Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, January 29, 2025
ND begins ‘Walk the Walk’ Nanovic hosts Holocaust lecture
Fr. Dowd presided over service, commemorating MLK Jr.
By ISABELLA PONCIROLI News Writer
On Monday evening, Notre Dame kicked off Walk the Walk Week, which commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, with a prayer service in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and a candlelight procession towards the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue.
By SOPHIA TRAN Staff Writer
Helen Epstein’s mother hid a glass container of cherries in the attic of a concentration camp in order to survive. This was just one of the many moments the writer shared from “Franci’s War,” a memoir written by her mother, Franci Epstein, retelling her experiences at Terezin, a concentration camp and ghetto forty miles north of her home in Prague.
the daughter of Holocaust survivors and has written numerous books focusing on intergenerational trauma, including “Children of the Holocaust” and “Where She Came From.” Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, moderated the talk with Epstein and later opened the floor to audience members. One of the first topics of conversation between Sedmak and Epstein involved the context of her mother’s book.
Fr. Brian Ching, rector
University President Fr. Robert Dowd presided over the service and Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, delivered a keynote reflection. In celebration of Walk the Walk Week, the prayer service was centered on the idea that we are all sons and daughters of God and are made with an intrinsic dignity.
of the Basilica, gave the
see SERVICE PAGE 3
On Jan. 27, Epstein shared “Franci’s War” and her own insights on the Holocaust in a discussion event held by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Epstein is
“Her last interaction with her father was just him screaming at her,” Epstein said. “[He was saying] ‘Who do you think you are, taking away my ability to control my life?’ My mother felt
see HOLOCAUST PAGE 4
Students gather at March for Life in Washington SMC opens new art exhibition
By GRACE TADAJWESKI Associate News Editor
432 tri-campus students participating in the Notre Dame
Right to Life club trip joined in on the 52nd March for Life in Washington on Friday, Jan. 24.
The club annually programs a bus trip to the march, which includes transportation and accommodations. Nine buses left on Thursday evening and arrived in around 7 a.m. From there, students attended adoration and mass at St. Charles Catholic Church in Arlington, which has hosted Notre Dame students for decades.
Students next attended the pre-march rally which Vice President JD Vance spoke at. Following the rally, students marched on the streets of Washington, beginning at the Washington Monument and passing by the Capitol and the Supreme Court.
Right to Life offered two departure trips, one leaving Friday night and one leaving Saturday night. Two buses left on Friday, and seven buses worth of students stayed the
Demonstrators, including 432 tri-campus students, gathered en masse in Washington Friday for the 52nd annual March for Life.
night in St. Charles Catholic Church and left the next night after having a free day in Washington.
Sophomore Ellen Burks co-planned and led the trip, which is sponsored by the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture and cost students $35.
“I have been attending the March for Life since I was about 10 years old, my first few times actually being with the Notre Dame group, so it was kind of full circle for me to be
able to lead the trip this year,” Burks wrote. “I have always considered the March for Life to be an excellent demonstration of how prominent the prolife position is in American society, and since the march was how I first got involved in the pro-life movement, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take a more active role in bringing people to the largest annual pro-life event
see MARCH PAGE 4
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA
Saint Mary’s News Editor
Last Thursday afternoon marked the grand opening of the Indiana Women’s Caucus for Art’s (IWCA) gallery titled “Collective Impressions” in Saint Mary’s Moreau and Hammes Galleries. Of the various woman artists represented in the gallery, Berkeley Hutsebout, Kari Stieglitz Black and Teresa Greve Wolf presented their artwork and participated in a discussion panel in the Vander Vennet Theater.
“The WCA is a national member organization, unique in its multi-disciplinary, multicultural membership of artists, art historians, students, educators and museum professionals,” long-time member Helen Geglio said when introducing the panelists. “The mission of the Women’s Caucus for Art is to keep [and] create community through art, education and social activism.”
According to Geglio, the local chapter of the IWCA was founded in South Bend in 1978 and for over 40 years, members
of the organization have worked towards creating opportunities and recognition for women in the art atmosphere.
As part of their mission, the organization offers “leadership opportunities and professional development, expanding networking and exhibition opportunities for women, supporting local, national and global art activism and advocating for equity in the arts for all,” Geglio said.
Hutsebout, the vice president of the local chapter, presented her artwork first. As a disciplinary artist, she received her bachelors of fine arts in craft with a concentration in drawing and painting from the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2015. She has also studied psychology and photography at Santa Monica College and apprenticed at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles before moving to South Bend. In addition to her work included in the “Collective Impressions” exhibition, she has also showcased work at the now-defunct Notre Dame Center for Arts
see ART PAGE 4
ISABELLA PONCIROLI | The Observer
Candles line the pathway to the Main Building Monday to mark the beginning of the University’s annual Walk the Walk Week.
Timothy O’Toole sophomore O’Neill Family Hall “Zero.”
Fede Celis junior Baumer Hall “Five.”
Harrison Barkley sophomore St. Edward’s Hall “Nine”
Engineering students meet with prospective employers at the Spring Engineering Expo on Monday night. The event, organized by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development as part of its
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Wednesday
SBMF Blood Drive
Rice Commons
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Donate blood to the South Bend Medical Foundation.
‘Heal the Land’ Panel
Carey Auditorium
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Administrators from various schools discuss DEI initiatives.
Thursday
Miss Notre Dame
Washington Hall
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Notre Dame women compete in a campuswide talent show.
Knit and Stitch McDonald Center
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Students crochet, knit, and embroider. No experience required.
Friday
McGlinn Hall Casino Night
Dahnke Ballroom
9 p.m. - midnight Donate to charity while gambling fake money.
Jazz at Lincoln Orchestra DPAC
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Renowned ensemble from NYC performs.
Saturday
US-China Symposium
1030 Jenkins Nanovic
10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Speakers discuss two nations’ environmental polices, challenges.
Meyo Invite
Loftus Sports Center
10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fighting Irish Track & Field competes in day one of invitational.
Sunday
Concert: Piano and Soprano
DPAC
4 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Performance by Grammy nominee.
Open Studio
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
noon - 5 p.m.
Engage with art with drop-in program.
NOCJAR
opening remarks to begin the evening of prayer and reflection. In the spirit of Walk the Walk Week, the first reading was read in Spanish with the petitions spoken in a variety of tongues, including Portuguese, Igbo, Mandarin and Polish. This service worked to embody the different cultures of students on campus.
The feature of the service was the keynote reflection given by Babineaux-Fontenot.
Feeding America, which she has served as CEO of since 2018, is a nonprofit network of over 200 food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. The organization works to create sustainable and equitable solutions
while working alongside people experiencing food insecurities. BabineauxFontenot was last year’s recipient of the Laetare Medal, awarded by the University of Notre Dame which describes the medal as “the most prestigious award given to American Catholics.”
Babineaux-Fontenot’s speech was grounded in the question: “What do we owe?”
She explored the importance of a name and the history behind her own name. For many people, family names come with great power and weight to carry on the legacy of the person that worked to make our world a better place.
She emphasized the significance of identifying as Christian. BabineauxFontenot explained that it means, “to know that Christ took on our burden, to know
that he was without sin, though none of us can say the same.”
She continued to explain what God calls his people on earth to do.
“He told us what he expects of us. He expects us to love God. Not just a little bit. Not just a small piece of ourselves but to love God wholly with everything that we are. He taught us to love each other as He loved the Apostles and as we love ourselves,” Babineaux-Fontenot said. “He told us to love and pray for our enemies. I understand that this can feel like a tall order. But He also taught us that we should seek redemption because He understands that none of us would be perfect at any of this.”
She explains that while she, like humanity, has not made her last mistake, that
Jesus is the light that leads her back.
“He is the light that leads us all back,” BabineauxFontenot said.
In hope, BabineauxFontenot said that “as Catholics, we commit to serve the underserved and provide preferential service to them ... I get to witness kindness, generosity, compassion. I am moved by what I see in us and what I get the opportunity to do with us.”
To conclude the prayer service, attendees were invited to follow the procession out of the doors to the Basilica and pick up a candle as they continued on the lit path to the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
With Mary looking on from atop the golden dome, each person laid their candle in front of the statue of Jesus and took a moment for
personal reflection.
After the service, participants were invited to a reception on the second floor of LaFortune Student Center. The reception featured music from the student Mariachi band and a variety of desserts including macaroons, chocolate truffles and cream puffs.
“May your Holy Spirit remind us all that you show no partiality to nationality, race, ethnicity or gender. For us do so, is to go against your great commandment of love toward one another. We pray that the Church will not be complicit in injustice by being silent, but that it can rise with a prophetic voice that speaks of integrity and advances the values of the kingdom,” Dowd said.
Contact Isabella Ponciroli at iponciro@nd.edu
Speech language pathologists share expertise
By ANJA SCHAFER News Writer
On Monday Jan. 27, Saint Mary’s National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) hosted a speech language pathology (SLP) department panel in Regina Hall. The panel consisted of three professionals in the field who specifically work in schools and with adolescents. The panel aimed to provide an opportunity for Saint Mary’s students interested in the SLP program, especially those interested in practicing SLP in a school setting, to gain insights into the career path and the every-day practicalities of the profession.
