Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, January 26, 2022

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Volume 56, Issue 40 | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Remick Family Hall opens New building will serve University’s educational mission and student needs

By ANNEMARIE FOY News Writer

Remick Family Hall, the new home of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI) and the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), opened its doors in December 2021 after two years of construction.

The Observer spoke with Jamie LaCourt, project manager and architect for the University’s Facilities Design and Operations and took a tour of the building with Theo Helm, director of

communications for IEI and ACE, to learn more about Remick Family Hall’s history and the role it will play on campus.

Serving educational initiatives

IEI was founded in 1996 to house ACE and other educational initiatives. IEI now also houses the Education, Schooling, and Society (ESS) major and minor and the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child.

“IEI is the home of Notre Dame’s K-12 educational work,” Helm said.

Every summer, hundreds of teachers and administrators come to campus and take classes for two programs, the ACE Teaching Fellows and the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program.

The University needed more space to allow the programs to continue growing, LaCourt said.

“ACE has a long history of being very entrepreneurial and with that has come great growth,” LaCourt said.

Aside from the classroom need, ACE and IEI “wanted to have a space dedicated for student use,” Helm said.

Justice Barrett to speak on courts Observer Staff Report

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice A my Coney Barrett w ill return to Notre Dame to deliver the key note address at the Notre Dame Law Rev iew’s 2022 Federal Courts Sy mposium on Feb. 14, according to a Monday Universit y press release.

The lecture w ill be held in the McCartan Courtroom

Associate News Editor

A Notre Dame histor y course offers students an opportunit y to train in the field of oral histor y as part of a Universit y-sponsored project to chronicle life on campus during the COVID-19

NEWS PAGE 3

ACE’s former home in Carole Sandner Hall.

“We are very grateful to Mary Ann and Jack Remick,” Helm said.

Observer Staff Report

Remick Family Hall is located on the north side of campus, between the Main Building and Lewis Hall. This region of campus is known as the University’s French Quarter because buildings here are constructed in the Second Empire Style, which LaCourt described as “an American interpretation of French

Campaigns for the student body government elections began Tuesday after t wo tickets received the 700 signatures required for placement on the ballot and thus to enter the race.

The follow ing tickets were announced for president and v ice president, respectively: junior Sierra Stinson and sophomore Dane Sherman; and junior Patrick Lee and sophomore Sofia Stitt.

(Editor’s Note: Sherman is

see REMICK PAGE 5

see ELECTION PAGE 4

Traditional exterior, modern interior

Stanford presents ‘The Notre Dame Bachelor’

at the Law School at 12:30 p.m. Only law students, students in the Constitutional Studies program and media members w ill be allowed to attend the speech in person due to limited seating in the courtroom.

Barrett, who graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 1997 and later ser ved as a facult y member see BARRETT PAGE 4

Course archives pandemic era

By RYAN PETERS

Remick Commons used to serve that purpose, but it could be reserved for events and dinners so it wasn’t always available for students.

In addition, ACE and IEI sought collaboration space for “people — students and staff — to come together formally or informally,” Helm said.

The Remick family, Jack (’59) and Mary Ann Remick are “super supportive of ACE,” Helm said. Aside from the new Remick Family Hall, Mary Ann Remick has endowed the Leadership Program and funded Remick Commons,

Election tickets posted

pandemic.

The course, titled “Chronicling COVID: Oral Histories of the Pandemic at Notre Dame,” meets once a week and culminates w ith a final project in which students put to use see HISTORY PAGE 4

viewpoint PAGE 7

MAGGIE EASTLAND | The Observer

Giovanni Ghilotti, a Stanford Hall sophomore will star in “The Notre Dame Bachelor: A Made for TV Event.” The residential hall will raise funds for sexual violence prevention through the event.

By REYNA LIM News Writer

Stanford Hall is in the process of filming its production “The Notre Dame Bachelor: A Made for T V Event,” inspired by the hit dating show “The Bachelor.”

The production stars Giovanni Ghilotti as its lead and is directed by Eric Hubert y and Joel Mandell.

A ll proceeds from the event

scene PAGE 9

w ill go to sexual v iolence prevention, Stanford Hall’s social media says.

The original “The Bachelor” first debuted on the ABC Net work in 2002, and has grow n into a consistent success and was recently approved for its t went y-sixth season w ith various spin-off versions.

In the original series, an eligible bachelor is selected to be the lead of the season,

Swim and dive PAGE 13

and is able to date multiple women over the course of several weeks in an attempt to find, as the show claims, “true love.”

Ghilotti, the Notre Dame Bachelor, was initially hesitant to participate in the production.

“I am honestly not a huge fan of dating shows, which is ironic,” he said. “I was see BACHELOR PAGE 4

mens basketball PAGE 16

2

TODAY

The observer | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

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What is the best color of the rainbow?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Madison Wagner

Jack Corrao

junior Pasquerilla West Hall

first-year Dillon Hall

“Blue.”

“Fuschia.”

Sam Kaczor

Tricia McCormack

first-year Dillon Hall

sophomore Flaherty Hall

“Brown.”

“Violet.”

(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com

Ryan Campbell

Irene McNeils

Editor-in-Chief

junior Dillon Hall

junior Pasquerilla West Hall

“All of them.”

“Purple.”

Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez Managing Editor Evan McKenna Asst. Managing Editor: Isabella Volmert Asst. Managing Editor: Colin Capece Asst. Managing Editor: Nelisha Silva Notre Dame News Editor: Saint Mary’s News Editor: Viewpoint Editor: Sports Editor: Scene Editor: Photo Editor: Graphics Editor: Social Media Editor: Advertising Manager: Ad Design Manager: Systems Administrator: Talent & Inclusion Manager:

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Today’s Staff News

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Maggie Eastland Isa Sheikh Bella Laufenberg

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RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Winter has arrived in Northern Indiana, and Notre Dame has been getting a lot of snow. Campus Safety warned students of expectionally cold weather in the coming days and advised everyone to dress warm, stay dry and avoid prolonged outdoor exposure.

The next Five days:

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Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Lecture: “Human Rights, Boycotts and the Olympics” Jenkins-Nanovic Halls 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Register online.

Theater: “Much Ado About Nothing” Washington Hall 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Tickets are available online.

Canvas Painting Lafortune Ballroom 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Join in replicating the featured painting of the night.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Robinson Community Learning Center 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

All are welcome.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. & noon Masks required. All are welcome.

Book Talk: “Life in Pixels” featuring Wendy Chun virtual 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Register to attend.

Lessons and Insights on Peace Webinar virtual 12:30 p.m. -2 p.m.

All are welcome, register to attend.

Mindfulness workshop Saint Liam Hall 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

All students are welcome.

KennyHoopla Legends 9 p.m.

Tickets are availble for ND, SMC and HCC students for free.

Basilica Liturgical Minister Training Basilica of the Sacred Heart 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Open to all.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | The Observer

3

Professors write “The Good Life Method” book

By ISA SHEIKH News Writer

After teaching thousands of students in the God and the Good Life (GGL) class over the course of more than six years, Professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko have decided to bring the message of that class to a wider audience.

This month, Penguin Press published their book, “The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through The Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning.”

The book seeks to make philosophy more accessible, by posing questions relevant to everyday life — questions that Sullivan and Blaschko believe can be answered by looking to philosophy.

“We ask questions like how much money do I need to earn to be happy? Do I owe my coworker an apology for that mean but honest email I sent her? Those look like ordinary navigating life questions.

But in fact, they’re questions about control and freedom and forgiveness and moral responsibility.

Having spent some time reflecting on philosophical questions can help you come up with better answers to then you just come up with on your own,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan, a professor of philosophy and the director of Notre Dame’s Institute of Advanced Study, recalled answering a phone call in March 2019 while giving a speech at Massachusetts Institute of Technology based on her first book, “Time Biases.”

“I had been noticing that when we started teaching God and the Good Life, it started getting attention as an interesting way of teaching philosophy and I would get all of these invitations to give one-off, GGL-style talks at other universities to adult groups who just realized they wanted to talk about philosophy, but didn’t know where to start,” Sullivan said.

The phone call, from a Penguin editor, urged Sullivan to expand the conversation beyond the Notre Dame undergraduates who could

take the class by means of a book.

She pitched the idea to Blaschko, an assistant teaching professor of philosophy, who worked with Sullivan on developing the course when he was a graduate student. Blaschko signed on, and the two began writing the book together. The process began with hours spent working together at Starbucks before the pandemic and moved to Zoom meetings and outdoor walks on campus during the pandemic.

The book, divided into two parts, resembles the GGL class in many ways. “The structure of [the book] is fairly similar to the structure of the course,” Blaschko said. The first part is called “The Good Life.”

“We do a basic introduction to virtue ethics, and talk about a couple of particular areas of everyday life that we think readers will be interested in with an eye toward identifying virtues in those areas,” Blaschko said.

The second part is called “God and the Good Life.” “This is where we take on some of the bigger, deeper existential questions about faith, suffering, meaning and death,” Blaschko said.

Writing the book over the course of the past few years has changed the authors’ perspectives towards the GGL method in certain ways.

“The way we teach the class is significantly better now,” Sullivan said.

For example, the book doesn’t mention Immanuel Kant except in the introduction while describing exactly the Philosophy 101 approach that represents everything that GGL is not.

“It seems bad to teach [Introduction to Philosophy] without going into Immanuel Kant.

You should know about Immanuel Kant. We realized in the course of writing the book that intellectually Immanuel Kant is an interesting philosopher, but if he just doesn’t speak to the questions we face in our lives, he just doesn’t,” Sullivan said.

Courtesy of Barbara Johnston

Philosophy professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko, authors of the newly published “The Good Life Method: Reasoning Throught The Big Questions of Happiness, Faith, and Meaning.”

This approach led Sullivan and Blaschko to emphasize some voices that might not play a part in a standard introduction to philosophy.

“Iris Murdoch has awesome ideas about love and trying to become a better person by paying attention to other people. We find her really moving, and we have added more of those kinds of discussions to the class and maybe had a bit more courage to wonder about whether we’ve learned the right way to teach those famous dead philosophers,” Sullivan said.

In the process of writing the book, Blaschko and Sullivan did the apology assignment they’ve assigned in the class each semester. “[We’ve] been giving out the philosophical apology assignment to thousands of students. But we had never made ourselves sit down and write one for our lives, with our families and our moral puzzles.

And we did it for the book, which includes sections of each of our apologies. And that was profound,” Sullivan said. “We realized it’s way harder than we thought it was when we were just grading them,”

she added.

Blaschko talked about meeting students and readers where they are.

“We see our job as teachers of philosophy as making the most relevant, wisest ideas accessible,” he said, “Oftentimes that conversation is just hidden behind translations and different versions of texts and systems and whatever else.”

Blaschko said he believes that once a person has tools to cut through those distractions, the effect is transformative.

“To read through the chapter on work, for instance, and to see Aristotle, Karl Marx and Josef Pieper have something to say to me about burnout. And the way that actually comes up in my life,” he said.

Both Blaschko and Sullivan see “The Good Life Method” as emerging uniquely at Notre Dame.

“Part of this is informed by my upbringing as a Catholic and being in a Catholic environment.

Philosophy for Catholicism is just like an operating system, right? You’re constantly questioning and trying to figure out what

the reasoning is behind beliefs that you have,” Blaschko said.

“This book would look totally different if we tried to write it at a different University,” Sullivan said.

“It would not be nearly as funny,” Sullivan added, referencing a class discussion about whether CrossFit is a religion that appears in the sixth chapter.

“We got to have so many conversations with our students at Notre Dame. And they gave us so many good ideas and insights and options,” Sullivan said. “We’re incredibly grateful that I’ve had these students at Notre Dame and our colleagues here who have been willing to talk about this with us and understand why we cared so much about it.”

“One of the best parts about the class for me is this community. Building this community of dialogue with our students. To be able to open up that community is one of the coolest parts about the book,” Blaschko said.

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu

University encourages study of crypto assets

By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this appeared was published online on Jan. 24.

