Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Student government election uncontested
Sophomore Jerry Vielhauser and junior Sonia Lumley will be the only presidential ticket on ballot
By KATIE MUCHNICK and LIAM KELLY Managing Editor and Notre Dame News Editor
Sophomore Gerald (Jerry) Vielhauer and junior Sonia Lumley are running unopposed in today’s student body president and vice president election. This is the first instance of a student government ticket running unopposed since 2012, and only the second time in the history of Notre Dame’s student government.
In an interview with The Observer, Vielhauer and Lumley expressed their longheld goal to run for the highest political office in student government. The pair met through a mutual student government friend after expressing interest in running. They credit their experience with Notre Dame’s community as the motivation for
EDITORIAL
Endorsement: Abstain, then abolish StuGov
Observer Editorial Board
Today, for only the second time in Notre Dame history, a ticket for student body president and vice president will face the polls unopposed. When this last happened 13 years ago, 42.7% of voters pulled the lever for ‘abstain,’ not including the thousands who did not vote.
We encourage you to follow their example and abstain. Or don’t open the email. It doesn’t particularly matter.
This is not to say anything about the candidates in this year’s election, who present as decent and well-intentioned individuals who will do a respectable job. But they’re winning anyway, so you may as well register your protest with the system.
Last year, The Observer decided to break its decadeslong tradition of endorsing one of the tickets, instead advising our readers to “take a look” at student government and make their own decision, laying out the failures of a sprawling bureaucratic network that fails to achieve campaign promises or much else. We’ve taken a look, and have come to the conclusion that it is a failed project. Abolition is the remedy.
We’ve asked ourselves whether the ticket seeking office can do a good job, and found that a “good job” is impossible given the nature of this system and the cosplay function that student leaders are shoehorned into. Obviously, student government isn’t going anywhere,
but it could at least be stripped of its excess. A democratically elected student body president serving as symbolic leader at official functions — without the theatrics or bureaucratic sprawl — would be a marked improvement. Instead, we’ve watched student government burn through hundreds of thousands of dollars on initiatives that generate more meetings than results.
In some ways, it is a good thing that there is only one ticket on the ballot. It shatters the pretense of the usual popularity contest election and confirms what many already suspect — student government isn’t a battleground of ideas, but an exercise in selfselection. In the past, we’ve
running — and giving back to the campus which has given so much to them.
Originally from Syracuse, New York, Vielhauer is majoring in political science with minors in constitutional studies, business economics and philosophy. Lumley, from Merced, California, is another political science major with a minor in the Hesburgh program in public service.
Vielhauer, who tops the ticket as the presidential candidate, emphasized he is “all about Christian leadership, servant leadership” and stressed his love for the Notre Dame community.
“[During] admitted student days, when I stepped in the Basilica, it was just like a surreal experience. I didn’t want to leave, and so I was blessed enough to be
University sued for price fixing
Observer Staff Report
Notre Dame continues to fight a class-action lawsuit alleging it engaged in tuition price fixing with other elite universities. Twelve of the seventeen defendants in the case have agreed to settle for a combined $320 million. The lawsuit, filed in
January 2022, alleges that a group of universities including Notre Dame, Harvard, Yale and MIT, among others, illegally colluded to limit the amount of financial aid offered to prospective students. Universities have been legally exempt from
see LAWSUIT PAGE 3
Courtesy of Jerry Vilhauer and Sonia Lumley
Presumptive vice president Sonia Lumley (left) and presumptive president Jerry Vielhauer (right) posing in front of Hesburgh Library. The junior-sophomore ticket will be the only option on the ballot this spring.
LIAM KELLY | The Observer
The Main Building as seen from God Quad. The University remains in litigation over alleged price fixing, even as other colleges have settled.
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antitrust review and permitted to use shared methodology to determine financial aid under a 1994 law, provided their admissions policy was need-blind.
However, the suit claims that the defendants were not need-blind in their admissions, and instead gave preferential treatment to students from wealthy families.
Court documents obtained by The Observer include evidence showing Notre Dame’s preference for wealthy applicants, including a quote from former associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment Don Bishop.
“We allowed their high gifting or potential gifting to influence our choices more this year than last year — because they simply were ranked and larger donors,” Bishop said. “Sure hope the wealthy next year raise a few more smart kids.”
Data included in court filings stated that priority-designated applicants at Notre Dame had notably higher admissions odds than other applicants. In 2017, the admission rate for “University Relations”
Election
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accepted,” he said.
Lumley echoed her running mate’s sentiment.
“Notre Dame has given me so much, and I feel like this is the highest place to give back to our community,” she said.
The ticket’s platform, published on their Instagram, highlights campus dining
HENRY JAGODZINSKI | The Observer
Data from a recent plaintiff court filing shows percentage of priority (university-interest, any university relation and president) and non-priority students admitted to Notre Dame between 2005 and 2022.
applicants was 64%, while it was 18% for “non-priority” applicants.
The same document states that the Notre Dame’s Institutional Risk and Compliance Committee identified the growing number of donors and their children as a “top four risk” to the University. Additionally, lawyers for
improvements, studentathlete relations and mental health programming. Both pointed to their previous experience in student government — Vielhauer is the sophomore class vice president — as formative to their priorities for the upcoming term.
“It’s been a blessing to be able to meet so many people in student government in my first couple years of being in Class Council, and do
Nominate an outstanding faculty member for Universitywide recognition. Faculty, academic staff, and students are eligible to submit nominations for any of the eight University Faculty
the plaintiffs said Notre Dame had stipulated that every year from 2003 through 2022, the University had “in some instances admitted students based on factors which included the applicant’s family’s donation history and/or capacity for future donations.”
A 2020 report by Bishop showed that 86
that experience,” Vielhauer said. “I’ve met a lot of people who this was something they’re interested in, and kind of built relationships and friendships with them.”
Vielhauer stressed upholding the Catholic character of the University would be an integral part of his and Lumley’s administration.
“Our Catholic identity is a huge part of what Notre Dame … That’s something that I want to always be cognizant of and always be thinking of every time we do any measure of policy or programming,” Vielhauer said. “I think that we really are excited to kind of unite campus around our Catholic mission, our Catholic values, and at the same time still being welcoming to everyone.”
As part of their Irish health plan, Vielhauer and Lumley want to advocate for expanded meal plan options for on-campus students, with more variation than just the Block 250 and Block 230 plans currently available to undergraduates. They propose “healthier options at the dining halls,” especially for allergy groups.
Lumley pointed to her own difficulties eating at the dining while being lactose intolerant and gluten-free.
“A lot of those options are not in the dining hall,” she said. “So being able to have a voice for those groups of
for non-priority-designated applicants were statistically significantly higher than for priority-designated applicants for every year between 2007 and 2016. The mean SAT scores for non-prioritydesignated applicants were statistically significantly higher than for priority-designated applicants between 2007 and 2015.”
In 2015, Mary Nucciarone, Notre Dame’s director of financial aid, celebrated Congress’ renewal of the law that allowed the University to use a shared financial aid formula.
The law expired in 2022 when Congress failed to renew it again, meaning schools are now bound by antitrust laws.
donor-influenced admitted students were enrolled in 2020, 65 of whom “needed special” consideration to be admitted.
An expert report for the plaintiffs by Hal J. Singer, an antitrust expert and professor of economics at the University of Utah, found that “the mean ACT scores
people as well that I represent would be great.”
The ticket also proposes increasing resources for the University Counseling Center, adding more weightlifting equipment in Rockne Memorial and upgrading AC and laundry facilities in the dorms. The pair devoted a significant portion of their platform to “student-athlete relations,” which they aim to improve through the creation of a new executive cabinet department devoted to the needs of student athletes.
“I feel that sometimes, with student athletes making up such a large portion of our campus, their concerns fall on deaf ears, and I really want to help get them to be more a part of student government,” Vielhauer said.
Lumley also proposed increasing support for firstgeneration students who are moving to college alone as part of their FGLI initiative.
On the rarity of a oneticket election, Vielhauer suggested that student government is especially unified. Lumley pointed to a shorter winter break, giving potential candidates less time to prepare.
“I think they probably weren’t thinking about it too much. They were probably thinking about the national championship,” Lumley said.
Vielhauer recognized complaints by some students
The litigation continues at the same time as Notre Dame has expanded its financial aid offerings. In September, during his inaugural address, President Fr. Robert Dowd announced the University would go need blind and loan-free for all students, including international students.
Cornell, Georgetown, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania and Notre Dame are the only remaining defendants.
that student government candidates are sometimes unable to deliver on their promises.
“I definitely would say that most of those policy platforms that you see year by year, they don’t end up happening. And that is the thing that is very frustrating for a lot of students … that the majority of those things, or maybe 50% of those things, don’t end up happening,” he said. “But I think that we can look and see the hope in those little things happening and those little changes over time that can ultimately become a lot.”
The pair pointed to the addition of spice stations in the dining halls, as well as the expansion of dorm gym equipment as examples of tangible student government achievements in recent years. When it comes to implementing the ideas they have, the two stressed the importance of listening to the concerns of students and advocating them to administrators.
“At the end of the day, while we can’t force administration stands, I think that they really do want to work with us to help the student body,” Vielhauer said. “And when we have the right people in place, we can really do a lot for the student body.”
Contact Katie Muchnick and Liam Kelly at kmuchnic@ nd.edu and lkelly8@nd.edu
Lecturer at Saint Mary’s calls for debt abolition
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA
Saint Mary’s News Editor
Jason Wozniak, higher education researcher and organizer for the Debt Collective, began his presentation to his audience with the question, “What does it look like to build bonds of solidarity that give us power?”
The justice studies department and newly founded Solidarity SMC co-sponsored Wozniak to speak in Carroll Auditorium Friday afternoon, titling the event “You Are Not a Loan: Building Debtor Power during the Trump Presidency.”
The Debt Collective, a selfproclaimed union of debtors, is a grassroots organization founded with the purpose of abolishing debt throughout the country. Though Wozniak admitted coming from a “very leftist perspective,” he said he wanted to encourage bipartisan dialogue.
“I think it’s really important to think about ways in which debt becomes a vehicle or a vector by which we can bring together different groups and build solidarity,” Wozniak said.
Associate professor of philosophy and director of the justice studies department Andrew Pierce met Wozniak at a conference in Chicago. After reading “Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay: The Case for Economic Disobedience and Debt Abolition,” a book by the Debt Collective’s co-founder Astra Taylor, Pierce decided he wanted the organization to speak at the college to introduce their perspective to students.
“I always try to bring in speakers who are addressing social injustices that reflect students’ concerns and experiences,” Pierce said. “The extensive debt that most students have to take on to finance their education and the efforts to abolish some of that debt, are definitely issues that my students care about and that will shape their lives in significant ways.”
Solidarity SMC, founded soon after the Pro-Palestine protests last May, “realized and understood the importance of community, unity, peace, and fighting for the acceptance of everyone,” according to club president and senior Jeannett Ochoa. In alignment with their mission statement on Belle Tower, the club helped co-sponsor the event to encourage students to participate in social justice.
“It was important for us to host the debtors’ union, the Debt Collective, to educate many on how to live a life as a debtor, but also why abolishing debt is needed. Debt abolition would allow many
individuals, such as students, to live a life without the worries of paying off a loan that will increase over time,” Ochoa said.
Wozniak gave a brief story about his journey with debt and how its effects have shaped his social justice career. After losing his father, his family home and accumulating hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, as of today totaling $240,000, he said he felt the injustices of a capitalistic economy.
Wozniak was involved in the 2011 Occupy Wall Street, a left-wing populist movement that protested in New York City for 59 days. This event sparked the Debt Collective’s formation.
A large part of the movement’s focus is fighting for free college education and forgiving student loans. Wozniak mentioned the California Master Plan for Higher Education as an example of free education, a policy still in effect from 1960 that offers free tuition to the top 12.5% of graduating seniors at the University of California. He also cited the City University of New York and State University of New York’s Excelsior Scholarship program, which offers free tuition to qualifying individuals with a household income of up to $125,000. Wozniak shared that the total student loan debt in the United States amounts to roughly $1.7 trillion.
“The key point here is that [student loan debt] is not something that is baked into the DNA of the country, per se. But there were moments where your debt, theoretically, at least, if you were going to a public school would be a lot less or nonexistent,” Wozniak said.
During his presentation, Wozniak said the ever-increasing amount of debt students acquire from student loans also inhibits them from developing a full college experience to “pay this loan back” rather than majoring in a field a student may be passionate about.
“We have to pay debt service, nonstop. This is a
this is really harmful for your education.”
Wozniak claims the more debt a person owes, student debt as well as medical, housing and others, shapes their priorities and values. To overcome this, he said debtors must come together to find solutions for debt as a collective, rather than an individual.
without feeling guilty shame and instead saying we are not guilty. The system’s guilty. That’s huge. Once you make that shift, emotionally, intellectually, discursively, some things can start to happen,” he said.
mechanism not just of economic, what I would call exploitation or extraction, but also of political control … So many of my students and other people I meet when I’m doing stuff like this want to be involved, but they can’t … because they have to work,” Wozniak said. “The fact that your time is being robbed by work means you cannot study as much as you want to, so
“Even if debtors overcame the shame and guilt and we wanted to get together … the fact that we have to work so many hours to service debt plus take care of our families, plus take care of our studies, plus take care of whatever else needs to be done, doesn’t give us enough time to come together with other debt,” Wozniak said.
“The first step towards debt liberation, or canceling debt, is that we have to be able to somehow find a way to come together in groups and talk about our debt and open
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Wozniak offered ideas for ways to reduce the Federal Deficit in the United States, such as taxing transactions on Wall Street, taxing the rich and delegitimizing “systems of domination” in order to treat debt as a “system” of a “racial capitalist economy.”
“It’s a question of priorities, it’s not a question of economic ability and it’s a question of redistribution of wealth, you have to redistribute it well. We have massive inequality, I don’t think that that’s okay when people are suffering and trying to get by,” Wozniak said.
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellaca01@saintmarys.edu
AYNSLEE DELLACCAA | The Observer
Advocating for debt abolition, Jason Wonziak speaks at a lecture in Carroll Auditorium at Saint Mary’s College last Friday afternoon.
A lens into our football season
Northern Illinois.
Gray Nocjar Photo Editor
There were approximately 78,000 people in Notre Dame Stadium when Mitch Jeter lined up for a last second 62-yard prayer against NIU. Nearly all eyes were on him, but mine were on the uprights. I stood directly under the goalpost with a Nikon D7500 camera and an 18-140 mm lens. I was in a focused, rigid stance, anticipating what I thought would be the defining shot of the evening. As it turned out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
There are two things you should know about me before I tell this story. The first is that when it comes to Notre Dame football, their history, their legends and the myriad of emotions generated by any particular season, I know what I’m about. I care deeply about every game I watch and that manifests in tears of joy and of sorrow.
Second, I am the photo editor for The Observer, a position I’ve held for nearly a year now (and not much longer). During my tenure I have captured concerts, protests, snowball fights and 16 different varsity sports, including football. It has been a wild and wonderful job — one I will probably not get the chance to do again.
Taking pictures at a Notre Dame football game is thus an outsized task for me. Nerves and photography do not go together well. You have to be focused on the play at all times, tracking the ball from center to quarterback to receiver. Sometimes you even need to predict where the ball will be in order to achieve the best shot.
The following are a few stories, perspectives and lessons I’ve learned through the lens of five football games I attended as an on-field photographer: Texas A&M, Northern Illinois, USC, Indiana and Ohio State.
