Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Prosecutor speaks at annual symposium

Notre Dame GAA seeks to promote Irish culture

By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News Editor

The most successful football team in recent years at Notre Dame may not be the American football or even the soccer team, but rather the Gaelic football team. The club

team recently won its third consecutive National Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association (NCGAA) championship against Navy on March 17 at Zions Bank Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Notre Dame triumphed with two goals and 10 scores to Navy’s one goal and

three scores. A goal is worth three points in Gaelic football.

The Gaelic football team is part of the broader Notre Dame Gaelic Athletic Association, which also includes the hurling team. The club was founded in 2019 and

By AYNSLEE DELLACCA Saint Mary’s News Editor

Wayne County, Michigan prosecutor Kym Worthy spoke at Saint Mary’s College’s “Raise Your Voice” symposium Monday evening about her work with processing sexual assault kits.

This symposium, which included various scheduled lectures and workshops from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., was the third annual “Raise Your Voice” event on campus. According to a “Raise Your Voice” flyer, the yearly event began in response to an Observer article about the “explicit account of harassment of Saint Mary’s students” and hopes to bring awareness, prevention and education of sexual violence on campus. Worthy spoke as the keynote

speaker for the symposium in the O’Laughlin Auditorium at 6 p.m. with a Q&A following afterward. As a Notre Dame law graduate, she worked her way to her current position as the county’s first African American woman prosecutor.

In 2009, her department discovered an evidence warehouse containing over 11,000 untested and sealed sexual assault kits, dating back as early as 1984. Worthy spent the next ten years raising money to process the kits and investigate each case.

“At the very beginning, there were three things I wanted to do. Number one, really bring some amount of justice to all the women whose lives were represented in those rape kits. Second, I wanted to make sure

Professor talks indigenous women

By KATHERINE LIEBERTH News Writer

Dr. Liza Black, an Associate professor of history and Native American Studies at Indiana University, gave a lecture on April 15 about her book How to Get Away with Murder, which explores six cases of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and non-binary people across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“Dr. Liza Black examines the intersection of representation and violence as a citizen of Cherokee Nation to develop a lifelong interest in studying Native identity and struggle and detailing the history of Native peoples and violence from citizens and the state,” Professor Ashley Bird, a professor of Native American Studies in the American Studies department, said.

Black started her lecture with a land acknowledgment claiming Notre Dame is on the land of the Peoria,

Potawatomi, Kaskaskia and Miami peoples.

“It is of the utmost importance for me to recognize that these are people of the present who engaged with Notre Dame and other communities in northern Indiana in powerful and important ways,” she said.

In How to Get Away With Murder, Black explores six cases of missing or murdered women, pointing to common threads between the circumstances in which each individual was murdered or abducted. “What I most want to understand is how Canada, the United States and Mexico got away and got away with the crime of murdering Native women and two spirits and how this actually echoes the larger story of America’s as a crime,” Black said.

The first case that Black presented was about the death of a woman named Lavina or

AYNSLEE DELLACCA | The Observer

From left to right, junior Katelyn Sizemore and senior Lucia Hadsall act as moderators for Michigan prosecutor Kym Worthy’s Q&A following her talk at the Saint Mary’s “Raise Your Voice” symposium.

Michigan prosecutor Kym Worthy discussed sexual violence and her work with sexual assault kits

Courtesy of Jane Palmer

The Gaelic football team recently won its third consecutive National Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association (NCGAA) championship in March. The team will play qualifying matches for nationals this fall.

GAA

Lecture

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 has around 40 members, 27 of whom traveled to Utah for the championship. The club is coed, with both men and women playing in the same games.

Jane Palmer, a sophomore from County Cork, Ireland, speaking on behalf of the club, said their match against Navy was a challenge for the team.

“It was an intense match as the Navy are quite physical,” Palmer said. “However, our skill and teamwork proved to be the winning formula, securing our place as champions once again.”

Teams from the University of Connecticut, the University of California, Berkeley, Colorado University, the University of Pittsburgh, Purdue University and the University of Montana were also present at the tournament.

When it came to hurling, the team fell short of claiming the championship and lost to the University of Colorado in the semi-finals. Although Palmer expressed disappointment at this loss, she said it helped the team rest for the Gaelic football final because players were competing in both sports in the same weekend.

Palmer explained while some teams only focus on one sport, Notre Dame competes in both. According to its website, the NCGAA was founded in 2009. However 2024 was the first year in which the NCGAA finals were broadcast on ESPN, and Palmer described this as a “major milestone for the sport and the club.”

The University’s GAA club practices twice a week and is advised by Mary O’Callaghan, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Letters. Palmer praised O’Callaghan as well as

Gloria Moody, who was abducted on the “Highway of Tears” in British Columbia. She was sexually assaulted and murdered, and her brother, who was 19 years old and intoxicated at the time, was blamed for her death.

“The RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] turned on Lavina’s family immediately. They incarcerated her younger brother, for the murder despite knowing how she died and the impossibility of him having done it,” Black said. Her research has revealed that Lavina’s killers were likely four men, one of whom is a police officer who is alive and still stalks and harasses the family.

Chapters two and four also address the role of police in the murders and abductions of Indigenous women.

“Incarceration relies on the legal system and policing to uphold incarceration, and police have been given nearly free rein to act without limits or consequences when encountering Indigenous people,” Black said. “Over the 20th century, police and armies have acted with impunity, especially when it came to Indigenous women.”

In case three, Black addressed the disappearance of Fred or FC Frederika or Beyonce Martinez in Cortez Colorado, in 2003. “Martinez was targeted for violence because of being Navajo (or Diné) and their embrace of gender fluidity,” said Black. “They died at the hands of an intersexual settler violence that targets trans, non-binary, two-spirit and queer Natives for their refusal to adhere to the gender norms forced upon Native

communities by European colonizers.”

After Martinez was killed, the police talked badly of Martinez’s mother and shared her address. The District Attorney refused to pursue justice and openly sympathized with the murderers.

Black discussed the important part of Native mothers in the history of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Black pointed to the case of an Indigenous woman named Savannah, who was killed and had her child was abducted. When the infant was found by police, she was not returned to her father or grandparents for three months in what Black called a “second abduction.” The separation of native children from their parents dates back to the boarding school era, Black said.

When asked about the struggles of being an Indigenous woman who collects stories from family members of murdered and missing Indigenous women, Black said that it was difficult but rewarding work. She said when she has to go over an autopsy in extreme detail, she gets nightmares.

Black explained what drives her to do the work she does.

“My intention is that readers will see that Native people are still here, still fighting for their lands and sovereignty, and this unresolved struggle is the cause of the crisis,” Black said. “The solution to the crisis [of murdered and missing Indigenous women] lies outside the nation-state, including the carceral state and its faith in justice via punishment.”

Contact Katherine Lieberth at klieberth@nd.edu

this would never ever, ever happen again. And thirdly, I wanted to get all the kits tested, and I didn’t know how we’re going to do it,” Worthy said.

Worthy recounted how she asked nonprofits for help with her goal, and people in the community hosted fundraising events for testing the kits, which cost between $1,200 and $1,500 per kit at the time.

During her fundraising, she met celebrity Mariska Hargitay, who helped the Wayne County police department raise enough money to test all 11,341 kits by using her status to bring greater awareness to the issue.

To ensure sexual assault kits or investigations wouldn’t be set to the side again, Worthy helped create state legislation that required all sexual assault kits to be tested and investigated. Worthy also developed a tracking system for the kits so the police department could keep track of each kit in the system.

“If you can order something from Amazon and know from the moment that you press pay the time it’s going to land on your doorstep within hours or days. You know exactly when it’s supposed to get there, and if it’s not, you are on the phone to do whatever you do to find out where it is. And so, that is what we said about a rape kit. If certainly you can do that, then you ought to be able to track a rape kit through the criminal justice system in one state in Michigan,” Worthy said.

Since the establishment of Michigan’s kit tracking system and during the 16-month trial period of testing said system, Worthy stated they

didn’t lose a single rape kit after their discovery.

Worthy went on to explain how Wayne County’s forensic scientists use Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) and the Combined DNA Index System (COCIS) to collect and identify suspects of sexual assault cases through rape kits. By entering the genetic information into these systems, investigators can connect the same suspect to multiple other cases and later charge them with several counts of sexual assault.

“We have convicted over 250 rapists since 2009. And that may sound like a small number from the other 11,341, but it’s really not. And they represent a whole lot more women because a lot of these were serial rapists. We have identified over 840 serial rapists that were found in that warehouse, in one city, in one county and in one state,” Worthy said.

