Print Edition of The Observer for April 30, 2019

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Volume 53, Issue 127 | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Debate team wins ACC championship Notre Dame defeats Wake Forest to clinch first-ever victory at national debate tournament in D.C.

By MARY STEURER Assistant Managing Editor

Sophomore Conrad Palor and freshman Patrick Aimone defeated Wake Forest to place first in the fourth-annual ACC Debate Championship Tournament on April 6 at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, clinching the first-ever victory for a Notre Dame team at the tournament.

The championship round was featured as part of the 2019 ACCelerate ACC Smithsonian Creativity and Innovation Festival, which took place April 5 to 7 and included academic exhibitions from Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools.

Each ACC school had the chance to send one team to the tournament, with about 10 teams participating in total, Aimone said. Four preliminary rounds were held before Notre Dame and Wake Forest proceeded to the finals.

At the tournament, teams debated whether or not compulsory voting should be implemented in the United States. Each prepared arguments for both sides of the topic — for and against — about three weeks in advance, Aimone said.

Aimone said the atmosphere of the tournament was “more laid-back” than see DEBATE PAGE 3

Photo courtesy of Stephen Scheffel

Freshman Patrick Aimone, left, and sophomore Conrad Palor, right, pose after winning the ACC Debate Championship Tournament on Apr. 6. This is the first time Notre Dame had ever won the tournament.

Senate calls on Ryan Hall promotes ND to revise new accessibility in community housing policies

By MAX LANDER News Writer

By GENEVIEVE REDSTEN News Writer

In a resolution passed Monday evening, the student senate urged University administrators to revise the new Residential Life policies.

The new policies, set to take effect in fall of 2021, would ban off-campus students from participating in certain residence hall community events and programs.

The senate will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the new changes with Erin Hoffmann Harding — the vice president for Student Affairs — and Heather Rakoczy Russell — the associate vice president for Residential Life.

Although administrators had hoped the new policies, announced Apr. 11, would encourage students to stay on campus all four years, the changes sparked major pushback from the student body.

news PAGE 3

Most students welcomed the new incentives for oncampus residents — which include free laundry and f lexible meal plans — but many objected to the changes excluding off-campus students from the residence hall communities.

Senators argued that upperclassmen who move off campus play a key role in fostering community within the residence halls.

“Seniors who move off campus are still very much a part of the residential hall community, so I don’t think it should be considered [their] ‘former’ residence halls,” Fisher Hall senator and sophomore DC Morris said. “These guys and gals come back to Mass, they participate in dorm fundraisers and all that stuff — it’s not their ‘former’ residence hall.” see SENATE PAGE 3

SCENE PAGE 5

Ryan Hall is one of Notre Dame’s newest additions to campus, approaching its 10year anniversary as a residence hall.

Although Ryan may not yet have the history of the older dorms, rector Liz Palmer said this does not take away from the dorm’s

community.

“The Ryan Hall community is so spirited and welcoming, and I really love our mission of disability justice and being an advocate for those with handicaps,” Palmer said. “We have a great group of individuals who want to be involved.”

Ryan is one of Notre Dame’s most accessible dorms, Palmer said.

“Our building is built in the spirit of accommodation,” Palmer said. “Everything was designed, from having two elevators, to the carpet on the f loor to the textures on the walls … to aid people who might be physically handicapped or visually handicapped. So, the aim is to serve them as well see RYAN PAGE 4

Dunne Hall residents reflect on brotherhood One of Notre Dame’s newest dorms, Dunne Hall has stood on East Quad since 2016.

Named after donors Jimmy and Susan Dunne, rector Fr. Matthew Kuczora said some may be tempted to think Dunne lacks the tradition

of older dorms. However, Dunne’s newness provides an opportunity to explore new ways of developing and fostering individual and community growth, he said.

“Being a relatively new residence hall community, there is a warmth and openness here that is very strong,” Kuczora said in an email.

“Because residents initially

came from every men’s hall on campus, we’ve been able to create our own traditions and culture as the years have progressed. I think this allows everyone to feel a sense of belonging, since we’re not simply upholding traditions created by others in the past.”

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

SOFTBALL PAGE 12

BASEBALL PAGE 12

By THERESA OLOHAN News Writer

see DUNNE PAGE 4

2

TODAY

The observer | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

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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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Office Manager & General Info

Abby Leone

Robbie Schaefer

freshman Howard Hall

sophomore Morrissey Manor

“Velvet scrunchies.”

“The words ‘peachy’ and ‘dandy.’”

Charley Speaker

Sarah Kaltenbach

freshman Keough Hall

senior off campus

“Ankle socks.”

“‘Silly Bandz.’”

David Jarret

Tommy McCoy

freshman Keough Hall

sophomore Keenan hall

“Low socks.”

“Sweat bands.”

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Claire Rafford Erin Swope Callie Patrick

Stephen Hannon Jimmy Ward Max Lander

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A promotional sign for ND Day 2019 stands outside of Badin Hall on South Quad. Signs of similar design were placed in other locations on campus in preparation for the annual competition, which raises money for campus and community organizations.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Lecture: “Children and Terrorism” 1030 Jenkins Nanovic 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Mia Bloom to present on terrorism.

Last Notre Dame Class Day campus wide all day Final day of class before exams.

Study Days at Snite Museum of Art Snite Museum of Art 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Quiet study option in Musuem galleries.

Last Saint Mary’s Class Day campus wide all day Final day of class before exams.

May Crowning The Grotto 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

English and Spanish bilingual Marian procession.

Concert: Notre Dame Jazz Band Leighton Concert Hall 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

End-of-year concert for jazz bands.

Collegium Musicum Reyes Organ and Choral Hall 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Concert of “A Musical Mirror.”

Documentary: “Hesburgh” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Screening of new film.

Joint-ERG Tango Break Eck Visitors Center 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free dance lesson by Notre Dame staff.

American Ballet Theatre Studio Co. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Open to the public.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | The Observer

3

Holy Cross alumnus, Saint Mary’s student collaborate to design new card game

By REBECCA STELLA News Writer

A Saint Mar y’s student and Holy Cross alumnus are taking advantage of Kickstarter to launch their card game idea, “Top Dog,” June 1.

2018 Holy Cross alumnus Emmanuel Asencio designed the game in high school as a way to meet people, he said.

“I grew up hav ing to move around to different schools,” Ascencio said. “I attended three different high schools and decided to develop a card game to bring people together and to find new friends. It was a way for me to interact w ith other students.”

Debate Continued from page 1

others at which he competes.

“It was a really fascinating style of the debate because you had all the competitors and all the judges who were experienced in more technical, more progressive forms of debate, but ever yone sort of agreed for the purpose of the tournament the style was supposed to be like a public forum — publicly accessible,” he said.

The two teams competed

Senate Continued from page 1

Specifically, student government leaders expressed

Through play ing the game in high school, he met Saint Mar y’s senior Jessica Clark, who has also contributed to the game.

