Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, February 8, 2023

By SAM GODINEZ news writer

i t’s election day on campus, and students have the opportunity to vote from 8 a.m. through 8 p.m. for the next n otre d ame student body president and vice president. This cycle has seen all three tickets use social media — i nstagram, in particular — to promote their policies. a s a result, this has allowed students to access their platform easier.

“ i think the use of social media has been very important to our campaign,”

Tickets for ND student body president and vice president utilize social media in campaigns

sophomore g riffin m c a ndrew, the vice presidential candidate running alongside sophomore p ablo o ropeza, said. “ i t has allowed a broad audience to see samples of our policy and to understand the issues that are most important to our ticket.”

“ s ocial media has been so instrumental, particularly in the earliest stages [of the campaign],” sophomore d aniel Jung, a presidential candidate running alongside fellow sophomore a idan r ezner, said. “ we have found that social media

provides the best and easiest opportunity to connect with students.”

i n addition, the candidates commented on the effectiveness of their social media accounts in reaching out to voters.

“

o ne great thing about social media is that you can make so much information available at once,” Jung said. “ f or instance, we used i nstagram as our primary platform and in our bio were able to post our entire platform, which was made available on g oogle d ocs. h owever, we also used

i nstagram posts themselves to highlight what policies we thought were most important and would drive the most student engagement.”

“ i n order to generate interest and keep people engaged with our policies,” m c a ndrew said, “we usually include a few of the most important parts of our platform on social media, as it is rare that students have the time to read all of our policy proposals. o ur ticket has mainly used posts and i nstagram stories to disseminate this type of information, which seems to have

boosted engagement.”

a ccording to the c onstitution of the u ndergraduate s tudent b ody, tickets are allowed to use social media platforms to promote their campaigns. a rticle X v, s ection i (h) makes it clear that if a ticket uses a social media platform, “that personal page or account must be made accessible to the Judicial c ouncil.” “ o ur social media accounts are public and J c ouncil has full access,” m c a ndrew said.

UCC provides

resources

Campus votes in student body election College hosts Race and Migration Film Festival

By MOIRA QUINN news writer

The s aint m ary’s r ace and m igration f ilm f estival will be screening a selection of movies over the next four weeks in an effort to showcase numerous cultures and languages, sponsored by the m odern l anguages and c ultures d epartment as well as the c enter for women’s i ntercultural l eadership d epartment ( cwil ). o pen to all students, the film festival will be held in the vander

vennet Theater located in the lower level of the s aint m ary’s s tudent c enter at 7 p.m. on f eb. 9, 16, 23, and m arch 2.

Ty west, professor of s panish and chair of the m odern l anguages and c ultures d epartment spoke about the motivation behind the upcoming event.

“The purpose is to draw awareness to different cultures and languages that we teach in the department,” he said. “There will be a film in s panish, a rabic, i talian and f rench,” west said.

west said he hopes to see positive effects from hosting this event specifically at s aint m ary’s.

“The idea of learning more about other cultures through study of language is linked to s aint m ary’s mission as well,” he said. “ you have intercultural awareness and competency.”

a long with west, a team of professors and students are working towards orchestrating the festival. “ a s chair of the

mendoza announces nilthemed ethics week

Observer Staff Report

n ext week, the m endoza c ollege of b usiness will host its 25th annual u niversity of n otre d ame e thics week. This year the topic hits close to home for student athletes — “ nil r evenue: i ts e thical b enefits and b lemishes.”

“ w hile some college athletes have made millions off of their name, image and likeness ( nil ) thanks to a change in ncaa rules, the debate still rages: i s nil a good thing or a bad thing for college sports and student-athletes?” the press release issued on Tuesday asks.

By JENNA ABU-LUGHOD news writer

c

onversations

surround -

The release also said that e thics week “honors the legacy of John h ouck, a n otre d ame management professor who authored numerous works on business ethics, including “ i s the g ood c orporation d ead?”

The week’s events kick off

sophomore Jane s tallman, outreach chair of the a ctive m inds club, said in an email to The o bserver.

ing

mental health care and destigmatization continue across the country, as well on campus. i n particular, many have heralded a new phone hotline, 988, specifically for people experiencing a suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

“ m ental health is an ongoing issue that students face in an intensely academic environment like n otre d ame,”

m anaging stress to a minimum is something many students strive for, especially with the intense workload most students face on a dayto-day basis. c hris c onway, director of the u niversity c ounseling c enter ( ucc ), says that some of the most effective ways to minimize stress are getting enough

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Wednesday

Giorgi Margvelashvili

Lecture

Hesburgh Center 5 p.m.- 6 p.m.

The former president of Georgia speaks.

“How Democratic was the Founding?

Geddes Hall 5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.

Forum with Notre Dame professors.

Thursday

Notre Dame Women’s Basketball

Joyce Center 6 p.m.

The Fighting Irish take on Pittsburgh.

“How to Read Washington”

Eck Visitors Center 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Lecture by Carlos Lozada ‘93.

Friday

“What Should U.S. Policy be Toward China?”

Jordan Auditorium 10:40 a.m. - 12 p.m. Lecture.

Notre Dame Women’s Lacrosse Arlotta Stadium 7 p.m. The Irish face San Diego State.

Saturday

Chinese New Year Celebration

Coleman-Morse Center 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Year of the Rabbit.

“A Tribute to Motown”

Sunday

Film: “Argentina, 1985”

Showing. Panel discussion Tuesday.

Guided Tour of the Basilica in French Basilica of the Sacred Heart

on Feb. 13 and go until Feb. 17. The panel discussions are free, open to the public and will be held in Mendoza Hall’s Jordan Auditorium.

The discussions will take place from noon to 1 p.m. daily throughout the week.

Notre Dame Ethics Week

Festival

department, a lot of heavy lifting comes through bureaucratic means, organizing the event, choosing the films,” he said. “I have to approve of many things, but this is something that happens in collaboration with multiple people, and I certainly didn’t do all the work.”

Tara Smithson, a professor of French at Saint Mary’s also spoke highly of the collaboration that went into setting up the film festival.

“It’s been a collaboration amongst our department and our department members,” she said. “Marie Claire Ferretti is a student who has been really instrumental in the organization and publicizing of this event.”

She highlighted Nathan r abalais, the director of one of the films that will premiere at the film festival as well. “The director of the third film that we’re showing, ‘Finding Cajun,’” she said. “He will zoom in and I am really excited that he’s

Election

CoNTINUED FroM PAgE 1

“We do not fully know how much Judicial Council supervises our Instagram accounts,” Jung said. “but we try to make sure that we follow all Judicial Council rules and regulations in regard to our posts. Additionally, Judicial Council actively follows our account.”

Al tickets have restrained themselves from negative campaigning or personal attacks against competing ticekts, focusing instead merely on policy issues that affect students directly.

“one of our ticket’s main goals is to ensure that all students feel included and at home at Notre Dame,” McAndrew said. “As such, we have done our best to avoid engaging in negative campaigning or attacking our opponents. I am glad the other two tickets have largely done the same, which has made this election cycle surprisingly uncontroversial.”

In their Instagram account, the Jung-rezner ticket featured the candidates making multiple “challenges” after receiving certain numbers of petitions, as well as to promote their campaign at large. These videos include the candidates

culminates in the final talk, “NIL and Sport Marketing: Complementary or Conflict of Interest?,” which will be held in Mendoza room 258 and presented by Jonathan Jensen, an associate professor of sport administration in the department of exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The talk will be moderated by adjunct professor Scott Nestler.

going to be talking about this.”

Smithson additionally spoke about why she finds the film festival to be so important. “I hope people will connect with others beyond their classes and potentially beyond our campus community who also share an investment in these issues as well as the language,” she said. “For people who haven’t had a lot of language experience, they might not be used to thinking of these things through the lens of another national viewpoint.”

For Smithson, she believes the film festival will allow people to open their eyes and learn about cultures they aren’t all too knowledgeable about. “For many people, watching a film in another language is a new experience,” she said. “A lot of what we’re doing is trying to make that kind of cultural experience excessive as well as help students connect to people who speak these languages.”

Contact Moira Quinn at mquinn02@saintmarys.edu

baking goods and doing 500 pushups.

“We believe our challenges at the start of the petitioning period set the tone of what our campaign would be like,” Jung said. “We want to be approachable, and we believe that these social media videos humanize us in a way that no other resource can.”

McAndrew chose to comment on remarks made on his ticket on the anonymous campus apps YikYak and Fizz.

“While these sites may fly under the radar for many students,” he said, “our ticket was the subject of a vicious misinformation and attack campaign over the last week and a half.”

Nonetheless, McAndrew believesthisonlypromotedhisticket’s platform, as students became interested in their policies.

“I would say that the hateful (and anonymous) comments actually generated far more attention and support for our ticket than we would have had otherwise, and they likely encouraged students to look at our platform themselves,” he said.

The Williams-brooke ticket declined to comment for this story.

Contact Sam Godinez at sgodinez@nd.edu

Puppeteer discusses work

By CATHY DOHERTY News Writer

b ritish puppeteer and puppetry coach Helen Day came to speak to students about her journey as a performing artist Monday evening at Saint Mary’s. Day was the 2023 visiting guest artist in the Margaret Hill Series hosted by the College’s Program of Theatre.

Additionally, Day hosted workshops Sunday and Monday afternoon where students could learn handson about puppets and how to maneuver them. In the evening, she shared how she got to where she is today.

At the age of five, Day attended a staging of “Annie” at the York Theatre r oyal in b ritain.

“I really knew from the age of five that what I wanted to do was be on the stage,” she said.

Day shared with the audience how she viewed her future career as a child.

“I thought puppeteers kind of came to children’s parties and waggled around funny dolls,” she said. “I don’t think I understood much more about it than that.”

Discussing her teen years, Day recalled how she “went to London every weekend to go to something called the

Italia Conti Academy” (ICA). ICA was a theater school known for producing child television stars.

Later in her teens, Day continued her theater education, joining the National Youth Theatre (NYT) of g reat b ritain.

“It’s actually one of the prime training grounds for actors in the UK,” she said. Day explained that Helen Mirren trained at the NYT, and o rlando b loom was in her class while she was a student.

After her time at the NYT, Day shared that she went to A r TTS International and later, the University of Sussex to complete her secondary education.

o nce out of college, Day worked at a summer camp for children. It was there she was first introduced to puppets.

“At the intro to the workshops, a guy sat down next to me and he was a puppeteer,” she explained. “I was really interested — and I kind of didn’t really know why I was so interested — but I was.”

Day took her newfound interest and shared it with the other two women in her three-woman group performing outdoor plays.

“Suddenly, when we brought puppets into play,

everything opened up,” she recalled.

Day explained, “We could use puppets to tell some of these stories because we felt limited in the stories we could tell because we felt that they had to be playable by three women.”

Day said that puppeteering has set her apart.

“Not only did being a puppeteer kind of narrow the competition down … but it also opened up the roles … I was able to play way outside of my casting range. As long as you can embody the essence of the character, you can play it,” she said.

In her puppeteering career, Day toured with Cirque du Soleil for four years. She was the puppetry captain for “Toruk,” which was an “Avatar”-inspired Cirque show. She performed in 103 different cities over those four years. She has also puppeteered for video games such as “Forspoken” and animated children’s shows like “Jim Henderson’s Math Party.”

At the end of her presentation, there was a brief Q&A session, which was followed by light refreshments on the stage.

Contact Cathy Doherty at cdoherty01@saintmarys.edu

sleep, moving your body, connecting with others and working to be present in whatever you are doing at the moment.

Kirsten b ains Williams, a senior and co-vice president of Active m inds, said students struggling with mental health have helpful resources on-campus to address their needs.

“This campus has a plethora of wellbeing resources for students that are not talked about enough,” Williams said in an email. “This includes (but is not limited to) free counseling at the U cc , health coaching through Timely c are and meditation sessions on the c alm App.”

c onway also mentioned that the winter months and lack of sunshine have an impact on people’s moods. While staying active and connecting with others can be a helpful solution for many, some may prefer to seek out other resources.

