Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, February 2, 2022

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Volume 56, Issue 43 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

University endowment returns net 53.2% Annual report released by Notre Dame says endowment pool reached $20.3 billion in June 2021 Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story appeared online on Monday, Jan. 31.

Notre Dame’s endow ment returned a net 53.2% for the fisca l year that ended June 30, according to the 2021 annua l report released by the Universit y. The endow ment’s year-end market va lue ended at $20.3 billion, the report said.

The endow ment pool’s return for the last fisca l year was the second-highest

one-year return in its histor y, driv ing net assets up from nearly $14.5 billion at the beginning of the fisca l year to $21.48 billion as of June 30. The 2021 fisca l year’s return nearly doubled the strategic policy portfolio’s 28.3% return, which acts as the interna l benchmark for the endow ment pool.

“Endow ment funds, the payout from which prov ides a critica l stream of see ENDOWMENT PAGE 5

Courtesy of University of Notre Dame 2021 Annual Report

In fiscal 2021, the Endowment Pool percent return shown in light blue nearly doubled the Strategic Policy Portfolio returns shown in gold, the University’s internal benchmark for endowment investment returns.

Callisto resource partners Sophomores with Notre Dame create math band

By EMMA DUFFY News Writer

Notre Dame student government began pushing to bring the Ca llisto sexua l v iolence sur v ivor support program to the Universit y in 2017. This Januar y, the effort paid off.

A lthough Ca llisto was informa lly involved in the Universit y communit y for a few years, the sexua l v iolence sur v ivor support program became a an officia l Notre Dame partner Friday, Jan. 21.

The Ca llisto program is available beginning this semester to aid sur v ivors of sexua l v iolence.

Junior Pey ton Nielsen, student government director of gender relations, said she hopes Ca llisto w ill collaborate w ith administration and campus organizations.

“We’re gonna develop a relationship w ith administration, then tr y to figure out a way that different organizations like the GRC or the UCC can offer Ca llisto a longside their other resources they have,” Nielsen said.

Ca llisto aims to ma ke it easier for v ictims of sexua l v iolence to come for ward about their experience.

NEWS PAGE 3

Primarily, the program prov ides sur v ivors w ith an opportunit y to w rite confidentia l journa ls, rather than an officia l report, about instances of sexua l v iolence.

“It’s completely encr y pted and safe and no one has access to that unless you choose to give them access.

So there’s no risk to creating an entr y, which I think is rea lly important because I feel like a lot of people look back and say they w ish they w rote this dow n,” Nielsen said. “It’s a lot of information that k ind of disappears over the years because of trauma responses.”

Time is not a problem w ith Ca llisto, Nielsen added. No matter how long ago the crime occurred, v ictims can still w rite an entr y.

“You don’t have to have something happen to you now to create an entr y … it’s not too late to report,” Nielsen said. “The entr y system is rea lly accommodating to people who don’t k now a ll of the details.”

Ca llisto puts the emphasis on helping the sur v ivor.

Their purpose is to aid the hea ling process more than to focus on punitive measures. “[The goa l is] to power the sur v ivors indiv idua lly

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

because they should be the main focus. Like whether that is through just the menta l hea lth resources that have or w ith the lega l options counselors,” Ca llisto program lead Lane Obringer said.

Supporting the menta l hea lth of these indiv idua ls is imperative to the focus of Ca llisto. A iding in proper recover y is a founding principle to the institution. To a llow people to recover more effectively, Ca llisto gives 10 hours of free lega l adv ice — a ll of which is confidentia l.

Ca llisto a lso aims to help v ictims understand the role of Title I X in cases of sexua l v iolence.

“The Universit y of Notre Dame’s Title I X website is this ver y, ver y long document. It goes through a bunch of different things but they’re w ritten in more lega l terms. So the lega l option can k ind of wa lk through each of those, see what they look like,” Obringer said.

Obringer added that the data clearly shows the repeat offenders are something to be concerned about.

“90% of sexua l assaults see CALLISTO PAGE 4

SCENE PAGE 9

By CLAIRE REID News Writer

“I want to emphasize that it definitely started as a joke,” sophomore Honors Math major and Chicago native Madeline Kosobuck i said lightheartedly about the new sophomore math band.

Kosobuck i is a member and socia l media manager for Heine Borel and the Finite Subcovers, a new band made up of nine sophomores in the Honors Math major that

performed at Student Union Board’s AcoustiCafé show Thursday night in Duncan Student Center.

The band began one afternoon last fall when the sophomores had t wo mathematics exams on the same day. After the exams, they gathered in a classmate’s dorm room to hang out and unw ind. Many brought their instruments, and the gathering quick ly turned into a jam session. see MATH BAND PAGE 4

Welsh Fam Hall hosts Dance Fest

By KATE ROSS News Writer

Welsh Family Ha ll’s signature event, Dance Fest, returns to campus in person this weekend for the first time in t wo years follow ing COVID-19 complications.

Performances from 11 different dance groups on campus w ill ta ke place Friday and Saturday night starting at 7 p.m.

HOCKEY PAGE 16

in Washington Ha ll.

Admission is $ 5 at the door, or at the LaFortune box office, w ith a ll proceeds going toward Unit y Gardens, a net work of communit y gardens increasing access to hea lthy, loca lly grow n food throughout South Bend.

Hanna h Long, a sophomore computer engineering student liv ing in see DANCE FEST PAGE 5

MEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE 16

2

TODAY

The observer | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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If you were given the chance to make your one wish come true, what would it be?

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Ryan Campbell

Dastan Tursaliev

junior Dillon Hall

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“To ride my pet Tyrannosaurus Rex like a stallion.”

“No more permacloud.”

Paolo Mazzara

Cade Sasse

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“You a merry Christmas.”

“That guy’s beard.”

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“Snow day.”

“Pictures of Spider-man.”

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

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Today’s Staff News

Sports

Maggie Eastland Isa Sheikh Bella Laufenberg

Emily DeFazio

Graphics Makayla Hernandez

Photo

Scene

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

The students of Notre Dame eagerly await the opening of Chick-fil-A in early February as construction continues next to Modern Market in Duncan Student Center. The glow of the sign can be seen as a beacon of hope for fanatics of the restaurant.

The next Five days:

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Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

100 Years of “Ulysses” 102 Hesburgh Library 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Celebrate James Joyce’s classic book.

“Teaching Feminist Theory in Lahore” Virtual 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Lecture on feminist theory in Pakistan.

“Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars” Jordan Auditorium 10:40 a.m. - noon Lecture with astronaut Eileen Collins.

“Who do we say we are?” Irish Art 1922 Snite Museum of Art 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Come to the opening event of a new gallery.

Women’s Tennis Vs. Yale Eck Tennis Pavilion 11 a.m.

Come and cheer on the team.

“Velorio” Book Launch 232 Decio Hall 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Book available for purchase at the event.

“Addressing the Soul Sickness of Racism” Carroll Auditorium 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Free lecture, open to the public.

Confession Offer in Duncan W208 Duncan Student Center noon - 1:30 p.m.

All are welcome.

Track & Field: Meyo Invitational 2022 Loftus Sports Center all day Students can enter with valid ID.

Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Everyone is invited to celebrate mass.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | The Observer

3

DIANE PARK | The Observer

The Notre Dame abortion debate goes to D.C.

By UYEN LE From the Archives Researcher

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story appeared online on Monday, Jan. 31.

Editor’s Note: This is the second story in a two-part From the Archives series depicting the navigation of abortion issues at Notre Dame. The first part was published Monday, Jan. 31.

The abortion debate proved to be as relevant and emergent as ever when the Women’s March and the March for Life both occurred on the same day, Jan. 19, 2019, in Washington, D.C. There was Notre Dame representation at both of these marches. In this second installment, From the A rchives examines Notre Dame’s first official studentorganized effort and experience to attend the Women’s March and explores how t wo seemingly disparate communities on campus voiced their beliefs and found reinv igoration on the issue of abortion in D.C. Two marches. One weekend

Jan. 23, 2019 | Erin Swope | Researched by Uyen Le Jan. 18, 2019 | Marie Fazio and Colleen Fischer | Researched by Uyen Le On the night of Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, t wo sets of buses jammed full of students and Notre Dame communit y members departed from Notre Dame, beginning a 10-hour journey to Washington, D.C. Sixteen buses carried 850 people to the annual March for Life, which has become a cherished tradition for the anti-abortion communit y on campus.

However, there was one bus filled w ith about 40 students that was headed to a different event occurring the same day: The third-annual Women’s March.

Though Notre Dame students had attended prev ious Women’s Marches, 2019 was the first year when Notre Dame students coordinated a formal trip to the event. It was a ground-up movement: Student Rachel Ingal (‘21) had reached out to College Democrats the prev ious semester to sponsor the event.

From there, Ingal and other motivated students, including Jack Grogan (‘19) and Patrick McCabe (‘21), started their work in planning a successful

journey to D.C. McCabe (‘21) expressed surprise at the over whelming interest in attending the Women’s March.

“We were definitely shocked by the level of interest that we found in this event because it was definitely something that we started from the ground up. We sent out an interest form last month just to see if there would be enough people interested to go,” he said. “We put it out at 8 p.m. and by midnight we had 138 responses, and by the end of the next day we had 250.”

Attendants found the messages of inclusiv it y and intersectionalit y to be prevalent at the Women’s March, as speakers at the March came from diverse backgrounds.

“There were a lot of speakers‚ whether it was from Standing Rock, transgender, Latina, there were so many different perspectives and speakers and I think there were a lot of people who were there and came to March for women’s rights,” Ingal noted. “But they were also there to learn about the perspectives of other members of the communit y. I think that there really were a lot of people learning how to develop an inclusive definition of women’s rights.”

A successful endeavor, Notre Dame’s presence at the Women’s March was a step towards elevating women’s issues and rights on campus.

“I think in general, our

mission is to facilitate a loud, feminist progressive voice on this campus often in contrast w ith other voices that we hear on this campus,” Grogan said.

“And I just don’t think there has been that sort of institutional vehicle in the past to elevate those voices.”

Additionally, Grogan obser ved how the Women’s March was heightening narratives and perspectives that had been overshadowed by the values espoused in the March for Life.

“I think that last year and this year we saw, sort of, the March becoming more consistent and permanent presence in the D.C. universe, which is something that obv iously the March for Life has had for several decades now and I think the Women’s March is starting to gain that kind of traction year after year,” Grogan said. “… I have seen a greater sense of legitimacy.”

Despite ex isting for decades before the Women’s March, the 2019 March for Life sought reinvention and rev italization by placing religion into dialogue w ith science and other disciplines, embracing the theme “Unique from day one: pro-life is pro-science.”

“A lot of people often think of the pro-life movement as a really religious movement, and sure, there are a lot of religious people w ithin the movement, but it’s not only animated by the religious background of its members but also by science,

by reason, by philosophy and all sorts of disciplines that go into creating a holistic v iew of the pro-life position,” Matt Connell (‘19), v ice president of communications for the executive board of the Right to Life Club, said.

