Arts & Letters

the two sites. The center offers both half-day and full-day childcare options. The flexibility allows families to choose the option that best fits their needs, alford said.

“We really want children to be able to be with their parents or to be with their family members if they’re able to, and we also want them to have some preschool experiences,” alford said. “and so for some families, that part-time opening is really what they’re looking for.”

The center employs students from saint mary’s and notre dame. both student teachers and volunteers play a large role in the community at ecdc alford said many students who work at the center during their time in college choose to pursue a career in early childhood education, and some return to ecdc as full-time teachers after graduation.

“if any college students are ever looking for service hours or thinking about education or the early childhood field, they can volunteer for one or two hours a week. and then if they love it, they can work for us or extend those hours. it’s a great way for them to learn about early childhood and volunteer at a nonprofit organization,” alford said.

Johnson said every time she returns from ecdc, she has a funny story or moment to share with her friends.

“i have loved being around kids, and they offer such a refreshing perspective … they’re also endlessly entertaining,” Johnson said. during her time working at ecdc, Johnson has formed relationships with the children she teaches and has also formed relationships with their families, she said. alford said the most rewarding part about working at ecdc is getting to know the children and their families.

The children love playing games like musical chairs, house, doing arts and crafts and playing on the playground outside, Johnson said. most of the activities the children participate in aren’t very structured, allowing them to explore their surroundings by engaging in dramatic play where they take on roles and act them out.

“The most validating thing about the job is when i have worked there a long enough time or have made enough of an impression on them that even at two or four-years-old they start to remember my name,” Johnson said.

“early childhood is really all about [forming] relationships,” alford said. “it’s so rewarding. no day is the same. it’s always different.”

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

Laborcon T in U ed from Page 1 focused on what was normally, over the last 30 years, not part of public discourse,” graff said.

The forum then shifted the discussion to the idea of “economic clarity” as a kick-starter, comparing present day mobilizations with those of the 1930s.

a idan creeron, a senior studying economics and history, spoke about the industry differences that might be contributing to labor movements after the pandemic.

“There aren’t many sectors in the U.s. that aren’t above where they were pre-pandemic at this point. most have had a really impressive recovery. but those places that are still lagging are the ones where the most activity is being seen. so i wonder if it’s the pressure that’s being put on the workers who are still in [those sectors],” creeron said. “education and public employment are still way below where they were … i wonder if that kind of frustration is spurring it.”

Lucia carbajal, a senior studying history, gender studies and Latino studies, brought up the role of social media in modernday activism and labor protests.

“i really think social media has played a huge role. a nd i think that’s been involved with, ‘generational activism,’” carbajal said. “it’s random, but i’ll get ads about starbucks unionization, or i’ll just get videos of teachers discussing the fact that they have burnout and that they’re not getting paid enough. Things like that. a nd this has created communities amongst themselves. but not only that, it’s spreading awareness to other people.” e xpanding on the various “generational implications,” carbajal said she sees the desire for change even just in conversations with friends.

“We’ve made clear boundaries that we’ll establish in the future,” carbajal said. “We’re going to break those gender or those generational issues. We’re going to fight for labor issues.”

The conversation next transitioned onto the history and nature of unionizations. The effects of the labor upsurge of the 1930s are still being felt in the structure of our policies today, graff explained.

“The settlement in the United states of the labor questions of that time was, ‘unionization will be the path by which most workers can organize and get what they want.’ so, in the U.s., unlike in some other relatively wealthy countries in europe, the state continued and still does play a relatively small role in social provisions,” graff said.

“The early success of the industrial union movement in the 1930s, in some ways, suggested to policymakers, ‘oh, we don’t need the state to intervene — the labor movement can solve those problems.”

The forum also tied in connections to mccarthy-era fears of communism. a lthough younger generations tend not to fear socialist labels, carbajal said she believes there is still a “fear from the right.” bringing the discussion fullcircle, members acknowledged some common objections to modern-day unions. The first complaint is that unions help protect the small percentage of workers who are actually the problem, and oftentimes, a large amount of union funds are diverted to these individuals’s protection. secondly, speakers said there is a stigma around consumerism which links to the misconception that unions are always demanding more and more wages.

Junior a nnie rehill offered up her own experience encountering protests and the inevitable “collateral damage” of labor activism.

“i was thinking about this in terms of the graduate student strikes at m ichigan. i went to m ichigan for my freshman year and then i transferred to notre dame. a nd so, my freshman year i had three weeks of classes canceled because not only were my graduate student instructors on strike, but also, a lot of my professors were standing in solidarity with them,” rehill said. rehill said, on one hand, she believed her graduate student instructors deserved to be compensated better.

“at the same time, i was just wondering, ‘do people who are paying like $80,000 a year in tuition deserve to have their access to what they’re paying for taken away?’” rehill said. “but then, it’s also a good bargaining tool for the graduate students to use, where the university administration knows that will add a sense of urgency to ending the strikes.” graff reiterated the complexity of the questions that arise from events such as the graduate student protest at the University of m ichigan.

