Print Edition of The Observer for Thursday, February 23, 2017
t icket delivers final campaign speech
Candidates for Saint Mary’s student
By JORDAN COCKRUM news writer
on the eve of the saint mary’s student body president and vice president election, juniors bailey oppman and lydia l orenc gave speeches in the dining hall to “formally introduce” themselves to the saint mary’s student body and promote their ticket.
oppman and l orenc, the unopposed candidates for president and vice president, respectively, are both biology majors, have student g overnment a ssociation ( sga) experience and are highly involved in the saint mary’s community. They are each student athletes as well: oppman is a member of the varsity tennis team, while l orenc is on
body president, vice president address students on eve of election
the varsity golf team as well as being a notre dame dance company member.
oppman said the duo’s goal as student body president and vice president is to improve life at the college, and she also spoke to students about a few aspects of their platform.
“we hope to not only make a difference for you — the student body — but also the campus as a whole,” she said.
oppman and l orenc’s campaign platform includes goals they believe will enhance several areas of college life, but oppman said their biggest priorities are improvements to sustainability, food services, student safety and wellness, and student and campus life.
Breen-Phillips Hall hosts food auction for charity
By KELLI SMITH news writer
breen-phillips h all’s ( bp ) 33rd annual meal auction, when the notre d ame community will have an opportunity to donate to charity by hosting raffles and silent auctions of a variety of items, gift baskets or meals with “campus celebrities,” is set to take place Friday afternoon. p roceeds from the auction
benefit two charities: meals on w heels, a local program that delivers meals to those who cannot prepare them themselves, and cure c hildhood c ancer, an organization dedicated to funding research of childhood cancer.
meal a uction commissioners sophomores Kara s hannon, g race g arvey and c laire h agerstrom are the main organizers of the event.
“This year we have adopted an ‘honorary b abe,’ c ecilia, the daughter of a bp alumna,” s hannon said. “s he is battling childhood cancer, so we are donating 25 percent of the meal auction proceeds in her name to cure c hildhood c ancer, [and] 75 percent of the proceeds will go to meals on w heels.”
s hannon said this year’s
author promotes new novel
By MARIE FAZIO news writer
novelist m ichael collins, member of the notre dame class of 1987, read excerpts from his most recent novel, “The death of a ll Things seen,” on wednesday in the hammes notre dame bookstore.
a s an undergraduate, collins was a varsity track athlete at notre dame on scholarship
from l imerick, i reland, majoring in e nglish and business.
“i came as an athlete and only survived two years at notre dame on scholarship, and i was allowed by the benevolence of [ university p resident e meritus] Fr. [Theodore] hesburgh to stay without finishing my running career,” collins said. “w hat he did say was, ‘i f you’re going to stay on here, do something, don’t be a
quitter. you’re not leaving the team because you’re a failure.’ a nd i said ‘no, i want to become educated. i want to do something else.’”
That “something else” was first programming software — a skill he taught himself — at m icrosoft under bill gates, and then later becoming a successful novelist whose
Dorms add to food options
By COURTNEY BECKER news writer
i n addition to r eckers and various fast food restaurants on campus, students can turn to one of several residence-hall-sponsored eateries to satisfy cravings for anything from grilled cheese to freshly baked cookies.
o ne of the most active dorms in the hall food sales trade is Knott h all, which junior m att g ambetta said in an email “boasts seven food sales businesses” available at different points throughout the week.
“For nearly 17 years, Knott h all has been providing food sales for its hungry residents and for the residents of m od Quad — and now e ast Quad — primarily with its grilled cheese and pizza businesses,” g ambetta, the Knot h all food sales commissioner, said. “ o ver the past few years, there was general discontent from Knott residents at the lack of food sales options on the weekends, so this year
we’ve seen a vast expansion in Knott h all Food s ales with the goal of becoming ‘the r eckers of the n orth.’” Knott h all provides a wide array of food options, something g ambetta said the residents pride themselves on.
“ we have businesses that specialize in nachos, pizza bagels, Korean noodles, breakfast tacos, cookies, breakfast sandwiches and gourmet sandwiches,” he said. “ s ome of the offerings may change from semester to semester depending on demand from our residents and whether business owners wish to continue to operate, but we’re always proud to provide a diverse selection of offerings.”
w hile most hall food businesses primarily serve their respective residents, g ambetta said Knott h all also generates plenty of business through their delivery policy.
“ o ur customer base is
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Juniors Bailey Oppman, right, and Lydia Lorenc delivered a speech Wednesday to promote their campaign for student body president and vice president, respectively. Voting will remain open throughout Thursday.
primarily Knott h all, but most of our businesses will offer free delivery to the other m od Quad and e ast Quad dorms as well,” he said. “We’ve even had orders delivered as far away as Welsh [Family h all] by Knott h omemade c ookies, but i believe they charged a couple dollars for that delivery.”
o ne of the more recent additions to the hall food sales scene is Fisher h all’s e llie’s d eli, which sophomore manager m ark e tzelmueller said was revived last year to serve a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches.
“We serve a bunch of different types of grilled cheese sandwiches,” he said. “We’ve got normal grilled cheese, we’ve got it with ham and with bacon and jalapenos and we have a couple of noncheese options. We’ve got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a grilled nutella sandwich, and every once in a while we throw in some specials — we had a pizza night the other night.”
e tzelmueller said e llie’s d eli features the added touch of menu items being named after Fisher h all residents — current or former.
“They’ve all got their own names named after people who’ve worked here or are still here,” he said. “The bacon and cheese sandwich is called the Frad after our old rector, Fr. b rad [ m etz]. We have a b roleck, named after Tony o leck, an ar now over in d unne who used to be here. i t’s a good menu. i like how much we get to have unique kinds of meals named after different people that are easy to make and pretty cheap for everyone.”
a nother hall food business that uses a former resident as an inspiration is Yaz’s in m orrissey m anor. s ophomore co-owner a be m ansour said the business started in 2001 and has been passed down from owner to owner.