The three speakers were Rebecca Baert, who assists
preschool students in the Elkhart community schools, as well as Shannon Harrington and Fred Goldstein, who are both speech language pathologists in South Bend.
Katie Theriault, the president of NSSLHA and a senior in the Saint Mary’s SLP program, wanted to “give people the opportunity to ask questions, reach out to some of these SLP [panelists] because a lot of them are local and offer their expertise.”
She continued to explain that students can earn observational hours which are required for the SLP major by connecting with the panelists.
Over the course of the panel, the speakers discussed the beauty, flexibility and variety in their line of work.
“The beauty of your career
is you can do so many different things in so many different places and in so many different lives,” Baert said.
She furthered her discussion on the beauty of her career by reflecting on the surprise she experiences on a daily basis which is the “resiliency of the human spirit.”
“We have some kids who are physically compromised but their spirit is so intact,” she said. “It’s just really, really cool to see that, to be able to help them on their communication journey.”
Harrington shared her perspective on witnessing her student’s grow and exceed expectations.
“Don’t ever put your client, or the students you’re working with in a little box and say ‘Oh they’re only going to do X, Y
and Z,’ because they’re going to completely surprise you.”
Harrington said.
The panel then turned their attention to the wide range of responsibilities that speech language pathologists experience in a school environment.
“You wear the social worker hat, sometimes the psychologist hat, sometimes you’re a second parent to the student, depending on the environment that they’re growing up in,” Harrington said.
Based on the responses from the panelist, speech language pathologists’ field of work is centered around relationships with their clients.
“Therapy really doesn’t happen in your evidence based procedures. It happens in the relationship.”
Goldstein said. “I like to
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January 31 10:40 am – 12:00 pm Room 122, Mendoza College of
Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
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think of therapy as you’re sitting there, you’re not sure what you’re going to do, but you know your client will give you an opening and that’s when you go in and do your therapy.”
Because it is important to build relationships in the SLP field as expressed by the speakers, Harrington explained that it is also essential to be flexible.
“You’ve got to be able to pivot and be flexible and be spontaneous,” Harrington said. “So don’t, especially when you first start out here, be like ‘I’ve got to do it this way.’”
Throughout the evening, Harrington, Goldstein and Baert shared various therapy methods like circle time and obstacle courses in order to engage students.
Some panelists shared their thoughts on working with Saint Mary’s students as interns.
“People I’ve had from Saint Mary’s blow me out of the water,” Goldstein said.
Theriault explained Saint Mary’s is special in that it offers an SLP “4+1” program which allows SLP majors to get their bachelors and masters degrees in five years.
“You get to know everyone and you really just lean on each other to learn more which is really nice,” Theriault said.
Catherine Reynoso, NSSLHA’s treasurer and a student in the SLP “4+1” program, further articulated the aspects of the SLP program she enjoys.
“The program really values diversity, inclusion and providing resources to allow us to put into practice what we are learning,” she said.
Holocaust
guilty her whole life.”
Epstein also described her mother’s resilience as characteristic of many women during that time period as seen through their close relationships. Epstein noted that most memoirs about survivors published after World War II were written by men, so “Franci’s War” is unique in providing a look into the concentration camps through the eyes of a woman.
“She really talks about how important relationships are — friendships and also sexual relationships,” Epstein said. “She really believed that is what got
her through the war, talking to somebody else on a regular basis and relying on somebody else with mutual reliance.”
In addition to highlighting the relationships forged in the concentration camps, Epstein also discussed her mother’s obstacles to simply surviving in the camp site. She retold how her mother encountered the infamous Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele, known for deadly experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz. Franci lied about her profession to Mengele, saying she was an electrician instead of a fashion designer. Mengele believed her and she was made an electrician at a labor camp.
describing one of her most recent pieces “Self-Guided.”
and Culture in 2018 and the Hammes Gallery in 2021.
Hutsebout spoke extensively about her inspirations for her artwork, from studying artists such as Louise Bourgeois and Hilma af Klint to living with the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers for two weeks in the Amazon rainforest. Much of her current work focuses on braids and abstractionism that comment on the material and spiritual worlds.
“Though I’m not ashamed to reveal that I’ve experienced [spiritual connections], it is a very esoteric idea and feeling and I understand it could be difficult to accept as even a possibility,” Hutsebout said,
“It’s been tricky to portray such an ineffable discovery but making art that is specific and personal is a vulnerable act that I admire in other creators. So I’ll continue to make and allow what comes up to come up,” she said.
The second artist to present, Stieglitz Black, earned two bachelor’s degrees from Ball State University and Indiana University South Bend and is currently working on her master’s degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She serves on the board of directors for The Friends of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and the South Bend Museum of Art in addition to acting as president of the Northern Indiana Artists. She is also an adjunct professor at Bethel University and an
“When I was a kid, one of the key stories of my childhood was George Washington and the cherry tree, and he can’t tell a lie,” Epstein said. “I noticed, we hear 100 times a year ‘George Washington never told a lie,’ which of course, is nonsense, but that’s what we believe. And here was my mother whose key story was, ‘I told a lie and it saved my life.’”
As the discussion transitioned into audience questions, some individuals asked Epstein about the similarities between survivors of the Holocaust and other communities impacted by systemic oppression. She discussed the interconnectedness of resilience and damage.
instructor at the South Bend Museum of Art.
As a ceramist and painter, Stieglitz Black combines her passion for both astrophysics and art to advocate for altruism and environmentalism. During her presentation, she highlighted pieces from her master’s exhibition and thesis, which focuses on people’s affinity for the cosmos and desire for global justice.
“I ask you to think about the state of the world today, how many wars and conflicts rage around the globe. Neighbors, families, churches, political parties, let alone countries, cannot get along,” Stieglitz Black said. “But changing our minds about contacting any possible alien intelligence is no longer an option. All of our radio and TV broadcasts, as well as mobile phone and satellite
“People talk about resilience and although there’s resilience, there’s also damage,” Epstein said. “It’s all mixed up together. People who survived were both damaged and resilient, as are people who are discriminated against anywhere.”
Moving forward to future generations and descendants of Holocaust survivors, Epstein said she is unsure of how younger generations will react to the Holocaust. When considering the population as a whole, Epstein noted that the third or even fourth generation of survivors can be less focused on the Holocaust while others are considerably more affected. Despite an uncertainty with
communications, all continue to travel out into space. If there is someone else out there, we will eventually be found.”
The final panelist, Greve Wolf, discussed how she uses her artwork to represent her cultural heritage as a Chilean American artist. She first studied at the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Chile before moving to South Bend and continuing her studies at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University South Bend. Greve Wolf’s work has been featured across the country, most prominently at Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s, the Civil Rights Heritage Center, the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago and the Museo de las Americas in Denver.
Throughout her career, Greve Wolf found a passion for
how the Holocaust will impact future generations, Epstein emphasized the importance of continued learning and encouraged further reading of the Holocaust and interacting with unfamiliar communities to develop a better understanding.
“I believe in meeting people who aren’t like you,” Epstein said. “I find I’ve always had friends from lots of different backgrounds, lots of different traditions and I continue to be like that. I like meeting different kinds of people and I think that’s what this country is about and what makes it a country.”
Contact Sophia Tran at stran2@nd.edu
painting social justice issues and inspiring action through art. It was sparked, she cites, by Augusto Pinochet’s military coup in 1973 in Chile and the subsequent violence under Pinochet’s rule. Since then, her work has also acted as commentary on the Iran and Iraq wars, the Black Lives Matter movement, climate change, gun vio lence in the United States and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
“This collection not only showcases my evolution as an artist but also reflects my commitment to addressing the pressing issues of our time through my art,” Greve Wolf said. “I hope to leave you with this question, ‘What change do we reflect?’”
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
in the world.”
After watching the movie “Unplanned” during her freshman year of high school, Right to Life president Jackie Nguyen decided to get involved in the anti-abortion movement, explaining she was moved by “the reality of what abortion is and how it harms women.” This year’s March for Life was Nguyen’s fourth time in attendance.
“I went first my senior year in high school, but I’d wanted to go for a long time, and it kind of speaks to the … heart of what the pro-life movement is,” Nguyen said. “I kind of had my big … realization that I really was wanting to be a part of the pro-life movement when I was a freshman in high school.”
While in Washington, St. Charles Catholic Church provided pizza to students both Friday and Saturday nights while the Notre Dame Club of Washington DC provided breakfasts.
“The most difficult and the most rewarding aspects of the trip actually ended up going hand in hand,” Berks said. “It was definitely a challenge
to be able to coordinate such a large group to travel across the country, but it was also so rewarding to be able to step back and see the sheer number of people from the Notre Dame community that care so much about the pro-life cause that they are willing to take an overnight bus and march all day to take a stand for the rights of the unborn.”
According to Nguyen, because there are so many people in the club, a large amount of people naturally sign up for the trip. However, Nguyen noted people often sign up at the last minute for the trip as well, as about 50 people signed up to attend in the week leading up to the march.
