THE INDEPENDENT
TO UNCOVER
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THE TRUTH
NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S
AND REPORT
AND HOLY CROSS
IT ACCURATELY
VOLUME 59, ISSUE 64 | MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Catholic relief hit ND pre-law offers by USAID cuts resources to applicants Career center provides assistance for prospective lawyers
By ROSE ANDROWICH News Writer
By SOPHIA TRAN Associate News Editor
LSAT scores, recommendations, perfect grades – these are just a few of the factors prelaw students must consider as they apply to law programs across the country. With a variety of factors impacting admission, students must also face off other qualified candidates in the increasingly competitive applicant pool. In recent years, Notre Dame’s Law School has had one of the most selective admission rates. With the class of 2027 admissions cycle, the Law School reviewed over 2000 applicants for less than 200 first-year seats. At Notre Dame, there is no official pre-law concentration
or major, which is common at many other universities. Ryan Patrick, a career counselor and assistant director for the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development, described how Notre Dame provides ample support to undergraduates interested in pursuing law school in a statement to The Observer. “When it comes to your undergraduate classes, strong grades, challenging coursework and a passion for your subject typically matter more to law school admissions officers than the specific course of study you follow,” Patrick wrote. “The Pre-Law Student Board offers office hours and provides programming throughout the year to
students interested in attending law school. We host workshops, provide guidance on the application process and coordinate a mentorship program with the Law School, including a beginning of the year kick off and mid-year check in.” In addition to the variety of available opportunities and advising resources available for Notre Dame students, Patrick advises undergraduates to consider pursuing service opportunities and exploring their interests in law through employment opportunities. Although pursuing specific career pathways in law may be subjective, Patrick emphasized the importance of exploration.
The storied partnership between Notre Dame and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) began 25 years ago, but the landscape has changed recently. CRS has lost 62% of their funding, according to an article from the National Catholic Reporter. The loss of funding has impacted the organization in several ways, according to Michael Sweikar, the liaison between
CRS and Notre Dame. Sweikar is also the executive director for the Pulte Institute, formerly known as the Notre Dame Global Development Institute (NDIGD). The Institute was established with the goal to connect Notre Dame research and impact evaluation to organizations that were doing work out in the field, like CRS. At the start, the partnership between Notre Dame and see RELIEF PAGE 4
Students brave Polar Plunge
see PRE-LAW PAGE 4
BAVO provides overview of Raise Your Voice event
BAVO began in 2009 as a space for students to receive confidential assistance on interpersonal violence. The office organizes Take Back the Night annually for students as part of its mission towards creating a safer campus. “Take Back the Night is a moment for survivors of assault or just interpersonal violence to feel empowered. It’s being able to
just take back that sense of power and control that was robbed of them. Essentially, it’s working with the tri-campus to make sure that any student feels empowered, that they feel safe and that they know that they’re not alone,” Zapata said. The kick-off event is provided by BAVO, while donations are by different clubs and departments across the tri-campus community. Prior to the march, students meet and gather to make posters and be able to come together to discuss a heavy topic. The march to and around Notre Dame allows students the opportunity to shout the purpose and message of Take Back the Night to those who may not know about it. “The march is actually, in my opinion, a really crucial part, because you walk around and say what the purpose is for Take Back the Night and it’s mostly students that are chanting and trying to get their voices heard. As much as we try to market it, the fact of the matter is, not everyone’s going to know what it is or what takes
place. Hopefully, with a march that kind of gets people’s attention, they can be like, ‘Oh, I wonder what that is’ and then stop by and learn something,” Zapata said. Survivor Speak Out allows survivors to voice their experiences and stories without any mandatory reporters and only confidential staff, resources and organizations in attendance. “It’s usually only confidential resources such as myself that’s allowed to be there,” Zapata said. “Counseling, people from Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame or Holy Cross and then different organizations like the Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County, the YWCA. It’s just a chance for students to be able to share their story ... that way they can get it off their chest and feel empowered in a space where they know that there’s other people that understand and believe them.” The prayer vigil at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes occurs later
NEWS PAGE 3
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
SCENE PAGE 7
By BERHAN HAGEZOM Saint Mary’s News Editor
At Saint Mary’s College, both Take Back the Night and Raise Your Voice will be held on Wednesday, April 9, and Monday, April 14, respectively, to educate and empower both survivors and allies. Liz Baumann, Saint Mary’s Title IX Officer, Alexa Zapata, Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) coordinator and Katelyn Sizemore, a student representative of the President’s Committee on Sexual Violence, discuss how these events fosters a culture free from all forms of violence.
Take Back the Night
see BAVO PAGE 3
Courtesy of Alice O’Brien
Badin Hall president Gracie Holroyd and vice president Alice O’Brien stand with Father Peter McCormick after the plunge. By AVABELLA MITRANO News Writer
Despite chilly temperatures, gray skies and steady rain on Saturday, Badin Hall held their signature dorm event, the Polar Plunge. The annual tradition is an effort to raise money for St. Margaret’s House, a day center for women in South Bend.
SPORTS PAGE 8
The event took place on March 29 on the beach at St. Joseph Lake, where students paid $5 to plunge. Participants had the opportunity to buy $8 t-shirts and $15 towels throughout the week to improve their swimming experience. Through their organization see PLUNGE PAGE 3
SPORTS PAGE 12