Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, Feb. 20, 2023

The independent

To uncover

newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

and holy cross

it accurately

Volume 57, Issue 54 | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com

Tri-campus rattled by MSU shooting Students react to the mass shooting that took place on Feb. 13 at Michigan State University

By MEGHAN LANGE Saint Mary’s News Editor

Editor’s Note: This story includes discussion of gun violence on a college campus.

Last Monday night, students at Michigan State University received their first emergency alert stating, “MSU Police report shots fired incident occurring on or near the East Lansing campus, Securein Place immediately. Run, Hide, Fight,” according to the Michigan State University Police official website.

The alert continued on by defining the statement “Run, Hide, Fight.” “Run means evacuate away from danger if you can do so safely, Hide

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Candles were arranged to spell ‘MSU’ as a sign of solidarity with the Michigan State University community at the Grotto on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. The tri-campus community continues to pray for those affected.

Observer names Editorial Board Observer Staff Report

Seven new and two returning department heads will complete The Observer’s 2023-2024 Editorial Board, incoming Editorin-Chief Maggie Eastland announced Sunday.

The nine editors will join Eastland as well as incoming Managing Editor Ryan Peters and Assistant Managing Editors Gabrielle Beechert, Hannah Hebda and José Sánchez Córdova in directing the editorial responsibilities of the paper.

Juniors Sofia CrimiVaroli, Anna Falk, Meghan Lange, Claire Lyons, Angela Mathew, Andrew McGuinness and Christina Sayut and sophomores Emma Duffy and Isa Sheikh will lead their respective departments beginning March 19.

CrimiVaroli will be taking on the role of Photo Editor. Originally from New York, she is an architecture student with a furniture design concentration in her fourth year of study. In her three years with The Observer, she has covered games and tournaments in almost every sport, including soccer, basketball, boxing and fencing across the tri-campus community. Previously holding the position

NEWS PAGE 4

of Assistant Photo Editor, she has trained many other photographers in the photo department.

Duffy will take over as Social Media Editor. While she is from Long Island, New York, she calls Ryan Hall home at Notre Dame.

She is majoring in political science with minors in Journalism, Ethics & Democracy, constitutional studies and Italian. At The Observer, she has served as newsletter manager and covered various news stories.

Falk, a resident of Pasquerilla East Hall hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, will take over the role of Scene Editor. She has remained a dedicated writer for Scene over the past two years, focusing much of her creative energy on music and movies. Falk is a junior majoring in neuroscience with minors in French and linguistics.

Lange, a junior at Saint Mary’s College, will continue her work as the Saint Mary’s News Editor.

Originally from Chicago, she is a dual humanistic studies and communication studies major with minors in public relations and advertising from Saint Mary’s and constitutional studies from Notre Dame. Lange has been writing see ED BOARD PAGE 3

SCENE PAGE 5

means to secure-in-place and Fight means protect yourself if no other option.”

This alert would be the one of six that students would receive throughout the night of Feb. 13 and the early morning of Feb. 14, keeping them up to date on the current active shooter situation on their campus.

A little over two hours away from the shooting on MSU’s campus, students at both Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College found themselves immediately worried about those they knew near MSU and later, about their own safety on the tri-campus. see MSU PAGE 3

Tim Brown speaks at HCC

LIAM KELLY | The Observer

On Sunday Feb. 19, former Notre Dame wide receiver, Hall of Famer and Heisman winner, Tim Brown, spoke at Holy Cross College about the important roles that leadership and faith have played in his life.

By LIAM KELLY News Writer

Former Notre Dame wide receiver and Heisman winner Tim Brown reflected on the importance of leadership and faith in his life during a lecture at Holy Cross College on Sunday.

Brown, who is also an NFL hall of famer, explained how influential leaders in his life inspired him to work hard as a young man. Brown often had to actively search out this leadership, he said, due to his fraught relationship with his father who often doubted his abilities.

“I did a lot of things in high school, trying to get my dad’s attention,” Brown said.

Brown found inspiration from the coaches on his high school

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

football team who he credits with putting his life in the right direction.

“If not for the people that took me in as their own, I don’t know where I would be. I really don’t because at that time in my life, I could have gone either direction,” Brown emphasized.

Brown found another positive leader as a sophomore on the Notre Dame football team. Lou Holtz, who became the head coach of Notre Dame in 1984, put his full faith and confidence in Brown immediately.

“He told me, ‘I think you could be the best player in the country,’” Brown recalled.

Although Holtz may have believed in his football abilities, Brown himself had other plans. “I didn’t come here for this football,” Brown said he replied to Holtz, “I came here

to get this education and go back home.”

Coach Holtz’s predictions would ultimately come to fruition, however, when Brown hoisted the Heisman trophy in 1987.

Brown credits his success to Holtz’ influence.

“I was the best player in the country because I decided to follow leadership,” Brown said, “A great leader is able to see something in someone and is able to pull it out of him.”

In addition to recognizing the many great leaders in his life, he also emphasized that being exposed to leaders is not enough — a person needs to take that leader’s advice and turn it into action.

“It’s just amazing how when

M BASKETBALL PAGE 12

W BASKETBALL PAGE 12

see TIM BROWN PAGE 4

2

TODAY

The observer | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com

Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com

Have a question you want answered?

Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Rylan Sachs

Isabella Rishmawi

first-year McGlinn Hall

first-year Flaherty Hall

“Listen to music.”

“Look out my window and reflect.”

Kara Janishefski

Jacob Zybura

first-year Welsh Family Hall

first-year Duncan Hall

“Drink coffee.”

“Jump down from my bed.”

(574) 631-6900 advertising@ndsmcobserver.com

John Clingen

Ethan Coleman

Editor-in-Chief

sophomore Dillon Hall

first-year Baumer Hall

“Cry.”

“Read my messages.”

Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey Managing Editor Aidan O’Malley Asst. Managing Editor: Mannion McGinley Asst. Managing Editor: Genevieve Coleman Asst. Managing Editor: Maggie Eastland Notre Dame News Editor: Bella Laufenberg Saint Mary’s News Editor: Meghan Lange Viewpoint Editor: Hannah Hebda Sports Editor: Aidan Thomas Scene Editor: Willoughby Thom Photo Editor: Ryan Vigilante Graphics Editor: Maggie Klaers Social Media Editor: Anna Hurt Advertising Manager: Emili Garcia Casas Ad Design Manager: Christina Sayut Systems Administrator: Jack MapelLentz Talent & Inclusion Manager: Angela Mathew Office Manager & General Info

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising

(574) 631-4542 aguffey@nd.edu Managing Editor

(574) 631-4542 aomalle2@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors

(574) 631-4541 mmcginl3@nd.edu, gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu, meastlan@nd.edu Business Office

(574) 631-5313 Notre Dame News Desk

(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s News Desk

(574) 631-5323 smcnews@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk

(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om Sports Desk

(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk

(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Photo Desk

(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators

webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors.

Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged.

Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey.

Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.

A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester.

The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Katelyn Waldschmidt Kelsey Quint Liam Kelly

Kathryn Haertzen Maddie Ladd

Graphics

Claire Lyons

Meg Hammond

Photo

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Two boxers trade punches during the annual Bengal Bouts boxing tournament. The first round of the tournament concluded Thursday night. The action will pick up again on Monday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. with the quarterfinal round in the Dahnke Ballroom.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Scene Viewpoint Carolina Andrea

Ryan Vigilante

Corrections A column published in Friday’s paper under Katelyn Waldshmidt’s name was misattributed. Angela Mathew wrote the column, and Katelyn Waldschmidt’s column is printed in the Viewpoint section today.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Social Concerns Fair Geddes Hall, Coffee House 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Featuring local housing organizations.

Photography Gallery Exhibition Riley Hall of Art and Design 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

By Kristoffer Johnson.

Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Joyce Center 9 p.m.

The Irish take on North Carolina.

Race and Migration Film Festival Vander Vennet Theatre 7 p.m.

Film on Cajun identity.

Women’s Investing Summit Corbett Family Hall 8:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Keynote speakers include Lindsey Vonn.

Japanese Language Table Hagerty Family Cafe 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Learn about Japanese language and culture.

Mardi Gras Celebration South Dining Hall 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Hosted by Campus Ministry and MSPS.

Spotlight Exhibit Hesburgh Library 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Black women activists and athletes in 1970’s feminist magazines.

Theology on Tap Ave Brew 9 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Lecture on theology.

Free drinks for over 21’s.

“Dawn’s Early Light” DPAC 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Musical about an Italian-American family during WWII.

News

MSU Continued from page 1

MSU shooting timeline Though some information about the shooting remains unknown, the Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety (MSU DPPS) released the basic information in a Feb. 14 News Release.

On the night of Monday, Feb. 13 at around 8:18 p.m., the MSU DPPS received the first call reporting an active shooter at Berkey Hall, which is the home of the MSU College of Social Science, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and the Department of Sociology.

A shelter-in-place order was put into immediate action after the call, followed by the aforementioned “secure-inplace” alert which was sent to all members of the MSU community through the MSU Alert system.

