Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, February 23, 2024

Robert Putnam discusses social capital

‘Bowling Alone’

author urges students to join social

organizations,

fight for democracy at ND Forum

By CLAIRE LYONS Viewpoint Editor

“Things are not determined by history,” renowned social scientist and Harvard University professor emeritus Robert Putnam said. “We have agency. The future is up to you.”

Wednesday evening, the Jordan Auditorium in the Mendoza College of Business building was packed. Every seat was filled, with the crowd overflowing into the aisles. The audience was gathered here to celebrate democracy — or rather, consider the factors of its demise.

The 2023-2024 Notre Dame Forum on “The Future of Democracy” is intended to create campus-wide conversations about threats to global

democracy and how they can be combated. This was the keynote event. Putnam screened his documentary film “Join or Die” and engaged Notre Dame professors David Campbell and Jaimie Bleck in conversation.

“At a time when many scholars focus on their questions, professor Putnam has made a career of tackling big issues,” University president-elect Fr. Robert Dowd said. “His research on the importance of engagement, social connections and strong communities for the survival of democracy has been influential around the world.”

“We are especially pleased professor Putnam has had a long friendship with so many here at Notre Dame,” he continued. “Even though he started

his career at the University of Michigan.”

After graduating from Harvard, Putnam originally studied how club membership fosters democracy in disparate Italian communities. After finishing his project and returning to America, he was shocked by the decline in public trust in the government — and thought he would apply what he’d been studying to American communities.

He found club memberships help generate trust among citizens and consequently increase social productivity. But membership in every type of American associational club he studied was in decline. The social fabric — the fabric that upholds

HCC gym setup prompts petition Former first minister of Northern Ireland visits ND

By LIAM KELLY Associate News Editor

In recent weeks at Holy Cross College, students have expressed disappointment at recent changes made to the layout of the Pfeil Center gym. The controversy began Feb. 8 when the administration moved the cardio equipment from the first floor to the second floor, which previously held only the weight room equipment.

The move elicited criticism from members of the student body who said that the new setup was too cramped.

“The change created a space that is crammed and uncomfortable to work out in, with new safety risks due to the close proximity of equipment,” senior Charles Haupstueck said in an email.

“I was unhappy with the shift since many cardio machines have been moved upstairs,” senior Luke Ruff added. “It is very cramped, which has been the consensus by most of the student body that uses the gym.”

Multiple students said the changes were made without any input from or prior

communication with students.

With widespread discontent, Haupstueck and Ruff decided to start a petition to get the changes reversed.

“As students who pay tuition, we are entitled to certain amenities. We feel that in reconfiguring the Pfeil Center, the school is substantially altering one of our key amenities without consulting the student body as a whole,” the petition reads. “As such, we are making our voice heard and asking that the school return the cardio room to its original condition.”

As of Wednesday, 149 students had signed the petition.

In response to the petition, student government association president Bradley Szotko, vice president Joseph Stokes and chief of staff Ashley McDonald met with Robert Pastoor, special assistant to the office of the president for planning and development, on Friday to discuss the changes to the gym.

Stokes described the meeting as “very productive” and said the administration said

By LIAM KELLY Associae News Editor

On Thursday evening in the Morris Inn, former first minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster spoke with professor Colin Barr, a historian of modern Ireland, about the struggles of women in leadership roles and the current political situation in Northern Ireland. The discussion was sponsored by the Keough Naughton Institute for Irish Studies and is the first in a series of conversations on women in leadership.

Barr described Foster, who served as first minister of Northern Ireland with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2020 to 2021, as a “trailblazer” for women in politics in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The DUP is a unionist, loyalist party, which means that it wants Northern Ireland to remain in the United Kingdom rather than joining the republic and is historically supported by Protestants.

Foster acknowledged the lack of women in leadership positions in Northern Ireland when she began her political career in the

late 1990s, especially in unionist circles.

“I think I was always a bit of an anomaly in unionist politics,” she said.

While Foster described working in politics as “incredibly rewarding,” she also noted how women politicians tend to receive more attacks and abuse on social media than men, often including sexual remarks and attacks on their appearances. Foster condemned such attacks as “dehumanizing.”

Nonetheless, Foster encouraged young women “to build up your resilience” to deal with unfair criticism and pointed to her “faith, friends and family” as refuges for her when she faces attacks.

“I will always encourage women [and] young women to get involved,” she said.

As a child, Foster’s father was nearly assassinated by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and when she was 17, her school bus was attacked by the group. While Foster emphasized she had always had an interest in politics, she pointed to these events as motivating factors for her entrance into political life.

Foster elaborated on her notable

opposition to the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, which largely brought an end to the violence of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. The agreement, along with establishing a devolved government in the north with executive power shared between the major parties, also involved the release of some IRA members who had been convicted of terrorism.

While Foster found it difficult to oppose the agreement, she stressed, the release of these prisoners was a line that she could not cross.

“It was actually a really difficult thing to go against the leadership and say, ‘No, sorry. We want an agreement, but we don’t want an agreement that doesn’t deal with victims’ issues and actually releases prisoners from our jails,’” she said. “It was a step too far in terms of the law and in terms of morals.”

Foster began her career as a member of the Ulster Unionist Party before switching her affiliation to the Democratic Unionist Party in 2004. Foster currently serves as a non-affiliated peer in

Courtesy of Matt Cashore / University of Notre Dame Scholar Robert Putnam, known for his theories about social capital visited Notre Dame for a screening of the documentary “Join or Die.”

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

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Systems

Tori

Olivia

Ben

Ireland

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the House of Lords.

Foster, an Anglican, described moving to the heavily evangelical and presbyterian Democratic Unionist Party as “incredibly difficult,” but ultimately worthwhile.

“It’s not about free Presbyterianism, it’s not about the religion, it’s about the political issues around the implementation of the agreement,” she explained.

Foster noted the difficulty of sharing power when she initially became first minister in 2016 with then-deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, a member of the republican Sinn Féin

Putnam

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

democracy — was dissolving. After five years of research, Putnam had enough evidence for a book.

In 2000, Putnam published “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community,” a groundbreaking exploration about how joining clubs fosters American democracy. The book reinvigorated academic interest in social capital — a belief that, as

party that had supported the IRA.

“A lot of the victims community found it very difficult that I, as a victim of IRA terrorism, would share power with Martin McGuinness, who was responsible for a lot of the victim making,” she said. “It was a challenge, but I believe that was the right thing to do because we wanted to move Northern Ireland forward.”

Foster explained why she feels so strongly about the unionist cause.

“For me, my interest in unionism, of course, has grown over the years to make it the rational political ideal to remain within the United Kingdom and to get the benefits from that, whether

Putnam says, social networks have value.

“Join or Die” documents Putam’s social capital research and its potential for fostering democracy. In particular, it was concerned with how to build connection in a post-pandemic America.

The discussion after the film was moderated by political science professor Jaimie Bleck, who specializes in African politics. She is currently writing a book on informal tea-drinking clubs in Mali and how they generate social capital and democratic

it’s cultural politics, economics, [or] national shared institutions,” she said.

Foster also discussed the complexity of national and cultural identity in Northern Ireland.

“What you have to remember about Northern Ireland is there are numerous identities and sometimes very layered, as they are with me,” she explained. “I’m Northern Irish, I’m British, and culturally, I’m British.”

While many view the political issues in Northern Ireland as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants, Foster said, the reality is more complex.

“There is a cohort of Catholics that would hope to remain within the United Kingdom,” Foster noted. “There’s this

citizenship. This semester, she is also teaching a political science class about social capital called “Social Capital 101: How to Build a Block Party.”

Putnam was in conversation with his former student David Campbell — the another political science professor and the director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative. Campbell contributed to Putnam’s research on “Bowling Alone” as an student at Harvard University. Putnam and Campbell have since collaborated on “American Grace: How

excitement that because there’s more Catholics, there’s going to be a united Ireland, but that’s not actually the situation on the ground.”

Looking to the future of Northern Ireland, Foster expressed hope in a functioning devolved government. The devolved government in Northern Ireland is set to return in the coming months for the first time since February 2022 when the Democratic Unionist Party refused to enter into government.

“The focus should be on why we need to stay in government and why we need to work together as opposed to finding technical ways to stop it,” she stressed.