Many students on the March for Life voiced their dedication to the anti-abortion movement.

“I am ver y passionate about being pro-life and understanding the real reasons, and how to argue w ith someone who is pro-choice. [It] is ver y important and I feel like you learn a lot of information by going on a trip like this,” Rachel Ledyard (‘22) said. “I also feel like there is power in numbers and it is amazing how many people show up to events like this and how moving that is.”

“There’s a lot of really serious attacks on life in our nation and around the world, chief among them abortion,” Connell ref lected. “It’s really important to bear w itness to the dignit y to ever y human life and remind people what a gift it is to have life.”

Though the two marches seemed to uphold different values, student accounts challenge this assumption, as both marches advocate for the protection of v ulnerable communities and promote human dignit y.

“The Women’s March is important to me because it brings attention to the injustices

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suffered not only by women, but also by racial minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ communit y,” William Sheriff (‘22) said in an email.

Similarly, Morgan Chichester (‘20), president of the Saint Mar y’s group Belles for Life, remarked that the March for Life “is shining a light on the issue of abortion, but is also promoting the beaut y and dignit y of life to be valued. It is shining a light on it, it’s getting people together to create change whether that is legislatures or just in people’s hearts.”

The Women’s March and the March for Life in 2019 reminds us that there is always space for conversation. That weekend, many students chose simultaneously to stand up for their beliefs and to educate themselves more about the issues that they are passionate about. They chose to listen to intimate stories and to advocate for the most marginalized communities, while also engaging in dialogue w ith people who held different beliefs.

Though some might look back and see that weekend as a div isive time in Notre Dame’s histor y, that weekend also affirmed the resilience, v ulnerabilit y and compassion of Notre Dame students, all traits we should applaud and strive toward.

Contact Uyen Le at hle2@ nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Math Band Continued from page 1

“From t here we were l i ke, ‘Wou ld n’t a f u n ny na me for a ba nd be Hei ne Borel a nd t he Fi n ite Subcovers ? ’” reca l led Jack Herzog, a not her ba nd member. “A nd t hen we sa id, ‘W hat if we made t h is a n act ua l ba nd, a nd t hen we act ua l ly sig ned up for Acoust iCa fé a nd put on a n act ua l per for ma nce toget her? ’” T h is is exact ly what t hey d id. Hei ne Borel took t he stage at 10 p.m. T hu rsday a nd opened w it h a rend it ion of Bi l ly Joel’s “Pia no Ma n” t hat feat u red t h ree melod icas, a n i nst r u ment t hat is a hybr id bet ween a ha r mon ica a nd a keyboa rd. Classics l i ke “Sweet Ca rol ine,” Da r ius Rucker’s “Wagon W heel” a nd Jack Joh nson’s “Upside Dow n” fol lowed.

“It was one of t he most f u n t h i ngs I’ve done at Not re Da me,” Herzog sa id. “Gett i ng to see so ma ny people com i ng out to suppor t us a nd just t he energ y on stage perfor m ing w it h f r iends was i ncred ible.”

In t r ue mat h major fashion, a f r iend of Herzog’s a nd member of t he Mat h Club cou nted over 100 people — includ i ng t he ba nd’s Honors Ca lcu lus 3 a nd 4 professor, a h ig h l ig ht of t he n ig ht for t he g roup — in attenda nce.

“We had so ma ny more people come t ha n we were ex pect i ng,” Kosobuck i sa id. “[It] was so a ma zi ng, especia l ly how involved ever yone was in si ng ing a long a nd sh in i ng t hei r f lash l ig hts … T hat rea l ly made us feel l i ke we’re doi ng somet h i ng cool.”

The ba nd concluded t he per for ma nce iron ica l ly w it h Ji m my Bu f fett’s

Callisto Continued from page 1

in college are committed by repeat offenders, and then those offenders will commit up to six times in college,” Obringer said.

To combat the issue of repeat offenders, victims have the option to enter a matching pool when inputting information about the assault. This pool will give alerts when the same offender is mentioned more than once. Callisto also has an intricate system in place to ensure there are no false matches, such as allowing victims to input the offenders’ social media as a crosscheck.

“The matching portal uses non-identifiers for perpetrators,” Obringer said. “For

CLAIRE REID | The Observer

Heine Borel band members Bill Kim (left to right), Anthony Masso-Rivetti and Gabe Sargent pose with their melodicas while practicing for an AcoustiCafé performance Thursday night.

1999 comed ic mat h-hati ng a nt hem “Mat h Su k s.”

T he members of Heine Borel cer ta i n ly enjoy a good joke. In fact, t he na me of t he ba nd itself is a pu n. T he f i rst pa r t comes f rom a mat hemat ica l t heorem, ba nd member A nt hony Masso-R ivett i ex pla i ned.

“T he Hei ne Borel t heorem basica l ly states t hat a ny closed a nd bou nded set i n a rea l vector space is compact,” he sa id.

“One of t he cha racter ist ics of a compact set is t hat a ny open cover has a f i n ite subcover.”

He added t hat t he second ha lf of t he ba nd’s na me is what ma kes it hu morous to t hose who u ndersta nd h ig h-level mat hemat ics.

“Basica l ly, it’s redu nda nt,” he sa id. “Hei ne Borel a nd f i n ite subcover a re t he sa me t h ing mat hemat ica l ly.”

example, my perpetrator was John Smith. I would not type in John Smith because there are millions of John Smiths in the world”.

Callisto will be hosting several table events in Duncan Student Center during the next couple weeks where students will be handing out forms about Callisto along with GrubHub gift cards.

There will also be information given out at dorm hall councils for both male and female dorms. Callisto information can also be found at the Gender Resource Center. Clubs that would like to have a presentation about Callisto at an event or meeting can reach out to Peyton Nielsen or Lane Obringer.

Documenting an instance of sexual violence is not an

A s t he ba nd act ua l ly bega n to ta ke shape, it beca me appa rent t hat t he sophomores not on ly sha re a passion for mat hemat ics but a re u n iversa l ly musica l ly ta lented.

Even Kosobuck i, t he on ly member w it hout pr ior musica l ex per ience, has since picked up t he ta mbou r ine a nd played it in one song du r ing t he per for ma nce.

Masso-R ivett i, who pa rt icipated in orchest ra in h ig h school a nd has been play ing v iola since second g rade, lends t hose ta lents to t he ba nd. He a lso recent ly picked up t he melod ica.

“It was fa irly easy to lea r n because I had played pia no for about seven yea rs pr ior to t hat,” he sa id.

A s a singer in t he ba nd, Herzog a lso d raws on extensive musica l ex per ience.

“I’ve been in some sor t of choir prett y cont inuously since f if t h g rade,” he sa id.

“I’m cu r rent ly in t he Fol k Choir here.”

Heine Borel a lso feat u res musicia ns ta lented in g u ita r, pia no, f lute a nd cel lo.

A lt houg h t he ba nd cu r rently has no for ma l pract ice t imes, t he members see each ot her ever y day.

“We pract iced as we were prepa r ing t he per forma nce,” Herzog sa id. “But we have enoug h classes toget her a nd work on homework as a g roup enoug h t hat even if it’s not a n of f icia l ba nd event, members of t he ba nd a re gat her ing, a nd it comes up in conversat ion event ua l ly.”

Kosobuck i ag reed it is t he st rong sense of com mu n it y a mong t he Honors Mat h majors t hat made Heine Borel possible. “[The major] w in nowed dow n f rom l i ke 40 to on ly 10 of us lef t, so I feel li ke we’ve gotten closer t h roug h

t hat a nd going t h roug h t he classes as ha rd as t hey a re,” she sa id. “We’re forced to st ick toget her.”

Cu r rent ly, t he ba nd is look ing for more venues a nd events to per for m at a nd pla ns to hold a concer t in Hayes-Hea ly Ha l l in t he nea r f ut u re. Deta i ls about ot her possible upcom ing per for ma nces w i l l be fou nd on Instag ra m @hei ne_ borel _ nd as t hey become ava i lable. Heine Borel’s nex t con f i r med per for ma nce w i l l be at Acoust iCa fé on T hu rsday, Apr i l 7 at 10 p.m.

“If we have a n aud ience as engaged as t he f irst one, I t h in k t hat’d be fa ntast ic,” Herzog sa id. “It was a l ready above a nd beyond ou r ex pectat ions, so just to get back to t hat wou ld be incred ible.”

Contact Claire Reid at creid4@ nd.edu

KATIE WERNER | The Observer

Student body president Allan Njomo addressed the Callisto sexual assault prevention and protection tool, which has now partnered with Notre Dame, in his state of the student union address in April 2021. easy step for anyone to take, Nielsen and Obringer said, but the purpose of Callisto is to make it less challenging and intimidating for those who have

been harmed.

“It only works if people use it and use it in longevity,” Nielsen said.

“It never hurts to write

down your added .

story,”

Obringer

Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu

News

Dance Fest Continued from page 1

Welsh Family Ha ll, organized this event w ith super v ision from Sophia Aguilar, Welsh Family assista nt rector a nd t h i rd-yea r law st udent.

T he Da nce Fest is a Welsh Fa m i ly t rad it ion for ma ny yea rs, exclud i ng 2020 when t he event d id not ta ke place due to t he COVID-19 pa ndem ic.

“It’s a g reat way to showcase t he ta lent we have here,” Ag u i la r sa id.

“We have a rea l ly d iverse set of sk i l ls a nd hobbies on ou r ca mpus a nd we’re so excited to showcase some of t hose for a good cause.”

Eleven g roups a re set up to per for m du r i ng t he t wo-day event, sha k i ng out to about eig ht or n i ne g roups each n ig ht.

One of t he pa r t icipa nts, t he Ba l l room Da nce Club, per for ms Sat u rday n ig ht.

T he club w i l l show t h ree to f ive da nces wh i le sw itchi ng pa r t ners bet ween each da nce.

Sen iors members of t he Ba l l room Da nce Club Dav id Flem i ng a nd Jessa m i ne Kueh n Members sa id t hey decided to perfor m i n t he Da nce Fest as a pa r t because t hey wou ld love to show t he Not re

Endowment Continued from page 1

annua l operating resources for financia l aid and other mission-related programs, are by far the main beneficiar y of the [Endow ment] Pool’s performance, but the return a lso augments charitable

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | The Observer

Da me com mu n it y how fun ba l l room da nci ng ca n be a nd hopef u l ly recr u it new members to t he club.

T h is event a lso g ives t hei r cu r rent members a n oppor t u n it y to per for m, especia l ly si nce most of t hei r away compet it ions have been ca nceled t h is yea r, Kueh n sa id.

A i r r ia l Tutton, a jun ior l iv i ng i n Pasquer i l la West Ha l l a nd a member of t he K-pop da nce g roup on ca mpus, w i l l a lso be per for m ing at Da nce Fest.

Tutton sa id t he club sig ned up for Da nce Fest because t hey love t he ent husiasm a nd sense of commu n it y t hat comes f rom per for m ing.

