Junior Parents Weekend isn’t onesize-fits-all

Junior Parents Weekend is an opportune time to reflect on nearly three full years under the Golden d ome. For n otre d ame students who began their college careers under the shadow of steep cov I d -19 infection rates and assiduous here ambassadors, the weekend is an opportunity for families to come together and celebrate how much the class of 2024 has grown. b ut as juniors prepare for the festivities, we must acknowledge this weekend is not easy for everyone.

The name alone implies that students have two parents with the financial means to travel to s outh b end and shell out nearly $300 for both of them to attend programming. For many students, this is simply not feasible.

o n top of the cost, the University assumes a certain level of knowledge about JPW and the University itself, and those with an existing family connection to the University are more likely to feel welcomed by the programming. n otre d ame is known for admitting a high number of legacy students — students with a parent or close relative that attended the same institution. e ach n otre d ame class typically consists of 20 to 25% who are children of alumni. It can sometimes feel like every student has a sibling, parent, uncle or great-great-grandparent who went to n otre d ame.

As JPW approaches, bear in mind that some students may have lost a parent or guardian; some may be navigating the dynamics of divorced parents; others might have a difficult home life. Parents of international students may face difficulty coordinating flights and travel documents, and first-generation, low-income families might confront similar obstacles. e ven with support from the o ffice of s tudent e nrichment, availing those resources and financial assistance comes with plentiful stress, expectations and hoops to jump through. There also exists a social barrier for some families. s ame-sex parents of n otre d ame students may experience an added level of stress in trying to visit a campus with policies and people that can be less than welcoming. A lack of inclusive activities, such as nonreligious events or services, may even deter parents from even considering to visit at all.

s o, check in on your friends this weekend. s pend time with them, especially if you know the title of “Junior Parents Weekend” may surface insecurities, doubts or worries. And if you don’t feel like this weekend is for you, take comfort in your own tri-campus family — whoever that may be, whatever that may look like. n o matter your situation, take time to reflect this weekend and participate in the events you wish to attend. e ven if your parents or guardians can’t attend, this weekend is still for you s o when you inevitably run into juniors and their parents walking around campus or checking out the s outh b end bar scene, remember that there is no right or wrong way to share the tri-campus with your loved ones.

We hope this editorial serves as a reminder that Junior Parents Weekend can and should be treasured, but we should do so without assuming all students will be able to bring their loved ones to campus. While we do not want to ignore the storied tradition of JPW, the University can and should do more to be inclusive in its programming toward those who might not have the means to celebrate their college accomplishments with their family.

While accommodations exist for families who might struggle to make it to campus, they are not widely publicized in messages about the weekend, and this lack of acknowledgement only deepens feelings of isolation. It should not be on individual students to uncover, dig for or seek out the assistance they need. In its communications about the weekend, the University seems to send the message that if you don’t have two parents who are willing to travel to s outh b end, you aren’t “normal.” The student body should push back on that narrative by championing a more inclusive weekend and reassuring friends that they should celebrate however they feel most comfortable.

By MARCELLE COUTO scene Writer

In light of the spectacular reception of “ e verything e verywhere All at o nce” at the box office, I thought it fitting to unpack the implicit philosophical message of the film. I recall emerging from the movie theater bewildered by the pathos and cinematic quality of “ e verything e verywhere All At o nce.” b ut, I was also remarkably conflicted in my feelings regarding its central message.

In many ways, the movie promotes an increasingly popular, emergent approach toward meaning and morality among our generation, one gravitating toward optimistic nihilism. In a sense, my query about the film reflects my broader issues with this school of thought.

o ptimistic nihilism suggests that since life has no inherent meaning, we are free to create our own purpose, and therefore should embrace the uncertainty and randomness of existence. In the case of “ e verything e verywhere All at o nce,” love itself, particularly the choice to love, serves as the ultimate weapon against despair. While this perspective may seem liberating, there are several potential shortcomings.

This resolution is useless in the grand scheme of things. After all, what is love in a meaningless universe? There is no definition of love — an immaterial concept — in this pure materialist worldview. The problem lies not in the noble idea of love, but in the epistemological failing of the word under the aforementioned preconceptions. It does not follow via logical implication. Furthermore, why should I sacrifice my desires for the sake of another (which I will do if I truly love someone) in a meaningless universe? Why should I choose suffering, and vulnerability, when egoism offers a much greater reward under utilitarian arithmetic? Yes, I can feel affection toward my friends and family, but why in the world would I choose to forgive, to love persistently amidst failure and disappointment? In this universe, love is an empty attitude. b ut I think love never comes back empty. It always flourishes and to love is never a vain thing. I would dare say we all know this, intuitively.

