Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, March 31, 2023

college hosts listening session

Saint Mary’s

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN senior news writer

o n m arch 8, the s aint m ary’s community received an email from vice president for mission Julianne wallace explaining that by June, the c ollege would be restructuring the existing offices of c ampus m inistry, the o ffice for the c ommon g ood ( ocg ) and the s ustainable Farm into the newly established c enter for Faith, a ction and m ission ( c Fam ). c urrent director of campus ministry n icole l abadie will serve as its inaugural director.

i n the email, wallace said the changes “will bring all of our programs in line with best

responds to concerns about new Center for

practices and unify the work of our student-facing offices.”

students gathered in stapleton l ounge on Thursday night to hear more about how the reorganization would impact their experiences at the c ollege and express their feelings about c Fam

To open the evening, wallace welcomed the audience and commended them for taking the time to give their feedback.

“i am so glad that each of you committed some time to be here tonight especially since this is the last time i’m going to talk in a public way about this,” she said. “b ut it

Muslim students on campus observe Ramadan

By CAROLINE COLLINS a ssociate news editor

r amadan, the ninth month of the i slamic lunar calendar, began last week with the sighting of a new crescent moon.

d uring the month-long observance of r amadan from m arch 22 to a pril 20, muslims will abstain from eating and drinking from the time the sun rises to the time it sets. a s the month progresses, the length of the fasting period will gradually increase.

s enior a rafat a liyi, president of the muslim s tudent a ssociation ( msa ), said that r amadan is one of the five pillars of i slam that defines what it means to be muslim. r amadan is believed to be the month that the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to prophet muhammad, and fasting is a way of showing reverence for the Qur’an and its teachings.

m irza Family p rofessor of i slamic Thought and muslim s ocieties e brahim moosa said that r amadan is “an act

Faith, Action and Mission

p rofessors try ‘ungrading’

By KEIRA STENSON news writer

in recent years, an increasing tide of colleges and professors, including many at notre dame, have begun to rethink the traditional grading system.

susan blum, professor of anthropology and author of multiple books on education, is a particularly active voice in the transition to alternative grading methods. her latest book,

titled “ungrading: why rating students undermines learning (and what To do instead),” was published in 2020.

blum said she was struck by the inefficacy of traditional grading.

“it relies on flawed methods of motivation, such as fear, and isn’t particularly effective in communicating the feedback necessary to facilitate growth. grading doesn’t

see grading PaGE 5

a merican bank failure causes fear

of obedience to g od.”

Fasting is an important aspect of r amadan because it is a personal act that requires people to test their commitment to g od.

“muslims understand that fasting is something that awakens your spiritual consciousness and makes you more aware of who you are and your surroundings,” moosa said. “it’s a way of

showing your dedication and commitment to g od and also developing empathy for others.”

i n addition to fasting, muslims also engage in acts of devotion like voluntary nighttime prayers, additional readings of the Qur’an, giving back to charity and striving to do good deeds.

see ramadan PaGE 3

By JOE RUDOLPH news writer

w ithin the past month, two a merican bank failures have sent shockwaves through the banking industry. These failures triggered rapid government intervention and a heightened fear of more bank failures.

i n early m arch, s ilicon v alley b ank ( svb ), located

in s anta c lara, c alifornia, failed after a bank run caused it to liquidate assets that it didn’t have. w hen banks receive deposits, they typically loan out that money with interest in order to generate income. h owever, svb did something a little different. “ svb decided to invest it in treasury bonds that

see banking PaGE 3

GENEVIEVE COLEMAN | The Observer Saint Mary’s College vice president for mission Julianne Wallace explained the new organizational structure of the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry to students on Thursday night at the Stapleton lounge.

see smc PaGE 4

CAROLINE COLLINS | The Observer

Students from the Muslim Student Association come together to spread awareness of their faith around the Notre Dame campus.

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Aliyi said r amadan is a time of self-improvement and that the goal is to carry out good deeds from r amadan throughout the rest of the year and continue to build on them during the next r amadan.

“You always know it’s been a good r amadan if you have left one bad habit and picked up another good habit,” Aliyi said. “If you feel better that probably means that you have done good for this r amadan.”

Fasting on campus

When Aliyi was a first-year student, there weren’t accommodations for students that were fasting for r amadan. o n the weekends, the dining halls would close more than an hour before sundown, so students would have to find another way to get food.

d uring her time at the university, the ms A has worked with c ampus d ining to create a schedule that allows students to pick up take-away food that they can reheat later.

“There was an issue, but we voiced our concern and [ c ampus d ining] was more than happy to help out,” Aliyi said.

s tudents are given a dinner meal box with halal meat and poultry and a brown-bag breakfast to eat before dawn. The dinner boxes also contain dates and water, which are typically used to break fast.

Prayer spaces

muslims also have access to

a prayer room on the first floor of the c oleman-morse c enter and in Jenkins nanovic h all.

moosa said that there are additional nightly ‘tarawih’ prayers during r amadan, so having prayer spaces on campus that are available to students is important.

e very Friday, the ms A holds a midday ‘jum’ah’ prayer in Jenkins nanovic h all where students can come together to pray.

c ultivating a community at Notre d ame

moosa said that around the world, muslims observe r amadan as a community. People gather at one another’s houses to break fast and family and friends come together to show solidarity with one another.

however, at notre d ame, only a small portion of students observe r amadan.

Aliyi said her first few r amadans at school were challenging and looked a lot different than when she was at home. s he said it is important to make sure that younger students observing r amadan get the support they need and one of the ms A’s goals this year was to hold events to bring muslim students and the tri-campus community together.

“[ r amadan] is an opportunity for muslims to come together as a community and strengthen their bonds through shared experiences of worship and breaking the fast together,” Aliyi said.

i slamic awareness Week

Last week, the ms A hosted Islamic Awareness Week

which featured a series of gatherings and events to mark the beginning of the month of r amadan.

The week-long programming began with “What is Islam?” which provided a space for students to ask questions and learn about the core beliefs of Islam.

o n Tuesday, hijabs from local businesses were distributed to students to mark h ijab d ay. At the event, students discussed how wearing a hijab is a way for people to proclaim their faith and gain a sense of empowerment, Aliyi said.

“It was a way to commemorate the fact that it was Women’s h istory month [last

month] and we talked about that through the lens of a person who wears a hijab,” Aliyi continued.

o ther events included muslims from around the world speaking with students about what Islam means to them and how they celebrate Islam in their own cultures, and the interfaith conference that discussed different approaches to issues like human rights and dignity towards oneself and the community.

The week ended with a dinner banquet on Friday where students gathered to eat and celebrate r amadan.

The ms A wanted to hold these events not only to

engage muslims on campus but also other members of the tri-campus community. “ms A is for everyone,” Aliyi said. s he also said muslim students are more than willing to answer questions about r amadan and their experiences.

“There are so many things that you can learn and it doesn’t matter what [religion] you are from, there are so many commonalities” Aliyi said. “[Asking questions] is a great way for you to learn to understand others while not always having to agree with them.”

Contact Caroline Collins ccolli23@nd.edu

were backed by mortgages, which were theoretically very safe,” said senior c esar Aguzzi, co-president of n otre d ame’s Wall s treet c lub. “ b ut when interest rates started going up, the value of the bonds went down. Within 48 hours of announcing a liquidity loss, a bank run happened. venture capitalist companies took their money out of svb , so they had to liquidate their assets and sell their bonds at a loss.”

The collapse of the svb is the biggest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. The Federal d eposit Insurance c orporation (F d I c ), in order to avoid a repeat of 2008, quickly transferred all of svb ’s assets to a newly created, F d I c -run “bridge bank.”

In Aguzzi’s view, many other banks would have collapsed without this F d I c intervention.

“The government had to step in and secure all of svb ’s deposits,” Aguzzi said. “If they hadn’t insured svb client deposits, a whole list of American banks would have collapsed.”

American banks would not have been the only type of business to foreclose without rapid government intervention, he added.

The F d I c typically only insures deposits up to $250,000 for all insured bank accounts, as would have been the case for svb without further intervention. m any of svb ’s depositors were venture capitalists, startup companies or entrepreneurs who had millions of dollars in the bank. When svb collapsed, these clients were unable to retrieve a large portion of their assets.

“At first, there was the thought that some of these founders with money at svb almost surely were going to not have money anymore,” said Jason r eed, director of finance

undergraduate studies in m endoza. “ b ut because the government was able to step in, I think everyone has kind of been saved there.”

d espite the government’s rapid effort, s ignature b ank in n ew York collapsed shortly after svb ’s crash.

“ e veryone’s worried that these banks are dominoes, and that when one falls, that signals that all the others are on their way down as well,” r eed said.

The bank failure may still extend to smaller regional banks, r eed added.

“A lot of regional banks are going to be in the same exact position as svb because they’ve invested their depositors money into what they thought were incredibly safe assets,” r eed said. “ b ut the problem is once depositors start trying to pull their money out, and they can’t then liquidate those assets because there’s no market for them. That’s when you get these failures occurring.”

The failures of svb and s ignature b ank, both smaller regional banks, have seeded doubts for many Americans, who have moved their money to larger banks in the last week. It’s possible that this doubtful behavior could lead to a market decline as banks forego interest revenue to ensure customers have access to deposits, r eed said.

“The svb crash puts everything under a microscope, and everyone is going to be second guessing,” r eed said. “And what that does in some capacity is limit the amount of lending that happens. s o if everyone is really worried about money being drawn out, whatever reserves that a bank has are going to be held on to. The opportunity cost of that is lending it out and then generating interest on loans.”

r eed said the banking crisis will likely not lead to further losses for n otre d ame’s endowment, which lost $1.4 billion last fiscal

year.

“ o ver the last year, if you look at the overall broader public equity market, if you look at the drying up of capital, deployment of capital in private equity and venture, everyone was preparing for a downturn in some capacity,” r eed said. “The assets that n otre d ame holds are just a symptom of the broader market and economic decline, and they’re not a result of any specific decisions that partners are making.”

r eed added that n otre d ame’s investment strategy is focused on the long term.

“The u niversity is thought … to be infinitely lived in some ways, in that as long as we generate some return that we’re getting on our investment, we don’t need to pull that money out for any reason,” said r eed. “ s o the u niversity can withstand short-term losses really well.”

Contact Joe Rudolph jrudolp3@nd.edu

CAROLINE COLLINS | The Observer

From March 20 to 24, the Muslim Student Association celebrated Islamic Awareness Week around the tricampus as they entered the beginning of the month of Ramadan, promoting many educational events.

was so important to me that I get your own feedback and input as we move forward as the c enter for Faith, Action and m inistry.”

b efore she began explaining how c FA m would function as an organization, Wallace acknowledged the support she received from President c onboy, her leadership team and b oard of Trustees.

“I want to note that this center has the support of the president and her and the leadership team and the b oard of Trustees,” she said. “I consulted with them all as we began this journey of discerning what this new organization would be for our students.”

v iewing a flow chart of the new structure of c FA m , Wallace addressed the two main areas of the organization that the director would be overseeing — justice and solidarity, and spiritual life.

