Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, February 6, 2023

SMC athletes host youth girls sports clinic

Girls ages 6 to 12 gather at Angela Athletic Facility to practice their favorite sports with college athletes

By AIDAN THOMAS sports e ditor

o n Friday evening, s aint

m ary’s c ollege hosted a n ational g irls and women in s ports d ay clinic. They welcomed about 125 girls, ages 6-12, from the s outh b end community to participate in four 30-minute sessions with various b elles’ athletes. a thletes from all eight s aint m ary’s varsity teams spread out across the a ngela a thletic Facility, providing a series of fun drills and games for the participants.

a head of the event, s aint m ary’s athletic director

Julie s chroeder- b iek spoke to the girls, emphasizing the importance of getting

to celebrate the day. b iek noted, chuckling that she was ‘dating herself’, that while she was their age, there were no organized sports for girls and they had to play with the guys if the guys let them. The concept was met with a gasp from the assembled participants.

“ i t was just heartwarming to me. That’s just what i just wanted to tell you … that’s just going to stick in my brain forever,” b iek said.

“ i think that we have come to a time where they can’t imagine life without girls sports.”

a fter the welcome, the girls split into various groups, attending the sports they had listed as their preferences ahead of

the clinic. a cross various sports, the activities varied, with the b elles’ athletes teaching basic concepts of their sports and mixing in different games to keep the kids engaged.

l acrosse started by going over some basics of handling a lacrosse stick, while on the volleyball courts, some of the athletes helped the kids work on serving the ball over the net. The basketball set up events like a dribble relay race and some shooting drills. The softball team set up various hitting and throwing stations around their section of the gym, and tennis athletes soft-tossed balls to girls

Poll reveals public opinion on Irish unification Author discusses incarceration

By GABBY BEECHERT new writer editor

a recent poll conducted in both n orthern i reland and the r epublic of i reland revealed information about public opinion regarding the unification of i reland and other related items. The poll was a combined effort of the i rish Times and the joint research organization a nalyzing and r esearching i reland n orth and s outh ( arins ). The organization is a collaboration between the Keoughn aughton i nstitute for i rish s tudies at n otre d ame and the r oyal i rish a cademy in d ublin.

a ccording to director of the Keough- n aughton i nstitute, p atrick g riffin, after the u nited Kingdom left the e uropean u nion, the institute was approached by the r oyal i rish a cademy and asked to help research the ways in which both n orthern i reland and the r epublic of i reland were going to be affected by

the development.

b rexit created many challenges for not only the b ritish state, but also for the people of i reland and n orthern i reland, g riffin said. For the first time since the g ood Friday a greement, the border has become a live question.

“

b rexit necessitates a border in some way, shape, or form. w ith it, unless you change the status of n orthern i reland within b ritain, you can’t have the free flow of people and the free flow of goods.

The g ood Friday agreement relied on fluid movement between north and south. s ome are concerned that the agreement will be strained,” g riffin said.

“a nd people have been really kind of stretching their brains to try to figure out a way of squaring a circle of ensuring that you could have n orthern i reland be in the e uropean u nion, but not really in the e uropean u nion. c an n orthern i reland be bound to i reland

but also bound to b ritain at the same time? That’s the question people are trying to figure out.”

The recent poll asked 1,000 respondents in both n orthern i reland and the r epublic of i reland how they would vote in a referendum based on their current views and related questions. voters in n orthern i reland would have elected to stay in the u nited Kingdom. o f those who answered this question, 50% of pollers said they wanted to stay in the u.K., and 27% of pollers would support i rish unification.

66% of pollers in the r epublic of i reland support i rish unification. This means there is more than twice as much support for i rish unification in i reland compared to that in n orthern i reland.

b ut voter opinion becomes much more complex when asked certain questions about what

By PETER BREEN news writer

reuben Jonathan m iller, a mac a rthur “g enius grants” Fellow and university of c hicago sociologist, spoke Friday evening in g eddes hall about carceral citizenship, a condition of rejection borne by those with criminal records. m iller is the first of four guest speakers in the c enter for s ocial c oncerns’ spring lecture series on mass incarceration.

portraying “mass incarceration’s afterlife” and thinking about what the journey home from the u s. prison system entails, m iller began the lecture by calling upon his muse: a merican singer-songwriter and political activist nina simone.

person’s life.

“The sinnerman runs to the rock, to the river, the sea,” m iller said. “The sinnerman runs to the good l ord. The rock says, ‘i won’t hide you.’ The river bleeds. The sea boils. w hen he gets to g od, g od says, ‘go to the devil.’”

Throughout the rest of his time on stage in the a ndrews auditorium, m iller chronicled the lives of three men on their way out the door of the u. s. prison system, reinforcing his arguments about carceral citizenship with statistics concerning criminal justice in the land of the free. To understand how justice is administered in the country, m iller said, it is essential talk to the unprotected. m iller met a man he referred to only as “Jimmy”, who epitomized the sinnerman, on his first day out of prison after serving eight years for grand larceny. Jimmy, who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, spent his years behind bars without access to treatment. per his conditions of release,

see ireland PAGE 4 see booK TalK PAGE 4

For m iller, simone’s version of the spiritual “sinnerman” captures the experience of what it means to be rejected because of one’s position within the “social body.” The song considers how being marked by a criminal record and being called a criminal alters a

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

One of the clinic participants practiced her tennis skills with pointers and instruction from athletes on the Saint Mary’s tennis team.

see clinic PAGE 3

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ND professor finds PFAS in period underwear

By CAROLINE COLLINS new Writer editor

The period underwear brand Thinx recently settled a class action lawsuit claiming its products contain harmful chemicals. Graham

p easlee, n otre d ame professor in the d epartment of p hysics & Astronomy, tested in Thinx underwear for these chemicals and s ierra magazine collaborated with p easlee to published an investigation on the matter in 2020.

p eriod underwear is washable and reusable underwear designed to soak up menstrual blood. They are supposed to be an eco-friendly alternative to one-time-use pads and tampons. h owever, recent studies have shown that the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ( pfA s ) in period underwear are harmful for the wearer and for the environment.

p easlee used a particle-induced gamma-ray emission ( p IG e ) spectroscopy test to analyze the concentrations of pfA s in different brands of period underwear. h e

found a high peak for fluorine concentration, which is indicative of pfA s , in the inside layer of the Thinx underwear he tested.

p easlee said pfA s are a class of highly persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances. These molecules last forever in the environment and accumulate in people’s bodies because they contain a strong carbon-fluorine bond that will never decay.

“All people in n orth America have about 5 [parts per million] of pfA s in their bodies,” he said.

The issue isn’t so much the pfA s that is in products that we use and consume, but rather what happens to those products after we are done with them, p easlee explained. The chemicals go into the landfill and don’t break down and eventually, they get into the water supply and our bodies.

“The scary part is that this molecule is everywhere and nobody realizes because the companies told us it was safe,” p easlee said.

Jessian c hoy, the freelance

writer for s ierra magazine who broke the story about pfA s in Thinx underwear, said this is an issue that everyone should be worried about.

“This is an issue that affects all genders. It shouldn’t just be people with uteruses clicking on this headline about menstrual underwear,” c hoy said. “ pfA s is getting into the water we all drink.”

p easlee said that when these chemicals get into humans, they are attracted to fatty acid-binding proteins and are transported through the blood. e xposure to pfA s , even at low concentrations, has been shown to harm human health and several pfA s have been proven to cause cancer.

“We want to minimize exposure to these chemicals,” p easlee said. “If it’s not essential, why are we using this molecule that may last forever?”

c hoy explained that there is a lot of misinformation about pfA s s he said the idea that pfA s is everywhere, so it’s not an issue, is

a misleading narrative.

“ p eople are exposed to pfA s in their food and water, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to reduce our exposure where we can,” c hoy said.

s he also said that many companies don’t tell consumers that their products contain pfA s e ven companies that say they have tested for pfA s may have only tested for some types and not all 9,000 plus variations.

c hoy said that Thinx’s eco-friendly advertising was misleading because they were claiming to sell nontoxic products when they were using pfA s

p easlee agreed with c hoy and said, “The company was claiming to be environmentally conscious, but they had anti microbials and pfA s in their underwear.”

Additionally, c hoy said that some people thought the lawsuit was targeting a small company when Thinx is owned by Kimberlyc lark, a multibillion-dollar enterprise.

The news of the Thinx settlement brought renewed

focus to the issue of the use of pfA s in period products and other consumer goods. p easlee explained that attention has to be brought to an issue to enact change. With regulation, “you’d have to have somebody poisoned before you can change things,” he said. “These articles will get people’s attention and they’ll be worried about [ pfA s ], and when people get worried then there’s attention focused on the industry and the industry will have to respond and make changes.”

c hoy said that for pfA s regulations to be successful they need to be enforceable, which means there needs to be standards for product testing and staff so problems can be reported.

“I’m hoping that the general public will keep an eye on the laws that are being proposed to regulate pfA s and make sure that these laws have teeth,” she said. “We have to be our own best advocate.”

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

who practiced their volleys. The golf team utilized their indoor putting green, while the cross country team commandeered the upstairs indoor track. The b elles soccer team started with some basic passing drills before moving to a game of ‘red light, green light’ played while dribbling the ball.

“They can see us in our

sports and have us as role models. They can see that girls can play sports and excel at them,” junior defender h olly s krip said. “ h opefully, they can use us as inspiration to achieve their goals to play college soccer or any other sport.”

o ther s aint m ary’s athletes echoed s krip’s sentiments. “I think that’s really important because, especially at a young age, girls need to feel like they have opportunities to play sports and really feel

empowered by other girls,” senior golfer Katherine h opkins said. “I think this camp does that really well. And that’s why I really love it.”

While the athletes took on major leadership roles within the clinic, most of the coaches were there as well to offer support and encouragement for all the participants. They appreciated the opportunity for their players to come together as a team and give back to their community.

“It’s just really an opportunity for us to showcase what athletics and sports can do for girls and and females and women kind of from top to bottom and you know, it’s not just about the sport — it’s about everything else that it teaches them,” basketball coach m elissa m akielski commented.

Tennis head coach d ale c ampbell added a similar sentiment.

“This is a great opportunity to work with these and introduce them to different sports,” he said. “Give them a little bit of success playing a new sport. h oping that they learn the sport, gain some confidence and stay with some healthy activities.”

In addition to the leadership opportunity, b elles athletes relished the opportunity to connect with their teammates outside of the standard practice and competition times,

working together to inspire another generation of female athletes.

“It was a lot of fun, especially because we’re in offseason right now, so I got to see all of my teammates and get back together. b ut it’s so cool to see all these little girls just from s outh b end coming in and playing,” b elles volleyball junior c olleen m c c arthy said.

