The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s
and report
and holy cross
it accurately
Volume 55, Issue 68 | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
University hosts ‘Acafest’ 2021 ‘Acafest’ features performances from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s By EVAN MCKENNA Managing Editor
“AcaFest,” Notre Dame’s premier a cappella event, has seen much turbulence in its short history. In the past, the event took the form of a “battle” between various student musical groups, asking attendees to vote for the winning group via text. In 2019, after a four-year hiatus, the event returned as a collaborative showcase between campus a cappella groups. In 2020, COVID-19 eliminated any possibility of AcaFest. But on Thursday night, AcaFest returned for its 2021 rendition — this time under the lights of the Notre Dame Stadium. The night’s setlist featured
seven musical groups from Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s: the Undertones, Halftime A Cappella, Unchained Melodies, The Echoes, Harmonia, Encore! and Bellacapella. Students laid blankets on the field to watch the show, which was also live-streamed, and free food was offered to attendants. The event began at 8 p.m. with Halftime, Notre Dame’s premier co-ed a cappella group, who performed arrangements of a variety of contemporary hits, such as “Blow Your Mind“ by Dua Lipa, “Hypotheticals” by Lake Street Dive and “Runnin’” by Naughty Boy. see ACAFEST PAGE 5
RB charged with misdemeanor Observer Staff Report
Court documents filed Thursday w ith the St. Joseph Count y Prosecutor’s Office state that Notre Dame running back C’Bo Flemister has been charged w ith a Class B misdemeanor for leav ing the scene of an accident. The incident was first reported by WNDU’s 16 News Now. Flemister reportedly crashed his 2014 white BMW
on South Bend Avenue near Corby Boulevard in the early morning hours of April 25. According to WNDU, South Bend police arrived to find the vehicle crashed into a concrete median. The vehicle was found vacant w ith its airbags deployed and the keys missing. Damages were estimated w ithin the range of $10,001-$25,000. see CHARGE PAGE 3
Fisher regatta raises over 20K By LAUREN KESIC News Writer
Fisher Hall will host its annual Regatta Saturday at St. Mary’s Lake. In order for the Regatta to take place, there are three major differences in the event this year from previous years: limited boats and timed races, no spectators and
NEWS PAGE 3
no food. First, the boats can have no more than eight people. Those people have to be from the same dorm, off-campus household or club. There can only be three boats in the lake at a time and each boat can only cross the lake once. see REGATTA PAGE 3
viewpoint PAGE 7
SMC top students revealed Observer Staff Report
ALYSA GUFFEY | The Observer
Harmonia, an all-girls acapella group, performs under the lights at the Notre Dame Stadium during 2021 Acafest.
Saint Mar y’s announced seniors Kelly Harris, Katie Jackson and Stefanie Winnicki w ill be this year’s valedictorians in an email to the campus communit y Tuesday. Harris, from BloomingtonNormal, Illinois, w ill graduate w ith a bachelor’s degree in business administration w ith see SMC PAGE 4
Senate explores changes to fall COVID procedures By KATIE WERNER News Writer
Thursday evening, the student senate convened in Debartolo Hall for its last meeting of the semester. Members of the student government delivered updates on various meetings and elected two students to the Campus Life Council (CLC). First, director of student centers, activities and events Karen Kennedy announced a thank you notes drive for National Nurses Week (May 6-12). During the meeting, senators were digitally distributed a Google form. Form submissions will be delivered as physical note cards to staff members at either University Health Services (UHS), the Testing Center or Contact Tracing Team. Student body president junior Allan Njomo next delivered a student and faculty Voice Summit update. Njomo said the meeting was successful. “We really got to engage with faculty, different professors, department heads, deans […] to discuss how we can learn from the
Scene PAGE 9
pandemic and this school year,” he said. During the summer, Njomo and other members of student government will compile information from students of different majors and present it to the department head, the dean, the provost and the senate. After Njomo’s update, student body vice president junior Mathew Bisner gave an update on the Student Advisory Group for Campus Reopening. Given the hopeful turnout at the second vaccination clinic, protocols for the upcoming fall will significantly relax. When moving out of dorms this spring, COVID-19 exit testing will not be required, but the university will provide testing if requested. Regarding commencement, four tickets will be given to each graduating senior. During the summer, the University will engage in experimentation to prepare for the fall. This experimentation will occur in labs, ten residence halls and public buildings (student centers and dining halls). Masks will likely be required indoors. In the fall, class times and
ND Baseball PAGE 16
classrooms will function as normal, and dining halls will be nearly back to normal, with 15% of tables having plexiglass for student comfort. The fitness centers are the greatest places of uncertainty. Looking ahead, the student advisory group has meetings planned over the summer to receive updates on these experiments. Next, Bisner provided an update on the faculty senate, which occurred May 4. He and freshman Dane Sherman are representatives who drafted a resolution at the committee meeting prior to the senate meeting. This resolution calls for the senate and the Campus Life Council (CLC) to extend the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day from a half day to a full day. Ultimately, the resolution was postponed, but Bisner said, “I was excited to see the amount of support we did have.” In the future, the faculty senate will discuss concerns regarding first year students overloading their courses from 17 to over 20 see SENATE PAGE 4
ND Track and Field PAGE 16
2
TODAY
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
If you became famous, what would you become popular for?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Sean Kelley
Allison McPeek
first-year Basil Hall
sophomore Le Mans Hall
“First person to walk on Mars.”
“Chipotle’s most valuable customer.”
Sarah Watson
Orry Marciano
first-year Regina Hall
senior off-campus
“Most rereads of ‘Harry Potter.’”
“First medical school chess champion.”
(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com
Edward Gorrie
Emma Jaques
Editor-in-Chief
first-year Basil Hall
senior off-campus
“World famous TikTok star.”
“First person to die of caffeine overdose.”
Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez Managing Editor Evan McKenna
Asst. Managing Editor: Isabella Volmert Asst. Managing Editor: Colin Capece Asst. Managing Editor: Nelisha Silva
Notre Dame News Editor: Saint Mary’s News Editor: Viewpoint Editor: Sports Editor: Scene Editor: Photo Editor: Graphics Editor: Social Media Editor: Advertising Manager: Ad Design Manager: Systems Administrator: Talent & Inclusion Manager:
Alysa Guffey Genevieve Coleman Abby Patrick Mannion McGinley Aidan O’Malley Allison Thornton Maggie Klaers Veronica Navarro Landry Kempf Gabby Hong, Abby Meyer Stephen Hannon Maria Luisa Paul
Office Manager & General Info
Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising
(574) 631-4542 aperez8@nd.edu Managing Editor
(574) 631-4542 emckenn2@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors
(574) 631-4541 ivolmert@nd.edu, ccapece@nd.edu, nsilva1@nd.edu Business Office
(574) 631-5313 Notre Dame News Desk
(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s News Desk
(574) 631-5323 smc@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk
(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om Sports Desk
(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk
(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Photo Desk
(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators
webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
Today’s Staff News
Sports
Maggie Eastland Bella Laufenberg
Greg McKenna Mannion McGinley
Graphics Maggie Klaers
Photo Andrew Marciano
ANDREW MARCIANO | The Observer
Students gather on South Lawn, a commual area created to promote outdoor interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, to listen to student performers during Acousticafé, a reoccurring event every Thursday organized by the Student Activities Office (SAO).
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Scene Aiden O’Malley
Viewpoint Carolina Jimenez Abby Patrick
Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
“Student Activism and Racial Justice” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Panel discussion held by the Klau Center.
Sculpt’d Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Outdoor progressive boot camp workout.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon All are welcome to attend.
BFA/BA Honors Thesis 214 Riley Hall 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Notre Dame student thesis projects.
Eucharistic Adoration Coleman-Morse Chapel 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Open to the public.
Book Discussion virtual 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Come hear from editors Diane Desierto and David Cohen.
ND Chorale Spring Concert Irish Green 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Free concert open to the ND community.
La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.
ND Chorale Spring Concert The Grotto 6:45 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Last Day of Classes campus-wide all day Last day of classes for the 2021 spring semester.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, May 7, 2021 | The Observer
Lakeside Music Festival moves ‘quadside’ for a year By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor
Carroll’s Lakeside Music Festival, held on the Carroll lawn since 2017, will take place Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event is set to occur on South Quad, but the change won’t stop Carroll organizers from creating a festival atmosphere. “Although Lakeside is hosted on South Quad this year due to an apparent lower COVID capacity on [the Carroll lawn], I speak for all the Vermin when I say we’re excited to see a great group of talented performers rock the crowd and support a great charity,” sophomore Carroll Hall president Will Forsen said in an email. In addition to a music festival, the event also takes the form of a fundraiser — proceeds from T-shirt sales will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of South Bend. Forsen said that this year’s Lakeside logo is loosely based on the Lollapalooza music festival logo, but the event is not necessarily themed. “There is no particular theme … but with live performers, food trucks and lawn games, it gives off a Lollapalooza vibe, which can really be felt when you see people spreading out blankets to enjoy the weather and music,” Forsen said. Sophomore Henry Baer, Carroll Lakeside commissioner, said he is
looking forward to the event after a year of somewhat splintered social interactions due to COVID-19 concerns. “I’m most excited about having a large outdoor event with the rest of my hall because we haven’t had the chance to do anything like that in a long time,” he said in an email. Baer became commissioner for the event after Carroll upperclassmen who ran the event in the past encouraged him to get involved. He says he will pass on the tradition and help underclassmen with the event next year. Lakeside performers range from Acousticafé student favorites to a blues band consisting of faculty members with advanced degrees in theology. The full seven-act lineup includes Michael Hanisch, Joe Andrews, Jack Darnell, Juan Chicoy and the So-and-So’s, Pasketters, Oblates of Blues and Zeus Geus. The performers said they are excited to play a live event and help students relax and unwind as the semester comes to a close. One of the musicians, sophomore Joe Andrews, will be playing at Lakeside for the first time, while others, such as Oblates of the Blues are returning to play at the festival for the third year. Andrews said he plays a mix of covers and original pieces but will focus on the former for the Lakeside festival. Paid Advertisement
Even though Andrews is disappointed he will not be able to play in the secluded and intentional atmosphere created by the Carroll lawn, he is thankful the festival will still happen despite COVID-19 protocols. “[Lakeside] is such a great opportunity to showcase the Notre Dame music scene,” he said. “Whatever sacrifices they have to make to put it on I think are well worth it.” Similarly, Oblates of Blues member Tom Guinan, who works in the Notre Dame Investment Office, said he is excited to share some old-time Chicago Blues songs with students — natural tunes he says most students don’t already know but quickly pick up on and enjoy. “The event will be different this year, but it will still be a lot of fun and a sign of the school year coming to an end,” he said. Sophomore Michael Hanisch, said he plans to play some tracks from “radiopassive,” his recent E.P. release. Both Forsen and Baer encourage students to take and break and enjoy the music festival Friday. “There’s no better way to chill out before finals than bringing your friends for groovy tunes, free food and a nice Spikeball tournament,” Forsen said in an
Regatta Continued from page 1
In previous years, if you won a race you would race again until a final championship race for both men and women. This year, the races will be timed, and winners will be decided based on those recorded times. Second, no spectators will be allowed. The only people allowed at the lake will be those that have a wristband. Starting Friday, fences will be put up from lakeside Old College that will follow the road down the former location of Holy Cross Hall. The boats will be launched into the water from this fenced-off area, and the Fisher Regatta staff will ensure no one tries to cross the road or enter into that space. Richard Mazzei, Fisher Hall rector, said this change has been especially tough on the men of Fisher Hall. Off-campus senior and former member of Fisher Hall emphasized the event’s importance despite the lack of spectators. “It is very unfortunate that we cannot get any spectators, but it doesn’t make the Regatta lose its significance,” Walker said. “It just shows how much the event means to us that we went to all ends to make the event happen.” For the third change, there will be no food. Normally, there is a barbecue at the Regatta, and the men of Fisher Hall would grill over 1,500 brats, hot dogs and hamburgers. Despite these changes, this year’s Regatta is expected to launch over 40 boats. In past years, only an average of 30 boats would enter the race. “I think it’s that people — young people — they want to return to normalcy,” Mazzei said. “I know it’s not the Regatta we envisioned from the men of Fisher, but we are grateful,
Charge Continued from page 1
According to prosecutors, Flemister initially indicated to police that his vehicle had been taken w ithout his permission from Eddy Street Commons. However, in a police inter v iew on May 3, Flemister confessed to driv ing the vehicle at the time of the accident and leav ing the scene before police arrived. “The Universit y is aware of this incident and is confident it w ill be handled appropriately by local authorities,” Universit y spokesperson Dennis Brow n said in a statement to W NDU. “W hen made aware of incidents such as this, the Universit y conducts its ow n rev iew to determine if any student behav ior policies were v iolated. In accord w ith federal law, these rev iews are
3
totally grateful, that we’re going to put boats in the water out there. That our tradition will continue.” The Regatta’s main goal has always been to raise money for the children of St. Adalbert’s Catholic School. From fundraising efforts such as boat entries, Regatta tank tops, parents and alumni donations the dorm has been able to make sizable donations for the school. Three years ago, Fisher raised a record breaking $11,000 for the children. This year, they shattered that record and raised around $21,000. “The most important thing is the money raised goes to the children of St. Adalbert’s, and the guys of Fisher love those children,” Mazzei said. This year’s proceeds will cover the entire cost of a fence that is being placed around the school for the safety of the children. “The Regatta is everything for the dorm,” Walker said. “It is our pride, and it is our chance to show the children at St. Adalbert’s that we truly care about them and their development at school.” Walker also said coming together as a dorm to raise over $20,000 shows the true character of the Fisher men and the bond they share. Since the Regatta didn’t take place last year, Mazzei is ecstatic that first-years and sophomores will have the opportunity to participate this year. Mazzei and the men of Fisher Hall said they are extremely grateful for all the help they’ve received from the medical team at Notre Dame, the Notre Dame Fire Department, South Bend Parks and Recreation and the Notre Dame Sailing Club who helped make this year’s Regatta possible. Contact Lauren Kesic at lkesic@nd.edu
handled privately.” The Obser ver also reached out to Brow n for comment. “We won’t have any thing further than what has been prov ided to the other media outlets,” he w rote in an email. Flemister just concluded his junior season at Notre Dame, hav ing rushed for 299 yards and five touchdow ns in nine appearances in 2020. He also participated in Notre Dame’s annual Blue-Gold game on Saturday, t wo days before admitting to police that he was driv ing his vehicle at the time of the accident. Class B misdemeanors such as the one Flemister has been charged w ith are punishable w ith up to $1,000 in fines and 180 days in jail in the state of Indiana. A hearing for the case has been scheduled for June 3.
