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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 43 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
FTT hosts film festival Film, television and theatre department hosts annual event By AYNSLEE DELLACCA News Writer
Notre Dame will host their 35th annual Student Film Festival at the Browning Cinema on Jan. 26-28, which will showcase over a dozen student-produced films completed in the last year. “Filmed all over the country, and right here in South Bend, we are thrilled to present the premiere screenings of these undergraduate student films, many of which will go on to screen at film festivals nationally,” said Ted Mandell, festival founder and associate teaching professor in a press release from the film, television and theatre (FTT) department. Mandell, an ‘86 alum, returned to work at Notre Dame and sponsored
the first Student Film Festival in 1990, an event which he had wished was open to him when he was a student. The festival first premiered in the building now known as McKenna Hall, and has since moved venues a few times before settling at the Browning Cinema in 2004, the year the Browning Cinema opened. Now, 35 years later, films originally submitted in classes such as introduction to production, documentary production, intermediate filmmaking and advanced filmmaking all have a shot to debut this weekend. Audience members will also have a chance of voting for the Audience Choice Award after the approximately 120 minute run-time of each screening. The winning director(s)
will be announced after the final screening on Jan. 28. “You get some that are these wonderful love stories, you get some more suspense, you get some comedy,” Tre Goodhue, FTT department outreach specialist, said. “There’s a full range of themes and genres across these short films. I think the audience members should be in for a variety platter of wonderful films.” One of the many short films, “Nearness of You,” was directed by junior Josh Vo and filmed in the spring of 2023. Vo took inspiration from his own life to capture the essence of what it means to “capture the moment.” The short film comes to life see FILM PAGE 4
Student senate discusses accreditation, election By KAELEIGH PICCO News Writer
The Notre Dame student senate hosted representatives from the provost’s office, who discussed the University’s ten-year accreditation requirement, during its first meeting of the semester Wednesday. The senate also discussed a letter it received from University President Fr. John Jenkins and sending a letter to the registrar. Student Body vice president
Aidan Rezner delivered the meeting’s opening prayer, and Student Union secretary Isabella Tardio asked members of the senate about what they are most looking forward to during this spring semester, to which many expressed excitement about spring break and tulips around the Grotto come warmer weather. Rezner got minutes from the previous senate meeting approved and invited Demetra Schoenig and Caroline Maloney from the
Upcoming survey
Five dead in South Bend fire
see SENATE PAGE 3
On Thursday afternoon, the Saint Mary’s digital and public humanities program hosted their second roundtable conversation on artificial intelligence. The session began with a brief presentation by Marwan Gebran, an associate physics and astronomy professor. Gebran began his presentation by defining what chatbots are, and
HOW TO WRITE IN A BOOK
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
VIEWPOINT PAGE 5
see PETITIONS PAGE 4
This spring, Schoenig began, the Notre Dame will host representatives from the Higher Learning Commission, which is based in Chicago. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, the commission accredits degree-granting,
web,” he said. “The web contains a lot of wrong information, but it can give you a skeleton of whatever course you need.” Gebran argued that chatbots shouldn’t be restricted completely. “We shouldn’t try to limit the use of chatbots, instead we should try to find a way to live with these chatbots, since they will be the future,” he said. Gebran argued that the
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At noon on Friday, petitions for student body candidates will close. Three tickets are collecting signatures through Google Forms, and candidates who have collected at least 700 signatures will be permitted by the Judicial Council to begin campaigning on Tuesday morning. Dawson Kiser, a junior in Dillon studying management consulting with minors in theology and entrepreneurship, is running for president. Kiser is vice president of the junior class and served as Dillon Hall president his
sophomore year. His running mate is Maeve Miller, a sophomore in McGlinn Hall, who is serving as the dorm’s senator. She’s studying sociology and Spanish, with a minor in accountancy. James Baird, a junior studying history and political science with a minor in constitutional studies, is the president of Alumni Hall. He’s running for president with running mate Abbie Toth, a junior studying finance, economics and real estate and the vice president of Pasquerilla East Hall.
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the difference among them. “The main definition of a chatbot, is just a program that simulates a kind of conversation with a human,” he said. Gebran highlighted that the strength of the generative chatbot is the versatility that it can perform anything we want. “You can ask ChatGPT to create a course from scratch, related to a specific field. It will do this but of course not everything will be correct because it was trained on the
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provost’s office to speak at the front of the room.
Saint Mary’s roundtable discusses chatbot and AI By ALLISON BOWMAN
StuGov elections season begins
see CHATBOT PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 7
PETER BREEN | The Observer
Local community members left stuffed animals in front of the northwest South Bend home where five children died during a fire. Observer Staff Report
A residential fire in South Bend killed five children Sunday. When first responders arrived at a home on LaPorte Avenue near Colfax Avenue in the early evening, they found “intense flames” engulfing the structure’s first and second floors, according to the South Bend Fire Department. The fire department formally identified the victims in a Wednesday news release. They were 17-month-old Faith Smith, 4-year-old D’Angelo Smith,
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE 12
5-year-old Deontay Smith, 9-yearold Davida Smith and 10-year-old Demetis Smith. Their older sister, 11-year-old Angel Smith, remained in critical condition at an Indianapolis hospital, according to the news release. The children’s father David Smith, who escaped the fire with minor injuries, said he was watching television with the kids upstairs when one of his sons see FIRE PAGE 3
MEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE 12
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TODAY
THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
QUESTION OF THE DAY: ndsmcobserver.com
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What is your favorite book you’ve read?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
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“Small Great Things.”
“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”
Mary Shah
Celia Calabria
junior Johnson Family Hall
freshman Breen-Phillips Hall
“The Book Thief.”
“A Monster Calls.”
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freshman Siegfried Hall
junior Howard
“America: The Last Best Hope.”
“Pride & Prejudice.”
Editor-in-Chief Maggie Eastland Managing Editor Ryan Peters Asst. Managing Editor: Gabrielle Beechert Asst. Managing Editor: Hannah Hebda Asst. Managing Editor: José Sánchez Córdova 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:
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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Maggie Eastland. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
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Notre Dame’s Pom Squad performs during half-time at Thursday night’s women’s basketball game against Syracuse at the Joyce Center. Though the Fighting Irish lost, they hope to bounce back Saturday night against the nation’s eighth-ranked UConn Huskies.
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Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Interfaith Dialogues Common Good Lounge Noon - 1 p.m. Discuss values with those of other faiths to promote tolerance.
Sacrament of Confession Basilica Crypt 10 a.m. All are welcome to attend.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. Join others for morning Mass.
Confession St. Joseph Chapel Holy Cross College 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Held during Adoration every week.
Master of Science in Global Health Virtual 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Information Session. Registration required.
ND/SMC Irish Dance Team Showcase Washington Hall Mainstage Theater 7 p.m. Watch the yearly show.
Student Film Festival Browning Cinema 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. FTT stdents will present films for the 35th annual festival.
Byzantine Divine Liturgy Malloy Hall Chapel 10 a.m. All are welcome to join in celebration.
Dawg Pizza Alumni Hall basement 9 p.m. - midnight Late night pizza joint, $4 a slice for pepperoni.
Future Careers in Service Networking 210 Duncan Student Center 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Breakfast with CVN.
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post-secondary educational institutions across the United States, including Notre Dame. Notre Dame first received accreditation from the commission in 1914, and the commission has returned to campus every ten years since to reevaluate the University. Schoenig, who is the commission’s academic affairs director, and Maloney, an associate director for academic programming and accreditation, are currently working with the commission in preparation for its visit in April. When a university is accredited, Schoenig explained, the accreditation serves as a link between the institution and the public to demonstrate academic quality and program integrity. “The goal of accreditation is to
ensure that for money spent and time sacrificed by students, education is the quality that it should be,” Schoenig said. Maloney stepped in, revealing that part of the commission’s process in accreditation includes sending out a survey to all currently enrolled students, including undergraduates and graduate and professional students. Maloney said that the survey is designed and managed by the commission and will ask students to rate their experiences at the University. On Feb. 5, every student at the University will receive an email from the provost’s office with the survey, which will remain open until Feb. 14. The commission collects the survey data, anonymizes it and creates a report that will help shape questions that will be posed to students, faculty and administers by the
commission during its site visit on April 8 and 9, Maloney added. Schoenig explained how important this survey is in providing both the commission and the University with feedback on how Notre Dame can continue to positively develop as an institution. “As excellent as we may be, there’s always room for improvement,” she said. “That’s where the student voices come in. Please participate. Please encourage your classmates to participate.”
Jung then shared a letter the senate received from Jenkins. It was a response to a letter of gratitude in recognition of Jenkin’s announcement to step down from the presidency at the conclusion of the current school year that the senate sent in November. “There have been many wonderful aspects of my service at Notre Dame, and I cherish them all, but nothing exceeds the chance to work with Notre Dame students,” Jenkins wrote.
