Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, March 19, 2021

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Volume 55, Issue 50 | Friday, march 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Service mourns Atlanta victims Campus honors eight lives lost in shootings, stands with Asian community By ALYSA GUFFEY Associate News Editor

Campus Ministry, the Multicultural Student Programs and Services and the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies organized a prayer service Thursday night in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to honor the eight victims of multiple shootings at spas across Atlanta and to pray for antiAsian discrimination associated with the attacks. The Notre

Dame community gathered Thursday night in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to grieve the Atlanta shooting victims. About 50 students and community members came to pray together in person, with others joining through a live stream. Fr. Pete McCormick, director of campus ministry, opened the prayer service, saying the community was gathered together to remember those lost see SERVICE PAGE 4

College rebukes hate Observer Staff Report

ALYSA GUFFEY | The Observer

Fr. Brian Ching speaks at a prayer service at the Basilica Thursday evening honoring the victims of multiple shootings in Atlanta.

In response to Wednesday’s shooting in Georgia, the College is urging the end of violence against Asian and Asian American individuals, per an email by executive director of equity and inclusion Redgina Hill see STATEMENT PAGE 4

Observer alum leaves estate gift to paper By MARIA LEONTARAS Senior News Writer

In 1967, the freshly established Observer printed an ad calling for help in any department. John McCoy, Notre Dame class of 1969, answered. He worked on layout, managed with the business department, assisted anyone who needed help and later became a columnist. McCoy made a mark on The Observer then.

In early 2020, McCoy left for a ski trip in Taos, New Mexico. He was unreachable for a few days; his sister contacted local authorities and reported him missing. A few weeks later, McCoy was presumed dead. His family hosted a memorial service in February 2020 where his friends and family grieved and eulogized his memory. His remains were later found in June of 2020. In late 2020, McCoy’s sisters connected with University

officials to grant one of McCoy’s wishes. A gift of $50,000 was granted to the paper from his estate, establishing a new Observer Technology Fund on Feb. 6, making a mark on The Observer now. News of the gift shocked Managing Editor, senior Mariah Rush. “We found out as a surprise on a Zoom call; it was just a normal budget meeting,” Rush said. “It was in right before Christmas,

Top University chefs create cooking channel By MEGAN FAHRNEY News Writer

This semester, Notre Dame chefs are sharing their talents in the kitchen through a series of livestream cooking shows called “Fighting Irish Foodies.” Each episode features one chef, who gives a step-by-step demonstration of their recipe. Episodes are released monthly. and underresourced communities. “This is the work of being responsible stewards of this huge gift that was given to us; to do the work of justice and The first episode highlighted executive pastry chef Sinai Vespie, who taught viewers how to make shortbread cookies. The second show featured Josh Maron, executive chef at Legend’s of Notre Dame, and his

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St. Patrick’s Day Beef and Guinness stew. Vice president for university relations Lou Nanni said his team in the department of development created “Fighting Irish Foodies” as a way to virtually engage Notre Dame alumni, parents, friends and donors. “It took off in ways that I think even exceeded our expectations,” Nanni said. Nanni served as host for the second episode, which received over 10,000 total views. The two episodes averaged 1,457 live viewers. Maron said he loves the nostalgia associated with comfort food. During the show, he spoke of his great grandmother’s homemade beef and noodles dish. “It’s kind of similar to music, you know, how you can hear a song that

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you haven’t heard in a long time and [it] almost takes you back in time to a forgotten memory,” Maron said. Throughout the show, viewers have an opportunity to ask questions about the recipe. For instance, Vespie was asked about the difference between cookies baked on metal and parchment-lined pans. In addition to technical questions, chefs speak about themselves and their cooking experience on the show. Vespie discussed her experience winning Food Network’s “Halloween Baking Competition.” Nanni said he loved learning about cooking and getting to know Maron. The two discussed their favorite movies centered around food and their favorite South Bend-area see FOODIES PAGE 4

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and we kind of just said it was like a Christmas gift.” One of McCoy’s best friends and fellow Observer alumnus Dennis Gallagher (Notre Dame class of 1968) wasn’t as surprised. “He was very, very systematic about things like that,” Gallagher said. “It was a decision to support one element of Notre Dame that he especially loved.” Gallagher and McCoy met

during their time working at The Observer. They bonded during late nights at the office, establishing a bond that lasted long after leaving the tri-campus community. After graduating, the pair wrote letters to stay in touch while Gallagher was in graduate school and McCoy served in the Peace Corps. They maintained their friendship throughout the see GIFT PAGE 4

COVID variants in county, likely on campus The B.1.1.7 COVID variant has been identified in the county and is likely on campus or will be in the near future, St. Joseph County deputy health officer Mark Fox said in a weekly COVID-19 update newsletter sent to the Notre Dame community. As COVID-19 variants are thought to be more transmissible, University officials urged students to continue following public health protocols. In a video discussion last week, Fox said Notre Dame students are becoming reinfected

with COVID-19, as many students who were previously infected have passed the 90-day threshold. “A lot of students got infected with the outbreak in August, and now we’re at the perfect window for them to be reinfected,” Fox said. Fox also mentioned that 35% to 40% of the cases in St. Joseph County were related to Notre Dame in the first few weeks after University students returned to campus. The Feb. 17 record of 56 cases is the highest daily number of positive infections since the spring semester began.

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Observer Staff Report

2

TODAY

The observer | Friday, march 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

If you could be a planet, what planet would you be?

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

Sarah Bub

Molly Brown

junior Le Mans Hall

first-year Regina Hall

“Saturn.”

“Venus.”

Natalie Love

Maureen Tessmer

first-year Regina Hall

first-year Regina Hall

“Uranus.”

“Jupiter.”

(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com

Molly Mullett

Anne Goralcyzk

Editor-in-Chief

sophomore Holy Cross Hall

first-year McClandless Hall

“Jupiter.”

“Jupiter.”

Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez Managing Editor Mariah Rush Asst. Managing Editor: Maeve Filbin Asst. Managing Editor: Claire Rafford Asst. Managing Editor: Sara Schlecht Notre Dame News Editor: Serena Zacharias Saint Mary’s News Editor: Mia Marroquin Viewpoint Editor: Nelisha Silva Sports Editor: Hayden Adams Scene Editor: Ryan Israel Photo Editor: Allison Thornton Graphics Editor: Diane Park Social Media Editor: Ellie Dombrowski Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf Ad Design Manager: Gabby Hong, Abby Meyer Systems Administrator: Stephen Hannon Talent & Inclusion Manager: Maria Luisa Paul 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 either 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 Adriana Perez. 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

Sports

Genevieve Coleman Ryan Peters

Jimmy Ward

Graphics

Scene

Elaine Park

Ryan Israel

Photo

Viewpoint

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Matthew Doktorczyk

Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.

ALLISON THORNTON| The Observer

The Saint Mary’s Student Government Association hosted events all day Wednesday at Belle’s Backyard to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. SGA distributed free t-shirts and coookies to attendees, while green drinks and Irish music provided a festive flair.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Ten Years Hence Lecture virtual 10:40 a.m. - noon Lecture by Matt Turek on falsified media.

Seminar in American Religion virtual 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Lecture by Darren Dochuk on Christianity.

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

Enrichment Series virtual 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Conversation hosted by Dominic Chaloner.

Victim and Perpetrator Lecture virtual 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Lecture by Michael Rothberg on inequality.

Lecture: “Identity” virtual 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. Explore racial identity with guest speaker Sunny Hostin.

Food Trucks campus-wide 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Get some free food at Fieldhouse Mall, North Quad and South Quad.

La Misa en Espanol Basilica of the Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Mass rooted in Hispanic tradition.

FRC Virtual Welcome Desk Hours virtual 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Support for expectant students.

International Order Lecture virtual 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. Lecture by Mariya Grinberg on trade.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, march 19, 2021 | The Observer

3

ND female professors share success stories

Photographer | The Observer

ELAINE PARK | The Observer

By ISABELLA LAUFENBERG News Writer

To celebrate Women’s History Month, The Observer interviewed five Notre Dame professors about their experiences breaking into male dominated fields and facing gender discrimination.

Patricia Culligan As a student, Patricia Culligan always excelled in her math and physics courses. When she went to see her guidance counselor for career advice, Culligan was advised to become a math teacher. “It was suggested to me that I was a math teacher, because that’s what women who were good at math did,” Culligan said. Now the dean of Notre Dame’s College of Engineering, Culligan didn’t stop at that suggestion. She encountered a few engineers at her high school career day who encouraged her to become an engineer, and that’s exactly what she did. Culligan went on to get a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, a Ph.D. in engineering and a master’s in philosophy. She also completed post-doctoral work at the University of Western Australia and has a degree in French language. She has worked as a faculty member at both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Columbia University before coming to Notre Dame. Culligan is now an extremely accomplished woman, but she overcame many barriers in her education and her career. In her class at the University of Leeds, she was one of five girls in a class of 100 engineering students. In her first job as an engineer, she was the first female her company had ever hired. In her department at Columbia, she was the first female faculty member and the first female chair of the department. It was when she first began her work at the engineering firm that Culligan said she started to see how differently women got treated. “I began to see a little bit of different treatment because I was a woman,” Culligan said. “When clients would come into the engineering consulting firm, it would often be ‘You have to meet Trish, she’s our female.’” Even following that experience, Culligan said she still thought it mainly applied to other women until she was preparing for a lecture and was mistaken for a secretary. “Women were being treated differently, and then the further that you would advance in your career, you realize it’s not just other women,”

Culligan explained. “You wake up to the fact that the barriers that you see other women are facing, you face yourself.” Culligan said her advice to other women would be to follow your passions and push through adversity. “We all have to get up in the morning and enjoy what we do,” Culligan said. “Find something that you’re passionate about and realize that everybody can contribute in ways that are unique and are important.”

Jennifer Tank Starting off college as a pre-med student, Jennifer Tank never anticipated her career as an ecologist. Her work as an ecologist is mainly focused on the nutrients in streams and rivers, she said. Tank is a Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla professor of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame. She runs her own research lab and has been an author on over 160 research articles. Tank said she got interested in the field of ecology when she participated in the University of Michigan’s Biological Research Station during one summer of her undergraduate years. She said she originally planned to go there just to “tick off all [her] requirements,” but ended up truly enjoying the work she did. Women in STEM face what Tank calls the leaky pipe. She said that these women are challenged at each step along their path whether they should continue on. “As you go through every step, you lose women out of the pipeline, we call it the leaky pipe,” Tank said. “’Am I going to stop there or go on?’ and every time you’re stopping, you think about it and make a decision. And I think for women, if there aren’t the role models of many people making that successful choice, it’s just a little bit of a nudge that says, ‘well maybe you don’t.’” Tank said her main obstacle as a woman in STEM and particularly as a woman in ecology was not having accessible female mentors. “I just had a limited number of role models that I saw that looked like me,” Tank explained. “The mentors weren’t delivered to me, you know, on a silver platter. I had to seek out what I needed, and I think that’s just extra step. if you will.” Tank said she advises everyone to be proactive for themselves and to seek out people as mentors. “Take heart that there are people out there that want to help,” Tank said. “But sometimes people are so busy you have to ask.”

Marianne Cusato Marianna Cusato is a superstar in

the world of architecture and home design, but her rise to fame came long after her time as an undergraduate. Cusato is a home designer known for her innovative housing solutions in disaster and workforce housing and is an adjunct associate professor for the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. She has a Bachelor of Architecture from the Notre Dame School of Architecture and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Mendoza School of Business. She was always interested in how homes were built and designed even from her early childhood, Cusato said. She said her final choice to go into the field of architecture came after she learned that astronauts had to have perfect vision. “In seventh grade, I made the final decision that I was going to be in architecture because I couldn’t be an astronaut,” Cusato said. During her time as a Notre Dame undergraduate studying architecture, Cusato said she was never the top of her class. She said it wasn’t until she was out in the world working and gaining experience that she really started to absorb when she had learned about. “I was learning while I was [at Notre Dame], but I wasn’t absorbing or understanding it. It wasn’t until I got out into the profession that things that I learned in school came sort of rushing back and actually understood what I was taught,” Cusato explained. Cusato said being a woman in the world of architecture comes with disadvantages and advantages. “I definitely believe that there are certain areas where I’ve been treated differently. I’ve also been treated better in other areas,” Cusato said. “It’s a tricky dynamic. I want to be considered successful because of what I do, not because I’m a successful woman.” A lot of her success comes from following her gut even when others told her not to, and she advises her students to do the same, Cusato said. “The only reason I’m successful is because I ignored all of the things that I was told about what I should do,” Cusato said. “You have to follow your passion; you don’t make decisions out of fear.”