Worthy stated the Wayne County police department continues to investigate and convict the rapists of these sexual assault survivors to this day, and every day the department gets closer to convicting another suspect.

Worthy pointed out how thousands of these cases went ignored or tossed to the side due to the rape culture that engulfed much of the U.S. surrounding victims and victim blaming.

“When we first started our work, we began to gather files because there were no digital systems. We had to literally go through police records and find 11,000 of them, trying to get information. And when we opened and looked at some of these reports, they would say things like what the police officer wrote down, that they don’t believe her. ‘If she were really raped in the field, she would be dirtier.’ Or ‘If she was really raped, then she wouldn’t be laughing right now, or she would be having more animation.’ But there is no one way that a sexual assault victim acts … not everybody reacts to trauma in a certain way,” Worthy said.

After her lecture, she encouraged the audience to watch the 2019 Emmy awardwinning documentary, “I Am Evidence,” which focuses on much of Worthy’s work in Wayne County with the sexual assault kits, for more information on the prevention and awareness of sexual assault.

“You’re not alone, and I believe you deserve to be believed. There are people out there who will help you. One of the things that I’m very proud of is … we will move heaven and earth to try to get you services and to try to get you help,” Worthy said. Contact

club leaders sophomore Jimmy McHugh, senior Krista Handler andMaggieO’Connell’20fortheir commitment to the club. In particular, Palmer pointed to club president, captain and coach senior Owen Sheehan, for his leadership on the team. Sheehan was recently selected for the United States Gaelic Athletic Association (USGAA) Junior All-Ireland Team.

The club will play its qualifying games for nationals in the fall, traveling for their games this year to Purdue University, the University of Connecticut and the Naval Academy.

Palmer explained that in addition to competing, the club also exists to “promote Irish culture and heritage.”

Palmer also emphasized the sense of camaraderie that exists on the team.

“Everyone is very close on the team, and we gel well, which is essential for matches,” she said.

Although many members of the team will be graduating, Palmer expressed optimism in the future of the club.

Editor’s Note: This is an abridged version of this story. Read the full story online.

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

Dance company prepares for show

By GRACE TADAJWESKI Associate News Editor

With the end of the semester approaching, Notre Dame Dance Company members will cap off their semester of dance with their spring showcase on Thursday and Friday.

The showcase will take place at Washington Hall from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and will feature 31 dances split into two acts performed by over 100 Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students.

“I’m really excited for the audience and stuff,” freshman Julia Moran said. “The best part is when there’s a lot of people here, and it just really helps out the dancers and stuff. It’s always just fun to have an audience here to watch.”

Moran is a member of two dances, one contemporary and one hip-hop. Moran has danced since she was a toddler and began dancing competitively in second grade.

“I honestly missed it,” Moran said. “Dance was a huge part of my life. I was at the studio, like 15, 20 hours a week, every week, and I just felt like I needed to do it. I remember after the first few auditions in the fall, I called my

parents and I was like, it just felt so good to be back. It’s just nice to be able to do something that I’ve done for so many years.”

Freshman Sophia Bienko is a part of the hip-hop dance with Moran along with a Spanish hip-hop dance.

“When I first got to college, I was a little bit hazy about continuing with dance because I didn’t know what the experience level was like here,” Bienko said. “So I waited it out for a semester, and then I went to the dance show, and I feel like I just saw so much representation, and it made me really want to join Dance Company second semester because I knew that no matter my dance level, there would be something for me.”

While some are just beginning their dance company careers, others are concluding their time with the dance company.

“It’ll definitely be really fun when the audience comes and everybody’s cheering,” senior Camille Case said. “It’s just really fun to be on stage. I’ve been doing it since I was three years old, so one last time.”

Case is a part of 17 dance pieces in the showcase, which is the most she has been a part of in one showcase. She is

particularly looking forward to the “Rihanna” mashup finale.

“It’s sometimes a lot to balance all of that with all of school and stuff, but it’s a great break from studying,” Case said. “It’s time to come and hang out with my friends but also do something I like to do, and so it’s all worth it in the end.”

On top of being in routines, Case choreographed multiple dances this showcase. Senior Luisa Romero also choreographed several and is a part of 14 pieces.

