dame. The Irish were outrebounded 13-4 in the first 10 minutes and found themselves down 27-11 entering the second. A frustrated McGraw was sarcastic when asked about what Notre Dame could have done better to stop the bleeding. “Yeah, I think petitioning the NCAA for more timeouts is what I need,” McGraw joked. “I used two in the first quarter … we just, we need more timeouts. I thought all the ones that I accrued over the years could, you know, be used now but that’s our biggest problem because we cannot score.” Leading contender for ACC freshman of the year Sam Brunelle would brief ly reinvigorate Purcell Pavilion
with seven quick points after the teams traded buckets at the start of the second quarter. Brunelle, who led all freshmen in the powerfive conferences with 13.5 points per game entering the contest and finished with 17 against the Cardinals, hit a deep three off an offensive rebound and assist from Vaughn, before grabbing a quick two inside and then grabbing an offensive board of her own on the next possession and hitting a foulline jumper, which cut the Cardinals’ lead to 33-23. That would be the closest the Irish would get, however. Louisville would close the half on a 27-6 run, shooting a blistering 65% from the f loor en route to a 50-29 halftime lead. The impressive offensive display was noted by Walz, who was especially pleased with his squad’s ball movement. “Well, our goal was to try to go inside out, and, you know, push the ball in transition and try to attack,” he said. “I mean, we have been playing pretty well the past month. [They’re] a pretty balanced group. It’s not just on one player. And I thought we did a really nice job. 25 assists on 34 made field goals shows that you are passing the ball.” McGraw, meanwhile, rued the Irish’s glaring missed opportunities on the offensive end. “You take a timeout and say, ‘You know, let’s try this or that’ and … we get a great shot from it … [but] how many layups did we miss?” she asked. “We get great shots and we can’t put the ball in the basket. So it def lates you when the other team is scoring, and now I know what this feels like for our opponents for the last five years.” Things did not improve for Notre Dame on either side
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of the ball at the start of the second half. After a quick two from Brunelle, the Irish had a couple of disastrous possessions. Evans punctuated a 7-0 run with an and-1 to make it 57-31, and Louisville did not look back. The Cardinals stretched the lead to 32 as they forced cheap turnovers and held the Irish to a dismal 28.6% from the f loor. The lone bright spot of the quarter for Notre Dame was Gilbert, who put up 10 points in the quarter and ended up leading all scorers with 18 points. The final quarter was relatively even and disjointed as the Cardinals emptied their bench and McGraw subbed more as well. The Cardinals’ largest lead was 35, but Irish junior guard Nicole Benz, who averaged 1.3 minutes per game entering the game, earned a roar from those left in Purcell with a trey from well beyond the men’s line in the final minute. Notre Dame appeared to maintain their energy levels until the end, but McGraw admitted she was happier with the effort from some more than others. “Some certain people I thought really worked a little bit harder today,” she said. “And I think you see that in your defense, in your rebounding. So when you look and you say … we gave up 86 points … I don’t think everybody worked quite at the level that I was hoping, but generally, I thought, you know, we’re getting a little bit more out of people. But, you know, we need to make some shots.” The Irish return to action this Sunday when they travel to take on Georgia Tech. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu
ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Irish sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert drives into the paint during Notre Dame’s 94-105 defeat to DePaul on Dec. 11, 2019 at home. 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 | friday, january 31, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
Fencing Continued from page 12
World 23-4. Things weren’t so swift for the men’s team, who went 3-4 on the tournament. The squad defeated UC San Diego 15-12, Air Force 18-9 and Incarnate World 17-10. But when it came to some tougher competition, the Irish stumbled. They lost to No. 9 UPenn 14-13, Stanford 1512, No. 10 Duke 14-13 and No. 5 Princeton 17-10. The Irish will look to take the momentum gained from a decisive performance at the DeCicco Duals, where both units went 14-0 over the two-day competition, into the Northwestern Duals this weekend. And, as the competition will start to heat up, coach Kvaratskhelia emphasized his opinion that the rankings don’t matter as much as they seem. He wants his squads to stay strong physically and mentally no matter the rankings. ”In my opinion, rankings are very subjective,” he said. ”We’ve won championships ranked in the middle of the top ten, and