Kaitlin Wowak Kaitlin Wowak has never slowed down. She started college at just 17 years while still in high school and was hired as a Notre Dame professor when she was 25. Wowak is now a Notre Dame assistant professor of IT, analytics and

operations at the Mendoza College of Business. She has already published many research articles with more that have been accepted into journals or are under review. She has won countless awards and has been featured in numerous newspaper and media outlets. Although she is an accomplished woman, Wowak is one of only a few female Mendoza professors and the only female professor who had two children before being tenured. Wowak said she didn’t get all of the accommodations she was entitled to during her first pregnancy. “You’re supposed to get — for tenure track faculty members — a teaching load reduction, and an extension on your tenure clock of one year,” Wowak said. “I never got my teaching load reduction because nobody told me that. I was actually back in the classroom like eight weeks, nine weeks after having a kid because it was part of the job.” During her second pregnancy, Wowak said she went to her bosses and asked for more accommodations, and they didn’t grant her what she was entitled to. It wasn’t until she showed them the documents that the situation was corrected, she said. “They have corrected everything, and everything has been taken care of and they’ve been very supportive of having kids pre-tenure,” Wowak assured. “Nobody knew the process of it.” In her professional life, Wowak said she has also encountered discrimination from being a woman in the male dominated field of business. “I’m in operations,” Wowak said. “It’s very male dominated… So being a white female in operations, it’s incredibly rare. It is very much of a boys’ club.” Wowak said being a good role model for her girls is very important to her as well as showing them that they can do everything that boys can do. “I have two daughters, and I always want them to know that they can compete with the boys,” Wowak said. “I always encourage them, you can run faster than the boys, you can do more than the boys.” Overall, Wowak said she believes women can do anything they set their minds to if they take things one step at a time. “Just take one day at a time,” Wowak said. “And you can accomplish everything.”

Susan Harris As she was always passionate about writing and reading, being an English major seemed like the natural path for Susan Harris.

While at Yale University studying for her English degree, Harris took a seminar on contemporary Irish literature and fell in love with the genre. It wasn’t until her Ph.D. studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that she started to be interested in the gender and sexuality side of Irish literature, Harris said. “The interest in gender studies came later after I’d spent a couple years at UNC Chapel Hill working on Irish literature,” Harris said. “I was drawn to the sort of questions about gender and sexuality.” Harris said a lot of her interest in gender in Irish literature came from Irish history classes she had taken. “A lot of it had to do with the fact that the history of the Abbey Theatre…is about controversies and protests that occurred because people didn’t like the way Irish women were being represented on stage,” Harris explained. Harris is now a professor in the Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters department of English and the Keough Institute for Irish Studies. She is also concurrently a part of the faculty in the gender studies department. She has written two books called “Irish Drama and the Other Revolutions: Playwrights, Sexual Politics” and the “International Left, 1892-1964 and Gender and Modern Irish Drama.” In addition to being a woman, Harris said she also faces challenges as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s hard to separate sort of my experience as a woman from my experience as queer,” Harris said. “So, when I was hired at Notre Dame, I had a lot of anxiety about whether they were going to tenure me. The attitude I adopted was like ‘I will do my work and do my best’ and, you know, we’ll see what happens. If they don’t give me tenure, I’ll know that it wasn’t because I didn’t do my work.” Harris did receive tenure and is now out as queer in her classroom. She said she still faces some backlash, but that it isn’t as “fraught and anxiety inducing for me as it used to be.” Harris said her advice to younger woman and anyone else trying to accomplish high-set goals is to not be afraid of collaboration. “The more you can connect with other people in your position and the more you can kind of share experience and ideas with other people, I think the better off everybody is,” Harris said. “I really do believe we get farther by cooperating than by competing.” Contact Isabella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

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NEWS

The observer | Friday, march 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Gift Continued from page 1

years by meeting up to go to Notre Dame football games and hockey games. “I’ve known him, it seems like all my life but actually only since I was 20,” he said. “He is the godfather of my son and used to go Christmas caroling with us when we had a neighborhood Christmas caroling. It’s a very long friendship. I really miss him.” And it all started at the paper. After late nights of producing pages, Observer staffers would head to Louie’s Pizza to eat, drink and talk about life. “We would talk about the world; we talk about the war,” Gallagher said. “We’d talk about journalism and whether we

Foodies Continued from page 1

restaurants. “It’s just fascinating to talk with people,” Nanni said. “Just asking him, ‘When did you find this love for cooking and who inspired you?’” Ryli Vissers, chef de cuisine at the Morris Inn and McKenna Hall, is scheduled to cook on the next episode of the show in April. Vissers said he plans on cooking an asparagus risotto, which he chose because it uses seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. “I think it’s really, really important to cook with the seasons and embrace whatever you have

Service Continued from page 1

to the senseless violence. “While tonight we honor the lives lost, we also commit ourselves to making the world just a little bit more dignified, just a little bit more humane by the way we go about living our lives by what we do what we say what we prioritize,” McCormick said. McCormick prayed for Asians in the community and all those affected by the targeted attacks. Fr. Brian Ching, rector of the Basilica, then spoke on the shootings and the resulting grief, first referencing the dissolution of the Japanese internment camps in 1942 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a discriminatory action against Asians originally put into place after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ching described this action of othering as a response to fear. “Fear, friends, often drives it all,” Ching said. “Fear can lead us to think and do perhaps the most unthinkable, most vile, most unjust things.” Reflecting on not responding with fear, Ching said evil is not the response to evil. “Evil is not the last word,” he said. “Hate is not victorious.” Ching spoke on the first Japanese infantry constructed during the period of internment that went on to become one of the

wanted to do it. John was a business major in a group of English majors, and he was interested in the paper, but I think he saw his future in accounting and then in law. But he also wanted to see the world, which he started to do with the Peace Corps and continued his all adult life going on all sorts of places. It was a small group. A very close one at the time.” Gallagher spoke at McCoy’s memorial service where he saw many of McCoy’s friends from Notre Dame, including Observer staffers from the class of ‘68 who took McCoy under their wing. “I think all of us, especially John, we went on to the lives that were really enriched by our experience with The Observer whether or not we continued in journalism,” Gallagher said. “They’re my people after more

around you instead of bringing stuff in from other states or countries,” Vissers said. “I think that the South Bend area [and] Upper Michigan right above us has some of the best produce in the country.” Nanni said that because of Fighting Irish Foodies’ success, there will likely be a couple more episodes this semester and maybe even more in the fall. “It’s pretty amazing,” Nanni said. “The questions you hear, they come in from all over the country, … sometimes beyond the country. People are watching, and it’s quite remarkable.” Contact Megan Fahrney at mfahrney@nd.edu

most awarded infantries in United States history. “They did not let others’ fear dictate how they should live, and they responded to the fear of others with courage, with boldness, with love,” Ching said. “Being willing to lay down their lives for the very ones interning their parents, their siblings, their friends.” Professor of film, television and theatre and Liu Institute faculty member Tarryn Chun read a prayer of lament for the Asian community. “May we love those who are strangers and those who are friends,” Chun said. “And even more so those that are our enemies.” Matt Cabrera, president of the Asian American Association on campus, read the names of the eight victims. Eight candles were lit, one for each victim. McCormick closed the service by reminding those that the solution is love. “How might we in our lives bring that love into our communities?” McCormick said. After the service, the candles were walked to the grotto by a select few individuals due to social distancing protocols. McCormick asked those gathered to make a trip to the grotto this weekend to remember those lost. Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu

than 50 years — 53, I guess this year.” The proof of these close bonds is evident in McCoy’s gift to the paper, junior Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez said. “It warms my heart. It’s great to see the lasting relationships and connections that come from working on the paper beyond just the student journalism that we’re doing, which is in itself, very important,” Perez said. “Just thinking about the important role that The Observer plays in so many lives — I can’t even fathom it. This is just like a small glimpse into that.” The Fund will help future generations of the paper, Rush said, something that’s comforting knowing that she will graduate this spring. “It was such a weight lifted off my shoulders even though I

Statement Continued from page 1

sent to students Wednesday afternoon. “Many individuals across the country are heartbroken by the acts of violence that took place last night in Georgia,” Hill said. “Eight people, including six Asian women, lost their lives in what is being deemed a racially charged incident.” Hill cited increased violence against Asian communities during the pandemic, noting that the shooting in Georgia was not an isolated incident. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased violence against Asian and Asian American communities nationwide has intensified,” she

wasn’t really specifically worried about our debt,” she said. “But just knowing student journalists in the coming years could have better computers and potentially not lose all of their work, that pretty much solidifies that — obviously The Observer is going to continue on, obviously, we want it to continue on forever — but this is definitely a huge step towards that.” Perez said she is thankful for the gift and what it means for the paper now and in the future. “Technology is the way forward, and I’m sure we’ll find more uses in terms of bringing The Observer into the digital world a little bit more as well,” Perez said. “But more generally, too, I hope that this indicates that there are people out there willing to support us, not only

financially, but also just who understand the importance of the mission of the paper here for the tri-campus community.” Knowing the Observer Technology Fund was started by an alumnus makes it all the more special to Rush. “It just means the most coming from someone who did so much and had such a strong bond with his fellow Observer people and his fellow peers,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking to hear about the passing of someone who lived so well and had such good friends that they still kept in contact with, but it’s comforting to know The Observer has an angel-type figure, people that really still appreciate The Observer.”

said. “Reports of xenophobic and racist incidents towards Asian communities have nearly risen to 150% according to reports from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. All acts of racial violence must end!” According to Hill, a solution to decrease violence is to continue having open dialogues about race. “We have to do our part by continuing to encourage ongoing discussions around topics of race, and the longstanding history of racism in our country, to break down the barriers that separate us, no matter how uncomfortable these topics may be,” Hill said. “Engaging in dialogue about these topics does not create

divisiveness. Divisiveness already exists in our society, but through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, healing and change can begin.” Hill also encouraged the Saint Mary’s community to support all Asian and Asian American individuals affiliated with the College. “As a campus community, we remain committed to standing against racism and fighting for justice for all,” she said. “I invite all members of the Saint Mary’s College community to join in opposing these anti-Asian acts of violence and to stand in solidarity with our Asian and Asian-American students, colleagues, family, and friends.”

Contact Maria Leontaras at mleontaras01@saintmarys.edu

student senate

Senate introduces award By EMMA HAMILTON News Writer

The student senate converged in Jordan Hall 105 Wednesday evening to hear from the Club Coordination Council (CCC) and vote on several resolutions. The meeting began with a presentation by members of the CCC, the body on campus that funds, supports and collaborates with clubs. They announced that they are currently in the process of disbursing funds to clubs that applied for supplementary spring funding, and they presented their timeline for spring allocation by which they will plan how to distribute funds to clubs next year. At the end of their presentation, CCC president Ricardo Pozas Garza talked about the core values of the CCC, emphasizing that “it has every intention of being as transparent, clear, and honest in the method in which funding is distributed.” After the CCC presented, the senate announced an order to establish the Nancy J. Walsh Irish Clover Award named after student government office assistant

Nancy Walsh. Created to honor Walsh’s hard work and dedication in the student government office, the award will be given to two members of the Notre Dame community for their service to the student body. One recipient will be a student or alum, while the other recipient will be a faculty staff or administrator. Walsh attended the meeting via Zoom and the Senate surprised her with the award. “You guys are the best,” she said. “You’re the best before you did that, as always. But thank you all.” After this resolution passed unanimously, senators presented two resolutions related to nutrition and Campus Dining. The first consisted of an initiative to make it safer and easier for students with allergies to eat in the dining halls. This resolution contained measures such as including nutritional information, ingredients and allergen resources for retail locations on-campus on the Campus Dining website, as well as removing nuts from recipes served in general service lines and only providing pre-packaged

nuts or butter for consumption. The second of the two foodrelated resolutions sought to embolden the partnership between the Campus Dining Nutritional Counseling team and Notre Dame students, including sending an email to all first-year and transfer students with information regarding food allergies. Sophomore senator Eliza Smith, who worked on this initiative, noted that students would be able to have a “continued relationship” with the Nutritional Team. Finally, members of the senate requested the re-installation of the rims on the bookstore basketball hoops. Senators discussed the issue’s importance, considering that physical activity is an essential component of to mental health. Mayo Clinic research was offered to argue that this sport is a COVID-safe activity. Next week the Senate will discuss work over mini-breaks and the Moreau First Year Experience. Contact Emma Hamilton at ehamilt5@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, march 19, 2021 | The Observer

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College implements new recycling program By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Associate News Editor

