Print Edition of The Observer for Tuesday, September 5, 2017

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Volume 52, Issue 12 | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Student center serves to build community Campus Crossroads project provides state-of-the-art facilities to students and student-run groups

By COURTNEY BECKER News Editor

Editor’s note: This is the second story in a three-part series featuring the completed Campus Crossroads project. Today’s story focuses on the enhancements to student life resulting from the creation of the Duncan Student Center.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Duncan Student Center, set to open in January 2018, features new restaurants, a new recreation center and a ballroom to be used for student events, but also available to the public for booking.

Students raise funds to alleviate Harvey damage

By MARIE FAZIO News Writer

Hurricane Harvey swept through Texas and parts of Louisiana on Aug. 28, leaving flooding and devastation in its wake that displaced thousands, including many members of the Notre Dame family.

As has been the custom with most natural disasters affecting

University students, Notre Dame student government responded with support for those affected. Friday, student government hosted a Grotto prayer service. Continuing their efforts, on September 1st they launched a ten-day fundraising campaign to raise money for a donation to Catholic Relief see HARVEY PAGE 4

In addition to upgrades to Notre Dame Stadium, the Campus Crossroads project will affect dayto-day student life — particularly with the complete opening of the Duncan Student Center, a new center of student recreational activity on campus, in January 2018.

This aspect of the project, which vice president for student affairs Erin Hoffmann Harding said was

20 years in the making for the University, will house several services that are being relocated to the new building, such as the career center and office of residential life.

Among the hospitality space located within Duncan Student Center is the Dahnke Ballroom, which will serve to improve student life outside of football season, vice president for facilities design and operations Doug Marsh said. “ … [There is] the Dahnke Family Ballroom on the seventh level that will host up to 600 people at a banquet function — but more importantly for student life, our residence halls’ great traditions and their twice-a-year semiformals that they host in and see CROSSROADS PAGE 4

Author Margaret Atwood to lecture at Saint Mary’s Observer Staff Report

Bestselling author Margaret At wood w ill deliver this year’s Christian Culture Lecture — an annual speaking event at the College that explores various dimensions of the humanities — in O’Laughlin Auditorium on Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m., according to a College press release.

Tickets can be retrieved from the O’Laughlin Box Office beginning today.

As t he aut hor of over 40 books of f iction, poetr y and critica l essays, At wood w ill bring vast experience and insight to her ta lk, tit led “The Handmaid’s Ta le: The Sources,” according to t he release. Her 1985 novel “The Handmaid’s Ta le” was recent ly adapted into a Hulu series, and one episode features a cameo by At wood herself, t he release states.

Chair of the department of humanistic studies

— which coordinates the annual lecture — Laura Williamson Ambrose said in the release At wood has w isdom to impart on the Saint Mar y’s communit y.

“The campus is abuzz w ith excitement over Margaret At wood’s v isit,” she said in the release. “Her novels and other works have been mainstays in our classrooms for decades, and it is thrilling to have an opportunit y to hear from her in person.”

Freshman becomes first tri-campus student Freshman Elisabeth Lasecki said she wanted to continue to take ballet classes when she began college, so she signed up for a ballet course at Saint Mary’s.

This choice made her the first student to take classes at all three Holy Cross-affiliated colleges simultaneously in

South Bend — Holy Cross, Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s — Adam DeBeck, director of alumni, parents and community relations at Holy Cross, told her.

Lasecki said as a student in the Gateway Program, she registered for classes at both Holy Cross and Notre Dame.

She said the opportunity to also take a ballet class at Saint

Mary’s allowed her to continue pursuing one of her passions and was “a nice load off [her] shoulders.”

“I started dancing when I was three, so I’ve been dancing for almost 15 years,” she said. “I had an opportunity to dance in a more professional setting and I turned it down because I knew I wanted to focus on my academics so I don’t regret that

either because that’s why I’m here.”

On Mondays and Wednesdays, Lasecki has four classes, which requires her to visit all three campuses.

“I’m never at one campus back to back so I’m at Holy Cross, then Notre Dame, then Holy Cross, then Saint Mary’s,” she said of her schedule on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“Those days I generally wake up pretty early around 8 [a.m.], then I have a 9:30 [a.m.] class and then I don’t end up finishing classes on Mondays and Wednesdays until about 7:15 [p.m.] or 7:30.”

Lasecki said prioritizing has been key to balancing her schoolwork and traveling

NEWS PAGE 3

Scene PAGE 5

viewpoint PAGE 7

Volleyball PAGE 12

cross country PAGE 12

By NATALIE WEBER Associate News Editor

see TRI-CAMPUS PAGE 3

2

TODAY

The observer | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

What is your favorite part of the new stadium?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Ben Padanilam Managing Editor Katie Galioto

Asst. Managing Editor: Marek Mazurek Asst. Managing Editor: Rachel O’Grady Asst. Managing Editor: Megan Valley News Editor: Courtney Becker Viewpoint Editor: Mary Freeman Sports Editor: Elizabeth Greason Scene Editor: Adam Ramos Saint Mary’s Editor: Martha Reilly Photo Editor: Chris Collins Graphics Editor: Lauren Weldon Advertising Manager: Molly McCarthy Advertising Manager: Alexandra Pucillo Ad Design Manager: Madison Riehle

Office Manager & General Info

Daniel Tawil

Marisa Ulrich

senior Knott Hall

senior off campus

“The recycling of the wooden benches in the bathroom.”

“Corbett Hall.”

Travis Gayle

Joaquin Camara

senior Keenan Hall

senior Keenan Hall

“Jumbotron.”

“Room for new friends.”

Maria Ines

Khesa Borotho

senior off campus

freshman Duncan Hall

“Student section.”

“The view of the Dome from the seventh floor.”

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising

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The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors.

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Selena Ponio Ciara Hopkinson Kelli Smith

Elizabeth Greason Joe Everett

Graphics

Scene

Susan Zhu

Brian Boylen

Photo

Viewpoint

Sarah Olson

Annie McCarter

Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.

SARAH OLSON | The Observer

The Gender Relations Center gives out free frozen yogurt during one of its socials at Fieldhouse Mall on Monday. The Gender Relations Center is an office in the Division of Student Affairs that discusses healthy relationships, sexuality and gender.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Strawberry Shortcake Social Fieldhouse Mall 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

If it rains, event will be moved to Thursday.

Fall Career Expo Stadium Concourse 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Open to all undergraduate and graduate students.

“Headcleaner” O’Shaughnessy Hall 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Exhibit to display works of Terence Hannum.

Boardroom Insights Jordan Auditorium 10:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.

Dan Cathy, Chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A, to speak.

“St. Philip Neri: God’s Humorist” Geddes Hall 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Part of Saturdays with the Saints lectures.

