Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, October 6, 2016
Jenkins explains new university projects
University president, executive vice president discuss internationalization, innovation and finances
By MEGAN VALLEY news writer
university p resident f r.
John Jenkins and executive vice president John a ffleckg raves addressed n otre d ame’s faculty and staff at wednesday’s town hall meeting, which focused on globalization and the university’s finances.
Jenkins opened the fall town hall meeting by discussing the “biggest development” the university has undergone since he became president: internationalization. h e referenced the university’s newest partnership with Kylemore a bbey in i reland and spoke about
his travels to s outh a merica to reaffirm the “strong historical and cultural connections” the university has with the region.
“ we make connections with businesses, we make connections with government, we make connections with business leaders,” he said. “ p eople know about n otre d ame, and we can develop those relationships that could deepen our presence in those coun
tries and help us understand those regions.”
a nother major development, Jenkins said, was the recognition of the need to accommodate and encourage
students reflect on mental illnesses
discusses her experiences dealing with anoxeria at “In Our Own Words” on Wednesday night.
By AIDAN LEWIS news writer
morgan seidler, a notre dame sophomore who has struggled with depression, said her life probably seemed perfect to any outsider.
“i was the valedictorian, the varsity soccer player, the girl who was going to the great university of notre dame,” seidler said. “i was the girl who supposedly had everything going for her, and the girl who now wanted to say she had a mental illness.”
a s part of irish state of mind
week, students shared their personal experiences with mental illness during “in our own words” on wednesday evening in the la fortune ballroom. for too long, seidler said she was afraid to seek any help due to the stigma involved. however, she said she eventually “learned it’s oK to not be oK.”
“everybody has these struggles, and so many other people, especially on this campus, are trying to present this happy-golucky, carefree, ‘my life is just
see healTh PaGe 3
Group examines sexual assault policy
By RACHEL O’GRADY
a ssociate news e ditor
a s sexual assault continues to pose an imminent threat across the nation, members of the student senate heard from notre dame deputy Title i X coordinator heather r yan on wednesday night.
“sexual assault is a national
issue, and Title i X does not just apply to college campuses,” ryan said. “we’ve heard about these things. we hear about brock Turner. we hear about baylor in the news. l et’s be honest, we’ve heard about us too, with the hunting ground. people here are impacted.”
ryan said her job is to be there for any student facing
the impacts of sexual assault. “w hen we look at our community and talk about being the university of notre dame and the notre dame family — i mean who hasn’t heard of that? — but we look at all of that, and we aren’t doing enough,” ryan said. “w hen we
poet laureate visits campus
By DEVON HARFORD news writer
The i nstitute for l atino studies and the office of the p resident presented a poetry reading and moderated question-and-answer session with Juan felipe herrera, poet laureate of the united states, in debartolo performing a rts center on wednesday night. herrera was appointed a national poet laureate by the l ibrary of congress in 2015 and served as poet laureate of california from 2012 to 2015. he has received the national
book critics circle award, the a mericas award, and the robert Kirsch book award for l ifetime achievement.
The event began with opening remarks from university p resident fr. John Jenkins and francisco a ragon, associate professional specialist for the i nstitute of l atino studies, and a performance of herrera’s multi-voiced poem “The soap factory,” directed by film, theatre and television professional specialist siiri scott.
“o ver lunch on capitol h ill, herrera wondered aloud what a performance of his
multi-voice poetry would look like,” a ragon said. “so notre dame put together this performance for him.”
The piece was performed by graduate student luis l opezmaldonado, senior cassidy l eyendecker, freshman dawn russell, senior Jean carlo yunen a rostegui and graduate student susanna velarde covarrubias, who were all clothed in white shirts and blue jeans. herrera performed poems both in e nglish and spanish,
ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer
Saint Mary’s junior Colleen Zewe
sTudenT senaTe
see Town hall PaGe 3
see senaTe PaGe 4
see herrera PaGe 3
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
University President Fr. John Jenkins addresses faculty and staff at the fall town hall meeting Wednesday afternoon at Washington Hall. Jenkins discussed changes coming to the University in the future.
Town hall
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innovative ideas from students and faculty. Jenkins said n otre d ame is currently building up the infrastructure needed to better support faculty and student innovation — a process they’re starting by creating the position of vice president of innovation.
“ we need infrastructure to grease the wheels and make this happen, whether it’s a drug to treat a disease, or a computer chip that will be revolutionary or whatever it is,” he said. “ … r ight now, we’re looking for the person who will lead this as the vice president of innovation. a nd we will get that started. it’s very exciting because it moves the ideas out into the world and also because it provides a home for businesses.”
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perfect’ image,” she said. “you never know what other people may be going through.”
Though seidler said the road to recovery was extremely hard, she said she’s hopeful for the future.
“now that i’m facing the problem and i’m back in control, i know i can only go up from here,” she said.
colleen Zewe, a saint mary’s junior, said over the last few
Jenkins also touched on the university’s five-year sustainability strategy during the town hall meeting, a strategy he previously announced at a faculty address s ept. 21. h e said at the town hall that a committee had been established to review what the university was doing every year to ensure the proper implementation of the plan.
“ it’s a comprehensive strategy that will allow us to continue doing the work we do, but doing it in such a way that it’s pretty sustainable,”
Jenkins said.
f or the university’s upcoming 175th anniversary, Jenkins said there would be a “pilgrimage” to celebrate the founding of n otre d ame.
“ we will retrace f r. s orin’s steps to s outh b end,” he said. “ … w hat we’re hoping is for the last part of the trip, others
years she developed an eating disorder.
Editor’s note: Colleen Zewe is a news writer for the Observer. “a norexia didn’t just eat away at my weight,” Zewe said. “it ate away at my entire life, including my relationships.”
Zewe said the eating disorder caused her to become distant from her loved ones.
“i was too tired, too anxious and too obsessed with what and how much i was eating,” she said. “i was a ghost of my former self.”
Two weeks into last semester,
paid a dverT isemen T
will join us.”
Jenkins also spoke about the p resident’s o versight c ommittee o n d iversity and i nclusion, onboard training on diversity, the promotion of m ichael s eamon to the newly-created role of vice president of campus safety, the i ndiana b icentennial and united way.
f ollowing Jenkins, a ffleckg raves spoke about a fair l abor s tandards a ct ( flsa ) update, the university’s finances and parking.
The d epartment of l abor revised the regulations on overtime pay earlier this year, a ffleck- g raves said.
“ s pecifically, anyone who is making less than $23,616, at the old system, was eligible for overtime pay,” he said. “That is now changed to anyone who is earning less that $47,476. That’s going to impact a lot of employees in that
Zewe took a leave of absence and spent several months in a hospital recuperating. she said though she thankfully survived her latest battle with an eating disorder, two of her friends from the hospital have since died.
cynthia Tran, a notre dame sophomore, said she has always struggled with an almost crippling social anxiety.
“i’m not good with what a lot of people call emotional attachment, affection or social skills,” she said.
Tran said in the past she has tried cutting and attempted
group.”
f or those who are affected by this change, a ffleck- g raves said human resources consultants will be available for meetings to answer questions and oversee the changes.
