Legends amplifies student programming
The restaurant’s recent endeavors were carried out in hopes of becoming a ‘student hangout’By PETER BREEN News Writer
On a Tuesday evening earlier this semester, dozens of students representing five dorms piled into the club side of Legends, the Universityrun restaurant 100 yards south of Notre Dame Stadium.
In the “Battle of the Burger,” teams of about two to three students had five minutes and more than 30 potential ingredients to craft a hamburger that pleased a panel of judges and could get featured on Legends’ menu. While their dormmates scrambled to prepare presentable dishes, attendees hung back at tables spread across the venue, enjoying complimentary food and drinking beer.
Legends general manager
Rakell
Alabama court case ignites IVF debate
By GRACE TADAJWESKI Associate News EditorIn late February, an Alabama Supreme Court case ruled three couples, whose frozen embryos had been lost, could sue the In vitro fertilization (IVF) and hospital associated with the accident. The court case founded the couples’ ability to sue based on wrongful death of a minor child.
Since the ruling, IVF clinics in Alabama have temporarily stopped their operations to evaluate their practices and possible changes in light of the case. Beyond Alabama, the Supreme Court case highlights the debate surrounding IVF across the United States.
“To govern ourselves wisely, justly and humanely, we must begin by articulating the problem before us in its full complexity, without question begging,” law professor Carter Snead said.
Snead, an expert on bioethics and director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, testified in front of the United States Senate Committee on the judiciary on March 20. Snead discussed how he believes the government should move forward to address
the varied policies regarding abortion and IVF.
In his testimony, Snead called upon the need for accuracy within the legal landscape, which was highlighted as an effect of Alabama’s IVF ruling.
“A recent Alabama case has been widely misdescribed as a theocratic power grab heralding the demise of IVF,” Snead said. “In fact, the victorious plaintiffs there were IVF patients suing a clinic for the negligent destruction of their frozen embryos, using a civil statute that already allowed such claims for the death of embryos in the womb. The decision did not depend on and had nothing to do with Dobbs. In response, the conservative legislature and governor moved immediately to grant blanket civil and criminal immunity to IVF clinics for such misconduct.”
While the conversation surrounding this ruling draws national attention, various student groups within the Notre Dame community have found relevance and voice in this conversation.
“Unfortunately, in the process
see IVF PAGE 4
Henderson and Laura O’Brien, a marketing program manager with University Enterprises and Events, said they want more student events to occur at the restaurant. “We would like to build the student programming,” Henderson told The Observer in January. “I would say it is at a zero right now, and I would love to see it at 100 by the end of the year.”
So far this year, on top of the burger-building contest, Legends has hosted shows by the stand-up comedy club, Latin dance nights, an AcoustiCafé, a senior class social, a trivia night for off-campus students and a Galentine’s Day get-together.
O’Brien said the ramp-up of student programming is part of an
Assistant attorney general discusses antitrust laws
By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News EditorFor the first time in a century, antitrust laws are at “the center of the public consciousness,” assistant attorney general for the antitrust division of the Department of Justice Jonathan Kanter said during a conversation with law professor Roger Alford Tuesday afternoon in the Eck Hall of Law.
Kanter argued the focus on these laws, which seek to limit monopolies
and foster competition, comes from a dissatisfaction with the state of the American economy. “[It’s] a sign that many people in the country feel like the American Dream is no longer available,” he said.
Kanter was confirmed by the Senate in Nov. 2021 and was appointed to his position by President Biden. He noted the efforts to more consistently enforce century-old antitrust laws, such as the Sherman and Clayton Acts, began under the Trump administration. Although
he argued the current administration has been the most aggressive in its enforcement of the laws in recent history.
Kanter stressed the desire to better enforce existing antitrust laws has been authentically bipartisan in recent years, despite Democrats tending to be more critical of large corporations than Republicans. Both parties recognize the risks posed by monopolies, he argued, with
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Luis Rafael Lopez freshman Morrissey Manor
“Richmond Valentine from ‘The Kingsmen.’”
Tim Courau junior off-campus
“Ryan Howard from ‘The Office.’”
Wesley Buonerba sophomore Morrissey Manor
“Mother Gothel from ‘Tangled.’”
Jane Stapleford sophomore Lyons Hall
“Darth Vader.”
Mary Quirk junior Ryan Hall
“Fire Lord Ozai from ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender.’”
Sarah Mirkin junior Ryan Hall
“Scar from ‘The Lion King.’”
Wednesday
Nanovic Forum
Lecture
Jenkins Nanovic Halls
12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
British ambassador to Mongolia will speak.
Holy Cross Campus Ministry Lecture St. Joseph Chapel
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Talk about Blessed
Basil Moreau.
Thursday
Nonviolence, Religion and Peace Dialogue Hesburgh Center
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Talk on racism, sexism and Christianity.
Film: “Fallen Leaves” Debartolo Performing Arts Center
9:30 p.m. - 10:50 p.m.
Screening of the acclaimed Finnish film.
Friday
Sign of the Times Lecture Geddes Hall noon - 1 p.m.
Diversity and inclusion in South Bend talk.
Saint Mary’s Softball Purcell Athletic Fields 3 p.m.
The Belles play Wheaton in a doubleheader.
Saturday
Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse 1 p.m.
Arlotta Stadium Notre Dame takes on Duke.
Africa Night Hesburgh Library
SMC College Democrats call for a new dialogue
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA Saint Mary’s News EditorUnveiling their club’s revival with a tabling session last Thursday, the College Democrats of Saint Mary’s College has returned to campus after a brief hiatus.
Last week’s tabling session allowed students to sign-up for the club’s email list, ask questions and follow various club-provided resource links. Sophomore and president of the club Alli Jablonski said she reinstated the club after learning it had dispersed from lack of potential leadership.
“[The past executive board] kind of fell off because three of the executive board members graduated, then one girl studied abroad in the fall, and then there was only one left on campus to run [the club],” Jablonski said. “[Later,] I shared my ideas with them, and they were like, ‘Go for it,’ and that was that.”
Wanting to provide a safe space for students to discuss politics and ensure equal representation of political parties, Jablonski had the idea of starting the club back up in early January. She turned to sophomore and now vice president Kayli Zelinske-Mader, who accepted the opportunity to work alongside Jablonski to rebuild the College Democrats club.
“We were literally sitting in her room, just talking about life
Legends
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
enterprise to make Legends a student hangout again.
To get students to stop-in for dinner casually, the restaurant has been selling appetizers half off from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays this semester. Furthermore, Legends has enticed sections of the student body, including competitors in the 2024
and just like things going around around campus and our personal lives, and she was like, ‘Kayli, I’m thinking about restarting this club. Would you consider being my vice president?’” Zelinkske-Mader said. “[I said], ‘I mean, sure, why not? Let’s at least give it a try.’”
The republican club on campus was reestablished last semester, so Jablonski said it is important that both political parties are represented on campus.
“When I found out that College Democrats was not on campus anymore, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Jablonski said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily equal for one party to be here and then the other not, so I definitely believe that on campus, both sides need to be represented, and students then can make the choice for themselves.”
Jablonski contacted the College Democrats of America to create a chapter on the College campus. She now keeps in regular contact with the organization.
“I had an interview with a Capitol Hill member, and we were talking about college and about clubs, and he was like, ‘Do you know what College Democrats is?’” Jablonski said. “And I was like, ‘I do not’ … so I contacted the College Democrats of Indiana, and I had a sit-down interview with them.“
“I really tried to understand what College Democrats is and
Bookstore Basketball Tournament and Holy Half Marathon, with coupons.
From Senior Bar to COVID-19 and beyond
A two-story brick house, which the University acquired about a century ago, once stood where Legends’ fenced patio exists today, according to Notre Dame Magazine. In the mid-20th century, the building served various purposes, such
Please join us on campus April 5 at 9am for a Geriatric Nursing Symposium co-sponsored by GuideStar Eldercare.
Learn about the new Geriatric Neuropsychiatry Certificate at Saint Mary’s College and hear about the important work GuideStar Eldercare is leading in the field of geriatric care. Dr.
how I can make my own twist on it, what it stands for, what it means … I brought [the executive board] on board and was like, ‘Guys, I’m looking to start a club here,’” Jablonski said.
For the rest of the spring semester, the club plans to host a call-out meeting for all potential members to attend. Another possible tabling session and a “popcorn and politics” event are also in discussion as well. Through these events, Jablonski hopes to create solidarity between students and encourage them to become more educated in the political realm.
“I am such a firm believer in productive dialogue and having dialogue that can, at the end of the day, make you a better person and help you expand your mindset … And I really think education is power. The more you know, the better you are” Jablonski said. “No matter what side you’re on, I really think it’s so important to know as much as you can. It’s so important to just be an informed citizen, especially in today’s world.”
Digital resources, which can be accessed through the club’s Instagram account, are also available to all students. Resources include links to their BelleTower and email sign-up form, a political typology quiz, the American Political Science Association, the Center for Women and Politics and
as housing University community members.
In January 1969, the senior class opened a club that sold alcohol in the house. Notre Dame Magazine reported that the club, which was known as “Senior Bar,” was the place to be on Thursday nights during the 1970s.
The house was demolished in 1982, making way for what would become Legends.
“I don’t think we’ll ever be the party spot again like it was when the students were running it,” Henderson said, adding that Legends could become a kind of pregame spot.
Henderson said she wants Legends to be the spot where students go when they’re craving a burger and a beer. “I want to be the spot where it’s like, ‘I kind of miss home. Let’s go to Legends because I know Annette the bartender is going to take care of me,’” she added.
The restaurant side of Legends has a capacity of about 225 people.
O’Brien said students are welcome to dine at Legends anytime — not just when their parents are in town. Henderson said her favorite menu items are the Buffalo wings, the “gaucho asado” burger and the “king of campus” ribeye.
O’Brien added that students should feel like Legends’ club side and patio, which have a combined capacity of more than 500, are spaces that they can make their own.
