Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, March 23, 2022

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Volume 56, Issue 57 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Notre Dame releases regular decisions University sets record-low acceptance rate of 12.6% after receiving 26,506 applicants

By CLAIRE REID Associate News Editor

On Thursday, the University announced it admitted 1,737 students to the class of 2026 in the regular decision process. In December, 1,675 students were admitted in the restrictive early action (REA) cycle. In total, 3,412 students were admitted out of 26,506 applicants. The University set a record-low acceptance rate of 12.9% this year, replacing last year’s record-low of 14.6%.

Of the 1,598 students deferred in the REA process this year, 145 were ultimately admitted in the regular decision process.

The University received a record number of applications and 12% more applicants than last year.

Associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment Don Bishop said in the past two years, applications have increased by 25%.

“That is an enormous gain, but at the same time, we’re looking for the same attributes,” he said. “We consider ourselves to be different than the other top 15 schools, and our admissions approach embraces that difference … we certainly are going after the most intellectually driven, academically talented students, but we really look at their creativity and motivation for learning, not just their ability to create academic results.”

This year, 3,046 students were see ADMISSIONS PAGE 3

Professor publishes Ukraine op-ed

By CLAIRE LYONS News Writer

Professor Ian Johnson, Notre Dame’s current P. J. Moran Family Assistant Professor of Military History, recently published an opinion article in the Chicago Tribune detailing Germany’s shift in foreign policy in response to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

By studying the previous causes of war, Johnson believes history can help people understand how to

maintain peace today.

“I believe that it is part of the public duty of a historian to help contextualize the present through an understanding of the past,” Johnson said. He says that this mission is the reason why he became a professor. “That’s what [teachers] aspire to do in our classrooms — understand how we got here, to the world we live in.”

As an expert on Russian-German see OP-ED PAGE 5

MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer

Notre Dame released admissions decisions for the class of 2026 Thursday. In the past two years, applications have increased 25%. A total of 3,412 applicants were admitted in the REA and regular decison pools.

Masks become fully optional on campus Observer Staff Report

Notre Dame announced masks are now optional on campus for all students, faculty, staff and visitors effective today. The announcement came in an email from interim provost Chris Maziar. The lifting of the mask policy includes indoor events.

Surveillance testing will no longer be required for any campus community members, including those exempt from the vaccination

requirement, the email said. The testing center will remain open for diagnostic testing and for exempt students who want to continue with surveillance testing.

Additionally, Universitysponsored domestic travel will no longer be required to receive preapproval from a vice president or dean. But, the email maintained that University-sponsored internationaltravelwillcontinuetorequire pre-approval.

The announcement comes in

light of just two positive COVID-19 cases last week. Exceptions to the masking policy remain in place in instructional or research spaces where the instructor or faculty member requires masks.

Also, masks remain required at the University Testing Center, University Health Services and the Wellness Center according to the email. Those who test positive are required to mask for five days following isolation, the email read as well.

‘21 Hallow Oak Road’ to premier Wednesday In the summer of 2020, Saint Mary’s senior Abigail Pinnow found inspiration when she went skydiving with her grandmother.

By the next spring, she channeled that inspiration and her pandemic fatigue by writing a play.

Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m., Pinnow’s play, “21 Hallow Oak Road” will premiere in the Little Theater of the Moreau Center. With

limited seating, the event will be free to attend.

Pinnow first wrote the play as an independent study but directed the show as part of her senior composition project for her theater major at Saint Mary’s.

The play features a woman celebrating her 21st birthday alone during the pandemic with her roommate out of town. “And she starts being visited by these women who lived in her house at different periods of time,” Pinnow said.

The first woman who visits the room is from the 1940s, followed by a visitor from the 1880s. Pinnow, who is a triple major studying gender and women’s studies and humanistic studies along with theater, enjoyed using the influence of her studies to write her play.

“It was really nice to tie together history and literature. There’s a huge influence of literature in this,” Pinnow said. “And then with gender and women’s studies, it’s all about women, and women’s

relationships with each other.”

The main character’s isolation is directly inspired by Pinnow’s pandemic experience. “It was just so bizarre, and this play was such a good way for me to channel those feelings and like get them out and process them to myself,” she said.

The contrast of community and isolation is a major theme in Pinnow’s play. “I think it’s really speaking to my belief that community is found and community is built,” she said. “And that just

through basic human connection, you’re able to find that sort of community and kind of step away from isolation.”

Pinnow said the play is a combination of multiple ideas and identities that are important to her life.

“I explore concepts of isolation, womanhood and this idea of storytelling in a part of Southern culture because I’m from Mississippi,” she said.

NEWS PAGE 3

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

SCENE PAGE 10

FENCING PAGE 16

W BASKETBALL PAGE 16

By LIAM PRICE Associate News Editor

see THEATER PAGE 5

2

TODAY

The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

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Today’s Staff News

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After a dominant win over the Oklahoma Sooners with a score of 108 to 64, the women’s basketball team is heading to Connecticut to play against North Carolina State. The Irish are the first men’s or women’s team to outscore a higher seed by more than 40 points.

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Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Life in Pixels Online via Zoom 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Registration required for this discussion event.

Artful Yoga Snite Museum of Art 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Yoga Mats are provided and masks are required.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Lecture DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Buy tickets online.

Karaoke Night Library Lawn 9 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Sing on stage and eat free food from food trucks.

Basilica Mass Basilica of Sacred Heart 10 a.m. & noon All are welcome to attend.

Open House: Art, Art History, and Design Riley Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Free pizza and handson activities.

Chinese Speech Contest Debartolo Hall 140 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Watch students compete.

Dancing Under the Stars with PFresh Library Lawn 9 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Hip Hop dance party and free food.

The Inheritance (2020) DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 9:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Tickets are required.

Mass for Immigration Reform Basilica of Sacred Heart 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

All are welcome.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | The Observer

3

Student groups travel to Washington, D.C.

By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer

This month, members of the Notre Dame College Democrats and the Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy attended Spring Lobby Weekend in Washington D.C. The event, organized by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCONL), gathered approximately 400 young adults from across the country to lobby for a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the United States.

The FCONL is a “national, nonpartisan Quaker organization that lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, and environmental stewardship.” This year’s event was held partly virtually and partly in-person in Washington D.C. Twenty-five Notre Dame students attended the event, along with three students participating in the Notre Dame Washington Program this semester.

Spring Lobby Weekend took place from March 12-15.

Students began the weekend learning how to lobby and listening to speakers, then met with staff of Indiana representatives in order to lobby them.

The Notre Dame students met with the staffs of Rep.

Admissions Continued from page 1

waitlisted in the regular decision process. Last year, Bishop said 107 waitlisted students were eventually admitted. He said that each year, the initial number of students the admissions team admits is designed to allow for some students on the waitlist to eventually be admitted as well.

“The quality of the pool that we’ve admitted is so high that competition for them is exceptional,” he said. “A lot of students get into the other top schools in America, so those that really believe in the mission of Notre Dame will pick Notre Dame. Others … they’ll go to another school, and that’s fine because that leaves that spot open to a student who is equally qualified and really wants to go to Notre Dame.”

Students from 8,740 high schools applied, and 2,198 high schools are represented among admitted students.

Admissions data showed that 47% of admitted students come from public schools, 33% from Catholic schools and 19% from non-Catholic private schools.

Bishop said all 50 states, as well as 95 countries, are represented among admitted students.

18.7% of admitted students are international students, U.S. students living abroad or have

Jackie Walorski, who represents the district that South Bend is located in, as well as the staffs of Indiana senators Mike Braun and Todd Young.

Senior Patrick Kelly, political director of Notre Dame College Democrats, said three students started off the lobbying session by sharing personal stories on why they were passionate about creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. They then allowed the staffer to respond, presented their legislative ask and engaged in a Q&A with the staffer.

Senior Josie Flanagan, copresident of Notre Dame College Democrats, said the purpose of the advocacy was to ask the representatives to publicly support a better pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, rather than pushing them to pass a specific piece of legislation in this session of Congress.

Kelly said the representatives they were lobbying were conservative, while their legislative ask was more liberal.

“I would say [the representatives’ staffs] were not receptive at all, unfortunately,” said Kelly. “But I think it was a good learning experience.”

Flanagan said while the staffers did not necessarily agree with their ideas, they responded respectfully to their advocacy.

Senior Matheo Vidal, copresident of Notre Dame College Democrats, said the club’s current motto is ‘Campaigns, Community, Change,’ and the trip was particularly impactful for the community and change.

“I think a lot of the students on the trip really got to know each other better, got to know the club better and grew the community of CDems,” Vidal said.

Students were able to

advocate for change and be the force for good in the world that Notre Dame strives to be, Vidal said.

Flanagan said the trip was informative for students interested in advocacy work.

Vidal said he and Kelly are working on compiling a document for future leaders of Notre Dame College Democrats detailing the Student Activities Office request, funding needed and what to plan for in hopes that the trip

continues to happen in future years.

“It is my very sincere hope that this is a recurring endeavor for CDems for sure,” Vidal said as he believes it was worthwhile for everyone to get real handson lobbying experience.

“I think the biggest value was in teaching the students that their voices could have an impact,” Vidal said.

dual citizenship.

The admitted student cohort is also made up of 41% U.S. students of color — specifically 15% Hispanic and Latino students, 14% Black students, 11% Asian and Pacific Islander students and 1% Native American students. First-generation college students make up 14% of the admitted class. Bishop said that while the University is still reviewing financial aid applications and therefore does not yet have an official figure on the number of low-income students in the class of 2026, he estimates based on current and past data that 20 to 22% of the class will be Pell Grant recipients, first-generation or from a family with an annual income below $65,000. Bishop also estimates 18 to 20% of the class of 2026 has at least one parent who graduated from Notre Dame.

This is the second year Notre Dame implemented the testoptional policy which allows students to elect whether to include scores from standardized tests like the ACT and the SAT on their application.

Bishop said about 50% of applicants did not provide a standardized test score and 33% of admitted students did not provide one. He said he believes the test-optional method is a benefit to Notre Dame because it attracts students who are high achievers in the

classroom but would have in the past felt deterred from applying due to a low test score.

“We also have more highperforming students who probably come from lower-income [families] because testing is still unfortunately highly correlated with income,” Bishop said. “Higher-income [families] have a lot more resources to prep their students to take those tests.”

The University will continue the test-optional policy next year, Bishop said, and then reevaluate to determine whether to continue it going forward.

Director of undergraduate admissions Christy Pratt said she believes the test-optional policy along with the University’s ability to hold inperson tours and recruitment events contributed to the record number of applicants.

“The fact that Notre Dame remained open for in-person instruction during the pandemic has been a great thing for our applicant pool, students and families,” she said. “We were able to start doing information sessions and tours in person beginning in late June of 2021 … that was greatly appreciated by students and families.”

Bishop said there is space for 2,050 admitted students to enroll in the incoming class. Students have until May 1 to make their decision and submit their enrollment

deposit. The University will host Admitted Student Days April 10-11 and April 24-25 where students can learn more about different academic programs, clubs and student life opportunities, tour the campus and meet current students and faculty members.

“In the admissions process, we look for students who want

to give more in their lives than what they intend to get or take,” Bishop said. “There’s a certain generosity, a certain spirit. We’re very proud of the class that applies to Notre Dame and gains admission every year.”

Courtesy of Matheo Vidal

Notre Dame students who were in Washington D.C. for Spring Lobby Weekend speak over Zoom with Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN). The annual event was sponsored by the Friends Commitee on National Legislation.

