Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Mass addresses immigrants, refugees
Fr. Daniel Groody preaches message of acceptance and peace in light of recent executive order
By EMILY McCONVILLE news writer
a t a m ass for immigrants and refugees at the b asilica of the s acred h eart on m onday night, associate professor of theology Fr. d aniel g roody said the u nited s tates’ and c atholics’ attitude towards immigrants and refugees is of utmost importance.
“ w hat is at stake now is not just our politics, but our very salvation,” he said.
The m ass was sponsored by c ampus m inistry, the o ffice of the p resident and s tudent g overnment. u niversity president Fr. John Jenkins presided, and student government leaders and n otre d ame r ight to l ife president
a ly c ox read prayers and scripture, respectively.
The m ass came little more than a week after p resident d onald Trump issued an executive order banning the issuance of visas to nationals of seven m uslimmajority countries for 90 days and stopping the admission of refugees for 120 days, in order to review the country’s immigration vetting process.
The order, which a federal judge temporarily stayed over the weekend allowing some visa holders to enter the country, sparked protests around the world and in s outh b end. i t also created
see mass PaGe 4
Film festival showcases international cinema
By JORDAN COCKRUM news writer
c inema from all over the world came to s aint m ary’s on m onday at its annual world c inema Festival.
The c enter for women’s i ntercultural l eadership ( cwil ) puts on the festival, which screens an international film each night of the festival’s run. The world c inema Festival continues through Thursday.
“ it’s just another one of our initiatives for internationalization on campus, bringing the world to s aint m ary’s and to the community,” m ana d erakhshani, director of cwil , said. “ we have people from the s outh b end community who come.”
cwil hosts the festival because it furthers their mission, Julie s torme, world c inema Festival organizer and associate director of cwil , said.
“That’s what cwil is
about,” s torme said. “ it’s about intercultural women’s leadership, so it’s verymuch in the spirit of our office.”
The process for selecting the four films involves taking into account several factors of both the production and subject matter of the film, s torme said.
“ we try to look for fairly recent films by women directors and/or a film focused on an issue of particular interest to women,” she said. “ we don’t always find four films that fit into the category because we also try to distribute them in different regions around the world, and we try to vary them each year.”
i n selecting m onday’s film, “ n ora’s w ill”, s torme said she decided she wanted to include a m exican film because the festival had never featured one before.
“ i was committed to getting a m exican film this year,” s torme said.
“ n ora’s w ill” is not only a m exican film, but also touches on themes that are not traditionally thought of, s torme said.
“ it’s just a great film by a woman director,” s torme said. “ it also is focused on a Jewish family in m exico, and most people do not think about Jewish traditions in m exico so that seemed like a good way to expand people’s horizons.”
Tuesday’s film, “ h annah a rendt,” was chosen because the director, m argarethe von Trotta, has visited s aint m ary’s in the past, s torme said.
“[Trotta] was here last year, so we thought it would be appropriate to show one of her films,” s torme said. “ it’s a very powerful film, about both a very important woman thinker.”
The films to be screened on wednesday and Thursday
Films PaGe 4
Students study in Silicon Valley
By MEGAN VALLEY a ssociate news e ditor
a few weeks ago, the first ever group of 10 computer science and computer engineering students traveled to california to begin their semester studying in silicon valley.
The program has been in the works since notre dame california interim director patrick Flynn was on sabbatical
last school year.
“Things went quiet in the early spring semester of 2016 because [former notre dame california director greg] crawford was starting to transition to miami university, but when i was asked to step in as the interim director for notre dame california, this idea was revived and i was encouraged to pursue it,” he said. “since
program PaGe 3
KATELYN VALLEY | The Observer
The Notre Dame community celebrates Mass in honor of immigrants and refugees on Monday night at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The service emphasized justice and humanitarian concern.
Photo courtesy of Luke Duane
Computer science and computer engineering students take a break from studying and interning to tour CBS Interactive in California. see
uncertainty for the approximately 30 students from the seven countries at notre d ame as to whether they would be able to return home and come back, or get a job in this country.
i n his homily, Groody, who is also the director of i mmigration i nitiatives at the i nstitute of Latino s tudies and has written and edited several books about immigration, directly addressed the executive order, focusing primarily on its effect on refugees. he recalled Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to the italian island of Lampedusa, where many refugees arrive in unsafe boats, in 2013. Groody said the m ass reflected Francis’ compassion for refugees.
“We care about issues of national security, the future of our country,” Groody said. “We care about human insecurity and justice and peace around the world. a t the same time, we are troubled by the decisions of our political leaders, decisions being made to build walls and close doors. b ut our readings remind us that as we build walls around our identities, we build walls around our hearts and keep God out as well.”
Groody compared the United states’ intake of s yrian refugees to that of Jordan and Germany, who have resettled 1 million each; Lebanon, which has resettled 2 million, and Turkey, which has resettled 3 million. The U. s . has resettled 18,000.
“now our leaders say even this is too much, that this must change to keep us safe, to protect our homes, to ‘m ake a merica Great a gain.’ o n the surface this is appealing, seductive rhetoric, for who would not want to be safe and secure and prosperous?” he said. “b ut … closing our doors not only deprives a stranger in need, it diminishes who we are personally and collectively.”
Groody said attending to the needs of people both within and outside U. s . borders is a key part of c atholic s ocial Teaching.
“e ven if a country has a political right to control its borders, it also has a moral responsibility to be in the world and to do good for the world,” he said.
Groody, quoting French diplomat and writer a lexis de Tocqueville, said part of what makes a merica great is its goodness.
“Let me say this even more strongly,” he said. “The current executive order is not just about migrants and refugees, but the core values of our country and the shaping of the soul of our nation and presently betrays the
foundational principles of our forefathers.”