The university, a ffleckg raves said, receives money from four sources: tuition, auxiliary operations, income on endowment and money from research grants — the first two being unrestricted and the latter two, restricted, depending on what the money is given for.
“ w hat’s happening over time is our dependence on tuition is declining,” he said.
“ w hat is happening is our restricted funds are growing — our endowment funds are growing and our research funds are growing — and we’ve reached a stage where they’ve actually crossed.
“53 percent of our funds
suicide, but finally started to feel happier during this past summer. however, she said this progress reversed several weeks into this semester.
“Just when i thought i had finally figured everything out and was ready to steer in the right direction, i suddenly fell back into another intense depression,” Tran said.
Tran said lately she has been trying to surround herself with people and positivity to prevent her depression from taking control.
“i’ve been pushing myself as
herrera
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such as “a lmost l iving, a lmost d ying,” “ s oldier in the e mpty r oom” and “b order b us.” he said artist f ulgencio l azo, clouds and fruit flies have all been inspirations for his works.
“p oems just kind of happen, and then we have to free fall into them,” herrera said.
herrera also said current events — such as the b oston m arathon bombing in 2013, the p ulse nightclub shooting in June and the b lack l ives m atter movement — inspire his poems.
“i just felt like i had to respond,” herrera said, when asked if he felt a duty to write about such issues. “ w hen you hear the word ‘writer,’ you should hear the word ‘human being.’ a s a human being and a writer, you can offer a poem in a time of need.”
for the final piece of the reading, herrera had the audience repeat after him as he read different lines from an assortment of poems he chose by opening up to random pages in his poetry collection.
f rom a young age, herrera said he was interested in words, partly because his mom often broke out into poetry. he began looking
come from restricted sources and only 47 percent come from unrestricted sources. … w hat [restricted funds] do is they give us less flexibility. it makes us more dependent on the financial markets.”
d espite his “concern,” a ffleck- g raves said the university is currently in “great shape.”
The parking committee established in f ebruary will be presenting a report to a ffleck- g raves near the end of this month, he said. The committee is looking at options including “surface parking, short-term parking, construction parking and a parking garage.”
“This is one of those things that affects us each and every day,” a ffleck- g raves said. “ it is a big issue.”
Contact Megan Valley at mvalley@nd.edu
much as i can to show up to as many practices and social outings as i possible to surround myself with friends and not just stay in my room and indulge in my own sadness,” she said. mental illness awareness week will continue tomorrow at 7 p.m. in 102 debartolo hall with a talk from Kevin briggs, a california highway patrol officer who has talked over 200 people out of committing suicide on the golden gate bridge.
Contact Aidan Lewis at alewis9@nd.edu
in r eader’s d igest’s “ word p ower” to improve his vocabulary.
“m y teachers at school thought i was crazy,” herrera said as the audience laughed. herrera also talked about the differences between writing poetry in s panish and e nglish.
“i want to feel like a guitar, and i’ll write in s panish. i want to feel like trumpets and brass, and i’ll write in e nglish,” he said. “i f i’ve been writing too long with one, i’ll take a break and write with the other.”
w hen faced with “writer’s block,” herrera said there is one topic that he can always pull inspiration from.
“f reedom,” he said. “r emember you are free, and there will always be something to write about.”
d rawing attention to how poetry is changing in the current day — referencing the development of spoken word and the integration of new oral traditions — herrera said the creative space that inspires poetry will always exist.
“ we need poetic moments to solve problems,” he said. “The world will always need that which creates poetry.”
Contact Devon Harford at dharford@nd.edu
say we’re going to be compliant to these Title i X rules, that is not nearly enough.”
a fter the results of the c ampus c limate survey were released last year, r yan said she was saddened by the outcome.
“ we know that our students and members of our family are harmed,” r yan said. “ we know that 6 percent of our women have experienced non-consensual penetration. we know that 2 percent of our men have experienced non-consensual penetration.”
r yan said this is an issue that affects everyone on campus.
“i need you to hear that this is not just a women’s issue. This is not just a straight person’s issue. This is all of our issues,” she said. “ we need to figure out how to take care of one another. i f we’re going to say we’re a family, we’re going to need to figure out how to take care of each other.”
a dditionally, r yan said the system for reporting sexual assaults has gotten better, though she feels most people are not aware of all the details.
“i f someone makes a report about sexual assault, we do not care if they were drinking underage or there was a parietals violation,” she said. “no one will send something to c ommunity standards, please know that. we want to make sure that the person is oK, and the person is safe. This policy has been in place for five years, and most people don’t know that.”
most assaults are reported by a third party, r yan said.
“a lmost 80 percent of our reports are from third parties because a lot of people are telling their friends and not knowing that they’re mandatory reporters,” she said. “s o we’re trying to make sure people know how to report, and [that] they have some choice in how it gets reported.”
w hile many assaults are getting reported, senators said they felt it was disconcerting they have not gotten emails from the notre d ame s ecurity police ( ndsp ) regarding any sexual assaults this year.
“There was an incident earlier this year where an assault was reported, but we never got any email about it, and i was just wondering why that didn’t happen,” junior p aul stevenson said.
r yan said the decision to send an email alert is made by ndsp
“i don’t want to speak for ndsp because they determine on specific issues on what comes out,” r yan said. “i will share with you that a lot of the time that the complainant is often worried about that timely warning going out because they’re worried that their name will be attached to that.”
s ophomore brittany
b enninger, representing c avanaugh h all, asked what the specific time frame is when determining what constitutes a “timely threat” on campus, for which students receive an email alert.
“i don’t know what the time frame is, but it’s usually five to six days,” r yan said. “but it’s not always time — sometimes it’s who’s involved, or where it happened or was there a weapon involved.”
The punishment across the board for non-consensual penetration has been permanent dismissal, r yan said. for less severe cases, or while the investigation is going on, there may be a ban in place preventing someone from being able
to enter a dorm.
“ we typically email the rectors and say so-and-so is not permitted to enter this dorm,” r yan said.
s ophomore Jade m artinez, the f laherty h all senator, said the student involved should have his or her swipe access revoked from that dorm, which is not a policy currently in place.
“ we really do want to bring a focus to the swipe access thing,” m artinez said. “ we do know that there are ways to make sure someone cannot get into a dorm, and that should be something we can deal with.”
Contact Rachel O’Grady at rogrady@nd.edu
By CARLOS DE LOERA and CHRISTIAN BUNKER scene writers
There are a million things we could say about bon iver’s highly anticipated new album “22, a million,” but we narrowed them down to these 22 for your convenience:
1) 22, A Million?: The first thing that jumps out about this album is its title. it immediately evokes the question “but why?” The answer to this question is shown through the composition of the track listings. The first song on the album — “22 ( over s ∞∞n )” — is the source of the 22 and the last song — “00000 m illion” — provides “a million.” mystery solved.
2) A different sound: This album still features the acoustic guitar and falsetto vocals that made us love Justin vernon in the first place. however, these elements are mostly buried under a sea of distortion, digital effects and auto-Tune. The result is analogous to the “real fruit juice” that lurks undetected beneath a sugary soft drink.
