Print Edition for The Observer for February 17, 2025
Advising shifts to four-year model
By DAVID MURPHY Staff Writer
After years of operating on a “one-plus-three” advising model, the Notre Dame administration announced its intention to transition toward a four-year advisor system, changing the advising structure.
In an email to The Observer, centralized advising program director Kate Broadbent noted the impact of this reform on Notre Dame advising.
“Rather than having dedicated first-year advisors and then collegiate advisors for the subsequent three years, the University is gradually transitioning to a four-year advising model,” Broadbent wrote. “This shift will allow for continuity in the relationship between advisors and students, which I believe will only benefit both parties.”
The “one-plus-three” system initially provided incoming students with a
dedicated first-year advisor, who was meant to guide them through the shift from high school to college and the unique challenges that may come with it. Fr. Daniel Groody, vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at Notre Dame, highlighted the administration’s commitment to upholding the original intent of the “one-plus-three” advising model throughout the transition.
“I think the important thing is that we haven’t really changed our vision of advising, although this has given us a chance to step back and still say this really matters,” Groody said. “There are special needs for your first year that are different; that’s a big part of it.”
The decision to make this transition was not made lightly, with Groody emphasizing the inclusion of a wide range of perspectives among Notre Dame faculty to
see ADVISING PAGE 3
ND announces oversight team
Catholic research university.”
Observer Staff Report
In a campus-wide email sent on Friday afternoon, the Office of the President announced the creation of an oversight team tasked with evaluating and responding to federal policy changes and executive orders. The email, titled “A Message from the Executive Officers,” was signed by University President Fr. Robert Dowd, provost John McGreevy and executive vice president Shannon Cullinan. After acknowledging feedback from the University community regarding federal policy changes, the email noted Notre Dame’s leadership team aims to understand and respond to how these shifts may impact the Notre Dame community and the University’s mission: “to be the leading global
Families flood campus for Junior Parents Weekend
By ASHLEIGH LOBO News Writer
Junior Parents Weekend (JPW) began in 1953 at Notre Dame as a single-day event called “ParentsSon Day.” Over time, it evolved into a full weekend of events designed to give families an immersive experience of life on campus.
Today, the weekend is filled with special events, including receptions, academic presentations and a formal dinner, all celebrating the bond between students, their families and the University.
The 2025 Junior Parents Weekend at Notre Dame kicked
off on Feb. 14 with events such as the Global Student and Parent Mixer, a Trident Naval Society tour and a lecture by author Eliza Griswold. Feb. 15 was packed with activities, including academic workshops, Residence Life open houses, the class of 2026 Mass and the President’s Dinner. The weekend concluded on Feb. 16 with a continental breakfast and the opportunity to get family portraits.
Emma Vales, the junior class council president at Notre Dame, reflected on her experience speaking at the JPW President’s Dinner.
“It was definitely one of the most nerve-wracking experiences
of my life,” Vales said. But iIt was so fulfilling to hear that my speech inspired others to practice gratitude in their daily lives. I didn’t expect my short remarks to have such a lasting impact on my classmates and their families, but I’m so glad it did,” she added.
JPW is a student-led event organized, this year, by co-chairs Nina Padanilam and Matthew Stiles. A committee of 12 juniors assisted in the planning while 35 sophomore volunteers, along with many other student workers, helped execute the event.
SMC students brave cold for charity Winter Walk
Dowd will chair the oversight team, whose primary task was identified in the email to “stay abreast of developments across a range of issues, including research, campus life, belonging, international students and scholars, financial and tax policy, and athletics.”
According to the email, the team will meet frequently and identify “opportunities for advocacy.” The team also plans to communicate with federal agencies and other institutions of higher education.
After thanking various Notre Dame offices, the email restated the University’s commitment to being a “great force for good” before urging readers to “rededicate” themselves to their work, whether academic, research or mission-related.
By MADYSON CASIANO Staff Writer
On Sunday, Feb. 16, Saint Mary’s College students joined the greater South Bend Community in celebrating the 26th annual Winter Walk, hosted by St. Margaret’s House. Saint Mary’s was alongside upwards of 400 supporters from the South Bend community to walk a mile, bringing awareness to women and children in need and raising funds for the continuation of St.
Margaret’s House’s work. With the premise of the Winter Walk being “walk a mile in her shoes,” supporters walked a mile starting at South Bend City Church and ending at St. Margaret’s House. The facility was open to supporters for tours.
Snacks such as popcorn, hot cocoa and cookies were served. Entertainment such as balloon animals, face painting and live music were also provided. The event aimed to bring more attention to the needs
of women and children in the South Bend community.
“This important event invites the whole community to walk together, bearing witness to the challenges and celebrating the victories we encounter along the way,” the organization shared on their website.
According to the event’s online campaign, the walk has produced 93% of total intended earnings from individual sponsors and organizations including:
MADYSON CASIANO | The Observer
South Bend locals and Saint Mary’s students bundled up to walk a mile in wintry conditions Sunday. The proceeds from the event fund St. Margaret’s House’s work to support the South Bend community.
The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.
Senior Preview Day
Saint Mary’s College
8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
High school seniors are matched with current students.
“A Visit With Emily” Performance LaBar Performance Hall
6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Music faculty perform.
Saints vs Trolls Pfeil Center
5:30 p.m.
Holy Cross women’s basketball takes on Trinity Christian (IL).
“Heart on Fire” Musical Philbin Studio 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Four-day musical set during counterculture. Thursday
Anniversary of Ambrosiana Library
715 Hesburgh Library
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Medieval Institute hosts celebration.
“Mr.
Leathers leads Bengal Bouts in its 95th year
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
One of the great elements of the Bengal Bouts, which will celebrate their 95th year in 2025, is the opportunity they offer young boxers. Stepping into a ring surrounded by rowdy spectators to oppose a collegiate peer — that’s something many participants will have never experienced outside of Notre Dame.
It’s fitting, therefore, that the club’s president is all about life outside the comfort zone.
Creed Leathers is from Gretna, Nebraska, a town just beyond the southwestern suburbs of Omaha. His high school experiences didn’t have much to do at all with boxing. As a sophomore, he tried his hand at pole-vaulting and was, as he put it, “horrible.” Two years later, he entered a one-act play competition — as a joke more than anything — and finished first as a group.
That’s a strange combination for a young man who also played football, but there was a method to the madness.
“Those experiences, combined with football, made me realize that it’s important in my life to have something that’s kind of constantly challenging me, mentally and physically,” Leathers said.
Down the road, that priority would of course drive his Bengals Bouts involvement. However, he hadn’t yet connected those dots when he submitted his college applications, discovering the men’s boxing club by happenstance in a way.
“When I was filling out the application for Notre Dame, I remember being told by
Advising
address possible concerns throughout the transition.
“I think change is difficult for people,” Groody said. “But we had five different committees … and in the end, 85 people working on this. So this is not a small process. We spent a lot of time planning this.”
Kelly Harrington, a firstyear advisor in the College of Science, expressed optimism about the adjustment to a four-year advising system, hoping it would allow for stronger student-advisor relationships.
“I think it’s a great switch overall,” Harrington said. “All of us in advising are looking forward to those four-year relationships
some seniors above me that if you want to stand out as an application, and I don’t know how true this is, but when they ask you about clubs that you want to join, just find some really interesting ones and just throw it on your application because it can’t hurt,” Leathers described.
“And of course, sorting down by the hundreds of clubs, boxing [is] towards the top, and I put that first on my application and then looked into more of the club and, and thought it was something I would actually seriously want to do just outside of the application.”
Leathers kept his eyes on the club, following its Instagram and landing in the right residence hall to get started immediately as a freshman. His Fisher Hall rector just so happened to be a former Bengal Bouts captain turned coach. The two struck up a conversation about boxing before Leathers’ freshman August turned to September, and soon after Creed debuted at a Bengal Bouts practice.
At one point during a first-year practice, Leathers watched “Strong Bodies Fight.” The 2011 documentary spotlights the journey of five club members to Bangladesh, the epicenter of Bengal Bouts’ mission work. Its name draws from the motto of the men’s boxing club: “Strong bodies fight, that weak bodies may be nourished.”
“It was kind of that practice, if you will, that really flipped the switch in my mind,” Leathers recalled.
From there on out, Leathers saw something more in the bouts. In four years of boxing he envisioned four years of fundraising at the highest level. Leathers had all
with our students as we help them grow and change through … their years here at Notre Dame, so we’re excited about it.”
According to Groody, there were several motivations for the change, such as promoting a more suitable student-to-advisor ratio and generating a more practical work situation for advisors. Above all, however, Groody underlined the need for continuity in the advisory system.
“At some point, we felt that this disjunctive system … was not the best model,” Groody acknowledged. “If we still had a first year of studies, it would probably be different because then you just have dedicated first-year [advisors]. But now that we have people in their colleges, we say, ‘What’s the most
the inspiration he needed to make a full impact within the Bengal Bouts, and he didn’t wait around to do it.
“I point back to some of the leaders that — the old presidents and the old captains — really motivated me,” he said. “They did a really good job, and every year we’ve beaten the previous fundraising record from last year.”
“I took it almost as a game, just like how you want to win the bouts, I took that as a separate competition, too, wanting to be first in that.”
Sourcing his connections back home, Leathers pulled in astounding donations for a freshman. As a sophomore, he led the entire club in money raised. Junior year came around, and he moved into a definitive leadership role as a fundraising captain. In that position, he guided the club to a funding total of $320,000, breaking the previous year’s record by $60,000.
After spending the 2024 spring abroad in Ireland, Leathers took on the challenge of the club’s presidency. His day-to-day life, outside of an economics major and minors in energy studies and history, features more oversight of the club and its captains.
“It’s definitely more of an administrative role,” he said. “I’d say it’s managing people, making sure everyone knows exactly what they have to do and trying to delegate the work out to the best of my abilities and making sure some of the guys aren’t feeling too overwhelmed or underwater at any time.”
This year, he’s helped the club seek and land sponsorships for the tournament, adding 50 pairs of boxing gloves to the equipment supply through one of the
efficient system?’ And that’s switching to the four-year system.”
Groody also noted, despite the changes, the mission and overall philosophy of Notre Dame’s advising team remains the same: to deliver excellence in advising to all Notre Dame students.
