Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, February 28, 2022

The independent

To uncover

newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

and holy cross

it accurately

Volume 56, Issue 52 | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Marcus Freeman discusses leadership Notre Dame head football coach visits Mendoza College of Business for conversation on Friday

By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor

SHANNON LIPSCOMB | The Observer

The lecture was Marcus Freeman’s first visit to the Mendoza College of Business, but he said it would not be his last. In his talk with College Dean Martijn Cremers, Freeman explained his approach to leadership.

He gets his work et hic f rom his fat her a nd his self lessness f rom his mot her, but his emphasis on player relat ionships as Not re Da me head coach is his ow n.

“I love coaching,” Ma rcus Freema n sa id. “I love to see our players have success, a nd so t hat’s my mot ivat ion.

That’s my inspirat ion — to work my ta i l of f to t r y to develop relat ionships w it h young people.”

Freema n discussed his upbring ing, leadership st yle a nd approach to coaching Not re Da me footba l l

w it h Dea n of t he Mendoza Col lege of Business Ma r t ijn Cremers for t he Dea n’s Spea ker Series Friday.

Cremers opened by asking Freema n to discuss t he inf luence of his pa rents.

Freema n sa id his fat her taught him t he impor ta nce of discipline a nd ha rd work, recol lect ing how his dad wou ld wa ke him a nd his brot her ever y day at 5 a.m. to workout.

“Now as a fat her, I’m li ke, ‘Was t hat chi ld abuse ? ’” Freema n sa id. “But aga in, t hat’s why I va lue ha rd work a nd I va lue discipline — because t hat’s see FREEMAN PAGE 4

Notre Dame hosts ILI fellows DIANE PARK | The Observer

Examining the history of the Fighting Irish From the Archives Researchers

the Irish Catholics who overcame adversity and put Notre Dame on the map.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story was published on Feb. 15.

Notre Dame, from French founders to Irish icons

One of the first questions I had when I first toured Notre Dame was: “Why does a university with a French name possess an Irish mascot and a prideful Irish identity overall?” Many have also wondered the same thing, as there is not one clear origin story for Notre Dame’s iconic team name: The Fighting Irish.

In this week’s edition of From the Archives, we explore how Notre Dame came to embrace an Irish identity, from reclaiming sports opponents’ slurs to fending off the anti-Catholic Ku Klux Klan.

Though we do not know where Notre Dame’s Irish story began, we know where it ends: in honoring

Oct. 22, 1904 | Dec. 10, 1948 | Researched by Spencer Kelly In 1842, a small group of Holy Cross priests from Le Mans, France established the University of Notre Dame. Today, this University founded by peaceful French priests is represented by the “Fighting Irish.”

As Murray Sperber wrote in “Shake Down the Thunder: The Creation of Notre Dame Football,” “the origins of the Notre Dame nickname are both obvious and obscure.”

Sperber suggested that the popularity of nineteenth-century Irish boxers combined with the prevalence of Irish Catholics at Notre Dame created conditions

By UYEN LEE, SPENCER KELLY and ERIN DRUMM

NEWS PAGE 4

SCENE PAGE 5

for the “Fighting Irish” name to emerge.

However, most popular stories of the name’s origin are nothing more than myths. One story dates back to a 1889 football game, when Northwestern fans allegedly shouted “kill those fighting Irish,” referencing the Notre Dame players.

Another tale concerned a 1909 game against Michigan. Down at halftime, one Notre Dame player asked his mostly Irish-American teammates “What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all Irish and you’re not fighting!”

One of the first publications of the Irish nickname was in a 1904 edition of Notre Dame Scholastic.

In their recap of a game against Wisconsin, the article describes how “the plucky fight of our boys won the applause of the see ARCHIVES PAGE 3

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

Courtesy of Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame

The third Notre Dame ILI cohort has been on campus since August, considering future career opportunities and their next step in life.

By RYAN PETERS Notre Dame News Editor

After a career in Catholic higher education, Margaret Higgins found herself in the peculiar position of being a former college administrator and high school president lost on the way to class during her first day of school.

As a member of the third cohort of Notre Dame’s Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI), Higgins is one of 23 adults who have returned to college for one academic

FENCING PAGE 12

year at Notre Dame. Open to any individual who has completed a career of at least 20 years, on average, the program offers fellows an opportunity to step aside from their career to equip themselves for their next stage of life, founding director Tom Schreier said.

Fellows in the ILI are guided to discover opportunities that exist for them at their respective career point, discern one of those opportunities they wish to pursue see LEADERSHIP PAGE 3

Hockey PAGE 12

2

TODAY

The observer | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

What was your least favorite job?

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

Claudia Stiglitz

Isabella Thompson-Davoli

senior Opus Hall

senior Opus Hall

“Babysitting.”

“Yik Yak.”

Kathleen Soller

Lindsey Herdsman

senior Opus Hall

senior Opus Hall

“Maintenance crew at my high school one summer.”

“Managing Club 308.”

(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com

Erin Dotson

Shannon McCloskey

Editor-in-Chief

junior Le Mans Hall

senior Le Mans Hall

“Dunham’s Sports Store … period.”

“Cashier at Target.”

Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey Managing Editor Evan McKenna Asst. Managing Editor: Isabella Volmert Asst. Managing Editor: Colin Capece Asst. Managing Editor: Nelisha Silva Notre Dame News Editor: Ryan Peters Saint Mary’s News Editor: Genevieve Coleman Viewpoint Editor: Abby Patrick Sports Editor: Mannion McGinley Scene Editor: Aidan O’Malley Photo Editor: Allison Thornton Graphics Editor: Maggie Klaers Social Media Editor: Veronica Navarro Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf Ad Design Manager: Alyssa Rave Systems Administrator: Rachel Johnson Talent & Inclusion Manager: Siobhan Loughney Office Manager & General Info

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising

(574) 631-4542 aguffey@nd.edu Managing Editor

(574) 631-4542 emckenn2@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors

(574) 631-4541 ivolmert@nd.edu, ccapece@nd.edu, nsilva1@nd.edu Business Office

(574) 631-5313 Notre Dame News Desk

(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s News Desk

(574) 631-5323 smcnews@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk

(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om Sports Desk

(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk

(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Photo Desk

(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators

webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors.

Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged.

Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey.

Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.

A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester.

The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Genevieve Coleman Meghan Lange Claire Reid

Mannion McGinley Aidan Thomas

Graphics

Claire Lyons

Makayla Hernandez

Photo

Courtesy of the Saint Mary’s Investment Club

Co-presidents of the Saint Mary’s Investment Club Isabelle Latsch and Lexie Jozwiak present a check to the College during its annual 24-hour Donor Challenge. Each year, the club donates $1000 with money they earn investing in the stock market.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Scene Viewpoint Abby Patrick

Allison Thornton

Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

“Careful and Kind Care in Medicine” virtual noon - 1 p.m.

Mayo Clinic professor Victor Montori lecture.

“Beyond the Concrete Borders of Gaza” C103 Hesburgh Center 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Free public lecture.

Recital: Laura Strickling and Daniel Schlosberg O’Neill Hall of Music 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Free event.

Talk with Science Writer John Farrell Scholar’s Lounge, Hesburgh Library 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Breakfast provided.

“Sign of the Times: Critical Race Theory” Geddes Hall Coffee House noon - 1 p.m.

All are welcome.

Italian Club Pizza Party 242 O’Shaughnessy Hall 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

RSVP online.

Schola Musicorum Reyes Organ and Choral Hall 9 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Enjoy early vocal and organ music.

Ash Wednesday Student Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 9 p.m.

Come receive ashes.

VOCES8 Concert DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Contemporary and classical songs.

English Conversation Table 202 LaFortune 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Practice English and make new friends.

News

Archives Continued from page 1

crowd, who rooted for the ‘game Irishmen’ all during the game.”

These origin stories imply a serendipitous start to the Irish moniker. But a 1948 Scholastic article, written by editor Joseph A. Doyle, claimed a more profound genesis.

The article described how, in the early days of Notre Dame athletics, newspapers would refer to schools by their sponsoring church: the “Baptists,” the “Methodists,” etc.

Newspapers instead referred to Notre Dame as the “Irish.” A large proportion of Catholics were immigrants from Ireland, so it seemed that “‘Catholic’ and ‘Irish’ were identical in the public mind.”

This association was not just a cultural shorthand; it was tied to prejudice directed at Irish Catholics. The article noted that “Advertisements for ‘help wanted’ commonly carried the restriction: ‘No Catholics,’ ‘No Irish.’”

But over time, likely because of the great success of Notre Dame football, the “Irish” nickname transformed from an insult into a point of pride. As Doyle put it: “A slur became a symbol.”

Whether the origins of the Irish name were insulting or incidental, the University embraced it as part of their identity.

This is perhaps best exemplified by the Notre Dame mascot.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the mascot was an Irish Terrier named “Clashmore Mike,” an early symbol of Irish pride.

In the mid 1960s, the University commissioned illustrator Ted Drake to create a logo that would further “exemplify” their “Irish heritage.” Drake agreed, and the Fighting Irish logo was born.

Drake’s now-iconic fighting leprechaun has only strengthened the connection between Notre

Leadership Continued from page 1

and then design their next stage of life.

“It’s an ambitious objective for a year but it’s one that we think is really valuable and important for those people that participate,” Schreier said.