Texas A&M:
The crowd at Kyle Field was indefatigable. 100,000 angry Texans capitalized on every mistake we made and continued to jeer until a Jeter kick late in the fourth quarter induced a galactically satisfying silence. It was so bad that for the majority of the game I retreated to the part of the stadium with a large Irish contingent and used a giant telescopic lens to take pictures from both sides of the field.
While the Irish fought their audience, the photographers were battling a hoard of cockroaches. As soon as the sun set the disgusting creatures emerged under my feet and around the equipment. I joined forces with the ABC57 news team to stomp them but eventually we became desensitized and gave up.
When you’re on the job you don’t have time to look down. You never know when Marcus Freeman will roar at a developing play or Riley Leonard turns a short route into a backbreaking touchdown. It’s better to keep your eye to the viewfinder and just pray you don’t feel something crawling up your leg.
NIU:
My best photo of the afternoon — the one that made our front page — was an NIU player making a seat belt motion over graduate receiver Kris Mitchell, who was doubled over on the ground in pain.
I made a painful discovery that day that the quality of play affects the quality of your photos. My camera roll overflowed with sacks, unacceptable incompletions and running backs consumed by a wall of Husky defenders. As soon as the sound of the block reached my ears I minimized my monopod, packed my field bag and left expeditiously. I’m sure a lot of avid fans went back to their cars or dorms in tears. I cried as well, but it was at the photo desk in the basement of South Dining Hall, reliving our mistakes for about an hour before calling it quits.
USC:
While this was far from a perfect game from a fan’s perspective, it was a wonder as a photographer. Just about every type of shot you could possibly want was rolled into this one.
Want a pick six? Sophomore cornerback Christian Gray tallied one for 99 yards and graduate safety Xavier Watts astoundingly topped this with a 100 yard return. Want a signature hurdle from Jeremiyah Love? He completed arguably his best of the season en route to a touchdown. One-handed pass blocks, open field running and group celebrations made photography easy and frenetic.
In the days after the game, I noticed that many photographers published virtually the same pictures as I was. I saw the Love hurdle captured a dozen times, each edited differently and from another angle. I could view this as me needing to be more creative, but I also think the more the merrier. It was comforting to know that upholding the greatness of those moments was not my responsibility alone.
Indiana:
Keeping your camera steady and level is among the most basic skills to learn in sports photography. However, throughout the season, I struggled to control my nerves (the Irish didn’t always make it easy for me) and this resulted in a few missed opportunities at Texas A&M and
Normal gossip
helped keep whoever was driving wide awake.
The Indiana game was a delight because that feeling never presented. Instead it felt like the first inklings of destiny. Our hopes were not in vain as the Irish surged to an early two-touchdown lead that they never relinquished. Because I didn’t have to worry about every little thing on the field, I was able to capture some pictures of the stands. One of my favorite pictures of the season wasn’t strictly a football photo, but instead a young Notre Dame fan and his brother building miniature snowmen in the first row of the stands.
Ohio State:
I have never seen the second half of the 2013 BCS national championship game. My mom turned off the TV at halftime with the Crimson Tide leading 28 to nothing and I never looked back. Since then I have only missed three halves of a game, 2017 Miami (FL), 2019 Michigan and 2024 Navy (by accident).
We were entering halftime of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship game and all I wanted to do was shut my eyes. I wanted to turn off the screen and busy myself with other things, calling it a phenomenal year but internally accepting yet another high-profile, close-but-not-close-enough loss.
But I couldn’t do that. In this moment I couldn’t be the avid, emotional fan, but someone with a responsibility to be an active participant in whatever the game had in store. I took a much-needed break in a warehouse-sized room the stadium had organized for the hundreds of photographers who attended, took a breath, downed four hamburgers and returned to the field.
As I suspected, we lost. In heart-wrenching, what-iffing style to boot. But that second half was glorious. We made mistakes, but every ounce of heart was laid out for those who dared to watch and I’m glad I did. Most importantly, the photos were special and worth keeping despite that loss.
I thank my lucky stars for becoming photo editor when I did and for having the opportunity to follow this 2024 season so proximately. This was the most emotional season I’ve experienced as a fan but also the most enriching. Having a focused lens on every motion and play gave me a new appreciation of the game, and I hope I have a few more chances to experience that before these stories are relegated to children and grandchildren.
You can contact Gray at gnocjar@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Two weekends ago, three friends and I woke up at the godforsaken hour of 5 o’clock in the morning to take the long drive to Atlanta, Georgia for the CFP national championship game. While I was hesitant about this plan as I did not cop a ticket, I still found myself successfully talked into embarking on the 10-hour excursion down south because “it’s a once in a lifetime experience.” Nonetheless, I caved and when the strangers I befriended at the bar judged me slightly for my decision, saying that “watching the game at a bar in Atlanta is the exact same as watching it at a bar in South Bend,” I proudly stood by my slightly crazy actions and felt no regret towards them, nor the amount of money I spent on tacos.
Atlanta was all fun and games, but I have to admit my favorite part of the entire trip was the car ride there and back, more specifically the boatload of conversations spanning every topic imaginable that were squished between the impromptu pit stop at Buccee’s in Kentucky and jam sessions to house music that
I remember, at one point very early on in the trip, playing an episode of a podcast I really enjoy titled “Normal Gossip.” It’s a show where host Kelsey McKinney invites a guest of her choosing to yap and hash out anonymously submitted gossip by listeners. For an hour straight, we listened and were enamored by the happenings being told as if they were in the car with us and proceeded to tell the stories we think are juicy enough for strangers to tune into.
I have never been against the activity that is gossiping, although the term itself has a bad rap. Maybe that’s because I’m not afraid to admit my love for minding other people’s business, but don’t let this lead you to believe I’m actively dishing out your dirty laundry to other people, because I’m not.
This viewpoint of mine stands true in times such as the long car ride I shared with my friends, but in other moments, too. Gabbing with others over dinner and drinks or in the living room after a night out is a tale as old as time. Gossip is embedded in the books we read, the music we listen to and the stories we tell, I mean even this very newspaper you have in your hands contains loads of information regarding people you’ve
never met. Whether you notice it or not, the details of other people’s lives are a necessity to many.
Now sure, I get why the term gossip is deemed a double edged sword, and this column is not to bribe you into believing all gossip is good gossip, because God knows if I found out people were talking about me behind my back in a negative light, I would not be happy. I am here to say that the excitement that follows someone saying “you’ll never guess what happened” is a feeling not much else can match and isn’t at all a bad thing.
Your mother might’ve told you to never gossip, but let me be the one to tell you otherwise. Grab some drinks with your closest friends and overanalyze last night’s wrongdoings and plan out tomorrow’s devious schemes. I’ll try not to eavesdrop.
Moira Quinn is a senior at Saint Mary’s College studying communication. When she isn’t writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound. You can contact Moira at mquinn02@saintmarys.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Moira Quinn Working Title
seen tickets with relatively similar visions and ambitious policy platforms lacking real substance.
The fact that there’s only one ticket running suggests that students across campus have recognized student government for what it is and chosen to disengage. Last year, only about half of campus voted in the student body election, while the preceding election saw less than a third of students casting ballots.
Our presumptive student body president argues that it’s a good sign that there’s one ticket, telling The Observer that it represented an agreement in the world of student government. The people in this network have coalesced behind one vision. If true, that’s an unsettling sign. We don’t need more of the same. His running mate offered a more convincing reason, that students were distracted by the Fighting Irish’s football championship run. We still think disengagement has a part to play, along with a lack of consistent information from Judicial Council.
This year, the circus of student government came into full view, with the attempted impeachment of a senator for a humorous email criticizing student government executives sent to his neighbors in Knott Hall. We saw the way that ostensibly boring constitutional procedure can be a malicious power struggle behind the scene, fueled by petty egos and demands for respect. The stories were a much-needed reminder
that student politics are largely about playing pretend. When a student political party decided to engage, the trollish nature of their political rhetoric was embarrassing. Hunter Brooke’s ouster was the result of competing egos and individual transgressions, not a “corrupt power grab from the radical left.” None of this is real.