Saint Mary’s is encouraging students to be more environmentally conscious by having a “Recyle-aThon Res Life Contest” by collecting hard-to-recycle items in the trash room of each residence hall. The initiative is sponsored by Eco Belles, the Office for Civic and Social Engagement (OSCE), Student Government Association (SGA) and the Program in Theatre. Until the end of March, the number of hard-to-recycle items collected in each hall will be tallied each week and the residents of the winning dorm will each receive an “Eco-Kit,” according to an email to students from program coordinator and theatre professor Melissa Bialko. The email also said the items collected will later be used during Earth Week in an upcycling contest. In an interview with Bialko, she distinguished hard-to-recycle items from items that can be recycled normally. “A hard-to-recycle item is one that is not commonly accepted at most recycling facilities,” she said. “For instance, almost every facility accepts plastic juice bottles, beer cans [and] newspaper ... We accept everything from DVDs to Styrofoam food packaging, to contact lenses, to shoes, toothbrushes, pens, pencils, markers, highlighters.” Bialko emphasized that students can donate damaged or broken items. “One of the really important points I want to make is that we will accept items in any condition,” she said. “They can be used, they can be broken, they can be torn, they can be a shoe with a

busted heel.” These broken items will not be reused, however, they will be sent to a recycling program that accepts them, Bialko said. “It’s not necessarily that we’re going to take these items and wear them or find someone to wear them,” she said. “Although with goods that can be worn, we try to give them a new life that way. But things that are totally busted or unusable, we find a way to recycle as well, and I think that’s great.” According to Bialko, while donations do not have to be in good condition, they must still fulfill other requirements. “Everything must be clean, empty and dry, so if you’re giving us an old lipstick, the lipstick should be removed out of it,” she said. “... If it’s a shampoo bottle that can’t be recycled normally, that should be rinsed out.” Bialko explained that the project began out of a personal interest in sustainability, because of the waste generated in the field of theatre. “I wanted to take on some kind of effort as part of the theatre, partially because theatre is a very, very wasteful industry,” she said. “We build stuff and there’s a lot of production waste associated with our producing of props, costumes and scenery.” Bialko said the initiative grew because a group of students who shared her passion for sustainability and later became the Eco Belles. “Because these students are so enthusiastic and interested, we started to look at other things that needed to be recycled,” she said. “We have enrolled in several recycling programs through TerraCycle, which is probably

the nation’s largest mass hard-torecycle items facility. Then any local programs, we enroll in, we take advantage of that.” She said she is hopeful that, in the future, all materials can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. “We are hoping to get to a point where we can say, ‘Recycle your paper, recycle your cans — recycle those things in the regular recycling bins — compost your food and we will take everything else‘.” Bialko described how individuals should try to reduce their consumption or reuse their items before they recycle. “It is important to note that reduce, reuse, recycle are in the order that we should operate to be effective,” Bialko said. “Recycling actually uses a lot of resources, so it should be considered a final option. Therefore, reducing is most important, reusing is second and recycling is your final option when thinking about what to do with goods no longer needed by you.” Bialko went further by explaining how people can reduce consumption and reuse objects. “Reduce is to reduce your consumption in the first place, such as not buying single-use items or heavily packaged items, or falling into the fast fashion consumer trap,” she said. “Reusing can be repurposing, like using cute jam jars as succulent containers, or upcycling, like making an old sweater into a skirt and mittens.” People can also limit their consumption through refusing or composting items, Bialko said. “We also now add ‘Refuse,’ as in, refuse unwanted items like gifts in favor of experiences or services, or swag bags at conferences

or parties,” she said. “The final ‘R’ is ‘Rot,’ as in compost. You can deposit your leftover lunch food for eventual composting on our campus farm in bins in the [dining hall] near the exit by the deck. There is a second compostable bin in the [dining] tent.” Bialko stressed the far-reaching, global consequences of not properly recycling items. “It is extremely important to follow these R’s to keep items out of landfills or from being shipped abroad for other countries to deal with,” Bialko said. “We send tons and tons of donated clothes to third-world countries, preventing their own fashion and textile industries from flourishing, and leaving them to dispose of — often by burning — our unwanted goods that have turned into their unwanted goods. The problem with landfills are many, including the gases created by decomposing objects, seepage of toxins into land and water, and the sheer fact that they are unsightly and take up space.” Sophomore Caroline Kopack created posters for the hard-torecycle items project and aims to encourage students to live more sustainably by limiting their consumption. “What I would like people to know about sustainability is that recycling is amazing, but it’s also important to reduce your consumption as well,” Kopack said. Junior Grace Floerchinger is the chair of SGA’s Food Sustainability Committee and collaborated with the Sustainability Committee to sponsor the contest and provide prizes for the winners. She also highlighted the need to dispose of hard-to-recycle items so they do not become waste in landfills.

“It is important to recycle otherwise hard-to-recycle items to divert these goods from ending up in landfills as waste,” Floerchinger said. Floerchinger also encouraged students to participate in the challenge so they can help create an art installation and be more conscious about recycling. “As it relates to the contest happening on campus, the collected items will be upcycled and used for an art installation,” Florechinger said. “Students should participate in this contest to not only get into the habit of recycling, but also to increase their chances of receiving the ‘Eco-Kit’ prize while helping out the art students.” According to Bialko, the bins will remain in each dorm’s trash room after the collection contest has finished. Students are asked to not add trash or regularly recycled items to the bins and to call the extension listed on the side of the bin when it is full. “Eco Belles has a collection schedule, but if a bin is ever overflowing, there is a phone number on the bin poster to call to report the need for collection,” Bialko said. Bialko expressed pride in working with members of the College to create a more sustainable campus. “Saint Mary’s is working harder every day to be more sustainable and to be better custodians of our environment,” she said. “I’m really proud to be a part of that ... and I’m really excited that so many students are also going to be a part of that.” Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

New ice rink brings mixed reactions at SMC By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ News Writer

In an email sent late January, College President Katie Conboy announced Saint Mary’s students that a skating rink was on the way. The email talked about “Winter Wonderland” coming to campus, so that students could gather safely in outside spaces. On Feb. 9, Conboy sent a follow-up email with an update on the “Winter Wonderland” and the promised ice rink. In the email, she said these additions to campus were under construction. Conboy also mentioned she had received positive feedback and she was excited to have students be able to use these new areas. After the ice rink was installed the week of March 8, it was opened to students March 13. Students who came out to use the ice rink for the first time enjoyed hot chocolate and s’mores by the rink, which is located in the patio area behind Le Mans. Senior Carina Garza described her frustration with the initial

news of an ice rink coming to campus. “I was kind of mad, I thought the money could have gone to something else,“ she said. “I’ll be completely honest — I thought it could have gone to more important things on campus.” However, she said she understands why they did it. “Their heart and intention were in the right place, but I think there are more things going on that the money could have been used for,“ Garza said. “However, I also don’t know if the money was donated, and if it was donated by someone, then usually they get to choose what it goes to.” Garza said she thought the construction of the ice rink took too long and got students’ hopes up. Now that the ice rink is up and running, and Garza has had the opportunity to see the rink itself, she said she believes it’s too small. “I think maybe five girls, maybe, can be on it at and socially distance,” she said. “Especially as

there is still an issue of students following COVID-19 procedures I don’t think it helps — unless there is someone actually monitoring, who is actually watching the number of students on the rink.” Garza herself does not intend to use the ice rink, she said, since she doesn’t know how to ice skate. “I would prefer to go into the South Bend community and go to Howard Park — following COVID guidelines since it is bigger, there are more activities and it’s nicer,” Garza said. Ultimately, Garza’s main issue is the size of the rink — but she said she appreciates the school’s effort to establish and bring something to campus and so give students more entertainment options. “I think because we are a college and it’s so hard for the students to stay on campus, seeing as the pandemic is going on, and they want to go out and do these things, I understand as to why Saint Mary’s got the ice rink,” she said. “And I appreciate

their intention, it was in the right place, but I don‘t think that will keep students on campus and keep them from going home, because they are already doing it and they’re not going to stop.” First-year Anabelle Rivas had a different reaction to the initial news. “I was really excited, I had only gone ice skating once, and I was excited that I wouldn’t have to go off campus to do it,“ she said. Rivas felt the establishment of the rink could have come sooner given the size of the rink, and voiced concerns for the approaching spring. “Well, I feel like it could have come earlier, especially for what we got — it could have been way earlier,” she said. “And it’s also getting warmer, and ice skating is not something you do when it’s warm outside. So, I was expecting it to come sooner — like the second week of classes, or maybe like a couple of weeks, but not a whole month.” Like Garza, Rivas said she had not personally used the rink.

“I’ve never skated on it, but I walked on it one time, and I was like ‘This is plastic’,” she said. “If I had skates on I would literally just walk, and I was thinking maximum two people, not many students [could use it simultaneously].” Rivas voiced concerns for the practicality of the rink. “I feel like no one is really gonna use it,“ she said. “It will sort of just be there, and I think those who will use it will be just like groups of friends who want to try it out.” Contact Crystal Ramirez at cramirez01@saintmarys.edu

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Inside Column

Goodnight Lauren, what are you thankful for? Diane Park Graphics Editor

I am extremely culinarily challenged. So, unlike many of my peers who moved off campus for their last year of college, this was one of the driving factors that inf luenced my decision to stay on campus in Ryan Hall for the fourth consecutive year. There’s certainly pros and cons to living on campus; I love that I’ve been able to call this dorm community home from my first year of college to now, but people find it interesting to hear that — especially with COVID-19 — not only am I on campus, but that I also have a roommate. My roommate Lauren is one of the kindest, considerate and faithful women I know, and my last year at Notre Dame would not be the same without her. We’ve never been roommates before, but we share an interesting roommate history. She was roommates with one of our friends, who was then roommates with another friend, who also lived with me — basically, we’ve all been roommates at one point in Ryan. And while the pandemic has made it difficult to stay on campus and share a space with someone, I am thankful for my particular experience and the companionship that we’ve been able to provide for each other this year. Speaking of what we’re thankful for, one thing Lauren has suggested we do that I really appreciate is asking each other to share one thing we’re thankful for before heading to bed at night. Although we all know we’re living in such a different time and it’s challenging to be optimistic when there’s a lot of serious issues relevant today, our small roommate check-in has helped me remember and recognize all the good things in my life. Some days it’s easier to name something I’m thankful for, and other days it takes me a few minutes to land on something as small as saying I’m thankful for being able to eat outside again. Other things on our list of gratitude have been having access to cars, family, friends and no matter how big or small it is, I am always reminded of how lucky I am to not only have the privilege of being able to name anything at all but also to have someone to share with and listen to. This senior year and this last semester of being an undergraduate at Notre Dame is admittedly very different from what I could have ever envisioned. Neither I, nor any of my friends and peers, could have really expected our college journey to end in the middle of a global pandemic. Yet, while we have every right to mourn the loss of a “normal” senior year, I believe these daily affirmations have made a small but steady impact on my determination to make the most of my remaining time at school. This will also be the last column I write for the Observer after a year as a graphic designer and two years as the Graphics Editor. I am so thankful for the productions I have been able to be a part of, the amazing team of designers and Editorial Board members I have worked with and the rest of the Observer community. And at the end of the day, I am thankful I have a friend to come home to, share my day with and receive encouragement from. One should be so lucky as to have a roommate like Lauren! Contact Diane at dpark5@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Stop telling people you’re Jewish Gabriel Niforatos The Road Less Traveled

