Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, March 31, 2021 by The Observer

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Volume 55, Issue 55 | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND admits class of 2025 14.6% acceptance rate lowest in history

Vaccine clinic to open April 8

By RYAN PETERS Associate News Editor

Observer Staff Report

The University announced Friday it admitted 1,771 students to the class of 2025 during the regular decision process. With 1,673 students admitted during the restrictive early action (REA) process in December, the University admitted a total of 3,446 students out of 23,639 applicants for a record-low acceptance rate of 14.6%. Of the 1,712 deferred students from REA, 145 were accepted as part of the regular decision admitted pool. Represented among the total applicant pool were 8,030 high schools. Among admitted

In an email Tuesday, the University announced undergraduate, graduate and professional students would be able to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine from Thursday, April 8 to Thursday, April 15. The first doses of the vaccine will be distributed in the span of one week at the Compton Family Ice Arena, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. According to the Vaccine Administration Team (VAT), an email with a link will be sent to students soon to sign up for their first vaccination appointment.

JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer

see ADMISSIONS PAGE 3

The University released admissions decisions for the class of 2025 Friday. The 23,639 applicants marked an 11.1% increase from last year.

County extends mask order Observer Staff Report

St. Joseph Count y health officer Robert Einterz renewed the count y mask order Monday the South Bend Tribune reported. The decision came after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced last week the statew ide mask mandate would become a mask adv isor y April 6. The count y’s mask order was originally set to expire Wednesday but w ill now

expire May 27. Einterz said the order w ill not be renewed after May 27. Einterz said the order was renewed due to a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the count y. The mask order was met w ith strong opposition from Republican count y leadership. Count y commissioners president Andy Kostielney and commissioner Derek see MASKS PAGE 4

At the vaccination center, students will be able to schedule another appointment to receive the second dose exactly three weeks after their first dose, between Thursday, April 29 and Thursday, May 6. The team also encouraged Notre Dame students to use the on-campus vaccination site and to cancel other vaccination appointments they might have. “This will help to free up any vaccination capacity in the local community for members who may be in need,” the email said. Students who receive their first dose elsewhere in the community will not be able to receive the second dose at the on-campus site.

SMC to distribute vaccines Observer Staff Report

The College announced registration is now open for the Saint Mary’s community to sign up for appointments to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, co-directors of the COVID-19 Response Team Mona Bowe and Shari Rodriguez said in an email to students Tuesday. The vaccines will be distributed April 16 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex. The deadline to schedule an appointment is April 9.

According to the College’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic website, the following individuals are eligible to participate in the vaccination clinic: all Saint Mary’s students, Saint Mary’s employees and their immediate family members, as well as Holy Cross students, Holy Cross employees and their immediate family members, Sisters of the Holy Cross employees, admitted students who reside locally and invited campus partners. Those scheduled to get vaccinated should enter the Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex

through the north doors facing the parking lot and athletic fields. They are also required to complete a consent form. The message emphasized that students should plan to attend their appointments once they have signed up in order to make sure their dose is not wasted. “Your Pfizer vaccine will be thawed and prepped for you; therefore, it’s important that you keep your appointment,” Bowe and Rodriguez said in the email. The College will provide the second dose of the vaccination on May 7.

Author details Haitian modern-day lynching On Tuesday, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies hosted professor Dara Kay Cohen to speak about her newly published book titled “Lynching and Local Justice: Legitimacy and Accountability in Weak States.” Cohen is an associate professor of public policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at

Harvard University. Her research primarily focuses on violence in unstable states, such as those experiencing civil wars. “Lynching and Local Justice,” coauthored with Danielle F. Jung of Emory University, is Cohen’s second book. Abby Córdova, associate professor in the Keough School of Global Affairs, moderated the virtual discussion, which consisted primarily of Cohen explaining the core concepts of her book and answering

audience questions. “Lynching and Local Justice” examines the causes and possible solutions of modern-day lynching by studying the practice in Haiti. Cohen defined lynching as “lethal violence or violence that the participants think could be lethal, violence that is extralegal and violence that is usually committed by groups of people to punish offenses to a community.” Cohen first addressed what she

called common misconceptions about modern-day lynching. She said the practice is not limited to weak states and is not correlated with poverty or a lack of development; rather, it results from micro-level contestation over the legitimacy of authority. She cited recent examples from Northern Ireland, India and Brazil to demonstrate the far reach of lynchings in the contemporary world. To determine what causes and

perpetuates lynching as a tool of justice, Cohen said, she and Jung focused on Haiti — which Cohen called “a fascinating example of widespread violence against a background of a fractured state.” Cohen said research addressing lynching in the context of civil war already exists. However, Haiti provides an

NEWS PAGE 4

VIEWPOINT PAGE 7

SCENE PAGE 9

ND M LACROSSE PAGE 16

ND M SWIMMING PAGE 16

By ANNEMARIE FOY News Writer

see LECTURE PAGE 5

TODAY

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The University has refurnished Library Lawn with lawn chairs, tables and pergolas. The lawn had been closed for the winter months. The socially distanced furniture provides students with a safe outdoor gathering place as the weather warms up.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. All are welcome.

“Neuroscience and (Your) Behavior” virtual 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Part of a series. Please register online.

No Classes campus-wide all day All classes canceled in celebration of Good Friday.

Morning Prayer Basilica of the Sacred Heart 9 a.m. All are welcome.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (Spanish) All are welcome.

Fireside Chat campus-wide 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. With guest speakers Sumir Chadha and Scott Malpass.

Confession Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. All are welcome.

Paschal Vigil Mass Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center 9 p.m. Attendance by ticket only.

Global Health Colloquium virtual 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Presented by guest speaker Ann Moorman.

Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Sundaes South Quad 3 p.m. All are welcome.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | The Observer

Student government holds Title IX Town Hall By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ Associate News Editor

During Tuesday’s Title IX Tow n Hall meeting held by the Notre Dame Student Government, Title IX board members and coordinators from the tri-campus communit y gathered to discuss the impact of new Title I X regulations. In light of recent Title I X changes came noteworthy alterations to the regulations and procedures in place on each campus. Senior equit y specialist at the Universit y Michael Colonna noted the two primar y ways these new prov isions have altered the way universities have to respond to sexual harassment complaints during the Tow n Hall. He said the prov isions change the scope of Title IX and the procedures governing Title IX complaints. He continued by highlighting the implications brought upon the Universit y by these new regulations on Title IX procedures. The Universit y has modified its process for addressing concerns of sexual harassment by employees, as such concerns must now be addressed through the new regulations’ formal

Admissions Continued from page 1

students, 2,175 high schools were represented. Associate v ice president for undergraduate enrollment Don Bishop said the COVID-19 pandemic made this year’s admission process challenging for both

process. In addition, the Universit y developed processes to address student conduct concerns that do not fit w ithin the narrowed definition of sexual harassment. The Universit y may still address actions that fall outside these new limits through non-Title IX policies, Colonna said. Colonna emphasized to students the need for formal complaints to be filed by either the complainant or the Title IX coordinator. Third parties cannot file a formal complaint on someone’s behalf. According to Colonna, another important development is all ev idence and testimony is subject to cross-examination, including any thing prov ided by the complainant, respondent or w itnesses. The Tow n Hall also shed light on the main points of impact concerning the definitions of “regulator y Title IX,” “regulator y” complainants and “regulator y” A lternative Resolution The Universit y w ill still address all concerning behav ior, but the definition of “regulator y Title IX“ has narrowed. As for regulator y complainants, they must

admissions officers and prospective students. Due to health concerns and questions about international students’ abilit y to obtain v isas in 2020, the Universit y enrolled 365 students off of the waitlist and into the class of 2024. Bishop said they do not anticipate accepting as many students from the waitlist this year, however, because

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RYAN PETERS | The Observer

Notre Dame student government hosted a town hall Tuesday for the tri-campus community regarding changes to Title IX regulations. Title IX coordinators spoke at the event, which was broadcasted virtually.

now file a formal complaint and participate in a hearing. Colonna mentioned that Alternative Resolution is not allowed for situations where the respondent is a faculty or staff member and the complainant is a student. Toward the end of the Town Hall, the speakers discussed considerations in student cases by addressing student concerns about other violations regarding parietals and alcohol. The Title IX coordinators mentioned students have anonymity when reporting

incidents or situations that took place in an environment not adhering to the campus’s policies and guidelines. They encouraged students to speak up when witnessing an incident with the motto “see something, say something.“ Saint Mary’s Title IX coordinator Nicole Hundt mentioned the same changes to the procedures and regulations at Saint Mary’s. She reiterated the need for complainants to file a formal complaint in order to take the necessary legal actions. Hundt also noted the resources

available to Saint Mary’s students. Dean and vice president of student life at Holy Cross Andrew Polaniecki commented on the thorough presentation about the policies of Title IX. He also mentioned the discussion happening on all campuses to ensure the students’ safety and noted the importance of having individuals on campus to whom students can report in order to ensure proper action is taken.

there is less uncertaint y about the upcoming academic year than the last. Nonetheless, some lingering uncertaint y about the fall semester and the pandemic has led the Universit y to place 3,101 students on this year’s waitlist, making it one of the largest in recent years, according to Bishop. “With the uncertaint y, we felt that we should do more waitlists in case we need more spots to be taken,” Bishop said. “Right now, our model tells us that bet ween 50 to 120 students w ill most likely be taken off the waitlist in early May.” With extracurricular activities limited or taking place v irtually at high schools across the world, evaluating applicants proved to be challenging this year, Bishop said. But some of the applicants have taken up unique activ ities. “Reading the applications this year, we found that students did find ways to reach out and some of that was ingenious,” he added. Bishop sa id t he inabilit y of prospect ive students to v isit t he Not re Da me ca mpus due to t he pa ndemic was a not her obstacle for t he Universit y. However, t he admissions tea m increased t heir v ir tua l out reach a nd recr uit ment ef for ts a nd t ried to have more persona li zed contact w it h

prospect ive students. Despite indicat ions of a nat iona l decrease in t he number of f irst-generat ion a nd low-income col lege applica nts, t he Universit y saw a n increased number of low-income applica nts. Due to limited accessibi lit y to sta nda rdi zed tests t his yea r, t he Universit y did not require students to submit sta nda rdi zed test scores. Bishop credited t his decision for a l low ing more lowincome students to apply. “One of t he in herent benef its of test-opt iona l is t hat it did encourage some students to apply who might ot her w ise not have applied,” he sa id. “We had a n increase of about 500 students f rom lower-income households t hat had ver y high class per forma nce.” Ea rlier t his semester, t he Universit y a nnounced it w il l be cont inuing t he test-opt iona l policy in 2022 a nd 2023. Bishop sa id t he tests have been va lued less over recent yea rs a nd t he Universit y was considering implement ing a testopt iona l policy before t he pa ndemic. Bishop sa id about 48% of t his yea r’s admitted students a re internat iona l students or U.S. students of color. As pa r t of t he 11.1% increase in tota l applicat ions, t here was a 9% increase in internat iona l applicat ions.

From t he pool of admitted internat iona l students, 291 require a n I-20 v isa, 61 more t ha n last yea r’s tota l. Considering dua l cit i zens, U.S. cit i zens liv ing abroad a nd students f rom ot her count ries w it h a perma nent residence in t he U.S., about 20 % of t his yea r’s accepted students have globa l connect ions, Bishop sa id. Bishop sa id t he admissions committees not iced a g reater a mount of applica nts w it h higher class per forma nce. He att ributed t his t rend to t he test-opt iona l policy g iv ing students more conf idence to apply a nd a lso t he Universit y’s increased out reach to f irst-generat ion a nd low-income students. As t he Universit y eva luates t he possibi lit y of perma nent ly sw itching to a test-opt iona l applicat ion, Bishop hopes t he class of 2025 ca n prov ide feedback on t he admissions committees’ job of eva luat ing applica nts w it hout t he t y pica l va lue of a sta nda rdi zed test score. “Did we f ind a few more students t hat a re just ha rdwork ing, rea l ly fascinat ing lea rners by being test-opt iona l, a nd did we rewa rd t he right t hings? ” Bishop sa id. “We’re rea l ly going to wa nt to watch t his class.”

