Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, February 15, 2023

jUNioR cAptAiNS

Junior captains excited to lead tournament

By MANNION McGINLEY Assistant managing editor

The n otre d ame men’s boxing club spent the last two semesters preparing for the 2023 b engal b outs Tournament. Among this year’s captains are five juniors r ob r ucki, Jack Lannon, m arcello n anni, n ick b uhay and m ike Guyette. The five of them round out the 11-person leadership group at the head of the b engal b outs mission.

e ach of the junior captains took a different path to find themselves a member of the men’s boxing club.

r ucki, known in the ring as “The voo d oo r anger,” didn’t even originally want to go to n otre d ame. The management consulting major wanted to go to the n aval Academy but after one tour here, r ucki said he opted for n otre d ame and its n aval ro T c program instead. From there, b engal b outs fell into his lap.

“ s ome of the guys I looked up to in ro T c were b engal b outs guys and they were absolute studs, I wanted to be just like them. Yeah it was just a great opportunity to work my a** off, learn a new skill, get in front of my friends, do something really hard and raise money for an awesome cause,” he said.

For m ike “The r eal b ig” Guyette, n otre d ame was a dream that came true. The Keough h all native got in off the waitlist but wasn’t sure what clubs he wanted to do once he got here.

Guyette started b engal b outs because his roommate was interested. o nce they started though, Guyette said he quickly fell in love. o ne thing Guyette pointed out though was that he didn’t feel behind the eight ball having never boxed before.

“ s omething like 85 or 90% of people here have never done any sort of martial arts,” Guyette said. “ b ut what allows people to fall in love with it is the fact that everyone here is just like a homie. e veryone here loves each other. It’s just great to have such a large group that you can see out and around and you’re like ‘that’s my brother.’”

b eing chosen to be a captain was an “absolute honor” for Guyette who says he had been “grinding” all of his sophomore year and

was floored to get the call from Jack Phillips at the end of last academic year.

r ucki also said he was proud to be chosen.

“It meant the world to me, it blew my mind, there’s a lot of awesome dudes out here,” r ucki said. “ s o it meant the world to be seen like that by the older guys I looked up to.”

b uhay also reflected on how rewarding being a captain is. h e and r ucki shared how much the older guys taught them.

“

b eing able to pay that back,” b uhay said. “Leading by example and then technically working one on one with guys, complimenting what looks good, pointing out what they need to work on and helping them work on it … it’s an honor to be able to pay that forward.”

o riginally from Atlanta, GA, b uhay resides in d unne on campus.

The summer after his sophomore year he was supposed to go to b angladesh but cov I d -19 threw a wrench in that plan. s till, in the planning for that trip, b uhay said he learned on a more personal level all about the importance of the work the club does.

“I got to talk to some of the veterans of the club who had already graduated by that point. They shared a lot of their experiences with me about over there,” he said. “ r eally, just being able to have some personal stories about how what we’re doing is making lasting impacts on people across the world, it’s just really powerful to think about that.”

r ucki said he wants to experience some of that more personal level of work himself.

“I wish more than anything I could get out to b angladesh myself,” he said. “They just do amazing work over there, hundreds of thousands of mouths fed, people educated. We’re literally saving people’s lives one dollar at a time. We have an enormous impact. I can’t say enough good things about what we do.”

b uhay said it was gratifying to understand that the work the group puts into both fundraising and working in the ring is paying off at so many different levels. In terms of goals for the tournament, all three guys are excited to compete again. They’ve each only competed once as the

competition was canceled during their first year on campus due to cov I d -19.

b uhay says he has goals of his own but he’s also really looking forward to cornering for other guys, especially since he was abroad last semester and is still building relationships.

“I’ve only been here a few weeks but even in just those few weeks, I’ve gotten to know a few of the novice guys and some of the vets too pretty well,” he said. “I’ve been able to work with them and corner their spars so there are a few guys I’ve been working with and I’m excited to lead them through the tournament.”

The trio of junior captains should be five but they are missing teammates Lannon and n anni who are abroad this semester and will ultimately miss the tournament. Their leadership was present last semester though as the men’s team’s captains helped to run the b araka b outs tournament and this included all the junior captains. h aving seen several tournaments now, including the one he competed in, r ucki says he’ll lead by example during competition as he has all year. s till, there’s something more to the event now that he’s serving as a captain and a corner for his own guys.

“It’s awesome to see the guys you worked with all season come so far. I just want to see us raise a ton of money and watch the guys I’ve worked with kick a** and show off to their friends,” r ucki said.

Guyette said he’s excited for the club’s new guys to get in the ring for the first time. The electrical engineering major played football for a long time but he says boxing is competing on a different level.

“In a one-on-one sport, everyone’s looking at you and you get to showcase everything you’ve worked on and so it allows you to have your strengths exposed and your weaknesses exposed as well,” Guyette said.

“You show up and you have no idea what to expect,” b uhay said. That feeling, he says, is exciting to watch others experience for the first time and he’s ready to help them through it.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

under the nickname “more of a Lover than a Fighter” (he feels that it encapsulates his spirit), a key aspect of being a captain is ensuring that everyone feels welcome in the club, regardless of ability.

“most of the kids in the club don’t have any experience coming in, so you really build a good base here with boxing. every year, we start all the guys from the beginning, so everyone feels like they can join the club,” Williams said. “It’s a very welcoming atmosphere, a lot of likeminded guys who want to get after it in workouts.”

After having spent the last three years focused on improving their own skills in the ring, it took an adjustment to serve in a more handsoff role, coaching other boxers from the sideline.

“I think a lot of times when you’re coaching for somebody, you wish you could just get in the ring and do it yourself, but you can’t do that,” molka said. “A true leader doesn’t have to do it yourself, you’re able to influence others to do the job correctly. It’s really rewarding to see someone put in a lot of hard work when you’re working with them every day, and to see them put that finished product in the ring.”

deFalco considers seeing the improvement of the boxers that he’s trained with to be one of the most rewarding experiences he’s had in the club.

“I’ve had guys who have asked to spar me at the beginning of the year and then I’ll spar them a month later and I’m like, ‘wow, this guy’s a lot better’,” deFalco said. “It’s great to see. It makes me happy.”

Through all of the practices, workouts and sparring sessions, the mission of the club never strays far from the front of its members’ minds. The bengal bouts raise money for the congregation of the holy cross in bangladesh, a group that works to provide education and health care in the poorest parts of the country. The 2022 bengal bouts raised over $250,000 for the holy cross mission. having the opportunity to make that kind of impact helps the boxers put their own lives in perspective, they said.

“At the end of the day, the reason we do this is for people who have so few opportunities,” deFalco said. “This stuff is hard. boxing is hard, school is hard, we’re notre dame students, everything seems hard. but we have a million opportunities. In bangladesh, the people we serve, they have no opportunities, or a lot of their opportunities come from funds that we need to raise for them. When you’re dead tired and the other guy’s strong and he’s beating you up, you really try to dig deep and think about what you’re doing this for. I think it helps to stay grounded. because this is a team, and our end goal is to send money to people who need it a lot more than us.”

over the course of their four years in the club, the senior captains’ appreciation for and understanding of the mission has only grown. Luke “mantequilla” slahor, a dallas native and duncan hall resident, discussed an experience that opened his eyes to the impact of the club.

“every monday, the captains give an excerpt about the mission to the guys, a five-minute talk before

practice,” slahor said. “I found these letters from 2012 that kids from bangladesh schools that were supported by our program, the holy cross missions over there, wrote thanking all the boxers.”

The letters thanked the boxers for their hard work and explained how many lives they’ve impacted in bangladesh. The kids wrote about what they wanted to be when they grew up, professions that included doctors and nurses.

“We’re not just sending money over there, we’re sending money to educate kids, who are in turn going to make a difference throughout their lives and hopefully make their communities a better place,” slahor said. “That was kind of the moment where everything came together for me, in terms of thinking about the mission and feeling good about what we’re doing here.”

United in their dedication to boxing and service of that important cause, the club is a strong community of friends who support each other and enjoy spending time together, in the ring and out.

“We’re a team first, and we may compete against each other in the ring, but we’re always here for each other, help train with each other,” molka said. “It’s a great team.”

“some of my best friends are here. The other captains, other vets and even new guys I met this year. We just have a ton of fun down here, l earning a really difficult sport and doing good charity work,” deFalco added.

“They’re all great guys, great to work with. We have a lot of fun outside of boxing too,” said Williams. but the recent focus for the club, and the captains, has been on boxing in advance of the seniors’ final bengal bouts.

“I feel really confident in how my skills have progressed over the past four years to be the best I can today,” slahor said. “Last tournament here, definitely going to be my last boxing match ever, so it’s kind of bittersweet, but I want to go out on top.”

each of the four captains will be gunning to take home a title, but their leadership roles have shifted their priorities. seeing great performances from their teammates is just as meaningful as winning bouts themselves.

“I want to see all the guys do great,” slahor said. “I’m really excited to coach a lot of my friends.”

Training for bengal bouts requires a great deal of time and sacrifice that often goes unseen. For deFalco, part of what makes the competition so special is that it gives the boxers a chance to showcase their hard work.

“When your friends and your family come watch, [they think], ’okay, this guy’s been working hard for months,’” deFalco said. “You want that to show.”

The senior captains have spent the last four years growing as boxers, guiding their teammates and supporting the club’s mission. now they’re ready to make their last bengal bouts one to remember.

“being in the ring, under the lights, there’s no other feeling like that,” molka said. “I played football in high school, Friday night Lights, but that pales in comparison. It’s a crazy feeling.”

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow2@nd.edu

University, College leaders release statements

MSU students honored Student Life Council reinstated

Observer Staff Report

Three student victims were killed in a Monday shooting at Michigan State University (MSU). In a Tuesday statement released by the University, Fr. John Jenkins offered condolences.

“The senseless gun violence that continues to plague our nation has again shattered a university campus. To the victims of this violence, as well as the many friends and colleagues we have at Michigan State, the prayers and support of the Notre Dame community are with you,“ the statement said. A statement released by Saint Mary’s c ollege on social media echoed the sentiment.

“We mourn with our sisters and brothers at Michigan State University. We pray for physical healing for the survivors and

strength for the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this unnecessary tragedy,“ the c ollege wrote.

University NIL policy outlined in lecture

By ALYSA GUFFEY

Editor-in- c hief

When name, image and likeness (NIL) exploded in college athletics 18 months ago, Notre Dame analyzed how it could support its student-athletes while not sacrificing its identity as a university.

“When we talk to our student-athletes, who are our primary audience, we cannot dive right into name, image and likeness,” senior associate athletic director c laire VeNard said. “We have to start with the core of who we are and what this opportunity is, which is to come to the University of Notre Dame to grow and develop as a student, as an athlete and as a person.”

On the second day of this year’s NIL-focused Ethics Week, hosted by the Mendoza c ollege of Business, VeNard detailed the University’s unique policies on the rapidly growing force in college football.

The first official N c AA

NIL policy went into effect on July 1, 2021. Indiana is one of seven states that have not touched NIL legislation, meaning Notre Dame started from scratch when crafting an institutional policy for its studentathletes, VeNard said.

Notre Dame also adds one more category to its policies — ideas. Through the IDEA c enter, the University has seen student-athletes pursue startups that can

benefit financially and socially from the approval of NIL, VeNard said. One example is Pediatric Peptalk, a nonprofit created by Irish lacrosse player Max Manyak that connects children with chronic illnesses to their favorite athletes.

By the end of its initial policy formation stage, Notre Dame landed on five elements that would

Observer Staff Report

On Tuesday evening, Student Government announced the reinstatement of the Student Life c ouncil (SL c ), a public meeting and forum with the vice president of student affairs, associate provost for undergraduate education and the student body president. Each meeting will address a specific topic, and students will have the chance to hear about the work of each group in the area and ask questions.

“This forum will be fantastic because what it will enable us as students to do is to ask questions face to face with decision makers about anything going on that

may bother us,” student body president Patrick Lee said.

The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 8 to 9 p.m. in c arey Auditorium in Hesburgh Library, and the forum will reconvene two other times during the spring semester.

The first meeting will address faith formation and questions of meaning at Notre Dame and will include Fr. Pete Mc c ormick as the session’s guest speaker. The SL c was initiated by University President Fr. Theodore Hesburgh during the Vietnam War after he decided it necessary for students to be informed about the decisions of the University and share their opinions.

Campaigns discuss allegations

By BELLA LAUFENBERG Notre Dame News Editor

The Notre Dame student body election campaign was a tumult of ethics violation allegations and online hate for candidates.

On Jan. 31, campaigning started for Notre Dame student body president and vice president. Three separate tickets, all made up of sophomore male students, had successfully gained

the 700 verified signatures in order to make it on the ballot: Daniel JungAidan Rezner; Derick Williams-Hunter Brooke and Pablo Oropeza-Griffin McAndrew.

