Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, April 8, 2024

Fisher senior honors dorm with triathlon

Ethan Springfield completed a triathlon Thursday to raise awareness for the dorm’s last Regatta

By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News

While many residents of Fisher Hall are eagerly awaiting the final Fisher Regatta next weekend, senior Ethan Springfield took his anticipation to the next level on Thursday by doing an Ironman style triathlon to raise awareness for the event.

An Ironman triathlon begins with 2.4 miles of swimming, followed by 112 miles of biking and finishing with a 26.2 mile run. Springfield pledged to donate a dollar for every mile he traveled. Money raised for the Regatta goes to support St. Adalbert’s

Dance Marathon raises $160,000

By MONICA SCHAFER News Writer

Raising $160,000.24, the student-led organization

Saint Mary’s College Dance Marathon hosted their 18th annual Dance Marathon for the tri-campus on Saturday, April 6. The Dance Marathon was hosted in the Angela Athletic Center for the race carthemed event’s entire 12-hour duration. The event is centered around fundraising money for the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. The Dance Marathon featured activities such as bracelet making, letter writing, dancing and games. Besides these activities, the event also hosted activities involving fundraising and showcasing the stories of various families whose children have been patients at the hospital. The families at the event told their stories to attendees and discussed how the Dance Marathon has impacted their lives. To supplement these discussions, the event also featured slideshows that showed pictures of patients’ journeys in the Riley Hospital for Children.

The Saint Mary’s Dance Marathon club is comprised of multiple committees that planned and fundraised for the event throughout the school year. The donations made through the club’s fundraising goes directly to needed patient services as well as covers 100% of the patients’ bills. Some of the money raised also goes to research.

“I joined my freshman year, and it’s the relationships that kept me invested in Dance Marathon,” senior Anne Goralczyk said.

Many students involved in Dance Marathon have a desire to help others in need. The event even had posters explaining why people joined the club.

”At the start of the year, we attend all the activity fairs and encourage people to sign up,” Goralczyk said. “Those people can then decide how involved they want to get in the Dance Marathon. Anyone is welcome.” Contact

Elementary School in South Bend. Because Fisher Hall is set to be demolished this summer, Springfield said it was more important than ever for him to try to make the fundraiser a success this year.

“With this being the last year of the Regatta with Fisher still standing, I wanted to go above and beyond in hopes of meeting our goal for donations to St. Adalbert’s school,” he said. “It’s our ‘Last Dance.’”

Springfield began his endeavor at 5:45 a.m. Thursday in the pool at the Rockne Memorial Gym. After

Freshmen prepare for summers with NDBridge

By JENNA ABU-LUGHOD News Writer

By completing classes, trainings, immunizations and forms, freshmen participating in the NDBridge summer program are readying to embark on their eight-week immersive experiences. Current sophomores were the first cohort to participate in the Center for Social Concern’s NDBridge program after the summer service learning program and international counterpart transitioned to NDBridge in the fall of 2022. While the prior program was open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors, NDBridge uniquely provides rising sophomores with the ability to travel to over 25 distinct locations in the U.S. and internationally with the goal of promoting justice and the common good. In preparation for their upcoming experiences, all NDBridge students are currently enrolled in a one-credit, eightsession supplementary course.

According to freshman Rhett deBlieux, the course allows students to discuss their sites and learn how to be a servant based in Catholic Social Teaching. deBlieux will be serving at Our Lady of the Angels in Humboldt Park, Chicago. The spring semester course aims to equip the NDBridge cohort with the necessary skills and information for traveling to a new place and serving various communities. Because students travel in four-person groups, the course also serves to introduce group members to one another and allow them to connect before embarking on their trips.

“The first hour each week we have a guest lecturer where we focus on a different topic,” Joey Kozimbo said. “One week they brought in a mental health professional and another time we talked about how to perform research through observation and questioning. After that first hour, we have another hour to meet with our podmates that we’ll live with

over the summer.”

Kozimbo will spend his summer in Boston with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program. Beyond taking classes, students have to take various training courses, receive immunizations and obtain necessary visas.

“We’ve had to complete CPR training and an online travel course, as well as a few forms and emails to people we will be working with,” Aislinn Fernandes said. “We’ve also had to apply for visas and get health check-ups.”

Fernandes will work with people with disabilities in Vidya Sagar in Chennai, India. In addition, some students have been practicing the language of the country they will be visiting to better communicate with the people they are working with.

“I have been brushing up on my Spanish skills as we are going to a country whose primary language is Spanish, and I have to

Courtesy of Ethan Springfield.

Ethan Springfield crossed the finish line of his triathalon around 12:45 a.m. Friday morning as Fisher residents cheered him on in encouragement. Springfield ran 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles.

An article in Friday’s paper mistakenly stated that Badin Hall won “Women’s Hall of the Year” and that Carroll Hall won “Men’s Hall of the Year.” Badin Hall and Carroll Hall both won “Hall of the Year.” The Observer regrets this mistake.

Council.

Unraveling the controversy of college pranks

By THOMAS DOBBS and CADE CZARNECKI

From the Archives Researchers

Step into a captivating exploration of campus antics, where playful pranks collide with serious repercussions. From the daring theft of a bust that sparked a law enforcement hunt to a culinary prank with a costly aftermath, explore the fine line between tradition and transgression. Venture further with a satirical twist in The Absurder, where humor skewers the absurdities of university policies and culture. This compilation from the archives invites you to reflect on the complexity of pranks — a blend of creativity, camaraderie and sometimes unintended outcomes. Uncover the stories that have shaped the dialogue between humor and harm at Notre Dame across decades.

Pranks and Crimes

Sept. 25, 1968 | Observer Staff | Sept. 12, 1984 | Bob Vonderheide | Sept. 26, 1984 | Margaret Fosmoe | Sept. 5, 1895 | Mark Pankowski | Researched by Cade Czarnecki

While interpretations of their actions have varied, numerous Notre Dame students have fancied

themselves pranksters over the years.

In 1968, the front porch of Badin Hall was mysteriously painted white overnight. Although historical accounts suggest the paint job was subpar, it completely changed the aesthetic of Badin.

Allegedly, the University had previously denied requests from residents of Badin to repaint the porch, so it was assumed that a proud resident took matters into their own hands. Only two pieces of evidence were discovered that indicated the possible perpetrator behind the whitewashing of the structure: size nine footprints in white paint alongside two handprints.

1984 witnessed one of Notre Dame’s most notable pranks, though it might be more rightly called a theft. The iconic bust of Knute Rockne was stolen from the Rockne Memorial.

The whereabouts of the bust were unknown until students reported seeing it at a graduation party on the shore of Lake Michigan. Soon after the theft, a ransom note showed up at the offices of The Observer that said the

bust would not be returned “till students have their beer.” A photo showing the bust dressed in sunglasses on a beach accompanied the note.

More photos from the thieves turned up in the coming weeks, including one of the bust in a Purdue shirt next to a West Lafayette road sign. Suspicion then shifted toward a Purdue graduate student who had studied at Notre Dame during their undergraduate years, despite a lack of concrete evidence.

The bust suddenly reappeared during the chaos of a pep rally. The administration was relieved, but the feeling was short-lived. Three days later, the smaller replica bust that had replaced the original one in the Rockne Memorial also disappeared. In its place was a jack-olantern and a note that read “here’s a buck for your troubles.”

In yet another episode of somewhat misguided pranks by students, three irreplaceable stations of the cross were stolen from the St. Edward’s Hall chapel in 1985. They were hand-carved and had resided in the chapel for over 60 years.

While the pranksters assuredly thought they were committing

this act in humor, the St. Edward’s community was outraged. Three small, minimalist crosses replaced the missing ones. Their plain nature served as a reminder of the theft going forward.