“Talk to an advisor, faculty mentor, rector, r A or member of c ampus m inistry. m cWell offers h appy Lights and other resources, the c enter for s tudent s upport and c are is also beneficial and if it’s a pattern of mental health issues that needs professional help, students can come to the U cc for a drop-in appointment to explore possible U cc services to help,” he added.

c onway noted that the mental health of young people is not only a concern at n otre d ame, but nationally.

In addition to the myriad of resources n otre d ame provides for its students, there is also now a suicide and crisis hotline available to anyone in the U s . While the n ational s uicide Prevention Lifeline was launched in 2005, the number was changed to 988 in July of 2022.

“ o riginally, it was a 1-800 plus a nine-digit number that wasn’t easy to remember, so you had to look it up, thus creating a potentially significant barrier for a person in a crisis,” c onway said.

“This new number, 988, is easy to remember and connects to a national network of more than 200 crisis centers that are connected through a call center. We have worked to change the phone number in the U cc ’s materials to reflect the new 988 number.”

Williams added that by making the number shorter and more similar to the universal emergency number (911), she believes the U. s is starting to recognize the importance of mental health — and in doing so, is taking a positive step toward supporting those in crisis and eradicating stigma.

s tallman mentioned that another important aspect of the 988 number is that it is a lifeline which not only assists those struggling with suicide, but also anyone facing a more general mental

health crisis.

“I spoke with the director of the 988 project for Indiana last fall, and she mentioned that it should not be seen or referred to just as the suicide hotline, but as a more general crisis line. It offers resources for anyone experiencing a mental health, suicidal or substance abuse crisis,” s tallman said.

s tallman also said that while the n ational s uicide and c risis Lifeline is an excellent resource for students — especially after they graduate — the U cc and other campus resources should not be neglected.

After the n otre d ame student senate voted to increase diversity in the U cc staff, the U cc has been working hard to ensure that their staff reflects the identities of their students.

“It is exciting to see the greater student body recognize this need and take tangible action to address it,” Annah m arie b ehn, a sophomore and another co-v P of Active m inds, said in an email.

“ c urrently, 47% of the U cc full-time staff hold diverse racial identities. o ur staff members also hold a number of other diverse identities, including their professional training,” c onway shared in an email. “Additionally, the U cc ’s part-time staff adds to the diversity of the staff as a whole.”

c onway highlighted that students have the ability to request to work with

a counselor with a specific identity during dropin appointments. s he also mentioned that the U cc is working to support students of various backgrounds through ways other than increased staff diversity.

“We are offering support spaces for students with different identities, including for b lack students, b lack graduate students, dre A m nd students/students concerned about their own or their family’s immigration status, international undergrad students, international grad students and LG b TQ+ students. We’re offering an ‘understanding self and others’ counseling group that is being conducted in s panish,” c onway said.

s enior Austin Wyman, president of Active m inds, said the club has been trying to influence the diversity of the U cc ’s staff since 2020.

“Active m inds was involved with one of the first pushes for more diversity in the U cc in 2020, which resulted in the U cc hiring its first three b lack counselors,” Wyman wrote. “We can’t forget how intimidating therapy as a process is, and how hard it is for people to be vulnerable with someone who fundamentally cannot relate to the same concerns.”

b eyond diversifying its staff, the U cc is working on a number of other projects.

“We’re working with [student government] on a tool that would help students

know what the wait time is for a drop-in appointment in real-time. We hope it will launch soon,” c onway said.

c onway mentioned that the U cc is also offering the “Innsightful” psychoeducational program again this semester, as well as the Penn r esilience Program@ nd , an evidence-based program that boosts wellbeing.

“There are multiple opportunities for students and faculty and staff to participate in the program this semester,” she said.

Active m inds is also organizing mental health-related events and programs for students to get involved in this semester.

“At the end of m arch, we are hosting a summit to bring students and faculty together, fostering conversation around a key question: What makes for a learning experience that supports mental wellness?” b ehn wrote.

“We also hope to host our h ealth & Wellness Training for student leaders on campus this semester,” m aya m ehigan, the secretary of Active m inds, shared in an email. “ b y inviting heads from U hs , U cc , m cWell and other on-campus organizations, we teach participants everything they need to know about the health and wellness unit to take care of themselves and their club/ organization.”

Contact Jenna Abu-Lughod at jabulugh@nd.edu

notre dame research awards grants

By KATE NAESSENS news Writer

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story appeared online Friday, Feb. 3.

There were 24 awards for the f all 2022 n otre d ame r esearch Internal grant cycle announced in three categories: The f aculty r esearch

s upport Program ( frs P)

r egular Grant, The f aculty r esearch s upport Program ( frs P) Initiation Grant and the f lip the s cript grant. Those receiving awards not only spanned every college at n otre d ame, but also nd Learning, the o ffice of the Provost, n otre d ame International and n otre d ame r esearch.

s ome grants awarded are being used to bring new projects straight to n otre d ame’s campus. Assistant professor of violin Patrick Yim’s project, “ c hen Yi and Zhou Long at n otre d ame” will do just that. Long and Yi will leave University of m issouri-Kansas c ity to come to n otre d ame’s campus for the spring 2024 semester, and while

here, “they will work with our students, put on a program of their music, and Zhou Long will write a brand new piece, never heard before,” according to Yim.

n ot only this, but “Grammy award winning recording engineers” will come to campus along with an “all star cast” of musicians to record three previously written pieces of music of Yi and Long’s, as well as Long’s new piece that will be composed specifically for this project, Yim said.

o ne of Yim’s motivations for this project is to “diversify the repertoire” of classical music as “the defining feature of their music is combining Western culture and c hinese tradition,” and in doing so, prevent “the concert hall from just being a museum.”

o ther projects that the grants are funding will take place a little further from s outh b end.

In the r oman c atholic c ardinals’ Pre- c onclave speech, the assembled

cardinars talked about the church needing to go to the margins and the “peripheries”, leaving their comfort zones in order to reach those that are excluded in one way or another. This inspired Professor c lemens s edmak, director of the n anovic Institute for e uropean s tudies and social ethics professor in the Keough s chool, to create the pilot program of his project “The c ontribution of ‘Peripheries r esearch’ to e uropean s tudies.”

In conjunction with the c atholic University in r uzomberok ( s lovakia), a research team will soon embark on a year-long stay in a remote s lovakian village in order to assess the “sense of hope, sense of belonging, and sense of identity” of its inhabitants, s edmak said. This is intended to be the first of many case studies that will research not only those that are not in a powerful location and geographically peripheral, but those who are on the peripheries

of society as well. A symposium in o ctober will highlight the findings of the research in r uzomberok, as well as determine where the project might go next.

Inspiration for these projects come from a variety of places. f or professor of American s tudies, s ophie White, the idea for her project “ h is m aster’s Grace: e xtrajudicial v iolence, Punishment, and m ercy, A d igital h umanities c omparative s tudy of b ritain and f rance’s s lave s ocieties’” arose while she was writing her book “ voices of the e nslaved: Love, Labor, and Longing in f rench Louisiana.” This book examined how the courts treated enslaved people, but as she delved deeper into the judicial source material, she “realized there was a lot of information about extrajudicial violence” and found that “the word that comes up over and over again is asking for a masters ‘grace,’” she said.

“ o ne of the things I found

is that alongside the endemic violence there were also mechanisms for negotiating pardon … you would go before your slave owner and there would usually be some sort of protocol and performance of contrition or penitence,” White explained. s he delving into this aspect of everyday life for those enslaved and researching “another way of thinking about the burdens of being enslaved.”

White hopes to provide information not just to scholars and academics about this period, but the general public. b y publishing a digital humanities website, users can navigate the original sources as well as helpful hyperlinks while reading White’s work in order to make exploring this content more accessible and to discourage any “cynicism that some quarters have about this material.”

The full list of grants can be found on n otre d ame r esearch’s website.

From the Future: AI in academia

By SPENCER KELLY From the Archives Leader

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story appeared online Thursday, Feb. 2.

Artificial intelligence (AI) may seem like a distant technology, confined to Terminator-style sci-fi stories for the foreseeable future. b ut the rapid advances in AI capabilities, as exhibited recently with tools like d ALL- e and c hatGPT, demonstrate that AI is already here and impacting our everyday lives. While AI holds the promise of advancing society and shaping the world for the better, it also has the potential to be harmful or outright destructive. e nsuring responsible AI deployment is imperative to securing a flourishing future for humanity, or securing a future for humanity at all.

In this inaugural edition of From the Future — a new series highlighting transformative research occurring at n otre d ame — we profile three researchers who are investigating ways to tackle philosophical, political and practical challenges as humans attempt to implement AI into our society.

Novel frameworks for AI philosophy: Carolina Villegas-Galaviz, Postdoctoral r esearch Associate, Technology Ethics Center

As a philosophy student in her native s pain, c arolina v illegas-Galaviz discovered the 20th-century German philosopher h ans Jonas. Jonas observed that in approaching philosophical issues with technology, people were trying to apply theories from thousands of years ago. These ancient theories, Jonas argued, were no longer applicable. Instead, humanity needs new ethics for the technological age.

“When I heard his idea, I knew it was true,” v illegasGalaviz said. “ r ight now what we need to do is to adapt the moral frameworks of the past that Aristotle and others more than 2,000 years ago proposed, and relate those to the new era.”

Among the myriad technologies that permeate modern society, AI presents perhaps the most profound philosophical problems. As a postdoctoral research associate at the n otre d ame Technology e thics c enter, v illegasGalaviz is moving beyond standard approaches like deontology or epistemology and employing novel ethical frameworks to

meet the unique demands of AI.

ne of v illegas-Galaviz’s main areas of research is the “ethics of care.” s he finds four aspects of the ethics of care framework especially useful for thinking about AI.

First, ethics of care is grounded in a view of individuals as existing in a web of interdependent relationships, and these relationships must be considered when designing AI systems.

s econd, ethics of care emphasizes the importance of context and circumstances. For v illegas-Galaviz, this means that AI algorithms shouldn’t be applied universally, but should be tailored with the local culture, customs and traditions in mind.

Third, v illegas-Galaviz notes that humans should be aware of the vulnerabilities of certain people or populations and ensure that AI does not exploit these vulnerabilities, purposely or inadvertently.

Lastly, ethics of care holds that giving a voice to everyone is essential. Understanding all perspectives is imperative for AI, a technology that promises to be truly universal.

b eyond the ethics of care, v illegas-Galaviz received a grant from m icrosoft to study the intersection of AI and empathy. h er research so far has focused on how empathy relates to the problem of “moral distance,” where concern for others diminishes when people don’t have to directly interact with those affected by their actions. This is a pertinent problem for AI, where developers deploy algorithms in a detached fashion.

“It’s interesting to see how empathy can help to ameliorate this problem of moral distance,” v illegas-Galaviz said. “Just to know there’s a problem with lack of empathy with AI … we’ll be in line to solve it. Those who design, develop and deploy [AI] will know that ‘I need to work on this.’”

v illegas-Galaviz says her research is grounded in a critical approach to AI. h owever, she noted that this does not mean she is against AI; she believes humans can solve the philosophical issues she is studying.

“I always try to say that AI is here to stay and we need to make the best out of it,” v illegasGalaviz said. “ h aving a critical approach does not mean being a pessimist. I am optimistic that we can make this technology better.”

Finding balance with AI regulation: Yong Suk Lee, Assistant Professor of Technology, Economy and Global Affairs, Keough School of Global Affairs

While promoting new philosophical frameworks for AI will help ensure responsible use to an extent, humanity will likely need to create concrete legal strategies to regulate AI.

s uch is the research focus for Yong s uk Lee, assistant professor of Technology, e conomy and Global Affairs in the Keough s chool. Lee notes that the rapid progress AI has made in recent years is making governance challenging.

“The pace of technological development is way ahead and people, the general public especially, but also people in governance — they’re not aware of what these technologies are and have little understanding,” Lee said. “ s o with this wide discrepancy between how fast technology is evolving in the applications and the general public not even knowing what this is — with this delay, I think it’s a big issue.”

An economist by training, Lee’s research has primarily focused on the effects of AI on the business sector.

In a 2022 study, Lee and fellow researchers conducted a randomized control trial where they presented business managers with proposed AI regulations. The goal was to determine how regulations influence managers’ views on AI ethics and adoption.