3) A quick burst of sound: This much-anticipated 10-track album clocks in at a short 34 minutes. half of the songs are less than 3 1/2 minutes in length. it is a bit disappointing for fans who have waited five years to hear new material from bon iver, especially since the album offers many solid tracks and leaves the listener wanting more.
4) Song structure: This album leaves no ambiguity about its experimental ambitions, so it was a little disappointing to notice that for all the studio wizardry, the songs were mostly two- to four-minute verse-chorus-verse affairs.
5) 22 (OVER S ∞∞N): both the first track of the album and the first single to be released, this song clearly occupies a very prominent spot in “22, a m illion.” a lthough the heavily treated intro was a bit much, the song improves greatly when the heartfelt vocals are joined by cleverly restrained acoustic strums, a wellplaced sample and finally a saxophone solo. The song is really a preview of everything the album is: a combination of many disparate elements, overly produced at times, yet still compelling.
6) 10 dEAThbREasT SS : w ith a title like this you expect to hear to some weird things, and from the get-go of the second track you do. at first, it sounds as though you are listening to an underwater drum machine running through a subwoofer, and there is something unsettling about it. but as other sounds get placed into the track, the subwoofer sound begins to fit rhythmically into the feel of the song and even mirrors the hostility of the lyrics.
7) 8 (circle): by our estimation, the eighth track is the best song on the album because it’s able to use all the different aspects of the album to create a song that showcases the ever-evolving sound of bon iver. The song holds that folk sound that helped bon iver rise to prominence while still using the experimental sound that envelops the album. This is likely the best bridge song for someone who is hesitant to embrace the new bon iver sound.
8) 715 - CR∑∑KS: The fatal flaw of the third track is too much auto-Tune. i n a very Kanye west manner, vernon decided to auto-Tune his voice for the track’s entirety. even though almost all the other songs on the album incorporate some form of digital voice modulation and offer a very different feel from bon iver’s previous material, the power of vernon’s falsetto, which can be heard throughout the album, is underutilized here.
9) Drumming: most of the songs on the album are bereft of drums, a feature that is especially frustrating for an avid finger drummer, but there are a few songs that do cleverly incorporate a drum set. The first song to do so is “33 ‘god,’” which introduces an openstudio-sounding drumset halfway through the song. The drums in this song add to the immediacy of the
lyrics and the internal conflict that the lyrics present. “8 (circle)” uses the drums for the same effect as “33 ‘god,’” which helps in making the song not seem as though it’s dragging along. o ur personal favorite use of the drums was in “666 ʇ.” being the g enesis and Tarzan soundtrack lovers that we are, we could not help but notice that the song uses phil collins-esque rolling drum fills to create a song that climaxes with the pounding of the drums, reflecting the tumultuous themes of the song.
10) Horns: since the days of c huck berry, guitar intros have been the traditional way to begin a song. horns have been an accepted member of the rock canon for a while, but the horn intros used on “8 (circle)” and “____45_____” are very new. This was one of the best innovations of the album, and it didn’t even require a computer.
11) $0NG T1TL∑$: we simply couldn’t stand the overly pretentious song titles. we get that music is a pretentious discipline by nature, but it’s still disappointing every time a good artist pulls another dumb stunt like this in some muddled attempt to add significance to their music. w hat’s next, a crossword puzzle that we have to complete to even find out what the song titles are? l et e.e. cummings be e.e. cummings, and focus on bon iver being bon iver.
12) Praiseworthy lyrics: This album is filled with a lot of seemingly nonsensical lyrics that most people, ourselves included, will not understand. but one song that’s lyrics stood out to us was “10 d eaThbreasT SS .” The lyrics, “darling don’t make love / fight it / l ove, don’t fight it / l ove, don’t fight it / l ove … ” reveal a person who has been, like many, hurt by the trials of love and who now harbors conflicting feelings about love itself.
13) More praiseworthy lyrics: The lyrics on this album don’t make a lot of sense, so it’s clear that vernon chose them for how they sound, rather than what they mean. he does an especially good job of this on “29 # strafford ap Ts,” where “canonize” and “paramind” each perfectly occupy the space between chorus and verse. The production effects used on the lyrics of this song are also noteworthy, as the distortion of vernon’s voice suggests that a desperate attempt at communication has failed. This, we believe, was the sound vernon was going for throughout the album. he overshot the mark sometimes, but it hits home here.
14) The Power of Kanye: i n his 2010 album “my beautiful dark Twisted fantasy,” Kanye west featured vernon as a writer or vocalist in three tracks and the music world let out a collective: “huh?” Three years later, west once again reached out to vernon to help him write three songs on “yeezus.” i n an august 2016 interview with bbc radio 1, Kanye said, “[ vernon] is my favorite living artist — i love Justin the way Kanye loves Kanye.” vernon believes west has been at the forefront of music for a while now and said in an interview with The guardian that Kanye’s messages about self-love helped vernon overcome anxiety and take care of his own creative needs. west’s influence can be heard in vernon’s willingness to use auto-Tune as well as employing non-instrumental sounds into his songs.
15) Sampling: a nother sign of west’s influence on this album was vernon’s use of samples, a technique not employed on any of his previous releases. six of the 10 songs on this album contain samples, which we found to be a nice touch. sampling is a good way to add variety to a recording, so it’s fitting that vernon used it when he is so obviously interested in creating a new sound.
16) Is this the “Kid A” of folk?: The comparisons between this release and the greatest album ever are fairly easy to draw: both were made by a band that had already gained great success with a certain sound, both reflected conscious abandoning of that sound and both drew heavily on the enormous powers of the
studio to alter natural sound. The fact that innovative albums are still being compared to radiohead’s fourth release speaks to the influence of that album, and vernon’s songwriting simply doesn’t measure up to the e nglish quintet. however, this album is also another “bringing it a ll back home” in the sense that just as bob d ylan made the decision to embrace technological progress by including electric guitar, vernon has also taken a crucial step forward technologically.
17) Folktronica?: npr critic w ill hermes wrote a fantastic article suggesting that “22, a m illion” was not folktronica, as many have characterized it, but rather just folk. he points out that folk is the music of the people, and virtually everyone has access to software with which to make electronic music. understanding this point really clarifies what music is in the 21st century and how “22, a m illion” fits into it.
18) (Cover) Art imitates sound: The artwork for the album was created by brooklyn-based artist e ric Timothy carlson and really reflects the overall feel of the album itself. The most prominent feature of the cover artwork is the yin-yang square in the middle of the cover. This symbol captures the essence of the mix of folk and electronic music and also comments on an album that has songs whose titles are diametrically opposed, e.g. “33 g od” and “666 ʇ.” surrounding the yin-yang square is a collection of seemingly unrelated drawings. These drawings range from religious images to animal drawings to the pesky duck-rabbit image. This collection of drawings also reflects the seemingly random amalgamation of sounds that listeners hear in the album.
19) A crazy cover: is the cover interesting to look at? certainly. is it useful for anything other than distracting a small child? p robably not. l ike the song titles, the cover felt like it was trying too hard, but then again lots of great albums have bad cover art.
20) Personnel: There are 22 listed personnel on the album, from musicians to writers to sound mixers. This is more of a funny coincidence than anything else, but one that we found interesting nonetheless.
