Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, April 8, 2022

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Volume 56, Issue 63 | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students gather for nationwide vigil Notre Dame community displays solidarity with Ukraine as part of prayer service Thursday

By ANGELA MATHEW News Writer

ANGELA MATHEW | The Observer

Father Andrij M. Hlabse, priest of the Ukrainian-Greco Catholic Church presided over the Notre Dame chapter of the nationwide U.S. Collegiate Student Solidarity Vigil for Ukraine Thursday night.

New senators meet for 2022-23 term

By LIAM PRICE Associate News Editor

The 2022-23 Notre Dame student senate held its first meeting Thursday night on the second floor of the Duncan Student Center.

The meeting opened with oaths of office for student body president and vice president Patrick Lee and Sofie Stitt, respectively, followed by the oath of office for the newly elected senators.

After the oaths were taken, the senate approved the prior meeting’s minutes and moved into executive announcements, where Stitt informed the new senators of their responsibilities.

“I would just love to remind you all of the duties of the senate,” Stitt told the senators. “I know it can get a little bit confusing.”

Following reminders from Stitt about parliamentary procedures in the senate, Stitt moved to general orders, beginning with SO 2223-01, a resolution to amend the constitution and modify executive cabinet departments to better split up responsibilities in the executive cabinet.

During debate, off-campus president Thomas Davis took issue with the resolution, saying that the organization of the resolution is incorrect.

“The constitution shouldn’t

amend itself to fit the points of the platform,” he explained. “The points of the platform should form themselves to the constitution.”

Lee said he agreed but defended the resolution in response to Davis.

“I would agree. The constitution doesn’t serve the platform, but the department directors and the departments themselves are here to serve the students,” Lee said.

After the debate concluded, the senators voted to pass the resolution.

The next resolution appointed Sara Atassi and Alec Breiler as see SENATE PAGE 3

Holy Half Marathon, 10k returns after hiatus

By CLAIRE REID Associate News Editor

After After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame’s annual Holy Half Marathon and 10K races return Saturday for the 16th year.

Assistant race director Katie Harmeyer, a senior who got

NEws PAGE 5

involved in organizing the Holy Half after running the 10K her freshman year, said she estimates 1,580 people — both community members and tri-campus students — are signed up to run one of the student-organized races.

Both races begin at the Stepan Center where the first wave of runners will cross the starting

Viewpoint PAGE 6

line at 9 a.m. The second and third waves will start at 9:05 a.m. and 9:10 a.m. respectively.

“The route goes all over campus,” race director Grace Scheidler said. “It starts out at Stephan and then heads toward the lakes.

Then you … go around both of see MARATHON PAGE 4

Scene PAGE 10

The chapel of Stanford Hall was rich with the smell of incense and was adorned with icons Thursday night. The Ukrainian Society at Notre Dame hosted a Moleben, or prayer service, for peace in Ukraine and the protection and victory of the Ukrainian people in the war.

The service was a part of the nationwide U.S. Collegiate Student Solidarity Vigil for Ukraine, an effort by more than twenty schools to honor the lives lost in the war. Father

Andrij M. Hlabse, priest of the Ukrainian-Greco Catholic Church and doctoral student on campus was the presider.

Junior Christian McKernan, treasurer of the Ukrainian Society at Notre Dame, emphasized that the gathering was a part of a larger movement.

“Our vigil today represents more than just a small gathering of those of us here at Notre Dame. We have come here tonight as part of a wider movement at colleges across our country

see VIGIL PAGE 3

Alumna hosted for reading series

GENEVIEVE COLEMAN |The Observer

Author Susan Furber ‘14 read from her novel “The Essence of an Hour” in Welsh Parlor at Saint Mary’s College Thursday evening.

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Assistant Managing Editor

Published author and Saint Mary’s alumna Susan Furber ‘14 addressed the Saint Mary’s community as she read from her novel “The Essence of an Hour” in Welsh Parlor as a part of the College’s annual Visiting Writers Series Thursday evening.

“The Essence of an Hour” is Furber’s first novel. The book, which was published February 2021, is a coming-of-age story of a female protagonist, Lillie, set in the 1940s.

In regard to inviting Furber to read her work, Visiting Writers Series director Rebecca Lehmann noted the importance of hosting

track PAGE 15

an alumna who is engaged in both the writing and publishing industries.

“We are really excited to invite Susan to campus because she is an alum of both English and philosophy and is relatively young to have published her first novel,” she said. “We always love to bring writers to campus that can show a model for students about how they might have success themselves in the world of writing and publishing. Susan’s just a logical, easy, wonderful choice for that because she is literally a Saint Mary’s graduate going out into the world and having this great success.”

Lehmann also discussed the see READING PAGE 4

W Tennis PAGE 16

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The observer | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

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ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

It was a gray and rainy day on the Notre Dame campus Thursday. Students enter South Dining Hall, wrapped in coats and rain jackets. A white tent is set up for Alumni Hall’s Wake Week, the dorm’s annual event that culminates in a dance over the weekend.

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Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Raise Your Voice: Student Research on Sexual Violence 123 Regina Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

All are welcome.

ND LGBTQ+ Alumni Panel McKenna Hall Room 205 noon - 2 p.m.

Lunch provided.

Symphonic Band and Winds DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m.

Free but ticketed.

Lecture: India and the Gandhian Ideology Bond Hall 334 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

All are welcome.

Holy Cross College Spring Majors Fair Vincent Atrium 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Come to learn about major opportunities.

ND Symphony Orchestra Concert DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 8:00 p.m - 9:30 p.m.

Free for students.

Quiz Bowl Intramural Tournament LaFortune Student Center noon - 4 p.m.

Teams of 3-5 people.

“She Kills Monsters” Performance O’Laughlin Auditorium 2:30 p.m. $10 admission for ND/ SMC/HCC students.

Raise Your Voice: An Evening with Chanel Miller O’Laughlin Auditorium 6:00 p.m.

RSVP online.

Riddle Bird Cafe with Poetic Melody Geddes Hall 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Sign-ups for open mic available on Tuesday.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | The Observer

SMC Raise Your Voice Symposium kicked off

By CORA HADDAD News Writer

The Saint Mary’s College inaugural’s Raise Your Voice: A Sexual Violence Symposium began with Start by Believing Day held in Saint Mary’s Rice Commons on Wednesday evening. Saint Mary’s director of Student Involvement and Advocacy, Liz Coulston Baumann spoke on the importance of believing survivors of sexual assault.

Start by Believing is a global public awareness campaign, launched by End Violence Against Women International. Their mission statement says, “to end the cycle of silence and change the way society responds to sexual assault.”

Coordinator of the Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) Iesha Miller opened the event by introducing Coulston Baumann, and acknowledged the beginning of a conversion within the community.

“Believing survivors is the most important step of responding to sexual violence however, this action is often missed,” Coulston Baumann said.

She elaborated by citing specific incidences of sexual violence over a span of decades that have been commonly known in media.

Senate Continued from page 1

off-campus senators until April 30 when newly elected senators will be sworn in.

Following the passing of the second resolution, the senate began nominations of the executive cabinet.

Sophomore Nicole Baumann was approved as chief-of-staff, firstyear Ryann McTague as student union secretary, sophomore Kevin Wang as executive controller, junior Jared Schlachet as student union parliamentarian, sophomore Koryn Isa as judicial council vice-president of elections and the 21 cabinet directors were approved at once.

For each of the five individual nominations, the senate raised questions, debated and voted to nominate the members for their positions. The biggest debate, however, surrounded the nomination of Jared Schlachet for parliamentarian.

First-years Hunter Brooke and Derick Williams said they had issues with what they considered a lack of experience of Schlachet in the student senate.

“I think it’s important to get somebody on that has experience with the Senate, has spent years with Judicial Council and has been on numerous committees,” Williams said. “I don’t exactly feel like that bar is reached.”

Brooke said his concerns weren’t

“Five hundred survivors coming forward for Larry Nasser to be convicted,” she said. “The women who were assaulted and harassed by the former film producer Harvey Weinstein were shamed and blamed, being told they slept their way to the top.”

She said these instances are places where society has failed.

“We are given countless opportunities to start by believing.

Yet, we often fall short,” Coulston Baumann said.

In regards to culture surrounding sexual violence in the media, Coulston Baumann quoted author Chanel Miller, who is speaking to the Saint Mary’s community as part of the Sexual Violence Symposium on Monday.

In her book, “Know My Name,” Miller addresses culture surrounding conversations within the home regarding sexual assault.

“I thought of mothers who had commented that ‘my daughters would never,’ which made me sad because comments like this did not make her daughter any safer.

They just ensured that if the daughter was sexually assaulted, she’d likely have one less person to go to,” Coulston Baumann explained.

TheStartByBelievingcampaign seeks to build skills within the community, Coulston Baumann

personal, but emphasized they were focused on the position’s requirements.

“I have absolutely nothing against [Schlachet], I would just really like to see a candidate that has far more experience,” he said.

Davis, who previously served for two years as parliamentarian, disagreed with Brooke and Williams. The debate, he said, was personal to him and he considered Schlachet fit for the job.

“You grow into the role,” Davis said. “The role doesn’t grow around you.”

Ultimately, the senate agreed with Davis and voted in a closed vote to approve Davis as parliamentarian, with only three anonymous “no” votes.

After nominations, the senate voted to bestow emeritus status upon former student body president, vice president and chief-of-staff Allan Njomo, Matthew Bisner and Alix Basden, respectively.

Each vote was unanimous and consisted of open debate where the senators, Lee and Stitt praised the former leaders for their work.

Reaching the meeting’s time cap after bestowing the honors, Stitt quickly mentioned new business announcements and the senate adjourned.

Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu

noted. She said the first step is to start by believing “When someone shares with you that they have been harmed, say something that just confirms that you believe them,” she said.

Coulston Baumann spoke on following steps including showing support.

“Be supportive in whatever way feels appropriate,” she said. “My favorite phrase is ‘You can tell me as much or as little as you want.’

This gives the survivor some of their power back when being able to tell their story in their own way.”

Above all, Coulston Baumann stressed the importance of believing in all aspects of community. Not only in the household but to show examples.

“The most important thing would be that when we find out that someone has been sexually assaulted is to start by believing, and that’s not only the people directly in our lives, like our friends and family, but also when we hear stories in the news and in our communities,” she said. “We also lead by believing in those situations as well.”

Saint Mary’s “Raise Your Voice: A Sexual Violence Symposium” continues through April 18.

Contact Cora Haddad at chaddad01@saintmarys.edu

Vigil Continued from page 1

organized by the Ukrainian Students Union of America,” he said.

The Ukrainian Students Union of America, a group of Ukrainian students and their allies united by their shared passion for justice for Ukraine, arose over the past six weeks.

Sophomore Anastasia Matuszak, the social media manager of the Ukrainian Society, explained that she got involved in the movement through social media.

“A few of the Ukrainian clubs on different campuses reached out to other Ukrainian clubs and started a group chat on Instagram,” she said. “Someone suggested that we do something together nationally, to bring more attention to the issue but also to have more unity among all the different clubs.”

Matuszak said other schools, including Purdue University, Harvard University and Stanford University, all planned to hold solidarity vigils on the same day.

During the sermon at the prayer service, Hlabse entreated listeners to “live within the truth.”

“We should speak the truth about the nature of the conflict and its unprovoked origins,” he said.

Hlabse talked about a report he recently saw from the City Council of the town Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. He Paid Advertisement

3

explained that Mariupol has been devoted with loss lately due to its location on the land bridge between Russian territory and Crimea.

He also spoke about how it is important to recognize how vicious the Russian ideology.

“The Russian motive wants to negate not only the existence of Ukraine as a political entity and state, but there are newspaper stories and ideologues who even publish and talk about the negation of the existence of Ukrainians,” he explained.

Hlabse encouraged students to pray and donate in the drives organized by the Ukrainian Society. He also encouraged students to listen to the experiences of their peers in Ukrainian universities and console them over the Internet.

Hlabse highlighted the Zoom event that the Ukrainian Society held this past Friday, hosting students from the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Kyiv.

Following the prayer service in the Stanford Chapel, students formed a procession to the Grotto.