“I loved going to softball camps when I was younger and getting to work with the girls and having role models to follow,” senior softball player c aitlin Traxler said. “It’s something very fun and lighthearted we get to do [as a team] to give back to the community that we love and play for.”

The clinic returned to s aint m ary’s after a two-year absence due to the cov I d pandemic. It was the seventh time in the past nine

years that the school was able to host the event.

b iek summed up her thoughts on the event succinctly, emphasizing the importance to getting back to host the event after being unable to do so since 2020.

“I think it’s critical that we, as an all-women’s college, host one of these events. It’s just who we are, as all women. b ut the other part of it: it’s the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which was the law that allowed us to have access to sports,” b iek said. “ s o that’s why it’s just critical that we do this, but it’s also with our women. It’s our way to play it forward. s o that, you know, we can just pass on our love of sport to these this next generation of little girls.”

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer Saint Mary’s lacrosse team formed a tunnel, ushering the young players through to end the Women and Girls in Sports Day clinic.

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

As part of the clinic, members of the Saint Mary’s golf team used their indoor putting green to help clinic participants perfect their puts.

Jimmy was given a set of orders detailing what he must and must not do or risk being sent back to prison.

“so Jimmy’s got to go find a job,” m iller said. “he’s got a report to a place called the man Workforce development center, and i’m going to follow Jimmy. We’re in detroit and it’s the coldest day of the year. it’s february 2014. awful. one of those days where you see your own breath.”

m iller’s anecdote continued: Jimmy is underdressed for the walk at the end of the bus line and the workforce development center turns out to be shut down. m iller reluctantly decides to give Jimmy a ride to another center, whose workforce class happens to be at max capacity. Jimmy puts his name on the waiting list and the pair resolve to regroup at a diner and debrief

for the day.

“i’ve got sunny side up eggs and some grits with some hair in it,” m iller said. “a nd here’s Jimmy sitting across from me, thanking me for being there for him. it occurred to me in that moment the position that we put people in.”

m iller explained that without the goodwill of a stranger, Jimmy could have missed his appointment and possibly gone back to jail or prison. he said Jimmy lives in what he considered an economy of favors, having to elicit the services of good-willed strangers for a chance at meeting basic human needs.

“he was rejected by the mental health technician in the prison, he’s rejected when he shows up at that front door [of the workforce development center], i almost reject him because i didn’t trust him,” m iller said. “The world has made no room for Jimmy.”

The post incarceration

journey home for two other exconvicts, referred to as Zo and ronald, was just as punishing as the way Jimmy and the sinnerman were made to walk, m iller added.

m iller’s introduction for Zo lacked as much hope as Jimmy’s: a robber of drug dealers from c hicago, a violent felon who can’t get a job, Zo was facing eviction from a “flop house” 30 days after his release from prison. Two days away from homelessness, seeing “two dope boys talking their shit, flashing their little cash,” Zo breaks down, fending off the urge to relapse into his criminal ways.

i n the midst of serving 27 years in prison wrongfully accused of shooting a police officer, ronald’s son was murdered by a 14-year-old boy. Yet ronald, m iller said, wrote to the judge and the prosecutor, advocating for his son’s murderer to be tried as a juvenile so that he can make a

life for himself upon turning 21.

“[ronald] decided that even people who cause harm deserved a place in the world,” m iller said. “To be fully human is to make mistakes… a nd that’s our charge to be vulnerable… our question isn’t whether or not it makes us feel good. The question is, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’” figures-wise, m iller drew attention to the growth of the U.s. prison population since 1972, the disproportionate representation of minorities and people with disabilities in the prison system and the revolving door between homelessness and incarceration.

“The jail, the prison is a place where we store the people we’re afraid of,” m iller said. “People we want to throw away, (it is) where we store a surplus population.”

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

unification would actually entail.

“There hasn’t been much in-depth thinking, in the s outh certainly, about what a united i reland would mean,” Pat Leahy, political editor of The i rish Times, said during an i n The n ews podcast episode. “While you have these very large majorities of people who reflexively say ‘yes, i would like a united i reland,’ the number of people who have, or the proportion of those who have actually thought about what it would mean and what they may be perhaps prepared to do to bring it about and to make it a success, is much, much smaller.”

i f i rish unification were to result from a referendum, the new state would have to deal with a large minority of people who might find themselves alienated, Leahy said. The study found an unwillingness of many people in the south to support changes to the political arrangements and political symbols of a potential united i reland in order to accommodate Unionists.

r esearchers also conducted a number of focus groups of undecided voters in the north and south to understand the concerns. These include economic consequences of a united i reland, concerns regarding public services and the prospective return to violence, Leahy said.

i n addition to questions about identity and related political ideas, Griffin said arins is exploring the ways in which unification would impact the daily lives of those in i reland and n orthern i reland.

“There’s all other sorts of things that matter to people on a day-to-day basis that we’re also studying like infrastructure, transportation, and health systems in the north and south,” Griffin said. “ i s there more cooperation? i s there a way for people to realize that they share an island? This is also the work that we’re doing.”

Contact Gabby Beechert at gbeecher@nd.edu

Paid a dverT isemen T

DIANE PARK | The Observer

A king, a cat and an absurd 1972 election

By SPENCER KELLY, AVERY POLKING, THOMAS DOBBS and JARED MEISEL

From the Archives researchers

o n Wednesday, notre d ame students will take to the polls and elect their new student body president. A glance at the ballot suggests that this year’s candidates all appear to be human and pro-democracy. This observation may seem obvious or nonsensical, but a look back at the history of sbP elections shows that pro-democracy ideals or even personhood are not characteristic of all candidates.

e xactly 50 years ago, while notre d ame grappled with the decision over whether to merge with s aint m ary’s or become coed itself, r c alhoun Kersten and a cat named “Uncandidate” launched their unlikely yet ultimately successful campaign for student body president and vice president. While the story to follow is undoubtedly absurd, this saga is not just pure entertainment. Upon further inspection and reflection, the election of Kersten and his cat presents implications that are more profound and more relevant than they may at first appear.

The unlikely election of R. Calhoun Kersten and Uncandidate the Cat

Feb. 22, 1972 | TC Treanor | Feb. 29, 1972 | John Abowd | March 1, 1972 | TC Treanor | March 2, 1972 | Roe, McDermott, Schaefer | March 3, 1972 | TC Treanor | March 8, 1972 | Larry Dailey | Researched by Avery Polking

standing in the fourth-floor bathroom of Walsh h all in 1972, r c alhoun Kersten ‘74 had a plan — one involving divine intervention, an oligarchic vision, a feline friend and a “rocka-rocka discotheque.”

o n Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1972, the observer announced that Kersten was running for student body president alongside Uncandidate the c at (a literal cat).

Kersten, a resident of Walsh, made its aforementioned bathroom his campaign headquarters, establishing office hours and pledging to develop “a hard-hitting campaign in which to come out unequivocally and indefinitely on every major issue.”

Although the observer labeled him a “joke candidate,” Kersten made it hard to believe his political endeavors weren’t serious, or at least

comprehensive.

Kersten’s twelve-point plan covered hot-topic issues of the age. he planned to abolish all student government institutions, opting instead for an “oligarchy consisting of myself and my close friends.” he intended to replace the passfail grading system with an “A-b” choice (except for those in pre-med). he endeavored to establish a “rocka-rocka discotheque” on campus and to repeal parietals, citing a “cosmic deity” as reason enough.

o n election day, Kersten amassed 35.8 percent of the student body vote and drew a record turnout. he and Uncandidate were now slated for a runoff against stuGov o mbudsman, Paul d ziedzec ‘73.

Faced with this final election and d ziedzec’s perhaps ironic position in government, Kersten made a statement at 4:00 am the day of the runoff, when d ziedzic was “not available for comment.”

Kersten announced his intention to drop out of the race, claiming that in a storm of lightning and thunder, he received a message that: “You have better things to do and must study to get an A in med school…let your coming be a sign to smash the sacred golden image of the poobah but let You get Yourself the hell out. This is my will.”

d espite Kersten’s desire to withdraw, he and Uncandidate the c at triumphed in the runoff election, garnering 65% of the vote. At the purported “urging of h is running mate,” Kersten changed his mind and accepted his elected role as sbP.

Kersten’s victory was followed by “definitely tentative” plans for a c oronation, an Inaugural b all and a “Feast of Ascension” after his fitting assumption of office on April Fools d ay.

Kersten’s election received national coverage in newspapers around the country and on nbc news. however, Kersten felt that his greatest accomplishment was making the front page of his hometown paper, the Ft. d odge messenger.

“my grandmother is very proud of me,” he boasted.

Immediate reactions to the election of 1972

March 2, 1972 | John Barkett

| March 6, 1972 | Art Quinn |

March 10, 1972 | Jerry McElroy |

Researched by Thomas Dobbs

The election of b ob Kersten and Uncandidate the c at was a landmark moment in the history of student government at notre d ame. Understandably, the unexpected course of events challenged the traditional norms of student leadership and sparked a range of reactions from the university community.

At the time, some faculty members were thrilled with the election, seeing it as a step forward for the university and a sign of change in the political landscape.

“I think it is one of the best things that has happened at notre d ame in a long, long time,” Professor e dward J. c ronin ‘38 said. “Kersten has shown there is a blessed sense of humor on campus and I hope that this will be reflected in other matters.”

however, not all faculty members shared c ronin‘s enthusiasm. s ome professors were concerned about Kersten’s lack of experience and feared that his unorthodox views could harm the university’s reputation.

“I am very disappointed,” h istory Professor John s mith said. “It was a slap at the idea of student government. I think [his nomination to the s tudent Life c ouncil] would be contrary to what he ran for.”

d espite these differing opinions, the faculty agreed on one thing: they would be closely monitoring the new president’s actions and hoped that he would be able to effectively lead the student body.

“I think we will just wait and see what happens,” Professor John J. b orkowski said. “If he got that much student support, the students must feel he is a good representative.”

The outgoing student body president John b arkett ‘72 also weighed in prior to the runoff election.

“I was so disappointed in the eight (other candidates)… that I nearly voted for b ob Kersten myself,” b arkett said.

Foreshadowing the anti-establishment victory, b arkett reminded fellow students about the limitations of student government, arguing that change doesn’t “occur in one administration, sometimes not even in two or three.”

The anti-establishment success was cheered on by an editorialist, Jerry mc e lroy ‘72, who saw it as a sign of progress and a step towards a more grounded student

government.

“b ob Kersten’s election was a witty, and at times, brilliant, slam against the oligarchical student political establishment at notre d ame,” mc e lroy wrote, characterizing past student leaders as conduits of a “poobah mentality,” a condition of student politicians who, in his mind, viewed themselves as “savior(s) of the proletariat.”