Letter from Jenkins
General orders
Transitioning to executive announcements, Rezner reminded the senate of the upcoming Ice Skate Night in Compton Family Arena, which will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday. The time was recently changed, and Insomnia Cookies are included. Student body president Daniel
At the start of general orders, Dillon Hall senator Sam Godinez brought up a letter that he drafted for the registrar. Godinez wanted the registrar to tell him the percentage of undergraduate students who currently have class before 10 a.m. because he wasconcernedforstudentswhoskip
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breakfast because of an earlier class. Ultimately, Godinez would like to expand Grab-n-Go hours. Asking for a statistic of undergraduate students who currently have class before 10 a.m., Godinez expressed his purpose in addressing the letter as the first step in working for an increase in Grab-nGo hours, specifically for students who may be skipping breakfast because of an early class. In light of upcoming student government elections, Student Union parliamentarian Hunter Brooke reminded the entire senate that they are not allowed to endorse anyone in any election across campus. Rezner reminded everyone “to be kind to one another” during the excitement that comes with elections in the spring semester. Contact Kaeleigh Picco at kpicco@nd.edu
Librarian discusses active reading By REDMOND BERNHOLD News Writer
Eric Lease Morgan, digital initiatives librarian, gave a featured lecture Thursday on the strategy and importance of “active reading,” a form of reading with ample annotations designed to maximize comprehension. Before the event, he pointed to a yellow poster on Hesburgh Library’s second floor, a picture of someone’s annotations in “Divine Comedy.” He said that anyone can leave their comments on any work, similar to the photograph, and it may leave positive impressions on future readers. Morgan started the lecture by
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noticed the smell of smoke on a trip to the bathroom. “I jumped up and when I looked down the stairs, I saw smoke coming up the steps,” Smith told Cindy Johnson in a video posted to Facebook. “So I try to run down there to see where the fire was and then all of a sudden it went whoosh.” Smith said the smoke became so thick and black that it was soon impossible to see. “I start passing out and I stuck my head out the window, got me some fresh air,” he added. “I tried to crawl back to where the babies and stuff was at. I could just get part of the way and the smoke was just taking all my oxygen from me, so I went and dove out the window.” According to the South Bend Fire Department, one firefighter received minor burns and another, who fell through a hole in the second floor and landed on the first floor, is resting comfortably at home while undergoing further evaluations. In the days following the fire, community members placed stuffed animals, flowers and balloons around the charred house.
noting that he does not condone writing in library books. “If you write in the book, and then someone comes out from behind you and looks at the book, the second person might feel distracted from what they’re looking at,” he said. He also said that some library texts may be of high worth — any writing would depreciate the value. He also stressed the importance of printed works, rather than digital copies, pointing to their ease of accessibility. He said active reading is most effective in comprehending personally-owned books, journal articles and news stories. Morgan then turned to techniques to enhance one’s active reading. Before he showed specifics,
he provided a handout to the lecture’s attendees and read a passage aloud. “For the most part, books are containers for data and information, and as such they are not sacred items to be worshiped, but instead things to be actively used,” he said. “By actively reading and writing in books, a person can not only get more out of their reading, but a person can add value to the material, as well as enable themselves to review the material quickly.” Morgan said that writing symbols is the best way to strengthen one’s active reading. He said that their simple structures convey the right amount of information to remember the text’s significance. They also
help in remembering content long term, according to Morgan. He then shared the personalization one can make of active reading, and the abundance of meanings one can uncover. “If you go through and you scribble on your stuff, then the scribbles have [different] kinds of meanings. It’s very easy for you to go back and find out particular pieces of information,” he said. He then said that symbols should be simple and formulaic. His most-used symbols convey straightforward ideas to ease understanding without having to excessively reread. “A line is something that is defined or a definition, rather … If
I circle an item, that’s an idea of interest and idea, as opposed to a square thing, which is like a name of a person, thing or government,” he said. He also shared an example of a cross indicating a faith-based idea, to show the intuitive nature of its meaning. He concluded the lecture, noting that active reading is crucial in being able to discuss texts. He said he can “guarantee” that active reading allows for efficient revisiting of texts — especially when practicing with personal symbols. “Use your own symbols, come up with your own ideas,” he said. Contact Redmond Bernhold at rbernho2@nd.edu
Downhill skiing club reinstated By CAROLINE COLLINS Associate News Editor
The last few weeks in South Bend have been filled with snowy days and near-zero temperatures. Student skiing groups on campus are embracing the winter weather. This past weekend the newlyreinstated Notre Dame ski and snowboard team traveled to Gaylord, Michigan, where 18 athletes competed at the Otsego Club in two types of alpine skiing races, the slalom and giant slalom. The races were spread out between two days of competition. The women’s team placed second, and the men’s team placed fourth in slalom. In the giant slalom, the women and men both placed fourth. This is the team’s first winter back as a University-sanctioned group. The team was suspended for the last four years after getting in trouble for partying, but the team is now up and running for the second semester of the school year. Junior Macy Hopkinson, the team’s president, said it already has more than 300 members, ranging from students with ski racing experience to those who are
just starting out. There are 37 students on the racing team, and Notre Dame competes in the Midwest Division of the United States Ski & Snowboard Association. “It’s definitely been a lot of work,” Hopkinson said about getting the team started. “But it’s super fun, and I definitely want to have a ski team. So I’m just happy to be running it and bringing it back.” Hopkinson explained that the members of the racing team compete in two types of races, the slalom and giant slalom. Slalom is the most technical event in alpine skiing with the shortest course and the quickest turns, while giant slalom, a longer race, has characteristics of both the slalom and the downhill. Each skier gets two runs on each of the courses and the top three racers on each team “score.” Alpine skiing takes place on downhill slopes, while Nordic skiing — also known as cross-country skiing — involves skiing over hills, down hills and through valleys. “Nordic skiing and downhill skiing are completely different sports with different skis, different boots and different forms,” Joe Thuente, the president of Notre Dame’s Nordic ski club, said. Thuente said Nordic skiing is a
“niche sport” and that most of the current club members had never tried cross-country skiing before they joined. “It’s a good way to enjoy winter,” he added. “It’s always cloudy here, so you have to make the best of what you got.” Both the ski team and the Nordic ski club have a variety of trips planned during the winter to take advantage of the snow. The ski team offers free day trips to Bittersweet Mountain in Otsego, Michigan, and the Nordic ski club organizes weekend trips to Love Creek County Park in Berrien Center, Michigan. In addition to these free ski trips, the teams are also participating in higher-level competitions. The ski team will be racing at the Midwest Division regional on Feb. 17 and 18 at Marquette Mountain, and the Nordic ski club will compete at the American Birkebeiner on Feb. 24. The American Birkebeiner is a 50-kilometer race held in Wisconsin, and it is the largest ski race in America with over 10,000 participants each year. The alpine and Nordic ski groups are not the only ones on campus that have been enjoying the recent winter weather. Campus Ministry also held a ski retreat last weekend,
which combined retreat programming with time on the slopes. Interim coordinator of spirituality Meg Hunter-Kilmer said that many of the students were first-time skiers and snowboarders, but that it seemed like everyone had a lot of fun. “It’s a beautiful thing to see Notre Dame students do a new thing that they know they will be bad at because it’s not something that we typically do,” she said. “I think that’s just a really beautiful metaphor for spiritual life — that we’re entering into something that we can’t make perfect, and we can’t achieve and accomplish on our own. We’re going to need grace, and we’re going to need the Lord to work in us.” The theme of the retreat was freedom, which related to the idea of trying something new like skiing and not being afraid to be seen trying, Hunter-Kilmer said. “It felt like it all really came together — just talking about the freedom that we experience as we’re going down the slopes, the experience in nature and the freedom that comes with a relationship with Jesus.” Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu
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existence of chatbots is not as new as we think. “We can even consider Google as a chatbot. Any device that requires any interaction is a chatbot,” he said. Next up to the podium was Marie Claire Ferretti, a senior international development, intercultural studies and global studies major. Claire began her presentation by outlining the impacts of AI, and in particular how ChatGPT impacts the education system at a K-12 level. Ferretti began by addressing, noting that there is no recent information since then that is
completely accurate. On the other hand, she said, an advantage of AI is that it cuts down on time taken to perform many tasks. “The repercussions of their program is that a lot of people saw the benefits of it and utilized it. And it was kinda an overnight success,” she said. “It started being used in schools, businesses and in the medical world.” A lot of Ferretti’s research pertained to the American education system’s actions towards AI, since no one knew what actions to take for students K-12. “In early January of 2023, the New York City’s education department placed a ban over all NYC public schools, restricting ChatGPT on school owned
devices,” she said. “In school they saw it as a threat. There wasn’t a lot of information on it, so there was the idea that it would cause a lot of negative impacts on students.” Ferretti proceeded to give her biggest takeaways that she has found through her research thus far. “A lot of teachers are behind the eight-ball with AI technology, there are a lot of unknowns” she continued, “Since it happened so fast, students figured it out way quicker than the teachers did, and used it to their advantage.” Later in the afternoon, Christopher Wedrychowicz, associate professor of math and computer science, moderated a roundtable discussion. “I am highly pessimistic, I don’t
really see this trend sort of going in a positive direction,” he said. Wedrychowicz then proceeded to ask the presenters questions about their findings, ranging from the creativity that is increasingly being threatened by AI, to what kind of limitations we should put on AI. “I’m not as pessimistic,” Gebran answered, “I don’t think there should be rules on how to block this, other than ways on how to live with it.” Wedrychowicz then asked about the likelihood of jobs being taken away by the spread of AI. Gebran responded, “We used to use horses, now we use cars, but we didn’t kill all the horses, they’re still here. The idea is that we will adapt, and I