When the procession arrived, the congregation lit candles, spent time in personal prayer and sang the hymn “Prayer for Ukraine.”

Contact Angela Mathews at amathew3@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Reading Continued from page 1

connection between Furber’s book — which discusses sexual assault — and the College’s Symposium on Sexual Violence.

She explained that while two events that were not intentionally scheduled in the same week, they are complementary.

“It is a happy coincidence,” she said. “It was not planned, but given Susan’s work and the symposium’s topic, there is some really nice synergy happening there.”

‘It’s been a real joy to come back’ In an interview with The Observer, Furber spoke about what it was like to come back to campus after graduating in December 2013.

“It’s been interesting because to explain the book to lots of people, I have to talk about Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame and the community and Catholic education — and then again, I think I mythologized in my own mind, in my memory,” she explained. “It’s been really lovely coming back and seeing [campus].”

Furber said she arrived to campus during the College’s Sexual Violence Symposium and noted how she saw positive change in the community.

“Seeing all this [support], this very vocal standing up for against violence and sexual assault, has been very, very uplifting,” she said.

While Furber pointed out the community building currently occurring on campus, she discussed how her sexual assault at Notre Dame was a harmful experience during her time at the College.

“It’s very difficult to talk about [since] you never know other people’s experiences,” she said. “For a long time Notre Dame is the place that I was sexually assaulted.”

Furber said for many years, she did not feel comfortable discussing her experiences of assault.

However, movement of survivors sharing their stories, especially after the global response to the murder of Sarah Everard, propelled her to do so herself, she said.

“These issues — they are not going away,” Furber said. “What happens in the book is fictional — what happened to me is quite different. But to be able to own the impetus behind that is nonfiction.

It is something I’ve only felt very comfortable doing in the last few years.”

Furber stated she believes survivors need to continue sharing their stories. Based on what she has seen at Saint Mary’s during her visit, Furber said she thinks Saint Mary’s seems like an inclusive

place for survivors.

“We do have to share our stories and we have to support one another,“ she said. “It seems that there is that community now on campus and I would have loved to have been in that sort of environment.“ Furber emphasized the importance of coming back to Saint Mary’s because it influenced much of the material in her novel. ’It’s the best feeling in the world, I think, for a writer’ Turning to her current work, Furber explained she is in the process of revising her second novel, which will be a sequel to her first. The book will follow her protagonist Lillie and her life with her husband, who the reader was not formally introduced to in “The Essence of an Hour.”

“What I would love to do is to track Lillie, alongside t he burgeoning women’s rights movements, from sort of second wave feminism with Simone de Beauvoir and things,“ she said.

“The second book, what I’m working on, is looking at Lillie and at that 10 year period of why does she write the first novel and we actually meet [her] husband and we understand what happens with that.“ While Furber stated her influence for writing “The Essence of

ND hosts ‘Prom Re-Do’ for sophomores

By CLAIRE REID Associate News Editor

Current Notre Dame sophomore were seniors in high school when t he COV ID-19 pandemic prematurely ended t he high school experience of students worldw ide in March 2020.

This Saturday, t hey w ill have t he chance to live out a quintessentia l high school tradition: prom.

Complete w it h a photo boot h, DJ, Insomnia Cook ies, Martin’s catering and f lowers from Irish Gardens, Notre Dame sophomore class council’s “Prom Re-Do” dance w ill welcome 950 students and 50 volunteers to t he Duncan Student Center’s Da hnke Ba llroom from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday for a high school prom-t hemed dance.

Sophomore class council president Paul Stoller and v ice president Lulu Romero have been planning t he event since July.

They said t hey hoped to hold it last year, but COV ID-19 restrictions prevented t hem from doing so. “[Prom Re-Do] was our brainchild from when we started running for t his position last year

and wanted to give back a moment t hat we a ll missed out on our senior year of high school,” Romero said.

“We’re not tr y ing to replace but rat her add to what we a ll hoped to get. This is going to be a f un night for ever yone as we w rap up our sophomore year.”

Stoller said interest in t he dance has been so great t hat t he Da hnke Ba llroom w ill be at “ma x capacit y” Saturday night. He said t he dance w ill be as large as t he 100 Days Dance t he senior class holds each year to mark t heir f ina l 100 days of classes.

“I don’t t hink t here’s ever been a non-senior dance t his size,” he noted.

He said nearly 1,500 students — t hree-quarters of t he sophomore class — f illed out t he dance interest form, and about 500 are current ly on t he wait list to get tickets.

Available tickets w ill be distributed to t hose on t he wait list in order of who signed up f irst.

Stoller a lso noted t hat while it was a diff icult decision not to include Saint Mar y’s and Holy Cross sophomores in t he dance, it was necessar y due to capacit y restrictions.

Stoller and Romero said t hey believe

t he prom t heme is what attracted so many students to t he dance.

“I t hink our class is prett y unique,” Stoller said. “To say we’ve been t hrough a lot is k ind of an understatement. A fter a ll we lost our senior year, ever y t hing we had to go t hrough our freshman year, people are just rea lly excited to get back what we rea lly deser ve to have.”

He added a lt hough t he process of planning t he dance has been expensive and time-consuming, he feels it has been t he “most rewarding t hing” t he sophomore class council could have done for t heir classmates.

“Our whole goa l w it h t his was to ma ke it a rea lly, rea lly good dance for people, especia lly because it’s somet hing ever yone’s look ing forward to,” Romero said.

“We wanted to put in as much t hought as possible starting from t he beginning to ma ke sure t hat ever y t hing went smoot hly. Overa ll, we are rea lly proud of t he work t hat class council put into it … hopef ully, it’ll be a night to remember.”

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

an Hour“ as a trilogy comes from reading Edna O’Brien’s comingof-age series “The Country Girls,” she said she believes there are not enough female coming of age stories.

“For as many boy coming of age stories as we have — really tracking them through the ages —we’re really missing that in feminist literature,” she said.

While Furber said she still needs to make revisions to her work, she noted that she is excited by the prospect of her second novel.

“It’s exhilarating to keep going with it,” she said. “There’s still finessing to do. There’s still things to tweak, but that coming into shape is, it’s the best feeling in the world, I think, for a writer.”

‘It’s wonderful to have that platform and that privilege — the opportunity to speak to young women specifically’ Prior to the reading, Furber visited the College’s fiction writing workshop Wednesday and spoke to students who had read “The Essence of an Hour” for class. Students were able to engage with Furber, asking her questions about the novel itself and her overall writing career.

Madison Suseland, a junior in the course, explained how she enjoyed Furber’s personal attention to the class’s response to

Marathon Continued from page 1

the lakes at different points, and you go through a bunch of the quads.”

Participants running the 13.1mile half marathon will complete two loops of the course while those in the 6.2-mile 10K race will complete one loop before crossing the finish line outside the Stepan Center.

Scheidler said all finishers will receive a medal, and the winners earn a voucher from the Fleet Feet Mishawaka running store and a special medal at the 11:15 a.m. awards ceremony.

The bulk of the proceeds from race registration fees will be donated to the Holy Half’s three charity partners — the Our Lady of the Road homeless shelter in South Bend, Girls on the Run Michiana and the Misericordia Home in Chicago, an assisted living home for people with developmental disabilities.

Scheidler, who has been involved in planning the races since her freshman year and ran the half marathon her senior year of high school and freshman year of college, said organizing the Holy Half has been a complex process involving many different groups.

“We have off-campus vendors for the bib timing and porta-potties and all the tables for the four water stations,” she said. “[We also] work with the NDPD and Notre Dame Fire Department coordinating all the different people who have to close the oncampus roads. It’s a lot of moving parts.”

Because the Holy Half last

her novel.

“It was really excellent to have her in class,” she said. “I absolutely loved the way she was so engaged with her readers, in the way that she wanted to know how we interpreted her book, how we interpreted her characters. I thought it was a commendable effort of attentiveness and how she just really wanted honest opinions.”

Suseland added she particularly valued the experience because the class could speak with Furber in a smaller setting.

“I absolutely felt it was a really unique experience,” she said.

“I’ve never been able to do that before, especially in such a small and close community setting, so I thought it was really cool to have that.”

According to Furber, one of the best parts of writing is connecting with young women who are responding to her work.

“It’s wonderful to have that platform and that privilege — the opportunity to speak to young women specifically and communicate my experiences and these characters’ experiences and to take away current experiences as well,“ she said. “That is why I write.”

Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

took place in 2019 when the current senior class were freshmen, Scheidler said she felt extra pressure to make sure she “brought back the tradition” for students unfamiliar with it. A resident assistant (RA) in Walsh Hall, she said she has enjoyed discussing training plans with her residents running the race.

“I know it’s a big undertaking for somebody to train for something like this,” she said. “So to help facilitate people through that big personal journey is really cool.”

Meredith Meyer, a junior and member of the Notre Dame Running Club, said she is excited to run the half marathon and experience the race day atmosphere. Meyer has finished two half marathons and one marathon and hopes to run a personal best Saturday.

“I am most excited for the campus community aspect of the race because a lot of people I know will be either racing or cheering which makes for a much more exciting and fun running environment,” she said. “Usually at races, I only know the people on my team or the people I go with, so it will be cool to have people from all across campus supporting each other.”

Harmeyer said she encourages students and faculty to come out and watch the race and cheer on the runners.

“I’m most excited for friends of mine … who are running the race,” she said.

“It’s going to be such a fun morning.”

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | The Observer

5

Fisher Hall to hold annual Regatta for charity

By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer

Over 30 teams are set to sail in the 2022 Fisher Regatta, kicking off Friday at St. Mary’s Lake.

The Regatta is Fisher Hall’s signature fundraiser that the hall hosts every year to raise money for St. Adalbert Catholic School in South Bend.

Most dorms enter at least one homemade boat in the race. Other student organizations enter boats as well.

This year, the Regatta consists of a women’s bracket from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and a men’s or mixed bracket from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The race has multiple heats andis single-elimination.

Each boat can hold two to eight

people, and there’s only two rules: no motors or actual boats — each team must handcraft their ship.

Fisher Regatta commissioner Alex Taylor said there are a range of different types of boats each year.

“We’ve seen boats as simple as … tying a piece of wood to swimmers’ legs,” Taylor said.

“Other people build like massive pontoons, and they race in that.”

Boats that are passed down yearto-year within a dorm or group are generally successful, Taylor said.

Last year, the Fisher Regatta raised over $20,000, which was more than ever before. The donation was used to build a fence surrounding the building to ensure the students’ safety.

This year, the money that is raised will go towards improving St. Adalbert’s heating and cooling systems, Taylor said.

During the event, money is raised in a variety of ways.

Each team pays a $50 boat entry fee, shirts are sold at the Regatta and other donations are accepted through the Notre Dame Student Shop and the Fisher Hall Facebook page.

Taylor said that apart from the Regatta, Fisher Hall residents also volunteer their time at St. Adalbert every Monday through Thursday, where they help the children with their homework and serve as mentors.

“It’s a cause that means a lot to us,” Taylor explained. “This year will be the first year that the children of

St. Adalbert’s get to come and watch the Regatta.

They’ll be there for like the last hour or two, which will be fun.”

Sophomore Mary Rozembajgier is the captain of the boat from Johnson Family Hall.

She plans on racing with four friends. Their boat will be built with a base of inner tubes, cardboard tubes and duct tape, she said.

Rozembajgier explained that she was the captain of the Johnson Family Hall boat last year as well. Her boat design was similar, as it also had a base of inner tubes, she said.

“The inner tubes, I think, are a good idea because you know you’re going to stay up,” Rozembajgier said.

“I’m a little worried because this year it’s supposed to snow, so I don’t want to sink.”

Rozembajgier said she likes participating because she believes it is a good cause, and the ‘Fishermen’ put their hearts into it.

Taylor said the Regatta means a lot to the men of Fisher Hall because they areable to provide for the children of St. Adalbert.

“We relish this opportunity to be able to donate our time and hopefully … bring in some money for St. Adalbert’s to help them fund some things that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” Taylor said.

Contact Megan Fahrney at mfahrney@nd.edu

College alumna fills BAVO coordinator role

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Assistant Managing Editor

Iesha Miller ‘17 has returned to the College to become the Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) coordinator. Miller replaces former coordinator Liz Coulston, who is now the director of the Office for Student Involvement and Advocacy (OSIA).

