Print Edition for The Observer for March 24, 2021

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Volume 55, Issue 52 | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students eligible for vaccine Indiana’s governor announces new age qualifications for immunization Observer Staff Report Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced in a Tuesday press conference that beginning Wednesday, March 31 all Hoosiers 16 years and older will be eligible to register to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

St. Joseph County deputy health officer Dr. Mark Fox told The Observer college students living in Indiana also qualify under this new update.

In addition, Holcomb said the statewide mask JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer

see VACCINES PAGE 3

Report of rape at ND Observer Staff Report A rape was reported to the Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD) Monday, according to the Universit y crime log. The a lleged incident took place March 19 in a south side women’s residence ha ll.

Information about sexua l assault prevention, as well as resources for sur v ivors of sexua l assault, are available online from NDPD and from the Title I X office.

Petition calls for driver’s arrest DIANE PARK | The Observer

Zahm House’s history and controversy

By UYEN LE, EVAN McKENNA, MAGGIE CLARK and SARAH KIKEL From the Archives Researchers

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 22.

On Monday, March 15, after a shocking email revealed to Zahm House residents their beloved home would be used as a swing hall for the foreseeable future and their community would be disbanded, Zahm residents made it clear that they would not go down without a fight. From the protest that attracted hundreds of supporters on Monday night to the red clothing worn in solidarity the next day, the Zahm community has clearly voiced their dissent against the administration.

However, many agreed with the administration’s decision to dissolve Zahm House, citing its notorious reputation for disregarding

NEWS PAGE 4

rules and promoting a toxic culture. By the time freshmen have experienced Welcome Weekend, they already know of Zahm’s infamy.

The controversy surrounding Zahm House is not a novel phenomenon. This week’s edition of From the Archives explores how Zahm has affected students’ understanding of dorm life and culture over the past twenty years. No matter how you feel about Zahm House, its community has undoubtedly made a lasting impact in Notre Dame’s history.

When ‘Hall’ became ‘House’: Zahm community grapples with name change, denies connections to Greek life

Nov. 17, 2005 | Maddie Hanna In the wake of last Monday’s announced dissolution of the Zahm House community, much of the ensuing conversation has revolved around the idea

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

of “culture”: What is the culture of Zahm House? Can it be quantified? Does the community’s culture warrant the dorm’s disbandment?

For many, one topic in particular lies at the heart of the discussion of the dorm’s culture: its name. Zahm House is one of three Notre Dame residence halls — along with Sorin College and Morrissey Manor — referred to as anything other than a “hall” among its residents.

To some, the unique name is an indicator of the dorm’s tightknit community. To others, it is a precarious connection to socalled “fraternity culture” and its contentious underbelly.

But Zahm hasn’t always been a house. In fact, Zahm’s University-recognized title was the standard “Zahm Hall” before a fateful March 2007 student senate meeting. see ARCHIVES PAGE 3

SCENE PAGE 10

By MAGGIE KLAERS News Writer

The driver in the Oct. 24 accident that k illed t wo Universit y students and injured a third was charged w ith t wo misdemeanors for drunk driv ing. Justin Cava llo is facing up to 120 days in prison and a $ 500 fine. But frustration about what some perceive are insufficient charges

has materia lized into an online Change.org petition — “Justice for Oliv ia Rojas and Va leria Espinel: A rrest Justin Cava llo.”

Nata lie Hodnett, childhood friend of 14 years to Rojas, said she started the petition to spread awareness and to advocate for higher charges.

At the time of publication, see PETITION PAGE 4

Belles relax amid reading day

By CARMEN FEUCHT News Writer

Saint Mar y’s students planned to spend Tuesday — their second and fina l reading day of the semester — w ith friends, rela x ing on their ow n or catching up on schoolwork.

The reading days ser ved as a replacement for the week long spring brea k that was not included in this year’s academic ca lendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first reading

ND SOFTBALL PAGE 16

day took place Feb. 22.

Some students spent the day rela x ing on campus and completing tasks that they would not have been able to complete during a full school day, they said. First-year Liz Sheets said she was glad to have the day off, but felt frustrated that students don’t have a spring brea k this year.

“I spent the day cleaning my room, going to the g y m see BELLES PAGE 4

ND M SWIMMING PAGE 16

2

TODAY

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

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If you could live in a book, TV show or movie, what would it be?

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first-year Pasquerilla West Hall

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“‘The West Wing.’”

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“‘The Good Place.’”

“‘Twin Peaks.’”

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With the recent increase in temperatures, students enjoy the sunshine by gathering outside on North Quad. With spring’s arrival, the Notre Dame community has been able to take advantage of the reopened outdoor seating arrangements around campus.

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Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

YLND Blood Drive Library Circle 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Open to all Notre Dame faculty and staff.

Please register online.

“Neuroscience and (Your) Behavior” virtual 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Part of a series. Please register online.

Lecture: “Misuse of Civil Rights History” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

With guest speaker Jeanne Theoharis.

Justice in the World: 2021 Catholic Social Tradition Conference campus-wide 9 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

All are welcome.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon All are welcome to attend.

Lecture: “The World Friendship Made” virtual 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Featuring speaker Elsa Barkley Brown.

Abortion Debate Hesburgh Library, virtual option 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Event hosted by Notre Dame Right to Life.

Vaccination Clinic Compton Family Ice Arena 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

For eligible Northern Indiana residents.

Food Trucks campus-wide 9 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Food and fun at North Quad, Fieldhouse Mall and South Quad.

La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m.

Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.

News

Archives Continued from page 1

Whisperings of the impending name change appeared in The Observer in the years preceding the decision. On Nov. 17, 2005, Associate News Editor Maddie Hanna (‘08) covered the previous night’s student senate meeting, wherein Zahm senator Pat Knapp (‘07) introduced a resolution urging the University to recognize the dorm as “Zahm House.”

“Zahm Hall is commonly referred to but not formally recognized as Zahm House, and this inconsistency should be resolved,” the resolution read, arguing that such name changes — already adopted by Morrissey Manor and Sorin College — ultimately build community among hall residents.

Upon its introduction, the resolution was met with laughter from senators, and although the motion came to a close vote, it ultimately failed to pass.

But student body president Dave Baron (‘06) seemed to support the resolution — an opinion that, in retrospect, might have forecasted the future of a University-recognized “Zahm House.”

“Zahm Hall’s one of the most unique dorms on campus,” Baron said. “I think that’s great, it fosters dorm identity ...

I don’t have a problem [with the resolution].”

The majority of senators, however, did not feel the same way.

“I kind of get the sense that Zahm is trying to leave the impression they’re a fraternity,” said Dan Brown, Dillon Hall senator and dissenter of Knapp’s resolution.

In a March 24, 2006 story on residential life culture at Notre Dame, Assistant News Editor Katie Perry (‘08) echoed Brown’s thoughts, stating the previous semester’s motion demonstrated “the desire some students

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | The Observer

have for an officially recognized Greek system at Notre Dame.”

In a Letter to the Editor published just three days later, Knapp asserted the resolution and the proposed name change had nothing to do with Greek life.

“The Zahm House resolution only demonstrated Zahm’s desire to be recognized for its unique place in the Notre Dame residential culture,” Knapp wrote. “The assertion that Zahm was demonstrating the desire of some students for a Greek system is out of context and wholly inaccurate.”

A little more than one year later, the “well-known, but never passed resolution” was proposed again — and this time, it saw success.

Zahm senator Luke Derheimer (‘09) reintroduced the resolution at a March 29, 2007 student senate meeting, where the motion was met with some disapproval before ultimately passing 20-6.

Since then, the dorm has sported the Universityrecognized title of “Zahm House” — and even after the dorm’s community is disbanded, the building’s hard-fought name will remain.

Attempts to change: Zahm’s culture shift

Nov. 29, 2006 | Maddie Hanna Father Dan Parrish — rector of Zahm in the early 2000s — recognized the value of the unique community, but also acknowledged the flaws that plagued the residence hall. This conflict inspired him to make significant changes in order to adjust the dorm’s reputation while also maintaining its closeknit nature.

“When I came here in the fall of 2003, Zahm was a mess, in every way,” Parrish said. “It really concerns me that when my freshman parents show up on campus, that the guard at

the gate says, ‘Oh, your son’s in Zahm, I’m sorry.’”

In order to clean this mess, Parrish implemented new protocols — a crackdown of sorts — to aid in the reputation rehabilitation. In particular, Parrish took a strong stance against two prominent dorm traditions: “visiting” and “paneling.” The former involved drunk upperclassmen waking up freshmen upon their return from the bar, while the latter referred to intoxicated upperclassmen coming home and knocking one of the six panels out of a Zahm door.

This new threat of punishment under Parrish was not appreciated by many of the dorm’s residents. Former Zahm president Joe Cussen (‘06) claimed this surge in statutes drove people away from the community they once loved.

“I just remember a lot more seniors being in Zahm Hall when I was a freshman,” Cussen remarked, implying Parrish inspired an exodus of upperclassmen out of Zahm to off-campus housing.

Mark Seiler (‘06), another Zahm resident at the time, noted the culture shift may have improved Zahm externally, but not internally. “We should essentially be living in harmony with one another, but it wasn’t like that,” Seiler said.

Regardless of complaints, Parrish stood by his efforts to rejuvenate the dorm’s image and behaviors. In contrast to the students’ grievances, he claimed there was “only one rule for living in Zahm and that’s respect.”

However, after Notre Dame’s recent decision to abolish the Zahm community, it now seems as if the efforts of Parrish appear to have been done in vain. For all its “visiting” and “panelling,” Zahm appeared to be the antithesis of a positive community.

Nevertheless, many embraced being woken up by drunken neighbors and the destruction

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of doors, along with the various other traditions that made the dorm a hallowed ground. With the implementation of harsher rules and punishments, many Zahm residents feared their community was threatened.

Zahm President Phil Drendall (‘08) assured that, because of the active presence of upperclassmen, “Zahm’s a great place to stay.” However, as the dorm environment became stricter, Drendall expressed concern about maintaining the dorm’s culture.

“I don’t know if the freshmen are getting that now,” Drendall said.

Zahm House stereotype

beyond

the

March 2, 2004 | Kim Fortelka In response to the negative stereotype of Zahm held by Notre Dame students, staff and administration, Lyons Hall freshman Kim Fortelka (’07) encouraged the Notre Dame community to look beyond the stereotypes and “give Zahm Hall a chance.”

Fortelka acknowledged the commonly-discussed features of Zahm: the emptied beer cans, the enthusiastic welcome of girls into the building and the cups thrown in NDH, but made light of these characteristics.

“Zahm is disliked. They are disliked by other male dorms and especially by the administration. I must admit, many of the displays Zahm makes are crude, even offensive. But I challenge you now to look past those for a minute, and try to imagine the spirit and community that is [Zahm House].”

To exemplify Zahm’s strong community, she invoked the fanbase of Zahm’s interhall hockey team. Their large crowd faithfully attended interhall games “with cowbells, props and cheers galore.” After their recent championship game loss against Morrissey, the Zahm crowd didn’t let their defeat

3

tamper their mood. Instead, they exited the JACC, chanting, “We’re number two! We’re number two!” as spirited as any victorious team.

“Nowhere but Zahm have I seen such dorm unity and spirit, no matter the circumstances,” Fortelka admitted.

With Zahm’s character extending beyond athletics, Fortelka christened the dorm community as a family.

“They regard each other as brothers, and continually give each other unwavering support,” she wrote.

Fortelka was eager to substantiate Zahm’s overlooked dedication to community service, and she described the many projects in which Zahm was involved.

For the previous two years, Zahm had donated the most coats to Project Warmth. They were cooking dinners at Dismus House for former inmates. They were active volunteers with the Robinson Community Learning Center and “There are Children Here,” aiding young students with after-school programs. Not only did Zahm seek to strengthen their own dorm community, but the greater South Bend community as well.

Fortelka concluded by alluding to the administration’s hypocritical reaction towards Zahm.

“The University wants each dorm to become a community in itself, a place for each student to regard as both their home and neighborhood. Dorm spirit is encouraged, and the University takes great pride in the spirit the students show for both their dorm and school. And yet the administration seems to have it out for Zahm,” she asserted.

Fortelka’s final words, penned seventeen years ago, become particularly evocative given last Monday’s announcement.

“The administration and a wealth of students will continue to dislike Zahm. But it will only add fuel to the fire,” Fortelka contended. “Zahm will only cheer louder, party longer and work harder. Go ahead and dislike Zahm, just do not write them off.”

Contact Uyen Le at hle2@nd.edu, Evan McKenna at emckenn2@nd.edu, Maggie Clark at mclark29@nd.edu andSarah Kikel at skikel@nd.edu

Vaccines Continued from page 1

mandate will expire April 6 when it will turn into a mask advisory.

Starting April 6, capacity limits for gatherings and venues will be at the discretion of local officials as opposed to state officials.

Holcomb said face coverings will still be mandatory in all state buildings and facilities, as well as in all vaccination and COVID-19 testing sites, until further notice.

The state will open additional mass vaccination sites like the one to be hosted at Notre Dame this weekend in April, Holcomb said.

4

NEWS

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Community-based course adapts to pandemic

By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer

Despite COV ID-19 restrictions, Notre Dame professor Tatiana Botero has found ways to help students engage with the South Bend Latino community through her community-based learning course, “Immigration and the Construction of Memor y.”

The course is taught in Spanish and covers the histor y of immigration, border crossings and current migrant issues.

For the community-based aspect of the course, students meet with members of two non-profit organizations that serve the Latino community in South Bend: El Campito and La Casa de Amistad.

On Thursday evenings, students gather in Hesburgh Librar y to listen to stories and interact with different people associated with the community organizations. This semester, students are putting together books about each of the organizations’ histories and key contributors over the years.

