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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 44 | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
McGlinn Hall hosts annual casino night All proceeds from the event go to support St. Adalbert Catholic School in South Bend By ANNELISE DEMERS News Writer
On Friday night the Dahnke Ballroom in Duncan Student Center was transformed into a casino. Students showed up decked out in suits and dresses hoping to hit the jackpot. The annual casino night is McGlinn Hall’s signature event and it raises money for St. Adalbert Catholic School in South Bend. Junior Lauren Dungan, the event’s commissioner, spoke on what it means to the community. “It’s just such a fun thing, the McGlinn girls get so excited about. It’s really about reaching out to community partners and everyone gets super into it,” Dungan said.
“I think what’s really interesting about it is that it has such a strong community and having that builtin support ... is really better than I could have expected.” All of the dealers for the casino games are girls who live in McGlinn. “There are classes and information sessions that teach us how to run the games and then on the day of the event, we are partnered with someone. It’s a great time to show up for the hall,” sophomore Eliza Thayer said. Although this year’s numbers are still being calculated, the event usually raises around $8,000 for its cause. Students are asked for a $5 see CASINO PAGE 3
ANNELISE DEMERS | The Observer
Juniors Nick Lusky, Peter Gibbons, John Tuma and Ryan Broussard pose for a photo in their matching green shamrock suit jackets and dress pants. McGlinn’s casino night took place in Dahnke Ballroom.
SMC students discuss spiritual, religious beliefs
CCD offers free headshots By PETER BREEN
By NATALIE SMITH
Associate News Editor
News Writer
On Friday in the Common Good Lounge at Saint Mar y’s Student Center students of different faiths and spiritua l backgrounds came together to learn from each other and ta lk about their beliefs. The group, led by sophomore Jasleen Ghattora and spiritua l life staff, started the meeting w ith a rev iew of the dia logue rules, which included being respectful and open-minded, and then ever yone had the opportunit y to answer the different questions the leaders prepared for the meeting. “We a lways have ground rules. We give them a bit of events and insight, and we ask for ideas. Then we have three or four discussion questions. We’ve never rea lly got into a ll of them. W hat I tr y to do w ith my discussion questions is ma ke them as engaging as possible and tr y to ma ke them a little bit more deep ever y week,” Ghattora said. Students don’t need to
LEPRECON PAGE 4
When marketing professor Susan Kleiser was a student living in Lyons Hall, she attracted potential employers by mailing them her resume. Many students nowadays make first impressions on hiring managers through LinkedIn, according to Shawn Freehling, a program manager with the career center who
NATALIE SMITH |The Observer
Students met on Friday to discuss varying religious stances. The group will next meet on February 9 in the Common Good Lounge. have a specific religious background that they identif y w ith. The idea is to bring together students from different religious and cultura l backgrounds and learn from their beliefs and experiences. “I don’t subscribe to the Catholic faith and I think it’s important for other students who aren’t Catholic, on a Catholic campus especia lly, to find communit y
ANYONE BUT YOU PAGE 7
w ith each other but a lso connect them w ith Catholic students,” sophomore Ava Hess said. She continued, “I think we a ll need to respect each other and where we’re coming from. I think connecting on that level, even if my God is not your God, we still have something that’s driv ing our lives and that can help us see RELIGION PAGE 3
A PRELUDE TO 22 PAGE 6
said around 80% of undergraduates use the social media platform. On a LinkedIn profile, an aspiring professional might display her work history, education, interests, volunteer experience and so on. “It’s almost like a digital resume that is constantly current,” Kleiser said.
The headshot Freehling said one component of see HEADSHOTS PAGE 3
Observer elects next EIC Observer Staff Report
The Obser ver General Board elected Notre Dame News Editor Isa Sheik h as Editor-in-Chief for the 20242025 term Sunday. “I can think of no one more worthy of this position than Isa,” current Editor-inChief Maggie Eastland said. “In his time at The Obser ver, Isa has demonstrated a remarkable abilit y to inspire
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readers and staff by keeping his sights set on the beating heart of this organization — high-qualit y w riting, reporting and editing.” Hailing from Sacramento, California, Sheik h currently lives in Stanford Hall. He is a junior majoring in histor y and political science w ith a minor in Asian studies. see EIC PAGE 3
W BASKETBALL PAGE 12
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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
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As temperatures rise into the low 40’s, the blanket of 6-inch-deep snow that covered campus has been replaced by stagnant puddles which well up on the sidewalks. One puddle, located close to the Main Building, caught the Golden Dome in its reflection.
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Thursday
Friday
Corporate Finance Meet the Firms Eighth Floor of Duncan Student Center 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Future Career in Service Networking Breakfast 210 Duncan Student Center 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
“The Eucharist and Human Dignity” Lecture Oak Room, South Dining Halll 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Self Love Vision Boards Holy Cross Parlor 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Learn to love yourself through board making.
Black History Month First Friday Dinner 104 Coleman-Morse Hammes Lounge 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Celebrate with others.
Compassionate Care in Medicine Speaker 138 DeBartolo Hall 5 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Listen to alum Dr. William Warrender.
PrismND Hangout LaFortune History Makers Room 8:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Relax and enjoy food with others.
Miss Notre Dame Washington Hall 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Support O’Neill Family Hall and watch women compete for the title.
Snow Tubing St. Patrick’s County Park 7:45 p.m. - 10:15 p.m. Enjoy innertubing off campus with FlipSide.
Post-Graduate Service Career Fair Eighth Floor of Duncan Student Center 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Learn about jobs.
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Headshots CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
the LinkedIn profile was important enough that a $15,000 photo booth was recently installed around the corner from the elevators on the north end of the career center — the headshot. There’s even a video on the career center’s website with Leprechaun Kylee Kazenski, the first female leprechaun to take the field with the Notre Dame football team, that shows how the booth works. Any member of the University community can use the device for free on a first-come, first-served basis whenever the career center’s home on the fifth floor of Duncan Student Center is open. It provides professional-quality headshots in fewer than five minutes. According to Freehling, students used to be able to register for headshot appointments with the career center during certain windows during the week. For example, one of the career center’s student workers or Freehling himself might be around to shoot headshots on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to noon. Offering times that worked with everyone’s schedules was impossible, Freehling explained, and the turnaround time for the old headshot service — the period of time before students received their headshots, during which the photos were edited — was a week or two. After a little bit of research, the career center decided to replace its human-run headshot service with an Iris Air photo booth. On top of the $15,000 price tag, the Iris Air costs $6,000 to service annually, according to Victor Fisher, a vice president at Iris Booth. The device uses studio-quality lighting and camera equipment. Notre Dame’s Iris Air has a picture
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donation to enter and are given a bag of fake money that can be spent throughout the night on various games. The games included Texas hold’em, blackjack, poker, roulette and more classic casino games students could try their hand at. Students could also use the money they earned throughout the night to buy raffle tickets where they had the chance to win anything from Stanley Cups and Nothing Bundt Cakes to a signed photo of Marcus Freeman. Students could also purchase various types of mocktails throughout the night. Students had mixed feelings throughout the night as their winnings began to dwindle, others screamed and cheered after winning the jackpot. Dante Lee, a sophomore engineering student in Keough Hall said, “I’m actually at the low point of my career. My blackjack career. I just lost about 90% of my funds. I was feeling good until then. I made smart bets but that’s the game we’re playing. It’s one
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | THE OBSERVER
of the Golden Dome on it. Freehling said the booth is operated via touch screen and will even provide the user posing tips. It takes three photos per session, which users can retrieve instantaneously on the internet. “I know we said less than five minutes, but it’s actually much quicker than that,” Freehling said. Iris Booth’s website allows users to crop their photos, apply filters, whiten their teeth and correct blemishes or lighting. The career center did a “soft launch” of the booth in early November and started marketing it to campus on Dec. 4.