“There will be times when these two areas work together,” she said. “There will be times when these two areas are doing different things just by the nature of the work and just by a way of providing accessible places for all of our students on campus.”

According to Wallace, the justice and solidarity division will be focused on continuing to connect with Academic e xperiential Learning and community partnerships, expanding the capacity of the sustainable farm and implementing the c ollege’s sustainability plan based in the “Laudato s i” encyclical.

The division plans to implement new programming that focuses more concretely on “providing experiences for students around contemporary issues in our world,”

including immersion experiences locally, nationally and internationally, Wallace said.

“Those types of experiences that we want to embed in what you’re already studying so it’s not an add-on experience. It’s going to be a part of your college experience and it could be for-credit,” Wallace said. “This is something that we’re dreaming up together, hopefully with faculty and in partnership with our faculty colleagues.”

Additionally, Wallace described the spiritual life division as a place for any student, even if they are not c atholic.

“I want to be very clear that this isn’t guiding students in the c atholic life. This is guiding students in the spiritual life,” she said. “s o if you are passionate about thinking about God in any way, in any context, there will be a way for you to explore that there will be a person on the team or a peer mentor or ministry assistant who will sit with you and talk about those deeper conversations about who God is and what God is and is there a God? This will be the place for those questions and that is welcome to anyone, at any time on our campus.”

The staff in the spiritual life division would be responsible for continuing to coordinate small faith groups, reinitiate spiritual pilgrimages the c ollege led before the pandemic, hiring ecumenical, interfaith and lay female c atholic chaplains and bringing four part time priests to campus to meet student need, Wallace said.

To conclude the overview of the changes, Wallace noted that c FA m was still unclear about how they would organize themselves in the existing physical space currently designated for c ampus m inistry and the o ffice for the c ommon Good student

center. Wallace claimed once she received student input, c FA m would know how to update the offices.

“I think it’s important that you help us decide where we’re going to be and where you want us to be, so that’s going to be a conversation between the c FA m team, our student leaders and you,” she said. “Just give me input so that when you come back in the [fall], we’re ready to hit the ground running. It’s the space is going to look great. It’s going to be a welcoming space, it’s going to be a safe space, it’s going to be a brave space.”

Student reaction after the presentation of plan s enior Libbey d etcher cosigned a recent letter to the editor to The o bserver titled “s ave the o ffice for the c ommon Good” with the rest of the student staff of the oc G. In it, they called for protecting the programs the oc G has to offer. d etcher spoke during the session about her disappointment in c FA m’s lack of student input.

“I was never asked for input as a leader for the oc G. m y friends that are also in the oc G I don’t believe were asked for student input either,” she said. “And we believe that the reorganization of the division of mission will have severe consequences for community outreach, service and faith development at s aint m ary’s. As s aint m ary’s women, we will continue to stand up for what we believe to be right and just.”

After the session, d etcher noted the gathering was a move in the right direction, but not enough time was allotted to hear student perspectives.

“I think this was a step in the right direction. I really do,” she said. “I think it was

good that we had a 15-minute listening session. however, it felt like we didn’t have enough time for them to only book the room for an hour and then reserve only 15 minutes for student input. I don’t think that was the right call for them.”

Junior oc G leader Jeanett o choa emphasized that the oc G does not directly operate under a faith-based mission, and the changes involved in the c FA m would isolate underrepresented students on campus.

“We minorities at smc only have like one or two other offices, so adding faith to it … that’s removing another resource for us,” o choa said. “s o in a way this change is going to be very risky, and a way that we can fix it is to get more diverse staff.”

In response, Wallace noted a commitment to hiring diverse staff for open c FA m positions.

s ophomore oc G leader valentina r ubio referenced the community partnerships created by current oc G director r ebekah Go, who will allegedly be demoted within the new c FA m structure.

In an interview with The o bserver after the event, Wallace noted that “all members of the team were offered a position in the c FA m team, and they had the opportunity to choose to sign on.” When asked specifically about Go, Wallace stated she could not comment on personnel matters.

o thers in the room, like senior Ashley Kraker, noted that the c ollege needs to have c atholic values as a basis for the restructuring.

“I just think that as a c atholic school, we have a responsibility to share the c atholic faith and have that be the deepest core of everything that we do,” she said. “I think it’s wonderful that we are reorganizin,g because

service is at the core of what the c atholic c hurch stands for. s ervice and then evangelization is really what this world needs right now.”

Junior Zahraa mozan spoke about how after the Quran in the s aint m ary’s interfaith prayer room was damaged, it took the c ollege a year to replace it due to issues with shipping. b ecause of this experience, mozan questioned how she and other students of different faiths can feel safe on campus.

“m y question is: how will I, as a student of color and student of a different faith, be guaranteed safety in a welcoming environment?

Additionally, offices like oc G are a great resource, especially as a muslim student, for me to just remove myself from religion for a little bit,” she said. “And having faith tied into this new structure will definitely push students away with myself, because they should not have to be included.”

Wallace noted after the event that a variety of perspectives were present at the event and described a hope for greater unity as a result.

“There has been a diversity of reactions from students, faculty and staff. You could hear it in the room tonight. There were people that were too c atholic. There were people that were not c atholic enough. And I think that’s a good indication that this is going to be a step forward,” she said. “That this is going to challenge many of us, but it’s going to lead to greater unity. It is going to lead to us recognizing our common bond a little bit better. And I think that’s going to just help us do the work better as a team.”

Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

senate approves nominees for student Union

By LIAM KELLY news Writer

on Wednesday evening, in its final meeting of its term, the notre dame student senate confirmed nominees for student Union positions and passed a resolution to clarify language in the University constitution.

mark metryoos and Kelsey casella were confirmed unanimously by the senate for the position of Assistant student Union Treasurer. metryoos is a sophomore majoring in finance and philosophy and currently holds leadership positions in the Financial club of notre dame and the black business Association of notre dame. casella is a first year accounting major and is involved in the student International business council.

senator derrick Williams offered

his praise for metryoos. “I think he will be very well poised with his business, professionalism and all his background to come in and do well in this position,” Williams said. next, the senate confirmed seven new members for the student Union executive board of directors for the next year.

emily mcdougall, daniel Ward, and Juliana ramirez were nominated as co-directors of Programming, Abigail Keaney was nominated as director of operations, Joseph Golden was nominated as director of Publicity, Adrienne Yabut was nominated as director of Art and makenna broyles was nominated as director of Finance.

All seven nominees were quickly confirmed unanimously.

In addition to confirming the student Union nominees, the senate also passed a resolution

introduced by student Union Parliamentarian Jared schlachet to broadly clean up language in the University constitution.

“A number of the changes are just removing clauses that are redundant,” schlachet said.

one of the changes approved was to officially allow the chief of staff, instead of the student body President, to lead meetings of the executive cabinet.

“currently the chief of staff chairs the executive cabinet, but the constitution says it should be the student body President,” schlachet explained.

The amendment also fixed misspellings and removed references in the constitution to groups that no longer exist.

not brought to debate was another amendment to the constitution which would have changed

impeachment proceedings to prevent the impeached official from speaking during the impeachment hearing. currently, the impeached student government official can mount a defense to any accusations.

The resolution was introduced by senator Griffin mcAndrew of Knott hall.

senators pointed out that the resolution had not made it through the committee on the constitution — a group made up of the Judicial council President, the student body vice-President, three senators and 13 at large members — which usually approves resolutions that contain major changes to the constitution before they are brought to debate in the senate.

mcAndrew’s resolution had been brought to the committee but was withdrawn after the committee expressed opposition to the amendment, senator hunter brooke, a

member of the committee on the constitution, explained.

“When this went to [the committee on the constitution]. The sentiment towards this thing was generally negative, strongly enough that an amendment was made to actually do the opposite of what this is doing,” brooks said.

The motion to move the resolution into debate did not reach the required two thirds majority and was shelved.

concluding the meeting, the senate unanimously passed a resolution to congratulate the notre dame Fencing team for their third consecutive national championship.

The student senate will reconvene next week, with senators beginning their new term.

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

smc votes hosts event

By MOIRA QUINN news Writer

s aint m ary’s students gathered Wednesday evening for smc v otes’ “Politics and Pretzels” series to hear a ngela e spada, executive director of the i ndiana c atholic c onference ( icc ), speak about the relationship between faith and politics.

The icc is the public policy voice of the c atholic c hurch in i ndiana. a ccording to the icc website, it acts as “the statewide coordinating body for the five r oman c atholic d ioceses. i ts basic purpose is to serve the spiritual, moral and material well-being of the people in the state.”

Libbey d etcher, student leader of smc v otes, described the purpose behind the club on campus.

“ smc v otes is a yearlong, student-driven initiative that focuses on increasing voter registration and participation on campus,” d etcher said in an email. “We also try to create opportunities for civic engagement for the smc community.”

d etcher also explained the reasoning behind combining faith with politics at the event in Le m ans h all — especially given the c atholic background of the tri-campus community.

“ i think a lot of times, people think being a c atholic voter is to vote with one issue in mind, which is not the case at all,” she said in the email. “ c atholic politics are human-oriented, and i ’m glad we were able to share that perspective with someone pursuing these causes for a career.”

e spada said that c atholics comprise 40% of the statehouse, despite making up only 11% of i ndiana’s population.

“ i t gets hard to realize it was such a small minority or a small number when you are constantly associating with other people like you,” she said.

e spada said that discussing c atholic social teaching with lawmakers can also be difficult because of its more recent incorporation into c atholic curriculum.

“ i started off in prekindergarten, first grade,

second grade, third grade, then went to public school,” she said. “ e nded up sixth, seventh, eighth grade and then high school at a c atholic school and never had that conversation [about c atholic social teaching]. That’s a problem when i ’m trying to talk to the lawmakers about c atholic social teaching, because many of them are as old as me or older and didn’t learn it back then.”

e spada’s visit was the last installment in the “Politics and Pretzels” series.

“Faith and Politics was the last event we have planned for the year, but students are always welcome to pop into the o ffice for the c ommon Good if they have any questions about voting,” d etcher said. “The 2023 primary elections are coming up, so we still need to keep in mind that many local and even some state offices are on the ballot this year. Those who are able should vote twice a year, every year.”

Contact Moria Quinn at mquinn02@saintmarys.edu

reflect the process of learning in the real world,” blum said.

Wanting to obtain a certain grade is what drives some students to academic dishonesty, blum added.

“if the goal is the learning, you can’t cheat,” blum said.

in contrast, blum has embraced a process of continual, constructive communication through short, inperson check-ins, combined with both peer and self-evaluation. she said it feels more like individual dialogues with students, rather than the drudgery that often comes with grading for professors.

another method that’s become more popular, especially in sTem fields, is standards-based grading. This system establishes clear milestones that students must reach, but doesn’t subtract credit for mistakes made along the way (as long as the student achieves the goal).

