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Volume 56, Issue 60 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
Tickets run in Holy Cross student election
Laskowiecki-Todora By ISABELLE KAUSE News Writer
Juniors Joe Laskow iecki and Collin Todora, running respectively for Holy Cross Student Government Association (SGA) president and v ice president, desire to strengthen the Holy Cross’s communit y as well as its connection to the tri-campus communit y. Laskow iecki said that one of the things that make the ticket unique is their diverse backgrounds. They feel because of that, they can
contribute something to ever y department from an academic and social standpoint. Laskow iecki, born and raised in Chicago, is a business major w ith minors in communications and marketing. He ser ved as a resident assistant for Anselm Hall this year and is also the head of intramural sports at Holy Cross. Todora is from Port A rthur, Texas and is a biolog y major w ith minors in math and computer science. He’s see LASKOWIECKI PAGE 3
MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
Imamovic-Lulgjuraj By LIAM PRICE Associate News Editor
Muris Imamov ic and Matthew Lulgjuraj said they hope to apply the communit y-building skills they used as resident assistants at Holy Cross to their positions as president and v ice president if elected. “We have ver y good communit ybuilding w ith our guys. We got to know our guys and we know what makes them tick,” Imamov ic said. Imamov ic, who is running for
president of Holy Cross Student Government Association (SGA), is a junior elementar y education major from Mishawaka and ser ved as a resident assistant (RA) in Basil Hall this year and as a peer mentor in his sophomore year. A lso a junior elementar y education major, Lulgjuraj is from Sterling Heights, Michigan, and is running for v ice president. He ser ved as an RA in South Hall see IMAMOVIC PAGE 3
Students empower adults to share life stories When John Wilford was first introduced to the Sunshine Clubhouse in South Bend, he heard the clubhouse was looking to start a newsletter. A former director of biotechnology equipment production, Wilford saw a row of nonfunctioning computers
and went to work. He managed to get a few of the computers up and running and helped Sunshine Clubhouse begin publishing its newsletter. Later, Wilford realized the significance of his seemingly minor contribution. “I wasn’t thinking about it at the time, but when I stepped back from it
I thought, ‘Gee, maybe I still do have something to offer,’” Wilford said. Wilford, who was involved with the Sunshine Clubhouse for five years and its current successor, Clubhouse of St. Joseph County, for another five years, suffers from severe mental illness. The Clubhouse of St. Joseph County seeks to empower adults like Wilford who suffer from
mental illness by providing them with work and social opportunities. o“Clubhouse works,” Wilford, now a grandfather, said. “It really integrates people from the outside back into the community. It gets people back in and feeling like they’re worth something and they can contribute.” Opened in 2015, Clubhouse of St. Joseph County is one of more than
300 Clubhouses around the world. All Clubhouses follow the same model. Members — those suffering from mental illness — adhere to a workordered day. Each day they choose tasks and chores to complete around the Clubhouse to keep it functioning. “It’s been said that the ideal
NEWS PAGE 4
VIEWPOINT PAGE 7
SCENE PAGE 10
BENGAL BOUTS PAGE 16
BASEBALL PAGE 16
By RYAN PETERS Notre Dame News Editor
see BOOK PAGE 5
2
TODAY
The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
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RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer
Boxers following a match at the semifinals of Bengal Bouts at Duncan Student Center Monday night. The tournament is ramping up to an exciting finish this week. The championships will be held Friday in the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center at 7 p.m.
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Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Mini Fair Geddes Hall 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Fair for those deciding post-graduate plans.
GLOBES Speaker DeBartolo Hall 318 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Discussion of water crisis in America.
Bengal Bouts Finals Purcell Pavillion 7 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Holy Cross Mission.
“Atlantis” (2020) DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m. Ukranian sci-fi drama.
Basilica Mass Baslica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. & noon All are welcome.
Women in STEM Madeleva Room 357 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Celebration of women in STEM.
Men’s Tennis Holy Cross 4 p.m. Match with Missouri Baptist University.
Chorale Concert DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Free for students.
SMC Talks virtual 7 p.m. Focus on refining critical thinking skills.
Notre Dame Women’s Tennis Eck Center 11 a.m. Irish take on Syracuse.
News
Laskowiecki Continued from page 1
on the golf team at Holy Cross and a tutor for math and computer science. Their ticket “wants to make sure ever yone’s voice is heard” w ithin the Holy Cross communit y, Laskow iecki said. “My biggest goal is to tr y to incorporate Holy Cross more into the tri-campus communit y. But I also want to give that inner feeling to Holy Cross students to be able to be proud to represent the college and to be proud to say that they went to Holy Cross College” Laskow iecki said. Laskow iecki and Todora both said that they value success for indiv idual students not only in the present moment but also in the
Imamovic Continued from page 1
and as an SGA senator last year. Imamovic said the experience of being RAs provided their ticket with key insights on how to work with different students and improve their time at Holy Cross. “We got to know the pulse of Holy Cross, and what everyone kind of is going for,” he said. “We’d be perfect for being able to build stuff according to different groups.” Lulgjuraj reiterated that the RA experience has provided a lens to the Holy Cross community for the pair. “Being [RAs] on campus, we know what community looks like with different students,” Lulgjuraj said.
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | The Observer
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future beyond their time at Holy Cross. “I want to have the college courses prepare them as best as they can for their future success,” Laskow iecki said. “So however we can go about that, whether it’s from a course or whether it’s listening to the people and what they want to do, I think that’s where most of our candidacy is going to come from our biggest platform.” Todora said they also hope to allev iate some of the stress from facult y and alumni. “I know that there’s stress w ith students coming up and asking questions and stuff like that, that [facult y] can’t fill, so we would kind of be that buffer, in-between to help allev iate some of the stress that they would have,” Todora said. Laskow iecki and Todora
are also passionate about bridging connections bet ween facult y and students. “We want students’ concerns to be heard,” Laskow iecki said. Todora said their first priorit y would be to develop a sense of communication w ith Holy Cross students. Specifically, they want the students to know that they are available to help. “I know, since I tutor for math, a lot of the students don’t really like to go to the professor because they feel kind of intimidated. So it’s kind of nice to have a student that they can talk to and connect to,” Todora said. “Developing that initial connection bet ween the students and us would be probably a prett y good primar y goal in our case.” Laskow iecki said he wants to be available as someone
to talk to when students have concerns w ith professors. “I know some people don’t want to have attention on them,” Laskow iecki said. “But if we could be t h a t stepping stone to the next level, to bring their concerns and let them be heard, I think that’s our biggest goal.” They also, however, have aspirations that extend beyond academics and the classroom. “I personally would also like to further develop the tow n hall meetings that we just started doing this year. We started on this last semester and I think it can be really beneficial, especially if we start getting a better show out or for more people to show up,” Laskow iecki said. Laskow iecki mentioned
that they, of course, want to listen to student suggestions as well. “I’ve already heard some guys who live in South [Hall] say, ‘Hey, can we get a vending machine in here somehow? ’ It might be pricey, but people would like that. Even if we got one over in North [Hall] and South, I’m sure that they’ll bring more revenue to the school and that people would just also enjoy those,” Laskow iecki said. Laskow iecki said that, ultimately, they want to leave their mark and make a change. “I want to be able to say like, ‘Hey, we were president,’” he said, “‘and this is what we did at the end of the year.’”
“With Gateways, Driscolls and regular Holy Cross students, we kind of want to build more community within Holy Cross and close that gap.” Working as a peer mentor strengthened his ability to aid the experience of first-year students at Holy Cross, Imamovic said. As president and vice president, he said “it’s a little bit on us to make the experience as easy going for [first-years] as possible and transitioning to living by themselves.” Imamovic and Lulgjuraj also hope to see concrete actions taking place as president and vice president and said they would do so by fostering an environment in SGA that is open to new ideas and opinions. Imamovic said this would mean charting a physical
legacy of new additions at Holy Cross brought forth by SGA. “We want to have cool things added to [Holy Cross] as well,” he said. “We don’t want everything to just stay the same every year.” Having mentioned their excitement about the recent Holy Cross formal, Imamovic said he and Lulgjuraj hope to bring a second big student event to the student body for the fall semester. “Right away as soon as we get everyone here, [we will] try to do like a really big event or gathering so everyone gets to know each other,” he said. “Maybe even add a second dance or something.” Lulgjuraj said as vice president, he would like to empower SGA senators
in order to achieve more things for the student body. “There were a lot of ideas that were mentioned and never really went through,” he said about his time as a senator. “We’re really going to push to actually complete things, not just do stuff halfway.” To get things done on campus, Lulgjuraj said, it is essential the president and vice president use the abilities of SGA senators. “We have the titles president and vice president but really who gets things done on this campus is our senators,” he said. Imamovic said they hope to maintain hope to carry on the momentum created by the current SGA president and vice president, Emilee Skidgel and Katie Cole, respectively.
“I think they did a pretty good job, and I think it’s just good to try to keep adding on to that,” he said. With a long-lasting commitment to the school, Imamovic said he and Lulgjuraj are wellsuited to be strong leaders of SGA and succeed Skidgel and Cole. “I don’t think there are two better people to keep that momentum going forward than us,” he said. “We’ve always been here at Holy Cross.” Lulgjuraj emphasized that his and Imamovic’s commitment to Holy Cross was uniquely strong and would be brought to their work as president and vice president. “We always have a good attitude, we’re [Holy Cross] or die.”
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NEWS
The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
DIANE PARK | The Observer
Fencing’s history of victory at Notre Dame By UYEN LE and SPENCER KELLY From the Archives Researchers
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story was published online on Mar. 28. The Irish fencing team claimed their 12th national title this past weekend in the 2022 NCA A championships, which took place right here at Notre Daeme. Our communit y is reminded that our team is a force to be reckoned w ith. Composed of fencers from all over the world, the team is one of the most diverse and talented groups on campus. In recognition of Notre Dame’s fencing tradition, this week’s edition of From the Archives explores both the v ictories and the shortcomings of this prestigious program. Even in the midst of differing experiences and opinions of the Notre Dame fencing team, it is safe to say that it has brought a centuries-old sport to the forefront of an American college campus.
From Athens to South Bend: A freshman fencer’s journey Aug. 21, 2004 | Matt Lozar | Aug. 30, 2004 | Matt Lozar | Researched by Uyen Le On Aug. 17, 2004, Mariel Zagunis won the sabre fencing gold medal at the Oly mpics in Athens, mere weeks before starting classes as a freshman at Notre Dame. She was the first U.S. fencer at the time to medal since 1984 and the first to w in a gold medal since 1904. W hen Zagunis scored the w inning point, her U.S. teammates rushed onto the strip and celebrated by lifting her up into the air. “I’m glad they could get on stage and celebrate w ith me like that,” Zagunis remarked. After deferring her enrollment at Notre Dame a year due to her rigorous fencing regime, Zagunis started her time at Notre Dame shortly after returning from the Oly mpics. She was throw n headfirst into academics, as she had to make up four days of missed classes — though surely, those absences were excused. “I haven’t gone to school or class for over a year, but
I’m ready to get out there and ready to learn,” Zagunis commented. Some anticipated the transition from sports stardom to normal student to be difficult for Zagunis, including Irish coach Janusz Bednarski. “Time is div ided bet ween studies and fencing. The team has a goal to w in. Now she has to step into the other field. It w ill not be easy. I think it w ill be a challenge,” Bednarski speculated. Zagunis recognized this need for adjustment, and was determined to carr y her propensit y for hard work over to her academics. She went on to w in three more Oly mpic medals, and was the f lag bearer at the 2012 London Oly mpics Parade of Nations. As exemplified by Zagunis, student athletes at Notre Dame strive towards excellence both in their sports arenas and their classrooms. Though the talent of athletes is often celebrated, sometimes it is valued over personhood by programs that are set on w inning. In our next section, we look into the case of Jubba Beshin, who felt exploited by the fencing team during his time at Notre Dame.
