Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, February 11, 2022 by The Observer

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Volume 56, Issue 46 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students flock to new Chick-fil-A Campus Dining celebrates location’s grand opening following months of anticipation, controversy By EVAN MCKENNA Managing Editor

Among the usual hubbub of Duncan Student Center on Thursday morning were a new crowd, new sights and new smells. Notre Dame Campus Dining celebrated the grand opening of the new on-campus Chick-fil-A location Thursday at 10 a.m., serving the first of many chicken sandwiches and nuggets to students. Campus Dining staff and executives were present to welcome community members and show them how the new location operates. The new restaurant is located on the southern end of the first floor in Duncan Student

Center, in what was formerly the Star Ginger location. Despite the space’s familiar look, the location’s operations differ from standard Chick-fil-A locations in a few ways. To accommodate the schedules of student employees and staff, the location will not open until 10 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Like any other Chick-fil-A location, though, the new on-campus restaurant will be closed on Sundays. Additionally, because the new restaurant is considered more of an “express location” rather than a full, standalone operation, the location has a limited menu, with no breakfast options or mac and

cheese. Despite these current limitations, director of retail dining Sandra Garcia said Campus Dining has plans to implement breakfast offerings and offer longer hours in the future. “I think for now, we wanted to make sure that whatever we do, we do it well,” Garcia said. “We want to focus on that core part of the menu, which is obviously the chicken sandwiches, the nuggets and fries, among some other options. We have the infrastructure to add breakfast items… but we thought we’d start with the core and then eventually consider expanding.” see CHICK-FIL-A PAGE 4

EVAN MCKENNA| The Observer

Located on the first floor of Duncan Student Center, the new Chickfil-A is currently an express-location with a limited menu and hours.

University revises parking lot plans By RYAN PETERS Associate News Editor

The Universit y rev ised its plans to put an entr y gate to proposed parking lots on Palmer Street after residents voiced concerns about increased traffic on the street, Notre Dame announced at a St. Joseph Count y Council meeting Tuesday. In order to move traffic off Palmer — a narrow deadend street on the east side of campus — the Universit y

decided to put access points to the two proposed lots off Leahy Drive and in the Bulla Lot that currently exists, associate v ice president for public affairs Tim Sexton said. The Universit y petitioned to rezone four parcels of land it ow ned around Palmer Street from residential use to Universit y use in order to construct t wo parking lots on the south end of Palmer Street — one on the west side of the street and

one on the east. The count y council approved the rezoning Tuesday night. The lots w ill compensate for lost parking expected in what is now the Librar y Lot as part of plans to build a multidisciplinar y research building adjacent to McCourtney Hall. Initially, the Universit y planned to put an access point off Palmer. Sexton said Leahy Drive contains a significant slope which posed a challenge to constructing an

entr y way. The rev ised plans contain an entrance to the lot west of Palmer Street on the north end of Leahy Drive near Bulla Road, where the slope is not as steep. The east lot’s entrance w ill be connected to the Bulla Lot. Robert Smith, who ow ns a propert y on Palmer Street, was concerned the small street was not going to be

see PALMER PAGE 3

Senate reconvenes after snow day By ALYSA GUFFEY Notre Dame News Editor

The Notre Dame student senate convened Wednesday evening to amend the Constitution’s deadline to approve the nomination of The Shirt Project president and approve the nomination of a new Student Union treasurer. The senate had not met for two weeks due to the University snow day last Wednesday; therefore, the senate approved the

News page 3

minutes from January 26. Student body vice president and senior Matthew Bisner gave an update on issues discussed at the last meeting, when students were having trouble ordering at-home COVID-19 tests to residence hall addresses. Bisner explained how after talking with the University postmaster and the postmaster in Indianapolis, they realized Baumer and Johnson Family Halls were registered as businesses addresses, not residential addresses.

viewpoint PAGE 7

“That’s being corrected,” Bisner said. “I don’t have a timeline on those corrections but at least the Postal Service is aware.” Moving into general orders, Student Union treasurer Meenu Selvan and parliamentarian Madison Nemeth brought a resolution to the table. The resolution, SO 2122-14, proposed an amendment to move up the deadline for the Financial Management Board (FMB) to nominate and the senate to approve The Shirt Project

Scene PAGE 9

president. The current deadline was prior to November 1, but with the amendment, the deadline would be prior to May 1 of the same year, and the new president would assume the role the day after the unveiling of The Shirt. Selvan said the resolution was created to streamline the process of nominating the president.

see SENATE PAGE 3

M basketball PAGE 15

Panel covers speech, justice By LIAM PRICE Staff Writer

The Saint Mary’s College Faculty Affairs, Inclusion and Retention Committee hosted philosophy professor Andrew Pierce and global studies professor Nell Haynes Wednesday for a virtual panel discussing the role of language in issues of race and immigration.

Chilean Immigration Propaganda Haynes began with an analysis of anti-immigrant memes on social media in northern Chile. Though it is far north from the economic and political centers of Chile, the Tarapaca region draws large numbers of Bolivian

see PANEL PAGE 4

softball PAGE 16

TODAY

The observer | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

What was your favorite childhood snack?

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

Will Milosevich

Lana Sozer

sophomore Fisher Hall

first-year Johnson Family Hall

“Scooby-Doo Gummies.”

“Ritz Bits, the cheesy ones.”

Caleigh Miranda

Michela Guira

sophomore Johnson Family Hall

“Cheez-Its.”

“Apple slices with peanut butter.”

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Anna Gazewood

Mya McClure

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sophomore Johnson Family Hall

first-year Johnson Family Hall

“Goldfish.”

“Cheesy Whales.”

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Ryan Peters Liam Price Megan Fahrney

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ARI DENNING | The Observer

A snowman sits on the grass outside of Lafortune Student Center. Students have had fun being creative with the snow that has fallen on campus. After last week’s heavy snowfall, the cold temperatures have allowed the snow to remain on the ground.

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Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

BODYTRAFFIC Debartalo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. Contemporary dance group performance.

“Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (2021) Debartalo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Documentary shown.

“Faya Dayi” (2021) Debartalo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m. View a film by Jessica Beshir.

Sophomore Valentines Karaoke Duncan Student Center 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Karaoke and free food offered.

Fireside Chat Duncan Student Center Fireplace noon - 1:30 p.m. Conversation with Fr. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C

Exalt Adoration Johnson Family Hall Chapel 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Come join this night of prayer and reflection.

The Keenan Revue Stepan Center 7 p.m.- 9p.m. Free with a ticket.

Jennifer Koh, Violin O’Neill Family Hall of Music 4 p.m. Listen to this forwardthinking violinist.

Love Data Week Virtual All day Write a haiku about data.

Confession Duncan Student Center Room W208 Noon - 1:30 p.m. Priest available for Confession.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | The Observer

Campus groups offer Valentine’s Day services By CLAIRE REID News Writer

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. In celebration, several on-campus businesses and student clubs offer festive f lowers, candy and gifts, many of which support local South Bend businesses and organizations.

Irish Gardens offers custom floral arrangements Irish Gardens, Notre Dame’s student-run f lower shop located in the basement of LaFortune Student Center, created 20 special Valentine’s Day f loral arrangement options this year. “We also can do custom arrangements where you can build your perfect arrangement stem-by-stem,” Marty Kennedy said over email. Kennedy, a senior, is the shop’s general manager. Irish Gardens locally sources their f lowers from Kennicott Brothers Store, an employee-ow ned, wholesale f lower shop in South Bend. In honor of Valentine’s Day, Irish Gardens w ill also be selling heart-shaped balloon arrangements, boxes of chocolates, chocolate roses and heart-shaped lollipops. Students can order f loral arrangements and other Valentine’s Day treats online at f lowershop.nd.edu. Orders can be picked up instore or delivered any where on the Notre Dame and Saint Mar y’s campuses. “We can make an arrangement for you in under 10 minutes right then and there,” Kennedy w rote. “This is also a great way to support the only official student-run business at Notre Dame. Plus we are fun. We have music,

Palmer Continued from page 1

able to safely manage the increase in traffic that would have come w ith the original plans. Smith said he had prepared speeches for the count y council to make one last push against the Universit y’s plans, but once the Notre Dame representative announced they had rev ised their plans to avoid increasing traffic on Palmer Street he was stunned. Instead of giv ing the speech he finished at 4 a.m. Wednesday morning, Smith simply thanked the Universit y for reconsidering its plans. Smith and his w ife and her aunt, who also lives on Palmer Street, were shocked at the change in plans. “W hen they pulled that change — and they didn’t tell

laugh and always bring the energ y.”

Latinx Student Alliance candygram sale benefits community center The Latinx Student A lliance’s (LSA) Valentine’s Day candygram sale offers a variety of treats and cards to choose from. All proceeds benefit La Casa de Amistad, a Latino community center on the west side of South Bend. “La Casa de Amistad offers various programs to assist Hispanic youth in self-acceptance and appreciation of their culture,” senior and co-president of LSA Nicole Leon said. “We decided to donate to them because we love what they do and stand for and would love to help people in our community on a day of giving and love.” This is the first year LSA is holding a candygram sale, and Leon said she hopes it offers a taste of home for Latino students and an opportunity for all students to tr y new cultural treats. Students can purchase a treat bag that includes Takis, Hispanic candy and a meme card. Another treat bag includes two conchas from local baker y La Central Panaderia and a meme card, and the Candy Heart Box features a variety of treats including Pelon, Takis, Bocadin and Slaps. Students can purchase candygrams Monday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Duncan Student Center.

Mariachi ND provides Valentine’s Day serenades Know n for its lively performances at campus events like the Latin Expressions talent show and the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mariachi ND is

us ahead of the meeting — they were sitting there w ith this information, just kind of mischievous, know ing that we would be stunned,” Smith said Ever since Smith aired his grievances w ith Universit y plans to put an access point to new parking lots on Palmer Street, he said he has been met w ith support. Smith said a former w iff leball league formed by students who used to live on Palmer Street, called “Palmer Street Wiff leball League,” emailed the count y council in unsolicited support of Smith. “I am thankful to the folks in the Notre Dame communit y who expressed support for us and thankful to the administration that they decided that they could change what their plans were,” Smith said. “That expression of support from young

offering multiple Valentine’s Day serenade packages. Students can purchase serenades for their friends, significant others, professors or anyone else they would like, and the band w ill perform for that special person anywhere on the Notre Dame, Saint Mar y’s or Holy Cross campuses that the purchasing student requests. “The only places we can’t play at are religious ser v ices, sporting events, quiet study spaces and the Grotto,” said junior Josh Hernandez, social media manager and guitarist for Mariachi ND. Purchasers can also request the time and date of the serenade. Serenades are available Friday through Monday. The band offers four songs and three serenade packages to choose from. Students can purchase the Basic Package which includes one song of their choice. The Full Package includes two songs, a rose and Mex ican candy, and the Deluxe package includes three songs, Mex ican candy, a rose and a mariachi-themed teddy bear. “Getting a serenade for someone on Valentine’s Day is really special,” Hernandez said. “It’s not something that happens often, and this is a really convenient way to do it and support an on-campus club.”

ND Cake Service sells Valentine’s Day specials A lso located in the basement of LaFortune, the ND Cake Ser v ice is offering two special Valentine’s Day treats. Students can purchase four festive chocolate or vanilla jumbo cupcakes or the Cookie Special, 10 heart-shaped frosted

alums is so, so ver y touching to us. They signed off on their emails, ‘Palmer Street forever.’” Sexton said construction for the new lots is expected to begin later this spring once the weather clears up. Sexton said the Universit y had been looking for ways to move the potential traffic off Palmer after contentious public meetings. The rev ised plans accomplished that goal and left both parties content, he added. “We were able to find a solution that was conveyed [Tuesday] night at the count y council meeting and that was received extremely well from the residents of Palmer Street,” Sexton said. “And in fact, we came up w ith a w inw in, and we’re thrilled for that.” Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

sugar cookies. “Both are packaged in a bright red box and include a handw ritten note,” said Student Activ ities Office (SAO) ser v ices coordinator Kimberly Miller. Students can also order any of Cake Service’s regular products — including giant cookie cakes, cannolis and brownies — and have them decorated for Valentine’s Day. The Cake Ser v ice currently employs six students and sources their treats from a locally-ow ned South Bend baker y. “A ll of our proceeds are used to enhance the student experience at Notre Dame,” Miller said. “We believe that our partnerships w ith local, small businesses to source our products prov ides us w ith an opportunit y to give back to our communit y.” The Cake Ser v ice is accepting special Valentine’s Day orders online until 5 p.m. Friday and delivers any where on Notre Dame’s campus. Students can also pick up their orders at the LaFortune information desk bet ween 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

ND Candied Creations allows students to customize Valentine’s Day package ND Candied Creations is a new student-run ser v ice that sells and delivers Valentine’s Day candygrams and treats. Options range from $ 5 to $30 and feature candy, artificial f lowers, teddy bears and balloons. Sherr y Miller, a junior at Notre Dame, handles the communications for the ser v ice. “The idea came from my friend and roommate and I who usually make a competition out of giv ing each other candy we like ever y day