Contact Crystal Ramirez at cramirez01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

NEWS

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

University announces commencement plans Observer Staff Report

In an email to graduating students Monday, the Office of the Registrar announced plans for the Notre Dame class of 2021 commencement ceremony taking place May 23. The Commencement Mass will be held in Notre Dame Stadium immediately before the commencement exercises. All undergraduate and graduate students graduating in May and currently residing in the local area are tentatively allowed to bring two guests to the in-person ceremony, according to the class of 2021 commencement website. Information about how to reserve tickets will be made available mid-April.

Graduates studying remotely will be allowed to attend the commencement ceremonies if they show proof of vaccination or report to a University COVID-19 testing site upon arrival. The commencement ceremonies for the graduate school and professional schools are expected to be held outdoors over Commencement Weekend. Each college and school is planning on holding an inperson diploma ceremony outdoors over Commencement Weekend. Graduates are also expected to be permitted to bring two guests to the diploma ceremonies. More information about the details of the various ceremonies will be released the

week of April 12. The University strongly recommends all graduates and guests planning on attending the ceremony to receive a vaccination before the ceremony. The commencement events, as well as the diploma and hooding ceremonies, will be livestreamed for guests who cannot attend them in person. According to the website, all plans are subject to change. Should the commencement ceremony be moved to the Joyce Center due to inclement weather on May 23, guests will not be able to attend the ceremony in person. “Should conditions necessitate a move indoors to the Joyce Center, our priority will be to

seat our graduates,” the website said. “Distanced seating in the Joyce Center will unfortunately not permit us to accommodate any in-person guests.” Graduates and guests are expected to follow all of the University’s health guidelines during Commencement Weekend. Additionally, all other recognition ceremonies over Commencement Weekend are expected to be held virtually due to the health risks of indoor gatherings, the website said. The website also said a celebration for the class of 2020 is now planned for the summer of 2022. The graduate school and professional schools will engage in conversations with those who received graduate

and professional degrees last year to determine how to best celebrate their achievements within the individual schools. The class of 2020 commencement ceremony was originally rescheduled for Memorial Day 2021, but was ultimately deferred until summer of 2022 due to the pandemic. “We do not expect that by Memorial Day 2021 we will be able to safely welcome back to campus the members of your class as well as your families and loved ones from across the nation and globe for the kind of joyful celebration you want and deserve,” University President Fr. John Jenkins said in a letter to the class of 2020 in February.

‘Wellness Wednesdays’ promote well-being By EVAN PLOECKELMAN News Writer

Ever y week, the McDonald Center for Student WellBeing (McWell) hosts a “Wellness Wednesday,” as part of a new initiative designed to address the wellness needs of students. The week ly is held either in person, virtually or on the center’s Instagram page. The initiative has both an overarching monthly theme and specific weekly topics.This month’s theme is “Bouncing Back,” which focuses on managing stress and building resilience. This week, the topic will focus on self-compassion and will be announced on the Instagram account. It will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. on

Masks Continued from page 1

Dieter said a mask adv isor y, rather than a mandate, would set in place adequate health protocols and questioned the health department’s abilit y to enforce the mask order.

North Quad. Eleigh Tricker, health and wellness coordinator for McWell, has developed the programming for Wellness Wednesdays this semester. “Wellness Wednesdays is a f lexible program that enables McWell to share simple, easy-to-learn strategies that can positively impact different aspects of our wellbeing,” Tricker said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, life on campus has changed dramatically, which has particularly impacted the mental health and wellbeing of students, Tricker said. Wellness Wednesdays have been designed to meet the needs of students on campus during the pandemic. “The Notre Dame community has been deeply

impacted by how the structure of our social network has changed over the past year,” Tricker said. “Providing opportunities for deeper social connection has always been a focus of our work at McWell.” The topics for the weekly event are based on sur vey data collected by McWell. “Our most recent sur veys indicated that the top three challenges for students were staying connected, managing stress and keeping up with academics,” Tricker said. In Februar y, Wellness Wednesdays focused on staying connected. In March, the focus has been on managing stress — the second of the top three challenges survey respondents identified.

The theme “Bouncing Back” aims to incorporate events that promote stress management and resilience building in order to help lower stress during a particularly stressful semester. Last Wellness Wednesday focused on healthy eating and was a part of McWell’s “Fuel Yo’ Self Week.” It took place on North Quad and included a dinner kit giveaway, a raff le and a “Fuel Yo’ Self” guide. McWell and Campus Dining hosted “Meet, Greet, and Eat” groups in Februar y to give students the opportunity to meet new people while sharing a meal together. Registration is now open for other upcoming McWell events, such as virtual Koru mindfulness classes and connection groups.

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Tricker said her favorite aspect of Wellness Wednesday is the ability it gives students to feel safe while discussing important topics about mental health and well-being. “It gives us a platform to talk about heav y topics and needs in a safe way that hopefully leaves ever ybody feeling more capable and calm,” she said. She also highlighted the importance of participating in these events. “Ever yone can benefit from taking a few moments to improve their own well-being,” Tricker said. “Strong communities are built when we take good care of ourselves and one another.” Contact Evan Ploeckelman at eploecke@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | The Observer

Belles share mixed feelings about vaccine By LEXI KILCOIN News Writer

Earlier last week, Mona Bowe and Shari Rodriguez, co-directors of the COVID-19 Response Team, sent Saint Mary’s students an email with information regarding a new vaccination clinic that will come to campus April 16. The information came after College President Katie Conboy sent an email earlier in March that said Indiana had “broadened vaccine availability” to younger Hoosiers. Conboy, Bowe and Rodriguez have displayed an optimistic tone regarding the future of Saint

Lecture Continued from page 1

opportunity to study a “gray area” where very high numbers of fatalities are hidden from typical political science data sets because those acts of lethal violence are not committed by political armed groups. In Haiti there is a preponderance of “violence that is committed by gangs and violence that is committed by ordinary people — not specialists in violence,” Cohen said. Cohen and Jung also chose Haiti because it was “dramatically understudied,” Cohen said, despite

Mary’s students. However, there have been mixed feelings among students regarding the vaccination clinic, due to concerns about the newness of the vaccines and possible side effects. Sophomore Anna Skiadopoulos said she feels hopeful about the clinic and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to get vaccinated. “I think it’s very cool that Saint Mary’s is able to do something as huge as getting the vaccine on campus. I didn’t think it was possible, but here we are,” she said. “The convenience is truly a blessing, and I think as a campus we should be very grateful.”

In her email, Conboy noted that the CDC has new recommendations for those who have been vaccinated. However, in the email sent earlier last week, Bowe and Rodriguez reminded students that Saint Mary’s “Check Up, Mask Up, Back Up, Wash Up” safety protocols will still be in effect for the remainder of the spring semester. In a Tuesday email, students were asked to fill out an attached consent form that includes questions regarding patient history of COVID-19, specific medications and allergic reactions in order to register to receive the vaccine.

Side effects are a concern for some. Sophomore Anna Guerra is hopeful for the clinic but is scared of possible long-term effects of the vaccine. “I am nervous about the vaccine since there is not a lot of evidence on the long-term effects, and that is quite frightening,” she said. But despite her concerns about the vaccine, Guerra is still hopeful for the future of the campus. “I think it’s very beneficial that our campus is administering the vaccines,” she said. “This is allowing students to take the next step in ending the pandemic and

protecting the future.” One sophomore mentioned she will be getting the vaccine because it will “make [her] feel better” about the COVID-19 situation as a whole. Per the email sent by the COVID-19 response team, the clinic will be administering the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on April 16, followed by a second dose May 7. The deadline to sign up is April 9 and the vaccine is available to all Saint Mary’s students.

its proximity to the U.S. and the two nations’ rich history. “Gang violence and gang governance are … major issues that have implications not only for the country but also for the region, including the United States,” Cohen said. Cohen and Jung conducted some of their research by taking qualitative reports from the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) and converting them to quantitative data. From this, they found most lynchings are committed by young men against other young men and primarily as a response to petty crimes such as theft. They noticed one source of variation in the types of killings

that occur. The most common types of killings, like stoning and beating, require large groups of people. Cohen and Jung also conducted surveys in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. They asked residents several questions that would shed light on perceptions of the legitimacy of the Haitian government and of the authority of local gangs. Cohen and Jung learned that 76% of respondents would rather use the state justice system than lynching. However, 56% of people responded by saying lynching was an appropriate response to murder, and 51% of respondents said lynching was an appropriate response to theft. The survey

also revealed gender differences. They discovered women were less supportive of lynching for murder than for theft. Cohen and Jung believe a possible explanation for this is because women feel more vulnerable to theft. The core finding of “Lynching and Local Justice,” Cohen said, was that weak formal institutions — even those unrelated to security — are associated with public support for lynching. If states fail to provide governance and, instead, social services or non-state actors — such as gangs or communities — provide those services, then lynching becomes more common. Broad support and group participation make

lynching difficult to curb, according to Cohen and Jung. Cohen stressed that reducing lynchings is not simply a matter of legal prohibition and enforcement. Lynching is illegal in Haiti, but it still happens on a widespread scale. Rather, Cohen argued, there must be a common belief that the criminal justice system is capable of punishing criminals, and the state must be able and willing to enforce their monopoly on violence. “Fostering trust in the justice system is as important as the institutions themselves,” Cohen said.

Contact Lexi Kilcoin at akilcoin01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Annemarie Foy at afoy@nd.edu

ND-California launches summer program By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer

This summer, students will have the opportunity to take courses, network with Notre Dame alumni and experience the California Bay Area through the new Summer in Silicon Valley program.

Summer in Silicon Valley welcomes students of all majors who are interested in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. The program will run for six weeks in the summer, from June 14 to July 23. Plans for the program remain in place despite the recent

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cancellation of Notre Dame’s 2021 summer study abroad programs, since Notre Dame-California programming is not a part of Notre Dame International. Director of Notre DameCalifornia Sarv Devaraj said the program is great for students who are looking to have a productive and fun summer. “If students have an interest in working with entrepreneurs, there are so many exciting opportunities here,” Devaraj said. “It’s really like the world of startups and companies coming to you.” Students can choose from two of three Silicon Valley-based, three-credit courses. These include Product Management, Tech & Innovation Ethics and Design Thinking. Classes will be held in person. Dierre Upshaw, program manager for Notre Dame-California, said the courses are taught by Silicon Valley leaders and innovators or focused on Silicon Valley topics. Notre Dame-California has offered a similar semester-long program in Silicon Valley since the spring of 2017. Students in the semester program take three courses and hold a part-time internship. Devaraj said an internship requirement for the summer would be too intensive, but he expects that some students would choose to work with companies on smallscale projects on the side.

Upshaw said there are a large number of Notre Dame alumni in California who are eager to network. Connections are made in a number of ways. Individual alumni visit and talk with students, alumni clubs host events and forums, alumni take students on outings such as sporting events and the group goes on company visits, Upshaw said. “The alumni here, they’re really hungry to be engaged with the campus and engage the students,” Upshaw mentions. Senior Julia Gately, who participated in the Silicon Valley Semester program in the spring of 2020, said she felt there was potential for growth in the new environment. “It was a lot of information, a lot of experiences really quickly, but I enjoyed the pace of it really well,” Gately describes. “I thought it was fantastic.” Senior Olivia Barnard, who also took part in the program last spring, said she loved the community aspect and the relationships she formed with the other students. “You just very much become a living community, where you are all in this program together and trying to learn new things,” Barnard said. Students are housed in the Oak Street Apartment complex located adjacent to Stanford University. The complex includes tennis and basketball courts, a theater room,

swimming pool, gym and walking trails. The Summer in Silicon Valley program emphasizes exploring the Bay Area’s attractions and California’s natural beauty. Gately said she remembers especially enjoying the trip to San Francisco. The group went on a couple of company tours, got food and played miniature golf. “It was just, like, a really long day but it was so much fun,” Gately noted. “There are a ton of good memories.” The application for the program is composed of a form, brief essay and personal reference. The deadline to apply is April 15, and students are admitted on a rolling basis. Devaraj said he encourages students who have taken limited credits this past year due to travel or visa restrictions to apply. Upshaw said companies and startups in Silicon Valley are looking for a variety of kinds of students, not only computer science majors. “What we’ve been doing the past year is we’ve really been focusing on expanding our programs to all students … interested in entrepreneurship, tech innovation, startups, venture capital, anything related to Silicon Valley or tech,” Upshaw said. Contact Megan Fahrney at mfahrney@nd.edu

The observer | Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Rating late-night snacks Mannion McGinley

Huge drama column (not clickbait) Ella Wisniewski Consider This

Sports Editor

On the regular, I — like most students here at Notre Dame — find myself heading to bed between 12:30 and 3:00 a.m. on any given day. That’s a good six-plus hours after dinner, and after having been in class all day, a late-night snack is the only option left. But what to have? And when? Before we begin, a quick shoutout to Brooke Duncan, my late-night snack buddy who walks to the Pasquerilla West fourth floor ‘vator lounge with me on nights when we have too much work and need some kind of sustenance.

