Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, February 12, 2025
University DEI website changes language
Notre Dame renamed its DEI website to
By LIAM KELLY and SOPHIE HANAWALT Notre Dame News Editor and Associate News Editor
As President Donald Trump has taken action to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal and private sectors, colleges across the country, including Notre Dame, have adjusted language on their websites to remove some references to DEI initiatives.
On Jan. 21, a day after being sworn in as president, Trump
signed an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” The order focused on rooting out DEI initiatives in government, business and higher education.
Under section three of the order, all federal contractors and subcontractors must cease promoting diversity and using affirmative action in hiring. Moreover, every federal contract or grant award must include a term requiring the recipient to certify that it follows federal anti-discrimination
“We Are All ND,” while many
law in hiring and does not operate DEI programs that violate federal anti-discrimination law. All federal contracts and grants must also “excise references to DEI and DEIA [diversity, equity, inclusion and access] principles, under whatever name they may appear.”
According to the 2024 annual report, Notre Dame received over $154,039,000 in federal grants in fiscal year 2024. Per the Office of Institutional Equity’s website, Notre Dame is considered a federal contractor when it comes to federal employment law,
Keenan Revue set to return with space-themed show
By ISABEL TORRES News Writer
The Keenan Revue, one of Notre Dame’s longest-running winter traditions, returns for its 49th year of comedy. With a space-themed show set to debut on Feb. 27, Keenan Hall residents have spent months writing skits, perfecting punchlines and rehearsing performances to bring their annual comedy tradition to life.
Joey Kositzke, this year’s director and a resident assistant in Keenan Hall, emphasized the dedication that has gone into planning the event.
‘ND
“I have been planning the show since early August, and we have a crew of 40 guys,” Kositzke said. With a reputation for sharp wit and community engagement, the Revue ties its skits together with a unifying theme. This year’s space concept, Kositzke explained, will be woven throughout the show to create a cohesive comedic experience.
“Ultimately the revue is a show designed to bring people together, it leans into our shared experiences with the goal of creating memories that campus can enjoy as a group,” he said. “Keenan Hall remains prideful in making
memories and making fun of ourselves. I stayed truthful to that mission even though our external view has changed some.”
Preparation for the event involves extensive effort from Keenan Hall residents, with nearly 20% of the dorm’s residents participating in various aspects of the production. Among them is freshman Nick Facchini, who serves as one of the promotional managers for the event. Facchini, responsible for promoting the Revue across campus, underscored the need to uphold the show’s comedic legacy
By Night’ promotes Vietnamese culture
By SOPHIA TRAN Staff Writer
A night filled with witty pick-up lines, vibrant cultural dances and comedic storytelling, this year’s “ND By Night” provided an array of performances ranging from acting to traditional Vietnamese dance. The annual showcase, organized by the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), took inspiration from the latest
season of “The Bachelorette,” which featured the show’s first-ever Asian and Vietnamese Bachelorette, Jenn Tran.
Planning for the two-hour event began in September, led by head director Rose Nguyen, with assistant directors Vivian Nguyen and Kyle Phan. Vivian explained that the show was inspired by “Paris By Night,” a famous Vietnamese variety show known for its comedic skits.
Held in Washington Hall on Feb. 9, the showcase drew a crowd of approximately 400 people. The audience followed a fictional and dramatized storyline centered on Quynh Vi, the night’s bachelorette, played by VSA president Kat Le. Le noted the humorous nature of the show and its reflection of Asian-American experiences.
seemingly making it subject to these requirements.
According to the order, federal contractors may operate under the previous regulatory scheme for 90 days after the signing of the order.
Section four requires the heads of all federal government agencies, including the Department of Education and attorney general, to eliminate DEI initiatives in the private sector. The Department of Education, along with other agencies, is also required to identify up to nine publicly traded
corporations, non-profit corporations or institutions of higher education institutions with endowments over $1 billion to investigate to determine their compliance with the order. As of 2024, Notre Dame had an endowment of over $23 billion, making it eligible for investigation.
In section five of the order, Trump also directed the attorney general and secretary of education to issue guidance to institutions of higher education receiving federal
Vatican priest speaks on reform
By MARIA CLARA LOPES CORONA News Writer
Notre Dame’s annual Keeley Vatican lecture took place this Monday, featuring Reverend Monsignor Anthony Ekpo, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Hosted at Jenkins Nanovic Hall, the lecture aimed to strengthen Notre Dame’s connection with the Vatican by engaging in critical discussions on Catholic mission and global challenges.
This year’s lecture was centered on the reform of the Roman Curia and the Holy See’s commitment to integrated human development, a theme closely aligned with the focus of the Keough School of Global Affairs.
Ekpo’s address explored the progression of structural and theological reformations within the
Vatican and their implications for the Roman Church’s engagement with the modern world. Ekpo, a Nigerian priest with doctorates in systematic theology and canon law, has played an essential role in the Vatican’s governance, particularly within the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
The reverend began his lecture by acknowledging the historical complexities of the Roman Curia, noting both its strengths and the necessity for continued reform, to ensure adaptation to the evolving global landscape.
“The Roman Curia is always in need of reformation,” Ekpo said. “As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be … does not apply to Vatican structures.”
Tracing major reforms from Pope Sixtus V’s modernization
MARIA CLARA LOPES CORONA | The Observer
Reverend Monsignor Anthony Ekpo, who is the Vatican undersecretary for promoting integral human development, spoke Monday.
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Wednesday
From Ground Zero
DeBartolo Performing
Arts Center
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Reserve tickets to see this insightful film.
Notre Dame vs. Cleveland State Loftus Sports Center
6 p.m.
Men’s lacrosse takes on Cleveland State.
Thursday
Light the Night Howard Park
8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Join for glow ice skating. No cost for skating or transport.
Knit and Stitch McDonald Center
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Drop by to crochet, knit or embroider. All are welcome.
Friday
Ten Years Hence Lecture Mendoza 122 10:40 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Check out this lecture from John Schroeder.
Soundtrack to a Coup
A Tribute to Motown Debartolo Performing
Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Get tickets for this exciting concert.
Notre Dame vs. Marquette Loftus Sports Center 12 p.m.
Men’s lacrosse takes on Marquette. Sunday
Women’s tennis takes on Xavier.
Notre Dame vs.
MARIELLA TADDONIO
Pope Francis’ contemporary efforts, Ekpo detailed how the Curia has evolved to meet the needs of the church and the world.
He placed a particular emphasis on the most recent reforms implemented by Pope Francis, r eferencing Francis’ 2022 Apostolic Constitution “Praedicate Evangelium,” which introduced significant structural changes within the Curia, including the renaming of “congregations” as “dicasteries” to emphasize their equal importance in governance.
One of the most notable shifts under Pope Francis, Ekpo explained, is a renewed and humane focus on service and pastoral effectiveness.
“Reforming the Curia is not simply about organizational changes,” he said. “It is about renewing our commitment to justice, the common good and the dignity of every human person.”
A key component of Pope Francis’ reform has been the emphasis on integrated human development, which upholds human
dignity as the foundation for social, economic and environmental well-being.
Ekpo described how the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Development plays a vital role in addressing the needs of the less fortunate.
“Our faith in Christ, who was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of all people,” Ekpo said. “It is not just about economic growth, but about the holistic flourishing of the human person.”
He then underscored the central goal of the dicastery.
“Our goal is to help the church to carry out its mission of serving the development of each person and of the whole person, of promoting life to the full for each and everyone, as Jesus said in the Gospel of John,” he said.
Ekpo also highlighted Notre Dame’s contribution to the mission, citing past collaborations between the University and the Vatican, including research initiatives and policy dialogues on global issues.
Ekpo advocated for Pope Francis’ vision of a church that is engaged
stood out.
“I thought it was very playful,” Le said. “I think the purpose of it was to show the diversity and the different types of everyday stories that people experience, especially as an Asian American.”
Quynh Vi’s four main suitors — Hoang, Thien, Son and Kevin — each brought unique personalities and comedic flair. Their professions ranged from an underwater ceramic technician to a parttime park ranger. One suitor even took the stage wearing what he called “Lady Gaga’s meat dress.” For Rose, one contestant
“I was really rooting for Hoang, his character,” she said. “I wrote most of his scenes and he was the one who was really into jazz. I related to him the most as someone who grew up in a stricter, Asian household. I think a lot of us can relate to him in general, or if not fully, at least a little bit.”
Beyond the comedy, the showcase also highlighted Vietnamese cultural traditions through dance.
Performances included a traditional lion dance, hat dance, fan dance and a V-pop dance routine. Lion dancer Hung Vo spoke about how the performers incorporated their past experiences
with the realities of modern society rather than insulated from them. He emphasized the Pope’s belief in a humanized and accessible papacy, referencing Pope Francis’ comment on the first anniversary of his election.
“The Pope is neither a Superman nor a star, but an ordinary man who laughs and cries and sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone,” he said.
He praised the Pope’s commitment to synodality — greater collaboration between clergy and laypeople — and his efforts to include women in high-ranking positions, highlighting the appointment of Sister Simona Brambilla as President of the Vatican City State.
“Pope Francis has humanized the papacy in new and refreshing ways,” Ekpo said, recounting anecdotes about the Pope’s humility and humor.