Foster also urged unionists to effectively promote the benefits

Religion Divides and Unites Us,” a book that focuses on how interfaith social ties create religious tolerance. Now, Campbell’s research focuses on civic and political engagement, with particular attention on religion and young people. He is teaching about social capital in his Religion and American Politics class currently.

During the discussion, Putnam argued social capital is more important than ever.

“This year is a big deal,” Putnam said in reference to the upcoming presidential

of being in the United Kingdom to the people. Currently the largest political party in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is Sinn Féin, which favors a united Ireland.

While promoting the unionist cause, Foster also emphasized the necessity for good relations between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

“[It’s] like two separate thatched houses, living together. If something happens in one of the houses it will have an impact on the other house. But it’s living and coexisting together in a way that we can both get on with each other,” she said.

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

election. “This country needs a moral reawakening. We owe it to each other.”

In “Join or Die,” Putnam is moved to tears thinking about the entreaty of President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

“My life has been about answering that call to action,” Putnam said. He hopes others will do the same.

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

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Senate erupts over nomination controversy

By ISA SHEIKH Notre Dame News Editor

After a contentious and lengthy debate over the nomination of current parliamentarian and former Carroll Hall senator Hunter Brooke to lead Judicial Council, members of the student senate left this week’s meeting unsure of the vote’s result following a secret ballot.

Rezner asked Judicial Council president Koryn Isa to read Brooke’s nomination to judicial council president “given the gravity of it.”

Beginning a topic that would take around an hour to consider, Isa extolled Brooke’s virtues and experience in her nomination speech.

Sorin College senator Andrew Ryan,asked Brooke about his previous experience appearing before the ethics committee, which resulted in a bill of impeachment in the senate.

“One of the responsibilities of the Judicial Council president is to serve as the chairperson of the ethics commission. What has having to appear before the commission in the past taught you about ethical behavior?” he asked.

Brooke said the process had taught him a lot.

“I’m very happy to be in a unique position, where I’ve kind of seen

multiple angles of how things work. I’d say it’s given me a lot of empathy for what it is like to go through difficult processes, and the importance of transparency and making sure people understand what’s going on, but also ensuring that when unethical behavior happens, we are able to hold people accountable,” he said.

The senate moved into debate, and Brooke left the Mendoza classroom where proceedings were being held.

Clayton Chauncey, the senator from Knott Hall, raised several objections to Brooke’s nomination, saying he had emailed a more indepth outline of his comments to every voting member whose email he could find. Chauncey argued that though he believed Brooke to be a good person, his elevation to Judicial Council president would present a number of conflicts of interest.

“I think there’s a little bit of a conflict of interest considering the fact that that Student Union ethics commission [which Brooke would lead if he were named judicial president] recommended that he was impeached last year,” he said. “The whole situation has brought plenty of points that I think are problematic. First of all, his dishonesty before the student senate.”

Then-Carroll Hall senator Brooke’s impeachment trial was

over his emails to first undergraduate experience in leadership (FUEL) students, freshmen who take on a role learning the ropes of student government. Chauncey was in FUEL when he received an email from Brooke advertising a “senatorial aide” position and promises to prospective aides that the position would include learning to write legal documents and winning election campaigns, and that Brooke could renew his aides across positions in student government.

In the document and in his remarks, Chauncey alleged that Brooke had also misinterpreted the Student Union constitution through claims of having an “office” and “coalition” in the senate. He also argued that Brooke had misrepresented his senate actions, including taking credit for work that had been handled by others in student government.

Chauncey also argued against the claim that Brooke was uniquely qualified for a position of constitutional interpretation, citing the incorrect vote process that occurred earlier this month.

“I believe this nominee is not fit for the position of Judicial Council president. In my carefully considered opinion, he has demonstrated a lack of good judgment when it comes to the Student Union constitution. This position has influence

over everything from elections to senate actions to representation at OCS hearings,” Chauncey said at the end of his speech. “Given the information detailed above, I do not feel that I can trust the nominee to act in the best interest of the students.”

Isa reiterated her belief in her nomination.

“I would like to say that Hunter is the single qualified candidate for this position,” she said.

“I think that [assuming] that something that may have occurred — but didn’t fully result in anything punitive last year — is going to dictate how we can act to move forward, I think it’s unfair to him. I think it’s unfair to me. I think it’s unfair to the union. Ultimately, he wasn’t impeached. Ultimately, none of us in this room, I don’t think, know exactly what happened,” she said.

Thomas Musgrave, Judicial Council vice president for peer advocacy, said that he supported Brooke’s nomination in part because of his previous ethics hearings.

“To be very clear, I have been OCSed twice and been convicted. And that has made me a much stronger vice president for peer advocacy. I know the system. I can help people very, very effectively,” he said.

Isa said if Brooke’s nomination

failed in Wednesday’s vote, she’d send in another nomination for Brooke next week.

At one point, Ryan said that the motives of other senators should also be considered in the vote.

“I would just like to simply share a potential conflict of interest here about a fellow senator who’s made previous repeated comments about desiring to serve as parliamentarian in the future and they are the one fighting adamantly for this nomination,” he said, referring to Godinez.

Godinez responded by saying he did not shy away from the aspirations, but saying he had not been promised the job.

“I want the position of parliamentarian, I’m not going to lie. I will apply for it when it becomes available. But every single time that I’ve asked, ‘What are you thinking for this position?’ … He’s always said we’re going to send up our form to everybody. He is very … He follows the rules all the time. He’s never told me anything in private. I’m being very honest. You like, take my word for it. Hopefully you do,” Godinez said.

Editor’s Note: A full version of this story is available online at ndsmcobserver.com.

Contact

Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu

Gospel singer performs, speaks at Saint Mary’s

By AYNSLEE DELLACCA News Writer

On Wednesday evening, the center for faith, action and ministry (CFAM) hosted author and singer-songwriter Amanda Vernon to perform and give a short lecture in honor of Black History Month and spiritual belonging on campus, titled “Singing with Soul: Amanda Vernon in Concert.”

During her career, Vernon has released several gospel albums and dozens of singles.

From Sydney, Australia to Madrid, Spain, she has performed in seven different countries across the globe, including a live appearance on ESPN for singing the national anthem on Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

CFAM director Nicole Labadie, who is a friend of Vernon’s, asked her to come to Saint Mary’s College to speak and perform after attending one of Vernon’s concerts, believing her message would be beneficial for the SMC community.

“So something that [Vernon] and I talked about … was about the current climate on campus and how there’s a lot of division that’s being felt in multiple places. And I think within that, people feel excluded from the church or self excluding themselves from the faith community,” Labadie

said. “I think what’s important, spiritually, that I see in ministry at Saint Mary’s is helping students realize the home that they have in the church and in the larger faith community … that message of spiritual belonging I think is one that’s very timely.”

Vernon’s talk focused on the “spiritual roots and theological lens of gospel music,” according to Labadie, as well as exploring how music can become a type of prayer and source of hope in the Christian faith.

Vernon performed a few of her original works as well as spirituals, defined as multi-layered melodies sung by enslaved African Americans throughout the time of the transatlantic slave trade and for centuries afterwards.

“One facet of spirituals is a spiritual story or something directly from Scripture … it was also passing on a memo without anybody who’s not supposed to hear about it understanding,” Vernon explained in between singing. “Many of these pieces were used to alert fellow enslaved people in the same plantation that, ‘tonight is the night you’re going to run free.’”

During her performance, Vernon invited the audience to join in singing different spirituals with her, which allowed each of the audience members to explore what each spiritual

personally meant to them.

“Now, as we reflect on these songs that have been handed down one generation to the next, our question can then be our third layer of ‘What does it mean to you, for your life and my life?’” Vernon asked.

Labadie also spoke during the spiritual event, introducing the charism of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Labadie cited the constitution of the Congregation of the Holy Cross during her brief speech, focusing on a specific section devoted to hope and freedom within the Christian faith.

“Whether it be unfair treatment, fatigue or frustration at work, a lapse of health, tasks beyond talents, seasons of loneliness, bleakness in prayer, the hopelessness of friends, or whether it be the sadness of our having inflicted any of this on others, there will be dying to do on our way to the Father. But we do not grieve as women and men without hope, for Christ the Lord has risen to die no more,” Labadie said.

Over a score of students attended Vernon’s performance and speech, including junior Abigail Tietema, who has been aware of Vernon since the beginning of her career.

“Amanda Vernon went to my hometown, and her dad was my deacon. I don’t think she knows who I am, but I’ve listened to

her a lot. She’s always been so inspirational, and she’s a wonderful singer. I love her message,” Tietema said.

