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Volume 55, Issue 56 | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
University doctoral student dies Mass to be held Wednesday in remembrance of Majd “Jude” Alshoufi Observer Staff Report
Courtesy of the Kroc Institute
Notre Dame announced the death of Majd “Jude” Alshoufi, who was pursuing a doctoral degree in psychlogy and peace studies, on Friday.
Notre Dame graduate student Majd “Jude” Alshoufi has died, according to an email from University leadership Friday night. In a separate email to The Observer, the University declined to comment on the cause of Alshoufi’s death. The body is currently undergoing an autopsy, Ann Kaser, administrative assistant of the St. Joseph County Coroner’s Office, confirmed Tuesday morning. The results of the autopsy could
take 6 to 8 weeks. Alshoufi was pursuing a doctoral degree in psycholog y and peace studies through the department of psycholog y and the Kroc Institute in the Keough School of Global Affairs. Born in Syria, Alshoufi grew up in the United Arab Emirates. According to the Kroc Institute website, Alshoufi was a peace and human rights activist with experience working with
website, Grandin will share her own experiences as an individual with autism spectrum disorder in order to offer advice to others on the autism spectrum about how they can use their talents to develop their own careers. “In this lecture, Temple see AUTISM PAGE 4
see COVID-19 PAGE 4
see STUDENT PAGE 3
By LUCIANA THOMAS News Writer
Two people were injured in a shooting south of campus Tuesday evening, the Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD) announced in an email to the University community. The incident reportedly took place near the intersection of N. Frances Street and Campeau Street, NDPD said. The South Bend Police Department (SBPD) responded to the incident at around 6:50 p.m. and the subject reportedly f led eastbound, according to the email. The NDPD said in the email that the department was not aware of a connection between the incident and the Notre Dame community. They also urged anyone with information regarding the incident to report it to the SBPD. “The Notre Dame Police Department has been in contact with our partners in South Bend about this incident, and we will continue to work together for the safety of our communities,” the email said. NDPD also advised individuals to leave areas where there is a fight or disturbance, seek shelter and, if possible, call 911.
NEWS PAGE 3
Notre Dame students gathered for a prayer service led by Campus Ministry and DreamND Monday evening by the statue of the Holy Family on Bond Quad to kick off Undocumented Student Week of Action. The service was the first in a series of events aimed at supporting students who are undocumented or who are part see SERVICE PAGE 5
LUCIANA THOMAS | The Observer
A prayer service was held Monday evening outside of ColemanMorse Center o kick off Undocumented Student Week of action.
Temple Grandin to give autism studies lecture Observer Staff Report
Author and Colorado State University animal science professor Temple Grandin will present the College’s first annual autism studies lecture, called “Developing Talents,” on April 20, 2022, according to an email sent Monday morning by director of the
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
Master of Autism Studies program Michael Waddell. Tickets will be available for purchase beginning January 2022. Grandin was originally scheduled to deliver the lecture in April 2021, but the event was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. According to the College’s autism studies
SCENE PAGE 9
Observer Staff Report
In a n ema i l Monday mor ning, Un iversit y President Fr. Joh n Jen k i ns a nnou nced t he Un iversit y w i l l consider l i f t i ng cer ta i n COVID-19 rest r ict ions i f 90 % of t he st udent body ha s had at lea st t he f i rst vacci nat ion dose. Jen k i ns encou raged st udents to schedu le a n appoi nt ment to receive t he vacci ne at t he on-ca mpus vacci nat ion site at t he Compton Fa m i ly Ice A rena, wh ich w i l l beg i n vacci nati ng st udents T hu rsday. “We st rong ly encou rage ever y st udent who ha s not yet been vacci nated to ta ke adva ntage of t h is oppor t u n it y,” Jen k i ns w rote. “We u rge you to do t h is not on ly for you r ow n hea lt h a nd sa fet y, but for t he protect ion of ou r ent i re u n iversit y com mu n it y, ou r loca l com mu n it y, a nd you r fa m i l ies a nd home com mu n it ies a s we approach su m mer.” A lt houg h t he ema i l sa id t he vacci ne is not f u lly ef fect ive u nt i l about t wo week s a f ter t he second dose, t he Un iversit y bel ieves t hey w i l l be able to lift some COVID protocols t h roug hout t he vacci nat ion process. Speci f ica l ly, t he ema i l sa id t hat once 90 % of t he Not re Da me st udent popu lat ion ha s received t he f i rst dose of t he vacci ne, st udents w i l l be able to v isit ot her residence ha l l com mon spaces, gat her outdoors i n g roups of 25 or less w it hout ma sk s a nd pa r t icipate i n cu r rent ly proh ibited recreat iona l oppor t u n it ies, such as ba sketba l l a nd vol leyba l l. T hese cha nges will be considered one week
Shooting Undocumented student reported week begins with service near ND Observer Staff Report
ND to review protocol
ND BASEBALL PAGE 16
ND W SOFTTBALL PAGE 16
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TODAY
The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
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“Mark Twain.”
“Friedrich Nietzche.”
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“Amelia Earhart.”
“Mother Teresa, Gandhi or Robin Williams.”
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“Freddie Mercury.”
“Culper Spy Ring, Ragnar Lodbrok or Wild Bill Hickok.”
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With the recent rise in temperatures, the Saint Mary’s College orchestra took advantage of the spring weather by practicing at the top of the steps of Moreau Center for Arts. Despite the sunny skies, rain is forecasted for the rest of the week.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
“Discover the Social Entrepreneur Within” virtual 5 p.m. - 6p.m. Chat with Ivanti, a startup-generator.
“Processing AntiAsian Violence” virtual 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Discussion on the Atlanta shootings.
Ten Years Hence Leture virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Presented by Professor Hany Farid.
Spring Festival across campus 6 p.m. - midnight Entertainment and events concluding with food trucks and music.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon All are welcome to attend.
Wellness Wednesday Library Lawn 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Wellness activities, resources and care kits available.
Cookies and Canvas North Quad tent 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Enjoy activities and cookies in this SAOhosted event.
Jesus Christ Superstar Notre Dame Stadium 8 p.m. Free entry and onfield seating for adults.
“Parasite” (2019) Browning Cinema 7:30 p.m. Watch the black and white version of the film. Free, but ticketed.
La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | The Observer
3
University leads public health research effort to prevent vector-borne diseases By RYAN PETERS Associate News Editor
When John Grieco and Nicole Achee sit down at their dinner table, they make an effort to talk about anything other than the five-year research program they are helping lead. Grieco and Achee, both research associate professors in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University, are not only partners in life but also professional colleagues. Both serve as investigators on the Advancing Evidence for the Global Implementation of Spatial Repellents (AEGIS) research team. Led by Notre Dame with the help of several consortium members and project partners, the AEGIS project is dedicated to generating evidence about the efficacy of spatial repellents as a supplementary tool in preventing the spread of malaria and Aedes-borne viruses. The team’s goal is to generate the evidence required to obtain a global health policy recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO). “That recommendation allows us to have global implementation, meaning we can
place special repellents into public health programs for control of, in our case, vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue and Zika,” Achee, the project’s scientific director, said. Grecio, the project’s lead principal investigator, said the AEGIS team is currently preparing to launch their first trial in Kenya this summer. The team later plans to launch additional trials in Mali and Sri Lanka. The trials were originally planned to take place a year ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic paused the program. In addition to forcing the delay, the pandemic has caused the project to undergo major logistical and budgetary changes. Unitaid, the primary funder of the project, has required personal protective equipment (PPE) to be purchased for the sites. Grieco said almost $1 million worth of PPE has been purchased, with donors from the University helping foot the bill. Additionally, interviews with homeowners and participants in the trials now must take place virtually. “It’s been a huge burden,” Grieco said. “We’ve had to readjust how we interact with the homeowners.”
The concept of spatial repellents has been around for about 75 years, Achee said. Spatial repellents aimed at preventing mosquito bites are on the market in various forms, such as mosquito coils. However, the AEGIS team is focusing on gaining data for the product class of spatial repellents aimed at preventing disease. SC Johnson, an industry partner of AEGIS, recently completed two trials with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation funded one trial for dengue and another trial for malaria. However, in order to qualify for a policy recommendation, Achee said the WHO requires two trials for each disease in two different settings. She said the data from the Gates trials were encouraging enough for the AEGIS project to continue seeking the policy recommendation. “Our outcomes were very positive,” she said. “There would be reason for WHO to be interested in continuing. We would need to do certain things to help fill the gaps that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation program wasn’t capturing.”
Achee added that the AEGIS team has a unique opportunity to pursue this global health effort because pursuing a public health policy recommendation requires a lot of funding and effort that many companies don’t have access to. If AEGIS is able to get the recommendation, then smaller companies will have a better opportunity to pursue putting their spatial repellents on the consumer and public health markets, Achee said. Achee stressed that AEGIS’s goal is not just to prevent deaths from the diseases but to reduce the morbidity. Models estimate the average annual amount of infections to be around 390 million for dengue and 229 million for malaria in 2019, according to WHO. The spatial repellent product class that AEGIS is testing will not replace other methods of preventing mosquito bites but will supplement these methods, Grieco said. Methods already in place for preventing bites include bed nets and indoor residual sprays. “This tool is something to augment or supplement what they’re currently using,” Grieco
Professor speaks on undocumented students’ needs, personal experience By ALYSA GUFFEY Notre Dame News Editor
Aurora Chang spoke about her experience transitioning from an undocumented immigrant to a hy perdocumented professor of higher education in a v irtual lecture Tuesday evening. Chang was the key note speaker of the Undocumented Student Week of Action sponsored by the Office of Student Enrichment. Orig ina l ly f rom Guatema la, Cha ng g rew up in a fa mi ly of undocumented immig ra nts in Richmond, Ca lifornia. She is now a n associate professor of higher educat ion at Loyola Universit y Chicago, where she focuses on study ing ma rg ina li zed g roups w it hin t he f ield of educat ion. Cha ng def ined hy perdocumentat ion as t he excessive product ion of documents, tex ts a nd papers in a n effor t to compensate for undocumented status or unwor t hiness. “[It’s] in a n ef for t to compensate for, in t his case, my unsought feelings of being unwor t hy, for being
undocumented, but it applies to ot her situat ions as well,” Cha ng sa id. Cha ng spoke on how she took a job at College Boa rd in her t went ies, where she was asked to work to ta rget t he Lat ino communit y in sta nda rdi zed tests a nd adva nced placement (A P) courses. She described t he racism a nd sex ism she encountered during her t wo yea rs in t he role. Once at a n A P teacher w ine a nd dine event, Cha nge sa id she was mista ken for a wa itress instead of a doctor a nd a spea ker at t he event. “The point of t hat stor y, t hough, is t hat it didn’t matter, like you ca n’t go a round ca rr y ing a big f ile cabinet of a ll your crap a nd a ll of your documents to prove t hat you’re wor t hy, nor shou ld t hat even matter,” Cha ng sa id. Cha ng eventua lly la nded a job at t he Universit y of Texas at Aust in because she missed being around students. She ended up applying to be a doctoral student in the newly-founded cultural studies program. After working and going to school
full-time, she graduated w ith a Ph.D. in 2010. Now, she has achieved tenure and has worked as a professor for eight years at Loyola Chicago. In her current work, Chang educates students on t he diff iculties undocumented students face in higher education. She referenced f inancia l and lega l barriers w it h tuition, severe menta l hea lt h issues, inconsistent institutiona l support and lack of socia l capita l as examples of t hese diff iculties. In her conclusion, Chang ta lked about t he different met hods and approaches t hat educators can ta ke to be more open to undocumented students’ success in t he classroom. A mong t hem, Chang stressed t hat educators need to educate t hemselves on current immigration policies, offer cultura lly responsive menta l hea lt h serv ices, stay humble and open to t heir ow n ignorance and refrain from using t he “deserving immigrant narrative.” “I’ve had a lot of students that I’ve talked to that are like, ‘Yeah, we talked about
immigration in this class, but we didn’t really talk about it; I never even had an opening to share my story’ or ‘I wouldn’t want to show this to her because I was afraid I would get harassed or attacked or something’,” Chang said. “So, professors have a lot of things that they can do to create these open learning environments.” Chang’s book on hyperdocumentation will come out in 2022. She described the pride she felt in seeing her mother hold her work. “W hen she holds that book for me it’s like, this isn’t just my book. It’s her book. It’s my indigenous heritage folks’ book,” Chang said. As a woman of color, Chang said she encourages everyone to use their voice to tell their story because immigrants and people of color have not always had the opportunity to tell their own stories. “W hatever you r ex per ience has been, whet her it con nects to t h is or not, it is wor t hy of docu mentat ion,” Cha ng sa id. Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu
said. The team discovered chemicals in the repellents that have been shown to decrease the mosquito populations in ways other than simply repelling them. Grieco said there is evidence to suggest some of the chemicals may interfere with mating and egg laying. Achee said the progress the team has made is encouraging and bodes well for their pursuit of the WHO policy recommendation. She said she is confident in the work from not only the AEGIS team, but also from the other groups and individuals who have worked on preventing the transmission of vector-borne diseases. With the goal of getting the recommendation in sight, Achee said she’s excited to even have the opportunity to make an impact. “We would have an opportunity to help people that are suffering from these diseases around the world to be offered an alternative that has been shown to be effective,” she said. “We’re pushing towards the goal.” Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu
Student Continued from page 1
trauma-inflicted communities and refugees. His research centered around the study of human emotion and emotion processing. Alshoufi was also involved with the IDEA Center through BrainDrive, LLC. Information about a memorial service and more details will be shared when they are known, the email said. In another email Tuesday afternoon, Campus Ministry invited the Notre Dame community to a Mass of remembrance in honor of Alshoufi, which will be held on Wednesday, April 7, at 5:15 p.m. in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The Mass will also be livestreamed on the Campus Ministry website. The Friday night email encouraged students impacted by Alshoufi’s death to reach out to resources on campus. “The University Counseling Center (574631-7336) and Campus Ministry (574-631-7800) are both available to offer their support to you and other members of our community. Please know that you can contact these offices even if you are away from campus,” the email said.
4
NEWS
The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
New podcast aims to answer life’s questions By GABRIELLE PENNA News Writer
Thin k ND w i l l launch a new podcast ca l led “The Hea r t’s Desire a nd Socia l Cha nge” Apri l 15. This series, hosted by v ice president a nd associate provost Fr. Da niel Groody, a ims to g uide students seeking to a nswer life’s biggest quest ions. Groody g raduated f rom Not re Da me in 1986, majoring in t he Prog ra m of Libera l Studies. He credited t he major w it h helping him lea rn how to ask quest ions about life a nd engage in mea ning f u l conversat ion w it h ot her people. In act ing on t hose sk ills, he discovered a new ca lling. “I didn’t come here t hin king I was going to be a priest. But t hrough a series of ex periences, I rea lly bega n ex ploring what my vocat ion was,” Groody sa id. However, he rea li zed he lacked t he out let he felt he needed as a student to help a nswer t he quest ions. “I didn’t rea l ly have a nybody at t he t ime t hat cou ld help me sor t t hrough a lot of t hose quest ions,” Groody sa id. “There were cer ta inly some good priests t hat helped me t hrough some of t hat but I w ish I wou ld have had a class t hat cou ld help me sor t t hrough some of t he deeper desires of my
COVID-19 Continued from page 1
a f ter t he f i na l day of t he f i rst rou nd of vacci nat ions, t he ema i l sa id, but ot her hea lt h protocols
Autism Continued from page 1
Grandin will draw from her own experiences with autism spectrum disorder and her own career to discuss ways to nurture and turn talents and special interests into paid work,” the website said. “She’ll explore jobs that are particularly suited to people on the autism spectrum. And she’ll share first-hand accounts of job experiences and advice from individuals representing a broad range of careers that are especially well suited for people on the spectrum.”
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life a nd what t hey spoke to.” In addit ion to ser v ing as a n associate professor of t heolog y a nd globa l a f fa irs, Groody created t he class he sa id he needed as a student. He ca lled it “Hea r t’s Desire & Socia l Cha nge.” A f ter ga rnering much popula rit y, Thin k ND pa r t nered w it h Groody to ta ke t he lessons taught in t he course to t he broader Not re Da me communit y in t he form of a podcast. “This class, a nd now podcast, is about discernment, about mea ning, about purpose, about t he t r ue self, about t r y ing to f ind how to live life a nd to live well.” Groody sa id. “Ult imately, it is about f ig uring out rea lly what a re t he t hings t hat endure a nd matter a nd how does one live life in accorda nce w it h t hat.” Yu-Tzu Cha ng, a junior study ing biochemist r y a nd t heolog y, sa id Groody’s course gave her a new perspect ive on how to see t he world. One of t he core principles of t he class t hat resonated w it h Cha ng was embracing humilit y. “If you have t he humilit y to be yourself, t hen you’re t he most unique person in t he world,” Cha ng sa id. Cha ng noted t hat ever yone has t heir ow n g if ts, ta lents a nd way of cont ribut ing to t he world. She sa id
Groody pushes one to f ig ure out who t hey a re t hrough t heir ow n eyes before g uiding t hem in matching t hat up to t he world a round t hem. Cha ng did not shy away f rom not ing how cha llenging t his is for college students, especia lly students at Not re Da me. “A lot of t imes we go into college a nd we t hin k like we need to f ig ure out our ent ire life right away,” she sa id. Cha ng sa id t he st ress f rom t hese cha llenges builds over t ime a nd resu lt s i n u nhea lt hy habit s. “We get t h row n i nto t hat hole of t h i n k i ng we need to just keep mov i ng for wa rd i n l i fe a nd t r y to ach ieve a s ma ny t h i ngs t hat we ca n, but I t h i n k t he most i mporta nt pa r t of col lege is not t hat at a l l ; it ’s f ig u r i ng out w ho you a re,” Cha ng sa id. Groody echoed t h is idea of foc usi ng on t he w rong ex ter na l noise. “We spend a lot of t i me read i ng about ot her tex ts of ot her people’s lives or ot her materia l outside of us, but we don’t spend enough t ime reading t he tex t of our ow n life — a nd in a disciplined way, in a way t hat actua lly goes deeper into understa nding who we a re,” he sa id. He sa id too ma ny people spend t heir t ime emu lat ing ot her people a nd not enough
t ime t r y ing to cla rif y what t heir ow n stor y is. Groody hopes t he course a nd podcast w i l l push students to ident if y t heir va lues a nd t hen f ind ways to connect t hose va lues to bui ld a la ndscape of t heir life. Wit h t he podcast, Groody wa nts to help listeners be at peace w it h t heir t r ue selves a nd st reng t hen t he communit y. “The podcast is mea nt to st imu late ref lect ion so t hat t he conversat ions students have w it h ot hers a re conversat ions t hat a re rea lly of substa nce a nd dept h, a nd t hat students wa lk away f rom t hese conversat ions feeling more a lig ned w it h what matters because of t he va lue of t he conversat ion,” he sa id. One of Groody’s goa ls when educat ing is to nurture t he k ind of mea ningf u l conversat ion t hat helps people g row. In connecting w it h students t hrough t his podcast, he hopes to encourage people to have more of t hese mea ning f u l interact ions w it h ot hers. In conversat ion w it h his colleag ues a nd Groody, senior Ada m Acheca r, who is majoring in science pre-professiona l w it h a supplementa l major in t heolog y, was inspired to ta ke on a new cha l lenge a f ter g raduat ion. “By pa r t icipat ing in t his
course, I discovered my intersect ing passion bet ween my fa it h a nd medicine, which propel led me into apply ing to medica l school t his yea r,” Acheca r sa id. He is excited t hat t he topics he discussed in t he classroom w it h his colleag ues w ill become ava i lable to t he g reater communit y t hrough t he podcast. “I hope t hat in listening to t his podcast, people w i l l be able to discover what t heir t r ue a nd fa lse selves a re, which will eventua l ly lead t hem to a n idea of what t heir hea r ts desire is,” Acheca r sa id. Groody believes t he “Hea r t’s Desire a nd Socia l Cha nge” podcast ca n help people act in ways t hat a lig n w it h ot hers, not simply t hemselves. Acheca r t hin ks ex pa nding t his perspect ive to more Not re Da me students has t he abi lit y to ig nite ca mpus in a new way. He believes t his addit ion to Thin k ND has t he potent ia l to create “a ca mpus full of mot ivat ion a nd drive t hat will inev itably t ra nslate into unmeasurable success a nd out reach t hroughout t he communit y of ND a nd beyond.”
— i nclud i ng week ly su r veillance testing, indoor mask requirements and physical distancing guidelines — w ill remain in place. The email also identified additional restrictions that could be lifted if 90% of
students receive the second dose of the vaccine. These changes would include eliminating week ly surveillance testing and ex it testing for fully vaccinated students, as well as prov iding more outdoor
activ ities for the graduating class of 2021, according to the email. Jenkins said these plans may be subject to change. “As has been true throughout the pandemic, we may need to
adjust these plans if local or national conditions warrant, but I wanted to share w ith you what we plan to do over these next weeks, assuming a high level of participation in the vaccination program,” he w rote.
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Contact Gabrielle Penna at gpenna@nd.edu
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ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | The Observer
5
Alumni Association hosts ‘Life Beyond the ND Bubble’ virtually amid pandemic By LAUREN KESIC News Writer
The Notre Dame A lumni Association hosted “Life Beyond the ND Bubble” from March 27 to March 31, a v irtual series of events aimed at helping seniors prepare for life after graduation. Videos were posted to online covering topics such as finding an apartment, choosing an insurance plan, planning for retirement, sticking to a budget and more. The annual event series began in 2017 and is t y pically held in the Dahnke Ballroom at the Duncan Student Center. The idea consolidated as alumni grew aware of a need among Notre Dame students for more opportunities to learn life skills outside the classroom. “We are deeply committed to our students and we
Service Continued from page 1
of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). This is the first year the prayer service has been hosted as a collaboration between DreamND, Campus Ministry, the Student Coalition
show that through the programs and events that we host,” young alumni program director at the A lumni Association Jacqueline Thomas said. The material in “Life Beyond the ND Bubble” has remained consistent in the past few years the A lumni Association has hosted the event. But because the event was hosted v irtually this year, the A lumni Association was able to connect w ith people from all across the countr y and prov ide new material on matters such as etiquette and dining. The A lumni Association has maintained a partnership w ith the senior classes throughout the years in order to work together and host events w ith the seniors. This year, senior class president Sam Cannova delivered
the class of 2021 address to kickstart the week long v irtual event. Senior Ly nette Wukie acted hosted the series by giv ing introductions at the start of each v ideo and so prov iding v iewers w ith background information about the guests and the day’s topics. According to Thomas, life administration tasks are just as v ital as other skills that students learn in the classroom. “I learned the most from Professor Ackermann about sav ing for retirement,” Wukie said, echoing Thomas’ sentiment. Carl Ackermann teaches financial management and personal finance at Notre Dame. One of Notre Dame’s most well-know n attributes is perhaps its robust alumni net work, and “Life Beyond
the ND Bubble” aimed to emphasize its importance. A lumni Association executive director Dolly Duff y (’84) spoke to this at the end of the event. Thomas also talked about the long-lasting impacts of the A lumni Association on the life of Notre Dame students, especially upon graduation. “The A lumni Association is there for you not only when you’re a student, but we’re going to be with you your entire life,” Thomas said. The video content will remain on Sakai until the end of the year for seniors to access, whether they attended the events in real time or not. Currently, the Alumni Association is working on a way to disseminate all the information from “Life Beyond the ND Bubble” to young
alumni so that it can follow graduates throughout their life. When seniors are all packed up and driving down Notre Dame Avenue — feeling sentimental, scared or excited about leaving the Notre Dame bubble — the A lumni Association wants them to know there’s no need to fear. “A ll those emotions, embrace them, but just know that there is support out there for you,” Thomas said. “And if you reach out to a member of the ND family, you reach out to the A lumni Association, we are here to help and guide you through life because it is that fouryear-to-forever commitment and that is something the whole Universit y stands by.”
for Immigration Advocacy (SCIA) and the Institute for Latino Studies. In a speech, director of Campus Ministry Fr. Pete McCormick talked about the language often used to refer to immigrants and about the respect they deserve. “I want us to be careful and
cautious about the language that we use,” he said. “The term ‘undocumented’ speaks as if the primary mover or indicator of a human being is whether or not they have or do not have documents ... If we allow that language to carry over into our own lives, it then, therefore, reduces a human being to who they are
based upon what paperwork they have.” McCormick then shared the story of Jesus’ infancy, recounting when King Herod was searching for Jesus after he’d been born. The Holy Family had to flee to Egypt, becoming refugees. They not only entered a new place, but they had to adapt to different customs and new language, and they also had to find a way to work. McCormick compared the story of the Holy Family to immigrants trying to find new hope, while emphasizing the importance of sympathy and dignity toward undocumented immigrants. “I think for us, as people of faith, we do not stop or start at the word ‘document.’ We start and stop at ‘dignity’,” he said. “And we remain rooted in that word, and we continue to look for moments in which we encounter a lack thereof — of dignity — and we seek to draw attention to it.” After a performance by the Coro Primavera de Nuestra Señora — the Spanish liturgical choir — service attendees listened to a speech by sophomore Jennifer Moreno Mendoza. “Our faith causes us to accompany our immigrant neighbor and advocate for the issues that are pertinent to their identity, their safety and their wellbeing on this campus, in this country and in our Church,” Moreno Mendoza said, after reading a passage from the book of Ezekiel. McCormick also mentioned graduate student Majd “Jude” Alshoufi, whose death was announced Friday evening. Alshoufi was born in Syria but grew up in the United Arab Emirates. He had moved back to Syria in 2005.
“He went to Turkey, which shares a border with Syria, and began to care for those refugees who were coming across the border,” McCormick said. “To care for them, to love them, to seek to empower them.” After briefly sharing Alshoufi’s story, McCormick added that “What Jude so beautifully recognized and saw is that each person has difficulties, the same thing that Mary, Joseph and Jesus recognized — but it’s a modern-day understanding. Jude tended to and cared for those who were coming across the border.” Attendees listened to excerpts from different immigrant stories from students. First-year Irasema Hernandez shared a quote from an undocumented immigrant who went to school in the United States. “In high school, I didn’t have papers and couldn’t get a job,” she cited. “But as long as I had a chance for education, I thought I should get all the skills I possibly could.” Hernandez said she wants people to realize the number of immigrant students in the United States and the impact they have today. After a moment of sharing immigrant stories, Becky Ruvalcaba, assistant director of outreach at Campus Ministry, offered some closing remarks. “As we pass by this statue, let it not just be some picturesque reminder of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Let it not just merely be ‘the Holy Hand-off’,” McCormick had said at the end of his speech. “Let it be a call to action, a reminder that each person has inherent dignity and we do not — we will never start with documents.”