While Uncandidate was unfortunately declared ineligible for his elected position and replaced with a human v P, Kersten served his entire term as president/oligarch. Kersten’s incredible reign would be the subject of reflection and analysis for years, even decades, to come.

Reflections on and implications of King Kersten’s reign

Feb. 20, 1973 | Larry Weaver | March 2, 1978 | Marian Ulicny | March 18, 2016 | Gary Caruso ‘73 | Researched by Jared Meisel

The satirical, anti-establishment campaign of b ob Kersten and Uncandidate the c at has drawn a range of reflections in the years since his victory. Kersten, his opponents and students who witnessed these events have remarked on the campaign’s successes and failures, with some likening it to contemporary national elections.

In 1973 at the end of Kersten’s reign, columnist Larry Weaver acknowledged the lack of meaningful changes made during Kersten’s presidency but saw this degree of achievement as no different from typical student body presidencies.

What Kersten should instead be remembered for, according to Weaver, was his entertaining campaign, which included, among other things, a staged kidnapping, promises to overthrow student government and a speech given in front of a burning bush (trashcan).

Unlike ordinary, “dull and predictable” election races, Kersten’s campaign was “exciting; but most of all, he was fun. And in creating fun, King Kersten gave notre d ame something it sorely needed, but which no other candidate ever even mentioned.”

In 1978, Kersten himself provided commentary on his rise to power. Admittedly, Kersten’s original intention was to parody the election

and then drop out, not looking to claim victory but rather to “add a little humor” to the competition.

Upon receiving massive support from the student body, however, Kersten decided to continue with his campaign, citing a legitimate need to transform the University’s understanding of student government. s pecifically, Kersten’s satire was aimed at the “self-centered student officials he called ‘poobahs,’” whom Kersten aimed to remove from their offices — and which he succeeded in doing.

In a 2016 viewpoint column, one of Kersten’s sbP opponents, Gary c aruso ‘78, compared Kersten’s campaign to the similarly antiestablishment Trump and s anders campaigns of 2016. Providing context for the campus political climate at the time of Kersten’s victory, c aruso described the students’ resentment towards the “establishment” president preceding Kersten.

In the already rebellious climate of the 1970s, the students united around the university’s proposed banishment of kegs from campus. While promising to fight on the students’ behalf, the then-president betrayed the students when struck a deal with Fr. hesburgh himself in exchange for an uncontested acceptance of the prohibitory act.

s uch an “injustice,” in c aruso’s words, created conditions for the populist, anti-institution atmosphere in which a campaign like Kersten’s could flourish, much like how the contemporary Trump and s anders campaigns found support amidst similar opposition to conventional authority. In both 1972 and 2016, c aruso lamented that the “wild mob electorate shut out reason and issues… by voting for a joke.”

Ultimately, while Kersten and Uncandidate’s election was a singular event in notre d ame history, the dynamics behind their unlikely victory seem to reflect timeless human tendencies. In this light, perhaps the 1972 election can be as illuminating or instructive as it is absurd.

Contact Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu, Avery Polking at apolking@nd.edu, Thomas Dobbs at tdobbs@nd.edu and Jared Meisel at jmeisel2@nd.edu

Your silence thunders

What’s in a fear?

o n any given day, I walk into one of the big d e b artolo h all ( d e b art) classrooms for a lecture and my mind is briefly consumed with fear that I will accidentally tumble down the stairs in front of everyone in a series of flailing somersaults. With how clumsy I am, it feels like an eventual inevitability.

Fear plays such a vital role in understanding ourselves. Fear doesn’t just tell us where our limits lay or let us know when we are in danger, it can also be a hint that we are embarking on something we really care about.

I’m not talking about the kind of fear you experience when you think you’re being followed. This fear, rather, is that slight tingle in your chest you feel when you’re stepping just outside of your comfort zone.

Fear can be like a low-grade form of paralysis. m aybe if I play dead, my to-do list can’t hurt me. If I don’t start something, then I can’t fail at it miserably.

We all have those things we are scared to admit we care deeply about. It stings to get confirmation from others that we aren’t good at something we love or to be told that something we care about is a bit silly to be invested in. m aybe you’ve even caught yourself making a self-deprecating joke about that very thing, just to make sure no one can beat you to it.

r ecently, I got to thinking about what those fears are for me. I realized that I honestly used to be afraid of just talking about the things I’m passionate about. I would shy away from mentioning projects that I was excited about, or avoid telling people — even my mom — that I did well on something out of fear that I would sound like I was bragging.

There’s a specific flavor of fear that has a slight hint of excitement in it. This fear, I think, is what happens when the fear for the future mixes with hope for the future. I’m trying to learn to tune into the fears like this that I have.

When in the times that I’ve been able to identify those fears and summon enough courage to throw myself into overcoming them, I’ve unearthed a side of myself that I didn’t know was there. very few feelings rival that of newfound bravery.

Fear keeps us safe from harm, sure, but it can also keep us from exploring pieces of ourselves. I challenge you to consider what these fears are for you. What’s holding you back from going for it? What could change if you didn’t hide your passion?

h ere’s to hoping I don’t fall down the stairs in d e b art anytime soon.

You can contact Maggie at mklaers@nd.edu.

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

Tyre n ichols was 29. o n January 7, five police officers literally beat the life out of him. o ne of the most trending Google searches recently is: “Tyre n ichols criminal record.” I can tell you that that search leads nowhere. I can tell you that n ichols was a lawabiding citizen and a pillar of his family. b ut would it matter? At n otre d ame, we advocate for the preservation of all life. We value it equally in every form, every community and every stage. r ight? I could be wrong, but if there have been conversations about the death of Tyre n ichols (or others killed by the police since I’ve been at n otre d ame), I haven’t heard them. o ur silence thunders in the halls where men like b ayard r ustin once walked.

Part of our university’s mission statement is providing a forum of free inquiry and open discussion. We’re all busy people and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on in the world, but it’s high time that issues of social justice made their way to the forefront of at least some of our conversations. o ur bond as students is deeper than just living on the same campus. It’s more than being from the same dorm or eating at the same dining hall. We’re the continuation of the legacy of men like Fr. Ted h esburgh and r ev. John I. Jenkins (who helped integrate n otre d ame in 1944). We’ve been brought together because we have the potential to transform the world. That begins with an increased level of consciousness about social justice issues.

And of all American social justice issues, policing seems to be one of the most delicate. s tray too far one way and you’re advocating for a fantasy world where we don’t have anyone effectively enforcing our laws. b ut go too far the other way, and you utterly fail to hold men like d erek c hauvin and d aniel Pantaleo (the killers of George Floyd and e ric Garner) accountable for their actions.

Whatever your stance is on the solution to the problem, it’s undeniable that the American police force needs some reform. All the numbers scream that police brutality is a real problem in our country. And while African Americans are disproportionately affected by it, it’s not only an issue of race. m any unarmed people of other races have been unjustifiably murdered by police as well. In August of 2016, a 32 year old white man called the police to ask for help, as he was off the medication that he usually took for anxiety and schizophrenia. b ut when the police arrived, they handcuffed him, zip-tied his feet and kneeled on his back as he begged for his life. e leven minutes later, the man was dead. h is name was Tony Timpa. Another name in a list of thousands who have been killed inexplicably by police. s hot. Tased. c rushed. b rutalized.

m ore people are killed by police in America than anywhere else in the developed world. Police departments in our country do not have outside oversight, which means that they’re not being held accountable by anybody when they misapply deadly force. In most states, the department has the final say on whether an officer’s level of force was warranted or not, and this is an obvious conflict of interest. It’s why the officers that killed Tony Timpa felt bold enough to kneel on him for 11 minutes. It’s why the ones that killed Tyre n ichols didn’t care that their

body cams were recording the whole thing.

n ot only do our police require more independent oversight, they need more training as well. Policing is hard, so naturally we have a lot of respect for the people who’ve committed themselves to the job. b ut we don’t effectively train our police to do one of the most stressful and high-tension professions that we have in our society. According to the b ureau of Justice, the average length of time required to complete police academy training is 21 weeks, or 840 hours. c ontrast that with police training in Germany, which takes two and a half years, or even with Finland whose police training lasts a full three years. 9 out of 10 police calls are for nonviolent encounters, and yet U. s . police academies spend more of their time on firearms training than on deescalating the situations that constitute 90% of their job. And the solution here isn’t defunding the police, because when budget cuts have happened in police departments historically, training divisions are usually the first things scaled back.

To stop more people from becoming victims of extrajudicial police violence, the truth is that we need to hold our police departments more accountable. The officers responsible for Tyre n ichols murder were swiftly dealt with, but when it comes to this issue, we need to be proactive, not reactive. Legislation mandating that independent third parties investigate incidents of alleged excessive police violence would go a long way toward preventing many unnecessary deaths and life altering injuries. As would more training in de-escalation, and better care for the mental health needs of the people protecting and serving us.

And on the n otre d ame campus, we need more discussion and more activism surrounding this issue. Last month, there were posters in every dorm promoting the m arch for Life in Washington, dc b ut how many times since June of 2020 have we as a community acknowledged the lives that continue to be taken as a result of police brutality? h ow many people know the names Tony Timpa or Philando c astille?

We can’t live up to our calling as n otre d ame students until a desire to see justice done is burned on our conscience. Until we are heartbroken by the pain and injustice in our world. And until that broken heart compels us to action. b ut the first step is just having the courage to dialogue with each other on subjects like this one.

The university has spoken out against police brutality in the past, but I believe it can do more. The nd P d ’s e quity in Policing initiative is a great step, but we also need the university to put its weight behind legislation that will hold police nationwide accountable for applications of unjustified extreme force. I’m not saying that it’s up to the university or its students to fix our nation’s policing problem. b ut if we say nothing, then that says everything.

Tyre n ichols was 29. Another black man killed unjustly by the police. Another American dream snuffed out long before it had a chance to be realized. I think that’s something worth talking about.

Oluwatoni (Toni) is a freshman majoring in Business Analytics at the University of Notre Dame. He can be reached at oakintol@nd.edu.

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

Maggie Klaers Graphics e ditor

Oluwatoni Akintola meditations

Andrew Sveda c hurch and state

“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. by what kind of law? by a law of works? no, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (romans 3:27-28 esv). These words boldly attack man’s achievements, unveil the scandal of the gospel of grace and exalt Jesus as the perfect, complete and sufficient savior.

