Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, March 23, 2018

The independent

To uncover

newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame and

and report

Saint Mary’s

it accurately

Volume 52, Issue 101 | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Lecture explores interpretations of God Professor delivers speech on the duality of God in annual Joyce McMahon Hank Aquinas Lecture

By COLLEEN FISCHER News Writer

Thursday evening, Dr. Eleonore Stump of Saint Louis University gave the annual Joyce McMahon Hank Aquinas Lecture. Her speech, “The God of the Bible and the God of the Philosophers,” aimed to reconcile the duality seen in the writings of Thomas Aquinas.

Stump said that she feels the God of philosophers tends to reflect a view of classical theism, while the God seen in the Hebrew Bible is more human. As an example of this humanistic interpretation of God, she said to turn to the mercy present in the the story of Jonah. “[The Hebrew Bible is] so present to human beings that they know God and they can relate to God in highly personal ways,” Stump said. “You might say that the God

portrayed in the Hebrew Bible is very human.”

In contrast, Stump said she sees the God of philosophers to be “simple, immutable and eternal,” Stump said these qualities directly contradict the qualities of the God seen in the Hebrew Bible.

“The claim that God is immutable has seemed to many philosophers and theologians that God cannot be responsive to human beings ... and an immutable God cannot be affected by prayer,” Stump said.

Stump’s exploration of “an immutable God,” continued when she said that he must exist outside the boundaries of time, rather than within them.

“An eternal God does not exist see IDENTITY PAGE 3

KATELYN VALLEY | The Observer

Dr. Eleonore Stump discusses the nature of God in a lecture Thursday night in Moreau Center for the Arts.

The presentation contrasted how God is percieved in classical theism and in the Hebrew Bible.

Conference celebrates Blessed archbishop

By LUCY LYNCH News Writer

This weekend marks the annual Romero Days conference at Notre Dame, honoring the legacy of the Blessed Archbishop Oscar Romero. On March 7, Pope Francis formally authorized the beginning of the canonization process

for Romero, as well as Pope Paul VI. The Romero Days conference was started by Fr. Robert R. Pelton of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies after his time living in Chile during years of crisis and seeing the inappropriate governmental role the U.S. played in Latin American countries like

Romero’s home country of El Salvador, he said.

This led to Pelton’s preparation of a documentary of Romero’s life and assassination, that he said has been shown all around the world.

“I think that has been a fairly effective form of communication see ROMERO PAGE 4

Annual charity run aims to empower veterans

By CIARA HOPKINSON News Writer

Four years ago, then-incoming freshman Lauren McKee sent an email to the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF), a charity dedicated to serving veterans, active military and first responders, explaining that she was a freshman at Notre Dame and hoping to be added to a volunteer list. Two hours later, she got a call from the foundation’s director of outreach,

NEWS PAGE 2

Billy Wagasy. “[Wagasy] was a former Navy SEAL before he became the director of outreach at the Gary Sinise Foundation, but he also played football here under Lou Holtz for four years, so because of that Notre Dame connection it got passed to his desk,” McKee said.

“While we were talking, we kind of came up with this idea for a charity run that would benefit the Gary Sinise Foundation.”

A few weeks later, McKee said

Scene PAGE 5

Students perform in South Bend musical

she happened to meet a member of the Notre Dame Air Force ROTC, and she mentioned the idea to him, asking whether ROTC would want to get involved. The student said yes, and then began to work with both McKee and other members of the ROTC service groups to plan the first annual Run Forrest Run 5/10k race on Notre Dame’s campus, she said. see RUN PAGE 4

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

Photo courtesy of Paul Mow

The cast of “In the Heights” poses with characters’ flags. The show examines the themes of community and cultural diversity.

By MICAELA POWERS and GINA TWARDOSZ News Writers

The South Bend Civic Theatre’s (SBCT) production of “In the Heights,” which runs through March 25, features two students from the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s community: Notre Dame sophomore Jay Rivera-Herrans, and Saint Mary’s sophomore Rachel Thomas.

hockey PAGE 12

“In the Heights” is the story of four lead characters, Usnavi, Vanessa, Benny and Nina, who all live and work in Washington Heights — a racially-diverse neighborhood in New York City, Thomas said.

As someone from Puerto Rico and a fan of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rivera-Herrans said he knew he had to audition for South Bend Civic see HEIGHTS PAGE 4

ND W basketball PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

What’s the last movie you saw in theaters?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Evan Holguin

Alex Bonino

senior Duncan Hall

junior Zahm House

“‘The Greatest Showman.’”

“‘Lady Bird.’”

Madi Purrenhage

Stephanie McClintock

senior Flaherty Hall

junior Pasquerilla East Hall

“‘Beauty and the Beast.’”

“‘The Big Sick.’”

(574) 631-4542 cbecker3@nd.edu

Alex Hadley

Annie Nagel

Managing Editor

senior Morissey Manor

junior Farley Hall

“‘Darkest Hour.’”

“New ‘Star Wars.’”

Editor-in-Chief Courtney Becker Managing Editor Tobias Hoonhout

Asst. Managing Editor: Elizabeth Greason Asst. Managing Editor: Lucas Masin-Moyer Asst. Managing Editor: Claire Radler

News Editor: Natalie Weber Viewpoint Editor: Mary Freeman Sports Editor: Ben Padanilam Scene Editor: Nora McGreevy Saint Mary’s Editor: Jordan Cockrum Photo Editor: Ann Curtis Graphics Editor: Dominique DeMoe Advertising Manager: Molly McCarthy Advertising Manager: Alexandra Pucillo Ad Design Manager: Madison Riehle

Office Manager & General Info

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

(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com Editor-in-Chief

(574) 631-4542 thoonhou@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors

(574) 631-4541 egreason@nd.edu, lmasinmo@nd.edu, cradler@nd.edu Business Office

(574) 631-5313 News Desk

(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk

(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com Sports Desk

(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk

(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s Desk

jcockrum01@saintmarys.edu

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Oscar Romero Memorial Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 5:15 p.m.

All are welcome.

“Torture and Eucharist: Thoughts Then and Now” Hesburgh Center 3 p.m.

All are welcome.

Michiana VegFest Corbett Family Hall 11 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Enjoy healthy, ethical and substainable living.

Social Concerns Seminars McNeill Library 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Information for student leaders.

“Prospects for Peace, the Poor and the Planet” McKenna Hall Auditorium 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Concert: Notre Dame Glee Club Leighton Concert Hall 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The group will perform a variety of music.

Run Forrest Run 5/10 K campus-wide 9:30 a.m. - noon Supports the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Katinka Klenijn/Bill MacKay Duo, cello and guitar O’Neill Hall of Music 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Indie and folk music.

Workshop: “Writing a Strong Grant Proposal” 110 Brownson Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Introduction to grants.

Information Session: Social Concerns Seminars Leadership 2018-19 McNeill Library 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Photo Desk

(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators

(574) 631-8839 Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac and Saint Mary’s College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

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.

Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged.

Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Courtney Becker.

Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.

A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester.

The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077 The Observer is a member of the Associated Press.

All reproduction rights are reserved.

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Jordan Cockrum Mary Steurer Andrew Cameron

Marek Mazurek Ben Padanilam

Graphics

Scene

Diane Park

Brian Boylen

Photo

Viewpoint

Zachary Yim

Mary Freeman

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.

