Print Edition of The Observer for Friday, August 30, 2019

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Volume 34, Issue 5 | friday, august 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

University renovates 125-year-old Grotto Following anonymous donation, shrine receives accessibility, aesthetic improvements over summer

By CATE VON DOHLEN Associate News Editor

The Grotto, which is frequented by students, faculty and visitors of the University every day, underwent major renovations over the summer months. The University received a gift from an anonymous benefactor to replace the asphalt pavement and widen the east stairs, Doug Marsh, the principal overseer of the project, said in an email.

Marsh said the Grotto has undergone other renovation projects prior to the most recent one this past summer.

“The University has carefully cared for the Grotto for its approximately 125 years of existence as one of the most sacred places on our beloved campus,” Marsh said.

The most recent renovations included a wider staircase for

improved accessibility to the site, as well as new benches and new natural stone pavers in place of the previous pavement, according to the University’s construction webpage.

Christopher Chew, the construction administrator who oversaw the quality assurance, quality control and safety of the project, said the candles previously housed in boxes in the sacristy will now be kept in a new shed built close to the Grotto.

While removing the old asphalt in preparation for the placement of natural stone pavers, however, the team discovered a plaque dating back to 1907 buried about a foot underground.

Chew said the plaque fits into a diamond-shaped space

Photo courtesy of Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame

see GROTTO PAGE 3

The newly-updated Grotto now features freshly-laid natural stone pavers, a more accessible staircase, new benches and landscaping improvements. The renovations follow a gift from an anonymous benefactor.

Belles discuss time abroad

By CALLIE PATRICK News Writer

As Saint Mary’s students return to campus for the academic year, one group of Belles is returning from much further away.

Every summer, the College sends students across Europe to pursue academic, personal and cultural discovery.

Sophomore Taylor Murphy spent her summer in Angers, France, a university town near LeMans, the founding site of the Holy Cross Congregation.

Students participating in this program enroll at Université Catholique de l’Ouest for four weeks in July, completing an intensive language and culture course.

Murphy said she chose to study abroad through the Saint Mary’s Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership summer program with specific goals in mind.

“I went abroad to learn French better and to experience the culture,” Murphy said in an email. “I learned to adapt to different situations and to express myself in a

foreign language.”

Murphy said she especially enjoyed spending time exploring and getting to know the city in which she was living.

“I loved visiting the Chateau d’Anger because I learned more about the castle located in the middle of the city I went to school in,” she said.

Murphy said she still keeps in touch with the new friends she made through the experience.

“In fact, we plan on taking see ABROAD PAGE 4

ND screens ‘Rudy’ on field

By TOM NAATZ Notre Dame News Editor

Notre Dame is a school that prides itself on traditions. W hile some of these trace their roots back decades, one established in recent years is Flick on the Field. This event, which w ill take place for the third straight year Friday evening, presents a screening

News PAGE 3

of the film “Rudy” on the Notre Dame Stadium jumbotron on the first Friday night of the new school year.

Senior Abby Smith and junior Connor W hittle, Student Government’s codirectors of student life, were in charge of planning the event this year. Smith said the screening presents a good way to experience an

scene PAGE 5

old Notre Dame tradition in a novel way.

“I would simply describe Flick on the Field as the abilit y for people to experience a Notre Dame tradition in a new way,” Smith said.

“It’s cool to watch ‘Rudy,’ it’s cool to be in the stadium, but to bring those t wo together is a really unique see RUDY PAGE 3

viewpoint PAGE 7

Director of admissions retires

By TOM NAATZ Notre Dame News Editor

Outgoing director of admissions Bob Mundy marked his last day on the job Friday after nine years on the job. After taking on a role with the University admissions office in 1983, the 1976 Notre Dame alumnus is retiring after 36 years of service.

Though he spent the majority of his working life at Notre Dame, Mundy said he never saw his profession as a standard, conventional job.

“For me, I don’t think it was ever a job,” he said. “Notre Dame has always been in my core … [it’s been] much more of a calling, or a vocation, if you will. I’m just happy to contribute to this place — and that’s been a gift.”

In his three and a half decades in the Notre Dame admissions office, Mundy has witnessed significant changes in the admissions process. For example, over his time at Notre Dame, the number of applications received yearly by the University has nearly tripled.

“When I started here, we had

football PAGE 10

fewer than 10,000 applications — I want to say we had around 8,000 applications — and now we’re around 22,000,” he said.

Despite the sizable increase in applications, Mundy said the University has not simply recruited applicants just for the sake of recruiting applicants. Rather, the focus has been on building a pool of applicants that hold an interest in Notre Dame, he said.

“We’ve been very intentional as we develop plans and strategies to recruit students who might have an interest in Notre Dame,” he said. “I think we’ve been pretty careful about trying to send the right message. And if it doesn’t resonate with you we understand that. I think we’ve been good about growing the applicant pool in a meaningful way, of students who — for the most part — will understand the core values of the place. Not only have the sheer numbers increased, but the talent level within the applicant pool has increased.”

In assessing why applications see MUNDY PAGE 4

ND W Volleyball PAGE 12

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TODAY

The observer | friday, august 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What football game are you most excited for this year?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Kelli Smith Managing Editor Charlotte Edmonds

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“Michigan.”

“Georgia.”

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Mary Mueller

freshman Carroll Hall

sophomore McGlinn Hall

“Stanford.”

“New Mexico.”

Michael Shoaf

Zach Hamar

freshman Carroll Hall

senior Zahm House

“Navy.”

“Michigan.”

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Director of Campus Ministry, Fr. Pete McCormick, coordinates Feed Your Faith on South Quad on Wednesday. The annual event, hosted by Campus Ministry and other Notre Dame faith-based student groups, featured free food offered by local food trucks.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Pizza Pi Grand Opening Pizza Pi 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Opening celebration.

Final Vows Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Open to the public.

First aid course Rockne Memorial 109 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

RecSports offers Red Cross certification.

BetterTogether ND Information Session Geddes Hall 6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Open to all students.

Grant Proposal Workshop Bond Hall 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

RSVP online.

Flick on the Field Notre Dame Stadium 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

University to show the 1993 film “Rudy.”

“Avengers: Endgame” North Quad 8 p.m.

SUB showing movie.

HoCro Nation James Hall Quad 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Inflatables, food trucks and yard games.

Football @ Louisville Louisville, KY 8 p.m.

The Fighting Irish take on the Cardinals.

Activities Night Stadium Concourse 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Browse the 300+ student groups at ND.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, august 30, 2019 | The Observer

Students travel for service

Photo courtesy of Meghan Guilfoile

Meghan Guilfoile poses with her students at St. Joseph’s Hill near Kyambogo, Uganda. The secondary school, run by Holy Cross priests and brothers, benefits from the Notre Dame women’s boxing team.

By ALEXANDRA MUCK News Writer

Students can apply every year to conduct a summer of service abroad or in the U.S. through the International Summer Service Learning Program (ISSLP) and Summer Service Learning Program (SSLP).

This past summer, 68 students served over 80 organizations across 18 countries through ISSLP, Rachel Tomas Morgan, director of ISSLP, said in an email. In addition, 238 students served over 160 organizations in 39 U.S. states through SSLP, Ben Wilson, director of SSLP, said in an email.

During the program, students typically followed a schedule. Junior Teresa Breckler was staffed at an abbey in Connecticut and said her day typically started with feeding the sheep in the morning and then attending Mass. After a morning assignment, which ranged from garden, orchard or sheep work, she said she would have a homegrown lunch, partake in an afternoon assignment and then have dinner.

Other students, such as junior Theresa Azemar, held a different schedule. Azemar worked in the north side of Syracuse, New York as a program coordinator for a youth program. Azemar said she worked from 1:00 to 9:30 p.m., and spent time in meetings with other staff members and working with the kids.

“I was able to build a curriculum, and for four weeks of those eight weeks, I was working with [high school] kids, teaching them about the history of the north side of Syracuse in regards to redlining and gentrification,” she said.

For her ISSLP experience, junior Meghan Guilfoile worked in Uganda near a Holy Cross missionary center and parish, teaching math and information, technology and communications (ICT) classes. She said in an email she taught class in the morning and then spent the afternoon and evening working on lesson plans and grading homework assignments.

She also worked with nonprofit organizations.

“On the weekends, my site

partner and I would attend school events like dances or school debates to spend more leisure time with our students,” she said.

No matter where they worked, students said they found moments to remember and treasure in all experiences.

“I think one of the most memorable moments for me is when the high schoolers would drop their facades of ‘I’m too old for this,’ … and they would click with what I was teaching them,” Azemar said.

Junior Bo Heatherman worked in a village in Bangladesh, where he said he and another student would often visit families in their homes.

“They would just give us so much food,” he said. “ … That was one of the coolest parts of the trip was just seeing their lifestyle.”

Sophomore Alex Lewis worked at Urban Ministries in a nonprofit health clinic for the uninsured in North Carolina, and said he enjoyed working with patients consistently over the course of the summer.

“Some of my favorite experiences were days when I would work in several departments,” he said. “There was one particular day I helped one particular patient in five different capacities.”

Sophomore Anna Staud worked at the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend.

“One day I was working with the middle schoolers on a poetry workshop and this middle school boy turns to me and says, ‘Miss Anna, I think I really like poetry. I didn’t think I’d be good at it but I actually am.’ I still remember that so well,” she said.

While the experience was generally positive, program participants said they encountered their fair share of difficult moments.

Breckler said she got a concussion while at her SSLP. “Learning to allow other people to care for me and learning to care for myself by cultivating a physical self-compassion [was the hardest part],” she said.

“I was challenged to cultivate ... muscles and a toned body in order to do the work I needed to cultivate an interior balance and

restfulness on the inside to care for myself.”

Guilfoile said the hardest part was working at a slower pace and with different communication methods.

“In the U.S., it is rude to be late to meetings or not complete work on time,” she said.

“However, this was not the case in Uganda. When I asked when a meeting [would] start, I always got the response, ‘It will begin when it begins.’”

Senior Ryan Bigej worked in Lima, Peru at a center for children with disabilities, and said in an email he gained a broader perspective as a result of the experience.

“When I arrived in Lima, I had never worked with people with disabilities,” he said. “This experience helped me to realize just how much of a gift these children are. At the same time, I got an inside look at just how difficult it is for impoverished families to cope and function with a child with disabilities.”

Heatherman, whose program operated with Bengal Bouts, said he and the three other club members who were working in Bangladesh would share their experiences with others during their meetings.

“The number one thing I’m bringing back is using what I saw and what I experienced there to help motivate people who haven’t had the chance to go and make the club more productive,” he said.

Lewis and others said the experience has helped influence their career choices.

“I’m bringing back a greater appreciation for the healthcare field, a greater understanding of how health care works and operates in the U.S. — especially for those who are uninsured — [and] a greater appreciation for service,” he said.

Stad is considering going into education or education reform after working with the Robinson Community Learning Center, she said, which shaped her decision to do an SSLP. “[The experience gave me] an appreciation for the childlikeness and glee of all people,” she said.

Contact Alexandra Muck at amuck@nd.edu

Grotto Continued from page 1

on the left side of the Grotto, if one is facing towards the Basilica.

Years ago, someone noticed the same diamond shape in the wall, Chew said.

“There was a lady who used to [run] a Grotto website, who had noticed it was missing and tried to figure out where it had fallen and disappeared,” Chew said. “She thought it was [from] the 1920s.”

He said the plaque most likely fell off the Grotto wall during the 1920s, and was buried at some point in the last hundred years or so.

Chew said he isn’t sure what will happen to the plaque at this time, as it is currently in someone else’s hands.

In addition to the new natural pavers and widened space between the benches and the Grotto itself, there is now a designated entrance and exit to the site.

“We pulled back the kneeling benches,” Chew said.

“When you used to go into the grotto, you had to go out the

Rudy Continued from page 1

experience and we’re really excited to be doing that for a third year and really solidifying that tradition.”

Planning for the event began in April and May, when Smith and Whittle began conferring with administration officials who had helped with the occasion previously.

“We definitely tried to plan it a lot earlier than it had been in years past,” Smith said. “I think we’re in a really good position to make it a really successful event on Friday.”

W hile the event is free, students can only gain access to the field if they have a yellow w ristband.

Wristbands were distributed Thursday night at the Best of Duncan event in Duncan Student Center and w ill still be available Friday before the event. The mov ie begins at 7:30 p.m., but gates open at 7 p.m. w ith some programming before the film.

“Before it starts … we’ll do Punt, Pass and Kick on the field,” Whittle said. “I think RecSports is going to be helping us out with that. We’ll also have a DJ.” In addition to RecSports, Student Government is also working with GreeNDot in preparation for the event. Smith and Whittle said the first 300 attendees through the gates will receive a GreeNDot beach towel.

“Something new that we’re doing this year is partnering with GreeNDot a little bit, so helping them spread their awareness to students

3

same way. You no longer have to do that.”

Marsh and Chew said there were also updates made to the landscaping around the site to enhance the experience of visitors to the Grotto.

The surrounding sod is all new, and five trees and different ground shrubs and flowers were added to the site, along with river stones and rocks along the hill, Chew said.

“There’s a much more pleasant look to [the Grotto],” Chew said.

Both Marsh and Chew said the renovation project is meant to improve the experience of visiting the Grotto for everyone.

“I think for visitors who have never been there, it will be a much more pleasant experience and for those who have been there and come back, it will be an even more pleasant experience to have,” Chew said. “I think it’s a much calmer feeling when you go [into the Grotto] versus when we had the asphalt.”

Contact Cate Von Dohlen at cvondohl@nd.edu

— especially new students,” Smith said.