Editor’s Note: This is the third of a three-part series exploring the world of cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets on the tri-campus. The first part of this series covered student involvement, and the second covered risks and valuation techniques. The final segment will cover investment recommendations and University connections to the space.

A gaggle of finance students chats about ethereum

on the second f loor of Hesburgh librar y. To some students, this chatter might sound like a foreign language, but should more students consider the possibilit y of investing in the cr y pto asset world?

Finance professor Bill McDonald adv ises students to take a small position, emphasizing that cr y pto assets are risk y but prov ide a learning opportunit y.

According to the Pew Research Center, 16 percent of Americans say they have invested in or traded cr y ptocurrencies. Future cr y pto firm employee Brad W hitton says portfolio diversification and inf lationar y benefit are two possible advantages that

may have motivated these purchases.

Adding to historic volatilit y, regulation poses a risk to cr y ptocurrencies. Future cr y pto asset industr y employee and current senior Brad W hitton and McDonald agree that regulation is the greatest risk.

“I think regulators are still kind of tr ying to figure out how to regulate it. It has properties of being a commodit y, a currency, and also an asset,” W hitton said. “A ll of those things are regulated by different entities, so the government is tr ying to figure out how to go about that now.”

Even to regulators, cr y ptocurrencies remain an

enigma, and the United States could take steps that would severely undermine the value of even the most well-established cr y pto coins.

“They could make it much more difficult to ow n cr y pto. They could make it ver y cumbersome from a ta x perspective,” McDonald said.

McDonald also mentions lack of accessibilit y as a potential risk. Platforms like Coinbase have made trading easier, but there is still a risk that an ow ner could lose their key, or password, losing access to all their cr y pto assets.

Even the tradition-rich Universit y of Notre Dame has felt the impact of

cr y ptocurrency’s rise to modern fame.

Notre Dame has received Bitcoin donations and offered multiple classes on cr y pto assets and blockchain technolog y.

McDonald taught the universit y’s first cr y pto asset course on Bitcoin in 2015, worth only one-credit hour.

“We were one of the first undergrad institutions to offer a cr y pto course on campus, and it was simply because I thought it was an interesting thing taking place,” he said.

Today, the Masters of Finance program includes a short course on cr y pto

see CRYPTO PAGE 5

4

NEWS

The observer | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Bachelor Continued from page 1

hesitant to sign up for the [Notre Dame] Bachelor because I don’t have a whole lot of respect or appreciation for the actual show itself.”

Upon request from his friends at Stanford Hall, however, Ghilotti decided it would be a unique way to meet new people.

“I used to play football here and w ith that schedule I found it prett y hard to connect w ith other students so I was really excited about all of this,” he said.

Once the lead was secured, the next step for producers was to find the potential matches for the Notre Dame Bachelor.

Mandell, one of the organizers of the production, explained that the Notre Dame women starring in the show were chosen through a process of applications and polls.

After an open application allowed anyone to express their interest, an Instagram poll was used for members of

History Continued from page 1

understanding of oral histories developed throughout the semester. For the final project, each student w ill conduct a roughly hour-long inter v iew w ith a member of the Notre Dame communit y outside of class about their experience at the Universit y during the pandemic.

The first half of the semester focuses on understanding oral histor y as a discipline, postdoctoral research associate Anna Holdorf, who teaches the course said.

Holdorf aims to prov ide students w ith an over v iew of different methods of oral histor y methods and practices oral historians undertake. At the half way point of the semester, the course transitions to a more practical approach where students start to inter v iew each other.

Junior Tilly KeevenGlascock said the class has begun by introducing students to not only the discipline of oral histor y but how

each female residential hall to select who would represent them.

“We selected one girl from each dorm and then one from Saint Mar y’s,” Mandell said.

Cora Eaton, a sophomore representing Breen-Phillips Hall, went into the experience w ith no prior knowledge of what would happen next.

“I have never watched the Bachelor so I am f ly ing completely blind,” she said in an email. “I think that this scaled-dow n event is fun, but I don’t really believe in the real show. I think it promotes a really unequal relationship dy namic.”

W hile Eaton mentioned her reser vations about the culture perpetuated by the original show, she said that she found the experience to be enjoyable overall.

“I thought it would be a fun way to participate in a dorm event and meet girls from other dorms,” Eaton said.

Ghilotti shared the same concerns about the lack of genuineness in dating shows,

yet he said his mindset has opened to possibilities of finding real connections.

“I originally went into this w ith no expectations just because I recognize how superficial the whole format of the Bachelor can be,” he said. “But it is genuinely hard to keep that mindset as I get more opportunities to know ever yone.”

He added that he has been watching episodes of The Bachelor to prepare for his role.

“I’ve been tr y ing to study up on when to randomly cr y about how badly I want a family and children and to find my w ife here,” he said.

Filming of the first few episodes took place this past weekend in the basement of Stanford Hall.

“I think the first episode took around three hours to film, so it was a little exhausting but hopefully it’ll turn out well,” Mandell said.

Eaton agreed that the process was hectic.

“It was kind of crazy going

bet ween the f loors and getting pulled away for interv iew footage and things like that,” she said.

Eaton said the most memorable part of the experience so far was the introduction process when each female participant had the chance to present themselves to Ghilotti.

“I had no idea how much ceremony went into it so I had to have some of the girls walk me through what was going to happen,” she said. “It was also really fun seeing how other girls did the intro.”

Mandell called the entrances and introductions of the sixteen women, “one of the most awk ward things [he had] ever seen.”

“W hen Gio gave out the first rose though it brought tears to my eyes,” he added.

“He looked beautiful in that suit.”

Up next in the filming agenda w ill be the first dates bet ween Ghilotti and his eligible matches.

“I’m really looking for ward to just meeting some new

people and getting some really funny stories,” Eaton said.

Ghilotti called the experience so far “over whelming but ama zing.”

“It was ama zing to meet so many new people, but it can be hard enough tr y ing to genuinely connect w ith one person,” he said.

“Fourteen people at the same time should be super easy, right? ” “The Notre Dame Bachelor” is on schedule to be filmed and released prior to the Dome Dance on Feb. 25, to which Ghilotti w ill be accompanied by one of the participating women.

Episodes of the production w ill be available online on platforms such as Instagram and Youtube, and organizers hope to screen the final episode in Washington Hall or the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The final rose ceremony w ill be held as a live event w ith all proceeds going to charit y.

people v iew histor y both as it is taking place and later on in the future. Last week, the class studied inter v iews w ith civ il rights figures to examine oral histor y and how the movement is v iewed today.

“We spent time out of class going over inter v iews w ith Martin Luther King and other people in the civ il rights movement and sort of ref lected on how what is now a ver y famous historical movement is memorialized today versus how people thought about it then, so sort of setting the stage for our ow n experience w ith oral histor y,” Keeven-Glascock said.

A key moment of the class is students are tasked w ith choosing an oral histor y inter v iew of interest to them and evaluating it before presenting to the class.

The whole class is a build up to the final project, which Holdorf said she hopes w ill help the students feel that they are working toward something bigger than themselves. She said she hopes that as histor y students they

w ill feel that they are making a difference when their inter v iews are potentially assessed by future generations of historians and students.

After the course concludes, Holdorf w ill gauge interest in students to see if any are potentially interested in working on the project on an ongoing basis.

“They’re all mostly histor y majors and minors and so I’m hoping that they’ll take away the feeling of hav ing helped build something for future historians like them to use and, in addition to that, just more broadly, a tangible way to do something that makes a difference,” Holdorf said.

The course is part of a larger Universit y-sponsored project to assemble a pandemic-related collection in the Universit y archives.

Part of the collection consists of memorabilia from the pandemic — namely HERE signs, masks and other staples of the pandemic era.

Additionally, the Universit y is archiv ing administrative data and correspondence related to the

pandemic.

As project coordinator, Holdorf is in charge of the oral histor y side of things, by conducting inter v iews and then transcribing them to be archived.

Holdorf said the project began as a joint effort between the histor y department and the Office of the President w ith the intention of draw ing student participation.

“From the beginning, the president’s office and those who came up w ith this idea in the histor y department really wanted undergraduate students to be involved,” she said.

“So that was always the goal. And so this class is a way to train and get students involved so that they can conduct a lot of these inter v iews themselves.”

The project is in its early stages, as Holdorf is beginning to inter v iew administrators this month, but she hopes to gauge student interest in participating in the project w ith the goal of completing it by next

spring.

Keeven-Glasclock said the course and its unique opportunit y to learn about oral histor y appealed to her because it can prov ide her w ith a new understanding of histor y and appreciation for living through a historic era.

“I think that most people when COVID first hit and we all went home for the quote unquote Eternal Spring Break there was a lot of sense of, ‘Okay, this is a big deal,’” Keeven-Glasclock said.

The course offered Keeven-Glasclock an opportunit y to develop a deep and nuanced understanding of the pandemic-era before she hopes to eventually become a teacher, she said.

“I think that the course appealed to me because it played directly into those questions of how are we thinking about it now,” she said. “How is it going to be remembered and how can we inf luence that in the interim? ”

Contact Reyna Lim at slim6@nd.edu

Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

Election

Barrett

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

a former news writer for The Observer).

The judicial council w ill host a debate Monday at 8 p.m. in Midfield Commons at Duncan Student Center.

Primar y election day w ill be held Feb. 2. Students w ill be able to vote bet ween 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. v ia email or through the judicial council website. Results w ill be announced later that night.

in the law school until her confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020, w ill speak about federal equit y power and its scope w ithin the broader constitutional system of law. Barrett ser ved as the executive editor of the Law Rev iew during her time as a student and then later became the facult y adv iser.

News

Remick Continued from page 1

architecture most popular in the latter half of the 19th century.”

Aside from Remick Family Hall, other examples of the Second Empire style on campus include the Main Building, the Basilica, the Presbytery, St. Edward’s Hall and Visitation Hall.

“Being the first new building in decades constructed in the direct shadow of the Main Building, the architects worked tirelessly to detail the exterior envelope of the building so that it would blend in,” LaCourt said.

The previous building in the space, Brownson Hall, was built in 1855 and was the second-oldest building on campus after Old College until it was demolished in 2020.

“Brownson was older, so things developed around it,” blocking views, Helm said.

In comparison, Remick Family Hall has expansive views of the French Quarter through its many windows.

“The architects did such a great job of maximizing the location,”

ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | The Observer

Helm said. “[The building] takes advantage of space and views,” particularly of the Basilica and the Main Building.

Remick Family Hall is located a few feet further away from the Main Building than Brownson was, providing easier access to the courtyard between it and Carole Sandner Hall. The goal was to make the courtyard “more open and inviting,” Helm said, adding that there will be patio furniture there when the weather improves.

Despite its traditional exterior, the design team strived for a modern interior that would provide the most welcoming experience for staff and students.

“The use of natural light was a primary design consideration and is used very effectively,” LaCourt said.

“People remark how bright the interior feels compared even to Carole Sandner Hall.”

“There is lots of light, even on a gray day,” Helm agreed.

The first floor comprises office space for faculty and staff of ACE Teaching Fellows as well as St. Anthony Commons, a dedicated student space open

from 7 a.m. to midnight every day. St. Anthony Commons is named for Mary Ann Remick’s favorite saint and offers coffee and snacks for students.

The second floor has a library, also a dedicated student space open from 7 a.m. to midnight every day, as well as classrooms and offices for the Remick Leadership Program.

The third floor is not yet fully occupied, but there is currently a conference room that will soon be open for reservation by student groups.

On the conference room walls are photographs of depictions of the Virgin Mary from schools served by ACE that take their names from Mary. These portraits reflect the diversity of ACE’s communities, with Mary represented in several as a woman of color.

“We’re trying to serve as many kids as possible,” Helm said. The pictures “capture the many different kids that ACE serves and the ways they think of Mary and of their faith.”

Also located on the third floor are doors leading out to

Beverage vending machine issues frustrate students

By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor

College students rely on vending machines for a lessthan-nutritious meal in a pinch or a late-night caffeine surge, but some of the drink machines on the Notre Dame campus have been less than reliable in the last few months.

