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Volume 55, Issue 52 | Friday, april 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Mass honors Majd “Jude Ash” al-Shoufi University President Fr. John Jenkins presides over memorial Mass for doctoral student By EVAN McKENNA Managing Editor
On Wednesday evening, members of the tri-campus communit y gathered in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to honor the life of Notre Dame doctoral student Majd “Jude Ash” al-Shoufi through a Mass of remembrance. al-Shoufi’s death was reported to students Friday in an email from Universit y leadership. Born in Sy ria, al-Shoufi grew up in the United Arab Emirates before arriv ing to the United States in 2015 when he began his time at the Universit y’s Kroc Institute in the Keough School of
Claims found false Observer Staff Report
An independent investigation into sexual assault claims made by Notre Dame alumna Laura Grimes ‘04 against Richard Gaillardetz ‘91, current Boston College theology department chair, concluded Grimes’ allegations “are not only not credible but are also false,” The Heights reported Monday. The investigation was done by DeMoura Smith LLP, who was hired by Boston College. Gaillardetz said in an email to the Observer that Grimes’ allegations have caused “a deeply unjust b urden of suffering” to him and his family. “I recognize that a person who has been grievously wronged has a right to tell their own story and to be heard with empathy and care. At the same time, a person who is accused of serious wrongdoing also has a basic right to fairness,” Gaillardetz said. Grimes, who came forward in January with the allegations, did not immediately respond to the Observer’s request for comment. Gaillardetz will return to his position as theology department chair April 28.
NEWS PAGE 4
Global A ffairs. A peace and human rights activ ist and a refugee of the Sy rian civ il war, al-Shoufi was pursuing a doctoral degree in peace studies and clinical psycholog y, w ith a research focus on trauma inter vention among populations of refugees. Family members and friends of al-Shoufi traveled to Notre Dame and attended the Mass of remembrance while others attended through a livestream of the ser v ice. Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins, who presided over the Mass, began the ser v ice by extending see MASS PAGE 5
EVAN MCKENNA | The Observer
Friends, family and colleagues of Majd “Jude Ash” al-Shoufi gathered in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Wednesday night for a Mass of remembrance. al-Shoufi’s death was announced to the community Friday.
Jewish Club hosts antisemitism week By MARIA LUISA PAUL News Writer
When former student body vice president senior Sarah Galbenski announced Notre Dame’s student senate had unanimously voted to pass Resolution SS 2021-37, sophomore Blake Ziegler’s first thought was “Thank you, God.” (Editor’s Note: Blake Ziegler is a Viewpoint columnist for The Observer.)
The resolution not only pushed for the acknowledgement and condemnation of antisemitism, but also called upon the University to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism — one that has been embraced by 29 nations (including the United States), the United Nations and dozens of universities across the world. As secretary of the Jewish Club
at Notre Dame, Ziegler spent months researching ways to address the ever-present issue of antisemitism. In light of the recent rise of hate incidents towards Jews, the Jewish Club organized Antisemitism Awareness Week — which included different virtual panels and a Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Prayer Service — hoping to both engage and unite the community into
News Editor
Notre Dame Law School (NDLS) closed its deposit form Tuesday evening, nine days before the deposit deadline to confirm enrollment, after the spots in the incoming class went from 67% to 100% full in six hours. In their acceptance letters, admitted students were
SCENEPAGE 9
told they had until April 15 to submit a non-refundable $600 deposit to confirm enrollment at NDLS for the fall of 2021 or until the maximum number of deposits were received. In an email to The Observer Wednesday, an NDLS spokesperson said the school implemented the new policy after an “unexpectedly high” yield rate for the class that enrolled
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
Observer Staff Report
in 2019. This is the second admissions cycle with the policy in place, NDLS said. In emails obtained by The Observer, NDLS director of admissions Jacob Baska informed admitted students Tuesday morning at 10:57 a.m. that the maximum number of deposits was being reached quicker than expected.
University President Fr. John Jenkins announced in a Wednesday email that Notre Dame will require all undergraduate, graduate and professional students to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to enroll for the 2021-2022 academic year. “Our goal for the fall semester will be to have as many members of the campus community vaccinated as possible, thereby reducing the risk of infection on campus and in the local community,” Jenkins said. The University will respect documented medical and religious exemptions to the vaccine, according to the email. In a separate email to The Observer, University spokesperson Dennis Brown said the University encourages faculty and staff to receive the vaccine, but at this time they will not be required to do so. Jenkins said the University believes they have enough
see ADMISSIONS PAGE 5
see VACCINES PAGE 5
see WEEK PAGE 3
ND Law School closes deposits before deadline By ALYSA GUFFEY
COVID vaccine required
SPORTS PAGE 16
SPORTS PAGE 16
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Pasquerilla West resident Veronica Slevin, who was participating in the Queen Week Scavenger Hunt, stopped to take a picture with two HERE ambassadors in Duncan Student Center. Queen Week is Pasquerilla West’s signature annual spirit week.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Lecture: “Charlottesville” virtual 12:45 - 1:35 p.m. Register online with Notre Dame email.
Spring Festival across campus 6 p.m. - midnight Entertainment and events concluding with food trucks and music.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon All are welcome to attend.
Adoration Coleman-Morse chapel 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Lecture: “The Struggle of Muslims” virtual 9:35 - 10:50 a.m. Lecture is free and open to the public.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” Notre Dame Stadium 8 - 9:30 p.m. Only Notre Dame, Holy Cross & Saint Mary’s.
“Parasite” (2019) Browning Cinema 7:30 p.m. Watch the black and white version of the film.
La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.
“Trivia ‘Til You Drop” virutal 5 - 6:30 p.m. Trivia contest for romance languages. Register by Friday.
Discussion: “Justice for Some” virtual 4 - 5 p.m. Join guest speaker Noura Erakat.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 9, 2021 | The Observer
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Student senate passes resolution to define antisemitism in final meeting of term By KATIE WERNER News Writer
The Notre Dame student senate gathered in Jordan Hall Wednesday night for the final meeting of the 2020-2021 board. During the meeting, the senate passed two resolutions and heard the State of the Student Union Address given by senior and student body president Rachel Ingal. To commence the meeting, student government chief of staff and senior Aaron Benavides delivered announcements regarding the student advisory group and the Campus Life Council (CLC). On Thursday, the student advisory group met to discuss details of the email students received Monday, April 5 regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. The group suggested plans for a University vaccination dashboard to display updates on the number of vaccinated students. Benavides also reminded the senate that the University will continue to work on logistics
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opposing this behavior. The resolution, Ziegler said, represented the week’s action item and its passing felt like the witnessing of a historic event. “The fact that the student senate approved the working definition is history in the making, not only for a Catholic university to demonstrate its support and solidarity with a Jewish community that is relatively small compared to other student groups,” Ziegler said. “But also just in the broader scheme that we’re one of the few universities in the country, and as far as I know, the only Catholic University to be considering this.” Ziegler’s palpable joy during Wednesday’s senate meeting contrasted the appalling events that took place during Tuesday night’s virtual presentation with the American Jewish Committee. Minutes before the discussion began, a group of individuals “zoom-bombed” the meeting, sharing lewd videos inside the conference. One person’s profile picture displayed a swastika. Jewish Club president junior Bella Niforatos said she managed to successfully remove these individuals and proceed with the evening’s programming. In an email to The Observer, official spokesperson for the University Dennis Brown said the Office of Community Standards had launched an investigation in collaboration with the Office of Information Technology and the Notre Dame Police Department to determine if any members of the community had perpetrated this occurrence.
for the summer and fall, but all students must be vaccinated by the fall semester. Next, Benavides discussed the CLC meeting, in which students were joined by vice president of student affairs Erin Hoffman Harding and vice president for campus safety and event management Mike Seamon. Within the meeting, they reviewed two resolutions about COVID-19 logistics and vaccinations as well as the vaccination dashboard. Next week, the CLC will discuss its future structure. On the topic of the first resolution to address antisemitism, co-sponsor and sophomore Siegfried Hall senator Miles Kelley yielded his time for sophomore and secretary of the Jewish Club Blake Ziegler to speak. Ziegler authored and presented the resolution to represent the Jewish Club. Before discussing the text, Ziegler offered gratitude for the student government’s response to an anti-Semitic Zoom bombing — when people randomly joined the meeting
and displayed swastikas — during a virtual Anti-Semitism Awareness Week presentation Tuesday. (Editor’s Note: Ziegler is a current Viewpoint columnist at The Observer.) Then, he advised the senate to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism. This definition, as well as the resolution in full, seeks to acknowledge, define and condemn antisemitism in solidarity with Jewish students on campus. “To fight anti-Semitism, you have to define it,” Ziegler said. He stated that the purpose of the definition is twofold: “to provide an educational tool for organizations to use to address antisemitism when it arises” and “for data collection” to classify hate crimes. In response to Ziegler’s advocacy for the resolution, sophomore Johnson Family Hall senator and co-sponsor of the resolution Eliza Smith expressed encouragement for the future of non-Catholic
students on campus. “I believe this can be infused more towards a better and brighter future for those who want to attend Notre Dame who may be frightened or second-guessing their decision,” she said. The resolution passed unanimously. If the Notre Dame administration officially adopts the definition, it would be the first Catholic university in the U.S. to do so. Next, the senate introduced a resolution to suspend the Cavanaugh Hall senate election as first-year Miranda Colon ran unopposed. Since the Cavanaugh Hall election occurred late, Colon was not confirmed at the previous meeting. The resolution passed unanimously, and Colon will attend the following meeting. After the two resolutions, Ingal delivered her final State of the Student Union Address. She asserted that despite the pandemic, the senate has pivoted to the student body’s unanticipated and unique needs.
Niforatos confirmed this was a coordinated action from people not related to the University. In fact, several of the individuals’ IP addresses were from outside the U.S. Nevertheless, Brown said the incident was symbolic of the hatred the Jewish community faces. “We condemn in no uncertain terms the antisemitic intrusion into a Jewish Club of Notre Dame meeting Tuesday evening, an unacceptable action at any time, and all the more appalling during Antisemitism Awareness Week,” Brown said. “This is a sad reminder of the hatred and intolerance that poisons our daily life. Let there be no question that such bigotry will not be tolerated at Notre Dame.”
so ridiculous,” he said. “ … What worries me is the new forms [of antisemitism] that are somehow seen as tolerable or acceptable or not even recognized, or even when one brings them up, and other side will say, ‘that’s not it.’” Because antisemitism is often veiled with vagueness, the IHRA aimed to provide clarity by defining it as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews,” that can be manifested both rhetorically and physically and directed “toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” The importance of having a clear non-legally binding definition, said Niforatos, is that it provides a global and unified understanding of antisemitism and, thus, an educational tool to fight against it. “One of the purposes of the working definition is that it’s hard to combat something if you can’t name it, or understand what it is and define it,” she said. Institutions like Stanford University, Florida State University, Indiana University at Bloomington and Syracuse University have already adopted the IHRA working definition. At other schools, like the University of Pennsylvania, resolutions to do so have been tabled due to concerns about censorship over criticism of Israel. However, Ziegler said undertaking this definition would not lead to censure. “What the working definition does, is it explicitly says criticism of the Israeli government for its policies and actions is completely legitimate if it’s the type of criticism you
can let level against other government,” he said.