‘Jest a Minute:’ When do pranks go too far?

Sept. 13, 1984 | Mark Potter | Dec. 10, 2009 | Matt Brown | Nov. 12, 1996 | Shannon Dunne | Oct. 30, 1997 | Derek Betcher | Researched by Thomas Dobbs

The distinction between humor and harm, between playful antics and vandalism, poses a challenge for college campuses. Pranks, a staple of college life, serve as a testament to the creativity and camaraderie of students, but they also pose ethical and legal dilemmas that challenge administrative and student perspectives alike.

Mark Potter, in his reflective piece, argues the 1984 theft of the Rockne bust from the Rockne Memorial crossed the line — a prank that escalated to involve the Los Angeles Police Department. “Pranks are not done with the intent of hurting someone, rather they are done in a spirit of fun, while a crime is done only for one’s personal gain,” Potter writes.

Pranks, as described by Potter, often emerge from a place of boredom or in response to restrictive policies, such as the then-new alcohol policy at Notre Dame.

Yet, pranks can have significant consequences and cause considerable damage. One such incident in 1997 involved pranksters baking parmesan cheese in toasters and microwaves to create foul odors, resulting in $10,000 in damages, as reported by the senate.

The Scene section of The Observer, through its advice column, conveys the simultaneous enthusiasm and caution surrounding pranks. In addressing a query from “Frustrated in Badin,” Matt Brown supports the continuation of a prank war, emphasizing the importance of keeping pranks light-hearted. “The most important thing to remember is to make sure no lasting damage will be done,” the column advises, while also humorously warning of the potential for a dramatic escalation in prank warfare.

The Absurder

April 1, 1977 | Observer Staff | April 1, 2004 | Observer Staff | Researched by Thomas Dobbs

The Absurder edition of The Observer, Notre Dame’s own twist on April Fools’, never fails to deliver a punch of humor right where it’s needed.

In an audacious piece, the University’s president, portrayed as “Dr. Freddy Hesburgher,” makes

a compelling plea for a tuition hike. With a straight face, he defends his private jet use: “I need it for my job. How can I be a world savior if I can’t see the world I’m supposed to save?” This jest at the administration’s expense highlights the absurdity of using “high-minded” justifications for raising student costs.

The satire peaks with an outlandish claim that Notre Dame has been diverting tuition funds into a secret nuclear weapons program. Chief weapons inspector “Duke Nukem” reveals the bizarre logic underpinning their investigation. “There was no way that much money could be funneled into education,” Nukem said. “We narrowed it down to either paying off the remainder of Bob Davie’s contract or nukes before we saw those kids from Zahm. It’s quite sad what radiation can do to humans.”

This scenario satirizes the absurdity of escalating tuition fees, insinuating that the funds could be misallocated to anything as improbable as a University-led nuclear arms race.

Hidden in the ridiculous lies a bit of truth: the jest underscores the real extravagances of college sports programs and nods to Notre Dame’s expensive payouts, such as the nearly $19 million paid to Charlie Weiss in 2009 after his firing. The piece suggests that the University’s financial priorities can sometimes seem as fantastical as funding a nuclear arsenal.

The Absurder has also touched on the peculiar demographics of Notre Dame’s sporting events in a piece that discusses a shift of home basketball games to the Fort Wayne Coliseum.

This move, allegedly to overcome Notre Dame’s infamously older crowds, is supported by Coach Hike Frey’s observation: “The reception they gave our boys last week was outstanding.” Furthermore, a Hooters was reportedly added next to the Coliseum to ensure fans “are always yelling because they are too drunk to know what’s going on.”

Every piece within The Absurder acts as a mirror, where satire not only sketches the real or imagined issues plaguing the University landscape but also showcases humor’s powerful role in dissecting and digesting campus life. The special edition illustrates how laughter can serve not just as a source of entertainment, but also as a catalyst for critical thinking and discussion about significant academic and administrative concerns.

Fisher

finishing the swimming portion, he made his way to Smith Center at 8:45 a.m., where he completed the 112 miles of biking on a stationary bike. Finally, he began the marathon portion of the triathlon at 6 p.m., following the route used for the Holy Half Marathon. Springfield finished the marathon at 12:45 a.m. on Friday, crossing the finish line in front of Fisher Hall as residents cheered him on. Springfield explained the final 13.1 miles of the marathon were the most difficult part of the race.

“The fatigue, muscular exhaustion and lactic acid buildup from the hours of exercise were immense. My legs felt like boulders. I was moving slow, and doubt was creeping in,” he recounted.

Springfield’s belief in the larger importance of the Regatta pushed him forward.

“Something I told myself during those moments was, ‘It’s not about you.,’” he said. “The Ironman was bigger than myself. It was for St. Adalbert’s. It was for Fisher.”

Also crucial in helping him get through the more difficult parts of the triathlon were the other residents of Fisher. Resident s helped Springfield train for the race and joined him for portions of the bike and the run, with five residents running the final 13.1 miles with him.

Springfield also said his rector, Joey Quinones, who ran an Ironman last year to benefit Fisher for Notre Dame Day, was also there to text updates to the dorm throughout the day.

Springfield stressed the outpouring of support was most felt during the last part of the race

“For the final stretch of the run, what felt like the whole dorm ran the last bit with me and was there to cheer me on when I crossed the finish line in front of Fisher Hall,” he said.

One of these residents, sophomore Carson Goldrick, recounted his experience running a mile with Springfield.

“I’ve known Ethan for close to seven or eight years and being able to run the second to last mile with him and the other Fisher guys was such a memorable experience,” Goldrick said. “He has been working really hard for years

THE NIEMEYER LECTURES IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

and to see him accomplish what many never will was amazing.”

Sophomore resident Adam Akan also emphasized the sense of community the run fostered.

“[Springfield] inspired all of us to come together around him. Guys from the hall were finding him throughout the day to cheer him on, and a ton of us ran the final part of his Ironman with him,” he said. “I really don’t think that would happen in any dorm except ours.”

Although Springfield will not be competing in the Regatta this year, he said he wanted to “usher in Regatta Week with dorm spirit high.”

Akan emphasized the importance of this year’s Regatta.

“Even though we are going to continue on as a community, we want to leave a lasting legacy of everything our hall stands for before we move to Zahm,” he said.

“The Regatta is an amazing opportunity to remind the campus who we are.”

The Fisher Regatta will take place Saturday, April 13 at 10 a.m. on St. Mary’s Lake.

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

You Can’t Fool Rules:

Opera and International Thought

A trio of lectures on the surprising connections between opera and international thought by DAVID ARMITAGE, the Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History at Harvard University.

Diplomatic Mozart

April 10 — 3:30 p.m.

Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn

Commentators:

Jennifer Pitts, University of Chicago, Department of Political Science

Pierpaolo Polzonetti, University of California, Davis, Department of Music

Featuring a performance by bass-baritone Ian Williams with Dror Baitel, pianist

Death at Sea: Wagner to Klinghoffer

April 11 — 3:30 p.m.

Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn

Commentators:

Eric Nelson, Harvard University, Department of Government

Christopher Chowrimootoo, University of Notre Dame, Program of Liberal Studies and Department of Music

Featuring a performance by soprano

Deborah Mayer with Dror Baitel, pianist

Summer

to that,” Dani Tutani, who will be working with the Congregation of Holy Cross in Santiago, Chile, said. “I just need to prepare for the culture shock that will happen when I’m over there.”

Each group of NDBridge students also has a faculty mentor providing personalized advice and guidance prior to the trip. Makeda Gemechu will serve in Letterfrack, Ireland, the only NDBridge site in Europe.

“Since we are going to Letterfrack, our faculty member is from Ireland,” Gemechu said. “We met with him yesterday and he told us different things like the direction cars drive and which way to look before crossing the road. We are trying to cover as much ground as we can in such a short period of time.”

