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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 47 | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Global human rights clinic opens New law school program represents clients for free, teaches students By ISA SHEIKH Notre Dame News Editor
The very month that Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, human rights lawyer Roqia Samim arrived in South Bend for the beginning of her time at Notre Dame. Samim had worked with the United Nations in her homeland of Afghanistan, utilizing the law she studied as an undergraduate at Herat University. Samim, who completed her master of laws (LLM) at Notre Dame in May 2022, is now working with the law school’s new global human rights clinic. The clinic, which launched this semester, seeks to serve both as an international human rights “pro bono firm” while teaching students in the law school and beyond about human rights work.
“The fundamental goal of this clinic is pedagogical. It is really about learning and formation for our students, but what they’re really concretely learning — and this is where this clinic is different from a lot of other law school human rights clinics — is that they’re learning what it takes to really represent a client, especially a global client,” Diane Desierto, the clinic’s director said. Desierto, an international human rights lawyer, came to Notre Dame to establish a human rights faculty, having worked across the globe. Announced last semester, the clinic will take on projects including working with 39 small island states on climate change and human rights issues, Afghan women under Taliban restrictions, see RIGHTS PAGE 3
By NATALIE SMITH News Writer
Courtesy of Peter Ringenberg | The University of Notre Dame
The everlong drama of room picks the trials and tribulations of campus life.
From the Archives Researchers
Dorms’ Room Traditions
At Notre Dame, annual room picks often f lirt w ith the dramatic, teetering bet ween anticipation and dread. For many students, it’s a strategic game of chess, where each move determines their liv ing fate for the coming academic year. This ritual, while mundane on paper, is laden w ith the emotional weight of who one might call neighbor, ally or foe w ithin the intimate confines of dormitor y walls. Here, we delve into this collegiate conundrum, unveiling the satire and sentiment of students past, as they nav igate the turbulent waters of room selection — a true testament to
March 4, 1969 | Observer Staff | April 30, 1976 | Barb Langhenry | April 20, 2012 | Observer Op-Ed | March 28, 2014 | Alex Caton | Researched by Cade Czarnecki Dorm traditions run deep at Notre Dame, play ing a significant role in shaping the culture of each residence hall. Broad-reaching and inf luencing the operations of each dorm, the room-picking process is no exception to localized traditions. Room picks have always been handled on a hall-tohall basis. Dorm traditions have dictated the majorit y of the process w ith the occasional inter vention by a
ROTC BASKETBALL GAME
THE ESSENCE OF A SPOON
ROTC BASKETBALL PAGE 3
Pick
ESSENCE OF A SPOON PAGE 6
On Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the second f loor of the Saint Mar y’s Student Center, students gathered to paint signs for the sustainable farm. The sustainable farm focuses on eco-friendly initiatives on campus and supports the communit y by prov iding fresh food for families in the South Bend area. Volunteers were
Diane Desierto, the director of the new global human rights clinic, speaks to students about her motivation to work around the globe.
DIANE PARK | The Observer
By CADE CZARNECKI, THOMAS DOBBS, and LILYANN GARDNER
Farm adds signs
facult y member in the dorm. Such was the case in 1969 when A lumni Hall Council was mov ing to eliminate the reser vation of certain choice rooms in the dorm for athletes, as had been the norm. Father O’Neill, though, took a stand for the athletes and put an end to the effort. In the follow ing years, each dorm followed the precedent set by that dorm’s earlier classes in its roompicking festiv ities. In the 1970s, room picks processes generally fell into three categories: priorit y by GPA, true lotteries or use of a randomized “computer list” from the Housing Office. Grace and Pangborn played host to the most notable GPA-based traditions. In fact, Pangborn had the GPA system w ritten into its
see FARM PAGE 3
Muller talks Trump By PETER McKENNA News Writer
hall policies. Cavanaugh and St. Edward’s Halls were a few of the many dorms that had a lotter y for room pick priorit y. Specifically, students raved about the social event that the room pick lotter y became in the t wo aforementioned dorms. Other quirk y room picks policies comprised a pointspriorit y system in Howard (points given for semesters at Notre Dame and semesters liv ing in Howard) and a bid-application system to change sections in Stanford. Additionally, dorms like Dillon, Fisher and Flanner allowed for the “freezing” of one’s room from year to year. Most traditions have subsided over the years not at the request of dorm
On Jan. 18, Notre Dame Law professor Derek T. Muller submitted an amicus brief that didn’t support either party in the Trump v. Anderson case. The case, which is being heard in the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, is an appeal from Colorado’s Supreme Court, which found in a 4-3 majority that Donald Trump is ineligible to run for president due to actions related to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Since Colorado declared him ineligible, Trump cannot appear on the Colorado Republican primary on March 5. Through the lens of federal election law, Muller’s brief detailed the legal authority states have in judging presidential candidates’ qualifications and mentioned that states are under no mandate to do so. He provides historical accounts of instances
see ARCHIVES PAGE 4
see TRUMP PAGE 4
PERCY JACKSON PERCY JACKSON PAGE 7
HOCKEY PAGE 12
W BASKETBALL PAGE 12
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Notre Dame senior goaltender Joshua Graziano shows off an outline of the Main Building and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart while streching before a matcb against Michigan State on Feb. 2. After winning on Friday, the Irish lost 4-0 in their Saturday game.
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Flyin’ Irish tournament unites ROTC By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor
This weekend marked the 38th annual Flyin’ Irish Basketball Tournament, a competition hosted by Notre Dame’s Air Force ROTC dating back to 1985. What began as a fun but unremarkable event has transformed into the largest Cadetrun event in the country, according to junior Miles Roberts, who is part of the tournament’s public affairs section. “It was just a super tiny event,” Roberts said. “We started just in the regional aspects, but we slowly extended outwards. So last year, we had 48 teams and this year we have 54. It’s slowly evolving into a bigger and bigger tournament, which is really cool.” Schools with ROTC programs from all over the country come to compete in both the men’s and women’s brackets. Every team is guaranteed to play in at least three games in a round-robin style setup. Games are played in 20-minute halves with a running clock, except in the final two minutes of regulation when normal timing rules apply. “The games are very scrappy. Everyone’s in ROTC so everyone, mostly everyone, runs. A lot of teams adopt the running-gun style, and so it’s a lot of fast breaks, a lot of fast-moving. [There’s] a lot of fast-paced basketball, and nobody
Rights CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
religious orders of priests persecuted by Russia, rural farmers in Africa and other efforts. “When we talk about Catholic Social Teaching, we often refer to the preferential option of the poor. That poverty can mean many things as a lived reality … So we’re looking at vulnerabilities and depravations as sort of our measure for why the clinic will take on a case,” Desierto said. The clinic will argue cases at institutions such as the International Court of Justice, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, International Criminal Court and the U.N. Human Rights Treaty Bodies. For Samim, an Afghan woman who is a refugee from Taliban rule, the issue of human rights is personal. “When you grow up in a country that has been dealing with war for five decades, human rights would definitely be impacted negatively,” she said. “I grew up seeing the violation of human rights around me, especially women’s rights. So then I realized that there is something that should be done in this [situation].” Samim’s research on various projects contributes to the global efforts of the clinic. “Seeing women deprived of their rights, seeing human rights violations, seeing civilian casualties during the war, it motivated me to work in this field, although
ever gets tired because everyone’s used to running all the time. So I’d say it’s pretty competitive,” Roberts said. Hosting the tournament takes an all-hands-on-deck effort, Roberts said. Everyone in the Notre Dame ROTC program is required to help out with the event in some capacity, but many choose to put in more than the minimum effort, which is needed given how much basketball is played in such a short amount of time. The tournament began on Friday at 5 p.m. and continued until Sunday at 11 a.m., with 14 hours of hoops taking place Saturday. “It is a very long weekend,” Roberts said. “And a lot of people put in an insane amount of hours into preparing and actually staying their day off. And so I really appreciate it when it’s getting into the wee hours of the night because we have games that start at 10 p.m. Our main staff has been there since 8 a.m, and just being able to grind through that whole day with them and really grow together and work together [through] whatever challenge that pops up or whatever situation arises.” Out of 33 men’s teams and 16 on the women’s side, 16 and 8 reached the knockout stage, respectively. The single-elimination bracket started Saturday and concluded with the semi-finals and finals Sunday morning.
it’s never easy to work for human rights, especially when you’re working with the victims of human rights violations,” she said. “I wanted to work in that field because I thought that there’s a need to work in this field in my country. And now that I am here, I think that human rights are not specific to any country. So it’s global, it’s international and all human beings around the world must have access to their basic rights.” Desierto said the clinic was conceived after G. Marcus Cole, dean of the law school, published his article “I Am George Floyd. Except, I can breathe. And do something” in the summer of 2020. Among Desierto’s extensive work, she serves as the lawyer for Nobel Peace Prize winning journalist Marissa Ressa, who has been suppressed by the Philippines’ government. “There’s a pervasiveness of authoritarian regimes in the world — quite unprecedented, but authoritarian regimes who also know how to co-opt the language of human rights for their purposes,” Desierto said. Her work at the clinic is an extension of that work. “To an extent, the clinic is being launched with a view to who we are as Notre Dame, literally taking serious being a force for good,” she said. “There was also a need to help our students be aware of the kind of impact that they could concretely make on the life of somebody.” Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu
ANDREW McGUINNESS | The Observer
Virginia Tech’s ROTC basketball team celebrates their win after the close of the final’s second half on Sunday, Feb. 4. The tournament was held in the Joyce Center from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.
