Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Notre dame 24, usc 17 | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Not always pretty, but finally perfect Irish hold off rival Trojans, finish regular season 12-0 for first time since 2012

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish junior quarterback Ian Book scrambles away from a Trojan defender during Notre Dame’s 24-17 win over USC on Saturday night in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Book finished the game 22 of 39 for 352 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Irish faced an early 10-0 hole, their first double-digit deficit this season, but rallied to win.

Perfect season seals redemption arc for Notre Dame Joe Everett Sports Editor

12-0.

The 2018 Notre Dame football team is undefeated. But don’t compare it to that fabled 2012 team.

Instead, compare it to that disappointing team of 2016.

More specifically, how the Irish left the Coliseum in 2016 as compared to how they left it Saturday night.

Two years ago, the Irish had just been beaten 45-27 by the Trojans, capping off an utterly miserable and disappointing 4-8 season that left the majority of Notre Dame’s fan base clamoring for head coach Brian Kelly to be fired.

However, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick refused to listen to the outside noise. Why? He saw beyond the wins and losses. Day-to-day, he saw a steadily improving team culture that was unfortunately unable to translate see EVERETT PAGE 3

By JOE EVERETT Sports Editor

Facing all the pressure in the world, as well as a two-score deficit for the first time all season, No. 3 Notre Dame displayed resiliency and grit Saturday night inside the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, rallying from 10 points down to defeat rival USC 24-17 and complete an undefeated regular season.

Playing for a bowl game and nothing else to lose, the Trojans (57, 4-5 Pac-12) came out of the gates firing, as freshman quarterback JT Daniels completed his first four passes — highlighted by a 23-yard completion to freshman wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown — to advance to the Notre Dame (120) 34-yard line. On third down, Daniels hit St. Brown again for 17 yards to move the chains, and sophomore running back Vavae Malapeai found the end zone on the next play from 14 yards out to give the Trojans an early 7-0 lead.

“I thought USC was well prepared. I thought [USC head coach] Clay [Helton] did a great job getting his football team ready. They got off to a great start — we took some shots early on and sustained some body blows,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said

postgame.

The Irish would advance the ball past midfield on their first drive, as Book hit senior slot receiver Chris Finke twice, but the drive stalled from there and the Irish were forced to punt.

USC began its second drive on its own 5-yard line, but the Trojans continued to have success against the Notre Dame defense thanks to its short passing game. Daniels didn’t miss a pass as he once again drove the Trojans into Irish territory, but junior cornerback Troy Pride Jr. stripped the ball from Trojans wide receiver Michael Pittman and recovered the fumble to give Notre Dame a boost. However, the Irish offense couldn’t capitalize on offense, as a Trojans blitz on third down resulted in a sack which forced the Irish to punt.

“They threw a lot of blitzes at us tonight,” Irish graduate student center and captain Sam Mustipher said. “It might have been 90-percent blitz versus base.

We knew they were going to throw a lot of stuff at us, and they did — they had nothing to lose and we had everything to lose.”

A 22-yard punt return by Tyler Vaughns gave USC the ball at its 38. The Trojans once again

moved quickly, as a 13-yard pass to St. Brown and a 13-yard rush by Aca’Cedric Ware pushed the ball to the Notre Dame 36-yard line as the first quarter wound to a close.

The Trojans would then convert on a fourth-and-one to keep their drive alive, but they eventually settled for a field goal to extend the lead to 10-0 with 11:51 left in the second quarter.

Countering the Trojan blitzes, junior quarterback Ian Book completed an eighteen-yard screen pass to senior running back Dexter Williams that jump-started Notre Dame’s third drive, and the duo worked together again to convert on a third down. The Irish decided to go for it on fourth-andfour, but USC cornerback Iman Marshall broke up Book’s pass to Finke to turn the ball over on downs and set up the Trojan offense at their own 39-yard line.

However, the Irish defense stiffened and forced a three-and-out, with a fair catch interference penalty setting the Irish up at their 37.

On third-and-long, Book hit Finke for a 18-yard completion to move the chains. However, the Irish continued to generate offense on the ground, leading to another see RALLY PAGE 2

Second half adjustments prove vital in Irish win

By CONNOR MULVENA Associate Sports Editor

The Irish defense didn’t look like the dominant unit we’ve seen all year in the first half on a cool Saturday night at the Coliseum. It didn’t look like the aggressive front seven we’d seen against Stanford or the lockdown secondary we’d seen against Syracuse. It even made a 5-6 USC team with questions surrounding the head coaching position look like an offensive machine.

In the first half, it appeared as if USC freshman quarterback JT Daniels and his receivers could do whatever they wanted — screen pass for a first down, out route for eight yards, fade, post, dump over the middle, anything at all. For the first time in a while, a quarterback going up against Notre Dame’s menacing front seven looked calm, cool and collected. And he certainly played like it.

And sure, all wasn’t lost. After all, the Trojans (5-7, 4-5 Pac-12) were only up 10-7 with an entire half of see SECOND HALF PAGE 3

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Insider

The observer | tuesday, NOVEMBER 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Rally Continued from page 1

third-and-long. Escaping pressure, Book reversed field and scampered toward open grass, barely gaining the yardage necessary. The Trojans continued to stack the box and brought up another third-and-long, but Book again found Finke on an out route to move the chains and set up the Irish at the Trojan 25-yard line. On second down, Book lofted a ball toward the front pylon that Finke caught in his outstretched arms just before running out of real estate for a 24-yard touchdown to get the Irish on the board and breathe life into the team.

“Just had a corner route, the nickel was playing off-coverage on me, and I had a little room to the sideline. Ian put up a good ball, and honestly I wasn’t sure if I was in or not. They ruled me in, I’ll take it,” Finke said.

With just 2:20 left in the first half, the Trojans started their fifth drive of the half at their own 15yard line. On third down, Daniels lofted a deep ball down the Notre Dame sideline that was caught by Pittman for 35 yards, moving USC into Notre Dame territory. After another first down by USC brought the ball to the 29-yard line, and Daniels found St. Brown over the middle for 14 yards. However, junior safety Alohi Gilman stripped St. Brown of the ball and the Irish recovered at their own 15-yard line, swinging the momentum in their direction.

With just a minute remaining

in the first half, Book completed a string of downfield passes to get the Irish to the USC 40-yard line with three seconds remaining. Attempting a Hail Mary, Book rolled out of the pocket and lofted a jump-ball that Boykin caught two yards shy of the goal line. The senior wide receiver was tackled right away, and the Irish headed into the locker room down 10-7.

“Coach Kelly preached grit and sustained effort through the adversity,” Finke said. “We all looked at each other and had a gut-check and understood what we had to do to get the job done.”

Though the Irish got the ball to start the second half, they promptly went three-and-out. A booming punt by senior punter and captain Tyler Newsome forced USC to start at its own 10. On third down deep in their own territory, the Trojans drew a pass interference call on freshman corner TaRiq Bracy to move the chains. The Irish went on to force a fourth-and-one at the USC 35-yard line, and after considering going for it momentarily, Helton opted to punt the ball.

“The sideline was confident that they just needed to stay the course — there wasn’t any panic,” Kelly said. “Our defense felt like they needed to play better. I thought [defensive coordinator] Clark [Lea] made some great adjustments at halftime in terms of making some of the coverage calls … and getting [the defense] off the field.”

Taking over at their 33-yard line, the Irish finally struck gold. After a rollout pass to senior tight end Alizé Mack for 15 yards, Williams

finally broke through the Trojan defense and sprinted down the left sideline for a 52-yard touchdown, putting the Irish ahead 14-10. “[Offensive coordinator] Chip [Long] did a great job of finding a way to run the football in the second half which I thought kept them off the field,” Kelly said.

“Play-calling was a big part [of our comeback].”

The Trojans responded with a drive of their own, sparked by a long 28-yard completion by Daniels to Vaughns to get the Trojans into Notre Dame territory. After another first down, USC looked to be threatening, but a holding call wiped out momentum and the Trojans were forced to punt again.

Starting at their 12 yard-line, the Irish got to work. Book finally found Boykin along the left sideline for 23 yards to the Notre Dame 35-yard line. Two plays later, Book found junior wide receiver Chase Claypool for 28 yards to the USC 36-yard line. However, a promising drive stalled from there, as threestraight incompletions forced the Irish to punt.

On USC’s eighth drive of the game, Lea finally confused the 18-year-old Daniels. On third down at the USC 26-yard line, Lea sent an all-out blitz that forced Daniels to make a hurried throw that was nearly picked off, and the Trojans punted.

Starting on the USC 38 after a solid return by Finke, the Irish made their way into Trojan territory and faced a fourth-and-one at the USC 38-yard line. Williams slipped out

of the backfield and Book found him for a 12-yard gain to move the chains. The Irish next faced a thirdand-13, and this time Book was unable to convert. Yoon’s 46-yard field goal just snuck through the uprights, giving the Irish a 17-10 lead with 1:07 left in the third quarter.

The Trojans failed to do much on their next drive, and the Irish took over at the 20-yard line. A 22yard screen pass to Williams jumpstarted the Irish, and two plays later the senior ripped off a 15-yard run to set the Irish up at the USC 36-yard line. A subsequent 16-yard pass to senior tight end Nic Weishar moved the ball to the 20-yard line.

However, three plays later Book was intercepted in the end zone

by USC safety Jordan McMillan, killing the chance to make it a two-score game. Kelly commented Book’s overall play, which he characterized as an up-and-down performance.

“He missed a couple here and there. You don’t turn it over in the red zone — he knows that,” Kelly said. “He’s human, and he’s going to grow from it. I wouldn’t say that one would put it up with his top performances, but he [won us the football game].”

With the Trojans looking to capitalize on some new momentum, the Irish defensive line finally made its presence felt on the next drive, as junior defensive lineman Julian Okwara got to Daniels on first down, while senior defensive lineman Jerry Tillery stormed into the pocket and registered a sack of his own on third down to once again force the Trojans off the field.

With 5:53 left, the Irish got the ball back, determined to put the game away. A 16-yard scramble by Book on third-and-long kept the drive alive, and on the next thirdand-long Book found Tony Jones Jr. out of the backfield all alone and the junior running back took care of the rest, rumbling 51 yards into the end zone to put the Irish up 2410 with 3:09 left.

While USC eventually made its way down the field on the ensuing possession and scored on a 20yard pass from Daniels to Vaughns with 48 seconds left, it was too late for the Trojans. Boykin recovered the onside kick, and three kneeldowns later Notre Dame had completed its first undefeated regular season since 2012.

“This game, our guys needed to have a sustained effort for four quarters, and had to be gritty, and they had that trait today. There’s different ways to win a game, and today they showed that — proud of them. It’s hard to win 12 games,” Kelly said. “There are so many things out there that can distract … and really just pleased with and proud of my football team and everyone that’s associated with it.”

With a potential berth to the College Football Playoff ahead of them, it’s safe to say the Irish are looking forward to whatever next comes their way, and facing it together.

“We’ve believed in ourselves all season,” Finke said. “I love this team and I believe in these guys.”

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish senior wide receiver Chris Finke looks upfield after catching a pass during Notre Dame’s 24-17 win over USC on Saturday night in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Finke led all Notre Dame receivers with seven receptions for 86 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown from Ian Book in the second quarter that cut the Trojan lead to 10-7.

Play of the game

player of the game

tony jones jr. seals the win with a 51-yard touchdown on third down

senior wide receiver chris finke

The Irish were set for a nervy finish when Chip Long’s offense faced a third-and-eight at midfield only up a touchdown with just over three minutes to go. When the Trojan defense blitzed, Irish quarterback Ian Book calmly dumped the ball off to running back Tony Jones Jr., who had nothing but open field in front of him. Thanks to a massive block from senior Miles Boykin, the junior waltzed into the endzone untouched to put the Irish up two scores.

The former walk-on continued his emergence this season with another standout performance against the Trojans, stepping up to lead the Irish receiving corps on Saturday night. Besides slipping through USC’s special teams for extra yards on punt returns, Finke had one of the biggest catches on the night, snagging a perfectly-placed ball from Ian Book and barely sneaking in the pylon to get the Irish on the board in the second quarter.

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Volume 53, Issue 60 | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Religious leader reflects on Shakespeare Former archbishop of Canterbury explores themes related to prayer in work of English playwright

By MAX LANDER News Writer

Former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams discussed the portrayal and power of prayer in Shakespeare’s work in a lecture in the Dahnke Ballroom as part of the Notre Dame Forum on Monday night.

Though Shakespeare’s works cover a broad range of topics — including comedy, tragedy, love, deceit and death — there are some themes and issues that appear consistently. Williams said prayer is one of these recurring themes.

“One of the most characteristic features, in fact, of Shakespeare’s dramatic work

is the way in which he will allow his plays to talk to each other,” he said.

Though prayer is visible throughout Shakespeare’s work, Williams specifically addressed its portrayal in Shakespeare’s plays written between roughly 1599 and 1611 — plays such as “Hamlet,” “Henry V” and “The Tempest.”

Each of these plays contain characters praying, or attempting to pray, Williams said. In “Hamlet,” Claudius attempts to pray for forgiveness for killing his brother — Hamlet’s father — while at the same time hypocritically continuing to enjoy see PLAYS PAGE 3

University backs out of food examination deal Observer Staff Report

Notre Dame has decided not to agree to a deal whereby the University would handle its own food safety inspections, according to an article published Nov. 19 by the South Bend Tribune.

If Notre Dame had agreed to do its own inspections, the move would have reduced pressure on the St. Joseph County Health Department.

One of the sticking points in the agreement was Notre Dame’s desire to keep the health reports confidential, the article said.

The county signed a deal with the University in August which would have allowed Notre Dame to keep the reports confidential, however in September the Tribune published an article that said under Indiana law such reports cannot be kept private, according to the article. “[T]he health department

NEWS PAGE 3

canceled that agreement and tried to renegotiate one that would have made reports publicly available,” the article said.

In the coming weeks, Notre Dame decided not to “proceed” with the deal, the article said.

In Saturday’s article, University spokesman Dennis Brown said issues raised in the September article caused Notre Dame to decide that the county should continue doing the inspections.

“In our commitment to be a good community partner, Notre Dame accepted a request from the St. Joseph County Health Department to conduct inspections of our dining establishments … However, external suggestions calling our integrity into question by likening this process to the ‘fox guarding the henhouse’ see INSPECTION PAGE 4

SCENE PAGE 5

MAX LANDER | The Observer

Former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, center, speaks Monday in the Dahnke Ballroom.

Williams was on campus to speak at the Notre Dame Forum, an annual series of lectures and events.

Saint Mary’s students reflect on voting issues

By GINA TWARDOSZ News Writer

Editor’s note: Throughout the 2018 midterm election season, The Observer sat down with various student organizations and professors to discuss political engagement and issues particularly pertinent to students. In this ninth installment, Saint Mary’s students discuss problems they

have faced while trying to vote.

Leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, many Saint Mary’s students realized their names had been removed, or purged, off voter rolls in their home states.

Some students discovered this fact just days before the election.

Political Science professor Patrick Pierce said one of his

students and her entire family were purged from the voter rolls in St. Joseph County, Ind. Pierce said purging procedures vary on a state-bystate basis, and usually occur when a voter has not cast a ballot in recent elections.

“Typically, [voter purging] pertains to removing someone from the voter rolls if see VOTING PAGE

Notre Dame, Tesla partner for architecture course Notre Dame is launching an architecture design studio course with Tesla, the University announced in a press release Monday.

The course centers on Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 in Reno, Nevada. According to the release, the factory

is “the highest-volume battery production facility in the world.” Participants in the course will work with local government and study the movement of people and materials through the factory.

Michael Lykoudis, the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Dean of the School of Architecture, said the

partnership between Notre Dame and Tesla ref lects the University’s commitment to both tradition and adapting to the future.

“Our school is part of a continuum that links timeless principles of traditional urbanism with cutting-edge

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

ND M BASKETBALL PAGE 12

ND W BASKETBALL PAGE 12

Observer Staff Report

see COURSE PAGE 4

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The observer | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

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“‘Steal My Girl’ by One Direction, or anything by One Direction.”

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“‘Don’t Stop Believin.’”

“‘Come and Get It.’”

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ANN CURTIS | The Observer

In honor of Transgender Awareness Month, Saint Mary’s students presented a table of books, flyers and other literature in Cushwa-Leighton Library. During November, Saint Mary’s students brought attention to issues facing the transgender community.

The next Five days:

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Lecture: “The Future of Liberalism After Trump” Jenkins-Nanovic Halls 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Talk by William Galston.

A Talk with Carmen Perez Eck Hall of Law 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Lecture on race, law and society.

Lecture: “Writers in the No-Man’s Land” Jenkins-Nanovic Halls 6:30 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.

Talk by Hana Morgenstern.

Cavanaugh Hall Christmas Pageant Cavanaugh Hall 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Crafts and pizza followed by a play.

Holiday Gift Auction Robinson Community Learning Center 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

All proceeds support the Robinson Center.

ND Men’s Basketball vs. Illinois Purcell Pavilion 7 p.m.

Part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Stories of Grace Walsh Hall Chapel 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

All are welcome for an evening of prayer and reflection.

Student Stand-Ups and Humor Artists Legends Club 9 p.m.

Live comedy sketches by students.

Handel’s Messiah Leighton Concert Hall 8 p.m.

Performance by ND Chorale and Festival Baroque Orchestra.

Christmas Concert: Unchained Melodies Hagerty Family Cafe 8 p.m.

Christian a capella group performs.

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ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | The Observer

3

STUDENT SENATE

Group leads discussion, confirms nominee

By CLAIRE RAFFORD News Writer

At their first meeting after Thanksgiving break, Notre Dame’s student senate continued a conversation from their previous meeting about students with disabilities.

At their meeting immediately before Thanksgiving break, the senate heard a presentation from Scott Howland, coordinator of the Sara Bea Center for Students with Disabilities and Dr. Bill Stackman, the University’s associate vice president for student services. Howland outlined the services and accommodations that the Sara Bea Center offers to students, and Stackman led a discussion about a recent STAT article about a prospective Notre Dame student who is said to have requested a

Course Continued from page 1

technolog y to find solutions for tomorrow’s problems today,” Lykoudis said in the release. “Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energ y pairs naturally with our commitment to the responsible use of resources in ser vice of humanity.”

Marianne Cusato, adjunct associate professor of architecture, said the course will help students develop “urban planning” skills. Cusato is the head of a team of Notre Dame faculty from various fields, among them chemical

single room because his epilepsy required him to get a uninterrupted night’s sleep.

According to the article, Notre Dame denied the request and the student ultimately enrolled in another university.

A week after the original discussion, members of the group still had insights to share about the discussion.

Junior and Welsh Family Hall senator Lindsay McCray brought up a point that sophomore senator Erin Hiestand of Ryan Hall made the previous week. Hiestand and McCray encouraged senators to consider the burden that having an epileptic roommate would have placed on the roommate who didn’t have epilepsy.

“How stressful would it be to know that if you accidentally wake up your roommate or do anything wrong

and biomolecular engineering professor Jeffrey Kantor.

“At its core, the new design studio is an urban planning exercise because the Gigafactor y contains all of the elements of a city: police, fire, public works, offices, restaurants, etc.,” Cusato said in the release. “We hope the patterns we explore in this studio will have applications far beyond the course.”

In addition to studying processes at the Gigafactor y, students will also focus on “airports and large factories,” the release said.

Overall, the course will focus on moving materials and

in your room, ever, to mess up his sleep schedule, you could actually potentially kill your roommate,” McCray said.

Sophomore and Fisher Hall senator David Morris added Stackman said this situation has arisen before and students with disabilities have been accommodated at Notre Dame.

“I talked to the doctor after wards, and they have a ver y set protocol and a way to help students with epilepsy,” Morris said. “He talked to me about how that works, and that there are not a lot of students with epilepsy who live in doubles on this campus, but this situation has happened before, and all the other students that had epilepsy were able to live in doubles their freshman year.”

The Senate also confirmed

people through large structures during all stages of production.

“We are excited to collaborate with the students and faculty at Notre Dame,” Pete Rusin, project architect at Gigafactor y 1, said in the release. “A university setting allows us to look at our processes through a new lens while at the same time inspiring the next generation of innovators.”

According to the release, the course will also address collaboration between businesses and local governments in response to rapid urban expansion.

At 7,000 employees, the Gigafactor y is currently 30

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a new co-director of First Undergraduate Experience in Leadership (FUEL) because current co-director, sophomore Clark Bowden, chose to study abroad in the spring.

Senior and student body president Gates McGavick, senior and student body vice president Corey Gayheart and senior and chief of staff Briana Tucker nominated sophomore Ryan Mullin for the position in a letter.

The letter said Bowden and FUEL co-director sophomore Rachel Ingal recommend Mullin. In his year and a half at Notre Dame, Mullin has been involved in FUEL, as well as the University Affairs and Student Life departments of student government, the letter said. Mullin also served as a Judicial Council peer advocate, a part of the Student International

percent complete. However, as expansion continues and production increases, the Reno-Sparks region will receive about 10,000 new residents a year, the release said. Students will respond to this grow th through the course, presenting economic development proposals, ways to increase “affordable housing” and develop infrastructure to adapt to an increase in residents and businesses.

Students can participate in the course during the spring 2019 semester, the release said. At the end of the course, students will present in front of “Tesla management and Notre Dame faculty.”