“I have aided in the development process, formatted the instructions of the game and have financially supported this game,” Clark said. “I pushed to continue bringing people together to play in a college env ironment.”

According to Ascencio, the game was originally robber-baron political themed.

However, he sw itched it to dog-themed to be appealing to more players, he said. The website markets “Top Dog” as a game for ever yone, but especially dog lovers.

“W hen determining rankings of this game, I wanted to make it seem like the players were liv ing in a dog’s world,” Ascencio said.

After changing the theme, Ascencio said he decided to include his ow n dog in the game.

“The cover of ‘Top Dog’ is my Border Collie, Duff,” Ascencio said. “I wanted to incorporate Duff in the game somehow, so I decided he would be on the cover as a grow n-up version and in the game as one of the cards as a puppy version.”

Official rules to this game w ill not be posted until the launch of the game on June 1, Ascencio

said.

According to the “Top Dog” website, the game can be played by people who are 7 years old and older, w ith t wo to six players at a time.

The game only takes around one minute to learn and 15 minutes to play, the website said.

“This is a game that is simple and can be played repetitively w ithout boring the players over time,” Ascencio said. “This game can be played in quick rounds of t wo to five minutes, so there is no lengthy time commitment.”

The Kickstarter launch w ill last 60 days, w ith a goal of $ 5,000, the website said.

The launch w ill include a promotional and

instructional v ideo along w ith different opportunities for backers to ow n “Top Dog.” W hile Ascencio and Clark hope for the success of this product, they said that more than any thing, they want others to have the chance to play and experience this game.

“The goal of Top Dog is to bring people together w ith an interactive and competitive card game,” Clark said. “We ultimately want people to have fun.

Now that Emmanuel has graduated, and I am about to, we have made this game into a product so others can enjoy.”

before a panel of judges who released the final verdict shortly after the championship round, Aimone said.

“They took about 10 or 15 minutes to deliberate while we were wandering around the Smithsonian agonizing about ever y little decision we made in the round,” he said.

Palor said competing against Wake Forest posed a unique challenge, as the school has a histor y of winning at the tournament.

“We were the first Notre Dame team to win the ACC tournament,” he said.

The debate team’s coach, third-year law student Stephen Scheffel, said the team has around 10 to 12 active members who compete at four or five tournaments ever y semester.

Scheffel said he was not surprised to see the team place first after watching them prepare.

“We’re lucky because we have so many talented, and especially young, debaters,” Scheffel said. “ … For about two weeks, they were preparing ver y intensely for it, and even on the plane as we

were f lying out there, they were on their computers developing arguments.”

Palor, who has been debating since his freshman year of high school, said the skills he has developed through debate ser ve him in many other areas of his life.

“I think it really helps with public speaking skills, which really is transferable both in classrooms settings but also out of classrooms settings,” he said. “Secondly, it helps you be able to adapt to different audiences.”

Aimone, who began debating in middle school, said he feels debate is “one of the most academically applicable” extracurricular activities.

“Ever y skill you build — whether it’s justif ying your arguments, seeing a different side of a position — are not only skills that will help you in your academic pursuits but also in discussions and dialogues in the real world,” Aimone said.

fear that the changes would harm vulnerable student populations. Co-director of Student Life and junior Abby Smith underscored the financial pressures that lead many

low-income students to move off campus.

“You basically pay 9% more to live on campus than you would to live off campus,” Smith said.

The resolution highlighted the experiences of LGBTQ students, victims of sexual assault and dating violence, disabled students and racial and ethnic minorities.

Many of these students have experienced adverse treatment within their residence halls, as revealed by the 2018 Inclusive Campus Survey and the 2018 Sexual Conduct and Climate Questionnaire.

The new policies may further alienate students who move off campus to avoid this adverse treatment, senators argued.

“Separating [these students] from the activities that do build community cohesiveness and friendships … may eliminate the few remaining positive elements of a social living space for them,” the resolution said.

The objections raised Monday evening ref lect a larger, ongoing debate about inclusivity and diversity on campus. In the wake of the Inclusive Campus Survey, which exposed the negative experiences many minority and female students face, student government leaders have been critical of the University administration.

In the 2019-2020 session of the student senate, student government leaders plan to carry this debate forward.

Duncan Hall senator and freshman Jackson Oxler said he saw the resolution as an important step in the fight for student well-being.

“I think it’s really important that as the representative body as the student population here at Notre Dame, we take steps in the right direction toward representing student opinions — especially when issues that are this important to the students … come into play,” Oxler said in

a comment after the meeting.

Monday marked the last regular senate meeting of the spring semester. After Tuesday’s special meeting with Hoffmann Harding and Russell, the senate concluded until next fall.

Despite the approaching end of the spring semester, however, senators continued planning for their work ahead.

They discussed creating senate committees focusing on residential life, University finance and academic affairs.

“I think [residential life] is going to be a really important issue going forward, especially next year,” Alumni Hall senator and freshman Jack Rotolo said. “I’m 99% positive there will be more work to do after [the special senate meeting Tuesday], so I think it will be really important — especially for our constituents — that we have a senate committee pursuing this.”

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4

NEWS

The observer | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Dunne Continued from page 1

For mer ha l l president jun ior Ma nuel DeBr ito sa id Du n ne g ives st udents f reedom to be t hemselves a nd develop st rong f r iendsh ips.

“A lot of dor ms have a ver y specif ic cu lt u re set a l ready. … But at least i n Du n ne, I felt as t houg h I d id n’t have to con for m to a cer ta in k i nd of a col lege st udent,” DeBr ito sa id. “We were a l l f rom so ma ny d ifferent backg rou nds a nd f rom so ma ny d if ferent cu lt u res t hat it’s k i nd of just a mesh of a l l t hose d if ferent t h i ngs a nd people. Because of t hat, people feel com for table to be t hemselves a nd to f i nd f r iends t hat have persona lit ies sim i la r to t hei rs or d if ferent f rom t hei rs w it hout bei ng judged by a nyone else.”

Spr i ng v ice president a nd sophomore Ca rson R ichter sa id t houg h its h istor y is st i l l developi ng, Du n ne has a st rong com mu n it y.

“I’d def i n itely say it’s a prett y t ig ht-k n it com mun it y,” R ichter sa id. “A s fa r as t rad it ions a nd cu lt u re, it’s st i l l developi ng, but t here’s some prett y good g uys t here now a nd ever yone gets a long prett y wel l.”

Du n ne’s pioneer-l i ke menta l it y, coupled w it h its d r ive to ma ke a na me for

itself has created a commu n it y of mot ivated men, Kuczora sa id.

“T hey’re generous when pitch i ng i n to put on a n event a nd genu inely look out for one a not her,” he sa id. “T hey’re w i l ling to put i n t he ha rd work to create somet h ing u n ique t hat w i l l last for generat ions a nd t hey’re ver y creat ive.”