While officers were deciphering the Berkey Hall scene, they received reports of additional shots fired at the MSU Union Building, which is used by students as a place to gather together to work or hangout, similar to the Notre Dame Duncan Student Center.

At approximately 11 p.m., the suspected shooter was seen on campus security cameras and their photo was distributed throughout MSU DPPS social media channels and through public media partners by 11:18 p.m.

The suspect was located on campus only 17 minutes after the distribution of the photos to the public.

At approximately 11:35 p.m. the suspected shooter, later identified as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, died from a self-inf licted gunshot wound.

At 12:27 a.m. on Tuesday Feb. 14, a final alert is sent out to the MSU community notifying them that the shelter-in-place order had been lifted, because the suspect was located.

Later that Tuesday, the victims were identified as juniors Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner and sophomore Brian Fraser. Five other unnamed students where critically injured and taken to the hospital.

So far, the MSU shooting has not been categorized as a “mass shooting” by research centers. According to The Violence Project, a nonprofit and nonpartisan research center dedicated to public criminology and data-driven violence prevention, the tragic deaths at MSU do not fall within their definition of a mass shooting.

The Violence Project defines a “mass shooting” as a one in which four or more people are murdered in a public single incident. Based on this definition, The Violence Project

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | The ObserveR

Database has identified nine mass shootings in or around college or university settings since 1966. This does not include the shooting in 2010 at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, the University of North Carolina shooting which took place in 2019 and the most recent Michigan State University shooting.

Currently, no federal government agency is tracking all U.S. college and university shootings in real time, which is why databases like The Violence Project are used to collect and analyze data in hopes of understanding the causes and effects of these deadly events.

What makes the MSU shooting unique, according to the database, is that the shooter had no known connection to the University. In all other college or university shootings, the identified shooter had a connection to either the people or the school they attacked.

Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s respond to MSU shooting On Feb. 14, Father Jenkins released a statement stating that the Notre Dame community’s thoughts and prayers are with the Michigan State University community.

“To the victims of this violence, as well as the many friends and colleagues we have at Michigan State, the prayers and support of the Notre Dame community are with you,” his statement said.

Also on Feb. 14, the Saint Mary’s College official Instagram account posted a statement to their page praying for the healing of the survivors and strength for the families and friends of the victims.

“We pray for physical healing for the survivors and strength for the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this unnecessary tragedy,” the post said.

Saint Mary’s students also received emails from Student Affairs and Campus Ministry on Feb. 14 making them aware of support systems available.

Campus security also stated the steps they would take in case of a similar emergency event.

Students react to MSU shooting Due to the proximity of the tri-campus to Michigan State University in East Lansing, many students have a connection to the University through friends or family. Notre Dame sophomore Olivia Seymour is originally from Traverse City, Michigan, and has many friends that now attend MSU. “One of my good friends literally just dropped out of MSU over winter break,” she said. “But the shooter was right next to her old dorm, the dorm she would have been in, and all her friends were still in

there.”

Seymour went on to describe the feeling of knowing the people you care about are in danger and there is nothing that you can do.

“It was really terrifying,” she continued. “You never know, you never think it’s going to happen to the people that you love until it happens and it’s never been this close before … These people that I’ve known for a long time and I know their families, I was thinking about their mothers,” she said.

Seymour continued, saying, “It being so close to here is really terrifying, just because it feels like it keeps getting closer and closer … and that’s really the punch in the gut.”

Carstyn Barna is a senior at Saint Mary’s and also has several friends that attend MSU. “My friend was heading to the gym and walked right past the building where the shooting was only like minutes before,” she said. “When he got to the gym, he and some other people heard the shots and barricaded the doors and themselves in the gym,” she explained. “It was just really scary to hear.”

When The Observer asked Barna and Seymour if they felt safe on campus, they both said some changes could be made to make both campuses safer.

“Overall I feel pretty safe walking alone at night, but I’ve gotten more aware now, for the most part, I do feel safe, but of course you can’t prevent everything. There are a lot of people that come onto this campus just for visits,” Seymour said.

Seymour went on to discuss her desire for more emergency phones on campus.

“I do wish there were more of the emergency phones, I think there are some on the outskirts, but I do wish they were placed a bit more centrally on campus,” she said.

Similarly, Barna spoke about the lack of light on the Saint Mary’s campus.

“I feel like some of the areas on campus are really dark, there’s not enough lights at night. For my nighttime classes, I normally drive to class, because you just don’t know,” she said.

Notre Dame sophomore Amelia Jaworski went to high school with several people who now attend MSU. Many of her family members also went to MSU, including her parents and a cousin who is currently a senior there.

“Luckily my cousin was home at the time but my friends who live on campus, they were just terrified and in shock,” she said. “They were physically safe, but I’m sure it’s taken a mental toll on them because it’s traumatizing, regardless of if you were directly affected or not.”

When asked how she felt about the fact that the

shooting happened so close, Jaworski said, “I think it’s really scary, considering it’s only, what two and a half hours away or something.

I think it was even more frightening and anxiety provoking for me considering that some of my extended family actually live in East Lansing.”

“The shooter was in several different areas of campus, so you never know, I never really knew what their next target would be … and my family was there,” she said.

When The Observer asked Jaworski if she was concerned about a shooting happening on the tri-campus she said, “I think it’s concerning for all students in general, whether or not they know somebody directly affected by the shooting. I think it’s even more concerning that the shootings are happening more and more frequently around us.”

She continued, “I feel like we hear things, I don’t want to say all the time now, but it’s almost not surprising when it shouldn’t be like that, even the fact that it seems to happen the most on college campuses, high schools or even elementary schools is really scary.”

She describes her concern that some students don’t feel safe on their campuses anymore.

“These shootings are happening more frequently, and it’s really concerning that students don’t even feel safe at a place where they should feel safe. College is four years of their life where it should be their home, but you should feel safe at home and a lot of students don’t,” she said.

When The Observer asked if there was anything Notre Dame could do to make her feel safer on campus, Jaworski said, “I think promoting the safety measures more, specifically what to do in scenarios like what happened at MSU would be really beneficial.”

From her perspective, simple demonstrations of safety and transparency would be welcome.

“I think even urging students to lock their doors at night or to just be more aware of their surroundings would be helpful and advocating for mental health awareness to support the students that were directly affected by this in one way or another.

But also to be more open to communication with students who have concerns about their safety or feel like their safety is at risk,” she said.

News writer Duffy contributed reporting.

Emma to this

Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu

3

Ed Board Continued from page 1

for Saint Mary’s news department since she was a first-year.

This year, she also began working in The Observer’s photo department, covering the sports of the tri-campus community.

In her second term as Saint Mary’s News Editor, she hopes to continue the growth of the department.

Lyons will serve as Viewpoint Editor for the upcoming term.

Originally from the rolling plains of Fort Worth, Texas, she is currently a junior residing in Pasquerilla East Hall. With majors in political science and English, she has been working for The Observer for two years.

During that time, she was a writer for the News and Scene departments and Interim and Associate Scene Editor, covering lectures, off-campus concerts and the latest pop culture phenomena.

Mathew, a junior studying political science with minors in Journalism, Ethics & Democracy and philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), will continue in her role as Manager of Talent & Inclusion. She aims to make The Observer more representative of the tri-campus community and has written about subjects like the Columbus murals in the Main Building, the South Asia Research Group and world cinema. Originally from Mumbai, India, Mathew lives in Pasquerilla West Hall on campus.

McGuinness, a junior in Siegfried Hall from Haddonfield, New Jersey, will be taking the role of Sports Editor. McGuinness is majoring in film, television and theatre with a minor in sport, media and culture. He has been at the forefront of The Observer’s hockey and baseball coverage, with experience writing about numerous Notre Dame and professional sports teams over his three years at the paper. He previously served as an associate sports editor in the 2022-2023 term.

Sayut, a junior living in Lyons Hall and from Melbourne, Florida, will serve as the Graphics Editor. She is a design student with a minor in studio art and musical theatre. Since she started working with The Observer last year, she has enjoyed getting to know the other departments and is excited to continue working with The Observer for the upcoming term.

Sheikh will serve as Notre Dame News Editor. A sophomore in Stanford Hall studying history and political science with minors in Asian studies and Journalism, Ethics & Democracy, he originally hails from Sacramento, California.

In his time as an associate news editor and news writer, he has covered everything from international events to changing University policies.

He will study abroad at Trinity College, Dublin in the fall.

4

NEWS

The observer | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com

Bruenig speaks on death penalty

By ISA SHEIKH Associate News Editor

Elizabeth Bruenig couldn’t make it the first time her talk at Notre Dame was scheduled. Alabama death row inmate Kenneth Smith, who Bruenig had known for a number of months and referred to familiarly as “Kenny,” was scheduled to be executed the day before her lecture — and she was to be a witness.

“I made a commitment to this gentleman to witness his execution.

And I couldn’t break that commitment,” Bruenig said in the opening of her remarks at the Eck Center Auditorium Friday afternoon. “So I had to break this one.”