During the academic year, the cohort takes a course together on “the human journey.” The human journey has three elements: great books, the heart’s desire and designing an inspired life. The course is designed to engage the fellows intellectually, discover their true inner passion and equip themselves so they can pursue that passion, Schreier said.

“Our objective, though, is not to help people figure out exactly what they want to do. It’s to help people figure out who they want to be in this next stage in life,” he said. “And I think that’s a really important distinction.

And that’s what we try to talk through in this core course is that if you know who you want to be, then you can figure out what you want to do.”

After Schreier finished his

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | The ObserveR

Dame and the “Irish.”

But, as Doyle observed, “the tradition of ‘Irish’ at Notre Dame does not mean race as such, nor is it just another nickname,” but memorializes the hardships and perseverance of Irish-Catholic students.

This has only become more true over time. The Irish nickname doesn’t represent an ethnic heritage as much as it simply represents the “Notre Dame brand” itself.

While it may not have been a nickname chosen by the French fathers who founded Notre Dame, the “Fighting Irish” name symbolizes an internationally recognized and academically prestigious institution, of which our founders would be undoubtedly proud.

an accurate name on the day the Ku Klux Klan came to South Bend.

Since then, something that has remained constant for Notre Dame throughout the years is how quickly news spreads and how quickly students are able to mobilize to defend their beliefs and identities in the face of adversity.

April 30, 1974 | Mary Ellen McAndrews | Researched by Erin Drumm On May 16, 1924, Ku Klux Klan members began arriving in South Bend for a parade that was to be held in the largely Catholic area.

Notre Dame students greeted them with a warm Irish welcome, preparing to throw bottles, stones and fists.

University officials had concerns surrounding the Klan’s visit to South Bend because Notre Dame was a target of anti-Catholic sentiment. The South Bend chief of police assured administration that there would be no Klan parade.

Fr. Matthew J. Walsh, Notre Dame’s president from 1922 to 1928, warned students to stay on campus and avoid the threat of violence by letting “South Bend authorities take care of the situation.”

Despite these warnings, the Saturday morning trolley was filled with Notre Dame students prepared to confront the unwanted

visitors. Upon arriving downtown, “groups of Notre Dame students jumped on Klan sentries, ripped off their regalia and gave them a roughing up,” according to a South Bend Tribune writer.

As members of the Klan retreated to their headquarters for lunch, 200 Notre Dame students, accompanied by anti-Klan sympathizers, threw potatoes at the building, breaking windows and shattering bulbs in the electric red cross that hung on the side of the building. There were rumors that Harry Stuhldreher (‘25), quarterback of the 1923 and 1924 football teams, had the most accurate potato-throwing aim, according to Thomas E. Blantz (‘57) in his book, “The University of Notre Dame: A History.”

Students who entered the headquarters were met with a revolver in the hands of Klan spokesman, Rev. J. H. Horton of the Calvary Baptist Church in South Bend. The students and Horton agreed that the Klan would not wear hoods in public in South Bend and the students would not attack the parade.

Anti-Kluxers and students, however, said they would respond “two thousand strong” if the police needed backup.

There was further confrontation and violence between students and the Klan on the night of May 19, 1924, with “bottles, stones and other objects” flying between the two groups. Notre Dame students once again rushed into town when a call to campus said a student was “being beaten to death by the courthouse.” It is unclear how serious the injuries were.

When arrests were being made, Fr. Walsh urged students to return to campus. Guards patrolled the Notre Dame campus for weeks following the incident in anticipation of a Klan attack.

The Fighting Irish was certainly

March 27, 2006 | Sinéad Howley | April 5, 2006 | Patrick Rigney | Researched by Uyen Le In recent years, many sports teams, such as the Washington Commanders, have chosen to change their names because of their harmful history and meaning. During this controversy, many also accused Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” and leprechaun mascot of being offensive to Irish people.

This debate also took place in 2006, when Sinéad Howley (‘07), a graduate student from Ireland, wrote a Letter to the Editor claiming the “Fighting Irish” name was offensive to the Irish people because it “is not only insulting and racist but portrays a completely inaccurate representation of modern Ireland.”

Howley asserted that Ireland has given into economic dependency on U.S. tourists, sculpting images and stories that appeal to Americans rather than representing Ireland’s true history.

“I did not hear the term ‘leprechaun’ after the age of nine,” Howley wrote. “The ‘leprechaun’ has little, if any, part in the realities of modern Ireland.”

Calling for more authentic representation of Irish history and culture at Notre Dame, Howley also sought for a more general pride in her home country, Ireland.

“Let us spread the representation of the ‘real’ Ireland, a country

own traditional career in 2015, he considered attending the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University or the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University.

While he was considering the two programs, he dropped off his youngest child at Notre Dame and had a conversation about his desire to return to school with some people at the University.

During the conversation, they told him he should work to start a leadership program at Notre Dame for people after they have completed their careers — one that would be similar to that of Stanford and Harvard but reflect the culture of Notre Dame, Schreier said. Two years after the conversation, the ILI was up and running.

Current fellow Tim McDermott, who graduated from Notre Dame in 1984 and has had a diverse career path with jobs in law and regulation, said the spirituality of the ILI distinguished the program from its counterparts at Stanford and Harvard for him.

“The spirituality of Notre Dame is pretty infectious,” McDermott said.

In addition to the core course

the cohort takes together, fellows have the option of auditing up to three courses per semester. Because the ILI is not a degree program, fellows can audit courses in any field in which they are interested. Fellows also attend a weekly “Lunch and Learn,” where faculty from across the campus present and speak with them, and have a weekly dinner together as a cohort. Additionally, fellows can take part in organizations and activities on campus.

McDermott, who was a participant in Bengal Bouts — the men’s club boxing team — his senior year at Notre Dame, has worked out with the club during his year in the ILI. The program is also open to the spouses of the fellows. Although they are not a part of the cohort, spouses can audit courses and participate in activities on campus. While McDermott joined the boxing team, his wife is singing in three different choirs.

“It’s really helpful to [take part in the ILI] with your spouse as part of the process because you’re really going to end up on the other side of that fence together, and so I think it’s a really

good thing, and I think it’s one of the really under-appreciated aspects of the program at Notre Dame, that the spouses really can can be a big part of the program,” McDermott said.

At the end of the academic year, while students are taking finals, fellows take part in a capstone immersion. During the immersion, the cohort travels to another location — generally overseas — to create an experience with the help of the University’s resources that they could not create themselves, Schreier said.

This year’s capstone immersion was supposed to take place in Rome, but due to travel challenges caused by the pandemic the cohort is instead traveling to New Mexico. The first two capstone immersions took place in Rome and the Holy Land.

“The idea is to blend all three of the things we try to appeal to — mind, body and spirit — into this,” Schreier said of the immersion.

Both McDermott and Higgins said one of the biggest benefits of the program is it has allowed them to get out of their normal routines and put their home life “on pause,” as Higgins put it.

The “Fighting Irish” vs. the KKK

The Fighting Irish: An offensive mascot?

3

with courageous history, a rich culture, pride in our national language,” she exclaimed. “Let us determine our political policies based on our people’s wishes and beliefs, and not on the desire for American financial support.”

Patrick Rigney (‘07) responded to Howley’s condemnations in another Letter to the Editor on April 5, 2006, contending that Howley had failed to contextualize the history of Irish students at Notre Dame.

Rigney cited that Irish-Catholic students in the 1920s had thrived on the Notre Dame football team, earning the name “Fighting Irish,” though he recognized the various other origin stories of the name.

Adopting this new mascot “had nothing to do with the University seeking out to bad-mouth or harm Ireland or Irish people,” Rigney argued. “The nickname came from how hard our football teams played.”

Though he acknowledged that Howley brought a stimulating perspective to this debate, Rigney dismissed her argument because of her lack of background knowledge of Notre Dame’s history.

“Nobody before the 1900s ever heard of Notre Dame but our football opponents put us on the map by referring to us as a bunch of ‘Fighting Irish,’” Rigney wrote. “It has nothing to do with Ireland’s nation as a whole nor does it have to do with Irish history.”

Rigney made a clear distinction that resonates to this day: Notre Dame possesses a notably Irish identity that honors Irish Catholics as a whole, but also their unique impact on this University — and no one can take that away from us.

Contact Uyen Le at hle2@nd.edu, Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu and Erin Drumm at edrumm@nd.edu

“That’s kind of the magic of the program is it gets you out of your routine and gives you time to think about maybe some bigger issues or different issues and think more deeply about stuff,” McDermott said.

Schreier said the most important thing the ILI looks for in applicants is an openness to campus life and engaging in the community as students, not experts. Schreier said he wants fellows who are looking to take classes in areas outside of their expertise.

“What we really look for is an openness to what we call ‘discerned transformation,’” Schreier said. “And by that we mean we want people that are going to take full advantage of what we have to offer.”

Higgins, who volunteers at St. Margaret’s House — a women’s shelter in South Bend — and is auditing courses in business and theology, said the ILI has given her time to stop and think.

“If you have any idea or any desire to learn anything,” Higgins said, “doors are open all over this campus.”

Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND professor conducts robotics research

By GABBY BEECHERT News Writer

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story was published on Feb. 23 Margaret Coad was working toward her doctorate degree at Stanford in 2017 when inspiration struck a postdoctoral researcher in her lab — a brand new way for researchers to create deployable structures, navigate confined spaces and apply forces, such as lifting people up which could save someone’s life one day.