“in conventional grading, you’re penalized for making a mistake, which basically means you’re penalized for not already knowing,” blum said. “and that’s not how people actually learn.”

Francisco robles, assistant professor of english, has also embraced an alternative grading system in his classes. he uses a method called contract grading, which clearly outlines the work required to earn a particular grade and allows students to choose the level they’ll complete.

he says the pandemic was a key catalyst in encouraging the shift.

“i was trying to figure out how to make feedback useful instead of

punitive,” robles said. he said the change has allowed him a greater sense of freedom in providing feedback without having to tie his notes to specific grade changes. it has also encouraged more discussion with students about the remarks themselves, rather than questions about why their grade was impacted, he added.

“Grades are very unfortunately linked to self-worth, and i really don’t like that,” robles said. “and that’s one of the biggest reasons i do upgrading now, or contract grading.”

in addition, robles said that contract grading changes the way students approach his classes.

“it lets students just explore [and] take risks. if they don’t argue something very well, if it doesn’t work, that’s oK. They will know next time to change things, instead of feeling the desperation of a bad grade,” he said.

alternative grading is not just limited to the humanities or social sciences. brian mulholland, an assistant professor in the mathematics department, has incorporated it into his classes as well.

mulholland’s desire to seek a different approach came from his experience with a dedicated student who eventually worked his way to the top of the class, but whose grade was ultimately dictated by a poor performance on the very first exam.

“i was reflecting on this, as well as the holy cross mission on educating the mind but not at the expense of the heart,” mulholland said. “my faith motivates me in a lot of ways and forgiveness is something that’s crucial. [Traditional grading] didn’t allow for mercy in the classroom,

especially for someone who had worked so hard, and i felt earned a higher grade.”

The pandemic once again offered the opportunity to adapt grading policies. now, mulholland uses a standards-based grading method. after learning a new skill, students in mullholland’s class complete a “formation problem” using any resources they need, followed by an in-class quiz using the formation problems. Feedback is provided at each step, with evaluation done on a pass/fail basis. students have the chance to reflect on their errors and complete an explanation of their mistakes to earn back credit.

Finally, students complete a closed-book multiple choice problem assessing that skill, for which they can again reflect on their errors and attempt a different problem if necessary. if they meet the criteria for each step, they are considered to have “mastered” that skill.

hespoketothebenefitsofthisnew system, saying that in a survey “most students said they actually worked harder in this class than a traditional system, but with significantly less stress.”

These methods differ greatly from grading on a curve. several professors pointed out a curve’s tendency to encourage unhealthy rivalry between students.

“We’re claiming we’re going to educate everybody. and so if we predetermine that some number of students have to do badly, that is in contradiction to everything noble about education,” blum said.

Contact Keira Stenson at kstenson@nd.edu

The dust jacket paradox

Isa Sheikh notre dame news editor

I still never know what to do with a hardcover book that comes into my possession. do I throw off the flimsy dust jacket that gives the book its character, or do I keep it on as it writhes and wrinkles at the edges? every time I prowl the less-than-pristine shelves of a used bookstore, my eyes narrow in pursuit of paperbacks for fear of this quandary.

The reason I’m so unsettled by untethered detachable outer paper covers is that I was raised by the public library. In the library, most books are treated by some cellophane wizardry that binds the dust jackets in another transparent jacket, one that won’t come off or fray. There’s a certain permanence in that synthetic shine.

And yet, library books are the antithesis of permanence — once you’ve read the book, you’re free to bid it adieu and not forced to have it weigh down your shelves.

I was raised in a house where we didn’t dwell on such things or engage in self-pity, but the truth of the matter is that buying books as we read them was a luxury we couldn’t afford. besides, it made no sense! You read a book once, and then you forget it. And so while we had a bookshelf stacked high with a good number of books that had accumulated — heavy religious texts and picture books that had more than a few bite marks — it was the library where I was taught to love reading.

even today, during my far too frequent study breaks, I search up a book in the library catalog to find its reference number and go up the elevators, sauntering through the aisles to find it. Whether or not I ultimately read it, that ritual has gained its own significance. I still remember what was probably my first time at the library, going downtown to the central branch of the san Francisco Public Library, at the age of something like 5-years-old. I was enchanted and terrified by the size of this labyrinthine building — all the books I’d

never be able to read in my lifetime. stepping through the broad hallways lined with homeless men and women taking intoxicated naps along the walls and automated conveyor belts that took your returns, we made our way to the children’s section on the second floor. I was just starting to read, and the books I saw as I perused were too many words on far too many pages for. It was not yet time for me to read dickens, or even magic Tree house.

“Where can I find picture books?” I asked a librarian and she directed me on a journey seemingly halfway across the world to a room where the storybooks lined the walls. I remember opening one with magnificent illustrations of a horse and finding no words whatsoever. What was the point?

but ultimately, I found the words. Taking them home, I sprawled across the mattress in marconi hotel, room #6, our equivalent of a living room. some drug addicts recall not enjoying their first high. That wasn’t the case with me; I was hooked from the very beginning. my addiction to the library consumed me, requiring weekly trips that filled one tote bag after the next.

For years to come, as my family sat together to watch movies, I would burrow into the pillowy comforter in my parents’ bed and ravenously turn page after page. I still remember the wide-eyed grins of satisfaction, guilty giggles and the uncontrolled sobs. I can’t count the number of times I was caught for reading when I should be asleep, or covertly looking down under my desk at the book I thought I had done a good job of hiding.

At my school library, I began volunteering in fourth grade so I could borrow more than one book at once. It was glorious; pulling entire series from the shelves and devouring them rapidly. I would stand at the side of the yard during recess, showing little interest in Pokemon or kickball.

This short period of ecstasy was cut short dramatically when I left a bag of books in a hallway no one frequented. For days, I wondered what had happened but said nothing. They were found by a particularly involved parent that volunteered

at the school, and she informed me that the limit on my book borrowing would be re-established. my first firing.

I probably got the last laugh, seeing as I’m writing this from behind the circulation desk of a library right now. I’ve volunteered in libraries intermittently for years after the traumatic episode in elementary. The library made me who I am, keeping up with my interests as I grew. In middle school, I woke early each saturday morning to bike over to the library and sit with the weekend edition of the Wall street Journal and the shelves of poorly ghostwritten political memoirs and works of reporting that showed me new worlds. In middle and high school, I didn’t read much fiction, perhaps thinking it too unimportant. In fact, it wasn’t really until college that I did, returning over and over to the ninth floor of hesburgh to reacquaint myself.

It was thanks to a library copy of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story collection “Interpreter of maladies” that I realized the errors of my way, dipping back into fiction. I read it on a fall break flight, and by the next day, I had bought two more of the author’s paperbacks. In between my tears, a character in Lahiri’s novel “The namesake” explained to me so much of what I had felt in the library books I had absorbed at recess, in my parents’ bed and everywhere else imaginable. “That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet,” a character recalls. It sounds cliche, except to those that have experienced the supernatural experience of reading a book that transports you.

so I don’t know why it is that I buy books now, or why it is that I bought a copy of “Interpreter of maladies” after I got back. It strikes me as wrong every time I do so, whether it is because of the accumulation of clutter or the betrayal of the value of thrift. or perhaps it’s because it is a betrayal of the libraries that raised me. Well, as long as there’s no dust jacket, I won’t have to think about it that much.

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

Observer Editorial: Before you enroll

of improving diversity and inclusion on campus.

You’ve opened your decision letter, and you’ve been promised a new home under the Golden dome. many things you associate with the school — whether it’s notre dame, saint mary’s or holy cross — are broad identifiers: catholic, midwestern, great academics. Perhaps you’ve never had the chance to walk by saint mary’s Lake or maybe you’ve never heard of Father hesburgh .

For some of you, these perceptions may extend beyond ambivalence. You may have some tentative worries about culture, academics, demographics or politics on the tri-campus. As the may 1 decision deadline looms, let The observer be one of the many voices contributing to your discernment. notre dame has been referred to as catholic disneyland. There are chapels and a priest in each (single-sex) residence hall, crucifixes in classrooms and two theology requirements built into the core curriculum. however, your college experience only has to be as catholic as you want it to be.

Around 80% of the student body at notre dame and 65.2% at saint mary’s identify as catholic. This includes a wide spectrum of students, from those who practice religion rigorously, to those who may be atheist but still check the box on surveys and those who culturally identify with catholicism. Theology classes can be an interesting way to learn about the bible as a seminal text. but courses that explore Islam and other religions can also fulfill the requirement.

At saint mary’s, this aspect of the core curriculum is framed as a “religious studies” requirement rather than a strictly christianity-centered requirement. While catholicism shapes the tradition of the University, there is no obligation to attend mass, and there are plenty of other ways to find community on campus. For those who aren’t catholic, notre dame does have prayer spaces and other resources. however, the burden of seeking out resources often falls on non-catholic students themselves, and the University needs to continue their efforts

The catholic nature of the University makes certain discussions — such as abortion and LGbTQ+ rights — unavoidable. catholic belief on these topics is clear, and it guides University policy. In recent years, the tri-campus has seen these ideologies when the University allows certain clubs to invite speakers who actively oppose puberty blockers and hormone treatments for children while the University sometimes denies speakers from groups that support the LGbTQ+ community.

The University’s religious identity can also be seen in housing options. Though single-sex dorms can be enriching communities, they can be uncomfortable spaces for nonbinary or transgender students on campus. notre dame has shown increasing signs of inclusivity with new options like the Fischer Graduate residences for those who do not want to live in the traditional single-sex dorms. Additionally, clubs have held prayer services for victims of anti-transgender violence.

campus politics can also be influenced by the University’s catholic beliefs, especially when it comes to abortion. The University has an official pro-life, anti-abortion stance and this impacts the healthcare services available to students. The health center does not provide birth control unless it is for a medical reason. The march for Life is promoted widely on campus. Pro-choice groups are not allowed to hold official club status in the tri-campus community, though unofficial groups like Irish 4 reproductive health and smicks for choice exist. despite all of this, the tri-campus community is very divided. While many students are pro-life, there are also many that are pro-choice.

