University welcomes class of 2028 to campus Annual Welcome Weekend begins
By GRACE TADAJWESKI
Associate News Editor
Last August, about 60 students from the class of 2028 majoring in architecture joined the Notre Dame community. Now just a few days from the start of the semester, the rest of their class is arriving on campus ready to settle into their dorms, prepare for their classes and meet their older architecture counterparts.
The acceptance rate for the class of 2028 was a record low of 11.1% compared to an 11.9% acceptance rate for the previous year. In recent years, the acceptance
rate has decreased by about one percent each year.
First-year class size has grown in the last two years, but remains consistent from last year. Approximately 2,090 freshmen make up the class of 2028, compared to 2,075 that enrolled in the fall of 2023 for the class of 2027.
The application pool for this year’s incoming class was another record for Notre Dame. 29,943 people applied, a 6% increase compared to the 2027 admission cycle in which 28,353 firstyear students applied.
Along with a record number of applications, the class of 2028 had Notre Dame’s
highest yield rate since the creation of the Common App, at 62%. Despite the increase in applications received, vice president for undergraduate enrollment Micki Kidder reported that applications were reviewed as they have been in the past.
“At Notre Dame, every application is provided a comprehensive and personal review,” Kidder said. “This has been Notre Dame’s historical practice and will continue in the future.”
Of the students that
see FRESHMEN PAGE 3
By ISA SHEIKH Editor-In-Chief
In the days leading up to Friday, approximately 2,090 first-year students and 200 transfer students will descend upon campus to begin their Notre Dame experience. The class of 2028, heralded as the most selective cohort to date, will move into residence halls and become introduced to the campus and community around them through Welcome Weekend.
“Welcome Weekend is a beginning. It is rare that a new student has all questions answered or has a complete
sense of belonging after the first 72 hours of entering a new place and people,” wrote Andrew Whittington, program director for firstyear programs in the center for University advising, who recalled his own Welcome Weekend in 2010.
“It isn’t possible to pack all of what makes Notre Dame such a transforming experience into one weekend. But Welcome Weekend’s combination of residential, curricular, and cocurricular engagement serves as an invitation, hopefully, an inspiring and dynamic invitation,” he added.
see WELCOME PAGE 5
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Former Fisher and Pangborn residents move into new halls
By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News Editor
As students return to their dorms after summer break, South Quad residents are likely to notice a change in their everyday view. Where Fisher and Pangborn Halls once stood now lies an empty plot of land, as construction crews begin the work of building two new residence halls, one of which will be a women’s dorm named Grojean Hall. The grass in front of Rockne Memorial Gym has also been torn up amidst the construction.
The dorms were demolished earlier this summer as part of residential life’s new dorm plan, announced in October of last year. Although work will continue on the new residence halls for the next two years, residents of Fisher Hall will move into Zahm Hall this year while former residents of Pangborn Hall will move into the newly completed Graham Family Hall.
Today’s Staff
Corrections
Graham Family Hall, situated on East Quad just south of Johnson Family Hall, is set to welcome 210 students this year. Among them are 80 incoming freshmen, 110 former Pangborn residents and 20 transfer students. With a capacity of 265, Graham Family Hall offers significantly more space than Pangborn Hall, which was capped at 160 students. The new residence features a variety of room options, including singles, doubles, quads and six-person suites. In addition to amenities like a gym, study lounges and multiple kitchens, Graham Family Hall contains a central archway, providing a path through the heart of the hall. Another standout feature of Graham is the Chapel of Saint Augustine, which seats up to 265.
Junior Brendan Nolte, a former resident of Pangborn and current resident of Graham, expressed a feeling of excitement at moving into the newly constructed dorm.
“We’re obviously super excited and thankful to
be moving into the best dorm on campus and can’t wait to welcome 100 new residents into the long and storied Royal tradition,” he said. “Even though our home has gotten an upgrade, we hope to continue with the traditions and culture that helped Pangborn earn the Palace title in the last few years.”
Junior Graham Family Hall resident Liam Kempf similarly emphasized he wasn’t worried about the transition from Pangborn to Graham.
“I think the community is great. We built a great community in Pangborn that will definitely transfer over even though we’re in a completely new building,” Kempf said.
Former residents of Fisher Hall face a similar situation to the former Pangborn residents, although their stint in Zahm Hall will last only two years, before they move into the new men’s residence hall being constructed on the site of Fisher. Like residents of Graham, however, the new inhabitants of Zahm Hall,
which famously became a swing dorm in 2021 after the men’s community there was disbanded, appear to be unfazed by the change in scenery.
Junior Fisher resident Mathew Bourke Doherty said that besides the longer walk to South Dining Hall, he doesn’t mind the move to Zahm.
“Fisher was never really about the building anyway,” he explained.
Emily Orisini, program director for new students and formation programs, expressed optimism about Fisher residents’ transition to Zahm Hall in an email to The Observer.
“It’s an exciting time for the men of Fisher,” Orisini wrote. “Preparing to form a new community allows the students to be creative and thoughtful about what traditions worked well and how programming could possibly be improved as the community grows and begins a new chapter.”
Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
The newly constructed Graham Family Hall stands on East Quad near Johnson Family Hall. Former residents of Pangborn Hall will move to the dorm this fall. The residence hall will house 265 students and
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Construction crews work on the site that once held Fisher and Pangborn Halls. The two old dorms were demolished this summer.
Grojean Hall, a women’s hall, and a yet to be named men’s residence hall will be built on the site, completing construction in 2026.
Freshmen
submitted test scores, the mid 50% range was 14701540 for the SAT and 33-35 for ACT. The class of 2027 had an average SAT score of 1500 and ACT score of 34.
The class of 2027 was Notre Dame’s remains most diverse class to date, with roughly 40% of students being students of color or international students. Kidder detailed the diversity of this year’s class.
“The class of 2028 includes 30 percent of domestic students from historically underrepresented groups,” Kidder said. “International students with citizenship from 72 nations make up an
additional nine percent of the incoming class.”
The combined 39% of the student body made up of minority students and international students is roughly the same as last year, despite the fact that the 2028 admission cycle was the first in which the use of affirmative action was not permitted. Kidder reaffirmed prior responses to questions about the Supreme Court’s reversal of affirmative action by stating, “The University did not consider an applicant’s race when determining admissibility to the University of Notre Dame.”
“There are many stand out qualities about the young people admitted to the Notre Dame class of 2028, including
their enthusiasm about Notre Dame’s distinct mission, servant leadership, academic preparation, demonstrated joy and commitment to their communities,” Kidder said.
Incoming freshman Sharon Cho attended one of Notre Dame’s leadership seminars last summer and was immediately struck by the look of the campus. Cho noted that the campus was Hogwartslike and the perfect size.
“I still remember the day when I first got to ND and thinking ‘my future college better look this,’” Cho said. “Well, that wish became true because look at where I’m going now.”
Cho is from Dallas and plans on majoring in civil engineering. Beyond the
campus, Cho called upon the shared pride of attending Notre Dame as a clear positive.
“Because of the unique traditions, sports, faith and empowering community, everyone enjoyed their time at ND,” Cho said. “Seeing everyone at ND, I realized that if I go to Notre Dame, I will have the best experience there without a doubt.”
Cho is most excited about the people she will meet and the community she will join. Feeling similarly, freshman Carmela Martinez cited the community as a source of excitement.
“I am most looking forward to growing not only academically but also spiritually and socially,” Martinez said.
“Everyone always talks about how amazing the Notre Dame community is, and I finally get the chance to immerse myself in all its traditions, game day festivities and Fighting Irish spirit.”
Martinez is from Chicago and plans to major in chemical engineering.
“I had the amazing opportunity to attend Catholic institutions from preschool to high school, and Notre Dame was simply the best Catholic institution that I could continue to build, deepen and grow my faith and relationships with other kind-hearted people,” Martinez said.
Contact Grace Tadajweski at gtadajwe@nd.edu
Saint Mary’s hosts Orientation Week to acclimate new students to campus
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA
Saint Mary’s News Editor
Orientation Week is already underway at Saint Mary’s College, with move-in for the class of 2028 completed on Thursday. Roughly 407 students make up the class of 2028 this year, slightly below the enrollment of the class of 2027 of 422 students, which was the largest class in recent history.