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The observer | Wednesday, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
There’s something missing from our abortion debates
Inside Column
Just nerd things Allison Thornton Photo Editor
Nerd update ! Since midterms have been hitting all of us prett y hard the past couple weeks, I thought it would be a good idea to give you something fun to read about. Well, I think this is prett y fun and I hope you do as well after reading this ! Maybe I can convert some people to be space nerds after this — fingers crossed ! If you haven’t heard, a Mars rover landed on Mars and has been v ibing out there since Feb. 18. The rover’s name is Perseverance and it took around seven months for the rover to get all the way to Mars. The rover’s mission w ill last one Mars year (which is about 687 Earth days). Now, what is so cool about this is NASA prov ides updates of the rover week ly so we Earthlings can see what the hell is going on up there. And let me tell you, the pictures are incredible. As the Photo Editor at The Obser ver, I am always here for a good picture (or in this case, robot selfies and pictures of the abyss). The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover has a mission to search for signs of ancient microbial life, which w ill hopefully allow NASA to understand the histor y of Mars as a planet. This rover is equipped w ith tools that w ill allow it to drill to collect core samples of Martian rock and soil. W hat makes this rover different from others is that after the sample collection, it w ill store the samples in sealed tubes for when future missions can bring them back to Earth for further analysis. Perseverance is just one of many missions that w ill pave the way for human exploration on Mars. W hile doing my week ly check-in w ith Perseverance, the first place I check are the raw images (I highly recommend you look it up). Here you are able to see through the eyes of the rover. I think if you ask any scientist that is working on this project, they would say that they are sufficiently jealous of what this rover is capable of seeing. Each raw image has a caption describing the photo’s contents and noting which camera took the photo. W hat’s crazy about this is that even though some of the pictures are just of the ground, I am still fascinated by the fact that I am looking at another planet in our solar system. On the website, it gives the option to look at what each camera that is strapped abroad is seeing. Ever y week they come out w ith an “Image of the Week” and the most recent one is a photo of the helicopter that is strapped aboard. It is truly beautiful. I definitely do not do this amazing piece of machiner y justice in this Inside Column, and I know you probably heard about it when it landed. But I really encourage you to take a break from whatever you are doing and v isit the Perseverance website. By the time you are done looking around, I guarantee that you w ill bookmark the page and check in ever y once in a while. It is one of those inventions that you have to truly smile when you see it. You w ill always learn something new. Humans definitely have their rough edges, but space exploration is truly one of the best discoveries and curiosities we possess. To put in simple terms, this stuff is so cool and I couldn’t help but talk about it for this Inside Column. I w ish I had more time to talk about it — if you know me, I’m always dow n for a good space talk! Oh, before I forget — not to plug my ow n stories, but if you want to put your name on the next Mars Rover to take f light, read my Inside Column I w rote back in August. There I give all the details you need in order to hitch a ride to Mars ! You can contact Allison at athornton01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects
This semester, my Thursday nights are usually entirely forgettable — I have class until 5:10 p.m., so when I get home my brain is completely fried. My roommates are usually at work, so I boil some pasta, change into sweats and watch a few episodes of whatever show I happen to be binging. A few weeks ago, however, I decided to force my brain to work for a little bit longer, and I tuned in to Notre Dame Right to Life club’s abortion debate. Before I go any further, I want to make a few disclaimers. I am pro-choice, and have been essentially my entire life, so I wasn’t really expecting the debate to change my mind about anything. I’m also not Catholic, so I recognize that my worldview and perspective are different from most people on this campus. I also generally don’t really think there’s much value in engaging in debates about abortion — it’s such a highly emotional issue that leaves little room for compromise. This will not be a column where I tr y to convince you that my abortion opinions are correct — instead, I want to talk about the way we talk about abortion. As I was watching the debate, I found one aspect of both debaters’ rhetoric particularly striking: the complete lack of acknowledgement or discussion of the people who get abortions. If you didn’t tune in, the abortion debate was hosted by ND Right to Life, was limited to conversations about the morality of abortion, not legal or policy solutions, and the debaters were two (ver y talented and articulate) cisgender men. Yet, in the 90-minute presentation, neither debater devoted any real time to discussing the experiences of people who have received or have considered receiving an abortion. I will say that while I found this choice to be disappointing for both debaters, I was not particularly surprised by the omission. For starters, both debaters identif ying as cisgender men means they’re inherently disconnected — they will never have to worr y about making that choice, or carr ying an unplanned pregnancy to term. Further, the arguments made sense based on the positions of both debaters. The pro-life movement has, historically, made the decision to avoid talking about people who get abortions in favor of making an emotional appeal about the fetuses they carr y. The prochoice debater, talking at an event sponsored by the Right to Life club with an audience of pro-life people, spent most of the 90 minutes playing defense, discussing bodily autonomy in a sterile, disconnected way. He pulled heavily from Judith Jarvis Thomson’s “A Defense of Abortion,” an essay in which Thomson creates a complex analog y about a violinist to argue that a mother’s bodily autonomy supersedes a fetus’ right to life. At the abortion debate, any discussion of bodily autonomy was strictly limited to convoluted hypotheticals. Yet, for many people ever y year, abortion is anything but a hypothetical. According to the Center for Disease Control, around 600,000 people get a legal abortion each year. Depending on where you stand, you likely have your preconceived notions about who those people are. Maybe they’re reckless,
sex-crazed women who care about nothing but themselves. Maybe they’re scared, pregnant as a result of a lack of sexual education or access to birth control. Either way, there is one thing we know for sure about those 600,000: They are people, just like you and me. In fact, many of those people are likely to be your friends, co-workers, colleagues or classmates. Despite declining abortion rates, nearly one in four women in the U.S. will have an abortion by the age of 45. Knowing someone who has received an abortion is actually more likely here at Notre Dame than you might think — 24% of people who get an abortion are Catholic, and a majority identif y as religious. Regardless of your opinions about abortion, the people who get them are real, they are human and they are an important part of the conversation. W hen we talk about bodily autonomy, we are not talking about it in an abstract sense, easily sorted out through though experiments — we are talking about ver y real people who deser ve compassion. Not only that, by decentering the people who get abortions, it makes it easier to discount their experiences and dehumanize them further. Beyond the fact that having compassion for people is good, there’s a pretty good argument for both the pro-life and the pro-choice camps that talking more about people who get abortions is a good strategic choice. For people who are pro-choice: Pro-life arguments focus heavily on emotional appeal, and it’s essentially impossible to convince people that you’re right if your argument focuses on laws and statistics and complex metaphors when your opponents can cut through that to talk about the death of innocents. And while the pro-life camp may think that it’s smarter to avoid talking about people who get abortions, that strateg y significantly shrinks the amount of people they can convince. As I mentioned before, I’ve always been pro-choice, but I’ve been more open to hearing pro-life arguments since coming to Notre Dame. However, it’s difficult for me to listen to pro-life arguments when they lack any compassion for people who have faced or may someday face that kind of decision, especially as someone who could have an unplanned or unsafe pregnancy in my lifetime. Debating about abortion is always tricky, and while I commend ND Right to Life and both debaters for opening up a dialogue about it, any discussion of abortion that does not include the people who receive abortions is incomplete and insincere. W hatever your personal opinion is about abortion, it is time for us to approach these conversations from a place of empathy for those faced with this difficult decision. Even if you disagree with them, and wish they had made a different choice, we must center compassion in our debates about abortion, including compassion for people who get abortions. Ellie Konfrst is a junior majoring in political science, with minors in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service and Civil & Human rights. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited that people will finally be forced to listen to all of her extremely good takes. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Wednesday, April 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
“Coming-of-age” stories are ageless Elizabeth Prater SparkND
I live about 10 miles north of Klickitat Street, the place where the eponymous Ramona Quimby lives in “Beezus and Ramona.” Beverly Cleary, American author of both children’s and young adult fiction, passed away March 25, 2021. While I felt particularly attached to Ramona because of the proximity of my world to her fictitious one, I was not limited to Cleary’s work when it came to literature aimed towards younger audiences. Growing up, I consumed every coming-of-age book I could lay my hands on. I looked to figures like Jo March, who resembled my bibliophilic tendencies and my drive to weave tales of my own. Holden Caulfield became the paradigm of teenage angst and rebellion, and I related to his constant questioning of the ways of the world. However, once I finally got to the age of these characters, I seemed to stop reading about them. Instead, I felt an unusual sense of pressure to read books that were deemed to be more sophisticated, and that talked about things more important than the seemingly trite dilemmas of teenagers. I thought I had graduated from reading young adult books directed towards these common coming-of-age tropes. I would scoff walking past the plethora of John Green tweens crowded around at the bookstore. Instead, I browsed Dostoevsky, as if my reading material reflected my intellectual capabilities. I soon realized that my to-be-read list was lackluster. I filled it to the brim with literary fiction novels that I thought I was supposed to have read if I wanted to be a PLS student. In abandoning the coming-of-age stories with which I grew up, I soon began to lose the passion I had for exploring worlds different from my own. I think the lack of adults’ reading material aimed at younger audiences comes from the fear of judgement.
Reading Oscar Wilde in the park certainly has more of an intellectual aesthetic than grabbing a copy of a Roald Dahl book. In addition, there is this notion that we are beyond certain books, as though we can’t relate to those younger than ourselves. However, we shouldn’t justify our love for coming-of-age stories for the sake of merely nostalgia. Instead, we must admit the merits of these tales and understand why we keep telling them. Ultimately, coming-of-age stories remind us what it means to be human. They reminisce of awkward firsts, our difficulties in grasping the expectations the world has set in place. These stories humble our ambitions in reminding us where we come from. Stephen Chbosky shows us that people can blossom if we give them care and attention. Laurie Halse Anderson provides support for countless young girls that suffer from eating disorders and/or assault. Judy Blume explores the difficulties of grappling with friendships and different kinds of relationships. While these books may fade from many bookshelves once their owners grow older, these lessons and guides still stand with increasing instrumental value. The reality is that we don’t stop growing once we hit 18, 21, 25 or any other obscure number that society has set in place. As humans, we are constantly changing and fluctuating, our beliefs being challenged as we continue to learn. These books continue to aid our journeys, and while we may grow older than the characters, we often share the same confusion when it comes to trying to understand our place in relation to the world. While I may no longer experience the anxiety of finding a place in the cafeteria at school, I am able to connect to a time in my life when I have felt out of place, like I didn’t belong. The circumstantial dilemmas within children’s and young adult literature may not seem relatable at face value but, inherently, they expose common vulnerabilities among many people across different age groups.