Refrigerator parts are “on order,” says a scrawled note on a piece of paper taped to a drink vending machine in the basement of Mendoza. The note, signed “Coke,” has been there since October 2021.

Some Notre Dame students also cite problems with card readers on the drink vending machines that often display an “off line” error message.

Junior Patrick Lomeli said he uses the vending machines in Keenan Hall or DeBartolo Hall about two times a week, but that, recently, he has not been satisfied with his experience.

“For the drink vending machines, the card reader is always off line,” Lomeli said.

Sophomore Elysa Ng said she has also had some trouble with a Farley Hall drink vending machine, which would not accept her quarters. Ng said she received a full refund from her dorm rector for the coins she spent, but still finds the vending payment methods inconvenient.

“It’s kind of weird that we can’t use Flex points,” Ng said.

Of the 99 snack vending

machines scattered around campus, senior director of Campus Dining Luigi Alberganti said all machines were operational, as of his knowledge last Friday.

One of the snack machines, a pilot for a possible future vending program, offers cold items like sandwiches and salads. The rest offer shelf stable foods like snack bars, pretzels and chips, making them easy to maintain.

“It’s very rare that we have a machine that is down,” Alberganti said. “We have the ability to swap machines if something goes down.”

Student anecdotes align with this statement, as most voice issues with the drink machines. Those machines are operated and serviced

by Coca-Cola Co., not the University or Campus Dining, Alberganti said.

“Any beverage machine is actually served by the CocaCola Company,” Alberganti said. “So, the inventory, the price and the programming, the service of the Coca-Cola beverage machines would be done by Coke.”

He added that once Campus Dining is aware of a drink vending machine problem, they do reach out to CocaCola to report the problem.

Alberganti said the repairs may be slower due to supply chain interruptions.

“Anything that has to do with parts and refrigerated parts and technology has taken a back-burner status for certain items, so, yes, we’ve

seen a delay on repair,” he said.

Staff shortages, particularly for commercial drivers, have likely impacted Coca-Cola’s service, Alberganti added.

As the drink vending machines charge nearly $2 for most beverages, some students also say they notice vending prices rising.

Alberganti confirmed that Coca-Cola increased prices generally in response to recent inf lation. He said snack prices will remain stable at least as long as current inventory lasts.

“I foresee that once we deplete the current inventory and we get a new one, probably the price will rise,” Alberganti said.

Looking ahead, Alberganti said he hopes to improve communication with CocaCola in terms of vending services.

“I think there’s always opportunities for improving that,” he said. “What is most important is collecting the feedback that we can get, so we can address it with them.”

Students who would like to request a vending refund or have an issue with a vending machine should report it to ndvend@nd.edu or submit the problem to the vending website. Alberganti asks students to send a photo of the machine or information about the location of the issue.

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

the terrace, which looks out on the Main Building. The terrace will eventually be similar to the outdoor seating areas at Campus Crossroads, Helm said.

The architects and designers emphasized aesthetic continuity as well. There is an oval pattern that appears throughout Remick Family Hall, including on the classroom windows, stair railings and the cupola.

“Some people say that [the pattern] looks like the fish that symbolizes Jesus,” Helm said.

The building was also designed with sustainability in mind. While the accreditation is not yet finalized, LaCourt and the design team expect Remick Family Hall to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, the second-highest rating a building can receive for its level of environmental responsibility.

Vision for the future

Helm hopes that more students will take advantage of the spaces available to them in Remick Family Hall, namely

Crypto Continued from page 3

assets. Patrick Fly nn teaches courses on blockchain in the department of computer science engineering that he chairs and John Shim includes a few sessions on cr y pto assets and blockchain technolog y in his finance courses.

In 2017, the Universit y received a Bitcoin donation from Chad Cascarilla, a 1999 Notre Dame alumnus and founder of Pa xos, a blockchain infrastructure platform that prides itself on a good relationship w ith regulators and the potential to revolutionize the financial system by making transactions more efficient and accessible around the world.

The department of computer science engineering originally planned to distribute the Bitcoin gift to students and study subsequent economic transactions; however, Fly nn said they shifted course after considering Bitcoin’s price volatilit y, high transaction costs and lack of adoption in ever yday transactions.

In 2017, the department liquidated the Bitcoin and created a research endowment to fund cr y ptography and blockchain research projects.

Fly nn said he sees more potential in the non-currency applications of blockchain, a “distributed, w rite-once” technolog y he finds “technically extremely clever.”

“I find the cr y ptocurrency per se to be the least interesting technical part of the wave,” he said.

Funds from the blockchain research endow ment

5

St. Anthony Commons and the library. These spaces are open to all students, not just those involved in ACE, ESS or other educational initiatives.

The purpose of Remick Family Hall is not only to foster the continued growth of the University’s educational programs but also to place them in high esteem.

“When you think about law schools and med schools, campuses have beautiful spaces to educate lawyers and teachers. Remick Hall reflects the demands and grandeur of the profession [of teaching],” Helm said, paraphrasing Fr. Lou DelFra, faculty and director of pastoral life for ACE. “Teaching is a profession that is taken for granted,” Helm said. Remick Family Hall is “such a good testament to the impact teachers and educators have on students and their lives. It reflects aspirations and goals and all that teaching can and should be.”

Contact Annemarie Foy at afoy@nd.edu

support universit y research and educational programs, including an undergraduate blockchain club recently established by Brad W hitton.

The Blockchain Club of Notre Dame plans to focus on educating students about technolog y applications outside of Bitcoin and similar cr y ptocurrencies.

Despite the high risk, McDonald recommends students interested in finance purchase at least a few cr y pto assets, which could include cr y ptocurrencies. He says that when you put money on the line, you pay more attention to the ever-evolving space. “A ll our finance majors need to be exposed to it,” McDonald said. “I think it’s the technolog y that you need to be familiar w ith, and if it all fails five years from now, you can look back and laugh at it, but you should still know something about it.”

McDonald does not recommend cr y pto-related holdings as a primar y asset, instead suggesting that interested students reasonably contribute up to 5% of their total portfolio to cr y pto assets.

Even w ith this portfolio weight, McDonald said researching which cr y pto tokens to invest in remains important since almost anyone can create a coin on the open space soft ware.

“The trick when you’re investing is to identif y a token which has an interesting strateg y and also know something about the team who’s putting it together,” McDonald said.

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

6

The observer | Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

INSIDE COLUMN

The Notre Dame biological clock Rachel Lee Newsletter Manager

Swiping through my stories before class, I click to see an announcement of the engagement of two Notre Dame seniors. A year prior, an announcement of the marriage of my fellow classmates would have shocked me. However, as a current sophomore at Notre Dame, an announcement of this significance was nothing out of the ordinary. Much like the majority of the student population being from the Chicago suburbs, Notre Dame seniors getting engaged prior to graduation is a stereotype that is very much alive.

When I arrived at Notre Dame for my first semester of college as a nervous eighteen year old, marriage was still in the same mental group as mortgages — something far in the future that did not require any present concern. As I learned how to navigate college life, the idea that I would find my spouse within my four years at Notre Dame had not even crossed my mind. However, as I grew more accustomed with Notre Dame, I became more cognizant of the abnormal expectation of finding

a spouse within my undergrad. When I initially brushed the “ring by spring” stereotype off as an antiquated joke, I quickly learned that this stereotype rung true by a large subset of Notre Dame students.

On a chilly spring afternoon, I was surprised to see a crowd of elegantly dressed individuals exiting the Basilica, which I quickly made out to be a wedding party. As I walked through the bustling crowd to my next class, a bridesmaid tripped into me. After murmuring a quick apology, she nodded towards my backpack and jokingly, “I missed campus when I graduated but I come back for friends’ weddings all the time.” Despite the brevity of our interaction, her words stuck with me as I became increasingly cognizant of the expectation of finding a spouse within my undergrad. In the following months, I observed more weddings on campus and engagement announcements of fellow students on social media. I watched as my friends eagerly filled out the annual Notre Dame marriage pact, musing what their supposed “perfect match” would be like.

At the ripe age of eighteen, I felt that I had to find a spouse, with each subsequent year feeling like a countdown to the eventual deadline of graduation.

When swapping college stories with hometown friends, I realized the pressure to find a spouse before graduation was something niche to Notre Dame, or rather that of religiously affiliated universities. Notre Dame, as one of the oldest Catholic universities in the country, prides itself on upholding traditional values that are reinforced by Notre Dame’s largely Catholic student population.

This traditionally opposes the overall trend of Americans, particularly women, of waiting longer to get married due to prioritizing their education, career or financial security. Setting a deadline to find a spouse in college is an archaic expectation and places unwarranted pressure on teenagers and young adults.

When immersed within a school culture that largely pushes towards marriage at such an early age, it is hard to not feel that I am not falling behind on some deadline. In these instances, I remind myself that Notre Dame is largely an outlier compared to the rest of the nation regarding marital norms.

You can contact Rachel at rlee25@nd.edu.

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

A declaratory theory Devin Humphreys Law, Life and the Lord

One of the things Notre Dame Law School does a really good job of doing is developing, in its students, an understanding of what actually makes the American constitutional project as novel as it is. Many people, when they think of the Founding and “what makes America great” will jump to something along the lines of freedom of religion, protection against unlawful searches and seizures, or even the right to bear arms, but regardless of one’s view on the importance of any one of these enumerated rights, the fact of the matter is that they were not part and parcel of the American constitutional project to begin with. The whole reason the Bill of Rights exists as a collective document is because the First Congress decided that a set of rights should be enumerated and laid out in the Constitution, but the Founders were relatively convinced, at the time the Constitution was originally written just years earlier, that a bill of rights was unnecessary or perhaps even counter-productive.

So, even if we ignore the problems with articulating a set of rights that appear on their face to imply universal applicability that has very obviously not been a thing for most of American history, the fact of the matter is that it is not even the aspiration towards securing those enumerated rights for all that underpins the novelty of the American constitutional project.

Rather, as any Notre Dame law student learns in 1L Con Law, it is separation of powers that gives our Constitution its novelty, and separation of powers upon which almost every other innovation of American government rests. (Yes, careful reader, I’ve omitted here the related, equally important doctrine of federalism; that’s a can of worms for another time.) It was Baron de Montesquieu, in “The Spirit of Laws,” who articulated the doctrine that governmental power rests in three zones: the legislative (which makes law), the executive (which enforces law) and the judicial (which interprets law) — but even Montesquieu acknowledged that none of the nations of the world of his time actually fully divided governmental power into three distinct zones of this structure. For instance, in Britain at the time of the founding, legislative power rested

in a two-house Parliament (the House of Commons and the House of Lords), but while executive power technically rested in the King, it was practically exercised by his Prime Minister and ministerial colleagues, who were also members of Parliament (typically the House of Commons). Similarly, the judicial power rested in the House of Lords, which again was still part of Parliament. While one could put a finger on where each of these zones of power rested, they weren’t separated.

And so things were, until the U.S. Constitution engaged in that very separation. Article I of the Constitution gives legislative power to Congress, Article II gives executive power to the President and Article III gives judicial power to the federal courts. Legislatures make law, the executive enforces law and the judiciary interprets law… right?

But consider this hypothetical: Two parties come before a federal court, bringing before it a case of first impression. This court must decide the case, but that decision will have consequences for similarly situated litigants because the decision will set precedent where there was none before. Isn’t that lawmaking? Isn’t the judiciary, in such a case, exercising legislative power? Justice Antonin Scalia conceded that yes, there are times that judges end up engaging in the making of law, but opined in his concurrence in the 1991 case of James B. Beam Distilling Company v. Georgia that even if judges are making law in a case, they should make law “as judges make it, which is to say as though they were ‘finding’ it — discerning what the law is, rather than decreeing what it is today changed to, or what it will tomorrow be.” In other words, when judges find law, they don’t (or perhaps shouldn’t) note where the law has changed. That task is instead left to legislatures.

Instead, a judge should strive to “find” not what the law will be but rather what it has been all along.

