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Volume 56, Issue 68 | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
Groups navigate University restrictions Under the Dome: Student leaders cite difficulties with administrative guidelines By ALYSA GUFFEY and BELLA LAUFENBERG Editor-In-Chief, Associate News Editor
Editor’s note: This is the second story in a series examining how student groups run as part of the larger Notre Dame community. The first goal of the University, outlined in the student guide du Lac, is to “Ensure that our Catholic character informs all our endeavors.” To understand how the University upholds these Catholic values, The Observer spoke to several student leaders about how they align their groups with the mission of Notre Dame — and what happens when that is not possible.
Catholic character: Aligning with the mission of Notre Dame For student groups with beliefs at odds with those of the University’s Catholic identity, jumping through restrictions from administrators in order to exist on campus is a delicate balance. Matheo Vidal, senior and copresident of College Democrats (CDems), explained that the club steers away from issues that are in conflict with “Catholic values.” “We, as a club, just generally avoid posting or commenting on events that involve reproductive rights,” he said. “This manifests as we obviously don’t comment on those issues, we don’t bring speakers to talk on those issues, and we
don’t host alumni that work in advocacy of those issues.” Vidal said when he first became co-president, the restrictions surprised him, but he understood the gravity of the situation. “It was kind of a rude awakening to come into limitations, the biggest frustration being because we can’t comment. You could maybe assume our position or take our silence to mean something or other, but the end of the conversation every time is that it’s better for students for us to exist than not to exist,” he said. Some student groups cannot push for policy change on campus due to classification restrictions. Sophomore Dane Sherman, cohistorian of PrismND, explained
‘The Shirt’ 2022 unveiled
how the group is limited in its abilities and is fundamentally a programming group. Sherman said in one instance Prism wanted to cosponsor an event with the LGBTQ Law Forum within Notre Dame Law School but was not able to due to its mission as a programming organization. Sherman explained that part of Notre Dame’s Catholic mission should include establishing an environment for discourse on difficult topics. “If we’re only allowing a lot of these students to hear half the viewpoint on abortion or gay rights or literally any issue that’s controversial in the modern church today, we are setting all of our students up for not being able to enter
News Writer
KATHRYN MUCHNICK | The Observer
By KATHRYN MUCHNICK News Writer
The Shirt committee unveiled the design for the 2022 Shirt at the Hammes Bookstore Friday. The navy shirt is the first design to feature a woman, celebrating the 50th anniversary of women attending Notre Dame. The Shirt Project began in 1990 to raise money to fund Notre Dame student activities. The original shirt fundraiser raised money to support the 1990 AnTostal, the Student Union Board’s annual spring festival, and was intended to unify the student body for the season’s first home football game against Michigan.
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The project’s second shirt in the fall of 1990, known as “The Shirt for A Cause,” raised money to support a doctoral student, Zhengde Wang, who was seriously injured in a car accident. Around 32,000 shirts were sold that year, generating over $100,000 for Wang. Since 1990, the Shirt Project has continued to expand. The Shirt fundraiser supports two separate projects —the Shirt Charity Fund and the Student Experience Fund. “Today, half the revenue is allocated to the Shirt Charity Fund, and that fund is really focused on students with unmet medical expenses,” explained Grace Fjermedal, president of the Shirt committee this year.
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The other half of the profits go toward the Student Experience Fund which benefits students, clubs and organizations and makes sure that all students are able to fully enjoy the Notre Dame experience, Fjermedal said. “It really was a project started by the students, for the students,” she added. Fjermedal, a senior studying English and pre-health, led the Shirt committee this year after serving on the social media team, the unveiling team and as vice president in past years. She described the lengthy design and planning process for the Shirt and the unveiling ceremony. see THE SHIRT PAGE 3
viewpoint PAGE 6
Women’s History Month: Restrictions limit Stanford Hall event see STUDENT PAGE 3
ND Senior Week begins May 8 By GABBY BEECHERT
Marcus Freeman, Dick Corbett Head Football Coach, addressed a crowd of Notre Dame fans at the annual “The Shirt” design unveiling which took place at Hammes Bookstore on Friday afternoon.
the world in a really great way because they just haven’t had those conversations,” Sherman said. The result, Sherman said, is that many times, policy changes cannot pass due to the mission of Notre Dame — something that can be an obstacle to pushing for change. “I think institutions have power, and I think that power can be used to make policy changes. But the problem is that those institutions’ power, it can only go so far,” Sherman said.
Senior Week for the class of 2022 begins Sunday, May 8, and a record number of students have signed up for this year’s events, senior class council president Timmy Gallagher said. Because the class of 2022 missed out on many traditions throughout the past few years due to the pandemic, Gallagher said the senior class council (SCC) and the senior week committee wanted to update events and improve the student experience. “We kind of doubled down on the really big traditional ones and then kind of went a newer route with the other ones that weren’t as popular,” Gallagher said. The week will kick off with a class Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, followed by food, music and games on Library Lawn. This is the first year a Senior Week event has been planned for a Sunday, Gallagher said. Seniors will then have the opportunity to spend Monday in Chicago for the “Roars and Scores” event. The afternoon will be spent at Lincoln Park where students can access the Lincoln Park Zoo and then spend the night at the Chicago
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Sports Museum. About 700 students will spend the day in Chicago said Adam Bisignani, a member of the senior week committee. Seniors usually spend the Tuesday of Senior Week at a Chicago Cubs game. Last year, however, the class of 2021 was unable to travel to Chicago because of COVID-19 restrictions, so they went to a South Bend Cubs game instead. Gallagher said this event was a great success, so the committee and the SCC decided to stay in South Bend for the baseball game again this year. Not only is a South Bend Cubs game closer and cheaper than a Chicago Cubs game, but it is more accessible to students, Gallagher said. The game will also be more Notre Dame-centric. “They kind of customize the stadium with Notre Dame logos, they play the fight song. I think they’re going to do the alma mater at the end,” Gallagher said. “They’re going to bring down like Notre Dame students for the in-between games, so we really do VIP stuff.” The Commencement Ball will take place Wednesday at the Century Center in downtown South Bend. The ball is the most highly anticipated and talked about event see SENIOR PAGE 3
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TODAY
The observer | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
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GRACIE LEE | The Observer
The Blue and Gold football game took place on Saturday, and Irish fans saw many familiar faces in the crowd including current NFL players Ian Book and Chase Claypool. While the Gold team won, both teams came together after to sing the alma mater.
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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
“From Prisoner to Valedictorian” Ave Brew Cafe 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. A talk with Miles Folsom.
Last Day of Classes Notre Dame and Holy Cross Monday/Wednesday classes to meet for last day of classes.
Heritage series with Marcus Freeman Debartolo Performing Arts Center 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Get tickets online.
Solidarity for Ukraine Mass with Father Tyson St. Joseph Chapel 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. All are welcome.
Final Exams Begin Notre Dame and Holy Cross Reading days to occur Wednesday and Thursday.
Admitted Student Days Dahnke Ballroom 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Welcome the class of 2026 to campus.
“Climate Wars” 1050 Jenkins & Nanovic Halls 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. A lecture by Neta C. Crawford.
“Data Poetics” Panel South Bend History Museum 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Register online to attend.
Karaoke with Katie Conboy Rice Commons 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Open to the tricampus.
Confessions in Duncan W208 Duncan Student Center 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. All are welcome.