4
NEWS
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Art students hold senior thesis exhibition By CLAIRE REID News Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was posted online May 6. The Department of Art, Art History and Design (A AHD) is currently holding its annual honors senior thesis exhibition in Riley Hall. The exhibition features senior thesis projects from students pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Arts with Honors (BA Honors) degrees in visual communication design, industrial design and studio art. Their work is on display from April 23 to May 23. The BFA show is on display in the A AHD Gallery in 214 Riley Hall and the BA Honors show on display on the second and third f loors of the same building. The A AHD Department also hosted an Art History Symposium Tuesday night in Riley, where seniors pursuing a BA Honors degree in Art History presented their thesis papers. Those interested in viewing any of the student work featured in the exhibition from the Art History Symposium can also view the projects on the A AHD website. Lucas Korte, a professor of drawing and painting, is this year’s thesis coordinator for the BFA students. Korte, who helped the students arrange and display their work for exhibition, described the breadth of projects on display.
SMC Continued from page 1
concentrations in finance and management. During her time at Saint Mar y’s, Harris was a part of Belles for Life and a small group leader in Fiat — a religious fellowship group focused on devotion to Mar y. She also ser ved as a Resident Assistant for three years. After graduation, Harris plans on becoming a missionar y for the Fellowship of Catholic Universit y Students. Jackson, from Tucson, Arizona, w ill graduate w ith a Bachelor of Arts in speech language patholog y w ith minors in gerontolog y and social work. W hile at the College, she was the president of Saint Mar y’s gerontolog y club and the College’s chapter of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association, as well as copresident of BeeND, an organization which seeks to educate the tri-campus communit y about the ecological impact of bees.
“There are some very interesting projects, everything from the design of a surfing helmet that integrates into a cold-weather wetsuit, to a platform for people newly transitioning to wheelchair use to connect to each other and to resources and the wider community of wheelchair users, to a series of abstract paintings dealing with memory, time, decision and the materiality of paint,” Korte said. He added that he is happy that this year’s senior class, who spent over a year working on their thesis projects, were able to physically exhibit their work in Riley after the pandemic had forced the class of 2020 to exhibit their work virtually and left the status of this year’s exhibition in question well into this semester. “I tried to push my students to be prepared for the possibility of another online-only exhibition,” Korte said. “At the same time [I was] hoping we’d be able to install something physical in the space. Ultimately, we ended up having the physical show, but there was a point early in this semester when it was a real question how the pandemic would look by April.” Korte said he is excited for the seniors to exhibit their projects, each of which included a significant research portion. He said it was the seniors’ dedication and
Jackson was also a researcher w ithin the speech language patholog y department. Follow ing graduation, Jackson w ill attend Ithaca College to receive a master’s degree and clinical licensure in speech language patholog y. Winnicki, from New Carlisle, Indiana, w ill graduate w ith a Bachelor of Arts in global studies w ith a concentration in anthropolog y, and w ith a minor in Mandarin Chinese from the Universit y of Notre Dame. She also studied Spanish, Italian and Arabic at Notre Dame. During her senior year, Winnicki ser ved as the teachinng assistant in Saint Mar y’s introductor y Arabic course. After graduation, Winnicki hopes to pursue a career in international ser v ice through diplomacy and education. Saint Mar y’s w ill host their 174th commencement ceremony in person at noon on May 22 on Le Mans Green, follow ing COV ID-19 regulations.
teamwork that ultimately made the exhibition a success. Brittany Keane-Murphy, a senior pursuing a BA Honors degree in industrial design, is one of the students with a thesis project on display in Riley. Her project, “Playin,” integrates gymnastics equipment into modern home furniture. Keane-Murphy said it was her 14 years spent as a competitive gymnast that inspired her to create a home gymnastics equipment set up that is fun for kids and not a nuisance for parents trying to maintain a clean and stylish home. “Home equipment is a huge issue, more so on the parents than on the kids,” KeaneMurphy said, who conducted Zoom interviews with parents who own home gymnastics equipment as part of the research portion of her project. “It’s big and bulky; it’s always in the way; it’s horrible colors...,” she added. “So I wanted to find a way to make it a better experience for both the parents and the kids and give them something to play on safely that also looks like it should fit in a home, not in a gym.” For the thesis exhibition, Keane-Murphy created a 3D, laser-cut scale model that was one-sixth of the size “Playin” would be in real life. She said she hopes when people see her project they see a fun way to play and can envision their
Senate Continued from page 1
credits. Njomo and members of student government also met with Father John Jenkins early last week. They are currently waiting for an update from the Trustee Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, established August 2020; however, they succeeded in obtaining representation on the ND forum. Since vice president of student affairs Erin Hoffman Harding announced her resignation, Njomo sought to have input on the hiring process of the next vice president. Although at this stage, student government “cannot tangibly be involved in the interview process,” they were given an opportunity to write a letter describing their ideal candidate. In the letter, students emphasized their desire to be involved in the University’s decision making process. Jenkins responded, “I can assure you that whatever we do, the new Vice President will be committed to seek student input, particularly students of color and LGBTQ students.” Following Njomo’s update,
CLAIRE REID | The Observer
BA Honors student Brittany Keane-Murphy completed a thesis project on gymnastic-inspired home furniture.
younger selves having a ton of fun. Meg Burns, another graduating senior, presented her senior thesis paper at the Art History Symposium Tuesday night. Burns, who decided to switch from a chemistry major to a BA Honors in art history her sophomore year after getting involved in the Snite Museum of Art, wrote her thesis on contemporary Chicago artist Theaster Gates. “Gates has connected his outreach work and community engagement work on the South Side of Chicago with his larger artistic output in his practice,” Burns said. “He will essentially purchase these abandoned properties on the South Side and then use them as repositories
for material to create his gallery shows and works for sale.” She said Gates then uses the proceeds from the sale of these works to fund community centers, affordable housing, gallery spaces, archives and museums on the South Side. Due to the pandemic, Burns was unable to travel to Chicago to interview Gates or explore his work in person, but she said she hopes to do so someday. “I’m interested in what his larger practice looks like and this really unique way that he is using the art world to redistribute wealth back to [the] community,” Burns said.
chief of staff junior Alix Basden discussed a police relations meeting between students and staff of the Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD). Last Monday, Chief Keri Kei Shibata of the NDPD and several of her colleagues asserted that students should bring any concerns to the attention of NDPD, and they hope to have more collaboration and transparency with students going forward. Next Thursday, students will meet with the South Bend Police Department, NDPD, Indiana State Excise Police, Harding and vice president for campus safety and University operations, Mike Seamon. Students plan to report back on “their understanding of how Notre Dame can be good, safe, and friendly neighbors to the entire community,” Basden said. During the summer, Basden and other members of student government will strategize social media outreach with the University Health Services (UHS). The UHS hopes to disseminate information on general sexual health resources and advocate for students to get the HPV vaccination. After Basden’s updates, the senate elected two senators (one male and one female) to the CLC.
Bisner said, “The CLC is well connected to administrators, and they’d like to have student representation.” First-year senator for BreenPhillips Hall Faith Woods was elected as the female representative. She focused her speech on the need to increase equitabilty and accessibility for minority students on campus. Woods asserted, “I am incredibly passionate about making this campus as diverse and inclusive as humanly possible.” Junior Benjamin Erdhart was also elected. He highlighted his experience sitting on the CLC and as “one of the spearheading forces behind our own internal review and our internal resolution for last term.” Following the election, the senate addressed an amendment to the undergraduate student body constitution to lengthen the procedural requirements for petitions to be considered in the senate. This amendment passed unanimously, and the senate concluded the meeting shortly afterwards.
Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu
Contact Katie Werner at kwerner3@nd.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, May 7, 2021 | The Observer
Professor wins award By LAUREN KESIC News Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was posted online on May 6. Each year, the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry presents the Charles N. Reilley Award to a scientist who has made “significant contributions to electroanalytical chemistry.” The 2022 Reilley Award recently went to Paul Bohn, Arthur J. Schmitt professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Notre Dame. Bohn said it was not bad considering his experience level. “I’m not trained in electrochemistry; I’ve never had a class, I’ve never studied with anyone,” Bohn said. “I never expected to be recognized with an award like this.” Bohn obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Notre Dame and his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, both in chemistry. He initially worked in the field of optical spectroscopy, studying properties of light to characterize the contents of chemical systems. While teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Bohn said a postdoctoral assistant convinced him to try experimenting with electrochemistry, an area of chemistry that studies the role of electricity in chemical reactions. Bohn said his inexperience in the field led to work that he called “very heterodox” at first but which
was ultimately very successful. “They were very unusual experiments, but they got people’s attention,” Bohn said. “That kind of launched us into asking questions other electrochemists wouldn’t necessarily ask.” Twenty years later, Bohn continues to do noteworthy work in the field of electrochemistry. He received the Reilley award primarily due to achievements at the intersection of nanoscience and electrochemistry. This work involves building tiny chemical structures to perform experiments at a microscopic level. Such work is measured in units of nanoliters — too small for the naked human eye to view. “The end of your thumb is about a milliliter,” Bohn said. “If you take that volume and you take a millionth of it, and then you take a millionth of it again, you have a nanoliter, and those are the volumes that we work with.” Bohn’s self-described research “hobby” is correlated imaging, a technique that allows scientists to view how bacteria and other microbes chemically communicate. This work harnesses his background in optical spectroscopy and acquired interest in electrochemistry. Outside of his own research, Bohn is director of the Institute for Precision Health at Notre Dame. This initiative conducts research aimed at creating tools to prevent and treat diseases, such as molecular mining, molecular recognition and Paid Advertisement
micro and nano-scale instrumentation. Bohn said he hopes to combine some of his different research interests in the future. He believes synthesizing findings may facilitate further breakthroughs in the field of electrochemistry. While Bohn will continue to be active in the research community, he said for him “it’s all about the students.” “There is literally no better job in the world than walking into the office — or out of my bedroom, now, in the pandemic — and being able to take what’s between your two ears, and utilize that to excite students about doing science and helping them learn how to do science, and then taking the results of those experiments that they did, and helping educate the rest of the world,” Bohn said. To students hoping to have a career like his, whether it be in science or otherwise, Bohn advises to leverage the things they already enjoy doing for fun. “Try to find something that, as a friend of mine once said a long time ago, allows you to do the things that you’d be doing in your basement anyway,” Bohn said. “If you forget that you’re working, it’s the right career for you.” something the whole University stands by.” Contact Lauren Kesic at lkesic@nd.edu
Acafest Continued from page 1
In the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, the performance was a welcome change of pace for the group, Halftime president Angela Overlack told The Observer. “In terms of guidelines and restrictions, we had to be outside, we had to be socially distanced and masked,” Overlack said. “I think all of us are just very excited to get out there and perform again, because that’s something that this group thrives off of and it’s something we’ve been missing.” Overlack also stressed the role of live music in building and rebuilding community. “I think [live music] is a really strong bonding point for many, not only for musicians, but also for the people that are listening to the music,” she said. “Halftime itself has been a place where ... the group not only just goes for the music, but because it’s a family.” Next came Unchained Melodies, Notre Dame’s only Christian a cappella group, who performed a number of contemporary Christian songs as well as “Keep Your Head Up” by Andy Grammer, “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night” by FINNEAS and “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele. The Echoes, a coed group, followed with a setlist of throwbacks, including “Killing Me Softly With His Song” by Roberta Flack as well as “Everybody Talks” and “Animal” by Neon Trees. Up next was Harmonia, the University’s premier allfemale a cappella group, who performed a selection of new and old hits like “Electric Love” by BØRNS, “Prisoner” by Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa and “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. The group concluded with an arrangement of “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson, a piece Harmonia president Mary Zakowski said brought muchneeded “middle school vibes” to their setlist. “For our setlists in general, we try to have some oldies in there, just because we have parents who typically come when campus is open to visitors, and also because we do events for alumni,” Zakowski said. “We try to have a good mix between older songs and newer songs.” Ref lecting upon the gradual return of in-person musical events in a post-pandemic world, Zakowski recalled her recent experience attending her friend’s senior music recital. “That was my first recital or artistic performance I’d been to since COVID, and sitting there I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I really miss these events,’” Zakowski said. “It’s really good because you’re
5
able to totally have your mind on something else; it’s a good way to break free from the stress and the pressures of everyday life.” Harmonia was followed by Encore!, a subset of the Notre Dame Chorale concert choir. The group performed a soulful setlist, including “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers and “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse. Saint Mary’s Bellacapella, the College’s premier a cappella ensemble, was up next. The group began in 2006, when a small number of Saint Mary’s students wanted to form a band, but upon realizing they had no money for instruments or professional equipment, the group decided upon a cappella. As part of their AcaFest performance, Bellacappella sang “Ophelia” by The Lumineers and “Take A Hint” from the Nickelodeon television series “Victorious.” The night’s final featured performance was that of The Undertones, an all-male a cappella ensemble, who performed a largely contemporary setlist, including “Somewhere Only We Know” by Lifehouse, “No New Friends” by DJ Khaled and “drivers license“ by Olivia Rodrigo. Peter Jachim, the music director of The Undertones, expressed his excitement for the show, commenting on the special dynamic nature of live performances. “That’s what makes [live music] so interesting: You can perform the same song 800 different times, 800 different ways, but each and every time you can get something new out of it,” Jachim said. “So even though we use songs that we sang previous semesters, there’s a completely different group, completely different guys, and it’s still able to bring about the same sort of wonder and awe that you get each and every time.” Following The Undertones’ performance, all seven groups united for thew- night’s finale: a mashup of “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons and “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors. While AcaFest marks the final large-scale a cappella performance of the semester, several groups will perform concerts in the next few days: Harmonia Friday at 9 p.m. on Library Lawn, The Undertones Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the Irish Green behind DPAC and Halftime Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on South Lawn. emester, several groups will perform concerts in the next few days: Harmonia on Friday at 9 p.m. on Library Lawn, The Undertones on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the Irish Green behind DPAC and Halftime on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on South Lawn. Contact Evan McKenna at emckenn2@nd.edu