Miller said it means a great deal to her to come back to Saint Mary’s to support students who might be experiencing interpersonal violence.

“I’ve seen the impact interpersonal violence has had on family members and friends,” she said. “As a student, I remember incidents occurring throughout my time here and it really opened my eyes to the prevalence of this issue on all campuses. It means a lot to have the opportunity to return to a community I know and love to provide advocacy and support to all students.”

Miller said she knew she wanted to be an advocate for people in need because of her childhood.

“As a child, I spent my first five years in the child welfare system and knew that when I grew up I wanted to help children who had a similar experience to mine,” Miller said. “Of course, how I wanted to help others changed as I got older, but I eventually did work in the Department of Child Services for almost four years.

While Miller noted she found this work rewarding, she wanted to embark on another career path.

“As much as I loved that work, I knew I wanted to pursue a different area in social work, and when presented with the opportunity to return to Saint Mary’s, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” she said.

Miller admitted that she did not initially know what she

wanted to major in while she was at Saint Mary’s, but eventually pursued a master’s degree in social work.

“Like many students when they first arrive [on campus], I was unsure what I wanted to major in,” she said. “I finally decided on psychology and learned about various aspects of the field from very knowledgeable professors. I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology but eventually decided on applying for a [master’s in social work] program because of the many opportunities the degree could provide.”

As the head of BAVO, Miller explained she wants to continue the legacy of former coordinators while also taking the current needs of students into account.

“My hope is to continue providing the same advocacy and education as done by former coordinators while also incorporating topics and issues that students are interested in,” she said. “As students change and grow, so will their interests, and I want to ensure that I’m meeting their needs by including what they need most at the time.”

Miller credited the success of BAVO to continuous outreach to Notre Dame and Holy Cross, so students can be educated about rape culture and how it impacts students.

“I believe that Saint Mary’s strives to be a leader in providing education and advocacy regarding sexual assault and harassment and intimate partner violence by continuously collaborating with

Notre Dame and Holy Cross to educate students, staff and faculty on the prevalence of these issues on all campuses,” she said. “As the new BAVO coordinator, I’m looking to continue collaborating with both campuses in addressing rape culture and its impact on students.”

Addressing the local community, Miller said she wants to continue to build a relationship with Saint Mary’s and South Bend so local organizations are also equipped to help those in need.

“I hope to continue the positive relationship that BAVO has with Saint Mary’s and local communities through collaboration and the services we provide,” Miller said.

“I hope that BAVO continues to be seen as a helpful,

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knowledgeable resource for students, faculty and staff and a partner that local organizations and agencies can connect with to prepare students to navigate current and future relationships, as well as new environments and experiences they may encounter.”

Miller invited community members to engage with her and BAVO, so Saint Mary’s can provide the necessary resources to the tri-campus.

“I would like the community to know that I’m open to new ways and ideas on addressing these issues and that they are always welcome to reach out with any questions they have or support they may need.”

Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

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The observer | Friday, April 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

My favorite band from every decade since the 60s Ryan Vigilante Photo Editor

Hot take: music is good. I know; you don’t have to agree.

My love for rock music stems from my childhood, when I didn’t know that there was music outside of Bruce Springsteen because my dad didn’t play anything else in his car. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my favorite artists, and I decided to make this list of my favorite bands of each decade since 1960.

1960s: The Beatles Yeah, I know. This is the safe pick for this decade.

But is there really any other choice that makes sense (besides maybe the Rolling Stones)? And I’m not just picking them for their name recognition alone. I love The Beatles. They’ve been in my top three artists on Spotify for each of the past three years. Their discography is legendary, with each of their last eight albums having a case as a perfect album.

1970s: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band This is more of a personal choice for me, as I did grow up with The Boss’s music, but Bruce didn’t miss in the 70s. His debut “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” is one of the better debut albums out there. “The Wild, the Innocent & The E Street Shuffle” is filled with energy. “Born to Run” is a perfect album and one of my favorites of all time. And “Darkness on the Edge of Town” cemented Bruce as a rock legend. He was great in the 80s, but his album lineup in the 70s is hard to beat.

1980s: Tears for Fears This was a bit of an unexpected pick even for me, but “Tears for Fears” was great throughout the 80s.

“Everybody Wants To Rule The World” is one of the greatest songs of all time, and “Songs From The Big Chair” is one of the definitive albums of the 80s. Not to mention, their original version of “Mad World” is the best version of that song.

1990s: Alice in Chains There are a lot of great picks from the 90s. Nirvana, Green Day, and The Cranberries are some of the best bands from this period. But I’m going with Alice in Chains. They did an amazing job meshing the grungy sound of 90s rock with metal. The chorus of “Man in the Box” exudes a confidence like no other song I’ve ever heard.

2000s: My Chemical Romance I had a hard time deciding between MCR and The Killers for this decade. But eventually I settled on MCR because they released three of the greatest punk albums of all time (one was in 2010, but this is my list). “Welcome to the Black Parade” is a battle cry for a generation, and the release of “The Black Parade” in 2006 was a phenomenon.

2010s: Ghost Ghost was without a doubt in my mind the best band of the 2010s. “Meliora” and “Prequelle” are two of my favorite metal albums of the 2010s, as they do a great job of blending the genre with pop. Songs like “Dance Macabre,” “Square Hammer” and “Deus in Absentia” have so much drive and energy that it’s hard for me to imagine anybody being able to not dance (at least a little bit) to them. I can’t wait to see what Ghost does throughout the 2020s.

You can contact Ryan at rvigilan@nd.edu You can contact Ryan at rvigilan@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Personal responsibility: What’s the point?

Eva Analitis Below the Surface

As a non-Catholic, when I didn’t make a point of abstaining from meat on Fridays in Lent, my Catholic-school friends weren’t too surprised as they devoutly observed a day of discipline once a week. While they filled the seats of Friday fish-fries and reminded one another to steer clear of meals with meat, they figured I simply wasn’t bound by the same guidelines when I pulled out turkey sandwiches for lunch or enjoyed grilled chicken for dinner. Little did they know, however, that as an Orthodox Christian, I am supposed to abstain from meat, fish, oil and dairy for the entirety of Lent — a much more rigorous regimen.

Occasionally, the subject would come up in conversation, and it went something like this: “The Orthodox don’t have to not eat meat on Fridays, right?” To which I would respond with mild shame but mostly indifference, “Well, actually, I’m not supposed to eat meat or dairy at all during Lent. It’s just so hard that I don’t even bother.”

I used this line of reasoning to justify my Lenten laziness. The Orthodox have it unfairly difficult during Lent, I had convinced myself. What’s the point of even trying to observe such a strict fast?

While Orthodox Christian fasting guidelines are undoubtedly demanding leading up to the holiest time of year — as manifested by the fact that every year during Holy Week services at least one altar boy faints from being so nutrient-deprived — I had failed to explain why that means I shouldn’t try to follow the fast at all. I had, to use one of my mother’s favorite phrases, a defeatist attitude.

Just because you feel you can’t realistically go the 40 days of Lent and then Holy Week without eating meat or dairy doesn’t mean you should shamelessly go zero. Why not join my Catholic friends in going meatless on Fridays at least? I wish this realization had occurred to my younger self.

As we find ourselves submerged in the 2022 Lenten season and I recall my illogical laxity during prior years, I can’t help but notice a similar defeatist attitude seeping into society. Growing up, we were inculcated with the concept of personal responsibility, raised and educated to be conscientious citizens — following the three r’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), keeping up with current events and anxiously waiting for our eighteenth birthdays so we could finally vote. We were eager to make a personal impact. Over the past several years, however, we have become more conscious of the systemic sources of many social ills. We now know that the real culprits of America’s stark wealth inequality are billionaires rather than your average doctor, lawyer or accountant making six figures. We know that fossil fuel companies are the most concerning contributors to climate change rather than our personal lack of an electric car. We are finally becoming aware of the real root of most of our problems — that it’s not the average citizen but rather systems and powerful groups. We’ve learned to limit our personal guilt and call out corporate greed instead for intensifying climate change, vast wealth inequality and discrimination. This is, of course, good, as it drives us to shift blame to these larger entities and agitate for change at the level that will actually have a substantial impact. As we come to realize the deep-seatedness of society’s most stark injustices, however, we must be careful not to adopt a defeatist attitude. Systemic issues can lead us to shun personal responsibility. While we certainly should focus blame on the main actors causing harm, this doesn’t mean we get a free pass as ordinary individuals.

Sometimes, we resort to a defeatist attitude not

simply because we won’t be able to have a tangible impact on a major issue but because doing the right thing on an individual level might impose a burden on us. Say, for example, you bring your reusable cup to Starbucks so that your order won’t require a single-use plastic cup. However, many other customers in the store are still sipping from plastic cups or slurping with plastic straws. Will your not using a single plastic cup slow down climate change? Or lessen the amount of plastic piling up in our oceans, where there’s already an estimated 150 million metric tons and 8 million more entering annually? Obviously not. In fact, it probably would have been more convenient for you to just accept a plastic cup provided by Starbucks than to wash your reusable cup and remember to bring it with you. So you might have even gotten the short end of the stick.

Or maybe you boycott Amazon because you resent the company’s massive tax avoidance and poor working conditions. While Jeff Bezos, who’s made a mark on almost every inch of the Earth, gallivants into space, you don’t want him to enjoy even a penny of your money. That’ll show him. But newsflash, Jeff Bezos doesn’t even know who you are, and he’ll be a billionaire with or without your business. All your personal boycott really means is that you won’t be able to conveniently shop online for whatever you desire and have it delivered to your doorstep. Everyone around you will continue to see their Prime packages pile up in the mail while you engage in futile principled protest.

This brings me back to my long-standing Lenten dilemma. What’s the point? What’s the point of attempting if you can’t accomplish the whole task?

What’s the point of doing the right thing if it won’t make the world noticeably better? What’s the point of working to be a just individual in an unjust society? This defeatist attitude I have used not just to justify turkey sandwiches on Fridays of Lent but to release myself from personal responsibility in all kinds of areas. Instead of despairing in the face of overwhelming obligations and large-scale issues, however, we must remember that even if we can control nothing else, we control ourselves. Maybe my forgoing of a Starbucks plastic cup for my cold brew won’t put a dent in plastic pollution, but at least it won’t make it worse. Maybe my refusal to order from Amazon won’t put a damper on the company’s dominance, but at least I’m not helping to fuel it. And maybe I can’t go 40 days without eating meat or dairy, but fasting for at least a few days of the season can still help me develop discipline.

To claim personal responsibility is, in a sense, to reclaim power in a vast universe that tries to reduce us to insignificant individuals — that tells us that no one will notice if we do good and tempts us that no one will notice if we do bad. This zoomed out perspective tries to convince us that nothing matters since we are doomed regardless, so we might as well act in our immediate, individual interests. But I urge you to zoom back in and return the value to personal choices and small-scale actions. In the face of pervasive injustice and daunting tasks, it can be difficult to know where to begin. We can start by defeating the defeatist attitude.

A former resident of Lyons Hall, Eva Analitis is a senior majoring in political science and pre-health.

Even though she often can’t make up her own mind, that won’t stop her from trying to change yours. She can be reached at eanaliti@nd.edu or @evaanalitis on Twitter.

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

The observer | FRIDAY, April 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

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Lee-Stitt: Prioritize interfaith inclusion Blake Ziegler News with Zig

As the Lee-Stitt administration begins their term in office, I’ll offer the following Jewish prayer: “Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.”

Jews recite the Shehecheyanu for a new occurrence. I offer this prayer to welcome the new administration and illustrate the vibrant community of non-Catholic students on campus. Despite the fact that roughly 80% of our students are Catholic, an administration that aims to “uplift the voices of every student” cannot ignore the other 20%.

This administration was elected on the promise to represent all students, especially those typically cast aside. This column seeks to demonstrate that promise extends to students whose religion (or lack thereof) is not the traditional faith of a Notre Dame student.