Senate Continued from page 1

“It’s kind of weird because if FMB were to say no to the nomination for the president, that person has already been doing work, so like what would you do?” Selvan said. The resolution passed unanimously. Next, the senate unanimously passed resolution SO 2122-16 to fill the vacancy of the senator position in the undergraduate community in Fischer Graduate Residences, as less than eight weeks remain in the term. The resolution unanimously passed. On the recommendation of Judicial Council and the Fischer Graduate president, Imani Mathenge will fill the vacant position until April 1. To finish general orders, Selvan, current Student Union treasurer, recommended junior Claire Sison as the new Student

up until Valentine’s Day and Christmas,” Miller said. “We found it to be a fun and cute way to share our love and thought it’d be a great idea to spread across campus.” ND Candied Creations has options in a variet y of price ranges and sizes, and many items are sourced locally from the South Bend Chocolate Company. The festively decorated Love Baggie treat bag includes assorted small candies. The Small Love Cup features both small and large candies. The Medium Love Basket includes a teddy bear and a large variet y of candies, and the Large Love Bouquet includes artificial f lowers, assorted full-size chocolate bars, a teddy bear and a small balloon. Students can customize the candy and mix-and-match many of the items offered to create their ideal Valentine’s Day package. “If there is any thing they’d like to change, we’d be happy to do so if w ithin our power,” Miller said. Orders should be placed by Friday v ia direct message on the ser v ice’s Instagram page, @ndcandiedcreations. The ser v ice delivers anywhere on Notre Dame’s campus, and deliveries w ill be made by 9 a.m. Monday morning. “It’s especially perfect for friends who’d like to make each other feel special on a day when not many people do,” Miller said. “That is how I felt when I was single and woke up to my favorite candy on my desk thanks to my friend and co-founder.” Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

Union treasurer. In her recommendation, Selvan noted how Sison contributed to the treasurer’s office and FMB, shared insights on The Shirt committee funding and attended the Spring Allocation and Winter Spending Review meetings. The senate unanimously approved Selvan’s recommendation for Sison. To wrap up the meeting, senators brought new business to the floor. Keough Hall senator Benjamin Erhardt discussed continuing efforts to better survey constituents’ concerns — noting that the senate has seen few resolutions this semester. Judicial Council president David Haungs added that he will be meeting with the Office of Community Standards to discuss and evaluate election sanctions from Du Lac violations. Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu

NEWS

The observer | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Chick-fil-A Continued from page 1

Students can order their Chick-fil-A in person at Duncan Student Center or through the Grubhub app — but Grubhub ordering looks a bit different. The first steps of the Grubhub ordering process are identical to those of other on-campus restaurants, but pickup at Chick-fil-A works differently. Because Chick-filA’s business model places such emphasis on the value of serving food hot, students’ food will not start being prepared until they “check in” inside the Duncan Student Center. Students can check in at any of the Grubhub check-in stations, located in a variety of locations across the first floor of Duncan. After opening the “order status” screen and tapping their smartphone to the sign, Chick-fil-A will process and begin preparing the order. The location’s grand opening marked the culmination of years of work from Campus Dining, according to Garcia. The process began in early 2020, when Campus Dining partnered with consultancy Envision Strategies to identify gaps in the University’s retail dining system. The group performed a deep dive into the University’s current dining offerings and collected input from a variety of focus groups, including faculty, staff, student-athletes and key stakeholders. “It was very clear through that process that there was a high demand and desire for a Chick-fil-A on campus,” Garcia said. Campus Dining’s decision to bring Chick-fil-A to campus was made in consideration of a variety of factors, Garcia said, including high demand from “key campus figures” and the restaurant’s ability to bring unique options to the University’s retail dining

Panel Continued from page 1

immigrants, she said. Haynes first presented pictures of graffiti from the region, which showed violent messages directed towards Bolivians. In her research, Haynes said she considers memes, while more mundane, to be part of the larger spectrum of “extreme speech.” Some graffiti in the region, “complain in clear language about the presence of Bolivian immigrants, but memes use humor and usually garner far more engagement,” Haynes said. Displaying images of different Chilean memes, Haynes analyzed the humor and rhetorical devices that the memes used to rebuff Bolivians. One meme from 2015, for instance, used a

experience. Garcia also said Campus Dining valued the chain’s highly efficient business model, calling the famously fast system “built for volume.” “And with that volume comes our ability to return more dollars to the University, which are then primarily used for scholarships and other needs,” she said. “Which is a big part of why we exist, other than feeding the students, is to be able to contribute to the University’s mission, which we thought Chick-fil-A could help.” Chick-fil-A is notorious for its long drive-thru lines, driven by high demand nationwide. The same high demand seems to exist on Notre Dame’s campus. Although the restaurant might be busier than usual in its first few weeks of operation, Campus Dining senior director Luigi Alberganti said he is confident students will not have to wait too long to receive their food. “Probably, we’re going to see slightly larger wait times,” Alberganti said. “However, I like to mention that Chickfil-A is built for volume; they’re the experts of that. As a matter of fact, right now, just opening … if you come and eat, it’s probably going to be a five-minute wait.” Campus Dining associate director of retail Richard Jacobs echoed Alberganti’s thoughts, saying he expects the mobile ordering system to help decrease wait times. “With the tap-in technology, we’re hoping to mitigate [the long lines] somewhat,” Jacobs said. “We expect to be very busy, just as Modern Market is, and there will be high queues at times. But very similar to the way Modern Market behaves, when the queue is high it should give you a promised time, and we expect to beat that.” Thursday’s opening comes in the wake of much

anticipation and controversy, marking an end to the new location’s long and troubled backstory. Notre Dame students have publicly petitioned for a Chick-fil-A location long before any official confirmation from the University, with promises of bringing the restaurant to campus or Eddy Street appearing in past student body president campaign platforms. In 2018, in response to growing student interest, Campus Dining announced that Chickfil-A “did not fit” in the current portfolio of the University’s restaurants. And just months before Campus Dining’s official announcement of an on-campus Chick-fil-A, students implored the University to open the restaurant via the @ndneedschickfila Instagram account. But on May 12, rumors of an on-campus location spread among the student body after Chick-fil-A’s official website listed a franchise in Duncan Student Center. Campus Dining responded to the chatter, clarifying that the University did not have an agreement with the restaurant and was currently considering “a variety of future restaurant options.” Student-led campaigns responded both in support and criticism of the potential addition. Many students opposed the potential opening, citing the restaurant chain’s history of donations to antiLGBTQ+ organizations and a lack of options for vegan and vegetarian students. Other groups continued to advocate for an on-campus location, arguing the chain’s Christian mission aligns closely with the Catholic values of the University. One Letter to the Editor published in The Observer entitled “Keep Chick-fil-A away” garnered national attention after Fox News reported on the

controversy and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham commented on the issue via Twitter. “It’s disappointing to hear some ND students and faculty want to ban Chick-fil-A from doing business on campus because they disagree with the values held by the Chick-fil-A founders,” Graham wrote. “What a dangerous precedent to set.” Alberganti commented on the University’s positioning within the controversy, noting that the decision was made with large amounts of consultation and careful consideration. “The University wouldn’t engage in anything that goes against the principles of Notre Dame,” Alberganti said. “We feel comfortable that the partnership is going to be successful … It wasn’t a decision that Notre Dame made by itself. We did all the vetting that needed to be done. We consulted with third parties, and they engaged with the student population and asked the questions. And it was an overwhelming majority: Over 90% of the students were supportive of having [Chick-fil-A] on campus.” Official confirmation of the on-campus location came on July 15, with the University’s announcement of Campus Dining’s “Retail Dining Master Plan,” including Chick-fil-A, the Noodle Nook in LaFortune Student Center and a variety of enhanced plant-based options. Niko Tomc, a sophomore in Fisher Hall and the founder of @ndneedschickfila, was one of the first in line Thursday morning. The Chick-fil-A staff gifted him the grand opening sign to commemorate his role in the location’s establishment. “It was just cool, how many people wanted it, and I’m really grateful the University listened to us,” Tomc said. “I’ve always said dining is a big

deal. People don’t think about it much, but good food goes a long way.” As the leader of the student movement to bring Chickfil-A to Notre Dame’s campus, Tomc said, he understands the concerns of the opposing side, but he is glad Notre Dame made the decision they did. “They had their concerns, and I understand, but I just want a chicken sandwich,” he said. “I don’t agree with everything that some of the other restaurants on campus stand for, but I’m still going to take their food if it’s good food. And again, they don’t have to eat it. I’m just glad that enough people wanted it that it came. I knew there was opposition, but clearly, more people wanted it, so I’m just glad that it’s here.” Alesis Juntunen, a senior in Welsh Family Hall and another of the new location’s first patrons, said the agreement between Notre Dame and Chick-fil-A is a “historic thing.” “It was a big deal for Chickfil-A and [Campus Dining] to be able to agree on how this location would be run, because they’re both very particular about how they do things,” Juntunen said. “It’s just awesome to see everyone so happy. I really do feel like this has been a bright thing on this February day. People care about dining, and I think we especially learned that from last year, whenever we were eating outside in tents.” Alberganti expressed his gratitude for the students, faculty and staff involved in making the on-campus Chickfil-A location a reality. “I thank you for all the patience and support from everybody,” he said. “I’m extremely happy. I look forward to seeing all the students giving it a try.”

play on the Spanish word for “alien” to refer to Bolivians. “This particular image is especially appropriate in referring to Bolivians, and blaming them for social ills,” she said. Pointing to a 2017 incident in which a mob of Chilean fishermen set fire to two Peruvian immigrants, Haynes said that the seemingly mundane language can have large consequences. “Mean language may appear as superficial, but certain instances of anti-immigrant violence remind us of the material consequences,” Haynes said. Haynes was also described why northern Chileans used such language to put down Bolivians. She described life in the region as an intense struggle for resources, which intensifies animosity towards foreigners.

“Their memes subtly support discrimination against immigrants by casting real Chileans as more deserving of social and economic resources,” she said.

movements since before the Civil War. “In order to convince white Americans that slavery was wrong,” Pierce said, “Black abolitionists like Frederick Douglass had to first convince them that slaves were fully human.” In his discussion, Pierce looked back upon the egalitarian propositions of the Enlightenment period, noting the intensely racist views held by and inf luenced by leading thinkers such as Immanuel Kant and Thomas Hobbes. Pierce said, the issue in that former philosophy was the way these thinkers defined humanity. “Humanism always runs the risk of dehumanization. If you’re going to define what it means to be human in some concrete way, you run the risk of excluding people,” Pierce

said. After discussing these philosophical contexts, Pierce commented on the “all lives matter” response to the BLM movement. “You’re sort of seeing history repeat itself in a way where this sort of superficial universalism is used actually as a way of denying the concrete claims to be recognized as human that Black folks are making,” he said. To Pierce, the language, much like the anti-immigrant language in northern Chile, has its consequences. The all lives matter retort, he concluded, “serves, intentionally or not, to undermine racial justice. And it continues, consciously or not, a problematic history of dehumanization.”

Philosophy behind Black Lives Matter When it was his turn to speak, Pierce described his research of approaching the ongoing debate of “Black Lives Matter” against the “all lives matter” statement through a philosophical lens. Whereas Black Lives Matter (BLM) often gets characterized as a political and social movement, Pierce said it “also has a philosophical dimension that ref lects some of the most important critical work being done in the philosophy of race today.” BLM, Pierce explained, follows a humanist tradition that has defined civil rights