6
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Ice cream economics Maggie Eastland Associate News Editor
Picture this: vanilla ice cream, covered in melt-in-your mouth chocolate, then a sweet, gooey caramel, all enclosed by another layer of chocolate. Ladies and gentlemen: I give you the Magnum Double Caramel Ice Cream Bar. If you’ve never experienced this culinary masterpiece, I urge you to walk to The Huddle right now and spend your precious flex points on this pinnacle of human achievement. Many evenings, after an unsuccessful trip to the dining hall, I have gone on a search for this particular gem. Needless to say, it never disappoints. Just last week, I found myself marching to LaFun with a craving for ice cream. In that moment, I felt entitled to that Magnum bar, as if eating it was some form of ultimate justice, or perhaps a repayment for the stress of the day. As soon as I opened the wrapper and took my first bite, I started to realize the absurdity of my Magnum Ice Cream Bar quest. Instead of scarfing down the ice cream as I usually would, I took a second to really appreciate my remarkable access to such a luxury. To synthesize Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” and Leonard Reed’s “I Pencil,” this delightful ice cream bar came into existence not out of the dairy farmer’s will to provide a Notre Dame student with joy or the wood industry’s wish to create a special popsicle stick just so her fingers wouldn’t get sticky. Instead, every player in the process of creating my source of bliss — from the cocoa farmers to the factory workers to the Magnum brand package designers — completed their step of the process out of their own self-interest. Every one of these producers likely contributed to the other final products too, from furniture to whey protein powder, through an interconnected system of trade. Markets are perhaps the greatest example of human unity, yet they are remarkably driven by what seems to be the exact opposite — individual interest. It’s easy to lose sight of progress, caught up in a cloud of worry about occasional issues within these markets, such as human rights infringements and poor sustainability practices. While these issues merit serious concern, it’s important not to forget the ice cream bar right in front of our face, so to speak. We often fail to recognize that earlier generations would be awed at the sheer availability and reasonable prices of modern products. Despite our perceptions, these issues can subside as markets grow and consumers become informed. The news these days can be pretty gloomy, but there is still reason to savor that ice cream and hope in human progress. According to data from the World Bank, poverty has been on the decline in recent decades, decreasing from 42.7% in 1981 to 10.1% in 2015. Despite a global pandemic, markets went to work creating a vaccine and allocating resources amidst volatile supply and demand. Although the pandemic was a global setback, pre-pandemic research shows that the world is gaining ground in poverty, literacy, health, freedom, population and education, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t return to such growth after the pandemic. Issues of inequality and oppression still plague many countries, but attending a school like Notre Dame makes me more optimistic than ever about stamping out these human downfalls. Even the privilege required to address these particular social problems, instead of the formerly pervasive problems of low life expectancy or widespread hunger, testify to progress. While the cause of all this prosperity is up for debate, myself and many investors are willing to bet markets have played and will continue to play a role in creating prosperity. And of course, with more prosperity, come not only more ice cream bars but also more vaccines, books, computers and other life-improving products, hopefully for people everywhere to enjoy. How can such a little ice cream bar have such big connections? I am asking myself the same question. Even though the Magnum Double Caramel Ice Cream Bar is quite possibly the greatest food ever conceived, I won’t tell you how to eat your ice cream (or your hot dog, for that matter). What I will charge is that you find something to appreciate in your life and think about the complex, interacting forces that make that object or experience possible. You just might find that markets are involved. Contact Maggie at meastlan@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Break the cycle: A time for justice The Derek Chauvin verdict has revived last summer’s hopes for transformative social change. The day following the Chauvin verdict, Fr. Jenkins called on the Notre Dame community “to seek justice, foster solidarity and fight racism and bigotry anywhere and in any form.” While a number of laudable teaching and scholarly initiatives have been undertaken throughout the University to address racism and inequality, more needs to be done. It is important to acknowledge that racism goes deeper than overt bigotry or discrimination. The toxic legacy of centuries of oppression and violence includes not only unfair treatment by law enforcement and the judicial system, but also income disparities and unequal access to educational opportunities. It is time that we ask whether Notre Dame and other elite universities contribute to this legacy. As Gerald Beyer notes, in his recently published book “Just Universities: Catholic Social Teaching Confronts Corporatized Higher Education,” Catholic colleges have a long history of racial discrimination. While small numbers of Black students were enrolled in private universities throughout the 1900s, Black students were generally denied admission to leading Catholic universities until the 1930s. The first Black student graduated from Notre Dame in 1947. Although Black high school graduates have made impressive gains in college enrollment, white students are grossly overrepresented at elite colleges and universities. Black students too often wind up in underfunded, openaccess institutions. Fifteen percent of high school graduates are Black, but Black students make up only around 8% of the students in elite universities. Notre Dame enrolls half that average. Selective colleges have the resources to play a crucial role in addressing the legacy of white supremacy and fostering upward mobility for all. Tragically, while appealing to meritocratic values, elite colleges recycle advantage and disadvantage with their skewed admissions policies. These policies favor those with access to better schools and the resources to pay for standardized test preparation, to allow for unpaid internships instead of paid jobs and to enable enrichment through travel and the like. On average, white families have 10 times the wealth of Black families, and this inequity influences who is admitted to elite universities and who is turned away. Much of that racial wealth disparity is due to a long history of discrimination in the workplace and housing market, which forced Black families to live in segregated, low-income neighborhoods and to send their children to struggling schools. Today approximately 72% of Black children attend “high-poverty” schools, which puts them behind academically. On top of that, their families cannot afford the cognitive enrichments available to the more fortunate. Those of us with privilege are accustomed to responding to injustice as individuals through our volunteer activities, public advocacy and voting. Addressing the systemic racism and inequality among the elites in higher education demands more. We must come together as a collective to make Notre Dame a leader in the struggle for justice in higher education. A 2017 study by Chetty et al. reported in the New York Times revealed that Notre Dame had one of the least economically diverse student enrollments of any universities in the United States. Notre Dame pulls 75% of its students from the highest income quintile and only 1.6% of its students from the bottom quintile. Rather than being a force for
equity in higher education, Notre Dame is a leader among prestigious universities who have been described by the Education Trust as “engines of inequality.” Even our Catholic rivals, Boston College and Georgetown, whose endowments are far below ours, do a better job of representing the “have nots.” To be fair, Notre Dame has recently increased its financial aid to lower income students. Yet, the modest enrollment gains that have resulted pale in significance when weighed against our radically skewed enrollment. Clearly Notre Dame can and must do better, but what should “better” look like? Here are a few places to begin. We should increase efforts to enroll more students of color and first-generation college students, and we should make permanent the current policy of not requiring SAT or ACT scores for undergraduate applicants. We should hire more faculty of color and ensure that all students encounter diverse voices and histories in the curriculum. We should guarantee a living wage to all University staff and scrupulously protect their right to collective bargaining. We should divest from stock in for-profit prison corporations, and we should support efforts in the South Bend community to break the schoolto-prison pipeline. Notre Dame built its faculty, campus and endowment through the largesse of its white and wealthy supporters and through its highly disciplined and aggressive business model. We have also carefully cultivated a Notre Dame brand that is both Catholic and corporate. All of us — students, staff, faculty and administrators — benefit from our enviable financial position and prestige. To question Notre Dame’s wealth-building admissions policies may seem dishonest or at least disingenuous. At the risk of appearing unrealistic or ungrateful, we feel compelled to break the silence that unwittingly protects our corporate values, priorities and ambitions. The need for change is acute, and now is the time to act. All of us in the Notre Dame community, as well as our trustees, administrators and members of the Holy Cross Order, are responsible to uphold our mission and institutional integrity. We cannot continue to espouse principles of justice and Catholic Social Teaching while we are contributing to the inequality that we deplore. To paraphrase Mark 8:36: “What does it profit us to gain all we have, if we are to lose our soul?” Next fall, all of us will be asked to participate in the University’s strategic planning process that will determine the targets for our next fundraising campaign. Before we identify the needs within our particular units, we must examine our collective conscience and reset our priorities as a University. We must engage now in a long-overdue dialogue that will set concrete institutional goals expressing a decisive commitment to anti-racism, justice and the preferential option for poor. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. “ F. Clark Power professor of the Program of Liberal Studies Stephen Fallon professor of the Program of Liberal Studies and English John Duffy professor of English May 4
The observer | Friday, MAY 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
7
This place will always be your home The end of a school year is always bittersweet. Everyone knows at least one senior who will graduate this spring. But while we hate to see them go, we can’t wait to see them thrive. This year, the class of 2021 at Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame has gone through the unimaginable: They have finished a degree in the midst of a global pandemic and led by example through incredibly turbulent times. Seniors from the tri-campus community: You have truly embraced this “new normal” with a mindset that has enabled you to arrive where you are today. You continued to adapt to the new challenges of the past three semesters. After the pandemic upended the 2020 spring semester, you made the most of this atypical year. That perseverance is something to look back on and be proud of. Since this is our final editorial of the school year, we would like to especially recognize the graduating seniors of The Observer. In a year full of tragedy, isolation and political division, you all have inspired us with your dedication and hard work. To the seniors of our 2020-2021 Editorial Board: Thank you for everything. Throughout your college careers and especially in the last year, you have led The Observer with unparalleled grace and dignity. The impacts of your leadership will continue to guide the tri-campus newspaper for years to come. Your leadership was recognized this April when The Observer won 30 Indiana Collegiate Press Awards. This speaks volumes to the quality and depth of the journalism the 2020-2021 Editorial Board oversaw during a year heavy with loss, strife and historic events. Here is some of the impactful, important journalistic work our mentors and friends took on this year: Former Editor-in-Chief Maria Leontaras chronicled stories of students stuck in quarantine and isolation at the beginning of a new, unprecedented school year and gathered mixed reactions on the storming of the field after Notre Dame football’s historic win over Clemson.
Over the summer, former Managing Editor Mariah Rush wrote about the experiences of international students in dealing with COVID-19 travel regulations and joined former Notre Dame News Editor Serena Zacharias in interviewing students protesting for Black Lives Matter across the U.S. In the fall, Mariah covered a protest against Amy Coney Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court, and wrote a heartwarming tribute to Valeria Espinel, one of the Notre Dame students who tragically passed away after being hit by a car in October. Serena and graduating Talent & Inclusion Manager Maria Luisa Paul wrote a parallel tribute to Olivia Rojas, who also died in the crash. Former Assistant Managing Editor Claire Rafford covered the outpouring of support in the aftermath of the accident at a prayer service held that same night. She also reported on viral open letters penned by Notre Dame professors in both opposition and support of Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination. At the beginning of the pandemic, as students scattered across the globe sought to return home, former Assistant Managing Editor Maeve Filbin shared the story of two Saint Mary’s students who opted to remain in Rome and had to live under lockdown. After returning to campus in the fall, she wrote about the impact of COVID-19 on local bars. Former Assistant Managing Editor Sara Schlecht contributed to important coverage of initial academic changes due to COVID-19, writing a story about the College’s adjustment to virtual instruction at the end of March 2020. Former Saint Mary’s News Editor Mia Marroquin covered the ever-changing state of the pandemic and related guidelines at Saint Mary’s and bravely shared her testimony as one of the first members of the tri-campus community to test positive for COVID-19. As Notre Dame News Editor, Serena Zacharias spearheaded the launch of the weekly news podcast, “The Recap.” In November 2020, Serena and Mia led the news department in covering the presidential election and how its impacts were felt on the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s campuses. However, in the midst of a turbulent year, our seniors also utilized journalism to uplift our tri-campus community. Maria Luisa Paul covered the Notre Dame Jewish Club’s story of unity during Antisemitism Awareness Week and
highlighted our campus’ diverse voices through her weekly Tri-Campus Tuesday series. Former Sports Editor Hayden Adams covered Notre Dame football’s electric victory over Clemson last November. Former Graphics Editor Diane Park ensured our stories were always accompanied by and enhanced with beautiful, eye-catching, creative graphics. Former Scene Editor Ryan Israel triggered entertaining conspiracies among students with his investigative Scene piece linking Notre Dame to Taylor Swift’s “champagne problems.” And our three graduating Viewpoint columnists — Clark Bowden, Vince Mallet and Gabriel Niforatos — fostered constructive dialogue across the tri-campus through their authentic, thought-provoking columns. We’d also like to thank our graduating Systems Administrator, Stephen Hannon, for keeping our website running, helping us through our printer problems and for doing everything else in and beyond his job description. We truly don’t know where we’d be without him. Finally, we’d like to extend our gratitude to the entire Editorial Board for consistently putting out open and honest editorials, calling for accountability and transparency from our tri-campus administrations and holding all members of our community to a higher standard. But our graduating staff contributed so much more than just the groundbreaking content they produced — we’d also like to thank the seniors of the 2020-2021 Editorial Board for their guidance and friendship. Their yearlong term began in March 2020, just as the pandemic shuttered our campuses and sent students home, but their strong leadership and unending care for their staff persisted throughout an unimaginably challenging year. Thank you for making The Observer a home for us, and we hope that it will continue to be a home for you — because you’ll always be welcome in the basement of South Dining Hall. This is what makes our time in college so special: Each and every one of us ends up finding a home in some corner of our campus. To the seniors of our tri-campus community: Even as you walk across the stage and receive your diploma, remember that this place will remain your home — and if you ever find yourself back in South Bend, Indiana, your campus community will welcome you with open arms.