think it will never stop, because the curiosity about AI will never stop.” Gebran concluded with some closing remarks and room for thought. “I don’t see any problem with what’s happening, I only see that we have to think about how to adapt our behavior and education mainly, and how to understand the students’ needs with all these tools,” he said. “What do we do if we find students using Chat GPT?” Gebran asked, “These are the things we should be thinking about, other than what’s the endpoint with this technology because there is no endpoint it will continue on.” Contact Allison Bowman at abowman01@saintmarys.edu
SMC Votes discusses book ban, censorship By DELANA CATES News Writer
SMC Votes, a division of the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry, hosted a discussion about banned books Wednesday. As the young voters of Saint Mary’s start to discern their stance on book bans and other political issues, SMC Votes provides a forum for students to make their voices heard and to consider the opinions of others. SMC Votes co-coordinator and co-host of the Wednesday discussion, sophomore Amelia Moroney, explained the organization’s purpose. “Our goal is to every month have an informal and engaging discussion on a certain topic and bring people in from all different perspectives to share their experiences and learn more about the world,” Moroney said. Moroney explained why she
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through the perspective of a college student, armed with a camcorder, wanting to be able to remember and relive some of his favorite moments with his friends. Feeling a lot of these nostalgic longings himself, Vo decided to follow this storyline after attending a friend’s vocal recital, which gave him the revelation to include his own friends’ candid moments into the story. The title, “Nearness of You,” is named after a song of the same name sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, a favorite of Vo’s. The importance of film extends further than a class assignment or an opportunity for entertainment corporations to make money. Mandell believes that people don’t make films for themselves, but rather they make films for an audience to consume. That’s where the importance lies. “I think, in general, we watch films to be emotionally moved. I mean, why did you pick that film
thinks it is important to host open discussions with young voters and fellow students. “SMC Votes is designed to foster participation and education in student voters and I think being able to talk to other people about why they believe the way they do or vote the way they do helps create a more informed voter,” she said. As book bans start to appear in headlines more frequently and politicians assert their stances for election season, Moroney said SMC Votes thought it would be valuable to unpack this topic. “We chose book bans because censorship is such an important theme in the world of education, and as students, I think we have really unique perspectives, especially as Saint Mary’s is a private school,” Moroney said. “We have students from all different parts of the country experiencing things in different ways. It’s a really cool and unique thing to be
able to talk with people who have different experiences than you.” Moroney said her mission is to create more informed Saint Mary’s voters. She added that these discussions have changed her understanding of the community around her. “I feel more knowledgeable about book bans as a topic but also more informed about censorship and the value of education,” Moroney said. “I have a very deep appreciation for the experiences of others and how that shapes their political views.” Morgan Allred, a Saint Mary’s freshman and regular attendee of the SMC Votes “Discussions and Donuts” meetings, said she valued the conversation on book bans. “Books have been a huge part of my life,” she said. “A lot of my opinions of the world have been formed from the non-fiction and fictional books I’ve read. I feel like
books are useful to gain insight into things I’m passionate about.” Allred said the feeling of being heard in a discussion on the censorship of books is validating. “This conversation has been very beneficial for me in the way that I got a lot of differing opinions,” Allred said. “I learned a lot of information that I genuinely didn’t know before. I got to speak about something I’m very passionate about” Allred said she hopes more Saint Mary’s students will continue to involve themselves in these SMC Votes discussions, as she believes it can have a real and positive impact within the sisterhood. “Conversations like this can improve Saint Mary’s College because whether we speak about it or not, things can get very black and white,” she said. “Having a space where it’s very safe and very open to
speak about any topic is really important.” The next SMC Votes event will be Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. on the topic of LGBTQ+ rights. Contact Delana Cates at dcates01@saintmarys.edu
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AnnahMarie Behn-Link is a junior in Flaherty studying electrical engineering with a minor in corporate practice. She previously served as the co-director of FUEL. Her running mate, Corey Bowden, is a junior in Dillon studying political science with a minor with real estate and digital marketing. After campaigning begins, the eligible candidates will partake in a debate the next week, on Feb. 5, with an election two days later on Feb. 7.
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to watch on Netflix? You wanted to laugh? You wanted to cry? You wanted to be scared, right?” Mandell said. “There’s some kind of emotional investment that you have in that film. So hopefully, the audience will be emotionally invested in the films and knowing that how these films were made … these are first-time filmmakers who are in a class and they produced that, that adds another layer to the experience.” Mandell hopes the audience will come to appreciate the hard work and dedicated hours his students like Vo put into these films. “The students know all of the hurdles and all of the ins and outs of their films. They can tell you why that shot’s there or how difficult it was to get [this shot],” Mandell said. “They have a story behind every aspect of it, but if you’re an audience member, all you see is what’s on the screen … That’s a really great part of the learning experience [for the students]. It’s not just making the film, but seeing how your film affects other people.”
Vo adds onto the idea of telling stories, and he believes filmmaking is just like any other catalyst of storytelling. “As a filmmaker, [you tell the stories of] uniqueness in our individual humanities,” said. “We all really love telling stories together. And that’s what’s really important.” According to the FTT department’s press release, tickets for each screening event range between $7 for the general public, $6 for faculty, staff and seniors (65+) and $4 for students and children. “I hope you enjoy it, or I hope that you hate it, or I hope that you absolutely adore it, or I hope that you think it is the most disgusting thing in the world, but thanks for coming to watch it. And hopefully, we can all continue to do stuff like this,” Vo said. “But know that if you’re reading this, you’re also incredibly special. And whether you like movies or not, go out and have all of your own dreams.” Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
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OBSERVER EDITORIAL
Class of ‘24 deserves a Commencement speaker from beyond the Dome As Fr. Jenkins ends his term as University President after nearly two decades, he has also been announced as this year’s Commencement speaker. Outgoing chair of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees Jack Brennan wrote in an email to the campus community that after being asked by the Board, Jenkins “agreed” to speak. Brennan also wrote: “We believe at this moment Father Jenkins’ leadership and exemplary service to the University make him a most fitting choice.” While Fr. Jenkins’ leadership and service has certainly been impressive, we can hear — and have heard — from him whenever he so chooses. As students on the verge of leaving Notre Dame, we want to hear from someone who lives out the University’s calling to be a force for good — but that does not mean they have to come from within the Golden Dome’s bubble. The commencement speaker we long to hear from is one who can speak with confidence about the challenges, joy and opportunities of life outside of Notre Dame. While we respect the priest and academic who led our University for the last 19 years, dissatisfaction over the choice for commencement speaker is far from rare among the senior class. The occasion of graduation — this margin between life under the Dome and life beyond it — befits a commencement speaker who can speak not only to the campus life of our past but also to the challenges of our future. Fr. Jenkins has had ample opportunities to speak to the Class of 2024. He has often relayed the heavy decision made in 2020 to return to in-person classes amid a global pandemic. Those who attended the class of 2024’s Junior Parents Weekend festivities are all too
familiar with that speech. Seniors have heard this noble message many times, and understandably so. For graduation, however, we’d like to be defined by more than our past. That doesn’t mean we don’t want Fr. Jenkins to speak at graduation. In fact, we’d like to hear from him as our University President. But we also want to hear from a commencement speaker who actively lives as a force for good from beyond the Dome. In the past, University presidents have spoken at Commencement Ceremonies, whether through introductions, invocations or closing remarks. Last year, Fr. Jenkins spoke directly to the Class of 2023 about Juan Manuel Santos, last year’s commencement speaker. Santos is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and served as president of the Republic of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. Jenkins called him a “courageous and visionary statesman [who] led his country through an arduous peace process.” Why invite Santos to speak, instead of someone internal to the University? In Jenkin’s own words, figures like Santos, “stand[s] as a beacon of hope to a world engulfed in deadly conflicts.” There is value in hearing from someone outside Notre Dame because this place is temporary. Undergraduate education is a four-year stretch to help prepare you for the rest of your life. If the University has done its job well, its graduates will be eager to accomplish goodness in the wider world. So why not use this opportunity to invite someone who can draw on outside experience to inspire that eagerness? History shows that there is no shortage of qualified candidates who would be honored to give such a speech. The list of previous Commencement speakers
includes multiple U.S. Presidents, the UN Secretary General, Pulitzer-winning journalists, the U.S. Secretary of State, bishops, high-ranking judges and company executives. Union General William Tecumseh Sherman spoke at the 1865 graduation. Former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover spoke in 1942. Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke to the class of 1960. Jimmy Carter in 1977. Ronald Reagan in 1981. Condoleezza Rice in 1995. Kofi Annan in 2000. These are only a few of the laudable voices that have inspired past classes. In light of this list, our question remains: Why not invite a speaker external to the University? Such an invitation does not preclude Fr. Jenkins from addressing the class of 2024. At the very least, the lack of invitation to an external speaker is a missed opportunity. The commencement speaker used to serve as a testament to Notre Dame’s prestige of both academics and character. Perhaps today, we are too afraid of controversy to aspire to greatness. As Brennan noted in his email, the selection is not typical. Fr. Hesburgh and Fr. Malloy never delivered a Commencement speech. Yes, we owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Fr. Jenkins for allowing the Class of 2024 to have a freshman year. That’s important, but it’s only part of our college experience. There’s plenty of time to reflect back and allow the president to speak during the ceremony — but that time is not the Commencement speech. As Fr. Jenkins steps down and the senior class prepares for graduation, we both look forward to the next chapters of our lives. The Commencement speech should do the same.