Contact Evan McKenna at emckenn2@nd.edu

Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | The Observer

NYT journalist discusses COVID-19 reporting By BELLA LAUFENBERG Staff Writer

Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter for The New York Times, spoke to students and faculty Wednesday about her experience covering the COVID-19 pandemic. After completing an undergraduate degree in biochemistry, Mandavilli said she intended to be a scientist. Four years into her doctoral degree, however, Mandavilli said she “didn’t feel challenged enough” and realized her true calling was journalism — specifically science journalism. “I was going to be an expert in this one very, very small area, and it wasn’t going to satisfy my curiosity for science, which is much broader,” she said. Her path to The New York Times, she said, was not linear. She began her career by getting a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and working at a community newspaper. She said the majority of her career was spent writing for scientific publications and editing for scientists, not a path she thought would lead her to the Times. Mandavilli said she had

been freelancing for the Times prior to the start of the pandemic for a couple of years, and she had gone to a company holiday party in January in which colleagues were discussing COVID-19. “At the end of January, it was clear that [COVID-19] was going to be something, and so we were all talking about ideas,” she explained. “I just got sort of pulled into their coverage, and I started to do more and more and more. But I also had a day job — I was the Editor-in-Chief of ‘Spectrum,’ an autism science magazine.” A Times editor called offering her an opportunity to cover the pandemic, Mandavilli said. She realized it was an “opportunity of a lifetime” and then began to cover COVID-19 full-time. Mandavilli’s lecture, titled “Unprecedented: Reporting on a Pandemic,” was part of the Charles Edison lecture series and was sponsored by the College of Science and the John W. Gallivan program in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. Santiago Schnell, dean of the College of Science, introduced Mandavilli and the lecture’s moderator, Abby Urban. Urban is junior Film, Television and Theatre

major pursuing a minor in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. The lecture was organized as a moderated question and answer session. During the first half, Urban asked Mandavilli prepared questions, and then the audience was encouraged to ask questions as well. Mandavilli began by giving a short introduction to herself, explaining what it means to be a COVID-19 reporter. “There are about five or six of us that write about COVID regularly, and I’m one of the main COVID reporters. So, what that has meant is that the last two years of my life have been exhilarating, exciting, exhausting,” she said. “For all of us reporters, the pace of reporting has been pretty relentless. In a pandemic like this, especially when even the experts don’t know a lot and the government doesn’t know a lot, it becomes even more important for journalists to jump in and interpret everything that’s happening.” Mandavilli explained that, at least at the beginning, she had to be really careful with what she was writing because of the lack of knowledge of COVID-19 in the scientific community and the general

public. She also noted the many instances she had to change story directions because of new recommendations coming out, such as the information about masking at the beginning of the pandemic. “One of the things we really tried to do is not sway with the recommendations, but rather always have a step back and say, ‘This is what the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] says. This is what other experts think about it, does it make sense? Is it a wise move?’” she said. “Our job is not just to report what the CDC is doing, but all of the context around it.” One struggle Mandavilli shared was dealing with burnout that resulted from experiencing COVID-19 in a professional manner. “I was really burnt out at the beginning of 2021,” Mandavilli said. “But I think one way that I’ve tried to continue and not let that completely take over is by looking at the virus as... a very professional thing that I have to write about.” The other questions posed to Mandavilli ranged from how she handles her sources or comes up with story ideas to what other areas of science

she is interested in. One person from the audience asked how Mandavilli balanced promoting public health measures with a healthy uncertainty of science. “Public health experts, in particular, have thought that it is my job to do their job for them and tell people what they should be doing, but that’s not my job,” she said. “My job is to find where the truth lies in between the extremes. That’s not always popular.” Mandavilli referenced a story she wrote in fall 2020 about how small gatherings were not fueling the COVID-19 surge as much as public health officials were saying. She also gave advice to budding journalists, encouraging them to be curious and skeptical and to write as much as possible. “Be curious because ultimately, that’s what journalism is about: asking questions,” Mandavilli said. “Be skeptical. I think I’ve learned that more in the last couple of years than I ever did before — be skeptical of everybody and everything.” Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

University celebrates Black History Month By JACK SIRIANNI News Writer

On a campus where only 3.23% of the student body identifies as Black or African American, Black History Month holds particular salience at Notre Dame, Black student leaders say. Fifty years after the passage of the civil rights and 48 years after Notre Dame admitted the first Black student, Black students at Notre Dame describe continued experience with racism and discrimination. Contextualized by recent Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality, including those in the city of South Bend, Black History Month holds important implications. In an interview with The Observer, Allan Njomo, student body president, encouraged students to combat racism on campus in a variety of ways. “[It] depends on what is most available to you. It could be a podcast. It could be a book. It could be donating to an organization that is engaged with the fight towards equality, so I think it is different for everyone,” Njomo said. “There needs

to be forward progress towards engaging with the effects of race and what all of our roles are towards building a more beloved community.” Throughout the interview, Njomo repeated the importance of every student making a conscious effort to create a more inclusive community, rather than leaving the task to a dedicated few. “W hether we acknowledge it or not, whether we even realize it or not, we are all victims of racism,” Njomo said, quoting the Dean of the Notre Dame Law School G. Marcus Cole from his Walk the Walk prayer service speech. Njomo said he wants to see the University do more for Black inclusion both at Notre Dame and on a larger scale. “Perhaps this is my proactive mindset speaking more or less, but yes, I believe that the University is not doing enough,” Njomo said. “Administration is not doing enough to really engage with the question of how do we build a more equitable community, whether that’s here at Notre Dame or in society at large.” Still, Njomo acknowledged the important ongoing work of those fighting for inclusion.

”I’m glad to say that I know students, faculty and administrators who are working towards engaging those questions more holistically. There are two ways to look at it, there is a way to look at it and say that we’re not at that spot, and I think that is true, but I think we should also look at it and understand that we are calling the university to go to wards that position of really engaging in these questions.” Njomo noted the University’s first observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as both a positive recent step and an impetus for further progress. “I’m happy that we were able to observe MLK Day this year. I’m happy that we get to have a more diverse class coming in next year, but the question that I keep asking and the questions students keep asking is, ‘Are there enough structures in place to support more diverse students coming to Notre Dame? Is there a critical engagement occurring at the academic level with what race, privilege and history of the United States means? Are those things occurring currently? ’” Njomo called students

and the University to action on the basis of the Catholic faith. “I really think about our Catholic identity, and how we’re called to build a community not only here at Notre Dame, but a society at large that’s beloved,” he said. The University provides several opportunities for students to participate in Black History Month and utilize the resources available to be better equipped to help create a better community at Notre Dame. During the month of February, Notre Dame will host a plethora of virtual speakers and in person events in honor of Black History month. The Black Alumni Board will host “Surviving to Thriving: Leading Black Businesses Through Unprecedented Challenges” Feb. 11 and and ”Black Wellbeing“ Feb. 18. Notre Dame will also put on a trivia-discussion virtual event Feb. 10 and a virtual session on the intersections of language, race and justice Feb. 25. As an opportunity for students to engage with Black culture on campus, the Black Cultural Arts Council Events,

will offer a coffee house event featuring live music and poetry Feb. 19th from 3 to 5 p.m. Detailed in a University press release, various other campus organizations are planning a Black Hair Expo, Black Folk concerts and an ecumenical prayer service. Students can also visit historical sites in South Bend and surrounding communities, from the “We Shall Overcome Statue” in the heart of downtown to the humble Huggart Settlement in a much more rural setting, there are many sites with cultural importance near campus. Contact Jack Sirianni at jsirian2@nd.edu

The observer | Friday, February 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

To all the mentors I’ve exasperated before Renee Yaseen Didn’t Know That

Dea r mentors, Do you have a second to ta lk? I’m sorr y to show up like t his, w it hout a G-Ca l inv ite or Zoom lin k. I k now you’re ver y busy. But remember t hat t ime when… … You had me ma ke a list of ever y high school in Sout hern India na a nd cold ca ll t hem one by one, as ma ny as I cou ld? (My fea r of phone ca lls, of introducing myself, of being myself, disappea red in a couple a f ternoons.) … You were t here at 6 :30 A M Chicago time, to hea r me stumble t hrough my f irst pitch to a well-k now n VC f irm? (No ner ves, no cof fee, no notes.) … You sa id, “Forg ive my la ng uage, but just f ***ing go for it” ? … You told me to test, to ex periment, to ma ke no conclusions until I had tried somet hing on t he g round. Remember when you taught me to tr ust my inst incts? … You encouraged me to resubmit? W hen you sa id it was good, but lines f ive a nd seven made no sense ? You told me t hat t he best people tr y aga in a nd aga in a nd aga in. … You rev iewed, rev iewed, rev iewed a nd rev iewed? You endured my comma splices. You stopped me mid-presentation. You told me how

I sounded. You told me t hat I paced, t hat slide seven was a n absolute mess a nd oh my God, why, Renee, Ca libri a nd A ria l a nd Corsiva in one PowerPoint ! ? ( Yes, I even inherited your generat ion’s weird a f f init y for Microsof t products.) … You taught me to ma ke pla ns? To t hin k slower, in steps? I st ill hate spreadsheets, but I hate t hem much less because of you. W hat drives you to help? How did I ever ea rn t his ma ny hours of your t ime ? If I was being tong ue-in-cheek, I’d say each successive yea r a f ter you turn 30, t he mentorship fa ir y leaves a n insat iable urge to help out t he nex t generat ion under your pillow. But if I was being serious, I’d say t his: They don’t just ca ll it t he Not re Da me fa mily because rough ly 20 % of each incoming class is bloodrelated to t he a lumni. They ca ll it a fa mily because it ca n operate like one, if you ma nage to f ind t he right people. Like members of a fa mily, my mentors have f reely g iven t he g if t of t heir t ime, t heir tough love, t heir a lways being t here if I reached out a ha nd. The word “economics” comes f rom t he Greek “oikonomia” — oikos mea ning fa mily, nomos mea ning law or r u le. W hen I bega n work ing on my tech sta r tup in t he IDE A Center ecosystem (ecosystem: a not her word derived f rom t he Greek “oikos”), I lea rned new r u les of engagement, a new concept ion of t he Not re Da me

fa mily. W hen I faced a cha llenge, I was passed f rom mentor to mentor, helper to helper, ema il intro to ema il intro, like a newborn baby is passed a round a liv ing room. From you a ll, I lea rned I didn’t have to sprint my way t hrough ever y t hing a lone. Actua lly, I lea rned t hat at 21, I’m not as fast of a sprinter as I t hought. To a ll t he professors, teachers a nd mentors I’ve exasperated before : I’m now at t he end of somet hing a nd t he beg inning of somet hing else. Your time, your ca re a nd your w isdom a re made inca rnate in my life. A nd it’s a prett y good life. I ca n’t t ha n k you enough. Sincerely, Renee P.S. W hat do we t hin k of my sig nature? Too forma l? I t hought so, too. Renee Yaseen is a senior Economics major with minors in Theolog y and PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics). In her free time, she writes poems, hangs out with loved ones and ponders the view from her undisclosed study spot in [redacted] Hall. Please send all comments, diatribes and warm fuzzies to ryaseen@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

INSIDE COLUMN

Stop being a zombie Liam Price News Writer

Tuesday night, I was biking back to Holy Cross from North Dining Hall when I recognized his red hair. “Hi Evan!” I yelled to The Obser ver’s Managing Editor, Evan McKenna. He didn’t seem to hear me, so I slowed dow n while passing him. I was now right in front of him. He was looking right at me while walking. “Evan! Hi!” I yelled again, but his dead gaze went straight through me. Now, I had to turn around on my bike. “Evan! Evan!” I kept yelling. Then I saw the AirPods in his ear. I don’t know what Taylor Sw ift song he was blasting, but I probably could’ve related to it, considering how heartbroken I was. Crushed, I turned around again and biked back to Holy Cross, know ing I looked like an idiot to the nearby walkers. A preventable problem This year, I’ve had a few embarrassing “hi” stories. Once, I yelled “Hi Adri!” at the top of my lungs in South Dining Hall to The Obser ver’s Editor-in-Chief, Adriana Perez, who didn’t notice me. Another time, I said “Hi Claire” to a confused News Writer Claire Reid before we had

formally met. But this one stung the worst, because it was preventable. Had Evan not been wearing AirPods, we would’ve probably had a friendly, fruitful conversation. I would’ve thanked him for the st ylish Obser ver sticker he gifted me. He would’ve complimented my recent Instagram stor y roasting Adri after she claimed South Bend’s permacloud is a my th (I need a whole other column for that one). We both would have walked away happier. Instead, I was sadder for hav ing been ignored and Evan was sadder from whatever nonsense Taylor Sw ift was singing into his ears (a whole other column for that one, too). Evan, unfortunately, is not the only perpetrator of this problem, he’s just the best example to use (he told me I would be fired if I slandered him in this Inside Column, but his term ends in just four weeks; I have nothing to lose). Ever y day on campus, zombies roam, ignoring ever y thing except T-Sw izzle. Students often don’t even say “hi” to friends. Say ing “hi” isn’t worth the embarrassment, and for good reason. Personally, I don’t think I’ll ever say “hi” to Evan again.

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

The solution There is only one solution to this catastrophe: We must ban the use of AirPods while walking on campus, w ith offenders attending five random Moreau First Year Experience classes as punishment. Students w ill benefit immediately. Classmates w ill become friends, connections w ill become bonds and nice bosses w ill become nicer bosses. One may think that my proposal is senseless. The Universit y would surely never carr y out this measure. And maybe, that argument is right. But to change this problem is in fact easier than any other issue the Universit y faces. We can use peer-pressure for good here. Roasting friends ser ves a good cause here. I would bet Evan, after this exposé, w ill only wear his AirPods while sitting dow n and study ing or in his apartment. We don’t need a Universit y ban when all it takes is an unw ritten social ban. Notre Dame strives to build a communit y of life-giv ing people, but noise-canceling AirPods are turning us into walking robots. There’s no communit y in that. You can contact Liam at lprice3@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The observer | Friday, February 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

To the unsung heroes of the snow day

L a st Tuesday n ig ht, much of t he t r i-ca mpus went to sleep w it h f i ngers crossed. T hen, at 5 :42 a.m. Wed nesday mor n i ng, Not re Da me st udent s received a h ig h ly a nt icipated ema i l : “ND A ler t: Due to w i nter weat her, Not re Da me is closed today, Febr ua r y 2. Cla sses – i nclud i ng v i r t ua l – a re ca ncel led…” A f ter a w i nter stor m d ropped 11.2 i nches of snow on Sout h Bend a nd a n est i mated 8.5 to 12.5 i nches on Mishawa ka, Not re Da me, Sa i nt Ma r y ’s a nd Holy Cross a l l closed — a nd t he snow day wa s on. Cla sses for Sa i nt Ma r y ’s a nd Holy Cross went on l i ne, a nd w it h a l l t he u nex pected ex t ra t i me, st udents were st i l l able to sleep i n, catch up on homework or pla n f u n act iv it ies i n t he snow. For a l it t le wh i le, ever yone wa s able to ta ke a breat her a nd enjoy t he g lor ious w i nter weat her. But let’s not forget about t he rest of t he message sent to t he Not re Da me com mu n it y, wh ich read : “On ly person nel whose job f u nct ions have been desig nated essent ia l to t he sa fe operat ion of t he ca mpus shou ld repor t to work .” From a l l of us on T he Obser ver Ed itor ia l Boa rd, we wa nt to say t ha n k you to a l l essent ia l workers i n ou r t r i-ca mpus. T ha n k you for labor i ng t i relessly to keep ou r com mu n it y operat i ng at its best. T hese sta f f members a re u nsu ng heroes, a nd we’d l i ke to d isplay how i mpact f u l t hey a re, day i n a nd day out.

