Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, October 26, 2016
c hemical society to host scientific magic show
By NICOLE CARATAS saint mary’s e ditor
The s aint m ary’s a ffiliates of the a merican c hemical s ociety ( smaacs ) will host a h alloween m agic s how on wednesday to demonstrate to local children the fun of science.
s enior smaacs president m egan d oherty said this year’s show will function as an open house.
“ l ocal kids can come and go as they please,” she said. “They can circulate through the room doing five different hands-on science stations. … e very 20 minutes, one of our student scientists will perform a larger demonstration at the front of the room. Kids can take a break from their stations, watch the demonstration and then resume
whatever they were doing.”
d emonstrations include a timed color changing reaction, a fluorescing liquid, color-changing dry ice cylinders and liquid nitrogen, d oherty said. The handson stations include invisible ink, fingerprint dusting, “ghoulish goo,” “ghost bubbles,” milk fireworks and “potion” reactions, she said.
“ i t is so important to smaacs that the kids are involved,” d oherty said. “They spend so much time watching and listening in school that this should be a fun opportunity for them to do science. That’s why the hands-on stations are valuable. we want to see the kids doing experiments with their own hands and being personally involved.”
d oherty said she is excited
hurts minorities, you need id to get food stamps. s o it’s not that expensive.”
l ederer countered, saying that id s were necessary when voting in order to have integrity in the electoral process.
“ you need an id law to buy a pack of cigarettes, alcohol and even to get food stamps,”
l ederer said. “ s o when d emocrats argue that it’s too expensive for minorities or
i n sticking with the theme of domestic issues, h effner moved the conversation to a discussion of p resident o bama’s signature healthcare law, the a ffordable c are a ct ( aca ), and recent problems associated with its implementation.
l ederer criticized the law heavily, saying that it had been, “unfortunately, for the
paid a dverT isemen T
to see club members work for a cause outside of the campus community. “ c ommunity outreach and education is one of smaacs ’ primary foci, and the magic show certainly is one major way in which we can accomplish this,” she said.
Junior smaacs historian c ourtney weston said the magic show is a great opportunity for children to become excited about science.
“The h alloween aspect of the science can show that science is not just what you learn in a lecture, but that you can do really cool and amazing stuff with it. a nd the h alloween theme really excited them,” she said. “ i t is important to encourage kids when they’re young so more students go into the s T em fields.”
a merican people, a failure.”
“ p remiums are up $3,700,” he said. “ o bama promised they would be down $2,500.”
l ederer went on to discuss what he believed to be the most effective way to expand affordable healthcare.
“ c ompetition is the cornerstone of our economy — we are a free market economy,” he said. “ we [should] allow insurance companies to come into the system [and] compete for rates. But
d oherty said she hopes these personal experiences will encourage the children to pursue science fields in the future.
“ e ven though they are watching the demonstrations, it’s better than watching a youTube video because they can interact with our scientists, voice their observations and ask questions on the spot,” she said. “That’s what science is all about.”
The magic show is combined with the h alloween holiday to give children a fun environment, d oherty said.
“Kids are familiar with holidays, but they are not necessarily familiar with science,” she said. “ o ur hope is that by linking science to a familiar theme, the kids will feel more invited and comfortable to try new things.”
we need regulation.”
Juneja applauded the expansion of healthcare under the aca but acknowledged problems that needed to be addressed, citing c linton’s plan as an example.
“ h illary c linton plans on expanding tax credits to make sure that citizens who are investing in o bamacare with the price hikes can get health insurance,” Juneja said. “ s he plans on increasing competition through a public option.”
The debate moved beyond domestic issues and into topics relating to foreign policy, such as global climate change and the refugee crisis created in the wake of the s yrian civil war.
Juneja stressed the importance of dealing with the threat of climate change.
“Just last year, 350,000 lives were lost to climate change. That’s not a number we normally hear. Because of heat waves, because of rising ocean levels that haven’t hit a merica yet but will in the future,” Juneja said, adding that hurricanes were another example of climate change’s effects.
l ederer contested these claims, saying he does not think a mericans can “directly attribute climate change to hurricanes.”
“ i think climate change is a very important issue to investigate and something we should get more data on, but i don’t think it should be at the top of our priorities,” he said. “ we need to focus on our energy first.”
w hen speaking on the refugee crisis, l ederer cited historical precedent to justify his view on restricting the acceptance of refugees from s yria.
“ n ever in the history of a merica has it been our policy to bring in people because
d oherty said she hopes this event will spike an interest in science for the children involved.
“ i hope that they see something new and amazing and that they feel proud of themselves for doing science on their own,” she said. “These kids all have great futures, and hopefully some of them find theirs in science.”
w eston said she is excited for the show because it gives her the opportunity to share science with others.
“ i hope the kids have a great time and take away that science can be awesome,” w eston said. “ i hope they can become as excited as i get about science.”
Contact Nicole Caratas at ncaratas01@saintmarys.edu
they have a refugee status,” l ederer said. “ u nder Bill c linton, [with] the h utus and Tutsis of r wanda — it was never our policy to bring them into our country. i n fact, Bill c linton largely ignored the h utu and Tutsi crisis.”
Juneja once again cited h illary c linton’s plans when discussing how he would address the refugee crisis.
“ w hat we are looking for is the opportunity to save lives. The h illary c linton plan saves 65,000 lives a year,” Juneja said, “ i disagree with the idea that someone’s life, because they are a citizen of a merica, is so much more important.”
o nce the debate had concluded, students expressed their opinions on the debate. s ophomore c hristopher c arbonaro said he believed that Juneja could’ve expressed his own views better.
“a lthough i agree with p rathm’s views, i think that he needed to differentiate himself from h illary c linton a bit more and sound less like he’s vouching for her,” c arbonaro said. “ i nstead, he needed to state his own claims and state what he believes in.”
d ebate commissioner c orey g ayheart, a sophomore, said he felt the debate was successful.
“ i thought the debate went very well — at times it started to get heated,” he said. “ we wanted to create a broad civic discussion about the issues affecting a merica, especially in today’s political climate where so much has been focused on horse race journalism and kind of the h ollywood side of the candidates and the race.”