Business Club travel team and an associate in Notre Dame’s Jubilee Initiative for Financial Inclusion.

“Critically, he has also expressed a clear understanding of Clark and Rachel’s vision for making FUEL a hands-on, involved group that puts motivated young students in position to succeed in student government,” McGavick said, reading the letter to the Senate. “He has made clear his desire to continue the impressive progress Clark and Rachel have made, and, as mentioned above, comes highly recommended by his predecessors.”

After a vote, Mullin was confirmed by the senate for the position.

Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu

Inspection Continued from page 1

have caused us to reconsider,” Brown said in the article. “We will continue to cooperate with the health department on inspections but have told the county that we prefer to have them conduct inspections.”

In the statement, Brown quoted Steve Key, executive director of the Hoosier State Press Association. Key was the one who initially likened the University’s attempt to keep the reports secret as a “fox guarding the henhouse.”

Indiana public access counselor Luke Britt, whose job it is to handle open records complaints, was quoted in the initial article as saying Notre Dame cannot keep its health records confidential.

According to the article, Notre Dame’s choice was “a disappointment for the health department.” The department has faced difficulties in the past with carrying out the requisite number of inspections and the University would have lightened the load if it had carried out its own. Under the proposed arrangement, the county would have performed inspections on “new and remodeled food establishments” at the University, but Notre Dame would have carried out all routine checks.

Notre Dame’s choice was a “business decision,” David Keckley, attorney for the county Board of Health, said in the article.

“Obviously, the health department is disappointed Notre Dame chose not to proceed with trying to work out the details,” Keckley said in the article.

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News

The observer | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Voting Continued from page 1

they haven’t voted for a certain number of elections,” he said.

Junior Guadalupe Gonzalez, president of the Saint Mary’s Define American club, said many Saint Mary’s students discovered they were purged from the rolls after checking their registration status online or by calling their local representative.

“No warning was sent [but] thankfully, our students knew their right to a provisional ballot,” Gonzalez said. “But how many other people know about provisional ballots? This information and the process need to be more transparent.”

Junior Mary Stechschulte, a Michigan resident, said she was not able to vote during the 2016 presidential election despite having registered to vote well in advance. During her freshman year at Saint Mary’s, Stechschulte said she registered to vote at a campus event and then drove home to vote at her designated polling place.

But, when Stechschulte entered the polling place, she discovered she was not actually registered to vote.

“I walked into the polling station, and the lady checking IDs’ face dropped after looking up my name,” she said. “She said that I had not registered to vote.

I was in shock; I had taken all of the necessary steps to be able to vote, even taking four hours from my busy college life to vote and the machine still said I had not registered.”

Stechschulte said she was devastated walking out of the polling station.

“I felt heartbroken,” she said. “I wanted to do my part for the election and vote for what I believed in.”

Junior Genesis Vasquez’s early voter registration was rejected two days before the midterm elections.

She said she applied for an absentee ballot but never received it.

“Two days before the election, I got an email saying I would not get the ballot because my signature did not match and I may not be registered where I indicated on my application,” she said. “Which was a lie, because before I did the application, I updated my address.”

Like Stechschulte, Vasquez said the right to vote is not something she takes for granted.

“Voting is really important to me because my parents have had trouble becoming citizens and cannot vote,” she said. “I vote for them, and I vote to have good people in office that will make a positive change and do something new that will benefit the people.”

Pierce said he also knew of students who have experienced trouble obtaining an absentee ballot.

Pierce said these election administration issues have always been apparent, but they were more evident during the recent midterm elections because of the high level of turnout among young people.

“You’re seeing the problem amplified because turnout is higher,” he said. “You have more people who want to vote, so when the system isn’t operating effectively, you’ll have more evidence of that

ineffectiveness. This was an extraordinary election for young people in terms of turnout and partisanship, because you saw them breaking for the Democrats far more strongly than young people ever have.”

People will look for obvious intent behind acts of voter suppression, but Pierce said voter suppression often occurs because of structural issues.

“Counties have gotten used to getting by with what they have — they have increasingly faced tough fiscal situations, so they’re looking for areas to cut,” he said.

“That gets manifested in reducing the number of polling places and having fewer staff within the county offices. You will find those issues affecting counties with poorer citizens.”

This kind of voter suppression can manifest itself as long lines for the polls, shortened deadlines for early voting and malfunctioning voting equipment, Pierce said.

Often, Gonzalez said, voter suppression occurs in underrepresented or marginalized communities and many Americans do not hear about the issues that plague these communities. For example, in the midterm election, some polling places opened late, disrupting people’s work schedules and daily lives.

“We’ve heard how some polling places were not open until noon, and if they were open, there were only three machines and a waiting period of hours to just vote,” Gonzalez said. “When you are an individual that depends on that paycheck, it takes a real effort to take even 30 minutes out of a work day to vote.”

The concept of voter fraud was referenced by President Trump in early 2017, who established a presidential commission to study alleged voter fraud.

“There is simply no evidence of any significant and meaningful voter fraud going on,” Pierce said.

“You’ve distracted people and redefined the issue so that it’s not longer about a democracy and engaging everyone to participate in

the process.”

Pierce said Americans should be more concerned about Voter ID laws than voter fraud.

“Voter ID laws are really important and awful,” he said. “They’re new, so there’s not much political science literature on the topic, but the most important work, which was done by a couple of folks who are at [University of California at] San Diego, found that Voter ID laws significantly reduced turnout among folks of color and folks who were liberal.”

Gonzalez said news about voter suppression should move people to action. Some of the ways to prevent voter suppression, she said, include educating ourselves on the history of voting rights in America, engaging in conversations about voting rights and volunteering to help register people to vote.

“Research who is running and pay attention to their campaigns,” she said. “It is also so rewarding to be part of elections by volunteering. I cannot vote, but I still consider myself American and I understand my civic duty as raising awareness and encouraging participation. I find volunteering in this way does work as a catalyst.”

Part of this awareness involves encouraging and teaching students to follow up on their registration, Gonzalez said.

“We could set up times where we tell students, ‘it’s time to call your polling place,’ just to be completely sure,” she said. “And again, we just need to really work on preparing students for what to do if [their vote] has been rejected.”

Gonzalez said every American should have the opportunity to vote in every election.

“How can we call ourselves a democracy, an exemplary one at that, if there is no equity in access so every citizen can vote and guarantee that every vote will be counted,” she said.

Contact Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu

Plays Continued from page 1

the throne he gained as a result of his brother’s murder. In “Henry V,” the eponymous king of England prays for victory against the French, while at the same time acknowledging that his position as king results from his father’s potentially illegitimate usurpation of the throne.

“We are left with a whole set of unresolved questions about prayer. What makes it effectual? What renders it ineffectual? And about whether interior penance is actually the whole story,” Williams said.

“The echoes are clear — here again is someone praying to be able to repent while not having to make restitution of the goods he enjoys in virtue of the sin for which he is trying to repent.”

The prayers offered in these are not always entirely genuine, Williams explained, as Shakespeare stages them for the effect they may supposedly produce. In the play “Measure for Measure,” a similar dynamic is on display in which various characters feign sincerity in order to manipulate others.

“Appeal is constantly being made to mercy, to grace and yet the characters, each one of them in their different ways, pretends to seize that mercy and use it as a tool of control, of staging, of pushing others into roles and patterns of interaction — dramas — that the powerful ego sets out to construct,” Williams said.

In “The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s final work, the dynamic is slightly different.

The wizard Prospero, who throughout the play has used his magic powers to manipulate the other characters to achieve his own goals, lays down his instruments of power and vows his days of magic are over.

“He is stepping out of the role of being a dramaturgist, he’s

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stepping away from the power to do what the Duke in ‘Measure for Measure’ does, what Hamlet and Claudius are both doing, what in a sense Henry V, too, is doing,” Williams said. “That is, the attempt to resolve, or bring truth to light, by staging a performance. Prospero has, unlike the others, succeeded in his task. He has staged something which has brought about not only truth but a certain kind of reconciliation.”

Prospero abdicates his power in an attempt to reconcile himself. He appeals to the audience in “The Tempest,” saying, “Unless I be relieved by prayer, which pierces so that it assaults, mercy itself and frees all faults, as you from crimes would pardon’d be, let your indulgence set me free.”

“It is a renunciation that he cannot simply make for himself,” Williams said. “He needs prayer — not his own prayer, not the elusive, transparent, totality of repentance which escapes all the characters we’ve seen so far, but something else.

He needs the audience, he needs the redeemed human community.”

It is this moment, Williams said, that speaks to the audience.

“In that moment of seeing the staging of our own despair, our own unwillingness to renounce and be transformed — as we see the staging of that we understand the depth of our own need,” he said. “As we let go of the characters on stage, the characters in the drama, we enact, we stage, what we need to do for one another, and what God has done in his own theodramatics with us, is to breath freedom for creatures, freedom for the other and in that prayer is justified, and prayer is answered. We are relieved by prayer.”

Contact Max Lander at mlander1@nd.edu

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The observer | TUESDAY, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JIM MOSTER Scene Writer

The amalgamation of blankets, pizza boxes, water bottles and people clumped together along the sidewalk in the bitter cold outside of Chicago’s Lincoln Hall on Nov. 20 screamed one word — dedication. Fans suffered with a smile due to their knowledge that they would shortly see up-and-coming punk band The Wrecks perform their new EP, “Panic Vertigo.”

The five-man band hosted a brief game show for fans with VIP tickets prior to the concert consisting of two trivia segments and a physical challenge. Lead singer and guitarist Nick Anderson, clothed in a sequined turquoise suit, moderated the event, and each of the remaining band members joined the four teams as representatives.

Laughter filled the small venue as the pool of contestants narrowed to two finalists for the physical challenge, a contest involving the use of Nerf guns to shoot down bowling pins plastered with the band’s faces. “I have to call it a Nerf ‘blaster’ or I’ll be sued,” Anderson said in likely reference to previous disciplining for the questionable liberties the band took after Nerf used one of their songs in a commercial.

Following the game show, the remainder of the venue quickly filled to maximum capacity before the entrance of the opening acts Deal Casino and Badflower. All three bands performed on a simple stage littered with several instrument cases and pieces of sound equipment. A black and white banner depicting a man falling into a hypnotic spiral with “The Wrecks” written in large letters hung above the stage.

“He looks like an emo Peter Pan,” one fan quipped about lead singer and guitarist Joe Parella as the crowd slowly surrendered to the rousing performance of Deal Casino.

Next came Badflower, whose frontman Josh Katz pumped

By DESSI GOMEZ Scene Writer

The Snite Museum of Art and Notre Dame’s student radio station, WVFI, have collaborated to create Spotify playlists for the viewing of the ongoing art exhibition, “Solidary and Solitary: The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection,” until Dec. 15.