He noted that recent Vatican appointments reflect a shift toward inclusivity, where laypeople hold key leadership positions and hold considerable i nfluence over the decisions being made.
“He humanizes the papacy and
into the show.
“I would say I spent two to three years in my [lion dance] youth group back home,” Vo said. “For Notre Dame specifically, we used the experience of all the members from when we were in high school and applied that to our routine.”
The night concluded with a traditional Vietnamese wedding between Quynh Vi and her chosen suitor, Thien, the underwater ceramics technician from Boston. While the event ended on a celebratory note, it was also a bittersweet moment for many participants, as approximately 25% of the cast will be graduating in May.
Despite the departures,
he has that very affable, simple, charming and disarming way of relating to and I think it goes back to our belief in Jesus being fully human and fully divine. Because in his being fully human, he sees the divinity of Christ.”
Ekpo concluded his lecture with a call to action, urging attendees to consider their role in advancing the church’s mission.
“Each of us is responsible for making our communities more just, compassionate and aligned with the Gospel,” he said.
“Integral human development is not an abstract goal it is the very essence of what it means to be Christian.”
He furthered his stance by adding that, when moving towards Integral Human development, whether within the Curia or in society, one must always be rooted in Christ.
“Both the reformer and the reformed should know that it is not all about them. It is about Christ.” through this ministry of leadership
Contact Maria Clara Lopes Corona at mcorona@nd.edu
Nguyen hopes the younger members will continue the legacy of “ND By Night” and help the audience appreciate Vietnamese culture.
“One of the things I wish people could take away is that cultures are very sensitive, deep and rooted in something beautiful,” Nguyen said. “But at the same time, students are also having fun and doing something silly too … I honestly wish people were able to educate themselves on Vietnamese culture, and on top of that, they would also be able to have fun and laugh.”
Contact Sophia Tran at stran2@nd.edu
funds within 120 days as to how to comply with the decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College case, which ended the use of affirmative action in college admissions.
At some point between Jan. 22 and Jan. 27, the URL for Notre Dame’s “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” webpage was changed from diversity.nd.edu to weareall.nd.edu. The words “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” were removed from the top banner of the webpage and replaced with “We Are All Notre Dame.”
The content of the pages of the old and new web pages that list the University’s commitments remains largely unchanged aside from a subtitle, which was changed from “principles of diversity and inclusion” to “building the beloved community.” Text articulating Catholic Social Teaching was rearranged and slightly edited and the subtitle “University Statement on Diversity and Inclusion” was removed.
In response to a request for a comment explaining the reason for the change in the URL and title of the website, University spokesman Erin Blasko said the changes were not related to government actions, but were actions taken to reflect University President Fr. Robert Dowd’s leadership.
“Since Fr. Dowd’s inauguration, we’ve been going through the website and we’ve been updating it to better reflect Fr. Dowd’s voice and leadership in a number of ways,” Blasko said.
Blasko said this also included replacing President Emeritus Fr. John Jenkins’ name and quotes with Dowd’s. He further explained the reason for the changes.
John Schroeder Executive Vice President, Marmon Holdings, Inc.
Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Ten Years Hence is sponsored by the Eugene Clark Distinguished Lecture Series endowment.
“With Walk the Walk week and with Fr. Bob’s recent conversation with [vice president for institutional transformation Rev.] Hugh Page on the ND Stories podcast about building bridges to a beloved community, we felt that this was the appropriate time to update that particular website to better reflect his voice with respect to issues of racism, inequality and discrimination,” Blasko said.
During the podcast, released Jan. 22, Dowd reiterated his support for inclusion initiatives.
“Our efforts in promoting inclusion and a spirit of welcome and belonging is grounded in our Catholic mission,” he said.
At the end of the podcast, interviewer Jenna Liberto referred viewers to visit diversity.nd.edu to learn more about “Notre Dame’s commitment to building an ever more inclusive campus community.” By Jan. 27, the link had been renamed.
Other private universities have made similar changes to the names of their DEI initiatives. Northeastern University recently changed the name of their “Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” to “Belonging in Northeastern.” Vanderbilt University renamed
FaithND podcast discusses call to holiness
By ISABELLA PONCIROLI News Writer
Since beginning production in 2019, the Everyday Holiness, produced by FaithND, has recorded over 70 episodes featuring a wide variety of guest speakers sharing myriad experiences about their faith.
Dan Allen, associate director of spirituality and service at the Notre Dame Alumni Association, serves as the host of the podcast. While Allen is the main contributor, many people at the alumni association and FaithND have helped increase awareness for the podcast in instrumental ways such as planning and marketing.
In an interview with The Observer, Allen explained how the podcast got started.
“For many years, we have shared our very popular daily gospel reflection email, and we were looking for another way to offer longer
stories in a format besides writing, and a podcast seemed like the perfect fit,” Allen said.
Allen further explained the podcast aims to reach anyone who wants to live a life of deeper meaning with a stronger presence of spiritual engagement, emphasizing the need to rely on the knowledge and wisdom of others.
“When we were conceiving what the podcast would be … the theme that continued to come back to me was the universal call to holiness that is described beautifully in the Second Vatican Council’s document, ‘Lumen Gentium.’ The main idea conveyed there [is] that each person in the Church is called to holiness, but it happens in various states of life,” Allen said.
The guests chosen for the podcast all have one thing in common: they hold faith at the center of their lives. These speakers, who typically have a connection in
association, are also housed in the center.
their “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion,” webpage to “You at VU” this January.
Blasko repeated Dowd’s commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“As a Catholic university, we are committed to defending the dignity of every human person, to promoting a just society in which every person can flourish, and attending particularly to the needs of the most vulnerable, and so that doesn’t change, and that hasn’t changed at all,” Blasko said.
At the moment, the University operates a number of DEI initiatives through a myriad of programs and institutions.
The Division of Student Affairs serves as the instrument for much DEI work on campus. Its website lists a number of initiatives under its diversity and engagement tab, including the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Gender Relations Center (GRC), Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) and the Office of Student Enrichment (OSE).
The Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which opened September 21, 2023, was planned in 2021 as a result of the work of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees’ Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, of which Dowd was a member. The Center was funded by an initial $1 million gift from the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
The Center, located on the second floor of LaFortune Student Center, houses all of the Division of Student Affairs’ DEI initiatives. The student-led Diversity Council, whose role, as listed on the website, is to “explore the issues of diversity and inclusion on Notre Dame’s campus to promote awareness, understanding and acceptance of all people,” and PrismND, Notre Dame’s undergraduate LGBTQ+
some way to the Notre Dame family, explore how they have strived to live a holy life while navigating big life decisions, seeking out their vocations and dealing with the surprises of life.
“It is telling that some of our most inspiring guests have been reluctant to come on the podcast, humbly admitting that, like all of us on this side of heaven, they are works in progress,” Allen said.
John Cavadini, the McGrathCavadini director of the Institute for Church Life and professor of theology at Notre Dame, reflected on his experience as a guest of the podcast.
“I have to say it’s a little intimidating, the thought that one is being proposed as an example of holiness whether everyday holiness or any kind,” Cavadini said. “But then I realized as I listened to the questions of the interviewer that that wasn’t the point.”
PwC currently offers grants up to $3,000 to students and clubs for programming and professional development related to DEI through the center.
The stated objective of the GRC is to “foster dialogue on issues of sexuality, gender and healthy relationships consistent with the Catholic character of the University.” The center’s initiatives are categorized under the four focus areas: “Healthy Relationships,” “Gender Equity and Intersectionality,” “LGBTQ and Allies” and “Masculinities and Authenticity.”
MSPS supports multicultural student clubs as well as mentorship programs, professional development initiatives and microaggression intervention workshops in order to “nurture a sense of belonging, student success, and servant leadership for Notre Dame’s historically underrepresented students through growing relationships rooted in Catholic Social Teaching.”
The OSE offers financial support and resources for first generation and low-income students, as well as “non-traditional background students,” such as transfer students and DACA students.
Doug Thompson, executive director for diversity and engagement, declined a request for comment on the future of DEI initiatives at Notre Dame.
The Office of Institutional Transformation, which was formed after Page was named the inaugural vice president for institutional transformation and advisor to the president in 2021, also houses a number of DEI initiatives. According to its website, the role of the office is to implement an “integrated diversity, equity, inclusion and justice strategy” in hopes to “improve the experiences of our faculty, staff and students and build a local instantiation of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s beloved community — one which
“The point is to have everyday, ordinary, off-the-shelf people like me who aren’t heroic saints or anything talk about the struggles and issues involved in striving for holiness and that that sends an encouraging message,” he elaborated.
Cavadini went on to explain the importance of ordinary people striving to be holy in their commonplace circumstances and being able to speak about their shared experience of faith.
“The bar isn’t Teresa of Ávila. It’s OK not to be her, but to be yourself, striving as best you can with God’s grace to be holy,” Cavadini said. “The point is to encourage others, not to claim perfection, far from it.”
The podcast is usually recorded and produced in Allen’s office using tabletop recording equipment, but if guests are not local, they can join the podcast virtually.
“We have learned a lot in six
dismantles systems of injustice and creates space for those who have traditionally been excluded.”