Workshop: “Writing a Strong Grant Proposal” Brownson Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

No RSVP necessary.

“Citizenship in a Global Age” Jordan Auditorium 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Presented by former president of Germany.

Book signing, debate Jenkins Nanovic Hall 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

“Debating religious liberty and discrimination.”

“Banville and the Redmption of Art” Jenkins Nanovic Hall 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Huiksking Professor of Theology to present.

Football vs. Georgia Notre Dame Stadium 7:30 p.m.

The Irish take on the Bulldogs in second game of the season.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | The Observer

3

College senior pursues faith, passion at ACE Saint Mar y’s senior Renee Reyes said the A lliance for Catholic Education (ACE) has prov ided her w ith an unprecedented opportunit y to share her faith and pursue her passions by educating future generations of underpriv ileged children in Catholic schools across the countr y.

ACE is a fellowship program which recruits and trains students like Reyes to teach in Catholic school districts across the nation upon graduation. The fellowship includes a cost-free Master’s degree from Notre Dame along w ith training and school placement for teachers. ACE increases the accessibilit y of a Catholic education in underpriv ileged areas, develops talent among

Center, where she is able to pursue her love for working w ith children while on campus. Through ACE, she said, she is able to utilize the skills she has learned through her courses at Saint Mar y’s and share her gifts w ith disad-

senior Saint Mary’s

News Writer

students and conducts groundbreaking research to transform disadvantaged school communities.

Reyes said she first heard about the ACE fellowship last year while attending band practice at Notre Dame. Upon hearing about ACE, she said, she decided to attend an informational meeting about the program.

After attending the meeting and learning more about the program, Reyes said she knew that ACE was the perfect fit for her.

“I went home and completed the application that same night,” she said. “I was sold.”

Reyes is an English literature and w riting double major w ith minors in histor y, intercultural studies and early childhood education.

She also spends her time volunteering at Saint Mar y’s Early Childhood Education

Renee Reyes

By ASHLEY HOVORKA

vantaged students across the nation.

Before hearing about ACE, Reyes considered Teach For America, a teaching fellowship which places college graduates in underpriv ileged public schools throughout the United

States. A lthough Teach For America sounded appealing, Reyes said, she wanted an opportunit y to spread her faith w ith others while doing what she loves. W hen she learned about ACE, she said she knew it prov ided an unparalleled opportunit y to deepen her faith and pursue a career she is passionate about.

“ACE is ever y thing I wanted to do w rapped into one package,” she said.

In addition to the teaching fellowship, ACE also selects a number of students to intern for the program while they are still on campus. Reyes is currently one of 14 interns for ACE, and she has the responsibilit y of recruiting prospective Belles to join the program. W hile on campus, Reyes is a mentor for ACE, helping interested students discover their passions and

discern whether ACE would be a good fit for them.

Reyes saids that Saint Mar y’s has equipped her to thrive in the classroom.

“Saint Mar y’s has given me ever y thing I’ve ever needed,” she said. “But the main thing is inspiration. Our teachers are so incredible, they care about you as a person, not just as a student … I want my students to feel important and respected like my teachers have done here.”

After graduation, Reyes w ill begin the process of taking classes at Notre Dame and teaching through the ACE program. Until then, she said she is excited to work as a mentor on campus and spread the word about ACE to other Saint Mar y’s women.

Contact Ashley Hovorka at ahovorka01@saintmarys.edu

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Tri-campus Continued from page 1

between classes. She also said “a good planner helps.”

“I guess the other tough thing is to just find time for myself too so I’m not getting overwhelmed,” she said. “I like to go over to the chapel here at Holy Cross and I play the piano for a few minutes just to clear my head if I’m getting stressed out from doing too much, but luckily I have just enough breaks in between class that I can kind of pace myself with homework and everything.”

Though she has not decided on a major yet, Lasecki said she enjoys all of her classes, in particular, American studies and her ballet course.

“I actually was not planning on taking American studies,” she said. “I really wanted to take philosophy and I hope to minor in philosophy. Unfortunately it overlapped with my ballet class which is why I couldn’t take it and so my advisor said ‘Well here, we can put you in American studies’ and it ended up being an absolute blast so I loved every second of that.”

Lasecki said she has been impressed by the kindness of students at each campus and has appreciated the opportunity to take classes at each campus.

“I guess I would say that it’s been a challenge adjusting to freshman year but then also to three campuses,” she said. “I have three emails to toggle between, you know, kind of three different groups of people to interact with but ... I don’t regret it for a second.

“I love it and I’m so glad I chose the Gateway program. I’m glad I chose to come to South Bend and I’m really glad I chose to take classes at all three schools.”

Contact Natalie Weber at nweber@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossroads Continued from page 1

around campus throughout every academic year,” Marsh said on a press tour Aug. 11.

The overall intention of the facility, Hoffmann Harding said, is to promote student growth in a communal environment.

“I’m delighted, I’m thrilled and I’m so hopeful about how this new facility will allow us to support, engage and develop our students over generations to come,” she said on the press tour.

Duncan Student Center The Duncan Student Center is located on the west side of Notre Dame Stadium.

Hoffmann Harding said the design of the building and the components within the building is intended to bring the Notre Dame community closer together.

“We open this building to our students in January 2018, and we hope that it is going to reflect what’s always been true about Notre Dame: we build community,”

Harvey Continued from page 1

Services. “In the past, it’s usually been standing in solidarity, doing a Grotto prayer service — which we did — but we wanted to take it to the next level and show that we really are supporting everybody, from the students here to their families back home,” Alex Kruszewski, student government executive controller, said.

To generate awareness for the fundraiser, student government has been running a social media campaign using #staNDwithHouston on its Facebook group.

“The hashtag we are using to do the fundraising is #staNDwithHouston, but we acknowledge that there are many areas in Southern Texas and Louisiana that were also affected greatly by the hurricane,” Becca Blais, student body president, said. “That’s why we chose such a national organization to donate the money to, so that that money can be distributed to all of the affected areas.”

Student government is pleased with the amount of support they have already received for the campaign, Kruszewski said, but are looking forward to more opportunities to fundraise at the Georgia game. They are currently working with the University of Georgia student government to coordinate efforts, Kruszewski said.

“The big push is to target alumni, get this out to alumni clubs and families and reach a national scope rather than just asking students to donate,” Kruszewski said.

“We are more asking students to share the campaign to get the word out there.”

Students can spread the word through a campus-wide Snapchat filter that will be available on game day.

“It’s really cool to see that we can make a changeful impact for the students that this is actually affecting,” Kruszewki said.

Hoffmann Harding said. “We hope that our students are going to have and build and lead integrated lives.”

Students took a large role in designing aspects of the Duncan Student Center that will particularly affect student life, Hoffmann Harding said.