“The needs of first-year students are very much at the heart of this. There is always a risk when you go into a four-year advising that people would just blend in, but we recognize that the first-year students have needs that are very specialized,” Groody said. “We spent a lot of time over the years really looking at what works that first year. We don’t want to lose that all to this blended model.”
Contact David Murphy at dmurph23@nd.edu
partnerships. At the same time, Leathers has his own business to handle in the ring. He says that, despite evolving technically, he still carries some of those freshman-year nerves with him whenever he enters the arena.
“I think over the last couple of years, I’ve developed into a little bit more of a relaxed stance with a lower guard, which my coaches don’t always like because I think I criticize myself — definitely get hit too much,” Leathers described. “But I’ve always been more of a power puncher and definitely not the guy with the best footwork in the club, but just trying to land some bigger shots has always worked well for me.”
He mentioned that he’ll keep the “Apollo” nickname, a nod to Carl Weathers’ character in the “Rocky” series. However, he’ll move it to the front of his name, fighting as “Apollo” Creed Leathers.
As president, Leathers noted three goals he’s looking for the club to accomplish in 2025. First, there’s once again resetting the fundraising record. Second, he and the club hope to limit concussions and other injuries throughout the tournament. Finally, Leathers aims to promote bouts of the more advanced variety.
“I’d love to see more dynamic fighting, less of just the straight punches [and] guys just trading blows with each other — those slugfests as we call them,” Leathers said. “...[We want] guys stepping off, guys using slips, rolls, using their defense to set up their offense, kind of blending defense and offense together so it doesn’t look just like two rams headbutting each other and walking in and out of the contact
JPW
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“The planning process began right after fall break,” Padanilam said. “The committee met together for a couple of hours every week to help organize and delegate tasks.”
Padanilam saw JPW as a perfect use of her leadership skills as well as a way to give back to the Notre Dame community.
“I remember attending JPW for my brother seven years ago and how special of an event it was for him and my parents,” Padanilam said. “I want to make sure my class has the same experience as we celebrate our parents and guardians for all that they do.”
“My parents and I enjoyed the junior class council Kahoot trivia event,” junior political science major Andrew Ryan said. “As a member of the junior class council, it was fun to show my parents the type of events that we work on.”
zone.”
The club’s visions, especially within the financial realm, depend largely on the support of the local community. Leathers’ pitch to that community invoked the idea that experiencing a new tradition at the bouts and support determined fighters can make a larger difference than most would think.
“I think in people’s four years, they should try to get involved or at least witness as many of those traditions as possible, whether it be Bengal Bouts or other things. But beyond just that, these guys have really worked their butts off, a lot of them five days a week, six days a week, practicing, making a lot of sacrifices in other extracurriculars or in their social lives to put in the time they need to be tournament-ready.”
“And then beyond all that, people’s support and them showing up and buying a ticket really does help people in Bangladesh. Just $127 can feed, house and educate a student, in Bangladesh for an entire year, so that’s six tickets, basically. It’s pretty powerful what the U.S. dollar can do.”
The Bengal Bouts will begin with the quarterfinals on Monday, Feb. 17, and continue with the showcase on Feb. 19 and the semifinals on Feb. 24. Each of those three rounds will take place at 7 p.m. inside the Duncan Student Center’s Dahnke Ballroom. The bouts will conclude with the finals at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, at Purcell Pavilion.
Editor’s Note: Read more Bengal Bouts coverage on pages 8 and 10.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
“Junior Parents Weekend was an opportunity to share the experience and spirit of Notre Dame with those who have supported it from the start,” junior finance major Ashley Flick said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to step back, reflect and celebrate the people and traditions that make Notre Dame more than just a university.” Irvine Assoumou, a sophomore JPW volunteer, shared it was “heartwarming to see how proud all the parents were of their kids.”
While assisting with the photo booth for the College of Engineering’s academic workshop, Assoumou observed how excited the parents were to participate in the activities and celebrate their child’s achievements.
“As a sophomore, it made me look forward to my own JPW events because it is such a beautiful tradition that we have,” Assoumou said.
Contact Ashleigh Lobo at alobo@nd.edu
SMC celebrates ‘Galentine’s’ Day
By BERHAN HAGEZOM Staff Writer
In celebration of “Galentine’s” Day, Fiat and the Sisterhood of Service collaborated for Fiat’s monthly event in the Sacred Heart Chapel in Holy Cross Hall from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday. During the event, Sister Mary Amata and Sister Fiat spoke on the importance of supportive woman friendships through biblical reference to Mary’s visitation with Elizabeth.
Amata began the event with a short prayer before offering insight on what fulfilling friendships look like between two people. Amata used both Elizabeth and Mary’s journeys with pregnancy as talking points and relayed these references to examples in her personal life.
“Their joy multiplies in sharing it, that Elizabeth cries out in joy at the coming of Mary, Mary receives Elizabeth’s joy and they share the joy of their pregnancies,” Fiat said. “One of my sisters and I, who I travel with a lot ... that would happen in the car to us often. We just call it a laugh tax ... I just think that’s a cool image of what it means to share our joy with one another, that it grows in being shared and we can share that when we feel safe with our friends.”
Fiat then transitioned her discussion to another lesson the story showed in terms of service, including Mary supporting the deliverance of Elizabeth’s baby. Fiat relayed the story’s message to advice her friend gave her in college about the need to receive and give acts of selflessness to others.
“I had a friend in college who would always tell me ‘If you don’t receive a gift from another, then you rob them from the grace of giving you a gift,’” Fiat said. “That’s what John Paul said, we find ourselves most sincerely in a gift of self.”
Along with affirmation, Fiat also highlighted transparency in Mary and Elizabeth’s friendship. Fiat stated this was a crucial aspect of Mary and Elizabeth’s trust in each other, to which she related this to her friend’s action on her wedding day.
“I was reminded of that when another one of my roommates my senior year … on her wedding day, I woke up in our home to this little note under my door that she had written to me and that she did to all of our housemates, just affirming us and thanking us for walking with her in this journey of preparation for her wedding,” Fiat said.
Amata then led the audience
in singing the first line of the Magnificat in Latin, which was followed by general announcements from senior Elle Houin, president of the Sisterhood of Service and communication lead of Fiat.
Houin then noted the opportunity to create Valentine’s crafts and cards in Holy Cross Parlor, which would be delivered to Hope Ministries. The organization houses 100 people without homes, including 40 unhoused children.
“Hope Ministries caters to the homeless, and they offer residency for individuals. We really wanted to find an organization that we could send Valentines to and really help make a difference in someone’s [life], even if it is just a sweet note from a stranger,” Houin said.
Junior Kyndal Christy, who does social media and marketing for the Sisterhood of Service, stated the purpose behind the collaboration between Fiat and the Sisterhood of Service was due to similar core values between organizations and what they aim to provide to the community.
“We all have very similar values and very similar things that are important to us. Service is [an] important thing to both groups,” Christy said. “It just made a lot of sense that we can make a bigger impact when we work together.”
Junior Sara Caniglia, vice president of Fiat, spoke on the wider purpose of Fiat Fridays and to how Friday’s event aligned with “Galentine’s” Day.
“Fiat Fridays is just a time to grow in fellowship with one another through Mary, ultimately to Jesus. The idea of this specific event was to have a little ‘Galentine’s’ Day, looking at the relationship of Mary and Elizabeth as a role model for what a ‘Galentine’ can look like,” Caniglia said.
Event attendees noted how the event was helpful for encouraging reflection on personal relationships and developing connections.
“I think it’s just a good opportunity to reflect on all of my own friendships and evaluate how I’ve been spending time with my friends,” senior Jocelyn Porter said.
Freshman Lilian Lewen shared a similar sentiment, seeing the event as a way to grow her friendships throughout her first year of college.
“It was nice to learn more about how to deepen friendships, especially as a freshman, when forming friendships in college is so important,” Lewen said.
Contact Berhan Hagezom at bhagezom01@saintmarys.edu
Students prepare for valuable SIBC experiences
By ISABEL TORRES News Writer
The Student International Business Council (SIBC) at the University of Notre Dame is the largest student organization at the University. As the club is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, its dedication to upholding business ethics and a means of “peace through commerce” is ultimately what drives its projects, according to the club’s mission.
Endowed by Frank Potenziani and endorsed by University President Emeritus Fr. Theodore Hesburgh in 1988, the club aims to offer students leadership positions and experience in business. The club attracts over 1,000 students per semester, typically appealing to undergraduate students in the Mendoza College of Business.
With eight departments, consisting of accounting, marketing, international, finance, consulting, impact consulting, real estate and STEM, the club provides a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved.
SIBC works with companies both domestically and internationally to create and offer solutions to various issues given to the team leads. These solutions, referred to as deliverables,
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Saint Mary’s College, IUSB Honors Program, Notre Dame Facilities Design & Operations Team, Off The Avenue, St. Peter’s Church and more. The walk has raised at least $93,000 since the completion of the one mile.
464 supporters attended the event, despite the cold, windy weather. As emphasized on the St. Margaret’s House website, the attendance number echoed the walk’s mission: “This year’s Winter Walk will offer a new look at the experience of women in our community who must rely on their feet for transportation: no matter the weather.”
Different Saint Mary’s organizations, both individual groups and clubs, completed the walk. Among those groups was the Sisterhood of Service, a club which aims to serve the greater community through volunteer work and functions.
are produced by teams throughout the semester and then presented on-site to the various companies.
Anna Chang, the accounting division manager for the academic year, emphasized the professional experience the club offers students.
“The networking opportunities and the reallife experiences it applies are very valuable,” said Chang.
Chang explained that there can often be a disconnect between course concepts in business classes and their immediate application for students. She believes SIBC is an essential opportunity for students to connect both their classwork with applied realworld training.
Chang noted students in SIBC dedicate much of their time to each project.
“Meetings themselves are half an hour a week. Students take a couple hours a week preparing deliverables, and that ends up being about 20 hours per person,” said Chang.
Looking specifically at the accounting sector of SIBC, Chang offered insight into how the connections between the Big Four and Notre Dame SIBC members are developed. According to Chang, 85% of Notre Dame accounting graduates work
Sisterhood of Service president senior Elle Houin shared the importance of integrating events such as the Winter Walk into the Saint Mary’s community.
“I think it’s wonderful just to get students out and about, off of campus and in the community,” Houin said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to get involved and provide some service to the community and get involved in volunteering in an organization such as this.”