Sarah Dvorak, dean of enrollment management and marketing, believes the decrease in enrollment could be attributed to “the troubled rollout with the FAFSA overhaul and continued troubles the government is having for many families to even submit their FAFSAs.”
Today, Saint Mary’s faculty and staff will provide a full day of programming for students and families to become acclimated and welcomed on campus. The programming will be concluded by the Power of the SMC Community ceremony, led by College president Katie Conboy, which gives current students the chance to “share
stories of community and welcome to our newest members” according to associate dean of students Shay Schneider.
“Following this ceremony we will have our traditional events of closing the circle with student leaders and new students followed by the well loved first walk down the Avenue — where new students get to take their first walk together down the Avenue while their parents, family, friends and members of the college cheer them along,” Schneider said.
Saturday will continue Saint Mary’s programming for the students, including various introductions to different services and campus life and opportunities to hear from College staff, upperclass students and alumnae. Saturday will conclude with the annual BelleFest, a celebration of incoming students, and Domerfest, a tri-campus welcome to the community party.
Schneider believes the Saturday programming will be most important for incoming students to participate in as they are inducted into the
Saint Mary’s community.
“While I feel [the programs and events] are all important, as we have worked very hard to come up with a schedule that will be the most helpful in this transition for students and families, I would have to say all of the mandatory Saturday programs are the most important for students as they will receive valuable information and begin to build relationships through these sessions,” Schneider said. “I would also say it’s important for students to push beyond their boundaries and participate in any/ all social activities throughout the weekend as this is where they will start to make connections with classmates and other Belles.”
Sunday will mark the end of welcome weekend and orientation with optional activities for incoming students to partake in. Some of these activities will include a nature walk, yoga and class tours led by upperclass students. The last mandatory activity for incoming students will be Saint Mary’s annual College Convocation, started
in 2022, and the community celebration of Belles Bash.
Mona Bowe, executive director of retention strategies, describes the College Convocation as a casual and celebratory event. It will begin with remarks from the dean of admission, Conboy and the senior lecturer in the department of communication studies, Susan Baxter. The announcement of the Saint Catherine Award for exceptional leadership, participation in service activities and representation of the high ideals of a Catholic education will also be announced. The ceremony will conclude with the exchanging of class pins between incoming and returning students.
“Convocation is a celebration of each and every one of our new members of the family, the newest Belles to join our ranks. It’s an opportunity to hear some great and fun facts of who they are as a class, and for them to get to know, even if it’s briefly, at least one more Belle as they exchange pins. I share a suite with Shay Schneider, associate dean of
students, so I know all the hard work, by many people, that has gone into planning a great orientation program,” Bowe said.
With all of the hustle and bustle Orientation Week brings for incoming students, Bowe encourages them to “stop and literally smell the roses,” because their four years on campus will be over sooner than they realize.
“The beginning is always full of nervous excitement while you settle into a routine and get used to all the ‘newness’ around you. So be patient, give yourself grace [and] give others the same grace … Before you know it, you will be back here your senior year, getting ready to walk up the stairs in front of Le Mans to receive your diploma,” she said.
Bowe offered congratulations to all incoming students on starting their Saint Mary’s journey, stating, “I can’t wait to see how you make Saint Mary’s your own, and how you leave your mark.”
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
Saint Mary’s summer programs give high school students a college life experience
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA Saint Mary’s News Editor
Over the summer, Saint Mary’s College hosted a myriad of summer camps and programs for young students ranging from elementary to high school with a record number of attendees. According to their website, Saint Mary’s College summer programs aim to implement the College’s mission “to empower women in all stages of life.”
While the College has offered a range of summer camps for over 40 years, 16 different programs were offered this summer and led by Saint Mary’s faculty, staff and student mentors. Some of these programs included youth programs for music and fine arts, sports programs and pre-college academic programs in healthcare, theology, forensics, business and more.
Gabriella Maxwell, the director of pre-college programs and strategic initiatives, reported a great portion of outreach from the College focuses on securing funding for student
scholarships from donors on the individual, corporate and foundational levels.
“Among the many highlights, we were particularly pleased to provide over 280 scholarships this summer.
Over 65 percent of all campers received financial assistance so they could take part in the programs,” Maxwell said.
A substantial portion of their funding this summer stemmed from a grant from the Lilly Foundation’s Indiana Youth Programs on Campus program, received in 2023. This grant allowed Maxwell and the pre-college and summer programs to “create a new department, develop new programs, engage faculty, create partnerships, elevate the program experience and provide generous scholarships.”
The pre-college programs, specifically geared towards high school students, offer college credit upon completion of the week-long overnight camp with Saint Mary’s.
“The programs are highly experiential, and students have the opportunity of career exploration, exposure to professionals in
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their areas, educational field trips and lectures and mentorship from SMC faculty and students,” Maxwell said. “Students in Pre-College programs also experience life in college, sleeping in our residence halls, eating together at the dining hall and enjoying signature evening events.”
These programs don’t just offer a college life experience to high school students. For sophomore Marina De Castro Vasconcelos, working for the pre-college and summer programs was her introduction to Saint Mary’s, and eventually the reason for her enrollment as a student.
“I met my boss at a Brazilian barbecue, Gabriella Maxwell … I was just finishing my senior year of high school, and I had a plan to go back home during the summer, because it was my first year in the United States. And she was like, ‘What are you going to do over the summer?’ and I was like, ‘I don’t have plans, just going back home.’ And she offered me a job. I had not applied to any of the colleges here but I got the job,” De Castro Vasconcelos said.
While working with Maxwell and the precollege and summer program, De Castro Vasconcelos said she fell in love with Saint Mary’s community and campus. It was then she decided to apply to the College.
“I applied here late June [of 2023] and got accepted in the middle of July, so everything was in a rush,” De Castro Vasconcelos said.
In her second year working with the summer programs, De Castro Vasconcelos was in charge of enrollment and entertainment.
“We worked pretty much the whole summer ... I got here around May 20, it was a lot of office work.
I was calling a lot of the campers, people that had researched about it or they had registered for it but hadn’t finished the registration,” De Castro Vasconcelos said. “Once they were here, we were just pretty much all available for them ... If they needed anything, I was usually the one running around camp, and just making sure everyone was happy.”
Though her role included all kinds of
Welcome
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Whittington wrote that the Notre Dame experience can’t be reduced to its first weekend.
“Belonging, growing, and doing good are all journeys that take us far beyond a weekend. During Welcome Weekend, we hope to find a balance between highlighting a variety of ways to pursue these journeys whether it be in the residence hall community, a passion for learning, or any combination of the distinctive elements of this incredible university.
Emily Orsini, program director for new student engagement and formation, said that this year’s Welcome Weekend won’t feature many big changes, continuing to emphasize building community.
“Every year we take time to revisit programming and make sure it still aligns with our goals. We made only a few changes this year since we received positive feedback on last year’s schedule of events,” she wrote. “We have, however, been more intentional about the quantity of programming so that students can form more meaningful connections instead of being occupied every moment of the
responsibilities to keep things running smoothly, her favorite facet of the job involved talking with the campers.
“It was just amazing talking to some of the current campers ... I loved hearing the testimonies that the girls had this week, and it was such a judgemental-free kind of zone. It was amazing how free they feel here and how they can be themselves,” De Castro Vasconcelos said.
“It’s a pretty rewarding thing.”
She encourages any prospective student, or anyone who knows of a prospective student, to consider attending a summer program and experience the Saint Mary’s community.
“If you’re not sure about it, but you’re considering it, I would say just come, apply, and see how it feels like,” De Castro Vasconcelos said. “You get to eat in the dining hall, you get to sleep in one of the dorms, and you go to classes, you walk around campus. It’s amazing.”
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
weekend.”
The weekend, packed with events like DomerFest and first lectures, melds academic and social experiences as part of orientation.
“A Notre Dame journey is never about two halves, an academic and a co-curricular, but about an integrated whole. As the entry point for all new students, Welcome Weekend embodies that by giving students the chance to explore both academic and social opportunities, all of which is oriented toward their holistic development and formation,” Orsini wrote.
Whittington emphasized how a Notre Dame education requires community, and that Welcome Weekend seeks to instill that.
“All in all, what is most important to me is inviting students into the unique way we go about teaching and learning here at ND. We believe education takes place in communion. Welcome Weekend, therefore, is a chance for our growing community to authentically encounter and embrace all new students and invite them into our vision of education.”
Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu
Isa Sheikh Editor-in-Chief
Do some of the reading
As more than 2,000 first-years, transfer students and graduate students move in this weekend, there will be more than 2,000 move-in experiences. Some of you will quickly find that there’s no way to avoid the fact that your walls consist of mislaid cinderblocks or that the singular decrepit stove pales in contrast to the dorm with sparkling kitchens on each floor. The AC-free August humidity (though the weather seems a lot more agreeable this year than my own move-in in prehistoric times) may propel you to take one shower after another, fearing the damage to your identifying Welcome Weekend T-shirt after yet another day of wearing it.
Some of you have dreamed about this campus your entire life, like a friend of mine who has lived and breathed Notre Dame his entire life, who can breathlessly recite monologues from “Rudy” for minutes on end. Others will watch “Rudy” for the first time on the football field in a week, like I did. Some of you will graduate without watching the scene where Rudy getting on the bus to Notre Dame after his father pleads him not to. Some of you will walk onto that same football field to graduate without ever seeing it. That’s okay — you don’t have to read every assigned text.
There’s so much in store for you in South Bend (or the census-designated block of land right above it containing these three institutions), and you will find that much of it isn’t in class. How appealing is a syllabus when the
conversation in your dorm hallway enters its fourth hour and though eyelids have grown heavy, you have no desire to go back into your room? Looking back on the last three years, and looking ahead to my last year in the Bend, there’s so much that has shaped me. As an instinctual cynic, I didn’t buy into anything about the college experience, and I remained skeptical about the Notre Dame branding. Community is one thing, I was here for the diploma.
But sometimes you get the things you really need, without even trying. This is not to say you shouldn’t have goals for college, or that you shouldn’t put any efforts to them, simply that you should accept the opportunities this place offers so bountifully — even if you don’t recognize them immediately. Many of you will struggle to find those lifelong friends you’ve been promised, while others will find them living right across the hall. The important thing is that you have plenty of time here, as fleeting as it will seem in retrospect. With all the pressure to make friends this weekend, know that most of us oldheads don’t hang out with our Welcome Weekend buddies.
Similarly, with career and academic prospects that face you — that’s the ostensible goal of college, right — effort isn’t a bad thing, but fear typically is. Not everything clicks immediately, and as much as I’m overanalyzing the college experience now, there’s little use in doing that.
The Italians have this concept of sprezzatura, which roughly means “studied carelessness,” and in that vein, one should prepare and do the work while allowing for the casual coolness of a day in the sun out on the quad or meandering
conversations informed by Instagram brainrot memes.
You’re beginning your adult life here, and it is here that you get to learn how you have fun, what you want, which habits are healthy and not. The personal learning will continue for decades to come, but this is a great place for trial and error. I have learned so much about so many things. And yes, some of that was in the reading. I know I said you don’t have to read anything (most professors know that’ll never happen), but you should certainly read and study. I never would have sat and read all of the “Lord of the Rings” if not for a class where it was assigned over the course of a quarter, and I’m regularly informed in my thinking by everything from a spiritual memoir in a medieval history class to a Melville story I read in political theory. It’s cliché, but try to learn things beyond the impending midterm.
“If we’re doing our job right, these should not be the best four years of your life.” That’s advice the legendary former director of admissions gave to a former Observer columnist. That’s a little hard to hear for me at this moment, as I can’t imagine that life gets better than my time at Notre Dame — or traveling around the world on the University’s dime (get grants!), and I fear the world is much harsher and uncertain than the safety blanket we have under the dome. But one must always have faith. This weekend is only the beginning of the beginning.
Contact Isa at isheikh@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this Inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Be disciples of hope
Dear Saints, Belles and Irish,
Welcome back to the new year! I want to especially welcome those of you who are first year students as well as our friend and colleague, first year president Fr. Bob Dowd, C.S.C. I pray for all of you that this year will be a year filled with joy, personal growth, healthy relationships, learning and one that draws you closer to your faith.
When Father Sorin and the six brothers who accompanied him stood on the hill overlooking St. Joseph and Mary lakes in 1842, he envisioned a university community that would go on to become one of the greatest forces for good in the world. Indeed, it has, as carried out by Notre Dame since 1842, Saint Mary’s College since 1844 and Holy Cross College since 1966. Knowing what I know about the education and formation you are receiving, whether at Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame or Holy Cross, I can’t help but be hopeful about the future of our country, the Church and
the world.
In front of you lies an extraordinary opportunity to be formed as Catholic intellectual scholars for the common good, courageous citizens who place an importance of human flourishing in pursuit of truth and justice, virtuous leaders who possess the disciplines of the mind and heart to pursue excellence and impact, and passionate and hopeful disciples who go into the world as forces for good.
With this opportunity, you also have great responsibility. The most familiar line from Blessed Basil Moreau’s treatise on education, titled “Christian Education,” written in 1857, states that “the mind must not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.” From this mandate, the tri-campus community, in our own unique ways, seeks to form our students in both virtue and scholarship, balancing faith and reason, instruction and education, school and community,
virtues and daily living, kindness and truth, justice and peace, and between the human condition and the transcendent.
As you begin this journey, know that you are in my prayers. I look forward to meeting you in person andto walking this journey with you. I also ask that you pray for one another, for your faculty and staff, forthe administrators and volunteers, for the donors and benefactors, for your parents and family, for the priests, brothers and sisters of Holy Cross, for the South Bend/ Michiana community and for the world.
Let us collectively be disciples with hope to bring and continue the legacy as one of the greatest forces for good in the world.
Ave Crux, Spes Unica,
20
Marco J. Clark President, Holy Cross College Aug.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Students,
You are Notre Dame
I want to extend a warm welcome to each one of you. Whether you are arriving here on campus for the first time or returning after a summer away, we are truly glad you are here.
Notre Dame’s mission is distinctive. We offer an undergraduate education that is second to none, and that is committed to educating the whole person. We cultivate scholarly excellence and advance human understanding through toptier research and postbaccalaureate programs. And in all that we do, we ensure that Notre Dame’s Catholic identity informs our efforts.
As you know, the University has a rich history. Generations of Notre Dame graduates have been shaped by their experiences here, and they, in turn, have left their mark on the University. We invite you to do the same. You are now part of the Notre Dame family, and you have a unique
opportunity to help shape the University. Individually and collectively, you have extraordinary talents and gifts to share.
Each year since 2005, as part of the Notre Dame Forum, we have selected a theme for campus-wide dialogue around issues of importance to the University, the nation and the larger world. This year, I invite you to join me in reflecting on the question, “What do we owe each other?” In a time of conflict and polarization, the world’s need for compassionate, capable and creative leaders has never been greater.
I hope the question of what we owe each other will serve as an inspiration to you as you begin your time on campus. I encourage you to approach every day and each conversation as an opportunity to engage, learn and grow. Take time to listen to and engage with those whose perspectives and backgrounds might be
different from your own, and be an active participant in building a community where every person experiences a true sense of belonging. You are Notre Dame, and we are better because you are here.
As we mark the beginning of a new academic year, I also want to extend an invitation for you to attend the Opening Mass at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27, in the Purcell Pavilion of the Joyce Center. I hope you will join me as we ask for God’s blessing on the coming year. All are warmly invited.
Once again, welcome. I wish you every blessing. Know that my prayers are with you.
Sincerely Yours in Notre Dame,
Robert A.
Explore, engage and take care as
Dear Saint Mary’s Students,
Welcome to the class of 2028, transfer students, returning students and graduate students! In recognizing the power of Saint Mary’s, you join our amazing faculty and staff, as well as over 23,000 living alums who take pride in our history as a barrier-breaker and a place that empowers women to lead and to succeed. In choosing Saint Mary’s, you will not only experience the centrality of our campus and curriculum in your educational experience, but also the unique identity and traditions of our tri-campus community: three sibling institutions that share the 46556 zip code and so much more.
As summer break draws to a close, we have eagerly anticipated your arrival on campus! Students are the animating force of our classrooms, residence halls, laboratories and social spaces. We are ready for you to make our community an invigorating hub of activity with your
signature energy and intellectual curiosity. In fact, I’ve been thinking lately about how Saint Mary’s is like a great recipe, and each of you brings some of the varied “ingredients.” When we bring together people who have different backgrounds, experiences, beliefs or opinions, we create surprising and unexpected results. We stir up something new and delicious in our community and in ourselves. So, be adventurous with new flavors and new dishes! Be energized by difference—it will make our community and our world a better place.
At SMC, we promote an open-minded, openhearted and inclusive community. Take advantage of the many opportunities to grow and to expand the boundaries of who you are. Explore your faith. Engage with new ideas. And take care of yourself by adopting a healthy lifestyle. This, too, will support your success — at Saint Mary’s and beyond! We know that your time here will
be marked by great self-discovery: education is a process of becoming, and as you accumulate knowledge and experience, you will gain the confidence to create a life of meaning and purpose. In fact, Saint Mary’s itself is still “becoming.” We were founded by a group of trailblazing women, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and they continue to be our inspiration. 180 years ago, they created Saint Mary’s to educate women, and they knew that empowering women would make a difference in the world. You are now part of that tradition, and it’s your turn to make history here. So, prepare for leadership, both on campus and in a world that needs you. I look forward to mixing up the ingredients with you in this evolving recipe. Best regards,
President, Saint
College Aug. 15
Rev.
Dowd, C.S.C. President, Notre Dame Aug. 14
Katie Conboy
Mary’s
Walk hand-in-hand down The Avenue
Welcome Back, Saint Mary’s!
Driving down The Avenue, turning into our senior year, has made us a little sentimental, and we’re sure we are not the only ones. We drove down the path that has always led us home from the time we drove down it to visit Saint Mary’s College, to when we took our first walk as a class and all of the moments since then. We have to admit, earth and SMC did an incredible job. The trees always seem to be full of magic, and you can feel it throughout the entire year.
For some of you (hello, freshmen and transfer students!), you will understand over these next 4 years that walking down The Avenue is not merely a nice stroll with stunning views, nor is it just the new academic experience replacing the Sophia Program. “The Avenue” we are talking about are the 4 years you spend at Saint Mary’s College and the 40+ years after it. The Avenue is a path different for everyone. For some, it might be more clear — for others, it might be full of twists and turns. When you embark on your journey, you are going to leave your footsteps behind, solidifying your mark at Saint Mary’s. What do you want your legacy to be? What do you want Saint Mary’s legacy to be? The Avenue is a landmark for us, and it lies deep in our hearts. It is where we can come together and create traditions, create memories and interact with others. Belles, we ask you to truly embrace our community as Smicks. Saint Mary’s College has a unique bond, an irreplaceable sisterhood rich with tradition and love.
Despite our differences, The Avenue brings us to one
commonality: Saint Mary’s College. Students, faculty, staff and the sisters are brought together by our special love for our College and community. Therefore, challenge yourself to walk down The Avenue hand-in-hand (and for those of you taking your first and last walks as students this year, we mean that literally!) with your fellow Belles.
Check in on each other, include others, introduce yourself to girls you do not know, and help SMC’s sisterhood continue to flourish. Reach out and take others by the hand. Become involved, support endeavors, participate in service and build your community one friendship — and hand — at a time. Each one of us has the calling to make our community full of love and power. What will we make of it? How are we going to treat all members of our community?
We dare you to think outside the box and run down The Avenue with all of your potential, determination, passion and Smick energy. Achieve the best grades, make the most incredible memories, treat yourself to that OTA Coffee (Off The Avenue rocks), explore off-campus and sign up for opportunities! We are biased and encourage you to sign up for the Student Government Association (SGA), but we also encourage you to visit the Student Activities Fair on Thursday, Aug. 29th, from 4-6 p.m. on Library Green so you can see all of the exciting fun activities and organizations you can sign up for. Try a new path down The Avenue this year — you might just love where you go. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to mess up. When you are doing all of that walking literally and
figuratively down The Avenue, you might fall. You might take a while to stand up, push your shoulders back and continue — and that’s okay.
But just because you might fall does not mean you should limit yourself to your potential and all of the experiences and opportunities waiting for you. You deserve to treat yourself to the best that college has to offer, so take full advantage of it!
When we aren’t reminiscing on how much we love Saint Mary’s through metaphors in The Observer — which we also love — we will be here to walk with you side by side. As your president and vice president, we can assure you that SGA, along with all of the Big Boards and clubs on campus, are here for you every step of the way. Our doors in the basement of the student center and sga@saintmarys.edu inboxes are always open, waiting for you to reach out a hand and tell us what you want and require of us. We have a suggestion box in our email signature that we check weekly, so drop us a comment! Likewise, we will do our best to reach out a hand to you and work diligently to ensure your upcoming year is unforgettable.
We cannot wait for you to see where your Avenue takes you! Have the best year yet!
Go Belles!
Ashley Chaveriat student body president
Adare Carmody student body vice president Aug. 21
Student Government: Welcome back
Welcome back, Notre Dame! We hope everyone has had a great summer break! Whether you were working a summer job or internship, volunteering or taking classes around the world, we know that Notre Dame students are busy even over the summer ... and so is Student Government! We have spent the last few months hard on initiatives from our three major categories: Your ND, Renew ND and One ND. Your ND is all about catering to your interests, needs and wellbeing. This starts with our work on ND AI, which is hopefully coming to a computer near you very soon. Our department of campus technology and innovation has been hard at work with the office of information technology to build out the chatbot. Prepare yourself to have personalized information about every Notre Dame club at your fingertips! Also keep an eye out for some voter engagement programming from our department of national affairs and political engagement as election season approaches. We all want to be healthy and well, too, and our department of health and wellness has got you covered! Hope to see you at the Wellness Expo Wednesday, Aug. 28th!
Renew ND entails making improvements to the campus that we are all blessed to call home! These include equipment upgrades in both the Smith Center and the Rock thanks to work from our department of university policy (and previous StuGov administrations). Our department of student life has been
working hard with Campus Dining staff to bring increased hours of operation and food options in Grab & Go. As for the dining halls, we are working to ensure equity in food offerings as well as adding some new features like seasoning stations and community tables. Our department of sustainability was also responsible for Green Move-In, making our campus and larger community more eco-friendly during one of the busiest times on campus. If you’re looking to get more involved in the community, make sure to check out our new and improved volunteer database on the student government website, courtesy of our department of community outreach.
One ND is focused on ensuring each and every one of you feels a strong sense of belonging at Notre Dame, whether home is five or 5000 miles away. For some programming that might give you a little taste of home, be sure to check out Cultural Relations Week hosted by the department of diversity and inclusion: race and ethnicity. Our department of gender relations: Title IX & women’s initiatives has been hard at work planning for Red Zone Awareness Month this September and the successful implementation of new Title IX regulations at the University level. Other initiatives that made great progress this summer were audio enhancements in large classrooms through the department of disability advocacy and planning for panels like Football 101 through the department of first-generation low-income.
Even though all Notre Dame students have had big summers, including Student Government, what we are most excited about is welcoming students back to campus these next few weeks. From events like Flick on the Field to the Golden Generation Dinner, our favorite thing to do is provide ways for all students to feel at home at Notre Dame.
We want to make your vision our mission throughout our term, and we always love to hear your input and feedback. Student Government is truly by students, for students. Feel free to stop by our office on the first floor of LaFun, or fill out the Let’s Make It Happen form on the Student Government website. We also unfortunately could not fit all the exciting work that our 18 different departments did into this one article so stay tuned for more information coming to your inbox soon, and for now, follow our Instagram @ ndstugov for more updates.
Good luck with the first week of classes, and as always: Irish by a million!
In Notre Dame,
Dawson Kiser Student Body President
Maeve Miller Student Body Vice President Allison O’Connor
Student Government Chief of Staff
Aug. 21
WHAT’S WORTH WATCHING
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER ‘24
Hangitonyour wall! Hangitonfridge!your
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
It’s the start of the semester — your classes aren't hard (yet)! So there’s no excuse not to venture outside the dorm and catch a show. Here are some we think you should check out.