“I’m super pumped, but at the same time very emotional about it,” Romero said. “I’ve danced my whole life. This is the best way to wrap up my senior year. It’s also like the question of am I ever going to be on stage again.”

Romero is the company’s tap company officer. Romero noted that her freshman year, due to COVID, they could only perform with 12 people on stage. She now feels excited to perform with 43 other dancers.

“This is such a tight-knit group of people, and we’re all friends at this point,” Romero said. “We’ve been dancing together for four years. It’s going to be a really emotional show for

us as we’re leaving dance, leaving each other, but I’m super excited for it. It’s a really good show.”

Many of the underclassmen are also going to miss their graduating seniors.

“I love this semester,” sophomore Kelley Rood said. “I’m so sad all the seniors are leaving. They were so welcoming to me my freshman year, so seeing them all go is so sad, but I’m excited for the show.”

Root is a part of 10 dances, and she additionally choreographed one contemporary dance. She is particularly excited for the “Sign of the Times” dance, jazz and hip-hop dances.

“[I’m excited] to hear the audience,” freshman Gabbi Kile said. “It’s always a fun switch between coming from practices like this to hearing the audience.”

Kile is participating in nine dances, four more than what she participated in the fall semester. She is a part of contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and tap pieces.

“I’m more nervous, but I also feel more confident in this semesters’ dances,” Kile said.

Eighteen book recommendations from a great books major

Rose Quinlan A Contrarian’s Contribution

We are sadly drawing to a close on my last semester in the Program of Liberal Studies. If you don’t have a PLS friend to lecture you on our major, I’ll explain in brief: students in PLS, or the Great Books Program, read history’s most influential books in a series of 24 reading-intensive seminars. The whole curriculum amounts to around 300 books, meaning we are crazy — and also pretty good at recommending reading material.

I take this opportunity to give my readers some unsolicited book suggestions for free reading, from a senior who has recently read them all. My selections are affected by personal bias — after all, this is an opinion column — but I aim to include something for every type of reader. I will also keep this list limited to books that one can learn from and enjoy without professional guidance. Without further ado, here are eighteen great books I think everyone should read.

For everyone:

Homer’s Odyssey: The ultimate classic, and inspiration for countless other works, including James Joyce’s Ulysses and Nickelodeon’s The SpongeBob Movie.

Voltaire, Candide: This delightfully cynical novel only takes two hours to read, but it will have your mind reeling for days.

Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex: A jarring and insightful commentary on the history and science of sexism.

For the historian:

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace: This phenomenal novel asks what it means to account for history. It’s a very rewarding read — if you can make it through all 1,200 pages.

W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk: Du Bois addresses

American history and identity in this essential account of postslavery America.

Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: Arendt’s riveting account of the trial of Adolf Eichmann challenges our conviction that normal people are incapable of great evil.

For the bookworm:

Herman Melville, Moby Dick: If you think the forty-page chapter on the Whiteness of the Whale is irrelevant, you are not reading this book correctly. This masterpiece addresses philosophy, religion, art and history without leaving the subject of whaling.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov: This passionate novel of ideas will definitely make you cry.

Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote: Every PLS major loves this book, and for good reason. This comical hero’s journey is entertaining, thought-provoking and absolutely original.

For the theologian:

Augustine, Confessions: A Catholic staple.

Bonaventure, The Life of St. Francis: This astonishing memoir forces us to ask ourselves what it actually means to live like Christ.

Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: A must-read for any religious or non-religious person.

For the economist:

Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations

Karl Marx, Capital

Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

I recommend all three of these books for the same reason. As an economics major, I constantly see students and professors misinterpret and selectively quote from these books without having read them. Before you comment on these authors, please

do them the basic courtesy of actually reading their work.

For the philosopher:

Plato, Apology: An essential starting place for the Western canon. Read this one, then move on to the Republic and the other dialogues.

Erasmus, Praise of Folly: This is one of my personal favorites — a witty dissertation on all the ways philosophy and religion can go wrong.

Camus, The Plague: A startling account of suffering and purpose that strangely mirrors the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. Great for readers who are curious about existentialism.

Feel free to criticize this list, as it is in-exhaustive and confined to the Western canon. I hope that you, my reader, can find something here that you learn from. I often hear my STEM and business major friends say that they “could never” read the books in my curriculum, but they underestimate themselves. Casual readers are kept from the classics by a veil of pretense and perceived difficulty, but any decent reader can enjoy these books.