Not re Da me L a ndscape Ser v ices wa s f ront a nd center du r i ng t he stor m. T hey a re t y pica l ly responsible for ma i nta i n i ng t he t rees, sh r ubs a nd f lowers across t he Un iversit y ’s 1,250acre ca mpus. But t hey a lso ensu re st udent s ca n move a rou nd ca mpus i n t he w i nter. W hen it snows, t hey clea r t he accu mu lat ion f rom over 27 m i les of wa l k ways, apply ice melt a nd cont i nue to ser v ice t he wa l k ways a s needed t h roug hout t he stor m. Obser ver sta f f members leav i ng t he of f ice ea rly Wed nesday mor n i ng saw t hem ha rd at work, a nd st udent s a rou nd ca mpus cou ld look out t he w i ndow t h roug hout t he day to see t hem cont i nu i ng t h is i mpor ta nt job. L a ndscape Ser v ices ha s been t here to help even before t he snow sta r ted to fa l l. Two week s i nto t he semester, t he u n it sent out a snow a nd ice sa fet y g u ide, wh ich i ncludes pract ices a nd tools to ca re for st udent s a nd sta f f a s t hey t ravel a rou nd ca mpus i n ha za rdous cond it ions. Mea nwh i le, Bu i ld i ng Ser v ices work i n t he 150 Not re Da me ca mpus bu i ld i ngs across more t ha n 10 m i l l ion g ross squa re feet, completi ng a l l t he custod ia l ta sk s t hat keep faci l it ies clea n a nd r u n n i ng smoot h ly. T hey clea n off ices a nd con ference rooms, scr ub a nd f i n ish f loors, empt y rec ycl i ng a nd t ra sh receptacles a nd wa sh w i ndows, a mong va r ious ot her d i ff icu lt ta sk s. Du r i ng t he snowstor m, custod ia ns a nd cont ractors clea red snow f rom bu i ld i ng ent ra nces du r i ng t hei r sh i f t s. St udent s who l ive i n residence ha l ls or f requent academ ic a nd at h let ic bu i ld i ngs at Not re Da me i nteract w it h Bu i ld i ng Ser v ices ever y day a nd a re met w it h a st rong sense of comm it ment a nd over whel m i ng posit iv it y. W it hout

t he necessa r y ta sk s t hese people complete, ou r ca mpus ex per ience wou ld si mply not be t he sa me. Ca mpus Di n i ng employees a re t he f i na l g roup we wa nt to h ig h l ig ht for t hei r work du ri ng t he snow day a nd ever y day. T he Obser ver repor ted i n November t hat t he d iv ision wa s feel i ng t he ef fects of a nat ionw ide labor shor tage. Despite t h is, employees w it h f u l l-t i me stat us average 30 hou rs per week, a nd st udent employees jug g le t hei r responsibi l it ies at t he d i n i ng ha l ls w it h t hei r cla ss schedu les. Members of t he d i n i ng ha l l sta f f work ha rd ever y day to ensu re t he people of t he t r i-ca mpus a re fed. W hen severa l food opt ions i n t he com mun it y closed, t r i-ca mpus d i n i ng ha l ls were st i l l operat i ng du r i ng t he stor m because of t he devot ion of t hei r workers. Ca mpus Di n i ng sta f f t raveled t h roug h t he stor m to ca re for st udents du r i ng t he brea k fa st, lu nch a nd d i n ner r ushes. Add it iona l ly, we wa nt to com mend Not re Da me for shor ten i ng t he d i n i ng ha l l hou rs to ensu re sta f f got home sa fely. Essent ia l workers per for m so ma ny i mporta nt, yet of ten u nderappreciated ta sk s i n a l l cor ners of t he t r i-ca mpus, but we a re happy to see t hey got to enjoy t he snow day a s wel l. Not re Da me’s of f ice of publ ic a f fa i rs a nd commu n icat ions sha red a ga l ler y f rom Un iversit y photog rapher Mat t Ca shore depict i ng some of t he act iv it ies sta f f pa r t icipated i n, a s wel l a s t he f u n st udents had t ha n k s to t hei r ef for t s. Plea se ta ke t he t i me to ex press g rat it ude to la ndscapers, custod ia ns, d i n i ng ha l l workers a nd ever yone else i n bet ween who a l low us to ca l l t h is t r i-ca mpus ou r home.

Misappropriating the Classics Alexa Schlaerth Soapbox Symposium

Now t hat we a re over a yea r out f rom t he events t hat took place Ja n. 6, 2021, perhaps it is t i me to ta ke a closer look at t he mu lt iple actors related to t he incident at t he Capitol a nd invest igate t he causes a nd env i ron ment su r rou nd ing t he d ia log ue about t he event. Pha ros, a Vassa r Col lege-r u n website focusing on debu n k i ng t he my t hs su r rou nd i ng t he fa lse appropr iat ions of classica l a nt iqu it y by wh ite supremacists a nd ot her orga n i zat ions, publ ished a r t icles a nd ot her content i n response to events l i ke Ja n. 6. T heir self-def i ned m ission is so “classica l schola rs, st udents a nd t he publ ic more broad ly, ca n lea r n about appropr iat ions of Greco-Roma n a nt iqu it y by hate g roups. In add it ion, we a im to help teachers i ncor porate t h is mater ia l i nto cu r r icu la in ways t hat a l low st udents to recog n i ze a nd cha l lenge t he persistence of wh ite supremacist na r rat ives a rou nd Greco-Roma n a nt iqu it y.” One orga n i zat ion broug ht up i n t he post-Ja n. 6 d ia log ue is t he Proud Boys. A mong t he Proud Boys’ core bel iefs a nd agenda is to promote “Wester n Va lues.” A nd i ndeed, t he g roup’s website descr ibes t hem as “Wester n Chauv in ists” who “ref use to apolog i ze for creat i ng t he moder n world.” T he A nt i-Defa mat ion Leag ue (A DL) descr ibes t hei r ideolog y i n g reater deta i l: “T he Proud Boys a re a r ig ht-w i ng ex t rem ist g roup w it h a

v iolent agenda. They a re pr ima r i ly m isog yn ist ic, Isla mophobic, t ra nsphobic a nd a nt iim m ig rat ion. Some members espouse wh ite supremacist a nd a nt isem it ic ideolog ies a nd/ or engage w it h wh ite supremacist g roups.” The Sout her n Pover t y Law Center a lso has more deta i ls on t he orga n i zat ion. Fol low ing Ja n. 6, Tr u mp add ressed t he Proud Boys d irect ly in a statement, say ing: “Sta nd up a nd sta nd by…somebody’s got to do somet h ing about A nt ifa a nd t he lef t.” For mer President Tr u mp’s statement, wh i le not d irect ly incit ing v iolence by t h is k now n hate g roup, t r iggered a st rong response in t he med ia, generat ing a lot of public out rage. It g ra nted leg it imac y a nd recog n it ion to what is supposed to be a f r inge ex t rem ist g roup ; a nd, it overa l l cont r ibuted to t he just if icat ion by some of t he events t hat took place Ja n. 6. But, t u r n ing to t he in ner work ings of t he Proud Boys t hemselves as a g roup, how do t hey leg it im i ze t heir cause a nd beliefs ? Depend ing on you r ex per ience w it h t he classics, it may or may not come as a su r pr ise to you t hat t he “t rad it iona l Wester n va lues” t he Proud Boys a nd sim i la r orga n i zat ions tout as t heir ow n have t heir roots in classica l GrecoRoma n a nt iqu it y. Or do t hey? At f irst g la nce, it is possible a nd even easy to believe t hat t hese va lues a lig n — Pha ros d iscusses t he t hemes of mascu lin it y a nd f it ness t hat a re st ressed by bot h g roups. For exa mple, t h row ing a pu nch: Th row ing a pu nch is a n “essent ia l sk i l l” a long you r jou r ney to ma n hood,

accord ing to t he Proud Boys, a nd in Spa r ta it was a n “u lt imate exa mple of a wa r r ior societ y.” T hemes of v iolence, “tox ic” mascu l in it y, m i l ita r i zat ion, ca l l to a r ms a nd dut y fa l l a mong t hese “sha red” — but rea l ly just co-opted — t ra its. Pha ros w r iters specu late on t he possible causes for t he Proud Boys to d raw f rom classica l a nt iqu it y: Invocat ions of v iolence f rom a ncient h istor y a re intended to ma ke more recent — or present day — v iolence leg it imate, because a ncient “empires” tend to be ad m ired rat her t ha n recog n i zed as imper ia l ist wa r mach ines. T he Proud Boys a re ha rd ly t he on ly boys to pa r t icipate in t h is t rend. E xa mples of t he m isappropr iat ion of t he classics to su it wh ite supremacist causes abou nd. A s a n academ ic com mu n it y, what is ou r role bot h w it h in t he d iscipl ine a nd w it h in t he l ibera l a r ts as a whole to d iscuss a nd combat t he m isappropr iat ion of such cent ra l teach ings as t he va lues of ea rly Wester n civ i l i zat ion? W hat responsibi l it y do we bea r to set t he record st ra ig ht a nd to de-leg it im i ze t hese m isappropr iat ions ? Alexa Schlaerth is a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame pursuing degrees in Chinese and philosophy. As an Angeleno, Alexa enjoys shopping at Erewhon Market, drinking kombucha and complaining about traffic because it’s “like, totally lame.” Alexa can be reached at aschlaer@nd.edu over email. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The observer | Friday, February 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

I was a reluctant mentor Mary Ellen Woods MEWsings

It was late 2019, a nd I was bet ween engagements. I was t r y ing to sor t out t he nex t stage of my professiona l life. I had had a g reat meeting w it h t he t hen-head of Not re Da me’s IDE A Center a nd t he t hought of work ing w it h student ent repreneurs sounded interest ing. I wou ld love t heir energ y a nd passion, but wondered if I cou ld cont ribute enough. I had, a f ter a l l, had a most ly la rge enter prise, cor porate ca reer. These students, a nd I presumed t hat t hey wou ld be business students, were seriously considering sta r t-ups. Wel l, if ND t hought I cou ld ma ke a dif ference a nd t he young people were interested, I wou ld g ive it a go. Tha n ks to t he insight of John Henr y, Director of Student Sta r tups, I had t he good for tune to be int roduced to Phoebe T. MBA ’20. Over coffee a nd apple crisp, Phoebe told me about her idea — a brick a nd mor ta r business g rounded in t he physiolog ica l dif ferences unique to fema le at h letes. I was hooked. Her concept was g reat a nd she was terrif ic. Over t he course of t he nex t few mont hs, I saw her f lourish in her business pla n a nd we beca me f riends. I was more t ha n proud when Phoebe ca l led to tel l me t hat she had excel led in ND’s McCloskey Business Pla n Contest, w inning t he g raduate student level. She even encouraged me to ment ion our work in my Inspired Leadership Init iat ive (ILI) applicat ion. Sad ly for Phoebe, COV ID-19 was rag ing a nd had rendered her proposa l i l l-t imed. I a m

conf ident t hat t he essence of t he idea rema ins st rong a nd t hat g reat t hings a re in store for Phoebe. COV ID-19 was w rea k ing havoc in my pla ns too. I had been accepted to t he ILI but our prog ra m was on hold due to t he pa ndemic. I had t he t ime a nd t he interest to be a mentor, but I was rea l ly hesita nt to go dow n t his road aga in. Cou ld I duplicate t he mag ic? For tunately for me, Phoebe was w iser t ha n I. As she told me, young people — especia l ly women — needed t he g uida nce a nd mentorship I cou ld prov ide. I cou ld on ly hope t hat she was right. Once aga in, John Henr y int roduced me to t wo students, women bot h, t hough underg raduates t his t ime. ND had pla nned a n ex tended Winter brea k a nd was ask ing a lums to help students f ind educat iona l ex periences a nd internships a nd to contemplate sta r t-ups. Sav ing me f rom a dif f icu lt decision, no doubt, on ly one student contacted me. Over w inter brea k ‘20-21, I had t he oppor tunit y to meet a nd work w it h Renee Yaseen ’22 (ex pected) as she developed a technolog y-based sta r t-up — FriendOver. Was it a coincidence t hat Renee a lso won her div ision in McCloskey, at t he underg rad level, or was a t rend emerg ing? That last quest ion is rhetorica l, but a l low me, dea r readers, to ex plore t he v ir tues of “mentorship.” I’ve been t hin k ing a lot about t he power of mentorship. If one develops a respect f u l, ca ring a nd nur turing concern for a mentee, ca n it ever be a ny t hing but a power f u l a nd enabling emot ion? If one ca n teach, suppor t a nd