21) Christian’s final thoughts: for me, this was an album of hits and misses. sometimes the horns sounded great, sometimes they didn’t. occasionally the drumming was impressive, often it wasn’t. many times the effects were great, but sometimes they were overkill. w hen an album attempts to be both great and experimental, it simply cannot miss as much as bon iver has here, so what we’re left with is a very different sounding, pretty good work.
22) Carlos’ final thoughts: bon iver has come a long way from its “skinny love” days, but that does not have to be a bad thing. This album reveals a whole new side to bon iver’s musical stylings and for the most part it is enjoyable. vernon’s ability to incorporate a variety of electric and nonelectric instruments into the album offers a pleasant juxtaposition of sound. vernon’s signature falsetto voice shines throughout most of the album because it tends to pair nicely with the use of ambient sounds. The two dark spots of the album are “715 - cr∑∑ Ks,” and “21 m◊◊n waTer,” which are too sonically disorganized to be enjoyable.
Contact Carlos De Loera at cdeloera@nd.edu and Christian Bunker at cbunker@nd.edu
If you like: Sufjan Stevens’ “The Age of Adz,” Radiohead’s “Hail to the Thief
colombia: more than ‘narcos’ and soccer
colombia has seen a rise in global exposure over the past few years, and, for the most part, it’s all in good light. however, many are oblivious to the major issues that colombia suffers through in 2016, and it’s about time that those problems get the attention that they deserve.
James rodriguez and the national soccer team have led colombia back to the top 10 in the fifa world soccer rankings. over the last few years, the team has qualified for the quarterfinals of the fifa world cup and the semifinals of the centennial copa a merica.
The story of the notorious pablo escobar has also received global attention thanks to the netflix original series “narcos.” most people now have a much better understanding of what kind of history dominated the colombian scene in the 1980s and 1990s, so that’s also helped in putting some of the spotlight on colombia’s story.
but that just isn’t enough.
escobar’s death in 1993 didn’t end the civil unrest against the political corruption or the widespread violence.
The medellin cartel fell and the cali cartel continued to do the work left behind by escobar. drug trafficking was as prevalent as ever, and the business continued to bring in billions of dollars.
Twenty-three years later, colombia has done its best to recover from what escobar left behind, but it’s in one of the direst situations in the world in regards to violence and civil unrest. The un refugee agency reported earlier this year that colombia has had 6.9 million internally displaced people — the most in the world, including syria. The revolutionary a rmed forces of colombia, or “farc,” has been a big player in continuing the civil war that has plagued colombia for about half a century.
The guerrilla leftist armed force has been in conflict with paramilitary groups and many other drug cartels, and the violent confrontations between the groups have forced hundreds of thousands of families to pick up and leave their rural homes and pack into big cities like medellin, bogota and cali. many of those people walk the streets without a home, without a job or any food to feed their families.
The humanitarian crisis has been overlooked by what experts say is a growing economy in colombia, which they say should theoretically help the situation, but the crisis has only gotten worse and continues to receive little attention. recently, the farc and the government, led by president Juan manuel santos, have been in the midst of a ceasefire while the two sides look to agree upon some sort of peace talk, and it looked for a while as if peace was finally going to be accomplished. however, the talks have fallen apart in recent weeks, and the colombian government has grown tired of the wait.
The ultimatum has been set for oct. 31. farc commander pastor a lape took to Twitter recently to get his side prepared for the worst in case the peace agreement fails to meet the deadline.
The state of colombia is uncertain, and this month will decide what the civil war’s fate after the ceasefire ends. This is a situation that has been overlooked for too long by the world, and given the important implications of the peace talks, it should start receiving the same global attention that narcos and the colombian national soccer team has given colombia.
Learning to listen at Vision
Erin Thomassen
The e xamined l ife
Two years ago, i thought i knew what g od was calling me to do at the n otre d ame v ision summer program: encourage high school students to explore their faith as a small group mentor, and sing, dance and spread joy as a music mentor. w hen i learned about the opportunity to give a witness talk, i was thrilled. a seasoned columnist for v iewpoint, i was confident in my ability to craft a talk that would be both humorous and insightful. i was ready to use the talents i felt g od had given me to serve him and make v ision an incredible, memorable experience for the participants.
l ittle did i know that g od would call me to become an entirely different kind of mentor than the one i had originally envisioned. i had to let go of my idealization of what my service to g od would look like in order to actually be a servant.
d uring the second week of our music mentor boot camp, i experienced a shock at the “ h ospitality” workshop. i was informed that my role as a mentor was not to spew the theological knowledge i was convinced i had acquired during the spring semester. i learned i had to take off my engineering hat, as i was not called to solve the participants’ problems, but listen compassionately to and pray with them instead.
i was not content at first with the role g od had cast me in. i wanted to be the star, not the supportive best friend. a s if this wasn’t enough, i had not been chosen to give my witness talk. w hen some of my shy friends lamented being chosen to speak in public, i could not help thinking how much i would love to take their place.
Then i saw my “shy” friends come alive sharing their stories, touching participants who could relate to their experiences. i could see my friends better processing and understanding how g od has worked in their life through speaking about it with others. i t then became clear that a mistake had not been made. They
were supposed to speak, and i was supposed to listen.
l istening was a challenge for me, but v ision gave me plenty of opportunities to practice. d uring the fourth week, the girls in my small group were dealing with family addiction, death and doubt. r ight before our one-on-one conversations, i prayed not for words to say, but for the self-control to be silent.
The h oly s pirit came, and instead of allowing me to speak in tongues, it allowed me not speak at all. d uring one talk, a tearful participant shared something that she had never been able to tell anyone about before — not because i was a stellar mentor, but because i didn’t know her family and friends. s he said she couldn’t write it in a diary because she was afraid of her parents finding it, but she could tell me because there was no way for it to get back to them. m y ability to help her had nothing to do with a special bond i had formed with her, or the special gifts i possessed. i t had to do with the fact that i didn’t know her, and that the h oly s pirit helped me be silent and listen.
v ision taught me the importance of loving others through offering them my full attention. i n this world of self-absorption and constant distraction, it can be challenging to fix my mind on something other than my own needs and desires. yet it is important to do so, for when my interior monologue and exterior dialogue cease, i can listen to someone, or s omeone, else. a quote by m eister e ckhart that i read during, fittingly, one of our hours of silence, stayed with me throughout v ision and for the next two years.
“The most important hour is always the present. The most significant person is precisely the one sitting across from you. The most important work is always love.”
a s i conclude this column, i will resist the temptation to have the last word.
Ms. Thomassen is a senior studying mechanical engineering. She lives at the Chateau off campus, with four friends and more crepes. She can be reached at ethomass@nd.edu
Manny De Jesus sports writer
A conversation on sex-based affirmative action
or position without fear of being discriminated against or treated differently, i guess.