Contact Megan Fahrney at mfahrney@nd.edu

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

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NEWS

The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

FeministND promotes equality, discourse

By BELLA LAUFENBERG Associate News Editor

Women’s History Month, every year during the month of March, is a time to ref lect on issues surrounding women’s rights and promote organizations that uplift women, according to FeministND (FemND).

Downing, a senior majoring in American studies and peace studies, said her first priority for the club is to maintain their place on campus — believing it to be important to have a space where women can go to discuss issues that are important to them.

“The most basic mission of this club is to keep existing on a campus that is highly patriarchal in its nature and its constitution. It’s really important just to keep holding this space,” she said.

FemND isn’t just focused on issues that directly impact women because they believe social justice issues are intertwined and impact everyone, Downing said.

“A lot of people are under the impression that feminism is narrowly about gender

equality and gender justice across the gender spectrum,” Downing explained. “We ally ourselves with a lot of causes around social justice. We are co-sponsoring events with Shades of Ebony, with PrismND with SolidarityND this year, so we’re just constantly looking for opportunities where other student groups are moving towards justice for their interest groups for their identity groups.”

Chessley Blacklock, the club’s incoming president and an applied computational math and statistics major, emphasized that FemND focuses on making the club as inclusive as possible and that they are non-partisan.

“We’re existing to be a place for all feminists, and I think that’s something we work really hard on,” Blacklock said.

“There’s a lot of different ideas of what feminism can be, whether you’re an ecofeminist, a Catholic feminist, you ultimately share a home with us, and I think that also brings up a great place for discourse within the club as well.”

Downing acknowledged

that people may expect them to take more radical stances and push progressive ideals, but she said she holds more importance on their continued existence.

“I think there are people within our club and even people on our board who feel like we’re not necessarily pushing boundaries at some junctures. That is always a conscious decision to maintain club status and maintain a space rather than lean in what some might perceive as a radical direction and get shut down,” she explained.

The current club began in 2016, took a brief hiatus in 2018 and subsequently returned with professor Mike Rea as their advisor in 2019.

University spokesperson Dennis Brown said the current club has not been shut down at any point by the administration.

Other versions of womenled feminism clubs/groups have existed at the University since women were first admitted in 1972. This year, Notre Dame is celebrating the 50th anniversary of women at the University.

FemND holds meetings, Paid Advertisement

sends out newsletters and has up-to-date social media accounts to alert its members to fun events and gatherings.

Jing Tong, a psychology major and member of FemND’s board, explained that they have a monthly digest that highlights feminism-related news and events around campus.

FemND is a place for likeminded students to gather and engage in discourse, outgoing club president Julianne Downing said.

FemND has spent this year’s Women’s History Month celebrating and uplifting other clubs’ events such as Shades of Ebony’s Women’s Month.

Rea, Club advisor and Reverend John A. O’Brien professor of philosophy, said he is very passionate about women’s rights, especially within his realm of philosophy.

Rea explained that he hopes to empower FemND to highlight important contributions women have made in various fields.

“One thing Women’s History Month can do is foreground the contributions of women to a whole wide

variety of disciplines,” he said. “Read some women!”

Downing and Tong said they shared the hope women and anyone honoring women this month will dig deeper into activist history.

“It’s great to have individual profiles of women who are successful, but the whole point of Women’s History Month is to look at the history of women, especially at this campus, and to stay in touch with that tradition of female empowerment. I think is really important,” Tong said.

“By staying in touch with the roots of that movement, we are able to progress to other areas of social justice.”

Blacklock said she hopes women can learn that there is still more work to be done.

“We sit at a very interesting intersection, with it now being 50 years since the first class of women was admitted to Notre Dame,” she explained. “We don’t want to celebrate women for so long until we run out because there’s no more progress being made.”

Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | The Observer

5

BUSINESS

Investment Club hears sporting, TV pitches

By RYAN PETERS Notre Dame News Editor

The Notre Dame Investment Club heard pitches for leisure and sporting goods manufacturing company Escalade Inc. and television company Vizio Inc. Members of the club, which manages a portfolio of over $1M as part of the University endowment, thoroughly critiqued and evaluated the pitches.

Sophomores Francesca Capannari, Daniel Baptist and Kevin Maxim pitched Escalade.

The group’s pitch focused on Escalade’s ability to capitalize on the growing sporting goods manufacturing industry and projected growth in health consciousness.

Esalade had a 12.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2016, with a total revenue of $313.6 million and $24.4 million, Baptist said.

Capannari said the group expects the sporting goods industry to grow in the near future

Op-Ed Continued from page 1

As an expert on RussianGerman relations, Johnson sought to publish in The Chicago Tribune to inform the public about Germany’s recent shift to recommitment with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in light of the Russian invasion.

“Germany occupies a key place in the Ukraine crisis,” he said.

Germany’s reliance on Russian imports, specifically oil and gas, is clear evidence of the country’s traditionally close economic ties to Russia, Johnson explained. But Germany also happens to be the

Theater Continued from page 1

The setting of the South was foundational in writing the play, Pinnow said. “Even still as a senior, there’s a bit of homesickness where it’s I miss my family,” she said. “I miss this place that I’m from, especially since the culture of the South is so distinct and so different.”

Pinnow thought of the idea to do an oral family history while driving home from skydiving with her grandmother and talking about her grandmother’s parents. “It really got me thinking, ‘Oh, man, this woman is so awesome. I’ve known her all my life, but there’s still so much about her I don’t know,’” Pinnow said.

That same summer, Pinnow also helped her grandmother organize and label family pictures, growing interest in her family’s past.

The historical women who enter the room in her play are “all based off of women in my family history, but they’re not exact copies,” she

as youth sports leagues restart and children look to rejoin sports after a pandemic pause or start playing new ones.

“There’s a foreseeable increase in demand for sporting goods as well as general participation in sports,” Capannari said.

The group said Escalade’s strategic acquisitions have developed a strong brand presence for the company and cleared a path for Escalade to take advantage of potential market leadership opportunities.

Recent acquisitions by Escalade include the assets of Brunswick Billiards in early 2022, Victory Tailgate in 2018 and pickleball company Onix in 2015.

In addition to sports leagues restarting, Maxim said the recent national increase in disposable income should continue to give families more money to spend on sporting goods and leisure activities and spark growth in the industry.

The group highlighted Escalade’s ability to search for emerging markets and take advantage of early value opportunities. Capannari said the company has been very active in the in-ground basketball space, the table tennis market and the water sports gear industry.

Maxim noted one major risk Escalade and the rest of the leisure sports industry face. With people returning to work following pandemic pauses, leisure time is likely to decrease across the country, potentially hindering the industry’s prospects, he said.

Following a series of questions, the group said their recommendation was to buy.

First-years Tucker Lawrence, Luke Hogan, Colin Chalk and Patrick Hanley pitched Vizio for the second pitch of the night.

One of the leaders in the TV industry, Vizio is currently in the midst of transitioning into the increasingly competitive

streaming industry.

The group said recent profit increases resulting from SmartCast, its streaming platform, bode well for the company’s future. In the 2021 fiscal year, 69% of Vizio’s growth profit came from SmartCast compared to 31% from TVs and components.

Chalk acknowledged recent performance declines from Vizio though he said he expects a perceived competitive advantage to allow Vizio to eventually succeed in the streaming industry. Because it is difficult for companies to capture market share in the crowded streaming industry, Vizio is at an advantage because consumers can buy a Smart TV that already comes with SmartCast instead of needing some sort of third-party device to run other streaming platforms such as Roku.

“We think Vizio has a competitive edge here because they already have a really high

market share in the TV industry and all of their streaming stems from that TV, whereas something like Roku, you’re buying that device, plugging it into whatever TV you have,” Chalk said.

Attendees questioned Vizio’s growth prospects, calling to attention concerns about the future of TV manufacturing with the rise of streaming on mobile devices and Vizio’s late entry into the crowded and fiercely competitive streaming market.

Lawrence said Vizio’s acquisition of automatic content recognition company InScape and partnerships with Magid Research and Verizon Media give Vizio a major edge in acquiring consumer data and putting it to use to move the company forward.

The group’s recommendation was to buy Vizio.

largest economy in Europe, positioned as the dominant political and economic force within the EU. With these tensions in mind, Germany has been a moderator between Moscow and the western world, he said. Historically, Germany neglected to respond to Russian actions like the invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

“The crisis in Georgia played out very quickly,” Johnson explained.

“Many in Europe were willing to concede that Russia had various historical and ethnic claims to Crimea.”

But this time is different, Johnson suggests. “The latest

invasion of Ukraine is on a much larger scale, and threatens to bring conflict to the very borders of NATO and the EU,” he said.

“The scale of the fighting is by far the largest Europe has witnessed in at least two decades,” he said. Johnson said Russian casualties are already approaching figures comparable to their ten-year conflict in Afghanistan.

Further, Johnson adds “the brazenness with which Russia violated international law by invading Ukraine also made continued passivity by European states impossible.” Russia has also been accused of human rights violations in its attacks on Ukraine, including bombing a children’s hospital

and a theater sheltering refugees.

Johnson said this may explain why Germany has decided to change its foreign policy stance.

He points to the country’s drastic increase in military spending as a critical turning point. “NATO is pulling together, with key member states like Germany accepting the need to improve their own military capacities and participate more fully in the alliance,” he said.

Internally, Ukraine has felt tensions between disparate visions of their position in Europe, he said.

“Ukraine joining NATO at this juncture would bring about a state of war between Russia and NATO, which no sensible person wants

— a war between nuclear powers risks global catastrophe,” Johnson said.

He acknowledges that Germany’s military preparation may increase the already tense relationship between NATO and Russia. “An increase in tensions is not a good thing, certainly, but I think increased German military spending will probably improve the integrity of NATO,” he said.

The consequences of Ukraine joining NATO now are clear, but what Germany’s role portends long-term remains to be seen, Johnson said.

said.

Pinnow had to rewrite parts of the play to fit within the constraints of the project, which allows a maximum of six actors on the cast and an hour in run time. “There are ten characters, but six actors, so most of my actors are double cast, because they’re phenomenal, just the best,” she said.

To prepare for the show, Pinnow said the cast and crew rehearsed four nights a week for two hours beginning in late January.

Working with her cast, she said, has been very rewarding.

“It’s probably one of the most fun theater experiences I’ve ever had because the cast and crew are just so incredible,” she said. “We all really click so well, so it’s like I just get to play with my friends for two hours at night.”

Having had her first experience directing a play in the fall, Pinnow has enjoyed the larger decision-making role of being a director compared to her experience as an actor.

“You really get to help guide your actors to finding choices that are

Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

Courtesy of Abigail Pinnow

A rehearsal of Abigail Pinnow’s original play “21 Hallow Oak Road” will premier Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater of the Moreau Center at Saint Mary’s College. Tickets to the show are free.

applicable and beneficial for them to help them improve in this show and hopefully in their acting beyond just this one,” she said.

Pinnow said watching her original work play out into the production it has become was very exciting. “It’s been pretty

surreal as a playwright to watch my words happening and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I wrote this, this is winsane.’”

After graduating, Pinnow hopes to keep writing, whether professionally or otherwise. “The broad plan is to hopefully find a

job in Chicago and the to join a writers group, and kind of see how it goes from there,” she said. “I’ve really just been taking it a day at a time.”

Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu

6

The observer | Wednesday, March 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Bring back the physical education requirement Ryan Peters Notre Dame News Editor

In 2014, the University announced the elimination of the physical education requirement and the swimming competency test for first years. The announcement marked a transition to focus on a more holistic approach to wellness, combining elements of physical and mental wellness, spirituality, cultural competency and academic success.

The University made a mistake by eliminating the gym requirement. We need to go back to requiring first-years to take good, old-fashioned gym classes.

Currently, the Moreau First-Year Experience plays the role of promoting wellness in first-years’ lives while helping them integrate into college life.

The Moreau course certainly helps first-years slow down and reflect on their transition to Notre Dame.

However, it lacks one key element that the gym requirement possessed. Exercise.

Mental health disorders are a major problem on college campuses. Exercise is an effective method of managing mental health disorders. What would be an important habit to attempt to instill into first-years?

Exercise.

Let me be clear, Moreau emphasizes the importance of building habits to combat stress and promote wellness. However, a physical education requirement where students are forced to exercise for 50 minutes 2-3 times a week is a much more effective means of promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Sure, Moreau provides students with an opportunity to reflect and learn and grow, but the reality is first years aren’t going to take a whole lot away from sitting

in a classroom for 50 minutes.

Instead of telling students how they can feel better, the University has an opportunity to actually make students feel better by reinstating the physical education requirement. Michael Otto, a psychology professor at Boston University, said in an American Psychological Association story that moderate exercise can lead to a mood enhancement within five minutes.

Additionally, exercise can lead to subtle improvements in focus and social stimulation — which happen to be crucial aspects to thriving on a college campus.

Everyone understands college life is not a model for a healthy lifestyle. This makes sense, make the most of your young years by having fun — and maybe learning.

But one thing college kids absolutely need to do in order to stay healthy both physically and mentally is exercise. So much of school takes place digitally now that students are staring at screens all day. It’s not healthy.

Moreau classes may occasionally involve a minor excursion on campus, but they still continue to coop up students while standing, at least partially, in place of an opportunity to try to ensure students are utilizing a crucial tool to take care of themselves and also emphasize the lifelong value of exercise.

With a Chick-fil-A popping up in Duncan Student Center and Taco Bell and Smashburger in LaFortune, the least Notre Dame can do is force first-years to exercise.

Obviously, a lot of Notre Dame students already regularly exercise or understand the benefits of exercising. But students can get swamped with schoolwork, activities and their social life, making it easy to not prioritize getting outside or working out. With a

couple hours of class a week carved out specifically for a gym class of their choosing, students have no choice but to exercise and, hopefully, let loose.

Gym classes are fun, too. Now, I know I’m at Notre Dame and a lot of students find their classes “fun,” but real fun is playing a pick-up game of some sport you can’t normally play on your own and meeting a whole bunch of people while doing it. Fun is learning something new.

Past Notre Dame physical education courses offered a slate of traditional sports in addition to less traditional options such as curling, dance, self-defense and pickleball, according to the South Bend Tribune.

Learning new things is cool. There are some cool tidbits students learn in Moreau, but are first-years in college more likely to look back at their time in school and remember a TED talk or the time they learned curling?

While we’re at it, let’s bring back the swim test too.

Sure, statistics and physics are useful. You know what else is useful? Knowing how to swim.

The increased awareness about mental health on college campuses is great, but we’re overthinking it. Of course students need to be aware of tools and strategies to have a healthy transition to college. But Notre Dame has an opportunity to directly ensure students are practicing an extremely effective method to combat anxiety. Notre Dame took advantage of this opportunity for most of its history. But now it’s gone.

Resurrecting the gym requirement would do wonders for this campus and the next generation of college students.

You can contact Ryan at rpeters5@nd.edu The views expressed in this inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Daylight savings: A political issue?

Libby Messman BridgeND

As I am sure you remember, this past March 13, we all woke up just a little bit more groggy and tired than usual. Of course, this was the result of daylight savings time going into effect. Or, as we all experienced a couple of weeks ago, the day when we lose an hour of sleep.

Sleep enthusiasts (like myself) were excited to hear that the Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act on March 15. The bill would make daylight savings time permanent throughout the year, meaning that we would no longer turn our clocks back one hour in the winter and one hour forward again in the spring. But, most importantly to me, the Sunshine Protection Act meant that I wouldn’t lose an hour of sleep every March.

Evidence suggests that permanent daylight savings time will be widely supported. Research indicates 7 in 10 Americans prefer not to switch their clocks around.

Marco Rubio, a Republican Senator from Florida, echoed this sentiment when he spoke in favor of his bill, indicating that “the majority of the American people’s preference is to just stop the back-and-forth changing.” Changing clocks is a hassle. Even though smartphones automatically update with the new time, the shift can initially be disruptive or make your day feel slightly off.

Despite this, the Sunshine Protection Act may not end up being that popular amongst Americans. In fact, in the early 1970s, the United States had already made daylight savings time permanent. The measure was a

temporary, two-year experiment by Congress in order to resolve the energy crisis at the time, believing that having more sunlight in the evening hours would reduce energy consumption. Unsurprisingly, it did not take long before the law became incredibly unpopular as any sort of change, even if it’s adding or taking away an hour, immediately becomes controversial. The experiment not only failed from a social standpoint but from a scientific one, as energy consumption was not reduced as initially intended.

Before the two years were up, Congress ended up repealing the law. While it’s true that Americans do not like the hassle of changing their clocks or losing an hour of sleep, it turns out that they also hate darkness in the mornings. Many people despised having to wake up before sunrise, driving to work and school in the dark for the duration of the winter months.

On the other hand, advocates for permanent daylight savings time argue that sunlight in the evening is preferable to the morning. For example, some claim that dealing with darkness while driving home from work is worse than the darkness during their morning route. Others indicate that more sunlight in the evening hours might be better for mental health, general morale, and public safety.

To be quite frank, I honestly do not care. That is, I am entirely neutral about whether an hour of sunlight in the morning or evening is preferable. I can see why it’s nice to have sunlight on your way to work, but I also understand how evening sunlight is beneficial.

However, I am in favor of the Sunshine Protection Act for one reason and one reason only: sleep. With permanent daylight savings time, I would no longer have to lose an hour of my precious slumber every spring.

I know it sounds dramatic, but the day that daylight savings time goes into effect is my least favorite day of the year. I wake up grumpy, unrested, and annoyed that we had to change the time at all. Regardless of the potential for more sunlight in the morning or evening, we just need to stop changing the time.

I’m not alone in this view. While Americans are pretty divided about whether they prefer standard time or daylight time — 40% prefer the former and 31% choose the latter — only 28% prefer to switch back and forth.

A substantial percentage of Americans are united by the belief that shifting time twice a year is tedious and tiring.

While darkness in the morning has its drawbacks, I fully support the Sunshine Protection Act. Assuming the bill passes in the House of Representatives, I’m already looking forward to next spring, knowing that I will be keeping my hour of rest.

Libby Messman is a junior studying Political Science and Philosophy living in Pasquerilla West Hall. She serves as the Vice President for BridgeND. BridgeND is a student-led discussion club that is committed to bridging polarization in politics and educating on how to engage in respectful and productive discourse. BridgeND welcomes students of all backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences who want to strengthen their knowledge of current issues or educate others on an issue that is important to them. The club meets weekly on Mondays at 7pm in DeBartolo Hall #217. Want to learn more? Contact bridgend@nd.edu or @bridge_ND on Twitter and Instagram.

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

The observer | Wednesday, March 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

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Processing the unprecedented Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects

For me, it started with an email. I didn’t know it then, but the email I received with the subject line “COVID-19/ MANDATORY MEETING” was the first of countless I would receive about the pandemic from Notre Dame officials.

I was studying away in Washington, D.C. at the time, so the email (and subsequent mandatory meeting) came to us a few days earlier than the emails to the rest of the Notre Dame student body “extending” spring break. I remember my jaw actually physically dropping when our program advisors told us they were sending us home — things didn’t feel that bad yet, so we expected some online classes, or maybe just an update on COVID in the area. But no — we had to be moved out of our D.C. apartments by the end of the week, and our advisors would help coordinate our travel plans.

I remember such a feeling of astonishment the entire week — when I packed up my apartment a month earlier than expected, when I sat at a District Taco eating lunch with my friends visiting from South Bend as they processed the news of their extended spring break, when Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson tested positive for COVID-19. It felt like I didn’t pick my jaw up from off the ground until at least a few weeks later, when my shock and disbelief turned into a longer-term, low-simmering panic.

It’s not hard to psychoanalyze me and figure out why I’m writing this column now, two years to the week after these events. It’s partially the realization upon my return from spring break last week that it was my first spring break since freshman year, partially my first bout with COVID-19 a few weeks ago and partially the heavy hands of time, forcing me to accept that it’s been two years since I first heard the words COVID-19, and only a few months

until I graduate. Absent all of that, however, I feel the need to write this column because I think a lot of people, myself included, are still struggling to process this pandemic.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve heard a lot of jokes about how much it sucks to be “living through a major historical event,” or talking about this era of history as if it’s uniquely bad or unprecedented.

As John Green pointed out in a TikTok a few weeks ago, this is kind of a silly thing to say — there have been much worse crises by basically every metric throughout human history. But of course, this crisis is happening to us, and it’s happening right now, and for my generation it is the most life-changing thing that has ever happened to us (sorry to the 90s babies out there, but none of us Zoomers remember 9/11). So, it makes sense that it’s something that’s still hard for us to wrap our heads around two years later.

Beyond that, this pandemic had an abrupt and unexpected beginning and a desperately awaited but still elusive end. Everyone remembers something about when COVID-19 first uprooted their lives, but can anyone say where they were when the pandemic “ended,” if it even has? I remember my first time back in a restaurant, a theater, a bowling alley. I remember when I got the first dose of my vaccine, but I’m still wearing my mask in the airport as I write this. It’s looking increasingly likely that we will never see a definitive end to this pandemic at all, and will instead “learn to live” with COVID-19. We were all waiting for it to end with a bang, but now we’d be lucky to get a whimper.

Staring down the barrel of college graduation, it’s hard not to feel cheated — not by Notre Dame or the CDC, but by the universe. I can list off tangible things I’ve lost, like a semester abroad in Greece, an in-person Junior Parents Weekend or another year living in my dorm. But it’s almost harder to cope with the losses that are less concrete — the late nights with my friends that never happened, the visits from my grandparents that got indefinitely delayed, the people that could’ve become my best friends that I never

met. And this is all coming from someone who has spent two years cripplingly afraid of the COVID-19 virus and in full support of the most stringent regulations possible.

There is no one to blame, and as a result it can feel like the only option is to scream into the void.

But the Observer Viewpoint section is not the void, and I don’t really want to scream. I think, to an extent, I want to acknowledge that this is something that I’m still processing, and it’s okay, and even expected, if you are, too.

It’s easy to feel like I don’t have much to mourn — lots of people died, had family members die or are struggling with chronic health issues years after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

But everyone has lost something during this, and if we bury those feelings of loss we’ll be stuck processing them forever.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how to process those feelings. For me, it’s helped to write this all down. However awful it’s been, I want to remember how I felt when this all began and how I feel about it now, at its strange nonending. I want to acknowledge the people, experiences and alternate lives I’ve lost because of this pandemic. And, most importantly, I want to be able to look forward, in the next two months and beyond, to life with some distance from this major historical event. Whatever you’ve lost, and whether you’re graduating with me or still have some time in South Bend left, I hope you can do the same.

Ellie Konfrst is a senior studying political science with a minor in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service.

Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited people will once again be forced to listen to her extremely good takes. You can find her off campus trying to decide whether or not she’ll go to law school or bragging that Taylor Swift follows her on Tumblr. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter.

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

Why are we still watching reality TV? Caitlin Brannigan Pop Culture Apologist

After sitting through yet another painful episode of “The Bachelor” a few weeks ago, I experienced what may be the most trivial crisis of my entire life. I simply could not figure out why I would continue to watch a show that takes years off my lifespan.

Week after week, it’s another episode of the same two people fighting over things as ridiculous as shrimp, while the bachelor acts toxic and makes bad decisions. There is no way anyone goes on that show to find love, and even less probable is the claim that it is a conducive environment to do so. I can only handle about half of an episode before my mind is completely numb — so why do I keep returning to it? What is it about “The Bachelor,” and reality TV more generally, that makes it so interesting?

The highly rewarding emotional investment Because reality shows offer a closer look into the lives of strangers, viewers become familiar with the contestants’ authentic personalities (which totally aren’t affected by the show’s editing or the fact that people act differently on TV than they would in real life). We can identify with certain contestants and absolutely despise others as a result.

Viewers can form a connection bordering on a parasocial relationship with the contestants. It’s easy to empathize with someone when their raw emotions are presented to us. In the age of social media, it’s even easier to feel like we know exactly who someone is when so much information about them is available to the public — even if most of this is an identity they’ve carefully crafted, rather than who they really are.

For me, it feels as if everything is at stake when I start rooting for a contestant on one of these shows. It’s similar to betting on a sports game, except there’s no risk of losing money. On the more competitive reality shows, seeing

one of my favorite contestants win makes me nearly as happy as when I miraculously passed my last orgo exam.

On the flip side, if they’re eliminated, I immediately have to break out the ice cream and rant to a friend about it The drama “Survivor” is a show in which contestants are divided into tribes and must work together on an island for a little over a month with very little food and shelter. To be immune from being eliminated from the show, contestants must compete in physical and mental challenges, which the host, Jeff Probst, narrates. It’s one of the few reality shows that I would argue is actually amazing.

However, I recently haven’t enjoyed viewing these challenges as much as in previous years. I pondered over the reason behind my sudden lack of interest — the challenges now are very similar to the ones in years past, so what changed?

Then it hit me — Jeff is no longer making witty comments about contestants’ performances. He’s encouraging people to do well and treating the contestants with empathy rather than the biting remarks he would toss at whoever was badly failing in the past.

The loss of Jeff’s striking narration is absolutely tragic.

Obviously, there are some situations in reality TV that should be handled with empathy, but most “Survivor” challenges do not fall into this category. Jeff’s snarky narration would usually motivate contestants to try harder, to the point where some would yell colorful commentary right back at him. The drama made some of the less interesting challenges bearable.

Drama — on the scale of what is presented on a reality show — is something that would be stressful to observe or be a part of in real life. However, when we’re removed from the situation, that’s completely different — seeing contestants argue with each other over frankly ridiculous things engages the viewer, drawing them further into the show. The chaotic nature of this type of television is different from what we might see in our normally

predictable lives. The occasional crazy disruptions to our daily routines occur in every episode of these shows.

Viewers feel as if they’re sharing in the experience of reality stars, in a sense living vicariously through the contestants.

Great material to make fun of Watching these kinds of shows with friends is a unique experience as a result of the amount of terrible decisions made by reality stars. It’s also the most tolerable way to make it through an episode. I would not be able to sit through over an hour of “90 Day Fiancé” without making fun of the couples for the newest disaster they’ve caused.

It’s essentially the same principle as watching a terrible movie with friends. There’s no possible way to enjoy that kind of a movie for its content, but it’s remarkably entertaining to poke fun at. Despite the fact that there’s very little substance to reality TV, there’s plenty of ridiculous situations and terrible decisions for our comedic enjoyment.

In conclusion, reality TV is objectively bad. It’s popular with a wide range of people — to the point where my mom blamed my friend’s immense dislike of the entire state of New Jersey on the MTV series “Jersey Shore” — but most of it is still not entertaining for prolonged periods of time under most circumstances. However, it has its unique charms that would be difficult to find elsewhere.

It should be appreciated as an art form for providing these unusual benefits to its viewers, despite its lack of significant substance.

Caitlin Brannigan is a first-year from New Jersey studying psychology and pre-health studies. She will forever defend her favorite young adult novels and is overjoyed to have a platform to rant. She can be reached for comment at cbrannig@nd.edu or @CaitlinBrannig on Twitter.

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

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The observer | Wednesday, March 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

The art of the devious lick Pablo Lacayo My Two Cordobas Worth

Notre Dame prides itself on being one of the world’s finest Catholic higher education institutions. Its name carries a strong level of prestige that other universities can only aspire to achieve in their dreams. As a Catholic school, the University tries its best to teach its student body in ways that align with its corresponding religious tradition. The Ten Commandments are a core Christian teaching that intend to guide us along an ethical and moral path to live a life more closely aligned with God. However, it seems we have collectively failed in living up to the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.”

Stealing seems to be an integral part of the Notre Dame experience. At the dining halls, students continually sneak out bowls and cups by the dozen each week, crippling Campus Dining’s ability to keep up with student demand during peak hours. Once, North Dining Hall’s golf cart went missing and somehow ended up on the other side of campus, close to Duncan Hall. In buildings across the University, boxes of reusable masks are routinely snatched by sneaky passerbys. Within dorms, it is extremely common for people to snag name tags, posters and other wall decorations. Last year, the dreaded HERE signs were picked up on a daily basis, being kept by students as prized examples of what so many of us at Notre Dame have duly mastered, the devious lick.

The term devious lick gained popularity in late 2021 as a TikTok challenge, where users posted videos of themselves showcasing items they stole, especially from their schools.

Soap dispensers, exit signs, mirrors, and sinks all fell victim to a parade of licks that took the American education

system by storm in autumn of last year. The ensuing moral panic, magnified by media commentators, led TikTok to crack down on users by taking down their posts. It was then banned overall by mid September, citing that it violated the platform’s community guidelines by promoting illegal activities. After all, several students throughout the country ended up under arrest as a result of them being caught.

Within Stanford Hall, my dorm, devious licks have come to run rampant during weekend nights. Throughout this semester, our pool table’s balls, a bicycle, a resident’s laundry, flags and bathroom signs have all fallen victim to licks, the perpetrators protected by the anonymity their agility can come to grace them with. This Friday night, my Quad was hit with what we consider to be the most devious lick to ever take place within the walls of the Cinderblock Palace of Love, our South Bend home. After throwing a surprise birthday party for one of my roommates, the gathering quickly turned into yet another regular dorm party, with a consistent stream of students from all over the University wandering in and out of our common room.

The next morning, as we mopped up the room and got ready to tidy things again, I was quick to notice something was missing. Within minutes, several members of our section had gathered to figure out the potential whereabouts of the fifth member of our Quad, Mr. Theodore Penguin.

Mr. Theodore Penguin is a 4’11” papier-mache emperor penguin one of my roommate’s received as a going away gift from one of his friend’s from back home. During lockdown in early 2020, his friend’s mother, an artist, crafted the penguin from scratch, after my roommate saw her making some for her kindergarten class and decided he wanted one as well. Since he arrived at Notre Dame, Mr. Theodore Penguin has stood watch outside his room, a

silent sentinel surveying Stanford Hall. This year, he stood at the end of our section’s hallway, resembling a quirky roadside attraction considering the number of visitors that ended up taking pictures with him during lively weekend nights.

This Saturday, Mr. Theodore Penguin was gone from his usual spot. Nowhere to be seen, not a clue left behind for us to search for him. At a loss, we have spent the last two days desperately coordinating ways to retrieve him and bring him to his home, where he has known nothing but unconditional love and support. On Monday morning, we awoke to news that Mr. Theodore Penguin had been spotted. After being gone for over two full days, he ended up being unceremoniously dumped in the middle of North Quad. One of his wings had broken off, and was strewn next to him covered in wet bits of grass, dried leaves and dew. His beak was damaged and the paint job was chipped and dirty. We recovered him, but Mr. Theodore Penguin lost a great deal of personal dignity in the process.

Thankfully, we were able to bring our cherished penguin comrade to his windowsill home. Sadly, it is safe to say several dozen personal mementos will not have as much luck.

Instead, to quote Titanic, they’ll exist only in our memory.

In the meantime, please refrain from executing such diabolical licks, as the laugh you score from the cheap thrill can sometimes cause infinite sorrow and anguish for those who experience the laugh.

Pablo Lacayo is a junior majoring in finance with a minor in Chinese. Originally from Nicaragua, he is now a happy resident of Stanford Hall. Reach him at placayo@nd.edu over email.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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

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

Weaving is one of the world’s oldest art forms. It involves the intertwining of singular threads to build larger works.

A bird weaving together a nest to protect its young, a person weaving a basket tight enough to hold water, a spider weaving strong webs to catch its prey.

She represents but a single thread, yet brings together others, in the larger woven tapestry of the Notre Dame family. She has a loving awareness of the contract that each of us enter into when we commit to come here: that we are not disconnected from each other, but joined in a splendid universal communion to one another united in our concern for the common good.

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

The threads she worked so hard to bring together were torn from their stitches in a matter of moments.

Recently I was talking with a member of the Black Alumni Association, where he shared another story of a promise unfulfilled. Through a laughing, but slightly pained voice he said, “Notre Dame is a great place to get a degree, it’s not a great place to go.”

It’s something echoed in another friend’s tale, where she has come from an academic background where the longest paper she had to write was one page and now she’s being given a Notre Dame workload, but not the resources

to keep up with all of her work.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

we’re Catholic.

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

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

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

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

If you desire a shared destiny on this campus and beyond in which we live up to our Catholic mission I beg you to send an email to presprovostsearch@nd.edu stating that need. Describing the need for a Catholic education that prioritizes the dignity of every thread, story and person on this campus.

Our shared destiny relies on the work of each of us to preserve it, progress isn’t inevitable, it requires each of us to take part and ownership in ensuring that destiny includes all of us.

Dane Sherman sophomore March 23

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By NIA SYLVA Scene Writer

It is no secret that Kanye West — or Ye, as he now prefers to be called — has become a bit of a controversial figure.

In recent months, the rapper has taken to Instagram to (very publicly) complain about ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s relationship with Pete Davidson and to question the parenting of his two children. He appears to be struggling creatively, too: Ye’s newest album, “Donda 2,” was critically panned, with critics complaining that it is “not chiefly concerned with the music” and is a “crudely unfinished dump of songs.”

But Ye’s albums did not always feel so incomplete, nor were they always public spectacles instead of real artistic endeavors.

Watching Coodie & Chike’s new documentary, “jeen-yuhs,” makes this point clear.

In a song from his 2016 album “The Life of Pablo,” Kanye West challenges listeners to “name one genius that ain’t crazy.” With this sentiment in mind, it would be easy to view Act 1 and Act 2 of “jeen-yuhs” — a documentary following Kanye’s rise to fame — as a kind of villain origin story. This is a somewhat sinister illustration of the same traits that have since been amplified to the point where the artist has been banned from the Grammys.

Sure, there are moments throughout Coodie’s wealth of footage from Ye’s time as a “rapper-producer” (not a term he would have chosen for himself) that seem eerily prescient.

There are times when the rapper, still largely unknown except as someone who can make a good beat, already seems too big

By ANNA FALK Scene Writer

The evolution of a band and their music is one of the most fascinating things to see. Sometimes they evolve for the better, and other times for the worse. There are even times when a band’s evolution doesn’t do anything but make them more interesting. This area is where I see “From 2 to 3,” the most recent LP from Peach Pit, fitting into their discography.