cha l lenge a mentee, a re not bot h people a l l t he better for t he relat ionship? If t he mentor feels younger, sma r ter a nd more v ibra nt, what’s t he ha rm? Work ing w it h Renee a nd Phoebe, I rev isited bot h business a nd technica l concepts a nd st rove to convey t hem in a way t hat my mentees cou ld act ivate t he lea rning. In return, I sha red t heir ent husiasm, t heir st r ugg les a nd, eventua l ly, t heir successes. A nd, in a ver y impor ta nt way, we ex plored ideas, bot h business, persona l a nd phi losophica l, t hat ex pa nded my t hin k ing. I hope t hat t hey feel t hat our conversat ions enriched t hem as much as I do. So, in a t heme t hat I a m developing persona l ly t his yea r, I see mentorship as a g if t of love a nd g row t h, a n oppor tunit y become a better person as I attempt to help ot hers prog ress towa rd t heir goa ls. I a m g ratef u l to Phoebe a nd Renee for a l low ing me t he oppor tunit y to k now t hem a nd to ca l l t hem f riends. As I ca n beg in to see t he conclusion of my ILI yea r a head, I k now I w i l l look for wa rd to bring ing my lea rnings to my “nex t act.” As I hope t hey w i l l do t heirs. Mary Ellen Woods is a graduate of the Notre Dame class of 1980. She has returned to campus as a Fellow in the Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI). As an undergraduate, she lived in Breen-Phillips and now lives off campus. Her columns appear every other Thursday. A longtime resident of Chicago, she can be reached at mewoods80@nd.edu or @MEWsmuses on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Words, words, words A Letter to t he Editor published on Feb. 7 hig h lig hted some of t he percolat ing f r ust rat ions a mong t he student body concerning vaccine a nd booster ma ndates. This was a ref reshing opinion piece, because whi le I see t hese sa me f r ust rat ions being ta l ked about on t he nat iona l level, ra rely have I seen students w i l ling or able to discuss t hem f rom a ca mpus perspect ive. The aut hor of t he piece, however, made some cla ims t hat appea r to be factua l ly incorrect. Na mely, it seems clea r f rom t he scient if ic literature t hat COV ID-19 vaccines do, in fact, reduce v ir us t ra nsmission in high ly communa l sett ings (li ke : dorms) a nd do resu lt in less severe sy mptomat ic presentat ions in high ly vaccinated popu lat ions. A nd when t he aut hor ment ioned a possible “negat ive ef f icacy” resu lt ing f rom vaccines, wel l, it’s a nybody’s g uess as to what t hat mea ns. But t he invest igat ive, quest ioning spirit of

t he a r t icle rema ins leg it imate. I, too, a m concerned about whet her t hese vaccine ma ndates a re t he right course of act ion for our ca mpus communit y. Because whi le t here have been demonst rated posit ive resu lts of t he vaccine a nd booster policy, I worr y about t he quest ions we’re not ask ing. I worr y about vaccine injuries a nd side ef fects, internat iona l repor ts of which have ra nged f rom debi litat ing to even fata l; I worr y about informed consent, which seems to be a fading not ion; I worr y about t he unclea r, long-term implicat ions of t hese t reat ments ; I worr y about our f riends a nd neighbors a nd relat ives who a re sick, who have died, who a re sca red; I worr y about a world t hat prev iously felt so stable, a nd which now seems so v u lnerable ; I worr y about a l l t his worr y ing, k now ing t hat we a l l have to live our lives aga in, at some point — idea l ly w it hout fea r. If you sha re some of t hese worries, go a head a nd read t he popu la r press, scient if ic journa ls,

on line for ums a nd even t he of f icia l CDC literature in a n ef for t to f ind comfor t. If you’re li ke me, a l l you’l l f ind a re a bunch of words — some of t hem fa ncy-sounding — t hat say litt le or not hing of va lue. It seems t hat t he a n x iet y, f r ust rat ion a nd ever-w idening polit ica l a nd ideolog ica l div ide a mong A merica ns has resu lted in most of us being unable a nd unw i l ling to converse open ly about matters t hat have been deemed ‘sett led’ on a ma inst rea m level. But I’m suggest ing a cooler, more prag mat ic approach to life, especia l ly in t imes of crisis. If you’re reading t his : be open to dia log ue, ask quest ions a nd remember t hat you ca n disag ree w it h someone a nd st i l l be t heir f riend … probably.

Nicholas A. Furnari M.S. in Management ’22 Feb. 7

The observer | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By MATHEUS HERNDL Scene Writer

Last year was an interesting one for music, to say the least, with the world still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With most of the international touring circuits closed since 2020, it was not an ideal time for any artist to release new music, much less a debut album. Luckily for indie alternative rock fans, Black Country, New Road’s debut album, “For the first time,” turned the Cambridge experimental band into a darling of the UK underground scene. After receiving glowing reviews from Pitchfork to NPR, Black Country went from “a band to watch out for” to one of the leading acts in the socalled “Post Brexit-core” scene. Despite being a hilariously nondescript term, “Post Brexit-core” is an established genre with bands, like Black Midi and Squid, that are characterized by their experimentation with traditional rock song structures and blending of genres with an emphasis on post-punk flair. “For the first time” is an album that somehow managed to effortlessly mix post-punk, free jazz improvisation, post-rock song structures, math-rock rhythms and even traditional Jewish Klezmer music into a cohesive masterclass of a rock record. Much of the sonic descriptors of “For the first time” carry over into Black Country’s sophomore release, “Ants

By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer

A while back, I reviewed “Star Wars: Visions” and shared I was deeply underwhelmed with the cluttered stories that the show was attempting to tell. I was also not a fan of the anime style. When I heard there was going to be a show about Boba Fett on Disney Plus, I was skeptical, to say the least. But after finishing “The Book of Boba Fett,” I knew it was miles ahead of “Star Wars: Visions.” That’s saying a lot from a hardcore “Star Wars” fan. The first season of “The Book of Boba Fett” chronicles the events after the 1983 film “The Return of the Jedi.” It tells the story of the green armor-clad Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and mercenary Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) as they assume control over Tatooine. Fett is the supposed “daimyo” (or feudal lord) of Tatooine’s port city, Mos Espa. Along the way, they have to try and gain the people of Tatooine’s trust and fight against the Pyke Syndicate, an organization that illegally deals spice. Ever since Boba Fett “died” in “The Return of the Jedi,” I always wanted to know about him. When he

From Up There.” The album was released four days after frontman and lyricist Isaac Wood announced his departure from the band for mental health reasons. Wood’s spoken-word style of singing and poetic yet cheeky lyrical contributions are the two of the most discussed aspects of their debut album. “Ants From Up There” is more somber and introspective — perhaps a reflection of Wood’s state of mind during the recording of the album and leading up to his departure from the band. As a defining part of Black Country’s unique sound, he will be sorely missed. It’s apparent that “Ants From Up There” is an evolution of the band’s sound. In their sophomore album, Black Country ditches the Slint-influenced math-rock riffs from their debut album, instead opting for the baroquepop stylings similar to Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinois” or Arcade Fire’s “Funeral.” “We joked about being like Arcade Fire,” Wood said in an interview with The Guardian. “... We’ve basically written a new album which sounds like that — straight-up indie.” Unlike their debut, “Ants” frequently employs acoustic instruments, classical orchestration, saxophone and synthesizers that combine to give this record a more timeless and grandiose sound. Their previous songs — like “Athens, France” and “Science Fair” — veer into completely unexpected directions. The new singles, “Concorde” and “Chaos Space Marine,” indicate the band is conforming to a more predictable pop structure

and progression. The production quality of the new album has increased. In some cases, the mixing can be questionable, exemplified by the deafening drums in the final half of “Snow Globes.” However, the band has made more of an effort to ensure every instrument is clear, distinct and energetic to emphasize the album’s ambitious songwriting. Overall, “Ants From Up There” proves that Black Country is far from a one-record wonder. The band continues to show maturity in their songwriting and lyrics by delivering an ambitious and grandiose record that explores the group’s sonic versatility. Although Wood was undoubtedly key to this, his departure presents the band even more opportunities to evolve their music in new and exciting directions.

came back in the second season of “The Mandalorian,” I had questions as to how he even was alive. How could he survive after being swallowed by the Sarlacc? With the first season of “The Book of Boba Fett,” I have my questions answered. The show explores Boba Fett’s backstory from how he survived the Sarlacc pit to how he came to be the daimyo of Tatooine. Here, the relationship between Fett and Shand is clearly chronicled along with more exploration of the Star Wars galaxy underworld. As a fan, I was happy with the crossover between “The Book of Boba Fett” and “The Mandalorian.” In the last three episodes of the season, Fett and Shand team up with Din Djarin (a.k.a. the Mandalorian) to help take down the Pyke Syndicate and assume control of Tatooine. I was also shocked to see another “Star Wars” favorite come on the show — Cad Bane (voiced by Corey Burton, physically played by Dorian Kingi), the blueskinned bounty hunter who sides with Pyke Syndicate. I just loved all the little nods that “The Book of Boba Fett” had in the show towards “The Mandalorian” and “The Return of the Jedi,” especially with the return of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Like every new addition to the “Star Wars” universe,

“The Book of Boba Fett” has issues that cause the show some harm. Even though I praised the flashbacks, they detracted fromw the main story. The directors understandably wanted to provide exposition for Fett’s backstory, but so much of it was packed into the first four episodes that I had to skip most of the flashbacks to get to the point. I also thought that the story was a little cluttered. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed “The Book of Boba Fett.” It really was a breath of fresh air to those who want to know more about the “Star Wars” universe. If you are a huge fan of “Star Wars” and want to know more about Boba Fett, then go watch the first season.

Contact Matheus Herndl at mherndl@nd.edu

“Ants from Up There” Artist: Black Country, New Road Label: Ninja Tune Favorite tracks: “Concorde,” “Chaos Space Marine,” “Basketball Shoes” If you like: Black Midi, Squid, Slint, Lingua Ignota

Contact Nicole at nbilyak@saintmarys.edu

“The Book of Boba Fett” Starring: Temuera Morrison, Ming-Na Wen If you liked: “Star Wars,” “The Mandalorian Where to watch: Disney+

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer | Image sources: THE GUARDIAN, DISNEY+ ORIGINALS, WE GOT THIS COVERED

The observer | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By KATE CASPER Scene Writer

The Minnesota-based indie pop/rock band Hippo Campus released a new album, “LP3,” last weekend — their first full-length project since 2018. The album follows up on the edgier sound and subject matter from their 2021 EP “Good Dog, Bad Dream.” Releasing four singles in advance of the 10-track album, listeners knew what to expect on “LP3” — songs with a mix of gloom and funk, grumbly vocals, gritty production and an exploration of topics beyond romance. “LP3” is the epitome of how Hippo Campus continues to push the boundaries of production and lyricism. Other popular indie bands like Beach Fossils and COIN have sounds that they rarely stray from, but Hippo Campus is constantly reinventing themselves while maintaining the same die-hard fanbase. They do this through their consistency with aesthetics, lyricism and other musical elements. The album starts off with “2 Young 2 Die,” an existentialist song about everyone’s self-perceived invincibility. The synthesizer, use of autotune in the bridge and beat drop, complete with quirky production and trumpets, makes the song feel a bit jarring, but not in a bad way. It only strengthens the ethos of the song,