T he a n nua l Du n ne Fu n ne Ru n ne demonst rates t he creat ive spi r it a nd energ y of t he Sent inels, DeBr ito sa id. T he event, a 3k a nd t h ree-person relay race held on East Quad, benef its Educat ion Br idge, a school i n Sout h Suda n fou nded by a Du n ne a lu m nus, Kuczora sa id.

“Basica l ly, you run a rou nd w it h t h ree g uys.

It’s a relay a nd ever yone is cheer i ng you on in va r ious stages, so ever yone ca n see t he ot her cost u mes,” DeBr ito sa id. “ ... We’ve had it t w ice now, a nd bot h yea rs it’s been super successf u l.

People just enjoy going out a nd hav i ng a good t ime on Sat u rday w it hout necessa ri ly hav i ng to demonst rate at h let ic abi l it y — we’re just t here for some laug hs a nd t hat’s Du n ne Fu n ne Ru n ne.”

Ha l l president sophomore George Ly ma n sa id t he r u n has potent ia l to be t he dor m’s sig nat u re event.

“I t h i n k it’s somet h ing t hat cou ld g row i nto somet h ing

Observer File Photo

Founded in 2016, Dunne Hall is one of the newest dorms on campus. Known for its signature events such as the Dunne Funne Runne and the DunneDance Film Festival, Dunne won Men’s Hall of the Year in 2018.

rea l ly big on ca mpus, but I t h in k t here’s st i l l room for it to g row,” he sa id.

The Du n neDa nce Fi lm Fest iva l — a st udent r u n f i lm fest iva l wh ich ta kes place in Apr i l — demonst rates t he creat iv it y of st udent f i lm ma kers f rom Du n ne a nd across ca mpus, DeBr ito sa id.

“We do li ke a n Osca rs k indof awa rd ceremony where we ra n k best actor, best suppor t ing actor a nd best mov ie,” Br ito sa id. “We a lso do best foreig n f i lms where ot her dor ms ca n subm it t heir mov ies to us a nd t hen we’l l watch t hem. It’s a g reat laug h.”

Th is g row t h a nd interest in t he event t h is past yea r

is prom ising for t he event, 2019 fa l l v ice president Nicholas Spit zer sa id.

“We a lso had a lot more foreig n f i l m subm issions f rom ot her dor ms, so t hat’s show ing how it’s g row ing,” Spr it zer sa id.

“It’s a lot of f u n to watch a l l t hese people w it h a l l t hese creat ive ideas get t h row n toget her a nd watch t hem a l l be presented.”

In a shor t t ime, Du n ne has proved itself a r iva l to t he more-establ ished dor ms, Spit zer sa id.

“Du n ne’s rea l ly show n to have a g roup of outgoing people who a re rea l ly passionate. ... I rea l ly enjoy being in it because t here’s so ma ny d if ferent

d irect ions it cou ld go.”

Spit zer sa id.

Ly ma n sa id he appreciates t he cha nce to bu i ld a commu n it y f rom t he g rou nd up i n Du n ne.

“I love being in Du n ne — you ca n ask a nyone in Du n ne, I’l l tel l t hem that,” L y man said. “I think it’s rea l ly interest ing to be in a place where t rad it ions a re st i l l for ming a nd you get to rea l ly ma ke you r ma rk on a commu n it y. ... I wou ld n’t g ive up t he cha nce to establ ish ou r ow n t rad it ions for a nyt h ing. I t h in k t hat’s rea l ly awesome.”

Ryan

involvement — both on and off campus — and then just strengthening events and helping all of our new members to kind of understand what Ryan is and how we want to see it grow in the future,” she said.

Ryan also hosts other events to foster community within the dorm and across campus. The hall holds “FJ” events with Ryan Hall’s priest-in-residence Fr. Joe Carey most Tuesday nights, Daly said.

“Every Tuesday, a section of Ryan is welcome to [Carey’s] apartment just talk to one another, and then at 11 [p.m.], everyone from all over campus is welcome to come and talk to him,” Daly said.

In the future, the women of Ryan will continue to work on fostering community and advocating for Notre Dame students living with disabilities, Daly said.

“I think that they’re going in a lot of the same directions, continuing to keep strengthening what we already have,” she said. “We want our events to be as big and as great as things like the Keenan Revue.”

Contact Theresa Olohan at tolohan2@nd.edu

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Continued from page 1

as our community.”

Palmer said the dorm’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity is also visible in its annual signature events, such as W heelchair Basketball, where students play basketball games in wheelchairs to raise money for a group called W hirlwind W heelchair International, a company that distributes wheelchairs to those who are in need.

Junior Alyssa Daly, who served as the dorm’s president for the 2018-2019 school year, said Ryan also boasts a strong sense of community and family, which is supported by their acceptance of students with disabilities.

“I guess everyone says it, but I think it is one of the greatest communities on this campus,” Daly said. “Every single person I’ve met just welcomes you with open arms, and I think we’re so much about family and welcoming others.”

Daly said this sense of community was something she wanted to strengthen during her tenure as dorm president.

“We decided to focus a lot on senior

Contact Max Lander at mlander1@nd.edu

The observer | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

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CRISTINA INTERIANO | The Observer

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The observer | Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Thank you, Avengers

Inside Column

Mysteries of the sea Serena Zacharias News Writer

Pressi ng my ha nds aga i nst t he Plex ig la ss, bat hed i n t he da rk blue hue of t he water’s ref lect ion, I watched a s a ma ssive sha rk moved om i nously i nches f rom my face, d ist u rbi ng t he spong y cora ls beneat h h i m.

I remember v isit i ng t he Shedd Aqua r iu m for t he f i rst t i me yea rs ago, raci ng t h roug h t he ex h ibit s w it h my older brot her to locate t he play f u l sea ot ters, to pet t he si l k y f i ns of st i ng rays a nd to og le at t he va r ious f ish, squ id a nd t u r t les f loat i ng stead i ly i n t hei r ta n k s. T he abu nda nce of colors, shapes a nd tex t u res wou ld f lood my senses a s I felt t ra nspor ted to a new world so d i fferent, yet so con nected to my ow n.

A s I d iscovered t he t remendous d iversit y i n ma r i ne l i fe, I bega n to feel t hat t he more I lea r ned, t he more myster ious t he sea beca me. T he ex h ibits i n most aqua r iu ms at tempt to i m itate d i f ferent aquat ic habitat s, but aqua r iu ms a re obv iously sy nt het ic, u n nat u ra l env i ron ments t hat ca n never ref lect t he rea l it y of ma r i ne l i fe.

Ma ny of t he orga n isms have been bred i n capt iv it y, never ex per ienci ng t he u n ique com mu n it ies t hei r a ncestors enjoyed.