Lucas Masin-Moyer at
By ADAM RAMOS scene writer
adult swim is hitting its stride in a big way. in an industry becoming more and more antiquated, the late-night alt-comedy haven continues to defy industry trends with its eclectic blend of surreal humor and innovative experimentation. The network’s latest addition to the chaotic canon, “dream corp llc,” which premiered this past sunday, sheds some light on why adult swim is becoming a formidable power in late-night television programming.
do you sometimes wish you could undergo a one-time treatment to mitigate the effects of pesky psychological trauma without the expense and time of traditional therapy, via a haphazard, “inception”-like medical procedure? on second thought, maybe stick to therapy. a nyway, that’s the premise of “dream corp llc :” a show equal parts workplace comedy and freakish nightmare. reminiscent of rick sanchez (see “rick and morty”), dr. roberts (Jon gries) is the lead “physician” at dream corp llc, but other than his age and mad-scientist aesthetic, his source of his authority is unclear. comedian mark proksch plays randy Blink, the second-in-command at the “psychotherapeutic facility,” a man who admittedly hasn’t left the facility in 15 years. rounding
out the crew of “dream-analyzing doctors” is the insufferably eager intern and receptionist Joey (stephanie a llynne), the chloroform wielding nurse, a hmed (a hmed Bharoocha) and last but not least, T.e r r y., an inappropriate-joke-cracking robot voiced by comedy legend stephen merchant.
in addition to cracking jokes, merchant also serves as one of the show’s executive producers, along with fellow “The office” crew member John Krasinski. The cohesiveness and camaraderie of characters signature of “The office” is immediately visible in the duo’s latest collaboration. similarly, “The office’s” history of scripting sidesplitting one-liners for oddball characters like creed and dwight shines through in “dream corp llc,” albeit in a bit stranger context.
But much of the comparisons between the two shows end there. “dream corp llc” trades in sappy love moments between office co-workers for depictions of uncomfortable Freudian projections and gruesome depictions of medical malpractices, all adding to the surreal environment of the show.
a nd while the fingerprints of Krasinski and merchant are abundant, it is adult swim newcomer daniel stessen — the show’s creator — who ultimately guides the madness. switching between live action and animation, stessen’s work is extremely compelling to watch. w hereas
the workplace comedy component is shot in live action, the dream projections are created via rotoscope, adding a dazzlingly psychedelic visual element to the show. in typical adult swim fashion, the show packs a heap of comedy in its just 11-minute runtime — but maybe that’s the secret. w hat once only had an exclusive cult group of viewers, adult swim has managed to claw into the major network late-night viewer competition, thanks in part to programming similar to its latest addition. since its inception, adult swim has been providing its content creators unmatched freedom to conceive and explore interesting concepts, and it seems their model is beginning to pay off. as traditional methods of content consumption continue to fall to the wayside, adult swim is progressively permeating into the mainstream on the back of mainstay shows like “robot chicken” as well as more recent hits like “rick and morty” and “The eric a ndré show.” will “dream corp llc” be the latest show to cross over? maybe, but maybe not. w hat’s important though is that adult swim continues to prove its commitment to taking risks in the name of television innovation. “dream corp llc” may not be your average workplace comedy, but — just like a dream gone bad — it’s worth the ride.
Contact Adam Ramos at aramos6@nd.edu
By JACK RIEDY scene writer
as the horns kick in atop rolling drums, a scratchy, bright voice cheers “let’s get it!” The downbeat hits like a wedding dJ dropping the needle on the first track of the night. The fanfare heralds the union between singer a nderson .paak and producer Knxwledge, the duo known as nxworries. The song is “livvin,” and it kicks off the group’s debut album, “yes lawd!” Knxwledge, born glen Boothe, bubbled up from the Bandcamp scene. Frequent digital releases led to proper indie albums, now found on orange vinyl in an urban outfitters near you. The beatmaker flew to international prominence on a mixtape beat repurposed for Kendrick lamar’s “To pimp a Butterfly.” a nderson .paak’s compton connection was dr. dre. The g-funk legend included .paak on six of his comeback album’s tracks. since then, the singer released his sophomore album, became ubiquitous at festivals and recorded features for artists across genres.
Their collaboration as nxworries began as an ep, named “link up & suede” after its two singles. it also included three instrumental interludes and a Knxwledge remix of a song from .paak’s debut album. Fulfilling the promise of that scant offering, nxworries released their debut on stones Throw this month.
The duo’s creative chemistry yields a new-school soul record built on the shoulders of giants. The album’s
hyperbolic energy feels like a faded exploitation movie poster come to life. Knxwledge’s instrumentation is a patchwork of dusty samples and off-kilter drums, recalling the funk of legends like madlib and J dilla. .paak seizes the opportunity to croon with the rhythm of a rapper. on “get Bigger,” he spins a rags-to-riches tale sounding like he’s freestyling to endure a long commute. “at night i working grave, just counting the time, on my break i wrote a song about the love of my life,” he sings, popping syllables with utter conviction. a keyboard melody moves into the foreground like a radio signal bursting through static.
Beyond pure bravado, nxworries spend most of the record focused on the ladies. The slinky groove of “link up” is an absolute smash. it’s a dance song for all the hiphop heads, coasting along like a vintage michael Jackson song stripped for parts. “wngs” is a brief come-on to an old flame, with the singer deciding that “we hitting the town, it’s been a long time since we drank all night.” on “Khadijah,” .paak finds solace from everyday stress with women and weed, while Knxwledge plays a busy bass line with the fervor of Bootsy collins.