Last week, NBA center Meyers Leonard used an anti-Semitic slur while streaming v ideo games. W hile he defended himself by say ing that he was unaware of the meaning of the word he used, he was subsequently fined and suspended from his team for a week. Leonard has since spoken to the AntiDefamation League amid w idespread criticism, which has included several gaming companies either cutting ties w ith him or denouncing his actions. And yet, the most poignant response to Leonard’s actions that I have seen came from NFL w ide receiver Julian Edelman. Edelman, who is Jew ish, has been outspoken about combatting anti-Semitism in the broader world of sports, notably reaching out to fellow NFL w ide receiver DeSean Jackson when Jackson posted anti-Semitic comments to his social media last year. Instead of indicting Leonard, Edelman penned an open letter to him that condemned the casual ignorance that arises when people use hateful comments or do hateful things w ithout fully understanding the meaning of the words they use. As a Jew myself, I confess that I am far less patient than Julian Edelman. Of course headlines are made when athletes and celebrities say polarizing and hateful things. But it is the casual, ever yday ignorance that Julian Edelman discussed that is far more insidious and deep-seated in our societ y. My experience as a Jew at the Universit y of Notre Dame has been all over the place, although I have also experienced this “casual racism.” My experience has ranged from organizations at the Universit y that w ill go unnamed being reticent to support awareness of anti-Semitism to a professor confronting me on why I mention that I am Jew ish in so many of my columns that I have w ritten for the Obser ver. The second I mention that I am Jew ish, I instantly become a museum specimen in a classroom, and I have plent y of experience of peers and facult y poking and prodding the cage to see how the specimen w ill react. There is a stigma when you tell someone that you are Jew ish. Part of this complication stems from the complicated histor y that Israel has in the Middle East, particularly the ongoing struggles w ith the Palestinian people. I am proud to be Jew ish, but I have taken courses at the Universit y that have deeply challenged my understanding of the Jew ish histor y. My opinion of my heritage has, ironically, become far more nuanced through my education at this Catholic institution. But just as it is hard to pinpoint the exact time that humans realize that we w ill die, ever y Jew is born w ith an innate understanding that our heritage carries the burden of being an outcast. And yet, that is something that I deeply cherish. It is the human experience to have “outcast moments,” and being Jew ish has enabled me to understand when other people shoulder a similar burden. I remember inv iting friends over for Shabbat dinner even when my family and I did not have a house of our ow n. There is an old stor y about a rabbi who buys t wo of ever y thing from the store in case he ever meets someone of greater need. To be Jew ish

is to be a sojourner, and the least we can do is allev iate the parched lips of our fellow travelers. To Meyers Leonard and people that perpetuate damaging casual ignorance, I do not care if you are bothered by the fact that I am Jew ish and proud to be so. To my professor who told me to stop say ing I am Jew ish in my columns, I w ill say it tenfold in ever y column. To be proud of my heritage is not to admit that it is w ithout fault, and this is one of the points of misunderstanding that people confront w ith me and my columns. Rather, I am embracing the complex it y and imperfections of the histor y of my people, and welcoming discourse to iron out the inconsistencies, to apologize for the pain and to discuss better ways to move ahead in the future in a productive and peaceful manner. To be proud that I am Jew ish does not mean that I am proud of the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacres and the invasive and v iolent conf licts in the West Bank. We are not perfect. And that is what makes us beautiful. It is not enough to suspend a player for a week from his team and prescribe a healthy dose of diversit y classes. And too often it seems that anti-Semitism is excluded from movements that mobilize against hate. I w ill be the first to tell you that I recognize that the Jew ish people are not perfect, but hate is hate, and we get nowhere when we make the decision to be complacent in our ignorance. Violent antisemitic incidents have increased exponentially in recent years, and almost half of people aged 18 to 39 cannot name a single concentration camp in the Holocaust. We are more than Fiddler on the Roof, Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. We are a liv ing, breathing, dy namic organism and we deser ve to be treated as such. At the end of his letter to Meyers Leonard, Julian Edelman inv ited him to a Shabbat dinner to break bread and learn more about the Jew ish people. To anyone reading this column that desires a further dialogue, I have quite a bit of f lex points to burn through. Dinner on me. Gabriel Niforatos is a senior majoring in political science with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service and Theology. He is passionate about giving a voice to the disenfranchised and writing is the muse he is persistently chasing. He can be found at gniforat@ nd.edu or @g_niforatos on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

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The observer | Friday, March 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

The power of community at Notre Dame Clark Bowden Snowflake Standpoint

After the University made the controversial decision to remove the Zahm community from campus, I have heard a lot regarding community, family and support. People in Zahm House, their alumni and many people within the greater Notre Dame community are outraged by the University’s actions. There have been petitions, on campus protests and Zahm residents are calling for solidarity from their Notre Dame peers. The Zahm issue is important, and it deserves a lot of discussion, particularly given how the University went about making the decision, but that isn’t what this column is about. I will cede that debate to my peers. Instead, I want to discuss the same tenets of community, family, solidarity and support as they apply to a different community of Notre Dame students: LGBTQ+. On Monday, the Vatican released a statement that reinforced their stance against the blessings of unions of same-sex couples. This is a particularly frustrating attack because, for the past few years, it seemed as though the Catholic Church was trending to become more accepting on this issue. As a Catholic community here at Notre Dame, this statement impacts all of us. We need to stand up now more than ever in defense of our LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff, showing them the true meaning of family, solidarity and support. The Vatican wrote that God “cannot bless sin.” Quick note to any current students who might still be taking their first theology course: If you ever find yourself writing about Christianity and write, “God cannot,” take a deep breath, hit the backspace button ten times, and restart the thought. I promise that whatever you’re writing about, God can do it. More importantly though, and at the risk of this becoming a theology debate, there are some serious flaws with the

sentiment in the message from the Catholic Church. One of the basic and fundamental principles of the Christian faith is that God is omnipotent, all-powerful. He is the creator of all things, the alpha and the omega. So how can he not do something? If I could respond to the Vatican with a single question, it would be this, “What else can God not do?” No seriously, this is an important question. The Vatican stated that God cannot bless sin. This means that by definition, according to the Catholic Church, there are limits to the power of God. My question is, what are the other limits? As I am sure you can tell, my question is facetious. I believe that God can do anything, and in all honesty, the Vatican probably just misspoke. Admittedly, spending time on poor word choice from the Vatican is a waste considering all the other issues that arrived from their statement, but it was low-hanging fruit, and I took it. More directly, the Catholic Church is refusing to allow a blessing on the unions of gay people and all members of the LGTBQ+ community. By doing this, the Vatican is not only excluding a massive number of LGTBQ+ Catholics, particularly young people, but detracting from the overall community of the Church as a whole. It is true, the Bible does condemn homosexuality, but if you insist on following that law from the Bible, then you should probably follow all of them. Here are some more laws that I suggest you follow as they are certainly included in Scripture: Exodus 35:2 says that anyone who works on Sunday is to be put to death (I highly encourage you to get started on your weekend assignments early if this is the case), Leviticus 19:19 states that you can’t plant two crops in the same field or wear clothes with multiple fabrics (I would certainly take more time when picking out my outfit each morning) and, finally, Leviticus 11:8 warns that you better not eat pork or even touch the skin of a pig (this is going to seriously complicate intramural football). All of these things are sins according to the Bible. Now, the Vatican was clear that their statement does

not exclude homosexual people from their community, it simply will not bless their union. In their eyes, homosexuality is a sin, and those people need to repent and ask for forgiveness; their union will not be accepted in the eyes of the Church. So, let’s keep the logic train chugging along here. When can we assume the Catholic Church will issue a statement refusing to bless the marriage of two people who work on Sundays? Here are two people who choose sin, why is their union blessed but a gay person’s is not? What about the marriage of two farmers who plant different crops or the union of people who wear clothes with different fabrics? Why are their unions more worthy in the eyes of God than those of gay people? The answer to all of these questions is obvious, but it does not make it less uncomfortable for many people in the Notre Dame community. The Catholic Church got this one wrong. All members of the LGBTQ+ community are blessed by God. Their unions are blessed by God. Their bodies, feelings and relationships are blessed by God. The problem here is not that God isn’t powerful enough to bless a union of two members of the LGBTQ+ community or that a union between two people is sinful at all — the problem is the Church. I encourage all members of the Notre Dame community, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, to speak out against this decision. It is not inclusive and it is detrimental to our family. When the Vatican puts out exclusion, we should respond with love, compassion and solidarity. This is on all of us. Clark Bowden is a senior political science major. When he’s not sleeping through his alarm or reminding people that he studied abroad, he can be found in heated political debates or watching the Washington Nationals play baseball. He can be reached at cbowden@nd.edu or @BowdenClark on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

An open letter to University administration As current and former leaders of Zahm House student government, we are deeply saddened to hear about the University’s decision to shut down our campus community, transitioning it into a swing dorm in order to wipe clean the “troubling culture” it determined to be unassailable by other means. A university administration outwardly dedicated to building community on campus is breaking up the very community thousands of men have called home. It is devaluing and disparaging the comfort and support we found in each other, in relationships that have been built for years, at our most vulnerable moments. Our hearts go out to all current residents of Zahm, especially to our first-year students. They have endured significant challenges in making friends and finding a home at Notre Dame this year during a global pandemic and will be forced to do it all over again. In a year when 40% of the student body is facing moderate to serious levels of stress and anxiety, we are disappointed that the administration decided to compound that stress for the 177 residents of Zahm. Neglect towards the wellbeing of these students is underscored by the two-week timeline to find future housing during midterms. When the Holy Cross, Grace and Flanner communities were ended, residents were given multiple years to determine their next move. As campus leaders, we have long considered how to best promote positive growth in our community’s culture. Zahm is not perfect; it never has been and it never will be. But the Holy Cross charism teaches us to strengthen our positive values at the expense of our flaws. Honorary Zahmbie Fr. Ted Hesburgh was the shining example of this guidance. Fr. Ted met with residents of Zahm yearly, taking time to understand both our positive attributes and our failings. True to Catholic love and grace, he guided us as a shepherd with personal care, positive affirmation, and open dialogue. This

became the basis of Zahm’s version of The Hesburgh Challenge: a yearly goal for the entire community to strengthen positive aspects of Zahm’s culture and cull negative ones. We are saddened that the University administration has neglected to adopt Fr. Ted’s pastoral approach towards the Zahm community. In 2012, Zahm pledged to Fr. Ted to end the “Ole, Ole, Zahm’s gay” chant shouted by the entire student section at football games. After campaigning to the rest of the student body, the chant hasn’t been heard at games since. We are proud to have ended the spread of a message so harmful and exclusive to our LGBTQ+ friends and classmates. Since Father Ted’s passing, we have felt our relationship diminish with the Notre Dame administration. This deterioration cannot be explained better than by walking through what the recent announcement cited as our history of “unusually high turnover of rectors.” When the oldest of us arrived at Notre Dame in 2014, Zahm was led by Fr. Gary Chamberland, C.S.C. He was promoted two years later to head Notre Dame’s Masters in Divinity Program, a great promotion for a deserving man. His successor, Fr. Matt Hovde, C.S.C., left Zahm after three years to pursue his PhD in Belgium. Subsequently, Robert Francis served for one year before accepting his “dream job:” Director of Youth Mentorship at Xavier University in 2020. Father Bill Dailey, C.S.C. has now been with Zahm for about eight months. The University’s claim that our community is irredeemable because of staff changes is plainly misleading and unsupported. Throughout this turnover, residents have had no communication with the administration — nothing that can be considered a long-term vision for the growth of our community. We point this out to add critically-needed context to a long-standing frustration of ours: it is incredibly challenging to change the culture of a residence hall when

the RAs have had to form relationships with multiple rectors throughout their time in Zahm. We imagine the Notre Dame football team would struggle to build a strong culture and positive identity with a new head coach every other year. And yet, even without a stable leader at the helm, our rotating community of 18–22 year olds has tried to grow, improve our culture and rectify our negative reputation. After extensive talks with current and former Zahm House staff, residents and alumni, our community wishes to open a dialogue with vice president for student affairs Erin Hoffman-Harding, associate vice president for residential life Heather Rakosczy Russell, M-Div., associate vice president for student development M. Brian Coughlin, M.A. and University President Fr. John Jenkins to delineate an action plan that strengthens our positive attributes and diminishes our negative ones in a way that affirms, empowers and protects the mental health and well-being of current residents. We understand there is a need for change to address the administration’s concerns, and we hope we can look to the memory of Fr. Ted to best engender this growth. Our hope is that the administration takes on this challenge WITH us — the current residents of Zahm — to enact this change in a way that is beneficial for all at this University. We are greatly appreciative to the thousands who have shown support for our efforts thus far. While the student body may chant an expletive paired with our name at football games, we know it is done with the same love towards us that we share with all of you. Yours in Notre Dame, The current and former presidents and vice presidents of Zahm House, 2017-2021 Read the complete list of signatories online. Mar. 18

The observer | friday, March 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

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The glass ceiling: I can still see my reflection Krista Lourdes Akiki Inquistor of the Unconventional

Fearless Girl is a bronze sculpture created by Kristen Visbal. It was installed in Lower Manhattan on March 7, 2017, in anticipation of International Women’s Day the following day. The following year, it was moved in front of the New York Stock Exchange. On March 8, 2021, State Street Global Advisors, the finance company behind the “marketing stunt-turned beloved public artwork” installed shards of glass around the Fearless Girl in a misguided tribute to women who, by occupying more top leadership positions, have broken the metaphorical “glass ceiling.” This gesture is quite ironic; the glass ceiling is far from broken, much less cracked. When glass breaks, it shatters loudly snatching your attention away from the mundane immediately. Shards fly everywhere and reverberate. Glass doesn’t just seep away or drain slowly. If that glass ceiling was shattered, the world would definitely not only know about it but would also feel it. Popularized in a 1986 Wall Street Journal article on corporate hierarchy, “glass ceiling” is a colloquial term referring to an invisible or unwritten barrier that prevents women and minorities from ascending the corporate ladder at the same rate or speed traditionally observed among male counterparts. Whether apparent through subtle implicit bias or through flagrant restrictions or corporate policies, these difficulties restrict women from moving to higher roles in a maledominated hierarchy. It is worthy here to question why the corporate world has been witnessing this phenomenon. Are we women less qualified? To that I answer: HELL NO. I have been surrounded by powerful, ambitious and passionate women. They are the professors who I learn from both in and outside the classroom. They are the classmates who amaze me with thought provoking questions and challenging debates. They are the club leaders I meet with. They are the dorm mates I live with. They are the success stories I paste on my vision board.

Globally, approximately 50% of working age women are part of the labor force. Women are also outstripping men in third-level education, per the International Labor Organization. And yet, as Sheryl Sandberg points out in “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,” “a 2011 McKinsey report noted that men are promoted based on potential, while women are promoted based on past accomplishments.” According to the International Labor Organization’s recent report “Beyond the glass ceiling: Why businesses need women at the top,” while male managers are over-represented in research and development, profit and loss and operations — where high level decision making is prominent — female managers tend to be concentrated in business support functions such as human resources, where they have limited decisionmaking power or strategic input, and therefore limited opportunities to rise in the company. Moreover, women are often labeled too emotional or inept to lead teams. They are labeled a liability if they juggle career and family responsibilities. In 2019, S&P Global published a report entitled “When Women Lead, Firms Win.” The study analyzed how earnings and share price data — from 2002 to 2019 — changed following 5,825 new executive appointments, 578 of which were women. In the two years following a new CEO appointment, the stock price for companies that appointed female chief executives outperformed those that appointed men by an average of 20%; the women-led firms generated excess profits worth $1.8 trillion. The report states, word for word, that “Firms with female CEOs and CFOs have produced superior stock price performance, compared to the market average. In the 24 months post-appointment, female CEOs saw a 20% increase in stock price momentum and female CFOs saw a 6% increase in profitability and 8% larger stock returns.” “As we look at financial performance, this research is yet another confirmation that women provide significant and positive value through C-suite and board leadership positions,” Doug Peterson, president and CEO of S&P Global, said in a press release.

According to CNBC, S&P’s study “adds credibility” to the findings of Credit Suisse analysts who also concluded, after a thorough study of 3,000 firms worldwide, that “companies with more female management had higher levels of profitability and performed better on the stock market.” The reason why the issue of the glass ceiling matters so much to me is because it lies at the center of one of my biggest fears: having to one day choose between professional growth and family. You see, I have personally sacrificed a lot to be here at Notre Dame and to kickstart a career in the United States. As a young woman who grew up in Lebanon, surrounded by financial instability, I had to leave everything behind. I had to pierce all the barriers of my comfort zone as I sought a better education experience and better professional and academic opportunities. I have put so much effort, energy and hard work into getting a scholarship at a prestigious U.S. university that would give me what others like me could never even dream of. I am determined to take advantage of my college experience, but I am terrified that five, 10 or 15 years from now I will have to let go of all that I have built because that damned glass ceiling will present me with an ultimatum. Also, what if the ultimatum is not only a question of career versus family, but rather a dilemma of whether I am worthy enough of leading? What if it makes me question all that I am and all that I have achieved and distorts them so much that I lose my sense of purpose? What if all I see in that glass ceiling one day is a distorted reflection of all that I cannot become, rather than all that I have become? Krista Akiki is a sophomore at Notre Dame majoring in business analytics. Coming from Beirut, Lebanon, she always enjoys trying out new things and is an avid travel-lover. She hopes to take her readers on her journey as she navigates college life and stands up for the issues she believes. She can be reached at kakiki@nd.edu or via Twitter @kristalourdesakiki. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Zahm brotherhood: Notre Dame’s greatest gift to me As a 2019 graduate and former Resident Assistant in Zahm House, the University’s decision to dissolve the Zahm brotherhood leaves me gutted, heartbroken and shaking with grief. I feel as if a close family member whose friendship I counted on has suddenly passed away — an integral part of my identity has been forcibly erased. I turn with even greater sadness to the first-years I welcomed to Zahm as an RA and to those new Zahm residents who followed them. Despite the lost opportunities and difficulties of attending college in a pandemic, these Men of Zahm carried the light of our community forward, making intentional efforts to communicate to all Zahm residents that they would be welcomed and cherished by Zahm’s community no matter the state of the world. Now, after making the loving choice to advance our community at every possible turn, these great individuals have been abruptly displaced and forced to live out the remainder of their Notre Dame experience without their brothers and their home. Above all, I find my greatest sorrow in the loss of a decades-old passion for brotherhood and selfless love that lives within Zahm and within all who have resided there. I feel moved to share the stories of Xavier Murphy and Stephen Saunders to attempt to bring this passion to life once more.

Xavier Murphy was a Man of Zahm and a beloved intern for the Notre Dame football team who passed away suddenly from leukemia while studying to complete his degree in the fall of 2011. When Xavier passed on Oct. 11, “... the chapel in Zahm overflowed with close to 160 people for a Mass in Murphy’s honor. They then proceeded with candles to the Grotto, and many walked with their arms crossed to form an ‘X’ above their heads.” Corry Colonna, Zahm’s rector at the time, lamented that Xavier would not be able to see Notre Dame students and fans “Raise an X for X” live in the stadium on the Saturday after he passed. Xavier’s mom, however, spoke the truth for that game and for all future Notre Dame games: “He’ll be able to see it from heaven.” Stephen Saunders was a cherished member of the Zahm community who passed away after a one-car crash left him in a coma in the summer of 1989. Stephen had just completed his first year at Notre Dame, where he had succeeded academically and made a home in Zahm. Stephen wrote from his room in Zahm: “The challenge of Notre Dame has made me realize before I even got here that I had better get some help from upstairs, if you know what I mean. I have become pretty good friends with God and the Lady on the Dome, and I soon discovered that they are good friends to have.” Stephen’s legacy did not end with his passing — he selflessly elected to serve as an organ donor, and his

kidneys helped change the lives of two Iowans in desperate need of transplants. To his community, to his family and to the recipients of his generosity, Stephen was a beacon of love — “a gift of life.” Reflecting on the words and stories of Xavier and Stephen brought me to tears at many points during my four years at Notre Dame, as it does today. Their stories remind me that the passion for brotherhood and deep, selfless love in Zahm was Notre Dame’s greatest gift to me. As I contemplate the consequences of the University’s decision, I pray that the impact Xavier, Stephen and Zahm had on me can somehow be restored for future Notre Dame students to cherish. In the email announcement about the University’s decision, Erin Hoffmann Harding and other administration staff focus on Zahm’s purported “troubling culture” while devoting 10 meager words to the longstanding passion for good in our House community. These 10 words, “We also recognize not all residents have perpetuated this culture,” fail to identify the passion for loving brotherhood that defines the Zahm community. I can only fathom one 10 word response as appropriate: “Notre Dame by Choice. Zahm by the Grace of God.” Andrew Stineman class of 2019 Mar. 16

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The observer | Friday, march 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By RYAN ISRAEL Scene Editor

Don’t talk to me unless you want to talk about big water bottles The freshest news to come from celebrity paparazzi photos is that big water bottles are in. A few trendy women were spotted carrying extra large water bottles: perpetual cool girl Kendall Jenner, “50 Shades of Limes” actress Dakota Johnson, “Dancing with the Stars” mainstay Julianne Hough (who I had to Google) and pretty little liar Lucy Hale. Kendall has the best outfit; Dakota, the biggest bottle; Lucy is the coolest; and Julianne gets points for that kick. But they all score big for staying hydrated because water, as you all know, solves every problem. “It’s important to drink water,” I tell myself as I roll over in bed with a headache and/or hangover and reach for my average-sized water bottle. “It’s important to stay hydrated,” I tell myself as I take a sip to stay awake during a dry Zoom lecture. “It’s important to mix in a water,” I say out loud, four beers deep, as I lean over the sink and drink from the faucet like a dog. Water has yet to solve some of my problems — my face still breaks out, I still get tired every day at 4 p.m., etc. — but I’m starting to think that’s only because I don’t have a big enough water bottle. My standard 32 oz. Nalgene can’t possibly be doing as much work as Kendall Jenner’s mammoth, gallon-sized water bottle. If I had a bottle as big hers, I could be as cool as her (probably). This trend — the trend of massive bottles and, more importantly, staying hydrated — is one which I am completely

By SOPHIA MICHETTI Scene Writer

In keeping with his reputation as the Jonas brother with the most swag, Nick Jonas’ new solo album “Spaceman” is driven by synthetic pop backtracks and lyrics about love. Given the Jonas brothers’ recent reunion, the release of another solo album from the youngest brother comes as a bit of a surprise. Still, Jonas returns to the spotlight with new songs similar to some of his older hits like “Jealous” and “Chains.” The only question which arises, though, is whether his music’s seen any growth over the past few years or not. The best songs on this album are the ones with melodic choruses and sweet lyrics. “If I Fall” is the longest song on the album at just under four minutes, and there’s a real vulnerability to the lyrics as Jonas sings about never falling again “‘till I fall again for you.” “Nervous” is another example of how honesty makes the best songs. When Jonas sings about how the “blood rush[es] right to my temple every night that you tell me you love me,” the effect is one that will make any hopeless romantic’s heart soar. However, title track “Spaceman” is by far the most interesting song on the album because it illustrates the hardships everyone is facing as the pandemic continues. Jonas

in on.

My thoughts on this Zahm business I pretend I do not see it. Also, can we stop using a mediocre movie from the ‘70s which totally idealizes fraternity culture as our only frame of reference for discussing Notre Dame men’s dorms? Okay, that’s it. No more thoughts.

I’ve been down For the past two weeks, I have been down. Crucial in helping me through this time has been my new favorite Haim song, “I’ve Been Down” — specifically, the first line in the song, “I’ve been running around town.” Danielle Haim doesn’t just say those words. No, she lays them out over Rostam’s drums with such declarative force that they bounce around my head for days on end. Confined by COVID, I have most definitely not been “running around town.” So when Haim announces that she’s been running around town, it makes me look back on trips to Martin’s, the Marathon gas station on Colfax or Gene’s Camera Store with intense longing. I’m not down anymore, although I’m still not fully running around town. When I am again, this song will be playing.

Study abroad with Central Cee With Notre Dame’s signature study abroad programs on hold, juniors are missing out on truly life changing experiences. They can make up for it by listening to Central Cee. During my two and a half months in London (yes, I studied abroad, no big deal), nothing connected me more to the culture than listening to British rap music. The hottest new artist in that scene is Central Cee, who just released his debut album “Wild West,” on which he flexes his abilities as

uses the character of a spaceman to reflect how many people feel alone in this world. He explains in his lyrics how the “TV tells me what to think” and how “maybe, I should drink.” The song doesn’t seem to be showing a light at the end of the tunnel, especially when he sings, “They say it’s a phase, it’ll change if we vote / And I pray that it will, but I know that it won’t.” While “Spaceman” is a fascinating song to think about, don’t listen to it if you’re not in a good mood. A major problem with “Spaceman” is that many songs sound identical. Nearly every song is characterized by synthetic beats in the background, hardly any actual instrument sounds, a falsetto chorus and a fast tempo. While it’s important that an album has a common thread running through all of its songs to make it a cohesive work, making it hard to differentiate between two songs because they sound exactly the same is a problem. Not every song takes to this formula, though. “Delicious” has an interesting beginning where it sounds like an old TV program is going in and out, and “Spaceman” is one of the slower and bouncier songs on the album. However, this pair of songs aren’t unique enough to outweigh the rest of the album. Moreover, the majority of the songs have the same message. On nearly every track, Jonas sings about drinking, sex, love or all of the above. One of the repeated phrases in the song “2Drunk” is “now I’m high as a ceiling,” and the

both a grime rapper and a drill rapper. The beat selection is second to none; almost every song begins with an obscure sample which is then flipped into a bumping rap instrumental. Cee raps with a refreshing selfhonesty — “Said ‘f— school’ and I broke the law / Told little bro ‘gotta stay in school’ / Tellin’ the kids this sh*t ain’t cool, f—, I’m so hypocritical” — and carries himself over tracks with levity. If you feel like you’re missing out this semester, listen to “Loading” or “6 for 6” or even “Pinging (6 for 6).”

Riz Ahmed still deserves an award In my first column, I wrote about Riz Ahmed bleaching his hair blonde, delivering a fantastic performance in “Sound of Metal” and deserving a Golden Globe. The Globes got it wrong, but hopefully the Oscars will not.

The Scene 2021 men’s spring style guide Baggy shorts, graphic tee. That’s it. That’s what I’ll be wearing every single day the temperature crosses 60 degrees and it’s acceptable to wear shorts again.

