Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, May 5, 2021

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Volume 55, Issue 67 | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

University breaks ground on museum Raclin Murphy Museum of Art set to open in fall of 2023 on south side of campus Observer Staff Report

The University broke ground on the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, according to a Monday press release. The museum, which will be located on the south side of campus on Eddy St., will open in the fall of 2023.

The location for the museum was chosen because it sits in the middle of the campus arts district, with the Charles B. Hayes Sculpture Park, Debartolo Performing Arts Center, O’Neill Hall of Music and Walsh Family Hall of Architecture close by.

The museum is set to open in two phases — the first phase consisting of 70,000 square feet devoted to teaching and

gallery spaces, retail space and a cafe.

With the help of leading benefactor Ernestine Raclin — a trustee emerita — as well as her daughter and son-inlaw, Carmi and Christopher Murphy, the museum is meant to be a national attraction.

“Since its founding, Notre Dame has valued the vital role the visual arts play as an expression of human creativity, religious experience and insight into the human condition,” University President Fr. John Jenkins said in the press release.

The museum was designed by the New York-based design firm of Robert A. M. Stern Architects.

Courtesy of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

A rendering of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, which will open to the public in the fall of 2023, shows the building’s facade. The museum will be located on Eddy Street and in the University’s arts district.

HCC top HCC announces commencement student speaker, honorary degree conferrals revealed Observer Staff Report

Observer Staff Report

Holy Cross announced senior Dylan Maugel as this year’s valedictorian, according to an announcement on the College website. Maugel, from Wakarusa, Indiana, is a theology and business double major with a minor see TOP STUDENT PAGE 3

Associate dean and director of the Indiana Universit y (IU) School of MedicineSouth Bend and deput y health officer for the St. Joseph Count y Department of Health Dr. Mark Fox w ill deliver the commencement address for Holy Cross College, according to an announcement on the Holy Cross website.

Fox also ser ves as a professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine-South Bend and holds appointments as an adjunct professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI and as a distinguished adjunct professor of theolog y at Notre Dame.

Throughout the COVID-19

pandemic, Fox has ser ved as the COVID-19 response adv isor to Notre Dame.

In addition to Fox, chairman and CEO of 1st Source Bank Christopher Murphy III and his w ife Carmen “Carmi” Carmichael Murphy w ill receive honorar y degrees from the College. Carmi ser ves on the boards of the Family and Children’s Center, Inc. and the Snite Museum of A rt

Adv isor y Council.

The 54th Commencement w ill take place May 22 at 2 p.m. on the Holy Cross campus. The ceremony w ill follow COVID-19 protocols and families w ill be allowed to attend upon purchase of a ticket.

“Families are inv ited, though tickets could be limited depending on public health guidelines,” the announcement said.

Club raises awareness about deaf community The A mer ica n Sig n L a ng uage (ASL) Club was recent ly fou nded at Sa i nt Ma r y ’s a nd a i ms to fol low t he Col lege’s core va lue of foster i ng a n aut hent ic commu n it y, accord i ng to club president Isabel le L atsch.

T he sophomore sa id she sta r ted t he club because ha rd of hea r i ng st udents have st r ug g led to adjust to

t he COVID-19 pa ndem ic.

“I sta r ted t he club t h is semester because my ha rd of hea r i ng f r iends have been st r ug g l i ng ex t ra t h is yea r w it h mask s, sit t i ng fa r apa r t a nd a l l t he ot her COVIDrelated st u f f,“ L atsch sa id.

“It has been ver y i mpor ta nt to me for a long t i me to see more d isabi l it ies v isibi lit y i n t he world, especia l ly here on ca mpus.”

Fi rst-yea r a nd v ice president of t he club Emerson

Hen r y sa id t he club ser ves as a n oppor t u n it y for st udents to not on ly lea r n ASL but a lso to lea r n about what l i fe is like as a hard of hearing person.

“This club is mainly for people who want to learn American Sign Language and more about the deaf culture or who just have basic interest because it is not really talked about on campus and it is rea l ly i nterest i ng to lea r n about,” Hen r y sa id.

Hen r y sa id joi n i ng t he club a nd ga i n i ng a leadersh ip role ha s been a n i mpor ta nt a spect of her t i me at t he Col lege. She added t hat ser v i ng a s v ice president has empowered her and been a rewarding experience, especia lly as a deaf student.

“This v ice president position was ever y t hing because grow ing up as a deaf person, ever ybody k ind of just doubts you for a minute,

like, ‘oh can you do t his? ‘ Well, yea h I can. It just has to come w it h a litt le bit more work and ef fort and time, but it rea lly is wort h it in t he end,” Henr y said.

Upon learning about t he club, Henr y immediately wanted to join. She said she ultimately took on t he role of v ice president because she wa nted to ded icate herself to educat ing ot hers

NEWS PAGE 4

VIEWPOINT PAGE 8

ScenE PAGE 9

nd m lax PAGE 16

nd football PAGE 16

By CARMEN FEUCHT News Writer

see ASL CLUB PAGE 3

2

TODAY

The observer | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

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SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Kailee Saunders, Lynne Atkins and Olivia Harle hand out “The Dome” yearbooks, which are free to students, in Duncan Student Center’s lobby. This year’s theme is “Unshakable Spirit,” and they will be available for pickup until Tuesday, May 11 at 2 p.m.

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Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Dante Seminar virtual 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Featuring guest speaker Helena Phillips-Robins.

“Northern Ireland and Colombian Peace Accords” virtual 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

All are welcome.

“Student Activism and Racial Justice” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Panel discussion held by the Klau Center.

Sculpt’d Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Outdoor progressive boot camp workout.

Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon All are welcome to attend.

BFA/BA Honors Thesis Exhibition 214 Riley Hall 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Cocktail with a Curator virtual 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Talk with photographer David Acton.

Book Discussion virtual 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Come hear from editors Diane Desierto and David Cohen.

ND Chorale Spring Concert Irish Green 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Free concert open to the ND community.

La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m.

Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | The Observer

Mendoza professor publishes new study on justice in business

By RYAN PETERS Associate News Editor

Associate professor of Management & Organization for the Mendoza College of Business Cindy Muir recently released a new study to be featured in the Journal of Applied Psycholog y titled “It’s not only what you do, but why you do it: How managerial motives inf luence employees’ fairness judgments.”

The study focuses on the managerial motives of supervisors and the effect they have on how employees judge their fairness. Supervisors that focus more on the well-being of their employees and are more pro-socially motivated tend to be judged as fairer, even after accounting for justice behavior, Muir found.

Muir, born and raised in Miami, Florida, earned her B.S. in psychology from the University of Florida, where

she also minored in business.

During her undergraduate years, Muir discerned her path to go to business school when it was recommended to her by a professor.

“My desire [during my undergraduate years] was to get a Ph.D. and become a consultant, but before I solidified those plans, one of my professors recommended I go to the Business School and talk to the Management faculty,” Muir said in an email. “To my surprise, I found a lot of professors with undergraduate degrees in psychology. It was there that I explored the difference between consulting and academia and realized that my passion was research.”

Muir said she was once apprehensive about teaching, but is now highly passionate about it.

“I was honestly apprehensive about teaching as I am fairly

introverted, but I figured I had five years in grad school to figure it out. I wish I had known back then how much I’d grow to love teaching,” she wrote.

Muir said she found her inspiration to pursue her current research project in a continuation of her dissertation, which focused on justice and studying different types of supervisor motives.

“My dissertation was on motives and justice, but I took a very different approach then. And after I graduated, I realized that perhaps a focus on prosocial versus self-interested motives would be better than my previous approach,” Muir wrote.

“I’ve been collecting data, and my colleagues and I have been refining the explanation on how and why a supervisor’s motives impact his or her employee’s fairness perceptions for several years.”

Her study found that

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supervisors that are focused on the wellbeing of employees are more likely to be perceived as fair by employees.

“We found that, even after accounting or controlling for justice behavior, supervisors that are thought of as pro-socially motivated — or focused on the needs of employees — were regarded as fairer than those supervisors seen as selfinterested.

Finding that motives uniquely predict perceptions of fairness, given how vital behaviors are, is impressive,” Muir explained.

Muir also found that supervisors with pro-social motives are given the benefit of the doubt from their employees when they demonstrate low-justice behaviors. She said employees rate pro-socially motivated supervisors more fairly than their justice behavior would generally predict.

Muir said she hopes her study can pave

the way for more prosocial or empathetic employers because promoting the wellbeing of others does not damage one’s own well-being.

“Some people likely erroneously assume that focusing on others will harm them.

To them I would say that being pro-socially motivated does not mean that you eschew your own well-being in favor of others,“ she said in the email.

“And because we show that prosocial motives benefit supervisors in various ways, I would hope this work could help inspire people to focus on others by lending some confidence that beneficial outcomes may naturally follow.”

Currently, Muir is researching how to quantif y and intervene in work burnout while also heading up a new Ph.D. program in Management at Mendoza.

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

ASL Club Continued from page 1

about dea f ness.

One of t he pr ima r y goa ls of t he club is to spread awa reness of ind iv idua ls who a re ha rd of hea r ing a nd to teach ot hers how to com mu n icate w it h t hem. Hen r y sa id t he club has been successf u l t hus fa r in educat ing ot hers a nd attempt ing to teach st udents how to overcome t he com mu n icat ion ba r r ier.

“Th is club has broug ht more awa reness towa rds dea f cu lt u re because not a lot of people a re awa re,“ Hen r y sa id. “If somebody needs help it’s good to just k now t he basics — or if t hey feel it is impor ta nt to k now how to have a conversat ion w it h a dea f person by lea r n ing some basic sig ns a nd r u les of A mer ica n Sig n La ng uage.”

Hen r y hopes t he club w i l l g row a nd event ua l ly of fer more adva nced ASL classes.

“I t h in k t hat it’s g reat t hat we have t he level one class of A mer ica n Sig n La ng uage here on ca mpus, but if t h is club interests enoug h people, t he col lege is going to need to br ing in more levels wh ich wou ld educate

3

Top Student Continued from page 1

in philosophy.

Throughout his time at Holy Cross, Maugel was co-chair of the Social Concerns Committee, a mentor in the Peer Mentor Program and a member of the Liturgical Choir.

Last year, Maugel was awarded the Saint Joseph Service Award, which recognizes a student with an outstanding sense of stewardship and service. He plans to pursue a Master of Divinity degree after graduation.

New director named Observer Staff Report

Associate vice president for research and director of the Center for Research on Educational Opportunity (CREO) Mark Berends has been appointed director of the Notre Dame Institute for Educational Initiatives, according to a Tuesday press release.

Berends, a professor of sociology, studies education reform and factors influencing student success. As director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives, his work will focus on improving education, especially for disadvantaged youth in Catholic schools.

more ind iv idua ls a nd end up br ing ing more awa reness to t he com mu n it y wh ich was t he m ission of t he club,” Hen r y sa id.

T h is semester, t he club has met ever y ot her week on Wed nesdays. Hen r y sa id each meet ing focuses on a specif ic topic such as t he a lphabet or nu mbers. Latsch sa id t he club’s pla ns for nex t yea r include br inging in g uest spea kers a nd pa r t ner ing w it h AccessABLE for a specia l event.

“T he club has a few more dea f g uest spea kers l ined up for nex t yea r, a n opport u n it y for ever yone to get na me sig ns a nd I a m a lso hoping to tea m up w it h t he Access-ABLE at ND for a n event,” Latsch sa id.

T he club has just one more meet ing lef t for t h is semester. Hen r y sa id t he leadersh ip tea m is excited for t he f ut u re of t he club.

“For nex t semester, we a re hoping to ex pa nd t he club a nd have more people come,“ Hen r y sa id.

“Hopef u l ly we ca n do more events w it h less rest r ict ion to be able to get more of t he t r i-ca mpus com mu n it y involved w it h t he club.”