“Students have been engaged,” she said. “ … So we have long known that LaFortune Student Center, which is designed to complement this building, is about undersized compared to our peers by about half in terms of total square footage. So students were engaged, actually, as part of that process.”

Student input was particularly crucial, Hoffmann Harding said, in creating the new student innovation lounge.

“The first floor, which is a traditional student center, [contains] an innovation lounge down on the south end, which is studentdesigned,” she said. “Their input in terms of creative opportunities, in terms of technology and different ways that they want to interact — that, they helped us put together.”

The second floor “loft,”

Hoffmann Harding said, will house most student media groups on campus and provide state-ofthe-art facilities.

“On the second floor [is] the loft, which is home to our student media groups, which will be combined for the very first time in this building,” she said. “So we will have our print publications, our radio stations and our student TV station all interacting with one another. And we’re really particularly excited about the open-air TV studio that will be present for our students.”

The increased meeting space, Hoffmann Harding said, provided the University with the opportunity to create designated areas for graduate students at Notre Dame to gather. “ … And, again for the first time, on the south end we will have a graduate student lounge — the first time that that growing student population has had a dedicated facility on our campus,” she said.

“And the graduate student union and our graduate student life program director will be located there, as well as our office of residential

Junior Dan Guerrero, one of the students affected by Hurricane Harvey, grew up in the Houston area. He is thankful his family was able to escape to safety, but feels helpless seeing pictures of familiar places severely flooded.

Guerrero shared his personal story at the Grotto prayer service and has been helping student government raise awareness. The reaction of the Notre Dame community, and the rest of the nation, has helped him see a silver lining in the midst of tragedy, Guerrero said.

“We see the true nature of society, people helping each other out no matter who they are, what age,” Guerrero said. “From student government to a bunch of different clubs that came to the Texas club saying, ‘whatever you need we’ll help you out,’ it’s been incredible.

That extends to the rest of the

country in general — willing to do anything they can to help a complete stranger.”

Kruszewski said that this initiative is in line with this administration’s goal of “flipping student government on its head,” making it more student-centered. He hopes that tangible impacts like the Hurricane Harvey fundraising campaign will make students feel comfortable stopping by the student government office with other issues that affect them personally.

“Yes, we’re helping the victims of hurricane Harvey and really making an impact for those people, but for anybody that has these tangible impacts that happen to them back home, student government is the place that they can come,” Kruszewski said.

life.”

Above the traditional student center, Hoffmann Harding said, is the Smith Center for Recreational Sports, which will replace the Rolfs Sports Recreation Center.

“Floors three and four [are] the Smith recreational center, which will triple the amount of space available not only to students, but also to our faculty and staff on campus,” she said.

The fifth floor will be home to three different career services, something Hoffmann Harding said will be beneficial for employers as well as students. “ … We will have our graduate business career services, our graduate career services and our undergraduate career center, colocated for the very first time,” Hoffmann Harding said. “[This is] not only modeling to our students we hope that they’re thinking about discerning their calling and their placement beyond Notre Dame, but really for our employers

Contact Marie Fazio at mfazio@nd.edu Paid Advertisement

to understand that when you come to recruit at the University at Notre Dame, you’re recruiting all of our students.”

The Dahnke Ballroom The Dahnke Family Ballroom, Marsh said, introduces additional options for student events given the size of the space.

“It is principally the University’s new living room,” Marsh said. “It’s the largest ballroom on campus and will be first reserved for student functions, particularly semiformals that happen at least twice a year per hall.”

The advanced technology in the ballroom also increases its usefulness, Marsh said.

“We have embedded technology to support all kinds of presentations and shows, including theatrical lighting in the ceiling grid,” he said.

Contact Courtney Becker at cbecker3@nd.edu

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5

The observer | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

By DANIEL O’BOYLE Scene Writer

“Coolverine,” the first track on Mogwai’s latest album, “Every Country’s Sun,” has a lame pun for a title.

It’s built around a fairly simple musical theme, essentially just eight notes. It starts quiet, builds up, lets you down just a little and then turns into something grand and all-encompassing — all within a little over six minutes. It’s more serious about the “rock” part of the post-rock genre than the work of Mogwai’s peers, with slowly-building distorted guitars and and an aggressive drum beat providing edge, all while remaining first-and-foremost an atmospheric work. It’s a song that could make anything you do sound cool.

In short, it’s a Mogwai song.

“Party in the Dark,” the very next track on the album, is not.

Mogwai — formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1995 — more or less perfected their sound in 1997, with the release of post-rock masterpiece “Mogwai Young Team,” a work with a very legitimate case to be considered the greatest album the genre has produced, creating beautiful sonic landscapes while holding onto the energy that only youth can provide (frontman Stuart Braithwaite was barely 21 years old when the album was recorded). From there, the band released another seven albums before “Every Country’s Sun.” They strayed from their known course on occasion, flirting with synths on 2014’s “Rave Tapes,”

By GRACE WEISSEND Scene Writer

From the album art to the tracks themselves, The Script is simply trying too hard on their latest effort. The Irish band’s fifth studio album, “Freedom Child,” is ridden with cliches, piano overlays and intense drumming. The fourteen tracks feel almost never ending due to the lack of differentiation among them. Past The Script albums have had at least one massive hit — the band scored big with single “Breakeven” in 2008, and “Hall of Fame” from 2012’s “#3” played at nearly every major awards show and sports game for a full calendar year. There isn’t a single song on “Freedom Child,” however, that stands out as a hit people will latch on to.

Credit must be given where credit is due, and The Script certainly tries to blur genre lines on “Freedom Child.”

They try out a strange electro reggae style on “No Man is an Island,” and attempt an EDM-crossover tune on “Wonders.” To be completely frank, it just doesn’t work.

The Script seems to be pandering to a Chainsmokersloving populace, aiming for songs that bop but lack any real substance. One of the highlights of “Freedom Child” is the stripped-down “Make Up,” which sounds a lot more like the old The Script than the rest of the album does. It’s a more stripped down sound, and the acoustics

wavering on the exact extent to which they incorporate vocals, both sung and spoken-word. But by and large, Mogwai, as post-rock bands often do, has stuck to a formula: Quiet-to-loud progressions built around minimal motifs all captured in a timeframe barely longer than the average pop song.

“Party in the Dark” breaks with all of that. It’s the closest thing to an out-and-out pop song Mogwai has ever released. No, it doesn’t have a Jack Antonoff signature hand-clap pre-chorus or Max Martin’s polished reverb. It’s not something that you’ll hear on top 40 radio. But there’s a riff, regular verses and even a chorus. A good one, too.