Jubba Beshin’s opponent
toughest
March 29, 1990 | Scott Brutocao | March 25, 1992 | Jonathan Jensen | April 16, 1992 | Jubba Beshin | Researched by Spencer Kelly In 1990, sophomore Jubba Beshin shocked the college fencing world by w inning the indiv idual men’s epee competition at the NC A A championships. Beshin entered the event w ith little expectations. He skipped his freshman season, so this was his first year competing. And Notre Dame’s epee squad was considered to be weak overall. However, Beshin v indicated himself and his squad, defeating 16 fencers en route to an indiv idual v ictor y. “Since I was such an underdog, a lot of people were on my side,” Beshin said. “It was one of the best experiences of my life.” But two years after this triumphant tournament, Beshin, no longer on the
fencing team, w rote a scathing letter to the editor in The Obser ver. “In my opinion, the fencing program at the Universit y of Notre Dame is a scandalous one,” Beshin w rote. W hat had driven Beshin from v ictor y to v itriol? On March 25, 1992, Obser ver sports w riter Jonathan Jensen (‘95) seemingly blamed Beshin for Notre Dame’s fourth place finish in the national championships. Jensen wondered “what could have been if former national champion Jubba Beshin would not have taken the year off to concentrate on academics.” Beshin set the record straight. W hile he skipped his freshman season to improve his grades, academics had not caused his absence this year. Instead, Beshin indicted Notre Dame for repeatedly refusing to grant him a scholarship. Beshin had requested scholarship support each of his three years on the fencing team. He was denied ever y time. Coaches claimed there was no money available, but Beshin saw other fencers receiv ing funds. “I felt exploited and manipulated,” Beshin w rote. “Yet there was nothing I could do.” His national championship w in did not help, nor did his sustained success the next season. Without a scholarship, Beshin’s parents were forced to take out loans to support him. By his junior year, Beshin himself was working t wo jobs, causing him to miss practice. His coaches used this to further justif y not giv ing a scholarship. “I guess it never occurred to the coaches that if I had a scholarship, I would not have had to work and miss practice,” Beshin w rote. Tired of his coaches’ conduct, Beshin quit the fencing team in fall 1991. Beshin lamented the loss of his personal passion. He also claimed that his experience was not unique. “There is a histor y of others who feel the same way I do and who have endured similar ordeals,” Beshin w rote. “We were used for our talents, only to be discarded.” Beyond the obv ious injustice, Beshin’s stor y
highlights the academic and economic obligations facing student athletes along w ith their sporting responsibilities. This is especially pertinent to Notre Dame, w ith its high-level Div ision I sports but high scholastic standards and an even higher price tag. Consideration of their offthe-field obligations should magnif y the already impressive accomplishments of student athletes. But we should also consider these additional duties in disappointing times. If a student athlete misses a practice, a game, or even a season, maybe it’s not their fault; maybe it’s just life.
National ships of sport
championan invisible
March 3, 1976 | Bill Brink | Researched by Uyen Le In the midst of popular athletic programs, such as football and basketball, the Notre Dame fencing team often f lies under the radar. Bill Brink (‘76) noted this phenomenon, when after a 21-0 record, the fencing team was headed to the NCA A championship on March 26 and 27, 1976. Leading up to 1976, the fencing team had been building momentum, finishing third in the nation in the prev ious season. Coach Mike DeCicco obser ved that Notre Dame was not know n for its fencing tradition, until it hosted the NCA A championships in 1970. DeCicco commented that not a lot of top fencers “knew fencing had a good program here. Since [1970], we’ve been getting qualit y athletes.” Despite this upward trajector y, fencing did not gain traction among sports fans at Notre Dame. “People don’t exactly beat dow n the doors of the ACC to watch it,” Brink w rote. “They don’t jump off balconies and over stair way banisters. Fencing simply isn’t a spectator sport. Can it be? ” DeCicco claimed that people simply do not know fencing, which is why they are apprehensive to attend the event. “To make fencing a spectator sport requires education,” he insisted. “You have to start w ith a program of education and ex hibition, to
enlighten people. People can’t watch a sport w ith enthusiasm unless they know what it’s all about… It does have excitement and drama if you understand how it works.” Appealing to a celebrit y culture, DeCicco also noted the importance of hav ing a household name, which would draw spectators to the sport. “It’s good to have an excellent fencer on your team, people like to watch excellence. We have to develop a kind of superstar qualit y so people w ill take the time to come out and watch it.” Though Brink was ultimately skeptical that fencing would become a popular sport at Notre Dame, since 1976, has won 11 national championships, and several members and alumni of the program have competed in the Oly mpics. These accomplishments have brought fencing to the surface of campus consciousness, especially because they are often responsible for keeping the “#1” sign atop Grace Hall lit up w ith their superior status in the fencing world. Notre Dame fencing is an indomitable force in the nation, and has also educated the tri-campus communit y about a rich sporting tradition. Contact Uyen Le at hle2@nd.edu and Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | The Observer
5
ND to hold Chinese speech competition By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer
This Thursday, the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures will hold the 13th Annual Chinese Speech Contest. Student contestants will present essays they have written and will be judged by Notre Dame faculty on their pronunciation, intonation, fluency, grammar, style and content. The contest will be held in 140 DeBartolo Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Chengxu Yin, teaching professor of Chinese, is the coordinator and founder of the contest. She said students significantly improve their language skills by participating in the contest. “It’s [very] time consuming but they learn a lot through the whole process,” Yin said.
Book Continued from page 1
Clubhouse is somewhere where you can’t tell the difference between the members and the staff,” Notre Dame class of 2021 graduate Anna Benedict said. The goal of this model is to allow members to focus on their skills rather than their illness. “By giving back, they’re receiving some self-worth, and it’s critical,” Wilford said.
‘Our Stories’ connects students with Clubhouse during pandemic Clubhouse of St. Joseph County founder Lisa Anderson has taught a seminar on mental illness at Notre Dame since 2012. Anderson’s course was funded in 2011 by Notre Dame alumna Julie Hersh Kosnik ’82. Kosnik wrote a book about her experiences battling severe depression and wanted a course where students would actually see what mental illness looks like rather than just learning about it in a clinical sense, Anderson said. Anderson’s mental illness seminars have varied over the years, but she has regularly incorporated an immersion component into her courses. The immersion components consist of the students interacting with adults with mental illness at a setting like a Clubhouse. However, in the fall of 2020, Anderson’s seminar was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Two of Anderson’s teaching assistants, Benedict and Louise Medina ‘21, decided to search for alternatives to the usual in-person immersion component. They eventually came up with the idea to match Notre Dame students with Clubhouse members to help the members write memoirs. These memoirs would allow the members to detail their lives and express themselves. They were eventually compiled into a book called “Our Stories” and published. The students and members held an event Saturday to celebrate the
The contest is divided into three divisions: first-year Chinese students, second-year students and third-, fourth- and fifth-year students. First-year student essays are one minute long, secondyears’ are two minutes and third-, fourth- and fifth-years’ are three minutes. Prizes are awarded to the winners of each division. Contestants from Notre Dame will be joined by contestants from Saint Mary’s College and Michiana Christian Chinese School. Seventeen students have signed up to participate this year. The judges this year will be English professor Nan Z. Da, finance professor Jun Yang and Hong Zhu, who serves as the University’s senior director of global education. Three student performances are scheduled to follow the contest, then an awards ceremony
and reception. Senior Lily Wu plans on performing after the contest. She said she will sing “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse. Wu is not currently enrolled in any Chinese classes, as she completed her Chinese minor, but her old professor asked if she would like to take part in this year’s event, Wu said. “I am looking forward to meeting new faces and seeing my professor, for sure,” said Wu. “I think it’s a great event.” Yin said each year, a student designs a T-shirt for the contest featuring the Chinese Zodiac. This year is the year of the tiger. The shirt was designed by sophomore Clairissa Chin. First-year Eamon Passey said in an email exchange that he signed up for the contest because he felt that sometimes when studying
a language, it is easy to forget the meaning that languages hold and how they can be used to tell stories. “Being able to use the Chinese language to tell my own story is liberating, so I jumped on this opportunity as soon as I had heard about it,” Passey said. First-year Kathryn Sherman said her speech is about gender equality and how we can combat the different standards that men and women are held to. Sherman began writing her speech before spring break, she said. She wrote multiple drafts with the help of her Chinese professor, then created the presentation that accompanies her speech. “I think it’s just a good opportunity to get in some extra speaking practice,” Sherman said. “It’s kind of nice to be able to practice speaking for a longer period of time and
actually cover a variety of topics and sentence structures.” First-year Macy Kerwin said in an email exchange that she sees the contest as a good way to build confidence in her conversational skills beyond the classroom. “Overall, it’s a great way to bond with classmates and other Chinese language learners and native speakers,” Kerwin said. Yin said she founded the contest to build community among Chinese speakers and learners. At the end of the contest, they all go onstage and sing a song together, which is very touching, Yin said. “The songs [have] so well progressed beyond my expectations,” said Yin. “I think we successfully built this community.”
book’s publishing more than a year after the writing process started. People who are not neurotypical often struggle to hold a steady job and tend to socially isolate themselves, Benedict, who majored in neuroscience, said. The memoirs allowed the members to come to peace with their trauma and feel proud about who they are, she said. “The idea at the end was that these members would then have this nice book to take home with them and keep and to be proud of and to be able to say, ‘This is me. This is how far I’ve come, and I’m proud of that,’” Benedict said. “You’re not just this trauma, you’re also everything else throughout the span of time.”
volunteers. The students had primarily heard about the project through mass emails sent out by Benedict. Students met with their members for about an hour per week over Zoom, junior Lucy Tarcha said. Tarcha said she regularly met with her partner from September through mid-December. While the groups would meet to work on the memoir, the meetings served more as an opportunity to connect. “We would spend some time working on the memoir, but most of the time was just developing a friendship and talking about our lives,” senior Adriana Perez-Negron said. “We would talk about things we would [have] in common. And so it really became a friendship and it was very exciting.” Clubhouse of St. Joseph County’s publishing celebration Saturday was the first time the students and members met in person. Some students who graduated traveled back for the event at the Clubhouse.
During the ceremony, the members received their own copy of the book — which is for sale on Amazon — and said a few words about what the project meant to them. The book features artwork done by some of the members. “I think it could be probably best summed up by several of the people that wrote in the book were brought to tears telling me about their story and the process,” Wilford said. “And some people were kind of tongue-tied. But they got up, they got their book presented to them and you could tell they felt good about it. They had contributed and they were being recognized and you could tell they felt good.” Anderson said one of the profound effects of the project was for the students to see the range of capabilities of people who suffer from mental illness. She said one of the members who shared his story cannot read or write while one of the members has a Ph.D.
Clubhouse International is considering implementing a form of the “Our Stories” project at other locations, Anderson said. Memoir writing can be considered a form of narrative therapy, which allows people to become more comfortable with their past and trauma by putting them into a complete story. Benedict said the project helped both students and members ditch the stereotypes that the groups may have of each other. “If Notre Dame students have never had this experience… before where they have to get out of the classroom and experience what they’re learning about in the real world, it can be pretty jarring,” Benedict said. “It’s been a way to promote at least small healing in a way that really does justice to the power of empathy and the power of story.”