SMC hosts prospective students

By ERIN GRIMES News Writer

Saint Mary’s will be hosting its annual Meet Me at the Avenue event for students admitted to the Class of 2022 students Sunday.

Campus visit coordinator Bekah Stanton said in an email that the event aims to experience Saint Mary’s as a potential student.

“It’s intended to give accepted students an opportunity to meet other members of their class, learn more about the College and discover if Saint Mary’s is the place they’re going to call home,” she said.

Stanton said they are expecting about 250 students, and 650 guests including family members.

The event opens with several talks, for both students and parents together and separate, Stanton said.

“The day will begin with remarks by various individuals, including Saint Mary’s College President, Jan Cervelli,” Stanton said. “Following that, the students will branch off to a segment in the residence halls while the parents will remain in the auditorium and hear from current students and their parents on a panel. The entire group will also have the opportunity to hear from a recent alumna about her experience at Saint Mary’s.”

Attendees will then have the opportunity to explore campus, she said.

“Prospective students and their families will then experience lunch in the dining hall, participate in campus tours and take part in an open house,” Stanton said.

“Faculty from each department and club leaders are some of the individuals who will be present during this time. Following this, we offer students and their families the option to go to Mass in the Church of Loretto.”

There will also be new events added to the schedule, including showcasing the renovated Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex, she said.

“The open house location has changed to the new Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex this year,” Stanton said. “This will allow us to showcase our amazing new space. Because Angela [Athletic & Wellness Complex] is also being dedicated this weekend, we’ve invited students to participate in various activities within the dedication celebration, including workout classes and panel discussions.”

She also said admissions is introducing a session for Spanish-speaking families, aimed to help ease their transition into college.

“New this year, we will also be hosting a College 101 for ‘Spanish Speaking Families,’” Stanton said. “This will involve

a question and answer session with representatives from the office of admission, financial aid and multicultural services, all of whom speak Spanish fluently. It will also include a current parent and current students who will provide examples of what helped them through their first-year transition.”

Stanton said Meet Me at the Avenue allows prospective students to get any lastminute questions they may have answered.

“Whether their questions pertain to a specific major, about college requirements, or about life on campus, there will be individuals present to answer all,” she said.

Stanton said she believes this event is an important opportunity for prospective students to visit the campus.

“This is a great way for students to get on campus, meet their potential classmates and discover if they picture themselves at Saint Mary’s,” she said. “We also have a beautiful campus, and I think it’s important for students to visit and see this beauty firsthand. Prospective students are also able to interact with many of our current students during the event, giving them a good indication of the types of great women we have here.”

Contact Erin Grimes at egrimes01@saintmarys.edu

Paid Paid Advertisement Advertisement

4

NEWS

The observer | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Aquinas Continued from page 1

within time but outside of it,” she said. “An eternal, immutable God cannot do anything after something happens in time. But, such a God can certainly act because something that happens in time.”

Stump said she sees the classical view of God being eternal as “something that is outside of time and cannot interact with something inside of time.”

“An eternal God cannot engage personally with someone like God is with Jonah in that story,” she said.

Stump said she feels Aquinas would respond to the idea of an eternal God by acknowledging that God exists outside of time, but does also interact with people in the present.

“Eternity is a mode of existence characterized by the absence of succession and by limitless duration,” Stump said. “God’s life

Run Continued from page 1

“From there this crazy idea took off, and it’s been four years where it’s just kind of grown exponentially. We now have a virtual race, and we have people who have run across the country, and this year we actually have people running internationally,” McKee said. “It’s just absolutely incredible to see the support that we’ve had.”

Gary Sinise, who played Lt. Dan in the beloved movie “Forrest Gump,” created the charity in 2011 after years of supporting veterans and active military through his Lt. Dan Band at military bases and benefit concerts. While the charity provides support in many different ways to servicemen and women and their families, its main program is called R.I.S.E., or Restoring Independence, Supporting Empowerment, which provides specially built homes, modified vehicles and mobility devices for wounded veterans.

“A lot of times when veterans come back who are severely injured, it’s not just a case of having limited mobility outside their homes. There’s also a lot of things that go into limiting their independence in their homes,” McKee said.

“They’re unable to reach things in the house, the bathrooms are usually too small, there’s just a lot of things that go into making their

consists in the duration for a present that is not limited by either future or past.”

Stump said many argue God’s simplicity in the traditional viewpoint is not compatible with the more human-like interpretations of God. “No human being can know a simple God,” she said. “God is being itself and not a being.”

However, Stump also said she believes responsiveness and simplicity do not exist completely separate of each other.

“God has free will and creates the world freely, but God does what God does,” Stump said. “It is also the case that God’s simplicity does not by itself rule out God’s responsiveness.”

Stump said she wrestles with two questions that address the duality of these Gods.

“How is it possible that these [Aquinas and Augustine] and other great thinkers could believe in the God of the Hebrew Bible? And, is it

at all possible that the God of classical theism can be the same as the Hebrew Bible,” she said.

Stump also said the God of the Hebrew Bible is almost unrecognizable in classical theism.

“The God of the Bible looks nothing like the God of classical theism,” Stump said. “How could the God that was so present and attentive to Jonah be the same simple, immutable and eternal God of classical theism?”

Stump then said that Aquinas believed the personable God seen in the Hebrew Bible is not in opposition to the God of classical theism, but rather the two interpretations of God are one in the same.

“Thomas [Aquinas] accepts both the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the ideas of classical theism,” Stump said. “He believes that simplicity, immutability and eternity are not inconsistent with the Holy Spirit.”

lives a lot more difficult. So the R.I.S.E. program works to support empowerment and make sure they can be independent.”

By the end of this year, GSF will have built 65 adapted smart homes for wounded veterans.

During its first year, McKee said the race raised money to build one such home for Sgt. Michael Frazier, a marine who lost both legs and much of the use of his right arm while deployed in Afghanistan in 2011. His wife, McKee said, credited the home with his ability to fully participate in his life.

“It’s allowed him to be a better father and a better husband … because the house is specially adapted so that he can access it, so that it’s specifically designed for his needs,” McKee said.

The Notre Dame ROTC service groups have played a large role in planning the race each year, with at least one representative from each branch on the planning committee and many more students volunteering and participating.

“The ROTC kids were fully in, and this wouldn’t have been possible without them,” McKee said. “Every single person who has worked on the race committee or even just volunteering and spreading the word about it — every single one of them has made sure that this has been possible.”

To date, the Run Forrest Run race has raised over $35,000 to benefit GSF in the past three years,

and McKee said she predicts that this year’s total may exceed $20,000, far surpassing her original expectations.

McKee said over 450 runners will be on campus, with another 70 running nationally and internationally. She said she points to Notre Dame’s guiding statement, “God, Country, Notre Dame,” as the reason the race has been so successful.

“I think immediately there was that easy pairing between the mission of the Gary Sinise Foundation, and the incredible willingness to serve that the people of Notre Dame have,” McKee said.

This year, McKee said, the race is excited to honor U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Chad Watson, a GSF smart home recipient and 2016 MBA graduate of Notre Dame.

While she is sad this is her last time on the race committee, McKee said she is confident in the abilities of next year’s committee.

“Every year I’m blown away by the people I get to meet and all the stories I get to hear,” McKee said.

“None of it would have happened without any of the people who were there. I just really lucked out that I got to meet so many incredible people who were so supportive and so willing to throw everything into this crazy idea.”

Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Ciara Hopkinson at chopkin1@nd.edu

Heights Continued from page 1

Theatre’s production of “In the Heights.” Four months later, he has taken on the role of Usnavi, a character Miranda wrote and originated on Broadway. “[The character] feels like a glove on me. He’s an energetic guy, he’s Hispanic,” RiveraHerrans said. “Half the time people are like, ‘Are you even acting?’”

Thomas plays Vanessa, one of the female leads who wants to leave Washington Heights more than anything.

Thomas said the hardest part about portraying Vanessa is embodying Vanessa’s experiences and their complexities.

“She’s a difficult character to play because she goes through things that I have not yet experienced,” she said. “Vanessa’s father is not in the picture and her mother drinks away Vanessa’s money. So what I had to do was look inside myself and think, ‘What were the moments where I felt like I’ve worked hard for something and deserved something and I don’t get that something?’

Vanessa wants to leave — I’ve related that to my desire to leave Indiana and go to New York.”

Notre Dame sophomores Natalie Behling and Kassadee Ifft became involved through a Spanish class.

“The show is of professional quality, and it has been incredible seeing it take shape from audition day to now,” Behling said.

Behling photographed the production process and Ifft worked as an usher for one of the performances.

“It was ‘excelente,’” Ifft said. “It was partly in Spanish, partly in English, so it was a way to unite so many different populations of people. … This was my first South Bend Civic show and I quickly emailed my professor and was like, ‘Hey, do they have any other positions open? Because I want to go again.’”

SBCT executive director Aaron Nichols said past productions of the show in Chicago and Australia were

heavily criticized and even shut down due to “whitewashing,” and this was not a mistake he wanted to repeat.

The theatre began building bridges in South Bend’s Latin American community before they even officially decided to put on “In The Heights,” he said. “[We were] going into communities instead of [having] the kind of ‘Field of Dreams’ mentality. You know, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ You can’t expect that to work,” Nichols said.

Thomas said the show is very timely and offers its support to those still affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

“This show is coming at a perfect time with what we see happening in Puerto Rico,” she said. “In 2008 — which is when this show is set — in Washington Heights there was a power outage that went on for a day or longer. … These people were out of power for a long time. If you think about Puerto Rico right now, they’ve been out of power for months and this show is coming at a perfect time where we can reflect on that and what it’s like to come together as a community to support people.”

The cast’s diversity and connections to the story is what makes this production of “In the Heights” so unique, Thomas said.

“I love the show because I love being immersed in the cultural aspect,” she said.

“Everyone in the production has ties to it and can relate to the story and the characters because it is them.”

Contact Micaela Powers at mpowers4 @nd.edu and Gina Twardosz at gtwardosz01@saintmarys.edu Paid Advertisement

Paid Advertisement

Romero Continued from page 1

of the reality of Romero’s assassination,” Pelton said. “I hope that it did contribute to a greater awareness across at least this country of the extraordinary role that Romero played in the midst of circumstances that would really overcome most of us.”

In addition to honoring Romero and the work he did helping the poor and El Salvadorian victims of violence, the conference also features several seminars on other topics such as “The Roots of Pope Francis’

Social and Political Thought” and “Torture and Eucharist: Thoughts Then and Now.” This year, however, is special because of Pope Francis’s recognition of the miracle allowing Romero to be canonized as a saint, associate professor of theology Peter Casarella said.

“It’s Blessed Oscar Romero and soon-to-be saint, and that’s very exciting,” Casarella said. “We can now continue what we have been doing for the last 31 years, but knowing that the Church has caught up with the people of God.” Carlos Colorado, who runs an Oscar Romero canonization blog,

is visiting Notre Dame for the conference. Colorado said honoring Romero’s martyrdom is significant because it reminds people what it means to be a saint.

“Often times we have a notion that sainthood is kind of like a cap that closes a deal on a person — now they’re a statue on the wall and they’re gone,” Colorado said.

“That’s the wrong idea. A saint is supposed to help you understand and react to realities, and in that sense Romero continues to be extremely important.”

Contact Lucy Lynch at llynch1@nd.edu

The observer | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

5

DIANE PARK | The Observer

6

The observer | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Cultivating A home, a history, a family contemplativeness Natalie Weber News Editor

This spring break, instead of going to Florida, California or somewhere considerably warmer than northern Indiana, I traveled to a place even colder: Canada. Throughout the week, I toured the country with the Women’s Liturgical Choir, with stops in Toronto, Montreal and Niagara Falls (as well as a night spent in Ypsilanti, Michigan along the way).

While I enjoyed each of the places we visited, my favorite spot was a small, cloistered Benedictine monastery near Montreal. The abbey was quiet and serene, surrounded by a landscape covered in snow. Upon arrival, we were shepherded into a chapel, where we sang at a French Mass, and afterward, the monks surprised us with lunch in their cafeteria.

During a tour of the monastery, the abbot described life in the community, explaining that each monk spends his days divided between his studies and manual labor. In the mornings, he engages in some form of intellectual work, followed by physical activity in the afternoons. Over the course of the day, the brothers also gather for prayer several times, including a daily Mass. They live quiet lives, with signs posted throughout the building requesting silence.

I left the monastery impressed by this silence. Beyond their daily schedules, the lives of the monks seemed to be structured around a certain reflectiveness. This prayerful quietude is something I hope to cultivate in my own life. Amidst a constant stream of assignments and extracurriculars, I often find it difficult to pray, sit in silence or even simply reflect on my daily life. Trying to keep track of and complete my day-to-day responsibilities, I often feel that both my time and my thoughts are constantly consumed. While I cannot not imagine myself living in the extreme silence of the abbey, I hope to build more time for prayer and reflection into my schedule, even if it is simply in the moments spent walking to class or just before I go to bed.

In the same spirit of the monastery, I also hope to become more mindful of the present moment. The structure of the religious community forces each monk to move from one task to another at the specified times, even if he has not completed the task at hand.

While I am often forced to stop in the middle of homework or other tasks and move on to different activities, I find it difficult to mentally “move on” from one task to another. During class, I frequently become distracted, thinking of all of the things I need to accomplish by the end of the day. As I return to campus and complete the semester, I hope to integrate this attentiveness into my life and immerse myself more fully in the present moment.

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

My first interaction with ND Listens comes not from my time on campus or a flyer in the Dining Hall, but from my dad’s phone ringing around dinner time when I was young. Sometimes he would brush off the student on the line or quickly rattle off his credit card number, but with others he would sit on the phone and talk to the student. When I arrived on campus and heard of an open position at the Phone Center, I thought of those nights with my dad on the phone. How he felt connected back to campus while listening to the students tell their stories. How he imparted that love of Notre Dame in me.

Last January, I got a job at the University’s Development Phone Center, and suddenly I was that student I remember my dad conversing with years ago. It was somewhat easy work — lots of voicemails and hangups. Sometimes an alumnus was happy to hear from me and would make cheerful conversation before knowingly offering his credit card number. Others would enthusiastically vent about their chosen flaws of the University, ranging from Crossroads to losing football, Vice President Pence speaking at Commencement to President Obama doing the same close to 10 years before. But mainly, I attempted Sudokus while mindlessly chatting with those around me.

In August, things quickly changed when my coworkers and I arrived on campus and our boss told us, “OK, you’re no longer asking for money.” We thought, “Uh … that’s all we do.” Instead, she told us that we were to call members of the Notre Dame family and simply talk with them — no ask, no motive. We weren’t sure exactly what this would look like, and at the time, neither did she. “We’re the only University in the country approaching a call center in this way.