T he g roup will per for m a h ig h energ y da nce to a mash up of si x d if ferent K-pop songs on Fr iday a nd Sat u rday n ig ht.

Tutton sa id she hopes t he crowd will feed of f t he da ncers’ energ y a nd excitement.

She sa id she is “a lways excited to see what ot her people a re br i ng i ng to t he table,” i n t he da nce com mu n it y a nd t h in k s t h is event will get t he creat ive ju ices f low i ng, especia lly for t hose who enjoy choreog raph ing pieces.

remainder trusts and assets held on beha lf of the Universit y’s religiousa ffiliates invested in the Pool,” the report read.

The endow ment pool has consistently outperformed the Universit y’s strategic benchmark over the past t wo decades, w ith the fiveyear return of 17.4% and 20-year return of 10.6%

Th is w i l l be t he f irst t ime most cu r rent residents in Welsh Fa m i ly a nd t he Not re Da me com mu n it y w i l l be able to w it ness t he event to its f u l l ex tent. Two yea rs ago, t he Da nce Fest was ca nceled due to COVID-19, a nd last yea r, it was sca led back a nd v ir t ua l.

Wit h t hese complicat ions, some members of Welsh Fa m i ly have not had t he cha nce to con nect w it h t heir ph i la nt h ropy g roup.

“We’re rea l ly sor t of hoping to reint roduce ou r cha r it y to ou r dor m,” Ag u i la r sa id.

Un it y Ga rdens is a Sout h Bend ph i la nt h ropic orga n i zat ion t hat a ims to “increase accessibi lit y to f resh f r u its a nd vegetables a nd prov ide educat ion a nd d if ferent oppor t u n it ies for fa m i lies a nd ind iv idua ls in need in t hat a rea,” Long sa id.

They a lso work towa rds creat ing a susta inable loca l food system t hat br ings people toget her.

All proceeds a nd donat ions f rom t he event will go towa rd Un it y Ga rdens.

Contact Kate Ross at kross7@ nd.edu

outperforming the respective benchmarks of 10.5% and 6.2% .

As of June 30, 2021, 31.2% of the endow ment pool’s investments were in public equities, 22.9% were a llocated to the multi-strateg y class and 45.9% were a llocated to private equit y, according to the report.

“The investment portfolio

KATE ROSS | The Observer

David Fleming and Jessamine Kuehn Members, members of the Ballroom Dance Club practicing on Monday night ahead of Dance Fest.

is highly diversified across strategies, sectors, and geographies w ith a high a llocation to equities for grow th to support Universit y finances,” according to the report.

Executive v ice president Shannon Cullinan w rote in the report that financia l aid is the largest beneficiar y of the endow ment, w ith

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42% of the operating endowment spending directed to student aid in fisca l year 2021.

“These resources have a transformationa l impact and a llow us to fulfill our goa l of attracting students who truly ref lect the racia l, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversit y of our Church, our nation, and our world,” Cullinan w rote.

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The observer | Wednesday, February 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

My five minute journal

The Russia-Ukraine crisis: Should America get involved?

Claire Kirner Graphic Designer

Isabel Olesinski

I recently started using “The Five Minute Journal” almost solely off of seeing Emma Watson recommend one in a Youtube v ideo, which I guess says something about me and my love for Harr y Potter (that still ex ists after all this time).

According to the journal, you are supposed to w rite in it ever y day for at least five days. This is supposed to get you into the habit of daily journaling, yet I struggle to w rite once a week … y ikes. It’s something I need to prioritize. For the journal, you list three things you are grateful for, three things that would make the day great and a daily affirmation in the morning, followed by highlights and what you learned, at night. I’ll take this time to share some highlights that you can choose to take or leave, because IT’S TIME FOR SELF CARE, Y’ALL. At least this way I’ll get my week ly journaling in. Here we go !

I am grateful for …

Music. Specifically, Zendaya’s voice. Her singing is so incredible. I am constantly talking about how she should release another album. I mean … Replay, Rew rite the Stars, A ll for Us and let’s not forget the most incredible masterpiece of all time — “Something To Dance For/TT Y L XOX” mashup.

Go rewatch it. Reward yourself.

The creativ it y of my friends. They are the best problem solvers I know. A re you stuck at the dining hall and want to take some random cereal back to your dorm, yet don’t have a bag? NO FEAR, my friend. Find the nearest box of plastic gloves and fill w ith cereal and tie at the end. Now, you are prepared for an emergency if anyone desperately needs cereal, or a hand for a sculpture project. You never know.

The support of my family. W ho else w ill tell me I’m crazy when I text them incredibly important philosophical findings such as “long socks are turtlenecks for the feet” or “I just w rote the plot of a Hallmark mov ie … want to guess how it ends???? ” W hat would make today great?

Not getting mac and cheese at Modern Market. I have the w itness of my sister to support the fact that it tastes ~v intage.~ Approach carefully. Would recommend a London Fog latte w ith extra lavender instead.

Wear some butterf ly earrings. I swear that they are magical and w ill help you get through the day w ithout things going too badly.

Learn a new skill. Maybe dancing? TikTok dances? Kpop dances? Rock climbing? Painting? Learn how to do Euphoria inspired makeup looks? W ho knows?

Daily Affirmation: Be brave enough to be bad at something. The fear of failure has pushed me back from doing things that actually turned out to be really fun or allowed me to meet new and incredible people. It’s OK to look like you don’t know what you’re doing, even if you play the v iolin for dorm mass in the w rong key and ever yone knows it was you, because you were the only one play ing, and it was incredibly embarrassing. Or, if you haven’t danced since March of 2020, and decided to pick it up again after WAY too long, w ithout stretching. You got this !

Embarrassing moments equal good stories to tell your future kids.

You can contact Claire at ckirner@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

BridgeND

As the possibilit y of World War III seems to be looming over us, people around the globe are increasingly starting to panic due to rising tensions bet ween Russia and Ukraine; it feels like there’s not much that we, as regular citizens, can do. However complicated and ner ve-racking a topic can be, the best we can do is be educated about it.

Unfortunately, the United States’ involvement in the Russia-Ukraine crisis is still mostly unknow n. For now, we can know the facts to stop the spread of chaos and misinformation.

Russia and Ukraine have been in the midst of a territor y battle for quite some time. Even though Ukraine has been an independent state since 1991, it’s still considered an important foundational part of Russian histor y. Due to much of eastern Europe once being a part of the Sov iet Union, President V ladimir Putin has made it clear that he wants to continue inf luencing former-Sov iet countries. Specifically, he’s been most interested in Ukraine since it left the USSR. He has stated that “Russia and Ukrainians were one people — a single whole” and that the “true sovereignt y of Ukraine is possible only in partnership w ith Russia.”

Up to this moment, Russia hasn’t made any extreme moves to annex Ukraine after the 2014 invasion of the Crimean Peninsula from the capital of Ukraine, Ky iv. The Global Conf lict Tracker has placed an estimated 13,000 casualties and 1.5 million internally displaced people in the Ukraine crisis. Today, over 100,000 Russian troops are on the Russian border w ith Ukraine. As the Kremlin (the executive branch of the Russian government) has broadcasted new militar y exercises close to Ukraine, U.S. President Biden has shipped various weapons to Ky iv as a response and put 8,500 U.S. troops on high alert for deploy ment; it’s undeniable that both countries are tr y ing to one-up one another through a game of chicken, seeing who w ill back dow n first and if the U.S. can succumb to any of Russia’s demands.

Russia has ordered for the U.S. and its allies to “prov ide signed assurances excluding any expansion of North Atlantic Treat y Organization (NATO) to include Ukraine and Georgia and limiting militar y activ it y near Russia’s borders.”

Interested in joining Viewpoint? Email us at viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

Due to the alliance the United States has w ith Ukraine, Biden has threatened Russia w ith “severe” economic consequences if there is an invasion, including economic sanctions on major Russian banks that w ill affect the Russian economy. Even though the U.S. has rejected Russia’s demands regarding NATO expansion to Ukraine, Secretar y of State Antony Blinkin has responded to Russia, offering “a serious diplomatic path for ward, should Russia choose it.”

A few days ago, Jens Stoltenberg, head of the NATO militar y alliance, responded to the claim of NATO sending troops to aid Ukraine in the event of an invasion. However, because Ukraine isn’t part of the alliance, Stoltenberg confirmed that there are “no plans to deploy NATO combat troops to Ukraine” and that “there is a difference bet ween being a NATO member and being a strong and highly valued partner as Ukraine.” Even though NATO isn’t sending militar y troops to Ukraine, other countries such as Britain, Turkey and Estonia are transporting missiles and drones as aid. The State Department has already started remov ing Americans and families of embassy personnel, taking heed of the recent evacuation disaster in Afghanistan.

Should the U.S. get involved in a war w ith Russia? Is each side tr y ing to call the other’s bluff ? In the case of a war, how should the U.S. respond? Share your opinions and ideas for what could happen on Monday, Februar y 7 at 7: 00 p.m. in DeBartolo Room 217, where we’ll be discussing the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the world’s response.

Isabel Olesinski is a sophomore living in Johnson Family Hall double majoring in Political Science and English with a minor in Constitutional Studies and a Creative Writing concentration. She serves as the Director of Operations for BridgeND. BridgeND is a student-led discussion club that is committed to bridging polarization in politics and educating on how to engage in respectful and productive discourse. BridgeND welcomes students of all backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences who want to strengthen their knowledge of current issues or educate others on an issue that is important to them.

The club meets weekly on Mondays at 7pm in DeBartolo Hall #217. Want to learn more?

Contact bridgend@nd.edu or @bridge_ND on Twitter and Instagram.

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

The observer | Wednesday, February 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

Inside Column

Movies to cry to Allison Thornton Photo Editor

W hen you cry because a movie hits different, it’s not like your typical “mid-semester breakdown” cry; it’s a good cry. For example, recently, I watched the animated film “Encanto” not knowing what to expect. I went into the movie with little knowledge about the plot. But boy, I did not realize that I would be shedding tears through most of the film. It even had my roommate crying, and she prides herself on not shedding tears because of movies. However, “Encanto” isn’t the first movie that has made me shed a couple of tears.

So, here is a list of some films that have made me cry no matter how basic it makes me look: “Coco”: If you didn’t cry during this movie, you are simply numb to emotion. The storyline and music produced from this movie are just everything you want to see in a film. It takes you on an adventure through the Mexican culture and their celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The part of the movie that had me bawling was at the end of the film when Mamá Coco started singing the song that would clear the name of an estranged family

member who was her father. No one thought she would remember the music, but just when Hector (the estranged family member) was about to disappear, Mamá Coco saved him by singing a song he sang to her growing up. If that doesn’t have you crying, you just aren’t human.

“Forrest Gump”: This is one of my top five favorite movies of all time. You can’t help but fall in love with Forrest Gump’s southern drawl and pure kindness. This movie has something for everyone. I first watched it when I was in high school with my dad because it is one of his favorite movies. It had me crying about 30 minutes in and laughing all at the same time. In this movie, you see the main character grow up and find his way through just about every historical event from the 1970s up until the 1990s. Truly a classic.