Defining antisemitism While Tuesday’s incident was a clear example of antisemitism, other forms of this behavior are not as easy to recognize. “Antisemitism is a unique kind of hatred, in that it tends to hide behind vague definitions and lack of clarity because it’s tightly wound up in a lot of the issues facing the Jewish community,” Ziegler said. “Judaism isn’t just a religion, it’s also an ethnicity and a culture and also, to an extent, a nationality. And so it becomes difficult to figure out, well, is this hatred against Jews?” Not recognizing such tropes as hateful behavior not only constitutes an enormous issue, but can also be more hurtful than undisguised antisemitism, University theology department’s Jordan H. Kapson associate professor of Jewish Studies Abraham Winitzer said. “A swastika is so flagrant, and
any
‘There’s a difference between being accepted and being embraced’ Despite Tuesday’s shocking events, Niforatos said there was a silver lining — a united community and increased awareness about antisemitism. “It showed that we are a community,” Niforatos said about the outpour of support the club received. “The Jewish club is small, but I think this showed that people do actually care about these issues.” Amity was demonstrated in a myriad of ways. Different clubs on campus reached out to the Jewish Club with messages of support. Student Government released a statement condemning antisemitism. Director of Campus Ministry Fr. Pete McCormick — who gave remarks at Monday’s Antisemitism Awareness Week opening event — said the Notre Dame community must do everything in its power to ensure the ideal that it strives towards is maintained — a mission that transcends social media posts. Even though 82% of Notre Dame’s student body identifies as Catholic, McCormick said the University is committed to welcoming all religions into its fold — something he said could be accomplished by providing opportunities to celebrate different faiths. “One of the primary areas that we can be thoughtful about is actually to give students from a variety of faith backgrounds the opportunity to have their faith recognized or to have an opportunity to be
“We quickly realized that leadership is not about what you want; rather, it is about what your community needs,” she said. Ingal also named many of the senate’s successes, including influencing Notre Dame’s new Title IX policies and procedures, providing anti-racism programming during Race Relations Week and prioritizing sustainability in the dining halls. To conclude, she commended her successors — incoming president Allan Njomo and vice president Matthew Bisner. She also encouraged students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Benavides then offered his remarks on his past years in student government, urging students they should “be proud of the work that [they] have done this year,” know their work is important and “always seek to find uniting belief or understanding” to do their best for the student body. Contact Katie Werner at kwerner3@nd.edu
able to speak about what truth, what insight, what value their faith brings to the very modern day that we live in,” he said. For Ziegler, creating an inclusive community is not merely about accepting students with different backgrounds, but also about actively embracing them by utilizing education as a stepping stone. “The best way the Notre Dame community can show solidarity with the Jewish community is honestly just engagement, education.” Education, however, could not only be achieved within the personal sphere — it could also be implemented into the University’s academic programming. Winitzer is one of the three professors dedicated to Jewish Studies. Notre Dame does not offer a program in this discipline. Rather, courses are offered under the theology department or cross-referenced with other areas of study. “No one knows we exist,” he said in regards to Jewish Studies. “We could actually do something that would give exposure and I think would make it look like ‘Wow, Notre Dame. Who knew that you guys can feel secure enough to have this?’ I think that’s something that would be more meaningful than, like a march of solidarity — which is meaningful — but I mean, actions are louder than words in this regard.” After a weeklong commitment to raising awareness about antisemitism, Niforatos said there is one thing that Notre Dame should remember. “If you have a voice, then you should use it,” she said. Contact Maria Luisa Paul at mpaulran@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | Friday, april 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Student senate convenes for 2021-22 term By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor
The first senate meeting under new leadership, following the recent student body and senate elections, took place Thursday evening in Debartolo Hall. The meeting confirmed many students to new positions, including the student body president, vice president and the 2021-2022 senators who took the oath of office to open to meeting. “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of student body president of the University of Notre Dame Du Lac, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the undergraduate student body, so help me God,” student body president junior Allan Njomo said. Vice president junior Matthew Bisner and the senators took a
similar oath. Following the oaths of office, newly sworn in Bisner began with executive announcements, including a statement in support of Antisemitism Awareness Week and announcement of his office hours, during which the new senators will have the opportunity to meet the vice president. “Antisemitism Awareness Week has seen some truly egregious acts of antisemitic conduct visible on members of this community, namely to display offensive images,” Bisner said. “For our part, Allan, Alix and I pray that no current students were part of this painful display. If they were, however, we hope that the University will take swift and necessary action.” For the final executive announcement, sophomore Madison Nemeth, acting parliamentarian, gave an informative
presentation on basic parliamentary procedure for the newly confirmed senators. Next, the senate confirmed several cabinet nominees. Junior Alix Basden was approved as chief of staff, first-year Mary Massman as student union secretary, junior Jack Rotolo as executive controller, sophomore Madison Nemeth as student union parliamentarian, firstyear Koryn Isa as judicial council vice president of elections and sophomore Allison Sharp as judicial council vice president of peer advocacy. Eighteen additional executive cabinet members were sworn into various positions. Among those nominated, Rotolo spoke on the importance of financial transparency in his position. “I’m interested in having office hours as well, so I can talk to
students if they have any questions about how money is being spent and what things are being funded,” Rotolo said. “I definitely want to be as transparent as possible.” Director of University policy, first year Dane Sherman, answered many questions about his plans once approved, emphasizing political diversity, dialogue and transparency. (Editor’s Note: Dane Sherman is a former News writer for The Observer.) “We’ve really been looking at how we can make sure that we exemplify the incredible political and ideological diversity that we have here at the University of Notre Dame,” Sherman said. In addition, through initiatives such as waffles and chats opportunities, roundtable discussions and small dinner conversations, Sherman said he has a detailed
plan to increase communication and transparency between the non-senate student body and the University administration. “We can’t just continue to do the normal pathway of passing resolutions,” Sherman said. “We need to mobilize and activate our students in powerful ways so that their voices feel listened to, and so that we can fight back against policy points that might not be as popular.” Finally, the meeting concluded with announcements about upcoming hall events, such as Pangborn’s Pang-Pong event and next week’s Student Union Board AnTostal celebration as well as a call for everyone to get vaccinated to help reach the 90 percent standard proposed by the University. Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu
Outgoing ND student body leaders reflect on unprecedented term, COVID-19 By Bella Laufenberg Staff Writer
When Rachel Ingal and Sarah Galbenski first took office as the Notre Dame student body president and vice president in March 2020, they had no idea what the next year held for them. Ingal, a senior political science major and business economics minor, said she has always been involved with Notre Dame student government. When she was a first-year, Ingal served on First Undergraduate Experience in Leadership (FUEL). Ingal said she enjoyed it so much that she came back and co-directed the FUEL program her sophomore year. As a junior, Ingal said she took a step back from student government to do her fall semester away from campus in Washington, D.C. She said it was during that semester away from campus that she decided to run for student body president. Galbenski is a senior majoring in Spanish and global affairs with a concentration in peace studies. Unlike Ingal, Galbenski said she had no previous experience with student government before being asked to join Ingal’s ticket. Galbenski said she believes the pair have a good balance since they had different background experiences from before becoming president and vice president. “I think [Ingal] was looking for someone to balance her out — someone that had experience in other spheres on campus and could bring fresh perspectives to the table, but it also is great to have her institutional experience and knowledge to help bring me into the
fold,” Galbenski explained. Ingal and Galbenski ran on a platform of striving to “accompany, advocate for and amplify every student on this campus.” Ingal said she believed the best part of their campaign is that they knew students had a lot to say. “Something that I think was the coolest part of our campaign was that we didn’t believe we needed to be a voice for the voiceless,” Ingal said. “And I think we just had a fundamental belief that nobody here is voiceless; everybody has a voice. They have incredible perspective and have lived experiences to contribute and share … all we wanted to do is just strive to amplify that.” When students were asked to stay or return home within their first week on the job, Ingal and Galbenski pivoted to set aside their more ambitious campaign promises in order to prioritize what students needed. Ingal said she was very proud of how they were able to adapt to the new circumstances so quickly. “We were adapting so much, and you just have to be on your feet in terms of trying to be as attentive as possible to things that we needed, specifically for our COVID year,” Ingal said. The main two things Ingal said they focused on, in terms of COVID-related changes, were increased HERE dashboard metrics and more testing. “And that’s something we were big advocates from the beginning and consistently brought up on a weekly basis to all of our advisors and slowly but surely, they started to do that,” Ingal explained. “A lot of the work and accomplishments that we made were in very
informal conversations, and it literally was just instances of us being a liaison between the students and the administration.” According to Galbenski, they were very nervous about the year to come during the turbulent start to their term. “We were a little bit nervous when that curveball was thrown at us that it w ould be all cleanup and disaster relief — and it was a lot of that, because that’s just what the community needed and you have to respond to the community’s needs as a public servant — but we still were able to embark upon our own plans and dreams as well,” Galbenski said. Despite the tumultuous start to Ingal and Galbenski’s term, they said they achieved many of their campaign goals and other initiatives that came up during the year. Ingal said one of her favorite programs Galbenski and she got started on over the past year was the Women’s Leadership Forum. “We wanted to create a women’s leadership forum as a way to expose all these great, highachieving women to leaders on campus who have had incredibly successful career paths and who’ve kind of done it all,” Ingal said. “But also, we wanted to create a network of women student union leaders, so that they could kind of lean on each other, and just form those relationships.” Galbenski said she considered adjusting Title IX regulations one of the most important achievements of her term. During the Trump presidency, Title IX regulations were changed to make the evidentiary standard for both student and faculty sexual assault cases
the same. In the past, the Notre Dame faculty evidentiary standard had been higher than the student evidentiary standard. Galbenski said since she was a student liaison for the faculty senate, she played an integral part in changing the Title IX rules so that the student evidentiary standard would not increase from “preponderance of the evidence” to a “clear and convincing” standard as a result of the new Trump-era regulations. She said it was very important for both Ingal and her to stand with sexual assault survivors by making the reporting process easier, not harder. Both Ingal and Galbenski
said they are grateful for the opportunity they had to serve as Notre Dame student body president and vice presidents during this unprecedented year. Ingal said that she will take the leadership, flexibility and resilience that she’s cultivated during her time here into whatever her future holds. Galbenski said she will always value thelessons she has learned and relationships that she made. “It’s just been the people that have been the best part of it — that have taught me so much,” Galbenski said. “I’m really grateful.” Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu
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condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of alShoufi and expressed that the grief resulting from the loss of al-Shoufi was felt across the entire Notre Dame community. Associate provost and associate professor of theolog y Rev. Daniel Groody, a close friend and colleague of alShoufi, delivered a heartfelt homily to the congregation. Groody began by ref lecting on his personal relationship with al-Shoufi. The two met in 2014 as part of their work in separate activism initiatives concerning the TurkishSyrian border and the Syrian refugee crisis. The first thing Groody noticed about alShoufi, he said, was his kind, compassionate soul. “W hile a war was raging around us, Jude’s life-giving passion, humanity, humor and love broke through like a ray of light amidst a dark storm cloud,” Groody said. “It
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“Based on deposit activity over the Easter weekend, we believe it is possible that we may have to close our deposit form before April 15,” the email said. “Currently, we have received 67% of our maximum number of deposits — a level that we typically reach just two or three days before the deposit deadline.” The email informed students that emails would be sent when 80% of deposits had been made, then when 90% of deposits had been made and, finally, when the maximum number of deposits had been reached. Students were informed at 4:10 p.m. that same day that 80% of deposits had been reached. At 5:02 p.m., another email
ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 9, 2021 | The Observer
was clear that he really cared about people and wanted to spend his energ y as a healing presence in the world.” Six months later, Groody invited al-Shoufi to study at the Kroc Institute, where the two collaborated on research concerning refugees and the human soul. Groody quickly came to recognize the student as “a man of healing” — and this passion for healing stemmed from al-Shoufi’s own experiences in a wartorn Syria. He recalled alShoufi’s activism in Turkey when he organized and offered classes to 5,000 young children who had been forcibly displaced from Syria. “Jude was committed to this mission because he knew that at the core of every human heart is the desire to be known, loved and understood,” Groody said. “Especially in times of calamity and distress, he knew that people need a place to belong and feel connected, to tell one’s story and to be heard.”
