Print Edition for The Observer: Commencement

ndsmcobserver.com

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556

024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Editor-in-Chief Maggie Eastland

Managing Editor Ryan Peters

Asst. Managing Editor: Gabrielle Beechert

Asst. Managing Editor: Hannah Hebda

Asst. Managing Editor: José Sanchez Cordova

Notre Dame News Editor: Isa Sheikh

Saint Mary’s News Editor: Meghan Lange

Viewpoint Editor: Claire Lyons

Sports Editor: Andrew McGuinness

Scene Editor: Anna Falk

Photo Editor: Sofia CrimiVaroli

Graphics Editor: Christina Sayut

Social Media Editor: Emma Duffy

Advertising Manager: Emili Garcia Casas

Ad Design Manager: Christina Sayut

Systems Administrator: Jack MapelLentz

Talent & Inclusion Manager: Angela Mathew

Office Manager & General Info

Ph: (574) 631-7471

Fax: (574) 631-6927

Advertising (574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com

Editor-in-Chief (574) 631-4542 meastlan@nd.edu

Managing Editor (574) 631-4542 rpeters5@nd.edu

Assistant Managing Editors (574) 631-4541 gbeecher@nd.edu, hhebda@nd.edu, jsanch24@nd.edu

Business Office (574) 631-5313

Notre Dame News Desk (574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com

Saint Mary’s News Desk (574) 631-5323 smcnews@ndsmcobserver.com

Viewpoint Desk (574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om

Sports Desk (574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com

Scene Desk (574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com

Photo Desk (574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com

Systems & Web Administrators webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com

Policies

The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves

Santos to send off ND graduates

Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in the print edition of The Observer on Feb. 27.

In a statement released Monday on Monday February 17, Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins announced former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos as the principal speaker at the University’s commencement ceremony May 21. Santos, who served as president of Colombia from 2010 to 2018, was the sole recipient of the distinguished award in 2016 for his role in ending Colombia’s 52-yearlong civil war, the longest armed conflict in the Western Hemisphere.

“President Santos honored us with his presence on campus last fall as a distinguished policy fellow in our Keough School of Global Affairs, and we look forward to welcoming him back in May,” Jenkins said in the release. “His courageous leadership and resolute commitment ended a halfcentury-long civil war and put his nation on a path to peace and prosperity.”

In September, Santos delivered the 29th annual Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy, discussing

peacebuilding. His ties to Notre Dame go back further.

“President Santos’ relationship with Notre Dame began in 2012, when he turned to Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies for insight and assistance as he began exploratory talks with the FARC [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] in an effort to end the long civil war,” the press release said.

According to the release, the Kroc Institute was given primary

responsibility for technical verification of the peace accord between the Colombian government and revolutionary forces. The result was the Peace Accords Matrix, the first time a university had been involved so closely in such an agreement. In his Hesburgh Lecture, Santos shared his vision of leadership to Notre Dame students.

“If you lead with a positive mind and with the truth, you will make the world a better place,” Santos said. “And let it be said about you that

Saint Mary’s announces speaker

Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in the print edition of The Observer on April 12.

On Thursday April 6, the commencement committee chair Michelle Egan informed the Saint Mary’s community via email that College President Katie Conboy had announced the 2023 commencement speaker.

“Noted environmentalist, cartographer and social entrepreneur Molly Burhans will deliver the commencement address for the class of 2023,” Egan wrote.

Burhans is the founder and executive director of GoodLands, a nonprofit that mobilizes “large landholders to use their property for environmental and humanitarian good.” Her work as chief cartographer for the first global data-based maps of the Catholic Church premiered at the Vatican in 2016.

The announcement included a statement from Conboy.

Today’s Staff

News Meghan Lange

Isa Sheikh

Graphics

Christina Sayut

Photo Sofia CrimiVaroli

Corrections

Sports

Andrew McGuinness

Scene

Anna Falk

Viewpoint

Claire Lyons

The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.

“Molly Burhans is a revolutionary, bringing together the fields of cartography, sustainability and climate study to the Catholic Church,” Conboy said. “No one before her had cataloged the Church’s immense global landholdings and illustrated how, through this vast property ownership, the Church can help address the environmental crisis.”

Additionally, Conboy will present the President’s Medal to William Schmuhl and honorary degrees to Gretchen Ann Flicker and Ida J. Stockman.

Retired director and chairman of Heywood Williams USA Inc., Schmuhl still teaches as an adjunct instructor in the College’s business administration and economics department. Schmuhl was a member of the College’s Board of Trustees for a decade and has remained active the last 16 years as a trustee emeritus. Around the greater South Bend community, he has served on the boards of local television station WNIT, the Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michigan, Stanley Clark School and Discovery

Charter School.

Flicker, a 1993 College graduate, is a member of the Mother Pauline Society and has volunteered on for the Reunion Gift Campaign Committee three times since her graduation. In her 11-year tenure on the Board of Trustees, Flicker was elected treasurer, vice chair and finally chair in 2019. As chair, Flicker guided the College through the COVID-19 pandemic and a presidential transition.

A professor emerita in Michigan State University’s communicative sciences and disorders department, Stockman continues to research, consult and mentor in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorders and speech and language development. Between journal articles, conference presentations and workshops, Stockman has made over 200 scholarly contributions, which have shaped clinical training and practice in her field.

The College’s 176th commencement ceremony will held Saturday, May 20 at noon on Le Mans Green.

Ugandan priest to speak at HCC

Observer Staff Report

Ahead of their 56th commencement ceremony, Holy Cross College announced their speaker for the 2023 commencement will be the President of Holy Cross Family Ministries, Fr. Fred Jenga, C.S.C.

Fr. Jenga, originally from the Jinja District of Uganda, was ordained in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 2005. He earned his bachelor of theology degree from the Catholic University of East Africa and a bachelor of philosophy degree from Pontifical Urban University in Rome. Additionally,

Fr. Jenga earned a master’s in journalism and communication from Makerere University of Kampala, a master’s in communication studies at San Francisco State University and a doctorate in communication studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Fr. Jenga guides “all of Holy Cross Family Ministries’ efforts in the recognition that ‘the family that prays together stays together’ and ‘a world at prayer is a world at peace,’” the announcement said.

Holy Cross Family Ministries is “a worldwide family of Catholic

ministries founded by Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C, in 1942 as Family Rosary, and later in 1947 as Family Theater Productions,” according to the announcement. As president, Fr. Jenga oversees all ministries in the international organization, focusing on promoting family prayer.

Fr. Jenga regularly writes for multiple national Ugandan newspapers including New Vision, Daily Monitor and Weekly Observer. He is also a recognized rhetorician and researcher who has had his work published in a number of peer-reviewed books and journals.

Courtesy of the University of Notre Dame

Former Columbian president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Juan Manuel Santos, who served on the faculty of the Keough School this year, will speak at commencement.

FOUR YEARS IN REVIEW:

Tri-campus suspends in-person classes due to COVID-19 pandemic — March 11, 2020

On March 11, Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross announced the suspension of all in-person classes until at least April 13, replacing all courses with virtual teaching and other alternative learning options. All University and College-sponsored international programs were also canceled, and students and U.S.-based faculty were directed to return home as soon as possible. By March 18, Notre Dame extended the cancellation of classes to the end of the spring semester, pro-rating students for room and board. Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross followed on March 19.

Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to Supreme Court — Oct. 26, 2020

On October 26, the U.S. Senate confirmed Notre Dame Law School alumna and professor Amy Coney Barrett as an associate justice on the Supreme Court. Justice Barrett’s confirmation sparked demonstrations both in support of and against it on campus. Further buzz arose from the confirmation after University President Fr. John Jenkins appeared to violate University health and safety protocols when he failed to wear a mask in the White House Rose Garden at a ceremony for Justice Barrett.

Joe Biden elected president – Nov. 4, 2020

In a historically contentious election occurring in the midst of the pandemic, it took days to call the election for former vice president Joe Biden against incumbent Donald Trump. With record turnout, Biden received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history.

Deaths

7 students, 1 professor lost over four years

University disbands Zahm House — March 15, 2021

On the evening of March 15, residents of Zahm House were informed through a Zoom call and email that their residence hall would be disbanded. University administrators cited lack of adherence to COVID testing protocols, incidents of vandalism and concerns about the dorm’s “troubling culture” regarding alcohol and sexual assault. Zahm now serves as transitional housing for other dorms as they undergo renovation.

University announces return of full capacity football games — May 26, 2021

Following the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year, the University announced Notre Dame Stadium would operate at its full capacity of 80,000 for home football games in the fall. The announcement came after a year full of pandemic restrictions that were gradually lifted as the University began administering the vaccine on campus.

Students storm the field against Clemson twice — Nov. 7, 2022

After defeating the No. 4 Clemson Tigers at home for the second time in two years with a score of 35-14, students once again stormed the field in celebration. A student reported to The Observer that breaking her tibia was “worth it” for the win. Unlike in 2020, when the crowd was mostly students due to the pandemic, a sellout crowd was there to experience the Irish victory and celebration.

Debates over abortion rights and academic freedom break out — April 5, 2023

Global affairs and sociology professor Tamara Kay received backlash for a sign posted on her door, seen as advocating for abortion rights, with controversy reaching national media outlets. Kay said the aftermath pushed her to consider pursuing legal action against the University and the Irish Rover, which initially reported the story, and raised thousands of dollars in a GoFundMe for potential expenses.

In 2020, the tri-campus lost four students. On Jan. 24, senior Annrose Jerry was found dead in St. Mary’s Lake after she was reported missing three days prior. A member of the Folk Choir, her friends remember her for her love of music and her selflessness.

On March 12, Saint Mary’s senior Isabelle Melchor died. Melchor was a global studies major and deeply involved at the College. A professor remembered her as inspirational, saying Melchor was always quick to smile despite her health struggles.

On Oct. 24, Notre Dame first-year students Valeria Espinel of Guayaquil, Ecuador and Olivia Laura Rojas of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia were killed after being struck by a car on Ironwood Rd. shortly after 4 a.m. Espinel was a resident of Badin Hall and friends recalled that she always took advantage of every day. Rojas lived in Cavanaugh Hall and was remembered for being a loyal friend above all else.

In 2021, Notre Dame lost one student. Graduate student Majd “Jude Ash” al-Shoufi died according to an email sent by University leadership April 2. A doctoral candidate in the psychology and peace studies departments, al-Shoufi was also an advocate for peace and human rights and had experience working with trauma-inflicted refugees.

Notre Dame lost two students in 2022. On Sept. 4, third-year biology Ph.D. student Gabriella “Bella” Tyler died. After undergoing the foster system and homelessness as a teenager, Tyler earned her GED in 2012 and later received an undergraduate degree from Georgia Gwinnett College. She is survived by her husband Jon and infant daughter Matilda.

On Nov. 11, Notre Dame sophomore and U.S. Army veteran James “Jake” Blaauboer passed away. An avid runner, Blaauboer enlisted in the army right out of high school where he served as a mechanic. A lover of political and philosophical debate, Blaauboer studied English and then History at Notre Dame.

In 2023, Notre Dame aerospace and mechanical engineering professor Michael Stanisic died April 11. A robotics expert known for his legendary teaching, Stanisic received the University’s Joyce Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching on three occasions. Stanisic’s infectious laugh and caring nature will be greatly missed by students and colleagues.

Tri-campus plans for commencement weekend

By LIAM KELLY news Writer

This weekend, students across the tri-campus will reach the culmination of their academic experiences as commencement ceremonies at notre dame, holy cross and saint mary’s all take place.

The festivities begin Friday, may 19 as saint mary’s holds its commencement mass at 4 p.m. in o’Laughlin auditorium. holy cross also holds a commencement mass in st. Joseph chapel, and notre dame hosts a send-off ceremony for seniors involved in the center for social concerns at 7 p.m. in the debartolo Performing Arts center.

on saturday, the events kick into

full gear. st. mary’s will have its commencement ceremony at noon on Le mans Green. In addition to st. mary’s three valedictorians, environmentalist, cartographer and entrepreneur molly A. burhans will speak at the commencement.

burhans is the founder of Good Lands which works “to mobilize large landholders to use their property for environmental and humanitarian good,” according to saint mary’s website. Gretchen Flicker, a member of the board of Trustees, and Ida stockman, michigan state professor emerita of communicative sciences and disorders, will also receive honorary degrees. businessman William schmuhl will be presented with the presidential medal.

Just down the road at 2 p.m., holy cross college will hold its commencement in the Pfeil center. After speeches from valedictorian stephen mcnulty and college president marco clark, Fr. Fred Jenga will give the commencement address. Jenga is the president of holy cross Family ministries.

At notre dame, saturday morning will put the focus on graduate students. The Graduate school and the mendoza school of business host their commencement ceremonies at 9 a.m. in notre dame stadium and the north dome of the Joyce center, respectively. At 10:30 a.m., the Law school will confer degrees at Purcell Pavillion. 547 students will receive degrees from the Graduate school, 512 will receive

master’s degrees from the mendoza school of business and 182 students will receive law degrees, according to a University spokesperson.

Prior to this, at 9 a.m., the roTc commissioning ceremony will take place in the debartolo Performing Arts center.

Throughout the afternoon, 13 undergraduate colleges and majors will host diploma ceremonies throughout campus. The commencement mass will then take place at 5 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion.

sunday morning marks the date for notre dame’s 178th universitywide commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in notre dame stadium. For the 14th straight year, thousands of family and friends will pack the stands to watch their loved

ones graduate.

“2,141 degrees will be conferred on undergraduate students,” a press release from the University said.

In addition to an invocation by salutatorian miguel coste and an address by valedictorian Kristen Friday, former president of columbia and nobel Peace Prize winner Juan manuel santos will speak and receive an honorary degree. sister rosemary connelly, r s m. will also be presented with the prestigious Laetare medal.

The events conclude sunday afternoon as the last undergraduate diploma ceremonies are held at 2 p.m.

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

senior Week celebrates graduating class

By LIAM PRICE news Writer

After a stressful week of final exams, notre dame’s annual senior Week provides the graduating class with the opportunity to reconnect with their classmates and friends before parting their separate ways. sanctioned by the senior class council, the first event of this year’s senior Week is sunday’s “class mass” in the basilica, and the week concludes with a visit to the Grotto on Thursday night. senior victor Wicks, co-chair of the senior Week planning committee, a subcommittee of the senior class council, said the week facilitates a proper farewell

for graduating students.

“senior Week is an annual tradition, organized by seniors, for the senior class as a final hurrah that puts a bow on their experience at notre dame for the past four, or in some cases, five years,” Wicks said.

senior class council president

Jake Lowry mentioned that because no one else has any prior commitments, the week is a special opportunity for graduating seniors to reconnect with classmates in an experience that students at many other colleges do not get.

“A lot of universities, or most, don’t have a senior week, so I’m really grateful that we do,” Lowry said. “It gives us an extra week to just be

here and not worry about school.”

Lowry said the week’s organizers aim to recreate the experience of attending Welcome Weekend as a first-year, but because seniors are over 21 years old, more events can be planned. According to the week’s itinerary, “domerfest 2.0” will be held Tuesday night at Four Winds Field in south bend and will feature ballpark food classics, cash bars, inflatables, batting cages, prizes and live music.

“We tried to do a lot of the same events [as Welcome Weekend], but also some of the ones are more elevated just because we’re seniors now and we can [legally] drink alcohol,” Lowry said.

senior Week brings the graduating class together following final exams so that seniors can re-engage in the more enjoyable parts of their time as notre dame students without any stress, Wicks said.

“The idea of events is to somewhat encapsulate the notre dame experience aside from the academic [part] because we’ve already had enough of that for four years,” Wicks said. “We have everything from class mass and [the Grotto visit], which addresses the religious component. Then we have more chill events like the night at the zoo. Then we also have full-blown parties like the commencement ball, which is like a prom-equivalent for our seniors.”

Lowry said he is most excited about the commencement ball, which is a formal event scheduled for Wednesday night at the south bend century center.

“century center is huge and we can fit all the seniors there,” Lowry said. “I feel like dances are a big thing here at notre dame, so I feel like having that during the week is a really, really special thing.”

Wicks looks forward to using the whole week’s itinerary of events to celebrate the people he’s met as a student and appreciate the place he’s lived for the past four years.

Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu

sister connelly named Laetare medal recipient

Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in the print edition of The Observer on March 22.

sister rosemary connelly, a lifelong advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities, will receive notre dame’s 2023 Laetare medal, according to a press release. The Laetare medal is awarded at commencement each

year to an American catholic leader “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the church and enriched the heritage of humanity.”

connelly is the former executive director of misericordia, a chicagobased nonprofit which seeks to “maximize potential for persons with mild to profound developmental disabilities, many of whom are also physically challenged.” since her appointment as executive

director in 1969, connelly has expanded to include educational and enrichment activities, in addition to residential care.

Today, misericordia has a 37-acre campus on chicago’s north side, serving more than 600 children and adult residents, as well as an outreach program that assists more than 140 families.

In the press release, connelly cited the misericordia community, residents and staff as the source of

her motivation.

“They challenge us to be our best. They’re loving. They live life beautifully. And they can be models for us all,” she said.

At 92 years old, connelly currently serves as chairwoman of the board of the misericordia Foundation. she has received nine honorary degrees, the order of Lincoln medallion and a caring Institute award, among other accomplishments.

University President Fr. John Jenkins praised connelly as this year’s recipient of the Laetare medal.

“With her characteristic tenacity, grace and genius, sister rosemary has ensured that the residents of misericordia — as wonderful children of God — have the quality of life and opportunities they deserve,” Jenkins said. “We are inspired by her vision, her leadership and her compassion and are honored to bestow the Laetare medal on her.”

University to confer five honorary degrees

Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in the print edition of The Observer on March 3.

The commencement ceremony for the notre dame class of 2023 will honor five “distinguished leaders in science, business, music and community service,” according to a University press release.

Along with commencement speaker Juan manuel santos, the honorees will be advocate for underrepresented students howard

G. Adams, singer-songwriter Amy Grant, doctor James o’connell ‘70, notre dame trustee and retired executive James e rohr and south bend community leader marguerite Taylor.

Adams will be named honorary doctor of science. he headed a consortium headquartered at notre dame “credited with providing fellowships and internships that assisted 3,000 students from underrepresented backgrounds obtain advanced degrees in engineering and applied science,” the release said.

he’s been appointed by presidents to national commissions and received the Presidential Award for excellence in science, mathematics and engineering mentoring in 1995.

Grant has been dubbed the “Queen of christian Pop” and was a Kennedy center honoree in 2022. she’s receiving a honorary doctorate of fine arts, recognized for her extensive work in philanthropy.

o’connell, who will receive an honorary doctorate of science, is the founding physician in 1985

of the boston health care for the homeless Program. “Known as doctor Jim on the streets of boston,” o’connell “has delivered health care to that city’s homeless population for almost four decades,” the release said.

rohr, receiving an honorary doctorate of laws, is the former chief executive officer of the Pnc Financial services Group and has served on the notre dame board of trustees since 2010. The release points out that he “was the driving force behind Grow Up Great, Pnc’s $500 million, multi-year,

bilingual program that helps prepare children from birth to age 5 for school and life.”

Taylor is being awarded an honorary doctorate of laws. she “was instrumental in establishing the University’s robinson community Learning center,” and has worked at the center for many years. Taylor “has dedicated her life to improving her hometown of south bend and building lasting relationships between the city and notre dame” and was inducted into the south bend community hall of Fame in 2011.

YEAR IN REVIEW: 2022-2023

Construction on new residence hall begins — June 21, 2022

On June 21, Notre Dame began building a new men’s residence hall on East Quad between Johnson Family Hall and McCourtney Hall. The new hall, still unnamed but set to open in the summer of 2024, will have four stories, house approximately 260 students and adhere to the University’s collegiate gothic architecture style. The dorm will become Notre Dame’s 18th permanent undergraduate residential community for men.

McGreevy begins term — July 1, 2022

McGreevy, a history professor who has taught at the University since 1997 and previously served as chair of the history department and the dean of College of Arts and Letters, was elected the Charles and Jill Fischer provost in April, four months after Marie Lynn Miranda stepped down from the position. “The big challenge for Notre Dame is can it be seriously Catholic and be great,” McGreevy told The Observer. “Can we be one of the best private research universities in the world with just absolutely terrific programs at all levels? And can we be distinctly and seriously Catholic? And that’s the big picture mission.”

Peace Plaza Opens - Aug. 2, 2022

The University finished construction on the Our Lady of the Lake Peace Plaza that overlooks Saint Mary’s Lake. The plaza features a prayer for world peace in six different languages displayed on a granite disk with water flowing over it. The plaza is surrounded by flowers and plants.

50 Years of Coeducation

In 1972, the first cohort of 325 female undergraduate students enrolled at the university. In the 50 years since the start of coeducation, women have played an important role in the community at Notre Dame. Women started their own clubs and sports teams and more female professors and faculty joined the University. This year the University featured programming including panel discussions and an exhibit for Women’s History Month to celebrate the women who have contributed to progress at Notre Dame.

Fight Song changes — Aug. 29, 2022

In June, the University announced the lyrics at the end of the 114-year old fight song would change from “While her loyal sons are marching / Onward to victory” to “While her loyal sons and daughters / March on to victory.” The lyric change coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of coeducation at Notre Dame. Many saw the change as a positive, if overdue, update.

University implements wage increase — Aug. 29, 2022

Notre Dame implemented a new wage structure beginning August 1 of this year. The pay raise for all employees includes a 3% raise for eligible faculty and staff, a new starting rate of $17.50 for hourly employees and a $15 starting rate for student employees. “We’re making a historic investment in all of our people,” executive vice president Shannon Cullinan said in a video posted to the University’s human resources website. “At the heart of who we are is our people.”

Notre Dame Law School scraps binding early decision application — Sept. 2, 2022

Notre Dame Law School has ended binding early applications, the school’s office of admissions announced, citing unfair wealth advantages and anxiety as the main reasons for the elimination. The University also maintained a test-optional policy for this year’s undergraduate application, continuing to measure the impact of test-optional applications, and will be releasing a public determination on the future of test-optional admissions.

SMC appoints 4 new vice presidents — Sept. 2, 2022

Saint Mary’s College President Katie Conboy announced the hirings of Holly Johnson as vice president for advancement, Lori Johnson ’91 as vice president for student enrollment and engagement, Julianne Wallace as vice president for mission and Barbara May as the newly appointed provost and senior vice president.

Rectors announce departures

In August 2022, 12 dorms at the University welcomed new rectors, an atypically high number. Over the course of the 2022-2023 academic year, at least five rectors would announce their intention to resign or simply left without notice. The week after Thanksgiving Break, the rectors of Walsh and Badin Halls departed. Breen-Phillips Hall rector Angie Hollar took a leave of absence in January never to return, while O’Neill Family Hall rector Orlando León abruptly left in February. In April, Keenan Hall rector Bobby Nichols announced his intention to join the Jesuits next year.

University responds to emergence of ChatGPT in education — Jan. 30, 2023

Notre Dame first took notice of the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT in mid-December when a student was caught in a computer class final using the site, and began convening faculty committees and administrative guidance. Discussions about generative AI permeated class discussions and syllabi as the site gained attention.

Tri-campus reacts to Dobbs decision

After the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case which overturned Roe v. Wade, Saint Mary’s College hosted a “PostDobbs Program Series” aimed at fostering discussion about abortion on the tri-campus. The series was put on by the Academic Program Committee of the Post-Dobbs working group, a committee of faculty members from a variety of disciplines. Daniel Horan, chair of the Academic Program Committee, said the purpose of this series is “to offer students, staff and faculty the opportunity to learn about a range of issues related to the US Supreme Court decision last summer to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision.”

University opens Fischer apartment-style housing to undergraduates — Feb. 3, 2023

Beginning fall 2023, undergraduates will be able to live in a community at Fischer Graduate Residences. A total of 80 undergraduate students will have the opportunity to live in apartment-style housing. Two students will live in each apartment which are comprised of single bedrooms with shared bathroom and kitchen space.

Campus launches GrubHub robots — Feb. 8, 2023

The University partnered with Starship Technologies and Grubhub to bring a fleet of 30 food delivery robots to campus. The robots deliver from six campus locations: Au Bon Pain, Garbanzo, The Gilded Bean, Hagerty Family Cafe, Modern Market and Taco Bell. The orange and white robots travel around campus at a walking pace, and each is equipped with cameras to detect obstacles

Student Life Council returns — Feb. 22, 2023

The Student Life Council, a long defunct campus forum where administrators and students discuss campus issues, was reinstated in February. The Council was originally formed in response to a recommendation from the Board of Trustees in September of 1968, with the hopes of addressing political turmoil on campus. The resurgence of the SLC was a passion project spearheaded by student government executives Patrick Lee, Sofie Stitt and Nicole Baumann. During its first two meetings this semester, students and administrators discussed faith life and diversity and inclusion.

Holy Cross College inaugurates Marco Clark — March 25, 2023

Marco Clark was inaugurated as President of Holy Cross College on Saturday March 25, 2023. Clark is the first layperson to serve as president of the College and spent 30 years in Catholic education prior to assuming the position. Clark expressed optimism for the future of the College and stressed the importance of its Catholic character.

Kristen Friday to deliver valedictory address

By KATHRYN MUCHNICK Associate news editor

Kristen Friday, a computer science major in the college of engineering, has been selected as notre dame’s class of 2023 valedictorian. Friday will deliver the valedictory address during the commencement ceremony.

Friday hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and she lived in Lewis hall during her time on campus. Though she began notre dame as a mechanical engineering major, Friday gravitated toward computer science as a less physical application of her love for problem-solving.

“originally coming into college, I feared the abstractness of computer science,” Friday said. “You can see everything physically with mechanical engineering, but computer science, it’s like, oK, you develop this code, but there’s nothing you can necessarily see.”

speaking with upperclassmen about their industry experience helped her get over that hesitation, and Friday said she finds the “internal problem solving” required to debug code very satisfying.

In addition to her computer science major, Friday completed the corporate practice minor, a collaboration between the college of engineering and mendoza college of business, to help her “speak the language of business.”

“I think it’s really important that everyone has a little bit of knowledge and understanding of personal finance,” Friday said. “And also I could

potentially see myself doing an mbA later on or just ending up in a management role.”

Friday accumulated a 4.00 grade point average and was a member of the dean’s List each semester. she attributes her success to support from her friends, family and teachers.

“I think in particular, the cs [computer science] community is really, really tight … We all want to help each other succeed. And that collaboration aspect of the curriculum has just been instrumental in helping me learn and helping me achieve this success as well,” Friday said. “I definitely couldn’t have done it on my own without any of those people and others motivating me to be better.”

Though Friday maintained a perfect GPA, she said grades were never the motivation.

“I came to notre dame not wanting to focus on GPA like we all did in high school,” Friday said. “It was more: ‘I have four years here. I just want to be the best that I can be and get as much out of this as I can.’” outside of the classroom, Friday played club tennis and co-founded the Women in computer science club. After originally becoming involved in the society for Women engineers (sW e ), Friday realized there was a lack of resources provided to women specifically interested in computer science.

“I felt a little disadvantaged, with recruiting [in sW e ], like big tech companies weren’t really coming to us. And it took a lot of effort on our part to get

those positions,” Friday said.

With her co-president, Friday has supported women in tech by hosting computer sciencespecific career panels, partnering with habitat for humanity and building a community of cs women.

“being able to provide that leadership for younger students, that mentorship and helping them along in their journey has really helped me feel the fulfillment that I’m giving back what I’ve learned throughout my freshman, sophomore, junior year,” Friday said.

Friday said she is especially honored to be selected as valedictorian during the 150th anniversary of the college of anniversary and the 50th anniversary of women at notre dame.

“This truly means a lot that the women in my club, the underclassmen, can see a woman in tech thriving in this position,” she said.

After graduation, Friday will be working as a software engineer with Palantir Technologies in Washington d c she said her decision to pursue software engineering was solidified by her summer internships with hitachi rail, Ibm and microsoft, though she is excited about a new application of her computer science skills at Palantir.

Palantir aggregates customer data to build artificial intelligence software that makes faster decisions. For example, the company is working on defense AI software to decide which aircraft are enemies.

“[The computer science

major] is very theoretical at the end of the day, so we’re learning you know, a lot of the math behind our algorithms, runtime, all that nitty gritty complex stuff, but there’s not as much integration and application of it on a day to day basis,” Friday said. entering the workforce provides an opportunity to apply the knowledge she accumulated in the major, she added.

Like all valedictorian nominees, Friday wrote the valedictory address before she knew whether or not she had been chosen. The first draft came easily to her, but when she showed it to her siblings, they were not convinced.

“I really trust the opinion of my siblings. I said, you know, can you read this? I was really happy with it at [that] point,” Friday said. “They got back to me and were like: ‘I think chatGPT wrote this. It sounds like you typed how to write a valedictorian speech, and this is what it gave you.’”

After working through several more drafts with her siblings, who Friday said were hugely supportive, she is really excited about the final product.

“I think even if I had not been chosen, it was a really positive experience to reflect on these past four years,” she said. “To have to put it concisely on five pages was a really cool opportunity.”

despite her passion for computer science, Friday said that the biggest lesson she learned at notre dame is that life is about more than problem-solving every day.

“no one can walk a journey of academia or of life in general on their own. It all takes support from one another,” Friday said. “It’s about the people you’re with to walk the journey with and how you can be fully present and yourself with other people.”

Contact Kathryn Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu

salutatorian m iguel coste to offer invocation

By ISA SHEIKH

notre dame news editor

m iguel c oste understands that it’s strange advice for a notre dame salutatorian to tell students to “focus a lot more on the people around you,” rather than work and academics.

having spent the past four years learning on and off campus — from James Joyce’s “Ulysses” to readings on the importance of sleep for memory — c oste will offer the invocation at sunday’s commencement ceremony in notre dame stadium.

c oste, originally from Tampa, Florida, is a neuroscience and behavior student in the c ollege of Arts and Letters who will be working as a technical solutions engineer for epic systems, a healthcare software company in madison, Wisconsin. d uring his time on campus, c oste has received a number of honors, including being on the dean’s list each semester with a GPA of 3.972.

“being salutatorian feels like the ultimate culmination of

everything I’ve done up until this point [as well as] everything my parents have sacrificed for me,” he said.

c oste is a first-generation college student who was named a notre dame An bryce s cholar and Quest bridge s cholar. he’s been president of First Gen c areers, a member of the cheer team and conducted research — including a summer at m IT and work on campus with mark barons studying Indiana schools’ response to the pandemic.

c oste also served as president of 1stG nd and was the head mentor for notre dame’s Quest bridge chapter as a sophomore. he was also a University relations intern involved with the c avanaugh c ouncil and the President’s c ircle and a member of the national name e xchange since 2020. he studied abroad at Trinity c ollege d ublin.

c oste credits his immigrant parents — a mother who immigrated from c uba when she was eight, and a father who came from the dominican

republic — with helping him get this far. he also mentioned the impact of the An bryce s cholars Program “family.”

“c oming to notre dame, An bryce was a huge help. I don’t think I become salutatorian without An bryce and all the support I received for firstgen students … It seems like in my experience, the University really stepped up and [did] a ton of good,” c oste said, regarding his involvement in first-generation organizations on campus.

In the speech he wrote, c oste discussed the University’s melding of heart and mind.

“Through all of the experiences from dorm life, to research, to clubs and sports and all those people [measured] not just [by] intellect and how we operate as productive workers in the world, but how we exist people and how we care for each other,” he said.

he says he applied to the University based on a gut feeling — a binding decision for him as a Quest bridge match finalist — “taking a leap of faith”

based on an admissions visit to his high school.

“The people of notre dame is why I attended. We could have — all of us could have — gone anywhere else. but the people are what make this place special,” he said.

c oste says that while graduation will certainly be an emotional experience, the time has come.

“It feels right. I have a great love and I’m so grateful for all

the experiences I’ve had here and all the people I’ve met … but I’m definitely ready to move on to the next step,” he said. “I don’t mean that in a ‘I can’t wait to leave this place’ way … It just feels like it’s time in the best way possible. And I’m gonna miss a lot of people, a lot of things. It’s been wonderful.” Contact Isa Sheikh at

Courtesy of the University of Notre Dame

Kristen Friday, a computer science major in the college of engineering originally from Pittsburgh, was named Notre Dame’s valedictorian.

Courtesy of the University of Notre Dame

Miguel Coste, a neuroscience and behavior major in the college of arts and letters will offer the commencement invocation as salutatorian.

smc names three valedictorians

By MEGHAN LANGE saint mary’s news editor

Three seniors from saint mary’s graduating class, chyan rangel, emily morin and natalie volling, have been recognized as valedictorians for the 2023 commencement.

Chyan Rangel

rangel will graduate from saint mary’s college with a bachelor of science in neuroscience with a concentration in neurobiology and a minor in chemistry. she was selected by the college’s Academic Leadership council to give the commencement speech on behalf of the rest of the valedictorians.

originally from munster, Indiana, rangel said she didn’t come to college planning to be valedictorian but was inspired by her dad’s college experience to do so.

“I didn’t come into college thinking ‘I’m going to be valedictorian,’ but it was something in the back of my head” she said. “my dad was valedictorian and he came from very hard beginnings, and I just felt if he could do that, with everything that he had been through — he had no support or anything like that. so I thought, ‘how do I have an excuse to not do my absolute best after everything he’s given me.’”

Throughout her time at saint mary’s, rangel contributed to several different organizations. she served as the president of the Future Women in health care club and worked as a tutor for microbiology students in the college tutoring center.

In addition to that work, rangel was also the vice president and one of the instructors for smick cycle, “a club designed to bring students with a passion for fitness together and promote camaraderie amongst students of the tricampus area,” according to the club’s belle Tower page.

rangel said the club allowed to share her passion for fitness.

“I started going to the classes every week and I loved them … I love fitness, so I reached out to the girl in charge of the club at the time and became one of the instructors for the next year after she graduated,” she said.

rangel mentioned that she didn’t initially see herself attending saint mary’s but doesn’t regret the decision.

“I did not want to come to saint mary’s at all, I was actually very angry” she said. “my dad works for saint mary’s … so for that reason, I did not have a choice, I had to come here.”

despite that apprehension, rangel said she’s made lasting relationships.

“I came to saint mary’s thinking I wasn’t going to fit in very well. I’ve had a lot of guy friends growing up. I never really had a ton of friends who were girls. I was shocked by how many great girls were here and how I was able to create really great friendships, lifelong friends, just from my freshman year that I’ve maintained throughout the four years. The support of the smc community, I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m so grateful for it now,” she said.

rangel said she’ll miss one thing above all: the community.

“You’re never alone. You always have friends, you always have people that say hi to you when you walk on campus,” she said. “I’m really going to miss just the community. And my classes, I really loved my professors, I love learning and I think that’s going to be a hard transition for me.”

rangel is still “exploring” what she wants to settle on after graduation.

“I know I want to do something in science, but I’m still bouncing around between doing research or pursuing a Ph.d. or staying in the medical field. but as for right now, I’m going to be continuing my research that I did last summer at the University of chicago,” she said.

rangel’s research focuses on cancer.

“I work on signaling mechanisms called notch signaling. It’s very important for all of development, and then in adults, it’s been related to cancers,” she said.

rangel said she is still considering becoming a doctor, but she’s become more uneasy about the prospect, citing a desire to work directly with science and avoid the difficulty of medical school.

“med school had pretty much always been my plan, but the more I shadowed … the more I was exposed to it, the more apprehensive I became about it,” she said.

rangel said that saint mary’s has grown her confidence.

“It’s really given me a lot more confidence in who I am and what I can be. I guess I would say I was really encouraged by professors in such a positive way,” she said. “I feel like I achieved so much more than I ever thought I could. I never thought I’d be able to get through organic chemistry and to be the best student at it. I grew my confidence and now have a pretty positive outlook on what I’m able to accomplish now and in the future.”

Emily Morin

morin, originally from south bend, Indiana, will be graduating with a degree in elementary education with mild intervention licensure, K-6.

After graduation, morin has accepted a job with the nearby Penn-harris-madison school corporation as an unassigned resource teacher for exceptional education.

morin said she was drawn to become a teacher by her experiences as a child traveling to other countries.

“my siblings were adopted from ethiopia, so I went to ethiopia when I was in second grade. Then in sixth grade, I went to Guatemala. Those two trips were very shaping in who I am and my perspective of the world,” she said. she said education is central to that perspective.

”I think the poverty I saw there showed me that education really is a gift. It’s a privilege that not everybody has, so that made me want to be able to educate as many people as I can because I see that as the road to being successful,” she said. “education is everything, and it makes the world safer and a happier place. I want everybody to be as educated as they can be. That’s my goal.”

one of morin’s most influential experiences at saint mary’s was her study abroad experience in Uganda the summer before her senior year.