Tietema finds the community at St. Mary’s a “wonderful group” to be a part of, and feels this event showcased and emphasized several aspects of what it means to be a part of it.

“I really liked the theme of community that went throughout the entire event. It was really nice to be able to share your story or just sing with people, look around the room and see people smiling and singing along,” Tietema said.

Vernon held a raffle, book signing and merchandise booth after the event. Her new book, titled “When God Wrecks Your Romance: Orthodox Faith, Unorthodox Story,” was co-written with Notre Dame alum and Holy Cross priest Matt Fase, who is currently the pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church in South Bend. It tells the true love story between Vernon and Fase and how each of them discovered their Christian vocation.

Overall, Labadie hopes the students who attended the spiritual worship and lecture leave feeling a deeper appreciation for gospel music and for the hope the Holy Cross charism depicts.

“Music is a form of prayer

of talking to God, and experiencing that music can bring us closer as a community and closer to God, and then also to have some a dose of encouragement in our Holy Cross charism, that no matter what you’re experiencing, there is always hope because of what Jesus did for us on the cross,” Labadie said.

Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu

Petition

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“they would return the cardio room as it was originally if that was the only acceptable option.”

“We were very well pleased with how it went,” he added.

Pastoor “was extremely cooperative and helpful during the meeting, and apologized about the whole situation,” Stokes said.

Szotko and Stokes said they would meet again with Pastoor in the coming week to do a “walk-through” of the gym and identify ways to improve the current layout.

Pastoor said he would continue to meet with students and “explore a number of options that are available to us.”

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.eu

Moira Quinn Working Title

Whenever I’m chatting it up with someone new and the timing feels appropriate, the chances of me asking them for their phone so I can sift through their Spotify or Apple Music playlists are relatively high. I would guess this happens approximately once a month.

My playlists are truly everything to me — as I assume they are to most music lovers. I tend to each one like a garden, taking out the songs that are on the back burner and adding in the new ones. I love the infinitely wide variety of emotions music can provoke no matter how universal or ultra specific they might be. I love how you can learn so much about a person by what they listen to. The sole downside, I’d say, is that listening to music on max volume is most likely the culprit of my chronic tinnitus, but that’s a story for another time.

In light of this, here are a few of the tunes I’ve been playing on repeat.

“Chinatown” by Shakey Graves

I don’t remember how I came across this song. I think I was just looking through Shakey Graves’ discography for whatever reason. As soon as I heard this, though, I was immediately obsessed. It sounds like a song I would want to slow dance in a

Music to my ears

kitchen to. It’s whimsically romantic and told in a storybook-like manner that I find different from a lot of other popular love songs.

“Don’t Forget Me” by Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers has been my favorite artist for the last few years. I went to see her in Chicago last year and to say it was an out-of-body experience is an understatement. The way she moves and dances on stage is incomparable to any other artist I have seen live, and I am really excited for her upcoming album that releases this spring. While this song is very new, I feel like I’ve heard it a million times before. It has a nostalgic vibe similar to the music I liked when I was little. Her pixie cut is displayed on the album cover, and whenever I see it, it takes everything in me not to cut my hair. Stay far away from the kitchen scissors.

“Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake

If you know me — or more specifically have gone out on the weekend with me — you know about my unhealthy obsession with this song. I don’t know what it is about Justin Timberlake’s voice, but I am very obsessed with it. You can find me playing this before going out, requesting it at the DJ booth, in the Uber ride home, on karaoke nights and sometimes even as I fall asleep. This song will always and forever be on my favorites list.

“One Love/People Get Ready” by Bob Marley and the Wailers

I didn’t know a Bob Marley biopic just came to theaters, but when I found out I was instantly reminded of this song. When I was in elementary school I participated in the annual talent show and one year all of the acts came together and sang this for the finale. This song reminds me of that time in my life, youthful and full of pure happiness. It sounds like a sunny day.

“Texas Sun” by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges

I first heard “Texas Sun” freshman year, and every year since then, some unique event in my life has reminded of it. I think it’s the perfect bonfire song — one that needs to be listened to and enjoyed with friends.

I’m wishing everybody who is trying to get tickets to concerts and festivals this year the best of luck. If you catch me red-handed using Shazam in public — no, you didn’t.

Moira Quinn is a junior at Saint Mary’s College studying communication. When she isn’t writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound.

The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The dining hall deserves your love

Abplanalp Under Further Scrutiny

I have been lied to. The first time I toured Notre Dame as a bright-eyed high school senior so innocent and full of potential, I was told that no student ever runs out of meal swipes.

But last semester, after 250 visits to our fine dining establishments, my swipes were depleted two days before I left for home. Luckily, a human can survive for over 3 weeks without food (and I still had roughly 375 flex points left). Yet this was still a very difficult time for me. I lost access to the place I love most.

It seems that much of the student body has decided that the dining halls are not good. And they are grossly mistaken.

The dining halls are beautiful buildings where happiness flourishes and problems disappear. When my time on earth is done, I would not be opposed to having my ashes spread across NDH. And I know I am not alone.

The bliss begins the second you enter the dining hall, greeted by the lovely employees whose smiles could heal the sins of a nation. The employees are a beacon of light in my life and hopefully the future godparents of my children.

But the joy does not end there. Next comes the thrill of waiting in line for food.

One of the best parts of the dining hall is waiting in line. Miserable souls may claim that no dining hall food is worth waiting in line for, but they’ve got

it all backward. Life is about the journey, not the destination. In such a polarized and divided world, waiting in lines gives me the chance to be a part of something bigger than myself. They represent a group of people all moving toward the same common goal: mediocre dining hall food. It’s a beautiful thing. Despite recent (false) allegations that I cut in line, I attest that I would never miss out on the chance to stand in line.

As for the food, I can only describe it as misunderstood. It has so much potential and is not nearly as bad as it has been made out to be.

Does this make me a radical? Maybe. But I am not the first.

Even in 1957 (the first year NDH was first opened) students published Scholastic articles in defense of dining hall food. One such author, who I’m sure was very wise and intelligent, criticized students who complained that DH food wasn’t as good as homemade, asking “Who in his right mind could expect it to?”

It is, after all, a dining hall, and a good one at that. Who are we to judge the dining hall so harshly? I urge each person who has criticized the dining hall to take a good look at themselves before they attack my beloved dining hall. I believe that disliking the dining hall is not the issue of the establishment, but of the person.

Despite complaints, there is not a lack of options, only a lack of creativity. As I see it, the dining hall is a game, you just have to know how to play it. Think outside the box. There are so many hidden gems just waiting to be mined.

One of my favorite creations is carrots dipped in vanilla yogurt. Thank me later. The chicken tinga is also highly recommended. What I love about the dining hall food is that it provides me with the opportunity to pretend that I’m an ancient nomadic hunter-gatherer, which is the occupation I would be pursuing if I wasn’t too far into my finance major.

After successfully scavenging, it’s time to finally enjoy the meal. Whether you sit amongst the people or hide in a booth playing Minesweeper alone, no time spent in the DH is a waste.

Yet the true gift of the dining hall is the company it brings us. Conversation flows as students pick through their food. Time does not exist within the wall of the dining hall, only joy. There is truly no place like it. Where else can I chug a cup of coffee before an exam or argue with my friends about filibusters for 45 minutes? The dining hall sustains life on campus, and was there ever a nuclear threat or zombie apocalypse, it would be the first place I run to.

It is a place where all people come together: friends, enemies and campus celebrities alike. There is so much to love about the dining hall.

Allison Abplanalp is a sophomore finance and accounting major. If she could change one thing about the English language, she would make “a lot” one word. Her least favorite month is March because every year she is devastated when she fails to pick the perfect march madness bracket.

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

Allison

What irks me about fake professionalism

Matt Baird

Are You Paying Attention?

With so many young, awesome Mendoza sophomores parading around in their suits, I can’t help but feel bad about myself.

Just kidding — I am one of those kids with suits that have not been dry cleaned since early January.

Recruitment is no joke. I have no problem with seeing the suits. In fact, I get excited when I see a friend walking into Duncan with their formal attire. I, for one, enjoy uplifting those around me.

But bringing a J.P. Morgan notebook to stats class is where I draw the line. It is bad enough that I did not test out of the business statistics class with my AP score, but now I also have to sit next to a foulsmelling night-shower-er who does weekly rosebud-thorn check-ins about the recruiting process.