From a childlike perspective, topics of betrayal, hardship, love and kindness are even more candid in these books, and they reveal the common thread of human nature that connects us all. Powell’s City of Books is my local bookstore in Portland, Oregon that I continually find reasons to visit. Genres are divided into rooms that are categorized by colors. I typically spend most of my time in the blue room, where my hours are consumed with classic literature and poetry. This week, I read the statement that Powell’s released in recognition of Beverly Cleary following her death. A staff member at Powell’s wrote about her experience being a bookseller and being a fan of Cleary’s works. “Customers, remembering discovering her books as children themselves, would marvel that she was still alive. Perhaps this is because we all grew up reading her stories,” Sarah stated. “She felt immortal because her books feel immortal.” To get to the blue room, I must pass through the rose room, where the children’s and young adult literature is housed. While I typically rush past, ignoring the colorful decor and the families that sit upon the rugs and devour such words, perhaps next time I will pause and spend some time in that section myself. After all, it feels like we are always rushing from one place to the next. Maybe it’s time that we slow down and reflect on the path that has brought each of us to the present and, more importantly, remember the lessons that we have learned along the way. Elizabeth Prater is a first-year student with double majors in marketing and Program of Liberal Studies. In her free time, she manages her Goldendoodle’s Instagram account (@genevieve_the_cute_dog) which has over 23K followers. She can be reached at eprater@nd.edu or @elizabethlianap on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Thank you, Notre Dame Back in February 2020, we were elected on a promise to accompany and advocate for all students and to amplify their voices. Just a few weeks later, in the now-notorious month of March 2020, Notre Dame brought all students home from study abroad and asked all students living on campus to not return following spring break — and the world as we knew it changed. When we ran for office, we had great ambitions and a vivid vision for improving life on campus — plans to reverse the restrictive dorm access policy, create partnerships with ride-sharing platforms for students and enact large-scale campus programming surrounding events such as the scheduled 2020 presidential debate. However, we were soon attending classes virtually, each of us pinpointing a different spot on a global map, and our hopes and dreams for our life in community here at Notre Dame began to feel obsolete. We quickly realized that leadership is not about what you want; rather, it is about what your community needs. Within our first week in office, we pivoted to advocating for the University to house international students who could no longer leave the country, to provide students without reliable internet connection a prepaid hotspot to get them through a semester of Zoom classes and to support students whose basic needs were not met in their typical home environments. While we had to jettison a lot of our initial plans, we adopted a mindset of flexibility and resilience early on, which has proven to be a blessing. Although our time in office has been nothing like we anticipated, the opportunity that you all gave us to serve in these offices has given us more than we could have imagined. We count all the conversations that we have been able to have with students on a daily basis as blessings, and we have been deeply moved by the vulnerability, strength and courage that many of you have demonstrated when sharing your stories. Over the course of our term, we have learned from passionate club representatives who strive to make Notre Dame more accessible and welcoming, dedicated
public servants who give of themselves to community efforts and partnerships and student leaders who provide rallying cries to their constituencies at a moment’s notice. Our community has energized us throughout this entire journey, and we have been especially grateful for the hard work of our executive cabinet members as they made great strides in the name of justice and progress. Thanks to an inimitable team of brilliant minds and bold hearts, we were able to stand with survivors of sexual assault by influencing Notre Dame’s new Title IX policies and procedures, provide anti-racism programming through Race Relations Week, attend to student mental health by successfully advocating for break days during the spring semester and providing care packages to students in Q&I, prioritize sustainability in the dining halls by distributing reusable cutlery, enhance structural representation by working with student leaders to elevate the status of Diversity Council and PrismND on campus bodies and foster civic engagement and voter education. Every day, we were inspired by their unbridled optimism for what Notre Dame could be and their dedication to see that vision through, despite the unique challenges that this year presented. As our term concludes and we approach a time of reflection, we know that we will have the chance to unpack this rollercoaster of a ride further and reflect on our moments of pride, as well as what we could have done differently. Although imperfect, we hope you know that we genuinely gave this public service our all. We will welcome this opportunity for retrospection, extremely comforted by the full faith we have that our successors will be dedicated servant leaders for the student body. Allan, Matthew and Alix have a sense of compassion that permeates all they do, and we know them each to be great forces for good. We are excited to support them from the sidelines and celebrate their victories. Additionally, we are heartened by the wonderful news that on-campus vaccination for students will begin tomorrow. Through our service on the Student Advisory Group for
Campus Reopening, we have been involved in important discussions regarding the restoration of certain aspects of our communal life if 90% of our student body makes the decision to protect themselves and our community by getting vaccinated. We highly encourage you all to take this opportunity for the good of our community, and especially for the most vulnerable members within it. History certainly has had its eyes on us over this past year, and as we begin to take the first steps towards a new normal, let us remember the most important lessons that we have learned from this time: lessons to be more compassionate in our daily interactions with one another, and lessons to put the common good at the forefront of everything we do. The light at the end of the tunnel draws nearer with each passing day, and we look forward to a full reunion with our beloved community at the end of it. But most importantly, we want to thank you all for the opportunity and honor of serving you in what has been quite the unprecedented time. You have been generous with your perspectives and abundant with your kindness, and the grace that you showed us as we embarked on a learning curve did not go unnoticed. Throughout the whirlwind of it all, you helped us stay grounded in why we were HERE. There is no student body we could have been more proud to represent. Keep fighting the good fight. In Notre Dame, Rachel Ingal student body president Sarah Galbenski student body vice president Aaron Benavides chief of staff April 6
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The observer | Wednesday, April 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inclusivity includes Jews, too Blake Ziegler News with Zig
As a Jewish student, something I’ve noticed during my time at Notre Dame is that most people don’t know much about Judaism. That makes sense, considering we’re a Catholic university, but it also means a large portion of our community has likely not been exposed to anti-Semitism. The purpose of this column is not to chastise anyone; in fact, it took me years of Catholic education to understand Catholicism and Christianity (and I’m still learning). We can always learn more. My intention here is to explain an important issue for a community often neglected in the Notre Dame family. I hope that readers learn about the dangers of anti-Semitism and the importance of demonstrating solidarity with your Jewish classmates, faculty and staff. Anti-Semitism is alive and well. Last week, a Hasidic Jewish family in New York was slashed by a man with a knife in broad daylight. In Australia, a Jewish woman was harassed with anti-Semitic language while walking out of services. Argentinian soccer fans chanted “killing the Jews to make soap” to their opponent’s historically Jewish populated fanbase. Beyond those isolated instances, consider the following statistics. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), over 2,100 anti-Semitic incidents of violence and harassment were reported in 2019, a 12% increase from 2018. Globally, over a billion people are estimated to hold at least one antiSemitic belief. There’s no denying that anti-Semitism has a significant footing in the world, and that is especially true on college campuses. In a 2015 survey of Jewish undergraduate students in the U.S., 32% reported being verbally harassed for being Jewish and 39% reported witnessing such an event. According to a survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in 2020, 43% of American Jews from ages 18 to 29 reported having seen or experienced an anti-Semitic
incident on a college campus in the past five years. In this academic year alone, there has been a startling number of anti-Semitic incidents at colleges and universities. Last semester, the vice president of USC’s student government resigned after being subjected to anti-Semitic bullying online. The Jewish center at the University of Delaware was set on fire. Nazi posters could be found all over Arizona State University’s campus. This semester, a fraternity at UT Austin was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti. An office building at UNC shared a similar fate. Swastikas could be found at John Hopkins University and NYU. The list continues, but it’s clear that college campuses are increasingly becoming an unsafe place for Jewish students. Notre Dame is not an exception. Just last semester, organizers of the event “Peace in Absentia: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Voices on Arab-Israeli Normalization” hosted a panel discussing paths to peace for the Israel-Palestine conflict. Now, I applaud their initiative to work towards a peaceful resolution between Israelis and Palestinians. Regardless of my opinion, I do not take issue with their criticism of Israel. The panelists have every right to criticize the Israeli government, as freedom of speech and dissent are key elements to a productive democracy. What I take issue with, however, is the anti-Semitic elements of the discussion. Panelists accused Israel of being a settler-colonial state, suggesting it has no right to exist. Denying the right to selfdetermination of Jews is anti-Semitic. Such a statement insinuates that Jews have no homeland, as Israel is the only Jewish-majority country in the world. At a time when Jews face persecution in nearly every country they live in, a Jewish state is necessary for their security. When one recognizes the autonomy of other groups and supports their efforts for self-determination, it is a double standard grounded in prejudice against the Jewish people. Moreover, according to the AJC, 84% of American Jews believe the statement “Israel has no right to exist” is anti-Semitic. When a group of people overwhelmingly designates something as dangerous, their concern must be noted.
The event also expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, even saying that Jews “have a religious imperative” to support BDS, despite the movement’s anti-Semitic character. The leaders of the movement call for Israel to cease to exist, furthering antiSemitic attitudes. Now, let me be clear: I am not expressing unequivocal support for Israel. People have a right to criticize any government, and I agree with some points regarding the treatment of Palestinians. My concern lies when one calls for Israel’s destruction and the abandonment of the Jewish people. This anti-Semitism must be fought.As a community that prides itself on diversity and inclusion, Notre Dame has a responsibility to act against anti-Semitism. The Catholic Church has done wonderful work towards building a positive relationship between Jews and Catholics. Pope Francis condemned the rising violence against Jews and the Vatican instructed Catholics to not attempt to convert Jews, a practice often associated with anti-Semitic attitudes. My point is not to condemn our community. Notre Dame has already done some good work. After the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting, a prayer service and discussion on anti-Semitism was held. Many of my interactions pertaining to my faith have been positive, as I have found friends, professors and staff embracing my Judaism. Student organizations have been helpful in supporting the Jewish community here. My purpose for this column is to help our community be more aware of the prejudice against some of its members, and inviting readers to take part in a larger initiative against hate. Blake Ziegler is a sophomore at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He loves anything politics, especially things he doesn’t agree with. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Keep growing Sydni Brooks Everything is Fine
During one of my several hourlong school breaks watching TikTok videos, I managed to end up on the self-love and emotional healing side of TikTok. Most of these topics included people growing after relationship breakups, recovering from addiction or abuse, or learning different mechanisms to deal with harmful behaviors. Many of these videos displayed people making healthy meals with motivational voiceovers or sharing self-care activities, such as skincare routines or making habits out of strict but productive schedules. While these videos are extremely relaxing to watch and sometimes provide great strategies on dealing with stress and anxiety, they create the notion that if you take part in these healthy activities, your relationship with your traumatic experiences and burdens will be one of complete prosperity and growth. However, much like everything in this life, nothing is ever that straightforward — and nothing is ever going to be that straightforward. I had always hoped that my experiences with personal growth would be extremely linear. I would experience something painful, be upset about it for a small while and maybe even participate in some negative activities to “numb the pain.” Eventually, however, I would ideally find some internal motivation to pull myself up from the trenches, work to emotionally overcome my stressors and create this all-time great lifestyle filled with healthy activities and positive affirmations. When I would have “completely healed,” I would have an incredible testimony to share with others on how they can follow the same steps to recover from their trauma. However, in my experience and the experience of others, this is just simply inaccurate. Regardless of the unfortunate circumstances you might have had to endure, everyone experiences and internalizes trauma differently, so there is no single direction everyone
can take to healing. Furthermore, there is no straight path to complete healing. While I think that everyone experiences the rocky roads of growing after turmoil, not a lot of people show it. The face masks and the green goddess salads might make you feel better initially, as you learn to take time to pay attention to yourself for once. However, the real growth in healing comes from the internal changes that you must choose to approach. Have you negatively changed who you are and your behaviors because of your trauma? Do you experience heightened anxiety or panic in triggering situations, places or around certain people? Have you garnered a sense of apathy towards your goals, or do you have a different, maybe a more negative image of yourself than you used to? We forget to ask ourselves these questions because they take longer to review and manage — and because we made the executive decision to “take care” of ourselves by sleeping a little more or getting a wild hair cut to physically express bodily autonomy, we believe we have done the job. These questions aren’t the easiest to answer overnight, but they are necessary to truly grow from your traumatic experiences. When we begin to ask ourselves these questions, we begin to enter phases of healing that tackle our personal needs rather than appeasing the eyes of the onlookers in our lives watching us heal. We begin to heal for ourselves instead of our desire to look or feel healed. These questions follow their own timeline to be answered, and just like the process of answering them, it can be different for everyone. The road to healing is also intended to have several stops and detours as we learn how we personally best deal with the issues in front of us. You may have several good days and then the next few resemble the days most recent to the traumatic experience. We may return to bad coping mechanisms and unhealthy habits because another incident has triggered negative responses. We may find ourselves several years on the path of healing and still have intense emotional responses to the same issues. These vital milestones of growth shouldn’t be neglected or disregarded, as these
are the moments where we are tasked with the decision to choose wellness or comfortability in sadness. Though these negative experiences are arguably the most important, they aren’t the moments in the journey of healing that are glorified or widely represented. The negative reactions to healing and the demanding internal questions asked to find the true purpose of the healing can take an indefinite amount of time to continue experiencing and answering, and the responses and answers to these issues might change throughout the process. Because of the variation and longevity of any healing experience, is there really a true definition of healing? We aren’t intended to change the behavior of others, so triggering experiences with people will always occur. Do these experiences simply not garner a response when you are healed? Or is mastering the ability to deal with these situations differently qualify you as “healed”? If there is no definite date on complete growth, how can you justify if you’ve attained it? Much like everything in life, there is no definite answer. Because everyone experiences trauma differently, we all internalize, deal with, relapse from and identify our standard of healing differently. As much as social media and influencers want to encourage the positive aspects and lessons of self-care and healing, the more commanding facets of healing are the ones everyone experiences but very few validate. If we can recognize the importance of accepting the behind-the-scenes of growth, we can be more authentic with ourselves in our growth. Sydni Brooks is a junior at Notre Dame studying English and gender studies. She is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and calls Flaherty Hall home on campus. With equal passions in writing and helping others, she hopes to serve her community well in her future. She can be reached at sbrooks2@nd.edu or @sydnimaree22 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By CHRISTINE HILARIO Scene Writer
In “Captain America: The First Avenger,” Steve Rogers is chosen to take the super-soldier serum because he is “Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.” The role of Captain America is defined by a desire to do good above all else. This is why Sam Wilson is perfect to take up the mantle after Steve Rogers’ retirement in “Avengers: Endgame.” Throughout the MCU, Sam is show n to be a talented aerial fighter as the Falcon, but more importantly, the mov ies repeatedly showcase his compassion and loyalt y. In “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” he runs a support group for veterans, and in “Captain America: Civ il War,” he stands w ith Steve and helps protect Buck y, the Winter Soldier, despite hav ing to go against the law to do so. A lthough, in the mov ies, Sam plays a supporting role to Steve, here he gets the chance to shine and come into his ow n as Captain America as one of the leads in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Except it’s not as simple as that. Instead, this show takes the time to examine Sam’s role as a Black superhero in a racist countr y. At the beginning of the series, Sam feels like the shield and the Captain America mantle is “someone else’s,” so he gives up the shield for the
By AIDAN O’MALLEY Scene Editor
The temptation when adapting a play to the screen is to preserve it precisely as it already is — to hit record on the camera and let the actors do their thing. The argument, I suppose, is that this method makes theatergoing a little more accessible. By preserving the spirit of the stage in a movie, these filmmakers hope to recapture what it felt like to see these stories live (for those of us who can’t afford the lofty Broadway prices, and also don’t live in New York). But a play is a play, and a film is a film. The magic of the theater is that it’s live. And starry-eyed as I may be about the possibility of the cinema, “live” is not exactly in its repertoire. So if you’re going to adapt a play into a film, actually adapt it! You’ve already lost the magic of the theater, so make good use of the magic of the movies — the unique possibilities I already alluded to. When I watched “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” on Netflix, I admired the performances and even the cinematography. But as I watched the spit fly from Chadwick Boseman’s mouth and the sweat drip down from Viola Davis’ chin, I thought to myself, “I wish I saw this live.” Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to see the spit or the sweat in this hypothetical situation, but at least I would have experienced that energy. At least I would have been inside the room where it happens. Speaking of which, I didn’t even bother with
government to display in a museum. A lthough Sam chooses to give up the shield of his ow n free w ill, there are more complicated external forces that inf luence his decision. Captain America is an important patriotic sy mbol as well as a hero, and Sam is well aware that a lot of the countr y would be unw illing to have a Black man as their national icon. The government itself proves Sam’s fears right when they tell him he is doing the right thing by giv ing up the shield for museum display, only to give that shield to a white man that fits in with their ideals for Captain America: John Walker. John Walker is a perfect soldier. He has an extensive military background and superior combat capabilities. By instating blond-haired, blue-eyed John Walker as the new Captain America and completely disregarding Steve’s chosen successor Sam, the government is perpetuating the idea that Captain America, a symbol of their nation, can only be one thing: white. The government instates John Walker as Captain America because he fits the bill on a surface level, but he lacks the morals and selflessness integral to the role. When John interacts with Sam and Bucky for the first time, Bucky asks if he’s ever jumped on a grenade before, which is something Steve did before he even became Captain America. John is quick to answer that he’s actually jumped on a grenade four times before. However, the fundamental difference bet ween him and Steve is that when Steve jumped on a grenade, he thought he was sacrificing his
life to save others. John jumped on the grenades w ith a reinforced helmet, know ing that he would sur v ive. W hile John may be a good soldier, he isn’t w illing to make the personal sacrifices necessar y to be Captain America, further emphasizing why Sam should be the one to take up the mantle. While Sam’s conf lict with John is an integral part of the racial commentar y in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” the show is also excellent at showcasing the more day-to-day struggles of being a Black man in America, from being denied a loan at the bank to getting racially profiled by the police. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” manages to properly balance poignant political commentary with thrilling action sequences, and I’m excited to watch where the show takes its themes.