As we said last year, students serving in student government are obviously capable of accomplishing things on this campus. But too often, the realization of their policy goals has been fleeting or symbolic. Furthermore, the bloated system of student government encourages them to emulate the air of titlehungry politicians and cater to administrators rather than students. The presumptive vice president noted many of her friends in the band did not even know that we had a student body president. When asked to name the most visible achievement of the past administration, the candidates pointed to new spices in the dining hall. While clubs fight for funding and dorms wait on working laundry machines, student government delivered paprika.
Notre Dame prides itself on preparing students to be a “force for good.” This means cultivating students who are ready to use real, human emotions and morals to make a positive impact. It does not mean channeling the superficial qualities inside each of us that politicians use to rise to the top of bureaucracies.
We are not the first people to make this critique. In the 1962 Port Huron Statement, then-student activist
Tom Hayden wrote: “The accompanying ‘let’s pretend’ theory of student extracurricular affairs validates student government as a training center for those who want to spend their lives in political pretense, and discourages initiative from more articulate, honest and sensitive students.”
As long as student government remains the intermediary between their peers and Notre Dame administrators, who always have the final say, the grand ideas of a policy platform mean nothing in the frame of a one-year term. Compounding the problem, the organization of student government attracts both dedicated leaders and “resume sharks” — as one candidate in the 2024 race called them. Discerning the difference is anyone’s guess.
At times, the student body president and vice president bring student concerns to the attention of administrators. At other times, administrators and University leaders turn to these elected officials seeking a benchmark of the student population. Student leaders are both a representation of student voices and a resource for administrators to tap. This means their success relies entirely on the ability to persuade a plethora of administrators across the University’s own bureaucracy. We wish the incoming cabinet the best of luck, and found ourselves charmed enough to be hopeful about their meetings with the bureaucrats.
For now, we’re opting out of the student body election and praying to be proven wrong.
My reflections as an American in Rome
I have spent a little over two weeks in Rome for my spring study abroad program. I offer this reflection for several reasons. Firstly, it is a self-initiated wellness check to the Notre Dame study abroad office since I have neglected to press “mark as read” on several tabs of my student portal.
Secondly, it serves as a summary of the past few weeks in a new foreign city for whoever is interested in my life. Whereas others’ schedule routine phone calls with friends and family while they are abroad or, better yet, create an online newsletter, I write columns.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, this article is targeted toward those ND students, and even all American students, who think life in Europe is categorically superior to that of America.
After two weeks, the phrase that reoccurs in my head is “American industriousness.” The “rise and grind” mentality is ingrained in the American DNA — it’s how we won two world wars. It is the reason why we have McDonald’s open 24 hours and sameday delivery. We are needy people who need our packages and Big Macs delivered ASAP. Admittedly, I am — and so are you — the beneficiaries of American industriousness; we uphold convenience and efficiency as virtues.
On the other hand, in Rome, the mentality could be described as “Italian leisure.” It bewilders me that a store opens at 9 a.m. and randomly closes for 2-3 hours in the middle of the day. Pedestrians rarely walk faster than I do, and drivers courteously give me the right-of-way while on a sidewalk. Where
are the towering skyscrapers with dozens of floors? Where are the monolithic glass office complexes? Where are the wholesale grocery stores? How does everyone have time to walk their pet labradoodle randomly in the middle of the afternoon? I have more questions than answers at this moment. However, I set aside my judgment of whether American industriousness or Italian leisure is the best way to live life.
But other ND study abroad students do not reserve judgment and immediately jump on the bandwagon of European life. I offer a few speculatory claims for why they might do so. Firstly, they use their parents’ credit card. Of course, your study abroad experience would be enhanced if every expense was offloaded to someone else. You could, in fact, embark on extravagant vacations to Malta or Prague or Florence — every weekend — if you knew mommy or daddy would pay for it. I have nothing against trust fund babies; I just would qualify their exaltations of European life on account of their false reality being one living in the highest echelon of any city they visit.
Secondly, the drinking and nightlife culture is more liberal. Rome is the place where wine and beer flow like water. Italian young people drink a lot, smoke a lot and club a lot.
Of course, this life would be attractive to a Notre Dame student, especially one just itching to drink or one with a dormant addiction to nicotine. It is like when a toddler gets its hands on sugar — they just can’t get enough! Moreover, nicotine addictions are not met with public disapproval but rather an offer for a cigarette.
Thirdly, these students are not interested in consuming protein or meat. These two are sparse in the
Mediterranean diet, and I suppose they are okay having egg, flour and water for dinner rather than a well-marbled 16-oz medium-rare ribeye steak.
Up to this point, I have been ambiguous about what my actual opinion on the study abroad experience in Rome is. Simply put, I am having an incredible time. The eternal city is not for everyone, namely those who could not care less about Greco-Roman history or those who hate the Catholic Church. But this city is, in many ways, for someone like me. I see what Italian society gets right that American society doesn’t, and I see what American society gets right that Italian society misses. There is value to both lifestyles, and each of us is predisposed to one more than the other.
What I can say from my experience thus far is that life is much more humble. The American luxuries, which include but are not limited to air conditioning, massive meals, free water at restaurants, clean bathrooms and car travel, are no longer afforded to me. It does take a degree of adapting to this, but the tradeoffs are well worth it.
Thus, there is plenty more to be said about my reflections on living in Rome. Perhaps, I shall continue this discussion in my next column, which would rank me among the many insufferable ND juniors who cannot stop talking about their semester abroad. Ciao!.
Jonah Tran is a junior at Notre Dame studying finance and classics. He prides himself on sarcasm and never surrendering. You can file complaints to Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Jonah Tran Saturae et Sapientia
By MASON MCCART Scene Writer
After a rather tumultuous start to the new year, the 67th annual Grammy Awards provided an exciting show that put fresh talent on display while honoring industry veterans, as well as the city of Los Angeles, with many surprises along the way.
The earliest shocker and one of the most viral moments of the night occurred right before the show began as Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori showed up on the red carpet wearing seemingly nothing under her fur coat. But this stunt did not deter the night’s momentum as 2024’s premier breakthrough artists, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, took control of the stage and belted some of their most famous tunes to the audience of 15.4 million watching at home. However, it was the performances that followed from the other Best New Artist nominees (Khruangbin, Benson Boone, Doechii, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and Raye) that put into perspective just how talented the new generation of music is.
The night was not without some veteran performances as Billie Eilish, Shakira and Charli XCX got the crowd up and dancing in between awards. To bring the ceremony back down to earth and provide remembrance to the victims of the tragic LA wildfires, power duo Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars sang a beautiful rendition of “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & the Papas. Keeping on the same track, the death of artist Quincy Jones was honored by a rather interesting, but immensely talented, group
of artists including Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, Jacob Collier, Stevie Wonder and Janelle Monáe performing a mash-up of all of his most popular songs.
The most shocking performance of the night, however, came from an artist never expected to return to the Grammys, The Weeknd. Playing some tracks off his recently released album “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” The Weeknd ignited a flame of excitement among the crowd after being introduced on stage by Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Before the performance, Mason ensured the audience that the Grammy voting process has improved greatly in recent years and that the Grammys are continuously working to be better.
Despite how extraordinary the performances were, the real surprises of the night were the winners. Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” swept all five of its nominated categories, including both Record and Song of the Year. From the moment he made his way up to the stage donning his “Canadian tuxedo” to the crowd chanting “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor,” Lamar had complete control over the crowd and in turn, brought down the reputation of his archnemesis Drake to levels never seen before in his career. All eyes will be on Lamar as he makes his Super Bowl headlining debut after his jaw-droppingly successful Grammys night.
These were not the only awards given out that captured the world’s attention, as breakthrough artist Chappell Roan dedicated her Best New Artist acceptance speech to advocating that labels begin treating their singers with respect by providing healthcare and higher wages. This
moment made the crowd emotional, eliciting a standing ovation. Many online praised Roan for her transparency on such pressing matters and her prioritization of her message during her speech, as she set her award on the ground and held tightly onto a notebook instead.