Based in Vancouver, the band is composed of four high school friends who decided to start playing music one day in 2014. Neil Smith (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Peter Wilton (bass) used to be Amazon delivery drivers, Christopher Vanderkooy (guitar) worked at a brewery and Mike Pascuzzi (drums) was a carpenter. They quit their jobs to go on tour for their first LP “Being So Normal,” and the band has not turned back ever since.

These are just regular guys who picked up some instruments and started playing (which is part of the reason why they are so great). This is an image that is so crucial to their visual and lyrical image. Similar to the lyrics of artists like Phoebe Bridgers or Lucy Dacus, the band uses everyday imagery to convey hard-to-explain emotions or relay anecdotes of love and loss.

If you don’t listen closely enough, you could lose a lot of the quality and depth of the songs. Peach Pit is great for background studying, but they’re also great for serious listening. They’ve consistently been putting out

for his britches. This is when viewers are invited to search for traces of today’s manic West in his younger self.

But I think it would be a mistake to view the Kanye West of 2004 solely in light of the Ye we know now. In fact, the artist’s narcissism becomes an almost admirable confidence and faith in himself, a belief — one that has now, arguably, become pathological — that the things he is doing have the power to change the world.

Watching scenes in which Donda, Ye’s now-deceased mother, reassures him or tells him that he “snapped” with a particular performance provide a possible origin for his nowinflated ego without vilifying him. In contrast, these scenes also make West seem truly human in a way that he has not in any of his recent Instagram rants.

As much as scenes illustrating Kanye’s relationship with his mother humanize him, so does some of Coodie’s other footage. In Act 1, viewers are treated to scenes in which Ye walks from room to room at Roc-A-Fella Records playing clips from “All Falls Down” in the hope of getting a record deal. People ignore him, dismiss him and usher him out of rooms. But Ye continues to advocate for himself: weaseling his way into features on Jay Z songs, a record deal, a music video for “Through the Wire” and — finally — the release of his first album.

West undergoes multiple career and personal struggles, including a devastating car crash, during which he breaks his jaw in three places. Throughout these challenges, one thing becomes clear: The Kanye West who released “The College Dropout” cared, immensely, about his music. At one point, Ye

tells Coodie that he “used [the] entire album as … rehabilitation.” The songs on the album, he adds, “gave [him] life.” It’s hard not to be drawn on by this level of self-assurance, this level of drive, this grand artistic vision.

Coodie, for his part, makes much of the Cinderella story he has been given. Through home footage from West’s early life featuring a truly charismatic subject, Coodie develops a classic story of dreams deferred but ultimately achieved. Aided by the director’s soothing narration, the tale of Ye’s rise to fame progresses incrementally without ever feeling boring.

Ultimately, Coodie’s picture of the rapper is flawed but also enthralling. This portrayal may not explain the rapper’s current persona or give viewers a reason to absolve him of his proverbial sins. However, it certainly reminded me why I once loved Kanye — and why, against my better judgment, I love him still.

quality songs for as long as I’ve known them, and I was ecstatic for this new album. I was not disappointed in the slightest.

Peach Pit has been known for their surf rock elements, and this new album seemingly extends further into the musical world with the addition of elements like those found in country or folk music. This is perhaps meant to harken back to frontman Neil Smith’s days in the folk band Dogwood and Dahlia. The tracks are paced well, with a mix of upbeat bops and slower, more somber melodies.

The album’s singles — “Up Granville,” “Look Out!” and “Vickie” — display the band’s evolution quite well. There is an obvious maintenance of their familiar sound with the added bouncy, folksy elements. Tales of everyday life with the names of friends, streets and familiar places take on a different shape with the emotional undertones exhibited by the lyrical content and instrumentation.

I have to be quite honest: While I know I like this album, I still don’t fully know how I feel about it, and I’m completely fine with this reality. I understand that, for many, this concept can be quite frustrating. Many people want to listen to a song a few times and be able to understand everything as it is presented. With Peach Pit, it is usually more complicated.

To paraphrase “Shrek,” Peach Pit’s music is like an onion: It has layers. When you first listen to their record, you can usually grasp the general message of the song from the instrumentation and the smooth, soft tones of Smith’s voice. Understanding the situations they are

discussing is next, you begin to see scenes play out in front of you: a conversation with your significant other, hanging out with your best friend or lamenting about life gone wrong.

In the final layer is where I find Peach Pit’s beauty and genius. Somehow, in some way, they know what I’m thinking. These scenes rushing through my head have been seen before, and I can picture exactly what Smith croons about. Peach Pit is the ordinary turned extraordinary. I love them for how beautiful their execution is and the genuine way in which they play their music.

If you haven’t listened to Peach Pit before, “From 2 to 3” is a wonderful starting point, and it has proved to be an innovative and enchanting addition to their repertoire.

Contact Nia Sylva at asylva@nd.edu

“jeen-yuhs” Director: Coodie & Chike Where to watch: Netflix If you like: “The College Dropout,” controversy

Contact Anna Falk at afalk@nd.edu

“From 2 to 3” Artist: Peach Pit Label: RCA Records Favorite tracks: “Pepsi on the House,” “From 2 to 3,” “Lips Like Yours” If you like: The Backseat Lovers, Wallows, Hippo Campus

EMMMA KIRNER | The Observer I SPOTIFY, NPR.

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ADRIANA PEREZ Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

If you’re on #SwiftTok (the Taylor Swift side of TikTok), chances are you’ve probably heard her songs being played through Dolby Atmos. Some of these sounds have produced hilarious results, with music cut off in comical places and fragmented, echoing vocals.

But, you may also have wondered, what the heck is Dolby Atmos?

I personally had no idea until just recently. If you’re as confused as I was, fear no more. Today, I will be once again delving into the intricacies of sound for Scene — because there are more ways to immerse yourself in art than you’d think.

Dolby Atmos is a spatial, surround sound experience developed 10 years ago by Dolby Laboratories that allows you to immerse yourself within a piece of entertainment, whether it be a song, video game or film. Just as you would watch a movie in 3D, Dolby Atmos allows you to experience sound multidimensionally through a variety of placement points.

Most cinemas you’ve been to and movies you’ve watched likely already use Dolby Atmos, but since 2018, nightclubs across the world started incorporating the sound system for a more engaging sensory experience.

Some of the Taylor Swift songs processed through Dolby Atmos on TikTok are labeled “Dolby Atmos stems.” To the best of my knowledge, certain stems — or sound elements — have been manipulated in these clips to enhance the listener’s sonic immersion. So, you will notice that some vocals or instruments have been elevated over others to make the listening

By NATALIE ALLTON Scene Writer

Okay. Hear me out.

“Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir” is a French children’s show about two superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Every episode, the villainous Hawk Moth “akumatizes” (read: makes a supervillain out of) a poor Parisian having a bad day, with the aim of stealing the Miraculous jewels that give Ladybug and Chat Noir their superhero abilities.

Meanwhile, the superheroes’ 14-year-old civilian identities (as aspiring fashion designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng and famous model Adrien Agreste, respectively) navigate the ordinary ups and downs of young adulthood while keeping their alter egos secret from everyone, even each other. It’s a simple premise, but one that is wildly effective at generating episodic plotlines that can recycle the same base formula.

If, like me, you started watching the show as it first came out in 2015, you were given absolutely no exposition or information. But that was part of the fun of the first season: there was no lore, no origin story, no explanation of anything. We didn’t even know the identity of the main villain.

Each episode revealed just a tiny piece of the puzzle; we were dropped headfirst into the thick of it and left to piece together all of the narrative clues for ourselves.

Now, after the season four finale, things are drastically different. If you haven’t been keeping up, let me lay it out for you: Hawk Moth is actually Adrien’s emotionally neglectful father, who’s been keeping his dead wife’s corpse in their basement for a year and hopes to resurrect her using the

experience exquisitely detailed.

Before I offer my recommendations for what to listen to, head on over to Dolby’s online visualizer to hear a demo of a popular song and compare it to normal stereo sound. (I highly recommend trying out Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”) But, wait! Before delving into the demo’s beautiful sounds and mesmerizing visuals, make sure you’re wearing headphones to have a full immersion.

Obviously, the songs likely sound better on the surround sound speaker systems Dolby Atmos was engineered for.

Regardless, trust me on this — listening to music with this sound system will scratch a brain itch you didn’t even know you had.

Now, for some of my six favorite Taylor Swift songs to listen to with Dolby Atmos (And because this piece wouldn’t be complete otherwise). I have to admit most of these don’t even make it into my top 10 Taylor songs, but Dolby Atmos has certainly allowed me to appreciate them in new, fascinating ways.

1. “Cruel Summer”: Some of the YouTube comments for the Dolby Atmos version of this “Lover” masterpiece say that it sounds like a tour concert, and I have to agree. The synth sounds are so cool, and her vocals are simply majestic. 10/10, would recommend it.

2. “Breathe (Taylor’s Version)”: The Dolby Atmos version of “Breathe” is nothing short of heavenly, which is a lot coming from me, since I don’t care much for the stereo version. The violin on its own makes me want to break down sobbing.

3. “Better Man (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”: You can also listen to Taylor’s most iconic cover in Dolby Atmos. “Better Man” has beautiful instrumentals that

enhance the backing vocals wonderfully. You can barely hear the singer for most of the song unless you really listen, but I admittedly don’t mind it.

4. “State Of Grace (Taylor’s Version)”: Love the guitar and the violin, love the experience of listening to her vocals (when you can hear them, which is not too often in this version, but I don’t mind because the instruments sound so good). Listen to it on YouTube.

5. “Change (Taylor’s Version)”: You know what? I’m about to say it. “Change” is criminally underrated. If you disagree, let its Dolby Atmos version change your mind.

Imagine it playing as the soundtrack to your senior year of college. That is all.

6. “Everything Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran) (Taylor’s Version)”: Not sure if it’s Ed Sheeran’s influence, but “Everything Has Changed” has always been a safe bet — instrumentally, at least. The percussion and guitar are just fantastic, and Dolby Atmos lets you experience it all in your bones. And don’t even get me started on Taylor’s opening and backing vocals.

In any case, Taylor’s songs are not the only ones you can listen to on Dolby Atmos. This will be the first and last time you hear me say this, but if you’re on Apple Music, good for you! You can turn Dolby Atmos on in your phone settings, per Apple’s support page.

Otherwise, stick to YouTube, which honestly has provided me only with good Dolby Atmos experiences. Happy listening!

Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Also, Adrien might have been artificially created, like, a year ago.

I would like to reiterate that this show is for children.

The show’s biggest draw is the drama of its central “love square” - that is to say, the four unique relationships drawn between the same two people. Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug, who sees him only as a crime-fighting partner; Marinette is hopelessly infatuated with Adrien, who’s wonderfully oblivious to her crush. When Ladybug and Adrien interact, it’s all blushes and stuttering. When Marinette and Chat Noir cross paths, they’re public menaces who poke fun at each other and occasionally lament over their mutual unrequited crushes. It’s a unique take on a classic trope, and the writers have managed to keep audiences engaged for four full seasons without any kind of identity reveal.

In fact, the show’s best episodes are “what if” scenarios about the consequences of such a reveal. Take, for example, season three’s “Chat Blanc,” in which the protagonists’ identities are revealed, they begin a romantic relationship, and Chat Noir is akumatized - causing the destruction of the moon, the flooding of the entire world, the deaths of both Ladybug and Hawk Moth, and the deteriorating mental state of a lonely teenage boy doomed to sit alone in the apocalyptic wasteland he created.