The duo does not always link up properly. Though nxworries has a charmingly stoned sense of humor, when they bring it to the forefront, it’s all the fun of watching a friend try to perform inside jokes at an open mic. “h a n.” is all salt and no flavor. over a plodding beat, paak adopts a preacher persona that recalls the unfunny antics of a ndré 3000’s faux-British accent. The track
mocks wannabe stars hustling to distribute their music, and the duo’s chemistry is absent. given that .paak’s lyrics make his dedication a central part of his mythos, it feels hypocritical at best. similarly, final track “Fkku” squanders a sea of Beatlesque .paak harmonies by dropping a spiteful pitch-shifted monologue on top of it. m idway through the album, .paak drops the duo’s mission statement, chanting “scared money don’t make none, talk is cheap.” unafraid to embrace their strengths, the pair’s debut can sit comfortably alongside blunted classics like “madvillainy” and “paul’s Boutique.” Though they don’t quite reach the heights of their solo work, a nderson .paak and Knxwledge complement each other perfectly. songs this smooth will have listeners crying out as jubilantly as the title.
Contact Jack Riedy at jriedy@nd.edu
“Yes Lawd!”
NxWorries
Label: Stones Throw
Tracks: “Livvin,” “Link Up,” “Get Bigger”
If you like: Danny Brown, Kaytranda, Mick Jenkins
InsIdE cOlumn
a long and happy life
Colleen Zewe news writer
l ast s aturday night, instead of singing karaoke at c J’s, i was surrounded by 15 of my family members all sitting together around a restaurant table. a ppetizers were passed, champagne was poured and memories were made. The night all culminated in a loud — and probably not polite for inside a restaurant — singing of “ h appy Birthday.” The guest of honor? m y grandpa, affectionately called p apap. d espite the huge dinner, he helped himself to the biggest slice of rich, chocolate cake possible, because this was his birthday party, and at 80 years old, all cares are thrown out the window.
c an you imagine 80 years? i ’m 21, and it already seems like i ’ve been walking this planet for a while. i mean, it feels like it’s been forever since i was a little kid running around watching “Blue’s c lues.” 80 years is practically four of my lifetimes so far: practically infinity.
p apap is doing pretty well for 80 — he still has his memory, and he hasn’t fallen ill. h e walks about the house, maintains a circle of friends, drives himself, plays golf. a ll of these things we take for granted at 21. But at 80, independence is no longer guaranteed.
i can’t help but wonder what i ’ll be like when i ’m 80. w ill i still be as likely and kickin’ as p apap? w ill i still rejoice in the little things, like a big slice of cake and a gift card to J cp enny’s? w ill i still have my wits about me?
w ill i remember those times of watching “Blue’s c lues?”
w ill i remember my golden years at s aint m ary’s? w ill i still own the class ring i flashed on i nstagram? w ill i even still have i nstagram?
r eally, i ’ll just be thankful to have made it to 80. Think about it: to be blessed with 80 full years of life. That’s incredible. n ot many people reach such a high age, and those who do should be proud.
i think about how much i ’ve endured, battled and learned in just my short 21 years, and i realize how wise and learned p apap must be. h e’s seen it all, from wwii to the invention of computers. h e lived the events we experience only through documentaries and textbooks. n ot to mention the hardship that comes with living so long. p apap watched his family both grow and shrink, as grandchildren come but the old generation slowly dwindles away. i t takes someone strong, both physically and mentally, to make it through 80 years and still see the joy in life. a nd based on p apap’s childish smile and sarcastic wisecracks, he still sees the bright side. s o, when we sang “ h appy Birthday” and he blew out his “80” shaped candles, we didn’t celebrate just any birthday. w e celebrated a milestone most only dream of achieving: to live through life for 80 years, and still come out with a smile.
Contact Colleen Zewe at czewe01@saintmarys.edu
The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
lEttErs tO thE EdItOr
hillary, Trump and catholics
l et’s just say for kicks and giggles that h illary c linton and d onald Trump are both elected as co-presidents of the u nited s tates, with former s ecretary of s tate c linton being in charge of domestic policy and m r. Trump heading u s . foreign policy. i n this scenario, the u nited s tates is led by a woman who sees abortion as a social need instead of a necessary evil and a man who has no problem with bombing the m iddle e ast without regard towards civilian casualties.
n ow stepping back to reality: who should a decent hardworking a merican c atholic vote for? well, that’s a question that sadly has no objective answer. This is one of the many reasons why being a c atholic involved in politics can get messy and confusing.
o n one hand, the official standing of the r oman c atholic c hurch is that abortion is the termination of an unborn life, and hence, it is always wrong, sinful and immoral. n ot even the circumstances by which that life was conceived are considered relevant for the c hurch. o n the other hand, g audium et s pes, the p astoral c onstitution on the c hurch in the m odern world, reexamined the c hurch’s view of Just war and clearly stated that the indiscriminate destruction of cities or areas is a crime against g od and humanity.
s o who would you trust with the nuclear football, he who has vowed to commit a crime against humanity or she who “kills babies?”
i f we see politics that way then it would probably be best to stay home on e lection d ay, have brunch, watch some n etflix, eat dinner, recite three h ail m arys and then just call it a night. e ven better, we as devoted c atholics should pack our bags and move out of the country, ideally to vatican c ity. s ince moving to another country isn’t a feasible option, at least for most us, and acting like bystanders would also be immoral, then a more adequate solution to
this dilemma has to exist. well, the thing is politics and policies are not really white or black. i am against abortion in most cases, but i don’t see people who are pro-choice as baby killers, either. l ikewise, i am not fond of the idea of civilian casualties but the alternative of more a merican ground troops losing their lives in the m iddle e ast is, at least, equally terrifying.
The world is a complicated place, and, at the end of the day, politics are part of the e arthly city as described by s t. a ugustine. i t would be foolish to think that we can perfectly make political decisions while strictly following the guidelines of s t. a ugustine’s heavenly city. we must also take into account that, yes, there are times when the c atholic c hurch is right when it comes to making political opinions, but there are also times when the c hurch’s opinion is flawed. i f we strictly followed c atholic teaching, then we would all have to oppose homosexual marriage and homosexuals’ right to adopt children. w e would be out on the streets demanding for the perfectly good and caring homosexual parents to return the children they just adopted to a life in the forester care system. i n other words, opposing gay marriage is like me telling someone that they are not allowed to have a cookie because i am on a diet.
i t all boils down to being the best c atholic you can be, while living in harmony with those who might not share all of your same beliefs and ideals. w hat i am going to do and encourage all a mericans to do, regardless of race, sex or religion, is to try to align your values, a candidate’s values and their promises with the c hurch’s teachings and philosophy as well as possible when making the decision on who you are going to vote for on this year’s e lection d ay.