And while the United States and Notre Dame provided a place of refuge for al-Shoufi, Groody said, he never lost sight of his roots in Syria. “[al-Shoufi] longed for the day when he would see his friends, uncles, aunts, cousins and his neighborhood again,” Groody said. “The desire was so deep that he also had the Syriac word for ‘home’ tattooed on his wrist.” But during his time at Notre Dame, Groody noted, al-Shoufi also found refuge in Christ. Groody shared an excerpt of al-Shoufi’s recent writing, in which he ref lected on his tumultuous early life and the over whelming power of God’s love. “My relationship with God was more real for me than the lashes of the torturer’s whip or the pain of their punches and kicks,” al-Shoufi wrote. “He gave me the space to speak when I was isolated, to feel safe when I felt afraid, to find strength when I felt helpless and to
feel connected when I felt estranged.” To conclude, Groody offered a prayer for the repose of al-Shoufi’s soul. “So Lord, we thank you for the life of Jude, and we entrust him to your loving hands,” Groody said. “We thank you for his commitment to healing, to freedom and to empowerment. May this refugee who was our friend and brother now find peaceful refuge in you as you welcome him into his eternal home.” Following the Mass, congregants were invited to process to the Hesburgh Center, where members of the tri-campus community gathered with friends and family of al-Shoufi — not only to mourn the loss of a treasured member of the Notre Dame family but also to celebrate his life and legacy.
was sent saying, “We have now reached our target number of deposits (i.e., deposits surged immediately from 80% to 100% since our last email).” Three admitted students confirmed no email was sent to them when the 90% threshold was reached. One admitted student, who wished to remain anonymous so as to not risk a spot on the waitlist, was at work from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and not able to make the deposit during the day Tuesday. “I was either driving the work truck around or at a job site, so I had no ability to be able to check my email during the day,” the student said. The student had made the decision Monday night to submit the deposit after having the chance to speak with family on the financial logistics, but
had not gotten around to actually submitting the deposit by Tuesday morning. “It was a world of just pain and anger … because I was literally just 24 hours short,” the student said. Another admitted student who was also at work during the day Tuesday said they were, at the time, still weighing their options and feeling like they could not yet put the deposit down in “good faith.” “I just hadn’t placed my deposit yet because this weekend … I have an event with another school, and I just wanted to do my due diligence,” that second student said. However, after seeing the first email Tuesday morning, the student planned to submit the deposit later that day. “[I] got that email, I was at work,
but I did manage to see it, and I thought ‘Okay, since it’s going up when I get home from work today, I’m going to call my dad because we’ve been kind of going through this process together,’ wanting to talk to him before I did anything else,” the student said. “But I figured, ‘Talk to my dad, I’ll probably end up depositing tonight because I want to be safe’.” NDLS reminded admitted students on multiple occasions of the policy, their spokesperson said in an email to The Observer. “We advise admitted students of this policy in their admission letter, their scholarship letter, the information packet that is mailed to them, and on the website for admitted students,” the email said. Two admitted students — now waitlisted — confirmed they were initially told the likelihood
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Vaccines Continued from page 1
vaccine doses to accommodate any member of the campus community who wishes to get vaccinated at the on-campus vaccination site — which opens Thursday. Jenkins thus urged students to sign up to receive the first of two doses in the next week at the Notre Dame site. “For students currently on campus, if you have not yet been vaccinated, we strongly urge you to be vaccinated at our on-campus site in the days and weeks ahead,” Jenkins said. Arrangements will be made for students who are unable to obtain a vaccination before the fall semesterorwhosevaccinationisnot recognized by the state of Indiana. Students are asked to submit their vaccination status in an online tool to allow University officials to determine whether health and safety protocols can be lifted or adjusted in the coming weeks.
of the form closing early was “very unlikely.” The NDLS spokesperson said the admissions chose to err on the side of transparency in alerting students of the current percent of maximum deposits made. Wednesday morning, legal blog Above the Law published an article referencing comments from Sarah Zearfoss, senior assistant dean at the University of Michigan Law School, calling the process “insane” and “unhinged.” The NDLS spokesperson said in an email that the comments in the article were “unfair” and that they mischaracterized the rationale behind their policy — that NDLS is a small law school and believes this environment benefits its students. “Therefore, the deposit policy is designed to prevent over-enrollment and to maintain our small law school environment for students,” the spokesperson said. An email with a continued interest form was sent out Wednesday afternoon, by which students who were unable to submit a deposit could get on the waitlist. The NDLS spokesperson said those who fill out the form will be given priority over those on the normal waitlist if spots become available. Regarding the $600 deposit, admitted students were encouraged to reach out to the office of financial aid to waive the fee so finances don’t impede a student’s ability to reserve their spot in the incoming class. “The deposit is not meant to be a financial hurdle. If students contact us and explain how it is a financial hurdle for them, then we are willing to remove that obstacle,” the spokesperson said. Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu
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The observer | Friday, April 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
This ugly mug
I got into sports, and you should too
Aidan O’Malley
Vince Mallett
Scene Editor
Independent Idealist
Remember the first time you wore a mask? As we “celebrate” the pandemic’s first anniversary, my Snapchat memories have made a painful point of reminding me of countless other milestones. “One year ago, today,” Notre Dame canceled inperson classes. “One year ago, today,” movie theaters shuttered. And “one year ago, today,” I wore a mask for the very first time. The Snap memory in question is a selfie I took in the driver’s seat of my car. It’s super flattering; shot practically perpendicular to my face, it accentuates every titillating curve of my double chin as I tilt my head into my neck and stare down. Channeling my inner Ernest Hemingway, I chose to keep the caption simple: “WTF.” WTF, indeed! We were about a week or two into the pandemic at that point, and my sister and I were going to the grocery store for the first time since our family’s initial mad dash earlier that month (a trip that produced Snap memories of its own). When we went that first time, hardly anyone was wearing a mask. Back then, people didn’t realize that the virus was transmitted mostly through germs in the air, and I remember oh-so-carefully reaching for what little food remained in the aisles — as if brushing my hand against the wrong cereal box would result in my instant infection. It felt like the start of an apocalypse movie, and my captions on Snap said as much. But the first time I wore a mask, I felt silly. It was one of those disposable face masks which, at that point, I had only ever seen on medical dramas on television. I didn’t know which side was supposed to go over my nose versus my chin, and I had yet to master the art of not fogging up my glasses (and let’s not kid ourselves, I’m still not batting 1,000). To be clear: This is not an anti-mask diatribe. Yes, they’re uncomfortable when it gets hot, and yes, my ears are so disproportionately small that they get sore if I wear one too long. But masks also work. I mean, forget COVID-19; have you gotten a COLD this year? Frankly, I’ve always been taken aback by the vitriol directed towards masks. Not that I’m surprised that (some) people feel as if wearing one is an infringement on their God-given right to infect random strangers with a deadly, viral pathogen — that was to be expected! Rather, my incredulity stems from the fact that, honestly … I kind of like wearing one. Consider earlier this semester, when the temperature regularly ran below zero with windchill. Every morning, I would bundle up for a long, windy walk from my dorm in the northernmost corner of campus all the way to the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center for class. Hat, gloves and scarf were a must but so, too, was a mask. And I’ve never been warmer! I might just wear a mask next February, too. No chapped lips for me! Not to mention, masks can serve as a bold fashion statement. Have you ever coordinated your mask with the rest of your outfit so perfectly that you feel like you walked off the cover of Vogue — like the world is your personal runway, like you’re Meryl f*cking Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada?” And what about the amazing anonymity that wearing a mask provides? Sometimes, I simply do not wish to be perceived. And when I wear my big, baggy coat with my baseball cap and mask, I become invisible. I feel like Batman! And that’s not all. Here at The Observer, we “uncover the truth and report it accurately,” and the truth is … I am not a looker. At the very least, I do not consider myself to be, and wearing a mask has not only reduced my social anxiety for looking like Moe from “The Simpsons,” it’s also reduced the time I used to waste every morning to try and un-Moe myself. Okay, maybe my love of masks is an indication of deeper insecurities. But I am NOTHING if not self-aware, and if masks are the first step in learning to love this ugly mug, consider me a follower of public health guidance.
A little more than a year ago, I decided to become a ‘sports guy.’ Not in the sense of participating — that’s a whole different ball game. I decided to be someone who watched sports, knew what was going on and could talk about it afterward. I wasn’t totally ignorant of sports before. I played three sports a year growing up, as did my older siblings. My family watched frequently, rooting for the Yankees in the MLB and split between New York/New Jersey teams for the other major leagues. I’ve lived around conversations about sports for most of my life. When I was looking at colleges, I wanted to find a place where school spirit was manifested in athletic competition — and I obviously ended up choosing such a university. I had never been really invested in the whole enterprise, though. I watched the Super Bowl every year, but I rarely knew who would be playing before the day of the game. I played sports, but I was more comfortable in school, or extracurriculars like Boy Scouts or the band. I went to every Notre Dame home football game, as well as a bunch of hockey and basketball games; I learned a lot about how those games were played, since I had been a soccer player, baseball player and wrestler in my years of sports. But as of late 2019, I couldn’t tell you what a cornerback did, who played third base for the Yankees or name more than two or three current basketball players. My lack of interest definitely was related to, though not entirely because of, my being gay and out of shape. I never had the skills to excel in sports, and I never truly felt at home in that area of life. I can’t quite put my finger on what spurred me to invest my time in sportswatching and “rededicate” myself to my favorite teams. It was absolutely a conscious decision: My friends and family rolled their eyes when I first publicly announced the move, and by now are quite tired of my discussing it. I definitely wanted to be more involved in sports conversations with straight men, a group that comprises most of my close friends. I’ve always been a fan of a friendly argument, and especially of winning them, which is probably clear from my major and the fact that I write a column for The Observer. I had known enough about sports to enter into arguments about them, but not enough to ever actually take a correct position; I very much wanted that to change. I enjoy thinking about complex ideas and learning about new areas, but I was looking for some area that I didn’t believe I was obligated to learn about, so there would be no pressure to learn at any particular pace or to any particular level. That last point was one I certainly could not have articulated a year ago, but it has proven to be the most rewarding aspect of my experience. In a year of worrying about a global pandemic, increasingly
You can contact Aidan at aomalle2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
conspicuous political violence and economic despair, it was a welcome relief to think about the disastrous season of the New York Jets, hockey’s distinction between a ‘point’ and a ‘goal,’ and the never-ending debate over the top five most attractive quarterbacks in the NFL. (Two quick side notes: One, for those attracted to men, professional sports provide a wonderful supply of eye candy, and two, my straight guy friends have gotten quite a kick out of this aspect of my sports fandom.) It’s been great to spend time thinking about things that aren’t so consequential, to be able to really enjoy an activity without concern for its larger implications. Which isn’t to say, of course, that sports are apolitical, that they lack social influence, or that they don’t have profound impacts on both their participants and their fans. I’m a proponent of the idea that nothing is really apolitical, that every human interaction and activity has an impact on the functioning of the community, society and state. Sports, however, are not meant to function as a means of social reform or the implementation of justice. Those ideas impact how sports operate, and to some extent vice versa, but sports are meant to be enjoyed for the competitive spirit they instill. In my opinion, that sort of competitive spirit too often manifests itself in areas such as politics these days, where we shouldn’t be rooting for particular teams or individuals, but instead for the good of the country. Certain areas in life are meant to enact justice, others are meant to be competitive and fun. They always influence each other, while remaining fundamentally oriented towards different ends. I always thought the problem between me and sports was a problem with sports: It was too toxically masculine, too exclusive of LGBTQ folk, too focused on the kind of athletic success I didn’t value, too racially problematic. I wasn’t entirely wrong — those are all problems that major leagues and other athletic institutions need to address, especially the last. But I wasn’t entirely right either. The athletic arena has more to offer to the uninterested than I had realized: Communities that are largely but not exclusively tied to geography, an easy topic of conversation to bring up with both strangers and friends, intellectually stimulating subject matter, and an outlet for competitiveness without social discord. If you’re not into sports, and never gave it much of a try, I recommend you go for it. If it isn’t for you, that’s fine! But you might find it more fun and rewarding than you would have thought. I certainly have. Vince Mallett is a senior majoring in philosophy with a minor in constitutional studies. He currently lives off campus, though he calls both New Jersey and Carroll Hall home. He can be reached at vmallett@nd.edu or @vince_mallett on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Friday, April 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
A month with no taste or smell Megumi Tamura Subject to Change
About a month ago, I tested positive for COVID-19. Unfortunately, I was not one of those people who experienced the virus without any symptoms. I was immediately hit with the worst fever and headache I’ve ever felt, my entire body ached to the point where I could barely get out of bed, I was coughing constantly, my throat burned like I was swallowing fire, I felt a strange pressure in my chest, I found it difficult to take a deep breath and I completely lost my sense of taste and smell. Fortunately, I was not one of the millions of people whose symptoms got so bad that they had to go to the hospital. A month later, my symptoms have mostly gone away except for one: I still cannot taste or smell anything at all. While at first this was the symptom which bothered me least because it was better than, say, having difficulty breathing, I’ve come to realize how much of an impact it’s had on my well-being and day-to-day life. I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining about this because, thanks to my age, health and luck, I was fortunate to not experience the virus too severely like so many people around the world. Rather, I thought I’d use this column to share how my view of the world has been altered a bit in the past month. Before getting into my own experiences with this peculiar symptom, I’ll explain the research I’ve found behind it. While a loss of smell and taste can be a sideeffect of the common cold due to congestion, this is not necessarily what happens when someone gets COVID. Instead, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes COVID-19) may be affecting the functioning of olfactory support cells in the upper nasal cavity. According to an associate professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, “the novel coronavirus changes the sense of smell in patients not by directly infecting neurons but by affecting the function of supporting cells.” Luckily, this means that anosmia (this loss of smell and taste) is typically not permanent. The science isn’t completely certain at this point as to why anosmia occurs, but it’s become one of the most telling signs of COVID. We take in the world around us based on our five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. For
those of us lucky enough to be born with all five of those senses functioning, they are what bring color — both literally and figuratively — into our lives. Whether it’s watching a beautiful sunrise, hearing the voices of our loved ones, holding someone’s hand, tasting our favorite foods or smelling clean laundry, our senses allow us to fully experience life. When we suddenly lose one or two of those senses, it can be quite destabilizing and unsettling. I remember biting into a piece of ravioli pasta a month ago and being utterly confused as to why I was met not with the familiar cheesy and tomatoey flavor, but rather a mushy, starchy, flavorless cloud of nothing. Figuring the ravioli was just off that day, I shrugged and tried bits of the rest of my lunch only to be continuously met with no flavor. I tried gurgling some Listerine mouthwash, knowing its strong, chemical taste couldn’t possibly be missed, only to feel like I was gurgling water. From that meal up to a month later, eating — something that’s always brought comfort and joy to my life — has become an upsetting experience that’s affected my mental and physical health in ways I didn’t expect. Smelling and tasting is a fundamental way through which we connect with the world and people around us. When that ability to smell and taste is all of a sudden lost, I’ve noticed that the world becomes a little duller and loses a bit of its color. The little sense of excitement I get whenever I pick up my favorite meals from the dining hall is met with disappointment when all I sense is a flavorless mixture of weird textures and mushiness. Walking outside and not being able to smell the earthy scents of an approaching spring or the aroma after it rains sucks small moments of joy out of everyday life. It can feel isolating at times; like I’m living behind a wall through which I can see the world but can’t fully experience it. It’s like when a word is on the tip of your tongue but you just can’t retrieve it: I know what the pizza on the plate in front of me is supposed to smell and taste like, but I just can’t reach it. It’s affected my mood and my appetite as well, as the amount that I eat has decreased significantly within the past month. I don’t eat until my stomach is begging me to because I don’t have much of an appetite. Eating food has become something done out of pure biological necessity rather than enjoyment and pleasure.
Granted, it’s only been around a month since I lost my smell and taste, and I’m incredibly lucky to only have these symptoms to deal with unlike the millions of people who have had to be hospitalized, put on ventilators or lost their lives due to COVID. I am not someone who likes drawing attention to myself (this is the same person who once got up and walked after tearing my ACL because “I didn’t want to worry anyone”), but I have to say that the way someone experiences life is altered when two of their five senses disappear out of nowhere, and the effects on my mental, emotional and physical health are hard to ignore. The past month has made me realize how important smell and taste are to our everyday lives. We don’t pay much attention to them, but — like most of the “little things” in life — it’s certainly something you notice when it’s gone. Hopefully, my taste and smell will return soon. Meanwhile, I’ll end by encouraging you to get vaccinated (I’ll direct you to fellow columnist Clark’s piece) and help bring this virus, the loss of life and the physical, mental, emotional, economic and social detriment it has had on our country and the world to an end.
Megumi Tamura is a first-year in the Gateway Program. She is originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey and enjoys going to museums, watching political debates and eating Jersey bagels. She can be reached at mtamura@nd.edu or @megtamura on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Honored, humbled and ready to serve Dear friends, After more than a year in the pandemic, this spring is marked with an air of hope. Alongside the sunny days and vaccine rollout, it seems like we are on the road back to “normal.” As we look ahead to the future, it is certainly important to reflect on the difficult challenges we have faced in the past year. In our nation, we have witnessed strong recent reactions to racial injustice towards the Black and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and increased tensions alongside a divisive election. Here at Notre Dame, we have lost three beloved members of our community: Olivia, Valeria and Jude. In the midst of this and the pandemic, we have also faced an intense mental health crisis. Yet some of the best leadership is forged in the crucible of difficulty. We owe a great deal of gratitude to Rachel, Sarah and Aaron for their adaptability and leadership during these uncertain times. In the unique circumstances we faced, they selflessly and wholeheartedly served the student body. Their service over the past year serves as both an inspiration and a motivation for us, and we thank them for everything they have done. Last night, as the 2021-2022 student senate convened for the first time, we took our oath of office and
had our executive cabinet confirmed. We are honored that the student body entrusted us with these roles and are eager to be in service. As we assume our new responsibilities, we want to assure you that we are here for you, the students. We invite you to reach out to us should you need anything at all. We are hopeful for the year to come, not only because of all the goals we have laid out, but also because we will emerge stronger than ever from this incredibly difficult year. As Notre Dame continues its mission to fight for the common good, we will continue the mission of student government, which is to serve that good on behalf of the student body. Looking forward, we hope to start working right away to build a better Notre Dame. Our campaign was focused on getting students the support they need and deserve — ensuring holistic health and well-being, standing in solidarity with the marginalized and bridging the gaps in our community. In our term, we aim to fight for an equitable academic environment, mental and sexual health resources, greater accessibility, sensitivity for difficult financial circumstances, transparency from the administration, a greener campus and more. Before this semester ends, we look forward to a possible Student Voice Summit to hear student concerns and recognize student agency in decisions related to
campus policy and programs. We also look forward to crafting educational resources for our campus’ sexual health through partnerships with student organizations. In the midst of this, we want to be as transparent as possible, so we look forward to establishing a student government newsletter to keep the campus community up to date on student union affairs. On this Friday of the Octave of Easter, we take inspiration from today’s psalm: “O Lord, grant salvation! O Lord, grant prosperity!” In the year to come, we know that this community will experience both salvation and prosperity, and that you can guide us as we traverse whatever challenges may also arise. There is no way to anticipate what lies ahead, but we will weather it together as the Fighting Irish. The sunshine and flowering trees all over campus remind us of the beauty of Our Lady’s University. We are honored, humbled and ready to serve. Love thee, Allan Njomo student body president Matthew Bisner student body vice president Alix Basden chief of staff April 8
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The observer | Friday, April 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Mind-war Margaret Beuter Show Some Skin
I once heard a homily about a man who was instructed by his therapist to sit in the middle of an empt y room — alone. For a full hour. No music, no sounds, no movements, no one to accompany him. Just him and his mind, sitting. This may sound nice at first — I, for one, find myself say ing, “I w ish I could just sit and do nothing” any time I feel over whelmed by the ludicrous amount of things on my to-do list. But for a full hour?! In broad daylight? This man wasn’t even allowed to nap. After a few minutes, he started to get an x ious. He eventually caved into his discomfort and turned on music. W hen he reported back to his therapist on his hour-long agony, he was told that he had failed. He had jumped immediately to a distraction, something to tune out the thoughts that he habitually shoved away. They had come crawling back, and there was nothing he could do to halt the tide. Angr y thoughts, sad thoughts, selfloathing thoughts. A ll the messages our minds send us that we w ish would remain at a healthy distance. Or at least what we think is a healthy distance. For me, that distance from self-loathing thoughts — or, as many people refer to it, “negative self-talk” — was eliminated in high school. Ever y time I was alone driv ing myself to and from school, alone at my desk doing homework, alone eating at the dinner table — my mind abruptly began yelling at me. W HY CAN’T YOU JUST CHEW AND SWALLOW LIKE A NORM AL PERSON? FINISH YOUR DAMN DINNER. W HY DID YOU SAY TH AT AT LUNCH? NO ONE THINKS YOU’RE FUNNY. YOU KNOW TH AT THEY’RE ALL PL ANNING
TO H ANG OUT W ITHOUT YOU L ATER. SHE TALKED BEHIND YOUR BACK AND SAID YOU H AVE A STICK UP YOUR ASS. IS TH AT W H AT EVERYONE SEES W HEN THEY LOOK AT YOU? LIKE ALWAYS, YOU’RE OSTR ACIZED. DISPL ACED. FROM YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR BODY, YOUR OW N MIND. W HY WOULD AN YONE WANT YOU AROUND, ANY WAY. I was so utterly, perpetually intimate w ith these screaming thoughts that I couldn’t see around them any more. They defined my sight. Any where I went, they insisted on follow ing. I started to understand why the man from the homily was so antsy, so quick to distance himself from his frightening mind. Somebody in my Show Some Skin small group performed a monologue about an x iet y and panic attacks, and it has a line that reads, “...it leaves me scared of myself, scared of my brain. I’m literally fighting w ith myself.” W hen I heard this line at our first readthrough, I was yanked back into that space of screaming, self-loathing thoughts. Not only did they trail me like a loyal pet, they transformed me into a being constantly afraid of herself. A lways at war, just not v isibly. As Brandi Carlile (a musician I dearly love) sings, “My mind and spirit are at odds sometimes.” My spirit claimed that I was loved. My mind claimed that I was not. My thoughts yelled that I was a fool, laughable and always DISPL ACED. UNSETTLED. I would cr y, I would tr y to take big deep breaths (which never really worked), I would w rite in my journal. But all that time, I was expecting that these practices would silence the negative self-talk. That the self-loathing thoughts would be ex iled to a place so far that
their relentless mocker y was simply out of earshot. This is not what we should hope for. These thoughts w ill inev itably come, whether they’re self-loathing, angr y or sad. W hatever they are, to whomever they speak. They w ill remain. I’m sure the man alone in the room can attest to that. These days, though, I am not tethered to these thoughts. They still yell at me from time to time, but I can finish my dinner w ithout their criticism. I can ex ist in social settings w ithout them second-guessing ever y move I make. I can recall that there are reasons why I am a HUM AN and deser ve both self-love and the love of others. Not because the thoughts are silenced, but because I acknowledge them and (tr y, at least) to let them pass in peace. Negative self-talk is a common human experience. As it once was for me, it can be consuming, the only means of sight. If it is consuming for you, muster up all the courage you have and tell somebody. That is what helped me regain my sense of self, and I am no longer waging a constant war w ith my mind. If you feel as though there is no one to tell, tell a stranger. We all understand because we have all felt displaced. We have all felt bombarded by our screaming thoughts at one point or another. We can’t always halt their tide, but we can attempt to let them pass. Margaret Beuter is a part of this year’s Show Some Skin. Show Some Skin is a student-run initiative committed to giving voice to unspoken narratives about identity and difference. Using the art of storytelling as a catalyst for positive social change across campus, we seek to make Notre Dame a more open and welcoming place for all. If you are interested in breaking the silence and getting involved with Show Some Skin, email s.someskin@gmail.com The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Do more than denounce Antisemitism is on the rise in America. A recent Anti-Defamation League (ADL) survey found that 63% of American Jews had experienced or witnessed antisemitism over the past five years — a 10% increase since last year’s poll. And Tuesday night, antisemitism made a horrific appearance on Notre Dame’s campus, at an event hosted by the Jewish Club at Notre Dame. An unknown group of people Zoombombed the meeting, sharing lewd content and harassing event organizers — one of the individuals who tried to disrupt the event even had a swastika as their profile picture. While club leaders believe these individuals are not associated with the University, the Notre Dame administration nonetheless launched an investigation into this hateful act — a good first step toward ensuring antisemitism and bigotry continue to have no place in our community. But the events of Tuesday night tell us something bigger than just the fact that Zoombombers are still thriving. Tuesday’s meeting was meant to be a safe space for the Jewish community here at Notre Dame during Antisemitism Awareness Week — a community that is a minority on our campus. But instead, it was violated by internet trolls looking to inf lict psychological and emotional harm upon our fellow students. Tuesday night should serve as a reminder that it’s still on all of us to stand up for marginalized communities; it’s still on us to be active allies for justice. Our tri-campus is primarily white and
overwhelmingly Catholic — this is a fact. And not in spite of, but because of this integral part of our schools’ identity, we must work to make this a place where other faith communities can also thrive. As a predominantly white institution, Notre Dame, specifically, owes its minority students safe spaces where they can thrive without fear of harassment. Because our tri-campus tends towards homogeneity, it’s on each of us — students, faculty, employees, alumni — to keep this responsibility to each other in mind and work to create spaces for all people to live their truth. It’s on each member of the tri-campus community to shut down offensive jokes and challenge injustices. It’s on each of us to educate ourselves so we can recognize blatant hate, structural disadvantages, microaggressions and ignorance. In a world that is growing increasingly disconnected — be it by a pandemic, extremism, inequality — we must be more intentional in connecting to the life experiences of those around us. Listen to those who are directly affected by bigotry and the actions it begets. Check in on your Jewish friends — and the African American, Hispanic and Latino, Asian American, LGBTQ, disabled, low-income people that surround you as well. But don’t only check in when an unfortunate event happens; rather, try to be proactive. Pay attention to the different ways in which they experience this world, and use those lessons to nurture safer and stronger communities today, so that we can look to the future with hope for better days for all people, not just privileged majorities. The creation of safe spaces specifically for our
Jewish community at Notre Dame should not be limited to the social sphere, either. The University can cultivate a more diverse and inclusive campus by extending these opportunities to its academic programming. Currently, there are three Jewish Studies positions under the theology department. Yet a tangible undergraduate program, concentration, minor or major in Jewish Studies does not exist. Allowing students to study this subject would not only enable important discussions, but also connect with Jewish scholars on campus. In a university guided by a mission to foster solidarity, implementing these academic opportunities would breed greater understanding and tolerance. At The Observer, we hope to be a safe space for the tri-campus community and work to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups. Letters to the Editor are a form of expression available to anyone, and our Viewpoint department works especially hard to share the opinions of each student, professor and alumni of the tri-campus who wishes to do so. Our News department is always looking for stories we should be sharing with the greater community and striving to learn how we can serve our tri-campus better — if you have any tips, we are here and happy to listen. We can wish and pray all we’d like for a more secure and more diverse community, but it’s our responsibility to help create that community. Each of us needs to work to not only condemn bigotry in the strongest possible terms, but also to actively create and cultivate safe spaces for those around us and to advocate for larger, more structural safe spaces within our campus communities. A better future demands it from us.
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The observer | Friday, april 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By RYAN ISRAEL and MARIAH RUSH Senior Scene Writers
Someone’s died. You’re not really sure who. A fourth cousin? A family friend twice removed? It’s probably a great-great-great-someone, that’s for sure. The thing is, it doesn’t really matter. Your parents, who dragged you unwillingly with the authority of some moral high ground, force you through the doors, and you’re faced with the familiar anxiety of navigating conversations with every relative, work friend, neighbor and long-time dentist that your parents have ever known. They’re conversations you wish ended before they even began, with questions ranging from, “What are you doing with your life?” and “Have you found a job yet?” to the inevitable “Are you seeing anyone?” and those unfortunate offhand comments about your looks — “Wow, have you been eating (enough, everything in sight, etc.)?” Typically, you find a way through — muddling around conversations, playing nice, taking any opportunity to get out of the fray of people and eventually leaving the tragic (on multiple levels) event unscathed. Director and writer Emma Seligman’s debut feature film, “Shiva Baby,” takes this all-too-relatable situation and throws in a few major and maybe unrelatable complications. What if the sugar daddy you were semi-conning shows up with his wife and baby (both of whom you were completely unaware of until now) and your parents decide to talk to them? And your ex-girlfriend’s there.
By JUSTIN GEORGE Scene Writer
David Prior’s “The Empty Man” hit theaters in October 2020 and despite being a film by 20th Century, it received no advertising or fanfare whatsoever, which naturally resulted in the film having a remarkably short theatrical run. There is no logical explanation as to why the film is relevant today. However, “The Empty Man” has been given new life due to the advent of streaming services and has achieved a kind of underground cult status amongst fans of the horror genre. “The Empty Man” features a plot that twists and turns its way across a runtime of just under two and a half hours. The film centers on James (James Badge Dale), an ex-cop who is trying to solve the mystery of a girl’s disappearance. What starts as a rather standard missing person case quickly becomes a multiple homicide that is related to an urban legend, which James soon discovers is also related to a full-blown cult conspiracy. The cult in question is attempting to summon a supernatural being — the titular Empty Man. There’s not much else I can tell you about the film without ruining the experience, and I think it’s best to go in knowing as little about the plot as possible. My favorite part of “The Empty Man” is the part of the
Also, you still don’t know what you’re doing after your impending graduation and may have told a few white lies that you do know what you’re doing. The unfortunate soul in this terrifying situation is Danielle, excellently played by comedian, actress and Twitter personality Rachel Sennott. As a character, Danielle is dynamic and engaging, a spot-on depiction of the “still figuring things out” twenty-something. She’s surrounded by loveable, witty and authentic characters — specifically, her parents — who she bounces off of, butts heads with and relies on throughout the film. In one particular scene that is sure to be thrown around the Twitter-sphere, Danielle is forced to defend her gender studies-esque major to the quickening, objectively anxiety-inducing, horror-movie score until she finally exclaims, “[Feminism] is not my career! It’s a lens!” Nearly all the action in the film takes place in a single location, making it feel like something of a bottle episode. The closed setting keeps everyone close and emphasizes the interaction between the characters, but it’s hard not to want to see these dynamic personalities in other situations. “Shiva Baby” could easily be the pilot-episode of a new, hour-long dramedy from HBO, and as we write this, they just announced that it kind of will be. The central emotion running through “Shiva Baby” is anxiety. The claustrophobia of the film creates a nail-biting tension and on-edge viewing experience akin to that of “Uncut Gems,” but in a more down-to-earth situation and, with it being a Shiva and all, more Jewish characters.
The anxiety is heightened by Ariel Marx’s score, which is reminiscent of horror films in its use of dramatic, building strings and complemented by Seligman’s humorous writing, which features excellent comedic conversational dialogue and memorable lines. Digging up your own anxieties may not be the most relaxing of movie experiences, but there is something to be said for an independent film combining one of these writers’ (Guess who!) favorite “Glee” alumna (Dianna Agron, a real-life Russian Jew, beautifully playing the Shiksa wife of Danielle’s sugar daddy), as well as half of the other writer’s cultural identity and the overwhelming anxiety of being seniors about to be thrust into the real world. Maybe, at heart, we are all Shiva Babies being born into adulthood? Or maybe not. Maybe we all just have anxiety.
movie that presents the Empty Man as being an urban legend, such as Candyman or Bloody Mary, but with a grain of truth to the story. The rules are simple: If you blow an empty bottle on an empty bridge, the Empty Man will come. On the first night, you hear him. On the second night, you see him. On the third night, he finds you. This kind of classic urban legend storytelling gives the characters just enough information to wonder if there is any truth to it. Of course, as this is a horror film, someone risks it and kicks off the series of events that the film centers around. Despite its intimidating runtime and labyrinthine plot, “The Empty Man” never failed to keep me engaged. The film moves at a good clip and flows very well. The only time I was actively aware of a pacing issue was in the film’s opening prologue, which tells an entirely different story than the main portion of the movie, yet I feel it is a necessary component of “The Empty Man.” I feel that the film is justified in its runtime; so much happens over the course of the film that part of me wishes Prior had opted for a longer runtime and allowed the story to breathe a bit, embracing the sense of impending doom that the plot is imbued with. Prior’s direction is the real star of the show, taking a rather confounding plot and weaving it together in such a way that once the credits roll — after the film’s surreal
third act — the audience isn’t left baffled, but instead is given a sense of closure. Prior manages to answer all the right questions while also still leaving a few loose ends to maintain the mystery surrounding the events of the film’s plot. “The Empty Man” falls within the same investigative sub-genre of horror that “The Wicker Man” (1973), “A Cure for Wellness” and “Videodrome” and excels at capturing everything that makes these kinds of films so engaging. In a few years, I think “The Empty Man” will start to reach the status of a cult classic and gain the acclaim that it deserves. Seek out “The Empty Man” and strap in for a truly unique horror film you’ll be able to say you saw before it blew up.
Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu and Mariah Rush at mrush@nd.edu
“Shiva Baby” Starring: Rachel Sennott, Dianna Agron, Molly Gordon Director: Emma Seligman If you liked: “Happiest Season,” “Booksmart,” “Frances Ha”
Contact Justin George at jgeorge3@nd.edu
“The Empty Man” Starring: James Badge Dale, Marin Ireland Director: David Prior If you liked: “The Wicked Man” (1973), “A Cure for Wellness, “Se7en”
ELAINE PARK | The Observer
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The observer | Friday, april 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By LEXI KILCOIN Scene Writer
This past Easter may have been filled with unknowns, depending on if, how and where you celebrate it. But one thing no one was expecting was a gospel EP released by Justin Bieber. The “Boyfriend” singer posted a cryptic Instagram post on Easter, sending fans into a frenzy. Admittedly, I found the album while on my own search for new Christian music, and let me tell you, I literally dropped my jaw and let out the most exaggerated gasp ever. While I’ve never been a Belieber — and I mean I really don’t like his music — I do enjoy the vibe (and message) of “Freedom.” “Freedom” consists of six songs, each with their own unique tone thanks to a variety of featured artists such as Tori Kelly and Chandler Moore. It opens with “Freedom,” which starts off sounding like Drake’s “One Dance” with a fun, reggae tone. It transitions into a unique sounding refrain — “Freedom, don’t it feel good?” — leading into a bridge sung by Beam. “Freedom” is a great way to start off the album and introduces us to its overarching message of freedom through Jesus. “All She Wrote” has an R&B vibe with a “Give it all to God,” finding-purpose-in-life kind of message, while “Where You Go I Follow” reminds me of a more
By CLAIRE RAFFORD Senior Scene Writer
Before I even knew how to read, Beverly Cleary’s stories were an important part of my life. One of my earliest memories is of my mom reading me, “Ramona the Pest,” before bed. Night after night, I begged for “just one more chapter,” not wanting to abandon the world of Klickitat Street. Years later, once I could finally read, unencumbered by the limits of my parents’ time, I tore through the Ramona books, then the rest of Cleary’s body of work. Her novels quickly became my favorites, and I returned to them again and again. While I can credit any number of books and authors for my passion for reading (and the English degree I’ll hopefully be receiving in May), Cleary is the one who inspired me to love books the way I do today. Cleary, who died March 25 at the age of 104, managed to capture childhood in a way that is funny, yet moving; specific, yet timeless. She was inspired to write children’s books while she was working as a children’s librarian, when a young boy asked if she could find a book about kids “just like us.” Cleary decided to do just that, and built a legacy doing so. Her gift for capturing the humorous and tender sides of sisterhood, friendship and community is why she is hailed as one of the most important and accomplished authors of the 20th century.
“traditional” Christian song — like one we might hear from Hillsong United — with a direct devotion to Jesus as Bieber repeats, “There’s nobody like you, Jesus.” My favorite songs on the EP are “We’re In This Together” and “Where Do I Fit In.” “We’re in This Together” reminds me of NF’s songs — one of my favorite artists — with anecdotal lyrics and a soft rap style. The song even references the pandemic (which sounds so weird in a song but alas, it’s our reality) and I appreciated its relevance to the current state of the world. The outro is my favorite part of “We’re In This Together” because Bieber speaks to us in prayer form, which is very unique not only for him, but for many Christian songs in general. “Where Do I Fit In” is definitely my favorite song on the entire EP. It features Tori Kelly, Chandler Moore and Judah Smith. It’s a very gentle and peaceful song. I’m told by my friends that I like to listen to sad music, and while this isn’t a sad song, it definitely fits the vibe of driving with your windows down on a summer night with no worry in the world except for your next turn. Chandler Moore ends the song beautifully as he takes over with a “God-like” voice and encourages us that “It’ll be alright.” The album ends with “Afraid to Say,” which wakes us up from the calmness of “Where Do I Fit In” with its abrupt transition to of a strumming guitar. Its message is a perfect way to end this album, with Bieber asking
crucial questions like, “Can’t there be room for maturity?” and “Do we got the room to make mistakes?” It reminded me of his duet with Shawn Mendes in “Monster”, which holds a similar message. Overall, “Freedom” seems to be a new beginning for Bieber, as he is “freed” from his past self and blossoms into a higher level of maturity. I personally beliebe (sorry, I had to) that anyone can find value in this EP and the message that is layered underneath beautiful shifts in music and a variety of voices, all of which tie each song together in perfect harmony.
Undoubtedly, Cleary’s most popular works are the books centered around the eclectic, ever-hilarious Klickitat Street, which follow an ensemble cast of characters, including Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, Beezus Quimby and her imaginative, mischievous younger sister Ramona and a whole neighborhood of friends in suburban Portland. Two series, one which centers Henry and one which centers Ramona, endure the test of time, despite the old-fashioned language and references. While Cleary’s books capture a very specific experience — white, middle class families living in suburbia — there’s a universality to all of them, one that transcends dated references or language. Perhaps a different series would have been lost in its era, but Cleary’s characters, with their engaging, endearing personalities, stand the test of time and remain literary friends to book lovers over 60 years later. Cleary’s books do something that is both rare and beautiful — they validate the little joys of daily life alongside the struggles. Henry Huggins’ desire to buy a new bicycle gets an entire book in, “Henry and Beezus.” In contrast, “Dear Mr. Henshaw,” an epistolary novel where a young boy corresponds with his favorite author, addresses divorce, family struggles and bullying. Nothing is too small, too insignificant to matter to Cleary’s characters or readers — but she also doesn’t water down the trials of life. Instead, the two exist in tandem, laughter and tears together, because
children are resilient enough to handle these realities. The stories we love become part of us, and in many ways, Cleary’s characters reside in my memory like a dear friend, her stories entwined with my own memories as tenderly and intimately as family vacations and birthday parties. While I always related more to sensible older sister Beezus, I always wanted to be as carefree and imaginative as Ramona. I’ve never once squirted out an entire tube of toothpaste, like Ramona did, but hardly a day goes by when I don’t think about it while I’m brushing my teeth. When I was younger, I begged for a pair of shiny red rain boots just like Ramona’s — my parents said no, because it was impractical to buy rain boots in Arizona — so I made do with my grubby sneakers. Both now and then, Cleary’s stories inspired me to let my imagination run wild, ideas bleeding beyond the pages of her novels and into my life. Beverly Cleary once said, “If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it.” In doing just that, she showed the world that there’s a little bit of Ramona in every one of us, inspiring us to find the joy in stomping in puddles and riding bikes with streamers whipping in the wind. By writing stories for “ordinary children,” Cleary sparked a passion for reading that has lasted through generations, and her books will live on in the memories of those who have read and loved them.
Contact Lexi Kilcoin akilcoin01@saintmarys.edu
“Freedom” Justin Bieber Label: Def Jam Recordings Favorite Tracks: “We’re In This Together, Where Do I Fit In” If you like: NF, Kanye West (Jesus Is King), Lecrae
Contact Claire Rafford at crafford@nd.edu MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
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ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 9, 2021 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Mull over your objective, and strategize how best to reach your target. Refuse to let others interfere. Taking charge will be your best option this year if you want to change and live life your way. Don’t let anger set in when action is required. Let your success be your calling card. Your numbers are 7, 13, 18, 22, 30, 38, 45. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t be fooled by someone’s actions. Go directly to the source if you want to get the facts. You have more options than you think. Trust in your ability and judgment. Don’t limit what you can do. Speak up on your behalf. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Have patience. Offer an articulate explanation to ensure everyone understands what you are up against and how others can help. Choose your words carefully and maintain moderation moving forward. Don’t take a risk when dealing with health, investments or personal matters. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Mixed emotions will confuse you. Listen carefully, and discuss what’s expected of you before you take action. Making the right move will help you gain the support and respect of your friends and colleagues. A proposal will capture your attention. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Put greater emphasis on creativity and doing things your way. Give others the freedom to do as they please, and you’ll avoid interference. A financial matter will come with limitations. Think twice before you get involved in a joint venture. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Pay attention to what others need, and consider what you can offer. Your generosity can lead to trouble if you go overboard. Someone will take advantage of you if you are too accommodating. Choose personal gain over bailing out someone else. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll come up with a pretty good idea. Bring about a change that will encourage a better lifestyle. It’s up to you to make adjustments that offer greater freedom, less stress and a better future. Take better care of your health. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Refuse to let anyone push you in a direction you don’t want to go. Set your sights on what’s attainable, and channel your energy into bringing about positive change. Share your plans with someone you love and build a brighter future. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Use your imagination, and you’ll come up with an innovative plan that will improve the way you live and your relationship with someone special. Do the work yourself and stick to a strict budget to avoid financial stress. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Focus on self-improvement. Someone will create emotional confusion. Be careful not to jump to conclusions or take sides in a situation with lots of variables. Ask questions, and refuse to let anyone interfere in your personal affairs. Truth matters. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Look for a unique way to use your skills. Expand your knowledge. Incorporate new skills into your resume, but don’t pretend that you can do something you can’t. Being honest about your capabilities will lead to a better position. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You may desire change, but don’t let anyone fool you into thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Look inward and choose self-improvement projects. Improve your relationship with someone special. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Let your emotions, imagination and personal needs lead to positive change. Follow your heart and dreams, and connect with people who share your interests and concerns. Don’t waste time arguing with people heading in a different direction. Birthday Baby: You are enthusiastic, outspoken and persistent. You are genuine and playful.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports
The observer | Friday, april 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Baseball Continued from page 16
“I feel like every team we’ve played has been a top 20-type team,” he said. “I’m proud of the way we’ve played; we’ve overcome a lot to this point. We’ll continue to have to deal with some adversity I’m sure, but I’m proud of the way we go on the road.” Georgia Tech has also been a good road team to this point, sporting a 7-2 road record while just 7-8 on their home field. The Yellow Jackets have three players with more than 30 hits on the season, led by freshman catcher Kevin Parada with 39. Freshman infielder Drew Compton and junior infielder Luke Waddell also have more than 30 hits for Georgia Tech, and the trio of Parada, Compton and Waddell each have five home runs — top records on the team. The Yellow Jackets also have an ace in redshirt junior pitcher Andy Archer, who has an ERA of just 1.86. Notre Dame continues to be led by the quartet of senior outfielder Ryan Cole, junior infielder Carter Putz, senior infielder Jared Miller and senior infielder Niko Kavadas, all of whom are hitting over .300 this season. Kavadas leads the Irish with a whopping 11 home runs and 28 RBIs. Graduate student pitcher John Michael Bertrand, who already has one complete game to his name this season, has already pitched a teamhigh 41 innings for Notre Dame, with an ERA of 3.07. Graduate student pitcher Joe Sheridan will also likely take the mound for the Irish at some point this weekend. The homestand over the next few weeks will be critical for Notre Dame as they look to intensify their pursuit of a trip to the College World Series. When asked about the possibility of being one of the eight teams to make it to Omaha, Coach Jarrett was candid about how his team approaches this goal. “You know, we do [talk about Omaha],” Jarrett said. “Everybody has this discussion year-round, and I try not to harp on it because that’s the last thing that’s going to happen. If you don’t care of business in the game Friday, your chances of Omaha go down. So if that’s your focus, I think you’re looking way too far down the road to really be good.” Baseball America, a renowned baseball magazine, has projected Notre Dame as one of the teams that has the chance to claim a berth in the College World Series, and they will look to solidify this position in the coming weeks on their home field. Following Friday night’s 5 p.m. start, the Irish and the Yellow Jackets will play on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Games are open to a limited number of students or can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.Extra. Contact Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu
football
Way-too-early position breakdown: defensive tackle Observer Staff Report
While Notre Dame’s defense has a few more questions than they entered 2020 with, the Fighting Irish are bolstered by a pair of their top defenders returning at defensive tackle, making the position one of the strongest on that side of the ball. Last year, Notre Dame boasted an elite run defense, as they particularly showcased their abilities in regular season clashes against Clemson and North Carolina, holding well-regarded NFL Draft prospects Travis Etienne and Javonte Williams to a combined 56 yards on 29 carries. Their strong linebacker room and edge pressure was a massive contributing factor to this success, with the Irish’s own top draft prospects Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Ade Ogundeji terrorizing opposing offensive lines. This year, look for Notre Dame’s success to be centered on their strong foundation at defensive tackle, where fifth-years Kurt Hinish and Myron TagovailoaAmosa will make their presence felt. Throw in hybrid defensive end/defensive tackle sophomore Rylie Mills (previewed here in our defensive end breakdown), a bevy of other players who have produced in limited minutes over the course of their Notre Dame careers, plus one dynamic recruit, and Notre Dame is shaping up to be a force at defensive tackle in 2021.
2021 Depth Chart Fifth-year Kurt Hinish, fifth-year Myron TagovailoaAmosa, senior Jayson Ademilola, junior Jacob Lacey, junior Howard Cross, sophomore Rylie Mills, sophomore Aidan Keanaaina, freshman Gabriel Rubio.
Kurt Hinish Hinish elected to use his COVID-year of eligibility, returning for a fifth season with the Irish, and he’ll be a veteran leader on the interior defensive line. Hinish was an All-ACC Honorable Mention last season, and while he won’t be able to improve upon that honor given Notre Dame’s return to independence, he will look to improve his statistical output as one of the Irish’s top defensive returners. In his senior season, Hinish posted a career-high 19 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss in 12 games, bringing his career totals to 55 tackles and 14.5 TFL in 50
career games. A fringe draft prospect, almost certainly a Day Three selection if picked at all, Hinish has elected to push off his professional career for another season and will line up at nose guard once more for the Irish.
Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa Another fifth-year, Tagovailoa-Amosa is really only playing in his fourth full season, after missing much of his sophomore campaign with a broken foot. He posted 17 tackles — six for loss — as a key contributor on the defensive line last season, and he should be back in full force for 2021. Tagovailoa-Amosa is a ball magnet on defense, with three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble over his past two seasons, including a near touchdown return against Virginia in 2019. He also gets to the quarterback on occasion, recording 2.5 sacks and a pair of QB hits in the season. With less established talent on the edge, look for Tagovailoa-Amosa to be a bigger factor for the Irish in the pass-rush, while also tag-teaming with Hinish to strengthen Notre Dame’s customary stingy defense.
recently to garner significant playing time. Keanaaina and Cross have combined for just two career games, so the expectations are not particularly high for production there. But again, with a new defensive coordinator and a series of losses on that side of the ball, there’s opportunity for increased snaps, so they’ll be among the players to keep an eye on in the spring game as well. Then there’s the new guy on the block: Gabriel Rubio. Rubio was the fifth-best recruit in Notre Dame’s 2021 class, and one of just two additions to the defensive line. A top-10 prospect at DT, Rubio checks in as a fourstar, 6’5, 305-pound beast that could be an immediate impact player as a freshman. At just 17 years old, Rubio already looks smooth as a pass-rusher on film, and his violent play style makes him an intriguing addition to the Irish line. With a blend of talent and technique, Rubio is an exciting name to watch, and Irish fans may get a chance to watch him at the spring game, as the Missouri product enrolled early at Notre Dame.
Position Grades Other Key Players The Irish won’t have to solely rely on Hinish and Tagovailoa-Amosa, as they have a few other returning role players, along with some promising up-andcoming talent. Senior Jayson Ademilola has appeared in 28 games over three seasons, although only five in this past campaign. Ademilola has not ever been much of a pass-rushing threat, with only 0.5 career sacks, but he does have 5.5 tackles for loss to his name, along with three QB hits. Ademilola’s role in the upcoming spring game will be one to watch for whether Brian Kelly expects him to compete for a starting role, or at least key snaps off the bench. Junior Jacob Lacey is another potential contributor, after appearing in 18 games over his first two seasons with the Irish. After 13 tackles in 10 games as a freshman, Lacey was less impactful in his sophomore season, posting just four tackles in eight games. He recorded zero sacks or QB hits, and has just 2.5 TFL for his career. However, Lacey has an opportunity to move higher on the depth chart this season, but he’ll need to showcase more than he has
Emily DeFazio — Associate Sports Editor While we have strong talent returning in Hinish and Tagovailoa-Amosa, the fact that we added only two recruits to the defensive side of the ball this cycle does
not give much hope for an inf lux of new talent to bolster the position, or the defensive line in general. That being said, the hire of Marcus Freeman — who will undoubtedly be a breath of fresh air in the development of the defense — and the amount of experience in this position could prove to be a leg-up for the team. I think time will tell whether that leg will simply be one to stand on, or one that allows the program to push off towards bigger and better things. Regardless, the defensive tackle position should be one that remains relatively solid throughout the season.
Grade: AAidan Thomas — Sports Writer Overall, I anticipate this being a bit of a top-heav y position group for Notre Dame. I don’t doubt the abilities and production of Hinish and Tagovailoa-Amosa, but who’s stepping up behind them? My money is on Rubio to be a big name down the stretch for the Irish, but I’m honestly not used to relying on freshman to be big contributors. The questionable depth at the position keeps this from being an A grade, but should Notre Dame find some key role players to fill the gaps around Hinish and MTA, then this could be the strongest defensive position group for the Irish. For now, I’ll give them a cautiously optimistic B+.
Grade: B+
Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey looks to stop the run during Notre Dame’s 47-40 2OT win on Nov. 7 at Notre Dame Stadium.
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ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 9, 2021 | The Observer
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Sports Authority
The 40-yard dash is too hyped-up Matt Smith Sports Writer
The NFL is obsessed with speed. The 40-yard dash is the main event every year at the NFL Combine and at pro days, with fans, scouts, and players drooling over prospects who run between 4.2 and 4.4 seconds. Social media blows up over the potential emergence of the next Tyreek Hill or Chris Johnson, two speedsters that took over the league at wide receiver and running back, respectively. However, do these times even matter? Does having a fast 40-yard dash time actually translate to success in the NFL? These questions have come up recently as prospects prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Due to COV ID-19, the annual NFL Combine was canceled. Therefore, prospects have only been able to show off their athletic abilities at their pro days. Prospects have been posting remarkable 40-yard dash times, and many current NFL players have questioned how accurate these times are. Denver Broncos tight end Noah Fant tweeted that he should have declared for the draft this year so that his time would have been faster. Broncos teammate and defensive back Essang Bassey also joked about the times on Twitter, posting a GIF of Oprah handing out fast 40-yard dash times. An article from FiveThirtyEight determined that 87.6 percent of prospects post faster times at their pro days than at the NFL Combine, so we shouldn’t put too much emphasis on how fast prospects are running this year. Nevertheless, should we even care about these times in a normal year? The answer seems to be no. In the same article, FiveThirtyEight plotted 40-yard dash times and career receiving yards per route for wide receivers and concluded that “higher speed isn’t associated with higher on-field production.” Considering how players use their speed in the NFL, this conclusion makes sense. Players are not running in straight lines every single
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play. Wide receivers and running backs are constantly cutting, shifting, and juking to create separation from their defenders, and linebackers and defensive backs mimic these movements to keep up with them. They are constantly moving in multiple directions, not just one. Wide receivers are the most valuable if they can combine their precise routerunning with their speed, but this is much different than straight-line speed. Looking at the 40-yard dash times for statistical leaders from the 2020 NFL season also seems to support that these times do not directly lead to success in the league. Of the top ten leaders in rushing yards, none posted a time that was faster than 4.41 seconds at the NFL Combine. Lamar Jackson, the league’s ninth-leading rusher, claimed that he ran a 4.34, but that time has not been confirmed. Of the top ten leaders in receiving yards, only two ran faster than 4.40 seconds with Tyreek Hill at 4.29 seconds and D.K. Metcalf at 4.33 seconds. Hill’s time comes from his pro day rather than the NFL Combine, but I think it’s safe to say that his time is probably accurate based on how he burns past defensive backs on a weekly basis. Hill and Metcalf are both athletic freaks, and they should be considered outliers rather than the norm for the prototypical wide receiver. So while social media freaks out about Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore running his 40 in 4.29 seconds and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts posting a time of 4.44 seconds, just know that this does not automatically crown both as top-five players at their respective positions once they are drafted. I’m sure both of them will be extremely successful in the NFL. But this is due to the fact that Moore and Pitts are highly skilled, athletic players, not that they ran fast 40-yard dashes in their underwear. Contact Matt Smith at msmith88@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
An open letter to Major League Baseball Liam Coolican Sports Writer
Dear Major League Baseball, You’ve come a long way in recent years. Just a few short years ago, José Bautista created a minor scandal - and one of the most exciting moments in recent memory - when he f lipped his bat in celebration of a walk-off home run in the 2015 ALDS. It may not have been the first bat f lip, but it was certainly the most high profile, and it created a moment of reckoning for baseball. Even today, players are putting themselves in danger of getting drilled by a pitch - and possibly seriously hurt in the process - if they celebrate in a way the pitcher deems excessive. You have chosen the right path; the “Let the Kids Play” advertisements have served as a brilliant marketing technique and a way to normalize showing emotion in the game. However, the recent two-game suspension of Nick Castellanos shows there’s still a long way to go. On opening day, Castellanos f lipped his bat and skipped up the first baseline after launching an Opening-Day homer. In the following game, Cardinals pitcher Jake Woodford drilled him in the ribs with a 92 mile per hour heater. It is difficult to prove intent, and I like to think pitchers don’t intend to harm members of the opposing team, but it does appear that players get hit after a bat f lip more often than would be expected. After rounding the bases and scoring on a wild pitch, Castellanos stood up, f lexed in Woodford’s face, and appeared to yell “Let’s Go!” Then, Castellanos turned and attempted to walk back to the dugout, but Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina took exception and grabbed his neck. Both benches emptied, and there was the usual light pushing and shoving, but the umpires were able to restore order relatively quickly. Absurdly, Castellanos was the only player ejected from the contest, despite not initiating any physical
contact. To make matters worse, it was announced that he had been suspended for two games, but not before he hit another home run in the subsequent game, with another major bat f lip. The league’s statement cited his “aggressive actions” as the primary reason for the suspension, despite the fact that Molina grabbed his neck as he attempted to walk away. Instead of suspending a player whose only crime is showing a little emotion while he plays the game, maybe you should move towards addressing the problematic culture of retaliation in baseball. With pitchers throwing harder and harder, hitters shouldn’t have to be afraid that they will be intentionally hit with a projectile approaching 100 miles per hour if they violate the so-called unwritten rules of baseball. No one knows exactly what this metaphorical rulebook contains, but the main component appears to be “Don’t play with any sort of passion.” Some, like Castellanos, seem not to care, but others may simply avoid all controversy. We’ve seen some horrific injuries due to being hit by a pitchmost prominently Giancarlo Stanton’s facial fractures after being hit directly in the face. This prompted a number of players to begin wearing a faceguard attached to their helmets. It is daunting to stand just 60 feet, 6 inches away from a pitcher who can touch triple digits with his fastball, even without having to worry about if said fastball is going to be hurled directly at you. If you really wanted to “Let the Kids Play” as your advertisements claim, you wouldn’t suspend someone for doing just that, while looking the other way while pitchers attempt to do them harm. It goes without saying that the vast majority of HBPs are unintentional, and the point of this piece is not to claim that Woodford hit Castellanos on purpose. It is merely intended to point out the hypocrisy of claiming that you want players to show more passion while punishing those who do exactly that. A common reason for sports fans not
following baseball is that it is “boring.” The league undoubtedly knows this, and the aforementioned marketing campaigns target that demographic. But if you’re not willing to back it up by protecting the players who do as you ask, it is merely empty rhetoric. There is no easy way to deal with the problematic culture of retaliation. It is difficult, if not impossible, to prove intent. The best way forward in this regard is to promote a culture where showing passion is encouraged, rather than seen as unsportsmanlike. Obviously, there is a gray area between mere passion for the game and unsportsmanlike behavior. But if you continue to punish those who show emotion, it provides more ammunition to those who will continue to claim that celebrations like bat f lips are antithetical to the spirit of baseball. You still have time to remedy the situation. Castellanos has appealed his suspension, and you would be well advised to grant his appeal. A twogame suspension is not an especially lengthy punishment; the problem instead lies in its inconsistency with your supposed values. The desires of a sports fan today have shifted dramatically with the advent of social media. Today, the most popular athletes are those who produce highlight-worthy clips, rather than those who succeed quietly. Due in large part to this shift, baseball has lagged behind football and basketball in viewership. Players like Castellanos, who aren’t afraid to display their passion, and other up-and-coming, exuberant stars such as Ronald Acuna Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr., are how the league is going to attract and retain new baseball fans. It’s past time you recognize that. Sincerely, A concerned fan. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Please recycle The Observer.
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The observer | Friday, april 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Softball Continued from page 16
plate, junior outfielder Emma Clark stole her first of three bases of the day and eventually made it home off of a hit from graduate student Katie Marino. W MU quick ly responded w ith a home run in the top of the second; this would be their only score of the game. Freshman infielder Cassidy Grimm contributed t wo outs in the field, and a strikeout from Holloway ended Western Michigan’s at-bat. By the time the third rolled around, the score remained 1-1. In the top of the inning, two standout performances from Marino and graduate student infielder Chelsea Purcell prevented the Broncos from getting on the board again. Marino dove for the ball and rolled it to Purcell at second base to gain an out, while another div ing catch by Purcell ensured that the score was still tied heading into the Irish atbat. Despite Clark’s stealing second again, no one made it home that inning for Notre Dame. In the fourth inning, a second home run from Holloway put the Irish up 2-1. Purcell followed by faking a bunt to put her on first. During senior outfielder Abby Sweet’s atbat, Western Michigan’s attempt to get Purcell out proved futile after an overshot throw allowed her to steal second, and a double from Sweet quick ly sent her home to make the score 3-1. Sweet restarted her onbase streak after her prev ious one ended against Florida State. The fifth inning ser ved as the turning point for the Irish and the clima x of the game. Tidd took over in the circle, and the defensive side of play continued to be a force to be reckoned
M Lax Continued from page 16
on the year, which is good for the best in the country. This is the second time this season that Kavanagh has finished with nine points in goals and assists. The first was during the Irish 19-7 win over Robert Morris. This makes Kavanagh tied for the most in Notre Dame program history. Graduate student attack Will Yorke and junior attack Griffin Westlin also finished the day with four goals apiece. The Irish also dominated on the faceoff, winning 23of-32 at the dot, and the ground ball battle against the Orange, winning that battle by a 45-20 margin.
w ith, especially in the infield. The Irish made quick work of their opponent in the inning w ithout a score against them and only one hit from W MU. That was when the surge of runs for Notre Dame began. Sophomore outfielder Leea Hanks’s hit f lew over the third baseman, and a double from Tidd sent Marino home. The pitchers continued to prove their worth, as a bunt from Holloway surprised the Western Michigan defense and Hanks made it home. This did little to stop the momentum for Notre Dame. Holloway stole second, and a double from senior infielder Sarah Genz scored Tidd and Holloway. A single from Clark allowed Genz to advance from third after a serious bobble by W MU. By the end of the inning, the Irish were up 8-1; one more run would end the game, enacting the eight-run mercy rule. However, though the bases were loaded, a final out eliminated this possibilit y. In the sixth, Tidd remained in play after a pitch was returned directly to her hand by the Broncos batter. Both teams were quickly ousted at-bat, leading to the seventh and final inning. Ryan rounded out the game in the circle, coming off of a seven-run cushion for the team. She came in hot, and three consecutive outs, two of which were strikeouts, sealed the game and another Notre Dame win. Coming off of this victory, the Irish were set to host a home series against No. 18 Clemson this weekend. However, this game and Notre Dame’s later matchup with Loyola-Chicago have been cancelled out of an abundance of caution due to positive tests within the Notre Dame program. Therefore, their next contest is now slated to be Friday, Apr. 16 at home against Virginia.
With the win, head coach Kevin Corrigan is now tied for the most wins all-time at a single D1 school with 310 at Notre Dame. The Irish moved up in the polls with their victory over the weekend. They now sit at number four in the Inside Lacrosse rankings. Notre Dame will be back in action this Saturday at Arlotta Stadium against the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils. The Blue Devils are a perfect 10-0 on the season so far and 2-0 in ACC play. This past weekend, they beat then second-ranked North Carolina in overtime 12-11. Duke’s other ACC win on the season came against Syracuse, who they beat 15-14.
T&F Continued from page 16
nation. Head coach Matt Sparks discussed Wasserman’s training over the last several months. “It was her first ever completed 5K,” Sparks said. “She was a miler at Columbia, and we spent the last six months building her up towards more of a 5K runner, and it looks like it’s paid off.” Another highlight from the distance runners in that meet was freshman Oliv ia Markezich, who ran a 9:58.18 in the 3000 meter steeplechase in her outdoor track debut. That mark is currently the third best time in the nation. Sparks explained how the meet this weekend, along w ith the other meets this season, w ill ser ve as preparation for bigger meets dow n the road. “For the entire team, the regular season is a build up towards the conference and regional meets,” Sparks said. “We’re tr y ing to hit qualifiers to get to that first round of the NCA A Championship, which is the regional championship. W hen those kids hit those marks, we kind of tuck them away and focus on the postseason.” W hile some athletes who already have a top mark w ill not be competing in the near future, athletes on the bubble of making a certain mark w ill compete on a much more regular basis.
“Oliv ia Markezich won’t race for another couple of weeks,” Sparks said. “Yared won’t race for another month, as he probably preps for the 1500. Other events that maybe are still on the bubble for regional marks are still competing prett y regularly.” Sparks explained the group that w ill be traveling to Ole Miss this weekend. “This week, we w ill take about 30 athletes w ith us to Ole Miss w ith a lot of throwers and distance runners,” he said. Sparks also mentioned that the female heptathlon w ill be fun to watch this weekend. “The other unique thing that w ill go on at Ole Miss is the female heptathlon,” Sparks said. “[Freshman] Jadin O’Brien, who was fourth at the indoor championships, w ill not compete, as she still has some aches and pains from the indoor season. Our heptathletes w ill be competing, and they only compete in that event once or t w ice prior to the championship season. So it w ill be the debut for [freshmen] A laina Brady and Madison Schmidt in the heptathlon. We are really excited to see what they can do in their [outdoor heptathlon] debut.” A lthough O’Brien w ill not be competing this weekend, Sparks is looking for ward to seeing her in the outdoor season after a ver y successful indoor season. “She’s kind of a jack of all trades,” he said. “She’s prett y
good at all of [the events]. She ran 2:12 in the 800. She’s one of our top long jumpers, one of our top 800 meter runners, and she’s honestly one of our best shot putters, which is what allows her to be the top freshmen in the countr y in that event.” The throw ing squad is always strong for the Irish, and this year w ill be no different. Adding a group of graduate students in the outdoor season w ill help the Irish as well. Because the pandemic cancelled the outdoor track season last spring, there are lots of athletes that have extra eligibilit y. “We had a lot of success in the throws indoors with [senior] Rachel Tanczos as runner-up, and obviously she’s throwing outdoors for us,” Sparks said. “But then what makes the outdoor season a little more unique for our throws group is our graduate kids that are competing.” Sparks explained that this season will be tough for the throwers because there was no outdoor season last year. “The first couple of weeks we are kind of getting the rust off after two years of not doing outdoor track and field events,” Sparks said. “Now they’re getting back to their specialties. They’re just getting their outdoor track events back and figuring things out over the next month.” The meet will start on Friday, April 9 and conclude on Saturday, April 10. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu
Observer File Photo
Irish senior Yared Nuguse rounds a turn during the Meyo Invitational at the Loftus Sports Center on Feb. 2, 2019. Nuguse’s accolades list runs long, with multiple indivdual ACC and National Championship honors. The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
wanted Blackburn & Green, Attorneys for Injured People is seeking to hire a PART-TIME LEGAL ASSISTANT to work less than 30 hours per week for their South Bend/Mishawaka office. The candidate would be working
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The observer | Friday, april 9, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd Track & field
Men’s lacrosse | nD 18, syracuse 11
ND tops ’Cuse, eyes No. 1 Duke Observer Staff Report
Notre Dame men’s lacrosse made a statement this past weekend at the Carrier Dome with a resounding 18-11 victory over No. 4 Syracuse. The Irish (6-1, 2-1 ACC) looked like they were in trouble early on, with Orange (4-3, 1-2 ACC) taking a 6-2 lead in the second quarter. Although the Irish attack was nearly non-existent for the first part of the game, the offense took off for the rest of the game. In the second quarter, the Irish rattled off a 5-0 run in a span of less than five minutes to take a 7-6 lead midway through the second quarter. W hile Syracuse was able to score two goals quickly and regain the lead, the Irish finished the half on a high note by scoring four consecutive goals to take an 11-8 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, the
Irish came out of the gates strong to take a commanding 14-8 lead over the Orange. The Orange showed that they were not going down without a fight, however, as they scored three consecutive goals of their own to end the quarter and cut the lead to 14-11 at the end of the third quarter. The Irish owned the fourth quarter in this one. They scored four goals quickly to start the quarter and take an 18-11 lead. The defense then held the Orange scoreless for the remainder of the quarter to secure the top-five win for the Irish. W hile the Irish had goal contributions from eight different players, sophomore attack Pat Kavanagh led the way. Kavanagh finished the day with nine points off of four goals and five assists. Kavanagh now has 26 assists see M LAX PAGE 14
Squad looks to hit marks for postseason at Ole Miss By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer
Track and field will be back in action this weekend with a group of athletes heading down to the Joe Walker Invitation at the University of Mississippi. The outdoor track season started off well for the Irish a couple of weeks ago with their first outdoor meet at North Carolina State University. At that meet, the distance squads competed well, with senior Yared Nuguse running a 13:40.62 in the 5000 meters, which was the best in the nation at the time. Another highlight from North Carolina State was graduate student Katie Wasserman, who transferred from Columbia University. Wasserman ran a 15:33.35 in the 5000 meter race, which is still the best time in the see T&F PAGE 14
Irish crush Broncos, earn 10th-straight home win Observer Staff Report
see SOFTBALL PAGE 14
Irish senior Yared Nuguse leans to finish the Meyo Mile during the Meyo Invitational on Feb. 8, 2020 at Loftus Sports Center.
Baseball
nd softball | nD 8, Wmu 1
The Notre Dame softball team earned their tenthstraight v ictor y at home Wednesday night in an 8-1 triumph over Western Michigan. This w in comes off of a four-game losing streak against Florida State over the weekend. Over the course of the game, Notre Dame (18-12, 10-10 ACC) forced four errors from Western Michigan (818, 4-9 ACC) and had 13 hits compared to W MU’s five. It was the pitching staff that proved themselves to be especially v ital in this matchup, both in the circle and at the plate. Senior pitcher A lex is Holloway, junior pitcher Pay ton Tidd, and senior pitcher Morgan Ryan all contributed to limiting the Broncos to one run the entire game. In the first inning, W MU was unable to score. W hen the Irish stepped up to the
Observer File Photo
Home stand to begin with GT By JAMISON COOK Sports Writer
ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Irish graduate student second baseman Katie Marino steps up to the plate during Notre Dame’s 8-0 win over IUPUI Apr. 3, 2019.
The Notre Dame men’s baseball team has done nothing but win on the road so far this season, and that trend continued with last weekend’s series victory over 17th-ranked Pitt. The series win over Pitt kept Notre Dame a perfect four-for-four in road series this season. The Irish (13-5, 12-4 ACC) will now finally get an extended stay at home, starting with a top 15 matchup this weekend against No. 14 Georgia Tech (14-10, 11-7 ACC). It is the third-straight series against a ranked opponent for Head Coach Link Jarrett’s team. Both teams are ranked as high as 12th nationally, but Notre Dame is on the rise while Georgia Tech is trending in the opposite direction. The Irish, who have not lost a series at home either, continue to climb in the national rankings. The Yellow Jackets, on the other hand, were once ranked as high as sixth in the country. They now find themselves in
the 12 to 15 range, depending on the national poll. Georgia Tech has lost three of their last four games, including a series losses to Virginia and an independent loss to USC Upstate most recently April 6. Heading into the series, both teams sit in second place on their respective sides of the ACC, giving the matchup some big conference implications. This weekend’s series, opening with the first pitch on Friday, April 9 at 5 p.m., will begin an eight-game home stand for Notre Dame. In fact, 15 of the next 19 games for the Irish will be played at Frank Eck Stadium, and they do not travel again until the weekend of April 23 when they visit Boston College. This is a far different story than what Notre Dame has seen so far, as 12 of their first 18 games have been on the road. Three out of their four road series have been against ranked teams, and Coach Jarrett acknowledged the fight his team has shown despite a lot of adversity. see BASEBALL PAGE 12