“We want to feel like this place is just as much the students’ as it is for alumni and people who like to travel
the College Democrats of America and College Democrats of Indiana websites.
“A big reason why we started College Dems was so that people were getting reliable resources, no matter your political affiliation” Zelinske-Mader said. “Yes, we’re the democratic club on campus, but realistically, we just want people to feel comfortable in our presence. Because realistically, you can take politics out of the equation, and people can still be good human beings.”
One of Zelinske-Mader‘s and Jablonski’s greater motivation is to spark “productive” dialogue on campus between all students.
“On campus, and in America in general, we’ve lost the ability to agree to disagree,” Jablonski said. “[People] need to be able to understand that you don’t have to agree with everybody on everything, and not everybody has to see your points of views … If you’ve just sat down and explained why you believe certain things and why it’s so important to you, then that’s an example of productive dialogue. And maybe one person can walk away at the end of that conversation and change their mind and like, that’s wonderful, but that’s not the end goal. It’s just to understand why you believe what you believe.”
Zelinske-Mader and Jablonski hope to change the negative
through for games and different events,” O’Brien said. “So we are all ears.” If student groups have ideas about how to use Legends’ spaces, O’Brien is willing to work with them to plan events, she added.
Legends shuttered its doors during the pandemic. The spot reopened in January 2023 as the pandemic waned and staffing levels at the University rebounded, according to Henderson.
Currently, the restaurant operates Tuesday through Saturday. Students may pay for Legends with flex points and place pickup as well as robot delivery orders through the Grubhub app, O’Brien said.
Henderson, who was formerly the general manager at Rohr’s, said that perhaps the most alluring aspect of Legends is that it’s for everyone. “It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing, doesn’t matter what you’re doing, who you are,” Henderson said. “Just come and eat at Legends.”
‘I don’t actually know why I haven’t thought of Legends’
Luc Gelin, a junior studying finance, said he didn’t realize how close Legends was to the business school until dining there for the first time in March. “It’s not something that people really talk about here on campus that much,” Gelin said, adding that the restaurant exceeded his expectations.
Gelin and his friends had their meal paid for by one of their assistant rectors. The assistant rector had made a bet on a game of Super Smash Bros. with a resident, Gelin explained. “If he lost, he had to go to Legends with all of us and pay for us,” Gelin said. “So he lost that
connotation often associated with American politics by creating a safe space for all to discuss current issues or ask questions. The two believe this kind of change must first occur within themselves before it spreads to greater levels.
“Not everybody’s gonna get along, not everybody’s going to agree. But I think that it gets to a point where people don’t feel supported or safe enough to be able to talk about things that they want to talk about or to ask questions,” Zelinske-Mader said. “And I wanted to be a part of College Democrats to create a space where people can ask questions.”
Jablonski also said it is very important to her that people are politically involved, whether that be through going to the polls, knocking on doors, supporting candidates or starting clubs that have political conversations.
“I think people are so lost, and America is so politically divided. People don’t want anything to do with politics. They shut it out completely, and that should not be the case,” Jablonski said. “I think America is genuinely a wonderful country, and democracy is so beautiful. I don’t think people realize that.”
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edugame.”
Junior Neol Gutierrez said he hasn’t gone to Legends because it seems fancy and probably costs more than Chick-fil-A. When The Observer informed Gutierrez that a student-run bar used to exist where Legends is today, he said: “They should bring that back.”
Sophomore Katie Finn said she ate at Legends one time this school year, ordering the “hot honey” tenders and a tortilla soup. Finn said she went to the restaurant for two reasons: It accepted flex points and she wished for a reprieve from dining hall food. “Their prices are like really reasonable for, I feel, how good a food it is,” she added.
Neev Gamble, a junior on the rowing team, said the lone time she was ever at Legends was for a SYR a couple years ago. “I’m a studentathlete, so I don’t really have a lot of time to just go out and get dinner,” Gamble said. “So I’m usually just focused on getting the quickest dinner I can.”
For Gamble, quick dinners are accomplished with dining hall swipes or stops at Campus Dining “express” locations and Eddy Street establishments like Chipotle. When Gamble does go out to eat, she said it’s normally on the weekend for a special occasion — a friend’s birthday, for example.
“If I wanted more of like a nicer restaurant, I feel like going off campus is more where you would find that … I don’t actually know why I haven’t thought of Legends as an option,” Gamble said.
Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu
Republicans focusing more on the limits corporations put on free speech.
“Concentration of corporate power and concentration of political power both create the same kinds of risks to our liberty, to our ability to have control over our own lives and destinies,” he said.
The wide range of people affected by monopolies has also fostered interest in antitrust laws, he said. “Whether it’s a farmer in North America, an entrepreneur in Northern California or a tech startup in Austin, Texas, they all see the same thing,” Kanter said. “They see the bottlenecks of the economy and see the small number of companies who have outsized influence and outsized power.”
Kanter explained the antitrust division is focusing on blocking mergers of companies that stifle competition and prevent people from serving on the boards of two competing companies at the same time. He noted the success the Department of Justice has had in forcing 20 people to resign from board positions for this reason.
Another key part of the Department of Justice’s antitrust initiative is to clearly establish new norms in the business world. “Antitrust violations should not be the cost of doing business,” he said. “We’re trying to explain that companies and individuals need to address these issues before engaging in a violation, not after.”
Kanter said the Department of Justicemustbesuretoimpartiallyenforce the antitrust laws that Congress passes, being sure to neither ignore them nor enforce them haphazardly. “We need to be careful not to overthrow the will of Congress by using our own subjective views on what the law should be and substituting that for what the law says,” Kanter said.
One area in which the department is particularly focusing its attention is the artificial intelligence industry. Kanter noted the importance of preventing emerging markets from being dominated by one or two firms, as it often occurs. “If we fail to enforce the antitrust laws in real-time, we start from behind with respect to competitive conditions as we start to come into the next generation of technologies,” he said.
Above all, Kanter stressed, antitrust laws should be used to promote competition, which, instead of stifling the economy, can work to the benefit of all Americans. “Antitrust law is not about rewarding popularity, or, or penalizing companies that are not popular,” he said. “We just want that competition, we want that competitive spirit, which is inherently American, to keep driving the next range of innovations, driving us to do better.”
ContactLiam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
of IVF, many embryos are created and never fertilized, leaving them abandoned,” Notre Dame Right to Life president Kylie Gallegos said. “Furthermore, our club is Catholic, so beyond the creation of extra embryos, we also oppose the practice of IVF because it separates the creation of children from the unity of spouses and the life-giving nature of marriage.”
According to Gallegos, Notre Dame Right to Life fights for one’s right to life to be recognized without regard to the situation of conception. The club rallies for the “dignity” of life from conception to natural death.
“The million frozen babies around the United States are a tragedy, and we were happy to see the ruling in Alabama because it offers hope and a window into the security of rights a post-Roe American can have for unborn children,” Gallegos said.
Two weeks ago, the club hosted an inner club debate about embryo adoption to foster conversation around the topic. Gallegos stated that the club’s efforts will not change as an effect of the ruling because the public largely does not agree with their IVF stance.
“Spreading the truth of the
goodness and sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death is the mission of our club, and we will continue to pray, educate and work to make this truth known until the dignity of IVF babies is recognized by all,” Gallegos said.
Irish for Reproductive Health is a nonprofit organization, not affiliated with Notre Dame and run by Notre Dame students. According to co-president Olivia Anderson, the organization is rooted in reproductive justice and ensuring that all have the right to have or not to have children along with body autonomy.
“We aren’t happy with this ruling because it’s violating that principle,” Anderson said. “It’s violating the principle of reproductive justice because it’s telling people who aren’t necessarily able to have children, whether that’s due to their sexual orientation [or] other infertility issues that they’re not able to.”
Director of information and design Shelby Clennon stated the biggest issue with Alabama’s ruling is that choice is being taken away. In recognition of the LGBTQ+ community as well as those suffering from infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and cancer, Clennon stated that the opportunity to have children is being taken away.
“The thing that I don’t
understand is how they are claiming to be so pro-life, yet they’re stopping the people who want kids from having them. Because who’s to say that someone doesn’t file a lawsuit based on the fact that just their body didn’t take the embryo,” Clennon said. “It’s not the doctors fault. It’s natural. It happens to so many people who go through IVF.”
Anderson acknowledged the court ruling avoided the root issue of the IVF debate: whether or not an embryo is to be considered a human. Irish for Reproductive Health emphasizes body autonomy and aims to facilitate conversation within their organization about IVF and embryos to educate more people and answer more questions.
“It’s just kind of irritating the fact that it’s something so insignificant to policymakers. Not insignificant in the sense that it’s not a big deal, but insignificant in the fact that they shouldn’t be trying to mandate this because it is a medical situation,” Clennon said. “It’s not a political situation. That’s just irritating in the fact that they’re trying to make a huge point out of this when there’s other things that they need to be worrying about instead of other people’s choices in regards to having kids.”
Contact Grace Tadajweski at gtadajwe@nd.edu
On upholding true conservative values Such is life
Thomas Dobbs Assistant Managing EditorIn a recent move, the Notre Dame College Republicans withdrew their endorsement of Sen. Todd Young, citing his refusal to align closely with former President Trump. This decision, framed around “allegiance” to a single individual over foundational conservative values, merits a thorough examination and, indeed, a reasoned challenge.
In the aforementioned tweet, ND College Republicans announced on March 19 that “Dedication to President Trump is more important than any ‘principled conservative’ position [Young] claims.”
Evaluating dedication to any individual as the sole adjudication of one’s fitness for office indicates that ND College Republicans are more interested in parroting purity tests reminiscent of the Kremlin than articulating substantive policy disagreements.
While ND College Republicans openly deride principles in one sentence, they cite Young’s supposed abandonment of “America First” principles in the next, saying, “It is time to replace the Indiana political establishment with America First.”