The study concluded that “exposure to information about AI regulation increases how important managers consider various ethical issues when adopting AI, but increases in manager awareness of ethical issues are offset by a decrease in manager intent to adopt AI technologies.”

Lee is currently researching the ramifications of AI adoption on jobs in the banking industry.

To some extent, Lee’s research aligns with the common assumption that “AI is stealing our jobs.” h e is finding that as banks adopt AI, demand for “front-end” jobs like tellers decreases. h owever, demand for analysts and other technical roles is actually increasing. s o, while AI isn’t taking all of our jobs just yet, according to Lee, “it is definitely changing the skills demanded of workers.”

In thinking about what successful AI governance might look like, Lee

considers two facets critical. For one, Lee would like to see more upfront regulation or supervision determining how AI is deployed.

“I think there needs to be some way where regulation or agencies or academia can play a role in thinking about whether it’s good for these types of technologies to be out in the public,” Lee said.

h owever, Lee doesn’t want regulation to stifle innovation. Lee noted that AI is a geopolitical issue as the U. s ., c hina and other countries “race” to develop advanced AI faster than others.

“With this in mind, you think ‘ o K, we do want to regulate to some degree, but also we don’t want to stifle innovation,’” Lee said. “ s o how we balance that I think is going to be a key thing to consider going forward.”

Though the challenges are significant, Lee feels that successful AI regulation can be achieved.

“I think we will find a way,” Lee said. “There’s going to be trial and error. b ut we won’t let AI destroy humanity.”

Collaborating to create AI for good: Nitesh Chawla, Frank M. Freimann Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering; Director, Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society

Assuming humans overcome the above philosophical and political issues (and, of course, that AIs and other advancements don’t destroy humanity), what is the potential for AI in helping our society?

n itesh c hawla, Frank m Freimann professor of computer science and engineering and director of the Lucy Family Institute for d ata and s ociety, is focused on finding applications where AI can be used for good.

“We are advancing the field [of AI], we are developing new algorithms, we are developing new methods, we are developing new techniques. We’re really pushing the knowledge frontier,” c hawla said. “ h owever, we also ask ourselves the question: h ow do we take the big leap, the translational leap? c an we imagine these innovations in a way that we can implement them, translate them to the benefit of a single person’s life or to the benefit of a community?”

For c hawla, the quest to find the most impactful AI applications is not, and should not be, an endeavor only for computer scientists. Though a computer scientist

himself, c hawla believes that advancing AI for good is an interdisciplinary effort.

“A lot of these societal challenges are at the intersection of domains where different faculties or different expertise have to come together,” c hawla said. “It could be a social science piece of knowledge, it could be a humanist approach … and then the technologist could say, ‘Let me take that into account as I’m developing the technology so the end user, the person I’m interested in making an impact for, actually benefits from it.’”

e mbracing this interdisciplinary mindset, c hawla’s work at the Lucy Family Institute involves a range of applications in a variety of locations.

c hawla discussed a project here in s outh b end, where the Institute is working with community partners and using AI to help address childhood lead poisoning. In another health-related study, AI is being used to analyze and propose solutions for healthcare disparities in m exico. Further south in c olombia, the Lucy Family Institute and the Kroc Institute for Peace s tudies have teamed up to apply AI toward understanding peace accords processes.

“The institute is committed 200% to leveraging data, AI [and] machine learning towards the benefit of society and enabling teams of faculty, students and staff on campus to get together to take on some of these wicked problems and address them,” c hawla said.

Like v illegas-Galaviz and Lee, c hawla is optimistic about AI. c hawla envisions a future where humans don’t just passively deploy AI, but where humans and AIs work together to solve the world’s most pressing problems.

“It’s going to be a humanmachine collaboration, where the humans would still be necessary for certain higher-order decisionmaking, but the machine just makes it easier,” c hawla said. “It’s going to be a partnership, in many ways.”

c hawla said that AI will not be a substitute for human work.

“I don’t believe [AI] is going to be displacing mankind,” c hawla added. “I believe that top scholars and practitioners can come together to enable progress in technology while also thinking about how we democratize its use and access in an ethical way.”

Contact Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu

You’re so vain, you probably think this column is about you

I think most of us spend our teenage years into our twenties wanting to belong to someone, cycling through crushes, collecting prospects like pokemon, hoping maybe somewhere in the chaos of hook-ups, homie-hops, flirtationships and other entanglements, something beautiful will happen.

We go to parties looking for partners, light candles for future lovers and craft perfect endings for imperfect nights. We are all, in many ways, on a quest for love, but more than that, we are on a quest for belonging.

The first time I remember feeling that I belonged was when I was maybe three or four. m y dad used to take me to this restaurant called The Tombs, and we’d sit at the bar together chatting about preschool drama or h annah m ontana, my short stubby legs dangling from the tall barstool. o ccasionally, some beer-clad Georgetown boys would buy me s hirley Temples and wave shyly from the corner. And while I was the only toddler in the establishment, I’m convinced that restaurant on 36th s treet was the one place I truly belonged.

Growing up, I’m sure we all found belonging somewhere — whether it be at a cozy restaurant like The Tombs, on our childhood sports team, in a friend group or at a favorite cafe where all the baristas know our name. And for some of us, we found belonging with a person — a best friend or family member or partner.

These days, when I think about relationships, specifically the romantic ones, I think about belonging. Perhaps love and belonging are one in the same, defined by those rare and beautiful moments when someone feels like home, when our hearts pump in sync with someone else’s and suddenly their words become our words, their songs become our songs and everything feels unified and right.

That kind of harmony is hard to come by, and if you’re anything like me, you hang onto it for dear life.

b ut all things end — even those things we belong to. Your favorite coffee shop will likely go out of business, your freshman year friend group probably won’t last and that boy you loved will no doubt move onto someone else at some point. And suddenly, you’re sobbing on s outh Quad listening to “ r eal Love” by b each h ouse, snowflakes stuck in your eyelashes; and suddenly, you’re on hi-bye terms with someone who used to know everything about you.

This is the nature of loss: when we lose someone, we might feel a bit more alone. We might feel empty in the places they used to fill. b ut even when that emptiness, that void, aches to be filled again, even when we itch for a rebound on a Friday night or someone new to take their place during our m onday and Wednesday lunch break, we can only grow if we sit in that void.

It was only in that void that I realized I’d spent my entire life wanting to belong to someone when I’ll only ever belong to myself.

I thought about all the people I’ve loved (or almost-loved) and all the things they’ve given me—gum, rides, music recommendations, compliments, reassurance. And then I thought about all the things I’ve given myself.

I thought about the runs and vitamin water and endless playlists. I thought about cool thrifted jackets and late-night Grotto trips and afternoons sprawled in the grass writing poetry. I thought about solo lunch dates and long drives and lake walks. I thought about all the ways I take care of myself — all the ways I belong to myself — and I realize, I am unshakable.

I am fine on my own.

I am cool on my own.

I am whole on my own.

n ow, we all know these things to some extent, but to know them intimately — and to really believe them — takes time. For me, it took nearly two decades, a fateful “kissing disease” diagnosis, some long conversations with God (and my therapist), and a couple of near-love experiences (in the wise words of s elena Gomez, “I needed to lose you to love me,” — sorry, I couldn’t resist).

b ut really, it took loving, losing and learning to love the loss, for me to get where I am now. And where I am now is in d e b art, in my favorite sweatshirt, as the golden light pours in from the west and, of course, sometimes I think about the boy I once belonged to, the boy who introduced me to glitch-pop and fraternity handshakes or the friend that ate baguettes with me in the s afeway parking lot all those years ago…but it doesn’t hurt as much anymore.

Kate Casper (aka, Casper, Underdog or Jasmine) is from Northern Virginia, currently residing in Breen-Phillips Hall. She strives to be the best waste of your time. You can contact her at kcasper@nd.edu.

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

A while ago, all of my friends started downloading the app b e r eal and would ask me on a daily basis if I had finally downloaded it yet. m y answer was always no, until a few months ago. I had finally decided to join the trend. The app encourages you to live in the moment, and for those who don’t know, according to their website, “ e very day at a different time, everyone is notified simultaneously to capture and share a photo in 2 minutes. A new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.”

I always thought this was such an interesting concept and truly an innovative addition to the social media world. o ur generation is so used to looking and acting a certain way on social media, trying to adhere to a “societal standard.” Generally speaking, people aren’t going to post about the day they spent doing nothing or the hours they spent with their friends working on homework. r ather, people tend to post things that make their social media look like a highlight reel.

With the creation of b e r eal, however, people were able to challenge the “highlight reel” narrative…to some extent. While it encourages you to take a photo in the moment, it also encourages this idea that you have to post everything you’re doing to social media. You can also retake the photo as many times as you want and don’t have to post at the exact moment the b e r eal notification goes off. A lot of people will wait to post their b e r eal until they are doing something interesting or fun, which, in a way, defeats the purpose of the app entirely. A lot of people tend to get caught up in the belief that, if you didn’t post it on social media, it didn’t happen. s ometimes we tend to forget that we live in a world where we can b e r eal outside of social media without all of the filters to match a certain aesthetic. We don’t need an app to validate that we enjoyed doing something with our friends when we can just recognize it ourselves in the moment instead.

Last week, I was looking at my average screen time and noticed that it was almost eight hours, which seems like a lot. To no surprise of mine, my most used apps were TikTok, s afari, Instagram, i m essages and s napchat. This checks out. After a long day of classes, I often find myself scrolling endlessly

through TikTok and Instagram before going to bed. What was once intended to only be 30 minutes of going on my phone before calling it a night turned into two hours, more often than not. And what was once intended to be a phone free walk from my dorm to my class at the other end of campus turned into replying to s napchats, catching up on any missed emails and then, if time, scrolling through Instagram and b e r eal to see what my friends were up to.

As much as I appreciate the connection that social media brings people, I also recognize that with this connection comes a disconnection. We are so focused on what other people are doing that oftentimes we forget to stop and look around at what’s happening right in front of us. And sometimes, it’s the little things that get overlooked the most. In an effort to notice the little things a little more, I’ve made the decision to go on my phone less, to enjoy the freezing ten minute walk to class without feeling the pressure to post my daily b e r eal. That’s not to say that I might not still have nights where I find myself on my phone for a few extra hours. I just want to notice the little things a lot more.

To me, being real has nothing to do with the app b e r eal. b eing real is about living in the moment and enjoying the people you are with. o ftentimes, we don’t realize what we have until we no longer have it. To me, being real is about creating memories with your friends without necessarily feeling the pressure to post about it on social media. b eing real is about noticing the things that are right in front of you and not taking them for granted. In the process of it all, if you end up with a cute picture you want to post, that’s great. Ultimately though, what matters the most is that you are able to have fun and enjoy the people you spend your time with and that you are able to look back and not wish you had been more present. Personally, I’d rather look back and realize that I was able to b e r eal in the moment, instead of focusing so much on when an app told me I had to.

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.

Kate Casper outsider Instincts

Isabelle Kause simple beauty

Andrew Marciano v iewpoint copyeditor

The first fall of snow is always the most memorable experience of a s outh b end winter. h owever, by the time January and February roll around, the cold just becomes an inconvenient nuisance. In addition to the horrid wind chill, black ice covers the sidewalk that makes your usual walk back to the dorm a consistent near-death experience. I may sound dramatic, because I am, but the weather often makes me wish I was back at home in sunny s an d iego. h owever, blaming the m idwest for having seasons even though I choose this school is just another way to blame someone or something for what they can’t control.

e ven then, throughout my three years of college, I have had many existential questions about the things I can’t control, the cards I have been dealt and about my future. Why go to a school known to have inclement weather when I could have gone somewhere back out west? Fair question. m aybe it was the romanticization of the snow, the web of n otre d ame

connections, the fact that my brother went here or the maybe the chance that Taylor s wift may one day perform in n otre d ame stadium. Yet somehow, for some reason, I would prefer to be here instead of anywhere else.

b esides the weather, I deal with existential crises about my major, wondering if I went down the wrong tract and should have gone pre-med instead of economics, considering the rest of my family is in the health field. s ometimes I wonder what would have happened if I did something else somewhere else. b ut I can’t live in the “what ifs” that cause me to wish I were anywhere but here. b esides, who’s to say I can’t mix my economics degree with some health-related business? Yet somehow, for some reason, I would prefer to be here instead of anywhere else.