My three mothers Vince Mallett Independent Idealist
Motherhood isn’t only biological. Many mothers are not biologically related to their children, and many biological mothers have no personal relationship to their child after birth. Many children don’t have mothers in their lives, for a variety of reasons. But the fact remains that, for many if not most humans, our mother is the first person with whom we form a strong bond. They, usually along with our fathers, guide us to adulthood and help us bear our burdens from then on. There are three mothers I think are important for us to keep in mind throughout our lives, and to thank on Sunday.First off, it would be remiss if I did not mention our Holy Mother Mary, to whom the month of May is dedicated. Every time we think about motherhood or appreciate our own mothers, we should remember that we have a spiritual mother in heaven interceding for us, who brought our salvation into the world.May is not only Mary’s month, however, but it is the month of Mother’s Day. It’s a time to celebrate the women who have raised us; but that celebration, that remembrance, must not be limited to this Sunday. I can’t speak to anyone else’s relationship with their mother, so I’ll tell you about my own. The way I interact with my mom provides a lot of material for teasing by my friends. We talk on the phone every day, and text apart from that; the latter involves a lot of emojis, often rows of repeated hearts. They say my voice goes an octave higher when I’m on the phone with my Mom, and supposedly I’m much more polite with her than I am with them (how dare I!?). This cheesy veneer might seem to them, and many others, to signal a skin-deep relationship, a cheery correspondence more than a human connection.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. My mom is my best friend. We talk about every aspect of our day, the minutia and the big stuff: work, meals, sleep, interpersonal drama, mixed up with family, love, God, friendship and what it means to be a good person in this complicated world. We laugh, we cry, we argue, she realizes that I’m going to be stubborn about a disagreement, I realize she was right all along. It’s a respectful relationship, of course, since she is my mother. We don’t have the kind of friendship that (hopefully) happens between siblings; we’re equals in some respects, but certainly not in all of them. But it’s also not the kind of relationship one has to a teacher, or another mentor. It’s so much more than just a “learning from” or “being raised by,” it’s a “journeying through life with.”I really do not mean to put anyone else’s mom down, but I do think that I have this wonderful relationship with mine mostly because of her particular strengths. My mom is a compassionate, dedicated, loving woman whose every action is intended to be for the best of her children. She’s honest, thoughtful and wildly smart, to the extent that my understanding of each of those words is largely informed by my understanding of her. Perhaps more than anything, my mom is willing to say that she loves her children unconditionally: I genuinely believe that there is nothing I can do in this world that would make her love me an iota less than the most she ever has. That kind of love is the most important kind, in my opinion. It’s the kind of love God has for us, the kind of love that drove him to die innocent on a cross, for the sake of us: the guilty. It’s the kind of love every true parent has for their child, even if they don’t say it or struggle to carry it out in all of their actions. It’s how our parents show us the goodness of our God above.This brings me to the last of the three mothers I want to discuss: Notre Dame, our mother, tender, strong and true. Like all human mothers,
Notre Dame is not perfect. She is prejudiced, fickle, subject to financial pressures and more complicit in systematic racism than any of our individual mothers. However, she cares about us. Notre Dame wants us to succeed, wants us to grow in love and make a positive impact on this world, not just so her reputation could be strengthened but so her motherly role could be fulfilled. Does Notre Dame love each of us unconditionally? I’m not so sure about that one. But Notre Dame has certainly given us a home, a context in which to grow other relationships, a foundation on which to build our lives and years of memories of love. The relationship to one’s mother changes as one gets older. My mom won’t always be my best friend; someday, I hope that my husband will play that role, as he becomes my primary partner in the journey through life. In a couple weeks, I’ll be graduating from Notre Dame, and I’ll never again have the closeness to the University that I do now. But these relationships do not end. My mom will always be there for me, and I will always be there for her. Notre Dame will likely ask me for money I don’t have until the day I die, and I’ll continue buying merchandise and going to football games and humming the alma mater or the Canticle of the Turning. We might not be kids anymore, but our moms will always be our moms.To my mom, Notre Dame, the Blessed Mother and all other mothers out there: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Vince Mallett is a senior majoring in philosophy, with a minor in constitutional studies. He currently lives offcampus, though he calls both New Jersey and Carroll Hall home. He can be reached at vmallett@nd.edu or @vince_mallett on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
8
The observer | Friday, MAY 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
An organized mess Odalis Gonzalez Show Some Skin
Beep Beep Beep! My alarm goes off. I reach for my phone to turn off my 7:50 a.m. alarm, the one that rings Monday through Thursday except it is not 7:50 a.m. It is 8:05 a.m. Somehow, I must have instinctively snoozed my alarm, more than once, because I don’t remember it going off the first time. Crap. I know I should be getting up, but I can’t. I mean, I can, but I really can’t. I fight with my brain to open my eyes. Come on. Just open one. Crazy to think that just a few years ago, I could call myself a morning person without feeling like a liar. Granted, I’m not really lying if you consider my waking up at least three times in the night and struggling to fall back asleep as the behavior of a morning person. I turn on my back and stare at the ceiling. My eyes are finally open. Sort of. Come on. I need to get up. I’m going to be late. Let’s go. My phone is still in my hand. I scroll mindlessly through the missed notifications after my DND 10:00 p.m. setting activates. I look at the time. 8:15 a.m. Crap. I really have to get up now. Still looking up at the ceiling, my mind tells me that I should stay and bed and not go to classes. One day won’t hurt, right? Wrong. It never is just one day. Once I allow myself to stay in today, I’ll do it tomorrow and the next day, Until I have not gotten out of my bed for a whole week. Like a zombie, I drag my body out of bed. Some days, that’s the hardest battle to fight. Today was one of those days. I get my morning routine going: brush my teeth, wash my face, put on my contacts — I really want to hop in the shower but I’m already running behind. Of course. You can’t even get out of bed in time to shower. Disgusting. I sigh as I fix my hair. Still learning how to style and take care of my hair. For years people made me believe that my hair was “wild”, “ugly” or “too much” and now, spritzing water to bring make to life my waves that are turning into ringlets. I sit at my desk and apply two coats of mascara and fill in my eyebrows.
That’s as much makeup as I can do today. 8:50 a.m. Time to get dressed. Nothing fits. It all looks so bad. Ugh. I pick one of the same five shirts I always wear, with black leggings. Comfort.I pack my lunch and leave out the door. Running late. Again. I drive 5 minutes to get to the campus parking, worried the whole time about how late I am. Parking is a pain. After finding an empty spot, I grab my backpack and walk to class. Headphones in, I walk as fast as my legs can carry me to class, pondering whether every person I walk by is judging how slow I walk or what I’m wearing or literally anything about me. I keep my head down, completely zoned out, and continue robotically through class, after class. After my last class, I grab lunch with my friend. We laugh and joke around. As soon as it’s over, I walk alone to my car in the parking lot. Contemplating every single thing I said. How stupid that comment was. Why would you say that? She probably hates you. I climb into my car and drive home, knowing the moment I get home my bed is going to call me. But I have so much to do, so many meetings to get through.I throw my bag on my futon and sit back, wrestling with my mind about whether I should take a nap or do work. I should do work. But I can’t focus if my mind is tired. But I am always tired. My mind, my body, my spirit. Always so tired. I break as I climb into bed. Just a quick nap. Twenty minutes. Despite being tired, I can’t go to bed. I can’t shut down my mind, all these thoughts racing Uncontrollably. I just want to sleep.After an hour of lying in bed without going to sleep,I give up and turn on my speaker. Maybe some music will motivate me to get work done. Except, before I even know it, I go back to the same song. The song that does not put me in a better mood, but instead I play on repeat when I can’t express my feelings. So, before you go Was there something I could’ve said
To make your heart beat better? If only I’d have known you had a storm to weather So, before you go Was there something I could’ve said To make it all stop hurting? It kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless -----------------------------------------------------------------I am functioning, barely, but I am. When people see me, they see the girl that’s involved in everything. The girl who is always on the grind. The girl who is annoyingly organized with her agenda, calendars and color-coded system. The girl who loves to dance and go out with friends. The girl who advocates for social justice and the humanity of others. The girl who advises everyone about getting help. The girl who will drop everything to help a friend. What they don’t know is that I am a mess. I battle every day with my mental health. I struggled for years with undiagnosed anxiety, exacerbated with my first depressive episode sophomore year, followed with several anxiety attacks. I was able to get out of bed, I got dressed, I didn’t cancel any plans, I socialized even when I didn’t want to. Today I won most of my battles, not all, but most of them. I am still a mess, but I am organized enough to stay afloat. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but for today, today was a good day. Odalis Gonzalez was an assistant producer for this year’s Show Some Skin production. Show Some Skin is a student-run initiative committed to giving voice to unspoken narratives about identity and difference. If you are interested in breaking the silence and getting involved with Show Some Skin, reach out to s.someskin@gmail.com over email. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Are people inherently good? Megumi Tamura Subject to Change
I don’t see enough movies to be able to watch the Oscars and actually follow along, but I did see a video floating around social media on the night of the Oscars of Chloé Zhao making her speech after winning best director for her film “Nomadland.” Besides the incredible fact that this made Chloé Zhao the first Asian woman to ever win an Oscar for best director, I was also moved by her acceptance speech, in which she recited a quote from a classic Chinese poem that translates to “people at birth are inherently good.” As I reflect back on my first year of college, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about these words. With everything that has happened within the past year — from a global pandemic that has taken millions of lives, to a summer of protest for racial justice, to a presidential election, to a rise in acts of violence against Asian Americans, while beginning to experience college in the midst of it all — this year has been a lot. There’s been so much bad — so much to be angry, heartbroken and upset about — but there has also been good — moments that have made me see the goodness of human nature in my family, friends, community and complete strangers. Within this rollercoaster of emotions — of good and bad, of joy and sadness — I thought I would write my last column of the year on a question I’ve found myself contemplating: Are people inherently good? This question is, of course, one that has been thought about and discussed among theologians and philosophers for centuries. In philosophy, there’s Thomas Hobbes on one
hand, saying humans in their most natural state are immoral, brutish and self-interested; while, on the other hand, Rousseau stated that human nature is moral, gentle and pure. Does our naturally bad nature necessitate society and government, or is it society and government that corrupt our natural goodness? Aristotle believed humans are not immoral or moral, but amoral from birth. He said we are naturally rational beings who have the choice and ability to develop moral and intellectual virtue. John Locke and Sigmund Freud supported the theory of tabula rasa, which states humans are a “blank slate” at birth, and their nature is molded by their social environments. This seemingly philosophical and abstract question has even entered into the scientific realm, with experiments that test our inherent nature by studying human instincts and cooperation. All of these different beliefs, theories and studies still haven’t provided an explicit answer that’s guaranteed to satisfy everyone. Yet this question is important to consider in the midst of a world that sometimes feels full of evil, injustice, corruption and unkindness. This is where I turn to my reflections of the past year in order to examine this question. In what felt like a bizarre and, at times, unfortunate year to start my college career, I can recall countless times where I’ve seen the good. Whether it was small moments of laughter with my friends in the Gateway Program as we trekked the infamous Holy Hike along Dorr Road, quiet nights on the 10th floor of the library surrounded by other students and feeling like we were all struggling together, receiving kind and encouraging emails from people who read my Viewpoint columns, seeing how passionate students are about making the world
a better place, calling my family and feeling my heart warm with love for them, or texting my friends back home and seeing all of their achievements and adventures, I’m convinced that people have a capacity to be and do good. Even nationally, seeing a vaccine be developed in record time and offer a glimmer of hope for the end of this pandemic, viewing the largest movement in U.S. history of people across the nation and globe protesting police brutality and racial injustice, and seeing one of the highest voter turnouts in the U.S. in more than a century, has all solidified my belief in the human capacity for good. Just as easy as it is to say people are selfish and nasty, this year has made me learn that people are also selfless, kind and decent. Maybe we as human beings are not inherently good. Maybe we are. Maybe we’re a mix of good and bad. Perhaps human nature is too complex and complicated a thing to place it on a dichotomy of good and bad. I don’t know if there’ll ever be an answer that will convince everyone, but I do know that we as humans at least have a capacity for good. As I finish up my first year of college, I want to remember this lesson and let it influence how I see the world and how I see myself. Regardless of whether we are inherently good or bad, we have a potential for good. It’s up to us to access that good. Megumi Tamura is a freshman in the Gateway Program. She is originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey and enjoys going to museums, watching political debates and eating Jersey bagels. She can be reached at mtamura@nd.edu or @megtamura on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
9
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By CHRISTINE HILARIO Scene Writer
It’s a tale as old as time: a quirky teenage girl’s dreams are stifled by a parent who just doesn’t get her. But this age-old story is thrown for a loop when the robot apocalypse begins. When an Apple-esque tech company accidentally instigates the machine apocalypse, the Mitchells are the only ones left to save the world. Their family-bonding road trip to drop the daughter, Katie (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), off at film school turns into a family-bonding road trip to destroy the leader of the robot takeover: a smartphone turned supervillain played by Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Coleman. This dysfunctional family isn’t anyone’s first choice to be humanity’s saviors, but with a lot of creativity and determination, the Mitchells are ready to save the day — if they can manage to get along for five seconds. “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” is nonstop fun, jampacked with gorgeously animated action scenes and hilarious gags. The film was produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the same men who created “SpiderMan: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Lego Movie,” and it is heavily influenced by the humor and art style of those films. The visuals of the film are truly outstanding. Every action scene is a beautiful cacophony of bright colors and multiple moving parts that’s impossible to look away
By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer
Pixar really hit it out of the park when they released their newest feature film “Soul.” “Soul” tells the story of an aspiring jazz musician named Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) who must try and reunite his body and soul after they’re separated by a freak accident. Along the way, he must redefine himself and help a soul named 22 (Tina Fey) who is avoiding Earth. One year later, Pixar has released a new short film titled “22 vs. Earth,” a prequel to “Soul,” where 22 continues her evasion of Earth. Both of these films seem to have been a success for Disney+. But besides that, these two films seem to convey a huge and meaningful message about real life that I feel like everyone should follow: Find your spark of inspiration. So, how does “Soul” convey such a powerful message of finding your spark of inspiration in life? As I said earlier, “Soul” is about a musician who has to reunite his body and soul after a freak accident, as well as help other souls find their spark. Everyone on the face of the Earth has a reason for being here; we
from. It’s sometimes hard to know what to focus on, but the visuals are always entertaining. Along with the thrilling action sequences, there’s always careful attention paid to minute character details throughout the movie. One detail that stuck out to me was the reminders written on Katie’s hand. It’s such a tiny detail, but it helps add depth to Katie’s character, showing how her mind works at a mile a minute. This is the type of movie that warrants re-watching if you want to appreciate all the visual details. The film has a distinct art style that has 2D drawings layered over the CGI animation, which was greatly inspired by “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” This layering technique gives the film a more hand-drawn feel, reminiscent of older cartoons, and it sets the film apart from other animated features. Along with the stellar animation, “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” is genuinely funny. It was written and directed by two former “Gravity Falls” writers, Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, so what else could you expect? The way the jokes were structured reminded me of the humor in “Gravity Falls,” so if you enjoyed the humor in that show, you’ll find this movie funny. Every member of the Mitchell family has their own funny moments, from the dinosaur obsession of younger brother Aaron (Mike Rianda) to the sudden transformation of mother Linda (Maya Rudolph) into a ruthless robot destroyer. The jokes are clever and quick, so if one doesn’t land for you, there’ll be another one-liner or visual gag just around the corner. While the humor was excellent, some of the emotional
moments fell a bit flat for me. The main tension in the film is between Katie and her father Rick (Danny McBride), who just don’t seem to get each other. Katie is an oddball and an aspiring filmmaker, and her more old-fashioned, nature-loving dad isn’t entirely supportive of her ambitions. Generational conflicts like these are so prevalent in media that you know how the story beats are meant to play out, and I thought the film was a bit too obvious with them. Considering this is a children’s movie, this heavyhandedness is forgivable, and the strengths of the film make up for it. Overall, this film was an absolute joy to watch, and if you need an extra boost of serotonin before finals week, “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” has my whole-hearted recommendation.