Some of t he best aqua r iu ms i n t he world prov ide a n ex t raord i na r y, but i nev itably i llusor y v iew of t he t h r iv i ng, deep-sea world ex ist i ng fa r out of ou r reach.

Accord i ng t he Nat iona l Ocea n Ser v ice, 80 % of ou r ocea n is u n mapped, u nobser ved a nd u nex plored. A lt houg h scient ist s a nd ex plorers st r ive to reduce t hat percent i n sea rch of u nd iscovered creat u res a nd pla nt s, i n ma ny ways, t he myster y of t he ocea n doesn’t d isappoi nt me.

On a pla net t hat’s br i m m i ng w it h seven bi l l ion people, it may seem t here a re few places t he hu ma n ha nd ha s fa i led to touch.

I enjoy t h i n k i ng about t he da rk, dept hs of t he ocea n a nd t he com mu n it ies t hat have l i kely f lou r ished for cent u r ies i n a haven of t hei r ow n because I l i ke to bel ieve ever y creat u re deser ves a piece of t he pla net.

My fa sci nat ion w it h ma r i ne l i fe somet i mes bet rays my respect for t he myster ies of t he sea, but I’ve come to rea l i ze t hat’s on ly nat u ra l. A s hu ma ns, we a re compel led by ou r cu r iosit y to see a nd u ndersta nd ever y t h i ng on ou r pla net a nd beyond.

W h i le t hat i ntense desi re to k now pervades much of my ex istence, I’m beg i nn i ng to appreciate t he u n k now n more a nd more. Of ten t he beaut y of nat u re l ies i n ou r mere percept ion of t he env i ron ment — t he wa r m ora nge i nd icat i ng va st ca nyons or t he lush g reen vegetat ion dom inat i ng forest s — over whel m i ng ou r senses w it h color a nd l i fe. But I see a pa r t icu la r beaut y i n nat u re’s i n herent abi l it y to t ra nscend ou r hu ma n l ives si mply because of its mag n it ude a nd its myster y, a nd to me, contemplat i ng t he sea ha s pa r t icu la rly rei n forced t hat not ion. T he st reng t h a nd power of t he ocea n persists, no mat ter how forcef u l ly we push to conquest over it.

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

Patrick McKelvey With the Current

For 11 years, the Mar vel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has dominated the mov ie industr y. It started in 2008 w ith “Iron Man,” an independently-produced feature about a lesser-know n superhero that took countless pitch meetings and multiple rounds of financing to get off the ground. Few probably predicted how successful the film would be, spaw ning 21 entries into the same shared universe w ith a combined box office total that w ill soon top $20 billion. Few probably predicted it would kickstart the mov ies that would define a decade of pop culture.

And now it’s over.

Well, the MCU isn’t — it w ill continue on for the foreseeable future. A new “Spider-Man” w ill open this July, and producer Kev in Feige has vaguely described Mar vel Studios’ plans for the next incarnation of the franchise. But it’s no spoiler to say that “Avengers: Endgame,” which premiered April 26, marks a conclusion of sorts. The original slate of films, centered around Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye — and now termed the “Infinit y Saga” — has come to an end.

I’ve been critical of the summer blockbuster before. It often seems like the only thing that comes out of Holly wood any more is sequels, remakes and adaptations. But I think I wasn’t looking at the issue correctly. In many ways, the MCU has changed what a “mov ie” is. It showed that a mov ie doesn’t necessarily have to be a self-contained stor y. A character arc doesn’t have to resolve itself in t wo hours of runtime. Mar vel Studios did what just a few years ago would have been thought impossible. They created a 22-film saga that spanned over decades, that crossed genres and stor ylines, that dealt w ith recasting and executive shuff les and being bought by a new studio. They did so to resounding success, and I loved ever y minute of it.

Like so many others, I grew up on the Mar vel Cinematic Universe. I remember seeing “Iron

Man” when I was 10. A few years later, I came out of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and went straight away to get a Steve Rogers haircut. I may or may not still have it. Opening weekends became events, people who had never read a comic book bought tickets weeks in advance. Discussion of past films and speculation surrounding future ones became the centerpiece of any pop culture conversation. This has been our generation’s Star Wars. These characters have been our greatest role models.

Some people have called the mov ies nerdy (they are), or melodramatic (definitely sometimes) or poor examples of the art of film (maybe so). But I’ve never seen anyone call them uninspired. I’ve never seen anyone call them tired adaptations of mindless source material, because they’re not.

The MCU isn’t popular because of CGI battles or over-the-top stor ylines. It’s popular because it’s relatable. It follows f lawed, but fundamentally good, characters attempting to solve their problems together. It’s because of this that AntMan doesn’t seem too silly, and Captain America doesn’t seem too old-fashioned. It’s because of this that these films have resonated w ith such a large audience.

There’s not much more I can say about the MCU and the Avengers that won’t be said for years to come. I’m sure, eventually, countless studies w ill be released examining the franchise’s inf luence on mov ies and popular culture. So I’m just going to say thank you — for grow ing up w ith me and my friends and millions of others, for 22 great mov ies about one great stor y, for ever y premiere night and ever y mov ie theatre parking lot discussion after wards. Thank you, Avengers, for the last 11 years. I can’t wait to keep watching.

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

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The observer | Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTERs TO THE EDITOR

A reminder for myself I really don’t have any idea where you are right now. You might be reading this letter in some fancy office on the top floor of a skyscraper, looking down on the tiny figures who bustle to and fro on the streets below. Maybe you didn’t make it. Your basement office isn’t so luxurious. Worn-out lightbulbs flicker intermittently onto the page. Maybe you’re distracted reading this because you’re sitting at the kitchen table and your 3-year-old son keeps grabbing your leg (Don’t ignore him!).

I hope that you are a good man now. At least, I hope you’re trying to be one. I don’t know if you were a good man when you were in college. It’s not really my place to say, but I know you were trying.

I wonder how you feel when you look back on your four years at Notre Dame. Inevitably, some memories will recede slowly into the depths of your subconscious. Technicolor experiences fade to black and white; sharp contrasts blur until only hazy silhouettes remain. Soon these too will disappear, and you’ll be left with nothing but a vague feeling.

This will happen with the people as well. I hope you can still visualize the faces in vivid detail. I wonder which faces will disappear first.

Consider, for example, the double you lived in during your junior year. You might be able to picture the general setup — lofted beds in the standard “L” formation, futon facing a large plaid chair. But do you remember that the doorknob didn’t always

catch when you turned it, that it sometimes took you three or four tries to enter the room?

I can describe any number of things to you, but they would be insufficient. These words will spark memories — but, as you know, memories are flawed. You cannot fit all of Notre Dame into your brain — you cannot even fit all of your roommate!

I’ve been thinking about this lately. What should I take with me from these four years? There is something which cannot be summarized. I think the problem is that there is just too much.

There are some things that I cannot bear the thought of you not understanding, though. Please know that there were beautiful people in your life.