News
Student Continued from page 1
Residence hall programming must also go through all avenues of the Student Activities Office (SAO), just like clubs and student organizations, and can be denied approval for events that do not align with the stated mission of the University. Senior Allan Njomo served as Stanford Hall president for the 2020-2021 term. He said that as hall president, he “created opportunities for community” in the dorm. During his term, Njomo said most of the events were internal as pandemic restrictions made it difficult to organize outside events. Internal events did not require working with SAO, he said. As a leader of a residence hall, Njomo said he felt that while he had to go through the same processes as other groups, he understands that his job may have been easier than others. “If I’m comparing against clubs or against special interest organizations, I think we are afforded a little bit more flexibility and privilege and how we coordinate our events, because for a lot of our events that we have as a dorm, [they] do not have to be approved by SAO,” he said. Njomo only recalled one instance where Stanford scrapped an event. It was toward the end of his term during the month of March 2021. The dorm wanted to hold an art showcase on themes of womanism, feminism, woman’s empowerment and womanhood in honor of Women’s History Month. “The premise of it was that we wanted to create an environment where we could really engage, especially like with Stanford Hall, like as men engage with arts on one hand, but also have thoughtful conversations about womanhood, feminism and women’s empowerment,” he said. Njomo said Stanford co-sponsored the showcase with the Gender Relations Center (GRC), student government’s department of gender relations and Shades of Ebony. Part of the sponsorship with the GRC came with monetary support for the specific event. A week before the showcase date, Njomo said he was informed that the GRC did not approve of a portion of the art that was to be displayed because it did not align with the department’s mission and its definition of women’s empowerment. Njomo said it was based on the fact some of the illustrations had nudity. Rather than turn down some artists’ work, Njomo said the hall decided to just cancel the event. “The GRC has a stated mission and they have to abide by that, and we understood that because they are inhibited by their mission. They cannot continue sponsoring the event as it stood,” he said. “We never argued, we never went back and forth with them. We truly understood.”
Irish 4 Reproductive Health operates on the fringe Irish 4 Reproductive Health (I4RH) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | The ObserveR
organization that, contrary to what the name may suggest, is not affiliated with the University. The group, which was founded in January 2018, aims to “advocate for reproductive justice at Notre Dame and in our surrounding community,” according to its Instagram. This includes providing sexual education, free condoms and other contraceptives and a place for open conversation regarding sexual health topics, sophomore board member Lily Storrs said. “The purpose of our club is definitely to resist the stigma that can oftentimes be associated with any sexual health topics, particularly for LGBTQ + groups on campus, as well as creating a safe space where everyone is included, and everyone is part of the conversation without any feeling of judgment or any sort of Catholic guilt,” she explained. Storrs, a political science and global affairs major, explained that I4RH must exist on the fringe of campus to avoid being shut down by the University or prosecuted by fellow students. “I heard that from [upperclassmen] experience [operating on campus] got completely frustrating because every time they tried to organize anything, it would get shut down immediately, or people particularly from organizations that very much oppose being pro-choice or access to contraceptives, they would try to find ways to undermine any meetings,” she said. Operating on the fringe, for I4RH, means they don’t have access to any University meeting space or funding. Luckily for I4RH, Storrs explained that the group receives funding from outside organizations, such as Whole Woman’s Health, whose mission statement align with their own. Although Storrs could not give an official statement on the group’s struggles with the University, she noted that the group has faced pushback from the administration in the past. Pushback may have come in the form of litigation, as I4RH — through the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Center for Reproductive Rights — filed a lawsuit against the University and the Trump-Pence administration in 2018. The lawsuit, which was the subject of much controversy on campus, was over the University’s “backroom” deal with the TrumpPence administration and the decision to make University insurance plan holders pay for access to birth control. I4RH issued an official statement on the lawsuit. “Everyone should be free to make their own decisions regarding basic healthcare with the guidance of their healthcare providers … the right to birth control coverage without out-of-pocket costs is guaranteed under the contraceptive mandate of the Affordable Care Act, but the University’s decision (and deal with the TrumpPence Administration) to stop covering all contraceptives creates illegal barriers to access for basic
healthcare,” the statement reads. Litigation surrounding the lawsuit is still ongoing, and I4RH was unable to provide any further comments. Storrs said she believes I4RH is a “breath of fresh air” on campus. “The most successful part [of I4RH] has been to create a safe space for any individuals to come to in terms of their sexual health, their gender identity, their sexual identity, their sexual orientation — just creating something that’s very welcoming and open to any students on campus,” she said. “Students will reach out to us and say that they’re so grateful for the work that we’ve done and that it gives them faith in the University that we exist.” Contact Alysa Guffey and Bella Laufenberg at aguffey@nd.edu and ilaufenb@nd.edu
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among students, Bisignani said. Because many seniors were unable to attend the 86 days dance due to capacity limits of the Dahnke Ballroom, Gallagher said he wanted to make the Commencement Ball a memorable experience. “We really want to make it really special, really good, really hype it up, get people excited, and I think it worked,” Gallagher said. “Talking to SAO workers and advisors ... I think we’re expecting like 2,000 people to be there.” Thursday includes a class picnic and then a Grotto trip. For many
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The design committee, which was led by senior Anna Frericks this year, begins with a central theme they want to focus on. In honor of the 50th anniversary of women at Notre Dame, the Shirt committee intended to incorporate a woman somewhere on the shirt. Fjermedal said she hopes the inclusion of a woman in the design reminds the Notre Dame community of both the 50-year milestone and to continue to feature women on campus. “I can’t wait to see the steps that we are going to continue to take as a campus community to uplift women and make this truly an equitable and empowering space for all students,” she said. After deciding on a theme, the committee chooses a color, a seniors, Gallagher said, the class trip to the Grotto is a very full-circle moment, as many students reflect on their first class trip to the Grotto during Welcome Weekend their first year. “You go to the Grotto one last time with your class, with your friends and everyone,” Gallagher said. “Fr. Pete will be there to say some words, say a prayer, stuff like that. And it’s kind of like a final send off.” This Grotto trip marks the end of Senior Week as the University commencement weekend begins Friday, Gallagher said. Because planning the week is an elaborate process, the committee began planning at the beginning of the school year. Each member of the committee planned one day, and Paid Advertisement
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fabric and any specific images they want on the Shirt. For example, they chose to include a 50 on the back of the football player’s jersey this year as a nod to the 50th-anniversary celebration. “There are lots of things to take into consideration that most of the student body doesn’t think about when they see the Shirt,” Fjermedal said. “We go through almost 200 iterations of our design.” Ryan Bland, a first year serving on the unveiling committee for the Shirt, said planning began in the fall, but it was mostly focused on generating ideas for the design and unveiling. “The spring is about getting the project from a place of hypotheticals and what we want to see to actually making it happen,” he explained. The unveiling ceremony was originally scheduled to take see THE SHIRT PAGE 4
the SCC took on an advisory role, Gallagher said. For bigger events like the Commencement Ball, multiple members of the committee were assigned to plan the event. Bisignani, who helped plan the events on Monday and Tuesday, said he is not only looking forward to the events, but also to the student response. “It’s been very gratifying just to see that people are excited, that people are talking about it and looking forward to the events that we’ve planned just because it is a whole year’s work that’s gone into it,” Bisignani said. “It will be exciting to see people enjoying the events and being a part of it.” Contact Gabby Beechert at gbeecher@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
ND hosts commencement for class of 2020 By Reyna Lim News Writer
Over the weekend of May 27-30, Notre Dame will host a special commencement ceremony for graduates of the class of 2020 two years after their unexpected departure from campus in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The weekend will feature a variety of events celebrating the accomplishments of the class and their resilience during the pandemic. The ceremony was originally planned to take place over Memorial Day weekend last year, but ongoing concerns regarding the pandemic required another year’s delay. Ann Firth, the University’s vice president and chief of staff to the president, expressed the University’s hope to create an experience that will allow the class to enjoy the traditional Senior Week and commencement weekend events they were
unable to partake in. “Last spring, it wasn’t possible to gather the graduates and their families from across the country and around the world,” she said. “We are truly excited to welcome the 2020 graduates and their loved ones this year for what we hope will be a joyful and festive weekend.” Micki Kidder, vice president of University enterprises and events, echoed this enthusiasm and noted the positive reactions from the class. “Especially given these postponements, which we know were difficult for everyone, we are delighted that so many graduates are able to come back to campus this spring,” she said. “At this point, with several weeks to go, we have close to 2,000 graduates signed up to attend.” The weekend’s agenda will include special celebrations and hooding ceremonies for graduates who are earning graduate degrees, in addition to the
traditional commencement mass and University commencement ceremony. Kidder noted that the administration has been working closely with an advisory group consisting of graduates of the class of 2020. Advisory group member and 2019-2020 student body president Elizabeth Boyle emphasized the “critical importance” of holding a commencement while ensuring that it would not pose a public health risk to guests and the South Bend community. “Notre Dame commencement is really a unique experience of celebration and joy,” she said. “We are so grateful that the class of 2020 will have the chance to experience this special component of the Notre Dame education like all other classes.” Eric Kim, another graduate participating in the advisory group, said the group’s goal was to honor as
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many events and traditions as possible throughout the weekend. “Although we received our diplomas in the mail two years ago, we are all excited to walk across the stage and officially celebrate the end of our college experience,” he said. A recreation of Senior Week will also give the class an opportunity to enjoy the events that traditionally take place at the end of senior year honoring students’ time at the University. “We tried to create that same feel of Senior Week but more in the form of a ‘Senior Weekend’ for our class,” Boyle said. “[We are] recognizing that we are no longer seniors at college and it’s very difficult to take a week off from work, study or other things to return to campus.” Similar to previous Senior Weeks, students will partake in their last trip to the Grotto, a class visit to the Dome steps, “Domerfest 2.0” and the Commencement Ball.