“ e verything e verywhere All at o nce” knows this, too, and therein lies its tremendous influence. Audiences have frequently been left in tears — and not without reason — after observing the mother-daughter reconciliation central to the plot. This very scenario contradicts the movie’s philosophy because it calls for an unspoken understanding of what true love should actually look like. Love is an inherent good, and an inherent good cannot exist under nihilism no matter how much we attempt to fabricate it. In other words, “ e verything e verywhere All at o nce” has not earned the right to use the word “love.” Its philosophy does not allow for there to be anything remarkable about whatever combination of atoms consists of “love,” or any other neurological

phenomenon for that matter.

o n the one hand, I believe we should choose to love despite the apparent absurdity of the world; we should accept that we cannot find answers to certain questions and cease insisting on “intellectual hubris.” o n the other, I believe our resignation need not eliminate the notion that there really is an answer, albeit beyond our comprehension. It is possible to embrace the world’s chaos, and its indefatigable oddity and still adhere to an objective good, truth or resolution to the endless cycle of doubt. Perhaps that truth is a mystery, or it is simply transcendent. b y logical argument, we can reason our way to a conclusion and yet the final settling point remains a startling “leap of faith” (as Kierkegaard would helpfully articulate). o r even, if I wax in the direction of faith, why not rather just state we are uncertain, but that there still could be the hope of an answer? Isn’t it part of the human experience to wonder? While “ e verything e verywhere All at o nce” succeeds in acknowledging the fundamental human impulse to dare or to love in spite of suffering, it falls short in its defense of a proper reason for doing so.

d on’t misunderstand me, I think the movie is fantastic, humorous and powerful. Further, its acting is verifiably superb. I only perceive its failings as a mere reflection of our broader misalignment as a society.

Contact Marcelle Couto at mcouto@nd.edu

CLAIRE KIRNER | The Observer

By RACHEL HARTMANN scene Writer

As the celebrations for valentine’s d ay continue throughout the week, I look to romantic comedies to fill the void which comes with being single on a holiday made for couples. There are always the classic romantic comedies that I can rely on such as “10 Things I h ate About You” or “When h arry m et s ally,” but this year I decided to stray from the comfort shows and try something new.

“Your Place or m ine” is the current trending movie on n etflix that stars Ashton Kutcher and r eese Witherspoon as a couple who slept together once and then became best friends — best friends for the next 20 years I might add. When they have the chance to house-swap for a week, they are able to finally understand the other person and maybe even find love. n ow, I know the premise is kind of cliche. b est friends to lovers trope? b een there and done that. h owever, “Your Place or m ine” is actually really sweet — almost too sweet at points — and it is funny. d ebbie ( r eese Witherspoon) goes after her dreams during that week and Peter (Ashton Kutcher) takes care of her teenage son. b oth characters are flawed and make mistakes, but that makes them more genuine. There are also more love interests in the mix such as Theo James (Jesse Williams) and m inka (Zoe c hao).

“Your Place or m ine” is a feel-good, romantic, lighthearted comedy which was exactly what I needed for my valentine’s d ay. It is a movie that reminds us that sometimes it takes a while to find “the one” and that we shouldn’t stop trying just because things do not work out. The plot does have some strange elements such as d ebbie’s gardener Zen ( s teve Zahn), who felt unnecessary, and Peter’s inability to keep relationships for more than six months (an immediate red flag), but overall I enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to anyone searching for a good romantic comedy, especially during the season of love.

Contact Rachel Hartmann at rhartma4@nd.edu

“Your Place or Mine”

Director: Aline Brosh McKenna

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Reese Witherspoon

If you like: “10 Things I Hate About You,” “When Harry Met Sally”

By CAITLIN BRANNIGAN scene Writer

on Feb. 8, nintendo released the second official trailer for “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” the highly anticipated sequel to “The Legend of Zelda: breath of the Wild.” It has been six years since a new game was released in the extremely popular “Zelda” franchise, which typically features its heroes, Link and Zelda, solving puzzles and fighting the big bad, Ganon, to save their homeland. The wildly successful “breath of the Wild” completely challenged the boundaries of the franchise by featuring a vast open world, allowing players to choose what monsters and puzzles they wanted to pursue, rather than following the traditional linear format of previous games. because of how groundbreaking and fun “breath of the Wild” proved to be, fans have been excited about the sequel since it was first announced in 2019.