“ i guess whoever started it decided to name it after a famous m orrissey resident — c arl Yastrzemski, who is a hall of fame baseball player,” he said. “ h e actually played basketball here for a couple years and lived in m orrissey, so they named it after him and it’s baseball-themed. a s far as history goes outside of that, whoever owned it the year before keeps the new team up to date on traditions that they passed down.”
m ansour said he and his friends decided to apply to take over Yaz’s because they felt they could improve the restaurant.
“ i guess we just thought that it was a cool thing to have in our dorm but it could’ve been better,” he said. “ s o second semester a group of
us were like, ‘ h ey, i think we should do this,’ and once we got it we’ve been working all year to make it the best it can be. Going forward it might be a little bit different with [new m orrissey rector Zack i mfeld], but as it stands it’s pretty much been a blank slate each year.”
The s nack s hack in m cGlinn h all sells a variety of desserts, and sophomore cocommissioner Kelly m c n eill said the profits benefit the hall’s signature charity.
“ i t’s kind of just an extra way to raise money for our charity, s t. a dalbert [ s chool],” she said. “This year we’ve done anything from simple warm cookies after m ass to brownies, cupcakes, we also have a decorate-your-own-cookies event [and] when m cGlinn had an ice-cream-sundae event we sold additional brownies because they wanted that to go with their ice cream sundaes.”
m c n eill said the business attracts mostly m cGlinn residents due to its hours.
“The timing of when we sell is after m ass and after our hall council meetings,” she said. “ s o that’s when we catch most people, and usually the people attending those events are just m cGlinn residents. … The warm cookies after m ass are definitely the most popular, just because everybody is downstairs and they’re fresh.”
i n addition to Knott h all, Fisher h all, m orrissey m anor and m cGlinn h all, various other dorms around campus have their own food sales options.
Editor’s Note: News Writers Lucas Masin-Moyer, Andrew Cameron and Alexandra Muck contributed to this report.
Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu
“some of our most important initiatives involve the college’s sustainability, food services, student safety and wellness, and student and campus life,” she said. “as your current sustainability commissioner, i’ve begun working on improving the college’s sustainable practices.”
oppman also said she and Lorenc hope to work with the cyber cafe, the student grill on
campus, to offer more healthy alternatives for students looking to eat somewhere other than the dining hall.
“We also want to introduce healthier made-to-order food options from the grill in cyber cafe,” oppman said.
oppman and Lorenc’s platform also includes plans to send bi-weekly emails to students and staff with crime prevention and campus safety tips, expand munch money use to local businesses in south bend and host an event such as a
campus-wide walk to encourage exercise among members of the community.
voting for the saint mary’s student body president and vice president opened on orgsync at midnight Wednesday and will close at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. voting is open to all college students, including seniors.
Editor’s Note: News Writer Courtney Becker contributed to this report.
Contact Jordan Cockrum at jcockrum01@saintmarys.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
By MIKE DONOVAN s cene Writer
If you’re looking to get your cultural fix Thursday, head over to the LaFortune ballroom where, starting at 7 p.m., you can see notre dame’s new orleans brass band and Jazz band 2 perform in the collegiate Jazz Festival preview. Tonight’s show will be the first of many opportunities to experience the excitement of live jazz music over the next few days. According to student organizer Joseph Ghirardo, the preview night will be mardi Gras themed, and the student Union board will provide free beignets and drinks for all attendees.
The Festival, now in its 59th year, takes place in Washington hall on Friday and saturday nights. The event showcases the work of both elite collegiate jazz bands and acclaimed professional musicians.
The attending collegiate ensembles — University of Alabama Jazz ensemble, roosevelt University big band, Western michigan University big band, Alma college Percussion ensemble, University of Illinois Latin Jazz ensemble, University of Illinois Jazz combo, notre dame Jazz band 1 and The notre dame new orleans brass band — will each play 30-minute sets. Four of the bands play Friday evening, and the rest take the stage saturday. As music professor and assistant director of bands Larry dwyer points out, the collegiate performances are a great way to experience the diversity of jazz music firsthand.
“every one of these groups has its own personality,” dwyer said. “on a given night, you’re going to hear five different performances, and every one will be radically different from the other one.”
After each performance, a panel of judges will critique
the bands in the spirit of what dwyer calls “friendly competition.” The judicial panel will be comprised of five professional musicians.
This year’s judges are all relatively young, virtuosic instrumentalists at the top of their respective disciplines.
Trumpeter darren barrett teaches at berklee college of music and champions a jazz/reggae fusion style.
saxophonist Jimmy Greene teaches at Western connecticut state and boasts recording credits with harry connick Jr. and horace silver.
Pianist Aaron Goldberg leads an acclaimed jazz trio and recently released an album titled “The now.”
bassist Yasushi nakamura has played storied venues like The blue note and carnegie hall as well as international festivals in Tokyo and ravinia, Illinois.
drummer obed calvaire served as a collegiate Festival of Jazz judge in 2006 and has performing credits with The clayton brothers quintet, Wynton marsalis, Joshua redman and mary J. blige.
students have a chance to hear the judges perform in the Judges’ Jam at 10 p.m. Friday. during the hour-long set, the judges will play as a single unit, fusing their distinctive musical personalities to produce a completely unique piece of improvised music.
students are highly encouraged to take advantage of the professional performance.
“They’re just on a totally different level than the best of college game,” dwyer said. “You will hear them do things and just say, ‘oh my God, how did they do that?’”
The judges are also offering a free jazz clinic for the public at 2 p.m. on saturday. The clinic will take place in the r icci band rehearsal hall.
If you’re a longtime fan of America’s original art form or
a genre newcomer, the collegiate Jazz Festival is a great place to start.
student admission is free for all events. Public tickets cost $5 per night or $8 for both nights.
