Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, February 28, 2024

NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS

Yoram

Hazony delivers lecture on free speech

The Israeli philosopher and political theorist lectured as students held a vigil for Palestinians

By LIAM KELLY New Writer Editor

Israeli philosopher, biblical scholar and political theorist Yoram Hazony delivered a lecture in the Hesburgh Library auditorium Monday on free speech on university campuses in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Outside the library, students held a vigil for Palestinians who have died in the subsequent war.

Hazony Lecture

Hazony, who serves as president of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem and chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, urged

universities to be more active in prohibiting speech advocating for violence against Jews.

In his remarks, Hazony offered a scathing critique of elite universities, claiming they have been “captured by Neo-Marxist ideologues” and have been “the driving force behind the return of open antisemitism in America” since October 7th.

Hazony described the reaction to the October 7th attack as a “rude awakening” for Jews who did not think antisemitism was a prevalent problem in the United States. In the wake of the attack, protests against Israel

SMC hires new BAVO coordinator

By SARAH CATE WHITE News Writer

Saint Mary’s has announced the hiring of their new Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) coordinator, Alexa Zapata.

Zapata, a Saint Mary’s alumnae, has been working at the College for several years. She has served as a counselor for Saint Mary’s Health and Counseling department, an adjunct professor and has experience at the local Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). Liz Baumann, Saint Mary’s Title IX officer, said she chose Zapata for the job in large part due to her experience.

“She already has that built-in trust which is really important in a role like the Belles Against Violence Office Coordinator. She also has experience working with survivors and also educating on interpersonal violence and that is a huge part of the BAVO role. So it is just a perfect

fit for someone like Alexa., Baumann said.

Zapata said her time as a student at the College helps her connect with the students.

“It provides a special connection to the students I work with because I was once in their shoes in one way or another. I used to and continue to use alumnae as a huge resource, so I am ecstatic to provide any help I can to current and future students,” Zapata said.

The position of BAVO coordinator relies heavily on working directly with students. Zapata feels confident that she will enjoy and excel in this aspect of the job.

“Student interactions are always my favorite. I came into higher education because I love working with this population, so I am excited to continue with the student interaction and to provide support and

Podcast addresses studentathlete mental health

By MARIA COWDEN News Writer

In the fall of last year, Notre Dame sophomore Jon-David Regis started “Regis Reflections,” a podcast that provides a space for student-athletes to discuss mental health on and off the field.

“At first, athletes are looking to keep it all on the court, keep it all on the field. A lot of them, I found, are not comfortable enough speaking out about mental health. So it’s about making it open, that sort of safe space for people to talk it out. And once you see one person do it that leads the rest of people to start taking that leap of faith and trust,” Regis said.

The podcast was inspired by Regis’ background growing up around sports — one of his parents was a professional athlete — and his own experience with mental health at Notre Dame. As a Film, Television, and Theatre student, Regis credits his motivation to the discussions he has with athletes and students

alike in his classes.

“We’re in a new year and new generation. We’re starting to realize that mental health is very crucial. And then a lot of people look at athletes and see them sometimes on a pedestal. A lot of people don’t realize they go through the same things,” Regis said.

While the podcast is still fairly new, Regis has already interviewed several Notre Dame student-athletes to share their perspectives.

“People see the good about it, they see the praise, they see the accolades. They think that we have it all, in reality it can be really hard. It’s hard to be a student-athlete in general. On your body. On your mind. You’re being constantly exhausted,” Charity Mcdowell, a senior on the volleyball team, said.

Athletes come on the podcast and talk about the challenges of balancing academics and athletics.

“The competition is next level. The expectations at Notre Dame are like no other. The schooling here is difficult, you

have to focus on every little detail. It’s a lot more challenging to focus on soccer when you have to focus on school as much as you do at Notre Dame. But it prepares you for the next level of life and prepares you to do well in the future,” said junior Cleveland Sellers, a junior on the men’s soccer team.

Regis said he hopes to demonstrate to his listeners the importance of showing and discussing emotions as opposed to hiding them, encouraging his guests to do the same.

“You walk into a top institution and it feels like you’re not as good anymore. It was really anxiety-inducing. I was terrified. It came down to me not believing I belonged here. I felt like I was in this glass box where I could see everything I ever wanted but I couldn’t feel any of it. I could see it all but I couldn’t enjoy any of it,” Mcdowell said.

Through the discussions, the interviewees share advice on their mindsets and

LIAM KELLY | The Observer

Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony addressed his audience in Carey Auditorium on the importance of prohibiting speech advocating antisemitism in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

see GAZA PAGE 3

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erupted throughout campuses. At the same time, the United States saw a 400% increase in antisemitic incidents, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

University presidents across the country were criticized by many for not forcefully condemning antisemitism on their campuses enough. These criticisms reached their zenith when the presidents of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology refused to definitively say whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated their codes of conduct.

Hazony argued the actions of Hamas on October 7th are not morally equivalent to collateral damage inflicted upon the people of Gaza by the Israeli army.

“If we’re not allowed to say, ‘Look, what’s happening over there in that part of the world is radically evil and therefore the university shouldn’t be defending it,’ then I feel like we’ve lost our humanity,” he said.

Hazony argued because many students and faculty at prominent universities

began their protests immediately after October 7th, before Israel began its invasion of Gaza, they were motivated primarily by antisemitism. Hazony said antisemitic remarks have been excused on the grounds of free expression and fit into a worldview which designates certain groups as “oppressors” and justifies any action to overthrow these groups.

Hazony explained one reaction to this phenomenon has been to call for more free speech, including allowing calls for the extermination of any race or group. Hazony described such proposals as “naive,” arguing that the protestors have “jettisoned the old boundaries of legitimate debate.”

“Free speech can’t help where speech is being used in order to destroy free speech, or to eliminate the possibility of an exchange of honors and mutual respect,” he said.

Hazony accused these groups of “employing threats, aggression, deception and a wide variety of forms of abuse in order to intimidate and silence

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advocacy to the best of my ability,” she said.

Zapata believes her experience at Saint Mary’s and knowledge of the tricampus as a whole will make for a smooth transition into the role of BAVO coordinator. She said she’s ready to hit the ground running in her new position. One of Zapata’s main goals is to create a space for students on campus to be without social or academic stress.

“I have lots of ideas to help continue creating safe spaces for students. One of the things I have always loved about other offices on campus is that there are places where you can go to have support but also to unwind. I want to create that space for students and in an effort to destigmatize talking about and seeking support for interpersonal violence and what that may look like for students on or off campus,” Zapata said.

Zapata and Baumann both agree that BAVO is a vital resource for Saint Mary’s students. Zapata said she hopes the program

will continue to flourish under her leadership.

“It is a crucial resource for students, whether it is that they have historically gone through some form of violence or they go through it during their time in college. I am honored to be able to provide advocacy and represent the ongoing fight of Belles working against violence,” Zapata said.

Baumann said she is excited to see BAVO under new leadership.

“Im really proud of everything that BAVO has done and I’m really excited to see where Alexa takes it. I think she has a lot of really great new ideas as well as the experience and skills to carry on what we were already doing, so I’m really excited to see where BAVO goes in the coming years under Alexa’s guidance,” Baumann said.

Zapata said she considers Saint Mary’s to be “home.”

“It is an absolute honor,” she said. “I always say I am so happy to have found my way back ‘home’ as I have always considered SMC my home.”

Contact Sarah Cate White at swhite01saintmarys.edu

motivations.

“It’s just trying to push through everything but at the same time taking care of my mental health. Taking care of my body. Taking breaks. It’s a tough balance, but I feel like you’ve got to push through at the end, you’ve just gotta keep going even when it’s mentally tough because it’s always gonna be like that in life,” Sellers said.