Bruenig — a prominent voice on the Catholic left and an opinion writer with perches at outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times and most recently, The Atlantic — was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2019.

“Liz writes about a lot of things,” law school professor Rick Garnett said in his introduction to Bruenig.

“Theology and politics, sure, but a lot more, including ‘dangerous liaisons at Yale Law School’ and the mystery illness that felled mid-Atlantic songbirds just as COVID-19 looked as though it might relent.”

In a Nov. 2022 piece for The Atlantic describing Smith’s botched execution, Bruenig reported on the experience.

“There was little he could do to stop it, though his attorneys fought tirelessly against dismal odds to avert it, and his family prayed unceasingly for God to save him from what two other men had already endured,” she wrote of the moments leading up to Smith’s impending execution, more than 30 years after his confession to murder-for-hire.

Though the state of Alabama attempted to end Smith’s life on that day, he is still alive on death row.

“What providence did hold for Smith was a severe and bracing mercy: After two days of back-and-forth among three of the nation’s courts concerning his Eighth Amendment rights and the potential of his impending execution to violate them, Smith was strapped down to a gurney for hours and tortured until his executioners simply gave up on killing him,” she wrote.

In a forty-minute talk sponsored by the Center for Social Concerns delivered to an audience packed to the brim — many stood hugging the walls or doors for lack of seats — Bruenig touched on the moral and spiritual dimensions of the debate surrounding the death penalty.

“We actually make a point to try to get a hold of the most competent, most aware, most healthy people for execution. Their humanity is not a barrier — it’s sort of the point — we want to destroy it. These are lives worth taking,” she said.

Bruenig said that arguments about how incarceration is so brutal that the death penalty might be preferable to convicts — or about the worthlessness of murderers who can no longer provide anything by living — miss key points: both that those sentenced to death almost entirely do not want to die, and

that prisoners change during their incarceration.

“One thing to understand about the men and women of death row is that every one of them has a doppelganger, and I don’t mean an alternate personality responsible for their crimes. What I’m referring to is just an effect of incarceration over a long period of time. For any given inmate, there exists a version of them captured in news coverage and police records and court papers, frozen in the era of their wrongdoing. And utterly defined by it,” Bruenig said.

“But meanwhile, due to the length of most capital sentences — more than half of the people currently sentenced to death in the United States have currently been on death row more than 18 years — the prisoner himself can’t help but change,” she added.

Bruenig also described how age has shaped the prisoners since the crimes that led to their incarceration.

“Plotting aggregate rates of crime against age reveals that there is a sharp increase in criminal activity in mid adolescence, followed by an equally sharp decline in these rates in early adulthood. People appear, in other words, to be most likely to offend as youths and young adults and less likely to offend as mature adults,” she said.

“Thanks to this sometimes decades-long gap between conviction and execution, I often meet prisoners on death row long after this change and many important changes have taken place. Right, I meet them after criminal menopause. These are not the guys who they were when they committed their crimes,” she added.

Bruenig delved into the small minority of death row volunteers, who choose execution over a life sentence, one of which Bruenig witnessed in Mississippi in 2021.

“Oftentimes, the language of trauma is used to describe prisoners’ emotional experiences after their crimes, and studies have

documented symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in men convictedofhomicide,butthisisalso the realm of the soul. Occasionally the burden is too much, and the spiritual change that is affected is in a sense, total collapse,” she said.

Bruenig described the experience of serving as witness to an execution, being driven from a casino in a white van. At the casino, Bruenig waited with Smith’s lawyer and his family.

“So we’re just waiting on the state to call us, and I’m thinking I’m gonna have to really pull it together and be professional for Kenny’s family. I’ve done this many times before, they haven’t. I know what to expect, they don’t. I need to be able to interface with the prison staff who can really be bullies to the family, who they also treat like criminals,” she said.

“But at the same time, I was praying very fervently. I don’t know if anyone else feels like this, but I feel like when I’m praying in this kind of situation, like kind of a delinquent kid who’s got a big favor,” Bruenig recalled.

“And we waited on the call, and it never came. And I have never had this happen to me and the entire time I’ve been reporting on executions. I have never heard of this happening. But the prison never even came and got us. We were never even put into prison grounds. No call, not even taken into that room.

They just let Kenny go,” she said.

The execution was attempted, but ultimately botched.

“They tried to execute him for several hours. They tried to get access to his veins and they failed; they could not access his veins. They tried his hands, his arms, his feet. They took a heavy game surgical needle and put it under his collarbone. Trying to access the subclavian vein here under your neck. They missed. They missed every time,” she recalled.

“I don’t know why that is. It’s a very strange mistake for them to make.”

In an interview with The Observer

Tim Brown Continued from page 1

after the talk, Bruenig discussed balancing her own emotional and spiritual experience with her professional obligations as a journalist.

“I’m praying internally. I’m going through all this stuff emotionally, but you know, what the families need for me and what the guys need from me is to be a professional,” she said.

“So I’m also always taking notes, I’m recording. Last time I went to Alabama, I was handwriting notes the entire time. I was with the attorney and also asking the attorney for emailed copies of Supreme Court decisions and appeals and stays in real time. So anytime he would get an email [notification], I’d be like, ‘Can I have that?

Can I have that notification? Can you just forward me that stays?’

Because I knew, ‘I’m gonna need to document this and its timestamp in my story.’ So I’m always covering ground for the story,” Bruenig said.

“But internally, you have this vast freedom to go to pieces. And I cried in the shower that night. I mean, I just sat down and cried.

But you know, that’s after my obligations.”

She closed her talk with the implications of these moral and human challenges — and about theories of apology and reconciliation.

“To me — much like the idea of reconciliation depends upon everyday apologies to stay alive — so too does the idea of forgiveness depend on the possibility of change. And change depends on the possibility of tomorrow. The lives of people on death row are unique, but not uniquely fit for destruction, in my view. They’re in need of reconciliation and in need of forgiveness. We ourselves are too,” Bruenig concluded.

people don’t follow leadership, they want to point fingers at other folks,” Brown explained, “I’m glad that I decided not to do that.”

Despite all of the awards and accolades he received throughout his football career, Brown felt that something important was missing from his life.

“I realized that all of this good that I thought I was doing, it didn’t mean a thing. Because everything that I am supposed to be doing I should be turning this around and giving it back to God, but I am not.

I’m using it for my benefit, for my enjoyment,” Brown explained.

“That was a problem for me for three, almost four years,” he said.

Brown described how these feelings culminated in a profound spiritual experience.

“I came home one night, I couldn’t sleep, tried to sleep, wanted to sleep, couldn’t sleep. At about 3:30 in the morning, I rolled out of bed and said ‘Lord save me and save me good,’” Brown recounted.

This moment completely recontextualized the way Brown went about his NFL career, influenced his experience of meeting his wife and helped rekindle his relationship with his father, he said.

“It really took the Spirit to show me my dad’s heart for me. The Spirit clearly showed me one time that my dad was doing the best he could,” Brown said.

Although he sometimes struggled with his faith, Brown explained that no matter what, “God made a way.”

For Brown, his focus on leadership and his devout faith go handin-hand. Concluding his remarks, Brown urged the audience to put their faith in God as their leader.

“If you’re looking for an authority figure in your life that’s gonna always 100% lead you in the right direction, I recommend you follow Jesus,” Brown said.

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

Paid Advertisement

New and Old Wars, New and Old Challenges to Peace!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 1 7:00 p.m.

215 | 216 McKenna Hall

Featuring Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, Bishop of San Diego

Join the conversation as Cardinal McElroy, together with Notre Dame faculty, reflects on the war in Ukraine and existing challenges to peace.

A reception will follow the conversation.

go.nd.edu/McElroy

5

The observer | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ROSE ANDROWICH Scene Writer

As I watched “Terraferma” at Saint Mar y’s College (SMC) last Thursday, I saw a beautifully woven stor y about the struggles of immigrants and the Sicilians that tr y to save them. SMC’s Center for Women’s Intercultural Leadership and the department of modern languages and cultures partnered to present a Race and Migration Film Festival, featuring films from different cultures, including ”Terraferma.” I loved the film so much and saw quite a few similarities between the characters and my mother. I called her instantly after the film to tell her about a scene where Ernesto (Mimmo Cuticchio), the patriarch of the family, refused to go to the hospital. But more than the personal things I related to, the film highlighted the tension between what is moral and what is legal.

The landscape on the Sicilian island, Linosa, was beautiful, but the preser vation of a ”pictureperfect” Sicily comes at a price. The residents of Linosa insist on hiding the “ugly” parts of the island for wealthy tourists, and that includes hiding immigrants.

But the unfair treatment of illegal immigrants in “Terraferma” doesn’t just stop at negligence — the law actively punishes those who assist immigrants. As a fisherman, Ernesto faces a moral

By GABI WOODWARD Scene Writer

I can attest to being an extreme “Harr y Potter” fan — I have the posters in my sixth-grade bedroom and have spent an absurd amount of time on WizardingWorld.com. As a frequent v ideo game player, I can definitely say that I have been waiting on a decent “Harr y Potter” game for many years. Though it’s arguable that the LEGO games fulfilled all our hopes and dreams, many were thrilled once “Hog warts Legacy” was announced.