All of the tickets had allegations filed against them, resulting in lengthy hearings with Judicial c ouncil and ultimately sanctions.

see ELEcTION PAGE 5

College farm to receive chickens

By MOIRA QUINN News Writer

The Sustainable Farm at Saint Mary’s is an accessible place for students to get hands-on experience and learn about sustainability and agriculture. Since its unveiling in the fall of 2020, the five-acre plot north of campus has grown in many

ways and is now preparing to welcome a brood of baby chickens as well as host an open house next Friday.

Farm manager Matthew Insley is optimistic about the week ahead.

“We had chickens for the first time on the farm last semester and they were sort see FARM PAGE 4

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Candles were arranged to spell ‘MSU’ in a show of solidarity with the Michigan State University community at the Grotto.

ALYSA GUFFEY | The Observer Claire VeNard details the University’s NIL policies, from not violating du Lac to partnerships with marketplaces run by ND alumni.

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Céilí celebrates Irish dance, culture

By CAROLINE COLLINS

News Writer

Dahnke Ballroom was filled with the click-clack of hard shoes, cheers from the audience and the clapping of students Tuesday evening as they swung their partners around the dance floor at the Irish céilí.

Students participated in the céilí as part of the Center for the Study of Languages and Culture’s Language Week. The event was organized by Shannon Dunne, adjunct teaching professor for Irish language and literature.

A “céilí” is an Irish word that refers to a big social gathering, Dunne said.

At the event, Dunne taught and called the Irish social dances. The dances were accompanied by live music from the céilí band featuring traditional Irish instruments like fiddles and tin whistles.

Céilí dances are similar, in a way, to square dances, Dunne said. They are performed as a group and participants switch between different sets of partners.

Dunne said she choreographed the dances to be easy to learn and that people

don’t need previous experience to participate in them.

“I specifically call dances that are easy to learn, and they’re meant to be very easy to grab on to because it’s meant to be a social occasion,” Dunne said.

During her time studying in Ireland, Dunne learned to call Irish social dances from traditional musicians and dancers who are dance callers in their communities.

At Notre Dame, Dunne teaches an old-style Irish dancing course, an Irish social dancing course and a tin whistle course. Dunne started these classes last year with the help of associate professor Sarah McKibben, who also teaches in the department.

Dunne and McKibben started the céilí as a way for students in the classes to experience Irish culture and see all the components come together. Students in the social dancing class demonstrated the dance steps to other students at the ceilí, the tin whistle class joined the band and there was a performance by students in the old-style Irish dance course.

The event allowed students

in different classes and groups to come together and share what they have been learning and working on.

“It’s great to see everybody suddenly together in a way that makes sense, and there are all these people who totally get what they are doing,” Dunne said.

During intermission, there was a performance by the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Irish Dance Team. The first

two dances they performed, a reel and slip jig, were more modern styles of Irish dance. Their last dance was also called a céilí, a traditional Irish dance similar to the social dances Dunne’s students participated in.

Seniors Maura Doyle and Molly Brown, co-presidents of the Irish Dance Team, said there are dancers of all different levels and varying experience on the team.

“The club is all-inclusive and it’s a fun way to continue dancing in college,” Doyle said.

Following the performance by the Irish Dance Team, the social dancing class demonstrated a few final dances and the céilí band played the Notre Dame Alma Mater to end the night.

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

CAROLINE COLLINS | The Observer

On Tuesday evening in Dahnke Ballroom, the Irish Dance Team performed a traditional dance called “A Trip to the Cottage.” The performance was during an Irish céilí held as part of Language Week this year.

campus dining, students discuss flex points

By KATIE MUCHNICK

Inflation over the past year has some students calling for an increase in the flex point budget.

Though the inflation rate has begun declining since its peak in June 2022, the consumer price index increased 6.5 percent over twelve months, through d ecember 2022. The food away from home index increased by 8.3 percent over twelve months. p rices for food on-campus reflect these increases.

Luigi a lberganti, the executive director of c ampus d ining, said that on-campus retail food prices are guided by the restaurants.

“ e ach brand is separate. You have s tarbucks and you have c hick-fil-a and you have m odern m arket,” a lberganti said. “ s o we do not dictate [menu prices] — we recommend — but ultimately we’ll go with the guidance of the franchise.”

Indeed, on-campus menu prices seem to track offcampus prices relatively closely, though with a slight increase. a grande vanilla sweet cream cold brew from s tarbucks costs $4.75 at the s tarbucks on s tate r oute 933 and c leveland and $5.05 on campus. a c hick-fil- a chicken sandwich costs $4.99 at the c hick-fil- a on s m ichigan s treet and $5.39 on campus.

The standard meal plan — block 250 — allots $500 in flex points for students to use at on-campus restaurants. The block 250 upgrade plan costs $296 more per semester, but students receive $360 flex points and $360 domer dollars per semester.

That amounts to $720 dollars to use at on-campus locations, though domer dollars can also be spent at some off-campus locations.

The block 180 meal plan, which is only available to on-campus seniors, includes 180 meal swipes and $1,000 flex points per semester. This plan costs $203 less per semester than the block 250 plan.

a lberganti said that the flex points were added to the meal plan to offer variety for students by allowing them to eat at on-campus restaurants.

“If I picked the best restaurant in the world and got you to eat there for 30 days in a row, you will get tired of it,” a lberganti said. “Therefore the flex points give you a little break on that.”

s tudents have been offered $500 in flex points since about 2016, according to a lberganti. The amount was decided by benchmarking against other institutions.

“500 by far has been in the top bracket. I haven’t run into any other institution that did 500,” a lberganti said. h e said that $500 in flex points is greater than the amount provided to students at universities like Yale, um ass and a rizona s tate u niversity.

a lberganti noted that c ampus d ining belongs to the n ational a ssociation of c ollege & u niversity Food s ervices, which they use to compare their meal plans. a t an upcoming convention in m arch, c ampus d ining plans to benchmark their allotment of flex points to ensure that n otre d ame “stays competitive,” a lberganti said.

worked to sustain the farm and prepare for the baby chickens.

of a trial run,” he said. “They were very popular so this year we decided to go with some chicks in the spring.”

Insley sees the open house as an exciting event for the campus community.

“We want people to know that our students are doing awesome things like learning about local food production and what it takes to raise these birds, animals and crops,” he said. “I think people will be shocked and surprised to see how legit our farm is.”

Insley is joined by a team of professors, volunteers and student leaders who have worked to improve the farm and make it available for the entire tricampus community. maria Gonzalez-diaz, the volunteer coordinator for the office of common Good (ocG), praised the student leaders who have

o ver the course of 17 weeks, the $500 flex point allowance breaks down to $30 per week. h owever, students spend their flex points in a variety of ways.

Jayden e spinoza, a sophomore, said he ran out of flex points around fall break last semester. a fter fall break, he spent personal money at on-campus restaurants, though not as much as he was spending in flex points before running out.

“I get more or less the same thing every time I go into the dining hall. s o if I’m in the mood to eat that, like one of the three things I actually get, then IÆll go to the dining hall,” e spinoza said. “ b ut if it’s like, you know what, I’ve eaten that for the past few days, I just spend flex points.”

o ther times, e spinoza said he relies on flex points for convenience’s sake between classes. h e predicts that an increase in flex points would not change his behavior.

“I wouldn’t run out as fast but my habits of eating would probably stay similar,” e spinoza said.

a nissa c avanaugh, a sophomore who cannot eat gluten, said that it is easier for her to eat at flex point-based restaurants than at the dining hall. Though the dining halls offer a regular glutenfree meal, she said it’s often the same thing every day.

In lieu of the dining halls, c avanaugh frequents m odern m arket and Garbanzo for their glutenfree options. s he ran out of flex points two or three weeks before the end of last semester, though she had 80 or 90 meal swipes left.

“It’s more expensive to

get gluten-free options,” c avanaugh said of on-campus restaurants. “I’ll pay like two or three extra dollars every time I get a meal … s o it’s hard to have the same flex points as everyone else but have to pay more for my meals.”

a ccording to a lberganti, c ampus d ining works with a registered dietitian to try and accommodate each student’s dietary needs. h e said he hears recommendations that students with dietary restrictions receive the senior-only block 180 plan, or something similar so that they can have more flex points to spend at on-campus restaurants.

“If we cannot accommodate those [dietary needs] then probably we examine that option, but normally, with the allergens especially, we can make special meals for students on a daily basis,” a lberganti said. “ s o we try to exhaust those options before getting into any exceptions to the requirement.”

a lberganti also said he often sees first-year students deplete their flex points early in the semester.

“You see a little bit of different behavior with sophomore and upperclassmen, extending the flex points and doing a little bit of better budgeting with that,” a lberganti added.

n atalie s ekerak, a freshman in Welsh Family h all, differs from that norm. s he has about $750 flex points left, after saving from last semester.

“First semester, I strictly used [flex points] at c hickfil-a every Friday after my

last class,” s ekerak said. “That was about the only time I would spend flex points last semester.”

This semester, she is more willing to spend flex points at restaurants like a u b on p ain, though she anticipates using up what’s left of the $750 with a “really big, treat myself meal” at r ohr’s.

d espite her tendency to save, s ekerak thinks she would spend more flex points if given more than $500 per semester.

“ b ecause I feel like for $500, especially at the prices that they charge you for stuff now, it’s just not worth it,” s ekerak said.

a lberganti said he cannot speak to whether an increase in flex point allowance is coming. The flex point budget is part of the room and board cost paid by each student, which is decided by the b oard of d irectors.

Though students have received $500 in flex points since about 2016, the price of room and board typically increases from year to year. b etween the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, the room and board price is predicted to increase from $16,710 and $17,378.

h owever, a lberganti said that it is significantly more expensive to run on-campus restaurants than traditional dining halls.

“The first thing we want to protect against is food insecurity,” a lberganti said. “ s o making a nice, generous amount of swipes … The flex points are treated as the cushioning or the extra factor of that.”

Contact Katie Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu

“valentina rubio, elizabeth bourassa, and dakota Freel have been working really hard to create a plan for the chicken brooder area,” she said. “We’ve been preparing for the chicks to arrive and then hopefully later in the spring we can begin seeing and planting things outside.”

Gonzalez-diaz also said she is optimistic about the future of the farm.

“We’re partnering with carrie badertscher from campus ministries, and she has a nonprofit called ‘For The Good,’” she said. “over the summer, once we have produce we’re going to be giving a good chunk of it to carrie who then will create food boxes for the people whom she works with and serves.

With the sustainable farm being the only one in the tri-campus community, Insley sees this as an opportunity to positively impact saint mary’s students.

“This is not the first campus farm in the country but there aren‘t that many, it‘s a unique project,” he said. “I think it‘s perfect for a women‘s college because one of the largest sectors of new pharma growth is actually young women who are learning these things and actually taking this on as a career path.”

Gonzalez-diaz hopes the sustainable farm will continue to impact the greater south bend community the same way it has impacted her.

“The farm is not only giving a spot for people to relax and, you know, take a brain break from their studies or whatever they’re working on but it also empowers people,” she said. “one of my goals is to introduce people who go to the farm to how you can get those skills you don’t learn from a textbook that are very necessary in daily life.”

Contact Moira Quinn at mquinn02@saintmarys.edu

Williams-Brooke

The Williams- b rooke ticket had the most allegations filed against them out of the three. In total, they were notified of three allegations, and of those, one was thrown out before it came to the trial process.

b rooke outlined the process that occurs after an allegation: first, the candidates are notified via email and told a specific time to meet with Judicial c ouncil; second, the candidates are locked in a separate room while the party who filed the allegation speaks to the council and presents evidence; third, the candidates are allowed to review evidence and testimony in front of the council and are able to mount a defense. Then, the committee deliberates and sends out a notification of their decision and any consequences that might follow.

The remaining two allegations were regarding the same problem, an incorrect link that was sent out to potential voters by supporters of Williams and b rooke. These allegations were filed on the night of the election and were seemingly the cause of the delayed results announcement.

In a press release to campus media from Judicial c ouncil president m adison n emeth and vice president

for elections Koryn Isa, the election committee “decided there will be a deduction of ten (10) votes from the Williams- b rooke ticket in the primary election for each incorrect link that was sent out. Thus, the total votes that shall be deducted from the Williams- b rooke ticket is twenty (20) votes.” The ticket also had to issue a formal apology on their campaign Instagram account, @williamsbrooke2023.

The apology read, “We know many of you are confused about what has been going on behind the scenes. We appreciate your patience as we ourselves have tried to get to the bottom of this.”

b rooke told The o bserver that the ticket received a lot of backlash over the days preceding the election, most of which can under the veil of anonymity over social media platforms — including multiple

Instagram accounts under the name @hatewilliamsbrooke2023. b rooke says that when the account was first created, it only followed one page: the o ropeza- m cAndrew campaign.

b rooke said he received the brunt of the hate, with lots of anonymous accounts attacking him and alleging he had cheated on his girlfriend. h e told The o bserver those claims were expressly not true.

“[The hate] can be difficult. It can be very political. It’s unfortunate, but [Williams] and I have always tried to be honest,

transparent, open,” he noted. “I think s tudent Government has an incredible way of bringing out at the same time, the worst in people and the best in people.”