A Youtube reel once said something like “comparison is the thief of joy.” I try to not compare myself

to others during this time, but in this paper, we’re all just an Observer.

It started when I was at a pregame, and met a senior from another hall who, let’s say, was quite “involved.” He was a funny guy, but I learned some rather questionable things about his character. Everyone has heard of a bad person, and this was one of them for me.

And then he told me his starting salary next year: it was outrageously high. I try my best in school, but I won’t lie here: I was jealous.

I am not trying to be a buzz kill, but sometimes I can’t help but wish interviewers could look at his freshman year Snapchat memories.

This is not to say that I live my life professionally all the time. I just think people should act better.

People should clean up and not act a fool in a professional setting, but it irks me how people can act so unprofessional all the time and just flip a switch to act high-brow whenever they please. It annoys me like a friend who changes their entire personality

It’s just you

A snowstorm ravaged the land.

Though it was daytime, no light managed to penetrate the gloom which foretold the impending doom of the hedgehog. The roaring winds pierced through skin, dreadful frost settling directly inside the depths of any body. Shivering, the creature crawled through what once had been a hedgerow betwixt two meadows. Now, it was naught but a ruined field. No shelter could be found in this cold.

Everything was dead.

Every step provided great agony and the numbing ache threatened to swallow the animal whole.

As snowflakes piled atop the quills, partially melting and creating a frigid embrace, they mercilessly pressed down on the hedgehog’s back. As the stride hindered, only futility remained. It was simply so cold. So, so cold. So cold, it perhaps would be better to cease the frantic, senseless struggle against the cruel, unforgiving universe.

That was, until the hedgehog spotted another hedgehog.

With one final ounce of strength, the hedgehog approached the other. Shortly thereafter, the other noticed the approaching one. The idea flashed immediately through their minds: if they were to bear the storm, if they were to survive the lethal cold, they must bundle together for warmth. They may perhaps be strangers, yet that could not possibly be of matter. After all, they were of the same kind. So distinct, yet so identical.

The second hedgehog seemed to hesitate initially, but then began to shorten the distance between them. A spark of joy, a glimpse of hope, started to stab away at the misery in the creature’s heart. There was a chance.

That was, until they came into contact.

The quills that had long protected them from external dangers now dug into each other, a series of sharp pricks overwhelmed their skin. The warmth

was still not enough — the blizzard raged on — and so they pressed harder against one another, slashing and puncturing each other deeper but feeling ever warmer while doing so. Nevertheless, this was not a sustainable position by any means. Even the warmth did not feel comfortable.

And thus, the hedgehog faced a dilemma.

The hedgehog could either continue getting closer to the other, quills carving with greater severity, ultimately hurting one another further. Alternatively, the hedgehog could distance from the other, escaping the hurt caused by their interaction but going back to the profound cold and returning to craving the warmth of another. Naturally, the answer to the dilemma seems to lie somewhere between these two extremes, yet where exactly would that be? Would the other hedgehog agree with this decision?

There was no way the hedgehog could know the right choice as the snowstorm closed in on them.

Schopenhauer’s hedgehog’s dilemma is a widely known and discussed metaphor about the isolated state of human nature and the struggle of seeking intimacy. As social creatures, we dread the coldness of solitude, equivocating it to death. However, if we are to engage with another, to create a relationship, we hurt one another. This happens not in the sense of a direct attack: quite the contrary, it occurs most often amongst the well-intentioned. To come into genuine contact with another means to put yourself at a dual vulnerability: you expose a deeper version of yourself, prone to getting hurt much more easily and, on the other hand, the more you care for another the more you have to lose. As an added layer of complexity, every relationship is unique and every individual will independently find a different degree of intimacy where to be more comfortable.

Worst of all, whatever choice is made, it will be done with incomplete information. We can only know our own cold and hurt.

That is, we can only ever possibly experience reality through ourselves. We feel what we feel — no more, no less. We cannot feel what others do and

and demeanor when a girl enters the picture.

I am a fan of manners and professionalism. It allows people to have a universally acceptable way to carry themselves, which is useful in professional exchanges. It is like a cheat code for knowing if your behavior is acceptable to others, so you are not constantly worrying about pleasing everyone you interact with.

Yes, I switch my personality and behavior in a professional setting, but I’m not a piece of sh*t. Is that too much to ask for?

I don’t like watching bad people succeed. Especially when it is the slimiest of the slimy (like the guy who says the n-word when they’re drunk) who bests me.

Matt Baird, proud native of Danville, California, is a sophomore majoring in English and finance. He enjoys walking, listening to music and humming.

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

they can never feel what we do. We are separated and alone. There is no such thing as ever knowing another person fully, to comprehend their every experience and reasoning. But perhaps, that is okay. Perhaps, there are some things we are never meant to know. In the end, it’s just you. That is all you have ever been and all you will ever be.

Just you.

Whether that is an incredible, freeing promise, a damning, terrible condemnation or anything in between can only be defined by you.

And still, every day we make painful choices. We choose to hurt in just the right way with everyone around us. It may be true that we will never know how they feel with absolute precision, yet we dance together in confusion, guessing what the next step may be. We make mistakes, we laugh, we cry. In this, we are all equal. After all, we are of the same kind. So distinct, yet so identical.

While it is true that love and fear may go hand in hand, for all that you love you can lose, it is perhaps that fear which gives some of its meaning to love. Given that you can lose, you must cherish what you have. What simpler human love can there be, than hoping not to lose?

So, what did the hedgehog do? Who are we to say?

There was cold and there was hurt. There was confusion and unknowns. Disagreements and fears blended along. But someday, the snowstorm came to an end. And then, both hedgehogs emerged, snowy crowns decorating their bloody quills.

Carlos A. Basurto is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying philosophy, computer science and even some German on the side. When not busy you can find him consuming yet another 3+ hour-long analysis video of a show he has yet to watch or masochistically completing every achievement from a variety of video games. Now, with the power to channel his least insane ideas, feel free to talk about them via email at cbasurto@nd.edu.

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

Carlos Basurto

Eudaemonic Banter

By CLAIRE LYONS Viewpoint Editor

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards,” Steve Jobs once said. “So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”

So much of life is up to chance, and singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman’s rise to fame is no different.

As a college student at Tufts on scholarship, she busked in coffee shops, Harvard Square and Boston’s subway stations. That is, until Brian Koppelman, another Tufts student with connections to the music industry, heard her music and convinced his father to help her sign with Elektra records.

After a modest release of her self-titled debut, Chapman was invited to play at Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Celebration at Wembeley Stadium in London. Chapman performed earlier in the day, but she was brought back on stage after Stevie Wonder experienced technical difficulties. Somebody saw Chapman hovering around backstage, put a guitar in her hands — and she stunned an audience of nearly 75,000 into complete silence.

“Fast Car” is the kind of song to do that sort of thing. Even though Chapman wrote the song at 24, the song has the wisdom of somebody much older and wiser. It’s steeped in American imagery and ideology. It creates a world of endless highways with infinite possibilities and a deep belief that hard work will get you somewhere. The fast car Chapman sings about offers her mobility through space — but also upwards towards a higher class. All that infinite potential and hope is part of being young. For Chapman, growing up is about letting all that go.

Two weeks after her performance, her album sold 2 million copies. Chapman became an overnight sensation.

If Chapman never got her scholarship, if Koppelman never listened or if Stevie Wonder didn’t forget his synthesizer at home, “Fast Car” might have never happened. Chapman’s talent is undeniable, but she owes part of her success to a complicated Rube Goldberg machine of fate.

“I always considered trying to make a living playing music,” Tracy Chapman said in an 1988 interview with Rolling Stone. “But it was always really clear to me, at the various stages in my life, that it really wasn’t a possibility unless some phenomenal

thing happened.” And it did.

But you’re only famous until you aren’t anymore. Chapman’s hesitation to make public appearances led her to fade from the public eye. That is, until 2023, when country musician Luke Combs covered “Fast Car,” which subsequently exposed the song to a new audience and revived interest in the single. Chapman later became the first Black woman to win Song of the Year at the Country Music Awards.

This week, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Her other single “16 Carriages” is more lyrically impactful. “16 carriages drivin’ away / While I watch them ride with my fears away,” she sings. “Had to sacrifice and leave my fears behind / The legacy is the last thing I do / You’ll remember me ‘cause we got somethin’ to prove.”