A chance for Warner Bros. to make even more money and exploit my childhood nostalgia? Sign me up.

The game is set far before Harr y and his friends attend Hog warts. Instead, the player takes on the role of a new fifth-year student sometime around the 1890s. It’s important to note that while many (including myself ) have been appalled by J.K. Rowling’s rampant transphobia, “Hog warts Legacy” is much more diverse w ith an array of characters hailing from around the world, including a trans character and a lesbian side-character in the first few hours of gameplay.

It’s hard to not love the magic of the game immediately. With an incredibly detailed Hog warts castle as your sandbox and an array of magical

dilemma when he sees a nearly-capsized raft of Ethiopian migrants. He initially calls the coast guard and follows the law of Sicily, but when four of the migrants jump off, Ernesto follows the laws of the sea. A fisherman must help anyone who is in the water.

If Ernesto’s kind action was discovered by the Sicilian police (aka the Carabinieri), he would be punished for helping illegal migrants and bringing them ashore. So Ernesto’s friend Filippo (Filippo Pucillo) and Filippo’s mother Giulietta (Donatella Finocchiaro) decide to take the migrant family to avoid the legal repercussions, going so far as to risk their house. Their house helps them supplement their income because they rent it out to tourists. The sur v ival of the Ethiopian migrant family and the Sicilian family are intert w ined in “Terraferma.”

In terms of socioeconomic status, southern Italy is much more poor than the wealthier areas in the north. Despite their differences, “Terraferma” suggests there is a clear similarit y bet ween the t wo groups. Both the tourists and the fishermen w ish for a better life, and this is what enables them to understand each other. W hy shouldn’t that be extended to immigrants?

Within the economic struggles are emotional struggles. W hile Giulietta takes care of the migrants, the film notes that she is newly w idowed.

Her late husband Pietro is connected by Giulietta

and Filippo. Filippo learned to be a fisherman like his father and his Nonno. W hen the family’s boat is confiscated, the audience learns it belonged to Pietro. The boat takes on a sy mbolism of sorts.

There is a disagreement about whether the boat should be sold. Giulietta wants to change things after the death of her husband and wants a new life. Filippo and Nonno want things to remain the same. But there is a fascinating third perspective from the island’s entrepreneur, Nino (Giuseppe Fiorello), who believes the family should focus their energ y on the tourism industr y. For this reason, he believes that the boat should be sold. He benefits from the system that hurt others on the island so greatly.

The film prov ided a unique perspective on a serious struggle as a result of the laws. It told the larger stor y of the 100,000 to 200,000 migrants who come to Italy ever y year.

spells to use on a whim, how can you not get sucked into the world right awat? You even get to choose your Hog warts house ! ( Yes, I w ill be playing it at least four times to experience all four.)

W hile the gameplay experience doesn’t change an extreme amount depending on your house, there are some minute differences. Mainly, your house distinguishes your best friend.

That being said, the magic in “Hog warts Legacy” is slightly surface-level. W hile the broom-f ly ing is mesmerizing at first, it doesn’t stay that way; this seems to be a common theme throughout the game. The main character is shallowly designed and easily replaceable. A lthough the game gives players an array of methods to fight opponents in challenging combat, the mechanics get slightly repetitive. There are many different, exciting ways to disarm an opponent: slow ing them w ith ice, shooting them away w ith an explosion spell and even the notorious “Avada Kedava” killing spell. However, these options slowly get repetitive and less user-friendly, as the game consistently sw itches out the spells possible to use. W hile there are many enemies to fight, be prepared to deal w ith intense arachnophobia w ith the number of spiders the game sends after you.

A lso, you w ill be going through the awk ward teenage phase of not being able to dress right.

But instead of enduring the shame of layered tank tops and skinny capris, your character w ill be given an array of pantaloons, scar ves and glasses to increasingly bring dow n their ego. Though fashion is a minor element, be prepared to not be able to take yourself seriously at any point.

However, aside from the few dow nfalls, the game has left many glued to their controllers for a reason. With an expansive open world to explore — from the castle grounds, forest and the tow ns around it — you certainly w ill be satisfied w ith the scener y. Though the plot isn’t life-changing, it remains entertaining enough for at least a second play through.

And you fight dragons, so what more can you really ask for?

Contact Rose at randrowich@saintmarys.edu.

“Terraferma” Starring: Filippo Pucillo, Donatello Finocchiaro Director: Emanuele Crialese If you liked: “Roma,” “Shoplifters”

Contact Gabi at gwoodwa2@nd.edu.

“Hogwarts Legacy” Starring: Sebastian Croft, Amelia Gething Creator: Avalanche Software, Portkey Games If you liked: “Harry Potter”

MEG HAMMOND | The Observer

6

The observer | Monday, February 20, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

Being Anna Anna Hurt Social Media Editor

My name is Anna and I’m a student at the University of Notre Dame.

This is a sentence dozens of girls on this campus, including myself, could say truthfully. Dozens more could say something similar– “my name is Hannah,” or “Annie,” or “Annalise,” or “Annika.” It feels like at least once a day I turn around thinking someone said my name or is trying to get my attention only to find them talking to someone close to me with a similarsounding name.

Being one of many Annas in this Notre Dame bubble has made me think about the messaging most of us receive when we are young. Each person is special.

Each one is unique. Each person has their own set of talents and interests that will allow them to contribute something to the world that no one else has or can possibly give. These phrases were often repeated to us as children, with a special emphasis on the fact that YOU, the person receiving the message, are the most singular and special individual of all.

Despite internalizing these messages as a child, I found myself questioning their true merit when I came to Notre Dame. It is a little hard to admit, but when I got here, I discovered that I truly was one of many. It wasn’t just my name- I shared many qualities with the majority of students here. I love Taylor Swift and The Office and chai lattes. I enjoy swimming and good Mexican food and baking.

And it’s not just my interests that I share with other students. The things I thought I was good at before I got to Notre Dame- reading, writing, critical thinking- are things that many here excel at, and several of these people far surpass me in natural ability and skill.

Although it is difficult to admit, there is a strength in this conformity. There is an advantage to being “basic.” Accepting that you share interests, skills, and even a name with hundreds of others takes some of the pressure those childhood messages put on you in the first place. Even the most talented, intelligent, fascinating person cannot possibly be without similarities to other people. And you don’t have to be completely unique in order to go out in the world and make a valuable contribution.

The truth is that it takes both individuality and commonality to make positive change. You don’t need to put pressure on yourself to prove your uniqueness. Shared interests, qualities, and skills can be a gateway to start working together with other people.

And yes, you have the ability to make a real, positive difference in the world, but this ability can be realized through both similarity and singularity. So, to the dozens of Patricks, Jacks, Marys, Elizabeths and Annas on this campus- it’s ok. It’s kind of nice to be one of many.

Contact Anna at ahurt3@nd.edu.

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

Inside Column

Tenure as the gateway to careless teaching Katelyn Waldschmidt Saint Marys Writer

I’d like to preface this by saying I am not an expert on anything, least of all tenure. But I have been thinking and looking a lot into it lately. From what I understand: W hy is tenure a thing?

From my perspective, it seems like a way for colleges to push professors to do more research and be at the top of their field to earn a job.

This part, I don’t have as much of a problem with. I respect colleges wanting to employ the top people in education. I want to be taught by the best and am a firm believer in continuing education, as most professors must complete to be considered for tenure.

W hat I do have a problem with is the power that professors then assume they have once they are tenured. I am sure we have all heard stories about professors who enforce insane rules but go undisciplined because they have tenure at the school.

On TikTok, it is easy to find many college students who struggle because their tenured professors are not willing to teach or help students — they are only there because resources through the school offer them a means to continue their research. In this video on how tenured professors don’t care about actually teaching, one TikTok user commented that her professor told students not to bother leaving bad reviews because he was tenured, so it wouldn’t matter.

This kind of unchecked power is what bothers me about tenure. W hile tenured professors can be fired, the process of firing a tenured professor is lengthy and complicated. And because of the difficulty of the process and the elevated place in the academic hierarchy tenured professors hold, they often go unchecked.

If I, as a student, suddenly started to just do things how I wanted, ignoring classroom and college policies, I would be penalized, if not expelled. If I ignored policies about what resources were available and just did what I wanted, professors would give me zeros on all my assignments and I would f lunk out of school.

We would hope post-tenure reviews would catch these things, but those are only every five years. An undergraduate student could go through a whole four years of hell in a professor’s class before their behavior was caught in their review. How are we supposed to communicate to the professor what we liked or struggled with in their class? Even if their job is secure, shouldn’t they want to continue

improving and learning?