“Hamilton” on Disney+, which quite literally hit record and let the actors do their thing. All of that is to say that “The Father” is special. Now, it’s my understanding that some of the elements I’m about to discuss were present in “La Père,” the play by Florian Zeller, who also directed the film. But new or old, they transition to the medium of movies quite nicely (and in some cases, better than before). Yeah, yeah, but what is it about? “The Father” follows Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) and his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman). Anthony, in his old age, lives a slow, quiet life in his flat somewhere in London. But is it really his flat, or is it actually Anne’s? Is the painting above the fireplace of a sailboat, or a dancer? And is Anne really played by Olivia Colman, or is she played by Olivia Williams? Anthony, we learn, is suffering from dementia. The brilliance of “The Father” is that it doesn’t just depict this condition from Anne’s perspective — from the outside looking in, like many admirable (but less accomplished) movies that came before it — but instead, through the eyes of Anthony. Characters are sometimes played by strangers; we hear sounds, but we can’t locate their source; the Oscar-nominated production design by Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone subtly shifts around props and furniture. The film strives for understanding, not just empathy, and Zeller makes use of every cinematic tool at his disposal to do so. He is lucky, of course, to be working with two of the
most skilled performers of their respective generations. Hopkins’ greatness needs no explanation, but in vain, I will try: His performance is so powerful because of his refusal to make his character docile. To the contrary, Anthony is callous and cruel, and by leaning into those flaws, we come to understand how loved ones like Anne might grow to be frustrated. Speaking of which, Colman is excellent; while her Oscar-winning role in “The Favourite” was much bigger and boisterous, in “The Father” she works in subtleties so minute that her character comes to feel like someone you might see on the street, not the screen. Toward the end of the film, Anthony compares living with dementia to a tree in the winter — his leaves, one by one, having blown away in the wind. After 90 or so minutes, “The Father” can admittedly grow a bit repetitive. But it’s also quite befitting of the film as a whole for it to end with such a cleareyed insight.
Contact Christine Hilario at chilario@nd.edu
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” Season 1, Episodes 1-3 Starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell Favorite Episode: “Power Broker” If You Like: The Captain America trilogy Where to Watch: Disney+
Contact Aidan O’Malley at omalle@nd.edu
“The Father” Director: Florian Zeller Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman If You Like: “Still Alice,” “One Night in Miami…”
JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ALYSA GUFFEY News Editor
Maybe you’ve heard of autonomous sensory meridian response — better known as ASMR. Maybe you’re an avid fan of ASMR, or maybe you’ve heard of it but have never understood exactly what it consists of. ASMR is essentially a relaxing sensation that comes from sounds, speaking, positive affirmations, personal attention or a myriad of other “triggers” to set your senses off. Not everyone experiences ASMR, but there are hundreds and hundreds of ASMR videos on YouTube with everything ranging from hand sounds to light triggers to facial treatments (virtually, of course). You can even listen to ASMR while you’re studying in Hesburgh Library until 2 a.m. — just find a no-talking video and put in your headphones. There’s also a number of reasons why someone might listen to or watch ASMR. I’ve heard of many people using ASMR videos to help them fall asleep at night or calm them down or just to relax. Personally, I like to watch them for fun — yes, for fun. Instead of watching Netflix before I go to sleep, sometimes I’ll just turn to ASMR. It can be hard to know if you enjoy ASMR — especially if you have no idea what ASMR is or are skeptical based on the definition. So, here are a few YouTube channels I would recommend checking out to feel out if ASMR is for you.
By ADRIANA PEREZ Editor-in-Chief
About a year ago, one month since COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic, I made a discovery that changed my study habits (and honestly, my life): a YouTube video of Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” — “but it’s playing in a different room and it’s raining.” For a total of two and a half minutes, the song had been mixed with the sound of rain and edited so it sounded like it was being played in another room. It was accompanied by an animation of rain pattering on the ground. I was particularly entranced by the combination of sounds. And so, I began to delve deeper into the world — or worlds — of virtual ambience rooms. As the pandemic raged on and traveling or going to coffee shops remained an impossibility, my screen and headphones played a variety of animated backgrounds, wordless music and background noises. These ambience videos would loop for up to eight hours as I cranked out papers during the fall semester and winter break. “The genre is a close cousin of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos,” The New York Times explains. “... But ambience videos are differentiated, their creators say, by their purpose — not necessarily to give the tingles, but to relax and soothe a viewer by means of an immersive experience.” And these experiences can indeed be surprisingly
Tiptoe Tingles This is the first ASMR channel I share with anyone who asks me about ASMR. She goes by Tiptoe, and her usual videos consist of fast hand sounds — including finger snapping, finger fluttering and tapping — combined with talking and rambling. Another one of her signatures is gripping and grasping items, which sounds better in a video than you would think. She also does lots of collaborations with other ASMR artists, or ASMRtists, so watching her can be a good segue into other great channels. If you are someone who enjoys YouTubers who vlog and tell you about their day, then I would recommend Tiptoe, as she is personable in her videos, and I probably know more about her life than my brother’s on some days.
Patty ASMR Patty ASMR is the only male ASMRtist I have watched, as most of the ASMRtists I come across and watch on the regular are female. I learned about his channel from Tiptoe Tingles and am a regular viewer now. He soft speaks as opposed to whispers if you don’t enjoy whispering ASMR. Patty’s signature triggers include lots and lots of hand sounds and tapping random objects. He has a very chill style of ASMR, making it relaxing to just doze off and watch.
videos is off the charts. Creatively, she is the best by far. A couple of her videos range from an hourlong haircut, a facial spa treatment and creating a Christmas ornament for you. Since Maria is originally from Russia, she also translates some of her videos into Russian, if you want to try ASMR in another language. If you are looking for a specific niche within ASMR, you should be able to find it on her channel.
Gibi ASMR Throwing this suggestion onto this list because Gibi is the most followed ASMRtist on YouTube with over three million subscribers. She posts videos very frequently, which include ultra rare and specific ASMR triggers. She also does questionnaire videos to find the perfect ASMR video for you. Her most requested video that she released in February was the “Bee Movie“ acted out in its entirety in ASMR. I will admit I did not make it through, but it has almost three million views so clearly, it is very popular. I would also recommend her New to ASMR video as a good starting place.
Gentle Whispering
If you are still questioning whether or not you might like ASMR, just give it a shot. It’s not for everyone, but it’s relaxing, unique and unpredictable. And if you’re already an ASMR fan, send me your favorite channels.
Run by a girl named Maria, Gentle Whispering is a very unique style of ASMR, and the number of details in her
Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu
immersive. You can feel like you’re spending time in a coffee shop playing jazz on a rainy day, sitting in front of a crackling fire while seasonal Christmas music plays or studying in an old library as a thunderstorm is heard over rustling pages. But ambience videos can also open a door to other worlds. I must shamefully admit I never read “Harry Potter” when I was younger — as in, I never even opened a book. And while they don’t replace the experience of immersing myself in the pages of a book, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and Ravenclaw common room ambience videos make me feel like I have visited these places. In fact, I’ve studied there (from the comfort of my futon)! With a quick search and a click, I can also visit Aslan’s camp as the army prepares for battle and sit by the fire in Mr. Tumnus’ house, despite not having read “The Chronicles of Narnia.” I can even take an evening stroll through the Shire and spend a peaceful night in Rivendell (though I am glad to report that I did read “The Hobbit”). And when I write papers, the adventurous mood of fantasy ambience videos makes me feel a very helpful sense of urgency. The appeal of the visuals that accompany these carefully mixed sounds is also not lost on me. These often play on a loop, too, but their vivid detail and creative uniqueness is essential in producing a fully-fledged immersive experience. Many YouTube ambience channel owners, like the creator behind Calmed By Nature, work
hours on end to record sounds, craft music (when it’s not borrowed from a movie soundtrack) and also produce animations that make everything work in harmonious, comforting synchronicity. Like ASMR, ambient music has become more popular in the last year, perhaps due to the heightened stress of the pandemic. When our thoughts get too noisy, our surroundings too quiet or our reality hard to accept, these audiovisual experiences offer us soothing escapism. The New York Times reported that, at the end of 2020, Spotify Wrapped “presented many users with unexpected empirical evidence of their pandemic coping mechanisms: a strange hit parade of ambient music, background noise and calming sound effects that soothed them through an unusually anxious and sleepless time.” And my experience has been no different. With ambience videos, I’ve found I am able to study and focus on my writing a lot better by listening to music without lyrics. But I’ve also felt comforted by hearing background conversations, people shuffling about, street noises — the paradoxically calming busyness, the connections that have too often been lost to lockdowns and isolation. Otherwise, the silence can be deafening. Contact Adriana Perez at aperez8@nd.edu CLAIRE REID | The Observer
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Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Set your sights on what excites you. Be innovative, believe in yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve happiness. Put your heart and soul into life, love and being the best you can be. The rewards will be outstanding, and the satisfaction you receive will encourage you to embrace the future with optimism. Love and self-improvement are favored. Your numbers are 9, 16, 23, 31, 36, 40, 44 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Call on those you trust for input. Running your ideas by people who offer encouragement along with common sense will help you navigate your way through any pitfalls you encounter. Fitness, personal growth and romance are favored. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep your thoughts to yourself until you have a clear picture of how you want to proceed. A change made in haste will be met with obstacles that result in sensitive implications. Thorough research will eliminate negative results. Moderation is encouraged. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t waste time. Size up your situation and make things happen. A chance to get ahead is heading your way, and preparation will help build the confidence you need to dazzle anyone making an offer. Personal improvement adds to your appeal. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Concentrate on what you need to do to succeed. Refuse to let personal matters interfere with your professional responsibilities. Focus on contracts, money and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A risk will take its toll physically and financially. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Press people for answers. Use your communication skills to your advantage. Get the lowdown, and make decisions based on the facts you derive from the conversations you have. A partnership that can help you advance looks promising. Romance is favored. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take a virtual class or set up an online interview. Take action if you want to bring about change. Don’t make excuses when it’s up to you to make things happen. Putting the blame elsewhere won’t help you reach your goal. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take care of responsibilities, and free up time to enjoy yourself with someone you love. How you use time and space will make a difference to your mental and emotional well-being. Don’t make unnecessary purchases. Fitness and physical improvements are favored. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put everything in place before you leap into action. Understanding what’s possible will help you avoid a costly mistake. An innovative plan will require a strict budget to avoid overspending. Take care of domestic responsibilities first. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): An emotional matter will cause you to overreact if you aren’t careful. Size up whatever situation you face, and put a strategy in place that will eliminate outside interference. Focus on home, family and easing stress. Romance is in the stars. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll face opposition if you initiate a change without going through the proper channels. Look for a positive way to get others on board, and you’ll get the support and assistance you need to get things done your way. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t let what others do cause stress. Focus on what you can do to add to your security. A moneymaking opportunity looks promising. Don’t miss out because you’ve taken on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. Clear your calendar and proceed. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep your plans a secret, and you’ll avoid a disagreement. Do something energetic if you feel stressed or anxious. Don’t make a premature move based on an emotional situation. Time is on your side. Wait and watch before making a move. Birthday Baby: You are optimistic, ambitious and intelligent. You are persistent and friendly.
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Sports
The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports Authority
Sports Authority
NFL trades, graded Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 5. On March 26, news broke that changed the landscape of the upcoming NFL draft. The Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers made a trade; the 49ers received the third pick in the draft, moving up from 12th. The 49ers had to give up a lot to do so; they sent the Dolphins the twelfth pick in this year’s draft, next year’s first and third round picks, and a first rounder in 2023. The Dolphins wanted back in the top 10 despite just leaving it. So, they sent away the 12th and 123rd picks and next year’s first round pick in exchange for the 6th and 156th pick from the Philadelphia Eagles.
49ers The 49ers seem to have been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Under Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers seem to be similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike Tomlin; they are always a good team and always in the mix. So, when the 49ers got hit by injuries and COVID-19, had a losing record and got the 12th pick in the draft, it seems they wanted to go all in. So, why not move up from just outside QB range right into the thick of things? Supposing the 49ers return to form, they will pick in the twenties for the foreseeable future, and it’s a lot harder to go from 25th to third than from 12th to third. Now that the 49ers are here, it is hard to know precisely what they will do with the pick (outside of drafting a QB). The first two picks haven’t changed: The Jaguars will still draft Trevor Lawrence, and the Jets are likely to draft Zach Wilson. Todd McShay has the 49ers taking Mac Jones with the third pick. This is primarily due to Jones being an accurate passer who operates well in play-action-based systems, much like Kyle Shanahan’s system. I agree with McShay; this feels like the most likely pick, although for a different reason. Looking at Shanahan’s former quarterbacks, it is easy to see a pattern. Shanahan has worked with Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan and Jimmy Garoppolo. They have a few things in common that work well in Shanahan’s system. They all read the field well, do well with play-action, are consistently accurate, yet not exceptionally mobile. That is not to diminish; they are athletes, but not athletic. I think Jones fits all these criteria; a younger, cheaper version of Jimmy Garoppolo, which allows the 49ers to continue to get better (they can cut Jimmy G after a year and take a minimal dead cap hit). The 49ers will take Jones because he has a lower ceiling but the highest floor.