Once again: this show is for children.

I can’t make this clear enough: I don’t think that the show is good. I don’t consider it high art. I barely consider it art at all. At its worst, “Miraculous Ladybug” is repetitive, poorly animated and, at times, downright insulting to a viewer’s intelligence. At its best, it’s a heartbreaking

and visceral examination of trauma and how people deal with the hidden parts of those they love. Mostly, it’s a melodramatic, candy-coated distraction from real life, where protagonists’ problems are wrapped up in 20 minutes and the status quo never changes.

That being said, it’s fantastically fun to watch and discuss. There’s a fervent fanbase for it, and I know several people who have kept up with the show for years.

Inexplicably, we all latched onto an animated kid’s show about Parisian superheroes and just ran with it.

“Miraculous Ladybug” is no particular standout, but its unending popularity and the fan culture surrounding it make it one of the most enduring television shows of the past decade. My advice for a new viewer: If you can find it, watch the French dub. Trust me.

Contact Adriana Perez at aperez8@nd.edu

Contact Natalie Allton at nallton@nd.edu

“Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir” Favorite Episodes: “Chat Blanc,” “Oblivio,” “Glaciator 2” If you like: “Sailor Moon,” absolute guilty pleasure television Where to watch: Seasons 1-3 on Netflix; season 4 on Disney+

MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ , EMMA KIRNER | The Observer | netflix, imperial consultants, walmart, wallpaper flare, logos world

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Discipline, budgeting and completion will free your spirit and encourage you to set new goals. Take your time and stop worrying about keeping up or competing with others. Concentrating on what makes you happy eases stress and gives you exciting options. Put personal gain, romance and health first. Your numbers are 7, 10, 22, 28, 33, 41, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Use common sense, do what you can justify and keep your plans to yourself until you reach a point of no return. Control what you do and what you want. Don’t let outside influences interfere. Put your energy where it counts.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Pursue what makes you feel passionate. Don’t let obstacles defeat you. Embrace a challenge with an open mind, and you’ll find a way to exceed your expectations. Align yourself with people who aren’t afraid to do things differently.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What you achieve counts. Put your efforts into physically accomplishing your goals. Take care of details and iron out differences before you enter into an agreement or choose to agree to a plan that makes you responsible. Read the fine print.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Branch out and see what you can do with your skills, knowledge and attributes. Explore what’s trending, and you’ll discover something that interests you. Step back from joint ventures and toward endeavors that you can pursue alone. Contracts will be misleading.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Expand your interests. Venture out and discover what’s happening in your community or chosen profession. Add to your qualifications or look for a unique way to use your skills. An imaginative approach to how you do things will pay off.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pay attention to detail, and finish what you start.

Don’t leave yourself open for criticism. Take an interest in what family and friends are doing, and be a part of what matters. A change in routine will require discipline and planning.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pay attention to your needs: take a break, pamper yourself, or find a solution that will help encourage better health, organization and money management. Avoid shared expenses, joint ventures and unnecessary change. Make love, romance or a creative endeavor a priority.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Keep the peace. Back down and pay attention to what you can do to improve your life. Hone your skills, and incorporate a plan that encourages the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. Don’t let anger or revenge be your demise.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Oversee everything important. Domestic problems will surface if careful money management isn’t in place. Put your heart and soul into taking care of institutional or governmental matters in order to avoid penalties. Be upfront about your feelings and what you want.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Know what you are up against, and take care of matters swiftly. Use your imagination when it comes to money and how best to handle people who ask for too much. Be willing to do the work yourself to avoid disappointment.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Revisit your responsibilities, and find out how to get things done without interference. Stick to your plan, work alone and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the results. Don’t take a backseat to someone using force or making changes you don’t like.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Call on someone who can offer inside information or help you create something that will protect you against loss.

Take better care of your physical and emotional well-being. Don’t take a risk or give in to someone putting pressure on you.

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Sports Authority

Sports Authority

Matt Ryan to Colts is a win for everyone Matthew Crow Sports Writer

I was walking out of class on Monday afternoon when I saw the alert on my phone: The Falcons had traded Matt Ryan to the Colts for a third-round pick in this year’s draft.

My initial reaction was sadness. As a lifelong Falcons fan, Ryan has been my favorite NFL player since I started watching football. I hated that he finished his Falcons career with four straight losing seasons, and that the lasting memory of him with the team would be their epic Super Bowl collapse against the Patriots. I had wanted so badly for him to play his whole career in red and black and to lead the Falcons to their first Super Bowl victory. I thought he could be to the franchise what Eli Manning was to the Giants or what it looks like Aaron Rodgers might now be to the Packers. It stung even more to see someone who I believe is still one of the league’s best quarterbacks to be traded for just a single thirdround pick (though this likely had more to do with his massive contract than the value of his on-field play).

The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that this trade could work out well for both teams involved as well as for Ryan. For the Colts, it was clear that they had to make some kind of move at quarterback. They have a loaded roster that is ready to compete for a playoff berth, and their front office indicated their willingness to enter “win-now mode” by trading valuable assets for quarterback Carson Wentz before last season. With that experiment having failed, and with Wentz being sent to the Commanders, Indianapolis was left with a contending roster but no quarterback. With no clear path to a rebuild, the Colts’ only option was to remain aggressive and continue to go all in, and I think that trading for Ryan instantly makes them contenders in a loaded AFC. I find it slightly more difficult to frame the trade as a positive for Atlanta, given that I believed they had a chance to compete for the NFC South crown this season with the Buccaneers and Saints both being expected to take a step back. However, the Falcons’ recent roster decisions, such as sending Julio Jones to Tennessee, have shown that the team is looking to reset under second-year head coach Arthur Smith. This is a sensible plan given the team’s struggles in recent years and the fact that Ryan will turn 37 before the start of the 2022 season. The trade gives the Falcons a draft

pick with solid value and saves them approximately $9 million for the upcoming year. Atlanta has already signed former Raiders backup Marcus Mariota to replace Ryan, which gives them the opportunity to see if Mariota could be a long-term solution at quarterback while also maintaining flexibility to address the position in the draft.

However, despite how much sense this move makes for both teams, I think that the biggest winner of the trade is Matt Ryan, as much as it pains me to say it.

Ryan has been the face of the franchise since the day he was drafted third overall in 2008, and he has been a consummate professional and an outstanding leader for the team and the Atlanta community. The Falcons made it clear that Ryan was not a part of their long-term plans by making a very public attempt to trade for now-Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson that ultimately failed. While I have no doubt that Ryan would have handled the potentially awkward situation with the utmost professionalism rather than publicly demand a trade or speak out against the team, it would have been a disservice to one of the greatest players in franchise history and a former MVP to force him to spend the final years of his prime as a lame duck quarterback on a team that is unlikely to make the playoffs, especially with star wide receiver Calvin Ridley suspended for the entire 2022 season.

Ryan now has a great opportunity to finally earn the Super Bowl ring that has eluded him for so long and to cement himself as a Hall of Famer. The general consensus among fans and media seems to be that his best years are behind him, but I believe that Indianapolis is the perfect place for him to prove that he still has something left in the tank.

It’s always tough to see someone who means so much to a franchise and a city change teams (Atlanta has now dealt with this twice in the last week after former Braves star Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers), but it makes it a little easier knowing that, with the situation being what it was, this trade was the best possible option for Ryan and could help the Falcons return to prominence in the near future. Until then, though, I’ll be watching Ryan use this season to show the NFL world that he’s not done just yet.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Twins surprise baseball world with Carlos Correa signing Nate Moller Sports Writer

In a Sports Authority I wrote last week, I discussed a recent trade between the Twins and Yankees and some of the implications the trade had. For the Twins, I predicted the trade as a stepping stone to make future signings, and clearly that is what the deal was. In perhaps the biggest, most stunning move this offseason, the Twins signed shortstop Carlos Correa (arguably the most soughtafter free agent this year) to a 3 year/$105.30 million deal on Saturday morning.

Let’s take a look at this signing and the implications the signing has for the Twins and Major League Baseball.

Looking at the intricacies of the signings, it is a bit of a quirky deal because of the opt-out freedom that Correa has. Correa can opt out of the deal after year one or two of the contract and become a free agent again if he wishes. With the free agent pool loaded with middle infielders this season, there was not as high of a demand for Correa as a normal year. Correa knows that he can get a huge, long-term contract in a year or two if he continues to perform at the level he is capable of. This could leave the Twins in a difficult position to keep Correa in the long term.

There are a lot of quirks to the deal that could see Correa leave Minneapolis after just one season, but in the short term, what does this mean for the Twins?

The Twins entered the offseason in a very peculiar position. After winning the AL Central in 2019 and 2020, they tumbled to last in the division last year.

W hile they did trade away some of their stars like José Berríos and Nelson Cruz, they retained the majority of their lineup, making it unclear if the front office would start an immediate rebuild.

The Twins have by far been the most active team in the offseason, and they had to make a string of deals to free up the money for Correa. Most of that money came from dumping Josh Donaldson’s

$25 million/year contract on the Yankees. The Donaldson trade along with some other deals showed that the Twins’ front office wanted to make some changes, but it wasn’t clear what their goal was until this weekend.

The Correa deal shows that the Twins’ front office is committed to winning this season and that a rebuild is not in the cards for the organization just yet.

Even if Correa does decide to leave the Twins after just one season, the front office has breathed life back into an organization that was in the dumps after last season. The amount of hype and energ y surrounding the Twins right now is at an alltime high, and the players should be able to feed off of this energ y.

So does this mean the Twins are going to be good in 2022? Not necessarily. They still have a lot of question marks, especially with pitching. The starting rotation for the Twins figures to be veteran Sonny Gray, Dylan Bundy, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan and Randy Dobnak. Other than Gray, that is not the type of lineup that is going to get a team to October. Both Ober and Ryan are young and have a lot of room for growth, but it’s hard to imagine either of them having an ER A under four this season. Realistically, the Twins are going to need to win a lot of high-scoring games if they want to be contenders, because their starting rotation is arguably one of the worst rotations in baseball.

W ho knows, though? With the way things have been going, it isn’t unrealistic to think that the Twins won’t make another move in the coming weeks to bolster their starting rotation. They have plenty of middle infielders, and another trade could be in the cards to get some arms.

The Twins should be a very solid hitting team, and that will undoubtedly be their strength in 2022. As of now, their lineup will highlight Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, and Gio Urshela in addition to some younger players that could make noticeable improvements this season.

That lineup should be a

great combination of power, on-base percentage and base running that should see this Twins’ offense excel. Staying healthy could be a concern, though, with Buxton and Urshela having been injury-prone in the past.

As far as competition for the Twins, they will also have to deal with the Chicago W hite Sox in the AL Central. The W hite Sox have built an incredible lineup and starting rotation, and they will be the clear favorite to defend their AL Central title in 2022. It’s hard to imagine the Twins being able to keep up with the W hite Sox in the standings.

The rest of the central does seem fairly manageable, w ith the Tigers, Royals and Guardians rounding out the div ision.

The Tigers and Guardians could potentially have decent teams this season, but it’s hard to imagine either of them v y ing for a playoff spot. Because of the easier div ision, the Tw ins can strive to be a w ild card in the expanded playoff system that has three w ild card teams.