Although some were originally nervous to meet the other students at their site, many NDBridge students have been enjoying the opportunity to connect with their peers before the summer program begins.

“I was certainly nervous about the group I was going to get when I first got into

Refugee Songs

April 12 — 12:30 p.m

Smith Ballroom, Morris Inn

Commentators:

Mira Siegelberg, University of Cambridge, Faculty of History

Martha C. Nussbaum, University of Chicago, Department of Philosophy and Law School

Featuring a performance by soprano Anne Slovin with Dror Baitel, pianist

the program, but I think I certainly got a good group,” deBlieux said. “Matthew, Angela and Mary Michael are three people that I likely would have never met if it hadn’t been for NDBridge, and I am so glad that I have the opportunity to share this experience with them.”

NDBridge aims to push rising sophomores to find their purpose after adjusting to their first year of college.

“In the first class, I felt like spending an hour together was going to be awkward,” Kozimbo said. “I thought we’d run out of things to talk about. But, the hour was up, and we weren’t even done talking. I definitely look forward to the class each week.”

Students participating in NDBridge will travel to their sites in late May and early June, depending on the location.

“The summer will be heavily focused on building the community in Humboldt Park through the Catholic Faith,“ deBlieux said. “I am excited to see how I grow and what I learn from this experience.” Contact

All events free and open to the public

Last Friday, a column published in The Observer denounced the College Republicans of Notre Dame (NDCR) over its recent decision to revoke a standing endorsement of Senator Todd Young. The reasoning behind our revocation was elaborated on in a post to X. “Notre Dame College Republicans formally rescind all prior endorsement of @SenToddYoung. Dedication to President Trump is more important than any ‘principled conservative’ position he claims. It is time to replace the Indiana political establishment with America First.”

The post came in reaction to Young’s announcement that he would no longer support the current Republican nominee and former President Donald J. Trump in the upcoming general election.

Scandalously enough, NDCR decided to stand by the Republican nominee.

But for the author of the above column, this was not just deeply morally wrong, it was also a “dystopian” and “Orwellian” move befitting the Kremlin. After all, how could anyone even consider revoking the endorsement of a fellow Republican? With a resounding conclusion, he declares that NDCR is an anti-American, anti-democratic cohort actively “silencing” sitting U.S. Senator Todd Young.

But amidst a whirlwind of buzzwords and empty aphorisms, the author seems to have missed the glaring irony that Young, and not NDCR, “un-endorsed his fellow Republican” first. This is hardly an insignificant oversight, considering his entire column rested upon that single grievance.

Undeterred, the author concludes that although Young has no obligation to endorse the nominee of his party, NDCR has an obligation to endorse Senator Young.

Most readers have noticed by now that something has gone seriously wrong. Accusing a college club of silencing a United States senator? While the author frequently assures us that he has the

best interest of the GOP at heart, it seems reasonable to ask, how does an argument for disunity further the party?

Unless the author — keenly aware that disunity is detrimental to electoral success — wants to destroy Trump, even at the cost of a Republican victory this year. As strange as this may seem, it’s not hard to see when considering the context.

A quick lesson in party politics: it is well-established that uniformly backing the party nominee is one of the most effective ways to ensure electoral success. The Democratic Party has perfected this strategy, ensuring that, despite dissent within its own left wing, it consistently inches towards its goals with each subsequent election.

Let’s piece this together, then. If the author asserts that disunity behind the nominee is paramount — the opposite of established wisdom then it seems safe to assume that he has little to no intention of propelling the party nominee to victory. This author, aware that he is working against the vast majority of the base, actively works to gaslight us into believing that they, and not the astroturfed “Never Trump” movement, are the ones responsible for consistent Republican losses.

The hubris of so-called “principled conservatives,” to wag the finger at MAGA for not supporting the active undermining of the party nominee, is nauseating. We are not beholden to “Conservatism Incorporated™ (Con Inc.),” a group that has profited enormously from grifting off of the conservative movement for decades. This same group endlessly attempts to gatekeep Republicans, who overwhelmingly support President Trump, from overthrowing their tired neoconservative agenda of endless wars and rotten bargains against the base.

Con Inc. has hated Trump ever since he declared his crusade against the system. This system

effectively transformed America into a neoliberal economic zone, ransacked by the highest bidder and benefitting powerful interests. Despite what so-called “principled conservatives” claim, they don’t hate Trump on ideological principle, they hate him because he represents a threat to this status quo.

This brings me to my main point: politics is personal, not ideological. Without understanding this, well-meaning people can get caught up in imaginary political realities. The author even does this when he points out a devastating contradiction between NDCR’s behavior in 2022 and 2024. What he failed to account for was the simple fact that an entirely different group of people run NDCR now.

This same principle held true during Governor Ron DeSantis’ failed presidential run. Ideologically, DeSantis and Trump are nearly identical, but personally, they are vastly different people. DeSantis, uncharismatic and shorter than every president since Truman, failed to connect with people. Those who understood this stood behind Trump, and those who didn’t came to regret it. Adherence to a general “ideology” does not win elections. Adherence to a candidate does. Like it or not, that’s democracy.

It would be easy enough to write off this column as yet another case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, but this year it’s more than that. This sentiment is the death rattle of a defeatist coalition, one hell-bent on destroying the GOP’s electoral chances this fall. But it’s not “Con Inc. first,” it’s America First. Appeasing the base is no longer optional.

Want to win? Try making America great again.

Nathan Desautels junior vice president of NDCR

Spending late nights in Hesburgh Library

library. From afar, despite the iconic “Touchdown Jesus” mural, the building seems foreboding. Its brutalist architecture looms above campus, daring all who might take up the gauntlet to enter.

There are few experiences that hone a person’s concentration and productivity more than a late night in Hesburgh Library.

Most Notre Dame students have likely been in this scenario. It’s 8:30 p.m., you’ve just finished eating dinner with your friends in the dining hall and are now left to sit with the daunting reality that you have a 12 page paper due the next morning which you have hardly started. You’ve had weeks to do this paper but, inevitably, it has come down to the last night.

A deluge of emotions spring forth from this scenario. Regret, fear, anxiety and perhaps a sense of hopelessness are all common. All we want in this moment is for the assignment to disappear and to be able to return to our normal lives and spend time with our friends.

But necessity calls. The essay must be written. The work must be done.

I pack my bag and make the dreaded trek to the

Reluctantly, I make my way through the door and up to a desk on the 11th floor. As I look out the window, the sun makes its way below the horizon and the lights begin to turn on around campus. I crack open my laptop and begin the work.

The words begin to spring forth, slowly and painfully at first, but faster and more smoothly as I go. I grow in confidence, but moments of doubt still come into my mind. At some points, it seems as though finishing the essay is simply not possible. Perhaps school is simply not for me and I should instead herd cattle on a farm in Ireland for the rest of my life.

But then I am called back to reality and continue writing again. The essay must be written. The work must be done.

As I work and struggle through the essay, the lights on campus flicker off, one by one.

The ancient books that surround me are now my only company. For decades they have sat there,

watching countless other students do the same thing as me.

At last the essay is done. I shut the laptop, standing up with a feeling of triumph. I stagger to the elevator and then out into the early morning.

Alone, I walk back to the dorm. The lights are almost all out now and the campus is quiet. The night cloaks the gothic buildings and the silent statues. A different world exists in this silent hour.

The new day will rise soon with its hope and its disappointment, its victory and its defeat, its joy and its bitterness. But as I walk back from Hesburgh, all of that is far away. I feel a sense of satisfaction and gratitude. The work has been done.

Yes, I probably should write my essays before the night they are due. But among the bookshelves, amidst the chaos, I find something that pushes me to dig deeper within me, to see the work to its conclusion. Ultimately, those late nights in Hesburgh are necessary once in a while.