If an overconfident 18-year-old can read Aristotle, you can too. When exams are over, grab one of these volumes from the library and happy reading!

Rose is a senior from Buffalo, NY with majors in economics and the Program of Liberal Studies. Her writing interests include ethics, campus culture and the intersection of economics, politics and philosophy. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading on the 10th floor of the library, losing intramural basketball games or working at the Law School. You can contact Rose by email at rquiniaz@nd.edu.

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

For You: Is your late afternoon scrolling a national security threat?

We have all probably heard conversations about a potential TikTok ban in the last few years, but we continue scrolling amidst the calls from all sides to prioritize either national security and personal privacy or freedom of speech. However, there was a recent advance towards a ban in March, as the House quickly passed a bill that could potentially ban the app. There is a lot of speculation being thrown around, so let us review the background of the bill.

TikTok gathers personal information similar to how other social media apps do, but there is an added layer of concern, particularly regarding the owner of TikTok — ByteDance. Since 2020, arguably the first peak of the app’s popularity, there has been speculation that TikTok could be giving user data to the Chinese government. This issue was originally made popular in 2020 when Trump proposed a ban of TikTok as an alternative to compelling ByteDance to sell it to an American company. The federal court rejected the executive order, so it never went into effect. Now, the House has recently passed a bill that would impose a ban on “foreign adversarycontrolled applications” (TikTok), unless ByteDance divests from TikTok within six months of it being passed.

One interesting aspect of this bill is that it has received bipartisan support. Supporters of the bill cite national security concerns because of the legal power that the Chinese government has to request data from ByteDance. Proponents have also suggested that the Chinese Communist Party may have the ability to interfere with content shown to U.S. users on their For You Pages in order to sway political opinions. CEO of TikTok, Shou Chew, has defended TikTok on multiple occasions before Congress, stating that TikTok has not received a request from the Chinese government for user data, nor would TikTok give it to them if they did. Worry about national security increased after it was revealed in December 2022

that two former ByteDance employees accessed user data information about two U.S. journalists. While the Chinese government may be collecting data from TikTok, as the CSIS points out, it is most likely not searching for the data of U.S. individuals, but rather the data of government officials or other important groups for tangential purposes.

We know that TikTok takes user data, as does almost every other app. The transaction of user information with a foreign government is what is most concerning for supporters of this bill. There has been suspicion around CCP interference with content shown to U.S. TikTok users, particularly concerning the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. TikTok refutes the claims that it has promoted content that advocates for antisemitism, but many blame the current U.S. divide on the issue on propaganda supposedly spread through TikTok to young people. However, there has been little actual evidence to show that this is true, and most of this content is gaining popularity simply from other users interacting with videos on the app. Meanwhile, opponents of the bill do not deny that TikTok is a security risk but maintain that banning TikTok is stripping First Amendment rights and that the app is a means of financial and economic prosperity for many Americans. The divestment aspect of the bill is tricky itself due to potential challenges posed by antitrust laws and TikTok’s extremely high value. The ban of TikTok is promised to be met with multiple court challenges concerning the First Amendment. Many who are against the bill — young people in particular (TikTok’s main U.S. user base) — argue that banning TikTok would take away one of the largest platforms for political discourse. Some would say such a ban would be consistent with that of an authoritarian government rather than a democratic one. As we can see, there are important aspects of both sides of the conversation.

On the data security front, lawmakers like Senator Maria Cantwell have proposed alternative legislation that would look more like a national privacy law, restricting media companies from selling user data to third parties. This would

greatly inhibit the ability to produce targeted ads to consumers on social media and would give users their data back. This legislation would take longer to pass through Congress and would be more all-encompassing than the current bill against foreign adversary-controlled apps.

While I do not have the perfect solution that prioritizes national security while also promoting freedom of speech, I will say that this case presents important considerations. When we discuss potential foreign interference with the content that U.S. users consume, we must remember to fact-check and think about what we see online before posting a reaction or immediately taking everything as truth. As simple as this seems, TikTok is a major platform for political discourse, but without substantial evidence of foreign interference, we have to understand that harmful messages and misinformation can easily be spread simply by one misinformed video going viral. While it is true that TikTok’s addictive short-form content and For You Page can have influence on how people view an issue, we have to think critically about the content we consume regardless. The app provides a space for the exchange of ideas, but as with any other large social media platform, the app cannot be our only source of information. Let the health of our democracy depend on critical thinking, not mindless consumption.