Kim added there will also be new events including the play “Sorin: A Notre Dame Story” and screenings of the film “Hesburgh.” Another one of the advisory group’s efforts has been ensuring that graduates will be able to stay in their residence halls again while on campus, as many left their halls behind in March 2020 for spring break and were unable to return. “We are trying to strike the balance of a week that is reminiscent of the original Senior Week, but also cognizant of the fact that we are now all two years older and at different points in our lives,” Boyle said. “So in that sense, we hope this extended Senior Weekend will feel both like a commencement and a reunion.” The commencement ceremony will feature Notre Dame alumnus and entrepreneur John Crowley as its principal speaker. Additionally, the class valedictorian Brady Stiller will offer a valedictory address, and Boyle will offer the student body president’s welcome. Provost Emeritus Tom Burish, who was provost when the class of 2020 completed their degrees, will serve as the master of ceremonies, while University President Fr. John Jenkins and the University’s deans will recognize and honor the many accomplishments of the class. Boyle described the upcoming commencement as “both a closure and a homecoming.” “This closure is incredibly important for our class because life seemed to be flipped upside down by the pandemic, and we couldn’t experience many milestones like commencement,” she said. “It is an opportunity not just to celebrate graduation, but to have the chance to say goodbye to friends and faculty and to officially close the door on this chapter of our Notre Dame story.” Contact Reyna Lim at slim6@nd.edu
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place on Library Lawn, but it was moved inside of the bookstore due to inclement weather. Fr. Pete McCormick emceed the event, and various student groups, including the Irish Dance Club and the Notre Dame Bagpipes, performed at the event. Head football coach Marcus Freeman helped reveal the shirt with Fjermedal. Patrick Smart, a first year serving on the videography team, reflected on the scale of the unveiling event. “I think the unveiling was a fun little reminder, especially now when we get to the end of the year, about what it means to go to school like Notre Dame,” he said. Smart also discussed the personal significance of the Shirt, reflecting on when his brother gave him the Shirt immediately after he was accepted into Notre Dame. “This shirt represents you’re joining us,” he said. “You’re joining the community, you’re joining the family.” Contact Kathryn Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu
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The observer | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
By JUSTIN GEORGE Video Unit Leader
In his latest film “The Northman,” Robert Eggers takes us back to the Viking Age as we follow a young Viking prince on his quest to reclaim his kingdom, kill his murderous uncle, avenge his father’s death and save his mother. If this sounds at all familiar, that’s because it’s basically “Hamlet” (well, actually it’s closer to “The Lion King”) but with Vikings. The plot of the film is based on an Icelandic Saga that inspired Shakespeare to write “Hamlet,” so we’re actually watching one of the earliest versions of the classic royal revenge tale. That’s basically all you need to know about the plot. “The Northman” is a technical masterpiece, much like Egger’s other films. He is one of my favorite directors working today and, in my eyes, can do no wrong. The display of sheer technical mastery in this film is absolutely awe-inspiring. There are no quick cuts or flashy edits. Rather, “The Northman” is a film made all the more remarkable by its lack of obvious edits. The shots in this film are remarkably long, each movement is masterfully choreographed and every single thing in the frame is deliberately placed there. One of the film’s most striking sequences is a raid on a village, helmed by our hero Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard). The entire raid is shown in one impressive long take, with the camera passing through walls and keeping pace with Amleth as he brutally hacks his way through those
By EVAN McKENNA Senior Writer
Editor’s Note: Please read the complete version of this article on our website. Somewhere down the line, we decided that certain ages are inherently more important than others. You always hear about 16. Legal systems around the world love 18 for some reason. And on one fateful day in 1976, ABBA changed the legacy of 17 forever. But where’s the love for 22? It’s a big year. It’s when most will graduate from college, when many will begin living on their own for their first time and arguably the real beginning of your “twenties.” In other words: 22 is when sh*t gets real. The Observer has shown some love to other eventful years over the years — 17 and 21, to be exact — so I figured it’s time to add to our everexpanding canon of age-inspired soundtracks. In celebration of the class of 2022, here are 22 songs that encapsulate early adulthood’s most underrated year. 1. “22 (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift Duh. Is there anything I can say about this song that hasn’t been said already? I’ll just say this: Thank you, Taylor, for giving 22 the anthem it deserves. Here’s to everyone currently feeling “happy, free, confused and lonely at
who dare to challenge him. It’s breathtaking, visceral and one of the most entertaining action sequences that I have ever seen. Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke put their all into every single shot in this film, it is a film that must be seen on the big screen to truly appreciate how stunning it is. There is little to fault here, but as a critic, I must critique. One thing that Eggers’ other films had that “The Northman” lacks is subtext. “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse” are both rich in symbolism and subtext throughout their runtimes, leaving the audience with a wide variety of possible interpretations of each film. “The Northman” is about as cut and dry as it gets, at least by Eggers’ standards. It’s all relatively unambiguous in the end. That’s not what I want from an Eggers film. I want to be immersed in a bewildering story that can be interpreted differently by each person who sees it. I want to be left trying to piece together the story. I left “The Northman” giddy with excitement for the unique way the story was told and Eggers’ technical mastery, yet my friend and I never even had to discuss what the film was actually about. It’s a strange criticism, I know, but it is my one sticking point. If it were made by any other filmmaker, I would hail it as their masterwork, but Eggers has shown that he can do more. Back to the positives. The acting in this film is incredible. Eggers is known for getting amazing performances from amazing actors and “The Northman” is no exception. The world and characters are so vividly
rendered by Eggers’ script, direction and production design that the audience feels like they are in Iceland watching a Viking version of “Game of Thrones” play out before their eyes. It’s incredible to watch a cast of well-known actors such as Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke and many others become completely unrecognizable through their performances. “The Northman” is a film that made me fall in love with the craft of making films all over again. I left the theater abuzz, I wanted to pick up my camera and create something the minute I got home. You owe it to yourself to go see “The Northman,” it’s the best action film of the year and unlike so many action films, it has passion and a soul that you can feel. The story, much like the world it is set in is bleak and brutal, but “The Northman” does not disappoint.
the same time.” 2. “Hello Cold World” by Paramore Former emo kids, rise up! As a band coming to fame and coming of age at the same time, Paramore’s discography includes plenty of diatribes against the horrors of growing older. With classic pop punk guitars and angsty breakneck lyrics, “Hello Cold World” attempts to narrate the cruelty and confusion of newfound adulthood. “Twenty-two was like, the worst idea that I have ever had / It’s too much pain, it’s too much freedom / What should I do with this?” My middle school self really thought he related to this song. Little did he know. 3. “The Man with the Axe” by Lorde To all the former gifted kids who feel washed up and burned out in their senior year of college: This one’s for you. “I thought I was a genius / But now I’m twenty two.” Ouch. Just because it’s true doesn’t mean you have to say it, Lorde. 4. “Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift For better or for worse, the sad pop girlies have really been fixating on the number 22 recently. “How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?” 5. “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” by Bon Iver As the class of 2022 knows (but maybe pretends not
to), 22 is often a year of many endings. In this introspective, ambient track, Bon Iver reflects on the past before tiptoeing into acceptance. “It might be over soon, soon, soon.” 6. “Flight 22” by Kali Uchis That’s enough sad songs — all aboard Flight 22. Sure, 22 is often a year of gaping unknowns and heart-wrenching goodbyes. But as we venture into the world and experience all it has to offer, the year can also be one of adventure and discovery. “Nowhere in this world can compare, boy that’s the truth / To wherever we’re going on Flight 22.” 7. “Class of 2013” by Mitski This one goes out to all my other seniors who still have no idea what they’re doing after graduation. “Mom, I’m tired / Can I sleep in your house tonight? / Mom, is it alright / If I stay for a year or two?” Too soon? “Mom, am I still young? Can I dream for a few months more?” 8. “20 Something” by SZA With emotionally conflicted lyrics laid over beautiful, simple strings, SZA admits that one’s twenties can’t really be clearly defined — it’s a million different things rolled into 10 long years. “Stuck in them 20 somethings / Good luck on them 20 somethings / But God bless these 20 somethings.”