And of course, a college campus does not come without its fair share of conflicts in which I often dream about being home in peace rather than being here. d ifferent levels of anger, disappointment and sadness. Why, out of everything that has occurred, would I want to be here? o n one hand, it is necessary to confront conflict, but on the other hand, it is often

better to avoid it. b ut conflict can make you a stronger person, and, when you have the right friends by your side, you know everything will be alright. Therefore, for many reasons, I would prefer to be here than anywhere else.

After everything I’ve done in this three years, I still cannot even find an appropriate answer the prompt “Why n otre d ame?” because, from the weather, education crises and the usual conflicts, something still pulls me here throughout all this nonsense. n ot to sound philosophical (or dramatic) but, it does not always make sense. m aybe it was because I found the right people to spend my time with, or maybe it is the gut-instinct to go for the best opportunity. There are things I know for certain, and there are things that are just unexplainable. Yet somehow, for some reason, I would prefer to be here instead of anywhere else.

You can contact Andrew Marciano at amarcian@nd.edu.

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

Chronically oversharing

going to roll their eyes at you changing your mind every other paragraph, or glance down at their watch when you launch into overthinking about the same old things.

e very year I say, “this will be my year.” e very year. s omething about n ew Year’s d ay and the bells ringing and the balls dropped and the tteokguk I eat with my family, convinces me that something is beginning anew, bringing an inevitable force of change by some astronomical power. b ut January 1st is just a concept someone made up at some point. s o is any date, for that matter, months and weeks and all that are too. I know that there’s a science behind it with the sun and the tides, something along those lines. I know that back in the day they used to tell the passing of time by some calendar-clock gadget that looked like a big metal bowl on the floor, I very well may be totally making this up but I swear I remember seeing pictures of it in my elementary textbooks. It really doesn’t matter though, I’m not a scientist. d ates are fake. You heard it here first. b ut I digress.

I love to write. Give me my m oleskine journal and a ballpoint pen and I’ll go to town. After class or on a plane or at breakfast, I’ll write down every stream of consciousness. Genuinely, nothing enthralls me like penning my deepest thoughts. When you write you can open yourself up to spill out words you would never think to say out loud. You’re conversing with yourself, really, you know that nobody is

A big part of my obsession with writing, I think, is the fact that I discover absurdly interesting facets of my mind. This is scientifically proven (unlike dates) and measured by objective metrics. It is a fact, I find myself fascinating and cool and deep, and I feel beyond lucky that I get to know myself so well. When I write, it all gets magnified. There is no one else from whom I would like to hear unsolicited opinions about pop culture, self-deprecating jokes or insights on any little subject, other than myself.

c all me vain, but the truth of the matter is that I think everyone shares this touch of narcissism. It’s the reason we love to overshare, and with technology, it’s become the Achilles’ heel of our generation.

When I was brainstorming n ew Year’s resolutions this past month, I considered quitting social media. I spent a good chunk of the last parts of 2022 thinking about social media and how much I hate it sometimes. m ost of the time. Then I thought about deleting all my socials and going off the grid, but I realized that’s only cool and mysterious if I were to drop out of school and go hiking through the h imalayas or something. I need my degree and a job and a social life so I will not be doing that. I also realized that I am way too invested in certain aspects of other people’s lives and

that I would come crawling back to the login page soon enough. To see b ecky’s b oomerang of her tropical drinks on a family vacation, or to see Johnny in his r aybans holding up another damn fish. (The names of these characters are fictional.) (Please dial it down on the fish photos. I’m so serious right now.)

It started with the introduction of s napchat in middle school; then, our entire social lives in high school were mapped out and engraved in WhatsApp conversations. n ow it’s ten different apps, it’s what your aesthetic is, how careless your monthly photo dump posts look. A dinner or a concert quickly becomes a mission to capture these moments in a way that looks effortless, when really it takes up all the effort in the world and most of your phone’s storage space.

m y attempt at manifesting this dilemma into actually taking the action and deleting social media never came to fruition. b ut it’s still something I think about every day. Until then, I’ll keep giving in to my vice of oversharing. o n Instagram, this column, or otherwise.

Reyna Lim is a sophomore double majoring in finance and English. She enjoys writing about her unsolicited opinions, assessing celebrity homes in Architectural Digest videos and collecting lip gloss. Reach out with coffee bean recommendations and ‘80s playlists at slim6@nd.edu.

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

Let’s let our emotions get in the way of politics

Isabel Olesinski bridgend

m any will say that with 2022 finally behind us, we have an opportunity to start anew and forget about the past; to move on and ignore the years of political tension on n otre d ame’s campus that accurately reflect the larger-scale crises in the United s tates. s o, how do we move forward without disregarding all previous conflicts? The answer is discussion. This might seem simple since we’re told to “just talk to one another” or, if all else fails, to ignore and alienate. We often get emotional, defensive about what we stand for because “how could someone not see that I’m clearly right?” We are human, after all, and, whether we like it or not, feelings are a part of our decision-making process; so instead of ignoring them, let’s consider our empathy as a common ground that we can stand on together. Political views and morals are so closely intertwined that there is no use pretending that a person can be totally apolitical. The inseparability is especially prevalent at n otre d ame, where around 80% of the student population identifies as c atholic, and the university houses the largest pro-life student group in the nation, r ight to Life. m ost universities in the U. s . might feel overwhelmingly liberal, but because of the nature of n otre d ame’s students, there’s more of a balance between right-leaning and left-leaning perspectives. Thus, there is more diversity regarding political ideologies and, consequently, more infighting between people of varying views. s tudents at a university like n otre d ame have a special opportunity to interact directly with people of very different views, whom they might not have encountered before. Instead of branding someone as a specific type of person due to a one-worded answer about their political party, take the opportunity to learn why others hold the views that they do. The goal isn’t to make the other person “switch sides,” but rather for you both to interact with people with whom you might vehemently disagree. In the end, you might end up strengthening your own political stance or questioning your

views, but you will always become more educated in some form or another.

In the U. s . government, there is an expectation of being utterly loyal to one’s political party, limiting the possibilities of working with the other party because of constant aggression between members; at least, that’s what the headlines show. h ot-button issues like abortion and guns are shown as blackand-white: you’re either for or against, and you identify as either r epublican or d emocrat based on that decision. b ut last month, members of c ongress exemplified bipartisanship through the advancement of federal workforce benefits, which leads the country closer to a “modern, customer-focused government” that is better for all people. The people who took on this challenge of repairing the government from the base might not get interviews on news channels like those speaking on the more controversial idea of free healthcare. s till, their work is often more meaningful since instead of constantly fighting on the same issues, they’ve found a way to move past and focus on what’s more important: our country’s future.

r egardless, there is no obligation to tolerate someone who has discriminatory or harmful ideologies. Attacks on marginalized groups and people are unacceptable even when hiding behind the curtain of politics and free speech. There is a difference between trading viewpoints and offering reasonable, noninflammatory explanations and simply using a conversation as an opportunity to elicit an emotional reaction through buzzwords. This doesn’t mean that complex or controversial dialogues should be avoided, but, as with all conversations involving conflicting viewpoints, those involved must take steps to have a productive meeting. Interestingly, this consists of focusing more on your emotional reason for your views rather than spitting back statistics. h umans are naturally empathetic, and we can understand one another better by showing why something is worth getting defensive over, why something is meaningful to us. As we start our second semester of the school year, let’s continue moving forward

as a community. Liz Joyner, the founder and ceo of a nonpartisan public educational forum named v illage s quare, writes that “facts and figures rarely persuade” and recommends “appealing to [others’] better angels rather than their inner statistician.” Former psychiatrist and the founder of s mart Politics Karin Tamerius also adds that the way to establish a connection with someone with contrasting opinions is “usually around things like values and goals and emotions” since that’s how we “find commonalities” and build a trusting relationship that allows us to hold those difficult conversations.

I encourage you to have a conversation this week with someone of a different notch on the political spectrum. It can be a friend, a family member, an arch-nemesis... s it down, talk about your day, your interests: find your common ground. Then mention one of your morals and find similarities, ask questions and most importantly, keep your mind and heart open. If you want to learn more or have a diverse environment to do so in, no matter your political party or knowledge of current affairs, I encourage you to join us at a b ridge nd meeting. We begin on Jan. 23 and meet every two weeks in d uncan s tudent c enter m eeting r oom 1 s outh W106. We welcome all, so I hope to see you there. o nly when we learn from all perspectives can we become well-rounded and educated citizens. Let’s create a generation that works together, instead of against each other.

Isabel Olesinski is a junior double-majoring in political science and English with a minor in constitutional studies and a creative writing concentration. Heralding from downtown Chicago, she currently resides in Johnson Family Hall. Isabel serves as the president of BridgeND.

BridgeND is a multi-partisan political club committed to bridging the partisan divide through respectful and productive discourse. It meets bi-weekly on Mondays at 7 p.m. in Duncan Student Center meeting room 1, south W106 to learn about and discuss current political issues and can be reached at bridgend@nd.edu or on Twitter @bridge_ND.

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

By CLAIRE LYONS

Associate scene editor

In 2018, friends Julien baker, Lucy dacus and Phoebe bridgers sat down in the recording studio and started spitballing ideas. Their debut eP, “boygenius,” was met with critical acclaim for both songwriting and sonic cohesion.

The self-titled debut album might ring some bells for people who have been paying attention to the music industry, but you’re more likely to recognize the band from the members’ solo careers. Individually, they’ve found massive success: baker with nearly half a million listeners on spotify, dacus with two new studio albums and bridgers with a couple of Grammy nominations.

now, the band is back together and better than ever.

boygenius’ first full-length project, “The record,” is coming out on mar. 31. To tease the upcoming release, the band has released three singles featuring each of the women in the band.

“$20” is Julien baker’s song. As the beating heart of the band, it’s only fitting that “$20” is grounded by a steady drumbeat and rock-inspired guitar riff. At its simplest, it’s a song about running away; at its best, it’s a song about escapism despite how self-destructive it might be. It’s a breakup and damn the consequences. The obstacles are stacked against the protagonist. It’s a bad idea. The chevy’s on cinder blocks. baker is running out of gas, out of time and out of money. The songwriting is as vivid as

ever, and the production quality — the swirling and chaotic harmonies toward the end — add a cinematic edge to the song. When I listen to “$20,” I imagine a desolated gas station in the desert. I imagine flooring it in a convertible with nothing but an open road in front of me. I imagine putting on a cool pair of shades and leaving my problems behind me like an empty 7-11 slushy cup. (It’s my favorite.)

“emily I’m sorry” is Phoebe bridgers’ song. It was written as a demo right after the release of her second solo studio album, “Punisher,” and it shows. bridgers brings the eP right back to center with a stripped-back track that draws all attention to her soft, lilting voice. It’s classic boygenius. bridgers takes baker’s song and puts her own twist on it. she writes a road trip, but it feels like a drive back home instead of manic escapism. It’s about a codependent relationship that bridgers must take the courage to end. As she quietly sings “I can feel myself becoming / someone only you could want,” the verse slowly turns into “I can feel myself becoming / somebody I’m not, I’m not.” This song is a quiet realization that she’s lost herself in her relationship. It’s a pensive moment: she’s driving as emily quietly sleeps in the backseat. It’s like cruising down city streets late at night and all the lights start to blur together because you’re getting a little emotional. It feels like the lump in your throat in the aftermath of an argument and right before an apology.

“True blue” is Lucy dacus’ song. It brings some of the energy back, blending the delicate and thoughtful nature of

bridgers with the energy and punchiness of baker. Unlike bridgers and baker, “True blue” is about a healthy relationship. she gives her partner space to figure themselves out, even if they don’t know who they are yet. When they do, she’s there for them: “It feels so good to be known so well / I can’t hide from you like I hide from myself / I remember who I am when I’m with you.” It’s a portrait of domestic bliss. It’s moving in together and fixing leaky faucets and calling each other on the train home from work. It’s about letting arguments be water under the bridge and letting love be the bridge.

but these are just the singles. right now, “The record” is just an eP and there’s no telling how the LP is going to come together. based on this collection, I’m not entirely sure if boygenius is on the same wavelength. baker’s song is the strongest of the three but makes a stylistic departure from boygenius’ previously gentle discography. despite the hot-and-cold metaphors scattered throughout the three singles (“arsonists” in “$20,” “burn out in the freezing cold” in “emily I’m sorry,” and “you’re a winter bitch / but summer’s in your blood” in “True blue”) and themes of knowing and being known, I have no idea what the album is going to be about.