Let’s see how it goes.” Ever since, we have been creating ND Listens as an outreach platform committed to listening to, learning about and loving the ND family.

When I clock into work, I no longer take down credit card numbers or work on Sudokus. Today, I call parents, alumni and friends of the University to say happy birthday or thank you or simply “tell me your Notre Dame story.” These conversations

would be difficult in person but are so much harder without the aid of body language and facial expression. I have in turn become a better storyteller and a more careful listener. When professors or interviewers comment on my ability to speak eloquently on my feet, I credit my time at ND Listens for the practice.

I consider ND Listens a start-up of sorts, and have loved the opportunity to mold my own job — a rare chance I might never have again. I love how my input has been heard and applied, how I am consulted in shaping the foundation of the platform as a whole, how I am encouraged to propose ideas and improvements. The responsibility and freedom we have been given has allowed all of us to rise to the challenge. Like my boss said, we are the only University in the country approaching a call center in this way, and being part of that transition has been one of the most rewarding parts of my college career.

I have had so many incredible conversations at ND Listens — from an alum telling me about a car crash, a World War and a Bengal Bouts fight, to another who spoke of drunken wanderings in Ireland and an Austrian street brawl over spilled beer. I’ve spoken with a court justice who was one of the first women at Notre Dame and a gregarious man from Texas who laughed loudly, saying, “I was what you might consider an academic fifth-year senior.” My perception of Notre Dame — as a home, as a history, as a family — has been colored and formed by these stories. When I’m stressed about schoolwork, internships or friendships, coming to work is the best reality check. The people I speak with remind me to look at the bigger picture, to appreciate what I have and to see past the current stresses and moments. For all these reasons, ND Listens has been an integral part of my student experience.

If you are interested in being a part of our story, you can join the ND Listens team by checking out the online Student Job Board, ND Listens Student Ambassador.

Join the conversation.

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

Mary Kate O’Leary sophomore March 21

The observer | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

March and vote for our lives Gary Caruso Capitol Comments

Tomorrow an anticipated half-million “March for Our Lives” and “Never Again” activists will crowd the streets of our nation’s capital in a call for safe school standards and sensible gun control legislation — in direct opposition to the politically powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), which boasts a backing of 5 million members. The marchers’ anger against the NRA’s stranglehold on our political leaders is their initial step in what can be the first salvo against the NRA’s staunch stand and cutesy rhetorical analysis against a scintilla of change through any gun legislation. It may be a personal call for safety within our society, but it must also be a nationwide movement for reasonable action by our governmental officials.

The efforts begun by high school student organizers to change the political landscape is a story of rallying the “Vote for Our Lives” force to defeat the NRA at the ballot box. Difficult as it may seem now, the demonstrators this weekend can ultimately defeat those politicians (mostly Republicans who as a party universally support the NRA lock, stock and barrel) who stifle gun control changes. Ultimately, they can also thwart the reelection of President Trump in 2020.

This effort is one supported by facts the NRA could never counter in places like Australia. This is not the story of a good guy with a gun stopping a bad guy with a gun, because usually the bad guy has already shot good guys or killed himself before the gun-toting good guy arrives. Studies have shown that controls on guns directly influence a decline in deaths.

In 1996 after the Port Arthur Massacre, Australia instituted a gun buyback program while banning certain semi-automatic, self-loading rifles and shotguns. They imposed stricter licensing and registration requirements after a 28-year-old man, armed

with a semi-automatic rifle, killed 35 people and injured 18 others. A 2014 study averaged the seven years prior to the law (1989-1995), with seven years after the buyback was fully implemented (19982004). Homicide rates by firearms decreased by 57 percent. The average annual firearm suicide death rate fell from 2.6 to 1.1 per 100,000. No gun massacres of four or more victims occurred during the 14 years after the law as opposed to 13 massacres resulting in 100 deaths that occurred during the 18 years before the law. Overall, the drop in firearm deaths was largest among the type of firearm regulated.

This movement is the story of citizens demanding reasonable protections against mass murder caused by assault rifles, extended magazine cartridges and modifications that are designed only to achieve a quick destruction of a target. This is not the story of prohibiting the average citizen from protecting a home from an oppressive government that may one day sweep door-to-door to confiscate firearms and violate our constitutional rights. Furthermore, this campaign is a story of changing the political agenda nationwide by changing the party control of governments on all levels. This is not the story of a singleissue effort to only support gun-control candidates.

In a pro-gun district, for example, electing an NRAsupported Democrat is an assurance that we are closer to considering reasonable regulations rather than a continuing a GOP agenda of doing nothing.

Politics is not a pure, zero-sum game of absolute either/or issues. One merely needs to note that whenever the GOP controls a legislature either on the state or national level, gun regulations of any type are almost never considered in committee, let alone presented for a legislative body vote. The Florida state legislature is the rare example of shockinduced legislative movement only as a reaction to the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

This new surgical political assault upon the NRA is a story of winning the ballot box vote battle by

winning the debate. This is not the story of 5 million invincible NRA members strangling our political system. Many card-carrying NRA members disagree with their organization’s leadership strategy that opposes any change to any gun regulation proposal, especially reasonable limits on magazine cartridges and uber-powerful assault weapons. In the spirit of self-disclosure, this writer is a gun owner who has been presented with NRA certificates. It is laughable to me how well the NRA has scared others into thinking that any regulation is the first step to tyranny and confiscation of all firearms in violation of the Second Amendment.

“Never Again” allies can potentially develop sufficient voter turnout to overtake the NRA’s moneysaturated grip on the political process. According to the 2017 American Census statistics by age group, those aged 15 years (eligible to vote in the presidential election of 2020) to 19 years old totaled 21 million, averaging 4,120,000 per age group. Widely energized, surgically and strategic-thinking “March for Our Lives” voters, regardless of how universally dispersed nationwide, may guarantee a Trump defeat against a credible opponent.

The mathematical formulations to win congressional and state legislative seats is a more complicated equation, but not impossible to change the political agenda on many legislative levels. Should “March for Our Lives” advocates vote for their lives in each of the next four election cycles, they will have accomplished their 1,000-mile journey with tomorrow’s single step.

Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame ’73, serves in the Department of Homeland Security and was a legislative and public affairs director at the U.S. House of Representatives and in President Clinton’s administration. His column appears every other Friday.

Contact him on Twitter: @GaryJCaruso or email: GaryJCaruso@alumni.nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

A Chinese student at a Taiwanese student club Yizhi Hu Cultural Kaleidoscope

People inevitably respond in one of two ways after learning that I am in the Taiwanese Student Association (TSA): either a short and simple “what,” “why” or “how” in a rising tone, or a shorter and simpler “oh” or “cool,” and dead silence ensues.

Without exception, those who respond in the former manner are my friends with decent knowledge about the entangled dynamics between mainland China and Taiwan. Intrigued and bewildered, they dig deep to find out why a Chinese girl would join a Taiwanese student club.

While most mainland Chinese people believe that Taiwan is part of China, an increasing number of Taiwanese people have leaned toward independence in recent years. Bearing this understanding in mind, my freshman self did not even consider joining TSA — I reasoned that this club would not welcome a mainland Chinese student and felt uncomfortable about its existence as separate from a Chinese student club.

What changed my mind was my two-month stay in Taipei for a research project. As I actively made Taiwanese friends and listened to their perspectives, I learned to appreciate their oftentimes different viewpoints and discovered some fascinating variations in our shared culture. My previous ignorance of Taiwan

was supplanted by an emotional bond that made my decision to become part of TSA unsurprising.