Contact Liam at lkelly8@nd.edu.

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

Liam Kelly Notre Dame

Fisher final farewell to spirit, tradition

“Like the plutocrat that he is, the man from Fisher has a distinctive air about him as, books under arm, he casually pushes through the glass doors and steps out across the flagstone entrance. Already he’s developing a superiority complex with adequate reason.”

It was this excerpt from the 1953 issue of “The Dome Yearbook” that introduced the campus’s newest residence hall in style. Fisher Hall, with its 150 new single rooms for upperclassmen, was hailed as luxurious living near the dining hall, the Rockne Memorial gymnasium and St. Mary’s Lake. With modern amenities such as foam rubber pillows and desks with built-in drawers, the hall was hailed as a place “that St. Ed’s men dream about.”

After 72 years of serving as a men’s dormitory, it was announced last fall that Fisher Hall would be demolished in the summer of 2024. While the decision came as a surprise to few, residents of Fisher stated that they were heartbroken over the decision and noted that the home that they had known would be gone forever. Beginning in the fall of 2024, the Fisher Hall community will be temporarily moved to Zahm House until the construction of a new South Quad dormitory is complete.

Although the building was originally meant to serve as temporary housing for students in single rooms, this would not be the case for long. Soon, the walls that separated the rooms were torn down to create doubles, and despite the dorm’s division, a tight-knit community formed. In Fisher Hall, many residents say that “it is the people, not the place.”

However true one may believe this to be, there seems to be a certain magic that has allowed such a distinct community to form in one of the most unlikely of places.

This semester marks the last time that students will ever reside in Fisher Hall after thousands have called it home. With the slated demolition of such a quintessential piece of Notre Dame history, there will remain a sizable scar on South Quad and the face of this campus.

As the 20-foot-tall green Fisher “F” that had decorated the hall since the late 1980’s is removed this summer, so too will fall seventy years of history and tradition.

No longer will the steamy Welcome Weekend nights beckon the pounding of freshly painted Fisher paddles on South Quad pavement.

Never again will the whiff of incense wafting up from the chapel linger with the distinct aroma of the furnaces firing up in the late autumn.

No longer will the late-night laughs echo through the building’s narrow hallways as the snow silently accumulates outside.

This spring marks the final running of the Fisher Hall Regatta and it may be the final time that makeshift boats race across St. Mary’s Lake in support of St. Adalbert Catholic School.

Many may see the green block “F” and think of the Fisher Regatta, the Car Smash or the community’s work with St. Adalbert Catholic School. However, the spirit of Fisher is best seen in the quiet moments. These moments are best shared after the 85-pace pilgrimage to the Fisher table in South Dining Hall, which sits third from the wall on the right-hand side.

Here, the community comes together to regale each other with the tales from the night before and plans for the days to come. Whether it is battling it out to use the third floor’s coveted golden shower head or weathering water that flows with the smell of rotten eggs, the spirit of Fisher Hall is the stuff of legends. It is marked by a certain tenacity that motivates men to run an Iron Man and come together in light of their shared struggle.

While this summer does not mark the end for the Fisher community, it brings with it a challenge as the home in which they have forged these bonds will be torn to the ground.

Although the exposed heating pipes may soon be gone, the memories of Fisher names and “Doses and Mimosas” will long remain. Despite the continual peeling of Fisher’s linoleum floor tiles, the hugs shared at Fisher Mass will never fade. While there will never be another class of students to live in Fisher Hall, the bright-eyed glee of every Fisherman’s first time being welcomed into this family will never die.

The 25th Annual Fisher Regatta, to be held this Saturday, April 13th, is a celebration of all these things.

It stands as a celebration of what Fisher Hall has been, is now and forever will be. Although the Cadillac of dorms may soon be a ruin of concrete and pipes, the spirit of this place, which truly exemplifies what the Notre Dame community stands for, will live on.

For the final time as Fisher Hall, for the kids of St. Adalberts and for as long as Fisher lives on in the minds of those who were lucky enough to know it, “Ya Gotta Regatta!”

Jack Sirianni is a junior studying political science, journalism and public policy. He is a proud Michigander who appreciates jamming to Pete Seeger, scouring eBay for vintage Notre Dame paraphernalia and collecting stickers from everywhere he goes. On campus, Jack can often be seen by the Founder’s Monument or in the line for Southwest Salad. For your favorite tidbits of knowledge or any other musings, his inbox is always open at jsirian2@nd.edu.

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

Five endless stages of having a long term illness as a teenager

Denial

I dread the walk up the white marble stairs, my mother always insists we take them. I think she began noticing that the kids who didn’t make it out of the hospital tended to use the elevator. I snort, as if my using the stairs was going to change anything.

As I round the second staircase I see him. I get so caught up in him, I don’t even notice. His flaming green eyes are the most color I’ve ever seen in a hospital. He must catch me staring and I practically faint as his dimple appears with his half-smirk. He is Hot, with a capital “H.”

It isn’t until I catch my breath that I realize he is like me. Most of the people you see below the age of eighteen are visitors to a hospital. Somebody I might see once and will go back to their houses and never come back. So, hate me if you want, but when I notice he has a port in his chest, another form for long-term antibiotics, I kind of get excited.

I know that’s probably horrible to say, but it’s true.

I watch the boy as he walks away. He limps. His pant leg raises with one of his steps and I notice he’s missing a leg.

I freeze.

My mother notices and grabs my hand pulling me in the direction of my hospital room.

‘Anger’ (boy’s POV)

“Okay try to take a step,” he says cautiously. I barely hear his instructions over the pounding of my heart. It doesn’t feel right. It feels like someone kicked my leg out from underneath me, yet somehow, I’m still walking.

I don’t really want to watch what I look like as I take my first steps, but there’s no avoiding it. The room is like a small hallway covered in mirrors. There’s two chairs in opposite corners and a walkway lined with tall bars. I brace them as I try to take my first step. I slowly move my new foot forward by bending my knee and pushing my hip forward. I chant in my head “heel, toe, heel, toe.”

That’s the key to walking with a prosthetic leg — at least that’s what I am told.

I look up at the mirror and cringe. With each step, my hip severely drops. I look weak or injured: it’s sad.

I am so over being sad.

Bargaining

F*ck, f*ck, f*ck: if my mother let me curse, I’d be screaming right now. My nurse, this middle-aged woman who always makes sure my breakfast is in the room before I even get here, peels the stickiest clear bandage off my inner forearm. It feels like my skin is peeling off with it. My eyes fill with tears, but I refuse to let them fall.

The number one unspoken rule for sick kids is to never cry. Well, let me amend that: never cry in front of your parents.

I take a deep breath and squeeze my eyes, hoping the tears will go back to wherever

they came from and focus on something else, anything else. I think about all the harder things I’ve gone through. This is nothing in comparison. I think about the time I got my picc line: that f*cking hurt. I had bruises up and down both my arms for days. My nurse at the time stood beside me, held my hand and sang. I kind of thought he might’ve been an angel.

I don’t know, maybe that’s all messed up to say and feel considering I don’t really believe in God, but I do believe in that one angel.

At least, sometimes I like to.

Depression

It was as if every time I was left alone, I could feel someone wrapping their hands around my throat and squeezing. As if the feelings I’d buried down for the past eight hour school day rises like a tidal wave crashing so hard, the tears have no option but to fall.

I let myself sob.

I see my mom walking from the grocery store back towards the car. And everything retracts as fast as it came. The air once restricted by the imaginary strangler leaves, the tidal waves calm to just a rough sea. It still hurts, but I feel it lower, deeper within my gut. I pull down the car mirror, flip open its cover and begin whipping my tears.

“One deep breath,” I tell myself. “Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.” The car door opens.