Let us first look at the context. These verses proceed from a discussion of the utter depravity of every single person (3:920) and the free gift of redemption in Jesus’ atoning death (3:21-26). It is not merely the case that people aren’t perfect. man is naturally evil and opposed to God and his law (John 8:44, romans 8:7). so deep is our wickedness that “no one does good, not even one” (romans 3:12). All of our deeds, even our best ones, are stained by sin, for they proceed from an impure heart. no resumé of service hours or good deeds, no ritual, no amount of tears, no mystical experience can save you. not even impeccable observance of bible reading and prayer can put you in right relationship with God. Without Jesus, you are dead in sin and will be subject to God’s just and eternal wrath (ephesians 2:1, John 3:36, 2 Thessalonians 1:9).

It is in this light that christ is presented to us. We “are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (romans 3:24-25). because christ “bore our sins” (1 Peter 2:24) and suffered God’s wrath in our place (Isaiah 53:4-6), God’s justice is satisfied (romans 3:26) and we are reconciled to the Father and have peace with him (romans 5:1,11). We are cleansed from every sin (1 John 1:7), are forever under the loving gaze, care and protection of God (romans 8:28-39, Luke 12:32) and will enter heaven’s gates (John 14:2-3).

Soli Deo Gloria

It is a salvation completed wholly by God. hence the words “we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (romans 3:28). It is not based at all on our moral record but is only through trusting in what Jesus has done for us. nothing can be added to his completed and finished work (hebrews 10:18). It can only be received by the beggar who, like Abraham, sees nothing in themself but trusts in the power and promise of God (romans 4:16-25). To receive it any other way is to preserve some degree of self-righteousness but to reject the gospel. It is received by faith alone as a wretched sinner, a man who, if salvation required even one work without blemish or if christ paid for all but one sin, would have no hope of heaven. our hearts don’t enjoy this thought. A gospel that can save the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) seems too scandalously free. The bible knows this is the natural inclination of our hearts, which is why justification by faith alone in christ alone is called a “stumbling stone” (romans 9:32) and “folly” (1 corinthians 1:18). but to the one who knows their condition and comes to Jesus for grace, the gospel displays the power and wisdom of God (1 corinthians 1:24). The deadly ill patient who doesn’t believe they are ill scoffs at the offer of a doctor, but the one who knows their state will receive lifesaving medicine with tremendous joy.

Yet even christians can find themselves doubting or diminishing God’s glory displayed in salvation. one may wonder, for example, if the phrase “works of the law” in romans 3:28 refers only to the mosaic ceremonial law and not the moral law as well. but Paul’s argument does not seem to make any such distinction within the Law and the moral law is the primary focus of Paul’s discussion of the Law in his argument (2:14,21-23). Thus, romans 3:28 is indeed stating that man is made right with God by faith alone and not by, in part or whole, our moral record or performance. God truly saves sinners and “justifies the ungodly” (romans 4:5).

Another may believe that we are saved by faith alone but

that our performance afterward defines our standing with God. but remember Paul’s words: “did you receive the spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? having begun by the spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2-3). While christians are called to grow in holiness (hebrews 12:14), our salvation is always on the basis of Jesus’ blood, not our works. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). or one may believe our standing with God is always on the basis of christ alone but that our perseverance is up to us. While we are called to persevere and must take action to not drift away (hebrews 2:1-3), it is God who ultimately sustains us to the end (1 corinthians 1:8, 1 Peter 1:5). Just as you were not saved by your own wisdom and abilities (1 corinthians 1:26), you are kept by God’s wisdom and power (John 10:28). Where then is boasting indeed! Through this, we are reminded, in the words of Paul Washer, that “[t]here’s only one hero in this story…Jesus christ. There are no great men of God…There are only tiny, weak, faithless men of a great and a merciful God who has given them grace.” such a great salvation should not depress us. rather, it frees us to worship God with joy, freedom and thankfulness, giving all glory to God alone, so that we look forward to the day when we will say with that great multitude, “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (revelation 7:10). soli deo Gloria!

Andrew Sveda is a senior at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in political science and theology. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter.

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

A most meaningful meander

As I step outside after completing a strenuous day of classes, I feel the frigid wind take my breath away in a way that has become all too common. As I hurriedly struggle to get my gloves on, I see that the sun has decided to make an unprecedented appearance and the sky is illuminated with a beautiful blue tone. With a feeling reminiscent of a dog unleashed, I instinctually decide to take the long way home to my dorm.

my snow-blown shuffle takes me past the scenic monuments of campus as the late afternoon light begins to reflect over the ice peaking out under the snow on saint mary’s Lake. As the path curves, I come to my desired detour and gaze upon the bronze plaque overlooking the solidly frozen lake.

Tucked between bond hall and old college stands the Founder’s monument dedicated to Father sorin and the seven French priests that traveled with him across the vast Atlantic. The rusted green statue and the weathered plaque lack the golden shimmer that marks the dome and the grotto candles flame. While the countless other iconic spots on campus literally and figuratively tower over the Founder’s monument, I believe this hideaway is the heart of notre dame.

Approaching the bronze plaque that marks the center of the memorial, I stand and read it with arms crossed to the lake, the perfect backdrop. The plaque bears the letter that Father sorin penned to his superior, Father moreau (of the First Year experience), back in France that announced the foundation of the University of notre dame.

In between the lines of this famous letter lie the details that make notre dame such a special place. Father sorin discusses the excitement that he and his fellow priests had, “Though it was quite cold, we went to the very end of the lake and like children, came back fascinated with

the marvelous beauties of our new home.” I find this spot so meaningful because it reminds me that just like those priests in 1842, notre dame is a place where I am surrounded by people who share that childlike passion about life.

The Founder’s monument is a potent reminder to me that even in the daunting hunt to change the world, it is important to take my time and appreciate the details in my life. Whether it is late-night Lafun Taco bell banter, the 10 p.m. basilica playing of the Alma mater, or the saint mary’s Lake frozen over, there is so much beauty in our daily lives.

Across one of the final lines of the plaque, there is a section that stands apart from the rest. A careful eye can find it from the way it seems to slightly gleam gold from an unusual amount of wear to it. This line expounds Father sorin’s prediction for the future of the University of notre dame, “before long, it will develop on a large scale... It will be one of the most powerful means for good in this country.”

This is the section of the letter that I have come to hold as my personal creed and at every passing of the plaque, I gently rub my thumb over this section. While it may sound cliche, I want to be the manifestation of that force for good that Father sorin envisioned all of those years ago.

This single line is what I believe makes the University of notre dame such a unique institution. The men and women who attend our university will be a force for good for the rest of their lives, even if it is in the smallest ways. The Golden dome is an iconic landmark that beckons people to notre dame from far and wide, but this humble memorial is where the magic of the university truly lies. Looking back, I cannot remember how or when I first stumbled upon this sacred place, but it quickly became a spot I told everyone about and was exuberantly proud to know it existed. I have found myself giddily speed-walking by it on the way to the library with my Airpods in and my steps bouncing to the crescendos of the rudy main

Title on spotify. however, in different moments, I have gone to the memorial with my head in my hands and a heavy heart not knowing where else to turn.

I vividly remember one of my earliest trips to the Founder’s monument during my first year at notre dame and how I came to this spot riddled with confusion and doubt. I sat on the benches that encircled the spot and in the afternoon’s fading sun I listened to the geese down by the lake. In the distance, I heard a faint echoing that gradually grew louder. I soon realized that my thoughts had been interwoven into the practicing sounds of the notre dame marching band. In an instant with the striking up of the fight song and the setting sun, I had just the inkling of a feeling that I could call notre dame home.

To me it seems like I rarely head to the Founder’s memorial of my own accord, but rather my feet seem to follow some long-forgotten call and lead me there when I need a reminder of why I am at notre dame. Just as I am here today, my meander from my daily walk has led me to a spot I know like the back of my hand.

As I gaze upon the lake, on this frigid February afternoon, I am filled with the same child-like glee that sorin and his company experienced that early december day in 1842. As I can feel my toes freezing in the same spot that sorin stood, I slowly move my thumb across my favorite worn line of the plaque in my way of praying that I will make those words true.

Jack Sirianni is a sophomore studying political science, journalism and public policy. He is a proud Michigander who appreciates jamming to Pete Seeger, scouring eBay for vintage Notre Dame paraphernalia and collecting stickers from everywhere he goes. On campus, Jack can often be seen by the Founder’s Monument or in the line for Southwest Salad. For your favorite tidbits of knowledge or any other musings, his inbox is always open at jsirian2@nd.edu.

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

Jack Sirianni

The notre dame nitty-Gritty

The ESTEEM Graduate Program

Info Sessions

DEATH OF A BACHELOR: A PANIC! AT THE DISCO RETROSPECTIVE

By NICOLE BILYAK scene Writer

c olossal pop music fans definitely know the name of Panic! at the d isco. Panic! had been gracing the music scene for almost 20 years. At least, until frontman b rendon Urie disbanded Panic! on Jan. 24 to focus on being a father. To commemorate the band’s disbanding, I will be writing about the band’s history from the beginning to the end.

Panic! at the d isco was formed in 2004 in the suburbs of Las vegas, n evada by r yan r oss and s pencer s mith. The pair had been playing together since high school, but eventually invited b rent Wilson to join on bass guitar and b rendon Urie to play guitar. o riginally, r oss was the lead singer but made Urie the lead vocalist after hearing him sing. o riginally, Panic! at the d isco was a b link-182 cover band called Pet s alamander.

Their first album, “A Fever You c an’t s weat o ut,” was released s ep. 27, 2005. The band was signed by Fall o ut b oy’s Pete Wentz’s music label, d ecaydance. The album included two different musical styles: the first half was pop punk with elements of electronics and the second half employed traditional

instrumentation with influences of baroque pop. The album’s second single, “I Write s ins n ot Tragedies,” was the most popu

lar track of the album and became a top 10 hit in the United s tates. While recording the album, the band changed their name from Pet s alamander to Panic! at the d isco. d uring the recording of the album, it was reported that b rent Wilson did not put any effort into the album and was subsequently fired in m ay 2006. h e also threatened to sue the band for 25% of the royalties.

The band eventually released “Pretty. o dd.” in 2008 and “ v ices and v irtues” in 2011. Their popular fourth album, “Too Weird to Live, Too r are to d ie,” was released in 2013. This album included one of the band’s more popular tracks, “This is Gospel,” which peaked at number 87 on the b illboard Top 100 when the single was released. The album also had different music genres and was the last album released as a rock album.