The office’s programs include consultations and departmental reviews and the DEI practitioners group, a group of over 160 Notre Dame staff who work to implement DEI initiatives in their departments as well as resources and platforms for speakers who wish to lecture about DEI-related topics.
Page did not respond to a request for comment.
Eve Kelly, executive director for institutional transformation and staff belonging, also did not respond to a request for comment.
Notre Dame’s divisions and colleges each have their own DEI initiatives, as often explained on their websites. On Jan. 14, the header for the College of Science’s diversity initiatives read “Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion,” but has since been changed to “Our Commitment to Dignity for All.” The College of Arts and Letters, College of Engineering and Mendoza College of Business websites all have DEI statements. The College of Architecture has a page titled “Our Inclusive Culture,” while the Keough School of Global Affairs does not appear to have any DEI initiatives listed.
When asked whether University DEI policies and initiatives would change in response to Trump’s executive orders and policy guidance, Blasko stated that “despite what may happen or what is happening at the federal level, we remain committed to creating a beloved community on campus.”
“As always, we will follow the law,” he said. “But our commitment to creating a beloved community, which I talked about, that will not change. That is part of our mission and values as a Catholic University.”
Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu and Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu
years, and we try to stay current with the tools that can help us make quality recordings and episodes,” Allen said.
Allen also stressed the importance of gathering many perspectives that “reflect the wonderful variety of God’s creation and vocational states in life.”
“We have been blessed with a wide variety of guests who have been gracious enough to share their stories with us,” he said.
Allen expressed optimism about the future of the podcast and encouraged listeners to reach out with any ideas for new guests.
“If people listen to the podcast, they are always welcome to email us with future guest ideas at faith@nd.edu. We keep a running list of suggestions and try to feature as many people as we can,” Allen said.
Contact Isabella Ponciroli at iponciro@nd.edu
Revue
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
while staying within university guidelines.
“The show goes through two rounds of tryouts and all scripts get seen by the officers of OCS,” Facchini said, referring to the Office of Community Standards.
While the Revue has evolved over the years, its roots remain deeply embedded in campus tradition. Facchini noted that the event was initially created as a way for Keenan Hall residents to entertain themselves during the coldest months of winter.
“The Revue started because it was the coldest time of the year and the Keenan guys got bored,” Facchini said. “It actually started in the basement of Keenan.”
The show’s popularity was evident when ticket sales began at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10. By 8
a.m., students had already formed a long line inside Duncan Student Center’s Dahnke Ballroom, passing the time by studying and chatting with friends.
For Notre Dame senior Isabella Vescera, the Revue’s appeal comes from its ability to bring the campus community together through humor rooted in campus culture.
“It takes core attributes about the campus culture and creates a massive inside joke,” Vescera said.
As Keenan Hall members finalize preparations, they look forward to another year of entertaining the Notre Dame community with their signature blend of satire, camaraderie and tradition.
“The Revue is magic,” Kositzke said. “Over its history, the show has evolved but never lost its identity.”
Contact Isabel Torres at itorres@nd.edu
LETTER EDITOR
Not understanding art doesn’t mean it is bad
In the wake of the Grammy awards and Kendrick Lamar’s dominant night, I anxiously awaited the Super Bowl Halftime Show and whatever grandeur Lamar’s team would create to continue the momentum. After thirteen minutes of pure power on screen, my first reaction was, “Wow, I think I missed a lot.” I am not an expert in Kendrick Lamar’s music by any stretch and knew the symbolism that dotted the performance evaded me. But, I have always known his work to be politically charged stories in the form of cohesive albums (DAMN. earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 2018). Topics he frequents include the realities of growing up in Compton, California, experiences of loss and gang violence, poverty and the racism that plagues America. He weaves these themes into poems through expert storytelling. It can only be described as genius.
Upon second and third viewing, I began to notice the underpinnings of the performance. Lamar states, “The revolution is about to be televised; you picked the right time but the wrong guy.” A reference to Scott-Heron’s 1971 poem stating the revolution will not be televised. “Forty acres and a mule” is a reference to the reparations freed slaves were promised at the end of the Civil War, which were largely unfilled by
the U.S. Government. Using video game imagery, Lamar and his performers travel through the American Dream while Samuel L. Jackson, who brilliantly portrays Uncle Sam, attempts to corral Lamar into a more palatable character for the audience, describing him as “too loud” and “too reckless.” Altogether, the stunning display was a representation of the reality of racism and division many Americans (and world class athletes) experience.
I consider the performance to be an artful and intentional statement on the world’s biggest stage. However, I began to see the flood of negative comments concerning the performance. Some comments offered broad generalizations about personal preferences, and viewers complained of not enjoying it or “getting” it. Posts from notable X (formerly Twitter) accounts call the show, “Godawful” and “worst he’d ever seen.” SNL poked fun at this phenomenon of white individuals being uncomfortable with African American culture in the foreground of art in the sketch, “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black,” a dramatization of the reactions to Beyoncé’s album, “Lemonade.” I can empathize with not understanding all the references. I was raised in a predominantly white community in rural Ohio. If Lamar wrote a song about
soybean farming, I would understand every line. However, I am not represented by one of the red, white or blue clad dancers who represent a tense and fractured Americana. And you know what, that is okay. Art is a representation of an emotion, condition, feeling, idea or any intention by the creator. Art is the construction of something to elicit a reaction in the viewer. It is a communion between creator and observer. Art does not have to create emotion in every viewer. Most art cannot do that. However, not communicating with a piece does not make it invalid, poorly made or bad art. It is only an opportunity to learn. I will never understand the harsh realities of being a black man in Compton, California in 2025. But, with the help of “To Pimp a Butterfly” and “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” I can peek around a corner unbeknownst to me previously. Lamar creates that communion with millions of onlookers. To call a work of art bad because it does not elicit that initial reaction, it only means you must look deeper within the piece and yourself. I invite you to do so in 2026.
Alaina Reed senior
Feb. 11
Dining hall mushroom meat faces opposition
I would like to start this article off by congratulating my best friend, who is British, yet ironically abroad in London right now, for completing the Hesburgh Challenge last semester. Beer has been beaten!
Now, to the topic at hand:
To conceal my rage, I have written this entire article in a Bostonian accent, so as to conceal my rage, concerning this specific issue on campus.
MUSHROOMS?! AH YA FREAKIN’ KIDDIN’ ME?! MUSHROOMS?!
Ya honah, why do people keep playin’ this nevah-endin’ game of “let’s eat some rando mushrooms and see if they friggin’ kill us?!”
‘Half the meat, twice the taste’ — who is these mushrooms appealin’ to?! MARIO?!
Now, not everyone’s flippin’ out about this socalled ‘mushroom meat.’ Some hippie kid from San Francisco, skateboard undah his ahm, goes, “Duuuuuude, I don’t know what the big deal is. I’m realllllly diggin’ these shrooms.” Yeah, I bet ya, ah, pal.
Carnivores and even the wicked rare Dessertetarians are puttin’ aside their differences to unite against this absolute slap in the face to real food. We, the workin’ man, have been FED LIES! They been tellin’ us red meat is bad, bad for the planet, bad for our health — oh yeah? Since when?!
Ya wanna know how I respond to that? With a big fat NOPE. They call mushroom meat a ‘health choice?!’ Ovah a real, grass-fed, juicy
freakin’ steak?! Get outta heah! Red meat is one of the best things you can eat! Full of creatine, iron, all the good stuff ya need to build muscle and not walk around like some kinda wet noodle.
What, ya think ya gonna get JACKED eatin’ chickpeas?! That’s funny. Ya best shot at gettin’ big and strong is steak, eggs and full-fat dairy, kid.
Ahh, but then ya got the so-called “health expuhts” crawlin’ outta the woodwork. “But what about ya cholesterol? Ya blood pressure? Heart disease?!”
Ohhh, now ya worried ‘bout health? That’s real funny, seein’ as ya scarf down Beyond Meat pumped full’a chemicals so sketchy even a chemist would need a d*mn dictionary to read the label. Ya know what I say to that? “Aaaand ya wrong, ya friggin’ bozo.”
So WHY the mushrooms? I’ll tell ya why! It’s the Bourgeoisie tryna keep the rest of us WEAK! They ain’t just takin’ away our steak — they drownin’ everything in SEED OILS and SOY while they chow down on the real deal!
And don’t even get me stahted on the milk. TWO PERCENT?! SKIM?! What kinda sick joke is that?! The human soul craves WHOLENESS, and ya think I’m settlin’ for some diluted milk-flavored wahdah at the dining hall?! How ya expectin’ to throw up 225 on the bench when ya drinkin’ this monstrosity?! Point bein’, get some Whole Milk in that DH asap.
And the eggs — OH, THE EGGS! Since when do eggs need more than ONE freakin’ ingredient?!
Since when did we staht needin’ “Grill Buttah Flavah” in our scrambled eggs?! Eggs got ONE
JOB. ONE! And they out heah’ tryna reinvent the wheel!
We’ve been duped! GUILTED into givin’ up steak to save tha planet heah’ while people like Taylor Swift and Bill Gates zip around in their private jets just so they don’t gotta sit in L.A. traffic. It’s a joke!