The inspiration: plants. The device: vine robots.

“He was thinking about the many ways to make robots lengthen and shorten and was looking at some plant and thought, ‘What if we could make a robot grow from its own tip?’” Coad said.

Coad, now assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Notre Dame, designed the robots based on a plant’s ability to grow and shape itself based on its environment. As a result, the robots can explore spaces that are too small or dangerous for humans to enter.

The robots work by eversion, which is the process of turning the soft body of the robot inside out while it is

Freeman Continued from page 1

how my fat her was in t he A ir Force for 26 yea rs.”

Ref lect ing on his mot her, who immig rated f rom Sout h Korea in 1976, Freema n remembers joining her during late night ja nitor shif ts, one of her t hree jobs.

“As a young person, you don’t rea li ze some of t he sacrif ices t hat indiv idua ls have to ma ke, but as you get older you rea li ze,” Freema n sa id. “I told my sta f f t he ot her day, ‘We work for t he ja nitor,’ … a nd t hat’s, to me, t he mindset t hat I’ve ga ined f rom my mot her — being self less a nd work ing t irelessly.”

A nnounced as t he t hirt iet h Not re Da me footba ll head coach last November a f ter Bria n Kel ly’s unex pected depa r ture, Ma rcus Freema n has been repeated ly ca l led a “player’s coach.” Freema n sa id former head coach Lou Holt z who led t he Irish to t heir most recent nat iona l cha mpionship in 1988 quest ioned t he nick na me in a recent meet ing bet ween t he t wo coaches.

“The f irst t hing [Holt z] sa id was, ‘I don’t k now if a ny of my former player’s ca l led me a ‘player’s coach,’” Freema n sa id.

lengthening. The soft body can be made of any airtight, unstretchable yet flexible material. This includes low density polyethylene, the material from which plastic bags are made. It is also the material of the “demo vine robot” Coad keeps in her purse for quick vine robot demonstrations.

The soft body of the demo vine robot is a cylindrical plastic bag sealed at the tip.

Coad inflates the plastic by blowing into a plastic tube at the bag’s base. In the actual robots, this end is connected to a hard plastic body.

The tip of the tube is inside out toward the base. The eversion of the tube allows the tip of the tube to lead the rest of the body while it is lengthening. This is crucial, especially if there is a camera on the tip of the robot.

Coad and her team members were not the first people to play with robots that lengthen by eversion. Other research labs have written papers about this method in the past, Coad noted. Her team was, however, the first to come up with a mechanism that controls the robot’s movement.

In order to steer the robots, Coad and her team attached three tubes around the circumference of the robot body.

These tubes shorten when

inflated, so the shortening of these tubes causes the robot body to turn.

“It’s similar to how your finger works,” Coad said. “You’ve got your bone in the middle and your tendon going down the side. When you shorten your tendon, it curves your finger.”

Coad was able to put this steering mechanism to the test in both competition and at an archaeological site.

During the competition, she was able to maneuver the device through uneven terrain, a small aperture and past unstable obstacles.

In 2019, Coad visited an archaeological site in Chavin, Peru, where her robot successfully navigated its way through a partially blocked tunnel, past a right angle and up a vertical shaft.

She documented her successes in a paper titled “Vine Robots: Design, Teleoperation, and Deployment for Navigation and Exploration.”

Coad was the primary author of the paper that received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Robotics and Automation Magazine Best Paper Award in May 2021.

Coad works in the Innovative Robotics and Interactive Systems (IRIS) Lab at Notre

Dame. The goal of the lab, Coad said, is to design robots in new ways that can be more helpful in the real world. This includes robots that interact with people through wearable devices, such as soft exosuits that can help people move.

The researchers have also taken inspiration from nature beyond vines. Coad and her fellow researchers are also looking at spider monkey tails and their ability to grab objects as inspiration for robot design.

Nature has been an inspiration for Coad’s work,

she said, but her biggest priority is helping people with her research.

“Our goal is to help people, and we’re going to try a bunch of different ways to do that,” Coad said. “One of the ways is looking to nature for inspiration and for new mechanisms of movement.”

The vine robot design and videos of both the robot in action at both the competition and archaeological site can be found on YouTube.

Despite t he init ia l skept icism, Freema n sa id he was able to conv ince Holt z by t he end of t he meet ing.

“I don’t wa nt a ny curta ins,” Freema n sa id. “I wa nt our players to k now me as Ma rcus Freema n, Coach Freema n t he husba nd, Coach Freema n t he fat her, a nd I don’t wa nt to hide t hat.”

Freema n added t hat his player-f irst approach creates t r ust a nd a llows him to push t he tea m to its highest level.

“I g ive our players t hat.

I’m honest w it h t hem,” Freema n sa id. “I’m on t he tea m. We’re in t his t hing toget her. Once you ga in t hat t r ust, now you ca n go as fa r as you k now t hey need to go. If you don’t have t hat t r ust, at some point, t hey’re going to push back. If t hey t r ust you, t hey k now who you a re, a nd t hey feel like you a ll have a connect ion, you ca n cont inue to push.”

Freema n sa id t he sha red cu lture is easier to create w it h t he back ing of Not re Da me a nd its student body.

“We understa nd how specia l t his place is, how specia l t he people a re, t he histor y of t his place,” Freema n sa id. “Our players a re so connected w it h our student body t hat it g ives us a n adva ntage. Those

8,000 students in t he stadium. We k now who t hey a re.

We’re connected to t hem.”

He sa id t he student connect ion is a key selling point when recr uit ing, one of Freema n’s coaching focuses.

Of fering more insight into his recr uit ing process, Freema n told t he audience he looks for f ive t ra its in potent ia l recr uits: compet it iveness, at h let icism, toughness, intelligence a nd leadership.

“We need more leaders,” Freema n sa id. “That’s why I recr uit g uys who a re w illing to hold t heir tea mmates accountable because it’s going to ma ke t he tea m better.”

Freema n a lso sa id he embraces t he Universit y’s Cat holic fa it h t radit ion a nd wa nts to inst itute more fa it h-based t radit ions on t he footba ll tea m, including a mass at t he Basilica, simila r to t he one show n in t he “Rudy” mov ie.

“Love your neighbor,” Freema n sa id, quot ing a favorite Bible verse. “W ho is your neighbor? Ever ybody’s your neighbor, a nd t hat goes to t reat ing people w it h respect.”

Freema n later ex tended t hat respect to inclusiv it y.

“In a locker room, you don’t see color,” Freema n sa id. “You see g uys you ca n count on a nd g uys

you ca n’t count on, a nd t hat’s why I love being pa r t of a tea m.”

As t he second Black footba ll coach in Not re Da me histor y, Freema n ack nowledged his inf luent ia l role, especia l ly for younger footba ll players a nd aspiring coaches.

“I’m a representat ion of a minorit y coach, a nd so, my focus is how ca n I help prepa re ot her minorit y coaches to be in a posit ion to have success,” he sa id. “I t hin k t here is power in young people seeing somebody t hey resemble in a posit ion of leadership.”

On t he topic of t he t ra nsit ion f rom defensive coordinator to head coach, Freema n sa id he has shif ted his mindset to ta ke a more holist ic approach.

“The biggest t hing I t hin k is your da i ly focus,” Freema n sa id. “My mindset has cha nged as head coach in terms of how do you ser ve your players a nd how do we ta ke ca re of t hese k ids?

How do we ta ke ca re of our sta f f ? ” Freema n sa id he has focused on delegat ing a nd empowering his sta f f, including of fensive coordinator, Tommy Rees.

“I wa nt to empower you to ma ke sure t hat you feel like you have t he tools you need to have success, a nd

so, I’m going to be whatever Coach Rees needs me to be, a nd I’m going to be his biggest suppor ter.”

Spea k ing on t he role in genera l, Freema n sa id t he head coach posit ion st i l l feels surrea l in some ways.

“W hen you wa l k into t hat locker room, t he ga me day locker room, I st i l l get chi l ls,” he sa id. “To be able to wa l k dow n t hat tunnel a nd touch t hat play li ke a cha mpion sig n. There’s just so ma ny t hings about t his place.”

Not re Da me’s legacy g ives Freema n t he mot ivat ion to be t he best he ca n be.

“To whom much is g iven, much is required,” Freema n sa id, quot ing t he Bible.

“That’s my reminder t hat [I’ve] been g iven a g reat oppor tunit y to be head coach at t he Universit y of Not re Da me.”

Freema n sa id understa nding what t he tea m needs is a n ongoing process — one he is whol ly committed to toi ling t hrough.

“I’m not Nick Saba n, a nd I don’t k now exact ly what t he process is,” Freema n sa id. “Unt i l I t r u ly f ig ure it out, my t houghts a re let’s work as ha rd as we ca n.

Let’s out work ever y opponent t hat we have.”

Courtesy of Margaret Coad

ND assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering Margaret Coad operates her vine robots at an archaeological site.

Contact Gabby Beechert at gbeecher@nd.edu

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

5

The observer | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Saint Mary’s News Editor

“It isn’t enough.”

These opening words on Bastille’s new album “Give Me The Future” instantly hooked me. It actually wouldn’t have taken much — I have been a fan of the group since their first album came out in 2013.

Bastille’s music has seen me through many of the highs and lows of my life: being an angsty middle schooler, a high schooler who was learning how to grow into adulthood and a college student using the upbeat melodies to stay awake while doing homework.

