Print Edition for The Observer For Tuesday, January 27, 2026

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026 | VOL. LX, NO. 40

Notre Dame students attend March for Life

Liam Kelly Editor-in-Chief

As record snowfall blanketed most of the northern United States, a group of 350 Notre Dame students traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual March for Life. The trip was organized by the Notre Dame Right to Life club, which has led an annual trip to the nation’s capital since the event’s inception in 1974.

The students’ trip began Thursday evening in the Stepan Center, where University President Fr. Robert Dowd, C.S.C., delivered a blessing and message of support for the group. The group then piled into eight buses, driving overnight to arrive in Washington for the protest on Friday.

While organized by the Right to Life club, the trip is also funded in part by the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. However, according to junior club treasurer Jake Struby, the de Nicola

Center was unable to fund the trip to the extent that it had in previous years due to budget cuts.

Reynaldo Guillén, a junior at Holy Cross College, who served as director for the pilgrimage this year, explained in a statement to The Observer that the club relied on other University sources of funding and initiated a private fundraising effort through alumni to finance the trip.

“Despite internal budget cuts, many departments across the University did all they could to support us financially, and our alumni stepped forward generously to help make this pilgrimage possible,” Guillén wrote.

“We worked pretty hard on getting the word out for private donations, and we had a lot of help from a lot of people,” Struby said.

According to Struby, the club was able to raise tens of thousands of dollars, but still had to cut one see “March” on page 3

Notre Dame students carry a banner reading “Irish fighting for life” in Washington, D.C. during the March for Life last Friday. 350 Notre Dame students attended the event, despite the cold and snowy weather.

Pete Buttigieg returns to South Bend

Courtesy of Ryan Juszkiewicz/University of Notre Dame

was sponsored by the Keough School of Global Affairs.

Two tickets qualify for ballot

Observer Staff Report

The Judicial Council released its list of qualified candidates for the student body presidency on Monday in an email to the Notre Dame student body. The announcement comes after a nine-day petitioning process, after which two presidential candidates qualified for the ballot.

“We are pleased to announce that campaigning will start [Tuesday] for Student Body President and Vice President,” Judicial Council

vice president of elections Madeline Hutson wrote.

The Jones-Evers ticket is led by Alumni Hall junior Elijah Jones and Pasquerilla West Hall sophomore Riley Evers. They will face off against the McCart-Parikh ticket, headed by Mason McCart and Luke Parikh, a junior and sophomore from Dillon Hall, respectively. Both announced their intention to run on Instagram within 24 hours of petitions becoming available.

see “Election” on page 4

By Will Prisco News Writer

Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg returned to the city on Friday for a fireside chat at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center titled “Leadership, Innovation, and the Next Generation.” Buttigieg was joined by Mary Gallagher, the Marilyn Keough dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs. The former U.S. Secretary of Transportation

NEWS | PAGE 3

Sculpture destroyed

The 36-foot sculpture “Endless” was found broken outside the Raclin Murphy Art Museum.

gave insight into his career in public service and how his experiences, from mayor of South Bend to member of a presidential cabinet, offer a unique perspective on how to navigate a rapidly changing world.

The conversation began with a brief discussion on the rising prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on educational institutions. Buttigieg expressed a sense of optimism when pressed on the role of AI in modern-day society,

OPINION | PAGE 5

Indiana bandwagons

Columnist Grayson Beckham questions the authenticity of Indiana Fans.

drawing on his experience with his own two children, while also acknowledging the uncertainty of the world that younger generations are set to inherit.

“The world they’re coming into will obviously be so radically transformed, but I don’t think we have to be pessimistic about it. I don’t think it is written that AI will necessarily make us dumber, but it might, and see “Mayor” on page 3

SCENE | PAGE 8

Our own Sundance

The 37th Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival is celebrated this week.

Walk the Walk Week inspires service

By Matthew Morin News Writer

Walk the Walk Week (WTWW) has returned to the University of Notre Dame for its 11th year, running from Jan. 24 to Jan. 31.

According to a University press release, the event was designed with “more than 20 University,

SPORTS | PAGE 9

Irish defeat Eagles

Braeden Shrewsberry leads Notre Dame in a victory over Boston College.

department, and student-sponsored events that invite members of the Notre Dame community to reflect on how to foster a deeper sense of belonging and inclusion, and build the Beloved Community — referencing the words of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — on

see “Service” on page 4

SPORTS | PAGE 12

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Toby Shimabukuro senior Morrissey Hall “Ostrich.”

Claire Lee senior Fisher Hall “Silk Worm Pupae.” What

is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

Kendelle Hung-Ino senior Off-campus “Pigeon.”

Matthew Chou senior Graham Hall “Scorpion.”

Justine Lam junior Pasquerilla West Hall “Bird Saliva.”

Tuesday

International Holocaust Remembrance Day Lecture Lunch-in and lecture commemorating Holocaust observance. 1050 Jenkins Nanovic Halls 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Explore Residential Graduate Business Programs Gain information on Notre Dame’s business master degrees. Mendoza College of Business 5:00 - 5:45 p.m.

Thursday “A State of Dementia” Seminar Lecture covering cognitive capcity legistaltion in Mexico. Hesburgh Center for International Studies 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Friday

Flim: “Hiroshima Mon Amour” (1959) A love affair between a French actress and Japanese architect. Browing Cinema 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Notre Dame Women’s Tennis The Irish take on Navy at home. Eck Tennis Pavillion 11:00 a.m.

Sculpture falls outside Raclin Museum of Art

Courtesy of Frank Qian

The cause of the collapse is still unknown for the since-removed fallen “Endless” sculpture outside of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art.

Mayor

Continued from page 1

it seems to be on its way to doing so,” Buttigieg said.

The discussion then shifted to Buttigieg’s tenure as mayor of South Bend as well as his hopes for the city’s future. He praised current Mayor James Mueller for continuing Buttigieg’s efforts to lead the city amidst a period of strong revitalization and economic growth. Buttigieg emphasized that his success as mayor stemmed from his ability to focus on pragmatic policy solutions that helped the lives of everyday people.

“I believe that the best mayors are not looking to be ideological crusaders,” Buttigieg said. ”They’re looking

March

Continued from page 1

bus due to the gap in funding.

“I think those spots would have been filled, because I personally know many people who wanted to go, but there were no spots left,” Struby said.

Struby and sophomore Luke Woodyard, who serves as director of operations for Right to Life, both praised Guillén for his organization of the trip, which began at the beginning of the academic year.

“Reynaldo was such an amazing dude, and his team blew it out of the park,” Woodyard wrote in a statement to The Observer.

Guillén said he has been reappointed to plan the pilgrimage again next year.

After arriving in Washington, D.C., students attended the march on Friday, joined by many students from Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross College, carrying anti-abortion signs and marching with thousands of other protesters through the streets of Washington. Club members held a banner reading “Irish fighting for life,” while individual students held

By Matthew Morin News Writer

The 36-foot-tall statue, “Endless,” which stood outside the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art for nearly three years on the University’s campus, was found broken on the ground in two pieces late in the afternoon on Dec. 10.

Dr. Joseph Becherer, the director and curator of the Raclin Murphy Museum, said he is unsure of what caused the sculpture to fall.

“We don’t know what happened. The top part of the sculpture fell. Thankfully, no one was hurt in any way, shape or form,” he said.

He also noted that there was only very minor damage to the concrete around the sculpture, and no other damage to the area surrounding it. He said there was “no outside force” they were able to find that caused the sculpture to collapse.

“We have a lot of studying to do to understand ‘why?’ That’s just a big question mark for us right now,” he stated. “What we did think was

to deliver results for the people they serve.”