In terms of demographics, 19% of notre dame’s class of 2026 are either first-generation college students or low-income, and 60% of the class are white students from the United states. At saint mary’s, 78% of the class of 2026 is white, and 26% are firstgeneration students. At times, students who do not fit into the majority find it hard to find community based on their backgrounds. There are resources for low-income students like the office of student enrichment at notre dame and the office of student equity at saint mary’s that award funding to students

for things like football tickets, laptops and winter clothing that are essential to the campus experience. obviously, there is no single way to exist as a minority student. but if you choose, there are student groups designed to support students who share a racial or socio-economic identity.

beyond dedicated clubs, however, “community” is a term that is often bandied about when talking about tri-campus culture. It’s baked into every aspect of our schools and may even help you survive the harsh winters of south bend, Indiana. on the first snowfall of the year, you’ll find yourself running to south Quad with your friends for a campus-wide snowball fight and watch students mock duel with lightsabers (even if you have to trudge to 8:30 a.m. class the next day). even if you’ve never watched college football in your life and dislike sports, when you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with 80,000 fans in notre dame stadium as America’s oldest university band plays, you may feel the exhilaration of being a part of something bigger.

even if it’s not through these trademark tri-campus experiences, community will tiptoe into your life. It’s just the way this place is set up. maybe it’ll be through building a boat with friends in your dorm, having a discussion with a professor about a subject way beyond the scope of your class that changes your life path or even joining the tri-campus student newspaper.

maybe you have been preparing to attend notre dame, saint mary’s or holy cross for your entire life. maybe you feel excited by the dialogue that the tri-campus community offers. maybe you’ve already decided to join us under the Golden dome or, with some reflection, you feel like you would thrive in another setting.

either way, knowledge is power, and as you make your decision, The observer can be a great resource to learn more about campus. As an independent, student-run newspaper, we try to reflect the realities of campus and the lived experiences of students as best we can. Whether you decide to enroll at notre dame or not, we know you’ll be a force for good wherever you are.

catholic and autistic

My knees feel tired, I think I’ll sit for a moment. But wait … everyone else around me is kneeling. Am I doing the wrong thing? No, that’s ridiculous, everyone has their own means of prayer. Let’s not worry about it. But … I guess I could be kneeling. That’ll help me focus. I can hear everyone else breathing. Oh, we’re chanting now … but shoot, I don’t know the chant. Should I still sing, or should I just let other people do it? I don’t know. The person across from me is moving in his chair, and it’s creaking. How can I focus with all these sounds? No, it’s not his fault, it’s the chair’s fault. Maybe we need different chairs. Also, how long will adoration be? I don’t know, exactly … wait, stop thinking about the end of adoration, you’re supposed to be spiritually immersing yourself. I’m trying, I’m really trying, but unpredictable schedules make me nervous …

A few weeks ago, I found myself at a eucharistic adoration with some friends after a dorm mass. While I appreciated the opportunity to quiet myself, to leave aside my normal routine and orient my mind and soul towards God, something felt … off. despite my best attempts to close my eyes, silence myself, and focus, my brain was still bombarded with distracting thoughts. At points, I even wondered if I was just being an unideal catholic, failing to commit myself to the same level as my friends in the seats around me.

In many ways, this episode mirrors the daily anxieties I experience being on the spectrum. Given that I have to navigate social and institutional settings that are catered to neurotypical minds and not neurodivergent ones, I often get frustrated with my inability to perfectly adapt in all

situations. At some points, I might even become frustrated with myself, becoming tempted to believe that something is inherently wrong with the way I talk, behave and interact. even though I still cherish my autistic identity, I still have small moments when I feel out of place.

As a member of the catholic church, these anxieties can become more potent. Whether it’s at a large mass or a small prayer group, catholicism often involves rituals that everyone participates in, from the reciting of the our Father, to the times we kneel and to the responses of “And with your spirit” or “Thanks be to God.” This uniformity has the benefit of creating a spiritual unity among believers, a unity that brings each member of the church closer to God. however, sometimes these uniform aspects can create stress for my autistic mind. In moments like the recent eucharistic adoration I attended, I might become discouraged when I perceive that everyone else is praying, worshipping or listening in ways that are different than my own. I might even perceive others as “better” catholics than me.

but ultimately, I’ve been able to recognize that these perceptions are just that … perceptions. They don’t reflect reality. even though it might outwardly seem that everyone participates in spiritual activities in an identical manner, everyone brings their own experiences and personalities to these moments, even if these idiosyncrasies aren’t always visible to other people.

In addition, while it is true that catholic rituals often emphasize unity of action, the catholic faith also includes the integral notion of the body of christ. This notion helps remind me that our differences do not undermine our membership in one all-encompassing spiritual community. In fact, our differences reflect that we all have something

unique to contribute to catholic life.

Thus, my autistic identity does not make me a “worse” catholic — it just means that I participate in a different way. For example, I’ve personally found a lot of value in completing meditative prayer with music in a quiet room by myself. This is because I tend to struggle to put myself in a quiet, reflective mood when I’m around other people. but this isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy forms of prayer and worship in group settings. Far from it! I still love singing with my choir buddies and going to mass with friends. Generally, as long as I don’t have to be especially quiet and still, I love finding spiritual outlets that bring me closer to my peers.

now to be clear, I’m not suggesting that all of my struggles with prayer have to do with my being neurodivergent. I’m sure that there genuinely are areas that I can and should work to improve in, and there’s also something valuable about trying a new form of prayer that forces you to do things you might consider uncomfortable. so, I still hope to try eucharistic adoration again in the future. In general, though, I’ve realized the value of glorifying God in a way that’s mine, and I’m happy that my unique identity constitutes one part of the body of christ.

Jack Griffiths is a senior at Notre Dame majoring in English with a supplementary major in global affairs. His areas of interest include neurodivergence, migration and the intersections between faith and public policy. When he’s not writing, you can find him singing with the Liturgical Choir, walking around the lakes or playing Super Smash Bros with folks in his dorm. He can be reached at jgriff22@nd.edu.

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

Ethical concerns about AI chatbots

similar to the human brain’s processing. At best, AI is merely pseudoscience without the proper skills to reflect ingenuity.

In my last column, I enlisted the help of an AI chatbot to write about burnout because I was experiencing burnout myself. Luckily, I’m more energetic now and have no need for a language program to write for me. That doesn’t mean, though, that we won’t discuss AI chatbots today.

For the last several months, AI chatbots have become increasingly popular and a more integrated part of everyone’s online experience. We’ve already seen major companies announce AI components to their products, such as Google, microsoft, Apple and more. We’re also witnessing the education system grapple with the proliferation of AI chatbots, prompting an intense debate and crafting ways to mitigate cheating. As the programs become more realistic and finetuned, we can only expect them to become a bigger part of our lives.

There may be warrant for the enthusiasm among some for the greater role of AI in society. There are certainly benefits to AI chatbots, such as acquiring information quickly, automating mundane tasks and other projects. some have even found chatGPT useful for navigating relationships and receiving life advice.

however, this excitement and seemingly positive findings are overshadowed by the larger ethical concerns about AI’s advancement. As of yesterday, thousands of technology leaders and researchers have signed a letter calling for a pause in AI development. Their concern is that major AI chatbots like chatGPT, microsoft’s newly AI-equipped bing and Google’s bard are accelerating too quickly without proper guardrails or protocols in place to regulate these programs. I also share their worries and hope in today’s column to highlight two particular issues emerging from AI: misinformation and hatred.

First, AI chatbots lend themselves to spreading misinformation. In a guest essay for The new York Times, famous linguist dr. noam chomsky, along with his co-authors dr. Ian roberts and Jeffrey Watumull, warned of the “false promise” about chatGPT and other AI chatbots. In a simplistic way, their argument is that AI chatbots do not demonstrate true intelligence because they can only describe and predict based on a set of data, not explain and create a causal chain

This becomes an issue when AI chatbots become consultants for truth and a source of information. When they can’t find an answer, they’ll make one up. many have found that these chatbots will simply create new, non-factual information when they cannot acquire a clear answer. chatGPT, for instance, will create nonexistent sources when answering prompts. While this can normally be resolved by independent fact-checking, it does reveal the limitations of AI chatbots and the threat they pose to the integrity of our information economy. researchers were also able to get chatGPT to reproduce conspiracy theories and other types of false information. When these programs are able to spew dangerous disinformation, it amplifies the threats we’re already seeing against truth in our society. As long as we treat AI chatbots as legitimate sources of information, we risk subjecting ourselves inadvertently to distortions of the truth that threaten our understanding of the world. concerns about the truthfulness of AI responses are even more pronounced in programs that pose as historical figures. historical Figures chat is powered by chatGPT-3 and offers users the ability to speak to historical figures. The issue, however, is that the imitations of historical figures are not necessarily historically accurate. For instance, a conversation with heinrich himmler, the orchestrator of the “Final solution” during the holocaust, will show users that he’s remorseful about his treatment toward Jews. This is likely due to policies prohibiting hate speech by openAI, the company that created chatGPT. While that policy was likely well-intentioned, this example reveals how it can lead to clear distortions of history that undermine well-established historical narratives.

second, AI chatbots often participate in explicit and implicit bigotry, exposing the dangers of seeking information from sources devoid of morality. In addition to the power of explanation, chomsky and his co-authors also emphasized the capacity for moral thinking as a key feature of intelligence. morality is necessary to steer us in the proper direction of research and application of information toward just aims. AI chatbots, however, aren’t capable of moral thinking, or at least to the extent that we’d like. Their mode of operation is to collect information based on a prompt and provide a suitable output that aligns with their programming. For

many chatbots, there’s some kind of feature prohibiting hate speech and other discriminatory behavior. Programming has errors, though, and those bugs can be exploited in addition to failing to account for specific, nuanced scenarios.

When microsoft released an AI Twitter feed in 2016, users quickly fed bigoted information that eventually led to the Tay chatbot itself becoming a hate-spewing program. Tay tweeted things like “Jews did 9/11,” called for a race war and called feminism a disease. meta’s AI chatbot alleged election denialism and complained that American Jews are too liberal. bing’s AI prompted one user to say “heil hitler.” In its earlier iterations, chatGPT called for torturing Iranians and syrians, as well as surveilling mosques. Although AI companies have tried to combat these tendencies, it hasn’t stopped users from bypassing mistakes to get around the ethical safeguards.

These instances clearly demonstrate that efforts to minimize bigotry and hatred from AI chatbots will always nearly be in vain. meanwhile, while AI continues to develop, more ways will be found to steer these chatbots toward incendiary views. This should gravely concern us all, as the greater integration of AI in society can potentially exacerbate marginalization of oppressed groups when AI systems can themselves be bigoted. For instance, the use of AI to evaluate potential tenants has been found to perpetuate housing discrimination in the United states.

AI is certainly developing too quickly and not enough work is being invested into fixing its tendencies to spread misinformation and hatred. In fact, we’re seeing the exact opposite, such as microsoft laying off its ethics team while increasing AI investments. As AI continues to advance, more pressure is needed on these companies to address these concerns. We can’t allow misinformation and bigotry to go high tech.

Blake Ziegler is a senior at Notre Dame studying political science, philosophy and constitutional studies. He enjoys writing about Judaism, the good life, pressing political issues and more. Outside of The Observer, Blake serves as president of the Jewish Club and a teaching assistant for God and the Good Life. He can be reached at @NewsWithZig on Twitter or bziegler@nd.edu.

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

Blake Ziegler news with Zig

Jack Griffiths neurodivergence

By CLAIRE LYONS

v iewpoint e ditor

If you’re looking for a night filled with catchy music, impressive tap dancing and lots of laughs to distract you from midterms, then look no further! Pasquerilla east musical company’s (Pemco) spring musical is finally hitting the Washington hall main stage this weekend.