Three years later, the band made a comeback as a solo band with their fifth studio album, “ d eath of a b achelor.” r eleased in 2016, this album featured many popular songs that pop music fans know today such as the titular “ d eath of a b achelor,” “ h allelujah” and

THE GAME OF JADU HEART’S ‘DEREALISED’

heart, but hopefully, that will change after their recent ” d erealisation” album. Jadu heart is an e nglish dream/synth-pop duo consisting of d ivas achy Jeffrey and Alex headford. Their album “d erealisation” was released on Jan. 23 and I’ve already replayed it too many times to count. The album is their fourth studio album and consists of 12 tracks.

m any of the songs consist of catchy synths that continuously reappear throughout the record. Through the first track (“Glistener”), there’s a hardhitting drum groove that complements Jeffrey’s autotune hums that slowly get crashed with bass.

“Glistener” is perhaps Jadu heart’s best opener compared to their previous albums and sets up the record’s overall theme and direction. Personally, it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album since its dreamy vocals and distorted guitar effects draw from popular shoegaze bands like m y b loody valentine and Lush. c ohesively, the opener’s lyrics fit the album’s themes of derealization and depression, feelings inspired by the duo’s experience during the cov I d -19 lockdown.

y favorite tracks are the tracks that do sound like the duo had a sit-down with shoegaze legends and asked for the secret formula for the most ethereal beats known to man, the best of which is “I s himmer.” This four-minute-long track is perhaps the strongest song of the whole album. It starts off with a screeching distorted guitar riff that gets drowned with drums. Then, the whiplash-inducing vocals of Jeffrey and headford kick in. The track serves as the album’s thematic center point and defines the album’s laid-back vibe.

“d erealised” is a more mature version of Jadu heart’s sophomore album, “ melt Away,” but I feel as though the duo has more room to grow and build their sound to be more distinct and lucid. The album lacks a bit of structure when it comes to a specific sound. It seems like the band is struggling to choose between psychedelic pop and shoegaze which leads to some sporadic and awkward transitions.

Through doing research for this review, I discovered that the duo performs in masks and performs under stage names: d ina and Faro. s imilar to s un r a and r ammellzee, Jadu heart uses their stage names to amplify their musical storytelling. Jeffrey and headford have mentioned their characters represent the erratic and emotional monsters

“ e mperor’s n ew c lothes.” The album was a success for the band, even after many lineup changes.

The band went on to release two more studio albums in 2018 and 2022. Their 2018 release, titled “Pray for the Wicked,” features the hit song “ h igh h opes,” which peaked at number four on the b illboard Top 100. The song was their highest since “I Write s ins n ot Tragedies.” Their final album was titled “ v iva Las vengeance.”

Panic! at the d isco was well known for changing the style of music on every one of its seven studio albums. They primarily focused on pop-rock music but did not shy away from other styles, ranging from psychedelic pop to emo-pop to vaudeville. The band won multiple awards, especially for their success with “Pray for the Wicked,” including four b illboard m usic Awards and one American m usic Award award for Alternative Artist of the year.

o verall, it is really sad to hear that Panic! at the d isco is no more, but those who loved the band will definitely be singing the band’s most popular tunes to this day. This is truly the death of a bachelor.

Contact Nicole at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

hidden within each person. c oupled with the duo’s modern lust for mystery, their stage presence showcases much of the heart and grit that is central to the band’s message.

“d erealisation,” Jadu heart’s album is a love letter to the overwhelming sense of loneliness and anguish many of us have faced during the pandemic. The album’s push and pull between nihilism and optimism is what the album is about. This draining cycle is what makes the record so intimate to fans who struggle with mental health. Although the duo has much to work on, they’re definitely an artist to keep on your radar.

Contact Marisol at mbohorquez01@saintmarys.edu

“Derealisation”

Artist: Jadu Heart

Label: VLF Records, Anchor Point Records

Favorite tracks: “Glistener,” “I Shimmer,” “The Glass Box Between Me and You”

If you like: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Lush

happy Birthday: Don’t feel pressured to make a move or to change. give yourself some room to breathe and consider the pros and cons before you decide what’s best for you. you have more time than you think. Once you feel comfortable and confident that you are making the right decision, it will be easy to speed up the process and complete your journey. your numbers are 7, 15, 23, 28, 30, 38, 46. ArIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t slow down or share too much information with individuals who are eager to take credit for what you achieve. Anger will stand between you and victory, but putting your energy where it counts will improve your opportunities.

TAuruS (April 20-May 20): Don’t show surprise if someone lets you down. go about your business, do your own thing and learn from the experience. An intelligent approach to conversations, differences and decisions will keep you safe and in control. give others the benefit of the doubt.

gEMINI (May 21-June 20): keep secrets; if you share sensitive information, ridicule will follow. look for an opportunity to do something that will make a difference to you or someone you love, but don’t let anyone take you for granted. Dishonesty will create despair.

CANCEr (June 21-July 22): look for a unique way to use your skills and market your offer. keeping up with what’s trending will help you carve out opportunities in a dog-eat-dog world. your insight and efforts will encourage others to help.

lEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t wait for people or proposals to come your way; if you want something, set a course that will embrace new beginnings. Doing your part to make opportunities appear will boost your confidence and motivate you to do more.

vIrgO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): you’ll tune in to situations that are taxing for a friend or relative if you are observant. A kind word will make a difference and encourage others to open up. romance is in the stars.

lIBrA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Challenge yourself. Sign up for an event, race or activity that calls for discipline, courage and skills you have honed. Test your ability to come out on top. What you learn from these lessons will ground you and broaden your awareness.

SCOrPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put together a to-do list, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the results. Don’t let what others do disrupt your day. find a unique way to put your chores behind you and spend time with someone you love.

SAgITTArIuS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Broaden your outlook and attend events that offer something new and exciting. learn about different cultures, and mix and mingle with people who can give you a different perspective on life, love and happiness. Embrace change, but don’t jeopardize your health or well-being.

CAPrICOrN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): you may know what you want, but it will be challenging to move forward unless a budget is in place. Approaching someone who can contribute to your plans will inspire you to make your dreams come true. Don’t overspend to impress.

AQuArIuS (Jan. 20-feb. 18): Count on others to prop you up, but don’t expect anyone to do the work for you. Complete your plans and take credit for your achievements. Do what someone expects of you at home to keep the peace, regardless of how others react.

PISCES (feb. 19-March 20): keep your secrets to yourself. Don’t put on a display that will give others the upper hand. know your physical limitations, and don’t step outside of your comfort zone when asked to take on a task that might lead to injury, insult or illness.

Birthday Baby: you are energetic, helpful and proactive. you are demonstrative and original.

Team competes at invitational

Nate Moller senior sports Writer

The Irish track and field team had a very successful weekend at the m eyo Invitational by winning multiple events and recording some national qualifying marks and times.

h ead coach m att s parks was encouraged by the steps his team made this weekend.

“We’re kind of in that time of the year where we are setting up for conference and national seedings. We took some steps forward in those regards,” s parks said.

The Irish got off to a quick start in day one of the meet with sophomore Jadin o ’ b rien taking first place in the women’s pentathlon. o ’ b rien finished first in three of the five events, winning the 60m hurdles, long jump and 800m race.

With that performance, o ’ b rien is now ranked second in the country in the pentathlon.

“It was a nice win, but it also places her second in the country in that event right now,” s parks said. “It was very encouraging in that she had several events where she was not at her best, so there’s a lot of room for growth for her. s he still hit a mark that was number two in the country.”

Junior m ichael s hoaf continued his early season dominance as well by winning the shot put with a throw of 19.31m. s parks said he hopes that s hoaf can continue to improve and qualify for the national meet in coming weeks.

“ h e just keeps winning,” s parks said. “The next step for him is to get a mark that puts him in the national meet. h e just keeps climbing up the national list, but he is still just on the outside of the qualifier’s list. h e needs to find a little bit more to push himself into the national meet. h e’s got the top mark in the A cc , which is something else we are shooting for in an A cc c hampionship.”

e lsewhere in the field, sophomore m adison s chmidt took first in the high jump with a mark of 1.80m.

“That mark puts her number one in the A cc ,” s parks said. “First thing we look at is what we can do nationally and secondly we look at how many points we

can score at the national meet or maybe win a title.

We’ve got four or five athletes who are knocking on the door of an A cc championship when we go to Louisville in a couple of weeks, and she is definitely in the conversation for that right now.”

In the invitational’s signature mile races, the Irish also had success. o n the women’s side, junior o livia m arkezich finished second with a time of 4:34.00.

s enior Katie Thronson and graduate student Anna s ophia Keller also competed, finishing with times of 4:37.34 and 4:40.94, respectively.

In the men’s m eyo m ile, sophomore c arter s olomon placed third with a blazing fast time of 3:57.13, which was his first sub-four mile of his career. Junior Jake r enfree also finished the race in a time of 4:02.21.

s parks discussed the subfour effort from s olomon.

“For him, it was a nice accomplishment to break four, but what it really does for him more than anything is it gives him a lot of confidence because he’s more of a longer distance runner. h e’s more of a 5K runner than a miler,” s parks said.

s olomon’s and r enfree’s performances in the mile gives s parks confidence for the distance medley relay going forward as well.

“It also gives us a lot of hope for the distance medley relay, which is another event we take a lot of pride in. With [ s olomon’s] mile time and Jake r enfree wasn’t too far behind him in that mile and our men’s sprinters stepped up, so we are feeling more confident about that event as we approach the postseason,” s parks said.

In the women’s 3000m race, sophomore s iona

c hisholm finished first with a time of 9:04.48.

s ophomores e rin s trzelecki and s ophie n ovak also finished the race in times of 9:22.96 and 9:24.63, respectively. In the r yan s hay 3000m run, freshman John s chuler took fifth with a time of 8:16.63. s ophomore

r yan s chumacher also finished in a time of 8:22.22.

s parks said he thought c hisholm raced a great race, considering she ran a large portion of the race by herself.

see TrAcK PAGE 13

Notre Dame’s wish list for an ACC title run

Matthew Crow Associate sports e ditor

The fate of the notre dame men’s basketball season rests on the Acc Tournament. If that was not clear earlier, it certainly is after the Irish squandered an early 16-4 lead to lose to Wake Forest on saturday and fall to 2-10 in Acc play. For notre dame to reach the ncAA Tournament in head coach mike brey’s final season, they will have to claim the Acc’s automatic bid by cutting down the nets in Greensboro.

This may seem like an unlikely proposition, and it is. To win the Acc title for the first time since 2015, the Irish, barring a late-season turnaround, would need to win five games in just five days. This scenario poses specific challenges for a team that has been notably inconsistent, having failed to win consecutive games since their 5-0 start to the season and leans heavily on a thin rotation.

At the same time, however, it doesn’t feel impossible. highly competitive efforts against miami, nc state and syracuse (twice) have proven that the Irish can hang with the conference’s top teams. The task for notre dame will be to turn those narrow losses into wins and to string those wins together over the course of a week. so yes, it is unlikely and it will be difficult, but if the Irish are to put together a cinderella postseason run, here are five things that need to happen.