Though the game’s story hasn’t been completely revealed yet, there have been hints that Ganon is back and that Zelda and Link are going to be separated somehow. none of this is super interesting and is very typical of “Zelda” games, but since the story hasn’t entirely been unveiled, I’m hoping there’s still a twist somewhere.

Although some have expressed disappointment that “Tears of the Kingdom” uses mostly the same map as “breath of the Wild,” I’m very excited to revisit it. The map is so large that you could explore it for a hundred hours and still not have discovered every area and secret in the game. Additionally, there will be two completely new areas — the underground and the sky — that feel very promising. The sky brings back fond memories of “skyward s word,” an earlier game in the series that featured traveling from a civilization in the sky to the surface world as one of its main mechanics. I’m really curious about who inhabits the sky and the underground in “Tears of the Kingdom” and what purpose these areas will serve.

The latest trailer highlighted a variety of intriguing new mechanics, but also raised some related story questions. Link seems to be wearing some kind of glove or arm prosthetic that allows him to telekinetically move certain objects, as he could with another piece of technology in “breath of the Wild.” Where did he get this arm from? Is it an ancient technology, or perhaps a new invention?

Link can ride in various vehicles now, including what looks like a large lawn mower, a hover bike and a balloon. These vehicles are comically reminiscent of the range of ridiculous yet entertaining tricks players exploited in “breath of the Wild” to get Link to places quickly, many of which would end up accidentally killing him because they often involved launching him too far and too fast.

For years, fans have speculated that in “Tears of the Kingdom,” Zelda might finally be playable alongside Link. A playable Zelda would be a fun way for the series to innovate upon its foundation. The possibilities for her abilities are vast, but I could see her functioning as a quasi-mage, using her magical powers in addition to Link’s technology. being able to switch between playing as Zelda and Link would also be a great way to learn more about Zelda’s storyline, which we often don’t see much of in earlier games. Zelda being playable is far-fetched, but if this happens I would probably spend all my money on the game immediately. It’s gotten to the point where I think I would be a little sad if it didn’t happen, despite the fact that there’s no reason to expect it at all.

“Tears of the Kingdom” will be released on may 12, 2023. Until then, I will be eagerly awaiting news of a playable Zelda and more information about the game’s plot.

Contact Caitlin Brannigan at cbrannig@nd.edu

By OLIVIA SCHATZ scene Writer

Just like any other girl growing up in the 2000s, I watched TLc (which at one point stood for “The Learning channel”) religiously. From “19 Kids and counting” to “sister Wives,” I was obsessed with watching whatever strange concoction TLc brewed on that given day. This past year, however, I think TLc has outdone themselves.

dating shows like “Love Island,” “The bachelor” and “Too hot to handle” have taken the internet by storm. every week, there seems to be a new dating show with some new twist to hook the viewer. on Jan. 15, 2023, TLc separated itself from the pack, unleashing “mILF manor.” If you haven’t already heard of this hot mess of a television show, buckle up, because it’s a wild ride.

The premise is a twist on the more traditional “older man with younger girl” trope. rather than renouncing this stereotype, “mILF manor” plans to capitalize on it, this time with older women. The show begins with eight women in their 40s-50s at a resort in mexico. These women were supposedly told that they would be prospects for young, attractive men. After drinking and getting to know each other, the producers bring the “milfs” to a white curtain. As it drops, these milfs quickly realize that their sons are the “hot, young” men for them to seduce.

out of the countless crazy reality dating shows out there, “mILF manor” might take the cake for the cringiest and most uncomfortable to watch. so far, there are four episodes released, with TLc skipping last week’s episode due to the super bowl.

Just like other reality shows, “mILF manor” has challenges for each mother-son pair to complete in to win perks. The first episode has the blindfolded mothers feeling up the shirtless young men to guess which is their son. The winners (the ones who could complete the challenge in the shortest amount of time) won two suites, each with their own jacuzzi or hot tub. Yes, the mother and son share a room while simultaneously trying to seduce other contestants, as that totally won’t create any awkward situations. now, if you somehow got through the first episode, the second episode is even more… chaotic?

This episode has Kelle, aka “disco mommy,” telling another mom that she was going to sleep with her son. Later on, she complains that her own son was blocking her from her desires because he followed her into their bedroom that night. Another majorly uncomfortable snippet from the episode is Jimmy telling the camera how much he loves another mom’s feet. This confession forces the audience to do nothing but cringe as Jimmy goes into excruciating detail about his fantasy.