In a year that perhaps lacked great straightforward rock songs, the atmospheric dream-pop of “Party in the Dark,” is a worthwhile contribution. But it doesn’t feel like it belongs next to “Coolverine.” It’s certainly interesting to hear both the classic version of the band and something new back-to-back, but in a genre where albums are expected to appear as cohesive wholes, the inconsistency is striking.

Luckily for listeners, Mogwai quickly make a choice on how “Every Country’s Sun,” should sound, and it’s an expected one: A slightly more modern-sounding version of their trademark style, using some more electronic effects than their early work, while remaining grounded in traditional rock instrumentation. Mogwai may have a formula, but it works and they know how to keep each album distinctive enough to separate itself from the rest.

Each track following “Party in the Dark,” sounds like it was written to score the most important moments in life.

If “Crossing the Road Material,” is meant to be listened to in the situation the name implies, get ready for the most inspirational journey from one side of the street to the other you’ve ever experienced. But on tracks like “aka 47”and “1000 foot face,” Mogwai know how to hold back, which does nothing but reinforce the effect of the songs where they don’t. The album ends about as triumphantly as you’d expect, with a buzzing synth over a combination of clean and distorted guitars closing out the title track.

Some bands evolve greatly over the years. Mogwai have mostly made incremental changes over the last 20. But if they keep sounding this good, why mess with the formula?

and vocals have a genuinely beautiful tone. The sound is marred, however, by laughably shallow lyrics — “No you don’t need make up / to cover your face, love / you’re beautiful now / within and without / be good to yourself / you’re doing me proud.” You can practically hear the female population rolling their eyes in the background.

It is nearly impossible to get past such ridiculously cliched lyrics throughout “Freedom Child.” Just a perusal through the tracklist is enough to make one’s head start spinning with irritation — tracks like “Divided States of America” and “Written in the Scars” alert you that The Script is reaching on this album before you press play on a single tune. “Written in the Scars” makes up for the play-on-words hilarity with a decent sound — the chorus in particular is a satisfying electro-rock blend. The songs on “Freedom Child” are very formulaic; it’s difficult to take the album seriously as a cohesive, finished project and not merely a work in progress. The first single off the album, “Rain,” is currently The Script’s most popular song on Spotify and is genuinely pretty good. The lyrics aren’t quite as annoying as on the other tracks, and the acoustic chorus is a welcome difference from the rest of the album’s flirtation with electro music. It almost feels like an inappropriate tease for a first single, however, as the rest of the album doesn’t hold up in comparison to “Rain’s” originality or quality.

The title track on “Freedom Child,” which concludes the album, is a particularly maddening Pandora’s box of cliches. It feels like The Script is trying to get a repeat of the success they had with “Hall of Fame” on this track; the lyrics are inspirational in nature and broad enough to be applicable in many a ceremonial occasion. It is unlikely The Script will find similar success with this tune, however, as it lacks the emotional gusto of a “Hall of Fame” or even a “Breakeven.” With no real breakout song and an album that altogether disappoints, it’s unlikely that The Script will be adding this record to their hall of fame.

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu

“Every Country’s Sun” Mogwai Label: Temporary Residence Limited Tracks: “Coolverine,” “Crossing the Road Material,” “Don’t Believe the Fife” If you like: Explosions in the Sky, Pink Floyd, Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Contact Grace Weissend at gweissen@nd.edu

“Freedom Child” The Script Label: Columbia Records Tracks: “Rain” If you like: The Fray, OneRepublic

SUSAN ZHU | The Observer

6

The observer | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Return to Babylon

Inside Column

Taking advantage of office hours Toby Hoonhout Associate Sports Editor

During one of my classes last week, my professor briefly mentioned that there was a meeting that might interfere with his office hours, so he wanted to poll the room and see if anyone was planning on being there.

No one raised their hands.

We then spontaneously ushered into a conversation about the role of office hours at Notre Dame, and why there seems to be a stigma surrounding the idea of talking to one’s professors outside of class. My professor asked what the reasoning was behind the lack of interest, and while some talked of bad experiences and time constraints, really no one gave a good answer.

That’s because there isn’t a good one.

The reality is that the majority of students view office hours as a resource of necessity. Get a bad grade on a test? Office hours. Can’t figure out the homework? Office hours. Need a letter of recommendation? You guessed it. It may be twisted, but it’s a reality that exists.

Students at Notre Dame do have a lot on their plate, and for many, school is simply a piece to the puzzle. There’s always talk of building relationships with professors or pursuing academic interests outside of the classroom, and while I certainly think it adds a whole new dimension to scholarly work, for the students that don’t see the “scholarly” part of the equation, there really isn’t a need to pursue it.

But my professor brought up a great point. For the vast majority of professors, students are a huge priority. If one comes with a question or concern, they’d be happy to take time to answer them — it’s why they are mandated to set aside time for this situation. For students however, just because they are optional doesn’t mean that they should be ignored. Regardless of it pertaining to class or not, students should be utilizing one of the best resources available to them in a college setting to help answer questions that interest or trouble them.

Learning is a lifelong pursuit, and for four short years, a college student has an incredible opportunity to learn a whole lot just by talking to the experts. While only a fraction of the undergraduate body will end up earning doctorates in fields of academia, the lessons we learn and fields of interest we pursue now still have intrinsic and inherent value.

Now, I’ve definitely fallen into the same trend as many of my peers have done. In the times I have gone to office hours over the past three years, only a handful have been to explore questions outside of lecture, and they’ve always been class-related. Moving forwards, however, I hope to change that outlook. Instead of viewing office hours as a resource to help my grade, I hope to utilize such a tremendous opportunity to not only learn about interesting things, but also to get to better know the incredibly smart and dedicated faculty at Notre Dame.

One of my biggest takeaways from my time at Notre Dame so far has been the incredible amount of intelligence and drive that people here possess. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by many of my fellow classmates and friends who manage to balance their schoolwork and social life with career and extracurricular aspirations, but sometimes it’s okay to slow down a little and enjoy the ride. Life isn’t always about looking ahead to the next deadline or exam, sometimes it’s not only good to pursue things that aren’t necessary, it’s also important.

For me, a college student, appreciating office hours is one of the first steps.

Contact Tobias Hoonhout at thoonhou@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Contact XXXX at XXXX@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Ray Ramirez The Crooked Path

One of the oldest existing Christian communities in the world is that of the Chaldean Catholics, with roots that trace back to the apostles. The early Eastern Rite communities in Iraq and Iran split into distinct factions in the 5th century, when the Church of the East embraced Nestorianism, a heresy that declared Christ to be man, and God the son to be his divine counterpart, but not two aspects of a single being. The Nestorian Church expanded into China, the steppes of Mongol Asia and the Malabar Coast of India until the 14th century, when the Mongol leader Timur largely destroyed the Nestorian Church east of Iraq. The Chaldean church leaders recanted the Nestorian heresy and officially united with the Roman Catholic Church in 1551; since that time, members of the church have been referred to as Chaldeans.