Botero, a teaching professor of Spanish in the department of romance languages, said

Belles Continued from page 1

and hanging out w ith some friends,” she said. “It was ver y rela x ing to have a day off, but I definitely would have preferred the week off instead of hav ing these randomly scattered days.”

First-year Maria Dy ro said she planned to use the day off to catch up on sleep and work.

“I w ill be sleeping in, napping and reading Jane Austen for my literature class,” she said. “I plan to have a leisurely morning and am grateful to have the day off.”

Dy ro a lso expressed

Petition Continued from page 1

the petition had received over 19,000 signatures.

“W hen they announced that Justin Cava llo was only getting t wo misdemeanors, it didn’t rea lly get much attention, at least from the media that people back home, where Oliv ia’s from, rea lly k now about,” Hodnett, who attends the Universit y of Florida, said.

“It honestly took a lot of digging for me to actua lly find this information out.”

Sophomore Isabella Botello said she hopes the petition w ill be able to bring some peace to the families of the v ictims.

“I don’t k now if something

this semester’s project idea was inspired by El Campito celebrating its 50th anniversar y and La Casa de Amistad celebrating its 48th anniversar y.

She said these anniversaries led her to want to feature the organizations themselves.

In past years, students traveled to the organizations to visit the children and interview their family members.

They put together books about the family histories of those with whom they spoke and gave them the books at the end of the semester.

Shannon Weyer, director of programs and operations at El Campito, said there are a lot of immigrant families at El Campito that have rich cultural and diverse backgrounds.

“Giving [students] the opportunity to hear different people’s stories and backgrounds and kind of connect and ref lect on that is a huge takeaway for them,” Weyer said.

Sophomore Caroline Zitnik, who is currently enrolled in the course, said it is challenging and nerve-wracking — yet worthwhile — to speak with native Spanish speakers.

“It just kind of opens your eyes to other people’s

experiences more and allows you to be more empathetic and understand how this huge political issue right now is affecting real people,” Zitnik said.

Botero created the course and has offered it for the past eight years. As the daughter of Colombian immigrants, she said she has always been interested in immigration issues.

“Stor ytelling has always been also ver y important for me, so I kind of thought about it and pieced it together,” Botero said. “I started thinking about how I can create a class that works with the Latino community and what would be the project that the students would work on.”

In the classroom, students read the book “La Otra Cara de América” (“The Other Face of America”) by Jorge Ramos, which tells immigrant stories and dispels common myths about immigration into the U.S. After taking the course last spring, junior Patrick Kelly said he was inspired to continue work on immigration issues. He currently interns at Friends Committee on National Legislation, a lobbying firm based in Washington D.C.

disappointment at the lack of a week long spring brea k.

“I would rather have a week off because it would be more of a vacation than a catch up day,” she said. “If I did have the week off, I would be v isiting family, but this one day obv iously does not a llow us to leave.”

A lthough first-year Riley Kostic said she w ished she could have had a norma l spring brea k, she was grateful to have a day w ithout classes.

Kostic said she hoped to spend the day rela x ing and study ing.

“I honestly don’t rea lly like that we don’t get a spring brea k, but there’s not much we can do about it,” she said.

“Of course, I would love to have a norma l spring brea k, but given the circumstances, one reading day is better than nothing.”

In contrast w ith the students that said they planned on using the reading day to rela x on campus, there were some who planned on spending it outdoors.

First-year Liz Grimm said she wanted to use the reading day to get outside and take a break from schoolwork.

“I am going out to eat with my friends to take a mental health break from the stress of school,” Grimm said. “We like trying new restaurants in the area and eating outdoors, which allows us

big is going to happen or come out of this,” Botello said. “But I think doing this whole movement and giv ing the support to the families is what matters the most right now — giv ing them the strength that people are w ith them.”

The petition is ca lling on the South Bend Police Department, the St. Joseph Count y Prosecutor, Indiana Attorney Genera l, U.S. Attorney Genera l, U.S. Attorney Northern District of Indiana and Gov. Eric Holcomb to change the charges in order to directly connect Cava llo to the fata l crash. Currently, he is only facing t wo class C misdemeanor charges related to drunk driv ing.

On the day of the accident, Cava llo’s blood a lcohol

content was 0.13, according to the South Bend Tribune, 0.05 over the limit of 0.08.

Drunk driv ing, Hodnett said, is a per vasive issue that impacts many communities, not just Notre Dame.

“If this happens and people who are driv ing drunk don’t get the correct sentence,” Hodnett said, “I feel like that sends a message say ing ‘It’s okay. You can get drunk, you can drive. You can even k ill people and you won’t go to jail.’ So, it rea lly sets a bad example for ever y communit y.”

The petition cites Tim Spencer — commander of the St. Joseph Count y Fata l Crash Team (FACT) — as saying that an inabilit y to prove Cava llo actua lly caused the crash is the reason no charges

Photo courtesy of Tatiana Botero

Students sit in Hesburgh Library as part of professor Tatiana Botero’s “Immigration and the Construction of Memory” course.

Kelly’s job is to organize students on campus to lobby Indiana senators and representatives to pass the Dream and Promise Act, which provides a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.

Botero said she has many students who go on to address immigration issues after the course.

“I know that the students that come through the class, to those students, the class has a great impact,” she said.

“And then they’re able, many of them, to continue on doing different projects w ith the Latino communit y, so I k now that then the impact k ind of grows through their projects.”

to enjoy the beautiful spring weather but also maintain our distance from others.”

Despite the lack of a spring break, students still expressed gratitude for the day off.

“I appreciate the effort that is being made by the Saint Mary’s community,” Grimm said. “They are doing the best they can.”

Grimm said she thought a weeklong break would have been feasible, since students and staff are beginning to receive the vaccine.

“With vaccines beginning to roll out, I believe that a week long brea k could’ve been permitted, especia lly since Easter is a ver y significant and important celebration for

the Catholic faith,“ she said.

“A lthough it has been ver y positive to have something rather than nothing, I feel as though it would’ve been better to have a spring brea k.”

The Student Government Association’s Social Concerns Committee hosted “Togetherness Tuesday” during the reading day, as part of the annua l Love Your Body Week. The event was open to a ll students and took place in the tent outside of the student center. Belles were able to come grab a goodie bag and deliver it to a close friend.

Contact Megan Fahrney at mfahrney@nd.edu

Contact Carmen Feucht at cfeucht1@saintmarys.edu

Photo courtesy of Carlos Fabrega

Two first-years, Valeria Espinel, left, and Olivia Rojas, right, were killed Oct. 24, 2020, after being struck by a car on Ironwood Road. pertaining to the crash itself have been filed.

“There should be some justice done to give more peace for ever y thing that happened,”

Botello said. “Justice has to be done in some way.”

Contact Maggie Klaers at mklaers@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | The Observer

5

ND alum launches startup, aids community

By MARIA LUISA PAUL News Writer

As COVID-19 began wreaking havoc on the U.S. a year ago, daily life saw a rise in different challenges and experiences. For many, the pandemic brought financial complications and increased mental health issues.

In the midst of a pandemic that is also hurting businesses, Frank P. Quinn, a former administrative assistant at the IDEA Center’s Innovation Lab and Notre Dame alumnus (‘02), found an opportunity to merge his three passions — camping, innovation and giving back — into a startup company.

A self-declared fan of the outdoors, Quinn’s aha moment came with what he deemed “the big fan list,” or a tally of likes and dislikes that he created by asking himself two main questions: “What am I big fan of?“ and “What kind of product would naturally and organically come from me and who I am — my experiences, my inclinations and what I enjoy?” he said.

The outdoors, partying responsibly and safety — an important goal he credits his experience of being a father for — were at the top of his list. Meanwhile, costs associated with a vehicle’s maintenance and storage, setting up tents and sleeping on air mattresses figured among Quinn’s dislikes. The result was Road House, a platform storage-bed that converts sport utility vehicles (SUVs) into campers.

“There’s a new way for a safe, social-distance hang that has as

much to do with enjoying all the nature our beautiful Midwest has to offer as it is to promote positive mental health by way of the inherent exercise, fresh air and vitamin D associated with getting outdoors,” Quinn said.

Made from 1/2-inch UV-coated plywood on a KERN category 4 laser, the Road House platform’s dimensions are 67 by 7 by 36 inches, and it weighs 64 pounds. Quinn said the product’s proportions are ideal for mid-sized SUVs — such as the Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4 — but will fit inside larger vehicles as well.

Quinn said he envisioned mobility and versatility as the “paramount” aspects of his invention.

Thus, Road House platforms come with six different storage access points and an attached bottle opener. They also include a plexiglass sheet that can easily be washed if they are used as tables during social gatherings.

“Road House can also easily become a surface to share an outdoor meal or play a game of pong,” he said. “We want to ensure customers have a safe way to comfortably sleep, especially when and where getting behind the wheel isn’t a good idea — secured for the night in your vehicle with your own pillows and blankets.”

Quinn offers two different prices that include the product’s assembling and free area delivery: $475 for a Road House platform and $600 for one including a gel memory foam hybrid mattress. The Notre

Dame alum said that 3% of the proceeds would be donated to the City of South Bend’s homeless missions.

It takes a village Despite his love of adventures, Quinn said camping came with a “crippling” disadvantage: sleepless nights in uncomfortable tents or air mattresses.

“I’m someone who really loves a good night’s sleep,” Quinn said. “I would need a day to recover from going camping just because it wasn’t comfortable enough.

Armed with the objective to maximize comfort, Quinn took advantage at the resources available at the IDEA Center to turn his vision into a reality. He said Road House was the end product of extensive teamwork and cooperation.

“There’s a lot of collaboration and synergy happening there just by exposure, the wonderful creative environment and just people wanting to have fun and use their skills to help each other,” he said.

First, Quinn shared his idea with an industrial designer, who helped create a prototype with the center’s equipment. Then, Shreejan Shrestha — an industrial designer at the Innovation Lab and Industrial Design and teaching scholar for the Department of Art, Art History and Design — created a logo that encapsulated the project’s idea. Finally, Brandon Welsch, an Innovation Lab graphics lab technician, agreed to develop creative content for Road House as a way to launch his own production

company, Gas Ditch Productions.

For Quinn, Notre Dame’s IDEA Center is the ideal starting point for any aspiring entrepreneur in the Notre Dame community.

“If you have an idea, you walk in there, it’s the safest place that you can fail,” he said. “Because all there is is learning from it.”

The Road House founder said students should jump at the opportunities this center offers regardless of their major.

“I was an English major and now I have a side business just because I was curious and motivated,” he said. “We all have this wonderful network — and Notre Dame should know about this. No matter what you’re building, whatever your major is, you could go and have a side business. Multiple sources of income are ideal, especially in this day and age.”

Giving back community

to

the

Even before launching Road House in November 2020, Quinn said he had a close connection with South Bend’s homeless population.

As a University student, he was part of the Old College Program for men discerning a vocation to priesthood in the Congregation of Holy Cross, and thus had formed close ties with the mission to serve the poor.

Now a husband and father to a 5-year-old girl, the close ties he formed with Holy Cross’s mission to serve the most vulnerable motivated Quinn to create a business

that would also give back to the community.

“There was always going to be some type of giving back and service at the heart of a product, because that’s what makes it truly fulfilling,” Quinn said.

As of now, Quinn’s startup is contributing 3% of its proceeds to local homeless missions, which would benefit the increased homeless population in the area.

According to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s data, there are currently 516 homeless people in St. Joseph County, which represents a 25% increase from the 413 counted in the 2019 report — the third largest increase among the categorized 17 regions.

In the future, Quinn said he is aiming to provide a platform bedstorage to a person living inside their vehicle for every fifty Road House products he sells, especially considering the frigid weather homeless people must endure without shelter during the colder months.

“There is, of course, cold weather amnesty. Many different buildings offer shelter the during the coldest months where homeless don’t have to live inside a vehicle or under bridges,” Quinn explained. “But you have to be sober to get a bed at the South Bend Center for the Homeless.”

Contact Maria Luisa Paul at mpaulran@nd.edu

Michigan adults to qualify for vaccine April 5

By ISABELLA VOLMERT Assistant Managing Editor

In two weeks, Notre Dame students from Michigan may be able to qualify for a COVID-19 vaccination. On March 12, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced all state residents over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a vaccine starting Monday, April 5.

In a weekend update email Friday, the University recognized the developments of the neighboring state of Michigan.

“We realize that we have community members who live in Michigan,” the University said.

“We are following the developments in Michigan closely.” The email also provided a link to which Michigan residents can use to sign up for the vaccine.

University vice president of public affairs and communications Paul Browne told The Observer in an email correspondence the University encourages students who are eligible to receive the vaccine at a location within “close proximity” and meet age, residence and/or other eligibility requirements in neighboring states to do so.

“By close proximity we mean reachable within driving distance, not air travel, with no need to stay overnight or stop for meals

or other needs,” Browne said. “For example, students with no more than a four hour drive to parts of Michigan where eligibility is at age 16 and above are encouraged to be vaccinated there.”

First-year finance student Tristan Reilly said he is considering traveling to Michigan as soon as he is able to be vaccinated. “It would be a change to almost go back to normal,” he said. “I’d travel home as soon as I could, [maybe] April or May,” he said.

Reilly is a current Keenan resident from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.

Reilly said he’s never had COVID-19 and while he doesn’t worry too much about contracting it, he hopes he can get the vaccine so he doesn’t have to worry as much about testing.

Senior Ryan Neff grew up in the Detroit area of Michigan, and will be eligible for the vaccine starting April 5. Neff, a physics and piano performance double major currently living off campus, has not contracted the virus.

“I know even though if I got [COVID-19], probably nothing would happen,” he said. “But I’d still really like to get the vaccine, just for the peace of mind knowing I would be protected from it.”

