THE INDEPENDENT
TO UNCOVER
NEWSPAPER SERVING
THE TRUTH
NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S
AND REPORT
AND HOLY CROSS
IT ACCURATELY
VOLUME 59, ISSUE 74 | FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Campus honors Francis’ legacy By ROSE ANDROWICH News Writer
Following Pope Francis' passing Monday at the age of 88, Notre Dame has hosted a series of events to honor him and his legacy in the Catholic Church, including a rosary and a memorial mass. The rosary was held Tuesday at the Grotto. Fr. Brian Ching began the rosary by reflecting on Francis’ 12 year tenure as pope. Francis was elected Pope in 2013, following Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation. Ching noted that Pope Francis called people to go to the peripheries and serve those in the greatest
need. John Cavadini, a professor of theology at Notre Dame and the director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, echoed Ching’s sentiments in a written statement to The Observer, which was also published by Notre Dame News. Cavadini reflected upon wellknown images of Francis, noting his interactions with prisoners and people considered outcasts by society. “He left us so many memorable images to help us understand what he meant: images of him breaking protocol at a general audience to see FRANCIS PAGE 3
Vielhauer delivers first State of the Union address By DAVID MURPHY Staff Writer
Student body president Jerry Vielhauer gave his first-ever State of the Union address to the student senate Wednesday in a meeting marked by reforms to and a suspension of the senate’s constitution. As usual, the meeting opened with a prayer led by senator Jack Rankin. This week’s prayer included a special reference to the late Pope Francis, who died on Monday. “God, help us today to respond effectively to the needs of our fellow students in outreach as well
as upkeep,” Rankin said. “Help us live up to the mission and memory of Pope Francis by selflessly serving the wider community in South Bend and the nation. Amen.” Following prayer and roll call, Vielhauer addressed the senate. He touched on a smooth transition from the previous administration, spotlighting his chief of staff, Ethan Chiang, and the newly approved directors of the student senate. “After our election, Sonia and I have selected the best chief of staff around, Ethan Chiang,” Viehauler said. “Then, the three of
us selected directors for our 19 departments, along with the executive controller and student union secretary. We are beyond excited about what every one of our directors is going to accomplish this year with their departments.” Vielhauer then transitioned into explaining some of his administration’s early work, noting the continuation and success of several initiatives, such as the push to extend Street Fare’s hours of operation until midnight. He also discussed his administration’s
see SENATE PAGE 3
Dowd and Conboy Annual ‘Smick Walk’ draws student particpants sign AACU letter By ISABELLA GONZALES News Writer
Starting at Holy Cross Hall on April 16 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the annual Smick Walk was hosted by the Feminists United (FEMU) club and the Student Diversity Board (SDB). According to a previous email made by
gender and women’s studies professor Jamie Wagman, this walk was meant to be “a meaningful way for us to unite against SMICK hate and show our support for one another.” Originally, attendees would be walking from the residence hall to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Afterwards, the group
ISABELLA GONZALES | The Observer
Saint Mary’s students stand in front of the campus’ entrance holding signs with messages of reclamtion for the term “smick.”
NEWS PAGE 3
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
would walk back to campus together with various chants, signs and music. Senior Maggie Dunn, president of FEMU club, mentioned that the event was cut short, however, due to a low turnout rate and the late occurrence of Easter break. The Smick Walk was a continuation of the SMICK Rally that occurred on April 15. Junior Giselle Martinez, president of SDB, stated that both events tied together through a sense of solidarity within the Saint Mary’s community. Students who participated in the previous rally were able to use their posters for this event as they walked around the campus. “The idea was that you wouldn’t have to go out and find materials to make your own signs. They would be provided for you and then it would be easier for students to participate,” Dunn explained. “We wanted to eliminate that financial barrier.” Grace Maher ‘21, associate director of alumnae relations, discussed the events that lead to the first Smick Walk in spring 2021. She stated how Saint Mary’s students were often see WALK PAGE 3
SCENE PAGE 7
Notre Dame President Fr. Robert Dowd and Saint Mary’s College President Katie Conboy have signed a public statement released by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) that protests “unprecedented government overreach and political interference” by the Trump administration regarding institutions of higher education. “Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry where, in their pursuit of truth, faculty, students, and staff are free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation,” the letter states. The letter, released Tuesday and now signed by over 400 leaders of colleges, universities and scholarly societies, comes amid the Trump administrations escalating actions to limit government funding to universities and eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that the Trump administration has called discriminatory. Notre Dame is a member of the AAC&U, while Saint Mary’s is not.
The signatories of the letter say that they “are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight.” However, they argue that the federal government’s actions amount to intrusion and coercion. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has frozen and threatened to freeze funding for colleges it alleges have failed to protect students from antisemitism or have engaged in racial discrimination through their DEI programs. Those affected include Harvard, Cornell, Northwestern, Brown, Columbia, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania. Notre Dame is also being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for alleged race-based discrimination in its graduate programs, but the Trump administration has not paused funding for the University. “The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society. On behalf of our current and future students, and all who work at and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic,” the letter concludes.
SPORTS PAGE 8
SPORTS PAGE 12
Observer Staff Report