Expecting total loyalty to Trump, although Orwellian and ill-advised, is at least honest. The same can’t be said for ascribing “America First” principles to Trump, a man whose conciliatory tone toward Vladimir Putin and ongoing refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election offend anyone who values American principles.
To suggest that loyalty to Trump should supersede a commitment to such enduring principles is to fundamentally misunderstand the very principles of American conservatism. Conservatism, at its core, champions individual liberty, limited government, free markets and a robust national defense. Young’s legislative record aligns with these tenets, showcasing his role in pivotal legislation, from national security enhancements to economic reforms that spur innovation and growth.
From any policy or ideological perspective, it is purely illogical to remove Young from the GOP.
Beyond the language of the tweet itself, its timing alone reveals that ND College Republicans take no issue with Young’s political positions or legislative record. Their endorsement of Young ultimately remained after he attributed responsibility to Trump for Jan. 6, after Trump refused to endorse Young in his 2022 Senate race and after Young refused to support Trump in the 2024 GOP Presidential primary. If Young didn’t previously “kiss the ring,” why have ND College Republicans only now cared?
The answer, of course, lies in their introspective and subconscious recognition of the frailty of their candidate. The growing chorus of Republicans, many of whom served in Trump’s administration, who refuse to endorse Trump now includes his own Vice President, Mike Pence. Someone needs to remind ND College Republicans that silencing dissidents is possible in a country where Jan. 6 had succeeded. Because of Mike Pence, it didn’t.
Apart from ignoring ideological agreement with Young, do ND College Republicans not see the irony of demanding total allegiance
and submission from fellow Republicans to a man who so flippantly disregards his own oaths to office and constitutional responsibilities?
Despite the “Make America Great Again” movement not attempting to hide their destain of moderate Republicans who they label “RINOs,” ND College Republicans’ performative purity test for fellow Republicans directly contradicts their own self-interest.
It will inevitably occur to Republican voters that Trump’s endorsement now earns little more than an invite to Mar-a-Lago and a latenight Truth Social shoutout. Hand-selected Trump loyalists have time and again proven to be rat poison for Republicans in general elections after 2016. Dismissing the likes of Todd Young or Mike Pence is not a declaration of an ideological victory, it is an irrational surrender of critical political support.
If Republicans are interested in electoral success in November, they would be better off broadening their coalition by inviting those who agree on many policies into their fold. It’s a shame ND College Republicans have strayed so far from Ronald Reagan, who wisely reminded us that “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is an 80 percent friend and not a 20 percent enemy.”
Young has proven, most importantly, that compromise is not a dirty word – it’s effective legislating – and is harder than shouting during the State of the Union or aligning blindly behind a man so vastly hampered and incapable of implementing conservative policies.
Punishing one of Washington’s most bipartisan senators for the crime of expressing any disagreement with Trump shows that ND College Republicans are more interested in enforcing absolute conformity than they care to reward a productive, bipartisan and pragmatic leader. I find it curious that a party so infatuated with President Biden’s age and supposed senility would themselves prefer to elect puppets.
Sadly, ND College Republicans have followed the path of today’s GOP – trapping themselves into defending the indefensible. ND College Republicans don’t have to partake in the same attacks on their fellow party members – an exercise of hubris unbecoming of a party that has so willingly strolled into repeated electoral defeats. Notre Dame students are smart – they should know better than to blindly drink the Kool-Aid.
The Republican Party stands at a crossroads, where it must decide whether to anchor itself to the whims of one man or to the enduring principles that have historically defined it. Pushing out voices like Young’s — voices of moderation, pragmatism and profound commitment to American ideals — diminishes the party’s credibility and effectiveness.
In embracing leaders like Young, the GOP can begin to reclaim its standing as a party of principle, not personality — a party that values the rule of law, the integrity of our democratic institutions and the welfare of the American people above all.
In doing so, they can revive not just the legacy of a party, but the enduring promise of our nation.
You can contact Thomas at tdobbs@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this Inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
As the executioner was slipping the noose around his neck, Australian bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly remarked his final words: “Such is life.” Imagine the defiance, the utmost acceptance of the cruel uncertainty of life that it takes to say this upon death. No matter what Kelly’s crimes were, this act of self-mastery is indisputably commendable, noble even. There is much that we college students can learn from Kelly’s final moments, but I do suggest that we have developed our own forms of a “Such is life” phrase, wholly independent from knowledge of Ned Kelly, but strikingly similar nonetheless.
Imagine this scenario. You are a run-of-the-mill Notre Dame male student, age 22. Your favorite musical artist is Lil Baby. You wear a $105 Peter Millar polo shirt and $128 Lululemon joggers. You have an inexcusable attachment to Busch Light beer and sports betting, both of which are your personality. You just had the most miserable day of your life. Your girlfriend of two years just cheated on you with your best friend. You walked out of Four Winds in the red. Your mother deems you a disappointment. In light of all the tragedy and mediocrity of your life, you take a deep breath and affirm to yourself the phrase: “Lock in.” A tear rolls out of the corner of your left eye.
Imagine this scenario. You are a run-of-the-mill Notre Dame female student, age 22. Your favorite musical artist is … I don’t even have to say who it is. You cycle between clothes from Aritzia, Alo Yoga and Lululemon. Your Canada Goose winter jacket keeps you warm at the expense of approximately 12 geese. You are also an animal and environmental advocate. You have an inexcusable attachment to Vodka sodas and making out with people at Newfs. You just had the most miserable day of your life. Your boyfriend of 4 years just cheated on you in his dreams. Nobody complimented your cute top today. Your dearest friends debriefed without you, and you were the primary topic of conversation, unfortunately. Amidst the cascade of tears rolling down your cheek, you gaze into the mirror and say, “Girl, stand up.” The tears cease.
I argue that “Such is life,” Lock in” and “Girl, stand up” convey essentially the same
message of self-mastery, defiance and acceptance. Ned Kelly, ND Male 1 and ND Female 1 were all in scenarios of intense emotional distress, yet they did not allow their emotions to master them. Instead of self-pity, they comforted themselves not with sympathy but with control. Sometimes we need to convey to ourselves that our plights are not as bad as we think they are. Although many of us will not be faced with execution by hanging, I argue that many of the hardships that you will face in life can be mitigated by emotional mastery. Emotional mastery that begins with only two or three words.
Acceptance of the cruel uncertainties is not an option. It is an inevitable reality such that you either accept it or suffer otherwise. In our world dominated by technological and economic solutions to our most dire problems and the problems that we create for ourselves, we find ourselves lured into the illusion that we have more control over our reality than we actually do. It is prideful to think that we can prolong or prevent the calamities that will befall us, the greatest of which is death.
I argue that it is a beneficial practice to exercise emotional mastery with pithy sayings like “Lock in” or “Girl, stand up.” Though they are presently associated with humor and find their popularity on social media, I do believe that there is more to these phrases than we give credit to. There is a mysterious breeze of cathartic release that is prompted by these short phrases. By cultivating practices of selfmastery now, you will become gradually better at accepting how much life can truly be tragic. Perhaps, you might realize that these tragedies are not necessarily tragic by way of a disposition to reframe rather than give up. Perhaps in the final moments of your life, when the metaphorical noose is being slipped around your neck, you might have the defiance and utmost acceptance to believe that “Such is life.”
Jonah Tran is a sophomore at Notre Dame double majoring in finance and classics with a minor in Constitutional studies. He prides himself on sarcasm and his home — the free state of Florida. You can contact Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
This spring, Notre Dame students compete with thousands of kids from other prestigious schools for coveted cubicles at prestigious consulting groups, Wall Street investment banks and white-shoe law firms. These internships give us a feel for the workplace we will enter after graduation, and they offer important networking and skill-building opportunities for young professionals. This is what is expected of us if we intend to be strong job candidates after graduation.
I don’t doubt the value of a great internship on a resume. I do, however, dislike our habit of describing internships as real-life experience. I’ve had an internship – of the stuffy cubicle, coffee-grabbing, Excel spreadsheet variety – and I learned a lot there. But the jobs that have taught me the most about real life didn’t have any of these things. After four years at Notre Dame and plenty of wonderful academic experiences here, I think I learned the most about real life at the crummy minimum-wage jobs I got when I didn’t have an internship.
Seniors remember that we had a 10-week winter break in 2020-2021 because of COVID-19. During that time, I got a job at the only place near home that was hiring during the pandemic: the BUF-5 Amazon Warehouse in Buffalo, NY. For eight weeks, I stood at a conveyor belt and processed returns. This meant opening packages people had returned, checking if the item was damaged and repackaging items that were ready to be resold. Tests for damage included the “sniff test,” in which I was asked to sniff items that may have been worn or used (yes, that includes undergarments).
At Amazon, I was not allowed to sit down, listen to music or chat with my neighbor. I was constantly reminded of being behind my hourly quota. I worked for six hours each day with one 20-minute break, during which all the workers sat in complete silence at desks spread six feet apart. Many of my coworkers had disabilities or did not speak English. Most of them worked twelve-hour shifts and took the bus home late at night. I never learned any of their names. At Amazon, I learned about real labor – the kind of labor Notre Dame students are fortunate enough to avoid, the kind that exhausts the working poor.
The following summer, I coached a swim team at my local pool. Along with a few other poorly qualified 18-year-olds, I was essentially given guardianship over thirty rowdy second-graders for an hour each day. People think that being good with kids is a skill that can’t be taught, but I disagree. Patience, enthusiasm and dealing with an angry parent or a kid in tears – these are learned skills and coaching prepared me to deal with frustration and chaos in the real world.
Probably my best menial-labor “internships,” though, were the two jobs I’ve worked in the restaurant industry. The same summer I coached swimming, I spent my afternoons bussing tables at a rowdy lakefront restaurant in Buffalo. I spent my shifts running around – literally, running – flipping endless tables, delivering endless meals and overhearing endless swears from the bartender. It’s said that everyone should work in the service industry at least once, and I couldn’t agree more. One night, I saw a young waitress sobbing because a drunk couple had escaped without paying their $200 bill, leaving the waitress humiliated and without a tip. I saw my manager open his wallet and pay her the tip himself. I learned what it meant to be a good boss that
day.