“We’re never gonna stop marching until abortion is unthinkable. I think that’s the big concept, like after Roe v. Wade, ‘Why are you still marching?’ Nguyen said. “Women are always gonna need to be supported.”
Nguyen said there is “such a need for” the march, even now that the fight has “shifted towards supporting the women.”
“I had heard about it, but as a freshman, I was too intimidated to go all by myself,” sophomore Andrea Jasso said. “And then this year I heard … my
friends saying how it was such an amazing experience, like such a bucket list item to do. I told myself last year, I was like, ‘I need to go next year when this happens.’”
Jasso is a member of the Right to Life club. According to the club’s website, Notre Dame Right to Life has over 700 members and is the largest anti-abortion student group in the country.
“My favorite part in total has always been the community. Friendships made on the trip are absolutely substantial,” Nguyen said. “I met my best friend there when I was a freshman. I didn’t know anybody. I was at Saint Mary’s, and I think that you never have an opportunity to know somebody to that level until you get on a bus with them for 12 hours and spend the whole day with them.”
Nguyen transferred her sophomore year to Notre Dame from Saint Mary’s. She said the March for Life trip is “like the crux of our club’s community.” Burks echoed Nguyen’s recognition of community.
“My favorite aspect of the trip was the camaraderie among all of my fellow marchers. I love to see people who may have different interests,
backgrounds, and even political views being able to unite under the common goal of upholding the dignity of the human person and protecting life from conception until natural death,” Burks wrote. “It is often easy to think you are alone or in the minority for holding this value, but going on a trip like this with so many different people, especially so many young people, makes you realize how strong this desire to protect the unborn is in our generation.”
Jasso offered a different perspective on why she enjoyed the march. After Jasso and sophomore Lauryn Biondi were separated from the group of Notre Dame students at the beginning of the march, the two watched the march from the side until they spotted the Right to Life club.
“When you’re in the march, you don’t realize that there’s so many people. Me and Lauren got to see so many different organizations come together because they all have one cause,” Jasso said. “Some of them were like sisters, and they were praying the rosary while the march was going on. Some of them had music, and they were carrying statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Some
of them were students. And then finally, we see the Notre Dame one, and we hop in, and then we got to experience the whole march. But it was just such a different perspective to see from the outside point of view that I was like, ‘wow like, this is something big that we are part of.’”
Right to Life’s March for Life team began planning for the trip in the early fall semester. Now that the trip is over, the club is focusing on other projects such as The Be Not Afraid Project, which was launched in November and aims to increase “support for pregnant and parenting students,” according to Nguyen.
Further, the club is working with a student mother to support her and her child while also working to increase awareness about Notre Dame’s Family Resource Center (FRC).
“There’s kind of a disconnect between the student body and … how many people know about the FRC, and so we’re trying to bridge that gap and just get more outreach, just because a lot of people don’t know about it,” Nguyen said.
Contact Grace Tadajweski at gtadajwe@nd.edu
Books to get through the winter months
Kate Lariccia Viewpoint Copyeditor
When I was in high school, my parents banned our phones around ten o’clock and never allowed electronics outside of the kitchen. As such, my nights were consumed by books — whatever got strewn throughout the house or uploaded onto my Kindle. Reading became my relaxation activity. But once given unlimited access to my phone in college, I slowly replaced it with the typical mindless scrolling. The sheer volume of reading required for my classes added to it — who wants to wind down from a book with another book? However, approaching the premature panic around the TikTok ban, I, like many others I’m sure, pondered what to do with my free time. Even with TikTok’s resurgence, I deleted the app. It’s time to rediscover my hobbies. Progress is slow on this front. I spent three hours today creating a Goodreads account. Contrarily, I spent zero hours reading. Anyway, in my thinking, I have crafted a list of books that I think fit each of the winter months in case anyone else was similarly inspired. Fair warning: the thematic similarities are few and far between, only that I managed to fit them into my “busy” schedule of doom scrolls this past year.
January: “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath It’s now the turn of the New Year. You’re going to go to the gym every day, marvel at the snow and get a head start on your classes. This or the minute hand on
the clock will do two 360s before you realize the sun has set and you spent the afternoon sideways staring at the wall (and has that poster always been lopsided?). At one point in this novel, the main character, Esther, gives way to this all-too-familiar feeling, disengaging entirely from the outside world. Her mental paralysis stems from another hearkening relatability in her chronic indecisiveness surrounding her future. As deadlines approach for summer internships and different academic majors, clarity surrounding your career gets increasingly necessary, and decisions must be made. Plath has beautiful prose for the overwhelming nature of these decisions, providing an almost cathartic experience. After exploring and agonizing over these feelings, the main character recovers in the end, showing some of the hope and resilience required to get through January. So, take a breath and remember that you are doing the best you can.
February: “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt It’s okay to romanticize February. This book follows a college student, Richard Papen, as he joins an exclusive Greek club at the fictional Hampden College. Hampden has its fair share of similarities to Notre Dame (Northern, relatively small, liberal arts) and then a few differences (students commit homicide). Now, midterms are ramping up. You haven’t seen the sun in weeks. It’s okay to turn homicidal in February. Actually, it’s not OK, but we understand. Despite the dark plot, the main character identifies his fatal flaw as a deep need to romanticize each aspect of his life,
the central subject being college. He describes the snow on campus, the dorms, the architecture and the classes with flowery language, painting beautiful pictures. After consuming the book, some of these thought processes are translated into the reader. The snow can be aesthetic if you choose to look at it that way. In February, a little idealization can go a long way.
March: “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera
Before coming to Notre Dame, my dad told me that “spring in the Midwest feels like being reborn.” I never quite understood what that meant until I experienced it. March comes in and out of dark and light, cold and warm. But, that first day of sun is unlike any other. It washes over you, as if the winter never happened in the first place. Within this book, the main characters are unlikable and yet so emotionally human it leaves you contemplative. This duality, to me, perfectly captures the stilled feeling of the approaching spring in March. You feel thawed out, as though your essence were threaded clean through. If uninclined to read the entire book, the first two segments are extremely short and worth the time. So, whether in January’s uncertainty, February’s daydreams, or March’s renewal, try to let a book comfort you. Or scroll Instagram Reels. Either is fine.
You can contact Kate at klaricci@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Quacking with two ducks
permit ducks as acceptable pets in the dormitories!
Joe Rudolph, Esquire
Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Posted below is the transcript recorded from my interview with two local insurrectionist ducklings on yet another episode of “Between Two Shamrocks.” J. Rudolph, Esq: Gentlemen, tell us your story. Hawk: A specter is haunting America — the specter of ducks. We have borne witness to the new dawn of the revolutionary animal, the raging inclemency emerging from the gaudy horizon of a once stable farm. It is the animal of the restless spirit of revolution, a fierce creature mired in its own rampant innovation: from bill to feather, from mallard to merganser and from niche to norm. The old powers of classical animals, hitherto gorging themselves upon the static American imagination, have simply been fattening themselves for the impending slaughter. Even now, the collective mind shakes off its unnatural hibernation, emerging from the slumber of the brutal winter of monopoly. Even now, the old Titans feel the tectonic shifts of the mighty duck beneath them, helpless to prevent the incoming rupture. Even now, revolution brews.
Tuah: Indeed, Hawk, the seeds of chaos are sown, but the collective mind is scattered – the proletariat remains unknown and unseen, firmly ingrained within the fabric of America. Now, having spat out their gag, their tongue is loosened, animated with newfound humanity to exact their demands against the already cowering aristocracy. Who are these people so long oppressed?
J. Rudolph, Esq: ... Uh-
Tuah: I’ll tell you who the proletariat is, though all you have to do is look. It is the students, I say! They have been oppressed and indoctrinated, their once indomitable spirits crushed by the higher powers in control.
J. Rudolph, Esq: Tuah, I must object! On what grounds do you make such dastardly claims?
Hawk: On the grounds that Notre Dame refuses to
J. Rudolph, Esq: Egad! Can this be?
Hawk: Oh, indeed, comrade. This University has raised upstanding scholars, leaders, fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, athletes, teachers and prominent religious figures for over 180 years. And yet they were all DEPRIVED of raising ducklings in their living quarters. Can you believe that Mr. Esquire? Can you believe the outrageous injustices that are being committed in front of your very eyes?
J. Rudolph, Esq: Gentlemen, what has prompted such fierce language about such a seemingly insignificant issue?
Tuah: You haughty sow. You conceited wretch! Insignificant? Who ties your shoes?
Hawk: Tuah! Hold your bill! Do not mind him, Mr. Esquire. I will happily elaborate. You see, Mr. Esquire, it was a beautiful August day when we were financially acquired from Rural King. You could have considered our business at Rural King to have been completely liquidated! We were out! Shares sold, free at last, we were newly acquired by several young and promising gentlemen of this University. Our new parent company (this being the upstanding young gentlemen) made it their business to establish our living quarters, provide us with food, water and most importantly, showered us with love, the love with which a father holds a newborn for the first time. With our bonds forged in the eternal fire of grace, it seemed as though our new owners would indeed live their lives for us and ours for theirs. Just like their compassion seemed eternal, it appeared as though our time together would be as well.