The conversation later moved to the importance of academic freedomandexpressionateducational institutions such as Notre Dame. Buttigieg was critical of the federal government for what he deemed executive overreach regarding universities, which are traditionally held as beacons of individual thought and expression, encompassing a wide array of people from different political persuasions. Buttigieg encouraged universities, specifically Notre Dame, to stand firm in their resolve to protect academic freedom from being encroached upon.

“Universities are under attack not because they are liberal, but because

smaller posters with paintings of saints reading “pray for us and the unborn.”

Senior Eric Gordy described attending the march as “an incredible experience.”

“It was amazing to see hundreds of Notre Dame students sacrificing their weekend in order to provide a witness to the sanctity of life, joining thousands of other pro-life Americans who marched this past weekend,” Gordy wrote in a statement to The Observer. “The energy and involvement of so many Notre Dame students — many of whom were underclassmen — was particularly inspiring to me, suggesting that Notre Dame will continue to serve as a powerful witness to the sanctity of life for years to come.”

Guillén described the march as a unifying experience.

“The March for Life is a moment when people do not gather merely as individuals, but as a unified community drawn from many different walks of life — often from the margins — to remind our leaders that a life is a life. Every person, in any form and at any stage of life, whether in the womb or in their eighties, deserves to be protected,” Guillén wrote.

important was to make sure everything was safe, so we dismantled the rest of the sculpture that evening and we’re trying to determine what the next steps will be.”

Becherer and museum officials are currently working to decide what will happen to the sculpture. There will not be a temporary replacement in the statue’s place since the base of the statue is still intact in the ground.

“Endless” was created in 2023 and installed in November of the same year for permanent display in front of the museum. Created by contemporary sculptor Jaume Plensa, the stainless steel sculpture was created specifically for the museum with a donation by Charles Hayes ’65 “in honor of museum council and staff, past and present.” Hayes also donated the funds for the adjoining sculpture garden to the museum, named the Hayes Sculpture Park.

The statue is composed of a series of letters from various alphabets, including Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic,

they are independent,” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg also spoke more broadly about the role of the United States in the global sphere and his hopes for the country’s future. Gallagher asked what strategies future presidents should employ in a climate where international laws are often seen as optional by world leaders. Buttigieg highlighted how the country will need to build new frameworks that respond to an ever-changing world. He specifically mentioned amendments to the Constitution as a means of staying true to the country’s roots while still ensuring that it can adapt to modern times.

Buttigieg also argued that the federal government has become unresponsive to the people and discussed

While in Washington, most students stayed at the St. Charles Catholic Church in Arlington, Virginia. Students said they slept on the floor of the church on Friday night and attended Mass and Holy Hour while there. Woodyard said prayer was central to the trip.

“We made sure to integrate a lot of prayer on the journey for pilgrims after all,” Woodyard wrote.

Although the club has in past years spent two full days in Washington, due to the approaching snowstorm, the group decided to rearrange their travel plans to leave Saturday morning. Guillén said the club leadership was determined to continue with the trip, despite the weather.

“Despite counsel to cancel, we remained resolute in continuing the long-standing Notre Dame tradition of participating in the March for Life,” Guillén wrote. “Notre Dame will continue to March for Life year after year — until abortion and the persecution of all people are not only illegal, but unthinkable.”

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

Greek, Hindi, Japanese and Latin. According to the artist’s website, the letters denote language and humanity without the use of a human figure. The artist says it was inspired by Notre Dame’s mission to be “a powerful force for good in the world.”

Plensa is a Catalan artist known for creating sculptures in both the United States and abroad. One of his most famous regional works is the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park in Chicago, which he unveiled in 2004.

According to Becherer, the statue was removed on the day it was found broken with the help of the Office of the University Architect and museum staff. It is being held at an undisclosed location until further notice.

He shared that the sculpture’s collapse came as a surprise, since the museum regularly maintains all outdoor sculptures and inspects them annually.

Contact Matthew Morin at mmorin2@nd.edu

ways in which the government could be reorganized so it can better meet the needs of the people it serves.

Buttigieg outlined three major ways in which the government should operate in order to ensure the wellbeing of the American people.

“We need institutions and governments in order to secure freedom in three ways, one providing basic services ... Two, constraining anyone who can make you unfree ... Third, any institution, any system, any government, has to constrain itself in order for you to be free,” said Buttigieg.

The conversation concluded with several questions from current Notre Dame students. One student asked Buttigieg how young people who feel passionate about policy outcomes but feel disconnected from

the institutions that provide them can still contribute to the political process. Others were interested to hear his thoughts on how to balance moral convictions with the desire for national unity and how to engage in respectful dialogue with people who may hold different views.

Buttigieg emphasized repeatedly during the panel that he and many other leaders would like to see more young people engaging with different policy levers that are close to them.

“Think of yourself as the present, because we can’t wait for the future right now,” Buttigieg said.

Contact Will Prisco at wprisco@nd.edu

New Editor-inChief elected

Observer Staff Report

The Observer Editorial Board elected Managing Editor Gray Nocjar as Editor-in-Chief for the 2026-2027 term on Sunday.

“The Observer is incredibly fortunate to have Gray at the helm for the 2026-27 term,” current editor-in-chief Liam Kelly said.

“Gray has served with distinction as Managing Editor this year, leading new projects with tenacity and providing a constant source of support in a year of change and evolution for the paper. His devotion and love for The Observer are unmatched, and the paper will be in steady hands under his leadership.”

Nocjar is a junior from Darnestown, Maryland, majoring in electrical engineering with minors in energy studies and the Gallivan Program in journalism ethics, and democracy. He is a resident of Keenan Hall. Before

MARIELLA TADDONIO |

Junior Gray Nocjar will serve as the next Editor-in-Chief.

serving as managing editor, Nocjar served as associate news editor and photo editor.

“I feel blessed to be given the chance to devote myself to this role and to this newspaper,” Nocjar said. “I am really looking forward to taking on the challenges ahead and helping others navigate their own in the next term.”

Nocjar will begin his term as editor-in-chief on March 1.

Service

Continued from page 1 campus and beyond.”

One of the hallmarks of WTWW is the dedication to service.

Between Jan. 5 and Jan. 21, a collection of classroom, cleaning and art project supplies was gathered in support of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northern Indiana Corridor, La Casa de Amistad, The MLK Dream Center and the Robinson Community Learning Center.

The collected supplies were packed into care packages on Saturday at the week’s biggest volunteer event. Various volunteer stations were scattered throughout the Duncan Student Center, staffed by over 350 student volunteers.

University President Fr. Bob Dowd was present at the event.

“Walk the Walk Week is very important in our community. It’s very much grounded in our Catholic mission to respect the God-given dignity of each and every human being and to build a strong sense of community, a community that’s not closed in on itself, but a community that’s turned out in surplus. And so I’m really grateful to everybody who’s worked so hard on Walk the Walk Week and grateful to all of our partners here today,” Dowd said. ”Of course, we have many organizations devoted to the people in our community who are vulnerable, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to work together with them to do everything we can to learn from and to serve them.”

“The Walk the Walk Week Service Project, now in its [fourth] year, continues to be a prime opportunity for students to express our solidarity with the greater South Bend community,“ a written statement from the student government said. “The project’s broader inclusion in WTWW serves as a reminder of how our Catholic identity distinctly animates our call to solidarity with the most vulnerable. We are deeply grateful for our continued partnership with the Office of the President, as we strive to build a flourishing Notre Dame community for all.”

The first step in creating donation packages was sorting all the contributions to prepare to distribute and place them into the packs.

“I’m volunteering because it’s for a good cause and I wanted to get involved with the community and the greater South Bend area,” freshman Grace Rochelle said.

In the Hagerty Family Cafe, students wrote notecards to be placed in care packages for these organizations. In these notes, students wrote messages such as “You are strong,” “Keep shining brightly” and “Be kind to yourself,” among others. Also in Hagerty, student volunteers made bracelets to be distributed in hygiene packs for girls. Freshman Natalia Ciura was one of the volunteers writing cards. “It takes such little effort to make so many kids happy and make such a large impact,” she said.