“Moana”: OK, OK. I know what you are thinking, but hear me out. Moana had me crying in the club when I first watched it. The part that got me was at the end when she splits the sea to return the heart of the ocean to Te Fiti. She walks in slow motion with very emotional music in the background towards the angry Te

Fiti. W hen they finally meet in the middle, Moana and Te Fiti’s foreheads touch as Moana places the heart of the sea to the rightful owner. At that moment, I couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. It was the combination of music and caring moments that just sent me over the edge.

Now, these are just the most recent movies that have made me cry upon watching them. I know it isn’t an extensive list, but I only have so much room for this inside column. So, before I end, I want to make sure you all know that it’s a cool cry when I say cry. It’s a “shedding a couple of tears” kind of cry. A “healthy cry,” some would say. Not “stress crying” or a “breakdown” type of crying. It’s just a good, old movie crying. That’s truly unique about movies; they can make you feel like you are part of the story. They put you in touch with your emotions, and for about an hour and a half, you can just forget about those homework assignments and be stress-free.

Contact Allison at athornton01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

An open letter to Fr. John Jenkins regarding COVID policies Dear Fr. Jenkins, The Universit y of Notre Dame’s response to the COV ID-19 pandemic has always been a step ahead of American universities. Beginning w ith your op-ed in the New York Times, Notre Dame has been a leader for other universities on this issue.

Notre Dame is at a critical moment regarding COV ID policies. If the administration does not roll back its current restrictions, Notre Dame, for the first time since the original temporar y shutdow n in Fall 2021, w ill have regressed towards more invasive policies. I urge you and the Notre Dame administration to continue to lead universities on this front and proceed w ith your plan to lift the indoor masking mandate, as well as event and travel restrictions, for the remainder of the spring 2022 semester.

In early Januar y 2022 an anony mous poll was disseminated among Notre Dame students which asked about their support for the current COV ID policies. The poll can still be taken by Notre Dame students at this link. The results are updated in real time and published here. W hile only about 6.9% of the undergraduate population has responded, the results still warrant the administration’s attention.

As of Januar y 29, only 52% of respondents support the booster mandate (this question did not ask students if they in fact got a booster, but only if they supported the mandate). W hether or not we had reached 90% on boosting, 86% think the universit y should guarantee in-person classes for the rest of the semester, 71% oppose indoor masking, 74% support normal events,

82% oppose travel restrictions, 93% of juniors support an in-person JPW and 87% of seniors support an in-person commencement w ith usual numbers in attendance.

The results of the poll support my hy pothesis that w idespread student compliance w ith Notre Dame’s mandates and restrictions has not been the result of w idespread student support for these mandates and restrictions. Moreover, given that respondents were evenly div ided on the booster mandate and yet decisively pronormalcy in ever y other area, the respondents cannot be so easily dismissed as biased in one direction on COV ID. Besides the result of this poll, I offer a separate, yet related, appeal for a return to normalcy this semester, or at least a return to the policies of last semester.

Towards the end of the spring 2021 semester, a professor made the follow ing comment to a few friends and me regarding the restrictions we had endured over the past year: “You are more likely now to comply w ith ev il than you were at the beginning of this year.” In coming to terms w ith his comment, I realized the significance of what he meant. Let’s make the claim a bit more precise: Because of Notre Dame’s COV ID policies, we are now more likely to comply w ith directives or laws which we find irrational or ev il than we were at the beginning of the [Fall 2021] year.

I’ve just made a ver y strong claim. Before you dismiss it, consider the over whelming likelihood that much of the student body’s compliance w ith our Universit y’s COV ID restrictions over

the past three semesters has been due to fear of punishment.

In his 1978 essay “The Power of the Powerless,” Václav Havel, play w right and former president of Czechoslovakia, dubbed compliance w ith policies one finds irrational (or immoral) “liv ing w ithin a lie.” The solution? “Liv ing in the truth.”

That is, liv ing in accordance w ith one’s ow n prudential judgments concerning (1) whether particular directives or laws are rational and/or just, and (2) whether non-compliance is worth the risk of punishment. Thus, merely acting in accordance w ith one’s ow n judgments — w ith one’s conscience — constitutes dissent.

As a Catholic institution, the Notre Dame administration should consider the effects its policies might have on its students’ abilit y to form their consciences and make moral decisions.

Fr. Jenkins, I once again urge you and the administration to lift the current COV ID restrictions for this semester. Specifically, regarding masking in class, I urge you at least to return to last semester’s policy of allow ing professors to make their ow n decisions.

This upcoming decision is an opportunit y for Notre Dame to recommit itself to not just the physical safet y but also the intellectual and moral health and freedom of its members. The minds and hearts of your students depend on it.

Sincerely,

Follow us on Twitter: @ObserverViewpnt

Max Minicus senior Feb. 1

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, February 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Canada Goose coats and class on campus Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects

I’m not sure whether it’s the warm allure of my bed or my tendency to leave my desk to gossip w ith my roommates, but tr y ing to do any work at my apartment has become a prett y hopeless endeavor. So, to w rite this column, I have braved the 12-degree South Bend weather to drive three minutes to Duncan Student Center. It’s a cold day, so nearly ever yone I pass is donning a heav y, knee-length parka. And as I’m walking, I play a little game in my head that I’ve been playing since my first year a Notre Dame — I take note of how many people are wearing a Canada Goose coat.

I had never even heard of Canada Goose before I came to Notre Dame, so when I learned that dozens of my classmates were packing themselves into $1,000 parkas — intended for explorations in the Arctic — to walk to DeBartolo Hall, I was honestly shocked. They’re nice-looking coats, and I’m sure they keep you warm, but I just couldn’t believe anyone had that much disposable income to drop on a w inter coat. Of course, you can’t really know any thing about someone’s financial situation based on one item of clothing they ow n. I just know that my $200 Lands End coat seems to be doing the job just fine.

The Canada Goose coats have always been fascinating to me in the way that they represent just how casual wealth is to a lot of Notre Dame students. Over half of Americans don’t have enough sav ings to cover an unplanned expense of $1,000, even in an emergency. And yet, I heard stories my first year of students leav ing their $1,000 Canada Goose coats at off-campus house parties and not bothering to return the next morning to pick it up.

None of this is really surprising at a school like Notre Dame, though, is it? The 2021-2022 cost of attending this school was $78,347, w ith tuition alone just under $ 60,000. The school does prov ide generous financial aid, both need- and merit-based, prov iding opportunities for people

like myself to attend. Still, though, the net price of a Notre Dame education (that is, the average amount spent per year after aid) is $31,318, over $12,000 higher than the net price at the Universit y of Iowa, my state school.

W hat’s really ironic about all of this is the fact that I’ve noticed the wealth of the student body at all. For all intents and purposes, I come from a wealthy family — my parents prov ide me and my brother w ith substantial financial support, and I never really thought about money as a kid. They fully financed my (ver y expensive) debate team activ ities in high school, and my part-time job at Dair y Queen was about hav ing money to spend at the mall, not on groceries. I’ve never been a part of the 38% of American college students who worr y they won’t have enough money to last the semester, nor am I a part of the 70.2% of students who plan on pay ing their expenses w ithout any economic help from their families. I was undoubtedly among the wealthiest students at my public high school, in a district where 75.7% of students receive free and reduced lunch. As someone who can only be at Notre Dame w ith the help of scholarships, however, I sometimes feel like an outsider because of my financial situation. I can’t even imagine how isolating it would feel here as someone who comes from legitimate financial hardship.

I’m not just going off of v ibes here, either. A 2017 New York Times deep dive into wealth at American universities found that Notre Dame has more students from the top 1% (15.4%) than the bottom 60% (10%), and more students from the top 0.1% (1.7%) than the bottom 20% (1.6%).

This is, unfortunately, not a problem unique to Notre Dame, either — these patterns persist among most private, elite universities.

It may be too obv ious to say, but none of this is normal. It’s not normal to be able to spend $ 80,000 a year on an education, it’s not normal to hardly ever interact w ith someone who lives paycheck-to-paycheck. But I think there are a decent amount of students who don’t realize just how financially unrepresentative Notre Dame is, and even for those who do know, we don’t talk about it.

At Notre Dame, I’ve certainly been a part of class discussions where I can tell no one speaking on class has had any actual experience w ith povert y, using phrases like “self-destructive behav ior” and “lack of work ethic” to describe the situations of Americans in extreme povert y. I’ve been on ser v ice outings w ith other students who are “ner vous” to leave the Notre Dame bubble and journey into the poorer parts of South Bend.

Even at a school like Notre Dame, which I think makes a better than average effort to encourage ser v ice, students are uncomfortable interacting w ith povert y.

This kind of skewed class env ironment impacts the way students v iew the world as a whole, too.

A v iral t weet from a professor at the W harton School of Business last week exemplified how: After asking students how much they think the average American worker makes per year, “25% of them thought it was over six figures. One thought it was $ 800K.” In realit y, the number is closer to $ 50,000.

It’s hard to find any event at Notre Dame where someone doesn’t refer to students as the future leaders of America. Yet, we are entrenched in and inf luenced by an economic env ironment that looks nothing like America. As students, we don’t have the power to lower tuition or make Notre Dame a more financially inclusive institution.

But we do have the power to work harder to leave the Notre Dame bubble, to acknowledge that most Americans don’t come from as much wealth as the average Notre Dame student does, and to recognize the class implications sew n into the seams of a Canada Goose coat.

Ellie Konfrst is a senior studying political science with a minor in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited people will once again be forced to listen to her extremely good takes. You can find her off campus trying to decide whether or not she’ll go to law school or bragging that Taylor Swift follows her on Tumblr. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @ elliekonfrst13 on Twitter.

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

The observer | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JUSTIN GEORGE Scene Writer

Well … that was strange.

“The House” is a stop-motion anthology film written by Enda Walsh. Each of the three chapters was produced by three filmmaking teams helmed by Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roles, Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Paloma Baeza, respectively. The three segments work together brilliantly, each providing a unique animation style, aesthetic and vibe.

The first segment follows a family who is offered a free home designed by a famous architect on the condition that they move into the house and abandon their current home and possessions. The family accepts. However, they soon discover that the house will never be home as it is slowly transformed into an ever-shifting, M.C. Escher-inspired hell.

The second segment follows a rat who is trying to flip a house but consistently cuts corners during the renovation process, even attempting to hide a beetle infestation from potential buyers. He is approached by an odd couple who are interested in the house, make no moves to actually purchase it and refuse to leave after an open house.

The third and final segment follows a landlord who rents rooms in her large house, which is on an island in the middle of a flooded former city. As far as the eye can see, the world is water. The landlord and her tenants live in peace until one day a strange traveler sails up to the island.