All in all, what does this mean for baseball? It shows that the little guys can get big-time players too. It seems like lately the big market teams like the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets have been snagging all of the game’s stars, but Correa went against the grain and signed with a small market team in the Twins. The Twins had to work hard to free up the salary space for him, but the deal shows that it is indeed possible for a small market team like the Twins to make a splash in the free agent market.

Regardless of how the Twins end up this season, the Correa move is a great move for an organization that needs some life and energ y back in its players and fanbase. Correa is undoubtedly one of the best players in the game, and as a Twins fan, I cannot wait to watch Correa play at Target Field this season.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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woMen’s basketball | 108-64

Irish eviscerate Sooners to advance to Sweet 16

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

On Monday night, Notre Dame women’s basketball put on a performance to remember against Oklahoma, downing the Sooners 108-64.

The Irish came out red hot from the opening tip, establishing their game inside the post and shooting the lights out from distance.

At one point Notre Dame hit six consecutive three-pointers (with five coming from senior guard Dara Mabrey) to race out to a 35-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Head coach Niele Ivey discussed how impressed she was with her team’s energy out of the gate after the game, and what it meant in terms of setting the tone for the game.

“We had a lot of energy coming in,” Ivey said. “Everybody that’s here, we were really excited. I feel like being on somebody’s home court, you have to bring the energy yourself. I knew that it was super electric in here watching the IUPUI-Oklahoma matchup on Saturday, so we just talked about how we’ve got to bring the energy.

It’s just us against the world, and I thought that really helped, with

our group being locked in and really bringing the energy.”

Mabrey led the way for the Irish with 29 points, 21 of which came off three-pointers. Mabrey also chipped in with six rebounds and three assists in the Irish’s best offensive performance of the season. After the game, Mabrey remarked on the zone she was in from distance in the win.

“To be honest, when you shoot like that — I felt like I was unconscious — at one point I wasn’t thinking,” Mabrey said. “I just knew when I caught it I was going to let it go and it was going in.

As a shooter when you believe in yourself like that, chances are it’s going to go in. That type of confidence spreads really easily, like wildfire.”

Mabrey wasn’t the only Irish player to light up the scoreboard in the victory. Freshman guard Sonia Citron and graduate student forward Maya Dodson both eclipsed the 20-point margin with 29 and 20 points, respectively. Sophomore forward Maddy Westbeld added 13 points of her own to go with a team-high nine rebounds. And while Olivia Miles only posted nine points, the freshman guard was as impactful as ever as a creator, dishing out 12

assists as well as grabbing seven boards.

Miles, who spent most of the game as the Irish’s primary ball handler, said the speed with which Notre Dame played in transition helped the offense put up the numbers it did.

“When we got out in transition on the first play of the game, and Dara hit a three, we’re like, ‘Okay, we can do this every time,’” Miles said. “Our biggest focal point was getting back in transition, and we got the stops we needed so we were then able to run out and find gaps and space the floor like we were talking about before.”

Notre Dame will now advance to the national Sweet 16, where they’ll face top-seeded North Carolina State later in the week.

The Irish have some prior history with the Wolfpack, having been the only team that was able to top North Carolina State in conference play. The win, a 69-66 triumph at Purcell Pavilion, marked one of Notre Dame’s best performances of the season. The Irish will have to bring their A-game and more this week if they want to advance to the Elite Eight.

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

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish forwards sophomore Maddy Westbeld and graduate student Maya Dodson celebrate their 108-64 win against Sooners on Monday.

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Sports

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Fencing

Rascioni

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while the team claimed the national title. The year after, he defended his title in 2019, but Notre Dame fell short as Columbia won the team title.

Itkin said it was a much sweeter experience to win the team title and not just the individual. He noted that this team is different from previous years, that they have the talent, but also the experience to defend their titles.

The results for the season back it up, as Notre Dame’s men’s team (41-0) put up their first undefeated regular season since Itkin arrived in South Bend.

Rascioni spoke highly of Itkin and his role on the team: “He’s a veteran. I mean, he’s still very young, of course, but he’s like a dad for the team because of all his experience. He’s always calm. He’s got a completely different approach. And you can see it because he always looks in control of the situation. It’s absolutely a huge help to have guys like him with such a strong experience.”

Itkin leaned into that role: “I’ve been here for five years now. So, I’ve been through a lot.

Me and Stephen [Ewart] are the only ones who were a part of the 2018 team that won a championship. So, being on that team, we try to bring back some of the stuff that we learned. And from being on the team the next year, which lost [at the national championships], we know what it takes to be on a winning team and what mistakes you made.”

the schools that many expect to challenge Notre Dame the most this weekend. In particular, the Irish must withstand an early challenge from Princeton. The Tigers boast the No. 1 ranked women’s team in the country.

They have the maximum of two fencers competing for every event throughout the weekend.

Princeton will hope to gain a lot of points from their women and then pass off a lead to their seventh-ranked men’s squad.

Meanwhile, Columbia and Harvard bring more wellrounded challengers for the Irish. Columbia ranks second in both men and women and will also have twelve fencers available. Harvard will compete with just eleven fencers, qualifying just one woman in the sabre. However, both men and women rank in the top five and have the talent to make up for the missing fencer.

Ohio State is the other program to bring twelve fencers for the four-day event. The Buckeyes rank fourth on the men’s side and sixth for the

women.

Irish loaded for run at repeat However, despite some strong challengers, the fact remains that the Irish are the favorites heading into the tournament.

With the top-ranked and undefeated men’s squad, and the No. 3 ranked women, Notre Dame presents a deep and talented lineup. They’ve also experienced some adversity and displayed an ability to respond in the ACC Championships. The women trailed Duke 8-4 in the championships and won the final 15 bouts to clinch the conference title.

Rascioni commented on the Irish’s resiliency under pressure. “Our best fencers compete internationally. Some of them are Olympians. They are used to stressful situations. They had a very good reaction when we were down, and that’s a very good sign for NCAAs.” The Irish bring a strong mix of veterans and NCAA tournament first-timers to the table ready to compete. Leading the women is defending sabre champion and senior Kara

Linder, making her fourth NCAA appearance. Sophomore sabre Atara Greenbaum returns to the NCAA Tournament for her second appearance.

Sophomore epees Kaylin Hsieh and Amanda Pirkowski make their second and first appearances respectively. In foil, junior Amita Berthier returns to the stage alongside freshman Nicole Pustilnik, a rookie the Irish are excited to see fence on this big a stage.

“We have Nicole. She’s a firsttimer, a fighter, a freshman and a very interesting name to watch,” Rascioni said.

The women will attempt to grab a lead, or at least stay right with Princeton and Columbia.

Then, they can pass it off to the top-ranked men’s squad to bring home the title. Five of the six men fencers are NCAA returners.

Senior foilists Andrew Mahovec and Nick Itkins, a bronze medalist in the 2020 Olympics, each make their third appearance.

Senior epee Stephen Ewart and senior sabre Jared Smith also head to the NCAAs for the third time. Competing alongside Ewart in epee is the lone men’s first-timer, junior Hunter

Candreva. Ewart, Smith and Mahovec all finished second at last year’s NCAA Tournament in their respective events.

Joining Smith in sabre is sophomore Luke Linder, the defending national champion in the event. Linder battled injury throughout the winter, but according to Rascioni, he’s ready to go this weekend.

“He’s 100% recovered. Of course, in terms of preparation, he had to recover a little bit faster…get back up to speed.”

A blend of experience and talent will represent the blue and gold on the fencing strips this weekend. With 25 top-two finishes at the NCAAs since 1979, and the hope to repeat as champion at home, the pressure is on with the spotlight fully on Castellan Family Fencing Center this weekend.

But the Irish are ready to welcome all challengers — and to turn them away en route to a fourth title in five years.

“Great practice, great training all season long,” Rascioni affirmed. “We feel really ready.”

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

Women’s Lacrosse | 17-10

Irish dominate Bulldogs 17-10 in Florida

Fencing at home a unique challenge This weekend is also the first time the NCAA Fencing Championships are being held in South Bend since 1998 when Notre Dame were runners-up by just two points to Penn State who won six consecutive titles from 1995-2000. For the team, this presents an added dimension, equal parts exciting and challenging, to an already pressure-filled competition.

“It’s interesting. In a way, it’s easier to prepare for a tournament while traveling because we can keep the concentration,” said Rascioni, “It’s much easier to not have any distractions. Staying at home is a little different, and because [of that] Wednesday we’re going to move into a hotel and keep the team, coaches and the staff together to prepare the best way possible for every single bout.”

Pirkowski and Itkin both highlighted the excitement of fencing at Notre Dame and having friends and family coming to cheer them on.

“I think it’ll hopefully help us out a lot, especially for people competing first time. It just helps to have a lot of people cheering for you. It can motivate you, and hopefully intimidate the opponents a little bit too.” said Itkin.

Contact Jose Sanchez Cordova at jsanch24@nd.edu

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish attack Maddie Howe dodges two Virginia Tech players during Notre Dame’s 15-10 win on April 21. In Saturday’s game, Howe scored seven goals to help Notre Dame defeat Yale 17-10 at a neutral site in Florida. This was a career high for Howe, her previous record being six.

By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate Sports Editor

This past Saturday, then No. 16 Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team beat Yale 17-10 at a neutral site in Naples, Florida.

The Irish were able to diversify their play as seven different players scored and both senior Bridget Deehan and freshman Lilly Callahan were able to play goal.

While the first goal of the game would be scored by Yale, the Irish quickly retaliated as sophomore attack Madison Ahern was able to score with an assist from senior attack Maddie Howe. A few minutes later, sophomore midfielder Kasey Choma would also score from a free position. The Irish would not let the Bulldogs close the quickly rising gap as Howe would score the first of her seven goals of the night, followed by another goal

by Choma and then one more unassisted goal by sophomore attack Jane McAvoy. While Yale was able to get one more goal in, it was answered by Choma within the final seconds of the first quarter. The lead increased to 6-2.

Scoring opened in the second quarter when freshman midfielder Kelly Denes scored unassisted. Over the next six minutes, the Irish would dominate, with the first goal by sophomore attack Jackie Wolak. Play continued with three goals by Howe, two of which were assisted by Ahern and McAvoy.

With the Irish up by nine, the Bulldogs began to close the gap, and Yale scored three more goals before halftime, the final one in the last 15 seconds of the quarter. At the end of the half, Notre Dame was up 11-5.

The third quarter began with a Yale spark, and the Bulldogs

saw two goals within the first three minutes. But the Irish stopped the momentum before it could get going with three goals from Howe, Ahern and freshman midfielder Mary Kelly Doherty. With three minutes left, Yale would score once before Howe would find the back of the net to seal the lead at 15-8.

Despite a large lead over the Bulldogs, the Irish came out hot in the fourth quarter as Ahern scored within the first 30 seconds to increase the lead by eight. Yale would score again before Howe notched the final Irish goal. In a last attempt, Yale scored within the last 30 seconds, and the final score was set at 17-10 Irish.

While the draw controls were equal at 15-15, Notre Dame outshot Yale by 48-28. Howe was the heavyweight for the attack this game. Not only did she score her career high of seven goals, but

she had her season high of 13 shots and four assists. In addition, she notched a caused turnover and a ground ball. Junior midfielder Hannah Dorney also matched her season high of five caused turnovers as well as one ground ball. Graduate student midfielder Diana Kelly had a strong defensive effort with three caused turnovers and a season-high four ground balls.

The Irish hope to keep this momentum as they return home to play No. 8 Duke on Saturday, March 26 at 1 p.m.