Campbell’s soup or Annie’s mac and cheese Not the stovetop ones. Although their stovetop versions are much better than either of their microwavable options, they take too long and, you know, require a stove — something here, in the Notre Dame dorm life, that we do not have. So no, not the stovetop but the microwavable soup. The one that comes in a little cup with the can lid and the red lid over it. I’d give these a 5/10. They are the knockoffs of themselves. They don’t taste as good and you have to sort of eat them straight through — you can’t really put them down for too long. If you do, they get cold really quickly and then what’s the point of eating them in the first place? The cups for both these get really hot really fast as well, something that cannot be said about the food in them. (Cut to my friend and I walking back from making soup and her just throwing the cup because it was hot, but the little bit of soup that landed on me not burning me in the slightest.) But, if you have the time to sit and eat them while taking a break from your work, they’re good and they’re reminiscent of childhood and sick days. Also, these definitely would’ve been a seven had the Campbell’s tops not been so hard to open and splashed soup everywhere when you did finally get them open. Then, after that dock, it would have been a six if the Annie’s fill line wasn’t invisible.

Popcorn Always a successful move. I don’t care if it’s movie, microwave, prepackaged or skinny pop, you can never go wrong with popcorn. If you’re reading for class? Popcorn. Watching a movie? Popcorn. Talking with friends? Popcorn. It’s easy to share, easy to clean up and always tastes good. All you have to do is make sure you have something to drink because about halfway through a microwavable bag, you’re going to need it. The one pause against popcorn is that while writing a paper or taking notes, popcorn can become a little tedious. If you don’t religiously use a napkin (as one always should, but just in case you don’t) it will be all over your keyboard or your pen and then it becomes a hassle to clean up. Despite this though, it’s cheap and has good flavor, ultimately an 8.7/10.

Dining hall carrots Much like popcorn, carrots are always a good option. They are hydrating, require no prep time and are easy to come by. They are also flexible in regards to how you can eat them. You can have them with ranch, peanut butter or by themselves. The coolness of the fridge stays present on them like a little wake-up call. This comes in handy if you are in the middle of grinding out a paper or trying to get some reading done and can’t fully stay awake. The fact that they are offered in the dining hall too (especially as a woman living in PW) is instrumental to their success here. Store some in your fridge after dinner and eat them later that night. I give them a 9/10 for accompaniment options, convenience and overall goodness. One point off for when they have freezer burn from sitting in the bottom of the dining hall refrigerator bin — an all-around sad moment indeed.

When I sat down to write this column, I first thought that I should do a big prank on you guys for April Fools’ Day. Then, I realized that I didn’t know if it was spelled April Fools’ or April Fool’s. And I thought to myself, Wow, this is gonna start a huge drama between April Fools’ and April Fool’s. It was in that pivotal moment that I realized that, even though we have a whole day specifically for epic pranks, we don’t have any day at all to celebrate huge drama. It is for this reason that I hereby declare March 31 to be Big Drama Day. To start off the first annual celebration, I am going to list everything that I am going to start a drama with today. Drama Number 1: the Suez Canal boat Why’d it have to get loose? I liked when it was stuck in there. Drama Number 2: dining hall boxes Sometimes the food inside them is too hot! Drama Number 3: my Keurig® It makes some really concerning noises. I can’t tell if it’s broken or if the coffee is supposed to taste this bad. Drama Number 4: the first column I ever wrote I was going for something that I know now is not my thing. It was too niche and not very funny. I don’t even watch basketball. Drama Number 5: the TV show “Rick and Morty” Why do the characters look like that? Drama Number 6: the movie “Tenet” I didn’t understand it! Drama Number 7: the documentary “Sans Soleil” I really didn’t understand it! Drama Number 8: the sweater that I shrunk in the wash It’s too small to wear now. Drama Number 9: South Bend weather High of 36 degrees on Thursday, but

68 degrees on Saturday? Make up your mind! Drama Number 10: ND-guest Sometimes I can’t get into a website and it’s because my computer is connected to ND-guest instead of eduroam. Drama Number 11: almonds and red meat So delicious but so environmentally unsustainable. Drama Number 12: non-fungible tokens This phrase should mean an arcade coin that is not capable of becoming a mushroom, and yet it does not. Highly disappointing. I also don’t understand them. Drama Number 13: March Madness Why so angry? Drama Number 14: the Fibonacci spiral It doesn’t deserve all that hype. Drama Number 15: the TV show “Bridgerton” I keep thinking of points to bring up in English class discussions and then I’ll realize, That didn’t happen in a relevant literary intertext, that happened in “Bridgerton!” And then I will feel deep shame. Drama Number 16: Big Yoshi He’s just sitting there. Drama Number 17: the cauliflower I saw on South Quad Food on the ground is gross. I hope you enjoyed all the epic drama I started on Big Drama Day, which is today. I know that you all are probably saying that I “don’t understand what drama is” and I “didn’t have a good column idea for this week” and I “wrote this in an hour.” But you know what I have to say to that? You just became Drama Number 18. Ella Wisniewski is a junior studying English and economics. She tries her best not to take herself too seriously. You can reach her at ewisnie2@nd.edu or @ellawisn on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Chips In this group, chips rank last. They aren’t filling. You’d have to eat a good portion of the bag to feel like you ate anything. And, they are unnecessarily greasy or cheesy or crumby, so they get everywhere. Late-night snacks need to be at least somewhat functional in one way or another and chips just do not cut it. I rate them 3/10 because it’s still food and they can be enjoyable in general. Plus one for Doritos, because those are messy but never disappointing. Overall though, not going to cut it.

Rice-A-Roni — Chicken flavor (No endorsement, I promise.) This is a 10/10. The greatest late-night snack ever. It comes in a cute little red cup with easyto-follow microwave instructions and an obvious fill line. The flavor is there, the rice isn’t crunchy or too soggy. There is no powder you have to pour in anymore either — it’s already mixed in, so the flavor is better distributed than it used to be. As for functionality, it’s all in one cup, it stays hot even though the cup doesn’t get too hot. And, if you’re on a roll with your work, you can set it down and it will stay warm until you pick it up again. Because it is rice, it is filling and it’s also not very expensive. The Huddle can never stay stocked enough with this flavor because it is so good. The one issue is that you can’t just pop it into your mouth like carrots, chips or popcorn but the warmth and comfort of Rice-A-Roni outweigh that concern. These are just my humble opinions after two years of research in the halls of PW’s section 4b. Happy snacking! You can contact Mannion at mmcginl3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Am I Catholic? Ashton Weber Living Relig-ish

I try not to plan my columns too far in advance because I want my words to be timely. Yet, most times I sit down to write a column, it ends up being about my weird relationship with religion. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out why this happens and I think it’s probably because I go to a Catholic school and interact with the Church a lot. But I think there’s also something to be said for the fact that the Church played such a huge role in forming the way I live. So, without further ado, here’s another look into Ashton’s faith life! The other day, someone asked me if I still consider myself Catholic. They said, “I assumed you don’t, but I was curious to check.” I had to think for a minute about what my answer should be because I realize how complicated my relationship with the Church has become. I don’t go to mass or say traditional prayers, but I still read lots of theology (if it’s feminist, womanist, mujerista or related to liberation) and spend considerable amounts of time thinking about the future of the Church. When the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith releases statements like the one saying priests cannot bless same-sex marriages because the Church “cannot bless sin,” they have no bearing on the way I live my life. Yet, I still find myself upset to the point of tears. So, am I Catholic? Something that was a crucial part of your life for 16 years doesn’t just stop influencing you when you stop interacting with it. Many of its lessons will be deeply entwined with your beliefs and behaviors, and it’s up to you to do the hard work of disentangling what you really believe and who you want to be from its ideology. Beyond the hard work of disentangling myself from the Catholic Church’s structures, I’ve had to think a lot about what it means to be Catholic. Were the harmful teachings I internalized actually in line with what Jesus preached? Not exactly. But I was told so many times that people who don’t follow the church 100% are just fake Catholics. So, could I be Catholic if I reject the teachings of the hierarchy and embrace theologies of liberation? According to my indoctrination, no.

So, am I not Catholic? I could accept that. I don’t really want to be part of the institutional Church that has been complicit in the harm of marginalized communities for decades. The Church as a formal and hierarchical structure has brought a lot of pain and rejection into my life. But, at many points, the Church as a community has brought me a lot of joy. Many of my best childhood memories have to do with church. I loved getting dressed up for holiday services and singing happy songs with the rest of the congregation. Even if I now disagree with some of the things we learned in church camps, I had a ton of fun attending vacation bible school when I was in elementary school and teaching the camp’s art classes when I was in middle school. I loved going to church festivals and participating in parish picnics. Since the majority of my education has been taught by Catholic schools, every good memory I have from school is also a good memory of the Church. So, am I Catholic? On a practical level, I suppose the answer is technically yes. I’ve been baptized, and in eighth grade I decided to get confirmed. However, according to the theology classes I took in high school, I have been disengaged with the institutional Church for so long now that I have “abandoned the faith” and am essentially excommunicated, albeit informally. This leads me to wonder: do I have the right to be so critical of Catholic teachings and leadership if I’ve already decided that I won’t allow them to dictate my life? In my theology class this semester, “Theologizing Women,” my peers and I have been having this discussion a lot. I’ve come to the conclusion that the Church has been such a force in my life that I do have the right to claim space in conversations about it. I should be allowed to criticize the Church and push it towards something that can be better and truer and more liberatory for every person who, like me, feels rejected by its teachings. The Catholic Church is part of my story and my family’s story. Even if I can’t accept my place within it anymore, I should absolutely be permitted to demand changes that would allow me to return. So, am I Catholic? I guess the answer isn’t as simple as I might have

hoped it to be. I’m learning to hold the complexity of my relationship with Catholicism and to find places for it to fit into my life. Right now, that looks like active engagement with radical theologies that center people who the Church often marginalizes. It means speaking out against Church teachings that cause harm and giving myself enough distance from the Church that I can be safe from this harm. Maybe someday the answer will become clearer. Perhaps I’ll fully embrace the Church, or perhaps I’ll leave completely and never look back. But, for now, I feel comfortable living in the in-between and continuing to engage with the question: Am I Catholic?

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

Ashton Weber is a junior with lots of opinions. She is majoring in gender studies and economics with a minor in sociology. Ashton can often be found with her nose in a book, but if you want to chat about intersectional feminism, baking blueberry scones, growing ZZ plants or anything else, she’d love to hear from you. Reach Ashton at aweber22@nd.edu or @awebz01 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

97% Editor’s note: This story includes descriptions of sexual abuse and violence. A list of sexual assault reporting options and on-campus resources can be found on the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross websites. Pulling pigtails and name-calling are the early warning signs, yet we tell our little girls that they are displays of affection. That a little boy’s teasing is because he has a crush on you. This behavior goes unchecked, sending the message that disrespect is tolerated so long as you are a guy. When our little boys turn into young men, they remember how their actions were never corrected. They take advantage of this. Touch a girl. Kiss a girl. Do what you want when you want. This is a man’s world, right?

We normalize a woman’s risk. The risk of being slut-shamed The risk of being harassed Of being raped. Killed. But remember it is never the guy’s responsibility. They are not taught to take responsibility.

Of our dignity Self-love Innocence Virginity Respect Confidence

They’ll blame it on her clothes, or her attitude, or how drunk she was. Those little boys were never told to stop pulling that pigtail or saying that nickname. They were never taught to respect girls.

He leaves us to pick up the pieces of our lives he so willing shattered. No remorse, no penitence. Because he did nothing wrong, remember? There are no consequences for his actions. The cycle continues.

And so that little boy, the “great kid” that all the neighborhood moms love, grows up to be a woman’s worst nightmare. He grows up with complete disregard for a woman’s well-being. He grows up and he strips us

When will enough be enough? How did we get to 97%?