Maddie Colbert is a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, living in Howard Hall and studying Global Affairs and Theology. She currently serves as the Director of Outreach for 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 to learn about and discuss current political issues. You can contact BridgeND at bridgend@nd.edu.

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

Maddie Colbert BridgeND

In defense of PDA

Yesterday, my friend was complaining about a public display of affection he witnessed in the library — i.e. two students necking in the stairwell. He was indignant, so mad that he might as well have demanded that they be given scarlet letters or put in stocks or something.

Usually, I love complaining (especially about others) but something odd happened. For whatever reason, I just couldn’t bring myself to get mad about it. So I decided to examine my conscience: “I don’t hate PDA,” I realized, “I think I might actually admire it.”

I always have, actually. I went to a large public high school. Four thousand of us thronged through those hallways. My friends used to complain about PDA then, too.

A couple making out in some dark corner of the cafeteria. An inexplicably tall boy and an inexplicably tiny girl kissing on the front steps. A duo holding each other against a locker, remarkably silent and still. Two people sharing one seat in the auditorium. A pair sneaking away from gym class to spoon on the bleachers. A boyfriend and a girlfriend getting inordinately close on the bus.

None of that ever shocked me, though — it only awed me. “How impressive,” I thought, “to be able to bring yourself to make out at 7:45 a.m. on a Tuesday in a crowded hallway with linoleum tile floors that are really squeaky and under an asbestos tile ceiling that’s too low.” It reminded me of “Romeo and Juliet,” the way their love was reviled and unlikely but persisted nevertheless. Amor vincit omnia, the saying goes — love wins.

Life wins, too. As more and more people began to wander from class to class blank-faced and silent-lipped — phones out, earbuds in, heads down, masks on — and as the student body grew increasingly zombified and robotic, PDA became (at least to me) a symbol of unconquerable vitality.

I felt the same way about school fights, by the way. There’s something ancient and energetic about kissing and fighting. Would you rather have these kids waste their time on their phones, quietly and passively rotting? Let them tongue and brawl — it is, at the very least, better than the alternative.

Puritanism tugs at our generation from one side while perversion pulls on it from the other. You hear zoomers deriding sex scenes in movies as “unnecessary” and “excessive.” Simultaneously, you see them fighting to “normalize polyamory.”

It’s a war which is happening not just between rival factions but within individuals themselves. Our perverts are puritanical; they’re obsessed with the “sex-positive movement” and “sex ed,” which are essentially missions to turn sex into politics and school respectively. Our puritans are perverted; they’re fixated on fetishistic fantasies about “tradwives” and “virility.”

It’s a grim, grim world out there today. PDA, meanwhile, harkens back to a simpler time, a better time. It’s something you might see in the background of a movie by John Hughes from the ‘80s or an episode of “Freaks and Geeks” in the ‘90s.

Clearly, PDA rejects puritanism. While the word “punk” now conjures up images of Doc Martens boots and Instagram infographics, PDA is punk rock in the original sense — anti-establishment and off-putting. It denies perversion, too. Some call PDA exhibitionist and voyeuristic, but I think it’s mostly just immature and innocent. It’s probably less harmful than watching porn, anyhow.

Sure, public displays of affection are fun to make fun of. Really, though, they’re a non-problem. In conclusion: Do not go gentle into that good night; neck, neck against the dying of the light.

(The above ode aside, I feel compelled to exonerate myself — I’ve never committed a PDA. Note that I’m writing about PDA the way Marx writes about revolution, as a theorist and not as a practitioner.)

You can contact Peter at pmikulsk@nd.edu.

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

The masculine urge to...

The masculine urge to drop everything, move out west and live off the grid for the remainder of one’s life has been one of my intrusive masculine thoughts. It commonly occurs to me in a variety of settings and situations, and there is certainly something to be said about this. As for the nature of such an idea or masculine urges writ large, I argue that they are obviously irrational but also distinctly rational at the same time. The very existence of ridiculous masculine urges points toward an underlying issue with men and serves as a possible indictment of how they are leading their lives. I will begin with explaining a paradigmatic example where this urge occurs to me.