Neff noted, with the vaccine, he would still wear a mask and

be cautious when socializing, “It would make me feel just a little less anxious about talking to people who I’m not rooming with,” he said.

In response to the University’s encouragement of short distance travel, Neff said, “I think that definitely makes sense, that’s definitely the best reason to travel to get the vaccine.”

Even though his current address is in Ypsilanti, near Detroit, he plans on trying to be vaccinated at nearby Niles, Michigan, about twenty minutes away.

Senior Sarah Galbenski, a resident of Grosse Point Shores, is scheduled to receive her vaccine today. She said when she heard the news from Gov. Whitmer, she called the Spectrum Health Lakeland Hospital in Niles, Michigan, and was able to set up an appointment before the April 5th date.

“When I told [an employee] that my father was a liver transplant recipient and severely immunocompromised, he told me that I would qualify on March 22,” she told The Observer over email.

Galbenski said among a number of reasons for being vaccinated — including protection against the virus and any short-term or long-term effects — is to protect her family, friends, community

and especially her father.

“Every person who gets the vaccine makes the world a little safer for him to venture into, and my vaccination will make his home environment safer this summer as well,” she added.

Galbenski said she is excited about Michigan’s updates of the vaccination process‘ expansion and the work the state is doing to ensure the “elderly, immunocompromised or those whose socioeconomic status heightens their vulnerability“ continue to be a priority for vaccination.

Currently, Indianans aged 40 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine, as well as those with certain health conditions.

Notre Dame provost Marie Lynn Miranda and executive vice president Shannon Cullinan said in a statement March 16 they encourage all members of the Notre Dame community to be vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

Additionally, Notre Dame has created an online infrastructure to document vaccine status and completion for community members through their University Health Services patient health portal.

Browne also said regardless of vaccination, students are required to show up for surveillance testing.

On its vaccine HERE information page, the University said, “If you are currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination in your state, we encourage you to make an appointment to get vaccinated.”

The page also contains updated information about vaccine eligibility in Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.

Notre Dame’s temporary vaccination site will open this weekend, where anyone currently eligible in Indiana may be vaccinated. In the March 16 statement, Miranda said the state is looking for Spanish interpreter volunteers for the event.

“The Indiana Department of Health is looking for volunteers to serve as Spanish language interpreters,“ the statement said.

“No medical training is required, but volunteers must be fluent in Spanish. To volunteer, please email vaccine@nd.edu.”

“In St. Joseph County, more than 29,000 people had been fully vaccinated as of late last week,” the South Bend Tribune reported on March 16. “More than 25% of the county, or nearly 51,000 people, had received at least one vaccine shot.”

Contact Isabella Volmert at ivolmert@nd.edu

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The observer | wednesday, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Quiet quarantine contemplations Genevieve Coleman Saint Mary’s News Editor

As I was writing this column, my mind kept drifting back to one of the most profound and highly contentious debates I have ever participated in through my more than 14 years of Catholic schooling: whether pets go to Heaven.

As a 19-year-old who considers herself somewhat educated, I can now comprehend the theological foundations of the argument that pets cannot be in Heaven.

But as a 7-year-old who had spent her entire childhood growing up without siblings and at least one dog, I simply could not wrap my head around the thought that I would never see my pets again after they died.

How could I continue to live my life knowing that the animals I loved would not be celebrated in the afterlife the same way I would be? How could I exist without these treasured friends?

Needless to say, in the three instances where my theology teachers would try to engage in this conversation with their classes of elementary and middle-schoolers, they would be met with a lot of crying, protesting and eye-rolling. I took part in all three. At the end of these fraught discussions, my peers and teachers realized they had reached a decided impasse and both eventually moved on to prevent any more emotional outbursts from either party.

I didn’t have a reason to reflect on these parts of my religious education until my sweet 10-year-old dog passed away from cancer three days after Christmas.

It was a very difficult loss, especially nine months into COVID. Even though I know my grief cannot compare to the heartache that other families have experienced during this time, over the last several months, I felt like I had lost control over a lot of parts of my life. I was dealing with other health problems and, like most people I knew, I felt an inherent sense of loss and misdirection.

At first, words failed to describe what I was feeling. My friend of 10 wonderful years was gone, so I thought about where he would continue to exist. I thought back to the conversations I had with my religion teachers and the words of different popes about animal’s place in Heaven.

I thought about how to gain control of the narrative I felt was out of my hands, and I realized I couldn’t. I can’t get my dog back in the same way I had him, but as long as I continue to remember him as the goofy little boy he was during my life, I haven’t lost him forever.

This column is not my two cents about whether God meant for animals to be in Heaven, but rather a really self-conscious way of saying it’s OK to grieve what you’ve lost in this pandemic. It’s OK to question the things you thought were certainties, because nothing has been certain for the last year. It’s OK to feel tired of the circumstances you’ve been living in.

Just remember to love, so you don’t feel lost yourself.

You can contact Genevieve at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

How do you not know?

Sydni Brooks Everything is Fine

Editor’s note: This story includes descriptions of sexual abuse. A list of sexual assault reporting options and on-campus resources can be found on the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross websites.

In the aftermath of the kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard in the U.K., I had several conversations with friends regarding sexual assault and predatory behavior. Conversations with girlfriends usually consisted of sentiments of solidarity and relatability, while most conversations with guy friends usually ended with them appalled or completely bewildered at what they’ve heard.

Thankfully, I haven’t had many conversations with men who dismiss or disregard any women’s experiences with sexual assault or harassment, but I have noticed that many men are completely unaware of the lifestyle their female friends are forced to lead, the precautions they must take and the fear they survive through on a daily basis. Considering the prevalence of women in our society and the grave statistics regarding sexual assault against women, I am always left with one question after these conversations: How do you not know?

Most people understand that sexual assault and harassment for both men and women exists at a monstrously high rate, but many don’t comprehend the severity of what these statistics mean.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), one out of every six American women has experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime, meaning in a room of six women, at least one of them — if not more — have been sexually assaulted. And according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), approximately 19.2 million women experience sexual coercion in their lifetime, and approximately 81.3% of female rape victims reported that their first completed or attempted rape occurred before the age of 25.

Key word: First.

Despite such obscene statistics, the traumas women face are viewed less as tragic incidents and instead feel and look like normal, everyday occurrences. Every 73 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, so the conversations between women regarding sexual harassment are unfortunately less about if something were to happen to someone and more about when.

Considering the prevalence of sexual assault and the relatability plenty of women feel when discussing the topic amongst each other, it confuses me how many people, especially men, do not recognize what is happening to their friends and family members. Guy friends will ask me, “Do you really feel scared to go out at night?” not trying to be condescending, but simply oblivious to the fears and realities women have to face. I initially respond with a tiresome and frustrated “Yes,” because not only are men less likely to express they are afraid to walk home at night — they are oblivious to the millions of women who are.

Maybe it is part of a woman’s intuition, but I can’t help but notice the discomfort in a woman’s eyes when they are trying to wiggle themselves out of a conversation with someone who is a little too touchy and comfortable. I can’t help but notice the increase in the speed of pace as a group of girls walks down the street at night. There is a certain

tension in the room when sexual assault is discussed, not simply because it is a sensitive subject, but because I know for several in the room, it is a subject they personally know way too well.

While I am dumbfounded at the lack of awareness of this issue, I can’t help but notice certain actions and comments men do and make that suggest they do understand the severity of what is happening to the women in their lives. Fathers are overprotective of their daughters because they fear the predatory advances grown men might make on their children. Parents tell children to “cover up” when male family members visit to prohibit the opportunity for their daughters to be sexualized in their own homes. Young girls are told they are acting or dressing “too grown” when they ask for different hair styles or short-sleeved shirts because parents are aware of what might entice child predators. Girls are dress-coded in school for wearing shorts in the summer to protect the eyes of young boys. While girls receive these punishments and constant reminders that life in their skin is an open invitation to violence unless they protect themselves, young boys are simply taught and encouraged to indulge in their desires.

Unless a guy takes the time to converse with a woman who has suffered from the sexual violence of men, men never understand the consequences of being a woman and the cycle of inadvertent and completely useless protection from predators — by telling women to cover up and not stay out too late — repeats itself.

The unfortunate ideology by which we as individuals don’t hold the same weight for social issues that aren’t directly happening to us prohibits us from challenging and eradicating any social issue. Our proximity to the issue shouldn’t make it any more or less important, and considering how prevalent sexual assault is in our society, I guarantee everyone knows someone personally who has been affected by sexual violence. Though we shouldn’t care how close we are to the topic, everyone we know is personally or indirectly affected by it.

Girls aren’t speed-walking to their cars at night, holding their keys between their fingers, to be obnoxiously cautious. Girls don’t ask you to walk them home with pleading eyes because they’re trying to get you to come upstairs with them. Girls aren’t refusing to go to an event because that one creepy guy is going to be there to be an annoying party pooper. Girls aren’t always mean and angry towards men who make them feel uncomfortable because they’re “too nice.” We do these things because we are terrified of the reality of our experience, as women in a world with predatory men. We are terrified of the consequences our sisters and best friends have experienced, and we are terrified of re-experiencing the consequences we already have experienced. Sexual assault and harassment isn’t always a violent attack and isn’t something that a handful of humans endure; it is an unfortunately normalized phenomenon that everyone needs to be talking about.

Sydni Brooks is a junior at Notre Dame Studying English and Gender Studies. She is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and calls Flaherty Hall home on campus. With equal passions for writing and helping others, she hopes to serve her community well in her future. She can be reached at sbrooks2@nd.edu or @sydnimaree22 on Twitter.

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

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Email viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com for more information!

7

The observer | wednesday, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

QAnon and you(anon) Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects

Alright, I’ll admit it. In the heat of the lockdown summer, around June of last year, I found myself down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories. I was consuming heaps of media centered around conspiracies, from binging The X-Files to spending sweltering afternoons watching “documentaries” on The History Channel with my dad. I found learning about conspiracy theories to be an entertaining way to distract myself from the real world, but it’s not like I was really buying anything. (Well, except for Fox Mulder’s insistence that maybe aliens are real - but that’s a topic for another time).

Unfortunately, as the heat of summer faded into the first chill of fall, learning about conspiracies became a lot less fun. In the run-up to the 2020 election, it seemed every American who considered themselves well-informed wound up reading articles titled something like “QAnon, explained.”

If you somehow haven’t, I’ll give a quick summary. QAnon is a conspiracy theory, originating in the far-right corners of the internet, based on the idea that there is a group of Democratic Satanist elites running a child sex trafficking ring, who also control American politics and media. It is also deeply intertwined with the Trump presidency — QAnon believers contend that President Trump was recruited by military officials to break up this group of elites. The theory originated in October 2017, when a 4chan poster who called themselves Q posted the first claims about the cabal.

It should go without saying, but there is no evidence that any of QAnon’s central beliefs are true, and many of its theories have been repeatedly debunked. Yet, the resilience of QAnon believers is kind of astonishing — many of Q’s predictions have very publicly failed to come true, the most recent example being the successful inauguration of President Biden in January. Yet, the conspiracy is extraordinarily malleable, and while some believers gave up after Trump left office, many seem willing to follow Q anywhere, including to Trump’s second inauguration on March 4 ... no, March 20 ... no, wait …

For a long time, it was easy to brush QAnon off as a fringe, harmless conspiracy theory, finding company among the flat-earthers and moon landing truthers. Yet, QAnon is no longer fringe, and it’s certainly no longer harmless. A December poll found that 17% of Americans wholeheartedly believe the core tenets of QAnon, with another 37% saying they are not sure whether they are true. Further, law enforcement officials found that belief in QAnon was a common thread among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

Still, it’s easy to feel like QAnon is a far-off, distant threat.

Sure, your crazy uncle Steve had some weird takes on George Soros at Thanksgiving, and you’ve seen some distant relatives sharing Marjorie Taylor-Greene’s Facebook posts, but your close family and friends don’t buy into any of it. And there’s absolutely no way you’ve played a role in spreading QAnon-adjacent misinformation — right?

That’s actually a harder question to answer than you might think. While you’re probably not accidentally sharing information coming directly from Q, QAnon is a “big tent” conspiracy theory, meaning it encompasses a wide variety of other conspiracy theories as proof of the existence of a Deep State. There are detailed, extensive maps laying out the massive web of QAnon beliefs, and the ideas that are included might surprise you. Some are seemingly innocuous social media campaigns, like #SaveOurChildren (easily confused with the actual NGO, Save The Children), that spread easily because of their broad appeal — who doesn’t want to end child sex trafficking? Some seem completely unrelated, the type of thing you would expect to see on The History Channel — Atlantis, the JFK assassination, UFOs. QAnon feeds off misinformation spread widely across the internet, even onto platforms many would consider “safe.”

It’s easy to believe that wild conspiracies are being spread on 4chan — I mean, it’s 4chan — but TikTok? That kids’ app everyone downloaded when we were all stuck at home? Yeah, they removed 400,000 videos in the second half of 2020 due to misinformation. I’ve heard lots of close friends and family write off QAnon believers as “wackos,” then innocently ask me if I’ve heard about that Wayfair thing. People who liked TikToks that were tagged #SaveOurChildren are clearly not the same as those who stormed the Capitol, but the latter

were probably, at some point, the former.

The dismissive discourse around QAnon is key to allowing it to continue to grow, and its nature is twofold. First, there’s the aforementioned notion that you, a sane person, could not possibly fall down the QAnon rabbit hole. The second is reliant on the first, but more sinister: since you would never believe conspiracy theories, the people who do must be completely unhinged — there’s nothing we can do.