Co-coordinator for the Snite Student Programming Committee Rachel Mills spearheaded the project along with WVFI’s website manager, Charlie Hergenrother. The playlists will be available until the end of the exhibition, which will soon to be more accessible through bar codes can be scanned with one’s phone on the Spotify app.

“The idea for this [exhibit] is inspired by the idea of silent discos and also the traditional audio tour you get if you go into a museum, but [we are] trying to breathe more life into the idea,” Mills said.

There are eight playlists in total that have been created for the exhibit. Six of them are separately designed for the six specific rooms of the exhibit, while two of them are inspired by artists within the exhibit. WVFI radio hosts who expressed interest in curating these playlists toured the exhibition and learned about the artists in order to curate playlists, which reflect the art itself and their personal

up the venue by proving it’s possible to lean backwards off the stage and still shred the guitar.

The crowd exploded when The Wrecks sauntered onto stage and took their places for their opener “Figure This Out” — a song that starts out subdued but quickly escalates into the thumping energy that fans know and love.

By the end of the song, Anderson’s gaudily-patterned shirt became almost entirely unbuttoned. He assured the audience that “my mother didn’t raise me like this” as he removed another button with a shameless lack of subtlety.

The Wrecks then delivered a spirited performance of “I Don’t Like You,” flooding the venue with screeching guitar riffs complemented nicely by Anderson’s miraculously unstrained vocal chords. They continued with the titular “Panic Vertigo,” a song about revolting against the temptation to spiral into insanity.

The Wrecks subsequently surprised the audience with the first never-before-heard song of the night, “This Life I Have,” an acoustic expression of the band’s guilt for transforming their lives into a constant effort to sell their music.

Anderson kept the atmosphere jovial with intermittent humorous remarks. The crowd went wild for “Way With Words,” and afterwards he remarked, “I’m not an object, but it feels good to be objectified.” For all of their self-aware jokes regarding stardom, the Wrecks actually recorded the EP in an empty barn after running out of money.

Before performing another unreleased song “Rely,” the band members warned the crowd to brace for a slower tempo — a clear testament to the show’s tremendous momentum thus far. All but Anderson vacated the stage for an appropriately emotional performance of the song, but the aforementioned momentum failed to reappear when the rest of the band remained offstage for the next song “Revolution.” Surely The Wrecks did this purposefully, but the next three minutes of the show felt lacking without thundering drums and the hum of a bass guitar.

Thankfully, The Wrecks reunited for the last chorus iteration of “Revolution” and then moved on to fan-favorite “James Dean,” a song celebrating the disconnect the band feels between themselves and society’s desirables. The synergy between the Wrecks and the audience had officially been recaptured and solidified.

“Freaking Out,” introduced as another new song with the drop of a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, epitomized the ability of The Wrecks to surprise their fans with its techno sound and Anderson’s monotone, captivating vocal delivery.

Anderson hopped offstage with mic in hand to go crazy with the crowd in “Turn It Up,” leaping through the song’s trademark lyrical loops with finesse and ensuring with his energy that audience members would find themselves either surfing above the crowd or lost in a mosh pit. The crowd’s electricity surged forward into “Favorite Liar,” during which the band noticed a fan in the audience passionately playing the kazoo and granted him a microphone on stage.

The Wrecks prepared to wrap up the legendary night with an unexpected performance of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” They finished by sharing one last unreleased song, “Life,” a denunciation of reality’s failure to fulfill our expectations of happiness and success interspersed with screaming vocals that encompassed this frustration.

Despite the growing popularity of the band and their experimentation with new sounds, The Wrecks continue to eschew the splendor of rockstar deification in favor of creating unforgettable experiences with fans. Their songs refuse to sacrifice relatability by floating into the abstract and remaining consistent with the core tenant of pop punk — let loose and have an unforgettable time, no strings attached.

music tastes.

“All of the radio hosts who showed up were really enthusiastic about interacting with art and seeing how art and music can intersect and create an experience,” Mills said.

The exhibition contains modern and contemporary pieces by artists of African descent, who, the exhibit asserts, have been overlooked in the narrative of art history.

The inspired playlists contain songs by African-American musicians. In creating these playlists, the radio hosts also became inspired by the ways in which these artists created their pieces.

“It’s hard to put to words sometimes the way you feel about an artwork,” Mills said. “I don’t really know other words to describe it but it’s kind of like a feeling. There’s something about music that encapsulates that.”

The playlist inspired by Leonardo Drew’s artwork contains Radiohead songs because the radio host felt that the group’s songs best captured the experience of viewing Drew’s pieces.

Hergenrother organized the WVFI radio hosts who participated in this project. He also wrote descriptions for the playlists that can be found on Spotify. Hergenrother and his co-host Andres Walliser-Wejebe made the playlist for artwork by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.

“These are simple songs, mostly acoustic,” Hergenrother

said. “A lot of them have the same rhythm behind them as if this is daily life.”

Hergenrother said he hoped to emphasize that with this playlist, meaning isn’t necessary.

“Each room has its own unique identity or ambiance about it,” said Hergenrother. “You have the visual and you also have sound, which normally you wouldn’t think about art in the context of music that people listen to. It’s [normally] classical music or whatever is playing in the museum.”

Hergenrother and Mills said there is also the hope of more exposure for WVFI with the exhibit. The radio hosts’ individual showtimes can be found in each Spotify playlist’s descriptions as well as on the website of the exhibit itself.

“All of our work is trying to activate the space in the museum in a different way that people might not expect, to make it dynamic and [allow visitors] to have meaningful interactions with the original works of art,” Mills said.

The Snite Museum of Art is located adjacent to the Duncan Student center on the University of Notre Dame’s campus. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is also open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Contact Jim Moster at jmoster@nd.edu

Contact Dessi Gomez at dgomez5@nd.edu IVAN SKVARIL | The Observer

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The observer | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

New Texas blues

Inside Column

Tales from Innsbruck Erin Grimes News Writer

Hallo from Innsbruck, Austria! It’s been a whirlwind three months abroad. I’ve been learning to successfully navigate a new city, new classes and a new culture as well as adapting to being separated by an ocean and seven hours from the people and places I consider home.

Even after these three months, there is still a part of me where every cell of my body is screaming at me telling me that I don’t belong here in Innsbruck — that where I belong is back home with my family and friends. I call this my flight response.

This response arises with mistakes I have made, such as forgetting my passport and not being able to board a Flixbus back to Innsbruck from Munich or just generally when I am feeling lonely.

But then there is this other part of me. The part that comes to surface when I do things I never thought I would feel capable of doing by myself like taking two trains and having to switch lines in order to get to my former host family’s house in Bavaria; taking a bus to the Munich airport; flying to Madrid and then navigating an unfamiliar airport in an unfamiliar language to find an old friend who I hadn’t seen in years; and arriving at the wrong terminal while trying to get back to the airport, then jumping back on the metro to find our correct destination.

This other part of me is also the feeling I get as I wander around Innsbruck, alone, watching tourists take photos and residents having coffee. No one will ever know what this experience is. I can certainly try to describe it, as I am doing now, but only I will ever truly understand. And depending on the day and my mood, that fact feels either empowering or isolating.

The Christmas market opened this weekend in Innsbruck. On my way to Mass Saturday night, I meandered through looking at the various vendors, dreaming about what I am going to buy my people for Christmas. My mind wandered as my senses absorbed every detail of the night.

I see the massive Christmas tree in front of the Golden Roof in the Altstadt. I hear children’s laughter and screams of delight as they ride the Merry-Go-Round that has been placed in the Marktplatz right next to the Inn River. I smell roasted chestnuts and sugar coated nuts and hot Glühwein.

I can’t help but look around and breathe in slowly, breathing out the thoughts. I can’t believe this is my life right now. And, in the theme of Thanksgiving, I can’t help but be so damn grateful that I am having this experience, both in terms of each present moment and my entire year abroad.

Even though I am sure that the part of me that is saying I don’t belong here will last until the minute I land in the United States next year, but the part of me that is growing and changing and learning always always will end up winning.

Contact Erin Grimes at egrimes01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Ray Ramirez The Crooked Path

Seen from the lofty vantages north of the Red River or west of El Paso, Texas, politics often seems to be a dreary unchanging cavalcade of mediocre statesmen full of brittle, bitter men with little regard and plenty of disdain for the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed. The national news seemed to affirm this view with the widely reported popular and hopeful run-up to the recent Senatorial in Texas election by Robert Francis (“Beto”) O’Rourke, and his ultimate defeat by Rafael Edward (“Ted”) Cruz. Now that the show is over, the crowd has moved on to other news, but the real story of political change in Texas is more nuanced and interesting. O’Rourke’s rise brought some surprising results in the underlying framework of Texas politics that will be felt for many years.

First, a little background on Texas judiciary elections. When Texas became a state in 1845, following years as an independent republic, judges were appointed by the governor with state senate consent. Since 1876, judges at all levels have been elected in partisan contests. Over time, the corrosive effect of money impacted this process. In 1980, Texas became the first state in which the cost of a judicial race exceeded $1 million. Between 1980 and 1986, campaign contributions to candidates in contested appellate court races increased by 250 percent. Between 1992 and 1997, the seven winning candidates for the Texas Supreme Court raised nearly $9.2 million dollars, with more than 40 percent contributed by parties or law yers with cases before the courts or by contributors linked to those parties.

Like f lies to a cow patty, the obvious opportunity for corruption and financial control of the courts attracted individuals bent on using this opportunity to their own ends. Karl Rove, who started out in the dodgy world of direct-mail marketing, began his Texas political consultant career by focusing on the reality that the party that holds the courts gets the political cash. Rove’s strategy was to divert big business money that had

f lowed to Democrats for decades by getting Republicans elected to the Texas courts. As judges handed down pro-business rulings, businesses responded by shifting money to Republican candidates.

The efforts by Rove and a swarm of his minions shifted basic politics in Texas from Democratic to Republican in the space of a decade.

But a seismic shift took place with the rise of O’Rourke and a resurgence of down-ballot populist candidates. Texas Democrats f lipped the four inf luential state appeals courts that serve Austin, Houston and Dallas. Democrats now hold majorities on seven of the state’s 14 appeals courts — prior to the recent election, they held seats on just three. In the Dallas area, a long-standing Republican stronghold, an appeals court that had not elected a Democrat since 1992 now has a Democratic majority, including a Democratic chief justice.

Longtime North Texas judge Ken Molberg came up about 70,000 votes short in his 2014 bid for a seat on this appeals court. This year, Molberg won by more than 80,000.

These wins must be kept in perspective. The appeals courts in Texas are intermediate courts whose decisions may be appealed to the state’s two highest courts, the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which both remain fully Republican. Still, of the thousands of cases heard by the state courts of appeals, only a fraction of their decisions can be reviewed by the state’s two high courts, much less overturned, so the impact of these election results will be immediate and meaningful. The lame-duck justices reportedly are scrambling to close out cases before the end of the year, when their terms expire, especially cases for which they have already heard oral argument.