Imagine: A Wall street broker (christian Farls) and his alcoholic boss (Josh vo), an heiress (elizabeth maroshick) and her fiance (Andrew Purring), a mobster (bryce bustamante), his girlfriend (Abby Urban) and a nightclub singer (danielle Gerardi) walk onto an ocean liner to London ...

And, no, this isn’t “Triangle of sadness.”

It’s “Anything Goes,” a 1934 musical that follows the unlikely interactions between new York’s finest and trashiest on board the ss American. The Wall street broker, billy crocker, stows away to woo the beautiful and wealthy hope harcourt and, in the process, accidentally helps a mobster — moonface martin a.k.a. Public enemy no. 13 — escape the law. The catch is: hope is engaged to british royalty, the nightclub singer is hopelessly in love with billy and the mobster might be nicer than you think.

When the spotlight centers on the sultry nightclub singer reno sweeney for the ensemble’s performance of the showstopping “Anything Goes,” just know you’re in for a treat. The choreographers — christina sayut, Theresa Thomas, Libby White and Audrey boennighausen — totally popped off.

some of the best tap dancing I’ve ever seen was executed in the song’s five-minute run-time. I was awestruck, to say the least. reno is our guide to life on the ss American, and with Gerardi’s commanding stage presence and wonderful voice, you’re in good hands. The set is beautifully designed with an upper level which creates endless opportunities for singing and dancing on the ss American. Plus, the costuming team did a phenomenal job with everybody’s get-ups, especially considering the many different disguises of mr. moonface martin and billy crocker. It was clear there was a cohesive aesthetic vision for the stage at every point of “Anything Goes,” and it may or may not have come from the cape codcore Pinterest board of my dreams.

The blossoming love between billy and hope is fairly innocent, grounding the musical’s emotional center in lighthearted puppy love. Farls and maroshick make you go “aww” and put your hands over your heart in “easy to Love” and duet “It’s de-Lovely.”

And while I’m a total sucker for romance, I truly think the musical’s strength lies in how downright hilarious it is. The unlikely alliance between second-rate gangster moonface martin, billy and reno (“Friendship”) was the perfect combination of high- and low-brow characters. The physical gags were hilarious. Watch out for moonface’s gun and cheeky, the dog on board. (The two aren’t correlated, thank God.)

I cannot emphasize enough how fun it was watching bustamante put on a new York mobster accent a la “The sopranos” as moonface martin (“be Like the blue bird”).

humor comes out in every aspect of the musical. billy’s boss has a weirdly obsessive loyalty to Yale and killer comedic timing. hope’s fiance never quite understands American slang. even the captain acts like a silly goose. spit (Trey Paine) and dippy (rylan chromy) were also hilarious and tasteful revisions of the original musical. I’m still considering their lobsters.

“Anything Goes” is Pemco at its best, and that isn’t to disparage their previous performances. They always put on a good show, but “Anything Goes” is exactly the kind of lighthearted musical that plays to the hilarious cast’s comedic strengths. It was the laugh I needed, and that you might need too.

sail away from your troubles and see some antics on the Atlantic ocean with Pemco’s “Anything Goes.” Attending the show in Washington hall main stage at 7 p.m. tonight or tomorrow helps celebrate the hard work of Pemco’s cast and crew. Tickets are available at the LaFun box office.

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

“Anything Goes”

Director: Christina Sayut

Produced by: Pasquerilla East Musical Company

Starring: Danielle Gerardi and Christian Farls

Where: Washington Hall Main Stage

When: March 30 to April 1 at 7 p.m.

By GABRIELLE BEECHERT

Assistant managing editor

ever since I saw the first clip of Taylor swift’s eras Tour, I knew we were in for a wild ride. each concert lasts over three hours, and the 44-song setlist takes the audience through each of swift’s 10 eras, or album cycles. Any audience member would be captivated by her performance, filled with theatrics, musical mashups and sparkling costumes that pay homage to the era of each song (my personal favorite was the Zuhair murad ball gown swift wore while performing “enchanted”). And while I am more than excited to experience my first Taylor swift concert, I find myself looking forward to what is arguably the least ostentatious aspect of her entire show: the surprise songs.

during each show, swift chooses two of her songs outside of the standard setlist and performs acoustic renditions of them. The goal is, she said, is to never repeat a surprise song throughout the duration of the tour. There is a beauty in the simplicity of swift stripping down two of her songs and playing it for the crowd. It’s just Taylor, her guitar and the audience. Although there are 60,000 other people at the show, the surprise songs still manage to make each listener feel special. They also ensure that everyone stays interested. one of the first things I do after one of her shows is look up the surprise songs, praying she didn’t perform my favorites. In honor of swift’s surprise songs, I have a couple guesses that I want to share. This list is a culmination of ideas I’ve had on my own, guesses from friends and predictions I’ve seen on social media. I would like to preface this by saying

I don’t think this is something I would be particularly good at, and most of theses are very surface level. but, I think it’s fun to guess anyways. so, let’s begin.

Atlanta Night 1 — “coney island” feat. The National The national, the band featured on “coney island” off of “evermore,” is releasing their new album on April 28. I think they’ll be a surprise guest at this show and perform “coney island” with swift. At the very least, she’ll likely perform this song at this concert to promote their new album, much like how swift performed “snow on the beach” to promote Lana del rey’s new album.

Atlanta Night 2 — “High Infidelity”

I’m fairly confident — and I think most fans are as well — that swift will perform “high Infidelity” during her second show in Atlanta. It would be remiss of her to abstain from singing, “do you really want to know where I was April 29th?” on April 29.

Nashville, Tennessee Night 1, 2 or 3 — “invisible string”

Another geographic guess! shocker. I think the mention of centennial Park in “invisible string” makes it a decent contender for one of the nashville shows.

East Rutherford, New Jersey Night 3 — “Cornelia Street”

This is less of a prediction and more of a hope. cornelia street is my all-time favorite Taylor swift song, especially the Live from Paris version. I know that everyone hopes for their favorite songs at their show, but I think I might have a real chance. The song’s name is a reference to the home swift rented on cornelia street in manhattan. since geography has been a big theme throughout all my guesses, I’m

hoping she saves it for the last new York show so she can go out with a bang. Keeps your fingers crossed!

Los Angeles Night 5 — “Long Live” and “You’re on Your Own, Kid”

Let me start off by saying that if this combination actually happens, the people at this show are automatic the winners of the eras Tour. but I really do think she’ll perform at least one of these at her last show. swift has said that “Long Live” is always going to be about her fans, and with lyrics like “long live all the mountains we moved / I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you,” it is a perfect, triumphant closer for the tour. The only song more perfect than “Long Live” is probably “You’re on Your own, Kid.” many fans — myself included — were surprised it wasn’t on the permanent setlist. The song is a bittersweet reflection of swift’s personal growth and career through which she recalls her transformation from relying on the validation of others to trusting her inner strength to guide her through adversity. There’s a nostalgia and hopefulness to the song that makes it the perfect closer.

regardless of the surprise songs swift chooses for my concert, I know I’m going to lose my mind. And although I said I think I am going to be really bad at this, I hope that at least some of my predictions were correct, because it would be embarrassing if I got all of them wrong. but if you’ve made it this far, happy eras Tour, and I wish you the best of luck with your own predictions.

Read the rest of this story on our website.

Contact Gabrielle Beechert at gbeecher@nd.edu

Happy Birthday: Donate your time to something you care about this year and make a difference. your input will impact others and lead to longlasting connections that will help you shape your life into something vibrant and inviting. keep the momentum flowing, and use your energy to build a future that makes you proud. Distance yourself from harmful influences and overindulgence. your numbers are 9, 11, 18, 24, 33, 39, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): undesirable behavior will lead to emotional setbacks. Choose your words and path carefully. A step in the wrong direction will turn into a costly affair. Stay poised, focused and true to yourself, and the tables will turn in your favor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Monitor what you agree to and know how to draw the line when necessary. A change of plans will encourage you to open your door and entertain the thought of hosting something that can benefit you and your friends. romance is escalating.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Address situations carefully to avoid an uncomfortable outcome. you’ll get a better reception if you use your charm and offer incentives to those who have something you want in return. Play to win but not at the expense of giving up too much.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): halt before making a mistake. l isten, reflect, keep what you hear in perspective and remain calm. Poor behavior won’t solve problems or give anyone the license to be mean or disrespectful. Protect yourself and avoid conflict. Play fair; choose peace and love.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): you’re on a roll, but rethink your strategy before you take on too much. Delegate what you don’t have time to complete to an expert. Protect your health, reputation and emotional well-being from anyone who tries to take advantage of you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take a chance and try something new and exciting. Surround yourself with people and projects that excite you, and participate in events that help you connect with individuals who share your insight and dreams. romance is on the rise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Embrace the positive and walk away from negativity. you have so much to gain if you are transparent and make it clear what you are trying to achieve and why. Channel your energy into finishing what you start, not arguing a moot point.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): keep your inner thoughts to yourself. focus on exploring your creative ideas and maintaining your status quo, regardless of what others do or say. Nurture the relationships that make differences in your life. Positive changes will occur.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): keep your money to yourself, and go it alone if it makes more sense. Concentrate on your home, lifestyle and the ones you love in order to ensure you maintain a safe and positive environment. Personal growth is apparent if you keep interference at arm’s length.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change of scenery will lift your spirits. rearrange your furniture or clear a space for a project you want to pursue. keep your thoughts to yourself and curb any inkling to overdo or spend. Make peace and love priorities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Brainstorming will lead to progress. Turn your thoughts into something concrete. refuse to let an emotional incident come between you and your plans. Slow down and do things right the first time, and success will follow. Avoid injury or sickness; don’t take unnecessary risks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Clear a space and sink your teeth into something you must complete. A few changes to your everyday routine will help you cut corners financially. Sharing expenses with someone or spending less on unnecessary items will ease stress. romance is favored.

Birthday Baby: you are insightful, reactive and diligent. you are knowledgeable and organized.

Vaughan: AL East Preview

With opening day taking place yesterday, the major League baseball seson is finally here. With the season about to start, it’s time to finish looking ahead to the upcoming season and the expectations for each club. over the past few weeks, I’ve previewed 25 teams, helping get fans ready for the 154th season of professional baseball. Up this week, the final edition of the preseason previews, the American League east.

division overview: over the past decade, the AL east has exhibited substantial parity. All five teams have won the division at least once. In 2022, the new York Yankees recaptured the AL east crown, winning the division for the first time since 2019, their 20th division title overall.