Contact Carmen Feucht at cfeucht01@saintmarys.edu

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NEWS

The observer | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Students reveal experiences in unique majors

By CLAIRE REID News Writer

The University of Notre Dame offers approximately 75 degree programs encompassing everything from accountancy to theology. However, some majors are less well-known or populous than others. The Observer interviewed four students in the College of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame about how they chose their major and how they plan to use it in the future.

Summer Kerksick: A diverse voice in the Irish language major Sophomore Summer Kerksick entered Notre Dame as an international economics and Irish language major. She had taken an interest in the latter in high school.

“I did a Duolingo program on Irish when I was 15 [or] 16 years old,” Kerksick said. “I’m also 20% Irish myself, so I’ve been around Irish culture my entire life, especially in the part of Chicago that my dad’s side of the family is from.”

Kerksick said it was these two experiences that inspired her to pursue the Irish language major at Notre Dame — the only major of its kind in North America.

In general, Kerksick said her parents have been supportive of her choice of what to study although she was surprised when it was her dad, whose family history influenced her interest in Irish, who was initially skeptical about the possible career paths in the Irish language major.

Kerksick’s friends have also been extremely encouraging in her study of Irish.

“They’re really excited for me because I think I’m going to be the first black person to graduate with that major,” Kerksick said.

In her opinion, the biggest misconception about the major is that it is only open to students of European or Irish descent.

She recalled how herself and an Asian student were the only people of color in her beginning Irish class, and how, since then, she has been the only person of color in her Irish courses.

“Being the only person of color I know of in the entire major, that’s really hard,” Kerksick admitted. “Like one night, I called my mom crying. I was just like, ‘I don’t feel like I belong here,’ and I wanted to drop the major because I was like ‘I really feel like I shouldn’t be here because I’m not 100% white.’ It still will get to me sometimes, but, you know, it is what it is.”

Even so, Kerksick loves the community she has found through the major.

“The best part about it, I’d say, is the fact that it’s a very small major,” she said.

There are only four students in Kerksick’s current Irish class, which has allowed the group to become very tight-knit.

“I’ve been with them since the beginning,” Kerksick continued. “I know more about them than I know about people in my other classes, so we’ve formed friendships from

how small the classes are.”

Kerksick has also found that her professors have been extremely patient and understanding of the fact that Irish is not the easiest language to learn.

“They know that this is not like learning Spanish or French like you were taught in high school,” Kerksick said. “This is a completely different language family, and you have to start from the beginning …

They don’t get upset, they don’t get irritated.”

After graduation, Kerksick hopes to work for the US Department of State’s Bureau of European Affairs in Ireland relations. She is confident that learning the Irish language will give her a competitive advantage.

“Even though it might not be essential for an American to know Irish in order to talk to Irish people, the Irish government is actually required to know both English and Irish, so if I’m ever needed in a situation … I’d be able to speak both Irish and English,” Kerksick said.

She said she encourages everyone to study a new language while in college.

“I think that everybody should try a language that is not Spanish, French or Italian at some point,” Kerksick said. “Take a Hebrew class, take a Chinese class, take a Greek class.”

Ryan Palmer: Learning ancient languages and finding parallels between the past and today Sophomore philosophy and theology and classics major Ryan Palmer would certainly echo Kerksick’s advice. Palmer is currently studying both Greek and Latin and is thinking about learning Hebrew while abroad in Athens next year as well.

“A couple friends have joked that I should try learning a language that people actually speak,” Palmer said. “But for whatever reason, I’m drawn to the languages that no one is speaking anymore. And you know what, I’m okay with that.”

Throughout his time as a Notre Dame student, Palmer tried out various majors from political science to international economics to history. He eventually settled on a double major in philosophy and theology and history, but after taking a Greek class, decided to switch from history to classics.

Palmer said that studying Greek felt like a natural complement to his interests in theology, philosophy and history because it would allow him to read the ancient Greek philosophers and the Scriptures in their original form.

He also missed studying Latin as he had in high school, so he decided to study both classical languages.

“I’ve always loved languages, and there’s something about when you read something in its original text,” Palmer said. “There’s things that just cannot be translated into our language. You can kind of idiomatically do it, but it doesn’t really fit perfectly.”

Palmer believes in the power of reading texts in their original language.

“When you read ancient plays and poetry and stuff they can come across as boring, and honestly, sometimes I even think the English translations are. But that’s because there’s … so much lost in translation.”

By reading ancient works in their original languages, he has realized that people in ancient times were much less stern and proper than people today generally assume.

He added that the number one misconception about majors like classics is that the ancient material being studied has no relevance to the happenings of today’s world.

“With ideas and beauty and poetry, those things I feel like are everlasting,” Palmer said. “You can appreciate those things like 2000 years later … and there’s some amazing parallels between what I’m studying and the Peloponnesian War in Greek history to the modern Cold War between the US and Russia. You know, history does have a way of repeating itself.”

While Palmer said he would be the first to admit that classics is not for everyone, he has found a strong, tight-knit community within the major. In fact, he serves as the parliamentarian for the Classics Club which organizes events like undergrad vs. grad/faculty volleyball games and classics lake walks where club members walk around St. Mary’s Lake pausing every 10 minutes or so to read a bit of poetry in a classical language.

“As much as I wish more people would come to appreciate the classics major, one of the really nice things about the major is how small the department is because you really get to know the professors quite well and they’re able to devote a lot of time to caring about you and helping you figure out your academic future,” Palmer said.

As for his academic future, Palmer is leaning toward pursuing a graduate degree in theology, but law school or a graduate degree in philosophy are also possibilities.

Meredith Meyer: Living out her faith through peace studies Like Palmer, Meredith Meyer is also pursuing a joint major in philosophy and theology. She is also a global affairs supplementary major with a concentration in peace studies.

Meyer selected the peace studies concentration during the fall semester of her freshman year at Notre Dame, but selected the global affairs supplementary major before she arrived on campus.

“When I came to visit, the admissions speaker talked about the global affairs program ... and it really appealed to my interests,” Meyer recalled.

Discovering the global affairs program solidified Notre Dame as Meyer’s top college choice, and she felt that the peace studies concentration was the perfect way to put the material she is studying in philosophy and theology into practice.

“Peace studies is an area in which I can work to enact many of the principles that I have come

to believe in through my Catholic faith, such as promoting nonviolence and social justice,” Meyer said.

She added that peace studies is helping her develop as a person by providing her with opportunities to learn about different cultures and step outside the cultural bubble she grew up in.

Peace studies explores the root causes of conflict from intersectional lenses including environmental, religious and economic perspectives. The major also challenges students to think about how who a person is.

“My favorite thing about my major is that it’s so immediately applicable to my life and the world,” Meyer said. “I am learning how to think critically and creatively, and to question what I believe about myself and the world.”

Though Meyer’s parents are fully supportive of her Arts and Letters pursuits, other family members have questioned what she will do with such an “obscure major.”

Meyer said she wishes more people recognized the importance of Arts and Letters majors rather than dismissing them as easy or impractical.

“People often think there isn’t much you can do with my majors or that certain majors can only lead to one specific field or job in the future,” Meyer said. “But I love the Arts and Letters motto, ‘Study everything, do anything,’ because I think it really embodies my college experience. I am studying what I’m passionate about, and I have full confidence that it will lead me to many different and amazing opportunities in the future.”

Tilly Keeven-Glascock: Following her passion in history and education Sophomore Tilly KeevenGlascock, began her time at Notre Dame in the Mendoza College of Business as a finance and economics double major. Her time in Mendoza was short lived, but an experience during a finance exam her first semester left Keeven-Glascock with a great story.

“I actually decided to change my major in the middle of a finance exam,” Keeven-Glascock said.

She was handed the midterm, looked at it and then looked up at Professor Carl Ackerman.

“I was like ‘I want to change my major,’” Keeven-Glascock recalled. “And he said ‘Okay,’ so I handed him the test back and the next day I went and changed my major.”

Growing up, Keeven-Glascock said, she had always known she wanted to be a teacher. But around sophomore or junior year of high school, she felt pressured to pursue a more economically beneficial path.

But shortly into her time in college, Keeven-Glascock — who is now a history major at Notre Dame and an education major at St. Mary’s College through the ND/SMC Co-Exchange Program — realized she had different

priorities.

“The reason that I changed to history and education was not only because I was specifically interested in those subjects, but also, I kind of had to do some rewiring of my mindset into like, ‘Okay, well, there’s success in terms of what can make you the most money and there’s success in terms of what actually makes you happy, and I am trying to choose to prioritize the happy part,” Keeven-Glascock explained.

She feels incredibly blessed and privileged to have parents who were so supportive of her decision to change her major because she has lots of friends who are not pursuing Arts and Letters degrees but want to.

“I have friends in Mendoza and engineering and science who genuinely — and I mean this in no malevolent way toward them — wish they were doing the humanities, but their parents said ‘I won’t support you,’ ‘I won’t help with tuition,’ etcetera,” Keeven-Glascock said.

Keeven-Glascock said she understands the vast majority of these parents just want to ensure the most stable possible future for their children. However, she also feels that many people have misconceptions about Arts and Letters majors, the biggest being that they are easy because students have more essays and projects and fewer traditional exams.

“The stereotype that Arts and Letters is ‘easy’ is completely false,” Keeven-Glascock said. “It’s just a difference in the way that we learn and the way that we enjoy being assessed.”

But she said these unfortunately common misconceptions often come from others’ unhappiness with themselves.

“It comes from a place of insecurity or internalized unhappiness; we try to invalidate other people’s educational interests if we’re not feeling exceptionally fulfilled,” Keeven-Glascock said. “That’s such a big thing, not even at Notre Dame or just in college; arts and humanities are so devalued.”

But despite the misunderstandings of others, Keeven-Glascock has found a great support system in her academic programs.

“Our professors are so very aware of the misconceptions and stereotypes that come with Arts and Letters,” she said. “[They are] so affirming and validating. I can’t tell you how much they’ve impacted feeling like I’m reassured in my decision to be this major.”

Upon graduation, KeevenGlascock will receive her teaching certificate from Saint Mary’s.

Her ultimate goal is to become a full-time teacher, and she is interested in possibly taking part in the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Teaching Fellows program or a similar program after graduation. Eventually, she also hopes to write a book about one of her historical interests such as queer history or the roots of political extremism.

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

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The observer | Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Anti-Zionism is still antisemitism

Inside Column

Shocker: South Bend has another side Emma Bacon News Writer

When you ask most Americans what comes to mind when they hear the words “South Bend, Indiana,” they will likely tell you “Notre Dame,” envisioning the Golden Dome serving as support for the Blessed Mother to sit atop, watch over and live within her beloved tri-campus.

Most Americans will not imagine the other side of South Bend: The streets of W Western Avenue, torn from its days as a previously thriving community by gentrification and urban decay. (Arguably created by constant construction and development of our “side” of the area.) Most won’t envision the bustling area my friend Maeve and I happened upon when we were stuck on campus for Easter, bored, homesick and tired of our typical, uneventful dining hall meals.

So, on Holy Saturday afternoon, off went two Saint Mary’s students, splitting the fare of an Uber and landing upon a one-story diner-style restaurant called Taqueria Chicago.

Upon entering, we were nearly knocked out by the pungency of traditional spices filling the room along with the sound of Spanish chatter at every corner. The night felt magical as our mouths watered, stomach and hearts filled with a meal of deep-fried tortillas stuffed with beef, cheese and masa forming a gordita, along with fajitas, both void of sour cream — an anomaly for two white girls from the Deep South and the Midwest. We bought seconds to take back to our dorms, and ran across the street with juvenile excitement when our eyes caught La Rosita, an ice cream shop just adjacent.