By ROSE ANDROWICH Scene Writer

Amazon Prime admittedly makes some questionable movies and original series as all streaming platforms do. However “Book of Love” was a genuinely enjoyable movie and one of the better romance movies to watch for the upcoming holiday. In the era of romance films with questionable quality, “Book of Love” is a standout. The plot of the movie is intriguing and easy to love. Henry (Sam Claflin) is a struggling writer who just released his first book, which appears to be failing. He is presumably going to be dropped by his agent until his book becomes a national best-seller in Mexico. Enter Maria Rodriguez, the translator of his novel, who has her own dreams to become a writer, but lacks the time due to juggling many jobs. Something that I loved about this movie was the character of Maria (Veronica Echegui). She is unafraid to say what she means, contrasting her with Henry, who often struggles to find his words. Maria was my personal favorite character, and her role only furthered my enjoyment. Too often when you examine the main characters of romance movies, they are found to be unlikeable. The only character I found unlikeable in this movie was Antonio (Horacio Garcia Rojas), Maria’s estranged husband and

which is about confusion and discerning bigger questions of life. “Blew Its” starts off with a funk sound reminiscent of a Glass Animals track. There is an urgency in the instrumentation, with constant changes in the pacing of the song, paired with frontman Jake Luppen’s smooth vocals. The lyrics seem to describe angst, as shown by lyrics like “Depressive when you’re moody,” which later turns to “Impressive when you’re moody.” The bridge is arguably one of the best I’ve ever heard. It is muffled, yet fast-paced, and the lyrics are hardly audible but for the expletives, which enhance the moody tone of the song. “Ashtray,” starts with a classic Hippo Campus sound, reminiscent of songs from their debut EP “Bashful Creatures.” Complete with sunny, surrealist lyrics like “Asleep at the wheel like a drunk truck driver,” it is clear this song pulls from the artistry evident in the band’s past work. These vivid lyrics contrast with honest, relatable comments like “What’s good for you ain’t always easy.” This song feels self-aware in its lyricism but anthemic in style and sound. It’s one of the best songs on the album. “Boys” is a song inspired by a trip Luppen took to New York after a rough night at a party. This song also explores Luppen’s sexuality, as is evident in the chorus

where he sings “kissing boys.” This is the first Hippo Campus song that explicitly explores queerness, but it’s a theme in “LP3.” In “Semi Pro,” the lyrics “Always played for both teams” is used in the song within the context of an extended metaphor about sports, but could also be referring to the common phrase used to describe sexuality. Beyond these overtones, I find the song to be vivid, vibrant, and fun, as is shown in the storytelling of the chorus, “Got hungover from your words / Same New York, it’s the worst / All these nights are a blur / Going broke, make it rain.” This song encapsulates the feeling of being young, wild and free while figuring yourself out. Editor’s Note: Read the rest of this story on our website.

the father of her son, Diego. Antonio, despite failing to appeal to the audience, made an exceptional villain and a foil within the romance. However, not all the blame was cast on Antonio. Maria becomes upset with Henry for not choosing to trust her, which was an exceptional element to be added to the movie. Henry was rightfully called out for choosing not to believe Maria over a photo. The characters were consistent in what they wanted and in what values were important to them. The changes made were done so for the sake of character development and the flow of the plot. Henry starts out with a certain idea of love, but he realizes the flaw in his view. The highlight of his change in character is its similarity to real life. A common complaint about romance movies is the scenario where main character changes his view within the last five minutes of the movie in order to avoid losing the woman he loves. This is something that is deeply unrealistic, but it still occurs. The fundamental flaw is that this leaves a sense of uncertainty as to whether the change is meant to be trusted. With Henry, his change did not happen overnight. He began to question if his ideas were right and if the journey he took was rewarding to see. In addition to the love story that evolves organically and realistically, the other elements of the plot made the film an enjoyable one to watch. The subplots of the movie were entertaining as well. The book tour was made

enjoyable especially with Maria’s interesting way of translating Henry’s book. She purposely skews the translation until audience members on the tour begin calling her out for it. This makes for a very funny scene where Henry finds out the truth about the book while on a talk show. The road trip scene was one of my favorite ones to watch, especially when Henry attempts to speak Spanish to Diego (Ruy Gaytan). Having the film take place mostly in Mexico with a main character who doesn’t speak Spanish was used in a humorous way throughout, especially in the end scene when Pedro (Horacio Villalobos), Henry’s Mexican book publisher, gives Henry a pre-written speech in Spanish. Because the characters were easy to root for and the storyline was intriguing, I will be giving “Book of Love” four shamrocks.

Contact Kate Casper at kcasper@nd.edu

“LP3” Artist: Hippo Campus Label: Grand Jury Records Favorite tracks: “Ashtray,” “Boys,” “Understand” If you like: Glass Animals, Kid Cudi

Contact Rose at randrowich01@saintmarys.edu

“Book of Love” Starring: Sam Claflin, Veronica Echegui Director: Analeine Cal y Mayor

CLAIRE KIRNER | The Observer | Image sources: CONSEQUENCE, BANDCAMP, YOUTUBE, IMDB

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ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Take domestic matters seriously, and build a future that is full of potential. Stick to a plan, and budget wisely. Consider what’s meaningful. Be mindful of others, but don’t give anyone the right to take you for granted or make you feel bad. Take the initiative to be the master of your domain and the reason for your happiness. Your numbers are 9, 16, 22, 25, 32, 37, 44. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Trust in your instincts, experience and knowledge. Use your talents and resources to get the lowdown on a position or opportunity that is perfect for you. Hash out any concerns you have with someone close to you. Keep the peace. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s up to you to bring about change. Initiate what you want to happen, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the results. Don’t expect everyone to back you. What you learn in the process will help you excel. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Put everything you’ve got into getting ahead. Don’t listen to anyone trying to entice you not to fulfill your dreams or responsibilities. Do what’s necessary, and you will gain respect and benefits for your hard work. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Spread your wings by trying something new and exciting. Engage in something that uses your talents in a fun, unique manner, and you will make a splash that leads to recognition from someone of influence. Love and romance are encouraged. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Protect your ideas and reputation. Don’t expect everyone to play fair. Keep your eyes open, and don’t give anyone information that might incriminate you. Shared expenses will turn into a problem; keep your finances separate. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll have an unusual outlook regarding your relationships with others. Discuss your thoughts, concerns and intentions, and you’ll come to an agreement that can enhance your life and how you move forward. Love and romance are in the stars. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): See what’s happening in your industry; check out something that can contribute to your qualifications, skills, knowledge or experience. Listen to complaints, but don’t give in to anyone trying to make you feel guilty or inadequate. Love and be proud of yourself. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Handle domestic and financial matters carefully. If you let your emotions take over, you are likely to overspend or get involved in a stressful joint venture. Listen to the people you know and trust, not a persuasive salesperson. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Choose your words carefully to avoid misinterpretation. Express your true feelings and what you want and expect from someone close to you. Distance yourself from anyone who promotes indulgent behavior or uses emotional manipulation to mislead you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Implement the changes you want to incorporate into your daily routine. A disciplined approach to fitness, health and taking better care of your finances will push you in the right direction. Share something special with someone you love. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Get organized at home to make life easier. Take care of those less able to do for themselves. The goodness you offer will reflect how others treat you. Stick to the basics, and you’ll have time for what’s important to you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t trust anyone playing mind games. Stick to what you know and trust, and go directly to the source if something interests you. You stand to prosper if you take command. Share your intentions with someone you love. Birthday Baby: You are compassionate, helpful and organized. You are responsible and sensitive.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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The observer | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

SPORTS AUTHORITY

Sports Authority

The worst of the Winter Olympics By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate Sports Editor

Before I begin, let me say this I am not a w inter sports expert. To be honest, I haven’t been skiing since I was five years old and I went snowboarding for the first time last year. I fall ever y time I ice skate and I have never in my life attempted a vast majorit y of the events present in the Winter Oly mpics. However, I do not need to be a good chef to judge good cooking, and I surely do not need to be an Oly mpic athlete to say which events I enjoy watching. A few days ago, my fellow sports w riter Nate Moller w rote his top 11 Oly mpic sports “based on their level of enjoy ment to watch and the athleticism required.” If you haven’t read his column, I highly recommend reading it before continuing w ith mine. Now, if you are any thing like me, you instantly wonder why anyone would rank in the top 11 of any thing. I honestly do not know. It becomes even more questionable when you realize there are only 15 different sports in the Winter Oly mpics. I am sure you do not want to read me go through all 15 Oly mpic sports. Instead I w ill be using my ow n judgment, as well as references to Nate’s column, to complement his ranking of 11 w ith my ranking of the four worst sports in the Oly mpics this year.

4 : Speed skating Notice how this is not short-track speed skating (which after the big crash and drama at the race this past week, sk y rocketed in my enjoyabilit y list). W hile Nate did have shorttrack speed skating (ranked WAY too high in the #1 spot in my opinion), we can both agree that the relay version of the sport is way less interesting to watch. However, it’s at the fourth position because of the speed these indiv iduals can go. As stated before, I can barely skate w ithout falling so the fact that these athletes can stay on their feet while going at these speeds are absurd to me.

land (and sometimes fall). And then the next person jumps and lands (and sometimes falls). You watch it the first time and think “wow that’s crazy who would ever do that.” And the best thing I would recommend afterward is to change the channel to a different event.

2 : Cross-countr y Skiing Now the only reason cross-countr y skiing is ranked above Nordic Combined is the fact that I have actually heard about it before reading Nate’s column. Cross-countr y skiing is the slowest and most boring sport to watch. Don’t get me w rong, I am sure cross-countr y skiing is incredibly hard and you need a lot of strength and endurance to compete, but, I can’t help but yaw n while watching this sport. Finding out that this sport stayed while skijoring, a sport where indiv iduals skied through an obstacle while being pulled by a horse, was taken out of the Oly mpics, is blasphemous.

1: Nordic Combined Each Oly mpics, Nordic Combined gets a total of 5 v iewers. Apparently, one of them works and w rites for the Obser ver. I consider myself an av id Oly mpic watcher. Ever y two years I huddle around the T V w ith my family and friends to watch the top athletes perform. In saying this, I have never heard of Nordic Combined. I thought that I was the only one, this was until I asked a plethora of friends across campus who all said they had no clue what it was. The closest anyone got to the correct event was say ing “Isn’t it skiing and shooting? ” This confusion probably stems from the fact that Nordic Combined is not original and is literally just cross-countr y skiing w ith ski jumping. I can not fathom how Nate came to the conclusion that Nordic Combined is the second most interesting sport to watch. A lso, the feminist in me is screaming that it should not even be included if women are also not allowed to participate.

3 : Ski Jumping Ski jumping is cool to watch, the first time you watch it. Then, it is the same exact thing over and over again. They don’t do tricks or f lips, they just jump and

Contact Olivia Schatz at athoma28@nd.edu. The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Thomas: The Bengals’ blueprint By AIDAN THOMAS Associate Sports Editor

The Cincinnati Bengals stunned the world in 2022. That statement remains true regardless of the result on Sunday night. But the question is: W hat got missed? The Bengals were a near consensus bottom-five or at least bottom-ten team. In what felt like a loaded AFC North, Cincinnati was given barely a chance to crack the seven-team playoff field. Yet, five months later, they’re the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl. They were a four-seed, so they didn’t dominate the season. But somehow, they put together the pieces for a 10-w in season and an extended run of postseason success. So, let’s look at the Bengals’ blueprint. W hat did they do to reach this point and what struggling franchises have the best chance of follow ing the blueprint in the coming years?

Franchise Quarterback This is obv ious enough; the Bengals got their guy in the 2020 NFL Draft in national champion Joe Burrow. An Ohio native, the Bengals pulled in a Heisman Trophy w inner and proven competitor. There were some ideal factors to this situation – such as Burrow being from Ohio and naturally passionate to bring glor y to his home state. But in an era of busts and high-profile draft misses, the Bengals identified their guy and got him. It’s not all you need — just ask the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert. Herbert is one of the best in the league, yet the Chargers sat home from this year’s playoffs. So this is just one step.

borrow a phrase from the Philadelphia 76ers, “Trust the Process.” You are not going to find great success w ith a rebuild w ithout continuit y from the top dow n.

Build Draft

Through

The

This obv iously started w ith Burrow. But the Bengals did a lot of other great things over the span of a few drafts to lock in their Super Bowl-bound roster. From 2016 to 2018, the Bengals snagged Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon and Jesse Bates as second-round picks. From 2019 to 2021, Cincinnati hit on their first-round selections. They grabbed Jonah Williams, who tied for sixth among tack les in sacks-allowed, Burrow and play making threat Ja’Marr Chase. Throw in rookie kicking legend Evan McPherson in the fifth round of the ’21 draft, as well as a few other key contributors, and the Bengals have used astute drafting to hit position of needs and develop this AFC Championship squad.

Special Teams This is a bonus, but not something I expect rebuilding teams to show prowess in it. However, ask the Bengals (and Evan McPherson) or maybe the Green Bay Packers how important it is.

W ho can do it? Here are three possibilities of teams who can model themselves after the Bengals. I only considered teams that posted records of .500 or worse in consecutive years which was a truly pitiful collection of teams to consider. In the end, I picked three I feel could at least best position themselves to follow the Bengals’ model.