Trade Grade: B Dolphins This is one of the best moves of the offseason, and it should excite
Dolphins fans. The Dolphins finally found a GM and Coach who know what they’re doing. This move almost feels “Belichickian.” It allowed the Dolphins to improve their future without sacrificing the present. The Dolphins may have been interested in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, but that feels like a thing of the past given the Texans’ QB’s current circumstances. Moving forward, the Dolphins will go with Tua Tagovailoa, who has franchise QB potential. He needs more help though. The Dolphins address this by adding Will Fuller, freeing them up for another receiver. Or a TE? If the 49ers could’ve, they would’ve picked fourth, saving draft capital but ensuring a QB. That says that the Falcons are taking a QB which is why the 49ers felt the need to get ahead of them. The Bengals will take an OT to shore up the O-Line, and Pitts should fall to Miami. And, Miami still picks again. While they only have one first round in 2022, they have two in ’23. They are in great shape, all for Laremy Tunsil.
Trade Grade: A Eagles I like what the Eagles did here. I think their situation is similar to the Dolphins. The Eagles have Jalen Hurts who played well last season, and they seems relatively comfortable moving forward with him starting. This makes a lot of sense to me; since they are outside of the top five, the odds are good they won’t land Lawrence, Wilson, Fields or Jones. So, if you’re at six and you don’t need to take a QB, why not move back and get an asset next year that helps you build? This year is supposed to be incredibly deep in both the WR and OT position, so picking at 12th instead of picking at 6th is not the big deal it would usually be. Worst comes to worst, work on another need. It’s not as if the Eagles lack them. The Eagles are not prevented from addressing their needs; they’re compensated in order to address other needs first. I think they could easily get Penei Sewell, but if they don’t take a WR/OT, I like an LB by the name of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The Eagles are getting another first-round pick for next season, which is an excellent haul for a slightly lower graded OT/WR or addressing their defensive concerns first. There is something to be said for the pick likely being a later one since it will be a Miami pick. Assuming the Dolphins perform around the same, if not better, than 2020, the pick will be a late teens or early twenties pick. This isn’t a big problem; having two first-round picks is better than one, but its later placement is worth noting.
Previewing the 2021 Major League Baseball season Andrew McGuiness Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 5. There has never been a more relieving Opening Day than 2021. After the longest year of almost everyone’s life, things are finally starting to get closer to normal again. Major League Baseball is the latest example. A full 162game season. Fans returning to ballparks across the league. The Yankees probably being dominant, much to the dismay of 95% of America. It’s all here! With the season just getting underway, now is the perfect time to make predictions about the 2021 campaign. It’s one of the hardest to evaluate in recent memory, with the 60-game 2020 season being awfully difficult to draw conclusions from. Last year’s expanded postseason is out the window, meaning we’re back to a traditional five postseason teams from each league. Only the top team in each division (and two wild card clubs) are guaranteed meaningful October baseball. Now it’s time to figure out who those teams will be.
National League East: Atlanta Braves (2020: Atlanta Braves) This is probably the deepest division in baseball; any of the five teams have a realistic path to the Postseason, yet the incumbent Braves have to be considered favorites. Atlanta has one of the deepest lineups in baseball, led by reigning National League MVP Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna and a phenomenal supporting cast. Max Fried was one of the best pitchers in baseball last year (7-0, 2.25 ERA). Ian Anderson (1.95 ERA) wasn’t too far behind. The odds of a fourth straight NL East crown are high.
National League Central: St. Louis Cardinals (2020: Chicago Cubs) St. Louis made the move of the offseason in acquiring Nolan Arenado for spare change and a used paper clip from the Rockies. He and Paul Goldschmidt are one of the deadliest corner infield combos in the league. Top prospect Dylan Carlson looks like he’ll be an impact piece for years to come. The pitching is a bit weaker, but still pretty solid. The Brewers and Cubs could challenge, but the Red Birds decently have the highest ceiling of anyone in this division.
Trade Grade: AContact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu. The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
National League West: Los Angeles Dodgers (2020: Los Angeles Dodgers) No need to overthink this one. The defending World Series champions are as stacked as ever. And that’s before accounting for
the addition of defending NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer, who joins a star-studded rotation. Cody Bellinger is arguably the NL’s most complete hitter. Mookie Betts’ 12-year mega-deal kicks in after an incredible first year in LA. There are plenty more stars than those three. Yes, the up-and-coming Padres are a legitimate threat. But LA is still the team to beat.
National League Wild Cards: San Diego Padres, New York Mets (2020: San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals) In the Mix: Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers The Padres and Cardinals were the fourth and fifth-best teams in the NL last year, so they would’ve been wild card teams under a normal format in 2020. Speaking of the Padres, it’s a shame that they’re such underdogs in the NL West despite an elite roster. A postseason rematch with the Dodgers seems like a given with such a stacked roster. Fernando Tatis Jr. went from prospect to superstar and was rewarded handsomely for his breakout campaign. But he’s not all that’s here. GM A.J. Preller added Yu Darvish and 2018 AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell to stack the rotation. And they still have plenty of offense behind Tatis. Meanwhile, the Mets look as stable as ever. New owner Steve Cohen didn’t deliver the 500-foot grand slam of an offseason that fans were hoping for, but he didn’t exactly strike out, either. Francisco Lindor is one of the best shortstops in the game, Carlos Carrasco is an underrated starter, and James McCann was the best free-agent catcher not named J.T. Realmuto. Adding that trio to a core led by reigning Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom makes the Mets very formidable.
American League East: New York Yankees (2020: Tampa Bay Rays) After a disappointing postseason run in 2020, the Yankees are hungry to end their 11-year drought and return to the Fall Classic. They need almost no introduction. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are elite power bats. Gerrit Cole leads a dominant rotation; same for Aroldis Chapman with their bullpen. They brought back D.J. LeMahieu. With the Rays due for regression and Toronto light in high-pressure experience, the stars align for another amazing Yankees season.
American League Central: Minnesota Twins (2020: Minnesota Twins) This season should be a thrilling race between the Twins and White Sox for the AL Central crown, just as it was (with Cleveland also mixed in) a year
ago. Chicago hiring Tony LaRussa as manager is a… curious decision, while losing Eloy Jiménez for much of the year is just plain bad luck. Chicago has the higher ceiling, but the Twins have the stability to top the AL Central. Josh Donaldson, contact-hitting second baseman Luis Arráez and the ageless Nelson Cruz help form a solid lineup. If Jose Berrios can take a step forward, he and Kenta Maeda should be a nice 1-2 rotation punch. It’s a close call, but I’ll go with Minnesota.
American League West: Houston Astros (2020: Oakland Athletics) This is another really tough division to call. The Houston Astros lost a core piece in George Springer and still don’t have Justin Verlander. Carlos Correa will probably have a monster season considering he’s in a contract year. On the other hand, the Athletics still have a very strong lineup, were the second-best team in the AL last year and advanced in the Postseason for the first time since 2006 despite losing Matt Chapman down the stretch. It comes down to pitching for me, and Oakland losing Liam Hendriks plus the potential of Houston’s rotation sets me over the edge. I don’t want to pick the Astros, but I’m going to do it anyway.
American League Wild Cards: Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays (2020: Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees) In the Mix: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics Toronto took a major step forward last year by sneaking out a Postseason experience. It didn’t amount to much in the short term, but it gained their youth valuable experience and put the team in a position to buy this offseason. GM Ross Atkins did just that, adding a legit star in George Springer and some pitching depth. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette only getting better, the Blue Jays are definitely a team on the up-and-up. The last spot is so hard to pick; the AL is definitely the more wideopen of the two leagues this year. I’m going to go with Tampa Bay. Yes, losing Charlie Morton and Blake Snell is bad for their rotation. But they have a very deep bullpen, plus a solid lineup led by the underrated Brandon Lowe and Postseason superhero Randy Arozarena. The Rays are in a position to take a step back from last year’s World Series run, but they’re falling from a high ceiling. Contact Andrew McGuiness at amcguinn@nd.edu. The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
sports Classifieds
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ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | The Observer
FOOTball | WAY TOO EARLY
Way Too Early preview: Cincinnati Bearcats Observer Staff Report
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 5. Nex t up on our way too ea rly prev iews for t he 2021 Not re Da me footba ll season is t he Cincinnat i Bea rcats.
Opponent: Cincinnati Bearcats Date: Oct. 2, 2021 Location: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana Kickoff: TBD Histor y of the Matchup Despite bei ng relat ively close geog raph ica l ly, t he schools have on ly played once before w it h t hat ga me bei ng on October 26, 1900, at Ca r t ier Field i n Sout h Bend, Ind ia na. In t hat ga me, t he Ir ish dom inated t he Bea rcat s to secu re a 58-0 v ictor y. T hat Ir ish squad wou ld f i nish t he yea r w it h a 6-3-1 record.
2020 Performa nce T he Bea rcat s had a d rea m sea son i n 2020, a s t hey put toget her a per fect 8-0 reg ula r sea son. T hey t hen went on to w i n t hei r n i nt h ga me of t he yea r i n t he A mer ica n At h let ic Con ference Cha mpionsh ip aga i nst Tu lsa by a score of 27-24. Ma ny bel ieved t hat t he Bea rcat s deser ved considerat ion for t he Col lege Footba l l Playof f for t hei r ef for t s, but t hey u lt i mately ended up play i ng i n t he Ch ick-f i l-A Peach Bowl where t hey fel l to Georg ia by a score of 24-21. L a st yea r, t he Bea rcats outscored t hei r opponents by a la rge 375-168 ma rg i n. T hei r big gest st reng t h on of fense wa s a rg uably
t hei r r u n ga me, a s t hey averaged 212.4 r ush ya rds per ga me. L ead i ng t he way for t he Bea rcats on t he g rou nd wa s Ger r id Doa k s, who had 673 r ush i ng ya rds on t he yea r of f of 144 ca r r ies. Qua r terback Desmond R idder wa s a lso a force i n t he r ush i ng ga me, a s he r ushed for 592 ya rds a nd 12 touchdow ns on t he sea son. Jerome Ford received some ca r r ies a s wel l for t he Bea rcats, ga i n i ng a tota l of 483 ya rds on 73 at tempt s. In t he pa ssi ng ga me, R idder wa s t he qua r terback a l l sea son for t he Bea rcats. In add it ion to h is cont r ibut ions i n t he g rou nd ga me, R idder pa ssed for nea rly 2,300 ya rds a nd t h rew for 19 touchdow ns. In t he receiv i ng ga me, t he Bea rcats tea m wa s ver y ba la nced w it h fou r receivers record i ng over 300 ya rds on t he sea son. L ead i ng t he way i n catches for t he Bea rcat s wa s Michael You ng Jr., who prev iously played for t he Ir ish before t ra nsfer r i ng to Ci nci n nat i. T he lead receiver i n touchdow ns a nd receiv i ng ya rds for t he Bea rcats wa s t ig ht end Josh W hyle, who recorded 353 receiv i ng ya rds a nd si x touchdow ns. T he Bea rcats’ defense wa s a lso ver y sol id t h roug hout t he cou rse of t he 2020 season u nder for mer defensive coord i nator Ma rcus Freema n, who wa s recent ly h i red a s defensive coord inator at Not re Da me. T hei r defense held t hei r opponents to 24 poi nt s or less i n ever y ga me, except for t hei r 36-33 w i n over UCF. Get t i ng poi nt s of f t u r novers wa s a lso a big pa r t of t hei r defense, a s t hey
scored 56 poi nt s of f t u r novers on t he sea son. Ci nci n nat i cr u ised to ea sy v ictor ies i n t hei r f i rst seven ga mes of t he sea son, but t hei r la st t h ree ga mes were all decided by t h ree poi nt s w it h t he Bea rcat s beat i ng UCF a nd Tu lsa by scores of 36-33 a nd 27-24 a nd losi ng to Georg ia i n t he Peach Bowl by a score of 24-21. In t he Peach Bowl ga me, t he Bea rcat s went toe to toe w it h t he Georg ia Bu l ldogs, but t hey u lt i mately ca me up shor t. In fact, t he Bea rcat s had a 21-10 lead goi ng i nto t he fou r t h qua r ter, but t he Bu l ldogs were able to ra l ly late a nd ice t he ga me w it h a 53-ya rd f ield goa l w it h t h ree seconds rema i n i ng.
2021 Out look T he Bea rcat s w i l l l i kely be a force aga i n i n t he A mer ica n At h let ic Con ference t h is sea son, a nd t hey w i l l look to bu i ld of f t hei r mag ica l 2020 season i n 2021. In some ea rly presea son pred ict ions, i n fact, t he Bea rcat s a re ra n ked above t he Ir ish. W h i le t he Bea rcat s lose t hei r lead i ng r usher f rom 2020 i n Ger r id Doa k s, it is ex pected t hat Jerome Ford w i l l ta ke over t he role a s lead back. Ford looked i mpressive i n h is redsh i r t f resh ma n season la st yea r, a nd it is expected t hat he w i l l play a pivota l role for t he Bea rcat s i n 2021. Cha rles McClel la nd cou ld a lso play a role for t he Bea rcat s i n t he back f ield i n 2021. Qua r terback Desmond R idder w i l l ret u r n for t he Bea rcat s i n 2021. R idder is t he hea r t a nd sou l of t h is Ci nci n nat i
of fense, a nd it is ex pected t hat t he of fense w i l l once aga i n revolve a rou nd h is play ma k i ng abi l it y i n 2021. If R idder ca n become more ef f icient i n t he pa ssi ng ga me t h is com i ng yea r, he cou ld la nd h i msel f on some Heisma n watch l ists. T he Bea rcats w i l l a lso be ret u r n i ng most of t hei r ba la nced receivi ng cor ps f rom t he 2020 sea son. A s fa r a s t he defense side of t he ba l l goes, t he Bea rcats w i l l look to reg roup a f ter t he depa r t u re of Ma rcus Freema n to Not re Da me. W h i le t he loss of Freema n w i l l u ndoubted ly be a huge loss for t he Bea rcats in 2021, t he tea m st i l l possesses enoug h play ma kers a nd ta lent f rom la st yea r to have a successf u l 2021 ca mpa ig n. Before play i ng t he Ir ish, t he Bea rcats w i l l play ga mes aga i nst Mu r ray State Un iversit y, M ia m i Un iversit y of Oh io a nd Ind ia na Un iversit y. It is ex pected t hat t he Bea rcat s w i l l w i n t hei r f i rst t wo ga mes ea si ly, but t hei r ga me aga i nst t he Hoosiers i n Bloom i ngton will u ndoubted ly be one of t he bet ter noncon ference ga mes of t he sea son. T he Bea rcat s a re t hen on a bye week before t ravel i ng to Sout h Bend. T he ga me aga i nst Ci nci n nat i will ma rk t he f i f t h of t he yea r for t he Ir ish. W h i le it is l i kely t he Ir ish w i l l beat F lor ida State, Toledo a nd P u rdue to sta r t t he yea r, t hey w i l l have a cha l leng i ng ga me aga i nst W isconsi n at Sold ier Field t he week before t hei r showdow n w it h t he Bea rcat s.
