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Volume 55, Issue 64 | WEDNESDAY, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Stanford wins Hall of the Year Flaherty wins Women’s Hall of the Year, Knott wins Men’s Hall of the Year By TRINITY REILLY News Writer
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic placing restrictions on residence hall life, three dorms stood above the rest in the 20202021 Hall Presidents Council (HPC) Hall of the Year contest. Stanford Hall won Hall of the Year, Knott Hall won Men’s Hall of the Year and Flaherty Hall won Women’s Hall of the year. Junior and former Stanford Hall president Allan Njomo said he originally ran for the Stanford presidency after a racial slur was used against a female visitor to the dorm in the fall of 2019. He said although it was a hard decision, junior Michael Babikian — who would become his vice see HALL PAGE 4
IDEA Week returns By LAUREN KESIC News Writer
Courtesy of Allan Njomo
Former Stanford Hall senior event coordinator Marty Kennedy (left), former Stanford Hall president Allan Njomo (center) and former Stanford Hall vice president Michael Babikian, all current juniors.
IDEA Week, an annual event hosted by the IDEA Center that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation at the University, will take place Wednesday through Friday. In previous years, the event consisted of all in-person events. This year, although some events will be in-person, everything will be live-streamed and online. IDEA Week is broken up into four types of events: learn, meet, play and compete. Because of the pandemic, the IDEA Center see IDEA PAGE 4
Conboy rebukes sexual violence DIANE PARK | The Observer
AnTostal — fun festivities and springtime scandals By MAGGIE CLARK, SPENCER KELLY and EVAN McKENNA From the Archives Researchers
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 26. AnTostal is an annual festival sponsored by Notre Dame to celebrate spring — rightfully so. As temperatures rise on campus and the South Bend permacloud subsides, making room for blue skies and bearable temperatures, the energy shift on campus is palpable. Students flock to the quads, music blasts from unknown dorm windows and everything just feels good. However, amid this glorious time, students are also beholden
NEWS PAGE 3
to the final grind before the semester ends. Students also must begin to think about saying goodbye — a complicated notion, leaving the place and people that have become home in order to return to one’s actual home. This bittersweet season of beginnings and endings is worth celebrating in its entirety, and that is what AnTostal aims to do. The celebration includes a slew of events and contests, and over time it has become a timehonored Notre Dame tradition. The evolution of AnTostal is significant — what began as a wild, rambunctious event in the late twentieth century is now more of a mental health check-in with students. This week, the From the Archives team examined the
Viewpoint PAGE 7
storied history of the festival — from chariot races and blazing bonfires to springtime scandals. AnTostal’s origins
unpredictable
Feb. 25, 1969 | April 22, 1971 | Jim Brogan This year’s AnTostal featured wholesome activities like “Wellness Wednesday Morning Yoga,” karaoke and a movie screening at Notre Dame Stadium. However, the event has not always looked like this — Observer articles from February 1969 and April 1971 note the wild activities of earlier AnTostal celebrations. see ARCHIVES PAGE 5
scene PAGE 10
Observer Staff Report
In an email Monday to Saint Mary’s students and faculty, College President Katie Conboy addressed the ending of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and how the College plans to move forward regarding issues of sexual violence. To begin, Conboy said she
was shocked “by the behaviors and language” described in The Observer’s April 12 article examining the culture of Zahm House — particularly by the section detailing derogatory sexual comments about Saint Mary’s students made by some Zahm residents in a series of widespread emails. see CONBOY PAGE 5
ND professor tracks poverty By GABRIELLE PENNA News Writer
Poverty rose to 11.7% in March, marking a record high for poverty rates in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, according to research conducted by the University of Chicago and Notre Dame. As the pandemic continues to reshape the workforce, individuals face financial
ND W Lacrosse PAGE 16
strain like never before. Currently, there are nearly 10 million people who are officially unemployed. Without additional aid packages, many will continue to suffer from the economic impacts of COVID-19, James Sullivan, professor of economics at Notre Dame, said. In 2012, Sullivan co-founded see POVERTY PAGE 3
Track and field PAGE 16
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TODAY
The observer | WEDNESday, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
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Who is your go-to artist or band that you always recommend to people?
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Sabrina Bale
Charles Aargon
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first-year Basil Hall
“Flipturn and Glass Animals.”
“The Beach Boys.”
Carmela Kataldo
Helen Rothfus
first-year North Hall
first-year North Hall
“Saint Motel.”
“Vampire Weekend.”
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first-year Johnson Family Hall
“Ed Sheeran.”
“Zac Brown Band.”
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An art project sits on a lawn to raise awareness about sustainability. The tri-campus celebrated Earth Week last week, and the EcoBelles and GreeND hosted a variety of events in honor of Earth Day to inform students about environmental causes.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
“Say My Name” virtual 5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Featuring guest speaker Roberta Washington.
Upgrade your PostPandemic Trip virtual noon - 12:45 p.m. Come learn about “active traveling.”
Lecture: “Beyond Policing” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. With guest speaker DeRay Mckesson.
Irish Fest Library Lawn and athletic venues 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Bring student ID for athletic events.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon All are welcome to attend.
Vocal Coaching Master Class virtual 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Hosted by renowned pianist Martin Katz.
Film Screening virtual 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Watch “Lifeboat” with director Skye Fitzgerald.
Workshop: “Inclusive Language Pedagogy” virtual 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Lecture given by Karolina Sarafin.
Hawaii Club Spring Luau Stepan Center 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Enjoy shows, activities and food.
La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, april 28, 2021 | The Observer
Poverty Continued from page 1
the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities with fellow Notre Dame economics professor William Evans. The joint research center works to identify effective and replicable solutions to reduce poverty in America. Official poverty estimates typically come out once a year in September for the previous calendar year. Knowing policymakers would need the data sooner than that in order to effectively respond, Sullivan and Evans constructed a dashboard that measures poverty in the U.S. regularly. To calculate near-real-time estimates of poverty, Sullivan utilizes data from the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS). CPS is a nationally representative survey of about 60,000 households each month. It includes a question about family income asked to a quarter of the sample, which provides the data necessary to estimate poverty.
“We are disseminating our results every month through the dashboard and making policymakers and policy advocates aware of these results so that they can inform policy decisions,” Sullivan said. In addition to having constant online access, those on the frontlines of COVID-19 policymaking receive the data in a monthly report. With the data, policymakers have been able to craft relief packages for the American people. As outlined in the “Real-time Poverty Estimates through March 2021” report, the government has responded to the rising employment rates shown in Sullivan’s data by passing COVID-19 relief bills. At the beginning of the pandemic, the federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which included a one-time stimulus payment to households and expanded unemployment insurance benefits. Sullivan attested to the positive impact this had on
poverty, even amid rising unemployment rates. “In May of 2020, even though there was a sharp decline in earnings, poverty fell because of the benefits of the CARES Act, both in terms of the stimulus payments and additional unemployment insurance benefits,” Sullivan said. W hen the unemployment insurance benefits expired in June, Sullivan said poverty began to rise again and continued to do so through November. In response to growing poverty rates, the federal government issued another relief package in December, which offered smaller stimulus payments and partially extended some other benefits. Similarly to the May relief package, the December package only offered temporary relief, Sullivan said. Poverty estimates for January and February showed a declining poverty rate. Contrary to this, March data showed a rise in poverty by 0.5%. The latest relief package — the American Rescue Plan
— was passed in March. It includes more generous stimulus payments of up to $1,400 per person, extends the $300 Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments to September and provides a significant increase in child tax credit. The impact this has had on rising poverty rates will be released at the end of the month. Sullivan noted that although these relief plans only temporarily lessen the economic strain many face because of the pandemic, they are necessary for solving poverty. “They provide much-needed temporary relief,” he said. “W hen the government issued new benefits to address the pandemic, we saw poverty fall.” He believes individual aid, in addition to assisting small businesses and incentivizing work, will help people adjust to the changes happening in the workforce. “The lingering effects of the pandemic will make life challenging, seeing that many of the jobs that were eliminated by the pandemic
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were low-skilled worker jobs,” Sullivan said. W hen the economy expands, Sullivan said, he sees new jobs surfacing. With relief packages, he said he believes people who are far from the labor market can focus on developing the new skills necessary for the work available rather than worrying about immediate payments. Sullivan noted that for the economy to respond, the pandemic must be dealt with. “First and foremost, we need to address the concern about the lingering pandemic because that’s the main barrier for preventing the economy from bouncing back,” Sullivan said. Sullivan said he believes the Rescue Act serves that purpose. Drawing on data patterns, he said he feels optimistic about the future. “It’s very likely America will see a decline in poverty over the next several months as the impact of the Rescue Act is felt on household budgets,” he added. Contact Gabrielle Penna at gpenna@nd.edu
Course engages local, global organizations By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer
Four years ago, teaching professor of Spanish Elena Mangione-Lora created the course “Introduction to Translation and
Interpretation” with the goal of making a realworld impact on the local community and teaching students through the experience. The course is offered in the spring semester and focuses on translation
theor y, ethics, procedures and techniques while working with two partner organizations. Since the course began four years ago, students have worked with Holy Cross School, a local Catholic elementar y school, on various projects. This year, Mangione-Lora added a second partner organization in Chile called La Fundación PAR, which helps people with mental disabilities socially integrate. For the first project, students translate the Holy Cross School’s preschool curriculum from Spanish to English. Clare Roach — coordinator of the Spanish Two-Way Immersion program at Holy Cross School and coordinator of the English as a New Language program through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) at Notre Dame — said Holy Cross School’s curriculum is being shared with 10 grade schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago that are tr ying to integrate Spanish language instruction into their early childhood programs. The curriculum needs to be translated for the Chicago schools’ principals and administrators who do not speak Spanish. In addition to translating the curriculum, Notre Dame students also completed the art projects embedded in the thematic units, Roach said. “So they didn’t just translate the curriculum — they
made it better,” Roach said. Spanish-speaking preschoolers who learn the literar y foundations of their native language have an easier time with English acquisition and make connections with their cultural and linguistic heritage, according to Roach. Mangione-Lora said she and her students ver y ambitiously took on an additional project, which involves interacting virtually with mentally disabled residents at a home called El Hogar Sagrado Corazón de Jesús through La Fundación PAR in Paine, Chile. Mangione-Lora was inspired to connect with La Fundación PAR by two Italian motorcyclists who she met at an airport in Chile. The men worked with the organization and encouraged Mangione-Lora to do so as well, she said. “[They] asked if there was anything that we could do to help support, and I said, ‘Well, I’ll give it a tr y,’” Mangione-Lora said. “And so the project was born.” Students have conversations with the residents at the home throughout the semester and create a final book to give them as a gift. The book includes a histor y of the home, profiles of the residents and details of their daily lives. The book serves as an institutional histor y and can also be shown to community members to fundraise for the home, Mangione-Lora
said. “The silver lining of COV ID has been that we’ve learned to use technolog y differently,” Mangione-Lora said. “Having a community partner across the street looks similar to having a community partner on another continent.” Felipe Ruiz Ibáñez, executive director of Fundación PAR, said the residents have greatly enjoyed speaking with the Notre Dame students, especially because COV ID-19 has limited how much they are able to leave the home and interact with others. Junior Alena Coleman, a student in the course, said she has been able to facilitate connections and communication between people who speak different languages and come from different cultures. “W hat I’ve taken away is that translation really is involved in the community,” Coleman said. “[It] is actually really meaningful and can really make a difference in people’s lives.” Mangione-Lora said the students are doing an incredible job by completing two semesters’ worth of work in one. “I’m so proud of the students who are taking it all in stride,” Mangione-Lora said. “The students rose right up to the occasion and they took the lead.” Contact Megan Fahrney at mfahrney@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | WEDNESday, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Hall Continued from page 1
president — convinced him to run. “I was really facing this tension of how to stand in solidarity with her while still loving the place that I call home and working towards making it a better place,” Njomo said. “And so ultimately we went into it together, hoping to make Stanford a better place for all.” Njomo said the Stanford community refused to let COVID-19 policies derail dorm life. From the start of Welcome Week, he could tell this year’s residents were special, he said. Although he didn’t run for president with the specific goal of winning Hall of the Year in mind, he said the energy at Welcome Week inspired him to send an email to all of the Stanford Griffins saying they should work toward it. The hall, however, had gone through a lot of changes. They began the year with a new rector and a new priest-in-residence. Njomo said these changes made him feel pressured to maintain the Stanford culture. “Really what kept us together the entire time is this thing in Stanford that we call ‘Big Stanford Love,’ or BSL for short.