Carlos
Duran sophomore oct. 12
don’t feel obligated to vote
w hether it’s to prevent the worse of two evils from getting inaugurated, engage in public duty or display honor for those that have perished for this right, many clubs and organizations on campus have pushed to ensure the largest turnout of votes possible in the upcoming election. m y response is this: i f neither candidate has convinced you that the world would be better off should they make it to office, then don’t make it an obligation to choose.
This position does not come from a place of apathy — otherwise i wouldn’t take the time to write this. i ’m also not advocating that we throw away local ballot cards. i want to address the illusion of choice that we are given in the coming months. w hichever candidate you choose (even third party), you answer: 1) w ho is more deserving of this authority, and 2) By which rules should we be compelled to follow? These questions are convenient in that they replace discussion about the justification of authority in this instance, and declare that we cannot and should not be in control of our own lives or communities. They are
reflective of a society that only encourages open discussion so long as it serves to perpetuate the existence of the state. voting, in this case, is not an action undertaken to improve our lives, nor is it a redeemed responsibility. i t’s the opposite. i t’s an acceptance of the idea that others — the social and economic “elite” — should determine the conditions of our life and the world around us.
This is not an attempt to deride those who are content with this type of society. For the rest of us, either disillusioned by a product of such a system or who have desired an entirely different one from the start, don’t feel guilty for refusing to vote. i f anything, it’s contradictory to consider the lives lost or destroyed as a result of this system, and then to discount direct action, which historically has proven more effective as a means to effectuate lasting social change.
Daniel Esparza
A Trumped up World Series
The rotten chicago cubs haven’t won the world series in 108 years. sad!
They’re not a heroic team. They’re loveable because they lose. i like baseball teams that don’t lose in the playoffs, okay?
But i can make baseball great again. Believe me. First, we’re going to build a wall at wrigley Field. it’ll be an amazing wall. it’ll be an outfield wall without any dopey ivy, and it’ll be so high that the cubs won’t hit any home runs. a nd we’re going to make the cubs pay for the wall.
The cubs beat the l os a ngeles dodgers in the national l eague championship series, but that series was rigged! now, many dodgers fans support me, and our movement will make baseball great again.
Just because they won the pennant, the cubs are going to raise ticket prices big league. i’m going to cut ticket prices big league. #Big l eagueTruth a nd now, the world series is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted sports media pushing the crooked cubs. sad !
This world series is so rigged. w ill i accept the result of the series? i’ll have to look at it at the time. i’ll keep you in suspense.
The crooked cubs have been in professional baseball for 140 years and they’ve only won 2 world series titles. They like to talk about all the world series titles they will win, but why haven’t they? i’m a baseball
outsider. Trust me, i can make baseball great again. i will make baseball so great and so strong again that you won’t even believe it. i get the biggest crowds for my baseball games, but the media never talks about it.
nobody has more respect for baseball than i do! a nd frankly, stories that i don’t respect baseball have been largely debunked, but the biased media won’t tell you that. i will sue the people who say i disrespected baseball.
l ittle a nthony r izzo and lyin’ Joe maddon think that they can win the world series, but they can’t keep home plate safe from the many bad hombres who want to score runs against them. only i can make baseball great again.
a nd Kris Bryant claims to be a handsome, wholesome, a ll-a merican third baseman, but i’ve never seen his birth certificate. many people have said there’s something on his birth certificate that is bad for him!
The cubs know their biggest weakness, too, but they won’t even say the words. radically weak relief pitching. radically weak relief pitching. That’s the biggest threat to a cubs world series title, but they won’t even say the words.
so, i propose a complete and total ban on all relief pitchers entering major l eague Baseball until we can figure out what the hell is going on with radically weak relief pitching like the cubs’. it’s all part of my totally incredible plan to make baseball great and make lateinning leads safe again.
a nd don’t get me started on the r icketts family, who own the chicago cubs. They better be careful, they
have a lot to hide! They ought to focus on the cubs and, you know, stop playing around. They’re really doing a rotten job with the cubs.
if i were running the cubs, i’d fire Theo epstein. i’d point at him with my very long and beautiful fingers, look right in that fat, ugly face of his and i’d say, “Theo, you’re fired.”
The cubs make lousy deals, too. They made the worst deal of all time. period. in 1964, they traded l ou Brock, a man who knew the art of the steal, for, frankly, some very weak players from the st. l ouis cardinals.
a nd when the cubs send their players to other teams, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending players that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with them. They’re bringing low batting averages. They’re bringing high era s. They’re benchwarmers. a nd some, i assume, are good players. i’ll tell you what, even though the cubs broke the curse of the Billy g oat, they’re still total losers. Believe me. Their pathetic fans will keep saying, “There’s always next year.” wrong! such a nasty team.
Jack Rooney is a 2016 Notre Dame graduate, and The Observer’s former managing editor. He is currently spending a year living and working for the University in Ireland, and writes these columns to keep him busy and satisfy his need for journalism. Follow Jack on Twitter @RooneyReports and/or email him at jrooney1@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
recalling my e-mails and locker room talk
The recent alleged revelations about d emocratic nominee h illary c linton’s hacked staff e-mails by w iki l eaks, along with new sexual assault accusations by the n ew york Times against gop standard-bearer d onald Trump offer voters a myriad of excuses to oppose their candidate of choice. The substance to weigh, however, is whether Trump’s prior personal conduct “trumps” any perceived disrespect — not yet authenticated — hacked through c linton campaign chairman John p odesta’s private g mail account, with dialogues attributed to campaign spokeswoman Jennifer p almieri that mock c atholics, l atinos or southerners. a s a c atholic — who bi-monthly serves as a lector at a cathedral and occasionally reads while the a rchbishop of washington, d c . celebrates mass, who learned to swear like a sailor while a student at notre d ame, who worked for p resident Bill c linton as a political appointee and who has written my share of snarky politically scheming strategic e-mails — the Trump conduct is more egregiously offensive to me and a dangerous character flaw for a commander-in-chief.