In a related election result, Faith Johnson, Dallas County’s Republican District Attorney, lost her re-election bid to Democrat John Creuzot. Johnson was wellknown for her reluctance to cast a critical light on police activities, especially regarding allegations of excessive force. Voters seemed particularly repulsed by Johnson charging former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger

with manslaughter, rather than murder, in the fatal shooting of Botham Jean in his own apartment. Jean was unarmed when Guyger shot him — she claimed she thought he was an intruder in her home. “Manslaughter is an inappropriate charge, based on the circumstances as I understand them,” Creuzot has said.

Murder by a police officer is a tough charge to prove. Since 2005, only three officers nationwide have been convicted of murder, with two of those convictions in 2018. Johnson had characterized herself as tough on crime, but the electorate challenged her as soft on alleged criminals carrying badges. No one thinks all police are bad, but Guyger’s f limsy pretense of a defense highlighted Johnson’s willingness to suspend proper prosecutorial discretion in favor of an apparently partisan approach. Creuzot, a long-time criminal-court judge and drugtreatment advocate, returns some reality to the office, and is another example of voters’ desire to restore balance to the judicial system.

Some law yers in Dallas have been mourning the changes in the courts and the district attorney’s office with the lament of “inexperience” and “anti-business,” but the real complaint is that campaign money was not the guarantee of victory that it reliably had been. There was no “blue wave” carrying O’Rourke to victory, but the popular movement behind O’Rourke’s candidacy has provided Texas with a framework of newly elected judges, district attorneys, sheriffs, state and local legislators and member of congress. What Rove gained through strategically-placed money is now being undone by the evolving demographics of Texas (over the next 10 years, two million Latinos will turn 18 in Texas) and an electorate demanding change. Maybe we should’ve seen this coming after all — the state f lower is the bluebonnet.

Ray Ramirez is an attorney practicing, yet never perfecting, law in Texas while waiting patiently for a MacArthur Genius Grant. You may contact him at patrayram@sbcglobal.net The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Join the conversation.

Submit a Letter to the Editor: Email viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

7

The observer | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

The case against artificial Christmas trees We often hear about how dangerous a dried-out natural tree can be. This is true — trees start an average of 170 fires per year. But artificial trees are not completely fire resistant. Many home fires at Christmastime are caused not by dry tree branches but by overloaded electrical outlets, and a single spark could easily ignite an artificial tree. When an artificial tree burns, it exposes you to harmful chemicals including mercury and cadmium.

the environment long after Dec. 25. They may be incinerated or turned into compost. The New York City Parks Department provides residents with a free mulching service.

A Montreal environmental consulting group concluded that the total carbon emissions linked to a natural tree are just one-third of those associated with artificial trees. In order for an artificial tree to achieve the same level of environmental soundness as a real tree, then, a family would have to reuse it for over 20 years — and the average family buys a new artificial tree every six.

It does seem counterintuitive, but cutting down a natural tree can indeed help save the planet.

Artificial trees harm the environment

Natural trees are what Christmas is all about

Cutting down a tree to put in your living room for a month does seem wasteful on the surface.

But the process is actually environmentally sustainable. Real Christmas trees are not cut from forests. They are grown in farms for the express purpose of being cut down. W hile being grown, the trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen. They provide a home to local animals and prevent land from being developed.

Fake Christmas trees are made from poly vinyl chloride (PVC), an oil-based plastic which releases harmful carcinogens and creates pollutionn during the production process. Most artificial trees are produced in China and shipped to the United States, a process that requires more fuel, and the production of more plastic packaging. At the end of the tree’s lifespan, it cannot be recycled. It can only be placed in a landfill.

Natural trees, conversely, can positively impact

Maybe my family’s day long trek to find a tree isn’t everyone’s scene, but it’s an activity that brings us together, at least a lot more than driving to the local superstore and picking up a fake tree would. This strange custom of cutting down a tree and placing it in our homes forces us to think about what we’re doing — and it should. It becomes the center of the room, the center of our attention in a way a metal rod and plastic needles simply can’t. A natural tree can’t be ignored. It brings Christmas to the front of our lives.

And no artificial tree can fill a room with the fragrance of pine, the familiar scent that warms a home and reminds us Christmas is here.

Patrick McKelvey With the Current

Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, my family drives up from the shore to a Christmas tree farm somewhere in north Jersey. It’s a different tree every year, but the image remains the same: a picturesque, family-owned farmstead, a red cottage with a green door selling wreaths and serving hot chocolate, a dirt path leading down to acres and acres of trees. Douglas firs, blue spruces and lodgepole pines line rows of possible living room adornments. After walking through these rows, and finding the perfect specimen, you cut it down — yourself, preferably — and tie it to the roof of the car before heading home to begin the holiday season.

It’s my favorite day of the year. But many Americans don’t share my enthusiasm for real Christmas trees. This Christmas, 94 million American households will put up a tree and more than 80 percent of them will be artificial. Their reasons are varied — convenience, price or environmental impact. But I believe natural trees surpass their fake counterparts in almost every category. Here’s why:

Natural trees look better This is practically indisputable. Though the average family spent $107 on an artificial tree in 2017, models at this price point hardly resemble genuine pine trees. Even more expensive models (which can cost more than $1000) fail to hide the shiny metal pole that replaces a wooden trunk, or capture the feel of pointed needles on branches.

Artificial trees pose a fire hazard

Patrick McKelvey splits his time between being a college junior and a grumpy old man. A New Jersey native and American studies major, he plans on pursuing a legal career after graduating Notre Dame. If you can’t find him at the movies, he can be reached for comment at pmckelve@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

How to start the process?

Dear Christine Blasey Ford, It seems your stor y is blowing over like a bygone mythos. But, for me, it has not yet blotted to black.

See, I’m writing to inform you of a recent development in my well-being, which is that it is not well at all. I’m devoid of inner assets. And, for that matter, outer ones.

My eyes, which people used to f latter as my most attractive feature, are gone — that’s right, gone. W here to? W ho knows. My eye sockets must look wretched but I wouldn’t know because, again, my eyes are gone. According to the doctors, the ner ves in my vocal chords are shot, apparently they just frayed out like overused electrical wires. My heartbeat is irregular and my bladder, well, you can guess.

My inner resources aren’t faring much better either. I’ve undergone a drastic intellectual and ethical erosion. My mind’s eye has f lown the coop just like my real eyes. I’m a terrible friend and a worse lover. I’m constantly bored and boring. It takes me far too long to text back the people I care about.

I’m literally dictating this letter telepathically to a computer, Christine. I’m shriveled up on a gurney. I’m hooked up to all kinds of wires and

f luids to make my body and mind function. That is my level of incapacitation. W hich would be fine if I weren’t evil. I’m evil and full of hate. I’m not only ignorant but an aw ful, terrible human being and I have no redeeming qualities to offer the greater fabric of society.

But hey, even though my mind can’t want much anymore, it’s still hanging on to those last threads of wherewithal. With those threads — though it’s sucking immense energ y from what’s left of me to do so — I want to let you know that I believe you.

I believe you stumbled upstairs to pee and that they followed you and locked the door behind you. I believe he pushed you onto the bed and he held you down. I believe he and his friend were laughing and at that point you were cr ying. You were confused and cr ying, I believe that.

And I’m guessing it felt like it lasted a centur y.

I believe you thought you were going to die in that moment. Even though he can’t go to jail at this point, I believe you. Even if nobody can do a single thing about it, I believe you.

NPR told me you’re a professor. You’ve got a Ph.D. and two master’s degrees — one from Stanford. You’ve published a bajillion articles and you’re smart as a whip. You’ve built up an

enviable career and life for yourself and you did it all on your own. In extensive detail NPR informed me of your credentials, and let me tell you they are highly impressive to me.

But Christine, do you believe me? I’m not like you, I’m not a professor like you. I’m too young to know much about anything. I have no accomplishments to date. I’m blind, mute, deaf, unintelligent, incapable and I have no inner resources. Not to mention I’m rude and crass and ugly and fat and unemployed and forgot to pay my ta xes and I dress like a slut. I don’t have any degrees, let alone from Stanford. I stole a car once. One time, I told my mom I hate her. One time, I had a crush on my second cousin. I can’t read or hold or speak the word paper let alone publish one.

Christine, I can’t get up from these wires. I can’t understand or love or hate. I can’t even move.

If they didn’t believe a woman like you, will they believe a thing like me?

Christine, please, how do I begin?

Audrey Lindemann sophomore Nov. 7

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DAILY

The observer | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Live life in the moment. Expand your mind, awareness and possibilities, but don’t let temptation be your downfall. Living within your means and sticking to a plan will be necessary if you don’t want to be taken advantage of by someone eager to prey on your benevolent nature.

Your numbers are 4, 13, 17, 28, 31, 37, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): An impulsive decision should be avoided.

Emotions will get in your way, causing you to ignore crucial facts when it comes to joint finances, contracts or matters concerning youngsters or parents. Go over details carefully, and make choices based on facts.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Set your objective for the day; don’t stop until you finish. Don’t let the changes someone makes disrupt your plans or lead to a stalemate. Do your own thing and make personal changes that will promote better health and diet choices.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep an open mind, but don’t rely on someone to give you factual information. An argument is likely to break out if you are too trusting or you aren’t honest about feelings.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Emotions will surface if someone is insensitive to what you want or what you do. Make plans that you can do alone if necessary. Don’t count on someone else for support or backup. Use your imagination and do something creative.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Speak up and put your plans in motion. Being forthright will deter others from getting in your way or trying to change your mind. Altering how you do your job or your living arrangements is favored.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do something constructive. Don’t let personal incidents or situations slow you down or hinder your productivity. Set your sights on your goal, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with your performance. Attending a networking event will pay off.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you want to make a personal change, discuss your intentions with whoever will be affected by the choice you make. An older friend or relative shouldn’t be allowed to put demands on you. Only do what’s fair.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A peer will be revealing. A business meeting or trip will help you decipher how to move forward. A change to how or where you live looks positive. If you want something, take the initiative and go after it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Craving change is one thing; doing something about it is another. Don’t let someone manipulate you by enticing you to get involved in something that is overpriced or falsely advertised. Focus on health, awareness and doing something special with someone you love.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Trust in yourself, not what your peers tell you. You will be misinformed about an opportunity or position that opens up. Take care of personal matters yourself, and nurture important partnerships. Don’t let someone’s impulsiveness become a problem for you because you are enough.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Have more faith in yourself and what you are capable of doing. Dealing with someone’s estate or personal affairs will change the way you feel about clutter and the way you live. Romance is on the rise.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Arguments are best avoided. You aren’t likely to agree with a peer, close friend or relative. It’s OK to have different opinions. Offer the same freedom and respect you want to receive to avoid a standoff.