The Chaldeans have preserved the ancient East Syrian liturgy, which they celebrate in Syriac, an important branch of Semitic language known as Aramaic. At the time of Alexander the Great, Aramaic was the official language from Asia Minor to Persia, from Armenia to the Arabian Peninsula; Chaldeans claim the Syriac dialect they use is similar to that spoken by Christ and the Apostles. The Chaldeans lived in relative peace under the Ottoman Empire, but its collapse at the turn of the last century, and the dislocations resulting from World War I, led to ongoing assertions of nationalism, violent efforts at ethnic cleansing, and a diaspora that spread Chaldeans across the globe.

The Chaldeans — like other Christian groups — have been targeted for persecution by Islamic State (IS) and other jihadist groups. Last year, then-US secretary of state John Kerry said a genocide was occurring against Chaldeans in Iraq, though international courts have not officially given the violence there that designation. Chaldeans are now being swept up in immigration raids across the US and targeted for deportation by the Trump administration. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers recently seized more than 200 Iraqi nationals who have been the subject of deportation orders following criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.

The families of arrested persons have complained that the planned deportations amount to a death sentence for the deportees, many of whom have spent decades in the US and speak little or no Arabic. The Minority Humanitarian Foundation, a nonprofit organization which provides aid to Iraqi minorities, plans to file a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union to stop the deportation of Chaldeans to Iraq.

An ICE spokesperson claimed an “overwhelming majority” of those arrested were convicted for crimes including “homicide,

rape, aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, drug trafficking, robbery, sex assault, weapons violations and other offenses,” and that the deportation operation “was specifically conducted to address the very real public safety threat represented by the criminal aliens arrested”.

In contrast, Chaldean family members and others in the community disputed that pretense, and noted many of the charges were handed down decades ago, and those convicted had served their sentences for the crimes. Iraq had previously not cooperated with US deportation efforts, but the two countries negotiated a new policy in March after Trump issued a travel ban for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iraq. The initial ban was revised after it was struck down in a federal court; the new ban, also currently being challenged, no longer includes Iraq and removes a preference for religious minorities, including Christians, from these countries.

Trump’s executive order for the revised ban said the rules for Iraq had changed because “the Iraqi government has expressly undertaken steps to enhance travel documentation, information sharing, and the return of Iraqi nationals subject to final orders of removal.” Whether inadvertently or not, the revised travel ban opened the door for Chaldeans to be “returned” to Iraq, even in instances where Iraq had not actively sought their return. Even worse, these Chaldeans were being sent to a country that was hostile, and perhaps even fatal, to this Christian minority. “Shame on Donald Trump,” a Chaldean spokesman said. “He campaigned on helping Christians, helping the underserved, on fighting ISIS when actually his actions are emboldening ISIS.” The Chaldean community in the US mostly supported Trump in the presidential election. In large part, that support was based on a belief that Trump would keep his promise to protect persecuted Christian minorities in the Middle East. In Chaldean communities that were dislocated and decimated by a series of leaders promising peace and protection, the term “seyfo” has become more common. Seyfo, both in Arabic and Syriac, means “sword,” but more pointedly is vernacular for “genocide.” W hat side of history will our leaders — and by extension, will we — be on in protecting our Chaldean brethren? The paranoid response to politically expedient rhetoric is indeed a double-edged sword, and we must take care that is not brandished in support of the “seyfo” Chaldeans justly fear.

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.

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7

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Screw the rankings, Morrissey is great There is new life in Morrissey Manor. The past two years in Manor histor y — since our 90th anniversar y — has seen echoes awakened and spirits lifted. W hen Zack Imfeld was appointed the new rector, youth and a sense of welcoming entered the Manor. For once in my four years, I saw in others — and experienced personally — a sense of anticipation to return to the dorm in August.

In a previous letter to the editor entitled “Screw it, we’re ranking the halls,” my dorm was ranked as the last of all Notre Dame male dorms and third from last overall. I cannot defend our facilities, even the University recognizes Morrissey needs a major facelift and is scheduled to be renovated beginning next year. I also will not re-rank the dorms here. Each dorm is unique and special to its residents, and ranking them is reductive. I simply hope to expose the larger Notre Dame community to ever ything great about Morrissey Manor and the men within.

My past four years in the Manor have seen two rectors and great things under both. The first

two years saw Morrissey crowned as back-toback interhall football champions, truly taking the Black and Gold to victor y. We celebrated 90 years of being in community with Notre Dame and received an alumni donation to renovate the Chapel of the Little Flower, under the protection of Saint Andrew and Saint Therese of Lisieux.

Morrissey has always had a thriving religious community, and the new chapel only increased the spirituality of the dorm. The implementation of S’Morrissey Mass (ever y Wednesday night a 10 p.m. followed by s’mores — come through) has opened up this vibrant religious experience in the best chapel on campus to all students.

More recently, Morrissey has seen its own community open up and f lourish as residents more and more keep doors open and engage with neighbors of all classes. Gone are all-first-year sections, replaced by inclusive and intermingled sections. Seniors are staying in Morrissey and have bought into the new culture of the Manor.

Signature events are being added in an effort to bring in a larger campus community to our part

of Notre Dame, including the upcoming Michigan State game watch — an outdoor event that will feature free food trucks and a screen the size of a semi-truck (Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., South Quad). Yaz’s restaurant has the best prices on campus too — $1 on all food items and $2 for milkshakes of many f lavors. Another of the great new events is frequent grill-outs on brand-new grills bought for the dorm and used to feed any and all passersby.

Quality grills manned by quality chefs means quality food. It’s no question why people are saying Morrissey now has the best meat on campus.

Morrissey has arrived. Yes we’re young in our revival and still finding our way in the larger dorm community, but Morrissey is a great Notre Dame dorm. By no means is it “the worst” nor does it “suck.” I’d invite anyone who disagrees to come by the Manor and join us in community any day of the week.

Julio Salazar senior Sept. 4

An inconvenient hurricane Sarh Cate Baker Science is Golden

Hurricane Harvey is a national tragedy. By Sunday the death toll from the storm had risen to 50 and one million people have been displaced. Somewhere around 100,000 homes have been affected, of which 40,000 are completely destroyed. The Consumerist reports that 80 percent of homeowners facing the damage do not have flood insurance, and there are no clear answers as to how the $190 billion in damages will be paid. Harvey is a national tragedy, and it’s wrong to politicize a tragedy – right?

Not in this case. In this case, politicizing a tragedy is the only way to stop future tragedies from happening.