Other attendees also attested to the connection this event brought for the tri-campus and greater South Bend community.
“It kind of connects campus with community,” freshman Avery Maxwell (missing) said.
Maxwell volunteered at the event as a route ambassador. Already a member of Sisterhood of Service, Maxwell wanted to “go a little bit farther and have a specific role in [the event]. I wanted to meet these people,” Maxwell said.
for Deloitte, EY, KPMG or PWC after graduation, and because of that, the firms are highly willing to return opportunities back to students at the University.
“We prioritize the Big Four firms because of the Notre Dame connections. Their in-person recruiters are key contacts,” said Chang.
Taking her own experiences into account, Chang stated her ability to connect with others on her own team and in the greater portion of the organization has allowed her to develop professional relationships and collaborative teamwork skills.
When describing her most influential experience, Chang expressed that her own team was an extremely important part of the success of the project.
“My freshman spring working on the Deloitte project we had a close team. We had responsibility shifts that provided each of us with a mode of support,” said Chang.
Students can gain experience in professional preparation through both prompts and teamwork opportunities at SIBC.
“Collaboration is key,” said Chang.
Contact Isabel Torres at itorres@nd.edu
Along with other route ambassadors, Maxwell stood on prominent locations along the mile-long trek. Each spot represented a location guests of St. Margaret’s house and women-in-need frequently use to bring more awareness to the lives the walk supports.
Approximately 26 walk attendees were from Saint Mary’s, including sophomores Katelyn Ralph and Ella Eitniear. Ralph and Eitniear shared their purpose for attending the walk.
“It’s a good cause and something easy that I can do,” Ralph said.
Eitniear continued the conversation, adding, “We have the opportunity to follow up and do something good for the community.”
In response to the challenge of the weather, Eitniear offered an unwavering, prepared perspective.
“I‘ve got my mittens, I’m set,” Eitniear said.
Contact Madyson Casiano at mcasiano01@saintmarys.edu
Duncan Stangel The Center of the Universe
On student government
The student body president and vice president for the 202526 school year were elected last week. Jerry Vielhauer and Sonia Lumley received 55% of the votes cast, while other voters chose to abstain from the election. Per Judicial Council data, turnout stood at 18% of the student body.
My first thought — lackluster. Instead of students participating in the fruits of democracy, the “election” was a coronation. No other ticket mustered the necessary signatures to be on the ballot, possibly due to the lack of access for other candidates compared to Vielhauer and Lumley. The Sorin Fellows GroupMe saw the ticket’s form plopped onto the phones of 500plus people, speeding up their signature collection process.
Politics are no longer in the air on campus. The 2024 election and ongoing political events have created a rise in palpable apathy over the past few months. Vielhauer and Lumley won, but they will face an uphill battle as students are just less interested in student government than they were at the beginning of the year. More importantly, recent social media posts from the vice president-elect have caused an uproar on campus social media app Fizz, where the nickname “Egonia” has seen rising popularity. This is likely due to a post on her Instagram story
perceived as boastful by the student body. The complaints surrounding the electoral process have spread to personal criticism of the duo, though it remains baseless and unwarranted when the problems behind the process remain at large.
It is my hope the president-elect and vice president-elect accomplish their goals. I’d like to see what they can do. However, I find it at best improbable and at worst impossible. Student government is a bureaucratic monster, with more committees than legislative accomplishments over the last year. While the ballad of John Knott and the Hunter Brooke impeachment provided interesting spectacle, they didn’t solve the real problems.
There needs to be a serious reappraisal of what student government is supposed to do. Whatever that job is, they aren’t doing it. I receive a lot of emails. I hear about a lot of meetings. I discover a new committee/subcommittee/planning group/ something every week. However, the more I learn, the more this sounds like a prestige pyramid scheme by which people promote one another to more “prestigious” positions to improve their resumes while placing the needs of the student body in the periphery.
I have friends in student government who I know do their best. I’m sure there are others I don’t know who do the same. Yet the reality is this: the system is broken. It’s not any one person’s fault, but it happened. For Vielhauer and Lumley to be effective, they need to fix the system first. This means cutting
back on excessive bureaucracy, developing more efficient infrastructure and finding candidates for offices that care about Notre Dame’s student body first and foremost. An increase in transparency on where the money goes would be nice, too. If it’s not already apparent, I find the whole student government situation unfortunate. The people who serve likely want to be in the actual government one day. This is a perfect microcosm of modern politics: personality over substance, hoarding positions among a small group and an establishment that always ensures its own victory. I don’t want to abolish student government. It needs to, quite literally, “build back better.“ Otherwise, the next congressman, senator or politician from Notre Dame will work with ego rather than the principles of discipline and service at the highest levels of government.
Duncan Stangel is a first year global affairs major at Notre Dame. Currently residing in Alumni Hall (the center of the universe), he hails from the small town of Cumberland, Maryland nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. When he’s not saving kittens from trees, you can find him stumbling to Debart with a caffeine source in hand. Contact Duncan at dstangel@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Hellos and goodbyes: feeling homesick
Declan Burke American DOMEland
People don’t really pay attention to goodbye. Most of the time, it is a common pleasantry, a simple endpoint to an interaction. However, goodbye becomes powerful when life gives a timeline of when and where you will say it again to a specific person. When you understand that it is the last time you may see something or someone for an extended period of time, you begin to value it more. Coming to college was the first time that I really had to say goodbye. I first had to say goodbye to my dog, brother and home.
The hardest goodbye was saved for last. Saying goodbye to my parents at welcome weekend in August was one of the most challenging and emotional things I have ever had to do. I remember desperately putting off seeing them that day because I knew it would be the last time I would see their faces for a few months. Finally, I got a text message saying that they were out front of the dorm and had to leave to get to the airport, so I walked out and we said goodbye. That image of them slowly walking away from the dorm, heading toward the rented Mazda SUV, was etched into my mind for a few months after they left. The moment they drove away, everything seemed to change. I was on my own in a different state and time zone. Before college, it felt like I was always going away for short periods of time and then coming back
home to my family. Now, I only get to spend a few weeks with them before leaving to be on my own again. The word and action of goodbye seemed to invert my entire life.
Struggling with homesickness is standard in college, especially for people far from home. In this article, I want to share some things I miss most about home and some advice I have learned about coping with homesickness.
The things that I miss most from home have often surprised me. I find myself missing the small things the most. In my hometown, I used to live in a house surrounded by mountains. During the summer, around 7 p.m., the sun would dip perfectly behind the hills, creating purple and orange hues of light in the sky. My dad would be at the grill on the side patio, making something for dinner and listening to Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley. I remember the soft breeze from the ocean made everything feel calm. I would eat dinner at the patio table with my family, and we would talk about that day and week ahead. The temperature would drop, the light would fade and the dishes would be cleared from the patio table.
I also miss my mother’s “mandatory” Friday family pizza and movie night. I don’t miss the film, but I miss the conversations that accompanied them. I miss talking with my parents and making fun of people in the movie. Conversation is one of the things I miss most. I miss the long car rides to Lake Tahoe, where there was nothing else to do but listen to music, talk and look out at the wilderness and mountains on the empty two-lane roads.
During the first semester of college, I didn’t really have a chance to stop and think about everything I missed. I was so involved in meeting new friends and learning to navigate clubs and other activities that I overlooked how much I missed my home and family. College was a fun and welcomed distraction. Coming back from winter break, homesickness really hit me hard. I was on my own again, sick and in freezing cold conditions. However, I learned that reaching out in times like that is essential. Surrounding yourself with friends is a really important way to feel supported. In times of severe homesickness, it can be easy to retreat into the sadness and depression that you are feeling, but it is crucial to push through and reach out. The most challenging but helpful thing for me was telling my parents about my feelings and what I was going through. Setting up a time each day to talk or FaceTime with them has really helped me to understand that even though I am thousands of miles away, my family will always be there.
If you or someone you know is feeling homesick, here are some resources at Notre Dame: student health and wellness and McWell.
Declan is a surviving biochemistry major at the University of Notre Dame. He is usually trying to figure out how to work the printer. Contact at dburke7@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Giving winter a chance
Factory to get a real jacket.
There are times in life when one is forced to confront their own naivety. Moments when, looking back, it’s humbling to imagine that you were ever once that clueless. One such time was my freshman year at Notre Dame, when I proudly pulled out my “winter coat” as soon as the forecast dipped below 60 degrees. It was a thin, flimsy thing, the result of a shopping trip over the summer — back when the reality of an Indiana winter was still a figment of my imagination. Coming from Southern California, I figured I should buy some sort of coat to move to the Midwest. On campus, I quickly learned that my “coat” in question was not, in fact, a proper winter coat (and that I was in for a long winter). My roommates, all being from the East Coast and amused by how painfully Californian the situation was, immediately sent me to the nearest Burlington Coat
I learned my lesson, but continued to play into the West Coast stereotype that first winter. I insisted on wearing leggings under my jeans every day (my roommate never understood) or stuffing my boots with toe warmers for gameday (they never worked anyways). I realized that wanting to go to a school with “real seasons” had actual consequences — things reaching a height when I ordered a sun lamp off and almost blinded myself by staring at it too long. Long story short: I was excited to be home for the summer that first year.
Ireland is a proud country. Our professor described the island as a pimple: small, but mighty, and always stubbornly in your face. The people of Ireland are boisterously proud of their heritage, rich culture, music and dance, sports and rugged countryside. They’re not afraid to tell you what’s on their mind, not afraid to ask Americans their thoughts on Trump and definitely not afraid of a little rain.
The Irish orient themselves around winter, taking care of
themselves, gathering socially often and actually dressing for the weather — but you don’t have to live in Ireland to appreciate the winter season.
Maybe I’m just an annoying study abroad student talking, or maybe it’s Irish stubbornness, but don’t cancel your plans with friends. Buy some hand lotion. Make a hearty meal and wear layers. If it’s going to be winter anyways, I’d rather choose to enjoy it. I hope you do too.