Ohhh, ya wanna be STRONG? Ya think ya wicked smaat? Ya wanna keep it REAL? Then quit messin’ around wit’ that lab-grown, soy-stuffed, fake-a*s food an’ get ya hands on some REAL freakin’ protein! Grass-fed STEAK — none’a that grain-fed, plastic-wrapped, grocery store gahbage! Beef TALLAH, RAW BUTTAH, FULL-FAHH GREEK YOGUHT — none’a this skim milk, oat juice, almond wannabe-milk! Eggs? STRAIGHT outta the freakin’ CHICKEN, pal! No labels, no fake buttah-FLAVAH’D monstrosities — just yolk, whites, ‘n’ pure freakin’ GAINS!
An’ don’t even get me stahted on the fruits ‘n’ veggies — they’ve been soaked in more pesticides than a freakin’ Red Sox outfield durin’ mosquito season. I ain’t eatin’ it! I’m talkin’ REAL food, the kinda stuff that made ya grandfathah built like a brickhouse aftah three squares ‘n’ a coupla Bud Heavies! Get it in ya, lift heavy, an’ for the LOVE’A GAWD, stay the hell away from them SEED OILS before ya end up lookin’ like a deflated Macy’s balloon!
Stop lettin’ ‘em feed you this. Eat like a real person. Get strong. And for all that is holy, don’t let ‘em take away ya steak!
To file a complaint, reach out at jrudolp3@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Joe Rudolph Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino
A message to seniors
It is too early in the semester to say goodbye, but it is too late in our college careers to pretend we have much time left.
In a few months, we will no longer be able to complain about what the dining hall has for dinner. We will not be able to see our friends for a quick coffee because they will have inevitably moved across the country. We will not be able to turn to our roommate to rant that the best shower in the hall was being used, so we had to settle for the one that shoots water out like a power washer. We will not be able to take part in a billion debates on parietals. Even though many of us have already moved off campus, the sentiment still stands. Simply put, we are running out of time to make memories and revel in the daily aspects of Notre Dame life that can not be replicated anywhere else. That being said, it is officially crunch time. There is no valid excuse to waste another second. We have to take full advantage of the time we have
left. Make a goal and stick to it. I, for one, am attempting to attend at least one game for all of the major sports on campus. We have all stood in the stands of “The House that Rockne Built.” However, students rarely give the other sports on campus the same reverence. I must admit that I messed up already in the fall semester – my apologies to soccer and volleyball, I swear I wanted to go, but I just forgot. This spring semester I will not make the same mistake.
Maybe sports are not your thing. Don’t fret, there are many other things all seniors should do before leaving. Make sure you go to at least one lecture on campus. The University tries to bring in speakers they think we would find interesting, odds are at least one will entertain you. Go to at least one more SYR or formal, or at least take part in a dorm event. Try all the South Bend restaurants you have been hearing about (the good and the bad).
Not everything has to be about the events on campus, some can be about socializing. If you had a fight with someone on campus, address it and reconcile before the clock ticks down
to zero. Similarly, if you are debating having a fight with a friend, be sure that you pick your battles and know that it may not even be worth the energy (we all know they probably won’t change anyway). If you have a crush, tell them — if you get rejected, you only have to awkwardly see them in the hallway a little longer. If you have a friend you have not seen since freshman year, reconnect with them to remember where you started.
No matter who you are, there is something to be done before we are out of time. Everyone had something that they would like to do on campus or a situation that they would like to clear up. Create a list of goals, be bold and get it done. You do not want to graduate and realize that you spent too much time lying around in your bed on TikTok. This University has cost us 12 years of hard work and about $65,000 a year (yikes). Do not let all of that go to waste. Take advantage of every second we have left.
You can contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Now that I’m not in love with anyone
trip to Ibiza.
Now that I’m not in love with anyone, I admit there are a few perks.
For one, less time spent talking to a boy means more time spent dancing with Claudia and Emma at Newf’s during closing time (with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” playing and all the lights on). The dance floor clears as people scramble to order Ubers or look for their coats, but we’re in no rush. We continue dancing and twirling each other on the slippery tile, feeling weightless and completely alive (until one of us, inevitably, slips, falls and contracts a massive bruise on her back side) (a mark of a very good night).
Now that I’m not in love with anyone, I go to the bar bathroom, and I don’t check my phone once. I no longer use the bathroom trip to text a prospect something deeply romantic like “Come to Newf’s now!!!!” Instead, I use the bathroom trip to bond with the huddle of juniors touching up their makeup or the girl crying over a boy in the handicap stall. It sounds like I’m joking, but trips to the bathroom have been much more interesting lately, and my screen time has almost halved.
Now that I’m not in love with anyone, Valentine’s Day is just a day (and also an excuse to buy myself some chocolate and a pair of heart-shaped earrings). And, although I will totally be logging off of social media on February 14th, I am overwhelmingly happy for the love other people have in their relationships (and am, for the first time in a long time, not bitter in the slightest).
Now that I’m not in love with anyone, I recognize what a privilege it was to love in the first place — to know what that all feels like. And despite it ending, I somehow feel myself getting warmer, learning more about myself and the love that’s out there for me (and all of us).
When I talk about love now, I admit, I have this slightly crazed “take-me-back” wide-eyed look, like a middle-aged man reminiscing his college years or a post-study abroad girl reminiscing on that one
I feel lucky to have experienced love — even if it wasn’t terribly defined, even if it wasn’t terribly long-term, even if it wasn’t my husband. I feel lucky that it happened.
But it wasn’t always this way.
I used to be the heartbroken girl full of resentment with playlists full of sad songs. I used to be the girl who cried when she saw couples in public and flirted around the bar all night long in some desperate attempt to feel wanted. For a long time, I felt reckless with the love I knew I had to give and unsure of where to allocate it and to whom. I was completely addicted to the “fall” and not at all attached to the “love” part.
Frankly, I was terrified of love, terrified of everything it entails, terrified I was only capable of loving and being loved in short, small doses, sprints which last two or three months and then break and end (with a lake walk or a long paragraph or both).
So, the summer before senior year, I prescribed myself three months of no boys, and I began to investigate what this whole love thing was about.
Growing up, I thought I knew everything about love. This was probably because I watched lots of Disney shows and read lots of cheesy romance novels and listened to lots and lots of indie music.
I knew that “If you love somebody, you set them free,” because that’s something Alex Russo said during her breakup with Mason on an episode of “Wizards of Waverly Place.” I knew that sometimes “home isn’t a place. It is a person,” because that’s something Anna said when she realized she was madly in love with Etienne St. Clair in “Anna and the French Kiss.” I knew that the right man will buy a ring for his wife the week they start dating because that’s what Jim Halpert did for Pam in “The Office.”
I knew that “loving is easy” because that was one of my favorite Rex Orange County songs, and I knew that love is “a red, red rose” because that’s a line from a famous Robert Burns poem.
I thought I knew everything about love — and then I didn’t.
So, “What do you think love even is?” became my tipsy-at-the-bar-question. This was something
I asked friends, friends-of-friends, single friends, taken friends, my nana. And even despite my many, many asks, I don’t remember a single answer solidly. This isn’t to say there weren’t any good answers. This is to say no answer fit me or felt right.
When people asked me what I thought love was, I thought about what it felt like the first time.
I remember falling in love felt like swimming in the ocean past sundown, and the stars are sparkling and reflecting, and you can barely see a foot in front of you, but you don’t care. You know there could be sharks out there but you do it anyway, swimming farther and farther, becoming more and more weightless at the will of the waves and the rhythm of the tide which pulls you in and spits you out. You swim in something you don’t know yet, something you’ve never known before, and you don’t care and you’re not as scared as you are thrilled at the prospect … the prospect of this cosmic mystery, this thing called love.
Now that I’m not in love with anyone, I finally see love for what it really is.
At 21, I know “to be in love is to touch with a lighter hand” because that’s something Gwendolyn Brooks wrote in one of her poems, and it’s how I feel whenever I wipe a friend’s tears or hold a boy’s face in my hands and call it home. I know that sometimes “love is embarrassing as hell” because Olivia Rodrigo said so. I know that love is getting warmer. It’s unraveling; it’s honest; it’s saying something stupid and then immediately apologizing; it’s “night, night, don’t let the bed bugs bite” and then tucking you in; it’s the song you listen to that always reminds you of them; it’s holding someone close, and then closer; it’s impossible to define. It’s awesome. It’s not always cool. It’s not always fun. It’s worth it. It’s so so worth it.
And I can’t wait to feel it all over again.
Kate Casper is a senior at Notre Dame studying English with minors in digital marketing and Italian. She strives to be the best waste of your time. You can contact her at kcasper@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Kate Casper Outsider Instincts
Emma Duffy Social Media Editor
KENDRICK LAMAR, AMERICAN LAUREATE
By AYDEN KOWALSKI Scene Writer
Two years ago, I reviewed Rihanna’s gravity-defying turn at the Super Bowl 2023 Halftime Show, highlighting the incredible difficulty of such a condensed and precisely choreographed medley of hits that has to appeal to the general American audience, whatever that is. I mention this because Kendrick Lamar opened his performance with not a deep cut, but a literally unreleased verse. His introduction is emblematic of his approach to the halftime show: it is a game for him to play, with rules that exist to be stretched in service of his performance art. It is the boldest Super Bowl performance since Beyoncé brought “Formation“ to the halftime stage, interrupting a supposed reprieve from our fracturing politics with an assertion of, perhaps, a new vision of the American Dream. Kendrick already made rap great again; on Sunday night, his sights were even higher.