The schedule of performances at collegiate Jazz Festival is as follows:
Thursday
LaFortune Ballroom
7 p.m. – notre dame new orleans brass band and Jazz band 2
Friday
Washington Hall
7 p.m. – notre dame Jazz band 1
7:45 p.m. – University of Alabama Jazz ensemble
8:30 p.m. – roosevelt University big band
9:15 p.m. – Western michigan University big band
10 p.m. – Judges’ Jam
Saturday
Ricci Band Rehearsal Hall
2 p.m. – Judges’ clinic (free and open to the public)
Washington Hall
7 p.m. – Alma college Percussion ensemble
7:45 p.m. – University of Illinois Latin Jazz ensemble
8:30 p.m. – columbia college Fusion ensemble
9:15 p.m. – University of Illinois Jazz combo
10 p.m. – notre dame new orleans brass band
Contact Mike Donovan at mdonov10@nd.edu
By ADRIAN MARK LORE
s cene Writer
It has been almost five years since the innovative indie-rock group dirty Projectors released their last record, “swing Lo magellan,” and a lot has happened in the meantime, including the release of two superb solo records by band member olga bell. Perhaps the most momentous development, however, has been the romantic fallout between frontman dave Longstreth and vocalist Amber coffman, who has now left the band. Indeed, the breakup informs the entirety of the band’s new self-titled record, “dirty Projectors.”
Unfortunately, the record’s myopic focus on the relationship between two band members renders it claustrophobic. In “Up In hudson,” Longstreth sings explicitly about writing the song “stillness Is The move,” a single from the band’s 2009 breakthrough “bitte orca.” Additionally, the opening track, “Keep Your name,” samples “Impregnable Question,” a track from their 2012 record “swing Lo magellan.” That said, if listening to the endlessly self-referential “dirty Projectors” is a meta experience, then perhaps this is the only instance in which a band name has actually made for a relevant album title. While the concept reads appropriate and even clever on paper, its execution flops. At fault are Longstreth’s cringe-worthy artistic pretensions, which he reveals on “Keep Your name,” singing: “What I want from art is truth / What you want is fame.” The line is an attempt to diss coffman, and the many similar moments that mar “dirty Projectors” make Longstreth sound more embittered than heartbroken. rather than sympathize, I am
more inclined to roll my eyes.
This is one of the most significant problems with the record: The lyricism addresses heartbreak with the subtlety of a landslide, and Longstreth’s prosaic approach does not belie candor but rather a lack of effort. still, on “Keep Your name,” Longstreth spouts: “I didn’t take you seriously / And I didn’t listen / I don’t think I ever loved you / That was some stupid s—.” If these lyrics were written poetry, they would be the work of an amateur. There is no need to allow Longstreth’s substantial indie-rock credibility to sway against holding him to a high standard. The record’s production is similarly fraught with superfluous pretensions. Longstreth makes frequent attempts at innovation and experimentation, yet ironically remains behind the times. his fusion of indie-rock and elements of r&b, particularly audible in the beat-heavy electronic production, is playful enough, until one remembers that James blake and bon Iver did the same — and with greater success — just last year. besides, much of the eclecticism is entirely gratuitous. If their 2009 album “bitte orca” was organized chaos, then the broken beats on tracks like “Work Together” and “Winner Take nothing” on “dirty Projectors” are chaotic banality: They seem quirky on their face, but soon become redundant. This is quite simply because Longstreth is a talented multi-instrumentalist, but not a talented producer. In fact, the record’s only highlight, the redeeming “Little bubble,” is comparatively straightforward and earnest; It accomplishes a lot with little, rather than little with a lot. notably, the track plays to Longstreth’s songwriting skills, rather than tugging him in uncomfortable and unfamiliar directions.
In other words, the record could have benefitted from the contributions of talented artists with different areas of expertise. Yet Longstreth seldom enlists the help of his fellow bandmates over the course of the record. In fact, he does the band a disservice by using its name to promote a would-be solo record written by himself, about himself and for himself. The fact that the vocals on every track are performed by Longstreth alone contributes to this confining effect. The exception may be the final track, “I see You,” where bell seems to make an appearance. Longstreth’s ill-advised foray into unknown territory, coupled with a rather narcissistic artistic vision, have yielded a product with the familiar artistic flair of dirty Projectors, but with none of the skillful craft to match it. Looking forward, he will need to decide whether he will go solo or remember that being part of a band is inherently a team effort.
Contact Adrian Mark Lore at lore.1@nd.edu
“Dirty Projectors” Dirty Projectors
Label: Domino
Tracks: “Little Bubble”
If you like: Arcade Fire, Bon Iver
InSIDe ColUmn
reflecting on our blessings
Observer endorses Oppman-Lorenc
The observer editorial board interviewed the only ticket running for saint mary’s student body president and vice president on Tuesday evening. The candidates —juniors bailey oppman and Lydia Lorenc — answered questions regarding their platform and plans for the following year, and shared their goals for the college’s student Government Association (sGA). After reviewing their proposals, aims and qualifications, The observer endorses oppman and Lorenc for student body president and vice president, despite significant concerns about issues their platform fails to address.
I have been advised — on multiple occasions — to write down three positive things that happened to me each day.
supposedly, this practice would help me to increase my ability to engage in positive thinking. however, I always thought it sounded like tacky advice pulled from a cheap self-help book and never bothered to try it.
Then, one day, my roommate proposed we write one positive thing on our mirror each day. I was still skeptical about the idea, but I agreed to give it a try. each day, my roommates and I wrote down the small things we appreciated, and invited the friends who visited our room to write on the mirror as well.
Throughout the week, we would accumulate a list of all of the good things that had happened to us. sometimes, it would be as small as a compliment from a teacher or a particularly good dinner. other times, we would write about slightly more significant things, such as passing a difficult exam or recovery from an illness. The lists on the mirrors always made us laugh and appreciate the things we would otherwise take for granted. We would often write silly remarks on the mirror — and occasionally roast each other with what we wrote — but we always smiled when we read through them at the end of the week.