IDEA Continued from page 1
has had to greatly reduce the meet and play parts of the week, which consist primarily of networking and concerts. The primary difference in IDEA Week 2021 as compared to previous years is that there will not be a large, in-person concert to end the week. One of the sub-themes this year is ensuring that entrepreneurship is inclusive and equitable. About 97% of venture capital (VC) funding for startups goes to men and less than one percent of private equity companies are founded by women, according to Nick Swisher, director of marketing, communications and events at the IDEA Center and executive director of IDEA Week. “That’s outrageous how many women don’t get funded and [minorities] don’t get funded. Because of that, we wanted to make that a really important point,” Swisher said. “You’re going to be seeing sessions about those issues every year in IDEA Week going forward until this issue is solved.” To ensure that IDEA Week promotes inclusivity and equality in the venture capital world, there will be sessions related to empowering women entrepreneurs, increasing entrepreneurial activities for minorities and learning how to invest in companies that make ethical concerns their primary driver of business.
It’s this idea that no matter where you’re at, as long as you’re a Stanford person, you emit this Big Stanford Love, and people feel it,” he said. “That’s what really pushed us throughout the year, whether it was engaging with the community or just playing football.” Besides planning events and competitions with his vice president and commissioners, Njomo said he was especially proud of the turnout at GreeNDot training — a violence prevention program — and at MiNDful training — a program against microaggressions — which 120 out of 200 residents attended. “Coming together as a community in really innovative ways, despite what we were facing ... despite being apart, is really what made us stand out from all the other halls,” he said. Flaherty Hall: Women’s Hall of the Year
Junior and former Flaherty Hall president Maureen Steier said Flaherty is the first dorm to have won a Hall of the Year award two years in a row, despite the fact that the hall is only five years old. “Going into the year, we were riding that high of Women’s Hall of the year already, and
“We have to ensure that everything we do for entrepreneurship includes everybody so that everybody can benefit from what entrepreneurship can bring,” Swisher said. “We really want to emphasize that point because you cannot actually achieve what we’re trying to achieve until you have fully integrated everybody into the VC world.” At least 95% of the speakers in this year’s IDEA Week are people who work with the IDEA Center or are familiar with it, according
so we didn’t expect to win, which I think made it all the sweeter because we tried our very hardest again to build that sense of community and have the events for the sake of the events — but not for the sake of winning at the end of the year,” she said. When classes went online for two weeks at the beginning of the fall semester, Steier and her two vice presidents, juniors Emma Koster and Dani Harold, planned a virtual event for each day, including online workouts and virtual room tours. Steier said they tried to continue holding a wide variety of events for Flaherty residents throughout the rest of the year. “We got books to celebrate Black History Month using ND Day funds,” Steier said. “A lot of our programming and stuff that we could do this year was focused on inclusivity, so I think we were really proud that that is what shone in our Hall the Year presentation.” Steier thanked her commissioners and vice presidents for assisting her in leading Flaherty. “After such a tough year, the joy of the Flaherty residents when we told them that we won was incredible,” she said. “It was so worth it to see their faces in celebration.”
Year
Knott Hall: Men’s Hall of the
Jack Looney, junior and former president of Knott Hall, said he was elected just days before the COVID-19 lockdown began, which altered how he viewed his term as president. “The upperclassmen helped integrate me into not just Knott Hall, but Notre Dame as well,” Looney said. “I had this really strong desire and passion to give back toward that community that gave so much to me, but my goals quickly shifted once the COVID pandemic happened, into trying to make the most of the year.” With the help of his co-presidents, sophomore Spencer Koehl and junior Brian Cariddi, and Knott Hall’s commissioners, Looney said he was able to plan over 50 events for Knott residents. Looney said they tried to focus on events that fostered the internal community; however, they still had a few standout events with other dorms. He said he was most proud of ‘Knott Your Average Hoedown,’ which combined Knott’s signature event — a potato sack race — with Welsh Family Hall’s ‘Hoedown Throwdown.’ However, Looney did not begin his term with wishes to win Hall of the Year — in fact, he said doing so would have possibly
to Swisher. Other speakers were intentionally chosen in order to reflect the diversity of the Notre Dame community. “The VC world might be 90% male, but Notre Dame is not, the surrounding community is not,” Swisher said. “It would be very easy to fill this whole thing with white men. Instead we purposely select people that are diverse.” The finale for IDEA Week 2021 will be a live concert on South Quad sponsored by Jüke, a Notre Dame startup. It will also
be livestreamed. Jüke developed an app that enables musicians to connect with their audience. Senior Olivia Anderson, who is a part of the Jüke team, said the app will help those in attendance request songs from the bands and tip them. The tips on Friday will be donated to charities of each band’s choosing. “If a live musician is playing a gig in a restaurant or a bar the audience can scan a QR code or get a link and they can see the band’s set list, choose a song
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been a “flawed strategy.” He and his administration were just trying to maintain dorm culture, he said. “We came into the year wanting to build a great dorm culture and have a great year where memories last a long time by building a culture of inclusivity and understanding,” he said. “The Hall of the Year thing, that was really just the icing on the cake, kind of proof, externally, of our hard work.” While Looney said he felt proud that his dorm won, he acknowledged this year has been hard for every hall — and they all deserve recognition. “Really, every dorm president should feel proud of their accomplishments just because this wasn’t the year that anybody asked for,” Looney said. “And the fact that most dorms, if not all dorms, were able to have great events and a really fun time and foster cultures and inclusivity makes getting through this year a huge accomplishment. This year, it really seemed like everyone was on the same team, working toward this goal of getting through COVID together and not so much competing for Hall of the Year.” Contact Trinity Reilly at treilly5@nd.edu
and then send in a request and a tip and have that request be played,” said Olivia Anderson. Ultrafab, Kealy Ewart and Felix Rabito will take part in the battle of the bands event Friday. Felix Rabito will play outside at Howard Park and Kealy Ewart will open for Ultrafab on South Quad. IDEA Week 2021 is free to all students, and the live concert is included with registration. Contact Lauren Kesic at lkesic@nd.edu
News
Archives Continued from page 1
The second annual AnTostal took place May 8, 1969, and commenced with pie-throwing and dunking contests. Right from the start, the activities appear decidedly raucous by today’s standards, yet harmless overall. That same year, the main event was Friday’s beach party at St. Joseph’s Lake, complete with strobe lights and a live band. Things then escalated quickly. Students planned to ignite “the world’s biggest bonfire” at the end of the night, targeting a height of 150 feet. In terms of fuel for the fire, Pangborn hall president Marty Bree said “all the guys in Pangborn are willing to contribute their desks.” The shenanigans continued on Saturday with activities including a tug-of-war, a bed race, a “no hands” pie-eating contest, flour blowing, a water brigade, a pig chase and cow milking. To cap off the night and the AnTostal weekend, students attended a barn dance with “probably 25 halfkegs” of beer. Not to be outdone by their predecessors, organizers of the fourth annual AnTostal in 1971 planned some equally absurd events. New additions to the activities lineup included the Jello Toss, the “Old Tire Race” and the “Jocks vs. SMC basketball game,” in which Notre Dame men had to wear boxing gloves while playing hoops against Saint Mary’s students. Back from previous years was the flour blowing, dunking booth, pie-eating contest, tug-of-war,
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, april 28, 2021 | The Observer
cow milking and pig chasing. The second annual “Kissing Marathon” was a highly anticipated returning event — students were eager to see if anyone could beat last year’s winner, J.T. Lyons, who locked lips with his partner for six hours and 35 minutes. “[Lyons] will be back to defend his title,” news writer Jim Brogan wrote, “except this year with a different girl.” It is hard to imagine Notre Dame approving most of these activities today — and perhaps that’s for the best. Preparations for the 1976 festival begin months in advance
Jan. 29, 1976 | Joe Straub AnTostal at Notre Dame is a big deal — it is now, and it has been for many years. Like other major campus events, AnTostal requires intricate planning and preparation in order to ensure ultimate success. But what does a successful AnTostal look like? Joe Straub, a staff writer at the Observer, noted that “AnTostal is a compilation of various events and activities. A concert is usually included and past performers have been Santana and The Beach Boys.” It doesn’t get much bigger than the Beach Boys in the 1970s, does it? In addition to the musical entertainment, the signature event also features fun games and competitions for the students such as impersonation contests, singing contests and even a chariot race on the track in which studentsturned-gladiators competed for fame. Straub noted that in 1976, preparations for the beloved, three-day
event began in January. As it turns out, the facilitation of fun is not as easy as one may think. The extensive planning did not deter students from getting involved — at the beginning of the winter semester in 1976, “sixty-four students attended the first meeting of the AnTostal committee.” Not only were students excitedly anticipating the fun that came with AnTostal, but they were also excitedly anticipating the organization as well. AnTostal organizer charged with theft of $3000 from festival’s account
Nov. 1, 1983 | David Sarphie and James M. McDonnell It was April 1983 — the golden age of AnTostal. Although the annual event had been a success at the University since its inception in 1968, the festivals of the early ‘80s saw massive success, drawing in large budget surpluses from 1980 to 1982. And at first, 1983’s 16th annual AnTostal seemed to be no different. According to the former director of student activities Dr. James M. McDonnell, the year’s standard festivities sported the highest participation rate in the event’s history, and new additions to the itinerary — from noon-time concerts to quad-wide gatherings — were well-attended. So why did an internal audit of the AnTostal bank account — requested by McDonnell in October 1983 — reveal a deficit of $5,410.31? The answer isn’t so simple. On top of a $2000 loss from one of the weekend’s aforementioned
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concerts, the account also took hits in the form of $800 worth of damage sustained by rented vehicles and the theft of $600 worth of sound equipment. But the account’s staggering deficit was brought about by more than just lackluster attendance, property damage and petty theft. A closer look at the audit would reveal the particularly strange financial activity that seemed to drive AnTostal’s record into the red: Between the months of Sept. 1982 and March 1983, the account saw a number of overstated assets, as well as cashed checks made out to a personal account. Embezzlement was afoot. The owner of the aforementioned personal account — whose identity remained confidential per the disciplinary guidelines of du Lac — called McDonnell to confess to the theft shortly after the audit request, according to a Oct. 31, 1983 statement from the Office of Student Activities. And justice came quick — the person appeared at a meeting with University Auditors to review the items of the audit, underwent a hearing conducted by Dean of Students James Roemer, was charged with theft and signed a promissory note pledging to repay student government the stolen $3000. In a Letter to the Editor appearing just three pages later, McDonnell wrote about the incident and its ramifications, beginning with a very brief recap. “[The Observer’s] front page will no doubt carry a tragic story regarding the theft of AnTostal funds,” McDonnell wrote (although the story in question appeared on page three). “The person responsible came forward, confessed, and will be punished in accordance with University regulations. To repeat all the
details is not necessary.” Despite the University administration’s disappointment in the theft, McDonnell did not dwell on the wrongdoings of the guilty party — rather, he assumed a constructive tone, recognizing the deficiencies of the former system and looking ahead to a new one. “What happened is an example of what can happen in a studentrun organization when dual or triple signatures are not required for all disbursements,” he wrote. “It is also an example of how funds can be misused when a faculty or administrative person’s signature is not required.” Thus, McDonnell and his staff utilized the former system as a shining example of what not to do. The statement from the Office of Student Activities emphasized several changes in the future operation of AnTostal accounts. “The separate AnTostal account is being officially closed,” the statement read. “The 1984 AnTostal will receive its [funding] in the same manner that all other Student Activity Fee money is expended — either by means of a receipt or invoice processed with the Student Government Treasurer’s Office.” And McDonnell ended optimistically, advising against the story’s sensationalization. “Fortunately, the person has come forward and confessed and is repaying the money. Most importantly, this person needs to put a life back together,” McDonnell wrote. “I submit that this case should be closed. We do not need to further execute this person on the pages of this newspaper or over WSND-AM.”