“GNX“ is a wonderful album, but not at the level of popularity that past halftime show material reaches. And yet, its selections were perfect for this stage — accessible anthems for Kendrick’s vision of an authentic hip-hop rooted in personal heritage, both in terms of musical palette and topical focus and genuine spirituality. “HUMBLE.“ and “DNA.,“ the two solo songs he performed that were not connected to “GNX“ or last year’s victory over Drake, grapple with
virtue and childhood trauma, extending the vision of rap “GNX“ presents. And of course, Kendrick’s two diss tracks toward Drake played at the show, “Euphoria“ and “Not Like Us,“ together slam inauthenticity and abusers. Given the political climate in which Kendrick presents this show — and given that Samuel L. Jackson played an incarnation of Uncle Sam, the political overtones are blatant and unavoidable. It is impossible to imagine who else may be “not like us“ and who that “us“ is on a national scale. And like all great anthems, “Not Like Us“ slips into the bloodstream immediately to eventually force its conversation.
The design elements of the show glitter with inspiration, from the striking flag-colored costumes to the surprising and delightful PlayStation set. The dancers viscerally excite with palpably purposeful movement; there are essays dormant in their formations.
SZA’s guest vocals are characteristically gorgeous, and her buoyancy somehow plays well with Kendrick’s laser focus. The two also have immediate, irresistible chemistry that makes them fantastic duet partners. Kendrick’s rapping performance is excellent as ever, leaving more space in the live versions than in their records not only for breath control but also to let his words resonate with the national audience. His poker face smile, first appearing during “Euphoria,“ is another highlight, as he flashes that
grin as he begins to annihilate Drake in “Not Like Us,” a deservedly viral moment. And finally, Samuel L. Jackson is a scene-stealer as Uncle Sam, embodying the nebulous “general American audience,“ with its deeply felt predilections towards music like Kendrick’s with magnetism, while still letting his character’s message burrow into the hearts of the audience.
Kendrick Lamar has the gift to be both anthemic and intimate, and the intellectual display here, on par with his records‘ poetic mastery, creates an intimacy to this performance, as the symbolic meaning of it all unfurls within the audience or the smaller communities online discussing the significance of this performance art. Yes, this is performance art at the Super Bowl, a superb display of the power of hip-hop, on par with the writing of any canonized Western author.
When Kendrick declares at the start of the performance that “the revolution [is] ‘bout to be televised,“ he is implicitly transferring his vision of hip-hop to the country gathered for the game, a dream for an America where personal heritage is celebrated, and true spirituality can blossom. In 2012, he told the world, “Kendrick have a dream,“ and last Sunday, the world saw, heard and felt it.
Contact Ayden Kowalski at akowals2@nd.edu
By MASON MCCART Scene Writer
Thankfully, as society has socially advanced, film has grown to become an extremely inclusive and welcoming art form to individuals from all backgrounds and beliefs. Because of this, individuals who might not otherwise have a platform now have the ability to share their stores with the masses. While this might have been the intention with the making of “Emilia Pérez,” it is sadly not what was displayed on the screen. From its now infamous gender-affirming surgery musical number to the surface-level representation of what it means to be a transgender individual, “Emilia Pérez” hits all of the wrong notes in every way possible to the point where it makes you wonder who this film is even for in the first place.
Even on paper, the film itself proves to be an enigma as to who its audience truly is with its summary being a musical thriller about the gender transition of a prominent mob boss-turned philanthropist. Because of how uber-specific this plotline is, the film could have gone in two directions: a campy musical akin to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” or a profound social commentary on trans visibility in countries where the topic is heavily contested. Instead, we receive a product that attempts to land somewhere in the middle of the two and instead falls face-first in the process
of doing so.
In regards to the musical aspects, all of the numbers come in at what seems like OK parts to do so, but the conversational style and odd topics (ex., gender-affirming surgery, corruption within the Mexican government) pretty much diminish any intended impact. The topics at hand are hardhitting and important, but the music takes away from the emotional impact of the presented message. Instead, it feels like we are watching these scenes unfold as something not so serious occurs as the music plays in the background. The overwhelmingly bad quality of the numbers and the little contribution of the music itself outweigh the solid performances from some of its cast (Zoe Saldana specifically) and undermine its message as a whole.
Beyond the musical numbers, the film fails to establish strong enough character arcs to compel the viewer to care for them whenever something exciting actually does happen. We know that the titular character is a former mob boss who successfully transitions into the person that she had always wanted to become, but nothing more. Even after the transition, the majority of her conversations regarding her transition are nods to how different and pretty she looks instead of what kind of person she is inside. This surface-level exploration of the character and her relationships ultimately does not compel the viewer to want to know more about her; instead, we are bored by how limited
she is. The most dynamic and interesting character by far is that of Saldana’s Rita, as we learn about her life and how she becomes intertwined in the lives of the other major characters. She is one of the film’s only bright spots; you eagerly await her return on screen while many subplots provide little to no substance or major relief. However, the dependency on one actress to carry the film with their talent proves that this film does not succeed in much of what it is trying to achieve.
As seen from an abundance of posts made on pretty much all major social media platforms, the LGBTQ+ community hates the film, the Mexican community hates the film and musical lovers hate the film as well. It truly makes you wonder whether or not this film was made for “Oscar bait” and got lucky. With a staggering 13 Academy Award nominations at the upcoming ceremony, it would be a travesty if this film were to take away any awards that belong to much more deserving films. A movie set in Mexico and starring a transgender woman being directed by a white male in France who did not bother to conduct extensive research into the topics shown leads to “Emilia Pérez” ultimately not contributing to the communities that it represents and instead paints its figures into something more flat than nuanced.
Contact Mason McCart at mmcart@nd.edu
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
Direly needing a win, Irish visit Boston College
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
It’s been a tumultuous start to February for the Notre Dame men’s basketball team. The Irish have lost three consecutive games against highly beatable teams (Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech), missing a chance to pull out of the ACC’s congested middle pack.
Well, they have pulled out of it — just in the wrong direction. At 10-13 overall and 4-8 within league play, Notre Dame ranks 15th out of 18 in the ACC. Fifteen teams will make the ACC Tournament in March.
“We got a group of guys that are hurting right now, got a group of guys that are disappointed,” head coach Micah Shrewsberry said after Saturday’s 65-63 loss to Virginia Tech. “Nobody’s hurting more than we are. Nobody’s putting in the time and the effort that we are. And when you don’t get the results, you gotta keep going back out there and being vulnerable … with no promise that it’s gonna go your way.”
The dejectedness of Notre Dame’s typically passionate head coach matched the inexplicability of Irish basketball in 2025. Notre Dame keeps losing the same game. Over and over again.
On Jan. 4, a 4-point lead late in the second half against North Carolina. Four days later in Raleigh, more than 26 minutes in the lead against N.C. State. On Jan. 18, a 17-point advantage early on at Syracuse. Two Saturdays ago, a 13-point lead after halftime in Miami. Three days after that, a 10-point cushion out of the gate at Florida State. This past weekend, more than 34 minutes of time in the lead against the Hokies.
Surely one, just one, of those games the Irish hung onto for a
ND SOFTBALL
win, right? Not at all.
“I’m the one calling the plays down the stretch,” Shrewsberry said. “I’ve gotta put us in a better position for us to take advantage of how we can score, we can rebound … You’ve gotta get back on the horse and play again.”
That’s what the Irish will do on Wednesday at Boston College, a team notorious in recent years for beating Notre Dame in close games. They’ll probably be in another one at Conte Forum this week.
Or perhaps they won’t. The Irish already beat Boston College by 18 on Jan. 13 and could have several more double-digit wins in the new year based on their leads. In a game like Saturday’s, it’s easy to lose sight of all the good things Notre Dame had done, like shooting 50% from the field in the first half and making all 16 attempted free throws.
Shrewsberry offered Notre Dame’s big leads, albeit oftenblown big leads, as a sign of better things to come.
“We’re the team that’s getting a double-figure lead, but we’re also the team that’s letting people back in it,” he said. “So it is us. It’s in there. Now, it’s about being able to do it for 40 minutes.”
The Eagles (10-13, 2-10 ACC) have beaten only Florida State and Miami to this point in ACC play. On Saturday, they danced into triple overtime with Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome, running out of magic in a 95-86 loss.
“[It’s] unfortunate that we didn’t come up on the winning
Shrewsberry wants to see the Irish keep their discipline and avoid another 17-turnover game like Saturday’s. Junior forward Kebba Njie said they need to be more locked in defensively to spark the offense late in games. We’ll see if Notre Dame can improve in either area come Wednesday night. Boston College coming off triple-overtime loss
Kronenberger’s walk-off sparks weekend rally
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Between Friday and Sunday, Notre Dame softball opened the 2025 season with six games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida. The Irish dropped each of the first three contests but rallied to finish 3-3 ahead of next weekend’s trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Notre Dame 4, Morgan State 5
The first inning of Notre Dame’s season certainly could have gone better for the Irish. After leaving the bases loaded on a flyout by sophomore utility player Sydny Poeck in the top half, the Irish gave up three runs before recording a second out. Each run was
charged to senior right-hander Shannon Becker, who conceded singles to four of the first five hitters she faced before departing. Sophomore right-hander Kami Kamzik relieved her and, despite walking four, kept the Irish in the game by twirling four scoreless innings.
Notre Dame would pay off her work by tying the game with a three-run fifth. Poeck started the Irish scoring with a single to left, plating two runs with the help of a Morgan State error. Senior catcher Rachel Allen then evened the ledger with a sacrifice fly. An inning later, Addison Amaral delivered a clutch, go-ahead double with two outs to pull the Irish into a 4-3 lead. However, Morgan State answered right back, scoring twice against graduate
right-hander Alexis Laudenslager on a bunt single and error to claim the 5-4 lead and eventual 5-4 win.
Notre Dame 4, Kentucky 12
The Irish would get going early in game two on Friday, scoring twice in the top of the first on an Amaral single. However, the opponent yet again knocked out Notre Dame’s starting pitcher before she recorded an out, as Kentucky tallied eight runs in the first, including six against junior right-hander Micaela Kastor. After freshman left-hander Brianne Weiss and Kamzik combined to pull the Irish out of the
inning, Kentucky tacked on two more runs in the second to lead 10-2.
In the fourth, Notre Dame pulled back within six on a tworun single by freshman utility player Caroline O’Brien, her first collegiate hit. Kentucky would score in each of the next two frames against Becker, ending the game by mercy rule after five innings.
Notre Dame 2, Tennessee 10
Another SEC team blitzed Notre Dame to start Saturday’s action, as Tennessee tagged Laudenslager for eight runs
before she recorded a seventh out. Right fielder Taylor Pannell ended a four-run second inning with a two-run home run, setting the table for four more Volunteer runs in the third. In the meantime, Notre Dame scored its only two runs of the game in the top of the third, as O’Brien and Amaral made out to drive teammates home.
Like Kentucky, Tennessee plated a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to finish the game in five innings. Volunteer pitchers Erin Nuwer and Peyton Tanner see ND SOFTBALL PAGE 10
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Freshman forward Sir Mohammed releases a contested shot during Notre Dame’s 65-63 loss to Virginia Tech at Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 8, 2025. The Irish led the Hokies by 12 at one point in the first half but mustered only eight made field goals on 28 attempts after the halftime break.
Happy Birthday: Share your vision with those close to you, and the input you get will help you decipher what’s possible. Take precautionary measures when dealing with joint ventures and budgets that can quickly spin out of control. Implementing safety measures will also weed out anyone trying to take advantage of you this year. Spend more time building a solid base and measuring the possibilities to ensure you come out on top. Your numbers are 5, 16, 21, 24, 29, 34, 42.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look for the best path forward and set your sights on manufacturing what you need to convince others to see things your way and help you reach your goal. A positive and in-depth discussion will help you fine-tune your path to fit your budget. Personal growth is on the rise.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Only change what’s necessary. Taking on too much or putting someone else’s battle first will diminish the progress of projects that mean the most to you. Be bold, adjust, and be very clear about what you want and are willing to give in return, and move forward with a clear conscience.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep the momentum flowing and refuse to let someone’s negativity or uncertainty stand in the way. Rise for whatever occasion you encounter, and let your charm win favors from whoever has something to offer that makes you shine brighter. Stretch your imagination, and personal gain will be yours.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Put your energy where it counts, and you’ll gain the strength, courage, and drive to reach your target on time. Let your creative imagination lead the way and take care of your responsibilities, and you’ll attract influential people who can offer unique suggestions while keeping tabs on your progress.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Only change what’s necessary. Live with what you’ve got, save time and money, and ward off opposition. Emotional spending can quickly turn into a problem if you aren’t careful. Generosity and helping others before you take care of your interests will be your downfall. Do what’s best for you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Emotions and secrets will be counterproductive if you neglect what’s important to you. Spell out what you want for those who cannot see what’s right in front of them. Be bold, and vow to make changes to ensure your ability to do what’s best and suitable for you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An open mind will help you expand your awareness and pick and choose the best way to use your attributes to get ahead. Charm, intelligence, and networking will play in your favor and help bring you face-to-face with people with something to offer in return. A partnership looks promising.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take one step at a time, ask questions, and refuse to alter what’s working efficiently. Take the plunge and use your skills to produce something unique and innovative that fits current trends. It’s time to market yourself with charisma, high energy, and persistence; the results will be outstanding.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Travel time is necessary to explore more possibilities. Whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional travel you’ll be doing, the outcome will be a learning experience that will help you let go of the past and those who have let you down. Trust your instincts, not what someone suggests.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Refuse to let change lead to debt. Look for cheaper ways to make your life better. Choose to work on self-improvement, health, and meaningful relationships using positive action, conversation, and promises that bring you closer to your expectations. You cannot buy love, but you can earn it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Refurbish what you already have; you’ll feel good about your environment and what you accomplish. Refuse to let others rain on your parade. Do what suits you best; your surroundings will be conducive to peace of mind and a place you feel good about calling home.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Set your goal, and don’t stop or jeopardize your chance to reach your goal to accommodate someone else. The improvements you achieve will facilitate what you need to produce undeniable results. Refuse to let anyone tempt you to put your efforts toward something that benefits them more than you.
Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, accommodating, and loyal. You are optimistic and persistent.
ND Softball
combined to toss all five of those frames without an earned run.
Missouri 3, Notre Dame 4
As Notre Dame’s starting pitching finally settled, the Irish captured their first win of the season on Saturday evening. Kastor hurled a 115-pitch complete game, striking out seven while conceding three earned runs. The Irish gave her run support right away, as freshman infielder Kaia Cortes singled home O’Brien in the bottom of the first. However, Missouri took the lead in the middle innings as Madison Walker homered in
ND TENNIS
the fourth and Mya Dodge stole home in the fifth.
The Irish, who outhit Missouri 11-3, responded right away with a leadoff Poeck double in the bottom of the fifth. Senior utility player Jane Kronenberger eventually brought her home with two away, singling to right. The Tigers reclaimed the lead with a run-scoring single of their own in the top of the sixth. Notre Dame then missed a golden opportunity to tie the game with two runners in scoring position and nobody out, heading to the seventh inning down 3-2.
After a quick top half of the seventh, the Irish again put the leadoff hitter aboard with an Amaral single. With one out,
up stepped Kronenberger with one big hit already to her name. Ready for a 1-1 pitch on the inner half of the plate, Kronenberger turned on the ball and sent it over the left-field fence for a two-run, walk-off home run. The game-winning swing completely changed the fate of not only the game, but Notre Dame’s whole opening weekend in Clearwater.
Penn State 2, Notre Dame 4
Looking to mirror the success Notre Dame football had against Penn State in Florida, the Irish once more started fast with a two-run first inning on Sunday. Amaral and Cortes each struck singles, getting them out
to an early advantage. The lead would double in the third, as junior utility player Paige Cowley and junior outfielder Mickey Winchell each brought in a run. Penn State would close in again with two runs in the top of the fourth, setting up another tight finish. On the other side, Kamzik pitched into the seventh inning, seeking another Irish complete game. Though she conceded a leadoff single in the seventh to bring the tying run to the dish, Kamzik induced a double play to clear the basepaths and put Penn State up against the wall on its final out. After that, she struck out her sixth of the game on pitch number 117 to seal the win for Notre Dame.
Bethune-Cookman 0, Notre Dame 1
Notre Dame pitching had its best day yet to close out the weekend, shutting out BethuneCookman on just two hits. Kastor, Laudenslager and Becker combined to punch out seven while walking only three, outdueling opposing hurler Halyne Gonzalez. The Irish needed a single run and found it in the third on Amaral’s sixth RBI of the weekend. Becker would later finish the job with a scoreless seventh inning, pushing Notre Dame back to .500 at the weekend’s conclusion.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish go 4-1 with sweeps on Saturday, Sunday
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The Notre Dame men’s and women’s tennis teams were both in action over the weekend at Eck Tennis Pavilion. While the Irish women went 2-1 with a loss to Ohio State and a sweep of Bellarmine, the men’s team extended its win streak to six with sweeps of William & Mary and Northern Illinois.
Women’s tennis
The Irish, who entered the weekend unbeaten, opened with their toughest challenge of the season to date. They took on No. 17 Ohio State at home on Friday, playing to a 6-1 loss. Notre Dame showed positive signs throughout the match, including the performance of senior Nibi Ghosh and junior Rylie
HCC BASKETBALL
Hanford in No. 2 doubles. The duo led Ohio State’s 63rd-ranked pair of Alessia Cau and Dani Schoenly by a 5-4 score before Buckeye wins in the other two doubles matches ended the contest early. Luciana Perry/Teah Chavez defeated senior Carrie Beckman/junior Akari Matsuno (6-2) in No. 1 doubles, while Sydni Ratliff/Sophia CisseIgnatiev bested junior Bojana Pozder/senior Maria Olivia Castedo (6-3) in No. 3 doubles. In singles play, the No. 2 matchup featured a battle between ranked opponents. The 55th-ranked Chavez took down the 71st-ranked Matsuno (7-5, 6-1), as Ohio State won each of the top five singles contests. However, freshman Bianca Molnar pulled a major upset on the No. 6 court, defeating No. 60 Audrey Spencer. The two
traded set wins to start before Molnar claimed a thrilling, 1-0 (10-7) victory to end the day in set three.
The Irish would bounce back with two successful matches against Bellarmine on Sunday, defeating the Knights by 7-0 and 6-0 scores. Now at 9-1 on the year, they’ll host Xavier at 11 a.m. on Sunday before opening ACC play the following weekend at SMU.
Men’s tennis
On Saturday, Notre Dame men’s tennis hosted and swept two non-conference opponents to start February. The Irish claimed 7-0 wins against William & Mary and Northern Illinois, stretching their win streak to six games and improving to 8-1 on the season.
In the day’s first match at
Eck Tennis Pavilion, the Tribe gave the Irish some trouble in No. 1 doubles and singles. Notre Dame’s senior pairing of Jameson Corsillo and Yu Zhang lost to Gur Trakhtenberg and Oliver Hague (6-3). However, a 6-1 win from junior Sebastian Dominko and sophomore Kyran Magimay in No. 3 doubles and a 6-2 victory from freshman Peter Nad and sophomore Chase Thompson in No. 2 doubles got Notre Dame its first point. Hague would pick up an unexpected first-set win against the 33rd-ranked Dominko in No. 1 singles. But Dominko bounced back, capturing an overall victory (4-6, 6-2, 6-1) that at the time gave the Irish a 6-0 lead. Zhang, Thompson, Nad, Magimay and Corsillo all won their singles contests in just two sets for Notre Dame.
Against Northern Illinois, the Irish went almost entirely uncontested. Head coach Ryan Sachire kept his No. 1 and No. 2 doubles team the same but gave freshman Luis Llorens Saracho a chance to play with Dominko on the No. 3 court. The Irish claimed a pair of 6-3 doubles wins, earning the first point once again. Saracho also checked in for Thompson as Notre Dame’s No. 6 singles player, helping the Irish capture all 12 available sets. Dominko took care of Iker Arrastia in No. 1 singles (6-3, 6-4).
This coming weekend, the Irish will hit the road for the first time this season to face Illinois at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Saints sweep Judson, women’s team wins by 65
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
Over the weekend, both Holy Cross basketball teams were in action, as the men’s and women’s squads took on Judson and each won. The women’s team took the 107-42 win, and the men’s team claimed a closer 7573 win.
Women’s game
Holy Cross started the first quarter strong as senior forward Grace Adams contributed two points, senior guard Jordyn Smith added three points, freshman forward Allie Caldwell notched three points, junior guard Audrey Tallent scored two points and sophomore forward Brooke Lindesmith tallied two points to pull the Saints ahead 12-0. Judson posted four points, but sophomore guard Lilly Toppen drained a threepoint shot before Adams tacked on four points, freshman forward Kaiden Hanley added two points and Caldwell recorded three points to keep Holy Cross
ahead 24-4. Another three points from Caldwell ended the quarter with the Saints ahead 27-6.
Adams, Hanley and Smith each connected on jump shots to start the second quarter before Judson added two points of its own, making the score 33-8.
The Saints scored 13 points before Judson put up another two to bring the score to 46-10. A three-point shot from Caldwell would make the score 58-16 ending the second quarter and first half.
A dozen more points from Holy Cross started off the third quarter before Judson added four points to bring the score to 70-20. Smith quickly recorded two points, Caldwell added three and Hanley tallied two to make the score 7720 before Judson came back with four points. Toppen made a jump shot, Caldwell posted two points, junior forward Carly Spradling and Hanley each delivered four points to extend the Saints lead to 89-24. Judson managed a brief response, but
four points from Adams closed the quarter with Holy Cross up 93-29.
Junior forward Elizabeth Edmonds started the fourth quarter with two points, Tallent added two and Adams tacked on two to keep the Saints ahead 99-29. After three points from Judson, Hanley found the basket, bringing the score to 10132. Judson, despite going on a 5-0 run, was no match for Holy Cross as Edmonds, Lindesmith and Hanley each contributed two points, making the score 107-37. Judson added the final five points, but Holy Cross came out on top, winning 107-42.
Caldwell led the team on offense with 25 points, while Adams led the Saints with 15 rebounds. The Holy Cross women’s team will face Olivet Nazarene at 6:30 p.m on Feb. 12.
Men’s game
Holy Cross started off the first half strong, as senior guard Nash Hostetler put in a threepoint shot and sophomore guard Joey Garwood hit a three
of his own, but five points from Judson brought the score to 6-5. Garwood added a jump shot to keep the Saints ahead 9-5, but two points from Judson closed the score to 9-7. A layup from senior guard Justin O’Neal and a three-point shot from Garwood brought the score to 14-7, but a jump shot from Judson kept the game tight. Freshman forward Davide Brembilla added two points for the Saints, but a quick three points from Judson brought the score back to 1612. The two teams continued to battle back and forth for points, and near the middle of the half, Garwood added two points and freshman guard Callaghan Weatherspoon made a layup to bring the score to 29-20. A seven-point run from Judson tightened the score to 29-27, but three points from Garwood extends the lead to 32-27. As the two teams battled until the end of the half, the score became tied at 35 heading into halftime.
After the break, Garwood put in the first two points of the second half, but Judson was quick
to respond, adding four points to pull ahead 39-37. Brembilla fired back with four points to pull the Saints ahead at 41-39, but two points from Judson tied the score. Both teams continued to jostle for the lead, repeatedly tying the score. Nearing the eightminute mark, Judson managed a three-point run to pull ahead 56-53, but O’Neal responded with two points to bring the score within one. Judson continued to dominate, staying ahead throughout the half until senior guard Phil Robles II, O’Neal and Garwood combined for seven points, bringing the score to 7469. Three points from Judson pulled the score to 74-72, but Hostetler made a free throw to bring the score to 75-72. Even though Judson tallied the final point of the night, the Saints walked away with a 75-73 win. Garwood led the offense with a total of 32 points, and O’Neal led the team with a total of eight rebounds.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
SMC TENNIS
Belles grab first spring win against Huntington
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
In its first match of the season, the Saint Mary’s tennis team took a 4-3 win over Huntington.
It was a back-and-forth battle for the win, but a late forfeit from Huntington in the singles competition cemented a victory for the Belles.
Doubles
In the first match, senior
FENCING
Alayna Campbell and her partner, junior Emma Kealy, took a 7-6 win against opponents Addison Mast and Tiziana Rizzato, giving the Belles their first victory. In the second match, freshman Shannon Dudy and sophomore Sophia Pischalko took a 7-5 loss to even the team score at 1-1. The third match put the Belles in position to claim the doubles point, as sophomore Anna Gardner and freshman Lanie Brant took a 6-2 win over Coby
Sander and Macy Fegler from Huntington.
Singles
Campbell fell in the first round of singles to Mast, who took the first set 6-1 and the second set 6-0. It was back and forth in the second match as Kealy went up against Rizzato. Kealy dropped the first set 6-0 but bounced back, taking a 6-4 win to send the match into a tiebreaker. In a contested tiebreaker, Kealy couldn’t pull
through, losing 10-6.
In the third match, Gardner faced Sofia Kursinskaia from Huntington but fell. Gardner dropped the first set 6-4 and the second set 6-2. On the next court, the fourth match was played between Dudy and Grace Meyer from Huntington, and Dudy came out on top. Dudy took the first set 6-2 and the second set 6-2 to take the win. In the fifth singles match of the day, Brant faced off against Fegler and took the win for the Belles. Like the previous match, Brant won the first set 6-2 and the second set 6-2 to tied up the overall score at three. The sixth match was the game-changer for the Belles, as Huntington forfeited the final match, giving the Belles the final 4-3 win.
The Belles now prepare to face Anderson on Feb. 15, starting at 12:30 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Irish overcome odds, post 3-2 record at Duke
By CHRIS DAILEY Sports Writer
This past Saturday, the Notre Dame women’s fencing team built upon its success as it overcame all odds en route to a 3-2 record at the Benguinet Classic held at Duke University.
Due to several epee fencers competing at the Barcelona Women’s Individual Epee Cup, including junior Eszter Muhari, the Irish had to forfeit all their epee bouts, handing them a 9-0 deficit before their sabre and foil matches even began.
Muhari, who scored bronze at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics for Hungary and the 2023 NCAA Individual Epee National
Champion, went on to win the Women’s World Cup. Muhari didn’t compete for the Irish last year as she was training to qualify for the Olympics.
As for Notre Dame, the team fought valiantly, picking up three tough wins over the likes of No. 13 Penn State (14-13), Brandeis (16-11) and Boston College (14-13), despite starting with a major handicap. The Irish fell to No. 11 Temple (1116) and NYU (13-14).
Notre Dame’s sweep of Penn State in sabre proved to be a vital turning point for the Irish, providing the squad with a narrow, onepoint win and instilling a sense of confidence for Notre Dame that its fencers can rally behind one
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another facing adversity. Freshman Magda Skarbonkiewicz was the standout performance in sabre, finishing with a perfect 9-0 record on the day.