The other restaurant I worked at was an upscale Italian place in Chicago run by two Italian brothers. I was doing service for a nonprofit in the area, and I worked as a hostess on the side for some extra cash. Hostessing taught me all the communication skills associated with customer service, but more importantly, it taught me how to take criticism. Like many Notre Dame students, I grew up accustomed to praise, and this made me oversensitive to criticism from teachers, coaches and employers. You can imagine my shock the first time my manager shouted at me for doing my job wrong. My managers were impatient and ran a tight ship. They didn’t care about my writing talents or first-rate education. It wasn’t fun at the time, but now I am much better equipped to keep my cool and take a negative appraisal in stride.
All this is to say that we don’t give enough credit to the odd gigs we work in high school and college. If you didn’t get your dream internship this summer, don’t look down your nose at the jobs we inaccurately call “unskilled labor.” Walk into a restaurant, ask if they’re hiring, and you might learn more than that coveted internship was ever going to teach you.
Rose is a senior from Buffalo, NY with majors in economics and the Program of Liberal Studies. Her writing interests include ethics, campus culture and the intersection of economics, politics and philosophy. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading on the 10th floor of the library, losing intramural basketball games or working at the Law School. You can contact Rose by email at rquiniaz@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Bussing tables was the best internship I ever had LETTER EDITOR
Notre Dame cemeteries: Connecting students to the past and present
With the transition from “three snows after the forsythias bloom” to warmer springtime temperatures, I keep finding myself reflecting on how quickly the years have passed since I moved my stuff into Alumni Hall (before the remodeling!). Now I am finding myself doing all the things that I waited to do because I thought I had plenty of time. The list includes spending impactful time with friends and teammates, visiting the observatory, the natural history museum, the planetarium, the art museum and walking through the two cemeteries.
Recently, I visited the Notre Dame cemeteries where each gravestone tells a story. Cemeteries organize life and death in a way that conveys crucial information on the culture and history of those buried. Cemeteries are also a measure of time and connect students to the past and the present.
Notre Dame is home to two unique but quite different cemeteries. Just past the sister lakes, is the home of the Holy Cross Cemetery. Here, Brothers of Holy Cross are buried, including Father Hesburgh, Father Sorin and Father Corby. Right by the main entrance just off the road to get to the Dome, is the home to the Cedar Grove Cemetery. Cedar Grove is the final resting place for many noted contributors to the Notre Dame community like Coach Ara Parseghian, Gov. Joe Kernan and talk show host and comedian Regis Philbin. Cedar Grove Cemetery is about variation and individuality, while Holy
Cross Cemetery is about equivalence and unity. The cemeteries reconnect families, friends and students to create and maintain social relationships by honoring and presenting those who have passed.
As I walk through the Holy Cross Cemetery, there is an overarching theme of unity rooted in faith, purpose and community—the driving beliefs of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Notably, all the gravestones are identical in the shape of a cross, containing the person’s date of birth, date of death and Holy Cross title. An even more inspiring feature in the cemetery is that influential members of the Holy Cross brotherhood such as Father Hesburgh and Father Sorin have the same exact gravestone as everyone allowing a student to transcend time and understand these influential contributors through a reflective lens.
In the Cedar Grove Cemetery, each gravestone is a unique reflection of a life in time. Although it may have a different atmosphere than Holy Cross, it still contains several features that drive student connections. For example, the gravestones of Norman Russell Nellis and his wife Anna Mae Nellis drew me in. On the top right of Norman’s gravestone, there is a message that reads, “Married Anna October 21, 1948.” Anna’s gravestone contains the same message. Additionally, both of their gravestones include pictures of themselves. Standing at their gravestones, I felt a deep connection with them both,
creating a social connection and thinking about the campus then and now as I reflected on their gravestones. Most impactful for me, on the back of Lt. Col. Nellis’ gravestone, it included his military service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Including this feature on the gravestone made me develop a greater sense of appreciation and helped me develop a more intimate social connection with Norman Russell Nellis. Sadly, nearby, two of the Nellis’ sons are also buried. They were laid to rest before their parents. At that particular moment, I could not feel anything other than complete and utter sadness for the Nellis family. Parents should not bury their children.
Deep in my own thoughts, the change of classes and rush of students at the top of the hour drew me back to the present and away from the Nellis family. I ran to class and realized how time, memories and cemeteries are all a part of the human condition. As I made my way to class, I thought about those graves and imagined each person in their time walking across campus. They too looked up at the Golden Dome and we shared that inspiration and awe for the past, present and future. I also reflected on how fleeting time is and how it is likely our most precious gift.
Nick Harris graduate student
Politics: A war of worlds or dignified discussion
Is talking politics in the workplace a bad idea? Is talking politics in general a bad idea? Plenty of Americans think so. For a long time, I did too.
For many, politics is a subject to be avoided like the plague – particularly when talking to peers, friends and family. It is so simple to debate sports with close friends and family or work plans with peers in the office, yet when talking politics, it isn’t uncommon to find stress and discomfort. In fact, 45% of American adults claim to have completely stopped talking politics with those closest to them.
But what is it that drives this discomfort? Why is it that we cannot discuss politics with ease? Some claim it’s because they feel they don’t know enough on the subject matters, others cite fear of rejection for having opinions different than their peers and even more find anxiety when discussing political matters they perceive to be related to morals. I argue that the true difficulty Americans face when it comes to talking politics, that which is the catalyst of our fears, anxieties and stresses, is a lack of dignity in discussion.
Most easily seen on social media but equally apparent in our everyday lives, there has been a growing culture of rudeness and disrespect within American politics. This country is now characterized by negative partisanship as Republicans and Democrats are incessantly at hateful odds with one another, as it is commonplace to dismiss and negate the views of the ‘other side’ without a second thought, and as partisan animosity is at an all-time high.
To be fair, it is certainly easier to remain secure in your beliefs when you can actively deny the legitimacy or existence of someone else’s. And it is a natural aspect of human nature to seek security. So, it’s no wonder that most of us have probably played a part in or fallen victim to the modern antipathy and closed-mindedness of talking politics at some point, but just because it is easy does not mean it is okay. If we continue to participate in this cycle of hostility and suspicion, we may very well see our carefully crafted democracy collapse. That’s why I was so pleased when the Students for Dignity reached out to BridgeND to collaborate.
Students for Dignity is a movement that works to “change the purpose of public debate from attacking enemies to solving problems.” The program is structured similarly to BridgeUSA as various chapters led by university students have cropped up across the country. At the core of Students for Dignity rests the Dignity Index, a tool used to measure our political discussions for dignity.
Founded in 2021 and launched a year later, the Dignity Index is grounded in the recognition that “contempt causes division; dignity eases division.” Set on an eight-point scale, the Dignity Index was created to score the language we use and consume:
1 - Encouraging Violence: “It’s our moral duty to destroy them. They’re not even human. They’re the source of all evil. They’re destroying everything we value. They don’t deserve to live. We have to kill them now before they kill us.”
2 - Allegations of Evil: “Those people are evil and a danger to everything we value. They’re going to ruin us if we let them. It’s us or them.”
3 - Attack on Moral Character: “We’re the good people and they’re the bad people. We’re responsible for all the good things and they’re responsible for all the bad things. It’s us vs. them. We win only if they lose.”
4 - Mocking: “We’re better than those people. They’re different. They don’t really belong. They’re not one of us. We shouldn’t trust them.”
5 - Listening Respectfully: “I believe everyone has a right to be here and a right to be heard. Even if they don’t share our point of view, it’s their country too.”
6 - Common Ground: “I have deep convictions and feel a strong sense of belonging to my group, but I’m curious about the other side, too. I want to meet and talk with people who don’t share all my views, find common values and interests and solve problems together.”
7 - Full Engagement: “I have strong convictions and I’m loyal to my group, but I want to meet with the other side and talk about the views we don’t share. I’m not afraid of losing an argument, admitting mistakes or changing my mind. That’s how we solve the toughest problems.”
8 - True Dignity: “I love and cherish my own people, but I can connect with all people. I will talk and work with anyone. I don’t need to be right. I don’t care who gets the credit. I refuse to hate or condemn anyone, and I believe everyone has inherent worth so I treat everyone with dignity, no matter what.”
But why should we need to score our language? Well, about a year ago, I wrote an article discussing the importance of our use of language in politics – more specifically how the use of gendered language socializes the idea that women do not belong in politics. The message remains true that the way we speak matters. More importantly, the way we speak about issues as important as our politics can carry grave implications for the health of our country, mollifying or amplifying polarization and partisanship in the United States.
Many of our leaders, media sources and peers have drifted from logic and rational arguments toward aggressive, emotive assertions:
- “When Joe Biden’s hand shot up, it was the first of many warning signs that Biden’s approach to immigration would be an unmitigated disaster. Three years and 10 million illegal crossings later, President Biden’s failed leadership has allowed our southern border to spiral into a humanitarian, national security and economic crisis of epic proportions.” David McCormick, February 21, 2024 – Dignity Index Score: 2
- “Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if he thinks that it would benefit himself.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, February 24, 2024 –Dignity Index Score: 3
- “Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic…. MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people … MAGA Republicans have made their choice. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies…. Democrats, independents mainstream Republicans: We must be stronger, more determined and more committed to saving American democracy than MAGA Republicans are to destroying American democracy.” Joe Biden, November 1, 2022 – Dignity Index Score: 2
- “Whether it is the mob on the street, or the cancel culture in the boardroom, the goal is the same: to silence dissent, to scare you out of speaking the truth and to bully Americans into abandoning their values, their heritage and their very way of life. We are here today to declare we will never submit to tyranny…” Donald Trump, September 17, 2020 – Dignity Index Score: 2
It’s these scathing, undignified remarks, born from animosity toward the ‘other side,’ which have created America’s present chasm of polarization. It is this chasm which makes it feel impossible to talk politics with our friends and family. And it is this chasm which makes the Dignity Index necessary. If you’re passionate about bridging the divide and injecting dignity into our discussion, I encourage you to attend a BridgeND meeting this semester and reach out to Students for Dignity to participate in their upcoming projects.