Like I said, I am not an expert on tenure. The only reason I have recently been digging into it is because of my own experience with a professor who is up for tenure. During a class taught by this professor, I opened up about struggling with balancing my workload with my mental health. I said that I had just been having a hard time lately, so I was sorry my work came in late, but I would be okay after the upcoming break. I will never open up in class again, because this professor made me feel like my mental health didn’t matter over my school work.

After having talked in class about how work had just been overwhelming lately, so I didn’t spend as much time on my assignment as I admittedly should have, the professor sent out an email after class about how “disrespectful” some students (there were five students in this class, including myself ) had admitted to being during class today by not allocating proper time to their work. This was the final straw on an already stressful week, and I had a breakdown so bad, my roommate thought someone had died.

This was over a year ago, but I still think about it frequently. I especially thought back to this incident when I got an email earlier this year, asking if I would fill out a survey rating this professor, as they were up for tenure.

Getting this email infuriated me. This professor, who I was supposed to be able to go to when I was struggling but who turned out to seemingly blame me for struggling... W hy were they being given the opportunity to have a place secured at this school to potentially dismiss the mental struggles of generations of students to come? I guess they would fit in with tenured professors across the country who only care about having the opportunity to continue research, instead of doing their jobs and teaching students.

Like I said, I am not an expert. W hile I have done a bit of research about tenure since my experience, I’m sure there are many complicated ins and outs that I am unaware of. And maybe it was just that one experience that gave me a bad taste. But I pay a lot of money to attend college. I expect to be treated like a human being while trying to get a higher education, not just another student in a class that a professor doesn’t care about because their job is secure.

Contact Katelyn at kwaldschmidt01@saintmarys. edu.

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

Interested in Viewpoint?

Contact us at viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

The observer | Monday, February 20, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

Secure in Him Andrew Sveda Church and State

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). After describing his thankfulness to God and his joy in the Philippians’ continuance in the gospel, Paul in this verse rejoices in their future, confident that God will keep and sustain them, continue to work in and change them and bring them to glory.

Put differently, God began a work of spiritual transformation, and He will not abandon what He started in them but will bring it to its desired end: glorification and eternal life with Him. This is not a probability or likelihood but a promise and certainty. It is not the usual modus operandi, but has exceptions. It is a guarantee that all who have been born again of the Spirit will be saved and enter Heaven’s gates; none who have truly repented and believed in Jesus and His finished work on the cross for their salvation will fall away and be lost. They are eternally secure in God and will persevere to the end. This teaching is not only established in this verse but is found throughout the Bible (e.g., Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; John 6:39-40, 10:27-29, 17:12; 1 John 2:19; 2 Timothy 2:18-19, 4:17-18; 1 Peter 1:45). Those who are truly in Christ now can have confidence that God will keep them, never let them go and bring them to be with Him forever.

There are objections to this, of course. How can I know, for example, that this applies to me and not only to the Philippians? But remember that Paul’s confidence in this verse is not based on the people at all but on God, “he who began a good work in you.” It is a certainty based on who God is, that He is not half-hearted but deliberate in what He does. He has a purpose and never fails to finish what He starts (Romans 8:29-30). Other passages that discuss God sustaining His people to

the end are immediately followed by assurances that “God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:24). God’s faithfulness and purpose in salvation ground a hope and promise that is for all believers.

Others may believe that God does work to sustain them, but that they are still free to fall away and apostatize. But if that were true, it would have already happened. Our love for Christ is so small.

Do you not see your heart in those words, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave to God I love?” One bad day, one sleepless night is enough to show us how terrible our hearts are and how spiritually destitute we are without Jesus. We truly do need Him every hour. And this is to say nothing of attacks from demonic forces, which we would be helpless against apart from Christ. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If any part of our perseverance rested on our spiritual strength and love for Christ, we would have been lost a long time ago. Additionally, when we look back at our Christian walk, we see how many times we could have easily fallen away were it not for God’s sovereign hand. It is only by grace and grace alone that we have continued in the faith — and will continue to the end.

This leads to us an important truth: it is ultimately God’s hold of us, not our hold of Him, that keeps and sustains us to the end. While we are called to actively persevere (Hebrews 10:36), it is not our efforts that ensure our salvation, but He who sustains (1 Corinthians 1:8) and guards us (1 Peter 1:5). Our power to keep ourselves is absolutely pitiful, but God’s keeping of us is power and effectual. If you can fall away, God’s keeping could not guarantee that you — or anyone at all — will be saved. But that’s not how the Bible sees it.

While the connection between free will and God’s sovereignty is complex, Jesus clearly thought that if God holds someone, they could never fall away and perish. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of

my hand” (John 10:28). “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:39). “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

Additionally, Christians may backslide and wander, but it is He who ensures that their “faith may not fail” and that they will return (Luke 22:32). The Shepherd will bring back His wandering sheep “for it is not the will of my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14). Christians are called to holiness, but praise God that He “remains faithful” even when we are not (2 Timothy 2:13). We could have no hope otherwise.

When we imagine we are strong, this teaching seems superf luous, annoying even. But when we see our real condition, that we are hopelessly weak, that we cannot continue in the faith for a year, a day, a minute without Him, nothing could be more relieving and comforting than to know that Christ keeps us every moment and will never let us go. A man may scoff at a boat if he thinks he can swim to shore. But the despairing, drowning man cries with joy to see it. Let it drive us to our knees in worship, how He keeps us and grows us in Him day by day, knowing with the certainty Paul had that we will in but a little while be on our knees praising Him face to face in Heaven. “O love that will not let me go!”

Andrew Sveda is a senior at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in political science and theology. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter.

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

The beauty of self-care Isabelle Kause Simple Beauty

So much of our lives is spent doing things that don’t allow us to always take proper time for ourselves. As college students, we worry so much about our futures— securing internships, studying for law school or medical school, lining up post-graduation jobs and so much more. Aside from thinking about the future, much of our time is also spent with what consumes us on a day-to-day basis. Studying for exams, writing papers, completing research projects and sometimes pulling all-nighters to finish up assignments is some thing I know many of us are familiar with.

Whether it’s from an academic or a social standpoint, I think in college especially there’s always this urge to say yes to everything out of fear of not wanting to miss out and not wanting to fall behind. Oftentimes, if we say yes to everything, we end up spread too thin, sleep deprived and left with very little time for ourselves.

While my academics have always been important to me, recently, I have also learned the value in taking time for yourself. There’s something so important about taking the time to reset and refresh. It makes you a better person, and it makes it easier to focus on the things that can become so time consuming, like exams and projects.

This past week, like many others, I was swamped with midterms and papers. I spent most of my time studying, to the point where I realized I was severely sleep deprived by the end of the week. I even once went to bed at 7:00 AM and woke up three hours later

for my first class. It’s safe to say that day was pretty rough for me. By the end of the week, I couldn’t wait to sleep. I felt I could sleep forever — and that’s not an exaggeration.

In my state of intense sleep deprivation, I started thinking about the things that I do (or should do) in order to prioritize self-care, as well as the things that my friends do to prioritize self-care. Given that I am writing this on Sunday, aka the day I deem Self-Care Sunday, I thought I’d share the top five things I do to prioritize self-care: Go for a walk We live on such a beautiful campus, surrounded by so much green space. I often find that going for a walk around campus or around the lake provides me with the best time for self-reflection. I still have this pinchme moment every time I walk past the Dome. I realize it is important to enjoy the moment and make the most of everything, because it doesn’t last forever.

Do some skincare Anyone that knows me well knows that I am obsessed with skincare. I am constantly researching new techniques and am always down to try out the newest products. Skincare is something I’ve realized you have to be consistent with if you want to see the best results. Even though it is something so quick, taking 10 minutes at the beginning and end of each day to do my skincare is something that really helps me take a step back and de-stress. In my opinion, skincare is self-care.

Take time to call your family Oftentimes, I feel like I am so busy that I rarely have time to make phone calls. Whenever I do make those calls to my family, though, I am reminded of how much I needed it and how much they appreciated it.

Your family and friends are arguably some of your biggest supporters, so prioritizing them is a huge part of self-care.

Enjoy a lowkey night with friends The other night, instead of going out, my friend and I decided to stay in and watch a movie. Prior to watching the movie, we ordered food and headed over to the Huddle to grab some of our favorite snacks. While our night was different from most nights, it really allowed us to make self-care a priority, all the while enjoying time with one another.

Take a trip to the Grotto Whenever I am feeling stressed out, I find that taking a trip to the Grotto, whether it’s in the afternoon or sometimes as late as 2 AM, helps me de-stress. It’s a time where distractions are minimal. My phone is put away, and in that moment, I take the time to just simply be. I think about my worries and stresses and pray for God’s guidance. I find that whenever I leave from a trip to the Grotto, I feel refreshed, as well as a sense of newfound calmness.

There are many ways to prioritize self-care, and each person has their own unique way that works for them.

Whatever it might be for you, I encourage you to take time out of your week for yourself and your own wellbeing.

Isabelle Kause is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying sociology and minoring in journalism. When she’s not busy, you can find her listening to country music or Taylor Swift or trying out new makeup/skincare products. She can be reached at ikause@nd.edu.