The beginning of the school year often sees a high rate of safety-related incidents, Whittle added, and the collaboration between Student Government and GreeNDot aims to raise awareness of this issue.

“They’re really pushing that the first six weeks on campus are really when incidents have a particularly high occurrence, so we’re really happy to be partnering with GreeNDot to really get the message out there for student safety,” he said.

The event also presents an opportunity to unite the Notre Dame and South Bend communities, junior Aaron Benavides, Student Government’s press secretary and director of communications, said.

“I think one of the great things is it is an excellent opportunity to welcome the South Bend community onto our campus and have them around,” Benavides said. “But it’s also an excellent time for all members of the Notre Dame community — from first years, to all sorts of undergrads and even graduate students and their families as well — to come together and celebrate the beginning of the year in a unique and special way.”

Overall, Whittle said he hopes the event serves to get the community excited for football season.

“Nothing could get you more excited than actually being on the field and watching ‘Rudy,’” he said.

Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu

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NEWS

The observer | friday, august 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Mundy Continued from page 1

have increased so much, Mundy said students are generally applying to more schools and focusing on rankings, such as the U.S. News and World Report ranking of top colleges.

“In some respects you have students applying to more institutions,” he said. “That certainly is a factor. And then there is this disproportionate focus on the U.S. News Top 25 or Top 50.”

While acknowledging that the application process has become more intense, the former high school teacher said he always encourages students to take a deep breath as they undergo the process.

“It’s certainly become so much more … I guess energized is the word,” he said. “When I look at it from a student side it’s become more stressful. That’s something I wish hadn’t happened to the extent that it has. Students and families start fretting about this as early as ninth grade, sometimes before.

Having taught high school, I’m always trying to be protective, if you will, of students. I’ve always been very insistent on this when I meet with a student: Make sure you enjoy your junior year, it’s going to be a great lead-up to your senior year, which you should enjoy even more.

Don’t let the intense nature of the college process overcome those

good times. Obviously you can’t ignore it, but try to find that right balance.”

Mundy said the University itself has changed as well. For example, he said, the school’s intellectual rigor has improved in some ways.

“Certainly the academic talent among the students, the academic expectations among the students and the faculty has grown,” he said.

“One obviously leads to the other.

And that’s an amazing opportunity — great students coming in and faculty saying, ‘I want to challenge these students.’ As you know, there’s a very strong undergraduate focus here,” he said. “I’m always really happy to say to parents and to students, ‘Our faculty are teaching.

They love being in those classrooms with the undergrads.’ That energizes them. … That wasn’t different when I was here, but I think it’s more consistent now across all areas.”

Regarding specific achievements, Mundy pointed to the University’s increased emphasis on diversity that has taken place on his watch.

“I think it’s been the commitment of the University and this office to [become] a more diverse institution,” Mundy said. “You often hear ‘diversity’ in the broadest sense of the word — whether it’s socioeconomic background, whether it’s racial background, whether it’s citizenship, whether it’s academic interests — and I think Notre Dame realizes the great value in providing

that experience here and in supporting it. I’m a first-generation college student, so I’ve got a soft spot for first-generation college students.

Notre Dame has been terrific in not just saying to me personally, ’You go do that,’ but ‘There’s great educational value in this for everyone.

Let’s be intentional in recruiting students and hopefully attracting those students to Notre Dame.’’

Admissions work is inherently a double-edged sword, Mundy said.

While it can be difficult to turn down such a large number of applications, he said it is gratifying to interact with talented members of the incoming class.

“Like any job, it has its moments,” Mundy said. “You end up disappointing 85% of the people who engage with us in a really serious way by application. That’s not, naturally, a good feeling. But then when I get a chance to meet students, I just randomly remember students from the admissions process. Sometimes I remember because they write a great essay and tell a great story and I email in the fall and say, ‘Hey, you wrote a great essay. Let’s have coffee.’ And I spend 30 minutes with a student and I just come back so fully energized. I realize we have to disappoint some really neat young men and women, but these 30 minutes that I just have is awfully reassuring.”

Mundy commended the admissions staff, many of whom are Notre Dame graduates, for their Paid Advertisement

Abroad

hard work and dedication in building the freshman class.

“We tend to hire a fair number of Notre Dame graduates here — often, right out,” he said. “That’s very reassuring too. Both literally with the staff that’s here right now and then more metaphorically with all the staff I’ve worked with over my years it’s mind-boggling how hard they work, how relentlessly committed they are to this place and the values of this place. ” Ultimately, Mundy said, for him, what sets Notre Dame apart is its emphasis on teaching students how to use their talents and gifts to serve the wider world.

“Something I will always tell admitted students, ‘You’re obviously here because you’ve got some amazing gifts,’” Mundy said. “...

I’ve never said Notre Dame is better than any place. I’ve always said we’re different from every other place. And that’s how. ‘Bring these gifts here. We’re going to nurture those gifts, we’re going to challenge you to grow academically, spiritually, personally, having international opportunities, having research opportunities, having opportunities to serve others, all in the name of taking these great gifts and sharing them.’ That’s what I think helps make Notre Dame such a different place on the higher education landscape.”

a trip to see each other again soon,” she said.

Junior Mila Medich traveled to Rome, Italy for her study abroad experience, spending a summer term at John Cabot University.

“I am so glad I studied abroad because I genuinely met some of my best friends and had the opportunity to see such significant history in person instead of just reading about it,” Medich said in an email. “I met some of the most amazing people abroad, and of course, it was nice to be able to become closer with the girls from my own school as well.”

Medich traveled to roughly 14 cities while living in Europe, but said Rome was her favorite because it quickly began to feel like home.

“Every weekend, our group of friends would pick somewhere to travel and we would hop on a train or plane and go to a new city or country,” Medich said.

“Sometimes there were up to 11 of us traveling together at a time and we would rent an apartment for the weekend and just explore and wander around wherever we landed.”

Contact Tom Naatz at tnaatz@nd.edu

Contact Callie Patrick at cpatrick01@saintmarys.edu

Continued from page 1

The observer | friday, august 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

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DIANE PARK | The Observer

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The observer | Friday, August 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

What’s in a name?

Mary Steurer

Why knowing your ND history matters more than you might think

Assistant Managing Editor

Annie Moran and Katie Hieatt

“What’s in a name?” Juliet asks in Shakespeare’s famous play “Romeo and Juliet.” “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

What, really, is in a name? If it’s as Juliet argues, names have little to do with what something actually is.

I’m not sure where I stand on that one. Personally, I derive a lot of enjoyment from naming things.

Sometimes, it just feels natural — a gesture of affection toward something I particularly like, maybe.

This piece from The Cut suggests we give names to things we subconsciously anthropomorphize, feel attached to or want to claim possession of. That makes sense to me. My general guidelines are: If it’s a living thing or bears semblance to a living thing (e.g., a stuffed animal), it deserves a name. And a proper one, at that. You shouldn’t settle for a just-OK name — if you hold out for that moment of inspiration, the right one will come.