Editor’s note: This is an abbreviated version of the column. The full version can be found online at ndsmcobserver.com. Allison Elshoff is a junior studying business analytics with minors in the Hesburgh Program of Public Service and impact consulting. Originally from Valencia, CA and currently living in Badin Hall, you can find her unsubscribing from email lists or hammocking by the lakes. You can contact Allison at aelshoff@ nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Allison Elshoff
Asking for a Friend
Redmond Bernhold
Born Reddy
An ode to Rust Belt nostalgia
In the very last scene of Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” (2017), Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson finds herself in New York City reconciling with her mom via a phone call. She asks, “Hey, mom, did you feel emotional the first time you drove in Sacramento?”
“I did, and I wanted to tell you, but we weren’t really talking when it happened. All those bends I’ve known my whole life, and stores, and the whole thing,” Lady Bird says into the voicemail.
During this scene, a montage captures Lady Bird and her mother driving in Sacramento. Their car crosses green bridges, and both characters glance at sunkissed Sacramento. It’s a gentle reminder of Lady Bird’s coming-of-age: she yearns to leave Sacramento’s familiarity, a complicated relationship with her mother and an edgy high school experience.
Although I’m neither from Sacramento nor have constraining familial relationships, I still find “Lady Bird” to be my favorite movie. For me, the emotional complexities are intoxicating. Simply, it’s Gerwig’s style of encapsulating childhood and a push to somewhere far away but a heavy pull back to one’s childhood.
Now that I am arriving in Australia at the time of
Molly Wu Bro Meets World
this publication, it’s time that I reminisce on home in a “Lady Bird” way. Every study abroad student has the right to, right?
Personal definitions of what constitutes “the Midwest” vary. Some decry Missouri or the Dakotas. Others say Ohio barely counts. In lieu of saying I’ll miss the Midwest, I think the more precise location I feel I’ll miss most is the Rust Belt. In my personal definition, the Rust Belt spans eastern New York through Pennsylvania, around the Great Lakes and into southern Wisconsin. The people are friendly. Meat and potatoes are a regular on most menus. Walmarts are frequented by bored high schoolers at 8:00 p.m. It’s home.
When I was in Pittsburgh this past summer, the Rust Belt nostalgia heightened. Pickles, perogies and the Pirates harbored a ride-or-die community of loyalists. Bipolar weather also reminded me of my small Ohio hometown — if it was multiplied 50 times over in size. Eventually, Ohio streets I’ve known my whole life took the shape of tunnels and hills. In short, it was a comforting place, though I was five hours from home.
In Pittsburgh, I met some new friends and inspirational journalists. Naturally, I began to more concretely think about my career, as the cliche would predict: a small town boy or girl from Sacramento grasping to novelty. But I wouldn’t want it any other way. Simply
put, Pittsburgh forced me to be independent, to find new people, to discover my purpose.
The latter two could be said about Notre Dame, too. Although I felt out of place at first, it has been a microcosm of Rust Belt: four seasons bleed into each other with permaclouds, football games bring people together and the people are neighborly.
Even though outsiders (especially in online humor) don’t romanticize the Rust Belt, I can’t imagine myself being rooted anywhere else. My foundational life experiences are more than a sum of the places I’ve been. Because I was in Ohio for two months, my wish to stay felt like Lady Bird’s realization at the end of the film. I’m already missing my blue Honda Accord, snowy cornfields and drinking a concerning amount of free coffee. Even more like Lady Bird, I’m missing my family and friends most. Call it cliche or predictable, but that old adage is true: it’s people who make a place.
Redmond (Reddy) Bernhold is a junior studying biochemistry and journalism. He originally hails from Minster, Ohio but calls Siegfried Hall his home on campus. When not writing, he explores South Bend coffee shops and thrift stores. You can contact Reddy at rbernho2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Finding home away from home
experience. It reminds me that no matter where we are, we can carry our culture with us — not as something separate from our lives here, but as an integral part of who we are.
Back in boarding school, Lunar New Year barely registered on my calendar. With only five Chinese students in my grade and about twenty in the entire school, I was caught between two worlds — immersed in a Western environment while carrying a cultural heritage I wasn’t sure how to express. I built deep friendships and embraced new traditions, but in doing so, I left parts of my own behind. Lunar New Year became something I hesitated to celebrate, unsure whether fully embracing it would set me apart. I wasn’t rejecting my culture — I was simply unsure how to integrate it into my evolving identity.
Coming to Notre Dame changed that. I found myself in a much larger, more diverse community — not just of Chinese students but of people from different backgrounds who were open to learning about each other’s cultures. I began to embrace diversity and differences, realizing that what I once misunderstood in high school was, in fact, what brings people together. Differences don’t pull people apart; rather, it is in trying to understand them that we build the strongest connections. We constantly seek peaceful coexistence, but what’s even more important is how we turn seemingly conflicting ideas into complementary ones. Every culture, every perspective has something to offer, and by learning from one another, we expand our own understanding of the world.
This year, as my friends and I gathered to make dumplings, watch the Spring Festival Gala and share stories of home, I realized how much this holiday had grown in significance for me. It was no longer just about the traditions — it was about the people. Our community may be small compared to the broader campus, but it is powerful.
Despite coming from different academic backgrounds and personal journeys, we are united by a shared understanding of what it means to celebrate this festival away from home. We’ve created our own sense of belonging, and that solidarity has been one of the most meaningful parts of my college
One of the most profound expressions of this is the Chinese New Year Gala hosted by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA). This is a communal event where students of Chinese heritage come together to celebrate the commencement of the new year.
Watching performances, sharing home-made meals and simply being surrounded by people who understand the meaning of this festival has reaffirmed something I once struggled with: identity is not about choosing between cultures. It is about embracing the multitude of aspects that make us who we are. Surrounded by people that share my cultural background, I have come to the realization that, within the greater Notre Dame community, there are countless smaller communities, each adding its own unique energy and spirit to campus life. Being part of one of these close-knit groups doesn’t make me any less a part of the larger Notre Dame family — in fact, it enriches my experience.
Whether it’s celebrating traditions, sharing common interests or simply finding people who feel like home, these smaller circles are what make the broader community even more special. At the end of the day, we are all part of Notre Dame, connected by the same spirit that brings us together.
This process of identity exploration has been one of the most valuable parts of my time at Notre Dame. I’ve realized that identity isn’t something fixed or singular — it is fluid, ever-changing and shaped by our experiences. The person I was in high school was someone who prioritized fitting in over standing out, who thought that embracing another culture meant making compromises in his own. But today, I see that identity is composed of many layers, each one influenced by the people we meet, the places we live and the traditions we hold onto.
No one’s identity is made up of just one thing. We are the sum of our experiences, and the more we engage with others, the more we learn about ourselves.
Reconciling with differences is an essential part of this journey. When I was younger, I saw differences as potential obstacles, things that had to be overcome in order to build connections. But now, I see them as opportunities — opportunities to learn, to grow and to find common ground in unexpected places. The friends I’ve made at Notre Dame come from all walks of life, and through them, I’ve discovered that cultural exchange is not just about sharing traditions — it’s about reshaping our perspectives, challenging our assumptions and finding unity in diversity.
Lunar New Year has become more than just a holiday for me — it is a reminder that our identities are not fixed, but ever-evolving. It is through engaging with others, through embracing both our heritage and the new cultures we immerse ourselves in, that we truly come to understand who we are. As we step into the new year, I carry this warmth with me, knowing that no matter where life takes us, the journey of discovering our identity continues, strengthened by the communities we build along the way.
At the heart of it all, the exploration of identity is about balance. It’s about learning to celebrate our differences while finding the threads that connect us. It’s about acknowledging the complexities of who we are and allowing those complexities to enrich, rather than divide, our experiences. In my search for identity, I’ve realized that we don’t have to fit into predefined categories — we can create our own. We can be both, we can be many and we can be whole. And that, more than anything, is something worth celebrating.
Molly Wu is a sophomore studying political science and economics. While she was originally from Beijing, China, she went to a boarding school in NJ since high school. Growing in an environment that stresses the importance of diversity, she enjoys absorbing and sharing different perspectives. You can contact Molly at lwu5@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By MARGUERITE C. J. MARLEY Scene Writer
It’s been a phenomenal year for Sabrina Carpenter. “Short n’ Sweet,” her sixth studio album, not only earned six Grammy nominations but also won two, catapulting her into the musical big leagues. Her world tour is still going strong, and she even got her own Christmas special on Netflix.
So it’s no surprise that she would release a deluxe edition of her most popular album. Announced after her Grammy nominations, the deluxe edition was released on Valentine’s Day. It features four new songs and a new recording of the album’s hit single “Please Please Please,” which is a special treat for her fans as it features the legendary country singer Dolly Parton. The new cover also came with a new music video released on the same day.
“Fifteen Minutes”
A wonderful song that feels like it was made as “getting ready music,” the type of song meant to be listened to while prepping to go out with your friends on a Saturday night. Per Carpenter’s brand, it’s laced with innuendos, though it’s not as substantial as some of her other tracks featured on the original album. Overall, it’s a fine little song with little to it.
“Please Please Please (ft. Dolly Parton)”
The song has been slowed down significantly and remixed to sound more “southern.” The profanity in the chorus has also been removed, probably in an attempt to appeal to the sensibilities of the country charts. Carpenter’s voice somewhat overpowers Parton’s. In fact, Parton only sings a couple of lines on her own — it seems more like a vanity feature than anything else. It doesn’t add anything to the song, and I don’t think I’ll be listening to this version over the original anytime soon.
“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder”
A ballad! I’ve always thought these were one of Carpenter’s strengths (seeing as she comes from a musical theater background). She croons about struggling to accept compliments in a retro number that you could slow dance too. Usually Carpenter plays the uninterested vixen who doesn’t care, but in this song she really cares, adding some much needed complexity to her persona. Personally, it’s my favorite of all these new songs.
“Busy Woman”
A lively dance number that caters to a diverse audience, including straight women (because, let’s be honest, they need dance music too). It’s a song that could easily find a place on the playlist of a middle school dance,
right alongside Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” This track features one of Sabrina Carpenter’s most puzzling lines: “If you don’t want me, I’ll just deem you gay.” That might raise some eyebrows, but at least it doesn’t venture into the territory of totally inappropriate lyrics — I’m looking at you, “Sharpest Tool.” Despite its flaws, it’s an okay song that’s worth a listen.
“Bad Reviews”
Another country-inspired song, this one about choosing to be with someone despite people telling you not to. I think this song would benefit from an extra minute because at only 2 minutes and 22 seconds, this song introduces a complex idea but doesn’t have the time to deliver on it. I like this song, but I really wish there was more — an unfortunately common occurrence in Carpenter’s music.