From time to time, our friends would come to our room just to write on the mirror about a particular highlight from their day. We would try to guess who wrote each thing on the mirror and ask each other to explain the stories behind what we wrote. during especially busy weeks, I would read through the mirror to see what my friends had been doing. even when I didn’t get to see them as often, the mirror made me feel connected to the group.
not only did the mirror did help us to count our blessings, it also helped us to celebrate with each other. While it did actually help me to think more positively, perhaps more importantly it made me recognize the importance of recognizing the successes of my friends and sharing my own joys with them. It helped me to realize that when we are able to appreciate not only the positive events in our own lives, but also those in the lives of our loved ones, our joy and gratitude are able to multiply.
Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu
The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The oppman-Lorenc ticket proposed a number of initiatives that reflect their personal experience within sGA committees, particularly pertaining to food services and sustainability. The pair said it plans to expand munch money to various south bend eateries, and has already gauged interest with places such as einstein bros. bagels. Although this plan requires the cooperation of outside companies before it can be put into place, the ticket expressed optimism about the possibilities, pointing to Jimmy John’s and Papa John’s as examples of restaurants where the system has been implemented successfully.
The ticket also proposed a healthy-options-only café to be opened in the new Angela Athletic and Wellness complex, as well as an addition to the bellemobile app to allow for online ordering at the existing cafes on campus. Although the healthy options idea would benefit the saint mary’s community, the feasibility of the college and sodexo implementing this initiative is questionable. Additionally, oppman-Lorenc stressed the importance of sustainability, a goal college President Jan cervelli has been adamant about since arriving at saint mary’s. The pair plans to continue working towards a program to donate leftover food to the local food pantry, a plan the college has explored in previous years but has yet to fully implement. oppman and Lorenc are still working on the logistics of transporting the food to the pantry, but creating a permanent program would be a great step forward for the college that we believe the ticket could realistically accomplish once in office.
Although the oppman-Lorenc ticket had a clear vision with regards to food services and sustainability, several other points of their platform seemed vague and undeveloped. For this reason, our endorsement comes with a number of reservations. The ticket had a wide-ranging platform, but it lacked concrete and feasible goals. The issues of food service and sustainability were clearly well-researched, but outside of their previous experience in sGA, the candidates did not have well-articulated goals nor clearly defined paths to achieving the ambitions they did have in place.
In particular, one of the goals outlined in the pair’s platform is community, and though an enhanced sense of community is a reasonable goal to strive for, the editorial board does not think several of the ticket’s actual proposed initiatives — such as continuing
to foster dialogue at monthly mingle events and organizing weekly office hours — are innovative. students should expect more from their representatives than to maintain the values and structures already in place, particularly at a college that already succeeds on that front.
When the pair was asked about plans to introduce new programs or organize new events, their answers often reflected complacency with the status quo, opting to continue what the mccarthy-dingler administration accomplished in the 2016-2017 school year and providing few fresh ideas. If the ticket truly deems improving the saint mary’s community to be one of the most important goals — considering they included that goal in their platform — their ideas should be more original and detail-oriented.
The pair’s optimism and dedication to the college is reflected throughout their platform, with an emphasis on community emerging from nearly every proposal. The editorial board commends this focus on sisterhood, but believes the candidates have room to improve in setting clear, specific and reasonable objectives in this area.
notably, we found that the ticket also fell short on several important topics — specifically, diversity and sexual assault. Any plan to address sexual assault was omitted from the ticket’s platform altogether. This is surprising, especially since Lorenc served on former President carol Ann mooney’s Taskforce for sexual Assault. more than simply surprising, however, we found this to be extremely concerning, given the fact sexual assault is such a prominent issue on college campuses. When asked if they had plans to combat sexual assault, the candidates merely pointed to the existing programming already available and the belles Against violence office on campus.
The oppman-Lorenc ticket also failed to present plans to address campus diversity in any capacity. The pair’s platform included a point on promoting inclusivity for people of different faiths, including those without a particular faith, but it did not expand further than that. The lack of specificity in this regard is not only concerning, but disappointing. Although religious diversity is important, the issues of race and gender should be a prevalent concern for the representatives of the student body.
The candidates brought up the issue of inclusivity as a potential topic for a meeting they hope to implement between the student body and the college’s administration, but again, they did not expand further than acknowledging that it is a topic that warrants discussion.
despite these reservations, the editorial board felt the oppmanLorenc administration had some established, well laid out areas for advancement — particularly regarding food services and sustainability — which could potentially extend into other initiatives that would benefit the saint mary’s community.
remembering Timothy Fuerst
“my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior!”
on Tuesday, our Lady’s University community lost a great and beloved man who exemplified these words of mary. o’neill professor of economics Timothy Fuerst was a good friend, a brilliant economist, an energetic teacher, a wonderful colleague and a dedicated and loving father and husband. but that doesn’t capture it. There was something different about him. “special” would understate it: There was something noble, something holy about him. To me, he was almost a sacrament: a visible sign of christ in our community, and a true instrument of God’s grace.
If you had asked me a year ago to describe Tim, after “saint,” I would have given you “joy” and “grace.” With regard to joy, Tim was — quite simply — the most upbeat person I’ve ever known. he was pro-life in the fullest sense of the word. he loved people, and he loved life. his smile, bellowing laugh and whistling lightened up every room. his op-‘Tim’-ism helped carry him through his illness, and he was joking even in his last days, trying to ease the concerns of those who loved him.