Oropeza-McAndrew

The allegation aimed at the o ropeza- m cAndrew ticket started before the campaigning period even began. In Instagram posts on their personal accounts, which have now been deleted, the candidates announced their “campaign” to run for student body president and vice president before the official time for campaigning began.

The o propeza- m cAndrew campaign released a post that included loose platform policies, introduced by the phrase “here’s a list of our priorities and why you should support our run.” o ropeza says that the word “run” and the inclusion of policies were problematic in Judicial c ouncil’s view, suggesting that they were already campaigning during a period that was restricted to petitioning.

Judicial c ouncil sanctioned them by banning them from campaigning through social media on the first day of the campaigning period.

While discussing allegations against other tickets, o ropeza told The o bserver that their ticket was involved in the submission of multiple allegations against Williams- b rooke on the day of the election,

saying that they were “next to” the party who filed.

“I’m not going to place [the blame] on someone else when I was part of it,” o ropeza said of his admission.

o ropeza and m cAndrew also suffered their share of online hate during the campaign period, especially because of political views and identities not affiliated with their platform.

“[The hate] is annoying, but at the same time, it was said under the veil of anonymity, and so I think it’s just cowardice, and you’re trying to get a rise out of me,”

o ropeza explained, adding that he experienced much worse comments in his childhood. “You can’t ever really hurt me more than I’ve been hurt before.”

m cAndrew concurred, saying that they greatly appreciated people who stood up for them.

“It was heartening to see that people came out to our defense,” he said.

Jung-Rezner

Ultimately the winning ticket, Jung- r ezner received notification the day before voting, Feb. 7, that a poster was hung up on the third floor of LaFortune s tudent c enter (LaFun). As outlined on the Judicial c ouncil website, this violation broke Article X v, s ection 1(d)(3), which states that no campaigning may occur on the upper levels of LaFun. The team received a sanction of having to

1) take down the poster and 2) issue a formal apology on their official campaign platform, @danrez23 on Instagram. The post said, “we have no idea how this poster ended up there as we followed all the proper protocols for poster distribution.”

In an interview with The o bserver, Jungr ezner said they took full responsibility for the violation and learned from their mistake.

“We take full responsibility for [the poster]. We had to post a public apology on our social media, which we willfully did,” Jung emphasized. “You know, you learn from it, and you recognize your mistake. You grow and go from there.”

r ezner seconded this, adding, “the rules can be very strict sometimes and for good reason. We wanted to make sure that everyone has a fair chance.”

The pair also prepared to give backlash against their campaign before it happened.

“[The election] is a stressful process. And sometimes [people] will say things about you without merit. We met at the beginning of this process, and we just said, ‘look, things are going to get thrown around that may or may not be true’,” Jung said. “We can’t let it affect us personally.”

Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

differentiate its approach to n IL and simultaneously uphold the University’s overarching mission: brand building; content management; name, image, likeness and ideas ( n ILI) education; market facilitation; and third-party initiatives.

Under its regulations, the nc AA limits how colleges can promote n IL deals for its athletes.

“We are limited in how we can do this by the nc AA’s policy, which says that we as an institution cannot pay them directly and we cannot create or facilitate n IL opportunities for them,” she said.

A common misconception in the n IL space is that third-party collectives are run by universities to pay and manage deals with athletes themselves, ve n ard said.

“It’s important to understand that they are not us, even though the collectives associate with the

institutions in the sense that that is who they support,” she said. “ b ut there is both legal and practical and operational separateness between what they are doing and what the institution is doing.

As a result, the University’s main role is to educate on the resources available to students and how to navigate the n IL space, as long as n otre d ame does not offer legal or tax advice to its athletes.

“That’s a line that we’re not crossing,” ve n ard said.

A role that n otre d ame can take on, however, is the responsibility to create a marketplace where brands connect to student-athletes and partner with local firms such as mo GL, a marketplace run by two n otre d ame alums.

“We also like that narrative,” ve n ard said. “ b randon Wimbush, former quarterback at n otre d ame, had a very successful career and has now gone on to have a professional career in something other than football. That’s part of the n otre d ame proposition to come

to n otre d ame, as well.”

Former Irish players also own collectives, such as FU nd — Friends of the University of n otre d ame — founded by former quarterback b rady Quinn.

A key appeal of n otre d ame in the n IL market is the football program’s national market — a result of the school’s independent status and geographically diverse fan base, ve n ard said. m aking student-athletes aware of this distinction in the n otre d ame brand is one of the first steps of the educational role of the institution.

“The brand exposure they get simply by having n otre d ame across their chest is really valuable, and that’s a piece that we communicate and we help them understand,” ve n ard said.

s tudent-athletes also have the opportunity to further learn about n IL in the classroom through a onecredit course taught by ve n ard titled “ n avigating

n IL at n otre d ame.” The course falls under the sports, media and culture minor.

Another benefit n otre d ame gives athletes is access to its corporate partners, such as Under Armour. s ince the activation of n IL, athletes collaborated with the brand for social media and in-store promotional photos at the University.

In the lecture, ve n ard ran through what studentathletes can do, what they must get permission to do and what they cannot do under any circumstances.

Ground-level rules allow athletes to undergo self-brand promotion on personal accounts, including in n otre d ameissued gear that is not an official uniform. d eals that must be first approved by the University include wearing a uniform in a brand advertisement and participating in “group activites,” such as the Irish offensive line securing an endorsement

with m ission bb Q in m ishawaka.

p rohibited actions include any n IL activities during official competitions and practices and any deals with brands that do not adhere to the University’s c atholic mission — including du Lac. s ome n IL regulations are paradoxically ironic, as ve n ard said student-athletes “cannot gamble but they could promote gambling.”

Answering an audience question regarding how n otre d ame’s n IL rules compare with other football powerhouses — Georgia, Alabama, L s U, to name a few — ve n ard said that n otre d ame has relatively “competitive” policies. “ o ur policies are actually pretty competitive, in the sense that we have fewer banned categories,” she said. “We give more broadly licenses to use [intellectual property].”

Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu

INSIDE ColUmN

Love & biryani

Angela Mathew manager

A business judgment rule of life

Inclusion

valentine’s day is a huge deal in America. even if you ignore the unbridled consumerism (candy, flowers, expensive gifts) there is so much emphasis on celebrating the day even if you’re not in a romantic relationship. Just walking around my residence hall, with most of the bulletin boards awash in various shades of pink, emblazoned advertisements for love themed events.

Though the day’s fixation on love can be a bit much, I’ve enjoyed the chance to celebrate the people who’ve seen me through two and a half years of college.

so far my valentine’s/Galentines celebrations have involved accepting my roommate’s spontaneous invitation to go to the bee club’s meeting in debart to drink tea with honey, color apian themed valentines (pre-school style, with actual crayons!) as the most iconic film about cross species love (“bee movie” 2007) played on the projector.

I also upheld some consumerism (for a good cause!) by helping to deliver flowers to dorms as part of P-dub’s carnation sale. It was heartwarming to see the cute notes people had written to each other and fun to talk to the obliging strangers who helped me locate their fellow dorm mates’ rooms.

other Galentine’s day plans are in the works from rounding up friends for ‘all you can eat’ sushi to meshing different friend groups to paint pottery. honoring love one random Tuesday a year seems trite but it gives us a nice structure to remember our friends. Amidst the chaos of college life and people’s parents visiting for JPW, I know that these plans will take around a month to actually happen.

but that’s okay because I love when love is like pleasant background noise, instead of punctuated.

I love how love sneaks into my daily life.

Love is when my dad will read every line of a twelve page essay and give me feedback over WhatsApp. Love is his questions about the progress of various drafts of pieces that others may not even realize are subtly different.

Love is conversations with my close friends where we commiserate — about not getting a certain internship, about people who don’t respond to our texts, new friends who don’t seem as enthusiastic as we are. Love is whining about being busy and gossiping about people we both know in rapid back and forths that would be unintelligible and annoying to most other people. Love is listening with interest as they talk about clubs or jobs you know nothing about.

Love is phrases from my favorite books living rent-free in my mind, materializing whenever I have writer’s block and letting me remember stories I’ve re-read too many times. some of my favorites from “Americanah” by chimamanda ngozi Adichie are:

“her joy … a restless thing, flapping its wings inside her.”

“With him, she was at ease: her skin felt as though it was the right size.”

And some whimsical ones from “The God of small Things” by Arundhati roy:

“The loss of sophie mol stepped softly around the Ayemenem house like a quiet thing in socks.”

“The yellow wasp wasping against the windowpane in a dangerous dzzzz.”

Love is spending christmas eve in pajamas peeling 12 potatoes with my mom who took on the valiant task of teaching me how to cook. With our other festive plans cancelled because of family members being ill or only coming home closer to new Year’s eve, we spent the day making biryani — a dish of spicy rice, mutton, fried onions and potatoes (in our version). Though that day and the following weeks of break were spent chopping, shelling, stirring and steaming, I am by no means a good cook. however, I’ll always value those times with my mom a lot, especially when I’m contemplating ordering overpriced biryani from India Garden in south bend.

Love is a friend asking the question “What are you excited for?” when you run into each other after months. catching up on the highlights of each others’ lives and getting thrown back into the memories and mindsets you had the last time you spoke, as if the conversation was a sort of time capsule.

Love is my sister taking time out from her days working in a hospital to share pictures of cute cats with me or to tell me theories about Jane Austen, vikram seth, George r r martin and her other favorite authors who I don’t know much about, except from her.

Love is telling college friends about my hometown, about my favorite street food and bookstores, about art-deco architecture, crowded footpaths and the salty air.

Go celebrate love wherever you find it!

You can contact Angela at amathew3@nd.edu.

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

In the grand scheme of things, there are not all that many required classes at notre dame Law school. sure, we, like practically any others, have a set of first-year doctrinal courses that we must complete: the standard civil procedure, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property and torts. but after 1L, almost every course we take is an elective. sure, everyone has to have six “skills credits,” everyone has to take professional responsibility at some point, and notre dame is unique in requiring every student to take a course in jurisprudence, but by my count that leaves 48 credits in two years that are entirely elective. With notre dame Law’s wide array of course offerings, there’s something for everyone’s niche, from copyright to administrative law to Anglican canon Law (all of which I’ve taken).

but even at notre dame Law, with this vast freedom to set one’s own course schedule and explore a multitude of legal interests beyond the 1L doctrinal portfolio, there are some courses that are still considered “must-take.” one of those courses, business Associations, I must confess I put off until the last minute. I want to be a law professor, you see, and private law isn’t really an area of research or teaching interest for me, so I always assumed that business Associations would be one of those classes I either took because it would help me with the bar exam or would forego taking in law school because I could always learn the material in bar prep. but then, on a whim, as I was putting together my schedule for the spring semester of 3L, I decided that I’d give business Associations a go anyway, and I am quite glad that I did indeed.

business Associations sounds like a course in how to start a business and order a business’s affairs vis-a-vis the behemoth that is corporate law, and it is certainly that. but under the direction of the eminent Professor Julian velasco, we’ve gone much further than simply evaluating how businesses work, additionally considering the question of why businesses even exist in the first place. While there are many philosophical answers to that question, the one that matters most for a couple of key black-letter law principles is that businesses are meant to make their owners or investors money. For corporations, this means that the purpose of a corporation is to make its shareholders money.