By LEXI KILCOIN Scene Writer

“When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision—then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid" –Audre Lorde Silence — that is, to “prohibit or prevent from speaking” — is an action that has been directed toward women for centuries. Whitney Bradshaw’s “Outcry” gives this silence a voice. As I walked into the room housing this collection of photos — currently housed in the Moreau Center for the Arts at Saint Mary’s — I felt the presence of intense emotion. And for good reason: I was surrounded by dozens of screaming women.

Unable to ignore the palpably emotional atmosphere of the room, I wanted to learn more about the project. I began by reading Bradshaw’s statement on the collection, from which I learned that her motivation behind this project was fueled by “the long history of the silencing of womxn and girls” and the #MeToo movement.

“Outcry” is a testament to the painful silencing of women and harnesses the true power of the feminine voice. As I viewed the photographs, I could almost feel the weight of the silence forced upon generations of women, held back for centuries, finally being released. It was as if my own feminine energy was tapped into and harnessed by these

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These segments are connected by the use of the same house as their centerpiece, all three combining to present the house’s progression from creation to destruction (or, perhaps, evolution?). Resolution and answers, though, are not part of the film’s cinematic vocabulary. Sure, each segment is unnerving in its own unique way, but this film must be more than just a tone poem or a collection of stories that take place in the same house across different universes. So, what is “The House” about?

My best guess is that the film is a rumination on the anxieties of being a homeowner and the things that tie a person to a place. The first is a story of a child being freaked out by their new home and finding the new environment unfamiliar and unsettling. The second is about the fear of home invasion, be that by other people or by creatures in the walls.

The third is about the fear of losing a home as well as the inability to move on from a place that is no longer suitable for you to inhabit, either emotionally or physically. However, there is also the idea of rebirth present throughout each of these stories. This rebirth is evident in the constantly changing state of the house due to renovations and restorations, as well as the state of flux in which each of the characters finds themselves.

This whole film has an oppressive, Kafkaesque atmosphere to it, more unsettling than outright creepy (barring the first segment, which is utter nightmare fuel). The house seems to have a mind of its own, and each segment is imbued with a dreamlike, surreal feeling, the film's world bending to some nonsensical, all-powerful authority that

the characters cannot even begin to fathom. The choice to make this a stop-motion, animated project rather than a live-action one is certainly interesting, especially given that it further re-enforces the Kafkaesque idea of some unseen grand arbiter controlling everything from a distance. After all, much like the dolls that portray them, these characters really do not have any free will of their own. Ultimately, they find themselves utterly powerless in determining the final outcome of their story.

“The House” is a weird film. I found myself wrestling with its contents well after the credits rolled, and I’m still not entirely sure if I understand it. But see it for yourself, argue with your friends over what “The House” is actually about, because I think a cult audience will emerge and that people will be discussing this film for years to come.

screaming women I don’t know.

Each photo I walked by told a different story. One minute I was celebrating the power of a beautiful woman who has been held back not only by her femininity, but by her origins as well. The next minute I was wiping the tears of a woman so clearly hurt by the burdens that society has placed on her. I thought of Bradshaw’s statement about her work: “I invite groups of womxn who don’t know one another to gather together ... providing support for one another as we bravely let out feelings that have been silenced or dismissed in our culture.” The intentionality behind these photos was present as I made my way, wall by wall, looking at a diverse group of faces contorted by intense feeling.

The photos in this collection are not all angry, however. There are grins, frowns, tears, goosebumps, expressions of pride and joy. I was faced with real, authentic femininity. Not a single woman I met was afraid; each scream harnessed its own original feminine energy. As I rounded the corner, I was surprised to see a wall full of masked women, their photos clearly taken during the COVID pandemic. This wall of masked women spoke to me in ways that I’m not sure I can even express. I could not help but think of the irony behind these images, as this project represents women who are tired of being silenced. There is

no doubt that masks can separate us and silence us, but these women screaming behind pieces of cloth or plastic were so loud that I could almost hear the stifled screams where I was standing. Seeing these masked women — doubly silenced, if you will — spoke as a true testament to the purpose of Bradshaw’s project. These women will not be silenced. Not by men, not by masks, not by anything.

I found myself at the end of the collection when I saw, to the right of the masked women, three large photos standing out among the rest. The screams of these women were targeted, heard by Bradshaw and now by me, and they were beautiful. A special power came from the triad before me and, in an odd sense, I felt welcomed into this power.

I really did not want to leave this gallery, to leave the sound of a few women who represent thousands — probably millions — of women around the world. I felt surrounded by the fierce love only a female can produce.

Upon leaving, I was asked to me to share my experience via a piece of paper. I left with what I share with you now, but I also thought to myself, “I want every man who has ever hurt a woman to walk into this gallery and feel the screams.”

Contact Justin George at jgeorge3@nd.edu

“The House” Directors: Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roles, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Paloma Baeza Starring: Mia Goth, Jarvis Cocker, Susan Wokoma If you liked: “The Shining,” “Coraline” Where to watch: Netflix

Contact Lexi Kilcoin at akilcoin01@saintmarys.edu

MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer | Image sources:Rooski, myfilmyzilla, imovieflixs, estheticlens

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ROSE ANDROWICH Scene Writer

“Much Ado About Nothing” — performed by the Actors From The London Stage at Notre Dame’s own Washington Hall on Jan. 26 — contained exceptional acting from the cast of five, all of whom took on multiple roles.

Said cast included William Donaldsen, who played Claudio, Borachio, Antonio and Margaret; Chris Donnelly as Don Pedro, Friar Francis, Watch, Ursula and the messenger; Katherine Newman as Hero, Leonato, Sexton and Watch; Tom Richardson as Benedick, Dogberry, Conrade; and last but not least, Anabelle Terry as Beatrice, Don John, Balthasar, Verges and Boy. The decision to assign multiple roles to each actor stayed true to early Shakespeare productions, as did some other aspects of the production.

However, it’s important to highlight the modernization of this Shakespeare adaptation. Modernization can have both a positive or negative impact on the audience’s perception of the performance. If you enjoy a fresh lens on Shakespeare, I would highly recommend seeing the Actors From The London Stage.

The comedic elements of the play were strongly emphasized with the addition of the actors singing songs. This singing aspect of the play was an interesting element, considering the previous film adaptations of “Much Ado.” Specifically, “Sigh

No More, Ladies” appears in the “Much Ado About Nothing” movie directed by Kenneth Branagh and also appeared in this performance.

The production also found a way to make the changing of actors humorous to the audience. Each of the characters has a prop to distinguish who they are in the play at that time.

I especially enjoyed the masked ball scene, which causes great confusion among the characters with a wide range of impersonators.

One scene I wished was acted out was Don John’s scheme to defame Hero, though this was not originally written in the play.

Still, many other adaptations have included this scene. While on the subject of Don John, I thought his characterization was wonderful. Across the board, the actors committed themselves to multiple roles and did an exceptional job. Anabelle Terry was a wonderful choice for both Beatrice and Don Jon, which were two roles I loved watching her bring to life. The differentiation between the two of them was also fascinating.

I think the reason I take so much care to consider every detail of this production is simple. I love “Much Ado About Nothing,” and when I go to a Shakespeare production, I hope to see a representation of the time in which Shakespeare was writing. But modernism is something that I believe can be done very well, and I genuinely believe that there were many exceptional parts to this play. There was no shortage

‘

of beautiful recitation of the text, extremely comedic scenes and a deep understanding of the characters.

Still, there were things I missed though from this production. I missed the Shakespearian era costumes, which to me are always an important aspect of the work. That being said, the actors playing multiple roles would’ve made this difficult to achieve. But as someone with a deep love for engrossing myself in the world that stories were written in, it would have made me enjoy this performance even more.

I must give credit where it is due: This was a performance worth seeing. All directors have different visions for how they believe a play should be performed, and I have a deep appreciation for the way this one was done.

Contact Rose at randrowich01@saintmarys.edu

“Much Ado About Nothing” Starring: Actors From The London Stage If you liked: “Last Chance U,” “Sunderland ’Til I Die”

’ : A SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW

By JOHN CLARK Scene Writer

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is the latest entry in the cinematic oeuvre of Hollywood powerhouse Marvel Studios. It is awesome!

In “No Way Home,” Peter Parker squares up with the most intimidating villain he’s faced yet: college admissions. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s embrace of the multiverse was always inevitable, but it is still the coolest thing they’ve done yet. All three major actors that have portrayed Spidey in live-action film over the past 20 years, teaming up — not to defeat, but to save the collected villains of the first two film series. Who wouldn’t want to see that?

Spider-Man is a character that is essentially charming, down-to-earth, yet tortured. Watching Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and their sad dad Tobey Maguire bond over the suffering intrinsic to the Spider-Man experience was really heartwarming, as was watching them work together to redeem their tragic villains. As is always the case in Marvel films, the action was a ton of fun, especially the fight between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, a father figure to Peter after his scenes with Iron Man in “Avengers: Infinity War.” And as is always the case in Willem Dafoe films, Willem Dafoe was awesome.

Now that I’ve gotten through the obligatory yet genuine praise, I’d be remiss if I neglected to take a deeper look at the message “No Way Home” sends about Marvel Studios itself and, by extension, about its parent company Disney. After “No Way Home” hit theaters, Jimmy Fallon — ever the hypeman for the latest products of mass culture — suggested it’s “probably the biggest movie of all time” while introducing Willem Dafoe on The Tonight Show. If that is true, then “No Way Home” will have stolen that title from “Avengers: Endgame,” which is also an entry in the MCU. The criticism

that Marvel Studios most frequently receives — which can best be summarized as accusations of artistic bankruptcy — has proliferated in recent years. Marvel responds to that criticism in “No Way Home” in the only avenue really available to them: a demonstration of power.

The multiverse conceit in “No Way Home” is exactly the mechanism through which Marvel demonstrates its power. That conceit itself is lifted from the only cinematic Spider-Man film that doesn’t show up in “No Way Home”: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which, in my book, is not only the best Spider-Man movie, but the best superhero movie in general. That borderline plagiarism is another aspect of Marvel Studios’ demonstration of power. They took the conceit and said, “We’ll do it better,” and by their metrics — which equate quality with quantity of profits and tickets sold — they succeeded.

In drawing the previous cinematic incarnations of Spidey into “No Way Home,” Marvel Studios subsumes the narrative content of the previous live-action Spider-Man films into their multiverse. Not only are those earlier film series retconned into being a part of the MCU, but the entire conflict of “No Way Home” involves an active effort by the collected Peter Parkers to retcon its very narrative content. To use terminology from “Avengers: Endgame,” they pulled a time heist. Finally, the icing on the cake that is Marvel’s eternal quest to give the fans what they want: They made Spider-Man poor and miserable again.

Outside of their films, Marvel Studios and their lackeys have responded to the criticism of their work with claims equating popularity with quality. Marvel claims, as was said, that it gives the people what they want. They’re correct, and the MCU was built upon the extremely solid foundation and promise of the first “Iron Man” movie. But if Marvel Studios truly gives the people what they want, it is largely because they also tell those people what they want.