“i mmigration is not our central problem,” he added. “i mmigration is rather a symptom of deeper problems, like war, poverty, human rights violations, religious intolerance. Underneath these is what Pope Francis calls the ‘globalization of indifference’ — the feeling that, ‘The migrant and refugee crisis is not my problem. it’s not my concern,’ and in this case it’s not a merica’s responsibility.”
Groody quoted Pope Francis’ 2013 sermon at Lampedusa at length, in which the Pope asked forgiveness for the world’s indifference to the migrant crisis.
“i n so many ways Francis reminds us that when we become so used to the suffering of others we lose to the ability to lament, we’ve lost something of our own humanity,” he said. “We’re not here to talk about politics but to proclaim
and to live the Gospel, even and especially when there are ramifications relating to the political discord of our society.”
Groody invoked Jesus c hrist as both an example of an immigrant and as a model of compassion.
“s o we do so not just out of humanitarian concern, but response to the God who first showed us and came to our world as a migrant from nazareth.”
a t Pope Francis’ m ass in Lampedusa in 2013, a spe cial chalice was used whicwas made from driftwood from a recent shipwreck that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of migrants. o ne of the chalices used for communion wine at the notre d ame mass was also made of driftwood from Lampedusa, as well as mesquite wood from the a merican s outhwest, another site of mass migration.
Those attending the
m ass were also encouraged to touch a piece of a boat placed in the center aisle of
“Even if a country has a political right to control its borders, it also has a moral responsibility to be in the world and to do good for the world.”
Fr. Daniel Groody professor of theology
the b asilica, process to the Grotto after the m ass for further prayer and then attend an information session and short film about s yrian refugees at LaFortune student c enter.
Contact Emily McConville at emcconv@nd.edu
are “ d esert Flower” and “Wolf Totem,” respectively.
“[ s tudents should go] to learn how life is different in other places, to learn about what the world thinks about things and issues that they might not know about,” s torme said. “a lso at a women’s college, to appreciate the contribution that women have made to cinema in the world.”
s torme said the World c inema Festival allows for a widening of cultural knowledge.
“We live in a world where we come in increasing contact with one another, [and] i feel it is our responsibility to know about the world,” s torme said.
Contact Jordan Cockrum at jcockrum01@saintmarys.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
By ADRIAN MARK LORE s cene Writer
While hosting the 40th season finale of “saturday night Live,” Louis c.K. joked in his opening monologue that, as a result of “mild racism” he developed as a child in the ’70s, he would be mildly amused to learn that a pizza place was run by four African-American women. Unless, he said, it were some type of novelty venue — “like that’s the whole point of the place.”
A similar prejudice plagues the music industry, but its expression is often more than mild. still today, bands made up exclusively of women are treated like novelty side-shows, even after these same groups have lobbied ferociously against the use of “girl band” — a term laden with sexist connotations. They are treated, in c.K.’s selfaware language, as though their female identity is “the whole point” of their musical career.
Among the bands that emerged from the feminist punk movement rooted in olympia, Washington, sleaterKinney became not only the most successful, but the most committed to subverting this gendered nomenclature. The group was the brainchild of carrie brownstein and corin Tucker, two of the riot grrrl movement’s loudest voices; yet only through rejection of the “girl band” label that had once seemed empowering, they saw, could their music become as transcendent as they aspired.
As band-member carrie brownstein lucidly pointed out in her 2015 memoir, “hunger makes me a modern Girl,” the entire riot grrrl movement of the early ’90s was naively predicated on femininity. Though the movement’s goal
was to challenge sexism both in the music industry and in society at large, the very allusion to womanhood in the movement’s name only drew greater attention to gender, underscoring biases rather than subverting them. It was a modern minstrelsy for radical feminism.
Given their political irreverence and unique voice — not to mention raw talent — it is no coincidence that sleaterKinney has become one of America’s finest and most prominent rock outfits in recent decades. The band remained massively influential even after a decade of hiatus following the 2005 record “The Woods.” With the release of “no cities to Love” upon the group’s reunion in 2015, its members had issued an unnecessary reminder of their musical prowess and emotional power — nobody had forgotten.
similarly, the trio’s latest record — and first live album — is a certified victory lap. “Live in Paris” is a visceral replay of late-career highlights performed at their bombastic best, and the record leaves nothing to be desired in that regard. With the inclusion of the anti-capitalist opener “Price Tag,” the consumerist indictment of “entertain” and even the career-defining classic “dig me out,” sleaterKinney demonstrates its ability to remain both empathetically approachable and politically fearsome.
In other important aspects, however, “Live in Paris” nearly misses the mark. For a band so aesthetically fixated on rawness and force, the live record feels surprisingly like a studio album, with a level of polish unusual for a live affair — especially for sleater-Kinney. The inclusion of many post-hiatus hits most likely contributes to this sense, given that “no cities to Love” is arguably the band’s most
carefully engineered release. even the performance itself, while as powerful as the tracks performed, is also quite “by the book.” The businesslike way the group takes to the stage and blazes through the set-list with minimal audience engagement diminishes the impact of the experience — even for the remote listener — given that sleater-Kinney’s music is so rooted in pathos. raucous cheers between tracks feel almost like canned laughter as a result. While none of these three women speak French, one is left to wonder why, then, the band would decide upon this performance as the most representative and powerful of its post-hiatus shows. Fortunately, the songs alone carry the group’s timeless force, and it is hard to feel dissatisfied overall. sleaterKinney’s music is so high-energy that even a tame performance blows the audience away, and on “Live in Paris” they demonstrate no differently.
Contact Adrian Mark Lore at lore.1@nd.edu
“Live in Paris” Sleater-Kinney
Label: Sub Pop
Tracks: “What’s Mine Is Yours (Live),” “Price Tag (Live)”
If you like: Savages, Yo La Tengo, Tacocat
By ERIN McAULIFFE s cene e ditor
scene is constantly on the lookout for what to watch so we can provide our readers a compass to navigate the constantly saturated flow of entertainment.
The super bowl is something everyone watches, even if just for the commercials and Lady Gaga’s drones. This year many commercials targeted a “watching” audience to watch more. here’s a guide to help you decide what’s hot and what’s not from the super bowl ads.
What To Watch:
That girl from T-Mobile dance some more (take note, Missy Elliot)
T-mobile had quite a few spots in sunday’s primetime programming, but any one featuring Justin bieber is bound to spark conversation. In the #Unlimitedmoves spot “the biebs” was upstaged and out-sassed by a young female hiphop dancer. her moves give the Abby Lee dance company a run for their money.
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
The red capes. The cult premise. Peggy olson (elisabeth moss). This adaptation of margaret Atwood’s fiction novel looks eerie but visually appealing — and addicting. hulu seems to be promising premium content, a welcome
addition to a platform that seems lost between the netflix and online cable provider models.
The 84 Lumber ad — in full
Fox broadcasting company made 84 Lumber amend their super bowl spot to remove an image of President Trump’s proposed wall. but it’s 2017 and YouTube exists: When word got out, visitors crashed 84Lumber.com trying to see the ad in full. The full ad (available on YouTube) shows a wooden door carved into the wall, followed by the message “The will to succeed is always welcome here.”
“Genius”
national Geographic played on Lady Gaga’s halftime show to draw audiences into einstein’s rendition of “bad romance.” combine that with an intriguingly vague, intense montage and the show has my attention.
Melissa McCarthy’s SNL bit — again
In a Kia spot, mccarthy attempted to save the whales, the trees, the ice caps and more in what was lauded as a “hero’s Journey.” With her sean spicer skit on snL the night before, sunday’s commercial was well timed — people had been referring to her cross-gender casting’s brilliant results as “heroic” all day. Plus, the commercial added some of the best humor of the night.
Kristen Schaal in a “50 Shades of Gray” spoof
In a sensual ad that made corinne’s antics on “The bachelor” seem PG, Kristen schaal teased a “50 shades of
Gray” spoof for T-mobile featuring verizon’s data overage fees as sadomasochistic punishments. The “blockbuster” was more enticing than “Pirates of The caribbean 89,” “scarlett Johansson in Yeezy season 3” and whatever else the super bowl’s action film spots were showcasing. reminiscent of her character on “Flight of the conchords,” schaal’s feature was more memorable than bieber’s for the brand.
“Stranger Things 2”
At first I thought it was an eggo ad gone awry, but then: the font. Guess I have until halloween to finally work up enough courage to watch the first season.
What Not To Watch:
“Real Awful Moms / World of Tanks”
Quite honestly, I did want to watch this fake reality show (see “dance moms” and “The bachelor” references above), but then a tank rolled into the scene and the voice of bopIt (not a verified fact, but seems legitimate) yelled “Tanks rule!”
An ad for the Nintendo Switch
Two words: Imagine dragons.
Daytona Day
Two words: daytona day.
Contact Erin McAuliffe at emcaulif@nd.edu
Poetic justice
John Darr s cene Writer
“ c ertain types of institutional recognition (people writing articles about you, winning awards, etc.) don’t necessarily even lead to that many people seeing your work. … I decided I’d rather seek a bigger living audience over prestige or institutional respect.” – s teve r oggenbuck, internet poet n otre d ame’s only copies of “AG n I” volumes 80-85 have been sitting on my dorm bookshelf for the last three months. AG n I is one of the world’s most respected literary journals; its memorable title, intriguing cover design and forward-thinking work make it the sort of book which sells itself from a display shelf.
Apparently, nobody wants to read them.
As a periodical, I need to renew AG n I constantly and yet not once has a copy been recalled for someone else’s use. The same goes for the latest volume of the “Pushcart Prizes,” a collection of the best work from small e nglish literary journals around the world. Though it hardly comes as a surprise that very little of the public reads poetry, it’s a bit shocking that even when narrowing down the population to an academically elite institution, the readership is close to nonexistent. I’m not kidding myself either. I barely read poetry even though I’m writing poetry from my thesis. It’s clear to me that even if I ‘make it’ in the world of poetry by selling verses to toptier journals, very, very few people will read my work.
e ven so, poetry survives. In some areas, it’s actually thriving. h ip-hop has long been a stronghold for poetry in the mainstream. Yet even more hopeful than Kendrick Lamar reigning on the billboard charts are the handful of artists who are taking social media by storm. The afore-quoted s teve r oggenbuck has racked up over 200,000 views his joyful video-poem “make something beautiful before you are dead.” Patricia Lockwood’s timely poem “ r ape Joke” went viral as its text circulated the internet. r upi Kaur’s powerful, short poems created a whirlwind on Instagram that eventually lead to a collection titled “ m ilk and h oney,” which spent 25 consecutive weeks on the n ew York Times bestseller list.
Is poetry destined to make a comeback through the web? It’s certainly possible. m ost poetry on the page is fading away unread on one bookshelf or another.
s teve r oggenbuck’s populist statement on the state of academic poetry publication rings truer every day. People around the world still want to discover poetry.
We just have to start publishing it in places where they will actually look.
Contact John Darr at jdarr@nd.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
letter to tHe edItor
My parents are not coming to Junior Parents Weekend
In theory, Junior Parents Weekend (JPW) is a wonderful opportunity to showcase and celebrate the accomplishments of notre d ame juniors. however, I cannot help but consider the event with some hesitancy because of an underlying sense that my family’s financial situation draws a vast contrast from the majority of those who attend the university.
s tatistics from the o ffice of Financial Aid seem to reinforce this feeling; 10.6 percent of enrolled students in the class of 2020 come from families with yearly incomes less than $60,000. A few components of JPW seem to highlight some of the disconnect which lowincome students may experience at n otre d ame.