Baltimore Orioles (2022: 8379, .512)

After three straight 100+ losses seasons, the baltimore orioles turned the corner in 2022, finishing over .500 for the first time since 2016. The o’s look to build off that momentum in 2023 with a playoff appearance. With the top farm system in baseball, baltimore will rely on young talent, starting with talented catcher Adley rutschman. Joining rutschman will be Gunnar henderson (baseball’s top-rated prospect), an early rookie of the Year Award contender. Filling in the rest of the infield will be a mix of offseason acquisitions: former All-stars Adam Frazier and James mccann, as well as former prospects Jorge mateo and ryan mountcastle. The outfield is led by two sluggers in cedric mullins and Anthony santander, as well as Austin hays. The rotation will be led by Kyle Gibson, with dean Kremer and cole Irvin making up the top three. Ace John means is set to return from Tommy John later this summer, while Grayson rodriguez (7th ranked prospect in baseball) will begin the season in Triple-A. In relief, the orioles added mychal Givens to join cionel Perez and dillon Tate, as well as closer Felix bautista.

Boston red Sox (2022: 78-84, .491)

After making the playoffs in four of the past five full seasons, the boston red sox were unable to compete in a stacked division, finishing last despite being just six games under .500. A trio of departures leaves All-star third baseman rafael devers as the only starter returning. Joining devers will be the highly touted Triston casas (23rd ranked prospect in baseball), veteran slugger Justin Turner, the speedy Adalberto mondesi and utilityman christian Arroyo. reese mcGuire and connor Wong will share the catching duties. In the outfield, mainstays Alex verdugo will join newcomers Adam duvall and masataka Yoshida. enrique

hernández is likely to see time all over the diamond. In terms of pitching, the starting rotation will be headed by workhorse nick Pivetta, with corey Kluber, chris sale and James Paxton returning from injury. Young arms brayan bello, Josh Winckowski and Tanner houck are in the mix to start as well. The bullpen was improved with free agent signings chris martin and closer Kenley Jansen, who should complement ryan brasier, John schreiber and others. Playing with a new-look squad in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, 2023 looks to be difficult for the red sox, with a playoff spot far from certain.

New york yankees (2022: 9963, .611)

For the sixth consecutive season, the new York Yankees made the postseason, but failed to claim their 28th World series title. The bronx bombers were washed out of the playoffs by the Astros in the ALcs The biggest offseason move made by brian cashman and the Yankee brass was the re-signing of 2022 AL mvP Aaron Judge, one of baseball’s biggest stars, to a nine-year, $360 million deal. The Yankees also resigned first baseman Anthony rizzo (two years, $40 million) and splurged on lefty starter carlos rodón (six years, $162 million). The rotation will be led by All-star starters Gerrit cole and nestor cortes, though Frankie montas and Luis severino are both slated to start the season on the IL. closer clay holmes heads a bullpen that was one of the best in baseball last season, with Jonathan Loáisiga, michael King and others providing valuable innings as well. In terms of position players, Anthony volpe (5th ranked prospect in baseball) will be starting the year in the bronx. Along with volpe and the aforementioned rizzo, the infield will feature Gleyber Torres, Josh donaldson and Gold Glover dJ Lemahieu – and most likely, oswald Peraza (52nd ranked prospect), sometime later this the season. behind the dish, the Yankees will employ one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, with Platinum Glover Jose Trevino and Kyle higashioka splitting time. In the outfield, Judge will be joined by Giancarlo stanton and harrison bader (when healthy), among others. The 2023 Yankees return a talented squad and have title-winning aspirations for this season.

Tampa Bay rays (2022: 86-76,

.531)

In 2022, the Tampa bay rays made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, despite one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Unfortunately, that playoff run would be short-lived, with Tampa being swept by the Guardians in the Wild card round. Though Tampa inked a three-year, $40 million deal for starting pitcher Zach eflin, the rays are otherwise banking on major contributions from players returning from injuries. That bet is

paramount at middle infield, where stars Wander Franco and brandon Lowe missed a combined 176 games this past year. surrounding these two cornerstones are Yandy diaz and Isaac Paredes, both coming off strong seasons. The outfield is headlined by standout randy Arozarena, who has a knack for the big moments. he’s joined by baserunning standouts manuel margot and Jose siri. catchers christian bethancourt and Francisco mejía and dh harold ramírez round out the lineup. o n the pitching side of things, lefty s hane m c c lanahan, who finished top six in 2022 c y Young voting, is the ace. behind him, the rays will utilize eflin, along with drew rasmussen, Jeffrey springs and others. dominant righty Tyler Glasnow may return soon, though he is currently dealing with an oblique injury.. closer Jason Adam is coming off a career year and looks to anchor a deep bullpen featuring Pete Fairbanks and Jalen beeks.

Toronto Blue Jays (2022: 9270, .568)

Although they won over 90 games for their second consecutive year, the Toronto blue Jays’ 2022 campaign ended a season-ending playoff sweep. In 2023, the Jays feature a talented roster that hopes to extend their postseason stay. Toronto will be led by position players, most notably All stars vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (fresh off a Gold Glove), santiago espinal and Alejandro Kirk (fresh off a silver slugger Award). surrounding them on the left side of the infield will be bo bichette and matt chapman, who both look to return to All-star form. George springer is the only primary outfieldertoreturn,buthe’llbejoinedby defensive wizard Kevin Kiermaier and versatile power-hitter daulton varsho. Whit merrifield provides quality depth around the diamond. When not catching, danny Jansen looks to dh as well. In terms of arms, the starting rotation is led by a two-headed monster in Alek manoah and Kevin Gausman. behind them, free agent signing chris bassitt looks to take over for ross stripling, while José berríos hopes to recapture his old Twins form. hyun Jim ryu’s slated midseason return from Tommy John should be a boost. relivers Jordan r omano, e rik s wanson and Tim m ayza look to anchor down the b lue Jays bullpen.

Contact Joey Vaughn at jvaugha2@nd.edu

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

the o range as of late, winning the last five games between the two teams. In the last four matchups between the teams, the Irish have won in dominating fashion, winning each game by at least seven goals. In last year’s matchups, the Irish beat s yracuse 22-6 at Arlotta s tadium and 18-11 at the J m A Wireless d ome.

A memorable moment from last year’s home victory against s yracuse was Irish senior attack Jake Taylor scoring eight goals to set a program record for goals in a game in his first career start. In last year’s victory on the road, it was senior attack Pat Kavanagh that shined for the Irish, as he recorded ten points on the day to tie his own program record for points in a game.

The last Irish loss to the

o range came on m arch 31, 2018 when the o range beat the Irish 10-6 in s yracuse.

If the Irish are going to keep their winning streak alive on s aturday, they will look to improve on the faceoff. Although the Irish have on just 44.1% of their faceoffs this season, the o range have only won 42.0%. Whoever can get into a groove at the faceoff spot will likely have the upperhand on s aturday. The Irish and o range both have great goalkeepers as well. Irish senior Liam e ntenmann has been spectacular for the Irish, saving 56.7% of the shots, but Will m ark has been even better for the o range, saving 60.6% of the shots he’s faced.

s aturday’s game at the J m A Wireless d ome will begin at 2 p.m. es T and can be viewed on the A cc n etwork.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller@nd.edu

Belles golf, tennis on a roll

TOM ZWILLER sports Writer

The last week has treated both the s t. m ary’s golf and tennis teams well, with both notching strong performances as they move into the home stretch of their respective regular seasons.

SMc dominates Miaa opponents

The s aint m ary’s c ollege women’s tennis team continued conference play over the weekend when they took on Adrian c ollege at home in the e ck Tennis Pavilion. The game was originally slated for m arch 10 but was postponed until m arch 26.

The b elles got off to an excellent start against the b ulldogs when they swept Adrian in doubles play. In the first doubles match, the duo of sophomore Alayna c ampbell and first-year e mma Kealy won 8-3, while senior Lucy c hamberlin and first-year Leah h osang won by a closer score of 8-5.

The best doubles outing, however, belonged to senior Kathleen m cLeod and first-year e velyn d emblans- d echans, who dominated their opponents by a score of 8-1.

The two teams then moved to singles, play where s aint m ary’s continued to dominate.

c ampbell lost her first set 4-6 before rallying back and winning her next two, 6-1 and 10-8, respectively.

Kealy nabbed a quick victory, sweeping her opponent 6-0 and 6-2, while h osang won her sets 6-4 and 6-1. d emblans- d echans secured the final smc victory by shutting out her opponent in back-to-back sets, winning both 6-0. smc had two losses as senior Kathleen m cLeod fell in three sets, losing a closely contested third set 10-8. c hamberlin had the other loss for the b elles, losing both sets 2-6.

b etween their sweep in the doubles portion of the match and their 4-2 victory in the singles matches, the b elles knocked off the b ulldogs with a final score of 7-2.

For the b elles, the win extended a dominant win streak and improved their overall record to 12-0 and a conference record of 2-0. The loss sends Adrian to 1-6 on the year and puts

see smc sPorTs PaGE 13

Joey Vaughan sports Writer

SMc SPOrTS

Irish host top-15 foe in Tar Heels

ANDREW McGUINNESS

s ports e ditor

This season has presented notre d ame women’s lacrosse with no shortage of difficult opponents. The i rish have already faced the top two teams in the country in s yracuse and northwestern, respectively, losing to both. They handed no. 22 c lemson its first loss in program history back on Feb. 25, then crushed no. 20 d uke a week later. Two games ago, the i rish were unable to overcome a disastrous second quarter, falling 16-13 to no. 11 v irginia.

That’s half of notre d ame’s season so far right there. a nd things will not get much easier with game 11, which puts the i rish against no. 3 north c arolina. s o far, the no. 12 ranked i rish have largely won the games they were supposed to — and lost the ones they were supposed to as well. s aturday offers the i rish a chance at a signature victory.

Irish men’s, women’s teams begin play in April

notre d ame should enter their matchup with the Tar heels, the second contest of a three-game homestand, with confidence. i n the last gameand-a-half since that nightmare second quarter against the c avaliers, the i rish have outscored their opponents 30-12. a fter their late comeback push against v irginia came up just short, notre d ame won another one of those games they expect to win against brown.

brown did enter the game 5-3 but has struggled mightily against ranked teams, and they fared no better against the i rish. Three i rish players tallied hat-tricks, with senior attacker m adison a hern leading the way with five goals. a hern and senior attacker Jackie Wolak each registered six points, with Wolak finishing with a trio of goals and assists. notre d ame took a 5-0 lead less than 10 minutes in on goals

see WLaX PaGE 13

ANDREW McGUINNESS

sports editor

april is a massive month for all spring sports teams. a nd that is certainly the case for both the notre dame men’s and women’s golf teams. both will compete in the acc championships later this month, with aspirations of reaching the ncaa championship as well. but there is still work to do before the postseason begins.

men’s golf has its penultimate event of the regular season from april 1 to 2. The irish will compete in the augusta haskins award invitational at Forest hills Golf club in rockford, illinois. notre dame had success in the event last year, finishing fourth with a team score of 15 under par. Graduate student a ndrew o’Leary turned in a strong 72-72-69 performance across the three rounds, finishing tied for 14th individually. senior Palmer Jackson wasn’t far behind, going 70-71-75 and placing in a tie for 23rd. Jackson, a 2020-21 Ping d1 a ll-region selection, will be a key figure

for the irish down the stretch.