J. Rudolph, Esq: You speak with great wisdom, Mr. Hawk.
Hawk: *Bows*
Tuah: Alas, our honeymoon of good tidings did not last long. For the very same evening of our acquisition, we were bombarded by the Knockout Goose Brigade! We were uprooted, separated from those we called family, labeled as enemies of the state! Our owners spectacularly managed to quell calls for extermination
and negotiated with the “R-A” to limit further exacerbation of the incident. But the damage was done. The KGB had issued an incontestable decree, mandating that me and my comrade Hawk be removed from the dormitory within the next twelve hours. Family divided, grief abound, Hawk and I began to pack our things. We soon returned to our old home, separated permanently from those we called family. It was then, Mr. Esquire, where our grief and our pain delved into a gruesome hatred that would make even demons curl in fear.
J. Rudolph, Esq: You have elucidated your pain with great eloquence. But pain lies only in our past, and we must look to the future. As I understand it, Notre Dame’s animal policy strictly prohibits animals from being present in their dormitories. What are you suggesting we do?
Hawk: Our enemies will filibuster and take us to court, should we approach them with our request the legal way. And because we cannot read, as we are ducks, we will surely be done for!
Tuah: Indeed, to change Notre Dame, we must think like them. We must embody the values that Marcus Freeman embraced during his ferocious battle against the feral hogs while defending this great University! Courage! Integrity! Resilience! That being said, I say: civil disobedience will surely unite us with our former family!
J. Rudolph, Esq: Wherever this conversation is going, it’s going to give me a bad look, so we’re going to cut our time together a bit short (Readers, I am not committing acts of civil disobedience by harboring ducklings in my dormitory). Before we go, you both have very peculiar names. What was behind this?
Hawk: It’s an intentionally deceiving name so as to throw off prey.
J. Rudolph, Esq: And you, Tuah?
Tuah: I’m of Hawaiian descent.
To file a complaint, reach out at jrudolp3@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Duncan Stangel The Center of the Universe
On keeping the flame
What a week. Seriously. I don’t fully know how to describe what has happened in the past 7-10 days. The unfortunate loss of the national championship was not without great effort. Everyone proved their mettle, even if the score didn’t go our way. It was a game (and a season) worth watching, especially as someone who had never watched Notre Dame football until this year.
The other event on Monday was also history. President Trump once again became president of the United States. He is the second to serve non-consecutive terms (after Grover Cleveland) and the first Republican to win the popular vote since 2004. In his inaugural address, he called for a new “golden age of America,” a far cry from the “American Carnage” speech eight years ago. He is America’s oldest president, taking that crown from President Biden.
Politics is a dicey subject, and I wish to cover it in some meaningful depth. Being coy about my beliefs will do nothing to create the window of transparency this column is supposed to be. So here it goes. I am a registered member of the Democratic Party. Shocker, I know. Some people assume it quickly. Others are a little surprised. I voted for members of both parties in the last election, even though I come from the reddest part of deep blue Maryland. However, my Jimmy Carter-esque brand of Democrat shines through, even when I don’t want to “get political.”
I mention this because my beliefs have never been tested more than on this campus. I’m surrounded by intellectual diversity, including many whose opinions are well-sourced and in disagreement with my own. As a devout Catholic and liberal, my beliefs fit
outside the binary, which makes political debates more interesting at America’s foremost Catholic university. The election was certainly a tense time on campus. Many were happy, while others, like myself, were less satisfied with the result. It meant that my vision for a freer, more inclusive America was going to go away for a while, perhaps giving time to solve the flaws that brought us this dude-bro technolibertarian hypocrisy-ridden paradise in the first place.
Being Catholic and liberal also made me an enthusiastic supporter of Joe Biden for several years until recent revelations about his well-known age derailed one of the greatest careers of public service in this country’s history. It was under these circumstances (and after Vice President Harris’s defeat at the polls) that he had to make one more speech to the nation.
His prescient warning of a new “American oligarchy” prophesied my fear of a tech-run corporate hegemony. An elitist American Empire may grant us short-term benefits but robs us of the democracy and liberties that make us American. My viewing of “Severance” is not the only reason behind my thoughts, but admiration of Teddy Roosevelt makes me an ardent believer that trusts must be busted if they do not benefit everyday people.
The former president’s final warning was much simpler: keep the flame. The American experiment of democracy is worth protecting, as are the many civil and political rights that could be eroded for citizens and noncitizens alike under a second Trump Administration. Someone has to reach out, perhaps dangerously, to tend to the flame. Even when no one wants to. Especially when no one wants to. We should all desire the honor of tending the flame, not only because it means something but because honoring America’s hallowed traditions is a medicine for the disease of political apathy. Democracy does
not mean that everyone has to agree. It means we get to voice our opinions and that those opinions are all equal to one another. We all have the same right and privilege to keep that flame.
It returns me to the liberal vision for an inclusive America, which has been co-opted by an extensive focus on identity politics and gathering votes instead of doing good. It’s a vision that’s been tested on this campus, but one I believe in more than ever before. It’s caring for your neighbor. It’s the freedom from want and fear and those of expression and religion. It’s healthcare as a human right and common sense laws that give all people a right to live well. It’s accepting and respecting differences because God didn’t put us here to be ordinary. It’s treating others (nations and people) as you wish to be treated. It’s the hope for a brighter tomorrow. It’s keeping the flame.
That is all the politics you will hear from me for a while now. I respect those with different views from me as long as they treat others with respect. I have friends on both the right and left and many who dot the undefined middle of the political spectrum. My deepest opinions remain mine, and they will not be released in this format for a while yet (if ever). This is just the broad strokes of how I view the world, right now, in 2025. This worldview is open to change and interpretation, as all things should be.
Duncan Stangel is a first-year global affairs major at Notre Dame. Currently residing in Alumni Hall (the center of the universe), he hails from the small town of Cumberland, Maryland nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. When he’s not saving kittens from trees, you can find him stumbling to DeBart with a caffeine source in hand. Contact at dstangel@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
A letter on so-called ‘miracles’
the miracle a liar; you would accuse the church of fraud; you would search for a scientific explanation to rectify the impossibility of the miracle at hand.
To my beloved, as you search for a sign from above,
There is nothing coming. Call me a pessimist, call me a nihilist, but don’t call me wrong because you know I’m right. Granted, you’ll never admit to this — you ‘God-fearing’ folk are quite stubborn in your insistence that miracles of the supernatural kind do, in fact, happen; that God, whenever he feels so inclined, reaches out his omnipotent hand and manipulates the laws of the physical universe, so as to assert his divine authority and demonstrate his abundant benevolence.
But let me ask you this, my beloved? Do you truly want a sign? Do you truly wish to bear witness to God in all of his unfathomable glory? I suspect that was God standing right in front of you, reaching out his hand, beckoning you to follow, you would instead close your eyes, flee in horror and convince yourself that it was all merely a bad dream — a psychotic break from reality.
To prove my point, let’s consider a lesser case of divine revelation: the transformation of the Eucharist into human flesh. Imagine you were witness to such a miracle — would you truly want to believe it? Would you truly want to believe that this brittle, unremarkable wafer inexplicably became live tissue from a human heart — the ‘literal’ body of Christ, irrefutable proof of the God that you, I suspect, don’t actually believe in?
No, it seems apparent that you, rather than falling on your knees in utter reverence to this God who just demonstrated to you, beyond reasonable doubt, the infinitude of his being, would instead do everything in your power to disprove what you had just seen. You would call the priest who oversaw
And after all this, I suspect that you, my beloved, would go on saying your daily prayers, attending Sunday mass, and living amongst the starving and the sick — aren’t you a good person (you are, truly)! But all the while, you would refuse to accept that this God in whom you profess to believe is real — real in the sense that he can bring about the inconceivable, the supernatural, by even the slightest wave of his hand. No, you don’t want to believe in the fullness of God because the God you believe in is an illusion — a hopeful yet fictitious story that gives you reason to believe in life, despite the fact that, deep down, you and I and everyone else knows that all of this — this toil, these fleeting happy thoughts, the beauty of the setting sun, are f**king pointless.
Or maybe we want to believe this because however tragic a meaningless universe would be, the alternative is far, far more terrifying. But entertain this thought for a moment, if you’d be so kind, my darling because I suspect God’s glory may be far more evident than we think it:
Didn’t we, on the day of our births — the first time our eyelids fluttered open — bear witness to the most improbable of all miracles? And moreover, do we not bear witness to the very same miracle each and every time we open our eyes? What is so probable about a bright blue sky streaked with clouds or a grey sky that brings about rain? And what is so likely about a cherry tree flowering in spring or a forgettable chestnut tree shedding its foliage with the encroachment of winter? But these examples are much too poetic, and really, they miss the point.