Consider becoming a minesweeper addict Allison Abplanalp Under Further Scrutiny
So you’ve decided to become a Minesweeper addict. As a seasoned veteran, I’m here to share my journey and tips so you too can become a pro. But before I start, I would like to congratulate you on taking the first step and welcoming Minesweeper into your life. Minesweeper is a game of great fun! Weird Al even sings about it in his parody “White & Nerdy.” But what’s great about Minesweeper is that you don’t have to be white or nerdy to play. Minesweeper is for everybody! My own Minesweeper journey began at a ripe young age. It was through my father that I learned about the game. He would sit at our desktop computer rapidly sweeping mines and occasionally cursing when he hit one. I was enthralled and began playing (and by playing, I mean seeing how many cells I could click before I exploded). I loved the thrill and risk of the game and surely had the makings of a juvenile gambler. Unfortunately, rather than exploring a future as a high roller, ripping cigs and hitting slot machines on the Las Vegas Strip, I ended up the opposite: a Notre Dame student. Yet, halfway into my third semester here, I encountered Minesweeper again. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but my life hasn’t been the same since. This time around, I scraped my gambling-like strategy and began playing with intent, honing my craft. Thankfully, Minesweeper came naturally to me. As the great-granddaughter of an actual coal miner, minesweeping is in my blood. I attacked my new passion with the tenacity of a voracious honey badger, unrelenting in the face of a challenge. At dinner, in class or hanging out
with friends: no matter where I was, I was sweeping. I swept so much, one might have thought I was a maid! As I played, my skills grew exponentially. The once-complex patterns became clear before my eyes. I felt like an archeologist deciphering ancient Sumerian tablets. My brain was wired to think only in terms of Minesweeper. Every time I closed my eyes, Minesweeper appeared. The night before Christmas, visions of Minesweeper danced in my head. Eventually, just the blink of an eye would induce images of the game. So that’s my Minesweeper journey. If, by this point, you are taking my experience as a cautionary tale, you shouldn’t. I stand before you today not to warn you about Minesweeper but to share this remarkable game. If you’re enticed, please continue reading. If, for some reason, this does not interest you, go ahead and flip to the next story. Just know, you will always wonder what could have been. Now that you’re on board, I would like to give you a few pieces of advice to make your transition as seamless as possible. First, make sure you’re using the right platform (MinesweeperOnline.com). If it looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 90s, you’re at the right site. Second, look up the basic techniques and patterns. Get to know them. Wine and dine them perhaps. They are essential. Also, consider purchasing a mouse. Playing Minesweeper using a touchpad is like playing the Stairway to Heaven guitar solo with one of those rubber band tissue-box guitars — it just doesn’t cut it. Next, it’s time to talk to your friends, family, teachers and anyone else you give attention to. The mature thing to do is to have sit-down conversations and let them know that you are embarking on a Minesweeper addiction and that you hope they will
support you through this journey. Minesweeper is an individual game but a group effort. I was lucky to have supportive friends who went as far as to buy me Minesweeper merchandise. Let your peers know what this addiction entails. From now on they will only be getting 14% of your attention, as the other 86% will go to Minesweeper. Also, in case you are wondering: Yes, it is acceptable to play Minesweeper during these conversations. And if you don’t have time to do it in person because of Minesweeper commitments, a mass email will suffice. Finally, you need an exit strategy. A Minesweeper addiction is not sustainable in the long run. Luckily, I have a foolproof de-addiction strategy — just play Minesweeper nonstop for days on end (preferably over a period when you don’t have a lot of work commitments). Eventually, you will grow tired of the game. But fair warning: Do not try this strategy with other kinds of addiction! I was able to use this strategy over our winter break to successfully break my Minesweeper addiction. That is, until I started writing a column for The Observer about Minesweeper, and now I have the urge to play again. But that’s neither here nor there, and I really don’t have time to dwell on it because I’m going to play Minesweeper now. Happy sweeping! Allison Abplanalp is a Sophomore finance and accounting major. If she could change one thing about the English language, she would make “a lot” one word. Her least favorite month is March because every year she is devastated when she fails to pick the perfect march madness bracket. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Ode to love
INSIDE COLUMN
My sonic landscapes Christina Sayut Graphics Editor
Have you ever seen me doing work in LaFun, Duncan or the library? More specifically, have you ever heard my music while I’m doing work in LaFun, Duncan or the library? I’ve created this ritual of listening to my music on full volume while I complete tasks — and it has completely transformed the way I live my life. The soundtrack of my life is constantly bustling with track after track, letting me be in my own little world where I am the epitome of productivity. I have always loved music. I’ve also never been too picky. I can listen to almost any genre and somewhat enjoy it, especially if I am with the right company. You might be wondering, “Christina, how do you not run out of music to listen to?” The answer is simple. I have hundreds of playlists. The process for crafting each of my playlists lies in an intentional and mindful selection of songs. Each new playlist calls for a moment of self-reflection. My goal is not to just compile a random assortment of tracks but instead craft a sonic narrative that tells a story. I relate this practice to my artwork, in the sense that every song becomes a brushstroke on a painting of a pull on the wall of a ceramic mug. It is another creative outlet for me, giving me a space where the boundaries between curator and artist blur. If you were to look at my music library on Spotify, you would see an incredibly vast range of tracklists. I try to listen to all of my playlists at least once a month, to ensure that I am always rediscovering old tracks and reconnecting with artists and
genres that I previously loved. I’ve also recently become a fan of Spotify’s “enhance” feature, where the app recommends songs that fit the vibe of the playlist (most of the time, the songs fit perfectly). It all comes back to storytelling. It’s not just about the songs. It’s about the emotions and memories that can be found within the order of listening. I’m the type of person who values lists and routine. I crave stability. Whether I create a morning playlist to set the tone for my day, a study playlist to get my productivity on or a night time playlist to unwind and relax, I’m able to create an anchor in time. I love being able to immerse myself in these curated soundscapes, my own moments of reflection and meditations throughout the day to bring myself back to my center. Lately, my playlists have been shaped by color. Started by pure aesthetics, I realized I was able to attribute different shades to different emotions, allowing for a wide array of playlists that can capture any mood and any story. Instead of sitting in just the sonic landscape, the story of the tracklist moves into a visual space. There’s beauty in the subjectivity — the story and landscape that I create can mean so many things for whoever listens to the playlist. Right now, I’ve been loving my playlists titled “Cinnamon,” “Evergreen” and “Blush.” If you want to check out my tunes, go ahead and look up my name. I hope you enjoy my sonic landscapes. You can contact Christina at csayut@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Moira Quinn Working Title
Love has been on my mind a lot more than usual recently. I cannot pinpoint the exact reason why. Maybe it’s because Valentine’s day is next month or the new Bachelor season just started. It might be that my current read is “Everything I Know About Love” by Dolly Alderton. Or maybe it’s the simple fact that I am a 20-year-old single college girl and am constantly feeling like romance is something everybody seems to be experiencing — except for me. The fact of the matter is romance always has been and probably always will be an all-consuming thought of mine. One might even say it’s my Roman Empire. My hang up on the strong emotion is directly tied to the relationship I have with romantic comedies, a love affair of its own that formed in my early teenage years. High school was very difficult for me, and in turn I ended up having a lot of down time. As a way to help boost my mood, my Gen X parents introduced me to a wide variety of classics from when they were young like ”Notting Hill” and ”Say Anything,” assuming that I would love them just as much as they did. They were right. As I continued to watch the tropes and storylines of films by directors like John Hughes and Nora Ephron, I quickly fell in love with the idea of being in love. At their core, rom-coms are designed to provide audiences with a sense of comfort and reassurance that, just like the movies, love is attainable. However, while these pictures filled me up with joy, they slowly but surely began to lead me to set unrealistic expectations about what romantic relationships actually look like in the real world. For the entirety of my college experience, nothing in my love life has been interesting enough to go run home about. At a tri-campus community that has an obvious infatuation with finding love and a track record of alumni marrying each other, I used to have high hopes that a romantic partner might be in closer proximity than I thought. My parents met in college, as did most couples I know, so it was inevitable that I assumed romance was waiting for me in South Bend. But as
time has gone on, I have come to the realization that maybe that just isn’t the case for me, which sometimes leads me down a rabbit hole of stressing out about the future and asking myself “When will it be my turn?” I feel like the anxieties of finding someone to date are valid. Romantic love fulfills an emotional craving that is very different to other platonic relationships, and is an extremely normal thing for people to desire. I also feel like as a woman, love has always been a desire ingrained inside of me since I was really young. There have been many times where I truly begin to wonder if I have a problem, that is, until the people in my life remind me that everyone has their own timeline and we are all on our own path. If you were to take a look around at what your peers are doing, you will notice how everyone is doing their own thing. Some people are trying to secure a summer internship, while others are applying to grad school. Some people are abroad. Some people are engaged or married. Being in your 20s is very difficult and comes with so much change. It is important to not compare yourself to what others are doing and, even though it can be hard to do, learn to love the process of building your own life because everything will work out the way it is supposed to. So while it is sometimes hard to do, try and notice the love. Love can be found at the bar, house parties and on dating apps. But it can also be found in the text your mom sent you this morning and the long conversation you had with your roommates. It can be found in the song you sent your friend because it reminded you of them and the hour you dedicated to working out. There truly is love at every corner you turn, and while romance is great, it is important to recognize and give credit to every form of love life has to offer.
Moira Quinn is a junior at Saint Mary’s College studying communication. When she isn’t writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
L.A.’s graveyard of dreams Matt Baird Are You Paying Attention?