Trump has no monopoly on misogyny, crudeness or lust when spewing his locker room talk. o n my second day working as a congressional staff member, i was appalled by the conduct of a member of congress — a notre d ame degree holder now deceased, but from an era when a man’s success seemed to make him think that it entitled him as a good ole boy to take liberties against women, any woman with whom he felt an attraction. i began my career on the ides of m arch, and had the misfortune to accompany a few congressmen two days later after work to celebrate s t. p atrick’s d ay at a popular i rish pub, the d ubliner. a s the newbie of the group, i mostly observed the c apitol h ill banter as my fellow d omer frequently spoke the Trump “word” to disgustingly describe his desire to seduce female interns located across the room.
m y experience with Trump-style locker room “talk” has not been confined to the politically powerful. The year prior to moving to washington, while a graduate student at a major university, i worked as a resident assistant in a residence hall. d uring my duty shift well after midnight in the main lobby that connected several dormitories, an a ll-a merican standout football player who later starred in the n F l staggered into the lobby. a fter assessing the student hookup possibilities, he yelled using his best mating call that he needed the Trump “word.”
nor have my family and the s outh Bend community been immune from unwanted male sexually suggestive advances. m y sister, also a notre d ame alumnus, personally witnessed an awkward moment while a student intern during her undergraduate days. a famous notre d ame celebrity — not directly paid by or an employee of the university but whose career intertwined with university athletics — approached a female student intern from behind and initiated an uninvited shoulder massage. The other students froze, unable to react. These interns were there not to ascertain how to endure unwanted harassment, but to learn a specific trade unique to a career path through that office.
hopefully, old political and athletic entitlement eras as well as Trump’s skewed generational maledominated culture are waning from our society. a ccording to the Times report, Jessica l eeds, 74, described how decades ago she was upgraded to first class on a flight and sat next to Trump. s he moved back to coach when his conduct became an unwanted nightmare. s he describes how he grabbed her breasts and tried to place his hand up her skirt. “ he was like an octopus,” she said. “h is hands were everywhere.”
Trump’s personal character flaws are so deplorable that they do not rise to any comparison of the c linton staff’s in-artful if not unflattering e-mail dialogues during 2011-12, which called for a c atholic revolution or characterized former g overnor Bill r ichardson as needy. i n an a pril
2011 e-mail discussion between p almieri and John h alpin, senior fellow at the c enter for a merican p rogress founded by p odesta, h alpin notes that conservative media mogul r upert murdoch raised his children as c atholics, and that it seemed like c atholics are the most “powerful elements” in the conservative movement.
he writes, “it’s an amazing bastardization of the faith. They must be attracted to the systematic thought and severely backwards gender relations and must be totally unaware of c hristian democracy.”
p almieri responds, “ i imagine they think it is the most socially acceptable politically conservative religion. Their rich friends wouldn’t understand if they become evangelicals.”
s hould a hardcore orthodox c atholic scold you, like the spouse of a notre d ame administrator once insulted me, saying that i should leave the c hurch if i did not like its strict interpretation, this type of gossipy e-mail babble would not be an insult on c atholicism. n or is “needy” a political insult aimed at r ichardson — a personal friend whom i coached in baseball in preparation of a charity game during 3 months each year of his congressional tenure — who could be abrasive, needy or crass at times while remaining the most loyal friend throughout. These e-mail leaks are the sausage making of political strategy and mere bluster.
The contrast of human frailties from our presidential candidates seems straightforward. i personally have already endured e-mail insults, which remains for me less egregious than the possibility of a man groping my sister.
Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame ‘73 American Studies major, serves in the Department of Homeland Security and was a legislative and public affairs director at the U.S. House of Representatives and in President Clinton’s administration. Contact him on Twitter: @GaryJCaruso or e-mail: GaryJCaruso@alumni.nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Jack Rooney i rish eyes
Gary J. Caruso capital comments
Happy Birthday: strengthen your resolve in what you are doing and how you do it this year. learn as you go and don’t rule out the unusual. creative thinking will help you orchestrate what you want to see happen and give you the strength to follow through with your plans. experience will be your ticket to success. your numbers are 2, 8, 15, 22, 28, 36, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Pump up your energy and believe in what you are capable of doing. don’t be misled by a fast talker with ulterior motives. Trust your judgment and follow through with your plans. a romantic evening should be a priority.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): you have more control than you realize. you’ll get what you want if you ask. your insight will impress someone who has something to offer. Business trips and meetings look promising. don’t let personal issues interfere with your work.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): emotional issues will unfold if you overreact. spending is not going to solve problems and may actually contribute to your stress. look at the big picture and consider ways to compromise or set new incentives.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): don’t take on someone else’s responsibilities. you have far too much to lose if you don’t step up and concentrate on the things that will benefit you. charity begins at home and you deserve to do something that makes you happy.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): making alterations to your living arrangements will cause inconveniences. you will be happy with the results, but not so pleased with the process of completion. look for activities you can do that will bring you closer to someone you love.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): emotions will escalate and are best directed into projects that make you feel good and help you prepare for whatever happens next. Take your time to mull things over before making a decision or move.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): problems at home can be rectified if you take a practical approach and offer incentives that will motivate everyone to get along with each other. you need to be a mediator. stay calm and try not to overreact.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): you’ll gain support by offering practical solutions with a unique twist. your insight into what’s going on at home and at work will put you in a key position to get what you want. persuasive tactics will pay off.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): e motional matters will surface, making you reconsider your options. l earn from past mistakes and do whatever is necessary to keep the peace. a n emotional discussion will help solve a problem.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep pressing forward with determination and intensity. a financial opportunity looks promising, but joint ventures do not. d on’t let love dictate how you spend your money. invest in yourself and in products that will help you excel in the workplace.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): d on’t let mixed emotions or someone using manipulation stop you from getting things done. p romote your skills and look for new ways to bring in extra cash. you can rely on your past experiences to help you make the right choice now.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): your emotions will tip the scale if you let what others do interfere with your well-being. use your intelligence to reach your goals and do your best to coordinate and concur with people who can help you advance.