8/25
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 2:00pm in DPAC
Auditions for ND Folk Choir at 2:00pm in CoMo
9/1
“Challengers” presented by the Browning Cinema at 4:00pm in DPAC
8/26
Auditions for ND Folk Choir at 10:00am in CoMo
Auditions for Magnificat Choir at 2:00pm in CoMo
8/27
“The Host” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:30pm in DPAC
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 7:30pm in DPAC Violin and piano recital presented by the Department of Music at 6:00pm in the O’Neill Hall of Music
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 2:00pm in DPAC 9/2 9/3
9/8
“Space Jam” presented by the Browning Cinema at 1:00pm in DPAC
Organ recital presented by the Department of Music at 8:00pm in the O’Neill Hall of Music 9/9
8/28
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 7:30pm in DPAC
Art Attack presented by Arts@ND at 4:30pm outside DPAC
Auditions for the ND Symphony Orchestra at 7:00pm in the O’Neill Hall of Music
8/29
“Challengers” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:00pm in DPAC
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 7:30pm in DPAC
Auditions for ND Symphony Orchestra at 7:00pm in the O’Neill Hall of Music
“Raw” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:30pm in DPAC 9/5
9/10
8/23
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 7:30pm in DPAC
8/30
“Challengers” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:00pm in DPAC
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 7:30pm in DPAC
“Rudy” presented as a Flick on the Field at 9:00pm in the stadium
8/24
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 2:00pm in DPAC
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 7:30pm in DPAC
8/31
“Challengers” presented by the Browning Cinema at 3:00pm in DPAC
“Challengers” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:00pm in DPAC
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 2:00pm in DPAC
“As You Like It” presented by the NDSF at 7:30pm in DPAC
“Dear England” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:00pm in DPAC 9/4 9/6 9/7
“Cure” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:30pm in DPAC 9/12
Improv show presented by the Humor Artists at 8:00pm in Wash Hall 9/15
“Puss in Boots” presented by the Browning Cinema at 1:00pm in DPAC 9/17
“Under the Skin” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:30pm in DPAC 9/19
Soprano and piano recital presented by the Department of Music at 6:00pm in the O’Neill Hall of Music
20th anniversary celebration by DPAC at 5:00pm on Irish Green
9/22
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” presented by the Browning Cinema at 1:00pm in DPAC 9/24
“The Blackening” presented by the Browning Cinema at 7:30pm in DPAC
Creative writing reading presented by the Department of English at 7:00pm in Decio
9/29
“101 Dalmatians” presented by the Browning Cinema at 1:00pm in DPAC
LOTUS Quartet concert by the Presenting Series at 4:00pm in the O’Neill Hall of Music
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Editor
A production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” but the set looks like the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone and everyone is bisexual (and not in the implicit, subtextual Elizabethan way but in an explicit, mid-2010s identity politics way). Usually I can’t help but roll my eyes at that sort of thing.
But I couldn’t roll my eyes at the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival’s “As You Like It” — although it was pretty much that — because good acting is good acting; good direction is good direction; good sets and costumes are good sets and costumes; and ultimately, a good staging is a good staging no matter how snarky I am. A good script is a good script too, but with Shakespeare, that’s a given.
The show starts upbeat with a country music opening number. The choreography is “Cotton Eye Joe”-adjacent in a good way.
This production doesn’t linger over the first two acts. They set the drama in motion, they establish the rapport between Rosalind and Celia and they get on with it. These two actresses’ chemistry — Abigail Gillian and Julia Valen respectively — is big. It, along with some A-list clowning by Tim Merkle as the wrestler Charles, adds a lot of buoyancy to these acts which are written slightly straighter than the rest of the play. I think the decision to make Monsieur and Madame Labou ambiguously polyamorous was also an attempt in this direction, although it didn’t land for me.
I should also mention Adam, played by Mary Neufeld. Some of the gender swaps seemed a little arbitrary (why does Olivia need to be made a lesbian?), but I loved this one. An actress brings an interesting touch to this sort of “faithful old manservant” role. It doesn’t hurt that Neufeld is immensely charismatic as Adam and also as the shepherd Corin.
The company really starts cooking with gas when we reach “the Forest of Arden.” It’s the heart of the play, its stylings and its sensibilities. And, of course, it’s where the romance between Orlando (Felix Teich) and Rosalind finally takes off. This actoractress pair has romantic chemistry —not in a heart melting “Romeo and Juliet” way, but as a consequence of how bubbly and stylish and smart their dialogue is.
It’s also here where the jester Touchstone (Brennan Caldwell) blossoms. When Merkle clowns, it’s physical. Drunk Elizabethan rubes would love him [compliment!]. When Brennan clowns, though, he’s more like Paul Lynde. Not that he can’t get physical. His leaping, prattling tirade at the start of the fifth act was so funny it elicited spontaneous applause from the opening night audience. Brennan tugs on the words a bit, adding a “homo” joke here and some chatter there. I’m usually fascistic about these sorts of things — the text is already a masterpiece, so unless you’re better than Shakespeare, which no one is, why meddle? — but these calls feel cosmically correct, even the moment when he gets so overwhelmed he has to run to the piano and do Liza.
The rest of the supporting cast flourish too. Silvius and Phebe (Noah Sim and Melíza Gutierrez respectively) are perfectly
matched, the former bringing the comedy and the latter bringing the melodrama. Jaques’s goodbye at the end — especially the little touch with the prop — is heartwarming and heartbreaking. Mark Young plays a bizarre grab bag of characters, among them a touchy-feely Anglican minister who you know is suspect because unlike the other characters — who are dressed like Vampire Weekend fans — looks like a Deadhead. Gabriel Armstrong, the cast’s singer, does his Shakespeare lyrics justice. His performance of the last two songs are particularly moving.
One of them proceeds one of two moments in this production where director Sara Holdren takes a sudden left turn into “Midsommar” territory. I am indifferent about the first of these interludes. The second one, though, is genius. It takes advantage of a massive (read: truly massive) puppet by Greg Corbino and Young’s deep, voice-of-the-Lord-your-God baritone. I think the sudden weirdness, which might not fit elsewhere, fits especially well here because it coincides with a correspondingly crazy deus ex machina moment in the script.
All in all, the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival has a hit on its hands. The cast gels. The stage is a feast for the eyes. The director gets it: this “As You Like It” knows when to be fun as hell and when to take itself seriously. See it!
The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival’s production of “As You Like It” runs at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center until Sept. 1, evening performances at 7:30pm and matinee performances at 2:00pm, tickets at https://performingarts.nd.edu/.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Editor
Freshmen, many of you will take “THEO 100001: Foundations of Theology” this year. You have to take it at some point so why not now, right? For some of you, though, it will be not only your first theology course at Notre Dame but also your first theology class ever.
Who needs another x-number-of-stars review of “brat”? An introduction to exegesis — one of the core methods of theology which, in the right hands, can enable you to prove that something means anything you want it to — seems much more necessary, so instead of reviewing “brat,” let’s do theology to it.
We’ll start with “Club classics” which is obviously intended to be understood allegorically as a commentary on sacred scripture. Charli sings, “When I go to the club,” hoping we will catch her drift and realize that by “club” she means “church.” She then sings, “I wanna hear those club classics,” with “club classics” clearly meant to signify the gospel. Charli is right: when I go to the church, I want to hear the gospel. She was well catechized! When she then says, “I wanna dance,” this clearly a reference to the Catholic Church’s brief fling with liturgical dance — i.e. dancing at Mass — after the Second Vatican Council, and when she mentions wanting to dance to “A.G.” (not her producer, but perhaps an abbreviation for AuGustine?), “SOPHIE” (not the
musician, but the saint and martyr Sophia of Rome no doubt) and George (not her fiancée, but the Catholic dragon-slayer), she alludes to the dance-like ecstasy of the heavenly banquet.
We are not going to engage with “Sympathy is a knife” because it is clearly a Nietzschean song and Nietzsche killed God or whatever. Hell, the lyrics could’ve come straight out of “Zarathustra.” In it, she rails against sympathy and pity — and by association, Judeo-Christian values and “slave morality.” A disappointing lapse on the part of Catholic writer Charli XCX.
“I might say something stupid” contains a passing mention to the healing power of the whole and entire presence of Christ in the Eucharist with the line “I get nervous, sip the wine.” “Talk talk” is about evangelization, the need to “talk, talk” about the good news with our friends and family. “Von dutch,” although the title might imply a Calvinist Dutch Reformed affiliation, is clearly about the “cult classic” Catholic Church as it mentions sacramental confession (“You’re obsessin’, just confess it” and “It’s okay to just admit that you’re jealous of me”). “Everything is romantic” is explicitly Christological—“Jesus Christ on a plastic sign.”