Smile Freehling said there’s a time and place for serious headshots, and he understands that some people get nervous when they have to take a formal photo. However, he said he always encourages students to smile in headshots. “I think smiling in your headshot really helps convey that you’re kind, friendly and you’re somebody that people can envision wanting to work with,” he added. Kleiser said one’s body language in a headshot matters. She explained body language is a sign of personality, which is part of one’s personal brand. Through a personal brand, Kleiser explained, aspiring professionals can differentiate themselves from other job seekers. “Are you smiling or are you closemouthed but showing determination or the commitment that you’re a hard worker?” Kleiser said. “Do you have that open-mouth smirk? That might be somebody I would want to go out with after work.” According to Kleiser, students won’t or shouldn’t get a job because of their LinkedIn headshot — but an unprofessional headshot could be a reason an individual isn’t hired. Kleiser said to take out the suit before trying the University’s Iris Air and to leave that photo from
mistake and you’re over.” “Games like this bring out the Mendoza in me ... the reason I put that last bet on was because my friends told me to hit and I knew I should have stayed. I was at 14 and the dealer was obviously gonna bust,” Lee continued. “But at the end of the day ... it’s a game of fun. It’s for charity. And we’ll bounce back.” “I love gambling. I love, you know, spending a lot of money. But I also love spending time with the community,” Mason Hedges, a sophomore in Dillon Hall, said. For most, these games brought out their competitive nature and discourse often revolved around who truly won the round with dealers needing to get involved to resolve disputes. “My favorite part of the night was playing poker and gambling,” Howard Hall sophomore Olivia Murrin said. She continued, “But the highlight was beating all the men. And how one of the dealers called out the men at the table for folding and losing to girls. Of course, seeing friends was also fun.” Contact Annelise Demers ademers@nd.edu
the Southern Cal tailgate for an Instagram or TikTok profile. “While it may look like you are just one of a million people wearing the same outfit, it’s at least sending the signal that you are professional,” she added. A LinkedIn headshot reveals information about a job seeker that isn’t typically enumerated on a black-and-white resume, such as one’s skin color, age and gender. To ensure that their hiring practices are fair, Kleiser said some companies use a “blind” hiring strategy. These companies, for example, might only evaluate a resume after a candidate’s name and college are removed because they believe doing so can help reduce bias. “Some companies ignore all of it — the picture and personal information is all ignored,” Kleiser said.
Open to networking? Junior Zoe Griffith, the marketing division director for campus’ largest student organization, Student International Business Council, said some students come into the University with a fullfledged resume and LinkedIn profile. “Other students come in with nothing, and that can be really overwhelming,” Griffith said. Freehling said he thinks freshman should develop a professional online presence “almost immediately” after they step on campus. He added that the career center provides a slew of resources about building a LinkedIn profile and good LinkedIn habits, and Griffith said these resources have aided her. “If they have a resource for it, I’ve used it,” Griffith said about the career center and its offerings. According to Griffith, LinkedIn often is a “starting point” for conversations about her personal journey in interviews or meetings with professionals in other contexts.
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work together to get to our goa ls.” The group goes back and forth, sometimes stopping to ask each other questions on what a practice that their religion follows means or just to say they believe in something similar. These questions can lead to better understanding for themselves and their peers. “We have a lot of people who were Catholic and are now questioning. But I think I’m the only one [in the group] who’s rea lly just k ind of exploring, not in a box. I’m not upset about it in any way because that means when
EIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“I can’t wait for all the sleepless nights and frantic weekends in ser v ice of this paper I love so much,” Sheik h said. “In my time in the tri-campus, The
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Perhaps it’s the grocery store where she worked in high school or an experience at a recent internship that becomes an icebreaker. A well-ordered and interesting LinkedIn profile could help job seekers land an interview, during which candidates will then have enough time to tell the full story of their professional development, Griffith said. “It looks like a story, but I think, in a lot of ways, it’s kind of the outline of the story,” she said about a LinkedIn profile. Kleiser said the goal of a brand — whether it’s a personal brand or a brand like Notre Dame — is to provide some form of differentiation from other products in the marketplace. Notre Dame, Duke University and Indiana University all provide the same basic benefit: a four-year education. “So what does Notre Dame have versus Duke?” Kleiser said. A company crafts its brand, Kleiser explained, through different elements like a slogan, logo, jingle, color scheme, et cetera. The photos aspiring professionals put up on their LinkedIn profiles, the experiences they chose to share and how they share those experiences are all part of an individual’s personal brand. If the perception of a brand by consumers and by the ones who are presenting that brand in the marketplace match, it’s a successful brand, Kleiser added. “Is what I’m presenting what people are seeing?” Kleiser said. “Do they see it the same way?” Griffith, who is interested in going into brand management, said she also uses LinkedIn to reach out to professionals in that field, including employees of Procter & Gamble, the company she is interning with this upcoming summer. By connecting with workers at the Cincinnati-based
manufacturer on LinkedIn, Griffith explained, she can learn about what employees at the company do and “what those big milestones look like for them,” which helps her plan out and imagine the trajectory of her own career. Kleiser said she encourages her students to connect with her on LinkedIn because she has a network of professionals from more than two decades teaching in the Dallas-Fort Worth area beyond the typical Notre Dame “haunts,” like all the companies in Chicago. When a friend posts about a job opening on LinkedIn, Kleiser added, she’ll often forward it on to people in her network or the career center. Freehling said he’ll check LinkedIn before meeting someone new in a professional context just to confirm that “things are correct.” As with any other social media, Griffith said LinkedIn users might catch themselves endlessly scrolling on the platform and comparing themselves with others. “I too have been a victim of comparing myself to what my peers are doing,” Griffith said. “And there’s a real danger to that because everyone at Notre Dame is so smart and is on their own path with their career — whether that’s someone who has an internship for two years in the future or you’re someone like me in marketing where you tend to get them maybe even just a month or two before you actually start.” She added that LinkedIn is a great tool if it’s used for its intended purpose. When she notices herself using LinkedIn for negativity, Griffith said she knows it’s time to close it out. Freehling did not provide data about how many people have tried the Iris Air so far, but he said its use was “pretty robust.”
I come here, I get to pick up bits and pieces of ever yone’s religion. That’s what I love doing so much is connecting to other people and learning about them and their beliefs because it helps me expand my ow n,” Hess said. Hess continued, “My favorite thing to tell people is that I’m not Catholic and I love it here. It is a safe space for ever yone to come in, even if they don’t participate in the conversation. That’s still an opportunit y for them to think and experience new things.” A big part of the meeting is about respecting other beliefs and learning from other students. Ghattora wants to bring together people no matter what religion they are and be able to have open
conversations. “I think religion div ides and spiritua lit y unites. A lthough we a ll distinguish ourselves like, ‘Oh I’m this religion and I’m this’, we a ll have the same k ind of concept of spiritua lit y. We can stand on the grounds of one basic thing. It’s just a matter of bringing that to light and rea lizing, you’re Catholic and I’m Hindu but we have the same beliefs and we can be nice and respect each other which is what I think Saint Mar y’s needs,” Ghattora said. The next Interfaith Dia logue meetings w ill be on Feb. 9 and March 8 at 12 p.m. in the Common Good Lounge.
Obser ver has become a home and a haven for me and many of the colleagues I’ve come to know. I’m honored to carr y on the 58-year legacy of this extraordinar y organization.” Sheik h began w riting for The Obser ver during the
first week of his freshman year, filling the Associate News Editor position that spring. He then ser ved as Notre Dame News Editor in the 2023-2024 term. Sheik h w ill begin his term as Editor-in-Chief on Sunday, March 3.
Contact Peter Breen pbreen2@nd.edu
Contact Natalie Smith at nsmith03@saintmarys.edu
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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
LepreCON creates convention community By GRACE TADAJWESKI News Writer
Coming together for the sixth year, several clubs joined forces to put on an activity-rich convention within the Notre Dame campus community. LepreCON took place on Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. The event was sponsored by the Role Playing Game Club (RPG), SciFi Fantasy Club, Board Game Club, Japan Club, Video Game Club and Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). “I’m not usually someone who goes to a lot of conventions because usually I don’t have a lot of time at Notre Dame, a lot of studies, a lot of work, but it feels good that after so long I’m able to actually attend this see a lot of familiar faces, unfamiliar faces,” sophomore Eric Silva said. Silva, a resident of Duncan Hall, had never attended a convention before, so LepreCON was his first convention experience. While at LepreCON, Silva particularly enjoyed the VR headset and cheering on his friends in the Super Smash Bros tournament. “I just feel as if I actually belong in a space like this,” Silva said. “At Notre Dame, it feels always about finding your place and finding where you belong. This is definitely the place for it.” Similar to non-university conventions, the event held three panels, which were hosted by the Sci-Fi Fantasy Club, RPG Club and cosplay group. Carter Powers, a sophomore in Dunne Hall and an attendee of other conventions, enjoyed the panels this year as there have not been panels in LepreCON’s most recent years.