Many psychologists see the rise of QAnon as symptomatic of larger cultural and political issues plaguing the United States: increasing community isolation, rising mistrust in government and media, and feelings of helplessness, triggered by increasing inequality. Conspiracy theories, especially broad ones like QAnon that seek to explain systematic issues, provide simple explanations for complicated problems — it’s unsurprising that as the world becomes more complex, people become more desperate for simple explanations.

Of course, the explanation of their beliefs does not excuse them — QAnon is deeply rooted in white supremacy, antiSemitism and a melting pot of other violent ideologies. And there are many people who believe in ending child sex trafficking but never spiral toward belief in a Satanist cabal of political elites. Yet, for those who recognize the reality of the threat posed by QAnon, it is vital to avoid the trap of complacency. QAnon is dangerous because of its accessibility, and everyone needs to be more vigilant toward misinformation and structures that make people more likely to fall down that rabbit hole. That doesn’t mean stop watching “documentaries” on The History Channel (I certainly will not), just do your due diligence before preaching to your friends about the Illuminati.

Ellie Konfrst is a junior majoring in political science, with minors in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service and civil & human rights. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited that people will finally be forced to listen to all of her extremely good takes. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Remember the names, not the stereotypes Growing up, I dreaded the first day of school because it meant the teacher would have to say my name aloud for attendance, butcher the pronunciation, and all of my classmates would laugh at the terrible way it was pronounced.

Did I ever want to change my name? Sure, there were many times. Like that one time when it became a running joke in elementary school to say that I was “so mean.” Or that one time in middle school when someone constantly called me “salmon.” And that one time in college that a professor mispronounced my name as “semen.” Small victories were celebrated when someone could get my name right in the first try, and I’m not trying to say that the people who mispronounced my name or made fun of it were terrible people.

Everyone is capable of making mistakes, so I don’t blame them. I just started to hate my name more and more.

But then I go back to thinking about why I was given my name. When I was born my mom wanted to give me a “normal English name” because she was afraid that my name would be made fun of. She had her own experience of her classmates making fun of her Korean name and didn’t want her children to experience the shame that she felt. However, my dad was adamant that I would use my Korean name as my English name because he was confident that I would grow up to be a strong, confident Korean American woman who would be able to stand up for herself and wouldn’t be looked down upon by others.

My dad was right. I am proud to be a strong, confident Korean American woman, part of the Asian American community that is composed of so many other Asian Americans like me who too are strong, confident and proud to be who they are and where their families come from.

Some of these Asian Americans were brutally murdered March 16 in metro Atlanta, by a white gunman, after he

dropped by three different spas in the area to commit the heinous murders. These murders are an addition to the senseless violence and hatred against the Asian American community that has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic. According to Stop AAPI Hate, a non-profit organization that tracks incidents of hate and discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, from March 19, 2020, to February 28, 2021, there were almost 3,800 reported hate incidents against Asian Americans nationwide — which is only a fraction of incidents that actually occur.

It is devastating to see just how often there are reports of a 75-year-old Chinese grandmother fighting back against her attacker after she was brutally beaten in the face in the stress of San Francisco or of a 36-year-old Asian man being stabbed in the back on a street in New York’s Chinatown. All Asians, no matter what age or gender they are, are becoming victims of violence and hatred in our society, and no one should have to bear the burden of living in fear due to their identity.

The rise of hate crimes against the AAPI community has given the opportunity for strong Asian Americans to stand up for their community and advocate for change to happen. Often, the Asian American community feels like they are meant to be invisible from society due to the constant pressure of having to be as successful as the model minority myth paints Asians to be. Yet, the community refuses to be invisible this time around, as Asian Americans all across the country are joined by others who are willing to show their solidarity, in hopes of condemning racism and promoting societal changes that are inclusive and welcoming for all.

My name defines the strength that moves me forward with my life, and I am taking that strength to join other strong Asian Americans who are advocating for the safety,

protection and acceptance of the AAPI community.

Meaningful change goes beyond just posting something on your Instagram story that disappears in 24 hours or posting a picture with a hashtag. Change begins within the self, by recognizing the hidden biases and stereotypical views of people that we carry. We need to make a valiant effort to change the biased views we hold and to transform the rhetoric and culture that often coalesce into violence and hatred against specific groups, as has become especially evident during this pandemic.

Among those killed, there were women who were fearless mothers, wives, sisters, aunts and daughters. These are their names: Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Sun Cha Kim, 69; Yong Ae Yue, 63.

Remember their names and their stories. Remember that many of these women were Asian Americans, the same community that is in need of solidarity and support. Our society needs to end the perpetuating patterns of tragedy and violence, and this starts with us standing up against hate.

Here are some resources on how to be an ally with the AAPI community and stop anti-Asian violence: “Violence Against Asian-Americans Isn’t New, but It Is Growing” by The Amber Ruffin Show on YouTube; “The Making of Asian America: A History” by Erika Lee; “Yellow: Race in America beyond Black and White” by Franklin Wu; Stop AAPI Hate; Asian Americans Advancing Justice; Send Chinatown Love; Asian Mental Health Collective.

Somin Jo senior March 22

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The observer | wednesday, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

It isn’t enough to be seated at the table Elizabeth Prater SparkND

On March 18, Ali Kershner, a sports performance coach at Stanford University, posted a photo comparing the weight rooms for the NCAA women’s and men’s basketball tournament. The post went viral — and for good reason. While the men’s teams had a room with power racks and Olympic bars and weights, the women’s teams were merely provided with a set of dumbbells and yoga mats.

Many players came forward and challenged the league, demanding equal rights to equipment and space. Those who felt victimized stated that the lack of resources undermined their ability to succeed in their domain.

This same argument is plainly advocated in “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf. Published in 1929, the book is comprised of excerpts of a speech Woolf was asked to give about women and fiction at a writing conference.

The main message within the classic text is that women need access to both financial freedom and a space of their own in order to be creative and prosper in their fields.

One of the most convincing points that Woolf makes is about the differences in her luncheons at different colleges.

When she describes a person eating at Oxbridge college, a men’s university, she describes the meal as having wine and rich foods. However, when describing the meal at the women’s college, it was merely plain gravy soup and dry biscuits.

One of the other complaints at the NCAA tournament was that women weren’t being provided with the same quality of food as the men’s teams. Woolf believes that nourishment is vital to functioning as a person, as she states, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

Sustenance doesn’t have to explicitly refer to physical food, but in addition, emotional nourishment.

Muffet McGraw, former Notre Dame women’s basketball coach, released a statement calling out the inequity in workout facilities, conditions at hotels and food supply. “We have

taken the crumbs from the table and we don’t even have a seat at and we didn’t complain,” McGraw wrote in a post on Twitter, explaining the complacency many women’s teams face when competing. However, she voiced her dissatisfaction towards systems set in place that discredit women in their fields. McGraw concluded her post by stating, “This generation of women expects more and we won’t stop until we get it.”

The striking similarities between Woolf’s work and this contemporary event don’t stop there. In “A Room of One’s Own,” Woolf claims, “Money dignifies what is frivolous if unpaid for.” If women aren’t being provided with the resources or financial sustenance to perform at their peak, then it not only undermines these women, but sends a message of subservience and apathy.

While the outrage that has followed this conference has created a stir to provide more resources to women, McGraw points out that this is an issue “that women have been battling for decades.” If organizations and people held accountable only respond to such complaints when under fire, what does that say about the nature of these industries?

Woolf eloquently writes that it is in our idleness that “the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top.” Complacency toward these issues only fuels the disappointing realities of society in that we are satisfied with such mistreatment.

To demonstrate her point, Woolf illustrates the persona of Judith Shakespeare. This fictional character is the twin sister of William Shakespeare, who is just as gifted as her brother, but has a vastly different ending.

Instead of being provided the time and space to create art like her brother William, Judith is forced into an early marriage and ends up escaping to pursue art. However, she is turned away with scorn from every theatre. She later becomes pregnant, which makes a life of writing nearly impossible, and Judith kills herself.

Had Ms. Shakespeare been provided the appropriate resources to pursue her desires, she may have not only lived but prospered. While this fictitious persona is conjured by

Woolf, its verity is astounding in the plight of many gifted women, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries.

I can’t help but reflect on this issue more carefully during the month of March — International Women’s Month. As a member of Pasquerilla West Hall, I’ve heard our mantra of being a “Powerful Woman” repeated countless of times.

I am constantly inspired by my rector, hall staff and fellow residents by their commitment to empowering women, especially those in male-dominated spheres.

Pasquerilla West — or more affectionally known as PDub — was built in 1981 and was the first dorm built just for women on campus after women had entered the University only in 1972.

After generations of women not attending university, not even getting a seat at the table, it is sometimes easy to be satisfied in the amount of progress that has seemingly been made. However, McGraw and Woolf — both vastly different in occupation and era — demonstrate their frustration towards women’s complacency.

Woolf’s call to action reminds me of the strides that my dorm and many other women make towards amplifying women’s voices that have been submerged. She concludes her book by telling the women in the audience at this conference that they have the power to be the voice that was taken from Judith. Many powerful women in history have been slighted from a lack of resources or support. However, this is not the end. “Lock up your libraries if you like,” Woolf writes.

“But there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”

Elizabeth Prater is a first-year student with double majors in marketing and Program of Liberal Studies.

In her free time, she manages her Goldendoodle’s Instagram account (@genevieve_the_cute_dog) which has over 23K followers. She can be reached at eprater@nd.edu or @elizabethlianap on Twitter.

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

Universal basic income in a COVID-19 world Blake Ziegler News with Zig

In 2019, I wrote a column analyzing universal basic income (UBI), a policy championed by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. There, I argued the UBI debate shouldn’t center on its effectiveness. The literature on UBI suggests that it’s a necessary remedy in combating the poverty and economic injustices plaguing our nation. In an analysis of basic income policies across the world — whether implemented universally or targeted at certain groups — the overwhelming result is economic growth, improved quality of life and an overall better society.

According to the Roosevelt Institute, a UBI financed in the United States through higher taxes on the wealthy and distributing the revenue to other income brackets leads to 12.56% economic growth over eight years. In Finland, a 2017 pilot program for the unemployed found higher levels of happiness, less stress and greater trustworthiness in institutions among participants. Also, one Japanese billionaire’s experiment with 1,000 participants found greater entrepreneurism among recipients. A study on Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend, a UBI for residents drawn from the state’s oil and gas revenue, found that recipients became more educated.

The verdict is clear that UBI is a good economic policy.

Yet, as I noted in my last column about UBI, its controversy is over its ethical implications. The welfare debate in the United States consistently concerns whether recipients deserve their benefits. If we cannot agree on benefits for the poorest of our nation, can we expect Americans to support benefits for all? A few years ago, the answer would’ve been a resounding no. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed deep economic, health and societal issues that make UBI more appealing.

A nation and world crippled by a global pandemic led to significant unemployment and drove countless families into bleak economic situations. Beyond that, the pandemic revealed the difficulties many face in acquiring the resources

and opportunities necessary to build a better life. UBI offers an opportunity to rectify these problems, and its support has grown in the last year. A study examining public opinion in the United States and United Kingdom found increased support for UBI during the pandemic. Supporters cited UBI’s simple administration and ability to reduce stress and anxiety. Beyond that, a number of UBI programs have been implemented worldwide as a response to the pandemic.

In fact, the pandemic magnified the trend of support for UBI in the United States. The economic turmoil sparked calls for stimulus relief. According to a Monmouth University poll, 53% of Americans supported the $1,400 checks in the third stimulus package, while 28% wanted to see larger payments. Support for UBI as a permanent policy has grown in recent years, receiving 55% of registered voters’ approval in an August 2020 Hill-HarrisX poll.

UBI has also seen bipartisan support. In April 2020, 83% of Democrats and 84% of Republicans somewhat or strongly supported the government providing direct cash relief during the pandemic. The Basic Income March in September 2020 demonstrated widespread support and activism for UBI across the country. Moreover, politicians are crossing the aisle to support UBI or UBI-esque policy. The Trump administration’s policy on stimulus checks was starkly similar to Andrew Yang’s UBI proposal. Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) suggested a $1,000 one-time check as a starting point. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) advocated for monthly checks during the pandemic. Former Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) also called for monthly checks for as long as the pandemic still raged. U.S. Representatives Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) proposed a UBI through a tax credit in March 2020. Other notable Democrats like Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) also support policies similar to UBI. The policy is gaining traction among politicians as they realize the political impetus for such a policy during the pandemic.

Yet, a roadblock to the COVID-19 relief bills has been the stimulus checks themselves. Despite prominent support for a guaranteed income, Republicans and Democrats still

disagree on the policy itself. Such circumstances are perplexing, and likely lie in concerns about UBI and whether it appeals to one’s political ideology. I will address those worries.

There is a concern about paying for UBI. However, analyses on UBI’s cost discovered that it has a similar price as other welfare policies, while having the possibility of significantly reducing poverty in the United States. That’s a significant return on investment.

Now, there is also concern that UBI would disincentivize people from working. Such a claim makes little sense, according to the literature. Alaska saw little to no effect on people’s participation in the workforce. A review of UBI experiments found that there is little warrant for the claim that a guaranteed income leads to long-term, massive unemployment.

Concerns about the practicality of UBI are not the only problems. To overcome these divisions, the case must be made to both parties that UBI is a bipartisan policy that appeals to all Americans. UBI can appeal to Republicans and Democrats ideologically. Conservatives would endorse a policy that significantly reduces the bureaucracy and dependency on the welfare state. Liberals would agree with UBI, as it’s a universal, unconditional program to provide relief through distributional measures.

While it’s certainly not the be-all and end-all, UBI is an important tool in addressing the systemic and unjust problems magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if it’s still opposed now, young Americans’ support for it indicates that UBI is the future. The question is not if, but when it will be adopted.