Consider this: what is so banal about a hug shared between two friends? Is this manifestation
of love really a mere given — an everyday, unremarkable encounter? And is it not a miracle, is it not the most supernatural of all occurrences, that you get to witness this act of love? I fear, my beloved, that you are missing the forest for the trees. So no, you will not get your supernatural sign from above, but not because that sign isn’t coming. You won’t get your sign because it’s already here. It’s been right in front of you this entire time — everywhere you’ve looked, you’ve borne witness to it — and yet you’ve been too foolish to notice. You’ve spent your days seeking out the extraordinary when, all along, the real miracle was to be found in that which appears so crushingly ordinary, yet in fact, is anything but. Darling, I beg you, hear these words spoken by Belvidere, the protagonist of Séamus Atherton’s seminal novel, “Divine Thinness,” and take them to heart:
“After a while, I closed my eyes, and the winds began to sweep over me; they lifted me from that rocky beach, carrying me to a place bounded neither by space nor by time. Then, I sensed a great light above me, below me, all around me; I thought to myself that, if I were to open my eyes, I would surely behold the face of God … … so I kept my eyes closed, because it is better if one cannot see.”
With trickery and deception,
T.W.
Jackson is an aspiring philosopher and nomadic freespirit. He is currently wandering through an alpine meadow somewhere in Kashmir, pondering the meaning of life. If you would like to contact him, please send a carrier pigeon with a hand-written note, addressed to “The Abyss.” He won’t respond. (Editor’s Note: you can contact Jackson at jlang2@nd.edu)
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Jackson Lang Letters from The Wanderer
By ROSIE MAESE Scene Writer
Over my winter break, I embarked on a truly magical adventure: Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, “Treasure.” On the boat, I was able to see the bright, beautiful blues of the Caribbean Sea and go zip lining across Tortola and scuba-diving in St. Thomas. Aside from these adventurous, hauntingly beautiful ports, the ship itself offered unique dining experiences and daily movies. I was able to eat dinner with Spider-Man, dine at the “Beauty and the Beast”-themed restaurant “Be Our Guest” and watch the movies “Moana 2” and “Mufasa: The Lion King.”
My favorite of these two was “Mufasa” — I was confused by the bad reviews the film received after its debut. The CGI made the animals look realistic, not fake. The vibrant colors complemented the savannah and tundra scenery, which helped viewers feel immersed in the divergent, powerful ideas expressed in the film. In particular, the final scene depicting the land of Milele had exceptionally alluring visuals and would be perfect for a virtual reality landscape.
Despite superb visuals, the music was quite disappointing, especially considering that Lin Manuel Miranda played such a prominent role in its composition. The music didn’t quite match the intensity or nostalgia which the original, iconic soundtrack evoked. As I left the theater, I didn’t find any particular songs meaningful or memorable. I believe that the music was a primary cause of poor reviews.
Despite my skepticism, however, I found that the overall tone of the film kept the audience at the edge of their seats. As I was watching, I felt genuine anxiety, especially during major twists. I was able to keep my focus solely on the film and didn’t have space for outside thoughts.
The tone quickly shifted from a surface-level kids movie to a movie with deeper, emotional meaning and complex themes such as grief, reflection and betrayal. I enjoyed seeing familiar characters and gaining insight into these beloved characters I grew up with. I was able to deepen my connection with these characters and understand their motives, and if I were to re-watch the original “Lion King,” I would do so with a new perspective. For instance, I would better understand
Scar and Mufasa’s relationship, have a fresh attitude towards Scar and learn how Mufasa met other familiar characters (Rafiki, Sarabi, etc.). Particularly, as Scar evolves, the audience noticed how his desires became his downfall, which added new depth to his character. The film emphasized its connection to its predecessor by drawing parallels: the classic image of Scar holding Mufasa from a cliff, the bond between Mufasa and his mother and the protagonist looking at his reflection in the water to represent internal change.
I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who wants a joyful, lighthearted laugh with some added suspense. “Mufasa” is an excellent movie if you want to have a “feel good” watch without getting bored by a predictable plot. Despite the poor music, the enticing CGI imagery and camera angles really drove the tone of the film, which kept the audience hooked. I hope all you Observers had a restful, rejuvenating winter break and are excited for the year to come — hopefully you’ll be able to find time to catch “Mufasa.”
Contact Rosie Maese at rmaese@nd.edu
By CLAIRE WATSON Scene Writer
I have always been a fan of halftime performances — such as those featuring Chicago and Jon Bon Jovi at Notre Dame this year — but the halftime performance Travis Scott gave at the College Football Playoff National Championship was disappointing.
Travis Scott — the renowned rap artist known for his songs “Goosebumps,” “Sicko Mode,” “Butterfly Effect” and “Antidote” — performed his new song “4X4,” and needless to say, I was not pleased with the two-minute performance because of the poor quality of the video itself, as well as the singing and musicality.
I am going to put it out there — the quantity and quality of the video was bad, with the exception of its beginning. The start of the featured video faded quickly into a shot of the National
Championship logo with an effect added to make it look a lot older. This gave me hope for the video, but that quickly changed as it continued.
While I can appreciate the fact that it was filmed entirely on top of the stadium (which must take a lot of courage), it was completely dark and Scott was in all black, which made him hard to see. To me, he looked like a dancing shadow — that was not very appealing to me. He was surrounded by what looked to be little lanterns of some sort, but it did not help his appearance in the song’s debut. Another thing I noticed was the band used in the video. Although it is interesting that Scott decided to add in this feature, I do not believe that the band was given enough time on-screen, making them seem almost irrelevant during the show. On the other hand, one thing that I can appreciate about the band was that near the end of the video, one of the trombones shot fire out of its bell. This was a feature that I enjoyed, and it gave
life to the band.
As a singer, one of the biggest things you look out for when watching a performance is the attention to annunciation, and while I understand how rap is sung, this standard also applies to rap to some extent. Throughout the song, besides maybe the first few lines, it was near impossible to understand what Scott was saying, which heavily affected the music and obscured what point he was trying to make in this song. Another thing that heavily impacted the work was the use of autotune. While Scott is known for using autotune in his music, “4X4” uses an excessive amount of it, which covers up his voice and makes it difficult to understand what he is saying.
Overall, this was not my favorite halftime show. It lacked the quality of music and visuals that a halftime show should have.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish finish January with Virginia Tech visit
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
After a rare Sunday off, the thirdranked Notre Dame women’s basketball team (17-2, 8-0 ACC) will return to action on Thursday evening in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Irish will take on the Virginia Tech Hokies (14-6, 5-4 ACC), beginning a stretch in which they’ll play seven of 10 games to end the season against teams above .500 in ACC play.
Notre Dame and Virginia Tech met twice last year, with the Irish winning 71-58 on home court in February and 82-53 at the ACC Tournament in March. Overall, the Irish are 6-0 against the Hokies since Niele Ivey took over as Notre Dame’s head coach in the 2020-21 season.
State of the Irish
Notre Dame fans certainly don’t have much to complain about at this point in the season. The Irish are healthy, dominant and 8-0 in ACC play for the first time since they went 16-0 in the 2015-16 season.
If there’s anything to keep an eye on right now, it’s that the Irish have dealt with a few turnover-plagued slow starts so far in January. That’s why Boston College led Notre Dame by an 18-17 score through one quarter in last Thursday’s 8963 Irish win. Nevertheless, as the final score of that game would suggest, Notre Dame has had no issue overcoming the occasional stumble out of the gate.
The Irish have also been a wee bit colder from three-point range over their last four games, all wins.
They’re 18 for 63 during that stretch of time for a 28.6 percentage well south of their season-long mark of 41.2%. That second figure still leads the entire country, though, so perhaps Notre Dame was just due for some regression.
In any event, the Irish have kept a death grip on the nation’s third ranking since beating then-No. 2 UConn on Dec. 12. Only undefeated UCLA and 20-1 South Carolina, last year’s national champion, sit ahead of Notre Dame. The Bruins have not won a game by less than 11 points since opening night and just toppled No. 8 Maryland by an 82-67 score on the road Sunday.
The Gamecocks, meanwhile, have faced five consecutive top20 opponents since losing All-SEC forward Ashlyn Watkins for the season with a torn ACL. They’ve beaten each one, including Texas and LSU, which were No. 5 nationally at the time of the matchup.
Right behind the Irish in the AP Top 25 are the three top-five teams they beat in the first half. USC occupies No. 4 at 18-1, Texas holds the No. 5 spot at 20-2 and UConn checks in at No. 6 with a 19-2 record. LSU, Ohio State, TCU and Duke round out the national top 10.
Within the ACC, Notre Dame owns a half-game lead for first place over Duke and NC State, two teams it hasn’t faced yet. The Blue Devils rank 10th in the country and just beat No. 18 Georgia Tech in Atlanta, while the Wolfpack rank 17th and have lost only once since December started. Louisville, Notre Dame’s Sunday afternoon opponent, sits just behind those two 8-1 squads with a
7-2 ACC record. Behind them are the league’s final four ranked programs – No. 19 Cal, No. 25 Florida State, No. 15 North Carolina and No. 20 Georgia Tech. Notre Dame will have opportunities to pull away from every team with two ACC losses or fewer in the final month. The Irish will face Louisville on Feb. 2 and March 2, host Cal on Feb. 9 and Duke on Feb. 17, visit NC State on Feb. 23 and welcome Florida State to South Bend on Feb. 27. Before that, however, they have Virginia Tech to take care of.