Carolina Bolivar first-year March 19

The observer | Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Confront our free-expression problem Gregory Miller BridgeND

Universities face a problem with free expression and civil dialogue on campuses nationwide, and Notre Dame is no exception. The student body and administration must take expansive steps to creating a culture of robust and constructive disagreement. The first step should be to recognize that the academic journey toward truth requires uncomfortable and challenging conversations, disassociating ourselves from the contemporary (often reactionary) telos of comfort. In a recent Center for Social Concerns survey on Notre Dame campus attitudes, students were asked whether campus climate discourages individuals from freely speaking their opinions. A surprising 66% of Notre Dame students agreed with the statement. For perspective, a university, the central hub of the marketplace of ideas, should strive for that number to be zero. The University must take an active role in promoting campus dialogue. The first several weeks on campus are the most formative in setting expectations of campus culture. From the first days on campus, the University should inculcate students into an atmosphere of civil disagreement. Welcome Weekend should include explicit calls to de-bias, starting with informing students of the ways cognitive biases operate. The Moreau First Year Experience curriculum must actively promote disagreement. Political conversations and disagreement should be at the forefront of the Moreau experience, and disagreement should have a more active role throughout the entire year. Professors should foster disagreement in classrooms, not only because of the virtue of civil dialogue but because of its ability to reinforce learning. As an

economics student, each course I have taken has potential to spur debates on pertinent topics, yet no course has allowed students to dive deep into those disagreements with each other. Professors can and should devote class time to group conversations — which should start with each student explicitly stating their current views, including areas of uncertainty, thus giving students opportunities to engage with different perspectives. No one can shy away. Departments can and should support this process. The Department of Economics, for instance, is uniquely situated to be the first department to make meaningful action due to the nature of the material. Tradeoffs should not only be learned through didactic lectures, devoid of meaningful relation to real-world decision making, but should be debated and weighed through conversations among students. Professors should be taught methods of incorporating these conversations into their courses. For dedicated students, the Economics department should consider creating an undergraduate fellows program for engagement in economic theory. Ultimately, though, students create culture. Conservatives, unsurprisingly, were 2.5 times more likely to strongly or very strongly agree that students cannot speak freely on campus. There is a tendency among liberals to conflate political beliefs with personal morals and, simultaneously, a tendency among conservatives to conflate personal criticism with political attacks. These tendencies dually explain the divergence between conservative and liberals on feelings of open expression. Liberals and progressives must expand the scope of the tolerance they correctly practice to include tolerance of political disagreement. Just as context shapes an individual’s chance of success, so too does context shape an individual’s political thought. Political beliefs should

be met with understanding and charitable interpretation, not an automatic assumption of bigotry and moral inferiority. Conservatives, themselves, should embrace the individualism they espouse and fight the temptation to be offended by being the dissenting voice. Conservatives must welcome the discomfort of disagreement; the “silent majority” is only silent insofar as conservatives remain silent. We can harness the power of the hall communities. Individuals should work with their rectors and hall presidents to host occasional Bridge-style events to discuss politics. I have started hosting these in Duncan to great success, and I encourage readers of this article to do the same. If you are ready to engage in uncomfortable conversations, BridgeND will be hosting a discussion series with free food. Each discussion will place individuals at tables to create ideological diversity. The first will center on abortion, the next on race and the last on gender and identity. These are three of the most controversial issues of our time, and they are, therefore, three topics most in need of deep, but civil, disagreement. Let’s embrace the discomfort. Junior Gregory Miller is an ACMS and economics major from Duncan Hall and is co-president of BridgeND. BridgeND is a multi-partisan political club committed to bridging the partisan divide through respectful and productive discourse. It meets on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the McNeill Room of LaFortune Student Center to learn about and discuss current political issues, and can be reached at bridgend@nd.edu or @bridge_ND on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Principles for thee, but not for me Eva Analitis On Second Thought

One of the most remarkable things about politics is what it does to people, rather than for them. In a year when the stakes were enormously high, believing that our overarching goals were good, many of us at one point or another defended some pretty bad behavior on the part of politicians. In pursuit of an ultimately good end, we become so hellbent on ensuring the triumph of our own side that we fail to recognize wrong along the way. Sometimes, our principles take a backseat to power. Republicans typically claim to revere the U.S. Constitution and the American system. On November 2, 2020, I would have believed that they did. They are the patriots, right? In the days after the election, however, I was not so sure. I saw people who claim to love America willing to destroy it and shatter all norms just so their beloved president could stay in office. People who had said if Trump lost the election, they would “get up and go to work the next day” and continue on with their lives, living in total denial of the results as they were certified in the following weeks. A few Republican voters even said to me, as it became clear that Joe Biden had secured enough electoral votes to win, “Just wait. This will go to the Supreme Court, and they’ll settle everything.” To the people who had this mindset, I ask: What would you say if Hillary Clinton had behaved this way after the 2016 election? Better yet, what would you say if, in 2020, Donald Trump had received 306 electoral votes as well as approximately 7 million more popular votes than Joe Biden, but Democratic voters insisted that the election was not over and that recounts and court cases would set things straight? You would call them sore losers, fascists and traitors. Are you now not the same? My point, however, is not really about Trump. We’ve moved on to a new administration, and I will not harp on the past. While Trump is now gone, however, this cognitive dissonance remains. A record-high number of

migrant children are arriving at the southern U.S. border, likely prompted by President Biden’s more lax immigration rhetoric relative to his predecessor. According to BBC News, as of March 21, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is holding more than 15,500 unaccompanied children in custody. Additionally, “At least 5,000 children have been kept for over 72 hours, the legal limit after which they are meant to be transferred to the custody of health officials in the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).” As supposedly better-equipped ORR facilities have reached capacity, the Biden administration is reopening temporary overflow facilities. Journalists have thus far been denied access to the facilities — I imagine because the government is afraid of what conditions the journalists will find. A photo of the facility in Donna, Texas, released by Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, shows migrants huddled together, unable to maintain social distance and sleeping on foil blankets on the floor. To those jumping through hoops to downplay the humanitarian crisis at the border, I now ask: What would you say if this situation occurred under President Trump? What did you say when a similar situation more or less did in fact occur? Kids in cages, families being torn apart, inhumane conditions. What’s so different about this time? Spare me the arguments over “cages” under Trump versus physically nicer structures now. The core issue is effectively the same: Children crowded into facilities, apart from their parents or families — this time during a pandemic caused by a highly contagious virus. It’s tempting to see only the good in our preferred political side and overlook its shortcomings, especially when we think its cause is the most righteous overall. However, in the political haze, the only way to maintain a clear vision of morals and justice is to look at everything through the same lens. If a certain behavior is a problem when the opposing side does it, it should also be a problem when our side does it. We cannot determine the morality of an action based on who is performing it.

“What do you think about so-and-so scandal?” “Hold on, let me check whether the candidate I voted for is involved, then I’ll get back to you.” Sure, in a system where we elect representatives from typically only two real choices, we probably won’t agree with everything that either one of them says and does. Casting our ballots is almost always a compromise — we simply choose which candidate is more closely aligned with our priorities. But still, we cannot let this turn us into “yes-men” for our preferred candidates, abandoning our capacity for critical evaluation of their policies and actions. Otherwise, we will end up excusing politicians — and we do — for unethical behavior regarding topics we do not particularly care about, so long as they deliver on the topics we consider most important to us. We cannot in good conscience adopt this attitude. Just because Joe Biden supports the Equality Act doesn’t mean he gets a free pass on the border. Just because Donald Trump cut your taxes doesn’t mean he gets a pass to embolden white supremacists. We must keep our principles and remain vigilant, ready to call out any official for wrongdoing. Don’t sell your soul for an election win. Parties come into and fall out of power. Movements rise and fall. Candidates and leaders come and go — but the precedents they set, the policies they enact and the way we behave in response to their time in office will have consequences that long outlast them. So, when your favorite officials — or even the candidate for whom you begrudgingly cast your ballot — come under fire for something they said or did, don’t be so quick to defend them. Instead, ask yourself: What if the other side did it? Eva Analitis is a junior in Lyons Hall majoring in political science and pre-health. Even though she often can’t make up her own mind, that won’t stop her from trying to change yours. She can be reached at eanaliti@nd.edu or @evaanalitis on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By WILLOUGHBY THOM Associate Scene Editor

On March 24, 2021, the amazing Jessica Walter passed away at 80 years old. Walter was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, telev ision and stage productions, but she is most famously know n for her role as Lucille Bluth in the series “Arrested Development.” I was heartbroken to hear the news of her death. Lucille Bluth is my favorite telev ision character ever created. “Arrested Development” wouldn’t be the same w ithout Walter’s incredible work as Lucille. The telev ision show, “Arrested Development,” was critically acclaimed, but received mixed rev iews by the public; it was a highly character-driven comedy and would be considered a cult classic. The show was pure w it and Lucille Bluth was the queen. Prior to her role on “Arrested Development,” Walter had a prolific career in the arts. She was born in Brook ly n, New York, attended the New York Cit y High School of Performing Arts and studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse

By JOHN CLARK Scene Writer

Opinions on this topic var y dramatically depending on who you ask, but I think meme-ification is one of the greatest honors a song can receive. Something about a song has to resonate deeply w ith people to prompt them to, for example, record themselves singing it in the Goof y’s voice. “Bring Me To Life,” the 2004 breakout hit by Evanescence, is a classic in my book. It was one of the defining songs of the 2000s and heralded the transition from the nu-metal and postgrunge — which defined the most prominent strain of early 2000s American alternative music — to the anthemic emo pop-punk proliferated by My Chemical Romance and the artists signed to Fueled by Ramen. Evanescence was always about taking the pounding drums and monolithic guitar sludge of grunge and metal, and adorning it w ith gothic aesthetics to craft stages for Amy Lee’s transcendent vocals. In “The Bitter Truth,” Evanescence’s first album of original material in over a decade, the band uses their formula to craft songs that manage to sound both colossal and intimate. “The Game is Over” is an anthem about being yourself and bearing your scars for the world to see. The bass on this track has an electronic tinge

School of the Theatre in New York Cit y. She began her career on Broadway, which led to her w inning a Clarence Der went Award for Outstanding Debut Performance in 1963, and made her film debut nearly one year later in the neo-noir drama “Lilith.” In addition to her prominence in cinema, she began to work in the telev ision industr y after her first T V role as Julie Murano in “Love of Life,” running from 1962 to 1965. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Walter appeared in a my riad of telev ision shows, and in 2003 to 2006 she appeared as a regular role as Lucille Bluth on Fox’s “Arrested Development.” If you are unfamiliar w ith comedy series, Lucille was the matriarch of the Bluth family and was know n to be a scheming alcoholic. However, not w ithstanding Lucille’s unhealthy habits, tox ic inf luences and snobbish tendencies, she was the backbone of the fictional Bluth family and the show as a whole. Her incredibly memorable one-liners such as, “I don’t understand the question, and I won’t respond to it” and “Go make a star war,” as well as iconic mannerisms like her amazing w inking skills and her love for Gene Parmesan, w ill go

dow n in histor y. Walter’s character was an unfriendly and cold indiv idual, but this wasn’t what she was like in real-life. According to her daughter, Walter was the opposite of Lucille: “A nice and boring person.” Unfortunately, the series was canceled in 2006, but it was rev ived in 2013 and 2018 by Netf lix. The reboot wasn’t as good as the original episodes, but Netflix brought the show back to life despite the negative reviews it received in the early 2000s. Nevertheless, Walter’s work on “Arrested Development,” whether you are a big fan or not, will be remembered as one of the greatest characters of our time. In addition to her role as Lucille, she was also the voice of spymaster Malory Archer on the FX animated series, “Archer.” As I sit writing this retrospective, the portrait of Lucille Bluth on my desk elegantly stares back at me with a drink in her hand, mid-wink. I hope she knows how much joy she brought to the people who have seen and continue to watch her incredible work in film, television and theatre.

reminiscent of Primal Scream’s landmark 1991 album “Screamadelica,” a milestone for the integration of house and rock music. “The Bitter Truth” takes cues from other bands that experimented w ith electronic music elsewhere in the album, such as w ith electronic pulses on “Better Without You” and the bouncy bass-line on “Yeah, Right,” which is distinctly reminiscent of Radiohead’s “My xomatosis.” “Yeah, Right,” is one of the standout tracks on the album, not on account of its qualit y, but because of its mood and st yle. It’s a distinctly fun track on which the band operates outside of their t y pical rhy thmic wheelhouse. The lighter and sassier ly rical content about their experiences being in a band and nav igating the music industr y allows them to groove in a way that wouldn’t be appropriate for the grav itas demanded by Amy Lee’s t y pical song w riting. It also has a killer guitar solo, which is always fun. “Wasted on You” is another highlight. It opens w ith just Lee’s voice and piano, and the band adorns it w ith a dreamy arrangement, reser v ing the guitar crunch for the choruses, which grants them greater weight. The track demonstrates, both in the clean guitar during the verses and the soaring lead guitar toward the end of the track, a more atmospheric approach to guitar work, a testament to the grow th of Evanescence’s st yle since

their debut. “Use My Voice” is the centerpiece of the album, a politically charged anthem inspired partially by the stor y of Chanel Miller, a Stanford student whose experience w ith sexual assault on campus became a national talking point back in 2015. Lee’s refrain, “Don’t you speak for me,” is one of the most v isceral moments on the album. The album closes w ith “Blind Belief,” another track that opens w ith a solo piano before bringing in the rest of the band. The soaring choruses are the greatest strength of not only “The Bitter Truth,” but all of Evanescence’s music, and “Blind Belief” has one of their best yet. The climactic moment of the chorus, when Lee asserts that “We hold the key to redemption,” is a bold declaration of faith in humanit y that is awe-inspiring.

Contact Willoughby Thom at wthom@nd.edu

Contact John Clark at jclark20@nd.edu

“The Bitter Truth” Evanescence Label: BMG Favorite Tracks: “Yeah, Right,” “Wasted on You,” “Use my Voice” and “Blind Belief”

JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By CHRISTINE HILARIO Scene Writer

It’s every rebellious teen’s worst nightmare to turn into their parents, but for Mark Grayson, the protagonist of “Invincible”, his number one fear is being nothing like his dad. Mark is the son of Omni-Man, the world’s most powerful superhero, and a regular human woman. All his life, Mark has wanted to follow in his superpowered dad’s footsteps and save the world, but at 17 years old, he is still powerless, even though his powers should have already appeared, according to his father. Never fear, though. Despite being a late bloomer, Mark gets his powers not even halfway through the first episode and can finally start to become just like his dear old dad. Follow along as Mark balances regular teenage drama with his world-saving responsibilities as he becomes the latest, greatest superhero: Invincible! Sound generic? That’s the point. Based on the comics by Robert Kirkman, the same man who created “The Walking Dead,” “Invincible” subverts and parodies superhero genre expectations with a lot of tongue-in-cheek references and a lot of violence and gore. The most powerful superhero group in this show is the Guardians of the Globe — an obvious pastiche of the Justice League. The members include unmistakable rip-offs of iconic heroes, such as Wonder

By ISABELLA VOLMERT Assistant Managing Editor

Like most Austenian-reared hopeless romantics, I too was swept away by Netflix’s “Bridgerton” into the bright and dramatic world of Regency England. The colors, cinematography and string quartet rendition of “thank u, next” charmed my escapist self and trapped my attention for the two days I binged the show. Naturally, I then wanted to delve even more into this fictional world, so I picked up Julia’s Quinn’s “The Duke and I.” I have no qualms spoiling this novel for you, dear reader, because to be as frank and scrupulous as Lady Whistledown, it is not a good book. Aside from the many smaller differences between the two, more irksome themes propagate throughout the novel that the show resolves with grace. Overall, “Bridgerton” is able to take the despicable culture of “The Duke and I” and render it into a glorious and romantic fantasy world, with an emphasis on the fantasy. First of all, Lady Whistledown does not nearly have the impact on the novel as she does in the show. Instead of actively driving the plot, she serves as a frame narration at the beginning of each chapter, rendering her powerful position virtually useless. Whistledown is just one of the characters the show frees from sexist narration by giving her voice rightful influence. “Bridgerton” also grants Daphne similar agency, which she often lacks in the novel. In “The Duke and I,” Daphne is

Woman, Batman and The Flash. Although Omni-Man isn’t a member of the Guardians, he’s an obvious sendup of Superman, with an alien backstory to match. The real appeal of this show is how it puts these copies of kid-friendly heroes into tremendously gory situations. Don’t let the candy-colored palette of the animation fool you: this show revels in its violent fight scenes. If you’ve ever wanted to see a member of the Justice League get their face smashed in, this is the show for you. To balance out the outlandish gore, Mark’s development as a hero provides an emotional core to the show. As the audience learns about the gratuitous violence that entangles the world of superheroes, so does Mark. Although Mark chose the hero moniker “Invincible” for himself, he comes to learn he is anything but. After witnessing unwinnable battles and countless civilian casualties, being a superhero isn’t all Mark thought it would be, and perhaps Omni-Man isn’t exactly the hero Mark has idolized his entire life. It will be interesting to see what this show does with Mark’s disillusionment. The audience can connect to the struggles of the characters due to the stellar voice acting performances. One of the most notable things about this show is its star-studded cast. Oscar-nominee Steven Yeun voices Mark Grayson, J.K. Simmons voices Omni-Man and Sandra Oh voices Mark’s mother, Debbie. Even the cast of supporting characters includes big-names like Seth Rogan and Mahershala Ali. Yeun brings a lot of heart to

Mark Grayson, convincingly conveying Mark’s teenage idealism along with his snark. Despite all the show’s strengths, there are some glaring issues holding it back. The pacing in the first episode is awkwardly rushed, as the show tries to get through Mark’s hero origin story as quickly as possible, while the next two episodes seem to pad out the content of the episode in order to reach a runtime of 45 minutes. Additionally, the fight scenes are bogged down by CGI that clashes with the rest of the animation. Only the first three episodes of “Invincible” are out, and they leave a lot of questions I’m excited to see answered in the upcoming episodes. You can watch the first three episodes of “Invincible” on Amazon Prime, with new episodes premiering on Fridays.

decidedly “not like other girls.” At the first ball, she drones on to Simon about what a deplorable event it is, much to my disappointment, as I do love a good ball. Daphne often shrugs off the extravagant life “Bridgerton” makes so vibrant. Additionally, her constant invocation of her many brothers and how they taught her to be less ladylike makes Simon all the more attracted to her. Such sufferable sexism is entrenched in almost every character, which was one of the greatest letdowns of the novel. Of course, both the novel and the show are centered around the premise of arranged marriage largely grounded in sexist principles. But as Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne in “Bridgerton,” said in an interview, show-Daphne is a sort of a feminist for her time. “Bridgerton” Daphne is a woman trying to balance growing up, the dream of falling in love and the heavy duty of marrying well and quickly. Under enormous pressure, she still fights back against her brother and Simon to control her own life, even if she lives in a misogynistic society. Additionally, most of the women in “Bridgerton” exhibit the same kind of control and resolve. Think of Queen Charlotte, the opera singer Siena Rosso and Marina Thompson, all of whom were additions to the show. Book-Daphne, on the other hand, is confusingly portrayed as completely helpless and simultaneously superior to other young women of the ton because of her occasional un-feminine traits. Even more disappointing is Simon. The romantic scenes, supposed to be seemingly swoon-worthy, are largely told

through his very misogynist perspective, amounting to page after page of cringe-worthy content. Additionally, the questionable sex scene between Daphne and Simon in the show is explicitly assault in the novel, effectively destroying the romance that is supposed to resolve their fraught relationship. I’m not by any means trying to argue “Bridgerton” is the woke version of “The Duke and I.” But I do think the show vastly improves the humanity and nuance of each character and their relationships, as well as the romance. Not only this, but “Bridgerton” expands beyond Daphne and Simon’s relationship. “The Duke and I” is only ever narrated from their points of view, whereas the show adds depth and intrigue with characters such as Benedict, Eloise, Lady Danbury and many others. It embraces the luxurious life of the upper-class with stunning fashion, aesthetic architecture and intricate on-set details while (admittedly briefly) highlighting the plights of the lower-class, like Simon’s mother and the boxer Will Mondrich. “Bridgerton” also celebrates the beauty of diversity and humanity with its famous casting of people of color. Of course, it’s highly questionable to gloss over the atrocities of colonialism as quickly as the show does, but the representation of people of color in the show makes it a far better period piece compared to many of its predecessors, and also, “The Duke and I.” Instead, “Bridgerton” creates and celebrates a fantasy world and the beautiful, flawed and human characters who call it home.

Contact Christine Hilario at chilario@nd.edu

“Invincible” Season 1, Episodes 1-3 Starring: Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh Favorite Episode: “Here Goes Nothing” If you like: “The Walking Dead,” “The Boys” Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Contact Isabella Volmert at ivolmert@nd.edu CLAIRE REID | The Observer

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Assess your relationships and set boundaries where necessary. Concentrate on how to utilize your skills to enhance your life and relationships with those who bring out the best in you. Recognize what you can do, and don’t waste time arguing over petty grievances when you can channel your energy into building a stable, satisfying future. Take control and excel. Your numbers are 2, 15, 24, 27, 36, 41, 44 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Question everything that doesn’t feel right. Don’t put up with situations that drag you down or stop you from doing what’s best for you. Don’t complain; look for solutions that will lead to a better environment. Take control, and you’ll have no regrets. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make decisions based on facts. Question anyone who doesn’t appear to have a plan. Use your ingenuity, physical ability and determination to overcome any obstacle you face. Handle your finances cautiously, and refuse to let emotions trigger indulgent behavior. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Hard work will lead to an excellent opportunity. Refuse to let someone step in and take over. Follow through with your plans, and you’ll be the one to reap the rewards. Distance yourself from anyone who is unstable, misleading or intrusive. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Choose to follow your intuition when it comes to working and dealing with situations that may affect your health and wellbeing. Make moves based on common sense, and show discipline when faced with temptation. Choose to liberate yourself from being a follower. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take a moment to rethink your next move. Don’t act under emotional duress. Filter what’s happening and being said, then make a move that offers safe and sound suggestions. Personal improvement will lift your spirits and encourage a healthier lifestyle. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A change someone makes will tempt you to head in the same direction. Consider what will happen if you don’t choose to follow your dreams. Do what’s best for you, and you’ll breathe easy at the end of the day. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Consider every angle. Make sure you have the necessary knowledge, technology and money to finish what you start. Preparation will be the key to getting ahead. Take physical action. Put everything in its place before you commit time, money and effort. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll be up and down like a yo-yo if you let someone dictate what you can do or say. Speak up, make yourself clear and follow your heart. You have plenty to offer, and you can make a difference. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider how to get ahead or move forward financially. Don’t rely on someone to do your bidding for you. Stick to what you know and do best, and build your confidence by investing in your future. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t lose sight of your goals and objectives. Take better care of your health and your relationships with friends, relatives and peers. Keeping the peace will put you in a better position to barter. Be intelligent when handling money matters. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t spend impulsively. Consider your overhead before you buy something you don’t need. Personal improvements don’t have to cost money. Start with a physical fitness routine and proper diet that you can do in the comfort of your own home. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll have plenty of ideas, but not all will be financially sound. Do your best to make a difference. Improve your life and the lives of loved ones. Avoid getting into an argument with someone who will never see things your way. Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, imaginative and perceptive. You are aggressive and secretive.

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Sports Authority

Baseball COlumn

Cavaliers go from bad to worse Ellen Geyer Senior Sports Writer

In a shocking turn of events, it would seem that neither J.B. Bickerstaff nor Koby Altman read the column I wrote about their team two weeks ago. Honestly, it’s offensive. You’d think they’d appreciate my cutting-edge journalism a little bit more. But alas, here we stand on the other side of the trade deadline, the Cavs even worse off than they were before, having heeded none of the pieces of very sage and feasible advice I offered.

Overall Deadline Grade: DIt’s hard for me to think of a way that Cleveland could have messed things up more. Let’s first think about what happened with Andre Drummond. If you’re not aware of the situation Drummond’s been in, I’ll give you a synopsis. In February 2020, the Cavs traded combination guard Brandon Knight, center John Henson and a second-round pick to the Pistons to acquire the big man. For Cleveland, it was an absolute steal, as neither Knight nor Henson offered much productivity. But from the moment the deal happened, it seemed like it was doomed. Drummond made an impact immediately. He started each of the 33 games he played in averaging 17.5 points, 12.9 boards, 2.4 assists and 1.2 blocks. He was a breath of fresh air to a team that was directionless and dragging. But in February of this year, Altman decided to bench the two-time NBA All-Star center, citing that the franchise would move towards Jarrett Allen, a big man out of Texas whom the Cavs acquired in mid-January. Altman expressed that he felt it unfair to keep Drummond around just to make him ride the bench. In the meantime, Drummond’s $28.7 million contract hung in the balance. And before you ask, the answer is no, Cleveland cannot afford to spend that much money on benchwarmers. So, with a month between that decision and the trade deadline, the Cavs twiddled their thumbs, unable to find a trade they could agree upon despite the myriad suitors — like the Mavericks, the Hornets, the Knicks, the Celtics and the Lakers — interested in Drummond. I’ll let that front office situation speak for itself. Unwilling to let Drummond continue to wear the Wine and God, Cleveland bought him out on March 26, and he inked a contract with Los Angeles not 48 hours later.