Birthday Baby: You are friendly, intellectual and assertive. You are imaginative and extravagant.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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sports

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | The Observer

Nba | Wizards 135, rockets 131

Sports Authority

Ranking the three best stadiums Lucas Masin-Moyer Assistant Managing Editor

Last week, my colleague Charlotte Edmonds spent some time ref lecting on her favorite stadiums. I thought this was an enjoyable read so I figured it was time I do the same, especially after Charlotte v isited Yankee Stadium and somehow decided it wasn’t in her best sports venues ever. So, please enjoy the definitive, Lucas Masin-Moyer-approved list of the three best stadiums in the world.

Yankee Stadium Sure, it’s not “The House that Ruth Built” any more, but this multi-million dollar near-replica is about as close as you can get to the original thing w ithout any of the dow nsides of a stadium built in 1923. The stadium exudes histor y, from the architecture st yle that was copied from the old stadium; to Monument Park, which houses images of ever y Yankee great of old; and the images of legends which hang all throughout the stadium’s interior.

Some of my fondest sports memories come from Yankee Stadium. The energ y around the park can immediately be felt the second you step off the subway at 161st St. Yankee Stadium isn’t located, like a lot of modern stadiums, on the outskirts of the cit y, w ith the lights of the cit y gleaming distantly in the background — it’s right in the heart of the Bron x, and that energ y is ref lected outside and inside the stadium before Yankees games.

Oh, and it’s also a prett y cool venue for Notre Dame football games (not many stadiums can claim that).

Notre Dame Stadium Speaking of Notre Dame football, the second stadium on my list of best stadiums is Notre Dame Stadium.

Now a lot of this probably comes out of sentimentalit y. I’ve been coming ever y year since I was five, and some of my favorite memories on earth have come from w ithin the confines of

9

Notre Dame Stadium. The place holds such a pull I did maybe the most extravagant thing I w ill ever do and came back from Ireland to see a game played here.

But aside from just personal preference, I think Notre Dame Stadium is an objectively cool place to watch a game. Just like Yankee Stadium, Notre Dame Stadium exudes histor y while mix ing in some nice modern amenities, the new Art Deco design of the interior is particularly nice. And you can’t beat Touchdow n Jesus as a backdrop for your stadium.

Plus, the newest addition to the stadium — a massive jumbotron — lets the Universit y waste massive amounts of energ y f launting the football team’s undefeated record or a monthsold new bag policy.

Anfield The final stadium on my list is Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC. Last year, I had the priv ilege of v isiting Anfield for a 3-0 Liverpool v ictor y over Southampton and the experience was ever y thing I’d imagined watching from across an ocean for years.

Like Yankee Stadium, Anfield sits square in the middle of a neighborhood w ithin the cit y, and the place is buzzing w ith energ y before gametime. Once you enter the stadium, you’re greeted w ith some prett y solid pie and beer before ascending the steps into a sea of red, w ith fans wav ing massive, often Sov iet-st yle banners portray ing club legends and celebrating club titles.

But nothing, and I mean nothing, w ill ever top singing the club’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk A lone” — a song about unit y in the face of adversit y, as the team walked onto the pitch.

I’ve never felt closer to 54,000 people I’ve never met before.

Contact Lucas Masin-Moyer at lmasinmo@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports

Wall scores season-high, Wizards defeat Rockets Associated Press

WASHINGTON — John Wall scored a seasonhigh 36 points, including six in overtime, and the Washington Wizards overcame James Harden’s season-best 54 points to outlast the Houston Rockets 135131 on Monday night.

Wall had t wo baskets in the extra period and finished w ith 11 assists.

Bradley Beal equaled his season high w ith 32 points for the Wizards.

Otto Porter hit a runner w ith 4:37 to play for the first basket in overtime and the Wizards remained ahead from there. Wall followed w ith a jumper to make it 129-125 and later made another jumper that pushed the lead to five. Beal’s jumper extended it to 133126 w ith 1:50 to play.

Harden had 44 points through three quarters but missed five of his seven shots in the fourth. In overtime, Harden whose career

high is 60, was 1 of 2 from the field and had t wo free throws. He had 11 turnovers, three in overtime.

Eric Gordon scored a season-high 36 for the shorthanded Rockets, who played w ithout Chris Paul for the second straight game.

Harden scored 12 points in the first quarter, 11 in the second and 21 points in the third quarter. In the fourth, he began the quarter on the bench, and scored six as the Wizards and Rockets headed to overtime w ith the score knotted at 125.

Markieff Morris had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Washington.

Tip-ins Rockets: Paul was listed as being out w ith a sore left leg though, coach Mike D’Antoni classified the injur y differently.

“We’ve just got to make sure Chris gets 100 percent well from his strained hammy,” D’Antoni said. . G/F Gerald Green missed his

third game w ith a sore right ank le. . Houston added F Danuel House from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the G League.

Made their first seven 3-point shots, then missed 10 straight.

Wizards: C Dw ight Howard was out for the fourth straight game w ith a glute injur y.

“It’s a slow process,” coach Scott Brooks said.

“He’s doing ever y thing he can.”

Morris, F Kelly Oubre Jr. and Beal picked up technicals. . A llowed 42 points in the first quarter, the fifth time this year they’d given up at least 40. . Wall passed Wes Unseld for third place on the franchise career scoring list.

Up next Rockets: Host the Mavericks on Wednesday Wizards: Visit Pelicans on Wednesday as Washington plays six of its next seven on the road.

Nhl

Struggling last season, Sabres sweep this year Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres are on such a roll, captain Jack Eichel was hav ing difficult y recalling the last time they lost.

“Um, was it Calgar y? ” Eichel said Monday, before being reminded the 2-1 overtime defeat to the Flames was three losses ago.

“Yeah, Rangers, in New York,” he said, finally recalling a 3-1 loss on Nov. 4 that dropped Buffalo’s record to 7-6-2.

Nine games — and nine w ins — later, the Sabres are the NHL’s biggest surprise t wo months into the season.

A year after going 2545-12 and becoming the league’s first team to finish 31st follow ing the addition of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, the surging Sabres (16-6-2) have 34 points and sit one back of league-leading Tampa Bay and Nashv ille.

“Just to think of where we came from a year ago, and

to be w inning games and doing this, obv iously it’s great,” Eichel said.

Even Phil Housley could crack a smile when asked to ref lect on the troubles he and his underachiev ing team endured last season, his first as coach.

“I tr y to tend to forget last year,” Housley said.

The Sabres were so bad a year ago, they didn’t register their 16th v ictor y until Feb. 10, and won consecutive games four times, including a season-best 3-0 run in late Januar y.

Buffalo’s nine-game streak is the NHL’s longest since Columbus won 10 straight in March, and it’s one short of matching the Sabres’ franchise record set t w ice and most recently when they opened the 2006-07 on a 10-0 run.

The Sabres would match that if they beat San Jose on Tuesday night.

“Extremely proud of this team,” Sabres co-ow ner Kim Pegula w rote in a text to The Associated Press.

“Ever yone is contributing in multiple ways, and when that happens anything is possible,” she added. “There’s still plent y of hockey left to play, but we are encouraged by the foundation that is being built and look for ward to seeing the development continue.”

Buffalo’s turnaround is the result of a series of moves and soul-searching sessions that took place over the summer in a bid to spur a team that was the worst in the league in three of the past five seasons.

It began w ith Housley, who took action at the end of last season after center Ryan O’Reilly went public in say ing a losing mentalit y had crept into the locker room.

Housley challenged his leadership group w ith a summer-long series of frank discussions that allowed players to air their differences and raise concerns.

For ward Kyle Okposo credited ever yone for buying in.

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

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Sports

The observer | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

McCubbins Continued from page 12

wanted to find a sport in which he could compete for the long haul.

“I had been an athlete since I was a kid … and I was looking for something that I could transition into as an older athlete that could level the playing field. Something that wouldn’t result in injuries,” he said. “ … I was playing bookstore basketball four years ago and I had one small slip that resulted in a broken pinky. This was nature’s way of telling me it might be time to move on to a non-contact sport.”

Unsure of what to do at first, McCubbins happened upon Masters Track online. Since he had competed in high jump brief ly in high school and then again for a stint in his 20s, he said, he developed an interest in taking up the sport again.

At first, McCubbins didn’t think he would be high jumping for long. But as he has progressed in his Master’s Track career, McCubbins said, he has formed strong bonds with fellow competitors and shows no signs of slowing down.

“We have things in common that makes it easier to strike up friendships with these guys,” he said. “There are a group of five or six who are constantly emailing one another and keeping up with each other’s lives.”

Furthermore, McCubbins and his wife, Theresa, have treated the trips resulting from his competitions as vacations, planning interesting events to do while in a given location. For instance, he said, at a national meet in Spokane a few years ago, the

M Bball Continued from page 12

keep thinking of different ways and try to keep them confident and keep teaching them.”

Looking forward, the Irish are preparing to host Illinois on Tuesday.

Illinois’ record of 2-4 may not indicate how strong they have been this season. Like Notre Dame, the Illini have seen solid offensive production from a number of their players with six team members averaging more than seven points per game.

On Monday, Illinois faced off against Gonzaga, who currently sits at No. 1 in the country, and lost by just six points. As the Irish prepare for the Illini, Brey said he knows some adjustments will be necessary.

“How we played offensively against DePaul will probably have to be different because Illinois pressures you so much.

You can’t make as many passes because they are in the passing lanes,” Brey said. “It is a little bit like the Duquesne game

two of them decided to check out some other attractions in Washington.

“I said to Theresa, ‘While we are out here, may as well go to Olympic National Park, Seattle, see some other things,’” McCubbins said.

“Doesn’t have to be right there, just in the vicinity. We have discovered the beauty of the three-legged trip.”

However, McCubbins said, there is one downside: “We’ve been in it so long now that venues are repeating,” he said. “We’ve been to Landover, Maryland and North Carolina twice.”

Training When he was first getting into high jumping, McCubbins didn’t do any special training.

“I kind of just tried to stay in good general shape,” he said.

“Volleyball was good crosstraining. I did the bootcamp and beach body-type of workouts, and focused on plyometrics,” or jump training.

As McCubbins began to see success at the national level, he began to do weight training. He said he mostly did this with light Olympic lifts or anything that was quad-heavy.

The last few years, McCubbins said, he has hit the weight room less often because he developed tendonitis in his knee, which has led to a slight decrease in performance.

Some people might attribute such a minute decline in performance to an increase in age. However, this doesn’t fit McCubbins’ general competitive mindset.

“I can say it isn’t the age, since my peers are in the same boat,” he said. “I’ve seen them keep it up, and so I am newly motivated.”

At the same time, McCubbins said he has gained

where they were up in us and you’ve just got to drive it after a couple of passes or maybe a ball screen. We’re going to have to be strong with the ball, and our drives have been better.”