“Star Wars,” Marvel, “Harry Potter” and new for this

decade, “Dune” — the cultural ubiquity of franchises like these constitutes a prescription for consumers of what they want. “Dune” would never have been greenlit if Marvel hadn’t demonstrated success with their business model. In the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, there is an unmistakable post-Marvel inflection in the humor compared to the previous trilogies. Consumers seem to love Marvel, so it is only natural for other sci-fi and fantasy films to lift Marvel’s biggest selling points that are otherwise absent in their own work.

The culture industry runs on a homogenizing principal. In seeing only (or mostly) films that exist exclusively to make money, consumers (myself included) are conditioned to seek only those mass culture products which bear similarity. Marvel’s cultural ubiquity derives largely from the volume of their output, producing multiple blockbusters each year, each of which rewards consumers for familiarity with all the others. They pump films out at a calculated pace which maximizes profits while giving enough time to keep the task of catching up for those who fall behind relatively easy. It’s Marvel’s world, and we’re just living in it.

To quote a peer, “What else are we gonna watch, DC?” Contact John Clark at jclark20@nd.edu

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” Director: Jon Watts Starring: Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, Zendaya If you liked: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

EMMMA KIRNER | The Observer | Image sources: BARBARA Johnston, imdb, epicstream

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Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: A direct approach to whatever you take on will help you reach your goal. Stay on course, regardless of temptation or what others decide to do. Control your emotions, and designate more time to research and preparation. Look at the facts before you take what others say into consideration. Base your decisions on what you know and what you can do. Your numbers are 5, 16, 21, 26, 29, 37, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Listen, assess and formulate what you must do to reach your target. Call on someone you know you can rely on, and it will verify that you are on the right track and put your mind at ease. 4 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Indecisiveness will cause confusion, and mistakes will occur if you can’t differentiate between what you want and what you can have.

Dissect the information you receive, and verify facts. Reality and practicality trump winging it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stay on track and forge ahead. Ignore what others do or say so you don’t fall behind. Simplify your life and stick to the path that leads to the highest rewards. You stand to prosper if you are dedicated and innovative.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You’ll have some unique ideas to share. The input you receive will help you expand your plans. Reach for the stars, and you’ll make a difference to the outcome. Love is in the stars, and making a bold move will be engaging.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Partner with someone who has as much to offer. If you join forces with someone who is all talk and no action, you’ll do all the work yourself and still have to share the rewards. Set high standards, and expect the same from others.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You have plenty to look forward to if you embrace the changes that come your way. Don’t fear doing things differently or changing your direction midway. Let your intuition guide you, and you will find the happiness you deserve.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Show resilience and tenacity, and you will overcome any negativity or opposition you meet along the way. Deny anyone the right to lead you astray or take away what’s rightfully yours. Call the shots, and make meaningful decisions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t let bitterness engulf you when creativity and adventure will enlighten you and push you in a beneficial direction. A positive attitude will make it easier to let go of the past and find solace and peace of mind in the future.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Spend more time on moneymaking projects and less socializing with your friends. Too much partying will lead to temptations that make someone you care about question your standards and morals. Protect your reputation, position and valued relationships.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Count on yourself and you won’t be disappointed.

Delegating responsibilities to someone who isn’t reliable will leave you looking bad.

Pick up the pace, and you’ll be able to get everything done on time by yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Check facts, but let your emotions contribute to your decision. Have a heart and be mindful, but don’t show gullibility. A positive change can lead to progress, but it must be for the right reason to get the result you want.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Listen, evaluate, adjust and do what works for you.

Don’t feel you have to do things the way someone specifies if you have a system that works better for you. Process what’s entailed, and deliver what’s essential.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports Authority

Sports Authority

Super Bowl LVI Preview John Kalemkerian Sports Writer

Well, here we are, the Super Bowl matchup that everybody expected.

In two short weeks, Matt Stafford and the Rams will battle Joe Burrow and the Bengals for a place in the history books. Featuring two likable first-timer quarterbacks at very different points in their careers, we can all hope that this game will live up to expectations. It will be no easy feat to cap off what has been without a doubt the most entertaining playoffs I can remember.

The Rams are clearly in win-now mode, and a victory would justify every move that general manager Les Snead has made over the past several years, trading what seems like entire classes of draft picks for veteran stars.

No move was bigger than acquiring Stafford from the Lions, a move made exactly one year before Sunday’s NFC Championship win. On the flip side, the Bengals entered the season with the fourth-worst odds of winning the Super Bowl, ahead of only the Jets, Texans and Lions. That they are one win away from a Lombardi trophy is not only a testament to Joey Franchise, Ja’Marr Chase and their well-timed takeaways, but also to Zac Taylor and Co. who coached this team well past their expected ceiling. Both teams have stars and weaknesses, and it may very well come down to one unexpected hero to pull out the victory. I’ll highlight some of the key matchups and outcome predictions below.

Bengals RBs and O-Line vs.

Rams D-Line The most talented player in this game, Aaron Donald, will be looking to prove himself a winner after being held in check with no sacks in Super Bowl LIII. The Rams line, with Donald as their anchor, is stout and will no doubt cause problems for the Bengals line, which rebounded nicely from a horrible nine-sack showing against the Titans to later let up only one against the Chiefs.

Protecting Burrow and opening up holes in the run game will be essential for the Bengals offense to start strong, something they’ve struggled with in the playoffs.

Advantage: Rams Ja’Marr Chase vs. Jalen Ramsey Ramsey has struggled at times in the playoffs but is still one of the most feared corners in the league.

He’ll have his hands full with Chase, offensive rookie of the year and the most dangerous weapon on Cincinnati’s offense. Chase has eclipsed 100 yards in two of his three playoff games and, as Burrow’s favorite target, will have plenty of opportunities to prove himself the real deal on the countries biggest stage. This one will be fun to watch.

Advantage: Bengals Rams Wideouts vs. Bengals Secondary

If Twitter mentions counted for anything, then Eli Apple and the Bengals secondary would have the advantage here by a landslide. Luckily for the Rams, Apple’s Twitter trash talk goes out the window once the two teams take the field. The dynamic duo of Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. will no doubt receive most of the attention; this matchup could hinge on the play of Tyler Higbee (who is currently questionable with a knee injury), Van Jefferson and Notre Dame’s own Ben Skowronek (Go Irish!). One interesting note to make here: The Bengals have come up with clutch picks to seal each of their three playoff wins.

Advantage: Rams Sean McVay vs. Zac Taylor McVay’s hire jump-started the current trend of hiring young head coaches, and the strategy has paid off for at least these two teams; McVay (36) and Taylor (38) are both younger than several players in this game. Both coaches have made questionable decisions throughout the playoffs, but have largely benefited from even poorer coaching on the other sideline. McVay has the experience edge (he’s prepped for a Super Bowl before), but the game may ultimately be decided by a crucial should-have-kicked-the-field-goal moment or a well-timed trick play (looking at you, Doug Pederson).

Advantage: Toss-Up Matt Stafford vs. Joe Burrow In all likelihood, the game will be decided by this matchup, both of whom have so much to prove.

Stafford has the benefit of being surrounded by a steadier, more proven offense and Burrow has acquired a cool, calm and collected yet equally fiery mystique during his playoff run. Stafford has never played on such a stage, but has nonetheless orchestrated countless game-winning drives for the Lions through the years, which certainly counts for something. Burrow won a CFP championship just two years ago and will be looking to become just the third quarterback ever to win titles at both the college and professional level. Burrow will have his time, but I see the grizzled veteran outplaying the rising star and taking home the MVP. Advantage: Rams Special Teams As the Packers learned so harshly, special teams play can make or break a season. On LA’s side, Matt Gay has struggled in the playoffs, and Johnny Hekker is one of the best punters in the business. But Cincinnati rookie kicker Evan McPherson is a perfect 12-for-12 on field goals in the playoffs, and that gives the Bengals special teams a distinct edge.

Advantage: Bengals My Pick: Rams 31, Bengals 26

Contact John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu

Zwiller: Tom Brady, a legacy in review Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer

Tom Brady changed the NFL in a lot of ways.

He first changed the NFL on Sept. 23, 2001, when he came in to replace an injured Drew Bledsoe, although we didn’t quite know it then.

He did it again on Feb. 3, 2002, when he drove the Patriots up the field with less than 90 seconds remaining on the clock. Brady started a dynasty when he did that, although we didn’t quite know it then, either. And when Brady won his next Superbowls in 2004 and 2005, he continued to change sports. By then, we had kind of figured it out.

So, it surprised nobody when in 2015, 2017 and 2019 Brady and the Patriots won Superbowls XLIX, LI and LIII. Well, perhaps XLIX surprised Pete Carroll, and LI stunned the Falcons. But to football fans everywhere, it felt like the norm.

But Brady changed football in ways not relating to championships as well. He did so when the Tuck Rule allowed the Patriots to beat the Raiders on a winter night in Foxborough. And in 2008, when he was injured in the first game of the season, he changed football by changing the way the QB position was officiated. Not all of his changes were good ones; Deflategate comes to mind, for one.

In 2020, Brady changed the NFL when he left New England, ending a dynasty and shifting the balance of power to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We all know how that one ended too.

Realistically, there was only one way left for Brady to change the game of football: He had to leave it. And at 2:29 p.m. EST on Jan. 29, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke that sources reported Brady was finally going to do just that.

I have to admit that I didn’t see this coming. I had stayed up to date with the latest rumors and knew what people were reporting. But Tom Brady has been such a force in football for so many years that football without him genuinely did not compute.

One of my first experiences watching football involved Tom Brady. I was visiting family,

and my uncle had a football game on, Patriots @ Bills in December 2009. The Patriots had taken a 14-3 lead, and my uncle turned the game off. I asked him why, and he said he was rooting for the Bills, but when the Patriots take the lead, they tend to not give it back.

He was right; the Patriots would win 17-10 over the Bills.

That was my introduction to Tom Brady: He does not lose.

Because of that simple fact — that he does not lose — Brady became beloved by few but hated by many.

As with the rise of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, people love to see a new king take the hill. But once the king ascends and takes the throne, we clamor for him to get off, rooting for the next champion to rise. But when Tom Brady ascended that throne in 2001, he never relinquished it.

It is why, when the Patriots played against Seattle, I was rooting for the Seahawks, only to be crushed when Seattle made one of the more controversial play calls in the storied history of the game. And similarly, when the Falcons were winning 28-3, I delighted with the rest of America, laughing at the Patriots. But I also watched in disbelief as Brady helped to orchestrate one of the greatest comebacks of all time.

And on it went. Each time I rooted against Tom Brady, I rooted against a man who seemed like a force, the personification of greatness itself.

More often than not, I was left disappointed, watching as the Patriot Way dominated the NFL for 20 years. But now, with the reported end of the most storied career in the history of the NFL, as well as the most extraordinary underdog story ever, it is finally time to stop hating greatness and to finally begin to appreciate it.

For the past few seasons, I felt that Aaron Rodgers was the greatest QB of all time.