Blake Ziegler is a sophomore at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He loves anything politics, especially things he doesn’t agree with. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions.

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

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By NICK BRIGATI Scene Writer

Whenever I watched a young adult TV show or movie in high school, I always found it hard to connect to the characters. This wasn’t just because of the poor acting and impractical nature of their plots (although that certainly didn’t help), but because the adolescents I saw on-screen looked anything but — they didn’t talk like teenagers, dress like them (looking at you “Euphoria”), or even act like them. But the absurd depictions of adolescence seem unique to mainstream cinema and TV as mediums. Novels such as “The Catcher in the Rye” or “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” effectively capture the apathy, angst, etc. of youth; and songs like “Wouldn’t it be Nice” by the Beach Boys, Big Star’s “Thirteen” or “Growin’ Up” by Bruce Springsteen bring us back to the days of pubescence. The inaccuracy of adolescent depiction is not the result of some inherent flaw in TV or film, however, as there have been numerous movies (primarily independent) that delivered accurate depictions of youth.

One issue is the Motion Picture Association film rating system. High schoolers and teens often engage in behaviors and use language that would prevent films depicting them from ever being PG-13 (most kids say f*** more than just once in their lives — the limit to the word’s use in PG-13 films). However, films that are R-rated are less profitable than PG or PG-13 films due to

By JUSTIN GEORGE Scene Writer

Since the release of Joss W hedon’s 2017 cut of “Justice League,” fans of DC have been demanding the release of the Snyder cut, a seemingly my thic version of the film that would fulfill Zack Snyder’s original v ision for “Justice League” and the DC Extended Universe at large. On Mar. 18, HBO Ma x released the Snyder cut. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is not the first film to receive a director’s cut, but it is perhaps the most hy ped-up director’s cut to date.

The idea of the director’s cut is quite possibly a product of Auteur Theor y, which credits the director w ith most of the creative decisions made in a film. Modern examples of directors that many consider to be Auteurs include Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson. Throughout the histor y of cinema, studio interference has been present and has been blamed for the dow nfall of many films.

Erich von Stroheim’s 1924 film “Greed” is an early example of a film that was butchered by studios before its release, making it a shell of the director’s original v ision. This is what many fans believed happened w ith 2017’s “Justice League.”

The director’s cut is by no means a new concept, but it has certainly become more popular in

people below the age of 17 not being able to see them in theaters. This results in many coming-of-age films and shows that are unrealistic in their portrayals in an attempt to bring in more revenue. The A24 film “Eighth Grade” is the perfect example of what films can achieve when not constrained by their age-rating. The film is accurate not only because the film casted actors who were actually in eighth grade, but because the characters’ struggles are applicable to their age. Whether it is the sexual pressures put upon middle school girls, the subtle yet cruel nature of cyber bullying or merely that everyone at that age is a bundle of insecurities shouting expletives. Their troubles are not those of adults (or what adults think their hardships may be), but issues that are common at that age; so much so that I was physically uncomfortable because of its accuracy in depicting our generation’s experiences.

Nonetheless, even though accurate depictions can result from freedom from rating limitations, it can also result in adolescent lives being overdramatized or excessive to the point of caricature. I am sure many have seen the memes on Twitter and online parodying HBO’s “Euphoria” for showing high schoolers attending class in BDSM-esque outfits or having the vocabulary of a 12-year-old who just learned his first curse words. Shows such as “Euphoria” are the product of what adults think it is like to be a high schooler currently, rather than what is the reality, causing various depictions to be reductive and oversimplified.

Even a great film such as “Eighth Grade” was close to being inaccurate in a very small, albeit important way.

While making the film, Bo Burnham — the director and writer of the film — initially had Facebook as the primary social networking service in the movie; however, he changed it to Instagram and Snapchat after the film’s actors told him that no one uses Facebook anymore.

This demonstrates not just the issues that adults being removed from youth creates when making films or shows, but also the solution to that very problem: having adolescent actors informing the script and directing (a technique they used when making “Eighth Grade”).

By consulting with real-world teenagers on what it is like to be of that age, films and TV can effectively create realistic portraits of coming-of-age, rather than mere impressions of that experience.

While Hollywood creates coming-of-age narratives and stories to give attention to youth and the genuine nature of their struggles, they are at the same time invalidating them by exaggerating the circumstance and happenings of their lives. If the entertainment industry wants to create films that young audiences can relate to, they actually have to be reflective of their experiences and reality rather than a mere caricature. It will be that much more impactful for young audiences to see someone that actually looks and behaves just like them on the screen rather than someone who pays a mortgage.

recent years. Classic films such as “Blade Runner,” “Apocaly pse Now” and “Little Shop of Horrors” have all received directors’ cuts that are said to be each filmmakers’ intended v ision for the films. There was even a period in the mid to late 2000s where many horror mov ies saw home v ideo releases of their unrated director’s cuts. I remember seeing copies of the unrated director’s cuts of films, such as the 2009 remake of “Friday the 13th” and the 2003 remake of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” lining the shelves of Best Buy and Blockbuster, promising more kills, more gore and more scares than their theatrical counterparts. In an age of extremit y, even “The Exorcist” was not safe from a modified cut being released to cash in on the trend.

Snyder is no stranger to directors’ cuts, many of his films have been given Blu-Ray releases featuring both the theatrical and director’s cuts. His film “Watchmen” even had a three-and-a-halfhour ultimate edition released after the director’s cut. But what makes “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” different from his prev ious director’s cuts is its release on HBO Ma x (and in select theaters, such as Notre Dame’s Brow ning Cinema) as well the impact of fan culture on its release. Zack Snyder has always made films for fans of comic books, w ith much of his work consisting of comic adaptations. One thing that has always been a

part of the culture surrounding comics and has become especially present in the age of social media is fandom.

The fandom response to W hedon’s “Justice League” was less than favorable, and many fans took to Tw itter and called for the release of the Snyder cut, which they believed would be a superior version of “Justice League” and would represent Snyder’s original v ision for the film. This fan response is reminiscent of the fan response to the portrayal of Wade Wilson in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which culminated in the 2016 release of “Deadpool.” The Snyder cut, much like “Deadpool,” reinforces the power that fandoms can have over film studios.

The Snyder cut runs just over four hours — a runtime reser ved almost exclusively for the melodramatic epics of the golden age of Holly wood and art house films. The decision to release “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” on such a major platform and w ith a major promotional campaign is unheard of. It is a miracle that the Snyder cut ever saw the light of day. Is Warner Brother’s atoning for 2017’s “Justice League” to save face, or does the release of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” signal the beginning of a new era of creative control for filmmakers? Only time w ill tell.

Contact Nick Brigati at nbrigati@nd.edu

Contact Justin George at jgeorge3@nd.edu CLAIRE REID | The Observer

10

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By WILLOUGHBY THOM Associate Scene Editor

The Snite Museum of Art’s latest ex hibition is breathtaking. The day the Snite announced they were hosting Kev in Beasley’s 2016 work, “Chair of the Ministers of Defense,” v isiting was the first thing I did when I got back in Februar y.

On the second f loor of the Snite, in the Contemporar y Art Galler y, sits the powerful and impressive “Chair of the Ministers of Defense.” If you have ever v isited this galler y in the past, you would know it’s normally a ver y open galler y. The grey walls are t y pically lined w ith a vast array of modern and contemporar y works, but Beasley’s work completely redefines the space.

Entering the galler y, the v iewer is transported into a different world. The lights are dimmed, and spotlights illuminate the grand throne. It’s a highly immersive and intense experience; it’s a work that seems so foreign yet so familiar. W hen v iewing the piece for the first time, you may feel unsettled by such a striking installation enveloped by dark painted walls and the natural stillness of the museum. But as you stand in the presence of Beasley’s work, you begin to be absorbed into

By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer

In 2017, director Joss W hedon released “Justice League.” The film received mixed rev iews due to W hedon’s rushed production, and it was unlikeable, to say the least. W hedon was supposed to take after Zack Snyder, the original director, but Snyder left due to the death of his daughter Autumn. So, four years later, Snyder re-released “Justice League” on HBO Ma x, dubbing the film: “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.”

The film takes place after Snyder’s “Batman vs. Superman: Daw n of Justice,” and picks up after the death of Superman (Henr y Cav ill). A new ev il, Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) attempts to gather three Mother Boxes, indestructible forms of matter created by Darkseid (Ray Porter) in order to take over the world. Batman (Ben Aff leck) assembles the Justice League: Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), the Flash (Ezra Miller) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa) to stop Steppenwolf and, once again, save humanit y from total annihilation.

Snyder’s version of the film is the complete different from W hedon’s because the film felt rushed, and it left out many important character developments. For example, in W hedon’s version, Cyborg’s stor y felt incomplete and he was ver y

the diverse array of colors, discovered by hidden ever yday objects and the mysteriousness which it embraces.

If you look long and hard enough at the work, you might be able to point out the jeans, trousers, durags, t-shirts, hoodies, kaftans and house dresses molded by poly urethan resin; they are the empt y head spaces and figurative representations surrounding the chair. These are all items associated w ith contemporar y and urban culture.

In the center, an empt y rattan “peacock” chair sits, w ith a stained glass house w indow, clad by an iron bar, hanging above the elevated throne.

Flanking both sides of the chair, Maasai and Zulu warrior shields are present, as if the ghost-like warriors are protecting the empt y seat.

The “Chair of the Ministers of Defense” is an allusion to Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Baroque altarpiece in Saint Peter’s Basilica called “Cathedra Petri.” Here, Beasley is bringing our attention to Black liberation movements by placing an emphasis on the current and ongoing power imbalances Black Americans and marginalized peoples experience ever y day. Beasley is know n to incorporate highly religious imager y in his works in order to ex hibit a perceived “div ine right of leader,”

forcing the v iewer to “consider the circumstances and conventions used by those in control and those who challenge their authorit y.”

Furthermore, Beasley draws upon Blair Stapp’s photograph of Huey New ton called “Huey New ton, Black Panther Minister of Defense” (1968), which is a reference to Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ portrait “Napoleon I on His Imperial Throne” (1806). He uses these images as ways to demonstrate stages of power and the various depictions of authorit y.

Kev in Beasley strategically intert w ines histor y and modernit y to create an installation which requires the v iewer to “consider notions of power and how it is presented, held, challenged, exhausted or toppled.” Through this piece, the artist hopes to bring attention to social injustice and address the dignit y of Black men and women in America.

The “Chair of the Ministers of Defense” by Kev in Beasley is an astonishing work of art w ith an immense amount of power to initiate change and fuel important conversations.

unlikeable. In Snyder’s version, Cyborg was given a personal backstor y which included an explanation as to why he is in his current state in the DC Universe. The same happened w ith the Flash, in that he barely had a backstor y in W hedon’s version, but played a bigger role in Snyder’s film.

Another thing that changed in Snyder’s version was that the runtime is much longer than the original theatrical version. In the original, it ran for 2 hours, a t y pical runtime for superhero films. However, because Snyder felt as if a lot of important elements were left out, he doubled the runtime into a little over 4 hours. Nevertheless, to help “save time,” Snyder div ided the film into six parts — plus an epilogue. W hile each of the six parts worked well as a unit, the epilogue was out of place. It felt as if it could stand alone as its ow n film, but it turned out to be a dream, which was really unnecessar y.

The film’s sav ing grace, in a sense, was the addition of mov ing songs as part of the soundtrack.

Each song featured in the film moved the stor y along and actually pulled at the heartstrings, especially at the end credits, when A llison Crowe sang a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

The soundtrack itself clocks in at almost four hours and it was beautifully done by composer Tom Holkenborg, who was the original composer, before being replaced by Danny Elfman when

W heldon stepped in.

Another difference bet ween the t wo films is that Snyder’s version received an R rating, whereas W hedon got a PG-13 rating. It is ver y rare to see a superhero f lick receive an R rating, especially in the DC Extended Universe. The first one in today’s modern age to get an R rating is the 2019 “Joker.” Snyder’s version got an R rating primarily because it was more v iolent than W hedon’s, and the language barrier was broken allow ing for more cursing to be implemented. W hedon’s PG13 rating was for sci-fi action and v iolence, but it feels a little out of place.

Regardless of the runtime and huge changes bet ween W hedon and Snyder, the film was beautifully and cinematically crafted and it stands out as one of the best superhero films to come out during the pandemic. If anyone is a huge fan of the DC Universe, then buck le up for a long ride to watch this 4-hour extravaganza.

Contact Willoughby Thom at wthom@nd.edu

Contact Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

“Zack Snider’s Justice League” Where to Watch: HBO Max If You Like: “Batman v. Superman,” “Man of Steel”

JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Let your creativity flow this year, and you’ll come up with something new and exciting to keep your life interesting. Invent fresh ways to socialize, and share with people as innovative and conscientious as you. Put your heart and soul into improving relationships and taking on a challenge that supports a cause or your community. Pay attention to detail. Your numbers are 5, 11, 22, 24, 31, 40, 44 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Attend a virtual event that offers networking with interesting people. Anger will set in if you sit back instead of taking action. It’s up to you to do your part if you want to make a difference or achieve personal growth.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make a change at home that will make your life easier and add to your comfort. Be willing to do the work yourself, and you’ll feel good about your accomplishment. Speak up about matters that concern you, and resolve issues swiftly.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be careful not to lead someone on. Honesty will help you maintain a good rapport with others without jeopardizing your reputation or your integrity. Learn from the experience, and an opportunity will come your way. Work toward self-improvement, not changing others.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Consider what you are trying to achieve, and gather the information that will help you home in on what’s required to reach your goal.

Don’t jeopardize your health in order to advance. Know when to say no or move on and cut your losses.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Improve your life, looks and relationships with others.