As my parents looked at the informational page about JPW online, they noticed certain buzzwords such as “gala” and “luncheon.” These are not experiences to which my family is accustomed. A couple hours after reading the information, my mom searched YouTube in the hope of discovering what a “gala” entails. Though I laughed at her action, I realized that I myself have also never attended a gala.
In addition, when reading up on the “recommended” attire for certain JPW events, the mention of khakis caught me by surprise. Though it may seem like an overreaction, I became slightly anxious at the thought of buying an article of clothing that I have not owned for over 10 years.
c oming from a household in which money is often tight, many of the purchases I make are unnecessarily cognizant of the fact that I should save money whenever possible. e xtending beyond the khakis, I started to feel anxiety at the idea of my parents spending a large sum on car rentals, hotels, flights and even attire for an entire weekend. For my parents, JPW would not be a mini-vacation, but rather a large financial sacrifice.
It seemed that through the participation in such stately events, fancy attire and a “cocktail-party atmosphere,” my parents and I would feel completely out of place. We could not help but perceive JPW as a weekend in which certain economic and social circles thrive. not the circles of the working class, but rather those of the upper echelons, which make up the majority of the student body.
To reiterate, there is nothing wrong with coming together as a notre d ame community to enjoy the company of one another. In fact, the strength of community is a value that n otre d ame students and
alumni claim to uphold. Like in any society or organization, however, there is always the potential for alienation. Though unintentional, the implementation of such specific dress codes at JPW is a subtlety insensitive gesture toward those of lower socioeconomic status.
b ecause my parents do not have consistent interaction in social circles of the upper class, they will feel out of their element at JPW gatherings. If they were to come, my parents would not have the luxury of talking to others about their master’s (or bachelor’s) degrees, or the most recent vacation they went on, or the spacious hotel at which they are staying for JPW. Though it would be foolish to think these are the only topics which will be discussed at JPW events, I am certain that there would be inevitable conversations that would make my parents and I aware of the fact that we are outliers at a school which is highly attended by the upper class.
I do realize that notre d ame will never be a place in which those of low socioeconomic status make up a significant portion of the student population. This idea is unfeasible because those who are able to pay full tuition are a vital component of the university’s ability to continue operation at its current pace. however, the presence of economically disadvantaged students at notre d ame should facilitate one of the most important functions of a university: the opportunity for students to interact with and learn from other young people from a variety of different backgrounds and beliefs.
In line with this thinking, I would urge the university to continue to make socioeconomic diversity a priority. A small way to make JPW more inclusive toward low-income families could be a revision of the dress code to a more broad recommendation of ‘formal attire’ for certain events. s uch vagueness will reduce the anxiety of having to buy specific attire. The less alienated a group feels at notre d ame, the more open they will be to participate on campus and engage in conversation about issues such as these.
Though my parents and I are not participating in JPW for a variety of reasons, we are nevertheless very grateful to be a part of the notre d ame family.
Rodgers junior Feb. 5
Patrick
Rare diseases matter, too
“God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.”
This quote was one of many displayed last saturday at notre dame’s annual rare disease day. The two-day conference was hosted by notre dame’s boler-Parseghian center for rare and neglected diseases and was meant to raise awareness and increase understanding of particular rare diseases.
It’s an important mission. rare diseases are defined in the U.s. as conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people, but in total about 30 million Americans suffer from one of them — that’s 10 percent of the population. Fifty percent of sufferers are children, and of those 30 percent won’t live to see their fifth birthday.
Part of the problem is that these rare diseases are often genetic in nature, making them harder to treat — you can’t vaccinate against your own dnA. but the biggest issues holding rare disease treatments back are often financial in nature, not scientific.
It’s no surprise that not all diseases receive the same amount of research money. Psoriasis, a skin condition that causes scaly rashes, receives about one one-hundreth of the amount of nIh funding allocated to hIv/AIds. That’s a statistic most people are okay with, as most people would consider hIv/AIds to be a more “serious” disease. And it’s true that hIv/AIds is life-threatening while psoriasis is not. but 125 million people worldwide are living with psoriasis, while 37 million are living with hIv/AIds Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, and studying it could shed light the 100 or so other identified autoimmune diseases; hIv/AIds is a retro-virus, one of only three such pathogens known to cause disease. There are dozens of independent foundations dedicated to raising awareness
and funds for hIv/AIds; there are less than 10 such foundations for the care of psoriasis.
even with all that mind, it’s probably still appropriate that hIv/AIds gets much more funding than psoriasis, if only because AIds is deadly and psoriasis is uncomfortable. but this example highlights an important topic in healthcare policy: how do you decide which diseases get money, and which ones get swept under the carpet?
The issue is complicated: Policy makers have to take into account the number of people affected, the severity of the symptoms, the costs of treatments and potential of the research. They have to ask questions like, ‘What’s more serious — a disease that causes life-long disability, or one that causes premature death? Is it more important to fund disease research that’s close to a cure, or still stuck in the beginning stages? A disease that brings 1,000 people pain, or a disease that kills five?’
Federal funding agencies are required to answer these questions. They have a limited amount of money, and they have to find ways to distribute it equitably — or at least to try. Perhaps not surprisingly, rare diseases are more likely to get the shorter end of the financial stick.
rare diseases receive less federal funding, and also less public attention — everyone knows about breast cancer, but how many have heard of neurofibromatosis? Less public attention translates to less public demand, and again, lower funding priorities. It also translates to fewer dedicated treatment centers, support foundations and public resources. even if a successful treatment is developed, pharmaceutical companies are less willing to produce it — rare diseases have fewer patients, and it’s more cost-effective to produce drugs that are marketable to more people. For pharmaceuticals, fewer sick people means fewer paying customers. currently, there are less than 4,000 FdA approved drugs for the 7,000 identified rare diseases. The obstacles facing rare disease research are large, but
the situation is far from hopeless. The nIh might have its hands tied as far as who gets what percentage of its money, but the federal government has a huge bank account — the one one-hundredth fraction that goes to psoriasis is still over $10 million per year. And the public can help. charitable foundations can raise startling amounts of money to fund research and development — like the everyLife Foundation, which recently raised $60,000 to support scientists training as genetic disease specialists. donations from every day people make up the bulk of these foundations’ proceeds. remember the ALs ice bucket challenge? Its advocacy resulted in over $115 million in donations to fund research into the rare disease Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis, and thanks to that money researchers have identified what may be the most important gene involved in the disease.
Advocacy helps. events like the one last weekend raise awareness, which is the first step to raising funds — or the demand for them. rare diseases may only affect 10 percent of Americans, but all of us can help by listening to their stories, understanding their problems and supporting the research that may save their lives.
God may give his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. but fighting rare diseases doesn’t have to be one of them.
Sarah Cate Baker is in her third year at ND, double majoring in biology and English. When she’s not in the lab pouring over viruses under a microscope, you can usually find her shooting caffeine in the Hesburgh basement, while she desperately tries to write papers and make deadlines. If you would like to question her sanity or her science, feel free to email her at sbaker6@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
U.S. tax supremacy
Throughout the world, there are a variety of tax bases that are used to collect revenue for governments. many countries use both a personal income tax, others use a consumption tax and some (like the United states) use a combination of both. There are positives and negatives to all options, and governments have to decide which is best given the effects on each tax base. The United states’ current hybrid system is the best option for a tax base because of its characteristics: It allows the tax system to avoid regressivity and promote progressivity if it would like, while also encouraging certain types of saving and investment.
First, the current system of taxation in the United states allows the government to avoid burdening the poor more than the rich. If the United states switched to a pure consumption tax, there would be a heavier burden on the poor. The poor consume a larger portion of their income (in some cases, close to all of their income) than the rich do. because of this, a much larger percentage of their income in each year would be subject to taxation than the rich. Although this does encourage saving, some families just cannot afford to save — and a pure consumption tax would likely have a larger effect on them. With the hybrid system we have today, there is no problem with regressivity — the government can tax different levels of income at different rates. They are able to (and do) alleviate the burden on poorer families by considering what all people consume in the context
of what they make. due to this, the government is able to choose to not burden families who can barely take care of themselves. This is an important feature, as it essentially puts dollars back in a family’s pocket that would’ve been given up in taxes under a consumption tax.
In light of the aforementioned problem with the consumption tax, one must consider why the personal income tax is not the simplest alternative. It does allow for progressivity and prevent regressivity.
so why is the hybrid system better? The personal income tax, unlike the hybrid system we have today, taxes all income equally. As a result, the taxes that are imposed on things such as dividends, interest and capital gains lowers the benefit of savings compared to consumption in the present. The personal income tax also lowers the incentive individuals have to invest (by taking the tax before individuals invest), thus creating less interest. This discourages saving and raises the value of consumption in the present. With the hybrid system, however, the federal government can choose to reduce the penalty of certain types of saving. Things like Ir As, which are beneficial to an investor’s futures, can be exempt from taxes — which reduces the penalty for consumption in the future. The hybrid system also allows certain investments to be given preferential treatment, such as capital gains. Although in a consumption tax no saving is taxed, the personal income tax would be far too harsh on taxing before-saving income — in turn, dis-incentivizing saving. The hybrid system we have today is most effective because it takes the best of the consumption and personal income tax and combines them into one policy. The consumption tax is good because it encourages saving:
The hybrid will incentivize and encourage select investment. The personal income tax is also beneficial because it is not as regressive as the consumption tax and is able to be progressive; the hybrid system does this also. It doesn’t go as far as either plan, however, which may be a good thing. The hybrid system allows the government to choose what sort of saving and investment it should encourage. For example, in today’s system, the saving that is encouraged is picked by what the government exempts from taxation. At any time, the government could change the tax code to incentivize different saving, depending on what economic analysis indicates is best. This allows the government to be especially flexible. Furthermore, although the hybrid system may ask for more financial information than the other tax systems, that information can also be useful. some of the different tax credits and deductions are targeted at certain groups of people who really need help. This allows the government to pinpoint where individuals are spending their money and give aid where needed. The hybrid system encourages saving, is not regressive and allows for government flexibility, making it the best option for a tax system.
Neil Joseph is a senior from Columbus, Ohio, majoring in political science and economics. He hopes that you don’t use these articles against him when he’s running for school board one day. He welcomes all compliments at njoseph2@nd.edu, and sometimes responds to those who criticize him.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Sarah Cate Baker s cience is Golden
Neil Joseph moderately o pinionated
Happy Birthday: follow through with your ideas, plans and your dreams. Turn something you love to do into a bigger part of your life. Invest more time in yourself and the people you enjoy being with. Take the initiative to get involved in making your home and family life better. making positive changes is up to you, so get moving. your numbers are 3, 10, 21, 27, 30, 42, 46.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put more energy into your relationships. m ake an effort to compromise and play fair. g ood things will happen if you are helpful and encourage others in their efforts. Plan your actions and budget your time carefully. r omance is featured.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): e njoying what you do will make it easier to do a good job. use a little ingenuity and approach your responsibilities in a unique and interesting way and you will come up with ideas that will make you more marketable.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take the high road and don’t be influenced by what others do. Live within your means and take what you do seriously. Live life with integrity and treat other people with kindness and compassion.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): d on’t stress out when you should be concentrating on the people and projects that bring you joy. d on’t be afraid to do things differently or to say “no” to the demands being put on you by others.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It’s up to you to bring about changes. s elfimprovement projects, educational pursuits and partnerships are all favored. g et involved in networking groups and you will discover opportunities you didn’t know existed. Travel, adventure and serious relationships will transform your life.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): d on’t lose out just because someone is putting unreasonable demands on your time. Take care of what needs to be done quickly and move on to projects, events or activities that will ensure that your interests are met.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): e xpand your mind. d elve into the unknown or sign up for a retreat. k nowledge will be enlightening and give you a better perspective when it comes to dealing with children, family and affairs of the heart. Travel and education are encouraged.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Look for unusual ways to improve your surroundings without being excessive or going into debt. It’s important to maintain financial stability if you want to avoid adding more stress to your life. h ard work will bring the most satisfying improvements.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take every opportunity you can to gain ground and get your way. your charm and winning attitude will be difficult for others to resist. d rum up support and make your way to the finish line. r omance is favored.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): b ide your time. d on’t limit what you can do or take on assignments that deter you from reaching your goals. s et priorities and map out your course of action to ensure that you will not fall short.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It’s full steam ahead. d on’t look back or sideways, just keep moving forward until you reach your destination and are satisfied with the results you are getting. Take control of your life and do what’s best for you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): you’ll have to control your emotions and let your creative mind take over if you want to get past the barriers that stand in your way. A unique approach will impress someone who will recommend you for future projects.
Birthday Baby: you are outgoing, creative and goal-oriented. you are charismatic and compassionate.
Jumble | dAvId hoyT And Jeff knurek
Patriots’ win adds to conspiracy
R.J. Stempack sports Writer
This column was going to have a simple premise: “Thank goodness the nFL is finally over so everyone can start focusing on the nbA like they should have been doing three months ago.”
but then Tom brady did Tom brady things, except to a greater level than anyone could have imagined.
I have to be honest — super bowl LI earned my attention. not because it was the greatest sporting event I had ever seen, and not even because I had never seen anything like it. Actually, the opposite: the Patriots blew me away because they made the super bowl eerily similar to the previous two professional championship games.
stick with me, and you will be amazed.
Falcons gave up a 31-0 run to close the game, collapsing from a 99.5 percent peak win probability against the Patriots, and solidifying Tommy brady as the best quarterback of all time.
do you see it yet? no? Alright, let’s move on to case number two.
on a warm evening in cleveland, ohio, on the second of november, the chicago cubs completed a three-game comeback in the World series to clinch the first title for the team since 1908.
one could say that the Indians blew a 3-1 lead.
case number three: oakland, california, at oracle Arena on a sunday in the middle of June. Kyrie Iriving hit the shot after Lebron James made the block. The details are unimportant, but the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead that evening.
Let me recap this for you.
The Falcons gave up a 31-0 run.
The cubs came back after being down 3-1.
The Warriors blew a 3-1 lead.
This is where I would put in a couple of those wide-eyed emojis if I could.
Instead, it is time to yell incoherently that there is, in fact, a conspiracy going on here. but what does it mean, and who is behind it?
somebody, somewhere wants
to send a clear message, that those who are in the lead are not as safe as they used to be. It could be roger Goodell or Adam silver, the commissioners of the nFL and nbA. A lot of people seem to dislike and distrust Goodell, so my bet is on him. I have no idea who the commissioner of the mLb is, so he probably is a fine dude and I’ll cross him off the list.
I like silver. he has done a good job preventing work stoppages and promoting league-wide changes to prevent fan-unfriendly things like tanking. but how would Goodell control leagues that are not his own without help from other commissioners?
maybe the government is involved. There was that election for a high-ranking position this past year where some guy who was thought to be a clear underdog ended up winning in a huge landslide.
We will never know. conspiracy talk aside, the one thing that is clear is that sports have been exciting and fun this year, for fans of all types. Talks of super teams and lack of parity have been drowned out by cheering and sobs of unpredictable winners and unlikely losers. sports bring people joy because they serve as a door to a simplified world, where random chance is magnified. This year has demonstrated that this remains true, even at the highest level.
The better team can lose, the underdog can overcome terrible unfavorable odds and for a brief moment, both fanbases can suspend reality and become a part of the moment, the moment where the unlikely becomes the truth.
Let us cherish this year of upsets, because the next few years are bound to disappoint in comparison to the craziness of this year. but if you ever need to feel the excitement of the super bowl again, look no further than the nbA, where amazing happens on national television at least three times a week.
Contact R.J. Stempack at rstempak@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Pacers rally after halftime, add to winning streak
Associated Press
IndIA nAPoLIs — Paul George had 21 points and eight rebounds, Jeff Teague scored 17 points and the Indiana Pacers rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to beat the oklahoma city Thunder 93-90 on monday night.
Indiana has won seven straight games — its longest winning streak in almost two years.
russell Westbrook led oklahoma city with 27 points, a season-high 18 rebounds and nine assists, falling just short of his 26th triple-double this season.
The Thunder struggled mightily in the second half, giving away a 52-41 halftime lead by midway through the third quarter. The Pacers then went on a 12-4 run to take a 79-72 advantage early in the fourth and never trailed again.
Indiana led 91-82 with 4:48 to go, but the Thunder scored
eight straight points and had a chance to take the lead with 1:39 to play until Westbrook missed a layup and steven Adams missed a tip.
George answered with an 18-footer, and oklahoma city didn’t score again.
Westbrook missed two 3-pointers in the final 7.6 seconds that could have forced overtime.
It was that kind of night for Westbrook, who went 10 of 27 from the field and 4 of 10 on 3s.