Sophomore Natalee Shipley facilitated the letter-writing for student volunteers and worked with the students as they wrote the letters.

“For me personally, I’m in the department of community service … so I wanted to get involved in one of their biggest events,” Shipley said.

Students also made fleece tie blankets for the supply kits. Following the intermediate steps, the largest group of students worked on the assembly line station. The first packages created were for the Boys and Girls Clubs, drawstring bags filled with gloves, beanies, water bottles, hand sanitizers, tissues and the finished notes from students.

Overall, the event produced 300 hygiene kits for boys, 300 hygiene kits for girls and 300 school supplies kits. Of the hygiene kits, 100 kits each were allocated for the Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Center, the Robinson Community Learning Center and La Casa de Amistad, as well as the 200 Boys and Girls Clubs packages.

La Casa de Amistad was founded in South Bend 52 years ago by Fr. John Phelan, C.S.C., a Holy

Cross priest. Today, the organization serves 100 kids in kindergarten through 12th grade, providing youth programs for all elementary school students who require social services.

“We’re extremely thankful and fortunate for the University’s support … La Casa de Amistad works to support and serve these families, and items like this help us to accompany them,” Juan Constantino, the CEO of La Casa de Amistad, said.

Also founded 52 years ago, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Indiana Corridor serves 2,000 kids in St. Joseph County. Initially a place for kids to go after school, the organization has grown into academic support and “a place for kids to thrive,” CEO Dwayne Wilson said. “I’m appreciative of the students who support us — we have athletes, engineering students — and this is just another practical application of their support, and I’m appreciative of that.”

The Martin Luther King Jr.

Dream Center is a community center serving all comers, from senior programming to free afterschool care. Their packages will go to after-school and summer programs as well as to a warming center for the homeless, said Starkeisha Lenoir and Therae Washington, who work at the center. The center is “always looking for students to volunteer for enrichment programs and other volunteer opportunities,” Lenoir said.

Ethan Chiang, student body president Jerry Vielhauer’s chief of staff, was one of the organizers for the event.

“Ever since I’ve come to Notre Dame, South Bend has been an integral part of my experience, and our Catholic identity calls us to act in solidarity with those vulnerable around us,” Chiang said. “Service is part of our DNA as students here.”

Contact Matthew Morin at mmorin2@nd.edu

Election

Continued from page 1

With the certification of candidates for the ballot, Hutson’s email unable to attend in person, the debate will also be livestreamed via the student government YouTube channel.

“We are also excited to share that we will be holding a debate at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, at Midfield Commons in Duncan Student Center,” Hutson wrote. “To engage with your candidates and explore their views on the issues that matter most to you, we invite you to submit questions to be asked at the debate via this form.”

Hutson encouraged students to vote in the upcoming election. Per the announcement, election day will be Wednesday, Feb. 4. Students can use their Notre Dame credentials to vote via NDCentral and will have from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to submit their ballot.

Are all these Indiana fans bandwagons?

By Grayson Beckham Columnist, “Citizen Gray”

One week into its reign as the king of college football, Indiana University has yet to descend from the mountaintop of glory. The same is true of its millions and millions of fans. And why should they? As many have rightly pointed out, Indiana’s victory is a triumph for the sport’s parity and the die-hard Hoosiers who have witnessed decades of their team’s irrelevancy. My colleague Thea Bendaly wrote an excellent column last week discussing her personal journey as an ancestral Indiana fan as well as the implications of IU’s historic victory. Hailing from Carmel, Ind. from a family of Hoosiers, obviously Thea can claim IU’s victory.

Something’s afoot in Bloomington, though. I cannot seem to shake a feeling of uneasiness seeing hundreds of thousands of fair-weather Indiana fans suddenly becoming passionate about their team. Indiana ranked among the lowest power-conference schools in annual attendance prior to Curt Cignetti’s arrival two years ago, yet 2025’s campaign saw the Hoosiers smash attendance records. Obviously enthusiasm for any team is higher when the product on the field is successful. Is it fair, however, to question the authenticity of the legions of Indiana fans in their nascent fandom?

I think it is.

From high school till now, I’ve been an “anthem to the alma mater” kind of fan. I cannot tolerate leaving a sporting event early. It’s how I was raised — my sister can attest to the untold multitudes of Cincinnati Reds blowout losses that we witnessed at the hands of our parents’ instruction. And

that’s how it should be! Loyal sports fandom has wonderful effects on one’s character. It builds a sense of patience, tolerance for pain and humility.

We must now ask: When does a fan become a bandwagon?

Coming from heavily Roman Catholic Cincinnati, Notre Dame fans rival supporters of the Cincinnati Bearcats and Ohio State Buckeyes in number. For many, being Catholic alone is enough to claim Notre Dame. One often hears of uncles and grandfathers that instilled in their progeny a love for the Fighting Irish despite having no personal connection to the University. Many people would consider these types of people to be “bandwagons,” in the commonly understood sense of the word. I hesitate, however, to call Subway Alumni bandwagons.

In 2007, Charlie Weis’s Irish finished a paltry 3-9, Notre Dame’s worst finish since 1960. The 2007 campaign was abject misery. The Irish suffered humiliating losses to benighted Air Force, Purdue and Navy and were shut out by rivals Michigan and USC. Going into Week 11 a putrid 1-9 to host 1-9 Duke (a non-rivalry game) for a game in 40-degree weather, one would expect the seats of Notre Dame Stadium to remain mostly empty.

That game sold out.

In fact, Notre Dame sold out every single game that season. In miserable cold amid the program’s worst season in modern history, 80,795 Irish fans found their way to the house that Rockne built. Because Knute Rockne built his house on a solid foundation — a foundation defined not by geography or academic affiliation, but instead defined by faith and loyalty.

I don’t mean to single out Indiana fans. The true Hoosier faithful deserve this win. This reality doesn’t change the fact that my cold and demented heart stays suspicious of the thousands of emergent Indiana supporters, as with any program that enjoys sudden success.

A real fan stays with their team through thick and thin, which is why I now want to present Grayson Beckham’s definitive GATEKEEP (Generating a Tolerable Entrance and Knowledgeable Emergent Enthusiasm Parameter) guideline.

Tier 1: Undisputed Legitimate Fan

• Alum or student of institution

• Have a sibling, parent, spouse or child who is an alum

This tier is quite self-explanatory, meaning that anyone with a deeply personal connection to

a school is permitted to root for their team without question.

Tier 2: Potentially Fraudulent Fan:

• Merely a resident of the school’s state (unless residing in the university’s city)

• Have a “cousin” or an aunt/ uncle that is an alum

This tier of so-called fandom is potentially problematic. Unless these fans are consistent attendees or viewers of a university’s team, they are a bandwagon.

Tier 3: Fraud Watch

• Have a friend who is an alum or student

• “Grew up watching them”

• Has a favorite player on the team

If your only connection to Florida is a love for Tim Tebow, sorry: You’re a bandwagon.

Tier 4: Forget About It. Not a Fan.

• Cannot name five current players

• Cannot name current head coach

These lapses in knowledge are indicative of a knowingly and purposeful lack of attention. You do not deserve to wear this team’s jersey.

Tier 5: Notre Dame Exception

• Proclaim the death of Jesus Christ and profess His Resurrection

This qualification is not required of a Notre Dame fan in good standing yet immediately grants permission to join the ranks of the Irish faithful. They are God’s team; this is undisputed.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Write to Grayson Beckham at gbeckham@nd.edu

Pragmatic solidarity: a lesson from Paul Farmer

By Ivy Clark

If you have read my “author bio” below this column, you might have seen that if I could get dinner with any historical figure, one of them would be Paul Farmer. I believe Farmer was one of the most influential practitioners in healthcare, and I am eternally saddened that my nineyear-old self wasn’t a student at Notre Dame when he spoke here in 2011. Farmer was a medical anthropologist, professor at Harvard University, Chair of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and founder of Partners in Health — an international non-profit that provides direct healthcare services and undertakes advocacy on behalf of those who are sick and living in poverty. Basically, he was the closest

thing the 21st century had to Sts. Cosmas and Damian. While on campus, he spoke about the importance of accompaniment, connected global health to theology and deepened his relationship with Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, a professor of theology at Notre Dame. The culmination of their meeting resulted in a collaborative book, titled “In the Company of the Poor,” which highlights the interconnectedness of liberation theology and healthcare. In it, Farmer references “pragmatic solidarity” in its simplest form as linking feeling with doing, calling all of us to move beyond abstract compassion and demand concrete action in the alleviation of suffering. This phrase, pragmatic solidarity, underscores and galvanizes the relationship between faith and social justice: where theology and action meet.

I believe this phrase extends far beyond the reaches of healthcare, however, and could very well be a contender for your New Year’s resolution, if you let it. I don’t expect that anyone who might read this should drop everything to become Farmer for the entirety of 2026 — I don’t think any of us are capable of recreating his verve. However, I do think we can implement small themes of this message in our day-to-day lives, especially in three main components: community, dignity and accompaniment. Community-based action within the context of pragmatic solidarity emphasizes building local capacity and empowering groups as equal partners in each others’ wellbeing. At the scale of Notre Dame, this tenet could look like embracing your dorm community, saying “yes” to that club event, or finding a time to get dining hall dinner

with your group of friends every week. Another core conviction of Farmer’s dogma is that every person matters — how can you show the people in your life that they matter to you? Finding joy in the daily camaraderie that the college experience brings us helps us

live this conviction at its essence. ake it one step further by finding a community outside of Notre Dame, through volunteering and giving back to our broader South Bend community.

see “Solidarity” on page 6

Solidarity

Continued from page 5

When we give back to our community, we empower those around us to give of themselves, as well.

Dignity is treating others with inherent respect, or more commonly, treating others the way we would like to be treated. In healthcare, dignity can look like ensuring a patient’s wishes are respected in end-of-life care or prioritizing a patient’s autonomy in treatment plans. In everyday life, dignity simply

involves making people feel good about themselves. Encourage your roommate who is stressed about studying for the MCAT to take a step back and recognize just how much they have learned and achieved since coming to Notre Dame. Practice active listening in conversations with friends and affirm that people are being heard. When we intentionally participate in the lives of others, we support their ability to live authentically and bear witness to their humanity.

Accompaniment, in both medical and personal

OPINION

contexts, can be described as walking alongside others in their journey. This echoes dignity, where you choose to share in someone’s life to support them in both happiness and suffering. As Farmer put it in his 2011 Commencement speech at the Harvard Kennedy School, “There’s an element of mystery, of openness, in accompaniment: I’ll go with you and support you on your journey wherever it leads. I’ll keep you company and share your fate for a while.” In offering presence, we take the role of support rather than observation. It extends beyond

physical proximity, and dances along the border of emotional and spiritual connection. At its core, accompaniment is choosing to intertwine your life with someone else’s, for better or for worse. So, in keeping with the theme of New Year’s resolutions, I implore you to examine your life and how you lead it through the context of Farmer’s pragmatic solidarity. In a day and age where it feels easier to limit our interactions to social media and text conversations, to only worry about the next upcoming due date or interview, to be overwhelmed

by the constant onslaught of events and assignments and meetings that punctuate the daily life of a college student, choose connection. Choose and lean upon your community, don’t be afraid of empowering those around you and make efforts to share in the joys and frustrations of those you walk alongside.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Write to Ivy Clark at iclark@nd.edu

1,656 miles, zero regrets: my trip to UConn

By Mariella Taddonio

Editor

1,656 miles driven in 24 hours. That was the drive that Gray Nocjar, The Observer’s managing editor, and I, photo editor, made to Storrs, Conneticut to cover the Notre Dame women’s basketball match-up against the Huskies on Jan. 19.

The plan was always there to go to Storrs for the game on my part. Unfortunately, I waited too long to buy a flight, and by the time we returned from break, flights had increased to $900. The new plan was made 12 hours before we left.

If you know anything about the two of us, we are willing to do anything on very short notice, which is one reason I believe we get along so well.

Gray booked a car and hotel at 5 p.m. on Saturday. I called my parents to tell them, and much to their dismay and persuasion, we left at 11 a.m. the next morning. We decided to rent a car and split the drive, six hours each.

To me, this was a big matchup for the Irish; the storied rivalry between UConn and Notre Dame dates back to the 1990s, when Muffet McGraw was still head coach for women’s basketball. I grew up watching these matchups, and the most memorable one I remember is the 2018 National Championship win with the last-second buzzer-beater from Arike Ogunbowale.

Once we were on the road, it was quite smooth-sailing to get there, only stopping to get gas, food and use the restroom. Conversations and music were flowing through the car; Gray later learned it was a terrible idea to let me connect to the Bluetooth to play music. Through our conversations, we also acknowledge the fact that Gray does not have the best track record of traveling for The Observer, such as his trip back from Arkansas. But we thought nothing of it and hoped that I would be good luck for the trip.

The first challenge came after we switched drivers and

stopped for gas. While ordering sandwiches from Subway, Gray told me that the car rental place overcharged him $200. Gray decided that he would call them first thing once we got back, which offered certainty for next steps.

As we continued the drive to Hartford, Connecticut for the night, we talked on the phone with fellow editors and my aunt, who was tracking me and asked what I was doing in the middle of Pennsylvania on a Sunday. The drive went by fast once we got through a little snow flurry in New York, and as soon as we knew it, we were in Hartford.

Once we touched down in the Constitution State, we made a beeline for the hotel, and that’s when the second challenge appeared. The reservation for the hotel was for February … it’s still January. The hotel had no more rooms; we had to find the next best option, which was a Best Western a couple of miles away. After arriving at the second hotel, we were golden for the night and prepared for the day to come.

Gray and I made the decision that we would drive the 45 minutes to campus in the morning and then explore the campus. After making our way to campus and stopping at the bookstore to get coffee to start our day, we found ourselves wandering over to the campus newspaper building at UConn.

The Daily Campus at UConn publishes five times a week and is most likely one of the few campus papers in the country that still does. After exploring and walking around campus, we stumbled across a little building in between apartment complexes. The Daily’s office is a quaint, twofloor building. We, of course, knocked on the door and were greeted by their editor-inchief and photo editor, who were more than happy to show us their office and trade advice.

Their office gave much of the vibe of our late office in the basement of South Dining Hall, littered with papers and

memorabilia. It was easy to say that I became jealous of their office very quickly, especially since their photo editor has his own office. They were also very kind to extend an invitation to us to stop by their production after the game. After staying there for a bit and learning how they run their paper, we headed off to our next adventure: shooting and covering the game.

There is a reason that UConn’s nickname is the “Basketball Capital” of the world. UConn has beaten us twice in the National Championship, and growing up as a women’s basketball fan, especially a Notre Dame fan, I despised the program. No other women’s basketball program has 12 national championships, and as much as I hate to say it, I have to admire the program. So walking into their stadium and seeing all of their accomplishments really took me back for a second.

Going into the game, I held hope that Notre Dame could pull off the upset of the century by beating the number one team in the nation right now.

As soon as the game started, my nerves were drowned out by the loud crowd, but my hope stayed until the third quarter when UConn took the lead very quickly. Once it became abundantly clear that Notre Dame would not pull off a win, I turned my mindset to get as many amazing photos as possible to make the trip worth it.