If the revival of “Fast Car” and Beyoncé’s pivot into country music indicate anything, it’s that Black and white country music fans have more in common than they think. We all dream up fast cars and carriages to take us away into a brighter future.

Country music should reflect our country. It should be — and is — for everyone.

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

By NATALIE ALLTON Scene Writer

The Hugo Award is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, recognizing outstanding works of science fiction and fantasy. The awards are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention, or “Worldcon,” which in 2023 was held in Chengdu, China.

In January last year, questions began to swirl about the nomination process for the 2023 awards. Several authors were deemed “not eligible,” including Neil Gaiman, R.F. Kuang and Paul Weimer, even though they had received enough nominations to be considered as finalists for the award.

Why, then, were these authors ineligible? The works that received the nominations were widely praised and considered the best of the year, including season one of the television adaptation of Gaiman’s “The Sandman” and Kuang’s historical speculative fiction novel “Babel.” There was nothing specific in common between the works of any of the ineligible authors. No explanation was given for their disqualification.

A report released on Feb. 15 by Chris M. Barkley, winner of the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer, and Jason Sanford, a finalist for the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer, revealed the truth behind the disqualifications: self-censorship.

Leaked emails included in the report show members of the Hugo Awards committee compiling dossiers

on several would-be finalists, debating themes in the nominated works that could be offensive to the People’s Republic of China and even flagging the authors for criteria unrelated to the awards themselves. Weimer, nominated for the “Best Fan Writer” category, was flagged for “travel[ing] to Tibet” outside of the year of eligibility. He had, in fact, traveled to Nepal.

Novelist Xiran Jay Zhao, another author who received enough nominations for the “Astounding Award” but was considered ineligible, is well-known within the literary community for their TikTok, where they’ve posted several videos discussing the controversy and giving their perspective. In the leaked emails, their presence on TikTok was flagged as part of their potential disqualification. Their four-letter last name was also misspelled twice within the email, and the title of their debut novel “The Iron Widow” was confused with “The Iron Giant,” the 1999 animated science fiction film.

Although the winners of the 2023 Hugo Awards were selected and announced months ago, questions still linger regarding the entire controversy. Why did no one on the committee refuse to compile the dossiers on these authors or otherwise internally protest the censorship? For how long has the Hugo Awards committee allowed ballot manipulation to occur? How “legitimate” are the finalists and winners of the Hugo Awards — not just for 2023, but going back several years, maybe even decades?

That’s not to fault any of the winners themselves, of course. The works that received recognition deserved that recognition. But it’s an awful look for one of the premier awards in the literary world to have such a deep-rooted breach of ethical responsibility.

The actions of the 2023 Hugo Awards committee are blatantly unjust to every disqualified author, but particularly to authors like Kuang and Zhao — Englishlanguage writers of Chinese heritage, whose works feature distinctly Chinese narratives and subjects. The “sensitive political themes” that 2023 Hugo Awards administrator Dave McCarty asked to be flagged in the inciting email seemed to specifically target Western Chinese diaspora.

The conclusion is simple. If hosting the awards in any given location would necessitate censorship, the awards should not be hosted in that location. This issue is especially prevalent in literature, where censorship has dominated the conversation for the past several years as U.S. governments and schools continue to institute “book bans.”

The integrity of the world’s most prestigious science fiction and fantasy award has been compromised, and though several members of the 2023 Hugo Awards committee have come forward to apologize, it’s hard to say how exactly this controversy will affect the upcoming 2024 awards hosted in Glasgow.

Contact Natalie Allton at nallton@nd.edu

ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Irish extend win streak to three Irish win big over Clemson

By JOHN BAILEY Sports Writer

The Notre Dame men’s basketball team reaffirmed the age-old rule of three with their excellent 3-point shooting, carrying them to their third consecutive win for the first time since November 2022.

Notre Dame’s 72-50 thrashing of Louisville on Wednesday marked their fourth straight victory over the Cardinals, their longest streak since 1987. Freshman guard Braeden Shrewsberry ignited the Irish offense early with two triples, one off a nasty stepback at the top of the key and the other on the left wing coming off a strong screen from sophomore forward Kebba Njie, giving them a 6-2 lead they refused to relinquish for the rest of the game.

Defensively, the Irish sagged off Louisville’s guards and committed to playing defense inside the 3-point line. This scheme freed up Njie to roam the paint and pick up three blocks as he continued to establish himself as a ferocious rim protector.

A poor outside shooting team, Louisville typically runs their offense through the post, relying on post-ups from junior Brandon Huntley-Hatfield to generate offense. However, Notre Dame’s zone defense and commitment to doubling Huntley-Hatfield on the catch at the low block prevented the Cardinals from running their sets out of the post. Unable to adjust to the Irish defense, the Cardinals looked confused and timid on offense for most of the first half.

With 9:43 left to go in the first, Zan Payne stood at the top of the key in the triple threat position. But for Payne, who has never made a three-point basket in 53 collegiate games, it was more like a double threat, his defender sagging off him by at least five feet. Payne opted for an entry pass to Brandon HuntleyHatfield. Immediately greeted by two pairs of hands in his face, Huntley-Hatfield kicked it back out to the open Payne. After taking time to set his feet, Payne launched a flat shot from behind the arc, the miss immediately corralled by Notre Dame junior guard J.R. Konieczny, who finished with five rebounds on the night.

Payne’s 3-point shooting woes extended to the rest of the team, and the Cardinals finished the night a paltry 4-17 (23.5%) from downtown. Though Louisville attempted to push the pace in transition, Notre Dame always hustled back on defense during the fastbreak, stifling all full-court drives and holding the Cardinals to zero transition points in the first half.

The Irish and Cardinals

continued to trade makes and misses for most of the first half. A 0-9 Notre Dame shooting slump coupled with a flurry of jumpers from Louisville’s Skyy Clark, including two 3-pointers, cut the lead to 31-25 at the half.

Bothered by HuntleyHatfield’s size and strength in the paint, freshman guard Markus Burton struggled to finish on drives, shooting 2-9 from the field for the first half and 5-17 for the game. Adapting to the looks given to him by the Louisville defense, Burton focused on keeping the ball moving with his playmaking during the second half, demonstrating his ability to play as a lead guard.

Finishing the game with three assists, Burton’s passing helped Konieczny (9 points, 4-4 FG) and freshman Carey Booth (9 points, 4-6 FG) find open looks and break out of their previous shooting slump. Not allowing his slow start to deter him, Burton continued to attack the rim aggressively and get to the free-throw line. Four minutes into the second half, a pair of Burton swishes from the charity stripe extended the Irish lead to double digits once again.

Clark, who finished with 18 points on 7-8 shooting in his first game back from broken ribs, continued to exploit the Irish zone defense in the second half with his superb perimeter scoring. Leading a 6-0 run over two minutes, Clark and the Cardinals began to make the Irish sweat, narrowing their deficit to just eight points with 7:52 left to go. Immediately out of a media timeout, Shrewsberry drilled a heat check 3-pointer, his fifth of the game, to shift all momentum back in Notre Dame’s favor. After Ty-Laur Johnson failed to answer with a three of his own, Burton found Shrewsberry on the right wing for yet another triple. Not yet done making waves, Shrewsberry delivered the dagger three minutes later with another splash from behind the arc, extending the Irish lead to 22. Finishing with a careerhigh seven 3-pointers made, Shrewsberry positioned himself as an early favorite to win his second ACC Rookie of the Week honors.

Though they remain third to last in 3-point percentage in the ACC, Notre Dame will look to continue their hot streak from behind the arc in their Saturday matchup with the Syracuse Orange (17-10, 8-8 ACC) at the JMA Wireless Dome. Syracuse leads the all-time series 33-22 and have emerged victorious in four out of the last five matchups.

This ACC showdown will air at noon EST on ESPN.

Contact John Bailey at jbailey9@nd.edu

By J.J. POST Associate Sports Editor

With 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter on Notre Dame women’s basketball senior night the Purcell Pavilion crowd rose to its feet — but not for a stifling block or a deep 3-pointer.

Senior guard Sarah Cernugel entered the game to replace graduate student guard Anna DeWolfe, a swapping of players who could not have taken more different routes to being honored in South Bend on Thursday night.