The artful way he plays the position is genuinely different from the quarterbacks that came before him. To me, Rodgers was Mahomes before Mahomes, the first of a futuristic group of quarterbacks that would change both the league and football itself.

And on top of that artistry, the precision in which

Rodgers plays the game, the simple lack of error is extraordinary. In the three years that Matt LeFleur has coached the Packers, Rodgers has thrown 13 interceptions while throwing 111 touchdowns. His INT% has been the best in the league, either at 1% or lower.

However, Rodgers has failed to deliver in the playoffs, which hurts his argument as the greatest of all time. To be truly great, you must overcome adversity and remain triumphant.

Rodgers won a Superbowl, but after years of regular-season greatness, that looks more and more like an outlier. Perhaps Rodgers is more of a Drew Brees. A genuinely great QB who won once but, through a series of crazy circumstances, never could do it again. A Dan Marino more than a Joe Montana, if you will. Still a great, but not greatness itself.

But Brady has overcome adversity in a way that I simply cannot quantify. He did it in 2001 when New England had the ball in their territory with just 1:21 on the clock and no timeouts in his pocket. And he won. A few years later, he did it again against the Panthers. With just 1:08 remaining on the clock, he maneuvered the Patriots into field goal range. And he won.

In Superbowls XXXIX and XLIX, Brady got help from his defense (Brady himself would tell you that). But in Superbowl LI, with the Falcons having a 99.6% chance of victory (according to ESPN), Tom Brady led the charge and overcame the odds, and he won.

Those aren’t the only times that Brady has displayed his unquantifiable greatness; the number of comebacks he has led is too long to be detailed in this humble column. To be great, you must defy the odds and rise to the occasion.

No QB has done that more than Tom Brady. That is why Brady will always be the greatest QB of all time.

Let us all sit back and finally stop hating it, rooting against it. Instead, let us reflect upon it, recognize and respect it.

Tom Brady is the greatest of all time.

Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

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sports

NC State Continued from page 16

first quarter, which they wouldn’t relinquish.

Dodson paced the Irish w ith 20 points and ten rebounds on 9-14 shooting from the field.

The Irish suffered two significant blows w ithin several minutes of each other in the second quarter, as both junior for ward Sam Brunelle and senior guard Abby Prohaska were forced to leave the game w ith injuries after

contact under the basket.

W hile neither play was called a foul, the Irish faithful were clearly upset w ith the Wolfpack players.

Freshman guard Sonja Citron caught an elbow to the chin right before halftime — another no call — and North Carolina State exited the f loor to a shower of boos.

Brunelle was able to check back in midway through the third quarter and finished w ith ten points.

“It was emotional,” Dodson said of the locker room at halftime. “You know how hard they work and they’re in pain, but we knew we had to focus and we had to lock in, and the best way to do that was to w in this game for them.”

The Irish took a 32-28 lead into the break in large part thanks to Dodson’s near double-double in the first half.

She finished the opening two quarters w ith ten points and eight rebounds — six of which were on the offensive end.

She stayed hot to open the third, scoring the first four points to extend the lead.

“I know as a leader and one of the oldest on the team, I have to bring it.

I lead by example,” Dodson said.

“I want to make sure ever y time I go out there, ever y time I’m in front of these fans, [I] show how much passion, how much hard work, and how much we appreciate them.”

A crafty reverse lay up by freshman guard Olivia Miles gave the Irish their first double-digit lead, forcing the |Wolfpack into a timeout.

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | The Observer

The Wolfpack stayed w ithin striking distance, but the Irish took a nine-point lead into the final frame.

It was a poor shooting night from both Miles and Citron, after the pair swept ACC honors last week. Citron was named freshman of the week and Miles was named player of the week Monday after her 30 point outburst against Boston College.

The pair combined for just 6-28 from the field, but each knocked dow n a pair of late free throws to help preser ve the Irish lead.

“So many people in so many moments made big plays,” Ivey said.

The Wolfpack cut the deficit to three w ith just under three minutes to play, and after both teams turned the ball over, split a pair of free throws.

Miles and Citron were cool under pressure, knocking dow n four free throws to extend the lead to six w ith just under a minute to go.

The Wolfpack converted an and-one to again make it a one possession game, and had a chance to tie on the final possession of the game, but missed two three pointers and the Irish held on for the thrilling victor y.

“W hat I was really pleased about is that they went on a run and we didn’t panic,” Ivey said.

“Early on in the season, we would fall apart and so that just shows a lot of grow th.”

It was Ivey’s first top five w in as a coach at Notre Dame. “It means ever y thing,” she said.

“That’s the reason I came back, because of my love of this university and my love of this program, and to be able to share these moments w ith these young women and mentor them.”

Notre Dame now must look to avoid a let dow n as they host Virginia Tech Thursday night in what w ill be a quick turnaround.

That game tips off at 8 pm and w ill be broadcast on ACC Network.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

13

Fencing

Irish defend home piste

By Jose Sanchez Cordova Sports Writer

Notre Dame Fencing had another strong weekend at the DeCicco Duals, their annual home meet at the Castellan Family Fencing Center.

Across the two days of competition, the men’s team went a perfect 11-0 and improved to 32-0 on the season while the women’s team put together an impressive 13-1 weekend and moved to 37-2 o verall.

On Saturday, the men’s team faced Denison, Florida, Wayne State, Detroit Mercy, Law rence and Cleveland State.

They showed out in dominant fashion, going 6-0 w ith all but one match resulting in the Irish w inning 20 bouts or more out of a possible 27.

In the épée, junior Sebastian Wozniak made his season debut, going 9-0 on the day w ith bouts against Denison, Cleveland St., and Florida.

Senior Michael Sirok y also

had a strong performance, going 10-2 in what were likely his final bouts at home for Notre Dame.

Sophomore William Chen made his debut, compiling a 12-4 record for the foil squad this weekend. Similarly, sophomore Nicholas Dinu began his Notre Dame career this weekend w ith a ver y strong 16-1 record in the sabre.

The women’s team had a similarly great Saturday w ith w ins against Denison, Florida, Wagner, Wayne State, Detroit Mercy, LIU, Law rence and Cleveland State.

Those w ins included three 27-0 shutouts of Denison, Florida and Detroit Mercy.

However, the team also suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of Northwestern (10-17).

The women’s épée squad put together a dominant day, going a combined 69-12, w ith freshman Erika Cucala leading the way at 20-1 over 7 matches on the day. The sabre also saw a dominant

individual performance from senior Sienna Wilson, who went 14-1 at the final home meet of her career. In the foil, junior Zoe Barnette and sophomore Mayah Walker both stood out w ith 13-1 records as seven different Irish fencers participated in the Duals.

Sunday saw both the men’s and women’s teams go undefeated against club opposition from Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan and Case Western Reser ve University.

This included three perfect 27-0 matches against Indiana’s men’s and women’s teams and against CW RU’s women’s team.

The Irish face a quick turnaround as they make the short trip north to Evanston for the Northwestern Duals this upcoming Saturday.

There, the women’s team w ill look to return the favor follow ing a home loss to the Wildcats this weekend.

Contact Jose Sanchez Cordova at jsanch24@nd.edu

ANYA RUFFINO | The Observer

Irish junior Anaya Peoples makes her way down the court in Notre Dame’s Jan. 27 match against Syracuse at Purcell Pavilion. The team emerged victorious with a score of 83-62, maintaining their home win streak. With the win against NC State, the Irish remain undefeated in South Bend this season.

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports

Track & Field

Irish improve for strong showing at Lenny Lyles Invitational, bring home facility record

By EMILY DeFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

The Notre Dame track and field team continued their indoor success while competing at the PNC Lenny Lyles Invitational on Saturday.

Several athletes were coming off first place finishes the weekend prior, both in the field and on the track, making the competition in Louisville, Kentucky, a chance for the team to progress even further during their season.

The Irish were ready to compete come Saturday morning in Kentucky. Graduate student Rachel Tanczos took home a Trager Center facility record with her first place finish in the women’s shot put, throwing 15.91m. She improved from her 14.88m mark at the Notre Dame Invitational last weekend. Tanczos proceeded to place second in the weight toss (21.66m) while sophomore Michael Shoaf also saw success in the men’s weight throw and shot put, taking first (19.92m)

and third (18.34m) respectively in the events.

Other key performances in the field included the women’s high jump. Freshman Madison Schmidt took seventh with a jump of 1.69m. Sophomore Sarah Flight and freshman Jadin O’Brien tied for tenth (1.64m), causing three Irish competitors to make the top 10 in the event.

In the men’s 400m dash, graduate student Theo Chambers ran a time of 48.48, putting him in fourth place. Fellow teammate graduate student Max Frye came in right behind at fifth (48.74). Both runners improved on their times from the weekend prior.

Graduate student Kaitlin Ryan notched a second place finish in the open 800m run, taking silver with a time of 2:09:07. She shaved a second off of her second-place time from the Notre Dame Invitational (2:10.19). Sophomore Megan Hughes and freshman Molly Grant placed eighth (2:13.84) and ninth (2:14.43)

respectively, making it another event in which the Irish saturated the top 10. Other standout performances came when freshman Eve Balseiro placed 12th in the 400m dash (57:06) and freshman Alaina Brady took seventh in the finals of the women’s 60m hurdles (8.74). To end the night, the women’s 4x400 team consisting of Hughes, Ryan, Schmidt and Balseiro came in seventh, clocking 3:50.69.

Off the track, graduate student Yared Nuguse was named ACC Indoor Track and Field Performer of the Week leading up to the team’s competition in Kentucky. This was following his sub-four minute mile in South Bend (3:54.46), which makes him second in the nation in the event.

The Irish will seek to improve upon this success when they return to South Bend for the Meyo Invitational this weekend.

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Irish sophomore Alexandra Chlumsky pole vaults during the Notre Dame Invitational in the Loftus Sports Center on Jan. 22.

sports

Duke Continued from page 16

from beyond the arc but outrebounded the Irish 51 to 36. Banchero said Duke will have to improve offensively but can always count on their overall effort and defense.

“As long as those two things are 100%, we’re going to give ourselves a good shot of winning every game,” he said.

The Irish (14-7, 7-3 ACC), meanwhile, suffered a disappointing setback in their quest to reach their first NCAA Tournament since 2017. The Irish entered the weekend among the “Next Four Out” in ESPN’s bracketology before beating Virginia 69-65 Saturday night.

It has been a season of resurgence for the Irish of late.

Notre Dame beat Louisville away from home for the first time since 2015 before beating Virginia for just the second time in 18 clashes.

A win Monday would have given the Irish consecutive victories over the Blue Devils for the first time since 2016, but Notre Dame instead suffered its first loss at home this season.

“The moment got (to) us a little bit,” said Brey.

The Blue Devils went to five-time ACC Freshman of the Week Banchero right away, who missed a jumper.

Senior guard Prentiss Hubb gave the Irish an early lead with an aggressive drive and layup, but Duke then went on a 7-2 run into the under-16 that included a wide-open 3 from Banchero and a putback by grad student forward Theo John.