Conboy
Title IX Department. “Please know that I am fully committed to providing a safe environment for all members of this community, beginning with the provisions of Title IX, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity receiving federal financial aid,” she wrote. Conboy also announced the College’s new Title IX leadership team, led by assistant director of residence life and student involvement Nicole Hundt, who will serve as the Title IX coordinator. Hundt will be supported by five deputy coordinators: registrar Nadia Ewing, professor James Gillespie, director of international students and multicultural services Adriana Petty, director of human resources Kris Urschel and associate director of the Disabilities Resources Office Jennifer Wright. Conboy closed by encouraging students to continue using the resources provided by the Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO), to undergo Green Dot training and to participate in Denim Day on Wednesday. “As your President, I will always stand with you,” Conboy concluded.
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“... I know many in our community were shaken to the core by that reporting,” Conboy wrote. “For these reasons, I raised the issue of sexual violence at our Faculty-Staff Town Hall last week: to ensure that everyone was aware of the impact those hateful words must be having on Saint Mary’s students, and to encourage people to speak about these matters in their classes and in other contexts where they interact with students.” In addition, Conboy noted her pride after attending the tricampus’ Take Back the Night events. “Indeed, the Take Back the Night vigil highlighted the power of solidarity and allowed all of us to imagine what might happen if we showed up and stood up for each other every day,” Conboy wrote. Conboy announced the College would host a symposium focused on combating sexual assault in April 2022. She also further expressed her commitment to creating a safe campus environment through the work of the
Contact Maggie Clark at mclark29@nd.edu, Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu and Evan McKenna at emckenn2@nd.edu
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The observer | Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
The race for success Jackie Junco Graphics Artist
As our societ y is becoming more modernized and advancing, this is also pushing an expectation on younger people to meet the grow ing rate of the world. It’s this idea that we have to be successful overnight in order to meet the expectations of a grow ing market. For many students in high school and undergrad, there is this stigma that we must be checking off and accomplishing ever y step from our list of goals and ambitions in order to be deemed as a successful person. For undergrads or even graduate students, we have to have t wo to three internships before our graduation year in order to have sufficient experience to be in the work force or our specific field of study. Or take on four to five different leadership positions in our extracurriculars or clubs. And for those who are financially struggling, we also have to bear the burden of working t wo to three jobs in the process, so that in the end, the “grind” was worth it. This race to have ever y thing figured out by the age of t went y-five or before graduating is an immense pressure for ever yone in our generation. W hile most people don’t have to go to college, those who don’t also have a standard they must abide by. After graduating high school, there is this idea that if they are not going to college, they have to immediately go into the work force. There is also this idea that they have to have their ow n home, stable career, or even already forming a family by twent y-five. And w ith social media, this pushes and reinforces the idea that there is a standard that our age group must be accomplishing something and being able to show off to the world that we are getting things done in time. Older generations have set up this standard since they were able to accomplish so much at a young age, that this must be the norm for ever yone and that we too can do as much or even more than they could at our age due to technolog y. However, this isn’t the case any more or what most people believe. The race for success, while always lingering in the back of our minds, is an idea that is beginning to die out. Our generation is now becoming the tortoise rather than the hare. More and more people of our generation are now accepting and normalizing the fact that we have time and can set up our ow n expectations. We have a whole lifetime to figure out what we truly want to do — we can take our time to live while being able to accomplish our goals. Institutions and jobs w ill always be around, but our lives won’t. This idea of success shouldn’t come from the gratification of pleasing others; but rather, should ensure our personal happiness because at the end of the day, we are the ones putting in the work, so we should be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. You can contact Jackie at jjunco01@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
‘The Circle’ is making me ashamed and confused Ella Wisniewski Consider This
Circle, message: “OMG ! Can’t believe this is my last column of the semester! #JournalismFlex. Sunglasses emoji. So excited for you all to read this piece. # GirlBossesDoingThings. Hair Flip emoji.” If you understood that, then you, like myself, may have fallen into the trap that is Netf lix’s half-game show, half-realit y T V, fully-garbage program “The Circle.” Never have I before felt so simultaneously intrigued and ashamed than when watching t wo players dictating out convoluted hashtags to one another as they tr y to catfish each other. There is no equivalent to the secondhand embarrassment and morbid curiosit y elicited by watching players publicly drag one another w ith snake emojis. I have been ineffably consumed by this fascinatingly tox ic, tox ically fascinating show. A llow me to explain for the people who watch good telev ision. “The Circle” takes a rotating cast of contestants and places them alone in isolated, elaborately furnished apartments. They aren’t allowed phones, laptops or any other dev ices — just the social media platform know n as the Circle, which they access through multiple telev isions placed throughout their apartments. A ll interactions w ith other players are done only through voice-to-text, so while contestants can play as themselves, others tr y to gain an advantage by play ing as other people. Throughout their time in the Circle, players engage in private chats and group chats w ith other players in order to form alliances, as well as games that ex ist solely to stir up drama. Ever y so often contestants must rank each other, after which the top t wo players in the ranking become “inf luencers” (complete w ith blue check priv ilege) who must decide which lower-ranked member is getting “blocked.” The “Circle” refers to both the physical building they’re stay ing in as well as the omnipresent social media platform they use to communicate. The players directly address the Circle to open up communication (“Circle, take me to the Circle Chat”), dictate responses, “Circle, message, ‘LOL…’”) or just give general salutations (“Good morning, Circle”). Maybe this is a biting commentar y on how technolog y dominates our lives to the point where it’s unclear if we’re liv ing w ith it or w ithin it. Somehow, I doubt this. The way that people do speech-totext on this show is absolutely absurd. It seems like an offshoot of the WatchMojo affectation — a weird, put-on voice that stumbles its way through redundant hashtags and
descriptions of different emojis. Are the contestants told to talk like this? And who is t y ping out these messages? Are there v igilant employees of the Circle hidden in the walls, ready at any moment to take commands like “Message ‘Hi’ w ith four i’s” or “Circle, put cr y ing emoji, heart emoji, cr y ing emoji” ? Does it get weird when the players start to f lirt w ith each other? Another thing that bothers me is the unnecessar y and frequent hashtag use. Are players told to include hashtags? Emojis I understand, but the actual purpose of hashtags on social media is to connect your post to other posts w ith the same hashtag. W hen a player dictates “Circle, message, ‘Ladies, I’m so glad we got this chance to talk, # GirlGang,’” they’re not connecting that message to anything else tagged # GirlGang. So what’s the purpose? Has the hashtag evolved firmly into a marker of summarization? Of emphasis? Of irony? I’m not a linguist — I’m just bored. Players also just talk aloud frequently, verbalizing their decisions or excitement or an x iet y. I understand that this is necessar y to give the show actual content, but it’s still disconcerting if you think about it too much. Their reactions are pointedly dramatic, especially to the frequent blaring alerts that occur before they receive new information. It’s just a lot to process v isually and mentally. And brief tangent, but I have so much respect for the v ideo editors of “The Circle.” I imagine it’s no easy feat to cut up footage from several weeks of seven or eight different isolated contestants and then splice it together in a way that not only makes narrative sense, but is enticing and compelling. I wonder if they have to cut out all the times that players “Jim the camera.” They also have to craft an assortment of outrageous cliff hangers, most of which have little to no payoff, since Netf lix releases the episodes for season t wo in groups of four, so more often than not you’re able to just let it autoplay to the next episode. Cheers to the v ideo editors, and cheers to the employees hiding in the walls who have to dictate the messages. You are the unsung heroes of this aw ful show. I don’t know what conclusion I was tr y ing to come to in this column. This show is just so bizarre that I had to w rite it all dow n and make you look at it too. Watch it and be haunted by the logistics. Or don’t, and live a life unburdened by these meaningless questions. Ella Wisniewski is a junior studying English and economics. She tries her best not to take herself too seriously. You can reach her at ewisnie2@nd.edu or @ellawisn on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
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The trendy generation Eva Analitis On Second Thought
I learned of the term “fast fashion” a little while ago through TikTok: it’s a method of rapidly producing massive amounts of clothing capturing all the latest styles. Fast fashion tosses together cheap, low quality materials speedily so that we can keep our Instagram profiles interesting and our wardrobes trendy, constantly updating them to emulate the “influencers” with whom we’re inundated. Think Shein, Zaful and all those other stores that flood you with ads and offer an endless array of eye-catching fashion pieces at prices that seem too good to be true. Fast fashion has come under fire for having harmful effects on the environment and for its exploitation of workers in developing countries. Nevertheless, it’s all around us. It fills our Instagram feeds, shapes our fashion fantasies and probably even covers our bodies. To be able to constantly evolve your wardrobe with the whims of the fashion world is thrilling — I get it, I’m with you. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve succumbed to the allure of the big-pants-little-shirt combination, puffer jackets and patchy jeans and layering oversized shirts. When we didn’t have much else to do during quarantine, we cleared our closets and revamped our style; we became a trendy generation. My concern with fast fashion is not the desire we’ve developed to look stylish and trendy per se. Who wouldn’t want to do that? I’m worried, rather, of the more insidious implications that follow from swarming from one style to the next and, by the time you get there, finding that the world has moved on to another. It’s a mindset of things having only fleeting value. Our newfound obsession with trends appears to be a subtle manifestation of a culture and politics of dispensability. Body types and facial features go in and out of style, while their owners are stuck with the same DNA for life. When we wake up, we can only hope to find that
our face shapes, eyebrow arches and proportions will be “in” that day. One decade, it’s a competition for the most pin straight, sleek hair, and everyone is intimately acquainted with their flat irons. The next, textured hair is “in.” Suddenly everyone wants voluminous spirals because they’re exciting. We’re all rushing for mousses and gels that promise us crisp curls and wild waves — but who knows for how long? So, unconventionally appreciated features and appearances get their chance in the spotlight for a little while, but after they’ve had their moment and we get tired of them, we toss them out, deciding they no longer have value. Just like our clothes from Shein. Onto the next trend. Even activism and social justice seem to have become a trend nowadays. Most young adults tend to have a general grasp of current political events and social issues — undoubtedly the result of growing up in an era of major political upheaval. From the age of Trump, to a climate crisis, to a racial reckoning, to a pandemic, politics have unsurprisingly commanded our attention. While it’s great that we’re listening to podcasts and reading books to inform ourselves about societal issues, I can’t help but wonder: will political engagement go out like skinny jeans, or is it here to last? Whenever an incident of injustice happens nowadays that captures national attention, a wave of support typically floods in as we rush to read up on new subjects and organize events to highlight different struggles and experiences in America. Through what I initially welcomed as widespread political engagement over the past few years, however, I’ve come to see that any cause can be discarded when it’s no longer politically beneficial or relevant to support, or when a new one takes its place. Don’t get me wrong — this is not me, conscientious citizen and noble social justice warrior, lecturing you, inadequate ally. It is precisely because of my own shortcomings to be a good ally and advocate for justice that I have become aware of the facade of what I’ll call “fast politics” and the culture of dispensability at play. We express solidarity with communities facing injustices
and vow to learn more about their struggles — and we genuinely mean it at first — but after a while, causes become like the sweaters in the back of our closets: We don’t wear them anymore; they’ve been replaced with the latest styles. Out of sight, out of mind. The problem is that deep-seated social issues don’t simply go away when trends do. This might explain why we see the same injustices infiltrate American society generation after generation, perhaps just in new forms — because of our fleeting commitment to their victims and to rectifying them in the first place. The remedy to a culture of dispensability and disposability is a culture of value and commitment. Marginalized communities are not political tools with whom to feign solidarity during an election cycle to secure their votes and save face with the broader country. And victims of systemic issues and violence are not people for whom to post Instagram stories for a few days, only to forget once more recent news comes to dominate the national discourse. We need to show concern and support for black Americans, immigrant communities, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+ individuals and ethnic and religious minorities constantly — not just after the latest harm has been caused to their communities. Our styles might change frequently with the trends, but our values must have a firmer foundation. If you want to sport your white tennis skirt, baggy jeans, tiny hoops and retro sunglasses, be my guest. I’ll probably even join you. I don’t blame you for wanting to be trendy. But people, their appearances, struggles and rights and political activism and engagement are not trends — because they should never go out of style. Eva Analitis is a junior in Lyons Hall majoring in political science and pre-health. Even though she often can’t make up her own mind, that won’t stop her from trying to change yours. She can be reached at eanaliti@nd.edu or @evaanalitis on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Pope Francis sets the example Dear Members of the Notre Dame Community, Thomas Paprocki and Gerard Bradley argue that Catholics do not have a moral obligation to get vaccinated. Whether or not one agrees, it is important to realize that the leaders of the Catholic Church not only approve of vaccination, they highly recommend it. Pope Francis has called coronavirus vaccination a life-saving, ethical obligation, and has described the refusal to get the vaccine as “suicidal.” He has backed his words with actions. Both Pope Francis and Pope Benedict have received the same Pfizer vaccine Notre Dame offered to its students. Further, Francis has mandated that all Vatican employees must be vaccinated. During Holy Week, the Vatican provided 1,200 doses of Pfizer to Rome’s poorest and most marginalized people. Paprocki and Bradley also state as fact a number of claims that numerous medical experts disagree with. Citing no sources, they claim that those who have already had COVID have natural immunity and have no need to be vaccinated. This runs directly counter to the advice of the Center for Disease Control, which notes that reinfection is possible and recommends that those who have had COVID in the past should still get vaccinated. Paprocki and Bradley further state “college-age students who test positive rarely experience severe symptoms.” This statement, which is apparently based only on hospitalizations and deaths, is highly misleading. Numerous studies are finding that as many as one third of those who initially seemed to be little affected by COVID, including younger people, later suffer from COVID-induced long-term health issues, such as cardiac problems, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety and
post-traumatic stress disorder. Indeed, here on campus, Notre Dame student Megumi Tamura described how she was one of the many struggling with the loss of the senses of taste and smell. Similarly, Nathalie García wrote about how brain fog has disrupted her school year. I personally know a graduate student who still suffers from serious cardiac problems six months after contracting COVID. I have heard several other anecdotal reports of members of the Notre Dame community who are struggling with the long-term effects of COVID. To imply that hospitalization and death are the only symptoms of COVID that count as “severe” greatly understates the harms that COVID can and is creating for many people, including some of our students. Finally, it is important to reiterate that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) firmly stated that those who decline to get vaccinated are still morally obligated to find other means to protect others. As Paprocki and Bradley note, the CDF said “Those who, however, for reasons of conscience, refuse vaccines produced with cell lines from aborted fetuses, must do their utmost to avoid, by other prophylactic means and appropriate behavior, becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent.” Perhaps because they understate the risks of not being vaccinated, Paprocki and Bradley say very little about what such an obligation would entail. At Notre Dame, this might mean the continued wearing of masks, ongoing testing and avoiding public events such as parties and sports events. If students choose, for religious or other reasons, to decline the vaccines that the Pope himself used and recommended, I hope and expect that they will
take the steps needed to protect the faculty who teach them, the staff who serve them their meals and clean their rooms, the immunocompromised students who may be forced to sit next to them and the members of the St. Joseph County community they interact with. (Incidentally, obligations to the community surrounding Notre Dame receive little attention from Paprocki and Bradley. While the Notre Dame campus may be able to achieve herd immunity, St. Joseph County is currently far from that mark. Our obligations to others do not end at the campus borders.) We have the luxury of debating Notre Dame’s vaccine mandate; but while we do so, the world and the United States continue to suffer from the ravages of the pandemic. More than three million people have died from COVID worldwide and thousands more join them every day. There are millions of people in India and elsewhere who would be thrilled to have the simple and easy vaccination opportunities that so many Americans now take for granted or decline to take advantage of. We must not delay any longer or continue to underestimate the risks we still face. I urge all members of the Notre Dame community to join with Pope Francis and Pope Benedict and get vaccinated as quickly as possible, so we can finally put the pandemic nightmare behind us. We should do this not only for ourselves, but for the countless others who are at risk of the disease and who are affected by our actions. Sincerely, Richard Williams professor of sociology April 27
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The observer | Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Let’s build a culture of encounter Kevin Gallagher BridgeND
It’s hard for me to believe that my college career is coming to a close in less than a month. While I intend on living in the moment and making as many more memories as I can in the time that I have left, I’ve already begun the inevitable process of reflecting on the experiences that have played an outsize impact in defining my time at Notre Dame. My work in the leadership ranks of BridgeND is among them. In different capacities in our organization, I’ve been blessed with a variety of once unimaginable opportunities, like flying to Washington D.C. and Dallas for conferences, meeting and hosting former Secretaries of State John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice and organizing events with international advocacy organizations like the ONE Campaign. I didn’t sign up for BridgeND for these moments, though. They aren’t why the club has had a profound impact on my life. The people that I’ve encountered along the way and the conversations I’ve had during small group discussions on our Monday afternoon meetings and special events are. Pope Francis has spoken about the importance of building a “culture of encounter” in our world. He has said, “Faith is an encounter with Jesus, and we must do what Jesus does: encounter others.” Caritas Internationalis explains what this means: “reaching out, building friendships beyond our circle and meeting people on the peripheries, the most poor and vulnerable, migrants and refugees.” It says that a culture of encounter invites us to build relationships with others, to favor unity over division and reach across divides. This is the mission of BridgeND, achieved through the power of respectful conversation, enabled by students who are willing to make themselves vulnerable and share their beliefs and
experiences with others. Everything I’ve tried to do through BridgeND has been in an attempt to build a stronger culture of encounter at Notre Dame. It has not always been easy, in part because of obvious reasons related to our University’s lackluster diversity in some respects. For example, a 2017 study by Raj Chetty and other researchers reported in the New York Times ranked Notre Dame 63rd out of 65 schools in composition of the student body by family income, drawing only 10% of its student body from the bottom 60% by family income. Some students here come from exorbitant wealth. Some come from families who have to make significant financial sacrifices to make this education thinkable. If BridgeND is hosting a conversation about something like the minimum wage or a wealth tax, why would a student of low socioeconomic status subject themselves to the potentially harmful or offensive opinions of a well-off student? The question is even more important for conversation topics related to intrinsic characteristics, like sexuality and race. For some students, what some might consider an echo chamber is really a safety network. It makes sense that some people might not want to put themselves in a room where they would truly feel unsafe because of someone else at the table’s opinion. I do believe, though, that the more “boxes” of privilege we check off, the higher the expectation should be that we do the work to help make sure no one on this campus feels unsafe because of the beliefs of another. I believe that this work starts with conversations, and that’s why conversations are at the core of BridgeND’s operations. During the fall of 2019, we started an initiative to spark conversations in the dining hall with question boards where people could put a response on a sticky note and others could read what people were already thinking. One of the
questions was whether the United States should prioritize deportation over a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Someone approached me in person about the appropriateness of this question, saying that we should be asking questions that are not as directly related to real people. My issue here, though, is that as of January 2019, a Gallup poll found that 37% of U.S. adults supported “deporting all immigrants who are living in the United States illegally back to their home country.” Refusing to speak about this topic isn’t going to make these people change their mind. I believe that encountering them — speaking with them — could. These conversations are rarely easy, and if you are not ready to engage in all of them because you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, that’s okay and understandable. If you do feel comfortable and safe in this University community and in this country, though, you should participate. Caritas says that encountering another person “is to experience the grace of the living God.” If you’ve ever attended a BridgeND meeting or event, and especially if you’ve taken the time to engage in challenging conversations with me in particular, I can’t thank you enough for your encounters and the grace that has flowed from them. Kevin Gallagher is a senior and the former president of BridgeND. BridgeND is a nonpartisan political education and discussion group committed to bridging the partisan divide through honest, respectful and productive discourse. BridgeND meets weekly on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. You can contact the club at bridgend@nd.edu or @bridge_ND on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Remember not to forget Ashton Weber Living Relig-ish
Three weeks ago, I stopped at a red light and began frantically waving my arms back and forth to the beat of the dance music I was loudly playing (LMFAO’s “Shots” to be precise), as I waited for the light to turn green. I turned and saw the people in the car next to me staring, confused. They rolled down the window of their car and asked, “are you… okay?” “Hahaha yes, I’m great!” I replied, “just trying to warm up my arm for my first vaccine! YAY!” They laughed, the light turned green and we all drove away. Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up at the vaccine site and, for the first time in the history of my life, I smiled when I received a shot. I turned to the person administering my vaccine and made the dad joke I’m sure they’re tired of hearing by now: “I bet you’ve never seen this many people so excited to get vaccinated.” That earned me a half-laugh. While I sat in the waiting room for fifteen minutes post-vaccine, I thought about all the things that were about to return to my life and tears welled in my eyes. Back in my car after leaving the clinic, I called my mom and we had a nice moment of excitement. This weekend, I returned to the pharmacy and received the second of Pfizer’s two-dose series. After a long nap, I haven’t experienced many symptoms beyond a sore left arm. For the past year, I anticipated vaccination eagerly. I can’t even begin to count the number of sentences I spoke that began with, “once we’re vaccinated…” or “when this is all over…” I’m pretty sure that experience was somewhat universal. I never expected that two weeks at home with my family would turn into eight months or that what was supposed to just be a COVID semester would turn into a COVID school year. Many of us have been anticipating the end of this pandemic since we got sent home last March. Throughout this whole time, I haven’t really allowed myself to look back on what’s happened because I genuinely
wasn’t sure if this would ever end. Obviously, the pandemic is still far from over, but vaccination will allow me to return to some of the social encounters I missed so much, and I now have hope that we might actually be in a post-pandemic world soon-ish. Of course, for this to happen, the US and other wealthy countries need to stop hoarding doses and start suspending patents. But I’ll leave it to the New York Times editorial board to explain that much more eloquently than I could. Like many other American college students, I missed out on some of the experiences I thought I would get to have in my junior year. I didn’t get to study abroad, and my parents weren’t able to come hang out for Junior Parents Weekend. But, when I remember the devastating losses that have been faced by people all over the world, I feel incredibly lucky to have made it through this year. On March 30, 2020, I used my column to explain the parts of life during COVID that I hoped would never become part of daily life. But now, after watching a year pass, I can think of a few things that we should keep doing. Many of my professors have been exceptionally aware of student mental health this year and have been willing to make accommodations for deadlines and absences in a way I haven’t experienced before. Even when there isn’t a global pandemic going on, Notre Dame students still face lots of challenges with mental and physical health. Making accommodations without asking excessive questions should be the norm. Many of my peers made plans for this (and last) summer that don’t fit into the typical Notre Dame summer internship schedule. Some of us are working from home, others are working on location and some aren’t working at all. I’ve seen many students empowered to do what we want with our time, rather than what we’re expected to do with our time. Life’s too short to take an internship you don’t care about because it looks good on your resume. Many people used their free time to try something new. Some picked up a hobby, others learned to play a new game or sport. Some worked on projects they’d been dreaming of for years and others picked up the books that they’d been waiting forever to read. The pandemic forced many people to pause the busyness of daily life and think more
intentionally about what they spend every day doing. What’s the point of spending your whole life on something you don’t love? I am grateful that our lives will get to continue somewhat normally when we return to campus fully vaccinated in the fall. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t think about the fact that only 3% of the global population has been fully vaccinated, while at least 90% of our campus will be completely vaccinated within the next 2-3 weeks. COVID-19 has exacerbated inequalities and shown that these positive experiences I described earlier were not available to everyone. As we move forward, let us bear this in mind and continue to fight for more just and equitable ways of living for all. This summer, I plan to spend lots more time reflecting on what happened this year and I hope you all will join me in this. As we move forward from the past year and celebrate the new fun and fully-vaccinated lives ahead of us, we must remember not to forget what has happened.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Ashton Weber is a junior with lots of opinions. She is majoring in gender studies and economics with a minor in sociology. Ashton can often be found with her nose in a book, but if you want to chat about intersectional feminism, baking blueberry scones, growing ZZ plants or anything else, she’d love to hear from you. Reach Ashton at aweber22@nd.edu or @awebz01 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Wednesday, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By AIDAN O’MALLEY Scene Editor
Last Sunday, I live tweeted the Oscars. I’m not entirely sure what compelled me to do this. Perhaps it was my duty as an entertainment journalist to provide the public with some extra-colorful color commentary. Maybe it was my main character complex — bass-boosted by the vanity of social media — convincing me that the world needed to know my every opinion on the Oscars. Or, seeing as only one of my tweets broke double-digit likes, it was all just for myself. In any case, on Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 9:03 p.m., I tweeted: “soderbergh is directing this show in the oscar equivalent of non-linear order and i’m here for it.” Folks, let this be a lesson in Twitter: Do not tweet that you are “here” for Steven Soderbergh’s production of the 93rd Academy Awards before you’ve finished watching Steven Soderbergh’s production of the 93rd Academy Awards. Around the three-hour mark in the show, the Oscar-winning director of “Traffic” threw us all for a loop by presenting the award for Best Picture before he had presented Best Actor or Actress. Interesting, okay — you could see what he was thinking. “Nomadland” has the top prize in the bag, so let’s just get it over with; then, we’ll end with Chadwick Boseman posthumously crowned Best Actor for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” It will be a beautiful tribute, and besides, he’s also got it in the bag. Right? Right? Well, the first part went according to plan.
By SARAH KIKEL Scene Writer
Notre Dame’s student-run Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company (NSR) brought a night of spunk, squabble and suitors to the Washington Hall stage last Saturday. The troupe performed Shakespeare’s 1594 play, The Taming of the Shrew, which was directed by senior Isobel Grogan and assistant directed by junior Cate Cappelmann. The play centers around the marrying of Katherina (junior Nandini Sadagopan), an ill-tempered woman whose father, Baptista (junior Aryan Gupta), requires her matrimony before her younger sister Bianca (freshman Hannah Smith) — desired by many men — can wed. Over the course of the comedy, the eligible bachelor Petruchio (freshman Dominic Keene) succeeds in attaining Katherina, enabling Bianca to marry one of her suitors. Though in Shakespeare’s original text, the story unfolds in front of the eyes of a poor, drunken tinker named Christopher Sly, NSR places the character (sophomore Christina Randazzo) within a familiar collegiate narrative — in front of an inebriated girl after a party. Rather than simply watching the action, NSR’s Christopher Sly is much more engaged with the cast’s interactions — at one
“Nomadland” won Best Picture, along with Best Director for Chloé Zhao and Best Actress for Frances McDormand. Inevitably, this will lead to countless online monologues about how vastly overrated the film is; in fact, it already has. But really, was there any movie in 2020 more finely attuned to what it felt like to live through that year? To yearn for a return to the Earth as we sheltered in place? To reach for community, only to drift away, alone? Truly no film was more beautifully emblematic of 2020 than Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland.” And no moment at the Oscars was as HORRIFICALLY emblematic of 2020 as Anthony Hopkins winning Best Actor for “The Father.” To be clear, he’s quite good in the film — it’s one of his best roles in a career with several contenders. But to beat the late Boseman… To not even show up to accept the award… To have it literally end the broadcast… Yikes! It was like an even worse version of what happened to Glenn Close in 2018, when she lost Best Actress on her seventh nomination. It was like a reverse Uno of when “Moonlight” beat “La La Land,” because instead of elated, we were all just depressed. Had it happened at any point in the telecast, we would have been heartbroken, but the fact that it ended the show sparked outrage. Soderbergh’s production was not unlike a heist you might see in one of his “Ocean’s Eleven” movies. It even started out like one, with Regina King carrying the envelope for Best Original Screenplay all the way through New York’s Union Station in one long, uninterrupted take. I was impressed! But watching that ending was like watching a director’s cut of
“Ocean’s,” where the heist goes horribly wrong. So yeah, that sucked. After a light at the end of the tunnel, the Academy was back to business as usual. I guess the BAFTAs, with their new voting procedures, are a more important precursor than we ever could have anticipated — they matched up with the Oscars in 18 out of 19 categories, all but Cinematography. But while we should never, ever present Best Picture at any other time than at the end of the ceremony ever, ever again, I hope that the disaster that was its final moments don’t erase from our memories all the good things that came from the 2021 Academy Awards. For example: Soderbergh’s focus on textured personal testimonies over generic clip shows when spotlighting the nominees was amazingly refreshing. It made the Oscars seem more like a celebration of cinema than ever before! Furthermore, his f luid camera movements and use of natural lighting made the ceremony feel real; for once, the winners didn’t act like artificial people gifting each other arbitrary awards on a planet completely divorced from reality. And moving the Best Original Song performances to a “pre-show” shaved an hour off of the running time, which allowed for longer, better speeches. Also, Jimmy Kimmel wasn’t the host. So like the year in film that it honored, by the time the 93rd Oscars were over, we all just wished they would go back to the way it used to be. But also like 2020, perhaps we should use this as an opportunity to consider the ways in which it still can improve.
point even offering Katherina a sip of his drink. The shrew’s taming consists of obstinate Katherina being trained by Petruchio to lose her reason and blindly agree with all of his judgements — such as that the sun is the moon. At the same time, Tranio (junior Alex Ford) pretends to be the bachelor Lucentio (senior Hayden Adams) so Lucentio can compete with Hortensio (junior Harrison Larkins) for Bianca’s favor. To do so, Lucentio masquerades as a Latin tutor, and Hortensio disguises himself as a music teacher. With a profession of his love hidden in a ridiculous Latin “lesson,” Lucentio wins Bianca’s love over Hortensio’s failed attempts to tune and play his instrument. The rest of the play includes a plethora of continued disguises, Petruchio arriving late on his wedding day — dressed in a cheetah robe, dazzling hat, mismatched socks and black gloves — and Lucentio’s spiff y dance moves to Marvin Gaye’s, “Let’s Get It On,” in attempt to gain Bianca’s attention. The NSR cast’s great chemistry is obvious. The audience cannot help but fall in love with the world they create on stage, as they bring youthful energ y to their mastery of Shakespeare’s text. They become strong-tempered women and bumbling gentlemen, mixing humor with serious themes.
Despite wearing masks, they succeed in portraying their characters’ emotions fully using carefully rehearsed inf lections, stances and gestures. Sadagopan played her role as Katherina magnificently, acting barefoot and wearing a bright red dress to accentuate her bold range of personalities throughout the play. Her final monologue contemplates the role of women in relationships and their duties to men, probing the audience to consider the intersectionality of love and power. W hile the King’s Men had their share of plagues, relentless workloads, and the burning of the Globe Theatre to deal with, NSR also added to the long legacy of misfortunes in the Shakespearean theatre business. Attempting to perform on stage for a live audience during the Cov id pandemic was no small feat, and the cast and crew faced strict restrictions, cancellations and quarantines. Nevertheless, they triumphed over the odds, bringing their professional and collegiate take on Shakespeare’s great grave comedy. Today, more than ever, the show must go on. And Notre Dame’s Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company promises it w ill go on splendidly.
Contact Aidan O’Malley at aomalle2@nd.edu
Contact Sarah Kikel at skikel@nd.edu CLAIRE REID | The Observer
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The observer | WEDNESDAY, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By SOPHIA MICHETTI Scene Writer
Warning: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” spoilers ahead! Looking back to six weeks ago when I started watching “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” I was a bit hesitant to say the show would be one of Marvel’s finest. I asked myself, “How could Marvel outdo the masterful sitcom gold that was ‘WandaVision?’” “Am I really going to enjoy a six-hour movie about a man with mechanical wings and another man with a metal arm traveling the world to fight young, techy terrorists?” “How iconic can Zemo really be?” The answer — I now know — is that yes, this will be one of the most glorious sixhour cinematic experiences of your life. One of the many elements that struck me about this limited series was the parallels between scenes in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and previous Marvel movies. Some were iconic, like Sam asking Bucky to move his seat up. Some were comedic, like Bucky eating dirt after jumping out of a plane, while Steve Rogers seemed to miraculously land effortlessly whenever he jumped from high places in previous movies. And of course, we all remember the ending of episode four with the striking parallel between John Walker’s Captain America using the shield to attack that Flag-Smasher and Steve Rogers using the same shield to attack Tony Stark in “Captain America: Civil War.” The scenes were similar, but there is clearly a difference in the characters of both men. Wyatt Russell’s performance as fake Captain America John Walker is one that I like to compare to Imelda Staunton’s
By RYAN ISRAEL Senior Scene Writer
On Friday, the 32nd edition of “The Shirt” — a piece of apparel produced annually to celebrate the year’s Notre Dame football team — was revealed to the community. I have long had thoughts on the shirt — which I refuse to capitalize out of disrespect for the institution — and this year, those thoughts reached such a level of coherency that I felt compelled to put them in writing. As a disclaimer, like with many things at Notre Dame, the shirt is the product of student creation and the proceeds from its sale go to charitable causes. I’m not sure what type of person signs up to design the shirt, but I do appreciate their time, effort and good will. Also, I think charity is a good thing. With that being said... Let’s focus on the design of the shirt. It is almost always — or at least for the four years that I’ve been here — over designed. Not-so-subtle references to Notre Dame and Notre Dame football traditions are jampacked onto both the front and back of the shirt, and they aren’t Easter eggs because they’re so obviously and obnoxiously placed right out in the open. This year’s shirt, so conveniently dissected in the tweet below, is no exception. It’s more than just a shirt. Check out the significance [of] The 2021 Shirt design! — The Shirt ND (@theshirtND) April 25, 2021
performance as Professor Umbridge in the “Harry Potter” franchise — he’s a character I love to hate. John Walker is an egotistical, brooding soldier given power by the government, but he also shows that it’s the government that inflated his ego in the first place. The choices he made during the show, especially the choice in that one scene I mentioned with the graphic, public killing of the Flag-Smasher who was innocent of what he was accused of, were horrendously unheroic, but the show’s writing makes you wonder how he got to be so much of a jerk in the first place. But that’s another central theme of the show: relying on others. As humans, we are more dependent on each other than we like to think. In a more practical sense, Karli and the Flag-Smashers are rebelling against world governments because they are not receiving the assistance they need to live safe and secure lives. However, Bucky and Sam’s story show that we need to rely on each other mentally as well. Bucky and Sam’s rapport was wild, witty and wonderful, but it was also one of the sweetest bromances ever to grace television. Their relationship demonstrates how the most unlikely of friends can give each other peace of mind if they are willing to open up to each other. I could not in good conscience write this article without acknowledging Isaiah Bradley. One of the final scenes where Sam shows Isaiah his statue recognizing his heroic actions in the Smithsonian Museum sent chills throughout my entire body, and his inclusion in the show represents today’s need for telling the untold stories of Black and other minority voices. Scene Writer Christine Hilario wrote a stellar article about racial commentary in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”
midway through the show’s release, and this season’s commentary ends beautifully between a Black super soldier from the 20th century and our modern Captain America. It’s official, folks — we have a new and worthy Captain America. Sam Wilson came in looking fly (haha, get it?) in his new Wakandan suit, and his first public speech as the newest major superhero on the block about labels and recognizing the humanity in everyone we meet sealed the deal on Sam Wilson taking on the role of America’s hero. We all saw the potential in him as he tried to reason with Karli and make her see that while her intentions were good, her actions were not, and this just made the finale episode all the more satisfying. The official Captain America Twitter page changed with the release of the final episode, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the Marvel Universe reacts to this epic new beginning.
On the front, there are two images, a platitude, the name of the team and the year. On the sleeve, because of course there has to be something on the sleeve, is the insignia of “The Shirt Committee.” And on the back, there’s a quote, a football — because this is for football — a helmet and a cartoon image featuring three characters with incredibly detailed, Pixar-style, dump truck butts. “Less is more” is an approach to design which reigns supreme for good reason. We’re overwhelmed with images and text and f lashing lights v ying for our attention, yet simplicity often speaks louder than all the rest. Using only one image or one quote — not both and definitely not two of each — would give the shirt some much needed clarity. And on top of that, people might actually wear it more than just once. The message of this year’s shirt is unity. Nothing unites the masses like 1) cheering on people playing in a certain colored uniform and 2) spending money to buy a shirt that everyone else will be wearing. Unity is an admirable and relevant message in today’s times, but even the message of unity seems appalling to some Notre Dame fans. The same people who were outraged when the team supported its players who spoke up on racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement are now logging onto Twitter to air their grievances with the fact that the shirt encourages unity. Once again, the
deep-seated prejudices of the Notre Dame football fanbase come out into the open, this time because a shirt — well, not just any shirt, The Shirt — is too “political”or “woke” for their liking. To cap this whole discussion off, why not interrogate the idea of The Shirt itself? In reality, it’s simply another cog in the machine that is the Notre Dame football industrial complex. Merchandise is the University’s favorite child — one trip to the bookstore, the most well-maintained building on campus, will reveal that — and The Shirt seems to be the base of all merchandise. It’s the definition of fast fashion, a shirt designed to be mass produced, worn 12 times max and then buried at the bottom of your drawer, and it never even looks good. You could call The Shirt an important Notre Dame tradition, but that would be overselling it. Notre Dame has countless traditions, too many to count, and The Shirt isn’t even in the top 50. Of course, The Shirt will persist; next year will no doubt bring about a new design (but this time in blue!) and thousands of unsold shirts will be dumped off at the end of the season. I know the likely ineffectiveness of this article, the “old man yells at cloud” of it all, but hopefully, ideally, maybe in my dreams, next year’s shirt will look a little cooler than this year’s.
Contact Sophia Michetti at smichett@nd.edu
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” Season 1 Starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Daniel Brühl Favorite Episodes: “The Star-Spangled Man,” “The Whole World Is Watching” If You Like: “WandaVision,” Marvel movies Where to Watch: Disney+
Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu JACKIE JUNCO | The Observer
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ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, april 28, 2021 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Control will be an issue when it comes to partnerships, loyalty and sorting through your differences. Stick to the rules; take good care of yourself and those you love. Go above and beyond the call of duty to get things done right and on time. Progress will unfold if you are willing to put your all into whatever you pursue. Your numbers are 9, 12, 16, 23, 32, 45, 48. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take care of your responsibilities before someone reminds you to. Dig in and get something done that makes you proud and fulfilled. Don’t get angry over something you cannot change. Find a way to work around any obstacle you encounter. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Address issues that can hold you back or cost you emotionally, mentally or physically. Set high standards and work hard, and you’ll gain the respect of those you live or work alongside. Add a personal touch to whatever you pursue. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Ponder what’s possible. Check out what’s required to move forward with something you want to pursue. Show discipline and patience when dealing with people you find challenging. Leave nothing to chance or incomplete. Don’t count on anyone but yourself. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Say no to a joint venture. Use your skills and knowledge to your advantage. You can make a difference if you take a leadership position. Take control, and you’ll get the results you desire. Personal improvements will pay off. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Show discipline, stick to your plan, and say no to temptation, excessiveness and overspending. Stop worrying about what others do, and concentrate on what you are doing. Partnership problems will arise if you let your emotions interfere with how you behave. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Learn from the best, follow through with your plans and don’t be afraid to do things your way. Take a unique approach. Opportunities to use your skills diversely and to connect with people who share your sentiments will unfold. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Refuse to let your emotions interfere with your financial matters. Live up to your promises, take care of your personal and professional responsibilities, and aim to stabilize your life. Avoid getting involved in joint ventures or agreeing to share expenses. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Concentrate on what you are trying to achieve. Take the path that leads to personal growth and a change of scenery. Focus on decluttering your life and letting go of situations holding you back or limiting your freedom. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep life simple, be moderate and avoid letting others dictate what you can do. Spend more time at home altering your space to accommodate what you want to do next. Don’t trust anyone with personal information, possessions or passwords. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ve got what it takes to excel. Put your energy where it counts, and don’t stop until you reach your destination. Look at obscure propositions and adjust them to fit into your lifestyle and dreams. Romance will enhance your life. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Dealing with a friend, colleague or relative will be difficult. Give others the freedom to do as they please, and redirect your energy into something that will benefit you personally. Fitness, health and personal growth are in your best interest. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Invest time and money in your surroundings, skills and plans to get ahead. A change in direction will be rejuvenating and give you something to embrace. Follow your heart, and take the initiative to make your dreams come true. Romance is favored. Birthday Baby: You are intense, disciplined and complex. You are intuitive and possessive.
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The observer | Wednesday, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports Authority
Brady’s number reaction is over nothing Mannion McGinley Sports Editor
Earlier in April, the NFL announced a new rule that would allow for expanded numbers in the different positions. Most drastically, it opened single-digit numbers to running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, linebackers and defensive backs, rather than maintaining the single-digit option solely for q u a r t e r b a c k s , kickers and punters, as per usual. This decision was met with a wide range of player reactions. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, safety Derwin James Jr. and wide-receiver Tyreek Hill called a half-serious dibs on 2, 3 and 6, respectively. Derrick Henry decided to make a joke about it, but was also fine with the new decision. The second oldest man in the league, however, was up in arms. Tom Brady took to Instagram stories to voice his frustrations with the decision, providing additional tonguein-cheek changes he would “want” to see. His position against the change, he argued, was that players wouldn’t know who to block anymore. While he doesn’t have to worry about that as one of the few positions that don’t block anyone — at least not often, if at all — his
point did make me wonder: What was the original number rule? And why did it exist? The best part about his freak out? The rule really didn’t exist until pretty recent NFL history, and has changed a lot in that time. So what does it say about Brady that he cares so much? We begin in the 1920s At this point, rosters were limited to 22 people, so there was no definitive numbers rule. I mean, why would there be? Instead, players just stayed roughly within the first 25 numbers, much like a high school sports team that reuses the jerseys every year. 1930s – early 1950s This is when the system we use now came on the scene. The transition from single-wing football — football that had the offensive line mostly on one side of the quarterback — to t-formation — what we have now—players simply took their numbers with them to the new positions. Because players still played both offense and defense at this point, backs got numbers between 10-49, and the offensive line numbers were 50-89. Then, their offensive number would usually correspond correctly
for defense, as you usually stayed on the line if you were on the l ine and stayed off if you weren’t. The only grey area was linebackers, who could have pretty much any number. There was another league in the 1940s called the AAFC and it had a completely different numbering system, which caused immense confusion on the field. This led to a leaguewide standard in the NFL in 1952, only to then adopt the AFL in 1960, which required another adjustment. Cut to 1973 The AAFC and AFL had such detailed numbering systems that the NFL had to make theirs more rigid. New numbers were prohibited unless you had been playing before the switch, in which case you could be grandfathered in. This system is still in place today. Had the adjustments stopped since 1973, leaving the league stagnant since then in which numbers each person could have and when, I would understand why Brady would be more inclined to keep things definitive. It makes sense that this big of a change to a stagnant system would have some pushback. The
problem lies in that it has been changing over time and hasn’t changed much at all. The last 48 years Up through 2020, there had been five major changes to the number system. One in 1979 that expanded offensive linemen and center numbers. Another in 1984 for linebackers as more and more teams began to use 3-4 defense and sheerly ran out of linebacker numbers. A third in 2004 allowing wide receivers to wear 10-19. This came after many teams retired numbers in the 8-s and roster growth led to the teams having more WRs. Then in 2010 and 2015, the defense saw two more number expansions in the linemen and the linebackers because of the growing and changing roles of those positions. Defensive ends have become more versatile as 3-4 and 4-3 defenses require both positions from them. Because of this. it makes sense these numbers overlap. The only real difference between any of these changes and the most recent one is that this one affects Brady’s position. At least, he thinks it does, because he stands out less. I would argue any change to only the defensive number system would be a
bigger concern for Brady. If I were a gambling woman, I would bet the real issue for Brady is that the game is changing. Running backs are tanks that push through the line. Wide receivers call on their college quarterbacking to make a touchdown pass. Quarterbacks are triple threats that not only complete the short pass and the deep bomb, but also their ability to take off rivals that of their running backs. Brady is a 43-year-old man who cannot move that way and, honestly, couldn’t when he was 26 either. The number expansion really does not affect him. It isn’t his fault if the O-line misses a block. It doesn’t rest on him if his defense can’t defend the right people in the right way. And there’s no precedent to say that they would even have trouble. They haven’t since the 1940s, and that was because there were two conflicting systems. Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@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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Car rides to Malibu / Strawberry ice cream / One spoon for two / And trading jackets / Laughing ‘bout how small it looks on you (Ha-ha-ha-ha,ha-ha-haha, ha-ha-ha-ha) / Watching reruns
of Glee / Being annoying / Singing in harmony / I bet she’s bragging / To all her friends, saying you’re so unique, hmm / So when you gonna tell her That we did that too? / She thinks
it’s special / But it’s all reused / That was our place, I found it first / I made the jokes you tell to her when she’s with you / Do you get déjà vu when she’s with you? / Do you get déjà vu?
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ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, april 28, 2021 | The Observer
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FOOTball | WAY-TOO-EARLY
Way-Too-Early: Wide Receiver preview Observer Staff Report
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 26. With some key departures in a position that was already questionable for the Irish, it will be vital for some new, young wide receivers to step up for the Irish in 2021. Position Receivers
Group:
Wide
2021 Depth Chart: graduate student Avery Davis; seniors Kevin Austin, Braden Lenzy, Lawrence Keys III and Joe Wilkins Jr.; sophomores Jordan Johnson, Xavier Watts and Jay Brunelle; incoming freshmen Lorenzo Styles Jr., Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas Key Departures: Javon McKinley McKinley was a backbone of the Irish receiving corps in 2020 with his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame making him especially effective for the Irish in press coverage. McKinley finished the season as the leading receiver for the Irish with 717 receiving yards off of 42 catches, which was good for an outstanding 17.1 yards per reception. McKinley also added three touchdown catches on the year— all of which came against Syracuse on senior day at Notre Dame Stadium. Although McKinley did see some action in 2019, this past year was the first season McKinley got meaningful playing time in big games. The Irish will look to replace the big frame of McKinley in 2021 and find a new receiver who is just as effective in press coverage. Ben Skowronek The Northwestern graduate transfer made a huge impact in his only season for the Irish in 2020. Despite not participating in games against South Florida and Florida State, ‘Benny Skow’ finished second among wide receivers with 439 total receiving yards off of 29 receptions. Skowronek also led the Irish with five receiving touchdowns on the year. Skowronek played a great game against Georgia Tech, where he had two receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He had another breakout game against Boston College, where he hauled in three touchdown passes for 63 yards. Skowronek also had a crucial rushing touchdown off of a sweep play in Notre Dame’s 31-17 win over North Carolina. Micah Jones Although Jones did not have a college reception to his name
at Notre Dame, he had the potential to step up in 2021 to fill in for the departures of McKinley and Skowronek. Jones recently announced that he will be transferring to Illinois State. Jones only saw action in the regular season finale against Syracuse, but he definitely has the potential to excel at Illinois State. Like classmate Lawrence Keys, Jones was a highly touted recruit in the class of 2018, as he was the 69th-ranked receiver nationally by ESPN. It is possible Jones could have been a key part of the Irish offense in 2021 if he hadn’t decided to transfer. Key Returnees: Kevin Austin Austin has been raved about in practice extensively during his three seasons at Notre Dame, but he has seen very limited playing time due to injuries and suspensions. In 2020, many expected Austin to become the top receiver for the Irish, but he only recorded one catch for 18 yards on the year due to a nagging foot injury that ended with him breaking his fifth metatarsal before the Pittsburgh game. His 6-foot2, 215-pound frame is identical to Javon McKinley, making him a prime candidate to fill in for him as the leading receiver in 2021. If Austin can rewrite his unlucky narrative from his first three seasons with Notre Dame, he could be set for a big 2021 campaign. Avery Davis Davis has had a very unique experience with Notre Dame so far, as he was recruited as a quarterback, then moved to running back, then cornerback, and finally to wide receiver. Davis showed promise in 2019 with 10 catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, but not many expected Davis to have as good of a 2020 season as he did. Davis finished his senior season with 24 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns. It was in large part because of Davis that the Irish were able to knock off thenNo.1 Clemson 47-40 in double overtime. With the Irish down by seven and under 1:15 to go, Davis secured a 53-yard reception to get the Irish in scoring position. Davis would go on to catch the game-tying touchdown pass from Ian Book a couple of plays later to force overtime. Although Davis had moments like this in 2020, the Irish failed to utilize him on a consistent basis throughout the year. They will likely need to involve Davis a lot more in 2021 with the departures of McKinley and Skowronek. Braden Lenzy
Many expected Lenzy to be the top receiver for the Irish in 2020, but nagging injuries plagued Lenzy’s production throughout the majority of his junior season. Lenzy finished 2020 with just seven receptions for 63 receiving yards and one touchdown and only three rushes for eight yards. This was a serious decline from his sophomore season, when Lenzy had 254 receiving yards on the year and 200 yards rushing for four total touchdowns. At times in 2020, it appeared that the speedster was not able to reach the top speed he showed off during his sophomore campaign. Assuming Lenzy can be healthy for his senior season, expect him to be an integral part of the Irish offense, whether it be on sweep plays or in the receiving game. Lawrence Keys III Keys was another young receiver who many expected to be more involved in the Irish offense in 2020. Keys was a nonfactor for most of the year, however, as he only had five receptions for 51 yards on the season. Additionally, Keys struggled with punt returns. After a fumble against Florida State, Keys was not used as the primary punt returner for the remainder of the year. The highly touted class of 2018 recruit was the 150th ranked player and 21st ranked wide receiver in the nation per ESPN. It is apparent that Keys has a lot of talent, but he has been unable to put everything together in his first three years. If Keys can improve his route-running ability and stay healthy (he had an undisclosed injury after his sophomore year), he could be primed for a breakout senior season. Joe Wilkins Jr. Wilkins was a complete nonfactor for the Irish in his first two seasons, as he only appeared in eight total games in 2018 and 2019 with no total catches. Although Wilkins was not a major target for Ian Book in 2020, he did receive significantly more action in his junior season, finishing the year with seven receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. If Wilkins is able to improve significantly again this season, he could be one of the top receivers for the Irish in 2021. Jordan Johnson / Xavier Watts / Jay Brunelle Although these three players did not record any receptions as freshmen, look for all three to make a stride forward in their sophomore season. It is likely that Johnson will be utilized significantly more in 2021. Johnson came in as
a five-star recruit, the 25thranked player nationally and the third-ranked wide receiver in the class of 2020, per Rivals. Although Johnson was not ready for the college level in his freshman year, expect the speedster and talented young route-runner to get some action. Watts and Brunelle were both three-star recruits in the class of 2020 and excelled in high school. If they are able to develop and make strides in the offseason, they could be involved in the offense as well. Key Additions: Lorenzo Styles Jr. / Deion Colzie / Jayden Thomas Styles likely has the best chance to make the biggest immediate impact out of this freshmen trio. He comes into Notre Dame as a four-star recruit and was an explosive kick returner in high school, an area the Irish have struggled to get production from in recent years. Colzie is another big-name 2021 recruit for the Irish. The four-star is the 10th-ranked wide receiver nationally per ESPN.com. Colzie was explosive in his senior year, recording nearly 600 receiving yards off of 31 receptions. Thomas is also a four-star recruit per Rivals and ESPN. Like his freshman counterparts, he was very successful in high school and appears to have a bright future in college even if he does not see much action during his freshman season. Position Grades: Nate Moller — Sports Writer There are a lot of question marks surrounding the wide receiving corps heading into the 2021 season with the departures of key wide receivers Javon McKinley and Ben Skowronek. While there are a lot of players that could step up and make an impact this season, there is a lot of raw talent that at this point has not translated into success on the field. I expect Braden Lenzy to play a large role in the offense, but it might be more off of jet sweeps and other plays that will utilize his speed, rather than a traditional wide receiver role. Avery Davis will also likely have a large role, but he will need to take a step forward from 2020 if he is going to assert himself as one of the team’s top receivers. Even if Lenzy and Davis can find success, there will certainly need to be a taller receiver that steps up for the Irish. I will make the bold prediction and say Kevin Austin finally gets some solid playing time. Overall, there is a lot of potential for success,
but there are just too many question marks at the moment to be confident in the wide receiving corps. Position Grade: C+ Hayden Adams — Senior Sports Writer It feels like we’re right back where we were just over one year ago: with me and Nate grading out Notre Dame’s wide receivers in very different fashion. For the record, his grade is the same, and I’m not going to be as naive now as I was then (fool me once...), but still slightly more optimistic. The thing about this position is that it’s the key to unlocking the whole offense. That was clear in the ACC Championship Game and Rose Bowl this winter, when Notre Dame’s receivers accounted for just 17 of 48 total completions (eight catches against Alabama, nine against Clemson). Balance is great and all, but when it’s producing ZERO passing touchdowns and 24 total points in two postseason appearances against top-5 teams, some change needs to be made. I’ve come around to accepting the reality that with virtually no spring practice and an abbreviated fall camp, first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees simplified the offense and leaned on his strengths in 2020 — namely by running the damn ball. And he’s said all the right things this spring about next season’s offense not looking like last year’s because of the wildly different personnel strengths. But the Irish are still losing the relative dependability of Skowronek and McKinley while banking on the flashes of potential they’ve seen from perpetually unavailable Kevin Austin, perpetually injured Braden Lenzy and perpetually lacking in muscle Lawrence Keys and Joe Wilkins. Position coach Del Alexander, for his apparent inability to get underclassmen receivers ready to play, seems to get one receiver to click in their senior campaign every year, so here’s to hoping it’s former top-100 recruit Austin if we only get to choose one (because it’s usually only one). There’s a lot to work with in terms of potential, and yet there’s a lot of prior evidence suggesting this position group will underwhelm, whether it be because of coaching decisions, injuries or players simply not living up to the hype. But like I said, I’m being slightly more optimistic than Nate. Ever so slightly... Position Grade: BP.S. Brian Kelly, play Jordan Johnson and Xavier Watts!!!
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The observer | Wednesday, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Baseball Continued from page 16
loading the bases w ith no outs. A sacrifice f ly from junior designated hitter Carter Putz brought Myers home, and w ith two outs in the inning, senior first baseman Niko Kavadas showed off his baserunning acumen by sw iping second, allow ing senior left fielder Ryan Cole to take home. Myers tacked on another w ith an RBI single w ith one out in the second, extending the Irish lead to 3-0. The Eagles hardly threatened through the first six innings against graduate student left-hander John Michael Bertrand, but they finally got through in the seventh inning, scoring two runs. Bertrand was pulled for sophomore right-hander Tanner Kohlhepp, who retired all eight batters he faced to close out the game. The Irish added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth, when Kavadas took a fastball the opposite way for a tworun home run. Boston College jumped on the Irish early in the rubber match. Kohlhepp returned to the mound to start the contest for the Irish and allowed the Eagles to score a run after a double and an RBI groundout. The Eagles threatened again in the second, but he was able to escape the inning unscathed. However, the Eagles added another run in the third follow ing a throw ing error and an RBI single. After loading the bases, Kohlhepp was pulled for graduate student left-hander Joe Sheridan, who immediately gave up an RBI single, walked a batter and allowed a two-run double before getting the final out of the inning. Junior right-hander A lex Rao replaced Sheridan after the UCF transfer gave up back-to-back singles to start the fourth. A two-out RBI single extended the Eagles lead to 8-0, and they added another in fifth on a passed ball before Rao was able to get out of the jam. The Irish scored their first run of the contest in the seventh on a Myers RBI groundout. They entered the eighth trailing 9-1, but the bats came alive at the right time. “They didn’t need any yelling and screaming,” Jarrett said. “They were infuriated w ith how this was going.” Kavadas led off the frame w ith another home run, his second of the day and team-leading 15th of the season. Putz singled and sophomore third baseman Jack Brannigan was hit by a pitch before junior shortstop Zack Prajzner drilled a three-run homer to left field
to cut the lead to 9-5. After junior catcher Nick Juaire grounded out for the second out out of the inning, sophomore second baseman Kyle Hess walked and stole second. Myers beat out an infield single, and a throwing error allowed Hess to come home. Cole was hit by a pitch, prompting a pitching change, but Kavadas drew a walk to load the bases, and Putz and Brannigan followed w ith consecutive walks to score t wo more runs. Senior catcher Dav id LaManna beat out a fielder’s choice as the Eagles first went to second to tr y and force Brannigan out, but he slid in safely. LaManna beat the throw to first, allow ing t wo runners to come home and give the Irish their first lead of the game. “Toughness, poise, composure, any words you want to throw out for that, it was fitting,” Jarrett said of the v ictor y. After Prajzner was hit by a pitch, Brannigan broke for home on the subsequent at-bat, beating the pitcher’s throw to extend the lead and firing up the Irish dugout. “They had been in the w indup a lot w ith a runner on third base, and it just seemed like it was the right time to tr y it,” Jarrett said. Juaire then walked, and Hess hit a ground-rule double to add some additional insurance runs for the Irish, extending the lead to 13-9. The combination of sophomore right-hander Liam Simon and junior left-hander Aidan Ty rell combined to slam the door and preser ve Notre Dame’s largest comeback w in since 2009. Jarrett said the rally was unlike any thing he has w itnessed in his t wo decades of coaching. “I’m just so proud of the toughness of the kids, the coaching staff, the stick-w ith-it-ness of the group,” he said. The Irish return to campus Tuesday for a midweek matchup against nonconference foe Valparaiso before welcoming North Carolina to South Bend for a threegame weekend series. Notre Dame has just three conference series remaining before postseason play begins. Jarrett noted his team could be primed for a deep postseason run. “As you w itness these unique moments, it really builds confidence that the possibilities are endless for what the group can do,” he said. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu
M Golf Continued from page 16
for the Irish in round 1. However, Notre Dame bounced back in Round 2, notching a +1 score as a team, which not only lifted them out of the cellar but put them just a stroke out of eighth place. K ho was blistering hot again for the Irish, this time making just one bogey and collecting birdies on five of the final eight holes for a sizzling -4 round. He entered round three just a shot out of fifth place indiv idually. Senior Dav is Chatfield notched his third birdie of the round on hole 18 to finish w ith a -1 score. Sophomore Palmer Jackson did have a pair of double-bogeys in his
T&F Continued from page 16
a 4:15.76. Junior AnnaSophia Keller placed fifth and finished in 4:17.04. All three runners recorded times ranking in the top 10 in program history. Wasserman’s time ranks fourth, Markezich sixth and Keller ninth. The Irish also found success in the infield, especially from some younger talents. As mentioned earlier, the women’s distance team wasn’t finished with their business on the weekend yet. Back at the Drake Relays on Saturday, the women’s distance medley relay team
W Lax Continued from page 16
to the All-ACC Second Team. Aldave was as efficient as possible Saturday, scoring on each of her four shots. The senior from Baltimore, Maryland is sixth on the Irish with 12 goals on the year. She also helped the Irish dominate the restarts, leading all players with 12 draw controls on the day. Deehan, who made a highlight-reel save with her left foot from point-blank range while the score was 2-1 early in the first half, recorded double-digit saves for the seventh time this season. The Milton, Georgia native paces the ACC with 9.69 saves per game and was named to the All-ACC First Team, along with Irish graduate student attacker
round, but five birdies helped him limit the damage. His birdie on hole 6 was one of just 13 by the entire field for the hole during the tournament, as both he and Clark finished +3 to round out Notre Dame’s scoring. Teeing off from hole 10 in Round 3, Notre Dame stayed in contention to move up the leaderboard, shooting a +4 as a team through the first nine holes. Clark and Chatfield notched a pair of birdies to stay at even par as a duo on the first five holes. However, the team shot +13 as a squad over the first nine holes. The Irish shot +17 for the round and dropped to 11th place for the tournament. There were still some highlight holes for the Irish, as their entire
five-man roster birdied the par-5, 567-yard t welfth hole. Three players also collected a birdie on Hole 5, and each player hadmultiple birdies for the round. Chatfield finished his senior-year ACC Tournament strong, grabbing a par on the ninth hole, a 523yard par-4. Only 43% of players collected a par or better — there was just one birdie over the three days — on the hole over the weekend. Overall, it was a disappointing finish for the Irish, who entered the tournament ranked 26th in the countr y — the fifthbest ranking in the ACC. They’ll sweat out their NCA A Tournament fate as the tough weekend drops the Irish closer to the bubble.
put on a dominating performance, beating the field with a whopping eight-second cushion. The group consisted of Markezich (3:23.7 – 1200m), graduate student Kelly Hart (55.3 – 400m), senior Erin Sullivan (2:09.8 – 800m) and Wasserman as anchor (4:34.5 – 1600m). The group set a new meet record en route to their first place finish at 11:03.25. Sophomore thrower Michael Shoaf placed second in the shot put on Friday at the Clark Wood Invitational, shattering his own previous PR and setting the new men’s all-time program record with a distance of 18.74m. Freshman Jadin O’Brien
also inched closer to cementing herself in the record book as she posted the program’s second-best mark in the long jump with a distance of 6.19m to take fifth. The Irish also managed to sweep the men’s and women’s javelin events. Junior Austin Parsons got the Irish going with a victory on the men’s side with a winning throw of64.94m.SeniorGabeDiederich followed with a first-place finish for the women with a throw of 45.60m. Notre Dame is back in action next weekend on Saturday, May 1, as the program hosts the first-ever meet at the Harris Family Track and Field Stadium on campus: the Bob Harris Open.
Samantha Lynch. Notre Dame jumped out to a 6-2 lead with just over seven minutes to go in the first half. Sophomore attacker Madison Ahern and senior attacker Maddie Howe both scored a pair of goals during the run. Howe matched Choma’s team-high five points with a hat trick and two assists on the day, and both she and Ahern were later named to the All-ACC Second Team. After entering the second half down 7-3, two quick goals from Louisville senior midfielder Caroline Blalock cut the Irish lead to two. The Cardinals, however, would then be held scoreless for over 11 minutes as Notre Dame embarked on a 6-0 run to put the game away. During the run, Aldave scored three times,
Choma and Howe both found the net and sophomore attacker Jackie Wolak added a goal to accompany her three assists as the Irish went up 13-5 with just under 19 minutes to go. The Cardinals closed the game on a 6-2 run, but it was a case of “too little, too late” as Notre Dame cruised to a second straight win to close out the regular season. The Irish will now begin their ACC Tournament campaign with a quarterfinal showdown against Duke Wednesday afternoon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Notre Dame will have last beaten the Blue Devils exactly a month earlier in a 13-9 victory in nearby Durham. Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and will air on the ACC Network.
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ndsmcobserver.com | wednesday, april 28, 2021 | The Observer
15
FOOTball | WAY-TOO-EARLY
Way-Too-Early preview: Navy Observer Staff Report
The Notre Dame-Navy rivalry is one of the best in sports, in part because of the great respect that both sides show to each other. Here’s our Way-TooEarly Preview for the 2021 Navy game. Opponent: Navy Midshipmen Date: Nov. 6 Time: TBD Location: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana History of the Matchup The Irish first played the Midshipmen in 1927, and up until last year, it had been played every year since. Before last year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rivalry was the longest uninterrupted intersectional series in college football, as the Notre Dame-USC series was interrupted because of World War II. One of the reasons this rivalry is so unique is the respect that both teams have for each other. After Pearl Harbor and in the midst of World War II, Notre Dame was struggling financially, but the Navy stepped in to help out the University by creating a training center on campus to keep the University afloat. From that point on, Notre Dame has promised Navy a spot on their schedule every year that they want to play the Irish. Another unique aspect of this rivalry began in 2005, with each team standing at the other’s goal post and singing each team’s alma mater, win or lose.
This rivalry as a whole embodies the power of college football and coming together in the midst of competition. In the all-time series, the Irish have dominated the Midshipmen, with the Irish holding a 77-13-1 advantage in the series. In the first ever game of the series in 1927, the Irish won by a score of 19-6. The Irish would remain undefeated in the series until 1933, when the Midshipmen won by a score of 7-0. Notre Dame’s dominance in the series is evidenced by their run from 1964-2006 where they beat the Midshipmen an unprecedented 43 times in a row. In 2007, the Midshipmen finally broke that streak, beating the Irish 46-44 in a triple overtime game for the ages. Although the Irish won in 2008, the Midshipmen were able to string together victories in 2009 and 2010. The 2010 victory came in Brian Kelly’s first year as Notre Dame head coach by a score of 35-17. Although the Midshipmen found some success against the Irish in those years, Notre Dame has asserted their dominance as of late, winning eight out of the last nine games. The only loss in that stretch occurred in 2016, where the Irish finished 4-8. The Irish’s most recent victory in 2019 was a statement win, as the Irish beat the 23rd-ranked Midshipmen by a score of 52-20. 2020 Performance The 2020 season was a big regression for a Navy team that won 11 games just a year earlier in 2019. It was apparent from the opening game of the
season that the Midshipmen were going to struggle mightily on the year, as they were blown out by BYU by a score of 55-3 in Annapolis in the opener. While the Midshipmen managed to win three out of their next four games to bring their record to 3-2, they lost their last five games of the year to finish the season 3-7. Their last game of the season was a 15-0 loss to Army. On the year, the Midshipmen were outscored by their opponents 303-166. They were also out-gained by their opponents in yardage by a difference of 3855-2750. The Midshipmen usually pride themselves on dominating the time of possession with their triple option offense, but that was a struggle for them in 2020 as well, as they had roughly equal time of possessions as their opponents. Kicking was also a big issue for Navy, as they made just six out of ten of the field goals they attempted and missed two extra points on the year as well. The Midshipmen struggled mightily in the run game in 2020, making their triple option offense ineffective all season. The Midshipmen only averaged 178 rushing yards per game on the year, and the offense averaged only 16.6 points per game, which was good for the fourth worst team in the country in total offense. Leading the way for the Midshipmen on the ground was Nelson Smith, who had 645 net rushing yards off of 128 attempts. Fullback Jamale Carothers was second in rushing behind Smith with 358 net rushing yards. The Midshipmen
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also had a slew of other rushers with around 100 yards in their triple option attack. The quarterback position was handled primarily by Dalen Morris and Tyger Goslin. With the triple option attack, neither quarterback needed to pass the ball much, but Morris was the primary throwing quarterback for the Midshipmen, as he recorded 579 passing yards and three passing touchdowns off of 33 completions. Goslin passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns off of 15 completions. The defense for the Midshipmen was also a serious issue for the Midshipmen in 2020, as they gave up 37 points or more in four of their ten games. Towards the end of the year, it appeared that the Midshipmen figured something out on defense, holding their opponents to under 20 points in the final three games despite losing all of those games. 2021 Outlook Including last season, the Midshipmen have only had three losing records during current head coach Ken Niumatalolo’s 13 years with the program. The two other times the team had a losing record, the team was able to turn it around the following year and put together a winning record. In fact, after an abysmal 3-10 record in 2018, Niumatalolo righted the ship in 2019 to lead the Midshipmen to an 11-2 record. While last year was definitely a disaster, Navy still has the right pieces at the coaching positions to get their triple option attack back on track and be competitive. Although
the Midshipmen will lose lead tailback Nelson Smith in 2021, they will likely turn to Jamale Carothers and the other plethora of tailbacks that are capable of fitting into the triple option attack. At the quarterback position, Goslin will likely be the starter for the Midshipmen. While his improvement will definitely be important, the improvement of the offensive line will be vital to the Midshipmen’s success in 2021. If Navy can run the football effectively in their triple option attack, avoid third and long situations, and eat up a majority of the game clock, the Midshipmen should find themselves being competitive in almost every game. If the triple option attack improves, this should significantly help the defense as well by virtue of keeping them off the field at the very least. Before playing the Irish, the Midshipmen will play Marshall, Air Force, Houston, UCF, SMU, Memphis, Cincinnati and Tulsa. While none of these matchups will be sure wins for Navy, they should be competitive in the majority of these games. The Midshipmen will likely be big underdogs, however, against Cincinnati, who is likely to be a top ten team in the country. The matchups against UCF and Tulsa could be challenging too, as both of these teams have had success in recent years. The Irish will be coming off of likely their hardest stretch of the season where they play Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, USC and UNC in a grueling five-game stretch. The Irish should be heavily favored against Navy in 2021, assuming things play out as planned in 2021. (Way-Too-Early) Predictions Nate Moller — Sports Writer The Irish should have no problem with a Navy team that struggled mightily in the 2020 season, but it seems like Navy is usually able to challenge the Irish and stay in the game even if they are big underdogs. I expect the Midshipmen to hang around through the first half in this one, as the Irish initially struggle to contain the triple offense attack. Despite struggling at first, the offense will fire on all cylinders in the second half, and the defense will do enough to give the Irish a muchneeded victory after falling to UNC a week earlier. Final: Notre Dame 27, Navy 17
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The observer | Wednesday, april 28, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd Baseball
ND Women’s Lacrosse | ND 15, Louisville 11
ND baseball Irish claim senior-day win triumphs over BC against No. 19 Louisville By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 26. Notre Dame wasn’t going to go dow n w ithout a fight. Despite being blow n out 10-0 in Friday’s opener and trailing by 9 runs late in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, the sixth-ranked Irish (208, 18-8 ACC) still managed to take two of three on the road from Boston College (16-21, 6-18 ACC) this weekend. “Unbelievable, unthinkable,” Irish head coach Link Jarrett said of Saturday’s come from behind w in. Notre Dame trailed 9-0 but scored 12 runs in a thrilling eighth inning, eight of which came w ith two outs. “That’s why you coach and play, is for that feeling. It just doesn’t come around ver y often, but when it does you w ill never, ever forget what
that’s like,” Jarrett said. The Irish could not get any thing going at the plate in the first game of the series on Friday. Their bats were silenced by Eagles righthander Emmett Sheehan, who tossed 6.1 innings of three-hit ball. Senior center fielder Spencer Myers went 3-4 at the plate for the Irish, but he was the lone bright spot. The rest of the team managed just t wo hits combined. Junior southpaw Will Mercer started the contest but had a rough outing, allow ing seven runs before being pulled in the fifth inning. “[They’re] ver y tough, but our guys were tougher,” Jarrett said of the Eagles. Due to the weather forecast in the Boston area, the two teams elected to move Sunday’s scheduled game up and play a doubleheader Saturday. The Irish came out hot in the first game,
RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer
Notre Dame midfielders Kasey Choma and Andie A ldave combined for nine goals, Irish senior goalie and Tewaaraton nominee Bridget Deehan made 11 saves and Notre Dame dow ned Louisv ille for a second time this season Saturday afternoon as the No. 5 Irish (8-5, 5-5 ACC) picked up a 15-11 senior day v ictor y over the then-No.19 Cardinals (5-10, 1-9 ACC) at Arlotta Family Lacrosse Stadium. Notre Dame had prev iously won 15-10 at Louisv ille in late March. Choma now has 11 goals in her last t wo games. The sophomore from Manor v ille, New York followed up her six-goal performance against Virginia Tech this past Wednesday w ith five goals on Saturday, again leading the Irish in goals. On Tuesday afternoon, Choma was one of three Irish named
see BASEBALL PAGE 14
Irish graduate student midfielder Katie Enrietto fights for the ball during Notre Dame’s match against Virginia Tech on Feb. 21, 2021.
see W LAX PAGE 14
Observer Staff Report
ND Men’s Golf
Track & field
T&F has record-breaking invitational showing
Men’s Golf takes 11th-place at ACC
Observer Staff Report
Observer Staff Report
The Notre Dame Track squad split groups at the famed Drake Relays and at the Clark Woods Invitational this past weekend. The women got off to a hot start in Des Moines at the Drake Relays, sweeping the 5000m race as graduate student Erin Archibeck, junior Maddy Denner and sophomore Katie Rose Blachowicz stacked the podium in that order. Freshman Erin Strzelecki came in fifth. The group kept it close, though, as less than a ten-second margin separated Archibeck and Strzelecki. That’s how the women’s distance team started the weekend, but they weren’t finished there. The Irish came in first and second the next day in the 1500m race as senior Katie Wasserman took the gold with a personal best time of 4:14.43. Freshman Olivia Markezich trailed close behind, posting
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published online April 26.
see T&F PAGE 14
EMMA FARNAN | The Observer
Irish junior distance runner Maddy Denner leads the pack in her race in the Mayo Invitational on Feb. 8, 2020.
Notre Dame men’s golf completed their conference season w ith an 11th-place finish at the ACC Tournament, and they’ll await their fate as a bubble team when the NCA A Tournament field is announced next Wednesday. The Irish played 54 holes of golf, w ith only the top four in the 12-team field advancing to a match-play knockout round. The top four scorers counted in each round for the Irish, who finished +30 on the weekend. The standings were relatively crowded. After a clear six-team battle for the four match-play spots, the teams on the second half of the leaderboard finished bet ween +19 and +33. Notre Dame ultimately
finished just 7 shots back of Duke in eighth place and 11 back of Virginia in seventh. The match-play championship was won by Clemson, who emerged v ictorious over Florida State in the championship. Both had sur v ived a strong semifinalist field that was rounded out by North Carolina and NC State. The Irish got off to a bit of a tough start, shooting a +12 as a team in Round 1, which put them in last place. Junior Taichi K ho shot the hot round for Notre Dame, finishing w ith even par, while the rest of the squad finished bet ween +3 and +5. Freshman Tucker Clark looked ver y good early in his ACC Tournament debut, birdieing three of his first five holes, but had some struggles on a back nine that caused trouble for the whole roster, which kept him from scoring see M GOLF PAGE 14