just have to find our spark of inspiration as to why. As a college undergraduate student, I see this film as an inspiration for me because it opened my eyes to what each soul’s spark of inspiration is and how they often struggle to find it. We all struggle with this even as we go through our college years. “22 vs. Earth” is an example of us rejecting our own spark of inspiration; we often complain about how we cannot make a difference in the world with what spark of inspiration we have discovered in our life. This is why we constantly change our majors until we are halfway done with our college years, when we need to have a pretty good idea of what we want to do with our lives. I personally love both of these films, not because they are for children, but because they are also for college students. We tend to think that we have no inspiration on Earth, but in a sense we are like 22. We all want to finish up our time on Earth and be in a sort of vegetative state, where we have no reason at all to be here. In the grand scheme of things, though, we eventually grow out of our negative emotions and find out why we are put on this planet. At one point during “Soul,” 22 becomes a lost soul,
which is prevalent in our lives. We often become lost in the world, and that is when we lose our spark of inspiration. “Soul” also conveys another important message of not taking anything for granted. Gardner’s obsession with becoming a jazz musician results in him going into a comatose state, as well as his wanting to return to Earth after his soul is detached from his body. We often become obsessed with different things that we enjoy in the world. Whether it be music, education or sports, we all become obsessed with something and that is just human instinct. But we do not seem to take into account that obsession is not a good thing, and it can make us become a lost soul like 22 or someone who wants to return to reality like Gardner. In conclusion, “Soul” and “22 vs. Earth” showcase powerful messages of obsession and finding one’s spark of inspiration that should stick with people, especially college students. “Soul” is one of the most powerful animated films that Pixar has ever created and it has stuck with me to this day.
Contact Christine Hilario at chilario@nd.edu
“The Mitchells vs. The Machines” Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph If you liked: “Gravity Falls,” “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse,” “The Lego Movie” Where to watch: Netflix
Contact Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
10
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ALEJANDRO MUJICA Scene Writer
“Try not to abuse your power” is Billie Eilish’s message for the music industry at large. In “Your Power,” she strips back the thumping bass of her Billboard chart-topper “bad guy,” and the bravado of her latest hit “therefore i am,” to gentle acoustic guitars and breathy, vulnerable vocals. She sings of abusive lovers, of coercion and of willful ignorance. The juxtaposition of the dreamy ensemble with the power of the lyrics is a haunting experience. When she sings, “How dare you? How could you?,” demanding an answer from the abuser, the full weight of her incisive songwriting is evidenced. At surface level, “Your Power,” presents a striking contrast to the creepy, off-putting aesthetic of previous album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” A deeper search into the mind of the artist, though, reveals a connection between the horror movies, the sob stories and the seeming arrogance present in different pieces of her catalog. Billie Eilish is, through and through, unapologetically herself.
By COLLEEN FISCHER Scene Writer
Step One: Want to start a band All failed bands start the same way with someone wanting to start a band. If you talked to me in high school and asked me if I wanted to start a band, I would probably say that bands are cool but not my thing before switching the topic to be about AP U.S. History. The truth was I never thought I was cool enough, and after a half decade-long journey of adjusting my persona to be who I want to be, I can proudly say that I am not cool enough to be in a band. This did not stop junior year me from starting on the band BackPocket, which never played a show, but does have one unfinished banger. It wasn’t born out of a desire to be “cool,” but to belong and to play music. Everyone is just looking for a place to belong; it’s OK if you aren’t “cool” or “good” — if you like music, play it. If you can’t play, do what others do and show up to the concerts and sit on the wall with the bands and blend in with your friends. People want you to be a part of their scene. In fact, the Notre Dame scene is desperate for participants. They want you at their house shows and concerts. Lake Side is performing this Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., show up and care. BackPocket may just be an unfulfilled dream, a poorly defined Instagram page and plenty... I mean plenty of merch designs (my favorite is Emily’s — our drummer — idea to wear shirts with pockets backward), but the confidence it brought me when engaging with people I now call friends gifted me my favorite memories from college. Music is an easy way to connect with people, so why not use it? The first step in failing to start a band is wanting one, but that’s OK because the first step in being a part of anything is wanting it.
Her songs are a raw reflection of her thought process, from twisted desires to egotistical delusions to mournful ruminations. Song after song, Eilish fishes out a new piece of an autobiographical puzzle, diving into a new obsession, fear or reflection to furnish her musical self-portrait. She is self-aware in a way famous people simply are not, addressing topics of suicidal ideation, the “monster under her bed,” and in “Your Power,” abuse of power in the music industry and society at large. On a recent interview with Vogue, she says about celebrities: “There’s all these people who are incredibly vulnerable and would honestly do anything you say. That’s a crazy feeling. Nobody should be given the power that we’re given.” Self-awareness and humility aside, the seven-time Grammy winner is calling the shots in the music industry. She sets the trends, and others follow. And she’s steering the industry in a new direction: one of down-to-earth, raw superstars. She has a poetic sensibility, reflected in the snakes, needles and spiders in her music videos, but her lyrics are honest and insightful. And it works.
The meteoric ascent of Billie Eilish into superstardom has created the self-aware superstar, which does away with the aura of omnipotence other artists have cultivated in the past. Her hair might go from grey to green to blonde, and her fashion is anything but ordinary, but her personality is a breath of fresh air. She really is just a 19-year-old writing songs from her heart, saying what she wants to in the best way she can. She speaks out about the injustice she sees, she cries out in pain and rejection and she explores her darkness. The gears are turning in the music industry — there will probably not be a new Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake anytime soon. The new wave of relatable pop stars is growing: Doja Cat, Khalid and Lewis Capaldi are just a few examples. The new generation, in a world of climate change, job market challenges and racial injustice, seeks less glitter and more imperfection. They seek the genuine and pop culture reflects it. Billie Eilish is a bright star in an emerging constellation — good things are in store for the future of music.
Step Two: Have friends who have better things to do
life making art alone whether it be writing, painting, playing piano or editing a video. It is usually just me and my ideas. It is nice to share things, especially creativity. Working with my bandmates on music were the best nights of my life. Willoughby — our guitarist — has the voice memos to prove it. The recordings feature me squealing and then crying when a song sounded good. Making something with someone even if no one sees it is still rewarding, it’s still magical, it’s still all the things it’s meant to be.
This is the hardest part of starting a band, and the reason most bands fail. Bands are a lot of work and sometimes people care more about friends, school or their mental health than playing music with their friends. I could never make my bandmates more available or more dedicated and it was one of the hardest lessons to learn. Sometimes it’s not enough to want something badly, other people have to want it too. The thing that I was so desperate for — belonging — suddenly was becoming the thing breaking up my band. I couldn’t maintain friendships with the people I loved and force them to come practice, and in the end that wouldn’t be fun. Maybe I don’t have an album out on Spotify, but I can still call the people I started the band with my friends — us wanting different things didn’t destroy that. I may regret not having a band, but I don’t regret not ruining my friendships. If there was a way to have both I couldn’t find it, and if I get too sad about it I just re-watch the sixth episode of “Freaks and Geeks” to validate myself.
Step Three: Care too much I wanted to write music. I learned how to play two instruments proficiently in order to be a valuable member and have a composition notebook full of the most embarrassing emo lyrics. I wanted to be in a band. Do I wish that I could Dave Grohl this situation and release an album of just me playing the songs? Yes. Do I want to? No. First of all, I do sound worse the Dave Grohl — my singing voice is disturbing to say the least — but also being in a band was about sharing the creative process with someone. I have spent my whole
Contact Alejandro Mujica at amujicav@nd.edu
Step Four: Realize you never failed Starting a band is hard. The music scene is full of dedicated people. This past weekend, alumni drove and flew in from all over the country to perform. These people cared about their music. I started a band for two reasons — to play music and to feel like I belonged. I did both. I learned so much about music and what makes it good. I also got to be a part of a community. I will always consider the people who were in BackPocket my bandmates. BackPocket, the band, did fail. It would be disrespectful to all the wonderful bands on campus to say otherwise. There isn’t a but. It failed. I just realized that I don’t care. Maybe my kids will never find an old video of me playing in a rad basement show. That’s OK. I’ve watched the people I love leave their dreams behind for other things in a lot of ways this year, and I thought it would be devastating to see, but it’s not. Sometimes, it’s OK to let go and give yourself the space to be something else. Sometimes, writing a song with a friend and banging on drums with another is enough. That being said, start a band. Even if you fail, you won’t. Contact Colleen Fischer at cfischer01@saintmarys.edu ELAINE PARK | The Observer
Classifieds
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, May 7, 2021 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
11
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Step outside your comfort zone. Taking a unique approach to an ongoing problem will open the door to progress, satisfaction and new beginnings. Surround yourself with people who are searching for the same thing you are, and you’ll be amazed at the results you get from being part of a collective group. Make health a priority, and live a moderate lifestyle. Your numbers are 4, 11, 16, 22, 31, 32, 37. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Contact people you have worked with before, and you’ll hear about a position that interests you. Update your resume, add to your skills and qualifications, and push forward with your plans. Keep things in perspective to avoid disappointment. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Consider your options and do what’s best for you. Don’t feel the need to follow the herd, but take action to ensure you don’t get left behind. Take the path that offers results you feel safe pursuing. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A colorful depiction will attract attention, but don’t venture from the truth. How you present what you know and are willing to do will influence the outcome. Stick to what’s worked in the past if you want to get the best results. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Use your creative imagination, and you will come up with something that will make your job easier. Consider the way something looks before you put it on display. A simple, elegant approach to whatever you do will fetch compliments. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Live and learn. Refuse to let what others do influence the way you react or the decisions you make. Focus on what you can accomplish all by yourself for a price you can afford. Deal with demanding people by using intelligence. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look on the bright side, and don’t feel bad if someone chooses not to be a part of your plans. Put your energy where it counts. It’s what you accomplish and the changes you adopt that will help you get ahead. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Plan to have some fun. A physical release will ease stress and help you gain perspective regarding how you want to live your life. Don’t feel you have to spend a lot to win someone’s favor. Kindness and understanding are sufficient. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put some muscle and passion into whatever you want to achieve, and you will exceed your expectations. You don’t have to overdo or overspend to come up with something great. Use time and money wisely, and good things will transpire. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Stick to the facts, and question anything you hear that sounds outlandish. A steady pace in a direction that offers you a secure future will ease your mind and encourage you to simplify your life. Walk away from manipulative people. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll come up with an exciting way to turn your surroundings into an innovative workstation. The inspiration you get from the changes you make will help you raise your income and secure your position or plans. Romance is in the stars. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be careful what you share emotionally, physically and financially. Someone will take advantage of you if you don’t lay down ground rules. Keep an open mind, but don’t lose sight of what you are trying to accomplish. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Observe what others do and say, and it will help you decide who is trustworthy. False information will come your way, and a deal that sounds amazing will fall short of your expectations. Be on guard; protect your assets. Birthday Baby: You are apprehensive, questioning and suspicious. You are outspoken and mercurial.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
Work Area
Make checks payable to and mail to:
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross communities. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the three campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.