Students and bridge the gap
members
Twenty-three Clubhouse members wrote their short memoirs for the book. At the beginning of the project in fall 2020, each member was assigned two or three student
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The observer | Wednesday, March 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
How Friday night lights with Dad led me here Aidan Thomas Sports Editor
If you met me and I gave you my Notre Dame introduction, my credentials don’t exactly match up with my current position. Marketing major (pause for the anticipated ‘Mendoza Kid’ shudder) and Applied Math and Statistics supplemental major. And now…Sports Editor with the Observer? It’s not really anything I saw coming either but indulge me in my first Inside Column as I reflect a little on how I ended up here. I’ll take you back to a cold Friday evening on the sidelines of a high school football game. The third-down pass, a rare passing attempt in Maine High School football, fell incomplete and the head coach waved his punting team onto the field. My dad, clipboard in hand, bundled up for the crisp October weather, gave me a quick glance. At eleven years old, I knew what to do. I ran down the field to cover the upcoming punt, dutifully preparing to note the yard line at which the punt was caught. This was evidently crucial work. What if the punt was returned for a touchdown? Who else could possibly let my dad know exactly how long the return was? Never mind he had done this for years without my help, my assistance was a crucial development in my dad’s ability to cover high school football games. For years, I ran up and down the sidelines under the Friday night lights, assisting with such crucial moments. As I got older, I began to be trusted with slightly more important developments in games. My dad even started comparing his stats to my own on occasion. Friday night lights turned into Saturday excursions to high school basketball and baseball games, or summer nights at Hadlock Field, covering the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox Double-A team. I kept stats, tracked pitches and handwrote my own game recaps on extra pieces of notebook paper. Whatever it took to be at the [insert sports venue here] with Dad. I landed a remote sports writing position in high school and gained my first real sports writing experience. However, to me, it remained a hobby. When I came to Notre Dame, I joined the Observer. It seemed like a fun way to keep watching sports and I felt I was a decent enough writer to keep up my sports writing hobby. It was definitely different, though. Now I was covering games alone. Don’t get me wrong, spending a Saturday afternoon in the Notre Dame Stadium press box as a freshman was pretty incredible, but it wasn’t Friday night lights with Dad. My role with the Observer gradually increased, but I was content to remain a business kid by trade, sportswriter by hobby. But with several fellow juniors abroad this past fall, I was asked to fill in as an interim associate sports editor and lead the football beat. I don’t really remember when I decided to fully embrace these responsibilities or even if that was a conscious decision. But long story short, I did. And after a fall that featured a few all-nighters, a coaching change that will probably remain the biggest story I’ve covered for years (this was associated with the all-nighters) and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl, I found myself far more involved with journalism than I ever thought I would be. A few months later, I applied to be Sports Editor, and now I sit here, trying to write my first Inside Column. It’s over ten years ago now that I first started attending those games with my dad. I’d like to think I’ve developed a little bit since carefully marking down those punt returns. As I write this, I’m covering the Notre Dame baseball game from the second row in the press box, a throwback to summer evenings at Hadlock. Except, of course, I’m filing my own story this time, not presenting my dad with a beautifully handwritten and barely readable account of the game he also watched (although Dad, if you want one, let me know and I can put one in the mail). I’m getting used to it, despite never expecting to be here. What started as an extra way to hang out with my dad has turned into the heart of my college experience. In an ideal world, I’d have published this closer to Father’s Day, at least a small way to appreciate the time I had all those years. But hey, it’s a newspaper and I have my own deadlines now. It feels fitting, given how many times I sat in a variety of press boxes (some heated, some not if you remember those wonderful soccer state championship games) and passenger seats, watching you file on deadline. I learned from the best, and now I’m here. Just where I’d never thought I’d really be. So thanks Dad, for every little role you played in getting me here. And maybe next fall, we can catch a football game from the stands — no deadlines or punt return stats needed. You can contact Aidan at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Maybe it’s a “duh” moment Madeline Law Trivial Matters
This past week I realized that I still have not put up any pictures in my dorm room. It’s strange to me because I’ve always considered pictures to be one of the most important things I bring to school. Every semester, I would choose a place in my room to display a visual summary of my loved ones, friends and favorite memories. That tapestry is a reminder of who inspired me to come to Saint Mary’s and pursue higher education and who I want to honor and keep in my mind and heart every day. Freshman year I sticky-tacked the photos to the cinder-block wall of McCandless. Sophomore year I pinned them to a corkboard above my loft in Holy Cross Hall. One morning I woke up with it on top of me, so the photos were relocated to the corkboard on my desk. First semester of junior year, I taped them to my wardrobe across the ocean in Rome. Each collection was carefully curated and organized, and at the top of my settling-in tasks. This semester I moved back to campus, joined my roommate in our Le Mans “double” (with the same dimensions as the single across the hall, she measured), but didn’t put any pictures up. Granted, we planned on moving to a slightly bigger room, but that didn’t happen for some unexplained reason. So, besides a few of my roommate’s on the fridge, there are no pictures on my walls. I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the realization, honestly. I was partly surprised, partly unsurprised, partly sad and partly curious. I was surprised even though I knew, of course, that there weren’t any pictures up. What surprised me was the ten or so weeks it took for me to actually comprehend what it meant. At the same time, I was unsurprised because I knew the logical answer to my bare walls: the plan to switch rooms. I didn’t want to go through the mentally and emotionally intricate process of arranging my photos just to take them down after a week or two. Then one week or two turned into four, then eight, and then it was spring break and now spring break was two weeks ago. Time flies, period. And I was sad. I missed seeing the faces of my mom and dad and my brother, of my late grandparents and dog, my best friends from home, our international family of exchange students and the sunset over the bay in my hometown. This semester especially, it’s been hard to keep in touch. Maybe that’s because of my workload or maybe it’s because I wasn’t seeing those faces everyday and I need that reminder more than I thought. Finally, I was curious. What exactly is different about not having pictures up? Is it really that important? An argument might be made for undecorated spaces being better for focus and study – less distractions and whatnot. I can look at
pictures on my phone anytime, or my computer, so no need to waste paper. But I feel untethered. In limbo. Not settled. Lonely? Hanging up pictures was my way of claiming the space as my own, my home, for the time I’m there. Sure, I’ve stacked my books and filled my desk drawers and put my toothbrush next to the sink, but none of those things have the extraordinarily soulful impact that pictures do. “Extraordinarily soulful impact.” Nicelooking words, right? Like any good jargon, they are just noise until someone decides what they mean. I can’t do that without a little experimentation. Would you mind waiting a minute please? (insert some sentimental instrumentals) Thanks. I put my photos up. I was going to try to figure out what’s so important about them and realized I can’t do that without seeing the difference with my own eyes. So at 9:30 p.m. on a Saturday night in my dorm, my roommate away for the weekend and five weeks to go in the semester, I finally claimed this space as my own. The contrast is devastatingly palpable. I haven’t seen my mom and dad since the beginning of the semester, and my brother since New Year’s. My best friends. My international siblings. The radiant faces of my departed Nana and Papa and Grandpa who I miss so much and my Grandma, who I simply cannot wait to see at Easter. And of course, the canine grin of my late fourlegged friend. I realized that I felt untethered because these pictures weren’t there to gently tug on my heartstrings to remind me that I’m still connected, even if the line has gone a little bit silent. These photographs also show me I’ve grown since those captured moments. I’m not in limbo. I simply forgot to look down and see my roots, see how far I’ve come. I’m settled, because I put the linchpin in its place; I put the photos in their place. You know the phrase “out of sight, out of mind?” I learned how easy it is to feel lonely when there aren’t any faces gazing back at you. So as I sit at my desk, savoring all the familiar pictures made new by their absence, I conclude that yes, it’s really that important. Maybe it’s a bit of a “duh” moment, but it’s a moment nonetheless. My toothbrush certainly doesn’t have that effect. Madeline Law is a Saint Mary’s junior from Petoskey, Michigan. She studies English literature and communication studies with a minor in theater. If you can find her, she’ll either be adding books to scattered to-read lists or re-reading old favorites. Reach her at mlaw01@saintmarys.edu and send book suggestions. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
The observer | Wednesday, March 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
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Pockets full of sunshine Julianna Conley In My Own Words
As a Southern Californian, I can’t say winter is my favorite season. As my family can attest, I like to be in shorts and a tank top whenever possible. I almost didn’t attend Notre Dame because I was so bummed out by the leaf less trees I saw when I visited. I avoid wearing snow boots at all costs, but one aspect of cold weather conditions that I love is the winter coat. A hapless victim of female fashion’s pocket inequality and an ardent resister of carrying a purse, most of the year, I’m forced into minimalism. What I can’t squash into my four-millimeter-deep phone wallet, I abandon. What I don’t want to carry in my hands all day, I leave at home. Until winter. With gorgeously deep pockets even cargo shorts would env y, my hand-me-down Lands’ End puffer jacket becomes a packrat’s paradise. At this very moment, my left pocket is filled with seashells from a winter break beach walk, socks I borrowed from a friend last week before an impromptu bowling trip, four pieces of chocolate I swiped from The Observer office, a pair of AirPods and my apartment keys. In the right pocket: a velvet scrunchie, (clean) tissues stashed from when I had a cold, two mechanical pencils, berry frost f lavored Pedialyte powder and a handmade valentine from my former roommate. Previous surprise reach-ins have revealed: detailed medical results and invoices from
doctor’s visits, various cutlery, packs of gum, both raw and hard-boiled eggs and once, much to the chagrin of all onlookers, a napkin-wrapped corn dog. A real-life equivalent of Mary Poppins’s bottomless bag, my parka pockets allow me to carry anything and everything I could possibly need. But more than that, the clutter that litters my pockets offer me small smiles throughout my day. When my fingers wrap around a homemade pumpkin keychain, I’m reminded of the Halloween party where my friends kept teasing me because no one could figure out my poorly executed costume. When I reach for a granola bar and instead find an Ale-8 bottle cap, I f lashback to games of Super Uno in David, Kentucky, with my Appalachia seminar friends. Sure, my silhouette may stand to benefit from a deep clean of my jacket’s compartments, but if bulk is the price I pay for a portable time capsule, I’ll make the trade every time. My whole life I’ve been a sentimentalist, a saver, a doomsday packer. One of the first things my best friend learned about me freshman year was that, worried I’m an at-risk hoarder, I periodically throw away things I love for no reason, just to check that I still can. My phone consistently reaches the max number of tabs allowed open on Safari. My friends mock me for never deleting my emails, for systematically filing away each missive into one of 90 folders ranging from “Mom” to “Nice Stuff” to “PE Pyros 2020-21.” And my determination not to delete has served me well. I’ve referenced old TheWeek@
ND messages to gauge what time of year events will be happening. I’ve forwarded Sakai assignment submission confirmations to professors questioning my work’s timeliness. But now, with a looming graduation just months away, I’m realizing my time with jconley4@nd.edu is almost up. W hat will become of the weekly polls I forced my friends to fill out before Sunday night dinners? How can I ensure I hold onto all the evites I’ve saved from themed parties? All the unimportant emails my friends and I forwarded to each other because phrases like “come for a massage, stay for a caricature” need to be acknowledged? How can I fit four years worth of memories into a coat pocket or pack them into my f light home’s carry-on? I can’t. Try as I might, I can’t save every exchange and shouldn’t pack every pom-pom I’ve held onto from sports games. Perhaps, like I’m forced to do with my treasures when the sun comes out and the winter gear is shed, all I can do is leave my joys in the pockets where I’ve found them. I can only hope to meet them again when I return. Julianna Conley is a senior studying sociology and pre-health studies with a minor in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. Though she is forever loyal to Pasquerilla East B-team athletics, Julianna now lives off campus. She can be reached for comment at jconley4@nd.edu or @JuliannaLConley on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Our Mendoza: implementing a vision for business Without business, our society would look very different. Businesses provide a steady supply of food at grocery stores, build infrastructure, innovate and distribute new technologies, print the books we read and fund life-enhancing research and development. Far from incompatible with aspirations of contributing to the common good, business rightly understood, which we call “honorable business,” creates real value and greatly improves the human condition for everyone. Honorable business recognizes the inherent good of mutually voluntary and mutually beneficial exchanges, which create positive value for all parties to a transaction. Consider a simple example: When you pay a retailer $50 for a new pair of shoes, both parties benefit because voluntarily consenting to the exchange means that you value the shoes more than $50 and the retailer values your $50 more than the shoes. Thus, both parties receive mutual benefit and positive value through the exchange. Skeptics of honorable business often portray profit-making as a greedy, immoral enterprise, but pursuing profit is necessary for running a stable and sustainable business, as profit enables a business to continue providing its products or services to society. Pope John Paul II acknowledged in “Centesimus Annus” that the pursuit of profit, a “regulator of the life of a business,” is legitimate as long as it is not a business’s only pursuit. Admittedly, business does not always live up to its promises of value creation and morality. There are corporations concerned solely with profit, individuals who prioritize money-making over morality, and professionals who behave unethically. Nonetheless, this is not a reflection of all business professionals or students, nor of the Mendoza College of Business
itself. Contrary to what the recent column published in The Observer “Against Mendoza: A Nietzschean Critique” suggests, Mendoza does not use the notion of honorable business as mere “window dressing.” The author argues that “hardly any students actually buy [the mission of Mendoza].” On the contrary, we believe in and are dedicated to the mission that Mendoza sets out to accomplish. And we are no “outliers.” Mendoza students routinely and actively engage in discerning how our shared vision of honorable business ought to inform our careers. Through the Business Honors Program and Deloitte Scholars Colloquium, for example, students come together in lectures and seminars to discuss and debate how business can positively contribute to the world. The dean of Mendoza himself, Professor Martijn Cremers, teaches a class called “Corporate Governance and Catholic Social Teaching” in which finance majors critically evaluate their responsibilities as future corporate decision-makers. Additionally, courses such as “Social Entrepreneurship” and “Why Business?” instill the importance of using business skills to tackle complex global problems and considering how business activity impacts stakeholders. For Mendoza students, business ethics does not just encompass corporate compliance or professional responsibility, but rather involves grappling with deeper moral and philosophical questions of human dignity, the universal destination of goods and the proper telos of business. Of course, not all students take advantage of these programs. Some students may very well enjoy their four years in Mendoza without engaging these deeper questions beyond course requirements. But stereotyping all or even most Mendoza students this