In my review of the initial release of “Short n’ Sweet,” I called it just that — it clocks in at only 32 minutes long. While I understand why these songs weren’t included on the original album, they were mostly fun pop songs that I’ll be adding onto my playlist.
Contact Marguerite C. J. Marley at mmarley01@saintmarys.edu
By MASON MCCART Scene Writer
From the glitter raves that dominated COVID-era social media to the intense X (formerly Twitter) discourse that unfolded after every episode’s premiere, “Euphoria” has proved itself to be a pop culture phenomenon in every respect. However, many people have voiced their concerns online as the third season has recently entered production after a three-year hiatus, asking whether or not a new season is even necessary, especially considering the passing of Angus Cloud who portrayed Fezco. Despite the uproar that this show has caused on virtually every front, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that this show still has gas in the tank and will set the internet ablaze yet again once it finally releases.
One of the primary reasons I am convinced that “Euphoria” will be an enduring success is because the show will be different from the previous seasons structurally. With a much-needed time jump taking place, the whole argument about the actors being too old to play high schoolers will finally be put to bed. A time jump will not only exponentially broaden everyone’s potential character arcs, but it will also give the actors a chance to shine in more complex and mature plots
than the anything-but-typical high school shenanigans which they have been up to for the past two seasons. This time jump also gives leeway for addressing and getting rid of any lingering plotlines that would have eventually run stale, which proves immensely beneficial to characters who need a fresh start. (Cassie, please be sane this season — I can’t keep defending you to my friends!)
Another major point that proves the show is still absolutely a force to be reckoned with is the megawatt starpower of the show’s actors which has skyrocketed since the ending of the last season. With Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi joining the ranks of Zendaya in becoming certified A-list celebrities, they provide a gargantuan draw to a show that would have potentially lost steam were it not for the talent that fills its roster. Marketing for the upcoming season will heavily rely on these actors, who have become major selling points for nearly every recent project they’ve been part of. It should also be noted that they are not the only stars among the cast with growing resumes; Hunter Schafer and Maude Apatow have both landed major roles in films throughout the hiatus. From a business perspective, it would be borderline blasphemous not to capitalize on a red hot cast like this when it is at your disposal for one more go-around.
Even though this star power makes the show what it is, it will also be losing some major players in the upcoming season, solidifying the concerns voiced by those online. With the exits of Angus Cloud followed by Barbie Ferreira and Storm Reid, the cast is losing some of its charm as these actors and their characters provided a stable base for the more hectic and frankly delinquent lives of their counterparts. During the past season, we were almost out of touch with reality as Rue’s addiction and drug dealing soared to new heights and Lexi’s (somehow approved) school play served as the catalyst for the long-anticipated Maddie vs. Cassie brawl. As these characters fully descend into madness, they will lose the relatability that made them so accessible in the show’s earlier episodes.
Overall, even though the show’s quality is up in the air as it enters its third season, we at least know that it will be entertaining to see our favorite messy drug addicts back on screen for what may be their last hurrah. Though it will still be months before we lay our eyes upon the opening sequence of a new episode, I am already mentally prepared to foray into the glitter- and neon-soaked world which Sam Levinson has so carefully constructed.
Contact Mason McCart at mmccart@nd.edu
Irish face Duke in high-stakes ACC battle
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
On Monday night, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team will face Duke in a ranked matchup at Purcell Pavilion.
State of the Irish
Outside of the back-to-back, early-season slip-ups against No. 17 TCU and Utah, the Irish have been utterly unstoppable this season. Of their 22 wins, only one was by single digits, a nine-point victory over Clemson back in January. They rank second in the nation in scoring margin behind only No. 7 UConn while boasting the third-best scoring offense with 87.6 points per game. In non-conference play, they have three top10 wins on the resume, including No. 3 Texas, No. 6 USC and No. 7 UConn, all in resounding fashion. They have looked particularly convincing of late, managing 88 points or better in six of their last seven, while curb-stomping ACC competition on a 17-game win streak.
The Irish also are healthier than ever heading into the home stretch
ND WOMEN’S TENNIS
of February after overcoming the early-season absences of graduate forwards Maddy Westbeld and Liza Karlen. The superstar backcourt of graduate student Olivia Miles and sophomore Hannah Hidalgo is the best one-two punch in the country. The superstar duo graced the February edition of the SLAM Magazine cover and has played its best basketball of the season since. In Notre Dame’s most recent demolition of Pittsburgh, Miles tied the program record for threes in a game, sinking eight en route to a season-high 28 points. Hidalgo’s 11-point output in the same game was the anomaly during her hot start to the month. Across the three prior games in February, she averaged 27.3 points, 5.0 assists and 2.7 steals on 53.6% from the field and 46.1% from three. Both were named to the Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Team a day after making the Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20. What makes this Notre Dame team so dangerous, however, is the impressive depth behind its two stars. Senior guard Sonia Citron has played a stellar 2024-25
season and comes off a 22-point performance against Pittsburgh where she missed only one shot. Pittsburgh graduate transfer forward Liatu King has proven a welcome addition to the Irish starting lineup, currently averaging a double-double with 12.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Notre Dame also has had the luxury of wielding a consistent 30-plus minute per game starter last season in Westbeld in a more limited role due to key contributions off the bench from Karlen, freshman forward Kate Koval and sophomore guard Cassandre Prosper. With the star power of Miles and Hidalgo, a commanding presence in the paint in King and a deep, eight-woman rotation of players that can go off any night, one would be hard-pressed to find an ACC team that will catch Notre Dame.
The defense of Duke
However, Duke is among the toughest tests remaining on the ACC slate for the Irish. The No. 13 Blue Devils are 20-5 on the season and sit third in the conference with an 11-2 ACC record. In light of their
89-83 loss on the road to N.C. State, Monday’s contest in South Bend is a must-win to keep their regularseason title hopes alive. They will enter the game coming off of three straight wins over Clemson, Miami and Wake Forest, games they won by an average margin of just over 28 points.
Despite facing the third-toughest schedule according to RPI, Duke has played some of the best defense of any Power Four team in the country, allowing only 58.4 opponent points per game. At its best, the combination of length and ball pressure with fifth-year head coach Kara Lawson’s defensive schemes can suffocate a team’s offense on any given night. Their dominant defense was on full display in the Blue Devils’ most recent victory against Wake Forest, where they forced 33 Demon Deacon turnovers, leading to 41 of their 72 points. If one had to find an Achilles’ heel in this explosive Irish offense, it would be their occasional turnover-prone nature. The Blue Devils will need to capitalize on transition opportunities to keep up on offense.
On that side of the ball, they have leaned heavily on freshman sensation Toby Fournier, who picked up her fifth ACC Freshman of the Week honor of the season last week after three games in double figures and back-to-back 20-point performances. She leads Duke in scoring with 13.5 points per game on an efficient 55.2% from the field while averaging a team-high 1.2 blocks per game. Junior guard Ashlon Jackson is not far behind with 12.8 points per game. Jackson has been the primary threat from beyond the three-point arc as well, shooting 42.5% on 5.8 attempts per game. While their offense has run hot and cold at times this season, the Blue Devils will need to be firing on all cylinders on Monday, and big games from Fournier and Jackson would go a long way in that effort.
Tip-off for the top-three ACC matchup is set for 6 p.m. in Purcell Pavilion on Monday, Feb. 17, with ESPN providing the broadcast.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill@nd.edu
Irish top Xavier in NCAA Tournament rematch
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
In a rematch of its 2024 NCAA Tournament First Round, the Notre Dame women’s tennis team outdueled the Xavier Musketeers for a 5-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Since the start of the spring season exactly one month ago, the Irish are now 10-1 in duals with their lone defeat coming 6-1 at the hands of the No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes back on Feb. 7.
The Musketeers, who have transformed into one of the
BENGAL BOUTS
nation’s premier mid-major programs under head coach
Doug Matthews, fell 4-3 to Notre Dame in last season’s Ann Arbor Regional. Xavier has captured four consecutive Big East Championships but entered play at 4-3 with a younger roster than years past.
On the courts, Notre Dame claimed the highly-contested doubles point despite losing 6-4 on Court 1. Xavier’s best doubles pairing of junior Abby Nugent and freshman Clara Owen are ranked 22nd nationwide and competed at the Fall NCAA
Individual Championships, and they won their set over senior Carrie Beckman and junior Bojana Pozder. Behind the strong play of tandems Akari Matsuno and Bianca Molnar on Court 2 and Rylie Hanford and Maria Olivia Castedo on Court 3, the Irish were able to squeak out the key first point.
After Hanford, the junior from Chesterfield, Ohio, cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory on singles Court 5 and Owen captured her second victory of the day for the Musketeers on Court 6, the Irish led 2-1 needing just two more
points from the remaining four close singles matches to find victory.
In a back-and-forth, three-set affair on Court 2, Pozder, the Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin native, got revenge on Nugent in a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory to pull the Irish within one of the win.
Despite Xavier freshman Madeleine Rexroat’s key service break to win 7-5, 7-5 on Court 3, the crucial moment of the matches came when Notre Dame took two first-set tiebreaks on Courts 1 and 4 in the span of five minutes. The Irish would go on to win both
of those matches, with Matsuno, the 71st-ranked singles player in the country, winning on Court 1, and Molnar winning on Court 4. The Irish will now turn the calendar into ACC play, as their next match will take place on Friday, Feb. 21, when they travel to Dallas, Texas, to battle the SMU Mustangs. Friday’s contest with Mustangs, who sit at 5-4 off backto-back wins over Houston and Rice, is set for a 4 p.m. start at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex.
ContactBen Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
VPs speak to ‘integrative power’ of the bouts
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
“Strong bodies fight, that weak bodies may be nourished.”
The tagline for the entire Bengal Bouts program is positioned front and center on the poster celebrating the 75th anniversary of Notre Dame’s amateur men’s boxing tournament. A young Michael Rauch stares up at it from his bed in Downers Grove, Illinois.
“I had a poster, but it never really meant much to me because nobody I knew did Bengal Bouts,” Rauch said. “So I kind of knew about it and decided I would show up to a practice because I thought boxing was cool. I found that I really loved the discipline of it.”