A few things to say about this. Yes, it wouldn’t have been wise to keep Drummond around if he wasn’t going to play and/or wasn’t going to be happy. Getting him away from the Cavs, all things considered, made some strange sort of sense. But a month to find a trade and no dice, despite such high levels of interest? Cleveland dropped the ball badly, forced to buy out a contract when they could have gotten some tangible offensive assets in exchange for Drummond. Sure, his contract was a cumbersome one, but it feels like the Cavs, struggling as they are, should have been able to at least work something out. But alas, as has happened in the past, all good things in Cleveland fly southwest to LAX for the NBA winter. In addition to the ordeal with Drummond, the Cavs offloaded another center before the deadline, trading JaVale McGee to the Nuggets for center Isaiah Hartenstein and two secondround picks. With a $4.2 million expiring contract, McGee was picked up by Cleveland in November in the hopes of providing some leadership to a fragmented locker room. He was never a long-term Cav, but he provided some good minutes and experience to a very young team. And Cleveland, anticipating that they’d only get one future pick for him, managed to get two, a success that’s pretty notable. The trade was easier for the Cavs to make because of McGee’s low salary, but it does replace 12 years and three NBA Championships worth of experience with a 7-foot 22-year-old who may not pan out. That’s tough. Especially given that McGee now believes he can help lead Denver to a championship this season. So the Cavs, 13th in the East Conference, 17-30, 15.1 games back, just gave away a twotime All-Star and a three-time NBA Champion essentially in exchange for three secondround picks. It doesn’t take Woj to point out that things have gone from bad to worse in Cleveland. I grade these moves a D- and not an F only because McGee was traded for some firepower. Regardless, it seems that the post-LeBron rebuild timeline just continues to extend. So for now, we’ll fall back on what feels like the constant refrain for Northeast Ohio sport — there’s always next year. Contact Ellen Geyer at egeyer1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Irish baseball officially passes midterm exam Ryan Israel Senior Scene Writer

The now 12t h-ra n ked Not re Da me baseba ll tea m sta r ted t he 2021 season red hot, w inning 11 of t heir f irst 13 ga mes a nd securing a spot in t he college baseba ll ra n k ings. But unt il last weekend’s series aga inst ACC sta ndouts a nd si x t h-ra n ked Louisv ille, t he Irish had yet to prove t hemselves as a t r ue contender. The Ca rdina ls ser ved as a test for t he Irish, a midterm exa m t hat wou ld determine whet her or not Not re Da me baseba ll was wor t h t he hy pe in 2021. The Irish passed t heir midterm, pick ing up a statement w in over t he Ca rdina ls on Saturday t ha n ks to a domina nt, seven-inning out ing f rom John Michael Micha ls ( John Michael Ber t ra nd) a nd a wa lk-of f home r un f rom Cole World (Rya n Cole). The w in snapped a 20ga me losing st rea k aga inst t he Ca rdina ls, prov ing t hat t his yea r’s tea m is somet hing dif ferent. The t hird ga me in t he series was postponed due to weat her, but a one-one split aga inst a top-ra n ked opponent solidif ies t he Irish as bot h a force to be reckoned w it h in t he ACC — a nd t he NC A A at la rge — a nd a tea m wort hy of t he attent ion of a ll Not re Da me fa ns. There a re st ill 26 ga mes lef t in t he season, so maybe t he series aga inst t he Ca rdina ls wasn’t exact ly a midterm, but it cer ta in ly was a g ut check which put t he st reng t hs a nd wea k nesses of t he Irish on display, st reng t hs a nd wea k nesses which w ill play out over t he rest of t he season. Hitt ing is where t he Irish excel t he most. Four batters a re hitt ing

above .300, a nd t hose sa me four batters boast a n onbase percentage over .400. Big Hit Ni k (Ni ko Kavadas) is a bona f ide slugger, leading t he ACC in four categories — home r uns (14), home r uns per ga me (0.67), RBI per ga me (1.67) a nd slugg ing percentage (.923) — a nd evok ing fea r f rom ever y pitcher he faces. Cole World (Rya n Cole) has made a n impact despite a limited number of sta r ts, ma k ing t he wa l kof f his sig nature move, a nd Playboi Ca r ter (Ca r ter Put z) a nd Mi l ler High Life ( Ja red Mi l ler) have cont ributed as consistent hitters. The Irish have scored t hree or more r uns in a l l but one ga me t his season, a nea r-no-hitter aga inst Du ke. The loss aga inst t he Blue Dev i ls high lighted a potent ia l over-relia nce on t he big hitters in t he Irish lineup; w it hout consistent hits f rom players at t he bottom pa r t of t he order, especia l ly t hose batt ing below .200, t he job of scoring r uns fa l ls heav i ly on players who ca nnot a f ford to have a n of f ga me or a bad matchup. On t he mound, t wo pitchers bea r t he lion’s sha re of t he work load. John Michael Michaels ( John Michael Ber t ra nd) has 33.2 innings pitched a nd Hotel Sherida n ( Joe Sherida n) has 19.1 innings under his belt. Michael Michaels sta nds out as t he ace in t he Irish rotat ion, w it h his per forma nce aga inst t he Ca rdina ls solidif y ing his t it le, a lt hough t he rest of t he bu l lpen is a mi xed bag. Simon Says (Lia m Simon) a nd Rao Rao Rao (A lex Rao) have show n promise as t r ustwor t hy relievers when ca lled on, a nd not hing is more f un t ha n watching Jack Of A l l Trades ( Jack Bra nniga n) r un

f rom t hird base to t he pitcher’s mound to ta ke over. St i l l, t he sta r t ing rotat ion cou ld use a n addit iona l someone, besides Michael Michaels, who ca n comma nd for f ive-plus innings w it hout g iv ing up more t ha n t hree r uns. Ha ns Christ ia n Sca f idi (Christ ia n Sca f idi) seems poised to capita li ze on his nex t few sta r ts a nd become a go-to for t he Irish. The principa l task for t he bu l lpen over t he rest of t he season w i l l be holding st rong when t he bats a re cold, not necessa ri ly ca rr y ing t he ent ire tea m. In t he f ield, t he Irish a re solid. They have reliable players at ever y posit ion a nd avoid mista kes for t he most pa r t. Defense on ly sta nds out when t here’s a pa r t icu la rly spectacu la r play or cost ly error. Thus fa r, t he Irish f ielders have tended more towa rds t he former t ha n t he latter. The on ly rema ining quest ion rega rds sta mina. Wit h on ly a t hird of t he season complete, t here’s a lot of baseba l l lef t to play. As Apri l a nd May come, it’s pa ra mount t hat t he Irish rema in consistent a nd dy na mic to avoid gett ing swept by a sta ndout ACC opponent li ke Georg ia Tech, Florida State or Mia mi or losing a t rap ga me aga inst a n easier one. W hen late May a nd June come, t he Irish have a st rong cha nce of ma k ing a r un in t he ACC tourna ment a nd potent ia l ly t he NC A A tourna ment — if t hey keep up t he good work. Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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FOOTball | WAY TOO EARLY

Way Too Early preview: Wisconsin Badgers Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 29. Next up on the way-tooearly predictions for the 2021 Notre Dame football season is the long awaited matchup between the Irish and the Wisconsin Badgers. Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers Date: Sept. 25th, 2021 Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Kickoff: TBD

History of the Matchup This game will mark the first time the Irish have played the Badgers in 57 years, as the teams have not played each other since 1964. In that game, the Ara Parseghian-led Irish dominated and won by a score of 31-7. That 1964 Irish team would ultimately go on to finish the season 9-1 with their sole blemish on the season coming in the season finale against USC. The two teams also met in 1962 and 1963 with the Badgers winning both of those games by scores of 17-8 and 14-9 respectively. Although the teams have not played at all in the modern era, the history of the matchup goes way back to the beginning of the twentieth century with the first matchup between the teams happening in 1900 in Madison. The Badgers won the first ever matchup between the teams in dominating fashion, blowing out the Irish 54-0. One of the most notable games in the history of this series was in 1924 when the Irish beat the Badgers by a score of 38-3.

Softball Continued from page 16

season put the team ahead 6-3, and though the Wolfpack were able to come back to make it 6-5, it was not enough to steal the w in from the Irish. In the first game of their double-header on Saturday, senior pitcher Morgan Ryan took the circle and kept NC State from scoring over the course of five innings. In the second inning, a double from Tidd sent freshman infielder Cassidy Grimm

The Irish would go on to win their first ever national championship that year under Knute Rockne. The teams also played a few times in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s with Notre Dame dominating the series for the most part over that timespan. Overall, Notre Dame leads the series with a record of 8-6-2.

2020 Performance

Ten protocols, the Badgers missed their next t wo games, which were supposed to be against Nebraska and Purdue. After returning from their COV ID hiatus, the Badgers were able to beat Michigan handily, but then they hit a rough patch, as they lost three in a row to Northwestern, Indiana and Iowa. The Badgers were able to finish the season on somewhat of a high note as they won the Paul Bunyan’s A xe in their rivalr y game against Minnesota and then beat Wake Forest by a score of 42-28 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

The Badgers had a ver y peculiar season in 2020, as they were plagued w ith COV ID issues throughout the season. The Badgers finished the year w ith a disappointing 4-3 record after going into the season w ith ver y high expectations. After beating Illinois in their opener by a score of 45-7, many expected the Badgers to be in contention for a Big Ten title and potential berth in the College Football Playoffs by the end of the year. In their 45-7 w in against the Illini, Badger quarterback redshirt freshman Graham Mertz was phenomenal for the Badgers. In that game, Mertz broke Wisconsin records by completing 20 out of 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdow ns. Considering Wisconsin is always know n for its stellar defense, it looked like the Badgers were in prime position to w in yet another Big Ten West title and position themselves in a perfect spot to make the College Football Playoffs. It all went dow nhill for the Badgers from there. A lmost immediately after the w in against the Illini, Mertz and a handful of other Wisconsin players tested positive for COV ID-19. Under Big

Despite a disappointing performance in 2020, the Badgers still have the potential to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten in 2021. Without COV ID issues last year, it is possible the Badgers would have been able to w in the Big Ten West yet again. Head coach Paul Chr yst has been ver y consistent in his time at Wisconsin so far, and it is unlikely that the Badgers have t wo dow n years in a row. It is expected that the Badgers w ill be in contention to w in the Big Ten West in 2021 along w ith other favorites such as Iowa and Northwestern. If Graham Mertz is able to continue and progress in the offseason and into the 2021 season, the Badgers could be a dangerous force. In the run game, the Badgers w ill likely turn to sophomore Jalen Berger who led the Badgers in rushing last year as a freshman w ith 301 yards off of 60 attempts. Berger split reps last year

home for the first score of the game. Graduate student infielder Chelsea Purcell’s hit by pitch loaded the bases. Following this, Purcell and Hanks were both able to make it home, putting the Irish up 3-0 by the end of the inning. Marquez hit a home run in the bottom of the fourth, making it 4-0. In the same inning, Sweet and junior catcher Shelby Grimm were both hit by pitches, which ultimately led to another run for the Irish. In the final inning of the day, Purcell and Sweet were

plunked yet again, causing Notre Dame to take the contest 8-0. Tidd returned to pitch a complete game in the afternoon, striking out the final batter in the top of the first. However, an early NC State homer put the Wolfpack up 2-0 before the first at-bat for the Irish. Sweet was hit by a pitch for a third time on the day in the bottom of the first, and Clark gained a run to make it 2-1. Both teams were unable to score in the two subsequent innings, with Tidd striking out three

2021 Outlook

w ith Garrett Groshek, who recently announced he w ill be entering the NFL Draft. Wisconsin usually prides itself on a strong defense and offensive line play, and 2021 should be no different. During his tenure at Wisconsin, Chr yst has been ver y consistent in bringing in talent at key defensive positions, and this 2021 team should be solid all around. The Badgers w ill likely be 1-1 or 2-0 when they face the Irish as they open the season at Camp Randall Stadium against Penn State. That opening game should be interesting, considering both the Nittany Lions and Badgers had ver y underwhelming performances in 2020. The Irish w ill likely be 3-0 if they can avoid early season upsets against Florida State, Toledo, and Purdue. If both teams are undefeated, this matchup w ill almost certainly be a top-15 matchup and hold College Football Playoff implications going for ward. Especially for the Irish, a w in against a Badgers team who w ill likely be competing for a Big Ten West title would be essential.