“Hey, babe.” She smiles and slides into the driver’s seat.

“Hey,” it comes out a little shaky. At the time I thought she didn’t know, but she did. I can’t decide how it makes me feel. It doesn’t feel right for a mother to force a daughter to take off her mask and be honest, but it also doesn’t feel right that she left me that way.

Acceptance

I cried in front of someone for the first time today. It actually made me feel better and worse at the same time. He knew what I was crying about before I even said anything. Honestly, I was crying about everything. All the years of holding it all in, only realizing that I didn’t have to do that: that hurt. He never asks me how I feel and for once in my life I don’t wait for someone to ask. I just tell him. When I start talking I can’t stop, “I feel like I can’t do anything. I feel like I’m missing out on the best years of our lives. I feel like all people see when they look at me is some sick girl they find inspiring. I feel like no one knows me beyond this stupid f*cking illness. And honestly, I don’t even know if I know myself beyond it.”

I kept talking after that. I’m still crying. It only ever stops when someone walks in. Everytime a door closes or the lights go off, it starts again. Tears fall as if I’m making up for all the years I ever held it in.

Nyla White is junior studying political science and English with a concentration in creative writing. Her life is mostly consumed by Taylor Swift, books and disability advocacy. You can reach her at nwhite2@ nd.edu.

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

Jack Sirianni Viewpoint Columnist

Nyla White Always two feet behind....

By PATRICK ANDERS Scene Writer

Music is the language of the soul

I have a sticker from the Musical Instrument Museum on my laptop that proudly displays this quote. Recently though, music has been moving my legs as well as my soul as I’ve trained for the Holy Half Marathon taking place this Saturday. Given the amount of time that I knew I would spend running in preparation for the race, I decided to catalog various albums as I listened to them to see if there were any general trends on what made good running music. Here is what I’ve found.

Music and memory go hand in hand

I’ve listened to twenty-three different albums while running over the past few months, and in looking over the list, each album jogs the memory of each run better than I otherwise could. For example, “An Evening with Silk Sonic” reminds me of a tough running day that was ultimately very successful while “Everything’s Archie” reminds me of a nice weather day when I ran a new route. If you run long enough at Notre Dame, you will find routes that you keep

coming back to, and listening to different albums has been a good way for me to keep track of my runs.

Running helps to lock in

Our generation has been exposed to more media than any of our forebears, and this has dramatically changed our daily lives. While there are certainly negatives to this constant stimulation, the added stimulant of music while running makes my runs both faster and more enjoyable. I have found this is true for myself, as constant music provides energy and motivation while running. If the music is going strong, then so am I. There is, of course, something to be said for listening to the world around us and stopping to “smell the roses,” but that is difficult to do while running for speed. Running transports you from one place to another, and if you’re trying to go fast, you lose things that you see and hear when you go slow.

Running requires energy

Not all albums are suited to be soundtracks for runs. I like listening to music that gives me energy and keeps my spirits high during a run. I think listening to an album straight through is a great way to listen to music while running, as hearing the energy of the album as the artist intended is very

powerful. I have found albums with fast tempos or strong instrumentation are well-suited for running. In addition, the percussion and bass are extremely important because they constitute the rhythm section of a song. Although this doesn’t happen often, whenever music provides me with a strong beat that I can run to, I am able to lock in with the music and push myself at its pace. Songs that give more than they take are fundamental to running, as running takes enough already.

Music for the Holy Half

I will be listening to music during the Holy Half on Saturday. I believe that doing so will both improve the speed and quality of my run, and if I want, I can always stop the music for a change of pace. The soundtrack for the Holy Half will most likely be “Please Please Me” by the Beatles, “Kiss” by Carly Rae Jepsen and “Teatro d‘Ira - Vol I” by Måneskin, although this is highly subject to change even during the run. Overall, when I run, I will be listening to music that moves both my soul and my legs, and I hope that my time will be as low as my spirits will be high.

Contact Patrick Anders at panders6@nd.edu

By LUKE FOLEY Scene Writer

I find it fascinating when an actor makes the jump to directing a film. It’s a bold, self-confident declaration that their ability at one job somehow makes them qualified for an entirely different job. Thus, regardless of the quality, the results are usually noteworthy. The transition is often a failure, with actors in the director’s chair falling victim to over-ambition or banality. However, occasionally, the transition to director is a success; the actor has an impassioned, precise vision that justifies the excursion behind the camera. I am happy to report that actor Dev Patel has undeniably earned himself a spot in the latter camp with his directorial debut, “Monkey Man.”

The story of “Monkey Man” revolves around a protagonist simply named “Kid,” played by Patel himself, who seeks violent revenge against the Indian political elite who murdered his mother and destroyed his village. It’s a familiar revenge story, but Patel makes it feel fresh and distinct. He injects the film with a strong sense of pain and grief that anchors its flashy violence in catharsis. His outstanding physical performance in front of the camera communicates a keen sense of vulnerability that helps differentiate the film from the typical genre fare.

The film features frequent crosscuts to Kid’s childhood, grounding the present action in the context of Kid’s painful past. It serves as a reminder to the audience that the violence being waged is not just superficial but rooted in tragedy. The crosscuts are initially vague and disorienting, making the eventual full reveal of what

happened in his past heartbreaking and appalling. The scene of his mother’s death is raw and unflinching without feeling like shock value, as it powerfully transports you into Kid’s memory of having to witness his mother’s brutal death. The film’s emotional core is strong and affecting, helping it reach dramatic heights atypical of the action genre.

The action sequences in the film are visceral and gritty, with Patel opting for shaky cams and closeups to frame the action. This visual style can easily lead to messy, confusing action. However, Patel’s adept direction avoids these pitfalls. The shaky cam makes the action feel exhilaratingly chaotic and tense, which compliments Kid’s inexperience as a fighter. The camera’s closeness to the action makes every hit and slash palpable. Keeping track of the fights is never hard, as the editing and camera movements display a strong sense of discipline behind the rough visual language. The fight choreography is also creative and propulsive, taking full advantage of their environmental elements. Patel’s ability to craft such dazzling and exciting action set pieces in his debut is impressive.

Unfortunately, the movie’s themes and political messaging reveal the hallmark flaw of directorial debuts: a lack of focus. The film wants to critique the rise of Hindu nationalism, Hindutva, in India. The main villain is an influential Hindu guru, Baba Shakti, trying to get a nationalist political candidate elected. Baba and the corrupt chief of police were the people responsible for the destruction of Kid’s village. The film has the passion and anger to back up its political grievances. It’s audacious, glorifying Kid’s political violence as noble and justified. Lines of dialogue directly rebuke pacifism

and the belief that revenge is futile. However, the film lacks the specificity and realism to make its political messaging fully compelling.

The film is far too vague with its characterization of the villains, only offering tidbits here and there to indicate their ideology and motives. Their relation to Hindutva becomes incidental, thus making them really ineffective stand-ins for the real-life issues the film wants to address. Furthermore, Kid himself is Hindu and frequently weaponizes Hindu deities in his quest for revenge. In a film that wants to criticize the way Hinduism has been used to justify conflict and violence, it’s perplexing to then have the protagonist do the very same thing himself. Kid and his village being Hindu also make his backstory lose its political weight, for it becomes unclear how the village’s destruction was directly due to Hindutva if they’re Hindu too. The movie displays a genuine concern about the state of Indian politics, making its hesitancy about having the story reflect reality disappointing. Yet, I don’t want to be too harsh on the film, for Netflix thought its messaging was incendiary enough to hurt their dealings in India, leading them to quietly bury the film before Universal agreed to distribute it themselves.

“Monkey Man” is an admirable and great directorial debut from Patel. Its action is kinetic and gritty, and the film’s powerful emotional core makes it more than just an exercise in stylized violence. Patel has a clear talent for directing, and I can’t wait to see what he can do with more resources and less hellish production conditions.