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better in the second half. We scored 54, you know, we can get in an offensive rhythm, and we scored enough to get out of there. We needed it.” Defeating the Demon Deacons (9-11, 2-8 ACC) allowed the Irish to match their conference win total from a year ago when they went 3-15 in the ACC. Two of those wins came over Boston College, while the third and final regular season victory came in a home victory over Georgia Tech, Notre Dame’s next opponent. “See if we can sweep Georgia Tech — that’ll be a challenge — and win another one at home,” he Brey. “And [senior forward] Johnny [Mooney] said that as soon as we came in the locker room, ‘Let’s see if we can put two in a row together in our building.’” In the previous matchup in Atlanta, the Irish got just their second win over Georgia Tech on the road in program history, improving Brey’s career record against the Yellowjackets (1011, 4-6 ACC) to 9-6, with the six losses coming by a combined 18 points. The Irish were able to topple Georgia Tech behind a strong showing from their guards, as sophomore Prentiss Hubb and senior T.J. Gibbs provided 25 and 17 points, respectively, in a back-and-forth game that came down to Notre Dame’s foul shooting. Hubb scored five of six shots down the stretch while sophomore guard Dane Goodwin, who was the thirdleading scorer having contributed 15 points off the bench, connected on one to help maintain the Irish lead and seal the
failed to win when we were an overwhelming number one. We are more concerned with the process of competing and preparing to be at our best in a
consistent manner, both physically and mentally.” Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu
Hannah Huelskamp | The Observer
Irish freshman foilist Zoe Barnette duels with her opponent during Notre Dame’s 7-0 victory at the DeCicco Duals on Jan 26. at home.
victory. Virtually absent from the win over the Yellowjackets was sophomore forward Nate Laszewski, who scored only three points and grabbed only one rebound in Atlanta. However, the Jupiter, Florida, native had a strong showing against Wake Forest, knocking down three of five shots from downtown and three of four free throws en route to a season-high 18 points — earning praise from Brey. “I felt, we’ve seen Prentiss and we’ve seen Dane kind of look like, ‘Here they come,’ and I thought tonight was that night for Nate,” Brey said. “The way he hunted his shot. He fouls a little bit because he’s still a little young up in the shoulders, but he’s so active defensively. Showing on the ball screen, flying around. He was our best post defender tonight. With his stroke and his skill level … he should have a swagger, and we’ve been after him to let that loose.” Brey also discussed how Laszewski’s development could hold the key to Irish success. “I thought there was a different look about him, so maybe we’ve got him joining those other two guys,” Brey said. “And you’ve heard me say it, those guys are kind of X-factor guys for us. ’Cause T.J. was fabulous, and he’s going to keep doing what he does, and Johnny’s going to keep doing what he does, and [graduate student guard] Rex [Pflueger] is going to keep doing what he does. And we’ll see with [senior forward] Juwan [Durham], but those three can really maybe get us somewhere.” Also during Saturday’s game will be the induction of former Irish forward Kelly Tripucka, a
member of Notre Dame’s sole Final Four team in program history in 1977-78 as a freshman, into the Notre Dame Ring of Honor. He played all four years for the Irish before pursuing a professional career in the NBA, where he played 10 seasons split among the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets, earning two all-star berths. “Kelly, he’s one of the all-time greats,” Brey said. “Powerful name. It’s one I remember so much watching Notre Dame basketball.” Tripucka was third in scoring for the Irish as a freshman, averaging 11.7 points per game. He was a three-time All-American,
Hannah Huelskamp | The Observer
Irish sophomore epee Michael Siroky advances on his opponent during Notre Dame’s 7-0 win at DeCicco Duals on Jan. 26 at home.
leading the Irish in scoring his final three seasons on teams that featured Bill Laimbeer, Orlando Woolridge and John Paxson. He finished his career as the 12th-leading scorer in program history and will be the ninth men’s basketball inductee to the Ring of Honor. Brey recounted the story of telling Tripucka that he would be inducted when the Irish played at Miami, Florida last season. “[Kelly] teared up, it was awesome. It was really awesome,” Brey said ”… Most of his teammates will be here, a lot of them are coming back. So I think it’s gonna be a neat reunion for those guys and well-deserved.