Indiana, which shot 30.4 percent from the field in the first half, shot 46.3 percent in the second half.
tip-ins
Thunder: They are 3-6 on the second night of back-to-backs this season. ... oklahoma city was swept by the Pacers for the first time since 2008-09. ... Adams had 15 points and nine rebounds and Andre roberson had 11 points and 11 rebounds. ... Jerami Grant had five blocks.
... The Thunder shot 46.7 percent in the first half and 30.2 percent in the second.
Pacers: They have won four straight home games. ... Indiana moved within one win of extending the nbA’s longest active streak of consecutive winning seasons at home to 28. ... The Pacers are 14-4 since Jan. 1. myles Turner had 10 points and four blocks, his 13th game this season with at least four blocks. ... Glenn robinson III had 14 points off the bench. ... Al Jefferson’s three-game streak of scoring in double digits came to an end.
up next
Thunder: Will host the defending nbA champion cleveland cavaliers on Thursday night before Kevin durant and the Golden state Warriors come to town saturday.
Pacers: Will wait to see if Lebron James suits up for the division-leading cavs on Wednesday night.
Super Bowl ads balance light humor and politics
Associated Press
neW YorK — messages about America, inclusiveness — and, yes, even “four years of awful hair” — kept bubbling up in super bowl 51 ads from Airbnb, the nFL and a line of personal care products. but there was still plenty of escapism and light humor for those who weren’t into the politics.
As the new england Patriots edged out the Atlantic Falcons on the field in houston, Airbnb touted inclusiveness with an ad showing faces of different ethnicities and the copy: “We all belong. The world is more beautiful the more you accept.”
coca-cola aired a previously run ad during the pregame show in which people sing “America the beautiful” in different languages. And budweiser ran a 60-second spot chronicling cofounder Adolphus busch’s migration from Germany to st. Louis in 1857, prompting some critics to start a boycott campaign on Twitter.
even a hair care brand dipped into politics: The “It’s a 10” hair brand indirectly referenced President donald Trump’s
famously unruly do in its super bowl spot.
It’s tough to be a super bowl advertiser, period. but this year, a divisive political climate has roiled the nation since Trump took office in January, making it even tougher for advertisers. Advertisers who paid $5 million for 30 seconds had to walk the line with ads that appealed to everyone and didn’t offend. some were more successful than others.
“Anxiety and politics just loom over this game, so anybody who gives us the blessed relief of entertaining with a real super bowl commercial wins,” said mark dimassimo, ceo of the ad agency dimassimo Goldstein. several ads aimed for just that. Tide, for instance, offered a humorous ad showing announcer Terry bradshaw trying frantically to remedy a stain while his antics go “viral” online, with the help of new england Patriot rob Gronkowski and actor Jeffrey Tambor.
Walking the political line
“brands used to worry about whether their ad could be interpreted as right or wrong,” said
Kelly o’Keefe, a marketing professor at virginia commonwealth university. “now they have to worry about whether it will be interpreted as right or left.”
Plenty of ads walked that line.
An nFL spot conveyed what all advertisers hope the super bowl becomes: a place where Americans can come together. “Inside these lines, we may have our differences, but recognize there’s more that unites us,” Forest Whitaker intoned in a voiceover as workers prepped a football field and gridiron scenes played.
“The super bowl is shaping up as a counterpoint to the divisiveness in the united states,” said Tim calkins, a marketing professor at northwestern university. Airbnb’s ad was one of the more overtly political, showing a variety of different faces with the tagline “We accept.”
some thought the ad was a hit. “Kudos to them for making a strong statement,” said o’Keefe. but others, such as villanova university marketing professor charles Taylor, thought it didn’t have a clear enough link to the brand and risked coming off as a “purely political statement.”
Irish sophomore guard Arike Ogunbowale shoots a floater over the Louisville defense during Notre Dame’s
with 22 points, and was one of five players in double digits. The win over Louisville was Notre Dame’s first over a ranked team since
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stretched their lead to 22.
“i mean, 50 points at halftime, that’s pretty good,” mc g raw said, laughing. “i’d like to see us do that every night.”
The i rish lead stayed stable in the second half as the numbers in various players’ stats columns continued to grow. Turner and freshman guard Jackie Young were both on double-double watch for much of the second half. Turner finished the game with 11 points and nine rebounds,
while Young tallied 16 points and seven rebounds.
“ i thought that was the best game [Young has] had all year,” m c g raw said. “ … i mean, she had six rebounds at halftime. s he was really attacking the glass. s he looked really confident driving the ball. i ’m just really pleased with her game. i think she’s really coming along. i ’ve been waiting for this game and i think she has, too. a nd i think it’s gonna really fuel her confidence.”
Young credited i rish associate coach b eth c unningham’s pre-game pep talk with Young as a major factor in the
self-assurance she felt as she stepped on the court.
“Just, going into the game c oach c unningham was talking to me, just trying to motivate me and just tell me that i really can score the ball,” Young said. “ i just have to have confidence and not pass up open shots.”
i rish senior guard Lindsay a llen further solidified her n otre d ame legacy as she scored 15 points and picked up eight assists to move into second place on the n otre d ame all-time assists list, passing 2013 graduate and i rish icon s kylar d iggins. m c g raw said a llen’s leadership and ability
a dverT isemen T
to see the big picture on every play have propelled the i rish to where they are today.
“[ a llen] is so important to our team. s he is the unquestioned leader,” m c g raw said. “ i ’m glad she was able to make some shots tonight. s he had opportunity, she took advantage of it. b ut, way to distribute. i mean, she’s got the amazing vision, she’s so strong with the ball, she can drive it, she can do so many things with it. i think she’s gonna be a great W nba player.”
Turner noted the second half against the c ardinals made the game feel like one of
the best of the year, as n otre d ame was able to string together two solids halves of basketball to finish the victory.