Duke steps into South Bend 10-1 on the season while the Irish have a record of 4-5. The game will be streamed on ACCNX and live stats will be available.

This game will also be the final game for Notre Dame’s annual Daughters for Dads fundraiser.

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | The Observer

Men’s tennis | 2-4, 4-3, 6-0

Rowing

Irish defeat No. 25 Miami

By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer

Heading into a weekend with three home matches, including two against ACC foes Florida State and No. 25 Miami, Notre Dame men’s tennis knew not to expect anything to come easy.

“It’s something we talk about all the time. At this point [in the season], every match is a dogfight. Everything’s really hard,” Irish volunteer assistant coach Sam Kercheval said. “The guys know what needs to be done and it’s a matter of just being willing to put in the effort and the fight every single day.”

While the No. 23 Irish were unable to take down Florida State on Friday, they responded with two big wins on Sunday against Miami and Eastern Illinois to improve their record to 14-6 and 4-2 in conference play.

Friday’s match began with Florida State taking the doubles point. Notre Dame’s Connor Fu and Jean-Marc Malkowski won 6-3 on court No. 3, but the Seminoles defeated the Irish pairs of Axel Nefve and Matthew Che (6-4) on court No. 1 and Peter Conklin and Matthew Halpin (6-1) on court No. 2 to take a 1-0 advantage.

The forecast had shown a chance of rain during the time of the match, and while the weather held out long enough for doubles to be played outside, the match was forced indoors before singles play began. After taking a few minutes to warm up and adjust to the new court, play resumed and Notre Dame quickly evened the score behind a strong 6-2, 6-4 win from graduate student Aditya Vashistha.

With the score knotted at 1-1, Florida State began to take control of the match, as Conklin was defeated 6-3, 6-3 on court No. 5. Nefve, ranked No. 44 in the country, dropped a tight match against No. 82 Loris Pourroy, 7-6, 6-4. With Florida State just one point away from winning the match, Notre Dame continued to battle. Che earned a 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 win on court No. 3, but the Seminoles clinched a 4-2 victory after Malkowski fell 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 on court No. 6.

Despite the loss, Kercheval said there were several positives that Notre Dame could take forward, noting that he was impressed with how the Irish kept the match close despite not being able to earn points from doubles or from Nefve, their top-ranked player.

“We fought really hard,” Kercheval said. “We had a chance to win without our top guy and our doubles clicking, and that’s pretty impressive.”

After Friday’s loss, the Irish quickly pivoted to focus their attention on Miami, knowing that another tough match was

15

in store. Just as against Florida State, the match went back and forth, with neither side willing to give an inch in what turned out to be a thriller.

“It was essentially the same match [against Miami],” Kercheval said. “The toughness, the expectation that you have to fight for everything. So we were already in that mindset.”

Once again, Notre Dame was unable to earn the doubles point, losing 6-3 on courts No. 1 and 2. After the Hurricanes breezed past Irish freshman Brian Bilsey 6-2, 6-0 on court No. 6, it appeared that Notre Dame could be in store for a second consecutive loss. However, Nefve earned a crucial 7-6, 6-2 win over No. 99 Dan Martin on court No. 1 and Conklin won 7-5, 6-2 on court No. 5 to even the score at 2-2.

The score remained level after Che (6-2, 7-6) won on court No. 3 and Vashistha (7-5, 6-4) fell on court No. 2, meaning that the match would come down to the battle between Notre Dame’s Fu and Miami’s Juan Martin Jalif on court No. 4. After splitting the first two sets, Fu clinched a 7-5 win in the final set with an emphatic ace, handing the Irish a 4-3 win, their first against a top-25 opponent.

Kercheval said he was impressed with how Fu stayed collected in a high-pressure moment, discussing how getting experience in close matches will help the team as they move forward in the season.

“When you can win in a tight situation it absolutely carries a lot of weight with you. It was great for Connor to get that done.

All eyes were on him because he was the only one in the third set, so he knew for the last 40 minutes that it was up to him,” Kercheval said. “He handled it great, was composed, and did a really good job taking out a tough guy. I think there’s a lot of confidence from him and his teammates in him moving forward.”

Despite seemingly giving everything they had to defeat Miami in a match that lasted over three and a half hours, there was no letdown for Notre Dame as they took on Eastern Illinois in the Irish’s second match of the day on Sunday. This one had no drama, as the Irish used a dominant performance to dispatch the Panthers 6-0 without dropping a single set, capping off an excellent performance on the day.

Looking ahead, Notre Dame men’s tennis will look to build off their back-to-back victories in a challenging pair of ACC matches on the road next weekend. The Irish will head south to face No. 18 Duke at 4 p.m. on Friday and No. 17 North Carolina at noon on Sunday.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Irish return to action at Cardinal Invite

By LIAM COOLICAN Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame women’s rowing opened their season this weekend at the Cardinal Invite at Melton Lake Rowing Venue in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It was the first competitive race for the Irish since the ACC championships last May. Head coach Martin Stone noted that he is happy with how the team has progressed since last season. “We’ve seen a lot of growth,” he said. “Physically, we’re stronger and faster and more fit than we were last year and probably for a couple of years.”

Stone would have liked to see “better results,” but noted that the Invite was a learning opportunity for his team.

“It was good overall,” he said of the weekend. “It was a learning experience. We need to learn to get better. Everybody learned in every race and every boat.”

The best results for the Irish came from the second varsity four boat. Senior coxswain Cristina Postula and the four rowers, juniors Elizabeth Hosler and Julia Finster, freshman Michaela Carroll and senior Sarah Dencker made up that squad. They swept their races on Saturday. The first varsity four

also performed well. That boat came in second place twice on Saturday. They notched a thirdplace finish on Sunday, finishing ahead of ranked teams Alabama and Tennessee.

“There’s a good sense of purpose,” Stone said of his team.

Junior Isabelle Keren, in a quote provided to the Observer, said that the team was happy to get back to competitive racing.

“After months of training with no competitions, it was great to be able to actually put our training to the test. It’s always exciting to get on the race course even if it doesn’t go as well as we hope,” she said. “Now that we’ve shaken off the dust we have to adjust our mindset to a winning one.”

The first varsity 8 got off to a slow start in their race Saturday afternoon, trailing the entire field by a boat length. However, they surged back in the second half of the race, finishing just two seconds behind first. Overall, the first varsity 8 had two thirdplace finishes and a fourth-place finish on the weekend.

Junior Victoria Gevaudan raced in the first varsity eight throughout the weekend. She said that although she was happy with how the team performed, they have room to improve. “I think we can find some extra Paid Advertisement

speed off the line next weekend.

It was a great start to the season but I think there is untapped potential we have yet to unlock,” she said in a quote provided to the Observer. “As a junior, this is my first real racing season without any COVID restrictions. The energy was high all weekend and was palpable from both our team and our fans.”

Stone says that the composition of each boat will continue to change as the season progresses.

“It’s constantly evolving,” Stone said. “What do you bring to the table to make the boat go? Are you really fit and really strong and long? And are you a really savvy, technical rower and have great boat feel? I think it’s that combination of those and then growth over time, how are you going to expand on your strengths and grow into the role.”

Next up for the Irish is a trip east to Cherry Hill, New Jersey to compete in the Doc Hosea Invitational next weekend. 17 teams will be in attendance, which Stone says will create a competitive atmosphere. “We’re looking for tight racing and getting as much racing experience as we can,” he said.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Fencing

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

Senior Nick Itkin and Sophomore Amanda Pirkowski seek NCAA titles as Irish attempt to defend championship

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Sports Writer

The Notre Dame women’s fencing team found themselves in an unusual situation at the ACC Championships in at Cameron Indoor Stadium about a month ago. During a title-deciding match against Duke, they were down 4-8 and staring down the barrel of a first ACC title loss since 2018.

But they rallied, winning 14 of the final 15 bouts to clinch the title. Since that weekend, Notre Dame have been building momentum to the culmination of their season, this weekend’s NCAA Championships at home.

Pirkowski lauds preparation, resiliency as keys for Irish “Fortunately, our best fencers are competing internationally, some of them Olympians or trying to make the national team for the world championship,” sabre coach Christian Rascioni said. “They are pretty used to managing stress [in those situations]. Of course, nothing is like NCAAs or ACCs, and they had a very good reaction. We had a very good

reaction when we were down and it’s a good very good sign for us for NCAAs.” Sophomore epeeist Amanda Pirkowski agreed with Rascioni. “I think we’ve all been in certain places where we’ve been down and it’s a battle to come back but we’re strong as a team and we are able to pull through. It was a little nerve-wracking, but I think that experience is only going to make us stronger coming into NCAAs. Saying no matter where we are, we can always come back, push through and take the titles.”

This confidence permeates throughout Notre Dame’s fencing program, the university’s most successful in the last few years. But with three national titles in the past four NCAA tournaments, the question is obvious: Can they keep it up and defend their titles at home?

Said sabre coach Christian Rascioni: “The expectation is very, very high. But at the same time, we’ve done everything we can. Great practices, great training. The team just works hard every day.”

Pirkowski also spoke about the preparation the team has undergone the past few weeks

to keep improving and be at the highest level they can be for NCAAs. They stayed on campus during spring break, practicing six hours a day. Through high-intensity conditioning, bouting drills and a full NCAA tournament simulation with all the fencers, the team has been preparing both mentally and physically for the highpressure environment they will face this weekend.

Itkin leads the men’s program, looks for third title “Our guys have been traveling internationally and nationally. Not all of us but a good amount,” said senior foilist Nick Itkin. Itkin is a two-time individual NCAA Champion and an Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo. “And that kind of confidence is there. Other people can feel it as well. And our teammates are getting stronger for fencing all these highlevel fencers, and we’ve just grown so much, and I think our team is really, really strong this year.”

Itkin has been on the team since 2018. Then, he won the individual foil title as a freshman see FENCING PAGE 14

Irish look to manage expectations, pressure of home NCAA tournament

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

A women’s team with a 42-3 record this season. An undefeated men’s squad that sits at 38-0 in the 2021-22 season. Three national titles in four years.

The pedigree is there. And the expectations loom for the Notre Dame fencing squad as they enter the 2022 NCAA Championships this Thursday.

“The pressure is pretty high,” Irish sabre coach Christian Rascioni said. “The regular season was very good. The ACCs were really strong. On our homefield, and the expectation is really high.”

The Irish are hosting the fourday tournament on campus, starting at 9 am on Thursday. The women fence throughout the first two days and the men’s events encompass the final two days.

The Irish fencing team has long been among the school’s premier programs. They boast 11 national titles and are looking to repeat as champions for the fourth time in program history. With a historic program competing on their home strips comes expectations for the 12 Irish fencers who qualified for the coming weekend.

“They are proud to be part

of this team and this program” Rascioni noted. “Of course, at the same time that we are proud, the goal is to make it better and better.”

The Irish set a tough bar to eclipse last year, winning four of six individual titles and earning runners-up finishes in the other two events. However, the victories came against a depleted field. Namely, no Ivy League school attended the national championships, meaning some of the nation’s top teams weren’t there to challenge the Irish. This year, the field is fully loaded, and several teams are eyeing up the chance to take down the defending champs.

Ivy League back, ready to make noise “The teams with [the maximum] twelve qualifiers are the most dangerous. Columbia has a very competitive program and has won national championships,” Rascioni commented.

“Princeton is very strong, especially on the women’s side.

Harvard only has eleven fencers, but they are very good as well.”

Rascioni certainly pinpointed see RASCIONI PAGE 14