The Irish were outrebounded 29-19 in the first half. But, Notre Dame’s bigger problems lay uncharacteristically on offense. Notre Dame shot just under 19% and went 0 for 8 from beyond the arc in the first half. For their part, the Blue Devils only shot 37.5 % from the field and

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | The Observer

10% from 3 before halftime.

In fact, the Irish did not manage a field goal for six and a half minutes before Atkinson finished inside and Wesley hit a pullup jumper to cut the lead to three (11-8).

Notre Dame, however, stayed within touching distance of Krzyzewski’s team by forcing eight turnovers in the first half. Energized by an appearance on the big screen by Jerome Bettis during the under-12 timeout, Notre Dame fans had more reason to cheer after Duke turned it over on two consecutive possessions.

Wesley capitalized on the first turnover with a big dunk in transition, but a 3-pointer from Cormac Ryan that would have tied the game at 13 went in and out. Duke sophomore 7-footer Mark Williams soon managed a three-point play off an alley-oop, and Banchero pulled up to make it an 1810 game at the under-8.

The Irish crowd got on their feet again after Hubb found a wide-open Atkinson for a layup and Laszewski for a dunk to cut the lead to 18-14. However, there were plenty of Duke fans in the building. They made almost as much noise when the Blue Devils went on a 7-0 run. During that run, Goodwin and Atkinson both missed layups. Blue Devils junior forward Wendell Moore Jr. finished with a reverse inside after a nice cut to extend the run and Duke’s lead to 27-14 at the half.

Krzyzewski said Duke’s 9-0 run to finish the first half with most of his starters off the floor was a key moment in the game. Brey commented on multiple occasions on the importance of Notre Dame’s missed layups.

“I think [the] stuff you miss around the basket — and we missed a bunch of it — is very deflating,” Brey said.

Goodwin entered the

contest as the only player in the country shooting 50% or over from the field and from 3 while averaging over 15 ppg. The Upper Arlington, Ohio, native was held scoreless though Monday night.

After scoring in double digits in every game this season, he went 0 for 7 from the field. Three-time ACC freshman of the week Blake Wesley, who entered the game as Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer, finished 3 for 15 after being guarded primarily by Moore, one of the ACC’s best defenders.

The Irish got off to a poor start in the second half as the Blue Devils started to make their presence known.

Freshman forward A.J. Griffin made an open 3 after two offensive rebounds before Banchero scored in the lane to stretch the lead to 34-16. An A.J. Griffin layup in transition forced Brey to call timeout with just over 15 minutes to play. Then, the Blue Devils stretched the lead to 22 (42-20) before a brief Irish fightback.

The student section roared to life as Prentiss Hubb made Notre Dame’s first 3 of the game. That was followed by an emphatic dunk by Laszewski off a turnover to cut the Duke lead to 17 with just under 13 to go.

The Irish kept the score respectable after that, but Duke never led by less than double digits the rest of the way as the Blue Devils cruised to a key ACC win on the road and Krzyzewski left Purcell Pavilion a winner one final time.

Notre Dame now goes on the road to the ACCleading Hurricanes Wednesday before heading to NC State Saturday.

Tip-off at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida, is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish senior Trey Wertz makes his way towards the basket during a Jan. 31 match against Duke.

Hockey Continued from page 16

season, and they have an 0-4 record against other Big Ten opponents this season, getting outscored by a 20-4 margin.

In that game against Niagara, the Irish did not deser ve to w in either, as both teams had the same amount of shots on goal. It is certainly possible that the team was a bit rust y after the holidays and New Year’s Eve, but championship teams do not have off-days like the Irish showed in that loss.

The Irish were able to come back the next day and w in 5-0 and put up an astounding 44 shots on goal. W hile it was great to see the team rebound from a disappointing loss, the Niagara series shows just how inconsistent the Irish can be. One loss in the regular season isn’t a big deal, but it is troubling when the Big Ten and NCA A tournaments come around.

After getting a series sweep against Penn State, the Irish traveled to Columbus to play Ohio State in a pivotal Big Ten series. Game one went great for the Irish and they managed to earn a v ictor y in overtime, but in game t wo, they were outplayed and lost 4-1. Once again, the inconsistencies in the team were apparent.

The Irish outshot the Buckeyes 39-22 in that game, making the loss even more demoralizing.

It seemed like ever y time the Irish nearly scored, the Buckeyes would find a way to net an unexpected goal.

Junior goaltender Ryan Bischel was one of the main reasons the Irish lost that game, sav ing just 18 of 22 shots on goal.

The Irish then traveled back home to take on Boston College, and they put on one of their best performances of the season, beating the Eagles by a conv incing score of 8-2. Young stars and veterans stepped up for the Irish, and it looked as if the Irish had finally found their groove and their goaltender in graduate student Matthew Galajda.

And then this past Friday against Minnesota happened. In a pivotal game against a top-ten opponent, the Irish simply were unmotivated and lackluster on the ice. Galajda had arguably his worst performances of his career and was pulled in the middle of the first period after giv ing up three goals, the team failed to possess the puck even when on the power play, Minnesota’s

15

transition offense exploited the Irish defense, and the Irish simply were not fast enough to keep up w ith the Gophers. The 5-1 loss on Friday affirmed to me that while this team can be ver y good, they are far too inconsistent to be a great team.

Great college hockey teams don’t have games like Friday that are just outright ugly.

Of course, in t y pical 2022 Notre Dame hockey fashion, the Irish bounced back from Friday’s abysmal performance to beat the Gophers 3-2 in overtime in the series finale on Saturday.

Splitting the remaining series is not going to be enough for the Irish dow n the stretch, especially if they want to improve their position in the Big Ten tournament. The Irish currently sit four points back from Minnesota, nine from Ohio State and thirteen from Michigan w ith just eight games left to play. It should be noted that the Irish do have t wo games in hand on Ohio State and three on Michigan. The Irish have series remaining against the Big Ten bottom dwellers of Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan State — so any thing is possible going for ward — but the team has a lot of ground to make up in the coming weeks.

If the Irish are going to go on a run over the last couple of weeks of the season and get back into the Big Ten title picture, they are going to have to solidif y a goaltender going forward.

Both Galajda and Bischel have looked great at times, but they have also had games w ith notable struggles. Both goaltenders currently have a save percentage of .922, which is by no means bad, but there can’t be games where three goals are scored in a matter of minutes.

The defense must be more consistent for the Irish as well over the rest of the season. The carelessness that the team had w ith the puck on Friday and their inabilit y to defend some of the countr y’s top skaters are notable concerns.

The good news for the Irish is that they currently are best in the nation on the penalt y kill, killing off a fantastic 92.93% of penalties.

A ll in all, this team has a ton of talent, and on a good day, they could ver y well be one of the best teams in the countr y.

Unfortunately, they simply don’t have the consistency necessar y to compete for a Big Ten title, and their weaknesses are likely to be exploited even more as the postseason approaches.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Women’s basketball

Hockey Column

Irish triumph over No. 3 NC State

By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer

Notre Dame held on for a thrilling 69-66 w in over thirdranked North Carolina State Tuesday night.

The Irish led for nearly the entire game, but the Wolfpack made a furious fourth quarter comeback before watching their potential game-t y ing three pointer bounce harmlessly off the rim.

It was a signature w in for the 20th-ranked Irish, who move to 10-0 this year at Purcell Pav ilion, their best start at home since the 2017-18 National Championship campaign.

The Wolfpack had been 10-0 in conference play and had won their prev ious nine contests.

“I’m just so proud of this group,” head coach

Niele Ivey said after the game. “It was a huge challenge, and the fact that our team rose to that challenge and came out v ictorious, it’s a dream.”

Just over two years ago, North Carolina State dominated Notre Dame in South Bend 90-56 in the last matchup between these t wo sides.

The Irish were in the midst of a disappointing 13-18 campaign in legendar y head coach Muffett McGraw’s final season.

This contest was clearly different right from the opening tip off.

After the Wolfpack hit two three pointers, the Irish went on an early 8-0 run to give them a 10-6 lead.

Back-to-back baskets from senior for ward Maya Dodson gave the Irish a 17-13 after the see NC STATE PAGE 13

Irish aren’t ready to compete for Big Ten title

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Irish junior Max Ellis skates towards the goal during Notre Dame’s Jan. 29 match against Minnesota at Compton Family Ice Arena.

In a previous column I wrote a couple of months ago, I stated that Notre Dame hockey was ready to contend for a Big Ten title this season. As is usually the case, it seems that I have overestimated the abilities of the Irish, because it doesn’t look like this Irish team is quite ready to compete for a Big Ten title this season.

The games so far this season have shown the inconsistencies in the Irish that will prevent them from winning the Big Ten title. Despite having some convincing victories, the Irish have also lost 3-1 to Niagara, 4-1 to Ohio State and 5-1 to Minnesota so far in 2022.

Losses are inevitable in hockey, but losing games in that fashion are unacceptable.

The 3-1 loss to Niagara to open the calendar year was an early indicator of the flaws in the Irish. Niagara has an abysmal 8-16-2 record on the see HOCKEY PAGE 15

ND Men’s Basketball

Notre Dame falls to No. 9 Duke in Coach Krzyzewski’s final game in South Bend 3-18 from beyond the arc and 17-61 overall Monday.

Sports Writer Paul Atkinson Jr. led the Irish w ith 14 points.

In the spring of 1987, However, the Irish’s seaDuke head coach Mike son leading scorers — seKrzyzewski offered an as- nior guard Dane Goodw in sistant coach at Dematha and freshman guard Blake Catholic High School a Wesley — were held to 3-22 place as an assistant on from the field combined.

Krzyzewski said the stostaff. A lmost 35 years r y of the game was Duke’s later, the mentor got one ability to stif le the ty pilast victor y over the mencally prolific Irish on just tee as Mike Brey’s Notre one day of preparation.

Dame fell 57-43 to No. “Mike’s team can be an 9 Duke Monday night. offensive juggernaut,” he The Blue Devils (18-3, said.

“I mean, they’ve been 8-2 ACC) took a share of the ACC lead w ith Miami playing so well. They’re old at Purcell Pavilion as po- and together, but tonight we tential 2022 No. 1 overall were able to defend them.”

Brey said other teams had pick Paolo Banchero overpreviously tried to run the came a cold start to lead Irish off the arc this season. all scorers w ith 21 points.

“But we’ve eventualDuke freshman for ward ly been able to get loose A.J. Griffin finished w ith 13 in the second half,” he points and nine rebounds. said.

“No shot tonight.”

Notre Dame, who enDuke only shot 15.8% tered the contest shooting almost 46% from the field and 38% from 3, went see DUKE PAGE 15

By GREG McKENNA

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish freshman Blake Wesley and senior Dane Goodwin jump for the ball against two Duke defenders during Notre Dame’s Jan. 31 home game against Duke at the Purcell Pavilion. The Irish fell 43-57.