“We were there for seven weeks and we taught at a local school. We also went with a group of nurses who were working at a clinic in the same compound. We all lived with the sisters there, and it was just the best experience of my life, just being in the school with those children and learning from them, playing with them and teaching them,” she recalled.

morin reflected on the impact the pandemic had on her saint mary’s experience. because cov Id-19 hit in the middle of her first year at saint mary’s, she said a lot of friendships went away. despite feelings of loneliness, she said the pandemic helped her find some of her real friends.

“I found my friends through a rough cycle, but they just really have been everything to me, and that’s what I reflect on the most when I think of saint mary’s,” she said. “my friends are the people that matter to me, and really everybody here, there’s been so many memories I’ve made with all the people in the senior class that I’ll keep with me forever. my grades don’t matter. What matters to me is when I look back and see my friends and our memories.”

saint mary’s has always been a part of morin’s life because both of her grandmothers, her mother, several cousins and in-laws all attended saint mary’s.

The college “has always been a big part of my identity,” she said. becoming valedictorian was a

goal morin set for herself.

“I worked hard to be valedictorian. I wanted to do really well, but it wasn’t always what was most important to me. Yes, I’m happy to be valedictorian but at the same time, looking back, I’m not going to look at the grades that I got,” she said. “What matters are the friendships I built and the people that I had with me. It’s really because of them that I got here, there’s no way I would have achieved this without all of my friends and their support. I learned with people … and I wouldn’t have been able to do so well without them.”

morin said saint mary’s has helped her grow into the person she is.

“I think it just made me more secure in who I am. coming here, I was just this little girl who had these really big ideas of who I wanted to be, but I didn’t know what to do with them or how to pursue them,” she said. “being at saint mary’s, my entire education here has shown me what it’s like to be a teacher, to teach students of all different capabilities, even when it’s hard. Usually when you look at education, it’s all this ‘coloring and rainbows and happiness and joy,’ but it’s hard sometimes. It’s made my idea of who I want to be more real.”

Natalie Volling

natalie volling, a native of crystal Lake, Illinois, will be graduating from saint mary’s with a degree in statistical and actuarial mathematics and a minor in spanish.

volling entered saint mary’s in the class of 2024 but will be graduating with the class of 2023.

In addition to being a resident assistant and a teaching assistant for the math department, volling served as president of the math club and a member of the Pi mu epsilon honor society.

After graduating on saturday, volling will continue working towards her master’s in data science see coLLeGe PAGE 16

saint mary’s senior presents on immigration

By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT

Associate news editor

Along with other students and faculty, senior dixie Lucas presented at s aint’s research symposium. her research presentation was titled “Immigration and Its e ffects on Family structures.”

“I decided to write about immigration and [the] effects it has on the children of firstgeneration immigrants,” Lucas said. “how ideology and who you are as a person sets you against your parents if you’re raised in a culture that is very distinct from them and in their struggle of having to move to a new country while also struggling with not being familiar with someone who’s family,

their own child.”

d uring her reading for this research, Lucas related her own experiences to what she was reading. she wanted to give others the same feeling.

“When it finally came down to write this, I decided I wanted to add that there’s so many perspectives, and I wanted to be able to elevate my own voice and elevate my own life story because maybe someone might read my paper and be like ‘yeah, I can see what she’s talking about,’” she said.

Lucas sought to portray her idea of parents and children raised in different cultures feeling like opposites, using a song.

“I used a song by Los Tigres del norte called ‘Jaula de o ro.’

It’s about this father who is signing about his struggles to adapt to the U. s. and how his family does,” she said. “even though in the United states he has prosperity and money, he feels like he’s still trapped. And when he’s at home, he doesn’t feel at home because his children don’t act like him. They act in such as American way.”

Lucas also used the book “Global divas: Filipino Gay men in the diaspora” to discuss other aspects of immigration and diaspora.

“That book is about gay men in new York c ity in the 90s trying to adapt, and they’re from the Philippines. It’s a number of interviews that the author has collected of different men and how they try to find a home

in new York,” she said. “A lot of them speak about how they keep religious components of the Philippines in their apartment even though that’s one of the main reasons that they ran from the Philippines — because of the judgment and shame that their family brings with their religion. basically, they miss who they once were but have to be different.”

Lucas said she hopes her research has brought more light to the situation as someone who has lived the experiences she talks about.

“I just want to be able to be in a position in higher education and [be] able to bring a perspective that’s not a third party. because there’s one thing for someone

who hasn’t lived or experienced the life of being in that situation compared to that of a person who has,” she said.

Lucas plans to use her research and her degree in psychology as she continues after graduating from s aint mary’s. she will be going to s eattle University to get a master’s degree in school counseling.

“I really want to work in under-resourced schools,” she said. “I’ve gone to underresourced school, and there’s a lot lacking in mental health resources for kids who desperately need it, and I want to be able to help my community back.” Contact

Graduates enter changing workforce

By ISA SHEIKH notre dame news editor

With 70% of graduating seniors reporting their post-graduation plans to the meruelo Family center for career development (ccd), early results indicate trends for the class of 2023 similar to previous classes.

According to data collected in a joint effort by the ccd and office of strategic Planning and Institutional research (osPIr), about two-thirds of students will be moving on to pursue employment, a fifth of students will pursue further education, attending law school, medical school or other graduate programs and about 4% will engage in service.

While these numbers are similar to data reported last year by the ccd, ryan Willerton, associate vice president for career and professional development described in a media report sent to The observer that seniors are entering a changing workforce.

While two-thirds of students will begin their employment in person, approximately a third of students will have hybrid arrangements. some — less than 2% of graduates — will have exclusively remote work.

Willerton said that graduates have not been bound in their career options by their college or major.

“Academic majors inform, but

do not define, what direction our students take,” he wrote.

employers hiring at least one student from three or more academic colleges include Pwc, deloitte, epic, Amazon, mcKinsey, Goldman sachs, JP morgan, eY, West monroe, eli Lilly and bain.

Willerton also highlighted graduates following strong pipelines to select employers, naming Pwc, deloitte, epic, Amazon, mcKinsey, Goldman sachs, bank of America, KPmG and JP morgan, all of whom hired more than 10 seniors.

“some students identified their career paths as early as their sophomore year, while others plan to begin their respective job searches after graduation,” Willerton said. “A common thread that all of these students have in common is that the notre dame family has always been by their side and will continue to be here for them. our team of career counselors has been supporting students needing assistance with securing their first destination after earning their degrees, and we will walk along every student who needs help.”

Along with highlighting the effect of the ccd, Willerton identified the significance of internships students secured during their undergraduate careers. About half of the students who have secured employment are

returning to employers where they completed a summer internship.

notre dame graduates in the class of 2023 will be arriving in destinations around the world, Willerton said. The most popular destinations reported so far include chicago, new York, boston, Washington dc, Indianapolis, madison and seattle.

seniors pursuing further education have been accepted offers to dentistry programs at Pennsylvania, michigan and creighton; advanced degrees in engineering at mIT, stanford and carnegie mellon; advanced degrees in sciences at cornell, Yale and Usc; medical programs at columbia, Indiana and northwestern and law degrees at Yale, stanford, chicago, harvard, virginia and duke.

The Alliance for catholic education (Ace) continues to be the most popular for graduates who complete post-graduate service.

Willerton says that the variety of post-graduation outcomes is a success.

“our goal at the meruelo Family center for career development is to ensure every graduating senior begins their career with a meaningful first opportunity that aligns with their interests and skills. career success is not defined solely by a first destination. staff from the

center for career development remain available to help graduating seniors with their postgraduate career goals, whether employment, graduate school, service work, or other plans,” he wrote.

Wilerton also touched on certain changes in the employment market, including start dates for certain firms.

“over the last few weeks, we have heard from students who accepted offers from a handful of employers who indicated their start dates would be delayed to begin after January 2024, instead of a summer or fall 2023 start date,” he said. “While this is not widespread, it is a situation we are actively monitoring and supporting those seniors affected by helping them explore alternative options.”

Lucie Kneip is a graduating senior who studied political science and global affairs. Kneip, a resident of mcGlinn hall, says she applied to a good number of positions but ultimately doesn’t know exactly what her career will look like after walking the commencement stage on sunday.

“I applied to a ton of places, got a lot of rejections. sometimes I didn’t even get rejected. You just didn’t hear back,” she recalled.

Kneip ultimately wants to work in the policy realm, putting her education to use. but that road has been rocky, and she’ll finish

her summer internship and begin applying for fellowships.

“It’s really hard to do [what] my professor calls embrac[ing] ambiguity, basically looking at uncertainty and being okay with it. Like we want to control everything in our lives and it is really frustrating when we can’t… And to some extent, like I’m still very nervous about the future… I know it probably looks like I am content with not knowing what I’m going to do next, but it definitely sucks. I’m not gonna try to sugarcoat it or anything, but at the same time, I do have confidence in what I want to do with my life, even if I don’t know exactly how that’s going to manifest itself, like what sort of position, what sort of job but I do know that I have worked too hard,” Kneip said.

Kneip said that maintaining career goals requires persistence.

“It does kind of reassure you that there is not a laid-out, linear process for how you want to really create the career that you want. Just keep in mind that where you are now is not where you’re gonna be in five years, and maybe something really good will come down the line that you didn’t expect. so it’s really just being persistent and getting that first opportunity,” she said.”

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu

seniors receive postgraduate scholarships

By KATHRYN MUCHNICK

Associate news editor

Thirty-two seniors have been awarded a variety of fellowships and scholarships to participate in postgraduate programs. Awardees include a c hurchill s cholar, six n ational s cience Foundation ( ns F) graduate research fellowships, two b oren scholarships, a Luce scholarship, and 17 Fulbright recipients.

In years past, graduating seniors have received other prestigious awards, including past b oren scholarships, two critical language scholarships, a finalist position for the Truman scholarship, two Goldwater scholarships and 17 Gilman scholarships.

o f the Fulbright recipients, two received a study or research grant, and the other 15 will be teaching e nglish through an assistantship program if they accept the award. Five other seniors were chosen as alternates for the Fulbright.

Two seniors, Julia m cKenna and b lake Ziegler, were finalists for the competitive m arshall scholarship.

Audrey m iles, a graduating senior who majored in chemistry with a concentration in computing and a supplementary major in

theology, was selected as one of 16 c hurchill scholars. The c hurchill scholarship covers one year of masters study in science, mathematics, engineering or science policy at the University of c ambridge.

m iles will be studying nuclear energy at c ambridge, before beginning a Ph. d. program at Uc Irvine in the fall of 2024. s he became interested in nuclear energy because of her work in Amy h ixon’s lab. h ixon is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, but her lab focuses on the behavior of actinide, a group of 15 radioactive elements, in natural and engineered systems.

“I think it’ll be a really stimulating intellectual experience, but I’m also really excited to meet all of the people there. The c hurchill cohort is insane,” m iles said.

m iles did not always plan to apply for a fellowship to fund her graduate studies, but she found out about the scholarship through the c enter for Undergraduate s cholarly e ngagement ( c U se ).

“I applied for and eventually won the Goldwater s cholarship when I was a junior, so I really benefited from those kinds of conversations with c U se ,” m iles

said. “That whole application process was really valuable in discerning more specifically what I wanted to do for my Ph. d.”

m iles worked with e mily h unt, the national fellowships senior program manager, during the application process for the Goldwater and c hurchill scholarships.

“ s he was really helpful in ... coaching me through how to approach [essays and interviews], and they also provide a lot of resources from previous applicants,” m iles said.

m iles explained that c U se has a point person for different fields, and you begin your application by submitting materials to c U se

“If anyone is interested in pursuing graduate school or any other kind of opportunity like that, it is so worthwhile to talk to c U se about it. r egardless of if you feel confident in your qualifications ... they are so supportive,” m iles said.

Austin Wyman, a psychology major, is one of the six ns F fellowship recipients from the class of 2023. Wyman will be returning to n otre d ame in the fall to pursue a doctoral degree in quantitative psychology.

The ns F graduate research fellowship is a five-year

program that provides three years of financial support. According to their website, the purpose of the fellowship is “to ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United s tates.” In addition to writing a personal statement, applicants propose a research topic as an example of the type of work they would do in graduate school.

For his ns F application, Wyman proposed the development of a tool that would assess incoming police officers and predict their capacity for committing misconduct. h e plans to focus on this project for at least the first two years of his Ph. d

“This was one application of psychopathology that I thought would be really, really important, especially with how prevalent police misconduct has been in the news over the past three years,” Wyman said. “I was really affected by the b lack Lives m atter protests and everything that was happening with campus conversations … I think it really boils down to the type of people we’re allowing to become police officers.”

Wyman wrote his research proposal during the s ummer

r esearch o pportunities Program ( sro P), hosted on campus by the University’s graduate school. e ach week of that nine-week program, he met with the grants and fellowships office to discuss his application.

“I probably wrote maybe seven or eight drafts over the course of like four months and went to them over and over and over again until we refined it to a point that I could submit,” Wyman said. Wyman said he applied to the ns F fellowship because he was inspired by a graduate student in his lab. Fellowships that cover costs also boost your competitiveness when applying to graduate school, Wyman added.

“I can get a job now if I want to, but it’s really hard to get a research-related job immediately after undergrad because there’s just so much more you need to learn about research that can only be taught at the graduate level,” Wyman said. “I do feel that … I would get the most fulfillment from a job that allows me to research what I’m interested in and gives me the flexibility to take my ideas wherever they want to go.”

Contact Kathryn Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu

Seniors discuss plans for post-graduate service

b y c A roLI ne coLLI ns

Associate News Editor

While many graduating seniors may choose to enter the workforce or continue their higher-level education, other seniors will complete a year of service. Some service projects and partnerships are offered through the Center for Social Concerns, the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) and other partner organizations.

About 4% of graduates will pursue service work upon graduation, while the most popular destination for postgraduate service continues to be the ACE, according to an email from associate vice president for career and professional development Ryan Willerton.

Notre Dame makes it easy for students to get involved with service and it is a great opportunity to give back to the community after college, graduating senior Josef Ernst said.

“I would encourage people that if they have at least a small inkling of a desire to do something meaningful for a year after college, and if they can financially, they definitely should because life is short and you can work the rest of your life.”

Senior Jennifer Eburuoh said service allows graduates to work with others and helps them discern their future career path and the types of work they may be interested in.

“I knew that I wanted something pretty hands-on and more person-to-person as opposed to a more traditional job which might just put me in an office,” Eburuoh said.

Eburuoh is graduating with a degree in environmental science and global affairs and will be working with the Franciscan Mission Service serving as a protection counselor for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In

this position, she will serve as a liaison between different congressional offices and law firms and will also manage the hotline that refugees and asylum seekers can call to check the status of their cases or get connected to resources.

Ernst will spend a year working with Partners in Health (Compañeros en Salud) providing healthcare to rural communities in Chiapas, Mexico. He is applying to medical school and said he was drawn to Partners in Health because of their commitment to changing the structures within healthcare.

“[Partners in Health] is interested in treating the direct needs of patients, but also they’re interested in changing the structures and the systems that lead to those poor health outcomes,” he said. “A lot of health is determined by socioeconomic factors and at the end of the day, if we’re really going to help improve health, across the

community, we need to work at those structures.”

In addition to service programs sponsored by various partner organizations, Notre Dame also collaborates with ACE to match tri-campus graduates with under-resourced K-12 Catholic schools across the country. The graduates serve as teachers at the schools and earn their master’s degree in education after two years of service.

Saint Mary’s senior Paige Madden is one of 37 graduating tri-campus seniors who will be serving with ACE beginning this summer.

At first, Madden said she was hesitant to teach and had her mind set on going to law school, but she felt she was being called to serve with ACE and is excited to see how this experience will shape her.

“I’m looking forward to learning so much about my students and finding out what they’re going to teach me about myself,” she said. “That

growth element was very important to me in choosing a program that was going to push me outside my limits.”

Eburuoh also said she hopes her service work will push her out of her comfort zone and that she is looking forward to establishing a new routine and meeting new people in D.C. “I’ve gotten so used to the Notre Dame normal ... so it will force me to grow, especially in the first few weeks. I’m looking forward to that change.”

For other students who may be considering a service program after college, Madden said it is important to do what you feel in your heart is right.

“I think the biggest thing for me was just trusting your gut, and trust that you will end up where you’re supposed to be and just accepting that sometimes, what you want to do might not be what you’re supposed to do,” Madden said.

contact caroline collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

Notre Dame seniors to enter religious life

b y Pe T er breen

Associate News Editor

Every generation has had its fair share of challenges to hearing and answering God’s call, Fr. John DeRiso, vocations director for the Congregation of Holy Cross, said.

DeRiso said more men and women on Notre Dame’s campus are considering entering religious life than people would think.

“Christ is ever young. The message of the Gospel is ever fresh and ever new, and so it encounters people in fresh and new ways,” DeRiso said. “While the challenges might be unique to this generation, I think the call is one and the same.”

Two Notre Dame graduating seniors joined Moreau Seminary this year to complete their postulancy with the Congregation of Holy Cross. Next year, these men will spend their novitiate year at the Congregation of Holy Cross’ formation house in Colorado Springs.

Ben Nash, a senior living in Alumni Hall, will be entering a religious community called Miles Christi after graduation.

Growing up a huge Notre Dame football fan in San Diego, California, Nash said Notre Dame was the only college he applied to.

“I always wanted to come to Notre Dame. I come from a Notre Dame family,” Nash said. “My mom went here. My aunt and uncle went here. My

grandfather went here.”

When deciding to study philosophy and theology, it didn’t take Nash long to realize the University’s programs were going to be phenomenal, he said.

“I think studying philosophy and theology here has been the best possible preparation for jumping into priestly formation,” Nash said. “The theology department especially is just so, so excellent.”

to people who are converting to Catholicism and seeking to come into the Church and getting to walk with them on their spiritual journey, help them to pray and be there for any questions that they might have about the faith,” Nash said.

As a junior, Nash was also the president of his dorm, Alumni Hall.

“I got to meet a lot of guys and focus on building community. The order that I’m joining, most of the apostolate is with young people, so with high school and college students,” Nash said. “It was a good opportunity to lean into that — to see how we can have Christ in our community amongst the guys in the dorm.”

“And their charism is the sanctification of the laity — particularly young people, as the apostolate primarily consists of spiritual direction, Ignatian retreats and intellectual formation for high school and college students,” Nash said.

Although Nash first encountered the order at his San Diego high school, he didn’t fall in love with the community until serendipitously spending his Thanksgiving at the Miles Christi house in South Lyon, Michigan as a Notre Dame first-year, he said.

have worn on.”

Upon officially entering Miles Christ, Nash will spend a year in Michigan for postulancy and then two years in Argentina as a novice. After that, Nash said he’ll work toward two licentiate degrees: one in philosophy in Argentina and one in theology at a pontifical university in Rome.

Nash credits three older friends from Notre Dame, who have already plunged into religious life, for inspiring his vocation, he said.

Nash said the two theology professors who had the largest impact on him were Cyril O’Regan and John Betz.

“John Betz’s ‘Mystery of God’ class that I took last semester was so eye-opening intellectually but also spiritually,” Nash said. “I would leave class and want to go pray with some of the stuff that he would say in class. He was just dropping truth bombs.”

Outside of the classroom, Nash interned with Campus Ministry his junior year, assisting with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program, he said.

“[I was] teaching the faith

Additionally, Nash served as student government’s inaugural department of faith director this past year, was involved with the praise and worship band Totus Tuus and was a Sorin Fellow with the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture.

Nash said DeRiso and the Congregation of Holy Cross did their best to recruit him to the religious community affiliated with Notre Dame.

“I absolutely adore Holy Cross. On paper, it would have even made sense for me to go Holy Cross, but I think Miles Christi was just kind of a God thing,” Nash said.

Miles Christi is an Argentinian religious order founded in 1994 that focuses on the spirituality of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Nash said.

“When I was a freshman, I didn’t have anywhere to spend my Thanksgiving, and they invited me up to their house in Michigan … it wasn’t intended to be a discernment visit. It was just something to do for me to get a break from campus, get some rest and pray,” he said.

Most of the men in order are Argentinian, Nash explained.

“So they kind of became my Argentinian adoptive family. I had such a good time. They loved me so well,” Nash said.

Originally, Nash said the only thing he knew for sure about his vocation was he would never join Miles Christi.

“More and more [Miles Christi] felt like home, even though it had initially felt like an impossibility,” Nash said. “I’ve gotten to know them more and more and gotten more excited about their work and their particular spirituality as the years

“I don’t think I would be in the position that I am now without … Maggie and her witness, being able to say yes to enter into religious life. To see her do it a year ahead of me and same with my Alumni buddies, Mike and Tim, to see them make that yes to God has shown me that I can do it,” Nash said. “I would not be here without my friends.”

Entering the priesthood carries all the fears and doubts one might except, but Nash said all the sacrifices are worth it because they are made for God, and God is the highest good.

“I can say right now, having just plowed through final papers and everything, I cannot wait to be a religious and just have time to pray,” he said. “That [Miles Christi] house [in Michigan] is like a fortress of peace. It’s like peace I’ve ever experienced in my life.” contact Peter breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

“While the challenges might be unique to this generation, I think the call is one and the same.”

Fr. John DeRiso vocations director, Congregation of Holy Cross

Tri-military roTc cadets receive commissions

By PETER BREEN Associate news editor

o n s aturday morning, at the tri-military commissioning ceremony in d eb artolo Performing Arts c enter, 57 graduating cadets will be appointed second lieutenants or ensigns in the United states navy, marines, Army or Air Force.

d epending on branch, scholarship and request, reserve o fficers’ Training c orps ( ro T c ) students typically owe four or five years of active duty service after commissioning.

Graduates of notre dame’s three ro T c programs will go on to become pilots, doctors, navy se ALs, cavalry officers, submariners, environmental engineers and more.

Navy ROTC

Twenty seven seniors will be graduating from notre dame’s naval ro T c ( nro T c ) unit. e ight marine c orps options will be made second lieutenants, while 19 navy options will become ensigns, the naval equivalent of a second lieutenant.

Where and how these men and women end up serving is based on the current needs of the navy or marines, said c aptain Lance Thompson, commanding officer of the University’s nro T c program. This year’s officers will take on a wide range of duties from ground combat to cyberspace operations to nuclear reactor engineering.

Thompson said annually, the U. s navy receives a third of its officers from three different sources: the naval Academy, nro T c and o fficer

c andidate s chool. An advantage of nro T c is that students get to have a normal college experience, Thompson explained.

“The great thing about navy ro T c , unlike the [ naval] Academy, is they can live a pretty much normal college life,” Thompson said. “We ask [for] about seven to eight hours a week.”

Weekly, nro T c cadets complete physical training (PT) at 6 a.m. for one hour twice a week and attend a navy leadership lab for two hours Wednesday evenings. e ach semester, students take a naval science class and first-year students also attend study halls.

This year, one senior midshipman was a leprechaun. Thompson said if cadets maintain good grades, they’re allowed to participate in many different activities.

“I have a junior that’s on the football team, so that’s probably the largest time commitment away from ro T c ,” Thompson said. “We ask for that seven to eight hours minimum, but if you’re the football player, we don’t make him go to PT in the morning. he gets enough PT at football practice.”

From getting along with random roommates to voluntarily putting in extra hours every week, Thompson said his cadets have exceeded all his expectations while forming lifelong bonds with each other.

“That group of 27 seniors that have been through four years together ... they [have developed] forever friendships over the course of four years from people all over the

country,” Thompson said.

Army ROTC

s eniors Lindsey m ichie and William b arcena are two of 14 graduating cadets in the University’s Army ro Tc program — the Fighting Irish battalion.

barcena, who studied political science, is going on active duty to be an officer with the Army’s Armor branch. barcena hopes to do reconnaissance on humvees, he said.

“At the end of may, I’m going down to Fort b enning, which is in southwest Georgia. I’ve got about a year or so of training there on how to be an Armor officer and then some other school related to that to train me up,” barcena said. “Then after that, I’m going to go to my first duty station, which I do not know yet.”

m ichie, a computer science major, is going on active duty as an aviation officer, which carries a 10-year service obligation. After commencement, she will head down to the U. s . Army’s flight school in novosel, Alabama, she said.

“The goal would be to fly the c hinooks, which are the really big helicopters. I won’t really know what airframe I’ll have until probably about a year from now,” m ichie said.

d uring college, m ichie said Army ro Tc was the perfect combination of doing something physically active and doing service.

“I grew up in a household that always valued service, so I had a little bit of calling there,” m ichie said. “I always loved being physically fit. running and lifting [were] always my favorite.”

barcena said his c atholic

faith has always driven him to be a servant leader.

“I’m a very relationshiporiented person. The Army is all about people and relationships and service,” b arcena said. “I thought it was a really awesome opportunity for me to better myself and meet some awesome teammates along the way.”

Though balancing Army commitments and normal college life was challenging at times, m ichie said ro Tc enhanced her undergraduate years because of the people she got to know along the way.

“You have that shared hardship, and you can always look back at the many memories of the past four years and ... laugh about it … so it’s been a really awesome sense of community,” barcena said.

Air Force ROTC notre dame’s Air Force ro Tc program — detachment 225 — is commissioning 16 second lieutenants.

c olonel c ary c ulbertson, the commander of the University’s Air Force detachment, said students join the military first and foremost because they want to serve their county.

“The reason why they go to Air Force versus Army [or] navy, I’d say probably kind of depends on what their family has done and then whether you would like to be in the respective force,” c ulbertson said.

c ulbertson, who flew F-16 jets for 27 years, said Air Force cadets have two big interests: flying and engineering.

“many lean toward engineering, and I think that’s a product of notre dame being

a heavy engineering school,” c ulbertson said. “since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a little bit more interest in pilots, probably because I get to talk to them all the time and tell them how cool it is.”

Air Force ro Tc demands five to six hours of students’ time a week, c ulbertson said. While some students do very well, others struggle with the work-life balance of being a notre dame student and in ro Tc , c ulbertson added.

“We offer counseling and feedback. We contact professors if we need to, just to make sure that they’re able to keep their grades up and do ro Tc at the same time because if they don’t graduate, they can’t be a lieutenant,” c ulbertson said.

“We are monitoring them. We monitor their grades... we’re allowed to access their grades, which most people cannot.”

c adets also have their classmates in “the wing” as resources, c ulbertson said.

“The juniors and the seniors are responsible for teaching the freshmen and the sophomores how to be upperclassmen,” c ulbertson said. “They’re responsible for running the cadet wing … and then academically, they have formal tutoring sessions because a lot of them are going through the same courses because they are in the same major.”

c ulbertson said the senior class this year was great and that he is sad to see them go.

“but they’re going to be great officers, and they’re going to make their parents and our nation proud,” he said.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

hcc valedictorian shares unconventional path

By LIAM KELLY news Writer

The path to holy cross college valedictorian for stephen mcnulty has been a non-traditional one.

mcnulty, who hails from scranton, Pennsylvania, attended King’s college, a catholic liberal arts college near home, for his freshman year, studying computer science and computer engineering. After the pandemic, though, which mcnulty said “changed everything,” he transferred to holy cross for his sophomore year.

mcnulty said he chose holy cross after hearing about it from a priest at King’s college who was a graduate of holy cross college. mcnulty then applied to the old college seminary at notre dame, but after being deferred for a year, decided to enroll at holy cross.

At holy cross, mcnulty’s educational journey took another turn as he decided to major in theology, a dramatic change from his

background in sTem

“What drew me was just the richness of the intellectual tradition of the catholic faith. It was just endless,” mcnulty explained.

“I started taking some theology courses and I just felt God really calling me to study it a little bit deeper.”

Also integral in his decision to major in theology was his decision to take a political philosophy class during his sophomore year at holy cross. mcnulty said the class introduced him to the idea of education being more than a means to an end, but an end in itself.

“In political philosophy, all these thinkers were talking about education as good in itself that we educate ourselves just for the fulfillment of education,” mcnulty said. “That really changed my mind on education as a whole and I think that led me to study theology.”

In addition to majoring in theology, mcnulty also chose to minor in business which has always

been an interest of his.

“I’ve always had a kind of a business mind since I was a kid. And so I’ve always wanted to keep that and further that education,” mcnulty said.

mcnulty emphasized that while holy cross might not be the biggest school or have as advanced facilities as notre dame, it provides a sense of community that no other school can provide.

“If you walk across holy cross’s campus, do we have the biggest library now? no. do we have the nicest stadium like notre dame? no,” mcnulty acknowledged.

“but, I think what holy cross has is the people here. such humble, down-to-earth, friendly people that really care about you.”

This sense of community has been mcnulty’s favorite part of the holy cross experience, he explained.

mcnulty added that holy cross’ size introduces “a lot of opportunities being a small campus that you don’t get in many other

places.”

After a long four-year journey, mcnulty stressed how grateful and humbled he feels to be given the honor of valedictorian.

“When you achieve a great honor like this, it really humbles you because it makes you realize that it’s not you. Yes, I might be receiving this award, but there’s a whole group of people that have led the way to get [me] to where I am,” he said.

mcnulty specifically thanked his parents and the great teachers he has had for enabling his success at holy cross.

“All my professors have been really incredible in allowing the mind to really do its work and dive into subjects and just go 100% at it … and to ponder the great questions of life,” he stressed.

since graduating in december, mcnulty has been working full-time doing catholic financial planning for the Knights of columbus which he says has allowed him to combine his

interests in theology and business. At the Knights of columbus, mcnulty works with catholic families to assess their financial situations and consult them on planning for retirement, getting out of debt, and growing their wealth to help society.

“It’s kind of a match made in heaven,” mcnulty quipped. mcnulty plans to continue working for the Knights of columbus for the foreseeable future.

mcnulty will speak at holy cross’ commencement ceremony on saturday, may 20. While he explained that there is “not exactly a rubric that you can easily follow for this kind of speech,” he emphasized that he hopes to celebrate the accomplishments of the class and leave the audience with something meaningful to think about as they go into the next chapter of their lives.”

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

Leadership banquet honors seniors

b y Pe T er breen

Associate News Editor

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in the print edition of The Observer on April 5.

At the 37th annual Student Leadership Awards held Tuesday night in Dahnke Ballroom, student government, the Student Activities Office (SAO) and the Division of Student Affairs presented 30 awards, including Hall of the Year and nine senior awards. O’Neill Family Hall won Hall of the Year, while Pasquerilla West Hall and Caroll Hall won the respective women’s and men’s titles.

Master of ceremonies

Antwann Harper, the program coordinator for student programming at SAO, recognized the “countless” nominations.

“These nominations are a clear reminder of the true love and commitment our students have for this community,” Harper said. “You all do work that builds a better tomorrow and a better Notre Dame.”

Connor Patrick, former president of Club Coordination Council (CCC), delivered the evening’s first four awards.

Club of the Year went to the Multiracial/Multiethnic Student Association of Notre Dame. The Black Business Association’s trek to Silicon Valley over winter break earned Club Event of the Year. Luke Strawn of the rock-climbing club and Andrew Bartolini of the University’s American Society of Civil Engineers chapter were named Officer and Advisor of the Year, respectively.

Next, the former student body president and vice-president, Patrick Lee and Sofie Stitt, issued four Student Union awards.

For service to students, an Irish Clover award was presented to Howard Hall rector Anna Kenny and former Cavanaugh Hall president Molly Schroeder.

Mathematics professor Brian Mulholland received the Frank O’Malley Undergraduate Teaching Award, and Michael Murakami won the Michael J. Palumbo Award for his dedication to the Student Union.

Hall Presidents Council (HPC) co-chairs Jinny Gouldin and Lauryn Pugh then revealed the Men’s Hall of the Year, Women’s Hall of the Year and Hall of the Year awards.

Despite having one of its smallest first-year classes ever, Carroll Hall landed Men’s Hall of the Year. Goudlin said that Carroll Hall’s community soared beyond expectations due to events such as the restarting of their big brother program, their sustainabilityfocused water party, Carroll Christmas, newlywed games amongst roommates and talks about verbalizing affection and toxic masculinity.

Pasquerilla West Hall, inciting the evening’s most animated applause, took home Women’s Hall of the Year.

“[Pasquerilla West Hall] went above and beyond in cultivating resident growth and well-being with the creation of an incredible wellness room, spearheading a completed gym renovation, resilience training and a revamped statement of inclusion and corresponding

allyship pledge,” Gouldin said.

“Unwavering commitment to developing and fostering the well-being of their residents in every aspect” elevated O’Neill Family Hall to the 2023 Hall of the Year.

“[O’Neill Family Hall] captured the interests of its residents across a multitude of different areas with events such as Mental Health Mondays, Caught in 4K and AcoustiCafe, while integrating themselves across campus with wildly creative events with the Kindness Club, through TikTok collaborations with other dorms and the Wonder Association,” Pugh said.

Next, Maureen Doyle, director of student centers, activities and events at SAO, and Harper doled out 10 Student Leadership Awards. SAO confers these awards annually to undergraduates who best exemplify the University’s spirit.

This year’s winners were Elijah Mustillo, Rose Nguyen, Jin Rui Cai, Camila Sanchez Siles, Billy Micard, Jill Maudlin, David Webster, Mary Grace Scartz, Patrick Lee and Sarah Wells.

To close the evening, the Division of Student Affairs honored nine seniors. M. Brian Coughlin, associate vice president for student development, turned over five awards, while vice president of student affairs Fr. Gerry Olinger imparted the last four.

Coughlin recognized Claire Reid with the Denny Moore Award for Excellence in Journalism. Blake Ziegler and Austin Wyman each received the Mike Russo Spirit Award.

Schroeder earned her second accolade, the Ray Siegfried Award for Leadership Excellence. John Sexton won the John W. Gardner Student Leadership Award.

Olinger congratulated award recipients and thanked the audience before honoring the last few students.

“Thank you for the many ways you share your God-given gifts with this campus,” Olinger said. “We’re really excited for the ways that you will go out and be a force for good in the world and share those gifts with so many others as well.”

Olinger granted Grace Casper the Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C. Leadership Award. A Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. Award went to both Molly Doerfler and Nicholas Crookston.

Finally, Eliza Smith was named this year’s Rev. A. Leonard Collins, C.S.C. Award winner.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the impression she made on me,” Olinger said. “When I first became vice president for student affairs, she emailed me in the very first couple of weeks that I took over and started to engage with me in some really important conversations around celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. as a day off here at the University — a task that she and I completed,” Olinger said.

A performance of the University’s alma mater, “Notre Dame, Our Mother,” by the student a cappella group Halftime ended the ceremony.

contact Peter breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

Dome to be regilded

observer staff report

The Golden Dome atop Notre Dame’s Main Building will be regilded for the first time since 2005, the University said Tuesday in a press release.

Adding a new layer of gold leaf to the 140-year-old Dome and its 17-foot-tall statue of Mary is expected to take five months. The project will begin immediately following Commencement Weekend with the installation of an extensive scaffold system on May 22.

University spokesperson Dennis Brown said in an email that the project is part of regularly scheduled maintenance of the iconic landmark.

The renovation is highly dependent on good weather and little wind, and “about 15 pounds of 23¾ karat gold” will be needed, Brown wrote.

With gold trading at nearrecord prices, the metal alone will likely cost more than $300,000.

The Dome and statue are restored about every 15 to 20 years and have undergone regilding on 11 prior occasions.

The project, which also includes the cleaning and repainting of the Main Building’s upper tower, is expected to be completed by mid-October.

ACE

THE ALLIANCE FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION

We proudly welcome our 30th class of Catholic school teachers. We give thanks for their gift of service to America’s Catholic classrooms.

Joe Afuso Santa Ana

Aidan Anderson Brownsville

Jaden Bailey Indianapolis

Marc Barnes Washington, DC

Rose Benas Oklahoma City

Malia Bissen San Antonio

Catherine Bosch Pensacola

Syd Brown Baton Rouge

Nicole Campbell Oakland

Sean Cleary Denver

Bianca Contreras Lopez Fort Worth

Shan Dyson Louisville

Meghan Figueras Phoenix

Collin Funck Jacksonville

Megan Greive Indianapolis

Van Gundersen Louisville

Mike Hanisch Chicago

Henry Jacobs Baton Rouge

Joey Jegier Detroit

Jess Joyce Mobile

Ethan Kirsch St. Petersburg

Carson Krol Stockton

Scott Lucitt Miami

Matt Lulgjuraj Pensacola

Paige Madden Philadelphia

Peyton Nielsen Louisville

Brenden Quirk New Orleans

Mary Rice New Orleans

Grace Scartz San Jose

Molly Schroeder Miami

Nathan Shemwell Tulsa

Gabby Siaosi Santa Ana

Ellie Temeles Phoenix

Will Tiller Oakland

Brian Vetter, CSC South Bend

Please join us in congratulating the 2023 graduates of Holy Cross College, Saint Mary’s College, and the University of Notre Dame.

Caroline Zitnik Denver ace.nd.edu

outgoing sGA leaders reflect on term

By MEGHAN LANGE saint mary’s news editor

“We love this institution, and we want to make it better,” said s tudent Government Association ( s GA) vice president Josie

h aas when the o bserver asked her about her 2023-23 term.