Powers also led and judged the event’s cosplay competition for the second year in a row. The contestants are judged in rounds based on craftmanship, stage presence and skills demonstrated. “Really it’s just about like, allowing people to kind of show off their cosplays because there aren’t really any other cosplay events outside LepreCON at Notre Dame to allow people to kind of have an outlet and place to cosplay at least once,” Powers said. Powers encourages those who might be curious about the event to attend next year. “I’m always looking for more people to be interested in cosplay and cosplay contests, so if people are interested in next year, I highly recommend putting something together even if it’s not super crafted and just coming out and entering,” Powers said. Sydney Hank, a junior in Lyons Hall and officer of TEA, has attended LepreCON since she was a freshman. She enjoyed the costume aspect of the event for similar reasons. “I love seeing all the costumes because you don’t typically see that at Notre Dame,” said Hank. “Everybody’s pretty much wearing like Notre Dame clothing, so to see people really express their creative side, it’s really fun to see on this campus.” At LepreCON, TEA put together an escape room along with a building area for a Hogwarts Lego Castle to promote their Lego building event taking place this Saturday in Duncan Student Center, LegoKingDome. On the flip side, Isabela Moreno, a junior in Ryan Hall, attended the event for the first time this year and
found a good community in it. “To see people come together and kind of show their fun side has been very nice,” Moreno said. The event additionally offered activities such as RPG Oneshots, Magic the Gathering, Artist Alley, a Mario Kart tournament, Japanese toys, boba and various board games. The event had four giveaways, with the final giveaway ending with a Nintendo Switch Lite and Meta Quest 2 headset. “The end goal is to make LepreCON less of a group of students and more of an actual convention, and we have certainly been on that track,” RPG president and main event coordinator Andrew Pelham said. The event is planned by a team of leaders from the host clubs. The planning process began last semester in August. “Historically, my favorite part of the event is the [Dungeons and Dragons] Oneshots where people can try a roleplaying game for the first time,” Pelham said. “But this year, I was running the show, so I thought it was great to see all of the clubs come together and innovate such an awesome event.” Carlos Basurto, a sophomore in living in Fisher undergrad, is the president of the Video Game Club. At LepreCON, Basurto simply liked seeing what others were doing, playing Dungeons and Dragons and seeing the artwork. “The thing I like the most is how community-centered it is. Maybe because I’m now a little bit more familiar with the kind of people they’re like, I know most of the precedents and whatnot,” Basurto said. Basurto also liked how
GRACE TADAJWESKI | The Observer
Students play Forbidden Island, a card game supplied by the Board Game Club. The Board Game Club gifted games to LepreCON visitors.
LepreCON differs from other larger events. “I think it’s nice to have the space for you know, individuals, like as opposed to like a big CON where you don’t really know anyone. I think this is nice because you get to know people that have the same interests as you that are in your community that you can actually interact with really easily if you choose to,” he said. Artist Alley provides student artists with a space to sell, showcase and talk with others about their artwork. “My biggest draw was the Artist Alley,” senior Avery Broughton said. “I think it’s just so nice seeing people and their art, but I guess, like a nice surprise, is I didn’t know that the Board Game Club was going to be giving out games.”
Broughton and her roommate, Kariana Radabaugh, a senior from Walsh Hall supported the artists by buying stickers. During the event, the two played Tea Dragon Society, a fantasythemed card game from the Board Game Club. Neither had attended the event in prior years although they thought the event sounded fun. Matthew Spadafore, a senior in Keenan Hall, is the president of the Sci-Fi Fantasy Club and aided in event planning and execution. “I just wanted to like shout out everyone in the planning committee,” Spadafore said. “Everyone put a lot of work into this and to see it culminate in such a good turnout is good.” Contact Grace Tadajweski at gtadajwe@nd.edu
Irish Dance performs at winter showcase By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT Associate News Editor
This past weekend, the Notre Dame and Saint Mar y’s Irish Dance team performed their annual showcase in Washington Hall. With shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the event demonstrated dances the team has been working on since the beginning of the school year. The team is div ided into t wo halves, each w ith a copresident who run the club together. Molly Brow n, a Saint Mar y’s senior and blue team co-president, explained more about how the teams are div ided. “Blue team is mainly soft shoe, which is a ballet slipper t y pe shoe. The gold team does mainly hard shoe, which is like a tap show w ith a loud fiberglass tip. Both teams do both shoes, it’s just each has their focus.”
Brow n joined the Irish dance team after it was such a prominent part of her childhood. “I started dancing when I was five and competed until the eighth grade. I took high school off to do marching band, but then I decided to come back in freshman year of college as a fun, non-competitive thing.” Gold team co-president and Notre Dame senior, Maria Murphy has a similar background. “I started Irish dance when I was five, so I’ve been dancing for 17 years.” “I started out just for fun but then naturally started competing. Through late grade school and early high school, I would travel internationally and nationally and compete in solos and teams.” “In high school, I had a stress fracture in my shin so I quit dancing and started again when I came to Notre Dame as a freshman.” On the team, you w ill find
many other dancers w ith long histories in Irish dance, which is one of the few requirements to join. “You have to have past Irish dance experience to join, but it doesn’t have to be a lot. We have some dancers that danced for three or four years and some that danced all through school,” Brow n said. “We do have tr youts but we don’t cut anybody from the team. It’s just to see which shoe you have more experience w ith.” The showcase is the team’s primar y event during the school year, w ith practices throughout the fall semester leading up to it. “We practice all year for this specific show, but we only have practice once a week. Then the week before the show we had practice from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. This is the biggest commitment for the club,” Brow n said. “We spend all the time just
learning the dances that go into the showcase,” said Murphy. “A lot of the dances are ones we do each year, but this year, we added some new dances too.” This year, the name of the show was Fáilte which is the Gaelic word for welcome. “We wanted it to be a welcoming show, a welcoming env ironment,” Brow n said. Murphy explained how this idea was ref lected in some new features of the show. “Molly and I were discussing the show and we had this idea of being able to get the crowd more into interacting w ith the show. I think Molly had the idea of like, why don’t we have people from the crowds come up and we can teach them how to do a jig? ” Over the course of the three nights, each show featured a segment where Brow n and Murphy taught audience members and a
special guest a short jig. Night one featured Father Pete McCormick, the second starred members of Dillon Hall and the last show featured Notre Dame’s ver y ow n Leprechaun Ryan Cour y. If you missed the showcase, “you can just search Notre Dame Saint Mar y’s Irish Dance showcase 2024 and you can watch it there,” Brow n said. There w ill also be other times to catch the team in action as they often perform at other campus events throughout the year. Murphy said, “We perform at Football Friday events and usually do a basketball halftime show. St Patrick’s Day, we have a lot of different shows around. And we have performed at Saint Mar y’s Dance marathon and for other organizations around South Bend.” Contact Katelyn Waldschmidt at kwaldschmidt01@saintmarys.edu
THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
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INSIDE COLUMN
Everyone’s hiring. No one’s being hired. What’s going on? Natalie Allton Scene Copyeditor
As a graduating senior, let me tell you: It’s bleak out there. Over this past summer, I decided I wanted to work a lowkey, entry-level job to save up some extra cash before my senior year. I sent out 27 job applications over the course of roughly a month — mostly retail with a few barista positions sprinkled in. Of those 27, I received requests for interviews from three. I was outright rejected from two, both barista positions. I received a job offer from only one. The other 21 employers ghosted me. None of the jobs I applied for required any special training or advanced degree. None of them required hours I couldn’t work. None of them had any reason, on paper, not to hire me. The retail job I ended up working paid salaries based on store volume — which meant I was underpaid for working a mall position despite the fact I was doing the same job and working the same hours as employees at the outlet location less than twenty minutes away. None of my coworkers, including my managers, had been working at the location longer
than a month when I started. None of them were still working for the company when I left. The part-time manager, also a college student, had been hired the same week I was and left around the same time since we both had to go back to school. The manager who hired me was criticized to my face by our district manager for multiple missteps, not the least of which was making the decision to hire two employees who both had to leave after a few months. The frank truth was the store was desperately understaffed as it was. When I was hired, the only employees at the location were the location manager and the full-time manager, both of whom left after another month. During the job search, I remember explaining the struggle of just trying to get an interview to an older family member who told me that I wasn’t submitting my applications correctly, that I needed to print out my resume and hand it directly to the hiring manager, that if I just walked in and told them I wanted a job they would hire and train me on the spot. Every time I inquired in person about an application, they directed me online to the company’s website. This isn’t an isolated experience. In fact, it’s an increasingly common story. Across the country, hiring rates are down and unemployment rates are up. I
keep hearing that “no one wants to work anymore” — but the truth is people do want to work. They’re just not being hired. Part of the reason for this may stem, as many things do, from the pandemic. Part of it may be the increasing automation of blue-collar jobs which have traditionally held high employment rates. Part of it may be that people are only willing to apply to and accept jobs which seem “worth it” — with decent benefits and a good minimum salary, now $15 an hour even where it’s not legally mandated. Part of it may be that “entry-level” positions often require three to five years of relevant experience or a bachelor’s degree as a minimum. Is Generation Z truly just lazy and entitled? I’m inclined to say no. We’ve seen the generations that came before us. We see the current state of the job market. We see down the road to the next 20 years of the economy, to the world we’re entering, to the world we leave our children and our children’s children. Again, I say: It’s bleak out there. Forgive us if the ennui set in early. You can contact Natalie Allton at nallton@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
‘Barbie’: A film for feminist social change Grace Sullivan I.M.P.A.C.T.