This is somewhat intuitive, of course, but the consequences are striking. As a critical example, take the 1919 case of dodge v. Ford (yes, the car companies). henry Ford, as the story goes, wanted to pay his assembly line workers exceptionally high wages (for the time, anyway), but the dodge brothers were shareholders in Ford and were quite miffed that Ford was increasing wages and reinvesting in steel mills and the like instead of paying shareholder dividends. (It definitely didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Ford knew the dodges were thinking of starting their own car company.) so the dodges sue, claiming that Ford intended to deprive them of dividends to which, as shareholders, the dodges were entitled. And the michigan supreme court agreed, saying that “it is not within the lawful powers of a board of directors to shape and conduct the affairs of a corporation for the merely incidental benefit of shareholders and for the primary purpose of benefiting others.” Ford’s problem wasn’t that he was trying to pay his workers more money or that he wanted to reinvest profits, said the court; his problem was that he was trying to do these things to keep his shareholders from making

more money. While corporations are able to be shielded from shareholder challenges whenever they’ve acted in good faith for the benefit of the shareholders, giving corporations the ability to make risky business decisions that just might pay off (one formulation of what’s called the business judgment rule, or bJr for short), the one way a shareholder challenge might still succeed in spite of the business judgment rule is if a shareholder can show that those running a corporation had some primary purpose apart from making them money. That said, businesses can (and do!) get very creative about how money that isn’t going directly into the shareholders’ pockets is nonetheless indirectly benefitting them in some ancillary way. While it might take some mental gymnastics to make those justifications, the end result is a broad understanding of what business decisions can fall under the protective cover of the bJr At breakfast with my dear friend ellie Augustine, though, where we were talking about the day-to-day of law school amidst our other obligations, from ellie serving as an assistant rector in Lewis hall to me serving as the symposium editor for my journal, I realized that maybe the bJr has a more personal application. The very first column I ever wrote for The observer, all the way back in August of 2021, was a column deploring the so-called culture of busy. There, I said that one of the biggest lies the “culture of busy” tells us is that “if you decide that time should be spent on things that are not work or school, you should be budgeting it down to the minute, for all such time spent is a net burden.” At the end of the day, though, perhaps the culture of busy can be tamed with mental gymnastics like those corporations use to shelter themselves under the umbrella of the bJr. Ford could have made, but didn’t make, the argument that paying his workers more will increase company loyalty and worker morale, increasing car output (and shareholder profit!) in the process. had he done so, dodge v. Ford might have come out the other way. Accordingly, maybe the best way to combat the “culture of busy” is to conceive of our leisure in similar terms. Getting enough sleep every night doesn’t mean you aren’t working hard enough — it means you know you do better work well-rested! spending an evening catching up with a friend need not be a “waste” of time if it means you’ll approach the work to come after with a refreshed mind, body or spirit!

so let’s consider, in these weeks ahead, how we can be intentional about ordering our work and our leisure. done well, taking the “risky business” decision to reject the “culture of busy” will almost certainly end up helping us better manage our busyness in the long term. At the end of the day, our time is not our own but instead a gift from God, and he has trusted us to be stewards of our time. may we use our time, in work as in leisure, in such a manner that when all is said and done, God might look upon us and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” a heavenly analogue to the bJr

Devin Humphreys is a 3L at Notre Dame Law School. When he isn’t serving as the sacristan at the Law School Chapel, singing with the Liturgical Choir or Chorale or competing at a quiz bowl tournament, he’s sharing his thoughts on the legal developments of the day with anyone who will listen. For advice on law school, hot takes on Mass music and free scholarly publication ideas, reach out to Devin at dhumphr2@nd.edu or @DevinJHumphreys on Twitter.

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

Devin Humphreys Life, Law and the Lord

of Talent and

“Sonder,” y una lluvia de febrero

en camino a Washington, d c e s libre.”

Gracie Eppler The soapbox

Llegué a mi clase de las 9:30 a.m. el jueves con el pelo empapado, chorreándome toda mi camisa blanca como si hubiera nadado a través de todo el lago de s t. m ary’s para llegar al edificio de b ond h all. s in aliento, incómoda, y un poco avergonzada, me preguntaba como todos los otros estudiantes de la universidad entera habían sido lo suficientemente prudentes para empacar una sombrilla.

Una caída de lluvia en febrero no es algo común. Una lluvia en febrero en s outh b end, Indiana es inconcebible. m ientras escuchaba mi clase de Teología 2 sobre s an b enito de n ursia, mi pelo aún empapado mojando mi ropa y escritorio, la lluvia seguía cayendo afuera. c aía silenciosamente.

Para las 10:45, el cielo se había aclarado a un lindo azul. La famosa “permacloud,” o nube permanente, de n otre d ame se había ido al ser perseguida por un suave sol de primavera.

d urante mi rutina de ejercicio de la mañana, estaba molesta al ver que la máquina de ejercicio que siempre uso estaba tomada. Aún peor — también se me había olvidado meter más de mis chicles favoritos a mi mochila.

A mediodía, aún sintiéndome húmeda (y también sin chicles y oliendo a muchísimo desodorante), decidí ir a d ecio h all para el almuerzo. c ompré un envuelto agridulce asiático, el cual me comía distraída mientras miraba mis mensajes pendientes en mi celular. v i un mensaje de mi hermana, m ía, que decía: “ v i este artículo del n ew York Times sobre los presos políticos en n icaragua siendo liberados. ¿ s erá alguno de estos el papá de tu amiga?”

Leí el artículo. Le dije a m ia que el artículo no mencionaba nada del padre de v ictoria. d ecidí enviarle un texto a v ic preguntándole como estaba, y diciéndole que tenía a su familia en mis pensamientos y oraciones.

A las 12:25, me paré y apuradamente recogí todas mis cosas. Gruñí con exasperación cuando me di cuenta de que mi envuelto agridulce asiático había dejado una gran mancha de salsa agridulce asiática por toda mi camisa blanca. Irritada, solo tuve tiempo de pasar unas cuantas servilletas encima de la mancha mientras corría hacia el edificio de m endoza para mi clase de las 12:30. m e sentía espinosa y pegajosa mientras me sentaba en mi clase de estadística. m e preguntaba qué habrá sido la primera cosa que mi compañera de alado había notado sobre mí hoy: ¿ s erán las manchas en mi camisa y la humedad de mi ropa? ¿ s erá que puede oler las sobras de mi almuerzo flotando a mi alrededor? ¿ o será que se distrajo por mis colochos esponjosos y solo medio secos?

s alí de m endoza pisoteando con solo diez minutos para correr a m ain b uilding para mi última clase del día ( c iudadanías y América). e staba lloviendo otra vez – la lluvia se sentía como una neblina fría y fuerte que volaba hacia el lado gracias a un viento implacable. s e me hacía difícil ver mi pantalla mientras trataba de ver los mensajes en mi celular.

Y ahí, en medio de la lluvia de febrero, vi una respuesta de v ictoria:

“ e s libre.”

Frené mis pasos, parándome dentro de un charco.

“ e sta fuera, Gracie. e stoy montada en un avión

Y ahí estaba yo, refunfuñando por un poco de lluvia, unas cuantas manchas, unos chicles olvidados y mi cabello esponjoso. m ientras yo me quejaba, mi amiga v ictoria iba en camino a ver a su papá por la primera vez en más de diecinueve meses. d e repente, me olvidé por completo de la lluvia, las manchas, los chicles y mi pelo.

La palabra “sonder,” en inglés, es una palabra que abarca la idea de que cada ser humano — cada uno de los ocho millones de nosotros — está pasando por el día de hoy con una experiencia completamente diferente. La lluvia de febrero me trajo unos cuantos inconvenientes pequeños. Para v ictoria, le trajo a su papá. e lla se enteró de la noticia esa misma mañana y compró su pasaje de avión inmediatamente. e lla caminaba por la tristeza con una sonrisa llena de esperanza. 611 días. h abían pasado 611 días desde que ella había visto a su papa, desde que había agarrado su mano, desde que había escuchado su voz. 611 días desde que él había sido robado de ella. 611 días él había estado en una celda en n icaragua, todo por usar su voz para traerle luz a todas las injusticias políticas de su país. 611 días en la cárcel sin ningún tan solo crimen cometido.

v ictoria, quien también tuvo que lidiar con el pelo mojado además de terrible dolor, ansiedad y frustración, logró enfrentar cada uno de estos 611 días con un corazón amable, una voz suave y una forma de ser tan cariñosa. e lla es buena con todos y mala con nadie. e s una artista, una fanática de Trader Joe’s y una amante de la música.

Y yo – yo fui tonta. d eje que estas incomodidades insignificantes arruinaran un día que me habían otorgado – un día lleno de privilegio. Que suerte tengo de que mis peores inconvenientes son la lluvia, las manchas, los chicles y el pelo esponjoso. Que la lluvia de febrero se lleve mis quejas, y que los cielos se aclaren enteros para v ictoria mientras ella logra reunirse con su padre.

English translation:

I arrived to my 9:30 on Thursday with hair sopping wet, dribbling down my white turtleneck, as if I’d swam through s t. m ary’s Lake to make it to b ond h all. b reathless, uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed, I wondered how every other student in the entire school had each been prudent enough to pack umbrellas.

A rain in February is uncommon. A rain in February in s outh b end, Indiana is inconceivable. As I sat through my Theology two lecture on s t. b enedict of n ursia, my still sodden hair dripping over my desk and soaking my clothes, the rain lingered on outside. It fell quietly.

b y 10:45, the sky had cleared to a pleasant blue. The notorious n otre d ame “permacloud” was chased away by a pale, early s pring sun.

d uring my morning workout, I was annoyed to find that my usual exercise machine was taken. e ven more annoying — I‘d forgotten to restock my trident gum I always kept snug in my backpack.

At noon, still damp (and now gum-less and smelling of overcompensating deodorant), I made my way to d ecio hall for lunch. I got a sweet Asian wrap and crunched on it distractedly as I scrolled through my texts. o ne, from my sister m ia, read: “I saw this n YT post about political prisoners in n icaragua being set free. Are any of them your friend’s dad?”

I read the article. I told m ia the article didn’t mention v ictoria’s dad, then sent a text to v ic asking how she was doing and that I was thinking of her family and praying for them.

At 12:25, I stood up and scrambled my stuff together. I let out a groan in exasperation as I realized that the sweet Asian wrap had dripped its sweet Asian sauce all down my white turtleneck. Irritated, I had only enough time to snatch a few napkins and dab at myself hastily as I raced off to m endoza for my 12:30.

I sat through my stats class feeling very prickly and very sticky. I wondered what my classmate next to me had noticed first —had she seen the stains on my shirt and noticed the dampness of my clothing? d id she smell the remnants of my lunch wafting around me? o r was she too distracted by my frizzy, half dried curls?

I stomped out of m endoza with only 10 minutes to race to the m ain b uilding for my final class of the day ( c itizenship and America). It was raining again — a cold, harsh mist blown sideways by an unforgiving wind. It made it difficult to see my screen as I scanned my texts.

And then, there, grumbling in the February rain, a response from v ictoria:

“ h e’s free.”

I halted, stopping suddenly inside a puddle.

“ h e’s out, Gracie. I’m on a plane to dc right now. h e’s free.”

There I was, grumbling over a little rain, a couple of stains, a forgotten piece of gum, and a frizzy head of hair. While I’d been complaining, my friend v ictoria was going to see her dad for the first time in over 19 months. s uddenly, the rain, the stains, the gum and the hair were forgotten.

s onder is a word which encompasses the realization that every single human — all eight billion of us — is experiencing the day entirely differently. The February rain had brought me a few minor inconveniences. For v ictoria, it brought her father.

s he got word that morning and bought her flight immediately. s he’d waded through the dreariness with a hopeful smile. 611 days. It had been 611 days since she’d seen her dad, since she’d held his hand, since she’d heard his voice. 611 days since he’d been stolen from her. 611 he’d been in that n icaraguan prison cell, all for using his voice to point out the injustices in his home country. 611 days in prison for no crime committed.

v ictoria — who had to deal with wet hair as well as an overwhelming grief, anxiety and frustration — managed to face each of these 611 days with a kind heart, a soft voice and a careful, comforting nature. s he is good to all and unkind to none. s he is a sketcher, a Trader Joe’s frequent and a lover of music.

And I — I am silly. I let all those trivial annoyances ruin a day that I had been given — a day full of privilege. h ow lucky I am that the worst inconveniences in my day should be rain, stains, gum and frizzy hair. Let the February rain wash away my grumbles, and let the skies clear over v ictoria as she reunites with her father.

Gracie Eppler is a sophomore Business Analytics and English major from St. Louis, MO. Her three top three things ever to exist are 70’s music, Nutella and Smith Studio 3, where she can be found dancing. Reach her at geppler@nd.edu.

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

Overcoming purgatory

Pablo Lacayo reliable ramblings

At the start of my senior year, I had just emerged from a ten-week stint living in northwest Arkansas. I had finished a productive internship that gave me good insights into what working in finance looks like in the professional world and was looking forward to kicking off my last year of college on a strong note. during the summer, I had plenty of time to reflect on my first three years at notre dame, and craft an idea of what my final chapter in south bend would look like. Priorities naturally shift over time, and I wanted to invest all the time I had available into solidifying my existing friendships and authentically connecting with the people that came to define the essence of my notre dame experience.

naturally, a fall semester is abuzz with activity and excitement. The late summer weather has everybody in a good mood, and it is very easy to maintain a busy social life when the sun sets after 9 p.m. and you do not have to worry about wrapping yourself in thousands of layers of warm clothing to make the frigidly dreadful walk between your dorm and debart. Football consumes the better part of most weekends, and somehow, there is always something to do. This past fall, I was also busy recruiting for a full-time job, which kept me pretty busy preparing for interviews and scootering to and from the career center dressed in a full suit. The fall was a wonderful time, and the combination of recruiting, college football, going out three nights a week, halloween, the midterm elections, the nFL, and the FIFA World cup were more than enough to make it one of the most memorable fifteen weeks of my time as an undergraduate. The fall steadily marched to a satisfactory conclusion in december, and before I knew it I found myself on a plane back to nicaragua for the first time in a year.

After three weeks back home in nicaragua, and a jam-packed ten days of activities during my roommate ryan’s whirlwind visit to the country, I was back in south bend on the verge of starting my last trip around the Golden dome. As soon as I got here, it was evident that things felt different. Firstly, I am finished with both my major and minor. Instead of the usual load of mendoza classes that had me banging my head against the walls of the Library late at night, I found myself with a straight flush of electives. The classes are all on topics I find interesting and can sometimes be very passionate about, but the departure from the usual mendoza routine was extremely off-putting. The transition away from number crunching into learning about the ins and outs of chinese politics, cosmology, or the history of the crusades was a weird one, as the essence of the classes is fundamentally different. Furthermore, knowing with certainty what the contents of the next chapter of my life are going to entail, I felt encouraged to simply coast through my last months in college without much care for divorcing from the routines and habits of the previous seven semesters. After all, what’s one more semester working nights running plates out of ndh’s dish room, sneaking through the Keenan basement for a late-night slice from ’Zaland and liturgically timing the doing of my laundry with stanford’s sunday mass? The answer is simple: a bad idea.