“ it was really exciting,” Turner said. “ b efore the game we always talk about how we’re gonna go out and execute, and i feel like this is the first game we’ve put two halves together. Like, the first half in previous games, we kind of got complacent, but i feel like this game, we played the full 40 minutes and didn’t let down.”
a nother statistic of note for the i rish was their lack of turnovers, only turning the ball over three times in the game to tie the school record, including no turnovers in the first half.
“ i was so thrilled with the [lack of] turnovers,” m c g raw said. “Three ties our school record, no turnovers at halftime. i thought there was a mistake on the stat sheet when i saw that. That was just a really, really well-played game.”
d espite the team’s dominance throughout the game, m c g raw said she feels there is room for improvement going forward, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“We’ve gotta look at some trapping in the zone,” m c g raw said. “We’re gonna look at another zone and maybe work on the presses a little bit.”
The i rish will have the rest of the week to recharge before they take on g eorgia Tech at Purcell Pavilion on s unday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu
KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer
85-66 win on Feb. 6 at Purcell Pavilion. Ogunbowale led the Irish offense
the Irish beat No. 14 Duke, 62-58, on Jan. 26.
nd woMen’s basketball | nd 85, LouisviLLe 66
Balanced attack leads Irish in big home win
By ELIZABETH GREASON sports Writer
s omething clicked for the i rish on monday night.
no. 7 notre d ame (22-3, 10-1 Acc ) took down Acc rival Louisville, 85-66, after turning on the heat offensively in what i rish head coach muffet mcGraw said was a stellar second quarter.
After a slow start in which the no. 12 c ardinals (20-6, 7-4 Acc ) jumped out to a fourpoint lead, sophomore guard Arike o gunbowale took control of the i rish offense and maintained it for the rest of the game. o gunbowale scored notre d ame’s first six points to keep within reach of the c ardinals and then paced the i rish overall with 22 points.
b ack-to-back buckets halfway through the first quarter from junior forward Kathryn Westbeld put the i rish ahead for the first time and the lead did not switch again. mcGraw noted that Westbeld’s play is especially impressive considering she has not practiced since the i rish beat north
Men’s basketball
c arolina on Jan. 22 due to an ankle injury.
“[Westbeld] is really playing well,” mcGraw said. “i mean, 7-of-8 from the field. That’s amazing. Four assists — i mean she just really facilitates things for us at the high post and she can make that shot, so it makes us really hard to guard when she’s in the game.
s he’s probably the one player on the team that’s capable of doing that. We’re gonna look at that, bringing her off the bench.”
The i rish entered the second quarter with a 19-14 lead and went on to put on a clinic. mcGraw said she considered her team’s play in the second quarter to be some of its best so far this season.
“i thought [junior forward b rianna Turner] had some phenomenal tip-ins,” mcGraw said. “We rebounded, we scored, we shot the ball well; we did everything we needed to do in that quarter.”
The i rish put up 31 points in the next ten minutes and
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Louisville on Feb. 6 at
ND aims to end losing streak with ACC showdown i rish sweep weekend matches
By MANNY DE JESUS sports Writer
coming off its fourth loss in a row, notre dame will try to recover from their drop to seventh in the Acc against Wake Forest on Tuesday at Purcell Pavilion. despite sitting at 10th place in the Acc, the demon deacons (14-9, 5-6 Acc) are coming off consecutive league wins against boston college and Georgia Tech. Leading the charge for Wake Forest is sophomore forward John collins, who has scored 20plus points in six straight games.
Junior guard mitchell Wilbekin had a career night against the Yellow Jackets on saturday, scoring an Acc career-high 16 points while hauling in a career-high five rebounds and recording another career-high five assists.
“They can really score,” irish head coach mike brey said about Wake Forest. “This is a really explosive offensive team. collins inside has made himself a heck of an nbA prospect. he’s hard to deal with, but then you have shooting on the perimeter. You’ve got guys with shot-making
By MICHAEL IVEY sports Writer
notre dame enjoyed a successful weekend, sweeping monmouth and William & mary in back-to-back matches saturday.
The i rish claimed all the singles and doubles play in both matches. Among the i rish players who emerged victorious against each opponent were sophomore Grayson broadus, freshman matt Gamble, freshman Johnathan small and freshman Guillermo cabrera. Junior brendon Kempin, sophomore daniel rayl, sophomore Alex Lebedev and senior Josh hagar also recorded singles wins. in the doubles competition, the no. 1 pair of broadus/ Kempin won both of their matches while small won two matches as part of the no. 3 pair, playing with cabrera against monmouth and hagar against William & mary.
irish head coach ryan sachire said he was pleased with his team’s performance and was also happy with the performance of his reserve players.
“i was happy with saturday
for sure,” sachire said. “i think we played a couple of guys that hadn’t played yet in the matches. We were able to play our bench a little more and everyone played very well. our starters came out with a really good mindset and kind of led the way as far as their approach to their game and playing with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. it’s tough for the guys who haven’t played because this was their first match of the season, but i though they played very well. i thought it was a great day and we can build on it moving forward.” sachire reiterated his desire for his team to improve in their serving game.
“We’re playing the game very well once the points get started,” sachire said. “i think our success is going to be dependent on how we start points and if we serve effectively and return our opponents serve effectively. i f we do, we’re going to be pretty darn good because once the points get going, we’re as good as most teams. We’re going to continue to emphasize the serve and return of serve this week in
Men’s tennIs
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish freshman guard T.J. Gibbs shoots a wide-open jumper during Notre Dame’s 84-74 loss to Duke on Jan. 30 at Purcell Pavilion.
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KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer
Irish senior guard Lindsay Allen drives past a Cardinal defender during Notre Dame’s 85-66 win over
Purcell Pavilion. Allen finished with 15 points, a season-high, and eight assists.