For one, it happens every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Honors Corporate Finance in DeBartolo 318. My seat is in the first row and positioned right in front of a window that overlooks DeBart’s flat gravel rooftop and the top two floors of Mendoza. Occasionally, I will closely follow the maintenance man with his toolbox as he walks along the overlaid paths toward a big metal box. He will proceed to pull out metal tools to work on this big metal box. Though I do not know what he is doing at all, I am more captivated by him alone than a lesson about discounted cash flows, that is using algebra to manipulate a handful of variables to magically make your firm have a higher value. Moreover, I have the rising suspicion that the work he is doing is perhaps more valuable and more meaningful than what we, financiers, are doing from our air conditioned classroom a story-and-a-half above him. Periodically, my gaze drifts from the scribble-scrabble of millions and V’s with subscripts and cursive R’s on my dimmed screen upward toward the infinite and freedom, life’s blue backdrop stroked with opaque wisps and gleamed with radiating passion. It is no coincidence that this is the moment when the thought of dropping all the worries and compulsions of this “life” in order to pursue something higher occurs. I realize that the logistics of this idea are completely unrealistic. My knowledge of calculating net present values and Aquinian moral theology, as much as they are attractive to learn, will not grow the crops or rear farm animals. The income from two unpaid internships will not get me far, or anywhere. I — unfortunately — have no “rad trad” wife with ten children named after Catholic saints to help me operate this estate. However, the concept of this idea is distinctly reasonable, to me at least. Why should I choose to live

with and for the artificial instead of pursuing that which is true, good and beautiful? Is not the immediacy of this thought sufficient evidence that I am unsatisfied with the false works and empty promises of this life? Why is it mockable and even wrong for me to desire to live in accord with higher principles and purpose beyond what man has pridefully made and impressed upon the minds of men for generations?

Could it be that my life would be more valuable and more meaningful if I were in union with the infinite and freedom and everything that it promises? I argue that every man, no matter his race, creed, tastes or preferences, desires an authenticity of this sort. This is equally a hopeful reality and a sorrowful one. The desire for this authenticity is etched as a hole in the heart of every man; we are unequivocally united in this common journey and destination. Nothing else can truly fill this hole, except the fulfillment of this particular desire. We are much too similar to each other than we presently realize. Moreover, the sorrow arises from the fact that so few of us acknowledge this reality. Much fewer of us commit to embarking on the journey. We are admittedly too preoccupied with the temporal and the superficial. But it is not entirely our doing. There are overwhelming forces and influences that make it more difficult and sometimes impossible to live an authentic life.

I wholeheartedly defend my masculine urge to drop everything, move out west and live off the grid for the remainder of my life. I may disappoint the greedy capitalist system by removing one less victim from a lifetime of monetary extraction. I may upset Notre Dame’s development office, for they will no longer be able to surveil me on LinkedIn with the intention of aggressive panhandling. I will enrage the cubicle workers at the United States’ Internal Revenue Service, who uphold the agency’s mission of armed wealth redistribution. In light of all these disappointments and dangers, I believe my desire to seek that which is true, good and beautiful is in and of itself, true, good and beautiful. No one and no mechanism can tell me otherwise. During our miserable existences entrenched in a culture of relativism, we can believe in and hold dearly onto one radical and unchanging desire: the masculine urge.

Jonah Tran is a sophomore at Notre Dame double majoring in finance and classics with a minor in constitutional studies. He prides himself on sarcasm and his home — the free state of Florida. You can contact Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu. The

Peter Mikulski Scene Editor

Jonah Tran Saturae et Sapientia

By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer

When talking about the highly respectable, never-mocked, distinguished artform of comic books, typically the artform is separated into multiple time periods: the Golden Age (1930s to mid ‘50s), the Silver Age (Ending around 1975), the Bronze Age (1975 to 1985) and the vague “Modern Age,” which is anything after 1985. Realistically, this “Modern Age” can also be broken into segments. I would divide this age into the “Deconstruction Era,” comprising of stories such as “Watchmen” and “The Dark Knight Rises;” the “Extreme Era,” which focuses on the rise of anti-heroes (Deadpool, Spawn, the Punisher) and independent publishers such as Image Comics; the “Throwback Era,” where every publisher rebooted or rewrote their heroes to resemble younger versions of themselves and lastly the “True Modern Age,” which is anything from around 2016 onwards, where the trends are harder to see. This is simply my opinion, though. And this only covers comic BOOKS, and if the last two decades have demonstrated anything, there’s far more to the industry than the publications.