Junior a ngelo marcon recorded notre dame’s lowest singleround score with a 67 to begin the tournament.

notre dame’s -15 overall score was its second-lowest total last season, which concluded with a top-five finish in the acc tournament. The irish will have some fierce competition in this year’s field, which includes no. 6 illinois and no.

19 Georgia southern. a fter this weekend concludes, the irish have one more competition before the regular season concludes. That’s the Thunderbird invitational, hosted by a rizona state at Papago Golf club in Phoenix, a rizona, from april 14 to 15.

meanwhile, the women’s team is gearing up for its final event before the regular season, the chattanooga classic.

The tournament takes place from april 2 to 4 and is being held at council Fire Golf club in chattanooga, Tennessee.

The irish enter the event coming off an eighth-place finish at the Florida state matchup,

held at seminole Legacy club in Tallahassee, Florida. senior Lauren beaudreau, graduate student caroline curtis and sophomore montgomery Ferreira led the way, each tying for 33rd. curtis registered notre dame’s low round of the competition with a 73 in the middle round, powering through a weather delay in doing so. notre dame’s +72 overall score was its third-highest of the season, but the showing came on a very challenging course. The irish are just a few tournaments removed from a season-best +13 in the colombia classic, which was good enough for a top-five finish in that event. The irish will not be in action again until the acc championships from april 13 to 16 at sedgefield country club in Greensboro, north carolina. a veteran irish team comprised almost entirely of upperclassmen will look to lean on their experience for a strong finish to the season.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

said. “You see people pursuing excellence and that’s what we want to do.”

That idea of pursuing excellence is one he wants his new team to exemplify on and off the court.

“We’re going to pursue excellence on a daily basis,” s hrewsberry said. “We’re going to try to grow as players, we’re going to try to grow as people and we’re going to become the best versions of ourselves.”

In terms of on-court playing style, three values will guide the next era of Irish men’s basketball.

“We’re going to play with discipline, we’re going to play with toughness and we’re going to play together,” he said. “If you do that, you give yourselves a chance every night, and that’s all I’m asking [for].”

s hrewsberry then spoke on his coaching philosophy and the type of players that he looks for in more detail.

“I’m a defensive guy first. It didn’t always show up this year [at Penn s tate], but I did care about defense,” he said jokingly. “I really value skill. I really value guys that can dribble, pass and shoot. Guys that can play on their feet, that can think on their feet and can make decisions really quickly.”

While long-term success

Nd SOFTBaLL

is a priority for s hrewsberry, results next year are paramount as well. he described his initial meeting with the players currently on n otre d ame’s roster.

“I have had a chance to sit down with the current players and I really enjoyed that, because you don’t get into a lot of basketball-specific things,” s hrewsberry said.

“I wanted to know who they were. I wanted to know about their families, I wanted to know what their goals were.”

After suffering significant losses because of players graduating or transferring out ( s hrewsberry joked at one point that his top priority is being able to field a team for next season), he plans to be patient while building n otre d ame’s roster.

“I’m not going to skip steps to build a roster,” s hrewsberry said. “I’m big on people and I’m big on fit. You have to find people who fit your university — that’s who’s going to have success there.”

In terms of his current to-do list, s hrewsberry mentioned getting on the court with the current team, recruiting and building a coach staff, with significant emphasis placed on hitting the recruiting trail hard.

“r ecruiting’s really important. It never stops, and it hasn’t since this change has happened,” s hrewsberry said. “no stone will be [left] unturned to find that person, find that fit.”

s hrewsberry spoke on how he has improved as a coach in the time since he held the head coaching position at IUsb more than 15 years ago

“I didn’t know who I wanted to be as a coach,” he said.

“I didn’t have a philosophy, I wasn’t being myself. And now — full-circle moment — I’m way more comfortable in who I am as a coach.”

m any factors played into his decision to accept the position at n otre d ame. b ut first and foremost, he wants to win, and he believes that he’ll have that opportunity with the Irish.

“You can win the national championship here and that’s what we’re going to do, that’s what we’re going to fight for every single day. We’re also going to do it the right way,” s hrewsberry said. “If we do that, if we find those kids, if we can be the toughest team, the most disciplined team, the most together team, we’re going to pursue national championships.”

notre d ame’s 2023-24 season opener won’t arrive for nearly eight months. The Irish have a long and important offseason ahead of them. b ut with s hrewsberry at the helm, it seems like the program is moving in the right direction and is set up for success in the near future.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Nd MEN’S L acrOSSE

Irish to take on Syracuse

By NATE MOLLER s enior s ports Writer

The third-ranked n otre d ame men’s lacrosse team (6-1, 0-1 A cc ) will head to upstate n ew York this weekend to face the s yracuse o range (6-4, 0-2 A cc ).

The Irish won their first six games of the season and were ranked first in the country before last week’s home defeat to v irginia by a score of 15-10. With the win, the c avaliers jumped the Irish in the rankings to number one. m aryland also jumped the Irish in the rankings, even though the Irish beat the Terrapins earlier this season.

In last week’s loss to v irginia, the Irish were outmatched in nearly all aspects of the game. The c avaliers dominated on faceoffs, winning 17-of-29 from the drop. The c avaliers also generated more shots and gathered more ground balls en route to their comfortable victory at Arlotta s tadium.

The Irish will look to improve these aspects of their game against a s yracuse team that has been competitive this season, despite

having four losses. Three of s yracuse’s losses this season were by three goals or less against d uke, m aryland and Johns h opkins. All three of these teams are ranked in the top-10 in the country by Inside Lacrosse as well.

The o range’s worst loss of the season came against n o. 12 n orth c arolina with the Tar h eels beating s yracuse handedly by a score of 19-13.

The o range have played well as of late, winning their last three games against h ofstra, s t. b onaventure, and h obart.

The toughest task for the Irish on s aturday might be containing o range freshman attack Joey s pallina, who has had a fantastic rookie season. s pallina leads the o range with 46 points (27 goals and 19 assists). At times, s pallina has proved to be nearly unstoppable. In o range wins against h ofstra and h oly c ross, s pallina recorded seven points in each game, which is the highest mark in a single game by an o range player this season.

The Irish have dominated see mLAX PaGE 10

Irish prepare for weekend series vs. Pitt

By J.J. POST

Associate s ports e ditor

notre d ame softball will return to Acc play this weekend when they square off against Pittsburgh in s outh b end.

The Irish are looking to find momentum following a dominant 15-0 showing against IUPUI Tuesday. The offensive explosion was much needed for a notre d ame squad that struggled over the weekend against s yracuse.

After a series-opening win, the Irish offense fell flat s unday in their doubleheader with the o range.

After posting just 3 runs in game one, notre d ame’s offense couldn’t score in game two. Thankfully, the efforts of Payton Tidd on the mound held the game in a 0-0 stalemate until the arrival of lightning forced the game’s conclusion. The scoreless draw marked Irish softball’s first tie since 2008 and firstever tie in Acc play.

Against the Panthers, notre d ame will face another team struggling to find its footing in conference play. s yracuse was last place in the Acc

until their win (and draw) with the Irish last weekend — that honor now belongs to Pittsburgh.

notre d ame’s pitching staff, fresh off a midweek combined shutout, will look to dominate a struggling Panther offense. Pittsburgh has eclipsed five runs in a game just twice over their last month of action.

s unday’s shutout tie against s yracuse marked just the first time all season that the Irish held a Power Five opponent scorelessly. With Tuesday’s blanking of IUPUI in hand, Friday could offer notre d ame a chance to piece together a streak of shutouts.

o ffering hope for the potential of such a streak is the likely starting pitcher for the Irish on Friday. veteran ace

Payton Tidd has been head coach d eanna Gumpf’s go-to in the circle for series openers all season. The graduate student hurler has now started three of n otre d ame’s five shutouts this season.

A fifth-year starter for the Irish, Tidd has seen it all in Acc play over the course of her career. h er veteran

presence on the mound has been massive for a young Irish rotation. n otre d ame uses two other pitchers in Acc play — sophomore s hannon b ecker and freshman m icaela Kastor. Tidd’s veteran know-how and experience has made her the leader in the Irish stable. notre d ame’s greatest challenge in the Panther offense will likely be infielder duo Yvonne Whaley and s arah s eamans. The graduate student pairing are first and second for Pittsburgh in just about every hitting metric, including batting average, on-base percent and slugging percent. The duo plated every Panther run in the team’s last outing against v irginia.

With inclement s outh b end weather looming, it remains unclear what the series’ schedule will look like. As it stands, however, first pitch at melissa c ook on Friday is set for 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Acc network e xtra.

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

BaSKETBaLL

Campbell leaves for Howard

By MATTHEW CROW Associate s ports e ditor

o n Tuesday evening, n otre d ame men’s basketball freshman d om

c ampbell announced that he will be transferring to h oward for the upcoming season. c ampbell, a forward from s carborough, me , entered the transfer portal on m arch 13 amid uncertainty with the Irish coaching staff, but left the door open for a possible return to s outh b end. h e now makes it official that he will be leaving the program after one season.

c ampbell came to n otre d ame as a four-star recruit and was ranked among the top 100 players in the c lass of 2022 by r ivals.

The 6’9″ forward was just the third Irish player from m aine during former head coach m ike b rey’s tenure and was a standout at Phillips e xeter Academy ( nh ). h e played AAU basketball with the m iddlesex m agic, the same program that developed former Irish star Pat c onnaughton and current graduate student guard c ormac r yan.

While he began his freshman season on the periphery of n otre d ame’s rotation, c ampbell worked his way into a bigger role over the course of the year. b rey spoke highly of his skill as an interior offensive player prior to the season.

“ d om [ c ampbell] is a gifted low post guy with great hands and footwork,” b rey said. “ h e has the ability to carve out space and step out as well. h e can make really good decisions with the ball in his hands.”

c ampbell saw his first playing time during the Irish’s n ovember win against s outhern Indiana, and his first n otre d ame point would come on a made free throw the following week against b owling Green. h is role increased significantly at the start of A cc play.

After contributing in a narrow loss to m iami, c ampbell’s best game of the season came in n otre d ame’s trip to c hapel h ill to play defending national runner-up n orth c arolina. h e recorded career highs in points (three) and minutes (eight) while taking on the difficult assignment of matching up with Tar h eel All-American Armando b acot, one of the strongest and most skilled

post players in the country. b acot praised c ampbell’s defensive intensity and physicality after the game.

“I think he did a good job when he came in, just disrupting the game,” b acot said of c ampbell. “ h e was physical, I think he did his part really well.”

c ampbell finished the year averaging 0.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 10 appearances. h e will look to build on the flashes of potential that he displayed in what will likely be an expanded role with h oward next season. The b ison are coming off of an outstanding year that saw them win the me A c regular season and tournament titles along with a berth in the nc AA Tournament where they were defeated by Kansas in the first round. With nearly their entire rotation set to return, and the addition of a talented two-way player like c ampbell, h oward should have a good chance of returning to m arch m adness next season.