There were so many of them, far too many to count.

Incredibly, some of them were your friends. You ate together, worked together, lived together, laughed together. You spent innumerable hours with friends.

Doing homework, playing basketball, sitting around late at night and talking about things you’d never felt comfortable enough to share with another person before. It was deeply good.

Life was not always happy. You might forget that, as you look back on the “good old days.” Sometimes, you and your friends hurt each other. Please do not forget this pain, because if you forget the pain, you will forget the moments of forgiveness which sprang from it. There were moments at Notre Dame that broke you. Try as you might, sometimes you

couldn’t stop your thoughts from hurtling down those tried old roads of negativity, of hatred, of despair. In these moments of darkness, your friends showed you what it meant to live in the light. You tried to do the same for them when they were weak.

Please remember this: Some of your friendships became about so much more than “shared values.”

The strongest bonds were forged between broken hearts.

At present, you see indistinctly, as if you were looking at the past through a mirror. But I believe in life after death. I hope you still do too. Someday you will fully understand the meaning of your four years at Notre Dame. The fading faces of your friends will be restored to their true glory. You will see clearly the beauty from each moment, even the moments of pain, because everything will be illuminated totally in the light of God’s grace.

But that’s a long way off.

For now, you have a reflection of that light, grotesquely distorted by the savagery of time. But even the imperfect reflections from these four years can fill your soul with miraculous warmth. Hold them.

Keep them. And look forward to the day when they will be made perfect.

Matt Brown senior April 25

Paul Ryan will not educate our students On Monday, Notre Dame announced former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will serve as a faculty member during the 2019-2020 academic year, namely as guest lecturer in economics and political science. Noted topics include “the fundamentals of American government, the current state of political polarization and Catholicism and economics.”

On its surface, the move makes sense — Ryan is a high-profile name, and only recently removed from high-stakes political maneuvering in our nation’s capital. The sad truth, though, is that he is a con man, one with a toxic legacy of demonstrably false rhetoric and blind loyalty to a cancerous Republican Party. During his Obama-era rise, he was the most vehemently anti-deficit politician in the country, selling increased spending under a Democratic president as an existential threat to the American way of life itself. And then, in 2015, he became Speaker, finally wielding considerable power over the issue. In those four years of

material economic growth, the deficit ballooned (gasp) by $343 billion. Oops! Maybe it wasn’t that important after all.

Regarding the recent GOP tax bill, Ryan said, “I don’t think it will increase the deficit.” Wrong!

Another one of his signature promises was that under GOP law, regular citizens could fill out their taxes on a postcard. No one could have possibly foreseen that was a dumb idea, or that we’d still be beholden to the big lobbying dollars of Turbotax and co. instead of being provided an actual solution. He lied about the Republican attempts to repeal the ACA, fully leaning into President Trump’s post-truth new world. He gave lip service to immigration reform and proceeded to engineer a totally bad-faith debate around it.

To be clear, feigning a passion for deficit reduction is not nearly the worst of Ryan’s political career. His blatant disregard for this country’s most vulnerable, his willingness to exacerbate income and wealth inequality and his utter helplessness

and/or disinterest in controlling Donald Trump’s racism and disregard for the rule of law are all black marks. These examples simply serve to illustrate that the man cannot be trusted at his word, and has no place educating Notre Dame students.

Paul Ryan proved time and time again that he’s intellectually bankrupt — a man who weaponized “fiscal responsibility” against Democrats and abandoned it for Donald Trump, the most transparently ridiculous and dishonest president this country has ever seen. He pretended to be a compassionate conservative while advancing policies that, at best, abdicated responsibility towards the poorest among us. I would recommend current students follow the lead of Alexandria OcasioCortez and not listen to a thing he says.

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt

Andrew Smith class of 2015 April 15

8

DAILY

The observer | Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Manage your time wisely. Much can be accomplished this year if you use your ingenuity and discipline to get things done.

Opportunities are within reach, but so are opportunists waiting to take advantage of you. A hands-on approach to money, health and contractual matters will deter others from taking advantage of you. Stakes are high; do your due diligence. Your numbers are 8, 19, 23, 28, 31, 36, 40.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Communicating, traveling and learning are featured. A challenge will pique your interest and turn into an unforgettable experience. Taking charge of a situation will leave a good impression.

Romance is in the stars, and personal improvements can be initiated.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stay focused on your goal. It’s up to you to bring about positive change and to make adjustment to your life or job that will make you stand out. Don’t miss an opportunity because you are too stubborn or slow to react.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep your intentions and your plans a secret until you have everything in place. Walk away from anyone prying into your affairs or trying to entice you to take part in something that is excessive or risky.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do your own thing. Work on a project that encourages you to strive for personal growth and a better lifestyle. Invest your time in relationships and projects that will help you expand your mind as well as your friendships.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Consider what’s possible. If you want to make a change, don’t include others in the transformation. Work on yourself, your attributes and being the best you can be. Self-improvement will lead to new opportunities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get involved in events or activities that will enhance your knowledge or target skills that can help you advance.

Networking and meeting someone who is cutting-edge will inspire you. A partnership will tempt you, but it may not be practical.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t try to change someone else. Concentrate on yourself and what you can do to make your life better. If someone doesn’t want to tag along, continue on your own. Physical and intellectual growth should be priorities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Make changes for the right reasons. If someone is pressing you to overspend or get involved in something questionable, back away. You’ll do best if you work on things that make you happy and relationships that matter to you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep your distance from anyone who tends to meddle or spread rumors. Make improvements to your living space, and spend time with someone you love. A promise or plans you make will give you something to look forward to.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Matters concerning institutions, government agencies or medical facilities should be handled carefully. If you act in haste or you don’t look at the fine print, it will end up costing you. Make your living space more comfortable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Physical fitness, a healthier lifestyle and events geared toward helping a cause you believe in should be priorities.

New friendships can be established that will encourage you to be the best you can be.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Someone will offer false information or use the power of persuasion to take advantage of you. If you want to make a change, do so for the right reason, not because someone is twisting your arm. When in doubt, walk away.

Birthday Baby: You are driven, adaptable and compassionate. You are responsive and outgoing.

WINGin’ it | OLIVIA WANG & BAILEE EGAN

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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SPORTS sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | The Observer

Sports Authority

nhl | blues 4, stars 3

Dwayne Haskins, Invisible Man Tobias Hoonhout Senior Sports Writer

“If Dwayne Haskins, as an African American, goes to Duke and puts up those mediocre stats, seventh in the conference, he’s not drafted day one or day two.”

I won’t mince words — it is a travesty that the New York Giants drafted Daniel Jones at No. 6 in the 2019 NFL Draft.

I know that my colleague and Giants fan Elizabeth Greason is due for her last Sports Authority tomorrow, but I couldn’t pass up on such a golden opportunity.

Kind of like what the Giants did with Dwayne Haskins.