As we talked, though, we realized something: This part of town is often forgotten by our community. A typical American wouldn’t think of this when they hear the words “South Bend, Indiana” because a typical student wouldn’t think of it.

While the area typically gains a reputation for being “sketchy” (the area is known for a plethora of shootings and heavy police reports that are common in underprivileged areas), there is also a vivacious culture that is so deeply alive and cannot be replaced with restaurants like Bru Burger and Brothers.

After we pay the bill and are headed out, stomachs full, grinning ear-to-ear, laughing because of our little random adventure that stemmed from an Easter weekend ridden by homesickness, I can’t help but smile when I notice a picture sitting behind the register with an icon of the Blessed Mother painted on it. And I rest in the knowledge that, though she may be alive atop the Golden Dome at Notre Dame, Mary faithfully watches over this side of town, too.

She lives as deeply — if not more — on the margins, than fixed atop the Golden Dome.

You can contact Emma at ebacon01@saintmarys.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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

Blake Ziegler News with Zig

Last November, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that anti-Zionism, opposition to the existence of a Jewish state, is inherently antisemitic. The statement was directed at BDS, the Palestinian-led movement calling for the boycott, divestment, and sanctioning of Israel. We find similar rhetoric in the Biden administration, where U.N. Ambassador Linda ThomasGreenfield stated that BDS “verges on antisemitism.” Naturally, these comments were heavily condemned by those concerned by Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. They argue that anti-Zionism is not antisemitic, and that labeling it as such delegitimizes justified criticism of Israel.

However, anti-Zionism is simply the newest form of antisemitism. Those who were alarmed by Secretary Pompeo and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield ignore the antisemitism within the anti-Zionist movement and are blind to the destructive nature it has towards the Jewish community.

To understand the antisemitic nature of anti-Zionism, we must begin by examining antisemitism.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, a 34-member intergovernmental organization that combats global antisemitism, provides an excellent definition of antisemitism. Quite simply, antisemitism is any “perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.” A few weeks ago, the Student Senate unanimously approved a resolution calling on the University to adopt the Working Definition, which has been adopted worldwide by governments, universities, and other organizations.

Antisemitism is a mutating villainy that continually finds new ways to infect societies. This is not to say that as one form of antisemitism begins, another ends. Rather, each iteration joins and reinforces previous antisemitic attitudes. The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains that the development of antisemitism throughout history is one in which the consistent aim was to deny Jews the same rights afforded to other groups of people. In the Middle Ages, Jews were hated as a religious group, persecuted for accusations of blood libel and that “the Jews killed Jesus!”

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Jews were targeted because of their race, a phenomenon infamously exemplified by the Holocaust. Today, when Jews are dispersed throughout the world with varying levels of attachment to their Jewish heritage, Jews are identified by their link to a common nationality: the statehood of Israel. Whether or not a Jew might support Israel, antisemites categorize Israel with all Jews.

Next, we should consider Zionism, which is the belief that Jews should have a right to self-determination through practicing sovereignty in Israel. The essential belief of Zionism is that Jews have a right to their own state. Just as Italians have Italy and Canadians have Canada, Jews should have Israel. To fully appreciate this, one must realize that Judaism goes beyond a religion, but also an ethnicity, culture and nationality.

Zionism is not about supporting the Israeli government and its policies. In fact, many factions of the Zionist movement frequently disagree on the proper governmental form of

a Jewish state. At its core, Zionism is the support for the existence of a Jewish state.

Anti-Zionism, as one might imagine, is opposition to the existence of a Jewish state. There are a few reasons why such a movement is antisemitic. First, there is a distinction between criticizing Israeli policies and suggesting Israel should not exist.

The former is a completely valid argument, one which many Zionists concede and take part in themselves. The Israeli government, like any other government, should be criticized for improper actions. However, antiZionists take it a step further by advocating the removal of Israel. By its definition, antiZionism opposes the existence of a Jewish state, and therefore supports the notion that Jews should have no homeland. When history shows Jews are routinely persecuted and driven out of nations that are not originally their own, removing the Jewish homeland only serves to condemn the Jewish people to eternal bigotry. Nations like the United Kingdom and China are routinely criticized, yet no one questions their right to exist. In a world where Christianity and Islam occupy many nations as their predominant religion, why is the only other Abrahamic religion left out? The only answer is an underlying attitude of antisemitism.

Second, look to what Jews themselves think. According to one survey, 84% of American Jews believe the statement “Israel has no right to exist” is antisemitic. While this is only data on American Jews, it should demonstrate to an American audience the prevailing opposition to anti-Zionism within Judaism. When a group of people overwhelmingly identify a statement as dangerous to their identity, that should be enough evidence for anti-Zionism’s antisemitic character.

Third, we can see antisemitic attitudes among the ranks of anti-Zionists themselves.

Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar support boycotting Israel while each express antisemitic beliefs. This behavior isn’t beholden to one political ideology, since white supremacists and right-wing extremists have been found to also support antiZionism. Attacks on Jewish communities on college campuses are frequently joined by anti-Zionist language. BDS is implicated as well, where co-founder and leader Omar Barghouti states “We oppose a Jewish state in any part of Palestine.” At its core, anti-Zionism breeds antisemitism.

Anti-Zionism is the latest manifestation of antisemitism, attempting to portray itself as legitimate criticism of Israel when it actually serves to normalize anti-Jewish attitudes.

Let me clear: criticizing Israel is completely acceptable and encouraged. It is when that criticism turns to denying Israel’s statehood that it crosses the border into antisemitism.

You can oppose Israel without espousing antisemitic beliefs, which is what I encourage Israel’s critics to do.

Blake Ziegler is a sophomore at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He loves anything politics, especially things he doesn’t agree with. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions.

The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Endings just mean new beginnings Elizabeth Prater SparkND

The end of a school year is always bittersweet.

While writing large papers may feel like the magnum opus of finals week, leaving oneself craving a summertime bliss where homework and exams feel like a f leeting memory, I also would be lying if I said I didn’t completely miss the school year.

I used to detest change and endings specifically.

You know that feeling that you get after you emotionally invested yourself into a story, only to have it end? I used to despise that feeling. More specifically, I would despise the feeling that comes afterwards — uncertainty, ambiguity, all of the above.

I once told one of my English teachers about my reluctance towards finishing books and having to end a good story, and I remember he said that books never truly end. I thought at first that he meant that you could always reread a book, but what he was suggesting was much greater.

The thing is, while books may physically end, the stories they tell and the impact they’ve made will never rest. That is how we get the world of literary criticism, and why we analyze the same books over and over in school.

I created this column centered around the modern interpretations of books, because while I enjoy discerning interpretations and double-meanings of classic texts, I know that many students find the task to be a chore. I often hear the same questions, such as the pondering of whether or not we are reading too deeply into the text, and whether the author thought this deeply about their own work.

These are all valid concerns, but I think the close analysis of such texts establishes an eternal beauty

in literature. That is, a book’s significance after its last page is what truly makes the story special.

Growing up, my mom would read with me before going to bed, and while the texts themselves made me fall in love with stories, it wasn’t merely the act of reading that I enjoyed. It was the association of being close to my family, and creating traditions together in which reading became something much more meaningful.

The ending of the book isn’t the end of that story, but rather, an invitation to build on those ideas, inspire new interpretations and create connections to your life. It’s merely a matter of changing your perspective and viewing each experience as a building block to new openings. Even bad experiences are informative, and they shape us in ways that we cannot even explain.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”

The stories and the people with whom we surround ourselves are integral to growing as independent people, establishing our own thoughts and actions. While I may not be able to pinpoint every last book or every single person that has inf luenced my life, I know that nevertheless, they have played a pivotal role into my journey from adolescence to adulthood.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve begun to love change. I ended up primarily applying to colleges far from my hometown; not because I didn’t love it, but because I craved that feeling of excitement. The slight fear of not knowing where you’re going, but knowing that you’re going to somehow make it, is a constant force that drives me to seek out new opportunities and experiences.

When my parents came to help me move-in to

college, my mom and I took a walk around the lakes. There’s this one spot on St. Mary’s that has a natural alcove, and my mom and I sat there and looked out onto the sunset on the last day we spent together before she left. I ref lected on the ending of my high school self, and in a way, a part of my childhood that I would never get back.

As the school year continued, however, I found myself returning to that spot on the lake.

Sometimes I would just sit and think, and other times, I would call my parents and update them on my life. I wasn’t trying to relive that memory from August, however; I was creating new memories, writing new beginnings upon old endings.

I initially named my column’s byline SparkND to be a play on words of SparkNotes, the digital literary tool that many college students rely upon to interpret difficult texts. However, looking back, I think the word “spark” answers that initial question of why books never truly end — they are indeed sparks, and catalysts, for future discovery and discussion.

One day, I hope to be able to fulfill my dreams and become an author, recreating this spark and love for literature that has defined my childhood.

But for now, I’m grateful for the experience of sharing SparkND, which has made me fall in love with reading and writing all over again.

Elizabeth Prater is a first-year student with double majors in marketing and the Program of Liberal Studies. In her free time, she manages her goldendoodle’s Instagram account (@genevieve_the_cute_dog) which has over 23K followers. She can be reached at eprater@nd.edu or @elizabethlianap on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Do more than reflect Thanks to my friend, Michelle Krupa (UND ‘00), I ended up on a University of Notre Dame mailing list. That explains the “divine intervention” of receiving the recent “Observer” containing the Letter to the Editor, “A moment to see the poor at Notre Dame.” I can’t help but weigh in on this letter, and more.

For many years, I was responsible for the University of Notre Dame’s Summer Service Project students who ventured into our center for ministry at Hesed House in Aurora, IL, where I ran the emergency shelter. Notre Dame grad, and my optometrist, Dr. Kevin King, had approached me about this arrangement on behalf of the Fox Valley, IL Notre Dame club.

The typical reactions of these wonderful studentvolunteers was at first hesitation (based on fear since they were staying in the same dorm as our homeless guests), then energetic purposefulness, then pure joy, then mutual heartbreaking sadness as their summer experience came to an end.

Michelle, in her role as a reporter for the Aurora Beacon News, spent much time on the issue of homelessness at Hesed House. Then a young ‘un, she was a quick learner, and she picked up on the underlying issues of poverty and homelessness.

Now, in her position at CNN, I know she’s a vigilant watchdog for these issues, and we connect when something worthy of coverage arises. I can also park my van/home/office in front of her family home when I’m rolling through Atlanta on my quest for stories of family and youth homelessness.

Thus my interest, and unease, with the Letter to the Editor submitted by Professors Stephen Fallon, Clark Power and John Duffy. Is the University doing all it can to address poverty, homelessness, racism and other searing issues of today? By their reckoning, no. I’d agree. I’m curious as to the

extent of the “Moment to See, Courage to Act” initiative.

I can speak with 30 plus years of experience in the homelessness-poverty arena. My past 15 years living in my van, traveling cross country to chronicle family/youth homelessness has opened my eyes, mind and heart even wider about the plight and promise of our homeless families, youth and adults. We are not doing near enough to alleviate these dire conditions.

I’m not known for soft-speak. I’d challenge the University — the institution, alum and students — that much more can be done to address the ever-growing poverty, homelessness and racism in our country. It’s not enough to take a moment to see. You have to walk in the shoes of those without homes and resources like the Summer Service Project interns did.

Lacking that as a logistical possibility, look deeper, and closer.

What is happening in the South Bend area as far as homelessness? Are you good with it? Would you be good with it if your family was searching for emergency assistance and shelter there? If your son, daughter, or close relative was needing longterm support? I can say that the efforts in South Bend are lacking to the point of horribly inadequate, despite the best efforts of some dedicated groups and individuals.