“Girl, so confusing” (specifically the version with Lorde, whose name invokes the first person of the trinity) is theologically rich on two levels Firstly, it exhibits an Augustinian, “Confessions” like sensibility. Singing “‘Girl, you walk like a b*tch’ / When I was ten someone said that,” Lorde—like the
Bishop of Hippo—is meditating on her whole childhood and especially her adolescence in order to get a handle on her current spiritual state. Secondly, the song explores what it means to “work it out on the remix,” a way of speaking about penitence and forgiveness. One is reminded of David who, after killing and philandering, works it out (with the Lord) on the remix (Psalm 51).
Of course, the theological apex of “brat” is the hit track “Apple.” Its title instantly transports us to the Garden of Eden and points us towards its theme: original sin. Indeed, Catholics believe that “the apple don’t fall far from the tree” of the protoplasts. Charli borrows illness and rot imagery right from the dogma’s foundational texts, St. Paul and St. Augustine (“I guess the apple could turn yellow or green” and “I guess the apple’s rotten right to the core”). She touches on the inevitably of sin in our postlapsarian state: “I wanna grow the apple, keep all the seeds / but I can’t help get so angry.” The recurrent airport imagery represents the solution, removing ourselves from “the world” and turning to heaven in the way an airplane takes off from the ground. Don’t worry about your theology courses too much, freshmen. If I can manage to squeeze all that out of a Charli XCX song, you can probably manage to squeeze it out of sacred scripture and sacred tradition.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
Courtesy of Peter Ringenberg
MARISSA PANETHIERE The Observer
Happy Birthday: Formulate a long-term plan, but keep your intentions private, or a copycat will take credit for your ideas. Launch your plans when you feel confident you have left nothing out or unfinished. You will receive glory for ingenuity, substance, and the flare you bring to your presentation. Nothing worthwhile happens overnight. Your patience and practice will pay off this year, and commitment will lead to stability. Your numbers are 6, 18, 23, 27, 32, 39, 45.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look at the situations thoroughly. Leave nothing to chance or up to someone else. Be responsible and do whatever it takes to ensure you give your all and do your best. Be aware of how you feel mentally and physically, and adjust what’s necessary to ensure your safety.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A change will face complexities at a social level, but if you are true to yourself and honest in your approach, you will weather the storm and come out on top. Trust your instincts, do your research, and don’t infringe on your reputation or financial intake.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Unexpected change will be difficult to control. Distance yourself from what’s unfolding, and you’ll gain clarity regarding how best to respond. A controlled situation will be easier to navigate and to help those you love. Stay calm, lead the way, and something good will transpire.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Size up situations using your intuition and investigative tactics, and you’ll find a way to turn whatever transpires into something that works well for you. A unique approach to an old idea will transform it into something marketable. Put your energy where it counts, and rewards will follow.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Gather all the facts before drawing conclusions. Someone will offer an unrealistic version of a situation that can lead to a costly mistake. Invest time and effort into something you believe in that isn’t dependent on other’s reliability. Choose intelligence and common sense over hype.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Sit tight, observe, and decipher your next move. Understanding the dynamics and personalities involved in whatever situation you face is essential before participating in something that can influence your position, finances, or reputation. Show commitment, offer facts, and align yourself with honest associates.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A change of scenery will encourage you to see situations differently. Participate in events or activities that stimulate your mind and finetune your body. The results will prepare you to make a meaningful move that paves a path to new people, places, and prospects.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Engage in something you’ve never tried before, and it will tweak your creative imagination and encourage you to indulge in a new adventure. Spending time with someone unlike yourself will help expand your interests and mind and change your perspective regarding life, love, and happiness.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Only share what’s necessary. The less information you offer, the easier it is to fly under the radar and accomplish your goals. Create opportunities and build a solid base to house your plans. Trust your instincts and be wary of what others do or say.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Put your emotions aside and listen and observe. Let your actions be your voice once you have accumulated enough information to make an intelligent choice. Changing your plans will bring you closer to someone you love and respect. Let them come to you, and you’ll gain security.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Consider your financial position and how you can improve by upgrading your skills or using them differently. Don’t let changes going on around you distract or confuse you. Focus on what you can achieve and who will support your efforts. A partnership looks promising.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Refuse to get upset or allow anyone to play with your emotions. Set high standards, and you’ll discover that worthwhile people will rise to meet your demands. You can’t buy love, but you can win hearts through loyalty and commitment. Romance is in the stars.
Birthday Baby: You are capable, precise, and curious. You are mindful and intuitive.
JUMBLE | DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK
SUMMER HEADLINES
Championships, coaches and chastisements: Tri-campus sports summer news in review
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Since Commencement Weekend came and went in midMay, it’s been a summer full of headlines across tri-campus athletics. From a legendary lacrosse run to Olympic gold, here’s a timeline of the past three months’ biggest stories.
May 23: Deanna Gumpf retires after 23 seasons
After 23 years at the helm of Notre Dame softball, head coach Deanna Gumpf announced her retirement. Gumpf finished her tenure as the winningest coach of any sport in the history of Notre Dame athletics, having achieved 882 victories with 21 NCAA Tournament appearances and four conference tournament crowns. Only Gumpf and legendary women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw exist as 700game winners at Notre Dame. Perhaps most impressively, 14 years have passed since Gumpf became the winningest head softball coach in Notre Dame’s history.
Four weeks after Gumpf’s retirement, another longtime face of Notre Dame softball assumed the head coaching position. Kris
Ganeff, a former All-Big East catcher with the program and associate head coach under Gumpf, will lead the Irish into the foreseeable future. Her experience in South Bend includes appearances in 21 NCAA Regionals and 12 NCAA Regional finals as well as 11 conference titles.
Ganeff, along with newly hired assistant coaches Boo De Oliveira, Mike Perniciaro and Mo Wimpee, will look to rebound after the Irish snapped their 24year NCAA Tournament streak in 2024.
May 27: Notre Dame men’s lacrosse repeats on top
A year and a half ago, the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse program had never claimed a national championship. Now, it owns two.
After marching through postseason adversity in 2023, the Irish ran wire-to-wire as 2024’s premier college men’s lacrosse team. Dominating Denver and Georgetown at the Final Four in Philadelphia, they finished off a 16-1 season with another title.
The historic 2024 team ended the year with program records for single-season goals (266), assists (160) and points (426).
But the celebration of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse didn’t end
on Memorial Day. Three days later, then-graduate forward Pat Kavanagh became the program’s first winner of the Tewaaraton Award, the most prestigious individual honor in college lacrosse. Notre Dame’s career points and assists record-holder, Kavanagh would become the first ACC Male Athlete of the Year in school history in July.
June 24: Jeff Jackson announces plans to step down
Another significant Irish coaching change followed Gumpf’s retirement by just over a month. Jeff Jackson, the historic head coach of Notre Dame hockey, proclaimed the 2024-25 season his 20th and last at the helm. Jackson’s tenure has bestowed a new prominence on his program, as the Irish have reached the NCAA Tournament 12 times after doing so only once before his arrival. This past season, he became
FOR RENT
both the only head hockey coach to reach 400 wins at Notre Dame, the winningest active Division I men’s hockey coach in the country and the overseer of 1,000 Division I games.
One of the first defensemen Jackson guided at Notre Dame, associate head coach Brock Sheahan will take the program’s reins for the 2025-26 season. A four-year player in South Bend, Sheahan helped the Irish to their first national championship game appearance in 2007-08, serving as an alternate captain.
Early August: Irish amaze in Olympic games
Had Notre Dame student-athletes and alumni banded into their own country during the 2024 Paris Olympics, that country would have tied Hungary for the 14th-most gold medals in the competition. It would have slotted into 21st in the overall medal count.
That’s just how successful Notre Dame’s most successful Olympics on record really was. Six of the 10 medals won by current and former Irish studentathletes shined in gold. Fencer Lee Kiefer, a 2017 alumna, continued her masterful women’s foil career with two gold medals, including one as an individual. Senior swimmer Chris Guiliano captured a relay gold and alumni Korbin Albert also saw gold with the USWNT, just to name a few.