Ainsley Hillman, a junior studying abroad in London, is studying Business Analytics and Political Science. She served as the Fall Semester President of BridgeND. Some of her research interests include U.S. foreign policy and the intersection of environmental and social justice.
BridgeND is a multi-partisan political club committed to bridging the partisan divide through respectful and productive discourse. It meets bi-weekly on Mondays at 7 p.m. in Duncan Student Center to learn about and discuss current political issues. You can contact BridgeND at bridgend@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By COZETTE BROWN Scene Writer
I am notoriously suspicious of Christian films. Even though I enjoyed movies like “Soul Surfer” and “Heaven Is for Real” as a kid, I find them unbearably preachy and ridiculously out-of-touch now. Whenever I watch films like these, I feel like I’m looking into the fantasies of a naive youth minister who’s on a week-long mission trip — fantasies that are self-inflating in theory and insulting in practice.
I’ve noticed, however, a recent trend in Christian filmmaking that seems to have begun with “The Chosen,” a TV series about the life of Jesus and his disciples. The show, which is the largest crowdfunded television series to date, propelled independent media company Angel Studios into the spotlight of Christian media. Since releasing “The Chosen,” the studio has gone on to produce films such as “Sound of Freedom,” which was the tenth highest grossing film of 2023 in the domestic box office (and one of 2023’s most controversial releases), as well as the March 8 release “Cabrini.”
This shift in Christian filmmaking, initiated mostly by Angel Studios, marks a huge change in the overall style of explicitly “Christian” film and television. The “Christian” movies from the 2000s and 2010s that I’ve seen are — in my opinion — evangelization disasters which lack substance, self-awareness and compassion. Nowadays, I’ve noticed that the makers of “Christian” media are attempting to create palatable pieces that appeal to more than just megachurch enthusiasts. This isn’t the first time this has been done, of course, nor is it the most successful attempt. (“The Passion” comes to mind.) What makes this recent change so interesting, though, is that it seems to be part of a sustained effort to make and market “Christian” films for a wider audience.
In an interview about “Cabrini,” the film’s director
Alejandro Monteverde (who is Catholic) called it “very painful” for his work to be labeled as “faith-based.” When explaining what he meant by this, Monteverde said, “I like to make movies for everybody — for people of faith, for people of no faith and the people in between.” Monteverde made no mention of hoping to convert anybody, which is a departure from the Christian filmmakers of the recent past. For instance, the makers of “God’s Not Dead” made it very clear that their main goal was to evangelize to non-believers.
Despite Monteverde’s comments, I walked into the theater apprehensively when I went to see “Cabrini” with my mother and grandmother. First, Monteverde made “Sound of Freedom” too. That movie, it appears, has been “QAnon approved.” Second, because my prior experience with other Christian films, like the ones I mentioned earlier, taught me to proceed with caution.
As the film opened on Mother Cabrini working at a convent with her sisters, I braced for the impact of a two-and-ahalf-hour frenzied religious message that could deter even followers of Christ from the faith. But as the movie went on, I began to relax in my seat. There was a message, alright, but it didn’t feel like someone was drowning me in it.
“Cabrini” centered more on justice, sexism and immigration than it did on religion. Christianity was less of a frontal focus and more of a constant undertone. The movie steered clear of common (and demeaning) Christian tropes, like the repentant sinner, and followed other character arcs commonly found in secular films instead.
For instance, the film depicts Mother Cabrini as a strongwilled woman with an unwavering commitment to care for the poor. She’s surrounded by men — pimps and priests alike — who doubt her abilities every step of the way. One of her most trusted allies is a sex worker who leaves the brothel to help out in Cabrini’s orphanage. (Note that Mother Cabrini is never depicted telling this woman to repent of her impure ways, as is common in Christian media.)
I appreciated the film for its more “universal” approach, an approach that is reminiscent of classic Hollywood biopics rather than exclusively “Christian” films. “Cabrini” doesn’t break any ground, but it’s the kind of movie that any person who likes inspirational films can enjoy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll cheer for Mother Cabrini as she delivers some notable quips that bite back at the nun’s nay-sayers.
Catholics are split on the film. In his review, Fr. Henry Graebe of the Catholic World Report criticized the film for trying to appeal to a broader audience. “An otherwise good and admirable film thus ultimately comes up short, as it fails to get to the core of Mother Carbini’s identity,” he writes. That identity, of course, is Mother Cabrini’s Catholic faith.
Meanwhile, critic John Anderson of America Magazine, a Jesuit publication, called the film a “less-than-exhaustive but elevating piece of biographical filmmaking about the immigrant Italian activist, healer and early Manhattan developer (of hospitals and orphanages) — the woman who became the first American saint.”
Other critics in non-religious publications have mixed opinions, too. While Richard Roeper of the Chicago SunTimes called the film “a beautiful reminder of the human being behind the name” of Mother Cabrini and “reminiscent of old-fashioned religious biopics such as ‘The Song of Bernadette’ and ‘Joan of Arc’,” David Ehrlich of IndieWire called it “a stodgy, histrionic and impossibly dull biopic that drags on for more than 140 minutes despite being thinner than a stained glass window.”
Personally, I enjoyed all 140 minutes. “Cabrini” isn’t the sort of artistic piece that blows minds and sweeps award shows, but it’s a nice and simple film with an inspiring, witty character. If you’re apprehensive about “Christian” films, like me, set your fears aside and give it a try. You might like what you see.
Contact Cozette Brown at cbrown64@nd.edu
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Editor
“Christian movie” might as well be a synonym for “bad movie.”
There may be exceptions, though. Scene writer Cozette Brown admits that it was true once but argues that it isn’t true now — Christian movies are getting better, she says. Pauline Kael, the great film critic, declared, “Almost every interesting American movie in the past few years has been directed by a Catholic,” citing the work of Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman and Brian De Palma.
Still, De Palma’s “Scarface” is categorically different from “Left Behind: The Movie” (a cheap Protestant rapture fantasy), and “The Godfather” is on a different level than “Heaven Is for Real.” On the one hand are movies which are influenced by Christianity, and on the other are ones which coast on it.
Evangelical filmmaking is chronically and terminally unsubtle. Yet, I’d take a film directed by a bracelet-wearing youth minister over one directed by a smug fedora-wearing atheist
any day of the week. The only thing worse than a Christian movie, the only thing less subtle, is an anti-Christian movie.
Enter “Immaculate.” This film positions itself as an antichurch and pro-choice piece, but it shoots itself in its foot by doing so — it just can’t live up to its own ideological pretensions. Its quirks (absurd plot lines, bizarre characters, cliché dialogue, cartoonish violence, over-the-top sound effects, etc.) would have been at home in a horror movie, but the film takes itself too seriously, so they seem out of place.
Sydney Sweeney makes a good horror heroine, at least. She can capture both the innocent, blushing victim and the gritty, ruthless survivor. She’s a very earnest and charismatic actress, but not a technical prodigy. There were a handful of extended close-ups — the sort in which the tortured protagonist screams or cries or laughs hysterically — which she didn’t have the chops to pull off.
The supporting cast’s characters and performances were baffling. Sister Isabelle, who introduces Sweeney’s character and the audience to the convent, is such a ridiculously stereotypical nun that I assumed she’d be a comic relief
character. “Immaculate,” however, passes up on such kitsch and shoots instead for drama — it misses. Out of nowhere, Sister Isabelle kills herself after trying to murder the protagonist. Schizophrenic writing renders the Mother Superior randomly bipolar too.
The funniest character is — unintentionally, of course — Deacon Enzo. He has almost no lines and no explicit motive, but do you know what he does have? An evil villain mustache which he twirls between his leather-gloved fingers. The main antagonist, Father Tedeschi, suffers from essentially the same problem (albeit to a lesser degree): he’s so evil that it’s accidentally comical.
For better or for worse, “Immaculate” takes its cues from contemporary horror. It sees the smashed head in “Midsommar” and one-ups that, delivering two. It tries to do “art horror,” but it fails both as art and as horror.
It trips itself up trying to tackle Christianity and misogyny — it should’ve stuck to scary.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
By JAYDEN ESPINOZA Scene Writer
When superstars like Beyoncé announce an album, the world stops. But ahead of her eighth solo studio album, “Cowboy Carter,” even as the hitmaker has alluded to collaborations with icons like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, the country genre has at large seemed to tune her out.
This isn’t because country music neglects to acknowledge newer artists, or because the genre isn’t dynamic. Artists like Taylor Swift and Jelly Roll find themselves welcomed into these spaces and encouraged to reimagine themselves and their sounds within the bounds of the genre. This reality, where square dancing is romanticized whilst the legacy and traditions of American freedom are preached, exists to box out Black artists and shift groans of frustration into the beats of one of our country’s most distinct sounds.
Issues regarding inclusion for genres they founded aren’t just an issue for Black artists
generally, but especially for Black women and their goals of entering the country scene. Aware of this reality, Beyoncé has made an explicit effort to be seen in the traditional Americana imagery of the genre’s roots. She isn’t just assimiliating, however; she maintains a critical lens of the genre, assuring country loyalists that they need not worry about what will happen to their genre: “This isn’t a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’ album.” The album, according to Beyoncé, was born out of a negative experience she had multiple years ago where she knew she was unwelcome in country. Speculators have taken this as referencing her blacklisted 2016 CMA’s performance of “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks, which elicited uproar from the country world, causing the video to be taken down from the award show’s YouTube channel and online platforms, despite it being the highest viewed performance and segment in the show’s history.