The following is a hypothetical conversation between betty and elena.
betty: hey, did you go to that meeting the other night?
elena: The one about affirmative action and women? nah, i didn’t agree with their position.
betty: really? you know, i think we should rethink the affirmative action system; i agree with them.
elena: how could you? do you think women should just forever live as inferiors? i can’t believe this. i thought you stood for equality and fair play! i just don’t understand you people.
betty: elena, just hear me out. i understand this is a issue full of passion and emotion —
elena: i don’t want to discuss this with a sexist!
betty: This is the problem with politics these days, we simply can’t have a civil conversation. i want to hear your honest opinion on this, but also listen to mine. a s peers and friends, both of us deserve a chance to express and defend our views. i respect you and your perspective, can you just do the same for me?
elena: fine.
betty: oK, thanks. i just think that we shouldn’t leave the current affirmative action system unquestioned. maybe it’s not the most effective solution to a situation both of us would consider a problem: unequal treatment of men and women, especially in the workplace.
elena: wait, you agree that it’s a problem?
betty: yes! i am in no way an advocate for the perpetuation of the imbalance between the sexes, especially if women feel oppressed. i just think affirmative action as it stands now is the wrong approach.
elena: oK, i’m intrigued now, i didn’t know.
betty: Just to begin, what do you believe is the end goal of affirmative action for women?
elena: well, that women feel free to pursue any career
betty: oK, i agree. my problem with affirmative action is that while it might make progress towards that goal, it will never completely achieve it. in my opinion, as long as women are preferentially elevated to positions or careers, they are inherently being treated differently. in addition, it is no wonder they are still under higher scrutiny; if colleagues believe their new co-worker received preferential treatment, it is only natural for them to be suspicious of her abilities, especially if she was not necessarily the most qualified or best person for the job.
elena: i guess that has some merit. but i think there are more goals for affirmative action. The system should strive towards equal pay for women for the same work. a lso, in fields where an incredible majority is male, like law, engineering and architecture, women should gain a sizable representation. not only are these disparities unacceptable in a country where supposedly everyone is created equal, but they discourage young women from pursuing careers in these fields, which perpetuates the problem.
betty: i agree that women should not feel discouraged from entering fields where they might be the overwhelming minority. however, i think the solution to this should be from education rather than from hiring practices. Take a field with the opposite problem, like nursing. if equality among fields is such an inherent good, then we should be trying to get more men into nursing. but should we just give those nursing jobs to men who might not be as talented or caring? no — then our patient care and satisfaction would decrease, and our health-care system would suffer.
elena: yes, but …
betty: so we shouldn’t necessarily install women in certain jobs just for the sake of parity. a better system would give women educational benefits, or other unique experiences, in order to adequately compete for the same jobs as men.
elena: i can see where you’re coming from, but women still face underlying gender bias in hiring, and there is still a gender wage gap.
betty: Those are valid points. underlying gender bias is a problem. a fter few decades of affirmative action, there now should be enough women in underrepresented fields to promote hiring of more women and hopefully undo some of the bias. in addition, if we give extra education and other benefits to women, and they become even more competitive for jobs simply on their skills, some of this bias will come undone. a nd i have one question about the wage gap — is money a main motivator behind these policies? if not, wouldn’t we also be pushing for more female car mechanics and welders?
elena: if you put it that way, yes, i guess so. i’d phrase it, “women just haven’t historically been in positions of influence and power.”
betty: oK, i guess i can live with that for now. i have to get going, but there’s one last thing that’s been on my mind. if women are striving for more independence and dignity through influential positions, doesn’t artificial advancement undercut that? i know a couple people for whom the thought of landing a high-profile internship because they are female gnaws at them and their confidence. it’s just thinking out loud, though.
elena: ooh, i want to explain my thoughts on that. but i really need to go, too — i’ll be late. i’m glad you made me talk to you, thanks.
betty: no, thank you for giving me a chance to express my thoughts. our country could sure use more of this.
BridgeND is a bipartisan student organization that brings students from across the political spectrum together in discussions concerning public policy issues. The viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of BridgeND, but are the individual opinions of the author. Contact BridgeND at bridgend@nd.edu or follow them on Twitter at @bridge_ND
Talking about sex in light of catholic teaching
it seems to me that every campus conversation about sex right now is centered around one thing: consent. for most of the country, it seems that consent has become the minimal standard for the morality of sexual activity … but shouldn’t we expect more of notre dame? w hat if sex was about more than just consent?
w hen the g ender relations c enter held a panel last october, the focus was on consent: They talked about the effects of alcohol and the dorm party culture in getting and giving consent. d uring hall staff training this year, almost all of the information received was on how to promote a culture of consent. at the “s ex signals” show, we talked about … you guessed it: consent! w hat was neglected? p romoting a culture of healthy sexuality in line with c atholic teaching and
encouraging our men and women to reserve sex for intimate, committed relationships.
The c atechism of the c atholic c hurch tells us that sexual acts are not exempt from the rules of morality; they must always be marital, unitive and procreative: “The deprivation of any one or more of these meanings from the moral object causes the sexual act to be intrinsically evil and always gravely immoral.”
so given the context of sexual relationships established in the catechism, how has consent become the paramount concern in talking about sexual activity on a c atholic campus? we need to not only be reactive to the dangers of not providing consent (i.e., unwanted sexual encounters), but also proactive in instilling c atholic ideals into the conversation around sex.
c onsent is important and we should absolutely continue to talk about it. for our secular peer institutions, talking about sex mostly in terms of consent makes a lot of sense (some secular schools are starting sexual integrity training). but as a c atholic institution, i expect more. i expect us to talk about the beautiful side of sex, which involves more than willingness and a verbal “yes.” i expect us to talk about sex that is self-giving and mutually respectful; sex that is life-giving and intimate. notre dame has an opportunity to continue its role in educating the whole person, including the heart, so let’s take it.
Julia Murray senior oct. 5
Ben Robinson bridgend
sudOku | The mepham group
Happy Birthday: Travel and communication will help you reach your goals. express the way you feel and what you would like to see happen. be willing to compromise, but don’t give in to the point of losing self-respect. change will be required, but so will balance and integrity. Try to keep the peace, but be willing to walk away if that’s what’s required. your numbers are 1, 6, 14, 20, 27, 37, 41.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): opportunities are within your reach. don’t sit back when you know you should be the one in charge. use your past experiences to guide you. positive changes will result if you take action.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Temptation is best ignored. stay focused on personal improvements and work on making the gains that you know are within reach. a conversation will encourage a closer partnership with someone who can help you reach your goals. romance is highlighted.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): social events, entertainment and doing things with children will bring you closer to someone you love. plan to network with the people you enjoy spending time with, and together you will come up with a plan that will lead to new opportunities.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): a job that interests you will not be all it’s drummed up to be. ask questions before accepting an offer built on lofty hearsay. if someone talks down to you, walk away. follow your heart and focus on your best interests.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): protect against illness or emotional stress. Take time out to assess your situation and to find a way to use whatever difficulties you face to your advantage. a disciplined attitude will make others hesitant to mess with you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): share your thoughts and resurrect old dreams. you can implement something you love into your daily routine and enjoy the benefits of less stress, better health and a happier outlook. do what’s best for you. romance is encouraged.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): make plans that will get you up and moving. a little exercise will help alleviate some of the stress and anxiety you are experiencing. deal with domestic problems cautiously and keep an open mind to avoid getting involved in a dispute.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Try to present what you have to offer without giving away too much information. once you have grabbed everyone’s attention, you will be in a much better position to get the help you need without worrying about someone stealing your idea.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): observe what’s going on around you. find out what others think of your ambitions. use the information you gather to tweak your plans and avoid opposition. ask questions if you think someone has an ulterior motive.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): back away from anyone exhibiting confusion or insecurity. surround yourself with stable individuals who can contribute to your ideas without leaving you to fight your battles all alone. The incentives you offer won’t be a waste.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Times are changing, and it’s up to you to stay on top of what’s happening around you. broaden your outlook and learn whatever you need to know to be more tech-savvy.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): don’t let anyone put extreme demands on you or your time. minimize travel and cut down on lengthy conversations that will not lead to the results you want. rely on your talent, skills and innovative ideas to get where you want to go.