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

8

Sports

The observer | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Women’s Lacrosse

ND MEN’s Tennis

Irish go 2-0 on weekend versus Wisconsin

By MATTHEW CROW Sports Writer

Notre Dame men’s tennis enjoyed a successful weekend that saw them earn a pair of wins at home Saturday afternoon. Looking to bounce back after a defeat from Illinois the previous weekend, the Irish battled to a comeback victory against Wisconsin before sweeping UIC. With the wins, they improved to 7-3 on the season.

Entering Saturday, Notre Dame knew to take nothing for granted in their first match of the day against Wisconsin. Like the Irish, the Badgers (5-4) came into the weekend after a disappointing road trip, having dropped matches against Alabama and Auburn. They featured a deep, experienced squad that would serve as a tough test for an Irish team looking to get back on track.

“Wisconsin has a really veteran team,” Notre Dame head coach Ryan Sachire said after the match.

“They’re very experienced and they’ve played a lot of college tennis. We knew that they would compete hard, we knew they would play really good doubles.

They’re strong at all six positions and we anticipated a challenge.”

The Irish got off to a strong start when freshman Sebastian Dominko and senior Connor Fu opened the match with a 6-2 win in No. 1 doubles against Wisconsin’s top duo of Gabriel Huber and Michael Minasyan, ranked No. 21 nationally. Dominko and Fu continued their dominant play as a doubles pair, winning their seventh match in a row and improving to 9-1 on the year. From there, though, the Badgers showcased their doubles prowess.

Notre Dame’s No. 2 pair of senior Matt Halpin and junior JeanMarc Malkowski were defeated 6-2. Soon after, senior Matt Che and sophomore Yu Zhang fell 6-3 on court No. 3, sealing the doubles point for Wisconsin.

W hile the Irish didn’t get the doubles result they wanted, Sachire expressed confidence that the pairs will figure things out as the season progresses.

“It still is a work in progress for us right now,” he said. “Certainly we’re open to always looking at tweaking partnerships or combinations, but I like those combinations. All of them have won in the past. It’s just [a matter of ] getting

everybody on the same page and playing well at the same time.”

Undeterred by the early 1-0 deficit, Notre Dame put together some of their best singles play of the season.

Dominko, ranked No. 23 nationally, continued his sensational freshman year, rolling to a 6-4, 6-1 win on court No. 1 over Wisconsin’s Jared Pratt, an All-Big Ten honoree last year. The Badgers regained a 2-1 advantage when Irish sophomore Jamison Corsillo fell 6-2, 7-5 on court No. 6, but that would be their last win of the afternoon.

Malkowski battled hard in a back-and-forth No. 2 singles match before taking over in the deciding set to win 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. Saturday represented Malkowski’s first match of the year after injuries held him out of the entire fall season and the early part of the spring. He was expected to play No. 3 singles, but was elevated to the No. 2 spot after Che exited the match following doubles play due to injury.

Sachire was impressed with the junior’s performance in his first game action in more than nine months.

“W hat an effort from that guy,” Sachire said about Malkowski. “First real match in a college setting since the NCA A Championships last May. That’s the most tennis he’s played in a while, volume-wise and certainly the most intense. Those were barriers he was kind of crossing for the first time since coming back from the injury.”

Sachire praised his resiliency in responding to a tough second set and bringing home the win, noting that it “speaks volumes of his competitiveness and his character.”

Those two qualities were put on display by several Irish players, as Notre Dame would go 4-0 in matches decided in three sets. On court No. 5, Zhang won 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, putting the Irish one win away from clinching the match. Fu got Notre Dame the win they needed on court No. 3, coming from behind to claim a hard-fought 2-6, 7-6, 6-1 victory. “[Fu’s] been playing really well all year and has built up a base of confidence, so I think even though he got down a set and a break 4-3 [in the second set], he always believed he could win, and that’s a powerful, powerful tool,” Sachire said. “He kept playing, kept competing,

kept battling and was able to get back in that second set and pull it out. He was certainly one of the guys that led us yesterday, and ultimately his match was probably the one that f lipped the overall team match for us.”

With the team victory in hand, Notre Dame graduate student Addy Vashistha made the final score 5-2 in the Irish’s favor after winning 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 on court No. 4.

But Notre Dame’s work was not yet finished, as they quickly prepared to face off with UIC less than two hours later. Carrying a sense of confidence after defeating Wisconsin, the Irish had no trouble with the Flames, completing a 4-0 sweep.

Dominko and Fu started things off with their second doubles win of the day, and the pair of Halpin and freshman Evan Lee added a victory to give the doubles point to the Irish. In singles, Dominko, sophomore Brian Bilsey and freshman Noah Becker won in straight sets. The remaining singles matches went unfinished with the match’s outcome decided.

Sachire took away many positives from the Irish’s performance, especially in regard to their mental toughness and ability to win tight individual matches — like they did against Wisconsin.

“I’m really, really proud of our guys. In the middle of the match [against Wisconsin], it just seemed like our team took a stand and said, ‘We’re gonna win this thing,’” he said. “In matches where it’s nip and tuck and the margins are thin, it’s going to come down to the teams that compete the best in those big moments. I think the confidence we can take from [Saturday], that experience and really feeling like we f lexed our muscle toward the end of that match at several spots, is something we can always draw on.”

Notre Dame will have their first opportunity to draw on that confidence Thursday. The Irish host No. 4 Michigan and will look to hand the undefeated Wolverines their first loss of the season. The match will begin at 6 p.m. at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

Irish roll over Central Michigan

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

Perhaps inspired by the unseasonably sunny South Bend skies and the first outdoor game of the season that ensued, Notre Dame women’s lacrosse put forward their most dominant performance of the young season. The team bested Central Michigan 24-5 at Arlotta Family Lacrosse Stadium Sunday.

The scoring started early, with junior midfield Kristen Shanahan finding the back of the net just 30 seconds after the opening whistle. Central Michigan would knot the score at one just a few minutes later, but that would be the last Chippewa look at goal for a long time. The newly-tied score set forth an avalanche of Irish offense, with the Irish ripping off a run of 14 unanswered goals that would last until halftime.

Notre Dame spread the offense around in their 15-1 run to start the game in the first half. Nine different Irish players got on the scoresheet in the first 20 minutes alone.

That theme of spreading the goals around would continue into the third and fourth quarters. Six different Irish players notched multi-goal games, with three players tallying hat tricks (or, in Jackie Wolak’s case, better — the senior had four goals).

After the game, head coach Christine Halfpenny discussed her squad’s offensive depth.

“We’re old on our offensive end,” Halfpenny said. “And not just our starting unit. Today, we were able to see our second unit come in and do a lot of damage. I think we had 15 players got on the scoresheet today in some way, shape or form. That’s a big deal. It allows us to maybe pocket some

WBB Continued from page 12

cases, well below. That should help set the Irish up well for their pivotal final two games of the regular season. The Irish are currently tied with Duke atop the ACC with a 13-3 record in conference play. Notre Dame has a mixed schedule to end the season — a home match against struggling Georgia Tech and a pivotal clash at Louisville, the conference’s fourth-best team, just 10 days after their epic

timeouts and utilize our depth and our experience.”

Even as Central Michigan found a late spark to the tune of three fourth quarter goals, the Irish dominance continued. Despite several late spells of possession from the Chippewas, Notre Dame still ended the game with a gaudy 37-9 advantage in shots and a 24-8 advantage in draw controls.

Looking ahead, Notre Dame will move on to their first ACC test of the season. Clemson is slated to travel to South Bend next Sunday, a chance for Notre Dame to gauge their level against a conference foe.

The Irish are coming off two blowout wins and a loss to one of the best teams in the country in Northwestern.

Halfpenny mentioned after the game her team’s ability to keep the focus on themselves rather than the opposition, despite the wide range in the caliber her squad has faced: “I think the reality is, we are in the pursuit of consistency in playing our brand of lacrosse no matter who we’re playing against,” Halfpenny said. “Our players, with the veteran experience they have, know what to expect in the ACC. Our focus remains on us.”

Clemson will enter South Bend with an undefeated record through three games, but the Tigers are yet to play a power-five opponent. With the Clemson match setting off a stretch of four ACC tests, the Irish will be looking to set the tempo for their conference slate early on.

Notre Dame women’s lacrosse will be back in action Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. The match will be broadcasted on the ACC Network.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

overtime match last Thursday.