(Way Too Predictions Nate Moller Writer

Early) —

Sports

I have been waiting for this one for awhile, and w ith last year’s matchup being cancelled, I expect this game to be really hy ped up. I anticipate both offenses to come out strong in this one w ith the energ y of a Soldier Field crowd around

more to keep the Wolfpack contained. Coming off of this momentum, the Irish picked up speed in the bottom of the fourth, going through the entire batting lineup. Junior infielder Quinn Biggio’s home run allowed her and Hanks to score. Three consecutive HBPs caused the Irish to then load the bases ahead of several runs by the team. Purcell and sophomore infielder/outfielder Miranda Johnson both scored off of

them. I think this one w ill come dow n to how well the Irish can run the ball against the Badgers. With a lot of question marks at the offensive line position going into the season, it is essential that by this game, the O-line is firing on all cylinders. If Jack Coan is the starting quarterback for the Irish in this one, it w ill make it ver y interesting considering Coan was the starter for Wisconsin in their Rose Bowl run just t wo years ago. If Coan starts, I expect him to play well against his old team and make some big plays. Another key for the Irish w ill be limiting the playmaking abilit y of Graham Mertz. Mertz definitely showed his potential last season, and I expect him to be a top-3 quarterback in the Big Ten this season, making this matchup a big test for the Irish. Look for the game to go back and forth early w ith both teams putting up multiple touchdow ns over the first 20 minutes of the game. After that, I expect the game to slow dow n, as both teams attempt to run the ball more and wear dow n the other team. I think the difference in this one w ill be the playmaking abilities of Notre Dame running backs Ky ren Williams and Chris Ty ree. A late 40 yard touchdow n run from Ty ree w ill seal this one and give the Irish a huge v ictor y w ith massive playoff implications.

Final: Notre Wisconsin 24

Dame

34,

this, while a single from Hanks sent Clark and Marino home to make the score 7-2. Despite a pair of two-run homers by NC State, the Irish were able to maintain their lead to make the final score read 7-6. This game secured the series win for Notre Dame despite Sunday’s game being cancelled. The Irish will face Central Michigan Wednesday night at home before continuing on to another four-game showing in Tallahassee against Florida State this upcoming weekend.

Sports

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

FOOTball | WAY TOO EARLY

Way Too Early: Defensive End preview Observer Staff Report

Entering his third year as defensive line coach, Mike Elston will have tough decisions to make, as none of his returning players have extensive experience in the starting lineup. However, the defensive line depth chart is filled with talented former four-star recruits, which indicates that this unit has the potential to be elite. The scarcity of veteran leadership will bring growing pains, but the young talent should eventually build chemistry with one another and gain experience as the season goes on.

Position Group: Defensive End 2021 depth chart: senior Justin Ademilola; juniors Isaiah Foskey and Nana Osafo-Mensah; sophomores Jordan Botelho, Rylie Mills and Alexander Ehrensberger; incoming freshmen Jason Onye, David Aupiu and Will Schweitzer

Key Departures: Daelin Hayes The Irish will certainly miss Daelin Hayes and his veteran leadership built off of 5 years of collegiate experience. Before arriving at Notre Dame, Hayes was an impressive four-star prospect, who was considered to be one of the most athletic defensive players in his class. He lived up to his strong reputation by being a key defensive contributor every season, with his best stretch of play being in his sophomore and junior campaigns, where he averaged around 30 total tackles per year. In 2020, Hayes recorded a career-high three sacks, including a key tackle against DJ Uiagalelei, which helped give the Irish the edge in overtime against No. 1 Clemson. He also had 16 total tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception in this same season. Hayes’ impressive career at Notre Dame has also contributed to interest from several NFL teams, as he is projected to be selected on the third day of the NFL draft.

but once he received meaningful playing time, Ogundeji proved to be indispensable to the Irish defense. In his last three seasons, Ogundeji recorded 25, 34, and 22 total tackles respectively while averaging an impressive 5.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He also forced six fumbles in his career while earning an AllACC Honorable Mention for his efforts. Ogundeji has a bright future ahead with his draft projection being placed as high as the second round, and the Irish will certainly be hard-pressed to effectively replace his consistency and athleticism on the defensive line.

Ovie Oghouf Notre Dame will also be losing a key depth player, as senior Oghoufo is transferring to the University of Texas in 2021.

Key Returnees: Justin Ademilola Ademilola brings three solid years of experience to the Irish’s defensive line. He was signed as a three-star recruit and was ready to play on the collegiate level immediately, which was shown when he was given playing time during his freshman year. After recording nine total tackles in both of his first two seasons, Ademilola improved in 2020, collecting 16 total tackles and his first collegiate sack. He is now one of Notre Dame’s most experienced defensive linemen and will need to emerge as a leader to help guide the younger players further down the depth chart. All signs seem to indicate that Ademilola will continue on his trend of upward development, which will be essential for the Irish’s defensive success this season.

Isaiah Foskey

By all accounts, Ade Ogundeji exceeded expectations at Notre Dame as he developed into an elite defensive presence after entering college with a prospect grade of three stars. He gained valuable experience from the bench in his first two seasons,

After a strong sophomore season, Foskey finally seems set to enter the starting lineup. He entered Notre Dame as a four-star recruit with high expectations, and he definitely showed glimpses of his true potential in 2020. In this campaign, Foskey collected 20 total tackles and 4.5 sacks, which was particularly impressive given his limited role as a depth player. He is considered to be a very physical defender, and his sack statistics prove that he is one of the most agile and explosive players on the defensive line. The jump into the starting lineup will give

W Soccer

Swim

Continued from page 16

championship. The selections of both the Men’s and Women’s Tournament fields are scheduled for Monday, April 19. Besides the victory over Missouri, the Irish also picked up a 2-0 win at Cincinnati in their only other official match played this spring. Only a pair of Big-12 opponents remain on Notre Dame’s regular season spring slate, with trips to Oklahoma State and TCU looming on Sunday, April 11 and Saturday, April 17, respectively.

there were many spectacular races from the Irish. Litzinger went on to highlight the accomplishments of sophomore Jack Hoagland during the men’s 1650 freestyle race. “Jack’s 1650 was really fun to watch,” he said. “There were a couple of storylines going on there. He got to race the American record holder in the event, and he hung with him for a good third of the race, which was really fun.” Hoagland placed fifth in the event, earning his first All-American status with a time of 14:33.93 and grabbing 14 points in the process.

Ade Ogundeji

Foskey added responsibilities and pressures, but his past performance indicates that he should be up to the challenge. Foskey could be a breakout player for the Irish, and is someone to watch out for next season.

Nana Osafo-Mensah Although he remains unproven against college-level opponents, Osafo-Mensah is an extremely intriguing player with a high potential talent ceiling. He was recruited by Notre Dame as a four-star prospect and is known as a quick pass-rusher with active hands. After receiving some playing time as a freshman, Osafo-Mensah’s sophomore season was derailed by an injury to his lateral meniscus, which prevented him from taking the field that year. There seems to be a certain level of mystery to Osafo-Mensah, as he has not had much of a chance to showcase his true abilities just yet. However, he has been training extensively for 2021 and bulked up from 224 to 249 pounds, which should help him be a more physical defender. If given the opportunity, Osafo-Mensah could certainly garner national attention and be a breakout player for the Irish.

Jordan Botelho Botelho is yet another young member of the defensive line with a lot of potential. He was recruited as a four-star prospect and was widely thought of as the best Hawaiian player in his class. Botelho was even nominated for the coveted Butkus Award and led his high school to a state championship in 2019. Last season, he was able to make an impact with very limited playing time as he recorded four total tackles. Known for his aggressiveness and pass-rushing ability, Botelho has also gained about 20 pounds of muscle, which should help him adapt to the college level. Regardless of his role this upcoming season, Botelho is sure to make an impact and should continue on his development path, which seems destined for stardom.

Rylie Mills Mills rounds out the returning defensive ends by adding even more youth and potential. Like Jordan Botelho, Mills entered Notre Dame as a four-star recruit with a large amount of expectations. He “It’s always fun to see one of your athletes placed in that top five in the country,” Litzinger said. “It was validation for his previous performances and validation for his work ethic and dedication.” Overall, Litzinger had high praise for the team’s performance. “I was really proud of the 800 Free Relay because it went in seeded 19th, and to be able to find a way to score was really telling of kind of power in our guys,” he said. “They relied on each other all year long.” The relay comprised of Hoagland, sophomore Alec DeLong, sophomore Cason Wilburn and senior Sadler McKeen was able to place 16th as an Honorary All-American, while scoring two points for the

is known for his high motor and strong hands as well as his imposing 273-pound frame. Last year, he was able to get a feel for the college game with semi-regular playing time. Mills recorded six total tackles and a half sack as a freshman, and he looks like he has the chance to become a dominant player in the coming years. He even gained some valuable postseason experience as he started his first game against Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. The coaching staff has faith in him, and I would not be surprised if Mills becomes one of the most improved players in 2021.

to be a talented pass-rusher with the ability to perform tight coverage on short passes. At 6 foot 4 and 215 pounds, Schweitzer is undersized, but he probably will not have much trouble bulking up in the Notre Dame training system. He was one of the leaders on the Los Gatos High School team that made it to the CIF regional 3AA championship game and posted a stat line of 30 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, 21 hurries and one interception during his junior year. Along with his fellow new recruits, Schweitzer will most likely have to pay his dues deep in the depth chart before becoming a key contributor later in his career.

Key Additions: Jason Onye

Grade: Patrick Gallagher — Sports Writer

At 6 foot 5 and 260 pounds, Onye certainly has the physical qualities to become an elite defensive lineman. He joins Notre Dame as a three-star recruit and was widely regarded as the best player in his class from Rhode Island. During his junior year, Onye collected 59 total tackles, 14 sacks and 12 tackles for loss while winning his second state championship. It is too early to tell how he will develop, but Onye’s work ethic is clearly strong, which should hasten this process. Onye will most likely receive limited playing time in his first few seasons, but he should eventually become a key contributor to the Irish defense.

Devin Aupiu Aupiu is another three-star recruit, who will most likely spend the next couple of seasons learning from the veterans on the Irish defense. He stands at 6 foot 5 but will have to eventually add muscle to become more physical, as he only weighs in at 220 pounds. Aupiu’s 2019 high school statistics include 50 total tackles, three tackles for loss, eight sacks, five pass deflections and one forced fumble. He also led Pacifica High School to its first CIF 2A state title while qualifying to play in the Polynesian Bowl. Aupiu is set to add future depth to the defensive line and has the chance to develop into a talented collegiate player.

Will Schweitzer Will Schweitzer is the final defensive end recruit in this incoming class. He is coming to the Irish as a three-star recruit, who is considered team and finishing in 6:18.04 — a whole second faster than their seed time of 6:19.07. Hoagland also was an Honorary All-American finishing 10th in the 500 Freestyle for 7 points and 11th in the 400 IM for 6 points. His times for those races were 4:12.13 and 3:41.99, respectively. Notre Dame finished in 25th place with a total of 29 points, 27 of which belonged only to Hoagland. “When you come back from a meet like that, you have to share it with the rest of your team,” Hoagland said. “Share what the experience was like, how competitive it was, what your preparation was like, so you get more guys there the next year.” As for what’s next for training,

While the lack of starting experience is concerning, the Irish’s defensive line seems like it is filled with too much talent to fail. The loss of team captains Hayes and Ogundeji will sting, as they helped give the Irish the third-ranked rushing defense in the ACC last season. However, I believe that last year’s unit could have been more effective. Notre Dame’s sacking ability was middle of the road by ACC standards, as the defense ranked eighth in this category below several lesstalented programs. In addition, no players from the Irish were able to break the top 25 in the ACC for total tackles. The 2021 defensive line has a lot of room to improve. Foskey will certainly help increase Notre Dame’s sack totals due to his aggressive explosiveness, and one of the unproven younger players (Osafo-Mensah, Botelho or Mills) will develop into a star this season along with him. Justin Ademilola should bring this group together as the resident veteran. On the other hand, the inexperience of the defensive line gives the unit’s potential performance a “boom or bust” feel, and I feel like there is uncertainty regarding how these players will perform, which prevents me from giving an A grade. The lack of four-star recruits in the incoming class could also be problematic, but all of these players could develop into key contributors, so no judgments can be made on this front as yet.