Looking to the future, Regis said he plans on continuing to expand the reach of his podcast, interviewing student-athletes of all classes and sports across campus as well as students pursuing other rigorous paths. Regis said he hopes to one day interview professionals in athletic industries to continue to build this platform.

Regis ends every episode with eight words.

“It’s okay to not be okay. You matter.”

Editor’s Note: Jon-David Regis occasionally writes for The Observer’s sports department.

Contact Maria Cowden at mcowden2@nd.edu

Internet ‘alpha male’ speaks at club event

By ISA SHEIKH Notre Dame News Editor

“Have you ever met anyone with a command of the English language like Nick Adams? No, I didn’t think so,” the internet commentator Nick Adams asked an audience of Notre Dame students. He followed up with another question: “Am I better looking in person or on Twitter?”

When Adams took to the podium of DeBartolo 136 on Monday evening, you could count the number of women on one hand in the crowd of approximately 75 people filling the small lecture room.

In an event hosted by College Republicans, Adams spoke about America and offered advice for “alpha males” on everything from women to Chipotle, and how he might behave at a Hooters with Jesus in attendance.

Adams, an AustralianAmerican political commentator, is widely known on the internet for right-wing views he espouses in an “exaggerated and over-the-top manner, leading some to believe he is not being completely sincere,” according to his Know Your Meme page, which references his extensive defense of the restaurant chain Hooters. On his website, Adams identifies himself as an “Alpha Male. President Trump’s Favorite Author. Presidential Appointee.”

Ahead of his visit, Adams promoted the event with a video posted on X. Sitting in front of a poster of Lebron James as Mao Zedong, Adams

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anyone who descends from their views.”

He added that these groups rely on faculty members who do not discipline their actions.

In order to remedy this problem, Hazony called on universities to punish faculty and students who threaten others or call for violence against any ethnic, religious or political groups and to hire more intellectually diverse faculty.

Hazony drew a distinction between restrictions on speech which explicitly calls for violence and restrictions on speech that can simply be interpreted as “offensive,” which he argued are often used to discriminate against conservatives.

Hazony praised efforts by politicians such as Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida to use state power to combat or change the

told his followers to “get your tickets now,” even though the event was unticketed. When asked for a link to purchase tickets, he simply responded with an image of the poster. He also weighed in on Fighting Irish football, writing that the new playoff rules “are designed to punish proGod independent schools like Notre Dame,” and that “The system is rigged against proGod alpha males!”

Monday night’s event began with remarks by junior Elliot Anderson, the president of College Republicans.

“I can see that we have a lot of alpha males and alpha females in the crowd,” he said.

Adams’s actual remarks were introduced by a fiveminute YouTube video that played on the screen while the speaker stood by the door on his phone.

At the opening of his remarks, Adams talked about the blessings of America.

“I look you students in the eyes and I tell you that the day that you were born in the United States of America, or the day that you moved permanently to the United States of America is the day that you won the lottery of life,” he said. “And you got the most amazing, the most remarkable, the most incredible, the most sensational headstart on anyone and everyone everywhere else.”

Adams told the audience that in America, failure is not fatal, mentioning the failures of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Henry Ford and PT Barnum.

structure of universities promoting what he views as radical ideas and questioned the wisdom of giving government funding to such institutions.

“The idea that these institutions, which with every passing decade become more viciously hostile to America’s traditions, to its traditional faith, to its constitutional order, to the traditional family, to God and Scripture, to the basics of what America was until not very long ago … need to have tens of billions [of dollars] directed to what’s effectively the the peaceful overthrow of the American regime is completely crazy,” he said.

Vigil commemorating Palestinian deaths

While Hazony delivered his lecture inside Hesburgh Library, a group of students gathered in front of the library to hold a vigil commemorating the Palestinians who have been killed since the start of the war.

“Colonel Sanders had his recipe for fried chicken rejected 1,009 times before he got a taker … real alpha male he was,” he said.

Adams also envisioned a world without America, and argued there would be disastrous consequences.

“No matter who you are, where you come from, what you do, which one of the new 57 different genders you choose to identify with, what bathroom you like to use, even if you have never so much as even set your little toe on American soil, it’s in your interest that America be as robust as self-confident as self-assertive, and as healthy as possible,” he said.

Adams said the idea wasn’t a new one.

“That’s not my hypothesis that I’ve scribbled on the back of a cocktail napkin after a few too many Guinnesses at Rohr’s, with the Notre Dame thing on the top,” he added.

Adams described his worldview as one that stood against political correctness.

“Political correctness mandates that success and achievement be a measurement of how much butt you kiss as opposed to how much butt you kick. What could be more un-American and antiNotre Dame than that?” he asked. “As you know, I don’t have a lot of time for political correctness. I believe there are two genders and one national anthem. I believe that most of the problems in society today begin with boneless wings and playing Fortnite and end in gender pronouns

According to the Gaza health administration, which is run by Hamas, 29,692 Palestinians have been killed, with two-thirds of them being women and children. Israel claims to have killed 10,000 Hamas militants, according to The Guardian.

The vigil began at 4:30 pm. and lasted until 6:30 p.m. During the event, different people took turns reading names from a list of the children who have been killed in Gaza. Some students held signs urging students to “pray for Palestine” and organizers passed around flowers.

Francesca Freeman, a graduate student who helped organize the vigil, explained the event was “in solidarity against the hatred promoted at the Hazony event.” However, she clarified that the main purpose of the event was to mourn the lives of the Palestinians who died and not to protest.

Freeman said the group wanted “to express

and communism.”

“I know you were waiting for that,” he said to the crowd’s laughter and applause, before referring to his affinity for Hooters.

“My favorite establishment is Hooters. I love the Daytona style wings. The view is pretty good too. Not that I go there for the view. But it is a nice perk,” he added.

Adams also discussed his online fame.

“I am on Twitter’s Mount Rushmore, as all of you know, one of the most engaged accounts that there is,” he said before asking the room who had received a Cameo from him, and who subscribed to his premium Twitter account for five dollars a month.

After calling LeBron James a “beta,” pronouncing it beeta, and saying he wished he could “teach him a thing or two about basketball,” Adams offered up his rules for alpha males.

“If a young lady for example comes along make sure that this is in full sight. But you have a list of do-nots in this dorm. Never mask up. Never apologize. Never pick up the Fortnite controller. Always read the Bible. And if there is even a remnant of soy anyway in the dormitory the sheila has got to go,” he said, utilizing the Australian slang for girl.

He said that women appreciated his brand of alpha male.

“Nice women will tell you that they want alphas,” he said, adding, “Let me say, I do love Catholic women.”

messages of solidarity to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, to express our support for a ceasefire.”

Freeman described Israel’s military operation in Gaza against Hamas as a “genocide” and referred to those Palestinians who have died as “martyrs.”

Fadwa Kamari, a firstyear graduate student who attended the vigil, said it was important to humanize those who have died.

“I attended the vigil because it’s important to remember that the stats we see in the news and on social media are more than just numbers. Every number has a name, and every name meant the world to someone,” she said. “We shouldn’t become desensitized to the loss of life.”

Sarah Seto, a graduate student who also helped organize the vigil, described it as “emotionally devastating.” After 45 minutes of reading names, she said, the group had only gotten through the names of all the infants and

A professor in the audience asked Adams if Trump would win, or if he’d win.

Calling the professor an alpha male, Adams proceeded to call Nikki Haley a “nasty woman” and celebrate Trump.