Irish celebrate Senior Day the right way with dominant first half, big win over No. 23 Duke

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Senior Sports Writer

The hope for the No. 6 Notre Dame women’s lacrosse Class of 2024 is that they will be remembered for what’s to come and not what they have already done. But a class that features three of the top six scorers in program history, one of its most dominant draw control specialists and a starting goalie who was an All-American honorable mention last year, among others, already has plenty to celebrate.

So, the Irish did just that all day on Saturday. The afternoon began with a ceremony to honor the 11 seniors and six graduate students, which led to a matchup with No. 23 Duke that quickly became another blowout. The scrappy Blue Devils that took down No. 11 Virginia just a week prior did jump out to an early 1-0 lead, but from there, it was all Irish. With the stress of the postseason looming, it was a senior day to savor for Notre Dame, who won its sixth straight game by a final score

ND SOFTBALL

of 19-7. The last three of those victories came by double-digit margins.

The veterans fittingly led the way for the Irish, just as they have for so much of this outstanding season. Notre Dame rattled off five straight goals after that early deficit and never saw their lead seriously challenged the rest of the way.

Five players — all seniors or graduate students — notched hat-tricks. The big three of graduate student attackers

Kasey Choma, Jackie Wolak and Madison Ahern all tallied three times. So did Arden Tierney, who tied Choma for the gamehigh in assists with three.

Senior attacker Abby Maichin also buried three, including a particularly nifty goal near the end of the third quarter. In fact, of the 30 points the Irish scored Saturday (19 goals, 11 assists), only one (an assist by freshman midfielder Kathryn Morrissey) came from someone who isn’t a part of the team’s graduating class. It was also a milestone day for the team’s leader, as head coach Christine Halfpenny

moved past Tracy Coyne with her 148th victory, the most in program history.

Beating Duke also makes it very likely the Irish will enter postseason play as one of the hottest teams in the country.

The combined record of their final three regular season opponents — Liberty, Virginia Tech and Louisville — is just 18-23, with only the Hokies currently holding a record above .500. That doesn’t guarantee anything, of course. But the Irish look like a team capable of achieving illustrious goals as they continue to score them with the best.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Cavaliers win Strikeout Cancer Weekend series

By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer

Notre Dame softball won one of three games this weekend against the Virginia Cavaliers. They lost the first game 9-2, won the second game 10-3 and lost the third game 6-3.

Game One

Neither team scored in the first, fourth or sixth innings, but Virginia jumped ahead in the second inning scoring three runs. The Irish responded in the bottom of the inning by putting one run of their own on the board, making the score 3-1 in favor of the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers scored three more runs in the third inning to make the score 6-1. In the fifth inning, the Cavaliers put up two runs in the top half while the Irish added one in the bottom half, making the score 8-2. The Cavaliers put up one more run in the seventh inning to secure a 9-2 victory.

The Irish totaled just four hits in this game. Junior shortstop Anna Holloway hit a double for the Irish, while freshman second baseman Addison Amaral, sophomore center fielder Mickey Winchell and senior first baseman Karina Gaskins

all reached base on singles. Holloway and junior left fielder Emily Tran drove in one run each for the Irish.

Graduate student Alexis Laudenslager started in the circle for the Irish, throwing 2.2 innings. Laudenslager allowed six hits, had six earned runs and struck out five.

Sophomore Micaela Kastor entered as relief, pitching 2.1 innings. Kastor allowed four hits, two earned runs and struck out one. Freshman Kami Kamzik finished the game for the Irish in the circle, throwing two innings allowing a hit, one unearned run and had a total of four strikeouts.

Game Two

Despite the loss in the first game, the Irish were able to make a comeback in the second game with a 10-3 victory over Virginia.

Junior Shannon Becker started in the circle for the Irish, pitching a complete game. Becker allowed seven hits, three earned runs and struck out two. This dominant performance earned Becker her sixth win of the season.

Both teams scored in the first inning, each putting up two runs. Neither team scored in the second, fourth

or seventh innings. Notre Dame added on two more runs in the third inning, making the score 4-2. In the fifth inning, both teams scored one run to make the score 5-3 in favor of the Irish.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Irish added on five more runs for themselves, making the final score 10-3.

Amaral led the Irish in the batter’s box with a 3-for-4. She added four RBIs, scored two runs and notched another double, leading the team with 12 on the season. Senior designated player Mac Vasquez added to the Irish offense with a multihit effort, going 2-for-3 in the box and scoring once herself. Senior third baseman Cassidy Grimm, senior catcher Carlli Kloss, junior utility Rachel Allen, Tran and Winchell also added hits of their own to help the Irish.

Gaskins shined in the box with a homerun, marking this the third consecutive season that she has homered on Strike Out Cancer Weekend. Gaskins also drew a walk, setting the program

record of 42 walks drawn in a season.

Game Three

Kastor started in the circle for the Irish in the final game against the Cavaliers, pitching the first three innings. She had a total of two hits allowed, gave up three unearned runs and pitched two strikeouts. Laudenslager entered the circle in the fourth inning for the Irish, allowing two hits, two unearned runs and had two strikeouts. Becker entered the circle in the fifth inning. She allowed 3 hits and one earned run.

Neither team scored in the first or second innings of the game, but both teams were able to put one run on the board for themselves in the third inning, making the score 1-1. Virginia added four runs in the fourth inning, as well as one run in the top of the fifth, but Notre Dame responded by adding two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth, making the score 6-3. With neither team scoring in the sixth or seventh, the Cavaliers held on to win

with a final score of 6-3.

Western Michigan Preview

The Irish, now 22-14 on the season, look ahead to their next game against Western Michigan (17-15, 6-5 MAC) this coming Tuesday, April 9. Last year, the game between the Irish and Broncos was canceled, so the last time these two teams faced off was on March 16, 2022, when the Irish took the 7-2 win. Some of the offensive leaders for the Broncos include Riley Dittmar and Payton Kelly. Dittmar leads the team with a batting average of .368. Kelly follows closely with a batting average of .344.

Rissa Bajusz leads the way in the circle for the Broncos with a total of 141 strikeouts in 21 appearances this season.

The Irish will face Western Michigan this upcoming Tuesday, April 9, at 4:30 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium.

Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu

GRAY NOCJAR | THE OBSERVER

Players from Duke (black) and Notre Dame (white) chase after a loose ball during Notre Dame’s 19-7 win against Duke at Arlotta Stadium on Saturday. With the victory, the Irish improved to 11-2 on the season.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Expect to face opposition and consider it an opportunity to advance your agenda. Use your voice, position, or expertise to make your point heard. Address bureaucracy head-on and be willing to work between the guidelines you encounter. Play to win, and you will.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Review details and consider where your energy, time, and skills will do the most. Don’t sit back; dreams and actions are required. Look for a breakthrough and seize the moment. An unexpected move will give you the edge to bring about change.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Trust your instincts and act. Apply pressure to force issues that will continue to grow if left alone. Be good to yourself and nurture what matters to you. Don’t let uncertainty or someone’s response overwhelm you. Stick to your plans and complete your mission.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Too many choices will bog you down. Simplify your life by cutting back and concentrating on what makes sense and offers peace of mind. Take responsibility instead of letting others intervene. A physical outlet will help you find the clarity you need to proceed.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Trial and error will get you where you want to go. A diligent approach and a staunch reaction to anyone trying to interfere with your plans will help you build confidence and gain respect. A reunion will allow you to resolve unfinished business.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take care of unfinished business and move on to something that excites you. Contacting experts, old friends, and influencers who offer insight can help you turn your ideas and skills into something lucrative. Don’t be lethargic; engage, and make things happen.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Fix up your space to accommodate something you want to pursue. Participate in events that offer introductions, opportunities, and potential partnerships. Make a lifestyle change that encourages emotional, physical, and financial stability. Take the initiative and nurture a meaningful relationship. Romance is favored.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A domestic change will offer convenience and more time to spend on personal gratification and gains. A chance to incorporate something unusual into your daily routine will lead to exciting connections and potential partnerships. Expand your mind, your interests, and your goals.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a pass on anything that doesn’t fit your agenda. Fine-tune your plans and recognize the contributions people in your sphere bring to enhance your performance, and progress will be yours. Romance is in the stars.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take a closer look at where your money goes. A couple of changes at home can lower your overhead and ease financial stress. Don’t let anyone pressure you to do something you can’t afford. Stick to basics and focus on what makes you happy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Apply pressure, if necessary, to disassociate yourself from someone pushing you to do something questionable. Take charge; send a vibe that will not let anyone take advantage of you. Own the stage, say what’s on your mind, and do what’s best for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Consider what you can do and how before you initiate a move. Listen to your intuition and run your options by someone with experience. A well-thought-out plan with discipline and drive will lead to a positive outcome. A reward awaits you.