Concentrate on being the best you can be. Offer kindness, support and understanding to the people around you. A partnership looks promising, and romance is encouraged.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): ou’ll get help from people who share your concerns.

Speak up and do your best to make a positive difference. Anger will solve nothing, but physically taking responsibility will pay off. An offer is useful only if it fulfills a need.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Set out on a pilgrimage that will lead to valuable information. Educational pursuits will open your mind to all sorts of exciting possibilities. Share something special with someone you love, and good things will unfold. A lifestyle change looks promising.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Uncertainty will hold you back. Concentrate on what’s entailed to reach your destination and put everything in place. Choose intelligence and reason over anger and discord. A minimalist lifestyle is encouraged if you want to avoid financial setbacks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t be fooled by someone trying to part you from your hard-earned cash. Set ground rules at home or with anyone you share expenses with, and you’ll avoid being taken advantage of financially. You cannot buy love or respect.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Refuse to take chances with your health. Make adjustments to the way you live or how you handle your money, and it will ease stress and encourage you to make better decisions regarding associates. Don’t neglect what and who’s important to you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put your energy where it counts, and you’ll get good results. Home improvements will encourage you to take better care of yourself and those you love. Don’t get angry; let go of the past and begin again.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Concentrate on creative ideas and living life your way. Don’t get stuck in a rut when making a change will help update your lifestyle to mesh with trends. Reach out to someone you enjoy collaborating with, and you’ll get good results.

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, imaginative and perceptive. You are aggressive and secretive.

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The observer | Friday, WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND MEN’s Swimming and Diving

Sports Authority

Irish prep for NCAA Championships

MLB season preview John Kalemkieran

about for control of the AL West.

Sports Writer

NL East Division Winner: New York Mets

The wait is finally over.

Entering our last week without Major League baseball until next fall, now seems as good a time as ever to look forward to the upcoming season and predict how the full season and the playoffs will play out all the way until the Fall Classic.

This one may surprise some people, but I fully buy into Steve Cohen’s new-look Mets team. The additions of Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, along with the re-signing of Marcus Stroman, have the Mets in a solid position to compete with the Braves for division supremacy. Their rotation, especially once Noah Syndergaard returns mid-season, will be among the best in the league. Assuming the Mets can finally provide Jacob deGrom with run support, I not only see them taking the division crown but also potentially making a deep postseason run.

AL East Division Winner: New York Yankees All is back to normal in the AL East this season, with the Yankees reclaiming their stranglehold on the division after the Rays’ magical analytics-driven run to the AL pennant last season. New York retooled and reloaded, boosting their only weakness, starting pitching, with the acquisitions of Jameson Taillon and two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, as well as the anticipated mid-season return of ace Luis Severino.

Masahiro Tanaka’s return to Japan’s NPB hurts, but it shouldn’t stand in the way of the Yanks and their second division title in the last three seasons.

AL Central Division Winner: Chicago White Sox Similar to the Yankees, the White Sox appear to be set up for long-term success, boasting nearly the same lineup that scored the second most runs in the AL last season. However, despite adding veteran Lance Lynn to the rotation, the back end of their rotation is still an area of concern. Their most important addition this offseason, star closer Liam Hendricks, should be more than enough to replace Alex Colome, who stayed in the division after signing with the Twins this offseason. Both the Twins and the Indians could give Chicago a run for their money in the division race, but the Sox are the more complete team.

AL West Division Winner: Oakland Athletics Living in the shadow of their division rival the Astros for a while, the A’s finally broke through last year, capitalizing on Justin Verlander’s absence to take the division title away from Houston. All signs point to the A’s repeating as division champs for the first time since their 2012 and ‘13 90-win seasons. After losing starting shortstop Marcus Semien and closer Liam Hendricks in free agency, Oakland made some moves of their own, bolstering the bullpen with Trevor Rosenthal and Sergio Romo. Either way, unless Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani can finally break the Angels into the playoff picture, the A’s will only have the Astros to worry

NL Central Winner: St. Cardinals

Division Louis

The Cardinals executed the biggest trade of the offseason, flipping a whopping five players for superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado, who will add Gold Glove defensive talent as well as a red-hot bat in the middle of their lineup. St. Louis hovered around .500 last season and had to deal with a long COVID pause, so the upcoming season will likely allow them to overtake the Cubs, who lost Cy Young runner-up Yu Darvish.

The Brewers have a sneaky good team, but the Cardinals should be able to hold them off to win the division, especially with flame throwing closer Jordan Hicks back in the fold.

NL West Division Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers Laying claim to possibly the two best teams in baseball, this season’s edition of the NL West is set to be a battle for the ages between the reigning champions, the Dodgers, and the up-andcoming Padres. San Diego, which finished dead last in the division in 2019, piled up 37 wins in the shortened 2020 season, fueled by rising superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. However, the Dodgers did just enough in the offseason, especially in acquiring Cy Young award winner Trevor Bauer to bolster their alreadystacked rotation. Essentially keeping their championship team intact, the Dodgers are in good shape to repeat not only as division winners but also as World Series Champions.

World Series Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 New York Yankees Contact John Kalemkieran at jkalemke@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Notre Dame Men’s Sw imming and Div ing program is prepared and ready for the precipice of their season, the NCA A Championship meet. W hen keeping the team focused, Coach Mike Litzinger made it clear how the team keeps on task.

“It’s prett y easy [to maintain focus] if you’re going to be at the fastest sw im meet in the world other than the Oly mpic Games,” Litzinger said. “You have to be on your toes ... You just have to take your shot early, and if you risk a little bit and are aggressive in the morning you’re going to be a happy sw immer at night.”

Litzinger is priming his sw immers for success this week by pushing them to go out and sw im fast in the preliminar y round so they w ill be highly seeded in the evening.

The team is also confident coming into the sw im at the Greensboro Aquatic Center for the second time this season. Litzinger spoke to the team’s comfort at the pool.

“We have a routine dow n, and the guys know it,” he said. “We sw im fast here,

and they know the landscape. There is a little bit of an advantage.”

As for the opponents coming in this weekend, the team is prepared for whoever they sw im against, whether they are from the ACC or not.

Litzinger spoke to the condition of his sw immers up against a different grouping of teams.

“It’s not really going to affect us at all, simply because 10 of the teams in the ACC are ranked in the top 25 in the countr y,” he said.

“We’re seeing half of those teams on a regular basis, and so our championship was just like the NCA A. The team knows how competitive it is; it’s not a secret.

They’ll be ready mentally.”

Continuing, Litzinger expressed great excitement in his athletes competing this weekend. The Irish are represented by freshman Tyler Christianson for the 400 IM, sophomore Jack Hoagland for the 500 Freest yle, 400 IM and 1650 Freest yle, junior Josh Bottelberghe for the 100 and 200 Breaststroke and junior Zachar y Smith for the 400 IM. The team is also

sending their 800 Free Relay consisting of Hoagland, sophomore A lec DeLong, sophomore Cason Wilburn and senior Sadler McKeen.

“I think it’ll be a lot of fun watching Jack,” Litzinger said of Hoagland, who was named ACC Championship Sw immer of the meet.

“I’m excited about our 800 Free Relay. I think Josh Bottelberghe has some opportunit y in front of him to really establish himself as one of the nation’s top breaststrokers.”

With the greatest collegiate field set to face off, the Irish would like to leave this meet w ith more than just good times.

“Since I’ve been at Notre Dame, we’ve had our highest NCA A finish, which is 23rd, t wo years ago,” Litzinger said. “We certainly want to surpass that, but the goal is to sw im fast, be competitive and enjoy ourselves doing it. I think if we do that, we’re going to be in really good shape.”

Notre Dame Men’s Sw imming and Div ing w ill compete March 24-27 in Greensboro, North Carolina at the NCA A Championship meet.

Softball

The second game was any thing but back and forth, w ith the Irish jumping on early and finishing strong, w inning by a score of 9-1 in just 5 innings by way of the mercy rule.

The Irish hit five home runs as a team, three of which came from standout firstyear first baseman Karina Gaskins.

Tidd was dominant in the circle, retiring 15 of the 21 batters she faced, mov ing her record to 6-4 on the year.

On Sunday, the Irish again started hot, scoring five runs in the first three innings.

The top of the order did most of the damage, including a solo home run from senior outfielder Abby Sweet, who extended her on-base streak to 36 games. That was more than enough to secure the w in while Holloway held it dow n in the circle.

Holloway allowed just t wo runs in five innings pitched, good for a record of 6-3 on the year.

The Irish took the game by a score of 6-2, and the series 3-1.

W hile the Irish accomplished the goal of a first conference series w in, they still have expectations to live up to.

They sit at seventh in the ACC standings, while holding the second-best team batting average (.304) and fourth-best team earned run average (2.04).

For now, they’ll have to shift their focus to the Valparaiso Crusaders (5-11, 1-2 MVC), who w ill travel to Melissa Cook Stadium on March 24 when the Irish host their first home game of the season.

W hile the Irish are the clear favorites on paper, first-year hurler Caitly n Kowalski of the Crusaders could present a challenge. She currently boasts an ER A of 3.43 and has three complete games in eight starts.

Students w ishing to attend the home opener this Wednesday w ill be expected to show current identification.

Physically distanced seating w ill be prov ided on a f irst-come, f irst-ser ved basis.

Continued from page 16

Katie Marino left her mark on the game, hitting a bases-clearing double to put the Irish up 5-2.

The Yellow Jackets responded w ith a run of their ow n, but senior A lex is Holloway emphatically answered her call from the bullpen, striking out the last batter of the game to earn her first save of the season and give the Irish the w in w ith a 5-3 score.

In the first game of the double-header Saturday, the Irish found themselves in a back-and-forth offensive battle.

They found great production at the top of the lineup, w ith the first four hitters in the order spray ing five singles and t wo extrabase hits throughout the yard, but they ultimately came up just short, losing by a score of 7-8.

Senior pitcher Morgan Ryan earned her first loss of the year on 2.1 innings pitched.

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | The Observer

13

Sports Authority

Why did Mitchell Trubisky choose to be the Buffalo Bills backup quarterback?

Mannion McGinley Sports Editor

A s a Pat s fa n, I have a ha rd t i me u nder st a nd i ng w hy a nyone i n t he N F L (or ever) wou ld w a nt to play for t he Bu f fa lo Bi l l s.

Fu r t her more, w hy wou ld you w a nt to be a back up qua r terback on t he Bu f fa lo Bi l l s ?

Yes. I’m look i ng at you, M itchel l Tr ubi sk y.

I ju st don’t see t he log ic.

The Bears Um, yea h, h i.

He’s M itchel l Tr ubi sk y.

He’s t he Bea r s qua r terback .

Yes, t h i s yea r w a s toug h, but t hat w a s t r ue ac ross t he boa rd (t wo word s : Ca m. New ton).

Yet h i s nu mber s never d ipped below h i s rook ie sea son, so how bad of a yea r cou ld it have been for him?

I n 2017, Tr ubi sk y t h rew for 59.4% complet ion a nd a n even spl it bet ween seven touchdow n s a nd i ntercept ion s.

I n 2020 t houg h, he had a 67% complet ion r ate, w it h 16 touchdow n s a nd eig ht i ntercept ion s.

A l so, i n si x fewer ga mes t h i s sea son, Tr ubi sk y fel l on ly 1,0 0 0 pa ssi ng y a rd s.

E spec ia l ly a s he’s on ly headed i nto h i s f i f t h yea r, a nd he’s doi ng so u n i nju red, he’s not ex ac t ly a loose c a n non.

So rea l ly, w hy d rop h i m now ?

T he f ree agenc y pool i s not t hat big — a nd he dw a r fed a bu nch of t he member s of t hat pool — so

it becomes even sma l ler a f ter rejec t i ng h i m.

L ord help t he Bea r s i f t he y ’re rely i ng solely on f lu ke Super Bow l C ha mpion Nick Foles.

He ju st i sn’t goi ng to c ut it . I f a ny t h i ng , Foles i s t he rea son t h i s sea son w a s toug h for t he Bea r s.

T he ma n went 2-5 i n t he ga mes he played a nd had a 10 -8 touchdow n-to-i ntercept ion rat io.

T he ow ner sh ip shou ld n’t have been so bl i nded by t he f r u st rat ion s of t he 2020 sea son.

I n stead, t he y shou ld have st uck it out one more yea r, at lea st to see w hat t he pool wou ld look l i ke t hen.

T he y most def i n itely a ren’t goi ng to get a ny vetera n w ho i s t hat much better t h i s yea r.

At lea st New ton ha s enoug h ex per ience ( bot h w it h w hat to do a nd w hat not to do) to help g u ide someone f rom t he d r a f t .

Foles does not .

He ha sn’t been a ny w here long enoug h to bu i ld a st rong ba se.

T he Bea r s a re goi ng to m i ss Tr ubi sk y i n 2021 a lot more t ha n t he y rea l i z e.

(A l so — spoi ler — Nick M i l ler, t he big gest C h ic ago Bea r s fa n i n recent T V h i stor y, na med h i s k id a f ter Tr ubi sk y on New Gi rl.

You c a n’t ig nore dest i ny l i ke t hat .)

Josh Allen Even i f leav i ng w a s a good idea, la st t i me I checked, Josh A l len i s f u l ly on t he Bi l l s roster.

He a l so took t he Bi l l s to a not her A FC

C ha mpion sh ip t h i s yea r a f ter w i n n i ng t he A FC Ea st w it h a record of 13-3.

A l len w a s play i ng wel l above h i s u sua l c a l iber a l l sea son.

I n a yea r w it hout COV I D rest r ic t ion s ( hopef u l ly), a nd w it h fa n sec t ion s i n some c apac it y, w ho’s to say he doesn’t play bet ter?

On paper, Tr ubi sk y i s bet ter.