In response to this, Beyoncé went to learn the origins of country music, especially in relation to Black Americans, and the uphill battle that has
existed ever since to recognize them on the roads they’ve paved. Seemingly ready for this journey, we are reintroduced to Beyoncé on the album cover of “Cowboy Carter” as she rides a Lipizzan horse into battle. This horse breed was unknown to most outside of the equestrian world, but it is recognizable for its coat, which is dark at birth, but continually gets lighter as the horse ages and gets closer to death.
Whether Beyoncé is signifying that the genre is dying, this album will certainly signify a rebirth for herself while creating an opportunity for country artists and listeners alike to embark on an evolution. Past wrongs can be corrected and the sound of country can foster a home for all Americans, regardless of skin color or racial background, which Beyoncé says is a major goal of the forthcoming project.
Whatever lies ahead on your journey, Cowboy Carter, we tip our hats to you and raise our ears to hear your message.
Contact Jayden Espinoza atjespino4@nd.edu
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Editor
The bassoon screams, the brass howls, the reeds yelp, the flutes titter, the strings thrash, the drums thump — little snatches of melody everywhere. A cacophony: it swells, it bursts and then it dies. For a moment, there’s something like folk music or bird song or plain chant; it dies too. This, over and over and over again.
Terrifying orchestral unisons emerge from the dissonance, whipping the music into a dance, seizing ballerinas like flotsam in the rapids of a river. The choreography is simple and infernal — great stomping circles and long leaping lines.
That’s “The Rite of Spring,” a ballet composed by Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by Vaslav Najinsky, which depicts a pagan tribe in ancient Russia celebrating a spring ceremony. It’s no Easter vigil, though: it ends with the sacrifice of a virgin, who — in the ballet’s grand finale — is forced to dance herself to death.
“The Rite of Spring” is on my mind for three reasons.
Firstly, because it always is. It’s catchy and it’s a masterpiece — among the greatest achievements in twentieth-century orchestration.
Still, it’s a nightmare to play. In fact, the first
recording to nail “The Rite” came from the conductor Pierre Boulez with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1969 — that is, 56 years after its debut in 1913. Before then, there were good recordings which achieved the right effect (e.g. the conductor Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic in 1958), but playing the piece precisely as written was considered impossible.
Secondly, because it’s spring. I like to match my music to the season and to the weather. When it’s rainy, for instance, I listen to jazz. Jazz can turn otherwise “depressing” weather into “atmospheric” weather (i.e. rain isn’t miserable, it’s moody).
“Spring” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” might match the spring weather in Georgia. Its baroque idiom is fresh and frilly. But in South Bend — where it snows in March, where it hails and swelters on the same day, where the wind whips across the parking lot at highway speed — that doesn’t cut it. You need something violent, something like “The Rite of Spring.”
Thirdly, because when I mention that I love classical music, people respond “I love classical music; it’s so calming!” or “I love classical music; it helps me study!” — and “The Rite of Spring” is the perfect rebuttal.
Saying “classical music is calming” is as absurd as saying “rap music is fun.” Lots of rap music is
fun, of course, and lots of it is soul-crushing. So, too, with classical music. “The Rite of Spring” is classical music, but it’s terrifying and invigorating — certainly not “calming.”
To say “classical music helps me study” is to say “classical music is good background music,” and to say “classical music is good background music” is to say “classical music is good music to ignore.” That’s denigrating. “The Rite of Spring,” however, demands your attention by alternating between hypnotizing and shocking you. It’s impossible to ignore.
Nevertheless, I shouldn’t be too mean. The crowd who listen to classical music for relaxation and studying keep the lights on, keep the players fed. Plus, more often than not, the alternative to listening to a little classical music is listening to no classical music. Still, “The Rite of Spring” is a reminder that there are higher goods in classical music than being pretty and calming, than being merely listenable.
This spring, as birds begin to scream and coyotes begin to yelp and cicadas begin to titter again, turn on “The Rite.” You’ll find that stepping into its world — at once flamboyant and austere, dissonant and sonorous — isn’t too different from stepping outside.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
Happy Birthday: Who you associate with will make a difference in how events unfold. Don’t let your emotions decide for you. Get the facts, consider your goals, and align yourself with like-minded people who can help you reach your destination. Shoot for the stars and master what you need to know and do to reach your happy place. Your effort will reap rewards. Your numbers are 8,14, 23, 27, 30, 36, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Digest as much information as possible and don’t put up with anyone’s negativity or pressure tactics. Be good to yourself and protect against anyone who tries to undermine you. A high-energy approach to getting things done will lead to an unexpected opportunity.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Put your life in order and your mind at ease. Take care of unfinished business. Clear your timetable and refill it with pastimes geared toward fitness, health, and socializing with people you love. Don’t hi de your feelings, embrace change, and live life your way.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Learn something new. Refuse to let anyone crowd your space or come between you and what you want. Visit places that bring back fond memories and reconnect with old friends. Attend an event offering guidance and reinforcing that you are on the right track.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Rely on your instincts and put your energy into whatever brings the highest returns. Refrain from lingering over what to do next, make up your mind, start the process, and don’t look back. Take control instead of yielding to someone else’s demands. Romance is in the stars.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t let the changes others make tempt you to be a follower. Think for yourself and do what offers the highest return. Control your emotions, and don’t put pressure on yourself or others. When in doubt, sit tight, and you’ll have no regrets.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Read, educate yourself, and pay attention. Consider trends and how your skills and connections can help you advance. A partnership will tempt you, but before you engage, consider what others expect of you and if you’ll get enough in return.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Look at the possibilities and approach people who can offer insight into something you want to pursue that will make your s pace or lifestyle more convenient or comfortable. A social or networking event will open doors to many exciting alternatives. Explore and expand.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take your time when an opportunity presents itself. Show enthusiasm, make suggestions, and change the dynamics of your life. Consider domestic changes that ease stress, contribute to peace of mind, and make what you want to achieve accessible. Socialize, and you’ll meet someone interesting.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t get involved in something that doesn’t interest you. It’s better to say no than to send the wrong signal. Be tactful but direct, offer positive suggestions, and go about your business. You’ll gain the most sticking to an agenda you can control.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep your thoughts to yourself and your emotions under control. Make changes at home that offer financial savings and convenience to explore new projects. Investing more time and money into raising your income or updating your qualifications is encouraged. Self-improvement is favored.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t believe everything you hear. Take time to factcheck and look for better, cost-effective ways to get your desired results. Push back if someone tries to pressure you into something questionable. Advocate on your behalf, and don’t settle for anything less than what you want.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Set the pace, stage what you want to promote, and you’ll find the spotlight to get things up and running. Trust and believe in yourself; don’t let anyone defuse your spirit. Put your energy where it counts, and you will not be disappointed.
Birthday Baby: You are resourceful, connected, and opportunistic. You are astute and alert.
Irish hit milestones, earn top USA Lacrosse Magazine ranking in punishing of Pittsburgh
By TYLER REIDY Sports EditorFresh off a 4-0 road trip that features three one-goal wins, Notre Dame women’s lacrosse is back at home and flexing its muscles. The Irish, previously without a home victory since Feb. 18, annihilated Pitt by a count of 26-5 on Saturday, improving to 10-2 overall with a 4-2 mark in ACC play.
Not only did the beatdown signal a thunderous return to South Bend for the Irish, winners of five straight games. It captured attention from around the country -so much that the women’s lacrosse team earned its first No. 1 ranking of the season. USA Lacrosse Magazine moved Notre Dame up two spots to the summit of its Division I women’s top 20, dethroning Maryland. As the calendar turns to April, the Irish now have both their lacrosse programs as standard-bearers in the USA Lacrosse rankings.
The Notre Dame women made it happen with a victory of historic proportions on Saturday, depositing 26 goals in an ACC game for the first time in program history. And generational offense, of course, starts with epic success in the draw circle. Senior midfielder and draw specialist Kelly Denes found no shortage of that success, claiming a career-high 16 draw controls, which is equal to Andie Aldave’s program record for a single game.
As Denes helped Notre Dame to an overall advantage of 26-7 in the draw circle, the Irish kept a lead foot
on the offensive gas pedal early. Notre Dame ripped 31 shots within the first half alone, ultimately scoring at least five goals in all four quarters. Seven players contributed multiple goals for Notre Dame, with four registering hat tricks.
One of those four players began her final milestone push just two minutes and 19 seconds into the game. Graduate attacker Madison Ahern opened the scoring with her 30th goal of the season, bringing her ever close to career tally No. 200. Ahern would hit that mark in the third quarter as part of a four-goal game, her third consecutive contest with a hat trick.
Graduate attacker and draw specialist Arden Tierney, who posted a trio of goals herself, added a second Irish goal only 64 seconds later. But Pitt hung around in the opening minutes, tying the score at two on a free position shot shortly after. At the end of one quarter, Notre Dame led 7-4 after breaking the deadlock with a 4-0 scoring run.
Over the next 15 minutes, Notre Dame put together a dominant quarter of lacrosse. On their way to outscoring the Panthers 8-0 and going up by 11 before halftime, the Irish went 9-for-9 in the draw circle to set up a 16-3 shooting advantage on offense.
Notre Dame’s ninth overall goal -- perhaps its best of the game -- came from its superior player of the game.
Graduate attacker Jackie Wolak produced remarkable numbers against the
Panthers, accumulating five goals and a career-high six assists on the day for a career-best 11 points. The leading Irish scorer found her hat trick mere minutes into the second quarter, turning defense to offense at a ridiculous pace. Wolak and a teammate forced a Pitt turnover at the Panther restraining line, putting the ball on the Arlotta Stadium turf. All in one motion, Wolak scooped it up and darted back toward the crease, cutting left and firing off a shot that picked out the top corner.
Clinical plays like Wolak’s appeared frequently for the Irish, who extended their seemingly unbreakable momentum from the second quarter into the third. Graduate midfielder Kasey Choma, another threegoal scorer for Notre Dame,
needed only 45 seconds to move her team ahead 16-4 after the halftime break. Six more unanswered Irish goals would follow, carrying the home side to a 21-4 lead by way of a 14-0 scoring run.