This notion that judicial lawmaking is, or perhaps merely should be, more like judicial law-finding is part of what is today known as the “declaratory theory of law,” and while I myself am not of the opinion that this theory explains most or even many judicial decisions, I do think that the underlying principle that judges should seek to “find” law rather than “make” it has a very strong appeal, and I’ve had the privilege while here at Notre Dame Law of having many a conversation both with friends of

mine who are sympathetic to this principle and those who either reject it for pragmatic reasons (“judges can’t not make law”) or are ideologically opposed (“actually judges should make law”). The pros and cons of these various camps are beyond the scope of this article, but let’s just say that the conversations surrounding this issue are a rare moment where someone’s political ideology isn’t necessarily a proxy for their position on a legal issue.

I’ve met and talked to conservatives who think that judges do or should make law, liberals who think that lawmaking is or should be the exclusive legislative prerogative, and vice versa for each.

But even if you think that the “finding” of law is at best a legal fiction, dare I say it might additionally (or instead) apply to another area of our lives: our friendships. Just last week, I had the blessing of having two dear friends of mine, Theresa and Katie Heidenreich (the Notre Dame Folk Choir’s two beyond-exceptional violinists), over for a game night. When we weren’t having a blast playing three-player euchre, conversation turned to other things, and one thing I expressed was regret at not having been more intentional about seeking out their friendship sooner. What I realized in that moment, though, was that these were friendships found rather than friendships made. Just because we couldn’t put a finger on when or how exactly we became friends didn’t mean that we weren’t friends all along, and that’s the whole point: Sometimes, the most cherished friendships are found rather than made. And so, dear reader, I conclude this column with this exhortation: May we take the opportunity, over these next two weeks, to be intentional about where another friend may be found. May God give us this grace.

Devin is a member of the Notre Dame Law School’s class of 2023. Originally from Farwell, Michigan, he is a 2020 graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College. In his free time, he sings with the Notre Dame Folk Choir and discusses the legal developments of the day with anyone who will listen.

Inquiries into his surplus of law journal articles and note ideas can be directed to dhumphr2@nd.edu or @DevinJHumphreys on Twitter.

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

The observer | WEDNESDAY, January 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

The soulmate problem Julianna Conley In My Own Words

During a typical Sunday night dinner my sophomore year, one of my good friends announced — unprompted, might I add — that his philosophy regarding relationships is “if it’s not love at first sight, it’s not love.” As our group unpacked the full implications of his outlook on love, each of us started sharing our own approaches and beliefs. Shockingly, at least to me, I discovered I was the only one of my friends who believed that everyone has “their person” they’re supposed to end up with.

“There are 7.75 billion people on Earth! If you did have a person, odds are you’d never meet them.”

“What about the people who don’t want to fall in love? What about the people who want to, but never do? Do they not have a person?”

“How does this work? Is it biological? Is it spiritual?”

As my friends tried to poke holes in my idealized concept of true love, I resolved to hold strong. A self-pronounced eternal optimist — or at the very least, a girl who tries her best to stay positive — I felt certain that being hopeful couldn’t hurt. Where’s the harm in believing in a little everyday magic?

Apparently it’s in your happiness. According to a social psychology study carried out in 2014, couples who believe that they’re meant to be together report less relationship satisfaction than those who think of their relationship as “a journey of ups and downs.” By looking for an idealized concept of love, people who want to be soulmates are more likely to be disappointed when they’re faced with reality.

I haven’t only applied my soulmate theory to love

and relationships, though. This line of thinking has affected the way I approach nearly all of my big decisions.

When choosing a major, I felt an immense pressure to find a course of study that perfectly encapsulated my essence, that told the world exactly the kind of person I was, the sorts of things I was interested in.

Believing that there was a major I was perfectly suited for, I refused to settle for less. Sure, I loved my applied mathematics courses, but did they also encapsulate my creative side? As a writer, a natural choice might have been English or PLS, but the class descriptions didn’t inspire me. Waiting for the perfect major to “come to me,” I waited until the end of my sophomore year to declare.

I experienced the same debilitating fear when deciding where to go to college, the same stress when trying to find friends my freshman year. Is this the campus where I’m meant to live out “the best four years of my life?” Is this girl going to be my future bridesmaid?

And now, as a second semester senior, I feel that same pressure about my job after graduation. As Anne Helen Petersen explains in an essay about millennial burnout, “students internalize the need to find employment that reflects well on their parents … that’s also impressive to their peers … and fulfills what they’ve been told has been the end goal of all of this childhood optimization: doing work that you’re passionate about.”

Since preschool, we’re asked what we want to be when we grow up. We dress up as chefs and firemen, as surgeons and ballerinas. We fill out essay prompts describing our dream job, create laundry lists of requirements for our dream job that is creative and

successful but not about the money, and that does good in the world and allows a perfect work-life balance but also has a great work culture that builds connections between you and your coworkers, and is something you’re “passionate about” and is fun (“It doesn’t even feel like work!”) but still challenges you. We dream of jobs that are perfect, fulfilling extensions of who we are.

But by placing so much emphasis on the jobs we take on when we grow up rather than the persons we’ll become, we allow our careers to become the crux of our identities. Just as no single major could perfectly encapsulate the nuance of all my interests, no offering at a career fair booth can sum up a whole, complex individual. Thinking of a job, or a major or even a spouse as something fated turns one choice you make into an embodiment of Who We Are. But sometimes a job is just What You Do. And that’s okay.

The real soulmate problem is that by putting pressure on ourselves to constantly find the perfect complement to our personhood, we run the risk of missing out on unexpectedly delightful pairings.

Making our decisions by comparing our options to the ideal, we leave little room for people and jobs and activities that grow on us over time, for things that we might end up loving, even if not at first sight.

Julianna Conley is a senior studying sociology and pre-health studies with a minor Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. Though she is forever loyal to Pasquerilla East B-team athletics, Julianna now lives off campus.

She can be reached for comment at jconley4@nd.edu or @JuliannaLConley on Twitter.

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

I am a writer Madeline Law Trivial Matters

I am not a writer.

That’s what I told my friend when she tried to convince me to be a columnist.

That’s what I told myself when I tried to convince myself I shouldn’t be a columnist.

Obviously it didn’t stick.

So welcome, dear reader, to my origin story. It happened last week, and involved George Orwell, a phone call, two revelations (I suspect divine intervention) and a smidge of time travel.

It was the first Saturday of the semester and my roommate was out of town. My day was open-ended and I was in that odd stage of looking forward to homework, so I picked up George Orwell’s “1984” and settled down with a blanket on the futon. “1984” is no sunshine and rainbows. I kept finding unhappy parallels to our current reality.

My phone buzzed with an incoming call from my mom, so I stuck my pencil in my book and answered.

We talked about family plans, she asked about my first week (it’s good to be back with friends) and what I was up to that weekend (nothing much, still in pajamas).

She then reminded me, in the way that mothers do, about my New Year’s resolution (which isn’t a New Year’s resolution because those break too easily), which was to no longer stay in my room, to challenge myself and match my actions to my intentions instead of letting them just sit on the shelf and look pretty.

She was right, of course, so I hauled myself out of my comfy idleness. I remembered the feeling of wanting to change my habits. And I actually did something about it. Reader, whatever small thing in your life you keep brushing off, I implore you to do it: You will feel so alive.

Then it was Sunday. A friend tried to convince me to join the Observer as a Viewpoint columnist. I was intrigued, which surprised me because my previous

encounter with reporting had dissuaded an interest in journalism. I was hesitant. I’d never considered it before, never wanted to and never thought it was something I would do. I’m a reader, not a writer.

But suddenly, I wanted to.

In the movie voice-over version of this, it would freeze-frame and words would stamp the screen: REVELATION #1.

I wanted to? I never even wanted to be a writer! I didn’t like when people asked if I was going to be a writer or author (I read a lot). I probably disliked it because it was such a common question. Either way, that insistence is being challenged. I wanted to challenge myself, didn’t I? It’s what I did freshman year at Saint Mary’s, at least. Little first-year me decided to take an introductory acting course to conquer stage fright.

The first day of that class, each stranger had to stand in front of everyone and declare, “I am an actor.”

Regardless of experience and skill, that was the difficult first step we had to take. All we had to do was say those four trivial words, to ourselves and to each other. It was definitive. We chose it, we declared it and then we were actors.

This might be leading, but guess what I realized after that memory bubbled up as I stared at my columnist application. All I had to do was swap nouns.

Freeze frame. REVELATION #2.

I am a writer.

I sent my application to the Observer.

George Orwell wasn’t finished with me yet at the end of the week. In class on Friday, we talked about Winston’s close encounter with freedom as he mindlessly, then frantically began writing in his notillegal illegal journal. The act of having and recording your own thoughts is a big no-no for Big Brother.

Remember I mentioned those unhappy parallels? This is one thing I am thrilled not to be able to connect to my own life: the ability to freely think and record and share my thoughts, which is the essence of the

position to which I had just applied. My confidence was bolstered.

It’s Saturday again.

I’ve been accepted as a columnist for the Observer.

And I’m still sitting in my room.

This time however, I’m not reading “1984” and I’m not still in my pajamas. I am a writer, and I am writing a column for anyone to read.

Well, I am now, but when I sat down, all coherent thoughts left early for spring break, so I decided to time travel back to my haphazard high school thoughts to find inspiration.

The notebook itself is a phenomenally worn, leather-bound stack of thick paper that you’d find shoved in a secret compartment of a Victorian mansion. You know the kind, with the thin leather strap wound around to keep it shut?

The best thing about it was it had begged to be covered in ink, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this column. I flipped through thoughts of my younger self and found a list of dreams. Things like skydiving, a road trip with friends and going to college were included. My gaze wandered down the page, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. In the corner, I had written: “Be a writer?”

Well, what do you know?

So now, dear reader, I implore you to pay attention to your thoughts and write them down, because however trivial they may seem at the time, I promise, they matter.

Madeline Law is a Saint Mary’s junior from Petoskey, Michigan. She studies English Literature and Communication Studies with a minor in Theater. She hails from Petoskey, Michigan, and if you can find her, she’ll either be adding books to scattered “to read” lists or re-reading old favorites. Reach her at mlaw01@saintmarys.edu, send book suggestions.

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

8

The observer | WEDNESDAY, January 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Harry Potter is more than a children’s book Mikey Colgan Collegiate Crossroads

Over w inter break, I decided to re-read the Harr y Potter series after it was referenced by Jordan Peterson, a famous Canadian psychologist, in a YouTube v ideo. I got through the first three books before getting to school and used the extra time the past two weeks to watch all eight mov ies w ith my friends. As a kid, I fell in love w ith the books and mov ies because of the incredible world J. K. Rowling brought to life.

The endless surprises in Hog warts Castle, the quidditch matches, the ever y f lavor jelly beans, the butterbeer from Hogsmeade and countless other aspects of the w izarding world had me hooked instantly. Even at this age, I find the images in the books and mov ies fascinating.

However, after listening to Peterson’s v ideo and going through the books and mov ies again, I realized how much more there was to the series than a well-crafted fantasy world.

In Peterson’s v ideo, he stresses the importance of making yourself dangerous. He claims that a truly great man or woman must have the abilit y to do damage to others in some form, but harnesses his or her talent towards the good. He argues that people mistake “not doing bad things” as the mark of a good person. Peterson pushes back say ing that many people are incapable of hurting others in the first place or they only do what is considered just due to fear of retribution for their actions. Basically, if people were put in a situation of power, many would treat people worse. In order to become this idealized man or woman, you must mold yourself into a ver y

capable person. How you do so and the capabilities you would possess is up to the indiv idual.

After you have been molded into this highly capable person, you then must use your abilities to contribute towards the good. Essentially, being of high competency and using it in a positive way are the marks of a high character man or woman.

In the Harr y Potter series, J. K. Rowling echoes the same message as Peterson. From birth, Harr y has immeasurable potential, but he is not prepared to face Voldemort at full strength as a 12-year-old just entering Hog warts. First, Harr y must learn spells and basic w izarding activ ities in order to build up his abilities. Then, he faces challenges along the way that bolster his courage and knowledge on Voldemort. In each book, Harr y ends up battling a weakened Voldemort and his followers until he finally is prepared to take on Voldemort at full strength in the final book. W hile Harr y fulfills Peterson’s v ision of a great man by building up his talent and using it for good, his similarities to Voldemort show the overlap in a great person and ev il one. They shares rare abilities like speaking to snakes, and Harr y can even see inside Voldemort’s mind. It is even revealed that a part of Voldemort’s soul lives w ithin Harr y. As equally powerful men, Harr y and Voldemort have nearly ever y thing in common besides their intentions and character.