Coaching Stability I already hated on the Chargers a bit, but I’m going to do it again. Los Angeles was a prime example of not reaching their ceiling due to a coaching overhaul. W hen you bring in a franchise quarterback or start your rebuild, you’ve got to commit completely and get your guy at the helm too. The Bengals did this w ith Zac Taylor. He was hired in Februar y 2019 and has remained the guy in Cincinnati despite a couple of rock y seasons to start. To

3. Atlanta Falcons The Falcons have a quarterback in Matt Ryan who may be over the hill. However, he lost his top t wo weapons this year which contributed to a dow n season. I don’t think a resurgence is out of the question, and that question may be answered w ith how early Atlanta takes a quarterback in the upcoming draft. Speaking of the draft, their recent successes give me some hope w ith this

pick. Bet ween A.J. Terrell and Kyle Pitts, Atlanta’s past t wo first-round selections are show ing franchiseplayer potential. Throw in some nice value adds lower in their draft classes, and Atlanta can build this roster back up, particularly w ith another top-10 pick this year. Arthur Smith was not inspiring in year 1 as a coach, but he’s improved dow n the stretch, and he kept Atlanta in the playoff hunt despite the midseason loss of their top offensive weapon. At special teams, the Falcons have an elite kicker in Younghoe Koo, which is an important base to building the rest of the allimportant unit. Much of the timeline depends on whether it’s Matt Ryan or a new quarterback leading the resurgence, but I think this team could realistically compete for the postseason next year in a weakened div ision. As for a deep run, it could come sooner from Atlanta than you think. I’m eyeing 2023 and 2024 as seasons in which Atlanta can truly become relevant in the NFC again

2. Jacksonville Jaguars Hear me out. I know they’re a mess right now. But the pieces are there. Don’t crucif y Trevor Law rence — just look at the rookies who threw the most interceptions in their rookie year … it’s a prett y good list. Law rence is not a bust by any stretch and can still be the franchise guy in Jacksonv ille. He also seems to like new head coaching hire Doug Pederson, who has a Super Bowl-w inning pedigree. Pederson coa xed an elite season out of the ver y-not-elite Carson Wentz so I like what he could do for Law rence. Throw in some of Jacksonv ille’s offensive weapons and this offense could develop into a solid unit. I would love to see Jacksonv ille hunt for an impact rookie receiver in the second round this year — we saw what Burrow did w ith that opportunit y. They’ve got the first overall pick again in 2022 w ith the chance to pick up a franchise edge rusher. They could also trade out of it and grab key pieces for their offensive line and secondar y, see THOMAS PAGE 13

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sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | The Observer

Hockey

After Badgers COVID scare, Irish look to stay hot in road-trip to Madison By ANDREW MCGUINNESS Sports Writer

A ll week the Irish have been gearing up for their road series against the Wisconsin Badgers. After COV ID-19 concerns w ithin the Badgers squad resulted in the indefinite postponement of this week’s matchup, the Irish are back on to be in Madison Saturday and Sunday for their two-game series. It’s easy to see how Notre Dame’s hockey team (20-80, 12-6-0-4-0-0 B10) could take things lightly heading into this weekend’s series w ith the Wisconsin Badgers (8-19-3, 5-14-1-2-1-1 B10). Not only are the Badgers near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, but the Irish are almost certain to finish the year fourth in the same standings. They currently sit a whopping 15 points ahead of Penn State, who the Irish conv incingly swept out of Compton Family Ice Arena last weekend. And they’re five points behind a Minnesota team that has a fairly easy schedule (@ Ohio State, @ Penn State, vs. Wisconsin) to finish the year. Both teams can certainly use the opportunit y to earn the extra points. The Irish remain w ithin shouting distance of Minnesota for third in the conference and they can use the weekend to grab some much-needed points. Wisconsin on the other hand is tr y ing to separate itself from the bottom-three pack.

The pack includes Michigan State, Penn State and the Badgers themselves. If they are able to do that, they would secure the easiest possible first-round matchup for themselves. It would take a perfect storm of events for the Irish to have a chance of cracking the conference’s top three, though especially w ith ND’s final regular-season series (Feb. 25-26) coming against the talented Michigan Wolverines. Still, there’s a lot for the Irish to play for heading into their third-to-last regularseason series, at Wisconsin’s Kohl Center. No team in the Big Ten has a better record in their last ten games than Notre Dame’s 8-2 mark. Notre Dame’s three-game w inning streak is tied for first in the conference w ith Ohio State and Michigan. And after a bit of a frustrating series against Minnesota that included their biggest loss of the season (in terms of goal differential) Friday and a blow n 2-0 lead that allowed the Golden Gophers to salvage a point Saturday, the Irish want to keep the good v ibes from last weekend’s excellent efforts rolling for as long as possible. It’s not just that the Irish swept their series against the Nittany Lions, or even just how dominant they were in doing so; outscoring Penn State 10-2 and holding a team that averages nearly 80 shots per series to under 70. There were feel-good stories all around the ice last weekend, w ith a whopping

four players. Freshman left-w inger Justin Janicke, graduate student defenseman Chase Blackmun, freshman for ward Tyler Carpenter and graduate student defenseman Adam Karashik all scored not only their first goals of the season but their first in a Notre Dame sweater. Even w ithout key senior defenseman Nick Leivermann, the Irish played some of their best hockey of the season against the Nittany Lions and were rewarded handsomely for doing so. The series also ser ved as a major step towards figuring out who the Irish w ill keep in goal going for ward. Junior goaltender Ryan Bischel is well on his way to seizing the starter’s job, stopping 67 of 69 (.971 save percentage) over the weekend and recording his second shutout of the season on Saturday. It was enough to earn him the honor of being the Big Ten’s first star of the weekend. Bischel has now started seven of Notre Dame’s last ten games and relived graduate student Matthew Galajda in the first period of last Friday’s game against Minnesota after Galajda allowed three goals on six shots in the first period. Yes, Penn State has throw n a lot of shots on the net and struggled to finish all season; but Bischel has looked locked in for a while now. This is starting to become his crease, assuming it’s not already. It’s been a disappointing season for the Badgers,

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Irish junior forward Trevor Janicke moves down the ice in a 3-2 overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 29 at Compton Family Ice Arena. Janicke scored Notre Dame’s second goal in the first period.

who were predicted to finish third in the conference but have struggled all season and come into the weekend on a six-game losing streak. The Badgers have struggled in both ends of the ice; they’re tied for last in the B10 w ith Michigan State at 62 goals (no other team has fewer than 93) and have also surrendered the most goals against at 102. Starting goaltender Jared Moe has been prett y solid for the Badgers; the Winnipeg Jets prospect has recorded a .915 save percentage in 25 games but has received little goal support. Just six Badgers have reached the 10-point marker this season, less than half the amount of Irish players who have hit the mark (14). Leading the way for Wisconsin offensively is defenseman Corson Cuelemans. A first-round pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer, Cuelemans has been one of Wisconsin’s few bright spots; only t wo other defensemen under 19 in the entire countr y have more points than Cuelemans’ 19. Brock Caufield, the younger brother of Montréal Canadiens for ward Cole Caufield, has also been productive, delivering 16 points so far in his sophomore season. W hile in theor y, the Badgers should have a raw talent advantage over the Irish (Wisconsin has 10 NHL drafted players to Notre Dame’s 9), or at the ver y least be neutral, the Irish appear to have edges in both high-end talent at depth. Four Irish players have more points than Cuelemans’ Wisconsin-leading 19, Notre Dame’s 10 goals last weekend came from ten different goal scorers, w ith ever y for ward line and defensive pairing chipping in offensively at some point over the weekend. That was the formula that led the Irish to a sweep of the Badgers at home on November 13-14, w ith the Irish outscoring Wisconsin by a combined margin of 8-1, w ith seven different players scoring for Notre Dame (Ma x Ellis was the lone player to double-dip). The scar y thing is the scores could’ve been even more lopsided, w ith the Irish outshooting Wisconsin 73-47 over the t wo games. Matthew Galajda did start both games for the Irish and played ver y well in each, so perhaps Jeff Jackson does turn to Galajda once this

weekend to see if he can keep that success going. The Irish and Badgers w ill battle this weekend in Wisconsin on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9 p.m. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@ nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Thomas Continued from page 12

which are bigger needs. A really solid 2022 draft and bounce-back campaign for Trevor Law rence could have this team competing for a div ision title by 2023 or 2024

1. Detroit Lions Look the Lions were not as bad as their record and 2nd overall pick seemed in 2021. They lost a lot of close games, and they’ve got pieces in place. A passionate, offensiveminded head coach? Check. A solid 2021 draft? Yes. The Lions locked in a couple of franchise players on the offensive side of the ball in Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Jared Goff has led a team to a Super Bowl before and certainly wasn’t the problem in 2021, but the Lions could also look to bring in a second or third-round pick at the position. Defense and special teams need to be the upcoming focus for Detroit, but this team is naturally due for a bounceback, given the number of close games they lost. If they don’t lose on two game-winning kicks of 50+ yards this a fivewin team. With improvements, I think they hit seven wins in 2022, and I think this roster could be ready to roll by 2024. Keep in mind that the Bengals really started this process back around 2017. So a 4-5 year timeline is reasonable before we can expect these teams to have the pieces for what the Bengals accomplished. But look for some of these teams to be relevant postseason figures by 2024. The pieces are there, or can be there with proper management, and now it’s about following the Bengals’ blueprint. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu. The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Sports

The observer | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sweet

SPORTS AUTHORITY

Zwiller: Luck can be found everywhere in sports By TOM ZWILLER Sports Writer

I recently came across a tweet from Peter Bukowski, a sports podcaster mainly focused on the Packers, that intrigued me: “The funny thing about the Rams all-in narrative is they mortgaged their future for the 4th seed. It still took a TON of breaks to go their way to win. They’re playing well, credit to them, but it still requires so much luck. Like Jaquiski Tartt dropping an arm punt right to him”. I found this tweet so intriguing because it felt like a knock on the Rams. “They’re playing well credit to them,” felt in part like a “no offense.” No offense, but [insert offensive thing here]. We have all experienced it, and it doesn’t feel too good. The Rams are good, but they’re only here because they’re lucky with a hasty “no offense” added in for good measure. Maybe that wasn’t the point of the tweet, but it sure felt like it. To knock the Rams for 49ers safety Tartt dropping an easy interception in the NFC championship game is a disservice to the Rams. Yes, it was a lucky break, but it happens to everybody. You need only look at the Bengals for

proof of that. Ben Baldwin of The Athletic notes that Cincinatti’s defense has had four interceptions on deflected passes in the last two games. And on top of that, you can look at the Bengals first round playoff opponent in the Raiders. It could have changed if the Chargers had won in the regular season finale, or heaven forbid the two teams had tied. But we aren’t knocking the Bengals for being lucky. Maybe we don’t appreciate luck when we see it in the moment, but luck is certainly involved with every single game. And in reflection, I often feel we miss it because we just look back at games with the knowledge of who wins. Hindsight is 20-20, as they say. I can look back at the Chiefs Super Bowl victory and know that everything turned out okay in the end, despite worrying that Mahomes might not get his first super bowl. As someone who likes to try and quantify everything and look at the insights statistics give us about the game we all love, luck is something that nobody can really quantify. But it certainly is there. Look at Joe Montana. He never threw an interception in the Super Paid Advertisement

Bowl. It honestly might be one of the more interesting stats, a stat that could help his case as the GOAT. However, that stat, too, is luck. In Super Bowl XXIII, with the 49ers down late, the Bengals nearly picked off Montana. On the next play, Montana would tie the game at 13 and later win it for the 49ers. Talk about luck. Nobody is immune to luck in football, not even my personal GOAT, Tom Brady. And it goes both ways. Think back to 2008 when the Patriots played the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The Giants trailed late for those who are too young to remember. On thirdand-five, one of the most miraculous catches in the Super Bowl history happened: the Helmet Catch. Eli Manning could have been sacked, the ball could have been intercepted, or simply fallen incomplete. We could easily be looking back at a Super Bowl that the Patriots win, completing their perfect season. It goes both ways too. In Super Bowl LI, when the Patriots played the Falcons, they trailed with just over 2 minutes in the game. Tom Brady heaved a ball to Julian Edelman, but it was tipped by a Falcons defender. The ball had appeared to hit the ground, but it actually hit a fallen

Falcons defender’s shoe before being caught inches from the ground by Edelman. And the Patriots dynasty got lucky in different ways. In their run to Super Bowl LIII, Tom Brady threw an interception down by four points with less than a minute remaining. The Chiefs looked like they would win the AFC Championship with an exciting young QB named Patrick Mahomes. However, Dee Ford was offsides, giving the Patriots new life. Whether you like it or not, luck plays a role in every game of every sport. The Milwaukee Bucks, the defending NBA champions, were just inches away from not even making the Conference finals. In game seven of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, with just six seconds left. The Nets trail 109-107, and everyone in the world knows where the ball is going. Kevin Durant gets the ball and sinks the three. It’s 110 Nets, 109 Bucks, and the Bucks go home. Or not. In a weird twist of fate, Kevin Durant, who likes to wear sneakers a size too large, had his toe on the line, making it a two-pointer. Instead of winning the game, he had tied it, sending an incredible game seven to OT, where the Bucks would prove the victor. That’s just how sports work sometimes. A shot hits the pipe, the ball rolls into the hoop, the kick double-doinks the uprights, and the home run is snagged by an outfielder who stole a home run and the breath of the crowd. And you don’t have to just take my word for it. Michael Mauboussin, the author of The Success Equation, was able to quantify luck to some extent. He used a statical technique that ranks sports by their respective relation to skill and luck. So, for example, the lottery is pure luck; you just pick numbers or buy a scratcher. Chess is just the opposite; it is pure skill. Behind chess is Basketball, then soccer, then baseball, and finally football. Hockey ends up being the “luckiest” sport, but my point still stands: luck is everywhere in sports and in everyday life too. So don’t knock the Rams for it. Or if you do, you must knock everybody who has ever strapped on a helmet, kicked a ball, or hit a puck. Because as much as we might hate to admit it, sports, have a lot of luck in them. Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Continued from page 16

Sweet w ill seek to continue her success in her final season. As a dominant force on both sides of the ball, she w ill lead the squad as a team captain for her third year in a row. She has proven to be an inf luential player that can help spur the team in the fight against any opponent, and w ith her final season, she w ill greatly contribute to the Irish’s goal of making it to the ACC Championship and the WCWS. There is high potential that Sweet w ill be a popular name this season as fans wait to see what tricks she has up her sleeve to follow her dominant 2021 show ing. Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

Softball Continued from page 16

prepared for. Avoiding injuries and making sure we’re doing the right things to keep us at 100% is something we’ve worked on and will continue to work on this season.” The Bison finished the season last year with a 1218-1 record. The two teams were scheduled to meet last year, but the tournament was canceled. Boston University and Charlotte were both picked to finish first in their respective conferences. “It’s going to be really beneficial for us to go out and get to play these early season tournaments,” Gumpf said. “Last year we had one weekend before we were in ACC play, so having the opportunities to play against opponents from other conferences will be important. The ACC is a gauntlet, so playing these other programs early will really tell us a lot about the team we have in our dugout,” The Irish take on the Bison at 10 a.m. Friday and battle the Terriers following that matchup. On Saturday, the Irish and Terriers take the field at 10 a.m. once again before another contest with the Bison at 5:30 pm. Notre Dame closes the weekend with the host 49ers on Sunday afternoon. Live stats will be available online for all five games, and an audio broadcast will be available for the series finale with Charlotte.