That’s one of those when you say ‘Tripucka’s going up,’ nobody argued that one.” Tripucka will be honored at halftime of the game, but the Irish will look to sandwich a solid game of basketball around the ceremony and earn a muchneeded second ACC home win. “It’s big,” Brey said. “I talk about a homestand, and let’s get another one. When you’re in this league, when you’re in this now, where we are now — January, February — and you’re us, you’re living dayto-day, man, you’re just living day-to-day.” Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu
nathanial george | The Observer
Irish sophomore forward Nate Laszewski looks to pass during Notre Dame’s 84-82 loss against Syracuse on Jan. 22 at Purcell Pavilion. “He should have a swagger,” coach Mike Brey said Wednesday of Laszewski.
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | friday, january 31, 2020 | The Observer
11
nd track & field
Notre Dame heads to Michigan for invitational By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer
Track and field will head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this weekend to compete in the Power Five Invitational. The Irish will have the opportunity to compete
against some strong teams that include Michigan, North Carolina, Louisville, Mississippi State and Michigan State. Head coach Matt Sparks is hoping to gain more information about his team this weekend and to see how his team
Hannah Huelskamp | The Observer
Irish distance runners, from left to right, juniors Andrew Alexander, Sam Voelz and Vince Zona practice before the Blue-Gold Invitational.
Hockey Continued from page 12
creates some level of chaos and craziness, and that’s where in the past our goaltending has been able to handle that. We have to do a good job with the puck because that’s where most of their game comes from, is transition.
They’re out of the zone quickly and they get up the ice quick and they’re effective once they get in the offensive zone. The puck’s going to the net from all different angles.” Penn State’s shot-happy style has worked wonders on the power play, with their 28% conversion rate placing them tied for second in college hockey. Conversely, the
measures up against some of the country’s best. He spoke highly of Michigan’s track and field program. “Michigan traditionally challenges for Big Ten titles in track and field. They are a very well rounded track team,” Sparks said. “Both of their cross country teams are top-15 in the country, but they also do well in the throws, jumps and sprint events.” Sparks is also excited to see two conference rivals in Louisville and North Carolina. The Irish saw Louisville last weekend, but this will be their first time seeing the Tar Heels this season. “It will also be nice to see North Carolina,” Sparks said. “They’re our conference rival with a new coaching staff, and we will see what direction they are going with their program.” The distance squad is arguably the strongest asset of the team, but will take the weekend off from competition. “Traditionally with distance runners you don’t race them back-to-back weekends very much. I think we are taking one or two distance runners, but the rest of the track team obviously will be there and competing,” Sparks said. Despite this, Sparks expects positive results in other areas,
especially the throws. “We will stack up pretty well in the events that we are emphasizing,” Sparks said. The throwers for the Irish have been rock solid so far this year, but the health of top thrower junior Rachel Tanczos is questionable for the weekend. Tanczos did not compete at last weekend’s Notre Dame Invitational due to a back issue. Sparks hopes that Tanczos can compete at her best. “I’m excited to get Rachel Tanczos back out there. I hope that she is healthy and ready to go again,” Sparks said. Even if Tanczos is unable to compete, senior Abbey Kapitan, who won the weight throw last weekend, can be expected to lead the Irish. On the men’s side, senior Logan Kusky, who also finished first in the men’s division, is expected to lead the group. Sparks is also excited to see sophomore pole vaulter Colton Crum compete again. Crum had a strong showing at Grand Valley State two weeks ago but struggled a bit at the Notre Dame Invitational last weekend. “For some reason he has become more comfortable traveling and competing than competing at home, so we expect him to step up again and improve upon what he did at
Irish penalty kill will limp into this matchup with a 74% kill rate, fourth-worst nationally. Jackson knows the Irish will need to be better on this front to win. “That’s something we’ve worked on twice this week,” Jackson said. “We’re doing everything in our power to get that part of our game on track. Right
now, that’s the biggest detriment to our team and we have to find a way to get over that and try some different people there and just keep working with it. We have to try to get guys to understand we have to do a better job of blocking shots and picking up people around the net. Most importantly, though, is we can’t give up passes through the seams,