“I do think that we are witnessing the greatest political comeback in history by the country’s greatest-ever alpha male. The man has endurance and ability to transcend pain, unlike anybody that I’ve ever seen, and I can guarantee you that he likes his coffee like Nick Adams, alpha male, hot and black. There is zero almond milk in the equation. Zero cashew milk in the equation. He has lots of chicken wings, bone-in and he certainly had no shortage of ribeye,” Adams said.

Another questioner said he wasn’t a student.

“I feel out of place. I’m sweating like a whore in church,” the man said, before asking Adams if he was going to apologize.

Adams said he wouldn’t do so.

“I don’t wanna use the language here, but it’s never gonna something happen. That’s the NGFH that I always say, or I just tell you to get bent,” he said. “When I cast my eye across this room, I see strong men. I see Churchillian men. I see Trump-like men. And that’s what America needs.”

The full version of this story can be read online at www.ndsmcobserver.com

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu

one-year-olds.

Freeman and Kamari urged the University to divest from companies that provide support to Israel and specifically condemned the University’s association with Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin has sponsored Notre Dame career fairs in the past.

“Calling for a ceasefire isn’t enough,” Kamari said, referring to a recent statement by University President Fr. John Jenkins calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Freeman said the group did not receive permission from the University to hold the vigil. She said members of the Notre Dame Police Department watched the vigil for most of the two hours, but did not intervene.

Freeman described the vigil as “a place of remembrance, mourning, and solidarity, with no space for hate and violence.”

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

BridgeND

wikiHow: How can I depolarize American politics?

America’s polarized politics is a cultural problem at its core. It results from toxic attitudes that we, as American citizens, carry with us regarding the opposing party and its ideas. Parties have increasingly become defined by social sorting, which, in turn, has increased the social homogeneity of each party. The consequences are devastating: there is little contact with opposing party members, little trust across party lines and significant affective polarization. In essence, anyone we disagree with politically becomes our enemy. Our society is trapped in this “us versus them” mentality. As a result, compromise is scarce, the legitimacy of the opposition is diminished and violence even sometimes breaks out.

Regardless of which side of the aisle you sit on, gridlock, questions of the legitimacy of opposing partisans and the inability to collaborate make it extremely difficult to create any change within the government in either direction. This is a problem.

So, how are we going to depolarize America? It is an overwhelming question. It feels entirely out of our control because, in many ways, it is outside of our control, at least individually. It is something that we as a country must shift together — a true culture shift. Yet, there are a few things you personally can do to reduce polarization in America.

The first step to depolarizing America is to keep an open mind.

Yes, it is that simple. Increasing social homogeneity within each party has created extreme stereotypes. For example, if you met someone who is a white, Christian male from the South you would probably assume they are a conservative Republican with particular opinions on a variety of controversial topics. This must stop. That is not to say to abandon all social cues and clues you might have about people. Rather, try to catch yourself when you assume someone’s views based on their religion, gender, socioeconomic status, race and geographical location.

The second step to depolarizing America is to listen to understand, rather than to respond.

When you encounter a person that you believe has opposing views and believe you are likely to disagree, try to listen to understand. Seek to understand why they think the way they do. It is essential to resist the urge to immediately counter or dismiss their perspectives. Instead, commit to listening attentively and seek to comprehend the underlying motivations, values, and experiences that have shaped their beliefs. This shift from reactionary debate to genuine engagement enables us to transcend divisive stereotypes and build bridges of empathy and understanding. You might even find out that your opinions and values are not so different after all.

This brings us to the third step: have awkward conversations about the topics that you are supposed to avoid.

Imagine: you are talking to a person with opposing views, or you assume (through stereotyping) that you are likely to disagree with a stranger. Talk about abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, gun control and similar uncomfortable, heated topics with them. Practice listening to understand, not to respond. Now you are engaging in responsible civic discourse — look at you! Participating in civic discourse and acquiring ample civic education are arguably the most crucial parts of being a responsible citizen. We must have these conversations. This does not mean that you need to seek one out every day. Instead, simply do not be afraid of them. Lean into them when they occur naturally and embrace them.

The final step: be curious.

If you do not understand an issue or why an opposing partisan holds a certain viewpoint, ask them or do your own research. It is okay not to know. If you are mid-debate and find yourself unsure what to believe about a specific topic, or need help understanding, simply ask! Part of polarization stems from saying what we think our party would want us to say instead of formulating an opinion based on facts and educated reasoning. There is no shame in not knowing. There is no shame in changing your mind. Our desire to be correct and “win” arguments is part of the culture that reinforces polarization.

While the road to depolarization may be lengthy and challenging, it is not impossible. By collectively embracing the four-step method that I have outlined in order to foster a culture of empathy, understanding, and intellectual humility, we can work toward a more unified America, where constructive dialogue and collaboration prevail over division and conflict.

This starts with each of us individually. We must make a conscious effort to change our habits and encourage others to do the same. With these four simple mindset shifts and new habits, you can help to depolarize America in your everyday life.

Olivia Hrivnak is a third-year student living in Flaherty Hall studying economics and political science. She is a guest writer for and member of BridgeND.

BridgeND is a multi-partisan political club committed to bridging the partisan divide through respectful and productive discourse. It meets bi-weekly on Mondays at 7 p.m. in Duncan Student Center to learn about and discuss current political issues. You can contact BridgeND at bridgend@nd.edu.

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

Atomic man

I’m atomic, man. Imagine being wrong, all the time. Everything that you hold near and dear to your heart is readily disproven by some contrivance of science. Your peers are constantly comparing your character to what is conventional, or really that which seems, and you are invariably a blatant deviation. This eccentricity is universally noted and takes the form of prejudice against you; there is nothing you can do to save face. You cannot own anything, property or idea, unless at the permission of those around you. At every moment you are under attack for the deviant thoughts you conceive, sometimes even the thought of having a deviant thought is under threat. The possibility of personal objection is rightly objectionable. A positive act of objection is nearly impossible. Your reality is simply an illusion granted by some mighty act of another’s gratuity. It is unnecessary that you are here, really.

And so you sit down on your cushioned leather recliner to reminisce. You think of what could have meaning. You think of your friends; the bad outweighs the good. The weight of the years worth of interactions hardly moves the needle of the scale of mutual understanding in friendship. You accept the fact that your friend’s deceitful slander erases the value of your personal experience, and only the superficial formalities remain to be weighed.

And so you sink further into your cushioned leather recliner to contemplate. You think of your romance, something that used to have meaning to you before everyone told you otherwise. What was once a limitless affection is now a carnal desire worthy of humiliation. Instead of your previous disposition to give, you are conditioned to take and keep. Romantic relationships are strictly transactional and zero sum, at best. It would be more useful to cash out at the expense of the other before the other cashes out at the expense of you. There is an inevitable limit to the romantic relationship, but you choose to bring it about prematurely.

And so, you remain inert in the cushioned leather recliner to subsist for an eternity. You think of your job, then your career. What once was a brief two years of necessary misery has become a lifetime of unbearable misery. Your decision to stifle your intellectual passion has reduced you to a slave to another’s passion for wealth. At the moment of realization of slavery, it is far too late.

You question if the tradeoff was worth it: lifelong flourishing for a growth spurt in your youth. You are not allowed to answer. No. You affirm that your existence is meaningless. But in an unprecedented surge of energy you jump up out of the seat with a pugilistic body language. How can this be? The myth of the volatility of man’s heart has long been undercut by social consensus coupled with fact checks. Could it be that you were the first anomaly? Your emotional rush, the frenzy, elicits glaring stares from the friendly entities in the room. And so, you gently rest yourself back onto the cushioned leather recliner and fade into nothingness.