One notable change Notre Dame will have to continue to make heading into this matchup is what to do with the absence of Elijah Burns.

The 6–foot-8 power forward recently announced he will be transferring to Siena, meaning the roster will have to begin to take a new shape with Brey most likely turning to some of his younger players.

“As much as we were disappointed in losing [Burns], it does open up playing time and guys want to play,” Brey said.

“It just opens up more minutes and more opportunities for guys, and especially for [junior forward Juwan] Durham and [freshman forward Nate] Laszewski, and even [freshman guard Dane] Goodwin … so it gives those guys more opportunity, and so far the last two games they have taken advantage of it.”

an understanding of how athletes who have had success can get complacent.

“It becomes a little more challenging to find the carrot,” he said. “My carrot is that I don’t like to see that my performance has gone down and I want to remedy that.”

Approach McCubbins said he has been fortunate enough to not have to put up with debilitating injuries during his high-jumping career. When he does get the occasional nagging pain, he said, he often attempts to mitigate its effects by altering his approach.

In the earlier days of high jumping, jumpers would often run up to the bar and launch off the inside foot, ascending over the bar face-down, according to Greatest Sporting Nation. In 1968, however, American high jumper Dick Fosbury began incorporating a body twist, causing his back to extend across the bar and utilizing a kick of the legs to propel himself even further over the bar. This quickly became the go-to form for the majority of high jumpers.

McCubbins, however, has had to resort to the more ancient “straddle” technique that was used in the days before the “Fosbury Flop,” due to occasional back issues.

He said he consulted with some older high jumpers on the circuit and began training to use the Fosbury Flop at Notre Dame’s Loftus Center.

Utilizing this technique led McCubbins to a national title, but he is reverting back to the straddle because he wants to shift the pain away from his dominant leg for now.

“Ninety percent of high jumping is in the approach.

Once you leave the ground,

physics takes over and it is out of your hands,” McCubbins said. “My approach takes roughly 10 steps or so. The first half are in a straight line, and the latter half is in a curved line, which creates the centrifugal force needed to clear the bar and curve your body over the bar. Most of the trick is how you run that curve and convert the horizontal speed to vertical takeoff.”

However, other considerations will come into play.

“It’s not just the power you can generate off the opposite leg, it’s also a matter of clearing the bar with the opposite arm and shoulder,” McCubbins said. “It’s hard to get over the muscle memory.”

The sport of high jumping is hard on one’s ankles, as it creates intense pronation, a rolling of the foot as it hits the ground. McCubbins said he wears ankle braces to mitigate this effect, but noted that “sometimes the force pushes so hard that it looks like the foot is coming out of the shoe.”

Regardless of the approach he uses, McCubbins said he greatly enjoys tinkering with aspects of his approach — one of the reasons he enjoys partaking in the sport so much.

Satisfaction McCubbins said several events stand out to him as the most satisfactory of his career. For example, at the 2013 outdoor meet in Olathe, Kansas, McCubbins was going up against a man who had won world championships a year or two earlier, he said. McCubbins had jumped against him at other events, but was almost always a bar below him. He trained with the goal of defeating the competitor and ended up beating him by a bar.

“Most days he’s gonna eat my lunch, but sometimes you get a day where you are at your best and you catch yourself when the competition has maybe a bad day,” he said.

“Competitive high jumping is a very fickle event.”

That same year, at the 2013 World Masters Games in Torino, Italy, McCubbins participated in his first international competition. He said he was struggling that day; his approach wasn’t working, so he took a big risk and reverted back to a different approach and angle.

“Generally speaking, you don’t want to make changes in the middle of the meet because you haven’t had the chance to practice it,” he said.

The competition came down to McCubbins and a Russian jumper who cleared 5 feet, 8 inches on his first jump, whereas McCubbins had missed his first two times.

So, McCubbins said, he tried the old straddle technique and used it to clear the bar and secure second place at the event. Though it didn’t result in his winning the event, McCubbins said it stands out to him due to his improvisational success.

“Not only do I love the competition, but I appreciate the improvement aspect that comes from studying the approach,” he said. “I’m not bashful in trying new things.

For me, it’s kind of like the middle-aged guy tinkering with his golf swing. I am just jumping rather than playing golf.”

If history is any indication, Matt McCubbins will look to keep improving and competing for a long time.

Contact Andrew VanDieren at avandier@nd.edu

Tuesday night’s game will be the last in a season-opening seven-game home stand.

It marks the 42nd time these two programs have met, the last coming in December 2015 when once again both schools participated in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Irish took that game 84-79. Brey said he would be pleased if his team can find a similar result this time around.

“It would be huge for our group. This has been a pretty busy segment for us and it ends tomorrow night when we won’t play again for a week, and if we can get through it 6-1 given who we’ve played, and we’ve played some good teams … I would be thrilled,” Brey said. “We are in a dog fight tomorrow, and we’ve got to guard the yard because man are they shooting the heck out of the ball.”

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion on Tuesday.

The game will be broadcast on ESPNU. annA MASON | The Observer

Contact Alex Bender at abender@nd.edu

Irish freshman guard Robby Carmody attacks the basket during Notre Dame’s 63-60 loss to Radford on Nov. 14 at Purcell Pavilion.

Sports

W Bball Continued from page 12

you know we ended up putting a manager [sophomore guard Nicole Benz] in at the end.”

Gilbert, Young, Turner, Shepard and Ogunbowale scored all but one point for Notre Dame in the win, with all five players in double digits.

Next up for Notre Dame was a matchup against Drake.

Initially, Drake (6-1) kept pace with Notre Dame well, finishing the first quarter tied at 17 points apiece — in fact, Ogunbowale hit a buzzerbeater to tie the game going into the second quarter. The Bulldogs and the Irish continued to go back and forth, but at the 29-28 mark, Notre Dame went on a 15-3 run, including two 3-pointers by Ogunbowale. The Irish headed into halftime with a 44-31 lead, but came out and continued to stretch the margin, putting 27 more points on the board in the third quarter.

Ogunbowale and Young led the way for the Irish offensively, with Ogunbowale racking up 30 points and Young tallying 25. Sophomore forward Danielle Patterson also made her first career start in place of Shepard, who was out with an injury, and scored eight points

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | The Observer

and bagged six rebounds.

“Really pleased with the win,” McGraw said. “We had three starters out, so to come in with a lot of different lineups, I thought we played pretty well.”

Notre Dame went on to the Vancouver Showcase championship game, in which they faced off against Oregon State. The Irish took down the Beavers (5-1) last season with a score of 72-67, and this was the teams’ first meeting since.

The main storyline for Notre Dame was the return of senior guard Marina Mabrey, who had been out with a reported leg injury. While Mabrey’s playing time was limited, she scored nine points and picked up a rebound and two assists in her 19 minutes.

Oregon State shot over 70 percent in the first quarter, getting out to a 29-17 lead.

The Irish were able to trim the Beavers’ lead thanks to a run

by Young, but Oregon State still led by nine going into halftime.

“They shot it so well. We couldn’t guard them in the beginning,” McGraw said of the Beavers. “It was like knock-out punch after knock-out punch.

We really struggled to defend.

It’s been our Achilles’ Heel … but they’re a really good team.”

After halftime, however, the Irish went on a series of short

runs to continue putting pressure on the Beavers, but it was in the fourth quarter that they really turned the tide.

The Irish went on a 4-0 run to start the final frame, giving them a two-point lead. They found themselves tied with the Beavers at 77, but it was Mabrey who came through in her first game back, sinking a 3-pointer with just over three minutes left in the game. Between Turner and Shepard, the Irish extended the lead to 10, guiding them to the 91-81 win.

“It was a great win coming from behind, but we did a lot of things wrong. Missed a lot of free throws,” McGraw said.

“It was great to have Marina Mabrey back. … She took advantage of every minute she was out there, I thought she changed the game.”

Young finished the game with 23 points and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

“She’s critical to us, because she does everything,” McGraw said of the junior. “ …

She has to handle the ball, she has to score, she’s got to get a rebound, she’s got to get assists, she’s got to defend their best player. She’s got to do everything.”

Ogunbowale knocked down another 21 points and was named Tournament MVP, totaling 72 points over the course Paid Advertisement

of the Showcase, while Turner also scored 21 and Shepard picked up her third doubledouble of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

“I think this game helps us because we’ve got to come out ready,” McGraw said. “That

11

was the problem at the beginning of the game — we didn’t come out ready. So hopefully that game helps us learn from that.”

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

Michelle mehelas | The Observer

Irish junior guard Jackie Young dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s 84-74 Elite Eight win over Oregon on March 26 in Spokane, Oregon.

12

The observer | tuesday, november 27, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Women’s Basketball | Vancouver Showcase

Irish claim victory at tournament over break

By ELIZABETH GREASON Assistant Managing Editor

The No. 1 Irish were back to their winning ways over the Thanksgiving break, as they added yet another title and trophy to their accolades, taking home a win at the Vancouver Showcase.

Notre Dame (6-0) started the weekend with an 81-65 win over Gonzaga. The Irish did most of their scoring in the paint, as they had five players finish the night in double figures.

The Irish got off to a slow start, ending the first quarter only up by three, but a six-point run to open the next frame secured Notre Dame’s lead.

Junior guard Jackie Young and senior forward Jessica Shepard went on an offensive tear to combine for 17 of Notre Dame’s 19 points in the second quarter.

The Irish stifled the Bulldogs (6-1) in the second and walked into the locker room with an 11-point lead.

The Bulldogs had controlled senior guard Arike Ogunbowale throughout the first half, holding her to just three points, but she found her groove in the

third quarter, managing to finish the game with 21 points.

“I was really pleased with how she held her composure,” Irish head coach Muffet McGraw said of Ogunbowale.

“She was really frustrated in the first half, but came out in the second half, 7-for-12, got her normal shot. I think she played hard, got some rebounds. She’s going to have halves like that, so she’s really good at letting it go.”

Graduate student forward Brianna Turner also found success against the Bulldogs, recording her third doubledouble of the season, finishing the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The real sparkplug for the Irish, however, was freshman guard Katlyn Gilbert, McGraw said. She recorded 14 points, going 5-for-8 shooting from the field, with five rebounds, a block and a steal coming off the bench.

“As a freshman, you really don’t know what to expect,” McGraw said. “Obviously we’re down so many guards today, see W BBALL PAGE 11

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish senior guard Arike Ogunbowale scans the court during Notre Dame’s 84-74 Elite Eight victory over Oregon on March 26. Ogunbowale was named Tournament MVP at the Vancouver Showcase on Saturday.

nd men’s basketball | ACC/big ten challenge

faculty spotlight | Track & Field

ND prepares for crossconference challenge

Analyst competes as high jumper

By ALEX BENDER

By ANDREW VanDIEREN

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

Notre Dame returns to action Tuesday night when it faces off against Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. After suffering a loss to Radford on November 14, the Irish have bounced back with three straight wins against William & Mary, Duquesne and DePaul. As has been the case all season, scoring was spread out across the roster this past Saturday when Notre Dame downed DePaul 95-70. Four different players were in double digits, and head coach Mike Brey realizes the potential with the deep roster he has this season.