Mid-August: Belles name new softball, basketball head coaches
During the first two weeks of August, the Saint Mary’s athletics department announced two coaching changes. First, former Lake Michigan College assistant
see SUMMER PAGE 13
MEGHAN LANGE | THE OBSERVER
Senior attacker Chris Kavanagh (50) wards off a defender during Notre Dame’s national championship game against Maryland at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on May 27. The Irish triumphed over the Terrapins 15-5 to win their second consecutive championship title capping off a successful season with he help of the Kavanagh brothers.
coach Jordyn Walter became the next Belles softball coach. Only two years removed from a playing career full of starts and captaincies at Lake Michigan College and Western Michigan, Walter inherited a Saint Mary’s program that went 10-22 in 2024.
However, months before Walter makes her head coaching debut, Rob Hoffman will do the same with Saint Mary’s basketball. Like Walter, Hoffman previously worked at a place where he once studied, serving as an assistant and associate head coach at Trine University. Just last season, Hoffman and the Thunder captured a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) championship and a secondround NCAA Tournament berth. The Belles enter his tenure having gone 5-20 in the 2023-2024 campaign.
August 15: Notre Dame suspends men’s swimming program
No summer news sent shockwaves through the tri-campus athletics community like this one. Through a deep review with the law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP, the University of Notre Dame found evidence worthy of suspending its men’s swimming program for, at minimum, the
2024-25 academic year.
The review, according to a statement from Notre Dame’s vice president and athletic director Pete Bevacqua, unearthed a team culture not aligned with the university’s student-athlete standard. It also found the student-athletes in violation of multiple NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming.
Despite the suspension, the men’s dive, women’s swim and women’s dive teams will continue their seasons as planned at Notre Dame.
August 18: Notre Dame football names its captains
Less than two weeks out from a marquee season opener at Texas A&M, the Notre Dame football team assigned five captains for the 2024 season. Graduate linebacker Jack Kiser, senior quarterback Riley Leonard, graduate defensive lineman Rylie Mills, junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison and graduate safety Xavier Watts will lead this year’s Irish group.
The five bring over 190 combined games worth of college experience and into the new season. All are also first-time captains, as each of Notre Dame’s 2023 captains received NFL opportunities in the spring.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
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SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | THE OBSERVER
Graduate safety Xavier Watts (0) celebrates a defensive play during Notre Dame’s 58-7 win against Pittsburgh at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 28, 2023. Watts was selected as a team captain this season.
Knapp taking many first-team reps in camp. Redshirt freshman Sam Pendleton has also received first-team reps at left guard.
Trotting out the freshman pairing of Knapp and Pendleton with center Ashton Craig, right guard Billy Schrauth and right tackle Aamil Wagner to face fearsome SEC pass rushers and an electric Aggie home crowd could be a massive concern. The group would have a total of only six career starts between them. In last Saturday’s press conference, head coach Marcus Freeman explained the thought process of the coaching staff as it prepares to decide on the starting offensive line in week one.
“You have some experience, [and] you have guys that aren’t as experienced or have zero experience but are really talented football players,” Freeman said. “What we decide is best for week one doesn’t mean it’s going to be the best for week five or six. And that’s something we’ve discussed as a coaching staff, but we’ve got to figure out what’s best for week one.”
Whether the Irish opt for experience or young talent, the performance of the group could make or break the outcome of
the opening game.
Despite all of the uncertainty up front, the talent in the offense is undeniable. While no wide receiver has emerged as the number one guy, the coaching staff trusts the depth at the position and their ability to cater their strengths to the offensive system.
“I don’t know that there’s necessarily one alpha that has separated himself in that room. There’s a bunch of really talented ones and at times — they have flashed here, flashed there, and they have all had their collection of different guys making good plays,” offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock said. “It’s [about] fitting the system to the players and fitting the positions within the system to the players’ abilities.”
There is excitement surrounding young talented sophomores like reigning Sun Bowl MVP Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse, who led the team in touchdown receptions last season. More experienced players like seniors Jayden Thomas and Deoin Colzie as well as graduate students Beaux Collins and Kris Mitchell are also primed to contribute. Mitchell, who arrived in the portal from FIU, comes off of an 1100-yard season and adds the valuable element of fieldstretching speed.
However, the go-to receiving target may not be a wide receiver at all. After making a full recovery from a season-ending ACL injury, senior tight end Mitchell Evans is prepared to start in week one. He will look to build on what was a prolific junior season before the injury cut it short. In the backfield, sophomore Jeremiyah Love, who split touches with junior Jadarian Price early in the fall, has established himself as the clear RB1 in camp. While Price has the talent of a lead back, Love’s ability sets him up to be a breakout player for the Irish this season.
The surrounding talent is promising, but the ceiling of the offense will be set by the play of Riley Leonard. The senior transfer from Duke missed most of winter conditioning and spring ball with an injury. In the fall, however, he has regained full health and established himself as not only the clear top quarterback, but the leader of the offense.
“I think his overall understanding of what we want to eventually become offensively, I think he’s got a clear vision of that,” Denbrock said. “I think that the respect that’s grown for him within our locker room is pretty cool to be a part of.”
The fact that he was named the only captain on the offensive side of the ball even after
joining only eight months ago and missing significant time says a lot about who he is as a player and a leader. With Leonard at the helm, the sky really is the limit.
The distribution of the other four captains reflects where the greatest strength of this team lies: on defense. Junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison, graduate safety Xavier Watts and graduate students Rylie Mills on the defensive line and Jack Kiser at middle linebacker all got the nod. Morrison and Watts headline an elite secondary. Watts is the reigning Bronco Nagurski Award winner, but Morrison has a case for the team’s most talented player and highly-touted draft prospect. Both were AP Preseason All-Americans, with Watts on the first team and Morrison on the second. Kiser will command the defense from the middle linebacker position, looking to build on a strong 2023 campaign where he tied for the team lead in solo tackles.
On the defensive line, Mills and graduate student Howard Cross III, a surprise omission from the captain selections, made the Lombardi Award watchlist, with Cross joining Watts on the Preseason AllAmerican First Team. In his second season as defensive coordinator, Al Golden maximized the talent of his group,
coaching the Irish to a top-10 defense in 2023. With so much of the core returning, the group is striving to be even better.
“People name systems whatever they want to name them. That’s immaterial to me. What’s important is: do we believe in what we’re teaching every day and trying to fight that chasm between goals and outcome,” Golden said. “The system isn’t the star, the players are the star.”
If Notre Dame comes out of week one with a victory, it will be behind a dominant defensive performance. With the returning talent playing fitting into Golden’s excellent system, the Irish defense looks prepared to answer the bell.
The success of head coaches at Notre Dame in their third season is well-documented. Parseghian, Devine, Holtz — all national champions in year three. Kelly a national finalist. Marcus Freeman has the opportunity to continue the storied legacy with the most talented and, in his words, the most prepared group he’s been a part of. Take into account the manageable schedule and expanded playoff, and chances have never looked better for the Irish to return the long-awaited 12th national championship.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Fast facts for 2024 tri-campus football, soccer, volleyball, cross country and golf programs
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Over the next three weeks, Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross fall sports will enter full swing. Here’s a look at what to expect from each team heading into their 2024 seasons.
Notre Dame football
For the first time, a 12team College Football Playoff awaits the end of Notre Dame’s season, and the Irish have their eyes on it. Under third-year head coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame looks to level up from a 10-3 season that showed early promise but stalled out in the middle weeks. From 2023’s Sun Bowl championship squad, the Irish return numerous key pieces from a defense that ranked among the nation’s best. Impact players like graduate defensive lineman Howard Cross III, junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison and graduate safety Xavier Watts should give the Irish a chance in every game.
The primary question marks loom on the other side of the ball. For the third time in four seasons, Notre Dame has turned to the transfer portal for its quarterback. The new signal-caller, senior Riley Leonard, showed firstround NFL draft potential in 2022 but has spent a concerning portion of the past year on the shelf. His health, along with Notre Dame’s ability to restock its offensive line — now hampered by a season-ending pectoral injury to sophomore left tackle Charles Jagusah — will likely determine the team’s ceiling.
Notre Dame opens with a primetime game at Texas A&M on the final day of August. Ranked seventh in the preseason AP Top 25, the Irish are currently tagged as underdogs against the 20thrated Aggies.