W hile Voldemort intends on liv ing forever and hav ing ever y thing to himself at all costs, Harr y desires peace and the well-being of his friends and family. Voldemort uses his power for his ow n sake; Harr y uses his power for the good of others.

In addition to the contrast bet ween Harr y and Voldemort, Rowling shows how many indiv iduals

that are civ ilized in a t y pical situation act terribly once they have power. Many followers of Voldemort, called Death Eaters, were normal members of societ y while he was out of power.

However, upon his return, they exploited their perceived opportunit y to gain power. Again, as Peterson argues, doing nothing w rong when you lack power does not mean an indiv idual is a good person. The true test of a man or woman is how they act when they have an opportunit y to exploit a situation for their ow n benefit at the expense of another.

The Harr y Potter series has created an incredible fantasy world that absorbs the attention of most readers or watchers. Because of its many kiddish magical aspects, it is easy to mark Harr y Potter as a kid’s stor y. However, its examination of good and ev il indiv iduals lends to a greater lesson in the stor y. It raises three primar y questions for the reader to consider in his or her life. W hich abilities w ill you work towards to make yourself a capable indiv idual?

How w ill you build up those abilities? Then, finally, how w ill you use your capabilities for the good of societ y? With that said, given the stor y evokes such intricate truths and questions, I think it’s safe to say that Harr y Potter is more than just a children’s book.

Mikey Colgan is a sophomore from Boston, Massachusetts, studying finance and ACMS. He is an avid college basketball fan and resides in Morrissey Hall. He can be reached at mcolgan2@nd.edu or @Mikeycolgs15 on twitter.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

This election season, engage with your candidates The campaigning period for the Student Body President and Vice President Election is now underway. Two tickets received the required number of signatures to become official candidates. These tickets, listed in alphabetical order by the last name of the candidate for president, are: Patrick Lee (president) | Sofia Stitt (vice president) Sierra Stinson (president) | Dane Sherman (vice president) Judicial Council, the Election Committee and the candidates have been hard at work to give you, the student body, the ability to interact with the tickets and make an informed decision on Election Day: Wednesday, February 2 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Based on the tremendous support you’ve given these candidates by signing petitions, we are fully confident that this election cycle will generate significant dialogue and participation.

To further that end, we encourage you to follow campaign social media accounts, visit campaign websites, read physical campaigning materials and discuss the election with your friends. Furthermore, Judicial Council will be holding a Student Body President and Vice President Debate on Monday, January 31 at 8 p.m.

at Midfield Commons in Duncan Student Center.

We hope that you will be able to attend to hear firsthand from the candidates seeking your vote and to understand the differences between them.

Additionally, in order to ensure that the questions at this debate tackle the issues you care about most, we invite you to submit questions through this form.

We realize that being a Notre Dame student is a busy role, and that with clubs, jobs, research and other extracurricular activities stacked on top of classes, you may need some motivation to tune into this year’s Student Body Elections. The Student Body President and Vice President have more of an impact on your life at Notre Dame than you may think. They vote on the allocation of $190 of your tuition per year to various student activities; they inf luence the amount of resources available to fund your clubs, residence halls and other organizations; they represent the student body to University administration and the Notre Dame Police Department; and they directly advise Fr. Olinger and the Division of Student Affairs on student life policies. All these responsibilities are bestowed on your elected leaders with the understanding that they

represent the views of you: the student body. Your participation in this election ensures that this ideal becomes a reality.

Last year, the Student Body President and Vice President Election achieved the highest turnout in three years and had not a single instance of election misconduct. Let’s make this year’s election just as clean and fair. As a reminder, candidates and those working on their campaigns must abide by the rules of the Constitution, particularly Article X V, Sections 1 and 2. If you have any questions about how these rules are applied, or any other questions pertaining to elections, please do not hesitate to contact jcouncil@nd.edu.

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

Have a great week and Go Irish, David Haungs junior, Judicial Council President Koryn Isa sophomore, Judicial Council Vice President of Elections Jan. 25

The observer | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JP SPOONMORE Scene Writer

Few films have aged as well as the Wachowskis’ “The Matrix.” Not only was it a technological breakthrough, bringing the late 90’s, cubicle-office-setting into the future with unprecedented special effects, but it also introduced martial arts to Western audiences. The Hong Kong master, Yuen Woo-Ping, and the power of Hollywood funding proved to be a combination that would cement the Wachowskis in history.

23 years later, Lana Wachowski returned to make the fourth film in the series, “The Matrix Resurrections.” The idea behind this film is surprisingly good: Neo (Keanu Reeves), the film’s protagonist, is a video game designer known for creating the hit video game, The Matrix. But as he develops the game, it tricks his mind into thinking he himself is both trapped inside the simulation and is actually its main character. Slowly, Neo realizes that his senses might be telling the truth, and the people around him aren’t employees but guards holding him captive.

Reality is questioned in every scene. “Safe markers” from the previous trilogy are made trivial, sending us down a spiral of misdirects and meta jokes that send viewers into an existential prison. The past rebellion is hailed as a success, but the movie’s “present” seems far too familiar for any of the sacrifices to have been worth it. I loved the nihilistic slap in the face, even though the story loses this tone halfway through.

Once the plot reenacts key moments from the original

By CAITLIN BRANNIGAN Scene Writer

With the beginning of winter, campus feels notably different. The snow carpeting the ground is hauntingly beautiful. The frigid air has me perpetually hidden beneath layers of blankets. The end of football season marks a shift in focus to other thrilling events.

One such event is LepreCon, Notre Dame’s annual cross-club convention. This year’s LepreCon, which took place on Jan 22 from 6:00-10:00 p.m. in the Dahnke Ballroom, was not only an entertaining Saturday night escapade, but also a way for the student community to share its diverse talents and interests. Featuring a cosplay contest, Smash Ultimate (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) tournament and student art, the convention represents Notre Dame’s status as a multi-faceted school whose students have interests beyond academics and athletics. A wide variety of clubs — among them, the Role Playing Game Club, Science Fiction Fantasy Club, Board Game Club and Japan Club — collaborated to organize and host the event, each with their own booth.

Walking into the Dahnke Ballroom, I was immediately drawn to Artist Alley, where student artists sold everything from cute laptop stickers to entire canvases marked with sheer beauty. It was inspiring to see my peers showcase their talents and to learn more about their craft

9

film, the driving narrative force is replaced by muscle memory. However, this play at nostalgia misses its mark since it adds nothing new to a series built on innovation. There is no new cinematic technique or clip-worthy fight scene; the best parts of the movie are either simplified renditions or direct footage robbed from previous films. I knew it wasn’t going to be as good as the original, but honestly, the three words that fit the title better than “Resurrections” are reduced, reused and recycled.

The movie’s concept is brilliant, but the execution is rushed, crippling the entire production. Visual effects and fight choreography are intense commitments that take months to perfect; it’s clear the creators decided to speed through the production without the necessary elements.

When looking at this film by itself, I can ignore the odd choices in character and scope, but the lack of quality in the visuals and choreography is too much to ignore. If they were going to film one kung fu scene but rush the stunt work, only to chop it to shreds in the editing room, why film it in the first place? The action ironically slows the pacing with its deflating energy. I enjoyed the first half because it was just Neo questioning his existence, no bullet time or motorcycle chases needed. Unfortunately, though, as philosophical as “The Matrix” series wants to be, half of its soul still relies on the action. There is no Matrix without kung fu, just as there is no Neo without Trinity and just as there are no robots without humans — for the creators to ignore the importance of the fight scenes shows where their priorities lie.

The film contains multiple surprises. For the first twenty

minutes, I was intrigued, as this fourth film has somehow managed to render the question of what constitutes reality even more mind-numbing than the original. But the movie manages to undercut this atmosphere of mystery and existential uncertainty with scenes that are, frankly, a bit more lowbrow — for instance, the moment wherein Neo fights zombies with a forcefield. Essentially, the passion in this film’s foundation is inconsistent. There are parts where I was fully invested (and it seems like the creators were, too), but others where I wrote it off as a cash grab. The story flips back and forth, and might have stuck the landing if it had ended on the right note, but Wachowski chose to pitch a future trilogy instead. That’s when the movie lost me for good.

Sometimes, there comes a time when a story needs to end. For “The Matrix,” that time came over two decades ago.

— even if it hurt my wallet.

Artist Alley was also important as a vehicle for artists to connect with one other and to receive support from the other students in attendance. Paulina Rosiles, a Studio Art and Economics double major, was one of the courageous artists who shared their talents with the community.

“It surprised me how many people took interest in my art,” she said. “I was amazed by all the artworks by all the participants, especially when I was already acquainted with a few but never knew what they were capable of.”

Of course, amazing art was not all the convention had to offer. There was also a (somewhat unusual) contest taking place. Being a Smash Ultimate veteran myself, it was incredibly intriguing to study the way other students approached the fighting game through the tournament. For participants James Lindell and Trent Silva, the best part of the competition was meeting other Smash players.

“I played a lot of Smash in high school, but I haven’t really been able to as much here. So it was nice to play against and meet other people who were as into the game as I was,” Silva said.

Lindell expressed a similar sentiment: “It was also really awesome to see other people who were interested in the game. It makes me want to set up more Notre Dame tournaments and foster the community I enjoy being a part of.”

LepreCon presented the opportunity to pick up a

plethora of skills, from learning to play new board games to drawing in the art style of Japanese manga. I most enjoyed trying out the card game “Magic: The Gathering,” in which players battle each other with sorcery and creatures. Having not touched a complex card game in years, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to grasp the rules at all.

However, after getting the hang of the basics, I started to really appreciate the game’s strategic elements.

For the event’s student organizers, being able to share their passions with the community was a deeply rewarding experience.

“I actually love teaching people to play Magic,” said Trey Natili, a member of the RPG Club who assisted at the con. “The best part is you can see people literally light up when they start to really understand what’s going on …

[LepreCon is] definitely something I want to be involved in again in the future, and I’m glad I helped out.”

What I loved most about the convention was taking part in other students’ passions. There’s nothing like excitedly chatting with someone about the art that they poured their heart and soul into or playing a board game that they’re particularly enthusiastic about. Though it’s easy for me to feel consumed by work, it is in those kinds of moments that I truly feel unencumbered, able to enjoy the time I spent with close friends and new faces.

Contact JP Spoonmore at jspoonmo@nd.edu

“The Matrix Resurrections” Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss Director(s): Lana Wachowski If you liked: “The Matrix,” “Inception”

Contact Caitlin Brannigan at cbrannig@nd.edu

MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer | Image sources: TARINGA!, HDQ WALLS, Notre Dame Weddings, Youtube, Amazon, Gamestop

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The observer | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

BY ABIGAIL KEANEY Scene Writer

It might be difficult, but if you can manage to cast your mind all the way back to January 2020 — a distant time before the pandemic dominated our lives, you might remember a little Netflix show called “Cheer.” Following a Texas community college cheer team on their journey to the national championship in Daytona Beach, the docuseries catapulted its stars into the public eye and introduced the nation to the world of collegiate cheer. After a tumultuous two years in which the Navarro cheer team struggled with their newfound fame and faced the news of troubling sexual misconduct allegations against one of the team’s mostloved members, “Cheer” is back with season 2.

In an initial viewing, it’s obvious that “Cheer” is just a fun show to watch. It’s got impressive tumbling, high energy cheering and, honestly, a great soundtrack. Even if you don’t know a thing about cheerleading (like myself), by the third episode you’ll feel like you’ve been on an all-star team since birth. The first season dealt with the basics of collegiate cheer and interwove Navarro’s journey to victory with emotional, moving interviews about the lives of some of the team’s most notable members. Behind all the rhinestones and hairspray lay raw struggle and a lot of pain, but the show maintained an optimistic tone — the message seemed to be that things would always get better.