Cernugel walked onto the team in 2021, joining — or perhaps creating — a short list of athletes to have played two different varsity sports at two different tri-campus universities. Cernugel played soccer at Holy Cross her freshman year before transferring to Notre Dame. DeWolfe joined the Irish over the summer as a graduate transfer after starting 111 games for Fordham.

The unlikely pairing represents one-third of the six seniors and graduate students Notre Dame honored, a group of players who vary in their contributions to an Irish squad that has slowly evolved under Niele Ivey, who took over as head coach in concurrence with seniors Maddy

ND MEN’S LACROSSE

Westbeld and Natalija Marshall first arriving on campus.

Perhaps in recognition of a group filled with unique contributions and pathways, the Irish spread the ball around on Thursday night. Six players combined for 19 total assists. Five players scored in double figures, with junior forward Kylee Watson just behind at 9 points. Scoring wasn’t the only area of the stat sheet where everyone got involved. Different players led the Irish in points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Every healthy player on Notre Dame’s roster notched at least one statistical contribution.

It wasn’t always as easy for the Irish as the 74-47 final score might have indicated. It was Clemson who jumped out to an early 14-4 lead, making five of their first six shots. Even as Notre Dame worked their way back into the game it was the Tigers who won the first quarter, entering the second frame ahead 18-16.

The final 30 minutes of the game, however, were all Irish. Notre Dame outscored Clemson over the ensuing two quarters by a margin of 43-18. Junior Sonia Citron led the way, entering halftime with 14 points on an unblemished 100% field goal percentage.

Even after Citron cooled in the second half, scoring 2 points in just 7 minutes of action, her teammates picked up the slack. Westbeld added 9 second-half points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore KK Bransford made the most of her 17 minutes in the final two frames, adding 9 points of her own.

The Irish team’s defense was locked in as well, holding the Tigers to just 31.7% overall from the field and a single 3-pointer in the second half. Despite four bench players playing 7 minutes or more, Clemson was held to just two points from non-starters. Notre Dame totaled ten blocks on the day — Marshall led the way with four, but Westbeld (2), senior forward Kylee Watson (2), graduate student forward Becky Obinma (1) and freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo (1) all got involved as well.

After a Sunday trip to Boston College Notre Dame will host a pair of ranked ACC opponents currently jostling with the Irish for a position in conference standings. A win against either Virginia Tech or Louisville would provide Notre Dame a key resume boost.

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

Kavanaghs sign nonprofit NIL partnership

By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor

Last spring, Notre Dame men’s lacrosse All-American attacker Pat Kavanagh signed an NIL partnership with CityLax, a New York City-based nonprofit organization that focuses on introducing and expanding lacrosse into underserved areas in the New York City region.

According to the press release, Pat’s ground balls for New York City (#GBsforNYC) campaign raised nearly $8,000 last year for CityLax to provide equipment and other resources to the nearly 3,000 students participating on lacrosse teams in New York City public schools.

CityLax announced Friday that Pat will return as a CityLax ambassador in 2024, and that his brother Chris, a fellow AllAmerican attacker for the Irish, will join him as an ambassador this time around.

In addition to the Kavanagh brothers — who grew up in the Long Island area — serving as ambassadors, the press release

announced the return of last season’s successful #GBsforNYC campaign. In 2023, Pat pledged to donate $10 dollars for each of the 43 ground balls he picked up during the season en route to Notre Dame’s first-ever national championship.

This season, CityLax is aiming even higher, as both Pat and Chris will donate $10 for every ground ball and are “encouraging lacrosse fans from all over to join them by matching their donations.” Through Notre Dame’s first two games of the season, the duo has combined to pick up four ground balls and will look to continue raising that tally as the Irish seek a second consecutive national title. Last year, the Kavanaghs secured a combined 81 ground balls.

Since its founding in 2005, CityLax has “use[d] lacrosse to attract middle school and high school students and allow them to see a brighter future for themselves,” according to its website, and the organization’s partnership with the Kavanaghs has made a significant impact on

its ability to continue doing so.

Per the release, “there will be nearly 70 teams representing New York City public schools this spring thanks to CityLax and its supporters such as Pat and Chris Kavanagh.”

The Kavanaghs’ next chance to add to their ground ball totals will come on Sunday afternoon in South Bend, when the No. 1 Irish look to improve to 3-0 as they play host to No. 19 Georgetown at Arlotta Stadium at 2 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU. The brothers have led the way offensively during Notre Dame’s strong start to the season and are currently tied for the team lead with 12 points each.

Lacrosse fans are encouraged to help support the cause by matching Pat and Chris’s donations to CityLax, either “on a game-by-game basis or [by] wait[ing] until the end of the season and mak[ing] one donation to match the Kavanaghs’ total.”

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Happy Birthday: Get moving. Don’t wait until someone backs you into a corner. Take steps that help you initiate the changes you want instead of being forced into something that falls short of your expectations. Take progressive action and be the one who decides what’s next for you. Use your imagination and discipline and put your energy into fulfilling your ambitions. Choose to flourish instead of surrendering to temptation or indulgent behavior. Your numbers are 4, 9, 16, 27, 30, 34, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A change may not be what you want, but it will motivate you to be receptive to new beginnings. It’s time to discover how much you have to offer. Put your talents and skills to work and do something worthwhile. Romance is in the stars.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Get involved in something that matters to you and make a difference. Share your ideas, and it will motivate others to pitch in and help. Take a leadership position, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Delegate work to ensure you oversee, not overdo.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t take anything or anyone for granted. If you want something done, do it yourself. Watch out for scammers, hidden costs, and risky situations. Focus on getting fit, staying healthy, and learning something to help you get ahead. Love and romance are on the rise.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A reunion will be eye-opening. Listen offer sound advice, and it will give you leverage when you need something in return. Avoid overspending or letting anyone take advantage of your kindness and generosity. A unique approach to how you use your skills will pay off.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Preparation will prohibit you from taking on too much. Protect your health and reputation by capping how much you eat, drink, or spend. Personal gain and growth are apparent if you are open about how you feel and what you want. Romance is on the rise.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Open your mind to new experiences and discover what life offers. The options will help you find cheaper, more efficient alternatives to your current lifestyle. A forthright attitude will help you gather more information than you reveal, giving you an edge.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A motivational experience will help you decide what to do next. Becoming more self-aware will promote decisions and help you recognize who your people are and the benefits and pitfalls of associating with the right or wrong individuals. Wise choices will lead to new beginnings and greater happiness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Less conversation and more action is favored. Let your work speak for you, and the changes you enforce set the standard for what’s coming next. Use your imagination and apply what you discover at home, work, and dealing with others. Be true to yourself.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take care of money matters and distance yourself from joint ventures and shared expenses. Refuse to let anyone lead you in a direction that’s costly or not geared to get you where you want to go. Accommodate your needs instead of deferring to others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Waiting for someone to make the first move won’t solve problems. Don’t put up with something that no longer works for you. Consider what matters and brings you joy, and incorporate those factors into your life. It’s up to you to improve your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t avoid controversy. Stand up for your rights by offering alternatives. You may not convince everyone to see things your way, but once you know who is with you and who isn’t, it will be easier to move forward without trepidation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Initiate what you want regardless of what others do or say. You will be liable for emotional and financial decisions, making it essential to do your due diligence before moving. Choose a minimalist attitude when dealing with temptation and those asking for too much.

Birthday Baby: You are elaborate, compassionate, and fanciful. You are spontaneous and persuasive.

Saints start quest to repeat CCAC titles

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor

The 2023 season was a wildly successful one for Holy Cross tennis. Both its men’s and women’s teams had been successful over the previous few seasons, but a memorable postseason run remained elusive. That all changed a year ago, when both teams emerged victorious in the CCAC Tournament, sending them to nationals for the first time in program history.

“We’re the favorite on both sides [now],” head coach Eric Mahone said. “And if we win it this year, everyone’s gonna say, ‘You were supposed to,’ right? Where last year we weren’t.”

Last year’s titles for the Saints likely came about a year ahead of time. That showed a bit on the national stage, with both teams losing in the first round of the tournament.

Getting there, though, was a valuable experience for the teams’ present and future. Holding the status of conference champion is certainly a nice recruiting pitch. And if the Saints return to the national tournament again, they’ll have a better grasp on how to handle everything.