I have high hopes. I know the band, at least, is united by a dedication to incredible songwriting. The teasers from “The record” are no exception.

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

By AYDEN KOWALSKI scene Writer

The first generation of soundcloud rappers, the revolutionaries who defined rap for a generation in the mid2010s, is growing up now. 21 savage has discovered a unique macabre humor and a powerful poeticism; denzel curry achieved mastery of the mic on last year’s “melt my eyez, see Your Future”, which is an album defying genres and eras in its soundscape. Lil Yachty stood among them, once, though such an ascent seemed unlikely at his peak of popularity. There did not seem to be an undercover philosopher on “ispy,” “minnesota” or “broccoli.” Few would have assumed he would remain musically relevant in 2023. certainly, no one could have guessed that he would release an instantly classic prog rock song to set off the year.

“Let’s start here.” is an almost incomprehensible artistic reinvention and an extremely impressive body of work. The opening track, “the bLAcK seminole.,” is a seven-minute epic featuring multiple movements. Yachty’s auto-tuned singing is blurry, dripping all over the track, yet still transportive, drawing the listener into this odyssey. The song turns from a chugging rock piece with sparkling synthesizer passages to an ethereal sea of sound, synths whirring and shooting off into space, before, at about the five-minute mark, vocalist diana Gordon parts the mist with an ecstatic, wordless solo, moving between tempos and modulating from a soft coo to an incensed scream. It is the best song

of the album and an utterly fantastic piece of music that should remain in rotation through the decade’s end.

The album’s greatest strength is its songwriting and production, which eclipses Lil Yachty’s faults as a singer. “shouLd i b?” sets a chorus fit for the Weeknd over crushing drums and gorgeous synths that compose a slightly grittier soundscape. over this bright yet yearning beat, Yachty finds a vulnerability in his computerized tones. he makes similar magic on “sAy someThIng,” his earnestness and passion meet his description of “feeling like a teen again.” he calls out from the right of the stereo as a crunched, twinkling beat processes on, and the whole piece coalesces as an ode to innocent and overwhelming emotions. The bliss and transience produced by the swooning synthesizers of “W e sAW The sUn!” brings the listener into the psychedelic love story of the lyrics, capturing the bittersweet experience of enjoying a relationship that will not last. The album envelops its listeners, bringing them along for Yachty’s high, which is intrinsically bound to a fresh-eyed experience of love. of course, there is some fun to be had; “preTTy” is the closest song to Yachty’s older, nonchalant trap, reprising the warbly Auto-Tune of his 2022 viral hit “Poland.” There are weaker songs, mostly within the album’s first half, and these are the tracks that lack the songwriting spark of the highlights.

Yachty also shows excellent taste in his placement of guest vocalists. diana Gordon returns on “drive me crazy!”

for an incredible performance of the first verse, haunting, playful and enticing all throughout. Fousheé plays along with Yachty on “preTTy,” adopting a trap-influenced melody, and performs perhaps the album’s best lyrics on the melancholy second part of “The Alchemist.,” conveying a yearning that is hard to contain in just one wordless burst of unresolved melody. And daniel caesar slinks through the nightmarish first half of “reAch The sUnshIne.,” another ambitious highlight, his crinkled voice is beautiful and searching.

The kids who turned rap on its head have grown up now. Lil Yachty says as much in the intro: “The kid is now a man.” The simple joy of his earlier work has now matured into the paranoid euphoria of his romantic experiences, which are simultaneously uplifting and haunting. There’s truly no telling what’s next for the revolutionary. “Let’s start here.” indeed.

Contact Ayden Kowalski at akowals2@nd.edu

“Let’s Start Here”

Artist: Lil Yachty

Favorite tracks: “the BLACK seminole.,” “sHouLd i B?,” “REACH THE SUNSHINE”

GABRIEL ZARAZUA | The Observer

By ANGELA MATHEW manager of Talent & Inclusion

Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi’s latest film “no bears” is an exploration of life under Iran’s authoritarian government. Like a lot of Panahi’s recent work, it has been shaped by his experiences with the government that has censored his art and placed him under house arrest. since July 2022, he has been in Tehran’s notorious evin Prison for standing in solidarity with two other Iranian filmmakers who spoke out against the government for their violent crackdown on protestors. Panahi was released on bail just three days ago after he went on a hunger strike.

The thread of the film that I found most interesting was the story of Zara and bakhtiar, a couple who had been spending time in Turkey after facing arrest and torture in Iran. Zara gets a chance to escape to France using a smuggled passport. however, she would have to go alone, as bakhtiar did not get the documents that would allow him to leave the country. At first, Panahi has the audience thinking that these are two characters in a fictional narrative, but then he breaks the fourth wall. Panahi himself has fled to the Iran-Turkey border to get away from government scrutiny. he is directing Zara and bakhtiar for a

film project over Zoom since it’s unsafe to work with them in person considering the government’s disapproval of the films he makes. While Zara and bakhtiar are being filmed for Panahi’s project, the story isn’t fictional — Panahi is filming them in real-time as they make the difficult decision to flee Turkey, even if that means they will be separated.

The other thread of the film is dedicated to showing the audience life in rural Iran, where Panahi tries to lay low a border town. As Panahi bides his time, he takes photos of people and gets his landlord to film unique customs in the village. These photos become the talk of the town, as Panahi photographs a girl and a boy together where the girl in question was arranged to marry another man. Panahi gets dragged into arguments though he barely remembers taking the photos. The scenes raise important questions about how the camera tells the truth and how it can threaten established customs. The ideas surrounding the repression of women and superstitions in the village, along with the villagers’ fear of the camera and of tangible proof, seemed symbolic of how the Iranian government is afraid of its realities being exposed to the world through things like Panahi’s dissenting films.

I had been anticipating this film for a while after hearing

and learning more about Panahi’s arrest. however, even with some context on Panahi’s career, I found the film meandering to fully understand and appreciate. It must be my steady diet of more commercial films, but I kept waiting for something to happen. even at the end when the drama came to its head, with the villagers finding out that the unfavorable couple had eloped and Zara and bakhtiar finally making a decision on whether to flee, the film felt strangely anticlimactic. I appreciated Panahi’s other meta-films like “Taxi” (2015) more, where Panahi pretends to be a taxi driver in Tehran and films conversations he has with citizens to tell a story about the political landscape of Iran.

Contact Angela Mathew at amathew3@nd.edu

“No Bears”

Director: Jafar Panahi

Starring: Mina Kavani, Jafar Panahi, Nasser Hashemi

If you like: “Taxi,” “This is Not a Film,” “Hit the Road”

By MARCELLE COUTO scene Writer

I believe all lovers of music, whenever they make the time for it, are open to experimenting with new genres and appreciating various styles of music (perhaps humanity’s most magical invention). Therefore, I will argue that you, as a dutiful fan of music, should dive into the marvelous world of the “baroque” next. At least, you should try. I am fairly certain it will be a worthy pursuit.

The term “baroque” comes from the Portuguese word “barroco,” meaning “oddly shaped pearl.” The baroque period in Western music lasted roughly 150 years, from 1600 to 1750. some of the more distinct and unique elements of baroque style as opposed to other eras of music are its gracefulness, the matter of interpretation, elegance, complexity and pathos. These elements make baroque music an incredibly rich and rewarding listening experience that has much to offer for those who take the time to explore it.

In many ways, the music of this period reflects the historical trends of the seventeenth century, including its political, sociological and philosophical revolutions. baroque style is characterized by fluidity, with melodies that seem to effortlessly merge from one phrase to the next. The use of ornamental figures such as trills (a form of trembling distinct from mere vibrato), mordents (an embellishment featuring a quick descending note) and turns (a similar, ascending ornament), which are added to the principal melody, provide a sense of naturality. The gracefulness of the music creates a sense of ease and lightness, helping the listener to fully immerse themselves in

the music. It is almost as if the music itself is dancing and flowing as water from a stream. It is invariably elegant, and its musical constitution creates a sense of refinement and sophistication. The listener is enveloped in the world of embellished artistry and materialism of the seventeenth century. music is truly a window into the past, and listening to it can give one a glimpse into the worldviews and values of the people who created it.

many composers wrote music for the courts of kings and queens, and the harmony often reflects this grandeur and splendor. music was written for specific occasions and performances, often with a precise goal in mind. This resulted in a level of purity and elegance in the notes that is not found in later music. For instance, in a fugue, each voice has a specific role that is strictly adhered to, and there is a sense of order and balance that is lacking in later works. In addition, baroque music is often written in a style that is clear and easy to understand, without the dense harmonies and chromaticism that characterize later music. This ensures that the music is accessible to all listeners, regardless of their level of musical knowledge.

Another important aspect of baroque music is its emotional power. one of my favorite poets, William Wordsworth, wrote in his famous “Tintern Abbey,” that he could sometimes hear the “still, sad music of humanity” whenever he visited the sequestered, beautiful groves around the abbey. I believe the same “still, sad music” is often evoked by the baroque canon. The music is often highly expressive, with soaring melodies and intricate harmonies that can evoke feelings of joy, sorrow and everything in between. The powerful and intricate chord progressions in baroque music can be almost tasted, it

can be quite an immersive experience to focus attentively on the function of the chords themselves.

many people find listening to baroque music is a form of meditation, reducing stress and anxiety. due to its ornateness, it can be challenging to listen to, and consequentially, it stimulates attention and provokes the formation of neural pathways in brain regions associated with language and memory. The emotional expressiveness of baroque music can help to soothe the soul and bring a sense of peace and tranquility. Take the principal melody in Johann sebastian bach’s sacred aria from “st. matthew Passion,” “mache dich mein herze, rein” (make yourself pure, my heart). It is a tune of repentance sung by Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man who assumed the task of burying Jesus shortly after his death. The piece is practically begging the listener to dance along to its glorious rhythm. bach parses out “..for from now on he shall have in me, forever and ever, his sweet rest,” longingly and mellifluously, while the stark resolution to let the “world” out and “let Jesus in!” is brief and definitive. bach takes a simple, elegant theme and modifies it in a myriad of creative ways, provoking an aspect of mystery and surprise to the resignation expressed through the text.

because of the way music notation developed given the ancient character of baroque music, it possesses an added layer of subjective interpretation, whereby performers may decide to develop their own twist, or rendition of, a particular piece. This allows for creativity and spontaneity in the performance, making each one unique.

Read the remainder of the story at ndsmcobserver.com

Contact Marcelle Couto at mcouto@nd.edu

Happy Birthday: Planning pays off this year. A regimented routine will help deter others from messing up your schedule or interfering with your goals. high energy, precision and paying attention to detail will help you mark your place and position yourself for success. l et those you love do as they please, and you’ll receive the same privilege. Practice peace and love. your numbers are 9, 14, 18, 26, 34, 42, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A financial opportunity is within reach. refuse to let someone bump you out of position and reap the rewards that belong to you. Truth and honesty are the cornerstones for growth, stability and reaching your destination with pride and honor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Success is dependent on following through with a well-thought-out plan. Nothing will change in your favor unless you make an effort. Stop waiting and start doing, and you’ll see the possibilities. Do whatever will benefit you most, and don’t look back.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stay focused on what you are responsible for, and do your best to get ahead. refuse to let anyone waste your time or ask for favors. Don’t lend or borrow when working and saving are necessary.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Share ideas, set up a meeting with someone heading in a similar direction and do your best to make a good impression. The help you receive will bring your plans to fruition. An interview or presentation will go your way.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Talks will turn into something tangible. l isten and add your perspective, and an opportunity will sprout. Don’t take anyone’s word as gospel; check facts and figures, do the work yourself and take a leadership role to ensure things go according to plan.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): l isten, but verify what you hear before passing the information along. If you protect against loss and lies, you will save money, dignity and self-esteem. Overlook loved ones’ defects; offer positive input and help turn an emotional dilemma into a good time.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take precautions, ensure everything is safe and put your mind at ease. A day trip or meeting with someone can quickly run amok if expectations are too high or you take on too much. A selfimprovement project will lift your spirits.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): g et organized. Demands will bring you down, but following your heart will pick you up. Clear the path by taking care of business fast and efficiently and move on to something you find enjoyable. romance will enhance your life and bring you hope.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Balance and integrity will help you get ahead. Set high standards and goals that will make you proud and give you hope for a brighter future. Eliminate drama and people who leave you feeling down in the dumps; replace them with positive reinforcements.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Put your thinking cap on and you’ll find a way to help others and get something in return. l et your experience guide you to a brighter future, and don’t be afraid to challenge anyone who stands in your way. Push forward.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Explore the possibilities. reaching out to people who offer a different perspective or way of doing things will give you the push you need to finish what you start. Stand behind your word and you’ll gain respect and support.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t hide the past or live a lie. face the truth and navigate your way to a better life and connections that won’t disappoint you. your insight will clarify what you want, what’s possible and how best to get your way.