If you’re wondering about my recent naming-abilities track record, there’s my four fish, each named after pianists: Alexis Weissenberg, Hans von Bülow, Carl Czerny and Marc-André Hamelin. And then there’s my plants — Joy, my Peace Lily; Mona, English Iv y; Jean-Baptiste, Ficus Bonsai; Beauregard, African Violet; and Hugh Grant, my Garden Croton.

(During my time at Notre Dame, I have also owned about a half-dozen succulents. They had names, too, but unfortunately all have since shuff led off this mortal coil.)

But I realize I still haven’t addressed the question at hand, which is, “What does it matter?” Does our name inf luence who we become? If you’re given a name that sounds elegant, or friendly or brave, are you more likely to be elegant, or friendly or brave?

And how does a name take on an identity in the first place? When you meet someone new, do you forever change the meaning of your name to them?

Not to say a name can only take on one meaning.

Most of us share our names with many, many other people, most of them probably very different from us.

I, especially, can relate to this — Notre Dame has introduced me to a frightening amount of Marys. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t add that I do feel very much like a Mary and my name seems inseparable from who I am, even though it’s not the name I chose for myself.

On the other hand, when our names don’t feel right to us, many go so far as to change them — Bob Dylan, Frank Ocean and Miley Cyrus are the first examples I think of. I think that only speaks louder to the importance of a good name. A good name is something we all deserve; it’s a right.

So if anyone wants help naming something (or wants to critique my naming skills), you have my email.

Contact Mary at msteure1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Little Known Under the Dome

Like many rising seniors, we’ve amassed a treasure trove of urban legends about Notre Dame’s past over the course of our time around campus.

Throughout this semester, we’ll be using this column to explore the most intriguing leads that we’ve come across, from the infuriating, to the inspiring, to the just plain bizarre: Did Notre Dame really provide laundry services only to its male students during the early years of coeducation? How did Notre Dame students put enough pressure on Taco Bell to compel it to enter discussions with its striking laborers? Is it true students were expelled in a protest blocking the pathway of CIA and Dow Chemical Company recruiters on campus in the ‘60s? What happened when a Holy Cross priest published a full-page letter coming out to the University in the ‘90s? What’s the story behind the Badin-Sorin rivalry that left a kidnapped and decapitated frog mascot in its wake?

Through research we have done in the University archives for projects both academic and independent, we have realized just how many stories there are — beyond the classic ND legends — that are filled with characters, moments, challenges and celebrations that make the history of our school even more colorful than we had known it to be. Alongside the Observer’s archives team, who will be running articles from the past over the course of this year, we hope to bring these stories back into our collective consciousness.

We want to shed light on these pieces of the past for this generation of students so that we might get to know those who have come before us, and how their stories have shaped this place that we have shared through time.

The official history of Notre Dame usually focuses on official leaders of the University: We hear about Fr. Edward Sorin’s determination to rebuild after a fire destroyed the first Main Building; Knute Rockne’s record coaching career and the unstoppable force of the Four Horsemen; and Fr. Theodore Hesburgh singing “We Shall Overcome,” arms intertwined with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. These Notre Dame figures hold the privileged positions in not only our collection of campus folklore, but also in works honoring them such as the recently released “Hesburgh” documentary or the play “Sorin: A Notre Dame Story.”

Overshadowed by the attention given to these leaders, a student-centric history of Notre Dame has largely been neglected, along with

stories of the lesser-known figures — both heroic and controversial — in our University’s history. We’d like to put these stories about the experiences, follies, leadership and controversies of students, heroes and campus troublemakers of the past front and center.

Especially when considering the oral tradition of a university that is beloved to so many, the identification of cause and effect can have different interpretations based on the experience, opinions, loyalties and biases of those interpreting it.

The discussion and re-evaluation of history only becomes richer as we are able to analyze it with the vantage point afforded us by time and the current historical context, and we hope that revisiting these stories might spark discussion of these events from the past that is informed by perspective from the present.

We’ll be offering our own questions and interpretations, and we hope that you will engage with us with your own.

We hope to share these stories with this generation of students so that our University’s tradition can be made more complete through the passing down of stories from those who have come before us, because tradition at Notre Dame means more than old-timey architecture and branding: Tradition means living with and learning from these stories.

In our next column, we’ll be digging into the early years of coeducation at Notre Dame. We’ll investigate the canceled Saint Mary’s-Notre Dame merger, explore the legacy of Sr. Jean Lenz, who — according to Fr. Hesburgh — deserves “all the credit” for the successful integration of women to the University and touch on what life was like for the earliest Notre Dame women.

Annie Moran is a senior hailing from Chicago studying psychology and education. She can be reached at amoran5@nd.edu or @anniemoranie on Twitter. She’d love to hear your musings on the wonders of fresh basil, experimental theater, or the sacred space of public transportation.

Katie Hieatt is a senior majoring in economics and American studies from Memphis, Tennessee who is interested in pursuing a career in public policy research and advocacy. She enjoys engaging with the South Bend community as an ENL teacher with La Casa de Amistad, as a translator and interpreter for the National Immigrant Justice Center and as an SOS Advocate through the Family Justice Center. Her go-to streaming recommendations are Russian Doll and Killing Eve. She can be reached at mhieatt@ nd.edu or @katie_hieatt on Twitter.

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

Submit a Letter to the Editor:

viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | friday, August 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

A modern myth: Boys from good families don’t rape Jackie O’Brien Dear Fr. Jenkins

In July, yet another judge argued in favor of a young rapist, warning the survivor’s family that pressing charges would destroy the young man’s life. He had great grades, a nice family and was an Eagle scout. Perhaps, what he had done could be qualified as sexual assault, but rape? Never.

This boy had taken an incapacitated girl and raped her in a basement at a party and filmed the entire incident. He himself referred to the crime as a rape in texts to his friends. Yet the judge failed to identify the severity of the crime to try him as an adult, claiming there is a vital distinction between sexual assault and rape.

In Judge James Troiano’s uninformed view, “the traditional case of rape” involves a gun, an abandoned house and a randomly-selected victim, clearly unaware of the modern dangers that many young individuals face today.

Judge Troiano went even further by refusing to try the 16-year-old as an adult, which is often the case when a severe crime is committed in the state of New Jersey. The judge cited his potential for entry into a good college.

After Brock Turner, how are we allowing our justice system to be perverted by individuals who have a misconceived basis for judgment?

This is a serious issue. Not only on a case-by-case basis, where survivors are not receiving the justice that they are due, but also as part of a larger systemic crisis. The implementation of a common law system in the United States is a unique and vitally

important attribute of our criminal justice system.

However, it undoubtedly leads to issues of inconsistency in application.

The case was eventually reevaluated by a higher court, which agreed that Judge Troiano’s justifications for his ruling were off-base and irrelevant to the facts of the case. Writing in its decision to try the 16-year-old as an adult: “That the juvenile came from a good family and had good test scores we assume would not condemn the juveniles who do not come from good families and do not have good test scores from withstanding waiver applications.”