Repeating a title is never

ND SOFTBALL

easy, but the Saints are about as well-equipped as they can be. Both teams started the season ranked in the NAIA Preseason Top 25. An AllAmerican returns on each side: sophomore Kia CarvalhoLandell on the women’s team and junior Perry Gregg on the men’s. Gregg was dominant last season, looking to build on his excellent combined 20-2 record across singles and doubles play a year ago.

“He’s obviously just a really good talent, right? I mean, he’d be a top-20 Division One player,” Mahone said.

However, one player doesn’t make a championship team in any sport, especially tennis. What makes the team so special, Mahone said, is its leadership and depth. The team’s captains — Carvalho-Landell and senior Diane Maillotte for the women, junior Ciaran McCarthy and senior Will Page for the men — are as important as anyone to the team’s success. But the progression of the roster across the board is what makes Holy Cross so special.

“What’s different about this year’s team, even compared to last year — last year’s team was special, but we have we just have amazing seniors. So my first main recruiting class

[and] difference-makers are all seniors this year,” Mahone said.

Mahone mentioned the team also has very talented young players who could play big roles this year, such as underclassmen Polis Koursaros and Luca McManus. And given how often matches come down to the players who round out lineups, their growth could be what tips the scales in the Saints’ favor.

“In some ways, you’re number four or five, six guys are maybe the most important because that’s actually what wins, and team tennis is the depth. It’s not the number one player. Everybody’s got a good number one,” Mahone said. “But it’s the teams that are really good, they have guys that are playing four or five, six, that could be number ones at other schools.”

Right now, both teams are still in the early stages of their season. The women’s team won its opener 4-0 against Bethel on Friday. The men are 1-1, falling to Case Western Reserve on Feb. 9 before sweeping Goshen the next day. The team’s schedule this year is set up in a way that should allow the team to

see TENNIS PAGE 11

Irish head to California for Mary Nutter Classic

By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer

The Notre Dame softball team is currently 6-2 overall for the season, coming off a strong weekend in the Jacksonville/ University of North Florida Invitational. The Irish picked up three wins before the unfortunate cancellation of their last game due to weather conditions. Notre Dame started off strong in its first game with an 11-1 win against Samford, won the second game against Jacksonville 6-4 and took the final win of the weekend with a 7-2 win against Samford. This upcoming weekend the Irish will face off against five teams in the Mary Nutter Classic. They will face Mississippi State (8-1), Baylor (3-3), Oregon (6-5), Oregon State (5-5) and Utah (5-4).

Coming off of two wins and one loss this past weekend at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, Mississippi State will be Notre Dame’s first

opponent this weekend. Jessie Blaine leads the team with a .462 batting average. Right next to her, Aquana Brownlee is hitting .421. Pitching-wise, Aspen Wesley and Josey Marron lead the team in strikeouts, both having a total of 17.

Baylor is the second team that the Irish are set to face off against. Shaylon Govan leads the Bears with a .550 batting average as well as a team-high 11 hits. Emily Hott is right behind Govan with a .375 batting average. Pitcher Aliyah Binford leads the staff with a total of 16 strikeouts in the circle.

After two wins and three losses this past weekend, Oregon is the third game on the list for the Irish. Leading in batting average for Oregon, Kai Luschar comes in at .459 followed closely by Vallery Wong’s .444. Pitching-wise, Oregon has used five pitchers in the circle. Stevie Hansen leads in the circle with a total of 14 strikeouts on the season so far.

Hockey

weekend, hosting a Wisconsin team that is sure to be motivated.

So where does that leave Michigan and Notre Dame?

Smack in the middle, duking it out for the fourth seed in the conference. With the conference’s top team getting a first round bye, the fourth seed will host the fifth seed in the quarterfinals.

Securing home ice may be particularly important for the Fighting Irish, too. Thirteen of Notre Dame’s 15 wins have come at Compton Family Ice Arena, and the Irish are just 2-72 away from home. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Notre Dame will have to win the Big Ten Tournament in order to make the NCAA Tournament. Starting conference play at home would certainly aid that cause. Michigan, with a 25% chance of securing an at-large bid to the national tournament, would like to start their postseason road at home too. The Wolverines have won each of the last two Big Ten tournaments and started with home ice for both.

Discipline, swagger will be key

Neither team comes into this important weekend riding a high. In fact, both sides spent most of last week licking their wounds. Two weeks ago, Michigan suffered a sweep at the hands of arch rival No. 4 Michigan State by 5-1 and 3-2 scores, while Notre Dame was pushed around at No. 6 Wisconsin, also getting swept. Both the Wolverines and Irish responded well last weekend, though Notre Dame’s split with Minnesota (6-1 win, 3-2 overtime loss) may have been more confidence-building than Michigan’s split at Penn State.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this weekend’s series for the Fighting Irish will be discipline. After taking 61 minutes in penalties over two games at Wisconsin, Notre Dame was

whistled for only 10 minutes last weekend against Minnesota.

Still, Notre Dame is averaging 12.5 penalty minutes per game, 12th highest in the country. Michigan, who boasts the nation’s top power-play, will want to exploit that. At 34.2% on the man-advantage, the Wolverines have scored 30.5% of their team’s goals on the power-play. Stay out of the box, and the Irish could hamper Michigan’s scoring by a third.

Notre Dame could even flip the script though by exploiting Michigan in the discipline category. The Wolverines, too, often get in penalty trouble, and are penalized fifth most per game in the country. While Notre Dame’s power-play, at 18.4%, is middling at best, spending time up a man is not something Jackson’s group will complain about.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the series, though, may be mental. While their head coach might play it off, Notre Dame’s attitude in games at Yost Ice Arena has borne fruit over the last four seasons. The Irish possess a certain swagger when they lace up the skates in Ann Arbor. Its source is no mystery: rivalry.

“Notre Dame-Michigan, it’s a rivalry. They may have a bigger rival in Michigan State, but I would like to believe Notre Dame’s up there too,” Jackson said. “When I came to Notre Dame, it wasn’t that way early on, but it became that way. When you’re playing teams in big moments and big games, that’s how rivalries develop. And we’ve had our share of those types of games with Michigan over the years.”

Indeed, matchups between Notre Dame and Michigan always find that extra flare. Their last four regular season meetings at Yost have gone to overtime. That fact alone may be warning enough: If you’re sitting down to watch Notre Dame and Michigan this weekend, buckle up.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu

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Fourth on the list for the Irish, they will go head-to-head with Oregon State. Last weekend, Oregon State played in the Fresno State Tournament, going 2-3. Savanah Whatley currently leads the team with a .316 batting average. Pitchingwise, Ellie Garcia, Logan Hulon, and Sarah Haendiges have pitched for Oregon State. Garcia leads with a total of 20 strikeouts.

The fifth team the Irish will face is Utah. Last weekend, alongside Mississippi State, the Utes also were playing in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge. They are coming off of three losses, one win and one game being canceled. Haley Denning leads the team with a .483 batting average and a total of nine runs scored. Utah has primarily used two pitchers, Mariah Lopez and Sarah Ladd. Lopez leads with an overall total of 23 strikeouts.

Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu

Lacrosse

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the conference’s head coaches voted Notre Dame into fourth place. The Orange have enjoyed four consecutive top-two ACC finishes, going 8-1 in league play last season. That included a 15-7 victory over the Irish, which Syracuse has defeated in five straight matchups.

Syracuse enters the weekend with two nine-goal scorers, Olivia Adamson and Natalie Smith. Katie Goodale, the team’s defensive anchor, leads the Orange with 10 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. Saturday’s game begins a stretch of six consecutive ranked matchups on the Notre Dame side.

The Irish come in off a 25-3 blowout of Butler in which they bolstered their national lead in shots per game (41.5).

As expected, Notre Dame’s graduate student trio of midfielder Kasey Choma and attackers Madison Ahern and Jackie Wolak has exploded out of the gate. The three have combined for 33 goals and 15 assists, with Wolak recently taking home the ACC Offensive Player of the Week award. Her four goals — including the game-winner — against Northwestern have her at 13 on the year, a team-high.

Joining Wolak, Keelin Schlageter earned ACC

Defensive Player of the Week honors Tuesday. During the two-game weekend, she compiled five caused turnovers, three ground balls and two goals. The senior midfielder and defender now leads the Irish with nine caused turnovers.

Notre Dame and Syracuse promise to match up well in two key areas: draw control and goaltending. The Irish thrive in the draw, ranking fifth in the nation 68.8 control percentage. As their primary specialist, senior Kelly Denes ranks 17th in the country with 7.25 draw controls per game.