In the women’s final, Virginia Tech survived a late comeback push by Ohio State to win for the second straight year. The Hokies also took the title on the men’s side, ending their clash with Notre Dame Army ROTC on a 10-run. Both teams had earned the No. 1 seed in their brackets, finishing a combined 13-0. The Hokies received a trophy
Farm CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
instructed to paint green posts that w ill be staked into the ground to indicate where the ripe produce, vegetables and fruit are located. In the past, the farm has had issues w ith people picking the w rong produce, so the signs w ill help make it easier to give out directions when people v isit the farm. “We are painting signs so people w ill know what’s ripe and what’s not on the farm. It’s so it w ill be easier ever y time … we have U-Pick so people w ill know what’s ready,” event organizer Mar y O’Connell said. O’Connell is also the care for creation coordinator for the sustainable farm. O’Connell explained that the sustainable farm works w ith the food waste fighters and the farm team to convert leftover dining hall food into compost that is used during planting season in the spring. “The other part of it is that we grow food that we then donate to the South Bend communit y, so we work w ith Pastor Carrie who runs a non-profit called For the Good. We work w ith her a lot to make sure that the best produce that we picked that morning w ill then go to
and medals for their victory, but Roberts said the tournament is about much more than the wins and losses. Roberts said that he has met friends from different schools at summer ROTC summer training, but that he isn’t able to see them very much, except when they come to the basketball tournament. “I’m already planning on
meeting and seeing a bunch of my friends that I haven’t seen since a lot of those trainings. It’s really cool to see everyone you start recognizing people like ‘Hey, I did that training with you in the summer last year.’ It’s really cool to just connect with people,” Roberts said.
the families that she ser ves which I believe it’s 20 to 30 families a week,” O’Connell said. Ser v ice Saturdays, which include events like painting posts for the sustainable farm, are events that are usually held w ith the Center for Faith, Action and Ministr y (CFAM) to gather volunteers to help w ith projects in the communit y. “Ser v ice Saturdays are something that usually the sustainabilit y team organizes. A lot of them are going to be farm work that we do, but while it’s w inter and cold outside, we wanted to do some projects that would take just the sustainabilit y team forever to do,” O’Connell said. “We know if we even get just five or 10 volunteers to help us paint signs it’ll go a lot quicker. It’s a great way to get to know people who might volunteer w ith us in the future.” Volunteers who attend also help out w ith other events that the sustainable farm holds. The events offer opportunities for students to help the communit y and spend time w ith friends while doing it. “I honestly really enjoy ser v ice work. I enjoy serv ice work w ith the Saint Mar y’s communit y specifically because it’s kind of a
tight-knit, good group of people who are here for the right reasons. It gives you a sense of purpose in doing something in that regard,” senior Annemarie Edmund said. The farm’s main goals w ill not only help Saint Mar y’s but also the communit y surrounding it. Students like Edmund have been seeing the program’s grow th since their first year at school and have been supportive of the steps the farm has taken to be part of sustainable solutions. “I think in general it’s important for all of us to live more sustainably to kind of be stewards of the planet. I think the sustainable farm is ver y aware of that,” Edmund said. “I think they are actively tr y ing to be part of the solution. I’m also really excited about the goals [of ] eventually prov iding food for the dining hall and making the Saint Mar y’s communit y as a whole sustainable.” There w ill be an upcoming Ser v ice Saturday event on March 2 beginning at 11:30 a.m. The event w ill take place either inside or outside depending on weather conditions.
Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu
Contact Natalie Smith at nsmith03@saintmarys.edu
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Archives CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
residents but as a result of homogenization v ia Residential Life policy. In 2012, St. Edward’s Hall was informed that their distinctive lofts that played a large role in dorm culture had seen their final days as the Universit y planned to introduce standardized modular furniture. Similarly, Zahm lost its iconic eight-man rooms due to the perceived need by Residential Life to install lounge spaces in ever y dorm on campus. This eliminated the longstanding tradition of a senior pulling in another senior and together selecting six rising sophomores to meet the capacit y of the eight-man room. The room picks process is an often overlooked but incredibly distinctive tradition. Such traditions — even those which are now defunct — embody the indiv idual character of ever y dorm.
The Satirical Outlets of Room Selection April 6, 2011 | Dan Bromach | Jan 23, 2001 | Tom Keeley | April 13, 1972 | Observer Staff | April 19, 2004 | Observer Staff | Researched By Thomas Dobbs Room selection at Notre Dame, a time-honored tradition, has often been the fodder for the w r y humor that characterizes the student
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in which states have excluded candidates. This case could shape other election law cases, Muller wrote. Muller described the plaintiff’s argument and said, “The basis for saying Trump should not appear on the primary ballot is that he engaged in insurrection under Section Three of the 14th Amendment.” He also commented on the influence of this case on the general election. “While this is formally just still a presidential primary case, it will affect how we view the presidential election,” Muller said. This summer, the Republican National Convention will meet to recognize the delegates from the states and determine the party’s 2024 nominee. “If he is left off ballots in some of those states, he could still win the nomination if there are no other candidates, but you are then placed in a difficult position as a party,” Muller said. “The Courts declared he is ineligible, so do you want a candidate to not appear on the ballot in all fifty states?” Muller described how the definition of insurrection will affect the court’s verdict. The word “insurrection” is used in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. It
body’s coping mechanism. It’s a peculiar rite of passage, filled w ith the high drama of securing a desirable space and the low comedy of what happens when one doesn’t. The pages of The Obser ver have chronicled this annual saga w ith a mixture of w it and satire that merits a retrospective glance. Described by one student as “a sur v ival of the fittest,” the event transforms the brightest young minds into gladiators, v y ing for the honor of a decent room and roommate, leav ing in their wake “bruised egos and shattered self-esteem.” The process has been likened to the machinations of Chicago politics, w ith all the “briber y, intimidation, shady dealings” and then some. Take, for example, the comic strip from Januar y 23, 2001, which illustrates the desperation of room picks in the face of dorm overcrowding. It seems that one’s living quarters could be as precarious as choosing bet ween a bathroom stall w ith a v iew — or one w ith better T V reception. The sharpness of the joke here is not lost; it cuts to the quick of the student experience, where even a modicum of privacy is a lu xur y and the communal spirit is taken to its extreme. In a 1972 cartoon, a student is presented w ith strikingly similar choices: a bathroom stall, a trunk room corner or the ignominy
of an abandoned shack in South Bend. The humor is as dark as it is light-hearted, capturing a truth about the comical uncertaint y and dramatics of dormitor y life. And who could miss the satirical suggestion of Tessa O’Connor, who when questioned about her roommate draw, could only remark “Stuck w ith her.” The bluntness of her words, paired next to the smiling face of her apparent roommate, highlights the inescapable humor. The cartoons, like the student comments, ser ve as a w inking acknowledgment of the absurdities that pepper college life. They remind us that behind the grand architecture and the solemn traditions, the heart of Notre Dame beats w ith a lev it y that can only be found in the candid confessions of its students. As we leaf through these records of the past, let’s pay homage to the satirists who’ve captured the trials and tribulations of room selection w ith a pen dipped in humor as rich and dark as the coffee in North Dining Hall. In their lines, we find a shared laughter that binds the Notre Dame family together, a know ing chuck le that says, “We’ve been there too.” It’s this spirit of camaraderie, w rapped in the cloak of satire, that proves the adage true: Shared miser y is
half the miser y, and shared humor is doubled joy.