In cases of substantiated rape, why are some perpetrators sent to prison for years while others walk freely because of their budding college career? This case is indicative of not only the continued crisis experienced by survivors in a system which refuses to recognize the severity of their claims, but also a crisis of misapplied valuation of virtue.

Would the judge’s decision be different if the boy had come from a low-income background? An individual with struggling grades, an average ACT score and a lack of impressive extracurriculars?

This double standard is evidence of the persistent and inherently violent assumptions that land a young black man in jail for a non-violent offense, but lets a young individual from a high-income background off the hook for a violent crime.

America is racist. This is a fact that has been proven true time and time again. The workplace is racist, our politics are racist and college admissions are racist because all of these systems value the privileges associated with whiteness and institutionalized wealth. Our modern court system, however, is arguably the most racist institution

in American society. When rulings come down to individual judges who may be stuck in their ways, we allow an inherently racist system to perpetuate harm and affect the availability of opportunity for individuals who have gone through the court system.

While the appellate courts have thankfully served as a safeguard against these unjust decisions, there are inevitably cases that have fallen through the cracks.

In a case as clear as this, it is obvious that our implementation of justice has been perverted by societal perspectives of good and bad. Good homes lead to good boys, and good boys with good grades don’t rape nice girls.

This myth has been debunked time and time again. Not only across America, but on our own campus as well. Highly regarded institutions have disturbingly high rates of sexual assault. A life set up for overwhelming success is no indication of the possibilities of a person’s behavior. Until we overcome this line of thinking, and recognize this myth for what it is, both in ourselves and in our criminal justice system, survivors will continue to be revictimized and the guilty will walk free.

Jackie O’Brien is a Notre Dame senior studying political science and peace studies, originally from the Chicago suburbs. When she’s not writing for Viewpoint, you can find her attempting to complete the NYT crossword, fretting over law school applications or watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. She can be reached at jobrie21@ nd.edu or @im_jackie_o on Twitter.

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

Letter to the editor

Empathy over apathy If we’re going to discuss an apathy problem, it seems to me that we have to address the solution as well. I recognize, as Ms. Szromba points out, that there is a distinct bubble that exists and defines much of our lives on campus and our engagement with the world outside of it. But is it true that Notre Dame students are graduating “without the slightest clue of the world they’re graduating into? ” Or, might it be that certain circles are unaware of points of interest in an American political landscape that seems to shift (or, to be honest, completely change) from day to day, let alone week to week?

Let’s inform voters, and encourage students to become active, educated citizens both while in undergrad and as they move beyond it. But clinging to Twitter and charging yourself with reading every article in the Washington Post for the day will not suffice. If we are to combat our apathy problem, the response has to be one of empathy.

W hile it may be true that 71% of Americans responded that they do not want Roe v. Wade overturned, it is also true that Americans are now as likely to identif y as pro-life as they are prochoice. Additionally, fighting for an opinion that a minority holds does not equate to being ignorant or apathetic. Americans are also unlikely to understand what such a reversal would mean; abortion rights would return to the states, not

be dissolved outright. It is also true that 79% of Americans reject late-term (third trimester) abortion. This may not make the pro-choice position untenable, but I would hope that on a campus like Notre Dame’s, it may invite students to consider attending a Right to Life event or learning more about what it is to uphold a consistent life ethic.

It was that same consistent life ethic, for what it’s worth, that Right To Life celebrated at their annual club SY R: A right to life from conception to natural death or, from “womb to tomb.”

An aside: “Womb to Tomb” is far from the worst of SY R titles. See: The Great Fratsby, CEOs, etc.

Right to Life is also a club that is far from apathetic. They maintain a weekly commitment to service across campus and our community, including babysitting for graduate students, spending time with those at Holy Cross Village and more. They carry this action-oriented mission into raising money for women and children at the border and providing backpacks to children in foster care. They respond to human need with love and empathy, wherever needed.

The symbolism of plastic roses on the quad is not simply a witness to the lives lost in the wake of Roe v. Wade, or an inconvenience for any students cutting across South Quad. Rather, it is a call to precisely what I hope we can agree our campus needs: Empathy.

It is difficult to be empathetic towards those we do not know, see or interact with. So, we might not know the name Robert Mueller, recognize the DREAM Act or vote in local elections. Similarly, we might not feel particularly inclined to know, see or interact with those for whom the roses speak. Since 1973, well over 50 million unborn children have been aborted. W hen you include chemical abortions, that number grows exponentially. Those unborn children were not seen, known or interacted with, and it then becomes easier to title them “clumps of cells” or “parasites” or “fetal tissue.” W hile roses may fail to capture the reality of their personhood, their beauty points to the beauty of every human life.

They just might invite someone, for however brief a moment, to know and love a person the world did not.

Empathy goes beyond activism or mere awareness. It calls us into the lives and sufferings, not just of those we know and love, but also of those we do not know or love quite so closely. If we are to address our own apathy, perhaps we should take, and appreciate, all the opportunities for empathy we can get.

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt

Maggie Garnett sophomore Aug. 28

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The observer | friday, august 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Fix what’s not working properly. Make decisions that will improve your relationships and bring you peace of mind. Personal improvements will pay off, and checking out different lifestyles will help you distance yourself from people and places that are holding you back or causing stress. A promise or commitment you make to yourself or someone else is favored. Your numbers are 5, 13, 21, 29, 38, 43, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stay focused on what’s doable, and stop worrying about the things you cannot change or redo. Learn from the experience, and turn any negative you face into something positive. An offer looks too good to turn down for personal reasons.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Set your sights high, and reach for the stars.

Don’t worry about what others do, say or want. Make changes that favor you.

Dig in and turn your dream into a reality. Celebrate with someone you love.

Romance is in the stars.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Easy does it. Don’t let someone influence you who is looking out for his or her interests. Make decisions based on what you need to achieve, personal satisfaction and happiness. Don’t bend because someone overreacts.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Control the outcome of a situation you face. Make changes before someone asks you to or takes the initiative and beats you to the finish line. Personal improvements are possible, but stay within your budget.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Expand your interests, do something creative and take better care of your money and health. Lending or borrowing will have stipulations attached that could pose a problem for you in the future. Avoid joint ventures and excessive behavior.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look at your options, consider what you’ll have to do to get to your destination and start moving in that direction. A partnership looks promising, but before you move forward, find out what you’ll have to do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you want something, check out what you already have and how best to adapt it to fulfill your current needs. Reusing and recycling will give you a sense of accomplishment and help you moderate your lifestyle to fit your budget.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take the plunge. You’ve got enough knowledge and skill to excel. Have faith in your talent to help you reach whatever destination you set your sights on. Dream it, believe it and make it happen.