I believe the beauty of Bastille’s music is its timelessness. Right now, I can still get into the band as easily as I could nearly 10 years ago.

“Give Me the Future” itself has a similar sound to Bastille’s previous albums. There’s a decent mix of indie pop with highlights of electronic music — a combination that I can vibe with any time. The lyrics are standard Bastille, causing the listener to consider the evocative images created and the deeper meaning of the assembled words.

As a poet, I was fascinated by the spoken word performance in “Promises,” featuring actor and rapper Riz Ahmed. While I was surprised to hear the piece included, it was a beautiful addition to the album.

By NATALIE ALLTON Scene Writer

Following the release of her 2018 album, “Be the Cowboy,” singer-songwriter Mitski went on an indefinite hiatus. Feeling pressured by her sudden burst of popularity and apparent parasocial status among her fans, she passed control of her social media accounts to her management team and stepped back from stardom. She intended to quit making music entirely but changed her mind in 2020. She owed her record label another album, but she also wanted to create music for herself. Her most recent album, “Laurel Hell,” released earlier this month marks her return to music and touring after more than two years of radio silence.

“Laurel Hell” never tells the same story twice. Mitski both begs for love (“Love Me More”) and paints herself as someone who can no longer give it (“There’s Nothing Left For You”). She allows herself to be cast as the villain by a narrative out of her control (“The Only Heartbreaker”) and, elsewhere, bears the full mantle of guilt and responsibility (“Should’ve Been Me”). The penultimate track, “I Guess,” sees her reach a place of acceptance and acknowledgment towards her own pain and introspection. It’s followed by “That’s Our Lamp,” the most upbeat song on the album, which details the demise of a relationship that hinges on familiarity rather than affection. “Laurel Hell” is filled with dichotomies and paradoxes, layering contradictory viewpoints to weave a rich tapestry of hard-to-express emotion.

But something else felt different when I streamed the album for the first time (and several times after).

The album as a whole reflects on the losses that the world experienced throughout the pandemic and how society can recover from such a heartbreaking time.

Essentially, “Give Me The Future” questions how we should be entering into a future that remains quite uncertain — with the increase of worldwide misinformation, the corruption of world leaders and the instability of the environment.

And Bastille’s answer by the end of the album?

Not giving up on the dreams that one might have had before the pandemic. Because “it isn’t enough” to just accept a future with no promise for something better.

Even the title “Give Me The Future” insists that the listener design the future that they want for themselves, and this message remains consistent throughout the album.

Using the limitless possibilities of imagery, combined with some elements of science fiction and a dystopian universe, the album succeeds in driving the listener into a vividly crafted future — one that might be better than the one we have now.

I know that I’m just one of many people who wants to move past the pandemic. I dream of a time I will feel safe enough to go to a stadium tour to hear “Give Me the Future” in person. I want the safety and comfort I

never fully appreciated before COVID-19.

And one day I will get it back, but there will always be something holding me back as I grow older.

I won’t have the money to travel. I won’t have the time to write the book I’ve always wanted to publish. I won’t have the privilege to meet the people I look up to.

I will always be able to make excuses for myself and they will pile up. But if “Give Me the Future” has taught me anything, it’s that I should always seek out the opportunities I have dreamt for myself because no dreams are too small, especially after a time of hopelessness.

I just have to realize that there’s a brighter future that I might not always see.

Mitski’s lyricism is best approached like sung poetry.

As a general rule, she’s likely to be writing about love, fame, loneliness, identity or capitalism — all themes explored in “Laurel Hell.” “Working for the Knife” is about the oppressive weight of consumerism and fame on a creative career. Arguably, so is every other track on the album. Heartbreak is the most surface-level interpretation of her lyrics, but it isn’t the only valid one. Mitski’s relationship to her work, popularity and audience is like a partnership: romantic, dramatic and emotional.

Her discography has been shoved into the “sad girl music” category. While I’ve never once been okay while listening to “Be The Cowboy” or “Bury Me at Makeout Creek” on repeat, it is reductive to claim that “sadness” is the only emotion her music evokes. Mitski makes me see shrimp colors. Her lyrics detail situations and feelings so specific that it sometimes feels like she Xeroxed my brain and made a funky synth beat out of my thoughts. Her voice, soft and intimate, croons about how it “Must be lonely loving someone / Trying to find their way out of a maze,” and in doing so, she rips out my heart and plays jump rope with my aorta.

Mitski often writes tragedy but like all great art, there are layers to her text. If you also relate: Enjoy the ride and get well soon.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see her tour in Atlanta on Feb. 19; it was a near-religious experience. Mitski is a performer in every sense of the word. She sang track after track for a straight hour and a half without breaks, pausing only to drink water and

once to say she smelled weed. (While she was cool with it, she thought everyone really should be wearing a mask). Her choreography left no room for improvisation: every lithe movement was carefully planned and gracefully executed. Her use of expressions and pantomime created a character and narrative for every song — see, for example, her silent, fully mimed, absolutely heart-wrenching emotional breakdown during “Townie.” It was hard to look away from her. She was ethereal, beautiful and tragic.

“Laurel Hell” lives comfortably in the grey space of life, love, relationships and work. Mitski’s lyrics, complex as ever, speak to emotions that reside within the ugliest parts of ourselves. As a fan, I’m rabid for her work; as a creator, I recognize that she owes us absolutely nothing.

Mitski, from here I can tell you: thank you.

Contact Genevieve at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

“Give Me The Future” Artist: Bastille Label: EMI Records Favorite Tracks: “No More Bad Days,” “Back to the Future,” “Stay Awake” If you like: WALK THE MOON, Neon Trees, The Mowgli’s

w

w

w

Contact Natalie Allton at nallton@nd.edu

“Laurel Hell” Artist: Mitski Label: Dead Oceans Favorite Tracks: “Stay Soft,” “Should’ve Been Me,” “That’s Our Lamp” If you like: Japanese Breakfast, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus

w

w

w

MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer | Image sources: Natalie Allton, stubhub.com

6

The observer | Monday, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Columns

Arrival Alysa Guffey Editor-in-Chief

Home under the dome Jack Sirianni Sports Writer

As of the publication of this column, I have been Editor-inChief for 24 hours. It feels a little surreal that the time has arrived, but I also can already feel the time ticking. College has taught me that a lot can happen in a year but that a year also goes fast.

In the past month, numerous people have congratulated me on my election to Editor-in-Chief. Then, many of them have a couple of questions regarding my new role. How many people do you oversee? How many hours a week will you work? What are the perks of the job?

The last question has proved more difficult to answer than I expected. Given that I had thought about applying to be EIC since my freshman year, you would think that I would have an answer ready — and a good one at that. At first, my mind goes blank thinking, “Do I get any perks, or at the end of the day, is this just a job I’ve taken on — where I do what I need to do and then move to something else?”

However, I quickly realized the perks of the job were quite simple — so simple I think they go unsaid most times. The best perk is being a part of something so much bigger than yourself — a newsroom of almost 100 student journalists, being one of many people working in a dusty office in the basement of South Dining Hall, all contributing to a 50-year tradition.

Over the past two and a half years, I have at times struggled to convince myself that what I have to say is important enough to be said. In reality, that’s part of the reason I found my place in the news department; it was much easier to report and articulate how other people felt than write about how I felt. Yet, through my time at The Observer, I have been inspired by my fellow student journalists and in the meaning of their words and work.

I grew up hearing my Dad’s stories from writing in The Observer’s sports department and eventually serving as sports editor his senior year at Notre Dame — back when editors had business cards. (Feel old, Dad?) That’s really the reason I got involved my freshman year. And I just never left.

There have been challenges getting here — and there will be challenges in the future. It is only with the help of The Observer Editorial Board, everyone on our staff and the tricampus student body that I can lead the paper. This may be the beginning of my year leading it, but for the paper, it’s just another transition.

And to wrap up this short, something of an introduction of myself today, I want to extract a quote from the first edition of The Observer on Nov. 3, 1966: “Editors are of little use, however, without dedicated and capable staffers to get the job done.”

Thank you to everyone who dedicates even an inkling of their time to this paper — we appreciate you more than you know, and you make our content strong, diverse and impactful. Now that I’ve said that, that’s enough talking from me … for now.

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

Among the busy hustle, bustle and downright disorientation of the last few weeks of school before Christmas break building up to the holidays with finals, there was a significant aesthetic addition to the campus of the University of Notre Dame. W hile these new decorations may have gone unnoticed during the last few weeks of the first semester, it would be near impossible to have not noticed the banners that adorn the University’s lamp posts bearing the f lags of nations and states. The banners depict the f lags of countries along with American states and territories that students of Notre Dame hail from in the spirit of what the University website calls, “ … a testament to our commitment that, while we come from different places, all are welcome in our campus community.”

W hile this sentiment is well-intended and gives the average student a little something to jazz up their mundane walk to class in the Indiana “permacloud,” there is something much more meaningful with these seemingly insignificant f lag banners. To be quite bluntly honest, these banners have gradually become an obsession of mine. I remember the first day that I saw the banner representing the State of Nebraska outside of my dorm on my walk to the Dining Hall and the utter confusion that I felt. “Wow, it must be Nebraskan appreciation day or something!” W hile as tough as it must be to live in Nebraska (apologies to any Nebraskan Observer readers), my theory was squashed as soon as I did a little more looking around South Quad. As soon as I put the pieces together, it was like a maddening treasure hunt to find my own state and my representation in the One Home Under the Dome banners.