I’m atomic, man. What would it look like if your identity was worthy of praise? Imagine if it were possible to announce your worth to the masses, and some, not necessarily all, could agree with you. Your eccentricity could possibly be a point of commendation, rather than contention. Though there were some who could disagree with you, there was nobody who had the ultimate authority to limit your thoughts or thoughts about thinking. Your peers could compare your character to that which is, rather than that which seems. Your reality has the capacity to be aligned to a universally objective reality of truth. Perhaps, you could even find meaning and value in friendships, romantic relationships and a career.

Is this second scenario too idealized? Is it too lofty a goal to ask of society? The same society that has taken preference to the first scenario is bound for selfdestruction. It is characterized by an absolute commitment to disenfranchise nearly half the population. This half is disincentivized, punished, and even barred from acting on their deviant thoughts. They cannot do what they want to do, rather they can do what they are allowed to do. One should think that it is preposterous to stifle the unruly, volatility of the human heart, but it is attempted and with great success. Such is misery, and there is no end to it. A culture of silence is one achieved through deliberate suffocation. A culture of evil is achieved through subjectivism. We once knew right from wrong, but now we are told to just smile.

Jonah Tran is a sophomore at Notre Dame double majoring in finance and classics with a minor in Constitutional studies. He prides himself on sarcasm and his home — the free state of Florida. 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.

Olivia Hrivnak

Jonah Tran Saturae et Sapientia

Hannah Hebda Assistant Managing Editor

Letting go of the familiar, the comfortable and the planned is never easy, but it’s a necessary part of growth. It’s about embracing change, welcoming the unknown and making peace with the fact that not everything is within our control. As I reflect on my senior year, I recognize that letting go is not about losing parts of myself but about evolving into who I am meant to become. It’s a transition that all of us, at one point or another, must face, and it’s particularly poignant as I stand on the precipice of my postcollege life.

As the end of senior year rapidly approaches, I have no choice but to come to terms with the fact that my life will look very different in a few months. The comfort of college will come to an end, and the reality of an uncertain adult life will hit hard. All the late-night study sessions that didn’t consist of much studying, stargazing by the lakes, grotto visits, football games, endless conversations with my best friends and so many more defining moments of my college experience will be let go of. Letting go of these small moments and graduating means stepping into a

world where friendships might require more effort to maintain, where support systems are not always a dorm room away and where my people are less immediate, but not less significant. Letting go of the people and the place that have shaped me into who I am today will undoubtedly be one of the most difficult things I’ll have had to do thus far in my life.

But the end of this chapter in my life marks the beginning of so many new adventures. Perhaps most importantly, I’m learning to let go of my younger self — the one who walked onto this campus four years ago full of expectations and uncertainties. This doesn’t mean discarding the experiences and lessons that shaped me, but rather, acknowledging that I’ve outgrown certain aspects of my identity. It’s an acknowledgment that growth often requires leaving parts of ourselves behind, not in forgetfulness, but in gratitude for how they’ve contributed to our journey. In letting go, we make space for new experiences, relationships and versions of ourselves. It’s a process that doesn’t end with college; it’s a skill that we’ll carry with us throughout our lives. For some, post-college will be moving to a new city, starting a new job or navigating the complexities and uncertainties of adult life. For me, I am staring at a completely blank slate (let’s hope

that changes soon), and that’s both exciting and scary. Despite this, learning to let go and move forward is perhaps the most important lesson college has taught me.

So, as I come to the end of my final column as an editorial board member, I realize that the act of letting go is perhaps the most fitting topic. Soon, I am letting go of The Observer. I will have to let go of late production nights, random technical issues and Sunday ed board meetings — the things I’ve known for so long. But that’s the journey. It is growing, reflecting and moving forward while holding all the memories made close to my heart. College was made for us to let go of. College is our time to find ourselves, but by ending, it is a reminder that we don’t have to hold on to who we are right now. For me, letting go of Notre Dame is my reminder that, in the midst of change, we can keep learning about ourselves and really discover who we are. So, thank you college for allowing me the time and space to grow into who I am now. Thank you for teaching me that I won’t always be the person I am today, with the people I have right now, but that’s okay.

You can contact Hannah at hhebda@nd.edu.

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

Five foods that need to be regulars at the dining hall

Throughout my almost two years at Notre Dame, there have always been foods that make my miserable permacloud days a little better and make all the debrief dinners longer and funnier. However, this academic year, many of these foods have gone completely missing or aren’t regulars on the menu anymore. I am done suffering in silence while reminiscing about these dishes, so this is a formal request for these dishes to come back or be made regularly.

1. Steamed BBQ pork buns

During my freshman year, I had a special Tuesday and Thursday ritual: Rushing into South Dining Hall to check how long the line was at the Asian food section. Whenever I spotted a big line, I got super excited because I knew the steamed BBQ pork buns were on the menu that day. Even though we had to stay in line for over 10 minutes just to get them, they were always worthwhile.

2. Banana bread

The “Hawaiian Night” banana bread is hands

down one of the best dining hall offerings that we aren’t graced with very often. It is so good that most of the time banana bread is on the menu, I only eat it and call it a day. It is the perfect latenight snack to sneak out of the dining hall. It is also an extremely versatile dish that can served for brunch, breakfast, lunch or dinner.

3. Cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon rolls are by far my favorite “American” dessert. The combination of the fluffy dough, sweet frosting and gooey filling is amazing. Ever since the Sunday brunch cinnamon rolls have disappeared from the menu, my Sunday morning brunches with one of my closest friends have been empty in a way. Now we have one less thing to justify our almost 2-hour brunches.

4. Regular pasta stir-fry

Even though this is now part of the Friday menu during Lent, it deserves a regular place on the menu. This alternative system to the “make-yourown pasta” station is a game changer. Seriously, it is much better than anything I could whip up by myself. Plus, with this new system, there is no need to deal with other people’s chaos. We no longer need to wait in horrendously long lines just

to cook in a pan where a guy who can’t even fry an egg decided he was gonna chef it up and burn everything.

5. Brazilian Food

This is not a menu I have personally experienced, but I am sure it would make my life a million times better.

Dining hall Brazilian food is like a legend among the Brazilian community here, something that all the upperclassmen talk about as if they were our grandparents telling us about their glory days. It is a way to show the people we live with a little bit about our culture and that Brazilian food is nothing like Mexican food, a surprisingly common misconception around here. Plus, it gives us a way to deal with our cravings without having to take over the Duncan Hall kitchen like we usually do.

Lara is a member of the class of 2026 from Taubaté, Brazil with majors in economics and Chinese. When she is not complaining about the weather, you can find her studying in a random room of O’Shaughnessy with her friends or spending all her flex points in Garbanzo. You can contact Lara by email at lvictor@nd.edu.

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

Lara Novaes Victor Diary of an International Student

By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer

“Young Sheldon” is perhaps the funniest name for a television show I’ve ever seen, with only “Young Rock” as its competition. This title contains multitudes of levels, yet on the surface there is nothing but truth in it. The main character is named Sheldon, the same Sheldon from the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” and he is, in fact, young. But there is more to “Young Sheldon” than the titular young Sheldon.

Over the course of “The Big Bang Theory,” we see Sheldon evolve from a cold, distant individual into a loving husband and genuine friend to the rest of the cast. That being said, if “Season One Sheldon” is so rough, how bad is he as a kid? It turns out, it’s hard to write a prequel that can provide depth, character growth and surprising storylines when the audience so clearly knows how the character will turn out in the end. So “Young Sheldon” side-steps that by focusing on everyone else in Sheldon’s life. Sheldon is still undeniably a focal point, but the show is built on his family and the adults in his life more than anything else. At this point, I don’t come back each week to see how Sheldon is doing, but rather to see

‘YOUNG SHELDON’: IT’S TIME TO GROW UP HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NINA SIMONE

how his grandma’s illegal gambling ring is operating, or if his rebellious twin sister will actually try to drive cross-country at the age of 14. Both of those are real plotlines in the show. It gets really crazy sometimes.