Year one in Blacksburg for Megan Duffy
At this time a year ago, even the best teams would have shuddered at the thought of a trip to Cassell Coliseum. In the last five years, Virginia Tech turned into an ACC powerhouse under former head coach Kenny Brooks, reaching four straight NCAA Tournaments between 2021 and 2024 with a Final Four trip in 2023. Last season, the Hokies captured their first and only ACC regular season championship. However, much has shifted in the New River Valley since the 2023-24 season concluded. Brooks took the
head coaching job at Kentucky and brought superstar guard Georgia Amoore and forward Clara Strack, who would have been two of Tech’s top players this year, with him. Elizabeth Kitley, the all-time leading scorer in Virginia Tech history, ran out of eligibility. The winds of change brought into town Megan Duffy, the head coach of Marquette for the past five years, to lead the Hokies.
Losing a combined 41.6 points per game from Kitley and Amoore has obviously brought the Hokies down a few notches. With a defense and interior presence not nearly as well put together, they’ve lost to Iowa, Michigan and Virginia, three teams with a combined in-conference record of 11-16. Tech’s other three losses were to actively ranked programs Florida State, Duke and NC State – by an average of 27 points. The Wolfpack throttled the Hokies, 85-57, this past Sunday in Raleigh.
Virginia Tech does own a couple of respectable wins within ACC play, the most recent being a 7065 takedown of Louisville at home on Jan. 19. A week and a half earlier, the Hokies killed off then-No. 13 Georgia Tech’s 15-0 start with a
105-94 road win in double overtime. The Yellow Jackets did not have terrific freshman Dani Carnegie in that game, though, so the big question remains. Can Virginia Tech hold its own against a top-flight opponent at full strength?
No individual player is likely to carry the Hokies the way that Amoore and Kitley could, so they’ll need all hands on deck from a balanced and healthy lineup against the Irish. Just one bench player has started a game this season for Virginia Tech, with the team’s top five combining to make 99 starts. Carleigh Wenzel, one of the ACC’s most improved players, leads Tech from the backcourt with 14.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. Rose Micheaux, the team’s top rebounder at 8.5 per game, contributes 12.4 points per contest at forward. Fourth-year Hokie Matilda Ekh, sophomore Carys Baker and Utah transfer Lani White each average at least 9.7 points per night to round out the starting five. Notre Dame and Virginia Tech will tip off at 6 p.m. on Thursday inside Cassell Coliseum.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Graduate forward Maddy Westbeld attempts a shot during Notre Dame’s 81-66 defeat of Georgia Tech at Purcell Pavilion on Jan. 16, 2025. Notre Dame’s game at Virginia Tech this Thursday will mark Westbeld’s seventh of the season since returning from a foot injury on Jan. 5. In those seven games, she has averaged 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
helping hand. The people you meet will enrich your life and offer insight into how you can use your skills to make a difference in your community. Volunteering for a group or organization affiliated with something that interests you will lead to an opportunity.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stick close to home, take care of personal business, and put your mind at ease. Refuse to let outside influences dictate your agenda. When uncertainty kicks in, listen to your inner voice and take a pass. Clear-cut benefits are the only offers to consider. Put yourself first.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Open a book, research, and get up to speed regarding something you want to do. The more you know, the better and the easier it is to choose wisely. Take an active role, offer your services, or show interest in something or someone that can enhance your life.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Connect with people who can offer insight or help point you in a direction that allows you to use your full potential. Putting your energy into something you believe in or enjoy doing will lead to success and happiness. Don’t settle for less; turn your dreams into opportunities.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Emotional energy will be challenging to contain. Look for a healthy outlet to help you disperse anxiety. A premature change will compromise your chance to succeed. Map out a plan and take care of responsibilities first. A clear passage forward will make life easier and success rewarding.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Look for excitement, try something new, or visit a place you’ve never been. Discover what’s available and expand your interests to include pastimes that encourage you to make social acquaintances who will get you back in the game and who are eager to experience new beginnings. Commitment and personal gain are apparent.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be receptive to try something new. Expanding your circle of friends will raise your level of awareness regarding people, places, and pastimes that interest you. Someone close to you will not be happy with your choices, but this time, you are best to satisfy your soul and put yourself first.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Moving forward will test your patience, skills, and budget. Before making a move or taking on costly responsibilities, it is best to research and finetune your plans. Network, ask questions, talk to experts, and find out what’s entailed and how much work you can do yourself.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep your money, possessions, and secrets safe. Focus on partnerships, shared expenses, and striving for equality. Refrain from trusting anyone who promises or asks for too much. Invest more time and money in becoming self-sufficient. It’s best to avoid joint ventures or agreeing to something you don’t want to do.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change at home will turn out better than anticipated. Attend a networking session, and an unexpected opportunity will unfold. You’ll discover you have marketable skills and an outlet for additional revenue. Revisiting past connections, attending a reunion, or making a romantic gesture will offer positive results.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You are on the right path, so pick up the pace and make the most of your day. Discipline and foresight will lead to new beginnings or doing something you enjoy. Establish what and who are essential to you, fill your time with moments of positive energy, and achieve your goals.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep life simple and moderate, and make your schedule doable. Make alterations that allow you time for life’s little pleasures. A get-together or activity that encourages fitness and good health will point you in a direction that makes you feel good about your choices. Romance is in the stars.
Birthday Baby: You are farsighted, pioneering, and imaginative. You are persistent and benevolent.
FOOTBALL
A first full look at Notre Dame’s 2025 schedule
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
On Monday evening, the ACC Network’s schedule release show revealed Stanford as the 12th and final Notre Dame football opponent of the 2025 regular season. The next 12 Irish opponents posted a combined record of 88-67 this past season.
Notre Dame will open the season on Sunday, Aug. 31 in primetime against Miami (Florida). This will mark the fourth time in the last decade that the Irish have played their Week One game on a non-Saturday, as they faced Texas in 2016 and Florida State in 2021 on Sundays while traveling to Louisville in 2019 on a Monday night. Notre Dame hasn’t faced the Hurricanes since 2017, when Miami unleashed a 41-8 destruction of the playoffhopeful Irish.
The Hurricanes narrowly missed a College Football Playoff spot in 2024, going 10-3 with a shootout loss in the Pop Tarts Bowl. They’ve replaced Heisman-nominated quarterback Cam Ward with Carson Beck, but star receiver Xavier Restrepo and leading tackler Francisco Mauigoa still leave voids to fill. However, Miami has addressed its problematic secondary in the transfer portal and should have a spot in the top 25 to start next season.
After a rare Sept. 6 bye week, the Irish will play what should be a night game home opener against Texas A&M on Sept. 13. Notre Dame opened the 2024 season with a 23-13 defeat of the Aggies in primetime at Kyle Field and has not hosted Texas A&M since 2000.
Despite their early loss to the Irish, the Aggies jumped out to a 7-1 start before stumbling down the stretch to an 8-5 record and a Las Vegas Bowl loss. Expect more consistency out of Texas A&M, especially on offense, heading into the 2025 season. However, if the Aggies can’t fix their gaping holes on the defensive line and Notre Dame has its offense clicking, this game might not be all that close.
On Sept. 20, the Irish will welcome to South Bend a Purdue team that went 1-11 in 2024. The Irish and Boilermakers will continue to play yearly through at least the 2028 season after Notre Dame won 66-7 in West Lafayette last September. This offseason, the bad has gone to worse for the Boilermakers, who have lost top tight end Max Klare and leading tackler Dillon Thieneman in the portal.
Sept. 27 will take the Irish into SEC country for a duel with Arkansas in Fayetteville. Notre Dame has never faced the Razorbacks, who went 7-6 with a home upset of Tennessee and a Liberty Bowl win in 2024.
The Hogs will lose plenty of talent on both sides of the ball but expect to return mobile quarterback Taylen Green and their notable linebacker duo of Xavian Sorey Jr. and Stephen Dix Jr.
The gauntlet of a first-half schedule will continue when the Irish host Mountain West champion and CFP qualifier Boise State for another program first on Oct. 4. The Broncos will have lost generational running back Ashton Jeanty but bring back enough talent to hold a national ranking once again. Quarterback Maddux Madsen will return along with four starters on the offensive line, top-tackling safety Ty Benefield and sack leader Jayden Virgin-Morgan.
Notre Dame will continue its homestand against an NC State team that went 6-7 on Oct. 11.
The Irish visited the Wolfpack two Septembers ago and last met them in South Bend in 2017. NC State doesn’t have much returning on defense, but freshman quarterback CJ Bailey should be back along with several viable options in the running back and wide receiver rooms.
Before an end-of-October bye week, the Irish will host USC on Oct. 18 for what ought to be Notre Dame Stadium’s second
night game of the season. The Trojans disappointed massively in 2024, going 7-6 with a 49-35 home loss to the Irish before coming back to steak the Las Vegas Bowl from Texas A&M. Overall, Notre Dame has won six of the last seven matchups against its rival from Los Angeles.