In the 2020 Inclusive Campus Survey, roughly 29% of respondents who identify as non-Catholic did not feel a sense of belonging at Notre Dame, compared to 9% of Catholic respondents. Also, 75% of respondents who experienced adverse treatment because of their faith reported the event negatively affected their sense of belonging on campus. All students, regardless of faith status, deserve to feel included as part of the Notre Dame family.

As co-president of the Jewish Club, I’m heavily invested in interfaith inclusion. I was concerned that the Lee-Stitt campaign didn’t reach out to any of our members during the election, despite the Jewish Club’s active involvement with Student Government. Moreover, I was appalled to see supporters of their campaign laughing when the Jewish Club inquired about interfaith policies at the presidential debate. This was accompanied by messages on YikYak that Jewish students don’t matter. These circumstances demonstrate a passive ignorance of other faiths at best or willful exclusion of interfaith voices at worst.

Upon evaluation of the Lee-Stitt platform for non-Catholic students, there is much work to be done. Most of their

policies pertain to maintaining current programs or making information about non-Catholic worship and community activities more available. While that helps, it doesn’t address the substantive need for broader interfaith inclusion on campus. Simply publishing meeting times online won’t stop the next antisemitic or Islamophobic slur. I and others have experienced far too much religious-based hatred to condone their current platform. Our campus community is in dire need of non-Catholic students involved in faith life, rather than the minimal effort by Catholic student leaders.

One of their policies is holding “teaching Masses” to inform non-Catholic students about Catholic practices.

This directive fails to recognize the heart of the issue and is frankly a bit insulting. Whether it’s through theology classes, attending Mass, or the Catholic atmosphere of this University, most non-Catholic students don’t graduate without at least a basic understanding of Catholicism. The issue is that Catholic students need broader exposure to non-Catholic faiths, necessitating non-Catholic led interfaith dialogue.

Some may cite the University’s Catholic identity as justification to subvert or ignore interfaith support. In their platform, Lee-Stitt note that “We understand that not every one of our fellow students is a Catholic, but we acknowledge that the identity of this university is Catholic.” The use of “but” ignores that those two clauses aren’t contradictory, but essential to Notre Dame’s Catholic mission. I’ve written before on how Church documents, such as “Nostra Aetate,” emphasize the need for Catholics’ engagement with Jews and Muslims. The Catechism of the Catholic Church broadens this message to other faiths, as “The Church’s bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race” and that the Church “recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near.” The Church’s interfaith dialogue doesn’t end at Abrahamic religions, but requires engagement with Buddhism, Hinduism and other non-Abrahamic religions.

Moreover, Notre Dame’s own mission extends beyond Catholics. Our Catholic identity embodies “a spirit of

inclusion and welcoming of people from all faith traditions, or no faith tradition.” Campus Ministry cites the example of Jesus “to provide warmth and hospitality to all regardless of one’s religious belief or practice.” When Lee-Stitt emphasizes our Catholic identity, they shouldn’t forget that our University’s Catholicism calls for inclusion of other faiths.

To Lee-Stitt’s credit, there have been steps towards interfaith inclusion. They have indicated some interest in improving the experiences of non-Catholic students.

However, messages of support are meaningless when not accompanied by action. At this moment, I see no action. Their campaign didn’t give substantive attention to interfaith issues, an attitude that has continued into their administration as there is consistent highlighting of opportunities for Catholic students, but none for non-Catholic students. If they’re not willing to address something that affects 20% of the student body, what does that say about their commitment to groups comprising less than that, whether related to race, ethnicity, gender or sexual identity, or other demographics?

In the interest of transparency, I’ll disclose that I worked for the Stinson-Sherman campaign and applied to be director of the Department of Faith. Despite others’ assumptions, I hope this administration continues the progress made by Njomo-Bisner on interfaith inclusion. I’m open to working with Lee-Stitt. This column’s purpose is to stress publicly the importance of interfaith inclusion, as the lack of attention on their platform is worrying.

Patrick Lee, Sofie Stitt and Nicole Baumann — you have the opportunity to do great work on interfaith inclusion. I pray you take it.

Blake Ziegler is a junior at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He enjoys writing about politics, Judaism and the occasional philosophical rant.

For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or followed at @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions.

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

Speak on your terms Editor’s note: This editorial includes discussions of sexual abuse. A list of sexual assault reporting options and on-campus resources can be found on the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross websites.

In the United States, someone is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds. In over half of these assault cases, the victim is between 18 and 34 years old. One in six women have been assaulted in their lifetime. Women in college are three times more likely than the average woman to be a victim of sexual assault and twice as likely to be sexually assaulted than they are to be robbed.

In the 2020 campus climate survey, 18% of female and 4% of male Notre Dame students experienced nonconsensual sexual contact during their time as a student.

Only 6% reported the assault to the University.

These statistics make it painfully clear that sexual assault and violence is prevalent not just in our country, but here in our tri-campus community as well. While it’s easy to get lost in the numbers, these are so much more than statistics. These are real people — our friends, our siblings, our classmates, and ourselves. Sexual assault is an issue that affects us all, and each of us has a responsibility to work to create a safer environment. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and in support of this important month, the tri-campus is hosting several events to raise awareness and stand in support of survivors in our community.

An important first step in creating a safer community is knowing what resources are available to you. There are a variety of both confidential and non-confidential

resources available on campus for those who want to report an assault. Confidential resources, such as on-campus counseling services, medical care and pastoral resources, are not required to report an assault.

Meanwhile, nonconfidential resources, such as residence hall staff and the police department, are required to report the incident.

Callisto is a nonprofit organization that has partnered with Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s to provide sexual violence survivor support. Through Callisto, survivors can confidentially tell their story, rather than submit an official report. They will have personal access to the report as well as free legal services should they ever choose to report, and they can opt into a matching program that attempts to identify repeat offenders.

Unfortunately, most sexual assault perpetrators won’t face charges. For every 1,000 assaults, only 350 will be reported to the police. Fifty of these reports will lead to an arrest and 28 will lead to a felony conviction. Only 25 of the perpetrators will be incarcerated.

In the face of these sobering statistics, it can be intimidating for survivors to come forward with their stories.

Many will face criticism and accusations, rather than support and love.

To acknowledge Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Saint Mary’s President Katie Conboy and the President’s Committee on Sexual Violence established the Raise Your Voice — Sexual Violence Symposium. The symposium is April 6-13, and events include panels, readings, guest speakers and art installations.

In Regina Hall at 3 p.m. Friday, alumna Janet Kelly ‘97 will read from her young adult novel “Taint” and lead a discussion afterward on the book’s themes, including rape, justice and friendship. Also in Regina Hall on Friday, students and alumnae will present their research on

sexual violence.

New York Times bestselling author Chanel Miller will host a reading and discussion from her book “Know My Name” Monday in the O’Laughlin Auditorium at 6 p.m.

A visual art installation titled “What Were You Wearing” will also open Monday. The installation will be presented in O’Laughlin Auditorium until April 18, and visitors are welcome from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The installation will share stories of survivors from the Saint Mary’s campus community and is meant to address the victimblaming myth that sexual assault can be attributed to what someone was wearing.

Take Back the Night, a worldwide movement to stand against sexual violence, will close out the symposium Wednesday evening. The annual tri-campus event will begin at Saint Mary’s at 5 p.m. on the Island. Participants will walk to Notre Dame for Survivor Speak Out, where survivors will share their stories. The night will conclude with a prayer service at the Grotto. More information about the movement can be found on the official site.

In addition, members of the tri-campus community will be hosting a Denim Day later in the month in support of sexual assault survivors.

The Observer hopes we can contribute to a better culture surrounding sexual assault. Most of all, we want you to know that you are not alone. In a letter to the editor published in our Monday paper, an anonymous writer wrote, “I am learning to speak. Listen.” The Observer is not an official sexual assault reporting platform, but it is a place where victims can share their stories if they’re ready to come forward — anonymously or not. While we grant anonymity on a case-by-case basis, we strongly support those who have experienced sexual assault. If and when you’re ready to speak out, The Observer can be your platform.

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The observer | Friday, April 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Against the elite university Jim Moster Thus Said Jim

Good Americans believe in meritocracy, the idea that people earn their standing on the basis of their ability.

The American love of meritocracy is as old as the country itself, but the U.S. hardly lives up to this ideal: it is woefully easy to predict economic outcomes based on the circumstances of one’s birth. Firstly, the top 1% of Americans own as much wealth as the bottom 90%, with mostly the same families owning that wealth today as in the 1980s. Additionally, income mobility is low in the U.S. compared to other major countries, as children increasingly struggle to surpass their parents. Our country’s wealth is consolidated and entrenched.

The U.S. has an aristocracy, not a meritocracy, something which is painful to admit. Similarly painful for us, as students of Notre Dame, is that elite universities play a large role in upholding the aristocracy. The Ivy League, for example, grossly overrepresents the 1% of earners.

High income students in general are more likely to attend elite schools than their poorer counterparts. If the U.S. were a meritocracy, attendance would be much more evenly distributed across income brackets. Instead, the playing field is deeply uneven based on factors largely outside a given student’s control.

In this column, I will use Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy to explore the implications of elitism in education.

Elite schools, defined here as the top 20 universities in the country, raise questions about our sense of worth and what we want from society. Why do so many of us hate to admit that the system may be “rigged”? Why do we expect, or even believe, that our economic and political elites deserve their power?

Let’s start with Nietzsche’s archetype of the noble, who is a rare kind of person. The noble, Nietzsche writes, “determines value … he is the one who gives honor to things in the first place.” He “does not need anyone’s approval,” instead creating meaning for himself and finding pleasure in his own creative power. It’s also difficult to tell who is noble in many cases, because society worships and elevates the wrong people. Essentially, nobles are those who effortlessly and joyfully assert their own right to shape the world, exercising their full human potential.

To most people, the elite university exists to cultivate and promote nobles. As the public understands it, elite schools are where you go to “be anything you want.”

They produce presidents, CEOs, Nobel laureates, Rhodes scholars, Supreme Court justices and so on. If you go to

an elite school, you’ve made it. Low admission rates support this view, suggesting that only a select few “naturalborn leaders” deserve to attend. Everyone else must have done something wrong along the way, or in some cases, must have been cheated out of their spot.

The idea of cheating, that some people “don’t deserve” to be at elite schools, is beginning to pick up traction. In 2019, the college admissions scandal shook the nation, rupturing trust in meritocracy. Suddenly, it became possible that super rich kids were stealing the spots of hard workers like us. Another controversy is affirmative action, which became newly salient after a high-profile discrimination lawsuit against Harvard. Opponents of affirmative action clamor for color-blind admissions, claiming that people of all races have equal opportunity to succeed in America.

These criticisms are rooted in the idea that under “normal conditions,” elite students would more or less earn their admission. The American aristocracy, however, makes success into a kind of lottery … in many cases, your zip code is your destiny. Our achievements, as commendable as they may be, are only possible at the expense of countless others who could never fly as far. We soar into the heights while the less fortunate, but equally capable, cook our meals and clean our bathrooms, abandoned by the American regime.

Furthermore, far too few of us question the idea of elite superiority altogether. As Nietzsche puts it, “success has always been the great liar.” What value is an elite education if it produces politicians who boil our planet, leave millions of sick people uninsured, refuse to house our 580,000 homeless people and condone a starvation minimum wage? And businesspeople who run the economy into the ground, dodge taxes and leech off public goods, all for a nice car and a summer home? Clearly, the aristocratic model of education is doing something wrong. Our leaders aren’t noble; they’re petty and selfish.

Here, the mental block returns: surely this can’t be true! Looking at elite universities, from their magnificent campuses to their famous alumni, we enter denial mode.

Nietzsche argues that we tell ourselves lies to make life bearable, and he finds it a sign of weakness. In the case of the myth of meritocracy, it gives high achievers an external source of self-worth. We rely on fancy degrees, publications, net worth and bragging rights to feel valuable.

If you accept that meritocracy is a myth, the next step is to create an internal sense of your own value. In my view, this begins with a critical examination of our relationship to society at large. Consider, for example, Notre Dame. In order to stop deriving worth from it, we need to prove it

ignoble, and even prove that we are better than it. Rather than letting Notre Dame define us, we need to define it, making its value contingent upon our own judgment.