was originally intended to prevent Confederate officers from gaining power after the Civil War. This is the part of the Constitution — the disqualification clause — that the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Trump violated. “Legal historians have looked at what the words insurrection and rebellion mean as legal terms in the mid-19th century. Some people say it means a level of force akin to something like the Civil War, saying that’s the context in which it was drafted.” He continued, “But there are others, which the Colorado Supreme Court agreed with, that believe it can be lesser exercises of force. It can be multiple people gathering together in a violent uprising for a public purpose, and that distinguishes it from ordinary violence or rioting.” Muller said, “The question is: What level of violence you need to move from what you might describe as an ordinary mob or riot into something that the Constitution defines as an insurrection or rebellion?” Those who believe Jan. 6 to be an insurrection argue that the rioters resisted the government as an institution and intentionally tried to prevent at transfer of power. “The Civil War was resisting the government by force as an institution, not like resisting the police,” Muller said. Those who agree with the
Colorado court “think there was a public purpose, in this instance, to prevent a transfer of power by preventing the counting of electoral votes,” he added. He also presented the opposite side’s argument that those who entered the Capitol were only expressing frustration as a mob rather than a group of insurrectionists set out to destroy or resist the government. “There are lots of things that look like they’re resisting the government but are really mobs that have gotten out of control. In this case, [the rioters] were just trying to express their frustration to Congress and not actually prevent the counting of electoral ballots, and certainly not very successfully,” he said. “They got back and counted several hours later. While it was a very scary and violent way, it is not a dimension that rises to the level of insurrection.” Before addressing qualifications for insurrection, Trump is arguing that this part of the Constitution does not apply to him. According to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, the law applies to those “under the United States.” Trump is arguing that the president is not part of the named groups, Muller said. “You are barred from serving as a senator, representative, elector of [the] president or vice president, or any office, civil or
military, under the United States at any time. Trump’s argument is that they don’t name the president,” Muller said. “The phrase ‘office under the United States’ refers to lower offices [and] to people who are appointed by the president such as the cabinet.” The Colorado Supreme Court said the phrase “officers of the United States” was understood in the mid-19th century as essentially embracing everyone, including the president, Muller explained. He also discussed the claim that Trump participated in the Jan. 6 attack. “Trump obviously did not storm the capital that day and did not engage in rioting. But he certainly spoke aggressively and vociferously in the days leading up to Jan. 6. He led a rally at the Ellipse minutes before there was a riot at the Capitol,” Muller said. “In his speech, he uses language like ‘We’re going to fight.’ And so there, that language and rhetoric suggest that he incited this crowd to violence.” Muller also discussed how Trump is arguing in defense of his actions. He said that Trump believes that when he told his supporters to fight, he meant peacefully and that he can’t be held responsible for other people’s actions. He explained that Trump feels that he is protected under the First Amendment
Room Picks : A Lesson in Overcoming Disappointment May 2, 1980 | Michael Onufrak | April 23, 1998 | Christine Kraly | April 10, 2006 | Patrick Moore and Lisa Gallagher | April 12, 2007 | Analise Lipari | April 12, 2007 | Elizabeth Purget | Researched by Lilyann Gardner The general consensus amongst Notre Dame students is that dorm picks are a harrow ing process. The quest for suitable roommates and the avoidance of cramped dorm conditions often fail to create liv ing situations that are far from ideal. On top of satire, many have turned to The Obser ver to voice earnest distress. Common themes of broken friendships and unfair lotter y numbers are per vasive throughout the pages, and there does not seem to be an end in sight given that someone w ill always be at the bottom of the list. The prevailing dorm picks system continues to bring out the worst in students, and Michael Ornufrak (‘81) placed the blame on the intense desire to solidif y one’s place in their communit y of choice. “This sense of perman ency somehow summons that ruthlessly competitive,
ambitious demon which so many of us here at ND are susceptible to, right to the surface,” w rote Ornufrak in an Obser ver article from 1980. The opportunit y to remain in a familiar dorm setting w ith prox imit y to friends is highly sought after, but many have had to learn to accept disappointment and heartbreak. Fall study abroad students have specifically been hit hard as there is no guarantee that space w ill be available in their home dorm upon their return. Christine Kraly (‘01), News Copy Editor, shared in an Obser ver article from 1998 that she recognized that ever y situation was different, but that the process was ultimately pett y and not “lifethreatening” if it didn’t go her way. “W hen you think about it, what is all the stress over? Does it really matter who the luck y person is to wake up Friend C, or tolerate Friend A’s morning breath? No, because, regardless, we’re all still friends,” w rote Kraly. A simple solution to these dorm picking problems has yet to be found, but until then, students must continue to be adaptable and open to new experiences. Contact Cade Czarnecki at cczarne3@nd.edu, Thomas Dobbs at tdobbs@nd.edu and Lilyann Gardner at lgardne2@nd.edu
and has the right to freedom of speech that can’t be subjected to criminal penalties. “If that’s the case, Trump says ‘My speech is protected, and I can’t have been argued to be engaged in insurrection,’” Muller said. When asked about his predictions for the case, Muller said he believes that Trump will be acquitted. For the Colorado court’s ruling to be struck down, the U.S. Supreme Court has to find only one problem with the current arguments in favor of keeping Trump off the primary ballot. That legal doubt could be about the application of disqualification clause, the definition of insurrection or whether Trump’s words qualify as incitement as opposed to protected free speech. To uphold the ruling, the nation’s highest court would have to agree with Colorado’s rationale for each of those elements. “I think it’s a matter of math. For the plaintiffs to win, you must win on every element of the case. For the defendant to win, you only must disprove one of those. I think the court will coalesce around one argument and disprove it.” He continued, “There’s a lot of directions the court could go, and I have a lot of uncertainty.” Contact Peter McKenna at pmckenn2@nd.edu.