If bot h tea ms ca n f i nd a way to be u ndefeated headi ng i nto t h is ga me, it is a lmost cer ta i n t hat t h is w i l l be a top-10 showdow n i n Sout h Bend a nd have huge Col lege Footba l l Playof f i mpl icat ions for bot h tea m s.
Way Too Predict ions
Ea rly
Nate Moller — Spor t s Wr iter T h is will no doubt be one of t he big gest ga mes for t he Ir ish nex t yea r, a s Ci nc y is pr i med to be a top-10 tea m once aga i n. A s t hey showed i n t hei r na r row loss to G eorg ia i n la st yea r’s Peach Bowl, t hey a re for rea l a nd t hey ca n compete w it h t he best of t he best. I a lso ex pect t here w i l l be ex t ra mot ivat ion beh i nd t he Bea rcat s i n t h is one w it h Br ia n Kel ly a nd Ma rc us Freema n havi ng prev iously coached at Ci nc y. I a nt icipate t h is one bei ng a h ig h scor i ng a f fa i r w it h Desmond R idder leadi ng t he way for t he Bea rcat s a nd Ky ren W i l l ia ms a nd Ch r is Ty ree for t he Ir ish. Bot h tea ms w i l l have a lot to play for i n t h is one, a nd I don’t a nt icipate eit her tea m goi ng dow n w it hout a f ig ht. A lt houg h t he Ir ish w i l l bu i ld a n ea rly lead, t he Bea rcat s w i l l be able to claw back i nto t he ga me a nd even ta ke t he lead w it h f ive m i nutes to go. A late d r ive for t he Ir ish, t houg h, will sea l t he dea l a nd keep Not re Da me’s Col lege Footba l l Playof f hopes a l ive.
Fina l : Not re Da me 38, Cincinnat i 34
The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
Wanted Blackburn & Green, Attorneys for Injured People is seeking to hire a PART-TIME LEGAL ASSISTANT to work less than 30 hours per week for their South Bend/Mishawaka office. The candidate would be working with our legal secretaries assisting them with a variety of tasks such as requesting medical records and bills, preparing checks, calling, and verifying balances, typing statements, filing, etc. We are looking for someone that can work independently and with a team, be highly organized, detailed
oriented, able to multi-task, work in a fast-paced environment, have excellent people and phone skills, proficient in MS Office products, and must be dedicated to client service. Competitive salary included. Please send resume with a cover letter. Submit your resume to mcunningham@blackburnandgreen.com NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. What have I done? / With my hear t on the floor / I must be out of my mind / To come back begging for more / But if you stay / If you just stay for the night / Swear that I’m yours / And I’ll prove that I’m right / And these
flies kept me sleeping / All my fears on their wings / And your grandfather clock is still ticking / But the chime never rings / And how long must I stay? / Will I lay by your side / Just to say that I’m yours / And you’ll never be mine / With this love like a hole / Swallow my soul / Draggin me down / And there’s blood on the covers / From the curses we uttered / To each other / You played your par t in this / Why play hide and go seek? / Safe behind your veneer / Does it bur y your burden baby? / Makes it all disappear / It’s the way that you are / And the way I’ll forever be.
Write Sports.
Email Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu
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Sports
The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
W Bball Continued from page 16
“I was all business,” she said. “That was my motivation, my goal. Everything I was doing was preparing to try and lead us there. I was very serious about that.” Ivey was certainly a leader, but she was not alone on an Irish squad full of experience and with high expectations. Ruth Riley dominated inside for the Irish, averaging over 18 points and nearly 8 rebounds per game. Alicia Ratay shot an astounding 55% from 3-point range, while Ivey was no slouch herself, pouring in triples at a 44% rate. Jeneka Joyce was a 38% shooter from distance off the bench, as the trio took 356 of Notre Dame’s 373 three-point attempts, leading the nation’s No. 1 3-point shooting offense. Throw in Kelley Siemon and Ericka Haney — both averaging over 11 points per game in the starting lineup — and the Irish offense was a dominant force, with plenty of motivation to be had from previous painful postseason exits. “We had all the pieces. That year was the blueprint of what a national champion team should look like,” Ivey said, referring to the Irish team’s makeup as they entered the season. “Having five seniors that year, I think, was the difference. And having come up short the years prior, we were ready.” The Irish dominated all season with just a pair of losses, by a combined three points to their name. They extended a 25-game home winning streak to 42 with a 17-0 record against visiting opponents. They survived an early test against Georgia (75-73) en route to a 23-0 start to the season. But the undefeated season ended in painful fashion: Ivey had a potential game-winning shot blocked as time expired against No. 11 Rutgers, which led to a 54-53 loss. The Irish rebounded with four consecutive victories, including an 8933 thumping of Georgetown to end the regular season. However, the postseason did not get off to an ideal start for the Irish. After an easy Big East semifinals victory, they were tripped up by UConn — Huskies legend Sue Bird drilled a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer for the 78-76 win and the conference title. But it wasn’t the last time the Irish saw the Huskies in 2001. And Ivey and the rest of the squad were just getting started. “We had a lot of experience, and a lot of heart,” Ivey said. “We were battle-tested, we were battle-ready. We gained more confidence, game after game. We were so sharp in every aspect, we played with such passion.” The tournament loss didn’t phase Notre Dame, who escaped the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament with
total ease, doubling up Alcorn State 98-49 and thumping rival Michigan 88-54 to reach the Sweet 16, the scene of their last tournament exit. However, after some early stumbling blocks, the Irish pulled away in the second half to go at least one step further, toppling Utah 69-54. In the Elite Eight, Notre Dame saw some adversity, tied at the half 40-40, but ultimately Riley took over, notching 32 points in the game, as the Irish handled Vanderbilt 72-64. The victory meant UConn was up next for the Irish in the Final Four — the furthest Notre Dame had ever advanced. And it looked like the road was destined to end there, as the Huskies raced to a 16-point lead in the first half, and they lead 52-37 early in the second half, with Notre Dame struggling to do much of anything. But leadership and poise kicked in; after suffering a minor sprain in the first half, Ivey returned in the second half and directed the Irish offense, leading a 24-7 run. Ratay drilled a three-pointer for Notre Dame’s first lead at 6159, and the Irish poured it on from there. They held UConn without a field goal for over a 5-minute stretch, after falling back behind, 65-63. The 14-0 run put Notre Dame in control, and they put the Huskies away, 90-75. In the first of two Final Four games in her hometown, Ivey notched 21 points to put the Irish on the brink of history. It didn’t come easy there, either, as Notre Dame faced in-state rival and 1999 national champion Purdue on the game’s biggest stage, again going down by double digits in the first half. This time, there was no giant run to seize control, as Notre Dame chipped away and kept the game within reach. Riley was a dominant force all game, notching 28 points, 13 rebounds and 7 blocks. But a 1-10 performance from beyond the arc prevented Notre Dame from making major runs. After going down 12 in the first half, Notre Dame found themselves still trailing, 49-41, with just over 12 minutes left. But it was both the stars (Riley, Ivey and Co.) and the underrated role players coming through for the Irish down the stretch. Jeneka Joyce tied the game with a pair of free throws, and Ivey would give Notre Dame a 64-63 lead with just over a minute to play. After a 3-point play by Purdue, Riley tied the game with a shot of her own, secured a defensive rebound, got fouled and sunk two clutch free throws with 5 seconds to play. When Purdue’s last-ditch effort fell short, the raucous celebration was on. “I was in shock. It was a dream manifested. It was something I had visualized that had come to life,” Ivey said. “I just couldn’t believe we were actually experiencing
that euphoria.” Ivey went into further detail on her personal journey, and what the championship meant to her. “Definitely one of the top moments. I had a lot of adversity I had to overcome,” she said. “I had 2 ACL surgeries, I had a fifth year. To be able to battle back from those injuries, to be part of a team that won its first national championship ... to do something that was so powerful in this community and this program is something that I will never take for granted and I’m so blessed to have been a part of that.” Considering the timing of this championship, it’s no wonder it meant so much to the Notre Dame community. Long considered a football school, the Irish had fallen upon tough times on the gridiron, with zero top-10 finishes or bowl victories to their name since 1994. The Irish had never claimed a title in basketball, but the women’s basketball program had been on the verge of cementing themselves as an elite team, with a Final Four appearance in 1997, and seven straight seasons with 21-plus wins. The desire to bring back national championship glory to South Bend was not only a clear aim for the team — it was a shared sentiment among the students and local community. “We landed at 1 or 2 a.m. and the bus drove to Main Circle,” Ivey recalled. “A lot of fans and students and people from the South Bend community came out to celebrate with us. Coming back to campus and being able to share that moment with the Notre Dame community and the South Bend community was really special.” Twenty years later, Ivey has continued to help bring the Irish program to new heights. As an assistant under her old head coach, Muffett McGraw, Ivey helped guide Notre Dame to a 2018 championship. And now, she’s succeeded the legendary McGraw as head coach of the Irish. “I always felt like coming back here and having this experience to be the head coach of Notre Dame is a full circle moment,” Ivey said. “I love this university so much, I’m so passionate about Notre Dame and Notre Dame women’s basketball. Now I get a chance to lead this program I love so much.” Ivey loves Notre Dame — and she can be certain that the Irish love her back. While names like Rockne, Montana, Rudy and others populate the lore of the blue and gold, Ivey and her squad etched their own names into the glorious history of Notre Dame athletics, setting a new precedent for excellence in South Bend. Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu
nD Men’s golf
Squad takes third at Augusta Observer Staff Report
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 5. T he Not re Da me men’s gol f tea m f i n ished t h i rd i n a stacked, 15-tea m f ield at t he Aug usta Ha sk i ns Awa rd Inv itat iona l t h is weekend. T he event wa s hosted by Aug usta State Un iversit y at t he Forest Hi l ls G ol f Club i n Aug usta, Georg ia. T he Ir ish shot a n 845 (-19), t ied for t he f i f t h-best 54 hole score in prog ra m h istor y. Not re Da me bested t h ree top-15 tea ms, i ncludi ng No. 5 Il l i nois a nd No. 6 A r i zona State. T h i rdra n ked Ok la homa State f i n ished f i rst, fol lowed by Pepperd i ne. Not re Da me ha s i mproved its overa l l score i n each tou r na ment t h is spr i ng, beat i ng its prev ious best, 12-u nder at t he Spa r ta n i nv itat iona l by seven st rokes. T he Ir ish got of f to a st rong sta r t, ca rd i ng a 285 (-3) i n t he open i ng rou nd, t ha n k s i n la rge pa r t to a n i mpressive rou nd f rom f i rst-yea r Tucker Cla rk, who f i n ished t h ree u nder pa r. T he Ir ish cont i nued t hei r st rong per for ma nce i n t he second rou nd, shoot i ng sea son-best 275 (-13). W it h t he score, t he tea m t ied for t he f i f t hbest si ng le rou nd i n prog ra m h istor y. Sophomore Pa l mer Jack son shot a 67 (-5); one st roke of f h is ca reer-best. T he Ir ish
Softball Continued from page 16
first in Friday’s contest. The pitching trend continued in the first half of each game in the Saturday doubleheader. Both teams were scoreless heading into the fourth inning, but the Seminoles eventually dominated the Irish, winning 8-0 by mercy rule in both games. The Irish only had three hits on the day, two of which came from junior outfielder Emma Clark. Tidd and Holloway earned the loss in each game, moving their records to 9-5 and 7-5, respectively. The dominance continued on Sunday for the Seminoles. They only allowed two hits to the Irish offense that entered the weekend with the best team batting average in the ACC. Tidd pitched a dazzling four
entered t he t h i rd rou nd i n fou r t h place. In t he f i na l rou nd on Su nday, Not re Da me once aga i n shot a 285 (-3). Bot h Jack son (-3) a nd Cla rk (-2) f i n ished u nder pa r i n t he t h i rd rou nd, wh ich wa s good enoug h to push t he Ir ish pa st Il l i nois by fou r st rokes a nd ma ke t he pod iu m. Jack son had a n outsta nd i ng i nd iv idua l perfor ma nce t h roug hout t he weekend, f i n ish i ng n i ne st rokes u nder pa r; good for f i f t h place i nd iv idua l ly. He f i n ished t he la st rou nd on a h ig h note, notch i ng t h ree bi rd ies i n t he la st fou r holes. It ma rk s h is t h i rd ca reer top-f ive f i n ish, a nd t he second-h ig hest i nd iv idua l score of h is Not re Da me ca reer, a f ter h is i mpressive 16 u nder pa r t hat won h i m t he i nd iv idua l t it le at t he 2019 Qua i l Va l ley Col leg iate. Cla rk a lso cont i nued h is i mpressive sea son, f i nish i ng i n 12t h place w it h a ca reer-low -5. Sen ior Dav is Chat f ield a lso f i nished i nside t he top 20 w it h a score of -3, a nd ju n iors Ta ich i K ho a nd A nd rew O’L ea r y f i n ished 35t h a nd 50t h, respect ively. K ho notched a n i mpressive eag le i n t he la st rou nd on t he pa r-5 11t h hole. T he Ir ish w i l l be back on t he cou rse nex t weekend. T hey w i l l t ravel to Ra leig h, Nor t h Ca rol i na, for a n i nv itat iona l hosted by Nor t h Ca rol i na State.
innings to start. But, the ‘Noles poured on five runs in the fifth after Holloway entered in relief, giving her the loss. The Irish lost 5-0 and had a long ride home, coming out the wrong end of an Easter weekend sweep. The Irish will have some work to do by the end of the season if they wish to make the NCA A Championship Tournament. They’re hoping to get it done, as that’s a mark that has never been missed by head coach Deanna Gumpf. The Irish still land in the top 5 in both team earned run average and team batting average in the conference, but they sit at 7th in the ACC standings and now have a losing conference record. They’ll start a 10 game home stand this Wednesday, against the Western Michigan Broncos (8-17, 4-8 M AC).
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team we’ve played has been a top-20-t y pe team. I’m proud of t he way we played. We’ve overcome a lot to t his point.” The series v ictor y might have a lso won Jarrett temporar y bragging rights. Jarrett and Pitt head coach Mike Bell played toget her at Florida State in 1994 before coming up against each ot her severa l times in t he minors. Jarrett said t he t wo head coaches remain close friends, and explained how t heir shared experiences in t he world of coaching have inf luenced t heir relationship, especia lly when bot h Jarrett and Bell began t heir coaching careers as assistants at sma ll Florida colleges. “A nd when you’re at t hat level 20 years ago, you’re doing t he laundr y, you’re driv ing t he team on t he vans, you’re ta k ing care of t he f ield, you’re cleaning t he restrooms, you’re f iguring out what new w indscreen to put on t he fence, you’re f ig uring out who can do t he announcing at t he games,” Jarrett said. “So we would share t he stories of what you’re hav ing to do just to run t he program.” Jarrett said he does not relish competing against Bell, t hough. “You k now so much about him and t heir team,” he said. “and it just is awk ward.” On Saturday, Notre Dame opened t he scoring in t he fourt h v ia a pair of solo home runs from junior designated hitter Carter Put z and senior f irst baseman Niko Kavadas. Kavadas’ 441-foot blast to right f ield was t he Granger, Indiana native’s ACC-leading 11t h home run of t he season. He is a lso tied w it h Texas Tech’s Jace Jung for t hird in t he countr y in homers, despite hav ing played eight fewer games. Jarrett claimed Kavadas’ numbers could be even higher if he played in a more forgiv ing ba llpark, and said Kavadas’ continued improvement on defense w ill be key to bolstering his
ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | The Observer
draft stock. “A nd he’s going to be draf ted for t he hitting and t he power,” Jarrett said. “But you a lso have to feel like t here’s a spot on a major leag ue f ield for him. A nd to me, f irst base is t he most logica l of t hose, and he’s still learning it.” Junior starting left y Will Mercer pitched four scoreless innings before sophomore right-hander Tanner Kohlhepp earned t he w in in relief af ter not a llowing a hit in t hree innings of work. The Irish added t wo insurance runs in t he nint h, and graduate student Joe Sheridan recorded t he save. Notre Dame only mustered nine hits on Sunday, but graduate student lef t-hander John Michael Bertrand kept t he Irish in t he game by only a llow ing t hree hits and t wo earned runs in 7.1 innings of work. Bertrand is current ly 10t h in t he ACC among a ll qua lif y ing pitchers w it h a 2.98 earned run average. Jarrett said Bertrand’s impressive work t his year has not surprised him, because t he current Irish head coach saw his hitters during Jarrett’s f ina l year at UNC Greensboro struggle against Bertrand when t he lef t-hander was play ing for Furman in 2019. “They [were] like, ‘coach, it’s tough,’” Jarrett said of his hitters t hat day. “You’re not getting any t hing to hit.” Pitt senior right-f ielder Nico Popa broke t he 1-1 tie in t he bottom of t he eight h w it h a t wo-run home run, and t he Pant hers held on in t he top of t he nint h to claim a one-run v ictor y. Though Bertrand’s performance came in a losing ef fort, his abilit y to go deep into t he game a llowed t he Irish to save most of t heir bullpen for Monday, when Notre Dame would use four dif ferent relievers. Bertrand’s team-high 41 innings pitched is a lmost double t he next closest work load on t he Irish staff (Sheridan w it h 23.1 innings), so Jarrett said his plans largely depend on Bertrand going deep into games like on Saturday. “So t he way you have to do
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it is stick t he longer outing in t he middle to tr y to surv ive Friday [and] Sunday,” he said. A not her bright spot for t he Irish was sophomore second baseman, Kyle Hess, starting in place of injured senior Jared Miller. In his f irst start, Hess managed t wo hits in as many at-bats. Jarrett said he was proud of Hess’ hard work in preparation for t his sort of opportunit y. He included t hat t he Mountainside, New Jersey native is ver y familiar w it h how Jarrett wants to play. “You can sense t hat he k nows what’s going on around him, and t hat’s a ll you can ask,” Jarrett said. “These g uys are going to get t heir feet wet, but as t hey’re getting t heir feet wet, you want t hem to be able to f unction in your system.” On Sunday, t he Irish were able to brea k t he game open w it h four home runs, t he f irst time Notre Dame had accomplished t hat feat since 2018 against Western Michigan. Sophomore t hird baseman Jack Brannigan was t he f irst to get in on t he action. He had a solo shot in t he second inning. A fter Notre Dame added anot her run in t he t hird, junior shortstop Zack Prajzner began a t hree-run fourt h inning for t he Irish w it h a solo run. Kavadas k nocked in t wo runs on a t wo-out, basesloaded single. Then, Put z punctuated Notre Dame’s f ive-run f ift h w it h his second home run of t he weekend and season to clear t he bases. Leadoff man and senior center f ielder Spencer Myers f inished t he offensive show w it h a solo home run in t he sevent h. As on Friday, Kohlhepp picked up t he w in in relief. The Irish are now set to begin an eight-game homestand w it h a weekend series versus No. 14 Georgia Tech. First pitch at Frank Eck Stadium on Friday is scheduled for 5 p.m. The entire series w ill be available to stream on ACC Net work Extra. Contact Greg McKenna at gmckenn2@nd.edu
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VoLLEYBALL
Irish take down Clemson Tigers in four sets Observer Staff Report
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 1. No. 22 Notre Dame women’s volleyball (12-3, 11-3 ACC) picked up its 12th win of the season this past Friday in a four-set victor y over Clemson (11-9, 5-8 ACC) inside Purcell Pavilion. The senior night win moved head coach Mike Johnson’s team to 7-1 at home during the combined fall and spring portions of the 2020-2021 season. Prior to the game, the Irish honored the two members of their 2021 senior class: middle blocker Hannah Thompson and setter Monroe Olsen. Thompson is having her best season in an Irish uniform. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native has been Notre Dame’s best defender at the net this season, pacing the Irish with 64 blocks. The Cibola High School product is also fourth on the team with 88 kills over 56 sets played. Olsen has been a vital part of the Irish rotation this season, primarily as a ser ving specialist. The Valparaiso, Indiana, native has accumulated new career highs this season in ser vice aces (10) and service aces per set (0.33). In taking down the Tigers, the Irish rebounded from a thrilling, nearcome-from-behind five-set loss to North Carolina earlier in the week and have now won three of their last four games. After a competitive first set featuring 13 ties and six lead changes went to Clemson 25-23, the Irish rattled off three straight-set wins by scores of 25-20, 25-13, 25-11. As the scores highlight, Notre Dame dominated the final two sets. In the third set, the Irish led from beginning to end and hit a .485 as a team. Junior outside hitter Charley Niego had seven kills on only 10 swings. Olsen began the fourth set with three consecutive aces, finishing with four total for the night. The Irish didn’t look back, again leading the entirety of
the set. The Irish attack saved its best frame of the contest for last, hitting an uncanny .517 for the final set. Niego came up big again for the Irish, posting 20 kills and 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the season and sixth in the last eight matches. Niego, a 2019 First-Team All-ACC selection, leads the team this season with 192 kills and a whopping four kills per set. Junior setter Zoe Nunez, also a 2019 First-Team AllACC selection, put up 47 assists to push her season total to 622. Middle blocker Lindsey Miller and outside hitter Aubrey Hamilton, Notre Dame’s pair of freshman standouts, continued to impress as well. Miller posted 10 kills with an eye-popping .625 hitting percentage, her third time accruing double-digit kills this season, while Hamilton added 13 kills of her own. Through 15 games, Hamilton has posted double-digit kills in all but six of them, including nine of the past 12 games. The freshman is third on the team with 160 total kills this season. Defensively, Thompson led the way with three blocks alongside sophomore outside hitter Caroline Meuth, who also had three blocks to go along with her nine kills. Freshman libero Hattie Monson totaled a game-high 21 digs. In the end, Notre Dame hit .411 as a team, good enough for their second-highest percentage of the season, while holding Clemson to a meager .184 hitting percentage. After posting an impressive 6-1 record in the fall half of the season, No. 22 Notre Dame is now 6-2 in the spring with two games remaining in the final week of the season. With the win against Clemson, Notre Dame now has an opportunity to win its first-ever ACC Championship. The Irish can clinch the ACC title and an automatic trip to the NCA A tournament with a pair of wins over No. 23 Georgia Tech and Duke.
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 7, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd women’s Basketball
‘A Dream Manifested’: 20 years later, Irish still feel the impact of 2001 title By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 5. The injuries. The NCAA Tournament shortcomings of prior years. The Big East championship loss to UConn. The double-digit deficit in the national championship. All that — and more — only begins to define the adversity faced by the 2001 Notre Dame women’s basketball team. But for a group led by five seniors, no adversity was enough to stop them from reaching the summit of college basketball and winning the NCAA Tournament, a peak never before reached by an Irish basketball team — men’s or women’s. “We were clicking on all cylinders, our chemistry was incredible,” current Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey — who was a fifth-year senior on that ‘01 team — said. “Ruth Riley battled a lot of injuries, Kelley Siemon
had her broken hand that year — we battled through so much, and our group had such a strong core.” Ivey herself had battled adversity throughout her playing career. After choosing a Notre Dame program on the upswing as a promising recruit, Ivey suffered two torn ACLs. One cost her most of her first-year season. The other injury happened during the 1999 postseason, as her season ended in the Big East Semifinals, while the Irish went on to lose in the second round of the tournament. In 2001, with that senior-laden squad, Ivey returned as a fifth-year due to a medical redshirt, and she quickly locked in on her goal. “This was my fifth year, I wanted to stay focused,” Ivey said. “I looked at the schedule with the coaches, and then I found out the Final Four was in St. Louis.” Ivey hails from St. Louis, and the Final Four was slated to be played approximately 15 minutes away from her own home. see W BBALL PAGE 14
Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Current Notre Dame head coach, and former point guard for the Irish, Niele Ivey communicates with her team from the sidelines during Notre Dame’s 59-48 win over Pittsburgh at Petersen Event Center.
ND softball
ND Baseball
No. 12 Irish win another series at No. 17 Pittsburgh By GREG MCKENNA
Observer Staff Report
Associate Sports Editor
No. 12 Notre Dame clinched a conference-leading fifth series w in in ACC play this past weekend as the Irish grabbed two w ins out of three at No. 17 Pittsburgh. After the series at Charles L. Cost field was pushed back t wo days due to weather, the Irish (13-5, 12-5 ACC) won 4-1 Saturday and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Panthers (13-10, 9-9 ACC) on Sunday before the bats came alive Monday in the rubber match to propel Notre Dame to an 11-5 v ictor y. Irish head coach Link Jarrett said he was pleased w ith another good weekend against a qualit y opponent, as well as the progress his team has made so far this season. “It was another Super Regional-t y pe weekend,” he said in a press conference Tuesday. “I feel like ever y see BASEBALL PAGE 15
Irish swept by top-10 opponent
RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer
Irish junior outfielder Brooks Coetzee prepares for a pitch in a 2-0 home loss against Duke on March 21 at Frack Eck Stadium.
Last weekend, the Irish (1712, 9-10 ACC) looked to keep a six-game win streak rolling into a packed weekend that featured five games in five days. The first started Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium. The first opponent of the weekend was the Chippewas of Central Michigan (4-18, 2-10 MAC). Junior pitcher Payton Tidd got the start and eventually earned the win, while senior Morgan Ryan pitched the last two innings to get the save. It was a collective effort on offense as the Irish sprayed 11 hits, three of which came from reigning ACC Player of the Week, senior outfielder Abby Sweet. A two-run homer from sophomore infielder Katie Marino provided some insurance in the sixth inning. The Irish won 7-4 to remain unbeaten at home. Senior outfielder Abby Sweet looks to drive the ball in a 6-5 win over NC State
on March 26, 2021 at Melissa Cook Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind. The weekend would bring a highly anticipated matchup with Florida State (24-5, 12-2 ACC) in Tallahassee. The Seminoles entered the weekend ranked 10th in the nation. The Irish were riding high off of a now seven-game win streak. The Seminoles, however, were hot as well, having won eight of their last nine. The first matchup on Friday was close all the way through, entering the sixth inning with a score of 1-1. The Irish ended up out-hitting the ‘Noles 6-4, but they ultimately couldn’t respond to two runs scored in the bottom of the sixth. They lost 3-1. Senior pitcher Alexis Holloway tossed a complete game but earned the loss, and Sweet’s on-base streak was capped off at an impressive 43 games, as she was unsuccessful in making it to see SOFTBALL PAGE 14