Choose your future.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Listen and observe. Develop your ideas and plans before you share too much information with others. Once you feel you’ve taken care of every detail, you can put your ideas into play. Simplicity and moderation should be your mantra.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Buy, sell, invest. It’s how you play the game of life that will determine the outcome. Make decisions that will change your life, bring you joy and improve your relationships, health and financial security. It’s time to make things happen.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Know what you want before you sit down with someone who can influence the outcome. Having a clear-cut plan in place will help you realize what you need to do, what you require from others and how to proceed.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your timing is right, so don’t blow an opportunity because you lack moderation or you let an outside influence take over or interfere with your plans. Invest in yourself, your ability and what you want to see happen. Romance is encouraged.

Birthday Baby: You are conscientious, helpful and discreet. You are generous and secretive.

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurekWORD GAME THAT SCRAMBLED

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

BEEOS ©2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CONUE REVDIR FATCEF Answer here: Yesterday’s

Jumble puzzle magazines available at pennydellpuzzles.com/jumblemags

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

-

sorin elementary | ian salzman

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: SENSE AGENT GARLIC ZEALOT Answer: When it came to the twins, she was interested in the — SINGLE ONE

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football

Sports Authority

Predicting UCL group winners Ellen Geyer Sports Writer

My father has always proposed to me the theory that only two seasons exist in this world: Football season and spring football season. Admittedly, I have always agreed on principle, particularly having grown up an Ohio State fan. However, as I have matured and developed my own values, I have come to believe an alternate hypothesis, holding that perhaps instead, the only two seasons are Champions League season and Champions League off-season.

After what seemed to be a cold, hopeless and endless off-season, we have once more reached the dawn of another year, and with the dawn of another year, the dawn of new hope — at least for a humble soccer fan such as myself. As such, it is only appropriate that I dedicate this Sports Authority to another year of the world’s best club soccer tournament.

So, without further ado, I present to you my 2019 UEFA Champions League predictions.

Yes, I am aware that two teams advance out of each group, but picking two winners just isn’t as fun, plus group winners get better draws in the knockout stage.

Group A: PSG, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray Winner: Real Madrid Don’t get me wrong, PSG is a great club, but ultimately, their lack of experience and committed talent will spell their downfall this year. It’s clear Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior doesn’t want to be there anymore, and it seems to me that he’ll be gone by the time group play begins anyway. Behind Neymar is Kylian Mbappé, who, despite leading France to the World Cup title, is too young to get his club the top spot in this group — especially when compared to the lineup Real Madrid is boasting this season. Bonus points to Real for Gareth Bale’s hair.

Group B: Bayern, Tottenham, Olympiacos, Crvena Zvezda Winner: Bayern Munich Sure, Tottenham has Harry Kane, but Bayern has seven consecutive Bundesliga titles. Need I say more?

Group C: Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, Atalanta Winner: Manchester City City is in the same group as Shakhtar for the third year in a row, and if that’s not God’s way of saying that Manchester is Blue, I don’t know what is. Pep

9

Guardiola has already made himself a City great with backto-back Premier League titles, but he could make himself a City legend with a Champions League crown. City has secured the easiest draw — they’d better use it to their advantage.

Group D: Juventus, Atlético, Leverkusen, Lokomotiv Moskva Winner: Juventus Juventus is to Serie A as Barcelona is to La Liga.

Athlético’s struggle for second place in the Spanish league means they’ll have their hands more than full with Ronaldo’s dominant Italian squad.

Group E: Liverpool, Napoli, Salzburg, Genk

Young breaks collarbone in preseason practice Observer Sports Staff

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online Aug. 19.

On Aug. 17, the Notre Dame football team suffered another blow as junior w ide receiver Michael Young broke his collarbone during a preseason practice, sustaining the same injur y that sidelined junior teammate and tight end Cole Kmet just over a week before. Young was expected to be the third starting receiver behind senior Chase Clay pool and graduate student Chris Finke and also make a significant contribution on special teams.

The Saint Rose, Louisiana native was primed for a breakout year in 2019 after play ing in ever y game of his first t wo seasons. During Notre Dame‘s 2018 title campaign, he ranked eighth on the team in receiv ing, racking up 138 yards and one touchdow n on seven receptions, in addition to being the top Irish kick returner behind 191 yards on nine carries.

The Irish effort to inv igorate the offense and generate more big plays in the upcoming season w ill be made more difficult w ith the loss of Young’s explosiveness and experience, leading ninth-ranked Notre

Dame to rely more heav ily on their underclassmen.

The w ide receiver position is fortunately one of the deepest groups on the Irish roster, but on-field experience is severely lacking behind Clay pool, Finke and Young. Sophomores Braden Lenzy, Joe Wilkins and Law rence Keys III figure to step up and make plays, as well as senior Javon McKinley. Freshmen Cam Hart and Kev in Austin Jr. could also contribute depending on the duration of Young’s absence.

There is no timetable on Young’s return as the severit y of his injur y has yet to be determined.

Winner: Mo Salah Did I say Mo Salah? Sorry I meant Liverpool. Right?

Group F: Barcelona, Dortmund, Internazionale, Slavia Praha Winner: Barcelona First the World Cup, now this?

Lionel Messi just can’t catch a break. Stuck with the worst draw, Barcelona will face much higher competition in the group stage than other title contenders like City. With the pending addition of Neymar, however, Barca should be able to advance out of this group, hopefully on top of the table.

Group G: Zenit, Benfica, Lyon, Leipzig Winner: Lyon A good draw for both Lyon and Benfica, but Lyon will face better competition in the Ligue 1 than Benfica will in Primeira Liga, leaving them better prepared and at the top of this group.

Group H: Chelsea, Ajax, Valencia, LOSC Winner: Ajax After tasting greatness in last year’s Champions League competition, Ajax will be anxious to prove themselves again. Though Chelsea hoped their fates would improve this season with the addition of Christian Pulisic, their struggles thus far in the Premier League foreshadow trouble down the road. I say the pesky Dutch underdogs sneak out of this group on top.

In conclusion, having filled out a March Madness bracket every year since I learned how to write, I fully expect predictive inaccuracy. But hey, a girl can dream.

Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

ANNIE SMIERCIAK | The Observer

Irish junior wide receiver Michael Young runs with the ball during Notre Dame’s 19-14 victory over Pitt on Oct. 13 at Notre Dame Stadium. Young broke his collarbone Aug. 17, the second such recent injury.

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

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Sports

The observer | friday, august 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

football

Captains comment on team mindset for opener

By HAYDEN ADAMS Associate Sports Editor

Four of Notre Dame Football’s seven captains — senior quarterback Ian Book, graduate student w ide receiver Chris Finke, senior safety A lohi Gilman and senior defensive end Khalid Kareem — fielded questions during a media conference Thursday on the team’s mindset w ith the season fast approaching.

There is a considerable level of excitement throughout the program, the captains said, w ith the Labor Day matchup against the Louisville Cardinals looming.