The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556
Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip
12
Classifieds sports
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports Authority
Thomas: Grades for the 2021 NFL Draft Aidan Thomas Sports Writer
You can get all the NFL Draft analysis you want, but given that I did a little bit of pre-draft writing with my sports authorities, I figured I’d offer up my own grades and brief analyses of how each team did in the draft. Today, I’m describing each team’s draft in three words, offering a grade on a scale of 1-10 and giving a quick sentence of analysis. Let’s get into it.
AFC Jacksonville Jaguars — “Welcome Trevor Lawrence” I love the picks of Trevor Lawrence, Walker Little and Andre Cisco, but the first round selection of Travis Etienne makes little to no sense; otherwise, I felt Jacksonville largely addressed their biggest needs. Grade: 7.3/10 New York Jets —“3 day value” The Jets got their QB and protected him in the first round, and they followed it up with value picks throughout the weekend, including some of my favorite selections in RB Michael Carter and safety Hamsah Nasirildeen. Grade: 8.0/10 Cincinnati Bengals — “Weapons or Protection?” The Bengals had the choice between the best tackle in the draft and Joe Burrow’s old receiver and went with the latter — it could prove to be fruitful, so long as Burrow isn’t getting leveled on every play. Grade: 7.1/10 Miami Dolphins — “Waste of Surplus” Miami had absurd draft capital, which means you can’t miss completely, and they hit a home run with the Waddle selection but then didn’t address a lot of other primary needs on the offensive line or in the backfield, going for some defensive selections away from their positions of need. Grade: 5.6/10 Denver Broncos —“Quantity not quality” Despite ten picks, the Broncos’ draft felt like an unmitigated disaster, as they didn’t address the quarterback or inside linebacker position, despite clear first-round prospects available throughout their first two picks — instead adding four picks to their secondary and three to their edge rush, which were among their deepest positions. Grade: 3.1/10 Los Angeles Chargers — “Steal after Steal” Rashawn Slater at #13, Asante Samuel midway through the second, Chris Rumph in the fourth plus a couple of weapons for Justin Herbert — fantastic draft from the Chargers. Grade: 8.4/10 New England Patriots — “A Belichick first” For the first time under Bill
Belichick, the Pats went with a first-round QB in what was a pretty solid first round pick after electing not to trade up, and they followed it up with a great day two, but I was less enthralled with the final few picks, including New England’s decision to not address the cornerback position. Grade: 6.0/10 Las Vegas Raiders — “Reach then steal” At least the Raiders’ absurd reach for Alex Leatherwood filled a need, and they followed it up with (in my opinion) a massive steal by landing Trevon MoehrigWoodard in the second round, so that kind of cancels out; in general, I thought Las Vegas caught a lot of unnecessary heat for their later picks, where you should be picking off of upside and fit, so I don’t hate the overall haul for Gruden (even if I hate the round 1 pick). Grade: 6.2/10 Indianapolis Colts — “Stop Derrick Henry” The key to winning the AFC South is going to be stopping Derrick Henry, and the Colts wisely added to the defensive line early; overall, I really liked this draft, including the insurance for Carson Wentz via the Sam Ehlinger pick in round six, but I would have liked to see an offensive line addition earlier than Round 7. Grade: 7.2/10 Tennessee Titans — “Prioritize the secondary” The Titans added some cornerback prospects with some steals, getting Caleb Farley late in the first round plus Elijah Molden in the fourth, to go with some offensive line additions — the only complaint from me is a lack of receiver/tight end additions, with a fourth-round receiver not being enough to quell my doubts about the unit. Grade: 6.9/10 Pittsburgh Steelers — “Better than perceived” The offensive line may have been a priority, but Najee Harris was another great addition and fit in Pittsburgh, so I love the pick way more than most, and I think the Dan Moore addition on the line is great mid-draft value, plus of course, Pressley Harvin III, which should be everyone’s favorite draft pick. Grade: 7.0/10 Cleveland Browns — “Versatility and playmakers” I love most of this draft, with absolute steals in the first two rounds in Newsome and JOK, and Cleveland followed it up with pure speed in Anthony Schwartz, a playmaker in Richard LeCounte and more versatility in Demetric Felton in the seventh round. Grade: 7.5/10 Baltimore Ravens — “Weapons for Lamar” The Ravens finally gave Lamar some help in Tylan Wallace (a fourth round steal) plus a firstround talent in Rashod Bateman and a great edge rushing prospect
with raw upside in Odafe Oweh, but Baltimore didn’t add much offensive line help and I’m not super high on Cleveland as a prospect, so whether Baltimore’s heavy rushing attack is sustainable in 2021 remains to be seen. Grade: 6.3/10 Buffalo Bills — “Air Raid only” The Bills didn’t address a big need at running back, but they did grab a pair of prospects at both defensive end and tackle, which were among their other biggest needs on a well-rounded team that is loading up for a Super Bowl run. Grade: 6.4/10 Kansas City Chiefs — “Make Mahomes Happy” And also safe — the Chiefs did a decent job of adding further protection for Mahomes with a couple of big bodies in Creed Humphry and Trey Smith, and I like the Powell pick as a sneaky potential steal at receiver, but I would have liked to see some secondary and linebacker additions, and the lack of a first round pick limited the top-tier talent available to KC. Grade: 5.5/10 Houston Texans — “No apparent plan” So we know QB isn’t the issue, because Deshaun Watson has been a stud, yet the Texans still waited around for their first pick in the third round and went for the quarterback position — completely inexplicable, but at least they added a nice receiving prospect in Nico Collins with their second pick. Grade: 3.4/10
NFC San Francisco 49ers — “Lance and … ?” The “...” serves as the third word here, as I loved the Lance selection, and the ’Niners addressed a need at guard with a slight 2nd-round reach in Aaron Banks, but I didn’t love much of what San Francisco did in the final five rounds. Grade: 6.4/10 Atlanta Falcons — “Trust in Ryan?” Atlanta was a prime tradeback choice at the fourth pick or a potential landing spot for a top quarterback prospect to groom behind Matt Ryan, but instead they added to a loaded offense with Kyle Pitts and didn’t address their biggest need at the cornerback position until the fourth round. Grade: 4.6/10 Detroit Lions — “Good Luck Goff” The Lions traded their QB, let their best receiver go and then didn’t draft a top-tier receiver for their new signal-caller, nor did they address many major needs — even if Penei Sewell was a great value pick in the first round, I hated this draft way more than most pundits. Grade: 3.3/10 Carolina Panthers — “Riding
with Darnold” Carolina doubled down on their trade for Sam Darnold by not drafting Justin Fields or another quarterback and adding a receiver and tight end in the first three rounds — I would have liked to see Carolina grab insurance under center and maybe more of a passcatcher than Tommy Tremble at their biggest position of need, but we’ll see how this collection of talent plays out for Matt Rhule. Grade: 5.1/10 Philadelphia Eagles — “Devonta or bust” This draft is going to rely on how well Howie Roseman’s decision to trade up and grab Devonta Smith turns out — I like the move right now, but if it doesn’t pan out, I’m not sure Philly landed a lot of value after the first round. Grade: 5.8/10 Chicago Bears — “Bust the trend” Between Ohio State’s inability to produce a good NFL quarterback and Chicago’s struggles to develop them, the Justin Fields’ experiment will be fascinating, but the class is deeper than that, with the Teven Jenkins and Dazz Newsome picks being among my favorite selections for the Bears. Grade: 7.2/10 Dallas Cowboys — “Boom or Bust” The Cowboys went with a lot of high-risk prospects that could pan out and bring a Super Bowl (lol, I mean a winning record) back to Dallas, or they could combust and continue a waste of a championship window. Grade: 6.2/10 Minnesota Vikings — “Bye Bye Kirk?” Kellen Mond is in the building as the Vikings’ second pick, which is curious because there were other additions that needed to be made, but I loved Minnesota’s first pick in Christian Darrisaw and they got one of my favorite predraft steal alerts in Chazz Surratt, so there was more good than bad, but still a lot to unpack with this class. Grade: 5.9/10 Arizona Cardinals — “Who needs height?” I’m ready for those electric celebrations between Kyler Murray and Rondale Moore, who could set records as one of the shortest QB-WR duos of all time, but I do feel the offense could have gotten more attention, with particular questions at tight end and running back (I’m not calling James Conner the answer). Grade: 6.0/10 Washington Football Team — “Fitzmagic’s the guy” Or maybe Heinecke — either way, Washington didn’t add a QB in the draft, but they got a highupside linebacker in Jamin Davis, and then they added some great physicality with Sam Cosmi and tight end John Bates, so I generally like the type of team that they’re building in the nation’s capital. Grade: 7.1/10
New York Giants — “Look away now” The Giants were horrific in this draft, for some reason electing to add a running back over any offensive line help when it’s the latter that’s been the reason Saquon Barkley hasn’t been able to thrive yet, and that’s not even mentioning that horrible round one reach for Toney, who simply wasn’t even in my top 3 receivers available at the time of the pick. Grade: 3.0/10 New Orleans Saints — “Reach, Reach, Reach” Every pick felt like a reach, with only their third-round cornerback, Paulson Adebo, even mildly seeming like good value at the slot, although I didn’t hate the Ian Book selection in the 4th (maybe a touch of bias); beyond that, though, this draft felt ugly start to finish. Grade: 3.5/10 Green Bay Packers — “Enough for Rodgers?” The Packers simply cannot draft an offensive player in the first round — it’s like they’re afraid of making Aaron Rodgers happy, so instead they went for the 2nd-best Georgia cornerback; after a shaky first two rounds, they got a great value pick in the third round in Amari Rodgers and if Eric Stokes pans out, this draft won’t go down as a complete disaster. Grade: 5.0/10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — “Ready to Repeat” The Bucs had a fantastic draft, and there’s not much to say except the rest of the NFC should be quite scared after Tampa Bay added an underrated receiver in Jaelon Darden, some more protection for Brady, his potential successor in Kyle Trask and a pair of additions at outside linebacker, which, if anything, was maybe their biggest need. Grade: 8.9/10 Los Angeles Rams — “So many receivers” When you don’t have a first round pick, do you use your others to deepen your deepest position group? That’s what LA did with this draft, and it felt like a disaster, as they added no offensive line help and no safety help for the secondary but selected three receivers, where they already were very strong. Grade: 3.2/10 Seattle Seahawks — “No sugarcoating that” Can’t do much with three picks, and Seattle proved that, not only by not doing much but also by electing to add a receiver with their first pick rather than an offensive lineman for the frequently-sacked Russell Wilson. Grade: 1.8/10 Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
sports
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, May 7, 2021 | The Observer
Softball Continued from page 16
Ari Denning | The Observer
Irish freshman infielder Karina Gaskins looks to advance on the basepaths in a 6-5 victory over NC State on Friday, March 26 at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Irish would sweep the Wolfpack in a four-game series.