Grade: B+ Litzinger said “The NCAA kids have a week off, and everybody else has been doing their strength and conditioning work.” “We just started back in the pool yesterday, so we’re focused on the summer, and what that holds for us, whether it’s Olympic trials or any other competitions,” Litzinger added. “Summer is where you make the biggest gains.” With a hardworking mentality, the Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team will look to replicate and improve upon this year’s performance. They will return to the competition pool next winter. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

sports

M Lax Continued from page 16

Graduate student attack Will Yorke was the star of the second quarter for Notre Dame, as he scored three goals in a span of two and a half minutes. Those goals were good for Yorke’s sixth, seventh and eighth goals on the season. Despite the Irish ow ning a 7-5 lead at halftime, the Cavaliers responded out of the gates and scored three consecutive goals to grab an 8-7 lead. The Irish answered quick ly, though, w ith Yorke scoring again for the Irish w ith 2:18 left in the quarter to bring the score level. A big turning point in this game came in the last minute and a half of the third quarter. Virginia was able to score tw ice at the end of the quarter to take a 10-8 lead into the fourth quarter and grab some momentum. The fourth quarter ended up being a wild finish. The quarter started with the Irish getting one goal back behind an unassisted goal from first-year midfield Eric Dobson. The Cavaliers were quick to respond, though, and regain a two goal lead less than a minute later. With just over 4 minutes remaining, it appeared that Virginia was in control, but the Irish were not going down without a fight. Dobson scored his second goal of the quarter and third goal of the game to put the Irish in striking distance with just over four minutes remaining. Just over 30 seconds later, the Irish were able to tie the game up at 11-11 behind a

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | The Observer

Yorke unassisted goal. That goal was the fifth of the day for Yorke. Although it looked like the Irish had seized the momentum, the Cavaliers were able to answer yet again and grab a 12-11 lead with just under two and a half minutes remaining in the game. This time, it was Dox Aitken scoring for the Cavaliers. Aitken finished the game with four points off of two goals and two assists. Although the Irish were able to create some good chances in the final minutes of the game, they were not able to find the back of the net. One of the best chances came with three seconds left when Yorke put a good shot on goal, but Cavalier goalie Alex Rode was able to make the stop. Saturday’s win marked the first time that the Cavaliers have won at Arlotta Stadium. In addition to Yorke and Dobson, who finished the game with five and three goals, respectively, senior midfield W heaton Jackoboice had a good day as well, finishing with four points off of one goal and three assists. Sophomore attack Pat Kavanagh and junior attack/ midfield Griffin Westlin finished the game with two points. Leading the way for the Cavaliers was Payton Cormier who finished with five goals to his name on the day. The Irish will look to bounce back this coming weekend on the road against fourth-ranked Syracuse. Syracuse beat Virginia earlier in the year by a score of 20-10. Like the Irish, the Orange are coming off of a heartbreaking one-goal loss, as they lost to Duke by a score of 15-14 last week.

EMMA FARNAN | The Observer

Irish junior midfielder Mark McGinley turns up field cradling the ball in Notre Dame’s 12-10 home win over UNC on April 20, 2019.

Baraka Bouts

Baraka Bouts season succeeds despite pandemic Observer Staff Report

A lthough the fall semester was affected by the COV ID-19 pandemic, the Baraka Bouts Club of Notre Dame still found a way to have a ver y successful season and raise money for their mission statement despite not having their usual end of the year tournament. Meg Guilfoile, a senior captain from Du xbur y, Massachusetts, commented on how the club was able to stay motivated during the fall despite not hav ing the end-of-season tournament to train for. “We really tried to reframe how we looked at the season, and fundraising has always been the core of [Baraka and Bengal Bouts],” Guilfoile said. “I think we all agree that it is the most important at the end of the day. It helped us to remember why we are box ing and why we’re part of the club.” Guilfoile also explained how the season gave a lot of new club members the opportunit y to feel more comfortable and learn how to box before participating in the tournament. “I think it gave a lot of people the opportunit y where if people were nervous or scared to physically box and be a part of the tournament, it was a great year for them to just tr y it out,” Guilfoile said. “And so I think just focusing on the missions and making that the core of this season definitely helped us.” Senior A lex is Driscoll, a captain from Morristow n, New Jersey, also emphasized the importance of new members this season. “There are so many girls who don’t want to actually get in the ring,” Driscoll said. “And this year, we really just made it about them, and we told them all the pros of joining the club, aside from the tournament.” In a t y pical year, Baraka Bouts t y pically raises about $20,000

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from tournament tickets alone. One of the challenges for the club this year was finding a way to fundraise money for the club’s mission in Bangladesh w ithout hav ing the tournament. Ultimately, the club decided to do a runa-thon event to raise money. For the event, it was expected that each club member raised a minimum of $300 by making friends and family members pledge a certain amount of money to donate based on how much they could run in a week. The club ended up raising a total of $14,000 from the run-a-thon in October 2020, which was a huge success. “We were really luck y,” Guilfoile said. “We had no idea what the success was gonna be like, because it was the first time we had ever done it. We kind of did make up for what we would have made at the tournament, in some regards, through that. We were really luck y, and it was ver y fun.” Going into the season, the club set a loft y goal of raising $ 50,000 for the year, which seemed like a difficult task in the midst of the COV ID-19 pandemic. Guilfoile discussed how scar y that goal seemed at first, and how the club began to embrace the challenge as the season went on. “We were really ner vous about reaching that goal, and we knew it was going to be the most challenging thing that a lot of us would do,” Guilfoile said. “It was kind of a theme of the season, and we would always say ‘against all odds’ because all of the odds were against us our entire season w ith getting around the COV ID restrictions. We got a lot of no’s on things that we wanted to do.” Guilfoile shared that her favorite memor y from this past season was the day the club reached that goal of

$ 50,000. “I was actually in class, and my phone started going off like cra zy. I quick ly looked at it, and it was just all of the captains texting that we got to the goal,” Guilfoile said. “I embarrassingly sat in class, and I just started cr y ing because I was so excited. It was such a fun moment to go to practice that day and celebrate w ith all the captains. A ll the hard work paid off against all the odds.” The club also held an event called “Barakathon” in place of the tournament that usually occurs at the end of the year. Driscoll shared that the Baraka-thon was her favorite memor y from the 2020 season. “We had a push-up competition and a plank competition,” Driscoll said. “And over those few days, all of the boxers kind of got to hang out and show off all their skills. I just remember one of those days, ever yone was just hav ing so much fun, and we were play ing music.” Senior captain Ellie McCarthy, who is originally from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, shared that her favorite memor y from her time as a part of the club was t wo years ago on a team fundraising run in the cold, rainy October weather. “We always do fun runs on Friday for practice, and we run around campus and do workouts on different quads. We tr y to bring a bucket, and we tr y to get donations,” McCarthy said. “And this particular day, it was pouring rain. It was late October, it was so cold, and nobody was out. I think we raised like $20, but all of the girls were just having an absolute blast. And it just shows the camaraderie of the club, which I think that’s what it’s all about, really.” Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

The observer | WEDNESDAY, march 31, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

MeN’s SWIMMING AND DIVING

ND SOFTBALL

Notre Dame sweeps NC State Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 30. Notre Dame softball swept their home series against North Carolina State, emerging victorious in all three games played over the weekend. The final matchup of the fourgame series scheduled to take place Sunday was cancelled due to weather, and will not be rescheduled. Junior pitcher Payton Tidd threw a complete game against the Wolfpack (14-11, 10-11 ACC) in the first contest of the series. Tidd struck out four batters and only walked two over the course of seven innings. Additionally, she hit the eventual game winning home run for the Irish (168, 9-6 ACC), helping to make the final score 6-5 in favor of Notre Dame. The team performed well at the plate, scoring at least one

Hoagland makes a splash at NCAA Championships

run in four of the six innings. Junior outfielder Emma Clark, graduate student infielder Katie Marino, and sophomore infielder Brooke Marquez all contributed had RBIs. Senior outfielder Abby Sweet also extended her on-base streak to 40 games and was the first to score a run for the Irish, tying the score 1-1 at the end of the first inning. Two strikeouts from Tidd made quick work of the Wolfpack in the top of the next inning, and sophomore outfielder Leea Hanks started off strong with a triple that eventually led to her scoring later in the inning. The score remained 2-1 through the third, as neither team was able to send a runner home, and after a home run early in the fourth inning for NC State, the Irish responded with two more runs of their own to make the score 4-2. Tidd’s third home run of the see SOFTBALL PAGE 13

By SEAN KELLEY Sports Writer

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish junior diver David Petrison pikes midair during his dive at the Shamrock Invitational against Missouri State on Jan. 23.

see SWIM PAGE 14

ND WOMEN’s SOCCER

ND men’s LACROSSe

Irish suffer season’s first loss to Virginia Cavaliers

Missouri/Kansas games canceled

Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online March 30.

The sixth-ranked Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team suffered their first loss of the season Saturday in heartbreaking fashion against ninth-ranked Virginia (7-2, 1-2 ACC) by a score of 12-11. Saturday’s game also marked the first ACC game of the season for the Irish (4-1, 0-1 ACC). At first, it looked like the Cavaliers might run away with the victory. Over the first quarter on Saturday, the Cavaliers outscored the Irish 3-0 behind solid defense that forced some tough shots by Notre Dame. The second quarter, however, f lipped completely in favor of the Irish. Over the second quarter, the Irish outscored the Cavaliers 7-2 behind 17 shots on goal.

The Notre Dame women’s soccer team will not travel to Missouri for their scheduled Friday match against the Tigers due to COVID-19 positive tests, subsequent quarantining and contact tracing within the Irish program, the team announced in a tweet early Monday evening. The announcement follows the cancellation of Notre Dame’s match scheduled for this past Sunday at Kansas. The cancellation of the game in Lawrence had been announced Friday in a nearly identical tweet. Both statements noted the Irish were adhering to protocols outlined within the ACC Medical Advisory Group report, which is available on the conference’s website. With the cancellation, Notre Dame (6-5-0, 4-4-0 ACC) loses the opportunity to complete a spring home-and-away sweep over the Tigers (5-5-3, 4-1-2 SEC). The Irish

see M LAX PAGE 15

This past week, Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving placed 24th in the nation at the NCAA Championship meet at Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina. The team came in ready to swim fast, scoring 15 points and recording the secondhighest finish under Coach Mike Litzinger. This meet was an especially fun meet, Litzinger said, because of how many first-time NCAA swimmers went for the Fighting Irish. Litzinger said he always tells his first-time swimmers “everybody belongs at that meet because they qualified.” “You can’t look at yourself as ‘qualified 31st, qualified 17th or qualified fourth’,” he will add. “You have to look at it as — everybody starts from zero, so it’s about racing at the meet. If you don’t race at the meet, you’re going to get lost.” With this information at the back of the newcomers’ minds,

Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics

Irish senior attack Connor Morin looks to pass during Notre Dame’s 12-10 win over UNC on April 20, 2019 at Arlotta Stadium.

were last in action on March 20 against Missouri, when Notre Dame prevailed 2-0 on senior day behind goals from senior forward Eva Hurm and sophomore midfielder Maddie Mercado. The NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved a proposal Wednesday for the entire 2020 Division I Men’s and Women’s Soccer Tournaments, postponed in the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to be played entirely in Cary, North Carolina, and the surrounding area starting April 27. Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park is scheduled to host both the Men’s and Women’s College Cups from May 13-17. This season’s Women’s Tournament is slated to include 48 teams instead of the usual field of 64. After falling to eventual conference champions and then-No. 2 Florida State in the first round of November’s ACC Tournament, Notre Dame must earn one of the 17 at-large bids available if the Irish hope to compete for a national see W SOCCER PAGE 14

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