way is quite inaccurate. The author argues that “most careers in business are socially irresponsible” because he believes the products and services that many businesses provide are difficult to “trace…to social good.” In fact, the majority of corporations exist to further some social good, whether that involves producing useful products or providing valuable services and these organizations could not operate without business people to fund and strategically direct them. Furthermore, the author’s portrayal of “crunching numbers at corporate Walmart” might not seem world-changing at face value, but contributing to an organization’s mission while simultaneously pursuing other goods with one’s time, talent and treasure– such as providing for one’s family, volunteering, and partaking in civic organizations–certainly gives rise to immense social good as well. Throughout their four years at Notre Dame, students are asked to consider how they will make the world a better place. Studying business is an excellent way to start. We affirm that: Honorable business is a force for good in the world and a laudable vocation consistent with Notre Dame’s Catholic identity. Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business offers a breadth of programs and resources that students use to deeply consider the role of business in a just society. We are proud of the work that Mendoza faculty and students are doing to produce ethically-minded graduates whose pursuit of honorable business makes the world a better place for all. Sarah Nelson senior Blake Perry junior March 30
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The observer | Wednesday, March 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
The power of routine
Lessons learned from a random research trip
Mikey Colgan
Devin Humphreys
Collegiate Crossroads
Law, Life and the Lord
I am a ver y predictable dude. W hen I’m at school, I spend my week doing homework in the same two locations and going to the g y m right next to my dorm. W hen the weekend comes around, I end up in the same room w ith the same group of friends. Until I moved to Boston in Januar y, when I was home, it would be the same stor y. As a Massachusetts resident, I’d naturally whip all of one mile to the same Dunks ever y morning and get the same order: bacon egg and cheese on a plain bagel toasted w ith a medium iced coffee w ith milk. On my ride, I’d listen to my same countr y playlist w ith Luke Combs, Eric Church or Jason A ldean filling the quiet of the empt y dow ntow n in Norfolk, Massachusetts. I’d then go to the same g y m near my house then hang out w ith my family or t wo friend groups I’ve had since elementar y and middle school. Essentially, my life can be boiled dow n to routine and stabilit y. To some, this may appear boring, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Grow ing up, I used to hate the idea of routine. Run-of-themill ever yday activ ities bored me and left me feeling useless. With no particular goals in mind, routine made life feel like a slow, constant stream of consciousness. Even w ith the best friends and family and a high school communit y know n for its culture of brotherhood, I felt ver y little purpose in my life. In high school, I was able to distract myself from these lingering thoughts w ith T V shows or sports games that brought me out of my boring ex istence and put me into another’s. However, when COV ID came around during my senior year of high school, the outlets for distraction were much harder to come by and I found myself w ith no choice but to improve my approach to my life. After surfing through the internet looking for answers, I soon stumbled upon the idea of creating an overarching v ision for your life, then aligning your ever yday activ ities towards reaching that v ision. Through trial and error over the past t wo years, I’ve boiled it dow n to conducting a routine that prioritizes in order: God, family, friends, health and work. W hile not ever yone w ill share the same v ision, I think sticking to a routine that pushes you towards whatever yours is crucial to fulfillment. Now this brings me back to the routine I described in the first paragraph. W hile on paper it sounds like f low ing through life mindlessly, w ithin that routine is where I am able to align myself towards a higher end. So when I stick to that routine religiously, I am most happy. W hen I dev iate from it, I feel that sense of purposelessness creep back in. As college students, it is often emphasized that we have to go out and tr y new things. I always hear about the importance of meeting new people and traveling to different places. W hile I hear those sentiments and get where they come from, I think they can lead you to neglecting figuring out what and who you’re going to dedicate your time to. The idea of just tr y ing new things for the sake of tr y ing new things is pointless to me. If you’re doing it w ith a reason in mind, that’s great. But if you’re just running around looking for that next cool thing to tr y, you’ll come to the harsh realit y that there’s no real satisfaction in that life. If you lead a lifest yle based solely on new, exciting experiences, your life won’t figure out itself. That’s why I stress the importance of stability and routine. I by no means have my life completely figured out and I think only a small fraction of people do, but having a routine that leads towards the goals you know are there to stay is a step in the right direction. I know for a fact that God, family, friends, health and work will always be the main priorities for me. While the people and work may change over time, consistently working at those five things gives my life inherent meaning because those are the five aspects of my life I literally deem most meaningful. Even given its simplicity, I am not perfect with it at all, but I sleep well at night when I just completed a day completely oriented towards my highest end. With that said, I urge you to try the same. Amidst the unpredictability of college, fight back against the tide and create a stable routine and see where it takes you.
I am, at times, amazed by the rabbit holes into which I have fallen while at Notre Dame Law School. From comparing lawsuits with dating to using my canon law final paper as an excuse to reconsider mens rea reform, the opportunities for those rabbit holes to manifest have been plentiful. But perhaps the deepest rabbit hole I’ve gone down in my time at this institution so far has to do with the Montana case of Link v. State. In an earlier piece, I registered my gratitude for the opportunity to study the law of remedies under Professor Samuel Bray. Link v. State was one of the cases we studied in that course. Here are the basic facts: the Link brothers made a contract with the State of Montana to do three things. First, they wanted to build a bunch of infrastructure improvements on the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park — most critically a set of shops at the top of a mountain. Second, they wanted to build a “mountain railroad” to get from outside the park to the bottom of that mountain. Third, they wanted to build a tram to get from the bottom of that mountain to its top, so that visitors could reach the entrance of the caverns without having to walk that whole distance. After finishing its construction, the Link brothers operated the tram and mountain railroad for about four years. Then they returned to the negotiating table with the state of Montana to trade their right to operate the tram and railroad for a continued royalty fee. The key provision in the agreement was that the state agreed to continue operating the tram and railroad. The Links wanted to make sure that people would continue to visit their shops that they continued to operate themselves, so that provision was critical to the renegotiated contract. To make a long story short, when the railroad fell into disrepair, the state breached the contract, refusing to repair the tram and railroad because they were no longer cost-effective. The Links then sued the state, and after a series of procedural hurdles, the case eventually arrived at the Montana Supreme Court, which decided that the tram and railroad would need to be rebuilt. That’s what makes this case get in the casebooks: while courts will often award this remedy, called “specific performance,” for things like land purchases or the sale of goods, it’s much rarer for a court to make a party rebuild a thing. And that would be the end of this mountain railroad saga, but for one inconvenient footnote in my casebook: even after the court ordered them to do so, the state never rebuilt the railroad. As much of a rabbit hole as I knew this would turn into, I knew I needed to discover the answer to this question, and so I asked Professor Bray to supervise a directed reading on this case. As I continued my investigation, I developed two hypotheses as to what was going on in the background of this case: either the state ignored the court order, or the Links and the state arrived at a post-judgment settlement. A research librarian from the State of Montana provided me with a very useful lead to determine which of my hypotheses was right: if a post-judgment settlement happened, the recorder’s office in Jefferson County, where the caverns are located, would likely have a record of it. But there was just one problem. The recorder’s office could not provide assistance in locating that record online for records dating back to before 1980. Since Link was decided in 1979, I would have had to go in person to check. So, of course, I went in person to check. Just last week, I took a trip to Butte to find the evidence I needed to write my paper, and I just so happened to fall in love with the charm of this area of Montana along the way. From the statue of Our Lady of the Rockies, the fourth-tallest statue of anything in the United States situated atop the Continental Divide and overlooking the entire town, to the hospitality of the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder’s Office in providing me with a wide-open space to complete this research and full access to the relevant county deed records — a major shoutout to Ginger Kunz, Stephanie Colletti and the rest of the team at the Clerk and Recorder’s office for this assistance — our Heavenly Father was making his presence clearly known to me throughout the trip. It was the odyssey of getting to the recorder’s office in Boulder, Montana, though, that I will perhaps remember most of all. Boulder and Butte are about 40 minutes apart. This meant that the taxi services in Butte were not willing to transport passengers that long of a way or for that long of a time. In theory, Uber and Lyft were both amenable to me booking a ride-share, but when push came to shove, both services reneged, likely for lack of drivers in the area. And while I thought I had found a bus route that would get me where I needed to be, I misread time zones while booking, and the bus departed two hours before I thought it was going to. I was in a pickle. And then, when I asked the incredible front desk staff at my hotel, the Butte Hampton Inn, for advice, they sprung into action. The assistant manager’s father had given people rides of this sort before. After a quick check to make sure he was available, he graciously provided me with a ride to Boulder to find the information I needed, then back to Butte to catch the first leg of my flight back to South Bend. Judy at the front desk, the assistant manager Elisa and her father Anselmo who gave me a ride have my deepest gratitude, and it is because of them and all the rest of those who aided me on this trip to Butte that I will be able to write the 10,000word research paper that will capstone my directed reading on this wild, convoluted case, bringing another research journey of mine to its close. What lessons can we learn from this adventure of mine? I can think of three. First: if something you’re working on or studying inspires you to go down a rabbit hole, pursue it, for you never know what treasures you will find along the way. Second: taking a trip somewhere you’ve never been in your life for research may be a ridiculously crazy idea, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t follow through; sometimes, you might just fall in love with that new place. And finally, God sometimes puts people in our lives at just the right time to remind us that he and he alone can provide what we need. I hope that in these weeks to come, a rabbit hole comes along and blesses your life with unexpected discoveries in just the way that this case, this trip, and these people in Montana have blessed my own.
Mikey Colgan is a sophomore from Boston, Massachusetts, studying finance and Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS). He is an avid college basketball fan and resides in Morrissey Hall. He can be reached at mcolgan2@nd.edu or @Mikeycolgs15 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Devin Humphreys is a member of the Notre Dame Law School’s class of 2023. Originally from Farwell, Michigan, he is a 2020 graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College. In his free time, he sings with the Notre Dame Folk Choir and discusses the legal developments of the day with anyone who will listen. Inquiries into his surplus of law journal articles and note ideas can be directed to dhumphr2@nd.edu or @DevinJHumphreys on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022| ndsmcobserver.com
By CECELIA SWARTZ Scene Writer
Dearest Reader, The Bridgertons and Lady Whistledown have graced our screens once more for another season of gossip, melodrama and our favorite rom-com tropes. Following a sensational, steamy first season, lauded as a blend between Jane Austen and “The Bachelor,” “Bridgerton” season two high expectations. However, season two did not meet those expectations. Season two took those expectations, threw them out and decided to do something very different. Season two does return us to the sumptuous setting of 1814 London with a familiar cast of characters and questionable historical(ish) costumes. The tone, however, shifts entirely. Instead Daphne and Simone’s sexual tension building up for an entire season as the main point of titillation, we get Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma’s intellectual sparring. The fake-dating trope is replaced by enemies-tolovers and made more complicated by a love triangle. Anthony and Kate cannot stand each other, and we get to watch them eviscerate one another every chance they get. It’s fantastic. Anthony decides Kate’s sister, Edwina, the diamond of the season, will make the perfect viscountess, but he must get through Kate to marry her. Things get complicated. Secrets abound. Instead of “The Bachelor” meets Jane Austen, we get “Taming of the Shrew” meets “Pride and Prejudice.” However,
By ISABELLA VOLMERT Senior News Writer
“Pam & Tommy” should be an award-winning show. Hulu’s limited series retells the well-known story of actress Pamela Anderson (Lily James) and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee (Sebastian Stan), married celebrity sweethearts of the 90s whose stolen sex tape essentially went viral with the help of the early internet. In particular, the series is a feminist reclaiming of Anderson’s story. A young woman turned model overnight, the audience watches through flashbacks as she gained fame in Hollywood and her love story. After the couple’s private honeymoon home video is stolen from their house in 1995, Anderson is attacked with tabloid speculation and ridicule in a way Lee, and the other male characters of the series, cannot understand. Not only is Anderson objectified in the stealing, selling and viewing of the tape, but also elsewhere in her life before the tape was leaked. From film studio offices, to the set of “Baywatch,” to late-night television; Anderson is disrespected by the American public again and again. Even though the tape was stolen property, multiple judges ruled its legal standing as public media and therefore the couple cannot contain its spread. James, as Anderson says at one point, “I don’t have any rights because I have spent my public life in a bathing suit.” James delivers a heartbreaking performance as
I am here for the Shakespearian love triangle paired with the Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy dynamic. With the tonal shift in the new season comes a shifted focal lens. The characters become the center of the story instead of last season’s emphasis on temptation and scandal. I personally found the change gratifying and refreshing. Anthony Bridgeton struggles with the dichotomy between his perceptions of familial duty and his heart. Kate, in a fitting parallel, has a similar struggle, and her poor sister is caught between the two of them. After last season’s reveal of Lady Whistledown’s identity, we also get to watch Penelope Featherington struggle with her growing business as an author under a pen name and its ability to damage her friendships. The characters have more depth this season, and I think it makes for more enjoyable storytelling. For those audience members who loved “Bridgerton” for the sex, scandal and gossip, don’t worry — there is still plenty of that. The Featheringtons cannot stop their scheming. Eloise, who replaces Daphne as the Bridgerton daughter on the marriage mart, can not stand society. Lady Whistledown, again voiced by Julie Andrews, narrates it all with the same whit as last season. Queen Charlotte cannot rest from her quest to unmask Lady Whistledown and plots accordingly. These more sensational elements are just balanced out by good, character-driven storytelling. There were, however, some pacing issues. The whole issue with the Anthony/Kate/Edwina love triangle comes to a head in episode six, which seemed like a
finale. While there is fallout to deal with and loose ends to tie up at that point, there are two more episodes after that in the season. In those two episodes, the show introduced more melodrama and plot points to create enough content for two more hours of television. It seemed excessive, and after watching all eight hours of this show over the course of two days, made it feel like the show dragged on. The story, up until episode six, naturally built on itself with good pacing and handling of the inherent melodrama of this series. Episodes seven and eight felt like awkward conclusions fitted together to maintain the series’s eight-episode format. Despite the pacing issues, it was overall an enjoyable watch. The new main characters and storyline create a softer arc from last season, but drama still abounds. Season two saw “Bridgerton” finding a new balance between scandal, romance and character development that I hope to see continued in future seasons.