Contact Justin George at jgeorge3@nd.edu
“The Northman” Title: “The Northman” Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman Director: Robert Eggers If You Like: “The Revenant,” “The Lighthouse,” “Gladiator” Where to watch: in theaters
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Contact Evan McKenna at emckenn2@nd.edu
CHRISTINA SAYUT | The Observer | Image sources: Variety, The New Yorker, Universal Pictures, Pitchfork, wikipedia, hypebeast.com
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The observer | Monday, April 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Enduring with beautiful patience Isa Sheikh Associate News Editor
It’s 5:36 a.m. on this Sunday morning and though it’s still dark out, the birds are singing, one after the other. After another long night of playing Secret Hitler into the early morning after saying I would go to bed early, having had my pre-dawn meal for my fast tomorrow and prayed my morning prayers, the thought of this column has taken over my mind, one idea after the next emerging and then being discarded in my head. I could try and emulate the fun I’ve had reading columns in these pages that don’t take themselves too seriously and tell a couple of jokes. Or I could make an argument about something or another, like how awful it is to cheat at a late-night board game. But I’m not gonna talk about that in my inside column (la la la). As I lie here listening to the birds’ symphony — finally in my bed after far too long, awkwardly pecking at my keyboard while trying not to hit the ceiling with my head — one thing keeps coming to mind. When my mom died (plot twist!) the summer after my sophomore year of high school, a well-meaning relative off-handedly said at some point that this would be good for my college applications. Perhaps it was true, but then and there it felt like a slap across the face. Someone had suggested I might win the crappiest consolation medal at the state fair after having my life shattered. Regardless, had they mentioned this inside column, they’d have been absolutely right! It is something of note to write about, whether or not it’s a good idea. I don’t tell most of the people I know that my mother is dead. Do you want to know how to suck the air out of a room, make everyone uncomfortable, and start to feel the water well up in your eyes? Confirm verbally that the most haunting idea hanging around in your psyche is truth.
My mother was without hesitation my favorite person on the planet, and there was no one I was closer to. There’s a note she wrote to me somewhere that mentions how inseparable we were from our introduction in that hospital room. She passed in a car accident while I was attending a summer community college class, so there was no goodbye, no warning. When she sat down to write her book “The Year of Magical Thinking,” Joan Didion’s first words typed into Microsoft Word were “Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. The question of self-pity.” Didion, whose husband died after slumping over motionless at their dinner table, reflects in her prose the abruptness of death. I was devastated, and to use the past tense is generous. Didion writes about so-called “magical thinking,” a condition that’s characterized by denial of reality. She couldn’t donate her husband’s shoes, because what if he came back? Early this semester, I sat waiting at Hesburgh Circle for a bus that just would not arrive as I saw a golden Toyota Highlander pull into the lot. My heart dropped, a delusional burst of magical thinking telling me it was the same Highlander my mom had picked me up in a thousand times. I could throw my backpack across the backseat and tell her how my week had been. Grief has been a large part of my life for the past almost three years (ouch). It did not stop my sobs when I was told that my mother’s death was part of God’s plan, or that I was lucky to have the sixteen years with her that I did. When those things were said to me, they did not help and though I knew in my mind they were true, it felt in my heart as though impenetrable mourning had swallowed me whole, even as I kept a brave face for those who needed me. During this holy month of Ramadan, I’ve tried to pay
more attention to my faith, including the words of the Qur’an. Earlier in the month, on an early morning like this, I read Surah Yusuf, the twelfth chapter. It tells the story of Prophet Yusuf, or Joseph from Genesis. In the eighteenth verse, when Ya’qub (Jacob) is presented with his son’s shirt falsely stained with blood, part of his response is “fasabrun jamil.” The Arabic words are often translated as “patience is most fitting.” The word “jamil,” however, literally means beautiful. For Jacob, in the face of his devastation, patience was not only a way of keeping his senses, there was beauty in his grief. Last November, Andrew Garfield discussed the loss of his mother with Stephen Colbert, and he told Colbert that grief had been key to his recent art. “I hope this grief stays with me, because it’s all the unexpressed love I didn’t get to tell her,” Garfield said. Not only is grief surviving love for the people we mourn, but an opportunity to receive the love of God. As much as it was hard to hear on those hot summer nights three years ago, as the Qur’an says, our souls are not burdened with more than they can bear. It is the devastation of loss that challenges our perceptions of an ever-lasting life on this planet; shocking us with the palpable knowledge that there is something more than our daily worldly pursuits. When you bury your mother in the ground, your bank balance or GPA are not your true concerns. Grief reminds us to share that love when we still can, as a friend reminded me this week. There is deep beauty in loss that words simply can not express. What I’m trying to say is: I wrote the darn column. The sky is now going from purple to blue. The birds are chirping still. Sleep beckons. Call your mother if you can. Memento mori. You can contact Isa at isheikh@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
A common future Trevor Lwere On the Other Hand
As today’s youth, we are coming of age when the world faces serious existential challenges which require new thinking and a new basis for transnational cooperation. Otherwise, we may have no earth or human life to talk about in several decades to come. Neither new thinking nor a new basis of collaboration is possible if we remain beholden to, and entrenched in, parochial ways of thinking about the world. If we are to avoid the mistakes of the past and secure a different future for ourselves and those to come after us, we must make a deliberate effort to understand how others see the world and to explore room for collaboration for mutual benefit. Benefit should be for legitimate interests. Attempting to impose a way of life on other people in the name of ‘national interests’ is not a legitimate interest. When I started out as a columnist for The Observer about two years ago, I chose my tag line as ‘On the other hand’ because I wanted to introduce into the public discourse here at Notre Dame alternative interpretations of reality or different views of the world. Naturally, public discourse on this campus — in classrooms that I was part of or columns that I read — was circumscribed by the experiences, knowledge, interests, and identity — the vantage point — of the predominant voices in our community. Obviously, this vantage point was selfreinforcing and had many blind spots that I felt made it inadequate for the role that public discourse on a college campus can play in deepening our understanding of each other and of the world both of which are critical to the new thinking and collaboration needed to combat the challenges we are faced with. Through my columns, therefore, I hoped to expand and shift, even slightly, the contours of public
discourse at Notre Dame in the hope that if a critical mass emerged with a radical commitment to change, Notre Dame could be the place where a transnational coalition of future leaders is born that could potentially remake the landscape of international politics and cooperation as we know it. This is because as a white, wealthy and Catholic institution, Notre Dame embodies the power alliance that runs the world which could be used either to enable the status quo or to transform it given an awakened political and social consciousness of the members of our community. So, I wrote about Africa and the African view of world affairs. I challenged popular interpretations of issues in public discourse in America and even dared to challenge the legitimacy the American empire and its perceived exceptionalism. Of course, the natural response was to push back, and to even insult in some cases. But democracy as a contestation of ideas demands that both correct and wrong ideas must be given room for expression. Otherwise, politics dies. We must struggle against wrong ideas but to suppress them is to suppress democracy. But the aim was not to bash the United States, its shortcomings notwithstanding, but to bring home for the white, wealthy and powerful American audience the perceptions of America and interpretations of American society and America’s role in the world as well non-American centric views of the universe. So, as I thought about what to write about for my final column, I decided to return to where it all began. What can we do together as young people today to move the needle ever closer to a more harmonious world? A harmony embraced by all and not dictated by a few. In a word, we must banish forms of chauvinism. We all have an equal claim to this earth as the land of our ancestors. No one can lay exclusive claim to the world because we all found it here. As such, no single country should feel more entitled to or even aspire to have greater claims to ownership of the earth than others. Such a mentality