Extreme weather cannot be prevented — the next hurricane to hit the United States (possibly Irma, currently brewing in the southern Atlantic) will hit the U.S. regardless of how we politicize Harvey. But it is important that we use the lessons from Harvey to prepare for its successor. And with all extreme weather, that preparation absolutely must include changing our approach to global climate change.

It used to be very difficult to say whether if and how specific weather events were impacted by global climate change. It is now getting easier. When it comes to hurricanes there is a clear connection: hurricanes draw their destructive energy from heat in ocean waters, and as ocean temperatures rise, there is more heat to be drawn. Further, a warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor — about 7 percent

more for every additional degree Celsius — which equates to increased potential for rainfall during a storm. Because the atmosphere is not heating equally atmospheric wind currents are changing as well. For example, some science suggests that the jet stream is slowing down. These changing wind patterns may help explain why severe storms are moving in ways that are contrary to our current models — like Sandy, which travelled in a straight-shot towards New Jersey when it should have curved backwards towards the Atlantic.

When it comes to Hurricane Harvey, these factors seemed to have created a perfect storm. Harvey intensified rapidly on Wednesday and Thursday as it travelled over the Gulf of Mexico, which just experienced one of is warmest winters on record; it dumped nearly record-breaking amounts of rain on its Houston victims, a city which also just experienced nearly record-breaking summer heat; it lingered above Houston instead of moving inland because there were very little atmospheric wind currents to drive it. The warmer waters, warmer air, and loss of wind current can be explained, at least in part, by global climate change.

It is inaccurate to say that Hurricane Harvey was caused by global climate change. But it is irresponsible not to consider the man-made factors that increased its destructive power, and it is unethical not to try to remediate these factors to prevent future devastation.

And it when it comes to remediating climate change issues, it is necessary to get political. As an individual I can recycle, but I cannot singlehandedly

stop chemical runoff from entering my country’s lakes and rivers, nor can I put an immediate stop to the deforestation that threatens wildlife or instantly end the fracking that threatens people. Stopping this environmental destruction requires the use of politics. Chemical run-off is controlled by policies that force industry standards of environmentalism; deforestation is prevented by creating national parks and reserves; fracking is an ongoing problem that will not end until our lawmakers make it illegal. It is true that each individual must do their part to combat global climate change and that these efforts do add up. It is naive to think that this will be enough.

If we want to control global climate change, we will have to get political. We will need large-scale solutions for a large-scale problem, and large-scale change necessitates government intervention. We cannot create change if we do not get our lawmakers on board.

It might feel wrong to politicize a tragedy. It might seem insensitive, it might feel like taking advantage of someone else’s misfortune. It doesn’t matter. This tragedy must be politicized — otherwise, we are going to keep seeing more tragedies just like it.

Sarah Cate is a senior at Notre Dame studying biology and English. As such, she enjoys writing essays about Salinger and studying viruses in her research lab. Her favorite books are very much like her science experiments — long, complicated and ultimately inconclusive. She can be reached sbaker6@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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daily

The observer | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Consider every angle and be selective about who you partner with. Your choices will make a difference to the outcome of any goal you pursue. Be realistic and honest regarding your motives and stand by your promises. Having confidence as well as the resources to follow through and make things happen will set you up for success. Your numbers are 4, 11, 19, 23, 26, 38, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Use your connections and network with people who can help raise your profile. Personal changes will be viewed as progressive. Professional partnerships look welcoming, and new job prospects are within your reach. Romance is in the stars.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Finish what you start regardless of any meddling you encounter. Children, needy friends or people who want something for nothing will hold you back. Offer suggestions and get back to the pursuits that will help you get ahead.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Make the changes that will improve your relationships with the people you live or work with. A shift in the way you go about your business or handle your personal affairs will bring you greater security. Put new ideas into play.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use your imagination and you will come up with new ways to use your skills. Home improvements should be considered, but only spend what you can afford or you’ll face opposition. A visit from an old friend will bring back memories.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Money matters must not be based on emotional whims. You may desire change, but living within your means will be the prerequisite to your happiness and peace of mind. Look inward and focus on personal growth. Romance is featured.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take a unique approach to whatever you do and you will attract helpers. Your willingness to do the grunt work will make a good impression. Deal with the red tape and it will give you a clear passage to pursue your goals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do whatever you can to help others. Your generosity will inspire your peers to follow suit. A change to the way you earn or handle your money will lead to greater cash flow. Invest in emotional and intellectual growth.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Tread carefully when dealing with personal and professional matters. Biding your time and backing away from those offering extravagant options will save you money and emotional stress. Trust in yourself.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Make each day an adventure. Learn something new or visit a destination you’ve never been to before. Sharing your life stories with people you encounter along the way will spark a desire to alter the way you live. Love is highlighted.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Dealing with banks, lawyers or government agencies will be the result of an unexpected change in your personal finances, domestic situation or a partnership. Be prepared to be reasonable and factual with your response.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Address partnership issues. Express your feelings and what you would like to see happen. Positive changes can be made if you adjust your lifestyle to fit your needs. Expanding your family or moving to larger quarters is featured. Romance is highlighted.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Dealing with authority figures, government agencies and banks will be difficult if you haven’t got all your personal documentation in order. Take a moment to go over all the necessary paperwork. Preparation will save the day.

Birthday Baby: You are observant, adaptable and open-minded. You are productive and unbiased.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Draw comics.

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sports

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | The Observer

XC

Sports Authority

Messi free agency shapes soccer Daniel O’Boyle Sports Writer

Remember “the Decision” ?

W ho can forget.

How about Kevin Durant’s “next chapter” ? That was pretty w ild too.

W hat if we could see something like that in the world’s biggest sport? W hat if it happened to a player playing for a team that expects nobody to ever want to leave? W hat if it happened to the best player of all time in his sport?

A lot happened this summer in the world of soccer.

There was no World Cup or European Championship, but instead soccer fans saw some of the most shocking transfers of all time, highlighted by Brazilian superstar Neymar’s move from Barcelona to Paris SaintGermain, a record-breaking deal that used sponsorship deals from the Qatari government, who ow n the French club, in order to legally skirt “Financial Fair Play” regulations.

Neymar’s move set off a chain reaction in world soccer, most notably inf lating the prices of just about ever y other player in the world. But there’s one related stor y that may have received some traction, but has been kept relatively quiet considering how earthshattering it could prove to be: Lionel Messi still has not agreed on a new contract w ith Barcelona. His current deal expires in less than a year.

There has been no free agent in soccer close to this caliber. Legendar y players have changed club before, some have even left some of the biggest and best teams in the world, such as when Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2009. But if Messi’s contract expires, Barcelona w ill get nothing in return. That’s rare for elite players, and it could happen to the greatest of them all.