she journeys through horror, anger and sickening public humiliation, but persists to show she is more than just how the public and its male gaze views her. The series should be an excellent reflection on the misogynistic viewing of women’s bodies that continues to this day and 90s culture in general. It explores the emergence of the internet and celebrity privacy violation for mass consumption through revenge porn, tabloid pictures, street harassment and cheap comedian jokes. It unpacks how Lee is praised and Pamela is shamed for the tape because of gender roles in bedroom politics. It portrays the grief of miscarriage, the ecstasy of love, the degrading experience of being the only woman in a room full of men and the pressures having highly visible careers. The series makeup and costume designers did a phenomenal job, so much so that Pamela Anderson’s iconic messy hair updo has become a TikTok sensation. Its soundtrack bops and Stan and James outperform themselves. However, for a show with the concept of consent at its very core, it’s missing one fundamental thing: the consent of Pamela Anderson herself. Reportedly, Anderson never approved of “Pam & Tommy’s” creation and felt “violated” by its production. Neither Lee nor Anderson were involved with Hulu’s production, which was rather based largely on a 2014 Rolling Stones article breaking the alleged story of how the tape was stolen from the couple’s private safe.
Multiple outlets have reported that both Anderson and various sources close to her said the series unnecessarily digs up a traumatic time in the actress’s life. Showrunner D.V. DeVincentis said in an EW article, “We particularly wanted to let Pamela Anderson know that this portrayal was very much a positive thing and that we cared a great deal about her and wanted her to know that the show loves her. We didn’t get a response.” As one Atlantic podcast pointed out, the genre of 90s/2000s revisionist stories has become popular recently with movies and shows such as “The Crown,” “I, Tonya” and “Framing Britney Spears.” However, “Pam & Tommy” separates itself from others in the genre because of its consent issues. Without Anderson’s greenlight, “Pam & Tommy” essentially exploits Anderson once again. It uses her deeply traumatic story for media consumption, a concept literally condemned in the show itself. While fantastic in theory, the result is a limited series that is impossible to stomach. Anderson recently announced the creation of a Netflix documentary about her life far beyond the scope of the sex tape fallout. Her son, Brandon Thomas Lee, is a producer and she wrote on social media that the work will depict her life as “Not a victim, but a survivor / And alive to tell the real story.” I look forward to hearing Anderson’s side of the story told by herself.
Contact Cecelia Swartz at cswartz@nd.edu
“Bridgerton” season 2 Starring: Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley Favorite episodes: “Off to the Races,” “The Choice” If you like: “Pride and Prejudice,” “Taming of the Shrew” Where to watch: Netflix
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Contact Isabella Volmert at ivolmert@nd.edu EMMA KIRNER | The Observer | Image sources: HULU, NETFLIX
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
By MARCELLE COUTO Scene Writer
Although recent years have featured a worldwide decline in Oscar audiences, this trend could be overstepped due to sensationalism — or become more pronounced, depending on negative reactions to controversies — thanks to the 2022 ceremony. The 94th academy awards, which took place this past Sunday, will forever be marked in history, whether by the surprising crowning of the long “CODA” as Best Picture of the season, or by the terrifying, and perhaps all too eclipsing, slap given by Will Smith to comedian Chris Rock. The fact remains that the 94th edition of the Oscars has already become unforgettable. While presenting the award in the Best Documentary category, Chris Rock began to make fun of the Oscar audience but overstepped limits in commenting on the appearance of Will Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The joke referenced the movie, “G.I. Jane” (1997), in which actress Demi Moore plays a military woman with shaved hair. Jada Smith had her hair shaved at the Oscars as a result of alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss. Initially, everyone at the ceremony believed the incident was a pre-arranged prank between Rock and Smith. But the seriousness of the matter became evident when curses flew on air, forcing the sound to be
By MEG SLUZAS Scene Writer
Last Saturday morning, when I opened my Instagram and started routinely exploring my feed, I abruptly stopped scrolling. My brain registered “Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dies at 50.” Immediately, I checked Rolling Stone and the Foo Fighters Instagram to confirm that the information I read was not fake news. Both pages had posted tributes to the late drummer. Shock turned to sadness, which led to a reflection on Hawkins and the Foos’ impact on the music world as well as my life. As I tell anyone when I talk about my music taste, the Foo Fighters were my first love. Their seventh studio album, “Wasting Light” was the first album I had on my hot pink iPod Nano. When I got my first locker in 6th grade, I taped a photo of the Foo Fighters on the door. (I was too cheap for magnets.) They were the soundtrack of my childhood, and Taylor Hawkins on the drums was the heartbeat. I remember coming home from volleyball practice one night and my mom called me into the family room. On the TV was the documentary that went along with the Foos’ album “Sonic Highways.” I remember watching all of the band members. Dave Grohl, the band’s brilliant frontman, obviously shone during the program. However, when the camera would cut to Taylor playing
cut off. With an irony of fate, moments after delivering the blow, Will Smith was called to the stage to finally receive his first Oscar. He won Best Actor for the film King Richard. After an emotional speech wherein he apologized to the Academy, Smith joked that he hoped to be invited again next year. The slap was not the only surprise of the night, however. Since its launch, “The Power of the Dog” has led the polls of predictions for receiving the statuette for Best Picture. “CODA,” however, gained strength in recent months and ended up taking the award. The prestigious Oscar previously crowned the work of the big movie studios is now handing awards to tech giants. This year, Apple and Netflix had films vying for the main category of the night. Despite Apple’s support, the film had a low budget and was praised for its depiction of a deaf family with a cast of deaf actors. Apple became the first streaming service to win the prestigious Best Picture award, which Netflix had been chasing for years. This was not the only feat of the CODA production team. Actor Troy Kotsur, who plays Frank Rossi, father of protagonist Ruby, made history by being the first deaf actor to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Now, Kotsur shares the feat with co-star Marlee Martin, who was the first deaf actress to win an Oscar for “Children of a Lesser God” in 1987. In his speech, Kotsur dedicated the Oscar to the deaf and disabled communities, highlighting
the fact that this was their moment. It is worth mentioning, however, that some productions confirmed speculations and took the statuette home, as is the case with “Encanto,” which won Best Animated Feature, and “Dune,” which received numerous technical awards. New Zealander Jane Campion, was crowned Best Director for “The Power of the Dog,” and became the third woman in the 94 years of Oscar nominations to win the best director award. She had already been nominated in this category in 1993 for the film “The Piano,” but on that occasion, the award went to Steven Spielberg for “Schindler’s List”. This year’s Oscars ceremony also minimized airtime for categories that don’t increase viewership. Although these awards were presented in a shortened ceremony, the categories are intended to provide visibility for otherwise uncredited work. It seems like an unjustified and counter-intuitive adjustment. There were, however, many elegant and positive aspects of the ceremony, such as mini reunions that celebrated anniversaries of classic films and excellent performances. Billie Eilish and Fineas’ “No Time to Die” surpassed Lin-Manuel Miranda for Best Original song, but all songs were notable for praise, including Reba McEntire’s rendition of “Somehow You Do.”
on his drums, he would always be wearing the biggest smile. Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters as a drummer with big shoes to fill. Dave Grohl, before forming the Foo Fighters, played drums for Nirvana, one of the most iconic bands of the 1990s. Hawkins had his own unique style and rapport with Grohl before he joined the Foo Fighters. During his time drumming for Alanis Morissette, he and Grohl were often backstage at the same concerts and festivals. It was at these festivals that their relationship began, and the two became, as Grohl puts it, “a musical twin flame.” Hawkins helped shape the Foo Fighters into a band that would produce countless albums and perform in front of huge crowds, most famously at Wembley Stadium. In addition to his work with the Foo Fighters, Hawkins worked on some of his own projects. Most recently, he worked with Chaney and Matt Navarro in their pandemic jam group, NHC. Grohl attributes much of the Foo Fighters’s success to Hawkins, and it is easy to see why. His joy and passion for music was infectious to everyone that surrounded him. Last summer, nearly 12 years after I first listened to “Wasting Light,” I finally made a pilgrimage (yes, it was a religious experience) to see the Foo Fighters live at Lollapalooza. In a euphoric state of being star-struck and stimulated by the music, I watched as the Foos
cranked out their set. True to every photo and video I had seen through the years, Hawkins drummed furiously with his trademark smile radiating to where I stood in the crowd. The energy that flooded Grant Park that night was nothing short of immaculate. Classic songs and new material came together to form a collage of their music, moments of my life and theirs intertwined. Later in the concert Hawkins left the drums, took the mic and belted out “Somebody to Love” by Queen. Drummers, usually the unsung heroes of bands, do not get too much spotlight. However, when Hawkins took the mic he threw his body into the song with the comfort of a full time lead singer. It was a joy to watch, and a testament to Hawkins’ devotion and mastery of music. At the concert before his passing, Lollapalooza Brazil, Hawkins sang “Somebody to Love” again. Reflecting upon this, it was fitting that he sang that song, since he gave all the love he had to his music, his bands, his family and his fans. Hawkins’ loss will be felt throughout the music industry and impact the future of the Foo Fighters. The legacy he leaves behind as the smiling, high-energy drummer is inspiration for all those who aim to dedicate themselves wholly to their passion.