According to Notre Dame’s stated values, our unique Catholic mission is to serve, give and uplift others. This mission allegedly sets us apart from other elite universities. In practice, however, Notre Dame follows a classic business model like all other colleges, putting profit first, hoarding wealth and expanding endlessly. Lacking the same historical credibility as the Ivys, Notre Dame has sidelined its values and racked up a multi-billion dollar endowment in order to compete.

A noble Notre Dame would forge its own path. Imagine, for example, if Notre Dame turned last year’s heated dining tents into a permanent shelter for the 500+ homeless people in St. Joseph. This innovative, unprecedented act would set a standard for other Catholic universities and demonstrate our school’s power. Or what if the University smelted down the gold of the Golden Dome (likely worth hundreds of thousands of dollars) and reinvested it to fight South Bend’s 25% poverty rate? Rather than daring to do more, Notre Dame settles for the practices of its competitors, painting a glittery veneer of rhetoric on top.

This kind of lucid honesty is necessary for being noble.

Not only is aristocracy harmful, it’s boring. Do you want to be a walking derivative, worshiping indifferent power structures, or do you want to be original? Aristocracy stifles creativity and the lust for life, turning us into mindless robots on a socioeconomically determined path. School spirit is one manifestation of this herd mentality, at least when the school is unworthy of our pride.

I didn’t have space to address the Board of Trustees leadership model or specific admissions policies, but I hope this will suffice for a broad critique. Aristocracy diminishes the incredible potential of higher education, the potential that makes me love it. While Nietzsche generally approves of aristocracy, he shares my distaste for the ignoble, and we agree that people deserve to live free, inventive lives. Meritocracy is a sham, and the sooner we admit it, the sooner we can make education into a shared process of growth.

Jim Moster is a senior from Chicago majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies and political science. He spends his days chasing serotonin and sleeping. For comments and inquiries, he can be reached at jmoster@nd.edu or @jimmoster on Twitter.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Write to vote Last week, I went to an informal meeting in ColemanMorse to learn about a new initiative called Write to Vote. After some Domino’s thin-crust pizza, a compelling pitch for the project and an exchange of ideas, I walked away inspired.

Professor John Duffy from the Department of English — well known in Arts and Letters for his CSEM “Great Speeches,” and a recipient of the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at Notre Dame — along with his colleagues across universities, created the Write to Vote Project in anticipation of the 2022 midterms, the first major election cycle after an extraordinary year of voter suppression.

According to the project’s call to action: “Voting rights in the United States are under attack.

The Write to Vote Project (W2V) is a nationwide initiative of over 60 faculty members at 49 colleges and universities founded to help college students write and publish essays on topics related to voting rights in a democracy. […] Your voice matters. The Write to Vote Project invites you to speak out by writing about topics related to voting rights in the United States.”

Here’s the gist: our voices as university students are powerful, and they can be amplified through

publication in local or even national venues. Why not use our voices to write in support of democracy and voting rights? With the support of faculty and fellow students through W2V, you could write an op-ed to submit to your local paper, a letter to your Congressperson, a historical analysis for The Observer or anything else that sparks your interest. You could even take an academic approach and consider how the topic of voting rights fits in with your major courses and make voting rights the subject of a research paper or senior project.

The right to vote touches us all — Democrats and Republicans, young and old, rich and poor. Even if you are not eligible to vote, your life is shaped by those who can and do vote in elections. We can use the privilege of our advanced education to write about voting rights and promote democracy.

If you are feeling like this is a bit out of your wheelhouse, let me reassure you: I have never taken a class specifically on voting rights or done much reading beyond major news coverage and headlines, and I have never published anything in a journalistic setting. (In fact, this letter to the editor is my first piece of public writing, and it may well represent the first student publication to come out of W2V.) I showed up to the first W2V

meeting with nothing more than an open mind and my own experiences as a young voter. I found that surrounded by my peers in a supportive space, I had plenty to say and even a few ideas for things to write.

At this initial informational meeting, we had an impromptu brainstorming session and I heard my peers’ ideas for topics, ranging from the voting habits we form in campus elections to a local voting history of someone’s hometown. Professor Duffy listened to our ideas and offered suggestions of ways that he and the W2V group could nurture our individual projects. I can already tell that W2V will be an encouraging, productive writing workshop and campus network for anyone interested in the intersection of public writing and political activism.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, April 13, at 8 p.m. at the University Writing Center in Coleman-Morse.

Snacks will be served. All are welcome. For more information, write to Professor Duffy at jduffy@nd.edu.

I warmly invite you to join us.

Julianne Downing senior March 31

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The observer | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By KATE CASPER Scene Writer

Artificial Intelligence meets romance in indie-pop band COIN’s fourth studio album, “Uncanny Valley.”

The album has the whim, depth and danceability expected of any COIN project, blending heavy overtones with the distinct groove and flavor the trio is known for. Listeners are taken on a journey of learning, loving, plugging in and disconnecting. While thematically the album follows the relationship between humanity and technology (including robotic voices and glitch noises) the songs transcend this context, exploring isolation, naivety and longing.

The album opens with “Learning,” a song about “coming unplugged” and “learning to love.” The song feels expectant, like a glimmer of hope on the horizon, exemplified in the use of violin and angelic, layered vocals.

At the end of the song, a robotic voice welcomes listeners to the project with a distorted “Good morning, user!”

The second track, released as a single in late 2021, is the punchy pop song “Chapstick.”

The song is alluring with a tangy guitar intro and a slow, seductive tone in the verses. Frontman Chase Lawrence tells Genius the song is about “AI experiencing something as acutely human as a first kiss.”

The third and fourth songs are some of the best on the album. Another punchy song, “Cutie,” is a reference to the brand of clementines.

The song encapsulates the giddy feeling of having a crush. The song is both sweet and tart like a tangerine,

By MATHEUS HERNDL Scene Writer

With the season finale of “Game of Thrones” (GOT) approaching its third anniversary, HBO has finally announced the premiere date of its spinoff series “House of the Dragon” with several images of the characters and a teaser trailer on their official website.

“House of the Dragon” is the first in a series of planned spinoff TV shows based on George R. R. Martin’s acclaimed “A Song of Ice and Fire” series and will expand the vast lore of Westeros. The prequel takes place 200 years before the original series and details a war known as the “Dance of the Dragons.” Like its predecessor, the series follows internal power struggles in Westeros as different factions vie for the iron throne.

But this time, the stars of the show aren’t Jon Snow and the Stark family. Instead, “House of the Dragon” focuses on the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen — the Targaryens — a fearsome clan of dragon-riders and the royal family of Westeros.

The ”Dance of The Dragons” was only vaguely mentioned in “Game of Thrones” or the books, but its events were outlined by Martin in his 2018 novel “Fire & Blood” which details the history of the Targaryen family from their conquest of the seven kingdoms to

a term of endearment the narrator uses.

“Take a Picture” follows “Cutie” as the pinnacle windows-down summertime song. It’s a song laced with contradiction. It’s about both apathy and appreciation. It both questions reality and embraces it.

This is my personal favorite on the album.

“Brad Pitt” follows as catchy, bouncy and existential. The song pursues topics like eternal life and sanity with lyrics like “Keep me young forever” and, perhaps the most relatable lyric to a college student, “Every night I’m losing my mind.”

But the song is only a forerunner to the real standout song, “Killing Me,” which follows someone realizing their partner is “falling out of love.”

While the context is gut-wrenching, the beat is funky — the sonic equivalent of dying with a smile, knowing the truth and dancing through the pain.

Next are a pair of more slow, rhythmic songs.

“Blackbox” is a dreamy and explorative search for intimacy. “It Works” is about a broken relationship.

These songs present the duality of the album, contrasting the giddier, punchier songs with dreamier, more self-aware tracks.

“Take the Stairs” is short and anthemic with brass instrumentation, gritty production and surrealist lyrics. This surrealism is best illustrated in the second verse: “I get lost in my emotion, put my feet inside the ocean / And I flip over my mattress and run straight into the traffic.” This is a must-listen.

Next, “Watering a Dead Flower” is gritty and angsty, the only song on the album that feels

purely rock-inspired. This contrast with the second to last track, “Plug Me In.” This is “a message to my younger self.” It is a slow piano ballad, describing the secular world in the first verse from a “flying car” to an “electronic tablet,” contrasting this with distinct biblical imagery of heaven and hell in the chorus.

“Plug Me In” is essentially an admission of submission to the ways of the secular world.

Uncanny Valley is, without a doubt, the best album of 2022 (and it’s only April). This is the album to get you through a breakup, a crushing failure and every feeling in between. This is the album to blast in a car with friends and to fall asleep to, dreaming about all the things you can and can’t have.

The album invites us to question who we are and what matters.

Who knew an album inspired by Artificial Intelligence could be the vehicle to best present true humanity?

their eventual downfall in Robert’s rebellion approximately 18 years before the first season. According to “Fire & Blood,” the “Dance of the Dragons” was a war of succession between Aegon II Targaryen and his half-sister, Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) after the death of their father, King Viserys I (Paddy Considine).

Rhaenyra is originally named heir to the throne by her father but is passed over in favor of her half-brother Aegon. Thanks to the schemes of Aegon’s mother and grandfather, Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Lord Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) respectively, a devastating conflict between the kingdoms is triggered by the siblings.

Oh, and did I mention the dragons?

While dragons are all but gone by the time of “Game of Thrones,” the prequel series takes place when the Targaryen dynasty still had the fire-breathing beasts which will undoubtedly play a major role in the battles of the Targaryen’s aptly named war. In Game of Thrones, the extinction of the dragons is still a mystery, but “House of the Dragon” will most likely show fans how the powerful animals went extinct and caused the Targaryen’s eventual fall from power.

Martin, who is credited as series co-creator, wrote in his blog that he has been working closely with the show’s crew. It is likely that many details from “Fire &

Blood” will be changed to better fit an on-screen adaptation much like the original “Game of Thrones” novels were. This adaptation factor makes it hard to predict exactly what will happen in “House of the Dragon,” but I certainly expect many of the elements that made the original show a worldwide sensation: intrigue, sex, murder and epic battles.

It would be impossible for me to write about “House of the Dragon” without at least mentioning the notorious final season of “Game of Thrones” which was universally panned and soured the opinion of many fans. Almost overnight, “Game of Thrones” went from a culturally-defining highpoint of the 2010s to a total disappointment and an excellent example of bad writing. With this new series, HBO has the chance to reignite popular interest in Martin’s universe and rehabilitate their image in the eyes of fans and critics alike.

“House of the Dragon” premiers August 21 and will be available for streaming on HBO Max. It stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel and Rhys Ifans.

The show is directed by Miguel Sapochnik.

Contact Kate Casper at kcasper@nd.edu

“Uncanny Valley” Artist: COIN Label: 10k Projects Favorite tracks: “Take a Picture,” “Cutie,” “Killing Me” and “Take the Stairs” If you like: Hippo Campus, Sure Sure, The Band CAMINO

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Contact Matheus Herndl at mherndl@nd.edu MANA GORECKI | The Observer | Image sources: COIN, Ollie upton and Hbo

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The observer | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ANGELA MATHEW Scene Writer

Sitting in the Leighton Concert Hall on March 25, I felt like I was on another plane of existence.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was on stage in a gorgeous red dress, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I had never met the masters student with the glorious Afro sitting to my left or the young Nigerian priest to my right, but we were bonded in our collective admiration as we hooted euphorically when Adichie took the stage.

I vividly remember how I first discovered Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s books. I was in eleventh grade and I would weave through the traffic of Mumbai, India, passing black and yellow cabs and bright red public buses to walk to Kitab Khana, a bookstore near my school.

I would browse the bookshelves indiscriminately but I wouldn’t read anything, until I saw Adichie’s “Half of a Yellow Sun.” I think the imagery of the title is probably what drew me in. I began reading and was arrested by Adichie’s lucid style, astute observations, intriguing descriptions and subtle humor. I went back to Kitab Khana each week, sitting on a metal stool between the stacks, to continue reading.

“Americanah” was the book that made me officially fall in love with Adichie’s work.