The Weekend at ND Notre Dame men’s baseball, my second favorite ND sports team right now, is really good this year, and they’re playing the Duke Blue Devils every day this weekend. Take me out to the ballpark! Notre Dame women’s lacrosse, my favorite ND sports team right now, is also really good this year, and they’re playing Liberty University, maybe the only school more religious than us, on Friday. Maybe I should start a sports column.” Contact Ryan Israel at risrael1@nd.edu

sentiment gets old while listening to the entire album. It wouldn’t hurt for Jonas to switch up the topics of his songs a bit more. There’s nothing wrong with songs people can dance to and have fun with, but it doesn’t hurt to provide a bit more variation. A question left at the end of “Spaceman” is why the album is called “Spaceman” at all. On every song except the title track, Jonas sings about love in a fast-paced, club-like tone, so there’s a disconnect between the title of the album and what its songs collectively say. Jonas has had some fun and lasting pop hits throughout his solo career, but “Spaceman” isn’t the height of his musical career by any means. I could be biased, though — Joe was always my favorite. Contact Sophia Michetti smichett@nd.edu

“Spaceman” Artist: Nick Jonas Label: Island Records Favorite Tracks: “If I Fall,” “Nervous,” “Spaceman” If you like: ZAYN, Shawn Mendes, DNCE

ELAINE PARK | The Observer

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The observer | Friday, march 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By AIDAN O’MALLEY Scene Writer

On March 24, 2002, history was made. That evening, at the 74th annual Academy Awards, Halle Berry became the first (and as of this writing, only) Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in “Monster’s Ball.” It was also the night that Denzel Washington won the Best Actor Oscar for his work in “Training Day,” becoming at that time only the second Black actor to have won the prize after the indelible Sidney Poitier, who himself was awarded with an Honorary Oscar at the ceremony. This degree of representation and recognition for Black talent at the Oscars was then unheard of. To provide some perspective: Before Berry and Washington, only six Black actors had ever won an Oscar in one of the four acting categories. And with the exception of the aforementioned Poitier, they were all in the supporting field (including Washington’s first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in “Glory”). For 74 years, that was it. But in 2002, Berry and Washington not only won — they won as leads. Their victories were rightly touted as a watershed moment for Black talent in Hollywood. The keyword, however, is “moment.” When interviewed by The New York Times two days after the ceremony, Reuben Cannon, the first Black casting director for a major movie studio, tempered his enthusiasm. “I am thrilled about what took place last night,” he said. “It is significant. But we should not mistake a moment for a movement. It’s a significant moment. Whether it’s a

By DESSI GOMEZ Scene Writer

With the 10-episode first season of “Ginny and Georgia,” a Netflix Original Series created by Sarah Lampert, viewers might want to take it one episode at a time. Family dynamic shows move at quick paces, especially when the family is not the mythically normal nuclear family. Georgia (Brianne Howey) got pregnant and had Ginny (Antonia Gentry) when she was 15 years old. Past trauma has put Georgia permanently on the run, at times taking extreme measures to protect her children and provide them with opportunities that she did not have as a child. The trailer scene gives a great glimpse into an element of the show that seems to bring together its lighter, superficial side with its serious social one: Ginny’s love for books, passed down by her father. This story is told in what seems to be an increasingly popular method of the nonlinear narrative. While it may take a bit to get used to, the transitions between the past and present — usually made around connecting scenes, actions, settings or objects — signal when a time shift is about to occur. The themes that the show addresses provide an expansive view of diversity and inclusion, even if it feels a bit chaotic in its rapid shift from serious topics to more lighthearted ones. High school politics parallel local politics as Ginny navigates a new social scene, while Georgia does everything

movement, only time will tell.” His caution proved correct. In 2015, the Academy nominated only white actors (20 in total) in all four of its acting categories. In 2016, they did it again. The collective online outrage took the form of #OscarsSoWhite, which inspired the Oscar voting bloc to diversify its membership in the five years since, not only by race but by gender and age as well. It is these structural, systemic changes to the Academy that are largely credited with the rousing success of “Parasite” at last year’s ceremony — that, and the fact that “Parasite” is perfect. But you know what else happened at the 2020 Oscars? Cynthia Erivo was the only person of color to be nominated for an acting award — for playing Harriet Tubman, no less. Last Sunday, the Academy unveiled the nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards, and they were, without question, the most diverse of all time. They were also, in their own way, as predictable as ever. Just to flex, here are some nomination predictions I threw together in an Apple Note the weekend before the announcement. I got three categories perfect, in two I missed only one nominee and for Best Picture, I forgot that the Academy can nominate anywhere from five to 10 movies, not just 10. Still, the eight nominees we got were on my list! Among the many achievements of this year’s crop, the one I saw touted the most was Best Director, where we have for the first time two female nominees — Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” and Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman.” If the former wins the award — as many suspect she will, and as I believe she should — she would become only the second woman to have done so, after Kathryn

to put herself on Mayor Paul Randolph’s (Scott Porter) radar. Even Austin’s middle school becomes a scene of high stakes competition and power. The age group portrayed in this show represents a certain experience of coming of age in high school within the context of a wealthy suburb of Massachusetts. One of the many tensions hinted at arises in the geographical and political differences in the north versus south of the United States. More serious scenes that address issues that have been long overdue in the media conversation permeate the narrative as well. The most standout thread in the narrative occurs when Ginny and Georgia’s new Wellsbury, Massachusetts neighbors, the Bakers — Maxine (Sara Waisglass), Marcus (Felix Mallard), Ellen (Jennifer Robertson) and Clint (Chris Kenopic) — sign (communicate in American Sign Language) to include their deaf father in almost every dinner table conversation and/or argument. Other methods of conversation about diversity arise in similar family settings, such as when Ginny and Hunter (Mason Temple) get into a fight about being biracial, as well as Ginny’s later chats with her father, Zion (Nathan Mitchell), about their different shades of Black skin. Those topics scratch the surface of conversations that have sparked more recently around the human condition and mental health. Self-harm, body image and therapy also receive attention within the lives of the female characters but with the help of Marcus’ deeper personality as

Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker,” as well as the first woman of color. (Also, Thomas Vinterberg was nominated for “Another Round.” Where did that come from?) The acting categories are equally exciting. Of the 20 nominees, nine are actors of color. And with the late Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah” all but guaranteed to win Best Actor and Supporting Actor, respectively, we also have good reason to expect some diversity among the victors. Side note: If Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield are nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “Judas,” who is the protagonist? But that’s beside the point. The point is: Is this a moment, or a movement? Is this undeniable progress a reflection of a deep-seated shift in the Academy, or is it because of the countless films that were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, which all but forced the Academy to think outside the (white, male) box? In all likelihood, it’s probably both. To be frank, I don’t think we’d be seeing this diversity if it weren’t for COVID-19. Not because these nominees are undeserving — au contraire! — but because movies about, by and for people of color are slighted to such a degree by the industry that it was willing to release them in the middle of a pandemic when theaters across the country were closed. At the same time, inducting filmmakers of color into the voting bloc is a promising first step in combating its myopia; in fact, doing so has already rewarded us. But as Reuben Cannon put it, “Only time will tell.” Contact Aidan O’Malley aomalle2@nd.edu

well. Not to mention gender performance and sexuality, which keep the show very exciting in addition to the heterosexual love triangles — or squares, in Georgia’s case — that both Ginny and Georgia face. I will just say here that I am happy with who Ginny ends up with at the end of this season, but not with Georgia’s choice. The last episode leaves an opening for a second season. It also contains a line that I feel I have to mention as the resident writer about Taylor Swift — a joke that Swift took to Twitter, to question Netflix’s choice in using it, as it roots itself in a very dated reference. This show certainly has a lot to unpack and that reflects the time in which we are living. While it might be a lot to process, it seems necessary and is presented in a compelling way. Contact Dessi Gomez at dgomez5@nd.edu

“Ginny and Georgia” Starring: Brianne Howey and Antonia Gentry Favorite episodes: “Next Level Rich People Sh*t,” “Boo, B*tch,” and “Feelings Are Hard” If you like: “Bridgerton,” “Gilmore Girls” Where to watch: Netflix

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, march 19, 2021 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Make the most out of every moment. Inspect what you have, and pass along what you don’t need to someone who does. Pay it forward, and you’ll clear a space in your heart and home for peace and tranquility. A rudimentary lifestyle will lead to mindfulness and the happiness you desire. Turn your focus to what matters to you, then proceed. Your numbers are 8, 17, 22, 38, 30, 43, 47. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take the initiative, and pick up the pace. Reach out to people who have something to offer that will help you reach your goal. Discipline and hard work will lead to an opportunity. Refuse to let emotional matters interfere with your progress. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make up your mind, and keep moving forward. Showing stability, confidence and goodwill will be necessary if you plan to get ahead. Making a premature move will end up slowing you down. Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gather knowledge, listen to experts and dismiss those who are pushy and uncompromising. Show your talents and ability, and an opportunity will come your way. Don’t pass along information you have yet to verify. Facts, truth and integrity matter. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do your own thing. Approach projects using your imagination and looking for new ways to utilize old ideas and concepts to fit trends. Invest time and money in self-improvement, education and personal growth. Romance is on the rise. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take a moment to think matters through. Be sure it’s accurate before you repeat what someone has said. An opportunity can turn sour quickly if you believe everything you hear or offer something you cannot deliver. Keep things in perspective, and control emotions. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Address contractual, financial and legal matters calmly. If you try to use force, you’ll meet opposition. Intelligence, knowledge and facts presented with diplomacy will encourage others to bend to your wishes. Selfimprovement projects and romance are favored. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Put everything in its place, prepare to bring about changes that will improve your money matters, and engage in activities that will encourage better health and fitness. Taking responsibility for your life and happiness will pay off. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): An open mind will encourage talks that will help you micromanage your emotions and meaningful relationships. Looking at both sides of an issue will help you compromise and develop solutions that give you something in return. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Stay calm, regardless of what others say. Don’t lose sight of what’s authentic and meaningful to you. Observe more and speak less until you are sure of how you feel and what you want to do. Uncertainty requires time and patience. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A change looks promising. Watch things unfold, and you’ll come up with a plan that will encourage you to update your surroundings to fit your lifestyle. A conversation with a friend or relative will trigger your desire to start something new. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You aren’t likely to see eye to eye with a friend, relative or co-worker. Emotions will surface, causing conversations to fester if you don’t choose your words wisely. An abrupt change will upset your plans, putting you in an awkward position. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Live and let live. Stay out of other people’s business, and keep others from interfering in yours. Distance yourself from aggressive and unpredictable situations, and focus on the positive changes you can make to reach your goal. Birthday Baby: You are intelligent, resourceful and orderly. You are generous and kind.

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Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports Authority

Sports Authority

Are the Pats sold on Newton? Mannion McGinley Sports Writer

As I mentioned on Wednesday, The Patriots resigned Cam Newton which is nothing if not disappointing. That is, until you consider the potential of the people around him. I left that Sports Authority a bit more hopeful with how this season might go. That being said, a better quarterback and all of those built-up additions to the roster are not mutually exclusive. At least, if Belichick plays his cards right, they don’t have to be. The Patriots could stick with Newton and do okay … especially with everything going on around — read: in spite — of him, and everyone new. But there are still other potential options out there.

Take it back to 2017 Jimmy. Garoppolo. The former Patriot turned 49er may not be the perfect quarterback, but his problems mostly lie in staying on the field rather than what he can accomplish while he’s there. In the six games he played in the 2020 season around another ankle injury, Garoppolo had a 67.1 completion percentage for 1096 yards. The games themselves ended 3-3 but considering he was injured during one of them, that might as well be 3-2. What is most important about Garoppolo’s stats is how they measure up to Newton’s. Garoppolo lands exactly seven points above Newton in completion percentage and had only one less touchdown in 6 games than Newton had all season. It also came with only half the interceptions. You might say, what about Newton’s running capability? The Patriots have a deep, successful backfield. There is no reason to have a quarterback who can run that well when — if we’re being honest — he can’t really even run that well anymore. Yes, he gets a lot of yardage on plays where he just decides to run but it’s not anything the Patriots can work into their playbook. Every time they tried to actively use his ability this year, he fumbled or got stopped. Instead, put someone like Garoppolo back at the helm. He may not be as quick but he’s a little more sure-footed than we’ve seen from Newton yet. Is someone like Garoppolo a perfect solution? No, it could go really poorly if he got injured again. The alternative though is no better. If necessary, Newton coming in off the bench raring to go is so much more effective than using him all year.

The rest of the free-agent pool Mariota hasn’t been able to

show off all his skill yet — I don’t think. He has cycled through so many coaches and coordinators that having Belichick-level stability would be a killer opportunity for him. The offense is on the right track to accommodate someone like Mariota too. He would need a few more weapons to come in to really elevate the offense but he should also be a fairly cheap grab considering his history of moving around.

Or, build for the future. With a backup/potential starter like Newton, there’s absolutely no reason not to take your first couple eggs out of the basket and head full speed for the best quarterback you can grab. Take him, get him ready and give him time to train by playing your backup (Newton). I really don’t believe the world will end if he plays a few games. Who is that stellar young quarterback you ask? Well, if Belichick chooses this path a couple of things need to happen. The weapons can’t stop coming in altogether. But the Patriots do have to weigh how high they can move up in the draft with how high they need to be to still leave the kid a team to work with when he shows up. Having said that, Trey Lance from North Dakota State is my best bet. At 6’4” 226 lbs, he is accurate from the pocket and on the run. He can bring the new style of quarterback to the Patriots. Playing in a similar style to Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson, and doing so successfully, would make him a killer addition to the Patriots offense. It would ultimately leave so many offensive options that didn’t make your heart jump every time he tried them. Although it was at the collegiate level, he has proven he can do it. He probably won’t be one of the very first picks either (much like someone else) because he didn’t go to an Alabama or a Clemson. But if Belichick can see him, see what he can be, and step up to welcome him, Lance could be mind-blowing and create a new dynasty for the Patriots only after a one-year pause. All in all, I’m not saying Pats Nation has to give up on Cam Newton (although we pretty much have). The team that is shaping up around him could be worthwhile. If we wanted better assurance of a worthwhile year something like this needs to happen.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Ranking ‘One Shining Moment’ montages Jimmy Ward Associate Sports Editor

How do you summarize a three-week-long tournament that combines 64 teams and about double as many storylines surrounding those teams, their players and coaches? For CBS and TBS that job has been pretty self-explanatory for the past 35 years: Dub a montage of all the best moments to the sweet sound of David Barrett’s “One Shining Moment.” It is hands-down the best way to encapsulate the epic stories that we have come to know as March Madness. The song is not just a tradition, but it can be an abbreviated history lesson. The coaches losing their minds on the sidelines, the players who were celebrating or who are seen with their heads in their hands defeated and the teams that they compose of all have fascinating backstories behind them. Not to mention the unique glimpse that is granted into the period through the shots of the fans. It astounds me every year how well the production crews handle compiling a three-minute compilation of a three-week-long event’s best moments that is to be aired as coverage of the game and the whole tournament comes to a sudden close. As a loyal Hoosier, the song is likely to induce tears nearly every time for me. Sure, the lyrics might be some of the corniest stuff you’ve ever heard but throw it behind some highlights and lowlights of an almost month-long tournament that literally combines blood, sweat and tears and you have something really special on your hands. I can’t say whether the song makes me produce tears so easily because I have never seen an Indiana-based team take home the trophy in my lifetime (at least in the men’s tournament, wink, wink), or because while you soak in the song and its lyrics you can begin to imagine the feeling of those players who were defeated. The players and coaches who flash past your screen are very likely watching the same broadcast as you, some of them too surely still with tears in their

eyes as they dream it was just them who was cutting down the nets in front of a cheering crowd. Either way, the song is awesome and analyzing different years the song was played can take you back to that time and can even encourage the viewer to engage with a whole new world of narratives surrounding the characters they see dart past the screen. So with no further introduction, I give you my top five “One Shining Moments.”

1987 Indiana Syracuse

def.

The last time the Hoosiers won the tournament was actually the first time that CBS aired the song after the game. This is as authentic as it gets, ladies and gentlemen, the true original. The full version is admittedly a little strange, with a sad song and credits preceding a smooth transition into one of basketball’s anthems, but it is still pretty cool. And it contains a couple of perfect examples for what I was just discussing. Bobby Knight and Rick Pitino are both incredibly polarizing basketball coaches who have both gone on to have impressive careers, but at the same time, they have always been followed with some just criticism alongside the praise they receive. They are both incredibly interesting cases of college basketball coaches, and in these brief clips, we can see them in their element, doing what they do best.

2002 Maryland Indiana

def.

This is about as flashy as you’ll see the song get (hopefully). Though there are several renditions of the song, those don’t bother me as much as the horrible graphics in this video. The only reason this makes my list is because it showed producers that they don’t need to get flashy with this sequence. The simpler they remain, the purer their product is on screen. This was an important lesson for the production crews of the future to follow. You don’t need fancy shooting star graphics or diamonds dazzling the whole time. Because the lyrics of the song fit what is to be aired behind it so perfectly, it should be a pretty foolproof

system. This year was a lesson for the crew and they did away with the weird graphics right away. 2000 Michigan State def. Florida This one is pretty cool and is a good example of how well graphics and game footage can be combined to create a story when not overdone. A shimmer or a spark here and there do not deduct from the quality of the game footage and the result is a pretty cool little time capsule that can take the viewer back to that era. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but then again a little flair every once in a while doesn’t hurt.

2010 Duke def. Butler This rendition by Jennifer Hudson has a special place in my heart. If I’m not crying like a baby because of the beautiful production of a “One Shining Moment,” then I am crying because I am envisioning Gordon Hayward’s half-court miracle heave rimming out as the clock sounded back in 2010. Here as a young boy, I experienced my first heartbreak. I blame this specific year for this song being such a tear-jerker and I will never forgive that nasty, nasty rim for what it did to my heart. Pain.

2013 Louisville Michigan

def.

A true storybook tale of a team that fought and endured through hardship to accomplish the seemingly impossible. The Cardinals would rally around Kevin Ware after he suffered a devastating leg injury in an earlier game and would go on to win the Championship in a real storybook ending. Adding to the sweetness of the story, Ware — like many others — was happy to see none other than Michigan defeated in the Championship game. Whenever Michigan loses, it’s a good day, but this goes down as one of the sweetest Michigan defeats in my book. Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

Wanted Alumni cal nonprofit

founded, is searching

lofor

social media director to build a social media presence. Must be proficient in Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Great CV builder! Contact the Student Mental Health Foundation at Contact@ StudentMH.org for more information.

I want your love, and I want your revenge / I want your love, I don’t wanna be friends / Je veux ton amour et je veux ta revanche / Je veux ton amour, I don’t wanna be friends / (I want you back) No, I don’t wanna be friends / (Caught in a bad romance)

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, march 19, 2021 | The Observer

13

ND SOFTBALL

Irish softball looks for series win against WF

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish graduate student infielder Katie Marino readies for a pitch during Notre Dame’s 8-0 win over IUPUI on Apr. 3, 2019 at home. By LIAM COOLICAN Sports Writer

After the Notre Dame softball team (9-7, 3-5 ACC) split last weekend’s series against North Carolina, they will

travel to Atlanta for a four game series against Georgia Tech (8-15, 3-11 ACC) this weekend. Head coach Deanna Gumpf described her team’s performance against the Tarheels as “up and down.”

The Irish lost 6-0 on Friday, swept the Saturday doubleheader with a combined score of 17-0, and lost the final game on Sunday, 2-1. “We had a rough Friday,” she said, “We showed up Saturday and decided to take it to ‘em, and had one of the best Saturdays we’ve ever had this season, and then Sunday … we played well enough to win, things just didn’t go our way.” The Irish have been led all season by senior outfielder Abby Sweet, who is batting 0.547, which leads the ACC among qualifying players. Sweet was named ACC player of the week for the second time last week, after going 10-14 with two home runs in the series against North Carolina. “She has been incredible all season,” Gumpf said. “The way she plays the game is very special. Everything she does, she plays with complete toughness. She plays with tenacity, she plays with enthusiasm, she is completely unshakeable on the field.” In addition to Sweet, freshman first baseman Karina Gaskins is having a terrific start to her college career.

Gaskins ranks second in the conference with a 0.469 batting average. Georgia Tech has struggled to start ACC play, posting a 3-11 conference record, although they do average more than five-and-a-half runs per game. “We need to outhit our opponent,” Gumpf said. “They’re going to put runs on the board, they’re a very offensively driven team. So we have to find a way to out hit them and outperform.” The Yellowjackets haven’t been nearly as successful on the other side of the ball. Their 5.27 ER A is the highest in the conference. Notre Dame’s pitching staff, on the other hand, has been performing very well so far. Junior Payton Tidd and senior Alexis Holloway, the Irish’s two main starters, each have an ER A under 2.00. Holloway pitched a complete-game shutout in Saturday’s 4-0 win, allowing just three hits. Georgia Tech’s bats may be tougher to silence, however. They are second in the conference in home runs and RBIs, with 30 and 119, respectively. They also rank third in batting average, hitting 0.295

as a team. The Irish lead the all time series 13-3, although Georgia Tech has found some success at home. The two teams have split six games in Atlanta. The last time they squared off was a 6-4 Irish victory in South Bend in April 2019. Notre Dame is looking to win its first conference series of the year. In addition to splitting the UNC series, they also dropped two of three to Duke earlier in the year. The season has certainly been an adjustment from years past, but Gumpf said her team has risen to the challenge. “I am so happy with how well the girls have handled COVID, and how they’ve been able to just gut through a lot of the tough things that we’ve experienced, and we get to play the game, so I couldn’t be more proud of this team on how we’ve handled this entire season,” she said. The first pitch of the series is Friday at 4 p.m. from Shirley Clements Mewborn Field in Atlanta. All four games will be broadcast on ACC Network extra. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

ND Men’s Soccer

Notre Dame soccer to continue spring season Observer Staff Report

The Notre Dame men’s soccer team w ill look to continue their strong start to the spring season on Saturday night when they host No. 5 ranked Wake Forest for their first home conference game of 2021. The Fighting Irish (8-5, 4-3 ACC) have won three of their first four games of the spring, and much of their success can be attributed to the play of senior for ward Aiden McFadden. Drafted in the third round of the 2021 Major League Soccer SuperDraft by Atlanta United, McFadden has three goals and four assists on the season, and he has scored the game-w inner for the Irish in their past two matchups against Calv in and Duke. McFadden is not the only attacking threat for the Irish. Junior for ward Jack Ly nn is the leading scorer for the team w ith eight goals, and that total is also tied for the second-best mark in the countr y. Ly nn nearly scored another during Tuesday’s game against Calv in, but his shot in the 60th minute ricocheted off the post. Even more impressive for Notre Dame has been the

play of their defense. The defense has kept three clean sheets through four games this spring, and the only goal allowed came in overtime against Virginia on March 7. Opposing for wards have had a difficult time getting past senior goalkeeper Keagan McLaughlin, as he has five shutout w ins on the season. The Irish w ill have to maintain their tenacious defensive play over the coming weeks, as three of their final four regular-season opponents are currently ranked in the United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll, beginning w ith Wake Forest on Saturday. The No. 5 Demon Deacons (9-2-1, 7-2-1 ACC) have followed up their strong play from the fall w ith w ins over Dav idson and Boston College and a tie against North Carolina State to start the spring. A lthough Notre Dame has had solid defensive performances this spring, they w ill be tested against a Wake Forest offense that has scored 22 goals this season, the fifthmost in the countr y. However, the Demon Deacons w ill need new attacking players to emerge after two of their top playmakers left to play in MLS.

Sophomore for ward Calv in Harris, who had four goals and t wo assists in the fall, was selected second overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, while senior for ward Machop Chol had three goals and t wo assists before signing a Homegrow n contract w ith Atlanta United in Januar y. As a result of Harris and Chol’s departures, the team’s attacking responsibilities have fallen to junior for ward Kyle Holcomb. Holcomb was a spark for the offense in the fall, leading the team w ith five goals while adding an assist. However, he has yet to contribute to any goals for Wake Forest this spring. The matchup bet ween the Irish and the Demon Deacons w ill have important implications for the NCA A tournament in May. Clemson claimed the ACC’s automatic bid by w inning the ACC Championship in November, therefore Notre Dame and Wake Forest w ill need to earn one of the t welve at-large bids to compete in the tournament. Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at A lumni Stadium, and the game w ill air on ACC Net work Extra.

Photo courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish senior midfielder Aiden McFadden controls the ball during Notre Dame’s 1-0 win against Denver on Sept. 8, 2019, at home.