As the school year comes to a close the s aint m ary’s s GA president Angela m artinez

c amacho and vice president Josie h aas took time to reflect on their term. b oth

c amacho and h aas are members of s aint m ary’s class of 2023 and will be graduating this upcoming weekend.

c amacho studied psychology and sociology, and is looking to continue her work with student affairs at the collegiate level.

“I hope to work within student affairs. At a local university in my hometown hopefully, I’m currently in the application process, but I really do want to continue working through that passion for student affairs,”

c amacho said.

When asked if she would ever work at s aint m ary’s,

c amacho said, “Give me a year, then let me come right back here.”

h aas will also be graduating with a degree in secondary education and s panish.

s he will be working as a permanent substitute teacher at a local high school in her hometown, with the potential to move up to a full-time teaching position after a

year.

When asked if they had accomplished the goals they set out for their term, the pair agreed that they achieved “a good majority” of their goals. h aas explained, “We wanted to make sure that we followed the initiatives outlined in our platform as closely as we could, I feel that we did a very good job getting done what was actually attainable.”

be the case,” h aas said.

“This resulted in the institutions wanting to hire a full-time dedicated person to be director of Title IX for s aint m ary’s c ollege. n ow the institution is in the process of hiring a person for this new job, so we’d like to think that. It was our efforts in collaboration with countless other students and organizations that made the institution realize that we needed someone who was more dedicated to this issue,” c amacho added. “It’s definitely one of our prouder moments.”

The o bserver asked c amacho and h aas if they had any advice for the upcoming class of 2024.

o ne of the things c amacho and h aas did accomplish involved their work surrounding sexual violence, relationship violence and Title IX. The duo worked closely with the b elles Against

v iolence o ffice ( b Avo ),

b elles s upporting b elles,

c allisto and President

c onboy’s office to combat what they referred to as the “die down period”.

“We knew that after last year there would be a ‘die down period’ which is where a student comes and speaks out and then there’s a big, ‘we need to make a change’ movement, but then it dies down and nothing ever happens. We didn’t want that to

“ d on’t quit, do not quit. s eek help, not just from your peers but also your advisors, they’re here to guide you,” c amacho said.

“It goes by much quicker than you think. s o, enjoy it while you can,” h aas added.

When asked how s aint m ary’s had helped them grow into the women they are today, c amacho said, “ b y testing me. s aint m ary’s has tested me every gosh darn day, and what I appreciate is that s aint m ary’s sometimes puts me in a position of anxiety and fear. b ut when I have pushed myself to get over those barriers, is when I’m the proudest, because I’m taking action in a moment where I don’t always feel the most confident in myself.”

h aas echoed that feeling of

empowerment. “We have this quote, ‘empowered women empower women’ and I feel that, in short, is what my experience here at s aint m ary’s has been about. s eeing what it means to be around an empowered, intelligent, strong and driven community of women, and what that can do for you. When you’re around people that have that drive, it makes you want to push yourself harder,” she said.

When discussing what they would miss the most about s aint m ary’s the pair had similar answers.

“The people, without a doubt,” h aas said.

c amacho’s answer similarly was “the people in a holistic way — the students, friends, faculty and staff — you really do learn to build those close bonds.”

s he went on to say, “I’m from far away, I’m from Texas, and to not have someone around the corner

anymore, I just know I’m going to be sad, and I’m going to miss having my friends within 10 feet of me.”

c amacho had some final comments for s aint m ary’s saying, “I just want to say thank you to s aint m ary’s, thank you to the students. Thank you to the administration, faculty and staff. Thank you for allowing us to have an impact on you. Thank you for entrusting us with creating a better space here.”

“You’ve definitely taught us a few things. You’ve challenged us, but in the end, we embraced it all and created something that would be meaningful for you all and we hope that you appreciate that. We hope that you continue to stress the importance of student leadership on our campus,” she added.

Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu

smc outstanding senior Award presented

By MEGHAN LANGE saint mary’s news editor

s enior Libbey d etcher was awarded the 2023 o utstanding s enior Award by the Alumnae Association b oard of d irectors at the annual Alumnae- s enior c hampagne brunch m onday.

The o utstanding s enior Award is presented annually to a senior who “exemplifies the spirit and values of her school and is distinguished by scholarship, leadership and outstanding dedication to s aint m ary’s through participation in both curricular and extracurricular activities,” according to e ileen Gallagher Loranger, the president of the Alumnae Association b oard of d irectors.

d etcher will graduate with a major in political science and minors in justice studies, intercultural studies and one from the h esburgh Program in Public s ervice at n otre d ame. s he has a

strong passion for political science.

“I really love politics and understanding public policy and just the way that the institutions work, I’ve always considered politics to be at its core collective decision making,” d etcher said.

d uring her time at s aint m ary’s, d etcher served as the president of the Political s cience c lub, co-leader of smc votes through the o ffice of the c ommon Good, an admissions ambassador, treasurer of Feminist United, co-chair of the c lass Gift c ampaign and a volunteer tutor at La c asa de Amistad.

In addition to her involvement in clubs and organizations, d etcher also served as a teaching assistant for the political science department and a department assistant for the justice studies program.

d etcher said she could not imagine the impact s aint m ary’s would have on her life when she enrolled.

“ s aint m ary’s was honestly the best decision that I never knew I was making when I was 19 years old,” she said.

s he initially planned on transferring after her first year, but grew to love the s aint m ary’s community.

“Ultimately, I planned on transferring to n otre d ame or at least trying to after freshman year, but it was the community and the people that kept me here. I’m so glad for that,” d etcher said. “The professors that always gave me the freedom of expression through my academic work, that really propelled a lot of the work that I did … e ven the staff members that I’ve worked for or worked with, have always been so supportive, not just in me as a student, but in Libbey as a person.”

d etcher said she didn’t expect to attend an allwomen’s college, but she has loved her time at one.

“Just being at an all-women’s college is something that I never thought that I

would do, but it has been the best experience, just having the strong sense of community and belonging and friendship. It’s just been really unyielding over the last four years and I’m really appreciative for that,” she said.

d etcher plans on continuing her education through the m endoza c ollege of b usiness following graduation.

“ n ext year, I’ll be doing my master’s in nonprofit administration at the m endoza c ollege of b usiness … I’m hoping to gain a little bit of a business background that I think will be really applicable no matter what I do,“ she said.

Long term, d etcher is interested in working in a political advocacy role, such as lobbying.

“ m y options are kind of open as far as what I want to do,“ she said. “ b ut I think s aint m ary’s made me realize that I really want to be an advocate and I really

want to have a meaningful career.”

The o utstanding s enior Award is described as an award that “embodies the heart of s aint m ary’s,” while the valedictorian represents the mind and the Lumen c hristi award recipient reflects the soul of s aint m ary’s, according to the c ollege’s website.

d etcher said she is grateful for all that she has experienced during her time at s aint m ary’s.

“It’s really an honor and I’m very blessed to have received it … it really is a testament to the opportunities that s aint m ary’s has given me,” she said. “ s aint m ary’s has given me a platform to speak on the things that I’m passionate about, they have refined my speaking and writing skills so I am able to advocate for voting rights and to advocate for myself as a woman.”

“Don’t quit, do not quit. Seek help, not just from your peers but also your advisors, they’re here to guide you.”

Angela Martinez Camacho Outgoing SGA President

Courtesy of Angela Martinez Camacho Saint Mary’s College SGA president Angela Martinez Camacho (left) and vice president Josie Haas (right) will be graduating this weekend.

Sept. 2019 — Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” reaches No. 1 on the charts

Despite its original release in Sept. 2017, “Truth Hurts” was re-released as radio single in March 2019. The song was used in the Netflix film “Someone Great,” and it becomes a viral sleeper hit on TikTok, skyrocketing Lizzo to fame.

Nov. 12, 2019 — Baby Yoda

The first episode of “The Mandalorian” — titled “Chapter 1: The Mandalorian” — premieres on Disney+. Pedro Pascal’s character Din Djarin searches for his first bounty, known by many names but popularized as Baby Yoda. He’s too cute for the internet and quickly becomes one of the year’s most memorable icons.

Dec. 20, 2019 — “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

The final installment of the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy and the “Skywalker saga,” “The Rise of Skywalker” is released in U.S. theaters. Rey and Kylo Ren share a kiss (a romance that has inspired other popular works), Rey learns that she is the granddaughter of the resurrected Emperor Palpatine and Carrie Fisher makes her last appearance in the franchise posthumously with the aid of unreleased footage from “The Force Awakens.”

Jan. 31, 2020 — COVID-19 public health emergency declared in the U.S.

Though the nationwide lockdown would start less than two months later, this declaration marked the beginning of the pandemic in the United States. “Tiger King,” Dalgona coffee, “Among Us,” Zoom and many more kept us occupied as we masked up and stayed home.

Summer 2020 — Black Lives Matter

The killing of George Floyd, amongst others, sparks a nationwide reckoning with racial injustice and police brutality. Black Lives Matter isn’t a new movement, but in summer 2020, the culture begins to change.

Summer 2020 — A season for music

Taylor Swift’s “Folklore,” Phoebe Bridgers’ “Punisher,” Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica” and Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” among others make this summer a memorable one.

Aug. 28, 2020 — Chadwick Boseman passes

Predominantly known for his work in “Black Panther” and as the first black actor to headline an MCU film, Chadwick Boseman raised the bar for racial equity in the film industry. He is memorialized as a hero, on and off-screen, after passing from a quiet and grueling fight against colon cancer.

Jan. 15, 2021 — “WandaVision”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) becomes the Marvel Television Universe (MTU) with its first Disney+ show. Theories and spoilers dominate Twitter for months — maybe even to the series’ detriment.

March 26, 2021 — “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”

Lil Nas X goes from riding horses in “Old Town Road” to riding a pole down to Hell in “Montero.” With the release of his intentionally avant-garde music video, Lil Nas tells his haters that he embraces his sexuality wholeheartedly.

May 21, 2021 — “Sour”

Olivia Rodrigo writes the breakup anthems of a generation. Thanks to TikTok, Gen-Z and rumors about her “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” co-star, it charted #1 on the Billboard for five weeks, won a Grammy and Scene’s album of the year.

Fall 2021 — YikYak returns to Notre Dame

Tap into campus culture with YikYak. (Literally.) Now, every Notre Dame student can satisfy their “Gossip Girl” dreams with the anonymous messaging app’s return. From lonely hearts shouting into the void to the latest party details, YikYak certainly gives a voice to everybody — for better and for worse.

Sept. 2021 — “Squid Game”

It’s like “Parasite” but in a binge-able Netflix fashion. The series essentially updates “Battle Royale” for a modern audience, complete with the same violence and critiques of mindless consumerism.

Oct. 9, 2021 — Kim Kardashian hosts “Saturday Night Live”

Though the episode itself is notable on its own, this day marks the start of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson’s nine-month relationship. Their romance rocked the world of pop culture and cemented Davidson’s reputation on social media of dating women “out of his league.”

Nov. 12, 2021 — Britney Spears’ conservatorship ends

After nearly 14 years under her father’s legal control, a judge ruled to end Britney Spears’ conservatorship. The verdict is a result of several court hearings and a documentary, as well as public uprising with the #FreeBritney movement.

Nov. 12, 2021 — “Red (Taylor’s Version)”

Swift’s re-release of her 2012 album “Red” explodes the internet. After music executive Scooter Braun sold the rights to the star’s first six albums, she re-recorded the tracks (and some unreleased ones) with collaborations from a variety of artists. “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” was the first, though “Red (TV)” had the greatest impact on her stardom.

Dec. 17, 2021 — “Spider-Man: No Way Home”

Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield return to the webslinger role alongside Tom Holland. The film focuses on the intricacies and the chaos caused by the multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Dec. 31, 2021 — Betty White dies

Betty White — a beloved star of television — dies a few weeks before her 100th birthday. She was the first woman to receive the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for the show “Just Men!” and continues to serve as a role model for women in entertainment.

March 11, 2022 — “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“EEAAO” has received a record-breaking number of nominations and wins from awards shows around the world. It marks Ke Huy Quan’s return to the big screen and resulting success (along with that of fellow stars Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu).

March 27, 2022 — “The Slap” incident at the 94th Oscars

“CODA” sets a precedent as the first all-deaf cast AND streaming-service movie to win Best Picture. “Encanto” and “Power of the Dog” win animation and technical awards. However, Will Smith’s defense of wife Jada in response to a joke from host Chris Rock turns the heads of the crowd and divides celebrities and the public.

Spring 2022 — Depp v. Heard

The former couple battle out the defamation case in a Virginia courtroom. The case was heavily covered on social media and continues to incite debates regarding issues raised by the #MeToo movement.

May 20, 2022 — “Harry’s House”

Single “As It Was” proved to be a massive hit on radio stations and social media platforms, and the greatly anticipated release of “Harry’s House” does not disappoint fans.

Summer 2022 — Garth Brooks and Billy Joel perform at Notre Dame Stadium

Garth Brooks takes the stage on May 7 as the second person to ever perform at Notre Dame Stadium. Billy Joel follows his performance on June 25 after being delayed for nearly a yeardue to COVID concerns.

Sept. 8, 2022 — Queen Elizabeth II dies

Queen Elizabeth II, the second-longest reigning British monarch, dies of old age in Balmoral Castle after nearly 71 years on the throne. Her funeral on Sept. 19 is attended by an estimated 250,000 people from over 150 different countries.

Sept. 23, 2022 — “Don’t Worry Darling”

Starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, the movie’s release marked the end of a long wait as a result of reports of major drama on the set. The lead-up to the film noted tensions between Pugh and director Olivia Wilde as a result of Wilde and Style’s relationship, as well as “Spitgate.”

Oct. 27, 2022 — Elon Musk buys Twitter

The billionaire investor and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla buys Twitter for $44 billion. The buying process was a struggle to say the least, and his acquisition of the company and resulting changes has caused many users to leave the platform.

Spring 2023 — “Barbie” v. “Oppenheimer”

Trailers for Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan’s respective films have been widely discussed on the internet, especially because of their shared impending release date (July 21). Memes about their release have been circulating on Twitter for months.

Feb. 12, 2023 — Rihanna plays at the Super Bowl LVII half-time show

Her first performance in seven years, Rihanna took the half-time stage with incredible choreography and stunning red and white visuals. The singer performed hits like “Only Girl (In the World),” “Umbrella” and “Diamonds.” She also announced her second pregnancy during the show.

March 17, 2023 — Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour begins

After the release of “Midnights” in Oct. 2022 and the ensuing Ticketmaster catastrophe, Taylor Swift performs the first show of her Eras Tour in Glendale, Ariz. Since then, social media has received constant coverage of Swift’s relationship troubles, weather delays, surprise songs and announcements regarding the upcoming release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”

March 24, 2023 — The Sound of SUB

Noah Kahan, Chelsea Cutler and Notre Dame students Lucy Bullock, Libby Garnett and Luke Holem perform at Stepan Center. The event sold out quickly after tickets were released, and it proved to be well worth the hype.

May 6, 2023 — King Charles III is coronated

King Charles III, son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, becomes the King of England. Coronation performers and attendants create a buzz on social media, and the memory of Princess Diana dominates various platforms.

degree at saint mary’s through the accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program. volling will also begin working for a company in baltimore, maryland, as an applied research mathematician this summer.

volling reflected on entering college during the pandemic.

“honestly it was exciting and terrifying at the same time coming in during the pandemic and having to make friends when it was during the time where people were telling us ‘don’t interact with people’ [and] ‘keep your distance but also make friends,’” she said. “I became really close with my freshman year roommate and learned to really appreciate the small little moments of every day.”

volling explained how she met graduation requirements in three years.

“I was goal-oriented in high school, so I came to saint mary’s with a lot of AP credits and was able to finish early. It definitely made things a little weird … but in my major classes, at least I was working with the other girls who are seniors now,” she said. “We were working on stuff together, became friends together [and] were in classes together from the beginning, so it wasn’t too complicated. I had the saint mary’s community around me, and my professors knew I was going to try to graduate in three years, so they helped me figure it out.”

volling said that while she’ll miss a fourth year of undergraduate studies at saint mary’s, she’s excited for the future.

“I’m going to miss going through some of that senior closing stuff with the girls I went through freshman orientation and move-in weekend with, but at the same time, I am ready to get to the next step,” she said. “And I won’t be leaving saint mary’s completely behind, I do still have another year through the master’s program.”

she said the announcement that she’d be a valedictorian was the result of hard work.

“It’s something that I’m very excited about. I worked really hard to get here. I’ve put in so much time, so many office hours and problem sessions just to make sure that I was getting [what I wanted] out of my classes,” she said.

volling said she has always been motivated, but saint mary’s has encouraged that.

“I was already a fairly driven person before, but saint mary’s has helped me continue to build that drive and make it more productive. so, it’s not just about school or academics, it’s about other things in life,” she said. “They’ve helped me grow as a person and realize that there’s more outside of school — something that I’ve definitely struggled with while growing up. saint mary’s helped me make lifelong connections that I’m hoping to carry with me throughout life.”

Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu

saint mary’s showcases research

By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT Associate news editor

To end the spring semester, saint mary’s hosted a symposium where students and professors presented research that they had done throughout the semester. most of the student researchers were seniors presenting their comprehensives or final research.

senior Annie maher presented her research titled “empowering Indigenous communities and Fighting the climate crisis.”

maher is graduating with a double major in communication studies and environmental studies, with a concentration in nature, culture, and arts.

“For my presentation, I really focused on the environmental studies aspect of it and kind of the culture within there,” maher said. “I talked about how indigenous communities have

the knowledge to fight climate change, but then also focused on the amount of communication that’s required for those those plans to actually come to fruition.”

maher is currently applying for jobs and hopes to stay in south bend after graduation. she said her presentation was rooted in her ambitions for her potential future career though she is not yet committed to anything yet.

“I’m hoping to go into sustainability more, but definitely open to communications jobs as they come. I’m doing interviews ... and applying to as many things as I can.”

maher said that while she doesn’t know where she will go after graduation, she believes the thing she will miss the most is the community at saint mary’s.

“I really love saint mary’s and I really feel like a part of a family here and so I’ll really miss having

that community and just have this safe space,” maher said.

Another presenter was senior molecular cell biology major brooke montgomery. her research was titled “A solution for the Antibiotic-resistance crisis? examining Antibacterial efficacy of curcumin in various surfactant systems.”

“I looked into a phytochemical called curcumin, which has been seen to be effective in inhibiting the growth of bacteria, making it a potential alternative for antibiotics,” montgomery said.

In her symposium presentation, montgomery concluded that the right additive was crucial to whether curcumin could be a promising alternative to antibiotics for therapeutic use.

montgomery said that this presentation was the cumulation of months of work.

“I have been doing this

research for a little over two years now. A lot of work, but I really love it which made it all worth it.” montgomery’s research ties into plans for after graduation.

“I want to be a medical professional so I am really interested in therapeutics and stuff. I also really like research so if I [want to] incorporate research in my future graduate studies. I’m actually returning back to saint mary’s for a master’s in science. After that, I want to get my doctorate in nursing anesthesia practice,” montgomery said. montgomery added that despite the challenges involved, she found the process of doing research to be rewarding.

“I think that was just really important, if you’re passionate about something and you really like it, it makes it all worth it.”

Contact Katelyn Waldschmidt at kwaldschmidt01@saintmarys.edu

PAId AdverTIsemen T

my own little corner of the world

Alysa Guffey

Around spring break of this year, I felt inspired by a close friend and writer I admire. We had a conversation about daily journaling — something she had been trying to practice and something I had been wanting to do for a while. A few days later, I bought not one, but two journals, all set to begin this new routine, one that would surely make writing not only easier but also more enjoyable.

I took the journals back to n otre d ame with me, set them in my drawer and promptly did not open them for two months until I needed to write my commencement column for The o bserver. What could have been pages of thoughts perfectly crafted for a farewell piece were instead painfully blank pages. s igh.

b esides my apparent inability to form a new habit, my calendar often feels like my biggest enemy in this chapter of my life. o ne day, I have graduation marked — the day my undergraduate education will culminate in a ceremony with all my friends and family. Then there’s the day after, when I’ll leave a place I’ve called home for four years. And on another is the day this column is due. r ight now, I’m not sure which feels more ominous. (Probably the latter, given that the day has already passed, friends.)

I wanted this column to be perfect. b ut perfect is overrated, so I guess I at least wanted it to feel like me. And if there’s one thing true about me, it’s that I’ve been writing on a deadline for this very paper for four years now, and sometimes… things get turned in late.

Another element of my writing style is that I come up with my column titles first and foremost — an element that shocks a lot of my colleagues. d educing a general feeling into a phrase or a couple of words comes easily. e xpanding that feeling into something a reader can understand... That’s the challenging part.

s o, when I opened my blank journal not too long ago to brainstorm how to explain what n otre d ame means to me, I jotted down, It’s been like my own little corner of the world. Let’s roll.

o ne of my favorite things about n otre d ame has been dorm life. m y four cozy (read: small) rooms in b reen-Phillips h all have treated me well, offering a place of both solitude and friendship, a place for both silence and noise. It’s been one of the few constants in my life for the past four years.

It’s quiet on campus during senior week. I’m walking back to the dorm one night, and there’s no loud music, no people sitting on benches, no conversations drifting through the air. It feels like I’m the only person in the world. I think of a Taylor s wift lyric, “You can hear it in the

silence / You are in love.”

For once, I don’t feel sad about graduation. Instead of hurting, my heart feels full. I wish I could capture that feeling and embed it in this column like a tweet. I open my n otes app and type.

When I think of the last four years, I see magic. A magic that’s come from joy and awe and anger and despair and heartbreak. It’s like a magic that’s been broken at times but still glimmers.

I keep walking. I eventually pass the Golden d ome on my way home and pause for a second.

I say thank you in my head, thinking that somehow, everyone I’ve encountered because of n otre d ame can hear me. o r maybe it’s just a thank you to the physical place because, without it, none of the experiences the last four years would have been possible.

And I imagine — or at least hope — that n otre d ame’s saying back to me, “Thanks for coming. s ee you real soon.”

Alysa is graduating from Notre Dame with a degree in history and minors in journalism and digital marketing. This summer, she is shipping up to Boston to intern on the metro desk at The Boston Globe. This paper means the world to her, and she thanks you for supporting student journalism yesterday, today and forever. Contact her at alysa.guffey@comcast.net.

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

That’s what I want

Aidan O’Malley managing editor e meritus

I’ve started and stopped (and restarted and restopped) this column more times than I would care to count. When my writer’s block reaches a particularly insurmountable impasse, I’ll turn to the search bar of this very website, type in the name of a colleague — a friend — whom I’ve admired and who graduated before me and I’ll read what they wrote below their last o bserver byline. Admittedly, this seems to have hurt me more than it’s helped. I feel dramatic. And dumb.

I feel inarticulate. I have a nasty habit of talking — loudly — and punctuating even the shortest of silences with words. Words, words, words. I’ve dedicated so much of my short, stupid life to them. Truly, writing has been my everything, my only. It’s the one thing I’ve ever felt good at. s o when the words slip away from my fingers — when they taunt me just past the tip of my tongue, floating away into empty space — I feel worse than frustrated or disappointed or depressed. I feel wordless.

There’s a version of this column where I thank my family and friends as if I was accepting an Academy Award. I’d conspicuously namedrop professors and peers, while humbly crediting them with my vague and as-yet-to-beverified success. To be sure, a college degree is an immense, extraordinary privilege; I think a lot of folks at n otre d ame gloss over that. And to be clear, I will not be walking across that stage alone … metaphorically, that is. You know

who you are. b ut with peace and love, that column is cheesy. d elete.

There’s another version of this column where I recall rich, illustrative anecdotes that capture, through the sheer force of their imagery, the melancholy of graduation. It would read like flashes of memory, like s ufjan s tevens’ song lyrics, like the final rays of a sunset or the last page of a very good book. b ut I said I was good at writing, not Pulitzer Prize-winning. And that column is cheesy, too. d elete, delete. s o, faced with no better alternative and the strictest of deadlines — this column is quite literally about that deadline — I’ll do what I do whenever I need to put a word to a feeling for which no word exists: I’ll reference a pretentious movie. “ o h brother, this guy stinks!” Yeah, yeah. Listen, if it ain’t broke … I don’t know how that phrase ends, it ain’t broke. And if writing was my first love, then film is the one I married, had kids and grew old with. And when I write about movies, that love comes through.

I recently rewatched “Frances h a,” one of Greta Gerwig’s last films before she became the acclaimed director of “Lady b ird,” “Little Women” and soon, “ b arbie.” s he wrote it with her partner, n oah b aumbach, and stars as the eponymous Frances, an aimless twentysomething in n ew York who is struggling with the fallout of a “friendship breakup.” It is a sly, observant, lovely little film — shot in romantic black-and-white with a killer retro soundtrack — and it’s one of my utmost favs.

About halfway through the film, Frances finds herself at a stuffy, awkward dinner party.

s hortly before she leaves, Frances does what Frances — and I — do best: she rambles. s he rambles about “what she wants in a relationship … or just life, I guess.”

“It’s that thing,” she says, growing excited, “when you’re with someone, and you love them and they know it, and they love you and you know it, but it’s a party. And you’re both talking to other people and you’re laughing and shining, and you look across the room and you catch each other’s eyes. b ut not because you’re possessive … but because that is your person … And it’s funny and sad, but only because this life will end. And it’s this secret world that exists right there, in public, unnoticed, that no one else knows about … That’s what I want.”

At the end of the film, at a party, Frances locks eyes with her former best friend across the room. There’s a moment of recognition, of understanding. They smile.

That’s what I want from graduation. It’s what I wanted from college — what I got. n ot congratulations, not accolades, not tears. For once, not even words. I want to catch your eye in a crowd, and I want us both to understand.

I love you.

Aidan is graduating from Notre Dame with a degree in film and minors in journalism and marketing. After graduation, he is moving to Chicago — from whose infamous suburbs he is from — to pursue an Adult Job. Someday soon, he hopes to go to grad school. Please validate him by contacting aomalle2@alumni.nd.edu. Thanks for everything, my Observer.

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

editor-in-c hief e meritus

‘Impermeably and forever’

Mannion McGinley Assistant managing editor e meritus

“Gilmore Girls” has been a comfort show of mine for years. Through my many watches, I’ve processed that rory Gilmore is no perfect character. In fact, she’s one of the farthest main characters from “perfect” that I have come to know in my 22 years of reading, watching and learning. While she and Lorelai didn’t always get everything right, they’ve shaped who I am from some of their best moments and I’ve learned from watching some of their worst.

one of rory’s biggest, humblest moments (and simultaneously one of her best) is her chilton valedictorian speech. In it, she touches on all that she learned and all those she loved. It is this speech that feels like the most relatable piece of rory’s character for me at this moment in time. It felt that way at the end of high school, and it feels the most fitting now as the class of 2023 enters our final semester.

because the speech feels so fitting, I’m going to follow its framework as I reflect on the people and the things that made these four years possible and made them worth all the work they required before I fully embark on my last semester on notre dame’s campus. A semester that I know will be full of light and laughs, but that ultimately came too quickly.

“I live in two worlds. One is a world of books.”

For anyone who knows me, they know I understand that the ability to read and write day in and day out has been a gift. I’ll pick up anything from a pop culture magazine to Proust and read them cover to cover. sure, reading has been tedious at times, but this university gifted me with the space to explore. my very first class started with sophocles and his stories about oedipus and Antigone. I learned that a coffee mug has one side and is, in fact, a doughnut. We read everything from Plato and st. Augustine to betty Friedan and malcolm X. And I defeated George Foreman with muhammad Ali after simulating an acid trip with Timothy Leary. I can’t thank my professors enough for introducing me to some of the greatest minds of every generation. especially the professors that have become my mentors in other facets of my work, as well.

I have not only read as much as I wanted, but I’ve also had the chance to put pen to paper. I’ve written essays I couldn’t be prouder of (and some I wish to never see again). I’ve interviewed some of the coolest athletes and coaches this university — or the world — has ever seen. And I’ve told their stories the best way I knew how. Writing has been an outlet and an exercise throughout my four years. I am so grateful to have taken the classes I did. They really focused on using the knowledge I gained in the ways I knew how: in my own voice.

And to The observer, for training my journalistic voice in ways I would never be able to just in the classroom. There’s nothing more important to me than the work I have done in the basement of south dining hall. I will carry those skills for the rest of my life. And I hope to always read all the important work student journalists do on our campus each and every day.

“It’s a rewarding world, but my second one is by far superior.”

I am so grateful for all that I have learned here, but that is a fraction of what notre dame has come to mean to me. my second world includes the people I have had the chance to meet here. These people, like the people of stars hollow to rory Gilmore, are eclectic, fun and beyond intelligent. everyone I have come to know on this campus is “supremely real, made of flesh and bone and full of love.” I could not have grown and learned in all the ways that I have without the discourse, the support and the care of my friends here.

From late nights in the library to similarly late nights out. From fabulous birthday parties to sitting on the couch playing a board game. I have come to recognize the people here as my family. Without them, my life here would not be the same. They let me cry in my hardest times, called me out in my stupidest and celebrated with me my achievements, no matter how big or small. I am every bit who I am after these four years because I got to know them. To the group of friends born of a math class we had to take — despite none of us wanting anything to do with math — I am so lucky we bonded as tightly and quickly as we did. To the friends who have come since then, you have come to mean the world to me, just as quickly. “My twin pillars … from whom I received my life’s blood and … without whom I could not stand.”

While I love it here, I had to get here first to figure that out. And it’s at this point that I stray slightly from rory’s speech. she thanks her grandparents at this moment (and while my grandparents have always been the brightest lights in my life) I’d like to combine her words for them and her words for Lorelai into some for my parents.

To be at notre dame would not have been possible without the love I know from heather and John mcGinley. They truly are my twin pillars. They created a space for me to ask questions, figure things out and learn from everything I do. my mother and father “never gave me any idea I couldn’t do whatever I wanted to do or be whomever I wanted to be.” my mother showed me every role model imaginable, but none as influential as herself. And my father? he is the reason for my confidence. I never feel more prepared for anything than I do after talking to them. Without them, succeeding here simply wouldn’t be possible. And it wouldn’t

mean all that it does to me.

“But my ultimate inspiration comes from my best friend … the person I most want to be is her.”

And I save the rest of rory’s words for my very best friend in the entire world. my little sister is the person I learned from the most and has guided me through these four years even without trying to. she knows my every move, how I react, what to ask when I don’t know where to start and how to respond to my answer.

Without my little sister, I couldn’t do what I do. she inspires it all and I am so grateful. Weekends she would visit for football or for the hell of it were bright spots in semesters. Watching her perceive the people and spaces around me gave me new perspectives. For a while, she practically knew me better than I knew myself, and it helped me to find the right people in my life. I have so much more to learn from ry but I cannot thank her enough for all that she’s taught me already. she’s a “dazzling woman” and the Lorelai to my rory. she helped me to shape the person I have become and pushed me in ways no one else knows how.

“Impermeably and forever”

The last thing I want to steal from rory Gilmore is the sentiment that this isn’t an ending but a beginning. At least, that’s what everyone will tell us. We will get jobs. We will start new schools and we will do work in other ways and continue growing outside the gates of our Lady’s University. still, that doesn’t mean I want to reach my last days here and say goodbye to all of this. It has meant so much to me and become such a powerful part of who I am.

In spite of that, I know that at some point this semester, I will catch myself wishing it were all done. Wishing I could turn in my thesis as is and finish my finals already. I caught myself doing it in the seven semesters leading up to this one. This time, though, I refuse to hurry anything, even in those moments. I am going to cherish it all. For as quickly as this semester has come, I don’t want to see it go. As rory Gilmore said, leaving here “means leaving friends who inspire me and teachers who’ve been my mentors, so many people who’ve shaped my life… impermeably and forever.” It’s going to hurt making that leap from our home under the dome. but that’s the thing about it. Yes, we will be leaving, but notre dame will always be our home. “Impermeably and forever.”

Mannion will be graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in American Studies. The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

300+ stories later, I’m almost out of words

It turned out that a week of sleepless nights in december of 2021, just a few months before I began as sports editor, was just some foreshadowing to a wild year that defined a significant part of my college experience. While the resignation of brian Kelly and ensuing hire of marcus Freeman remained one of the biggest storylines in recent years at notre dame, the major headlines piled up.

notre dame returned to march madness in both men’s and women’s basketball, with the women’s team making it to the sweet 16. A second straight fencing national championship (shout out incoming Assistant managing editor Joche sanchez cordova for patiently explaining the sport to me). The Irish returned to the college World series, a wild postseason run I oversaw remotely while starting an internship in baltimore.

Link Jarrett left for Florida state, and shawn stiffler entered. salima rockwell began the rockwell era for notre dame volleyball. When mike brey announced his pending resignation, I joked with a few of my writers that I might resign myself if another coach unexpectedly left notre dame while I was sports editor. but Tommy rees proved me a liar. I’m still here (you can’t get rid of me quite yet).

eleven months ago, I talked a little about how I got here. I

didn’t expect it, and I wasn’t really sure what was to come. my first byline came in the form of a handwritten article covering the Gorham-sanford high school football game when I was ten years old. A new passion, one that took me further than I expected, emerged. since I became sports editor, I wrote about 120 stories and edited countless more. overall at The observer, I’ve written over 300 stories. some were written at a normal time of day, from press boxes, my house, dorm room or duncan student center. others were written in the office, at 2 in the morning, as news broke or space needed to be filled in that day’s paper. one was written from the Linebacker (I’ll shoutout former observer editor-in-chief douglas Farmer for introducing me to the world of filing stories from a bar — if he happens to read this, I appreciate it).

I embraced the opportunity to not only cover the biggest stories in notre dame sports but also to find stories within every sport across the tri-campus community. I hope, across the past year, I served the Irish, belles and saints’ sports communities well and to the best of my ability.

but now, with my time with The observer coming to an end, it’s time to get ready to say goodbye. I don’t know exactly what’s next for me yet (and I continue the amazingly fun and not-at-all-stressful job search process). It may not include bylines, and if my stories at The observer are the last I’ll write, I feel confident I wrote my final published words for an outlet I love about a sports community I’ve been privileged to cover. so thank you. To the notre dame sIds and coaches, thank

you for your continued relationship with The observer and for helping with all the requests I’ve made over the past year. To notre dame beat writers who I learned from just by reading your work. To the other editors at The observer and the writers in the sports department, thank you for all the amazing work and efforts to produce content under tough and frequently unexpected deadlines. To the former sports editor who convinced me to apply for this role in the first place. Thank you to everyone who impacted this past year. Although I’ll appreciate a more regulated sleep schedule, I wouldn’t have changed a minute.

And of course, as I wrote a year ago, thank you to my dad. For being my introduction to the world of sports and deadlines, my first editor and not only the writer, but the man I continue to aspire to be. Thank you for being the biggest reason I’m writing this farewell column in the first place.

300+ stories later, I finally might be out of words (or at least, I need to save a few for the last few stories I’ll write as a washedup senior sports writer). It’s been a pleasure being your sports editor. Thank you all.

Aidan is graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in marketing and ACMS. He will be working in Baltimore, MD as a sports sales and marketing coordinator.

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

Aidan Thomas sports editor e meritus

Genevieve Coleman Assistant managing editor e meritus

Writing this column will be the hardest part of my time here. not being sent home in the middle of freshman year. not triple majoring. not writing my thesis. not student teaching.

because finishing this column inevitably means the end of a very long journey which started when I tentatively attended my first saint mary’s news meeting in January 2020.

before this seemingly small moment in my life, I didn’t feel like I had found a home on campus. I was struggling mentally and felt like I was the only person on campus who hadn’t bought into the sisterhood I was promised at all the admissions events I attended. Going to one meeting was my last ditch attempt to feel like I belonged somewhere before I started considering transferring to another school.

but as soon as I met maria, maeve, sara, m ia and all of the other members of the department, I knew I had a place at saint mary’s. I attended more meetings and wrote, and I found that sisterhood in that basement observer office in the saint mary’s student center.

I don’t think I would have questioned anyone who let me spend the rest of my time at this paper

I did it my way

as a news writer. I will always be thankful that m ia saw something in me that I did not yet see in myself when she asked me to be her associate news editor. even though I got lost on my way to my first production shift in south dining hall, it became my second home. There was a larger menagerie of people who I grew to love in that basement office — people who never failed to make me smile, even in the sixth or seventh hour of a shift. Thank you for making me feel seen and loved during my time at the news desk and the back computer.

As I finished my term as assistant managing editor this semester, I was able student teach a high school newspaper class, in addition to the other e nglish classes on my course load. This felt like a full-circle moment. At my small high school, there was no school newspaper or journalism class. I learned everything I knew while I was in college.