Baseball Continued from page 16
the Irish since they joined the league in 2014. Notre Dame had four different player hit home runs in the outing, the second time they have hit four home runs in a game this season. Florida State has also demonstrated home run power throughout the season, something for which head coach Link Jarrett said his team must be prepared and that the pitching staff must throw strikes. “You have to attack the strike zone and you have to tr y to make good pitches because they’re patient, but they obv iously have the firepower and the strength and the capabilit y to do some damage,” he said. Jarrett said the staff does not need to dev iate from what it has done all season. “That’s been their offensive st yle for a while — it works for them — but our guys just have to pitch in the context of how they’ve pitched and pitch to their strength,” he said. Redshirt sophomore catcher Matheu Nelson has led the way for the Seminoles this season, racking up and ACCleading 20 home runs and 57 runs batted in. Outfielders and fellow redshirt sophomores Robby Martin and Elijah Cabell have also made an impact for Florida State, notching 42 and 28 runs batted in, respectively. For Notre Dame, senior first baseman Niko Kavadas continues to put up big numbers. He leads the Irish w ith 15 home runs and 43 RBIs. Kavadas and his four senior
teammates — left fielder Ryan Cole, center fielder Spencer Myers, catcher Dav id LaManna and second baseman Jared Miller — w ill celebrate Senior Day this weekend. Jarrett said the Class of 2021 has been instrumental in turning the Notre Dame program around throughout a my riad of changes this season. “These guys have been through a lot; I don’t even know where to start the list of what they’ve endured,” he said. “The COV ID nav igation has been an unthinkable piece; the drastic reduction in the draft has been something they’ve had to endure; a coaching change has been something they’ve had to endure. It’s a testament to their strength and toughness and focus, because they’ve had to mentally adapt to a lot of changes, probably as much as any program in the last few years.” He went on to say how proud he is of this senior class and the progress they have made on the field, in the classroom and as young men. “I’m proud of these guys, and the contributions on the field, the performance in the classroom [and] the way these guys conduct themselves off the field is remarkable,” he said. “They’re an elite group of student athletes … it’s a special group. They helped me transition into what I was tr y ing to do w ith the program, and I couldn’t have done it w ithout them.” Jarrett continued to describe the group’s impact on the program. There have been some big moments that they’ve had
quite an impact on — on the field, off the field — and I’m proud of the success they’ve tasted this year.” It has been quite the season for the Irish: A ll major polls rank them in the top 10 in the countr y as of May 3. With regional locations set to be announced at the end of next week, there is a legitimate possibilit y that Notre Dame could host a regional at Frank Eck Stadium. In the meantime, however, they w ill look to take another step in the direction of securing a regular season ACC title and the top seed in the ACC Tournament. Jarrett did not hesitate to acknowledge how much these milestones mean to him and his team. “It’s why you put on the uniform,” he said. “I’ve always talked about, w ith our programs, the desire to become the best team in your conference … At the end of it, you would like to think that you have show n you’re one of the best teams in your conference, and if you can do that, that’s what you’re asking the players to do.” Notre Dame has most definitely put themselves in a position to do just that, and they can make it a realit y by taking care of business against Florida State this weekend. The first pitch w ill be throw n on Friday, May 7 at 6 p.m., followed by game t wo on Saturday, May 8 at 1 p.m. and game three on Sunday, May 9 at 1 p.m. Games can be attended in-person by a limited number of students or v iewed on ACC Net work Extra. Contact Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu
“I love that we’re getting good performances from all three of them at the same time,” Gumpf noted. The pitchers also got some help defensively, as Gumpf said that consistent big plays help take the pressure off of whoever is in the circle. Graduate student infielder Chelsea Purcell has been instrumental in this arena. She has made several midair catches this season, div ing for the ball to secure out after out for her teammates. After watching the defense progress all season, Gumpf said that this “dominating force” is what she is most proud of. This weekend’s opponent is a large rival for the Irish. Gumpf said that the Eagles w ill be a good adversar y to end the season w ith as they w ill be at the top of their game, even if their record may suggest other w ise. “I guarantee that Boston
13
w ill play their ver y best softball,” Gumpf said. “A lthough Boston, on paper, hasn’t had the best season, they w ill play great softball this weekend. That’s what I’m sure of. So I think that they’re really good opponents prior to heading into postseason and the ACC Tournament.” With regards to the tournament, Gumpf said that they can only take it day by day, not getting too far ahead of themselves. “Once we take care of this weekend — and hopefully we w ill compete really well — then we take care of the postseason one game at a time because that’s really what it’s about at that point,” she said. The Senior Weekend rivalr y games w ill be broadcast on the ACC Net work. Matches w ill take place Friday at 5 p.m., Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. and Sunday at noon. Contact Emily DeFa zio at edefa zio @nd.edu
RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer
Irish junior right fielder Brooks Coetzee tries to beat the throw to first in a 2-0 loss to Duke on March 21 at Frank Eck Stadium.
Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
14
Sports
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
FOOTball | WAY TOO EARLY
Way Too Early Preview: Stanford Observer Staff Report
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story was published online May 6. Our final Way Too Early prev iew of Notre Dame’s 2021 schedule features the Stanford Cardinal. The Irish w ill renew the tradition of heading west to California on Thanksgiv ing weekend to conclude their regular season schedule.
Opponent: Stanford Cardinal Date: Saturday, Nov. 27 Location: Stanford Stadium Kickoff: TBA History of the Matchup: This yea r’s matchup w i l l be t he renewa l of a storied riva lr y t hat was put on hold in 2020 due to t he pa ndemic. Last yea r was t he f irst t ime since 1987 t hat t he t wo tea ms did not face of f. The Irish have found success in t he a l l-t ime series, holding a 21-13 record aga inst t he Ca rdina l. The f irst matchup ca me in t he 1925 Rose Bowl when K nute Rock ne led his squad to a 27-10 v ictor y, capping Not re Da me’s nat iona l
Track&Field Continued from page 16
allowed at meets, Sparks said he is excited to see his whole team competing in front of him at the same time. “This w ill be the first time where we’re putting ever ybody together nationally in their strong event for the same meet at the same time,” Sparks said. “It w ill be fun to see ever ybody at their best, which we haven’t done since we hosted the conference meet — which seems like five years ago, in 2020.” Sparks also said he is eager to see senior distance runner Yared Nuguse back in action at the conference meet, but Nuguse w ill have another special race this Friday in Oregon where he w ill attempt to run an oly mpic qualif y ing time in the 1,500-meter run. “Yared is going to complete this Friday in Oregon in a meet that w ill in all likelihood establish a collegiate record for someone,” Sparks said. “[Oregon distance runner] Cole Hocker just broke the collegiate record in the indoor mile,
cha mpionship season. The most recent ga me was a 45-24 Not re Da me v ictor y in t he season f ina le in 2019. Ot her notable matchups include t he 2012 matchup in which Not re Da me needed a goa l-line sta nd to stop Sta nford inches shor t of a touchdow n in over t ime. Not re Da me went on to play in t he nat iona l cha mpionship ga me t hat yea r. In 2014, t he Irish were t ra iling late in t he contest but Everett Golson t hrew a 23-ya rd touchdow n pass to Ben Koyack to g ive t he Irish t he lead for good. The nex t season, Deshone K i zer ca me up w it h simila r late-ga me heroics for t he Irish, but t he defense a llowed Sta nford to ma rch dow n t he f ield a nd w in t he ga me in t he dy ing seconds. A not her top-10 matchup ca me in 2018 when Not re Da me dominated t he Ca rdina l 38-17 behind four touchdow ns f rom Ia n Book.
contests, each by f ive or fewer points. The Ca rdina ls opened t he Pac-12’s delayed, conference-on ly schedu le w it h back to back losses to Oregon a nd Colorado, but quick ly righted t he ship to f inish 4-2. Of fensively, t hey were led by qua r terback Dav is Mills, who t hrew for 1508 ya rds a nd seven touchdow ns aga inst t hree intercept ions. Running back Aust in Jones ra n for 550 ya rds a nd nine touchdow ns. By fa r t heir biggest receiv ing t hreat was Simi Fehoko, who f inished t he yea r w it h 37 catches for 574 ya rds a nd t hree touchdow ns. On t he defensive side of t he ba ll, linebackers Cur t is Robinson a nd Leva ni Da muni each had more t ha n 40 tack les. Defensive end Thomas Scha f fer led t he pass r ush w it h t hree sacks.
top r unning backs, especia l ly g iven t he inexperience at qua r terback a nd receiver. The Ca rdina ls a lso lose a number of cont ributors on defense, including Robinson a nd Scha f fer. However, a number of seniors w i l l return for t heir f if t h yea r, including w ide receiver Ca meron Bu zzel l, t ight end Tucker Fisk, f u l lback Houston Heimu li, defensive end Rya n Johnson, linebackers Thunder Keck a nd Gabe Reid, defensive tack le Da ly n Wade-Perr y a nd f ree sa fet y Noa h Willia ms, g iv ing Sta nford a n ex perienced defensive g roup. Sta nford w i l l look to bui ld on its momentum f rom t he 2020 season in what w ill be head coach Dav id Shaw’s 11t h yea r leading t he prog ra m.
2021 outlook:
Sta nford f inished t he 2020 season a high note, w inning its last four
Mills depa r ts for t he NFL, as does Fehoko a nd t wo of t heir leading of fensive linema n. Jones returns, a nd he shou ld a nchor t he of fense as one of t he conference’s
This has a l l t he ma k ings of a t rap ga me. A Not re Da me tea m t hat may wel l be in t he hunt for a New Yea r’s Si x or CFP spot, on t he road aga inst a Sta nford tea m t hat w i l l
and Yared Nuguse is the defending NCA A champion in the 1,500. They’re racing each other Friday night in an effort to hit the Oly mpic Qualif y ing Standard which is 3:35.00 for 1,500 meters.” In addition to seeing Yared w ith his teammates at the conference meet, Sparks said he is excited to see the women’s distance squad back in action as well. Sparks has been impressed w ith their performance over the course of the track season so far. “Our women’s distance runners have really stepped up this spring,” Sparks said. “We took a bit of a hiatus from competitive running because we were struggling a little bit in cross countr y ... And I think that really helped the group thrive and be where we are right now. Sparks expects a lot from the throwers as well, especially from senior Rachel Tanczos and graduate student Maura Kimmel. “Our throwers traditionally have always stepped up come conference time,” Sparks said. Sparks also mentioned he is looking forward to see the graduate student transfers participate at the ACC
Championships. Kimmel, distance runner Katie Wasserman and distance runners Colin and Will Daly are all graduate student transfers from the Iv y League who have made a big impact for the Irish so far this season. Sparks said he believes these transfers have helped the team beyond being successful at meets as well. “Iv y League schools don’t get to compete at the Iv ies for their fifth year, so they’re always looking for places to go for their graduate transfer fifth year, and we have become a landing spot for a lot of kids,” Sparks said. “And those kids bring a level of experience to the table that your freshmen and sophomores don’t have, from a competition standpoint, that really lends itself to success. From a leadership perspective, it’s nice to have a few more grow n-ups in the team huddle before the race, and that’s what those athletes are doing.” First-year Jadin O’Brien w ill also be back in action
this weekend in the heptathlon after starting the season off slowly due to a nagging injur y. “We are just tr y ing to bring it along slowly because the hope would be for her to compete until the end of June through the Oly mpic Trials,” Sparks said. “We want to make sure that she is healthy and peaking at the right time.” Junior pole vaulter Colton Crum, who is the indoor champion from this past season, w ill be competing as well. “I expect for Colton to compete for another championship on the men’s side of the pole vault,” Sparks said. Sparks said he noticed the energ y in his team last weekend at the home meet at the Harris Family Track and Field Stadium despite not hav ing a good portion of the team competing. “We kind of thought that meet wouldn’t have a lot of energ y to it, but hav ing ever ybody at the venue ... Obv iously we didn’t compete some of our elite kids, but ever ybody on the roster was at the meet,” Sparks said. “The kids that go to the national meets [and didn’t compete last weekend] were
2020 season:
Predictions: Liam Coolican — Sports Writer
cer ta in ly be mot ivated g iven it is t he f ina l ga me a nd a riva lr y contest. Under Dav id Shaw, t he Ca rdina l have been a tough out for t he Irish. Despite t his, t he dispa rit y in ta lent bet ween t he t wo sides is simply too la rge to just if y pick ing a n upset. Sta nford lost Dav is Mi l ls a nd his top receiv ing t hreat, a nd t he defense was suspect last yea r. Not re Da me gets going quick ly a nd doesn’t look back.
Notre Dame 38, Stanford 13 Mannion Sports Editor
McGinley—
With a rivalr y game to close out the seaosn, this game could easily rock the Irish footing into the post-season. If Stanford has a weaker season as their departing offense would suggest, the Irish, as I’ve stated many times, could fall into their sleepier pattern which would open a gap for Jones to take off if they’re not careful. Overall, the Irish should be able to pull out a w in.
