THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS ESTABLISHED 1966
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2026 | VOL. LX, NO. 44
Saint Mary’s adds new residence hall buildings By Soledad Castellanos News Writer
After welcoming the largest freshman class since 2007 this fall with 497 students, Saint Mary’s College will open up more space for residence halls next fall in order to accommodate the increased demand for housing. Juls White, director of residence life and community standards, has worked closely with administrators, the Board of Trustees and Facilities Operations to solve housing concerns. White explained that the College will use the second, third and fourth annexes of Le Mans Hall, the second floor of Regina Hall, the entirety of McCandless Hall, the fourth floor of Regina South Hall, and the first two floors of McCandless Hall in order to house the incoming freshman class. In addition to reserving sections of some dorms for freshmen, White shared that campus has acquired new buildings from the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The Board of Trustees passed funding to purchase Lourdes Hall,
Augusta Hall, Bertrand Hall and Bertrand Annex for use as residence halls, finalizing the purchase last week. With 44 rooms available on the third and fourth floors, Lourdes Hall is expected to be available for senior and graduate students. “It’s predominantly singles, so there’s one triple and two doubles. The second floor is a very large lounge that will be a spot for people to hang out”, White said. “In the hot months there will be in-unit air conditioners, with laundry rooms and kitchens on each floor, a reflection room of some sort for those who hold faith.” All Saint Mary’s College single rooms require an additional single room fee of $1,106. The addition of Lourdes Hall is not the only change that have been made to the housing options for the current and upcoming year. White noted that the College also converted some lounge spaces in Regina Hall into dorm rooms, as well as some unused rooms in Le Mans Hall. Some students still have concerns about what housing and
other campus resources could look like next year as increased enrollment continues to impact living conditions. Sophomore Isabella Cicak expressed concerns with how rising enrollment was squeezing housing options. “My main concern is with admissions and the students they’ve been increasingly accepting, because last semester, there was a lot less selection and a lot more areas closed off and exclusive during the dorm selection process,” Cicak said. Students have done their best to acclimate to the changed housing environment after returning from studying abroad. Making the adjustment back to her double, sophomore Eileen Mara said that her process for applying for a returning room was simple. “To me, it functioned basically the same as selecting the room at the beginning of the year, but I also had communicated with a friend beforehand, and she was studying abroad in the spring, and so I took her place over so I’m see “SMC” on page 3
Saint Mary’s TPUSA vice president steps down By Aynslee Dellacca and Berhan Hagezom
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
ND prof. Ernest Morrell dies at 54
MATT CASHORE |University of Notre Dame
Ernest Morrell was a distinguished professor in the Department of English and Department of Africana Studies at Notre Dame.
By Matthew Morin News Writer
Ernest Morrell, professor of Literacy Education, passed away on Feb. 6 after a long battle with cancer. He was 54. The National Council of Teachers of English, where Morrell was a member for over three decades, was the first to announce his passing early Friday morning. “Dr. Ernest Morrell, a legendary scholar in our field and
multifaceted leader who helped pave the way for critical English education as a practice, passed away surrounded by family members,” its statement read. “His reputation as a scholar, as a mentor, and as a respected colleague is unparalleled.” Morrell worked for NCTE for more than three decades, serving as its president in 2014. He was director of the organization’s Office of Policy Research since 2020. see “Morrell” on page 4
ICE conduct sparks debate By David Murphy
shows us the inherent dignity of every human person … the administration’s actions through ICE stand in direct opposition to these principles.” Meanwhile, the Notre Dame College Republicans voiced firm support for President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies in their own statement to The Observer. “The Notre Dame College Republicans unequivocally endorse the President’s resolute enforcement of federal immigration statutes. These deportation mandates were duly enacted by Congress through the constitutional legislative process and carry the full force of United States law,” the club wrote. “Should agitation escalate into sustained violence or armed interference against federal law enforcement officers, we strongly urge
Junior Elysia Morales, the former vice president of Turning Point USA at Saint Mary’s College and Indiana national committeewoman for College Republicans of America, has stepped down from both her roles, as first reported in a recent story in The Wall Street Journal. Following the publication, Morales has faced hundreds of comments of backlash in various online forums. In an interview with The Observer, she said that she has always had reservations about both organizations. “Originally, College Republicans of America was only put in place because we were not allowed to have Turning Point. So once Turning Point got approved, we all switched over to Turning Point, because we
were still operating within Turning Point off campus,” she said. According to the College’s director of communications Lisa Knox, the College’s chapter was approved because it met all the College’s values for student organizations, including civic responsibility, dialogue and community building. “As an institution of higher learning, Saint Mary’s has always dedicated itself to free expression and the respectful exchange of ideas. We apply a consistent review process to any and all club applications to ensure that the organization is aligned with the mission and values. Clubs are expected to be non-discriminatory, open to all membership, and committed to respectful engagement,” Knox wrote. Nursing professor Rick Becker, the TPUSA chapter’s advisor, said that the chapter started as an opportunity for students to be more
politically active on campus, focusing primarily on forming social ties on campus. “I knew that the College Republicans were up and running when I got here, so that seemed to fill the gap for students of a more conservative worldview … But I do think that TPUSA, especially because of its particular outreach to and energizing that college age cohort ... that the students were very excited about the idea of it starting up,” he said. Morales said that TPUSA’s mission of creating a campus environment that allows students to discuss their ideologies initially drew her to the club. “Even if we were in disagreement, the commitment to discuss, debate and critique, to not just better ourselves, but to better our party and
NEWS | PAGE 4
OPINION | PAGE 5
SCENE | PAGE 8
SPORTS | PAGE 9
SPORTS | PAGE 11
Immaculée Ilibagiza challenges the Notre Dame community to forgive others with her story.
Grayson Beckham argues why Notre Dame must remain steadfast in its community.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance sparked both celebration and controversy.
The Irish hockey team gave ranked Wisconsin two difficult wins in a thrilling series.
Notre Dame men’s basketball lost in heartbreaker at home in a tightly contested game.
Assisant Managing Editor and Saint Mary’s News Editor
Rwandan genocide
Everyone is watching
see “Turning Point” on page 3
Halftime show
News Writer
Last December, the Trump administration announced Operation “Metro Surge,” a major federal immigration enforcement campaign focused on the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The effort has sparked nationwide controversy following the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, two U.S. citizens killed during encounters with federal immigration agents, triggering widespread protests and debate over ICE’s enforcement practices. “When families are torn apart, citizens are unjustifiably killed, and entire communities are forced to live in fear, immigration enforcement ceases to be about law and becomes an instrument of cruelty,“ Notre Dame College Democrats wrote in a statement to The Observer. “Catholic Social Teaching
Wisconsin beats ND
see “ICE” on page 3
Men’s hoops falls