Please recycle The Observer.

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | The Observer

ND Women’s Basketball | 69-53

ND MEN’s basketball | 63-57

Notre Dame bounces back against Miami By J.J POST Sports Writer

Notre Dame women’s basketball bounced back from a weekend loss to Florida State Thursday night, taking down Miami 69-53 at Purcell Pavilion. In a reversal of the Irish’s defeat at the hands of Florida State, it was a big third quarter that broke the game open for Niele Ivey and co., and didn’t doom them. Though the Irish led with relative comfort through the first and second frames, their pace often seemed sluggish and Miami was able to hit a number of key shots to stem momentum. But slowly, thanks to a double-double by graduate student forward Maya Dodson and a 21-point performance by sophomore forward Maddy Westbeld, Notre Dame battled their way to a 20-point lead that they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the night. Notre Dame’s defense was locked in all night, holding Miami to just 11 points in three of the four quarters of the contest. “I felt like after Sunday I really focused on talking about our energy defensively, and our intensity for all 40 minutes. As you saw vs. Florida State, we were down 18 at the eight-minute mark, and we cut it to a one-possession game. So we’re capable, and we talked about doing that for 40 minutes. We played a little bit of zone and I thought they were really focused defensively, and understood the energy needed to start from the beginning and needed to happen on the defensive end as well,” Ivey said on her

squad’s defensive performance. Notre Dame also impressed down low, as the Irish outscored the Hurricanes 34-16 in the paint. Ivey stressed it as aspect of her team’s game that she’s been attempting to cultivate and it came to fruition Thursday night. “It’s something I stress all the time — in transition I want to run the floor, get to the post, find a mismatch. I’m always stressing that I want to score more inside. I want paint points; I want to utilize our size. I feel like we can space the floor, use our scorers on the perimeter, but I always want to establish our inside game. So that’s always part of our game, and I was happy that we did that today,” Ivey said. Looking forward, the Irish will now head to Kentucky to face off against a nationally ranked Louisville Cardinals side. The Irish fared well in their other contest against the only other team currently above them in the ACC standings, as just last week Notre Dame notched a statement win over North Carolina State at home. If the Irish were to follow up that landmark upset with a win over Louisville, on the road in front of a hostile environment, it would be a major statement about the team’s intentions to compete for the ACC title, in both the regular season and tournament, as well as their ability to match up with the best of the best come time for March Madness. Ivey was quick to note the benefit the Irish’s earlier clash against North Carolina State

will provide the team heading into a game with such a tough opponent. “We’re just going to go in there with a dog mentality, a road warrior mentality,” Ivey said. “That’s the number one thing. We want to come in, regardless of what they do, with that confidence, like we came out against North Carolina State. We have to raise our game to a higher level. So we understand going into the game it’s going to be an incredible matchup and we’re ready. We’ve had an incredible schedule, the ACC is super tough, and we’re definitely ready for this challenge. We’re excited about it and I just want us to come out with that swag and [winning] mentality, that no matter where we are we’re going to be one unit and we’re going to play hard and play with confidence.” Westbeld stressed carrying their mentality from Thursday’s victory into the weekend as much as the oncourt performance: “We just need to keep that resilience and that warrior mentality. That’s something that in road games we take for granted, and I think we have to go in and keep our heads down and go to work. Just do what we know how to do,” she said. The game tips off on Sunday at 2 p.m., at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville against the Cardinals. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.

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

ANYA RUFFINO | The Observer

Irish graduate student forward Maya Dodson lays the ball up over a Syracuse defender during an 83-62 win over the Orange on Jan. 27 at Purcell Pavilion. Dodson finished with 13 points.

Irish survive Cardinals By LIAM COOLICAN Associate Sports Editor

Once again, Notre Dame didn’t make it easy. The Irish led by as many as 14 in the second half before allow ing Louisv ille to climb back into the game, but as they so often have this season, Mike Brey’s team came through when it mattered most. Notre Dame (17-7, 10-3 ACC) temporarily took sole possession of first place in the ACC w ith the 63-57 v ictor y. “This group has show n great character, being in tough spots and being able to finish games,” Brey said. Louisv ille (11-13, 5-9 ACC) had all the momentum when they took a 55-54 lead on an alley-oop slam w ith 6:14 to play which silenced the crowd at Purcell Pav ilion. After a timeout, Notre Dame responded, going on an 8-0 run capped by a three-pointer from senior guard Prentiss Hubb which effectively sealed the game. It was a poor shooting night for Hubb, including t wo three-point attempts that didn’t even touch the rim in the first half. He’s often the player w ith the ball in his hands when the Irish need a basket most, and he came through again Wednesday night. “He can shoot t wo airballs in the first half and then he can put the dagger in you,” Brey said. “Prentiss makes us believe.” The Irish were w ithout senior for ward Nate Laszewski, who suffered a knee injur y early in Saturday’s w in over North Carolina State, breaking his streak of 34 consecutive games started. Brey used a six-man rotation for most of the contest; sophomore for ward Matt Zona received just t wo first-half minutes. “I think this group’s physically tough,” Brey said. “They’re prett y mentally tough too.” In Laszewski’s absence, graduate student for ward Paul Atkinson, Jr. continued his string of strong performances. He led the Irish w ith 17 points and both teams w ith a career-high 15 rebounds while play ing more than 37 minutes. Atkinson had been named ACC player of the week on Monday. “[In] the second half, I just thought, ‘We’ll use a timeout if we really need to rest him,’” Brey said.

“I didn’t think he’d come out.” Senior guard Dane Goodw in added 16 for the Irish, and freshman guard Blake Wesley chipped in w ith 11. Notre Dame jumped out to a 12-point halftime lead, thanks in part to Louisv ille’s shooting woes. The Cardinals shot just 33% from the field and 17% from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. However, the Cardinals made some key adjustments at halftime and worked the ball inside against Notre Dame’s four-guard lineups to great success. They steadily chipped away at the deficit and finally took the lead after the alley-oop capped a 12-2 run, but Notre Dame’s defense clamped dow n after a timeout. The Cardinals didn’t score again for nearly six minutes, at which point Notre Dame’s lead was insurmountable. A driv ing lay up from senior guard Trey Wertz gave the Irish the lead back w ith 04:31 left in the game, and they wouldn’t relinquish it. Notre Dame has now won three in a row and 13 of their last 15 dating back to Dec. 20. “W hen you’re the coach and you can ride that, and they have ow nership, and they believe, it’s really cool to be around,” Brey said. “My motto is, ‘Don’t screw them up coach, don’t screw them up. Don’t over-coach them.’” The Irish now head south to face Clemson (12-12, 4-9 ACC) on the road on Saturday night. The Irish have a conference-leading five league w ins on the road. “They love play ing on the road,” Brey said. “They like quieting crowds, there’s a little bit of cockiness about them on the road.” Notre Dame has never won an ACC regular-season championship since they joined the conference in 2012. “W hen we were 3-1, we started talking about the regular-season championship,” Brey told his team. “Let’s believe that this is part of that. This is fate, this is our destiny.” Saturday’s game is scheduled to tip-off from Clemson at 7 p.m. and will be aired on the ACC network. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

The observer | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Softball

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer | Photos Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish open season at Green and Gold Classic Observer Staff Report

This weekend Notre Dame softball opens its season at the Green and Gold Classic in Charlotte, NC where they will play five games against Bucknell, Boston University and hosts Charlotte. To close the 2021 season, the Irish fell 7-0 and 4-0 to regional No. 1 Kentucky in the NCA A Regional final. Notre Dame finished last year with a 33-15 overall record and went 20-10 in conference play, but fell in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament to Virginia Tech. However, the Irish return seven of nine position players from that squad, along with two of their top pitchers in graduate student Alexis Holloway and senior Peyton Tidd. Holloway tossed 125.1 innings, striking out 111 batters. Tidd led the team w ith 131.1 innings and 15 w ins. The Irish also add highlytouted freshman Shannon Becker to the staff. “Our objective this year is to w in the ACC, a regional title and make our way to Ok lahoma Cit y. It is the same

objective we have had for a long time and we are confident and just really excited about our team going into the season,” Holloway said in an email to The Obser ver. On the offensive side, graduate student outfielder Abby Sweet will again look to lead the Irish. Last year, Sweet led the ACC with an outstanding 0.445 batting average, adding five home runs and 20 stolen bases. Senior outfielder Emma Clarke will also look to build on a strong season. She batted 0.404 last year. Sophomore infielder Karina Gaskins also was outstanding in her first year with the Irish, leading the team with 10 home runs. While the Irish will certainly be among the favorites in the conference this year, head coach Deanna Gumpf said avoiding injuries will be key to the team’s success. “The biggest challenge for any team in any year is staying healthy,” she said in an email. “Every team is two to three injuries away from not having the season they’ve

see SOFTBALL PAGE 14

All-American Sweet seeks to continue success in her final season with Irish EMILY DEFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

With their first game on the horizon, Notre Dame softball enters the 2022 season w ith a wealth of talent and high aspirations. After a strong show ing during an uncertain 2021, the Irish seek to capitalize on their successes and utilize new members of the team to enhance their performance. One of these key returning players is graduate student Abby Sweet, who was named the Obser ver’s Women’s Athlete of the Year at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. The outfielder walked away w ith A ll-ACC First Team honors and was named a USA Softball Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist, among other accolades. Sweet is taking advantage of her extra year of eligibilit y to have one more year in an Irish uniform, and her contribution w ill be v ital to Notre Dame’s success this season. “Our primar y objective this year is to be a ver y consistent team throughout the entire season. On top of

that, this team is hungr y to w in an ACC Championship and to advance to a Super Regional and the WCWS,” Sweet said in an email. “I’m most looking for ward to spending my last year of college softball w ith my favorite people in the world. Hav ing an extra year of eligibilit y is an absolute gift and I’m going to soak in ever y moment this year.” Sweet has proven herself both in the field and in the batter’s box. She led the ACC in batting average last season (.455), which also caused her to have a high on-base percentage. She ranked second in the ACC and No. 19 in the countr y at .547 and scored, on average, .91 runs-per-game. As if that wasn’t enough, she was also the second-toughest ACC player to strike out. In fact, she matched the NCA A Div ision I singlegame hit-by-pitch record w ith four HBP against NC State last season, contributing to her time on base. “Abby Sweet is one of the top outfielders in the countr y. She led the ACC in batting average last season and she w ill be another key

cog in our offensive machine this season,” head coach Deanna Gumpf said in an email. “Not to be overlooked, she’s a tremendous defensive outfielder. Her reads off the bat, instincts and routes to f ly balls have saved countless runs for our pitchers. She’s also a great leader, which is why she’s been a team captain ever y year since 2020.” She was also named ACC Player of the Week three times last season. The first came in late Februar y after she posted 20 total bases, four doubles, t wo triples, a home run and nine runs over the course of t wo days at the Libert y Classic. Her batting average that weekend was .529, topping her average on the season. The second followed the weekend series against North Carolina, in which she further improved her batting average to .714. In that series, she also stole t wo bases. The final came against Valparaiso and NC State, where Sweet batted .600 that week. In one of the games, she was hit by a pitch w ith each at bat. see SWEET PAGE 14