The admission that Notre Dame is f lagging as a leader in addressing educational and economic injustices is a good starting point. It’s not enough just to welcome a sprinkling of poor students. If those students could speak freely, they’d likely say that getting in the door of your esteemed institution sounded like a great opportunity, but grueling challenges, the offshoots of poverty, leave them disheartened and ready to quit.

Education is not meant to be the gift of the benevolent to the needy. Housing, food, medical care, child care and other essentials are not to be dispersed by the elite to those determined to be deserving.

“Solidarity with the poor” requires leaving our comfort zones and getting involved, to the point of discomfort, challenging the vast injustices running amok in our country today.

The Summer Service volunteers I got to know and love would tell you of their learning curve. And they certainly would guide the “do-gooders” in the true process of really being with those who have nothing, yet have so much.

Pope Francis has done more for people living in poverty than any pope I can remember. I’d add that those who proclaim the need for solidarity with the poor best be ready to “aff lict the comfortable and comfort the aff licted,” themselves included.

It’s not a matter of comfortable benevolence.

Don’t just ask your student body to “ref lect much more closely the socioeconomic and racial diversity of the country.” Go beyond that and challenge the systems that create the rampant injustices of racism, poverty and division — in South Bend, Indianapolis and Washington, DC. I’ll leave you with my offer of abundant info — videos, books, presentations — on family and youth homelessness through my nonprofit, HEAR US Inc. I drive through the South Bend area often and I’m more than willing to walk with you on this vital journey. It’s not us and them. We’re in this together.

Diane Nilan president, HEAR US Inc. April 24

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Exam week scaries Sydni Brooks Everythng is Fine

As we come to the end of another wacky semester, we are yet again bombarded with an immense amount of projects, essays, presentations and exams to demonstrate our time in our classes. Sunday scaries are bleeding into weekday scaries, caffeine addictions are spiking and the lack of sleep is terribly expressed on all of our faces.

Furthermore, with the weather shifting away from the iconic South Bend ice box to more pleasurable temperatures, and with the majority of people on campus receiving the second dose of the COVID vaccine, no one wants to be inside for long hours studying. It has been over a year since we were able to enjoy the outside world because of the virus, and everyone wants to take advantage of the sun and the healthier atmosphere. But alas, we must remain cooped up at our desks with our heads buried in laptops and textbooks to earn a piece of paper at the end of four years that labels us as “smart.”

I can’t sit here and complain about exam week without acknowledging that I have chosen and continue to choose to spend the middle of December and May in a state of despair. I end each semester battered and exhausted from the tasks of exam week just to come back after winter or summer break and knowingly do it all over again. I press myself forward with the mindset that all the work I am putting forward will lead me to the career of a lifetime, setting myself up for success. However, every couple of weeks I am tempted to throw it all away and live in a small cottage, disregarding all my troubles. I know that all of the work and effort will all be worth it, as I’ve seen the

correlations between hard work and success in other college graduates. It just takes a lot of energy to get there.

We stress ourselves out during exam week, frantically trying to study as much as we can and use all of our waking hours as productively as possible to prevent failure in any of our classes. These culmination projects and exams feel as if they are supposed to judge how bright we are and how quickly we can develop our learning skills. As students attending a prestigious institution, these exams define our ability to navigate the collegiate world, thus determining our ability to thrive in the “real” world outside of our four years of undergrad. If we don’t do well during exam week, we continue to stress ourselves out, debating if we are even meant to go to college, and we feel that all of our hard work is wasted. How can we call ourselves successful college students if we are unable to excel in the one aspect of college that seemingly means the most?

I think one of the most important ideas to remember during this stressful time period is that the marks we make on these culmination projects do not determine our personal worth or our level of success as college students. We ideally spend four whole years in undergraduate, and letting eight weeks determine how we view our entire college life disregards all of the growth we have experienced in the other 112 weeks. Two hours in one exam period should not measure up to the hundreds of hours spent studying, learning and challenging ourselves through our school work. While it might be a good way to gauge collective learning, final exams do not define our utmost intelligence.

Furthermore, though we attend college mostly for academic purposes, we are also involved in different clubs, organizations, internships, on- or off-campus jobs,

service projects and many other extra curricular activities. These not only take dedication and responsibility, but they also express our ability to hold time for multiple commitments at once while expressing our desire to make a better world four ourselves and those around us. Facilitating these activities exemplifies our ability to succeed just as much as our grades do, if not more; academics might develop our intelligence, but our chosen commitments develop our character.

This column is not meant to persuade you to give up studying for exams because I think they are meaningless; after writing this, I will reluctantly begin my research and outlining process for the several papers I have due in the next couple of weeks, and I will be joining my fellow peers with ghost-like appearances due to lack of sleep.

However, I want to remind us that this next week does not supersede all of the work we have done in and out of the classroom this semester, and it certainly does not define who we are as college students or people. Our experiences throughout the entirety of our time on campus should not boil down to two hours in silence, word-vomiting into a blue book — but to all of our hard work in the four years we are here.

Sydni Brooks is a junior at Notre Dame studying English and gender studies. She is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and calls Flaherty Hall home on campus. With equal passions in writing and helping others, she hopes to serve her community well in her future. She can be reached at sbrooks2@nd.edu or @sydnimaree22 on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

How my dad’s favorite albums helped me survive junior year Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects

I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions.

Even aside from the gross ways diet companies exploit people’s insecurities around the first day of every year, New Year’s resolutions seem doomed to fail. In the two decades of New Year’s Days I’ve experienced, I’ve tried my hand at a few resolutions (meditate more, keep a gratitude journal, take pictures every day) only to find myself having entirely abandoned my lofty goal in early February.

Yet everyone I know seems to undertake the Sisyphean task of a New Year’s resolution each year. This year was no different for me — I woke up on Jan. 1 and gave myself a resolution. The only difference this year is that four months later, I somehow still have not given up.

My resolution for 2021 was simply to listen to a new album each week, something I had never heard before.

It didn’t matter whether it was a new release or a classic I had somehow avoided — the only rules are that it has to be something I have never listened to all the way through before, it has to be a full-length LP and I have to listen to it all the way through.

At this point I’m committed — I have a Google Sheets spreadsheet with every album I’ve listened to so far, and after each listen I note my favorite songs, write a review and rate the album out of 10. It’s hard to say why I settled on this project. I guess I felt like my most-loved records needed a bit of a break, and I needed to expand my horizons beyond Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers.

If it started out as a way to make my Apple Music “Recently Played” slightly less embarrassing, it’s developed into something much more profound.

I had a few albums I had shortlisted that got me through the end of January, but after that it became surprisingly difficult to find albums to listen to. So, I turned to others — friends and family, music critics, the occasional music TikToker. What I found in these albums

was something in short supply these days: connection.

First there was “Elisabeth” by Zach Bryan, the second full-length album from the up and coming Americana star. My boyfriend, a Georgian who has helped gradually erode my knee-jerk dislike of country music, recommended I listen to Bryan, and naturally I picked the album named after me. In “Elisabeth” I found a quiet, reserved exploration of love and community. The album had me yearning for summer nights around a campfire with those I love while I was stuck writing papers in the darkest days of a South Bend winter.

Then there were my dad’s recommendations. He did radio broadcasting for many years before I was born, and has had a bigger influence on my music taste than anyone else. My friends’ first concerts were Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, whereas my first concert was Matthew Sweet. (Not to play “I’m not like other girls” — the first album I bought with my own money was Selena Gomez & the Scene’s “Kiss & Tell,” so). He gave me albums that he grew up on that were, frankly, embarrassing omissions from my library — Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon,” and Elliott Smith’s “Either/ Or.” I’m not going to pretend like I have anything new to say on either of those albums that a much more eloquent music critic has not already said. Listening to them felt less like discovering new songs, and more like a way to feel closer to my dad from hundreds of miles away.

Speaking of home, in March I found Iowa native Hailey Whitters’ “The Dream” on a list of 2020’s best country albums. I feel desperate to escape the endless plains of the Midwest sometimes, but listening to “The Dream” reminded me why my parents chose it as the place to raise me and my brother 20 years ago. I got some recommendations based on my friends’ favorite albums, allowing me to peek inside their heads for an hour to really understand why “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac makes them click.

I found one album this year that even allowed me a peek inside my own head. This past year has been really difficult for me — I have obsessive-compulsive

disorder (OCD), and it came out in full force this year.

It’s hard, it’s frustrating and it’s incredibly isolating. In one of my worst moments, Julien Baker released “Little Oblivions,” and it felt like she had opened up my chest and held my heart in her hands. She’s opened up about struggling with OCD herself, and hearing her sing about the self-sabotage, repetitive rituals and intrusive thoughts was an emotional and enlightening experience for me. Struggling with OCD can be such a lonely endeavor — as wonderful as my support system is, my family and friends just can’t really understand what I’m dealing with. In “Little Oblivions,” I found someone who understands.

This year has been really hard for everyone I know.

We’ve all been robbed of time with our families and friends, of all the moments that make us feel connected to others. Music cannot solve these problems. Julien Baker made me feel less alone, but it wasn’t until I started seeing my therapist again that I actually started healing. What music can do, in the meantime, is put a hand on our shoulder and remind us that we are never really alone.

As this school year comes to a close, things are undeniably looking up. We may not be entirely out of the woods yet, but the sun is visible through the trees. Live music is coming back, and I’m hoping to be able to experience some new music with others, rather than alone in my bedroom. I still have 34 weeks to fill, though, and I’m running out of people in my life to ask, so if anyone has any album suggestions, my inbox is always open.

Ellie Konfrst is a junior majoring in political science, with minors in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service and civil & human rights. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited that people will finally be forced to listen to all of her extremely good takes. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The observer | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

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JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer

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By JIM MOSTER Scene Writer

Many bands suffer a “sophomore slump” following a stunning debut album, but not Origami Angel. Emo’s latest rising stars return in “GAMI GANG” to serve up another round of headbangers, and they’ve got a simple message for you — you’re a badass, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Origami Angel entered the scene in 2019 with “Somewhere City,” a captivating concept album about finding yourself through sheer will. They quickly earned a spot on “bands to watch” lists across the Internet.

Origami Angel’s trademark sound — a loud mixture of confident guitar, thumping drums and peppy, playful vocals — won the hearts of young and old emo fans alike.

Origami Angel’s memorable brand remains front and center in “GAMI GANG.” Affectionately titled after the band’s fanbase, the album is a 51-minute bundle of pop punk jams. Even the most skeptical of listeners will have a goofy smile on their face by a few songs in.

“GAMI GANG” is so musically similar to “Somewhere City” that it almost feels like a mega-deluxe edition of its predecessor. While the band ventures into new territory in a few places — we get some samba in “Bossa Nova Corps” and hints of pop rock in “Footloose Cannonball Brothers” — they never stray far from home for long. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

By HAYDEN ADAMS Scene Writer

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

I’m sad to say I wasn’t impressed with “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” The middle child of Marvel Studios’ first blatantly canon foray into streaming just didn’t meet the standards they’ve set over the last decade. (I say, “blatantly canon,” given the ambiguity surrounding where Netflix and Hulu originals such as “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and “Marvel’s Runaways” stand in regard to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe).

It’s not completely the fault of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” — which was originally supposed to air before “WandaVision” and “Loki” until COVID-19 caused almost as much disruption as the Thanos snap — that its premise pales in comparison to those of the series bordering it. (Buddy cop action comedy doesn’t really lend itself to an “Agatha All Along” moment, now does it?).

That being said, this latest Marvel adventure has just as much (if not more) bearing on where Phases 4 and 5 of the MCU are going — at least terrestrially.

The most obvious segue from this project is “Captain America 4,” which Marvel officially announced the Monday following the show’s season finale. That’s because (spoiler alert) Falcon finally commandeers the shield and accepts the mantle of Captain America. But what exactly will be in store next for Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes?