Make 10 threes in every game

As a team that relies heavily on three-point shooting, notre dame does not have a large margin of error if their shots are not falling. It’s been a constant refrain from brey that, to win Acc games, notre dame must make double-digit three-pointers. on the surface, it appears that the Irish, who average 9.5 three-pointers in Acc play, have just about done that. however, in a single-elimination tournament, averaging 10 threes is very different from hitting that mark in every game, which was evident on saturday. The Irish finished just 4-21 from beyond the arc and could not muster up enough scoring to match Wake Forest’s high-powered offense. brey complimented Wake Forest after the game, calling them a team that isn’t “going to help you [win games]” by having off nights. In march, notre dame needs to be a team that doesn’t help their opponents and that starts with consistently shooting the ball up to their standard.

Just one poor shooting night, like saturday’s, would likely spell the end of the Irish’s season.

Lock the perimeter down on the flip side, the Irish’s best chance to limit the Acc’s top teams offensively is to go all in on preventing three-point attempts. This can be seen by comparing saturday’s game with notre dame’s december matchup with syracuse. on saturday, the Irish stifled Wake Forest in the first half, holding them to just 27 points. In the second half, Wake started to let it fly from long range and the Irish had no answer. The deacons finished with 11 threes and 54 points in the second half alone and would cruise to an 81-64 victory.

conversely, the syracuse game was dominated by orange big man Jesse edwards. The Irish could not stop edwards in the post and he finished the game with 22 points and 16 rebounds. however, syracuse made just three threepointers in the game. despite their strong interior play, they finished with just 62 points. The Irish have the offensive firepower to keep up with teams that score from the inside, but often fall behind when hit by a barrage of threes. notre dame should look to prevent threes at all costs, even if it means allowing opposing post players to have a field day.

Utilize Laszewski in the pick and roll

When notre dame’s shots weren’t falling on saturday, their points frequently came from finding graduate student forward nate Laszewski rolling to the basket. Laszewski finished with a teamhigh 18 points and did much of his work in the paint. As knockdown of a shooter as Laszewski is, it’s tempting to keep him stationed on the perimeter. however, he has finished well at the rim all season and the attention that he draws in pick and roll opportunities allows his teammates to play to their strengths.

screens from Laszewski provide open jump shots for graduate student guards dane Goodwin, cormac ryan and Trey Wertz. They also create space for slashers like freshman guard J.J. starling and graduate student guard marcus hammond to get to the basket. When Laszewski receives passes while rolling, he can look to the rim or find open shooters on the perimeter. The Irish have often gone on long stretches where they haven’t been able to get anything going offensively. Getting Laszewski rolling to the rim more frequently could provide a muchneeded spark if notre dame goes

cold in Greensboro.

Get healthy

This probably goes without saying, but a full-strength lineup gives the Irish their best chance of winning the Acc Tournament. on saturday, notre dame was without freshmen forwards venAllen Lubin and dom campbell and lacked an interior presence on both ends of the floor. Additionally, winning five games in five days is a test of stamina. having eight regular rotation players available instead of six reduces the severity of the “tired legs” that Irish players would be feeling by the fourth or fifth game.

brey provided an update on the status of both players after saturday’s game. campbell will likely return to action in two weeks after dealing with an ongoing inflamed Achilles issue. The timeline for Lubin’s ankle injury is uncertain, with brey saying that “we’ll see where we are on monday.” Junior forward matt Zona stepped into a bigger role in their absence and played well on saturday, but the Irish are counting on a postseason return for both of their talented freshmen.

Finish the regular season strong

Watching the ncAA Tournament, one will often hear an announcer make reference to a team that has “gotten hot at the right time.” Whether purely anecdotal or based in fact, it is widely believed that teams who play well at the end of the regular season and win their conference tournament carry crucial momentum into march madness. Last year, Kansas rolled through the big 12 tournament and eventually captured the national title.

For notre dame, the Acc Tournament is essentially a series of ncAA Tournament play-in games, so playing their best basketball over the next few weeks can only improve their chances of making a deep run. brey said after the Wake Forest game that “you’d love to see if you could get a little momentum before you go to Greensboro.” he has consistently praised his team for bringing the same effort and energy every day, regardless of whether they are winning or losing, but picking up some big wins down the stretch would no doubt provide a confidence boost that finishing with a long losing streak would not.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu.

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

Julia schutz, the Flying dutch stood at the helm up 32-23 at the end of 10 minutes.

hope came out in the second quarter just as relentless as they had done at tip off. This time, saint mary’s was not able to keep pace. in two and half minutes, the Flying dutch doubled their lead with nine unanswered points, up 41-23. a minute and a half later, hope guard meg morehouse’s three-pointer lifted the Flying dutch to an insurmountable 48-25 advantage.

The deep hope roster wouldn’t step off the gas. on the day, 11 different Flying dutch players would record five or more points. at half, hope stood firmly ahead of saint mary’s 70-32.

The belles put a much more competitive performance in the third quarter, putting up 16 points to the Flying dutch’s 21. however, the dream of victory had long since faded away. 109-62 was the final score. With the loss, saint mary’s falls to 7-15 on the season and to 4-9 in michigan intercollegiate athletic association play. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, saint mary’s travels to olivet nazarene University in bourbonnais, iL for their final road game of the season. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. esT.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

“she’s a new kid to our program because she was a transfer from a c anadian university, but she’s still young. she’s only a sophomore,” sparks said. “she had to run a lot of that race by herself, so i know she’s got more in her, whether that’s in the 3K or the mile.”

sparks has enjoyed seeing c hisholm and markezich train well together and push each other towards national accolades.

“[ c hisholm] and olivia [ markezich] have really trained well together,” sparks said. “both of them are in the top 16 in the nation in those two different events. They have really pushed each other to achieve national level accolades in the last couple of months.”

The i rish track and field community also came together this past weekend by officially dedicating the weight throw event to late throws coach adam beltran, who passed away last s eptember. sparks discussed how meaningful beltran was to the program during his 15 years of coaching.

“adam beltran was here for 15 years and had three

different head coaches. We had probably 50-75 people here yesterday to honor him. The people that threw for him 15 years ago came back into town for the weekend to memorialize him, not just in the competition, but we had a weekend full of events,” sparks said. sparks talked about the impact beltran had on the lives of his athletes both on and off the field.

“a s coaches we try to make

impacts on people’s lives through athletics, but along the way if you’re a good X’s and o’s coach, you make a big impact on their lives outside of sport,” sparks said. “it is always neat to see when alumni come back to town and talk about their relationship with adam. it makes it all worthwhile. adam’s parents were in town and they got to hear the stories. i know it was really special for his entire family to really see the support that

he had in that moment at the meet.”

The i rish will be in action next weekend with most athletes going to the Windy c ity i nvite in c hicago. c arter s olomon and graduate student Kevin berry will head out to the valentine’s i nvite in boston where s olomon will look to run a national qualifying time in the 5K.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller@nd.edu

Paid a dverT isemen T

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish sophomore sprinter Jack Oleksak competes in the 4x400 meter relay race during the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 3-4. Much of the team had a successful weekend, winning several events.

clinical on offense. The team was unable to make a single three-pointer in the first half, shooting a combined 4 for 21 beyond the arc at the end of the game. Notre Dame’s inefficiency with the ball became more apparent as Wake Forest began to heat up, with the traveling team showing their scoring prowess in the second half. The 12-point lead in the first half was the biggest for the Irish in their eventual 8164 loss on Saturday afternoon.

“In the two games we won in the league, the other team helped us a bit. [Wake Forest] isn’t going to help you,” head coach Mike Brey explained when asked about his team’s margin of error. “We played some zone, we played some matchups, that helped us last Saturday but not so much today.”

Brey’s comments highlighted that Notre Dame couldn’t maintain their first-half defensive prowess as Wake Forest attacked the deficiencies in the Irish scheme. “We were switching everything and they turned it over a bunch, but then they opened the half and banged one from up top. It just breaks the ice and now they’re feeling good.”

The beginning of a hot streak for Wake Forest became apparent early into the second as Damari Monsanto connected three three-point attempts in the first two minutes of the half. Monsanto led the Demon Deacons in scoring with 28 points, making 8 shots behind the arc. Monsanto’s shooting tirade was unfortunate for the Irish, who were able to contain his star running mate Tyree Appleby for the majority of the game. However, cool heads prevailed for the away team as effective ball movement allowed them to break apart the Notre Dame defense.

“I guess I’ve matured over the years because I probably would have lost my mind about ten years ago. Ten minutes to go in the first half and

WBB

rebounds in her time on the floor, with Notre Dame often unable to control the paint.

Junior forward Maddy Westbeld put in an especially admirable shift helping to cover for Ebo, even playing out of position. Westbeld played the full 40 minutes for the Irish and ended with team-highs in both points and rebounds. The junior rotated all over the floor throughout the game as Ivey attempted to manage a six player rotation without a natural center.

Without Ebo, the Irish

we had four points. It wasn’t just not making shots; we had 11 turnovers early and we’re not really a team that turns it over in league play,” head coach Steve Forbes for the Demon Deacons said.

Notre Dame’s early lead was dependent on their ability to create turnovers as most of their points came off of transition. Two exemplary plays from graduate guard Marcus Hammond showed how efficiency on one side of the floor can affect the other. After a block on Appleby, Hammond raced down the floor for a layup on the other end. Similarly, Hammond playing the passing lanes allowed him to convert a steal from a bad Monsanto pass into fast break points. Both of these plays helped Notre Dame to find an easy bucket to convert into two. Wake Forest’s character prevented the Irish from getting more open looks later on though.

“We scored 77 points from the 10-minute mark on. We played really good offense and pretty good defense for the whole game,” Forbes continued.

This loss proved to be characteristic for Notre Dame this season, as last week’s game against Louisville was the end to a previous four-game losing streak. The primary issue over this span of games is the team’s defense. Notre Dame allowed over 80 points in 5 of their past 6 losses, a mark that they have only reached once over their 12 games in their conference. Despite a teamhigh 18 points from graduate forward Nate Laszewski, Notre Dame has shown that they do not have the firepower on offense to win a shootout against their opponents. When asked about his individual stats and the team’s result, Laszewski said, “I really don’t care what happens [with my performance], we just want to win games in the end.”

Notre Dame’s issues on both offense and defense have become exacerbated in recent games due to injuries. Both freshmen bigmen Ven-Allen Lubin and

once again took the floor against Duke without a single senior in the rotation. On a team that just weeks ago gave significant minutes to two, the learning curve has been noticeable.

But Ivey stressed after the game the benefits being forced into high pressure situations will have on her young lineup.