Being a proud Michigander since the day I was born, it did not take long for me to find the prominently placed banner depicting the lousy state f lag of my beloved home state. Right between Main Circle and the Eck Hall of Law f lew the banner of the State of Michigan, and I could not have been happier in my successful hunt of my treasure. I will bashfully admit that I did take a few photos of myself and the light pole banner and I am sure that in such a highly trafficked area, someone

must have seen me in my giddy state of excitement. W hile not everyone is as lucky to have their home banner hung in such a convenient spot, I walked past the same light pole that displayed my banner everyday multiple times on my way to and from class in Debart. Every time I passed it, I felt a little twinge of serotonin rush through my body as I recalled all of the memories that I have made in that place that I first called home and how much of my identity is based around my home state.

However, I am no longer afforded the pleasure of seeing my state represented with the One Home Under the Dome banners on campus. Admittedly, when I passed it from time to time, I would have the f leeting thought of how spectacular that Michigan banner would look hung up on my dorm room wall. Though I would never do such a thing, in the same tragic fate that a lawn sign or traffic cone would meet on this campus, my beloved State of Michigan banner befell the same devious fate. This item likely lies right now in the hands of some sorry thief and can no longer be enjoyed by the Michigander population of Notre Dame.

My love of this series of banners has not stopped at the missing representation of my own state, in fact, I have started to take it as a personal mission on slow days to find the banners of my friends’ states and countries. W hile the university has provided an alphabetized list with the locations of the banners that can be found at the link below, where is the fun in that?

For me, the fun comes in the way that I will always be surprised at the home f lags of my fellow Irish and the excuse it gives me to walk around outside on campus. In my unconventional form of entertainment, as you will likely see if you try to find your home’s representation, it is much harder than it sounds to find one specific banner.

This almost hunting for banners has become a way for me to destress and slowly come to appreciate the beauty of this campus we call home from all angles. A special challenge that I would give to the reader would be to find the banners from the state of Texas or Tennessee as those are ones that personally, I have yet to find.

You can contact Jack at jsirian2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The observer | Monday, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

Being “religious” Andrew Sveda Church and State

The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

(Jeremiah 17:9). There is much we don’t know about our own hearts. So many are the idols there, and how little we understand the depths of them. We oftentimes surprise ourselves with our own actions. When faced with temptation and conviction to let go of our sin, we begin to scratch the surface of just how sinful we are.

Some idols can be pretty obvious. But others can be more hidden and sneaky, yet just as powerful and terrible. Outwardly, actions may seem noble and God-glorifying, but they are nothing of the sort, for they flow from evil inclinations in the heart. This was true of the Pharisees’ lives. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Jesus said. “For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28).

It is possible to be very religious and yet not know Christ. “Being religious” can be an idol. Theological knowledge can be an idol. Not that piety or studying theology are bad things. They certainly aren’t.

But they can be warped and turned into idols and vehicles for pride and self-righteousness. “[W]e may come to love knowledge — our knowing,” C.S. Lewis, borrowing from the “Theologia Germanica,” says, “more than the thing known: to delight not in the exercise of our talents but that they are ours, or even in the reputation they bring us.” We may realize that so much of what we thought was zeal for God was really a self-righteous zeal, a desire to make our name great rather than His. We may desire to read many Christian books simply to have read them, not

because we wanted to truly understand what they say.

We may read a Bible chapter a day so we soothe our conscience and think we’re “not such a bad person.”

We may sing so we can create some emotional feeling and thereby gain our own worthiness. Even at church, we can be so fixated on ourselves, how we look to others and our own righteousness, that we cease to truly think about God at all. All such religion is not true worship at all but mere duty and a desire to create your own righteousness.

This isn’t to say Christians can’t struggle with pride and self-righteousness (they definitely do). But religious knowledge that causes us to worship ourselves rather than the Savior is no good at all. For the religious but unsaved person, Heaven holds no joy for them. All theological debates have ended. Pride and self-righteousness have forever been excluded. The only boast is in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31, Jeremiah 9:23-24). It is the Lord who saved you. You can take no credit for your salvation, and you can never earn it or become worthy of it. It will always be of grace.

You have been saved just like the thief on the cross, the prostitute and the tax collector. “He must increase,” and you “must decrease” (John 3:30). This is torture for the self-righteous religious person, for the modern-day Pharisee. Like the Jews described in Romans 9:30-10:3, “they do not submit to God’s righteousness,” that is, “the righteousness that is by faith,” but rather are bent on “[establishing] their own” righteousness by their good works. They refuse to accept God’s grace because they are too prideful to come with nothing to offer. Thus, they never come and die in their sin.

Is there any hope, then, for the Pharisees of today, for the self-righteous, unsaved religious person? There most certainly is! Jesus said, “whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37), and “whoever” truly means everybody (yes, you too!). “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36). “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that

whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Are you a sinner? If so, salvation is offered to you. Do not think that your sins are too great for Christ. He died for real sins, and His blood paid for them all (1 John 1:7). He saved prostitutes and tax collectors. He saved the worst of sinners, Paul (1 Timothy 1:15). Can He not then save you? He is able to save you, and He is willing, for that is why He came (John 3:17, Luke 19:10). And now, even now, after all you’ve done, He bids you “Come to” Him (Matthew 11:28). Go to Him as a beggar, as the wretched sinner you are, for He did “not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32), and be assured He “justifies the ungodly” (Romans 4:5) through faith in Christ’s blood. You must give up on all your hopes to save yourself. You have sinned against the Almighty and stand guilty before Him. If you stand on your good works, which are as “a polluted garment” to the Lord (Isaiah 64:6), you will surely be condemned. In Him and in His blood alone is your salvation won. It was there that He “bore our sins” (1 Peter 2:24), that He paid the penalty for our sins and satisfied God’s wrath. He has done it all. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Before you is a powerful Savior and a great salvation.

Give up on your own works, your own religious feelings and efforts. Go to Him just like any other sinner, with nothing and no righteousness of your own. Fall on Him, and your soul will be saved.

Andrew Sveda is a junior at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in political science with a supplementary major in theology. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @ SvedaAndrew on Twitter.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Imposter syndrome of the absolute worst degree How can I feel less ordinary in such an extraordinary place?

Look — I’m just going to come out and say it straight. Sometimes, (all the time) it is hard for me to feel like I am qualified enough to be at such a prestigious university surrounded by thousands of the world’s most exceptional people.

Every time that I think I’m starting to do life semicorrectly, one of my friends or peers does something insane. This applies to all aspects of life here too. It’s like you can never catch a break.

Oh, I got a 92 on my exam? My roommate got a 100 in this class as a freshman! I’m a varsity athlete at a Division I school? My teammates were just in the Olympics! I learned to play piano? Dude next to me in class wrote a symphony when he was 15!

So even if I can get past the fact all the people I surround myself with are either Olympic athletes, super geniuses, the Beethovens of our generation, entering the NFL draft, supermodels, verified on Instagram, profiting off of their own start up or already have a career lined up post graduation, what does that mean for me?

And before we move on, do not even get me started on LinkedIn. Every time I open that app I’m reminded of just how behind I seem to be in planning the rest of my life. How am I supposed to feel like I’m doing alright for myself when every person here has had a salaried internship for this summer figured out and a job secured in their dream city since freshman year

summer. There was a point in my life where, when my alarm would go off in the morning, I would immediately check LinkedIn to make me feel just bad enough about myself and my lack of personal accomplishment that I would be more motivated to get up and go to my 8 a.m. And let me tell you, if you’re looking for some sort of morning motivation, that one works every. single. time.

Anyways, there’s truly something to be said about how you become who you surround yourself with.

Being a part of this University has opened my eyes to opportunities I didn’t even know existed. Being immersed in so many different types of greatness is something that I will never take for granted. No matter how grateful I am, it is still so #$@!%&* difficult.

I’m not saying it’s “oh this sucks” difficult either.

I’m saying it feels like I am not even nearly qualified enough to be a member of this community. It feels like I do not belong here no matter how hard I try. It feels like I shouldn’t even be allowed to attend this University. It feels like I am just taking up the space of someone else who could be doing much better in my exact same position. It feels like I’m letting down everyone around me. No matter how much time I put in or how many flashcards I make, I might never get a 100. No matter how many times I give my all at practice, I’m never going to the Olympics. No matter how many hobbies and talents I try to acquire, I’m not winning America’s Got Talent.

It took me a long while to realize that the reality is

this: somebody else’s beauty does not imply the lack of mine. Beauty can be replaced in this sentence with success, intelligence, etc. Doesn’t matter. The point is that you can be surrounded by greatness and be just as great. Comparison is the thief of happiness and pride.

I know that you have all probably heard that before, and it takes some serious self reflection to start believing it for yourself, but it’s so true. You are here in the tri-campus of the University of Notre Dame and you worked your a** off to get here. Be proud of yourself! You’re already doing something right, and just because your peers are also doing amazing things doesn’t mean you’re doing everything wrong.

You’re going to be fine. You are already here. You do belong here. You are just as qualified as everyone else.

Just keep trying your best. You are smart, creative, inspiring, talented and thoughtful. You don’t have to have your whole entire life figured out right now. You don’t have to be a captain or a president or a dean’s list member to validate your worth. Stop comparing yourself to people who also don’t have everything figured out. I promise you that even all of these extraordinary people are struggling too. Stop categorizing yourself as ordinary, you owe yourself so much more than that.

Olivia Fabry junior Feb. 24

8

Sports

The observer | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hockey Continued from page 12

capitalized on their first extended offensive zone shift of the game. Senior center Graham Slaggert banged in the rebound of a shot by senior defenseman Nick Leivermann, tipped en route by junior right w inger Trevor Janicke.

Then, Michigan cracked the door open when the Irish won a challenge for head contact on John Beecher late in the first period.

The Irish power-play kicked said door in, courtesy of a goal from the slick hands of junior left w ing Jesse Lansdell.

Lansdell deftly slid the puck to himself and into an open net before Michigan goaltender Erik Portillo could get back into position.

The Irish kicked into high gear from there, outshooting the Wolverines 15-8 in the second period and extending their lead. Leivermann, who returned from injur y for the first time in nearly a month last weekend, darted around defenders to f lip a back hander.

This created a rebound which graduate student right w ing Jack Adams immediately jammed in. The Irish didn’t slow dow n in the third period, either, creating chances including a pair of breakaways. That doesn’t even count the awarded goal for senior defenseman Spencer Stastney, w ith the Irish already dow n two men themselves.

Couple all of that w ith 28 saves from graduate student Matthew Galajda, and the Irish started the weekend on a conv incing note. Even though Friday’s v ictor y clinched the No. 3 seed in the B1ig Ten Tournament, Jackson certainly wasn’t looking at Saturday’s game as meaningless.

“I was just worried about tonight. We’re still tr y ing to establish our position from the NCA A Tournament,” Galajda said. “They’re gonna come w ith a big pushback and we’re gonna have to be ready to play at the same level, if not better.”

Sure enough, the Irish answered the bell, play ing just as good (if not better) on Saturday. This time it was Notre Dame coming out of the gates strong, outshooting Michigan 11-6 in the opening frame.

The score remained 0-0 through 20 minutes, but the Irish stayed undeterred.

They broke through when freshman center Hunter Strand one-timed a gorgeous saucer pass from freshman left w inger

Justin Janicke to open the scoring.

Notre Dame’s usually stellar penalt y kill, which still went 6 for 7 on the weekend, suffered a rare goal against from No. 2 overall pick Matt y Beniers. This knotted the game 6:11 into the third period.

But just when overtime started to seem inev itable, the Janicke brothers gave the Irish the lift they needed. Justin started a sequence that ended in a rebound goal for Trevor that held up as the game-w inner, a fitting finish given Jackson’s mantra for the weekend.

“In the offensive zone, you’ve gotta work the puck low to high and get the team spread out. Our guys (are) just w illing to pay the price,” Jackson said after the Irish blocked an absurd 24 shots on Friday. “We’ve been blocking shots all year long.

They were going low to high, especially later in the game.

You’ve gotta be conscious of tips and def lections and getting in shot lanes.”

As for Galajda? “Both (goalies) have played well.

But Matt’s been the hot hand recently,” Jackson said about Galajda, who appears to have ended the Irish goalie controversy by stopping 59 of 61 shots (.967 save percentage) over the course of the weekend.

W hile this weekend was undoubtedly the ceiling of Notre Dame’s regular season, it could be just the beginning if the Irish have any thing to say about it.

That the Irish can not just play w ith but outplay a team as talented as Michigan is a complement to the former, not an insult to the latter.

And the scar y thing is the Irish can still be better.

The team swept the Wolverines w ithout sophomore for ward Grant Silanoff and sophomore defenseman Zach Plucinzski.

“Hopefully, we get ever ybody back for the playoffs,” Jackson said, also adding the team’s seemingly nonstop string of injuries has challenged them, especially when it comes to special teams.

And yet despite all of it, here sit the Irish, w inners of eight straight heading into the Big Ten tournament, and eventually, the NCA A Tournament.

Notre Dame played championship-caliber hockey this weekend. That doesn’t guarantee they’ll be a championship-w inning team, of course.

But show ing you can play at that level is half the battle. The other half is about to start.

Fencing Continued from page 12

“As I started getting into it this morning, I felt quite confident. And I kept distracting myself from my thoughts about fencing, and I was just constantly thinking about back home and family. I think that’s what helped me a lot today.”

In men’s saber, Notre Dame qualified the top two seeds from pool play with senior Malcolm Fields going 11-4 to claim the top spot. Senior Jared Smith went 10-5 with a pool-best +32 touch differential to claim the two seed in the semis.

In the semifinals, Fields won a close match 15-14 over Duke’s Terence Lee as Smith defeated Boston College’s Bolang Meng 15-8. This made for an all-Irish final where Smith, the 2020 ACC individual runner-up, went one better and defeated teammate Fields 15-7 to claim the individual saber title.

Foil In men’s foil, senior Andrew Machovec went 12-1 in pool play to qualify as the top seed for the semi-final.

He then went on to dominate the semi-final 15-2 before a closely contested final where he trailed 13-9 but came from behind to win on the final touch and defeat Boston College’s Brian Wang 15-14.

“I think the biggest thing for me today was just to keep calm in the final,” Machovec told the ACC Network after the bout. “Just stay calm, relax, fence through it and just keep going until the end.”

This is Machovec’s second ACC title in the foil following his win the last time the Irish competed in 2020.

The women’s foil saw Notre Dame qualify three fencers to the four-women semifinal. Sophomore Karina Yaroshenko and freshman Rebeca Candescu topped pool play by both going 122, with Yaroshenko claiming the top seed by virtue of touch differential. Solène Watson also qualified for the semifinal as the fourth seed with an 11-3 record. The final Irish foilist, freshman Nicole Pustilnik, also put together a strong performance going 8-6 to finish in fifth place.

Track Continued from page 10

In the field, Schmidt also took sixth in the high jump with a mark of 1.75 meters.

Graduate student Rachel Tanczos placed fourth in the

The first semifinal saw Yaroshenko defeat teammate Watson with a convincing 15-6 victory. In the other semifinal, Candescu took care of Duke’s Christina Ferrari to make it an all-Notre Dame final. Candescu then claimed the ACC title with a 15-9 victory over teammate Yaroshenko who settled for silver.

Epee In women’s epee, sophomore Amanda Pirkowski shined for the Irish. She dominated pool play going 14-1 to qualif y as the top seed for the semifinals.

Senior and t wo-time ACC Champion Miriam Grady went 9-6 finishing in fifth position and just missing out on the semifinal.

Pirkowski was dominant in the semifinal beating Duke’s Rachel Kowalsk y by a conv incing 15-4 margin.

She then claimed the ACC title w ith a 15-10 w in over Duke’s Sarah Lur ye in the final.

In men’s epee, Notre Dame dominated pool play w ith senior Stephen Ewart going 13-2 and clinching the top seed in the semifinal. Junior Hunter Candreva also qualified for the semifinal as the fourth seed w ith a 9-6 record.

The other t wo Irish epeeists also had good showings w ith juniors Harrison Kimatian and Joshua Zhang both compiling 9-6 records to finish fifth and sixth, respectively.

It was an all-Irish affair in the semifinal as Candreva defeated Ewart 15-11 in a closely contested matchup.

Candreva then faced UNC freshman Eli Lippman in the final, losing 15-10 and claiming the silver medal for Notre Dame. Ewart joined him on the podium as he won his bronze-medal match, defeating BC’s Daniel Gaidar 15-10.

In all, Notre Dame claimed 10 indiv idual medals at the ACC Championships, including five of the six indiv idual titles. There were also four silver medal finishes and one bronze for Irish fencers.

Notre Dame. The Irish reclaimed the men’s and women’s conference titles.

For both teams, it came dow n to the final round matchup against Duke.

The men had comfortable 16-11 and 17-10 w ins over BC and UNC, respectively.

Then they defeated Duke 17-10 in their third match to avoid a fence-off and w in the team championship.

The saber stood out on Sunday as indiv idual champion Smith went 8-1 for the Irish on the day. The defending national champion, sophomore Luke Linder, also made an appearance Sunday after sitting out the indiv idual championship.

He went 4-0 on the day, including a perfect three bouts against Duke in the cha mpionsh ip-cl i nch i ng match.

The women entered the final match against Duke w ith both teams at 2-0.

It was a w inner-take-all match. The Blue Dev ils started out strong and held an early 8-4 advantage.

Then the Irish went on a run, w inning 10 of the next 11 bouts to clinch at 14-9.

Much of the momentum on this run came from the saber squad. They dropped the first bout and fell into a 4-2 hole. With Duke needing just one more bout to clinch the saber, the mood seemed to shift after Kudriav tseva won the seventh bout 5-4.

Tied 4-4, Kudriav tseva won the final bout in a close engagement where the referee had to check the replay. The touch was upheld to give Notre Dame the bout. After that, Linder and Greenbaum won the final t wo bouts to clinch the saber matchups 5-4.

That helped complete the Notre Dame comeback; they won 14 of the final 15 bouts.

In the end, Notre Dame defeated Duke 18-9 to clinch the women’s team ACC championship. In particular, the foil squad had a spectacular day, going 23-4 throughout the three matches. Pustilnik put together a perfect 9-0 day in the team competition.