In its early episodes, it seems like season 2 will go the same way. We see coach Monica Aldama (you might recognize her from her stint on “Dancing With The Stars”) and

By NATALIE ALLTON Scene Writer

Season two of “Emily in Paris” dropped late last month, following a polarized response to the first season and two controversial nominations at last year’s Golden Globes. The show was widely criticized for its stereotypical portrayal of the French, cliché writing and a vapid, entitled “Mary Sue” protagonist. Despite these critiques, “Emily in Paris” remains one of the most popular shows on Netflix and has now been renewed for both a third and fourth season.

Knowing the divided response to the show, I sat down and watched all of it in approximately four days.

It’s bad.

I don’t want to equivocate in this review. The show is not good. I got 11 minutes into the first episode and had to reevaluate whether I wanted to continue. Emily Cooper moves to France to be an “American perspective” at an existing Parisian firm catering to luxury clients, despite not speaking French nor attempting to engage with the language or culture in any real capacity. The audience is supposed to pity her when she is rightfully called out for her conceit and pride. We are supposed to root for her when she goes from less than 50 to more than 1,000 Instagram followers in a week. We are supposed to marvel at her “fresh” marketing ideas, which are filled more with quirk than substance. In short: “Emily in Paris” is a show about a fashionable American millennial influencer working at a marketing firm in Paris, written by people who clearly don’t know anything about fashion, millennials, social media,

her team practicing as usual, perhaps a little overwhelmed by their newfound stardom. When you have a hit show, it’s easy to try and follow the same formula in each subsequent season.

However, “Cheer” diverges from the formula that made it famous, shifting focus slightly to Navarro’s rival school, Trinity Valley Community College (TVCC). It’s a bit of a risk, but it pays off. In season 1, TVCC was little more than the rival college, the Candy Apple Dance Center to our Abby Lee Miller Dance Company (for all the “Dance Moms” fans out there). In season 2, however, TVCC is a fully-fledged character in the show, and a good one, at that. TVCC is the season’s underdog and despite playing the villain last time around, I often found myself torn, rooting for them more than the now rich and famous Navarro College. It’s a classic David and Goliath story, if only you already knew Goliath. There’s a notable contrast between the stardom of Navarro and the gritty, punchy TVCC, which brings us to one of the most interesting themes in season 2.

“Cheer” season 2 is as much a show about cheerleading as it is about fame. In early episodes, the show places a watchful eye on Monica and the team members lucky enough to be featured in season 1. Perfectly normal people find themselves greeted by hordes of screaming fans, thousands of dollars in sponsorship deals, and all the TV appearances one could dream of. In one scene, we see a cheerleader making Cameo videos for $50 apiece. A friend looks on wordlessly, and the camera seems to ask — why her? There’s nothing particularly special about this girl. So, why will people pay her for personalized videos? Simply because they think they

know her story? The question lies unresolved, but the idea of modern fame is a pervasive theme in this season, asking exactly what it means to be a celebrity in today’s world.

Season 2 is essentially two seasons in and of itself. Prepandemic, the show retains its classic, upbeat yet emotional tone. But when we come back after a year off, the episodes become notably grittier. Furthermore, episode 4, which deals with the sexual misconduct allegations against former teammate Jerry Harris, is a difficult but important watch, especially as it takes a deeper look at the pervasive nature of such abuse in this sport.

With that being said, “Cheer” season 2 is a fantastic show.

There are deep, heartwarming moments and gut-wrenching setbacks. Watching the final episode, I was holding my breath, crying and cheering at all once — “Cheer” has all the elements of a great sports story and proves it’s definitely not just cheerleading.

marketing or France.

For being a “fashion-forward” pseudo-socialite, Emily’s outfits are horrendous. She looks like she dressed for a business-casual rave in the dark. She looks like an extra on the 2010 Disney Channel show “Shake It Up.” She looks like a color blindness test. She looks like an alien civilization watched a black-and-white Audrey Hepburn movie and then tried to make up the colors and patterns of the clothes. She makes the costumes in “Euphoria” look boring. Some of her outfits are so bad that they lower my standards for what I consider good fashion. I’d call it camp, but she’s the most boring straight white woman in the world and she challenges nothing. She’s an insult to what camp is and what it stands for.

Unlike other sitcoms with unlikable or morally ambiguous protagonists (see: “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “BoJack Horseman,” “Seinfeld”), Emily is never condemned by the show and is meant to be a surrogate and paradigm for the audience. She always succeeds at her job. People want to be friends with her for no reason.

Every man desires her carnally. There are no repercussions for her awful actions. We are supposed to relate to her, to want to be her. She is left to terrorize Paris unchecked — like a high-heeled Godzilla — and we are meant to take her side.

With all of this in mind: Why, then, is the show so popular? Why are people returning for the second season?

Who is this for?

The appeal of “Emily in Paris” is simple and effective: It presents “une vie en rose.” Every element of the show

capitalizes on escapism. The show seems to take place in a present day, even if it isn’t ours. There is no pandemic — no masks, no social distancing, no travel restrictions.

If you see yourself in Emily, then her clothes, job and romance present you with a more charming and Pinterestready alternative to your own life. If, like me, you’re hate-watching the show — even if you curse the protagonist every episode — you’re still escaping into it. The showrunners know that sometimes it’s easier to criticize someone else’s reality than to examine your own. For as bad as the show is, I did enjoy watching it, and I will probably come back for the next two seasons. “Emily in Paris” doesn’t have to be good so much as it has to be perfectly packaged, and that, it unequivocally is.

Emily’s biggest problem is herself. In today’s world, that’s a luxury.

Contact Abigail Keaney at akeaney@nd.edu

“Cheer” Starring: Monica Aldama, Vontae Johnson, Gabi Butler, Favorite episodes: “Hell Week”, “Daytona Pt 1: Don’t Be That Guy” If you liked: “Last Chance U,” “Sunderland ’Til I Die” Where to watch: Netflix

Contact Natalie Allton at nallton@nd.edu

“Emily in Paris” Starring: Lily Collins, Lucas Bravo, Ashley Park If you liked: “Gossip Girl,” “The Mindy Project,” “Sex and the City” Where to watch: Netflix

EMMMA KIRNER | The Observer | Image sources: NETFLIX AND LOGOPEDIA,

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Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Birthday Baby: You are passionate, secretive and changeable. You are creative and enticing.

Happy Birthday: Gather the facts, and be armed with the truth as you travel through unknown territory this year. Knowledge will be the key to your success and your ability to adjust to trends. Think big, but stay within your limits both physically and financially. Know what you are up against, and prepare diligently to ensure you reach your goal.

Your numbers are 5, 18, 24, 27, 30, 36, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Surround yourself with trustworthy people. Be direct, and don’t let your emotions interfere with your work or relationships with others. Indecisiveness will make you look incompetent. When in doubt, take a pass and revisit your options.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make sure you know what you’re doing before you begin. If you don’t live up to your promises, it will affect your reputation and hurt your chance to advance. Stick to the plan, and don’t take unnecessary risks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ll have trouble with someone you work alongside. Distance yourself to avoid an unnecessary run-in. Don’t get involved in gossip or let anyone meddle in your affairs. Pay attention to your work, and take care of your responsibilities.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Express your feelings. It’s OK to veer off in a direction that you find more creative and exciting. Reach out to people who share your likes and dislikes, and it will stimulate you to try something new.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Mixed emotions will surface if you disagree with what others are doing. If you push your will, be sure to have a workable solution before you begin to dominate conversations. Someone is likely to have a change of heart.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Find out where you stand. How you treat others will determine the outcome of a situation you face with someone close to you. Don’t limit your chance to be with someone you love because you aren’t willing to share your feelings.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take care of business. Live up to your responsibilities.

Keep your emotions in check and your work ethic in place. Getting worked up over something you cannot change or letting your emotions interfere with your productivity will damage your reputation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): What you do is what counts. Reach out to people who share your interests, and make changes at home conducive to exploring something you want to pursue. A change may not be intentional or even wanted but, in hindsight, beneficial.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep life simple, doable and within your budget. Use your intelligence to evaluate your position. Someone will use emotional manipulation to push you in a questionable direction. Stand your ground, say no and do your own thing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Show your feelings openly, and you’ll bypass all the drama that comes and goes. Know what you want, and make your position clear. Adjustments at home will encourage you to live life your way. Romance is on the rise.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ve got the right idea; now speed things up a bit and pave a path forward. How you conduct yourself and what you have to offer will create a buzz if you let your unique, innovative mind take over. Proceed with confidence.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take care of your finances, legalities and health.

Refuse to let anyone meddle in your affairs or push you in a direction that doesn’t appeal to you. Make changes that will benefit you, not someone trying to take advantage of you.

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The observer | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Fencing

ND WOMEN’s TENNIS

Squad makes statement in New York, Philadelphia

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Sports Writer

The Not re Da me fencing tea m lef t litt le doubt of t heir abi lit y t his weekend w it h impressive show ings at t he St. John’s a nd Philadelphia Inv itat iona ls.

The men put toget her a per fect 9-0 weekend to stay undefeated a nd move to 21-0, whi le t he women compiled a n excellent 8-1 weekend record to improve to 24-1 on t he season.

“I t hin k going in, t here’s a litt le bit of pressure to do wel l, to per form, w it h t he k nowledge t hat we have a prett y st rong roster,” senior epeeist Miria m Grady sa id Monday of t he ex pectat ions heading into t his past weekend. “We have a good cha nce aga inst prett y much a nyone a nd [we k now] t hat we just need to per form.”

Bot h Irish tea ms entered t he weekend as t he top-ra n ked tea ms in t he US Fencing Coaches Associat ion Poll but faced t he highest level of compet it ion yet t his yea r w it h matchups aga inst mu lt iple top10 opponents on bot h days.

“Last weekend was prett y much our biggest meet of t he yea r,” sa id Grady. “We rea lly have our toughest compet it ion, a l l t he top fencing schools which include t he Iv ies, Ohio State, Penn State a nd a couple ot her schools mi xed in t here as well.”

Matchups aga inst Columbia a nd Princeton were especia l ly int rig uing w it h t he prog ra ms facing Not re Da me for t he f irst t ime since t he onset of t he pa ndemic.

Bot h prog ra ms a re ra n ked just behind t he Irish in t he pol ls a nd a re signif ica nt cha l lengers to Not re Da me’s nat iona l t it le defense.

Aga inst No. 2 Columbia, Not re Da me notched v ictories for bot h t he women’s a nd men’s tea ms at bot h meets.

This included a conv incing 18-9 w in for t he women on Sunday w it h per fect 3-0 per forma nces f rom Grady a nd f reshma n Kaylin Sin Ya n Hsieh in t he épée, junior A mita

Ber t hier in t he foil a nd f reshma n Jadey n Willia ms in t he sabre.

Tra iling 11-13 w it h Columbia needing one more point to w in, t he men clinched a na ilbit ing comeback on Saturday, w inning t he f ina l t hree sabre bouts to defeat t he No. 2 Lions 14-13.

The f ightback sta r ted w it h t he foil a f ter some outsta nding performa nces f rom seniors A ndrew Machovec a nd Nick It k in, a long w it h reig ning NC A A indiv idua l cha mpion junior Ma rcello Oliva res.

Princeton was more of t he sa me for t he men, who cla imed a relat ively comfor table 20-7 v ictor y over t he No. 4 Tigers w it h a per fect 3-0 show ing f rom junior sabre George Biv ins a nd a domina nt 9-0 sweep in t he foil.

It was a dif ferent stor y for t he women who suf fered t heir f irst loss of t he season aga inst t he Tigers, fa lling 19-8.

Outside of t hose ma rquee opponents, t he Irish defeated Ha r va rd (M:2512, W:20-7), Ohio State (M:16-11, W:19-8) a nd hosts St. John’s (M:1413, W:21-6) on Saturday.

In Philadelphia, t hey beat Ya le (M:18-9, W:1413), N Y U (M:17-10, W:23-4) a nd hosts Penn (M:15-12, W:16-11).