It was my absolute joy to look out at these high school kids every day and tell them what I know to be true — everyone, including yourself, has a story — as well as the power to share meaningful stories that touch lives beyond what you can possibly understand.

This does not only apply in journalism.

even with the narratives that are still perpetuated by a vocal minority on the tri-campus, I learned how

to believe in my own abilities as a storyteller as I became one of the few saint mary’s students on two observer editorial boards. In the course of my terms, I hope that more people understand the stories of saint mary’s build up the history of this place. We are not the same without saint mary’s leaders on the tricampus and out in the world. I see this every day with my friends and the people who belong on this campus. don’t make the mistake of underestimating us. now I very tentatively leave saint mary’s and my homes throughout this place. I only have one regret: not spending enough time telling people that I loved them. so here it is one last time. Thank you for making me laugh and cry and giving me a place I will miss for the rest of my life.

Love y’all, Gen.

Genevieve is graduating from Saint Mary’s College with degrees in English literature, creative writing and secondary education. Up next, she will be teaching seventh grade English in the South Bend community. Send any book recommendations and rants about how you love The Observer her way at gcoleman01@saintmarys. edu.

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

The future is behind us

the profound insight that “Angelus novus” illuminated: the future is behind us.

Spencer Kelly

From the Archives Leader

In my very first college class, my professor showed us the following monoprint, titled “Angelus novus” by Paul Klee:

In the english language, we perceive the past and the future as backward and forward, behind us and in front of us. We praise innovative or futuristic ideas as “forward thinking.” We use the #ThrowbackThursday when posting a sentimental picture on social media.

We take such a view of the world for granted. Indeed, this “future is in front, past is behind” idea is not just an english thing: It’s baked into almost every human language.

Almost every language. A 2005 paper by rafael nunez and eve sweetser outlined the first known exception: Aymara, an indigenous language spoken by a couple million people around bolivia, Peru and chile.

As nunez and sweetser describe, the Aymara word for “time” is pacha. The word nayra refers to “front,” as in things that are physically in front of the speaker. combine these two words and the outcome is the opposite of what we would expect. nayra pacha literally means “front time” but is used to refer to a time in the past. The word qhipa means “back” or “behind,” but qhipa pacha — literally “back time” — denotes a future time.

our entire lives, we have been students, with our existence structured and largely predetermined by the predictable progression of bell schedules, semesters, summer breaks and grade levels.

now, most of us are leaving school and entering the “adult” phase of our lives, a confoundingly nebulous epoch with limitless possibilities, but also innumerable responsibilities, that will last until we expire. I can safely say that many of us feel significant anxiety over the future. What is my purpose in life? Will I find a husband or wife? Will AI replace me in five years and/or eradicate the human race?

such uncertainty seems frustrating or confusing if we employ the default future-in-front-of-us lens. If we have our whole life ahead of us, shouldn’t we be able to see it more clearly?

If instead, we think of the future as behind us, uncertainty becomes natural or inevitable. rather than worrying about the unknowable and uncontrollable, we focus on what we can know and can control.

It’s not exactly a looker.

however, this objectively ugly image hides a beautiful truth, as my professor showed in this interpretation from the philosopher Walter benjamin:

“A Klee painting named ‘Angelus novus’ shows an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating ... his face is turned toward the past ... The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress.”

I’m not sure how benjamin got all that from what I would describe as a deranged turkey with bleached mutton chops, a face reminiscent of Tilda swinton and a mop of hair like Zach Galifianakis in “The hangover.” but I was struck by this description of the mutant bird as moving backward through time. now, as I reflect on my college experience and on the years to come, my mind keeps returning to that first class and

This is not just a linguistic quirk. Language determines the way the Aymara understands time and space. When speaking about a future event, an Aymara will jerk their thumb over their shoulder, as we would when referring to a past event. And when an Aymara speaks of something that already happened, they point their index finger out in front, as we might do to reference something to come.

As for why the Aymara speak and think this way, nunez and sweetser argue that “part of the answer comes from the strong emphasis Aymara puts on visual perception as a source of knowledge.”

If seeing is believing or knowing, then it makes sense to refer to the past as in front of us. Things that have already happened are available for us to look at and understand. The future, however, is unknown and is, therefore, best conceptualized as behind us, away from our source of vision and knowledge.

If I haven’t completely lost you, you may be wondering what we should make of all this.

I think “Angelus novus” and Aymara act as enlightening challenges to our conceptions of time and space, and this can be especially impactful at momentous occasions like graduations.

Graduating from college is arguably the most significant transition we have ever had to make. For almost

spoken like a true history major, I believe we can and should learn from our past. While we shouldn’t extrapolate, overgeneralize or become preoccupied with the past, history offers abundant lessons for our personal lives and for the world.

but most importantly, we should live in the present, control what we can control and give our full attention and presence to whatever or whoever is in our midst. As colorado football coach deion sanders recently said: “Take care yo’ now … Yesterday can’t cripple you and tomorrow can’t place fear in you. now is what you got.”

(I should note that 47 of sanders’ players have entered the transfer portal since he said that, so I guess his message didn’t really work. Let’s ignore that, though and take coach Prime’s quote at face value for our purposes here.)

I don’t know what the future holds, but I am confident that we have to accept life’s uncertainty. And I believe that if we can learn from the past while living in the present, we’ll walk backward, propelled by “the storm we call progress,” into a future of great possibilities.

Spencer is graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a history major and a minor in social entrepreneurship and innovation. After graduation, he will be working as a legal analyst in Washington, D.C.

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: FOuR YEARS In REvIEw

The flip phone experiment

I came to notre dame wanting it all. I wanted incredible memories. I wanted success. I wanted to get holy, get fit and get involved. I wanted to waste no time. I knew that this experience, like high school, would fly by at an incredible pace. Like a fleeting shadow. A blink of an eye, a new York minute. here, then gone.

however, semester after semester, I found myself throwing those precious minutes down the drain. The time sucker? A cracked iPhone 8 in a dilapidated red phone wallet. Time and time again, I’d find that screen time app reminding me of the many hours I lost each week.

I tried to get that number down. I really did. I set screen time restrictions, I ditched social media and I even put my phone in black and white to make it less desirable. but no matter how hard I tried, the phone would win. even if I had a good week with phone use, a bad week would come, and I would find myself robbed of that coveted time.

As a second semester sophomore, with everyone talking about jobs and plans and future, I heard my notre dame timer clicking louder than ever before. And at the dawn of 2022, I found myself having an intrusive, insane thought: What if I could eliminate the temptation altogether? What if I could simply guarantee hundreds of hours of more fun at the best place in the world?

What if. I hate what-ifs. so I drove to Target, and I bought a flip phone.

I originally told myself that I would try it for one month. one month, and then if I decide that I hate it, I can switch back. This was not a long term project. It was an experiment.

despite my doubts, here I am, nine months later, and you couldn’t force me to switch back. I love my flip phone. It’s brought me the results that I’ve always craved. my fears about the switch were illegitimate, and all of my hopes came true.

The first immediate thing that I noticed was that I was swimming in free time. At first it was weird. I would get back to my dorm, sit on my futon, realize I had nothing to do on my phone, and then … Keep sitting on my futon. I would sit there as the minutes passed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for something to entertain me.

nothing ever did, so I got busy.

I learned a few songs on the guitar. I read 14 nonschool books. I spent more time laughing with my dorm friends. I studied more, I prayed more. I ate longer meals with my friends. I started walking the dorm dog, rocco. I picked up poetry. I called my family more, I hit the gym more and I slept more. I had the time to write this essay.

I quickly found that my focus was improved without my phone’s constant interruptions. I was completely, entirely in the moment. I would find myself locking in for entire lectures. I worked faster than ever, and I was more able to attentively listen to my friends.

I did everything that I love more and better. The flip phone increased both the quality and quantity of my favorite things about life. And throughout it all, there was not a battle that needed to take place. There was no tempting smartphone left to fight.

The best thing about my flip phone is that it is not enjoyable to use. It’s complicated, it’s slow, it’s grosslooking. but that’s exactly why I love it. It’s there if I need it, but when I don’t, I’m as far away from that thing as humanly possible. my flip phone united my long and short term desires — I’m not constantly denying myself anymore.

but the most groundbreaking realization did not hit me when I was happy. It hit me on a day when I was feeling particularly sad and anxious.

I walked out of north dining hall on that miserable day with my head down. normally I would have turned left, dragged myself to my room in dillon and dove headfirst into the bottomless pit that was my smartphone. but I knew in this moment that the only thing waiting for me in that room was silence.

Instead, I turned right.

I headed to stanford hall, where some of my friends were hanging out. I walked through those doors reluctantly, but I walked through them nonetheless. I needed to cope somehow, and without my smartphone, I was left only with healthy options. I told them what was going on and they lifted me up.

I was forced to lean on people rather than a screen. And now more than ever, I think that this vulnerability is beyond important for relationships. It has turned my friends into brothers. rather than the emptiness

I would feel after a couple hours on Instagram, I left that conversation feeling loved. I was left with the deeper desire of my heart satisfied.

All in all, that’s what I’ve found to be the greatest superpower of the flip phone: It offers me no artificial solutions. It forces me to take the next step needed to satisfy my longings.

When I am feeling social, I don’t send funny stuff in the group chat anymore. I set a time up to hang out and laugh with my friends. When I like a girl, I don’t text her about my bad country playlists. I set up a lunch to get to know her. When I’m tired, I don’t scroll mindlessly. I take a nap. When I long to connect with friends or family, I don’t like their Instagram post. I call them and ask them how they’re doing.

my iPhone was my Tylenol. It would numb the pain, but it would never remove it. It was like trying to pull weeds by cutting them at the tips. It made me feel like I was making progress, but it never solved the issue. my flip phone removes that artificial option, and it truly has changed my life. I’ve been forced to look my issues in the eye and find genuine solutions. one of the hardest things about making the switch was saying no to a good thing. my iPhone was great: It was convenient, it was entertaining and it was capable of many things. but this experiment has again taught me the importance of tradeoffs in life.

Life with an iPhone was good. but this one is better.

I’ve attached a couple relevant links below for those interested in trying the experiment. Please feel free to reach out: jhaskell@nd.edu. I am happy to talk flip phones, technology moderation or anything else! Two options I’d recommend:

1) A solid flip phone for most carriers. I have had this one before.

2) Wisephone. very simple touch-screen phone with only a camera, maps, text, calls and a clock. my brother has this one and would recommend it. some phone plans allow an immediate sim card switch, some don’t.

Joshua Haskell junior oct. 26, 2022

A whisper of a thrill

d ear reader, Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night!

I hope that you are doing well and are having the time of your life, since that too is how I felt that one Thursday morning, a few weeks ago. After all, in this short story, I was he and she was her. I cordially extend my invitation for you to join me on a short stroll down my memory lane and to feel the emotion, passion and connection of my recent fairy tale — “A Whisper of a Thrill.” Without further ado, here is my absolutely wonderful, unabridged experience:

When he awoke, she lay beside him. he saw her. he smelled her. he felt her warm body pressed against his, arms locked together, her hand holding his. her head rested so peacefully on his chest, and with each gentle breath her head rose and fell as if it were a boat tethered closely to shore, bobbing up and down with one tame wave after another.

Time briefly stood still. her gentle breaths broke the silence, but not the bliss. The apricot rays of the sun broke the darkness, illuminating the room, yet not fracturing this ephemeral rapture. The rustling of her luscious hair brushed against his shirt, but held no sway in disrupting his odyssey into this e lysian Field. e ver so slowly, a rather insignificant

occurrence beckoned him back to reality. her graceful stirs developed a natural cadence — culminating with her restful eyes cracking open their shades. h is mahogany eyes met hers and his smile was swiftly reciprocated. As she slowly was swept back into his familiarity, she grasped him close.

A moment passed, and another and another … s he then spoke five words; five words that melted through his cradled body — “I could stay here forever” and divulged a sigh. he brought her close, felt this gorgeous woman enveloped in his burly embrace. he looked upwards and felt that lightning had struck his heart, subsequently deciding to keenly let himself go. It was then that he knew; he knew that he would be forever wed to this fleeting moment and its intoxicating prescription of some unpinnable feeling he sensed was love. he uncaged his mind and let it soar as if it were a falcon first taking flight.

h is pilgrimage from the day of their initial acquaintance was well worth its weight. s o serendipitous was their introduction and so sweet was their reunion. he too wished that he could stay there forever, as she had bathed him in that whisper of a thrill — something so spellbinding that it levitated his heart high above the hills and valleys of this land.

As the roles and responsibilities of collegiate life harkened them back to the present, he went on with his day and she went on with her day. he fondly glanced back; back to that innocent moment of delirious happiness and he never forgot the sublime impact of that sensation or those five words. d ays later, he yearned for her touch, her embrace, her chest against his and their two hearts waltzing by the same beat. The plausible notion of her slipping away tormented his soul, roasting his heart over a crackling flame. As his temperament waxed and waned, he wondered, could he weather these vicissitudes in affection or would he be marooned in a forlorn purgatory, talking to the moon…

I hope that however cryptic the diction, however painfully illustrative the imagery and however seemingly impossible the situation, you too were able to feel how I felt in those halcyon days – that is what I believe writing is all about; bestowing the reader with your raw experience in high hopes that they too will feel as you once felt.

Yours Truly,

Martinez

Our shared destiny

I sat on the floor of the shoebox-sized office we were occupying, my hands firmly wrapped around those of my friend. between sobs, she told me how hard it was for her to be on this campus because she didn’t feel like she belonged.

shocking me when she said, “I wish I never came to notre dame.” she’s someone who weaves people and groups together to build a rich social fabric. every week her goal is to find one stranger to get coffee with and once a month she transforms her room into a fort and invites her friends to come for a sleepover.

Weaving is one of the world’s oldest art forms. It involves the intertwining of singular threads to build larger works. A bird weaving together a nest to protect its young, a person weaving a basket tight enough to hold water, a spider weaving strong webs to catch its prey. she represents but a single thread, yet brings together others, in the larger woven tapestry of the notre dame family. she has a loving awareness of the contract that each of us enter into when we commit to come here: that we are not disconnected from each other, but joined in a splendid universal communion to one another united in our concern for the common good.

With tears streaking down her face she told me how she had come to terms with her own sexuality. how she recently made the courageous step to tell her friends and was subsequently exiled from her friend group. This ended with her taking a leave of absence for the second half of last semester.

The threads she worked so hard to bring together were torn from their stitches in a matter of moments. recently I was talking with a member of the black Alumni Association, where he shared another story of a promise unfulfilled. Through a laughing, but slightly pained voice he said, “notre dame is a great place to get a degree, it’s not a great place to go.”

It’s something echoed in another friend’s tale, where she has come from an academic background where the longest paper she had to write was one page and now she’s being given a notre dame workload, but not the resources to keep up with all of her work.

notre dame’s promise is working for some but not for all. What is seemingly a beautiful woven tapestry of family as long as you look, think, and act a certain way but what otherwise is a bedraggled fraying fabric.

A single thread on a campus of 8,000 might not seem like a lot, but with one thread undone a young bird might fall from it’s nest, water might spill from it’s basket, or a spider might go without food.

While many, like my friend, attempt to weave together threads of the notre dame community, others follow right behind attempting to undo their woven threads one by one.

There are parts of our family who have ripped at the cords of our home — calling people and their existence “erosive”, a welcome weekend of allyship and being a good neighbor “secular” and an educational environment for all to succeed too “woke.” A gospel of weaving being overtaken by a gospel of exclusion. e xclusion hidden under a cloak of “catholicism,” but when held up to the light of the teachings of c hrist it looks nothing alike.

I believe in a divine, loving presence that binds all life. Jesus walked around on this earth as a poor, brown, Jewish man who, in his free time, met with prostitutes, tax collectors and those on the margins.

our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared: a destiny that requires work from us all to maintain. our singular threads are woven together to create the notre dame family. however, if we allow individual threads to fray, become unwoven, broken or excluded, that harms us all.

If you don’t have the resources to succeed in your classes, that matters to me even if we’ve never shared a class together. If your mental health is struggling that makes my mental health poorer even if we aren’t best friends. If you don’t feel like you belong on this campus that makes me more isolated, even if we’ve never met.

To live by our values as a catholic institution means doing justice to the stories of the people I’ve talked about. It’s not secular. It’s not a “woke leftist agenda.” It doesn’t harm our faith. It’s what we’re called to do precisely because we’re catholic.

In a recent Forbes college ranking, notre dame ranked 41, despite comfortably having sat in the top 20 of most other rankings. I don’t care about the ranking itself, what I care about is why we were so much lower. We came in at 41 because their analysis weighted more heavily on, “how schools are treating their low-income students.” A major part of the diversity, equity and Inclusion efforts of the past provost was attempting to rectify these inequities.

one of the ways we must start working towards this shared destiny is by ensuring we have a provost that it’s not enough for just some of us to succeed for only some of us to belong.

notre dame stands at a crossroads — do we pick a catholicism of weaving, of ensuring that every student, no matter their background feels like they belong and are able to succeed here; or do we pick a veneer of catholicism that values the fragile exclusive existence of some while leaving our friends on the side of the road?

If you believe in a catholicism that stands for a more inclusive community take five minutes today, write a letter, and send it to the Provost search committee. Ask for a Provost that understands this shared destiny. one letter may seem insignificant, but the accumulation of letter upon letter expressing this vision for the University will impact the committee’s discernment.

If you desire a shared destiny on this campus and beyond in which we live up to our catholic mission I beg you to send an email to presprovostsearch@ nd.edu stating that need. describing the need for a catholic education that prioritizes the dignity of every thread, story and person on this campus. our shared destiny relies on the work of each of us to preserve it, progress isn’t inevitable, it requires each of us to take part and ownership in ensuring that destiny includes all of us.

Dane Sherman sophomore march 23, 2022

The spirit of notre dame is back

There’s a (new) magic in the s ound of her name … There is a palpable energy on campus right now. You can feel it. I was able to go over there Thursday for a meeting and realized it was something we’ve been missing for a long time now. What is it? It’s that spirit of notre dame that we all carry in our hearts.

When marcus Freeman was picked as head coach, I was excited because he seemed to embody qualities we all desire to carry as members of the notre dame family.

Then, I saw the video of him being announced into the locker room. That said it all. I get chills every time I watch it. What we saw is exactly what I just spoke about — the spirit of notre dame — and it just blew the roof off of that locker room.

marcus Freeman becoming notre dame’s head coach seems to have given all of us permission to reignite that spirit within us that we didn’t even know was dormant.

Was this past week rough? Yes. I cannot even begin to imagine what the players went through, or how they felt. nobody wants a punch in the gut.

but I’m also a glass-half-full thinker. so here’s what I do know. I’ve been knocked down enough times, and been through enough storms to know if you trust God in the storm, he will always blow you away with h is plan.

s ometimes the wrong things have to happen so the right things can. s ometimes you’ve got to break down to break through. God is known for making beauty from ashes, and we are about to see what I think will be one of the best seasons of notre dame football we’ve ever seen. I just wish my dad was alive

to see it.

s o we’ve got to trust that God has a plan. he knew the timing of all of this. he knew exactly who he wanted to be the next coach. he even knew brian Kelly would leave. s o you’ve got to thank the good Lord that he did what only he could do to get us what we needed.

This wasn’t just about us getting a coach. It was about our team and our school getting its heart back, because that’s how our guys play on the field and how we all show up for life — with heart. s o God (who sees our hearts) found a guy who has heart, to connect to the hearts of those team members. That is what I believe reignited the fire in all of our hearts for that spirit of notre dame. That is also what I believe makes this even bigger than potentially winning a national championship. God is in it and he’s given us our hope back.

Think about this: When is the last time you saw players say they wanted someone to be their coach? I know in all of my time at notre dame I’ve never seen it. now, there wasn’t social media when I was an undergrad. but still, to see some of these players post what they did on social media — “We want Freeman!” — and then to see it play out in the locker room? Powerful stuff. In fact, the only other place I could think of it was in the movie, “rudy.” (Yes, I know, overplayed. but stay with me for a minute). remember the scene when all the players walked into dan devine’s office, wearing their letter jackets? e ach one of them comes in, dropping their jerseys on his desk and saying they want rudy to play in their place. now, this is a completely different situation

and person — but it’s the sentiment. In both cases, the team players were passionate about a person that displayed that powerful spirit of notre dame. In both cases, the players used their voices to stand up for what they wanted. This time, thankfully it was for marcus Freeman and it seems because they wanted h im, he’s not just the team’s coach, he’s our coach because we are notre dame.

Knowing that the players are behind him is one thing, but to then hear him echo that sentiment in his first locker room speech as head coach shows what an incredible leader he is and will be. he has a great reputation and I know some consider him an underdog because of his age and lack of previous head coaching. but that’s the beauty, because you know God’s going do something amazing in him!

God’s favor is upon this team. he will do great things through them, through this coach and through our notre dame family because he just lit the fire in our hearts again. We’ve got the spirit back we didn’t even know we needed.

We are all behind you, c oach Freeman and team. Thank you to whoever made this happen, especially to the football players for standing up for your choice. You’ve inspired us all. may God bless you on the field and beyond. may God bless you, marcus Freeman. may God bless notre dame and may all of our hearts beat again as we hear the sound of her name.

Meredith Terpeluk Schoeller

How to go into quaratine eight times

I have written three different versions of this piece. All three were written in what I thought at the time was my last stay in quarantine. now, I can say confidently this is my last time in quarantine (because I actually have cov Id). In this piece, which I have put more effort into than any submission of work during my time at notre dame, I will give a power ranking of the locations I quarantined at, my 10 tips for success and if I have any leftover space, some general life thoughts that I was able to realize during my time.

For reference, these are my quarantine stays:

1. october 14-18 at The Foundry south: contact traced, negative, alone

2. october 25-30 at University edge: contact traced, negative, in an apartment with 5 roommates

3. november 14-16 at embassy suites: symptoms, negative, alone

4. February 25-march 4 at hampton Inn: contact traced, negative, alone

5. march 10-march 16 at Fairfield suites: contact traced, negative, alone

6. march 24-march 31 at embassy suites: contact traced, negative, alone

7. April 9-April 16 at holiday Inn e xpress: contact traced, negative, alone

8. April 20-April 29 at embassy suites: Tested positive for cov Id, alone

That makes for a total of more than 50 days in quarantine during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Power rankings:

I was in six different places, but I was in embassy suites three times.

Number 6: Hampton Inn

my fourth time in quarantine was for a week in the hampton Inn. The reason this is at the bottom of my list is for two big reasons. The first is that the A/c unit by the window would not shut off from blasting cold air out, for seven days straight. I even tried covering it up with my comforter, but then something started to smell weird and the comforter got really warm, so I took it off. The second reason was that the faucet in the bath leaked, nonstop. It had good views of the mcdonald’s drive thru, though.

Number 5: Holiday Inn Express

The holiday Inn was a weird stay, and I heard even stranger stories from friends here. I had two big beds which is nice; my view is not great, but I can hear music and liveliness from cheers during the weekend evenings. supposedly someone escaped from here, so one night security had to come and check that I was both in my room and that nobody else was in there. The holiday Inn lacks the certain x-factor that other places have.

Number 4: Fairfield Inn & Suites

The Fairfield Inn & suites was a nice stay, but I got lucky with my room. some of my friends got much worse and smaller rooms. In room 512, I had two T vs, and a separated living space. The window opened to a nice view of campus and the sculpture Park and the

A/c unit worked well. The interior designer knocked it out of the park here, because even the bathroom had a cute little framed photograph of a bunch of doorways across the nd campus (it’s the little things that count).

Number 3: The Foundry South

The Foundry south was my rookie season in quarantine. I remember texting my family group chat telling them I was going into quarantine as if it was a big deal (by the seventh or eighth time I don’t even think I told them, they just kind of assume I am always in it now). This quarantine was filled with netflix binge watching, drive-bys from my friends, Zoom calls with new quarantine friends and even a virtual game watch of the nd football game. Looking back now, it is kind of like when you are a senior in high school remembering freshmen year. Little did I know what was to come.

Number 2: University Edge back in november I spent five days in University edge. The best part about this was that I was actually in a four-room unit with two of my closest friends, so their company made this exponentially more bearable. however, edge had by far the worst interior design, as it lacked any type of personality. The bed was like sleeping on an oversized piece of toast, with a blanket that was more like a rug. The wall-to-wall carpeting was a nice touch. The weirdest moment happened when I looked out my window one night and there was a stranger with a light saber. I also watched an entire season of “The Great british baking show” during my stint here, so I do have some happy memories.

Number 1: Embassy Suites

The embassy suites was luxury. Two out of the three times I was there, I was given a two-room suite, with two big beds and a living space. I had two T vs, a desk, a couch, a chair and a big bathroom. I can only imagine how much this room would cost per night on a football weekend. one of my roommates had to spend his 21st birthday in quarantine in the embassy suites, but at least we were in a nice hotel. even though they didn’t open, the floor-to-ceiling windows let in a lot of natural light. If I could spend every quarantine in one place, it would be in the embassy suites.

From my approximately 1,272 hours, or roughly 14% of the past year, that I have spent in nd quarantine this year, I have learned many lessons. here are my top 10 tips that I have made for you, in case you ever find yourself in quarantine.

1. When someone is pounding at your door at 8 a.m. on your first morning of quarantine, don’t panic, it is just breakfast. no one is trying to break in or kick down your door.

2. If you ever try to use your hotel phone to call your friend’s room, make sure you know their room number. There have been a few times I called the wrong person.

3. If you are looking for some more interaction, try using Airdrop or bluetooth to send stuff to the people in the rooms around you. out of my eight times in quarantine, only three people ever accepted and had conversations with me. shout out to nate, carissa and Patricia.

4. If you want to go even further than Airdrop, try doing morse code with your flashlight out your window. I did this in my final stay, and I was able to exchange room numbers with a random person entirely through morse code. We called each other on the hotel phone, and we became quarantine friends. shout out to caroline.

5. make/watch TikToks in quarantine.

6. This is one tip that I learned the hard way, twice. If you are thinking of getting haircut, get one!!! You never know when you are going to go away for a week, and by the time you find out, it is too late to get a trim. Just cut it.

7. spend time working on your get-out-of-quarantine playlist. When you walk out of the Q a free person, you need some good music to listen to.

8. drink the absurd amounts of dasani water bottles they give you. once you are free, you will never want one again, but staying hydrated is key when you’re locked up.

9. bring food into quarantine with you. You save a lot of Flex Points when you’re Q’d up, so the last few times I have brought some modern market pizza in with me. The people in the Testing center think it’s fun.

10. do not try and steal the coat hangers from the hotels. not that I would know, but when you get back to your dorm room, you will realize that the metal rungs on the hotel hangers are designed to be a different size than the typical ones, so they will not work on the wardrobe in your room, and you will be left with useless coat hangers. You will feel stupid, or so I have heard.

now you have seen my power rankings and my top 10 tips. I hope you enjoyed them. I will finish off my guide with some wisdom on quarantine.

before the year ends, and we go back to a more normal year next year, take some time to realize how much effort has gone into this year. The hotel employees at the quarantine sites, the security teams, the drivers of the quarantine vans, everyone at the Testing center and the covid response Unit and everyone on campus who has adjusted this year. They aren’t doing this to piss anyone off or “ruin your time at nd,” they’re doing it for the exact opposite reason. so, if you can, even if you don’t say it out loud, thank all of them for making this possible. Without them, you would have been in your room at home all year, and I think this year would have been much worse that way. For each moment I have spent locked up in quarantine, I have started to appreciate my time outside of quarantine even more. Pretty soon, for all of us, we will graduate, and we won’t be able to spend days as a notre dame student anymore. If there is one thing that quarantine has taught me the most, it’s to appreciate being a student at notre dame, and to realize how lucky we are! There are so many people that would give so much just to be in our place right now, even if that place is alone in a hotel room for 53 days.

P.s. I am going to meet Fr. Jenkins.

John Sebastian “Jazz” Thörn junior April 27, 2021

If I were a student who stormed the field

A MESSAGE FROM A STUDENT WHO STORMED THE FIELD: I regret my error of judgement in not social distancing.

dear Fellow students, Faculty and staff, I know many of you have read about the c lemson field-storming I recently attended. I write to express my regret for certain choices I made that day and for failing to lead, as I should have.

Last saturday evening, I received, on very short notice, an invitation to attend the field-storming following notre dame’s double-overtime victory over no. 1 c lemson. It was important, I believed, that I represent the University at this historic event to support the notre dame Fighting Irish Football Team, which is greatly respected by its collegiate and athletic peers, revered by nd students and cheered for by friends and fans across the country.

before I arrived at notre dame stadium, a medical professional took me to an exam room to obtain a nasal swab for a rapid cov Id-19 test. I was then directed to a room with others, all fully masked, until we were notified that we had all tested negative, as required by our president, Fr. John Jenkins. We never took our masks off. on saturday, we were then escorted into the stadium, where we were seated with others who had just been tested, received negative results and were wearing masks.

I regret my error in judgment in not socially distancing on the field following the upset win over no. 1 c lemson and for celebrating like a champion with my closest friends after our Fighting Irish’s takedown of the Tigers. I especially regret my mistake in light of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by many, excluding our president, Fr. John Jenkins, in adjusting his life

to observe our health protocols.

After returning to campus, I was chastised by my unbelievably hypocritical university president for my actions on saturday night, who informed me that I could not leave the campus and that there would be zero tolerance for any gatherings that “do not comport with the University’s health and safety guidelines,” which means I can’t even visit the White house rose Garden.

Thank you for your continued efforts during this semester, for your forgiveness and for your understanding.

In notre dame, A Field-stormer

Liam Finn

Without business, our society would look very different. businesses provide a steady supply of food at grocery stores, build infrastructure, innovate and distribute new technologies, print the books we read and fund life-enhancing research and development.

Far from incompatible with aspirations of contributing to the common good, business rightly understood, which we call “honorable business,” creates real value and greatly improves the human condition for everyone. honorable business recognizes the inherent good of mutually voluntary and mutually beneficial exchanges, which create positive value for all parties to a transaction. consider a simple example:

When you pay a retailer $50 for a new pair of shoes, both parties benefit because voluntarily consenting to the exchange means that you value the shoes more than $50 and the retailer values your $50 more than the shoes. Thus, both parties receive mutual benefit and positive value through the exchange.

skeptics of honorable business often portray profitmaking as a greedy, immoral enterprise, but pursuing profit is necessary for running a stable and sustainable business, as profit enables a business to continue providing its products or services to society. Pope John Paul II acknowledged in “centesimus Annus” that the pursuit of profit, a “regulator of the life of a business,” is legitimate as long as it is not a business’s only pursuit.

Admittedly, business does not always live up to its promises of value creation and morality. There are corporations concerned solely with profit, individuals who prioritize money-making over morality, and professionals who behave unethically. nonetheless, this is not a reflection of all business professionals or students, nor of the mendoza college of business itself.

contrary to what the recent column published in The

our mendoza

observer “Against mendoza: A nietzschean critique” suggests, mendoza does not use the notion of honorable business as mere “window dressing.” The author argues that “hardly any students actually buy [the mission of mendoza].” on the contrary, we believe in and are dedicated to the mission that mendoza sets out to accomplish. And we are no “outliers.” mendoza students routinely and actively engage in discerning how our shared vision of honorable business ought to inform our careers.

Through the business honors Program and deloitte scholars colloquium, for example, students come together in lectures and seminars to discuss and debate how business can positively contribute to the world. The dean of mendoza himself, Professor martijn cremers, teaches a class called “corporate Governance and catholic social Teaching” in which finance majors critically evaluate their responsibilities as future corporate decision-makers.

Additionally, courses such as “social entrepreneurship” and “Why business?” instill the importance of using business skills to tackle complex global problems and considering how business activity impacts stakeholders. For mendoza students, business ethics does not just encompass corporate compliance or professional responsibility, but rather involves grappling with deeper moral and philosophical questions of human dignity, the universal destination of goods and the proper telos of business.

of course, not all students take advantage of these programs. some students may very well enjoy their four years in mendoza without engaging these deeper questions beyond course requirements. but stereotyping all or even most mendoza students this way is quite inaccurate.

The author argues that “most careers in business are socially irresponsible” because he believes the products

and services that many businesses provide are difficult to “trace…to social good.” In fact, the majority of corporations exist to further some social good, whether that involves producing useful products or providing valuable services and these organizations could not operate without business people to fund and strategically direct them.

Furthermore, the author’s portrayal of “crunching numbers at corporate Walmart” might not seem worldchanging at face value, but contributing to an organization’s mission while simultaneously pursuing other goods with one’s time, talent and treasure–such as providing for one’s family, volunteering, and partaking in civic organizations–certainly gives rise to immense social good as well.

Throughout their four years at notre dame, students are asked to consider how they will make the world a better place. studying business is an excellent way to start. We affirm that:

honorable business is a force for good in the world and a laudable vocation consistent with notre dame’s catholic identity.

notre dame’s mendoza college of business offers a breadth of programs and resources that students use to deeply consider the role of business in a just society.

We are proud of the work that mendoza faculty and students are doing to produce ethically-minded graduates whose pursuit of honorable business makes the world a better place for all.

Our 2020 moment

dear students, our moment in the midst of this pandemic has arrived. It’s a moment that we never went looking for, but it’s our moment, nonetheless. Faced with a surge in cov Id-positive cases during the early weeks of the fall semester, we are once again facing the possibility of returning home for remote instruction. how will you respond?

sometimes the best teacher in life is failure. I wish we as humans would heed warnings and learn from others without the pain brought on by failure, but that is rarely the case. We tell ourselves things like “I’m the exception” or “These rules don’t apply to me.” This is a rationalization that may ease our conscience, but it doesn’t alter the

reality of the challenges we face.

As notre dame students, you might find this rationalization particularly tempting. Family, friends and mentors have been rather proud of your accomplishments to date. You’ve been made to feel special, unique, gifted and a rare find. In fact, that’s likely how the University of notre dame recruited you to join this community. This was the special place where your special talents could flourish.

While this is still true, let me offer a word of caution: Talent can be squandered if it is solely in service to oneself. The moment mentioned earlier, the one I defined as our moment, is the realization that true talent is fully expressed by using our collective abilities for the good

of others. To spend time not thinking about what we can get, but what we can offer. right now, this community has no need for people trying to live college as if cov Id isn’t happening. Instead, we need thoughtful men and women who creatively find new ways to foster community, support those who are anxious, love those who’ve made past mistakes and help get this semester back on track. This is our moment.

In notre dame,

Fr. Pete McCormick, C.S.C. director of campus m inistry Aug. 19, 2020

off-campus students deserve a place at the table

on monday, the University continued in its pursuit to estrange off-campus students from the notre dame community. In addition to the deeply unpopular policies that exclude off-campus students from social events, the University has adopted yet another policy of exclusion. This time, the University is barring students from entering dorms they once called home. To the University, off-campus students no longer represent members of a dorm community; we now represent a “security risk.”

Previously, off-campus students enjoyed access to their former residential homes. our Ids allowed us to remain easily connected with the friends and support networks we had formed within the tangible barriers of a dorm. As of August 2019, this important access will be severed. This new policy will grant swipe dorm access only to on-campus students. The message is clear: off-campus students are no longer part of the dorm community.

The stated intent for this policy is safety. I understand calls for increased security; everyone wants to live and

study in an environment safe from intruders. however, this policy is an ineffective means to achieve that end. Particularly, preventing off-campus students from accessing our prior homes will do absolutely nothing to ensure a safer campus. We simply do not pose any threat to those on campus — trust us, being off campus does not render us inherently predisposed to violence.

Instead, this policy attempts to erode the connection between on- and off-campus students. This policy makes it more difficult for us to return to our prior homes and more inconvenient for us to spend valuable time with friends. We understand we can text or call a friend to open the door for us, but this added effort is not what we protest. It is the disregard for off-campus students that trouble so many of us. our catholic tradition has taught us to be inclusive and accepting of all. For the University, that tradition apparently goes out the door when it comes to off-campus students.

off-campus students serve as role models for underclassmen, fill important mentorship roles for nervous first years, and contribute to the veracity of dorm unity.

Put simply, off-campus students are essential members of the dorm communities; we deserve our place at the table, especially for policies that adversely affect us. Yet, before the University released this decision, we were never considered or consulted. We were kept completely in the dark.

The University is now attempting to backdoor this policy right before the semester begins, right when students are paying the least amount of attention. We off-campus students no longer need to be told that we are not welcome — the actions of the University speak for themselves. The University has given up on inclusion and has instead chosen to take the road of exclusivity. We respectfully ask the University to reconsider its actions, consider the viewpoints of all its students and open up a dialogue with the off-campus community.

Sarah Nelson senior Blake Perry junior march 30, 2022

nD volle YbAll

Irish volleyball retools post-disappointing year

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

Last season was the first season of a new era for notre dame volleyball. new head coach salima rockwell took the reigns of the program. notre dame finished 10-18 in her first year as head coach. After years of playing

and helping coach at her alma mater Penn state, rockwell briefly worked in broadcasting before moving back to coaching.