Look, the NFL Draft and quarterbacks have a tumultuous history. It’s never a perfect science, and the risk is that much higher in the first round. In recent history alone, names like Jake Locker, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and RG3 all come to mind as “franchise guys” who didn’t pan out.

But quarterback is still arguably the most important position in all of sports. And when your team needs a new one, you go get one.

That was the situation the New York Giants found themselves in heading into the draft.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s the end of an era in the Big Apple. Even though he’s had the last laugh in two Super Bowls, Eli Manning is not a superhuman like Tom Brady, and his days as a starting quarterback in the NFL are numbered. It was time for an investment.

Instead of drafting their future franchise quarterback, however, the Giants drafted an Eli Manning look alike.

Giants General Manager David Gettleman says he was in “full-blown love” with a guy who couldn’t earn a scholarship to Duke to play football. Who went 4-8 on the road in the ACC over his career. Who played against the second-string defense in the Senior Bowl to win game MVP honors.

Yes, I know you can never be sure with these things. Yes, I’m sure Daniel Jones is the “good guy” that all the pundits keep caveating their critiques of him with. But if the NFL is a business, a top-10 pick is supposed to be a surefire investment. With the way that Gettleman has gone on

9

a PR campaign to inflate his own ego about this pick, Daniel Jones is apparently blue chip stock.

Let’s not forget about the Manning connection though.

Jones has been to the Manning Passing Academy twice. His coach at Duke, Dave Cutcliffe, coached both Eli and Peyton in college and called Gettleman’s decision “a match made in heaven.”

Who made the match though?

Was this more about Daniel Jones or about Eli’s legacy?

Dwayne Haskins may have played only one season at Ohio State, but he threw only two fewer touchdowns (50) than Jones did in his entire college career (52).

The two may have similar tapes, but it’s apparent that Haskins is at his floor, while Jones has hit his ceiling.

Adam Schefter said Friday a source told him the Giants were between Jones and Missouri quarterback Drew Lock “as quarterbacks one, and one-A in this draft.”

The more I think about it, the more it makes me uncomfortable for every party involved. We should be past the days when black quarterbacks have to play like Mike Vick and pocket passers can only be white. Yet decisions like the one the New York Giants made — a decision so obviously impacted not by talent, but by a desire to find the next Eli Manning — brings bad blood to the surface.

Haskins said it best: “The league done messed up.”

In the final PLS seminar of my undergraduate career, we just finished reading Ralph Ellison’s masterful “Invisible Man.” I’ll leave you with a quote from the epilogue.

“Let man keep his many parts and you’ll have no tyrant states.

Why, if they follow this conformity business they’ll end up by forcing me, an invisible man, to become white, which is not a color but the lack of one. Must I strive towards colorlessness? But seriously, and without snobbery, think of what the world would lose if that should happen. America is woven of many strands; I would recognize them and let it so remain.”

Here’s to more strands of NFL quarterback.

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

Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports

Maroon scores in third leading Blues to top Stars Associated Press

DALLAS — Pat Maroon paused briefly before thrusting both of his arms into the air, unsure if he had gotten the puck into the net to put the St. Louis Blues back in front late in a wild third period.

Maroon’s flicked shot across the body and over the right shoulder of Ben Bishop was indeed a goal, a game-winner against the Dallas Stars with 1:38 left to give the Blues a 4-3 victory and a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinal matchup.

His second goal of the playoffs ended a span of just under 5 1/2 minutes when both teams scored two goals , including Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo ending a 25-game drought since scoring his last goal Feb. 19.

Jaden Schwartz and Tyler Bozak each had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who are still undefeated on the road this postseason after winning all three games at Winnipeg in the first-round series they won in six games. All four of the road wins

have been by one goal.

Game 4 is Wednesday night in Dallas.

Pietrangelo’s one-timer with 5:36 left, for a 3-2 lead, came right after the end of a Blues power play during which Andrew Cogliano scored a short-handed goal to tie the game 1:18 earlier.

But Dallas quickly got even again at 3-3 on Tyler Seguin’s goal with 4:08 left that was his first point in this series, only to see the Blues regain the lead again when the St. Louis-born Maroon got the puck past the Stars goalie who grew up in St. Louis, then was drafted by the Blues and made his NHL debut for them.

This is Maroon’s first season with the Blues after he played his first seven NHL seasons with three other teams.

The Stars were on the power play for the final 44 seconds of the game after a delay of game penalty against Colton Parayko, a penalty that was called after a lengthy discussion by the four on-ice officials. Dallas had a twoskater advantage with Bishop out of net and on the bench, but had

three shots blocked and missed another before time ran out.

Bishop stopped 30 shots, while Blues rookie goalie Jordan Binnington had 28 saves.

Alexander Radulov scored on a power play in the first period for the Stars, his team-high fifth goal of the playoffs.

St. Louis went ahead 2-1 midway through the second period when Vince Dunn passed to Robert Thomas, whose shot from the middle of the right circle got through Bishop’s legs and behind him. Bozak was there, along with Stars forward Roope Hintz, and was able to knock the puck in for his second goal of the playoffs.

The Blues led 1-0 only 87 seconds into the game when Ryan O’Reilly made a pass from behind the net to Parayko, whose shot from the blue line was hit so hard that Schwartz’s stick was reverberating when he deflected the puck past Bishop for the goal.

Dallas got even on a goal in the first by Radulov, who was sliding backward in front of the net and connected on a quick wrister on a pass from Jason Spezza.

Nba | 76ers 94, raptors 89

76ers beat Raptors in Toronto, Ennis scores 13 Associated Press

TORONTO — Jimmy Butler had 30 points and 11 rebounds, James Ennis scored 13 points and the Philadelphia 76ers held on to beat the Toronto Raptors 94-89 on Monday night, evening their Eastern Conference semifinal series 1-1.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Philadelphia.

Down 19 in the first half, Toronto cut the deficit to one late in the third, then went cold to start the fourth, missing six of its first seven shots.

The Raptors kept coming, however. Lowry made 3-pointers on both sides of a pair of foul shots by Butler cutting it to 90-87 with 1:36 to go. Toronto got the ball back, and Siakam scored on a layup to make it a one-point game, but Joel Embiid answered with a driving shot at the other end, restoring the three-point advantage with 24 seconds left.

After Lowry nearly turned the ball over, Danny Green missed a potential tying 3, and Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris came up with the rebound, his 11th.

Harris was fouled and sealed it by

w

making a pair with 3.9 seconds left.

Embiid scored 12 points in 32 minutes despite missing the morning shootaround because of flu-like symptoms.

Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points, Siakam had 21 and Lowry 20. Toronto shot 10 for 37 from 3-point range and 33 for 91 overall as its franchise-record five game postseason winning streak came to an end.

Toronto missed six of its first eight shots, matching the number of misses it had in the first quarter of Game 1, when the Raptors made 16 of 22. Toronto shot 7 for 24 in the first and missed its first seven from 3-point range before Norm Powell connected.