Moving from California to Indiana, there are many things that I miss. One might assume that I miss the weather, beaches and food. Someone might imagine that I live some version of a life that you would see in a 21st-century “Grease” adaptation. I could dedicate my column to writing about what California has and what Indiana does not, but I honestly do not care that much. What I miss most about California is the people I would meet in the South Bay of Los Angeles. I have found the karaoke bar scene to be electric. Older men drink off tap until their wives call them home at 9:30 p.m. Millennial women live out their dreams by covering “Pocketful of Sunshine” every night. Groups of guys come in every 30 minutes with Busch Light shirts to cover their favorite song: “Whiskey Glasses” by Morgan Wallen. It makes me feel young and alive. It is usually the unassuming faces that I enjoy
speaking with, and my cousins and I will go and sing the music we love. From Al Martino, to The Doors, to The Scorpions, to Pearl Jam, we love to sing songs from all of the late 20th-century music movements. The regulars love it when a couple of young guys come in and sing their favorite tunes, and they make sure to come up to give compliments and tell you to sing to Bob Seger. A lot of the time, I get to hear about what they do for a living, listen to their life story and watch them reminisce about their favorite live performances they saw in their 20s. Often, I encounter Hollywood ghosts: people who were in the scene but with relatively unremarkable roles. One time, I sang “Been Down So Long” by The Doors, and a man with a polo covered in Jim Morrison faces approached me and told me that he was a roadie for the band, showing me pictures of him with the band. Another woman in her 40s showed me pictures from her 20s when she was a 2000s celebrity groupie. She would hang out with Aaron Paul, Urkel, blink-182 and
other random celebrities. She also produced Lana Del Rey’s “Song of the Valkyrie” music video a few years back. I also had a very strange run-in with Manuela Arbeláez, one of the models for “The Price is Right.” I could go on, but I think the point is clear: If you go out in the South Bay, you will have unexpected, fascinating encounters. It feels like most people are living out their glory days in these karaoke bars. They are looking for places where they might find people who appreciate them. The scene in the North has evolved and is too fastpaced for these people. The Whisky a Go Go in Beverly Hills is not a place where they go and find the next rockstars. The places they would frequent to feel like they are in the scene are dead, and it would not make sense for them to go to the clubs where most young celebrities hang out. Instead, they go to places where they can still enjoy the pop culture from when they peaked. Read the rest of this column by Matt Baird online at ndsmcobserver.com.
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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
By LUKE FOLEY Scene Writer
How do you depict evil? How do you depict genocide? How do you depict the Holocaust? These questions have challenged filmmakers and critics for decades. Some say we must directly showcase the graphic brutality of atrocities like the Holocaust to properly inform audiences and communicate just how awful these real events were. Steven Spielberg opted for this approach with his masterpiece “Schindler’s List.” However, some would argue the medium is inherently voyeuristic, so by showing the graphic horrors of the Holocaust, you exploit Jews’ suffering for entertainment, regardless of your intentions. Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” has emerged as a convincing proponent of the latter school of thought. Without even showing the inside of Auschwitz, “The Zone of Interest” profoundly illustrates the detached evil that enabled the Holocaust by examining the Nazi officials and their families who executed and benefited from the genocide of Jews. “The Zone of Interest” focuses on the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolph Höss, and his family trying to live a normal life in their house right next to the concentration camp. Their lives are spent in the background of the death machine killing hundreds of thousands: their garden and the concentration camp share the same wall. Yet we are never shown what’s happening inside Auschwitz, and there’s barely a plot to speak of. Most of the film is made of powerful, haunting vignettes of a domestic life permeated by unfathomable evil. Through the film’s restraint and limited perspective, Glazer starkly demonstrates the cognitive
dissonance of the Germans complicit in the Holocaust. The extermination of an entire people is made a mundane, daily ordeal for the Hoss family. The film’s unrelenting commitment to showing just how intense their normalization of the Holocaust is makes for a brilliantly disquieting experience that equally transfixes as it disgusts. Despite never explicitly showing the inside of Auschwitz, “The Zone of Interest” constantly reminds the audience of the atrocities being committed. Almost every scene is accompanied by haunting background noises of people screaming in agony, guns firing and gates opening and shutting. The film’s menacing soundscape is incredibly effective at creating tension and discomfort. The film’s shots also brilliantly juxtapose the idyllic domestic life with the concentration camp looming in the background. The family has a pool party surrounded by barbed wire; Rudolph has an evening cigarette under the same sky painted by smoke from trains delivering more Jews to be indiscriminately slaughtered. And at night, the bedrooms are illuminated red by the flames of the Crematoria. Everyone in the family tries to ignore and normalize what’s happening in their backyard, but there are moments when their evil is made explicit. Hedwig, Rudolph’s wife, boasts about the fancy items, such as fur coats, she receives from pillaged Jewish households. Hedwig’s mother celebrates how her Jewish boss might now be dying next door. But sometimes, the evil they benefit from comes back to haunt them, despite their attempts to turn their back on it. While swimming in a nearby lake with his children, Rudolf trips on bones and becomes covered in ash, making him realize he and his kids are swimming in the remains of cremated Jews.
Jonathan Glazer has masterful, precise control over the medium. Every composition is exhaustingly powerful. Glazer’s direction is characterized by austerity: static shots, wide angles and long takes are used throughout. I now totally understand the comparisons people make between him and Stanley Kubrick; their directorial styles are strikingly similar. There is a dread that permeates every shot and never relents as Glazer creates an uncomfortably intimate experience. Through his directing, he makes the audience feel like intruders in a life shocking beyond reason. I would be remiss not to mention the score because while it is scarcely used, it is one of the best scores I have ever heard in a film. The film’s opening is around five minutes of pitch-black only, accompanied by the oppressive score, sounding like a monster roaring from the deepest pits of hell. The score briefly pops up in other moments throughout the film, representing the evil that’s so casually minimized by the Germans threatening to break loose. “The Zone of Interest” is a masterpiece. It’s one of the most terrifying, bold and brilliant films I’ve ever seen. Glazer has pushed the medium to powerful heights by harnessing the power of what’s unseen and bluntly exposing the indifference that enables evil. Furthermore, despite being a period piece about the Holocaust, the film has incredible urgency in our modern times. When you see people being killed, exploited and oppressed, how will you react? Will you speak up? Or will you bury your head in the sand, build literal and figurative walls, continue gardening, throw pool parties and try on fur coats like nothing is happening? Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu
ACTORS FROM THE LONDON STAGE DAZZLE IN ‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’ Lorem ipsum
By NATALIE ALLTON Scene Writer
Producing good Shakespeare is a challenge in its own right — let alone when the company consists of only five people. The Actors from the London Stage, or AFTLS for short, is a five-person professional Shakespeare troupe from London, England. They perform full Shakespeare plays with the parts divided among the five actors, who also serve as co-directors. Notre Dame acts as their “home base” in the United States, and this semester, they’re performing a short sold-out run of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC). Since the troupe’s partnership with the University, AFTLS has traditionally performed at the Washington Hall Mainstage. “Midsummer” marks the first time that the company has performed at DPAC, and the new space suits them well. The full house felt fuller with the expert way that the actors both used the stage and interacted with the audience, at one point going so far as to make an entire bit out of asking a front-row audience member for their phone. I was seated up in the back row of the balcony, but at no point did I feel far from the action.
The nature of AFTLS lends itself extraordinarily well to comedies. The difficulty of the format tends to take the wind out of the sails of more dramatic scenes, occasionally creating interesting character parallels, but it otherwise feels too cramped to do tragedy much justice. “Midsummer” is free from these faults; the production was at its best when the actors leaned hard into the campy, absurdist nature of the text. For most of the show, it’s easy to forget that there are only five actors on stage — until a scene comes along that contains six characters or more. The production has two options: They can try to draw attention away from the in-between moments where an actor has to switch from one character to another, or they can make those moments part of the joke. “Midsummer” mostly chose the latter, and the effect was hilarious. Actor Sam Hill, in particular, played this beautifully, switching between the old, hobbling Egeus and the young, self-confident Demetrius with such impeccable timing that those moments became a running gag in and of themselves. That being said, not all of “Midsummer” is built for laughs. The company handled the show’s darker themes with deft expertise. Lucy Reynolds gave a moving performance as Helena, especially in her delivery of the “Lo, she is one of this confederacy!” monologue,
but her standout performance was as the chillingly subdued Hippolyta. Likewise, Michael Wagg played both a phenomenally witty Puck and a brilliantly assertive Theseus. Anna Crichlow’s wide-eyed Hermia contrasted gorgeously with her performance as Oberon, as did Natasha Bain’s captivating Titania with the meek Snug. I have to again shout out Sam Hill, who played the best Nick Bottom I’ve ever seen. The entire “play within a play” sequence was a fantastic ending to the show; I’ve been laughing about “Never was there a story of more woe / Than this of Thisbe and her Pyramo” for a full day. The Actors from the London Stage production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” triumphs at what it sets out to do, working within its own form limitations instead of against them to create a production that is haunting and hilarious in equal measure. The actors excel at every component of the performance: the physical comedy, the live music and sound effects, the audience interaction and the beautifully delivered text. The barebones set and minimal lighting allow the performances of the actors themselves to shine. It’s easy to get lost in the world of the show despite the non-traditional nature of AFTLS. Contact Natalie Allton at nallton@nd.edu ETHAN CHIANG | The Observer
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
NBA
HOCKEY COLUMN
McGuinness: Checking in on Irish in the NHL Andrew McGuinness Sports Editor
Notre Dame’s ability to produce professional athletes is usually talked about in a football context. However, that is hardly the only sport where Irish athletes go on to compete in the highest level. From the MLS to European Soccer to MLB to the WNBA, there are several leagues littered with Notre Dame alums. The National Hockey League is one of them. Jeff Jackson has developed some outstanding talents during his 20 years behind the Irish bench. A few have been good enough to play in the best hockey league in the world. Here’s a check-in on the 11 Irish alumni in the NHL.