It’s understandable that these Disney+ series can be relatively self-contained, but another Captain America film will have to stack up against its predecessor: “Captain America: Civil War.” To that end, there’s still a bevy of projects set to be released beforehand that should help paint a clearer picture

Each of the 20 songs on “GAMI GANG” is an earworm with its own brand of wholesomeness. In “Neutrogena Spektor,” a heavy hitter with a screamo outro, vocalist Ryland Heagy details his triumph over insecurity: “This cystic acne doesn’t look so good when it’s on me / But I don’t care, it really doesn’t matter to me.”

In another standout song, “Kno U,” Heagy assures a troubled friend that “They don’t know you like they think they do / They can’t see the things that you’ve been through.” With sappy lines like these throughout the album, “GAMI GANG” could pass as a pop punk rendition of “Dear Evan Hansen.”

When Origami Angel isn’t shouting at you to love yourself, they are reminiscing about their oh-so-wonderful childhoods. Fans have come to expect nostalgia from the duo, which has released entire EPs centered around Pokémon and Minecraft. Like in “Somewhere City,” Game Boys and chicken strips are glorious treasures in “GAMI GANG.” The album includes samples from “Jimmy Neutron,” “Malcolm In The Middle” and “Star Wars.”

While “GAMI GANG” accomplishes everything it sets out to do, it is a bit disappointing when compared to “Somewhere City.” The latter is a tight, carefully crafted, lyrically interesting bundle of 10 songs that takes the listener on a journey. “GAMI GANG” is a jam-packed sample platter of teenage insecurities and romantic fantasies.

When Heagy sings, “I’ve still got lots of things to say / But

it looks like we’re running out of time” in the closer, it feels like a literal description of the album. Origami Angel jammed out until they had a double LP’s worth of great content and then called it a day.

Regardless, “GAMI GANG” is something special. It sounds like the kind words that your skater friend shares with you when you finally open up about your mental health. It feels like getting picked up and asked, “Are you alright?” after falling down in a mosh pit. “GAMI GANG” is blasting punk in the car, with the windows down, shouting choruses with your favorite people in the world.

This album is a rollercoaster of fun from start to finish. Origami Angel can’t run on wholesome vibes forever, but for now, they have one of the most exhilarating emo sounds since the genre’s golden era.

of where the MCU is heading. But there are other odds and ends “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” sets up which will most certainly factor into “Captain America 4” as well as more immediate MCU endeavors.

There’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ cameo as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine — a character originally set to be introduced in this summer’s “Black Widow” film (which was originally supposed to air in 2020, before any Marvel Disney+ series). “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” executive producer Nate Moore described Louis-Dreyfus’ character as “a more acerbic, funnier, but darker Nick Fury.”

Given her relationship with Wyatt Russell’s John Walker (a.k.a. U.S. Agent), the natural assumption is that the Contessa is assembling the Thunderbolts, what amounts to an MCU version of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad (with the Contessa serving as a parallel to Amanda Waller). That project could see not only John Walker and Daniel Brühl’s Baron Zemo returning from this most recent series in antihero capacities, but also see the return of William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (a.k.a. Red Hulk) and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky (a.k.a. Abomination) from the 2008 “The Incredible Hulk.”

From there, “The Falcon and Winter Soldier” provides obvious material for two projects and potential for another.

Florence Kasumba saw an increased role as Ayo (the Winter Soldier’s “handler”) after brief appearances as a member of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje. Don’t be surprised if she takes on a bigger role in “Black Panther 2” and/or the recently announced but still untitled series about Wakanda, especially as Marvel attempts to keep that world within a world alive, despite the passing of Chadwick Boseman.

Additionally, Elijah Bradley — a.k.a. Patriot and grandson of super soldier Isaiah Bradley — is a comic book member of the Young Avengers, which Marvel first hinted at developing

in “Avengers: Endgame” with the introduction Tony Stark’s daughter Morgan.

And finally, there’s the quandary of what to do with Emily VanCamp’s role as Sharon Carter, who is revealed to be the Power Broker of Madripoor in the “The Falcon and Winter Soldier” finale. Driven by resentment over her treatment following the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” Carter finally gets pardoned for her actions at the conclusion of the series. And, in a (rather clunky) mid-credit scene, now finding herself back within the U.S. intelligence hierarchy, she instructs someone on the other end of a phone call to start setting up buyers for “government secrets, prototype weapons, you name it.”

There’s speculation as to what is up with her character, with some even suggesting that she has turned evil because a Skrull is impersonating her. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that’s not the case, but I’ll also go a step further and offer a prediction as to one Marvel project she may factor into: “Armor Wars.” Announced in Dec. 2020, “Armor Wars” will follow Don Cheadle’s War Machine character as he must face villains who have acquired Tony Stark’s technology. Call me crazy, but Stark tech seems like the kind of thing the Power Broker would be itching to traffic.

Like pretty much any item within the MCU, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” provides endless material from which to craft fan theories (and we should all know how wrong fan theories can be). But let’s at least take solace in the fact that this still didn’t go to as many pains to set up future projects as did “Zach Snyder’s Justice League.” After all, to paraphrase Sam Wilson’s favorite song, “Troubleman”: There’s only three things that’s for sure: Taxes, death and even the mediocre Marvel projects owning DC.

Contact Jim Moster at jmoster@nd.edu

“GAMI GANG” Origami Angel Label: Counter Intuitive Records Favorite Tracks: “Neutrogena Spektor,” “Bossa Nova Corps,” “Noah Fence” If you like: Dogleg, Glass Beach, Neck Deep

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu CLAIRE REID | The Observer

DAILY

ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

11

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Use your charm, maintain a steady pace and refuse to let what others do confuse you. You have to look out for your interests instead of worrying about what others think or do. Put your energy where it counts; it will bring you comfort and joy. Personal improvement will boost your confidence and encourage better overall results this year. Your numbers are 9, 14, 20, 26, 32, 38, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take advantage of any opportunity to talk to someone who is doing something you want to pursue. The information you receive will be valuable and put you in touch with someone who can help you get ahead. Discipline will pay off.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do and spend only what’s necessary. Live within your means, and promise what is feasible. Put your energy where it counts, and be innovative when handling administrative or work-related matters.

Physical activity will ease stress, and romance is favored.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take care of your responsibilities to avoid backlash. A steady pace forward will override anyone’s attempt to make you look bad. Keep everything in perspective; if you exaggerate, someone will question your validity. Don’t take an unnecessary health risk.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Show everyone how original you are by presenting your ideas with pizzazz. A little extra oomph will set you apart from any competition you encounter. You can make a difference if you are steadfast, wise and take the initiative.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Too much of anything will lead to a loss. Get your priorities straight, and don’t feel the need to buy love, friendship or support. Trust in your ability to get things done and forge ahead.

Intelligence coupled with drive will help you excel.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take a proactive approach to get things done.

Talk is cheap if you don’t follow through. Be direct, make your move and reach your target with the least amount of dialogue. You will be satisfied with your accomplishments.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do something you enjoy, but don’t be excessive.

It’s essential to keep the peace and live up to your promises. Discipline and hard work will bring you the highest returns. Learn from the experience you have gained over the years.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Extravagance will lead to stress, overreaction and problems with people affected by the decisions you make. Put your energy into clearing up unfinished financial, emotional or health issues, and it will eliminate stress and the difficulties you face.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll get a glimpse of the big picture if you take a step back, reorganize and adjust your plans accordingly. Trust in yourself, not someone trying to manipulate you. Formulate your strategies, then put them into action.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Push for what you want and believe in, and you will transform the way you live and the direction you take. It’s time to eliminate what no longer works for you and move into the sunlight, where positive change can occur.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ll get ahead if you think matters through and use your discipline and innovative ideas to reach your goal. Refuse to let what others do interfere with your plans. Don’t take risks with your health. Avoid large crowds.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your charm will be hard to resist, but if you try to take advantage of someone, you will eventually pay the price. Do what’s best and fair for everyone involved in your plans. Equality will be necessary if you want to get your way.

Birthday Baby: You are flexible, imaginative and persistent. You are curious and tireless.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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FOOTBALL | Way Too Early

Sports Authority

WTE Preview: Georgia Tech Observer Staff Report

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online May 3.

Last season, Notre Dame faced Georgia Tech in probably one of the more overlooked games of their undefeated regular season campaign. The relatively pedestrian 31-13 victory for the Irish preceded their double-overtime victory over No. 1 Clemson that defined their season. However, in 2021, Notre Dame will take on the Yellow Jackets for their Senior Day battle in the penultimate game of the regular season, the stakes of which will be determined by some higher profile games earlier in the Irish schedule. Let’s get into the way-too-early preview.

Opponent: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Date: Saturday, Nov. 20 Location: Notre Dame Stadium Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.

History of the matchup Georgia Tech is another ACC opponent that Notre Dame has historically dominated. Notre Dame has run up a 29-6-1 record against the Yellow Jackets, giving up under 11 points per game in those 36 contests. The Irish are currently on a two-game winning streak in the series, winning games in 2015 and 2020, with Georgia Tech’s last victory coming in 2007. All-time, the Yellow Jackets are just 3-16 in true road games versus the Irish.

The two teams have met just six times in the modern era, with Notre Dame going 4-2 (4-1 in the regular season and 2-1 at home).

The most recent matchup was all Notre Dame, who was hitting their midseason stride when they faced Georgia Tech on the road on Halloween, systematically dismantling the Yellow Jackets by 18 points. Ian Book threw for 199 yards and a touchdown, while Kyren Williams found the end zone twice in the contest.

2020 performance Georgia Tech flashed potential during their 2020 season, during which they accumulated a 3-7 record. The Yellow Jackets opened up with a sloppy yet stunning 16-13 victory over Florida State, and they also notched blowout victories versus Louisville and Duke. First-year quarterback Jeff Sims had moments of brilliance, but he also looked very much like a first-year on occasion, as he matched his 13 touchdowns with 13 interceptions, completing passes at a 55% rate. Sims also led a paltry rushing attack for the Yellow Jackets with 492 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. Four other players notched at least 220 rushing yards. Jalen Camp was Sims’ top target through the air, averaging

15.4 yards per reception on 27 catches. Malachi Carter had 20 catches for 290 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Jahmyr Gibbs demonstrated his versatility with 460 rushing yards and 303 receiving yards. Defensive back Juanyeh Thomas paced the defense, forcing three fumbles and intercepting a pass.

Linebacker Quez Jackson and defensive back Zamari Walton each had two interceptions as well, while defensive lineman Jordan Domineck notched four sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and a pair of forced fumbles.

Linebacker David Curry led the team with nine tackles for loss.

2021 outlook The ACC figures to be Clemson’s to lose, with Miami and UNC as the Tigers’ top challengers. With games against all three opponents, plus the reinstatement of their rivalry with Georgia, a national title contender, the Yellow Jackets face an uphill battle to reach a bowl game.

Winning 5-6 teams would be a solid goal for Sims and Co. The Yellow Jackets do return Sims, who will look to take his next step forward as a quarterback, but with Camp gone, he needs to find a new favorite receiver.

Carter figures to be that guy, but Gibbs is another dangerous option out of the backfield. Look for redshirt junior Adonicas Sanders or redshirt sophomore Peje’ Harris to step up as the WR #2 in the offense. Defensively, Thomas returns as a disruptive playmaker for the Yellow Jackets, and Old Dominion transfer Keion White could help as an edge rusher.

Georgia Tech does lose Curry to graduation, but Domineck returns to anchor the defensive line, while Jackson and Walton continue to lead the linebacker room. The defense struggled at times in 2020, but with a lot of returning production, and a more standard preseason than in 2020, the Yellow Jackets have hope for significant improvement on that side of the ball.

Way Too Early Prediction Aidan Thomas — Sports Writer Notre Dame is the far superior team in this matchup, regardless of how things shake out in their quarterback battle and various other positions of uncertainty. Combine that with their stellar record at home, and three straight Senior Day blowouts... This one is not going to be close. Irish should flirt with 40+ points and have little issue defensively with a Georgia Tech offense that was very turnoverprone last season. Irish roll, start to finish.