“Americanah” is a sprawling love story that follows

By ALLISON THORNTON Senior Scene Writer

On March 23, Harry Styles announced the release date and album cover art for his upcoming 13 track album “Harry’s House” on May 20, 2022. Right away, I just knew the vibes from this album would be amazing. When I first looked at the album cover, I could tell it would be very different from the last two that he came out with. It almost seemed more mature than his previous two. Around a week after the album announcement, he gave us another surprise: a new single was to be released on April 1. Thank goodness it wasn’t an April Fools joke. After hearing about this news, my friends and I were very excited. Friday, April 1, couldn’t come soon enough.

After riding the Bridgerton high the week before, I couldn’t help but have a feeling that his first single in over two years was going to be a hit. And it was. According to Spotify, “As It Was” was the most streamed song in the United States in one single day. It had 8.3 million streams, beating Olivia Rodrigo’s 8 million streams for “drivers license.” If I am being honest with myself, I played both songs on repeat when they came out because they are amazing.

Now, I would like to discuss the single itself. First, I would like to say that I love it when artists use

protagonist Ifemelu as she grows up in Nigeria and then comes to the United States for college.

When Ifemelu “hungered to understand everything about America, to wear a new, knowing skin right away: to support a team at the Super Bowl, understand what a Twinkie was and what sports ‘lockouts’ meant,” I really resonated with her.

Now, when students walk out of class in the middle of a lecture or receptionists tell me that I ‘might wanna do that’ rather than giving me direct instructions, I chuckle to myself and understand the quirks of American culture that Ifemelu observed in the book.

In the U.S., Ifemelu experiences for the first time, what Adichie describes as the “tribalism of America”: race. Being Black, the wider world ascribed the identity of “African-American” to Ifemelu when in reality her cultural identity was Nigerian.

This experience of being “racialized” in American society is fascinating. In India, each region has a distinct language and culture, so ethnicity and religion are how people are divided, rather than race.

Colorism is definitely an issue, but the heart of the differentiation is still ethnicity. Reading “Americanah” woke me up to the idea that in the U.S., “race is phenotype rather than genotype” in the sense that people subconsciously assign identity based on how you present outwardly, irrespective of your ancestry or upbringing.

At a predominantly white institution like Notre

Dame, this concept is entrenched in even the most progressive rhetoric about diversity and inclusion.

The politically correct term for anyone who is not white is “Person of Color.” The term can be convenient when trying to talk about inclusion on a broader scale, like the dorms or the classroom. However, I feel like it conflates the experiences of all non-white people and perpetuates whiteness as the norm.

The term makes it easier to ignore the extensive diversity even within the group “People of Color.”

Ifemelu had to deal with these reductive ideas about other countries and cultures, with people commenting sweeping generalizations to her like, “It’s so sad that people live on less than a dollar a day in Africa.“ Some of my classmates have mentioned that they did service trips in India during high school.

When they find out I’m from Mumbai, the dissonance between the dominant idea they had of India as a country in need of charity, and the idea of India I was presenting them with, is palpable.

When Adichie talks about the “codes and ways of being“ in America, for things as simple as knowing when to laugh and what to laugh at, she has given me the words to identify the subtle feelings of “otherness” that international students experience.

It was heartening to see the various students who came to see her speak, each with their unique connection to her ideas.

voice memos or voice recordings in songs. Harry Styles first did this in “added Cherry“ off of his second album “Fine Line.“ He took old voicemails from his previous relationship and them to the song’s end. I just loved that the listener could feel Harry’s connection to the music, and he accomplished that through the voicemails. Using voice memos or recordings in songs gives it a personal touch. In “As It Was,” the music starts with Harry’s goddaughter saying, “Come on, Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you.“ Right from the start, you are hooked. I mean, how could you not be? The voice is so cute!

This single is like no other song he has written. It has a very indie-pop vibe that I am living for. It’s a song that you could listen to to get ready in the morning, but also you could wind down with it at night. His calming voice while singing creates a different atmosphere to the song. I love that his voice is almost the same volume as the music playing along with him. In other words, his voice isn’t at the forefront of the song until the end.

That’s when you can hear him. I have listened to many pieces in the indie genre of music that do that. As someone who is also a big fan of indie and pop, this song is perfect. You can’t help but listen to it on repeat!

The music video for the song came out the same day. I loved it. Was I jealous of the girl in the blue jumpsuit … of course … but that’s beside the point. I loved the lighting and the end of the video when the church bells start to ring, and he is dancing around with a massive smile on his face.

I love Harry Styles mostly because we have watched him grow as an artist and continue to exceed expectations. His lyrics, music and meanings behind music videos continue to grow. It is fun to think about how far since his One Direction days. I recommend the music video and listening to his new single. Don’t forget your calendars for May 20!

Contact Angela Mathew at amathew3@nd.edu

Contact Allison at athornton01@saintmarys.edu

“As It Was” Artist: Harry Styles Label: Columbia Records If you like: One Direction, Taylor Swift Where to watch: YouTube

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CLAIRE KIRNER | The Observer | Image sources: BILLBOARD

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Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: An energetic approach to life, love and happiness will take you on a journey you won’t want to miss this year. Press forward with your plans, and engage in anything that offers insight into something that brings you satisfaction and joy. Live life your way, and make decisions based on intelligence and common sense. Strive to use your skills and knowledge limitlessly. Your numbers are 3, 11, 17, 24, 33, 35, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Listen before you respond. Don’t get involved in a debate with someone stubborn or vengeful. Base what you do and your decisions on facts and capabilities. Don’t take on someone’s problem, debt or fight.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Discuss sensitive issues openly and honestly. Ignoring problems will lead to assumptions. Be assertive, and get to the bottom of any situation that can hurt your status or reputation. Don’t hide information or let stubbornness lead to a mistake.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Target your goal and test your skills.

Refuse to let an emotional situation escalate or keep you from pursuing what’s important to you.

Set expectations, and don’t lose sight of your goal until you are satisfied with the results.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Practice makes perfect.

Hone your skills, and use them to impress someone who can help improve your life.

Don’t let self-consciousness or being introverted stand between you and what you desire. Step into the spotlight, and present your physical attributes.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Share your experience, and put your expertise to good use.

A diligent approach to using what’s available to you will enhance your chance to reap the rewards. Don’t feel you have to spend money to buy someone’s attention or affection.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A physical display will make your objective clear and conclusive. Don’t beat around the bush when time is of the essence.

Think outside the box, follow your heart and intuition, and make your dreams a reality. Don’t second-guess yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Curb your emotions. If you are too revealing, you will raise a red flag that takes away from what you are trying to achieve.

Be smart, use common sense and start by moving forward with your plans all by yourself.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put your plans in motion. Invest in yourself, your surroundings and your long-term goal. Refuse to let anyone stand in your way.

Put emphasis on your attributes, and sidle up to people who share your vision.

Networking will lead to opportunities.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put your energy where it counts, and don’t waste time on people who are bad influences or indulgences that will slow you down financially or physically. Think through your plans, and build a solid base.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t invite trouble. Make changes that don’t require permission or help from others. Put your energy and time into taking physical action and doing the work yourself. Keep your emotions out of the mix, and concentrate on being fruitful.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Set your goals high and your mind fixed on the best route forward. Embrace supportive people and offer positive input that contributes to your success. A good plan and disciplined attitude will take you to the winner’s circle.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Check what everyone is doing and offset anything that might deter you from pushing forward with your plans.

A change will help you put things in perspective and adjust your plans accordingly.

Think big, but stay within your budget and capabilities.

Birthday Baby: You are thoughtful, compassionate and helpful. You are insightful and focused.

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Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports Authority

Sports Authority

My NBA Awards Ballot Matthew Crow Sports Writer

After another thrilling edition of March Madness, the basketball world now shifts its attention back to the NBA, where teams are counting down the final days of the regular season and gearing up for the playoffs (or the draft lottery). With that being the case, the annual season-long discussion over the NBA’s end-of-year awards has reached a crescendo, and I wanted to weigh in on the debates and present my picks for each of the individual awards. Before beginning, it is important to note that these selections are not predictions for who will win the awards. Rather, they are the picks I would make in the unlikely scenario of the NBA giving me a ballot.

Most Valuable Player — Nikola Jokic The race for the regular season’s highest honor has seemingly come down to a trio of big men: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. W hile the margin is incredibly thin, I lean toward Jokic earning his second consecutive MVP. Embiid is perhaps the league’s most dominant force, and after leading the Bucks to the championship last year, I still consider Antetokounmpo the best player in the world until proven otherwise, but no one has brought more value than Jokic this year. Nearly every advanced stat in existence points to him, with many indicating that he is having one of the greatest seasons ever.

His raw averages of 27 points, 13.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists are incredible in their own right, and he’s doing it with elite efficiency while playing the best defense of his career.

Just as importantly, he has the Nuggets in sixth in the West despite Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., their second and third-best players, both having missed the entire season due to injury.

Any way you frame it, Jokic has been the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.

Most Improved Player — Darius Garland Most Improved Player has the most nebulous criteria of any award and leaves a lot up to the voter’s interpretation. Should it go to someone like Ja Morant, who used this season to transition from a

star into a full-f ledged superstar, a member of the NBA’s elite? Or to a promising young player who finally realized their potential and became a high-end starter, like Miles Bridges? It’s a fine line to walk, and I chose to split the difference and select the player that best made “The Leap” — the one that turns someone from a solid, everyday player into a star. This year, that player was Darius Garland. The Cavaliers have been one of this season’s best stories, a team expected to be among the league’s worst that has found themselves in the playoff picture. Garland’s elite scoring and playmaking ability has been key to that surprising success, as he has averaged 21.7 points and 8.7 assists per game. Garland made his first All-Star appearance this year, and both he and the Cavs are on the cusp of taking the league by storm in the near future.

Rookie of the Year — Evan Mobley Another crucial factor in the Cavaliers’ surprising turnaround has been the play of Evan Mobley. The third overall draft pick has been an elite defender for the Cavs since day one, and his smooth post game and guard-like passing and ball handling skills showcase his outstanding offensive potential. For me, Mobley’s ability to combine statistical production with impacting winning is what pushes him to the front of the pack.

Selecting Mobley over the Raptors’ Scottie Barnes was the most difficult decision among any of the awards, as Barnes’ impressive two-way play has quickly made him a standout for a Toronto team on the rise. I gave Mobley the nod due to his slightly superior defensive impact, but it was truly a toss up between the two. Cade Cunningham, drafted first overall by the Pistons, got off to a slow start but now leads all rookies in points and assists per game after a dominant post All-Star break stretch. I would bet on Cunningham winding up as the best player in the class, but his early struggles and the Pistons’ dismal season slot him behind Mobley and Barnes for the award.

Sixth Man of the Year — Tyler Herro This is by far the most see NBA PAGE 13

Why you should watch this season’s baseball Jose Sanchez Cordova Sports Writer

With the MLB about to start on Thursday, it has been hard to contain my excitement for the return of my favorite sport.

But every time I mention it, I get the same few reactions.

“Baseball is boring.” “It’s so slow.” “Nothing ever happens.”

Or “it takes forever.” This article is my response to those complaints. Here are three reasons why baseball in 2022 is exciting and you should watch it.

Generational talents This all starts with Shohei Ohtani, the reigning American League MVP, who put together the most dominant two-way season in baseball history. He pitched 130.1 innings with a 3.18 ERA and hit 46 home runs while stealing 26 bases. He did everything well.

To put that in perspective, that’s like if a football player played quarterback and threw 30 touchdowns while also playing defensive end and getting 10 sacks. No one has done anything close to this since Babe Ruth in 1919, who some consider the best player ever. And Ohtani did it better and against better competition. He is the definition of “must-see” TV. Then you look at his teammate Mike Trout, who is one of just 10 players to have won MVP three times. Trout was dealing with injuries last season, but in his last 162-game season (2019) he won MVP. And when he was on the field last year, he was still the best player in the league, earning an All-Star selection despite missing over 100 games.

Seeing him come back into a lineup where he will have protection from the reigning MVP will be something to behold.

But if we look past the Los Angeles Angels, there are stars on almost every team in baseball. The Nationals have Juan Soto, who’s basically a modernday Ted Williams. The Mets have Jacob deGrom, who just had one of the greatest half-seasons

anyone has ever pitched. And the defending champion Braves have star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. He could be in the running for a 40/40 season with his crazy home run pop and electrifying speed on the basepaths.