Birthday Baby: You are attentive, determined, and wise. You are talkative and entertaining.

Shoaf wins shot put at Spartan Invitational

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

The Notre Dame track and field team continued its spring season over the weekend, sending a number of student-athletes to compete at the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Michigan.

Unsurprisingly, graduate student Michael Shoaf, Notre Dame’s indoor and outdoor record-holder for shot put distance, took first in the men’s shot put to headline the team’s performance. His

throw of 18.98 meters cleared second place by nearly three full meters and marked Notre Dame’s lone individual win. Fellow graduate student Henry Boudreau did not finish far behind Shoaf, placing third in the shot put with a throw of 15.71m.

The Irish also found notable success in the men’s hammer throw, with graduate student Blake Kusky recording a personal-best throw of 61.75m that earned him third place. Three more Notre Dame throwers rounded out

ND MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS

the event’s top nine — Shoaf (57.25m), junior Matthew Teague (55.13m) and graduate student Robert Feeney (52.21m).

On the women’s side, Notre Dame placed two athletes inside the top five in a pair of events. The hammer throw featured a secondplace result from senior Emma Albano (55.42m), followed by a fifth-place performance from graduate student Shiloh CorralesNelson (53.09m).

The women’s shot put

played out similarly with a Corrales-Nelson 13.45-meter throw to claim fourth place. Right behind her, sophomore Ore Olusi tied for fifth with Clare McNamara of Michigan, executing a 13.29-meter throw.

Notre Dame rolled out one more top-three finisher in the women’s javelin throw. Sophomore Sarah David posted a distance of 37.78m to pick up third place, clearing the fourth-place result by more than five meters.

Looking ahead, Notre

Dame is scheduled to participate in two competitions within the upcoming week. Some members of the team will travel to the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California, which runs from Thursday through Saturday. Otherwise, the Irish will take part in Saturday’s Gary Wieneke Memorial Invite, hosted by the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Irish women sweep, men battle ranked teams

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

The Notre Dame tennis teams played their penultimate weekends of regular-season action between Friday and Saturday, delivering a combined record of 3-1. The women’s squad traveled to No. 49 Syracuse and Boston College, earning victories of 5-2 and 6-1, respectively. With those results, the Notre Dame women extended their winning streak to three games, improving their season records to 15-7 overall and 6-5 within the ACC. This week marks the first time the Irish women’s team has held a record above .500 in conference play since March 8, 2020, the final game before the 2019-20 season was canceled due to COVID-19.

The men’s group nearly pulled off a sweep of its own, splitting the weekend on home court to reach 11-13 overall and 2-8 within ACC action. Notre Dame opened by snapping its seven-game losing streak in conference play, topping No. 60 Clemson 4-1 on Friday. The Irish then took No. 35 Georgia Tech to the brink before falling 4-3 on Sunday.

Irish women post first All-ACC weekend sweep of the season

The 33rd-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team made a statement on the road, defeating two ACC opponents in a three-day stretch for the first time this year. The Irish began their unbeaten weekend with a highly competitive doubles point at No. 49 Syracuse on Friday. Although Notre Dame’s 46th-ranked doubles team of senior Julia Andreach and graduate student Page Freeman fell to the Orange’s 74th-ranked combination of Viktoriya

Kanapatskaya and Miyuka Kimoto, the next two Irish pairings won their matches, earning the first point. In No. 3 doubles, junior Nibi Ghosh and senior Yashna Yellayi took Syracuse’s Emilie Elde and Shiori Ito to a tiebreaker game and gutted out the win.

Notre Dame then came out with guns blazing in singles play, claiming each of the first three points to secure the overall victory.

Andreach, the 30th-ranked singles player in the nation, delivered one of her best performances of the year in topping the 43rd-ranked Kimoto in two sets (6-0, 6-1) of No. 1 singles. Syracuse would claim two singles points late, but not before Freeman handled Elde (6-2, 7-5) to earn Notre Dame’s fifth and clinching point.

Sunday took the Irish to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts for a battle with Boston College, one which Notre Dame controlled from the first serve. The doubles point proved far less stressful for the visitors this time, with Andreach and Freeman winning 6-1 before sophomore Akari Matsuno and junior Carrie Beckman quickly clinched the opening point via a 6-3 victory.

Boston College briefly tied the Irish with a point in No. 2 singles, but the scoring would halt there for the Eagles. Notre Dame claimed two-set victories in No. 4, No. 3 and No. 6 singles to clinch the sweep at a 4-1 score.

Matsuno and Andreach, the latter of whom defeated another top-100 opponent in No. 94 Maurice Aguiar, added sugar to the treat with close wins, finalizing the overall count at 6-1 in Notre Dame’s favor.

After a happy flight home to South Bend, the Irish women will wrap up its regular season with matches

against Duke and North Carolina this weekend at Eck Tennis Pavilion. The duel with No. 20 Duke will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, while the showdown against No. 6 North Carolina will get underway at noon on Sunday.

Notre Dame men continue gauntlet with split at home

Since beginning conference play, the 54th-ranked Irish men’s tennis team has not gone more than nine days without seeing a ranked opponent on the other side of the net. And while Notre Dame has pulled out home defeats of No. 61 Miami (FL) and No. 50 Northwestern, the losses have generally piled up with little to no breaks in sight. However, the Irish did anything but succumb to its schedule over the weekend, earning a takedown of No. 60 Clemson and nearly adding a second against No. 35 Georgia Tech.

Early on, the Clemson match felt much closer than its 4-1 final score. The Tigers offered a heavy challenge to the Irish in doubles play, dominating No. 3 doubles with a 6-1 win. Needing victories in No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to claim the doubles point, Notre Dame put its nose to the grindstone and found a way. Graduate student Nil Giraldez and freshman Chase Thompson edged out Stewart Aronson and Marko Mesarovic of Clemson by a 7-5 final score. Shortly after, in a ranked matchup, the 13th-ranked Irish duo of sophomore Sebastian Dominko and senior JeanMarc Malkowski bested Clemson’s 69th-ranked twosome of Noa Vukadin and Max Smith by the same count.

It didn’t take long for Clemson to tie the score, though. Vukadin cruised past junior Jameson Corsillo

in No. 4 doubles, keeping the pressure on Notre Dame. But the Irish answered in a flurry, claiming three consecutive matches to put the top-60 contest on ice. Dominko, the 46th-ranked singles player in the country, picked up a big win against 80th-ranked Wissam Abderrhman in No. 1 singles, giving Notre Dame an overall lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Freshman Kyran Magimay and Thompson made similarly quick work of their opponents, securing Notre Dame’s second ACC win of the season.