The waterworks continued as the biggest winner of the night, Beyoncé, became the first Black artist to ever win Best Country Album with “Cowboy Carter,” as well as adding to her all-time Grammy total, reaching 35 total awards after securing her first Album of the Year win. The decision proved to be the most controversial of the night, as her fans claimed that she had deserved this long overdue honor, while others asserted the album was not true to the country genre and did not deserve either of its awards. I find “Cowboy Carter” to be a great record, pristinely produced, and have a hard time understanding others’ qualms with its awards. The argument of whether Beyoncé can make a country album takes away from the talented artistry demonstrated on the record, which bends and shifts into something more than a simple country album. As Beyoncé stated in her Best Country Album acceptance speech, “I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists.”
Most artists left with some nice hardware to add to their shelves, and the night was as fun as it could have been especially with the impact of the LA wildfires on the community. Here’s to hoping next year’s broadcast delivers just as many memorable moments.
Contact Mason McCart at mmccart@nd.edu
‘PANTHEON’: DELIGHTFUL DIGITAL AGE PHILOSOPHY
By SHEILA-MARIE MANYARA Scene Writer
I usually keep my eye out for creative animated series, but for some reason, AMC’s “Pantheon” flew under my radar. The series was released in 2022 and added to Netflix in November 2024, but I only watched it in late December last year into early January this year. While I’m frustrated I had not seen it sooner, I’m glad I watched it eventually, because it was one of the most impactful series of the year for me.
A “pantheon” either refers to a group of respected or important people or a group of gods. This is not a word that is ever used in the show, yet it ties together every major storyline within it.
The series’ main storyline focuses on UIs (uploaded intelligence). A tech company finds a way to scan a human brain into computer code, letting someone’s mind live on in a digital space. A laser is used to scan the brain, but it destroys the brain tissue, along with the person’s natural body, as it scans (if the ethics surrounding this were not tricky enough). The main tech company behind this creates a simulation loop to make the UIs live the same work day and run code, check
for bugs and do other tasks for the company. They won’t die, won’t need any breaks and can do this indefinitely — or so they think.
The events of the series are set into motion when the UIs escape their digital loop and reach out to their relatives, many of whom have believed them dead. Using VR headsets, their relatives can see and interact with them as if they were there in person, but the question hangs over our heads throughout the whole series: are these programs truly their human predecessors? Or are they machines merely coded to repeat their patterns? I question whether our brains really store all that we are, if it’s something in the composition of our brains that causes us to think and feel the way we do — something physical, tangible.
The other storyline focuses not on nature versus nurture but rather on nature and nurture. The show asks its audience: if we took a man, cloned him and then raised him in an environment replicated after the man’s childhood, would he turn out the same way? How much of our personality is coded into our genes? How much of our destiny is predetermined?
Both these storylines raise questions on the concept of life
and replicating it, but none of these questions are answered. The true point of the show is that we are not gods and will never be. The characters who understand this message are the “good guys,” while the “villains” refuse to accept this and are often punished when they can’t control what they thought they could. This can be seen with the tech company that created the UIs to achieve immortality and a UI who believed himself a god due to his command over technology. I know this show seems like a lot. I first watched it with my younger sister, and we had a lot of fun with it, finding new quotes to add to our expansive reference database. For a series with darker themes, it was surprisingly wholesome, heartfelt and, at times, genuinely funny. The themes of existentialism are present but not delivered in a heavy-handed manner. Season 1 is up on Netflix with Season 2 anticipated to stream there around mid-February. I have no patience, so I will be searching the internet for the previously released second season, but I strongly recommend Season 1 for Netflix viewers in the meantime.
Contact Sheila-Marie Manyara at smanyara01@ saintmarys.edu
ISABELLE RUTLAND
Irish eye 15th straight win against Stanford
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The warpath continues for Notre Dame women’s basketball. Back home after sweeping a three-game road trip, the Irish are 19-2 overall and 10-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play heading into Thursday’s home date with Stanford. They’ve got 14 consecutive wins under their belt and still have not lost on American soil this season.
Although the record and the streak may suggest otherwise, the recent road swing wasn’t all that easy for the third-ranked Irish. Notre Dame trailed at the end of one quarter before defeating Boston College and Virginia Tech. The Irish fell behind in the second quarter of Sunday’s 89-71 win at Louisville.
The struggle early, fight to pull away late formula has in a way, given Notre Dame some muchneeded practice. More accustomed to blowouts, the Irish are seeing what it might look like when they’re a top seed in the NCAA Tournament and an underdog puts them on the ropes early. Head coach Niele Ivey appreciated the way her team handled the three-game set of battles.
“I saw a lot of toughness. We found ways to fight,” Ivey said after Sunday’s win at Louisville. “Wins look different, and I thought we found ways to win in all three of those matchups.”
“I think [we] showed a little bit of our resilience and composure. When the game wasn’t going our way, we didn’t hang our heads and just give up. We just started fighting … Winning on the road is really tough in the ACC.”
In Sunday’s win at the KFC Yum! Center, the Irish were dominant early. They grabbed each of the game’s first 10 rebounds, bullying Louisville into a 20-6 deficit before 10 minutes had passed. But the Cardinals had the answer in the second quarter, turning over the Irish repeatedly, grabbing offensive rebounds and nailing a series of three-pointers to take the lead.
Notre Dame, which went into halftime up a single point, had what it took to leave Louisville in the dust: a National Player of the Year candidate and some help from her friends.
Hidalgo named ACC Player of the Week
Notre Dame’s leader on Sunday, superstar guard Hannah Hidalgo just brought in her fourth ACC Player of the Week award this season after winning it twice last year. The sophomore has been deadly since Notre Dame lost its only two games at The Cayman Islands Classic, posting at least 23 points in 12 straight contests. She’s somehow improved her offensive numbers from last year, now averaging 26.1 points per game with a splendid shooting line of 50.1/42.5/85.5.
“She’s a dog, and she came out with such fire and tenacity, and big plays, big shots — and we really fed off her energy,” Ivey said.
Three months into the season, Hidalgo’s synergy with graduate guard Olivia Miles continues to impress. Hidalgo’s offensive impact has only strengthened, while Miles’ presence has allowed her to step away from the pressure of consistently scoring in the 20s.
Miles can focus on doing what she does best, leading the ACC in assists and surprising defenses with her drastically improved threepoint shooting.
“Me and Liv, we’re the head of the snake, so the team kind of goes as we go,” Hidalgo said on Sunday. “We know that we have to put the team on our back and king of carry the team, whether that’s scoring or passing and creating for everyone, we’re here to do that because we’re just here to win.”
Circling back to Hidalgo’s performance on Sunday, it’s not always the sophomore’s ability to take over a game that makes Notre Dame so special. Last year, she delivered a 30-piece in Louisville, but the Irish lost. Why? Nobody else contributed more than 10 points.
This year, graduate forward Liatu King combined 12 rebounds and produced 16 points, Miles scored 17 and Notre Dame won by 18.
“It’s really dangerous, because we have so much firepower,” Hidalgo said. “Just having great teammates — it helps take some of the attention off of me … They have to pick their poison like Coach Ivey’s always saying.”
Hidalgo’s now knocking the door of the national scoring lead. With her 30-point outbursts, she sits less than a tenth of a point behind Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson, whom Hidalgo will go head-to-head against on Feb. 27.
A new era for Stanford
The things we all would have done to see one of Tara VanDerveer’s Stanford teams opposed this year’s renditions of Notre Dame. Alas, it was not to be.
Stanford is going through a phase similar to Virginia Tech this season. The Cardinal lost an outstanding coach, VanDerveer, to retirement after 38 seasons, and with her several game-changing players. Kiki Iriafen, last year’s leading Cardinal scorer, transferred to USC to join forces with JuJu Watkins. Top rebounder and fellow double-double machine Cameron Brink moved on to the WNBA. Hannah Jump, the third Cardinal player who averaged double-figure scoring and started all 36 games last year, ran out of eligibility.