Contact Marcelle Couto at mcouto@nd.edu
Contact Meg Sluzas at msluzas@nd.edu
MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer | Image sources: PNGIMG.com, BLUZZ.ORG, LOS ANELES DAILY NEWS
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Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Take the high road. Pursue your goals with strength, courage and intelligence. How you handle others and the team you put together will pay off. Aim for personal and financial stability, and put your mind at rest, knowing you have done the best you can. Physical and emotional improvements are favored. Your numbers are 4, 12, 22, 24, 33, 38, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take stock of what you’ve done and what’s left to do. An energetic approach and reaching out to those who complement your skills and share your mindset will encourage success. Maintain a healthy fitness routine. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Control your emotions when working alongside others. Making a change without consulting others will cause havoc. Use your power of persuasion to get others to do things your way. Protect against injury or insult by following proper protocol. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stick to instructions when you barrel ahead with passion and conviction. Be wise to anyone who tries to lure you down a slippery slope. Temptation is the enemy, and intelligence and practicality are the ways to success. Romance and dedication will lead to happiness. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Keep your thoughts to yourself, and do your own thing. Diversity will show your depth and keep others wondering what you’ll do next. A modern approach will capture the moment and put you in the spotlight. It’s what you do that counts. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): A change based on emotions will turn out to be costly. Think matters through before you act. Run your ideas by someone you love and trust, and together you’ll come up with a plan that will help you get what you want. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get into the groove and make your move. You have plenty going for you, so don’t let anyone stand in your way. Be a leader, look at the big picture and decide how long it will take to reach your goal. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Participate in events that give you the platform you need to show everyone who you are and what you have to offer. Share your thoughts and intentions with someone who can complement your plans. Look for equality in partnerships. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Refuse to let anyone goad you into an argument. Gravitate toward people who encourage you to use your skills uniquely and live life your way. Make happiness your long-term goal, and you’ll find a way to make a difference. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Listen carefully, but don’t get into a debate with someone looking for a fight. Focus on professional gains and taking care of your responsibilities at home. Don’t feel obligated to take on someone’s problems. Discipline and self-improvement are encouraged. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Play your cards close to your chest. Work behind the scenes putting together a foolproof plan that will tip the scale in your favor. Precision and detail, along with timing, will ensure that you gain momentum and reach the success you desire. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Set your sights on accomplishment. Wasting time on something that doesn’t fit your lifestyle, budget or skill set will leave you in a vulnerable position. Don’t be a follower; you will gain the most if you do what you do best. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pay attention, and let your imagination churn out unique ways to improve your life. You are overdue for a change that will make you feel content and give you peace of mind. Follow a path that brings you joy.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports Authority
Coolican: The sports world has failed Brittany Griner Liam Coolican Associate Sports Editor
Brittany Griner’s detention in Russia should be the biggest story in the sports world right now. If you haven’t heard about it — which wouldn’t be all that surprising, considering how sparsely it has been covered — the WNBA star was arrested last month after Russian customs officials found vape cartridges containing CBD oil in her luggage. The information wasn’t made public until more than two weeks after her arrest. She now faces up to 10 years in prison. Since the initial coverage, the sports world has been largely silent on the issue. Former WNBA star Lisa Leslie said recently that WNBA players were told “not to make a big fuss” about the issue, so Russian authorities couldn’t use Griner as a “pawn” amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Even the US State Department and Griner’s attorneys have been largely silent on the issue. The situation is obviously much more complicated in light of the atrocities in Ukraine, but it truly is dire for Griner. For one, we have no evidence of the veracity of the charges she faces. Russia isn’t exactly the gold standard for honesty and transparency. Even if we take the charges at face value, they make little sense. Griner was stopped for cartridges containing hashish oil, but she is being charged with “large scale transportation of drugs.” She is being charged with a crime that, in all likelihood, she did not commit. Secondly, Griner has remained in jail for over a month now and won’t get a trial until May 19 at the earliest. Even when she gets to that point, there is little chance she faces a fair trial, especially since diplomatic relations between the US and Russia have deteriorated so much over the past several weeks. If convicted, Griner could face up to 10 years in prison, with 5 of them potentially being spent at a labor camp. Take a moment and imagine if LeBron James or Tom Brady were detained under similar circumstances. It would be
headline news until they were released. Advocacy groups, international human rights organizations, and every other type of body imaginable would work tirelessly to secure their return. Griner’s situation only captured public attention for a few news cycles, and then everyone’s focus returned to March Madness and the NFL offseason. My first thought was that this was because she is a black, queer woman convicted on a supposed drug charge. However, that doesn’t quite add up. Take, for instance, the case of Sha’Carri Richardson, the sprinter who was suspended from the Olympics last summer after testing positive for marijuana. Athletes from Patrick Mahomes to Megan Rapinoe took to social media to defend Richardson. Since Griner’s arrest, it has been crickets from most of these same athletes. Perhaps they have remained silent because it is so far from home. Some may consider it insensitive to the innocent civilians who have been killed in Ukraine when Griner is relatively safe. They may truly believe, as Leslie said, that remaining silent and letting the experts do their job is the best way to secure Griner’s release, especially as diplomatic relations remain so tense. Whatever the reason for their silence, it’s clear that it has not been working so far. This strategy may have been in the best interest of Griner a few weeks ago, but as she is potentially facing years in a Russian labor camp for a crime she didn’t commit, it’s hard to see how things could get much worse. The sports community has a lot of power to sway public opinion and raise awareness. They have always banded together on social justice issues in the past, from Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ protest at the 1968 Olympics to the Black Lives Matter movement in recent years. This time, though, the sports world is failing one of its own when she needs them most, and it’s absolutely inexcusable. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Moller: 2022 Major League Baseball Predictions Nate Moller Sports Writer
With the Major League Baseball season kicking off in just over a week, it’s time to make some preseason playoff and World Series picks. With the newly expanded playoffs, there w ill now be three Wild Card teams, which should be exciting. I’ll give my playoff teams and then my playoff predictions.
American League 1. Chicago W hite Sox (AL Central Champs): The W hite Sox have high expectations this season, and the sk y should be the limit. The AL Central is weak, and the W hite Sox should w in the div ision comfortably. No other team in the div ision has anything close to the pitching staff that the W hite Sox possess in Lucas Giolito, Lance Ly nn, Dylan Cease, Dallas Keuchel and Michael Kopech. They have plent y of firepower behind the plate in Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez as well. 2. Toronto Blue Jays (AL East Champs): The Blue Jays are poised to finally w in the AL East for the first time since 2015. They have a ver y solid rotation in Jose Berrios, Kev in Gausman, Hy un-Jin Ry u, A lek Manoah and Yusei Kikuchi. Behind the plate they w ill have George Springer, Bo Bichette, V ladimir Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez, which should be enough firepower to lead the Jays to a div ision title. 3. Houston Astros (AL West Champs): Losing Carlos Correa w ill hurt, but the Astros return the majorit y of their lineup from last year, as they w ill still have Jose A ltuve, A lex Bregman, Michael Brantley and Yordan A lvarez. The Astros should be able to w in yet another AL West title w ith the firepower they have from behind the plate. 4. New York Yankees ( Wild Card #1): The Yankees have been in the playoffs nearly ever y year in recent memor y, but they surprisingly only have one AL East title since 2013. They have a great lineup once again, yet some
questionable offseason moves w ill relegate them to a w ild card yet again. 5. Tampa Bay Rays ( Wild Card #2): The Rays never seem to have a ton of stars, but they are a fundamentally sound baseball team that simply knows how to w in. The Rays have dominated the East the last t wo seasons and there is no reason to believe they won’t find success again this year. 6. Minnesota Tw ins (Wild Card #3): The Tw ins would have been nowhere near the playoffs just a couple of weeks ago, but after a series of impressive offseason moves gave the Tw ins Carlos Correa, Gio Urshela and Sonny Gray, the Tw ins should be right in the thick of the playoff conversation. Correa and Urshela w ill be inserted into a lineup that has By ron Bu xton, Jorge Polanco and Luis Arraez, and I expect this team to score a lot of runs. The starting pitching and bullpen is a huge concern, though, and it w ill prevent the Tw ins from being a serious contender.
National League 1. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West Champs): Believe it or not, the Dodgers managed to improve their lineup in the offseason, adding Freddie Freeman to a lineup that already had Mookie Betts, Ma x Muncy, Trea Turner and Justin Turner among others. Walker Buehler and Clay ton Kershaw are one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball as well. On paper, the Dodgers are definitely the best team in baseball this season, so now they w ill just have to prove it on the field. 2. Atlanta Braves (NL East Champs): The defending champs have Matt Olson instead of Freddie Freeman, but the rest of the team remains largely unchanged. Getting Ronald Acuña Jr. back in May w ill certainly help as well as the Braves look to defend their title. Like the Dodgers, the Braves have one of the best rosters on paper, but it remains to be seen if the Braves have the same t y pe of magic they had in last year’s World Series run. 3. Milwaukee Brewers
(NL Central Champs): The Brew Crew is poised to defend their NL Central title behind a starting rotation led by Corbin Burnes. The Brewers should have one of the best bullpens in baseball this year too, and if their hitting can come together, they could be one of the favorites to w in the World Series. 4. New York Mets (Wild Card #1): Hav ing Jacob deGrom and Ma x Scherzer as a 1-2 punch w ill w in you a lot of games, and the Mets should w in a lot of games in 2022. This team has underperformed for a long time, though, but the Mets should 100% be a playoff team in 2022. I don’t believe they have quite the offensive firepower to beat the Braves in the div ision, but they should make the div ision race interesting at the ver y least. 5. San Francisco Giants: The Giants had a surprisingly successful 2021 season come to an end at the hands of the Dodgers in the NLDS, and they w ill look to avenge that loss this year. They added Carlos Rodon to their starting rotation in the offseason, which should help. I see the Giants as a playoff team, but I do see them regressing significantly from the 107 w ins they had last year. 6. St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals finally gelled at the end of last season, going 22-7 in the month of September to claim a Wild Card spot. That should be a good sign for the Cardinals this year as they look to make the playoffs again and keep pace w ith the Brewers in the central. With a lineup constant of Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Tommy Edman and Tyler O’Neill, the Cards should be a legitimate contender in 2022.
Playoff Predictions First Round (Best of three series) (3) Houston Astros over (6) Minnesota Twins (two games) (4) New York Yankees over (5) Tampa Bay Rays (three games) (6) St. Louis Cardinals over (3) Milwaukee Brewers see MOLLER PAGE 13
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ND Women’s Tennis
Notre Dame women’s tennis heads into Sunday Scaries vs. Virginia in below-freezing temperatures By JACK SIRIANNI Sports Writer
After a strong show ing in a 5-2 defeat of Virginia Tech on Friday, March 25th, the Notre Dame Women’s Tennis team looked to stay luck y at home this Sunday against U VA. Back when the Irish faced Virginia Tech, junior Page Freeman, sophomore Julia Andreach, freshman Nibedita Ghosh, and freshman Maria Oliv ia Castedo picked up singles w ins. The duo of Castedo and Freeman won in the doubles matches, as well as the duo of Andreach and sophomore Meghan Coleman. In a conference as densely packed
w ith strong women’s tennis teams as the ACC, racking up w ins like this against Virginia Tech can make a huge difference later in the season. The Irish shined outdoors in the irregular Northern Indiana sunshine on Friday, but on Sunday against Virginia there were below freezing temperatures at the Eck Tennis Pav ilion. The action began Sunday w ith the doubles matches in what Head Women’s Tennis Coach A lison Silverio called “a ver y hard fought battle.” She gave a special shout out to the freshman duo of Carrie Beckman and Ghosh for “fighting and digging in”
in order to give their teammates a chance to put score the doubles point. W hile the Irish were not able to capitalize on this opportunit y, Coach Silverio stressed the significance of the grow th in this young core of players on a squad w ith only one senior and one junior on the roster. After the doubles matches rounded up, the singles matches began on all six of the courts in Eck Pav ilion. In the results of the indiv idual matches, the Irish gave a strong effort across the board, but only one of the six matches was pushed past t wo sets. That exception was the only v ictor y granted
SMC Tennis
The Saint Mary’s tennis team won 7-2 against the Anderson Ravens on Thursday before traveling to Calvin Knights where the Belles lost 2-7. The Belles swept doubles with senior Meredith Heckert and junior Kalyn Borger opening the competition by winning their match 6-2 at second doubles. For first doubles, freshman Alayna Campbell and junior Lucy Chamberlin prevailed over their opponents 6-1, while junior Kathleen McLeod and senior Nikki Rust also defeated the Ravens 6-2. W hile the Belles’ singles did not do as well as their doubles, they still crushed the competition. Starting off for the Belles, Campbell only lost one game, winning in straight sets with a final of 6-1, 6-0. This was followed by two other victories from the Belles, the first by Chamberlin (6-2, 6-0) in first singles and the next by Heckert at three singles.
Moller Continued from page 12
San Francisco Giants (three games) Second Round (Best of five series) (4) New York Yankees over (1) Chicago W hite Sox (five games) (2) Toronto Blue Jays over (3) Houston Astros (four games) (1) Los Angeles Dodgers over (4) New York Mets (five games)
asked to define the team, the word off of both of their lips was a single five letter word: “fight”. If nothing else, in their match this Sunday against Virginia, the Notre Dame Women’s Tennis Team’s commitment to their single word mantra was highlighted in their efforts on the courts. As they tr y to bounce back into ACC play, this team w ill need to truly draw on their abilit y to “fight.” The Irish pick up in only a few days on Wednesday and travel to Boston to take on Boston College. Contact Jack Sirianni at jsirian2@nd.edu
HCC Men’s and Women’s Tennis
Belles post split weekend Observer Sports Staff
and subsequent point scored for Notre Dame on Sunday. This w inning match came from the racquet of Coleman as she defeated Sara Ziodato of Virginia in the third set after suffering a shutout in the first set. After the rut of a scoreless first set, Coleman was able to find her way out through a talk w ith Coach Silverio. Additionally, the energ y from “screaming after ever y single point” motivated her and her teammates. Coleman said that in maintaining this high energ y, the team, “ tr[ies] to make it as fun as possible.” In talking w ith Coleman and Coach Silverio, when
Heckert won the first set (63) before she lost the second (1-6) and came back in the tie breaker (10-7). The final singles’ w in for the Belles came from Rust who won her matches 6-1 and 7-5. Katie Hunter and McLeod lost 8-4, 8-5 respectively. This led to the Belles taking home their third w in of the season 7-2. A lthough the Belles had hoped to bring this momentum into their match against the Calv in Knights, they were not successful. The Belles lost all three doubles matches, albeit by close games, and only one two singles matches. The Knights were the Belles first conference match of the year, and it definitely stings to lose by that much. Heckert and Borger opened up for the Belles, losing 8-6. This was followed by the pair of Rust and McLeod, who lost 8-6 in the third doubles spot. W hile Chamberlin and Campbell were able to keep up w ith their opponents, they eventually lost 8-7 (8-6).