“Who are the other stakeholders? What are the public consequences of labor conflicts?” graff said.

While the forum debated the responsibility of employers and the industry differences in bargaining power, speakers agreed that these questions remain multiplex and highly situational.

To conclude, graff expressed gratitude for graduating seniors who have been Labor cafe regulars, including carbajal, creeron and brendan mcfeely.

The three students reflected the same appreciation for graff and the forum that the Labor cafe provided.

“i’m going to miss just how topical some of the conversations are. i’m mostly interested in public policy questions. so like, this has been a nice kind of forum to think about those in,” creeron said. “not having a monthly space to think about the big overarching policy questions that interest me is going to be different.” Contact Kelsey Quint

“my friends know that if i’m going to have a late night of studying, i’ll fill up a cup of Lucky charms in the dining hall to keep me going,” englhardt said. deciding earlier to step back from competitive dance in college and applying to be a leprechaun almost as a joke, englhardt said she didn’t tell her family she was trying out until actually making the cheer team.

“it was so funny to call my parents and my siblings to let them know, because it came so far out of left field for them,” englhardt said. “i don’t think that’s what any of them expected me to say when i called.”

Leprechaun Colin a sophomore from omaha, nebraska studying spanish and finance, mahoney is a returning 2022-2023 leprechaun. drawn to notre dame because of traditions such as the leprechaun and dining hall rivalry, mahoney said he acts like a “ballistic missile” when inciting Fighting irish fans at sporting events. heading into year two, mahoney said he’s always looking to improve the leprechaun

“i have the ability to flip the switch and instantaneously go from trying to be professional, calm, mild-mannered and studious to going absolutely crazy,” mahoney said.

Whether it’s lifting in the morning with the cheer team, learning how to do a backflip, creating social media content, engaging in community outreach or speaking with donors, mahoney said leprechauns must cultivate a unique set of skills.

“i think there’s so many different avenues of personal development that the roll provides you with that i really don’t know what i can draw a parallel to,” mahoney said.

Author

female friendship is not prevalent enough in the literary canon.

“it’s still not enough a part of the canon,” Furber said. “i mean, we have ‘my brilliant Friend’ for instance by elena Ferrante which is probably the best example. but female friendship and the depths of it, that to me, i love when you read a story about that, so i was really excited to write about that.”

While Furber always intended Lillie’s story to be a trilogy, she said she plans to finish the series when she is in her forties like Lillie will be in the final book, which is set in the 1960s.

“so that novel, i really want to leave until i’m that age, because these books for me are very much for questions of my own life,” she said. “Where i’m at and where my friends are at and the conversations that we are having together at that time, so i don’t know what that will be.” even though she is waiting to role on and off the field.

“This year, i ended up getting into 10- or 11-grade schools and elementary schools around the south bend, mishawaka and the michiana area,” mahoney said.

“Those interactions meant a lot to me.”

Leprechaun Kylee Kazenski, a junior computer science major from springfield, illinois, said she always wanted to try out to be a leprechaun during her senior year.

“a s soon as i put the suit on and got out there in front of my peers at the tryouts, it was a whole different experience,” Kazenski said. “There was no fear. it was just all pep. i was ready to go. nothing was really standing in my way.” since arriving at notre dame, Kazenski, a first-generation student, said she’s turned to several activities to prepare for the leprechaun role. a member of the st. a ndré bessette Welcome Weekend committee for two years, Kazenski said she has led dorm chants for first-years during move-in. she studied abroad in ireland over the summer for six weeks, is taking an irish language class and plays banjo in notre dame’s céilí band, she added.

“You don’t have to be delved into irish culture, obviously, to be way into the Fighting irish,” Kazenski said. “but i think it did really help propel me into really wanting to portray the leprechaun.”

Kazenski and englhardt both said they were honored to be among the university’s first few female leprechauns.

“it’s a unique opportunity to inspire younger girls and women here to really go out there and make their dreams happen, no matter what’s typical of that role or perceived as typical,” Kazenski said.

Leprechaun Ryan coury, a junior finance major finish Lillie’s story, Furber explained she is working on a third book which is independent from “The essence of an hour” and “We Were very merry.” This new book is “a feminist take on ‘Lolita.’”

“What i love about ‘Lolita’ — and it is one of my favorite novels — is the aspect of the american road trip and what happens between those two characters, between the older man and Lolita,” Furber said. “in my novel, it is a woman who is of age and a man who go on trip but it still has those very ‘me Too’ politics attached.” in addition, Furber noted an insistence that writers cannot use their professional lives as an excuse to not create art.

Furber encouraged young writers to find out what works best for them — and not rely on other people to determine what that might be.

“it’s about finding your own pattern and recognizing it,” she said.

“don’t hide behind your professional life, that’s the biggest advice i can give,” she said. “i think i did that very much my early 20s. if you want to be a writer, or you want to be any from Phoenix, a rizona, is another returning leprechaun from 2022-2023.

Last year, coury said leprechaun tryouts were so close that applicants were given time during the bluegold game to engage with the crowd in an added round of tryouts. Following the game, coury thought he might have gotten cut.

“i didn’t know how tryouts would go, and i was fortunate that the coaches saw something in me that i didn’t quite see in myself yet,” coury said. “Little did i know that i was embarking on the best adventure of my life.” one of the “unspoken best parts of the job” is meeting mascots from other schools, coury said. The uniform — an irish country hat, green suit, vest and shillelagh — provides leprechauns the confidence to perform, coury added. a lthough a leprechaun is inherently mischievous, coury said he embodies a more friendly, goofy and high-energy character.

“Last year when i got the job, i found out on a sunday morning. We had a team meeting that evening, and then immediately after the team meeting, the seamstress was there measuring us for the suits,” coury said.

“on a greater note, for what the figure means, you have the unique opportunity to not only represent the university, but you’re also embodying its mission — this idea of being a means for good,” coury said. “When you’re in suit, you are out of your own life. it’s an escape from that. but you also get to take other people out of their troubles and their worries and let them just focus on you.”

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

sort of artist, it is balancing that very true part of yourself.”

Furber continued by telling young writers they must believe in their talents, even before they hit tangible goals like being published.

“it can feel very embarrassing, especially until you feel that you’ve hit a goal, such as being published, or if you’re an artist, maybe having explicit exposition,” she said. “but it’s believing in yourself and believing that you need to carve out this time, and setting very realistic boundaries on yourself.”

Looking to the future, Furber would like to spend more time speaking to young women about how they can turn their experiences into writing, like she did as a guest at last year’s visiting Writers series.

“i would really love to connect with more, especially young women, about these stories and to empower their own voices,” Furber said. “That’s really what i’d love my whole career to be about.”

Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu student participant was given a “life card” with a predetermined amount of money and identification status. For example, some students were assigned $200 and a social security card, while others had only $100 and no id

The students moved from station to station to complete a weekly set of tasks, such as paying rent, paying for food or getting an id. The stations included a medical center, counseling and treatment, ged and career center, a bank, an id station and more.

“a lot of people wanted to go to jail on purpose because that was almost easier than having to complete all these tasks,” hsu said.

The simulation ran in four rounds of ten minutes, with ten minutes representing a week and the entire simulation representing a month of reentering society after incarceration.

“What was interesting to me is seeing notre dame students be confused and get frustrated because that’s exactly how it is for people coming out of prison,” mcdevitt said.

“There’s never enough time, there’s never enough money. and that’s sort of the point to help students understand that.” in addition to planning the simulation, the sPn group researched and presented on indiana-specific barriers to reentry. They focused on three categories of barriers: housing, mental health and education. hsu said that though reentry is important broadly as an issue that impacts the community, it’s especially key for notre dame students interested in goverment and policy to understand the barriers to reentry.

“having the awareness of this issue is really important for future lawmakers and policy makers to not be discriminatory or inequitable in our law making and decisions,” hsu said.

The sPn project is not notre dame’s only research into the effects of mass incarceration, or life after incarceration. The csc oversees the notre dame Programs for education in Prison (ndPeP) — which houses the WcP and other programs — to provide “high-quality, credit-bearing college courses that lead to undergraduate liberal arts degrees in the state prison environment.” in addition to the student participants, community leaders cheryl ashe and Jeff Walker attended the reentry simulation.

This research helps notre dame understand the “vast system” of incarceration, mcdevitt said.

“understanding the system that’s broken helps us both try to change it, and in the meantime, work to help people as they continue to be inside of a broken system,” mcdevitt said.

Walker cofounded Life outside reentry assistance with mcdevitt and currently serves as the executive director of the beacon resource center, a multipurpose community space in a renovated bowling alley. ashe is a community organizer and regular volunteer at dismas house, a local nonprofit that provides transitional housing for recently incarcerated individuals. she’s known in the community for her commitment to helping those coming out of prison, mcdevitt said.

“anything that we could do to bridge the [notre dame – south bend divide] helps both the university and the community,” mcdevitt said. “so having leaders in the community who do this with their life come onto notre dame’s campus and set an example for students and inspire students with the work that they do helps us.” hsu said that she hopes to return with a larger reentry simulation next year with more student participants. mcdevitt added that he would love to ask a formerly incarcerated person to come and speak at future iterations of the simulation.

“There’s a lot of education that happens outside of the classroom, and this is one of those moments,” mcdevitt said. “The more we know about how other people survive and live, the more we can live in the world in a way that matters.”

Contact Kathryn Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu