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Volume 56, Issue 65 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com
Executive leadership starts term Lee-Stitt administration details their preparation and excitement for next year By BELLA LAUFENBERG Assosciate News Editor
On April 1, Patrick Lee and Sofie Stitt began their terms as Notre Dame student body president and v ice president, respectively. Lee and Stitt were elected at the beginning of Februar y. Since then, the t wo said they have been hard at work preparing for their term and assembling their cabinet. “It’s a year, but it’s short and f lies by,” Lee said. “W hat we’re focused on doing is turning this energ y and empathy and passion into ever y single one of our 365 days.” Stitt said the pair has been training for taking the
position since before they were elected, but that the preparation has intensified in recent weeks. “Patrick and I have been preparing for this role since before we announced that we were running. We have been working on fully understanding exactly what this looks like, in practice, especially after the election,” she said. “We’ve been meeting w ith prett y much ever ybody under the sun, spending a lot of time in transition meetings.” After an inter v iew process, Lee and Stitt chose Nicole Baumann as their chief of see GOVERNMENT PAGE 5
ND names new provost Observer Staff Report
Courtesy of Nicole Baumann
From left, vice president Sofie Stitt, president Patrick Lee and chief of staff Nicole Baumann. The new administration took office on April 1.
Long-term trends fuel competitive admissions
The Board of Trustees elected historian and former dean of the College of Arts and Letters John T. McGreevy as the next provost of the University, according to a press release Tuesday. The appointment, effective July 1, was made with the consideration of University see PROVOST PAGE 3
Howard named Hall of the Year By CLAIRE REID Associate News Editor
A decade after winning Hall of the Year in 2012, the Howard Hall Ducks won the 2021-2022 Hall President’s Council Hall of the Year contest. Keough Hall won the Men’s Hall of the Year award this year, and Cavanaugh Hall won Women’s Hall of the Year award. The three
winners will all celebrate by holding Dome Dances in the Main Building in the 20222023 academic year. Clare Brown, a junior and the 2021-2022 Howard Hall president, said her dorm specifically tried to focus on diversity and inclusion efforts this year. She said Howard hosted 15 events of various see HOTY PAGE 5
Data Courtesy of Don Bishop
Notre Dame’s acceptance rate over the past 13 years. Fueled by national trends, the admissions process has increasingly become more competitive since the school adopted the Common App in 2009. By MAGGIE EASTLAND and RYAN PETERS Assistant Managing Editor, Notre Dame News Editor
Editor’s Note: The Observer spoke with associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment Don Bishop to gain insight into the increasingly competitive Notre Dame admissions process. This article is the first in a series analyzing different trends and development in admissions. Following two decades of the number of applicants surging, Notre Dame admissions are now
NEws PAGE 4
more competitive than ever. In the 2022 cycle, only 12.9% of applicants gained admission, and associate vice president for undergraduate admissions Don Bishop said deposits are ahead of schedule, meaning only a few applicants will be accepted off the waitlist. “This year we’ve admitted 765 fewer students than we did in 2010, and we probably won’t have to admit many more. We might have to take some off the waitlist, but right now our deposits are running ahead,” Bishop said. “Not only do we have 12,000 more applications than we had 10 years
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
ago, but we’re also admitting 750 fewer to get the same size class.”
Applications and student rigor increase dramatically The increase in competitiveness over the last decade follows a nationwide trend at other top private universities. At Notre Dame, applications have skyrocketed 131% since 2004. Application numbers have risen in part due to a larger high school population and a trend in which students apply to more schools. see ADMISSIONS PAGE 3
SCENE PAGE 10
Dance Marathon raises funds By MEGHAN LANGE News Writer
On Saturday, the women of Saint Mary’s College held their sixteenth annual Dance Marathon. With additional support from members of the tricampus community, the club was able to raise $210,059.28 for Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. This year’s donation total bypasses last year’s total of $207,921.26 by over $2,000.
M SOCCER PAGE 16
Saint Mary’s College held its first Dance Marathon on April 20, 2006. The first marathon raised $21,047.42 and was named “Best New Marathon” at the Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon Leadership Conference of 2006. Lauren Doriot is a senior at Saint Mary’s and the president of Saint Mary’s College Dance Marathon. see DANCE PAGE 4
TRACK AND FIELD PAGE 16