Birthday Baby: you are intense, competitive and protective. you are eager and assertive.
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NFL’s promises come up empty
“d omestic violence and sexual assault are wrong. They are illegal. They have no place in the n F l and are unacceptable in any way, under any circumstances. That has been and remains our policy.”
This is what roger g oodell had to say in a letter sent to each n F l owner in a ugust of 2014 about the changes to the n F l’s domestic violence policy that were incorporated that year. This response came weeks after g oodell drew much scrutiny for his handling of the case involving former Baltimore r avens running back r ay r ice, who was seen on video knocking his fiancé unconscious in an elevator.
Just over two years later, those words seem emptier than ever.
w hether it be in r ice’s case or those of g reg h ardy and Josh Brown, the n F l has continually shown to the rest of the world that properly handling cases of domestic violence is not as important as g oodell pretends.
i n 2014, the n F l instituted a six-game suspension for first-time offenders of its new domestic violence policy. But the league has yet to enforce that policy, using a clause that accounts for aggravating or mitigating circumstances to reduce the penalty in each of the cases it has handled so far.
s uch was the case of Brown, who was the kicker for the new york g iants prior to his release Tuesday. The n F l claims it launched a thorough investigation into his wife’s accusation of repeated domestic violence — over 20 such instances — and intimidation, and, at the conclusion of its investigation, it suspended Brown just one game. yet, weeks later, journals and emails written by Brown were made public — journals and emails in which Brown admits to being physically, emotionally and verbally abusive towards his wife. now, these documents were in possession of the sheriff’s office in King c ounty in washington, where molly Brown’s accusations made against her husband
originated. They had been in the department’s possession since m ay 2015, when Brown was arrested on a domestic violence charge.
These documents have existed since 2015, and a supposedly thorough investigation by the n F l claims that they were never made aware of the existence of these documents.
The fact is the n F l never truly investigated the accusations the way it should have. a fter blaming the King c ounty s heriff’s o ffice for denying their requests to access the information, the sheriff himself, John urquhart, says the n F l’s investigator never filed a public disclosure request for the documents, never went through the proper channels and never attempted to speak to him so he could give them an oral account of the evidence against Brown. a nd this shouldn’t come as a surprise. c onsider that the n F l failed to find the shocking video T m Z later obtained of r ay r ice striking his fiancé. now it wants us to believe that it didn’t repeat its mistakes of the past, butcher its investigation and fail to obtain information that could’ve been obtained had the league done its due diligence.
a nd even worse, the n F l only seems to take these issues seriously once public perception builds to the point where it can’t do anything but reopen shoddy investigations and amend its punishments. it’s what happened in r ice’s case, and it’s what is currently happening in Brown’s.
r oger g oodell and the n F l need to start taking these issues seriously. it’s not about public perception. it’s about the acts themselves. g oodell acknowledges that they have “no place in the n F l ,” but actions speak louder than words.
a nd it’s about time the n F l’s actions start matching those words when it comes to domestic violence.
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Ranked Irish squads aim to stay undefeated
By ALEX BENDER sports writer
notre d ame will have the chance to continue its early season success this weekend with the no. 12 men’s team taking on p urdue, while the no. 10 women’s team will be facing p urdue, m iami and r utgers.
The team has remained undefeated on both the men’s and women’s sides, including a big win in the meet against g eorgia Tech last weekend. o n the women’s side, the i rish were in control the whole weekend and won by a wide margin. o n the men’s side, competition was much tighter, coming down to the last event of day two of the meet before the i rish snagged the win over the no. 17 yellow Jackets. notre d ame head coach m ike l itzinger said he was happy with his team’s performance throughout the weekend.
“i think the women came out and dominated from the start, and while g eorgia Tech is a well-coached team, we were too much for them and it showed,” l itzinger said. “a s great a meet as it was for the women, we will be tested more in the future. For the men, we knew
it would be competitive. g eorgia Tech had this meet circled on their calendar since the schedule came out, and they swam well, but we handled the pressure after being down after the first day of competition. we were able to get the win with one event left, so it was great to pick up the meet victory.
“i ’m happy with where we are right now. we haven’t been in this type of position since i have been here, to be nationally ranked like this, so it’s great for the athletes to get recognition. But it’s a long season and we will enjoy it until we swim against p urdue, m iami and r utgers.”
The team will be facing strong competition this weekend, and it will be coming in a rather unusual style as the meets will take place in a one-day format.
“it’s a little different preparation for this type of meet when it’s a one day format,” l itzinger said. “c ompetition becomes a little more intensified in this two-hour session as opposed to the two one-hour sessions. p urdue is a great team and a good representative of the Big 10 that we will get a look at on the men’s side. it’s the same for the women, but
nhl | penguins 3, panThers 2
with the addition of a couple other schools in m iami and r utgers, so it’s kind of an acc /Big 10 challenge. it’s nice to swim a quad meet and get some different looks from the other teams, and we’re looking forward to it being competitive and fun.” e ven beyond this week, the team will have one more meet next week when it takes on p ittsburgh and no. 18 v irginia Tech before heading to north c arolina for the g reensboro i nvitational. l itzinger said the g reensboro i nvitational is a good chance to show where his team is at.
“i think we want to use each meet leading up to the invitational as a dress rehearsal,” l itzinger said. “ we want to practice race strategy and make sure we’re doing the technical things right. we’re training these athletes to practice their craft which is racing, and we put them in competitive situations in practice to get them ready for that.”
The team kicks off action on Friday when p urdue, m iami and r utgers visit for the all-day event.
Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu
crosby scores in first game back from concussion
ASSOCIATED PRESS
piTTsBurgh — sidney
crosby scored in his season debut as the pittsburgh penguins rallied to beat the Florida panthers 3-2 on Tuesday night.
crosby, who scored on a power play, missed the team’s first six games with a concussion. carl hagelin and eric Fehr also scored for the penguins, who extended a seven-game unbeaten streak against the panthers.
reilly smith scored a powerplay goal and mark p ysyk also
scored for the panthers, who have lost 11 of 12 against the penguins in pittsburgh.
crosby cut the panthers’ lead to 2-1 in the second period. crosby had to reach for a pass from evgeni malkin, but recovered to whip a shot from the slot over reimer’s shoulder.
hagelin tied it in the third when he sent a shot underneath reimer’s arm during a 2-on-1.
crosby, the two-time mvp and reigning conn smythe Trophy winner, hasn’t played since sustaining a concussion in practice earlier this month. crosby participated in a fullcontact practice monday for the first time since suffering his third concussion in six years. he called his participation in practice a major milestone in his recovery.
crosby described himself Tuesday morning as a gametime decision, but coach mike sullivan said the penguins’ captain would likely make his season debut barring a setback after participating in the gameday skate.
never buy my love!/You buy me this and you buy me that
Ben Padanilam a ssociate sports e ditor
ND opens fall with strong finishes in Boston
By BEN PADANILAM a ssociate sports e ditor
notre dame opened its fall season this past weekend with the head of the c harles regatta in Boston, massachusetts, with its three boats placing third, 10th and 19th in their respective races.
“on a general note, i feel very good about the way the team represented the university and itself at the largest regatta in the world,” i rish head coach martin stone said. “it was a pretty neat experience, so on that we feel it was good.”
The competition was split over two days, saturday and sunday, and featured 56 races amongst a variety of collegiate, international, club and other teams.
notre dame’s lone boat to compete saturday raced in the club-four time trial, featuring juniors l auren matchett, meredith swartz and c hristine schindele-murayama, sophomore g en Johanni and freshman l aura schoonmaker as coxswain. a mong 59 teams in the field, the i rish team finished third in the competition behind university of pennsylvania and university of w isconsin-madison.
“i thought the club four finishing third did a very, very good job,” stone said. “i thought they rowed well and raced well — it’s a big deal to finish that high up in the placing, especially having to start back in the pack and working through some differences, so i thought that they did a very fine job.”
The i rish then had two boats compete sunday. First, the team of senior Bridget adam, junior e lizabeth walter, sophomores Kelly Fischer and molly p ierce and senior samantha hedrick at coxswain raced in the championship-four time trial, taking 10th in the field of 19.
“The champ-four did well in very trying conditions — the winds were pretty strong on sunday, and it knocked us around, but to be 10th in the field is pretty good,” stone said. “of course we’d like to go faster, but i think that they pushed hard and set the path where they were able to make up some ground that they had lost early and get back into it, so i felt good about that.”
The final boat to compete
on the day was the championship-eight, which featured seniors e rin Boxberger, moira hamilton, gretchen Bruggeman and catherine wagner, juniors Treasa o’Tighearnaigh and e lizabeth gilbert, sophomores e lizabeth schrieber and l aura m igliore and junior reilly Kearney as coxswain. i n a field of 33, the boat finished in 19th place.
“[ we were] disappointed with the result and are trying to figure out what exactly happened in that race,” stone said. “we had a strong first half — floating around the top 10, top 12 — and we just lost our rhythm. well, actually, we never really had a great rhythm, according to our talks with the crew, [but] it just dropped off in the second half.”
w ith just one event — a scrimmage with ohio state, i ndiana, m ichigan state and syracuse on nov. 6 — left in its brief fall schedule that precedes a heavy spring schedule, notre dame built a relatively strong foundation during the head of the c harles from which it can build on during the rest of its season, stone said.
“we’re in the ball park [of where we need to be],” stone said. “There are some things we need to work on … but i think there are bright spots from all the boats. so there are things we can work on, and i think each person knows there are stuff to work on individually and with the group.”
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
the first half, with notre dame taking three shots on goal to m ichigan state’s two. slick conditions and low temperatures helped each defense slow the offensive progress for much of the game. however, m ichigan state finally found a chance and capitalized on a goal from freshman substitute m ichael Beckett in the 74th minute. it
was Beckett’s first goal of the season, as his 10-yard shot sailed past sophomore backup goalkeeper ryan Krutz, who entered the game in the 59th minute to replace senior keeper c hris hubbard, who sustained an injury in a collision with a m ichigan state player. The i rish were unable to generate much offense afterwards, as c lark noted the spartans’ ball pressure threw the i rish off their groove.
“i thought we were solid in
the first half, but to be fair i thought m ichigan state came out and pressured us, knocked us a little bit out of our comfort zone in the beginning of the second half,” c lark said. “There wasn’t a lot in the game one way or the other – they got a chance and they took it.”
The i rish haven’t won since october 11, a 2-0 victory at m ichigan. i n the period since, they have lost at no. 17 v irginia, northwestern and duke, and now to m ichigan state at home.
a lthough the i rish have been highly competitive in each loss — as seen in their out-shooting v irginia 17-4 — they have not found a way to come away with wins. c lark said the team needs to fix that with north carolina and the acc c hampionships coming up next, but also emphasized that there is still time for the team to improve and grow.
“There’s a long way to go, and we’ve got to realize that. i know [this losing streak] is
not from want of effort,” c lark said. “m ichigan state … they’re a good team … but it’s a team that, especially at home, we should be looking to take a little more out of it.”
The i rish will next take the field this Friday when they host no. 3 north carolina to wrap up the regular season. The game will start at 7 p.m. at a lumni stadium.
Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer
Irish junior midfielder Blake Townes sprints down the sideline past a defender in Notre Dame’s 1-0 loss to Michigan State on Tuesday.
“They really don’t care whether they get a visa gift card in the bowl game. They want to practice more. They want to be with their teammates. They want to be with their guys. They want to win football games. They want to be successful in the classroom. They want to be successful on the football field. That’s why they came here. That’s why i’m here. That’s all we talk about. That’s all we do every day, is think about how we can be more successful.”
a major event during the bye week was director of athletics Jack swarbrick stating in an interview with espn that Kelly will be the head coach of the team next season. Kelly said he was disappointed his boss had to make a public statement, but said he did not ask swarbrick to make the comments.