“I missed it [coaching]. I was really excited to be back in it [and for a] new fresh start,” rockwell said. “I grew up watching notre dame on the Tv … I love the academic piece of it … it’s just a

magical place.”

excited for the opportunity, she dove in, embracing the challenges of coaching with hopes of building a winning program of her own. After an up-and-down first season at the helm, rockwell believes the Irish have what it takes to move forward and take the next step. They may have faced more

adversity than they hoped this season. but rockwell is pleased by how the Irish responded to it.

“We are incredible[y] resilient [ … and we] continue to fight and battle no matter what every single match … we have another gear,” rockwell said.

Through the struggles of last year, rockwell believes the team is prepared for this year. however, last season was not without its joys. For rockwell, it was great seeing the team come together, working outside themselves. Although she claims there was no exact point when she really noticed this, she did mention the match against Wake Forest on oct. 14 as an example of this teamwork.

“We were down huge against Wake Forest … something crazy in the fifth set … [and] we were able to extend the match and win,” rockwell said. despite being down, the Irish remained unfazed, a trend rockwell hopes to continue into the next season and beyond. In terms of next year, the team already has some goals laid out, particularly continuing to improve both individually and as a team. rockwell stressed the importance of a team-oriented approach, something that starts in practice. In doing this, she believes the team can reach its potential as a winning program in the Acc and, eventually, beyond.

“It’s continuing to build that trust with one another … supporting your teammates even when you’re not on the court,” rockwell said.

The Irish did show signs of promise in rockwell’s first year.

HCC woMen’s tennIs

The Irish won four consecutive matches from oct. 7 to 16 against a quarter of Acc foes. They also took four of five matches at the 2022 Quest for the crown and bulldog brawl in september. And the Irish had a couple of outstanding individual performances as well. sophomore setter Phyona schrader averaged over eight assists per set, ranking seventh in the Acc. Junior libero hattie monson also had a spectacular season. monson finished with 4.19 digs per set, the third most in the conference. outsider hitters freshman Lucy Trump and graduate student clare delaplane also narrowly missed the top 10 in the Acc for service aces per set. both finished with an average of 0.33, just 0.01 back of Louisville’s elena scott.

The team has already been gearing up for next season, working together to build a winning culture together as they test the tolerance of one another and ramp up training to prepare for the upcoming season. Going forward, rockwell hopes to continue to build on the foundation she has laid, particularly with the buy-in of the players.

“I want people to come me and say I love notre dame … I want them to have a community like I had [at Penn state],” rockwell said.

With one season in the books, rockwell has already started making this vision a reality, and she looks to bring it one step closer this fall.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

saints dominate in cc Ac playoffs, reach national tournament

By ANNIKA HERKO sports Writer

This year has been exceptional for h oly c ross Women’s Tennis. In the fifth year of the program (not counting a two-game 2020 season that was shortened due to cov I d ), the team went 12-8, ranked in the top 20 and won the c hicagoland c ollegiate Athletic c onference Tournament on April 28th.

“The last few years have been pretty good. The first couple years of the program were pretty rough. We didn’t win a single match, but then year three we made the conference championship.

Year four was pretty good last year as well,” said c oach e ric m ahone of the team’s history leading up to their victory in the conference finals.

The team only lost once in the month of April. The team fell in a close game on April 11th, 4-3, to the University of s t. Francis. h owever, they would redeem themselves as they beat this same team to win the championship 4-0. The team earned an automatic bid to the n AIA Tournament as a result. h owever, they were beaten 4-0 by n o. 15 Loyola University in their first game there.

In the cc Ac Final, the team won all three doubles

matches. Junior Kia c arvalho-Landell, junior Anna b eer and senior c lara r uediger won in their singles match-ups. c arvalho-Landell and junior h elga Lopez, who competed for the s aints in that match, finished the year as one of the country’s top doubles pairing. Freshman v ictoria s avvides was also excellent in singles play. All three of them could be named All-Americans.

The leadership from the captains, Anna b eer and junior d iane m aillotte, has really made a difference in the play c oach m ahone has seen out of his team this year.

“They’re kind of the glue that kept our team together

and then they kind of built this culture where you have eight women that are all pulling for each other. They’re all best friends and there’s no drama at all, which I can’t say about previous teams,” said m ahone.

b ecause the team has so many juniors, it has really given them an opportunity to get into the details of the game and their experience has allowed them to have minimal off-court distractions.

“It makes my job a lot easier because [the team] is always prepared. They’re mentally really strong, are very mature, and great academically. We don’t have to deal with kind

of the struggles that you do in general with freshmen and sophomores that are just adjusting to school. ln our case, a lot of [our underclassman] are in a new country and have all the pitfalls normal freshman and sophomores go through and that we did have in previous years but we haven’t had that. o ur freshman is actually maybe even the most mature girl on our team. It’s been fantastic … from a coaching standpoint this is one of the easiest teams I’ve ever coached,” m ahone said. accomplish their goals.

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish senior libero Nancy Kane exchanges a smile and a celebratory moment with head coach Salima Rockwell in a 3-2 defeat to Duke on Oct. 30 at Purcell Pavilion. The Irish finished 10-18 in Rockwell’s first season.

Irish overcome injuries, take major strides forward

MATTHEW CROW

Associate sports editor

In some ways, notre dame women’s golf entered the 2022-23 season full of uncertainty. After the retirement of longtime head coach susan holt, the team ushered in a new coaching staff led by first-year head coach caroline Powers ellis. however, the Irish brought back a strong group of returners who were eager to build on their results from the previous year. since the upperclassmen were willing to adapt to the styles of their new coaches, the team coalesced quickly.

“We were very lucky that the players really embraced us as a new staff,” Powers ellis said after the season. “We were very thankful for the players’ open minds and

their willingness to try different things and to listen to new coaches that, before August, they didn’t know at all.”

The Irish started the season strong, placing in the top five of their first three competitions. however, injuries to junior chloe schiavone and senior madelyn Jones meant that the team played through the remainder of the fall with just four players.

Luckily, the rest of the team stepped up in their absence and the Irish were able to fully regain their rhythm in the spring.

“I thought our players dealt with [the injuries] really well at the end of the fall,” Powers ellis said. “but it was definitely nice to have those players back in the spring, and I think it just helped elevate the entire team back up to feeling like,

‘We’ve got people, we’re healthy, we’re excited, we’re working hard. We’re ready to just keep pushing.’” buoyed by their reenergized mentality, notre dame began the spring with a fifth-place finish at the columbia classic in February. schiavone and sophomore montgomery Ferreira led the way, finishing in a tie for sixth place individually.

over the following weeks, the Irish faced off against a consistently high level of competition in preparation for the postseason. They concluded their regular season in April at the chattanooga classic, highlighted by an impressive third-place finish from senior Lauren beaudreau. her standout effort propelled the Irish to fifth place in the 18-team field.

riding the momentum of

their strong performance in chattanooga, notre dame trekked to Greensboro, north carolina, for the Acc championship. After finishing in last place the previous year, the Irish showed improvement, tying for ninth place in the Acc

“We were seeded 10th going into it,” Powers ellis said. “I think anytime you beat your seed, you’re doing pretty well.”

Ferreira led the Irish, closing out the season with the same prowess that she began it in september.

“We were really excited for [Ferreira],” Powers ellis said. “she started off the [season] with a win at the badger Invitational, and to finish tied for 12th in our conference, an extremely difficult conference, that was so awesome for her to see that she’s capable of that.”

The Irish also saw strong efforts from beaudreau and schiavone. They tied for 24th and 30th, respectively. The Irish will lose three graduating players over the offseason. but the trio of beaudreau, schiavone and Ferreira will return and should help a talented freshman class grow. After exceeding expectations … this season, they will aim higher when they return to action in the fall.

“When you look back, you always feel like you wanted to do more,” Powers ellis said. “but then also thinking about how far you’ve come, I think it was a good year and we definitely made a lot of progress and [have] things to build on for the future.”

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Irish don’t drop expectations despite step back

NICOLAS MORLES

sports Writer

e nding the regular season on a four-game unbeaten run, including a draw against number no. 9 Pitt, showed why notre dame men’s soccer they were rated so highly entering this season.

Last year, star players mohamed omar, Philip Quinton and Jack Lynn were all first-round selections in the 2022 m L s superdraft. These players combined for a total of 16 goals during the 2021 season, which is difficult to replace for any collegiate program.

The United soccer c oaches Top 25 preseason poll ranked notre dame at number four entering the season. The Irish also brought in the third highest-ranked recruiting class to boot.

In order to maintain the culture of the program despite the loss of their previous captains, head coach c had r iley stressed the importance of building leaders in the locker room this season.

“most of our guys that come into our team were leaders before they got to notre dame. We have a thing where that first year you kind of lead yourself. You grow into your [role], then your second year you start to look out for your [teammates]. We call it being a great teammate,” r iley said. Later, he added, “These are our values. This is how notre dame works.”

This culture of responsibility and leadership helped the team through rough periods during the year. A late-season losing streak was countered with the aforementioned fourgame unbeaten streak. That provided much-needed momentum for the Irish heading

into the Acc tournament.

“mentally, we never gave in. We didn’t split. That’s why you saw that response in the last few weeks [of the season],” r iley said.

While the team fell to c lemson in the first round of the competition, the team’s performance still impressed r iley. he applauded them for playing well despite the pressure. he attributed the loss to the team’s two own goals, something that had not happened before all season.

When asked how the team can overcome this loss and situate themselves to win national championships consistently, the head coach said that they must get to the quarterfinals consistently. r iley explained how exposure to these competitions is important for the team in the following years as it allows them to gain the experience necessary to succeed.

Participating in these tournaments also helps to build the discipline of the players on the roster. Junior goalkeeper bryan dowd was once again a big contributor on the season after helping notre dame in their postseason run last year. dowd started all 17 games, recording two clean sheets and totaling 43 saves at a .652 clip. having players like dowd on the roster provides consistency and a postseason foundation that can help to develop younger, less-experienced players as well.

“It’s huge that brian has that experience,” r iley explained. “We had a really good spring developmental season. I’m excited with the progress we’ve made.”

Two freshmen that had a particularly great developmental season were midfielders KK baffour and s ebastian Green. baffour, who played in

multiple positions this season, showed his versatility as a player. The midfielder’s first goal with the Irish was one to remember. Gifted a clear-cut breakaway, baffour the winner in an away game at v irginia on s ept. 16 with three seconds remaining.

r iley maintains that baffour’s versatility is a strength when looking ahead to his role for next season.

“Game situations are always going to dictate with players like KK,” r iley said. “We know we’re going to get an aggressive attacking player that will make things happen. We know him a lot better as a player and he’s going to be important for us.”

Green was another important player for the team this

season. he played in every game despite being hampered by injuries at times. This includes five starts and one goal, and r iley believes he is ready to take the next step in the fall. The team unofficially ended the year on a celebratory a few weeks ago during Alumni Weekend at the University. here, the players were able to meet players who were important in the program’s past, including the first team from 1977 and the national championship team from 2013.

“It was great to meet and talk with so many individuals who came before us and set the standards, making notre dame soccer what it is today,” dowd said.

“[ o ur players] are a part

of something that spans 45 years,” r iley said. “To see the pinnacle of that excellence only 10 years away and have our guys interact with guys on the 2013 team was just invaluable for our team.”

With an Acc championship title and seven nc AA tournament appearances in nine seasons as a head coach, including five in south bend, r iley knows that notre dame’s program is a winning one.

“We want to be the best, we want to be in the national championship,” r iley affirmed. start competing in the fall.”

Contact Nicolas Morles at nmorles@nd.edu

ND MeN’s soCCeR

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish senior defender Reese Mayer steers a pass around an outstretched defender during Notre Dame’s 1-0 defeat to North Carolina at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 24. The Irish went 8-7-2 in 2022, going 5-3-1 at home.

belles unable to build on strong start

Andrew McGuinness sports editor

The importance of starting a season strong in sports is a bit cliche, but undoubtedly true. The first few games of a year can set the tone for what’s ahead, for better or for worse. At the end of the day though, they are just a handful games out of the whole slate. A good start is important, but it must be built on to be meaningful.

The s aint m ary’s basketball team achieved the first part of that sentiment in 2022-23. After starting 0-3 last year and losing 11 of their first 13, the b elles began their season on fire this time around. s aint m ary’s took each of its first two and three of its first four games of the season, which included a pair of double-digit margins of victory.

h owever, the b elles were unable to maintain that success throughout the season. s aint m ary’s dropped eight of its next nine contests. Their season-opening two-game win streak would be the only time in 2022-23 they would win consecutive games. Ultimately, s t. m ary’s finished the season only marginally better than last year with a 7-18 record. The b elles, who went 4-12 in conference play, struggled mightily when outside of s outh b end. A win against Kalamazoo on Feb.

1 was their only win in 10 away games. The b elles also went 0-2 in neutral site games, which sticks out like a sore thumb in contrast to a respectable 6-7 home mark.

d efense proved to be a major issue throughout the b elles during their skid.

s aint m ary’s allowed over 80 points in 14 of their 25 games, a mark they topped just three times. The b elles never cleared 85 points whereas their opponents reached or topped this bar on nine occasions. The b elles did not win a single game when allowing more than 70 points all season.

s till, there were some positives in head coach m elissa m akielski’s seventh season coaching the team. s enior guard m addie r zepka and sophomore guard Julia s chutz were both named to the 2022-23 Academic Alld istrict Team. The duo were also excellent on the court, leading the b elles with 12.3 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Junior forward Athena s amson led the team in blocks per game (0.9) and rebounds per game (8.6).

s enior guard n ikki m urphy paced the b elles with 3.1 assists per game. Junior guard e lle d eardorff was strong on the defensive end of the court, leading s t. m ary’s with 1.1 steals per contest.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

saints set program unbeaten streak record

Tom Zwiller sports Writer

The holy cross men’s soccer team got off to an unusually poor start this season when they lost 6-1 against the bethel Pilots. The saints hung around with no. 21 ranked Pilots for the first half, going to the break tied 1-1. however, the saints made mistakes, and the eventual national champions made them pay for it.

head coach omar Gallo was not surprised by the result, nor did it deter him.

“Going into the match, we knew that we were going to be playing a very disciplined team. I thought, for the most part, we held our own, 1-1 at half. From a disciplinary standpoint, we just lost our composure and made some key mistakes … but if anything, it fueled our season,” Gallo said.

The saints rebounded from the loss, defeating IU east 3-0 and Goshen college 4-2. The team then went on its first road game against Lourdes University, where they fell in a 1-0 contest.

sitting at 2-2, the saints began their chicagoland collegiate Athletic conference (ccAc) schedule. The results were initially less than optimal. back-to-back

HCC Men’s bAsketbAll

goal-keeping snafus saw the saints fall against cardinal stritch and draw against Judson University.

“It was two games where we made two key mistakes that really emphasized the importance of staying disciplined for a full 90 minutes,” said Gallo.

While that tie was initially a disappointing result, it wound up being the beginning of a 12-game conference unbeaten streak. The run took them well into november and set a program record. Pivotal in the streak was a win against Governors state, where the saints snagged a 2-1 road victory.

building on their momentum, the team got wins against the University of st. Francis (10), saint Xavier (1-0), and saint Ambrose (3-1), as well as Trinity christian (2-0).

The saint’s conference win streak was snapped with back-to-back ties against roosevelt University and Trinity International University, though the unbeaten streak lived on. holy cross got back to its winning ways with a 3-0 win against IU northwest (giving Gallo his 100th program win) and then a 6-0 thrashing of calumet college a few days later.

The saints closed out their

regular season against no. 15 olivet nazarene in bourbonnais, Illinois, and the team came away with a surprise 2-2 tie. The tie gave the squad an overall record of 104-4 and a conference record of 7-14, which got them the fourth seed in the tournament.

Fourth place allowed the saints to host their first-ever, first-round conference playoff game as the squad took on Judson University. The peak-form saints had little to worry about as they thrashed the eagles 3-0.

The saint’s season ended in a nail-biter when they returned to bourbonnais to face olivet. Though it was a valiant effort, the squad fell short in double overtime, falling 0-1.

“We were competitive in every single game [in conference]. There was not one game that we were blown out … we went 7-14, one loss in conference that is a tremendous season”, Gallo said.

“We didn’t get [an at-large bid], so that means we didn’t do enough. but when I look at the season, it was steps in the process in order to accomplish what we want to accomplish, whether it’s this year or next year.”

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

saints fight through adversity to reach postseason

TOM ZWILLER sports Writer

The holy cross men’s basketball team started their season precisely like head coach m ike mcbride wanted. They opened the year with a decisive home win against eastWest University. The team won 78-58 and breakout freshman star Tommy snyder shot 12-19 with 13 boards in his debut. but the saints would struggle mightily in their next five games. They lost all five of them, including their first three conference contests of the season.

“We hit conference play early, and we played two of the best teams in the league, and so it was a reality check for us, something that we probably needed,” mcbride said.

The men’s team finally broke out of their slump, winning back-to-back against Judson and Andrews University. but the saints continued to sputter and stall out. A blowout loss to hunting University by 31 and a maddening defeat against roosevelt University saw them finish the semester at a pedestrian 4-8 mark.

o ver the winter break,

however, the saints found their groove. They strung together a five-game win streak and won six of seven from dec. 17 to Jan. 14. The streak included a win on the road against saint Xavier University, one of the best teams in the conference. coach mcbride felt that the saint Xavier win was pivotal for the team.

”It proved to us that that we could compete with the best teams in the league,” mcbride said.

That stretch revived the saints’ hopes of making the conference playoffs. After a road loss against calumet, the holy cross faithful were treated to two of the best games of the season at mcKenna Arena. The saints knocked off the no. 1 team in the conference, beating olivet nazarene 8372. And though they lost the next game to roosevelt in double oT, the team seemed to have come into top form down the stretch.

however, the lighting in the bottle the saints captured in January seemed to leak out in February. The team lost four straight conference games, including a crucial game against Governors state, to

fall back to 11-14. now with a postseason trip seeming unlikely, the saints worked to save their season with a double-overtime home win against saint Ambrose and a senior night thrashing of east-West University. After wrapping up their season with an 87-78 win over Trinity International University, holy cross had done just enough to sneak into the conference tournament.

The saint’s first-round opponent would be olivet nazarene University, whom they had defeated less than a month earlier. despite the team’s best efforts, they came up short against the Tigers, losing 88-64. mcbride still felt the team had met its goal for the season.

“It was a rocky process because we were so young, and there were so many new guys, so it took a while for that to click. We were by far playing our best basketball of the year towards the end and were rewarded with a berth into the conference tournament,” mcbride said.

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer Belles senior guard Maddie Rzepka sizes up a defender during Saint Mary’s 85-49 loss to No. 15/21 Trine in their season finale on Feb. 15.

Football upsets Clemson — twice

Beating then-No. 1 Clemson in 2020 was a rare truly joyful moment during a stressful semester defined largely by social isolation instead of celebration. An epic double-overtime win was certainly enough to change that for a night. The only thing better? Running it back two years later, this time via a stress-free, blissful blowout of Clemson, still ranked in the top five before the Irish took them down.

Baseball reaches first CWS since 2002

In just a few years, Notre Dame went from mediocrity defined to downright elite on the diamond. After coming one painstaking win away from the College World Series in 2021, the Irish pulled off a stunning comeback in Game 3 of their Super-Regional series against No. 1 Tennessee. Down 3-1 in the seventh on the road, the Irish stormed back, ending their 20-year swoon.

Choma keeps the Irish dancing with a last-second goal

Just when it looked like disaster would strike the Irish in round two of the 2023 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament — a 15-11 lead blown in just a few moments — senior for ward Kasey Choma had other ideas Her game-winning goal with 10.1 seconds left sent the Irish onward and completed an impressive upset of No. 6 Florida on its home turf.

Fencing pulls off the three-peat

One national championship is special. Two is incredible Three is almost unbelievable — whether you do it consecutively or not. But that’s what the Notre Dame fencing team did, going back-to-back-to-back over the last three seasons The Irish also claimed five individual champions across those three title runs, with junior Luke Linder winning a pair of epee titles in 2021 and 2023.

MBB ends tournament drought, WBB once again a March Madness staple

After four straight years without March Madness, the men’s basketball team returned in 2022, nearly reaching the Sweet 16. However, with their future uncertain after a coaching change, the women’s team is once again going strong. Niele Ivey has found her stride as head coach, leading a star-studded roster headlined by sophomore guard Olivia Miles to the Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons

Irish say goodbye to Brey

Though things took a difficult turn over the last few years, there is no disputing Mike Brey’s legacy at Notre Dame More wins than any coach in the histor y of Irish men’s hoops. An infectious personality that connected with fans of all ages, especially students. And plenty of wins in March, highlighted by back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2015 and 2016. The Irish also produced NBA talents like Pat Connaughton and Blake Wesley during his 23-year run.

Gumpf becomes the winningest coach in school history

Notre Dame softball has become a model collegiate sports program over the last two-plus decades under the watch of Deanna Gumpf. So, it was only fitting for the legendar y Irish coach to etch her place in a spot in the school’s record books that may be touched. The team’s win on April 11, 2023, was Gump’s 849th — one more than Muffet McGraw ’s total while leading the women’s basketball team.

Slaggert’s OT winner puts Irish on cusp of Frozen Four

Though they’d ultimately come up just short, Graham Slaggert’s overtime winner against North Dakota in Round 1 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament was memorable for a few reasons One, a playoff overtime winner is always magical. But it was especially satisfying after Notre Dame appeared to beat the buzzer in the third period, only for the goal to be called back due to a clock discrepancy But Slaggert proved the puck doesn’t lie after setting up his younger brother Landon for the other goal in Notre Dame’s 2-1 win.

Albert’s magical season

Though she just missed out on winning the Hermann Trophy as the top collegiate women’s soccer play, sophomore for ward Korbin Albert was unmistakably dynamite for the Irish all last season. She finished top-10 in the countr y with 16 goals That included six game-winners and a dramatic hat-trick against one of the countr y’s best teams in the ACC Tournament in Florida State It was enough to name her TopDrawer Soccer’s Player of the Year and earn a pro contract with the prestigious PSG.

Guiliano qualifies for Olympic Trials

It’s not ever y day that something happens for the first time in the histor y of Irish athletics But that’s exactly what sophomore Chris Guiliano did in December 2022. Not only did his 22.46 time break the Notre Dame record for the fastest time in the 50-meter freestyle, but it made him the first male swimmer in Irish histor y to qualify for the Olympic Trials, which will be held at nearby Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in June 2024.

ALL COMMENCEMENT TEAMS

MEN WOMEN

Ryan Bischel, ND Hockey

Bischel started ever y game for ND in 2022-23, posting a sparkling .931 save percentage and being named a finalist for the prestigious Mike Richter Award.

Isaiah Foskey, ND Football

Foskey broke Justin Tuck’s record for career sacks in Notre Dame histor y en route to becoming a second-round NFL Draft pick.

Vinny Martinez, ND Baseball

The Stanford transfer has been Notre Dame’s hottest hitter down the stretch, leading the Irish with 10 home runs and a slugging percentage over .600 as of May 15.

Connor Fu, ND Tennis

Fu will represent Notre Dame in doubles in the NCAA Championships alongside freshman Sebastian Domingo The duo have already been honored by the ACC twice this season.

Pat Kavanaugh, ND Men’s Lacrosse

Brother of fellow star sophomore Chris has broken program record single-season assists each of the last three seasons Kavanaugh was named a finalist for college lacrosse’s most prestigious individual accolade, the Tewaaraton Award.

Jack Hoagland, ND Swim & Dive

Hoagland qualified for NCAAs and won the Blanchford Award in 2023. He holds school records in the 400 IM and 800 free relay

Nate Laszewski, ND Basketball

Former All-ACC honorable mention for ward led the Irish in points per game (13.7) and rebounds per game (7.2).

Matthew Carmody, ND XC, T&F

Carmody was named First Team All-ACC in the outdoor 5,000 meter, indoor 3,000 meter and indoor 5,000 meter in 2021. Top 10 in Irish histor y the indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meter

Axel Valenzuela, HCC Soccer

The South Bend native was named to CCAC All-Conference Second Team after scoring six goals, including a game-winner and two assists in 2022.

Palmer Jackson, ND Golf

Jackson, a 2021 Ping DI All-Region Tournament selection, has consistently paced the Irish in tournaments He was also selected to compete in NCAA Regionals in 2023.

Olivia Wingate, ND Soccer

Wingate was the second-highest team scorer with 14 goals and 33 points in 2022. She earned Third Team All-American, First Team US Coaches All-Region and First Team All-ACC accolades during her career

Maddy Denner, ND XC, T&F

Denner was named All-ACC and Outdoor Second Team All-American during her collegiate career, which includes three top-five time s in program histor y

Payton Tidd, ND Softball

Reliable and elite, Todd has been named All-ACC three times, including First Team in 2019. Tidd has recorded a sub-3.15 ERA in each of her five seasons (as of May 15 for 2022-23).

Lucy Chamberlin, SMC Tennis

Chamberlin was named First Team All-MIAA with a 5-2 record in doubles play. Also collected Academic All-District accolades

Clara Reudiger, HCC Tennis

Reudiger was named CCAC Player of the Week after leading the Saints to their first conference championship in program histor y in April.

Caitlin Traxler, SMC Softball

Traxler was named Second Team All-MIAA after leading Belles in 2023 with seven home runs and 37 RBI. Traxler also worked 41.1 innings in the circle

Dara Mabrey, ND Basketball

The third Mabrey sister to play for the Irish scored double-digit points 71 times in her five-year career, including 20+ on 22 separate occasions She was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2019.

Kara Linder, ND Fencing

Brother of fellow Irish fencer Luke, Linder made two All-American Teams and qualified for NCAA Championship in all five of her collegiate seasons

Kasey Choma, ND Lacrosse

Choma has scored 45 or more goals in each of the last three seasons Named to 2022 IWLCA Midwest/West All-Region First Team.

Jackie Wolak, ND Lacrosse

Wolak has a jaw-dropping 89 assists in 18 games as a senior through May 15, 2023. Wolak achieved 2022 ACC All-Tournament and 2021 Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American selection.

Holy Cross puts ‘we’ before ‘me,’ looks forward to promising future

TYLER REIDY

Associate

sports editor

holy cross women’s soccer had an up-and-down year, finishing 6-6-7 (5-5-3 in ccAc play). despite multiple injuries, the team was able to battle through and qualify for the conference tournament where they fell in the first round.

When asked about the best moment of the season, saints head coach omar Gallo pointed to the season opener against bethel.

“We were down 3-0 and were able to tie 3-3, while having an opportunity to win,” Gallo said. “coming back from 3-0 in soccer is never easy, but that experience allowed us to stay confident in games and throughout the

sMC VOllEYbAll

season when our backs were against the wall.”

Last season, senior midfielder olivia shaw set the career goals record for the holy cross program, but her total was eclipsed this year by her teammate, senior midfielder Lauren cernak.

“Unfortunately, this past season olivia was out for half the season with [an] injury, however, once Lauren broke the record, olivia was one of the first to congratulate her,” Gallo said. “Their competitiveness, drive and support for one another is the reason why our team has had success since they both arrived. since their arrival in 2019, both Lauren and olivia striving for excellence has created a competitive environment.”

both cernak and shaw were part of the first recruiting class put together by Gallo. All the members of that class, except for senior forward Kathleen ming, plan to return for a fifth and final season in 2023.

“Their leadership, discipline and dedication to the program, on and off the pitch, has allowed us to compete in both non-conference and in conference,” Gallo said about the saints’ strong senior class.

Their return, as well as the success of this year’s freshmen, are encouraging signs for next season.

“our [freshman] defensive midfielder hannah [Lemieux] really stepped up and played some big minutes for us,” Gallo said.

“hannah has established herself as one of the top defensive midfielders in the conference leading with 17 points in that position. Another player that really surprised us as a freshman was [forward] mia Garatoni. her work rate, and ability to be in the right place at the right time, is what we needed from our no. 9.”

In addition, Gallo showed excitement for his incoming recruiting class.

“We are just as excited for the 2023 class and believe this will be one of our top classes,” he said.

“We were very specific with our needs for this class and targeted some big-time players, not only locally, but we’ve also brought in a couple girls from california and Florida. We’ve been able to sign

an additional four girls from the Girls Academy, which is one of the highest levels of competition in the U.s.” however, for Gallo, it all comes back to the culture around the team.

“overall, we’ve just been lucky to have a group of girls and coaches who believe in the mission of the college and the mission of the team,” he said. “We’ve created a ‘we’ before ‘me’ mentality, and once you get players to buy into that, anything is possible. Though we haven’t won a championship yet, I know it’s coming and wouldn’t be surprised if it happens in 2023.”

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

belles reflect on disappointing season, prepare for fall

PETER BREEN

Associate news editor

The s aint m ary’s volleyball team’s three departing seniors, e mma Watford, s am vorderer and c ourtney Pelletier, provided so much leadership on and off the court this season, head coach d enise van d e Walle said.

Pelletier, a m ishawaka native, made a particularly strong impact as team captain on “three different occasions,” van d e Walle added.

“[Pelletier] was a fun-loving but yet very competitive and caring type of player and captain,” van d e Walle said.

o ver four years, van d e Walle said her players gain immeasurable benefits from the time they spend as a collegiate student-athlete.

“When they’re being hired or even looked at for graduate school, that pops out on their resume right away. e mployers want athletes because of their time management skills, their ability to work as a team, their commitment and dedication,” van d e Walle said.

The graduating seniors are well-prepared to transition into their professional careers. b ut saying goodbye to their sport is often difficult for such great athletes.

“The biggest factor is when

they stop playing, there’s a void. It’s hard for most to just let it go,” van d e Walle said. “ s ome of them are ready for the transition. c ourtney has told me time and time again that she misses volleyball already.”

This past fall, b elles volleyball finished 5-19 overall with a 1-7 conference record in the m ichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association ( m IAA).

“ o ur fall wasn’t what we expected at all as far as wins and losses goes,” van d e Walle said. “As far as team culture, team building and team morale, we have a great team with great team chemistry so that I’m not concerned about at all.”

In the offseason, during the team’s 15 spring practices, van d e Walle said the roster was down to just seven athletes with the seniors not participating, one player in Ireland and another player sidelined because of surgery.

“You may think, ‘Gosh, what did you do with this seven?’ ( b ut) we had the best spring ever,” van d e Walle said. “We got quite a bit of touches on the ball. d uring those 15 practices, the improvement was great. b ecause it was so small, they got a lot of coaching, a lot of personal attention.”

van d e Walle also said the team has three commitments for next season and

could add three more.

“We could have a minimum of three new kids or a maximum of six,” van d e Walle said.

h owever, to replace the leadership and playing of the seniors is impossible, van d e Walle said.

“You just have to move on is the best way to describe it because you can’t replace everything that they brought to the program during their four years — well, actually three because of c ovid,” van d e Walle said. “ b ut we don’t replace them. You just try to move on and fill in the gaps the best you can.”

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

Freshman Politte, seniors thrive for the Saints

By JOSEPH TUNNEY sports Writer

Golf is a game of mental adjustments. That typically refers to common in-round course corrections. b ut what happens when such a change goes beyond the scope of 18 holes?

h oly c ross men’s golf faced that question when head coach TJ m annen parted ways with the program in mid- s eptember. In stepped former assistant Aaron m artinez. h is first task was rallying a surprised group of young golfers, all recruited by the exiting m annen.

“For the first few weeks after the transition, it was definitely a bit of a challenge to rein everybody

back in because it’s really hard to compartmentalize,”

m artinez said. “When you’re an athlete whose coach has just left, your world is sort of turned upside down.”

Those early challenges carried over to the course as well. The team finished in the field’s top 40% just once among five fall events. h owever, that result, a thirdplace home mark at the s aints c lassic, showed potential that the s aints realized in the spring.

“To their credit, I think the athletes were able to look at the situation objectively, understand that there’s still an entire season left to play and realize that they have extreme potential as a team,” m artinez said. “Getting

through that transition period was tough. b ut once we got through and were on the other side, it was relatively smooth sailing from there.”

After opening the spring with consecutive fifth-place finishes, the s aints took third in the b attle at b lackthorn. Then came the cc Ac c onference c hampionship, where the spotlight fell on freshman m atthew Politte. In a dramatic, two-hole playoff ending, he secured the Individual m edalist designation.

“ h e was just a guy you could always rely on,” m artinez said of Politte. “You knew he was going to come in and shoot low to mid-70s every single time, weather permitting. Just a fantastic golfer and

fantastic student-athlete.”

Politte will compete at the 2023 n AIA m en’s Golf national Tournament in m esa, Arizona. h is performance also helped the s aints to a runner-up result in the c onference c hampionship. s enior c arter s ilva played an integral role in that, earning individual third-place honors.

“[ c arter]’s been here for five years, loves h oly c ross and is just a phenomenal golfer with one of the most beautiful golf swings I think I’ve ever seen,” m artinez said. “ b ut he’s also m r. r eliable. h e’s a great leader, he leads by example, he’s always at practice, he’s always at meetings, he’s at every tournament and just a phenomenal competitor. The

program is definitely losing an integral part of our identity with his graduation.”

For the coaching staff, graduation will play a major role in the outlook of next year’s team. The s aints will lose four on an eligibility basis, plus Politte, who will transfer to n otre d ame. h owever, m artinez still sees a formula for progress.

“Practically speaking, most of our male golfers specifically would agree with the notion that they need to deal with adversity a little bit better,” m artinez said. “There are times where one or two bad shots can quickly turn into four or five.”

Contact Joseph Tunney at jtunney@nd.edu

HCC MEN’s gOlF

belles finish developmental season seeking consistency

MADELINE LADD

Associate sports editor

d espite playing 36 games to an 11-25 overall record this season, s aint m ary’s softball remains optimistic about the future. The team suffered a brutal conclusion to the season, as b elles dropped their final two games of the season to the c alvin Knights on m ay 6 by a combined margin of 30-0. Those losses dropped the b elles 4-12 in conference contests. r ecord aside, co-head coach c assie Young was pleased with the effort in practice and overall

morale among the team. “ o ur record doesn’t reflect the way our team performed in practice,” Young said. “There’s been a lot of bright spots, and I think overall morale has been good. It seems like there are always good vibes.”

According to Young, many girls on the team played out of position. This resulted in some tough losses, with the mercy rule applied in seven games. The b elles went 0-9 on the road but were able to capture a few wins at home, going 6-11 in s outh b end. They went a solid 5-5 in neutral site contests.

TRAck AnD FIelD, cRoss counTRY

n evertheless, the b elles had some notable performances over the season. They beat h ope c ollege 4-2 on April 10 in the front half of a doubleheader. It was the b elles’ first time taking down the Flying d utch since April 25, 2019.

“ h ope’s normally a pretty good team,” Young said. “As for the girls, knowing they can beat teams like that when we play a good, clean game does a lot for their confidence.”

The b elles’ longest win streak was four games, achieved through consecutive doubleheader sweeps

over o livet and m anchester. Though Young claimed she could name everyone on the team when discussing standout players, she specifically landed on senior second basemen and pitcher

c aitlin Traxler and junior pitcher and infielder Libby

b ierbaum.

“ c aitlin Traxler, one of our captains, has done a lot to step up pitching-wise and hitting-wise,” Young said.

“ s he’ll be back next year. Libby b ierbaum has stood out to me too. s he’s been our ace, starting game one [of the series]. s he’s tough, has a good attitude and good

mindset.”

d espite the growing pains, Young is pleased to see all her roster returning. With so many familiar faces, developing consistency will be the focus for 2024 and beyond.

“We just plan to do what we keep doing,” Young said. “It is always there. You can tell there’s always a lot of bright spots in games. It’s maybe just a lack of consistency. We will just try to keep things positive and keep building.” be on the same page.”

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

Irish step up to competition on national stage in cross country and track and field

By TOM ZWILLER sports Writer

notre dame cross country began its season with a dominant win at the Winrow-valparaiso Invite, an annual event hosted by valparaiso University. The men’s and women’s teams both took first in the early september meet that matt sparks, Irish director of track and field and cross country, saw as a tune-up opportunity.

“valparaiso is almost an exhibition type, just kind of a rust buster, just to kind of see where everybody is after the summer,” sparks said. “Kind of lets the younger kids on the team establish themselves, while the older kids on the team do not necessarily compete because we knew who they were.”

Two weeks later, on sept. 16, notre dame hosted the national catholic Invite. once again, both teams swept the competition and claimed first place.

The men carried that momentum into another win at their next meet, the Joe Piane notre dame Invite, also in south bend. The women, however, finished fourth in a competitive field that featured top teams like new mexico, nc state and Alabama.

“That was a good taste of what we were going to see in the postseason,” sparks said.