born of a superiority complex is what has locked the world in perpetual conflict. There is absolutely no need for one to desire to live in a way that requires that they dominate others. If it is how the past was built and how the present has been maintained, it certainly will not be how the future is secured. It is embarrassing to brag about living in material prosperity while more than half the world wallows in abject poverty. It is like thanking God for sparing you from death as if those who suffered those misfortunes deserved them. It is a contradiction in terms to claim to stand for reason on the one hand and to pursue military might as the underwriter of one’s power. It reveals that one’s confidence is not so much in the reason that they profess so profusely but in the arms that they pile up so anxiously. And if arms remain the priority, we should expect that the resultant unjust ordering of the world will be always challenged by those who feel marginalized. So, I hope the columns I wrote provoked some of you to reconsider some hardcore positions premised on illegitimate interests. Arrogant disdain for these concerns means that the peoples of the world who feel cheated have no option but to continue agitating and challenging the system with all tools available to them. And they will succeed because their cause is just. The world has enough in it for us all to live comfortably in it. Let us strive to forge a common future together because it is possible and desirable. Thank you for indulging my mind and for being patient readers. Kwa Heri ndugu zangu. Trevor Lwere is a senior from Kampala, Uganda, studying Economics and Global Affairs with a minor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE). He is a deejay in his free time and can be reached at tlwere@nd.edu or @LwereTrevor 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 | Monday, April 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
An open letter on diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Notre Dame Dear Notre Dame Community, At a roundtable event that we held in February 2021, an anonymous attendee referred to the University of Notre Dame as a “bastion institution of white power and privilege.” While the university has taken steps to address this legacy through DEI initiatives, as it stands, the university does not live up to its promise of being a home for the entire campus community. Until the voices of our underrepresented community members — who face discrimination, microaggressions and systemic exclusion — are at the forefront of the university’s DEI efforts, the university’s promise will never be fulfilled. We write to you today as representatives of a Student Steering Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) to discuss the state of DEI initiatives at the University of Notre Dame. Last year, in response to increased calls from Notre Dame students, faculty, staff and alumni about racial justice and DEI issues at Notre Dame, the Board of Trustees released a Task Force Report on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This report engages with diversity statistics, features testimony from Notre Dame community members, and makes concrete recommendations for how the university can strengthen its diversity efforts and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging for students from underrepresented backgrounds. While this report does critical work to facilitate conversations about DEI at Notre Dame, many Notre Dame community members, ourselves included, were left feeling that our voices and experiences were not represented in the Board of Trustees’ report. Thus, the Accomplice Project and the undergraduate Student Government brought together representatives from student organizations across campus, forming a Student Steering Committee on DEI. Among the members at our
initial roundtable discussion on DEI were leaders from 1st-G ND, Access-ABLE, Africa Graduate Club, Black Graduate Student Association, Black@ND, Black Student Association, Diversity Council ND, Frontline, Student Government, The Accomplice Project, Graduate Students Against Racial Injustice at Notre Dame, LGBT Law Forum, Native American Students Association of Notre Dame, Prism ND, Wabruda and Shades of Ebony. Faculty members from the Departments of American Studies, Institute for Educational Initiatives, Sociology and International Peace Studies were also included in the conversation. As a committee, we recognized the siloing of DEI conversations at Notre Dame and the importance of highlighting the voices of those most impacted by the university’s DEI initiatives: our underrepresented community members. Thus, after condensing our gathered student and faculty testimony into feedback and recommendations, we drafted our own DEI report, entitled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Notre Dame: Student Feedback & Recommendations.” We created this report in an effort to center underrepresented voices in DEI conversations at Notre Dame and to push the university to cocreate initiatives that foster inclusion and belonging alongside underrepresented students, faculty, and staff. Our report offers feedback on the Board of Trustees’ Task Force Report and includes both general and student-facing recommendations. Some key points of feedback included in our report are: We ask for the university to publicly share quantifiable and time-bound goals for how they will enact DEI initiatives going forward; We request that the university expand their diversity conversations and initiatives to include all
historically marginalized identities—extending this conversation to encompass diverse groups not presently included in the Board of Trustees’ report; We ask for the university to create a position for a Vice President of Institutional Equity and Diversity; and We provide many specific recommendations for how the university can support undergraduate and graduate students with marginalized identities, including first generation/low income students, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities and racially and ethnically diverse students. We began this process because we know firsthand what it feels like to have our experiences as diverse students overlooked. The more we talked with other students, faculty and staff across campus, the more we realized how much work there is to be done and how critical it is that diverse communities are the ones leading conversations on DEI at Notre Dame. We want to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds have a real stake in the university’s DEI initiatives and that Notre Dame can truly live up to its promise of being a home for everyone. If you’re interested in supporting our efforts, we encourage you to add your name to our running list of signatures “Student Feedback and Recommendations Report Signatures,” and share this form with your networks! Yours in Notre Dame, Amaya Medeiros Student Government, 2021-2022 Director of Diversity & Inclusion Lenai Johnson The Accomplice Project April 24
Where your friends call home As another school year comes to an end here at the University of Notre Dame there are many things for us students to be grateful and excited for as we embark on our summer vacation. Whether you plan on graduating, starting an internship, studying abroad, working at home or going on vacation, there seems to be many ways that our classmates spend their time. College is unique in the aspect that students come from a variety of different backgrounds, but for some, summer vacation may be a more dreaded time… As most people know, mental health is a pertinent problem for our generation which can be caused by both internal and external factors. Signs of concern are often not clear to an individual’s peers often leading to social anxiety, isolation and fear for abandonment. These people search for trust and reassurance from those around them while often portraying an energetic and excited mood even though they may be feeling their worst. On top of that, what if this individual is going
through many problems at home? For example, they could be experiencing physical or verbal abuse from a parent or have to witness violence towards another family member. Other examples include an individual’s parents thinking about getting a divorce or a parent even threatening to kill themselves. Being here at school could be a safe space for many of those experiencing hardships like these, however, a peer would not have a clue what their friend could be going through. Honestly, from the outside my life seems great. However, it would be a major understatement to say that I have not had my fair share of hardships. Those explained above are all things I have personally experienced, and that is all information that my friends do not know. I have recently reached out for help and continue to try and progress mentally every day. What I have learned is that life is hardest when you are depressed and have nobody you can turn to. I credit the man I am today to the people that God has placed around me and the experiences
I have had with these people. Relationships have played a very important role in the formation of my beliefs and ideals. I believe that cultivating strong and healthy relationships not only makes one a happier individual, but also makes one a better individual. An individual is a product of his or her own environment. One must have strong relationships, that one can fully embrace, with family and friends, but one should care for all other people as well. Surround yourself with family and friends whom you love and make this most of this time. These are the people that are willing to support you and whom you know will care for you. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Act genuinely and respectfully towards all individuals with a smile on your face. You never know the true impact you can cause. Trust me.