But it was after I joined TSA that I realized how much mainland Chinese students could benefit from this club and contribute to it.

For me personally, I have learned from the club’s commitment to inclusion and have worked to facilitate further collaboration. At TSA, I never felt that my Chinese identity posed any barrier between other members and me. Our club also focuses on hosting events that promote culture shared in the Greater China Region — the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lunar New Year, just to name a few. Being in such an inclusive environment, I learned to appreciate different cultures even more and help with collaboration with other institutions and cultural clubs on campus to foster greater inclusiveness.

At the same time, mainland Chinese students can contribute to TSA in a unique way. I vividly recall a club design idea that could be politically controversial from a mainland Chinese perspective. Based on an aesthetic consideration, one of the club officers suggested to incorporate the flag of Republic of China (Taiwan) — a red flag with navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays — into our new club logo. As the only Chinese person on the officer board, I pointed out that this particular flag was considered insensitive by many Chinese people as it conveyed support for Taiwan’s independence. We

soon collectively decided to use images of black bears, bubble tea and other more cultural elements for the new logo. Since many TSA members possess more knowledge about Taiwan, mainland Chinese students can offer a different and valuable perspective to TSA. Yet, despite benefits that come with integrating mainland Chinese students into TSA, my friends’ surprise at my presence at TSA reveals an understandable yet sad assumption of the default non-engagement between Chinese and Taiwanese students. As Chinese and Taiwanese students share the same campus space, it is unhealthy for us to separate from each other. Understanding only comes with interaction, and with understanding comes friendship and possible moderation in position on both sides.

This assumption, however, is merely one of the many that exist on our campus, as some of my fellow Notre Dame students still hold fixed ideas about whom to befriend. Yet, getting to know and working with people from different, and even what are perceived to be opposing, backgrounds is rewarding — at least I can testify from my experience with TSA. Yizhi Hu is a junior political science and Japanese double major. She hails from Wuhan, China and lives in Walsh Hall. Yizhi welcomes all comments and can be reached at yhu3@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

@ObserverViewpnt

8

DAILY

The observer | Friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Pick up the pace, zero in on what you want to do and move forward with finesse, goodwill and a positive attitude. Walk away from negativity and refuse to let anyone bring you down. It’s important to remain forward-thinking and engage in the latest technology and options available to you. Personal improvements will shape what’s yet to come. Your numbers are 4, 11, 22, 25, 34, 36, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Choose to follow your own path. If someone interferes, find a detour. It’s important to trust and believe in who you are and what you can do instead of following someone who is gathering minions to do his or her dirty work.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Work on presentation and honing your skills to ensure that when you step up to do your thing you’ll be equipped with what you need to influence those you are trying to persuade to see things your way.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotions will run high, and the need to be forthright about past dealings is now. Use your charm and swagger to convince others to see things your way, but do so honestly or your reputation will be jeopardized by what’s revealed.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Not everyone will feel the same way you do. Keep your personal information a secret and question anyone who appears to be too interested in your life. Protect against theft, being misinterpreted or misrepresented. Speak on your own behalf.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Emotions and money matters won’t mix well. Don’t try to buy your way into something or brag in order to get someone’s attention.

Being a straight shooter will encourage others to step up and help out.

Romance is on the rise.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your perception of a situation or a relationship will be skewed. Verify the information you receive and question how you came to conclusions. An honest assessment will help you avoid making a mistake that can cost you emotionally as well as financially.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A heart-to-heart discussion will bring out issues that you may not have been made aware of in the past. Use the information you receive to negotiate a solution that will be difficult to turn down. Peace and compromise will bring good results.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A money matter will not add up. Don’t leave your assets in someone else’s care. History repeats itself, so don’t give anyone the chance to fool you or take advantage of you more than once. Take care of your affairs personally.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do what you can to help others and it will help you ward off criticism and complaints. Someone you work with or for will offer information that will help you improve the way you do your job or pursue future interests.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Listen but don’t believe everything you hear.

Someone will play mind games with you in hopes of influencing you to see things his or her way. Be on guard and ready to respond with facts. Do your own thing.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ll begin to see things clearer as you explore new possibilities. Consider the changes you should make to help you incorporate a long-term plan into your current living arrangements. An opportunity to bring in extra cash is apparent.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll have to be careful when dealing with emotional matters. Someone’s charm must not be allowed to overrule what’s right and what isn’t. Search for what works best for you, and avoid getting involved in someone else’s problems.

Birthday Baby: You are aggressive, demonstrative and frank. You are persistent and impulsive.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Work Area

Make checks payable to and mail to: The Observer

P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556

Published Monday through Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Community.

Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the two campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, march 23, 2018 | The Observer

ND women’s tennis | nd 5, virginia tech 2; virginia 6, nd 1

Sports Authority

Analysts can’t get by on renown Daniel O’Boyle Sports Writer

Deion Sanders is undeniably one of the best football players there’s ever been.

He was feared by quarterbacks across the league for his big-play ability, helping two different teams to championships. The constant threat of him picking off any pass and turning it into a big play at the other end is what makes him the greatest defensive back in histor y.

W hat it does not make him is the best analyst.

That became clear Tuesday, when Sanders weighed in on the Texans’ signing of former Cardinals slot cornerback/safety hybrid Tyrann Mathieu.

Mathieu is a top defensive back with a versatility few can match, who played like a defensive player of the year candidate in 2015.

More than that, he’s a bigplay threat with a brash attitude and an iconic nickname, “the honey badger,” so it’s not hard to see why “Primetime” would like him so much. Calling Mathieu “the best safety in the league,” as Sanders did, is a reasonable enough opinion if you defend it in the right way and explain the value of his versatility.

But Sanders’ complete lack of the knowledge required to be an NFL analyst became clear when Tennessee Titans A ll-Pro safety Kevin Byard chimed in on Twitter, arguing that the two AP A llPro selections, himself and Harrison Smith, deser ve a mention.

Sanders’ reply made it clear he didn’t even know who Byard was, finishing with “You continue to be a fan and I will continue being the man.” Maybe Primetime was the man on the field, but if he mistakes one of the best defensive backs in the league today for a fan, he most certainly isn’t the man when it comes to player evaluation.

That speaks to a bigger problem in modern sports broadcasting. Too many former stars get by only on their playing careers and clearly don’t believe they need to do any other work.

That’s not to say former players can’t still make the best analysts: Tony Romo’s intelligence and play-recognition abilities became clear within the first game of his move to an announcing

9

position. Similarly, Kobe Br yant’s short films breaking down the Cavaliers and Warriors offenses during the 2017 NBA Finals show what a former great can do to help viewers understand more of what they see.

But for too many former players, the expertise they should surely have gained from an elite career is never seen by viewers. Instead, you get Sanders failing to recognize an elite player, Cris Collinsworth manufacturing controversy around a clear Eagles touchdown during the Super Bowl or TNT’s aw ful “players-only” NBA broadcasts filled with former stars criticizing the modern era. Former players need to understand that what they bring to the table is experience of the game, knowledge of plays and what it’s really like in a pro locker room.

Most of the onus here is on the networks hiring these players. Deion Sanders was an all-time great athlete, but did he ever seem like the kind of star who would bring a real expert opinion to the table? Players can make the most intelligent analysts, but this is not necessarily true of the best players.