Then there are all the young guys. Three of baseball’s top five prospects made their teams’ opening day roster this year. There’s Julio Rodriguez (Mariners), Spencer Torkelson (Tigers), and the no. 1 prospect in baseball, Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals). And then there’s Wander Franco who debuted for the Rays last season and proceeded to break an American League record for consecutive games on-base for a player in their age-20 season that was set

by Mickey Mantle. These guys all promise to make an impact in the big leagues for a long time. These are the stars of the future and we can watch them get their start.

There are so many more players I could name. Fernando Tatís Jr. in San Diego. Vlad Guerrero Jr. in Toronto. Basically the entire Dodgers lineup. Anywhere you look in Major League Baseball you’ve got elite players doing special things on the diamond that you don’t want to miss.

Potential milestones This year is also special for the potential milestones we could see broken this year. A few are only a matter of time and health. This is the case with Miguel Cabrera, a two-time MVP and one of the best hitters of the 2010s, who is chasing the mythical 3,000 hit club. Only 32 players in MLB history have reached the milestone. And only six have both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Cabrera already eclipsed the latter milestone last year. Needing just 13 more hits to reach 3,000, this one is going to happen barring an injury. It will be just one more chapter in a legendary career headed straight to Cooperstown.

Another future Hall of Famer chasing a similar milestone is Albert Pujols, who returns to

St. Louis after 10 years in Los Angeles. The Machine is entering this year with 679 home runs, good for fifth all-time. He needs 18 to pass Alex Rodriguez for fourth on that list. In fact, he needs 21 to reach 700, something only three players – Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth – have ever done. This milestone figures to be tougher to attain given Pujols’s more limited role nowadays. But even in a pinch-hit capacity, he hit 17 home runs last year. So it’s definitely a possibility in his final season and the kind of history you don’t want to miss.

The last player I want to highlight is Clayton Kershaw.

Another sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer once he retires, Kershaw is one of the greatest pitchers in Dodgers history.

This year he has a chance to break the franchise record for strikeouts, needing just 27 more to pass Don Sutton, another Hall of Famer. This one is also pretty much a foregone conclusion if Kershaw stays healthy. It will almost certainly happen in the first month of the season.

Divisional races There are so many talented teams in baseball this year. And with two additional teams making the postseason this year, the race for October figures to be tight. Especially in the AL East division, where there are four teams with realistic postseason and maybe World Series aspirations. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Rays could all make the postseason this year and challenge for the pennant.

They all won 90 games last year and could do so again. This division is going to be a grind and might not be decided until the last week of the season.

The NL East is a similar story.

The defending champion Braves got better, bolstering their already great bullpen and adding Matt Olson, one of the best first basemen in the league. The Mets spent aggressively in free agency, adding Max Scherzer and see MLB PAGE 15

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sports

Softball Continued from page 16

on the hill are more than and she holds a team-low ER A at 2.92. Freshman Summer Clark should also be a major factor on the hill for the Orange. The first-year pitcher has accumulated an impressive 7-1 record w ith a team-low 1.05 W HIP. Clark is top five in the ACC in opposing batting average.

For Notre Dame, the duo of sophomore first baseman Karina Gaskins and graduate student center fielder Abby Sweet should lead the charge at the plate. The pair have combined for seven home runs and 24 RBIs in conference play. Gaskins in particular has been on a tear as of late, hav ing notched a .516 batting average as well as 17 RBIs in just 10 ACC

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | The Observer

games.

Freshman pitcher Shannon Becker and Tidd have established themselves as Notre Dame’s goto 1-2 punch on the mound.

Both w ill likely see plent y of action as the Irish look to sweep the series. Becker has compiled a strong 3-1 record w ith a 2.66 ER A so far in conference play. Tidd has posted a 3-1 record of her ow n while holding opposing hitters to a teamlow .264 batting average.

The first pitch in Notre Dame’s series against the Orange w ill take place at 3 pm this Friday afternoon.

Saturday’s game w ill have a first pitch of 1 pm, while Sunday’s w ill be 12 pm. A ll three games w ill be broadcasted on ACC Net work Extra.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

NBA Continued from page 12

clear-cut selection, as it is difficult to even make a case for anyone other than Tyler Herro.

After an impressive rookie season in which he helped lead the Heat to the bubble NBA Finals, many thought a breakout campaign was in store for Herro last season. It turned out that the breakout was coming, just one year later than expected.

Herro is averaging 20.8 points, 5 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 40% on threepointers and contributing for the top team in the Eastern Conference. Herro may have an unfair advantage given that he is averaging nearly 33 minutes per game off the bench, but he seems like a shoo-in to bring home the hardware.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) — Marcus Smart The DPOY has long been offlimits for guards, with Gary Payton being the last to win the award in 1996. For most of this season, that trend seemed likely to continue, as it looked like Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green or Giannis

Track Continued from page 15

GRACIE LEE | The Observer

Irish softball team bats during April game series against Georgia Tech, winning the series 2-1 at home Melissa Cook Stadium.

M Lacrosse Continued from page 16

route to a dominating Irish victory.

The entire offense was efficient and potent throughout the game. But junior attacker Jake Taylor was the main storyline on the day. In his first career start, Taylor scored eight goals off of just ten shots. In doing so, he set the program record for goals scored in a single game. Taylor clearly cemented himself in the lineup for the time being. And the Irish will depend on his goal-scoring ability this weekend in Durham.

Junior attacker Pat Kavanagh was a big reason for Taylor’s success. He had six assists on the day and scored three goals as well.

Corrigan discussed how great of a teammate Kavanagh is and how well the offense gels around him: “He keeps the offense moving. With all the points he had, the ball didn’t sit in his stick too much and that’s when he’s at

his best, and that’s when our offense is at its best when the ball is in his stick. I felt really good about the way he played and the way he played as a teammate.”

Corrigan also praised Kavanagh for his ability to find his teammates in goal scoring situations.

“We have a lot of guys doing really good things and he is a guy who is going to have points when we play well because he’s skilled in that way. When the ball is moving and the defense is moving, he knows how to get the ball to the right guy,” Corrigan said.

Duke will undoubtedly be a huge challenge for the Irish.

Although the Blue Devils have dropped a couple of games as of late, they came into the season highly touted.

Duke has some of the most talent in the country on both sides of the ball. They are also coming off of arguably their most impressive performance of the

suit for the Irish this season.

“The 10,000 is an event we take a lot of pride in,” Sparks said. “That should be an event where we should excel when we compete outside.”

The Irish have already excelled in the 10,000m this season with graduate student Andrew Alexander having already broken the school record in the event earlier this season when he ran a time of 28:24.42 at the Raleigh Relays.

season where they thrashed rival North Carolina last weekend in Chapel Hill by a 15-6 scoreline.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Blue Devils this year though. Syracuse upset them 1410 just two weeks ago. And they also had a surprising loss to Loyola Maryland earlier in March.

No matter what Duke team the Irish see on Saturday, their defense will have to be ready for a Duke offense that is led by Brennan O’Neill, who has 42 goals on the year. The Irish will need to replicate their performance from last weekend where they disrupted Syracuse’s offense all game and took away their strengths at attack.

The Irish have played a lot of close games this year. But they have come up short against some of the nation’s top lacrosse teams such as Maryland, Virginia, Ohio State and Georgetown.

Corrigan praised his team’s ability to stay poised despite these close

Antetokounmpo would add yet another trophy to their mantel. That all changed when the Boston Celtics f lipped a switch at the new year and became the best defensive team in the league, with Marcus Smart at the center of the turnaround. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to accurately compare the value of a rim protector like Gobert to a perimeter pit bull like Smart, but Smart’s versatility and ability to effectively guard all five positions set him apart from bigger players that become liabilities outside of the paint. The grit and tenacity that Smart plays with, coupled with his tendency to elevate his teammates’ defensive play, make him my pick as the NBA’s best defender.

Coach of the Taylor Jenkins

Year

—

The obvious pick, and a completely deserving selection, is the Phoenix Suns’ Monty Williams. The Suns have been the league’s best and most consistent team all season, and Williams’ leadership has been a major factor. However, I take into account the fact that, while few envisioned the Suns being quite this dominant, they entered the year coming

Carlson praised Alexander for his race, seeing this race as an indicator for the future success of the distance group this season.

“It was really good feedback for him and just an awesome race for him. It’s impressive to run that fast this early and to solidify himself in our program. I also think it’s a really good sign as to where the rest of our guys are headed,” Carlson said. “I think it’s pretty realistic to expect that school record to fall again by some of our guys.

I am very proud of the direction that group is going.”

losses and to continue to have confidence in themselves.

“I haven’t seen any loss of faith in our guys, but obviously a lot of tension because we just haven’t gotten results,” Corrigan said. “I don’t think we have played a bad game yet, but I don’t think we have played great.

There were areas of the game where we didn’t necessarily play well, but we haven’t played a bad game.”

The Irish will need to play well in all aspects of the game this weekend in Durham to win. The Irish are currently tied for second with the Blue Devils in the ACC standings.

The winner will be in a great position for an ACC tournament bye and make the NCAA Lacrosse Championships.

Saturday’s game from Durham will begin at 1 p.m. EST.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

13

off a trip to the NBA Finals and were widely expected to be a championship contender. Conversely, the Memphis Grizzlies finishing the season with the NBA’s second-best record is something no one saw coming, which is why Taylor Jenkins is my pick for Coach of the Year. Jenkins took over a rebuilding Grizzlies franchise in 2019 and has turned them into a powerhouse in just three seasons. The Grizzlies are a team of young players that have great chemistry, play unselfishly and are consistently locked in defensively, which is a testament to the culture that Jenkins has built in a short time. Perhaps the strongest argument in his favor is the Grizzlies’ astounding 20-3 record in games played without superstar guard Ja Morant, highlighting their next man-up mentality and ability to overcome adversity, both of which are strong indicators of a wellcoached team.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu.

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

Sparks acknowledged that the javelin is another strong suit for his program, which should help his team score more points in the outdoor season.

“We add a few outdoor events that will help our national profile but also our conference finish as well,” Sparks said.

The Tennessee Relays will take place Thursday to Saturday and the Joe Walker Invite will occur Friday and Saturday.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

W Tennis Continued from page 16

dominate against Florida State (10-8) and Oak land (6-7). The Irish w ill have to keep an eye out for Florida State’s No. 15 ranked singles player Petra Hule, who currently holds a 16-1 indiv idual streak. Oak land is entering the match hungr y for a w in after a three-loss streak, however the recent energ y displayed by the Irish indicates they won’t let them have it.

The match against Miami begins Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Eck Tennis Pav ilion. Sunday’s match against Florida State starts at 11 a.m. at home, followed by the match against Oak land at 4 p.m.

Contact Molly Ferazani at mferazan@nd.edu

14

Sports

The observer | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

hockey

Brothers on and off the ice: Slaggerts, Janickes join history of Notre Dame hockey siblings

By GR ACIE EPPLER Sports Writer

On the way to preschool, the Janicke family car blasted the Notre Dame fight song on repeat. A love for Irish hockey was ingrained in the two Janicke brothers’ heads since before they were even old enough to pick up a stick.

Eight hours away, the Slaggert brothers jammed along to the same melody with similar visions of one day joining the Notre Dame hockey roster.

Two pairs of brothers, four different jerseys, one Notre Dame Hockey Team.

Though each pair of brothers are unique with their own special style on the ice and their own stor y, they are bonded by their brotherhood.

Graham and Landon Slaggert — South Bend natives and son of associate head coach and former Irish player Andy Slaggert — always dreamt of playing side by side. States away in Minnesota, Justin

and Trevor Janicke followed in the footsteps of their dad Curtis Janicke who played for the Irish from 1989-93.

Both the Janickes and the Slaggerts began playing hockey before they even learned their ABCs. For Justin Janicke, his hockey career began at two years old, strapped to a tiny walker in the Janicke’s makeshift ice rink set up in their backyard.

The Slaggerts’ first experience with hockey never even involved ice — only their living room carpet and a puck.