The two teams then traveled to madison, Wisconsin to participate in the nuttycombe Wisconsin Invite. Going into the competition, sparks knew that the Irish would be up against a challenging course and environment.

“That invite is very similar to the ncAA championship meet,” he said about nuttycombe. “It has roughly 20 of the top 30 teams in the country there. It is hosted on a facility that has hosted the ncAA championship in previous years, so it has a championship feel from the

competitive side to the facility side.”

both fields contained top-25 talent, adding to the already tricky competition. The two teams each placed fifth, which sparks felt was a good outing for the women’s team.

“The four teams that beat us were all ranked in the top five in the country, so we knew if we were just on the outside of that group, we could run with everybody,” he said. chris neal, assistant track and field and cross country coach, who coached the men’s team, felt similarly.

“even though it looks like, ‘oh, you finished fifth or sixth,’ we actually jumped up to being ranked seventh in the country the following week,” neal said.

on oct. 28, the Irish traveled to charlottesville, virginia to compete in the Acc championship meet. The women placed second in the meet, behind only eventual national champion nc state. The men’s team finished fourth. next came the ncAA Great Lakes regional, which allowed the top two teams to qualify for the national championship meet. both teams earned a spot at nationals, with the women taking first place. soon after was the ncAA championship meet in stillwater, oklahoma, just a week later. According to neal, the men began to face challenges before the meet even began.

“We had a guy get mono, we had another guy get the flu, and we had another guy get injured at regionals,” he said. “We were kind of putting together a team with duct tape and super glue to get to the line by the end.”

Those adverse conditions resulted in a 15th-place finish for the men. The women finished better at seventh, though sparks felt his team could have placed even higher.

“our goal was to be in the top

five and finished seventh,” he said.

“As I told the girls, we were a little disappointed in our finish. but the talk then and since then [has been], if we’re seventh in the country and we’re disappointed, then the program is probably in a pretty good place.”

The team then pivoted to the indoor track and field season in the early spring semester, which culminated with the Acc Indoor Track and Field championship and the ncAA Indoor championship.

The women earned sixth place at the Acc competition and then had an outstanding outing at nationals, finishing in a three-way tie with Alabama and Tennessee for seventh. They totaled 24 points, while the national champion, Arkansas, finished with 64. sparks was more than happy with the showing.

“second-best finish in school history, we are very proud of that,” he said. meanwhile, the men’s team finished 12th at the Acc championship and did not score at nationals. sparks admitted that those results were far from ideal.

“We’re in a bit of a rebuilding process with them,” he said.

With the spring semester complete, the Irish will continue in postseason competition for the outdoor season. both teams performed well at the Acc championship on may 11 to 13. The women earned seventh place and the men claimed ninth.

The ncAA regional championship, which will occur in Jacksonville, Florida is scheduled for may 24 to 27. The ncAA championship meet will be held in Austin, Texas on June 7 to 10. sparks feels good about his team’s chances for the national championship meet.

“For the women’s side, I think we should try to be in the top 10 in the country again,” he said. “regionals

is an un-scored meet … but in order for us to be top 10 in the country, we really need to have 6 to 8 athletes make it to the national meet.”

While sparks knows his men’s team will likely not achieve as high of a finish, he still expects them to show their growth from the indoor meets.

“The men, we need to be top 10 in the conference,” he said, prior to the men’s team placing ninth in the Acc. “We know we are rebuilding a little bit, but we know we are better than we were in indoor.”

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

A pair of Irish runners to hold off a competitor as they sprint to the finish line during the Meyo Invitational, held at Notre Dame, on Feb. 4.

Irish take on postseason, look ahead to nc AA Quarterfinals

ADAM AKAN sports Writer

n otre d ame men’s lacrosse finished their regular season with an outstanding 10-2 record, and a 4-2 mark in conference play. That effort earned them the n o. 3 seed in the nc AA Tournament. They have defeated n o. 1 d uke, n o. 20 n orth c arolina and o hio s tate at home. They took down n o. 4 Georgetown, n o. 5 m aryland and n o. 8 m ichigan away from s outh b end. Their only losses were handed to them by n o. 2 v irginia.

Led by the superstar duo of the Kavanagh brothers, the Irish have been a deadly team on the field this season. s enior attacker Pat Kavanagh leads the team with 71 points, with sophomore attacker c hris Kavanagh not far behind with 54. b eyond that pair, junior midfielder e ric d obson has been outstanding with 35 points, and senior attacker Jake Taylor has added 25. s enior midfielder r eilly Gray and graduate student midfielder Quinn m c c ahon each have 19. c eding only 9.44 goals per game, senior goalie Liam e ntenmann has been excellent with 156 saves and a .569 save percentage.

The Irish are prolific in every facet of the game — they rank in the top five nationally in both scoring offense and defense. They fly down the field. They have been dubbed the best n otre d ame lacrosse team in the school’s history by many on campus.

You might expect the Irish to be feeling the pressure, rattled by the lofty expectations the n otre d ame community has placed on them, but head coach Kevin c orrigan says that’s not the case.

“We do not worry about other people’s expectations,” he said. “We define our own expectations for our team.

It is irrelevant to what we’re doing.”

c orrigan and his Irish team have been traversing through this season with an attitude of consistency. The Irish have played one of the toughest schedules in the country, with the majority of their opponents inside the top 20 nationally. They have dealt with the logistical challenges of playing in the s outh b end climate and being generally farther away from many of their competitors.

Travel and sporadic training times could have weighed down the team, but given the short nature of the season, there was little margin for error if the Irish were serious about winning a national championship. They were laser focused come gameday.

c orrigan said, “We played the hardest schedule in the country. We needed to approach it like a football schedule, and focus on the rhythm of each week.”

c orrigan believes that mentality is his team’s winning formula. When asked about any changes in psyche moving into the nc AA Tournament, he balked at the idea.

“It’s not at all the time to change anything,” he said. “We have to keep doing what we’ve been doing all season, and find that motivation each week.”

c orrigan has absolute faith in this squad, which he considers to be one of the most consistently focused and excellent of his career. The group, in his words, “prioritizes awareness and engagement.”

h e credits his seniors and team leaders across every

class for maintaining the group’s intensity throughout these long months. c orrigan affectionately referred to the group as “the best internal leadership a coach could ask for.”

“They have been fantastic. They keep everybody connected and focused and are all pulling in the same direction every day,” he said about the team’s leaders. “Playing lacrosse here at n otre d ame is a week by week effort. The leaders have met the challenge and made it happen. All of them are important.”

The Irish have lit up the field, dismantled teams of lacrosse royalty, electrified campus and rallied the Fighting Irish faithful behind them. The anticipation for this team’s playoff run is palpable, and there will likely be more eyes on Irish lacrosse than ever. This is especially true after the team’s masterful performance in their 20-7 first-round victory against Utah. That blowout win advanced the Irish into the nc AA Tournament quarterfinals, which they will play in Annapolis, m aryland, on s unday, m ay 21.

o ne thing that n otre d ame fans can expect is for c orrigan’s team to play like they have all season: with passion, with focus and with beauty. The Irish will not abandon their mantra of consistency as they move into the playoffs, but instead recommit themselves to it. If they can tune out the noise and fully realize the potential they’ve shown all season, it will be incredibly difficult to stop them on their march to the program’s first national championship.

Contact Adam Akan at aakan@nd.edu

Hcc WoMen’s BAsKeTBAll

Future is bright for Saints after historic season

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

To many, holy cross women’s basketball’s 81-62 win over Trinity International University on Feb. 11 may not have seemed particularly noteworthy. but this victory meant something much more for head coach Tom robbins and his players.

The saints went a miserable 16-35 across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. They bounced back big time in 2021-22, finishing a respectable 15-15. Their first winning season, however, still remained out of reach. That changed this season, as the saints closed out the regular season with a program record of 16-12.

“by the time we got to the end of [setting the record], we had put in that volume of work and really built to that point. It was a very celebratory situation for us,” robbins said. “It became this stamp on our season.”

The boon in regular season success is owed largely to the two-headed monster of sophomore guard Jordyn smith and sophomore forward Grace Adams. The duo both finished top 10 in their conference in scoring, combining to average over 27 points a game. smith also finished fourth in the cc Ac with four assists per game, and Adams was third in rebounds with 9.4 per game.

“Grace Adams took a huge step forward this year as a sophomore from what she did as a freshman. It wasn’t unforeseen. We saw that potential was there, and she became one of the top players in the conference,” said robbins. “Jordyn smith also took a significant step forward this year with what she was able to do and became one of the perennial point guards in the league as well. so both of those players

will be coming back as juniors, and we’re expecting bigger things from them as well.”

behind their dominance, the saints caught fire as the season progressed, finishing the regular season on a spectacular 9-4 run. Wins in their final two regular season games secured their first winning record in conference play since 201819 (12-8). even though they were not one of a top seed, there were plenty of reasons for the saints to feel good about their playoff chances. but their momentum did not carry into the postseason. A nightmare second quarter in their playoff opener against no. 2 seed IU northwest proved to be too much to overcome. despite trimming a 15-point halftime deficit to as little as four, the saints fell 76-70 to the red hawks, ending their season.

despite the disappointing conclusion, robbins remains hopeful for the future, and with good reason. The saints have just one senior, guard Jayda miller. seven of their ten players from this year’s team are underclassmen. If they can take the same type of jump they have each of the last two seasons again, there may not just celebrate new program bests, but playoff success as well.

“besides trying to get that winning season, our other goal was to be that young team that comes into the tournament and surprises people,” robbins said. “We came up short from that situation. but it gave us a perspective of what we want to accomplish next year and what our new goals would be going forward to accomplish that.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

GABRIEL ZARAZUA | The Observer

The Irish look to attack during their 15-10 loss at Arlotta Stadium to the Virginia Cavaliers on March 25. The Irish are 11-0 when playing teams over than Virginia this season, leading them into the NCAA Quarterfinals.

stars lead Irish deep into nc AA Tournament

ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

There are a lot of things that go into being able to win, especially in the postseason. Quality depth, coaching, tenacity and simply a little bit of luck are essential prerequisites for success. b ut it’s hard for even the deepest, best coached and most downright fortunate team to prevail consistently if they don’t have elite talent to take over a game.

Fortunately for the n o. 8-ranked n otre d ame women’s lacrosse team, they have a few of those players. s ix members were named All-Americans by U s A Lacrosse m agazine. Four of those players were selected to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse c oaches Association’s (IWL c A) West/ m idwest All- r egion Team.

The elite talent reaches all corners of the Irish roster. The six All-Americans include a pair of attackers in seniors Jackie Wolak and m adison Ahern. There’s a trio of midfielders in senior Kasey c homa, junior m ary Kelly d oherty and graduate student h annah d orney. And perhaps most importantly, there’s one in the net, thanks to junior Lilly c allahan. That level of outstanding talent makes it easy to see why head coach c hristine h alfpenny was so optimistic heading into the season.

”We are really, really

s oftball

there’s not a pitcher in the country who wants to go through those three in a row,” Gumpf said. “That was one of the most consistent things in our offense. It really changed the dynamic of the top of the lineup for us.”

Players like freshman outfielder m ickey Winchell and senior outfielder m acie e ck helped the Irish pose an offensive threat from top to bottom. Winchell started 38 games and hit .337, earning an A cc All-Freshman Team designation. m eanwhile, e ck had seen only 25 atbats prior to 2023. b ut she made the most of her 67 this year, hitting .343.

It’s impossible to discuss n otre d ame softball without mentioning graduate pitcher Payton Tidd. This season, she once again embraced the workhorse role — in pitching,

excited for what this group is doing and how they’re moving us forward,” h alfpenny said prior to the season. “It is going to be exciting to see.”

e xciting it has been. After an early nc AA Tournament exit last year to m ichigan, the Irish entered 2023 hungry to improve. s ome tweaks to the coaching staff around h alfpenny and a veteran roster have kept the squad up to the challenge thus far. The Irish took care of business throughout the regular season, posting an excellent 12-4 record despite a loaded schedule.

Three of n otre d ame’s four regular season defeats (and four of their five overall losses) have come against the top three teams in the country: n orthwestern, b oston c ollege and s yracuse. The one exception to that rule is a defeat at the hands of n o. 12 v irginia, hardly a pushover in their own right.

And it’s not like the Irish aren’t capable of beating great teams. The Irish took down n o. 4 n orth c arolina 16-12 on April 1, undoubtedly their biggest win of the regular season. Their five All-Americans combined for 11 goals. c allahan made seven crucial saves. It took a team effort to push the Irish over the top, just as it always will against great competition. b ut it’s much easier to make that push when you have great players to lead it.

That has certainly been

leadership, dedication to the program, you name it. With 147 ⅔ innings pitched, Tidd covered nearly half of her team’s frames, accumulating a 3.13 er A.

“Payton [Tidd] is really a truly massive leader for this team.

s he’s our heart and soul every single day,” Gumpf said.

“

s he’ll do anything for this team and this program.”

To round out the regularly used pitching staff, sophomore s hannon

b ecker finished with a 4.25 er A in 79 innings pitched. s he struggled early on but thrived after Gumpf switched her into a more high-leverage bullpen role.

n otre d ame will begin play in the nc AA Fayetteville r egional against o regon on Friday. The four-team field also consists of 11th-seeded Arkansas and h arvard.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

the case in the nc AA Tournament. The Irish took care of business in their first round game, handling m ercer with ease in a 21-6 rout. The three-headed scoring monster of Ahern, c homa and Wolak combined for 15 goals, with c homa and Wolak scoring six apiece.

In their biggest test to date, the Irish rose to the moment in the second round.

Taking on n o. 6 Florida in Gainesville, Florida, the Irish pulled out one of their most impressive wins in recent memory. o nce again, Ahern, c homa and Wolak led the way, tallying three, four and five goals each. The Irish didn’t blink when a 1511 lead with 6:55 left disappeared thanks to a stunning four-goal Gator blitz. With just 10 seconds left in regulation, c homa fired a shot while being pestered by two defenders inside the far post to give n otre d ame the lead for good.

That goal sent the Irish to the nc AA Quarterfinals for the second time in three years. Awaiting them is the same team that beat them in the quarterfinals in 2021 — the b oston c ollege e agles. The Irish have not beaten b oston c ollege, a perennial championship contender, since m arch 7, 2020. b ut with the type of talent the Irish have, no team will take them lightly any time soon.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

d evelopment Program.

d anny nelson is the younger brother of the aforementioned henry.

c arter s laggert is the younger brother of current Irish forward Landon, former Irish forward Graham, and son of assistant coach Andy.

All three won a gold medal for the United s tates national team at the men’s II h F Under-18 World c hampionships last month in s witzerland, and d anny nelson especially stood out. nelson scored four goals in seven games and was named player of the game in the team’s gold medal game victory over s weden and its quarterfinal win over c zechia.

“We’re excited about this class, I think that this class is going to hopefully get us back on an upward trend with our recruiting, to where we can bring in similar classes every year,” Jackson said. “o bviously, the numbers

change based on the number of scholarships available, and the number of seniors graduating, but I really like this class. And I think that they’re going to help us in the areas where we need the most help.”

B c , BU headline 2023-24 non-conference play

Looking ahead to next season, notre d ame will again have to face the challenge of an overpowered b ig Ten conference. The conference was a large part of the reason why the Irish ended the season with the best strength of schedule in the nation. notre d ame also had a non-conference schedule that was no easier, something that ultimately wore the team down as the season grew old.

next year’s non-conference schedule sees the Irish match up at home against b oston University for two games, against b oston c ollege over Thanksgiving, and against d ivision I

newcomer Augustana over new Year’s. The Irish will only have one road nonconference series, at r IT. Playing much of the nonconference slate at c ompton Family Ice Arena may lighten the burden in comparison to last year.

“o ur fans will be excited,” Jackson said. “It is a pretty decent non-conference schedule for home weekends. o bviously the b ig Ten is our biggest challenge to deal with on a regular basis, but all in all, I think we will have a little bit more manageable non-conference schedule, because most of it’s at home. b ut the other part of it is we’ve got some good teams also coming in to play, so it should be a good schedule for our fans.”

The official non-conference schedule for the 202324 season will likely release some time in late August. The full slate of conference games will come out in mid- s eptember.

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer Senior attacker Madison Ahern runs with control of the ball during Notre Dame’s 16-12 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels on April 1.

Irish compete at Uc A college c hampionship

By PETER BREEN Associate news editor

From the beginning of football in August to the end of the men’s and women’s basketball in march or April, the notre dame cheerleading team is standing on the sidelines rooting for the Fighting Irish.

The team is composed of 18 female and 18 male cheerleaders along with the four leprechauns. For the past two years, seniors cullen macQuarrie and Kailey conners have cheered on the gold squad. The six male cheerleaders, six female cheerleaders and a leprechaun travel to all the away football games.

“Going to away football games is the coolest thing,” conners said. “We get to travel to all these different places, all these schools. I never would have gone to any of these places, like the bowl games as well.”

on top of cheering for six sports seasons, practicing several nights a week and morning lifts twice per week at the Guglielmino Athetlics complex, the cheer team, for the first time ever, competed in the Universal cheerleaders Association (Uc A) college national championship this year. The tournament takes place at the esPn Wide World of sports complex in orlando, Florida. notre dame made its debut in the tournament’s game-day division.

“You have to perform your fight song, then you do a defense or offense cheer for your football team — crowd engagement stuff — and then we do more skills like tumbling, baskets, pyramids or stunting — throwing everybody in the air, stuff like that,” conners said.

The cheer team placed ninth, an excellent result for the program’s first trip to nationals, conners said. For conners, a cheerleader since kindergarten who always dreamed of cheering in college, the Uc A was the perfect way to go out.

“What makes our team really special is that we’re a game day team, basically meaning that we’re on the field, we’re on the court,” conners said. “[The Uc A] was a super cool change of pace. but then to finish out my career competing again was just really full circle and so cool.”

Like most men on the team, macQuarrie, the gold squad captain, never cheered a day in his life before college. his first year, macQuarrie was recruited by a junior living on his floor in Keough hall and the then-gold leprechaun who saw him do the splits for Walsh hall’s mr. nd Pageant.

“Pretty much you show up to our gym, called gym one. You sign a waiver, you practice with us and we teach you. If you tumble, you tumble. If you don’t know how to tumble, we try to teach you,” macQuarrie said. “I met a lot of the guys and bonded well with them. I was like, ‘Alright, I’ll give this a shot.’”

macQaurrie said a big job of the male cheerleaders is recruiting. The opportunities to be on the field for football games and to work with the University’s professional strength coaches are good selling points. but “a love for notre dame” is what makes a great cheerleader, conners said.

“If you didn’t really care about notre dame sports or something like that, it probably is really hard to do our job because we are cheering for

these teams with everything we got,” conners said. “even when we’re losing to marshall or it’s pouring rain and we’re freezing, we’re still excited to be there. We’re trying to get the crowd excited.”

Though cheerleaders must balance a tireless schedule as student-athletes, none are on athletic scholarships.

“We don’t get help from admissions. While we say the term recruitment, that’s just me trying to swindle a guy,” macQaurrie said. “We all got into this university on our own, so I’d say that’s like a big nod to all the cheerleaders.” connors said she learned her priorities and time management cheering at the college level for four years.

“I’m sad if my friends in my dorm are all hanging out tonight, but I have a basketball game that I have to cheer at. but then I remember, when I’m at the basketball game that this is way more fun,” connors said. “This is where I want to be.”

A solid group of friends was one of the best things macQuarrie got from cheerleading, he said.

“I think as I spent more time with that eight, those eight guys, those eight seniors [on the cheer team] that I’m graduating with, I totally became best friends with them,” macQaurrie said.

After 17 years of cheerleading, connors said her body is ready to stop being thrown in the air.

“but I am planning on coaching a seventh-grade cheer team with my cousin back home this coming year,” connors said. “so cheer is not leaving my life forever, but it’s been a good career.” said.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

Growth defines season for Belles

By ADAM AKAN sports Writer

h ead coach Jackie b auters and the b elles of the s aint m ary’s cross country team were a team not defined by immediate success, but progression this past season.

When asked if her team accomplished their goals, c oach b auters said, “Largely, we did. We came together and ran well as a group.

e veryone was performing their best at the end of the season. We were just short of where we could’ve been, but had we had three more weeks we would’ve had even better running.”

c oach b auters believes the key to the team’s gradual improvement was the team spirit built during practice.

b auters noted how “key individuals developed confidence throughout the season,” and that attitude spread to the rest of the team.

“o ther girls on the team were able to say ‘I train with that person!’ And their confidence grew to match their level of training,”

b auters said.

That journey to unlocking the talent b auters saw in her squad from day one shows in the b elles’ results. They opened the season at the m anchester h okum Karem with the duo of junior Amanda Tracy and freshman Isabelle Auch finishing third in the competition. s eniors Alexa Zeese and Anna d e m ars finished sixth.

h owever, the b elles struggled at their next two events. They finished sixth and 14th (but seventh among non-d1 programs) in the c alvin Knight Invitational and the n otre d ame n ational c atholic Invitational, despite some strong individual performances.

The b elles then clawed their way to a respectable 29th finish out of 36 teams at the d III Preview m eet on

o ct. 1 The real indication of a stronger, more confident group of runners came at the o berlin Inter-r egional r umble on o ct. 15. Tracy, Auch and sophomores s usanna b ernovich and b rigid h ull all broke their personal time records. Freshman m ary Weber set a personal record in the six kilometer race and senior Julia c rowley surpassed her previous season best, as well. The m IAA c hampionships, an event c oach b auters called the top moment of the season, saw the b elles place sixth. Junior h aley Greene and Tracy set personal 6k times. d e m ars, h ull, Zeese and seniors m ikayla Trumbla and Angela b annan set new personal records. Auch, b ernovich and freshman c arly d avis set personal records by ridiculous margins — 20, 36 seconds and 42 seconds, respectively. s enior Julia c rowley set a personal record 6k time, as well. c oach b auters says their team success all started with their simple mantra: have fun.

“We went into it running for each other, running for our team, and running for a purpose outside of ourselves. We were saying, ‘I’m not anxious about my time, I’m here to run for my team.’ s ometimes you run really well and don’t feel good about it, but everyone ran and felt great,” b auters said. s he called that race a top-five experience in her career.

Going into next year the b elles hope to build on the late-season success.

“(We’re) committed to the vision of the program, so we’ve won half the battle,” b auters said. r eborn by their evolution throughout this season, the b elles are looking forward to hitting the track next season.

Contact Adam Akan at aakan@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Notre Dame cheerleaders invigorate the home crowd at Purcell Pavilion in Notre Dame women’s basketball’s 53-48 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

SMC CRoSS CountRY

Irish receive boost from freshman star

By JOSEPH TUNNEY sports Writer

notre dame men’s tennis had an inconsistent 2023, finishing 13-14 (3-9 Acc ). That record can largely be attributed to a series of injuries during the spring dual-match season.

“Five starters missed significant matches … it felt like we couldn’t ever really get on track. Fixed one issue and got rolling in one area, then there was a leak that sprung somewhere else,” head coach r yan sachire said.

The revolving door of starters never allowed the team to truly gel together, which made for a frustrating season. however, numerous individual players made a huge impact for the Irish this year, led by star freshman sebastian dominko.

dominko’s meteoric rise was the story of the season for the Irish. currently, he sits at 14th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) singles rankings with a 19-7 record against some of the best competition in collegiate tennis.

“We had a freshman playing number one for us this year, and that’s not an easy task,” sachire said. “being in the Acc , there’s an incredible amount of talent in this conference. It was awesome to see s ebastian emerge as [a] competitive leader which is rare to see.”

dominko is now recognized as a force on the court. but he wasn’t among the most highly touted recruits in collegiate

tennis.

“The ITA does a ranking of the top 10 incoming freshmen, but s ebastian wasn’t one of them. This spring he’s had the best season of any freshman in the country,” sachire said.

dominko is guaranteed to play in the nc AA Tournament, which is scheduled to begin may 22 in Lake nona, Florida. despite the injuries, Irish tennis did receive another great season from senior c onnor Fu.

Fu, a senior captain, was one of the few players who stayed healthy the whole year. s achire praised the captain and his impact on the team. Fu went 18-6 in doubles play over the course of the season, winning 75% of his matches with two different partners. h is success alongside dominko earned the duo the no. 26 doubles ranking by the ITA. The duo will also represent the Irish in the nc AA Tournament.

The singles and doubles tournaments occur after the team championship, which the Irish did not qualify for this season. however, the added time may be beneficial for Fu and dominko.

“[They can] get through finals, do all the stuff academically. It’ll give us 10 days to lock in and focus. Fu and dominko need to keep doing what they’re doing.” sachire said. “They’re a hallmark of consistency, played at a really high mark from the beginning to the end. They have a chance to do some

damage.”

still, the team as a whole had some bright moments as well. When asked about the best match of the season, sachire highlighted the team’s 4-3 win on Feb. 27 over m ichigan state.

“It wasn’t necessarily the best team that we beat but were down 3-2, and two guys lost the first set. [ matt] c he and [Yu] Zhang battled back and we came back to win 4-3. It was a great comeback win,” sachire said.

c oach sachire also thanked seniors Fu, c he, matt halpin, braeden ho and graduate student Addy vashistha for all they have done to build the program.

“I love those guys. It’s been quite an experience for any senior at notre dame. The Acc did not compete sophomore fall, but all of them stuck through it, battled and had really good moments in their career,” sachire said. “They are going to do great in life.”

Although the departures are substantial, c oach sachire remains optimistic about the team’s future.

“It starts with making the right choices over the summer. Putting in the work. c oming back to campus better than they are now,” sachire said. “We are bringing in some good players. We need to use the fall to really build, to stay healthy, build confidence as individuals and as a group.”

Contact Joseph Tunney at jtunney@nd.edu

belles persevere, gain experience

By MATTHEW CROW Associate sports editor

The 2022 season was a challenging one for saint mary’s soccer. With a new coaching staff, an inexperienced roster and a difficult slate of opponents, there was a nearly perfect storm of obstacles standing in their way.

After saying goodbye to a senior class that led the belles to eight wins the previous season, first-year head coach Farkhod Kurbonov had to quickly assemble a new roster and get his new players ready for the fall.

“It was a transitional season because we had a lot of girls who just [started playing in] college, transferred or walked onto the team,” Kurbonov said. “so more than half the girls were either freshman or new to the program.”

That combination of youth and unfamiliarity with the saint mary’s program made it difficult for the belles to compete with their mIAA opponents. They finished the year with an 0-13-3 record.

despite the struggles on the scoreboard, Kurbonov did not have any difficulty motivating the team. The belles’ young players were driven by a desire to improve as individuals and as a unit. And that mentality has stayed with them in the offseason.

“I did not have to bring big speeches or motivational things to them,” Kurbonov said. “They all took it very well and were just motivated for the upcoming fall.”

The belles gained the crucial experience that comes from playing a full year at the college level. That is the primary reason why Kurbonov is optimistic about the team’s prospects for next season.

“now that we have that

experience, now that we’ve been there before, I would say that’s going to be the biggest help coming up in the fall,” he said. “We just finished our spring season, and I already can see the differences, the changes and improvements that happened.”

Kurbonov points to the belles’ three rising seniors — midfielder Lindsey Adent, defender holly skrip and forward Kaitlyn day — as players he has seen pushing the team to make those improvements every day.

“They were such a massive help this spring with organizing things, keeping everyone accountable and leading by example,” he said about that trio. “[They’re] upperclassmen who really care about the program, who want to see the program succeed.”

They will look to guide the belles’ huge group of freshmen and incoming recruits. even the younger members of the belles team will have the chance to play key roles in the fall.

“They’re a very talented group, it’s just a matter of putting them together right,” Kurbonov said about the underclassmen. “I’m very excited to see what our freshman are going to do, same thing with our incoming freshman class.”

Following a strong spring season, the belles will head into the fall with some positive energy on their side. They’re hungry to return to the winning column. They’re ready to put in the work needed to get there.

“results-wise, it [didn’t meet] the standards that we want to set,” Kurbonov said about last season. “And that’s what we’re working on.” for that winning record.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Senior Connor Fu takes a backhanded shot during Notre Dame’s 4-2 loss to No. 10 North Carolina at Eck Tennis Pavilin on March 3. The Irish finished the season with a 13-14 record, also going 3-9 in ACC play.

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Despite poor conditions, senior forward Jillian Bowen prepares to strike the soccer ball during a 1-0 defeat to Olivet on Oct. 18.

Irish return to postseason despite late season skid, look to end 24-year wait

By TYLER REIDY Associate sports editor

For n otre d ame softball, 2023 was a year for the extraordinary. Whether it be a 0-0 tie, a three-homer performance or a recordbreaking head coach, dramatic surprises lurked around each turn. While embracing the unexpected provides great thrill, letting go of the ordinary can be equally difficult. And that, as always, is the challenge at hand for Irish softball, who have reached the nc AA Tournament for the 24th straight season but are still looking to advance past the first round for the first time.

Granted, n otre d ame might be fortunate to even be in this position at all. A late April home sweep at the hands of Florida s tate seemingly placed the Irish in make-or-break territory upon entering the A cc Tournament, where they couldn’t pull through. b ut head coach d eanna Gumpf knows this team will be defined by more than that late-season swoon — especially if they “finally find a way to break through.

“This is a group that has given everything they can, every single day,” Gumpf said. “They never show up to this place without giving everything they have, and that’s all you can ask from your team.”

n otre d ame showed promise early, holding a record of 18-7 on m arch 25. m uch of the success centered around two dynamic Irish newcomers. At the plate, graduate Utah s tate transfer Lexi o rozco added muscle to the lineup, tallying six home runs and driving in 27 runs during her first 23 games. Finishing the year with eight more long balls and a year-end slash line of .351/.475/.525, o rozco earned s econd Team AllA cc honors.

“ s he is so calm, collected and confident in the box,” Gumpf said. “You watch her in the box and you’re like, ‘Wow, she’s special.’ And then as a player, for her to come in and do what she’s done, it just becomes such a big part of this program and says a lot about who she is as a person.”

At the same time, freshman pitcher m icaela

Kastor turned heads around the A cc . In her first 39 ⅓ collegiate innings, she conceded just five earned runs. Kastor finished the season with a 2.60 earned run average ( er A) in 75 ⅓ frames.

“ s he’s a pitcher who learns from all of her outings and continues to get better, and that’s what really made her special this year,” Gumpf said. “ s he learns about herself and uses what she’s learned to take her game to a higher level.”

The transition to April spelled trouble for n otre d ame, failing to take home series from both s yracuse and Pittsburgh.

h owever, the Irish found what they needed on the back end of an April 2 doubleheader with Pitt. h aving already lost an exhausting 13-11 affair, n otre d ame turned to its most reliable stars for a major momentum switch.

o ffensively, junior first baseman Karina Gaskins did the unthinkable, hitting three of her 14 overall home runs. The 2022 A cc Player of the Year later earned 2023 First Team All-A cc honors after slashing .341/.500/.722.

“ r arely does she get enough strikes to finish an at-bat, but when they throw to her, they’re very careful,” Gumpf said. “The great thing is that she’s able to hit so many different pitches and her weaknesses are so minimal that you just can’t get away with much.”

While Gaskins torched softballs against the Panthers, junior catcher c arlli Kloss hosed two potential basestealers. o n the season, she cut down 13 of 29 steal attempts, earning A cc d efensive Player of the Year. Kloss also hit .352 with team-highs in doubles (14) and triples (3).

“ s he’s got one of the most difficult jobs on the team, because she is behind the plate every single day for a lot of different pitchers,” Gumpf said. “ s he scares baserunners. o ffensively, she has led the way consistently all year long.”

With that jolt, the Irish rolled into late April. They won series at Louisville and b oston c ollege, nabbed two ranked wins from v irginia Tech at home and run-ruled both m ichigan

s tate and Indiana. The win over the s partans marked Gumpf’s 849th, giving her the most ever by a head coach in any sport in n otre d ame history. b efore the four-game slide at the end of the season, Gumpf and the Irish were a strong 29-13-1.

“I think [April was about] just learning and not being complacent with m arch,” Gumpf said. “ m arch was

very difficult. It taught us a lot, and I thought we took those lessons really well and we used them to become a better team. The big lessons along the way were how important playing consistent softball on all three sides of the ball is.”

d espite a disappointing end to the regular season, n otre d ame still has plenty of individual success to celebrate. s enior third

baseman Joley m itchell slugged her way to a First Team All-A cc selection, cracking 10 home runs and ending the season on a 12-game hit streak. s he also recorded more stolen bases (15) than strikeouts (10).

“When you put Karina Gaskins, Joley m itchell and Lexi o rozco together,

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish senior outfielder Leea Hanks runs toward first base during Notre Dame’s 9-1 win over Indiana on April 12. Hanks helped the Irish reach the NCAA Tournament, which the Irish enter with a 29-17-1 record.

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish graduate student pitcher Payton Tidd winds up to deliver a pitch during Notre Dame’s 9-1 win in six innings over Indiana at Melissa Cook Stadium on April 12. Tidd struck out seven hitters during the contest.

Irish find stride in first year under stiffler, seek another deep postseason run

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

Following up a team’s best season in 20 years is never easy. Last year, n otre d ame baseball climbed to a summit it could have only dreamed about just a few years ago and one it came so agonizingly close to reaching the season prior: the c ollege World s eries. The 2022 team became the third in program history to reach college baseball’s biggest stage, one that is a challenge to return to even for the sport’s blue bloods.

Add on the departure of the coach who orchestrated n otre d ame’s emergence from the sport’s doldrums in his three years in s outh b end in Link Jarrett, and n otre d ame’s grip on success on the diamond was even more tenuous. And when they got off to a pedestrian 8-8 start, it was easy to wonder if the Irish were one-hit wonders.

b ut things have picked up a bit for the Irish over the last few months. The team, particularly at the plate, has found its stride in s hawn s tiffler’s debut season. And the former v irginia c ommonwealth University ( vc U) head coach is enjoying the ride.

“[ n otre d ame is] obviously a special place full of special people,” s tiffler said. “I’m happy with the progress the team has made throughout the year. We’ve played better month to month, probably week to week at times as well. We’ve been very, very competitive, you know, and I think it took us a little bit of time to get our footing underneath us. b ut … I’m very happy we’re in a strong place right now in the middle of the conference season and winding down the stretch here, we play well down the stretch, you know, we should be in a decent position to make the conference tournament and kind of go from there.”

The Irish have gotten major contributions from faces more new and old. About half of last year’s starting lineup are still going strong for the Irish in 2023. Graduate student infielder c arter Putz continues to be

one of the team’s biggest power threats. Graduate student infielder Zack Prajzner has taken a step forward at the plate while providing great defense at shortstop.

s ophomore infielder Jack Penney has built off a promising freshman season, already belting 10 home runs. And graduate student outfielder b rooks c oetzee III continues to play an outstanding right field and get on base at an excellent clip. Graduate students Aidan Tyrell and Will m ercer have also stepped into the rotation nicely to help the Irish compensate for the loss of star sophomore Jack Findlay to injury.

n otre d ame has also seen plenty of development from its young players, as well. s tiffler specifically pointed out the emergence of junior outfielder TJ

Williams and sophomore outfielder dm Jefferson as keys for why the Irish offense has dramatically improved during the second half of the regular season. Freshman infielder e stevan m oreno delivered a memorable three-homer performance to help defeat a top-10 opponent in v irginia. o n the mound, junior Jackson d ennies has taken on a larger role. And freshman c aden s pivey, one of n otre d ame’s most exciting recruits, already looks worthy of the hype with a very solid 3.14 er A in 28.2 innings of work.

Graduate transfers have also played a key role in n otre d ame’s season on both sides of the ball. o n the pitching side, d avidson import b lake h ely leads the Irish in games started. And former s tanford c ardinal v inny m artinez has

had one of the most dramatic mid-season turnarounds in program history. After beginning the year 3-31, m artinez leads the Irish with a .304 average and 10 home runs as of m ay 11. m artinez’s .642 slugging percentage is the only mark a n otre d ame regular has that is above .500.

“[ h e] has been a really, really good spark over the last 20 games for us especially at home out of that dh and backup catcher role, he’s done a great job for us,” said s tiffler.

The Irish have had some big moments already this year. The Irish have notched wins over some elite teams like v irginia, Louisville and Wake Forest. b ut there is more difficult competition ahead of them. The Irish have two weekend

series and two midweek games left. After that, it’s on to the A cc , and, in all likelihood, nc AA Tournaments. n otre d ame may be a different team than it was last year. b ut their belief another deep run is in store is as strong as ever.

“I think the first thing is just staying within ourselves,” said Putz when asked about what it will take for the Irish to return to o maha.

“I think it’s tough, especially late in the season. We have the pieces on this team to, you know, to make a run for sure and to, and to go to o maha again, but we just have to stay within ourselves and rely on each other and not try and do it all by ourselves.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Graduate student infielder Carter Putz rounds third base during Notre Dame’s 2-1 defeat to the Louisville Cardinals on March 26 at Frank Eck Stadium. As of May 15, Putz is tied for the Irish lead with 35 RBIs. He also leads Notre Dame with 12 doubles, just one short of his career-high.