Anders Lee In his sixth season as captain of the New York Islanders, Anders Lee is the most high-profile Notre Dame alum playing professional hockey. The career Islander is unfortunately having a bit of a down season, scoring at the worst pace over a full season in his career. However, his underlying numbers are still strong — Lee is first among Islanders forwards in expected goals percentage. At 33 years old, Lee remains an impactful player and perhaps he can re-discover his scoring touch under new head coach Patrick Roy. Kyle Palmieri The Islanders are the only NHL team with a pair of Domers, a distinction they’ve held since acquiring Kyle Palmieri from the New Jersey Devils in 2021. After dealing with injuries last season, Palmieri is putting together one of the most productive seasons of his 14-year career. Palmieri is on pace to crack the 40-point mark for the first time since 2019-20 and is fifth on the team in scoring. Bryan Rust One of two actively playing Notre Dame alums to have won the Stanley Cup, Bryan Rust is still going strong even though the Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been their typical powerhouse the last two seasons. Rust missed about a month with an upper-body injury but returned Jan. 2. Rust is fourth on the Penguins in points per game, living up to the 6-year, $30.75
million extension he signed in 2022.
Ian Cole Rust’s former Cup-winning teammate in Pittsburgh, Ian Cole is on his eighth NHL team and fifth in the last four years. Cole is part of a surging Vancouver Canucks team that is currently first in the entire league. In particular, he’s a key cog in improving the team’s penalty kill, which is 14th after being among the league’s worst over the previous two seasons. The 34-year-old is the oldest active NHLer who played for the Irish, but he’s still an effective defensive defenseman. Andrew Peeke Andrew Peeke has seen his role decrease a bit after the Columbus Blue Jackets added two veteran, top-four defensemen in the offseason. After missing just two games last season, Peeke has played in only 17 of 46 contests this season, often as a healthy scratch. Peeke is in the first season of a 3-year, $8.25 million cap hit. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him moved to a contender at the trade deadline looking for a righthanded defensemen with his skating ability. Jake Evans Evans is in another season as a solid fourth-line center for the Montreal Canadiens. He blocks shots, wins faceoffs at a high rate and chips in about 20 points over 82 games. The 27-year-old will hit unrestricted free agency for the first time at the end of next season. Dennis Gilbert After going back and forth between the NHL and the AHL the last four seasons, Gilbert has established himself as a full-time NHLer. He’s already played in a career-high 30 games in his second season with the Calgary Flames. He did suffer a scary-looking head injury early in January, but thankfully returned to the ice Jan. 20. He could be in for a raise this offseason as a free agent. Vinnie Hinostroza Vinnie Hinostroza is the tricky “tweener” role where he’s capable of scoring at a high-level in the AHL but hasn’t been able to carve out a full-time NHL role. He’s split this season almost exactly 50/50 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and their AHL affiliate.
We’re talking about a player who scored 39 points in 76 games a few seasons ago for the Arizona Coyotes and is fairly young at 29 years old. Hinostroza just hasn’t been able to find the sweet spot for his production the last two seasons.
Spencer Stastney After making his NHL debut last season, Spencer Stastney is the Nashville Predators’ go-to call-up option whenever they need an extra defenseman. He’s already played more NHL games than he did last season and scored more points in the minors than a year ago in half of the games. Stastney had a moment he’ll never forget on Nov. 24, burying his first NHL goal against the division rival St. Louis Blues. Two of Nashville’s blue-liners will be unrestricted free agents this summer, so if Stastney impresses he could earn the inside track to a regular role next season. Cal Petersen Once thought to be the goaltender of the future for Los Angeles Kings, Cal Petersen found a new home this summer when he was included in a blockbuster three-team trade that sent him to the Philadelphia Flyers. Petersen has spent most of the year in the AHL, putting him up an unspectacular .890 save percentage in 15 games. He has already played in two games for the Flyers, winning one against the Kings, and he’s likely about to play in some more. With Carter Hart on an indefinite leave of absence, Petersen has been recalled and will serve as the backup to 24-year-old Samuel Ersson. Perhaps regular playing time can help Petersen rediscover the promising form he showed in his first three NHL campaigns.
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onto a slower big, he can use tempo and change of pace to drive, then score early off the w rong foot w ith the rainbow scoop. These are all one-footed moves, but other rookies like Jaime Jaquez Jr. play a ton off t wo feet, which means he can completely stop to up-fake defenders at the basket, similar to his teammate and the jump stop master himself, Jimmy Butler. “I’ve been say ing this for a while now, but Jimmy Butler has been my favorite guy in the NBA. I just really love the way he plays,” said Jaquez in a DraftExpress inter v iew one month prior to being selected in the first round by the Miami Heat. Butler’s inf luence is ev ident on the court, where the 22-year-old Jaquez plays w ith the sav v iness of a 10-year veteran, specifically because of his foot work off t wo feet and jump stops as a way to manipulate defenders w ith his craft instead of vertical athleticism. Much like Butler, Jaquez uses tempo and foot work to find openings in the defense, playing a mental game that relies on patience and timing to get good shots. Even though he is already a bit older, Jaquez has dramatically improved his game bet ween college and the draft, training w ith former NBA player Don MacLean to prepare for the next level. Additional training and resources like this explain why modern players are so ahead of the basketball IQ development cur ve. Today, young players have access to more information than ever before,
standing on the shoulders of retired players, taking advantage of better technolog y, training and preparation year round. “Way back when, when I was getting drafted in the early 90s, there was none of this extra training stuff. It was just me. And if I was luck y, I had a guy that could rebound for me,” MacLean said in a June 2023 inter v iew w ith the PAC-12 Net work. Players have begun developing these skills younger than ever, hiring trainers and regimenting programs as early as middle school. Today’s prospects have grow n up in the era of pace and space, training for a point-heav y game and homogenizing tactics to help react to defenses. Hav ing played in a heav y spacing and pick and roll st yle similar to that of the NBA at lower levels, Wallace, Podziemski and Jaquez have developed a natural feel for the game that has helped them be immediate contributors to veteran-heav y playoff teams. Yes, the best rookies from the 20th centur y would still make the A ll-Star game or even the A ll-NBA team in the modern era. But by age, players under 23 are contributing more qualit y seasons today than at any other period in NBA histor y, doing so by understanding the dy namics of the game, adapting to the needs of specific roles and even using veteranlike craft and w it, which makes today’s NBA rookies smarter than ever. Contact John Bailey at jbailey9@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Cal Burke Cal Burke is enjoying another solid season in the AHL, registering 13 points in 24 games. In fact, he played well enough to earn a brief onegame call-up to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 21. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer
Several of the star players Jeff Jackson has coached during his 20 years with Notre Dame have gone on to successful careers in the NHL. The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
DAILY
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | THE OBSERVER
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
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HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: Physical improvements and romance are favored. With hard work and initiative comes positive change. Map out what you want to accomplish and seize the moment. Turn every day into an adventure. Be open to new beginnings, chance meetings and expanding your interests. It’s your job to take responsibility for your happiness. Make personal growth, lifestyle improvements and relationships your priorities, and your life will improve significantly. Your numbers are 4, 15, 23, 34, 37, 42, 46. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t give in to pressure. Consider what’s best for you and offer what’s feasible. Distance yourself from anyone trying to manipulate you to do something that doesn’t fit your agenda. Put yourself first, and recognize what is beneficial to your objective. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Expand your awareness, skills and strategies. Go directly to the source, and you’ll discover any flaws before they can infiltrate your plans. Please don’t be shy when it comes to how you feel. Don’t waste time; find out where you stand. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Get together with people who have common interests. The progress you make from conversations that offer inside information will give you a reference point regarding possibilities. Don’t count on anyone who has let you down in the past. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use your skills appropriately, but don’t take on tasks you aren’t skilled to handle. Call on an expert when necessary, and you’ll secure a rapport with someone you can work alongside in the future. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Follow the dots and determine where your plans lead before you begin. Taking on too much will become a costly venture that can put you in debt and affect your reputation. Put your energy into a sure thing and promise only what’s feasible. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Consider making your space more appealing. Discuss your plans, and you’ll drum up the help required for your desired change. A trip, reunion or learning expedition will help you put your skills to good use. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Acknowledge the changes around you. Let your actions speak for you, and you’ll avoid a verbal clash. Don’t put your health at risk by attending an event that can subject you to injury or illness. Deal with people you know and trust. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Make the first move. Show confidence and tolerance moving forward. Use your ingenuity to overcome setbacks or interference. Show interest and listen attentively, and you will pick up valuable information. What you learn will encourage positive changes. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put more emphasis on personal money matters, medical issues and contracts. Update paperwork, put a financial plan in place and consider how to earn more if you update your skills or qualifications. Protect against identity, property or personal theft. Consider a minimalist lifestyle. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take a moment to sort out your thoughts when dealing with partnerships. Refuse to let your emotions lead to overreacting or crossing boundaries that can disrupt your life, home or relationship. Focus on selfimprovement, positive interaction and your happiness. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be a diligent observer, and you’ll dodge making a costly mistake. Don’t buy into someone else’s dream. Set high standards and refuse to let your emotions interfere with making sound decisions. Ask for what you want, learn to say no and put yourself first. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A situation will escalate if you don’t think before acting. Take pride in how you look. Put time and effort into exercise and marketing yourself for success. An opportunity will change how you earn money and offer greater independence. Birthday Baby: You are energetic, impatient and productive. You are challenging and generous.
SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
TRACK AND FIELD
Irish to face Boston College for second time By JAKE MILLER Senior Sports Writer
In an exciting conference matchup, Micah Shrewserr y’s Irish are set to clash w ith the Boston College Eagles on Saturday at Purcell Pav ilion. Coming off a tough loss against Miami, the Irish are again looking to secure their second home conference w in. Boston College currently ranks 12th in the ACC and is one of a small handful of teams in a similar position to Notre Dame. The teams saw each other last week in Chestnut Hill. The Eagles pulled away in the last two minutes after an impressive first half from Markus Burton. The key to v ictor y for Notre Dame may lie in their abilit y to control the paint and dominate the boards. On Wednesday night, Coach Shrewsberr y utilized a small-ball lineup, and in the second half, only a handful of players saw the f loor: freshman guard Markus Burton, junior guard J.R.
ND WBB CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
outscored 28-14 in the fourth. The road ahead won’t get any easier for Ivey’s team. The Irish will look to bounce back on Saturday night in a one-off bout against No. 8 UConn, perennially one of the nation’s top squads. “We gotta get back to work,” Ivey said. “We gotta move on to UConn … we don’t have much time. We only have 24 hours to prepare, to be able to fix tonight.” Citron will likely once again receive the call to defend a star come Saturday. After holding Syracuse’s Dyaisha
Konieczny, junior guard Julian Roper, freshman guard Braeden Shrewsberr y, sophomore for ward Tae Dav is and freshman guard Logan Imes. On Saturday, if freshman for ward Carey Booth and sophomore for ward Kebba Njie prov ide strong frontcourt presence, Notre Dame can capitalize on second-chance opportunities and limit Boston College’s chances at offensive rebounds. In Wednesday’s loss against Miami, Njie and Booth often lost their man on defense, resulting in several w ide open put-ins for the Hurricanes’ Norchad Omier, who had 20 firsthalf points. Notre Dame can expect Boston College to push the tempo, utilizing the speed of their backcourt. Quick transitions from defense to offense and exploiting open lanes for drives to the basket could be integral to the Eagles’ game plan. Notre Dame has pushed the tempo itself more in recent games. A lthough when the Irish
play small, Burton and Shrewsberr y can’t always stop a post from scoring at the rim. Burton continues to present both blessings and curses. He leads the Irish in scoring at 16.3 points per game, and his 40.6% field goal percentage is adequate, if not impressive, for a first year small guard. However, Burton is an inconsistent ball handler who has played sloppy recently. Of his eight turnovers against Miami, at least four were related to ineffective ball handling. After a couple of w ins early in ACC play, the Irish have cooled dow n, losing their last three. Boston College has lost its two games since playing Notre Dame. Its only other ACC w in came against Georgia Tech, who the Irish also beat. Off the court, Notre Dame w ill highlight Coaches Versus Cancer initiative. Saturday’s matchup tips off at noon on ESPNU.
Fair to 25 points, which could have been much worse, she’ll face Paige Bueckers in another hard matchup. Citron played 39 minutes against Syracuse, still wearing a brace for support after an early-season leg injur y. UConn comes into the game undefeated in Big East play, although the team has been riddled by injuries. Five of the Huskies’ players are out for the season, adding extra weight on Bueckers who herself has returned from a prolonged absence last year. Notre Dame’s schedule doesn’t get easier after UConn, either. Four of their
next five games are on the road, and four of their next six are against teams currently ranked in the AP top 25. Saturday’s matchup has broad implications for the women’s college basketball and women’s sports as a whole. The game will be broadcast in primetime on Fox. Primetime, weekend regular season games on a big four network don’t come around often, even for a big brand like Notre Dame. The action tips off at 8:00 p.m. on Fox.
Contact Jake Miller at jmille89@nd.edu
Irish prepare for Michigan Invite By J.J. POST Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame track and field w ill return to action on the road this weekend, traveling north to Ann Arbor for the Michigan Inv itational. The competition w ill be the team’s third in 2024 and the first meet away from South Bend this year. The Irish’s first meet of the new year occurred last weekend, as Notre Dame played host to their ow n inv itational. The Notre Dame inv itational marked the end of a nearly t wo-month long break for the Irish squad, who had last competed in early December in Boston prior to the meet. The inv itational on home ground proved to be a fruitful one for Notre Dame. Freshman Jack A hart was named ACC Rookie of the Week for his performances in the Loftus Center over the weekend. A hart notched a personal best in the 400 meters, a time that was also good for first place on the day. The freshman from Kinnelon, New Jersey ran a 47.60, which currently stands as the fastest 400 meter time in the ACC thus far in the indoor season. A hart also anchored the Irish in the 4x400 relay, which finished second to DePaul.
More athletes than A hart made their mark on the Notre Dame inv itational, though. Senior Jadin O’Brien finished first in both the shotput and the 60 meter hurdles, a testament to the range of one of the Irish’s most versatile competitors. O’Brien, who holds the Irish program record in the pentathlon, should be a major factor in any success Notre Dame has in Ann Arbor. Another notable performance for the Irish last weekend came from Dartmouth transfer Michelle Quinn. The graduate student notched the event’s top time in both the 60 and 200 meters, and w ill no doubt be looking to parlay her momentum from Loftus into a strong outing in Ann Arbor. Notre Dame w ill now be entering a critical stretch of the season during which the team w ill be competing ever y weekend running up until the ACC tournament at the end of Februar y. The Irish w ill be back at home t w ice though before the season comes to a close, first at the Meyo Inv itational next weekend, before returning later in the month for the A lex Wilson Inv itational. Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu
Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu and Jake Miller at jmille89 @nd.edu
WRITE SPORTS. Email Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu
SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer
The Irish racked up 13 first place finishes (five for men, eight for women) at the Notre Dame Invitational, its first competition of 2024.
SPORTS
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | THE OBSERVER
MBB Wrap CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
Dame team has experienced all year. With the win, Miami earned their fourth ACC victory on the season. Both Miami and Notre Dame had 15 turnovers, but Burton led all players with eight solo turnovers. The Irish have struggled to handle the ball, especially against the teams with elite perimeter defense such as Miami. Burton leads the ACC in usage rate, and consistently faces the best defenders of the other team with limited ball handling help. Coach Shrewsberry commented after the game on his young roster and its challenges. “Our basketball IQ needs to keep growing as a team,” Shrewsberry said. “I am in a position to both challenge our guys on how to grow as players and as people.” Since a 22-point win over Virginia, the Irish have gone 1-5 and f loundered in close games — especially on the offensive end. With a chance to avenge a close 63-59 loss against Boston College on Saturday, the Irish will look to rebound. Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
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HCC BASKETBALL
Saints offense falters, dooming bounceback efforts against IUSB By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor
Holy Cross men’s and women’s basketball made the short drive to Indiana Universit y South Bend on Wednesday, and both teams suffered from double digit losses. The results came after difficult defeats to Roosevelt for both squads last weekend, including a heartbreaking 1-point loss for the men’s team. The men’s team trailed for much of the first half, but put together a late rally to head into the locker room even at 25. Holy Cross then quick ly opened up a 7-point lead on three baskets from three different players. In fact, the Titans didn’t take their first lead of the second half until there was 9:41 remaining in regulation, and Holy Cross immediately snatched it back. A four-minute field goal drought let the Titans
back into the game. After a dunk by freshman for ward Desmond Dav ie gave the Saints a 46-45 lead, IUSB rattled off a 14-4 run to take control of the contest. The hosts eventually prevailed by a final score of 65-55. Four of the five starters for Holy Cross played at least 33 minutes. Junior guard Justin O’Neal, Dav ie and sophomore guard Phil Robles II all finished w ith at least 10 points. Both teams shot poorly from three, going a combined 6-37. IUSB won the game around the basket, out-rebounding the Saints 39-25 and scoring 32 points in the paint to Holy Cross’ 20. The women’s team had a more uneven opening few minutes but came out of the first quarter in fairly good shape. Trailing 11-3 early, a quick 7-2 run got the Saints back into the game. Freshman guard Lilly Toppen hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 3 points
just before the first quarter ended. Despite the positive signs, the Saints struggled to keep up as the game progressed. IUSB opened the second quarter w ith a 14-3 stretch. Offensively, Holy Cross just couldn’t match their opponents’ pace. The team only made two baskets in the first five minutes of the second quarter, then scored just 7 points in the entire third quarter. By the end of 30 minutes, IUSB had built up a 26-point lead. The fourth quarter was largely academic, w ith the Titans w inning by a final score of 80-45. Toppen was one of the few bright spots for the Saints, playing the thirdmost minutes despite not starting. Her 11 points led the way, w ith only junior guard Jordyn Smith reaching double figures. IUSB’s Katie Gard and Maddie Gard outscored the Saints by themselves, combining
for 49 points. The Titans shot the ball nearly 20% better than Holy Cross (47.1% to 27.4%) while holding significant edges in rebounding and points in the paint. Both teams turned the ball over a lot, but Holy Cross couldn’t capitalize at the same rate as their competitors. The Holy Cross men’s team sits 10th in the CCAC standings, 2.5 games back of a playoff spot. The women’s team is in better shape, occupying the No. 7 seed w ith a 5-6 conference record. St. Francis and St. Ambrose are right on their heels, though, both sitting one game back. Both teams return to action against St. Ambrose on Saturday. The women’s team is on the road, tipping off at 2 p.m. The men are at home and w ill begin play at 3 p.m. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu
SPORTS AUTHORITY
Bailey: The rookie revolution in basketball’s production and playstyle John Bailey Sports Writer
A ll 30 NBA teams entered this season w ith the confidence and swagger of a playoff, if not championship, contender. After rigorous training and roster reconstruction in the off-season, this w ill be the year they finally put it all together on the court. For some teams, losses begin to pile up and confidence wanes. They find themselves several games under .500 and rumors of potential firings and trades begin to sw irl. After they hit a breaking point, like a particularly bad loss against the Detroit Pistons, the front office waves the white f lag and ships off its veteran assets for draft equit y, the fate of their franchise now ly ing in a luck y bounce from a smattering of ping pong balls. The value of draft picks in the NBA is at an all-time high, w ith more teams than ever attempting to build through the draft w ith hopes of selecting the next top prospect like LeBron James or finding a diamond in the rough like Nikola Jokic.