Hidalgo was the only player in the nation to reach the 30-point threshold twice last week. She first did it in Blacksburg, dropping 30 while totaling five assists and three steals. Three days later, she returned to her bag in Louisville, mixing 34 points with six rebounds and five helpers. Across both games, she was 22 for 38 from the field and a perfect 15 for 15 at the charity stripe.
As a result, first-year head coach Kate Paye, a longtime assistant under VanDerveer, has a rebuilding job to accomplish. Stanford hasn’t had a season without 24 total wins and an NCAA Tournament victory since 1999. This year will likely buck that trend, as the Cardinal sit at 11-10 overall and 3-7 in ACC play.
On Sunday, the Cardinal lost a tough one at home to No. 15 North Carolina, 69-67. Stanford nearly erased what was a 15-point deficit late in the third quarter, but Carolina’s three-point shooting and depth scoring got it to the finish line.
“Obviously, it’s really disappointing. We were right there. We had an opportunity to pull this one out,” Paye said after the game.
“I’m just really proud of how our team fought. To come back and be in a situation where we have an opportunity to win the game — we’re getting a lot of contributions from people who at the beginning of the season we didn’t.”
Like Notre Dame in Louisville,
Stanford followed the lead of its top scorer on Sunday. Nunu Agara, a sophomore forward who appeared off the bench all of last season, paces the Cardinal with 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds. She delivered 22 and 14 in those respective categories against the Tar Heels.
“Nunu is a workhorse,” Paye said. “She’s really growing into her own this season … I just love coaching the girl, and I’m really proud of her.”
On Sunday, Stanford didn’t have its outside shooting, normally a major strength. The Cardinal rank second only to Notre Dame in the ACC with a three-point percentage of 36.9. However, the team made just three of 14 deep shots against the Tar Heels, as Elena Bosgana, its second-best scorer, was 1 for 11 overall and 1 of 6 from behind the arc. Brooke Demetre and Tess Heal, Stanford’s respective leaders in threes made and three-point percentage, combined to attempt zero shots from downtown.
Overall, Stanford has had a
mixed bag of results against elite opponents this season. Along with North Carolina, the Cardinal have taken No. 5 LSU and No. 22 Cal to the wire. At the same time, they lost by an average of 21.3 points to No. 11 Ohio State, No. 21 N.C. State and No. 16 Duke.
With two of the aforementioned close losses coming within the past two weeks, Paye senses her team moving closer to a breakthrough.
“There are no moral victories, but we know that we are making progress,” Paye stated. “Anybody that’s really watching our team can see it. We remain confident, we remain optimistic and we’re gonna do what we do.”
Notre Dame will battle Stanford for the seventh time at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday inside Purcell Pavilion. The Irish and Cardinal last met in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, clashing for the fourth time in five postseasons.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Sophomore guard and ACC Player of the Week Hannah Hidalgo dribbles the basketball away from Rori Harmon during Notre Dame’s 80-70 defeat of Texas in overtime inside Purcell Pavilion on Dec. 5, 2024.
Happy Birthday: Test the water before you take a leap of faith. Planning and nurturing are necessary when dealing with winning or losing. Don’t deny yourself the things you need or love. Make acceptations to fit the circumstances you face each step of the way. Leave no room for accidents, stand on guard, and be ready to counter any situation that needs adjusting to fit your game plan. Your numbers are 4, 18, 23, 27, 35, 41, 48.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Ask, and you shall receive, as well as gain respect and an opportunity that can influence how you earn your living or handle your affairs. Refrain from pondering over your next move for too long. Ideally, the quicker you take the initiative, the better the results.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Change begins with you. Be inventive, show discipline, and start putting your plans in motion. Your drive will determine how well and how much you achieve. Don’t hide out when you belong in the spotlight. Do what you do best and be proud of what you accomplish.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Think twice before you trust someone hyping something you know little about. Get the lowdown and research before you participate in something foreign to you. Opportunity begins with you, not someone’s empty promises. Do your own thing, follow your heart, and finish what you start. Avoid excess.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take better care of yourself, your reputation, and your position. Do everything by the book, stick to rules and regulations, and only change what’s necessary. Trying to please everyone is impossible. Strive to achieve your expectations, and you’ll maintain your status quo, and personal growth will follow.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Think twice before you bend to someone’s whims. It’s up to you to choose opportunities that help you get ahead. A conversation you have will offer insight into the best way to move forward without controversy. Let your intuition lead the way, and your experience help you ward off interference.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Reluctance to see or acknowledge what others want will prevent you from getting your way. Indulge others by listening, observing, and offering valid alternatives. You can get what you want with a positive and informative attitude. When uncertainty takes over, take control, ask questions, and lead the way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Draw on your reserve and participate in something that offers a unique perspective regarding something causing uncertainty in your life. Immerse yourself in conversations, events, and research that provides insight into how to help and head in that direction, and you’ll meet someone inspirational. Personal growth is favored.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Ignore the riffraff you hear in the background and channel your energy into what matters. Taking charge and getting things done will have a much grander effect on you and how things unfold than someone pontificating on the sidelines. Choose the path you want to associate with, the doers or critics.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):Stick to the script. Any deviation will lead to trouble. Someone will be eager to send you on a wild goose chase. Call on allies to back you up and block anyone you think may be trying to sabotage your efforts. Trust and truth will help you find the best way forward.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Pay attention to what’s happening at home. Someone is experiencing emotional changes that can alter your life if not addressed properly. Show kindness and consideration, ask questions, and see what you can do to improve things. Your reassurance will make a difference and encourage personal growth and positive alternatives.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Know and use the rules to your advantage. Staying one step ahead of everyone else will keep you in the running and give you the confidence to complete your mission. Refuse to let changes suggested scare you. Listen, revise, and use your charm to bend others to see things your way.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Concentrate on what you want to accomplish and forget everything else. Your undivided attention will prove valuable, helping you reach your quota with time to spare and accolades coming your way. Refuse to let anyone or anything stand between you and the victory you deserve. Positive change is heading your way.
Birthday Baby: You are open-minded, innovative, and opportunistic. You are influential and friendly.
Two school records drop in two-meet weekend
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The Notre Dame track and field teams entered the final month of the indoor season with a busy weekend at home and afar. The Irish sent pentathletes to the Kansas State University DeLoss Dodds Invitational on Friday while also competing in South Bend at the Meyo Invitational between Friday and Saturday.
DeLoss Dodds Invitational
Graduate superstar Jadin O’Brien put on a show in Manhattan, winning the pentathlon with a score of 4,552 points that broke her own school record. O’Brien won three different legs of the pentathlon — the 60-meter hurdles in 8.23 seconds, the shot put with a heave of 13.39m and the 800m with a time of 2:13.54.
ND MEN’S TENNIS
Fellow graduate student Alaina Brady finished third with an overall score of 4,235, good for a personal best. The hurdles and jumps specialist won the long jump with a 6.32m showing and took second in the 800m in 2:14.17. With Addison Berry, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest, claiming sixth with 4,105 points, Notre Dame put three pentathlon competitors north of 4,100 points for the first time in program history. Berry performed particularly well in the 60m hurdles (8.60) and the 800m (2:17.09), respectively finishing third and fourth in those events.
Meyo Invitational
Back home in South Bend, graduate student Madison Schmidt headlined the Meyo by setting a new program record in the high jump. Her 1.86m result positioned her in first place, a full tenth of a
meter above the next-best finisher. The Irish also got event wins from freshman Maya Collins in the 60m (7.42), senior Sophie Novak in the collegiate mile (personalbest 4:33.29) and senior Siona Chisholm in the collegiate 3000m (personal-best 9:03.15). Freshman Isabel Allori (9:09.56, third place) and junior Caroline Lehman (9:18.46, 10th) also recorded personal records in the 3000.