Tim was unwaveringly kind and gracious. he cared for everyone he encountered, and I can’t recall him saying an ill word about anyone. Instead, he was a person who encouraged, consoled and inspired. Like our Lady, Tim’s gracious attitude toward others reflected a strong awareness of God’s grace in his own life. Like mary, Tim was graced, but not with a life devoid of sorrow. Tim lost his father during childhood, and his mother as a young adult.
his 10-month battle with cancer and the knowledge of leaving
his wife and children behind was his greatest trial, however. his body broke and, at 6-foot-6, resembled a skeleton toward the end, but it only made his great soul shine through even more. during the time when he was in and out of the hospital through intense chemo regiments, Tim continued his job of research, publishing, teaching and advising. It was heroic; the normalcy of his life was a way of coping, but it was also a testament to the fact that Tim had always lived his life the way that God had called him. he acknowledged his suffering as any honest human would, but his real concerns were only for his wife and children. he adored them, even giving his wife flowers for valentine’s day in his last week of life.
It is ironic that the only time I ever knew Tim to make someone unhappy was when he suffered with cancer and eventually died. It is a trial of faith, when good people suffer. Jesus conforms every saint, canonized or not, into to his image in a unique way, and we all share in some way in the sufferings of christ. The great ones experience this acutely though, through martyrdom or severe suffering. At such times, reason fails us, and our Lord’s own death on the cross is our only consolation and hope. In this light, we receive Tim — his mere existence — as a gift of grace. We will miss him, but we appreciate his life and his beautiful soul.
Amidst our loss, Tim’s steadfast faith and joy is a reminder that suffering is not the final word. God pours his grace upon us, and he wants us to be happy.
Joe Kaboski professor of economics
leTTeR To THe eDIToR
Natalie Weber news Writer
Living off campus
Erin Thomassen
The e xamined Life
If you are considering moving off campus, you have much to look forward to and some to beware. I provide here an account of the pros and cons I have experienced as an off-campus senior, knowing that others may not share these opinions.
The original reason I was drawn to off-campus was the price. m y first semester off-campus housing and food totaled less than a third of the n otre d ame’s semester room and board fee of $14,890. o ur lease stated that utilities would be added to our rent, so the price ended up being higher than expected due to biweekly landscaping costs. If I could redraft the lease, I would have preferred a higher set monthly rate to a fee that could skyrocket without us knowing; the uncertainty made it stressful to wait for the bill and also made us reluctant to turn up the heat in our already chilly house. e ven with the unexpected increase, offcampus was a smarter financial move than living on campus. n ote that since I chose to live walking distance from campus, I didn’t need to pay for a car, insurance or gas, which reduced my budget significantly.
Another benefit of living off campus was showering: I no longer had to flip-flop down the hallway with my shower caddy in tow, wrapped in a towel and praying I don’t run into someone’s grandpa. The privilege of having a house bathroom came with a price: o ne shower shared between five girls meant the occasional wait followed by a cold rinse. Yet our schedules are all pretty different, so I’ve only had to do this four times in the five months I’ve lived off campus. Thus, the off-campus shower situation was also a net positive.
Then there was the question of heat. We toured the house in the spring, so we didn’t realize the heating vents didn’t work in the bedrooms and the living room was an uninsulated extension. While the basement was toasty, our bedrooms and the extension were downright frigid. This meant I migrated downstairs to change in the morning and the extension had to be closed off during winter months.
After hibernating under a down blanket, I invested in an electric blanket, which vastly improved my bedtime warmth. It did make it extremely difficult to leave my heated cocoon in the morning, however. I also wished we had tested the outlets while touring the house; after moving in, we discovered the outlets in the bathroom didn’t work, which was inconvenient if someone wanted to blow dry or straighten hair.
Living off campus without a car proved a challenge in the snowy months. It wasn’t hard in the fall as I was able to bike to campus in under eight minutes, but when ice, snow and wind made biking impossible, I either bundled up in a parka and ski mask or coordinated with a friend to get to and from campus. I minimized chilly trips by stowing running gear and shower supplies in a friend’s dorm room, so I was able to stay on campus to work out and clean up.
m aking my own food was a treat. As a natural grazer, my body preferred eating little bits throughout the day versus two large meals. I didn’t have a lot of time to cook first semester due to some challenging courses, so making my own food looked like microwaving a sweet potato and toasting chickpeas. I discovered a cure to my culinary laziness, which was making meals with other people. Then, a chore I didn’t have time for turned into a creative bonding activity with a delicious reward.
First semester, I missed getting meals with friends on campus since it had been a major source of quality time. I ended up buying a plan for 50 meals, which was also convenient when I was staying on campus past dinnertime and didn’t want to carry around a Tupperware. n ote that there are fridges in every dorm and many academic buildings if you are in need.
Getting sick off campus is a blessing and a challenge. You are not stuck in a dorm bathroom, far from your room and without privacy, but you are far from s t. Liam’s. Thus, if you need to see a nurse at the crack of dawn, you will need housemates to sacrifice sleep to drive you there (thanks Tori).
s peaking of housemates, be judicious about who you choose to live with. Luckily, my housemates are proactive about fixing plumbing issues (rampant in s outh b end) and cleaning up after themselves. If they weren’t, I would have had a lot of additional work to do.
o ther positives of living off campus include being able to host larger get-togethers and comfortably house family on couches when they visit. Also, not having to make package hours to retrieve packages or pay to use the washer and dryer are pluses.
The last issue is safety. I live in a safe area of s outh b end and almost never feel afraid walking or biking home at night. s tudents in other areas have experienced break-ins though, so make sure to research where you are thinking of living.
Ms. Thomassen is a senior studying mechanical engineering. She lives at the Château off campus, with four friends and more crêpes. She can be reached at ethomass@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
In hope of no more deaths
“In the 1990s, doris meissner — then commissioner of the Immigration and naturalization service (Ins) under President bill clinton — stated that “geography would do the rest” regarding increased border security alongside the main ports of entry at the U.s.–mexico border. she, along with anti-immigrant politicians and citizens, did not foresee that immigrants would simply reroute and cross through the more isolated parts of the desert, where enforcement is nearly impossible.