Birthday Baby: you are outspoken, driven and active. you are creative and intuitive.
Jumble | david hoyT and Jeff KnureK
JusT add waTer | eric carlson & John roddy
defense is key to super bowl ring
Michael Ivey sports writer
w hen the d enver b roncos won s uper b owl 50 back in f ebruary, everyone kept talking about one thing — p eyton m anning.
The big story was how m anning was finally able to win that elusive second s uper b owl ring. h e was finally able to win the big one. n ot only that, it ended up being his final nfl game. h e ended his career on top. w hat many may be forgetting, however, is that the b roncos won the s uper b owl last year more despite m anning’s play than because of it.
i n 2015, m anning had the worst statistical year of his illustrious career. h e had trouble throwing the ball as far as 15 yards down the field and there were times when his backup, b rock o sweiler, looked better than him.
m anning retired and o sweiler left to join the Texans in the offseason, which opened up a quarterback competition for the b roncos. l argely unknown second-year quarterback Trevor s iemian surprised many and beat first-round pick p axton l ynch for the starting job. s iemian has led the b roncos to a 4-0 record to begin the season. h owever, s iemian was hurt in the b roncos week 4 win against the Tampa b ay b uccaneers and replaced by l ynch.
i t seems like the b roncos can play anybody as their starting quarterback and still win. h ow is this possible?
The answer is simple: defense.
i t was the b roncos defense that propelled them to the title last season, and it has been the b roncos defense that has enabled them to start this season 4-0.
The b roncos’ suffocating defense is the reason they have been on such a dominating run during the first two years of g ary Kubiak’s head-coaching tenure there. Kubiak and defensive coordinator wade p hillips have created a defense that has completely shut down high profile quarterbacks like Tom b rady, c am n ewton, a ndrew l uck, a aron r odgers and Jameis w inston. They almost make it look easy.
The b roncos defense is just further proof that the key to winning a championship isn’t a good
quarterback, but a good defense.
l ook no further than a labama last season when they won the c ollege f ootball p layoff n ational c hampionship. The engine of that a labama team, as with their other recent national championship teams, was the defensive unit. This allowed them to win a national championship with Jake c oker as their starting quarterback.
a couple of years before the b roncos had the best defense in the nfl , the s eattle s eahawks held that distinction. The 2013 s eahawks defense recorded the best defensive statistics since the 1985 c hicago b ears on their way to a s uper b owl victory. They were able to make a return trip to the s uper b owl the following year. e ven though quarterback r ussell w ilson was a big part of the s eahawks’ success, the defense was the main reason the s eahawks were so successful during that two-year run.
s peaking of the 1985 b ears, they are another prime example of a team that won a championship because of their defense and not their quarterback. The b ears executed b uddy r yan’s 46 defense to near perfection on their way to a dominant season and s uper b owl victory. Their quarterback that season was Jim m c m ahon, whose main role on offense was pretty much handing off the ball to running back walter p ayton.
we have all heard the phrase “defense wins championships.” p erhaps we have never seen a time when that rings more true than now. There are three undefeated teams remaining in the nfl : the m innesota v ikings, the d enver b roncos and the p hiladelphia e agles. Their starting quarterbacks are s am b radford, m att s iemian and rookie c arson wentz, respectively. n ot exactly game breakers.
e ven though having a high-caliber quarterback obviously won’t hurt a football team, it is not as necessary to winning a championship as having a high-caliber defense.
Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Thunder squeak by Barcelona in preseason
Associated Press
barcelona, spain — forward enes Kanter scored 24 points and the oklahoma city Thunder beat barcelona 92-89 on wednesday for their first win after the departure of star forward Kevin durant.
Kanter drove for a lay-up with a minute to play to put the Thunder ahead for good to conclude their preseason trip to spain on a high note after monday’s loss at real madrid.
Just like against madrid, Thunder coach billy donovan limited point guard russell westbrook to the first and third quarters. he finished with 12 points and five assists in 21 minutes.
new backcourt partner victor oladipo added 10 points, but again struggled from behind the 3-point arc. The former orlando magic guard has made two of 11 3-point attempts in his two matches with his new team.
w hile oladipo can’t come close to matching durant’s shooting touch, westbrook highlighted the other qualities that oladipo brings.
“he brings athleticism, his speed. defensively he can do big things,” westbrook said. “it is doing to be a learning process for both of us, but we will figure it out.”
The Thunder were without center steven adams, who injured his right ankle during monday’s 142-137 overtime loss at madrid. his absence was noticed in the first half when center a nte Tomic scored 10 points.
“obviously with russell we are not going to play him a lot of minutes, and steven adams is hurt, so it gave our new guys a chance to play,” donovan said.
“i think from monday to today we have gotten better as a team. it was a great experience to work with new faces and new pieces.
i think it was very beneficial.”
barcelona was led by former portland Trailblazer forward victor claver, who scored a game-high 25 points.
westbrook thrilled the catalan crowd with a flying dunk late in the first quarter before taking to the bench until halftime.
without their on-court leader, the Thunder fell nine points behind before rookie domantas
nhl | red wings 4, penguins 2
sabonis capped a rally with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two points (47-45) entering the third quarter.
a lex abrines, who joined the Thunder from barcelona this offseason, also scored six points late in the final period to help put Kanter in position to get the win.
a fter claver hit a 3-pointer to put the hosts up by three points, Kanter scored game’s last six points with a jumper, the goahead lay-up, and a pair of free throws.
“i am happy the game worked out like it did because our guys got some good experience,” donovan said. “it forces them to gain some mental toughness. it put them in crucial situations down the stretch.”
it was the second game the Thunder have played since the departure of durant this summer to western conference rival the golden state warriors. The Thunder heads back to the u s. for four more preseason games, this time against nba opponents dallas, memphis, minnesota and denver, before opening the season at the philadelphia 76ers on oct. 26.