The defining moments of Notre Dame’s season will almost certainly happen after those games. But the Irish can create an easier path through the ACC and NCAA Tournament if they can edge out Duke for the regular season crown. Thanks to Notre Dame’s first blowout win in weeks — both from a rest and a confidence standpoint — that path became a little bit easier.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

DAILY

ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

9

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Take the high road and do what’s right. Focus on home and family, and broaden your ability to get ahead. Choose to think big, but live within your budget. Set high standards and principles; all your hard work will start to pay high dividends. Refuse to let what others do or think stand between you and victory. Your numbers are 4, 11, 24, 28, 32, 38, 44.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Show passion, intelligence and initiative to attract outside interest. The best way to get others to recognize your talents is to use them to help those you want on your team. Walk away from someone who is a hindrance.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Plan to have some fun, but take care of unfinished business first so you can enjoy your downtime. An energetic plan will allow you to use your intelligence, coordination and skill to outmaneuver anyone who challenges you. Set the stage for new beginnings.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Check your options, find a way to market your offer and proceed. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Share your enthusiasm along with a fully operational plan, and doors will open. Don’t let a romantic gesture confuse you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Check out other life decisions to see what you’re missing. The more aware you are of your options, the more likely you are to find success. Travel will spark your imagination, give you hope and bring you in touch with someone influential.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Do whatever it takes to close a deal, refresh ideas or protect your assets. A partnership will positively influence how you live and what you decide to do next. Take the initiative to get what you want.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Spend time with someone you love. A trip or educational pursuit will give you hope for a brighter future. An assertive response to what others want will help you control the results. Put anger aside if someone confronts the decisions you make.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Reassess your situation and how others react.

Take an innovative approach to foreseeable problems and ward off someone who likes to meddle. A creative project will raise awareness of your talents and what you do next.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be smart, ask questions and be resourceful.

If you let your heart lead the way and trust your emotions, you will face personal and financial mishaps. Get along with loved ones and let inevitable changes unfold naturally; everything will fall into place.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t follow someone’s lead. Consider what brings you joy and take that path. Focus on being and doing your best and surrounding yourself with people encouraging you to follow your heart.

Have fun and live life your way.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take the lead and don’t stop until you reach your chosen destination. A confident attitude will help you draw attention and support. Personal and financial gain are within reach, and everything you do will bring you closer to your dreams, hopes and wishes.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take a leadership position. Your involvement in activities, games and events will test your skills. Accept a challenge and prepare to win. Respond quickly to challenges and show off your versatility and abilities. A personal change will attract compliments.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your reluctance to share information will place you in a precarious position. Interact with others to gain insight into what’s next. Build stronger relationships with those having as much to offer as you do. Romance is apparent, but first establish your partner’s status.

Birthday Baby: You are competitive, intuitive and loyal. You are proud and charitable.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Support student journalism.

Donate to The Observer. ndsmcobserver.com/donate

Square Comic | XXX

Work Area

Make checks payable to and mail to:

The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556

Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross communities. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the three campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip

10

Sports

The observer | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND MEN’s Lacrosse

ND Track and field

Irish win big at home

By PETER BREEN Sports Writer

Notre Dame men’s lacrosse defeated Cleveland State 18-8 Sunday afternoon in Arlotta Stadium. The third-ranked Irish improved to 2-0 on the season and extended the program’s win streak to eight straight games — the longest active streak for any men’s Division I team.

Under the South Bend sun, the Kavanagh brothers, sophomore attack Chris and senior attack Pat, shined — and not just because of their golden helmets. The two Kavanaghs combined for 16 points. While Chris tallied four goals and four assists, Pat picked up a game-high six assists in addition to two goals of his own.

The opening 11 minutes of play were anything but indicative of the Irish onslaught to come in quarters two through four. Viking senior goalie Cameron Logan, who collected half of his 16 total saves in the first quarter, did his best to block any Irish momentum from accumulating.

Just over a minute into the matchup, junior midfielder Bryce Walker put Notre Dame on the board first. About five minutes later, Cleveland State senior attack Ryan Haigh knotted the score back at one. It would take another five minutes after Haigh’s point for the Irish to finally start picking things up.

A goal by senior midfielder Reilly Gray lifted the Irish back ahead 2-1 with four minutes remaining in the first quarter. The media timeout directly after Gray’s

MBB Continued from page 12

w ith six minutes remaining. The Irish faced the same scenario at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, and they remained in the fight once again. Laszewski buried another three, then Goodw in used his signature turnaround jumper to pull the Irish w ithin three.

Dow n the stretch, Virginia checked just about all the boxes for giv ing away a late lead. In the final six minutes, the Cavaliers went one-for-eight from the field. But the Irish failed to capitalize w ith shot-making of their ow n. Graduate guard Kihei Clark, who had set U VA’s program for assists earlier in the day, put the Cavaliers up 57-54 at the free throw line, and Notre Dame had its chance to tie in the final 20 seconds. Goodw in missed his

goal proved quite the turning point.

The Kavanagh brothers stuck immediately out of the break. First Chris assisted a Pat goal, and less than 10 seconds later, Chris scored off a Pat assist. With only a minute having passed from the game clock, the Irish had suddenly fashioned a 4-1 lead from a 1-1 ballgame.

A couple minutes later, sophomore midfielder Ben Ramsey would net his first collegiate goal, securing a 5-1 advantage for Notre Dame at the close of quarter one.

Cleveland State junior Gavin Held drew first blood three minutes into the second, propelling the Vikings back within striking distance. However, Notre Dame responded with three unanswered goals over the rest of the second period — one by Walker, one by Pat Kavanagh and one by Chris Kavanagh.

At halftime, the Irish stood firmly ahead, 8-2.

Chris Kavanagh, the game’s leading scorer, earned a hat trick about 30 seconds into the third and then punched in his fourth goal of the afternoon three and a half minutes later. Next, scores by graduate student midfielder Quinn McCahon and junior midfielder Eric Dobson lifted Notre Dame to a 10-goal lead, 12-2, with just over nine minutes remaining in period three.

The Irish and the Vikings would go on to trade goals during the non-conference matchup’s remaining minutes. By the end of the third quarter, the Irish were ahead 14-4. At game’s end, Notre

Dame held out on top, 18-8.

In addition to Chris Kavanagh, Dobson and McCahon brought home hat tricks. Senior goalie Liam Entenmann finished the day with the win, six goals allowed and seven saves.

Head coach Kevin Corrigan said he wasn’t too concerned about the Irish’s slow-scoring start.

“The only difference between this game and the last game was that last game, the first five shots went in, and this game, the guy made four saves, two of which he never saw,” Corrigan said.

Corrigan added that although his players weren’t finishing the ball perfectly, he was happy about the way they were playing.

“We were getting good shots,” Corrigan said. “We were playing well. We didn’t feel any sense of panic or anything. The ball just wasn’t going in the goal. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes it doesn’t.”

Regarding the Kavanagh brothers’ performance, Corrigan said he was impressed, despite not paying much attention to statistics.

“They’re such competitors,” Corrigan said. “They really just so consistently make the right play that you’re almost like shocked when they don’t… The way they kind of raise the level of their teammates is really good.”

The still-flawless Irish travel to Washington, D.C. Friday to take on the twelfth-ranked Georgetown Hoyas at noon.

three, U VA grabbed the rebound and the Irish were really up against it. But Gardner clanked the front end of his one-and-one trip to the line, keeping ND w ithin three.

Virginia smartly fouled graduate guard Trey Wertz, allow ing him to shoot only two free throws dow n three. With 3.9 seconds left, he made the first and missed the second. The rebound def lected back to Wertz, who pushed the ball out to the left w ing, where Goodw in was left alone. He fired off the game-w inning three, but it banged off the heel to seal another excruciating Irish loss.

Both Notre Dame (39.2%) and Virginia (36.5%) shot poorly from the field, as indicated by the final score.

They were especially disappointing from distance, entering the game as top three ACC three-point shooting teams but hitting at sub-30

percent clips on Saturday.

Nate Laszewski once again paced the Irish w ith 18 points, also grabbing eight rebounds for the third straight game. The 6-10 forward has now scored 16plus points in five of his last six games. Dane Goodw in (12) also reached double figures for the 13th time in his last 15 games. On the Virginia side, Kihei Clark led the way w ith 15 points, knocking dow n six of eight foul shots.

The Irish now turn their attention to Wednesday’s home clash w ith North Carolina (16-11, 8-8).

America’s preseason number one fell to No. 23 NC State on Sunday and currently sits on the w rong side of the NCA A Tournament bubble. Notre Dame fell 81-64 to the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill on Jan. 7. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.

ET on ESPN and the Notre Dame Radio Net work.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

ND breaks two school records

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

The Irish track and field team returned to action this weekend at the Alex Wilson Invitational from the Loftus Sports Center.

Head coach Matt Sparks was pleased with the performances across the board as his athletes tried to hit conference-qualifying times and marks.

“For a lot of kids, the goal of the meet was getting them on the bus to go to the conference meet next week,” Sparks said.

“We wanted them to either hit a conference-qualifying mark or nationals-qualifying mark. We had a few kids that achieved that.”

One of the best results on the day came in the women’s distance medley relay race, where the team of senior Katie Thronson, junior Eve Balseiro, graduate student Katie Ryan and junior Olivia Markezich set a school record time of 10:50.41 and won the event.

Sparks said that coming into the meet, he hoped his runners would achieve a national qualifying mark, and they didn’t set time goals beyond that.