On Sunday, January 7, the Golden Globes aired a series of sexist jokes directed towards Greta Gerwig’s film “Barbie.” The host, Jo Koy, was greeted by the absence of laughter, uncomfortable smiles and blank faces for his distasteful humor, along with lots of backlash from the general public. When comparing “Barbie” to the film “Oppenheimer,” Koy exclaimed how “Barbie is a movie about a plastic doll with big boobies” and later followed up with “The key moment in ‘Barbie’ is when she goes from perfect beauty to cellulite and flat feet — or what casting directors call ‘character acting.’” This arrogant sense of humor should not be dismissed as yet another male comedian making sexist jokes, for Koy’s commentary directly undermined the main premise of the movie. “Barbie” is more than a pretty face — she represents that women can be whoever they want to be. In Barbieland, women can be presidents, doctors and even mermaids. With a slightly satirical attitude towards the toy Barbie, the film “Barbie” effectively rebrands the popular children’s toy by capturing the woman’s experience as a complicated and beautiful mix of societal expectations and deep desires, and most importantly, by asserting happiness is not dependent on perfection. Essentially, the film shows young girls and women you are good enough just as you are, and you don’t need to conform to societal ideas of what beauty and success look like. As actress America Ferrera, who plays Gloria in “Barbie,” says in her captivating monologue: “You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you are good enough.” As demonstrated by “Barbie” winning the Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, this widely popular film moved people everywhere. It captivated the attention of young girls, women, mothers and grandmothers as the moving film showed each and every woman they are not alone and they are enough. Through creative humor, beautiful
cinematography and inspiring monologues, Barbie effectively captured the female experience while tackling systemic issues like patriarchy to educate the audience about the root of impossible expectations, structural barriers and gender inequality at large. This film is truly a feminist masterpiece which opened the minds and hearts of so many people, and yet, even with all this creative genius, the main point of the movie was overlooked by one of its main target audiences: men. This promising film holds the potential to shift perspectives and change mindsets. Not only is it digestible for people who have never dipped their toes into feminist theory before, but it is approachable for people, specifically men, who have never thought about feminism in this way. Feminists have been and continue to be looked at as a group of angry man-hating women, but this film shows this is not the case. Women want to feel like they are as equally part of this world as men. Women are angry, but they are mad at the system which subordinates women. It is about time we had a film made by women for everyone to better understand what it means to be a woman in modern society. The film showed even Barbie, a representation of stereotypical beauty which adheres to societal expectations, feels like she is not enough. Our social expectations and unspoken rules were formulated into a structure which subordinates women. “Barbie” effectively demonstrates this idea and broadens the audience’s perspective. To have this powerful, inspiring and motivational film reduced to a shallow comment about Barbie’s appearance by a male comedian at the Golden Globes is disheartening as it awakens the audience to the sad reality its beautiful message can be easily overlooked. It is so important that specifically men see and understand this film because it holds an extraordinary power for them to develop a comprehensive understanding of gender issues and how they impact everybody, not only women. Having an intersectional understanding of the world can promote a shift in perspective which can influence the way our social institutions operate.
Education is the first step towards creating sustainable change which upholds the dignity, equality and worth of all people. Along with education, storytelling is an important and overlooked tool in activism. Sharing our experiences not only allows people to relate to us, but it also creates space for people to share their own experiences to generate conversations about important issues many people face. Additionally, this also creates a community which encourages people to feel like they are not alone while stimulating feelings of hope that change is possible. While formal education and conversations are so important in creating an impact and adding to important discourses about social issues, I believe art is the most important tool in creating social change. It allows you to reach a wider audience by inviting people to engage with the material. It is an approachable and digestible form of activism which allows people to easily interact with difficult and complex issues. Additionally, each person who views the artwork holds a unique perspective which allows them to connect with the piece on a personal level and therefore establishes a personal connection to the material. This is why I believe Greta Gerwig’s film is more important than many people realize. It was able to reach more people than any other nominated film this year and able to deliver its important and impactful message through cinema. Films, art and music allow us to see, feel and hear things we might not have before, and this lasting impact is the first step in creating a community of people who share a passion for social justice. Grace Sullivan is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying global affairs with minors in gender and peace studies. In her column, I.M.P.A.C.T. (Intersectionality Makes Political Activist Change Transpire), she is passionate about looking at global social justice issues through an intersectional feminist lens. Outside of The Observer, she enjoys hiking, painting and being a plant mom. She can be reached at gsulli22@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
A prelude to 22 Joy Agwu Lessons I’ve Learned from Media
“We’re happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way. It’s miserable and magical.” Taylor Swift “22”
My birthday is tomorrow, and to melodramatica lly paraphrase Charlotte Lucas in the 2007 adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice”: “I am (nearly) 22 years old. I’ve no money and no prospects. I’m a lready a burden to my parents. A nd I’m frightened.” Again, this is a melodramatic ta ke — and Charlotte was 27 when she expressed these sentiments — but it still feels fitting. W henever someone asks me what I’m doing after graduation and I have no exact answer, this is the phrase which echoes in my brain. Notre Dame w ill soon send me off into the world, and it’s not the transition that scares me. It’s the uncertaint y of what that next phase holds. I recently read Meg Jay’s “The Defining Decade” expecting reassurance, but I found it only intensified my an x ieties about the future — perhaps not for the reasons one might expect. One of Jay’s biggest critiques of people in their 20s is that we mista kenly assume there is a lways our 30s. We think, “I don’t need to worr y about k ids now, that can happen when I’m a little more mature” or “I want to go to grad school eventua lly, but that can happen after I’ve done [insert frivolous young person activ it y].” Jay believes that major life decisions are things we need to think about now, before time slowly but surely narrows our options. As I read “The Defining Decade” and moved past the initia l an x ieties about needing a plan for the future, I rea lized that I was actua lly on the opposite end of the spectrum. My problem is not that I lack any precision about how I want the future to unfold, it’s that I ma ke my plans and cling to them like ox ygen. The book reminded me that the future is so close, yet still so unk now n. I currently have a 10-year plan, and about t wo to three backup plans depending on different career tracks. However, I have a lso become deeply familiar w ith the fact that when woman plans, God laughs. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year is that a plan
enables you to act w ith intention, but it does not guarantee any thing about the future. Sure, I can intend to have my law degree, be married and work in Washington, D.C., by the time I turn 28, but life is dy namic and I w ill change. This is a truth that I often w ish I could bundle up and bur y deep in my subconscious, never to be thought of again. W hile grow th is one of my fundamenta l va lues, I’ve a lways appreciated it more as a form of ref lection. It is far more daunting when it stands as a potentia l cause for Future Joy to dev iate from my meticulously laid plans. Reading “The Defining Decade” made me acutely aware of the sw ift passage of time while simultaneously reminding me of how removed I am from the fruits of my labor. Future Joy is a myster y to me, and while I have no k nowledge of her struggles or priorities, I find myself entrusting her w ith ever ything. Seems a tad unfair, but such is life. I’m learning to be okay w ith the uncertaint y. Approaching 22 and my fina l months of college, I feel myself preparing to hand the baton off to my future self. I have plans for the next year and the rest of this defining decade, yet a ll I can do is set the stage for success and trust my future, older, w iser self to ma ke the best decisions she can. Here’s to embracing the miserable and magica l paradox of being happy, free, confused and lonely — in the best way. P.S. To my dearest friends and wonderful acquaintances, as I k now you a ll feverishly read each of my articles, there is absolutely no excuse to forget my birthday. I eagerly await the lov ing bombardment of birthday gifts and well-w ishes. :) P.P.S. To my future self, wherever you are, I think you’re prett y ama zing. Joy Agwu is a senior at Pasquerilla West, originally from Bowie, Maryland. She is pursuing a degree in philosophy with a minor in constitutional studies. In her free time, she finds great pleasure in consuming media and reflecting on the deeper meanings behind the content she encounters. Whether you have recommendations for TV shows, movies, podcasts or any other form of media, or if would like to further discuss an idea presented in a column, feel free to reach out to her on Instagram @JoyfulJoyousss. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
On the allure of unidimensionality Olemo Gordon Brian The Double-Giraffe View