Women’s soccer
Notre Dame: The 15thranked Irish look to build on a 2023 campaign that brought them to the NCAA Tournament’s second round. They are off to a 1-1-0 start with a 2-1 home loss to Michigan State on Aug. 15 and a 6-0 road romping of Samford on Aug. 18. Out of the gate, freshmen have combined for 16 of Notre Dame’s 21 points. First-year midfielder and forward Izzy Engle netted a hat trick at Samford, while midfielder Grace Restovich has a
goal and two assists in two games.
Saint Mary’s: After playing two exhibition matches, the Belles will open their regular season at Providence Christian on Aug. 30 in Pasadena, California. Saint Mary’s comes off an 8-8-1 record in 2023, marking a drastic improvement from 0-13-3 in 2022. With continued improvement under third-year head coach Farkhod Kurbonov, the Belles could make their first Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament trip in program history.
Holy Cross: A year removed from their first losing season since 2018, the Saints are 1-1 with a pair of 1-0 results in the new year. Holy Cross opened with a home loss to Bethel on Aug. 17 before turning around with a win at Rochester Christian on Aug. 20. Freshman goalkeeper Madeleine Agee pitched her first career clean sheet in her second game after making six saves in her debut. The Saints’ young season continues with a home tilt against the University of Northwestern Ohio this Saturday.
Men’s soccer Notre Dame: Only national champion Clemson could thwart the march of last year’s Irish, who qualified for a third College Cup in program history. But the man most responsible for the run, goalkeeper Bryan Dowd, is now a professional. Offsetting his loss are significant returns in the midfield and back line, where key seniors Bryce Boneau (midfielder) and Josh Ramsey (defender) figure to lead the way. Up front, 10-goal scorer Matthew Roou also returns as a senior forward. No. 2 Notre Dame’s schedule features seven top-25 opponents, including No. 1 Clemson (Sept. 27).
Holy Cross: Also coming off their first losing season since 2018, the Holy Cross men’s soccer team has split its initial two games of the 2024 season. Holy Cross fell by a 3-1 count at Bethel on Aug. 17 before turning that score around in a 3-1 victory at Rochester Christian on Aug. 20. Senior Juan Perez, a fourth-year Saint, is off to a splendid start with three goals, including a brace in Tuesday’s win. The Saints now have a week off before returning to action at Marian on Aug. 28.
Volleyball
Notre Dame: Seeking their first winning season under third-year head coach Salima Rockwell, the Irish showed signs of improvement en route to an 11-15 record in 2023. They started fast, reaching marks of 8-2 and 10-5 before losses piled up during the final month. This year, Notre Dame has the tools for more sustained success. Its top two 2023 scorers, senior All-ACC selection Sydney Palazzolo and sophomore Ava Lange, each return in the outside hitter room. So does its anchor, graduate student libero Hattie Monson. Notre Dame’s regular season begins Aug. 31 with the Catholic Challenge in Santa Clara, California.
Saint Mary’s: Year 10 with Denise Van De Walle at the helm begins on Aug. 30 with four games in Sandusky, Ohio. The Belles went 6-14 a season ago and seek doubledigit wins for the first time since 2019. The MIAA preseason rankings projected a ninth-place finish from them in 2024.
Cross country
Notre Dame: Both Irish teams claimed top15 finishes in the NCAA Championships just over nine months ago. In fact, with the women’s fourthplace result, Notre Dame claimed its best national finish since 2004. The new season begins with the Crusader Invite on Aug. 30 in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Saint Mary’s: Heading into their 19th season under Jackie Bauters, the Belles look to build on an impressive 2023 campaign. A year ago, Saint Mary’s notched a 16th-place effort in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, good for its best regional result since 2015. The Belles will also get underway on Aug. 30 at the Comet Open in Charlotte, Michigan.
Golf
Notre Dame: Last season brought hefty success on both fronts of Notre Dame golf. Both the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the NCAA Championships, with the men’s advancement marking the program’s first
since 1989. Sophomore Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame’s top male golfer at the ACC Championships, returns for his second season. The women’s team has a larger hole to fill with the departure of NCAA East Lansing Regional champion Lauren Beaudreau.
Saint Mary’s: In an unexpected first season with longtime Notre Dame head coach Susan Holt, the Belles made waves in 2023. Finishing 16th at the NCAA Championship and second in the MIAA Spring Finale, the Belles totaled five firstplace finishes. Their 2024 season begins on Aug. 31 at the two-day Lynn Schweizer Invitational in Granville, Ohio.
Holy Cross: Both the men’s and women’s teams will tee off on their 2024 campaigns on Sept. 9. The Holy Cross men will open at the Point O’woods Men’s Collegiate, while the women will begin with the Battle at Blackthorn.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
ARI DENNING | THE OBSERVER
Junior midfielder KK Baffour swings his right leg with force into a corner kick during Notre Dame’s College Cup match against Oregon State at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky on Dec. 8, 2023.
ND FOOTBALL
2024 Notre Dame football season preview: Can Marcus Freeman and the Irish deliver?
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
The rich history of Notre Dame football is undeniable. Their nine national championships during the poll era rank second only to the Alabama Crimson Tide. But this program and its devoted fanbase do not care about that number now. They care that the most recent title came in 1988 and want to return to the top of the college football world. The NCAA’s recent expansion to a 12-team playoff has provided a better opportunity to do just that.
Former director of athletics
Jack Swarbrick sat on the committee that created the playoff expansion and discussed at a public forum hosted by Irish graduate Maria Wainscott in late April why he believes it increases Notre Dame’s chances of going all the way. While the Irish would not have access to one of the top four seeds, which
are reserved for conference champions, Swarbrick said that “everybody else plays 13 games to qualify for the playoffs, [and] we only play 12. So the way to address that, for me, was to say, “Okay, we’ll treat championship week, when you are all playing the conference championship game, as our bye week.”
Notre Dame would play the same amount of games as any other team en route to the national championship and could still host a first-round playoff game if it earned one of the 5-8 seeds. Under the new format, teams like the Irish, who have been on the outside looking in for a long time, now have newfound hope that a run is possible. With only four teams, the playoff felt nearly impossible to reach. And while the Irish have managed a national title appearance and two CFP semifinal appearances in the past decade, they were run off the field in all three games. With 12
teams in the mix, this year feels different.
Anything short of 10 wins will be a massive disappointment for the Irish this season, and 11-1 or even 12-0 with a playoff game in Notre Dame Stadium on December 20th or 21st is well within reach. But while Notre Dame’s strength of schedule ranks outside of the top 50, it is not without major tests, with arguably none more challenging than in week one. ESPN College Gameday will follow the No. 7-ranked Irish to College Station, where they face No. 20-ranked Texas A&M and the famous “12th Man” in Kyle Field, one of the toughest environments in all of college football. Setting a tone for the season with a road victory over a ranked SEC team would do wonders for the confidence of the group and its resume going forward.
The following week, Notre Dame plays its home opener against Northern Illinois
before going back on the road to face Purdue. A three-game homestand featuring Miami (OH), Louisville and Stanford follows, with a bye week between Louisville and Stanford.
The Cardinals, who crushed any lingering playoff hopes for the Irish last season, will be the first real challenge at home. They received the most AP Poll votes of any team outside of the preseason top 25. Georgia Tech and Navy on the road come next before the Irish return home for one of their biggest tests of the season, No. 10-ranked Florida State. They play their final home game against Virginia the following week before finishing up the season in the L.A. Coliseum against rival USC, who sits at No. 23 in the opening poll.
Even the toughest teams on the schedule have massive question marks, especially Florida State and USC, who lost two of the best quarterbacks in college football last
season in Jordan Travis and Caleb Williams, respectively. With that said, a season-ending injury to starting left tackle sophomore Charles Jagusah in fall camp has left the Irish with questions of their own — and very little time to answer them with A&M only a week away. Winners of the Joe Moore Award in 2017 and finalists in 2020, an award given to the best offensive line in the country, the Irish have historically been strongest at that position. The group enters 2024 in an unfamiliar position, looking shakier than it has in years. Notre Dame already expected a large turnover at the tackle position after losing Joe Alt and Blake Fisher to the NFL Draft, but the Jagusah injury only complicated things further. Graduate student Tosh Baker expected to slot into the position but has not convincingly won the job, with true freshman Anthonie