Now a senior vice president of the club, the words take on a far greater
meaning. Rauch is responsible for overseeing much of the fundraising branch of the club, from a continued commitment to the Holy Cross missions in Bangladesh to a partnership with the South Bend Police Athletic League (PAL). These efforts are fundamental to the club as much as the boxing tournament itself. While legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne first established the club in 1920, its official founding year of 1931 coincides with the first tournament, when the service aspect was integrated.
“Boxing is often viewed by most people as destructive power,” Rauch explains. “But I think what Bengal Bouts shows is a way that boxing can be used as integrative power — power that brings people together, forms community and builds people up.”
The impact of Bengal Bouts on the larger community is evidence of this integrative power. Rauch also highlights this power at work in the tight-knit community of boxers in the pit, training each day to help one another improve. His fellow vice president Matthew Turzai valued this community from the moment he joined it as a freshman.
Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Turzai’s initial spark with boxing came from watching and following in the footsteps of his brother. Upon arriving at Notre Dame, he had limited involvement as a freshman in the fall amidst a busy schedule. However, after
some encouragement from fellow members of the Navy ROTC, Turzai started to attend practices more often. He connected with a coach who pushed him and started to fall in love with the sport.
“I lost my freshman year in the first round to another Navy ROTC guy who was definitely a role model of mine,” Turzai said. “But the night of the tournament, that’s what hooked me … that’s the magic of the club.”
He attributes his discovery and development with the club to the people around him. These people made it possible for him to experience the excitement of
the tournament, a competition he would go on to win the next year. In that year, he started to take on a greater leadership role as he grew closer to friends in the club and reflected on the impact of that community.
“My reflections on these guys that worked with me and got me to keep coming to the club … it started to turn in the back of my mind,” Turzai describes. “I can start to be that for other people.”
His meteoric rise to tournament success as a sophomore also informed his coaching philosophy in see BENGAL VPs PAGE 10
Happy Birthday: Take your time, think matters through, and refrain from following the crowd or making premature choices based on partial facts and figures. Pay more attention to your health, emotional well-being, and relationship with others. Look for natural solutions geared toward building mental and physical strength and making lifestyle changes that help you gain confidence. Pay attention to where every dollar goes, and you’ll find a way to lower your overhead. Your numbers are 5, 17, 25, 27, 33, 42, 49.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take the uncertainty out of the equation by asking direct questions, assessing situations confidently, and determining and doing what’s best for you. Handle relationships practically when money is involved. Maintaining integrity and treating everyone fairly and with dignity is essential. Love and self-respect will bolster your confidence.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take note of who is doing what and align yourself with the people eager to reach the same conclusion or goal as you. Opportunities will develop through the connections you make and the conversations you pursue. Big talkers will be compelling but unrealistic. Rework concepts that intrigue you to suit your needs.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Fixate on outperforming yourself and anyone who challenges you. Generosity is superb if you are careful not to let anyone take advantage of you. You may want everyone to like you, but be careful who you trust with your secrets. Say no to anyone who tempts or tries to lead you astray.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Networking and social events will give you a chance to test your skills, concepts, and plans on people who can offer worthy insight into something you want to pursue and perhaps even connect you to someone who can help you turn your ideas into something tangible. Choose health-conscious eating and drinking habits.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Pay attention to home, family, and domestic matters. Take care of how you use your energy to get the highest return. A healthy attitude, fitness, and expanding your mind and qualifications will raise your awareness regarding new possibilities and how best your demands are heard and met.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Applied pressure will backfire. If you want change, be willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Size up what’s entailed and restructure your plans to meet the demands. Put a set time and budget in place and stick to your blueprint. Take nothing for granted and verify the information.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be open to suggestions, meeting halfway, and compromise, especially when it involves money or domestic matters. Turn events into a chance to connect with people who share your interests and directional pursuits. A quick update to your appearance will give you a fresh look and the confidence to push forward persistently.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are on a roll; stop wasting time, dig in, learn all you can, and explore the possibilities. Venture out and connect with people who can help you reach your goal. A networking event will offer insight into how best to display, promote, and seal deals. Say yes, and enjoy the outcome.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have better technique than most, so don’t sell yourself short. Let your bravado set in, and let your experience shine through. Refuse to let anyone outmaneuver you, using lies and underhanded tactics to make you look inadequate or less qualified. Put your best foot forward and play to win.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Embrace change, sign up for something you enjoy, and make personal improvements that make you feel good about yourself. Step in a direction that requires a commitment. Once you make your mind up, start heading down the right path. Once you find your comfort zone, everything will fall into place.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Rearrange your space to suit your needs. Designate a place to wind down and to get fit. Balance is necessary if you want to succeed. Make changes based on your needs. Don’t be a follower when setting standards and routines directly linked to your needs, which will help you find your happy place.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You can think big, but when it comes to achieving your goals, slimline your plans to suit your budget. Taking your time and choosing to do things in small increments will help you maintain control, ease stress, and enjoy finishing what you start. Live within your means.
Birthday Baby: You are energetic, innovative, and proactive. You are idealistic and generous.
the ring, both as a junior captain and now as a senior vice president. Responsible for the training side of the club, Turzai organizes and leads sparring sessions and workouts. Beyond just teaching the technique, he looks to instill a belief that anyone can improve if they are willing to put in enough
BENGAL BOUTS
work, regardless of previous boxing experience.
“I didn’t really know boxing all that much sophomore year,” Turzai told me. “I’ve developed this idea, that at the end of the day, especially in competition, it’s all mentality … you have to believe in yourself.”
Rauch and Turzai are both heavily involved around campus outside of Bengal Bouts. Rauch has
been with the ultimate frisbee team all four years and has worked at the Duncan Student Center climbing wall since he was a sophomore. He identifies those two activities in conjunction with Bengal Bouts because of their community focus.
“That focus on community both in climbing and ultimate frisbee has really helped inform my understanding of the importance
of community within boxing,” Rauch said. Similarly, Turzai has found community through his time with Navy ROTC and serving as vice president of his dorm Keenan Hall, while also lifeguarding at the Shannopin Country Club back home. While balancing these responsibilities can be challenging at times, Turzai’s passion for what he is doing continues to drive him
forward.
“If you have a passion for something, the work will come out on its own,” Turzai told me. “If I want guys to be able to learn boxing and I want to put my name, as being one of the guys in charge of technique, on this day and on this practice, I’m going to give it my all.”
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Senior captains lead historic 2025 campaign
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
Now in its 95th official season of connecting Notre Dame men through service and sparring, Bengal Bouts and its four senior captains look to build on the club’s historic legacy.
Boxing at the University of Notre Dame can trace its roots all the way back to 1912 with legendary head football coach Knute Rockne. While still a student-athlete in South Bend, Rockne created the boxing program as an offseason training regimen for football. Over the next 15 years, the team would compete intercollegiately, before becoming an annual intramural event in 1927. The program and its mission were formalized in 1931 under Rockne’s successor Hunk Anderson and student boxer Dominic “Nappy” Napolitano, when tickets were sold with the proceeds being sent to Holy Cross missions in the impoverished South Asian nation of Bangladesh.
A 1955 Sports Illustrated column noted that Napolitano’s leadership “established the ideal atmosphere of sportsmanship, safety and lack of any commercial taint,” which has been carried on for nearly a century through the diligent work both in and out of the ring by club captains. This year’s four senior captains have teamed up to set historic fundraising goals for
BENGAL BOUTS
Bangladesh, organize and promote the tournament and a corresponding Alumni Weekend, as well as lay the groundwork for the future by teaching the culture and technique to the next generation of boxers.
No boxer has had a more unique journey to Notre Dame than Jack Lennon of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The 29-yearold russian major with a minor in history spent seven years following high school as a professional ballet dancer across the United States and in New Zealand before returning to complete his education.
Although he won’t be competing this year, Lennon serves as the technique captain, overseeing teaching the sport to the underclassmen. Lennon sees his experience with ballet as translating to the ring, saying in an interview, “I knew I needed some kind of sport to keep me active. As I’ve become a captain I’ve made an effort to work with the underclassmen, really emphasizing their footwork and head movement. In ballet you do everything to the left and the right, which helped me pick up the footwork and be able to teach the other guys.”
“Even though it’s an intense individual sport, we take a very team-oriented approach. Everyone is very welcoming and pushes each other to get better every day in practice,” concluded Lennon.
The fundraising captain is
West Hartford, Connecticut, native Brooks McConnell, who has been involved with Bengal Bouts since his sophomore year. The finance and applied and computational mathematics and statistics (ACMS) double major who resided in Siegfried Hall on campus is also involved with the Student International Business Council (SIBC) and Venture Capital Club, utilizing his variety of economic experience to help coordinate all fundraising efforts of the group.
Speaking on his mental growth since joining Bengal Bouts, McConnell stated, “I enjoyed practices my sophomore year, but I was very hesitant to spar. My friends from back home didn’t expect me to be a boxer, but I fell in love with the grind after my first tournament.”
He continued to say, “It’s intimidating being on that island the first time you get in there. The biggest takeaway for me has been the mental preparation and fortitude you gain through responding from taking the punches.”
McConnell has also enjoyed seeing the spirit and energy amongst the group inside Dahnke Ballroom throughout past tournaments, adding, “I’ve been really inspired by the other past and current captains, and they have helped me become a better leader. I just try to be a friendly face, someone who is welcoming and a guy you can
talk to in the pit and at Dahnke. I’m really going to miss the camaraderie we have.”
Will Robbins also took an unorthodox journey to boxing following his time as a drum major in his high school marching band. The computer science major from Fort Worth, Texas, lived in Knott Hall on campus, and is also involved with the Navy ROTC program. Robbins serves as the outreach captain, sending out monthly newsletters and organizing ‘Mission Mondays’ alongside Fr. Tom Eckert to inform the club and community of the service work executed by Bengal Bouts.
Robbins was granted a renewed sense of purpose within boxing following his visit to Bangladesh, saying, “It’s not the club that it is if you don’t understand the purpose. It would cease to exist if we were just punching each other. I was one of the boxers that saw firsthand what goes on in Bangladesh when we went two years ago, and to be able to establish relationships with the Holy Cross brothers there allowed me to communicate the mission with the rest of the guys.”
He also expressed his appreciation of the collective attitude of all in the group, stating, “When you’re doing something like this every day, there is no way to not get closer. I’ve gotten to know everybody very well, and the other captains have become some of my best friends.”