Dear comrade, Life can be a delicate balancing act. Some economists have convinced us that the mainstay of their profession is scarcity management. If it has not become apparent already, college (in particular) and life (in general) will show you that time is that principal scarce resource. Its management thus becomes definitive. One rises and falls or plateaus on the basis of one’s mastery of this essential element. Much as Okot p’Bitek’s ”Song of Lawino” protested our current enslavement to the clock, given the sway of Euromodernity, there’s no dialing it back (no pun intended). The allure of unidimensionality stems from this constraint. One of the first characterizations of college in America I encountered was the pressure-cooker. The combined weight of the sheer demand of the academic environment, the pressure to conform to some Hollywood version of the college experience (bad decisions without consequence, alcoholism, sexual indiscipline, etc.), nurturing relationships, personal growth and health (physical, mental, spiritual), all the while making a contribution to society and coming to an understanding of self, all goes to show that this illustration was not without merit. I am uncertain about our right to complain given the persuasiveness of Billie Jean King’s assertion that “pressure is a privilege.” But pressure, and lots of it, is dangerous. Faced with it, there’s often the temptation to take the easy way out: distractions, a kneejerk spirited urge to plow through, or the utter neglect of certain aspects of one’s life — i.e. unidimensionality. Sometimes, we become infantilized at the enormity of the task which makes defeatism enemy number one. Escapism is its close cousin. As the pressure amps, it’s very easy to revert to the easy and familiar, throwing your new year’s resolutions and life goals out the window. It becomes easy to settle for comfort and a false identity since all actions start from our convictions and who we think we are. In modern times, an exit from the entire procession of life all together has also sadly gained currency. So how do we begin to approach the task? Men have dedicated their entire lives to answering this question. This column will settle for some perspective on the grand picture. For that, I look to Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). We recently concluded the awfully cold Walk the Walk week, a part of the University’s efforts to advance the cause of a more just and fair world. Hard to divorce from such proceedings is the portrait of political philosopher, man of God and civil rights icon, MLK. At the gateway in London, we reconsidered his legacy and impact on the civil rights movement in the UK. This column will not be the exception in continuing this conversation. More than 50 years ago, at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, MLK sermonized on the “Three Dimensions of a Complete Life.” That sermon acknowledged the complexity of life and its multifaceted demands on the individual. There are so many moving pieces it
can be raucous. To help his vivacious congregation arrest the situation, MLK distilled life into three dimensions. First, length or “the inward concern for one’s own welfare” which animates the realization of one’s goals and ambitions. He termed it “rational and healthy self-interest.” Next, breadth or “the outward concern for the welfare of others” that demands that one recognizes the needs of others before one’s own. Finally, height or “the upward reach for God” which places God at the center of every pursuit. A previous column has commented on the second dimension, entreating that we start by viewing ourselves as vessels and “heirs of an unfinished revolution”, as a friend of mine would put it. It is the recognition that your education, life and privilege should serve more than you. It begs the questions: What use can I be to the world? What’s my role in any concerted effort aimed at systemic change? “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here” — that is the highpoint of this logic. The third dimension entails dealing with the reality that we are in fact creatures. That neither science nor philosophy however highfalutin affords salvation. This dimension says there are no atheists. Whatever guides your approach, accords you purpose and animates you in the entire procession of life, that is your God. Atheism, then, is a religion. This dimension is too important and decisive to be considered here and now. The first dimension is also the discipline dimension. Whatever aspirations or illusions of change (revolutionary or otherwise) that you harbor in your mind will not materialize without you. It is an invitation to play the long game because — as the double giraffe view informs us — life catches up with those who cut corners. So many comrades in the limelight have been undone by unresolved tendencies with scandals left, right and center. None are immune. That old discourse on intentionally working on yourself and becoming a better man everyday is not outdated. This demands that we are eternal believers in potentiality — of the self and others — with hope being the proverbial pi in the equation of life. It dictates that we are cultivating habits conducive to spiritual and physical well being. We can say it entails being able to live with yourself so you are not compensating elsewhere. Indiscipline can be costly. There is unfortunately no substitute for discipline — depending of course on the distance and depth you are trying to go. There’s therefore wisdom in the biblical counsel that “It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke [of godly discipline] in his youth” [Lamentations 3:27 AMP]. The time has never been better to resolve those internal contradictions that only you know. It is no guarantee of perfection with failure being a part of life. Many through history can attest. Make peace thus with the fact you will fail yourself and others more times than you think. This feedback mechanism will demand that you both bear and give grace in infinitude. With the fresh start to take on a new year and new semester, we can resolve to strategize around MLK’s “complete life.”
Read the rest of Olemo Gordon Brian’s column online at ndsmcobserver.com.
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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Writer
“Anyone but You” achieves what it sets out to achieve — it just doesn’t set out to achieve all that much. It’s a good romantic comedy, very romantic and pretty comedic. I can’t decide whether Glen Powell or Sydney Sweeney was the more charismatic lead, which is a good sign. Part of the supporting cast, GaTa as Powell’s friend and Bryan Brown as GaTa’s step-father, also excelled. Brown’s performance was solid comic acting, and GaTa’s performance was so bad it was good. The rest, though, faltered. The movie would’ve benefited from a handful of reliable character actors. The script is effective. There are some rough edges in the dialogue, but — as is often the case — it’s hard to tell what’s actually clunky: the director Will Gluck’s script or the supporting cast’s acting. “Anyone but You” patterns itself after Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Gluck’s Ben, played by Glen Powell, is Shakespeare’s Benedick, and Bea, played by Syndey Sweeney, is Beatrice. It’s always nice to see the canon of Shakespeare-inspired rom-coms expanded, movies like “10 Things I Hate About You” and “She’s the Man.” It’s nice to see another movie like Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet” and Disney’s “The Lion King,”
By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer
As a late-night host, James Corden was an anomaly. For one, he was British, which most others are not (I do not know if John Oliver of “Last Week Tonight” counts). Additionally, he was the only late night host to accost drivers at stop lights while dressed like a mouse. Corden’s stint on “The Late Late Show” ran for nine seasons over eight years and had what I’d best describe as mixed reception. Corden’s “Late Late” ran after “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and ended its run in April of 2023. “The Late Late Show” had been a staple of late night television since David Letterman’s time on CBS, where he picked the first host Tom Snyder when the show premiered in 1995. With the cancellation of Corden’s show, the program ended after 28 years. The time-slot after Colbert’s show ran re-runs of Corden’s program, but CBS soon announced that a new show would take the place of “Late Late.” Based off of a 2013 Comedy Central game show, the network announced in February 2023 that they would be reviving the show “@Midnight.” The following November, CBS announced the program would be renamed “@ fter Midnight,” considering the show would not start
which English teachers screen in class in an attempt to prove that “Shakespeare is actually cool” and that “Shakespeare is actually fun.” The film is visually nondescript. Sometimes it seems like a Tourism.Australia.com ad, and sometimes its shots look like stock photos. Sometimes its scenes feel like commercials for prescription medicine, and sometimes its sets resemble Airbnb rentals. I get that it’s a mass market movie — Gluck’s not trying to be Wes Anderson here — but we deserve to expect style from everything we watch, even our rom-coms, and “Anyone but You” is styleless. Still, “Anyone but You” is exciting. I went to a Tuesday night showing in my hometown with my friends, thinking we’d get the theater to ourselves, but the house was actually crowded — for a work night, at least. This movie is getting people to theaters. Sweeney’s success with “Anyone but You” runs parallel to Jacob Elordi’s success in “Saltburn” this year. “Euphoria,” it seems, was the perfect incubator for its young talent. Perhaps “Euphoria” is for Gen Z what “Freaks and Geeks” — which launched the careers of James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel — was for millenials. “Euphoria’s” graduates have a knack for balancing artistic and commercial success, balancing independent and franchise projects. Hunter Schafer models
for Prada, and she also starred in a “Hunger Games” movie. Zendaya is about to star in a Luca Guadagnino film about tennis, and she’s also the female lead in “Dune.” Sweeney, though, seems even more destined for mainstream stardom than her peers. In addition to this crowd-pleasing rom-com, take “Madame Web” — an addition to Marvel’s Spiderman franchise — which comes out in three weeks and features Sweeney alongside star Dakota Johnson. Elordi, on the other hand, appears to be striving for a lifetime in art cinema. “Saltburn” hasn’t even been out for three months and it’s already infamous. He’s also slated to star in Paul Schrader’s film “Oh, Canada” and to portray Frankenstein’s monster in Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” alongside Mia Goth and Oscar Isaac. Still, he balances his status as our indiedarling/it-boy with his position as the current pop heartthrob. It’s fascinating to see Sweeney and Elordi, who both started out making schlock, make their ways in the world — both of them onward to continued success, but via two very different paths. “Anyone but You” was a fun movie, and Sweeney’s will be a fun career to watch.