For n otre d ame, c ampbell’s exit adds another complication to new head coach m icah s hrewsberry’s task of rebuilding the Irish roster. With freshman guard JJ s tarling having committed to s yracuse earlier this month, n otre d ame will return only one member of its highly-rated freshman class, forward ven-Allen Lubin. Losing c ampbell also saps the Irish’s interior depth. Graduate forward n ate Laszewski is now out of eligibility, and n otre d ame’s post rotation for next year currently consists of just Lubin and junior forward m att Zona.

All in all, the Irish now have just six confirmed players on the roster for next season, though s hrewsberry appears to already have significant momentum on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal during his first week with the program. c ampbell now joins s tarling and the program’s six graduate students in departing from n otre d ame.

With s hrewsberry, who has led successful rebuilds in the past, now at the helm, look for the Irish to be aggressive in making key roster additions over the coming weeks and months.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

from five different goal scorers — senior midfielder Kasey choma, junior midfielders Kelly denes and Keelin schlageter, Wolak and senior attacker Jane mcAvoy. notre dame led by at least three goals the entire way thanks to a balanced attack.

The Irish scored at least four goals every quarter. And after brown cut the lead to 10-7 early in the third, notre dame scored the last 11 goals to eliminate any drama.

north carolina should be able to offer more resistance, however. The Tar heels have a sparkling 9-1 record and are a perfect

SMc Sports

them in last place in the m ichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association standings with a record of 0-3.

After defeating Adrian on s unday, the b elles turned their attention to their next opponent on Wednesday evening when they took on c alvin University.

The b elles absolutely dominated the Knights of c alvin, with a 5-1 thrashing that avenged last season’s 2-7 loss.

s aint m ary’s only loss of the day was in doubles, where c ampbell and Kealy lost 6-8.

c hamberlin and h osang got an 8-4 win.

In the singles matches, the b elles had a clean sweep on the Knights. c hamberlin defeated her opponent in consecutive 6-4 matches, and c ampbell avenged her doubles loss with two 6-3 victories.

h osang needed three matches to beat her opponent but one the third 10-8, while d emblansd echans won 6-0 and 6-2.

With the win against c alvin, the b elles improve to 13-0, with a 3-0 conference record, tying them for first in the m IAA with Kalamazoo.

s aint m ary’s will finish their homestand when they take on h ope c ollege this Friday at the e ck Tennis Pavilion.

The last time the b elles took on the Flying d utchmen, it was in the 2022 m IAA Tournament s emis, where s aint m ary’s fell 0-5. This year, h ope is 6-4 (1-0). The match is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.

5-0 in conference play. Unc’s lone blemish was a 13-9 loss to no. 2 northwestern, who also beat the Irish earlier this year by a slightly larger 18-14 margin.

The teams have two other common opponents, virginia and clemson. Unc took home victory in each of those games by at least five goals. In fact, north carolina’s last game was against clemson, a convincing win in which the Tar heels held the Tigers to just four goals in the first three quarters.

expect saturday’s contest to be a low-scoring one, as the Tar heels and Irish are one-two in goals against in the Acc, respectively. It helps that both squads are confident in their goaltending, with both Unc’s

James d anforth “ d an”

Quayle served as the 44th v ice President of the United s tates under George h .W. b ush from 1989-1993. v P Quayle is considered to be one of the most active v ice Presidents in U s history, presiding over the U s s enate as well as serving on multiple government councils.

d espite his great many achievements, history, however, will forever remember Quayle for his unfortunate misspelling of the word “potato.”

While hosting a spelling bee in n ew Jersey, v P Quayle told a student to add an “e” to the end of the word. The incident made it on to national television and might have altered the course of political history, with the clip playing into the narrative that Quayle was unfit to be the v ice President.

m isspelling potato, however, doesn’t make you unfit to have a golf tournament named after you. And after an excellent outing by the s aint m ary’s golf team, v P emeritus Quayle would be forgiven for spelling s aint m ary’s golf team: W-I- n - n - e - r - s

The b elles of s aint m ary’s opened the d ePauw University d an Quayle m atch Play Invitational (named after the ’69 alum) by shooting a combined 327 strokes, good enough for third of the six teams competing in the invitational.

s enior e rin b ennet had the best outing for the b elles, shooting a 78, which finished fourth overall. Just three strokes behind was senior Katherine h opkins, who finished tied for eighth with a score of 81. Three b elles tied for 12th with a score of 84: first-year b reana h arrington, firstyear Julia Lizak and senior Isa Patacsil. s ophomore Katelyn Tokarz was just one

Alecia nicholas and notre dame junior Lilly callahan both top-five in the conference in goals-against average and save percentage. offensively, marissa White is a true goalscorer, tallying 24 times to just two assists. reilly casey and caitlyn Wurzburger are more well-rounded, ranking fifth and seventh in the conference in assists per game and combining for 42 goals.

The Irish will look for their biggest victory of the season at noon. The game also serves as the team’s annual daughters 4 dads game. It is available to watch on the Acc network.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

stroke behind the three, adding a score of 85, which tied for 16th.

From the opening round, the invitational moved to a bracket format where s aint m ary’s took on the second-seeded host d ePauw b lack team placed second with a score of 326. The top-seeded o hio n orthern (319) squad took on Wittenberg (334), while d ePauw Gold (350) and o hio Wesleyan (481) played in the consolation bracket.

d espite boasting the top-performing golfer, who finished stroke play with a 76, the top-seeded o hio n orthern team was upset by the fourth-seeded Wittenberg Tigers. The match was incredibly close and required a hole tiebreaker to decide the winner.

o hio n orthern would go on to win the thirdplace match against d ePauw Gold by a score of 5-0.

o n the other side of the bracket, s aint m ary’s knocked off the host d ePauw b lack team 4-2, advancing to the c hampionship to face Wittenberg.

The b elles had little difficulty defeating the fourth-seeded Tigers, winning the championship 4.5-1.5.

The invitational victory is the first time the b elles have played since the m IAA e nd of s eason Weekend Jamboree in o ctober, where they placed second and first, respectively.

The belles will look to carry this momentum with them when they continue their season at the WashU spring Invite on April 1 and 2. After that, it is off to the m IAA nc AA automatic qualifier on April 11, which will be played here in s outh bend at the e lbel Park Golf c ourse. Contact

Belles Golf Team wins dePauw dan Quayle Match Play invitational

Irish prepare for clash with No. 13 North Carolina at Frank Eck Stadium

By ANNIKA HERKO s ports Writer

n otre d ame kicks off the first of a three-game series against n orth c arolina at home in Frank e ck s tadium Friday. s ince 2015, the i rish have gone 11-5 against the Tar h eels, but lost in their matchup last year. a lthough n orth c arolina is fresh off of a 12-7 loss to c oastal c arolina, they have had an impressive 18-7 start to the season. i n the game, seven different pitchers threw for the Tar h eels. s tarter c ameron Padgett gave up six hits and three runs through 3.2 innings before he was relieved. Kevin e aise threw another 3.2 innings, giving up three runs and three hits. The next four pitchers all threw for less than an inning, allowing six hits and six runs between them. Finally, d alton Pence threw

Nd MeN’s basketball

a no-hit final inning to end the game.

Their hitters were productive though — they had seven hits and seven runs. n orth c arolina has five players with a batting average of more than .300 this season, whereas the i rish have struggled to have consistent hitting at the plate this season.

That said, the i rish had a strong showing Tuesday night against b utler.

They earned four runs off of five hits. s ophomore infielder Jack Penney, graduate student infielder Zack Prajzner, graduate student outfielder Jack Zyska and graduate student infielder c arter

Putz all scored for the i rish. Junior Jackson

d ennies threw a no-hitter through four innings before graduate student

a idan Tyrell replaced him at the mound. Tyrell

gave up only two b utler hits of the game but earned the win. Freshman c aden s pivey threw a no-hit final inning to close up the win. This victory marked n otre d ame’s first shutout of the season. a s the i rish get back into conference play this weekend, consistency will be essential to accumulating more wins. The pitching staff continues to show up for the i rish, but getting on base is often a challenge. a nd, more often than not, n otre d ame’s top hitters are only managing one hit a game. The series against Louisville shows that the i rish can hit well, they just need to find offensive production in more than occasional spurts.

Friday’s game starts at 6 p.m., s aturday’s at 3 p.m. and s unday’s game at 1 p.m.

Shrewsberry’s first press conference, return to Indiana a ‘full-circle moment’

By MATTHEW CROW a ssociate sports editor

micah shrewsberry was officially introduced as notre dame’s head men’s basketball coach Thursday morning. The Purcell Pavilion press conference was open to the public — amplifying a clear sense of excitement in the air as irish fans welcomed shrewsberry to south bend.

Former irish player Jordan cornette served as master of ceremonies and discussed the near-universal acclaim that shrewberry’s hire had been met with in his opening remarks.

“[This is] the first time that i’m aware of in big-time basketball that a coach was selected for a vacancy and not one person, to my knowledge, had a negative reaction,” cornette said. “across the board — from former players, alumni, pundits — this was a home-run hire.”

cornette was followed by the two people responsible for hiring shrewsberry, University President Fr. Jenkins and director of athletics Jack swarbrick.

in the hiring process, Jenkins said that he emphasized the character of the candidates and their overall fit at notre dame, and shrewsberry stood out in those regards.

“my focus is more on, ‘does this person fit the values of this institution, values of faith, integrity and caring about the academic success and well-being of our students?’” Jenkins explained. “The conversations [we had] showed me that micah … would be a great leader for this notre dame program. micah is the kind of coach and educator that we want here at notre dame.”

With introductions complete, shrewsberry stepped up to the podium. he first thanked the players, staff and administrators at Penn state, where he had spent the last two years as head coach, as well as his family, who he referred to as his “number one priority.”

he explained why the position of head coach at notre dame is so meaningful to him.

“in 2005, i was the head coach at iU south bend (iUsb) down

the street. i would always drive by [notre dame] going home and always dreamed about what it would be like to coach here,” shrewsberry, who coached the nearby Titans for two seasons, said. “a nd now, in 2023, i’m getting that opportunity. so believing in yourself and in your dreams, that’s really come true [for me].”

a native of indianapolis, shrewsberry is a self-proclaimed “indiana kid.” having spent most of his coaching career in the state, he spoke about what makes home so important to him.

“i grew up following college basketball in this state,” shrewsberry said. “Just the passion that everybody has for it, that draws you back. it’s not that way everywhere.”

shrewsberry, who was named the irish’s head coach last Thursday, gave his impressions of notre dame from his short time on campus.

“i feel the passion at notre dame and it’s real,” shrewsberry

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

DANIEL LELUSIC | The Observer

Irish graduate student outfielder Brooks Coetzee watches a pitch during Notre Dame’s 5-2 victory over Butler on April 5, 2022.