There are plenty of former pros out there with incredible intelligence who never reached elite levels because of a lack of athleticism. If networks picked the smartest former pros instead of the most famous ones, we’d see much better coverage of sports. This same effect contributes to the lack of women broadcasting sports: If player-turned-analysts were selected based on their knowledge of the game instead of star-power, there would be much more equality among talking-heads.

Seeing what a former player can tell you about the current game should be one of the best aspects of sports T V. Instead, it’s often one of the worst. But if some former players can’t do the bare minimum and learn who the top names in their sport today are, then what use is their perspective?

Networks need to recognize which former stars provide real input and which ones just coast on the strength of their names.

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.

Notre Dame set for pair of ranked ACC matchups

By MEAGAN BENS Sports Writer

The Irish will face two top ACC programs on the road this weekend, No. 4 Duke on Friday and No. 14 Wake Forest on Sunday, after a loss to Virginia on March 18.

After beating Virginia Tech 5-2 on Friday, Notre Dame (10-4, 2-2 ACC) lost to Virginia 6-1 the next day. Irish head coach Jay Louderback said Virginia (9-4, 4-2 ACC) was a top ACC competitor who controlled the match from early on.

“We needed to for sure win one of the two [against Virginia Tech and Virginia],” Louderback said.

“We’d have liked to get two, but we played well. Our doubles … we’ve gotten a lot better as the year has gone on, and I feel a lot more confident in our doubles now. Virginia is a very good team and they showed it [Saturday]. They have big hitters all the way around, and with it being indoors they did a really good job of controlling the match.”

The first two double matches resulted in Virginia’s junior Meghan Kelly and sophomore Rosie Johanson getting a 6-2 win over seniors Brooke Broda and Allison Miller. Irish junior Rachel Chong and sophomore Bess Waldram took a 6-2 win over Cavaliers senior Teodora Radosavljevic and junior Erica Susi. The last doubles match resulted in a Cavaliers win as senior Cassie Mercer and sophomore Chloe Gullickson edged Notre Dame’s freshman Cameron Corse and sophomore Zoe Spence with a score of 6-4.

Jumping into singles, the Cavaliers’ Mercer clinched a 6-2, 6-1 win on court No. 2, Kelly won 6-1, 6-3 over Corse on court No. 3 and Radosavljevic won 6-3, 6-0 over Chong. Virginia continued to sweep when Johanson won at court No. 1, 7-5, 6-2, over Broda. The last two singles were more closely contested, with Cavaliers sophomore Hunter Bleser winning 11-9 in the

tiebreakers after splitting the first two sets, 6-2, 5-7. On court No. 4, Spence dropped the first set 4-6, came back 7-5 and won the tiebreaker 10-5 against Gullickson.

With a 10-4 overall record and 2-2 conference record, Notre Dame will hit the road against Duke on Friday at 4 p.m. at the Ambler Tennis Center before taking on Wake Forest at noon Sunday at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.

“Our big thing is we need a chance to get down there and get outdoors [for practice] Thursday,” Louderback said. “There’s a good chance we’ll be outside, which we’re hoping for. We played well in Florida [outdoors]. We just had three days outdoors and played very good matches.

Usually the first time outside we struggle, but it didn’t bother us at all. We’re looking forward to being down there and hoping we get to be outdoors.”

Contact Meagan Bens at mbens@nd.edu

Rowing | cardinal invitational

Irish find success on day two of Cardinal Invite Observer Sports Staff

After the winter offseason, Notre Dame took up the oars again and took home three wins out of six total races on the second day of the Cardinal Invitational at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

In 12 races Saturday, the Irish only took home a win in one, the third varsity four race.

In the first two races Sunday — the first and second varsity eight — Notre Dame was neck and neck with Minnesota and Louisville, but fell to the Golden Gophers and Cardinals in both events.

The third varsity eight,

however, saw the Irish break out and win the race against two Minnesota boats and one Miami crew. The winning Irish squad was comprised of freshmen Carrie Smith, Brenna Halligan, Analisa Pines, Mariah Parsons, Mary Grace Phelan, Mary Ryan and Alexandra Lee, sophomore Ellie Daum and junior Bridget Geyer. The Irish edged Minnesota’s secondplace squad by less than a second.

In addition to the third varsity eight victory, Notre Dame also took home wins in the second and third varsity four events.

The second varsity four

crew of sophomores Evelyn McManus and Audrey Regan, juniors Katie Wiedenhoft and Meredith Swartz and freshman Rosemary McGovern beat Louisville by four seconds, finishing with a time of 7:02.212.

The third varsity four squad of junior Lauren McKee, sophomores Madeline Coady, Caroline Hills and Allegra Sodi and freshman Colleen Visnic beat the only other entrant in the race — Tulsa — by over 20 seconds.

The next Irish meet will not be until March 31, when Notre Dame travels to the East Coast to take on Columbia and Princeton.

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.

For Rent Commencement Rental - Prime Location. 2 BR 1 BA next to Eddy Street Commons - walk to everything. Email nd-house@sbcglobal.net for photos and additional info.

Family coming for graduation?

Why put grandma in a dorm or hotel? We have the only guest house available on campus.

Clean as home. Sleeps seven.

Campus parking for three cars.

Walk everywhere. Available commencement weekend, August orientation, football weekends, special events. Don’t delay. Call 703-887-8601 for details and a tour.

Wanted Room available within walking distance of campus (Corby Blvd) Will consider room and board in exchange for help with house and child care Grad students welcome Text or call 772-559-3267 Wild dawg, that’s what’s up.

10

Sports

The observer | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hockey Continued from page 12

in the Huskies (22-16-5, 1211-5 WCHA). Coach Jackson has known Michigan Tech’s head coach Joe Shawhan for a while now, and said he knows Shawhan’s team is very skilled.

“He’s a really good coach. I was glad to see Joe get that job out there,” Jackson said. “He was on one of my first teams when I was an assistant coach at Lake Superior State — he was one of our goaltenders. … I’m glad to see he’s finally gotten his shot to be a head coach in college hockey, and he’s obviously shown his worth this past year at Michigan Tech. What he’s accomplished is a pretty special thing because I don’t think people were expecting a lot out of that team once Mel Pearson left. But I knew when they hired Joe, that wasn’t going to be the case. And he’s obviously proved that. They’ll be an older team, and I’m sure they’re going to be a tough team to play against. They always are.”

This season marks the 10th NCAA tournament appearance for the Irish, including last year’s effort in which the squad reached the Frozen Four, where their run was ended at the hands of eventual national champion Denver. Senior captain Jake Evans said the team has gotten

over last year’s heartbreak, but it still serves to motivate them in this year’s effort.

“I think we’ve sort of forgot about [last year], but it’s always in the back of our heads how we want another shot at that opportunity and to make it to that spot,” Evans said. “We’re doing a good job so far. We’re setting ourselves up nicely. But we’ve got to focus on one game at a time, and it’s going to be an absolute battle this Friday. So we’re ready for it. One day, one game at a time.”

In the end, Jackson is clear that he wants his squad to focus on the process, one game at a time, without dwelling on the results too much.

“We can’t focus on the result, we have to focus on the process,” Jackson said. “It’s going to be about having a good week of practice and then being prepared to play on Friday. That’s the only game that matters right now. You’re in one-and-done season right now, and we have to embrace that. We have to just focus on the one game that we have. We’ll worry about what happens after that, but right now it’s just about Friday.”