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INSIDE COLUMNS
TV is bad now and it’s Netflix’s fault Christine Hilario Scene Copyeditor
“Supernatural” is a paranormal horror-action series which first aired on The WB on Sept. 13, 2005. It later moved to The CW and completed its run on Nov. 19, 2020. It is the longest-running American sci-fi/fantasy series, with 15 seasons and 327 episodes. Most of those episodes are bad. I would know — I’ve seen over 11 seasons of it. “Supernatural” was never a critical darling, but what it did have in its favor was a devoted fanbase. In 2023, three years after it ended, “Supernatural” was the 10th most-watched series on streaming, according to Nielsen. Almost all of the 10 most-streamed shows were long-running series acquired from networks. (The one exception was “Cocomelon,” and I don’t want to talk about “Cocomelon.”) Other shows which made up the top 10 were “Suits” at number one, “Grey’s Anatomy” at number four and “Friends” at number eight. The numbers are clear: Audiences love shows spanning multiple seasons with hundreds of episodes. It doesn’t matter if the shows are formulaic (gun to my head, I couldn’t tell the difference between a scene from “Suits” or any other show with men in boardrooms) or if the shows run out of ideas in the later seasons — people will watch. The main villain of season 11 of “Supernatural” is God’s evil sister; her name is Amara and she has a romantic thing with the series’ protagonist, Dean Winchester. Yes, I watched all of season 11, and yes, I’m determined to finish the series. With long-running network shows, you grow attached to the characters and world — the familiarity is comfortable. You want to know what happens to the characters you’re attached to. You don’t get that connection with an eight-episode miniseries. If audiences so obviously adore long-running series, why does every Netflix original get canceled after two seasons and end on a cliffhanger? The
answer is, of course, money. In the traditional network TV model, you get money from advertising, syndication and overseas rights. The bigger the audience for a show, the more valuable the ad slots are, the more you can sell the show for syndication, etc., etc. The formula is clear: more viewers, more money. Streamers don’t work like that: They get money from subscribers. However, a lot of streamers now have ads on their platforms because they want that extra revenue stream (even though one of the reasons subscribers turned to streamers in the first place was to avoid ads). Even so, Netflix could drop hundreds of millions of dollars on a series and it could be insanely popular, but this success wouldn’t equate to earning money like it would for in network TV. Streamers either want new subscribers from their new content, or they want Emmys for their new prestige miniseries in order to elevate the reputation of the platform’s catalog. Netflix started this, and they’re the only streaming platform making money. Every other streaming service is scrambling to copy their success. Shows are shorter now because Netflix said so — because it brings in subscribers. Netflix shows have 10-episode seasons to make it easier for new viewers to catch up. Netflix will cancel an insanely popular show after two or three seasons because the creators get paid more for each new season, and Netflix doesn’t want to pay up. Besides, long-running shows don’t bring in new subscribers. “Supernatural” isn’t exactly great art — you could even make the argument it’s bad art, but there will never be a streaming original which draws in audiences like “Supernatural” or “Gilmore Girls” or “Suits.” Instead, you get shows that trend on Twitter (now, unfortunately, X) for a week and are never thought about again. Contact Christine at chilario@nd.edu. The views of this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Using love to cope with the unfortunate loss of a bike Liam Price Viewpoint Copyeditor
(TL;DR: If you see a blue Specialized mountain bike in a tree, please email the location to lprice3@nd.edu.) Next time, I won’t buy the cheapest bike lock I can find at CVS. I was cock y. Last year, I w rote a news stor y for the Obser ver about the amount of scooters which had been stolen on campus. As a faithful cyclist, I didn’t ta ke my ow n stor y too seriously. Surely, it wouldn’t happen to me. Coming back to campus after my time abroad, I felt fast. With the recent campus-w ide scooter ban, I was now the fastest man on campus. I need the speed, too. If it’s “fashionable” to be late, then I’m basica lly Harr y St yles. Just ask any of the news editors about what time I turn in my stories. I’m a lways keeping them up late. But my bike fi xed that. I could zoom across campus in a matter of seconds. A nd for the first few weeks of this semester, I was an exemplar y student. I could be seen on my specia lized mountain bike, w ith a coffee in one hand, swer v ing by wa lkers, off the sidewa lk and back on, benefiting from the elimination of electric scooters. The last time I rode that bike was Tuesday night this week, when I was riding it at wa lk ing pace from an Obser ver production shift at South Dining Ha ll to A lumni Ha ll, chatting w ith “Chief” Isa Sheik h. I locked my bike on the U-rack in front of A lumni, said my goodbyes to Isa and went to bed. I’ve recently begun to hit the g y m again, and Monday I had the dreaded “leg day.” As any g y m rat k nows, it isn’t the day after leg day which hurts, but t wo days after. So on Wednesday, when I had to
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
ma ke the trek up to Pasquerilla Center for an English class, just wa lk ing to the bike racks felt difficult. My hamstrings were on fire. My ca lves were sha k ing. My quads were screaming. Riding the bike would be my sav ing grace. W hen my bike wasn’t where I left it, I ca lled Isa up. “I rode my bike back from SDH last night, right? ” I asked him. “Yea h, you locked it up in front of A lumni,” Isa told me. Good ol’ Isa, a lways remembering things for me. The Obser ver is in good hands. I looked ever y where, and for the past few days my eyes have been scanning ever y tree on campus to see if some jokester from Dillon Ha ll decided to play a prank on A lumni. Being so close to Main Circle, though, I rea lized that in a ll likelihood, someone probably used a cable cutter to easily snip off my cheap bike lock. Sure, I did curse whoever stole my bike as I was hobbling around campus Wednesday as if I just got k nee-replacement surger y, but I rea lized that the world isn’t worse for what happened to me. A nd I learned a va luable lesson: Cheap bike locks equa l cheap securit y. It’s surely a transferable lesson to other facets of life. I rea lized that hate won’t help me cope, but love and a sense of humor w ill. I hope whoever stole my bike enjoys its use. It’s a good bike w ith a lot of life in it. A nd I hope that fortune turns for them soon, so that they feel less of a need to ta ke some other student’s bike. With that said, I’m running late to something, and my speed is now slower. So, peace and love, I have to go. Contact Liam at lprice3@nd.edu. The views of this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
The essence of a spoon: My coming of age, as told by a utensil Gracie Eppler The Soapbox
You’d be sorely mista ken if you thought spoons were only supposed to be used for soup. Spoons scoop. They scoop sa lads, sa lsas and sa lamis. They pile up rice and deposit mounds of decadent ca ke upon an awaiting tongue. They’re resourceful. They’re convenient. A nd up until the seventh grade, they were as routine to me as a toothbrush. Filipinos don’t use chopsticks. Gathering up piles of longganisa, adobo and ha lo-ha lo becomes infinitely easier when you have something to shovel it up. Idea lly, you’d just use your hands, but spoons are a close runner up for the coveted spot as ever y Filipino’s favorite utensil. In my Filipino-A merican household, we eat w ith a spoon and fork no matter if the mea l is from my mom’s homeland or from the barbecue shop dow n the street. Hidden behind an old Missouri farm w ith a couple of goats and a beat-up horse sits my home, molded w ith blue stone, glittering amongst the other brow n-bricked houses. It stands out for another — perhaps more obv ious — reason too because it’s the only one in the entire neighborhood which is filled w ith people of color. Inside our blue-bricked home, my sisters and I use a spoon and fork to spear through meats, curries, enchiladas and f lans. A fter sleeping over at a friend’s house, I would wa ke up the next morning and ask for a spoon to dig through my panca kes. W hen I was little, I
a lways assumed my peers’ parents had just forgotten to set the utensil out. It wasn’t until the seventh grade when I truly came to rea lize eating w ith a spoon wasn’t an A merican tradition at a ll. It seemed as though ever yone in my tiny class of 24 fully white, Missouri-born-and-raised children was suddenly look ing at me funny as I used my spoon to ladle up my Olive Garden pasta. W hat ma kes a spoon a spoon? It should have one long end to grasp. It should have a cur ved end to dig. It should probably be made of meta l. If a spoon was used to curl someone’s hair, would it still be a spoon? Or does the act of scooping ma ke it a spoon? In that case, if we used a pencil to scoop, would it become a spoon too? There is nothing inherently embarrassing about the essence of a spoon. There’s nothing incredulous about using it to scoop. A spoon does not exist only for soup. It would still be a spoon even if it wasn’t sitting in a bowl of steaming broth. A nd yet, at 12, using a spoon for the “un-A merican” act of delivering rice to my mouth felt fundamenta lly w rong. It felt different. It felt weird. Surrounded by Johnnys and Janes who a ll ate inside their brow n-bricked houses w ith their fully white, Missouri-born-and-raised parents w ith a fork and k nife — I felt peculiar. At 12, what was once a workaday tool became the launching point for self-examination: W hat else about me is weird that I didn’t rea lize? As we became teenagers, the parts of us which made us stick out suddenly became the parts which needed to be erased. We replaced spark ly,
monogramed headbands w ith plain Lululemon ones. A nd never once did we ask ourselves if we rea lly liked Lululemon, because it was what ever yone else was doing. A nd so we did it too. Sometime later, though, we might decide to toss out the headbands and opt out for something more colorful. Something w ith significance, like a garment crocheted by a friend. Sometime later, we rea lize the parts of us which ma ke us stick out are the parts which need to be highlighted, underlined and ita licized. I turned 20 on a chilly Sunday in March, wearing my favorite f lower-print sweater and scooping up my pulled pork w ith a spoon. At 20, I’ve rea lized the frivolit y of tr y ing to fit in the way I attempted to when I was t welve. Maybe some part of me w ishes I could go back, w rap my arms around that little girl w ith braces and millions of wafting insecurities and tell her what I k now now. But I could never do that, because her journey is what led her to become the girl who turned 20 in North Dining Ha ll. At 20, I return to the spoon in a cafeteria filled w ith people who only use forks. No one’s rea lly look ing at me, any ways. I missed the way the spoon cur ves. It reminds me of who I am and where I came from. The views of this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer. Gracie Eppler is a junior business analytics and English major from St. Louis, MO. Her top three things ever to exist are 70s music, Nutella and Smith Studio 3, where she can be found dancing. Reach her at geppler@nd.edu.