Two late goals lead to Red Wings exhibition win
Associated Press
piTTsburgh — martin frk and brendan smith scored late in the second period to lead the detroit red wings to a 4-2 exhibition victory over the pittsburgh penguins on wednesday night.
gustav nyquist had a goal and two assists, Tyler bertuzzi had a goal and an assist, and Jared coreau finished with 30 saves for detroit.
carter rowney and Kris letang scored earlier in the second period for the defending champion penguins to tie the score. marc-andre fleury stopped 25 shots.
with about 6 seconds left on chris Kunitz’s penalty for
hooking, frk took a pass from bertuzzi across the front of the goal and, while falling to a knee, fired it past fleury to give detroit a 3-2 lead with 4:49 left in the second.
smith’s wrister 2:13 later made it a two-goal game, and steve ott’s short-handed empty-netter with 17 seconds remaining capped the scoring.
nyquist and bertuzzi scored in the first to give detroit a 2-0 lead.
beauviller lifTs islanders pasT devils at newark, new Jersey, anthony beauviller scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:40 left in the new york islanders’ 3-2 victory over the new Jersey devils.
andrew ladd and alan Quine
also scored for the islanders, and Thomas greiss stopped 19 shots to beat the devils for the second time in three nights.
ben lovejoy and adam henrique had goals for new Jersey, and cory schneider finished with 30 saves.
Quine got the islanders on the scoreboard first, snapping a shot past schneider with 4:42 left in the opening period.
lovejoy tied it 2:20 later, and henrique’s third of the preseason put the devils ahead at 8:25 of the second.
ladd, who signed with new york in the offseason, got his second on the power play to tie it with about 8 1/2 minutes remaining in the middle period.
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When you’re sittin’ all alone When the rain is pourin’ and you need something to take you home Let me be that song that gets you high Makes you dance, makes you fall That melody rewinds years Once disappear, makes time stall Wanna be those words that fill you up Pull your windows down and keeps you young Makes you believe you’re right where you belong I wanna be that song
Freshman Hunter Ostrom hits a shot from the fairway during the Notre Dame Kickoff Challenge at Warren
m Golf
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stretches. w e’re now working to stabilize those rounds when a few players are just that little bit off and we turn a bogey or two into three and four just from pressing a bit and not staying as patient as we’re capable of being.”
o n top of being the hosts of the f ighting i rish c lassic, the i rish have the advantage that they have already competed in a tournament at home this season in the n otre d ame Kickoff c hallenge. Kubinski noted that the course will have a similar setup to the n otre d ame Kickoff c hallenge, although he expects the course condition to be improved and is excited that the i rish will be taking on a full field at home.
“ w e had 21 players, i believe, competing on s ept. 3,” Kubinski said. “ w e’ll have 87 players this week. The course will be set up similarly though, with the exception of n o. 18 being played as a p ar 3. w e’ve begun a construction project on that hole, with the goal of reducing any flood damage from Juday c reek in the years ahead. The greens should be excellent, much improved from s ept. 3, as we were coming off an a ugust aerification at that point. w e’re excited to offer a fantastic collegiate golf venue to all teams this week.”
The i rish are on a winning streak at w arren g olf c ourse, having not lost an event at home in over a year. The i rish tied for the win at the f ighting i rish c lassic last year, with current senior
b lake b arens coming in tied for second individually.
Kubinski has high hopes that this streak will continue this week, as so many of his players have been posting low numbers at the course throughout the year.
“ w e’ve not lost on our home course in 14 months, starting with a win at last year’s figc and followed by wins at both our b attle at the w arren in a pril and our recent Kick o ff c hallenge, so our team is very comfortable and confident at home,” Kubinski said. “ w e certainly understand where we need to hit it, so it just comes down to execution.
That clarity of plan certainly helps. w e’ve had so many players playing well on our w arren that no one, specifically, is a favorite. i think all of our guys have the ability to post a strong finish. That’s what makes this weekend fun.”
Kubinski is also excited by the field that will be taking part in the event. a ccording to him, the nationwide representation early in the season will provide additional intrigue.
“ i t’s such an eclectic field,” Kubinski said. “ w e have so many conferences represented this week, from coast to coast. we go from d c ., through the m idwest, to Texas and on out to the m ountain and p acific time zones with our field. w e have private schools and state schools. Just great representation. i t’s early in the season though, so i think all of the teams competing are looking at this week as an opportunity to post a strong finish.”
n otre d ame is feeling
m Tennis
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18. in that tournament, senior Josh hagar finished in second place overall in the singles competition, while sophomore alex lebedev finished in second place overall alongside hagar in the doubles competition. freshman guillermo cabrera, freshman matt gamble, freshman Jonathan small and sophomore daniel rayl were also able to take wins in singles matches, while the doubles pairs of lebedev/ hagar and small/cabrera were each able to claim victories in the doubles competition.
sachire said the key to success in this tournament will be to continue to build off of the successes his players had last tournament.
“each player had some strengths and some weaknesses to their games at the harvard
event two weeks ago,” sachire said. “so our job as coaches was to come back and help each guy improve upon his weaknesses and his strengths as well, and ultimately be a better version of himself the next time out, which is this coming weekend. The fall gives us a couple of weeks to train and to practice and to get better at those things. i think we are a group of better players now than we were at the harvard tournament a couple of weeks ago.”
sachire said he has a simple message for his team before they begin playing friday.
“go out, be aggressive and compete hard,” sachire said. “pretty simple, but we have a lot of confidence that if we go out and play our game and if our guys do what they are capable of doing that we can have really good success.”
Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu
confident going into this week’s home tournament, especially considering its strong start to the season. Kubinski believes that with the right mental adjustments, his team will be able to get back into the groove it was in before its last event in a rizona.
“The takeaway from a rizona is our need to improve our ability to post a solid score when faced with some adversity,” Kubinski said. “ w hen we’ve been on a roll, winning the Kickoff with a school record 36-hole total or leading halfway through in s an f rancisco at fourunder-par, we’ve exhibited elite-level golf. f or us right now, it’s just about growing a bit. we have to learn to stay patient and make good decisions after a bogey or two, rather than press a bit and play overly aggressive shots.” a side from the opportunities the f ighting i rish c lassic creates for n otre d ame in terms of golf, Kubinski is thrilled to have the opportunity to host the tournament and is excited for the environment it will create.
“ we’re excited for the opportunity this week, to regain some of our initial momentum,” Kubinski said. “ we love being at home, on our campus, representing our university. This is a week we welcome each year for the opportunity it presents. i t’s special to play in front of family and friends and wear the nd logo on our chests.”
The i rish will tee off this coming m onday, Tuesday and wednesday at warren g olf c ourse.
Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Golf Course. The Irish won the tournament by 27 strokes, setting a program record for a 36-hole score.
w Golf
order to score. w ith the level of competition that we’re going up against every single tournament, we need to be doing all those little things well in order for it to show up in our score. i think that’s probably the biggest thing that we emphasized was just cleaning things up, being focused, staying in the moment and
just executing a little bit better, being a little more sharp.”
w ith new tournaments also come new courses, however, and the i rish will have to deal with the challenge of adapting to one at which they’ve thus far never competed.
“ w e’ve never played this golf course before — this is the first time we’ve ever gone to this tournament. s o our preparation has really been just everybody
focusing on their own games and fine tuning things, working on what they need to work on,” h olt said. “ s o we’ll play our practice rounds on s aturday and we’ll see the course and it’ll have to be a pretty comprehensive quick-study practice round leading into the tournament. a lot of the other teams participating are regulars at this tournament so they’ve got some experience on the course. s o i would say that’s somewhat of an advantage for those teams. s o we’ll just have to really be ready to play come the first round.”
d espite the disadvantage of dealing with unfamiliarities, the i rish feel ready and are eager to compete again.