Team Competition The team competition saw even more success for

Contact Jose Sanchez Cordova at jsanch24@nd.edu

weight throw (21.62 meters) and eighth in the shot put (15.31 meters). Sophomore Michael Shoaf came in eighth as well in the weight throw (20.43 meters) followed by senior John Stefan in tenth (19.34 meters).

Shoaf also placed fifth in the

shot put (18.88 meters) while Stefan snagged tenth again in the event (17.78 meters).

Some members of the team will next head to NCA A Championships, where they will seek to close out their indoor season with even more success.

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

DAILY

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

9

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: How you connect to the outside world and the people who can make your life and goals easier will determine the outcome.

Nurture relationships, and align yourself with people who share your values and complement your skills, knowledge and experience. Don’t let uncertainty limit what you can accomplish. Be open to suggestions and strong enough to make smart decisions.

Your numbers are 2, 14, 24, 26, 30, 36, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t take on the impossible. Gauge what you can do, and proceed with intelligence. Pull in help if you get in over your head. Rely on experts when necessary, and avoid unsavory outcomes. Pay attention to detail, plans and procedures.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stop talking and start doing. Initiate your plans, and dazzle everyone with what you accomplish. Actions will be your ticket to recognition and praise for your tenacity and drive.

Move into high gear and show someone you love how much you care.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Get ready to leap forward. Nothing will stand in your way once you have your plan in place and the confidence to step into the spotlight. Recognize any resistance or negativity you receive as jealousy or regret that someone harbors.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Explore possibilities, connect with people who share your interests and concerns, and do your best to make a difference.

Work in conjunction with someone you love, and together you will make your life and the world around you a better place.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): A change you encounter will cause emotional upset.

Don’t hold back if you don’t like something; do something about it before it multiplies. Be honest with those you love and are close to, and you’ll deter a problem.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Make a move for the right reason, not because someone else does. Take the path that feels natural. It’s OK to do things your way or to be different. The people who love you will support whatever makes you happy.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t let anger defeat you; put your energy to good use. Take the high road, and let others do as they please. Follow the path that is best suited to your needs and fits your budget. Handle shared expenses with care.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be careful how you deal with sensitive issues.

A friend or relative will misinterpret what you are trying to say if you aren’t explicit. Choose your words carefully and let positive action lead the way.

Expand your creative skills.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be observant. Don’t take part in something extravagant or anything that appears to lack substance or moral code. Avoid people who exaggerate or are pushy. Raise your standards and focus on truth, justice and fair play.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Look over your assets, finances and liabilities. Assess your situation and confirm what you can afford to do to make your life purposeful. What you do for those you love and to resolve concerns will leave a positive fingerprint.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When in doubt, hang back and watch.

Don’t let the changes others pursue entice you or make you feel indifferent about your life. Focus on what you have and where you are heading. Making comparisons or assumptions will bring you down.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take on whatever comes your way with spontaneity and conviction. Take ownership of what you do, and don’t be afraid to set high standards and expectations. Think big, but stick to a reasonable budget, and you will not be disappointed.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Support student journalism.

Donate to The Observer. ndsmcobserver.com/donate

Square Comic | XXX

Work Area

Make checks payable to and mail to:

The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556

Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross communities. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the three campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip

10

Sports

The observer | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Men’s Basketball | 90-56

Athlete of the WEek

ND crushes GT

By LIAM COOLICAN Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame dominated Georgia Tech from start to finish Saturday evening en route to a 90-56 victory at Purcell Pavilion. With the win, Notre Dame clinched a double bye in next month’s ACC tournament.

The 34-point margin was also the Irish’s largest victory over a conference opponent since they joined the ACC in 2013. The last time these two teams faced off Jan. 8, the Irish (21-8, 14-4 ACC) needed overtime to dispatch the Yellow Jackets (11-18, 4-14 ACC). In this contest, however, the Irish shot Georgia Tech out of the building right from tip-off.

“No game is easy in the ACC, but we played well,” said senior guard Cormac Ryan. “We did a good job continuing to throw punches, I think that’s something we’ve improved on, not backing down and giving up leads. We kept the pressure on them for 40 minutes.”

Head coach Mike Brey credited the team’s unselfish culture for their success.

“The way we move it and share it and do it freely, and we don’t care if we’re the hockey assist guy or the assist guy or the guy who gets the bucket,” he said.

The team had 21 assists three days after racking up 19 in a win over Syracuse. The Irish were led by 17 first-half points from senior guard Dane Goodwin and a strong 15-point performance from freshman guard Blake Wesley. As a team, Notre Dame shot 57% from the field, including 13-23 from beyond the arc. The Yellow Jackets, by contrast, were held to 34.4% from the field and a paltry 20% from three.

“I think they’re playing as well as anybody in America right now,” said Georgia Tech head coach Josh Pastner. “When they’re making shots like that, they’re hard to beat.”

Goodwin came out scorching hot for the Irish. He scored nine of the team’s first

eleven points, and they jumped out to an early double-digit lead after a three-pointer from senior guard Trey Wertz put them up 16-6. The teams went back and forth for the next several minutes but the Irish blew the game open with a 10-0 run towards the end of the half, which took them less than 90 seconds.

Goodwin hit back-to-back threepointers, Wesley converted a tough bucket inside, and Goodwin scored again, forcing Georgia Tech into a timeout.

“We set the tone as always on defense,” Ryan said. “When we’re playing good defense, we get out and run.”

Just before halftime, Wesley made a three despite being fouled, although he couldn’t convert the four-point play. Notre Dame took a 46-27 lead into the locker room thanks to an impressive 67% shooting percentage, including 7-11 from beyond the arc. The second half was much of the same for the Irish, only with different players doing the scoring. Ryan hit two early threepointers to continue to build the lead, including one from nearly the logo. He finished the contest with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Prentiss Hubb was also very efficient for the Irish. He scored 13 points on 5-6 shooting, to go along with six assists against just a single turnover.

Georgia Tech never came within 20 points of the Irish for the final 19 minutes of the contest and didn’t make a field goal in the last five-plus minutes against Notre Dame’s backups. The Irish have two games to play in the regular season before heading to Brooklyn for the ACC tournament. It would appear that with the victory, though, the Irish have removed any remaining doubt that they will hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

“I think we are in an amazingly strong position, and man, we’ve missed it,” Brey said.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

Galajda shines in net, Pirkowski wins ACC title Associate Sports Editor

and Duke in rapid succession to claim the men’s team title.

A largely successful weekend of Notre Dame sports provided a variety of competitive ballots for the team and athletes of the week.

Women’s Athlete of the Week: Amanda Pirkowski, Fencing

By AIDAN THOMAS

Men’s Athlete of the Week: Matthew Galajda, Hockey Notre Dame hockey had a fantastic weekend, sweeping No. 2 Michigan. Graduate student goaltender Matthew Galajda anchored the twogame effort. Standing tall between the pipes, the Cornell transfer notched 59 saves for the Irish over two games and surrendered just two goals versus their rivals. That was enough for the Irish to claim victories of 4-1 and 2-1.

It also gave Notre Dame the three-seed in the Big 10 conference tournament, which starts this weekend. Galajda made 28 saves on Friday night, including 11 third-period efforts to preserve Notre Dame’s victory. On Saturday, the goaltender recorded 31 saves, with 14 coming in the final period of play. His effort in goal earned him his second nomination for Athlete of the Week and his first win.

Honorable Andrew Fencing

Mention: Machovec,

Machovech turned in one of many fantastic performances for the Irish fencing squad this weekend. Machovech claimed the ACC foil championship, going 14-1 in the individual event on Saturday.

During Sunday’s team event, Machovech went 8-1 as the Irish stomped BC, UNC

Sophomore epee Amanda Pirkowski was a dominant force all weekend for the Irish fencing squad, leading the women’s team to the team title. Beyond that, Pirkowski also cruised through the individual field en route to a 16-1 record on Saturday.

Pirkowski went 14-1 in pool play to take the top seed into the semifinals.

There she defeated a pair of Duke fencers in the final two rounds, by scores of 15-4 and 15-10 to claim the individual title. On Sunday, Pirkowski went 7-2, boosting the Irish to victory. In their final victories over UNC and Duke, Pirkowski was key in engineering a comeback. She delivered the clinching victory against Duke in the title match. Her efforts and high-impact victories were enough to win Athlete of the Week.

Honorable Mention: Sonia Citron, Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Despite an unfortunate end to the week with a tough loss to No. 4 Louisville, freshman guard Sonia Citron put together the best performance in the losing effort, following up a dynamic double-double against Clemson.

Citron totaled 33 points and 21 rebounds in two games, coming two rebounds shy of consecutive double-doubles on Sunday.

Team of the Week: Notre Dame Hockey This one was a two-team race between the fencing and hockey squads. However, with a season sweep of their rivals on the line, as well as seeding in the Big 10 tournament, the Irish delivered majorly and hockey took the award.

It also likely secured at minimum an at-large NCA A bid for Notre Dame should they fall short in the conference tournament.

The Irish victory is also more impressive when taking into account their opponent. Michigan was ranked No. 2, and they had lost just once this calendar year.

Furthermore, the Wolverines had won seven straight games entering the series. And they had only been swept one other time all season — by the Irish back in November.

The magnitude of the victory combined with the caliber of the opponent was enough for Notre Dame hockey to earn their second team of the week award.