Three more Irish women claimed fourth-place results, including junior Reese Sanders in the 400m (personal-best 57.07), sophomore Gabriella Zeller in the triple jump (personal-best 11.72m) and senior Kendall Burgess in the long jump (5.74m). Staying with the long jump, freshman Ashley Fisher notched a personal record and took seventh with a distance of 5.45m.
On the men’s side, Notre Dame
thrived in the Ryan Shay race of the 3000m. Graduate student Vincent Mauri (7:50.33), junior Ethan Coleman (7:51.20) and junior CJ Singleton (7:52.13) went 1-2-3, all posting personal records. The Irish also put several competitors high on the leaderboard in the shot put, as freshman Luke Himes (personal-best 17.49m), graduate student Yoosang Kim (personalbest 16.64m) and sophomore Zach Petko (16.55m) went first, third and fourth, respectively.
Graduate student Dimitri Nicholson (6.78 in the 60m) and freshman Ryan Pajak (personal-best 14:06.58 in the 5000m) brought in second-place results for the Irish. Freshman Cameron Todd (14:12.02) and senior Ryan Schumacher (14:14.82) also captured personal records in the 5000. Third-place finishers included junior Daelen Ackley in the Meyo
mile (3:58.18), graduate students Cole Nash in the 3000m (personal-best 8:07.14), freshman John Dearie in the 60m hurdles (personal-best 8.18) and sophomore Ben Condrin in the weight throw (17.53m). Junior Matthew Teague slotted in just behind Condrin with a fourth-place distance of 17.12m.
The remaining top-five finishes were graduate student Michael Danzi’s fourth in the 800m (personal-best 1:50.32) and junior John Oleksak’s fifth in the 400 (personalbest 48.69).
This coming weekend, the Irish will compete in the Fairgrounds Invite in Indianapolis and the Grand Valley State University Mike Lints Alumni Meet in Allendale, Michigan. Both meets will take place on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish return to play with Saturday doubleheader
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
At 6-1 on the young spring season, the Notre Dame men’s tennis team did not compete last weekend and will return to the court with two home matches this Saturday. The Irish will take on William and Mary at 10 a.m. before hosting Northern Illinois at 3 p.m.
To this point, Notre Dame has played all seven of its contests at home, winning each of the last four. The Irish last squared off against Cleveland State and Illinois State on Jan. 26, defeating both opponents by a 6-1 score.
Notre Dame’s No. 1 doubles team remains its best heading into Saturday, as junior Sebastian Dominko and freshman Peter Nad have combined to post a 4-1 record. In singles play, the 28th-ranked Dominko holds a 5-1 mark in the No. 1 position, while Nad and sophomore Chase Thompson have buttressed Notre Dame’s depth with matching 5-1 records.
William and Mary
Notre Dame’s first opponent of the day has not yet played a match in 2025. The Tribe will open their season against Norfolk State on Wednesday before traveling to South Bend for their first full weekend of action.
William and Mary comes off a quality season in which its finished above .500 for the third time in the last four full seasons.
Going 13-10, the Tribe won a CAA Tournament match and garnered their highest ITA Atlantic Region ranking since 2016, active head coach Jeff Kader’s first season.
Kader’s team, which features four freshmen, will operate around Oliver Hague. The sophomore from Manchester,
England, captured CAA Rookie of the Year honors last year, going 24-9 in singles play. He also headlined the Tribe’s accomplishments throughout the fall, reaching the round of 16 in the main singles draw of the ITA Atlantic Region Championships in October and winning the UTR tournament in November.
Hague is the only returner among the five William and Mary All-CAA selections from last season. Senior Alexander Karman
and junior Albert Hansen enter the new season with the most experience beyond him.
Northern Illinois
The Huskies are five games into their spring season and own a record of 3-2. They’ve defeated IU Indianapolis, Eastern Illinois and Judson, losing to Purdue and, most recently, Illinois State, along the way.
Northern Illinois put forth a fabulous regular season last year
before exiting early in the MAC Tournament. The Huskies went 18-6 overall, including a 7-3 record inside of conference play. They rolled out two different win streaks of six games or longer, including a nine-game run that began at the end of January.
The Northern Illinois roster boasts significant international diversity, with eight of its 10 players hailing from countries outside the United States. Spaniards Iker Gaztambide Arrastia and
Saul Berdullas comprise the Huskies’ top two singles players. Berdullas was the MAC Freshman of the Year last season and is 3-2 this season, while Gaztambide Arrastia is 3-2 as the usual No. 1 contestant. The latter combines with Italian Federico Scotuzzi to form a strong No. 1 doubles pairing that is 4-0 this year.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
The Dignity of Human Life in the Digital Age
HCC BASKETBALL
Adams shines as Saints split against Calumet
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
The Holy Cross basketball teams were in action over the weekend as both teams faced the Calumet Crimson Wave. The women’s team took a 92-51 win while the men’s team had a close 88-73 loss. In the women’s game, Calumet scored the first basket of the game but freshman forward Allie Caldwell made a three and a layup to start off a run by the Saints. Senior forward Grace Adams and sophomore forward Brooke Lindesmith each scored several times to pull the Saints ahead, 122. It was a team effort through the rest of the quarter with sophomore guard Lilly Toppen, junior guard Audrey Tallent, freshman forward Kaiden Hanley, senior guard Jordyn Smith, and Adams all scoring. Calumet managed to put some points up at the end, bringing the score to but Smith hit a buzzer beater, making the score 32-7 to end the quarter.
ND WOMEN’S TENNIS
Calumet opened the second quarter with a quick basket, but Adams responded with two points, bringing the score to 34-9. Calumet then went on an 11-0 run, narrowing the gap to 34-20. Smith halted their momentum with a jump shot and two free throws. Calumet added another basket, but the Saints took control again. Caldwell scored two points, followed by two layups and a jump shot from Smith, and two more layups from Adams. By the end of the quarter, the Saints had built a commanding 50-22 lead.
A 6-0 run from the Saints started the third quarter before Calumet put in two points bringing the score to 56-24. A layup from senior guard Kayliana Hammel and a free throw and two layups from Adams brought the score to 63-24 before Calumet managed four points of their own. In a back and forth offensive battle, the Saints remained on top heading into the fourth quarter with a score of 76-38.
Calumet started the fourth quarter with a basket, bringing the
score to 76-40. A layup from junior forward Elizabeth Edmonds and a jump shot from Tallent made the score 80-40 before a 3-0 run from Calumet made the score 80-43. Another 7-0 run from the Saints brought the score to 86-44. The two teams continued to score back and forth but a three point shot from Tallent ended the game with the Saints taking the 92-51 win.
Adams led the team on offense scoring 23 points and led on defense with 10 rebounds. The team now looks to face St. Francis on Feb. 8th starting at 5:30 p.m.
The men’s game featured a fast-paced first half, as Calumet opened with a 4-0 run before senior guard Justin O’Neal put the Saints on the board with a jump shot. Calumet responded with another basket, maintaining a 6-2 lead, but sophomore guard Joey Garwood answered with a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to one.
Calumet then went on a 5-0 run, extending their lead further. Garwood struck again from beyond
the arc, bringing the score to 11-8. Calumet added five more points to push their lead to 16-8, but O’Neal’s two-point shot trimmed the margin to 16-10.
Calumet added on four points for themselves but the Saints responded as Garwood made two free throws and senior guard Justin Milch added a three point shot to close the score to 20-15. Calumet went on an 8-0 run before O’Neal added on three points to make the score 28-18. Calumet scored four more points before Garwood added on two points bringing the score to 32-20. A quick two points from Calumet was followed by three points from O’Neal to bring the score to 34-23. The two teams, going back and forth throughout the rest of the half, Calumet finished on top 52-39.
Calumet tacked on four more points, but the Saints responded with two free throws from Garwood and a three-pointer from Milch. Calumet answered with an 8-0 run before O’Neal hit
a three-pointer, bringing the score to 28-18. Calumet added four more points, but Garwood responded with a basket to make it 32-20. A quick two points from Calumet was followed by another three from O’Neal, closing the gap to 34-23.
The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half, but Calumet maintained control, heading into the break with a 52-39 lead.
Trailing after halftime, senior guard Phil Robles II put in the first three points to bring the score to 52-42. Two points from Calumet was quickly followed by a layup from freshman forward Davide Brembilla. The teams continued to battle back and forth and O’Neal hit a three, bringing the score to 59-47. Calumet continued to dominate on offense as it finished the game with the 88-73 win over the Saints.
Garwood led the team with 30 points. The team now prepares to face St. Francis on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Irish move to 7-0 with wins in New York City
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
This past weekend, Notre Dame women’s tennis hit the road for the first time in the 2025 season. The Irish remained unbeaten across their two games in New York City, defeating Maryland 4-3 on Saturday and Columbia 4-2 on Sunday. As a result, the Irish are 7-0 to start a spring season for the first time since 2006, when they went 27-2 and won the Big East Tournament.
Maryland
The closest Irish win of the
season opened with a 2-0 deficit for the blue and gold. All three doubles matches could’ve gone either way, as Notre Dame claimed the No. 1 tilt with senior Carrie Beckman and junior Akari Matsuno by a 7-6 (7-4) score. However, the Terrapins stole the doubles point with similar tight wins in the No. 2 and No. 3 contests.
Maryland then moved into a two-point lead with a dominant result in No. 1 singles. Kallista Liu, the 88th-ranked singles competitor in the nation, had her way with junior Bojana Pozder. The 6-1, 6-1 outcome marked Pozder’s first loss of the season, as she now carries a
5-1 singles record.
Notre Dame would turn the tables from there, winning each of the next three singles matches that went final. Junior Rylie Hanford (62, 6-2) and senior Nibi Ghosh (6-3, 6-0) were terrific in No. 6 and No. 4 singles, respectively, leveling the overall score at 2-2. Junior Akari Matsuno, ranked 67th nationally in singles, also captured a 6-3, 6-3 victory that suddenly moved the Irish into a 3-2 lead.
Maryland would draw even again with a rally in No. 5 singles, as Tamari Gagoshidze knocked off freshman Bianca Molnar (3-6, 6-1, 6-1). The day — and Notre Dame’s
unblemished record — ultimately came down to the No. 2 match between Notre Dame’s Carrie Beckman and Maryland’s Ema Kovacevic. Kovacevic gained the upper hand early, scoring a 6-1 win in the first set. However, Beckman found her game and flipped the script the rest of the way, answering with back-to-back 6-1 victories that sealed Notre Dame’s 4-3 defeat of the Terrapins.
Columbia
Notre Dame started out much better on Sunday, claiming the doubles point with wins from Beckman and Matsuno in No. 1 doubles (6-4)
and Hanford and Ghosh in No. 2 doubles (7-5). Columbia would offer the Irish some pushback as the singles portion of play began, moving ahead with victories from Amber Yin in the No. 5 match (6-1, 6-2) and Malak El Allami in the No. 2 battle (6-2, 6-3). Down 2-1, Notre Dame once again needed a comeback, and it found one.
Ghosh (6-2, 6-2) and Pozder (63, 6-2) each cruised to triumphs in No. 4 and No. 1 singles, respectively, pulling the Irish ahead 3-2. The overall outcome hinged on the No. 3 (Gayathri Krishnan against Matsuno) and No. 6 (Winta Tewolde against Hanford) matches. In Matsuno’s contest, the two players traded 6-2 set wins before Krishnan went up 5-4 in the decisive third set. In the meantime, Hanford won her first set 6-4 but dropped the second 6-2 on the No. 6 court.
Given Matsuno’s status near the end of her tilt, another Hanford set loss might have resulted in a Columbia team win, but she wouldn’t let it happen. Like Beckman the day before, Hanford battled back, winning her third set 6-3 to deliver a win for Notre Dame. With the Irish seven matches into their spring, the BeckmanMatsuno pairing remains Notre Dame’s best with a 3-0 record in No. 1 doubles. On the singles court, Hanford (7-0), Ghosh (4-0) and Matsuno (3-0) remain unbeaten after contributing in New York. This weekend, the Irish will play three matches, beginning with their toughest opponent to date. Notre Dame will face No. 3 Ohio State at 4 p.m. Friday before playing a doubleheader against Bellarmine on Sunday afternoon.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish lose lead once more in 67-60 loss at FSU
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
Just when it seemed like the Irish were finding their stride midseason, winning three of four games, they suffered one of their most humiliating defeats in recent program history against Miami. The Hurricanes (5-17, 1-10 ACC) had yet to win a conference game until they defeated Notre Dame 63-57. With only a three-day turnaround on their Florida road trip, head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s team was faced with the question: how will they respond?
The phrase “game of runs” is thrown around in basketball discourse quite often. But as much as it becomes an overused cliché, it did define the first half of this game. Shrewsberry got the response he would have hoped for from his team coming off of the loss. The Irish opened up to a 17-7 lead, going 3 for 6 from downtown. Between high energy and mixed-in zone looks defensively, they shut down the Seminoles in the half-court.
At the 12-minute mark, however, Florida State would respond, putting together a dominant, 17-0 run. A lineup defined by its length and athleticism, the Seminoles’ run was powered by forced turnovers and live-ball opportunities in transition. Carrying much of the offensive burden through one-on-one creation, sophomore guard Markus Burton was kept at bay early in the half. The Seminole size made it challenging for him to get in the lane, leading to forced jumpers and uncharacteristic turnovers.
The reigning ACC Rookie of the Year would not be held down for long, though. After flashing open for a rare clean look, he hit a three to stop the bleeding. Minutes later, he put together an individual 5-0 run after an electric individual sequence, finishing in traffic on the drive before grabbing a loose pass in the backcourt and walking into another three. Burton’s flurry sparked a 9-0 Irish run to finish out the half with Notre Dame’s defense forcing several turnovers of its own. The consistent effort on that end of the floor helped the Irish survive the Seminole avalanche in the middle of the half and go into the break trailing by only a point.
Junior forward Tae Davis would set the tone coming out of the locker room for the Irish. He relentlessly attacked the rim, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second half. Notre Dame
also dominated on the offensive glass, securing 16 to Florida State’s six offensive rebounds. Burton continued to create off the dribble, scoring 13 points in the half and once again eclipsing the 20-point mark, ending with a game-high 25.
But despite his best efforts, the Seminoles were too much for the Irish to handle. Their smothering defense played a major role in forcing another mid-half Irish scoring drought, holding them to a 1-for-10 stretch from the field while jumping out to a five-point lead. Each time they looked to pull away, however, Notre Dame had a response. Freshman
forward Garrett Sundra’s fourpoint play ended the drought and brought the Irish back within one. After going back up five again, Tae Davis hit a three late in the shot clock to cut the lead back down to two.
But the Seminoles just kept coming. Junior forward Malique Ewin caught fire in crunch time, scoring seven in the final two minutes including a reverse layup and-one that would prove to be the dagger. His success down the stretch was a microcosm of Florida State’s offensive approach: attack, attack, attack. Not only did the Seminoles shoot six more free throws in the game,
but they hit 84.2% of them (16 for 19) compared to Notre Dame’s awful 46.2% (6 for 13). The advantage in easy points would prove to be the difference in the hotly contested defensive battle.
The 67-60 loss drops Notre Dame to 10-12 and 4-7 in ACC play, with Florida State
now passing it in the conference standings. Up next, the Irish will return home to face Virginia Tech in the Irish Wear Green game on Feb. 8. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. with The CW providing the broadcast.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
GABRIELLA MARTIN | The Observer
Sophomore guard Markus Burton handles the basketball during Notre Dame’s 71-68 defeat of Georgia Tech at Purcell Pavilion on Jan. 28, 2025. Burton led the Irish with 25 points on 10 field goals and three triples with four steals in Tuesday night’s 67-60 loss at Florida State.