As the march neared its end, sophomore midfielder Franny O’Brien found the back of the net for the first time this season, benefiting from Wolak’s sixth assist of the game. Sydney Naylor and the Panthers finally dusted off its goal counter with a strike inside the third quarter’s final five seconds, snapping a scoring drought of 30 minutes and 54 seconds.
That Pitt goal proved nothing more than an outlier as the contest’s final quarter played out. Notre Dame again held the Panthers scoreless while posting five more tallies to close out a 26-5 win.
Junior goalie Isabel Pithie even saw about seven minutes down the stretch after senior starter Lilly Callahan departed with five saves and her 10th win of the year.
Looking ahead, Notre Dame will seek a repeat performance during its final home game this Saturday against Duke. The same publication that bestowed a No. 1 ranking on the Irish just handed the Blue Devils a spot in its top 20 -- and for good reason. After a 3-4 start, Duke has taken six of its last seven games, including a top-10 takedown of Virginia to end March.
Notre Dame’s Senior Day matchup with Duke is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Arlotta Stadium.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish split conference road trip, narrowly losing to Georgia Tech before defeating Clemson
By ANNIKA HERKO Associate Sports EditorWhile the Irish men’s team will host Clemson and Georgia Tech this weekend, the women’s team traveled south this past weekend to compete against those same ACC opponents. The Irish lost to No. 20 Georgia Tech in a close match (4-3) and then defeated No. 56 Clemson (4-1).
Notre Dame’s highestranking singles competitor, No. 29 Julia Andreach, defeated the Yellow Jackets’
best singles player No. 45 Carol Lee 2-1 in their sets. The Irish senior lost the first set but battled back for the final two. Junior Nibi Ghosh and senior Yashna Yellayi both won their matches for the Irish. The doubles point proved important with both teams taking three points from singles. It was in doubles that the Yellow Jackets took over, winning two matchups and leaving the third unfinished, but up over the No. 28 team of Andreach and graduate student Page Freeman.
Traveling north to Clemson, the No. 36 Irish team was able to deliver a victory, breaking its two-game losing streak. Ghosh, Andreach and sophomore Akari Matsuno won their singles competitions. All three Irish doubles teams also won to take home the victory.
Now 13-7 on the season, the Irish have four more matches to go before the
ACC Tournament begins. The four remaining teams are all ACC opponents, and while the Irish have struggled so far in conference play, going 4-5, all remaining teams are unranked. This should allow the Irish to pick up some extra wins and boost their record as all of their conference losses have been against ranked opponents. Friday, the Irish will
travel to Syracuse for a 3 p.m. match against the Orange. Two days later, they will continue on to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, for a match against Boston College at 10 a.m. The remaining two matches against Duke and North Carolina will be hosted by Notre Dame.
Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu
ND
of those came from graduate student defender Chris Conlin, who also secured a career-best seven ground balls and seemed to have a sixth sense for where the ball would be throughout the afternoon.
The Irish defense was also bolstered by the impressive play of freshman defender Shawn Lyght, who was given the challenging assignment of marking Syracuse star Joey Spallina, the nation’s leader in points and assists entering the game. Spallina was limited to just a single goal and no assists on Saturday, and Corrigan highlighted the efforts of Conlin and Lyght.
“[Conlin] was amazing today, his stick had a magnet in it. He kept finding the ball and knocking it down or picking it up,” Corrigan said. “And Shawn Lyght just guarded the heck out of [Spallina] and didn’t give him any breathing room. So between the two of those guys,
great performance by them.”
Notre Dame held a seemingly comfortable 13-7 lead entering the fourth, but a team as talented as Syracuse could only be stifled for so long. The Orange rattled off three unanswered goals and suddenly held all the momentum while facing a far more manageable three-goal deficit.
But just as he often did during last year’s national title run en route to being named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, Entenmann stepped up at a key moment to quell the Syracuse run.
With under 10 minutes to play and the Orange looking to get within two scores while playing with a man-up advantage, Entenmann made what may have been the save of the year (and was SportsCenter’s No. 1 play), diving across the crease and blocking a shot from pointblank range with his stick.
“No question about it,” Corrigan said when asked if Entenmann’s save changed the
course of the game. “They were coming on, putting pressure on us, and they earned that layup with good man-up ball movement, and he just took it away from them. Phenomenal.”
Shortly after Entenmann’s stunning save turned the tides back in Notre Dame’s favor, a Dobson goal stretched the Irish lead back to four and helped snuff out the Orange’s late comeback attempt.
“The biggest thing is [that] our guys kept getting off the mat. Every time [Syracuse] put some pressure on us, our guys got up off the mat and made plays,” Corrigan said. “That was a little bit of our theme for the day: ‘If they push us down, don’t get held down. Get back up and let’s get back to playing.’ And that’s what we did, so really proud of our guys for that.”
Syracuse added two more scores in the final minutes, but it was a case of too little, too late for the visitors as Notre Dame emerged from the heavyweight bout as 14-12 victors.
Saturday’s win continued the Irish’s recent stretch of success against Syracuse. Notre Dame (6-1, 1-0 ACC) has now defeated the Orange (9-3, 1-1 ACC) seven straight times and won 10 of their last 12 meetings.
The marquee matchups will continue for the Irish as they move into the final third of the regular season. On Sunday, they’ll travel to Durham for a rematch of last year’s national title game with Duke.
“We’ve just got to keep worrying about ourselves, we’re not going to get too caught up in our opponent until the time comes to get caught up in that,” Corrigan said about the Irish’s mentality moving forward. “So we’ve got about three days here where we get to rest and recover and get focused on ourselves so that then, in the middle of the week, we can go back and start to worry about Duke and the challenges they bring.”
Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.eduND WBB
the third quarter as Oregon State amassed a 10-point lead, but Notre Dame battled back quickly. The Irish managed to take a pair of brief, fourth-quarter leads, an effort spearheaded by relentless defense. Notre Dame forced 26 total turnovers, nine of which came in the final frame.
With success down low not coming easy, the Irish knew they needed to find their offensive rhythm from farther out. Notre Dame drained a few crucial 3-pointers in the first three frames to keep itself within arm’s reach of the Beavers throughout the game, but such timely offense dried up down the stretch. The Irish went 0-for-5 from deep in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame finished the game shooting 36% from the field, most of which came on mid-range or 3-point attempts. The Irish were outscored 13-6 across the final three minutes of the game.
The Irish were led by the combination of Citron and senior forward Maddy Westbeld, who registered 22 and 19 points, respectively. Both players had to work around some foul trouble, each ending the game with four.
Speaking to the media following the final whistle, Ivey reflected on her squad’s status entering the offseason. In her eyes, the loss might be a boost for some of the younger players come next fall.
“We have great firepower coming back, and you can’t teach experience,” Ivey said. “That’s what my entire team has received this year. I’m excited next year to bring back [junior guard] Olivia Miles -- we’re going to be healthy. We have an incredible post coming in. It’s going to be exciting. These types of moments are part of our journey.”
It’s difficult to fault Ivey for looking ahead to next year. Her squad ended the campaign with four expected contributors having been ruled out for the year, three of which didn’t play in 2024. She’ll also be adding highly-touted freshman Kate Koval to the roster, potentially filling the exact weaknesses Oregon State pounded away at on Friday.
For now, Notre Dame will likely take a brief rest after a whirlwind end-of-season stretch saw the Irish win 10 of their final 11 contests as well as an ACC Tournament title.
“We’ll regroup, refocus on our vision and get to work,” Ivey said.
Irish men’s team concludes historic year with 10th-place finish at NCAA Championships
By MADELINE LADD Assistant Managing EditorNotre Dame men’s swimming and diving culminated the 2023-2024 season with a 10th-place finish — the program’s highest in history at this meet. Over four days, the Irish amassed 132 points between relay, individual and diving events.
Wednesday, March 27
The 200 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay kicked off the meet on Wednesday night. The medley quartet of sophomore Tommy Janton, senior Tyler Christianson, sophomore Marcus Gentry
ND WOMEN’S GOLFand graduate student Abdelrahman El-Araby finished 19th (1:24.30), with the freestyle quartet of junior Chris Guiliano, sophomore Tommy Janton, graduate student Cason Wilburn and sophomore Dillon Edge finishing 17th (6:15.58).
Thursday, March 28
Thursday was a monumental day for the Irish. Guiliano saw his second record-breaking performance of the meet in the preliminary 50 freestyle — 18.43 — and entered finals as the No. 2 seed. In finals, Guiliano improved 19 spots from last season and secured All-America status
with a fourth-place finish (18.49).
In the diving well, sophomore Daniel Knapp took 15th in the men’s 1-meter, scoring 335.85 and notching AllAmerica Honorable Mention Status.
The night ended on a high note with the highest relay finish in program history. El-Araby, Guiliano, graduate student Tanner Filion and sophomore Tate Bacon finished eighth in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:15.42.
Friday, March 29
With the highest individual performance in program history at NCAAs, Guiliano
posted a third-place finish in the 200 free on Friday night (1:30.38). Janton also had a stellar Friday in the water. He broke the 100 back school record three times: 44.91 in prelims, 44.75 in finals and 44.58 off the start on the 400 medley relay. Janton took 11th in the 100 back, and the medley relay composed of Janton, Christianson, Bacon and Guiliano finished ninth (303.01).
Saturday, March 30
To round out his individual slate, Guiliano took fifth in the 100 free (40.66) in his third A-final of the weekend. Janton finished eighth in the
200 back (1:40.25) and Filion was 11th in the B final (1:39.16) at his first DI NCAAs. Before coming to Notre Dame, Filion was the DIII NCAA champion at Whitman College.
Guiliano, Filion, Janton and Elaraby concluded the meet with another eighth-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 2:46.46.
Head coach Chris Lindauer’s goal of being a top ten team was met as the Irish head back to South Bend with another season under their belt, some hardware and history made.
Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu
Beaudreau, Schiavone star with top-two finishes as Irish take second at The Bruzzy
By TYLER REIDY Sports EditorWith the postseason looming in just over two weeks, Notre Dame women’s golf impressed in its final regular season competition. The Irish took second place at The Bruzzy at Dornick Hills Country Club in Ardmore, Oklahoma, posting an overall team score of 866 (+26). Coming into the event, Notre Dame had not posted a toptwo finish during the spring since April 2021 at the IU Spring Challenge.
Going by the scoreboard rankings, Notre Dame’s performance jumped off the page among the 13-team field. Unsurprisingly, No. 8 Arkansas won the event, shooting 10 strokes better than the Irish. However, the Razorbacks were the sole squad out of the 10 seeded higher than No. 75 Notre Dame to actually place better than the Irish at The Bruzzy. Top60 programs such as Purdue, Oklahoma, North Texas, Texas Tech, Tulsa and Minnesota all fell below Notre Dame at the North Texas-hosted event.
Across the board, no team (including Arkansas) performed better than the Irish during the final two of the competition’s three rounds.
After an opening-round score of 297, Notre Dame cut down to totals of 282 and 287 in rounds two and three, respectively.
Setting the tone of improvement for the Irish, graduate student Lauren Beaudreau and senior Chloe Schiavone each placed inside the top two individually. Beaudreau won the event outright, going 70-67-70 for a three-under par
207 for her first career tournament win. With a runner-up finish at the Tulane Classic also to her name, Beaudreau played her best golf in March to end the regular season.
Right behind her, Schiavone went lower with each round, posting a 73-70-68 scoring line for a one-over par tally of 211. Tying for second place with Kendall Todd of Arkansas, Schiavone delivered an eagle at one point during the weekend.
Rounding out the Irish contributions, junior Montgomery Ferreira went
76-74-72 to tie for 27th place, freshman Alexsandra Lapple used a second-round 71 to tie for 51st and graduate student Nina Rissi finished in a 68thplace group. Several weeks off now await the Irish ahead of the ACC Championships, which will take place from April 18-21 at Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, North Carolina. Last season, Notre Dame finished in a tie for ninth place at the ACC Championships.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu ND MEN’S TENNIS
Irish drop two top-25 matches in North Carolina, seek stronger finish on home court
By ANNIKA HERKO Associate Sports EditorOver the Easter holiday, the Notre Dame men’s tennis team had two matchups against highly-ranked opponents. While in North Carolina, the Irish fell to No. 24 UNC (4-0) and No. 14 Duke (5-2).
The Irish lost the first three singles competitions against the Tar Heels. No. 29 nationally for the Irish, sophomore Sebastian Dominko was going back and forth with No. 108 Benjamin Kittay and was up in his third set. Freshman Chase Thompson also had an edge over No. 82 Karl
Poling, but the third set was left unfinished. If the other matches had been able to hang on a little longer, the score may have reflected the competitiveness of the Irish team a little better.
Notably in the doubles competition, Dominko and senior Jean-Marc Malkowski defeated the doubles team of Kittay and Phillip Jordan 6-4, picking up a major road win.
In the second match of the weekend, Notre Dame’s struggles continued in Durham. No. 30 Garrett Johns defeated Dominko in the two final sets of their match. Graduate student
Nil Giraldez won his first set against No. 52 Pedro Rodenas but lost the last two. Freshman Kyran Magimay and junior Yu Zhang won both of their singles competitions giving the Irish their only two points of the match and the weekend.
The luck of the Irish did not turn in doubles play, though. The sixth-ranked team of Johns and Rodenas defeated No. 13 Dominko and Malkowski. The Blue Devils’ other ranked doubles team -- No. 25 Michael Heller and Andrew Zhang -also defeated its Notre Dame opponent.
Now, the Irish are No. 54
overall, down two spots from last week. They are 10-12 overall and 1-7 in ACC play. With four games to go in the regular season and three of them at home, where the Irish have been strongest, they have a good chance to end the regular season with a winning record.
The Irish host the 10-11 Clemson Tigers on Friday at 4 p.m.
ContactAnnika Herko at aherko@nd.edu
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Beers, Gardiner dominate as Irish fall in Sweet 16, finish season after 10-game winning streak
By J.J. POST Senior Sports WriterALBANY, N.Y. – Notre Dame women’s basketball lost in the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year on Friday, falling 70-65 to Oregon State.
The Beavers grabbed an offensive rebound on their first offensive possession, an early indicator of the discrepancy that would decide the game. Oregon State, specifically through center Raegan Beers and forward Timea Gardiner, challenged Notre Dame to stop it beneath the basket. The Irish, playing a fourth consecutive game without starting senior center Kylee Watson, could not find an answer.
Beers finished the contest with 18 points and 13 rebounds on 9-for-12 shooting. Gardiner tallied 21 points of her own to go with 11 rebounds. As a team, the Beavers won the rebounding battle 42 to 24, outscoring
ND MEN’S LACROSSENotre Dame in the paint by a 40 to 28 margin.
Junior guard Sonia Citron spoke about Beers’ effectiveness against a variety of different defensive approaches after the game.
“We tried a couple different things on her,” Citron said. “Whether it was fronting her and trying to be in help or playing behind her and trying to trap, we tried to throw a couple things at her -- credit to her, she’s a phenomenal player.”
Irish head coach Niele Ivey also gave plaudits to Gardiner, who posted a game-high 12 second-half points:
“She’s incredible,” said Ivey. “She hit us with some dagger plays. The 3 going into the fourth quarter with five seconds left. Her size, her presence – she’s very poised [and] plays with a ton of confidence… I thought she had a fantastic game today.”
Oregon State guard Talia
von Oelhoffen didn’t light up the scoreboard, finishing with six points, but she pulled the strings for the Beavers’ offense – good for a game-high nine assists. She
also notched a quartet of clutch free throws to expand Oregon State’s lead late in the game. Despite the Beavers’ early assertion of dominance in
the low post, the Irish didn’t relent. The game seemed to teeter on the brink of falling out of reach early on in
Irish use strong first half to take down No. 3 Syracuse in ACC opener, uphold No. 1 ranking
By MATTHEW CROW Sports WriterThis week, Notre Dame men’s lacrosse rose to No. 1 in the national rankings on the heels of a three-game winning streak. On Saturday afternoon, the defending national champion Irish ensured they’ll retain that spot with a signature 14-12 victory over No. 3 Syracuse to open conference play.
The atmosphere for the Easter weekend matchup at Arlotta Stadium was electric from the opening faceoff, with an overcapacity crowd enjoying nearperfect weather conditions for the high-profile ACC duel.
The Orange — having won five straight games, including a 10-4 thrashing of then-No. 3 Duke — came to South Bend as the hottest team in the country. They got on the scoreboard first less than two minutes into the opening quarter.
But it didn’t take Notre Dame’s NCAA-leading scoring offense long to erase the early deficit. Irish graduate student
midfielder Reilly Gray tallied his fourth goal of the season to level the score and added another just minutes later. The Irish made it three in a row with six minutes remaining in the quarter on a diving goal from junior midfielder Ben Ramsey.
Goals from unexpected scorers like Gray and Ramsey — who was recently tabbed as a Midseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse but had yet to score a goal this season entering Saturday’s game — set the tone for what would be a balanced offensive effort that showcased Notre Dame’s impressive depth.
Despite the team’s four leading scorers combining for just five goals, the Irish attack was still effective against the nation’s third-best scoring defense. Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan praised the selflessness of his team’s stars postgame.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can score and make plays for us,” Corrigan said. “On any given day, I’d like to think that the play of the game determines
who’s going to score, not one of our guys forcing his way to the front of the line. So when we’re at our best, that’s what we do. We share the ball, our best players are unbelievably unselfish, and so the ball finds the right guy and that’s how it was today.”
Goalkeeping play was a major storyline entering the game, with Notre Dame graduate student Liam Entenmann and Syracuse’s Will Mark considered by many to be the nation’s top two goalies. With scoring opportunities at a premium, maintaining control of possession proved critical, and Irish junior faceoff specialist Will Lynch helped Notre Dame do just that.
Lynch won the game’s first five faceoffs and didn’t let up, finishing the afternoon 19 of 26 while also scoring a goal himself. After Syracuse leveled the score at 3-3, Lynch sparked another string of three straight Irish goals to close out the first quarter with Notre Dame leading 6-3.
Corrigan spoke about the
impact of Lynch, who has won the faceoff matchup in six of the Irish’s seven games this season.
“Their goalie’s terrific and so is ours,” Corrigan said. “Extra possessions mean a lot in a game where both guys are making you really earn your goals, and so for us to not just win the possessions [but to] get a goal out of the faceoff play as well, huge day for Will Lynch.”
The second period was largely a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading goals to make the score 8-5 in Notre Dame’s favor as halftime approached.
But with 59 seconds remaining in the half, junior attacker Chris Kavanagh found the back of the net after being set up by senior midfielder Eric Dobson. Lynch won the ensuing faceoff and scored just four seconds later to give Notre Dame a 10-5 lead at the break.
End-of-quarter execution provided a decisive advantage for the Irish in the first half. Notre Dame finished the first quarter on a 3-0 run and added two
more scores in the final minute of the second. Those five goals represented the entirety of their halftime lead and put the Irish firmly in the driver’s seat heading into the second half.
“We practice those situations and we talk about how important the last three minutes of a quarter are because they set a tone for the next quarter,” Corrigan said about the Irish’s late-quarter play. “I thought that was big today.”
Both offenses came out of the break swinging. Within the first four minutes of the third quarter, Syracuse trimmed their deficit to four before Irish graduate student attacker and leading scorer Jake Taylor brought it back to six with a pair of goals just over a minute apart.
But with the Irish leading 12-6, scoring began to slow, with both defenses consistently creating turnovers and forcing difficult shot attempts. Notre Dame finished the game with a seasonhigh 13 caused turnovers. Three