Nominations Men’s Athlete of the Week: Galajda (Hockey, second nomination), Machovec (Fencing, first), Ryan Cole (Baseball, first), Matthew Carmody (Track, first).

Women’s Athlete of the Week: Pirkowski (Fencing, first nomination), Citron (ND WBB, first), Alexis Holloway (Softball, second), Jadin O’Brien (Track and Field Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

TRack and Field

Irish shatter meet, program records Observer Sports Staff

The Irish track and field team notched several record-breaking performances this weekend at the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships in Blacksburg, Virginia. These efforts combined to give the men’s team a fifth-place overall record. The women finished off the competition in eighth.

All eyes were on the Distance medley relays (DMRs) as they took to the track following their stellar finishes at the Alex Wilson

Invitational. However, it was the women’s pentathlon event that became the highlight of the tournament.

Freshman Jadin O’Brien had a dominating performance, taking first in the competition with 4,324 points. This mark not only made her the ACC women’s pentathlon champion, but it additionally broke the Notre Dame record in the event and gave O’Brien a ticket to the NCA A Championships in Birmingham. Within the pentathlon, O’Brien placed first in the high jump, shot put and 800 meters. She

additionally took home personal bests in high jump (1.71 meters) and shot put (12.79 meters) and her season-best in long jump (5.88 meters).

Freshmen Alaina Brady and Madison Schmidt also placed in the top ten in the event. Brady took seventh with 3,915 points. She took home her personal best in the 800 meters (2:19.04) and tied her personal best in the 60 meter hurdles (8.53).

Schmidt placed tenth (3,622 points). That included personal bests in the 60 meter hurdles (9.22) and the shot put (10.95m).

The DMRs still performed well, however. The men took home second (9:37.10) while the women came in at fourth (11:02.10). Other distance events also went well for the Irish. Graduate student Kaitlin Ryan snagged fifth in the 800m (2:06.28).

Additionally, junior Olivia Markzich also came in fifth in the 3000m (9:10.76).

Senior Meghan Scott placed tenth in the same event (9:24.76). In the 5000m, seniors Maddy Genner and Jacqueline Gaughan finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Genner finished in 16:17.83,

and Gaughan followed at 16:27.94.

More success and recordbreaking came in the men’s 5k when senior Matthew Carmody set the new ACC meet record with a time of 13:47.85. In the 3000 meters, senior Dylan Jacobs also set a meet record, as well as a facility record, with a time of 7:49.79. Additionally, sophomore Josh Methner was close behind Carmody in the 5k (13:48.07), while senior Sam Voelz came in second in the 800 meters (1:48.68). see TRACK PAGE 8

Sports

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | The Observer

ND WOMen’s Basketball | 86-64

Irish fall to No. 4 Louisville after cold first quarter

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

Sunday afternoon Notre Dame women’s basketball fell to Louisville 86-64 at Purcell Pavilion. The loss marked the team’s final game of the regular season.

The contest could not have started worse for the Irish, who were cold from the floor throughout the entire first quarter. Compounding matters, the Cardinals were seemingly unable to miss. Just 10 minutes in, Louisville led 31-3 behind a perfect 100% three point percentage and an 80% overall shooting percentage from the field. To the contrary, Notre Dame shot just 7% from the field. The Irish also managed just 4 rebounds to Louisville’s 13.

In the second quarter, things hardly improved. The Cardinals stretched their lead to 54-15 at halftime, as the Irish struggled to find their offensive rhythm and an answer to Louisville’s efficient shooting. Despite a vocal Purcell crowd, the Irish entered halftime down by 38.

After halftime, the Irish showed signs of improvement, as they found their game more.

Head coach Niele Ivey said her talk to the team at the break had focused more on the mental side of the game than the tactical.

“I told them that there’s nothing I could draw up, there’s no play or defense in that moment,” Ivey said. “It was more about our pride, our fight. I talked to them about what it means to wear a Notre Dame jersey, what it means to be here at Notre Dame. And no matter what I wanted them to come out with that fight and that pride of knowing the magnitude of being a Notre Dame women’s basketball player.

Because we weren’t playing our game. We wanted to finish this game knowing we left it all on the floor in the second half.”

That pride was evident in an improved second half performance. The Irish outscored the Cardinals over the final 20 minutes 49-32. Freshman guard Oliva Miles found her rhythm running point. She scored 11 points in the second half on a perfect 4-4 shooting performance from the field.

Fellow freshman guard Sonia Citron added five rebounds to her team-high total of eight, as well as ten points. Overall, Notre Dame’s field goal Paid Advertisement

percentage increased by 40 points (22% to 62%) from the first to second half, as the Irish slowly chipped what was once a 42 point deficit down to 22.

Despite the strong second half showing, Ivey stressed the need to improve and learn from the loss heading into the ACC tournament.

“That’s not something we’re going to forget,” Ivey said.

“There’s a lot of things we’re going to take away from the last couple weeks, but especially today. Friday we have to come out with a better intensity defensively. We have to handle our offense, but it’s more about our mentality and our defensive mentality. That’s where we have to grow. I’m happy we have a couple days to rest, but also to get better.

Once we see the seeding and who we’re playing we’ll adjust and make sure that we have our game plan ready.”

Notre Dame women’s basketball will resume later this week when they travel to Greensboro, North Carolina for the ACC Tournament.

Their opponent is yet to be determined.

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

11

12

The observer | MONDAY, February 28, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Hockey | 4-1, 2-1

Irish hockey ends regular season with second series sweep of Michigan on the season

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Writer

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish graduate student goaltender Matthew Galajda readies for a shot to come in during Notre Dame’s senior night 2-1 win over Michigan on Saturday. Galajda had 59 saves on the weekend for the Irish.

Compton Family Ice Arena fell silent a mere 2:24 after the puck dropped on Friday night. Defenseman Nick Blankenburg crept dow n undetected off an offensive zone face-off w in by the No. 2 Wolverines (25-10-1, 16-9-0-0-0 B10), bur y ing a backdoor feed from Mackie Samoskev ich. It was easy to see how Michigan could have used that goal, combined w ith the motivation of being swept in their home building by the No. 8 Irish (25-9-0, 17-6-0-4-0 B10) back in November, to rule the weekend.

Yet, that couldn’t be farther from what happened.

“We gave up that tough goal to start. That kind of put us on our heels a little bit. (Michigan’s) gonna put ever ybody in the countr y on their heels at times,” said head coach Jeff Jackson.

“But I thought we started getting more acclimated to

making plays. They’re a fast team, but I think we are too.

I think we did a good job anticipating and getting better plays w ith the puck.”

Once the Irish started making plays w ith the puck, they never really stopped.

Facing a Michigan team w ith an embarrassment of riches in six first-round picks (the same amount as the rest of college hockey combined), the Irish didn’t just skate w ith Michigan. Instead, they made the extra plays and effort necessar y to take both of their final t wo regularseason contests by 4-1 and 2-1 finals. The Irish held a Michigan team that averages nearly eight goals and 68 shots per weekend to just t wo and 61, respectively.

Notre Dame didn’t f lip the sw itch immediately after the Blankenburg goal. Instead, Michigan kept the pressure on throughout the first half of Friday’s opening period. Nevertheless, the Irish see HOCKEY PAGE 8

FENCING

Squad dominates ACC Championships at Cameron Indoor

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Sports Writer

The top-ranked Notre Dame fencing team headed to Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina this weekend for the ACC Championships.

It marked their return to the competition after missing the championships last year with a COVID-19 outbreak.

Prior to that, Notre Dame had won the ACC Championship in five of the last six years for both the men’s and women’s teams.

The Irish entered this weekend as heavy favorites to reclaim both those titles, with championship hosts Duke posing the greatest threat to Notre Dame’s ACC dominance.

The Blue Devils won both titles in Notre Dame’s absence last year and entered the meet with the sixth-ranked men’s team and twelfth-ranked women’s teams in the country.

Individual Results The meet began on Saturday with the six individual ACC titles on the line. The men contested their bouts in the morning and were followed by the women in the afternoon.

The competition with a pool play format where all contestants faced each other once. The top four by record then continued into a semifinal and then a final to decide the champion.

Saber In the women’s saber, Notre Dame had a strong pool performance with sophomore Daria Kudriavtseva winning 13 of her 14 bouts to claim the top seed in the semifinals.

Sophomore Atara Greenbaum joined her, going 11-3 to claim the second seed in the semifinals.

In the semi-finals, Kudriavtseva and Greenbaum both cruised through their match ups with comfortable double-digit victories over

Duke fencers.

In the all-Irish final, it was Kudriavtseva who prevailed with a 15-9 victory over her teammate.

That performance capped an outstanding Saturday for Kudriavtseva.

She went 15-1 overall en route to claiming her first ACC individual title in the saber.

Kudriavtseva fenced the best weekend of her Notre Dame career after previously being unsure if sure she’d compete.

“Honestly, it’s quite unbelievable, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to come here,” Kudriavtseva said to the ACC Network following her victory. “My family is in Ukraine right now, so it’s been quite emotional since Wednesday. I honestly don’t know how I did it today.”

“I had absolutely no expectations, I was just hoping that I could fence the best that I can,” Kudriavtseva continued.

Courtesy of ND Athletics

see FENCING PAGE 8

Irish senior saber Kara Linder celebrates after winning in the finals of 2021’s NCAA Championships. The tournament lasted March 25-28.