Messi has been inarguably a top-two player in the world for almost an entire decade, certainly the best

9

in the world for at least five years and perhaps non-stop since 2009, and yet he’s still only 30 years old. He’s scored over 500 goals for Barcelona, approaching the all-time record for any topf light European club, yet goals only show a tiny portion of what he can do. The list of soccer legends who consider him the best of all time is long, and will only get longer.

More importantly, he already plays for one of the two biggest clubs in the world, and has since his professional debut in 2004. He’s been part of Barcelona’s system since 2001. And players rarely leave Barcelona if the club doesn’t want them to. Neymar did, perhaps to escape Messi’s shadow. It’s hard to believe a club as big as Barcelona could lose two superstars of Messi and Neymar’s caliber in back-toback seasons.

If Messi does become a free agent, it’s entirely speculation as to where he’ll go.

Manchester City has been a popular suggested location, and certainly has the money to afford him, while other Premier League clubs would likely also attempt to lure him to England. There is of course a ver y strong possibility that he simply returns to Barcelona, but the fact that the possibility of Messi leaving Barcelona for free ex ists at all should be one of the most important stories in soccer. Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has proven unpopular in recent months after Barcelona failed to w in La Liga or progress past the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season. But as long as Barcelona has Messi, ever y thing on the field could be fine. If Messi walks, the entire soccer landscape changes.

The countdown is on.

Circle June 30, 2018, on your calendars, just in case.

Contact Daniel O’Boyle at doboyle1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Continued from page 12

Kentucky Cross Countr y State Champion was one of eight freshmen to make their Notre Dame debuts at the Crusader Open. Nuguse was followed by sophomore Ryan Schweizer, who finished with a time of 18:14.5.

Freshman Vincent Zona crossed the finish line in third with a time of 18:16.3, with sophomore Tyler Keslin right behind him in a time of 18:16.7, while graduate student transfer Conor Sher yak took fifth with a time of 18:17.8. Together, the Irish took the top five spots in the men’s meet, and thus recorded a perfect score at the Crusader Open for the second consecutive year.

In addition to the top five spots, Notre Dame senior Kevin Pulliam took the sixth spot with a time of 18:20.7, while graduate student transfer Bradley Wattleworth finished in 10th place w ith a time of 18:31.9. Freshman Andrew A lexander, who finished eighth for Notre Dame, finished the meet w ith a time of 18:36.1.

The women’s team was led by freshman Anna Sophia Keller, who finished

Berry Continued from page 12

once successful program that had slowly declined over the years.

There weren’t any surprises.

McLaughlin was fully aware of the struggling team he was inheriting, but was willing to take the risk, even if it meant a blemish on his coaching resume.

In his first campaign, the Irish finished 7-25, proving that it would be a while before the Irish would be ready to compete for a national championship. The 2015 season was only the second season in his thirty-year coaching career that a McLaughlin team finished below .500, and the first time in thirteen seasons he had failed to qualify for a postseason tournament. Even at one of the team’s low points, the Irish began to show signs of improvement, as they garnered one more win than the previous season, when Notre Dame finished with an even worse 6-23 record. It was a start.

Last year showed even more

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Irish junior Anna Rohrer competes in the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational on Sept. 30 at Burke Golf Course.

second overall w ith a time of 17:14.2 — trailing only Indiana Universit y Fort Way ne’s Emma Rafuse, who won by a significant margin, finishing w ith a time of 16:44.6. Irish senior Kaitlin Frei finished third overall w ith a time of 17:37.4, while freshman Claudia Magnussen finished sixth overall w ith a time of 17:56.5. Junior Emily Franz took the 14th spot at the meet w ith a time of 18:45.9, while sophomore Madison

Ronzone barely trailed Franz and earned the 15th position in the meet w ith a time of 18:58.8. To cap it off, freshman Brooke Trossen finished just a second behind Ronzone for 16th place in a final time of 18:59.6.

As a whole, Notre Dame finished second behind Purdue’s women’s team.

Coming up next for the Irish is the National Catholic Inv itational on September 15th at Burke Golf Course.

promise. Under McLaughlin, the Irish finished with a 2210 record overall, finishing sixth in the ACC standings with a 13-7 record, and tallying their first winning season in four years. The team was aided by McLaughlin’s first recruiting class that featured Under Armour All-American Jemma Yeadon, who led the Irish in kills last season, and Under Armour All-American honorable mention Lauren Woodard. The 2016 season started strong, but faltered at the end, in part, due to a key injury to junior setter Caroline Holt, who McLaughlin has called the “quarterback” of his team.

Heading into his third year, McLaughlin and company are off to the second best start in team history. Early in the season the Irish are now mimicking the success of pass McLaughlin teams as they head into their third tournament with a 6-0 record, having only dropped three total sets on the season. Learning from last year’s mistakes, McLaughlin is taking precaution earlier to ensure that his players are getting enough

rest by mixing up the starting lineup to allow his younger players to gain some wellneeded playing experience, while preventing unnecessary injury to the veterans.

Although the Irish are off to a fast start, a true test to their progression as a team will come when they face No. 24 ranked Ohio State on Saturday in the Costal Carolina Classic.

McLaughlin has also shifted his focus from just winning one game at a time to now eyeing to win the ACC championship this season, and since the Irish are currently tied for first in the division, it’s a very plausible goal.

The Irish may not be the national title contenders McLaughlin is used to coaching, but they have continually progressed over the last few seasons, proving that McLaughlin was smart to take a risk on the program at the height of his coaching career.

Contact Mia Berry at mberry1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Everett Continued from page 12

finished in third place overall with a time of 18:16.03, while Andrew Alexander took eighth place on the team. Additionally, several sophomores turned in noteworthy performances. Ryan Schweizer placed second overall with a time of 18:14.5, while fellow sophomore Tyler Keslin finished fourth overall with a time of 18:16.7. The top four finishers of the men’s race at the Crusader Open were Notre Dame underclassmen, and that has to be exciting prospect to build off for the Irish coaching staff.

Now, I realize the inherent flaw of predicting how the season will unfold based on one performance from an individual in what is largely considered an exhibition meet. Associate head coach Matt Sparks noted the uncertainty of the men’s team on Aug. 30, saying that there are “a lot of unanswered questions.”

However, since Sparks also commented that the Crusader Open would be a good indicator, these results could be indicative of future success, and therefore can serve as a basis of extrapolation.

Let’s look at who could be in the top seven for the men.

Taking the top seven of last year’s final meet — the Great Lakes Regionals — as the

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | The Observer

baseline, the Irish men will have to replace graduates Chris Marco and Jacob Dumford.