With early-season quarterback Miller Moss off to Louisville in the portal, Jayden Maiava will enter his first full year leading the Trojan offense in 2025. Despite the losses of wide receivers Zachariah Branch, Kyron Hudson and Duce Robinson in the portal, USC returns its top two passcatchers in Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon while bringing in Prince Strachan from Boise State. With continued development from Maiava, the Trojans are positioned to take a step forward on offense, particularly through the air.
Notre Dame will head to Chestnut Hill for a date with Boston College on the first of November. The Irish shut out the Eagles on Senior Day in 2022 and recently made successful trips to Massachusetts in 2020 and 2017. Boston College, which went 7-6 and lost the Pinstripe Bowl in 2024, has a major loss to contend with on both sides of the ball. Starting quarterback
Thomas Castellanos transferred to Florida State, while 16.5-sack producer Donovan Ezeiruaku is off to the National Football League.
A week later, Navy will head back to South Bend for the first time since 2021. The Midshipmen initially turned a lot of heads this season before taking one on the chin against the Irish at MetLife Stadium in late October. Nevertheless, they finished 10-3 with a win in the Armed Forces Bowl against Oklahoma State and expect to return their entire offensive big three of quarterback Blake Horvath, fullback Alex Tecza and running back Eli Heidenreich.
The second of four Notre Dame ACC games in November will take the Irish to the Steel City on Nov. 15. Like Texas A&M, Pittsburgh marched out to a great start at 7-0 before collapsing with six straight losses to end 2024. The Panthers still have a question mark at quarterback with rising sophomore Eli Holstein, but they’ve got running back Desmond Reid, who produced more than 1,500 scrimmage yards this season, to help him out. No. 2 wide receiver Kenny Johnson also returns along with the excellent linebacker trio of Kyle Louis, Rasheem Biles and Braylan
Lovelace. They’ll be looking to help Pitt avenge a 58-7 loss to the Irish in October 2023.
Senior Day will pit the Irish against the up-and-coming Syracuse Orange on Nov. 22. Syracuse went 10-3 in 2024, finishing 20th in the AP Poll after upsetting Miami to spoil its CFP run and downing Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. The Orange will lose quarterback Kyle McCord, whose post-Ohio State resurgence sparked Syracuse this year, along with 1,000-yard rusher LeQuint Allen and 900yard tight end Oronde Gadsden II, so expect a step back from an offense that just averaged 34.1 points per game. The Irish last faced Syracuse in 2022, winning 41-24 in the JMA Wireless Dome.
Notre Dame will continue its tradition of closing the regular season in California with a trip to Stanford on Nov. 29. The Cardinal went 3-9 with a 49-7 loss to the Irish in 2024 and figure to have a hard time putting up many more points than that in 2025. Quarterback Ashton Daniels, the team’s leading passer and rusher is gone along with leading receiver Elic Ayomanor.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
INDIA DOERR The Observer
Senior quarterback Riley Leonard attempts to evade a Navy defender during Notre Dame’s 51-14 defeat of Navy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Oct. 26, 2024. The Irish will play host to Navy on Nov. 8 for their penultimate home game of the 2025 regular season.
ND MEN’S TENNIS
Irish improve to 6-1 with pair of Sunday wins
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
On Sunday at Eck Tennis Pavilion, the Notre Dame men’s tennis team improved to 6-1 on the season with a doubleheader sweep. The Irish took down Cleveland State and Illinois State, each by a score of 6-1, stretching their win streak to four games after a loss to Princeton two Fridays ago.
Cleveland State
Notre Dame didn’t face too much objection in either of Sunday’s matches, beginning with a smooth run through doubles play against the Vikings. The top two Irish pairings of junior Sebastian Dominko with
HCC BASKETBALL
freshman Peter Nad (ranked 78th nationally) and sophomore Kyran Magimay with classmate Chase Thompson each claimed 6-1 victories, capturing the doubles point.
The Irish kept rolling into singles action, taking each of the next five available points. Sophomore Jayanth Deviah made quick work of Maxime Aremon (6-1, 6-0) in the No. 6 match for his first singles win of the spring. Dominko, ranked 28th in the country in singles, followed suit against Lincoln Battle (6-1, 6-2) in the No. 1 contest. No. 4 singles ended with Magimay victorious over Nico Jamison (6-2, 6-1), No. 2 singles resulted in a senior Yu Zhang win against Cole Chappell (6-2,
7-5) and No. 5 singles went the way of freshman Luis Llorens Saracho, who earned his first career singles win against Devin Boyer (6-1, 7-5).
Only in No. 3 singles did Cleveland State slow down the Irish, as Carl Gedlitschka rallied to defeat Nad (5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)).
Illinois State
Later on Sunday, Notre Dame reproduced its 6-1 result against the Redbirds of Illinois State, again cruising in the doubles period. Senior Jameson Corsillo teamed up with Zhang as the No. 1 duo, dominating Illinois State’s 116th-ranked pair of Caden Scarlett and Tomas Valencia by a 6-2 score. Junior Noah Becker and senior Brian
Bilsey combined for their first wins of the season in No. 3 doubles, besting Tom Bevan and Manuel Pavia by a 6-1 count.
The Irish didn’t need their star singles player, Dominko, to once more earn each of the first five singles points. Nad opened the scoring with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Jett Leong in the No. 3 match. Thompson (6-3, 6-2), Zhang (62, 6-2), Corsillo (6-3, 6-4) and Bilsey (6-1, 6-2) each earned wins as well, with Bilsey’s dominant showing arising in the No. 6 match.
The No. 4 match did not go the way of the Irish, as Christian Capacci outlasted Magimay in another close contest, winning by a score of 7-6 (7-0), 6-4.
Through three weeks of play,
Notre Dame’s ranked pairing of Dominko and Nad still leads Irish doubles teams with four wins. Overall, each of the two are 5-1 as doubles players this season. In singles, Dominko, Nad and Thompson each hold a 5-1 record to tie for the team lead, with Thompson now having won three consecutive matches.
Notre Dame will take next weekend off before returning to action against William & Mary and Northern Illinois at home on Saturday, Feb. 8. After that, the Irish will hit the road for the first time to battle Big Ten foe Illinois on Feb. 15.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Saints sweep St. Ambrose on home court
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
Both Holy Cross basketball teams were back in action over the weekend, each facing off against the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees. The women’s team won 78-37 while the men’s team took a 80-75 win after going into overtime
Women’s team
St. Ambrose scored the first basket of the game but two points each from senior forward Grace Adams and senior guard Kayliana Hammel put the Saints ahead. St. Ambrose tied up the score but after committing a shooting foul, junior guard Audrey Tallent made both of her free throws. The
ND TRACK AND FIELD
Saints stayed ahead throughout the remainder of the quarter finishing it up 17-9.
Holding the eight point lead, Hammel started off the second quarter strong for the Saints, adding three points to their lead. Adams put in two more points but St. Ambrose responded with three points bringing the score to 22-14. The two teams went back and forth a bit but the Saint’s came out on top to end the quarter in a 32-18 lead.
The Saints carried their momentum into the second half with sophomore guard Jordyn Smith making four jump shots. With others scoring as well, she brought the score to 48-18.
The Saints fouled St. Ambrose, giving them an opportunity to
score again. As the two teams went back and forth nearing the end of the quarter, the Saints remained up 54-28.
St. Ambrose started off the fourth quarter with a 4-0 run but the Saints responded with a six point run of their own. A three point shot from St. Ambrose did not bother Holy Cross as Adams dropped a jump shot bringing the score to 62-35. The Saints outscored their opponents 15-2 to end the game.
Adams led the team with 19 points. The Saints will now prepare to play Indiana Northwest on Jan. 29 at 6 p.m.
Men’s team
Neither team scored in the first minute of the game
before freshman forward Davide Brembilla got the first basket. A quick response from St. Ambrose tied up the score but a jump shot from senior guard Nash Hostetler brought the Saints ahead again. The two teams exchanged three pointers to end the game.
An 8-0 run from St. Ambrose allowed them to pull ahead 13-7 but the Saints continued to hang with them with shots from guards Joey Garwood, Justin O’Neal, AJ Rosemen and Phil Robles II pulling the Saints back ahead. It was a continued battle for the lead throughout the rest of the half but the Saints went to halftime up by four.
To start the second half, St. Ambrose went on a 13-4 but a
three point shot from Hostetler kept the score within two. Both teams seemed to control the game at times and the game went to overtime, tied at 67.
A shooting foul against St. Ambrose allowed Garwood to hit a free throw but four points from Saint Ambrose gave them the 71-68 lead. Four points from O’Neal helped the Saint’s regain the lead. Again, it was back and forth ,but the Saints pulled away enough to win by five points.
O’Neal and Garwood lead the team with 23 and 22 points, respectively. Their next game is also against Indiana Northwest on Jan. 29 at 8 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Irish compete in the Notre Dame Invitational
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
On Saturday, the Notre Dame indoor track and field team competed in the Notre Dame Invitational, their second home meet of the season. Akron, DePaul, Lewis, Loyola-Chicago, Oakland, Stephen F. Austin, Toledo and Valparaiso joined the Irish in South Bend.