Meanwhile, what Syracuse lacks in quality (48.2 draw control percentage), it more than makes up for in quantity. Katelyn Mashewske, a graduate student, entered this season second in program history with 343 career draw controls, 104 more than Denes. However, Maryland limited Mashewske to just one control Saturday, leading Smith to step up with five.

The two ACC foes also set up an intriguing matchup in the cage. Notre Dame’s Lilly Callahan ranks 30th in the country with a .483 save percentage, while Syracuse’s Delaney Sweitzer slots in at 42nd with a .452. Sweitzer finished as last season’s IWLCA and ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, ranking inside the

national top 10 for saves, save percentage and ground balls.

Notre Dame men eye repeat performance against Georgetown

Last season, Notre Dame and Georgetown met on the final Saturday of February, ranking similarly to this year. The No. 2 Irish topped the No. 15 Hoyas in Washington, improving to 3-0 in what would become a banner season. Now, Notre Dame looks to reproduce that outcome in a Sunday matinee with Georgetown.

The top-ranked Irish come off a 21-8 Sunday win at Marquette in which they made history. Including a 25-3, season-opening victory over Cleveland State, the 2024 Irish became the first team in program history with 20 goals in back-to-back games.

Sunday’s game in Milwaukee opened with fairly even play through one quarter. But Notre Dame soon zoomed away from the Golden Eagles, outscoring them 17-5 over the remaining 45 minutes. Attackers junior Chris Kavanagh and graduate student Jake Taylor each scored four times, while graduate attacker Pat Kavanagh delivered five assists. Junior face-off specialist and midfielder Will Lynch contributed heavily as well, going 9-for-13 on face-offs and

scooping seven ground balls.

After winning the Big East a season ago, Georgetown is off to a slow start in 2024. The Hoyas dropped their first two games against Loyola (18-10) and Johns Hopkins (11-9) before winning 12-9 at Penn on Saturday.

In the most recent victory, Georgetown owned the opening quarter, racing out to a 5-0 lead on a 6-for-6 face-off performance. James Ball, who ranks 13th nationally with a 64.3% face-off win rate, went 17-for-23 overall. Meanwhile, TJ Haley moved in the nation’s top 10 for assists with a five-helper performance.

Ball’s effort earned him a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll, while two other Hoyas joined him with conference accolades. Graham Bundy Jr. became Offensive Player of the Week with four goals and two assists against Penn. Goaltender Anderson Moore claimed Freshman of the Week with his first collegiate win. In the Loyola game, he made 12 saves and collected three ground balls.

Syracuse and Notre Dame will play in the women’s Irish Wear Green game Saturday at 12 p.m. on ACC Network Extra. Georgetown and the Irish will then meet on the men’s side Sunday at 2 p.m., with ESPNU carrying the game.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Tennis

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

grow in a nice rhythm as the spring progresses.

“We play a bunch of nationally ranked teams, but they’re all just below us. So being chased, it’s kind of something we have to get used to,” Mahone said. “But I feel really good about that. We’re maybe 50% as good as we will be by the end of the season. I think that our schedule [is] set up so we’re peaking in April [and] May. [For] men’s [it’s] the same thing.”

It’s also a reflection of where the team is now. Last year, the team was just happy to reach nationals. This year, it’s determined to make noise on the biggest stage.

“This year, though, the goal isn’t to peak by conference tournament. So that was last year, right?

Just to get over that hurdle,” Mahone said. “And we kind of peaked and then dropped off. This year, the goal is to peak by nationals. And so that’s how the schedule is set up.”

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

ND LACROSSE

Lacrosse takes center stage in South Bend as Syracuse, Georgetown visit

HOCKEY

By TYLER REIDY Associate Sports Editor

Two weeks into the 2024 season, Notre Dame lacrosse appears to have hit a golden age. The men’s team, coming off its first national championship, remains the top-ranked squad in America. In the meantime, the Irish women soared from No. 8 to No. 2 in the rankings after downing seemingly untouchable Northwestern. At this point, Notre Dame shines as the only school with two lacrosse teams ranked within the nation’s top four.

But that leaves a plethora of programs hungry to displace them, including two that will visit South Bend this weekend. The Notre Dame women (4-0) will take on No. 7 Syracuse (1-2) in the ACC opener Saturday. Then, the Irish men (2-0) will play host to No. 19 Georgetown (2-1) on Sunday.

Irish women to face battle-tested Orange

Among its four games to open the year, only one has truly taken a

lot out of Notre Dame. That game, of course, was Northwestern. In their other three wins, the Irish outscored their opposition 68-12. Syracuse, on the other hand, has dug deep in all three games. The Orange opened the campaign in Evanston, falling 1815 to the defending champion Wildcats. They then came home to top No. 18 Army (18-7) before falling 9-8 to No. 9 Maryland in overtime. With the inclusion of Saturday’s game, Syracuse will have opened the season with four consecutive ranked matchups.

The Maryland game, played before 2,097 fans, never featured a lead larger than two. Syracuse drew even with the Terrapins in nearly every statistical category, with Maryland scoring the winner 2:13 into the post-regulation period.

Following an 18-3 season and Final Four appearance in 2023, Syracuse occupied the second position in the ACC Preseason Poll. For reference,

Irish conclude regular season at Michigan

By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer

If you’re sitting down to watch Notre Dame and Michigan this weekend, buckle up. Jeff Jackson will likely always downplay Notre Dame hockey’s recent success at Yost Ice Arena.

After all, the Irish head coach has seen a lot of hockey. In his 19th season behind the Notre Dame bench, Jackson coached his 1,000th college hockey game in last Friday’s 6-1 win for this year’s Irish (15-15-2, 9-11-2) over No. 8 Minnesota. Between stints at Lake Superior State, Notre Dame and even his first coaching job as a grad assistant at Michigan, Jackson knows the Wolverine’s home rink pretty well, too.

“I don’t think there’s anything special about it,” Jackson said. “Just like some things happen in streaks, sometimes they’re understandable why, but then there’s the ones where you’re really not sure why, it just happens.”

Though Jackson may deny it, Notre Dame’s success on the road at Michigan is hard to ignore. In their last 10 games at Yost Ice Arena, the Irish are 8-1-1, with their lone loss coming in the 2022

Big

Ten Tournament Semifinals.

Notre Dame has not lost in the regular season at Yost since Nov. 9, 2018.

“I think every team that goes into Yost feels like, you know, they’re going to have to bring their ‘A’ game to have success in that building,” Jackson said. “They know there’s going to be good crowds, they know it’s going to be hard hockey to play, under the influence of noise and intimidation. I think guys like that.”

Home ice on the line

This weekend, as Notre Dame travels north to conclude its regular season against the No. 17 Wolverines (15-12-3, 8-10-2-0-1), the Irish hope to duplicate the recent success. Particularly, they would like to replicate last year’s late-February series, which saw Notre Dame steal Friday’s game in a shootout and Saturday’s in overtime, unexpectedly securing the Irish home ice for the first round of the Big Ten tournament.

This season, like last, Notre Dame’s chances for home ice in the tournament are slim. The Irish need to take five of six points this weekend to clinch home ice, though Notre Dame

would still hold onto a glimmer of hope if they fail to do so. With a bye-week to end the season, Notre Dame may have to sweat out the results of the MichiganMinnesota series on March 1-2 to find out their postseason fate.

Michigan, on the other hand, has the ball in their court. They trail the Irish by 3 points in the Big Ten standings for the final home ice spot, with two games in hand. The Wolverines also get to try their hand head-tohead against Notre Dame this weekend.

That battle for Big Ten home ice becomes even more important knowing that the two sides are likely to match up against each other in the first round. With 46 and 42 points, respectively, Michigan State and Wisconsin top the Big Ten charts, and are likely to remain there. Minnesota, who is idle this weekend, sits in third with 37 points.

Ohio State — despite sweeping Wisconsin last weekend — is guaranteed to finish last, and Penn State needs to make up 8 points of ground on Michigan.

The Nittany Lions themselves will have their hands full this

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

Irish sophomore attacker Fran Frieri cuts around three defenders during Notre Dame’s 25-3 win over Butler at the Loftus Sports Center on Feb. 18. The Irish are 4-0 this season and ranked No. 2 in the country.

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

Irish freshman forward Brennan Ali looks for a loose puck during a 6-1 win over