This time around, the very things I found entertaining for so long felt quite limiting. I came to the conclusion that life needs to be spiced up, to avoid making my final weeks at notre dame the same as the ones that preceded them. college should never feel like purgatory and I became determined to slash whatever felt constraining with activities that make the days seem more invigorating. As my friends jokingly put it, “life’s become one large collection of side-quests.” After all, it’s more amusing to convince your freshman neighbor to run for hall president in exchange for running his campaign than to spend yet another night stuck in the library for hours on end. It’s better to pick where to have lunch based on spinning a wheel rather than mindlessly marching into the dining hall to get a quesadilla for the fourth day in a row. It’s also better to spend your saturdays exploring south bend’s restaurants and finding things to do rather than laying in bed and watching reruns of some series you got hooked on halfway through high school for the fifth time

Time at notre dame is limited. most of us will only ever get four years, and then be ushered out into the real world. even when the clock is ticking and the end is near, one should not allow life here to transform itself into a dull purgatory, where you’re just spending your days waiting for something to arrive and a new chapter to begin, be it spring break, an internship in a far off city you’ve never lived in, graduation or the next The Last of Us episode so air on hbomax. There is meaning and satisfaction to experience and extract every day. I have done my best to do so in the 1,200 days I have spent at notre dame since my freshman year, and I should continue to do so in the less than 90 days I have left here.

Pablo Lacayo is a senior at Notre Dame, majoring in finance while minoring in Chinese. He enjoys discussing current affairs, giving out bowl plates at the dining hall, walking around the lakes and karaoke. You can reach him at placayo@nd.edu.

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

back to the bend

In a vain effort to exhibit some control over my life, I drew up daily schedules to manage my time and efforts more efficiently. however, I found myself constantly amending, constantly crossing out time allotments and creating new ones. After a few attempts, I gave up and winged it for the remaining days. Fortunately, the damage to my soul and body did not negatively impact my grades. I did well!

I copied verbatim my schedule of the day oct. 24, from the pink journal, a planner, that I carry around with me everywhere. order. structure. control. Those words describe how I prefer my days. Truthfully, it is much less prefer but more so need. I need a schedule to direct my day, otherwise I fall apart. I fall victim to procrastination, forgetfulness and laziness. creating a schedule is the only method that I have ever known to uphold a lasting structure for the day. of course, I often amend the schedule in cases of a workout running too long or meals eaten swifter than anticipated. I acknowledge that my method of calculating the day minute by minute, even meals, is somewhat ridiculous, overkill perhaps, so I accept all criticism willingly. I realize that my system is imperfect, and in light of first semester culminating in finals, I recount how the imperfections are increasingly apparent.

now that I think about it. Winter break in middle school was a complete and utter joke. I spent countless hours mastering multiplication tables with tacit understanding and labored on the P.e. grass field running for multiple touchdowns in a 20-minute pick-up football game. I certainly needed three weeks of nothingness to recover from the academic and physical strain. now I concede it is essential to allow time to spend with family during christmastime, but I seriously doubt middle schoolers need that extensive of a break from recess. I can apply the same principle to high school, substituting with algebra and maybe baseline calculus. however, college is a different story. There is legitimate academic and physical strain that I had never priorly experienced in my formative education.

In the final week of my first semester in college, I was soulless, as many are. I descended into insanity. The long hours of mindlessly reading texts summarily rotted my brain as I began adding newly created curse words to the english dictionary to encapsulate my present feelings. I engaged in dialogue with my imaginary microeconomics studypartner named nash, with whom I also had countless laughs all in the silence of my room. my diet primarily consisted of animal crackers inhabiting large cylindrical tubs and dining hall cheesecake slices stuffed into to-go cups (you can comfortably fit four slices into a single cup). I never claimed to be an exemplar of healthy lifestyle.

moving forward, I needed this winter break. I was exhausted like never before, craving rest, warm weather and quality food. I thought I needed weeks to restore my mind and body, but I felt normal after about three days. I visited friends from high school to catch up, but then what? I ate delicious tacos and barbecued meats, but then what? I slept in plenty and played video games, but then what next? each day melted into the subsequent one until my memory could not decipher either. creating a schedule completely slipped my mind since I abandoned it amid the chaos of finals weeks. I wandered day to day with no direction other than mindlessly repeating the same actions of the day before, invariably feeling frustrated for the lack of productivity. I lacked purpose and the structure that college life provides. I was conditioned, even addicted, to the hustle and bustle of work. Perhaps, this is indicative to the faults of capitalism or even the consequences of the industrial revolution, but I will save that discussion for another article.

Upon arrival back to campus, I attempted to rationalize my boredom during winter break with friends but to no avail. everyone seemed reluctant to be back, savoring every moment of rest and activity during break. Perhaps, I am the only one who dislikes sleeping in or doing absolutely nothing. I was further disenfranchised upon seeing the numerous Instagram posts lamenting their longing of the dome or to be back at the bend since I could not accurately verify if we desired the same thing.

Thinking deeper about the subject, I question whether it was the nature of how I spent my time at home or the duration of winter break that caused my laziness. I do not know. but I know for certain an imperfection in my system of schedulemaking. I found that my life falls apart when I try too hard to keep my life in order, as in the case of finals week, and my life also falls apart when I do not try at all. If I posed a scale of 1-100 about how much effort I ought to exert in making a controlled day, I would say 78.

I offer my story of finals and winter break as a guideline for you to learn from my own mistakes. Perhaps, you are like me in that you value a structured day and purpose. Perhaps, you prefer just seizing the day, full sending it. And in that case, I do not get you.

Jonah Tran is a first-year at Notre Dame double majoring in Finance and Economics and minoring in Classics. Although fully embracing the notorious title of a “Menbroza,” he prides himself on being an Educated Young Southern Gentleman. You can contact Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu.

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

Jonah Tran de republica

By AYDEN KOWALSKI scene Writer

The s uper b owl h alftime s how is a nearly impossible task: crunch a discography of globally recognized anthems into thirteen minutes with incredibly complex choreography, iconic stage design and a moment that will remain imprinted on the American consciousness. o n top of that, one must do this in an extremely normative manner. s ince Jay-Z has partnered with the n FL for the production, the shows have been consistently good, and for the most part, r ihanna’s show falls within these conventions. The best element of the show is r ihanna as a performer, who elevates above the production’s weaknesses to stand as a beacon of inspiration.

As was the case for last year’s halftime show, the stage runs horizontally across the field and is extremely minimalistic. For a concert based historically on spectacle, this stage does not serve this end. The floating platforms, however, absolutely do, even if they look like a s uper s mash b ros. stage. They provide a sense of wonder, whether it is the background dancers or r ihanna herself utilizing them. The show uses almost only red and white coloring, with r ihanna in a

stunning red suit and the supporting dancers in very strange white suits that at times make them look like cotton candy. A larger color palette could have helped with the bombast that was the show.

The choreography of the performance does not match the spectacle of the event, either. r ihanna is pregnant, which probably inspired her smaller choreography, which she aces. When an entire army of m ichelin tire mascots is all following the small moves, however, it doesn’t create a sense of size for the performance. s ince this performance does not commit to intimacy, the group dancing should be explosive, and it is not. There are some strong moments, such as the shots of dancers on the floating platforms defying gravity with their moves, or the intro to “ r ude b oy”, where the camera floats through a line of dancers who show out for the camera before darting away, adding to the kinetic moment.

r ihanna herself is spectacular. h er voice has a rare combination of beauty, vulnerability and might that can match practically any song. s he doesn’t need much choreography for her presence to be felt. When she scrunches up her face in recognition of the power of the songs or teasingly smiles at the camera, that is more than enough.

The songs are mostly excellent, with the outstanding musical passage being the transposed chorus of “All of the Lights”. Perhaps “ s tay” or “Love on the b rain” could have taken the place of one of the songs here, giving the show more tonal variety (also, “Love on the b rain” is an s -tier song in recorded music).

r ihanna, of course, is achieving all of this while pregnant, and this is where the inspiration of the show stands. There is an all-too-common conception that motherhood demands passivity precludes devotion to anything personal and somehow divorces mothers from any sensuality.

In r ihanna’s s uper b owl performance, she is an undeniable counterexample to this reductionist line of thought. h ere, a mother is ferocious, cool, sexy and triumphant, flying above tens of thousands of people with the whole country fixated on her brilliance. Yes, the show may have its technical flaws, and the costume design for the backup dancers is ludicrous. b ut this is a s uper b owl h alftime s how with something to say: mothers are not constricted and deprived of elements of their humanity, but motherhood only adds to all that they are.

Contact Ayden at akowals2@nd.edu

By NICOLE BILYAK scene Writer

b ritish pop singer s am s mith has not released a studio album in nearly three years since “Love Goes” graced the charts. s mith came out as nonbinary in 2019, just one year before “Love Goes” was released. Then nothing was heard from them for a while until 2022 when s mith announced the release of their fourth studio album “Gloria.”

The album was released on Jan. 27, 2023. “Gloria” clocks in at just over thirty-three minutes long, with thirteen tracks that feature some well-known artists collaborating with s mith including s cottish d J c alvin h arris and fellow e nglish singer-songwriter e d s heeran. Along with h arris and s heeran, s mith collaborated with German transgender singer Kim Petras for one track.

The first track to be released for “Gloria” was the album’s first song titled, “Love m e m ore”, which was described by “ r olling s tone” as a “self-empowering anthem”. b ut the one song that shot to the top of the charts was the album’s sixth track titled “Unholy”. This song was considered one of the most sexually charged songs in the album. “Unholy” had a music video that was released on s ept. 30, 2022 and features a woman who is following her husband after suspecting

him of cheating to a cabaret-style show called “The b ody s hop,” with s mith serving as the show’s master of ceremonies.

The album also features several tracks that are under two minutes long. Among those tracks, there is one song that is the title of the album. “Gloria” is a beautiful gospel song that actually does not involve s mith themself. If you listen to the song closely, you can hear s mith vocalizing while the gospel choir is the star of the song. There are also two interludes that are not even thirty seconds long. The first of these interludes, “ h urting Interlude,” contains excerpts from a news anchor who covered the first Pride celebration in the 1970s and the second interlude, “ d orothy’s Interlude,” contains segments from several films that depicted the LG b TQIA+ community, including d ivine from John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos”, Judy Garland from “The Wizard of o z,” a speech by s ylvia r ivera from a 1973 gay liberation rally and the 1991 documentary “Paris is b urning.”

This album really depicted being different and what it is like to be a part of the LG b TQIA+ community. s ince s mith and Petras (who appears on the album) are considered members of the community, many of the tracks depicted self-acceptance. It also explored s mith’s upbringing of being a queer c atholic in their childhood. m any

of the tracks on the album had a noticeable religious vibe to them, including “ n o God”, the album’s second track.

o f course, this album is not without a load of controversy. In the weeks after the album was released, s mith and Petra performed “Unholy” at many awards shows, most notably at the b rit Awards this past s aturday. This sparked several discussions about s mith’s clothing choice of wearing a huge leather blowup suit and extremely large boots that actually depicted s mith as an auto-shop worker. m any of those who viewed the performance described it as being very raunchy since the song is, as stated above, sexually charged and made to seem like a song that could be performed at a strip club.

I personally loved this album. I have been a huge s am s mith fan ever since their first song “ s tay With m e” was released almost a decade ago. This album really speaks to me since I was brought up c atholic and I loved all of the little details that s mith brought up in all of the songs. e very song had a loud message that needed to be shouted from the highest hill.

For what it was worth, “Gloria” was definitely the breath of fresh air that s am s mith needed and hopefully fans feel the same way as well.

Contact

By AMANDA DEMPSON scene Writer

o n s aturday, h arry s tyles attended the b rit Awards — now several years after going solo — to accept Artist of the Year. Around this same time 10 years ago, all five members of o ne d irection took the stage to accept the Global s uccess Award following a wild year of touring and new music. s tyles had much to say this weekend as he added to his ever-growing list of accolades, and fans were quick to pick up on it.

After taking home three wins at the 2023 Grammy Awards, s tyles faced backlash for saying that “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often.” As a white, cisgender male in a notoriously patriarchal industry, many found his statement to be tone-deaf. h owever, s tyles clarified this past weekend that he is “very aware of his privilege” in his response to the firm public reaction. With no women nominated for the category, although eligible and deserving, many felt slighted by the academy once again. h arry ended his speech by dedicating his award to b ecky h ill, Florence and the m achine, m abel, c harlie X c X and r ina

s awayama — female artists that many deemed worthy of being nominated. h owever, s tyles didn’t end there.