Birthday Baby: you are confident, persuasive and adaptable. you are worldly and intent.

America, and she was named to the Team Us A c ollegiate s oftball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List. Gaskins comes off a campaign in which she hit for an Acc -high .428 batting average and earned a school-record .555 on-base percentage. her 13 home runs paced the Irish and accounted for a solid chunk of her teamleading 61 rbIs.

“she’s just such a great hitter — and a lot of people talk about her power — but she’s able to hit a variety of pitches and she does a great job of being more of a complete hitter than just the power game,” Gumpf said. “I think the great thing that Karina can really depend on is the fact that she has a lot of really good hitters around her, so I think she can take a little pressure off of herself.”

o ne of those strong hitters is graduate infielder Lexi o rozco, an off-season transfer from Utah state. o perating as a primary shortstop, she broke or tied Aggie career records

in runs batted in (138), slugging percentage (.631) and home runs (39). Last year, she hit .354 with 13 doubles, 12 round-trippers and 46 rbI.

s enior outfielder Leea h anks, whom Gumpf described as the “complete package,” is another key returner. Last year’s All-Acc s econdTeamer did a whole lot of everything on the diamond. her 14 doubles and five triples led the team, as did her seven outfield assists. she also cracked six homers and swiped 13 bases.

“Leea is probably one that flies under the radar more than she should,” Gumpf said. “ s he’s got speed and power, she makes things happen, she hits good pitches really well, and she’s a great leader for us.”

With All-Acc selections e mma c lark and Abby s weet moving on, Gumpf expects juniors catcher and outfielder c arlli Kloss and infielder Joley m itchell to have increased roles. Kloss hit .411 in 35 games last year, finishing the season on a six-game hitting streak. meanwhile, m itchell garnered an n Fc A m id-Atlantic

All-region selection. s he hit .340 with nine doubles, five homers and 25 rbI, while also belting a pair of long balls in the e vanston regional.

The Irish are set up for success in the pitching circle as well. They return All-Acc selections in graduate student Payton Tidd and sophomore shannon b ecker for 2023. Tidd worked a team-high 130.2 innings last year, winning 15 games with a 2.79 er A and 97 strikeouts. she picked up victories over L s U, northwestern and d uke, three of the top 20 teams in the nation. b ehind her, b ecker demonstrated major potential in her freshman season. she tossed 90 innings at a 1.71 er A, with six complete games among her 10-4 record.

“Payton understands what it takes to be really successful at this level. s he’s won huge games for us,” Gumpf said. “We started putting [ shannon] into the fire a little bit last year, but now she’s gonna be taking the ball all the time. Those two, with the experience they’ve had, are huge for our pitching staff.”

notre dame also has two

freshmen pitchers from c alifornia entering the program. m icaela Kastor, out of o aks c hristian h igh s chool, posted a 0.90 er A for her high school career. With 256 senior season strikeouts, she took home 2022 c alifornia Gatorade Player of the Year honors. Paige c owley, from Upland h igh s chool, punched out 528 hitters during her career. With hopes of a 24th consecutive nc AA tournament appearance, the Irish face a loaded schedule. After this weekend’s kickoff games, notre dame will face ohio state and no. 7 northwestern in the big Ten/Acc c hallenge. The highly-ranked Wildcats came out of nd’s regional last year, ultimately reaching the Women’s c ollege World s eries. To open Acc play, the Irish will visit no. 22 d uke during the first weekend of m arch. After hosting m iami ( ohio) in the m arch 21 home opener, notre dame will have two great looks at top conference opponents. no. 13 v irginia Tech will travel to melissa c ook stadium in midApril, followed by a visit from

no. 4 Florida state to close the month. notre d ame will have the benefit of hosting the Acc tournament from m ay 10-13 as well. The Irish were 15-1 in s outh b end last year.

d espite constant regular season success, the Irish have never survived the national tournament’s first round under Gumpf. she believes that this year’s squad, with the help of stable play, can break through.

“We have what it takes,” Gumpf said. “We’re big playmakers, we have girls who can do some serious damage, but it’s about consistency.”

notre dame will play a doubleheader on Friday night.

First, the Irish take on Arizona state at 7:30 p.m. e T and s an d iego state at 10 p.m. e T. The second game will be available on the mountain West network. The Irish will then face cs U n, northern Illinois and memphis before moving on to c lemson to play o hio state and northwestern twice apiece in the big Ten/Acc c hallenge.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Pat Kavanagh signs NIL partnership with CityLax, Ney York City non-profit

By AIDAN THOMAS sports editor

o n m onday afternoon,

c ityLax, a non-profit organization dedicated to growing the game of lacrosse in n ew York c ity, announced a partnership with n otre d ame senior attackman Pat Kavanagh. FU nd (Friends of the University of n otre d ame) helped in the creation of the n IL deal. FU nd is a non-profit helping n otre d ame student-athletes promote charitable organizations. h owever, they are independent from the University.

In their organization description on the press release, c ityLax describes their mission as “introducing and expanding lacrosse into n ew York c ity schools and geographies that historically have had little or no access to the game and that are predominantly comprised of populations from lower-income families.”

Kavanagh hails from the Long Island area, and he’ll serve as a c ityLax ambassador for the upcoming season. That’ll include hosting a meet and greet online

session and a few other updates throughout the season. c ityLax recently fully funded a middle school program in honor of Welles c rowther. c rowther played for b oston c ollege, but he died in the World Trade c enter attacks on 9/11. Kavanagh posted on his Instagram on m onday evening, announcing the partnership.

h e referenced the program in honor of c rowther as an example of c ityLax’s “excellent track record of fundraising for great causes.” h e noted that, while he grew up, c rowther was one of his heroes.

In addition to his ambassador role, Kavanagh took his partnership a step further. The senior announced he will donate $10 for every ground ball he picks up this year. Last year, Kavanagh picked up 39 ground balls, leading all non-faceoff players for the Irish. In his statement, Kavanagh encouraged everyone to donate. h e offered a GoFund m e link for followers to join him in his cause. h is full statement read:

“To help us grow the game one ground ball at a time, I

will be donating $10 for every ground ball I pick up this year, and I hope you can consider donating as well. Goals and assists are great, but ground balls truly win games, and I cannot wait to fight extra hard for ground balls this year in support of this amazing mission. c ityLax has an excellent track record of fundraising, and recently fully funded a middle school program in n Y c in honor of Welles c rowther, who has been a hero of mine growing up. To join me in this great cause, please donate here.”

Kavanagh and his Irish teammates begin their season on Wednesday, Feb. 15. They’ll battle m arquette, an annual rival for the past nine full seasons. Kavanagh is a preseason second-team All-American.

h e is one of two Irish players to gain first or second-team honors, joining senior goaltender Liam e ntenmann. Five n otre d ame players earned preseason All-American honors in total.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

ND MEN’S LACrOSSE

GRACIE LEE | The Observer

Irish senior attacker Pat Kavanagh runs during Notre Dame’s 12-5 home victory against University of North Carolina on April 21, 2022.

situation where a bad decision could affect us.”

corrigan said that he isn’t dwelling on last year, and he has emphasized moving forward with his team this season.

“every year starts new,” corrigan said. “We come in and we rebuild it for this year’s team. That’s our focus. We have not talked about last year since that first preseason meeting that we had. We haven’t mentioned it since then and i don’t really intend to until after we win the championship.”

senior goalie Liam entenmann also shared his disappointment with the way last season ended.

“it definitely stung. i’d be lying if i said it didn’t sting,” entenmann said. “it was a heartbreaking ending to an incredible run. That 6-0 run was probably one of the most special things i have been a part of on or off the field.”

entenmann and the irish now understand the importance of every game more than ever –even in non-conference play.

“We have to treat our first game like it’s the national championship,” entenmann said. “because if we drop a few games like we did at the beginning of last year, we aren’t going to have that chance. We might as well treat every game like it’s the national championship.”

and with the irish defense looking a bit different this year, corrigan is especially excited to have a quality veteran like entenmann in the cage.

“When you do have some new faces down there, it’s nice to have an old hand in the cage. and not just an old hand, but a guy that’s playing as well as we have had anybody play. he is playing so well in the preseason,” corrigan said. “he’s a guy that’s improved every year.”

corrigan praised entenmann’s ability to compete and improve throughout his career.

“he’s so competitive with himself. he hates to give up a goal at any time. he has just been great, and he has been better every year,” corrigan said.

corrigan mentioned senior defender marco napolitano as a player that has stepped up for the irish defensively.

“he’s playing better than he’s ever played,” corrigan said. “he’s been really good, and he’s going to make us better along with the new guys.”

The irish will have a tough nonconference schedule against preseason no. 1 maryland, no. 3 Georgetown and no. 11 ohio state. Last year the irish lost to all three of them. and corrigan knows that his team can’t do that again this season.

“We had a few injuries going into the early part of last season, and it took us a little while to find our stride,” corrigan said. “We know we can’t do that this year. i think the guys understand that we have to be ready to play and

win early. more than anything else, this is a great opportunity to play a schedule like ours. Who doesn’t love playing the top teams in the country week after week.”

despite playing all three teams tough last year, the irish came up short in part because of the experience of the opposing team’s faceoff taker. corrigan is confident in sophomore Will Lynch, who has improved immensely since last season.

“We played those guys all well last year. We just didn’t win,” corrigan said. “We had some challenges with a young faceoff guy who came right into it by playing against three of the best faceoff guys in the country. [Will has] grown up a ton since then and is really playing well.”

entenmann said he is excited about the bond his team has across the board.

“The thing that excites me the most is how much of a group we are off the field,” entenmann said. “The reason i’m so excited about that is that it translates to on the field as far as camaraderie, positive reinforcement, constructive criticism when needed and overall encouragement. i think this is overall a testament to how close we are as a group of people and group of friends.”

although entenmann is preseason all-acc, he says his focus is squarely on the team’s success.

“i know it sounds really cliche but i really try not to pay attention to that preseason stuff,” entenmann said. “They’re preseason rankings for a reason. my goal is to do what i can do to help the team overall, and i don’t really care if that results in all-acc or all-american or whatever it may be. The thing that is most important to me is becoming the best we can be every day, and hopefully that results in a national championship. That’s obviously what we are working towards.”

ND MEN’S bASkEtbAll

i rish seek first road win

By LIAM COOLICAN a ssociate sports editor

The last time notre dame took on Georgia Tech, the mood in south bend was hopeful. The irish had emerged with a come-frombehind, 73-72 overtime victory at Purcell Pavilion. it seemed, after five straight losses to open conference play, they were primed to turn the season around.

it was hard to believe that a team coming off a top-three finish in the acc, a team that was minutes away from a sweet sixteen berth, could fall off so drastically.

“obviously we haven’t started off the acc schedule the way as we’d like, but we still got 14 more games to prove it and get back on track,” graduate student guard dane Goodwin said after that game, which saw the irish erase a sevenpoint deficit in the final four minutes to force overtime. “We have the ability to do it, we have the ability to close out games like tonight.”