While I figured the writers would somehow make the prequel go on indefinitely, surpassing the time Sheldon would actually be on “The Big Bang Theory” a la “Better Call Saul,” the show is coming to an end. Season 7 finds Sheldon and his mom in Germany, while his siblings, dad, grandma and nephew all adjust after a natural disaster puts them all under one roof. The show has a lot to wrap up in one season, and that’s not even addressing the fact that the season is shortened due to a later start time because of last year’s Hollywood strikes. As any devoted “Big Bang Theory” fan would tell you, Sheldon has intense, deep-seeded trauma because he caught his father in an act of infidelity. Then, his dad dies that same year. Rough year for a young Sheldon to go through, but fortunately he’s fictional. While I am fully convinced that this plot point was written into “Big Bang Theory” with no expectations that “Young Sheldon” would run long enough to be forced to address it, the original show explicitly states this happened by the time Sheldon is 15 years

old. That leaves a problem for “Young Sheldon” and its writers.

My friends and I joke that at this point, the show is more of a family drama than anything. With teen pregnancy, illegal gambling rings, child runaways and a surprisingly delicate take on mental health issues, the show doesn’t shy away from heavy topics. But how are they going to handle all that happens to Sheldon’s father, George? Past seasons have established his flirtation with their next-door neighbor, but firmly established that George is loyal to his family. How can you have a show about this character’s childhood and omit two of the most central events they went through in that time?

What’s the end of “Young Sheldon?” Easy. He stops being young. And while it’s been reported that a spinoff centering on Sheldon’s older brother and his son is being developed, this might be the end of the Sheldon character for a long while. Sheldon is defined by being young, but he’s got to grow up some time. Season 7, the last season, will finally force the writers and Sheldon to lie in the bed “The Big Bang Theory” made for them.

Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu

By JAYDEN ESPINOZA Scene Writer

As we close out Black History Month, a belated happy birthday is in order for Nina Simone. Also known as “The High Priestess of Soul,” this civil rights era musician carved out space for major political discourse in music and highlighted the importance of art in times of conflict. She would’ve been 91 this year.

Simone’s career shifted dramatically over the course of her 70 years of life. Like many civil rights activists alongside her, she represented the best of humanity, skillfully turning her voice into the sound of the collective. Through her art, she made space for Black Americans to process the grief of existence. She laid the foundation for artists for generations to come, allowing them to elevate their own stories about the America we know today.

Though at its core, her music is personal, her work didn’t begin to tackle topics of racism and injustice until after the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that took the lives of four young girls. The tragedy prompted her to write “Mississippi Goddam,” which indirectly addresses the bombing and her own dreams of an equal America — a

country she feared she wouldn’t see: “Picket lines, school boycotts / They try to say it’s a communist plot / All I want is equality / For my sister, my brother, my people, and me.”

These themes were furthered throughout her discography and discussed most explicitly in songs like “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free.” The lyrics read: “I wish I could share all the love that’s in my heart / Remove all the bars that keep us apart / I wish you could know what it means to be me / Then you’d see and agree / That every man should be free.”

Songs like these worked in tandem with speakers and on-the-ground organizers, setting the stage for a nationwide movement, rallying Black Americans through art, voice and self-expression. While people hummed along to her uplifting music, they became the background vocals as she sang of liberation.

Simone, seemingly unstoppable, continued taking up space, dominating radio waves, this time with her song “Revolution” where she sings, “The daily struggle just to stay alive / Singin’ about a revolution / Because we’re talkin’ about a change / It’s more than just evolution / Well you know you got to clean your brain.”

However, as the civil rights movement ended, her voice seemed to lose resonance with the American people. Her constant subversion of expectations and clever use of the same tactics as those in opposition to her are what made her unpalatable to listeners, reminding them of a time of unrest that feels all too familiar for modern consumers of music. Like many other activists of the time, she left the country as her fame declined, relocating to France, where she remained until her death in 2003.

While we continue to redefine our lives and are forced to think outside the box, I encourage you to look around, see the others, like Simone, who refuse to be boxed into a category or sound, transcending time and leaving a significant legacy on music as we know it. Artists like Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack, alongside publications like Rolling Stone, all have declared Simone as one of the most influential American musicians of all time, which is only the beginning of the respect she is due.

Happy birthday, Nina Simone. Thank you for using your voice to give us ours.

Contact Jayden Espinoza at jespino4@nd.edu

By HENRY LYTLE Sports Writer

Markus Burton’s career night leads Irish to upset win over Wake Forest

Markus Burton can do it all. The freshman standout guard’s new career-high 31 points led the Irish to a huge 70-65 victory over ACC opponents Wake Forest. Following Wake’s big upset over now-No. 10 Duke and the controversy from the court storming afterward, this matchup in South Bend was certainly an emotional one.

The Irish have consistently held teams below their average point mark throughout the season with the second best defense in the ACC in points per game and top 30 in the nation. Tonight, they held Wake Forest 14 points below their average of 79 points. As ACC fans have seen throughout the year, emotional victories are often followed by struggles

By THOMAS ZWILLER Senior Sports Writer

on the road, and tonight was no different for the Deacons. The Irish found a way to battle back from the 5-point deficit at halftime to earn their second big win against a top 5 ACC team this season. The victory is their fourth in the last five games.

Hunter Sallis knocked in his first 3-pointer for Wake Forest, helping them jump out to a 8-2 lead. Burton had two steals in the first half, the first giving the Irish their first basket of the game. Notre Dame took their first lead with 11:54 left in the first half at 20-19, after back-to-back threes from freshman forward Carey Booth and a Tae Davis dunk, the sophomore forward’s second of the night. Finding consistent offense through Burton who had 19 in the first half, the Irish

entered half time down 43-38. Despite Wake Forest shooting 35.7% for the three-point line in the first half, the Irish kept themselves in the game by taking advantage of turnovers.

Wake Forest got off to a fast start in the second half, extending their lead to nine. A 12-2 Irish run brought it back to 51-50 with a Booth 3-pointer. The freshman put together a great night, racking up 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks while knocking down 3 threes. His 34 minutes were extremely important with junior forward J.R. Konieczny out due to foot soreness. Meanwhile, Davis matched up against the Demon Deacons’ Sallis and despite picking up 4 fouls, held Wake’s leading scorer to just 7 points.

Through the last 10 minutes, the Irish held onto

the lead, going punch for punch with the Demon Deacons. Freshman guard Braeden Shrewsberry’s second 3-pointer of the game gave the Irish a 64-60 lead with 1:28 left in the game. Then after a few more free throws, the Irish held on to win 70-65 in a hard fought comeback victory.

After the game, Wake Forest coach head coach Steve Forbes discussed the team’s inability to contain Burton.

“We had a tough time defending Markus Burton. He has great change of pace, is good at drawing fouls and has that shot-making knack,” said Forbes.

Burton also had a career-high 11 free throw attempts, making all of them. During the post-game interview, he credited productive practices this week for his success. Referencing the 29-point halftime deficit against Syracuse

that turned into just a 3-point loss, Burton was glad the Irish could show off their ability to come back in games again. This time for a win.

“I am learning to play the game better and learn to use my shot fake. This is what we do, having fun, being locked in after a great week of practice. We showed people that we don’t give up against Syracuse and that came out today against a great team,” Burton said.

Wake Forest is expected to make the NCAA tournament and with a win could have tied Virginia for third in the ACC. A strong defensive second half and confidence from the Irish freshmen showed this team’s potential as the season wraps up.

Notre Dame will host Clemson on Saturday, March 2 for Senior Day in Purcell Pavilion.

Contact Henry Lytle

at hlytle@nd.edu

A tale of two teams: Holy Cross basketball

Over the weekend, both the Holy Cross women’s and men’s basketball teams concluded their regular seasons. The women’s team finished a strong regular season, won their conference quarterfinal game and are headed to the semifinals. The men’s team turned in one of the worst years in program history.

Women’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Last Wednesday, the Saints traveled to Trinity Christian to take on the Trolls (4-20, 4-14), looking to improve their conference record with an eye toward the CCAC playoffs. Thanks to junior forward Grace Adams and sophomore guard Kayliana Hammel, the Saints knocked off the Trolls 80-54 and improved to 15-12 (12-7).

Hammel led the Saints with 26 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 29 minutes while shooting 10-of-12 from the floor. She was also perfect from the free throw line, making all five of her attempts.

Adams also played 29

minutes and scored 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting but had game-highs of 8 rebounds and 6 steals.

Turnovers were key to the Saints’ 12th CCAC victory. After the first quarter, the Saints led the game 19-17, with Trinity matching the Saints blow for blow.

The separation came in the second quarter when the Trolls had 9 turnovers, with 4 in the first three minutes. The repeated turnovers allowed the Saints to build up a 28-20 lead and separate from the Trolls. Despite just a two-point lead to start the second, the Saints went into the half with a 15-point lead.

In total, the Saints forced 28 turnovers and scored 30 points off them, which let the Saints build a bigger lead each quarter, ultimately resulting in a dominant 80-54 win.

Saturday’s senior day game against Governors State posed an opportunity for the women’s team: the chance to beat the secondbest team in the CCAC this season.

Instead, the Saints fell short, losing 83-74 as the Jaguars staved off a Saints’ comeback attempt.

The Saints got off to a quick start, leading at the end of the first quarter 1812. Hammel had 7 points, while senior guard Lauren Morris had 6. The two would finish with 19 and 16, respectively.

However, the lead didn’t last long as the Jaguars began a 30-point second quarter, going 11 of 15 from the field, including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Thanks to their strong shooting performance, the Jaguars led at the half 42-32.

The Jaguars shooters cooled down significantly in the third quarter but still controlled the game with a 62-51 lead going into the fourth.

The Saints continued to chip away at the lead and an Adams jump shot cut the Jaguars’ lead to five with 3:57 to play. However, Governors State rebuilt their lead and won 83-74.

The loss dropped the Saints to 15-13 (12-8), resulting in a sixth-place finish in the CCAC. It also marked the best conference

finish in program history since the 2018-2019 team went 12-8.

The sixth-place finish resulted in an openinground away playoff matchup against the Saint Xavier Cougars.

The Saints took an early lead over the Cougars and led 18-16 after the first quarter. The Saints held their lead until midway through the second quarter as the Cougars snatched it and took a 38-37 lead into the half.

The third quarter was tight, but the Saints were able to take a narrow lead thanks to senior forward Neva Longhofer and Adams. Longhofer scored 9 points, six of which came on big three-point makes, while Adams chipped in 7. Adams would finish with 31 points in 38 minutes, while Longhofer finished with 12 points and 2 blocks in 26 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, Adams scored another 11 points and Longhofer hit her final three of the game as the Saints knocked off

Saint Xavier, winning 8778. The win is the Saints’ first playoff win since the 2018-2019 season when the Saints also beat Saint Xavier 65-60.

Thanks to No. 7 Olivet Nazarene knocking off No. 2 Governors State, the Saints now have a home game against the Tigers in the conference semi-finals. Holy Cross lost to the Tigers twice during the regular season. They lost on the road 113-71 and at home by a score of 94-72.

Should the Saints defeat Olivet Nazarene, the team would advance to the CCAC Championship game, where they could potentially win the conference championship and advance to the NAIA postseason tournament.

The CCAC semifinal round games will be played on Thursday, with a still-tobe-determined start time at McKenna Arena. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday.

HCC BASKETBALL

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP

Happy Birthday: Discipline will help you achieve things, but don’t let it stifle your creativity. Emotions will brew, and although keeping your secrets safe and sound is favored, sharing essential information with those close to you is necessary. Keep the conversation flowing. Having a willingness to adopt change that keeps you updated is vital to your success. Stick to the truth and complete your mission. Your numbers are 9, 17, 26, 32, 38, 44, 49.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotional matters will cost you if you lack realism. Sidestep joint ventures and proceed alone to maintain control. Being able to do things your way will give you limitless energy and enthusiasm to outmaneuver anyone who tries to get in your way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll gravitate toward serious people pursuing a similar mission. Don’t get consumed in someone else’s dream; work alongside people who empower you to do your own thing. Be open about what you want and turn your plans into something tangible.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Go about your business, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the results. A personal challenge will help you hone your skills and push you to reach your potential. Personal growth requires time, energy and imagination.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Participate and see what happens. Someone you meet will spark your imagination and encourage you to believe in yourself. A partnership looks promising but will require input if you want to maintain equality. Make changes based on your needs and reap the rewards.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Contain your enthusiasm to jump in and take over. You’ll bite off more than you can chew if you are too eager to show off. Gauge your time and test the waters before you plunge into something that causes emotional or physical setbacks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Make your move. Stop procrastinating or waiting for the perfect moment. Start heading in a direction that suits your needs and lifestyle. Change can be frightening, but regret will haunt you. Life lessons lead to wisdom, success and personal satisfaction.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Poor judgment will cost you. Don’t get involved with someone for the wrong reason. Focus on self-improvement, sustainability and security. You can help others, but not at the expense of stifling your progress. Put your energy where it brings the highest return.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Keep the momentum flowing. Conversations will lead to concrete results and positive change. Look for a unique way to present what you want to pursue, and the interest in your plan will mount. A personal change will lead to an unexpected opportunity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pay attention to your health. Overindulgence will induce problems that you least expect. Be honest with yourself and others, and honor any promises you make. Protect your secrets from someone eager to hurt your reputation. Hard work will pay off and ward off trouble.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are in a better position than you realize. Stay focused on what you are trying to achieve, and put everything into getting the results that will increase your profile. Refuse to let personal matters disrupt your concentration. Finish what you start.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Poor behavior will make you vulnerable. Protect yourself from those luring you into something you shouldn’t pursue. Build your strength and improve your image in order to stifle negative outside influences. Make romance a priority.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put the brakes on any far-fetched or overpriced suggestion. Stick to what’s realistic and fits your budget and lifestyle. Surround yourself with solid people who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth. Make decisions based on facts.

Birthday Baby: You are intuitive, compassionate and demonstrative. You are entertaining and ambitious.

JUMBLE | DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK

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By NOAH CAHILL Sports Writer

Georgetown hands No. 1 Notre Dame first loss of the season in OT thriller

On Sunday, the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team’s highly anticipated matchup against Georgetown in South Bend did not disappoint.

The Irish entered the game having throttled their first two opponents, Cleveland State and Marquette, by a combined score of 46-11. This would be their first of many tests against currently top-10-ranked opponents, as Georgetown came into the game ranked No. 10. However, they sputtered out the gate with two straight losses to start the season against now No. 24-ranked Loyola and No. 4-ranked Johns Hopkins. They followed that with a strong performance in a victory against now No. 12-ranked Penn before making the trip to South Bend.

Going on the road against the national champions did not faze the Hoyas, as they took a 3-1 lead out of the first quarter. This came on a run of three unanswered goals following graduate student Jake Taylor’s behind-the-back opener for the Irish. That said, both teams were sloppy out of the gate, combining for 15 turnovers in the quarter. The second quarter saw the Irish tie the game through goals from Taylor and graduate student middy Devon McLane. Georgetown answered back through senior middy Chase Llewellyn’s second goal of the day, taking a one-goal lead out of a cagy first half. In a game with eight ties and four lead changes, the margins were extremely fine.

In the second half, penalties became the story on both sides. After another

low-scoring quarter that ended with the score knotted at sixes, the Irish took the final 1:16 of a twominute unreleasable penalty into the fourth quarter with a prime opportunity to take control. That’s exactly what junior attackman Chris Kavanagh did to begin the quarter, scoring to put the Irish up 7-6. The Irish took advantage of two more manup opportunities in the quarter, but Georgetown had an answer for each goal. With the Irish up 9-8, the penalty luck took a massive shift. Graduate attackman Pat Kavanagh was handed a 2-minute unreleasable after a vicious loose ball hit. Junior attackman Cade Caggiano tied the game during the following man-up possession but was hit illegally on the shot, leading to another 2-minute unreleasable penalty. This put the Hoyas in a six-on-four

situation for a minute. That’s when All-American graduate student goalie Liam Entenmann made one of the plays of the day, stuffing a Hoya shot attempt and making a fullfield sprint to clear the ball, winding up in the corner of the field opposite to his goal. However, the Irish went offsides on the play, unable to get a timeout off and secure possession. Despite heroically killing the six-on-four, Entenmann was not able to stop senior attackman Aidan Carroll from scoring the goahead goal with three minutes remaining. It was do or die for the Irish defense on the ensuing possession after Georgetown secured the faceoff and called a timeout, another goal likely ending the game. The defense held strong and executed the clear, calling a timeout of their own on

the other end with 21 seconds left on the shot clock. As brilliant as head coach Kevin Corrigan is, his strategy out of the timeout was simple: put the ball in your best player’s hands. Shuffling back into a running start on the left sideline, Pat Kavanagh got downhill in a one-on-one with freshman defender Ty Banks, cut hard in a half-spin onto his right hand, and fired a scorcher into the top-left corner of the net. Tie game. After winning the following faceoff, the Irish took another timeout and prepared for the final shot of regulation. This time, the Hoya defense stood strong against Kavanagh, sending the game to overtime. Coming up big once again, junior face-off man Will Lynch, as he had all game (winning 15 of 22

Lacrosse

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

faceoffs) secured the faceoff for Notre Dame, giving them a second crack at the game-winning goal. However, they were stymied once again when Devon McLane’s behind-the-head shot from a sharp angle was saved by freshman goalie Anderson Moore. On the next possession, Georgetown finally had their moment. Aidan Carroll went to work starting behind the goal, and after wriggling free of his defender about fifteen yards away, he fired home the gamewinner to knock off the No. 1 team in the country on their turf. He wheeled away in celebration followed by his entire team and the ecstatic head coach Kevin Warne, who in his excitement completed a backward somersault by the bench.

Following the slow start to the season, Georgetown produced the best possible response in a game marked by resilience and discipline, especially on the defensive end, where they held the star Kavanagh brothers to a combined four points. They will look to continue momentum back at home against Brown on Saturday. The Irish, on the other hand, will not have time to dwell on the heartbreaking loss as they will face No. 7 ranked Maryland on Sunday in what should be another challenging test.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

conscious of every touch and to stay locked in and focused was the most important thing.”

In the women’s epee, Notre Dame qualified three fencers to the semifinals with senior Amanda Pirkowski, sophomore Sedna Gandhi and sophomore Michaela Joyce. Gandhi defeated Joyce 15-10 in an All-Irish semifinal while Pirkowski lost 9-15 to UNC’s Nicole Milewski.

Pirkowski’s semifinal saw a lengthy interruption when the pair clashed, and the Irish fencer required medical attention. She was able to finish her bout but later withdrew from the third-place match, giving Joyce the bronze.

In the final, Gandhi and Milewski were hesistant to engage at first, and the pair received yellow cards after an opening minute without engagements. From there, Gandhi largely asserted herself, leading 7-4 at the first break and eventually pulling away to win 15-8 and claim her first ACC title.

The women’s saber final was a top contender for the most exciting bout of the day. Three Irish fencers qualified for the semifinals, led by experienced senior Atara Greenbaum (14-1 in pools) and junior Jadeyn Williams (13-2). Freshman Chelsea Delsoin also made the semis with an 11-4 record in pools.

Greenbaum defeated Delsoin 15-11 in the first semifinal while Williams lost 8-15 against UNC’s Sophia Kovacs. After a fairly tight bout early, Kovacs found momentum after the break to put Greenbaum in a 10-14 hole with the championship on the line.

“I was just trying to stay calm and focused, so I can get the right actions going,” Greenbaum said about the late deficit. “You just gave to fight until the end, it’s not over until it’s over.”

It’s a lesson that Kovacs learned

the hard way as Greenbaum rattled off 5 consecutive points to come back and win her first ACC title. She had previously finish second (2021) and third (2022) at the ACC Championships.

Team Event

In the team event, Notre Dame defended their title on the women’s side and came second, losing to UNC, on the men’s side. Rascioni described the team’s approach and expectations heading into Sunday.

“The team event will be a little different. We are trying some different fencers, some freshmen and some people who don’t have the chance to fence so often,” Rascioni said. “We are not expecting, very honestly, incredible results. We look at it as a kind of investment for the future.”

Rascioni highlighted the principal goal of qualifying the maximum 12 fencers to the NCAA Championships next month and then to ensure that those who qualify are well-prepared to go and repeat as national champions for the fourth year in a row.

To Rascioni’s point, Sunday’s team event didn’t feature some of Notre Dame’s standouts from the individual competition. Linder did not fence at all after his title effort on Saturday. Neither did Hamilton-Meikle, an NCAA qualifier a year ago and a silver medalist on Saturday. Bronze medalist Augustine was limited to just three bouts Saturday.

The mixed-up squad showed in their 17-10 loss to North Carolina. The squad lost across the board, going 3-6 in sabre and foil and 4-5 in epee against the Tar Heels. This left Notre Dame at 1-1, needing help from Duke and a win over BC to have a fence-off for the title. Notre Dame did their part, beating the Eagles 20-7, but UNC took a comfortable 19-8 win over their rivals to secure the ACC title and

avoid a fence-off with the Irish.

It was a similar story as the men’s side in terms of prominent absences. Greenbaum skipped the team event after winning the individual title. Bronze medalist Jadeyn Williams also didn’t participate. After a perfect Saturday, ACC foil champion Conway was also largely absent, only fencing two bouts.

Despite those absences, the women’s team won their first two matches against BC and UNC, but the final match didn’t go to plan. The Blue Devils rallied from a tight 13-14 loss to BC in their second match to beat Notre Dame 18-9 and force a fence-off for the title.

With Duke and Notre Dame tied with 2-1 records, each team selected one fencer in each weapon to compete in one 5-touch bout. The winner of two of those bouts would become the champion.

Conway stepped up, in only her second bout of the day, as the Irish foil representative in the tiebreaker. She lost had lost her earlier bout, but defeated Duke’s Rachel Koo in the fence-off to pick up a crucial point for Notre Dame.

The other Irish point came from the experienced Amanda Pirkowski. After receiving medical attention in her semifinal bout Saturday and then withdrawing from the bronze-medal match, she bounced back in the team event. She went 6-3 in the matches and then beat Chloe Beittel to secure the Irish women a team ACC title.