The boyband o ne d irection became a worldwide sensation in 2010 after being grouped together on popular b ritish T v show “The X-Factor,” and their rise to stardom never slowed. h owever, after their split in 2016, fans have been attentive to any and all interactions between the members.

While there were many notable parts of s tyles’ speech, the crowd erupted after he thanked his former bandmates Liam, n iall, Louis and Zayn. All members pursued solo careers after their split, remaining attached to music in one way or another and taking time to build their lives beyond the band. To fans, however, it often feels as though the members aren’t nearly as close as they used to be, and their splintered relationships seem to be the only coverage they get nowadays. Zayn m alik, the catalyst of their disbandment, left the group first and faced heat following his decision.

While it’s a touchy subject for the group, s tyles looks fondly upon his days in o ne d irection. h e even thanked his mother in his speech for “signing him up for X-Factor” because he

wouldn’t have made it to such a stage if she hadn’t. Fans were not only caught off guard at s tyles’ mention of o ne d irection at the awards, but they were also struck with the nostalgia of the moment. With the fandom still strong several years later, “ d irectioners” hold tight to the hope that the group may one day reunite.

In the meantime, s tyles’ solo career continues to grow as he adds to his discography, most recently with his albums “ h arry’s h ouse” and “Fine Line.” Within the past couple years, h arry s tyles has been incredibly active, working to build his own image in the entertainment world. Liam Payne and n iall h oran took to Twitter to congratulate him on his win and — although the others haven’t said anything publicly — fans are hopeful that they at least saw it. n ot only did h arry’s ode to o ne d irection warm the hearts of fans all over the world, but his speech highlighted just how much he has accomplished within his career thus far, both alone and as a former member of one of the world’s biggest boy bands.

Contact Amanda Dempson at adempson@nd.edu

By CLAIRE LYONS

Associate scene editor

Is emo dead, or am I just getting old?

As of last weekend, Pierce the veil and Paramore are back on the s cene, baby! b ut as I listened to their new releases, I was wondering — should they be?

When Pierce the veil and Paramore announced their upcoming albums, I was as excited as any former emo kid. I have pictures of myself in the bad eyeliner and band tees to prove it. I grew up jamming to the sick guitar on “ c araphernelia” and h ayley William’s powerful belts on “All I Wanted.” s omething about the energetic production and screaming really “got” me. They were just some of the bands that could externalize my teen angst. The bands that got me out of my head. The bands that got me dancing or yelling in my volvo. The bands that saved my life (in a way).

And sue me, I’m loyal. s o, of course, I was going to listen to whatever Pierce the veil and Paramore were releasing on Feb. 10.

Pierce the veil was clearly reinvigorated in late 2022 by a a viral Tiktok trend that landed their 10-year-old hit, “King for a d ay,” a n o. 1 place on the hard rock charts. Inspired by the

persevering love of their fans and their sudden launch back into pop-culture relevancy, the band got back in the recording studio to release their first album in nearly seven years.

“The Jaws of Life” has some bangers — the single “Pass the n irvana,” the opener “ d eath of an e xecutioner” and a “Friday n ight Lights” sample in “ r esilience.” b ut overall, I was underwhelmed. The album lost some of the characteristic s panish musical influences that made the s an d iego-based punk band so unique. In “ s hared Trauma,” they use a low-effort trap beat to back up some low-effort lyrics. (Insert former Interim s cene e ditor scowl of disapproval.) d on’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with changing up your sound, but at least do it with some integrity. I’m not convinced that this is Pierce the veil “at their most raw.” If so, “ c ollide with the s ky” must be a live animal, kicking and screaming.

Like Pierce the veil, Paramore released “This Is Why” six years after their last album. n o doubt, Tiktok has been inspiring Williams and bandmates to come back to the spotlight. The band is also touring for the first time in ages. m any fans had thought they had broken up.

“This Is Why” finds its footing in the latter half of the album with quiet and clean

instrumental tones that bring all the attention to Williams’ gorgeous low-register crooning. It’s reminiscent of Williams’ solo career and Paramore’s early days a la “ b rand n ew e yes” circa 2009. The most popular songs, “This is Why” and “ c ’est c omme c a,” sound juvenile in comparison. The new album is more true to old Paramore than “The Jaws of Life” is to old Pierce the veil, but the political commentary in “This Is Why” is definitely shy of scathing.

We’ve been through a lot the past six or seven years. cov I d -19. b lack Lives m atter.

January 6. v ic Fuentes of Pierce the veil kicked his brother out of the band due to sexual assault allegations. h ayley Williams went through a divorce. I started college which is an incredibly minor event in comparison.

We’ve all grown up a little bit, and maybe, just maybe, I’ve grown out of my emo phase. If I want to get out my angst about society, I now listen to c heekface. If I’m stressing about my love life, I listen to the sweet sounds of e thel c ain. Tastes change. b ands evolve. And although I’m disappointed by the recent releases from Pierce the veil and Paramore, emo as a whole is still killing it.

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

Happy Birthday: Be aware of the changes around you. you’ll figure out how to turn a negative into a positive. It’s up to you to create opportunities and take responsibility for your happiness. Be open about your plans and how you intend to use your skills to increase your income. A resourceful approach to life will make the changes you face easier. your numbers are 4, 12, 22, 29, 34, 40, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Connect with people you know you can count on, then create a plan. A joint venture will offer greater opportunities than you anticipate, helping with cash flow and long-term effects. Surprise everyone with your ingenuity; you will impress someone influential.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you ask questions, you will find out what you want to know. It might be easier to make decisions once you know where you stand and what others are willing to contribute. Maintaining equality will be essential to making progress.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do what others expect and move on to the things you enjoy doing most. Think about the process involved in reaching your target. you’ll be able to draw on your experience and knowledge to get things done in record time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Accept what’s happening around you. Change can be good if you structure it properly. Be part of whatever transition is heading your way; it will be easier for you to carry on without setbacks or concerns. Express your love for someone special.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take responsibility, alter what you don’t like and push forward until you are satisfied with the results. Put time aside to spend with someone special. The discussion you have will decide what comes next. live in the moment and enjoy life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): keep your message consistent. reaching out beyond the call of duty can make a difference for someone less fortunate than you. love is in the stars and will motivate you to do fun things with someone special.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Watch your step, but keep moving toward your destination. Be observant and research opportunities. Dedicate your time, skills and experience to something that interests you. Discuss emotional issues in person.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): your imagination won’t disappoint you. If you find a way to please someone you love, your gesture will get a standing ovation. It’s Ok to think big, but don’t go over budget when it comes to following through. have fun, but play it safe.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Channel emotional energy into something meaningful. Show how much you care, share your intentions and be open and honest about life. Change begins with you; refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans or push you in an undesired direction.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be true to yourself and do things to suit your needs. A unique approach will give you the edge you need to outmaneuver anyone who cares to stand in your way. Share your intentions and spice up your personal life. romance is encouraged.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Igive your all, and something good will transpire. Aggressive action will help tie up loose ends while you outmaneuver anyone who gets in your way. Trust in your ability, follow your heart and pursue the people and pastimes you love.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Precision and honoring your promises will draw others to your side. you’ll gain support and assistance if you know what will help you pursue your goals. Size up situations and leave nothing to chance. An optimistic attitude will attract a positive response.

Birthday Baby: you are courageous, inventive and trendy. you are willful and competent.

three more runs in the fifth, and n otre d ame cruised to the 8-2 victory. In the weekend finale, the Irish got off the field early, taking home a 9-1 mercy-rule victory over m emphis in six innings.

n otre d ame put a fivespot on the board in the top of the first inning, providing b ecker with plenty of run support.

Graduate student shortstop Lexi o rozoco started the scoring with a tworun single. b ecker started her day with four shutout

frames before giving up a single blemish in the fifth.

n otre d ame responded quickly with a four-run sixth inning, and Kastor polished off the game with a scoreless inning to secure the mercy-rule victory.

Junior infielder m ac

v asquez plated a pair in her only at-bat of the contest, sparking the big sixth inning.

The Irish will prepare to take on the b ig Ten/A cc challenge next, where they’ll play four games in c lemson, s outh c arolina.

They’ll play o hio s tate

or less.

h eading into Tuesday’s late-night matchup, the Irish were 12-point underdogs playing away in a hostile d uke environment. The team was determined to set the tone early, however, with an early 7-0 run allowing them to keep up with their opponents.

Following this run, shot selection became a problem for n otre d ame as they could not seem to find a rhythm as a team.

With only one assist in the first half in comparison to d uke’s nine, the team mainly operated in the mid-range area, scoring from fadeaways and jumpshots. This highlighted a greater issue, as well, as the Irish only made one shot beyond the arc in the first.

d espite this, d uke only held a narrow eight-point lead heading into the second.

This came as a result of effective defending on the other end of the court.

d espite five turnovers in the first, good transition defense from n otre d ame only allowed for two points off of these mistakes. h ead coach m ike b rey’s choice to use a zone-defensive scheme also forced turnovers and defended the three-ball well.

In the second half, the team showed more potential, playing well on both ends.

n otre d ame was having a block party on defense, with a total five swats from freshman forward v en-Allen Lubin, graduate guard c ormac r yan and graduate forward n ate Laszewski.

In turn, they converted on the fast-break chances that were created.

o ne rejection from r yan allowed him to race down the floor and find Laszweski for an open three.

the Irish. h ome-court advantage seemed to prevail.

Late into the game, Goodwin scored 17 straight points to cut the deficit to just four. The graduate guard ended the second half perfect from the field, making shots from all areas of the court.

h owever, d uke was able to capitalize on some late game-deciding errors from the Irish. After having a career-high night with 33 points last game against v irginia Tech, Laszewski fouled out late in the second when the game was within two possessions. This came as an unfortunate turn for the team, as his presence as a scoring threat would have helped in the final minutes of the game.

h owever, the Irish remained composed as excellent plays from Lubin and s tarling brought the game within reach. An emphatic block from Lubin led to a transition threepointer from s tarling with a minute to go.

s oon after, a Lubin putback layup after an offensive rebound narrowed the lead to two points. Unfortunately, as it seemed throughout the game, n otre d ame was close enough to win, but d uke put the game away with free throws.

d uke was led by star freshman Kyle Filipowski, who scored 22 points for the night.

In his post-game interview, Filipowski shared respect for the competition, stating: “All credit to n otre d ame — they’re a great team.

They’re very experienced, and their record doesn’t show how good they actually are. We knew it was going to be a battle.”

The game was also emotional for d uket marked the return of legendary head coach m ike Krzyzewski, who retired last season after his 42nd year with the team.

twice and the n o. 13 n orthwestern Wildcats twice.

The Wildcats went to the c ollege s oftball World s eries last year.

n otre d ame’s first game of the weekend will start at noon on Friday against o hio s tate.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

This ball movement and execution of opportunities highlighted an improved Irish offense in the second. The scoring was led by graduate guard d ane Goodwin who was two points shy of matching his career-high with 25 points.

Goodwin, who was benched this game in place of s tarling, took off in the second half, helping n otre d ame keep up with a powerful d uke offense that just kept coming on strong to

b rey served on his coaching staff from 1987-1995 as an assistant before eventually joining the Irish in 2000.

The Irish look to get some late-season momentum in their next game after losing eight of their last nine matches.

m oving on from this loss, n otre d ame continues their road trip against v irginia this s aturday at 12 p.m..

Contact Nicolas Morles at nmorles@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer Irish graduate guard Trey Wertz gets air in a layup attempt. Wertz contributed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s 72-68 overtime win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in McCamish Pavilion on Jan. 8 2022.

Irish prepare for Northwestern

By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate s ports e ditor

After a dominating game against s an d iego s tate, the n o. 14 n otre d ame women’s lacrosse team is back in action on Thursday, Feb. 16 to play against n o. 5 n orthwestern.

The Wildcats are n otre d ame’s first ranked opponent on the season, and this matchup will mark as a litmus test for the Irish moving forward.

While n otre d ame won their first game of the season, n orthwestern dropped 16-15 to then n o. 5 s yracuse on the road. n orthwestern was favored at n o. 4. While the score ultimately didn’t fall in their favor, the Wildcats were aggressive and goal hungry the entirety of the game. n ow back at their home field, n orthwestern is ready for n otre d ame’s arrival.

Although n otre d ame is ranked lower than n orthwestern, they have a roster stacked with talent, and a history of tough competition. Last season, the Irish lost five out of 10 of their losses by less than two points. o ut of all of their losses, only two were unranked.

o ne of these “one goal losses” came when n orthwestern traveled to s outh b end.

The Wildcats came out hot, scoring five goals to n otre d ame’s two in the first quarter. The Irish then outscored n orthwestern 5-4 in the second quarter, just to have the Wildcats outscore the Irish 5-4 in the third.

It all came down to the fourth quarter, where the Irish tried to fight for victory but fell short, ultimately losing 17-16.

b oth teams have not graduated a lot, and return a high level of play and seniority. From last year, n orthwestern has lost two of their highest scorers, Lauren Gilbert and Jill Girardi. h owever, they return their third highest scorer e rin c oykendall, as well as a load of other tough seniors the Irish will have to face.