until 12:37 A.M. That same night, Stephen Colbert brought on a special guest to talk about the show, and stand-up comedian Taylor Tomlinson took the stage to announce that she had been selected to host the new series. Tomlinson has seen great success on Netflix with her stand-up specials “Quarter-Life Crisis” and “Look At You.” At just 29 when her hosting gig was announced, she is the youngest US late-night talk show host of all time. Tomlinson seems like an obvious choice to host the show. The program’s segments are entirely built off of internet culture, and Tomlinson is one of the most followed comedians on social media platform TikTok with 2.6 million followers. The show tends to be topical in its humor with its format featuring three comedians competing in a series of games (that the show itself claims are meaningless) based on current social media trends. Not all of the segments, however, are based on internet culture. One of the segments was just Tomlinson forcing the guests to do long division. The show is fast, fluid and funny. That being said, it is still in its infancy. “@fter Midnight” debuted on Jan. 17, 2024. In every episode, Tomlinson mentions that the crew and writers are “figuring it out” as they go. At times, that can feel obvious, but the show is
consistently charming, placing an emphasis on making the best jokes possible. I question who the show is for. I assumed the show targets younger audiences based on the fact that it is primarily concerned with internet culture, but the show seems baffled by Generation Z and Generation Alpha, with a whole segment based on decoding younger slang. The guests tend to be older, around their mid-30’s at the youngest, so this makes sense to some degree. During the whole segment, however, I had the impression that the show’s audience is supposed to share in the bewilderment, not laugh at it. I’m sure a more critical look at viewing demographics would show the audience skews much older than I expect. But still, I feel that a show based on internet culture should maybe be more in tune with those who use the internet most. Taylor Tomlinson’s “@fter Midnight” is a fun show, and a good show. With time, I am sure it’ll become a great show … for the right audience. While it’s still finding its footing, it’s a great watch if you’re up late at night (or looking for something to watch on Paramount+).
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu MARISSA PANETHIERE | The Observer
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
SPORTS AUTHORITY
McGuinness: All-star games should be about stars, not all Andrew McGuinness Sports Editor
We’ve officially reached A ll-Star season on the sports calendar. With the exception of Major League Baseball, which runs on its ow n cycle, the major four sports leagues w ill be honoring their best and brightest faces w ithin the next month. First up, the NHL A ll-Star Game on Feb. 3 from Toronto, an exciting event one of hockey’s hotbeds... that won’t include its sixth or seventh leading scorers. Don’t worr y the guy, who’s tied for 224th (and is a for ward) had his ticket punched weeks ago. W hy aren’t Artemi Panarin and Mik ko Rantanen inv ited so that Tom Wilson can spend some time in his hometow n? Well, the NHL is one of the leagues that requires ever y team to have an A ll-Star. So, Panarin is sitting at home because high-profile teammate Igor Shesterkin was needed to fill out the goaltending and Rantanen because fellow Colorado Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon is one of the six players w ith more points than him (Panarin is another). This is especially important in a sport like hockey where there aren’t a ton of indiv idual awards. To understand why this is a problem, let’s look at a
player like Claude Girou x. Girou x led the NHL in scoring in the 2010s and went to a Stanley Cup Final w ith the Philadelphia Flyers. He had 7 seasons w ith at least 70 points during the 2010s, plus another in 2022-23. In 201718, he had 102 points, the second most in the league. But in terms of hardware, his trophy shelf is weirdly lacking. Girou x has never won an indiv idual trophy, notching a pair of top-five MV P seasons. He was named to the second-team A llNHL team for that 102-point campaign. But other than digging into the stats, there is little way to quick ly appreciate Girou x’s excellence — other than looking at his six A ll-Star Game appearances as a Flyer. So, it’s important for the A ll-Star Game to matter. But it just can’t if we’re rewarding players for being on bad teams that just so happen to have no one better than them. There w ill always be snubs and misses. Mov ing over to baseball, t wo years ago, Br yce Harper won the NL MV P Award w ithout being named an A ll-Star. That was understandable because Harper’s honors were largely the product of a historic second-half — his resume when the actual ASG rolled around wasn’t one of the top 30 or so in his sport. A year later, Harper was an A ll-Star but he probably
ND SWIM AND DIVE
Notre Dame swim and dive moved closer to the end of its 2023-24 regular season while also looking back on Saturday’s Tim Welsh Classic. The annual event doubled as Notre Dame’s senior day, a way to celebrate the 14 seniors and graduate students on its roster. No. 6 Ohio State won the women’s side of the competition, lapping the field with 1,635 points. The No. 12 Irish men’s team swam to victory at home, with the Buckeyes coming up just short in their quest for a sweep. The Irish took the top two spots in the men’s 200-yard free relay, with the quartet of junior Chris Guiliano, sophomore Tommy Janton, sophomore Tate Bacon and graduate
some objectiv it y and desire for making the right choices, not just the preferred ones. There’s a reason fans don’t get a Hart Trophy ballot. Additionally, the current set-up takes away from the product that the fans in the arena get to see. This is Toronto’s first NHL A ll-Star Game since 2000. The cit y last hosted the MLB A llStar Game in 1991 and the NBA A ll-Star Game in 2016. So this w ill be four all-star games for the cit y in 33 years, or about one ever y eight years. Some markets, especially smaller ones or ones that don’t have a presence in all three sports leagues (the NFL Pro Bowl Games aren’t hosted by a team) may be even less fortunate. Philadelphia hasn’t hosted an A ll-Star Game in any sport since 2002 and won’t until 2026. The NHL is offering A llStar Weekend ticket passes w ith four-digit prices. The fans pay ing these big sums deser ve to be treated to the best product. People in Toronto don’t care about seeing the best player on the f ledgling Columbus Blue Jackets or San Jose Sharks. There’s no threat to attendance by excluding undeser v ing teams whatsoever. Viewership could suffer, but a greater percentage of fans of the best teams may tune in if more than just one player is selected. I could
be talked into including a one-player minimum for the team hosting the ASG since that wouldn’t have a massive effect on determining the rest of the field. Yes, we would lose some great moments. Hockey fans ever y where relished in the stor y of John Scott, a career enforcer who out-ofnowhere won the fan vote for the 2016 A ll-Star Game and wound up being named the A ll-Star MV P. I’ll admit, it would be a bummer if that didn’t happen (ignoring the negative consequences the vote had on Scott’s career leading up to the game itself ). But all-star games are supposed to be about celebrating greatness. No longer is the A ll-Star Game one of the only opportunities fans have to see players on other teams the way it was before net work telev ision became any where close to what it is today. It’s time for professional sports leagues to start acting accordingly. The v iews expressed in this Sports Authorit y are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Obser ver. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@ nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
HCC BASKETBALL
Irish honor seniors at Tim Welsh Classic Observer Sports Staff
shouldn’t have been. Harper was lighting it up in the first half, but a few weeks before the game, he suffered a broken hand that sidelined him for the contest. W hile you could at least make an argument for Harper making it because he hadn’t been sidelined for that long in this case, it shows off another problem w ith A ll-Star Games — fan votes. Yes, they are great for generating engagement and publicit y, so maybe getting rid of them is just w ishful thinking. But just look at the NHL to see the problem. One A ll-Star for each team was named initially and then the rest of the spots were left up to a fan vote. Of the 12 players elected, a jaw-dropping 8 of them played for Canadian teams, who are know n for hav ing the most boisterous fanbases in the sport. Only one skater, Colorado’s Cale Makar, earned the fan vote for an American team. Again, this isn’t to go after the fanbases of these teams. They just showed their support for their favorite players and followed the rules of the process. But for being an A ll-Star to matter, the market a player plays in should matter as little as possible. Big market stars are always going to get more attention. However, hav ing the league or journalists decide the players at least interjects
student Cason Wilburn winning with a 1:18.06. That combination also earned the win in the men’s 400-yard free relay. Graduate student Tanner Filion and sophomore Dillon Edge also claimed the gold and silver in the men’s 200 IM. Graduate student Luka Cvetko won the men’s 50 free by 0.02 seconds. Janton, senior Tyler Christianson, Wilburn and Guiliano earned the victory in the men’s 200 and 400 medley, with another Irish team coming in second in the latter event. The top four places in the men’s 200 back belonged to the Irish, as Janton came in first by almost 2 seconds. The Irish took the top five
HCC Saints get back on track against St. Ambrose By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor
Both Holy Cross men’s and women’s basketball desperately needed a victory on Saturday. The men’s team is in danger of falling out of the CCAC Tournament picture. The women entered the weekend barely holding onto a playoff spot that they needed to solidify. Both got the job done against St. Ambrose, with the women going on the road while the men defended their home court. The first half of the women’s game created little separation, with Holy Cross taking a 2-point lead into halftime. But the Saints came out of
the locker room firing on all cylinders. Thanks to a 57.9% shooting performance from the field and a 66.7% effort from 3-point range that included the team’s only 4 made 3-pointers all game, Holy Cross outscored the Fighting Bees 28-15 in the third quarter, allowing them to comfortably secure the victory. Four Saints finished in double figures, led by sophomore guard Kayliana Hammel and junior forward Grace Adams with 16 apiece. Freshman guard Lilly Toppen also chipped in 11 off the bench. Holy Cross took advantage of a sloppy showing by the 4-13 Fighting Bees, who committed an egregious 24 turnovers
that led to 14 Saints points. St. Ambrose also shot a pitiful 2-14 from 3-point range. Even though the game was close early, Holy Cross led wire to wire. Had the Fighting Bees won, they would’ve been tied with Holy Cross for the No. 8 seed in the CCAC Tournament. Instead, the Saints now lead St. Ambrose and St. Francis by 2 games. The Saints’ men’s team found itself in a total shootout. Before Saturday, Holy Cross had neither scored or allowed at least 90 points in a game this season. Both of those things changed when St. Ambrose came to town as the see HCC WBB PAGE 11
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HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: You have plenty to look forward to if you are willing to do your part. Financial gains and self-satisfaction brought on by lifestyle changes that contribute to home improvements and surrounding yourself with the people who bring you joy will help you reach your destination. Opportunity is apparent if you recognize and take advantage of what comes your way. Love and romance are favored. Your numbers are 8, 14, 22, 27, 30, 36, 47. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get in touch with people you can trust to give you good advice. Do what you can to make a difference. Avoid precarious situations that weaken your position physically or financially. Protect your reputation, speak the truth, and maintain balance and moderation. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take the angst out of your situation by offering friendly banter, compliments and insight into positive plans you want to pursue. Go after something that makes you happy, and don’t hold back when sharing your feelings or intentions. Embrace love and self-improvement. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotions will surface if you encounter a manipulative conversation. Listen carefully, but don’t agree to anything that sounds suspicious. Take the high road, verify facts and devise a plan that is within your means and doesn’t allow outside interference. Do your own thing. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Speak your mind. Make things happen. Turn your ideas into something tangible, and you will create interest in what you are doing. Equality will be the key to success when considering a joint venture. Spending time with someone you love will clear your mind. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t follow the crowd. Think, act and pursue when it benefits you. Revisit how you feel about your relationships with others. Distance yourself from those who set poor examples or tempt you to be overindulgent. Don’t spend or go into debt to impress someone. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Stop waffling and start doing. You have so much to gain if you are ready to make the moves that excite you. The opportunities that await you will far outweigh the wear and tear it will take to get you where you want to go. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Make changes at home that will ease stress and lower your cost of living. Don’t argue over something you can’t control. Protect yourself from infectious disease or injury. Focus more on personal improvements, gaining physical strength and prioritizing what’s important to you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll progress if you step up and take over. Your insight and determination will far outshine what anyone else has to offer. Once you put yourself out there, you will enjoy the spotlight and the returns you receive for your thorough plans and execution. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Check details with care. Don’t rely on others to give you the facts. If you travel or deal with someone with a hidden agenda, limitations will set in. Set boundaries before you get involved in something that requires compatibility. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Surround yourself with people who motivate you. Attend an event that takes you back in time. A reunion will reconnect you with someone meaningful. Expand your interests and adjust your space to suit your future aspirations. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Reach out to people who share your beliefs. Share information and consider what’s possible. A trip, reunion or research will provide you with the information you require to make a move. Don’t let an opportunity pass you by. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A positive lifestyle change is heading your way. Embrace opportunities enthusiastically and promote your plans; you’ll engage suitable candidates to support your efforts. Offer your vision, and you’ll get the go-ahead. Make personal gain your priority. Birthday Baby: You are adaptable, perceptive and motivated. You are enthusiastic and trendy.
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SPORTS
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we’re doing some things that are,” Shrewsberry said. “Then we won’t have this feeling anymore.” On the heels of last Wednesday’s loss against Miami that saw the Irish offense come out of the gates red-hot with 10 points in the first four minutes, Notre Dame struggled to find its rhythm early on Saturday. Konieczny had Purcell Pavilion rocking in the game’s opening minute when he recorded a steal on Boston College’s first possession before drilling a three-pointer on the other end for the first points of the game. But the Irish would add just two more points to their tally over the ensuing 10 minutes as the Eagles slowly worked their way to an 11-5 advantage. That stretch included four Notre Dame turnovers, and the team would finish with 13 on the afternoon. “Very frustrating. That’s one of the things that’s holding us back,” Shrewsberry said about his team’s turnover issues. “You just can’t keep turning the ball over, can’t keep making mistakes that are just holding us back.” With the Irish desperately needing a basket after a scoring drought that lasted nearly seven minutes, it was Konieczny who again provided the spark. Midway through the first, he drew a foul on a three-point attempt and sank all three free throws to cut the deficit in half. He erased it entirely less than a minute later with his second three of the game. Finally, he followed up his own missed three-pointer and finished at the rim to cap off a personal 8-0 run and put the Irish back ahead 13-11. “I just had open shots so I was just taking [them], I was trying to be a little more aggressive today,” Konieczny said about his early scoring burst. “I was just trying to do whatever I could to get my team a little momentum. [My teammates], they found me [when I was open], so hats off to these guys for doing that, first of all.” The Irish would continue to ride that wave to a 15-5 run that culminated with freshman guard Markus Burton driving and kicking to a wide open
ROMINA LLANOS| The Observer
Irish freshman guard Markus Burton puts up a shot between defenders in the paint against Miami. The Irish lost to the Hurricanes 73-61 at Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Burton led Notre Dame with 15 points, marking his 12th straight game with double digit points.
freshman guard Logan Imes for a three-pointer that put Notre Dame ahead 20-16 with less than five minutes remaining in the half. Boston College would answer with a pair of quick scores to tie the game before Irish senior forward Matt Zona and the Eagles’ Chas Kelley III traded a pair of threes to send the teams into the locker rooms deadlocked at 23-23. The second period got off to a much quicker start than the first, with both sides exchanging baskets at a quick pace. With just over 13 minutes remaining, Boston College’s Mason Madsen broke a 32-32 tie with a three-pointer that gave the Eagles a lead that they would ultimately retain until the final buzzer sounded, despite that advantage never stretching beyond seven points. At times in the first half, it felt like Konieczny was the only Irish player who could consistently find the basket. In the second, Notre Dame again had a single player handling most of
the shot-making, only this time it was Braeden Shrewsberry, who caught fire after being held scoreless during the opening half. The sharpshooting freshman guard connected on four threepointers in the half en route to 14 points, and his marksmanship prevented the Eagles from ever pulling away down the stretch. During one frenetic sequence midway through the period, Shrewsberry and Boston College’s Claudell Harris Jr. made four long jump shots on four consecutive possessions for 11 total points in less than a minute. With under eight minutes to play, a Shrewsberry three brought the Irish back within three points. From there, the two sides continued trading scores, with Notre Dame unable to get the stop needed to tie the game or regain the lead but keeping things close by virtue of hitting six consecutive free throws, an area in which the team has struggled at times this year.