Yet less than a month later, those hopeful sentiments ring hollow. The irish have gone on to lose five of their six conference games since. Their only win came against an abysmal Louisville team. in fact, notre dame has yet to win a game against a team ahead of them in the conference standings. The irish currently sit 13th in the acc, ahead of only the cardinals and Yellow Jackets.

in that stretch, they have shown no ability to close out close games. They fell on the road to syracuse despite leading by as many as twelve points in the second half. They dropped a one-possession game to north carolina state in raleigh. Perhaps most disconcertingly, they lost by a dozen points at home to a mediocre boston college team in a game that was there for the taking until the closing minutes.

“in the two games we’ve won in

the league, the other team helped us a bit,” head coach mike brey said after the most recent loss, an 81-64 defeat to Wake Forest. “These guys aren’t going to help you.”

even against a Georgia Tech team that sits 1-12 in acc play, including a double-digit loss to that same Louisville team that was blown out in south bend only recently, the irish might need more help to get their first road win of the year.

“We’ll go to atlanta and keep on playing,” a dejected brey said after saturday’s loss. “You’d love to see if you can get a little momentum before you go to Greensboro (for the acc tournament).”

The irish will need more from Goodwin if they hope to return home with a win on Wednesday. he paced the irish with 19 points and a season-high 12 rebounds in the win on Jan. 10. Yet he scored just six points on 2-12 shooting in the loss to Wake Forest. Goodwin has had a disappointing stretch of games after he was a key to the irish’s success a year ago.

Yet Goodwin can’t do it alone. The irish have struggled on the glass all season, particularly recently with the absence of freshman forward ven-allen Lubin. Lubin has missed the last two games with an ongoing foot injury. They were out-rebounded 37-23 on the defensive glass against Wake Forest.

brey, who has become known for his thin rotations, does not have many options available behind Lubin. Freshman dom campbell, his primary backup, is unavailable for several weeks due to an achilles injury. That leaves junior matt Zona, the student section favorite who had played just 33 minutes this year prior to saturday’s game. Zona added little on offense and was a liability at times on defense against the demon deacons

as they racked up 28 points in the paint. Zona has played few meaningful minutes in his three-plus years with the irish, but he’ll get a chance to prove himself down the stretch as Lubin and campbell both deal with injuries.

Lubin practiced monday and will have a chance to play Wednesday, according to the south bend Tribune’s Tom noie, which would be a much-needed boost for the irish.

meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets are in the midst of a nine-game slide dating back to early January. it is a prime opportunity for notre dame to get their first road win.

if they hope to do that, however, the irish will have to work to keep Georgia Tech off the offensive glass. Georgia Tech collects 11 offensive boards per game, good for third in the conference. The irish, meanwhile, typically don’t benefit from second-chance points, averaging just 6.9 offensive boards, the fewest in the acc

Limiting second-chance opportunities will be key against one of the worst shooting teams in the country. Georgia Tech is shooting at a lowly 41.2% clip from the field, last in the conference. it will be a prove-it game for an irish defense that has been among the conference’s worst in the conference this season.

The beauty of college basketball is that the season is never truly over thanks to the conference tournament format. but with just eight games remaining before the acc tournament, time is running out to right the ship.

Wednesday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. from mccamish Pavilion in atlanta. The contest is available on regional sports networks and the notre dame radio network.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

country. The ceiling of their 2014 team dropped to a new Year’s six bowl at best, but that would require winning out.

northwestern entered as one of the coldest teams in the country. They had lost four straight games and scored no more than 29 points in any game. during their skid, they hadn’t exceeded 17 points. The Wildcats entered notre dame stadium with a 3-6 record. They looked illequipped to face an angry Irish team that riding a seven-game home winning streak.

notre dame was led in 2014 by everett Golson, the quarterback who brought the Irish back to the national championship in the 2012-13 season. however, his 2014 campaign was a rocky one, with Golson throwing 29 touchdown passes but also 14 interceptions. The Irish were led by running back Tarean Folston and wide receiver Will Fuller, each over 1,000 all-purpose yards. Their defense generated a lot of turnovers, notching 16 interceptions on the year, but also struggled to stop their opponents without those turnovers, allowing over 29 points per contest. safety matthias Farley tied for the team lead in both sacks (3.5) and interceptions (four).

Irish started fast

before the game, head coach brian Kelly told nbc sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen that he expected Golson to play well, despite throwing four interceptions at Arizona state. Kelly noted they would let him be aggressive and get off to a good start. he also said that it was important for his young defense to continue to grow each game.

Facing the ice-cold Wildcats offense seemed like the perfect recipe for accomplishing as much.

The hope for defensive improvement was ultimately in vain, but Golson did come out aggressive. he threw on the first three plays. After a pair of incompletions, Golson fired a 14-yard third-down pass under pressure from his blind side. on the ensuing play, Golson called his own number and showed impressive burst to run 61 yards for the score. A strong offensive start for the Irish against a weak northwestern offense was part of the recipe for an easy win, and Golson delivered.

however, the first sign of things going wrong happened on northwestern’s first possession. on paper, the Irish should have dominated the Wildcats, but that didn’t happen early. northwestern marched 74 yards on nine plays for a touchdown. They moved the chains via a pair of solid third-down conversions. Then, at midfield, the Irish’s struggling rush defense struck again. northwestern dominated at the line, and one offensive lineman absolutely obliterated freshman linebacker nyles morgan downfield, keying a 44-yard run. From there, an

Irish penalty gave northwestern multiple chances from inside the six-yard line and they converted easily. Poor situational defense, a bad penalty and failing to prevent big plays. Trends that often hurt young defenses hurt notre dame on that first drive.

The Irish needed some veteran leadership from the defense, which they got on the next drive. A pair of fifth-years in cody r iggs and Austin collinsworth combined for a scoop-and-score touchdown. however, the PAT was blocked and returned for a safety, cutting the notre dame lead to 13-9.

The game script continued to favor the Irish, as they earned a stop on downs on the ensuing northwestern possession. Then, they blitzed the Wildcats’ defense for 64 yards in four plays, taking a 20-9 lead. The mood in notre dame stadium was energetic, and the Irish, after a sluggish defensive start, looked strong on both sides of the ball.

What went wrong?

In baseball, after a big inning, there’s something called a shutdown inning — holding an opponent scoreless after scoring a few runs of your own. notre dame, up 11 points with a hot offense, could have used a big shutdown possession from their defense after taking command. They forced a third and 10. northwestern, showing little confidence in their offense, called for a draw play. but, the conservative play call resulted in a 45-yard run, gashing the heart of the Irish defense.

Another third down conversion, and another 40+ yard rush. northwestern gained another 25 yards on three rushes and eventually scored on a four-yard touchdown pass. Instead of a quick stop, notre dame allowed northwestern to close within 20-16 in the opening seconds of the second quarter.

A punt and a turnover brought the Irish’s offensive momentum to a screeching halt. The turnover came via a Golson interception that was returned 65 yards. northwestern needed one play to gain the remaining four yards and take a 23-20 lead. suddenly, northwestern, in just the first half, had nearly matched the most points they had scored all season.

Although notre dame scored to take the lead, 27-23, heading into the locker room, the momentum felt decidedly against the Irish. northwestern had again gashed the Irish defense with a big play, a 60-yard pass, but notre dame bailed themselves out with an interception. even then, they followed up that burst of energy with a missed 38-yard field goal. Without special teams miscues, the Irish could have led by 10.

Second Half

To open the second half, the Irish allowed yet another explosive play. This time, it was a 29yard pass from northwestern quarterback Trevor siemian. siemian later ran for 16 yards to

bring the Wildcats into the red zone. A sack halted the drive, but northwestern still gained a field goal and held plenty of offensive confidence. notre dame failed to regain any momentum. They went three-and-out, but the Irish defense forced a fumble. notre dame took over at the northwestern 21. After a 16-yard run, they promptly fumbled, their second turnover inside the Wildcats’ 30.

Like in the first half, however, notre dame seemingly seized control. nothing came of the Irish fumble, and notre dame scored on their next possession to take a 34-26 lead. more missed opportunities haunted the Irish, as they fumbled again inside the northwestern fiveyard line. however, the Wildcats couldn’t capitalize, and notre dame scored again. The Irish went for two points, a questionable decision at best. The Irish failed, allowing northwestern to stay within eleven. Unforced errors — failed extra-point conversions, a missed field goal and two turnovers within five yards

of the end zone — kept the game within striking distance. still, with barely six minutes remaining, all notre dame needed to do was not surrender a pair of scoring drives to a struggling northwestern offense. enter notre dame’s young defense. notre dame allowed a third-down conversion and then promptly committed a personal foul. Another big siemian run, this one for 15 yards, brought northwestern to the red zone, and they scored and converted a two-point conversion. With 4:10 remaining, notre dame led, 40-37.

The Irish offense converted a pair of first downs, and northwestern began burning timeouts. The Irish needed one first down to seal the result. even if they didn’t get it, a couple of runs and a punt would have given northwestern under 40 seconds to work with and likely a full field to drive to tie the game.

Instead, senior running back cam mcdaniel fumbled, and northwestern drove 44 yards

for the game-tying 45-yard field goal. In overtime, the two offenses combined to gain a single yard. The difference? special teams, yet again. notre dame missed their field goal, and northwestern made theirs, sealing the stunning 43-40 upset. It was a collapse of the highest order for notre dame. While a road loss to a top-ten team, even a bad one, was somewhat forgivable, this game wasn’t. The season went down the drain, and notre dame couldn’t get itself out of a largely self-inflicted collapse. They lost to no. 24 Louisville at home the next week, and then they traveled to their unranked rivals at Usc The Trojans laughed the Irish out of the stadium en route to a 49-14 win, sending the spiraling boys in blue and gold to a 7-5 record. It was the only four-game losing stretch of the brian Kelly era, a skid started at Arizona state but truly set in motion by a stunning loss to northwestern.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish then-junior wide receiver Chris Brown coughed up one of Notre Dame’s three fumbles near the goal line during the team’s 43-40 overtime loss to Northwestern on Nov. 15, 2014, held at Notre Dame Stadium.

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Irish then-senior running back Cam McDaniel fumbled the ball in the last minutes of the fourth quarter of Northwestern’s 43-40 overtime victory over Notre Dame on Nov. 15, 2014, held at Notre Dame Stadium.

Irish fencing undefeated in Decicco Duals at Northwestern University

By ANNIKA HERKO sports Writer

This weekend the notre dame fencing team traveled to northwestern University in c hicago to compete in the northwestern d uals. The women’s team went 3-2 and the men’s team went 6-0.

Against northern Illinois University, the women won 19-8, going 5-4 in saber, 7-2 in foil and 7-2 in epee. c alifornias an d iego ventured into the cold midwestern to lose to the Irish 24-3. the women’s team went 9-0 in saber, 8-1 in foil and 7-2 in epee. Afterward, the Irish beat the Air Force Academy 22-5. They went undefeated in saber, 7-2 in foil and 6-3 in epee. however, the Irish finished the day with a pair of losses. c ornell beat notre dame 1611, with the Irish winning in foil 6-3 but losing in saber 7-2 and epee 6-3. Against the host school, the notre dame Women’s Team lost 19-8, going 2-7 in saber, 3-6 in foil and 3-6 in epee. notre dame sabers went 23-4 in three victories, but they were just 4-14 in a pair of losses. In addition, their epeeists rolled, 20-7 in the

W Lacrosse

experience, international experience and professional playing experience with sTX. Just so much awesome perspective coming in here and recently being both really comfortable with ncAA tournament play and building programs, so you know that’s been one of the exciting things for our team.”

both senior midfielder Kasey choma and attacker madison Ahern discussed how great their new coaches are. They said it has helped to have a male offensive coach and they highlighted the importance of stability after three different coaches filled the position in the past four years.

“I think all of them have brought a new perspective to the offense,” Ahern said. “With Adam coming in… he definitely has a different perspective as a guy and brings the men’s game to us. I haven’t been coached by a guy since youth so it’s really exciting to be able to learn from him.”

coach halfpenny also gave a nod to their third new coach, bridget deehan, who just graduated from the Irish program last year. deehan played goalie for the Irish in her five years and had a majorly successful career, saving 453 shots with a save percentage of .467. And while halfpenny is the only returner on the coaching staff, the Irish return seven seniors and eleven juniors, plus two

opening three victories, but they faltered with a 6-12 overall record in the final two losses. The Irish foilists were most consistent, finishing 31-14.