Senior captains Brent Kennedy and Kevin Pulliam should lock down two spots, while junior Anthony Williams should be near the top after a strong performance last season. Here’s where the real extrapolation kicks in. Because he finished fourth at the Great Lakes Regional last year, sophomore Tyler Keslin would be predicted to finish fourth on the team this year behind the previously named individuals. However, since he also finished fourth this year at the Crusader Open behind three fellow underclassmen, that means that assistant coach Sean Carlson and the Irish could have three new underclassmen — Nuguse, Zona and Schweizer — in the top seven, which would indicate a much improved Irish squad from last season, and one that could eclipse the preseason prediction of seventh place within the Great Lakes Region.

Now, to the women’s team.

Led by defending ACC champion and junior Anna Rohrer, the Irish return six of the seven individuals who took home second place at the Great Lakes Regional last year. Danielle Aragon will be missed, but her absence allows the opportunity for youth to shine. Aragon’s spot in the top

seven will most likely be filled by freshman Anna Sophia Keller, an 11-time high school state champion who took home second place at the Crusader Open in a time of 17:14.2. Twice named the Gatorade Illinois Runner of the Year, Keller appears ready to contribute in a big way to the women’s team, as Sparks said on Aug. 30, that he expects the freshman to “step in and be a part of the top seven.”

Therefore, with the rest of the women’s top seven proven, yet eager to improve, the No. 8 Irish should be able to compete with defending regional champion Michigan for the Great Lakes Regional championship, especially since the Wolverines lost top runner and senior Erin Finn from last season’s squad.

All in all, the youth of both the men’s and women’s teams generates both uncertainty and excitement for their potential and ceiling. Whether the underclassmen will actually end up being the tipping point for both team’s to eclipse their expectations will remain to be seen, but at least one thing is certain: the future of both teams appears bright.

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.

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Volleyball Continued from page 12

Woodard. The Irish won in straight sets, 25-21, 25-19 and 2517. Junior libero Ryann DeJarld finished the contest with 22 digs and 6 assists. Woodard recorded 8 kills, 11 digs and 2 assists.

In the third and final game of the tournament, the Irish swept secondary host Toledo (2-4), winning the games 25-19, 25-19 and 25-17. Yeadon finished the match with a near double-double with 10 kills and 9 digs. Holt had another solid performance, leading the team with 30 assists.

Rebecca Nunge was named the BGSU/Toledo Invitational MVP for her performance over the weekend, as the junior outside hitter posted 29 kills on 63 attempts while only making two errors for a hitting percentage of .429 throughout

11

the invitational, while also recording nine blocks. Yeadon and senior defensive specialist Natalie Johnson also earned AllTournament team honors for the Irish.

Nunge was named ACC CoPlayer of the Week on Monday, her first career conference honor. Nunge shares the honor with Miami senior setter Haley Templeton, who tallied 128 assists over her squad’s three matches this weekend.

In addition to having the best start since the program began the 2005 season 7-0, with their 6-0 record, the Irish remain tied for first overall in the ACC standings with Miami.

The Irish hope to stay perfect when they travel to Conway, South Carolina, for the Coastal Carolina Classic, where they will compete against Costal Carolina, Florida International and No. 24 Ohio State.

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Irish sophomore outside hitter Jemma Yeadon attacks the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-1 win over Valparaiso on Aug. 25.

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The observer | tuesday, september 5, 2017 | ndsmcobserver.com

Nd volleyball | nd 3, vcu 1; nd 3, bgsu 0; nd 3, toledo 0

Irish maintain perfect season after road trip McLaughlin made the right decision to move to ND

Notre Dame sweeps BGSU/Toledo Invitational Observer Sports Staff

Notre Dame remained unbeaten after sweeping the competition at the BGSU/Toledo Invitational.

In a doubleheader Friday night, the Irish (6-0) started the tournament off strong with a 3-1 victory over Virginia Commonwealth University, winning the first two sets 25-12, 23-25, before dropping the third 25-14. The Irish rallied in the fourth set to take the game, 25-22, handing them the match over the Rams (3-2). Both senior outside hitter Sydney Kuhn and sophomore outside hitter Jemma Yeadon recorded double-doubles in the match. Kuhn finished with 17 kills and 13 digs, while Yeadon finished with 12 kills and 14 digs. Senior setter Caroline Holt finished with 43 assists to go along with 6 digs.

To conclude the doubleheader, the Irish swept host Bowling Green (1-3) with a lineup that largely featured underclassmen, included setter Monroe Olsen and outside hitter Hannah Thompson, both freshmen, and sophomore outside hitter Lauren see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 11

Mia Berry Sports Writer

CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer

Jim McLaughlin’s risk to coach Notre Dame is finally paying off.

Coming off arguably his best season professionally in 2014 — a 31-3 record with Washington capped off by a Round of 16 appearance in the NCA A tournament — expectations were very high for McLaughlin.

After all, the Irish head coach is the only coach to win a national volleyball title with both men’s and women’s teams, winning one on the men’s side of the sport with USC in 1990 and the other with Washington’s women in 2005.

When McLaughlin made the move back to Notre Dame in 2015 — he had spent one season as assistant coach for the Irish in 1996 — it seemed as if the program had found a coach that could resurrect a

Junior outside hitter Rebecca Nunge goes in for the attack during Notre Dame’s 3-1 win over Valparaiso on Aug. 25 at Compton Family Ice Arena. Nunge was named Co-ACC Player of the Week.

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nd cross country

Notre Dame’s fresh faces start season strong Men begin season with a win, women place second

Youth will help Irish achieve new heights in coming season

Observer Sports Staff

Joe Everett

Notre Dame kicked off its regular season at the Crusader Open in Valparaiso, Indiana, on Friday. While both the men’s and women’s teams held back most of their top-ranked runners, they still found success, as the men’s team finished first overall in its competition, while the women’s team finished second overall.

Held at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, the Crusader Open included Purdue University, Valparaiso University, Indiana University Fort Wayne and, for the women’s side of the competition, Western Michigan University. The No. 8-ranked women’s team competed in a 5K race, while the men’s team competed in a 6K. On the men’s side, freshman Yared Nuguse finished in first place and won the meet with a time of 18:09.3 in the 6K. The

ANNA MASON | The Observer

In many sports, but perhaps most of all in running, youth is highly coveted.

The excitement, energy and potential that new runners bring can give a team a huge boost, and Notre Dame is hoping for a similar effect this season. While both the men’s and women’s teams are expected to maintain or exceed last season’s results, it could very well be the underclassmen that propel them to new heights.

First and foremost, this year the youth movement can be most clearly observed on the men’s side. The Irish had eight freshmen make their Notre Dame debuts at Friday’s Crusader Open in Valparaiso, Indiana, and quite a few turned in impressive performances. Yared Nuguse earned first place and won the meet with a time 18:09.03. Vincent Zona

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Irish sophomore Tyler Keslin competes in the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational on Sept. 30 at Burke Golf Course. Keslin finished with a time of 25:35.8 in the race.

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Sports Writer