What clinton, meissner and other politicians also did not anticipate was the desperate circumstances in which many immigrants find themselves, a situation generally between living in horrible circumstances — or even death — in their home country and trying to make a better life for themselves by risking their lives to come to the United states by crossing a deadly desert.
o ver winter break, I had the privilege to go to southern Arizona to tour the border and speak with humanitarian and legal organizations as well as border Patrol officials. one of the most moving and inspiring moments of the trip was being able to spend a day working with a humanitarian organization that goes into desolate parts of the desert to put out gallons of water in key locations where they believe migrants cross. now, this was a cool January day in the sonoran desert, but I cannot imagine spending a week there over the
summer months — the busiest months for migrant crossers — when the temperatures are above 100 degrees: a literal hell on earth.
This is what migrants are willing to go through. humanitarian organizations are responding to the thousands of deaths that are occurring because these immigrants have no legal routes to be able to come to the United states to make a better life for themselves.
Increased border security under clinton, an emphasis on national security post-9/11 under President George bush and the current attempt to drastically militarize the border by the current administration — apart from failing to deter immigrants — has created a humanitarian crisis that has resulted in the thousands of confirmed deaths of immigrants crossing the border.
Increased border enforcement does not work as an effective means to lowering undocumented immigration into the United states, nor does it work as an economically sustainable deterrence policy.
We should not trade in such humanitarian and fiscal problems for a false sense of security. Instead, we should focus on a comprehensive alternative that treats the causes of immigration from the root of the problem, not futilely attempting to stop it at our doorstep.
Immigrants should not die because they are in the
crossfires of a lengthy and contentious political debate. Politicians can argue on whether immigrants should be given citizenship or any other form of benefit, but ending or at least lowering the death rates of crossers and the protection of human dignity should be non-negotiable.
As notre dame students, we should engage in the political debates, but we need to also realize that there are thousands of people dying in the desert, and we should not forget this because of bitter partisan bickering. monday at 12:30 p.m. in the Geddes coffee house, the center for social concerns will be hosting a discussion of the human rights issues and horrendous events happening at the U.s.–mexico border. members of no more deaths, a humanitarian organization that is based in southern Arizona, will lead the discussion. As their name suggests, their goal is to stop the humanitarian crisis happening at the border today.
no more deaths’ goal is a worthy one and their mission should be our mission as well. I invite the entire notre dame and saint mary’s community to come and learn about the real and catastrophic deaths that are happening at the border.
22
Cesar Estrada senior Feb.
LeTTeR TO THe eDITOR
Happy Birthday: volunteer or take a stance and do something that will make a difference in your community or the way you choose to live life. Embrace challenges, but don’t set unreasonable goals. Consider the possibilities and how to approach what you want to see happen without losing sight of what’s most important to you. If you give, you will receive. your numbers are 4, 11, 18, 26, 37, 42, 48.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Someone will try your patience. When it comes to work, put your head down and take care of your responsibilities to avoid any recourse or complaints. Strive for perfection and excellence and you will overcome setbacks and loss.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Share your thoughts and feelings and find out where you stand. Someone will contribute to your ideas and offer to help you. Collaboration with the right people will bring prolific results. let your imagination flow.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do what you can for others, but make sure you get something in return. Don’t let anyone take advantage of your generosity and keen perception of situations. If you want to contribute or partner with someone, set up guidelines and boundaries.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): look outside your usual stomping grounds. g o to unfamiliar destinations and you will expand your mind. Checking out different philosophies, lifestyles and cultural backgrounds will lead to personal changes. Discuss your thoughts and plans with someone you love.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Make plans to boost your education. Be resourceful and engage in feats that are challenging and require intelligence, perception and physical agility. Show everyone what you are capable of accomplishing and new opportunities will be your reward.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Be leery of people making outlandish promises or unpredictable moves. The information you are given will not be complete. Question every aspect of any contract, negotiation, settlement or money matter before you concede. Invest in yourself, not someone else.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): you’ll find it difficult to keep the peace when dealing with partners or people you live with. A reserved approach will give you a chance to gather facts and information that will help you negotiate your position and your plans.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): you’ll have plenty to think about. Don’t let anyone persuade you to take part in something that isn’t going to benefit you personally. An emotional plea will lead to changes that are not in your best interest. Avoid travel and dealing with institutions.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Emotional matters will surface if you neglect someone who needs your attention. Dealing with children, friends, relatives or your lover should be handled carefully. Don’t take physical or financial risks. Don’t let someone from your past disrupt your life.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Educational pursuits and dealing with professors, police or anyone in a position of authority will cause you stress and uncertainty. use your ability to learn from others in order to come up with a plan that works for you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Ask questions and make decisions. A chance to expand an interest or idea you have will bring you greater returns than you anticipate. Don’t waffle or show laziness when taking actions to turn your dream into a reality.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Size up your situation and set parameters. Don’t overdo it in order to be noticed or feel obligated to take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. A slow and steady pace will get you where you want to go.
Birthday Baby: you are ambitious, perceptive and outgoing. you are imaginative and experimental.
Enclosed is $130 for one
Jumble | DAvID hOyT AND JEff kNurEk
sudoku | ThE MEPhAM grOuP
Just add water | ErIC CArlSON & JOhN rODDy
WOrk Ar EA
the right foot and has yet to stop. its first major test came against then-no. 13 v irginia, who they were able to topple in a close 11-10 game. e lon is led offensively by junior attack stephanie a sher, who currently leads the team with 17 goals and 18 points on the season. she is closely followed by senior attack sloane Kessler, who has tallied 17 points so far this year, and sophomore defender shannon horan, who has 10 points in four games.
While the i rish are on offense, they will need to deal with junior defender a lexis Zadjura, who leads the Phoenix with four caused turnovers and eight ground balls. she has also won the draw control nine times. The i rish will also need to solve senior goalkeeper r achel r amirez, who is averaging more than six saves a game.
a fter playing e lon, the i rish will head 45 minutes east to tackle d uke (4-0) on sunday in both teams’ first conference game of the 2017 season.
notre dame and d uke have had a back-and-forth rivalry over the course of the last few seasons, as it was the blue d evils who sent the i rish home in the second round of the ncaa tournament in 2014. most recently, however, the i rish topped d uke at home on s enior day in 2016 in a 10-9 battle that went to overtime.
d uke is riding on the coattails of the momentum it picked up after downing thenno. 12 stanford, 12-8, in the Patriot c up on s aturday.