Notre Dame fencing will be back in action March 9 at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. The meet will be hosted at the Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit.

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

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Men’s Basketball

While the women’s team tied the program record for wins, the men’s team also made program history, just not the kind you want to be remembered for.

On Wednesday, the Saints also played the Trolls, who were 0-18 in conference play and still searching for their first conference win. Despite a 40% 3-point shooting night for the Saints, turnovers doomed the team to an 8280 loss.

The two squads played a thrilling back-and-forth affair with 12 ties and 17 lead changes that came down to the final possession.

After freshman forward Desmond Davie hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 80 apiece, Trinity Christian’s Garrett Greene nailed a buzzerbeating jump shot to give the Trolls their first (and only) conference win of the season.

The Saints next game against Governors State had an equally heartbreaking finish as the Saints lost 79-77 despite having the ball for the game’s final possession.

The Saints, who led by as much as 14 in the second half, surrendered their lead with 6:14 to play. The Saints spent the rest of the game chasing the Jaguars, always within striking distance.

However, after Davie fouled Governors State’s Jalen Levy and Levy made both his free throws with four seconds left, the Saints had one last chance to either tie the game with a two or win it with a three.

The game came down to a last-second three-point shot by Justin O’Neal. The junior guard missed the shot, and the Saints dropped to a final record of 8-20 (3-17).

The finish results in the program’s second-worst regular season conference record since the team’s inaugural season in the CCAC, when the Saints went (0-10) in conference play back in the 2009-2010 season.

Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@nd.edu

Irish sweep individuals, claim women’s team title at home ACCs

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assistant Managing Editor

Under the lights of the Castellan Family Fencing Center, Notre Dame’s powerhouse fencing program excelled throughout the twoday ACC Championships. In the individual portion Saturday, they swept all six gold medals while taking 12 of 18 overall podium places.

In a Sunday team event that was “more about performance than results,” according to sabre coach Christian Rascioni, the Irish still picked up some solid results. They finished second on the men’s side after dropping a match to North Carolina, but rebounded in the afternoon session as the women took the ACC title in a fence-off against Duke.

Individuals

The Irish successfully defended home piste across the board, sweeping every weapon on the men’s and women’s side. It was a mix of experienced veterans and relative newcomers who got it done for Notre Dame.

“Everything worked to

perfection,” Rascioni said Saturday night. “The kids were super focused and sharp.”

On the men’s side, two-time NCAA champion Luke Linder took another ACC title in the sabre, defending his crown from a year ago. The senior went 11-4 in the pools before he defeated Boston College’s Inigo Rivera and then his own teammate sophomore Grant Dodrill in a tight 15-13 final.

It was one of three all-Irish finals on the men’s side. In the men’s foil, Notre Dame accounted for three of the four semifinalists a sophomore Ethan Augustine (11-3) and freshman Mason Stanley (10-4) topped pool play. However, it was another freshman, Dominic Joseph, who qualified for the semis with a 9-5 record and went on to win the title.

Joseph defeated Augustine 15-14 in the semifinal and then Stanley in the final by the same margin. Augustine went on to defeat North Carolina’s Nicky Baumstein 15-10 in the thirdplace match to complete the Irish podium sweep in men’s foil.

The men’s epee saw two Irish fencers, sophomores Noah Silvers

and Jonathan Hamilton-Meikle qualify for the semifinals, topping pools with 13-1 and 11-3 records, respectively. Silvers dispatched UNC’s Maximo Zafft in a 15-12 semifinal win while Hamilton-Meikle took a 1513 win over BC’s Levi Hughes. Silvers dominated the final 15-4 to claim his first career ACC title.

The women’s side saw even more dominance from the Irish. In the foil, sophomore Josephina Conway put together the performance of the weekend, not losing a single bout on her way to an ACC title. She was a perfect 14-0 in the pools before two straight-forward 15-touch bouts. She beat Duke’s Charlotte Koenig 15-4 in a largely stressfree semifinal. In the final, she had a fast start, getting out to a 7-1 lead before eventually winning the title with a 15-9 win over Duke’s Christina Ferrari.

“I was really nervous, and I had butterflies in my stomach all day,” Conway said. “Channeling that to be really

Irish make history at ACC Championships with second place overall finish

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

Men’s Swim and Dive

The 2023-2024 No. 11 Notre Dame and swim and dive men’s team made history this weekend with a second place finish in the 2024 ACC Championships. The Irish won four individual events and the 400 freestyle relay, broke 12 school records (seven in individual events, four in relays, one in the diving well) and posted 28 best times.

Junior Chris Guiliano dominated the meet, capturing the gold in the 50 (18.70), 100 (40.62) and 200 freestyle (1:31.16). Guiliano set a conference record in the 100 and tied the conference in the 200. Based on his performance, Guliano was named Most Valuable Swimmer of the meet.

Sophomore Tommy Janton also won gold for the Irish, breaking his own school record to capture the 200 backstroke in a 1:39.21. Fellow sophomore Marcus Gentry saw two fifth place finishes in both the 100 backstroke (45.57) and the 200 backstroke (1:41.15).

Graduate student Tanner Filion

posted some major points as well, winning the B final of the 100 back and setting a school record of 44.99. Filion also placed seventh in the 200 back (1:41.82) and saw a best time and 10th place finish in the 100 fly (45.68).

The Irish went out with a bang, earning the gold medal in the 400 free relay. Guiliano, Filion, Janton and graduate student Abdelrahman El-Araby shattered the previous program record with a 2:45.58. The other new relay records included the:

200 free relay (1:15.59/fourth place) — Guiliano, Elaraby, Filion, Janton

200 medley relay (1:23.34/third place) — Gentry, Christianson, Cason Wilburn, Elaraby

400 medley relay (3:03.26/ third place) — Gentry, Tyler Christianson, Elaraby, Guiliano

In the diving well, sophomore Ben Nguyen earned a bronze medal, breaking the school platform record in the process with a score of 406.70. Nguyen’s score also qualified him for this upcoming summer’s Olympic Trials. Nguyen saw two other top eight finishes

with fifth in the 3-meter (379.25) and fourth in the 1-meter (357.40).

Women’s Swim and Dive

The women finished eighth overall with six top eight finishes, four being in the diving well. Divers carried the women’s team, with sophomore Grace Courtney and junior Calie Brady posting impressive results on Tuesday’s 3-meter. Courtney placed fourth (325.55), with Brady at eighth (319.20). On Wednesday, the two repeated their spots in the top eight, with Courtney at fourth in the 1-meter (292.85) and Brady at eighth (182.25).

For the swimmers, junior Madelyn Christman finished fifth in the 200 back with a finals time of 1:53.67. She notched a best time and the second-fastest time in program history in prelims (1:53.06). Christman also had a best time in the 100 back (52.66), finishing 12th. Fellow junior Maggie Graves also made Saturday finals, finishing fifth in the 1650 with a time of 16:16.78. Graves also saw a personal best and 10th-place finish in the 500 free. Junior Jess Geriane and sophomore Grace Brenneman were

C finalists in the 50 free after two best times in the prelims session — 22.56 and 22.59, respectively.

Next up for the Irish divers is the 2024 Zone Diving Championships in Louisville from March 14-16. Then comes the final stage for the college swimming season — the

NCAA Championships. The women will compete in Athens, GA from March 20-23, with the men’s competition to follow in Indianapolis, IN from March 27-30.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

An Irish foil fencer competes against Boston College during the team event Saturday when Notre Dame’s women’s team won the ACC title.

ARIANNA

An Irish women’s swimmer competes in the butterfly during the ACC Championships: The women’s team placed eighth this weekend.