“Coming into that event, the goal was to get a NCAAqualifying mark, and we knew that we probably needed to run under 10:53 to do that.

That was the ultimate goal — we didn’t want to set any bigtime goals. We just wanted to make sure we were safely in,” Sparks said.

Sparks credited the success of the women’s DMR in large part to Thronson, who is a new boost to the 1200m leg of the race.

“We had some new pieces on there from previous years.

The big thing that has really set us apart from previous years is our 1200m leg in Katie Thronson. She is another level from what we have traditionally had on that leg. That’s going to allow us, when we get to the national meet, to be one of the big players,” he said.

Sparks also credited Markezich, who is one of the best milers in the country.

“We have Olivia Markezich on the end, and she can close the gap on anybody in the country,” Sparks said.

The other big performance of the day came from junior Michael Shoaf, who took first place and set a school record with a throw of 20.05 meters in shot put. Shoaf also finished second in the weight throw with a throw of 19.85 meters.

Shoaf has continued to impress Sparks throughout the

season, despite having a new throws coach this year.

“It was a huge day for him,” Sparks said. “He has gone through a coaching change in the last six months. It’s a very similar philosophy in the training, but there’s obviously still a new face there directing the training. He hasn’t missed a beat in this transition. He’s been a very stable young man for us for four years, and I hope to keep him around for a fifth year next year. He just keeps taking steps every season that goes by.”

Sparks hopes Shoaf can take a big step at the national meet in a couple of weeks.

“The next big step for him is that he has been to the national meet before, but now let’s go there and make an impact.

That would be finishing topeight, which is first team AllAmerican and scoring points for your team,” Sparks said.

“We will look for him to do that in three weeks.”

Sparks also noted that he has enjoyed watching the men’s distance medley team develop this year, despite having entirely new faces from a year ago.

“The other group that’s really coming into their own that we really didn’t have a lot of expectations for is the men’s distance medley relay,” Sparks said. “We had to replace the entire top-four from our NCAA runner-up team a year ago.”

Although Sparks acknowledged that Olympian and 2022 graduate Yared Nuguse can’t be replaced on the anchor leg, he has been impressed by the development of freshmen Daelen Ackley and C.J. Singleton.

“You can’t replace Yared Nuguse on the anchor leg, but we have had a couple of freshmen really step up and run really well. Daelen Ackley and C.J. Singleton have really risen to the occasion and are improving every week. Hopefully that relay can continue to improve for years to come,” Sparks said.

Other notable results from Saturday include sophomore Madison Schmidt taking first in the high jump with a mark of 1.72 meters. On the track, freshman Caroline Lehman and senior Shae Douglas won the 3000m race and 60m dash, respectively.

The Alex Wilson Invitational wraps up the indoor track regular season, and the Irish will begin the postseason this weekend when they travel to Louisville for the ACC Championships.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at nmoller2@nd.edu

Paid Advertisement

The ESTEEM Graduate Program Virtual Info Sessions

General Information

FIX THINGS THAT MATTER

Learn more about Notre Dame's M.S. in Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship from our Students & Alumni.

Upcoming Session

Time & Date

Notre Dame & the IDEA Center

Wednesday, February 22 11:00 a.m

Final Questions/Drop-in Office Hours

Monday, February 27 12:00 p.m

General Information

Saturday, March 4 11:00 a.m

General Information

Thursday, March 9 1:00 p.m

Final Questions/Drop-in Office Hours

Monday, March 13 7:00 p.m

REGISTER HERE

12

The observer | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023 | ndsmcobserver.com

nd Women’s basketball

Irish shut down Panthers in second-biggest blowout of the season

By ANDREW MGUINNESS Associate Sports Editor

Over the last few weeks, Notre Dame women’s basketball has mostly done what they have all season: win. But ever since graduate student guard Dara Mabrey’s career-ending ACL injury on Jan. 22, they have not quite looked like the same team. Upset losses to North Carolina State and Duke. Nailbiting victories against teams in the bottom half of the ACC standings like Pittsburgh and Syracuse. Yes, it’s important to learn how to win in close games. Those are the types of games this Irish team should find themselves in if they meet expectations of a deep NCAA Tournament run. But it is also important to take care of business against inferior teams.

For example, scoring nearly as many points in the first half as you allow against the worst team in the conference. That was the type of convincing victory the Irish needed. And it is the victory they earned on Sunday afternoon, trouncing Pitt on the road by a final score of 83-43. That 40-point margin

of victory is the second largest of Notre Dame’s season. Only their 108-44 victory against Merrimack College on Dec. 10 was a bigger blowout.

It is not a coincidence that one of Notre Dame’s best games of 2023 coincided almost perfectly with the return of graduate student center Lauren Ebo. Ebo officially returned from injury after missing five games on Jan. 16 against Louisville, but played just five minutes. Her usage climbed a little bit more on Sunday. But just as importantly, Ebo delivered one of her most efficient games of the season. She scored 10 points in 12 minutes on 3-5 shooting while collecting six rebounds.

The Irish played a very balanced, teamwork-heavy game on both ends of the floor. All nine Irish players who played for at least five minutes registered between five and 13 points.

Sophomore guard Sonia Citron and junior forward Maddy Westbeld paced the Irish with 13 points each.

Sophomore guard Olivia Miles had a rare tough day from the field, shooting just 3-13 and missing five of her six

three-point tries. However, she still contributed, leading the Irish with 11 rebounds and five assists.

Ultimately, defense led the day for the Irish. While Pitt has the third-worst scoring offense in the ACC, the Irish held the Panthers to their second-lowest point total of the season. The Panthers shot a putrid 28% and were -20 in points scored off turnovers. All 10 Panthers who played at least seven minutes finished with a plus/minus rating of -10 or worse. After taking an early 6-5 lead just over three minutes in, the Irish went on a 19-2 run to end the first quarter. Over the final 16 minutes of the quarter, Pitt scored just 10 points. Ebo’s return helped Notre Dame bully Pittsburgh on the glass, out-rebounding the Panthers 48-26 and tallying 16 second-chance points to Pitt’s three.

The rout allowed head coach Niele Ivey to give some of her top players time off. All four of Notre Dame’s leading scorers played below their season average in minutes — in some see WBB PAGE 8

MARY VOTAVA | The Observer

Irish sophomore guard Olivia Miles dribbles the ball down the court versus Pittsburgh on Feb. 9, winning the game with a score of 69-63.

nd men’s basketball

Irish take No. 7 Virginia to the wire, fall 57-55

By TYLER REIDY Sports Writer

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish graduate guard Trey Wertz shoots against the Michigan State Spartans on Nov. 30, 2022, helping lead his team to victory 70-52.

There are no moral victories in college basketball, but there is something to be said for what Notre Dame men’s basketball has been doing away from Purcell Pavilion. The Irish have visited 19-plus win teams in three of their last four road games. They lost 85-82 to No. 23 NC State on Jan. 24, fell 68-64 in Duke’s hostile environment last Tuesday and most recently battled No. 7 Virginia to a 57-55 loss Saturday afternoon. Despite having to play through an unexpectedly rotten season, Notre Dame has not shied away from the nastiest challenges. Even as doubledigit underdogs, the Irish have taken expectedly stronger opponents to the brink on multiple occasions. Saturday’s game at John Paul Jones Arena was perhaps their best opportunity to rock the ACC with an upset.

From the start, the contest had all the makings of a defensive dogfight. Neither team hit a field goal for nearly

the first two minutes, with Irish graduate guard Cormac Ryan finally breaking the ice from deep. Notre Dame took an early 5-4 lead, but a near four-minute shooting drought allowed Virginia to build a four-point lead of their own.

The Cavaliers would go on to hold the lead for over 33 of the game’s 40 minutes, making the road test all the more difficult for ND. Offensive production picked up briefly before the under-12 media timeout, as five combined threes went down in just over two minutes of game time. Graduates Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin, Notre Dame’s strongest scorers on the day, contributed the Irish triples.

The visitors trailed 17-15 at the first half’s midway point, but would not come closer before halftime. Notre Dame endured a one-for-nine shooting stretch, with junior forward Matt Zona providing the only offense over a nine-minute span. That stagnation allowed Virginia to expand its lead to nine. The damage could have

been worse, but the ‘Hoos battled a pair of multi-minute scoring droughts in conjunction with Notre Dame’s. In the first half’s final two minutes, the Irish finally broke through.

Ryan drilled a three-ball, Laszewski scored a quick layup and graduate guard Marcus Hammond earned two just before the buzzer. With that clapback, the Irish trailed 29-25 at halftime. Neither team shot better than 40% from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.

It didn’t take long for Notre Dame to grab the second half lead. Nate Laszewski finished out a 13-2 Irish run by scoring four consecutive points, setting up a 31-29 Irish advantage. Laszewski and Goodwin contributed 13 of 17 Irish points to begin the half, but the Cavaliers answered with a one-two punch of their own.

Fifth year forward Jayden Gardner and senior guard Armaan Franklin scored 13 consecutive points, helping Virginia build a 53-45 lead see MBB PAGE 10