Tr ubi sk y ha s been i n t he 6 0s i n complet ion percent age si nce h i s second yea r, w herea s A l len on ly sk y rocketed f rom 58.8 % to 69. 2 % i n t he 2020 sea son.

T he t h i ng i s, t houg h, A l len may not have a lw ay s been t he best, but he’s on t he up.

H i s y a rdage ha s ju mped by 10 0 0 + y a rd s ever y season a nd h i s touchdow n s i n a sea son have a l l gone up 10 + each yea r w h i le i ntercept ion s have st ayed pret t y st ag na nt . Tr ubi sk y on teh ot her ha nd ha s been bou nc i ng bet ween t he level of per for ma nce he put s on.

A l so, h i s hav i ng more sk i l l won’t mea n a ny t h i ng for h i m w it h t he Bi l l s i f he — or t he y — c a n’t t u r n it i nto a ny t h i ng.

T he y have fou nd a rhy t h m w it h Josh A l len w het her Pat s fa n s l i ke it or not .

I f he keeps on h i s t rend — w h ich i s l i kely at 24 — he w i l l be on t r ack for success w it h t he Bi l l s a nd Tr ubi sk y w i l l not see t he f ield.

T hat c a n not have been h i s best opt ion.

T he on ly w ay Tr ubi sk y sees t he f ield i s i f A l len get s hu r t or rever t s to h i s old w ay s, w h ich he seemed to

do a l it t le bit i n t he A FC C ha mpion sh ip ga me.

But, t h i s i sn’t prom i si ng eit her, t houg h, bec au se i f a coach i ng st a f f t hat ha s had t h ree yea r s w it h A l len c a n not ma ke posit ive cha nge st ick w it h h i m, w ho’s to say t he y c a n w it h Tr ubi sk y ?

It wou ld be a w a ste of t i me to t r y.

The Patriots T here were st a r t i ng qua r terback posit ion s t hat it seemed l i ke Tr ubi sk y cou ld have had i f he w a nted.

T he Pat r iot s, for st a r ter s, w a ited a decent bit before resig n i ng New ton.

I wou ld’ve been more t ha n t h r i l led to welcome Tr ubi sk y bec au se Bel ich ick wou ld’ve k now n w hat to do w it h h i m.

Bel ich ick cou ld have t u r ned h i m back i nto t he player people ex pec ted h i m to be.

He cou ld’ve been t he nex t na me on t he g row i ng l i st of player s w ho fou nd t hei r reset i n Fox boroug h : A keem Ayer s, A la n Br a nch, Pat r ick C hu ng , Br a ndon L a Fel l, etc. a l l fou nd new roles on t he New E ng la nd roster.

T h i s shou ld’ve been Tr ubi sk y too.

It ’s a l so not l i ke t he Bi l l s gave h i m a ny ma ssive nu mber t he Pat r iot s cou ld n’t have come up w it h.

He’l l receive a $ 50 0,0 0 0 sig n i ng bonu s w it h $1.5 m i l l ion g ua r a nteed a nd t he oppor t u n it y to ma ke up to $ 4.5 m i l l ion tot a l.

New ton’s nu mber s a ren’t t hat fa r of f, nor do I t h i n k New ton’s

nu mber s shou ld be a nyw here nea r t hat i f t h i s i s w hat Tr ubi sk y i s get t i ng.

Anyone else?

How had no one else reached out for Tr ubisk y, a nd why d id n’t he wa it to see i f someone wou ld ?

Ot her tea ms wou ld at lea st have more use for a back up t ha n t he Bi l ls.

T hey eit her have a n older i nju r y-prone sta r t i ng sig na l-ca l ler l i ke t he Wa sh i ng ton Footba l l Tea m a nd A lex Sm it h, or At la nta a nd Pit tsbu rg h just hav i ng older ca l lers.

T here a re tea ms w it h f la i l i ng you ng ones l i ke t he Jets a nd Sa m Da r nold.

Or, some just have you ng QBs who cou ld just use some help or someone to rely on.

QBs l i ke Just i n Herber t on t he L os A ngeles Cha rgers or Kyler Mu r ray on t he A r i zona Ca rd i na ls.

Tr ubisk y is whol ly u nderrated by t he leag ue at t h is poi nt.

I rea l ly don’t t h i n k backup for t he Bi l ls wa s h is best opt ion, nor do I t h i n k — shou ld he play h is ca rds r ig ht — it w i l l be t he end of hea r i ng f rom h i m.

Maybe he w i l l t u r n up i n t he spa re pieces i n Foxboroug h t hat bu i ld a bra nd new dy na st ic mach i ne.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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 all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

Wanted Alumni founded, local nonprofit is searching for soical media director to build a social media presence. Must be proficent in Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Great CV builder! Contact the Student Mental Health Foundation at Contact@StudentMH.org for more information.

Hey, uh, what’s up? / Just calling to see if you’re still up / But

straight to voicemail, uh / Yeah, no biggy / Um, if you’re up or whatever just, just hit me up, um Now you’re calling / 3 a.m., my head is spinning / Pushed off the sheets from my bed / ‘Cause the phone keeps ringing / All I keep thinking is have I lost my mind? / But I’m picking up for the last time Either way I’m gonna lose / But I just wanna give / I just can’t stop staring at it / I just can’t resist / I’m floating away / Keep floating away / Floating

away, floating away / I’m floating away / Keep floating away / Floating away, floating away You and I don’t have to meet / But it’s fun to think we could / On the script and in my jeans / Just make me feel good.

Now you’re calling / 3 a.m., my head is spinning. / Pushed off the sheets from my bed / ‘Cause the phone keeps ringing / All I keep thinking is have I lost my mind? / But I’m picking up for the last time

Please recycle The Observer.

14

Sports

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND MEN’s LACROSSE

ND Women’s soccer

Irish blowout Vikings 19-5 Observer Staff Report

The sun shone down on Notre Dame’s men’s lacrosse team (No. 8, 4-0) as they defeated Cleveland State (2-5) in a blowout, 19-5, on Saturday in Arlotta stadium. This win maintained their perfect season and extended the winning streak to four.

The Irish had 14 different scorers, led by sophomore attack Pat Kavanagh with four, junior attack/midfielder Griffin Westlin who had two and junior midfielder Quentin Buchman with two of his own.

This was Kavanagh’s third hat trick, and he achieved it within 12 minutes of the start of the game.

Westlin and Kavanagh also had three and one assists, respectively. Senior attack Mikey Drake, first-year Eric Dobson, junior midfielder Quinn McCahon and first-year attack Bryce Walker all also made both the scoring and assisting lists.

M Soccer Continued from page 16

But the lead was shortlived. The Demon Deacons mounted a quick response, tying things up 10 minutes later with a goal by Wake Forest sophomore midfielder Omar Hernandez.

This maintained throughout the remainder of the half, with neither team able to gain advantage. Returning for the second half, the Irish once again got out to a quick start, nearly reclaiming the lead on a cross delivered from senior midfielder Townsend Meyer to McCartney.

While Wake Forest redshirt firstyear goalkeeper Cole McNally made the save, Notre Dame’s patience paid off when Meyer delivered nearly the exact same cross to senior forward Aiden McFadden.

McFadden delivered a strong header into the far corner to put the Irish on top with nineteen minutes remaining.

“I think we’ve made good starts to most games,” Riley said. “… I’m proud of the way the groups come on, you know, getting the lead. And obviously, this is the first game I think in a long time that we’ve gotten the lead and we didn’t see it through.”

Like deja vu, the rest of the game was all Wake Forest.

Six minutes after McFadden’s goal, Wake Forest first-year midfielder Ryan Fessler snuck a long-range shot past Irish senior goalkeeper Keagan McLaughlin for the equalizer. In the 89th minute,

The Irish defense locked down the Vikings as best as possible, and starting goalie sophomore Liam Entenmann made nine saves in the first three quarters before he and relief goalie senior Matt Schmidt held down a shutout in the fourth quarter. In keeping them to five goals, the pair marked a season low in goals for the Vikings.

Notre Dame stayed on the offensive for most of the game.

The Irish dominated in getting shots off (57-30) and in the faceoffs, w inning 22 out of 28 faceoffs. Graduate student Kyle Gallagher won 12 of his 13 faceoffs and recovered eight ground balls. The other eight of t welve went to graduate student Charlie Leonard, who also had four ground balls and a goal.

The Irish w ill take the field again at home at noon on Saturday, against the Virginia Cavaliers, hoping to extend their w inning streak to five.

Demon Deacon first-year defender Jahlane Forbes set up junior forward Kyle Holcomb to deliver the dagger over Riley’s team. Riley described that final minute as a “sucker punch,” but reiterated that he didn’t fault anyone for what happened down the stretch.

“I think you always want to have that composure, in those final 10 minutes or even going into overtime,” Riley said. “It’s just a little kind of an unfortunate series of events that led them to get a kind of fortunate, fortunate look ... It just fell for the other team and they capitalized.”

Riley said the late start to the semester put his team at a slight disadvantage in terms of their training timeline but has been pleased with their response.

“We’ve been playing well, training well. I think we got a little bit of a later start than a lot of our opponents [for] the second half of our season due to just the academic calendar,” he said. “… We knew it was a great opportunity in the game, and I think the performance kind of meant that I think we’re a little unfortunate not to get the right result, but I’m really pleased with the way the team played.”

The Irish will return to play this Saturday, hosting North Carolina. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. The will be available to stream on ACC Network Extra.

Contact Charlotte Edmonds at cedmond@nd.edu

ND clinches Senior Day win in sole home game Observer Staff Report

Notre Dame women’s soccer pocketed their sixth w in — and sixth shutout performance — of the season after dow ning the Missouri Tigers March 20 w ith a final score of 2-0. This was the team’s only home game on the schedule, and therefore acted as Senior Day for the Irish.

Senior for ward Eva Hurm was a standout of the day, scoring her first goal of the season w ithin the beginning 30 minutes of play before performing her third assist. After halftime, sophomore midfielder Maddie Mercado netted the second

W Lax Continued from page 16

Graduate student midfielder Savannah Buchanan also helped contribute to the big w in w ith four turnovers and three points (recording both a goal and t wo assists), in addition to a pair of draw controls and leading the team in ground balls w ith three.

The Irish led the Flames in ever y box score categor y except for saves, fouls and turnovers.

Ly nch would lead the Irish in scoring again when they travelled to Louisv ille

W Swim Continued from page 16

usually is because it’s the national championship.

You’re seeing a lot of fast swimming and diving.”

The times in the pool also helped create lots of energy, with both Stewart and Gillilan earning honorable mention all-American status.

Stewart won the distinction for her performance in the 200-meter Backstroke, while Gillilan set two team records for going 51.60 in the 100-meter Butterf ly and 1:53.94 in the 200-meter Fly. Litzinger highlighted two standout swimmers, saying “Coleen and Bayley really took advantage of having the meet this year and did their thing!”

On the diving side, Straub also earned

point for the Irish, clinching the w in.

With the exception of the t wo Irish goals, it was a game of close opportunities and missed chances. Missouri had a shot at scoring early on as a lone for ward took on senior goaltender Jaina Eckert, who made a sliding tack le to shut them dow n.

This was quick ly followed by an Irish attempt at a goal by senior defender Jenna Winebrenner, whose shot was blocked by a Tigers defender. W hen junior midfielder Louisa Delgado tried again 20 minutes later, the ball f lew just high of the net, ricocheting off of the

crossbar.

This trend continued into the second half, when t wo more attempts by Delgado also proved futile. In response, the Irish defense elevated their game play.

Winebrenner’s sliding stop derailed what would have been a goal for the Tigers, keeping them off of the board. Eckert executed a final save after Missouri’s corner kick, solidif y ing Notre Dame’s w in.

The Irish look ahead to their next away game in Law rence, Kansas as they face the Kansas Jayhawks on March 28.

on Sunday.

The Huntington, New York, native added five goals and an assist in the 15-10 rout of the Cardinals (4-4, 0-3 ACC).

Ly nch now has 20 goals on the season along w ith four assists, leading the team w ith 24 points.

Sophomore attack Jackie Wolak also added a career-high four points w ith t wo goals and a pair of assists.

Fellow sophomore attack Madison A hern also added a pair of goals and an assist in the w in over the

Cardinals.

Buchanan had two caused turnovers to bring her season total to a team-high of 16 and has caused multiple turnovers in five of six games this season.

The Irish w ill resume action on Sunday when they travel to Durham, North Carolina, for a highly anticipated matchup against the No. 7 Duke Blue Dev ils.

Opening draw at Koskinen Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET, and the game w ill be streamed live on ACC Net work Extra.

honorable mention AllAmerican status for her performance in the 3-meter event.

Litzinger said he hopes the success of his group that competed at the NCA A Championships rubs off on the rest of the team.

“I’m very proud of the women that came here, and I hope they share their experience with the rest of the team moving forward, because it is a special experience to have,” he said. “It’s very unique.

You have to work to get here, so they need to share that with their teammates at home, and hopefully next year we’re having a lot more kids represent Notre Dame at the national championship meet.”

Litzinger said he is excited about what his team will be able to accomplish in the coming years.

“I think that we’re going to have to focus on our physical presence and how we can improve our strength, our conditioning, and our competitive attitudes,” he said. “I want them in that competitive cauldron.

We have to find a way to increase the fire in our belly to be great.”

Already in preparation for next year, Litzinger said the team who did not travel to NCA A already has a jump on their competitive attitude for next year.

“We’re much better than we showed this year,” he said. “And we don’t want to leave those stones unturned anymore.”

Notre Dame Men’s Swimming and Diving will compete at NCA A Championships on March 24-27.