Irish prepare to start fresh after trying season

By MATTHEW CROW Associate sports editor

It never felt like n otre d ame men’s basketball was far from breaking through. Amid each of their countless last-second losses by a razor-thin margin, they always seemed to be just one big win away from regaining the mojo that sparked the previous year’s nc AA Tournament run. b ut that moment never really came. And after a disappointing 11-21 season, the Irish now find themselves entering a new era. o ne that they will have to navigate without m ike b rey at the helm.

The Irish came into the season with lofty ambitions. Led by a core group of four returning graduate students, many predicted n otre d ame to be near the top of the A cc once again. e ven the key players they did lose — Prentiss h ubb, b lake Wesley and Paul Atkinson Jr. — seemed to have worthy successors in graduate transfer guard m arcus h ammond and highly touted freshmen guard JJ s tarling and forward ven-Allen Lubin.

“I think they feel they can advance [deep into the nc AA Tournament],” b rey said before the season. ”They really tasted what it was like to advance and the excitement of it, and I hope they’re kind of addicted to it.“

With five graduate students in their primary seven-man rotation, the Irish were one of the most experienced teams in the country. They had to lean on that experience earlier than expected. Their opening stretch of non-conference play featured surprisingly narrow victories against mid-major opponents.

n otre d ame needed a game-winning layup from graduate guard c ormac r yan to seal a come-frombehind win in their season opener against r adford. The next week, graduate guard d ane Goodwin nailed a goahead three-pointer late in a 66-65 win over Lipscomb.

d espite not passing the eye test, the Irish managed to start the season 5-0. Their success in the previous season had been aided by their ability to step up in key moments and be at their best when the lights shined brightest. While their wins were far from pretty, it was easy for fans to remain optimistic, having grown accustomed to seeing n otre d ame rely on that clutch gene.

“When we got that look and that drive, I’m saying, ‘That one’s going in,’” b rey said about Goodwin’s game-winner against Lipscomb. “We’ve got some older guys that know how to win.”

After beginning the year with a five-game homestand, the Irish’s first venture outside of Purcell Pavilion provided a wake-up call. Facing s t. b onaventure at the n ew York Islanders’ U bs Arena, n otre d ame trailed by double digits for most of a 63-51 loss.

They quickly got back on track, though. Just five days after suffering their first defeat, n otre d ame earned what would turn out to be their biggest win of the season. Playing host to n o. 20 m ichigan s tate, the Irish looked every bit the part of a team that would be playing in m arch in their 70-52 victory.

“I think we were due for one, all of us,” r yan said after making six three-pointers against the s partans. “We have guys who are too good at playing the right way [to be losing] and I think we were still trying to find ourselves. We picked a good night to figure it out.”

b ut the momentum from that signature win vanished just as quickly as it had arrived. n otre d ame’s 6-1 start was a product of them consistently pulling through in late-game situations. The sudden, stunning loss of that ability would haunt them for the rest of the season.

The Irish’s crunch-time woes began in their A cc opener against s yracuse. Playing in his first n otre d ame game after suffering a preseason knee injury, h ammond, a transfer from n iagara, converted a threepoint play to put the Irish ahead by one in the final minute. b ut a last-second s yracuse bucket sent the o range home as 62-61 winners.

“We figured it would [come down to] game situations,” b rey said after the loss. “We needed to get that one stop and we couldn’t get it.”

n otre d ame won just one of their three ensuing nonconference games before hitting the road to take on Florida s tate. Their second A cc game ended almost identically to the first, with another one-point defeat.

Three more conference losses pushed the Irish to 0-5 in A cc play before they returned home to face Georgia Tech. d own seven in the final three minutes of regulation, n otre d ame

fought back to emerge with a dramatic 73-72 overtime victory.

“We were looking for some confidence, we were searching for something,”

b rey said after the win. “It was great for that group.”

b ut there would not be much to celebrate in the following weeks. n otre

d ame’s only win in their next 12 outings came against hapless Louisville. The Irish all eight games in that stretch with a single-digit margin of victory. Frustration grew as they struggled to figure out why the Irish could not break through.

“I feel for our guys, because we keep getting in position, but we can’t finish,” b rey said after a four-point loss to n orth c arolina. “We put ourselves in position, but [losing close games] has kind of been the recipe.”

In the midst of that difficult stretch, b rey announced his decision to step down at the end of the year. After 23 seasons that saw him compile more victories than any head coach in program history, b rey felt that the moment was right for a change.

“It has been a great run for me and our program over the past two decades,” b rey said in the university’s

announcement. “ b ut it is time for a new voice to lead this group into the future.”

The 2023 edition of senior night was thus particularly meaningful. Fittingly, the Irish brought everything they had against Pitt, winning their first game in more than a month to send the departing members of the program off right.

“What an unbelievable night,” b rey said postgame. “It was neat to feel this atmosphere in here one last time.”

That vintage performance brought hope of a lateseason resurgence.

b ut it was ultimately not to be. In their regular season finale three days later, c lemson blew the Irish out of the water.

n eeding a miraculous A cc Tournament run to keep their season alive, the Irish battled hard but suffered yet another last-second loss in the first round against v irginia Tech.

The disheartening end to the year quickly gave way to an action-packed offseason. In b rey’s place, the Irish brought in m icah s hrewsberry. The Indiana native had become a hot name in coaching circles after guiding Penn s tate to their first nc AA Tournament appearance since 2011. s hrewsberry

spoke about his coaching principles at a festive introductory press conference in m arch.

“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].”

r ebuilding the n otre d ame program will be no easy task after the mass exodus that took place in the spring. s even players made up the Irish’s normal rotation this season and none will be back next year.

After leading the program for the last several seasons, Goodwin, graduate forward n ate Laszewski and graduate guard Trey Wertz will pursue professional basketball. r yan will spend his last year of college eligibility at n orth c arolina. Their final season in s outh b end did not go as planned. b ut the good of how well they represented the program and their starring roles in the 2022 m arch m adness run far outweigh the bad of 2022-23.

h ammond is also out of eligibility. s tarling and Lubin both sought new homes in the transfer portal. s o did

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Former head coch Mike Brey, graduate student forward Nate Laszweski and freshman forward Dom Cam-pbell leave the court after Notre Dame beat Louisville on Jan. 28 at Purcell Pavilion by a 76-62 score.

Notre Dame battles adversity to end injuryplagued season with hardware

By J.J. POST Associate sports editor

For the first few months of the season, it was very reasonable to consider n otre d ame women’s basketball a Final Four contender.

The Irish started the season 18-2, with a number of impressive benchmarks along the way. n iele Ivey’s squad handled perennial powerhouse U c onn at Purcell Pavillion — not just beating the h uskies, but doing so comfortably. They went on the road and dispatched top-10 team and eventual Final Four participant v irginia Tech. Their only two losses in that stretch came to a pair of top 25 squads in n orth c arolina and m aryland. n otre d ame entered the back end of the season with momentum aplenty.

Unfortunately, injuries had other plans. s lowly but surely, n otre d ame’s core devolved to effectively a six-player rotation come the season’s end. Graduate student guard d ara m abrey was lost for the season after an A c L tear against v irginia. With m abrey, the Irish’s best shooter, out of the equation, the team’s spacing became severely limited — an Achilles heel consistently picked at by top-tier opponents.

Things went from bad to worse against n orth c arolina s tate. b efore the game against the Wolfpack, it was revealed that graduate student center Lauren e bo had suffered a foot injury. The injury would nag e bo until the season’s end, ruling

her out of several games and severely limiting her in several others. Without e bo, n otre d ame’s post depth was whittled down to nearfull game performances by junior forward Kylee Watson and increased spot minutes for junior forward n atalija m arshall. The Irish went 3-2 in the five games e bo missed entirely.

h owever, the most devastating — and final — blow was saved for n otre d ame’s final game against Louisville. c hasing a regular season conference title on the road against the c ardinals, Ivey lost sophomore point guard o livia m iles to another A c L tear. If the Irish offense was running on fumes leading up to the Louisville game, the m iles injury handicapped it entirely. m iles was n otre d ame’s per-game leader in points, rebounds and assists. h er knack for impossible passes allowed her to have a superstar impact on slow-paced, defensive games.

And yet, despite of all these key injuries, n otre d ame still ended the season with hardware. Ivey pulled out all the stops in the second half against the c ardinals, and a makeshift Irish offense commanded by sophomore guard s onia c itron stormed back to take home a victory and the A cc regular season title.

Ivey said that the win over Louisville was a crucial one for her squad, both an intangible victory over adversity and an actual win in a venue where n otre d ame has consistently struggled.

“We haven’t beat Louisville at Louisville in a very long time with some of my most veteran and healthy teams,” Ivey said. “That was a huge momentum booster for our program. It was a confidence booster for us. For me, in year three, to win [a regular season title] in a hostile environment like that was

just unbelievable. s o that was a really cool moment to be a part of.”

A key theme of the season for the Irish became young players stepping up down the stretch. n otre d ame’s squad was a young unit from the start, but the loss of m abrey meant the Irish consistently rolled with

three underclassmen in the starting lineup. c itron became the team’s de-facto point guard throughout the postseason. Freshman guard KK b ransford worked her way into the starting lineup as the season progressed. e arly-enrollee freshman

belles enjoy resurgent 2023 campaign

By J.J. POST

Associate sports editor

Perhaps no team on the tri-campus enjoyed a more impressive turnaround from 2021-22 to 2022-23 than the saint mary’s tennis squad. The belles ended last spring with an 8-12 mark. They lost three of their final four matches, including a 5-0 blanking at the hands of hope college in the mIAA tournament semi-final.

In 2023, however, the belles posted a remarkable 17-3 record. The season started with a torrid run of results. saint mary’s opened the year on a 13-game winning streak, including a blazing fourgame sweep of a non-conference

tournament in orlando, Florida. head coach dale campbell remarked his team’s strong results outside of conference play helped set the tone for the team heading into the season:

“I think it definitely gave us confidence,” campbell said. “I think after you play a certain number of matches and you get those wins I think you start to know that you’re a good team. When you win a couple it’s not that big of a deal. but when you win five or ten matches in a row we thought we could do some special things.”

Leading the charge for the belles in their resurgent campaign was a strong senior core. Lucy chamberlin garnered

all-conference first-team honors. chamberlin was a top contributor to saint mary’s doubles unit and also contributed in singles play. The belles also got key contributions throughout the season from fellow seniors Kalyn borger, Kathleen mcLeod and Annika smith.

saint mary’s seniors were more than just quality players on the court. They also served as the team’s leaders off the court. campbell praised his graduating class for their contributions to the team’s culture.

“having four great seniors leading the team as well [helped bring about the season’s success]” said campbell. “They’ve seen a little bit of everything. With

going through a cov Id year, going through less play. And then playing on some teams that weren’t quite as strong, I think they could see that this could be a great season. And they wanted to capitalize. They were excellent leaders. They had some great leaders before them, and I think they learned from that.”

Though saint mary’s loses their senior core, looking ahead to next season the belles still return a number of key contributors.

Freshman Leah hosang was excellent in her first season of collegiate play. sophomore Alayna campbell earned a second-team all-conference nod, her second in as many collegiate seasons. saint mary’s also enjoyed strong

debut campaigns by freshmen evelyn demblans-dechans and emma Kealy. The seven-player contingent that represented the belles in their season-ending contest to hope included four underclassmen.

even though the belles’ 2023 season ended in the same place as 2022 — an mIAA Tournament semifinal loss to hope — the campaign was still a historic one for campbell’s squad. And with a solid group of returning talent coming back to south bend next year, there’s ample hope that there is more success on the horizon. year.”

Contact J.J. Post at

MARY VOTAVA | The Observer

Graduate student guard Dara Mabrey drives to the basket during Notre Dame’s 74-72 loss to Maryland at Purcell Pavilion on Dec. 1, 2022. The Irish won 15 of their other 16 home games en route to the Sweet 16.

sMC tennIs

belles have another strong regular season, come up just short of repeat m IAA titles

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

Another year, another winning season for c oach Amy Long and s aint m ary’s lacrosse. s ince taking over the program during its inception in 2014, Long’s teams have displayed constant improvement and a high regard for winning. After a few years of growing pains, the b elles have experienced much success, epitomized by the last seven seasons in which the b elles are a combined 73-41 (.640), never finishing below .500 and fresh off a 2022 m IAA title.

ND MBB

forward d om c ampbell also having transferred. That means n otre d ame will return none of its three-man freshmen class, and just four total players.

That might seem unnerving for Irish fans. h owever, that type of turnover has become par for the course in college basketball following a coaching change. s hrewsberry has full confidence in his staff’s ability to assemble a competitive team for next season and put n otre d ame back on track.

“ r ecruiting’s really important. It never stops, and it hasn’t since this change has happened,” s hrewsberry said. “ n o stone will be [left] unturned to find that person, find that fit.”

The coming months will be telling for next season’s outlook. The Irish figure to add upwards of 1 0 new players to their roster. n otre d ame may struggle next year, but several programs in recent history have successfully rebuilt on the fly and performed well shortly after a coaching change. In fact, s hrewsberry’s Penn s tate teams did just that.

The Irish did not deliver on their goals this season, but they don’t expect that to happen again any time soon.

“You can win the national championship here and that’s what we’re going to do,” s hrewsberry said. “That’s what we’re going to fight for every single day.”

When asked how her teams consistently step up to the challenges before them, c oach Long explained that a key is figuring out “what we want to be,” not just in terms of on the lacrosse pitch, but in going about the day-to-day.

“o ur team leadership has carried that [winning culture] out from year to year to year … As players come and go, the leaders have learned from past leaders,” Long said.

n owhere has this leadership been more evident than through graduate student defender Lindsey h erdsman and senior midfielders e rin d otson and m olly

ND WBB

guard c assandre Prosper slowly evolved from a highly raw player a month removed from high school games to a 20-minute-pergame option. r elying on a young core wasn’t difficult for Ivey to do, even though her hand was somewhat forced.

“I’m not afraid to play young players,” Ivey said.

“I play whoever’s ready. I play my best five. That number looks different every year, and I’m not afraid to give experience to our freshman.”

Ivey’s faith in her younger options netted a short, but admirable, nc AA tournament run. The Irish didn’t struggle much against 14th-seeded s outhern Utah, but the team faced a rock-fight

m ullett. The trio has been instrumental in the b elles’ success. d otson, a threetime All- m IAA selection, has remained an offensive weapon, leading the b elles with 60 goals. s imilarly, m ullett, named to this year’s First Team All-m IAA Team, has demonstrated her ability to score as well, tallying 56 goals and a teambest 69 points. m eanwhile, h erdsman has served as an anchor for the b elles’ defense. s he has steadied the b elles’ back line and keep opponents from scoring. h owever, their offfield presence has not gone unnoticed by Long.

against m ississippi s tate. n otre d ame’s young squad dug deep at Purcell and pulled out a gritty win to advance to the s weet s ixteen. e bo was the hero on the day for the Irish. e bo, the only player with senior eligibility or older status to play significant minutes against the b ulldogs, pulled in a game-high 18 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

Looking ahead to next fall, Ivey hopes further development from her returning players combined with new contributors should produce a squad with serious nc AA tournament ambitions. The Irish should return four of five opening-day starters. b ransford and Prosper improved by the game down the stretch and will have full off-seasons under

“They’ve just been great leaders … chasing our goals and being excited about our goals in January,” said Long.

=That leadership has been particularly important this season. The team endured a slow start to the season, including a 1-3 stretch to drop the b elles to 3-3. d espite the less-than-ideal beginning, Long remained optimistic. s ometimes, simply time can be the best medicine. That proved to be the case for the b elles. As the season went on, the b elles picked up steam.

“[We began] understanding what to expect from their teammates and. using that

their belts. A combination of graduate transfer Anna d eWolfe and incoming freshman e mma r isch should help solve the spacing and shooting issues that loom with m abrey’s graduation. b ecky o binma, another graduate transfer, should add depth to the front court. And while m iles’ injury timetable remains unclear, the nation’s top ranked true point guard in the class of 2023 (per es P n W) in h annah h idalgo should provide immediate cover.

In terms of specific goals? Ivey was noncommittal about what she wants to accomplish next season. Ivey has a broad array of things she wants to achieve as coach, some of which appear on the scoreboard and some of which do not.

information to set each other up for success,” Long said. Indeed, s aint m ary’s discovered plenty of lateseason promise, including a five-game win streak. That propelled the b elles to an overall record of 11-6 (5-2 in conference). That landed them the third seed at this year’s m IAA tournament. h owever, their repeat hopes fell just short. The b elles defeated Alma in the semifinal before falling 18-13 to h ope, just missing out on consecutive titles.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

“I always just want to grow,” Ivey said. “I want to get better. The main goal is always to win the national championship. That’s always the goal. b ut being undefeated at home is [also] a goal for me. An A cc championship, and winning the conference tournament is a goal for me … e very year I’m trying to check a goal off my list, a list we create for the team. b ut I think intangibly I love that every year my culture is there. Player development is important to me and I feel like my players are growing … I’m blessed to work with such a great group. I’m excited for working with them and checking more boxes off.”

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

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey discusses strategy with sophomore guard and All-ACC First Teamer Sonia Citron during Notre Dame’s 53-48 victory over Mississippi State in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Purcell Pavilion on March 19.

Irish hockey misses NCAA Tournament, turns focus toward 2023-24

RYAN MURPHY sports Writer

notre d ame hockey’s 20222023 season came to a crushing early end on m arch 5, when the team suffered a 4-2 loss to m ichigan s tate in the first round of the b ig Ten Tournament. The loss eliminated the Irish from the postseason and left them on the outside of the nc AA Tournament for only the third time in the last decade.

It was a frustrating and disappointing end to a season marred by inconsistency. Playing against the most difficult schedule of opponents in the nation, the Irish were never able to build momentum towards a playoff push. The Irish found themselves fighting to stay above the .500 mark for most of the season and were in a dire situation after getting swept by m ichigan s tate in e ast Lansing in early February.

notre d ame rebounded, improbably picking up at least two points in each of their last four games of the season against no. 7 o hio s tate and at no. 4 m ichigan. Playing at home against the s partans, notre d ame won game one of the best-of-three b ig Ten first round series but dropped the next two.

In both of their final two losses, the Irish scored the first goal early but were unable to find any more scoring until m ichigan s tate had built multi-goal leads. In the contest that ended their season, notre d ame did not score a goal at 5-on-5. The game was a microcosm of the scoring troubles that had pained the Irish all season. d espite a power-play that scored at a steady 20.3% clip, notre d ame averaged 2.3 goals per game, eighth-worst nationally.

“You know, we basically dropped a goal a game, average wise, from last year,” said head coach Jeff Jackson, who completed his 18th season behind the Irish bench and 28th in college hockey this year. “We have to find a way to generate more scoring. And it’s not just about scoring chances, it’s about generating more scoring. And I think it applies to a lot of different areas in our game, it isn’t just about, you know, offensive zone play or rush. I think it starts with our breakout and coming out of our zone, we have to generate more chances off transition. And we weren’t as good of a cycle team as we’ve been in past years.

s o there are some specific areas that we have to address from a tactical perspective.”

not all of the scoring issues are tactical, however. While the Irish have undeservedly been branded with the reputation for suffocating offense in favor of a defensive-minded style, notre d ame has also had to deal with personnel losses. In each of the last two seasons, the Irish have lost their leading goal scorer prior to graduation. Last year,

m ax e llis signed early with the Toronto m aple Leafs, and Alex s teeves did the same the year prior. next season, the Irish again face losing a key scorer early. Junior forward r yder r olston — who might have led the team in scoring had he not suffered a season ending upper body injury against Wisconsin in late January — will leave the team after three years, signing with the c hicago b lackhawks.

Leadership departs and returns

Joining r olston in departing is a long list of seniors and graduate students who have formed the ethos of the team’s culture the last two seasons. d efenseman b en b rinkman, forward Jackson Pierson and forward c hayse Primeau, who all spent one year with the Irish, will move on. As will two-year graduate transfers forward Jack Adams and defenseman c hase b lackmun.

Team captain and top defenseman n ick Leivermann departs after five seasons with the Irish, and hard-working forwards s olag b akich and Jesse Lansdell leave after a full four years. Lansdell is the only one of the nine departing players who will remain in college hockey next season, as he plays out his eligibility with the University of nebraska- o maha.

The Irish will return 19 skaters from this season’s roster, including two key figures in starting goaltender r yan b ischel and forward Trevor Janicke. b oth will play their fifth year of eligibility for notre d ame. b ischel was perhaps the brightest spot in notre d ame’s season this year, starting every game in goal while posting a 2.39 goals-against-average and a phenomenal .931 save percentage. h is 1,183 saves were the most of any goalie in the country.

“I think it’s huge,” Jackson said of b ischel returning.

“I mean, obviously, just based on what he did for us this past year, with his

on-ice performance, but he has grown as a young man too. he definitely has the potential to be a better leader for us. This year, I think it was really important for him to get his confidence to be that number one guy. b ut to be honest with you, I think he’s grown to where he’ll be a candidate to be a captain for next year as well.”

Janicke, meanwhile, helped to pace the team in scoring, tying for the team lead with eight goals and adding 14 assists. he is capable of scoring even more, having netted 15 goals the year prior.

“You know, he’s a good player for us: he plays in all situations, he was a captain this past year,” Jackson said.

“I think with him and r yan, some of the core guys that we have coming back — Landon s laggert is going to be a senior, Zach Plucinski hopefully can take another step with that junior class, Jake b oltmann on defense — you know, we need those guys to take another step as players. And in some ways, hopefully, we’ll get a little bit more production out of each and every one of them as well.”

Nine new skaters to join next season

The Irish will bring in a recruiting class of two defensemen and seven forwards next season. They also added two veteran players out of the transfer portal to supplement some of those key departures. In mid-April, notre d ame added forward Patrick moynihan,

a new Jersey d evils prospect, from Providence. Then in early m ay, defenseman r yan s iedem of h arvard announced that he would be joining the Irish. moynihan and s iedem both have one year of eligibility remaining. moynihan will bring some experience to a group of forwards that will be largely young next year, and he may be especially important in light of r olston’s departure. o ver his four seasons with the Friars, moynihan tallied 37 goals, including seven last season. s iedem, meanwhile, will provide a veteran presence that may help to fill the hole left behind by the graduation of Leivermann. s iedem played mainly on h arvard’s top pair last season, on the right side of s an Jose prospect henry Thrun.

b oth players are examples of an astute use of the transfer portal by a notre d ame coaching staff that does not want to rely upon the it, but still recognizes its importance.

“I think it’s good for emergency basis, when you lose a kid to pro hockey that you’re not expecting to lose, [because] you’re not going to replace that player with an incoming freshman that’s going to have any type of an impact, because they’re just not out there, and plus you got to get them through notre d ame admissions, so that’s another part of it,” Jackson said. “For us, it’s easier to bring in one or two kids maybe on

an emergency type basis. We’ve currently done that, you know, to replace r yder r olston. b ecause we’re not going to find a player of his caliber out there, that’s an incoming freshman.”

The incoming freshmen, though, will certainly be asked to provide some punch for the Irish. The seven members in the class of 2027 joining the squad form the largest freshman group the Irish have had since the 2019-20 season.

“This will be the first real solid freshman class we’ve had in a few years just because of the transfer portal and [we] tried to replace kids that we weren’t expecting to lose,” Jackson said. “A lot of things came into play there, but we have a freshman and sophomore class that are very small right now. We haven’t had a real solid, you know, recruiting class, and probably the last one would be probably our junior class.”

Four of the new notre d ame skaters come to s outh b end from the top flight of juniors, the United s tates hockey League (Ush L): forwards b rennan Ali, m addox Fleming, c ole Knuble and defenseman henry nelson. Ali is a 2022 seventh round draft choice of the d etroit r ed Wings.

The remaining three — forwards d anny nelson and c arter s laggert, and defenseman Paul Fischer — come from the national Team

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

Notre Dame graduate student defenseman Nick Leivermann and sophomore forward Justin Janicke try to find the back of the net in Notre Dame’s 4-2 defeat in Game 3 of the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

see hocKeY PAGe 33

Jackson, stevens shine amidst disappointing season

ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

Golf, by nature, is an individual sport. each golfer is in control of what they do, with none of their teammates there to help him (at least tangibly) and no opposition to stop him. That makes for an interesting dichotomy when looking back on the 2022-23 notre dame men’s golf season. If the goal was to have strong individual performances, it’s hard to argue with sending two golfers to ncAA regionals. That honor was bestowed upon both Irish senior Palmer Jackson and freshman nate stevens, who will represent the program in the michigan state regional from may 15-17.

“It just shows you that we have firepower,” head coach John handrigan said.

Jackson has displayed firepower throughout his outstanding collegiate career. he was named to the All-Acc team in 2022 and the 2021 Ping d1 All-region Team. Jackson was also nominated for the 2020 Phil mickelson Award, given to college golf’s top freshman of the year. he was consistently near the top of leaderboards again in 2022-23, including a top-20 finish at the Acc championships.

stevens also showed impressive promise in his first collegiate season. he paced Irish golfers with a top-25 finish at the Augusta haskins Award Invite and even shot a 64 in one round. however, handrigan’s next words after that quote were more

telling for how this season of Irish men’s golf will be remembered.

“We just weren’t as consistent as we need to be to be successful at the Acc level,” he said.

The individual accomplishments for both golfers are certainly worth celebrating, both on an individual and a team-wide level. The Irish also have some other great returning talent who had some great showings throughout the season, such as sophomore owen mullen and junior Angelo marcon. but as a team, the season that was for the Irish was not the one they were hoping for.

“definitely wasn’t our year,” handrigan said. “Golf is hard, life is hard sometimes and we learned a lot of lessons this year.”

Later, he called the 2022-23 season “probably the worst year of golf that we could have as a team.”

After a solid start to the season — a fourth-place finish at the Fighting Irish classic on their home course — the Irish failed to place higher in any of their 10 competitions the rest of the way. They only cracked the top five on two other occasions. In six events in 2023, the Irish never finished better than tied for sixth. despite the adversity, handrigan is proud with how the team dealt with it.

“I’m just proud of how the team handled difficult situations throughout the entire year. They represented notre dame the best way they could,” handrigan said.

“To be honest with you, with the guys that we have, we have

a great group of players, they’re very talented and unfortunately, golf is hard. sometimes we didn’t perform the way we wanted, but how they handled it was great.”

The Irish will look to improve next year, although they’ll be losing seniors Jackson and Patrick Kelly, as well as graduate student Andrew o’Leary. Losing them certainly won’t make bouncing back any easier for the Irish, who had made the ncAA regionals each of the prior two seasons.

“You never replace guys like that,” handrigan said. “These are just such high-character people, and I love them and for what they’ve done to the program.” despite that, handrigan remains optimistic for the team’s outlook going forward. If 2022-23 was the worst possible outcome for the team, that means better days are ahead. And they may not be too far away.

We’ve got a good group of guys coming in, a great group of freshmen that we’re really excited about,” handrigan said.

“And it’s going to be a different culture, and it’s one that we’re excited for as well because we’ve got some great guys coming in that are top-ranked players. I know they’re going to contribute to our team and get our program where it needs to be. This year it wasn’t there, but we got guys next year that are going to do that and the guys that are leaving, they’re great young men.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Belles show promise in spring

By LUCIA AGUZZI sports Writer

coming off an mIAA championship and nc AA dIII championship appearance a year ago, the belles golf team struggled to find their footing again in the fall of 2022. The team did make some progress and won first place twice in the spring. but head coach Jordan Koehler is not happy with the season’s outcome.

“This spring, our team average was the lowest it’s been in the last eight years,” Koehler said. “Just with consistency, we kind of saw more of that this spring compared to the fall.”

The spring showed improvement from the team as a whole in consistently low scores. but as Kohler said, “getting four scores better [than] 80 or below probably would be our biggest thing for next year.”

Koehler added, however, that she appreciated the closeness she’s felt with the players this year, her third coaching at smc

“Just with traveling you really get to know each other both on and off the course and it’s been fun kind of building those relationships off the course and being able to have conversations about anything really outside of golf too,” Koehler said.

As for which individuals stood out during a disappointing year for the team as a whole?

“erin bennett and Katelyn

Irish ‘getting after it together’

By ANNIKA HERKO sports Writer

n otre d ame women’s tennis found success throughout this season by sticking to their values. Irish head coach Alison s ilverio has been impressed by her team’s commitment to the program and the leadership that has developed over the past months.

“ o ur upperclassmen have been growing both physically and strategically on the court,” s ilverio said. “They’ve been doing a great job of stepping into leadership and holding themselves accountable to their actions, but then also holding their teammates accountable. Peer accountability, or that teammate-to-teammate [communication], saying, ‘ h ey, here’s areas where we can continue to improve or here’s what is going well and here’s

where we need to keep pushing,’ … has been a big piece of their development.”

This season, the Irish went 16-11 overall, and 6-7 in conference play. Their best performance of the year was a win against s outhern c alifornia that came early on in the season and gave the team confidence moving forward. U sc was ranked

n o. 13 in the country when the Irish came away with the 4-3 victory. n otre d ame earned four singles wins in the match, thanks to toptier play by senior Page Freeman, junior Yashna Yellayi and freshmen b ojana Pozder and Akari m atsuno.

U sc performed better in the doubles competition but was unable to emerge with the victory.

“ r ight off the bat, even though we do our best to not pay attention to the numbers, obviously that’s going to be there,” s ilverio

said about the U sc match. “We stayed focused on what we do well and what we can control. That was something that propelled us just coming out of the gates.”

o ther top wins this season came against n o. 29 c lemson (4-1) and n o. 25 Wake Forest (7-0). The Irish struggled occasionally while playing in a conference full of elite competitors. They lost to n o. 30 Georgia Tech, n o. 11 d uke, n o. 1 n orth c arolina, n o. 11 v irginia and n o. 8 nc s tate. All rankings are as they were at the time of the match.

d espite winning their final two matches of the regular season against conference rivals s yracuse and b oston c ollege, the Irish were eliminated in the first round of the A cc Tournament by ninth-seeded Wake Forest, who they had beaten earlier in the year. s ophomore n ibi Ghosh provided the only win in singles play.

Tokarz were two of our most consistent players the entire year, both fall and spring, they’re a big reason for our success,” Koehler said.

bennett, a senior and Tokraz, a sophomore, often found themselves around or under that 80-stroke threshold Koehler is aiming for. she also added that freshman Julia Lizak was a great addition to the team and a consistent player. she was in the top five of the team for almost all of fall and spring.

“They’re definitely motivated, they were a big part of our off-season training and making sure people were in the golf room and actually working nonstop over the winter, a big sort of accountability and they come in and push the older girls as well,” she said about the three freshmen on the team this year — Lizak, Amanda melling and breana harrington. Kohler hopes their development success stories will be the same for next year’s incoming recruits.

Waiting for the fall, Koehler hopes to find the consistency that kept the team from achieving their goals this season.

“Anyone can go and shoot a low score, but doing that consistently two or three days in a row is what we really need out of the younger girls,” Kohler said.

Contact Lucia Aguzzi at laguzzi@nd.edu

Junior Julia Andreach and sophomore c arrie b eckman won in doubles, as did freshman r ylie h anford and Yellayi.

As the team looked forward to the start of the nc AA Tournament in early m ay, keeping up the same discipline they had shown all season was their top priority. c onsistent hard work had helped the team often come out on top, and it put them in a position to succeed at the end of the season.

“We have certainly had successes as individuals, but every single day, every one of our players comes out and works extremely hard and works hard for one another,” s ilverio said. “The more that we can continue to be unified and lean into to one another — that’s going to continue our success.”

The Irish qualified for the nc AA Tournament and were placed in the

Ann Arbor region. They advanced through the first round with a dominant 4-0 win over b all s tate before falling in the regional final against n o. 5 m ichigan.

Pozder and Freeman led the team in overall singles record, finishing the year 15-6 and 13-9, respectively. Andreach was also a consistent performer at 11-10. In doubles, Andreach and b eckman went 16-5 while h anford and Yellayi were 15-6. These stats only tell part of the story, though, for an Irish team that has been able to come together in a special way, s ilverio said.

“I just love how they’re being a team,” s ilverio said. “ h ow they are embracing one another and supporting one another and getting after it together.”

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

WoMen’s tennIs

saints win first cc Ac title, qualify for national tournament

RYAN MURPHY sports Writer

spring 2023 has been the best season to date for holy c ross men’s tennis, a relatively young program. This season, the team won its firstever c hicagoland c ollegiate Athletic c onference ( cc Ac ) tournament title. In doing so, they also earned their first bid to the national Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ( nAIA) tournament.

The saints finished regular season and conference tournament play with a 12-3 overall record. After breaking into the national Top 25 for the first time last season, the team appeared in the rankings every week of this season. For head coach e ric mahone, this season has been about the changing expectations that come with continued success.

“The takeaway from this season is learning to play with that target on our backs, which has been a whole new thing for our program,” mahone said before cc Ac tournament play. “The pressure is different, the expectations are different, so this year has been the year to learn how to deal with that.”

For perhaps the only time during the team’s season, the

nD woMen’s soCCeR

saints were the hunters rather than the hunted entering the cc Ac tournament. holy c ross entered the tournament as the no. 2 overall seed, and dispatched no. 3 olivet nazarene in the semifinals on April 27 by a 4-0 score. That set up a date with no. 1 seeded cardinal stritch for the championship on April 29.

cardinal stritch had already defeated the saints 4-0 just one week prior. In the rematch, holy c ross did not pick up a doubles victory, but they won four singles matches to take home their first conference title. Junior Will Page, freshman Polis Koursaros, and sophomores c iaran mc carthy and Perry Gregg all won their singles matches in the overall victory.

“You can actually go from number one to number twelve on our team and every one of those guys has been a starter at some point in their career,” said mahone. “The young guys bring a lot of energy, a lot of raw talent, to our team, no doubt. I mean, they’re more talented every year, every year we get more talented players, and this year’s group of freshmen is no exception.”

In addition to winning the league title, freshman Luca mcmanus earned

all-conference honors in singles after finishing the season with a 5-1 record in no. 2 singles matches. Junior Laurenz Flender was named all-conference in doubles for the second consecutive season.

Gregg was named cc Ac men’s Tennis Player of the Year and all-conference for the second year straight. he went 12-0 this season, and finished no. 1 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association nAIA e ast rankings. he ranked fourth nationally.

“There isn’t a team in any division that wouldn’t want Perry, that he wouldn’t start for,” said mahone. “having him, it’s pretty exceptional, to have a player like that who’s only lost one time in his career, in two years. he may have some wins over guys that are ranked in the top 20 in division one, now. he’s pretty phenomenal to have.”

Gregg will lead the saints down to mobile, Alabama, for the nAIA national tournament, which starts on may 16. As the no. 19 overall seed, the saints will take on no. 14 college of coastal Georgia in the first round of the 24-team tournament.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu

saints face change, stay resiliant

NICOLAS MORLES sports Writer

Facing unexpected personnel changes halfway through the season, the holy cross women’s golf team were able to show their resilience through a difficult season.

Last september, early into his tenth year of coaching for the saints, head coach T.J. mannen parted ways with holy cross. however, with the promotion of assistant coach Aaron martinez to interim head coach, the program was able to keep the season headed in the right direction.

“Any time a head coach leaves an organization, that is definitely hard on all of the players because every player on our roster was recruited by T.J.” said martinez.

martinez worked with assistant coach brian matthews and each golfer to move forward from this difficult change. captains junior Annika Johnson and sophomore sierra benge led the team this season. Feshmen Kianna sharp and summer bonnar joined them.

martinez had nothing but praise for his two captains, labeling them “ultra-reliable” and “model student-athletes.”

In the final tournament of the season, the ccAc conference championship, the team finished in sixth place. benge and Johnson finished sixth and eighth overall, respectively.

The stability Johnson and benge provide to the program is important. however, holy cross athletic director Tom robbins outlined the need for improvement for next year’s roster earlier this season.

“We only have four [female] golfers currently. Four golfers. We need to get eight golfers next year, and I talked about how I will be helping interim coach martinez and assistant coach brian matthews with anything they need to help do that,” robbins said.

In addition to the support provided from the athletic department, martinez recognizes that there is lots of room for improvement. consistency throughout the team is something martinez specifically hopes to cultivate.

“I think too often we see low eighty [stroke totals] to low nineties, then low eighties to low nineties again. We need to find a score that we can consistently rely on as a measure against our competition.”

martinez is expected to continue with the program next season. The same goes for the four golfers currently on the roster. despite a tumultuous season, the golfers showed their competitiveness throughout the year, establishing a strong foundation at the program which will be vital going forward.