After the game ended, we decided just to head on the road and get back to campus instead of heading to UConn’s paper production. Once we got on the road, another challenge appeared out of thin air … “600 miles till service was needed.” This message appeared on the dashboard when we still had over 700 miles left in our journey, but as college students who had class the next morning, we dismissed the message and continued on our way. At a McDonalds, another sign appeared: “Oil Change Needed.”

At this point, we started to worry about how we would get home for class and school, but continued on our way after a conversation with my roommate, who owns the same

car. Thankfully, the rest of the way back to Indiana was smooth and filled with multiple stops at gas stations, good conversations, calls to Observer editors to fill time and belting out Hamilton in the car.

We got back to campus around 7:45 a.m. after driving through the night, with many looks of sheer concern from people we met on our journey, friends and family. I can undoubtedly say that even with the outcome of the game, this trip to Storrs was very worth it, and the experience that I gained through it was unmatchable. So, I apologize to my parents for the last-minute trip and “taking 10 years off their lives,” but I would do it again in a heartbeat, only when I have saved up enough money, because when else can I do something like this, other than in college?

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Write to Mariella Taddonio at mtaddonio01@saintmarys.edu

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State

By photographer Kevin Sanchez

SCENE

The 37th Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival

By Luke Foley Scene Editor

Who needs to descend on Park City, Utah for Sundance when we have a film festival right here on our campus? This past weekend, the Notre Dame Department of Film, Television, and Theatre presented the 37th Annual Notre Dame Student Film Festival. The festival offers FTT students an opportunity to showcase their filmmaking chops while revealing what preoccupies our next generation of filmmakers. And the preoccupations ran deep: phone addiction, fraught relationships with parents and Gen Z’s fear of romantic commitment. All of the films contained real talent and demonstrated that FTT is effectively incubating artists with creativity and insight. Some personal highlights for me included the following:

“Stalk•er” by Derek Buckendorf and Ryan Broussard

The familiar concept of a stalker provides a strong springboard for this short film. The atmosphere is very eerie thanks to some stylish cinematography and strong shot compositions. The story carefully unfurls, revealing just enough information to intrigue and puzzle you. I loved the dark ending that hints at the

film’s cycle repeating itself with another unsuspecting victim.

“Between Sentences” by Robin Sanders Sanders draws from her complex family issues for a richly personal documentary. She tells her story of navigating life with two fathers behind bars, one of whom was a member of the Marquette Park Four, wrongfully imprisoned for two decades before exoneration. It’s a powerfully authentic look at how mass incarceration fractures Black families

and exacts a steep emotional toll on their children.

“Flicker” by Aidan Rush and Mike Holt

This one immediately hooked me with its opening dolly zoom of a character taking a pipe hit. The narrative structure is pretty clever: Our protagonist, a disheveled man addicted to drugs who lives on the streets, returns to his childhood home. As he touches the objects in the house, we’re treated to flashbacks of his life before his addiction It’s a clever little

conceit that nicely builds to its emotional ending, where father and son reconcile.

“To Bea” by Luke Gil

A surreal comedy about the drudgery of the white-collar workplace that delivered plenty of laughs. Our protagonist, inspired by a zany coworker, tries to inject her menial office work with creativity and individuality, only to be shot down in brutal fashion. The direction was zippy and featured a great use of a SnorriCam.

“Worst Cast Scenario” by Micaela Kastor and Jack Oursler

We’ve all faced an upcoming event that instills such acute anxiety that visions of disastrous failure constantly plague your mind. This short film captures this painfully relatable scenario by exploring the absurd situations that a nervous actor imagines he might face in an audition. The short film deftly handles the various genres it hops around and has a cleverly winking ending.

“Dukneuse” by Ben Warren Flynn, Makena Mwathi and Brendan Nolte

The final short film of the night, this was a hilarious send-up of pharmaceutical ads. It perfectly captured the insidious nature of these ads, with their deceitful cheeriness and hidden side effects. The jokes per capita were almost as high as an episode of “Arrested Development”: blistering visual gags and absurdist humor abounded. It was also shot and edited incredibly well. It’s very fitting that the final film of the festival satirized the increasingly unreal nature of our world and how our most important institutions have become one big joke to young people.

Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu

‘The Pitt’ Season 2 gets off to a strong start

By Marguerite C. J. Marley Scene Writer

After becoming a critical darling and winning five Emmys, HBO Max’s “The Pitt” returns for a second season, which delivers more incredible television. Instead of just another day in the emergency room, we now follow Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) on his last day before a three-month sabbatical, which also happens to be the fourth of July. The first three episodes take us from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., roughly ten months after the first season ended. Like every second season, we return to the old characters while also meeting some new ones.

In addition to the incoming attending Dr. Baran AlHashimi (Sepideh Moafi), the three additional characters are aloof third-year medical student Joy Kwon (Irene Choi), boy genius fourth-year medical student James Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) and recently graduated registered nurse Emma Nolan (Laëtitia Hollard). Even though we have only known these characters for three episodes, I find all their performances intriguing, particularly Hollard: She plays the naive, freshly registered nurse who faces several rude awakenings,

which made me chuckle several times.

These early episodes really do a lot of character work while letting the production team flex their practical effects skills, showing the real blood and guts in the ER. As someone who’s incredibly squeamish at the sight of blood, I can still appreciate the artistry in it. Much like the first season, this season refuses to sugarcoat any of the blood and guts of the ER, including a prolonged erection

that made me wince. If you are planning to watch this while eating, I would think twice about it.

The 10-month time jump also affected our original group of residents, and it is exciting to see how mature most of them have become. However, the native farm boy Dennis Whittaker (Gerran Howell) seems to have gotten worse. He brings a dementia patient into the morgue to see that her husband passed, which seems

unnecessarily cruel and even a bit out of character. They are positioning him as the heir apparent to the emergency room.

But the switch from native newbie to jagged veteran is pretty jarring, and I hope they refine this shift more before he becomes my least favorite character. Other than that, the characterization this season is as strong as ever, and I can see the setup of several storylines that seem very compelling, in addition to some interesting

patients, who create some much-needed levity to a show about the horrors experienced in hospital.

This season also adds a more Pittsburgh-specific episode 3, which delivers a touching tribute to the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting that happened in 2018. However, it felt more like the show pausing and turning to the camera to let the audience know that the Muslim community of Pittsburgh came together to support the synagogue (which is true). Moments like that are pretty par for the course for this show, so I don’t judge it too harshly now. It was a pretty sweet moment despite the clumsy writing.

Though the whole season has yet to be released, “The Pitt” Season 2 proves itself as a tight, character-driven show sure to capture audiences in the same way the first season did. If you never tuned into the first season or just have not gotten around to the second yet, it’s a good time to start. New episodes will continue to drop on HBO Max on Thursdays at 9 p.m. until April 15. It’s a perfect study break, though don’t expect it to make you any less stressed than before.

Contact Marguerite Marley at mmarley2@nd.edu

Braeden Shrewsberry leads the way for ND

By Jack Muething Sports Writer

The Fighting Irish men’s basketball team put together a solid performance in their most recent game, a 68-64 victory over the Boston College Eagles. The leader in scoring in that contest was junior guard Braeden Shrewsberry, with 22 points, his third game with 20-plus points on the year. For a Notre Dame team that has certainly had its fair share of struggles this season, Shrewsberry has been a bright spot for them.

This season, Shrewsberry is second on the team in points per game, averaging 11.2. The junior also boasts a 41% 3-point shot percentage, which not only leads the team, but is good for second in the ACC as well. In his other two truly dominant

performances, he found a lot of his scoring from outside the arc. In the loss against California earlier this year, Shrewsberry had 21 points, with all of his field goals coming from beyond the arc. He went 5-12 from deep in that contest, which matches his percentage on the season. Additionally, he drilled his free throws, going 6-6 from the line. He had his career-high earlier in the year against Evansville, picking up 26 points in one of the Irish’s most dominant showings of the year. Shrewsberry shot 9-12 from the field and an astounding 80% from deep, going 8-10. He is arguably one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, and when he is feeling hot from three, the Irish offense is certainly dangerous.

During Saturday’s game against Boston College though,

he was relatively cold from the arc, only shooting 2-9 from deep. However, he found other ways to contribute as he was very aggressive in creating shots for himself inside as well. There were numerous instances where he was able to drive inside and either take the ball all the way to the basket for an easy layup or where he took a shot from midrange, where he is nearly automatic. He shot 8-17 from the field in that contest while also shooting 4-6 from the foul line. His offense helped the Irish squeeze out a much-needed win against the Eagles.

Shrewsberry often finds most of his offense through cuts with the help of off-ball screens. Coach Micah Shrewsberry, Braeden’s father, talked after the game Saturday about how he thought the “screening was

better at getting Braeden, getting Cole [Certa], getting Jalen [Haralson], some of those guys open.” If the team can continue providing Shrewsberry opportunities to get open and he gets hot from deep, the Irish have a real chance to find their footing through the rest of this season.

Shrewsberry also helped on the defensive side of the ball as well. As a junior, he is one of the leaders of this team with only one player older than him getting serious minutes, graduate forward Carson Towt. He holds a big responsibility to put in nonstop effort on the defensive side, and he talked about the role of the defense in their comeback win against Boston College stating that it “started on the defensive end.” He continued on saying, “We hadn’t been very good out of the half in the last couple

of games, so really just keying in and getting stops early helped fuel our offense in transition.” It was a very solid comeback by the Irish fueled by a very good defensive showing in the second half, only allowing Boston College to score 29 points.

It’s no secret that the Irish’s performance this season has left a lot to be desired. However, there is still a month and a half of basketball left to be played, and the Irish still have some time to get hot. If the Irish want to do that though, they are going to need to run a large chunk of the offense through Shrewsberry, as his 3-point shot will provide an incredibly valuable asset to this Notre Dame team.

Contact Jack Muething at jmuethin@nd.edu

Notre Dame rolls in busy weekend

By Jacek Kawczynski Sports Writer

Men’s Tennis

After decisive victories in last weekend’s home doubleheader against Duquesne and Western Michigan, the Notre Dame men’s tennis team traveled to Kentucky for a Saturday matchup against Louisville. In a high stakes match with two teams well over .500, Notre Dame dominated the scoreline, sweeping the Cardinals 4-0 and cementing itself as a force to be reckoned with on the college tennis circuit.

The duel kicked off with a blockbuster doubles matchup, pitting Notre Dame’s No. 15 ranked sophomore duo of Luis Llorens Saracho and Peter Nad against Louisville’s No. 21 ranked pair of sophomores Matei Onofrei and senior Andre Steinbach. Saracho and Nad cruised to a comfortable 6-2 victory, while seniors Sebastian Dominko and Noah Becker secured a 6-3 win against Cardinal senior Pedro Cressoni and junior Russell Lokko. The two wins secured the team doubles point for the Irish. Notre Dame graduate student Perry Gregg and freshman Nicholas Patrick were tied at 4-4 in their doubles match against the No. 59 ranked pair of juniors Walid Ahouda and Hamza El Amine, before the match was left unfinished.

Notre Dame junior Kyran Magimay got things going on the singles side, with a resounding 6-3, 6-2 win over sophomore Louis Chusseau. No. 24 ranked Dominko finished promptly after defeating No. 68 ranked Ahouda 6-3, 6-4. Llorens Saracho closed out the singles matches with

a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Pedro Cressoni. Multiple singles matches were abandoned, including Gregg vs. El Amine 7-6 (2), 2-3, Nad vs. Steinbach 6-3 3-6 and Notre Dame sophomore Giuseppe Cerasuolo vs. Matei Onofrei 7-6 (5), 5-5.

The men’s team looked solid across the board, and continued doubles dominance spells future ACC success, where duels often come down to that final team point. The Irish now get a two week break, before facing the first major test of the season in a home duel against Wisconsin. Play begins Feb. 6 at 4 pm EST.

Women’s Tennis

Following its own dominant double header sweep against Western Michigan and Duquesne, the Notre Dame women’s tennis team put its undefeated record to the test in Saturday’s ITA Kickoff Weekend in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The women’s team was tested in its first duel, losing to No. 19 ranked Vanderbilt 4-0, but rebounded with a resounding 4-0 victory over the University of Pennsylvania Sunday.

Notre Dame freshman Sophia Holod opened the singles play against No. 36 ran ked Vanderbilt freshman Mia Yamakita, who controlled the tempo and ran away with a 6-1, 6-3 win. Vanderbilt freshman Erin Pearce promptly defeated freshman Mari-Louise Van Zyl 6-2, 6-4, and Vandy senior Bridget Stammel closed out singles matchplay with a resounding 7-5, 6-2 victory over Notre Dame senior Bojana Pozder.

Vanderbilt’s No. 2 ranked star duo of graduate student CéliaBelle Mohr and sophomore Sophia Webster kicked off the

doubles play with a 6-1 win over No. 21 ranked Bojana Pozder and sophomore Bianca Molnar. No. 13 ranked duo Bridget Stammel and junior Valeria Ray secured the team doubles point for Vandy with a 6-2 victory over senior Akari Matsuno and freshman Jessica Kovalcik. After the disappointing loss to a top ranked program, the Irish rumbled back the next day against Penn. Notre Dame senior Rylie Hanford handed her team the lead, with a quick 6-0, 6-3 win over junior Liza Tkachenko. Freshman Gabriella Rawles doubled the lead, defeating Penn freshman Joleen Saw 6-2, 6-1.

Holod rounded out the singles matches, cruising to a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Penn sophomore Lara Stojanovski.

In doubles, Notre Dame duo Holod and Molnar beat Joleen Saw and junior Esha Velaga 6-4, while Matsuno and Kovalcik clinched the match, defeating junior Sasha Motlagh and partner Lara Stojanovski 6-4.

The Irish are off to a strong start this season, but if the team hopes to emulate last year’s outstanding 21-6 season, it will need to carry this strong form into March and April. Notre Dame will return to South Bend next weekend to face a familiar foe in

Navy. Match play begins Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. EST. It’s no secret that the Irish’s performance this season has left a lot to be desired. How ever, there is still a month and a half of basketball left to be played, and the Irish still have some time to get hot. If the Irish want to do that though, they are going to need to run a large chunk of the offense through Shrewsberry, as his 3-point shot will provide an incredibly valuable asset to this Notre Dame team.

Contact Jack Muething at jmuethin@nd.edu

College Football Playoff highlights

By Claire Watson Associate Sports Editor

On Monday, Jan. 19, the college football season came to an end with the Indiana University Hoosiers taking the throne after defeating Miami 27-21.

Here is a look at some of the biggest games from this year’s playoffs.

No. 9 Alabama comes back to defeat No. 8 Oklahoma

In the first round of the playoffs, cross-state SEC foes No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma faced off in Norman. At one point, Alabama found itself in a 17-point deficit during the first half, but in a shocking turn of events, the Crimson Tide found a way late in the game.

With turnovers from both teams in the first quarter, Oklahoma was able to open up the scoring with a first-quarter drive that ended in a John Mateer scramble touchdown run for eight yards to take the 7-0 lead. Looking to add on more, the Sooners took a chance at a 51-yard field goal and knocked it through, taking the 10-0 lead. Oklahoma kept the scoring momentum going in the second quarter and quickly added more damage. At the 10:50 mark, Mateer passed to wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III, extending the lead 17-0. The Crimson Tide, led by quarterback Ty Simpson, responded with a long drive, marching the length of the field. Ty Simpson threw a third-down pass to wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks, who ran through defenders for a 10-yard touchdown. Alabama added another field goal to get the score within seven. Then, cornerback Zabien Brown jumped an Oklahoma receiver’s route inside Sooner territory for a pick-six to even the score at 17 headed into halftime.