“All options are open. I don’t know if I have ever had my mind race so much during a season with combinations … I think we have been for 18 seasons before this pretty much ‘these are the guys that are going to play’ and maybe there is a surprise,’” Brey said. “So that’s been kind of new for me to just

At any given moment, there are numerous prestigious athletes present on Notre Dame’s campus. With currently elite programs — football, women’s and men’s basketball, fencing, hockey, lacrosse, etc. — and a historic repertoire of athletic excellence, Notre Dame has built a reputation for producing strong competitors. However, there are plenty of athletes on campus who do not earn as much publicity.

One of these athletes is Matt McCubbins, who works as a tech analyst in the Human Resources department at the University.

A striking figure in his own right — about 6-foot-4 and wire-thin — McCubbins has made a name for himself as a high jumper on the USA Track and Field (USATF) Masters team, with Masters track being the division of USATF for athletes over the age of 35.

McCubbins, now 47 years old, is often a top finisher in his age

see M BBALL PAGE 10

annie Smierciak | The Observer

Irish freshman guard Prentiss Hubb dribbles the ball up the court during Notre Dame’s 63-60 loss to Radford on Nov. 14.

group — currently in the 45-50 group — and has won six national titles in the Masters High Jump over the course of his career, which began in 2011.

Like many kids, McCubbins would often jump around his house in Buchanan, Michigan, while growing up, attempting to touch the top of a doorway, then the ceiling. Once he could do that, McCubbins said, he moved outside to start progressing up a standard basketball hoop — touching the net, then the backboard, then hanging on the rim. By the time he hit senior year, he could finally dunk. McCubbins said that for someone who grew up watching legendary dunkers like Julius Erving and Michael Jordan, this was a massive accomplishment.

McCubbins said he enjoyed taking part in sports involving jumping, trying out volleyball, basketball and even doing a short stint as a high jumper in high school. As he progressed in age, however, McCubbins see McCUBBINS PAGE 10

Insider

Second half Continued from page 1

football to be played. But watching the game, one could tell the Irish (12-0) were having serious problems. Daniels was 13-14 for 120 yards in the air with 4:33 in the first quarter. On the opening drive of the game, he was 6-7 for 64 yards, leading the Trojans swiftly into Irish territory before handing it off for a touchdown.

The Trojans tallied 289 yards in the first half, more than the game totals of four Irish opponents this season. Daniels’ 26 first half completions in the first half were more than the game totals of all but two Notre Dame opponents this season. After completing his first four passes in a row, Daniels completed 14-consecutive passes. His 37 total completions set a school record, trumping the record set by Matt Barkley in 2011 and 2012, which was 35.

On USC’s success in the first half, Irish head coach Brian Kelly noted that the game was coming far too easy for the 18-year old.

“We were giving [USC] free access to the field. [Daniels] was in great rhythm. We had to get him out of that rhythm,” Kelly said. “[USC] has a lot of big time playmakers that can stretch the ball down field,” graduate student linebacker Drue Tranquill said. “And so, schematically, we came in saying ‘we’re going to make them drive it nine, 10, 11 plays down the field to beat us.’

And you know, they took advantage of those quick access throws, and the quarterback put it on the money and the receivers were getting good [yards after the

Everett Continued from page 1

that camaraderie into success on the field.

Which is why, for this 2018 Notre Dame football team (120), this season (and this game) is ultimately one of redemption.

It’s not just the sheer record of the team that’s been redeemed, but also the overall culture of the program and the individuals that comprise it.

Seniors Te’von Coney and Dexter Williams were arrested in August 2016. Now, they’re the engines to the defense and offense, respectively.

Senior defensive lineman Jerry Tillery stomped on a guy’s head during the end of the 2016 USC game and faced disciplinary action for it. But this Saturday night he came up with a huge sack on third down to get the Trojans (5-7, 4-5 Pac-12) off the field.

Even senior safety Nicco Fertitta, who was ejected from that same USC game for targeting, put in the work throughout the past two years and earned the honor of being an honorary captain Saturday night.

The Irish have been working through the redemption process for two years now, and the fruits of their labor are now evident.

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, NOVEMBER 27, 2018 | The Observer

catch].”

Luckily for Notre Dame, the defense managed to make a few big plays of its own, forcing fumbles at the end of those long USC drives to turn the table and put the offense back on the field.

In the first quarter, as the Trojans slowly marched into Irish territory, completion after completion, junior cornerback Troy Pride Jr. forced a fumble on a big hit to give the Irish the ball on their own 33-yard line.

Similarly, in the second quarter, junior safety Alohi Gilman forced a fumble on the Notre Dame 15-yard line to put the offense back on the field. These turnovers proved to be crucial for Notre Dame, who only won by a score in the end, because certainly both of those drives would have ended in a field goal at the very least if it weren’t for the turnovers.

Junior cornerback Julian Love spoke about the importance of these turnovers after the game.

“That was amazing. I mean, it’s just relentless effort,” Love said.

“Luck favors speed and knowledge, and I think, as it showed throughout the game- I mean, we could have gotten a few more [turnovers], I could have gotten one — but, we’re happy because we were attacking.”

When it was all on the line, the defense did what it had to do and what it has done all year — get to the quarterback early and often and force him to throw into tight windows.

With 5:53 to play in the third, that dominant front seven seen all through the year seemed to have woken up. First, it was junior defensive end Julian Okwara

who tallied the first sack of the game for a loss of nine yards on first down. Then, it was senior defensive lineman Jerry Tillery who sacked Daniels for a loss of nine on third down. And the Irish kept that energy up throughout the half, holding Daniels to 60 yards and 11 completions in the air, less than half of what he had tallied in the first half for both metrics.

Tranquill attributed the success of the unit’s second half adjustments to its quietly confident attitude.

“It was just cool, calm, and collected. We knew what we had to go out there and do, we knew the offense had the ball to start and we knew the defense had to get stops — we had to give our offense a chance to get some momentum,” he said. “USC’s defense played great tonight and really did a lot of things well, so we needed to give [the offense] that chance to get a rhythm going.”

From a schematic perspective, Kelly talked about what his defensive unit had to do knowing that it had given Daniels “free access” to the field in the first half.

“We played some zone coverage, rolled the corner, took away some of those free access throws and it got us back into a better down and distance situation,” Kelly said. “We got them behind the chains a couple of times. And we got control back where we had lost a little bit of the control because they had all of those free-access throws and had a number of short-yardage situations where they could control the flow of the game.”

“It’s that 24-month cycle,” Swarbrick said postgame.

“Leaving this locker room [two years ago] and meeting with the coaches afterwards, everybody was saying ‘we’re going to get this fixed’, and two years later it feels pretty good.”

In fact, Notre Dame’s ability to diagnose and fix what had been plaguing it in 2016 is nothing short of outstanding. After suffering one of the worst regular seasons in Notre Dame’s history, Kelly’s ability to handle adversity and overcome it over these past two years has been exemplary.

Much like how the team needed to attack adversity Saturday night against the Trojans. In fact, if the 24-17 Irish win can be seen as a microcosm of the past three years of Notre Dame football, the first third of the game brought back images of 2016. Notre Dame looked overmatched and uninspired, unable to find answers.

But just like they did after 2016, the Irish made adjustments. Almost every one of the seven coaches hired by Kelly and Swarbrick after the 2016 debacle played a part in adjusting to USC. Offensive coordinator Chip Long found a way to run the ball and counter USC’s constant blitzes. Defensive coordinator Clark Lea made adjustments in coverage and

started taking away the easy throws. The work of strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis, who earned the game ball, became more and more evident as the game went on.

The Irish wore down their opponent again, in large part because of the adjustments made by the men who were part of the larger program adjustment after 2016. This group is resilient, no doubt about it.

It resulted from those earlymorning weight room lift sessions back in January.

It resulted from a grueling summer of workouts and camp as players sacrificed personal time with family for the progress of the team.

It resulted from cultivating a priority of team success over individual success, especially seen through the demeanor of senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush.

It resulted from guys taking it week to week throughout the season and toughing it out through a grueling schedule.

And yet, this story hasn’t ended. There are still a couple chapters left to write.

Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

19 3

Scoring Summary 1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Total

7 0

3 7

0 10

7 7

17 24

usc 7, notre Dame 0

Vavae Malepeai 14-yard run (Michael Brown kick)

11:26

remaining Drive: Eight plays, 78 yards 3:34 elapsed

2

usc 10, notre dame 0 Brown 30-yard field goal

11:51

remaining Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 5:56 elapsed

usc 10, notre dame 7

Chris Finke 24-yard pass from Ian Book (Justin Yoon kick)

2:20

remaining Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 4:41 elapsed

3

Notre Dame 14, usc 10

Dexter Williams 52-yard run (Yoon kick)

10:55

remaining Drive: Two plays, 67 yards, 0:33 elapsed

Notre dame 17, usc 10 Yoon 46-yard field goal

1:07

remaining Drive: Eight plays, 31 yards, 2:45 elapsed

4

NOTRE DAME 24, usc 10

Tony Jones Jr. 51-yard pass from Book (Yoon kick)

3:09

remaining Drive: Six plays, 70 yards, 2:44 elapsed

NOTRE DAME 24, usc 17

Tyler Vaughns 20-yard pass from JT Daniels (Brown kick)

00:48

remaining Drive: Nine plays, 60 yards, 2:21 elapsed

statistics rushing yards 121 94

PASSING yards 352 349

total yards 473 443

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Insider

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish senior running back Dexter Williams carries the ball during Notre Dame’s 24-17 win over USC on Saturday at the Coliseum. Williams led all rushers with 97 yards on 16 attempts, good for 6.1 yards per carry. He also added to the passing attack with five catches for 54 yards, and his longest run for 52 yards was the go-ahead score for the Irish.

TROJAN horse

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish graduate student Nic Weishar moves to cut inside his defender during Notre Dame’s 24-17 road win over USC on Saturday.

During a rivalry matchup on the road and facing only their third deficit of the season, the Irish made defensive adjustments at halftime to shut down USC with a playoff bid on the line.

Offensively, junior quarterback Ian Book, senior running back Dexter Williams and senior receiver Chris Finke paced the Irish with three touchdowns to seal the win and a 12-0 season.

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish junior wide receiver Chase Claypool is taken down after making a catch during Notre Dame’s 24-17 win over USC at the Coliseum on Saturday. Claypool caught five passes for 73 yards against the Trojans.