Contact Nicolas Morles at nmorles@nd.edu

Irish take another step forward, just miss college cup

J.J. POST

Associate sports editor

notre dame women’s soccer continued their steady ascent under head coach nate norman last season, reaching the quarterfinals of the ncAA tournament for the first time since 2012.

A hot start to the season got the Irish off on the right foot. notre dame won their first seven games, including a road victory over a highly touted st. Louis side and dominant displays against big Ten foes Illinois, Wisconsin and Purdue.

over the back half of september, the Irish hit a snag. Inconsistency plagued the team’s start to Acc play. In the span of just a week and a half, norman’s side fell to clemson on the road, notched a massive win over then-no. 2 virginia and lost to Pitt at home.

eventually, though, notre dame found their stride. Following the Pitt defeat, the Irish went six games without conceding a goal. That stretch included a near-surreal 4-0 thrashing of Florida state, who would go on to win the Acc tournament and compete in the college cup.

Following a brief foray in the

Acc tournament, notre dame entered the ncAA tournament as one of four one-seeds. And for the first three games, the Irish looked the part of a national title contender. They breezed by omaha before dominating santa clara in bonechilling weather.

Another frigid win over TcU, however, would set up a date with north carolina in the quarterfinals. And that date would prove to be notre dame’s final of the season. The eventual national finalist Tar heels proved to be too stocked with firepower and left Alumni stadium 2-0 winners.

Looking ahead to next year, norman has several difficult questions to answer if he wants to continue his team’s upward trajectory. sophomore midfielder sensation Korbin Albert emerged as arguably the best player in all of college soccer. she made the difference in countless games, most notably of the Acc tournament semifinal matchup with Florida state. Albert’s hat trick accounted for all three notre dame goals in an eventual penalty shootout loss.

Albert, unfortunately, was a little better than norman would have perhaps wished. her eye-catching season turned the heads of

professional clubs, and Albert opted to forgo her remaining eligibility to sign with PsG in France. And while Albert’s signing marks history for the program, it also leaves norman with a hole that’s quite difficult to fill.

The Irish also lose a pair of departing graduate students who played significant yet vastly different roles. Graduate student goalkeeper mackenzie Wood became a reliable anchor in net after winning the starting goalkeeping job early in the season. Wood became a commanding leader among one of the nation’s best defenses. senior forward olivia Wingate tied for notre dame’s team lead in assists and finished second in points, providing a dynamic option in attack.

While norman’s departing senior class played a vital role in the team’s success this season, he stressed the importance of the collective in his team’s outlook as they reload.

“I think when you have a really good program you become a system,” norman said. “It’s more about having a culture and a system where you can plug different types of people in. We have really good players in our system, and really good players coming in.”

With a professional caliber goalkeeper, all-American midfielder and prolific forward all leaving, continuity in defense will be a point of emphasis for notre dame next season. The Irish return three starters along the backline. senior defender Waniya hudson and junior midfielder eva Gaetino both are key parts of notre dame’s success. Freshmen defender Leah Klenke was a breakout star for notre dame in norman’s threeback system. That trio should provide a solid foundation for success in 2023.

The potential X-factor for notre dame’s starting lineup in the fall is forward/midfielder Kristina Lynch. Lynch, a Granger native, transferred to south bend last offseason from Florida state for a graduate year. but a preseason injury kept Lynch out for the season and allowed her to come back for a sixth year in 2023. A versatile player with a wealth of experience, norman highlighted that Lynch’s role as a leader might be just as important as her role as a player.

“What’s really great about Kristina is she’s a talented player, but she’s [also] an older player who’s seen a lot,” norman said. “even last year when we went to

the tournament as coaches we leaned on her. We went to her and asked her things about her experiences. she’s been on a team that’s lost in the final, and she’s been on a team that’s won the title. so she’s seen both sides of it. having that knowledge and experience is really important.”

Looking ahead to next season, norman has goals both big and small for his squad and their continued ascension. notre dame is tied for the second most national titles of any team in their sport. but the team’s greatest successes are all a decade (or more) in the past. norman has the Irish back on track to be among the nation’s elite. but to once again reach the pinnacle, he stresses, his squad will need to do the little things right.

“We want to win a national championship and that will continue to be our goal … but we also want to control the controllable. can we come out and work hard every day, can we continue to grow and develop players … If we continue to take care of that, everything else will take care of itself,” norman said.

Back-to-back-to-back: Irish reign again, claim 13th national title

By LUCIA AGUZZI Sports Writer

Thanks to the 20222023 Notre Dame Fencing program, the green No. 1 above Grace Hall remains alive, well and most importantly, lit up. The team won their third consecutive NCAA Championship in March, their 13th overall. The Irish have won five of the last six championships, dating back to 2017. With two individual champions in both the men’s and women’s divisions, the team returned from Durham with a strong sense of unity and hard at work to make the feat a four-for-four next year.

The community of teammates and support from the coaches seems to be the driving force for individual players on the team. Freshman epee fencer and individual NCAA champion Eszter Muhari felt that way all season. Being on the strip when the Irish won the championship made her feel like a real part of the team.

The Hungary native said that this was something she had not experienced in her 12 years of fencing in Europe individually, and it made her personal victory that much more rewarding.

Seeing the excitement from her team on the sidelines “made me feel so relaxed and so hyped that it made me feel like there was nothing to worry about,” Muhari said.

Back in high school when she was looking for programs to fence at the collegiate level for the next four years of her life, she said that she wanted that unity. “I wanted to be part of a team and I think that the most perfect thing that I found here is a team … actually being part of one and being an active part of one,” Muhari said.

That merge of rigorous training and fun community was what brought Muhari and her talents to Notre Dame and she has never had a doubt about where she needed to be.

“This is the best fencing program in the country, so there was no other choice for me,” Muhari said.

For junior Luke Linder, NCAA individual men’s sabre champion, this year’s individual win means even

more than his win as a freshman.

“My freshman year, we didn’t have the [Ivy League schools]. [They] decided not to compete due to COVID … so it didn’t feel like a whole tournament,” Linder said. ”But to be back this year, fully healthy, the entire season length and to win it again when everybody is there … it means a lot more, especially through a tougher field of opponents, and it just proves I’m still one of the best.”

Linder shared Muhari’s sentiment regarding the program’s history and national recognition. That was why he decided to fence at Notre Dame. His first three years at Notre Dame, all ending team victories, have proven that it was the right choice.

“The program as a whole, it just defined success and that was really attractive and as it’s lived up so far. I mean, you can tell from the three national championships in a row, it’s been nothing shy of that,” Linder said.

The two individual wins this year prove the Irish fencing program’s strength in maintaining and nurturing the talent of its individual members is as strong as ever. With a wlarge chunk of that talent set to return, that does not figure to change any time soon.

Linder is looking forward to next year’s season. The main goal, of course, is continuing the winning streak. He also hopes to continue that same legacy that drew him to Notre Dame for coming generations of fencers.

“Setting it up for the people who come after when I’m gone, and just giving them the opportunity to continue on this and build on the success we’ve written is an honor and it’s definitely something that I’m looking forward to next year competing with and having, the reward of facing the pressure to do,” Linder said.

Under head coach Guiorgie “Gia” Kvaratskhelia, Notre Dame fencing continues to live up to and improve its elite reputation. Its success is one that the Notre Dame community as a whole hopes to continue to witness.

Contact Lucia Aguzzi at laguzzi@nd.edu

Swim

CONTINUED FrOM pAGE 45

her well as an incoming junior.

“Calie was spot on in five of six dives on threemeter,” Bradshaw said. “She was scraping to get into the top 16, but it was a huge improvement from freshman to sophomore year for her. I think that

bodes well for her moving into her junior year.”

A successful season places the Irish in a prime spot for improvement next year. With a strong incoming freshman class and impact transfers such as graduate student transfer and ACC Champion Abdelrahman Elaraby, the Irish have the capability to move up in the ranks.

“ p otentially in the future we could be a top 10 school,” Janton said. “We’ve never really been a swim school before, and it could be something now where the light clicks and we are. It could be really exciting for us and bring more attention to us, too.”

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Freshman Spencer Vermuele looks to counter an attack of a fellow member of the Irish fencing team during the Deicco Duals in Notre Dame, Indiana, on Jan. 28. The Irish went undefeated during the event.

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Senior foilist Paige Luong competes at the Deicco Duals in Notre Dame, Indiana, on Jan. 28. Luong, originally from Millbrae, California, finished the year with a 27-10 mark. She has a career record of 84-48.

Irish place fourth at ACC Championship

By PETER BREEN Associate News Editor

Notre Dame rowing’s busy spring regatta schedule included trips to Tennessee, San Diego, Boston, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Bloomington, Indiana. This culminated in the ACC Rowing Championship on Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, North Carolina May 12 and 13.

“[The ACC championship] is what we shoot for at the end of the season. A high performance there gets you a NCAA bid so I think about that part, we’re excited,” head coach Martin Stone said. “I think overall the season has been pretty positive.”

After qualifying boats for all five grand finals, the rowing team finished fourth in Raleigh. Virginia took home first place, with Syracuse and Duke also finishing on the podium. Notre Dame scored 62 points, 11 clear

nd swimming and diving

of fifth-place Miami.

Also on May 13, the ACC named sophomores Natalie Hoefer and Maggie Newell to the conference’s first and second teams, respectively. Both were integral in the success the Irish achieved on the water this season.

Considering that memories of the pandemic still remain fresh, Stone said he was happy that seniors got to have an ordinary season this spring.

“I was reflecting that our seniors, they had a normal fall of 2019 and now they’re finally having a normal spring as they wrap up their season here in ’23,” Stone said. “Those semesters in between were disrupted.”

Stone said he admired the team’s tenacity and willingness to stick with their process and bring great effort every day.

“I’m happy for the seniors. At least they’re getting what would be like a normal rowing

experience where we traveled, where we raced and all that which went along with it,” Stone said. “[I have] a sense of relief that they had that chance to experience it. They’ve weathered a lot while they’ve been here.”

With the ACC championship coming at the heels of final exams, Stone said he cut down the team’s practice load by about 70 percent.

“What you do in rowing to help perform well at a high level is the same thing that will help you perform well on your exams,” Stone said. “You get plenty of sleep, you’re eating well [and] you’re hydrating well. You’re just focusing on the process and moving through it.”

While competing at any regatta, Stone said there’s nothing really to do about the speed of other universities.

“It’s about focusing on ourselves and know[ing] that

if we race really well, then we’re going to have a great performance,” Stone said. “We’re not playing defense against any … of those schools or offence to disrupt what they’re doing. We can only make our boats go as fast as we possibly can.”

Stone said the beauty of the Notre Dame rowing team is that it gathers student-athletes of various backgrounds. People who may have never crossed paths four years ago are now lifelong friends.

“[Your friends] randomly from different routes came to the University and came onto your sports team, and now, you would have never guessed, your great friends,” Stone said. “You may have been great rivals in high school, and now you’re here, and you’re tremendous friends, and they are going to be people that you’ll remember for the rest of your lives.”

The direction of the senior class after graduation is divergent, Stone said. Some seniors are taking a fifth year of COVID-19 eligibility to row at Notre Dame or at other universities. Meanwhile, others will go on to graduate school or out into the professional world. The Irish have 21 seniors and a graduate student on their roster.

“We have a pretty smart group,” Stone said.

Participation in the sport after college also varies. Two Notre Dame graduates are now USRowing officials, Stone added.

“There’s ways to get … people … back into it,” Stone said. “Maybe right out of school, you’re not really interested, but then down the road, you kind of get that bug again, find a local club and row.” postseason play.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

Irish boast best season in program history in first year of new coching staff’s tenure

By MADELINE LADD

Associate Sports Editor

The Notre Dame swimming and diving programs were ushered into a new era with the debut season of head coach Chris Lindauer backed by second-year head diving coach Mark Bradshaw. The team saw great success throughout the season by shattering multiple school records and finishing at the top at elite meets. The Irish culminated their season sending two women, seven men and three divers to NCAAs, where they posted their best finish in program history. The Irish also had 32 members make the ACC All-Academic Team, showing their prowess in the classroom. The high morale among the team helped contribute to the great success. And according to ACC Freshman of the Year Tommy Janton, momentum is only continuing to build.

“With the movement and the fire that the coaching staff has provided, the men’s and women’s teams are excited to be better and want to win,” Janton said.

i rish men: s enior Jack Hoagland, sophomore Chris g uiliano and freshman Tommy Janton shine in the lane

Throughout his final

season, Hoagland consistently posted top finishes at meets ranging from a dual to the season championships. At ACCs, Hoagland took gold in the 400 IM in a 3:41.15, an event for which he holds the school record at 3:40.73. Hoagland posted the highest Irish finish at NCAAs, earning fifth in the 1650 freestyle (14:38.64).

In addition to the 1650, Hoagland also achieved AllAmerican status in the 500 freestyle, 800 freestyle and 400 IM.

Guiliano saw dramatic improvement from this year to last. The Douglasville, Pennsylvania, native had a stunning performance at the 2022 Toyota U.S. Open, breaking the previous 50 freestyle school record with a time of 22.46. This also qualified Guiliano for the 2024 Olympic Trials, making him the first male Notre Dame swimmer in program history to do so.

The next day, Guiliano went on to break another school record in the 100 freestyle. His time of 49.17 punched him yet another ticket to Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2024 Trials.

“The best part of Chris is his desire and hunger to pursue excellence at the highest level of swimming,” Lindauer said. “He gets the big picture and is willing

to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals.”

At ACCs, Guiliano’s 200 1:32.43 200 freestyle earned him another school record and his first conference title. This achievement also made Giuliano the holder of the fastest times in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle at Notre Dame. Winding out the year at NCAAs, Guiliano contributed to the recordbreaking 200 medley (Janton, junior Sean Faikish, senior Cason Wilburn, Guiliano) and 800 freestyle (Guiliano, Hoagland, Wilburn and senior Alec DeLong) relays. Guiliano also earned AllAmerican status in the 100 and 200 freestyle.

Janton had a standout debut season, making a seamless transition into collegiate swimming that would name him ACC Freshman of the Year. Despite apprehensions with this switch, Janton was willing to try anything.

“I was open to new experiences, but was very nervous about starting weights due to the transition that that and very hard yardage would take on my body,” Janton said. “My goal was to keep an open mind about that and I did, and obviously worked out for the better.”

Janton’s performance in the 2022 U.S. Open qualified him for the Olympic Trials in both the 100 and 200

backstroke. His time of 54.96 in the 100 meter backstroke also shattered the previous school record of 56.87. Though a disappointing ACC performance plagued Janton, he was able to end the season with a satisfying NCAA performance.

“I had a bit of a downfall at ACCs,” Janton said. “The nerves got to me at finals ,and I really had to change that, and that’s what I tried to do for NCAAs. Going into NCAAs, I was not projected to final in either of the events, and I got [14th and 10th] in the 100 yard (45.43) and 200 yard backstroke and that was really exciting. I was just embracing the experience of being at that meet, arguably the fastest short course meet in the world.”

Janton has positive feelings on the coaching staff and the direction in which they’ve taken the team. He cited that the camaraderie between the men’s and women’s teams is at an all-time high. The inclusion from both sides was something Lindauer and his staff emphasized from day one.

“The staff has been here for one year, and we’ve already done the best we’ve ever done in program history,” Janton said. “It’s exciting to see the potential we have, and how exciting it is to be a part of this underdog team that, in

the next couple years, can be in the top list. I’m at the edge of my seat ready to go, ready to attack whatever Coach Chris’ lead is.”

As for the male divers, freshman Daniel Knapp was the sole diving representative at the NCAA championships. Knapp finished 23rd overall for the third-highest finish for a freshman at the meet.

i rish women: s eniors

Coleen g illilan and Ellie Jew inspire underclassmen

Gillilan and Jew led the way for the Irish women, both qualifying for NCAAs in their final season. The two women have boasted top-ten times in program history. And their presence at these elite meets helped inspire female underclassmen.

“They are able to take some positive experiences from the meet, and in store, share that with our team to help shift and grow into the team that we are working toward every single day,” Lindauer said.

In terms of divers, sophomore Calie Brady and graduate student Allie Klein showed consistency throughout the season. The two women tied in the 1-meter at NCAAs with a total score of 243.45. Though Klein will be graduating, Brady’s performance will serve

part in notre dame’s great goaltending tradition. bischel doubled his career games played total, appearing in 16 games last season. And bischel impressed when Jackson called his number. bischel finished the year with a sparkling .924 save percentage, making 35 or more saves on three separate occasions. but bischel wasn’t satisfied. The Irish bringing in Galajda naturally meant he was not going to play as much as he would have otherwise. but with Galajda’s collegiate career ending, bischel’s time as notre dame’s no. 1 in net began. That meant a new level of responsibility for the 23-year-old.

“coach Jackson kind of just told me going into the year that the net was mine, and it’s kind of up to me as far as like how I wanted to prepare for the season,” bischel said. “And I think I did a good job with my work in the weight room and kind of just like taking a step mentally was a big thing for me.”

In recent years, the Irish have usually relied on two goaltenders to get through their season. but with Galajda leaving and none of notre dame’s other goaltenders having so much as a game for the Irish, Jackson rode his new starter hard. bischel started all 37 of notre dame’s games this season, with freshman Josh Williams making a mere two relief

Wingate

con TI n U ed From PAGe 48

final season and what the team will continue to do in the future.

“This past season was just the cherry on top of my career at notre dame. It all came together for us and we had such great team culture, great team chemistry. Whereas last year we were on the up and up and years prior we were struggling here and there, I think that last year it really came together and we were able to just play as one and get great wins. [In the elite eight], we put up a great game. It is definitely heartbreaking even to think about it now, but I honestly think if we would have won that game we could have gone for the national championship. I’m just very grateful to have had that experience and hopefully that that year is going to help grow the program and continue to push it forward. That’s all we can ask for is to make the program better,” she said.

being drafted by the north carolina courage was a nervewracking experience for Wingate. not knowing what was going to happen and whether a team would contact her was stressful. but having her family, teammates and coaches there with her made it easier, she said.

she scored her first professional goal in mexico on the team’s preseason trip. since beginning her professional career, she’s focused on taking everything one day at a time.

“You can’t get too high and you

appearances. The last time an Irish netminder shouldered such a lion’s share of the workload was 2016-17, when cal Petersen made 40 appearances to morris’ one.

All Petersen has done since leaving notre dame is play in 101 nhL games for the Los Angeles Kings.

In that one-man netminding show, Petersen posted a .926 save percentage in a season strong enough to make him a hockey east First Team All-star. Petersen already had two years of starting experienceunderhisbeltbeforethat season. bischel did not — and yet he posted an even better .933 mark.

A season to remember

bischel’s tenure as notre dame’s starter didn’t get off to a sparkling start, however. bischel gave up four goals on 22 shots in his first game against Air Force — a less than spectacular .846 sv%. In his second game, bischel allowed three goals on 13 shots, prompting Jackson to pull him.

It was the only time all regular season bischel would have consecutive games with a save percentage below .900.

The Irish needed every last save bischel could offer them. After scoring 3.2 goals per game a season ago, the Irish averaged just 2.3 per contest in 2022-23. notre dame was fifth out of seven b1G teams on the power play and last on the penalty kill. The Irish collected just

can’t get too low,” Wingate said. “It’s going to be a roller coaster. You’re going to struggle and I’ve definitely had my fair share of struggles, but I’ve had some great moments here as well and it’s just being able to be as consistent as you can be and that requires a lot of mental toughness, being able to move on to the next play, move on to the next touch, move on to the next game.”important things.”

Fighting through a tough senior season

Fisher said the onset of covId was one of those difficult moments.

“We were making really big strides as a team. We had one spring game that we won by a couple of goals and we felt really good about that,” Fisher said. “The next week, we found out that school was not coming back. so that was really tough to know that the progress we had made during that time was just coming to a halt.”

she said that when the team could play in the fall of 2020, no one took it for granted, and they played every game like it was their last.

“being one of the only conferences to come back and play during the fall meant everything,” Fisher said.

“It had been so much longer since the team had been together. There was a little bit of uncertainty about where it would be at. but looking back, I mean, we took it all and did the best that we could.”

In notre dame’s 11 conferenceonly games that season, Fisher matched her freshman season stats with three goals and one assist, again proving her ability despite the interrupted and limited play.

45.4% of the shot attempts in their games. In other words, for every four shots the Irish took, their opponent fired five. That may not sound like a huge disparity, but it adds up over the course of 37 games.

Also adding up over the course of 37 games was bischel’s amount of spectacular performances. While consistency was a huge part of bischel’s success, there were a few moments that stick out more than others. You aren’t big Ten star of the Week three times, included on the mike richter Award Watch List, nominated for the sport’s most prestigious award in the hobey baker and named an All-American without a few standout showings. Although, a bit ironically, bischel credits a lot of his success to blocking out all of these accolades.

“For the first time in my, my hockey career, I really didn’t pay attention to any of that stuff at all,” bischel said. “I think a big thing for me this year was not comparing myself to, to one of the other guys were doing in the country. It was just like, I’m focused on what I can control every day and doing my own thing. And I think that kind of gave me the best chance I have success this year personally.”

That success came in many different forms. The accolades were one of them. so was bischel’s first shutout of the year, a 30-save performance on oct. 21 against Western michigan — a game that

but the tone changed when Fisher found out she had the extra year of eligibility.

“I didn’t know I was going to be having a fifth-year obviously [so] I just really wanted to make the most of it in any way I could,” Fisher said. “And then personally, I knew this was… my last season and I wanted to play professionally so I knew I had to have a good season. so I put in as much work as I could to do that.”

With a slew of freshmen coming in, the Irish were excited to have a somewhat normal year. but so many new players coming in had an unexpected effect on Fisher’s field presence.

Switching it up

Through her four undergraduate years, Fisher took the field as a midfielder. however, the makeup of the team in her fifth year took the Irish out of their 4-3-3 system and into a 3-5-2. This left Fisher at center forward.

“That was a big change,” Fisher said. “I hadn’t played forward in a really long time. And I went into this season and coach… thought I’d be really good in front of goal and I hadn’t been in front of goal as much coming from a midfielder position. so it was fun to be able to be in those spots. my teammates took care of the rest and gave me the ball but it was really cool to be able to play a new position in my last year and have fun with it.”

norman trusted the shift because of how long he had seen her play. he said Fisher has a natural awareness for the best play. she

had extra meaning to bischel.

“my parents were here in town,” bischel said. “It was awesome.”

so was the conclusion to notre dame’s regular season. over notre dame’s final four games, bischel etched an absurd .955 over those final four games. That included an improbable victory over michigan on the season’s final day to clinch home-ice in the first round of the big Ten Tournament. It was improbable not just because the Wolverines had a much higher ranking than the Irish. but also because michigan outshot notre dame by an almost comical 49-22 margin, including a 27-6 edge in the third period alone. Yet there was bischel, time and time again, stopping just about every type of shot the Wolvernies could throw at him.

It would have been surprising if bischel hadn’t done similar things before. exactly a week before, bischel stopped 50 of 52 across regulation and 3-on-3 overtime. he then outlasted the buckeyes and their outstanding netminder Jakub dobes in a nine-round shootout to finish the job.

“As a team, we faced a lot of adversity, kind of ups and downs throughout the year. but I think I was, I was really happy with the effort that the guys put together at the end of the year. We had (that) big win against ohio state on senior night and then went into michigan and did a really good job. I had a good weekend there on the

knows where her teammates are, what her angle looks like and who has a better one.

“It was a position where her best attributes could really come out and she could really flourish,” norman said.

‘Thankfully, it paid off’

At center forward, Fisher smashed her previous-season successes. In 1,424 minutes, she had 24 shots on goal, earning 32 points with six assists. she also took on a leadership role after two years of captainship despite the Irish not naming captains this year. her 13 goals ranked 18th nationally while her 32 points ranked second in the Acc and 25th nationally. norman cited one moment where the Irish needed a win against brown that embodied Fisher’s field awareness.

“We were actually down 1-0 in the second half. A cross came in and she got to the near post. A lot of people would’ve just tried to finish it. It was a tough angle for her but she knew there was a teammate coming in behind her. she just kind of let it run through her legs and created a much better chance for a teammate who was able to finish it,” norman said.

she went 3 for 4 on penalty kick attempts on the season. Leading the Irish in those close wins was always sweeter Fisher said. she cited their regular-season overtime defeat of clemson and their 4-3 shootout win over Purdue which sent the Irish to the

road, which is a tough building to play in. so I think we showed a lot of growth as a team and it has me excited for next year’s group.”

Back for more

next year’s group will indeed include bischel. Unlike most of the rest of notre dame’s upper classmen, bischel did not have much of a role in last year’s ncAA Tournament run. he watched from the bench as the Irish suffered a painstaking 1-0 loss against minnesota state in a game that would have sent them to the Frozen Four. There’s still unfinished business for the Irish and Jackson, who is still looking for his first national championship. And that means there’s unfinished business for bischel, too.

“For me coming in, like, my thing of coming to notre dame was I wanted to win a national championship or at least compete for one,” bischel said. “And I haven’t really done that. I haven’t been in the net playoffs in a regional yet.”

he continued, “… I want to get this team to the national tournament and kind of give coach Jackson a chance to have another kick if can as far as winning a national championship. And I just feel like I, I hadn’t accomplished everything I wanted to do here at notre dame and I have more of a mark to leave on this place, for sure.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

sweet 16 this year. making it that far in her last year made all the work worth it, Fisher added.

‘A surreal feeling’

Fisher saw her collegiate career culminate in another goal. on dec. 18, 2021, the chicago redstars drafted Fisher 19th overall.

“It was such a surreal feeling. I remember just sitting on the couch with my family. I didn’t really know where I was gonna end up or when I would get drafted,” Fisher said. “but once I [did], it was such a sigh of relief almost. For all of the work throughout not just college, but looking back on my whole youth career. It was like everything had come together in that moment.” back at midfield for the redstars, Fisher said she’s excited to be representing chicago. she’ll translate her final season and all it did for her experience and skill to the professional level.

“Whether [I’m] by myself or setting up teammates… it comes in handy when you’re comfortable around goal so I’m trying to mimic that as much as possible,” Fisher said.

Although Fisher is leaving the Irish, she leaves her own legacy.

“Watching her really grow into a strong woman and hearing what she has to say, hearing her opinions and learning from her and her inner wisdom, it was really helpful for our program and [for] me as a coach,” norman said. “[We’re] certainly much stronger than when she first came in.”

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

Irish ride rollercoaster in Freeman’s first year

By MADELINE LADD Associate sports editor

The 2022-2023 n otre

d ame football season began with a mixture of excited expectations tempered with quiet concern. m any questions swirled as m arcus Freeman began his debut season as the 30th head coach in n otre d ame history, taking over after the shocking exit of b rian Kelly to L s U. Freeman had previously served as one of the country’s top defensive coordinators and recruiters.

Ultimately, the season would turn out to be a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. The Irish were thrown right into the fire with an opening showdown on the road against n ational

c hampionship contender n o. 2 o hio s tate. The

b uckeyes owned a highpowered offense featuring h eisman candidate quarterback c J s troud.

d efensive coordinator Al Golden’s strategy held the explosive b uckeyes in check for nearly three quarters until a mistimed safety blitz opened the floodgates. The o hio s tate defense tightened and shut down sophomore quarterback Tyler b uchner and the n otre d ame offense in the fourth to give the home team a 21-10 win. The game was a learning experience for the Irish.

“I think we learned that we

have a good football team, but we have to learn how to finish,” Freeman said.

Things took a turn for the worse the next week as s un b elt conference member m arshall came to s outh b end and broke n otre d ame’s streak of 42 straight wins against unranked opponents. Late in the game, quarterback b uchner suffered a shoulder injury that put him out for the season, making the situation even worse.

“You really can’t just sulk in these losses,” junior tight end m ichael m ayer said after the m arshall game. “I mean, we’re 0-2, yes, and it’s horrible, but we’re just going to prepare for the next team.”

That next team would be c al as junior quarterback d rew Pyne took over the reins of the offense. After a sluggish first half which included some vulgar, nationally televised, encouragement by offensive coordinator Tommy r ees to remind Pyne to do his job, the Irish held on for a 24-17 win, giving Freeman his first victory as n otre d ame head coach. Though the game still had Freeman on the edge of his seat.

“There was a conversation between me and God,” Freeman said. “There was some, ‘Lord, what is going on?’”

The Irish then seemed to get back on track easily defeating U nc on the road

and b YU in Las vegas in the annual s hamrock s eries game. Things fell back to e arth, however, the next week as the Irish suffered an embarrassing primetime loss to lowly s tanford 16-14. Things were certainly anything but all sunshine and rainbows in s outh b end.

“We know it was a tough week for all of us,” Freeman said. “Anybody that’s a part of this n otre d ame family or n otre d ame nation and this football team, it was a tough week.”

d espite the loss, the roller coaster surged upwards as the Irish reeled off five straight, including a win on the road against ranked s yracuse. The Irish’s highwater mark of the season was their dismantling of n o. 4 c lemson, which resulted in a field-rushing at the game’s end by the n otre d ame student body. With this win, the Irish snapped c lemson’s 14-game winning streak – which at that point was the longest in the nation.

This was a complete team win as the Irish scored on offense, defense and special teams. Aggressively running the ball was the game plan, which the Irish executed seamlessly. r unning backs junior Logan d iggs and sophomore Audric e stime each rushed for over 100 yards. Freshman cornerback b en m orrison returned an interception for a touchdown.

s ophomore linebacker Prince Kollie scored on a blocked punt. The Irish ended up leading the nation in that category with an incredible seven blocked punts on the season.

“It’s special,” Freeman said of the c lemson game. “You could hear the fans, the students. I really didn’t want to leave the field. This is a game that I’ll never forget.”

The Irish closed out the regular season with a highprofile matchup against arch-rival n o. 5 U sc with a potential n ew Year’s s ix b owl bid on the line. Pyne had his most complete game of the season, passing for 318 yards and completing 23 of 26 passes for three touchdowns, with two going to m ayer. h owever, the magic of h eisman-winning U sc quarterback c aleb Williams, who himself accounted for four touchdowns, proved too much for the Irish. They fell 38-27 in the c oliseum.

“That was one of the biggest things, his ability to keep the play alive when it should have been a dead play,” Irish linebacker J d b ertrand said of Williams. “ h e’s freaky athletic, and it shows.”

The Irish closed out the 2022 season with a 45-38 victory over the University of s outh c arolina in the Tax s layer Gator b owl. This matchup featured the return of b uchner. h e accounted for

five touchdowns to end the season on a high note.

The 2022 Fighting Irish season was truly one of extreme highs and lows. Freeman was able to steady the ship, ending up with nine wins and ranking n o. 18 in the final AP Poll. Individual standouts included m ayer, who set new records for catches and touchdowns for tight ends. Foskey also broke the n otre d ame all-time sack record and contributed greatly. With both stars off to the n FL, there are big shoes to fill on the Irish roster. The transfers of b uchner, Pyne, Logan d iggs and Lorenzo s tyles will also usher in change within the program as Freeman puts his players in place.

n evertheless, there is plenty of new talent to fill the void. There is a top-ten recruiting class coming in. n ot to mention the additions of graduate transfers quarterback s am h artman from Wake Forest and defensive end Javontae Jean-b aptiste from o hio s tate. Another year of experience for the staff and the development of the wide receiver and linebacker rooms could have the Irish in place for a possible c ollege Football Playoff return this season.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

DANIEL LELUSIC | The Observer

The Irish football team battles with the UNLV Rebels near the goal-line in Notre Dame’s 44-21 win over the Rebels at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 22 at Notre Dame Stadium. The game was the first in a season-high five-game winning streak for the Irish, who finished 9-4 in Marcus Freeman’s first season as head coach despite a rocky 0-2 start to the season.

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

OLIVIA WINGATE RYAN BISCHEL

Olivia Wingate leads line for Notre Dame women’s soccer

ANNIKA HERKO

sports Writer

notre dame women’s soccer graduate forward olivia Wingate didn’t always think of a professional soccer career as a legitimate possibility.

“I think it was always a dream of mine since I was a little kid, but I think I finally began to realize that it could be fulfilled probably around my junior or senior year of college. That was when I really started to think about it as a real option,” Wingate said.

After playing for five years at notre dame, Wingate, this year’s observer Female Athlete of the Year, was selected with the sixth overall pick by the north carolina courage in the 2023 national Women’s soccer League (nWsL) draft.

Wingate started playing soccer when she was four years old. Growing up in the new england area, she would watch the boston breakers with her travel team.

“I used to be able to go out and see players like sydney Leroux and Kristine Lilly and those players were really special to me. I was very, very excited to have them play right in front of me. christen Press, too. I really like her style of play and I try to mimic her a little bit,” she said.

choosing to play college soccer at notre dame was an easy decision. The historic program with three national championships representing a University with renowned academics was

a no-brainer, she said. When she stepped foot into notre dame’s facilities, Wingate knew her choice.

since joining the team, one of the biggest lessons she learned was finding her voice.

“As a player and a teammate, in my beginning years, I was a little bit more reserved maybe, I didn’t say much, I kind of just did whatever I was I was told to do. I think that throughout my years there I was able to really become more of a voice, more of a role model for younger teammates and really stepped into that role of being communicative and being able to facilitate more on the field,” Wingate said.

And she was able to do a lot on the field. In her first three years, she scored four goals, including one during her sophomore year to tie no. 9 duke in doubleovertime. As a senior in 2021, Wingate started all 22 games. she notched seven goals (thirdmost on the team) with a shot accuracy of 0.640 — the highest rate in the Acc and third-highest in the country. during the team’s ncAA tournament run, she scored a game-winner in the second round against Purdue before tallying another goal in the third round against Arkansas.

In her last year with the team, Wingate enjoyed her best season yet. she earned Third Team All-American, All-Acc First Team and Acc All-Academic Team honors. Wingate scored 14 goals, which was the third most

in the Acc and 10th most in the country. of particular note was her first career hat trick against Wisconsin, which came during one of her four games in which she scored multiple goals. she went on to score three postseason goals as she helped lead the Irish to the elite eight in the ncAA Tournament.

she again paced the conference in shot accuracy, with a 0.607 rate in 2022, the secondhighest in the Acc and 25th best in the country. she also led the Acc and was fifth in the country in shots on goal per game with 2.4.

such amazing seasons made it difficult for Wingate to choose just one favorite memory from playing soccer with the Irish.

“I’d say one of the best memories was beating Florida state at home 4-0 last season. I feel like with Florida state we’d lose every time and unfortunately it’s the same thing with Unc and those those big powerhouse schools, but I think that we really turned into one of those powerhouse schools this last year and we were able to kind of do what they’ve done in the past to us back at them and that felt really great,” she said. “especially my last year, being able to do that on our home field in front of our home crowd with some of my best friends, it was unbelievable.”

Wingate was proud of all the team accomplished during her

ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

Last summer, as notre dame hockey was going through the annual process of compiling its roster, head coach Jeff Jackson had some tough decisions to make. but, some calls weren’t so difficult, namely his conversation with senior goaltender ryan bischel. The message to the medina, minnesota native heading into his fourth season with the Irish was simple.

The net was his.

“It was awesome to have that, to know that the coaches had that confidence for sure,” said bischel.

That confidence was earned, not given. And over the season, it continued to grow as bischel flourished. Its roots date back to the beginning of bischel’s collegiate career. Last year laid the foundation. And in 2022-23, bischel emerged as not just notre dame’s starter, but one of the best goaltenders in all of college hockey.

Road to the crease

notre dame hockey is steeped in tradition in many areas. And the crease is one of them. most of the 18 iterations of Irish hockey Jackson have coached have had an outstanding netminder between the pipes. And early in bischel’s career, that was the case — although bischel was not often the one in net.

In bischel’s freshman year, 201920, cale morris was the starter. he recorded a strong .916 save percentage, was named an All-b1G Team honorable mention and has played

64 professional games across the AhL and echL since departing. The next year, the net largely belonged to dylan st. cyr., who posted the first of three straight seasons with a .915 save percentage or better before recently signing an amateur tryout with the detroit red Wings’ AhL affiliate. And last year, matthew Galajda had the lion’s share of the starts. The cornell transfer finished with a stellar .933 save percentage before heading to sweden to play professionally.

All three continued the tradition of great goaltending in south bend. They also helped prepare bischel to do the same, both by teaching him and pushing him to do more.

“It was awesome,” bischel said of the experience. “even before coming to notre dame, I played with really good goalies at Fargo and the UshL. being in competition and practice every day with other guys is something that pushed me to be a lot better, and I think I took pieces from each other games and kind of tried to instill a little bit of it in my own.”

stepping into the spotlight

While bischel definitely took a big step forward in 2022-23, he was hardly an unknown commodity coming into the season. Across his first two seasons, bischel played in 16 games, registering a solid .900 save percentage. Last season, however, bischel truly started making himself a key

In first year as starter, Ryan Bischel reaches the next level