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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
‘PERCY JACKSON’ TV ADAPTATION IS A SUCCESS OF MYTHIC PROPORTION By LUCIA AGUZZI Scene Writer
“The Percy Jackson and the Olympians” Disney+ series was announced in May 2020, and ever since I have been patiently awaiting the TV adaptations of the books that bred my Greek mythology obsession. I mean, I’m a PLS major reading a ton of ancient greek texts for class; it’s safe to say I never got over it. I knew I would fall in love with the show no matter what (I’ll always be excited for any PJO content, good or bad), but I also found myself analyzing it as a TV show based on quality and writing as well while watching, already knowing the plot well. So how does the show live up to its expectations? First off, the casting. Author Rick Riordan and the rest of the casting team found some gems to say the least because stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri have got to be some of the most talented children out there. Scobell, who was Ryan Reynolds’ mini-me from “The Adam Project,” was well known prior to this show, and his attitude was sure to make him the perfect Percy. His co-stars, Jeffries as Annabeth and Simhadri as Grover, two lesser known child actors, stepped up to the plate and gave it their all. Their energy perfectly matched Scobell’s when it came time for
Annabeth, Grover and Percy to set off on their quest. The content of the story required these kids to be extremely versatile, not only acting through emotional and stress-packed scenes, but also being physically trained for their fight scenes, especially for both Scobell and Charlie Bushnell, who plays Luke. Their hard work obviously pays off when watching their fight scene in the last episode. The quality of acting definitely shows that the creators knew the audience they were targeting: both new fans and older fans awaiting the adaptation. Another aspect of the show that I really appreciated were the sets, especially the sets of the Underworld and Olympus. I think the designers really captured the stillness and eerie nature of the ancient Greek world well, such as in Hades’s empty palace. While the green-screen quality may not have been the best, I appreciated the attempts at making some cool visuals for Olympus and the Lotus Hotel and Casino as well. The design shows how important the inclusion of the author in the creative process is when making an adaptation, and Rick Riordan’s contributions certainly captured the energy of the books on-screen. It was evident that there was a divide between how young Percy, Annabeth and Grover are and how big the places they found themselves in were, both physically and metaphorically.
Overall, the most important thing that the show did right was capture that energy that had the “Percy Jackson” books on every Gen Z kid’s bookshelf growing up. The changing of the plot towards the end was something that I didn’t see coming, and I think that the fact that the narrative was still well resolved had every kind of audience member hooked. Once again, Uncle Rick kept everyone on their toes. You may be wondering why I haven’t once mentioned the movie adaptations, and that’s because, as Riordan himself said in a viral Threads post, we need to “normalize bad movie erasure.” I think that keeping this show in a constant conversation and comparing it with the movies takes away from the success and ability of the show to do right by Percy and his friends. After all, the 2010 Lotus scene will still be available to watch on Disney+; this kids’ show just didn’t need the implication of 12 year olds being drugged. I personally think that the show is worth the watch, not just for its entertainment value, but also for its message of rough family dynamics and representation of kids with unusually hard lives. If you haven’t yet given it a watch, perhaps be like me and buy a Disney+ subscription solely for this. I promise it is worth it. Contact Lucia Aguzzi at laguzzi@nd.edu MARISSA PANETHIERE | The Observer
By CECELIA SWARTZ Scene Writer
It’s a Friday night, and the MGM Casino at the National Harbor is packed. I am there with my mom and sister. Tonight, for one night only, we gather to relish in the glory that is “Dancing with the Stars Live” replete with the requisite Latin hips, perfect frame and sparkles. After Xochitl Gomez took home the mirrorball trophy at the end of season 32 of “Dancing with the Stars,” the troupe has gone on tour once again to bring the ballroom to audiences nationwide. I saw one of the earlier stops on the tour, and along with the regular troupe, Gomez, her partner Val Chmerkovski and his wife, professional dancer Jenna Johnson, joined the show as special guests. The show can only be described as fun. The dancing was fantastic, there were funny bits between numbers, several of the numbers had interesting concepts and everything (and I mean everything) glittered. The energy in the audience stayed high for the entire show with so many of the women (and some of the men) shouting for their favorite dancer. Every seat in the house was packed. Standout numbers include a passionate paso doble between Chmerkovskiy and Johnson and Gomez’s and Chmerkovskiy’s waltz to “La Vie en Rose” from the
semifinals of the show. From beginning to end, the paso doble was flawless and absolutely enrapturing, a slightly softer, more intimate take on a usually more aggressive dance. The waltz was stunning, smooth, elegant and a classic example of the style. I adore the red gown Gomez wore for the dance as well; it fit the mood perfectly and moved with her beautifully. For someone who had just learned to ballroom dance a few months ago, she did a fantastic job keeping up with the professionals all night. The costumes in general were on point, working — as they should — to accentuate the movements of each dance and dancer. Eye-catching and, of course, sparkly, they did a great job conveying the mood or theme of each individual dance. The show itself did not have a story so much as it was composed of a number of individually themed dances or groups of dances with bits of humor thrown in between. The set of dances that came closest to telling a story were at the end of act 1 where the entire cast dressed as scientists in a dance lab asking the question “What makes a perfect dance?” and conducting experiments to find the answer. Gomez, as the only non-professional dancer of the bunch, became the test subject. When they arrived at the answer, they put on a show within the show, turning the stage into a Golden Age of Hollywood bar and casting each
dancer as an archetype (the bartender, the cigarette girl, the femme fatal, the aristocrat, the nerd…) to frame a set of dances that explored the relationship between these different characters, including forbidden love, lust and rivalry. It was very creative and made for a memorable part of the show. Other memorable bits include cha cha movers (two of the male dancers in mover suits rearranging set pieces to a cha cha between numbers) and “A Chance for a Dance,” a gameshow segment where a female audience member got to do a blind interview with three of the male cast members for a chance to dance with one of them a la a blind date gameshow. It was hilarious. Beyond the clever theming and fancy costumes was a cast of incredibly talented dancers. Every dance, from the rumbas to the foxtrots, was technically perfect and amazing to watch. The show enraptured me for its two hour run time. To me, at its core, “Dancing with the Stars Live” is a show with a talented cast who love dance for an audience who loves dance just as much. Light, funny and thoroughly enjoyable, it made for a perfect Friday night out. Contact Cecelia Swartz at cswartz@nd.edu ANNA FALK | The Observer
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
ND MEN’S & WOMEN’S GOLF
ND TRACK AND FIELD
Irish look to develop game By ANDREW McGUINNESS Spor ts Editor
The college golf schedule is different than just about any other sport in the NCA A. Both the Notre Dame men’s and women’s golf teams completed the first half of their 10-event regular season in the fall semester. Over three months after their final competition of 2023, the teams w ill return to the links in Februar y. That last event of 2023 certainly was a special one. The Irish traveled to one of the most decorated golf courses in the entire world, competing w ith three other schools at the St. Andrews College Inv itational at iconic St. Andrews Links in Scotland. For both seventh-year men’s coach John Handrigan and second-year women’s coach Caroline Powers Ellis, it was a moment they w ill cherish for a long time. “Might have been my best experience in college golf to be honest, and it was great that we had both teams there for men’s and women’s golf. The teams got along extremely well bet ween the men’s and women’s side,” Handrigan said. “And just being at the home of golf … that was amazing. So prett y fortunate. I don’t there’s not many schools that get inv ited to an event like that. There’s only four and for us to be selected is prett y special.” Ellis echoed Handrigan’s sentiment. “That whole trip was just incredible,” Ellis said. “And I think we were play ing against some really elite teams. And so I think that also helped our players to see that they’re not that far off from some of those really elite players. And also, you never know what the conditions are going to be, and you never know what the mindsets of your competitors are going to be.” On paper, the men’s team had the more successful start to their season. The Irish began the fall by w inning the Folds of Honor Collegiate hosted by Michigan State. They also faired well on their home course, finishing fourth in the Fighting Irish Classic in early October. But Handrigan believes the team still has plent y more to give. “During the fall, we learned a lot we learned about the things that we need to get better at over