Saint Mar ys found slightly more success w ith singles, but were unable to take the overall lead. To start off the singles, Chamberlain lost 6-3, 6-0 to Emily Schellenboom at first singles before Heckert lost 6-2, 6-4 to her opponent Maggie Shoemaker at third singles. Fourth singles played next, and McLeod took home the first Belles w in of the day after a second-set tiebreaker w ith a score of 6-2, 7-6 (7-5). However, this w in was not enough to keep the Belles momentum as Borger lost 6-4, 6-0 at fifth. Campbell would then take the second and only w in home for the Belles at t wo singles w ith a score of 7-5, 4-6, 11-9. To finish off the day, Rust lost 6-4, 6-0 at the sixth singles spot, securing a Knight w in of 7-2. The Belles look to move past their loss against Calv in as they travel to Olivet on Wednesday at 4 p.m. This w ill be the second in-conference match for Saint Mar y’s this season.
(2) Atlanta Braves over (6) St. Louis Cardinals (three games)
Picking the Blue Jays is a bold pick, but I really think this team has one of the best overall lineups and starting rotations in all of baseball. Yes, the Dodgers will be the favorites, but I think they will choke again, giving the Blue Jays their first World Series title since 1993.
Championship Series (Best of seven series) (2) Toronto Blue Jays over (4) New York Yankees (seven games) (1) Los Angeles Dodgers over (2) Atlanta Braves (five games) World Series Toronto Blue Jays over Los Angeles Dodgers (seven games)
Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Saints sweep Judson in weekend showing Women enjoy drama-free victory
Observer Sports Staff
Both Holy Cross men’s and women’s tennis were in action this weekend. Both squads faced off against Judson in a strong weekend for the Saints. The men took down Judson 4-1, while the women swept away the Eagles, 4-0.
Freshman squad
spark
men’s
The Saints got off to a tight start. Despite winning comfortably on court No. 1, the Saints dropped their doubles set on the third court. That brought it down to a competitive No. 2 doubles match. However, the freshmen duo of Karel Blom and Ciaran McCarthy came in clutch. They brought home a victory by a 7-5 decision to seal the doubles point for Holy Cross. McCarthy and Blom both contributed in singles as well. McCarthy took down the No. 6 singles with ease, by a final score of 6-1, 6-2. Blom sealed the victory with a three-set victory, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2. Between McCarthy and Blom’s victories, their classmate Perry Gregg dominated at the top court. He dropped just four games in a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Holy Cross dropped just one match in the contest, losing at No. 2 singles. Blom’s win ended the clash, leaving Courts No. 4 and 5 unfinished. This match represented Holy Cross’s conference opener, and they improved to 6-9. It’s a solid opening win for them, as Judson entered 1-0 in CCAC play and fell to just 10-6 overall.
While the men’s team had some semblance of drama, with a few tight matches left unfinished and a hotly-contested doubles point, the women experienced a clean sweep of the Eagles. Starting at doubles, the Saints started things off authoritatively. At the top court, sophomores Helga Lopez and Anna Beer didn’t drop a game en route to a 6-0 victory. Courts two and three both ended at nearly the same time, with Holy Cross claiming a 6-4 victory on both courts. The sweep of the doubles gave the Saints an early 1-0 lead in the match. Singles presented few issues for the Holy Cross women. Beer dominated her contest at No. 3 singles, winning 6-4, 6-0. She was one of four Saints’ singles players to take a set without dropping a game. Junior Clara Ruediger added her name to the list with a 6-3, 6-0 list at the fifth court. The early wins boosted the Saints’ lead to 3-0, putting them on the precipice of victory.Freshman Bente Burgerdijk notched the other victory. She won 6-4, 4-0 in a match in which her opponent retired early. At the time of the victory, Holy Cross led at court No. 6 and was headed to the third set at courts one and four. Record-wise, it was another upset for the Saints. They improved to 5-12 and beat Judson (7-4). Both the men and the women next compete at the Indiana Wesleyan University Tournament, starting on Thursday, March 31.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
Bouts Continued from page 16
continue to land hit after hit on his opponent before the bell rang. The second round would open up with some attempted hits from Hoekstra, but Mattheos would dodge, and then proceed to land a few. Again, Hoekstra would corner Mattheos to end the round. The third round opened up with a lot of energy from Mattheos. However, Hoekstra would respond even harder as he would nail multiple in a row pushing Mattheos into the ropes. While Mattheos was encouraged from his very loud fan base, it was not enough to push him over the edge. By unanimous decision, Hoekstra would be named winner.
Aidan “Ace” Becklund Nolan “Lightning” Lyon
vs.
Lyon would open up the bout with multiple jabs, but it was Becklund who would land the first major hit. The two would go back and forth fairly equally throughout the remainder of the round. Lyon would knock Becklund back, but then Becklund would hit back hard. The second round opened up again with Lyon, but Becklund would be quick to hit back. For the entirety of the round, the two fighters would stay off the ropes and in the middle of the ring. With a few seconds left in the round, Becklund would land multiple hits. Lyon would open with a lot of quick punches, pushing his opponent into the ropes. However, Becklund would eventually dodge out of them and land multiple harder hits on Lyon. Using the last of their energy, Becklund would throw multiple punches, and Lyon would respond. By the end of the round, by split decision, Becklund was named winner.
Jack “The Hammer” Murphy vs. Terrance “Slinker” Cameron The eighth match of the night would begin with Cameron landing multiple quick ones. While Murphy would stay low, Cameron would continue to nail his opponent. Murphy would then push Cameron into the ropes, but Cameron would fight his way out of it, almost knocking Murphy back to the opposite ropes. By the end of the round, Murphy would be barraging Cameron with hits. Murphy would land more hits this round, but Cameron would still respond with many quick ones. Cameron would continue to dodge the hits before landing some quick ones. It was obvious he was tired from the energetic bout. Eventually, Murphy would send Cameron to the ropes for the end of the round. Cameron would land multiple hits, and slam one into Murphey’s face. With only ten seconds left, the audience would get loud and Cameron would land multiple times before the bell. By unanimous decision, Cameron won.
Charles “Chip” Martin vs. Alex “Baller” Flor Flor would open with multiple swings, but Martin was able to
dodge them. Both opponents would land an equal amount of punches this round. While Flor would attempt to push Martin to the ropes, Martin would respond hard and would push him back for the end of the first round. Martin would attempt to corner Flo, but Flo would not allow this and would slam Martin back. Again, Martin would send Flo to the ropes, but Flo would fight his way out of it. Flo would land a hit on Martin’s head to end the second round. The third round would open with a hard hit from Flo. However, with his fans cheering him on Martin would have a burst of energy and push against his opponent, nailing multiple big hits in a row. Flo would retaliate by nailing multiple hits in his opponent’s head. By the end of the round, the boxer’s fans were cheering so loud that neither the referee nor the fighters could hear the bell. By split decision, Flor was crowned the winner.
Rob “The Voodoo Ranger” Rucki vs. Marcello “No Nickname” Nanni Rucki would step out first, but Nanni would send him into the corner. While Rucki would have multiple punches, Nanni would respond by sending Rucki into the ropes. The second round would see Nanni opening up with multiple hits to Rucki, and while Rucki would respond briefly, Nanni would bombard his opponent with punches. For the third round, both boxers would come out energetically. Nanni would slam multiple hits on Rucki, but Rucki would respond with full force. At one point, Rucki pushed Nanni into the corner. However, Nanni would nail a crucial punch, sending Rucki into the corner for the bell. By unanimous decision, Nanni won the match.
Nicholas “Nick” Buhay vs. Josh “Barstool Athlete” Williams Williams would open up the fight, landing multiple heavy hits against Buhay. After a short break, Buhay would swing a few before Williams would respond heavily. Buhay would send Williams to the ropes, but after a quick break Williams would respond with multiple heavy hits to the head. With only ten seconds left in the round, Buhay would have a burst of energy and would slam his opponent multiple times. The second round would be an energetic one. Despite the hard contest, neither boxers showed signs of fatigue. Williams would attempt to hit Buhay, but Buhay would dodge. Eventually, Williams would be able to nail his opponent in the head before both would take turns nailing the other. Buhay would slam multiple hits to open the match, but Willliams would respond appropriately. Williams would land a hit, sending Buhay back a few steps. Williams would win by split decision.
of his own and dodging some of Slahor’s swings. Towards the end of the round, Slahor landed a big blow to the head after Maloney tried to evade a punch. 5he momentum was definitely in Slahor’s favor at the end of the first round. In the second round, Maloney came out looking better, firing some body blows against Slahor. Slahor ended the second round on a strong note, though, landing some strong blows against Maloney. In the third round, Slahor came out on a mission, landing some forceful punches out of the gates. He would be tripped up moments later, but the punch could not be counted by the judges. Towards the end of the round, Maloney looked visibly fatigued and Slahor would ultimately be named the winner by unanimous decision.
“The Real Big” Mike Guyette vs. Griffin “Premium” Hawthorne Both fighters came out of the gate strong, throwing strong punches against each other. Guyette landed a few punches, but Hawthorne successfully landed a strong punch on Guyette’s torso. At the end of the first round, it was evident that this was shaping up to be a highly contested fight. To start the second round, Guyette came out on the offensive, but Hawthorne did a good job of slipping Guyette’s jabs and landing some hard punches of his own. Guyette then pinned Hawthorne up on the ropes and threw some strong 1-2 punches to end the second round on a strong note. Guyette came out of the gate strong in the third round, flying across the ring to land some big hits on Hawthorne. Guyette landed some more jabs at the end, but both boxers looked physically exhausted towards the end, failing to land any meaningful punches. In the end, Guyette was named the winner by unanimous decision.
Evan “Milk” Molka vs. Will “Vlad” Covington
Luke “Mantequilla” Slahor vs. Dean “Sug(ar)” Maloney
Both boxers came out of the gate hesitant to throw any huge punches, and both boxers exchanged some small jabs early on. As the round went on, Molka landed a couple of hard blows to the body, but it was unclear which boxer would win the fight at this point. In the second round, both boxers came out looking to go on the offensive and Covington threw some strong jabs against Molka. Molka recovered well, though, and delivered some hard blows to Covington’s body. At the end of the round, both boxers started looking more fatigued and failed to land any meaningful blows. In the final round, it was Covington who looked the better fighter early on landing some 1-2 punches on Molka. Molka fought back again, though, throwing some strong blows against Covington. Covington ended the fight on a strong note, throwing Molka against the ropes, but Molka did more throughout the fight and ultimately ended up winning by split decision.
Slahor came out swinging, landing some quick punches in the first round. Maloney hung in there, though, throwing some punches
Patrick “The Hash-Slinging Slash” Roche vs. Luke “Big Chunky” Sheridan-Rabideau
Both boxers came out on a mission, landing strings of punches against each other. Sheridan-Rabideau got Roche pinned up on the ropes later on in the round and landed some strong blows to the face, causing Roche to bleed and cause a timeout. Out of the timeout, Roche flew across the ring and landed body blow after body blow on Sheridan-Rabideau to end the round. SheridanRabideau came out of the gates in the second round strong again, landing more blows to the face on Roche, prompting another timeout. Sheridan-Rabideau came out of the timeout and flew across the ring to land more punishing blows to Roche, which prompted the fight to end early. In the end, Sheridan-Rabideau was the clear better fighter, and he was named the winner by referee’s no contest.
Niko “Hi I’m Niko” Tarasenko vs. Andrew “Cowboy” Foote Tarasenko came out on the offensive, landing some early blows on Foote. Tarasenko continued to land blow after blow on Foote early, looking like the better fighter out of the gate. Foote was able to settle in, though, towards the end of the round. He slipped some of Tarasenko’s punches and land some blows of his own. In the second round, Foote continued to look better and landed some more punches on Tarasenko. Foote forced Tarasenko on the ropes, and Tarasenko began to look physically fatigued towards the end of the second round. Foote clearly dominated the second round, and it felt like all the momentum had shifted in his direction. In the final round, Tarasenko looked more alive and landed some punches on Foote early. Foote fought back, though, and forced Tarasenko into the corner where he landed some more punishing blows to Tarasenko’s body. Foote ended the round on a strong note, landing one more convincing punch against Tarasenko. The late burst by Foote was enough to give him the victory by split decision.
Max “Putin’s Ukrainian Nightmare” Chuma vs. Thomas “Clipz” Hintz Both fighters came out cautiously, only throwing small jabs against each other. Chuma looked determined to dictate the fight, but Hintz successfully evaded most of Chuma’s hard blows throughout the first round. At the end of the opening round, it was unclear who was going to win the fight. In the second round, Chuma landed some big punches against Hintz early, but Hintz unleashed himself a bit as well and landed some strong blows of his own. In the middle of the round, Hintz landed the biggest punch of the fight so far, delivering a strong blow to Chuma’s head. After landing the blow, Hintz closed the round out strong, and it felt like Hintz had grabbed control of the fight. In the final round, Chuma came out determined to fight back, but Hintz did a great job evading Chuma’s punches and landing some more big blows. Hintz’s endurance showed as the round went on as well, as he
delivered more vicious blows to a tired Chuma. Hintz was rewarded for ending the fight on a strong note, winning the fight by split decision.