While c oykendall only scored once in the Wildcat’s match against s yracuse, n orthwestern had two players score five goals: Izzy s cane and m adison Taylor.

s cane comes off of injury from 2022, however she has been an important player

for the Wildcats in past seasons.

Taylor is a freshman from Wantaugh, n Y, and she is already making her presence known.

e ven with these two powerhouses working together, n otre d ame has a deep roster ready to fight.

The senior trio of midfielder Kasey c homa, attack m adison Ahern and attack Jackie Wolak combined 215 points on last season. This year, they are also back and scoring early and often. Against s an d iego s tate, Ahern had four goals and one assist, Wolak had two goals and two assists and c homa had three goals. They are accompanied by junior midfielder m ary Kelly d oherty, who also scored.

n otre d ame has a tough defense as well, with their new starter junior goalie Lilly c allahan.

c allahan had to sit idly waiting as former 2022 preseason All-A cc goalie b ridget d eehan had her moment.

n ow, c allahan is prepared to take the reins, and she proved it in her battle against s an d iego s tate. c allahan had a .818 save percentage against s an d iego s tate, and out of the fifteen games she has played for the Irish, she has tallied 30 saves with a .652 save percentage. h owever, c allahan faces her toughest challenge yet against n orthwestern.

s enior e mma s chettig is also a backbone to the Irish defense.

o n Friday, she won three ground balls and earned three draw controls.

While their match against n orthwestern will be the first ranked opponent of the season, it will definitely not be their last.

The A cc is the toughest division in division one women’s lacrosse. The Irish face seven ranked opponents before they have a chance at the A cc tournament. While the Irish have had a losing streak against ranked opponents in the past, it has almost always been by close games.

The Irish start off their journey to the A cc and nc AA tournament this Thursday against n o. 5 n orthwestern. n otre d ame will travel to e vanston, IL where the game will start 7 p.m. es T.

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

2 o T and won 99-93.

The win is the first time in program history that the s aints have played in double-overtime. It is also the

first time they have won in double overtime.

The s aints’ win improved their overall record to 12-14 (8-11). The s aints currently sit in ninth, just outside the conference playoff, half a game back to eighth place Governors s treet.

The s aints will resume their season when they play out-of-conference foe e ast-West University on Feb. 15 at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish junior midfield Mary Kelly Doherty cradles the ball in the Irish’s matchup against Pitt on April 16, 2022. The Irish came out winners in this contest, besting the Panthers 19-7 at home in South Bend.

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish junior midfield Keelin Schlageter pushes past the defense in the Irish’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Schlageter helped contribute to the Irish’s 19-7 win on April 16, 2022.

HCC WomEN’S BASkEtBAll

Saints sweep St. Ambrose at home

By TOM ZWILLER s ports Writer

The h oly c ross women’s basketball team played their final home game of the year against s aint a mbrose University on s aturday.

The s aints opened their game with a disastrous four-minute span that saw them trail 9-0 early. a fter a 30-second timeout, however, the s aints collected themselves and, thanks in part to critical free throws by freshman forward e lizabeth e dmonds, led 1817 after the first.

The second quarter saw the Fighting b ees reclaim the lead with an 8-3 run. b ut, the s aints then found their rhythm from behind the arc as they made three consecutive three-point shots and built up an eightpoint lead with just a minute remaining in the half.

The Fighting b ees lived up to their name and fought to close the gap as the second quarter expired, forcing turnovers from h oly c ross on consecutive possessions. d espite a shaky start and finish to the first half, the s aints lead 36-35. a fter the break, the game was all h oly c ross. o nce senior guard Jayda m iller hit a three to put the s aints up six, s t. a mbrose failed to get within five for the rest of the game and the s aints built up a double-digit lead for much of the third.The s aints put on cruise control in the fourth quarter and increased their lead to 20, with the Fighting b ees failing to go on any kind of run. The s aints won their final competition at home and got to claim their 15th win after an 81-62 thrashing of s t. a mbrose.

With this win over s t. a mbrose, the s aints improve to 15-12 on the year and 10-9 in conference play. The s aints are in seventh place in the ccac with a 1.5-game lead on the eighth-place r oosevelt Lakers.

The win also assures that the s aints will finish the year with a program alltime winning percentage. s hould the team win their final game, they will finish the year with a 16-12 record, a winning percentage of .571. s hould the team lose, they would finish 1513 (.536).

The previous all-time mark was set in 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 when the program finished 16-16 and 15-15, respectively (.500).

The s aints will look to

set a program high in their final game of the season when they play Trinity on the road. The game is scheduled for the 18th, but tip-off has yet to be determined.

The h oly c ross men’s team also made history when they hosted s t. a mbrose on s aturday. a fter a thrilling back-and-forth game that saw the s aints lose a six-point lead with just 14 seconds left, the game needed two overtime periods to decide a winner.

s t. a mbrose started overtime in the way they closed out regulation; by hitting a three-point dagger. s aints’ sophomores Justin o ’ n eal and n ash h ostetler then got the s aints ahead by one.

The two teams tied again at 81 and despite a s aints turnover in the last thirty seconds, the score stayed tied at 81 all, forcing the game to a second overtime.

i n the second overtime, freshman Tommy s nyder took over the game for h oly c ross. The forward scored eight consecutive points for the s aints, making two jump shots and four free throws. a fter s nyder committed his fourth personal foul and was benched, the s aints had amassed an 8983 lead with a little under two minutes remaining.

s nyder re-entered the game as the Fighting b ees got within four and he hit a three to put the game on ice. d espite the b ees’ best efforts, the s aints controlled the final minute of

c ason Wilburn are leaders also capable of posting top times.

“Jack is up at the top in all three of his events. Just really excited for him,” Lindauer said.

This meet will be the test of the i rish’s training throughout the whole season. Lindauer described some of the training techniques he has used with his swimmers such as early-morning race practices and extensive film viewing. b reaking down quality

and rehearsing for the big day have been two major priorities for Lindauer.

Though this meet is a big step in the i rish postseason, it is far from the end for some swimmers.

Lindauer’s goal for acc s — aside from performing well as a team — is to qualify as many people for the ncaa tournament as possible. a ccording to Lindauer, a meet of this caliber is the perfect opportunity to give swimmers a shot to earn these qualifying times.

“We want to bring all five relays on both genders and have multiple

ncaa qualifiers,” Lindauer said. “We can do that by going out there and doing what we can do. This is another step as we climb the ladder of meets and approach ncaa championships.”

The competition begins in Greensboro on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The 800 freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay will be first on the docket for the i rish, giving them the chance to be the best in program history and post some top finishes early on.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

Paid a dverT isemen T

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

An Irish swimmer extends off the block for a backstroke race at the Tim Welsh Classic hosted by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Rolfs Aquatic Center in South Bend, Indiana on Friday Jan. 27, 2023.

ND tRAck AND FiElD

Solomon, Ryan highlight successful weekend for Irish track and field

By NATE MOLLER s enior s ports Writer

The Irish track and field team returned to action this weekend with the majority of their athletes competing at the Windy c ity Invite in c hicago. Graduate student Kevin b erry and sophomore c arter s olomon were the two athletes that competed in the valentine’s Invitational in b oston.

The Irish had a strong showing in c hicago in the pole vault with junior n olan b lachowski taking second place with a mark of 4.94m.

The Irish also found success in the field with sophomore m adison s chmidt taking sixth place in the high jump with a mark of 1.73m.

The meet was highlighted by graduate student Katie r yan, who ran a personal best time of 2:05.50 in the 800m dash. That time set a new n otre d ame indoor track and field record.

The other mid-distance runners also had productive

days. In the men’s 800m dash, graduate student n ick m iller took fifth place with a time of 1:50.94. In the men’s 400m dash, sophomore Joey d obrydney took third place with a time of 48.21. Junior e ve b alseiro led the way for the Irish women in the same event, finishing second with a time of 55.34.

The Irish also had success in the distance events with sophomore Josh m ethner running 13:54.20 in the 5000m run. In the women’s 3000m, senior Katie Thronson took second place and set a new facility record with a time of 9:07.67.

The young talent of the Irish men’s distance squad was on full display in the mile race. They were led by freshman d aelen Ackley, who took second place with a time of 4:03.15. That was a new personal best for Ackley, cutting two seconds from his previous mile time. Freshmen c .J. s ingleton and John s chuler also had impressive showings, crossing the lines in times of 4:04.55 and 4:10.32,

respectively.

In the women’s mile, graduate student Anna s ophia Keller took sixth and set a facility record with a time of 4:37.84. s ophomore s ophie n ovak also had a strong performance in the mile, finishing with a time of 4:47.60.

In the valentine’s Invite at b oston University, sophomore c arter s olomon didn’t disappoint in the 5000m race. s olomon finished the race with a time of 13:26.11, which was good for fifth place in a highly competitive race. s olomon was the first collegiate runner to cross the line, finishing only behind professional runners. Graduate student Kevin b erry also broke 14 for the Irish, finishing the 5K race in a time of 13:52.46.

The Irish will return home this next weekend for the Alex Wilson Invitational, which will be the last regu

lar season meet of the in

door season.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

Irish gear up for ACC Championships, look ahead toward NCAA meet

By MADELINE LADD Associate s ports e ditor

The n otre d ame swimming and diving championship season kicks off this week with the A cc m en’s and Women’s c hampionships taking place February 1418 in Greensboro, n orth c arolina. Forty-two Irish men and women are ready to hit the deck down south and contend with top A cc teams. This count is composed of 18 men, 18 women and three divers on each side. h ead coach c hris Lindauer describes the team as “hungry” as they prepare to compete. For him, team environment and attitude is a priority for the weekend.

“We’ve worked really hard this year and followed the process and believed in it along the way,” Lindauer said. “I’m excited to see them swim freely and with n otre d ame passion. c ulture-wise for us, team is the number one priority and there’s nothing like swimming for your team and with your heart.”

A cc s will be the Irish freshmen’s first taste of a true college postseason

meet. Lindauer has reiterated the importance of approaching the meet with a “business trip” mindset. In other words, a professional approach toward the meet is what he feels it takes to deliver top performances.

“It’s exciting for freshmen... to give them this opportunity early on,” Lindauer said. “It’s definitely a learning experience. There’s no club meet like A cc s that they’ve been to. A cc s has more of a backyard brawl-type feel to it. A lot of this is a learning experience for the freshman and we do our best to bring them along the way and prepare them for what goes on mentally at the meet.”

Lindauer is looking toward senior leadership this week to help lead by example. This leadership team is what Lindauer describes as the “glue” that keeps the team bonded together.

“As they say, a team goes as seniors go,” Lindauer said. “Without that studentathlete upperclassmen leadership, you lose that bond,” Lindauer said. “They’re so important in helping guide this meet. It’s one thing for

the coach to say something, but it’s another thing for an upperclassman or teammate to reaffirm and show it.”

In terms of swimmers to watch, senior c oleen Gillilan has the potential to dazzle on the women’s side. As one of the top performers in the 100 butterfly, Gillilan has the opportunity to swim a personal best and score some serious points for the Irish. s he will also be a key relay player for the women.

“We’re excited to see her experience and leadership at play,” Lindauer said. “We want her to just go race and have fun, that’s a big part of this. It’s certainly exciting to see what she can do.”

For the men, sophomore c hris Guiliano is someone to watch. Guiliano recently broke the school 100 freestyle record untapered at the Tim Welsh c lassic where he touched the wall in 42.32 seconds. Freshman Tommy Janton has also seen much success in backstroke this season, coming just short of the 200 backstroke school record at Tim Welsh. Finally, seniors Jack h oagland and

KATE NAESSENS | The Observer

Irish distance sophomore Carter Sullivan pushes through the race in the infamous “Meyo Mile” at the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 4, 2023.

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

An Irish swimmer races down the lane in the men’s butterfly at the Tim Welsh Classic hosted by the Irish in Rolfs on Friday Jan. 27, 2023. see sWIm

ND SOFTBAll, 4-1

irish pick up ranked win opening weekend

By AIDAN THOMAS sports editor

i n their opening weekend of play, n otre d ame softball got off to a 4-1 start for the 2023 season. They started off with a statement victory, knocking off n o. 22 a rizona s tate 7-1 in their season opener. a fter a 3-0 loss to s an d iego s tate in the second game of the weekend, the i rish won three straight. They took down cs U n , n orthern i llinois and m emphis.

Junior catcher c arlli Kloss went 8-for-16 on the weekend with two doubles, a home run and five rbi . Freshman outfielder m ickey Winchell knocked in three runs while hitting .412, starting all five games. i n the pitcher’s circle, the i rish dominated, giving up just eight earned runs over 34 innings of work. s ophomore s hannon b ecker led the way with 13.1 innings pitched, giving up just two earned runs. s he posted a 2-1 record and struck out nine, appearing in four games. Graduate student pitcher Payton Tidd posted a 2.21 era across a pair of starts. The newcomer to the rotation, freshman m icaela Kastor, appeared in four games and started one, allowing two runs over eight innings of work.

i n the opener, sophomore right fielder Jane Kronenberger did most of the offensive damage for the i rish. s he knocked in four runs via a three-hit performance that had the i rish rolling early. They pushed across four runs in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead over the s un d evils. Kronenberger knocked in a pair with a single, with a third run scoring on an error. Kronenberger eventually came around to score on a wild pitch. i n the fourth inning, after a rizona s tate cut the i rish lead to 4-1, Kronenberger struck again, blasting a two-run shot for a 6-1 lead. b ehind a dominant showing from Tidd, the i rish cruised to a 7-1

victory. Tidd fired six innings, allowing only one run and striking out five.