the w intertime,” Handrigan said. “And I must tell you that the guys this w inter really dedicated themselves in those areas and know what they need to work on. They did all those things that we had asked, and I’m ver y excited for the spring because of that.” Golf is a game of adjustments. The first step is figuring out what needs to improve. Actually fix ing it is much harder, but as Handrigan said, the work the team has put in should pay div idends going forward, particularly around the pin. “We’re a highly skilled team, but we just needed to deliver more detail on that on that part of our games, and the guys have done that,” Handrigan said. “Like I said, we’ve done a lot of testing early on in the spring w ith our wedges from inside of 130 [yards], and the guys have been scoring prett y well.” This semester w ill also be the final one at Notre Dame for Palmer Jackson. The graduate student has been the heartbeat of the team for several years and was a finalist for the 2023 By ron Nelson Award among numerous other accomplishments in his collegiate career. “Not only is he a great player, but he’s just a great leader and captain of our team, so he’s the leader and the voice of the team,” Handrigan said. “W hen you have a playerled team w ith him in charge of that, it really speaks volumes for what we can do this spring … when you have your best player in the team being your hardest worker, it’s a prett y special combination.” There is plent y of talent around Jackson, too. Senior Angelo Marcon was outstanding at St. Andrews, and Handrigan praised his work ethic. The Irish also welcomed in three freshmen last semester in Christopher Bagnall, Jacob Modleski and Rocco Salv itti. Modelski recently won the 2024 Jones Cup Inv itational, one of the most prestigious amateur golf competitions (and one that was one by Jackson in 2022). The women’s team also recorded its best result in its first tournament of the fall, finishing fourth at the Boilermaker Classic. Though Ellis admitted the team made too many mistakes, she saw plent y of potential
Irish finish strong at Meyo Invitational Observer Sports Staff
Athletes from 37 different schools across the countr y made their way to Notre Dame this weekend for the annual Meyo Inv itational. Named after Notre Dame alumnus Ray Meyo, the event is one of the f lagship moments on Notre Dame’s track and field schedule as it gives them a chance to compete on their home turf. Graduate student Oliv ia Markezich was the star of the t wo-day event for the Irish. Not only was her time in the Meyo Mile of 4:27.76 the best of the field, it was the fastest mile time by a woman in the NCA A this season. Graduate student Michael Shoaf recorded
another strong finish in shot put, besting the competition w ith a 19.93 meter toss, the second best in the countr y this season. Seniors A laina Brady and Erin Strzelecki won the long jump (5.70 meters) and 3000 meter (9:21.88), respectively. Brady’s long jump excellence helped her finish second in the pentathlon w ith 4,066 points, the 13thhighest figure nation w ide. Markezich’s sister Andrea finished second behind Strzelecki in the 3000 meter by just over one second. Shoaf and graduate student Shiloh CorralesNelson each finished third in the Adam Beltran weight throw. Senior Robbie Cozean took first in the men’s one
mile open, finishing in just a hair over four minutes. Senior Carter Solomon nearly led the Irish to a sweep in the Meyo Mile but came in second on the men’s side w ith a 3:59.01 time. The Irish have t wo more events to go in the regular season. First, this weekend, the team w ill be split up bet ween the Dav id Hemer y Valentine Inv itational (hosted by Boston Universit y) and the Badger Windy Cit y Inv itational (hosted by Wisconsin). They w ill return home one last time this season for the A lex Wilson Inv itational on Feb. 17 before the ACC Championships start in Boston, Massachusetts, on Feb. 22.
FENCING
Irish fencing builds momentum in Evanston By JOHN BA ILEY Spor t s Wr iter
Fol low ing t heir domina nt 26-1 per forma nce last week at t he DeCicco Dua ls, t he Fight ing Irish fencing squad t raveled to Eva nston, Il linois
on Feb. 3 for t he a nnua l Nor t hwestern Dua ls. Though Not re Da me took a step back f rom nea rper fect ion, bot h men’s a nd women’s tea ms cont inued to bui ld posit ive momentum as t hey approach t he ACC a nd NC A A
Cha mpionship matches. Bui lding on t heir 13-0 r un at DeCicco, t he men’s tea m won four of t heir f ive matches whi le t he women f inished t he meet w it h a respectable 2-3 record. see FENCING PAGE 11
SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer
An Irish fencer spars with his opponent in the 2023 DeCicco Duals. The team most recently competed at the Northwestern Duals where the men won four of their five matches and the women went 2-3. 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 charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit
see GOLF PAGE 11
all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
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CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
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HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: Weed out what you don’t need, then regroup. Eliminating waste will leave you open to embrace something new and exciting. Don’t let an opportunity pass you by because you are reluctant to discard waste. Consider what is possible and use trusted connections to carve a path forward. Don’t rely on hearsay; go directly to the source to ensure you have everything you require to succeed, and make this a year to remember. Your numbers are 4, 6, 17, 28, 35, 39, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Finish what you start, live up to your promises and protect your reputation. Put your energy into increasing your income and investing in yourself, your skills and prospects that can help you improve your profile. Clear vision and being sensible are your tickets to success. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep an open mind and use intelligence and experience to resolve issues. Inflicting pressure or muscle to get your way will not help you win a battle. Consider the fallout if you are shortsighted and let mixed emotions lead to a mistake and regret. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Pay attention to how others respond. Be aware of what’s happening, and don’t let your emotions interfere with your decisions. You’ll get the best results if you take the time to gather the facts before you proceed. Stick to the truth and avoid a dispute. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take pride in what you do and be resourceful when you lack information or experience, and you’ll offset a loss or setback. A connection you cherish will require attention if you want to maintain equality. Step up and adjust to any changes that transpire. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You can have fun without accumulating debt. Put your energy into something that challenges and excites you and gives you the push you require to open a new chapter in your life. Embrace what brings you joy and put your talents to work for you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Think with your head, not your heart. Don’t give in to someone taking advantage of you emotionally. Take control, call the shots and adjust situations to suit your needs. Let your experience challenge anyone who tries to disrupt your plans or what you have achieved. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take the initiative to get your house in order. Make changes that counter anyone trying to stand in your way. Altering your domestic situation to suit your needs will stifle any attempt someone makes to take what’s yours. Follow your gut and concentrate on your needs. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t let your emotions compromise your position. Take a wait-and-see approach when dealing with friends and lovers. Once you discover where you stand, you’ll know how to respond. Channel your energy into creativity, and you’ll find peace and a positive path forward. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider how you handle others and avoid jeopardizing your goals. You stand to get higher returns if you do for yourself and aren’t afraid to take the road less traveled. Don’t share secrets or be too generous with your time or money. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Embrace what and who excites you. Be a good listener, but don’t reveal your thoughts and intentions. Opportunity begins with you, and the change that makes a difference will have a positive influence if you stick to a budget and aim to lower your overhead. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take a different approach and put discipline and muscle behind it, and you’ll push your way to the finish line. Don’t count on outside help. What you accomplish today will make you grateful for what you achieve. Live, love, laugh and be happy. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You know the way but will be easily sidetracked. Reclaim your position before it’s too late. If you want something, you must act quickly to maintain your status. You have so much to gain if you don’t lose sight of the possibilities. Birthday Baby: You are inventive, helpful and courageous. You are persuasive and forceful.
SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP
JUMBLE | DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Hockey
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish hit sixth straight loss By A NDREW McGUINNESS Spor t s Ed itor
Ea rly on in Saturday’s showdow n bet ween Not re Da me a nd Pitt, t he Irish had a couple of t hings going for t hem. The Irish got Pa nt hers big ma n Ca rlton Ca rring ton into some ea rly fou l t rouble, sending him to t he bench w it h t wo fou ls less t ha n 10 minutes into t he night. They a lso forced Pitt into missing its f irst nine t hreepointers, a l low ing t he Irish to jump out to a n ea rly 19-12 lead. However, t he Pa nt hers found a way to adjust. Ca rring ton did fou l out w it h 3: 05 to play, but by t hat point, t he Pa nt hers had bui lt up a 15-point lead. W hi le on t he f loor, Ca rring ton st i l l put 16 points. Pitt’s t hree-point shoot ing recovered, as t he Pa nt hers sun k 10 of t heir f ina l 16 attempts f rom beyond t he a rc for a n overa l l 40 % clip. The Irish shot just 26% on t heir shots f rom deep. It a l l added up to a 70-60 w in for Pitt at home, ex tending Not re Da me’s losing st rea k to a season-high si x ga mes. “They moved some pieces a nd moved some pa r ts. They did a good job of f inding t hose g uys [who] wou ld pass t his k ick across a nd pick a nd rol l a nd a nd ever y t hing else, so credit to t heir g ua rds a nd t he unself ishness t hey played,” sa id Irish head coach Mica h Shrewsberr y about t he Pa nt hers. A f ter ta k ing t hat ea rly edge, Pitt closed t he f irst ha lf on a 16-3 r un to go into t he locker room up by si x points. A pa ir of t hrees f rom Ca rring ton were key in t hat r un, w it h Bla ke Hinson hitt ing a pa ir of jumpers for t he f ina l buckets of t he ha lf. To t heir credit, Not re Da me ca me out of t he brea k st rong, k nott ing t he score back up at 30 in la rge pa r t due to a quick si x-point burst by f reshma n g ua rd Ma rkus Bur ton. “[He’s] just t r y ing to ta ke what t he defense g ives him,” Shrewsberr y sa id of Bur ton, who f inished w it h a tea mhigh 17 points. “You k now he’s on t he top of ever ybody’s scout ing repor t. He’s attack ing a nd he’s play ing t hrough physica lit ies, gett ing to t he f ree t hrow line … t hree assists, no turnovers is g reat g row t h
f rom him.” However, t he Pa nt hers weren’t fa zed by t hat ea rly Irish r un. The Pa nt hers immediately fol lowed t hat st retch w it h nine consecut ive points of t heir ow n. Bur ton made a lay up to stop t he r un on ly for Pitt to go of f for 10 more points in a row. The Irish never got w it hin single dig its t he rest of t he way as f r ust rat ion boi led over, cu lminat ing w it h a technica l fou l on t he Irish coach t hat nea rly esca lated to a f u l l eject ion. “I just t hought t he g uy got fou led,” Shrewsberr y sa id, referring to t he ca l l t hat lead to t he fou l. Sophomore for wa rd Tae Dav is was one of t he bright spots for t he Irish. He f inished t he night w it h 16 points on a n ef f icient 6-8 shoot ing night whi le hau ling in four rebounds. Shrewsberr y was pleased w it h his work on bot h ends of t he f loor. “Dav is a nd Ju lia n Roper did a good job of chasing t hem of f screens a nd t r ying to be t here on t he catch. A nd we t ried to double [Ca rring ton] when he had some mismatches a nd some adva ntages. So just t r y ing to ma ke him pass as much as possible,” Shrewsberr y sa id. Ult imately, t hough, t he Irish cou ldn’t do enough to ha ng w it h Pitt for a f u l l 40 minutes. The Pa nt hers out-rebounded Not re Da me 33-28 a nd shot 5% better t ha n t he Irish f rom t he f ield a nd about 14% better on t hrees. The ef for t was t here, but t he Irish cou ldn’t execute at a high-enough level to pu l l out a v ictor y. “We competed. It’s ha rd,” Shrewsberr y sa id. “It’s ha rd to slow t his tea m dow n when t hey get hot in cer ta in moments. A nd we’ve been a good defensive tea m for t he whole season but we haven’t been t he last t hree to four ga mes.” The Irish w i l l look to bounce back on Feb. 7 aga inst Du ke. The Blue Dev i ls beat t he Irish at Purcel l Pav i lion 67-59. This t ime, t hough, t he Irish w i l l have to t r y to quiet t he Ca meron Cra zies. The ga me t ips of f at nine p.m. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu
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from going through the f lu.” If the Irish were drained, they showed no signs of it in the game’s opening frame. As might be expected when these t wo teams meet up, the first period was a no-scoring, low-event affair. Spartan freshman netminder Trey Augustine made all nine stops for Michigan State, while Irish graduate student starter Ryan Bischel kicked out all nine for his side. Both teams failed to convert on a power-play opportunit y. The second period started much the same. Things took a turn when Notre Dame freshman Danny Nelson was whistled for holding at 7:42, putting the Spartans on the power-play. Michigan State wasted no time putting it to good use. After sophomore center Karsen Dor wart won the faceoff, Tampa Bay Lightning draftee Isaac Howard deposited a onetimer crossbar-dow n to give the Spartans the lead. The goal came just 3 seconds into the man-advantage. Yet, resilience has been a theme for this year’s edition of Fighting Irish hockey. That theme shone through again after the Howard goal, as Notre Dame responded in short order. Just 27 seconds after Michigan State took the lead, graduate student defenseman Ryan Siedem capitalized on a broken play in the slot to tie the game. “That’s the second time in a few weeks now that [the opponent] scores and we come right back and score,” Jackson said. “The abilit y to come back and respond is critical.” Siedem’s 3rd goal of the season stole not only the lead, but also any momentum the Spartans had hoped to build. Even before going dow n, though, the mental toughness to respond had been a focus for Jackson’s squad. “One thing coach [Jackson] was say ing before the game was just [to] respond when the other team scores,” Siedem said. “We did a good job against Penn State w ith that, so that was good for us to just get a goal right away and get our momentum back.” Notre Dame would take the lead for good in the third, when senior defenseman Drew Bavaro electrified Compton Family Ice Arena w ith his sixth goal of the season. After a shift in which the Irish tested Augustine w ith a number of chances, sophomore defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico found
Bavaro for a one-timer. The Irish extended their lead soon thereafter, as freshman for ward Brennan A li sprung classmate Cole Knuble for a breakaway. Knuble beat Augustine w ith a w rister to the blocker side. The whole play began in the Notre Dame defensive zone, when Irish senior defenseman blocked freshman Austin Oravetz’s shot. He was slow to his feet, but his sacrifice was rewarded. The Irish showed a w illingness for that sort of sacrifice throughout Friday’s game. After taking the t wo-goal lead, Notre Dame seemed all the more eager to step in front of Spartan shots. “We’ve been putting an emphasis on blocked shots, I think we didn’t do it enough at the beginning of the year and coach [Jackson] wanted to see it a little more,” said Bavaro, who’s goal would go dow n as the game w inner. Notre Dame tallied 19 blocked shots, while Michigan State blocked nine. Notre Dame’s blocks came at noticeably important moments, w ith 15 of those 19 coming in the final t wo periods. “It’s that time of year, where you’re going to have to pay the price and sacrifice in order to w in games, and blocking shots is a big piece of that,” Jackson said. Graduate student for ward Trevor Janicke iced the game into the empt y w ith just over a minute remaining, sending the sellout crowd of 5,292 at Compton Family Ice Arena home smiling. In a part one of a battle bet ween t wo of the Big Ten’s best netminders, Bischel outdueled Augustine. The Irish stalwart stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced tonight, w ith the lone goal allowed being a nearly unstoppable how itzer from Howard. Augustine, a Detroit second round draft pick, was the hard luck loser. He stopped 27 of 30 Irish shots. The Spartans were also 1-for-5 on the power-play, while Notre Dame went 0-for-2.
Saturday: Michigan State 4, Notre Dame 0 It was a familiar Saturday night stor y for Notre Dame in game t wo. A 4-0 Michigan State v ictor y to conclude the series dropped the Fighting Irish to 6-6-1 this season in the second game of backto-back sets. Notre Dame is 8-4-1 in series openers. The second period proved to be the turning point in the contest. Notre Dame had no answer for the Spartans in the middle frame. A lready ahead 1-0, Michigan State opened the period by outshooting the Irish 16-4 before a
w raparound goal by senior Jeremy Dav idson doubled the lead. Freshman defenseman Art yom Levshunov added a power-play marker w ith 4.9 seconds remaining in the frame to put the Spartans up 3-0 after 2. “I didn’t like our second period,” Jackson said postgame. “I thought we were OK in the first, we needed to score, probably.” The Irish had their chances to score in the first period, most notably a 5-on-3 power-play which generated few opportunities. Less than three minutes later, Dor wart scored Michigan State’s first goal w ith an excellent indiv idual effort, beating Bischel bar-dow n. Trailing after one, Notre Dame could not muster the sort of resilient response which has been so key to their success in their prev ious four game w inning streak. “They came out w ith a lot more energ y than we did, I can’t tell you exactly why that was,” Jackson said. “We didn’t have a good response coming back in the second period, being dow n 1-0 I would’ve thought we’d come back w ith more energ y.” Dow n 3-0 after t wo, Jackson shook up his lines in the third hoping to create a spark. The line maneuvering was to no avail. Junior for ward Red Savage gave the Spartans a 4-0 lead at 11:59 of the third, accidentally def lecting freshman Gav in O’Connell’s shot past Bischel. Savage’s ninth of the season effectively put the game out of reach. With a 30-save shutout, Augustine got the last laugh in this weekend’s duel of the goaltenders. Despite being beaten four times, Bischel kept Notre Dame in the game. He finished w ith 38 saves, many of high qualit y in the second period. Notre Dame particularly struggled on the power-play tonight, finishing 0-for6. Not only were the Irish unable to score, they were also unable to generate any momentum from their numerous man-advantages. “It’s such a crucial part of the game,” Jackson said. “I thought we had been coming on, our powerplays the last t wo or three weeks have been exceptionally good in practice, but we get into a game though and it slows dow n.” Notre Dame w ill travel to Madison for a series w ith No. 5 Wisconsin next weekend, still clinging to the fourth and final home ice seed in the Big Ten standings. The Irish have No. 12 Michigan, fresh off a sweep of Ohio State, hot on their heels. Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu
SPORTS
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | THE OBSERVER
WBB
Fencing
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Sunday’s matchup was the annual “Think Pink” game, played to raise money in support of cancer research. Members of Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute were present to raise awareness to the cause. The Irish wore white with pink streaks. Pitt wore pink jerseys with white embellishments. Ivey said that playing this game allows the team to honor “breast cancer survivors, those still fighting and those who we lost.” Looking to continue their three game win streak, the Irish head down south Thursday to take on Louisville, ranked No. 16. The two squads have not met yet this season. “February is a really tough stretch for us. [We’re] going to have to take it game by game and day by day,” Ivey said. Notre Dame is currently in the midst of a 20-day stretch with only one home game. Thursday’s action tips off at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Sports mailbag! Associate Sports Editor J.J. Post contributed to this report.