“That’s an adjustment. It’s part of the game you’ve got to navigate,” said Ivey. “Yes, injuries have plagued us the last couple weeks. But again, adversity gives a lot of opportunity for our team. Some players are really young and have never been in these moments. And you’ve got

Dom Campbell were on the sideline in Saturday’s contest, limiting the Irish to a seven-man rotation for the game. Campbell, who played in place of the injured Lubin against Louisville, suffered both a right and left inflamed Achilles tendon midway through practice on Friday.

“It’s been an issue with both Achilles’ tendons. One is really swollen and we want to be safe because we don’t want a rupture,” said Brey.

When asked about his timetable for return, Brey was direct, saying ‘probably two weeks.’ The head coach later stated that he was unclear when Lubin will make his reappearance on the court. These late-season injuries come at a bad time for the Irish, with a possibility of the season-ending before either player has the opportunity to return.

However, Brey has worked around these injuries, expecting his bench to step up to the challenge when called upon. One notable substitution in this game was junior forward Matt Zona, who provided the Irish with some structure on the interior.

“Matt Zona, I love you. We’re going to play you, get on in there and play,” said Brey. Zona had multiple season highs in Saturday’s game, with 4 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes.

After Saturday’s match, the Irish hit the road, looking to extend Georgia Tech’s loss streak to ten games this Wednesday.

“We’ll go to Atlanta and keep on playing and you’d love to see if you can get a bit of momentum. It’s a group that has ownership of themselves. They come in and keep trying,” said Brey.

Notre Dame will get another chance at Wake Forest in their rematch three weeks away, Brey hopes they’ll be able to swing some momentum in their direction before then.

The Irish play Georgia Tech on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. EST.

Contact Nico Morles at nmorles@nd.edu

to learn in the fire unfortunately. But I know we’ll be better for it down the road.”

Looking ahead, the Irish now get a stretch of three straight home games to rebound from the Duke defeat. The first of the week will come at the midweek against a struggling p ittsburgh team. The p anthers will enter South Bend searching for their first conference win, currently standing 0-11 in ACC play.

Tip off against the p anthers is Thursday night at 6 p.m. EST in the p urcell p avillion.

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

sign of where the game was headed, just not a positive one. Spartans goaltender Dylan St. Cyr, who played for Notre Dame from 2017-2021, stopped all five shots the Irish took on the man advantage, and all the ones before it … and all of the ones after it. St. Cyr has done everything possible to keep Michigan State in games, recording a .913 save percentage for a team allowing about 33 shots a night. Friday was no exception, as he turned away all 32 shots the Irish threw at him.

Despite an 11-5 edge in shots through 20 minutes, the Irish were never able to seize control of the game. Even worse, they presented Michigan State with a prime opportunity to take it for themselves by taking two penalties in quick succession in the second. The Spartans were not able to capitalize on a brief 5-on-3, but with the second penalty still being served, Jagger Joshua deflected a Matt Basgall wrister past senior goaltender r yan Bischel to break the deadlock.

Just over five minutes later, Michigan State would double their lead. A turnover by sophomore defenseman Jake Boltmann behind his own net freed the puck up for Erik Middendorf, who craftily dragged the puck around Bischel for his seventh goal of the season. Notre Dame was unable to make a serious push to equalize, failing to even outshoot Michigan State in the final frame. An empty-netter by Nicolas Muller, who assisted on each of the Spartans’ first two goals, officially sealed the deal.

St. Cyr also made the difference again in Saturday’s series finale, stopping 33 of 35 shots to lead the Spartans to victory before a soldout crowd of 6,555. Bischel stopped 25 of 28 shots in the loss.

Michigan State never trailed in the contest, getting their first lead 11:42 in on a power-play goal by Karsen Dorwart. After a scuffle in front of the Michigan State goal led to matching penalties, the teams played at 4-on-4 until Irish graduate student forward Jackson p ierson took an offensive zone penalty.

Michigan State went on a 4-on-3 power-play, allowing Daniel r ussel room to wire a snapshot from the top of the right circle. Dorwart tipped it past Bischel to put the Spartans up 1-0.

The Irish countered less than two minutes later when junior forward Landon Slaggert found the back of the net on a seeing-eye shot from the high slot. It was

a nice individual effort by Slaggert, who took the puck in the corner and made room for himself to take the shot, tying the game at 13:14. Graduate student forward Chayse p rimeau and junior defenseman Zach p lucinski assisted on the goal.

With under two minutes remaining in the first period, the Spartans went back out in front. Muller got loose from in front of the Notre Dame goal and tapped a cross-crease pass from Jeremy Davidson past Bischel. Despite outshooting the Spartans 13-6 in the first, the Irish trailed after one.

Notre Dame scored the only goal of the second period. After Joshua took his team’s second five-minute major penalty of the weekend, sophomore forward Justin Janicke set up p rimeau for a one-time shot that beat St. Cyr. It was p rimeau’s team-leading and his seventh in his last six games.

It was anyone’s game going into the third. But Michigan State got a break early in the period when Irish senior forward Solag Bakich took a delay of game penalty. Backich had closed his gloved hand on the puck in the neutral zone. Notre Dame was strong on the penalty kill for the first minute. Eventually, though, Michigan State was able to get set up. Davidson made a perfect pass into the wheelhouse of defenseman David Gucciardi. Gucciardi’s one-time howitzer beat Bischel cleanly from the left point to give Michigan State the 3-2 lead.

The Irish had their chances to tie the score as time drained away. But St. Cyr was there to stop each one, including a breakaway by Hunter Strand with just two seconds remaining.

Old patterns came back to haunt the Irish in East Lansing. Their penalty-kill, the worst in the Big Ten, surrendered two goals on three attempts. The road struggles also persisted, as Notre Dame dropped to 4-10-1 away from Compton Ice Arena.

The loss puts Notre Dame on the outside of the NCAA tournament picture with just two regular season series remaining. With a 1314-3 overall record, the Irish now need to finish strong against No. 8 Ohio State and No. 4 Michigan to be eligible for the NCAA Tournament. That could come from either a great performance to close out the regular season or by advancing in the Big Ten conference tournament or winning it tournament outright. But even the latter hopes depend vitally on results in the next four games.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcgiunn@nd.edu and Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Post: Offensive coordinator candidates from ‘don’t hang up the phone’ to ‘if we have to’

J.J. Post sports Writer

With the departure of Tommy rees to Alabama, this offseason will mark the fourth consecutive year notre dame will be in the market for a coordinator.

Almost certainly, marcus Freeman’s second coordinator hire will be his biggest yet. Last offseason when Freeman sought to find his successor at defensive coordinator he knew he would be overseeing their work regardless of their experience due to his defensive background.

offensive coordinator is a different story. rees had by all accounts near-complete autonomy as a play caller, and Freeman himself will tell you the offensive side of the ball is very much still a developing part of his expertise. Whoever Freeman hires to run the offense will have a uniquely large influence, getting to not just call plays but likely mold the entire offense as they see fit without meddling from a watchful head coach.

And with sam hartman arriving as a graduate transfer quarterback for 2023, the Irish have a one season window to maximize what will likely be the most talented Irish offense in years. so, who are some of the options notre dame might consider to take the reigns? here are eight potential names that could come across Freeman and Jack swarbrick’s desks, divided into four different tiers.

TIER A: In case they don’t hang up the phone right away

Brian Hartline

Let’s be clear, there’s almost no shot hartline has any interest in coaching notre dame. he was just promoted to offensive coordinator at his alma mater, ohio state. The buckeyes beat the Irish last year in a head to head matchup, and ended their season a hooked field goal away from a national title berth. The roster hartline is set to direct next year in columbus may be more rich with weapons than any other in the country. In case those last three sentences didn’t clarify that enough, I’ll reiterate: this is as long of a shot as notre dame can take.

That being said, there is one interesting pitch Freeman can attempt to make to hartline, and that’s his autonomy as offensive coordinator in south bend. While hartline was recently promoted to offensive coordinator, it’s unclear how much his role will actually change. historically, ohio state’s play-calling has been done by ryan day, the buckeyes’ offensive-minded head coach. barring a change from day, hartline could find himself in a largely advisory role on the sidelines in

2023. At notre dame, hartline would be calling all the shots. It’s unlikely that’s enough to sway the lifetime buckeye, but it would be worth trying for his unmatched skill as a recruiter. ohio state has become a factory of elite receivers under hartman’s leadership, and the passing games he’s designed have matched such talent.

Ryan Grubb

These are long shot options for a reason. but what better way to respond to Alabama hiring Tommy rees than to hire the man who was initially in talks with Alabama for that same role in the first place? now, if Grubb turned down the sport’s unquestioned leading dynasty for the last decade, it’s highly unlikely he’d be especially interested in notre dame. but as with hartline, there is a pitch to be made.

Like hartline, Grubb could be perhaps swayed by the autonomy he’d have under Freeman. Grubb currently works with an offensive-minded head coach at Washington in Kalen deboer. And saban, who he snubbed with Alabama, is known for his hands-on management style. It’s difficult to draw a more stark contrast between saban’s meticulous involvement in his offenses and the free reign rees ostensibly had calling plays for the Irish. Grubb, who also has midwest roots he could be tempted by, may be enticed by the chance to develop an offense exclusively in his own image. Though Grubb has just one year of power five experience as a coordinator under his belt, that one year was an impressive one. he helped engineer a drastic turnaround at Washington behind star quarterback michael Penix Jr., who blossomed under Grubb’s tutelage.

Brian Johnson

A couple names have been floated for the notre dame job from nFL ranks, the most popular of which being bills’ quarterback coach Joe brady. but another quarterbacks coach who the Irish could try to lure to the Gug is the eagles’ brian Johnson.

Johnson’s credentials as a quarterback guru have shined this year to the extent of potential nFL offensive coordinator interest. obviously, such interest makes him highly unlikely to pick up the phone if Freeman called. but if he did pick up, Freeman would likely move mountains to bring Johnson to south bend. Under Johnson’s tutelage, Jalen hurts blossomed from a promising but flawed rookie to a dynamic mv P candidate. Johnson is also proven outside the nFL as he ran Florida’s offense and engineered one of the nation’s top units in both scoring and total offense before he arrived in Philadelphia.

As with moorhead and Ludwig, a major part of Johnson’s case is

how well he’d fit with Freeman’s vision for his staff. he’s well-traveled, having held offensive coordinator posts at Utah, houston and Florida (of note: each offense he’s led has been more high powered than the next). That experience will matter for a head coach who prides himself on learning from everyone he talks to. but at just 35, he wouldn’t be out of place among the energetic vibe notre dame has emphasized in hiring young, up-and-coming position coaches.