“Ever yone’s excited. You can just tell,” Book said. “It’s been fun playing our ow n guys and whatnot, but we’re ready to play somebody else, and [we] can’t wait for Monday to get here.”

Gilman, the leading returning tack ler for the Irish, echoed Book’s sentiment.

The team is looking for ward to finally facing a new opponent, Gilman said.

“I mean, we’ve been going at it for 22, 23 practices now, so, you know, it’ll be good to line up against someone other than ourselves,” Gilman said.

Since the Irish fell 30-3 to the eventual national champion Clemson Tigers in the Cotton Bowl, Finke, the team’s second-leading returning receiver, said the team has been anx ious to get back on the field and take another sw ing at a playoff appearance.

“The excitement level is really high, as always, in week one,” Finke said. “We’ve been waiting ever since that Cotton Bowl, itching to get back on the field. So it’s been a long time preparing in the weight room and on the practice field against each other, and ever ybody’s really excited.”

The loss to Clemson, while painful, has been used as a lesson for the team this coming season and played a big role in developing their mindset, Kareem said.

“One thing we’re just keying on is just finishing,”

Swarbrick Continued from page 12

we need the height to do the things that happen in the game of football. From that perspective, it’s been great.”

Swarbrick also emphasized that more sports than just football will be able to benefit from the new space.

Kareem said. “We were right there — one game away. We were so close, I mean, even though the score was 30-3. … If we just finish the first half off, then … like I said, just finishing and just taking ever y thing game-by-game, just play-by-play really.”

W hile Kareem claims the mindset of the team is to take the next step and finish what they started, head coach Brian Kelly isn’t so sure. On Wednesday, Kelly said he can’t yet decipher this team’s dynamic as he usually can going into a season.

“I think each year you kind of have a gut feeling,” Kelly said. “I don’t have a gut feeling, per se, as much as I know certain players and how they’ll perform. I think what I’m waiting for is what mindset the group brings. A few years ago, we had a mindset that they really wanted to dominate their opponent.

I think the mindset of this group kind of comes together after a first game. I’m not sure what that is right now. … But you really don’t know about your football team in terms of their mindset until you play the game.”

Gilman agreed with Kelly’s analysis by saying the Irish still have to show what they’re made of when the time comes.

“I’m interested in that as well, just figuring out who our identity is,” Gilman said.

“Coach Kelly talked about sharpening our a x and now that our a x is ready, … I’m interested to see who we are as a team. You know, ever y team is different. Last year’s team is completely different from this year’s team. And once we step out there, we’re going to see who [we are] and how we react to adversity, how we play in a big atmosphere — [there are] a lot of young guys — and how the leaders are going to respond to those situations.”

The captains all realize they have to prove their confidence on the field.

However, while Kelly may not yet be certain of his team’s mentality, Kareem and Finke seem to have an idea already.

“I guess the mentalit y is

just being able to take anything that comes at us,” Finke said. “Like I said, [from] Januar y to spring ball, to summer, to workouts, to camp, it’s just taking whatever [director of football performance Matt] Balis puts in front of us or whatever our practice has in front of us and hav ing no second thoughts and attacking it. So, I guess what Coach means when he says he doesn’t know exactly what is, it’s we haven’t done it against anyone else yet.

So, we’ll see if we can handle that adversit y, we’ll see what we’re made of when we get out against somebody else.

But that’s our mentalit y, and that’s the kind of confidence we have in what we’re about.”

The team w ill not be complacent or satisfied w ith its performance last year, Kareem noted.

“It’s a new season, this is a new team,” he said.

“Guys that helped us last year, they’re gone, so guys w ill have to step up and do their job, and I feel like this

“The importance of doing it now was related to its larger impact,” he said. “Under the NCA A time management legislation, which we fully endorse, we are limited in when we can practice. It created a real crunch in Loftus. By taking football out of Loftus and allowing soccer to practice in this new indoor facility, it makes the time management

in Loftus more manageable for our other Olympic sports, and it creates additional recreation time.”

In recent years many college football programs have unveiled new facilities with features such as elaborate lockers that fold out into beds, game rooms and more. The Notre Dame facility lacks many of these frills.

team is really capable of doing something special. So, I think as long as we keep the blinders on and not focus outside the team, I think we’ll be fine.”

Kareem said another factor inf luencing the team is this year’s seniors would have been freshmen during Notre Dame’s 4-8 campaign in 2016. The veterans, according to Kareem, remember that experience v iv idly and use it as a realit y check when necessar y.

“I feel like that definitely helps the guys who are seniors now, the guys who were there for the 4-8 [season],” Kareem said. “I mean, we don’t want to go back to that.

We’ve been at the lowest of lows and that also helps us keep fueling [ourselves] to keep going, because we know where we were before, and we don’t ever want to go back. If we feel ourselves slipping a little bit, alright, pick it up. If we feel those old habits coming back, OK, let’s get out of it. And we’ll make stuff happen.”

W hile the captains may

have offered different takes on the team’s mentalit y, Gilman says that the team has prepared to be fearless no matter what and to confront any obstacles head-on.

“I mean, throughout the spring and the summer, we’re just a group [in] that we’ve attacked ever y thing that was put in front of us,” Gilman said. “Any workout, any challenge, any t y pe of adversit y, we attack. … You know, sometimes we focus on certain things, but for us, we focus on just being a warrior out there, you know, stepping out, attacking ever y thing, and I think we have the people and the pieces to do those things.”

No matter the differences in opinion, Gilman expressed a common sentiment among the players on the roster. “[Let’s] line up right now,” he said.

The Irish w ill kick off against Louisv ille on Monday at 8 p.m.

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu

ZaCHARy yim | The Observer

Irish graduate student slot receiver Chris Finke cuts to the left during Notre Dame’s 31-21 win over Northwestern on Nov. 3 at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill. Finke is one of seven captains this year for the Irish.

Swarbrick said this was an intentional choice.

“We want our approach to facility development to be about functionality,” he said. “We want it to be really nice, we want it to be among the best in the country, but we want those things that are nice to all be functional. We want to do them for a sport-related purpose or a

nutrition or a sports science purpose, but not as some sort of enticement or social space, that’s not what we are trying to do. That’s our philosophy, I think it’s a good demonstration of it. The new basketball facility ref lects that same dynamic.”

Contact Jack Concannon at jconcan2@nd.edu

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, august 30, 2019 | The Observer

11

nd women’s soccer | nd 2, western michigan 1

ND wins 3rd straight game to open season Observer Sports Staff

CONNERY Mcfadden | The Observer

Irish junior middle blocker Hannah Thompson, left, and sophomore outside hitter Charley Niego leap for a block on Wake Forest on Oct. 6.

The Irish continued their hot streak with a road win over Western Michigan on Thursday evening, defeating the Broncos 2-1 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This marks the third straight win for the Irish to start the season.

First year head coach Nate Norman brought along his Irish team to his homecoming campaign this week.