From first learning how to skate to grade school teams (which involved daily trips from South Bend to Chicago for the Slaggerts), to traveling tournaments, to the USA Hockey junior program throughout high school, both sets of brothers followed similar paths to earn their spot on Notre Dame’s hockey roster.

The Janickes come as the sixth father-son duo (including Justin, they’re a

trio) to play for the Irish.

Their father Curtis Janicke played for the Irish from 198993, appearing in 125 games and earning 144 points (46 goals and 98 assists). Overall, they make the 16th set of brothers to take the ice geared up in Notre Dame’s blue and gold.

The Slaggerts joined these two exclusive clubs as well, just one year before the Janickes. As a coach at Notre Dame for 29 years, after playing under Lefty Smith and Ric Schafer, Andy Slaggert has been a long-standing part of Irish hockey. Because of him, the Slaggerts were the fifth father-son set. On their own, they are the 15th set of brothers to gear up for the Irish.

“Our lives pretty much revolve around the game,” junior Trevor Janicke said.

“It’s like all my family talks about.”

The Slaggert family shares a similar obsession.

“The conversation still always circles back to the Paid Advertisement

team or what’s going on in the hockey world,” senior and captain Graham Slaggert agreed. “Honestly it gets pretty annoying when guests are over. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves.”

A love for all things hockey was instilled in both households — on the TV, at the dinner table and in the yard. For both families, Notre Dame hockey became more than a dream; it became a lifestyle.

Older brothers Trevor and Graham both set the stage for their younger brothers. They worked hard to make a good reputation for themselves, setting the bar high for their younger brothers Justin and Landon.

“It’s all about wanting to be better than your older brother,” sophomore Landon Slaggert explained. “Graham really paved the path for me and allowed me to see that my dreams truly are possible.”

Freshman Justin Janicke agreed, saying that having

hockey as a similar passion definitely strengthened his relationship with his older brother Trevor. He noted that the only downside to this might have been the constant comparison and competition.

“But at the same time, the competition really did push me because I always wanted to do better than him,” Justin said.

Despite their competitiveness and their clashing schedules, both sets of brothers feel that playing hockey has made them closer. It gives them not only a constant topic of conversation but also a multitude of shared experiences.

This season marks the Janickes’ first time playing on the same team together and the Slaggerts’ second. Being on the ice at the same time is something both sets of brothers had adjust to, as their relationship on the ice is ver y see HOCKEY PAGE 15

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | The Observer

15

track and field

Fighting Irish prepared for upcoming weekend meets with goals to reach the national meet competition

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

The Notre Dame Track and Field team will split up this weekend, heading to both the Tennessee Relays in Knoxville or the Joe Walker Invitational at Ole Miss. The women’s distance will head to Ole Miss, and the sprinters and field athletes will travel down to Tennessee.

One athlete that head Women’s Track and Field coach Matt Sparks is excited to see this weekend is junior distance runner Olivia Markezich, who will run her first outdoor meet of the season.

“Olivia Markezich will make her competitive debut this weekend. I am not sure what event she is going to do,” Sparks said. “She was an All-American on our distance medley relay, and she’ll kick off the outdoor season this weekend.”

Sparks is also excited to

MLB Continued from page 12

numerous others as new owner Steve Cohen continues his push for star power in Queens.

And in Philadelphia, the Phillies put together one of the best lineups in baseball.

They added Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber to a lineup that already has NL MVP Bryce Harper. Those three teams will be pushing hard for the postseason, and it will be an exciting race all season.

Hockey Continued from page 14

different than off.

For Trevor Janicke, it’s all about finding a balance, and he hopes to let Justin find his own rhythm.

“I didn’t want to be that overbearing big brother who always says do this and do that,” Trevor said. “I just kind of let him figure it out on his own because that’s what you have to do.”

Landon Slaggert is thankful for the communication he has with his older brother Graham.

“Graham wasn’t always in my ear about stuff,” Landon said. “I think we found a balance where we can constructively give each other criticism and kind of build off that.”

But this stable and comfortable relationship as players did not come easily.

see graduate student thrower Rachel Tanczos compete.

“Another one that continues to improve week-by-week is Rachel Tanczos. She had a very sub-par performance at Texas [a couple of weeks ago], and she had an improvement this weekend at Illinois State.

We want to continue to make big steps in her last season of eligibility,” Sparks said.

Although this meet will be important for athletes to start getting marks, the long term goal is the national meet.

Sparks discussed what he expects for his team going forward this season.

“The long term goal for the season is to build towards that top-20 finish at the outdoor national meet. To qualify for the regional meet, you just have to be in the top-48 in the region,” Sparks said. “A lot of our regular season will be working towards a qualifying mark and making sure you are in the top-48.”

And on the west coast, you have the juggernaut Dodgers who traded for Freddie Freeman and are about as “World Series or bust” as it gets.

They won 106 games last year.

But they had to play in the Wild Card Game because the San Francisco Giants won 107. This season we get to find out if the Giants are for real. We also get to see if the Padres, under new manager Bob Melvin, can live up to expectations after a catastrophic end to 2021.

The AL West also has some interesting things to watch

Transitioning from brother to teammate has its challenges.

“It took time to develop that relationship,” Landon added. “We definitely had some rough patches early on especially because we have the opportunity to play on the same line as each other. We had to learn how to work together towards a common goal.”

Both sets of brothers have been working together since they were kids, but playing together on the ice changes ever ything. The Slaggert brothers may have struggled to find their f low at first but have since gained a level of comfortability and trust that makes them a perfect pair on the ice.

Landon believes that their shared familial connection makes conf licts easier to resolve.

“We’re brothers. We may get under each other’s skin, but at the end of the

Head Men’s Track and Field coach Sean Carlson hopes that the Irish can get a large group of athletes at regionals in the build-up to the national meet.

“I think it would be really cool for us to send a big group to regionals,” Carlson said.

“I think we can bring somewhere from 15-25, which would be really cool.”

Carlson hopes that the athletes who end up qualifying for Nationals can score some big points to put the Irish within reach of the top-20.

“If a couple of those guys can score some big points, that will hopefully put us in the top-20 at outdoor nationals, which will be at least moving the needle forward for the program,” Carlson said.

The Irish are known for their strong distance program, and Sparks expects the 10,000m event to be a strong see TRACK PAGE 13

out for. First, the Seattle Mariners, who are trying to break a 20-year postseason drought, the longest across the four major North American sports. They got better, adding Robbie Ray and Jesse Winker to a team that won 90 games last year, in what was their best season since 2003.

The LA Angels have already wasted enough of Mike Trout’s prime (and now Shohei Ohtani’s) and spent aggressively to make it to the postseason this year. Not to mention the Texas Rangers who signed

day we know we love each other,” he said.

The Janicke and Slaggert brothers bring something special to Notre Dame’s roster this year that is hard to replicate. Playing the game together brings back years of memories.

Trevor remembers little brother “JJ f lying around” in the backyard while Graham and Landon remember hanging out on the long daily commute to Chicago.

But, both the Janickes and the Slaggerts don’t necessarily think that their relationship is much different from the rest of the team. To these four hockey stars, blood isn’t the only thing that defines brotherhood.

“We all have each other’s backs,” Landon said. “We’re all brothers on the ice.”

Contact Gracie Eppler at geppler@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish freshman mid-distance runner Sofia Rooney competes in the Notre Dame Invitational at the Loftus Sports Center in January 2022.

Marcus Semien and Corey Seager in two of the off-season’s biggest signings. And then there are the Houston Astros, who have ruled this division in years past but lost Carlos Correa.

Despite this, they still feature a stacked lineup and a returning Justin Verlander, making them a team that should be back in October.

All over the league and on every single team there are stars and there are stories.

There’s something for everyone, you just have to find it. The 2022 season is shaping up to

be one of the most interesting MLB has had in a while.

So, I encourage you to find your niche, find a player you love, or a team you like watching. Then it’s just about sitting back and enjoying the show of incredible athletes doing incredible things.

Contact Jose Sanchez Cordova at jsanch24@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 | friday, APRIL 8, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

women’s tennis

Women’s tennis returns home to face Miami, Florida State and Oakland after recent wins

By MOLLY FERAZANI Sports Writer

The Notre Dame women’s tennis team returns home this weekend after last week’s w inning sweep against Boston College and Sy racuse, which allowed them to improve to 11-8 on the season and 4-5 in the ACC w ith the w ins.

The Irish w ill play the Universit y of Miami on Friday, April 8, followed by both Florida State and Oak land on Sunday, all at home.

Last weekend, sophomore pair Julia Andreach and Yashna Yellay i, as well the freshmen pair Carrie Beckman and Nibedita Ghosh racked up the doubles points against Boston College. Both pairs earned w ins of 6-3 w inning second and third respectively. In the singles match, the Irish and Eagles split the w ins, w ith Andreach in second w ith scores of

6-4, 4-6 and 7-5, Yellay i w inning tw ice w ith a score of 6-4 and Ghosh w inning tw ice at 6-3.

In Sunday’s match against the Orange, the Irish initially dropped the doubles points before getting straight set w ins from junior Page Freeman and Andreach. Simultaneously, the Irish took the fifth and sixth f lights by default.

Looking ahead to this weekend, the 13-3 ranked Hurricanes w ill present a challenging match, coming off two w ins over Duke and Columbia.

Miami’s last game against Duke was its fifth w in of the season over a top-20 opponent. One Miami player the Irish have to look out for is Daevenia Achong, who has moved up to No. 28 in the countr y and is currently on a 12-match w inning streak.

Sunday’s match should be a chance for the Irish to see W TENNIS PAGE 13

MICHELLE MEHELAS | The Observer

Irish tennis competes against Bowling Green State University in a 2019 match. The women’s team now looks forward to carrying momentum from their recent wins into upcoming matches at home.

men’s lacrosse

softball

Irish lacrosse seeks top 15 road win in Durham

Irish prepare for Syracuse

By NATE MOLLER

By J.J. POST

Sports Writer

Sports Writer

The no. 13 Irish men’s lacrosse team (3-4, 1-1 ACC) will travel to Durham, North Carolina this weekend to face the no. 15 Duke Blue Devils (9-4, 1-1 ACC) in a crucial ACC game that has huge implications for the ACC standings and the NCAA Lacrosse Championships.

The Irish are coming off their strongest performance of the season last weekend. They dismantled a solid Syracuse team 22-6. Head coach Kevin Corrigan thought his team put together its best complete game of the season.

“We put all the pieces of the game together. We faced off well, played defense well, got ground balls well, moved the ball well and cleared well. There were a lot of good things,” Corrigan said.

Before Saturday’s game, the Irish offense had struggled mightily all season to score. But Saturday saw ten different Irish players score en

This weekend Notre Dame softball (28-7, 7-3 ACC) w ill look to extend its w inning streak w ith a three-game road sw ing against Sy racuse (19-12, 3-8 ACC).

The Irish should enter the series against the Orange w ith plent y of momentum.

Notre Dame enters the series fresh off a major upset over nationally-ranked Northwestern at Melissa Cook Stadium on Tuesday.

Senior Pay ton Tidd was at her best on the hill for the Irish against the Wildcats.

She pitched the length of the game, allow ing only five hits and t wo runs in the 3-2 v ictor y. Tidd’s complete game was capped off w ith a w in thanks to some clutch hitting by junior Leea Hanks. The left fielder’s clutch sixth inning double gave Notre Dame a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, as Tidd

see M LACROSSE PAGE 13

KATE NAESSE | The Observer

Junior attack Pat Kavanagh takes the field against Michigan during home match at Arlotta Family Lacrosse Stadium in 12-7 win.

retired the remaining three Wildcats w ithout issue.

In Sy racuse, the Irish should enjoy one of their easier conference road trips of the year. The Orange hold just a 3-8 record through 11 games of ACC play.

Freshman Kelly Breen has been Sy racuse’s main source of power throughout the season, leading the team in both home runs and RBIs. Look for fellow infielder Neli Casares-Maher to be another key bat in the order for the Orange. The graduate student holds a team-high batting average and on-base percentage among qualified hitters. She’s also second on the team in both RBIs and home runs.

On the mound, expect Lindsey Hendrix to see action as Sy racuse looks to make a statement against a ranked Irish team. The sophomore’s eleven starts see SOFTBALL PAGE 13