TIER B: Realistic but strong

Joe Moorhead moorhead offers a wealth of experience few other coaches on this list could match. he’s been the engineer of offenses on two different sides of the country at Penn state and oregon and has held head coaching gigs in three different conferences. but despite his extensive experience, moorhead is just 49 years old. he’d be far from a retread.

When Freeman hired Al Golden as defensive coordinator, Golden’s work as a former head coach was considered a key factor as Freeman sought to build a “sounding board” that would ease his own growth as a young head coach. While moorhead’s tenure in mississippi state lasted just two years, before his starkville tenure he built a strong program at Fordham where he faced many challenges that mirror those Freeman faces at notre dame.

From a track record standpoint, two things standout about why moorhead would make a good fit at notre d ame. o ne notable strong point is his ability to find an offensive rhythm regardless of personnel. At Penn s tate, moorhead leaned on future n FL star s aquon b arkley while also unlocking the passing game through Trace mc s orley with an r P o based offense. At o regon, moorhead found success with a similar r P o -heavy scheme, but this time emphasizing a deep stable of rushers. Quarterback Anthony b rown, and running backs c J verdell and Travis d ye combined to average nearly 200 rushing yards per game until verdell’s week five injury. It’s easy to imagine moorhead finding success with notre d ame’s deep running back stable. b ut the best part of his resume? moorhead boasts a 2-1 record against 2023 Irish opponent o hio s tate as a coordinator, with wins in 2016 and 2021.

Andy Ludwig

Ludwig is tailor-made to fit what Freeman has preached he wants in his offense and his coordinators. his recent Utah teams

have found success winning in the trenches and running the ball effectively. he also checks the sounding board requirement, having worked as a coordinator at an Fbs level since 1998. With stops at Fresno state, oregon, Utah, california, san diego state, Wisconsin, vanderbilt and Utah again, Ludwig has worked under a number of different coaches and would have plenty of advice for Freeman on how to manage difficult decisions on and off the field.

Unlike moorhead, however, enticing Ludwig would likely be an upward battle for Freeman and swarbrick. moorhead would stand to have his salary at least tripled by a move to south bend. Ludwig is already making seven figures on a per-year basis and he’s a Utah native, growing up less than an hour’s drive.

It would be a difficult but doable task to bring Ludwig to south bend. The prospects of working with one of the nation’s most accomplished quarterbacks in sam hartman could have serious swing on the man who helped develop cam rising into one of the PAc-12’s best gunslingers. Ludwig, fresh off back-to-back ten win seasons ending in conference championships, would be a coup for Freeman and a flex of muscle by notre dame as a program.

Slade Nagle

speaking of unconventional, how about a tight-end coach from Tulane? nagle is so off the radar to the casual college football fan he doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page someone could look him up on. but those familiar with Tulane’s impressive rise from AAc bottom dwellers to cotton bowl champions understand why nagle’s name would be floated for the Irish job.

nagle helped engineer and call plays for a Tulane offense that caught fire over the back half of 2022, culminating in a 46 point showing in the Green Wave’s cotton bowl victory over Usc coaching a squad that ranked 75th in the country in 247’s 2022 Talent composite rankings, nagle had to become a master at both developing players and scheming ways to maximize his available weapons. Those are skills that should translate smoothly to the next level. experience sticks out as the knock on nagle, who has only served as offensive coordinator for one year officially.

TIER C: “If we have to” options

Gerad Parker

If the Irish choose to keep the offensive coordinator hire inhouse and work off the foundation rees already built, Parker appears the most likely choice.

For one, he’s the only member of the offensive staff who has prior

experience as a coordinator. reports have also indicated that he’s close with Freeman and generally well-respected around the Gug.

however, notre dame choosing to hire within the existing staff would seem unlikely, and frankly foolish given the current overall state of the program. With Freeman still very much on his own development curve as a head coach, and the Irish slated to play as many as three different top ten teams in 2023, notre dame can’t afford a coordinator who’s learning on the fly. Parker’s prior two years of coordinating experience at West virginia didn’t go well. he was demoted in favor of new hire Graham harrell shortly before his departure to join Freeman in south bend.

Parker is as respected as he is by the notre dame staff for a reason, and could be a candidate for the job down the line. but with the Irish set to go chips-in on a short term option at quarterback in sam hartman, it seems imprudent to experiment with an offensive play caller still developing his form.

John McNulty

remember how clear I made it that notre dame hiring hartline wasn’t much of an actual option?

The Irish hiring mcnulty is as every inch as unlikely. If this was last year, mcnulty would likely fill Parker’s slot as “well-respected veteran position coach already on the staff.” such logic is why boston college hired him to be the offensive coordinator in chestnut hill last offseason.

but mcnulty’s tenure with the eagles is also what likely rules him out as a potential hire this time around. The boston college offense sputtered all season against Acc opposition, the culmination of such struggles being a 44-0 domination at the hands of the Irish on mcnulty’s return to south bend. so bad were the frustrations that mcnulty was fired by the eagles at the end of the season.

Unjust? Perhaps. both head coach Jeff hafley and defensive coordinator Tem Lukabu were retained by boston college for an additional year. Would it be a shock for mcnulty to return in some capacity to the notre dame staff in 2023 now that he’s a free agent? no. one of the things that has made nick saban so great at Alabama is his willingness to bring in coaches who struggled elsewhere as analysts. but it would be more than just surprising if he’s calling plays for the Irish week 0 against navy next season.

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

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

sMC BAsKEtBAll | 109-62

Belles succumb to Flying Dutch

By PETER BREEN sports Writer

saturday afternoon in the Angela Athletic center, no. 6 hope college overwhelmed saint mary’s basketball 109-62. both the belles in gray and the Flying dutch in blue featured green ribbons in recognition of mental health awareness.

hope snagged the tip off and Flying dutch guard ella mcKinney laid in the day’s first basket with less than 15 seconds erased from the clock. Quickly, junior guard elle deardorff knocked in a threepointer, but mcKinney soon responded with a three of her own.

Gobbling up an offensive board, senior guard nikki murphy’s layup evened out the scale at 5-5. The rest of the first quarter continued in this back-and-forth routine. The belles were able to edge out to 9-8 before a 11-10 lead, at first not permitting Flying dutch to take control.

hope built some momentum with another mcKinney three and a smooth layup from Jada Garner, but sophomore guard Jasmyne

ND HOCKEY | 3-0, 3-2

Townsend drained a long jumper to keep the home team within striking distance of 15-13.

Two sunk foul shots from Kendall sietsema extended hope’s lead to 17-13 five minutes into the matchup. With 3:20 to go in the first, junior forward Anne Goralczyk drew an and-one to bring the belles back within a two-point margin 21-19, but she was unable to complete the three-point play.

Quickly, however, hope jumped out to a seven-point lead. hope guard Keegan Kaiser picked up and completed an and-one opportunity, putting hope up 26-19 with just over two minutes left in the opening quarter.

raven Jemison, who shot 7-7 from the field in her eight minutes of playing time that afternoon, notched in two more buckets close to the rim. despite a late belles layup off the fingers of sophomore forward Julia schutz, the Flying dutch stood at the helm up 32-23 at the end of 10 minutes.

see smc bb PAGE 13

ND MEN’s BAsKEtBAll | 81-64

Irish suffers loss to Wake Forest, drop to 2-10 in Acc

By NICO MORALES sports Writer

entering this matchup against Wake Forest, notre dame hoped to make last week’s game against Louisville a building point that could flip momentum for the team rather than an outlier for the season.

In the first part of the game, that appeared to be the case. With under 10 minutes to go in the half, the Irish led Wake Forest 16-4, with active hands-on defense forcing turnovers and creating easy points on the other end of the court. This resembled the efforts of last week, as notre dame forced 8 turnovers in the first half to jump out to a 22-point lead over the cardinals. however, discipline from Wake Forest, and sloppy efforts from the Irish, led to a different story.

despite holding their opponents to 4 points halfway through the first, the Irish failed to be

see mbb PAGE 14

Irish suffer crushing setback in sweep to spartans

By ANDREW MCGUINNESS and TYLER REIDY

Associate sports e ditor and sports Writer

notre d ame entered this critical weekend in their 2022-23 campaign feeling better about themselves than they arguably have all season. The Irish entered Friday winners of three of their last four and five of their last seven matches. They were coming off their first series sweep since mid- o ctober and their first all season in conference play. The s partans were coming off a weekend in which they surrendered 14 goals to m innesota and had not won a game in regulation since d ec. 9. o n paper, it looked like the perfect opportunity to keep the good times rolling.

b ut that’s not what happened on Friday night at munn Ice Arena. m ichigan state presented the Irish with an early five-minute power-play for boarding, giving the Irish a chance to get their off-and-on offense in a good place for the weekend. And sure enough, the power-play offered a

Irish fall to Blue Devils at home

By J.J. POST sports Writer

sunday afternoon notre dame women’s basketball fell 57-52 to duke at Purcell Pavillion.

The game was defined by struggles on the offensive end and success on the defensive end for both teams, but it was duke who got the last say in a tight contest. It was the Irish who set the pace early, entering halftime with a 31-25 lead. but in the second frame duke, who shot just 39% from the field and 0% from three in the first half, found their rhythm.

A 23-15 third quarter run put the blue devils in control, powered by a 10 point surge from celeste Taylor. In the final frame, looking to hold their two point lead, duke put on a defensive masterclass. only allowing six total points, all of which came from sophomore guard olivia miles, the blue devils completely suffocated the notre dame’s offense. The Irish shot just 15% from the floor over the final ten minutes, and most critically turned the ball over on their last ditch effort to close down a three point duke lead with 15 seconds left. head coach niele Ivey said after

the game that she was just trying to draw up a play that would allow her star guard to operate quickly given the time crunch the Irish were up against.

“I was trying to get a quick score, get [miles] downhill,” Ivey said. “so we set a flat screen, wanting to get her downhill. The idea was to get a quick score in the paint, turnaround, try to get a stop, advance [the ball] and try to run another play.”

but duke, like they had all game, came up big. miles’ got downhill, but duke ensured she didn’t get an open lane to the basket and picked off her attempted feed to freshman forward cassandre Prosper. From there, the blue devils were able to ice the game with free throws and walk out of south bend in first place in the Acc

Playing without graduate student center Lauren ebo for the third consecutive game, the Irish struggled down low. ebo’s usual frontcourt partner junior Kylee Watson only played 23 minutes, with all four other starters clearing the 30 minute mark. Watson only amassed 2 points and 5

Irish graduate forward Nate Laszewski attempts a layup versus Spartans contributing to their 70-52 win on Nov. 30, 2022.

ND WOMEN’s BAsKEtBAll | 57-52