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Chase Harding junior April 19
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The observer | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
Price Continued from page 12
took full advantage. Even before Tyree went down, Irish running backs coach Deland McCullough, head coach for the Gold squad on the day, planned on utilizing Price frequently. McCullough selected Price highly in the draft that was used to divide the teams. “It was shown in the draft what my thoughts were with him,” McCullough said after the game. “I thought [Price] was doing a great job during the spring. I wanted to see how he would respond being the primary guy.” Irish freshman running back Jadarian Price cuts upfield during the Blue and Gold Game. Price is a highly touted recruit from Denison, Texas. He seemingly made a strong impression on the Irish roster and coaching staff during spring practices, as his impressive play over the course of the fifteen practices was frequently alluded to after the game. “He’s gonna be able to help us. We saw it from the very first spring practice,” Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said of Price. “He’s a guy
that can make things happen.” Quarterback Steve Angeli, a fellow freshman and early enrollee who has often worked with Price since their arrival in South Bend echoed similar sentiments while expressing how the connection that the two players have formed helped their Gold team earn a comeback victory in the game. “[Price] has been turning a lot of heads,” Angeli said. “Whenever I needed to find a first down, I knew who I had to find. He’s a real workhorse and I can’t wait to see him keep going this year.” Price describes himself as a “one cut” back who only needs “limited steps” to get going. However, he struggled to find breathing room in the first quarter, as did the rest of the Irish running backs. The Notre Dame defense was outstanding for both sides throughout the game. A wall of defenders frequently met Price before he could even get out of the backfield. Price evidently grew into the game as McCullough, calling plays for the Gold team, started to involve him in the passing game. Early in the second quarter, Price caught a pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Pyne behind
the line of scrimmage and showed his elusiveness, picking up 19 yards. Over the remainder of the first half, he patiently waited for his blocks to develop and quickly changed speeds to burst through open holes. Price’s breakout came in the second half when he teamed up with Angeli. McCullough inserted the freshman quarterback in the game after the break. With the Gold team trailing 10-0 during the opening possession of the third quarter, Price caught a screen pass and, following his blockers, took it to the house for a 51-yard touchdown. Price was quick to praise the coaching staff for preparing him for the moment as well as the offensive line for their impressive effort to make blocks down the field. “We practiced that play a lot over the spring,” Price said. “Coach McCullough actually told me I was getting out a little slow. Seeing [offensive lineman] Zeke [Correll] and those guys right in front of me, I was like ‘man, open field.’” After the game, Price described the feeling of scoring his first touchdown at Notre Dame Stadium in a game environment. “Once I got into the end zone, I didn’t know what to do,” Price said.
Observer Athlete of the Week: Hruskoci, Zyska lead the way Sports Editor
In a week where Notre Dame played themselves on the gridiron, the Irish seemingly couldn’t lose in any sport. The Belles and Saints weren’t too far behind either, putting up some highly impressive performances. And, for the first time, all three schools are represented in the Observer’s Tri-Campus Athletes and Team of the Week.
Women’s Athlete of the Week: Sydney Hruskoci, Saint Mary’s Golf Sydney Hruskoci is the lone senior on the Belles’ roster. As Saint Mary’s locked up their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, Hruskoci led the way. Along with co-captain Erin Bennett, Hruskoci led the field with a first-round 80. Amidst pouring rain, she fired an 83 in the second round, but that paved the way for her third round. There, Hruskoci blistered through the course with a 74. Hruskoci finished three shots clear in that final round of her nearest competitor. That was good for the overall individual title over the threeround event. She won the tournament by four strokes. The individual conference title and contribution to her team’s title earned Hruskoci the Observer Tri-Campus Female Athlete of the Week.
begins, Price will be battling for playing time with Tyree as well as talented sophomores Logan Diggs and Audric Estime. Despite the competition, Price credits the veteran backs for their role in helping him get where he is today. “[The running back room] is super tight. It’s amazing,” Price said. “Diggs, Tyree, Audric, all of them. Every day, they give me tips, they’re always pushing me and holding me accountable for everything that I do. I love those guys.” Filling Kyren Williams’ shoes will not be easy, and after the Blue and Gold teams combined for just 140 rushing yards on 41 carries, it is clear that much work remains to get the ground attack up to speed for the season. With four high-level players ready to contribute both on the ground and through the air, though, the Irish running backs appear to have a big season in store, which will be necessary for a team expected to be among the nation’s best. Despite being a freshman, Jadarian Price showed on Saturday a veteran-like readiness to contribute to that group. Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
By AIDAN THOMAS
“I was like, ‘this really just happened.’ Seeing [my teammates] hype me up was amazing.” Price would continue to be a major factor in the aerial attack during the fourth quarter. Trailing 10-7, the Gold team regained possession in the final minutes of the game. With the opposing defense continuing to stymie the team on the ground, Angeli found Price for three completions that totaled 30 yards and set the team up for Angeli’s gamewinning touchdown run as time expired. Price said of the clutch final drive and the spring preparation that led to it, “It was amazing. After practice, me and Steve would get a couple extra reps in and it showed on the field today.” Price finished with a game-high 104 receiving yards on eight receptions, and he views his performance as both a culmination of the work he and his teammates have put in at practice and a sign of good things to come in the future. “I’m glad that I had support behind me and pushing me along the way,” Price said. “I may be a young guy on this team, but I’m willing to do anything that needs to be done.” Of course, when the season
Honorable Mention: Bridget Kane, Saint Mary’s Lacrosse Kane is becoming a regular in these awards. The winner two weeks ago, Kane claimed honorable mention this week. As the Belles went 2-1 in three conference games, Kane delivered three solid performances. Ultimately, she scored ten times and assisted nine goals for 19 points over the week and claimed Honorable Mention.
Men’s Athlete of the Week: Jack Zyska, Notre Dame Baseball As the Irish went 5-0 on the diamond, they looked to senior outfielder Jack Zyska to spark their winning streak. Zyska blasted three home runs in five games and went 8-17 at the plate. He knocked in ten runs during the week. Zyska clinched this award with an electrifying Sunday performance. Zyska delivered a solo blast with the Irish trailing by five runs. In his next plate appearance, Zyska represented the tying run in the seventh inning. Down 12-9, the Irish needed a big hit. And Zyska delivered, launching a high fly for a three-run shot that tied the score. Notre Dame went on to walk off Wake Forest in the ninth inning. Zyska’s huge week for the Irish gives him his first career nomination and Male Athlete of the Week award.
Honorable Mention: Perry Gregg, Holy Cross Tennis Gregg delivered a dynamic
performance over two matches at No. 1 singles for the Saints. He didn’t drop a set en route to winning both his matches during the week. Against St. Francis, Gregg won 6-1, 6-3 at the top court and contributed to a 6-3 doubles victory as well. Then, facing No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan, Gregg contributed to both of the Saints’ points in a 4-2 loss. He notched their only victory in singles, winning 6-3, 7-6. In doubles, Gregg and his partner took home a 7-6 victory to help Holy Cross secure the point on the doubles court.
Team of the Week: Saint Mary’s Golf This was an incredibly tough decision. Notre Dame was undefeated in men’s lacrosse (1-0), women’s lacrosse (2-0), softball (4-0) and baseball (5-0). But topping them wall all was the Belles on the golf course. Over three rounds at the MIAA tournament, Saint Mary’s dominated the field, winning by 56 strokes. The Belles boasted the top three individual finishers and set a new conference record with their team score of 960. Saint Mary’s heads to their fourth straight NCAA Tournament and claims the Team of the Week honors.. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu
Irish capture thrilling win on road By J.J. POST Sports Writer
Notre Dame women’s lacrosse closed out their regular season with a thrilling win Saturday, taking down Louisville 15-14. The Irish fell behind early on the road, with the Cardinals jumping out to a quick 6-2 lead in Louisville. But in the second quarter Notre Dame began to close the gap, outscoring the Cardinals 6-4 to enter halftime trailing 10-8. The second quarter run was fueled by strong performances from junior Kasey Choma and graduate student Maddie Howe, who each notched a pair of goals late in the frame to close out a 4-1 Irish run. Notre Dame would go on to take their first lead in the third quarter, thanks to a strong rebound from a quick 2-1 run by the Cardinals coming out of the break. Down 129, the Irish would score four consecutive goals to take a 13-12 lead into the final quarter. The surge was capped off by a goal from senior Madison Mote, who took the ball at midfield, raced to the goal, and slotted in the score. The fourth quarter would prove to be the most intense of the game. Louisville took advantage of the break to recollect themselves, and stopped the Irish run to tie up the score at 13 barely five minutes into the quarter. Choma would give Notre Dame the lead again by firing home her fifth goal of the game, but the Cardinals didn’t
back down. With just under eight minutes left in the game Louisville scored again. But with a little more than two and a half minutes left on the clock it would be Notre Dame that would go ahead for good. The Irish broke away in transition and junior Madison Ahern found Howe, who coolly found the back of the net for the game winner. The goal would also complete a hat trick on the day for Howe, and a hat trick of assists for Ahern. Looking ahead the Irish will now prepare for postseason, with a matchup against the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament looming. Notre Dame has had a chance to face the Blue Devils already in conference play, falling 12-15 at home in late March. Mote had a great game for the Irish that Saturday, notching a team high five goals. Catriona Barry powered a high flying Duke attack with a six goal performance. It was a strong opening and closing performance by the Blue Devils that ensured their victory. Duke outscored the Irish in both the first and fourth quarters to break the deadlock and leave with a win. Notre Dame women’s lacrosse will open ACC tournament play Friday, when Duke travels to South Bend. The game is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcasted on the ACC Network. Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu
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DAILY
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Uncertainty and insecurity will hold you hostage. Tie up loose ends and declutter your life to avoid getting left behind. Put your energy where it counts, and be secretive about your intentions until you are positive you can turn your plan into reality. Take control instead of being controlled, and you will eliminate confusion and put yourself in a vulnerable position. Your numbers are 7, 14, 21, 26, 33, 35, 46. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get into the rhythm, and don’t miss a beat. How you navigate your way through situations will make a difference in how people respond to you. A helpful, responsible attitude will encourage others to pitch in and help. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An emotional decision will turn sour. Distance yourself from whatever is going on around you, and you’ll come up with a plan that will help you do the right thing. Use your charm and show affection toward those you love and respect. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t let spontaneity be your downfall. Before you jump into something, get the lowdown. Someone will use emotional means to push you in the wrong direction. Let experience overrule what others say. Know enough to follow the dots and find the truth. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Go it alone. Don’t venture into a financial deal with others. Have an open mind and gather information, but if you put your money on the table, be sure to control the outcome. Use your intelligence and play it safe. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Limitations will set in if you make a change for the wrong reason. Stick to what you know and do best, and don’t let anyone’s persuasive tactics lead you in a direction that damages your reputation or social standing. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t let discord ruin your day. Getting into an argument with a friend or relative will do more damage than good. Concentrate on self-improvement, not trying to change others. Patience, understanding and kindness will promote love and better relationships. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Challenge yourself. Get involved in a test of strength or something that will challenge your intelligence. An open mind will lead to more significant opportunities than one that refuses to entertain new possibilities. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t limit what you can do. Negativity will be your demise, and innovation and belief in yourself will carry you to victory. Put your energy into improving your surroundings and spending time with those you love. Romance is favored. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Explore your community, and you’ll find a way to entertain yourself on a budget. Observation and time spent helping others will give you a different perspective on life. Distance yourself from those who ask for too much and offer little in return. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Confusion will occur if you let your emotions overrule common sense. Look at domestic issues realistically. Separate right from wrong and what’s doable from what’s impossible, and make your case. A positive approach with a suitable alternative will encourage stellar results. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t agree to something to fit in or avoid a feud. Be upfront, but don’t condemn others for what they pursue. Keep the peace, carry on with whatever works best for you and take responsibility for your happiness. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put anything to rest that is standing in your way or causing you grief. Consider what makes you happy, and take the route that leads to your destination of choice. Personal growth and achieving a sense of purpose are reachable. Birthday Baby: You are determined, sensitive and assertive. You are imaginative and possessive.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports
Pyne
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, april 25, 2022| The Observer
Notre Dame’s Blue and Gold game on April 23. The Gold squad won 13-10.
Mayer for 17 yards. Besides those passes, seemed content to live off screens and out-routes for most of the game. “I’m really proud of him stepping up and playing for both teams,” Freeman said.
Turnovers highlight Pyne‘s struggles
Pyne‘s pocket impresses
Pyne struggled initially while taking nearly every snap in the first half. He threw two interceptions in the second quarter, both of which came in the red zone. Junior Jordan Botelho picked off Pyne first. It came after what appeared to be a miscommunication between Pyne and his intended receiver, sophomore Deion Colzie. Colzie ran into the end zone, while Pyne threw it into the flat. There, Botehlo lurked with no one around him and returned it for 42 yards. “It’s so easy to look at the quarterback,” Freeman said of the interceptions. “That’s the position, you’re going to get the praise, you’re going to get the blame.” Later in the quarter, with the Gold team again threatening to score, Pyne play-faked and, despite having a receiver open in the flat, overthrew junior tight end Michael Mayer in traffic. Senior linebacker Marist Liufau was waiting in coverage for an easy interception. “We don’t want to turn the ball over, we know that. We have to take care of the football, but it’s a collective part of it,” Freeman said. “There’s got to be guys that make the quarterback look good.”
One of the elements in which Pyne excelled was his presence in the pocket. He took a sack on the first snap of the contest when junior edge rusher Rylie Mills tagged him for a loss of 10 yards. After that, he didn’t take another one despite wearing the red jersey throughout the scrimmage. He looked comfortable in the pocket, routinely standing in long enough to find an open receiver despite sustained pressure from the defensive line. In one of his most impressive moments, Pyne connected with freshman receiver Jayden Thomas on the move after evading pressure for a gain of 10 yards. True freshman Steve Angeli, a highly-touted prospect in his own right, said after the game that both Pyne and Buchner have been instrumental to his success since he arrived on campus. “I’ve been able to learn a bunch from Tyler and Drew,” Angeli said. “They’ve been some of my great friends on the team and they’ve really helped me learn the ropes. Any questions I have I don’t hesitate to go and ask them and they’re always available to teach me. I really value my relationship with those guys” It was Angeli who was the unlikely hero in the contest, completing 11 of 13 passes for an impressive 180 yards and scrambling to the end zone and diving for the pylon as time expired to give the Gold team a 13-10 win. Buchner‘s injury appears to be minor and he showcased his abilities throughout the spring. To win this quarterback battle, Pyne must make significant strides between now and September.
Continued from page 12
Pyne finds some flow late Despite making some nice throws, the offense struggled to move the ball with Pyne under center. Botelho‘s interception set up the Blue team with prime field position, but they stalled just inside the red zone. Arkansas State graduate transfer kicker Blake Grupe notched the first score of the half. He booted a 35-yard field goal to give the Blue Team a 3-0 lead. Ultimately, nine of the first ten drives ended in either a punt or an interception. However, Pyne seemed to find a groove in the two-minute drill at the end of the half, leading the Blue team on an impressive 10play, 75-yard drive in 2:35, capped off with a two-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Yanoshak. He immediately returned to the field and led the Gold team offense down the field in under a minute, putting them in position to score as well, but highly-touted kicker Joshua Bryan missed a 48-yard field goal as time expired. Pyne found most of his success on short check-downs and screen passes. However, he had difficulty connecting with his targets on downfield throws, which will be important if Notre Dame wants to take advantage of dynamic receiving threats such as Mayer, sophomore Lorenzo Styles and graduate student Braden Lenzy. His longest completion of the afternoon was a 24-yard completion to Lenzy. On the play, Pyne delivered an impressive, back-shoulder throw, placed where only Lenzy could catch it. He also connected with graduate student Matt Salerno for 20 yards. In a third-and-one situation, he found
presence
Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu
SMC Golf Continued from page 12
rounds. Sophomore Haley Angel put forth three consistent rounds. She shot 82, 81 and 78, never finishing outside the top-three individual finishers. Junior Katherin Hopkins never finished outside the top-10 with three rounds of 81, 83 and 84. The Belles won all three rounds of the event and set a conference record with a 960 over the three rounds. It broke Hope College’s previous record of 962. Over three rounds, Saint Mary’s ousted Hope by 56 strokes to cruise to NCAA Tournament qualification. The Belles accomplished the feat
Defense Continued from page 12
“The first thing we talk about on the [defensive] line is that the quarterback is our responsibility,” Washington said after the game. “A lot of guys played a lot of snaps, but they took it seriously. Some guys made some plays, maybe for the first time in their careers.” A standout in the game was junior Rylie Mills, who suited up for the Blue team. Mills was a key player for Notre Dame last season, finishing in a tie for fourth on the team with three sacks, but his play on Saturday showed a readiness to step into an even bigger role. With three tackles for loss, including a sack, Mills was a nightmare for opposing blockers and was constantly in the backfield. He also showed impressive awareness to break up a pass at the line of scrimmage. Mills’ strong play was a major talking point for the Irish coaching staff after the game, and his performance came as no surprise to Washington based on what he saw from the junior throughout the spring. “Every practice this spring he’s gotten better and better,” Washington said of Mills. “Our focus has been on the little things. We’ve been stressing that, and he’s
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with just one senior and a lot of inexperience. “The biggest thing is getting everyone on our roster the experience. The three juniors in my top five basically have the experience my freshmen do [due to COVID],” Koehler said. “This is basically their first full golf season. The more tournament rounds and experience they get under their belts, the more confident they get.” Now, it’s on to another NCAA Tournament for the Belles. Excluding the canceled 2020 tournament, it’s Saint Mary’s fourth straight tournament. Their best finish in that stretch is 14th. The Belles finished 17th last year, not making the cut. The top 15 teams
qualify for the fourth and final round. Koehler emphasized the need for improving their short game ahead of their final tournament of the spring. “Chipping and putting. The course in Houston demands that you’re hitting greens,” Koehler affirmed. “If you’re not, you’ll have some difficult up and downs. It’ll demand a lot from our short game.” If the Belles can lock in their short game, they’ll be eyeing their bestever NCAA Tournament finish. “Most of the pressure is off, but the job’s not done. We definitely want to make the cut,” Koehler said.
really embraced it. I’m really excited with the progress and it’s always great to finish the spring like that. He’s done a fine job.” While Mills jumps out on the stat sheet, several other Irish linemen made key plays that were less obvious. On the opening play of the second quarter, sophomore Alexander Ehrensberger was lined up at defensive tackle for the Blue team with Gold just outside of the redzone. Ehrensberger got into the backfield almost immediately after the snap and pressured sophomore quarterback Drew Pyne, causing an errant throw that was intercepted by junior linebacker Jordan Botelho. Ehrensberger also recorded a pass breakup, part of a concerted effort by the defensive line to disrupt the passing game, even when they were unable to reach the pocket. A point of emphasis for Washington this spring was versatility, as he wanted many of his players to be comfortable in different spots across the line. Ehrensberger’s ability to quickly adapt in several roles has made him a valuable piece for the Irish defense. “He played inside and outside today. He did well, he was in the backfield quite a bit,” Washington said. “He’s another one that we’re going to count on this fall. As he
continues to physically develop, I think the sky’s the limit.” While Mills and Ehrensberger received much of the attention postgame, several other members of the defensive line impressed on Saturday. Juniors Nana OsafoMensah and Howard Cross combined for a fourth-quarter sack of freshman quarterback Ron Powlus III, and Osafo-Mensah blew up a screen pass for a loss of seven yards in the third. Sophomore Gabriel Rubio also had a big day, recording an assisted tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry as well as batting down a pass from Powlus III late in the game. As a whole, the group was excellent against the run and pass, limiting both offenses to a combined 3.4 yards per carry while getting into the backfield often enough to curtail any chance of an effective downfield passing attack. With a core group of returning starters that includes Foskey and the Ademilolas, there is no reason to doubt that Notre Dame’s defensive line will be good. “We’re a good group, how can we become great?” Washington said. “There’s always room for improvement in each individual and as a unit. Greatness is found in the details.”
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Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu
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The observer | MONDAY, april 25, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
PRICE FEATURE
SMC Golf
Belles’ golf set conference record By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor
Saint Mary’s golf entered the spring season with a chip on their shoulder. The Belles are accustomed to being the class of the MIAA. However, they finished third in both the MIAA Jamboree events in September and October. “We didn’t play up to our ability in the fall. But they worked hard this offseason,” head coach Jordan Koehler said. The Belles also were boosted by a tough schedule throughout the spring. They started off play at the Washington University Spring Invitational in early April. They shot two of their better rounds of the spring then, finishing tenth in a very competitive field. The Belles continued playing in tough fields without the spring, and the loaded spring schedule prepared the threetime defending conference champions for this past weekend. “We played a really tough spring schedule so I think that really helped us prepare for the last week of conference,” Koehler noted. “Really good showing by our team. We had three of our best rounds of the spring this weekend.”
Price shines, shows bright future for Irish backfield
Koehler singled out a couple of big-time individual performances for the Belles. Junior Isa Patacsil struggled in the first of the three conference tournament rounds. The Belles still jumped out to a 17shot lead. Patacsil jumped back into the action with a career-best 78 on Friday afternoon in terrible weather conditions. “It was pouring rain about two-thirds of the round on Friday,” Koehler said. “Isa was able to lock in and find her focus and rhythm over the last two days.” Patacsil then fired a 77 on Saturday in the Belles’ clinching round. Saint Mary’s lone senior Sydney Hruskoci topped the individual leaderboard in rounds one and three. She tied Belles’ junior Erin Bennett’s 80 on day 1. On the final round, Hruskoci cleaned up with a 74. “She’ll be the first to tell you she hasn’t had the spring season she was necessarily hoping for,” Koehler commented on Hruskoci. “Really came through for us, especially yesterday. 74 is what she is capable of.” Meanwhile, Bennett fired two more top-10 individual rounds with an 85 and an 82 over the final two see SMC GOLF PAGE 11
By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer
GRACIE LEE | The Observer
Irish true freshman running back Jadarian Price rushes down the field for the Gold team at this Saturday’s Blue and Gold Game.
see PRICE PAGE 8
DEFENSIVE FEATURE
PYNE FEATURE
‘Up and down’ Pyne struggles to find rhythm
Irish defense ready to dominate
By LIAM COOLICAN
By MATTHEW CROW
Associate Sports Editor
Sports Writer
Fans heading to the Blue and Gold game Saturday afternoon were hoping to get their first look at the anticipated quarterback competition between sophomore Tyler Buchner and redshirt sophomore Drew Pyne. Those hopes were dashed Tuesday when Buchner rolled his ankle. Still, fans in attendance got to see plenty of Pyne, who started under center for both sides of the scrimmage. Head coach Marcus Freeman described Pyne‘s performance in the scrimmage as “up and down.” He finished the contest 2233 with 185 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Pyne had a major opportunity to impress the coaching staff as the sole quarterback for much of the scrimmage. But despite some strong moments, he largely failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Redshirt sophomore Drew Pyne looks down field to pass during
Just days after Notre Dame suffered a season-ending loss to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl, the outlook for the Irish defense in the upcoming season received a major boost when defensive end Justin Ademilola announced that he would return to play a fifth season in blue and gold. Two days later, that good news was doubled when his twin brother, defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola, also decided to come back to South Bend. When junior All-American defensive end Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame’s leader in sacks and a projected earlyround NFL Draft pick, gave the news that he, too, would be back, it became clear that this year’s Irish defensive line could be special. “[The defensive line is] getting better every day, very driven, focused,” defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator Al Washington said earlier in the spring. “We have a lot of experience in the room, but the thing I appreciate is how well they recognize [that]
see PYNE PAGE 8
The loss of running back Kyren Williams to the NFL Draft left a gaping hole in Notre Dame’s backfield. But Saturday’s Blue and Gold Game indicated the Irish may have the depth and talent to fill it. Williams rushed for over one thousand yards in each of the past two seasons while also serving as a dynamic threat in the receiving game and a fierce pass blocker. It’s difficult to expect any single player to match that type of production, and the Irish will look to a combination of several members of their running back room to take on key roles on offense. Junior Chris Tyree may absorb the lion’s share of the available carries. He split time with Williams during the last two years. Tyree started for the Gold team on Saturday but suffered a minor injury in the first quarter that knocked him out for the remainder of the game. The injury provided an opportunity for true freshman Jadarian Price, to claim a featured role in the backfield. With an increased role, Price
GRACIE LEE | The Observer
Irish sophomore quarterback Drew Pyne searches down the field, playing both sides at the Blue and Gold game this Saturday.
there is another level. That’s what we’re in the hunt to accomplish.” Washington noted that the value of having experienced players comes not only from their on-field contributions, but also from their ability to aid the development of the team’s younger players, saying that “there’s a group of older guys that have all really taken the bull by the horns and become leaders.” While these established veterans will be leading the way for the Irish defense in the fall, Saturday’s BlueGold Game served as an opportunity for the unit’s underclassmen to gain valuable game experience, as neither Jayson Ademilola nor Foskey played in the concluding “practice” of the spring season. Defense was a strength for both sides throughout the game, as the two offenses combined to score just 23 points in Gold’s 13-10 victory. The young defensive line played a major role in that success, with a focus on getting to the quarterback whenever possible. see DEFENSE PAGE 11