Two days later, the Irish had another ranked opponent in Georgia Tech on the ropes early. Notre Dame made quick work of the doubles point, with sophomore Evan Lee and junior Yu Zhang starting the scoring with their 6-2 win in No. 3 doubles.

Though Georgia Tech pulled back ahead 2-1 early on in singles action, Corsillo used a tiebreaker to knot the overall score back up in No. 4 singles. Zhang would even the ledger again at 3-3 in No. 6 singles, turning attention to the decisive No. 2 singles match between Giraldez and 104th-ranked Keshav Chopra of Georgia Tech. In a match that could have gone either way, Chopra twice won sets by two games or less to wrap up a Yellow Jacket victory. Notre Dame’s men’s team now looks ahead to a tight turnaround before its final home match Wednesday against Louisville at 4 p.m. The Irish will then travel to Boston College and finish its regular season at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Late rally carries Irish to win over rival Duke

By RYAN EASTLAND Sports Writer

After a huge win over the Syracuse Orange, the top-ranked Irish men’s lacrosse team traveled to Durham to face the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils. The Irish were able to rally late after the Blue Devils made a fourth quarter comeback. This secured the team’s seventh win overall and second in ACC play, in which they remain perfect. This was also the second week in which the top-rated Irish beat the No. 3 team in the country. Star power was all over the field in Durham with Tewaaraton Award winner Brennan O’Neill matched up against the Kavanagh brothers. These stars did not disappoint in this marquee matchup.

The game started with an early back-and-forth from both teams. Offensively, the Irish heavily relied on graduate student attacker Pat Kavanagh early. He netted two unassisted goals before graduate student midfielder Devon McLane joined him on the scoresheet with a man-up goal following a cross-check and some fighting after the whistle. At the end of the quarter, the score was 3-2 Irish. However, in the second quarter, the Blue Devils scored two unanswered

and took the lead with a Dyson Williams man-up goal. The Irish then went on a run, scoring five unanswered. This run was capped by a junior attacker Chris Kavanagh goal with just over 90 seconds left in the half. The Irish led 8-4 going into the half.

The third quarter was a lot like the first in that the two teams were trading blows. O’Neill finally found the back of the net in the third quarter, but the Irish went into the final quarter with a three goal lead, winning 107. Despite the quality defense from the Irish, a Duke run was inevitable. O’Neill’s second goal sparked a rally during which the Blue Devils scored three straight to tie the game at 11.

The Irish stopped the bleeding with a huge man-down penalty kill after a questionable unnecessary roughness call on graduate student attacker Jake Taylor. The following possession, senior midfielder Eric Dobson gave the Irish the lead once again with an amazing face dodge. The Irish then ran away with the game after two quick Taylor goals and a Chris Kavanagh empty netter. The final score was 15-12 Irish. The Irish’s combination of star power and sharing the rock led them to a huge victory in

Durham. The usual suspects performed well, like the Kavanagh brothers — who combined for eight goals — and graduate student goalie Liam Entenmann, who had another fantastic performance with 14 saves. However, there were also some unfamiliar names who found the back of the net. Sophomore midfielder Max Busenkell and graduate student attacker Fulton

Bayman both notched a goal for the Irish in Durham. It’s contributions from all over the roster that make the Irish such a force on the field. Even when the Blue Devils locked up Notre Dame’s star players, players like Busenkell and Bayman stepped up and made Duke pay.

The Notre Dame-Duke lacrosse rivalry is intense. Duke and Notre Dame have both

beaten each other in national championships, the latest being last year when the Irish knocked off the Blue Devils to win their first NCAA title. The Irish won this round, but this is likely to be a matchup that lacrosse fans will see again in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

Contact Ryan Eastland at reastlan@nd.edu

Irish ACC agony extends in weekend of close calls at home against second-ranked Clemson

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Senior Sports Writer

It’s not necessarily a shock that No. 2 Clemson swept Notre Dame on the diamond this weekend. After all, the Tigers are a national championship contender that has now won 11 straight ACC series and 15 straight overall dating back to last season. The Irish entered the weekend near the bottom of the ACC in both runs scored and earned run average. This was always the most likely outcome.

Yet that’s precisely what makes it so brutal as to how the series played out. The two teams didn’t look like there was a 14-win gap between them for most of the weekend. In fact, each of the three games were more than winnable for the Irish. They played well enough to earn at least one victory, maybe even two. Instead, their losing streak has been stretched out to seven games, a skid longer than any they’ve endured in the 2020s or 2010s.

Friday’s series opener was probably the most tantalizing. The Irish jumped out to a 3-0 lead just two innings in against Clemson’s Matthew Marchal, who was making just his second start of the season. Graduate student outfielder David Glancy’s 10th long ball of the season jumpstarted the team and sophomore infielder Estevan Moreno tacked on with a two-out, two-run double. Senior Matt Bedford threw the ball exceptionally well, striking out five while allowing just two hits in 4.2 innings. Yet Clemson overtook the Irish in the eighth thanks to a fluke pop-up over a drawn-in infield and an opposite field homer by Will Taylor.

Once again, the Irish struck first on Saturday. They also received more quality starting pitching, as freshman Jack Radel joined Bedford in recording a careerhigh in innings pitched, going five strong. But the Irish bats fell silent throughout the middle innings, losing 3-2 after senior outfielder

Brady Gumpf made things interesting with a pinch-hit home run in the ninth.

Yet nothing was more excruciating than Sunday’s series finale. Throughout the season, Notre Dame has generally played strong defense, entering the weekend with the second-fewest errors committed in the ACC. But that soundness escaped them in the fourth inning. Sophomore Rory Fox struck out three of the first four hitters but wasn’t out of the frame since the second reached on an error by junior catcher Joey Spence. Then another error on the next play, this one by graduate student Simon Baumgardt at third base, led to the first run of the game. It also led to five more runs coming across in the top of the fourth, with ninehole hitter Jacob Jarrell delivering the big blow with a three-run blast. Three more runs came across in the top of the fifth, with Notre Dame needing three pitchers just to get through that inning. Things were looking good for a Clemson

team that had allowed more than nine runs only twice all season, especially when the Tigers tacked on singular runs in each of the next two innings.

But then the Irish reminded everyone that when clicking, they have an offense capable of scoring runs in bunches. That’s exactly what happened in the final two innings. Four runs came across in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by an RBI double from Moreno and a two-run twobagger by graduate student outfielder Tito Flores. After a leadoff out to begin the ninth, six straight Irish hitters reached, including a three-run blast by Moreno and an RBI knock from Flores that cut the lead to one.

Improbably, with the team down to their final strike, a passed ball that took extra time for the catcher Jarrell to locate scored senior infielder Jack Penney all the way from second base. It was a dream moment for Notre Dame, but it would be overshadowed by

the even bigger catastrophe that befell them in the eleventh. After an error from graduate student Connor Hincks on the pickoff at first advanced pinch-runner Devin Parks to second, sophomore David Lally Jr. walked the next batter to put two runners on. And with two outs, another error by the usually sure-handed Penney at shortstop allowed both to come in to score. Clemson tried to hand the game back with a walk and an error themselves in the bottom half, but the Irish only managed to push one across, coming up a run short. It was another rock bottom moment in a season that has been full of frustration. The Irish can hang with the top teams in the ACC — for the second straight weekend, the Irish lost two games to a top-20 opponent by just one run. Stopping the bleeding on this gradually fading season, though, still remains out of reach.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

INDIA DOERR | THE OBSERVER

Sophomore faceoff specialist Christian Gallaher (42) battles for a draw during Notre Dame’s 25-3 defeat of Cleveland State at Loftus Sports Center on Feb. 14. The Irish captured 16 of 31 faceoffs at Duke on Sunday.