The puck will drop Friday at 3 p.m. in Bridgeport at Webster Bank Arena.

Contact Connor Mulvena at cmulvena@nd.edu

M Tennis Continued from page 12

weekend, we’re expecting a high level of competition from our opponents, but we will be ready to go.”

Sachire said his team is also looking forward to hosting three important matches on their home turf.

“I think we’re fired up,” Sachire said. “I think we’re excited to play and excited for the opportunities. We’ve done a great job this season. The match with Virginia on Sunday was not our best match, but outside of that we’ve played and competed very well. Particularly we love playing at home and we take a great deal of pride in how we perform in our facility, and so I know our guys are going to be excited and ready to play both matches this weekend.”

When asked about North Carolina, Sachire said there are not many secrets between his team and the Tar Heels.

“Sometimes you enter matches where you haven’t played against certain opponents and there is a little bit of a feeling-out process where you figure out kind of how the opponent plays and how you can counter what he wants to do,” Sachire said. “I think with the UNC guys, we played them Paid Advertisement

ANN CURTIS | The Observer

Irish junior Grayson Broadus prepares to hit a backhand during Notre Dame’s 7-0 win over Toledo on Feb. 25 at Eck Tennis Pavilion.

twice last year and already this year. I think for the most part we have a reasonable handle on how they play, and I’m sure they have a handle on how we play. It will honestly be about execution and which team can perform better on Friday. We know we’re going to need to play well to beat them, but we also know that we are capable of it. It will be an exciting day and an exciting opportunity for our guys, and we’re going to be ready to go.”

Sachire said he hopes his team will begin playing their best stretch of tennis starting this weekend.

“We want to make a push here this last month or so of the season and we want to be playing

our best stretch of tennis as we head down the stretch here,” Sachire said. “That’s honestly more important than getting a team win or anything like that.

I think if you put pressure on results, I don’t think it’s healthy.

We want to focus on how we are playing and competing, and if we do our best and continue to improve throughout the rest of the year, we’re going to be in a great condition to win a lot of matches.”

The Irish will start the weekend’s play off Friday with the Tar Heels, with the match set to start at 3:30 p.m. at Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Contact Michael Ivey at mivey@hcc-nd.edu

Sports

W Bball Continued from page 12

obstacles coming in the form of four season-ending ACL injuries, limiting Notre Dame to just seven scholarship athletes, with no scholarship guards on the bench.

During Notre Dame’s 99-81 first-round win over No. 16-seed CSUN, however, the squad’s depth was called into question even more when senior forward Kathryn Westbeld sprained her ankle three minutes into the game and did not return.

She did not start against No. 9-seed Villanova, but when the two teams headed into halftime tied at 45, the trainer was able to work on Westbeld enough during the half for her to play in the second half.

“She wanted to play from the start of the Villanova game, the trainer really was holding her out,” McGraw said. “It was definitely the trainer’s decision not to play her, not ours. We would’ve played her for 40 minutes if we could have, but she is definitely playing through some pain.”

With Westbeld on the court, the Irish pulled away and easily advanced to the Sweet 16, despite her only scoring two points. McGraw said it was due to the senior’s experience and defensive presence on the court. “[Westbeld] brings so much to the defense. She’s a good communicator, and when you play a team like Villanova that just moves constantly, you really need that experience,” McGraw said.

“They’re a very difficult team

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, march 23, 2018 | The Observer

to play for the first time. So, we needed her on the floor to get the big rebound, make a good pass. I think she makes everybody relax, and I think everybody played better when she got out there.”

The Irish have spent the week preparing to face No. 4-seed Texas A&M on Saturday in Spokane, Washington. The Aggies (26-9, 11-5 SEC) overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to DePaul in the second round, with freshman guard Chennedy Carter capping off a 37-point performance by driving down the court and releasing a 3-pointer while down by two points to lift her team to an 8079 win and a Sweet 16 appearance.

Carter is one of the top freshmen in the country, averaging 22.4 points per game with a 0.444 field goal percentage from the floor. She also shoots 38.2 percent from behind the arc. McGraw feels that Carter, along with the Texas A&M post game, will be the biggest challenges for her team to combat. “[Aggies head coach] Gary Blair does a great job with them. He’ll have a great scheme prepared for us. It’s going to be a real challenge for us,” McGraw said. “They’ve got the freshman of the year, Chennedy Carter. She’s an outstanding player and she’s not their only good player — they’ve got a couple of good 3-point shooters, a good inside game, a challenge for us. We kind of owe them for that 2011 national championship game, too.”

McGraw did note that traveling to Spokane will be a challenge for the Irish, as Notre Dame and Central Michigan are the only Paid Advertisement

two teams traveling from the East Coast, so the three-hour time difference could be difficult to combat. However, the team flew out Thursday morning to give it some additional time to adjust. Junior guard Arike Ogunbowale feels the team’s 9,000-mile road trip to start the season will help Notre Dame feel prepared.

“It’s a long flight. We did it earlier in the season when we went to Oregon State, so we know it’s going to be a long flight, but we’re excited,” Ogunbowale said. “ …

We’ve had a lot of road games, so it’s not going to be anything new.”

The long flight could pose a problem for Westbeld, who is still in a boot and not guaranteed to play Saturday. “ … She’s got a lot of swelling,” McGraw said. “We’re trying to work on getting some things done for the flight ... but I don’t expect she’ll practice all week.”

While it may be just another game for Ogunbowale, junior forward Jessica Shepard is aware of the consequences of Saturday’s matchup with the Aggies.

“I think for us the biggest game of the season is Saturday,” Shepard said. “I think every game of the season is the biggest from here on out and we can’t look past Saturday. Texas A&M is a very good team, so for us it’s looking at Saturday and focusing on that game.”

Notre Dame will take on Texas A&M on Saturday at Spokane Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Contact Elizabeth Greason at egreason@nd.edu

Football Continued from page 12

for him. He’s going to be a great NFL football player, and I’m sure teams are really salivating over the chance to play with him.”

In Thursday’s Pro Day, Nelson only participated in the position drills, and afterward said he thought the draft process has been going well.

“It’s been fun. It’s been a great experience, and I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Nelson said. “ … I put myself in this position by working very hard, and I’ve earned this.”

McGlinchey also only participated in the position drills, and he said it was a good experience being put to the test by different coaches, but he’s just looking forward to finding out where he’ll be at the next stage of his career and getting back to the field.

“It’s going to a fun next month or so getting ready for the next step,” McGlinchey said. “I’m just ready to find out what team I’m going to be playing for and start playing football again.”

Nelson and McGlinchey were not the only offensive players to come back to campus for the Pro Day, however. They were joined by tight end Durham Smythe, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown and running back Josh Adams. St. Brown and Adams, as underclassmen who declared early for the draft, both said they feel the process has gone well and have been happy with their decisions. For Adams, the decision came knowing he was ready for the next step and after getting feedback from his support system.

“It was just about me and what I felt was best for me,” Adams said.

“Just talking with my family, talking with the coaches here, just getting some feedback from them, knowing I had their support in either decision that I would make, whether it would be to leave or to stay. … I felt like I was ready to make that next step.”

Adams participated in every drill except the bench press and 20-yard shuttle, and his best drills were the three-cone drill and 60yard shuttle. His times in both drills would’ve been fastest and second-fastest of the running back position group, respectively, at the

11

NFL Combine, while his 4.48 40yard dash would have been fifth at the position.