Contact Sean Kelley at skelley5@nd.edu

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | The Observer

15

FOOTBALL | WaY Too Early

Way Too Early Preview: Irish set to revive in-state rivalry against Purdue Observer Staff Report

We are back w ith another Way Too Early prev iew for the 2021 Notre Dame football season, so let’s get into it.

Opponent: Purdue Boilermakers Date : Sept. 18, 2021 Location: Notre Dame Stadium Kickoff: TBD

History of the matchup Some consider this matchup a classic rivalr y, as the in-state clash was once played ever y year, but this battle w ith the Boilermakers w ill represent the Irish’s first meeting w ith Purdue since 2014. Notre Dame has dominated the overall series, w ith a 56-26-2 record, including five straight v ictories from 2008-2014 (seven if you include vacated w ins in 2012 and 2013). In three valid games against Purdue in the Brian Kelly era, the Irish have given up 12 points per game and scored 30 points per contest en route to three relatively easy v ictories.

Purdue’s last w in in the series came in 2007, and their last v ictor y at Notre Dame Stadium came three years earlier in 2004.

The Irish and Boilermakers have almost always played in September.

Since 1965, only three games have not: a pair of games on Oct. 1, 2005 and Oct. 2, 2004, and a rescheduled game that took place in December 2001 due to the 9/11 attacks. Because of these early-season matchups, plus Purdue’s recent inabilit y to build any kind of title contender, meaningful matchups for the Shillelagh Trophy have been few and far bet ween.

Notable clashes include the 2010 battle, as Notre Dame’s 3-4 defense shut dow n Purdue in a 23-12 v ictor y — Brian Kelly’s first as head coach. In their last game before the modern era, Notre Dame slammed the Boilermakers 52-7 in 1988, a dominating statement w in en route to their most recent national championship. That 2004 Purdue v ictor y, a dismal 41-16 beatdow n, still represents Purdue’s only w in in South Bend since 1974, as Notre Dame has racked up an 18-1 record play ing at home versus the Boilermakers in the 40 years follow ing that ‘74 loss. They’ll look to run that record to 19-1 w ith a

Sept. 18 v ictor y in the 2021 season.

attempts.

2021 outlook 2020 performance Purdue played in the abbrev iated Big 10 season during the fall of 2020, stumbling their way to a 2-4 season in a conference-only schedule. The Boilermakers started out strong w ith v ictories over Iowa, who finished in the Top 20, and a road w in against Illinois.

However, a COV ID-induced cancellation threw an unexpected pause into the season, and a tough home loss to eventual Big 10 West champion Northwestern sent the Boilermakers into a tailspin.

Purdue lost consecutive one-possession decisions, dropping games to Minnesota and Rutgers, before ending their 2020 campaign w ith a bad 37-27 loss to Nebraska, finishing in sixth place in the West Div ision.

Indiv idually, the Boilermakers had t wo quarterbacks see significant action, w ith Aidan O’Connell and Jack Plummer putting up similar numbers and combining for 15 touchdow ns and four interceptions. Redshirt junior A lexander Hor vath was the key offensive play maker, racking up 442 yards on the ground and 304 receiving yards, w ith a pair of touchdow ns on the season.

Sophomore Dav id Bell was the biggest passing game threat, averaging nearly nine receptions, 104 yards and 1.3 touchdow ns per game in 2020. He w ill return as a prominent play maker in 2021.

Defensively, Purdue struggled dow n the stretch, allow ing 36 points per game in their final three contests.

Junior safet y Damarcus Mitchell was a key player in blitz packages, notching six tack les for loss and a sack.

Junior defensive end Derrick Barnes had 5.5 TFL and an interception, while sophomore cornerback Cam A llen had the other two interceptions recorded by the Boilermakers’ defense.

On special teams, Purdue saw a strong effort from redshirt senior JD Dillinger, who was perfect on PATs and 7-9 on field goals. The Boilermakers largely utilized two punters, w ith sophomore Brooks Cormier putting up slightly better numbers, averaging over 40 yards per punt on 14

Barring unexpected changes, Purdue will enter 2021 as a middle-to-below average team in the Big 10, again with head coach Jeff Brohm at the helm. 2021 will be Brohm’s fifth season with the Boilermakers after he spent three years with Western Kentucky.

Offensively, fifth-year O’Connell and junior Plummer return in a QB battle for the starting job in 2021. With both putting up solid numbers, the Boilermakers are in decent position under center, regardless of who takes over.

Bell, a junior, and Horvath, a fifth-year, return as key figures in the Purdue offense, so the nucleus of offensive production remains the same, leading to some promising potential for the Boilermakers on that side of the ball.

Defensively, junior Cam Allen returns as Purdue’s top playmaker, although he’s listed as a safety rather than a cornerback on the spring roster. Mitchell will also return as a valuable asset in the secondary, but Barnes departs for the NFL draft, leaving some question marks within Purdue’s front seven. While Purdue did not bring in a dynamic recruiting class — ranking last in the Big 10 after only securing 15 commits — their one four-star prospect could help in this area, as Yanni Karlaftis elected to stay in his hometown and play for the Boilermakers. Karlaftis, an outside linebacker, is easily the top recruit in the class and could be a day-one starter as a freshman. Beyond Karlaftis, Purdue will look to a young group of players at the linebacker and defensive line positions to step up and be playmakers for a defensive unit that really struggled down the stretch in 2020.

The kicking position is a definite question mark for Purdue, following the graduation of Dillinger. They have four players at the position — all sophomores or younger — that did not attempt a PAT or field goal last season. Cormier returns as a strong option in the punting game, but spring practices may go a long way towards determining who’s taking over the kicking duties in West Lafayette.

As a team, Purdue will have a strong chance at entering this game 2-0, with their biggest test prior to Notre Dame

being a season-opening home game against Oregon State. The Beavers went 2-5 in Pac-12 play, although they did notch a solid victory over Oregon. After facing OSU, Purdue travels to UConn for what should be a near-automatic win before taking on Notre Dame in South Bend.

Meanwhile, should Notre Dame survive a season-opening road trip to Florida State and a home game against Toledo, the Fighting Irish will also enter this game 2-0, giving this game some early meaning and a chance for Purdue to secure a likely top15 victory in September.

(Way Too Early) Predictions Aidan Thomas - Sports Writer The offense will likely have settled in — be it under Jack Coan (most likely) or Tyler Buchner. Look for Notre Dame to have experimented with their aerial attack and new receivers against Toledo the week before, getting them ready for this clash with Purdue. Against a below-average Purdue defense, I don’t think offense is going to be an issue for the Irish in this one.

Given that Purdue does return their playmakers, and they too should be coming off a gimme win, Notre Dame should not overlook what Purdue can do offensively.

This game reminds me a little bit of last year’s Florida State game, as the Irish torched an abysmal Florida State defense but looked shaky at times defensively, before securing a 42-26 win. With Wisconsin and Cincinnati awaiting the Irish in the ensuing two weeks, and coming after a likely easy win, Purdue does have that classic trap game feel, so I think Purdue may at least keep this one close in the early going with a touchdown or two.

However, I trust Notre Dame’s defense to respond to adversity and shut down the Boilermakers after some early struggles, and they’ll run away with a big third quarter in this one.

Final: Notre Purdue 20

Dame

49,

Emily DeFazio - Associate Sports Editor Considering Purdue’s recent track record, it should be a relatively uncomplicated decision to give the game to the Irish. Purdue does not have a top-ranked recruiting class to fill out their roster with, and several areas in their lineup still remain shaky. Notre Dame has a solid group of talent from

the past recruiting cycle to add to an already skilled team.

However, this should not be cause for Notre Dame to rest easy.

Purdue will most likely be coming off of an upswing after gaining momentum from two early wins in the season and will have some strong players returning on both sides of the ball. This could give the Irish a run for their money. As of now, though Coan is likely to start at quarterback, there will definitely be a battle for the coveted position, and I wouldn’t put it past Kelly to try out different options right up to the first kickoff of the season.

This could cause the offense to start off a little shaky. We also saw in 2020 that a relatively easy matchup for Notre Dame could turn into a struggle, as the Irish just beat Louisville (who finished their regular season 4-7 as compared to Notre Dame’s 10-0) 12-7 with only a single touchdown to show for it.

Yet, I still believe Notre Dame will come out on top — our team is the stronger competitor in this one, with too much talent on both sides of the ball to let the game go.

Final: Notre Purdue 17

Dame

38,

Mannion McGinley - Sports Editor All of the 2020 season, college football fans talked about how being 6-0 was not enough to establish if a team is actually any good. Ohio State proved that idea to be beyond wrong.

In the same vein, I believe it is much more telling than it might seem to finish a sixgame season 2-4.

With a strong incoming class for the Irish and a less-thanstellar Purdue defense after their 2020 performance, I don’t expect too much from the Boilermakers. The one space where Notre Dame tends to fall though is when they head into a game expecting a win.

That mentality tends to cause a mess for the Irish. Both teams should be off of a fairly easy win, so it will be interesting to see who responds better to a more challenging game the next week. I don’t expect them to, but if the Irish cannot step up to the challenge, they will have to do some second-half reworking as we’ve all seen them do.

Doesn’t mean that will be too hard if it has to happen though.

The one thing about this frustrating Irish pattern is that they eventually pull through on the other end.

Final: Notre Purdue 13

Dame

21,

16

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 24, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd SOFTBALL

nd men’s Soccer

Squad falls 3-2 to Wake Forest

By CHARLOTTE EDMONDS Senior Sports Writer

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 22.

In one of its highest profile soccer matchups of the year, Notre Dame nearly pulled off the upset over No. 5 Wake Forest at home Saturday. The Irish (8-6, 4-4 ACC) scored first and set the tone for much of the game, but ultimately conceded a w inning goal in minute 89 in a 3-2 loss at A lumni Stadium. The Irish wasted no time, getting two shots off and earning two corner kicks in the first five minutes of play. W hile junior defender Philip Quinton went dow n w ith an injur y early on, the rest of the team got involved, putting pressure on the Wake Forest (10-2-1, 2-0-1 ACC) defense.

In the 8th minute, Notre Dame had a long throw in

Irish win first ACC series, look to first home game

from the left sideline that ricocheted around the 6-yard box before senior midfielder Dawson McCartney drilled a shot into the back of the net. McCartney joined the Irish roster in December as a transfer from Dartmouth, where he was Iv y League Rookie of the Year in 2017. W hile he didn’t play this past fall season due to the Iv y League’s cancellation of all sports, he recorded eight goals over the course of his prev ious three seasons w ith the Big Green.

“I think he’s done great. I think he’s really fit into the to the team really well, just as a person,” head coach Chad Riley said of McCartney. “And then I think we certainly knew what he could do as a player and I think we’ve been really happy w ith the way he’s been play ing.” see M SOCCER PAGE 14

Observer Staff Report

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish junior pitcher Paton Tidd winds up a pitch during Notre Dame’s win over IUPUI on April 2, 2019 at Melissa Cook Stadium.

This past weekend, t he Irish (12-8, 6-6 ACC) t raveled to At la nta, Georg ia, for a fourga me weekend series, look ing to close out a long road t rip t hrough t he Sout heast w it h t heir f irst conference series w in of t he season.

They k icked of f t he series aga inst t he Georg ia Tech Yel low Jackets on Friday, in what quick ly beca me a duel bet ween t he sta r t ing pitchers.

Junior Pay ton Tidd was solid t hroughout.

She pitched 6.2 innings whi le scattering just f ive hits a nd ea rning her f if t h w in of t he season.

Entering t he last inning w it h t he score sitt ing at 2-2, f if t h-yea r senior a nd second basema n see SOFTBALL PAGE 12

ND WOMEN’s Swim

ND Women’s Lax

Irish grab pair of victories ND takes on NCAA Championships over Liberty, Louisville Observer Staff Report

By SEAN KELLEY Spor ts Writer

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 22.

The No. 4 Fighting Irish (4-2, 1-2 ACC) earned some redemption this past weekend w ith a pair of v ictories over Libert y and No. 15 Louisv ille. The Irish had suffered back to back losses to the No. 2-ranked Sy racuse Orange (5-0, 3-0 ACC) the week before.

The Irish hosted the Libert y Flames (4-4, 0-0 ASUN) Friday at Arlotta Stadium and were able to handle them steadily in a 19-5 v ictor y. Graduate student Samantha Ly nch and senior Maddie Howe paced the Irish w ith four goals apiece in attack.

A ll four of Howe’s goals came during the first half, which helped cushion Notre Dame’s lead to 9-4 by halftime. see W LAX PAGE 14

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 22.

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish graduate student attack Jessi Masinko looks to pass up field during Notre Dame’s 19-5 home win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 19.

As the last hand hit the wall at the Greensboro Aquatic Center for the NC A A Women’s Championships, the Universit y of Notre Dame Women’s Sw imming and Div ing team left the arena w ith a sense of accomplishment that no personal record or medal can compare w ith.

The team was represented by first-year sw immer Megan Deuel; sophomore sw immer Coleen Gillilan; junior sw immers Sammie Eyolfson, Madeline LaPorte, Bayley Stewart and Luciana Thomas; and senior diver Kelly Straub.

Head coach Mike Litzinger said his studentathletes ex ited the pool know ing that they competed fiercely during the strangest year in

recent histor y, something each indiv idual w ill carr y w ith them for the future. “[They blocked] out the noise of COV ID and the ‘We can’t get it done this year’ attitude, and they went around and decided that they were going to get something done,” he said.

Beyond the overarching aspects and connotations of the meet, great successes occurred in the pool and on the deck.

Litzinger said that while the scener y was different, there was still plent y of energ y for the Notre Dame sw immers to feed off of.

“You could tell when a Notre Dame sw immer was up on the block because you could hear the rest of the girls,” he said. “It was just as exciting as the meet see W SWIM PAGE 14