Senior Jadeyn Williams (10-2), freshman Lola Possick (5-1) and reigning ACC Fencer of the Week senior Atara Greenbaum (9-3) were additional key contributors to the Irish’s success in sabre throughout the meet.
Notre Dame found similar success in foil, inspired by the excellence of freshman Victoria Pevzner. The New Jersey native who came to Notre Dame as one of the most highly-touted recruits in the country boasted an 8-2 record on the day. Classmate Emma
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Thursday, February 13, 2025 | 12:30-1:45 p.m. ET Jenkins Nanovic Halls Room 1030
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Griffin complemented Pevzner’s success with a 5-1 tally.
What’s next
Notre Dame women’s fencing is in the final stretch of its hunt for an elusive 11th national championship. After winning five titles in the span of six seasons (not including the canceled 2020 season), the Irish fell short in 2024 to Harvard. The team will continue its quest for national glory as it participates in the USA Fencing Junior Olympics from Feb. 14-17 in Charlotte, North Carolina, before finding itself up the road in Chapel Hill for the ACC Championships from the 22nd to the 23rd.
From there, Notre Dame will
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
side of it,” fourth-year head coach Earl Grant said after the game. “I thought that we did some things right to put ourselves in position to win.”
The Eagles are young, and that doesn’t always bode well in tight finishes away from home.
Three of Boston College’s top four scorers have not yet reached their junior seasons. Sophomore Donald Hand Jr., the leader in points (16.2) and rebounds (6.6) per game, played mostly a terrific game at Syracuse, tallying 28 points. However, the 52 minutes he played fatigues him, resulting in four missed free throws after regulation concluded.
As a team, Boston College had clear-cut chances to win, particularly when it went up seven with two minutes to play in the second overtime.
“We’ve gotta learn how to win,” Grant said. “A lot of young guys in these moments for the first time.”
One of the young guys, redshirt freshman guard Fred Payne, hit the late three-pointer that sent the game into overtime.
After playing only five games last year, he’s stepped up to average 17.4 minutes per game this season, tallying 8 or more points in five straight games.
“He’s not a freshman anymore. He plays a lot of minutes,
compete at NCAA Midwest Regionals in Granville, Ohio. The NCAA Championships will take place from March 20 to March 23 at Penn State.
The women’s team, ranked second in the preseason poll, is paired alongside the men’s team, which has been nothing short of dominant all season long. The men are 36-2 on the season, showing no signs of slowing down after a 5-0 triumph at the Miller Invitational in Chapel Hill. Sixtime ACC Coach of the Year Gia Kvaratskhelia oversees both programs.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
so he’s really not a freshman anymore,” Grant said of Payne. “Usually freshmen don’t play as many minutes as he’s playing, so he’s growing up. That was a big shot, and hopefully he can build off of it.”
Now two games back of Notre Dame for the final ACC Tournament spot, Grant understands that the Eagles must keep their focus within during the season’s final month.
“At this point, it ain’t much we can do to try to control that outcome,” he said. “We’ve gotta find a way to win games and continue to better and grow and pursue the best version of ourselves.”
“The focus is to control what we can, and right now what we can control is showing up every day to continue to try to get better.”
They’ll attempt to beat the Irish in Chestnut Hill for a fifth consecutive season. Notre Dame previously claimed a 7860 victory in South Bend on Jan. 13, as junior forward Tae Davis and sophomore guard Markus Burton combined to score 46 points and draw 17 fouls. The Irish grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in that game to Boston College’s 7.
The Irish and Eagles will tip off at 9 p.m. inside Conte Forum.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish travel to Pitt ahead of Duke showdown
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Having just completed one of the most successful twogame homestands imaginable, Notre Dame women’s basketball heads back on the road this week. The Irish (21-2, 12-0 ACC) have won 16 consecutive games, beating Stanford and No. 21 Cal by a combined 88 points over the last two.
“Pretty much everybody’s clicking on all cylinders,” head coach Niele Ivey commented after Sunday’s 91-52 win. With their offense still humming along near 90 points per game, the Irish have been especially dominant on defense lately. They forced 50 combined turnovers against Stanford and Cal. Players like freshman forward Kate Koval, who tallied 6 points and 4 rebounds Sunday, also helped Notre Dame control the interior.
“I thought she had one of her best games,” Ivey said on Sunday. “Really physical, did a great job down low [with] great blocks. [She] did a great job of finding position offensively and setting great screens. She’s somebody that’s just gonna continue just to get better and better, and I’m really proud of her because she puts in so much work.”
Koval, a big part of Notre Dame’s fast start in November, has seen her playing time diminish with graduate forward Maddy Westbeld’s return, but she’s still finding ways to contribute. Senior guard Sonia Citron, on the other hand, has been in the main rotation all year, taking her defensive game to another level.
“[She’s] our Elmer’s glue of a person that comes in and does everything for us,” Ivey described. “I thought she made some huge plays defensively, and offensively just being solid for us. Great in transition — her speed, her pace — just fantastic.”
Citron stuffed the stat sheet on Sunday, blending 16 points with 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. She and the Irish will take a Thursday trip to Pittsburgh (11-14, 3-9 ACC) before hosting No. 13 Duke (19-5, 10-2 ACC) within the next week.
Irish slide up to No. 2 nationally
Nearly two months had passed since Notre Dame’s last movement in the national rankings. Credit goes to UCLA and South Carolina, whose constant kept the Irish locked up at No. 3.
However, on Sunday Notre
Dame got some help from a team it beat earlier this year. Then-No. 4 Texas, which the Irish toppled in overtime on Dec. 5, knocked off the Gamecocks in Austin, sliding them down to No. 4. UCLA remains in the No. 1 position at. 23-0, with Notre Dame and Texas now occupying the next two slots.
There’s also a new highestranked ACC team behind the Irish. With Duke’s loss to N.C. State and subsequent drop from No. 10 to No. 13, the Wolfpack now own the 10th position. The Irish will travel to Raleigh, where the Blue Devils lost, on Feb. 23.
King’s return to the Steel City
When Notre Dame played in Pittsburgh last January, it flirted with disaster. The Irish turned a 28-12 lead after one quarter into a 48-47 deficit after three, also putting five players out of its seven available in foul trouble.
Essentially all of the fouls — and come-from-behind Panther points — happened because of one player: Liatu King. The ACC’s Most Improved Player was a monster against the Irish, totaling 34 points
and 13 rebounds while drawing eight whistles. Fortunately for Notre Dame, no other Panthers scored more than 9 points, helping the Irish drag away a 71-66 win. A month later, they’d more handily beat Pitt at home, but King still double-doubled with 18 points and 14 rebounds in South Bend.
On Thursday, King will make her return to the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. The four-year Panther forward from the nation’s capital transferred to the Irish in May after finishing on the All-ACC First Team last season. Now an ultra-consistent player for Notre Dame, King ranks 10th nationally in rebounds per game (10.8) and averages 12 points per contest.
Opponent previews
Barring another wild combination of scenarios, Thursday’s game at Pittsburgh shouldn’t be close for the Irish. The Panthers have won each of their last two games (79-66 vs. Boston College, 58-57 at SMU) and mounted the largest regulation comeback win in NCAA women’s basketball history earlier this season, but they’re still 11-14.
Like last year, stopping the
Panthers more or less comes down to containing one player.
Graduate center Khadija Faye, a Senegalese transfer from Texas leads the team with 17.9 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per contest. She just had a massive game on Sunday against SMU, recording 22 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocks. Senior forward MaKayla Elmore, who contributes 7.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, has helped her out lately, averaging 14.5 points and 10 rebounds during the last two wins.
Upon returning from the Steel City, the Irish will take an extra day of rest before hosting Duke on Monday night.
One of the last teams realistically standing between Notre Dame and an unbeaten run through ACC, the Blue Devils wield a terrific, steal-happy defense that held Pitt to 31 points. They’ve also stayed healthy, starting the same five players in all 24 games and getting massive contributions from their bench.
In fact, Duke’s top scorer hasn’t started a game this year. Freshman forward Toby Fournier scored 13.4 points per game while playing an average of less than 20 minutes. Duke head coach Kara Lawson
discussed Fournier’s development after Sunday’s 90-49 defeat of Miami (FL), a game in which she scored 24 points.
“Every day she picks something up or refines something — maybe does it a little bit better,” Lawson said. “She’s remarkably productive … she’s the best freshman in the league.”
“It’s unique how she’s able to finish, how she’s able to impact the game with her athleticism on both ends. And she’s trending upward. She’s figuring things out … She’s more consistent with her performances night in and night out.”
Even with such a marquee game coming up on Monday, Notre Dame’s mentality suggests it won’t overlook the importance of Thursday night’s affair.
“We’re not looking ahead. We’re not looking forward,” Citron said. “It’s just game by game, and we’re just preparing like our biggest game of the season is the one that we’re playing right now.”
Notre Dame will take on Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Graduate forward Maddy Westbeld holds the basketball at knee height during Notre Dame’s 91-52 defeat of Cal at Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 9, 2025. Westbeld tallied 9 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in Sunday’s win, helping the Irish to a 16-game win streak and 12-0 start to ACC play.