“Overall, felt like everything went well,” Adams said. “Been getting a lot of positive vibes and, again, I’m just blessed to be out here.”

St. Brown, who participated in many of the drills at the combine, kept his participation in Pro Day to the position work and vertical jump. After an impressive sophomore season, he had a down year as a junior with only 33 receptions, 515 yards and four touchdowns.

St. Brown said he’s received a lot of questions about his production and passion for the game.

“The most common question I get is, ‘Do [you] love football?’” St. Brown said. “ … I went to Notre Dame, I speak languages, so that’s the most common question I get.”

On the defensive side of the ball, former defensive lineman Andrew Trumbetti participated in every drill during Notre Dame’s Pro Day, while linebackers Greer Martini and Nyles Morgan participated in every drill but the bench press.

One player who returned to campus for the first time in a while for the day was former Irish quarterback Malik Zaire, who spent the past year as a graduate transfer playing at Florida. He said his time with the Gators was good because it helped him to develop as a quarterback and person.

“No regrets. I feel like I’ve learned so much going through the things I’ve gone through, and that’s made me the person I am today,” Zaire said. “That’s made me a lot stronger as a competitor, and somebody that — I haven’t quit yet, so I’ve got a lot of football left in the tank.”

After participating in most of the day’s drills, Zaire said he thought the day went well and hopes teams will give him the opportunity for visits he hasn’t received yet, especially given the potential he believes he offers anyone at the next level.

“I know I’ve got a lot of football left at the next level,” Zaire said. “ … I feel like I’m the best in the draft at my position, and we’re just going to continue to show that through these next couple weeks.”

Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Former Irish wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown catches a pass during Notre Dame’s Pro Day on Thursday at Loftus Sports Center.

12

The observer | friday, march 23, 2018 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hockey

nd women’s basketball

Notre Dame hits road for Sweet 16 trip to Spokane

Irish set to begin NCAA tourney

By ELIZABETH GREASON

By CONNOR MULVENA

Assistant Managing Editor

Associate Sports Editor

After a 23-point comeback and a 13-game winning streak between Notre Dame’s 84-70 win over the Volunteers and its loss to Louisville in the final round of the ACC championship, Irish head coach Muffet McGraw’s prediction for the season during halftime of January’s Tennessee game was flipped upside down, as it now prepares for its trip to the Sweet 16.

“I think at halftime of the Tennessee game I was wondering if we would be in the tournament,” McGraw said Wednesday.

“Certainly not going to be a host of the tournament. So, to look at us in the Sweet 16, I feel really different than I do in other years when we’ve been a No. 1 seed. This one, I feel like we’re overachieving every single game and I’m trying to really enjoy the experience of this one because it’s been so rewarding.”

The Irish (31-3, 15-1 ACC) earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the ninth-consecutive year despite some undeniable

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

see W BBALL PAGE 11

Irish junior forward Jessica Shepard looks to pass the ball from the post during Notre Dame’s 98-72 win over Villanova on Sunday.

After winning the Big Ten championship title Saturday, the top-seeded Irish will head to Bridgeport, Connecticut, this Friday to take on fourth-seeded Michigan Tech in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament.

Notre Dame (25-9-2, 17-6-1 Big Ten) heads into the tournament as the No. 2 squad in the country and the top seed in the East region of the tournament. Joining the Irish and Huskies in the East are Providence and Clarkson.

Heading into the weekend, Irish head coach Jeff Jackson is aware of the tournament’s fickle nature and said he is thrilled to have the opportunity to win a national title.

“Well hey, when you get to the NCAA tournament, first of all it’s a great accomplishment for these guys,” Jackson said. “Most importantly, we’ve got to recognize that in this tournament anything can happen — last year we were a No. 4 seed and knocked off the top seed.

So, that’s how close it is. It’s like the Sweet 16 in basketball — if you just pick the top 16 teams in basketball

ND ready to host trio of matches Sports Writer

Notre Dame is set to host three matches over the course of three days this weekend. First, the Irish will host a conference match against No. 5 North Carolina on Friday at 3:30 p.m. After a day off, Notre Dame will host another conference foe in Virginia Tech at noon, followed by a late afternoon match with IUPUI at 5 p.m. the same day. All matches will take place at Eck Tennis Pavilion.

The Irish (10-8, 2-1 ACC) are coming off of a 6-1 defeat to Virginia on the road this past Sunday.

Sophomore Matt Gamble recorded the only Notre Dame singles win, grabbing a 6-4, 6-2 victory on court No. 5. The No. 3 doubles team of sophomore Guillermo Cabrera and junior Alex Lebedev recorded the only doubles win for Notre Dame with a 6-3 victory.

Irish head coach Ryan Sachire said his team knows the type of competition it will face this weekend and the squad is ready to accept the challenge.

“North Carolina has proven to be one of the best programs in

see HOCKEY PAGE 10

Football | Pro day

men’s Tennis

By MICHAEL IVEY

you know how tough the tournament would start. And that’s what college hockey is all about. It’ll be a big challenge for us, but these guys have been resilient, and I think all year long we’ve respected our opponent and that’ll be the same case this weekend.”

As the team realized in the Big Ten title game, when it gets this late in the season the competition is “magnified,” and coach Jackson emphasized how important every aspect of the game is during tournament time.

“You can never take anything for granted,” Jackson said. “Everything gets magnified when you get to the NCAA tournament. [Saturday night] was a great example of the magnification of faceoffs, because the last shift of the game we lost a faceoff that could have ended up in our net and Cale [Morris] made the save. And then [off a later faceoff] we scored the game-winning goal.

So things like that are magnified in a big way when you get to the NCAA tournament.”

The Irish have a challenging opponent ahead of them

the country over the last several years, and I think they’re ranked top five again nationally this year as well,” Sachire said. “They’re one of the best teams in the country and we’re expecting a high level of competition from them, but on the same token we’ve seen that level a lot this year to this point, so I don’t know if there is a whole lot of surprises. We’ve played them already this season at National Indoors, so we know they’re very good.

They’ve got a lot of big guys on their team that play powerful games, so we expect them to serve very well and to be aggressive in their style of play, and we will have to match that and do the same thing against them as well.”

Though Virginia Tech (9-5, 0-4) is not as highly ranked as the Tar Heels, Sachire said he isn’t taking the Hokies lightly.

“With Virginia Tech, they are certainly a solid ACC program and their team this year return five or six starters from their team,” he said. “We won at Blacksburg last year 4-3, so it was very close. I think in both ACC matches this see M TENNIS PAGE 10

Former players return to field to work out for scouts

By BEN PADANILAM Sports Editor

With a little over a month until the first day of the 2018 NFL Draft, nine former Irish athletes returned to campus Thursday to participate in Notre Dame’s Pro Day at Loftus Sports Center.

After a 2017 draft in which they saw just two former players have their names called, the Irish are expected to have that many players drafted in the first round of this year’s draft, as former offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey have received plenty of attention in the months leading up to April 26’s first round.

Nelson, who played guard for the Irish, is expected to go as high as the top 10. If he did so, he would be the first guard drafted that high since Jonathan Cooper went No. 7 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.

“He’s one of the best out there,” McGlinchey said of Nelson. “ … His play speaks for itself. He’s as good as it gets when it comes to offensive line play, probably in the history of college football, and sky’s the limit see FOOTBALL PAGE 11

ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Former Irish running back Josh Adams participates in a position drill during Notre Dame’s Pro Day on Thursday.