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Grand Valley State,” Sparks said. The meet is spread out over two days, which will ease the stress on some multi-event athletes. Sparks is excited to see how senior Naya Sharpe competes in her several events with the extra day. “Sharpe has been our number two hurdler over the last couple of meets, but she is also a potential conference scorer in the long jump,” Sparks said. “She hasn’t been able to long jump to her full capability, though, as she is trying to hurdle at the same time she’s long jumping and running back and forth between events.” Sparks is excited to see Sharpe’s ability in the long jump when she is jumping on fresh legs. “Hopefully with this meet spread out over two days, we give someone like her a chance to long jump fresh without having to worry about hurdles,” Sparks said. ”I’m curious to see how she does with the ability to focus on one event at the time.” Sparks said that the Irish will not enter any relay teams into the meet, but it is likely that there will be a women’s distance medley relay team at next weekend’s Meyo Invitational. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu
cross-ice passes, which become more challenging to stop for a goaltender.” The Irish have been mediocre on the road, sporting a 3-5-3 record away from Compton Family Ice Arena, especially dismal compared to Penn State’s 10-4-1 mark on home ice. Jackson feels his team is prepared for a tough road environment. “Their building is very similar to ours,” Jackson said. “It’s a little bit bigger but very similar to our building. They have great fan support, a great student section that’s as loud as there is in the country. And I know they got a big whiteout thing going on Saturday night, wearing all-white uniforms with a white crowd, and it’s always one of the tougher venues in college hockey to play in. It’s an intimidating building, and you just have to tone that out and go play. That’s the most important thing. And I think for the most part our guys have been through that. They’ve played in other tough venues this year, so it’s not like it’s something that’s going to be surprising. And if you have the emotional control just to turn it around to think they’re cheering for you as opposed to the opponent, you’re okay.” The Irish will take on the Nittany Lions at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, PA.
ERin Fennessy | The Observer
Irish sophomore forward Jake Pivonka skates past a defender during Notre Dame’s 5-4 overtime victory over Wisconsin on Jan. 25 at home.
Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu
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The observer | friday, january 31, 2020 | ndsmcobserver.com
hockey
nd women’s basketball | louisville 86, nd 54
Notre Dame loses by 32 points to No. 5 Louisville
ND looks to boost Big Ten standing
By GREG McKENNA
By JACK CONCANNON
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
Notre Dame has suffered some hefty defeats versus ranked opponents at home this season, a trend that unfortunately continued for the Irish (7-14, 2-7 ACC) in an 86-54 loss to No. 5 Louisville (21-1, 10-0 ACC) on Thursday night. A decent crowd was on hand in Purcell Pavilion, but standout Cardinals junior guard Dana Evans and the ACC-leading Cardinals quickly quieted Irish fans with a 9-0 run to begin an ugly first quarter for the Irish. After the first points came via Louisville senior forward Kylee Shook, Evans hit a jumper before converting three free throws after being fouled on a corner three as part of 9-0 run that forced Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw to use her first timeout just over two minutes in. It was an excellent homecoming for Evans, as the junior from Gary, Indiana led
It has been a challenging stretch of hockey games for Notre Dame. The team has won one of its last six Big Ten games in regulation, ending its winless streak last Saturday at home against Wisconsin. The Irish now sit fourth in the Big Ten, just under a .500 win percent with a 6-7-3 conference record. Irish head coach Jeff Jackson commented on the current Big Ten landscape and how challenging it is to play in such a deep league. “Last year we finished in second place, we were .500,” Jackson said. “And that could happen again this year, because everybody’s beating up on everybody. Some teams have got a much better non-conference record than we do, which is hurting us right now because… last year I don’t think we lost a game nonconference … But [what’s] going to make it interesting in the playoffs, too, is that you’re going to have a lot of teams that are very
see W BBALL PAGE 9
isabel patacsil | The Observer
Irish freshman guard Anaya Peoples goes for a contested layup during Notre Dame’s 72-69 loss to Michigan State on Nov. 14.