Notre Dame 37, Georgia Tech 14

Play-in tournament should be here to stay Liam Coolican Sports Writer

Editor’s Note: A version of this column was published online May 3.

Last year’s playoff bubble gave the NBA a rare opportunity to experiment with a major rule change. The league instituted a play-in tournament in which the ninth seed — if it was within four games of the eight seed — would play a short series to see which team advanced to the playoffs.

The eighth seed only needed to win one game, while the ninth needed to win two. We were treated to an exciting, down to the wire matchup between the Portland Trailblazers and Memphis Grizzlies. Last year’s success showed that this proposal should be a permanent fixture for years to come in the league.

All teams within six games of the eighth seed were invited to participate in the Orlando-based bubble to restart the 2020 season.

However, with only eight seeding games, a team like the Phoenix Suns — who entered the bubble six games back and with four teams between them and the eighth seed — would have had a minuscule chance to make the playoffs. Instead, the Suns went 8-0, and only a onepoint win by the Portland Trailblazers kept them out of the play-in contest. Without the added incentive, the Suns might have simply thrown the towel in, resting their star players in an attempt to get a higher draft pick. Instead, they provided one of the best storylines of the bubble.

The NBA announced that the play-in tournament would be expanded for the 2020-21 season to include four teams in each conference. The team that finishes the regular season with the seventh-best record in the conference will host the eight-best team, with the winner earning a trip to the playoffs as the seventh seed.

The team with the ninth-best record will host the tenth team. The loser in that contest will be eliminated, while the winner will play the loser of the seven-eight game for the eight seed.

The proposal has faced some backlash, most notably from Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and owner

Mark Cuban. LeBron James has also argued vehemently against it, recently saying whoever came up with the idea “should be fired.” They all argued that a 72-game regular season should decide the playoffs, not two play-in games, especially at the end of a grueling regular season schedule. This is certainly a valid criticism, as in some sense it invalidates an entire season of work should you not advance. Yet, we see an even more extreme version in the MLB: A one game, winner-take-all wild card contest which comes on the heels of a 162 game regular season.

This year, we only see a half-game gap between the eighth and tenth-best teams in the Western Conference.

There is definitely some merit to the criticism that a seventh seed should not have to compete with a team seven or eight games behind it in the standings, and allow just two games to make up the difference. However, at the time of writing, there is a 3.5 game gap between the seventh and tenth teams in the Eastern Conference, and five games separating the two in the East. These margins are certainly close enough to justify a play-in tournament.

Another criticism is that the lower seeds are often mediocre as it is, and the league is now allowing even worse teams to play in the postseason. This is also a good point — teams like the San Antonio Spurs, the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls are certainly not championship contenders. Even without the additional teams, sub .500 teams occasionally sneak into the playoffs as the eight seed.

That doesn’t mean these games can’t produce top class entertainment however. Who wouldn’t want to watch Russell Westbrook battle Zack LaVine for a spot in the playoffs?

The play-in tournament replicates the excitement of March Madness on a much smaller scale, bringing the excitement, passion and energy that the early rounds of the playoffs often lack.

There’s not much enjoyment, unless you are a fan of a top team, in seeing the Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers dismantle a clearly inferior opponent in five games.

Now, these teams get to

compete for the right to lose in five games. In all seriousness, though, the play-in tournament provides some much-needed drama to the early rounds of the playoffs, even if none of the teams involved will compete for the championship. It does provide an additional opportunity for potential Cinderella runs. We never thought a 16-seed could be a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament until it happened. We might just see a 10-seed who would otherwise have missed the playoffs make a run to the NBA Finals.

There are some added benefits, as well. The league has been searching for years for ways to discourage tanking. The draft lottery has done little to fix the problem. This may be the solution, however. In a normal year, a team like the Bulls would have likely completely given up, as they sit 6.5 games back of the eighth spot. Now, they are only three games out of a play-in spot. Of course, there will still be some degree of tanking. The Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic are engaged in a race to the bottom of the standings.

Without the play-in tournament, they would be joined by a number of additional teams this late in the season.

Tanking is not good for the sport, the fans, or the players.

It might be good for the teams in the long-run, but it should still be discouraged, and this has proven to be a brilliant method for combating it.

While the play-in proposal has not been met with open arms by all, once this year’s playoffs begin, and fans see the excitement that it adds to the postseason, it will become much more popular. Players and owners will eventually come around to it, too, and it is good for the league because more playoff games means more revenue.

Many great changes faced early opposition, and the league should not back down.

The play-in tournament has already proven to be fantastic for the sport, and it should be here to stay.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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FOOTball | Position Breakdown

Sports Authority

Final predictions for NBA standings

Special teams breakdown Observer Staff Report

Special teams is a very underrated yet extremely important factor in any team’s success, as dozens of games each year hinge on field goals or PATS, kickoff returns, punt blocks, and a variety of other special teams plays. Luckily for Notre Dame, they’ll see most of their major contributors return to the special teams unit in 2021. The Irish will hope to utilize their experienced kicking game to put up some extra points and pin opponents, while simultaneously creating some electric plays for themselves with their athletes. Let’s take a look at what Irish fans can expect from the special teams’ unit in 2021.

Kicking Game Graduate student Jonathan Doerer returns for his third season as Notre Dame’s primary kicker. He’s perfect on PATs in the previous two seasons, going 54 for 54 in 2019 and 48 for 48 in 2020. His 5 for 6 performance on extra points against Navy in 2018 is the only PAT blemish on his record. This was also his only appearance during the season. However, the biggest question when it comes to Doerer is his field goals, where he seemingly took a step back in 2020.

After connecting on 13 of 16 attempts in 2019, the veteran had just 15 makes on 23 efforts this past season, and he ended on a pretty tough cold streak.

After going 11-14 to start the season, punctuated with a clutch 4-5 effort against No. 1 Clemson in November, Doerer finished the season going just 4-9, including a chip-shot miss against the Tigers in the ACC Championship, along with a key miss in the Irish’s Rose Bowl defeat against Alabama at the end of the first half.

Doerer was 11-14 on field goals under forty yards, and 4-9 from beyond that distance, making him a questionable option for the Irish offense if they are outside the red zone. The Irish need some more consistency from Doerer in 2021 as an offense full of new faces in the passing game works out the kinks.

For punting, the Irish will turn to junior Jay Bramblett for the third straight season, who has been simply fantastic in his first two campaigns with the Irish. With a seasonlong of 59 yards last season, Bramblett averaged 42.8 yards per kick, demonstrating impressive consistency throughout his sophomore campaign.

A consistent holder with an absolute cannon for a leg,

Bramblett will be a staple to Notre Dame’s special teams’ success in 2021.

The Return Game The Irish didn’t mess around with kickoff returns too frequently, although part of that has to do with their opponents’ unwillingness to kick to thenfreshman speedster Chris Tyree. Tyree averaged 20.7 yards on just 22 returns, and he figures to be the primary kick returner once more. The Irish would love to see some of that electric speed in the open field in the return game, although the priority is keeping their sophomore healthy to contribute to the offense as well.

In the punt return game, Lawrence Keys has been featured as the main guy before, and he could certainly field a few in 2021, but it was Matt Salerno who took over last season with ten punt returns for the Irish. During the spring game, both Salerno and Keys fielded punts, as did speedy freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Styles, who could make his biggest impact in special teams during his debut season.

Rather than prioritize their return game (3.5 yards per return), the Irish often opted to bring a lot of pressure on opposing punters. That effort resulted in a pair of punt-block touchdowns. Look for disruptive presences like junior Isaiah Foskey or sophomore Jordan Botelho to be a factor in that area as well.

Special Teams Grade Aidan Thomas - Sports Writer It’s hard not to like a lot of the tools that the Irish have at their disposal on special teams. Between Tyree on kick returns and some combination of Salerno, Keys, and Styles on punt returns, the Irish have plenty of elite and dynamic athleticism to make some plays. Botelho and Foskey and the rest of the line showed their ability to get to the punter. They’ll continue to block kicks in 2020.

Bramblett is about as consistent as you want as a punter, and he’s got a big leg with the chance to improve, so I think the Irish will frequently win the field position battle. Doerer is the biggest question mark. At the very least though, he’s consistent on the extra points, and hopefully, he’s more in 2019 form when it comes to field goals. He’s not much of a threat from long distance, which detracts from the overall position grade. Still, though, this is a strong group for the Irish.

Grade: A-

13

Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer

Though it may not feel like it, this weekend, we officially crossed into May, which means the NBA Regular Season is almost over. The season officially ends on May 16th, and as the season comes to an end, I’d like to revisit the NBA one last time and predict where every team is going to finish.

The West The Favorites: Utah Jazz (52-20) In my All-Star Column, I said the Jazz could quickly close out the No. 1 Seed, but they have since then dropped off a tad bit. My model still has the Jazz at No. 1, but it is by about .333 of a game.

Phoenix Suns (52-20) I can’t express how proud I am of this, but since day one of the season, I have had the Suns as a playoff team. But “a playoff team” is a disservice.

They are one of the best teams in the West and (by my estimation) will finish second.

LA Clippers 49-23 After last season, I don’t know how confident I am in the Clippers in the playoffs, but they have proven themselves to be a threat and sit at third in my model.

The Contenders: Denver Nuggets 46-26 The Nuggets are playing excellent basketball, led by MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. But Jamal Murray recently tore his ACL, which to me ends the season for Denver. They still finish in fourth, but they likely won’t get out of the first round.

Dallas Mavericks 40-32 The Mavericks were just two games over .500 at the All-Star break, but they should be able to end the season eight over .500. That should be enough for them to stay out of the play-in round.

I think they finish seventh, but should advance out of the play-in.

have the fifth best defense in the league.

Memphis Grizzlies 38-34

Atlanta Hawks 39-33

Grizzlies fans should be optimistic about their future this season and beyond. Right now, they should finish a game or two behind the Trailblazers but solidly ahead of Golden State.

At the time, the firing of Lloyd Pierce seemed questionable.

However, Nate McMillan has since gone 20-10 and has the Hawks looking at a home playoff series, something unimaginable when they were sub .500 with Pierce.

Golden 36-36

State

Warriors

I think that the Warriors can finish at .500, but I don’t think it matters that much. The next Warriors run begins next season, assuming Klay Thompson comes back healthy.

The Spurs will finish just under .500, but I don’t expect them to advance beyond the play-in.

This isn’t where I saw the Heat finishing, battling to sneak by the play in games. I had thought they would be a fourth or fifthth seed based on how they showed up in the playoffs last year. Much like the Celtics, I think the short offseason has hamstrung them in a way it simply didn’t hamstring other teams.

The East

Boston Celtics 38-34

San Antonio Spurs 35-37

The Favorites: Brooklyn Nets 49-23 The Nets are legitimately impossible to get a fix on. I simply have no idea how Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden will mesh considering they have spent only 186 minutes on the court together. Assuming they all stay healthy, they should be able to make a deep run in the East.

Philadelphia 76ers 49-23 Until Joel Embiid had missed 14 games post-All-star Break, he had been my pick to be the MVP. While he has missed a lot of games in the regular season, the 76ers have been able to stay afloat and should finish in second, where they have a legitimate shot to make it to the conference finals.

Milwaukee Bucks 45-27 The Bucks are not the dominant Bucks of the past, winning 56 and 60 games, respectively, but make no mistake: they will still be a problem. This year they are working more on switching and defensive scheming instead of playing how much can we beat a team by tonight basketball. It will lead to a worse record, but a team that is better prepared for the playoffs.

The Contenders: LA Lakers 40-32 The Lakers have been missing AD and Lebron for a good chunk of the season, resulting in the Lakers falling drastically in the standings. I think they are going to finish in fifth and likely play Denver.

The Hopefuls: Portland Trailblazers 39-33 I had pegged theTrailblazers as a team that would fall off in the second half of the season, and they did not disappoint.

Miami Heat 38-34

The East Contenders are incredibly challenging to sort through. The Knicks are currently 35-28, the Hawks and Celtics are 34-30, and the Heat aren’t far behind at 33-30. In other words, it is going to be a photo finish, and these teams could be battling on the last day of the season to avoid play-in games.

New York Knicks 40-32 The Knicks have made a complete turnaround from last season, primarily due to their well-coached defense; they

The Celtics, to me at least, are genuinely a head-scratcher. They went 48-24 last season, battled it out to the Eastern Conference Finals, and have since been mediocre. I expected a lot more from this squad at the start of the season and have been soundly disappointed. To be fair to the team, they made a late playoff run, so I think it could be in part due to fatigue. I think they should sneak past the play-in, but they will likely need some help from Miami

The Hopefuls: Charlotte Hornets 34-38 While I may have the Hornets sitting around the 8th seed (the Wizards and Pacers are less than a game behind in my model), I think this team is better than that. The loss of future rookie of the year Lamelo Ball has, of course, hurt the team, and while they played okay without him, having him back soon ought to make the squad that much better.

And an annoying first round out for whoever they face.

Washington Wizards 34-38 The Wizards are on the up and up right now and could be a tough out for the Hornets. While I do like the pairing of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, it won’t win them a playoff series; it might be enough for them to beat the Hornets.

Indiana Pacers 33-39 In a season in which the Pacers correctly traded away Oladipo to get assets, it has been challenging.

I think they should make the playin games, but I think they come up against the Heat and lose.

Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

14

Sports

The observer | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Adams Continued from page 16

a wash.

Again, ALL of Notre Dame’s success boils dow n to recruiting. Full stop. Period.

End of discussion. Brian Kelly has said as much. And the fact of the matter is that Notre Dame’s recruiting efforts the last few years have led to a roster that simply isn’t good enough to win a national championship, so we need to give it a few years until the lack of potential currently on the roster ships out and makes room for some real talent.

I don’t really know what to say if this weekend’s BlueGold game wasn’t enough to convince you that this program is a long way away from remotely challenging college football’s elite. I really am sorry you naïve fools, but player development just doesn’t matter. Look, I don’t make the rules, I just report on them.

If the player doesn’t have five stars next to their name, then they can’t help you win a national championship — OK, the occasional four-star is passable, but you better not be taking more than a couple in any class; then there won’t be enough room for the five-stars.

Even if Notre Dame goes undefeated in 2021 — and when I say “undefeated,” I mean in the regular season, obviously — they’re going to get their clock cleaned by whoever they

Lacrosse Continued from page 16

Kavanagh.

With the Irish already up by 10 w ith just under eight minutes to go, senior midfielder Morrison Mirer dumped the ball off inside to the Rockv ille Centre, New York native, who jumped w ith his back to goal and took a huge hit while shooting between his legs to give the Irish a 17-6 lead.

The 14-goal margin of v ictor y was Notre Dame’s largest in its series histor y versus Sy racuse and in any conference game since the Irish joined the ACC in 2014.

Saturday was Notre

have the misfortune of facing in the CFP. The same goes for 2024 when the best opponent on the schedule is those scrubs at Texas A&M. (Sorry not sorry about the CFP last season, Aggies).

Even if by some miracle the Irish managed to beat BOTH the Tigers and the Buckeyes in 2022 or 2023, pure probability and opposing coaching adjustments will prevent the Irish from beating either of them a second time in the CFP — which they’re going to have to do because, you know, you have to win a whopping TWO games in the Playoff in order to win the national championship. (That is, at least for the time being; expansion is coming down the tracks, people).

Notre Dame’s latest batch of recruits — a class that reached No. 9 nationally thanks in large part to an enormous haul of 27 players — just isn’t good enough. It’s top-5 classes or bust. That paltry ninth-place effort is going to weigh down the rare superstar (re: Michael Mayer, Kyle Hamilton) the staff actually manages to lure to South Bend.

Now, you may be saying: “Hayden, your logic is absolutely flawless. But what about the 2022 class? It’s No. 4 in the nation and chock full of four-stars. What if that type of recruiting effort holds and then the staff keeps it up for the next few years? By ’25 and ’26, the ’22 recruits will be fourth- and fifth-year players.

Dame’s third w in against a top-10 opponent this year. In early April, the Irish handily defeated the Orange, who were then ranked ninth at the time as well, at the Carrier Dome before beating thenNo. 1 Duke at home a week later.

The Irish now await their seeding in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which w ill be announced during the selection show Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPNU. The first round w ill be played over the follow ing weekend.

According to US Lacrosse Magazine, Notre Dame is scheduled to ser ve as one of four predetermined host sites for the first round.

Write Sports.

Email Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

Certainly then the program could start really competing for national championships?”

Well, I hate to break it to you, but the 2022 class isn’t staying in the top five. Look at what I said five paragraphs ago. There are TOO MANY four-stars in the class taking up spots that should go to five-stars. And don’t even get me started on the three-star commits contaminating the whole of the recruiting pool.

(And if those players are still at Notre Dame after four or five years, do you really think they’re good enough to win a national championship with?

Three-year stars or bust, baby).

So, with all that said, I think it would be fun to look at the elite recruits Notre Dame can sign in order to bridge the gap with college football’s big boys … in 2025. That’s right, I found websites that actually hype up literal eighth-grade football prospects. And yes, I’m skipping over the next three classes because this is funnier.

If my math is correct, the 2025 recruiting class — the latest that I could actually find material on — is currently comprised of rising ninth graders. Sure, the more ‘mainstream’ recruiting outlets might not do it, but isn’t it about time to ‘drain the swamp’ of the tired old sites like 247Sports and Rivals and get with the kind of people who will resort to ranking eight-graders? If you agree,

look no further than the folks over at Scouttrout.com.

Any legitimate recruiting class is built around an elite quarterback. Sure, none of these players have actual rankings, but you can only expect so much of Scout Trout.

So, looking at QB prospects, I think the Irish need to pick between Grady Adamson of Deer Creek HS (Okla.) and Sawyer Anderson of Highland Park Scots (Texas). I’d lean toward Adamson for the physical advantages he has over Anderson (5-foot-11 to 5-foot9, 155 to 140 pounds). Plus, Adamson plays both ways as a quarterback and outside linebacker. You gotta love that versatility.

Sure, Blake Carter out of Bowie One (Md.) may be more advanced physically than the other two at 6-foot-2’ and 209 pounds, but he’s only got a 3.5 GPA compared to the other two having 4.0s. Notre Dame may have a new head coach (Urban Meyer, anyone?) with looser academic standards (a.k.a. “traits”) by 2025, but we need to make sure these kids will be able to start as freshmen regardless of their Notre Dame course load.

(No, it’s not emasculating that Carter is in eight grade and already three inches taller than me, a 22-year-old college senior…)

After that, go down and pluck athlete Luke Thompson out of Sanger Middle School (TX). The kid has physical tools like Adamson at 5-foot-11, 155 Paid Advertisement

pounds. Texas knows how to breed football talent, and this is just as much about pilfering the state and setting up recruiting pipelines for the future as it is acquiring immediate talent.

Next, the pass rush is absolutely vital. You gotta get defensive end Orlando Barnes from Texarkana Middle School (TX). The kid is already built like a hoss at 5-foot-10 and 193 pounds. He’s got a 4.8 40-yard dash time and can do TWO whole reps on a 225-pound bench press. Are you kidding me? Lock him up right now before a Big 12 team realizes how important defense is.

The website doesn’t list any other prospects at the moment, and honestly, I’d be too lazy anyway to come up with crap to say about any others.

But I think I’ve gotten the point across that the Notre Dame recruiting operation has gotta pick up the slack and really start grinding.

Just pray that Marcus Freeman rubs off on the rest of the coaching staff, even just a little bit. Seriously, I’m begging here. The tiniest smidge would help so much.

(Disclaimer: However much of this piece was satirical and however much was 100% dead serious is in the eye of the beholder. Hope you enjoyed!)

Contact Hayden Adams at hadams3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

sports

Roundtable Continued from page 16

snaps, ma rched dow n t he f ield leading t wo successf u l touchdow n drives. Now, does t hat mea n he steps up f irst t his season? Probably not.

He has a lot of clea ning up to do in order to get himself back in per fect form (see : st rip-sack). But I genuinely don’t believe t hat his sta r t ing aga inst Florida State is 100 % of f t he table.

If t hey do decide aga inst it t hough, it w i l l be a t ight decision bet ween Coa n a nd P y ne. They bot h had high lights t his weekend t hat were a lmost complimenta r y.

Coa n had a couple of big plays which ca n be honed t his summer to t ra nslate into t he end zone but P y ne was able to ma ke it dow n t he f ield more sw if t ly. He just cou ldn’t connect on a couple of t he longer t hrows.

Ult imately, Coa n’s gap is easier to t ra nsit ion a nd he has t he most ex perience on t he f ield.

Jimmy: A lso tentat ively: Tyler Buchner, Jack Coa n, Drew P y ne.

Sure, Coa n might be t he obv ious sta r ter g iven his ex perience over his tea mmates but he was outclassed on Saturday.

Buchner put on a show a nd Coa n was, well, underwhelming to say t he least.

It was to be ex pected t hat t he of fense wou ld be slower to get wa rmed t ha n t he a lready wel l-established defense but dea ling w it h whispers of QB cont roversy before t he spring ga me obv iously cha nged t he dy na mic of t hings.

Buchner was t he on ly player on t he f ield t hat rea l ly accomplished or produced points or a ny t hing on t he of fensive end a l l ga me. Stats w ill be skewed in his favor t ha n ks to his limited play ing t ime w it hout a red jersey but Buchner was t he most dyna mic qua r terback on Saturday.

W hen Irish fa ns were debat ing whet her to sta r t Ia n Book over Bra ndon Wimbush t he a rg ument brought up a lmost ever y t ime was product ion. I w i l l be shocked if t hese t hree players a ren’t splitt ing minutes ea rly on in t he season, w it h Buchner a nd Coa n gett ing a sig nif ica nt chun k of t hose minutes.

As it sta nds now t hough, I t hin k you go w it h t he g uy who has t he most to offer to you a nd t hat is Tyler Buchner.

A ida n: I’m going to st ick w it h Jack Coa n at #1, but I do believe t hat Buchner leapf rogged P y ne in my eyes.

ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, may 5, 2021 | The Observer

I’ve never been sold on P y ne, a nd I t hin k his sk ill set is simila r to Coa n’s but less developed, whereas Buchner brings a n elect ric touch to t he of fense t hat simply wasn’t present when P y ne was direct ing Blue on Saturday.

Coa n is t he more seasoned qua r terback, a nd he showed a g reat connect ion w it h Aver y Dav is, which w ill be impor ta nt come fa ll.

So g ive me Coa n as t he sta r ter, w it h Buchner a n opt ion if t hings a ren’t going well, as well as for t he f reshma n to f ind some niche role, be it as a w ildcat qua r terback, or some ot her niche role t hat he ca n ca r ve out for himself. I don’t foresee P y ne play ing releva nt minutes in t he fa ll a f ter a n 11-23 per forma nce in t he spring ga me t hat cemented him, in my mind, as t he t hird-best QB on t he roster.

Emily: Jack Coa n, Drew P y ne, Tyler Buchner.

Especia lly a f ter facilitat ing t he on ly t wo touchdow ns of t he day, I t hin k Buchner had a g reat ga me.

However, t hough I was impressed, I t hin k he st ill needs some t ime to adjust, not on ly to play ing footba ll in genera l aga in, but footba ll at t he level t hat he is ex pected to play in college before he ta kes t he QB1 spot.

I was most excited to see P y ne on t he f ield Saturday; he is t he on ly one w it h a ny ex perience w it h t he Irish of fense in reg u la r ga mes, his work et hic a lone made him a st rong contender in my mind.

I t hin k he made some solid plays, but t he ex perience of Coa n puts him at t he f ront of t he pack.

Coa n by no mea ns had a per fect ga me, a nd was def initely not where I ex pected him to be prog ression-w ise, but I t hin k his ex perience w ill come in ha ndy in leading a tea m w it h quite a bit of turnover.

Nate : Jack Coa n, Tyler Buchner, Drew P y ne.

I was high on Coa n a head of t he Blue-Gold ga me, a nd while he did ma ke some big passes in t he Spring ga me, it is clea r t hat Coa n w ill need to improve some aspects of his ga me going for wa rd.

Coa n is a proven w inner a nd shou ld get t he cha nce to be t he sta r t ing qua r terback ga me one for t he Irish, but Buchner looked g reat in t he Spring ga me too a nd showed t hat he ca n live up to t he high ba r set for him.

P y ne a lso showed plent y of potent ia l a nd cou ld f ind himself as t he sta r ter if he cont inues to

prog ress.

Which player or position group impressed you the most in the spring game?

Who underwhelmed?

Ma nnion: As t he t ight end I didn’t ex pect much playing t ime f rom, much less a couple g reat plays, Mitchell Eva ns rea lly stood out to me. He had 3 recept ions for 59 yea rs including one where he had t wo g uys go to tack le him a nd cha rged for wa rd for a couple more ya rds before fa lling for wa rd a nd adding a few more. That was impressive.

On t he f lip side, t he Gold seconda r y lef t somet hing to be desired. Len z y a nd Keys were more t ha n capable of gett ing open a ll day ... a lmost too open. That ca n st reng t hen t hough w it h a sured-up sa fet y but I didn’t ex pect t hem to feel t hat messy.

Jimmy: I’ll go w it h t he defensive line. Watching a ny footba ll was f un but seeing a defensive line swa rming t he ba ll t he way bot h units did over t he weekend is rea lly excit ing. Seeing a prett y solid r un ga me be held in check a ll day was a lso inspiring f rom a defensive perspect ive.

Jack Coa n was prett y under whelming, over t hrows, hospita l passes, ugly scra mbles ; we saw it a ll f rom Coa n a nd a lmost none of it besides his f irst pass was posit ive. Assuming t his is going to be Not re Da me’s sta r t ing qua r terback come spring, t here is a long way to go st ill for t his g roup.

A ida n: I have to go w it h t he linebacker room. They were simply dy na mic t hroughout t he ga me for bot h tea ms, as Shay ne Simon recorded a n intercept ion, Ma rist Liufau had a sack a nd t wo tack les for loss, Jack K iser had eight tackles a nd Bo Bauer chipped in w it h t hree tack les a nd a TFL .

Wit hout t he leader of t heir unit, Drew W hite, play ing, I t hought t he linebackers showcased t heir dept h a nd why t hey may have one of t he best units in t he count r y t his fa ll, even hav ing lost Jeremia h Ow usu-Kora moa h to t he NFL Dra f t.

As for disappoint ing, I’m going to specif y t he cornerbacks. I cou ld have gone offensive line, as t hey looked sha k y, but t hat was a lso a resu lt of t he unit being split up into t wo tea ms, a nd a not iceable lack of chemist r y.

But while t he sa fet ies played prett y well, led by Houston Grif f it h, t he cornerbacks seemed to let Len z y, Keys a nd Dav is get open a fa ir a mount.

St rong sa fet y play ca n on ly help you so much, a nd pa r t icu la rly concerning was t he a mount of deep complet ions in t his

ga me.

Cornerback was a posit ion I was g reat ly worried about a lready, a nd t he Irish did litt le to lessen my doubts in t heir Saturday per forma nce.

Emily: Chris Ty ree was a sta nd out for me. “The Jet” was cer ta in ly f ly ing a round t he f ield, a nd I simply enjoyed watching him play.

I t hought he had a st rong ga me a l l a round. The offensive line was a bit of a let dow n.

W hile I k now t here is a lot of uncer ta int y w it h t hose posit ions, I t hought t he players wou ld be adjusted enough to be comfor table in whatever posit ion t hey were placed. However, bot h Blue a nd Gold were able to get to t he qua r terbacks too easi ly at t imes.

Nate : It has to be Tyler Buchner who impressed me t he most. Despite not playing high school footba l l last yea r because of t he pa ndemic, Buchner stepped up a nd was able to per form at a high level.

Buchner’s drive to sta r t t he second ha lf displayed his play ma k ing abi lit y a nd showed t hat he has to be considered for sta r t ing qua r terback t his yea r.

I was under whelmed by t he play of t he of fensive line. Bot h tea ms were able to get pressure on t he qua rterback t hroughout t he ga me a nd r unning t he footba ll was dif f icu lt for bot h tea ms as wel l.

Lawrence Keys, Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy all had 80+ receiving yards in the spring game — what did you like from them, and what’s another receiver you want in the rotation in the fall?

Mannion: I’ll be honest, after a couple of missteps bet ween him and Book towards the end of last year, I was ner vous about Dav is but he, Keys and Lenzy stepped up for the spring game.

The exceptional show they put on was only compounded by the tight end core. The first t wo behind the trio in yardage on both teams were Takacs and Evans so I’m excited to see what those 5 can do especially w ith Michael Mayer back on the field and Joe Wilkins Jr. in the rotation.

Jimmy: Watching Braden Lenzy work the football dow nfield is always exciting.

Aver y Dav is also poses a threat whenever he is on the field. As for another receiver that I’d like to see a little more out of: Matt Salerno w ill be my pick. The guy is reminiscent of Chris Finke and w ill hopefully be just as dangerous.

Aidan: Dav is, Keys and Lenzy were fantastic all

15

day, and I particularly liked Dav is’s connection w ith Jack Coan. Keys looked far more dependable than he has, and Lenzy f lashed his abilit y to both burn corners deep and get open on intermediate routes, developing into an all-around receiver that could make him absolutely deadly w ith his speed after the catch.

As for a fourth receiver, Wilkins didn’t impress me on Saturday, and the coaching staff hasn’t necessarily sounded wowed by the veteran during spring.

I’d love to say Jordan Johnson or Xav ier Watts, but again, the young top recruits were barely featured in the spring game, w ith just one target for each of them.

So instead, I’ll ride w ith Matt Salerno, who w ill likely be returning punts this fall and notched a pair of catches for 25 yards for the Gold Team.

Salerno is shift y in the slot and looked like a dependable target in the red zone.

We’ve seen his speed on special teams, and I’d love to see him develop into a solid receiver behind that top trio.

Emily: Seeing Braden Lenzy back on the field looking healthy was encouraging. I think he proved himself to be a go-to receiver and diminished any doubt of his inabilit y to play at the level he used to.

Law rence Keys also had a great game, leading all of the receivers in yardage.

I was not expecting him to have as prominent of a show ing that he did, and it was a welcome surprise. Joe Wilkins was another receiver I thought should be considered.

W hile Dav is and Lenzy w ill take up most of the play ing time, it would be nice to see Wilkins get some action.

Nate: Going into the Spring game, I expected that Lenzy and Davis would be two of the primary receivers, and Saturday’s game showed me that Keys will likely be a top three receiver as well.

It was reassuring for me to see Lenzy look healthy and fast as ever on Saturday as well, as his injury proved very costly to the Irish last year. I hope to see Joe Wilkins in the picture going forward as well.

He had a pair of catches on Saturday and nearly had a touchdown reception too, so I expect him to be involved in the offense next season.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu, Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu, Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu, Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu and Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

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The observer | Wednesday, may 5 , 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND MEN’S LACROSSE

No. 4 Irish thump No. 9 Syracuse on senior day Observer Staff Report

On senior day, it was an underclassman who stole the show.

Sophomore attack Pat Kavanagh became the first Notre Dame player in program histor y to record ten points in a single game — five goals and five assists — as the No. 4 Irish (7-3, 3-3 ACC) romped to a 22-8 v ictor y over No. 9 Sy racuse (6-5, 2-4 ACC) in their regularseason finale Saturday afternoon at Arlotta Stadium.

With his five assists Saturday, Kavanagh broke the Irish single-season assist record prev iously set by his brother Matt, who in 2014 recorded 33 assists in 18 games.

Kavanagh has made 36 assists in 10 games so far in 2021.

Liam Entenmann, fellow sophomore and product of New York’s Chaminade High School, made 11 saves on 17 shots faced before giv ing way to senior goalie Matt

Schmidt.

Other standout performers included junior attack Griffin Westlin and junior midfielder Quinn McCahon, who both scored hat tricks and added a pair of assists.

Senior midfielder W heaton Jackoboice was fourth on the team in points on the day, prov iding two goals and a pair of assists to help pace the Irish.

Entenmann made several key stops in a tight first quarter that ended tied at 3-3.

Notre Dame, however, broke the game open w ith both a 4-0 and 6-0 run in the second quarter to give the Irish a 13-6 lead at halftime.

After Sy racuse scored w ith three seconds to go in the first half, the Orange would be held scoreless for over 26 minutes.

The Irish accounted for all six goals scored in the third quarter, which included an acrobatic effort from see LACROSSE PAGE 14

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish midfielder Wheaton Jackoboice cradles the ball as he prepares to shoot during Notre Dame’s 13-8 home win over Duke at Arlotta Stadium. Jackoboice had three goals on the day as one of the seven scorers.

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

Roundtable reactions: 2021 Blue-Gold game

By MANNION McGINLEY, JIMMY WARD, EMILY DeFAZIO, AIDAN THOMAS, NATE MOLLER

Hayden Adams Senior Sports Writer

Sports Editor, Associate Sports Editors, Sports Writers

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online May 3.

The Obser ver’s football beat broke dow n the BlueGold game around three main takeways from the game.

After the spring, give me your ideal Notre Dame quarterback depth chart.

Ma nnion: Tentat ively Tyler Buchner, Jack Coa n, Drew P y ne.

I ca nnot ha nd le a not her yea r of Not re Da me footba l l ma k ing plays a nd not scoring.

The on ly person who broke t hat pattern today was Buchner, who, in his few see ROUNDTABLE PAGE 15

Irish should let next four go

Courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish sophomore Chris Tyree takes off with the ball during the 2021 Blue-Gold game on Saturday. Tyree had 10 carries for 43 yards.

Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online May 3.

Recruiting.

It’s the lifeblood of every legitimately successful college football program.

Not to sound too much like Voldemort and his death eaters hyping up college football’s purebloods (i.e. recruiting dynasties), but don’t get me started on the halfbloods (i.e. developmental programs) or the mudbloods (i.e. USC and Michigan).

If there’s anything we know about where Notre Dame football stands at this moment, it’s the following: The program needs more explosive playmakers on the outside. The head coach said as much after two embarrassing College Football Playoff appearances. It’s about getting more dynamic skill

position players in recruiting (while apparently settling for three-star recruits and graduate transfers at quarterback).

And, since all of Notre Dame’s success boils down to recruiting, I’m going to go ahead and forego their next four football seasons.

That’s right, forget about it. Don’t even bother looking at the schedules from 2021 through 2024. Throw ’em in the trash. It’s completely pointless.

Pretty much everyone — myself included — has looked at the upcoming season as one where you forget about the record and just worry about developing young talent for the 2022 and 2023 campaigns when you have to face BOTH Clemson and Ohio State BOTH years. But I’m HERE™ to tell you that you’re better off treating 2022, 2023 and 2024 like ever y sane Notre Dame fan is treating 2021: as see ADAMS PAGE 14