On Saturday, f reshma n Radu Nitu led t he way in sabre, w inning 12 of his 15 dua ls, including undefeated per forma nces in v ictories aga inst Law rence Universit y, UC Sa n Diego a nd Universit y of t he Inca rnate Word. In t he foi l, Dominic Joseph emerged v ictorious in eight of nine dua ls, cement ing t he f reshma n as a key cont ribut ing member of t he tea m as t he Irish chase t heir four t h consecut ive nat iona l cha mpionship. A f ter st r uggling ea rly in t he men’s sole defeat at t he ha nds of Boston Col lege, senior Dav id Woznia k performed at his best when t he tea m needed him most, coming up w it h a clutch v ictor y in a n overt ime bout aga inst Sta nford f reshma n Sta n ley Zhou to g ive t he Irish a 5-4 match v ictor y in t he epee. The women bega n t he Nor t hwestern Dua ls w it h a 16-11 v ictor y over Boston Col lege, led by undefeated per forma nces f rom junior Eri ka Cuca la in epee a nd senior Ka rina Ya roshen ko in foi l. The Fight ing Irish
Contact Jake Miller at jmill89@nd.edu
t hen suf fered a hea r tbrea k ing 13-14 defeat at t he ha nds of t he Nor t hwestern Wi ldcats despite a n undefeated ef for t f rom senior A ma nda Pirkowsk i, who f inished t he meet w it h a 9-1 record. Though t he women’s tea m dropped t he nex t t wo matches aga inst Temple a nd Cornel l, t hey ended t he meet w it h a rousing 1710 t riumph over Sta nford. Senior Neve Ha rrison went undefeated aga inst t he Ca rdina ls in sabre, once aga in demonst rat ing t he st reng t h of t he Irish lies in t heir ex perienced fencers. The Fight ing Irish now have t wo weeks to rest a nd prepa re for t he USA Fencing Junior Oly mpics Feb. 16-19 in Cha rlotte, Nor t h Ca rolina. A week later, t he best of t he fencing world in t he ACC w i l l converge in Sout h Bend to compete for a conference cha mpionship, w it h t he Irish look ing to w in t heir si x t h t it le. Sig n up for our Obser ver Spor ts newsletter! Have a n Irish spor ts quest ion? Ask it for our Obser ver Spor ts ma i lbag ! . Contact John Bailey at jbailey 9 @nd.edu
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in the fall. Addressing the team’s weaknesses is important, but so is fully capitalizing on their strengths, she said. “Our team is really motivated this year, and they’ve been practicing, they’ve been working on their games. We’ve been working a lot on like the mental side of things, like toughness and how to get over mistakes,” Ellis said. “And so I think we’ve done a lot better job of mov ing past mistakes. Now we just need to make a few less of them.” The team’s roster is in a ver y unique situation as well. Unlike the men’s team, which is fairly spread out across different grades, the seven-player roster is nearly evenly split bet ween players who just finished their first semester at Notre Dame and ones entering their final semester w ith the Irish. The latter group is lead by graduate student Lauren Beaudreau (who qualified for NCA A Regionals last year).
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Graduate student Nina Rissi fits in both categories, hav ing transferred over from Michigan State. Senior Chloe Schiavone was also a key piece for the Irish last spring. There’s plent y of young talent on the team, too. A trio of freshmen — Mimi Burton, Anna Heck and A lexsandra Lapple — got their first taste of college golf in the fall and look to grow into bigger roles this spring. “[They did] whatever we asked and did whatever it took to help elevate this team. And so they all bring such I would say infectious energ y on a daily basis. And I think that’s really helped ignite our entire team to really want to work together and push each other and see how good we can be this year,” Ellis said. The women’s team begins their season on Feb. 5 at the Florida Atlantic Paradise Inv itational. The men start a little bit later but in the same state, heading to the Watersound Inv itational (hosted by Florida State) on Feb. 19. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu
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THE OBSERVER | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2024 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
HOCKEY
Notre Dame rides highs, lows in split with No. 8 Michigan State By RYAN MURPHY Spor ts Writer
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Irish senior forward Landon Slaggert scrambles toward the puck in a matchup against Michigan State. The team captured a 4-1 home win against the Spartans on Friday, Feb. 2 . The Irish lost Saturday 4-0.
The last time the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans v isited Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame hockey fans walked away w ith an eerie ringing in their ear. The sound of Michigan State’s most popular chant, “go green, go white,” resounding through a mostly empt y rink at the close of the Spartan’s B1G quarterfinal v ictor y last year has been a lasting memor y for Irish fans. This weekend represented an opportunit y for vengeance, w ith the Spartans back in tow n for the first time since ending Notre Dame’s 2023 season. With a 4-1 w in in Friday’s series opener, the Irish seemed well on their way towards achiev ing that goal. And yet, a 4-0 Spartan shutout Saturday spoiled any hopes of redemption. Regardless of all the
good that came from the Irish’s Friday w in, the series ended w ith a familiar rally ing cr y again ringing out at Compton Family Ice Arena: “go green, go white.”
Friday: Notre Dame 4, Michigan State 1 Despite their 4-1 v ictor y Friday night, Notre Dame entered the day not knowing what to expect. After a strong week of practice during their bye, the Fighting Irish suffered from a f lu bug in the days leading up to their return this weekend. “We had five, six, seven guys out at some times during the week, so I’m proud of them for fighting through that,” Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said postgame. “We got ever ybody back for practice yesterday, which is kind of a requirement to play on Friday, but I’m sure some guys were still a little drained see HOCKEY PAGE 10
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Notre Dame stomps Pitt, win streak continues By JAKE MILLER Senior Sports Writer
Continuing their cruise after last week’s big win at UConn, the No. 14 Notre Dame women’s basketball team returned home Sunday to take on Pitt. The Panthers played Notre Dame close, but the Irish broke away at the end of the second quarter, leading by 14 and never looking back. In comparison to her past two games, freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo had a quieter afternoon, but the Irish took advantage of the tempo. Hidalgo often fed a pass downcourt to junior guard Sonia Citron or junior forward Maddy Westbeld instead of waiting to set up the offense herself. Hidalgo finished with 22 points and missed four free throws. Pitt struggled from the start, getting into foul trouble early. The Panthers had 11 team fouls in the first half, forcing head coach Tory Verdi to sit Liatu King, the team’s best player who gave the Irish trouble in their first matchup that was played exactly one
month ago (a 71-66 Irish win). With Pitt’s strength near the rim, head coach Niele Ivey called on sophomore guard KK Bransford to play 22 minutes. She finished with five points and five rebounds. Notre Dame had four players in double figures — now the 10th occurrence this season. The Irish shot well from deep, going 10 for 25 from beyond the arc. Notre Dame continued to experiment with a couple different defenses, including a modified 2-3 zone (with Hidalgo staying near the key and guarding a single player), a 1-1-3 zone and a loose man defense. This worked well against a Pitt team which struggled to break the zone, shooting 28.8% from the field and 13% from deep. Junior forward Natalija Marshall fouled out of the game. She played 12 minutes. Both graduate student forward Becky Obinma and senior guard Sarah Cernugel entered the game in the fourth quarter. Ivey stated that “to have the opportunity to play the entire team is something I love to do.” see WBB PAGE 11
INDIA DOERR | The Observer
Irish graduate student guard Anna DeWolfe moves down the court in the Irish’s home matchup against Pitt. DeWolfe had 10 total points for the team in their 78-53 win over the Panthers on Sunday Feb. 4.