close, and there’s no weak link in our conference.” The Irish will need to start accumulating points to have a chance at an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament, beginning this weekend on the road against No. 8/9 Penn State. The Nittany Lions (17-8-1, 9-6-1 Big Ten) sits at second in the conference, but the Irish could make considerable headway by winning both games. Penn State’s high-speed style of play presents a unique challenge. Under head coach Guy Gadowsky the team shoots pucks from everywhere on the ice. They lead the NCAA in shots on goal, as they have each of the previous four seasons. Jackson said that the Irish will have to be ready for their speed and shot volume. “That’s their style and it works for them,” Jackson said. “That’s why they’re one of the best offensive teams in the country. They’ve got some skill and talent to back that up, but yeah, they shoot from everywhere and that see HOCKEY PAGE 11
nd men’s basketball
fencing
Irish look for 2nd-straight Squads to face competition at NU ACC win, honor Tripucka By CONNOR MULVENA Sports Editor
After dominating the competition at the DeCicco Duals, which the Irish hosted, the No. 1-ranked Notre Dame women’s and No. 2-ranked men’s fencing teams will head to Evanston, Illinois to take on Northwestern, and other programs, in the Northwestern Duals this weekend. The Irish will also have the opportunity to face off against Princeton, Ohio State and Stanford. Heading into the weekend, Irish head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia spoke about some of the challenges the Irish will face this weekend. ”At Northwestern, the women face the challenging Western schools, as well as outstanding teams in Northwestern, Princeton, and Ohio State,” Kvaratskhelia said. ”Our men face Princeton, Stanford, and the rest of the West, which will be tough. Our main focus of improvement this week will
be toward finishing bouts, and finishing matches. We have the ability to fence at the highest level, but only if we can perform under stressful situations can we produce the results in the coming weeks at Northwestern, Duke and at ACCs.” The Irish competed in the Northwestern Duals last season, and while things went swimmingly for the women, the same wasn’t particularly the case for the men. The women went perfect, undefeated in eight matches, and as the top-ranked team in the nation, they solidified their elite status. Plus, five of those match victories were against top 10 teams. They started the day by handling UC San Diego swiftly, winning 19-8, and they went on to defeat No. 6 Princeton 19-8, No. 9 UPenn 18-9, No. 2 Northwestern 15-12, Air Force 15-12, No. 8 Duke 18-9, No. 10 Temple 17-10 and Incarnate
Nathanial george | The Observer
The Notre Dame men’s basketball team will look to record back-to-back ACC wins for the first time since Feb. 28, 2018, when they defeated Wake Forest behind a go-ahead three from Matt Farrell and Pittsburgh on senior night amid Bonzie Colson’s return from a broken foot. The Irish (12-8, 3-6 ACC) just recorded a win over Wake Forest, the last place team in the ACC, to record their first conference home win of the season. Head coach Mike Brey briefly celebrated the win in his post-game press conference and the way his team battled back after trailing by five at the half. “Got one at home, and I love how, when they made a run at us there, we called timeout and finished it off,” Brey said. “I thought our defense was
see FENCING PAGE 10
Irish senior forward John Mooney takes a contested jumper during Notre Dame’s 84-82 loss to Syracuse at Purcell Pavilion. on Jan. 22.
see M BBALL PAGE 10
By HAYDEN ADAMS Associate Sports Editor