“This meet proves t hat we have one of t he st rongest rosters out t here,” sa id Grady. “Wit h t he men we went undefeated, a nd t he g irls on ly dropped one. So, t hat shows, across t he boa rd, t hat we’re up t here w it h just about a nyone.

This was a good way to prev iew, ea rly in t he yea r, t he top people we a re going to be up aga inst a nd see how we match up, a nd I wou ld say we a re in a good posit ion.”

Not re Da me fencing is back in act ion as t he host for t his weekend’s DeCicco Dua ls in t he Castella n Fa mily Fencing Center Saturday a nd Sunday.

After sweeping Falcons, Irish head to ITA Kickoff

By MANNION McGINLEY Sports Writer

Fresh off a 7-0 sweep of Bowling Green, the Irish tennis team heads out to Malibu, CA this weekend. There, they’ll play the first leg of the 13th annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kickoff Weekend.

On Saturday, junior Page Freeman and freshmen Maria Oliv ia Castedo and Carrie Beckman led the charge for the Irish.

The trio were the only ones to play both doubles and singles.

In her singles match, Freeman only had to play t wo sets, which held true for the entire Irish squad as the team won in straight sets dow n the roster.

She dominated both, taking dow n Bowling Green’s Ioanna Tsadari 6-1 and 6-2. Freeman’s doubles partner, Castedo, won 6-1, 7-6 over Annika Vetter. Together, Freeman and Castedo won 6-1 over Florencia Fuentes and Maru Poppe.

Irish sophomore Julia Andreach and Beckman

also won their doubles match 6-1 over Laura Maia Silveira and Tsadari.

The only other doubles match, the Irish won 6-4 through sophomores Yashna Yellay i and Meghan Coleman.

Beckman had one of the most conv incing singles performances on the day. In her straight set w in, she faced Silveira again and didn’t allow her to w in a single game in the second set.

Beckman won 6-2 and 6-0. The only cleaner w in came from senior Maeve Kocielski’s defeat of Hanna Nauman.

Kocielski took dow n Nauman only giv ing up one set (6-1, 6-0).

Freshmen Nibedita Ghosh and Katherine Bellia won both of their singles matches as well, making the Irish 2-1 on the season and officially on a positive track.

Turning to this weekend, the Irish w ill look to snag t wo w ins in Malibu.

The ITA Kick-Off Weekend is organized through the ITA’s approx imately 1250 men’s and women’s

head coaches representing over 1700 teams. The tournament plays in 15 locations w ith a bracket of 60 teams chosen from the 2021 season’s top 75.

Each location hosts four teams and the ITA chooses locations by 2021’s top-15 ranked teams by the ITA. As the second seed in Malibu, the Irish are slated to take on the Colorado Buffalo at 1 pm on Saturday.

This w ill be followed by a match against either Malibu’s No. 1 seed Pepperdine or No. 4 seed Columbia on Sunday depending on how both of Saturday’s games go.

W hile these are the internal bracket rankings, the Irish rank No. 57 according to the ITA. Facing No. 61 Colorado shouldn’t be a problem.

Their biggest test, however, w ill be tournament hosts, the Pepperdine Waves who rank No. 3 in the ITA. Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish junior Page Freeman sends the ball over the net during Notre Dame’s 6-1 loss to the University of Kentucky on Feb. 6, 2021. The Irish went 11-13 in the 2021 season, 5-9 in the ACC. 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

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sports

Zwiller Continued from page 15

under a minute to score a touchdow n.

Watching the game live, I thought to myself, “Wow, what a season for the Chiefs, but the Bills were simply better,” as 13 seconds remained on the clock.

However, as Adam Schefter tweeted about the grow ing legend of Josh A llen, Patrick Mahomes was ready to add a feat that w ill surely play at his almost guaranteed Hall of Fame introduction.

With a mere 13 seconds remaining on the clock, Mahomes maneuvered his team into field goal territor y, allow ing Butker to kick a 49-yard field goal, t y ing the game at 36.

How the Chiefs did this is truly beyond this, many a team has done far less w ith much more; ask Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.

Call it fate, call it destiny, call it luck, but whatever it is, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs possess it in excess.

As the game headed into overtime, A llen called tails and the Chiefs won the toss. I genuinely think that ever yone who w itnessed the result of that coin toss knew what would happen next: the Chiefs would end the game w ith a touchdow n.

And the Chiefs did not disappoint; they drove the field from their 25 in four minutes and change, and Mahomes sealed the deal w ith an eight-yard pass to TE Trav is Kelce.

I think the Chiefs have eliminated any doubt that their offense has regressed; it is as dy namic and potent as ever. The Bengals w ill have their most demanding task of the playoffs to slow it.

But rather than focus on that, I want to look at how the Chiefs won the game in overtime, or rather the mechanics of NFL overtimes.

Because as I said earlier, what made this game the most talked about this week, besides the herculean efforts of the Chiefs offense and the thrilling conclusion, was the controversy.

It is, in part, what made the game great.

One cannot help but think back to the 2018 AFC Championship when the Chiefs lost to the Patriots in another controversial overtime.

The Chiefs filed a rule change to the NFL, advocating for a different overtime, which was denied.

Overtimes are by their ver y nature controversial.

W hen this game ended, there was just as much praise for the Chiefs as

ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | The Observer

there was dislike for the OT rules in place. People made cries for change, but they w ill likely fall on deaf ears.

W hy would the NFL change a rule that sparks controversy and generates ever y thing from conversations to columns?

The div isional round averaged over 38 million v iewers per game, the highest mark ever.

And Bills-Chiefs specifically had an average audience of 42.7 million v iewers and peaked at 51.1 million during the closing minutes, according to Yahoo.

The NFL w ill not get rid of something that draws even more eyeballs to its games.

Nor should the NFL. In the past, I have been against the idea of one-possession overtimes. If one team cannot even offer a rebuttal, then the w inner is simply decided by the toss of a coin, the efforts of the defending team often in vain.

However, the games that end in one-possession are few and far bet ween.

According to ESPN’s Louis Riddick, there have been 163 OT games under the current rules of the NFL. Of those 163 games, only 35 ended in one possession, just shy of 22% .

I have never liked the seemingly “old-school” take of “stop them from scoring.” It has felt useless and unhelpful to a conversation that has literally decided champions.

But now, know ing that 78% of NFL teams do stop the opposing team from scoring, and the result is played out, I do think the old-school take is correct.

Want to w in? Stop the other team.

People often refute that statement by say ing that it is unfair to the opposing team. After play ing the perfect game, all Josh A llen could simply do was watch Mahomes end his season.

That is a great point; it does feel unfair.

But the Chiefs “did not w in w ith the coin toss,” and say ing they did so is a disser v ice to their achievement.

According to StatHead. com’s Drive Finder, of the 272 games played this season, 23% ended in touchdow ns. The Chiefs scoring was never a guarantee; there are no guarantees in the NFL. This season should have reminded us of that more than ever.

Want the w in? Stop them.

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

13

ND Swimming and Diving

Irish host penultimate regular season meet Observer Sports Staff

The Notre Dame Swimming and Diving team returns to action this weekend for a one-day dual meet.

Notre Dame initially scheduled West Virginia but now faces UIC this weekend.

The reason for the schedule change was not announced by the Irish. This will be the next-to-last meet of the regular season for Notre Dame; they host the Irish First Chance meet the following weekend.

Irish men look to bounce back For the men’s team, this meet prov ides a chance to bounce back from a dualmeet defeat in the Tim Welsh Classic to No. 14 Ohio State last weekend. That meet was not w ithout indiv idual highlights. In particular, senior captain Josh Bottelberghe dominated, w inning both the 100 and 200 breaststroke while contributing to a pair of w inning relays. He leads the Irish charge into the weekend, as Notre Dame looks for their first w in of the spring season. Their last meet v ictor y came on Oct. 22 versus Purdue.

Notre Dame should be heav ily favored in this contest. The Irish hold significant time advantages over UIC in the majorit y of events. Bottelberghe can be expected to dominate once more. A lthough UIC dominated their recent competition against Valparaiso,

their times simply do not match up w ith the Irish’s efforts. Bottelberghe holds a 13-second advantage in the 200-yard breaststroke over the Flames’ top finisher.

In the 200 freest yle, Notre Dame’s top five finishers from the Tim Welsh Classic outpaced UIC’s top finisher in the Flames’ most recent competition. In the 500 Free, there are six Irish sw immers who could’ve knocked off the Flame’s best time.

Notre Dame can really pour on the points in the 400 IM. In the Tim Welsh Classic, the Irish dominated this event, placing the top four finishers. Overall, they had five sw immers notch finishes of under four minutes. Senior Ma x Miranda clocked in at 3:50.26. For UIC, Kyle Lewarchick won the event against Valparaiso in 4:10.10.

Overall, the Irish should be able to rely on both star power and their depth to over whelm the Flames who, on paper, are extremely outmatched.

20th-ranked women look to keep rolling The Irish women are no longer seeking their first w in of the spring, taking dow n Ohio State and A kron on the women’s side of the Tim Welsh Classic.

Junior Colleen Gillilan paced the Irish w ith v ictories in three indiv idual w ins. Graduate student diver Kelly Straub won the one-meter div ing event and

nabbed third in the threemeter, claiming co-ACC diver of the week.

Like the men’s event, the Irish women enter this event as heav y favorites.

Looking at Notre Dame’s top performers, there are few proven equals in the pool amidst the Flames.

Gillilan’s top competition in her specialt y — the butterf ly — should come from fellow Irish sw immers. Her w inning time in the 100 of 51.76 seconds is nearly eight seconds clear of UIC’s top finisher in the event.

Gillilan leads the 400-yard medley relay team that was out-touched by .06 seconds last week. They enter seeded about 25 seconds ahead of UIC’s top relay team, so the Irish should be able to dominate the relay events as well.

A lso like the men, the 400-yard IM should be an event where Notre Dame can really pull away from the field. Both senior Luciana Thomas and sophomore Sarah Bender enter w ith personal bests of over 20 seconds better than their UIC counterparts.

Ultimately, the Irish should dominate this weekend. There’s no event where UIC enters a favorite, and the Irish boast enough depth to quell the Flames up and dow n their roster.

With just three weeks until the ACC Championships, look for this to be a tune-up and dominating effort from the blue and gold.

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish sophomore Tyler Christianson leaps off the starting block during warmups at Notre Dame’s Tim Welsh Classic this weekend. Christianson represented Panama in the 2020 Olympics.

14

Sports

The observer | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

M Bball Continued from page 16

ANYA RUFFINO | The Observer

Irish freshman guard Blake Wesley dribbles around a defender during Notre Dame’s Jan. 12 win over Clemson in Purcell Pavilion.

to keep a streak y Louisv ille team w ithin arms’ length, Wesley stepped up and proved an efficient scorer on all three levels, as well as a skilled ballhandler.

Paul Atkinson also pitched in a key performance dow n low, continuing an impressive season as Notre Dame’s go-to big man in the paint. Atkinson only missed one field goal all game, and grabbed five boards to go w ith his 13 points.

Jarrod West paced the Cardinals, prov iding a spark from deep all night in the high scoring affair. Of West’s team-high 14 points, 12 came from behind the arc, w ith the graduate student guard connecting on all four of his three point attempts.

The Irish now face a crucial juncture in their season w ith a three-game homestand ahead of them over the next t wo weeks. Hav ing built back some momentum w ith an assertive w in over Louisv ille follow ing a scare against Howard, Notre Dame now has a chance to notch t wo more all-important ACC v ictories before what’s set to be a marquee showdow n against Duke at Purcell Pav ilion.

Duke has already dropped t wo conference games this season, and for the first time in years the ACC appears to be w ide open.

W hile few would reasonably expect Notre Dame to compete for the title, if the Irish can dispatch North Carolina State and Virginia in South Bend over the next week and then shock Duke in primetime on Monday, nobody w ill be counting out Mike Brey’s squad heading into the Februar y stretch.