When they won, they averaged 21.7 points per match.

The women averaged 5.4 points in saber, 5.4 points in foil and 5.2 points in epee.

Freshman saber Kaitlyn hulseburg picked up 5-0 victories in four of her bouts.

Foilists nicole p ustilnik and Zoe b arnette each went untouched by their opponent in three of their bouts. Juniors

m aya Walker (foil) and neve h arrison (saber) each had two bouts won by a 5-0 scoreline.

The notre dame men’s team beat Lawrence University 261, losing only one match in saber. They improved on their 20-7 score against Lawrence last weekend at the d ecicco d uals. The Irish went on to handle Acc foe b oston

c ollege, 18-9. They went 5-4 in saber, 5-4 in foil and 8-1 epee.

The Irish went 21-6 against the Air Force Academy going 7-2 in saber, 8-1 in foil and 6-3 in epee. Then, they went 26-1 against the University of the Incarnate Word, losing only one bout in saber. Against

graduate students.

“our team returns incredible strength,” halfpenny said. “You know we really leaned in on all the experience we were returning, the maturity we were returning, the open minds for some of the new ideas of what we were gonna lean into for this season and how we would welcome in the top-ranked freshman class. so, we’ve been working really hard competing every day focusing our culture on how we are going to live on our values which in turn translates to our performance this year.”

Three of those returning players are choma, Ahern and senior attacker Jackie Wolak, who halfpenny called her three-headed monster on the attack. choma and Ahern were selected as preseason All-Americans. choma was named to the first team and Ahern earned honorable mention honors. Although halfpenny was excited for choma and Ahern, she also said that she felt Wolak deserved to join the others in receiving credit.

“Kasey and madison… it’s been great to see the recognition, but the reality is we got one in the shadows,” halfpenny said. “You know she is probably one of the most underrated attackers in the conference… You can say she is probably one of the most underrated attackers in the country and she lives right here at notre dame working with Kasey choma and madison.”

Last year, the “three-headed

stanford, notre d ame went 19-8 going 6-3 in saber, 7-2 in foil and 6-3 in epee.

For the Irish men, the epeeists and foilists led the way, each going 38-7 on the day. The sabers finished 34-11. s ophomore foilist phillip d ority and senior saber g eorge bivins each went won a pair bouts by a 5-0 margin. The men’s team averaged 22 points per match. The men averaged 6.8 points in saber, 7.6 points in foil and 7.6 points in epee.

In the spirit of notre d ame unity, the nd c lub s wim Team was also at northwestern and went to cheer on the fencers before their own meet started.

The Fencing team travels to d urham, north c arolina, next weekend to compete at a tournament at d uke in their last university tournament before the Junior o lympics, Acc c hampionship and nc AA Tournament. The Irish women’s team is ranked no. 1, and the men are ranked fourth, as they look to get the program in position for a third straight national title.

monster” encompassed the team’s top three scorers. choma led the way with 59 goals, followed closely by Ahern with 57 and Wolak with 40. The three were also playmakers, with Wolak recording a teamhigh 31 assists on the season, followed by Ahern’s 20.

“They are all three very dynamic players who compete at a very high, high level and skill set and when you look at their numbers they are all within a point of each other,” said halfpenny.

These seniors are accompanied by a strong roster behind them. senior defender emma schettig is coming off an injury. halfpenny is expecting her to take a bigger role in the upcoming season.

And while the senior class is stacked with talent, it is the Junior class halfpenny is expecting to step up this year.

“The junior class right behind them is really something special. You know you think about it, they were in high school and they missed their high school senior seasons due to cov Id. And then, they came in as freshmen and we added six fifth years…

Upon their junior year commitments no one knew cov Id was coming, no one had any idea a pandemic was coming, so they were prepping to fill slots of seven seniors, seven starters, that were supposed to graduate way back in 2020. And when they got here in ‘21 we had those seven kids back. so they had to work while they were waiting this junior class and

they learned from amazing allconference all-American players in the last two classes we graduated,” halfpenny said. despite playing last year, the lack of experience from the junior class remained an obstacle.

“We had a number of [juniors] starting and playing and the story of the team is we had to learn hard lessons when the clock was running,” said halfpenny.”Just players who hadn’t had that experience for years. Top, top players but they really hadn’t played in that style of competitive game since their junior year of high school.” but halfpenny says that they are ready to play now. Following the senior class, these juniors will be crucial to notre dame’s tough upcoming season.

“They have outstanding team relationships where their work ethic is something that everyone’s watching and they’re an engine, our juniors are just an engine, they are the first followers of our seniors. They help take the load of leadership off our sensors and you’re gonna see a lot of them,” said halfpenny.

one of those juniors is midfielder Kelly denes, who controlled a team-leading 100 draws in the 2022 season.

“she was a part of our draw unit that beat some of the top draw teams in our country, in that stacked category, when we were at a must-win situation last season.” halfpenny said.

coach halfpenny also alluded to some of her other juniors who could have breakout seasons. That list includes Keelin schlageter and Kristen shanahan, the latter of whom is coming off an injury.

With a stacked roster, the Irish are looking to make it far this season. The main goal, as always, is to win it all. but choma is not looking too far ahead, focusing first on leading the Irish to a winning record. choma also stated that their goal was to be the best against everyone, but especially fellow midwestern teams. The region has some tough opponents such as no. 5 northwestern and michigan.

The first step to completing this goal will take place on Friday when the no. 14 Irish will take on san diego state. Then, the team will have their first big test on the road against northwestern. no matter who they are playing, though, halfpenny said the Irish will take it one game at a time. They will face some of the toughest competitors in the country. but she said the Irish are hopeful their high-caliber team has what it takes to get the job done.

“We are really really excited for what this group is doing and how they’re moving us forward,” said halfpenny. “It is going to be exciting to see... We’re excited right now for the facts to take place starting on Friday.”

Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Irish freshman epee Nick Candela advances toward opponent in match for Decicco Duals tournament on Jan. 29 in Evanston, Ill.

ND SoFTbALL

Irish poised for 2023 success

By TYLER REIDY sports Writer

opening day is quickly approaching for notre dame softball. The Irish will take the field this weekend at the sdsU season Kickoff in san diego, beginning with a Friday night doubleheader. Last year, notre dame posted a 40-12 overall record with a 16-5 conference mark, leading the Acc in team batting average. The Irish reached the ncAA evanston regional but dropped two games to mcneese state for an early exit.

For the 22nd consecutive season, head coach deanna Gumpf will lead the Fighting Irish. With a total record of 825-348-1, she is the winningest head coach of any sport in school history. Gumpf cited team experience, greater depth and the presence and improvement of playmakers as reasons for her eagerness to open play on Friday.

Under the familiar guidance of Gumpf, a new face will work with the team this season. Last summer, Amanda eberhart was named associate coach after the departure

ND WomEN’S LAcroSSE

of Lizzy ristano. eberhart brings head coaching experience from valparaiso, omaha and IUPUI to south bend. she earned 95 wins in her four seasons at IUPUI and helped omaha to a second-place summit League finish in 2021. eberhart has also completed power conference coaching stays at Purdue, Indiana, nc state and northwestern.

“The detail she brings is huge,” Gumpf said of the new hire. “she is all about the little things, and she does a great job with our hitters — getting them focused on the right things at the right time. I’m super, super excited about what she brings to our offensive game.”

In terms of the roster itself, notre dame brings back the personnel necessary for success in Acc play and the ncAA tournament. Junior infielder Karina Gaskins, the reigning Acc Player of the Year and consensus All-American, carries a laundry list of accolades. entering this season, d1softball.com designated her as the 29th-best player in see soFTbALL PAGE 12

ASK obSErvEr SPorTS

breaking down 2014 Irish collapse against Wildcats

By AIDAN THOMAS sports editor

We asked you to Ask The observer sports department and you responded with the request: “northwestern @ notre dame 2014 Football breakdown”. That game was a heartbreaking loss for a notre dame team that had started 6-0 before stumbling down the stretch to a 7-5 record. A bowl game win over L sU salvaged some optimism for the program’s future, but that loss to northwestern was a shocking result that contributed to one of the more appalling stretches of Irish football in the brian Kelly era.

Key takeaways

The Irish had a young defense in 2014, and that proved to be their undoing. Plus, a mistake-prone offense ruined a lot of big chances to put the game away. They committed four turnovers, fumbling three times, twice

Irish look to take step forward in 2023

By OLIVIA SCHATZ

Associate sports editor

After two years of devastating endings to their seasons, the notre dame women’s lacrosse team is back in action Friday, hoping to turn things around for their seniors’ final seasons. competing in the hardest conference in the country, the Irish have to prove themselves every game, one game at a time. To be ready for play, the Irish changed up some of their coaching staff, welcoming in associate coaches Lauren brenner (defensive) and Adam sear (offensive) this year.

“It’s been a really productive year so far, some exciting changes in the off-season have us really dialed in and focused,” said head coach christine halfpenny. “both [benner and sear] bring a ton of experience at all levels to us as players and coaches. both, while their most immediate stops did not come from the Acc, they both played in the Acc and collectively they bring final four experience, Acc championship

within the northwestern fiveyard line. Another came at the northwestern 31 with a chance to run out the clock, and the lone interception was thrown at the northwestern 28. While the Irish forced four turnovers of their own, missing so many chances in plus opportunity cost them at least a couple of touchdowns. on defense, big plays and poorly-timed penalties haunted the Irish. They committed key penalties on multiple northwestern drives and were gashed by a few 40+ yard runs, timely quarterback runs and a few big passing plays. special teams miscues also cost the Irish in the vicinity of 10 points against northwestern. Two missed field goals, a missed PAT that turned into a northwestern safety and a failed conversion on a questionable decision to go for two points all became key points that doomed the Irish in a three-point, overtime loss.

Flaws hidden by a 6-0 start featuring five victories over unranked teams and only one true road game — which included two one-possession games — became apparent down the stretch for notre dame, and the Irish delivered a collapse for the ages against northwestern at notre dame stadium.

Lead up to the game notre dame entered the game on the heels of a crushing loss to Arizona state. After starting 6-0, notre dame stumbled at then-no. 2 Florida state, 31-27, after the stillcontroversial offensive pass interference call took away a game-winning touchdown pass. Playoff hopes remained afloat for the Irish, but two weeks later, notre dame fell in ugly fashion, 55-31 to no. 9 Arizona state. That left the Irish with two losses in three games and ranked 18th in the

see 2014 PAGE 14

Irish dream big for 2023 season

By NATE MOLLER senior sports Writer

There are lofty expectations for the notre dame men’s lacrosse team ahead of the 2023 season. The Irish enter the campaign ranked no. 5 in the UsILA Preseason Poll. And head coach Kevin corrigan has enjoyed the exciting buildup to the first game of the season.

“There is nothing more exciting than getting ready for that first game. I love the preseason and being here for this month where it’s just us and we are figuring ourselves out. Guys are competing like a devil trying to get on the field, and we are trying to figure out the pieces we have and what are the pieces we need to find,” corrigan said.

corrigan knows his team has talent everywhere, but he said he hopes his team will round into form as the season progresses.

“one thing we know is we have some of everything,” corrigan said. “I think our depth in some of those areas is something we need to work on. right now we feel

good about how at every position we have playmakers.”

The Irish have plenty of talent on offense, and corrigan said he hopes that no single player has to do more than his fair share.

“We have a lot of good players, and I think the key for us is to make sure that nobody feels like they need to do more than their share. everybody needs to trust the process,” corrigan said. “I think the real key for us is to play well together because we have six guys on that end of the field at any minute that can score.”

Last year, the Irish were left out of the ncAA tournament despite winning their final six games of the season, much to the surprise of their fanbase. despite the obvious disappointment, corrigan said he has used last year as motivation for this year’s team.

“We didn’t have anybody to cry to. I think all of us collectively took it as a challenge as we can’t put ourselves in that situation and be vulnerable,” corrigan said. “It was a bad decision, but we allowed ourselves to be in a

ND mEN’S LAcroSSE

junior midfielder Kelly Denes reaches for the ball in last season game against the University of Pittsburgh on April 16, 2022.