“ i know individually they’ve all been working hard and trying to address some of the issues that they may have had with their game at our first tournament at o klahoma,” h olt said. “ we did o K the first tournament but we all know we should do better.
s o i think they’re anxious to get back out and give it a go again.”
p lay at Texas s tate Jim west c hallenge begins s unday and concludes m onday.
Contact Molly Murphy at mmurph40@nd.edu
w s occer
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and complete the comeback.
l ouisville struck early in the first half to take the lead, but thanks to senior forward s andra yu, notre d ame equalized in the 38th minute. The rest of the game was a tight affair, but the i rish had the advantage in shots on goal 11 to four, and through mc c ashland, picked up the win. The i rish had played in three double-overtime games prior, but all had been draws. This win marked the thirdstraight for n otre d ame, and moved the i rish into a threeway tie for second place in the conference.
The win over l ouisville meant the i rish were able to extend their unbeaten streak to nine games, the best in the acc and the longest for notre d ame since 2010. b ut c lemson is unbeaten in their last seven, and coming off of a hardfought 2-2 draw on the road to v irginia Tech. a dditionally, the Tigers have perhaps the most explosive offense in the country. b esides having the second-ranked scoring offense in the nation with 3.08
goals per game, the Tigers rank first in five other categories, including total goals, assists and points. s enior c atrina a tanda is 11th in the country with nine goals, and sophomore s am s taab is in a five-way tie for first overall with nine assists. o verall, this looks to be one of the biggest tests of the year for senior captain and goalkeeper Kaela l ittle and her backline. w hile the i rish are undefeated at home and have yet to concede a goal at a lumni s tadium, n otre d ame’s offense will also need to produce like they have been doing recently to give the i rish a chance. The i rish have scored in each of their last five games, and the combination of senior captain and forward Kaleigh o lmsted and freshman star westendorf, along with y u and junior Karin m uya, is finally making itself felt — and at just the right time. i t looks to be a very exciting matchup, and may go a long way in deciding who is crowned acc champion at the end of the season.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at a lumni s tadium tonight.
LAUREN WEETMAN | The Observer Senior midflielder Samdra Yu passes the ball against Missouri at Alumni Stadium. Yu had a goal against Lousiville on Sunday.
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer Sophormore defender Natalie Ward sprints upfield against Missouri on Sept 3. Ward is part of an Irish defense ranked 10th in the country.
Irish ready for Clemson in quest for ACC title
Observer Sports Staff
c oming off a double-overtime win last weekend, the n o. 20 i rish continue their quest for a regular season acc title Thursday night when they face no. 12 c lemson.
i n a top-25 matchup, n otre d ame (8-1-3, 3-0-1 acc ) boasts the 10th-best defense in the country in terms of goals-against average, while c lemson (8-2-2, 2-0-2 acc ) has the second-highest scoring offense in the country.
This past s unday, the i rish played in their fourth doubleovertime game, but for the first time came out with a victory, as junior midfielder megan mc c ashland scored her first career goal off of a corner kick in the 105th minute to beat l ouisville 2-1 on the road. f reshman Jennifer westendorf whipped in the kick, and the unmarked mc c ashland hammered the header home to win the game
see w soccer PaGe 11
against Missouri on Sept. 4 at Alumni Stadium.
notre dame faces top talent at home
By MICHAEL IVEY sports writer
The i rish are preparing to host the b obby b ayliss Tournament at e ck Tennis p avilion this f riday through s unday.
i rish head coach r yan s achire said he is looking forward to watching his team play in the tournament.
“ i t is going to be a good tournament,” s achire said. “a lot of the best b ig Ten teams, as well as some other top-quality opponents, are going to be coming in this weekend. There is going to be about 10 to 12 teams total playing this weekend and they are all good programs, all ncaa tournament-caliber teams, so it should be a fun event.”
s achire said playing against such high-level competition will be beneficial to his team.
“ i think it is going to be a good test for our guys,” s achire said. “a gain, all of the teams that are coming in are ncaa tournament-caliber
opponents, so it gives our guys a great look at the level that they will be seeing for the most part this coming season, and it will give them some more experience of playing against that kind of opponent.”
s achire also said he is pleased with the way his team has performed in their practices leading up to the tournament.
“ p ractice has gone good,” s achire said. “ w e have had a good couple of weeks of practice. i think we have tried to drill down and really improve upon each player’s individual game since our last competition. The guys have worked hard and i think we are pretty healthy, so it should be a good tournament.”
This will be n otre d ame’s second team tournament of the fall season. The i rish’s first tournament was the c howdah f est, hosted by h arvard in c ambridge, massachusetts, from sept. 16 to
nd travels to Jim west c hallenge
By MOLLY MURPHY sports writer
This weekend, the i rish will compete in the Texas s tate Jim w est c hallenge at the c arlton w oods c lub in w oodlands, Texas. a s usual, the field will be tough and the i rish will need to be prepared to play against top competition, i rish head coach s usan h olt said.
“They really haven’t posted the up-to-date rankings yet, but a lot of the teams that were at our first tournament at o klahoma are gonna be at this event,” h olt said. “ i t’s a really good field so we’re going to have to be ready to compete for sure.”
The i rish will be looking to improve their ranking to better their chance of postseason play, and so this tournament — as any other — comes with high stakes for the team.
“ w e really only play eight tournaments a year and then we go into acc [tournament]
and post-season play, so every tournament that we compete in impacts our ranking and is going to influence whether or not we go to post-season play,” h olt said. “ s o yeah, it’s a very important tournament. i t’s the second tournament of the year — we’re trying to gain some momentum here as we go through our fall season.” c oming off of their last competition, the s chooner f all c lassic, h olt said the i rish know what they need to work on to continue to build that momentum — namely, cleaning up small mistakes. “ w e were just a little sloppy last tournament. Just not converting easy up and downs, or what should have been easy up and downs. c ourse management wasn’t as sharp as it needs to be,” h olt said. “The talent level of this team is really good, but you still need to do all those little things well in
Irish to host Fighting Irish Gridiron Golf Classic
By ELIZABETH GREASON sports writer
l ooking to rebound from a disappointing finish in its last event, n otre d ame will take the course again next week as it hosts the 11th annual f ighting i rish g ridiron g olf c lassic.
a fter struggling at the g eorgia s tate m aui Jim i ntercollegiate, finishing 14th in the 16-team field, the i rish have placed an emphasis on improving their mental games. a ccording to i rish head coach Jim Kubinski, consistency and mental toughness will be keys going forward.
“a s a team though, i think the biggest thing we’re looking to improve upon from a rizona is in developing our mental approach,” Kubinski said. “ w e’re a great team when everything is going well, as we’ve proven in
nd wOmen’s sOccer
nd wOmen’s GOlf
EMMET FARNAN The Observer Senior forward and captain Kaleigh Olmsted dribbles upfield during a game
men’s GOlf
men’s TennIs
MICHAEL YU | The Observer
Junior Thomas Steve drives the ball off the tee during the Notre Dame Kickoff Challenge on Sept. 3 at Warren Golf Course.