The blue d evils are led by junior attack Kyra harney, who has 17 points — including nine goals — on the season. Junior midfielder maddie c rutchfield has also picked up nine goals so far this year.
d efensively, the blue d evils turn to freshman midfielder c allie humphrey, who has caused nine turnovers in four games, and sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Lockwood, who is averaging nearly eight saves per game.
The i rish will look to both some familiar and some newer faces as they look to take down e lon and d uke. s enior attack c ortney Fortunato has met the high expectations placed on her thus far, while sophomore midfielder s amantha Lynch, sophomore midfielder m akenna Pearsall and junior midfielder molly c obb have found success in their increased playing time so far.
i rish sophomore goalie s amantha Giacolone is coming off a season-high 12 saves against m ichigan, which gives her an average of more than eight saves per game.
First draw against the Phoenix will take place at r udd Field in e lon, north c arolina, at 6 p.m. Thursday.
“i’m most excited to see Lee Kiefer at her final accs,” said Kvaratskhelia. “she is having a season that is incredible even by her standards. on the men’s side, i’m not so much interested in seeing one individual as i am seeing the 12 of them together as a team.”
With all the pressures that come with acc competition, Kvaratskhelia said he had benchmarks he wanted his team to meet that might not be measured in terms of wins and losses.
“resiliency … and maintaining consistency [are our goals],” Kvaratskhelia said. “if we do this, we can be well positioned for regionals in a couple of weeks.”
The acc championships begin saturday and continue all day sunday.
Contact Molly Murphy at mmurph40@nd.edu
Paid a dverT isemen T
EMMET FARNAN | The Observer
Irish junior foilist Virgile Collineau lunges at his opponent during the ACC championships on Feb. 28, 2016, at Castellan Family Fencing Center. The Irish look to repeat as ACC champs this year.
M Lax
said. “And if we do that consistently, then we can be consistent offensively.
“ … I think it starts with those guys — it starts with those guys not being selfish, and I thought … they all played very unselfishly. And if they do that and they still get points, then it’s the best of both worlds.”
o ne area the Irish will be looking to improve against the Wolverines (4-0) and beyond is in its defensive execution. c orrigan said he felt his team collectively needs to focus in its next few practices on limiting opposing scoring opportunities by tightening up its play on that end of the field.
And those improvements will be put to the test on s unday, as the Wolverines are averaging nearly 15 goals per game in their four wins to start the year. And while n otre d ame is the best team the Wolverines will have seen so far on paper, the Irish also expects this year’s m ichigan team to be the best they have seen in the last few seasons, c orrigan said.
“I think they’re playing with great confidence right now,” c orrigan said of m ichigan. “They’re a very good offensive team — they have really good skills, a number of different guys who can score and experience at every position on the field right now.”
The Irish and Wolverines face off at 2 p.m. s unday at Arlotta s tadium.
“We’re not happy giving up 10 goals to anybody. That was not something we felt great about,” c orrigan said. “That’s not pointing fingers at our defense or our goalie or anybody else, that’s just saying collectively, we gave them too many opportunities. That’s some transition, it’s some penalties, and it’s a lot of different things. b ut we’ve got to be better in restricting the opportunities people have against us because we’re not comfortable giving up 10 goals.”
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
Wbball
the program.
“It’ll be my first start on s enior n ight. I’m really excited to start with the four other great ladies and contribute in any way I can,” Thompson said. “ … I think I just got to do my best out there and whatever happens, happens. h opefully the game comes to me — I know it’s going to be really fast-paced, but I’m ready and can’t wait to start.”
Allen, on the other hand, will be making her 141st career start in an Irish uniform, as she has taken the court for the opening tipoff in each and every game n otre d ame has played since she has been a member of the program. In those four years, both Allen and m cGraw have appreciated their time together and the way they have impacted one another, they said.
“ h aving Lindsay has made my job so much easier, and she is such a coach on the court,” m cGraw said of Allen. “ s he’s just got a great mind for the game, tremendous vision. I think it’s a gift that sometimes you don’t appreciate as much until she’s not in the game … just phenomenal.”
“This has been really a dream come true for me, playing for c oach m cGraw and playing for this historic program and making it to two Final Fours — just really being in the position that I am today has been a dream come true,” Allen said.
Thursday’s contest will not only be s enior n ight,
however; it will also be the first game the Irish have played since the nc AA tournament selection committee announced m onday that n otre d ame had moved up to the n o. 4 slot overall, returning the Irish to the n o. 1-seed line as it enters the season’s stretch run.
d espite the recognition, however, the Irish remain focused on playing their game and taking the end of the season one opponent at a time, Allen said.
“ n ot really much,” Allen said of what it means for the committee to put the Irish back into position for a n o.
1 seed. “We still control our own destiny from here, so we’re only worried about just playing our best game and winning out the A cc regular season and into the A cc tournament. … Just really focusing on ourselves, and not really focusing on the outside pressures.”
m cGraw added that she does not pay much attention to the seeding, but she, like Allen, is happy to see the team back in a position from which it controls its own destiny.
“I’m glad that we’ve worked our way back to it and … I think we’ve put ourself in a
really good spot,” m cGraw said. “I think this is where we want to be: in control of our own destiny, which is where we’ve been every year. We should be very comfortable in this position, [and] we got to take care of business starting tomorrow. c an’t look ahead to s unday.”
And with the A cc tournament — as well as a potential winner-take-all game for the A cc regular season title s unday against n o. 8 Florida s tate — looming, the Irish are well aware that they will only face opponents at their fiercest going forward as the squad pursues another A cc
championship.