Butler scored six points for Philadelphia, who led 26-17 after one. Toronto got 17 from both Leoonard and Siakam in the first quarter of Game 1, when they scored 39 points.

Ennis and Butler each scored seven points in the second and Philadelphia led 51-38 at the half.

Four of Butler’s came on a fivepoint possession for the 76ers that saw Green called for a technical after fouling Butler on a made

3-pointer, and JJ Redick making the technical foul shot.

Leonard scored seven more as Toronto used a 13-4 run out of the break to cut the gap to 55-51.

Leonard had 11 points in the third and Siakam had seven. Toronto trailed 61-60 with 2:50 left in the quarter but Embiid made four free throws before the quarter ended and the 76ers took a 69-63 lead to the fourth.

Philadelphia shot 0 for 11 from 3-point range in the third, but Jonah Bolden stopped the drought with a 3 to begin the fourth

Tip-ins 76ers: Embiid only attempted one shot in the first half, a missed 3-pointer at 8:39 of the second. ...

Greg Monroe left in the third because of a sore left ankle and did not return. They finished with 20, leading to 24 points ... F Mike Scott (right heel) missed his second straight game. ... The 76ers outscored the Raptors 26-5 in bench points.

Raptors: Siakam missed eight of his first 10 shots. ...

Leonard shot 6 for 10 in the first half, while the rest of the Raptors shot 9 for 36.

The Obser ver accepts classifieds ever y 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 Obser ver reser ves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

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Sports

The observer | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

T&F Continued from page 12

Harris was the anchor leg, and she split a 4:28 for the 1600-meter leg — the problem was she got the baton 11 seconds behind,” Sparks said. “She closed the gap but couldn’t quite catch the University of Pennsylvania. She’s been competitive for us on the national level for the last couple years, but she’s really learning how to close over the last 200 meters. She’s always run fast, but she hasn’t always finished races well … so the final piece to the puzzle that we’ve been looking for the last couple years is starting to come together.”

At the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, Ohio, sophomore Rachel Tanczos stole the show by setting another school record, this time in the discus throw.

Already holding the school record in hammer throw, Tanczos cemented her place in the record books once again with a throw of 52.71 meters Saturday afternoon, placing her in third overall but first in program history, breaking the previous record of 52.55 meters set by Jaclyn Espinoza in 2009.

“Rachel Tanczos seems to break the school record every week — can’t complain about that,” Sparks said. “She’s in a variety of events, which makes her so unique. … She’s doing very well in three events, which is a coach’s dream. The entire throwers team, week after week, keeps setting personal bests and school records — we’re really excited with

the direction that group is headed going into the championships.”

Sparks also praised the performance of sophomore Summer Thorpe, who finished first in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 13.44.

“She’s got one of the faster times in the conference in the 100 hurdles and has been very consistent with that high-end time,” Sparks said. “She made a big jump a couple weeks ago at Louisville, and she’s maintained that level of performance [since then]. She’s putting herself in position to not only compete at the conference level, but also nationally.”

With the ACC Championships two weekends away and during a busy time academically for the student-athletes, Sparks noted that the Irish will only send a select number of individuals to the Billy Hayes Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana, this weekend.

“Just looking at a couple kids trying to hit ACC-qualifying marks,” Sparks said. “With finals coming up next week, we’re going to give most of the kids the weekend off to prepare for finals and to rest up for the conference meet.”

However, Sparks couldn’t resist making a little announcement concerning the upcoming ACCs. “We’re probably going to run Anna Rohrer in the conference meet in the 10K,” Sparks announced. “We expect a boost there, and we’ll see what she can do.”

ANNA MASON | The Observer

Contact Joe Everett at jeveret4@nd.edu

Irish senior distance runner Annie Heffernan runs in a pack during Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational at Loftus Sports Center. Heffernan was a three-time GGCL Runner of the Year for track in high school.

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Write Sports.

Email Ellen at egeyer1@nd.edu

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Sports

Softball Continued from page 12

The Irish doubled down on their scoring in the second, bringing two more runners to the plate thanks to a single from senior outfielder Ali Wester and another Marino RBI on a ground out to first. Both sides’ bats were briefly silent during a scoreless third, but Notre Dame sent two balls over the fence — a solo shot from Marino and a two-run homer from senior infielder Melissa Rochford — bringing the score

ndsmcobserver.com | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | The Observer

up to 7-1. Again, Pitt mustered up a run in response but fell short of getting within striking distance.

The Irish pitching managed to shut the door there, limiting the Panthers to a total of two runs on six hits in another strong outing from what has been a very consistent staff this season. Tidd added another win to her 20-6 record on the year. Notre Dame added five insurance runs in the seventh to close out the game, highlighted by a Brooks grand slam, which broke the single-season Irish home run record with her 18th

of the year. Sophomore Morgan Ryan came in to finish the game in the bottom of the seventh and made quick work of Pitt, wrapping up a 12-2 victory.

Notre Dame’s offense was not quite as productive Sunday but still put up five runs in a much closer game than the day before. Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead after a leadoff home run by senior infielder Olivia Gray and an RBI single from senior infielder Alexis Solak, but the team would not bring another runner home as Notre Dame sophomore right-hander Alexis Holloway settled into the game.

Allison thornton | The Observer

Irish junior infielder Katie Marino drops down to ground a ball during Notre Dame’s 8-0 win over IUPUI on Apr. 2 at home. Marino hit a home run for the Irish in the bottom of the third inning.

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However, the Irish could not manage to score themselves early on in the game, remaining scoreless until the fourth inning, but they found offense in an unlikely place. Holloway bunted home a run on a chaotic play, bringing the Irish within a run of the Panthers. Notre Dame finally found what it had been looking for in the top of the fifth. A Pitt error brought in a run, and senior infielder MK Bonamy gave her team a commanding 5-2 lead with a three-run blast over the right center field wall. Tidd entered the game in relief and continued her success from the Saturday game — she did not let the Panthers score again, and the score remained the same as the Irish took game two.

Notre Dame aimed for the sweep when it took on Pitt for a third-consecutive day Monday.

The game proceeded similarly to Sunday’s game, with both teams struggling to get their offenses going in the early innings. Rochford broke the scoreless tie for the Irish with an RBI single in the top of the third. A pair of singles from Marino and Brooks gave Notre Dame a 3-0 lead in the next inning, and sophomore outfielder Abby Sweet homered to lead off the fifth inning.

The Panthers pushed across an unearned run in the next half-inning, but the Irish responded with a run driven in

by Rochford. The score stayed 5-1 for the rest of the game, giving Tidd — who was back on the mound starting for Notre Dame — a complete-game win with no earned runs.

The Irish will face off at home against Detroit Mercy in a Wednesday matchup as they take a break from conference play, with first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m. They will look to extend their win streak to seven as they head into the postseason as ACC championship hopefuls.