Alabama, fueled by adrenaline, finished the game with the same second-half energy. Simpson found Brooks again for a 30-yard touchdown to take a 24-17 lead. Ending the third, Alabama kicker Conor Talty put up a field goal to take a 10-point lead. Oklahoma managed one more touchdown in the fourth quarter to get up to 24 points. Alabama responded with a touchdown to win round one of the playoffs on the road, 34-24.

No. 2 Ohio State falls to No. 10 Miami

In one of the more shocking games in the playoffs, Ohio State met its demise against Miami in the 2025 Cotton Bowl.

Miami opened up the scoring after a quiet first quarter as quarterback Carson Beck found running back Mark Fletcher Jr. for a two-yard touchdown, taking the 7-0 lead. Miami didn’t stop there. While Ohio State drove into the red zone, Keionte Scott ended the drive with a 70-yard picksix to put the Hurricanes up 14

points. Hoping to get some points on the board to end the half, the Buckeyes went for a field goal to end the half scoreless.

In the third quarter, after making their way downfield, Ohio State was finally able to punch in a touchdown as running back

Bo Jackson scampered into the end zone to close the score to 147. Miami responded with a field goal, extending the lead to 10. Heading into the fourth quarter, Ohio State battled back with a touchdown from wide receiver

Jeremiah Smith, making the score 17-14. Miami, not at all flustered, led a game-sealing drive ending in a touchdown with 55 seconds remaining. The final was 24-14 as the 10th-seeded Hurricanes upset the defending national champions Buckeyes.

No. 1 Indiana wins the national championship against Miami

In the national championship, the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers traveled to Miami to represent the Midwest to face off against the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes representing the South on their home turf in Hard Rock Stadium. Indiana, anchored by their quarterback and 2025 Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, came out on top with the 27-21 win. This made history for head coach Curt Cignetti as he led the Hoosiers to their first football national championship in school history.

In a defensive first quarter, Indiana put in a 34-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. In the second, Indiana found the end zone. Wide receiver Charlie Becker

tiptoed his way down the sideline initially, but upon review, he stepped out just shy of the goal line. This set up the Hoosiers with 1st & goal, and two plays later, tight end Riley Nowkowski pushed his way into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 10.

Sitting at 3rd & goal to start the fourth quarter, Miami punched in the score on the first play of the fourth as Fletcher Jr. walked into the end zone. This cut the margin to 17-14. Mendoza added his first touchdown of the game with an unforgettable run. Sitting at 4th & 5, Mendoza ran the ball himself up the middle on a designed quarterback draw, spinning around Miami defenders and eventually jumping forward sideways to get

the ball into the end zone. This play cemented Mendoza’s name in the history books and made the score 2414. The Hurricanes were not out, and they fought back on the next drive. With six minutes left to go, they slipped into the end zone, closing the score to 24-21. Indiana was able to knock in one more field goal nearing the end of the game to win 27-21. This victory secured an unforgettable national championship for the Big Ten-winning Hoosiers in a perfect 17-0 season.

This is an abbreviated version of the story. You can read the complete version online at ndsmcobserver.com.

Contact Claire Watson cwatson01@saintmarys.edu

BASKETBALL

Notre Dame takes win over Boston College

By Lauren Ryan Sports Writer

The latest chapter of the storied Holy War rivalry went Notre Dame’s way on Saturday night at Purcell Pavilion after a chaotic second-half comeback propelled the Irish to victory over the Boston College Eagles. The game was a crucial matchup for both teams, as the Irish looked to snap their five-game losing streak, post their second ACC win and overcome recent offensive struggles.

The starting lineup has seen some shuffling recently as the Irish try to get back on their feet. Sophomore guard Cole Certa, freshman forward Brady Koehler, graduate forward Carson Towt, junior guard Braeden Shrewsberry and freshman guard Jalen Haralson were the first five to take the floor against the Eagles.

Notre Dame’s first offensive possession ended with a Shrewsberry layup blocked by Boston College’s Jayden Hastings. On the other end, Fred Payne added on two points for BC. Notre Dame’s second possession came up empty and the Irish offense looked frazzled. In fact, Notre Dame had yet to see the ball go through the basket by the under-16 media timeout, at which point it was 0-7. Shrewsberry finally weaved through the BC defense to get to the rim for two points at the 14:45 mark before BC’s Luka Toews and Notre Dame’s sophomore forward Garrett Sundra traded threes on opposite ends of the floor.

For a while, there was no sign of improvement. Payne was a successful jumper for the Eagles while Chase Forte stripped the ball away from junior guard Logan Imes allowing Payne to put up another two points before the Irish had any chance to recover onto defense. In a rare firsthalf bright spot for the Irish, Imes returned the favor by stealing a pass from Forte, freshman forward Ryder

Frost knocked down a 3-pointer and Boston College’s Boden Kapke turned it over back to Notre Dame.

Payne scored first after the timeout, making the deficit double digits for the first time of the evening. Notre Dame saw back-to-back possessions end in relatively unforced turnovers, which reflected the overarching offensive difficulties of this Irish squad. Towt nearly came up with a steal but knocked the ball out of bounds. BC converted on their extra possession with a dunk by Donald Hand Jr. Haralson responded on the other end with a quick four points though, cutting the BC lead to seven. Head coach Micah Shrewsberry could be seen telling his son to slow the offensive pace down after Boston College pushed a defensive rebound into a fast break layup. The advice paid off, as Braeden Shrewsberry drained a jumper on that possession. The teams traded layups until a timeout with four minutes left with the score at 20-27.

Braeden Shrewsberry knocked down both free throws, and suddenly the Irish were looking at just a two-possession game. That was short-lived though as Notre Dame posted several empty possessions in the final few minutes of the first half. Eventually, the Eagles expanded their lead with buckets from Kapke, Toews and Hand Jr., while the Notre Dame offense provided just a partial answer in the form of a jumper from Braeden Shrewsberry. Notre Dame had the last possession of the half, but came up empty. The teams headed into the locker rooms with the score 24-35. The Irish had shot a startling 2-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, and while Notre Dame and Boston College had both turned the ball over five times, Boston College converted that into eight points while Notre Dame had just three points off turnovers. 26 days removed from their last win and down double digits

jor second half turn around for Notre Dame to dig itself out of this hole.

That turn around arrived, mainly on the back of Haralson, with key buckets from Braeden Shrewsberry as well as critical rebounds from Towt. But it did not come immediately and it certainly was not elegant.

Payne opened the scoring in the second half just like he did in the first for BC and Notre Dame’s first two offensive possessions looked sloppy. But hope came at the other end of the floor as the Irish defense managed to generate a few stops, which they were finally able to convert into some points.

“Our defense was fueling our offense,” coach Micah Shrewsberry said.

The Boston College offense went cold as the Notre Dame defense was able to heavily limit Payne’s opportunities. Braeden Shrewsberry knocked down a 3-pointer, the team defense forced a turnover and Koehler followed up with a three of his own. Purcell Pavilion got loud as

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Sam Tanenhaus, prize-winning

to just one possession and forced an Eagle timeout.

Following the timeout, rather than continuing to take the 3-pointers, Haralson worked against Hand Jr. and got to the rim finishing two difficult layups. Braeden Shrewsberry knocked down another mid-range jumper, and the score deficit was just one point. At the 10:40 mark, a deep Certa three gave the Irish their longawaited lead, but BC’s Caleb Steger answered with one of his own to recover the one point Boston College lead. The Eagles’ second half shooting struggles resumed while Haralson continued to get his way at the rim. At 50-48, the Notre Dame defense generated a huge team stop, completely smothering a driving Hand Jr. Haralson said the difference between the first half and the second were that the team had stops in the second. “When you get stops, the game starts becoming fun,” he said.