WRITE SPORTS. Email Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu
In the final two minutes, Burton scored in the paint to cut the Eagles’ lead to 57-55. He finished with a game-high seven assists and was one of three Irish players to score in double figures, along with Konieczny and Shrewsberry. Konieczny had a chance to tie the score with less than a minute to play but could not finish at the rim, and Boston College seemed to put things away with four straight points that brought their lead back to six. But Shrewsberry made a three-pointer with just over one second remaining, and Burton forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass, suddenly giving the Irish a second life and a chance to shockingly force overtime. It was not to be, though, as Notre Dame’s gametying three-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, sealing the final score at 61-58 and handing the Irish their fourth straight ACC loss after a promising 2-3 start in conference play. For Coach Shrewsberry, the greatest frustration from the losing streak has come from how competitive the Irish have been in nearly every game, only to be unable to close out wins in the final minutes. “You should be growing toward [knowing how to win], probably,” Shrewsberry said. “After 20 games, I guess you’re still a freshman or you’re still a sophomore, but you’re getting closer to being a sophomore and a junior. We’ve been in these situations a lot and we’re just not closing it the right way.” Conversely, the close nature of their losses is also what has kept him and the team focused
and motivated every day, understanding that they’re an extremely young and inexperienced group that has competed very well against strong ACC teams, and believing that — at some point — they’ll get over the hump and begin turning those losses into wins. “It’s right there for you. If we were getting blown out every game, then that would be a problem getting focused. But it’s like, ‘Man, if I change one or two things, we’re probably winning.’ So there is hope. You can see hope, you can see progress,” Shrewsberry said. “I keep telling them, ‘It’s there for you. Whenever you want to do it, you can get a win. All these opportunities are there for you.’ Now it’s just, sometimes you’ve got to reach out and take it.” Until that moment comes, the Irish will continue to be left feeling like it’s Groundhog Day. Regardless, they’ll keep working hard and trusting their process until that moment when everything clicks and they can break out of this cycle of lastsecond losses. “We got to keep learning, we got to keep teaching,” Shrewsberry said. “We can’t get discouraged as a staff, as players, as anybody that’s involved with our group. We can’t get tired of teaching until we get it.” With a pair of home games now behind them, the Irish will kick off a three-game road stretch on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. against Virginia, a team that Notre Dame defeated earlier in the year. Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu
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INDIA DOERR | The Observer
Irish graduate student guard Anna DeWolfe dribbles the ball down the court during Notre Dame’s 96-42 win against Lafayette on Wednesday, Dec. 6. DeWolfe posted 10 points and had three steals on the night, finding chemistry with star freshman and fellow guard Hannah Hidalgo.
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back half of the fourth quarter, with Notre Dame going on a 22-7 run to put the game out of reach. UConn was held without a point for the final two minutes of the contest. The victory did come with a bittersweet ending for Irish faithful, though. After the
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places in the men’s 100 butterf ly, with Guiliano picking up the win. He brought home another title in the 100 free, finishing in 41.77. Christianson was victorious in the men’s 100 breast with
game, a team spokesperson confirmed that junior point guard Olivia Miles will not be playing this season. Miles has been out of action since suffering a torn ACL against Louisville in Notre Dame’s 2022 regular season finale. Miles will preserve a year of eligibility as a result, but the much awaited-pairing off Miles and Hidalgo in the Irish backcourt will be on hold until next fall. With the future prospects of
Miles and Emma Risch confirmed, the only injury question mark remaining on Notre Dame’s roster is Risch’s fellow freshman Cassandre Prosper. Prosper has been sidelined since early in the season with a lower body injury, and her return would add some much needed length to an Irish frontcourt that has often been a weak point in the team’s biggest games. The win over the Huskies sets Notre Dame up nicely as they
continue to navigate the most difficult portion of their schedule. The trip to Connecticut was the first in a stretch of four road games in five contests. The team will now head down to Atlanta for a showdown against Georgia Tech on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 7pm and the game will be televised on the ACC Network.
a time of 53.28. He also prevailed in the 200 yard breaststroke with a 1:56.21 mark. Freshmen Lucas Logue and Madelyn Christman represented the underclassmen well, winning the men’s 100 back and 200 back with times of 0:46.82 and 1:53.27, respectively. Christman was the lone
Irish swimmer on the woman’s side to win an event. However, sophomore Grace Courtney was at the top of the charts in the women’s 1-meter dive, as was junior Calie Brady in the 3-meter. Sophomore Daniel Knapp won both of those events on the men’s side, with sophomore Benedict Nguyen
placing second and third, respectively. The Irish have one more competition left in their regular season, as they travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the Ohio State Invitational from Feb. 16-18. Two days later, they’ll begin the ACC Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu
home team pulled out a tight 94-91 win. The Saints jumped out to a 12-2 lead and led by a solid margin for essentially the entire half, going into the break with an 11-point lead. Things got tighter late in the half. Up 12 with just over four minutes to play, a lightning quick 13-2 Fighting Bees run tied the game with 1:23 to play. After St. Ambrose’s Atem Agot missed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32 seconds left, the Saints had a chance for some late game heroics. Sophomore guard Phil Robles II delivered them, draining the game-winning 3 just 3 seconds left, and St. Ambrose was never able to even get a desperation heave away to try to answer. Unsurprisingly, it took a village of contributions to win such a wild game. Robles and sophomore guard Drew Adzia sunk 7 of Holy Cross’ 10 3-point makes, missing just twice between them. Freshman forward Desmond Davie delivered one of the best all-around games of his collegiate career, recording a 30-point, 12-rebound double-double. Junior guard Justin O’Neal accounted for 21 points himself and only Davie had more than his 5 rebounds. Somehow, the Saints barely won a game in which they shot 61.2% from the field and 76.9% from deep. The Fighting Bees took 16 more field goal attempts and outscored Holy Cross by 16 points in the paint. But the rebound and turnover battles were both close, which prevented St. Ambrose from being able to overcome their shooting struggles. The Saints are 3-9 in conference play, 1.5 games back of Governors State for the final playoff spot. Both teams conclude their January schedules on Wednesday at home against Indiana Northwest. The men tip-off at 5:30 p.m. and the women at 7:30 p.m. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amguinn@nd.edu
ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer
An Irish female swimmer pushes off the wall in a backstroke start at the Tim Welsh Classic. The annual event is in honor of the late Tim Welsh, former Notre Dame men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach who was with the Irish for 29 seasons. Seniors from both the men’s and women’s sides were also honored at the meet on Saturday, Jan. 26.
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ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Hannah Hidalgo leads Irish women to vital away win over No. 8 UConn Huskies By J.J. POST Associate Sports Editor
INDIA DOERR | The Observer
Irish standout freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo led the Irish to victory against No. 8 UConn. The ACC’s leading scorer put up 34 points to secure Notre Dame’s 82-67 away victory against the Huskies on Jan. 28.
Notre Dame women’s basketball notched a vital victory on Saturday night, upsetting No. 8 UConn 8267 in Storrs, Connecticut. The win was a major milestone for the Irish for a number of reasons. In the short term, Notre Dame showed resilience in coming back from a rough loss on Thursday to No. 22 Syracuse, putting together one of their best outings of the season in a difficult road environment. From a longer perspective, the win marked a historic triumph in a long-standing rivalry for Irish women’s basketball. Notre Dame hadn’t beat UConn, their former Big East rival and perennial force in the women’s basketball world, on the road in ten years. The Irish have now won back-to-back games against the Huskies for the first time since the 2013 season. Freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo led the way in the
primetime contest, posting a mammoth 34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists — all team highs. The freshman banked in a buzzerbeating three pointer to put Notre Dame up nine heading into the halftime break. The Irish also got a major outing from junior Maddy Westbeld. The forward poured in 23 points, including several major three pointers in the fourth quarter. Westbeld also added five rebounds as one of three Irish players (Hidalgo and junior guard Sonia Citron were the others) to play all forty minutes on Saturday. Notre Dame won the game in large part thanks to a pair of well-timed runs, one at the end of the first half and the other in the fourth quarter. The first of such stretch saw the Irish pour in 26 points over a seven minute span to UConn’s five, erasing a Husky lead that at one point was as high as 12. A similar stretch came in the see WBB PAGE 11
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish men drop tight game against Boston College for fourth straight loss By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor
On Saturday afternoon, Notre Dame men’s basketball played host to rival Boston College at Purcell Pavilion in their 20th game of the season. In a lot of ways, though, it felt like a repeat of many of the Irish’s previous games this year. “I think Groundhog Day is in February,” Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry said after the game. “But for us, Groundhog Day has been every single time we’ve had a game.” Just as they have several times this year, Notre Dame dropped a hard-fought nailbiter, falling to 7-13 and 2-7 in ACC play after the 61-58 defeat. It certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort or will to win. The Irish battled for 40 minutes, at times showing glimpses of being a team that could be among the best in the conference. “Nobody leaves anything [in] their tank, every time we step on the court to practice, to play, anything like that. That’s what
keeps us going, is hard work,” junior guard JR Konieczny said. “I feel like everybody plays their heart out every single game, so I have nothing to say about our effort, honestly. I think everybody went out there [today] and competed as hard as they could.” But as has been the story for much of the season, and especially in the midst of their current four-game losing streak, those positive stretches — the ones that Shrewsberry envisions seeing last for entire games — were cut short by the same old miscues. The team suffered through long periods of offensive stagnancy, costly turnovers at key moments and an inability to close out close games. “You just got to find a way to not make the same mistakes every game, got to find a way to do some things that lead to winning — do more things that lead to winning, [because] ROMINA LLANOS | The Observer
see MBB PAGE 10
Irish sophomore forward Tae Davis dodges defenders in a losing effort against Miami. Davis finished the game with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds for his second straight game in double figures.