Notre Dame’s success in the upcoming homestand w ill hinge on an offense that’s heav ily outperformed the defense in 2021. The Irish are 9-2 in games when they score over 70 points, compared to just 3-4 when they fail to hit the 70-point threshold. The trio of Dane Goodw in, who has emerged as a dark-horse contender for ACC Player of the Year, Blake Wesley and Paul Atkinson w ill all need to be at their best for the Irish to be at their best.

The Irish w ill look to extend their new w inning streak to three games Wednesday night against North Carolina State, w ith their first home game in t wo weeks tipping off at 9 p.m. at Purcell Pav ilion.

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

ANYA RUFFINO | The Observer

Irish senior guard Dane Goodwin jumps to take a shot from just outside the key in Notre Dame’s 72-56 home win over Clemson on Jan. 12. Goodwin had 21 points and was 3 for 3 from behind the arc as the Irish took down the Tigers in Purcell Pavilion.

Thomas Continued from page 16

Send a volley cheer on high, shake down the thunder from the sky Let’s not mince words. This is the biggest, most-hy ped and most important stretch for Notre Dame basketball since 2017.

They’ve got the attention of the student body, and Brey is running around campus dining halls to sustain that momentum.

It’s the first time in Notre Dame’s tenure in the ACC that they’ve had three consecutive home conference games. And it comes at a crucial moment in the season.

The Irish start w ith NC State on Wednesday night.

It’s a w innable game as the Wolfpack are 3-6 in ACC play. It’s the t y pe of game that a tournament-caliber team should w in w ith relative ease.

The Irish mark the occasion w ith superhero night, encouraging students to come out in their best costumes for the 9 pm tip.

Winners of the costume contest get courtside priorit y for the Duke game. Follow ing the Wolfpack are the traditionally sting y Virginia Cavaliers, 5-4 in the ACC w ith their trademark vaunted defense. That’s a Saturday evening tip-off, and Purcell should be bouncing — dare I say thundering?

And then it’s the Blue Dev ils. It’s an Irish Wear Green night and despite the Monday night game, Purcell should — and must be — an absolute madhouse. Truly, if Notre Dame w ins those first t wo games, it’ll be time to shake dow n the thunder from the sk y.

The Irish are unbeaten at home and have soared from ACC afterthought to conference and NCA A tournament contender.

The energ y is palpable, and it’s going to stay that way w ith ever y w in Brey and Co. bring home.

Brey has already discussed crowd surfing the student section. W hat better way to spark that than a 3-0 homestand, punctuated w ith a top-10 w in, in the biggest week for Notre Dame basketball in almost four years.

So get loud. Get proud.

Send a volley cheer on high and make Purcell thunder.

Because Brey’s boys are back — and they’re looking for trouble.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | The Observer

SPORTS AUTHORITY

SPORTS AUTHORITY

Way-too-early predictions for 2022 college football

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

With the college football season coming to a close a couple of weeks ago, it’s time to look ahead to the 2022 season and group the teams into tiers.

Although tier one has all of the blue bloods that have dominated the sport as of late, there are only three teams that stand out to me as elite at the moment.

That gives plenty of room for teams in tier two and three to break into this elite group and get a College Football Playoff bid next season.

Tier 1: The Elite Alabama Despite a disappointing loss in the national title game, Bama should find themselves right back in the elite group in 2022. Heisman winner Bryce Young will surely be hungry to prove that he can win a title with the Tide, and I view Bama as the preseason favorites to reclaim the national title. With a defense that is anchored by linebacker Will Anderson as well, this figures to be a tough team to beat.

Clemson The Tigers could be sneaky good next season. Although they had a down year last season, I expect next year’s team to be fired up after starting the season under the radar. It will be interesting to see who starts at quarterback, but there is a lot of top tier talent on both sides of the ball that will make this team tough to play against.

Oklahoma State The Cowboys’ offensive performance in the second half of this year’s Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame was very impressive. Quarterback Spencer Sanders has all the skills necessary to lead his team to victory against a weak Big 12 schedule.

Utah The Utes kept getting better as the season went on, as they proved in a close game against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

They should be able to win a lot of games against subpar Pac12 opponents.

The Buckeyes will also have a very talented roster returning in 2022. Although they lose some of their talent on the offensive side of the ball, they return Heisman finalist C. J. Stroud, who was sensational in the team’s Rose Bowl victory. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba also had a breakout game in the Rose Bowl and could be the Buckeyes’ top wideout this coming season.

Georgia Of course the defending national champions have to be in this group. For as much hate as quarterback Stetson Bennett has received, he will be returning for the Bulldogs, and he has proven now that he can perform and win on the biggest of stages. The Bulldogs are poised to have one of the top defenses in the country again, so this will be a tough team to beat.

Tier 2: The Contenders Texas A&M The Aggies had a bizarre year in 2022. While they finished a disappointing 8-4, they were able to upset Alabama in one of the most stunning victories of the season. This team has been on the verge of greatness for a while, and 2022 is a great chance for them to finally break through and compete for a national title.

Ohio State, but they were embarrassed in the College Football Playoff. There is a lot of potential, but it will be tough to beat their rivals down south for a second consecutive season.

USC I might be premature putting the Trojans in this group, but this team just keeps winning in the transfer portal and recruiting trail since the introduction of Lincoln Riley as head coach. The talent is building in Los Angeles, and this program is going to be contending for national titles soon.

Oregon The Ducks will have their work cut out for them with a new head coach, but Oregon always seems to find its way to the Pac-12 Championship Game. Getting quarterback Bo Nix in the transfer portal could be huge for the Ducks as well.

Pitt Tier 3: Outside looking in Notre Dame

Ohio State

15

The Irish return a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but the question marks of a new coach and quarterback are worrisome. The Irish also play Ohio State, Clemson and USC, which might be too much for the Irish to handle.

Michigan The Wolverines finally beat

Replacing Kenny Pickett with Kedon Slovis was a good move for the Panthers, and they should be in contention for another ACC title. The Panthers avoid Clemson in the regular season as well, which is huge.

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

Should the NFL change OT rules?

By TOM ZWILLER Sports Writer

Last weekend football fans were treated to one of the best div isional playoff rounds in recent memor y.

The Bengals upset the Titans on the road thanks to the efforts of Joe Burrow and rookie kicker Evan McPherson, 19-16.

The 49ers continued their w inning streak in the playoffs against the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers resulting in questions about the future of football in Green Bay. The Rams led the Buccaneers 27-3, a dangerous thing to do against Tom Brady, but were able to snatch a v ictor y from the jaws of OT w ith a late field goal.

But none of those games could prepare football fans for the absolute delight of a game that was the BillsChiefs game.

Call it a recency bias, but in my opinion, this was the best game I watched live — narrowly beating out the 2018 regular-season meeting bet ween the Chiefs and Rams.

It has ever y thing a game needs to be genuinely great; stakes, drama, a narrative and most importantly (for this column), controversy, but we’ll get there in a little bit.

The game, a rematch of the AFC Championship, was played bet ween the

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v isiting Buffalo Bills and the Kansas Cit y Chiefs, which many thought could be the AFC Championship at the start of the season (myself included), and did not disappoint at all.

The Bills took an early 7-0 lead driv ing the field in 13 plays, but at the half, the game was all knotted up at 14. At the end of the third quarter, the Chiefs had a t wo-point lead on the Bills, but the best of the action was yet to come.

The Chiefs possessed a 26-21 lead at the t wo-minute warning, but shortly after, the Bills scored a touchdow n and a t wopoint conversion to lead by three.

With just 1:54 left in the game, fans, broadcasters, and players wondered alike: did the Bills leave Patrick Mahomes too much time?

Mahomes, the architect of many iconic drives and comebacks, answered the question w ith a resounding yes: the Chiefs scored in 52 seconds to lead by four w ith 1: 02 left.

However, the shoe was now on the other foot, had the Chiefs, in scoring so quick ly, cost themselves the game?

The answer seemed to be yes, w ith the Bills driv ing the field in see ZWILLER PAGE 13

16

The observer | Wednesday, JANUARY 26, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND men’s Basketball

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer | Photo Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish head in to 3-game home stand to take on Wolfpack, Cavaliers, Blue Devils Aidan Thomas Associate Sports Editor

Ever y self-respecting Irish fan knows the Notre Dame fight song.

Cheer, Cheer for Old Notre Dame That’s the request of Notre Dame men’s basketball head coach Mike Brey. For the second time in two weeks, Brey invaded the campus dining halls to implore students to come out for upcoming games.

The last time Brey pulled this stunt was prior to Notre Dame’s clash w ith Clemson in a key home conference contest. Irish students responded, f looding the Purcell Pav ilion student section to create a resounding home court advantage. Notre Dame won 72-56.

Now, Brey stands on dining hall tables in hopes of creating a similar advantage.

The Irish face a threegame stretch that could make or break their season.

A trio of ACC battles against NC State, Virginia and No. 9 Duke await the Irish in six

days. Three w ins should elevate the Irish into the projected NCA A Tournament bracket.

It could also put Brey’s squad firmly in contention for the ACC regular-season title. And that brings us to the next stanza in the Notre Dame fight song.

Wake up the echoes cheering her name Mike Brey and Notre Dame basketball are back.

The energ y, the buzz surrounding the team right now is unmatched during any current undergraduate’s time on campus. The Irish are 5-2 in conference play, 12-6 overall and they’ve won eight of the last nine.

Wake up the echoes, indeed.

The swagger, poise and confidence of this Irish squad taking to the hardwood ever y contest is something not seen in one of Brey’s squads since their dominating runs of 20152017. Then, Notre Dame won an ACC Championship and made consecutive Elite Eights.

During that span, Notre Dame beat the likes of No.

9 Louisv ille, No. 14 Florida State, No. 2 North Carolina and No. 4 Duke at home. The blue bloods came knocking, and Brey’s boys knocked them out.

Then came the drought.

In 2018, the Irish fell in the Round of 32, trailing w ire to w ire against West Virginia. And then, from 2018 to 2021, there were no NCA A Tournament appearances.

Purcell Pav ilion was w itness to exactly zero top10 Notre Dame w ins. The Irish, w ith a few exceptions, looked thoroughly outmatched on any t y pe of big stage. Home games became somewhat quiet affairs w ith low expectations.

Last season, Notre Dame went 4-4 in home conference games. The past t wo seasons, the Irish went 1-5 against ranked conference opponents w ithin the friendly confines of Purcell.

This year, the Kentuck y game began to change things. Despite a disappointing start to the season, such a high-profile opponent drew the students in hordes to Purcell. The energ y was unlike any thing in

recent years, and the Irish rode the wave of momentum to a v ictor y over the tenth-ranked Wildcats.

December 11th’s surge in energ y for that postKentuck y court storm has proven to be no mirage. The Irish sustained some of that momentum by w inning three ACC games over break, including a home upset of North Carolina.

W hen students returned to campus for the Clemson game, the expectation, for the first time in recent memor y, was a w in in a key ACC game. And the Irish delivered in dominating fashion, blasting another team firmly on the bubble of NCA A Tournament contention.

The Irish went on the road for three games and won the final t wo contests of the trip. That has them sitting tied for third in the conference standing. No longer can this be called a hot start.

It’s late Januar y, and the Fighting Irish are firmly in tournament contention. see THOMAS PAGE 14

Irish down Louisville 82-70 on the road

By J. J. POST Spor ts Writer

Notre Dame basketball notched their first w in on the road over Louisv ille since 2015, dow ning the Cardinals 82-70 Sunday afternoon.

The shootout match was a tale of t wo halves for the Irish, who shot well in the first frame but struggled to stop an outpouring of Louisv ille scoring and entered the locker room dow n 45-38. In the second half, however, Notre Dame kept its foot on the gas while containing the Cardinal attack, pulling away on a 44-25 run in the final 20 minutes and turning a hotly competitive game for most of the afternoon into a comfortable w in.

Freshman Blake Wesley led the way for the Irish, maintaining a hot hand from the field all night, going 3 for 4 from beyond the arc and 8 of 13 from the field for a game-high 22 points. In a game where Notre Dame needed to stay hot from deep see M BBALL PAGE 14