BC’s shooting percentage dropped from 46.7% in the first half to just 32.1% in the second, while ND’s rose from 32.3% in

the second.

The next break in Notre Dame’s favor came when a dead-ball technical after a common foul gave the Irish four free points. Mental mistakes for Boston College started to pile up, as Toews’ foul away from the ball allowed the Irish to open up a sevenpoint lead, their largest of the night. Hand Jr. cut it back to five, but Towt readily answered. Defense on both sides became sloppy and foul-ridden down the stretch, and the quality of play by either team could hardly be described as fantastic. But this Notre Dame team was not looking for a pretty win. It was looking for a gritty one. The teams seemed to exchange missed free throws for several possessions until finally, Notre Dame’s second-half hero Haralson found the rim for the first clean basket in what felt like several minutes.

After a missed 3-pointer by Braeden Shrewsberry, BC’s Payne got to the basket, making it 61-59 Irish as the final two minutes started ticking away. A three by Braeden Shrewsberry had the potential to be a nail in the coffin, but Boston College rarely goes down without a fight. The Eagles called a timeout with 25 seconds left on the clock to set up their last gasp. After a series of missed shots and offensive rebounds, Toews nailed a 3-pointer to make it 64-62 Irish with 10.3 seconds of play remaining. Braeden Shrewsberry was fouled and made his pair of free throws, but Payne sprinted to the other end to finish a layup, cutting the lead back to two. Then in a rather strange sequence of events, the Eagles attempted to call a timeout that they did not have, resulting in a technical foul being assessed and Certa making both free throws. The Irish then simply inbounded the ball to secure the 68-64 win. Though it was not a spectacular performance by any means, the fact that the Irish had enough fight in them to overcome double-digit deficit in the second half after a five-game losing streak should give them a confidence boost heading into Tuesday’s match up against No. 14 Virginia.

Contact Lauren Ryan at lrayn3@nd.edu

Irish split series against Ohio State

By Ethan Laslo and Nikki Stachurski Sports Writers

It was a weekend of highs and lows for Notre Dame hockey, who split their first series of the season with the Ohio State Buckeyes 4-2 and 6-1. After another heartbreaking loss on Friday, the Irish returned Saturday with a vengeance to earn their first conference win of the season and end their 10 game losing streak.

On a rare Friday night where the inside of Compton Family Ice Arena was warmer than the outside, the Buckeyes jumped on the Irish early. The Irish would fight back though, before Ohio State put them away late in yet another heartbreaker. The 4-2 loss saw Notre Dame surrender two power play goals, including the game winner, along with an empty netter to seal the deal.

Just 52 seconds into the game, graduate forward Adam Eisele put one away to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead before the entire crowd was even seated. Ohio State remained on the offensive for most of the first period, with Notre Dame unable to get any momentum. Just over ten minutes later, junior forward Riley Thompson doubled the Buckeye lead with a power play goal with sophomore defenseman Jimmy Jurcev in the box for boarding.

As the first period came to a close, momentum began to shift Notre Dame’s way. The fans wouldn’t have to wait long in the second period before

that momentum showed itself.

With Buckeye junior defenseman Nathan McBrayer in the box for interference, freshman forward Pano Fimis scored at the tail end of the powerplay to cut Ohio State’s lead in half. The Irish would carry that momentum through the rest of the second period but were unable to tie the game just yet.

The second period came and went and the third period began with each team gaining some momentum. Ohio State senior forward Jake Dunlap would head to the box for holding just one minute into the final period but the Irish were unable to capitalize. Eventually, though, the Irish broke the deadlock as freshman forward Cole Brown’s goal knotted things up at 2-2.

But with Compton Family Ice Arena as loud as it had ever been, the Irish had the wind taken from their sails when Jimmy Jurcev headed back to the box for high sticking with 3:18 left to play. The following minute and a half was full of anticipation on both sides as the Buckeyes rattled off shot after shot that felt as if one eventually had to go in. And one did.

With 1:57 left on the clock, freshman forward Jake Karabela regained the lead for Ohio State as his goal put them up 3-2 and silenced the Irish faithful. 20 seconds later, junior forward Max Montes would put the Buckeyes up 4-2 on a clearance that found itself in the Irish’s empty net.

The night would end with

Ohio State victorious 4-2. The Irish skated with the Buckeyes all night, tallying just one less shot than their foes at 34-33. Their lack of discipline was their downfall once again, though, as their five penalties turned into two of Ohio State’s four goals.

After a hard-fought game against the Buckeyes the day before, the Irish came into Saturday’s rematch with a tactile game plan to emerge victorious. Friday’s game was a close battle, but controversial penalty calls in the third period gave Ohio State the advantage.

Notre Dame’s defense played visibly tighter, more cohesive defense to reduce the potential for unnecessary penalties. The same could not be said for Ohio State, with senior forward Davis Burnside earning a penalty for boarding four minutes into the first period. The oneman advantage for the Irish proved successful with junior forward Evan Werner scoring a tip-in goal on the right side of junior goaltender Kristoffer Eberly. His early goal was assisted by junior forward Danny Nelson and graduate student forward Sutter Muzzatti, putting the Irish ahead as the first period ended.

The Irish managed to halt Ohio State’s offensive progression in the first period, and skated into the second period energized and hungry for the win. Notre Dame scored two goals in the second, both at even strength. The Irish won the opening faceoff and maintained possession of the puck

for two minutes until freshman forward Panayioti Fimis scored a beauty from the left side of Eberly’s net, with assists by junior forward Carter Slaggert and sophomore defenseman Jaeden Kerr. 39 seconds later, Werner set Muzzatti up with a stunning pass, allowing the Irish to score their third goal to secure an early lead.

Just under five minutes into the second period, Ohio State scored their first and only goal of the game on a power play after Notre Dame’s Kerr was sent to the penalty box for boarding. The Buckeyes played 5-on3 offense and after impressive passing from the Buckeyes, junior forward Riley Thompson scored from the right side as freshman forward Jake Karabela and junior defenseman Broten Sabo were credited with the assist on the two-man advantage.

Halfway through the second, the Irish were back on the power play after Karabela received a two-minute minor for cross-checking. The Irish wanted to deepen their lead, and Nelson sunk the puck into the back of the net with a beautiful goal from distance to put the Irish up 4-1. Forty seconds later, Notre Dame’s younger core won a scrappy battle at the goal line and junior forward Maddox Fleming beat Eberly clean as the puck sailed past the crease.

Both teams remained scoreless in the latter half of the second period, and after one goal for the Buckeyes and four goals for the Irish, both teams left

the ice after an intense battle in the soldout Compton Family Ice Arena.

With a comfortable lead, the Irish focused on playing clean hockey and not risking giving the Buckeyes many opportunities to score with a one-man advantage. The Buckeyes did not want to be counted out early and continued to fight well into the third period, but after Muzzatti scored on the power play with six minutes left, the Buckeyes finally ran out of steam.

The Irish emerged with the victory after playing one of their best games of the season, earning their first conference win of the year, ending their 10-game losing streak. As the end of the 2025-2026 season is in sight, the Irish finally seem to have found the cohesion and balance the team has been lacking this year. But more importantly, Notre Dame proved their diligence paid off after months of giving it their all on the ice.

Having another tally in the win column is a great moment for the Irish team and fans alike, they must not lose sight of the 12 games remaining in the season, with five of the six opponents left all heavy hitters in the Big 10. Next Friday, Jan. 30 at 7:00 p.m., the Irish host Bowling Green at Compton Family Ice Arena as they search for a consecutive win.

Contact Ethan Laslo and Nikki Stachurski at elaslo@ nd.edu and mstachu2@nd.edu