Convinced to give boxing a try by his freshman year Moreau instructor, Erick Valdez coordinates photography, videography and communications as the social media captain. Originally from El Paso, Texas, the aerospace engineering major who lived in Dillon Hall spent two summers in Ecuador with the Engineering Without Borders chapter, providing him insight into the importance of the group’s fundraising efforts abroad.
An athlete all throughout high school, Valdez felt a void of purpose and meaning in his weightlifting routine throughout freshman year.
“There was something missing that was an integral part of my life. Both giving meaning to those tough workouts I was doing, as well as having people alongside me were big reasons I stuck with Bengal Bouts,” Valdez said on the value of team sports, expressing regret that he hadn’t participated all four years.
He also highlighted the joy he takes in mentoring the underclassmen, explaining, “Being able to be in a guy’s corner during spars and give him advice is one of the most special things about being a captain. And then seeing guys improve with that advice, that’s where the magic happens.”
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
Junior captains balance wide-ranging roles
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
Notre Dame offers men’s boxing through Bengal Bouts, where junior captions are training for the upcoming tournament.
A science pre-professional major from Marshall, Michigan, and a Fisher Hall resident, junior captain Isaac Culp says, “When I was a freshman it was — I wanted to stay active obviously, I wanted something to get involved with — but more so it was about trying to meet people who were outside of the freshman class [and] trying to get a more variety of friends, because up until that point I’d really only been hanging around the guys
in my dorm.”
“I remember I joined my freshman year, and I remember I knew absolutely nothing about what I thought that I knew,”
California native and finance major Michael Nilsen said. “I’d thought I’d be a little bit ahead of everyone, but I remember that I knew absolutely nothing, and it was great because the upperclassmen — the seniors and the juniors — were so helpful. It’s crazy how much I learned in such a short amount of time.”
Pittsburgh native and finance major Phil Pollice commented, “I wanted to join because I had a little bit of boxing experience from the summer of my junior year in high school, but I also
just wanted to find a club and a group of guys that wanted to push themselves.”
The four captains also take pride in their roles as captains, each having their own unique jobs within the club.
“There are about 10 of us captains in total,” Culp said. “We each have our main points. For me, I work with another captain on the social media front, so we control the Facebook and Instagram socials, and we post information about what’s going on and we are responsible for spreading the word of what we do and how we do it.”
Nilsen, on the other hand, works closely with the Holy Cross priests in his role as captain.
“I’m an outreach captain, which basically [means] I’m working on those connections with the Holy Cross priests and kind of strengthening those relationships with them,” he said. “It’s been nice because every Monday, we host Mission Monday, where we have one of the Holy Cross priests come speak to boxers.”
“I designed all of the merch for the club,” Pollice added in regard
But social media is not the only thing they are responsible for. Junior captain and psychology major Ijeh Nwaezeapu described, “I’m a workout captain, so I devise workouts for the club, and I lead them.”
to his role as a merch captain. In common with the Baraka Bouts, which raises money for schools in Uganda, Bengal Bouts also raises money for a cause of their own — the Holy Cross missions in Bangladesh — which the captains expressed is an important part of the club.
“Basically, what we do is is we try to raise a bunch of money for kids in Bangladesh who suffer from drug addiction or don’t have the opportunity to go to school, and basically, we sell tickets and raise money for the Holy Cross missions,” Nwaezeapu said.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
MEN’S LACROSSE
Irish move to 2-0 with blowout of Marquette
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
The No. 1 Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 16 games on Saturday with a 22-9 victory over the visiting Marquette Golden Eagles at Loftus Sports Center.
Aiming for its third consecutive national title, 37th-year head coach Kevin Corrigan’s highly touted Irish squad opened up the season with a dominant 24-6 win over Cleveland State on Wednesday before welcoming
ND WOMEN’S LACROSSE
the Golden Eagles to South Bend for the 13th all-time matchup between the programs.
Insulated from the cold outdoor temperatures, the Irish offense was on fire in the first half, scoring 13 goals in the opening frame after briefly trailing for the first time all season. Two goals from senior midfielder Will Angrick spearheaded a 7-0 Irish run, which included five goals in just five minutes.
Angrick and graduate attacker Jake Taylor both completed the hat trick after halftime, after the Irish led 13-5 entering the
intermission. Exhibiting their strong depth, as well as their dominance on both ends of the field, the Irish utilized their reserves to pull away and tie the program’s largest win in the series history against Marquette.
All told, nine Irish players found the back of the net, and two goals each were scored by senior attacker Chris Kavanagh, junior attacker Will Maheras and freshman attacker Brady Pokorny. Kavanagh’s two goals brought his career total to 118, moving him into sixth place on Notre Dame’s alltime scoring list, surpassing his
brother Pat, a 2024 graduate.
Notre Dame’s 46 goals across the first two games of the season ties the program high for a twogame stretch, as last year’s team also netted 46 in its first two appearances of the season.
Notre Dame’s defense delivered a standout performance, forcing 12 turnovers while allowing just nine goals. The goalkeeping tandem of junior Thomas Ricciardelli and senior Alex Zepf combined for nine saves as well.
The Irish will now travel to the nation’s capital to take on the 15th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas
of the Big East Conference. In a stunning upset a year ago, the Hoyas dealt Notre Dame its only loss en route to a second straight national championship in a Feb. 25 overtime thriller in South Bend. The Hoyas, whose lone loss this season came in Baltimore to nine-time national champion Johns Hopkins, are coming off a big win against No. 13 Penn. Next Saturday’s contest is set for a noon face-off from Cooper Field and will stream live on FloSports.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
Irish top EMU, remain perfect on homestand
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
The No. 11 Notre Dame
Fighting Irish women’s lacrosse team won its second consecutive match at the Loftus Sports Center, claiming a resounding 17-7 victory over the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Saturday afternoon. After a heartbreaking, openingmatch 13-10 defeat in Evanston, Illinois, to No. 2 Northwestern, the Irish have responded with back-to-back convincing wins over Central Michigan and now Eastern Michigan.
The Irish and Eagles alternated
HOCKEY
goals early to make it an even 2-2 start before Notre Dame began to control possession off the draw controls. The smooth Irish offense then unleashed a flurry of shots at Eastern Michigan sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Porter in the waning minutes of the opening period. Porter would have a nice afternoon, finishing with 11 saves, but the Irish ripped off four consecutive goals en route to an 8-2 run to make the lead 10-4 at the break.
After freshman forward Madison Rassas completed the hat trick, the Irish advantage reached double digits midway through the
third and the running clock was set for nearly the remainder of the match. A Sterling, Virginia, native with Irish athletes as parents and grandparents, Rassas was named the No. 1 high school recruit in the country during her senior season at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. Her 5 goals against Eastern Michigan gave her back-to-back five-goal outings, alongside three assists on the season.
The Notre Dame frenzied attack was also led by sophomore midfielder Angie Conley, graduate midfielder Kristen Shanahan and sophomore attacker Kate
Timarky, all of whom tallied hat tricks. Junior attacker Emma Murphy recorded the brace with two goals, while sophomore attacker Wynter Jock netted her first career goal after missing the entirety of her freshman season with a medical redshirt.
Junior attacker Fran Frieri continued to be a leading playmaker up top for the Irish, as she spread the ball around nicely to account for three assists. With upperclassman leadership from Frieri, Murphy, Shanahan and more, the young Irish squad should continue to improve throughout the season as it aims to reach the
NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive season under 14th-year head coach Christine Halfpenny.
The homestand will conclude when the Irish are back in action next, with ACC play set to get underway when the Clemson Tigers visit South Bend next week. The top-20 matchup between the No. 20 Tigers and the No. 11 Irish will take place next Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. at the Loftus Sports Center, with livestream coverage available on ACCNX.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
Irish never lead in sweep loss at Penn State
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Playing without a lead for all 120 minutes, Notre Dame hockey lost both games at Penn State this weekend. The Irish (9-20-1, 3-16-1 Big Ten) dropped 5-3 and 3-2 contests, guaranteeing themselves the No. 7 seed for the Big Ten Tournament. No. 18 Penn State, meanwhile, remained a team on a mission with its second consecutive sweep. The Nittany Lions, currently one of the first four teams out of the NCAA Tournament picture, are 9-2-3 in the new year after starting Big Ten play 0-8. The Nittany Lions (1611-3, 7-10-3 Big Ten) passed Wisconsin for fifth place in the conference standings with their six-point series.
Friday: Notre Dame 3, Penn State 5 Penn State wasted little time putting the Irish on their heels in front of 6,606 at Pegula Ice Arena on Friday. The Nittany Lions sent waves of odd-man rushes in the direction of junior goaltender Owen Say,
hitting the post twice in the first period.
Finally, with four minutes to play in the opening frame, Penn State sent numbers into the offensive zone and broke through. With a 50-50 puck available in neutral ice, junior defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico stepped up to pinch at the red line as Notre Dame’s last line of defense. However, the decision of Mastrodomenico, who played for the first time since Jan. 11, didn’t work out. Penn State chipped the puck around Mastrodomenico, cashing in a 3-on-0 with a one-timer goal by Reese Laubach.
The Nittany Lions would follow Laubach’s 14th goal of the season with another tally 41 seconds later. On a 2-on-2 zone entry, Simon Mack fluttered a deflected centering pass into the slot. There, junior defenseman Axel Kumlin unluckily lifted the stick of Matt DiMarsico right into the path of the puck. The chest-high redirection surprised Say, resulting in DiMarsico’s 10th goal of the year and a 2-0 Penn State lead.
Period one would end in frustration for the Irish, who went on the penalty kill in the final minute and conceded a third goal in controversial fashion. As Mack shot from the left point, Dane Dowiak attempted to screen Say but ran into him at the top of crease. As Say spun down the ice, Dowiak flagged down the Mack wrister, sliding the puck past the defenseless Irish netminder for his 7th tally of the season. The officials reviewed the play for potential goaltender interference but confirmed the call of a good goal, infuriating Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson.
The Irish refused to roll over at the sight of a threegoal deficit after 20 minutes, outshooting the Nittany Lions 23-22 across the final two periods. Five minutes into the second frame, an effective dump-in from graduate winger Grant Silianoff set up sophomore forward Carter Slaggert to walk in from the right dot. For his 4th goal of the season, all in the new year, he slipped the puck through the five-hole of Penn State netminder
Arsenii Sergeev, bringing the Irish within a 3-1 deficit.