“well, i was disappointed,
actually. a nytime that your athletic director has to come out and say that, as a head coach you’re disappointed that any kind of comments like that have to be made,” Kelly said. “i didn’t ask him. That was his decision. But, you know, i clearly understand what he was doing. he was probably sick and tired of being sick and tired, too. But for me, it’s disappointing, certainly, that you have to make those comments.”
a lso of note during the break, senior irish cornerback devin Butler pleaded guilty to the class a misdemeanor of resisting law enforcement. Butler, who originally faced two felonies, now faces no jail time, provided he successfully completes a pretrial diversion program. Kelly suspended Butler from the program indefinitely in late august and said today that Butler’s status has not changed — he is still suspended from the team.
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
paid a dverT isemen T
W Golf
i rish have struggled with consistency, and h olt said that will be the key as the team travels down to n orth c arolina this weekend for the l andfall Tradition, hosted by unc -w ilmington. “a gain, it’s us playing three solid rounds,” she said. “ i firmly believe if we do that, we’re as good as anybody in the country. i mean we’ve had an eight-under round, a six-under round, so we can compete. we just have to do it more consistently … The fact that this tournament is 1818-18 i think is a good thing, and hopefully that’ll play to our advantage. ... i believe six of the 18 teams are ranked in the top 20, so there’s a really good opportunity there for us to get some quality wins, and i think we can do it. i t’s just a matter of showing up all three days and getting it done.”
The same tournament in 2015 was one of n otre d ame’s best performances, with the i rish placing four of their starting five golfers in the top 50 on the way to a twoover par 866, good enough for second place overall in a stacked field. The team will look to repeat that success this weekend when it tees off Friday in w ilmington. The competition continues through s unday.
Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish sophomore kicker Justin Yoon kicks a field goal in Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15 at Notre Dame Stadium. Yoon made one field goal versus the Cardinal, giving the Irish a 10-0 lead.
mEn’s sOccEr | msu1, nd 0
Michigan State hands Irish fourth loss in a row
By JOE EVERETT sports writer
on a cold Tuesday night inside a lumni stadium, no. 12 notre dame couldn’t find its way back into the win column, falling to no. 13 michigan state 1-0.
Tuesday’s defeat marked the fourth straight loss for the irish (10-5-1, 3-3-1 acc), who came into a lumni stadium looking to finally enjoy some home-field advantage following a string of road games. instead, they were handed their first home loss of the season by the spartans (12-3-1), who have won seven of their last nine matches. irish head coach Bobby clark summed up the night.
“it was definitely a disappointing result,” clark said. “we have to get ahold of this thing pretty quick – that’s four games in a row that we’ve now lost. i don’t think that’s ever happened during my time here at notre dame, so that’s certainly disappointing.”
Both sides generated few, if any, genuine scoring chances in
fOOtbAll
nd WOmEn’s GOlf
nd strives for consistent results
By TOBIAS HOONHOUT sports writer
The i rish began their fall break at the Betsy r awls l onghorn i nvitational this past week, and despite posting the lowest round of the tournament, only managed to come in ninth place out of 14 teams with a score of 899, 35-over par. w hile n otre d ame had lower and lower scores over the three rounds, head coach s usan h olt said the team is still trying figure things out.
“ i f we could play three solid rounds, i think we can compete with just about anybody,” h olt said. “ we shot eight-under the last round. i t was the low round of the tournament, we picked up some ground, but we still have yet to put three rounds together. i think for the team as a whole it’s been a bit frustrating … we’ll have one good round and one bad round, so i don’t know. m aybe we need to look into
how we schedule, and not do 36-hole events. For whatever reason, we’re just not competing well in those.”
The team did start the final round tied for 12th, but thanks to a team score of eight-under par 280, the i rish managed to move up three spots to ninth. l eading the way was senior Jordan Ferreira, who played the lowest round of her i rish career at four-under par 68, landing her in a tie for 14th place overall by the end of the tournament.
“Jordan is just a real steady player, and she always has been,” h olt said. “ s he has done a really good job of making big scores on holes. s he avoids making doubles and triples, and i think the difference this year is that she has put herself in better positions to make more birdies, and she’s able to shoot lower scores because of it.” a s a team, however, the
Kelly targets special teams for improvements
By MAREK MAZUREK sports e ditor
coming off its bye week and having made adjustments in an attempt to turn the 2-5 season around, notre dame will host miami this saturday.
“we made some progress,” irish head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday. “we just haven’t been able to close out games, which has been obviously the story this year. we’re going to. it’s just a matter of time. we’re all frustrated. But the attitude’s been great.”
with the week off, Kelly said he’s had extra time to continue correcting the problems he sees with his football team.
“There’s reasons for being 2-5, and then there’s reasons that you can’t explain why you’re 2-5,” Kelly said. “we looked at all the numbers, the analytics, the film. part of it is it’s a tough game, you got to make plays. w hat separates you from winning and losing is a play here and a play there. There’s a number of different things that we have to alter and change how we address game management. ... But we’re trying to get to the end, and that is win more football games.”
specifically, Kelly pointed to
special teams as an area the team plans to improve on.
“we have some players on [special teams] that i think are extremely athletic and are talented that have to be a little bit more experienced,” Kelly said. “Then we have to be smarter in some of the things that we do. w hen i say ‘smarter,’ i don’t mean that they are fundamentally flawed. i mean that we may be a little too aggressive in some of the things we ask our players to do.
“ ... we may push the envelope a little bit in asking our guys to do some things that for some young players might be a little bit too much at this point. so we just got to be a little bit smarter in what we do. if you would have asked me where that arrow is, i think it’s up.”
with the focus on making improvements, Kelly said he feels his team is properly motivated for the last stretch of the season.
“all these kids come to notre dame because they want to be challenged,” Kelly said. “They have incredible intrinsic motivation every day to get up, to go to class, to want to succeed. it’s why they come here. There’s an immense amount of pride. They want to freakin’ win. They want to win.
KATHLEEN DONAHUE | The Observer Irish junior forward Jon Gallagher dribbles the ball in Notre Dame’s 1-0 loss to Michigan State on Tuesday at Alumni Stadium.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Sanders attempts to avoid getting tripped up by defenders in Notre