Notre Dame 24, Stanford 13
more excited to see their friends compete at home, and see their friends experience success in front of their classmates and their parents.” Sparks believes that meet excited his team even more for the conference meet. “It rallied us all to get ready for the conference meet even though we have been a little segregated, obv iously, w ith COV ID for the last 15 months,” Sparks said. “This w ill be the first time we have a whole group on a bus or plane to travel together. And I think competing last week at home really unified the group for the first time in a year and a half.” After the conference meet, the Irish w ill look towards the East Regional which w ill take place at the end of May. For each indiv idual event, the top 48 student athletes in the eastern United States qualif y for the regional meet, making the conference meet v ital for qualification standards. The conference meet w ill take place over the course of May 13-15. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu
sports
Corrigan Continued from page 16
comes next, rather than looking back on what has already been accomplished. This mentality has allowed both him and his program to have the type of sustained success they have seen since Corrigan’s hiring in 1988. “We don’t waste time talking about that, you know,” he said, again steering the focus of our conversation away from anything related to his major achievement. “We don’t waste time talking about rankings or tournaments or anything else because that’s just a distraction from our job, which is to get better every day.” But instead of giving up on the story I was hoping to write and heading in a different direction, I decided to reach out to those who would be willing to brag about Coach Corrigan: his own assistant coaches. And boy, did they deliver. “[Winning 311 games] is an incredible accomplishment that I think is going to be very hard to be topped,” assistant coach Chris Wojcik said of Corrigan. “To be able to have such sustained success over such a long period of time — I think there’s a lot of programs that are successful and have flashes and go up and down — but I think what’s incredibly impressive about Coach Corrigan’s tenure is that sustained, consistent success.” Wojcik, who was hired as the offensive coordinator in 2019, and fellow assistant coach Ryan Wellner had nothing but good things to say about their boss. Wellner reminded me just how absurd it is for a coach to remain in the same position for over 30 seasons, alluding to the role Corrigan’s love for Notre Dame plays in his success and passion for the sport. “Those in our profession and certainly in coaching in general understand not just the complexity of [the milestone], but how rare it really is,” Wellner said. “First off, the fact that he’s been here for 33 years at one institution in itself is a rarity in this day, and it’s probably never going to be matched in any sport again. [311 wins] is definitely a milestone, and it speaks to his love of Notre Dame and Notre Dame’s love for him, and what he’s done and the players that he’s had here.” Wellner, who was also brought onto the staff in 2019 as the team’s defensive coordinator and director of recruiting, previously held coaching positions at six other schools, most recently at Navy. He says that Corrigan’s loyalty – both to the school and his players – is what sets him apart from coaches around the country and what has allowed him to make the most of the extensive resources provided by the University. “I think the biggest thing that comes to mind is Coach’s loyalty: his loyalty to his players, his
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, May 7, 2021 | The Observer
loyalty to the University, his devotion to the program,” Wellner explained. “It really is another child for him. He’s built it, maintained it, developed it and, obviously, cultivated it.” Wellner and Wojcik also cited Corrigan’s holistic approach to both recruiting and the development of his players on and off the field once they get to Notre Dame. While a large portion of his work is dedicated to helping the team reach its full potential, Corrigan also devotes plenty of time to making sure his players are well-rounded young men in terms of academics and service. This not only attracts top-tier lacrosse talent every year, but is also a draw for coaches such as Wojcik. “One of the reasons I came is that Coach believes in the holistic experience of the growth and development of young men, combined with service to the community, all at the same time as pursuing our goal of being the best team that we can be,” Wojcik said. “It’s really those things — the character piece, the service to the community, and then trying to build and grow a team to be the best that we can be — that have been the most impressive things that have resonated the most with me.” While both Wojcik and Wellner are fresh faces within the lacrosse staff, Corrigan has been pacing the Irish sideline for over three decades, a feat admired by both assistant coaches. Since Corrigan’s hiring in 1988, a lot has changed in the world of lacrosse and within the Notre Dame lacrosse program itself, including the construction of the Arlotta Family Lacrosse Stadium in 2009. Lacrosse was not recognized as a varsity sport at Notre Dame until 1981, and both the quality of players and attention given to the sport as a whole has increased drastically. “What has changed [since 1988] is they’re better lacrosse players than they were 33 years ago,” was Corrigan’s tonguein-cheek response when asked about what has changed during his time in South Bend. “What’s changed in our program is kind of everything. When I first got here, most of the kids — pretty much all of the kids on the team — weren’t recruited to Notre Dame to play lacrosse. They were at Notre Dame or came to Notre Dame and were willing to play lacrosse while they were here. That’s a different mindset than the kid that chose Notre Dame in part because of the lacrosse program.” I noticed Coach Corrigan’s emphasis on the lacrosse program being part of the choice to come to Notre Dame for his players, another indication of how much he cares about his players off the field as well as on it. Following the move to make lacrosse an official varsity sport in 1981, every senior lacrosse player has graduated. In fact, Notre Dame is the only school that ranks in the top five for lacrosse in highest graduation rate, Division I
student-athlete graduation rate and graduation rate for athletes who complete their eligibility, per the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse website. Since 1997, three players have gained CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and 16 Notre Dame student-athletes have been named Scholar All-Americans by the USILA during this period. The stress Corrigan places on his team’s commitment to excellence on and off the field over the years has not only morphed the Irish into a national power, but it has brought more and more support from the University itself — something for which he is very grateful “The level of commitment from the University, it wasn’t a championship-level commitment in 1988, but over time it has become that,” Corrigan said. “That’s terrific — what a wonderful, lucky thing for me, and what a wonderful thing for our kids: for them to know when they come here there’s nothing of significance that they need and don’t have in order to become the best player they can become, the best person they can become and the best team they can become.” Under Corrigan, Notre Dame lacrosse has developed into exactly that. His Irish have won 18 regular-season conference championships and four conference tournament championships, most recently in 2018. They have always performed in the big games, winning over 120 games against nationally-ranked competition, with over 50 of these victories coming against opponents ranked in the top ten. Over the last 27 seasons with Corrigan at the helm, Notre Dame has finished the season ranked in the top 20 nationally a whopping 26 times. Prior to Corrigan’s hiring in 1988, the Irish had never even made an appearance in the postseason. Since that momentous day, not only in Notre Dame lacrosse history but in college lacrosse as a whole, Notre Dame has become a perpetual force in the postseason as well. The Irish have made the NCAA Tournament 24 times since 1990, including 14 in a row prior to the 2020 lacrosse season being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. This streak is the best in program history, and Notre Dame is one of just two schools in the country to appear in the NCAA Tournament each of the previous 14 seasons, the other being Maryland. And the Irish haven’t just appeared in the postseason during Corrigan’s tenure — they have dominated. His teams have made runs to the NCAA Championship weekend five times, four of which have come in the last eight seasons. Notre Dame has finished as the national runner-up in 2010 and 2014, and as national semifinalists in 2001, 2012 and 2015. They have also finished as national quarterfinalists eight times since 1995, including in
2019, the most recent completed lacrosse season. The hype surrounding this team pervades campus in a way that many spring sports can’t, and it was enough to get me, a fan of any and all sports, to attend a collegiate lacrosse game for the first time in my life. The game I did attend — his record-setting win — was a bit of a revenge game for Corrigan and his past Irish teams, as they defeated the topseeded Blue Devils in dominant fashion. Previously, Duke had bested Notre Dame in the 2010 and 2014 national championship games. The Irish came closest in 2010, dropping a heartbreaker to the Blue Devils by a score of 6-5 in overtime. A national championship is the lone achievement missing from Corrigan’s coaching resume, but as a top-10 team in the country, Notre Dame has the chance to rewrite the history books this season. “I’m not going to say that this team feels different because we’ve had a bunch of teams that I think have been capable of winning a championship, but it’s tough. We’ve lost a national championship in overtime; you can’t get closer to winning one than that. Being that it’s sudden death, you literally were one play away. That’s as close as you can get,” he said, returning to the coach speak that many of us (former) athletes know all too well. “And we’ve been to the Final Four a number of times and we’ve even had some teams that lost in the quarterfinals that I know were capable of winning championships. But its very hard: You have to be playing well, you have to be healthy, you have to beat four very good teams in three weeks — and all those things need to come together. That said, this is a team that is capable of doing that.” The majority of our conversation focused on team success, but what Corrigan has been able to do for his individual players is nothing short of remarkable. Long gone are the days of asking already-enrolled Notre Dame students to join the lacrosse team, and Corrigan has been churning out All-Americans at a ridiculous rate. Over the last 28 years, Notre Dame has had at least one All-American every season and they have multiple players earn All-American honors in each of the last 16 years. In total, 48 individuals coached by Corrigan have been awarded 92 All-American honors during his tenure. Additionally, almost 40 of his players have gone on to play professionally in the Premier Lacrosse League, Major League Lacrosse or the National Lacrosse League, and eight have competed in major international competition. But Coach Corrigan didn’t tell me about a single one of these previous accomplishments. Not one. It took a little bit of digging on the lacrosse website to find his extensive biography, but after our conversation, I was no longer surprised. Instead of leaning on
15
his past successes, it had become quite clear that Corrigan is laserfocused on the relationships he is fostering with his current players and the daily grind they face in pursuit of their lofty goals. “It’s a chance to be a part of somebody’s life in something that they are passionate about at a really important time in their lives,” he said. “That’s a really cool and very unique thing to be able to do every day for 30 years.” This personal approach has allowed Corrigan to create a culture of excellence and long-term success unmatched almost anywhere in the country. The impact he has had on Notre Dame athletics and the lacrosse landscape as a whole cannot be overstated. But in spite of the overwhelming greatness of his coaching career thus far, Corrigan cannot be distracted from improving during the next drill, the next practice and the next game. “I keep trying to get better. I know I’m not the best I can be yet,” he says. “I’m going to keep trying to get better, and I’m going to do the same thing I’m asking our guys to do. If I can keep learning and keep doing this long enough, maybe I can get it right.” Coach Corrigan has gotten it right 311 times over the course of 33 years here at Notre Dame, but if you ask him, no game is as important as the next one. His Irish show no signs of slowing down, despite struggling slightly down the final stretch of the regular season. Following their historic win over Duke, Notre Dame dropped two straight games to Duke and North Carolina, both of whom are ranked in the top five. However, the Irish finished the season on a high note with a 22-8 demolition of Syracuse behind a record-setting performance from sophomore attacker Pat Kavanagh. Kavanagh’s five goals and five assists gave him 10 points in the contest, a singlegame record in Notre Dame program history. He also broke the single season assists record by notching his 34th assist, breaking a record previously held by his older brother Mark. The win propelled Notre Dame back up to the No. 4 ranking in the country at the end of the regular season. Notre Dame now has four full weeks following their season finale against Syracuse to prepare for the NCAA Tournament, which begins on May 29 in Hartford, Connecticut. This extended practice period will give Corrigan and his team plenty of time to gear up for another run at a national title. Maybe this is the year that Corrigan adds this final missing piece to his already Hallof-Fame-worthy legacy. When asked about this legacy and the impact he hopes to leave here at Notre Dame, Coach Corrigan responded with a laugh, saying that he hopes “he didn’t screw it up.” 33 seasons and 311 wins later, nothing could be further from the truth. Contact Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu
16
The observer | Friday, May 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd Men’s LACROSSE
ND BASEBALL
ND’s Corrigan Irish look to stay atop ACC focused on future on Senior Day vs. FSU By JAMISON COOK Sports Writer
On April 10, my roommate informed me that we were going to the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse game. He had played lacrosse in high school and since our Irish were hosting Duke — the No. 1 team in the country at the time — it was a game we couldn’t miss. Upon arrival, we found that the stadium was already at capacity, so we stood along the fence with more than a hundred other fans. I knew this was a big game, but does a college lacrosse game normally get this crowded? Little did I know, as we watched Notre Dame dismantle Duke by a final score of 13-8, that I was witnessing history. The win gave Notre Dame men’s lacrosse head coach Kevin Corrigan his 311th win: the most by any coach at a single program in Division I history. But when we connected over the phone to discuss the achievement about a week later, Corrigan allowed just one question on the topic, barely addressing the
subject at all. “You know what, I’m just happy to beat Duke last week and have this team playing really well right now. That other stuff doesn’t mean anything to our guys,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll think about all that somewhere down the line, but right now, I’m just happy for this group of guys right now that we’re playing so well and we’re able to beat Duke; they’re a number one team.” As a journalist who has interviewed plenty of coaches, I should have been prepared for this answer. The classic “records don’t mean anything unless you keep winning and we’re focused on the next game” response is a staple for coaches. But, nonetheless, it caught me a little off guard. I had planned to examine Coach Corrigan’s 311 wins and the biggest moments from his time here at Notre Dame for the majority of our discussion. However, like most great coaches, Corrigan is focused much more on the people, the relationships and what see CORRIGAN PAGE 15
By JAMISON COOK Sports Writer
RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer
Irish junior right fielder Brooks Coetzee awaits a pitch during Notre Dame’s 2-0 loss to Duke on March 21 at Frank Eck Stadium.
see BASEBALL PAGE 13
ND SofTBALL
ND Track and Field
Irish prepare for success at ACC Championships
Irish to celebrate seniors vs. BC
By NATE MOLLER
By EMILY DeFAZIO
Sports Writer
Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame track and field w ill be back in action in a week and a half in the biggest outdoor meet of the year so far at the ACC Championships in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the first time since the pandemic began, the whole team w ill be competing in one place, and head coach Matt Sparks discussed his team’s excitement for this opportunit y. “W hat we’re excited about is that this w ill be the first time since indoor track 2020 pre-COV ID that we’ve had the entire track team together for competition,” Sparks said. Because of the bizarre nature of the season w ith cross countr y occurring at the same time and limitations on the amount of athletes
The Notre Dame softball team will face their final opponent of the regular season this weekend as they take on the Boston College Eagles at Melissa Cook Stadium. This final series at home will be the team’s launchpad for their postseason prospects. Last fall, the team was questioning whether they would even get a chance to play in the spring or lose yet another season to the pandemic. Despite games being cancelled for COV ID-related reasons, the team was ultimately able to complete most of their schedule. For head coach Deanna Gumpf, time has certainly f lown by amidst the uncertainty. In fact, the precariousness of the situation has made the team’s accomplishments all the more rewarding.
see TRACK & FIELD PAGE 14
The Notre Dame baseball team w ill host its final games of the regular season this weekend when Florida State v isits South Bend for a three-game ACC series. The No. 2 Irish (24-8, 21-8 ACC) can increase their lead in the Atlantic Div ision and in the ACC overall w ith another series w in over the No. 13 Seminoles (23-16, 15-12 ACC). Notre Dame has yet to drop a series this season, and they completed their second series sweep last weekend w ith a dominant performance against North Carolina. The Irish lit up the scoreboard in the series against the Tar Heels, scoring 13 and 19 runs in the second and third games of the series, respectively. The 19-run output on May 2 was the most runs ever scored in an ACC game for
EMMA FARNAN | The Observer
ND’s Yared Nuguse sets a program record in the 3,000m run at the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 8, 2020 at the Loftus Sports Center.
“I love the way we’re playing softball right now,” Gumpf said. “I feel like we’re peaking at the right time, and I love the way that the girls have handled this spring. It has been a very challenging time. But the way that our team has managed things, I couldn’t be more proud.” This pride extends to both the offensive and defensive play that the team performed. Specifically, the group of pitchers has been a staple for the team, with senior Alexis Holloway, junior Payton Tidd and senior Morgan Ryan all getting their time in the circle. Their cooperative efforts have been a force to be reckoned with on the field; all three of them combined for a no-hitter earlier this season in their home opener against Valparaiso. Their abilities w ill definitely be important come postseason matches. see SOFTBALL PAGE 13