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Baseball Continued from page 12

left-handed pitcher Tommy Vail then stepped in and recorded the save for the Irish, giving up zero hits and recording four strikeouts, including a three up, three down ninth inning to end the game early for the Irish.

The second game did not go as favorably for the Irish, as they fell to the Wolfpack 4-2.

Both teams struggled out of the gate before Notre Dame finally broke open the scoring in the bottom of the fourth on a Gilgenbach single that drove Jung home. It would maintain the lead until NC State freshman centerfielder Tyler McDonough doubled in the top of the sixth, recording three RBIs in the process.

On the very next batter the Wolfpack scored once more to go up 4-1. The Irish couldn’t manage another run until the bottom of the ninth as Myers scored Gilgenbach on a single down the left side. Then, sophomore third baseman Niko Kavadas stepped up to the plate with two outs, the bases loaded and a chance to prolong the game or win it for the Irish. However, with a 1-2 count Kavadas made contact but was thrown out at first base to end the game.

In the final game Sunday, Notre Dame rebounded from the previous day’s loss and took the series with a decisive 4-1 victory. The Wolfpack carried the momentum from their victory to start the final game, recording two hits and going up 1-0 in the top of the first inning. However, Notre Dame shut NC State down for the remainder of the game behind solid pitching from Vail, junior left-handed pitcher Cameron Brown and sophomore right-handed pitcher Joe Boyle.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth inning that the Irish got on the board, as Prajzner scored Miller to record an RBI. Notre Dame then took over in the bottom of the sixth, as they loaded the bases and scored three consecutive runs off three consecutive batters to take a 4-1 lead. NC State could not find anything offensively, recording zero hits in the final two innings. Vail recorded yet another save, striking out three straight batters in the top of the ninth to give the Irish the win.

Next up, Notre Dame will face the University of Illinois at Chicago in a one-game series Tuesday. The Flames (18-19, 11-9 Horizon League) have lost four straight games and six of their last seven, and have gone only 5-14 on the road. Notre Dame will likely use the contest as a tune-up game to prepare for the following series against No. 7 Louisville. First pitch is scheduled at 6 p.m.

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The observer | tuesday, april 30, 2019 | ndsmcobserver.com

Track & Field

Squad wraps up competiton at Penn Relays

By JOE EVERETT Senior Sports Writer

The Notre Dame track and field team sent athletes to compete in three different meets Thursday through Saturday, as the Irish participated at the Gina Relays, the Penn Relays and the Jesse Owens Inv itational to w rap up its last major competitions before the ACC and NCA A Championships.

At the famous Penn Relays, the national title-w inning men’s distance medley relay (DMR) team aimed to earn gold once again.

However, sophomore Yared Nuguse, who has generated last-leg heroics multiple times for the Irish, met his match on the straightaway in Philadelphia. The Notre Dame squad finished in third w ith a time of 9:47.94 — less than one second away from first place.

“I thought they were a little frustrated, obv iously, coming off the national championship — wanted to put themselves in a position to w in again,” Irish head coach

Matt Sparks said. “Men were in the middle of a prett y good rainstorm at the time, but it was a good learning experience for Yared Nuguse. He’s kind of carried that relay the last couple years, and he’s realizing he can’t [fully rely] on his kick the last 100 meters of the race, which is how he’s won several times. Ever y now and then you’re going to meet up w ith a guy who’s got a kick just as strong as yours, so you’ve got to have a variet y of race strategies.”

The Irish did strike gold in one event at the Penn Relays, as freshman Jackie Gaughan registered a time of 33:13.39 in the outdoor 10 kilometer to take first place.

Meanwhile, the women’s DMR finished second at the Penn Relays w ith a time of 11: 02.67. Again, the Irish couldn’t quite track dow n their opponent at the end, but Sparks was nevertheless impressed w ith the performance the team got during the final leg. “[Graduate student] Jessica see T&F PAGE 10

Baseball | ND 5, NC ST. 4; NC St. 4, ND 2; ND 4, NC ST. 1

Team wins 2 in home game series Observer Sports Staff

Notre Dame baseball recorded a big series win over No. 14 NC State in Frank Eck Stadium this weekend.

The series was part of the seventh annual “Strikeout ALS” weekend in honor of Pete Frates, a former captain of Boston College’s baseball team under current Irish head coach and former Eagles head coach Mik Aoki.

Frates, who was diagnosed with ALS, started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge as part of an initiative to educate the public about the disease.

The Irish (19-23, 12-12 ACC) got off to a strong start in the series Friday night, winning the game by a score of 5-4. After both teams went three up, three down in the first inning, the Wolfpack (33-12, 14-10) broke open the scoring in the top of the second. However, Notre Dame responded immediately, as sophomore catcher David LaManna stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded.

ANNA MAson | The Observer

Irish junior distance runner Yared Nuguse strides ahead of the pack during Notre Dame’s Meyo Invitational. Nuguse won the mile at the ACC indoor championship and also led the DMR team to a gold.

nD softball | ND 12, PITTsburgh 2; ND 5, Pittsburgh 2; ND 5, Pittsburgh 1

Women record secondconsecutive road sweep

He then singled up the middle, scoring junior first baseman Daniel Jung. Two batters later, sophomore centerfielder Spencer Myers recorded an RBI as he was walked, allowing senior right fielder Eric Gilgenbach to score, giving the Irish a 2-1 lead.

After a scoreless third inning, freshman catcher Luca Tresh homered for the Wolfpack to tie the game at two in the top of the fourth.

However, Notre Dame responded once more as sophomore shortstop Jared Miller homered himself to give the Irish the lead once more. NC State sophomore left fielder Jonny Butler then smacked a two-run home run in the next inning to put the Wolfpack on top once again, but the Irish would not surrender.

In the bottom of the seventh, freshman left fielder Jack Zyska doubled to left center, scoring Myers and freshman left fielder Zack Prajzner. Sophomore

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

The Notre Dame softball team continued its recent w inning ways on a road trip to play conference foe Pittsburgh, taking all three games from the Panthers (9-41, 4-17 ACC) and w inning their sixth-straight game. W hile Pittsburgh has struggled this year, the Irish (32-15, 15-6) still managed to dominate both games in a good, all-around show ing from the team.

In game one Saturday, the Irish left no doubt. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a pair of RBI singles from junior infielder Katie Marino and senior infielder Cait Brooks. Marino drove in her 38th run, and Brooks belted her team-leading 49th RBI of the year. Pitt managed to score one in the bottom half of the opening frame off of freshman right y Pay ton Tidd.

see BASEBALL PAGE 11

Irish infielder Cait Brooks swings at a ball during Notre Dame’s dominating 8-0 win over IUPUI on Apr. 2 at Melissa Cook Stadium.

see SOFTBALL PAGE 11

Observer Sports Staff