14

Sports

The observer | Friday, march 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

M Lax Continued from page 16

is now .720 on the season. Marquette had 14 saves and

XC Continued from page 16

effort like this would usually earn a team first place in a t y pical year, but this time, it was not quite enough against the talent that Northern Arizona possesses. “I had a lot of coaches coming up to me and telling me that we are the best second-place team ever that they know of at NCAAs,” he said. “There’s a little bit of bittersweetness that comes w ith that. Normally, 87 points scored would have won a national meet for the past 25 years.” The Irish finished w ith six all-Americans on the day, and they were led by Kilrea, who finished tenth in a time of 30 :11.5. Carlson discussed how Kilrea’s performance on Monday showed how much he has grow n over the last couple of years. “I think it makes it even more special for him to be in the top 10 given that he’s gone through some challenges,” Carlson said. “I’m just really proud of Danny, for how he’s grow n and matured over the last couple of years. I think that’s the

the same number of turnovers, bookending the match with 5 giveaways in the first period and 5 in the fourth. Junior LSM (long-stick midfielder) Jose Boyer caused four

of those turnovers and recovered four of Notre Dame’s 33 ground balls to Marquette’s 26. Notre Dame’s own turnovers grew as the match went on, ultimately amounting to 15 with

thing I’m more proud of than his 10th place.” Kilrea was followed by a pack of four Irish runners w ith Jacobs, senior A ndrew A lexander, sophomore Jake Renfree and Nuguse finishing in 20th through 23rd place, respectively. A ll four runners finished w ithin a second of each other, completing the race in just over 30 :25. First-year Josh Methner was the sixth Irish runner to receive all-American accolades, finishing in 36th place w ith a time of 30 :43.5. Carlson talked about what it means for Notre Dame to finish on the podium in a sport like cross countr y that usually has only a few blue blood programs. “It’s a huge step for our program,” he said. “If you look at the blue bloods across the countr y or teams that have been on the podium in the past 10 years in cross countr y nationals, you can count them on one hand basically ... Now we know that we’re certainly capable of it.” A ll six all-American runners w ill be returning for the Irish next year. Beyond that, Carlson believes that his team has built a foundation for success that w ill last for

years to come. “I think we have the recruiting classes and the pieces to continue to have our men on the podium well into the future,” Carlson said. “... We’ve created a system where our talent and our success can be sustainable, which is just not usually the case at the NCAA level.” The runners on the second-place team w ill not have much of a break at all, as their outdoor track season w ill begin next week w ith a meet in Raleigh, N.C. Carlson elaborated on what the plan is for the outdoor track season going for ward now that the team has finished their season successfully. “Prov ided that our guys from cross countr y bounce back well, we’re going to race them [in Raleigh] because they’re really fit right now and we haven’t really over-raced or any thing like that,” Carlson said. “So, the plan w ill be to go there, get some reasonable marks out of the way, and then go back to resetting and getting back to training to get ready for conference.”

10 in the second half. But with such an offense-heavy first half for the Irish, there wasn’t enough time for the Eagles to make up the difference despite the Irish losing a bit of

momentum. This weekend, the Irish will take on Cleveland State at home in Arlotta Stadium at 1:00 pm on Saturday, March 20. The game will air on ACCN.

Observer File Photo

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

Irish senior Yared Nuguse runs during Notre Dame’s third place effort at the Joe Piane Invitational on Sept. 28. Nuguse finished 12th overall.

Baseball Continued from page 16

Observer File Photo

Irish junior infielder Carter Putz steps into a pitch during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Virginia on Apr. 5, 2019, at Eck Stadium. Putz is helping to lead the Irish offense this year, already tallying up 11 runs so far.

by a score of 7-4. Notre Dame has six players hitting over .250 so far this season, and their bats have been a big part of their success. The Irish have scored seven or more runs in six of their nine games. And while many of their games have been shootouts, Notre Dame also won some low-scoring, gritty games, such as their 3-1 and 3-2 victories over Clemson that started the winning streak. Duke can put offensive numbers as well, as they have eight rotation players hitting over .250 and have scored at six or more runs in eight of their 13 games. Erikson Nichols and RJ Schreck lead the team in hits, with 15 and 18, respectively. Schreck paces the Blue Devils with 15 RBIs and three home runs. This weekend’s series against Notre Dame will be the first time that Duke has played away from home this season. It will be interesting to see how they will play in the colder Indiana temperatures. As of now, the forecast is projecting highs of 50s and 60s but potential lows in the 20s and 30s. In 2019, the last full season of baseball, Duke made

a run to the NCAA Nashville Super Regional before losing to Vanderbilt in a three-game series. Duke beat Notre Dame 10-6 in the ACC Tournament that season, which was the last meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame may have some revenge in mind heading into the weekend’s series. The Irish will hope to continue their winning streak behind the aforementioned bats that were especially hot against Virginia. Infielder Jared Miller leads Notre Dame with a .462 batting average and 18 hits. Still, the team is quite balanced across the board. Four other players – Carter Putz, David LaManna, Jack Brannigan and Niko Kavadas – have doubledigit hits. Kavadas has contributed in a big way with five home runs and 15 RBIs, both of which lead the team. Notre Dame head coach Link Jarrett, who joined the Irish before the 2019-20 season, got the team off to another fantastic start. Last year the Irish started the season 11-2 before the pandemic cut it short. Jarrett has the team playing great baseball once again. His Irish will look to complete their second straight sweep when they host the Blue Devils this weekend. Games can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.

sports

W Lax Continued from page 16

Lynch. Through their four games this season Lynch and sophomore midfielder Kasey Choma are tied for most goals at 11, while Lynch is pacing the team in points at 14. Senior and sophomore attacks Maddie Howe and Madison Ahern follow close behind at 13 and 12 respectively. The Irish offense has been managing the ball well recently and as such are ranked the tenth best scoring offense in the nation averaging 15.25 points per game. They are also fifth-best in the fewest turnovers allowed albeit through just for games with an average of 12.25 turnovers per contest. The other side of the field isn’t slacking behind either as the Irish are also tenth in caused turnovers per game with an average of 11.25 takeaways and 11th in clearing percentage at .913. The Irish are hoping to improve on their draw controls however as they lag far behind the pack, 79th in draw control percentage at .454. Liberty will be rolling into South Bend on a 3-game win streak. The Flames defeated Radford at home to start the month and went on to take down Old Dominion and William and Mary on the road the next weekend. The Flames are led by two sophomore attacks; Leah Ruby,

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, march 19, 2021 | The Observer

who has 13 goals and six assists this season and Brooke Bryan who leads the Flames in goals with 14. Leah however, is prone to turnovers and will have to tighten her game up if she wants to see her team compete against the Irish defense. She is shooting at a .351 percent clip and has accumulated 17 turnovers through the Flames seven contests. Liberty’s backfield is tenacious though and will be applying constant pressure to the Irish throughout the game, the Flames lead the nation in caused turnovers per game with an impressive 120 and counting at an average of 17.14 per game. Bucknell is second with 13.5 per game. Ball security will be a key in this matchup for the Irish. The Cardinals are on a 2-game win streak themselves but are poised for an intense weekend as they play host to two ranked teams in No. 1 North Carolina and No. 4 Notre Dame. The Tar Heels played in Cardinal Stadium and dominated the Cardinals in a 19-7 win. The Irish will head to Louisville on Sunday and play at noon in the UofL Lacrosse Stadium. The Cardinals have four players with at least 14 goals so far this season. Junior attack Hannah Morris, senior attack Ally Hale and senior midfielder Caroline Blalock all have at least 15 points this year while Blalock leads the way with 23, she had added a goal and an assist to that total

15

Photo courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish sophomore attack Madison Ahern works the Irish offense during Notre Dame’s 19-5 win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 13 at the Loftus Sports Center. Ahern paced the Irish with five points in the contest.

against Louisville. Although the Cardinals offense might not be as efficient as the Irish they are not afraid to take their shot as they come in at 11th in the

country in shots per game. The first game of the weekend will start at 5 p.m. Friday as Notre Dame hosts the Liberty Flames at Arlotta Stadium. The

Sunday matchup against the Louisville Cardinals will start at noon and both games can be broadcast live on the ACC Network Extra.

16

The observer | Friday, march 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd Men’s lacrosse

nd baseball

No. 8-ranked ND to host opponent Observer Staff Report

The Fighting Irish men’s lacrosse team took down the Marquette Golden Eagles (05), 10-3. This St. Patrick’s Day blowout matchup brings Notre Dame (No. 8) to 3-0 on the season. The Irish had nine different goal scorers over the day with sophomore attacker Pat Kavanagh earning five assists in the first 30 minutes of play on top of one goal of his own. Those five assists bring Kavanagh to 18 on the season as a sophomore. Senior midfielder Wheaton Jackoboice and junior attacker and junior midfielder Griffin Westlin also had assists and their own goals. Senior midfielder Ryan Hallenbeck was left to round out the assists. The Irish took 48 shots to Marquette’s 38, the first 31 of which came in the first half and resulted in the first 9 points for the Irish. Marquette kept to a one-goal per period pattern for the first three periods, evened out in the third period by Notre

Notre Dame to play Duke in first game of season

Dame’s one goal. The rest of the Irish scorers were graduate student attack player Will Yorke, junior midfielder Quinn McCahon, firstyear midfielder Eric Dobson, senior midfielder Morrison Mirer, sophomore midfielder Nick Harris and senior attacker Mikey Drake. The Irish ran the field for most of the first half and eventually through the entire game, especially with an 11-5 face-off advantage. That advantage was facilitated by graduate student Kyle Gallagher who won six of his eight face-offs and graduate student Charles Leonard who won five of the eight he played. By the fourth period, however, the defense had turned it up on both sides of the ball, leaving no room for any addition to the score. Irish goalie Liam Entenmann made 18 saves, a career-high, 10 of which came in the second half of the match. After three matches, Entenmann’s save percentage

Observer File Photow

The Notre Dame men’s baseball team will defend their home field for the first time in the 2021 season when they host the Duke Blue Devils in a threegame series this weekend. The first pitch will be on Friday, March 19 at 4 p.m. Games two and three will be played on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Notre Dame (7-2) comes into the series riding a five-game winning streak which includes two wins over Clemson and a sweep of Virginia last weekend. The Cavaliers had been the No. 21 team in the country at the time. Notre Dame, now ranked 17, will look to sustain their winning ways against Duke (7-6). The Blue Devils have played just one game in the last 10 days. The Blue Devils had their March 12-14 series against North Carolina State postponed due to COVID-19 cases within the NC State program. Duke did beat North Carolina Central on Tuesday, March 16

see M LAX PAGE 14

Irish senior centerfielder David LaManna sizes up a pitch during Notre Dame’s 5-2 win over Virginia on Apr. 5, 2019, at Eck Stadium.

see BASEBALL PAGE 14

Observer Staff Report

ND Cross Country

nd women’s Lacrosse

No. 4 lacrosse team to face Liberty and Louisville

Irish end NCAAs in second place

Observer Staff Report

Observer Staff Report

The No. 4 ranked Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team is hoping to bounce back in games against Liberty and the No. 17 ranked Louisville Cardinals this weekend. The Irish dropped two close games last week at No. 2 Syracuse and will be hoping to bounce back this weekend. The Irish will host Liberty at 5 p.m. on Friday and will have the opportunity to regain some traction as their gear up for their more formidable foe in Louisville on Sunday. The Flames and the Irish have met three previous times and Notre Dame has won all three matchups in the series all-time history. The last contest was back in February 2019 where the Irish came out on top, 14-10 on the road and were fueled by four goals apiece from senior midfielder Andie Aldave and graduate student attack, Samantha

The cross countr y men’s team made a statement this past Monday in Stillwater, Ok lahoma by taking second place in the NCA A cross countr y championships. That finish is the best the Irish have had since w inning the meet in 1957. The Irish finished the meet w ith 87 points, trailing only Northern Arizona who placed four runners in the top nine and finished w ith 60 points. Head coach Sean Carlson was proud of how his team persevered over the last kilometer of the 10-kilometer race despite the challenging nature of the course and the 20 mph w inds. “Over the last kilometer, we knew it was going to get hard for ever ybody, and the teams that really had a purpose of why they were running were going to be the ones that had the most

see W LAX PAGE 15

Photo courtesy of ND Athletics

Irish graduate student attack Samantha Lynch celebrates during Notre Dame’s 19-5 win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 13 at home.

success and held themselves together,” Carlson said. “And it obv iously worked out prett y well for us.” The original plan, Carlson said, was to have t wo packs. One w ith senior Yared Nuguse, junior Dylan Jacobs and junior Danny Kilrea towards the front, and their second pack near the top 60. Carlson explained how the race played out for his team. “Both packs were out a little bit further up than I had anticipated, and obv iously, it still worked out,” he said. “Yared and Dylan kind of paid a little bit of a price for running alone in the w ind for quite a while. But fortunately, we had our second pack there to pick them up over the last kilometer.” The Irish ended up placing their top five guys in the top 25, w ith the five runners finishing close together. Carlson explained how an see XC PAGE 14