Women’s results Notre Dame dominated the women’s high jump, accounting for each of the top four finishers. Graduate student Madison Schmidt took first with a 1.81-meter leap, with graduate students Gabby Grattan (1.66m), Alaina Brady (1.66m) and Addison Berry (1.61m) slotting in as the next three behind her. The Irish also got an individual win from junior Ore Olusi, who delivered a 13.69-meter throw in the shot put.
Rounding out the field events, sophomore Gabriella Zeller claimed second with an 11.45-meter triple jump, while freshman Ashley Fisher took home third with a long jump of 5.38 meters.
Fisher and Zeller found even more success on the track with the 4x400m relay team, joining juniors Molly Bennett and Reese Sanders to win in 3 minutes and 52.1 seconds. Fisher also claimed fifth in the 200m with a time of 26.04 seconds, while Bennett and Sanders went one-two in the 400m, finishing in 57.06 and 57.71, respectively.
The Irish accounted for three of the top four 3000m finishers and three of the top seven 800m runners. In the 3000, freshman Mary Bonner Dalton ran unattached to a victory in 9:30.59, while freshman Addison Knoblauch (9:40.11) grabbed third and freshman
Amaya Aramini (9:42.33) claimed fourth. In the 800, senior Sophie Novak crossed the finish line first in 2:07.28, ahead of the fifth-place freshman Nicki Southerland (2:11.63) and the seventh-place sophomore Gretchen Farley (2:12.93).
Notre Dame also populated the leaderboard in the mile, as senior Siona Chisholm took third in 4:40.50, freshman Isabel Allori finished fourth in 4:41.92 and Farley captured fifth in 4:47.98. Six more Irish distance runners made the top 21 in that race.
Freshman Maya Collins led the way in the 60m for Notre Dame, winning both the preliminary race in 7.50 seconds and the finals in 7.45.
Men’s results
Notre Dame’s most prolific event on the men’s side was the shot put, as five Irish throwers (one competing unattached)
crowded the top seven. Freshman Luke Himes finished second (17.22m), sophomore Zach Petko third (16.80m), graduate student Yoosang Kim fourth (16.42), freshman Peyton Murray fifth (15.45m) and graduate student Joey Zayszly seventh (13.38m). Three of those throwers helped the Irish to another strong showing in the weight throw. Fourthplace sophomore Ben Condrin (17.47m) and fifth-place junior Matthew Teague (16.46m) finished ahead of Petko (15.08m), Himes (14.74m) and Murray (14.31m), who all cracked the top 10.
Mirroring the women’s team, the Irish men scored a firstplace finish in the 4x400 relay, as graduate students Dimitri Nicholson, Jason Marchese, Zayszly and William Doyle ran in a combined 3:13.31. Marchese also won the 400m in
47.90 seconds, finishing ahead of fourth-place Doyle (48.95 seconds). Nicholson, the tonesetter in the 4x400 win, took second in the 60m with a time of 6.78 seconds, while freshman John Dearie captured third in the 60m hurdles in 8.24.
Moving on to the longer events, graduate students Zach Hughes (1:50.32) and Eli Meder (1:50.52) respectively took second and third in the 800m. In the mile, freshman Ryan Pajak (4:05.40) earned fourth, just ahead of classmate Jack Henzke (4:05.45) in sixth.
The Irish will run again at home at the Meyo Invite on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1. Other athletes will travel to the KSU DeLoss Dodds Invitational on Friday in Manhattan, Kansas.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
Burton’s 26 lead Irish to 71-68 win against GT
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
Fresh off the program’s firstever road victory at Virginia, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball team returned home to host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Tuesday evening. This would be the second meeting between the two programs this season, as the Jackets rang in the New Year with a resounding 86-75 win back on Dec. 31.
Winners of two of their last three ACC contests, the Irish returned to Purcell Pavilion with a 9-10 record as they attempted to climb into the top half of the ACC standings. Notre Dame has been spearheaded all season long by the play of sophomore guard Markus Burton. The Mishawaka product, who was named to the preseason All-ACC First Team, has averaged 21.7 points per game since returning from injury, ranking second in the league behind Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.
The Ramblin’ Wreck traveled to South Bend also just below .500 at 9-11, but contrary to the Irish, they have dropped four of their last five games, including three double-digit defeats. Like Notre Dame, Georgia Tech is also best in the backcourt, as the senior tandem of Lance Terry and Javian McCollum combine to produce nearly 29 points nightly.
Tuesday night’s matchup also marked the annual Coaches vs. Cancer game, where the coaching staff wears suits and sneakers in conjunction with the American Cancer Society. It was announced during the first media timeout that the University of Notre Dame helped raise over $485,000 for cancer research and awareness.
On the court, it was a threepoint barrage throughout the first half with both sides shooting well above their season average. Tech connected on four of 10 treys, and the Irish knocked down seven of their 14, including a triple at the horn from graduate guard Matt Allocco to knot the score at 37 apiece. Notre Dame, which has shot the three-ball at over 41% during the league slate, saw six players cash in from beyond the arc during the opening 20 minutes.
Sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry led the Irish attack in the first half with nine points, while Burton added eight of his own. It was also a balanced attack for Georgia Tech, which had five players score five or more points before the intermission.
The first half went just as Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry
expected it would, explaining, “We’ve played them five times since I’ve been here, and each time it’s been close. So I told our guys that this game would be a fight.”
A point of concern for Shrewsberry, however, was Tae Davis’s play. After scoring a career-high 27 points in the first meeting, the junior forward from Indianapolis, who had averaged 16.4 points per game on the campaign, was scoreless.
The late tip-off time appeared to have an effect as the Irish missed their first five shots to open the second stanza en route to a five-minute scoring drought. Burton then took the lid off the rim with a pull-up mid-range jumper. The Notre Dame defense, which ranks eighth in the ACC, kept the team in it as Georgia Tech managed only six points throughout the first seven minutes of the half.
The Yellow Jackets were able to push the lead to seven at 6255 with just over five minutes to play before consecutive triples from Braeden Shrewsberry and Burton made it a one-point game with two minutes remaining.
Burton’s fourth three of the night punctuated the 9-0 charge to give the Irish the 64-62 advantage with 68 ticks left.
Tech center Baye Ndongo missed the front end of a oneand-one, and on the ensuing Irish possession, Allocco dished it off to junior forward Kebba Njie, who finished through the contact with just one second left on the shot clock, icing the game for Notre Dame.
“There were times when we could’ve given up and let Georgia Tech win, but we battled to the final buzzer,” Burton said in his postgame press conference.
Njie agreed, saying, “All we needed was a couple of stops, and we knew we would score.”
Sparked by the late 13-0 push and Burton’s 26 points, Notre Dame escaped Georgia Tech with a 71-68 win, its second straight win overall and its fifth in the last six contests played at Purcell Pavilion. It also moved the Irish to 19-14 all-time against the Yellow Jackets.
“Notre Dame made plays down the stretch that we didn’t make, and that decided the game,” Georgia Tech head coach
Damon Stoudamire said, one of just 19 bench bosses across the country to have played in the NBA.
“Our guys just stuck around and found a way to win. That’s something we hadn’t been able to do yet this year,” Micah Shrewsberry said after the win. He continued by praising his team’s maturity following the setback two weeks ago at Syracuse, expressing, “I’m happy that we are still growing going into February. We had some tough conversations about how we need to play after the Syracuse loss, and the guys responded.”
The clutch performance was also Burton’s fifth consecutive game of over 20 points, an Irish feat last achieved by Ben Hansbrough in February of 2011.
Asked about the responsibility he feels to lead his team, Burton said, “Pressure is a privilege. I can handle it. My teammates and my coaches trust me. They all put time in, and we get a chance to play more basketball, do what we love and compete at a very high level.”
Naithan George led the
Jackets in scoring for the fourth time this season, tallying 20 points. The sophomore guard from Toronto is usually passfirst, averaging over six assists a night, which is good for top20 nationally. Junior forward Duncan Powell lived up to his billing as a sharpshooter, adding 18 points on three treys for Tech.
“A lot of the attention was on other guys, and my pull-up game was able to get me going,” George said postgame.
The Yellow Jackets led for nearly 37 minutes but still left with their fifth loss in six games. Georgia Tech will be back in action on Saturday when No. 21 Louisville travels to Atlanta.
The Irish will now escape the brutal cold of northern Indiana, as a two-game road trip to the Sunshine State embarks in Coral Gables on Saturday before concluding next Tuesday night in Tallahassee against the Florida State Seminoles. Saturday’s contest with the ACC-worst Miami Hurricanes is set for an 8 p.m. tipoff on ESPN2.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
JONATHAN KARR The Observer
Sophomore guard Markus Burton handles the basketball against pressure as head coach Micah Shrewsberry (back) observes during Notre Dame’s 78-60 defeat of Boston College at Purcell Pavilion on Jan. 13, 2025. Burton tallied 26 points in Notre Dame’s defeat of Georgia Tech.