Notre Dame would keep the pressure on into the middle of the period, grabbing another goal at 8:41 of the second. Sophomore winger Brennan Ali entered the offensive zone from the right side, dash into the slot.
The left-handed shooter then lasered a shot across his body and inside the right post, beating Sergeev gloveside for his 6th goal of the campaign.
The Irish eventually went on the power play with 16 seconds remaining in the period and a chance to tie the score. However, Penn State reversed the opportunity, scoring its Big Ten-high 8th shorthanded marker of the season to restore its two-goal lead. With a loose puck sitting between sophomore center Cole Knuble and sophomore defenseman Paul Fischer near the blue line, Dowiak chipped it around Fischer and went on a breakaway the other way. The left-handed shooter snapped his release past Say’s blocker side, making it 4-2 with 3.1 seconds to play.
Notre Dame again responded to Penn State’s lateperiod gutpunch to start the third, scoring on the same power play just 53 seconds in. A low-to-high centering feed from senior winger Justin Janicke hit the skate of a Nittany Lion defenseman, careening to an open space inside the right circle. Graduate winger Blake Biondi got to the free puck first, slapping it above the lunging Sergeev for his 11th tally of the season and teamleading 6th on the man advantage. The tally extended Fischer’s career-long point streak to five games. The game evened out throughout the rest of the third period, with Say keeping the Irish in the game with several difficult stops. Jackson eventually got him to the bench for an extra attacker with 90 seconds to play, but the 6-on-5 sequence didn’t last long. Attempting to clear the puck off glass and out of his defensive zone, Penn State’s Cade Christenson banked a 180-footer all the way down
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish fall to Louisville by 75-60 score at home
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
Micah Shrewsberry’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball team returned to South Bend on Sunday night to welcome the Louisville Cardinals to Purcell Pavilion for the first of a critical threegame homestand.
The Irish were victorious last time out, as they snapped their disappointing three-game losing skid with an exhilarating, 97-94 double-overtime win in Chestnut Hill over Boston College. That victory gave Notre Dame the season sweep over the Eagles and also pushed the Irish two games clear of the ACC Tournament cutline.
Leading the Irish all season long has been sophomore guard Markus Burton. Since returning in early January from a lower-body injury, Burton has scored at least 20 points in nine of 11 appearances, including a careerhigh 32 at BC on Wednesday. Burton’s offensive outburst has set multiple Notre Dame records and has allowed him to surpass Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg for the highest scoring average in ACC play with 23.0 points per game.
Notre Dame would be without the leadership of graduate guard Matt Allocco for the fourth consecutive game, however, as he continued to nurse a right wrist injury suffered in the Feb. 1 loss at Miami.
Across the sideline, it has been a complete 180 for Louisville in head coach Pat Kelsey’s first year following the disastrous tenure of
Kenny Payne. The Cardinals entered the contest at 19-6 and 12-2 in the ACC. Kelsey’s work engineering this turnaround with a transfer-littered team has earned him National Coach of the Year consideration.
The Cards are also spearheaded by a dynamic backcourt, including star transfer point guard Chucky Hepburn. After coming over from Wisconsin last offseason, Hepburn has led his group in scoring with 15 points per game, while also topping the ACC with 6.2 assists and 2.3 steals nightly.
On the floor, sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry wasted no time breaking out of his shooting slump, as the coach’s son canned 3 triples in the opening five minutes to bring the Irish faithful to their feet early.
The Cardinals would quickly join in on the 3-point barrage, as Charleston transfer Reyne Smith, who entered the game second nationally with 96 made threes, buried treys on back-to-back trips to give Louisville an early advantage.
The Cards were able to push their lead out to 7 as a 5-minute scoring drought for the Irish corresponded with a 13-0 Louisville run. The Irish were able to claw back as Burton finally started to leave his imprint, before a missed layup and subsequent second foul sidelined him for over five minutes.
Both teams would struggle to score for the remainder of the opening frame before Smith connected on his third three-ball of the half, sending Louisville into the locker
room with a 35-28 advantage. The Cardinals shot just 13 for 30 from the field in the first half, but they impressively assisted on 9 of those makes.
With his 4 triples on the night, Smith moved into sole possession of second on the all-time Louisville single-season made 3-pointers list. Describing him as “a son,” Kelsey praised the determination of Smith, saying, “It’s emotional for me to see the success he has had on this stage. For a guy who came over with me from Charleston, it’s a testament to his hard work to see him raise his level in the ACC.”
Notre Dame only had four players score during the first half, led by Burton with 11 and Shrewsberry with 9.
Junior forward Tae Davis, the Irish’s second leading scorer, was held to just 4 points on 4 shots as he found his way into early foul trouble, eventually picking up a costly third personal just 15 minutes in.
The Irish made an initial push coming out of the intermission, as a Davis and-1 with just a second remaining on the shot clock cut the Louisville lead to just 3. The Cardinals made a major statement with their response, which was spearheaded by a deep triple from reigning ACC Player of the Week Terrence Edwards Jr., who became a father yesterday as announced by Kelsey after the game. Kelsey’s group extended its advantage to 11 with just under 10 minutes remaining, prompting Shrewsberry to burn a timeout.
The message wasn’t received however, as the
Cardinals would convert on each of their next 7 shots, punctuated by consecutive treys from transfer guard J’Vonne Hadley. Hepburn, who would finish with 6 total assists, helped out on both, and the Cardinal lead ballooned to 18.
“It was a very physical game, and both teams battled. I thought our guys were really gritty during that stretch when we extended our lead,” Kelsey said.
The Cardinals would hang on to the big advantage, as they have all conference season, taking this one 75-60 in their sixth 15-plus-point ACC victory. Louisville now leads the all-time series over Notre Dame 27-19. Sunday’s win was their first against the Irish in nearly four years, following four consecutive defeats.
Led by Hepburn with 16 and Edwards with 14, all five starters for the Cardinals scored in double figures.
Hepburn also tallied 6 assists and 3 steals to match his season averages. Burton was once again the leading scorer for Notre Dame, totaling 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting during his 36 minutes of action.
After his hot start, Shrewsberry misfired on his next 10 attempts before a garbage-time 3 gave him 12 points on the night. As has been the story this year, Notre Dame got very little production from its bench, with the only points coming on a single made field goal from senior forward J.R. Konieczny.
Speaking on the lack of scoring depth, Shrewsberry
commented, “We need to find a way to create more easy shots, and when we get there we have to make more easy shots.”
In a shortened postgame press conference that ended with a fiery rant, Coach Shrewsberry lauded the commitment of his team and assured the media and fans that he knows he can turn the ship around. Shrewsberry was frustrated by the lack of fan support against Louisville and all season long, and sent a clear message that if fans don’t show up now, then they shouldn’t bother when the wins start to roll.
“We’re gonna keep fighting. As a group, as a team, we are gonna fight. I understand that a lot of people have given up on this team, but I know this team isn’t going to quit. So don’t quit on these kids,” he concluded.
The Cardinals will have a midweek bye before continuing the pursuit of their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019, as they return home to the KFC Yum! Center on Saturday to put their fourgame winning streak on the line against Florida State. Notre Dame’s homestand will continue with two more NCAA Tournament hopefuls coming to town, as the SMU Mustangs will make the trip to Northern Indiana on Wednesday evening before the Pittsburgh Panthers visit Purcell Pavilion for a Saturday afternoon showdown. Wednesday’s 7 p.m. tipoff with SMU can be seen nationally on ACC Network.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
the ice and into the empty net, bringing the game to its final score of 5-3.
Say finished with 32 saves on 36 shots faced while Sergeev, the reigning Big Ten First Star of the Week, stopped 24 of the 27 shots he saw.
Saturday: Notre Dame 2, Penn State 3
On night two, Jackson went back to Say to start both games of a Big Ten series for the first time since Nov. 8-9 at Michigan. The game opened similarly to Friday’s with no goals through the first 16 minutes, although Notre Dame carried play for the most
part. Penn State once again struck first, scoring with 2:23 to play in the first period. It happened when graduate defenseman Zach Plucinski mishandled an airborne puck in the Irish slot, creating a Nittany Lion 2-on-1. National points per game leader Aiden Fink slid the puck over to the waiting Danny Dzhaniyev, who one-timed it home for his 10th goal of the year.
Notre Dame would go into the first intermission down a goal before receiving a golden opportunity to tie the game early in the second. Laubach was tabbed with a replay-confirmed 5-minute major and game misconduct for highsticking senior forward Tyler Carpenter, putting the Irish on a long power play. They
capitalized with 15:27 left in the period, as Biondi stuffed home a Knuble-induced rebound for his team-best 12th goal of the season. However, Sergeev’s work would help the Nittany Lions kill off the remaining three-plus minutes of the power play, keeping the contest level at 1-1. As both teams racked up the shots, putting 15 apiece on goal in the second period, Penn State took the lead with 4:55 remaining until the final intermission. Nittany Lion extra skater Nicholas DeGraves tipped a long-range shot from Dzhaniyev for his 2nd goal of the year. Penn State would add another 6:37 into the third after sophomore center Danny Nelson was kicked out of the game for
cross-checking. Just 28 seconds into the 5-minute power play, Fink wired a wrister into the top corner of the net, extending the home team’s advantage to 3-1 with his 22nd goal of the season.
Penn State’s 5-on-4 would spiral from there, as Notre Dame scored shorthanded less than three minutes after falling behind by two. During a 3-on-2 rush, Knuble slipped a pass through to the hash marks for Janicke, who roofed a shot for his 11th tally of the season — his second of the shorthanded variety. Knuble’s primary assist moved him to 30 points on the year with 9 goals and 21 helpers.
After Penn State’s long power play ended abruptly with a penalty, Notre Dame severely
tested Penn State’s leadholding abilities. The Irish put 16 shots on target in the third period, the most by either team in a single frame all weekend. However, Sergeev lived up to his first-star billing, upholding Penn State’s lead through the final horn. He finished the night with 36 saves on 38 shots against, while Say denied 25 of the 28 shots he faced. Next weekend, the Irish will play their final road series of the regular season against Wisconsin. The Badgers have lost six consecutive games and will host both contests at 8:30 (7:30 CDT) at the Kohl Center.