Despite this paradigm shift in team building, most of the great rookie seasons in NBA histor y come from the 20th centur y. In the 1960s, Wes Unseld and Wilt Chamberlain both won MV P as rookies. Over the next three decades, 27 rookies made the A ll-Star Game. However, only t wo rookies have accomplished the same feat in the 21st centur y: Yao Ming, w ith a massive Chinese fan vote, and Blake Griffin, who missed his first year after breaking his left knee. The last rookie to make an A ll-NBA team goes back even further to 1998 w ith Tim Duncan. Though this would seemingly indicate that modern rookies simply are not as talented, this narrative grows more complicated when considering their age. Up until the middle of the 1990s, the average age of top-10 draft picks was consistently 22 or older. As players like Chris Webber left college earlier or bypassed it entirely like Kev in Garnett, the average age gradually decreased, w ith many top picks still in their teens. And yet, these younger rookies can still play at an
elite level. Luka Doncic had a monster rookie season in 2019 and Zion Williamson has dominated when healthy and in-shape. Don’t worr y Zion, I love beignets, too. W hile today’s top draft picks are not too behind the older rookies of yesteryear, it is the role-play ing rookies who epitomize the shift in modern basketball towards a more cerebral play st yle after the rapid change of the last decade. Complementar y rookies used to just defend, hit spotups and f lash an occasional isolation move, but the growing complex it y and read and react nature of today’s game necessitates a shift in how young players prov ide value. The most obv ious area of change lies in three-point shooting, where today’s rookies are taking and making more triples than ever. But this skill has become a must-have for any and ever y role player in the Association. Instead of just spotting up and shooting, players like Ok lahoma Cit y’s Cason Wallace find additional value in attacking closeouts w ith t wo crisp dribbles into a scoop lay up off the w rong leg and the high glass.
Wallace, a 3-and-D player who just turned 20, excels in attacking and punishing defenses off the catch. He understands that a second defender has to help, so a teammate w ill be open at the rim for an easy dunk. Learning these reads adds instant value to a team and as seen w ith Christian Braun on the Nuggets last season, can help rookies meaningfully contribute to an NBA title. Know ing how to move based on coverages has become an integral part of offense in today’s game, and Brandin Podziemski’s abilit y to quick ly react to defensive coverage has earned him substantial minutes in the Warriors’ rotation. As the shot clock w inds dow n, Podziemski frequently comes toward the ball to accelerate the offense. Know ing his man w ill sag into help position, he attacks on the catch, driv ing to the basket w ith long strides and a sweeping finish. In recent years, rookies have been taught to change directions, decelerate and elongate their strides at the end of the dribble, almost jumping from step to step to avoid defenders and find
creases. Though the NBA outlawed these movements during the 20th centur y, changes to the rules in the modern era has 21-year-olds like Podziemski taking lessons from the Manu Ginobili school of foot work to bust out ridiculous strides through and and around opponents. Ginobili popularized the Eurostep in the early 2000s, picking up the dribble early and knifing through defenders while protecting the ball. In the last few years especially, it feels like ever y rookie has developed a Euro from practicing sharp directional changes at a young age. Young talents like Ty rese Haliburton have added to the Eurostep w ith over-exaggerated ball fakes on the first stride to throw off the shot blocker’s timing. Dubbed the “Pinoy Step,” players like Haliburton and Podziemski craftily sacrifice vertical bounce to confuse a defender and stride through horizontally. W hile Podziemski is not an explosive leaper, he makes up for his lack of athleticism w ith these creative dance steps in the paint. W hen he is sw itched see NBA PAGE 8
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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WRAP
Irish fade late against Syracuse, get ready for another clash with No. 7 UConn By J.J. POST and JAKE MILLER Associate Sports Editor, Senior Sports Writer
INDIA DOERR | The Observer
Notre Dame sophomore guard KK Bransford backs up a defender. The Irish lost 79-65 to Syracuse, falling to 0-2 against the Orange this season. Another ranked foe is next up as the Irish travel to face No. 7 Uconn.
Notre Dame women’s basketball suffered a third ACC defeat on Thursday, falling 79-65 to Sy racuse at Purcell Pav ilion. The Orange dominated in the post, out-rebounding the No. 15 Irish 5034. More glaringly, No. 22 Sy racuse racked up 19 offensive boards and notched 23 second chance points to Notre Dame’s 4. After the game, head coach Niele Ivey minced no words about her team’s struggles dow n low. “[Sy racuse] are relentless on the boards, they do a great job of finding their spots,” said Ivey. “Rebounding, it’s not even a technical thing. It’s just hav ing the energ y to go get it. And I feel like [Sy racuse] had that energ y, you could tell that’s something they’re good at … something we’ve
been working on for the past couple weeks is you’ve got to compete for boards.” As the Orange poured in second chance points, Notre Dame struggled to get their ow n offense going. The Irish shot 33% from the field as a team, including a 4-17 outing from the team’s standard No. 2 scoring option, junior guard Sonia Citron. Hampered by foul trouble, Notre Dame entered the fourth quarter locked in a tie ball game. Sy racuse, though, took control follow ing the opening whistle of the final frame. With Irish defensive stalwart freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo forced to the bench w ith 4 fouls and senior for ward Maddy Westbeld already sitting w ith 4 to boot, the Orange came out of the gates in the fourth quarter w ith a 16-5 run. A ll told, Notre Dame was see ND WBB PAGE 10
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL WRAP
Irish fall short in ‘green-out’ against Miami By HENRY LYTLE Sports Writer
Although spirits were high for the “green-out’ game in Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame men’s basketball lost its third contest in a row to Miami, 7361. Freshman Markus Burton led the Irish with 15 points followed by J.R. Konieczny with 13, but it was not enough to complete the comeback. Miami had multiple players dealing with nagging injuries but was able to get a key conference win, while Notre Dame falls to 2-6 in conference play. Miami started the game with a Norchad Omier three, the start of a standout game for the forward. Omier finished the contest with 33 points and 10 rebounds. The Irish would take a 6-5 early off of a Konieczny threepointer, but would not regain the lead again until the second half. Miami was dominant in the paint, controlling the pace of the game with consistent scoring down low. Three consecutive Omier dunks with 5:01 left in the first half gave the hurricanes
a 6-point lead. After a threepointer from Burton cut the Miami lead to three with 4:36 remaining in the first half, the Irish would fail to score another point before the break, as the Hurricanes extended their lead to 37-29. While the Irish shot well to start the game, they went only 3 for 11 on three point attempts, while Miami made the same amount of shots on half of the attempts. After the game, Hurricanes coach Jim Larrañaga discussed defending the perimeter against the Irish. “We were okay with letting them shoot a lot of threes in the first half,” said Larrañaga. “We are 22nd in the nation guarding the three, so we knew we could make those shots difficult.” To open the second half, the Irish emerged with a different mentality, going on a 11-2 run to regain the lead. Tae Davis — who finished with 9 points and 4 rebounds — laid in a basket to give the Irish a 4039 lead. Speaking postgame, Konieczny highlighted Notre Dame’s surge early in the second half.
“That break really helped us refocus. Coach told us those last 20 minutes are behind us. Let’s focus on the next 20.” The game would seesaw back and forth, with the Irish’s small lineup of Burton, Braeden Shrewsberry, Konieczny, Davis and Julian Roper competing defensively with a seasoned Hurricanes team. After the game, Coach Shrewsberry noted this lineup had never played extensive minutes together and was “winging it offensively,” but he continued to play the players that gave the effort to compete. Julian Roper, a transfer from Northwestern, made a sensational block with the score tied 49-49 to give the Irish a huge momentum burst. However, after a Konieczny three gave the Irish back a 52-49 lead with 9:28 left in the game, Miami would go on a 17-2 run to take control of the game down the stretch. The Irish were outscored by 15 points in the final nine-and-a-half minutes, showcasing the youth and difficulty scoring this Notre see MBB WRAP PAGE 11
ROMINA LLANOS | The Observer
Irish freshman guard Marks Burton elevates to the basket during Notre Dame’s 73-61 defeat to the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday.