Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, April 22, 2022

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MAGGIE KLAERS | PHOTOS BY RYAN VIGILANTE, ND Athletics

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INSidER

The observer | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Receivers Continued from page 4

seeking to develop the skills to be a figurehead for those around him. “I’m working on being more of a vocal leader and being able to give guidance on the field and off the field, so I feel like that’s just really the next step for me– be an example by how I work, but then also with my words,” he said. The fuel for all of his goals and aspirations, he said, is his love of the game and of competition. He said that the intense practices instill high intensity and competitiveness among the players. Styles also added how to practice while being competitive can translate to the field. This drive allows them to work both individually and as a unity, putting up a formidable front to any opponent. “I really just have this fire burning inside me,” Styles said. “I feel like that’s why I really love the game, just going against another person is saying ‘I’m out to beat you on this round with my teammates.’” Colzie has a similar mindset to Styles, and said he is looking to stay consistent and continuously improve. This comes after an adjustment period in which Colzie had to familiarize himself with the world of college football. “The first year was more of a learning year, definitely, just trying to get the ropes of college football,” he said. “I just want to improve on the little things, the basics, the fundamentals, just kind of getting everything tied together and playing at a college speed.” Sometimes, adjustment periods can add pressure for players to perform. That’s especially for freshmen, and especially when up against the talent of the Notre Dame wide receiver corps. Despite this, Colzie is not letting it get to his head. Instead,

Freshmen Continued from page 4

bring length to the lineup. Who knows what a little more weight on him could do to his power? Nevertheless, Sneed’s athleticism and upside has made him a top prospect. I believe he can certainly bring an element of speed and explosion to the team. There have been rumors from Freeman that Sneed will play Rover come fall due to his similarities with former LB and current Cleveland Brown Jeremiah OwusuKoramoah. However, his performance at the Blue-Gold game as well as in practice and summer training will be the true test. Sneed is definitely someone to look out for, and will be playing for the Gold team on Saturday.

Cornerback Mickey

(CB)

Jaden

A fellow defensive four star

he’s focused on what he needs to do in order to improve. “I’m just kind of focused on myself right now, improving on myself and doing what I can for the team no matter what that role may be,” he said. “Whatever the case may be, I want to do my best for the team and want to put myself in the best position.” In addition to undergoing his own personal adjustment period, the team around him has been altered. The hiring of new coaches and staff could have the potential to rattle players. But Colzie said he did not have that problem. “Honestly, it hasn’t really affected my preparation,” Colzie said. “Right now it’s just more of a ‘me’ focus, trying to improve on me and it doesn’t really matter, the outside factors, as long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to do on and off the field to improve my game. That’s really all that matters.” The main reason why this shift has been relatively smooth, Colzie said, is the team’s camaraderie. He said that the team knows what is best for each other. He mentioned they keep each other accountable to that standard each day at practice. Colzie also said that the older team members have helped lead and unify the group to cope with the changes and move forward as a strong unit. “It’s a brotherhood here,” he said. “We have that connection here that we all know that we have to be the best for each other no matter the coaching situation, no matter what the situation is, just always bring your best and you know, whatever comes, comes … I feel like we all come together and really have gotten closer over this past year and [are] going into the spring right now just bouncing off each other, giving each other feedback and trying to improve every day.” Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu

recruit, Jaden Mickey’s quick footedness and fluidity will prove to be an asset for the Irish. The 5’11 1/2’’ 176 pound Californian brings both smooth athletic skills and a high football IQ to the table. Film highlights show that Mickey plays an aggressive game but is able to execute it at a high level. That’s a perfect combination for a CB. He shows impressive coverage instincts and gets his hands on a lot of throws. In a position like cornerback that requires both high physicality and mental discipline, I think Mickey is capable of creating some big turnovers this season. Catch him in action on the Gold team this Saturday.

Quarterback Angeli

(QB)

Steve

This pick seems particularly fitting with Tyler Buchner out for the spring game following his ankle injury. Steve Angeli, a New Jersey native hailing from Group

Freeman recruits ahead of Blue and Gold Game By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

For those willing to recall the chaos that was December of 2021 for Notre Dame Football, the memory of Marcus Freeman’s recruiting efforts shine brightly amidst the turmoil. Freeman traveled around the country, visiting currently committed prospects and potential recruits. He kept four-star wide receiver Tobias Merriweather on board after Brian Kelly left a recruiting visit at Merriweather’s house and promptly took the LSU job. He locked in a commitment from offensive lineman Billy Schrauth. When Jack Swarbrick hired Freeman, he kept the program in a stable position. Freeman rewarded the move by improving on that position. Through relentless recruiting, Freeman continues to haul in elite prospects to set Notre Dame up for a national championship run. By 247 Sports the Irish have the top-ranked 2023 class. By On3 consensus rankings, the Irish are ranked second. No matter which source you choose or what angle you take, there are few ways to spin it. Freeman has Notre Dame football back among the recruiting powerhouses. Mike Singer of Blue and Gold Illustrated spoke with The Observer about the biggest changes he’s seen in the Freeman era. “They’re aggressive. With Freeman, he’s traveling coastto-coast. And if your head coach is recruiting at a high level and is recruiting daily, it trickles down to your assistants,” Singer said. “I don’t think Brian Kelly recruited all

A state championship-winning Bergen Catholic HS, has loads of potential. The 6’2’’ 210 pounder has shown accuracy on short throws as well as good touch on deep throws. His good size, coupled with his quick release, can provide decent depth behind Buchner and Drew Pyne. With continued work alongside his fellow QBs and under the guidance of offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Angeli could greatly improve. The possibility of another QB injury always looming. And that means it is certainly possible that Angeli could have to step in at some point. Who knows what waves he could make if this was the case? Though Pyne is taking the lead and playing on both teams this weekend, Angeli will join him in the QB position on the Gold team.

Running back Jadarian Price

(RB)

Texas standout and four star

that hard. He was good when he recruited, but that was the issue — when he recruited. Freeman is a fantastic recruiter, and he loves recruiting.” So with the highly-ranked 2023 class, where do the Irish stand? And what do Freeman and Co. need to continue to do in order to maintain their early momentum?

On Dante Moore Carnell Tate

and

At one time, landing Moore and Tate was the dream. By On3 rankings, both are the fourth-ranked players at their position. With strong ties to each other, getting the duo in a package deal seemed feasible. This is becoming less likely, as Notre Dame seems to be falling behind in Tate’s recruitment. Singer commented on the situation. “Notre Dame is not trending in a good direction for Carnell Tate … It’s Tennessee and Ohio State at one and two in some order, and Notre Dame at three.” While being a finalist for a top-five receiver is certainly great, it’s going to take a late and very strong push for the Irish to land Tate. However, neither Tennessee or Ohio State are seemingly in the conversation for Moore. That’ll ease concerns that Moore could join Tate away from Notre Dame, but that’s not to say Moore’s recruitment is a done deal. He’s visiting LSU this weekend (with Tate, although LSU doesn’t appear to be a major player in that recruitment.) “For Dante Moore, I’d be more concerned if he didn’t just have a two-day visit to Notre Dame,” Singer noted. “I think he’s going to stay in the

recruit Jadarian Price is one of the most instinctual and explosive running backs in the country. Few running backs can reach maximum speed as fast as the 5’10’’, 190 pound Price. And there’s only room for him to grow – both physically and with his technique. Price possesses both speed and the ability to ensure a catch. And his patience as a runner allows his blockers to open holes for him. I believe this will allow Price to provide depth in the Irish running back room gain solid yardage. Some time in the weight room and continued practice reps could turn Price into a force in the fall. As for now, he will be playing on the Gold team this Saturday.

In Summary Though each of the incoming freshmen will have several opportunities to prove themselves and hold their own, these are the top four that I recommend

Midwest, and looking at the schools in the Midwest, I think Notre Dame has done the best job with him.” If it does indeed come down to the Midwest, it almost certainly will be between Notre Dame and Michigan. Michigan had the early edge on the instate prospect, but they seem to have lost their grip on Moore. Oregon, Miami and LSU also are potential contenders in the recruitment. Moore will make his second visit of the calendar year to Oregon next weekend. While wide receiver has more options, the Irish will be in a bit of a sticky situation if they don’t land Moore. On3’s recruitment prediction tool currently gives the Irish a 69.9% chance of making that happen. If not, Notre Dame will need to quickly pivot, but this is their first true chance in a while at landing one of the elite quarterback prospects.

So if not Tate… If the Irish fall short on Tate, which is looking likely, they must find replacement options. They already locked in one of their top targets in Braylon James. James is ranked as the 19th-best wide receiver in the class by On3, and he’s Notre Dame’s top-ranked offensive recruit so far. The most exciting thing for Irish fans? James hasn’t come close to scratching his potential, according to Singer. “He’s a raw player that will thrive at the college level when he gets better coaching,” Singer said. “He’s got really good tools, and I think he’s going to be a heck of a player.” see FREEMAN PAGE 3

keeping an eye on at the game this weekend, as well as next fall. Sneed and Mickey’s contributions on defense will provide depth now and build for the future. Angeli’s potential as quarterback provides a strong bench under Buchner and Pyne, with the ability to step up at a moment’s notice. Finally, Price’s speed and patience will contribute to the Irish rushing attack. These players are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the skill and sheer strength that exists in the 2022 class. The Irish will welcome other top-tier freshmen in the fall, such as WR and Washington native Tobias Merriweather, as well as tight ends Eli Raridon and Holden States. There is certainly lots to look forward to as Irish fans prepare for the “Freeman Era” to enter full swing.” Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

The independent

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newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

and holy cross

it accurately

Volume 56, Issue 67 | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Notre Incoming Holy Cross President Marco Clark discusses future goals for the College Dame to suspend CRU New HCC President details plans

By LIAM PRICE

Associate News Editor

Holy Cross announced last week that Marco Clark w ill succeed Fr. Dav id Tyson as College president in July when Tyson’s term ends. Clark, who w ill be the first non-Holy Cross brother or priest to ser ve as Holy Cross president, said he was compelled to apply to the position because of the College’s abilit y to foster student grow th. “Holy Cross College is a place where people can f lourish — they can really grow into themselves,” he said. “It’s got a small enough env ironment to meet students where they are and

help them fulfill their Godgiven potential.” Originally hoping to become a high school football coach when he graduated college, Clark said he felt a larger calling for a future in Catholic education while ser v ing as a school counselor at DeMatha Catholic High School in Mar yland. “I believe in a vocational call,” Clark said. “I use the phrase that ‘God brings us to our time and place.’” Clark’s “time and place” led him to Bishop McNamara High School in Illinois from 1997-2020, where he first ser ved as principal and eventually president of the school. Most recently, he has

University names degree recipients Observer Staff Report

Theologian M. Shawn Copeland will deliver the commencement address for the Saint Mary’s class of 2022, the College announced Thursday. Copeland is professor emerita of systematic theology in the Department of Theology and the program in African and African Diaspora Studies at Boston College. She was the first African American and first African

American woman to serve as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and has spoken at Saint Mary’s before as the 2007 Madeleva Lecturer. CollegePresidentKatieConboy praised Copeland’s work as remarkable. “​​As a Catholic theologian, she has influenced generations of students, lay people, and clergy across the world,” Conboy said see DEGREE PAGE 3

Temple Grandin speaks at SMC By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN and NICOLE BILYAK Assistant Managing Editor, News Writer

The Saint Mar y’s communit y gathered in O’Laughlin Auditorium Wednesday evening to hear from professor, animal science expert and best-selling author Temple Grandin about her

NEws PAGE 4

experiences w ith autism spectrum disorder and adv ice for others on the spectrum. Grandin ser ved as the College’s inaugural Autism Studies lecture speaker. Director of the College’s Masters of Autism Studies Program Michael Waddell see LECTURE PAGE 4

Viewpoint PAGE 7

Observer Staff Report

Texas. As executive director,

The University will suspend COVID Response Unit (CRU) operations May 20, according to an email from the Office of the Provost on Thursday. Symptomatic testing will transition to University Health Services (UHS) for students and the Wellness Center for faculty and staff beginning May 23. Surveillance testing will be suspended. COVID-19

see PRESIDENT PAGE 5

see COVID PAGE 3

Courtesy of Marco Clark

Marco Clark will be the first Holy Cross president to not be a Holy Cross brother or priest when he begins his term this summer.

ser ved as executive director of the Holy Cross Institute at St. Edward’s University in

Notre Dame Day returns to regular format Beginning Sunday, 911 student organizations will trying to raise money for their causes as part of the 9th annual Notre Dame Day. The annual fundraising effort begins at 6:42 p.m. EST and runs until 12:11 a.m. EST Tuesday. Notre Dame Day is filled with a plethora of events and means of fundraising. Students will be able to take part in Notre Dame Day in many different ways, such as calling past donors, reaching out to their networks to make a donation, participating in a referral challenge that could win them items such as a bookstore gift card. One of the core elements of the fundraising effort is the live broadcast that runs throughout Notre Dame Day. The broadcast will run from 6:42 p.m. to 12:11 a.m. Sunday, then again from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6:42 p.m. to 12:11 a.m. Monday. On this broadcast, people will be able to participate in group

competitions. “We’ll have a Lip Sync Battle, we’ll do a 40-yard dash, we’ll do a hummus-making competition and a sandwichmaking competition,” senior associate director of annual giving programs Katie Kerby said. “There’ll be more interactive things this year on the broadcast.” One competitive aspect of Notre Dame Day is the Challenge Fund. For each unique donor that donates to a cause, that cause earns a share of the $250,000 fund. “The Challenge Fund makes it a little bit more like incentivizing and a little bit more worth it to participate,” Kerby said. “It really helps, especially smaller groups, get actual funding that they need for the future.” This is not the only prize money that organizations will be able to compete for. Groups that have been identified by the Student Affairs Organization (SAO) as having causes focused on diversity and inclusion will be able to take part in the We Are All ND

Challenge. The 25 groups in this category with the highest percentage increase in unique donors from Notre Dame Day 21 will win an extra $1,000. In 2019, the last “normal” year of Notre Dame Day, according to Kerby, there were 32,418 gifts donated. The past few years have been slightly different because of the pandemic. Because of the suspension of in-person classes due to COVID-19 in spring 2020, the past two Notre Dame Days happened in consecutive semesters. Individually, both raised less than an average Notre Dame Day. Combined, the two days raised over $4 million for 733 different causes. Kerby said because Notre Dame takes pride in traditions, it was not easy to go without the regular format of Notre Dame Day for the past couple of years. “There was just a lot missing the last couple of years and Notre Dame, the whole community, got through it

Scene PAGE 9

Football PAGE 16

W LAcrosse PAGE 16

By EMMA DUFFY News Writer

see ND DAY PAGE 4

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TODAY

The observer | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

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What is your favorite genre of music?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Chris Mulligan

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first-year Dillon Hall

junior Dillon Hall

“Mongolian throat singing.”

“Pirate metal.”

Sam Kaczor

Will Tiller

first-year Dillon Hall

junior Dillon Hall

“Minecraft parodies.”

“Sea shanties.”

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Patrick Conway

Ian Baker

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junior Dillon Hall

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“White noise.”

“Gecs.”

Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey Managing Editor Aidan O’Malley Asst. Managing Editor: Mannion McGinley Asst. Managing Editor: Genevieve Coleman Asst. Managing Editor: Maggie Eastland Notre Dame News Editor: Ryan Peters Saint Mary’s News Editor: Meghan Lange Viewpoint Editor: Hannah Hebda Sports Editor: Aidan Thomas Scene Editor: Claire Lyons Photo Editor: Ryan Vigilante Graphics Editor: Maggie Klaers Social Media Editor: Anna Hurt Advertising Manager: Emili Garcia Casas Ad Design Manager: Alyssa Rave Systems Administrator: Rachel Johnson Talent & Inclusion Manager: Siobhan Loughney Office Manager & General Info

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webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

Today’s Staff News

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Ryan Peters Emma Duffy Kathryn Muchnick

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TRICIA McCORMACK | The Observer

Springtime is finally here and temperatures are rising quickly. Students and animals alike can be seen around Notre Dame’s campus enjoying their time outdoors. St. Mary’s Lake and St. Joseph’s Lake are popular locations for anyone looking to soak up the sun.

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Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Lakeside Music Festival Carroll Hall Lawn 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Watch student musicians perform.

Earth Day Service Blitz Meet at the Grotto 9:30 a.m. - noon Volunteer for an Earth Day event on campus.

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

“From Prisoner to Valedictorian” Ave Brew Cafe 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Luch and talk with Miles Folsom.

Last Day of Classes Notre Dame & Holy Cross University Monday/ Wednesday classes will meet.

A Conversation with Anne Applebaum Jordan Auditorium 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Discuss the war in Ukraine and Russia.

Blue-Gold Game Programming Library Lawn 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Enjoy food, music and inflatables.

Sand Volleyball Tournament Outside Volleyball Courts, SMC 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. All are welcome.

Admitted Student Days Dahnke Ballroom 6:30-9:30 p.m. Welcome the class of 2026 to campus.

“Climate Wars” 1050 Jenkins Nanovic Hall 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. A lecture by Neta C. Crawford.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 22, 2022 | The Observer

COVID

Degree

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

trends on campus and in the South Bend community continue to be positive, interim provost Chris Maziar said in the email. “The trends on our campus and locally continue to be encouraging and, while we fully expect to continue to see variations of the virus, we believe the high vaccination rates within our campus community and the growing availability of at-home testing kits will allow us to modify our existing COVID mitigation practices,” the email said. Residential Life will take control of quarantine and isolation accommodations for students living on campus, according to the email. Other aspects of the University’s COVID response such as the dashboard, hotline and contact tracing will also be suspended. The email said while the University will continue to monitor trends, the base strategy will be to rely on good health practices. “We recognize that the virus is likely with us for the foreseeable future,” the email said. “Our base strategy, however, will be one of vigilance that takes advantage of available vaccinations and relies on good health practices.”

in the release. Copeland will receive an honorary degree from the College alongside class of ‘85 alumna Mary L. Burke, who has been on the Board of Trustees for 16 years. “Her strong bonds and profound love for this institution and for a Holy Cross education has made Burke one of the College’s strongest advocates and most faithful servants,” the release said. In addition, Burke has served on the Madeleva Society Steering Committee, Belles Varsity Club and the Mother Pauline Society. Also at the commencement ceremony, the President’s Medal will be presented to Kathyrn Schneider, the recently retired director of St. Margaret’s House in South Bend. The release noted that Schneider has helped create a decades-long partnership between the College and St. Margaret’s House.Bend. The release noted that Schneider has helped create a decades-long partnership between the College and St. Margaret’s House.

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NEWS

The observer | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Stanford to hold memorial 5k for former RA By CLAIRE REID Associate News Editor

Stanford Hall w ill host a 5K run and cookout Sunday morning in honor of Chris Westdyk, a former Stanford resident assistant (R A) and member of the class of 2019 who died in June 2019 after a long battle w ith cancer. Westdyk’s father, director of Campus Ministr y Fr. Pete McCormick, Stanford’s former priest-in-residence and a friend of Westdyk’s, w ill speak prior to the 12:30 p.m. run. A cookout on North Quad, complete w ith food and music, w ill follow the 5K. Sophomore Stanford resident Joe Hunt took the lead in planning the run alongside a team of fellow Stanford Griffins. He said a 5K is the perfect way to celebrate the life of Westdyk, who was an

Lecture Continued from page 1

discussed how the department approaches the study of autism. “One of the cornerstones of the Master of Autism Studies program is our belief that if we truly want to understand autism, we must not only study the science of autism, but also listen to the voices of people on the spectrum,” he said. With this focus in mind, Waddell noted the department found an easy choice in Temple Grandin as this year’s speaker. “When we began to plan this first autism studies lecture, more than two years ago, it just seemed right to us that the speaker should be a person on the spectrum and there’s one autistic person whose teaching has been more inf luential than any others,” Waddell said. “A person who has not only given us insight into the challenges faced by people on the spectrum, but also opened our eyes to the gifts of people on the spectrum. A person who helped us to understand that while autistic people might be different, they are not less of a person … This person is, of course, Temple Grandin.” Grandin started her speech by stating she was nonverbal until she was four years old. She cited early intervention through speech therapy and her mother’s guidance as being beneficial to her development. “I had great teachers,” she said. “My mother had a very good sense of how to stretch

av id distance runner and member of the Notre Dame Running Club. “[The 5K course] starts in front of Stanford … and w raps around the lakes,” Hunt said. “I wanted to touch all of Chris’s favorite spots on campus, so it’ll pass the [A lliance for Catholic Education] building, it’ll pass the Grotto, it’ll pass the basketball arena and the football stadium because he was an av id sports fan, and it’ll also pass the Jordan Hall of Science because he was pre-med and was planning to teach science.” In planning the run, Hunt said he spoke w ith many people who knew Westdyk, including friends from Notre Dame, Stanford’s former rector Justin McDev itt and people at ACE, the organization at which Westdyk interned because

he planned to teach science after his graduation. Hunt also spoke w ith Westdyk’s father. “It was really cool to learn more about Chris from one of the best perspectives you could have — a father talking about a son,” said Hunt, who first learned of Westdyk’s stor y after reading a news article about him on display in Stanford. “I wanted to make an effort to learn more about him before I planned any thing for him.” Stanford Hall president sophomore Lay ton Hall said the dorm planned to host a run honoring Westdyk in 2020, but it was canceled due to the COV ID-19 pandemic. He hopes Sunday’s run becomes a long-lasting, annual tradition. “First and foremost, this event is to remember who Chris Westdyk was and

what he meant to the people around him,” Hall said. “Our senior class is the only class to … know Chris, but his impact on our communit y hasn’t stopped w ith them. ‘Big Stanford Love’ is something we always say. It represents the tight bond of our dorm communit y — no matter who you are, you are loved and welcomed w ith open arms.” Hall added that Westdyk was “the embodiment of Big Stanford Love.” W hile battling cancer, he ser ved as an R A and Welcome Weekend captain and designed the dorm’s f lag and banner. Students, facult y and communit y members can sign up for the 5K online using the link in the bio of the Stanford Hall Instagram page. Registration is $10 and all proceeds are donated to Fred’s Team, a running

program that raises money for cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Hall said he hopes the event w ill encourage people to embrace “ever y thing Chris stood for” and continue to promote a culture of inclusion, acceptance and celebration in Stanford. “Chris was Notre Dame. Chris was Stanford Hall,” Hall said. “Despite all of his challenges w ith cancer, he was there w ith his section and continued to participate in the numerous activ ities he did. Chris showed dedication to others and the broader communit y … By honoring Chris, I think we are only continuing that culture of Big Stanford Love.”

me just slightly out of my comfort zone and give me choices.” Grandin’s mother also helped her learn to read when Grandin was eight years old by applying letter sounds to books “that were worth reading.” Grandin recounted when she would fixate on drawing the head of a horse as a child and her mother’s suggestion to expand the image. “Take that fixation and expand,” she said. “Let’s draw the whole horse. Let’s draw the saddle. Expand that fixation — don’t stomp it out. Expand, so it’s less fixated.” Grandin explained her passion for science began with encouragement from one of her science teachers. “Mr. Carlock, my science teacher, what he did for me, [is] just show me how education was a pathway to the goal of becoming a scientist,” she said. Grandin emphasized the importance of her finding friends with shared interests when she was being bullied in high school. “Whether I did horseback riding or model rockets or electronics, nobody was doing [any] teasing there,” she said. When she was struggling with health issues in her 20s and 30s, Grandin told the audience about her success with medication since she started taking low doses of antidepressants around 1980. Grandin stated that she is more than her autism diagnosis. “When you really get right down with things like university professor, designer — those are my real

identity,” she said. “Autism is an important part of who I am. But my work — I am my work. That’s what makes life interesting for me.” Finding opportunities for those on the spectrum today Grandin discussed how young people with autism tend to struggle to find quality jobs in various technology industries. “I guess everybody here knows that Elon Musk is on the spectrum,” she said. “I think he’s got a pretty good career. But what I’m seeing is I’m not seeing these kids getting fabulous jobs in the video game industry.” To get those on the spectrum into the workforce, Grandin discussed teaching certain skills during childhood. “What we’ve got to do is start teaching work skills early,” she said. “Chores for little kids and church volunteer jobs at around the age of 11 — that’s paper route age. Because I want them to learn how to do a task on a schedule outside the home [where] somebody else is the boss.” She continued by discussing the similarities between artificial intelligence and the brains of people with autism. “What’s interesting is [that] artificial intelligence is the autistic brain,” Grandin said. “It’s trained with specific examples.” Grandin showed the audience a list of special interest classes including creative writing, playing musical instruments and theater which are increasingly removed from schools’ curriculum. Grandin expressed a desire for schools to reinstate these

courses so students can be exposed to ideas that interest them. “I get asked all the time, if I could do one thing to fix the schools, what would I do? I’d put every class on these slides back in the schools,” she said. In addition, Grandin explained the harm of not building up a student‘s talents in school to promote career readiness. “We spend too much time pounding away on the thing the kid’s bad at and not building up the thing that the kid’s good at,” she said. “Because I’m gonna see them get into a good career.” Grandin emphasized that work in the skilled trades can lead to opportunities for visual thinkers like herself who are on the spectrum. “Now there’s a tendency sometimes to stick your nose up at the very highend skilled trades,” she said. “Now I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but for a lot of the people that are my kind of mind — the visual thinker — that’s the way to go.” Grandin concluded her talk with a simple idea: introduce people on the spectrum to things that will spark their interests. “We got to show kids interesting stuff together,” she said. “Get all these cool patterns. Get some science and nature journals in the high school library, fractals — that’s math and pictures — math and planets. [This] stuff’s all free online.”

ND Day

Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys. edu and Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

Continued from page 1

stronger and better,” she said. “But at the same time, this is our comeback year in a lot of ways and we just want to be able to recognize all the good stuff that’s been able to happen on campus this year.” During this returning year, SAO has not announced a set goal that they would like to raise. They believe that it is more dependent on each club and that they just hope to raise as much as possible for the organizations that need it, Kerby said. Kerby added that Notre Dame Day is a great way to see Notre Dame’s mission to be a force for good come to life. “The money raised by Notre Dame Day touches all corners of campus, the South Bend community and even the world,” she said. Notre Dame Day is more than just a fundraiser, Kerby said. “Notre Dame Day is a celebration of all things,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to share some of the best stories that we see on campus and from Notre Dame alumni or parents.” She emphasized the importance of Notre Dame Day, not just for the money, but for what it means to the Notre Dame community. “Notre Dame Day in my mind is the epitome of how you can celebrate and be a part of the Notre Dame community as a student and then also after you graduate,” Kerby said. Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu

News

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The observer | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Senate passes resolution for University workers By RYAN PETERS Notre Dame News Editor

The Notre Dame student senate passed a resolution Wednesday calling for the Universit y to implement compensation and labor policies that reduce economic hardship for University workers. Resolution 2223-07 called on Notre Dame, the largest employer in South Bend and St. Joseph Count y, to offer starting hourly wages comparable to that of nearby employers. In the resolution, the sponsors referenced “successful” plans implemented by other universities to raise their minimum wage for on-campus jobs to $15 per hour. 2223-07 said the Universit y’s starting wages do not amount to “living” wages in St. Joseph County, according to a MIT study. Current compensation and labor policies in place by the Universit y do not align w ith

President Continued from page 1

he said he “would work on mission formation, conduct research and develop programs that would enhance the mission at all of the 120 Holy Cross schools, colleges and universities.” Clark aims to continue to follow Holy Cross mission The Holy Cross Board of Trustees prioritized a commitment to the Holy Cross mission in their presidential search and Clark emphasized that it would be central to him as well. Clark said Holy Cross’s mission should be the primary consideration for every action the College takes. “Our mission should inform every decision that we make, it should inform curricular decisions, it should inform residential life [and] it should inform what our campus community is like,” he said. And though Clark is the first president of the College to not be a brother or priest, he believes his experiences with the Congregation of Holy Cross has prepared him to carry on its mission during his time as president. “I may not have ‘C.S.C.’ after my name, but I have C.S.C. in my DNA,” Clark said. “I’ve worked with the brothers for 25 years, I was taught by the priests and brothers in high school and I have immersed my professional life in what it means to be a Holy Cross educator.” Clark, a husband, father of three and grandfather of five, said he is a high energy person who loves to

Catholic Social Teaching, the resolution stated. The resolution comes in light of the Raising the Standard Campaign submitting a similar proposal calling for policies such as a $15 minimum wage for students and a cost-of-liv ing adjustment for all workers. There are110 facult y members signed an open letter supporting the proposal. In terms of the senate resolution, first-year Howard Hall senator first-year Isabelle Grace — who sponsored it — said its goal is to ser ve as a call to action rather than enact actual policies. “I think it’s important to this resolution, the point of it is more of like a call for action,” Grace said. “Because as the senate we don’t really have that power to actually make economic policy.” Grace said she expects the University to be able to implement policies to reduce economic hardship w ithout significant financial

ramifications for Universit y operations. “Obv iously this would be a ridiculous resolution to put forth if this just economically was not feasible all based on past successful campaigns, like I listed all those universities that I’ve just had super successful,” she said. Institutions Grace mentioned in the resolution that raised their minimum wages included Har vard Universit y, Johns Hopkins Universit y and the Universit y of Michigan. Keough Hall senator firstyear Derick Williams said now is the time to push the Universit y to raise wages because the students have bargaining power due to the labor shortage. “I think that us as students right now in the current climate of the world, that we’re at the greatest opportunit y that we have for bargaining power. I know for a fact the Universit y needs workers and our student workers

need more money,” Williams said. “And I think that presents us a great opportunit y to push for some of the things mentioned in this resolution. Williams said he has spoken w ith fellow Keough Hall residents who hold on-campus jobs about their wages. “A lot of them are struggling, specifically lower income or first generation students that rely quite a bit on this kind of income for the Universit y to pay for their college education,” he said. The resolution passed w ith over whelming support. The senate also passed a resolution to rev ise the senate bylaws. Student body v ice president and chairperson of the senate sophomore Sofie Stitt w rote the resolution which proposed to amend the bylaws to require all senators to ser ve on at least one executive cabinet department as a department member. Prev iously,

only residence hall senators were required to ser ve on a department. “We found that some of our super, super active senators historically weren’t just residence hall senators,” Stitt said. “And so to ask people to do all of [their duties] and to vote on behalf of people and then not have them be all on departments doesn’t feel great, especially given that student government as a whole is designed to ser ve on-campus students and offcampus students.” Other business involved passing an order to suspend vacancy elections and also amending the bylaws to require the agenda for senate meetings to be sent to the whole senate at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, the senate adjourned for summer recess.

stay active outdoors. As president, he hopes to use his energy tobetter the Holy Cross student experience. “I plan to be everywhere. I plan to engage with the students. And, in that, I need to listen to the students,” he said. He also said his background in enrollment management and growth as well as his executive skills will be useful in helping Holy Cross to grow. Growing Holy Cross, Clark said, is a comprehensive task. “It’s growing the academic profile. It’s growing our reputation. It’s growing physically our enrollment and it’s growing physically, the capital,

the campus,” he said. “That’s what growth means to me.” Clark hopes to enhance student life A college education, Clark said, is as much experiential as it is focused on gaining knowledge and wisdom in the classroom. With this belief as a guide, Clark plans to help foster a vibrant campus life at Holy Cross. “Holy Cross College is a place where opportunities abound and I think we need to create more opportunities in the areas of student life,” Clark said. One aspect of student life Clark looks to expand upon is Holy Cross athletics.

“I’d like to see us add some additional sports programs because I think there’s opportunity to do that,” he said. A former college football player, athletics are highly important to Clark. He said he learned valuable lessons of self lessness and teamwork through playing and coaching sports and he finds students who participate in athletics and the arts grow strong work ethics. As president, Clark aims to set a high standard for the College. “We need to do everything with excellence,” he said. “You can have excellent athletic

programs, excellent academics, excellent commitment to social justice and excellent commitment to service and ministry.” Ultimately, Clark is excited to take on the role of Holy Cross president. “I’m really honored, humbled and grateful for this opportunity to lead Holy Cross College and there won’t be anyone out there that will outwork me and there won’t be anyone out there that will be more passionate than I will be for our college.”

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The observer | Friday, April 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

The Monaco of the West Carolina Jimenez

Eva Analitis

Viewpoint Copyeditor

In the food chain of countries, Puerto Rico is the lowest of lows, lower than soil. The U.S. territory has a bevy of social and economic problems that appear to be getting worse by the day, making it an inhospitable place for a wealthy individual seeking safety and stability. However, dozens of entrepreneurs, made by new economies — cryptocurrencies, social media, blockchain — head to Puerto Rico annually. They are frantically selling their homes and cars in their home states and establishing residency on this enigmatic Caribbean island in hopes to avoid the IRS on their growing fortunes, which are reaching into the billions of dollars. Now, how did an island with a corrupt government and a crippling, unpayable $72.4 billion debt become a millionaire haven? The island’s own vulnerability. This paper proposes the use of government centralization, tax reforms, better regulation and a universal taxing system. For more than a year, all these newfound millionaires have been searching for the new Monaco. After Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico’s infrastructure and its economy, they saw an opportunity and felt a sense of urgency. The perfect circumstances came from two tax incentives passed in 2012 — Act 20 and Act 22. Puerto Rico’s government enacted Act 20 — Export Services Act — to provide tax exemptions to companies that promote exportation services. As well, the law “promotes investments on research and development and initiatives from the academic and private sectors by granting credits and exemptions for these activities. As for Act 22, the Puerto Rican government seeks to attract new residents by providing total exemption to taxes on all passive income. Puerto Rico offers an unparalleled tax incentive: no federal personal income taxes, no capital gains tax and favorable business taxes — all without having to renounce the treasured American citizenship. But, at what cost? The Puerto Rican people. The purpose of these tax exemptions is to cultivate an influx of new immigration into the island, as there is currently a negative correlation between immigration and emigration, favoring emigration. Intentionally, the Puerto Rican government packaged this dream for outside wealthy people as it becomes an investment for future economic growth. However, it has completely lost control with the number of advantages given to the wealthy. As a result, it has become a double policy assault on top of a crippling economy due to corruption subjected to the natives. The thing is that these policies are completely irrelevant to natives because no advantages are given. The law is clear with whom it prioritizes, and the only risks are political. Congress or the Puerto Rican legislature amend their respective tax laws to close down this loophole. But the costs of rolling the dice on politics are minimal for a super affluent taxpayer with a big potential capital gains tax bill — instead natives carry the burden of the freebie given to the rich. What many mainlanders may not realize is that Puerto Rico funds the U.S. government. Puerto Ricans who live on the island aren’t

The comfort of college Below the Surface

just American citizens — they’re American taxpayers. They pay payroll taxes, business taxes and estate taxes. They helped pay for disaster relief in Texas after Hurricane Harvey and in Florida after Hurricane Irma. So, this skewed view, viewing natives as poor inferiors, of Puerto Ricans allows for this sort of mistreatment from mainlanders, taking the island as an advantageous grab-and-go. A Puerto Rican lawyer specializing in Act 22 compliance decided to step back from his work of relocating these millionaires as people were taking too much advantage. He described the act in an article saying, “I’ll take my private jet and fly down; then I’ll take my boat and go somewhere else. They won’t know.” This refers to the requirement of having to stay 183 days of the year in the island to be eligible. This stems from the desperation of lowering taxes at the extent of anything. So, many millionaires take the advantage without paying the small fee of reinvesting in the island. However, mainlanders aren’t the only to blame. The Puerto Rican legislative branch must be held accountable too, through regulations and tax reforms. In the same article, the purpose of Act 20 in the government’s eyes can be found in the words, “Let’s try and invite wealthy people. They will hire a few gardeners, create jobs for a few more waiters.” However, they are not. They do not invest back on the island. Instead, they do the bare minimum —“complying” with the 183 days — and invest their day-to-day expenses elsewhere. Most of this wealth is not actually invested in the tax haven islands themselves. The reason is simple: the very things that make the islands good places to stash money also make them dangerous places to do so. They generally have tiny capital markets and loose financial regulations. They are home to regulators, police and judges who are not quite as impervious to back-door influences as First World enforcers. So offshore investors are generally unwilling to trust such places with large amounts of their financial wealth. The thing is that millionaires are like iguanas. Iguanas have become an invasive species in Puerto Rico due to its introduction for pest control. They were a solution. However, their population has become out of control and a disturbance. Even the government has encouraged consumption as a form of populace control once they got out of control. They were initially quite rare. Indeed, no one noticed iguanas in the early years. But the climate of the island seemed to satisfy them, and soon they began to grow in numbers exponentially, until suddenly iguanas turned up everywhere. The government noticed they had to be exterminated, but by now it was too late. Now, they have become a huge issue that is troublesome to the native population. In the same way, millionaires will soon go from being the solution to the problem. You can contact Carolina at cjimene4@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

My close friends might characterize my college years as a time of (trivial) crises: poring over projects late into the night, leaving Hesburgh Library at sunrise once or twice, having my bike stolen in broad daylight from right outside DeBart, sustaining a black eye from a night-run gone wrong on an uneven sidewalk, agonizing over choosing a major and a career path, trying to contain soapy water overflowing from my apartment washing machine and enlisting the help of a few Good Samaritans to push my car out of a mound of icy snow in which I had no business trying to park. But overlooking these surface scribbles, my time in college, at its core, has been one of comfort — not necessarily because of any experiences particular to me, but more by the general nature of undergraduate life. Safely past the insecure years of middle school and high school where we anxiously awaited groups/others to accept us, we now find ourselves among more than just the people who lived within a 10 mile radius of us and we choose to associate with groups that appeal to us. Snugly situated between childhood and adulthood, college kids enjoy the best of two worlds: freedom and security; independence and reliance. We get to keep one foot in both phases of life for these four years, identifying as an adult when it suits us (like in the Olfs’ line) but claiming our juvenile side when that’s more convenient (How am I supposed to know how to do taxes?). When I went to Washington, D.C., last semester for a Social Concerns seminar with a group led by students my own age, I felt surprised they had let us venture in our nation’s capital without an adult in attendance, until I remembered that we ourselves were technically adults. We tend to want to be somewhere other than where we actually are in life. Children are notorious for wanting to grow up too fast, and adults often wish they were younger. Every little girl breaks into her mother’s makeup collection at some point, eager to emulate the elegant women around her — or stumbles around in heels to get a glimpse of what life looks like from up there. Birthdays, prized as the crown jewel of the year for young children, become dreaded days as we get older. While everyone at school must know you just turned 16 and are going to get your driver’s license after the final bell, but no one can know you’re 40. And the ability to drive, considered a treat to the newly-licensed 16-year-old, becomes a burden for the 37-year-old who must trudge through traffic during rush hour on the way to work. And while kids’ favorite game (well, at least my own) is playing “house”, adults groan at having to maintain the condition of their homes. While little kids itch for freedom, adults ache for a return to the carefree days. College is a time of comfort, nestled securely in between these two unsatisfactory stages. We get our first taste of living as an adult and relish it, excited at the chance to decorate and clean our very own household, cook our own meals and host gatherings with friends. Things matter, but not too much. We can do important things — research, intern or start a business — but we can also do things that aren’t too important — bake cookies for our section, attend biweekly residence hall meetings and lounge around Library Lawn for game night. We can pursue significant career opportunities, but we can also change our minds and majors and survive the blow of a B in physics. In college, life feels like a pendulum for a little bit, as we swing back and forth between the bounds of growing up and grown up, except this pendulum doesn’t swing forever. As comfortable as we become in its predictable oscillations, one sunny day in mid-May we’re unsuspectingly flung over the fence, forever to remain outside its posts. Some three weeks away from that day, this feels like quite a frightening thought — until I recall a comment from my ND Welcome Tour that has stuck with me ever since: that Notre Dame’s goal is for college not to be the best four years of its students’ lives. This seems like an odd thing to tell admitted students when you’re trying to convince them to choose your campus. But the tour guide quickly explained her controversial statement: that Notre Dame should be the beginning of greater things to come. As the comfort of college comes to a close and we’re left to fend for ourselves in the free but tough adult world, I can honestly say that Notre Dame has been the best four years of my life, but the greatest gift it’s given me is that it won’t always be. A former resident of Lyons Hall, Eva Analitis is a senior 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 author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | Friday, April 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Remembering the Armenian genocide T h is Su nday, Apr i l 24, w i l l ma rk t he 107t h a nn iversa r y of t he A r men ia n genocide. In 1915, at t he orders of Ottoma n leader Ta lat Pasha, bet ween 1.2 a nd 1.5 m i l l ion A r men ia ns were systemat ica l ly mu rdered by Tu rk ish m i lita r y forces as pa r t of t he Ottoma n Empire’s et h n ic a nd rel ig ious clea nsi ng pla ns i n t he lead up to, a nd du r i ng, World Wa r I. Pasha a nd t he rad ica ls i n power w it h h i m at t he t i me env isioned a Tu rk ish hea r t la nd not on ly f ree of A r men ia ns, but f ree of what t hey v iewed as t he g row i ng t h reat of Ch r ist ia n it y. A s t he f i rst Ch r ist ia n nat ion, A r men ia a nd its 3.3 m i l l ion A r men ia ns were a n obv ious ta rget. On t he n ig ht of Apr i l 24, 1915, Tu rk ish m i lita r y forces rou nded up A r men ia n i ntel lect ua l a nd pol it ica l leaders i n a nd a rou nd t he Ista nbu l cit y center. T h is bega n mont hs of t he sa me i n cit ies a nd v i l lages across t he A r men ia n cou nt r yside. W h i le A r men ia n intel lect ua ls a nd pol it ica l leaders were la rgely k i l led on t he spot, t he vast major it y of A r men ia ns were sent on deat h ma rches i nto t he Sy r ia n deser t where most d ied f rom mass k i l l i ngs, ot hers f rom sta r vat ion a nd ma ny more f rom t he ha rsh cond it ions i n t he

Ottoma n concent rat ion ca mps. Over a cent u r y later, t he A r men ia n com mun it y st i l l feels t he f u l l impact of t he senseless genocide. The A r men ia n d iaspora, t he bu i ld ing of A r men ia n com mu n it ies outside of A r men ia a nd a l l across t he world, was a d irect resu lt of t he genocide. The d iaspora t hat bega n w it h A r men ia ns being forced to f lee t heir homela nd has, t h roug h t he st reng t h a nd resolve of em ig ra nts, cont r ibuted to t h r iv ing A r men ia n commu n it ies across t he g lobe. The Not re Da me A r men ia n St udent A ssociat ion is proof of t he ef fect iveness of t h is A r men ia n u n it y. Apr i l 24, 2021 was a la nd ma rk moment for A mer ica n-A r men ia ns. President Joe Biden was t he f irst Un ited States president to f u lf i l l h is ca mpa ig n prom ise of recog n i zing t he at rocit ies per pet rated aga inst A r men ia ns as a genocide despite cou nt less t h reats f rom t he Tu rkey. By for ma l ly recog n i zing t he genocide for what it is, t he Un ited States honors t he A r men ia ns who per ished a nd va lidates t he A r men ia n com mu n it y who act ively cont r ibutes to A mer ica n societ y. A s v iolence aga inst A r men ia ns cont inues today, d irect ly seen in t he recent

Nagor no-Ka raba k h wa r, it is cr ucia l t hat t he Un iversit y of Not re Da me ta kes a sta nd for just ice by of f icia l ly recog n i zing t he A r men ia n genocide. Wi l lia m Soroya n, a notable novel ist, playw r ig ht, a nd poet so st rong ly excla imed, “I shou ld l i ke to see a ny power of t he world dest roy t h is race, t h is sma l l t r ibe of u n impor ta nt people, whose wa rs have a l l been foug ht a nd lost, whose st r uct u res have cr u mbled, l iterat u re is u n read, music is u n hea rd, a nd prayers a re no more a nswered. Go a head, dest roy A r men ia. See if you ca n do it. Send t hem into t he deser t w it hout bread or water. Bu r n t heir homes a nd chu rches. T hen see if t hey w i l l not laug h, sing a nd pray aga in.For when t wo of t hem meet a ny where in t he world, see if t hey w i l l not create a New A r men ia.” We u rge you to join us for a v ig i l held at t he Grotto t h is Su nday, Apr i l 24, at 8 p.m. to remember t he l ives t hat were lost in t he genocide. Notre Dame Armenian Student Association Grace Hachigian Michael Babikian Peter Kalemkerian April 21

What’s Passover?: A guide from a Notre Dame Jewish student Blake Ziegler News with Zig

My favorite part of this month has been the convergence of major religious holidays. In a rare sequence of events, the three Abrahamic religions are celebrating holy days at the same time. W hile I and other Jews obser ve Passover, Christians rejoice with Easter and Muslims continue their holy month of Ramadan. Additionally, Buddhists, Baha’is, Sik hs Jains and Hindus are also partaking in significant religious events at this time. A number of interfaith events have been held throughout the countr y to mark this occasion. The opportunity to explore other religious traditions is an enriching experience that delegitimizes stereoty pes and promotes religious tolerance, an ideal essential to a nation committed to religious freedom. As part of this celebration of religious diversity, I’d like to share some remarks on Passover, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Eg y pt. I’ll explain the histor y, traditions and religious significance of the holiday. My aim is that non-Jewish readers may learn about this important Jewish event and possibly recognize similarities to their own traditions. The purpose of this column is to promote understanding between different faiths. Passover comes from the Hebrew word Pesach, meaning to “skip” (in other words, to literally pass over). It refers to the tenth plague that G-d inf licted upon the Eg y ptians, the killing of the firstborn. According to Exodus 12:12-13, G-d commanded the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and smear its blood on their doorposts so that G-d would pass over their home and not subject their firstborn sons or animals to death. The subsequent verses detail how the Israelites were freed from Eg y pt due to G-d’s strength and began their journey to

the promised land. Exodus also gives instructions for the Israelites to commemorate the occasion, creating the Passover holiday. It began as one of the three ancient pilgrimage festivals of the Israelites, in which Israelites would journey to the Temple in Jerusalem to participate in sacrifices and worship. After the destruction of the Second Temple and later exile from the land of Israel, Passover shifted to a Seder or ceremonial dinner. That way, Jews may still partake in the traditions at home. The Seder is perhaps the most recognizable part of Passover, as it features a number of traditions related to prayer, hearing the stor y of the Exodus and of course, eating and drinking. W hile the Seder involves most Passover traditions, some parts deser ve particular note. For instance, there is the Seder plate that traditionally features five foods: shank bone, egg, bitter herbs, vegetable and haroset. The purpose of these items is to remind participants of the Israelites’ transition from slaver y to freedom. A lso, Jews avoid eating unleavened bread for seven days during the holiday. This means that Jews may not eat food made from wheat, barley, r ye, oats or spelt. One significant part of the Passover Seder is at the end, when we exclaim, “next year in Jerusalem!” The hope is that next year’s Passover may be spent in the promised land. With the creation of Israel, though, the meaning of the phrase varies from Jew to Jew, ranging from support for Israel to awaiting the Messiah, when Jews believe we will return to the holy land. W hile there are many theological components to Passover, the two most prominent are redemption and freedom. The holiday acts as a reminder of the Israelites’ plight in Eg ypt. Jews are commanded to tell their children ever y year of their ancestors’ ser vitude and freedom brought by G-d. In fact, Jews are obligated to envision themselves as though they were actually in Eg ypt, creating a direct line to

the biblical experiences of the Israelites. The result of this encounter generates ref lections on physical and mental redemption. The physical freedom granted in the Exodus stor y is obvious, but the mental redemption emphasizes the ability for Jews to freely practice their religion and culture. This is conveyed clearly through the reception of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. Moreover, Passover ser ves as a reminder that freedom is a right that must be constantly fought for. Just as it took 40 years for the Jews to reach the promised land, the fruits of our efforts towards a more just world will only be realized through work across generations. Personally, my favorite part of Passover is the recitation of the Dayenu prayer. The word means “It would have been enough” in Hebrew, referring to all the acts that G-d performed for the Jewish people. After each action is read, participants respond with the prayer’s namesake as a sign of thankfulness to G-d and recognition that any act of G-d, no matter how small, is enough. The prayer invites personal ref lection, particularly on how we should be grateful for the parts of life that often go unnoticed. I hope that this description of Passover was worthwhile for interested readers. I’ll note that my understanding of Passover is rooted in my own traditions as a Reform Jew, so minor details may differ for different Jews and their communities. Regardless, I invite readers to partake in the wonderful opportunities for religious diversity this month. Blake Ziegler is a junior at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He enjoys writing about politics, Judaism and the occasional philosophical rant. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or followed at @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | Friday, April 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

An open letter from Notre Dame faculty in support of a just wage Dear Notre Dame Administrators, We, faculty members at the University of Notre Dame, write to you regarding the Raising the Standard Campaign’s (RSC) recent proposal “Recommending Compensation and Labor Policies That Reduce Economic Hardship.” We demand the University engage in good faith negotiations on this proposal and offer a public response regarding its decision. As the largest employer in St. Joseph County, Notre Dame is a major driver of economic trends in the region, including both its successes and failures. In the spirit of this shared responsibility to ensure the future success of those who live here, the University has both a strategic motivation and moral obligation to ensure that residents of the community are able to support themselves financially. Yet, we fall short of this commitment. The overall poverty rate in South Bend is 23.6% — nearly double the national average. A large percentage of that poverty is concentrated among Black households, with a poverty rate of 40.2%. In a meeting last August with South Bend civil rights leaders and community activists, a selforganized group of Notre Dame professors working under the name “Justice ND” asked what Notre Dame could do to alleviate poverty and racism in the community. The local leaders replied simply and earnestly: “Pay your staff a living wage.” Current wages paid to many non-professional staff have not met the threshold of a living wage and do not uphold the dignity of the worker. Students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, also struggle with low wages from campus employment. Despite the University’s commitment to meet “all demonstrated financial need,” loans often constitute large portions of student aid packages and fail to consider the various other costs associated with campus life. As a result, low-income students find themselves working countless hours just to afford a visit home for break or a laptop for class. Their limited hours are forced to be spent working rather than investing in their studies or engaging with the campus community. It is little wonder why the percentage of low-income respondents who say they “strongly disagree” with a sense of belonging at Notre Dame is nearly triple that of all other income brackets. On a campus where all should be included, financial barriers force some to the sideline. The time is now for Notre Dame to reform its wage standards. We are recovering from a global pandemic that brought to light the importance of all workers and the many inequities existing within the labor market. As a global leader in Catholic Social Teaching who champions our commitment to equity and inclusion, Notre Dame can no longer allow the market to be the sole determiner of what we deem acceptable. We must instead follow the path of Pope Leo XIII “not to look upon [our] work people as [our] bondsmen, but to respect in every man his dignity as a person ennobled by Christian character.” Notre Dame must reclaim its Catholic ethos. Raising the standard of how we treat our workers is the first place to start. Further details of the holistic RSC proposal can be

found on their website. We ask that you show consideration for all members of our community and offer a timely response for action. Students and alumni can join this cause by signing the change.org petition, “Raise the Standard for Notre Dame Workers.” Yours in Notre Dame, Ann Astell Tawrin Baker Katrina Barron Christine Becker Gail Bederman Heidi Beidinger-Burnett Kimberly Belcher Kraig Beyerlein John Blacklow Patricia Blanchette Catherine Bolten Keith Bradley Eric Bugyis Katie Bugyis Pam Butler Matthew Capdevielle Elizabeth Capdevielle Kevin Christiano Lee Anna Clark Robert Coleman Manoel Couder Kathleen Cummings Meenal Datta William Donahue Margaret Doody Nilesh Fernando John Fitzgerald Judith Fox Mary Frandsen Stephen Fredman Johanna Frymoyer Justus Ghormley Monisha Ghosh Anne Gilbert Coleman Jill Godmilow Victoria Goodrich Dan Graff Karen Graubart Barbara Green Jennie Grillo David Hachen Gerald Haeffel Douglas Hall Anna Haskins Matthias Hoelzlein Maria Holland Romana Huk Eileen Hunt Carlos Jauregui Lionel Jensen Emily Johnson Encarnacion Juárez-Almendros

Asher Kaufman Tamara Kay Mary Celeste Kearney Rosemary Kelanic Richard Klee Janet Kourany Greg Kucich Kevin Lannon David Lantigua Erin Moira Lemrow Marya Lieberman George Lopez Jay Martin Julia Marvin Barry McCrea Ken Milani Fr. Bill Miscamble Olivier Morel Leslie Morgan Michèle Müller-Itten Amy Mulligan Robert Norton Abigail Ocobock Yasemin Ozkan Aydin Rachel Parroquin Juanita Pinzón-Caicedo Jean Porter AnnMarie Power Clark Power Joseph Powers Gretchen Reydams-Schils Francisco Robles Ryan Roeder Mark Sanders Valerie Sayers Catherine Schlegel Jim Schmiedeler Roy Scranton John Sitter Lyn Spillman Jason Springs Michael Stanisic Jim Sterba Julia Thomas Steve Tomasula Andrea Topash-Rios Anre Venter Robert Walls Joanna Want Hannelore Weber Henry Weinfield John Welle Susanne Wengle Richard Williams Pamela Wojcik Marty Wolfson Susan Youens Calvin Zimmermann April 10

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The observer | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

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MARIA GORECKI | The Observer | image sourceS: BBC, LES ARGONAUTES

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The observer | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By MEG SLUZAS Scene Writer

Notre Dame has a lot of best kept secrets and the Snite has often been listed as one of them. This spring, four Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) students displayed their art theses among the other collections of art in the Snite. The exhibit covered all aesthetics, from dainty mushrooms and flowers fashioned from porcelain, to a giant multi-media sculpture featuring a toy drone, heavy chain and shadow of a bomber. In addition to showing off the technical talents of the four student artists, it provides a space for all ND students to consider issues facing the world we will live and work in when we graduate. When visitors enter the MFA exhibit, bright colors and alien-esque human shapes draw them towards James Ostrander’s collection of oil paintings. This collection won him the Walter R. Beardsley cash prize by the Museum Director and, upon taking in his work, it is clear to see why. Ostrander’s human forms in each of his paintings take on both classical and abstract qualities. Each painting features portions of the human body that are anatomically correct. However, when Ostrander paints the heads of his subjects, he simply paints a nude orb with a smiley face. In some paintings, such as “Meatsack Sisyphus,” the anatomical body parts are few and far between and the main figure looks almost like an uncooked chicken breast. It jars the viewer. Similarly,

By MATHEUS HERNDL Scene Writer

A long time ago, a wise man said that “Harry Potter and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race” and I’m sorry to say that the newest Wizarding world movie proves this statement true. The third entry in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, “Secrets of Dumbledore” follows the events of the last movie, “Crimes of Grindelwald” and sees magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his gang of misfit wizards trying to prevent Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) from being elected as the leader of the magical world. While I could tear this movie apart from a hundred different angles, let’s start from the obvious: Why the hell is this movie still called Fantastic Beasts? I understand that the 2016 movie was a hit and warranted sequels featuring the characters and magical creatures from that, but there are barely any fantastic beasts here and said characters make no sense being in this story. Newt is a glorified zookeeper and his friend Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) is a muggle who realistically should’ve been blown up by some spell long ago, but the audience is supposed to believe that they are the only ones who can stop wizard Hitler instead of the actual magical authorities. The new critter that this film introduces, the “Qilin,” can see into people’s souls, and the entire Wizarding

the combination of nature, the body and manmade trash are equally unsettling. My favorite painting from this collection, “Drainage Ditch Narcissus,” depicts a human figure lying in blue water. Green grass and blue sky are cut by a drainage pipe. The blue water is polluted by a rainbow oil stain that seems to surround the figure like a halo. Reality and fantasy meet in this jarring collection that speaks on the effects of climate change and our relationship with nature. The second collection of the MFA exhibit featured the whimsical ceramic work of Jonathan Kusnerek. The porcelain sculptures in his collection featured both dainty and strong elements. Pansies and mushrooms danced around thorns and a stick star that seemed to be straight out of “The Blair Witch Project.” Nature merges with the mystical in many of the sculptures. One work, “Lover’s Eye,” depicts a big brown eye surrounded by tiny purple flowers and framed by two butterfly wings. The sculpture combines the dainty — butterfly wings and flowers — with the big brown eye. Gold paint gives the sculpture a rich feel. Kusnerek’s descriptions of the art pieces also detail the emotions that drove him to create this piece and give the viewer a deeper understanding of the origin of these pieces. The third installment of this exhibit swings a full 180 from the magical ceramics to an industrial app and product design. Peter Dore’s app, Pulse, aids people struggling with substance abuse. The main feature

of the app is a breathing exercise that users can access when they may be experiencing a craving. Dore also used his industrial design background to create a patch to go with the app that helps the user curb their cravings. Lastly, the cold, heavy lines of Benjamin Craigsie’s “Cost Benefit” sculpture close out the exhibit. The work addresses a dark side of technology, specifically how the sale of watered down technology used in commercial drones (you know like the ones your little brother or cousin had on the top of their Christmas list) is a shadow of our investment in military technology used for violence and destruction. In his sculpture, the connector between the toy drone and the war drone is a thick metal chain. The links may represent the information that Craigsie provides in a supplemental video. The video shows images of drone strikes and war scenes. The exhibit makes the viewer think about how their day-today actions may affect the lives of people on the other side of the world. The art in the MFA exhibit moves its viewers to reevaluate their lives. The most wonderful thing about this exhibit is that it is free. Viewers can breeze through, but I would suggest viewers to take a break from their grind, whether it be finals or a job, and just take in the challenges these artists offer.

political system depends on who magic Bambi ends up choosing. Yes, the extremely intelligent and advanced wizard society depends on an animal to choose for them who is the president and Grindelwald concocts a fool proof plan to bewitch the Qilin and make it pick him. In case you’re wondering why Grindelwald, a known criminal and fugitive, is allowed to stand for election, the movie itself barely bothers to explain that. This takes me to the next point, how unfocused and meandering this film is. Since Grindelwald can see into the future, the heroes try confusing him through a convoluted and ultimately pointless plan that goes on equally pointless tangents that have no bearing on the plot or the characters whatsoever. The titular Dumbledore (Jude Law) himself is absent throughout good portions of the story as it’s explained that he and Grindelwald, due to a magical pact they made in their youth, physically cannot harm one another and therefore he depends on Newt to save the day. While at first this seems like a massive problem, as Dumbledore is the only wizard powerful enough to stop Grindelwald, this whole “pact charm” plotline is also pointless since this supposedly unbreakable powerful spell is broken completely by accident at end. Speaking of pointless, all the useless characters from “Crimes of Grindelwald” are brought back for no other reason than to waste time on subplots which could have been altogether skipped. There’s Newt’s brother

for example, Theseus (Callum Turner), who is imprisoned for 30 minutes of the movie and could have been entirely removed from the story with no consequence whatsoever. If I had to give positives about “Secrets of Dumbledore,” I would say that the effects are great as always and Mads Mikkelsen’s performance as Grindelwald blows Johnny Depp out of the water. Instead of acting and looking like some deranged homeless man one might find in a subway station, Mikkelsen is as cold, calculating and cruel an evil mastermind like Grindelwald should be. Ultimately, “Secrets of Dumbledore” is the price that we as a society must pay for allowing Potter mania to continue in the year of our Lord 2022, a movie and franchise that only exists as a cash cow for Warner Bros and J.K. Rowling as evident by the fact that it was probably written in about 5 minutes with no effort whatsoever.

Contact Meg Sluzas at msluzas@nd.edu

Contact Matheus Herndl at mherndl@nd.edu

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law Director: David Yates If you like: Harry Potter, wasting money

CLAIRE KIRNER | The Observer | image source: indiewire

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 22, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Share your thoughts and feelings. Honesty will help you reach your destination with no regrets. Physical fitness and personal growth will go part and parcel with achievement. Reach out to others, and work together toward a goal that soothes the soul and encourages you to use your creativity sensibly. Reach for the stars in all aspects of life. Your numbers are 5, 19, 23, 29, 35, 41, 46. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep your beliefs, plans and personal life secret. Don’t cause disruption or allow others to play with your feelings. Stick to your schedule, and work diligently toward your goal. Avoid meddling. Get things done. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Step up, take responsibility and refuse to let stubbornness stop you from reaching your goal. Share your thoughts, and you’ll gain respect and support. A physical improvement will give you the incentive to share your intentions and feelings. Romance is featured. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Look at the logistics before investing or purchasing something of value. The hype you receive will not live up to your expectations. Summon outside opinions to verify the authenticity of the information. Don’t pay for someone’s mistake. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Look, see and do. Follow through with your plans, and don’t skip a beat. Timing is everything, and knowing what you want and moving forward without hesitation will bring you to a place that makes you happy. Romance and self-improvement are favored. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Step aside and let others test the waters. Don’t put your reputation, money or health at risk. Be intelligent and disciplined, and put yourself in a suitable position. Stabilize your life instead of jeopardizing your reputation or status. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Seize the moment, and go after what you want with a vengeance. Use experience, knowledge and insight to outmaneuver anyone who gets in your way. Actions speak louder than words and will help you reach the winner’s circle. Romance is favored. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Keep your emotions in check when dealing with domestic issues. If you put pressure on someone, expect the same in return. Consider what you want to accomplish, and take a disciplined approach. Set a budget, and follow guidelines that encourage flexibility. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t let anyone limit your plans. Stand tall and push your way forward. Embrace novel ideas and people heading in the same direction as you. Focus on partnerships, peace and love, and you will find a place of comfort. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t believe everything you hear. Take the time to get your facts straight and make decisions that are suitable. Patience and walking away from people and situations trying to entice you will pay off. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take pride in what you do, and forge ahead. Trust your instincts and your ability to get things done your way. Your actions will draw attention and bring you the accolades you desire. Personal gain is heading your way. Romance is encouraged. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep plugging away at your long-term goal, and you will make progress. Ignore temptation, and avoid being swept into someone else’s dream. Live life your way, and you’ll have no regrets. Trust and believe in you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Speak up, make changes and follow your heart. Invest in your ideas, and put your energy into reaching your goal. Personal improvement is doable, and happiness will thrive if you are true to yourself and live life your way. Birthday Baby: You are spirited, friendly and flexible. You are imaginative and responsible.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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The observer | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Defense

Sports Authority

Post: Ranking every Notre Dame football game in 2022 by importance J.J. Post Sports Writer

2022 marks the start of a new chapter in Notre Dame football history. The “Freeman Era,” as it’s been loudly and proudly dubbed, will begin with expectations perhaps higher than any new coach has previously faced in modern Irish football history. For Dick Corbett Head Coach Marcus Freeman to guide Notre Dame to success in his first season, he’ll face a gauntlet of opponents including renewed rivals and topranked foes. Here is every game the Irish will play in the 2022 regular season, ranked by importan ce:

1. Ohio State First game of the season chronologically, first game of the season in importance. What’s there to say about the Irish’s season opener against the Buckeyes that hasn’t been said already? It will be the first time Notre Dame fans will be able to see the program’s next starting quarterback, be it Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne, take the reins. Ohio State will test Marcus Freeman’s defense with perhaps the most explosive array of offensive weaponry in the entire country. The season opening clash could provide a great litmus test for where the Irish will be starting off under Freeman. It will be fascinating to see if Buchner and Pyne can lead the offense in their first ever start, if a rebuilt Notre Dame secondary can limit a potential number one overall pick in CJ Stroud, and if Freeman can go blow for blow strategically with one of college football’s top minds in Ryan Day.

2. Clemson After a one-year hiatus from matching up with the Tigers, Clemson will return to Notre Dame Stadium on November 5th as they look to bounce back from a 2021 campaign that fell below Dabo Swinney’s usual standard. The last time Clemson came to South Bend, the result was a blow for blow shootout that left the previously-undefeated top ranked Tigers empty-handed and the Irish storming the field. The game, which ensured Notre Dame played playoff football even after Clemson got their revenge in the ACC championship, went down as one of the most memorable points of Brian Kelly’s tenure. This year, while the game is unlikely to be another No. 1 vs No. 4 battle, the stakes should remain high. Even if the Irish or Tigers drop a game earlier in the year, both should be squarely in the playoff hunt. If both are undefeated the game could even determine a top ranking. Especially if Notre Dame loses against Ohio

State, the Clemson game could shake out as a must-win to keep any playoff dreams alive.

3. USC A rivalry game over Thanksgiving weekend always holds significance. But this year, the USC/Notre Dame matchup likely will mean a little more than usual, as both teams will be closing out their first seasons under new head coaches. Lincoln Riley was USC’s blockbuster hire of the offseason, a statement of intent to the rest of the college football world that the Trojans are ready to climb back towards the glory days. So far, he’s recruited at a playoff level, and has added a number of high-caliber pieces from the transfer portal (including a potential Heisman candidate at quarterback in Caleb Williams) to give his team an immediate boost. But whether Riley can recruit at elite level or not, he still needs to coach at such a level as well to get the Trojans back to the promised land. It’s likely Notre Dame will be the highest ranked team on USC’s schedule next year- and the matchup will provide a prime opportunity for both teams to notch a statement victory to close out the regular season and add another chapter to a storied rivalry.

4. BYU BYU might be the biggest “sleeper” game on Notre Dame’s schedule. The Cougars have put together two straight ten win seasons under Kalani Sitake, and have done so in highly entertaining fashion. BYU’s offense is up tempo and aggressive, and when fully humming is fully capable of lighting up the scoreboard. If Freeman and co. can keep the Cougars’ attack in check, then the Irish should grind out a victory. This would leave Las Vegas with a ranked out-of-conference win. But, if returning starting quarterback Jaren Hall and BYU can set the tempo for the game and force the Irish into a shootout, Notre Dame could find themselves on upset watch early in October.

5. North Carolina North Carolina was expected to be one of the bigger games on Notre Dame’s 2021 schedule, touting a top ten preseason ranking as well as a world of hype around quarterback Sam Howell. However, the Tar Heels didn’t live up to expectations, losing three of their first six conference games before limping into South Bend and dropping what would be a relatively comfortable 44-34 Irish victory. North Carolina currently has an open quarterback competition of their own ongoing in spring camp, but if the Tar Heels can find a successor to Howell then the talent on both sides of

the ball remains high. Whether Mack Brown can coach the ‘Heels to the level of that talent will determine just how important the Irish’s trip to Chapel Hill will be.

6. Boston College The Holy War between the Eagles and Irish has become about as one sided as a rivalry can become in recent years (at least in football), with Boston College’s last win over the Irish coming in 2009. And though the Eagles are yet to put together a winning record in conference play under Jeff Hafley in his two years in Chestnut Hill, Hafley has had the team showing signs of progress. Before quarterback Phil Jurkovec suffered a season-ending injury last season, Boston College had a 4-2 record, a stretch that included a credible win over Missouri and a nearupset of Clemson. And speaking of Jurkovec, the storyline there is obvious, as the former Notre Dame transfer will return to South Bend for the first time in his new colors.

7. Navy The Navy/Notre Dame game always holds a special tier of importance due to the obvious history of the matchup, but it also represents a persistently underrated test for Irish teams. Navy’s triple option style is as much of a staple as the game itself, and every year Notre Dame needs to retool their defense to stop the Midshipmen’s unique ground attack. Navy’s run-heavy approach will wear the Irish down, and an Irish team coming off what should be a heavyweight battle against Clemson could be at a higher risk of upset than usual.

8. Stanford To say last year wasn’t the Cardinal’s year would be an understatement. Stanford opened 3-2, including a wild overtime upset of previously undefeated Oregon, but then completely crashed. The Cardinal would drop their next seven games, with the final four defeats all coming by a margin of 20 points or more. It remains to be seen whether Stanford will be able to take a step forward in 2022, but the significance of the rivalry automatically moves this game up a few spots.

9. Cal If these games were being ranked by pure difficulty and not significance, Cal would

be ranked ahead of Stanford. To that point, Cal pounded Stanford 41-11 in their head to head rivalry showdown last season. The Bears are not to be underestimated by any means — they nearly pulled off an upset over a quality Oregon team on the road last season — and if Notre Dame is caught looking ahead to a potentially ranked matchup with North Carolina after what should be a comfortable win over Marshall, the Irish could find themselves in trouble.

10. Syracuse Likely the weakest power five team on Notre Dame’s schedule based off last season’s performance, the Orange boast neither the near-.500 conference record of Cal or the major upset win of Stanford on their resume. Who Syracuse does have is Sean Tucker, a highly underrated running back who rushed for nearly 1500 yards last season, finding the endzone 14 times in total and averaging over 6 yards a carry. Tucker is the kind of game-breaking talent that the Orange will be able to turn to in big moments, and the Irish will almost certainly make keeping him contained their top priority when they travel to the Carrier Dome.

11. Marshall While likely the most unknown school Notre Dame will play in 2022, believers of the transitive property will note the Thundering Herd did beat Navy by more points than the Irish last season. Marshall have been a consistent winner in Conference USA for years now, but haven’t beat a Power Five level opponent since they took down Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium in 2017. They’ll look to snap that streak against a Notre Dame team worn down by their road trip to Ohio State this fall.

12. UNLV There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it: UNLV was bad last year. The Rebels finished 2-10, with one of those wins coming against a Hawaii team in freefall. UNLV hasn’t notched a better record than 2-6 in Mountain West play since 2017, and likely represent the lowest risk of an upset on Notre Dame’s schedule. Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Continued from page 16

they arise. “We want to make sure we are building depth. You never know what’s going to happen on game day or over the course of the season,” Golden said. “That’s going to make us stronger in the long term and help them develop a conceptual mindset of what’s going on around them which is important.” When asked about how the defense will look different than Marcus Freeman’s defense from last year, Golden stressed that he will adapt the defense to whatever suits Notre Dame best. “It’s Notre Dame’s defense at the end of the day. We are going to see where these kids want to take us,” Golden said. Jordan Botelho is a player who has made steady progress at linebacker each year and could be primed for a breakout season in 2022. Golden sees a lot of talent in potential in Botelho. But he hopes Botelho can learn to slow his game down and be more poised on every play. “He is a tough kid. He’s a very smart kid, and we just got to get him to play with a little more poise,” Golden said. “He’s just got to relax a little bit and let his natural talent come out.” A potential area for concern for the Irish heading into 2022 is the cornerback position, especially considering the season is opener is against an Ohio State offense with a lethal passing attack. Despite the difficult week one challenge, cornerback coach Mike Mickens is confident in his unit, which returns graduate student TaRiq Bracy, junior Clarence Lewis and senior Cam Hart. The group also gains freshman Jaden Mickey, who was a four-star recruit. “The older three guys have been leading the group really well,” Mickens said. “And we have seen the younger guys growing as this spring has gone one. I am very happy with where they are at. We just have to continue to push.” Another exciting defensive player to watch for the Irish is graduate student Brandon Joseph at safety. The Northwestern transfer is arguably the most highlytouted graduate student transfer the Irish have ever gotten. And Joseph believes the off-season regimen has already improved his game significantly. “It was a great off-season program that pushed me to my limits and it taught me I could go harder than I thought I could go,” Joseph said. “I am just so excited to get out on that field and play in the fall.” Joseph truly believes the sky’s the limit for the Irish this season with the talent and brotherhood that this defensive unit has. “We can be the best defense in the country,” Joseph said. “Nothing is holding us back but ourselves.” Contact Nate Moller at nmoller@nd.edu

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sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 22, 2022 | The Observer

MEN’S GOLF

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS

Irish travel to Panama City for ACC Championships By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

T he No. 13 Not re Da me men’s gol f te a m he ad s to F lor id a this w e ekend for t he ACC C h a mpion s h ip s. T he y ’l l c omp ete i n t he t h re e -r ou nd e v ent at t he Sh a r k ’s To ot h G ol f C lub i n Pa n a m a C it y. T he I r i s h h av e h ig h hop e s for t he p o s t s e a s on, enter i ng t h i s y e a r i n t he top 15. L a st y e a r, t he y entere d t he p o s t s e a s on r a n ke d No. 30 i n t he c ou nt r y but s t r u g g le d on t h i s s t a ge. I n t he ACC Tou r n a ment , Not re Da me f i n i s he d 11t h out of 12 te a m s. De s pite b ei ng s e e de d fou r t h i n t he St i l l w ater Re g ion a l, t he Irish c ou ld n’t escape t he f i r st w e ekend of t he NCAA Tou r n a ment , f a i l i ng to m a ke t he top f i v e te a m s. Now, Not r e Da me br i ng s more e x p er ienc e bac k to t he big s t a ge s of c olle ge gol f . S en ior Ta ic h i K ho le d t he I r i s h a nd f i n i s he d t ie d for 22nd at t he ACC tou r n a ment . Gr adu ate s t udent Dav i s C h at f ield a l s o ret u r n s, a s do e s ju n ior Pa l mer Jac k s on . T h at c ombi n at ion repre s ente d t he I r i s h’s top t h r e e f i n i s her s at t he tou r n a ment a y e a r a go. T he y a lso h av e sen ior A nd r e w O’L e a r y, me a n i ng t he Irish w i l l br i ng bac k fou r of t hei r f i v e gol fer s f r om l a st s e a s on . S ophomor e A ngelo Ma r c on l i ke ly r ou nd s out t he f i v e -m a n l i ne up for t he Irish. C h at f ield, Jac k s on a nd K ho a r e a l l c om i ng of f top -10 f i n i s he s at t hei r mo st r e c ent e v ent , t he St itc h I nter c ol le g i ate. Ma rc on’s mo s t re c ent top -10 f inish was a fou r t h-pl ac e ef for t at t he S c hen kel I nv it at ion a l a mont h a go. O’L e a r y a l s o b oa s t s a top 10 f inish this s pr i ng at t he L a m k i n I nv it at ion a l i n e a r l y Ma r c h . T he I r i s h h av e plent y of top -t ier t a lent a nd e x p er ienc e to i mpr ov e on t hei r p os t s e a s on f i n i s h f r om a y e a r a go, but now it ’s a b out m a k i ng it h a pp en . T he for m at i s si m i l a r

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to t he w om a n’s tou rn a ment . T he Irish w i l l c omp ete i n t h r e e r ou nd s of st r oke pl ay w it h hop e s of m a k i ng it to t he f i n a l t w o d ay s of m atc h pl ay. T he top fou r te a m s a f ter t h re e r ou nd s of pl ay on Fr id ay a nd S at u rd ay ad v a nc e. T he s em i f i n a l s a r e on Su nd ay w it h t he top t w o te a m s pl ay i ng for t he t it le on Mond ay. T he f ield i s h ig h l y c omp et it i v e, a s t he ACC a g a i n b oa s t s s t r ong dept h . Si x te a m s a r e c on s en s u s top -2 5 te a m s i n t he m ajor gol f p ol l s. U NC a nd G e or g i a Te c h enter r a n ke d h ig her t han Not r e Da me. Me a nw h i le, F lor id a St ate, Wa ke For e s t a nd defend i ng c on fer enc e c h a mpion C lem s on all s l ide i nto t he top 2 5 a s w el l . NC St ate i sn’t f a r of f t he top 2 5 i n eit her p ol l . To m a ke t he s em i f i n a l s, t he I r i s h h av e to ou s t s ome tou g h c omp et it ion . But b eh i nd a v eter a n s qu ad t h at r ememb er s t he pa i n of l a s t ye a r ’s p os t s e a s on s hor tc omi ng s, t he I r i s h a r e pr e pa re d to beg in t hei r m a rc h to t he NCAA Tou r n a ment . Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

Irish fall to FSU in tournament By J.J. POST Sports Writer

Notre Dame men’s (16-12, 5-7 ACC) and women’s (1311, 5-8 ACC) tennis both fell in the ACC tournament to Florida State Thursday night, losing to the Seminoles 3-4 and 0-4 respectively in Rome, Georgia. The Irish got off to a strong start in men’s doubles play. After falling in the first match 6-3, Notre Dame battled back. Junior Matthew Che and senior Axel Nefve notched a 6-3 victory of their own to even the score. In the rubber match, graduate student Peter Conklin and junior Connor Fu overcame Florida States’ Alex Bulte and Youcef Rihane 6-4. Thanks to Conklin and Fu’s win, the Irish took a 1-0 lead in the match heading into singles play. Florida State then got on the board first in singles through Sebastian Arcila, who defeated Fu 6-3, 6-2. Notre Dame responded well, with Jean-Marc Malkowski grabbing a quick 6-3, 6-3 win over Rihane to put the Irish up 2-0. Che then responded for the Irish, taking down Richard Thongoana 6-3, 6-2 to give Notre Dame a 3-1 lead. That 3-1 lead would be where Irish fortunes changed. Following Thongoana’s loss, J. Dous Karpensschif took down Conklin 7-6, (7-2), 6-1 in the flight six matchup. Then Andreja Petrovic beat Aditya Vashistha 6-4, 6-3 setting up flight one matchup to be a winner-take-all affair. With the match tied 3-3, it was Florida State’s Loris Pourroy who got the better of Nefve in a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 showdown. In his first match in weeks after

KATE NAESSENS |The Observer

Freshman Carrie Beckman serves in singles against FSU on April 10 at Eck Tennis Pavilion. Beckman won this match 7-5, 7-6, but ND

recovering from an ankle injury, Nefve put up a strong effort. He dominated the second set. But ultimately, he was unable to stop Pourroy from pulling away late in the match and completing the Seminoles’ comeback for a 4-3 win. The women’s match proved a more thorough showing of Florida State’s dominance. Freshmen Carrie Beckman and Nibedita Ghosh overcame Lesedi Jacobs and Olympe Lancelot 6-1 in the first matchup. But the Seminoles then began to take over, winning the next two doubles matchups to take a 1-0 lead. First, the duo of Petra Hule and Anna Arkadianou defeated Notre Dame junior Page Freeman and freshman Maria Olivia Castedo 6-4. Then Vic Allen and Kianah Motosono secured another Seminole win over sophomores Julia Andreach and Yashna Yellayi by the same scoreline. Florida State carried their momentum from doubles into singles matches. In flight one, Hule overcame Freeman

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6-3, 6-4. Then, in flight three, Vic Allen took down Yellayi 6-3, 6-2. And to cap off the match, Jacobs grabbed a third consecutive singles straight set victory for the Seminoles by taking down Beckman 6-4, 6-2. Despite Irish leads elsewhere on the courts, after Florida State secured the match deciding fourth point through Jacobs. The matchups in flights two, five and six were left unfinished. Having been eliminated from ACC tournament contention, both the Notre Dame men’s and women’s teams will now await their fate. That will be decided May 2, Selection Sunday, which will determine NCAA Tournament matchups. The selection show will reveal if the Irish qualify and where they will play in the national tournament. The NCAA tournament will open the weekend of May 6 to 8, and will continue through May 19 to 22. Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

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ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, april 22, 2022 | The Observer

BASEBALL 12-2

SOFTBALL

Irish to host UNC for weekend play By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

No. 24 Notre Dame Women’s softball is preparing for their penultimate three-game series of the regular season as they host the University of North Carolina this weekend. Play begins Friday, April 22, at 5 p.m., followed by subsequent games on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon. The Irish enter the weekend riding high off of some midweek action down in Bloomington, Indiana. The women rallied to defeat the Hoosiers 8-5 in extra innings this past Tuesday. “Playing Indiana midweek was a great idea because they played us really, really tough,” head coach Deanna Gumpf said. “They are a good team that plays lights-out softball. So they brought us some really tough competition. It took us a while to get going but we had some key people coming up big at bat.” The trio of sophomore Karina Gaskins, junior Joley Mitchell and graduate student Abby Sweet led the Irish offensively. It took the entire pitching staff, including recent ACC Pitcher of the Week winner Alexis Holloway, to help change the momentum of the game. The graduate student earned Pitcher of the Week after her strong no-hitter performance against a competitive No. 14 Clemson. Holloway is the second member of Notre Dame softball to earn the title. Her teammate and fellow pitcher senior Payton Tidd was named ACC Pitcher of the Week a week prior. “Alexis no-hit a very good Clemson team,” Gumpf said. “She was able to get their hitters to do what she wanted them to, as her drop ball and her rise were breaking very well. She had great command on her change-up and was just able to control hitters all day long. That’s exactly why she was awarded Pitcher of the Week.” Indiana was the final away game of the regular season for the Irish, and now they wrap up the final few weeks at home at Melissa Cook. “We’re just really happy to be home. We’ve been on the road the last couple of weeks straight so being able to finish our season at home is awesome,” Gumpf said.

UNC presents challenge

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a

tough

Despite being at home, however, UNC is looking to be a competitive matchup for the Irish. The Tar Heels’ strong pitching makes them a threat

on the mound, yet they possess a 22-22 record overall and a 6-12 record in the ACC. “UNC is going to be tough since they are a fast and powerful lineup,” Gumpf said. “They have really good pitching so they are going to be tough competition.” Nevertheless, UNC and Notre Dame have not shared too many of the same opponents this season except Clemson, Louisville and Syracuse. The Irish have yet to play Louisville, whereas the Tar Heels have not faced Syracuse. UNC lost all three of their games in their series against Clemson. Meanwhile, the Irish were able to take one of three from the Tigers last weekend. This will also be the second-to-last regular-season matchup for the Tar Heels. Gumpf is confident going into the weekend and believes the team can carry their momentum through the series to get the job done. Home field advantage will bring a little extra fire to the team’s performance as well. “I realy like how we are playing right now,” Gumpf said. “I feel like we are in a really good place mentally and physically, and I like the way we are playing the game.” Fans can head over to Melissa Cook Stadium or tune in to ACC Network Extra to watch No. 24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Softball take on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the three-game set starting Friday. Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

Good pitching, another Notre Dame home win By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Sports Writer

It was a comfortable 12-2 midweek victory over instate opponents Purdue Fort Wayne as No. 18 Notre Dame put together a steady performance at the plate from start to finish. On the mound, the pitching staff put together another stellar effort, giving up two runs on just four hits and striking out fifteen Mastodon batters. Junior Liam Simon got his second start of the year and quickly allowed a first-inning homer to Purdue Fort Wayne’s Jack Lang, the second hitter he faced. However, he settled into the game and proceeded to work four strong innings, giving up just two hits and striking out eight. “We’ve seen flashes of this. It may be a hitter here or there, but [Simon] strung it together today,” said head coach Link Jarrett. “And if he can continue to evolve, that’s an elite arm, that’s capable of doing that way more often than we’ve seen him do it. So, that’s really good.” After that first inning homer, it was all Notre Dame, who slowly added runs to their lead throughout the game. It was a patient day at the plate for Notre Dame as they walked eight times, including four walks in the first inning. “The patience was good. It allowed us to generate [offense] early in the game without really driving balls all over the place like we did later, so that was good to see.”

said Jarrett. Senior Jack Zyska opened the scoring with a basesloaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first, one of his two RBIs on the day. The second came in the third inning as he clobbered a solo home run to left field that gave Notre Dame a lead they would never relinquish. Jarrett praised the offensive effort despite the slowerthan-wanted start. “There were some good atbats. Zyska had another good game. Dave LaManna hammered a ball in the left field corner, in the right field corner and through the middle. So, that’s a really good sign when you’re hitting balls like that to all parts of the field,” he said. In the fifth inning, freshman left-hander Jack Findlay entered the game in relief of Simon, making his seventh appearance of the season. He shined on the mound, continuing a brilliant debut season by throwing three perfect innings, striking out four batters. The sparkling performance brought his ERA down to an unbelievable 0.53. “The freshmen are out of their comfort zone,” Jarrett said. “No freshman, really, is a relief pitcher. So, Findlay has done a nice job of being a little more consistent. These games give those guys more of a feel of what it’s like to come in and throw in those little spurts.” On offense, the Irish continued adding runs until a big five-run seventh

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inning essentially ended it. It started with a walk and a single, followed by a double for LaManna who drove in his second run of the afternoon. Then second baseman Jared Miller singled to score LaManna before Ryan Cole effectively sealed it with a two-run home run that made it a nine-run lead for Notre Dame. “Overall, the consistency of the quality of the at-bats isn’t what it was maybe a month ago. We’re trying to work on it to get it there,” Jarrett said. “But today was a good game. We had good at-bats and today was a good one.” Purdue Fort Wayne was able to push another run across in the eighth inning before Notre Dame scored two more in the bottom half to make it 12-2. Graduate student Matt Lazzaro came in to pitch the ninth and close out another midweek victory for Notre Dame, who remain undefeated in such games under Jarrett. The Irish host ACC opponents Wake Forest for a three-game series going Friday through Sunday. They look to rebound in conference play following a disappointing sweep against Duke last weekend that dropped them to fifth in their division. Probable starters for this weekend are ace lefty John Michael Bertrand, as well as Austin Temple and Will Mercer. Contact Jose Sanchez Cordova at jsanch24@nd.edu

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The observer | Friday, april 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Irish prepare to face Louisville in final regular season game By OLIVIA SCHATZ Associate Sports Editor

KATE NAESSENS |The Observer

Junior attack Jackie Wolak looks to make a move against Pitt. on April 16 Wolak had four assists in the 19-7 Irish win.

The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team will travel to Louisville for its final regular season matchup. The Irish have an overall 7-8 record on the season with a 2-5 record in the ACC. They are currently ranked No. 18, and if all goes well, hope to maintain their position. The Irish are coming off two major wins against Pittsburgh (19-7) and Marquette (19-10). As they go into the final game, they hope to bring their luck and momentum with them. The Irish have a tendency to win big, but can struggle to finish off a close bout that goes down to the last minute. These past two games proved that Notre Dame has the skill and endurance to continue scoring and giving their all for the entire 60 minutes. Louisville has an overall 7-9 record with a 5-3 home mark. However, within the ACC, Louisville has only won one game, losing the other six. The Cardinals have similar big wins, such as a 18-9 win against Marquette and an 18-7 win against Central Michigan. They also have wins against teams that the Irish could not beat such as a 14-11 win against Virginia Tech and a

15-6 win against Vanderbilt. The Irish have not had a disappointing season though. They were able to clutch wins against Pittsburgh (19-7) and Virginia (12-10). The home advantage for the Cardinals is a big one in this matchup as the Irish have only won one road game. However, the Irish are determined to win their final regular season game as they move into the postseason. Maintaining this winning streak could be the push the Irish need to go far in the ACC tournament. However, if the Irish want to succeed, they must win draw controls. The Irish attack is stacked with players who can find the back of the net. However, the ball needs to be in possession to accomplish this. In the most recent game against Marquette, graduate student midfielder Diana Kelly claimed 9 out of the 20 draw controls won by the Irish. Currently, freshman midfielder Kelly Denes leads the team 68 draw controls. Diana Kelly is second on the Irish, winning 50 draw controls. Junior attacker Madison Ahern leads the team with 49 goals on the season, good enough for a tie for No. 7 in the ACC for goals per game. But Ahern is not the only star on

the offensive side of the field. Junior midfielder Kasey Choma, senior midfielder Madison Mote, graduate student attack Maddie Howe and junior attacker Jackie Wolak all are fierce competitors. Choma closely follows Ahern with 46 goals on the season. On the playmaking side, Wolak has the teams top assists at 20, and Howe closely follows with 19. On the defensive end, junior midfielder Hannah Dorney leads the team in caused turnovers with 22, an average of 1.33 per game. The latter mark is the fifth best in the ACC. Graduate student goalie Bridget Deehan had a career high of 19 saves against No. 1 ranked UNC. In addition, Deehan ranks second in the ACC with 8.27 saves per game and third in save percentage (.441). In their past 14 encounters, the Irish are 12-2 against Louisville, including notching two wins last season. The Irish face off against the Cardinals in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 23 at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Live streaming will be available on the ACC Network. Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

Football

Irish defense embraces Golden’s style By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

After an impressive season last year, there are lofty expectations for the Irish defense this season under new defensive coordinator Al Golden. With plenty of talent returning on the defensive side of the ball, the Irish have worked hard to learn Golden’s system and develop further as a unit in preparation for the 2022 season. The linebacker group is arguably one of the strongest positions across the board for the Irish. The unit has plenty of veterans in senior Marist Liufau, senior J.D. Bertrand, senior Jack Kiser and graduate student Bo Bauer. But a group of younger players that includes junior Jordan Botelho, sophomore Prince Kollie, freshman Jaylen Sneed and freshman Nolan Ziegler will likely see playing time as well. Marist Liufau commented on how the mix of older and younger guys is playing out so far. “The mix is going really well,” Liufau said. “The younger guys are getting lots of reps, so they are learning a lot. We are trying to guide them in the right direction being the older guys. Just knowing

the system we are trying to help them as best as we can.” The Irish expected to have Liufau as one of their starting linebackers in 2021. But he suffered a broken ankle last August, forcing him to miss the entire season. Liufau discussed how excited he is to finally return to the field after a long recovery process. “It’s so exciting. It feels great. It’s been a long time since I’ve played. My last game was over a year ago, so I am just excited to be out here again,” Liufau said. Prince Kollie, echoing Liufau’s comment, praised the older guys for their ability to teach the younger players. “We have a stud LB room. We have a lot of dudes in the room, and they are great at teaching the young guys how to thrive in this program and succeed,” Kollie said. Jack Kiser praised defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Al Golden for his energy so far in the spring season. “He’s very passionate and a very fiery guy,” Kiser said. “He’s been coaching football since the NFL preseason started, and for him to be able to go right into spring ball here and not lose that passion and have that energy everyday says a

lot about him.” Golden has placed an emphasis on forcing turnovers and getting the ball out, and Kiser believes the team is buying into this mentality. “There’s this emphasis on getting that ball out,” Kiser said. “Guys are really buying into it at practice. Guys have bloody knuckles after practice, and that’s what we like to see. That’s a product of him coming in and stirring up this idea of attacking the ball.” Kiser also discussed how Golden has prioritized cross training players in a variety of linebacker roles to prepare them for game day. “He has placed a huge emphasis on making yourself available on any given play,” Kiser said. “He wants you to be that guy that can do everything and that makes you valuable on game day.” Golden believes that this cross training will help build his team’s depth and prepare for injuries as they arise. “We want to make sure we are building depth. You never know what’s going to happen on game day or over the course of the season,” Golden said. “That’s going to see DEFENSE PAGE 12

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Senior linebacker JD Bertrand tackles a Navy player in home game on Nov. 6. The Irish held Navy to 184 total yards in their 34-6 win.

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ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | The Observer

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What to expect from the Irish offense What does it mean? With Mayer on the Gold team, freshman tight end Mitchell Evans will have lead control on the Blue team. With sophomore tight end Cane Berrong injured, it will be Evans’s space to stand out and fulfill a role that can prove complementary to Mayer’s facing a real opponent. Being on Team Blue also puts Evans with existing running back duo of sophomores Logan Diggs and Audric Estime. At 6’5” and 250 pounds, Evans has proven himself with in-line blocking. He can continue to do that, especially with such stellar runners at his back. But without Mayer as a catching option, Saturday can be his moment to prove he’s a dual-threat.

What we know: Logan Diggs and Audric Estime are both on the Blue squad. RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner fights past defense in Lane Stadium where the Irish ended up victorious 32-29. Buchner will not be participating in the Blue and Gold game due to an ankle injury. By MANNION McGINLEY Assistant Managing Editor

For the first time in four months, the Irish will be back in front of fans for Saturday’s Blue and Gold game. On Jan. 1, 2022, the discussion of Notre Dame football centered around Marcus Freeman, the shape of his staff and what the offense would do without its leading running back as the Irish prepared to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Four months later, Freeman has a game under his belt in the head coaching chair. Recruitment has stayed on pace as upperclassmen leave for the draft. That allows us to focus on the biggest question of the immediate future: Who steps up in the 2022 season? Especially on the offensive side of the ball? Any semblance of an answer to that question starts to take shape on Saturday. And, despite a few key names taking fewer snaps (or none at all) this weekend, due to injuries, Saturday’s game will shed some light on the season and may answer some questions we already have.

Freeman Continued from page 2

But after landing just Merriweather at wide receiver in the class of 2022, the Irish need both quantity and quality out of this class. That makes the Blue and Gold game extremely important, with two elite wide receiver recruits visiting South Bend. “This weekend… Jaden Greathouse, Rodney Gallagher, this is their first time on campus. Two crucial receiver targets, top of the board guys,” Singer affirmed. He also noted the Irish would

What we know: Tyler Buchner will not play. Drew Pyne is on both rosters. Since Jack Coan set Fiesta Bowl records in the Jan. 1 matchup with the Cowboys, Irish fans have been asking who will take his place at the helm of the office. In a definitive moment of deja-vu, there has not been a clear answer, at least not in front of the public. Saturday was supposed to be our chance to see the junior Pyne and sophomore Buchner battle it out for the top spot — allowing all of us at home to pick a side and chastise the outcome whether we were right or wrong. But Buchner fell victim to another extraneous ankle roll. That means this weekend will be a chance for Pyne to prove that he should be our guy.

What does it mean? While the events of the last 48 hours change the QB battle, that’s not to say that there won’t be one. Especially if things go well early for Pyne. The other quarterbacks, sophomore Ron Powlus III and freshman Steve Angeli are listed second on the Blue and Gold rosters, respectively.

continue to offer more receivers. “Notre Dame is still going to expand the board. Chansi Stuckey is doing a great job on the recruiting trail,” he said. Case in point, the Irish offered a four-star Florida receiver, Aidan Mizer, on Wednesday. However, this weekend, the focus is on Greathouse and Gallagher. Singer described Greathouse as a “Chase Claypool or Miles Boykin type of player out on the boundary.” He called Gallagher a “superb athlete from the slot.” The Irish face uphill battles from state programs for both recruits. For Greathouse, the Irish must battle the University

If Pyne can make his case quickly, Powlus and Angeli will be there to make their Spring game debuts. It will be interesting to see if either of them gets the chance to stand out on Saturday and what that can mean in terms of backups on the season. Does it matter that Angeli was selected before Powlus, or is that just how the cards fell? The only way we’ll know is if Pyne shows out. In what is seemingly his last chance to make this team his and for reasons beyond that each fan personally holds – Pyne needs to show out on Saturday.

What we know: Michael Mayer is back. Arguably the best tight end in the country, the junior Mayer resides on the Gold roster for this weekend. That selection immediately shifted his team up 14 points alone. Mayer has made it clear he has returned to the Gug with a vengeance matching the program’s new energy. Immediately, on Saturday, Mayer will ensure his role is obvious, making every member of last year’s Mackey award decision eat their words.

of Texas for the Austin, Texas product. It’s a similar story for Gallagher, a Pennsylvania native who’s currently a heavy Penn State lean. On3 ranks Greathouse 21st and Gallagher 18th in the class of 2023 recruiting class.

On Defense, Blue and Gold Game Recruiting Defense doesn’t feel like too much of a concern for the Irish. Freeman built a mammoth of a 2022 defensive class, and he’s shaping up to do it again. While it’s early to name any position an area of concern, cornerback Justyn Rhett’s recent decommitment raises some questions

When the Irish and the Cowboys met to close their 2021 season on the first day of 2022, the Irish did so without their Kyren Williams, their beloved lead running back. For the first time, junior Chris Tyree led the running back room. In addition to him, the Irish saw Diggs and Estime take the field together. Diggs continued to be his creative self. Meanwhile, Estime took the power in his legs and used it for everything it was worth.

What does it mean? Having Diggs and Estime on the same team could either just be because that’s how the order shook out. Or it could be the Blue team is taking advantage of the potentially advantageous pair rather than a questionable Tyree who, when healthy, has outshined the two in the past. If it is the former, though, that might mean that coaches feel freshman running back Jadarian Price has leapfrogged Estime. If that’s the case, it will be interesting to see what he can do on snaps that Tyree is out, or if Tyree doesn’t take the field at all.

What we know: The wide receiver setup is interesting, especially with two players out.

in the secondary. “You lose Rhett. What does [safety] Peyton Bown end up doing…he’s visited Oklahoma two or three times since he committed,” Singer said. “Christian Gray is one of the most important targets on the entire board. He’s an elite cornerback with great traits on and off the field.” On 3 gives Notre Dame an 81% chance at landing Gray, a four-star corner and the tenthranked player at his position. That would certainly quell some concerns after losing Rhett. Locking in Bowen also would be nice. He’s the second-ranked player in the current 2023 recruiting class for the Irish.

Graduate students Avery Davis and Joe Wilkins Jr. will not play on Saturday. Sophomores Lorenzo Styles and Deion Colzie are lining up on the same snaps. That leaves the Gold team with graduate student Braden Lenzy and all the young guys (in addition to Mayer).

What does it mean? The Blue squad seems to be taking advantage of every potential complementary pair, seeing if they can find a rhythm together. Styles and Colzie will be the wide receiver edition of that test. The pair saw the field a bit last year, especially as the receiving corps thinned from injury. Meanwhile, Lenzy gets to be his reliable self on the Gold squad. Sophomore Jayden Thomas gets to spend some real quality time on the field for the first time.

What we know: The offensive line depth needed to be stronger last year. The offensive line was put to the test time and again last year. Between injuries and inexperience, it was a little more than halfway through the season that they found a rhythm.

What does it mean? Splitting into two drafted lines will be the very best thing to happen to the offensive line for this weekend. With the opportunity to get some experience against a defensive line that is as strong as ours at a pace that’s a little quicker than practice, every member of the offensive line will be able to see what they need moving forward. Every spring game has its promises and its disappointments. Some players look nothing like the players they were four months ago. Others are nowhere near the player they will be at the first snap of the season. Regardless, everyone has the success of the season at the top of their mind. Fans will have opinions on it Monday morning — opinions that could change three different times in the off-season. Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

But right now, it’s about the Blue and Gold Game at Notre Dame. The recruiting has been rolling recently, and Freeman’s staff gets a chance to impress a few elite recruits this weekend. With less stress than a normal gameday weekend, Singer stressed the energy is a big draw for recruits. “It’s just a big party. There are going to be big names around. It’s a showcase. The spring game should have a pretty good atmosphere, the weather will be fantastic. It should be a really good weekend for Notre Dame.” Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

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The observer | FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Young guns, big game: Irish sophomore receivers step up By EMILY DeFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

With a year in the Bend under their belts, sophomore receivers Lorenzo Styles and Deion Colzie look to take an even more prominent role in the Fighting Irish offense this fall. They were some of the players to see the most field time out of their freshman class. Styles appeared in all 13 games of the season, while Colzie participated in 11. Both players will be on the Blue team for Saturday’s game. Despite the team’s postseason loss to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl, Styles capped off his year with a career-high 136 yards, making up nearly 40% of his season total of 344, on eight catches. He ended to year with an average of 14.3 yards per catch and one touchdown to his name. Though his rookie season is behind him, Styles said he is looking to improve throughout his time in Irish uniform. “I have a little bit of experience under my belt, but I’m still working every single day,” he said. “I feel like even the older guys are working every single day. It’s always just a competition, a constant battle.” This competition among

teammates has not diminished the relationships he has made with fellow wide receivers. Styles cited the older players in his position group as being mentors for him, especially sixth-year Avery Davis. Davis suffered a season-ending injury in the fall tearing his ACL during a 34-6 win at home against the Navy Midshipmen. He’s still sidelined this spring as a result. Styles said he admires the graduate student and his journey, and uses this as motivation. “I really look up to [Davis] a lot,” Styles said. “If I need some mentorship, I really just look at him and I ask for his advice.” Going into this new season, Styles said he is focused on efficiency. He’s aiming to “detail the details” and learn how to respond in specific situations on the field. He is seeking to utilize his versatility, saying he can perform anywhere he is needed. “I feel like I could play really anywhere in the offense,” he said. “I’m gonna do what’s required of me for my teammates.” However, Styles not only wants to lead his teammates on the field, but in non-game settings as well. He said he is see RECEIVERS PAGE 2

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Sophomore wide receiver Lorenzo Styles tucks his shoulder as he drives down the field against OSU in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1. Styles had a career-high of 136 yards and his first touchdown in the game.

Lacing up for 2022: Key freshmen to watch By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Head coach Marcus Freeman at the Fiesta Bowl where the Irish lost to Oklahoma State 37-35. Freeman has focused on recruiting and the Irish are currently the No. 1 recruiting class for ‘23 and the No. 7 for ‘22.

Thanks to the relentless recruiting efforts of the revamped and revitalized Notre Dame coaching staff, the 2022 Notre Dame football recruiting class promises a bright future for the Fighting Irish. Spearheaded by Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame’s hard recruiting work paid off with the No. 6 ranked class in the nation. This freshman class places the program significantly ahead of almost every class from the Brian Kelly era within the past decade. Not only that, but this is Notre Dame’s third highest ranked class ever in program history. Freeman has certainly been able to find players that are the true “Notre Dame fit,” even if they may not have initially realized it themselves. “There are certain players out there that fit Notre Dame and they might not know it,” Freeman said. “So our job as a coaching staff is to be able to communicate with these young

people what Notre Dame can do for your life, and that’s what I plan on doing.” This refreshing mentality has applied to 2023 recruits as well. The 2023 class is looking to be even stronger than 2022’s, showing the effectiveness of Freeman’s methods. Looking ahead to the Blue and Gold game as well as fall season, some of these 2022 recruits have the potential to stand out early on in the season. Here are my top four picks, two defensively and two offensively, for those with the biggest impact potential that will be playing in this Saturday’s Blue and Gold Game.

Linebacker Sneed

(LB)

Jaylen

Landing “Mr. South Carolina” Jaylen Sneed was certainly a win for the Irish defense. A four star recruit, Sneed turned down offers from 31 schools, such as Alabama and Oregon, to rep the Irish. Clocking in at 198 pounds, the 6’2’’ Hilton Head native stands at 6-2 will certainly see FRESHMEN PAGE 2