The challenge for the second episode was “the wall of secrets,” which is exactly what it sounds like. The contestants are presented with a wall of confessions and must guess which was their mother’s or son’s. While most are definitely not PG — they range from sleeping with someone on the beach or in a fancy restaurant — none compare to the revelation that one mother slept with her son’s best friend. You might be asking why would anyone ever do that, or ever admit to it on national television. And I have no real answer for you, except: Why would you go on this show in the first place?

In addition to all the extremely awkward interactions, there was also some racism in the mix. “disco mom” can’t stand two mothers speaking spanish — their native language, while in mexico — to their sons. so would I recommend watching it? Probably not. Will I continue to watch it? Absolutely. It is like a car crash — I can’t peel my eyes away, no matter how horrendous it is.

The third and fourth episode follow in a similar vein to the first two. With only eight prospects, jealousy is festering in the manor at this point. romance is beginning to flourish, and a love triangle between two sons and one mom. The addition of an absurd amount of alcohol in each episode definitely causes some of the tension that we love.

In the third episode, there is a scene where a son massages his blindfolded mom, and his mom starts moaning and saying some explicit things about him. episode four kicks off a mother-son duo that was not finding any romantic relationships in the villa. episode five will introduce a new motherson duo into the already-crazy mansion.

If you want to watch it, I would honestly just recommend watching cody Ko’s reactions to the first three episodes and picking up from there; he really gets all the highlights. episode five will release on sunday, Feb. 19, so if you plan on watching it, you can binge it this weekend.

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

“MILF Manor”

Favorite episodes: They’re all equally terrible, but also fantastic.

If you like: Freud, Oedipus, “Are You the One?”

Where to watch: Discovery+, TLC GO

Happy Birthday: Set high standards, forge ahead and refuse to let changes others make throw you off course. Intelligence, speed and agility will help you outmaneuver anyone who gets in your way this year. Adjust your surroundings to suit your needs, making your life more convenient and your time better spent. have patience and build a solid foundation; you will thrive. your numbers are 7, 12, 24, 27, 31, 34, 43.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Say less and do more. Work alone, perfect what you are trying to achieve, and present and market what you have to offer. Acting in haste will put you in a vulnerable position and can cost you getting the approval you require.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Dream on, but don’t lose sight of what’s possible. Be observant, and don’t ignore a valid point that can help bring about change at a price you can afford. rethink your steps and pay attention to what’s within your reach. romance is favored.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It will be easier to accomplish your objective if you don’t let others take over. A geographical change will entice you, but before you move or plan a trip, do your homework. A poor decision will turn into a costly mistake.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Put your best foot forward. Enhance your personal life, update your image or pick up additional skills or qualifications. Discuss your plans with someone who can offer expert advice. Turn your aspiration into a reality; speak up and pursue your dream.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Travel, Be realistic and map out a plan to help you get from one point to another without interference. Don’t be afraid to make suggestions or follow through with your goals alone. Emotional spending will ruin your budget and slow down your plans.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take a chance and play to win. Size up situations and consider the benefits of participating in something. you’ll discover how to improve your life and relationships with others. Put your energy into self-improvement, relaxation and rejuvenation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Make up your mind and either fork to the left or right, but don’t keep switching sides or changing your mind. Discipline and hard work will get you where you want to go. your intelligence won’t let you down; step forward with confidence.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Explore events, activities and educational pursuits and see how what you discover plays into your plans. keeping busy and engaging in informative and affirming outings will encourage positive conversation and development. romance is in the stars.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think; if you act in haste, you’ll overstep your bounds or end up paying too much for something. research will spare you from making a mistake. Ask questions and choose to do your own thing if it makes more sense.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Emotions will surface regarding money matters. Be upfront; a solution will help you put things in perspective and a strategy in place. A passionate approach to living and working will make life easier.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t sit back if you want to make an impression. Make your move with finesse. your energy and intellect will capture someone’s interest and encourage talks that can bring about positive change. leave nothing to chance; doors will open.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): learn from your mistakes, and you’ll know instinctively when to make a move and when to sit tight. Sign up for projects that make a difference to those less fortunate or help to keep our planet and its inhabitants healthy and strong.

Birthday Baby: you are insightful, reactive and diligent. you are knowledgeable and organized.