Despite being a Notre Dame graduate, Norman has close ties at Western Michigan, where he was head coach for four seasons and led the Broncos to MAC titles in 2013 and 2015. Additionally, in the 2015 season, Norman was named the MAC Coach of the Year and the NSCA A Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year.

The victory did not come as easily for the Irish as they would have preferred, as the Broncos shot off to an early lead in the 33rd minute of the game, with a goal coming from sophomore forward Morgan Otteson. The Irish kept Broncos junior

goalkeeper Maggie Rogers busy throughout the game, tallying 17 shots in addition to their nine corner kicks, forcing her to make seven saves.

This season has treated the Irish well in terms of second-half performances. All five of Notre Dame’s goals this season have come during the second half, a fact the Broncos were likely priv y to heading into this matchup. Despite the early deficit, the Irish were able to find a second wind in the locker room at halftime, and graduate student defender Autumn Smithers found the back of the net with an open shot from the top center of the box. The goal tied up the game just three minutes into the second half.

W hile Notre Dame had a clear advantage with the production of their possessions, they lacked the energ y to finish their otherwise promising possessions.

Most crosses would end up getting intercepted, and the Bronco defense was locked in during the nine corner kicks their opponents took.

However, the Irish were able to find the net one more time in the second half. Smithers fired from the top of the box again, splitting a defender one way and inching the ball just past Rogers diving in the opposite direction.

Smithers has played on the back line this whole season, but when Norman called her up to play on the front she proved herself a worthy player on both sides of the ball. After her two goals, Smithers moved back to the center back position and bound the Irish defense back together. With Smithers leading the way, the Irish were able to maintain possession for the majority of the rest of the game and keeping the Broncos out of the attacking third. The Irish did give up their first goal of the season in the matchup, having shut out their opponents for the previous 210 minutes.

The Irish head back to South Bend, looking to maintain their f lawless record as they prepare to take on St. John’s on Sunday at 6 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

Anna mason | The Observer

Former Irish libero Ryann DeJarld bumps the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-0 victory over Oakland on Aug. 31, 2018, at Purcell Pavilion.

Volleyball Continued from page 12

of Chicago — enters Notre Dame as an Under Armour All-American Second Team selection. Schmidt has built herself an impressive record at Murrieta Mesa High School in Murrieta, California, leading her conference with 428 digs this past season. Meuth, a native of San Antonio, has dominated throughout Texas, breaking her school record for most kills in a single match at 35. As the No. 59 player in the class of 2023, she was also honored as PrepVolleyball.com’s National Player of the Week in October and became the first player to earn Player of the Week by LoneStarVolleyball.

com twice in the same season.

All three teams traveling to South Bend this weekend recorded at least 15 wins this past season, led

by Bowling Green’s 19 victories, including an impressive 9-2 record posted from the road. Following this threegame series, the Irish will take on Valparaiso at home Wednesday before one of their biggest matchups of the season, No. 17 Purdue at home Sept. 6.

The Irish will take on Wright State at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and will return to action later that day when they conclude the Invitational against Bowling Green at 7 p.m. All matches will be played at Purcell Pavilion.

CREIGHTON DOLEZAL | The Observer

Irish sophomore defender Jade Gosar winds up to clear the ball during Notre Dame’s 2-1 victory over Cincinnati on Aug. 31, 2018, at Alumni Stadium. The Irish have won all three of their games this year.

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The observer | friday, august 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Football

Swarbrick talks Kelly, new practice facility

By JACK CONCANNON Sports Writer

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly talks to a CBS reporter during Notre Dame’s 44-22 victory over Navy on Oct. 27 at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego. Athletic director Jack Swarbrick expressed confidence in Kelly.

Editor’s Note: This is the second part in a series featuring The Observer’s conversation with Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick. In this installment, Swarbrick discusses Brian Kelly’s coaching abilities and Notre Dame’s new practice facilit y.

Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick honed in on one word to describe Irish head coach Brian Kelly since 2016: Impressive.

He referenced the team’s speedy recover y since its dow n year during the 2016 season, when the Irish went 4-8.

“I never had a timetable expectation about it, as my boss [Universit y President] Fr. [John] Jenkins said after the 2016 season, you don’t suddenly forget how to coach,” Swarbrick said. “We hired [Kelly] because he is a great coach, we know he is a great coach. We had ever y confidence in the world.

That it has occurred and that he has done so successfully is just a reinforcement

of what a great coach he is and all the reasons we were attracted to bring Brian here. He is ver y unique in his abilit y to look out over our entire program, assess what it needs and make the necessar y changes.”

One of the changes the Notre Dame football program needed was a new practice facilit y. The team frequently had to practice at non-ideal times in the offseason, making compliance w ith NCA A practice rules more difficult. Swarbrick believes the facilit y w ill be a critical piece of maintaining the football program and Notre Dame athletics moving for ward.

“It’s a great and ver y needed addition,” he said.

“It starts w ith football. We needed an indoor facilit y that allowed us to do the things that Loftus [Sports Center], while it ser ved us well for many years, just did not allow us to do. We need a full field, we need to be able to run to sidelines w ithout falling on a hard surface, see SWARBRICK PAGE 10

volleyball

Irish to start season hosting invitational Observer Sports Staff

Irish head coach Mike Johnson and his team are preparing to welcome the La Salle University Explorers, the Wright State Raiders and the Bowling Green Falcons this weekend for the Golden Dome Invitational.

The four-team field will include the Raiders taking on the Falcons at 4 p.m. on Friday, joined by the Irish and the Explorers at 7 p.m.

Competition will then resume on Saturday with four more games, as each team will have the opportunity to play each other by the end of the Invitational.

The Irish are coming off a 16-12 season, a slight dip from the two seasons prior, when they recorded backto-back 22-win seasons.

W hile the Irish will certainly miss the leadership of ACC Defender of the Year Ryann DeJarld, who graduated in May, much of Johnson’s roster is returning this season with the chance to apply their experience to a schedule that includes four ranked opponents.

Leading the front line for the Irish is the sophomore trio of Charley Niego, Zoe Nunez and Sydney Bent.

Nunez, a setter, along with Niego and Bent, both hitters, have proven themselves up for the task of leading this team. All three were named to the Preseason All-ACC Team, giving the program the second-most nominees.

That young corps is joined by a strong cast including senior outside hitter Jemma Yeadon and junior middle blocker Hannah Thompson.

Niego and DeJarld — both products of Mother McAuley High School in Chicago — were each named to the AVCA honorable mention AllAmerican list. W hile DeJarld has graduated, Niego will be joined by another high school teammate with the addition of freshmen setter Nancy Kane. Kane joins an incoming class that includes middle blocker Sammi Lockwood, libero Kiara Schmidt and outside hitter Caroline Meuth.

Lockwood, a native of Cary, Illinois — a suburb see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 11

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Irish sophomore right side hitter Sydney Bent leaps to spike the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-1 win over Wake Forest on Oct. 6 at Purcell Pavilion. Bent was named to the Preseason All-ACC Team this year.