Andrew “Red Scare” Cassidy vs. Rogba “The Bug” Ayoola Ayoola came out of the gates strong, landing some early jabs on Cassidy. Both fighters settled in, though, and the pace of the fight slowed down significantly. Cassidy landed some strong body blows against Ayoola, but Ayoola fought back and ended the round by landing some hard body blows on Cassidy. Early in the second round, both boxers exchanged blows, and it was evident that the fight was shaping up to be a good one. Cassidy landed some jabs, but Ayoola ended the round strong, pinning Cassidy up against the ropes. Cassidy came out in the third round strong, landing some body blows on Ayoola. Ayoola held strong, though, and landed some punches on Cassidy as well, making the winner of the fight very unclear. In the end, Ayoola landed a few more blows, and was named winner by split decision.
Joe “Big Brother, Big Sisters” Hunt vs. Grayson “Dozer” Zinn Both boxers started the fight fast, throwing blow after blow. Hunt landed some punishing blows early on Zinn’s head. Hunt had a strong fan base supporting him, and it was evident he was using the crowd to his motivation. Hunt then forced Zinn into the corner and landed more strong blows to end a dominating first round. In the second round, Hunt continued to punish Zinn, throwing blow after blow to Zinn’s head. Hunt did connect on awesome blows, but Hunt had too much firepower for Zinn to handle. In the end, Hunt was awarded the victory by referee’s no contest.
Nick “Jolly Mean Giant” Crnkovich vs. Chris “The Dane” Hovard Both fighters exchanged blows over the first thirty seconds of the fight, and it was evident that the fight was going to be a good one. As both boxers settled in, the fight slowed down significantly, but Hovard landed a punishing head blow to Crnkovich near the end of the round. Crnkovich tried to dictate the pace of the fight early in the second round, but Hovard landed some more head blows on Crnkovich. As the round went on, both fighters started to show fatigue, but Hovard ended the round on a strong note by pinning Crnkovich in the corner. Crnkovich showed some life early in the third round, landing some jabs, but Hovard fought back and landed some punishing blows on Crnkovich. This forced the referee to give the victory to Hovard by referee’s no contest. The final round of the Bengal Bouts tournament will take place Friday at the Joyce Center. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu and Olivia Schatz at
sports
Baseball Continued from page 16
one out. A walk and double steal put a pair of runners in scoring position. Prajzner started his big day at the plate w ith a single to score one run. Williams followed it up by ripping a double that tipped off the third baseman’s glove for a 3-0 Irish lead. A groundout and passed ball scored two more runs, and Notre Dame led 5-0 after t wo innings. “It’s not easy to come out and take command of a game like that,” Irish head coach Link Jarrett noted. “But they did that. They came out, played well, ran the bases well.” The Irish stole seven bases on the day, improv ing to 30 steals in 37 attempts this season. The Irish offense calmed dow n from there, scoring just once more until the sixth inning. That run came in the fourth, as Prajzner singled, advanced to second on a fielding error in right field and then scored on t wo w ild pitches. However, up 6-2, the Irish did turn this non-conference clash into a laugher in the sixth. The Irish inf licted death by paper cut on the Huskies, chipping away en route to a five-run inning. Four consecutive singles opened the frame. Coupled w ith three stolen bases, including t wo from Cole, and another error, the Irish scored tw ice. Catcher’s interference loaded the bases, and a hit batter brought home a third Irish run. A groundout and sacrifice f ly brought home two more for the 11-2 lead at the end of the inning.
Pitching bounces back It’s been rough sledding on the mound for Notre Dame, particularly in their bullpen efforts. Their most recent loss saw a six-run implosion in the ninth inning cost them an ACC v ictor y. As is the normal midweek setup, the Irish rolled w ith a bullpen day against Northern Illinois. W hile the qualit y of the competition was lower, the Irish arms looked sharper. “The pitching was clearly the most important part of what we were tr y ing to do today.” Simon started the day on the mound and delivered two perfect frames, striking out three. He retired a pair in the third, but he did surrender a run. An infield single, walk and passed ball paved
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | The Observer
the way for a run-scoring ground out. “We’ve seen Liam do things in training that are truly exceptional, but we haven’t found the right role for him,” Jarrett said. “So we thought, ‘let’s just get out there and start him.’” It turned into a solid effort for Simon, who has given up just two hits this season. Freshman Roman Kimball entered and notched a strikeout, but a passed ball scored a second run, cutting the lead to three runs. From there, Kimball electrified w ith his stuff, posting the best performance of his collegiate career. He struck out four in 2.1 innings, giv ing up just a bloop single to start off the sixth inning, earning the w in. “Efficient and in control,” Jarrett said of Kimball. “He’s got this climbing fastball. The extension, the angle that he releases the ball, it appears that it’s climbing through the strike zone and he gets some weird sw ings. A nd he’s got a cur veball that plays off the fastball. The profile of those t wo pitches, when they’re on, it’s good. And you saw it tonight.” Kimball’s classmate, left y Jack Findlay, kept Kimball’s line scoreless by getting out of the inning. Findlay then struck out a pair in the seventh and another to start the eighth before ex iting. Another freshman, Radek Birk holz, closed out the inning for the Irish. Sophomore Jackson Dennies struck out the side in the ninth to seal the v ictor y.
Dealing with the adversity Frank ly, Notre Dame hasn’t dealt w ith this kind of adversit y in a while. Prior to the fourgame skid, Notre Dame had never lost consecutive games underneath Jarrett. Once ranked No. 1, the Irish fell to No. 13 w ith four straight conference losses. “These guys show up to play the game, and that’s what I love about
them the most. They work so hard in all phases of their career,” Jarrett said. “You know they’re going to be engaged. We had to go practice [indoors] all weekend. To come out at 10 AM on Sunday, and see the guys practice the way they did…I continue to mar vel at their determination to be good at this. It doesn’t mean you’re going to play f lawless baseball, but the intent is Paid Advertisement
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spectacular.” Jarrett lauded the intensit y and leadership present in those weekend practices, and he prepares to lead the Irish back on the road this weekend. Notre Dame plays Florida State this weekend on the road, looking to improve on their 2-4 ACC record. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28 @nd.edu
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND Baseball
Notre Dame breaks losing streak, obliterates Northern Illinois Huskies 11-2 as they rise from slump By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor
ANYA RUFFINO |The Observer
Irish senior Zack Prajner steps up to the plate during Notre Dame’s home game at the Frank Eck Baseball Stadium against Valparaiso on March 15. The team emerged victorious that day with a final score of 12-1.
Notre Dame baseball needed to bust out of a slump, riding a four-game losing streak into Tuesday’s contest. As it turned out, a midweek battle w ith the hapless Northern Illinois Huskies (4-18) was just the recipe the Irish desired. The Irish struck once in the first and then four times in the second for an early 5-0 advantage. From there, No. 13 Notre Dame (13-5) enjoyed a stress-free non-conference w in, 11-2 over the Huskies. At the plate, the Irish didn’t miss a beat. They bashed 14 hits for 11 runs. Leading the way was senior shortstop Zack Prajzner w ith three hits and a walk. Prajzner scored three times and notched a pair of RBI. Graduate student left fielder Ryan Cole also picked up a pair of hits, stole three bases and scored t w ice before ex iting to a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning.
Graduate student second baseman Jared Miller homered and drove in t wo runs in a multi-hit performance. He also stole t wo bases. Sophomore center fielder TJ Williams delivered a 2-5 performance out of the leadoff spot in the Notre Dame lineup. He drove in one run and scored t w ice. Notre Dame utilized five pitchers in this one, starting w ith junior Liam Simon. He got the first eights, giv ing up t wo runs but just one earned. Four Irish pitchers followed in a scoreless bullpen effort.
Small ball, two big innings spark bats Offensively, the Irish didn’t wait around. Miller blasted his first home run of the year in Notre Dame’s second at-bat of the game. The solo shot was all the first-inning scoring, but the Irish broke it open in the second. Cole bunted his way aboard w ith see BASEBALL PAGE 15
Bengal Bouts
Bengal Bouts hosts the 2022 semifinals By NATE MOLLER and OLIVIA SCHATZ Sports Writers
The Bengal Bouts semifinals kicked off at 7 p.m. Monday night in Dahnke Ballroom.
Nirajan “One Punch” Koirala vs. Colin “Can’t Touch This” Capece Editor’s note: Capece previously served as an Assistant Managing Editor for The Observer The night opened up fast as Capece came out quickly during the first round. Although Capece would step out first, it was Koirala who would nail the first few hits. However, Capece would live up to his name, dodging multiple swings from Koirala before one would hit. The fast pace of this round was quickly fading and Koirala nailed a few solid hits before the bell rang. The second round was a different pace than the first, with the boxers much more focused on nailing hard hits than multiple softer ones. While Koirala would hit the first one fast, Capece would retaliate, knocking Koirala to his feet. However, the referee told judges not to count it. The third
round would start off with Koirala, with Capece instantly put on the defensive. Koirala would land some solid hits before Capece would return them. Although Capece was on the defensive the entirety of this round, his fans were chanting his name. After a break, Koirala would nail Capece on the face before Capece would do the same. By the end of the round, Koirala would be named winner by unanimous decision.
Jackson “The Hook” Ballow vs. Carlos “El Catracho” Espinoza Banegas The second round started energetically as Ballow nailed EspinozaBanegas.Atthebeginning of the bout, Ballow would knock down Espinoza Banegas, but again it would not be counted by the judges. Espinoza Banegas would fight much lower than Ballow, and would aim for body hits, while Ballow would have to punch down to his opponent. The second round would open with Espinoza Banegas hitting Ballow quickly from the start. While Espinoza Banegas would corner Ballow, Ballow would not let this define this round for him. The third round would open up with a completely
different energy. Espinoza Banegas had a new refreshing energy while Ballow was obviously fatigued. Espinoza Banegas would corner Ballow, and while Ballow would try to hit his way out of it, Espinoza Banagas would continue to land hits. By the end of the third round, Espinoza Banagas would win by split decision.
Jack “Topgun” Lannon vs. Jack “Twinkle Toes” Lennon You are not reading this wrong, the third match of the night was against Jack Lannon and Jack Lennon. Lennon, the exprofessional ballet dancer, would have the opening punch before landing multiple in a row. This would be responded to by Lannon nailing a few against his opponent. The fighting would go back and forth for the remainder of the round. Lennon would live up to his name, dodging hits from his opponent and switching from low to high very quickly. The second bout opened up with Lannon slamming Lennon. Lennon would then look to corner his opponent but he missed his opportunity. The round would conclude with a hit landing from Lannon before multiple from Lennon. Lannon
would start off the third round, but both boxers would come out quick and heavy. Lannon would dodge multiple before Lennon would land multiple in a row. With the last few seconds of the match, Lennon would corner Lannon, and with unanimous decision, Lennon was named winner.
Joey “The Milk Man” Brenner vs. Thomas “Tex” Edwards While it would start out with a few seconds of no punches, Brenner would land a hard punch to start. Although both opponents would start hitting hard, Edwards knocked Brenner down. He earned the win by stopped contest. The opponents then embraced and left the ring arm in arm.
Sean “Milk” Mullen vs. Matthew “Double Jeopardy” Downing Downing would start off the round, nailing multiple swings to the face. Although Downing would attempt to corner Mullen, Mullen would fight to get out of it, landing multiple hits on his opponent. This round would have the opponents landing hits in the center of the ring. While Downing would get a few punches in, Mullen
would finish out the round with an equal amount of hits. Downing would stay low and hit low to start the second round. He would nail a few quick jabs before Mullen would land a hard punch on his opponent’s head. This round would see a lot harder and heavier punches than the previous one. It was clear that both opponents were exhausted, but this didn’t stop them from fighting. The start of the third round would see multiple quick hits from Downing before a hard swing from Mullen. Mullen would land one hit to every of Downing’s three. By split decision, Downing would win the bout.
Mattheas “Mattheos” Mattheos vs. Hayden “Dragon” Hoekstra Hoekstra opened up the round with multiple quick hits before Mattheos would nail multiple hard hits back. Early in the match, Hoekstra would corner Mattheos before he would escape. But not for long as Hoekstra would corner Mattheos again and Mattheos would struggle to escape the constant barrage of hits from the “Dragon.” Hoekstra would see BOUTS PAGE 14