“I think for sure the level of intensity has ratcheted up a little bit, so we know that the end is coming. We’re getting into the end of the regular-season A cc , and we’re getting into the A cc tournament … so we’re going to get everyone’s best shot from here on out,” Allen said.
The Irish and e agles are set to tip off at 7 p.m. Thursday at Purcell Pavilion, with the s enior n ight ceremony slated to start approximately 20 minutes beforehand.
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
con TI nued F rom PAGe 12
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
Irish senior guard Lindsay Allen directs the offense during Notre Dame’s 90-69 win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 12 at Purcell Pavilion. Allen will make her 141st consecutive start Thursday against Boston College and has started every game since she has been on the team.
GRACE TOURVILLE | The Observer
Irish senior midfielder and captain Sergio Perkovic prepares to catch a pass during Notre Dame’s 8-6 win over Duke on April 10 at Arlotta Stadium. Perkovic scored three goals in the game.
Irish look to send seniors off in style against BC
By BEN PADANILAM Associate sports e ditor
As the regular season winds down to its close, n o. 5 n otre d ame will honor its seniors Thursday when it hosts b oston c ollege for its s enior n ight game.
For the Irish (25-3, 13-1 Acc ), guard Lindsay Allen and center d iamond Thompson will be honored for their contributions to the program. Forward Kristina n elson is also a senior, but she will not be recognized after Irish head coach m uffet m cGraw announced m onday that n elson would be returning as a graduate student for a fifth season.
For Thompson, Thursday’s game against the e agles (918, 2-12 Acc ) will be her first career start for the program in her four years. m cGraw called it a great way to reward her for all she has done for
W bbALL PaGe 11
90-69 win over Georgia Tech on Feb. 12 at
squads set to compete in Accs
By MOLLY MURPHY sports Writer
This weekend, notre dame will compete in the Acc championships in durham, north carolina. both the men’s and women’s sides have had strong seasons so far, with the men sitting at 10-4 to earn them a ranking of fourth in the nation and the women’s record at 113, putting them at no. 3 in the nation.
Unsurprisingly, this makes the Irish a target this weekend.
“everyone wants to beat us,” Irish head coach Gia Kvaratskhelia said. “[ boston college] wants to show how they’ve improved, north carolina wants to challenge for honors, and duke wants to dethrone us on their home floor.” despite the team’s success so far this season, Kvaratskhelia said he still worries about his team’s consistency entering the tournament.
“The one thing we’ve battled this year is inconsistency,” Kvaratskhelia said. “one squad would do really well in a certain match, and another would falter, which puts pressure on
Notre Dame to play Elon, Duke on road trip nd readies to face michigan at home
By BEN PADANILAM Associate sports e ditor
Following a season-opening win over Georgetown in Texas this past s aturday, n o. 5 n otre d ame returns home to host m ichigan on s unday at Arlotta s tadium.
In their 16-10 victory over the h oyas (0-2), the Irish (10) were led by their three top returning scorers: sophomore attack r yder Garnsey, junior attack m ikey Wynne and senior midfielder s ergio Perkovic scored 12 of n otre d ame’s 16 goals in the victory. Although their production propelled the team to victory, the trio’s performance was just part of a larger offensive scheme that Irish head coach Kevin c orrigan said he liked seeing s aturday.
“What I was pleased with offensively was how many different guys had opportunities to make plays,” c orrigan said. “If we play the
right way — the way that this team should play — then we’ve got some guys who we know can have big days, but we’re not going to live and die with r yder Garnsey getting six goals.”
As the team continues to establish its identity, the Irish believe they have found something that works in their offense, c orrigan said. While the scoring certainly starts with the trio of Garnsey, Wynne and Perkovic, it depends on their ability to work within the system and finish the opportunities that present themselves, he added.
“Those guys are going to be productive because they’re really good players, but what we need is for all the guys at the offensive end to have the opportunity to make plays, which I think we did a pretty good job of creating [against Georgetown],” c orrigan
everyone else to do even better.”
In preparation for the Accs, Kvaratskhelia has changed practice conditions to more accurately model a competition.
“We’ve shortened our sessions to try and duplicate the intensity of a competition,” Kvaratskhelia said. “our strength and endurance levels are good; we want to improve speed and flexibility.”
The Irish are also learning from past tournaments in order to move forward with their goals for Accs.
“We saw a good deal of adversity at the northwestern meet, especially on the men’s side,” Kvaratskhelia said. “I was worried as to whether they could bounce back after a tough first day, and they did not disappoint me. I think they learned that if everyone contributes to the best of their ability, we can beat anyone.”
Although both teams include notable players poised to make an impact this weekend, Kvaratskhelia singled out senior Lee Kiefer of the women’s team in particular.
Observer Sports Staff
The no. 11 Irish are looking to extend their four-game winning streak as they head to north c arolina for a twogame road swing against e lon and no. 8 d uke.
notre d ame (4-1) is hoping to harness its momentum coming off a 12-5 win in its first road game of the season against m ichigan on sunday, Irish head coach c hristine h alfpenny’s 100th win at the helm of the program.
e lon (4-0) and the Irish have never faced each other, so the matchup will be a new test for the two teams.
The Phoenix are a fresh face in the world of lacrosse, and not only for notre d ame: Women’s lacrosse became a varsity sport at e lon in the 2013-2014 season. however, the Phoenix have made an impression already, as they currently sit just outside the top-20 rankings and received votes in both the Inside Lacrosse and c oaches polls. e lon started the season on
see W LAX PaGe 10
Men’s Lacrosse
nd woMen’s basKetbaLL
ANN CURTIS | The Observer
Irish senior attack Grace Muller pursues the ball carrier during Notre Dame’s 21-9 win over Marquette on Feb. 14.
fencinG
nd woMen’s Lacrosse
EDDIE GRIESEDIECK | The Observer
Irish senior guard Lindsay Allen surveys the court during Notre Dame’s