The i rish had their opportunities against s an d iego s tate, but they couldn’t notch any runs. s an d iego s tate entered the game ranked just behind the i rish in the ‘receiving votes’ section of the national polls. n otre d ame rapped out nine hits but remained scoreless in the 3-0 loss to the a ztecs. They left nine on base and s an d iego s tate got just enough offense, as b ecker allowed three runs, one earned, in five innings. The a ztecs’ leadoff hitter, b ella e spinoza, notched a three-hit performance, and three runs in the fifth inning were enough for s an d iego s tate to win.

n otre d ame rebounded with a trio of wins to finish the weekend. They started by avoiding a collapse after blowing a seventh-inning 4-1 lead against cs U n

cs U n took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but Kloss and Tidd each brought home a pair with two-run doubles in the fifth inning. Tidd fired a gem through six innings, allowing just the

one run, but she faltered in the seventh. a three-run blast tied the score and sent the two squads to extra innings.

s ophomore designated hitter r achel a llen sent the i rish home happy in the eighth, however, driving home the winner with a run-scoring single.

Kastor took the circle in the fourth game of the weekend, making her first career start. The i rish gave her plenty of run support in the early going, scoring five times in the second inning. Kastor’s classmate, Winchell, started the scoring with a two-run single.

Kloss followed by bringing Winchell and herself home with a long ball for a 4-0 n otre d ame lead. Junior first baseman Karina Gaskins went back-to-back with Kloss, blasting a solo shot for her first home run of the season. n orthern i llinois struck back with two runs in the fourth, but that was all they managed off Kastor, who picked up the win with five strikeouts over five innings. The i rish pushed across

ND MEN’S BASkETBAll, 68-64

irish fall short against duke

By NICOLAS MORLES sports Writer

d espite a valiant effort by the team, n otre d ame men’s basketball fell to d uke 68-64 in an away matchup in d urham, n orth c arolina. a fter a strong drive into traffic, star freshman guard J.J. s tarling was able to cut d uke’s lead to just one point with just 36 seconds left to go in the game. This play came at the peak of

n otre d ame’s momentum, as the i rish had to fight from behind during the majority of the game.

h owever, despite keeping up with the b lue d evils throughout the match, d uke was able to put the game away after an open three-pointer gave them a four-point lead. n otre d ame lost the hard-fought contest 68-64, their third loss in a row by six points

Lecture by Bishop Joseph Perry

Date: February, 16, 2023

Time: 7:30 p.m. | reception to follow

Location: Driscoll Auditorium

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Former Irish senior Paul Atkinson Jr. reaches for the ball against Georgia Tech on Jan. 8, 2022. The Irish won the match

Confidence beyond the ring: VP Christian Murray builds confidence in fellow boxers

By NATE MOLLER senior sports Writer

b engal b outs v ice

President c hristian m urray has thrived as a leader for the club this season and has enjoyed serving as a mentor for underclassmen in the club.

“ b eing a mentor is what I see everyday as my main role in the club,” m urray said.

“If there’s a novice boxer out there who’s taking the time out of their day to come here and to want to better themselves and better some people all the way around the world, I feel like it’s my responsibility to be here and help them any way that I can.”

m urray described being the vice president this

season as a surreal experience initially.

“It was a bit surreal at the beginning. Last year I was a captain, but despite being a captain last year, I was mostly just focused on workouts and technique and the real boxing side of the program,” he said.

s ince becoming the vice president, m urray shared that he has had more administrative duties in organizing the club and setting goals for the club to accomplish.

“ m y role has definitely become more organizational in having to lead the club since becoming the vice president.

o bviously I am still involved with the whole boxing aspect, but a lot of it has been setting these big goals

we want to accomplish and then trying to motivate the other captains and get the whole club on board to accomplish those goals,” m urray said.

m urray talked about his experience as a freshman boxer in the club three years ago.

“When I first joined the club, I was all about the boxing side of things. I wanted to get fit, I wanted to look cool, throw good punches and have my friends cheer for me,” he said.

As m urray has become more immersed in the program, he discussed how the mission in b angladesh has become more meaningful to him than the sport itself.

“As you get more experience in the program, it becomes less about boxing. A

lot of times when you first start, you want to devote all of your time to getting better as a boxer, but as you grow in the program, it becomes more about how can I help fundraise the most money?” m urray said. “You realize that the hours you spend here and the work you put in doesn’t really compare to what people around the world are going through.”

m urray shared that one of his memories from his four years in b engal b outs came during his sophomore year during the cov I d -19 pandemic. b ecause there was no in-person practice, the club often had Zoom workouts or met up in really small groups in the basement of buildings.

“ n ot a lot of people showed up to these. You would show up to a Zoom workout, and there would be 30 people on it in a club of 200,” m urray said.

d espite these challenges with practice attendance and not being able to have a tournament, the clubs still raised $200,000 for the mission during the pandemic.

m urray was amazed by the commitment of the club to the mission, and from that point on, he shared that he hasn’t missed a practice.

“It showed me just how dedicated this club’s members are to the mission. After that, I have never missed a practice since,” m urray said.

m urray is looking forward to seeing a growth in each boxer’s confidence during the tournament.

“ m y favorite thing about the tournament is seeing growth and confidence in

every boxer,” m urray said. “With boxing obviously there is the physical side of it and learning a technique and skill that most people have never done before. b ut really boxing more than anything is a mental sport. The confidence that people learn in the ring is unmatched by anything in any other sport.”

m urray enjoys seeing his teammates grow mentally as they battle through a physically challenging process.

“People step into the ring and come into practice the first day and they’re scared. They might not be in the best shape, but they stick with it and show up everyday,” he said.

“Throughout the season and ultimately in the tournament, you see this huge boost in their confidence as they prove to themselves through a very physical endeavor that they are mentally capable of more than they ever thought was possible.”

m urray knows that the confidence gained in the ring extends far beyond the confines of the tournament or practice.

“ n ot only is that true in the ring, but I think that’s true in life as well. It’s great to see a lot of guys that take it and they add it into other aspects of their life,” m urray said.

“They want to be a force for good in the world by taking what they have learned in the ring here and that translates for the rest of their life.”.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

PAge 4

it’s hard to explain to those that aren’t a part of it.”

Any renowned boxer, from Ali to rocky, has got to have a chip on his shoulder. Phillips is no exception.

“I have something to prove as the president, having never competed too much in the bouts,” Phillips said. d uring last year’s b engal b outs, Phillips was studying abroad in London. The year before, neither a tournament nor any sparring took place because of the pandemic.

“my freshman year I won my first bout against another senior,” Phillips said. “Then before the second round of the

tournament, I had to drop out due to food poisoning against the captain that year.”

While Phillips is perhaps a little untested inside the ring, outside the ring is a different story. b efore becoming president of the b engal b outs, Phillips served as a junior captain.

Phillips explained that he was asked to take on leadership roles within b engal b outs because older members of the club saw his dedication to the greater purpose of the b outs, which is to raise funds for the holy c ross m issions in b angladesh.

“The older guys recognized that I had that passion to continue advancing the club, building on the foundation of the last 92 years and hopefully

leave it in a better place than we found it, which is the goal that you want to have coming into it every year,” Phillips said.

As b engal b outs president, Phillips has reinvigorated the club’s relationship with Fr. Tom e ckert and the holy c ross m ission c enter. After a several-year hiatus because of the pandemic, boxers from the club are again able to apply for an eight-week international fellowship with holy c ross m issions in b angladesh.

“I’ve been working hard this year to send boxers back to b angladesh for the first time since I’ve been at notre d ame,” Phillips said. “The c enter for s ocial c oncerns is conducting interviews right now of boxers who applied to

spend next summer there and be e nglish teachers … We definitely had a lot of applicants, and we’re excited to get that rolling.”

With all the excitement

b engal b outs bring to campus, starting Feb. 16 in the d ahnke b allroom and ending m arch 4 in Purcell Pavilion, Phillips said the greater social impact of the club is too often overlooked.

“People can get excited by the lights,” Phillips said. “o ur mission is two-pronged, right: to teach kids stuff that they’re completely unfamiliar with and test their courage here at notre d ame. s econdly, boxing is the vehicle through which we achieve a much greater good.”

h igh-minded jargon aside,

over 50 boxers will be stepping into the ring for the b engal b outs preliminaries Thursday night at 6 p.m. es T. Phillips said the club has focused this season on boxing safely, conservatively and defensively.

“We want to raise the level of professionalism and have an elevated technique to deliver the best product that we can but also to keep our guys safe,” Phillips said.

Phillips added that club captains drive home the necessity of footwork, head movement and blocking and defending punches to newer boxers.

“What we don’t want is a backyard brawl,” Phillips said. Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

VICE PRESIDENT CHRISTIAN MURRAY

Courtesy of Bengal Bouts

Senior and Bengal Bouts Vice President Christian Murray, a committed member since the beginning of his college career, helps lead the club this year as Vice President and serves as a mentor for underclassmen.

SENIoR CAPTAINS

Motivated by mission, senior captains ready to lead way at Bengal Bouts

By MATTHEW CROW Associate sports editor

Joining notre dame’s men’s boxing club as a freshman with no combat sports background can be an overwhelming experience. It’s one that each of the club’s senior captains went through four years ago.

“I started boxing my freshman year because someone just said to do it,” said evan “milk” molka, an aerospace engineering major from Keough hall. “At first I was like, ’I don’t really want to, I don’t want to get punched in the face,’ but my friend pressured me on.”

In the days leading up to their final bengal bouts tournament, molka and the team’s other captains have never regretted their decision to step out of their comfort zone and give boxing a try.

“sooner rather than later, I fell in love with the club and I stuck with it,” molka said.

For young, inexperienced boxers, their time in the club is heavily influenced by the upperclassmen, who serve as leaders, coaches and mentors. That was certainly the case for

Greg “The hitman” deFalco, an electrical engineering major from Alumni hall who was taken under the wing of the veteran boxers from his dorm.

“I was like, ’yeah, I want to challenge myself and do something like this.’ so I showed up my freshman year with some friends,” deFalco said. “I have to give it up to some of the captains my freshman year who really inspired me.”

Fast forward to today, and the boxers who were once novices now have the opportunity to pass their experience forward and inspire the current freshman. It’s a responsibility that they take seriously and have gotten a lot out of.

“It was a great honor to have the opportunity to be a captain,” said Josh Williams, a finance and Acms major who serves as a resident assistant in st. edward’s hall. “To be able to lead workouts and set an example for guys, be the people they go to for advice and hold mitts for them, was an awesome experience.”

For Williams, who competes

see senIors PAGE 2

Bengal Bouts president Jack Phillips looks to prove himself in the ring

By PETER BREEN sports Writer

b engal b outs president Jack Phillips came to notre d ame to develop friendships in his dorm, Knott h all, and to study finance, data science and sociology — not to relive his high school glory days back in c ollegeville, Pennsylvania.

b ut during his first year at the University, Phillips, like many who grow up playing sports, craved that feeling of team companionship upon arriving at college. s o, Phillips joined b engal b outs his first semester on campus.

“I think a lot of people join b engal b outs, and part of the reason I did was I just missed that team feeling of high school sports,” Phillips said.

Phillips did not quite understand all he was signing himself up for, but his inclination about where he’d find his community at notre d ame was spot on.

“I came in with no expectation, just looking for a group

of guys that had that camaraderie together,” Phillips said. “I’ve more than found it. It’s developed into so much more than that. I think these guys will be friends for life.”

The sport of boxing teaches lessons of courage and strength. Inside the ring, boxers compete individually against one another. b ut by stepping up to a challenge, facing a fear and trying something new together, the boxers unite as a team.

“And as much as we’re going in the ring and punching each other in the face a little bit, outside the ring we have our backs,” Phillips said.

Phillips added that he even feels this rare closeness between fellow boxers with alumni of the 93-year-old club.

“All the time now I’m reaching out to alumni, past b engal b outers,” Phillips said. “It’s a notre d ame network within the notre d ame network, and

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PRESIDENT JACK PHILLIPS

Courtesy of Bengal Bouts

The Bengal Bouts senior captains pose for in the ring during practice. Top row (left to right): Josh Williams, Jack Phillips, Greg DeFalco, Luke Slahor. Bottom (left to right): Christian Murray, Evan Molka.

Courtesy of Christian Murray

Irish senior and Bengal Bouts president Jack Phillips instills camaraderie among club members and acts as a leader of the organization’s efforts. Phillips says he’s ready for his first bout since freshman year.