While movies have dominated the comic-book industry for decades, dating back to the 1940s, television has also consistently been a home for these characters. In the 1960s and ‘70s, there were a slew of live-action and animated superhero

‘INVINCIBLE’ AND ‘X-MEN ‘97’: THE NEW GOLDEN AGE OF SUPERHERO TV

programming, adapting characters such as Batman, SpiderMan, the Hulk and Wonder Woman. And this trend never stopped. From the Saturday-morning cartoons of the ‘80s, to classics such as “Batman: The Animated Series” in the ’90s, to the beloved “Spectacular Spider-Man” of the late 2000s, comic books — specifically superheroes — have always had a place on TV screens. I believe that this current decade might be the best for the genre.

Current comic-book television goes beyond superheroes, in multiple senses. While Neil Gaiman’s long-running “The Sandman” is published by DC Comics, I wouldn’t classify it as a superhero series, and the television adaptation on Netflix definitely does not follow superhero conventions. Similarly, the show/book’s spin-off “Dead Boy Detectives” is based in Gaiman’s comics, but it is not superhero fare. Rather, it’s based more on noir and gothic horror.

Even when addressing the superhero genre, television adaptations tend to go more into subversive territory. “The Boys” and “Invincible,” both streaming on Amazon Prime, ask audiences to come in with an established notion of what a world with superheroes would look like and operate based on that preconceived expectation in order to create their conflicts or storylines. The twist villain of “Invincible” does not work as well if you don’t know why their heel-turn is significant. But even superhero content doesn’t try to be standard superhero content. Look no further than the crown-jewel

of comic adaptations: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “WandaVision,” “Werewolf by Night” and “Loki” all change what a superhero television program could and should look like. “WandaVision” took direct inspiration from sitcoms rather than superheroes, “Werewolf” was shot in a manner meant to invoke 1950s creature features and “Loki” has more shared DNA with “The X-Files” than its direct predecessor, the “Thor” films.

Most importantly, the reason superhero television works better now than it did decades ago is its willingness to take risks. Both “Invincible” season two and “X-Men ‘97,” a direct continuation of the popular “X-Men” cartoon from 1992, aired recently, with “‘97” still airing weekly episodes. Episode 5 of the show takes a dramatic risk, changing the presumed fate of a fan-favorite character and the status quo of the series going forward. “Invincible” is built entirely on this conceit; nobody is ever safe. Even if they survive a fight, they leave changed. Wounds are not just physical, but can leave lasting psychological impact as well.

Superhero shows are changing, and they’re changing for the better. Why? They’re starting to feel like actual comic books. They take risks, they’re willing to change the status quo and most importantly — it’s not just superheroes anymore.”

By LUKE FOLEY Scene Writer

When I first heard about Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” I was highly skeptical. An apolitical take on a potential second American Civil War sounded like a joke, not a real movie with A24’s largest budget to date. I thought Alex Garland was a cowardly Brit who was too scared to say anything meaningful about contemporary American politics. But I was completely wrong about him and this movie. “Civil War” is a thrilling and brilliant film about a country torn asunder by incomprehensible polarization and the efforts of journalists to seek the truth amidst the chaos.

“Civil War” spends very little time explaining its titular conflict or the beliefs of the two sides. But this sparse worldbuilding and political ambiguity is not a bug; it’s a feature. The film’s refusal to give exact causes and clear sides that audiences can align with is powerfully unsettling. It allows the film to transcend typical partisan bickering and explore war’s elemental truths and visceral effects. If you want agitprop and validation of your political views, you will not find it here.

“Civil War” instead focuses on the efforts of a quartet of journalists — Lee, Joel, Jessie, and Sammy — who travel to D.C. to interview the president. The film cleverly follows the narrative structure of a road trip film, with our characters running into all kinds of situations and locales on their way to the capital. These vignettes effectively illustrate the war by showing the breakdown in order and trust. Vigilantes torture looters outside gas stations, relief camps are densely

populated with displaced citizens and rogue white nationalists take advantage of the chaos for racial terrorism. It’s all disturbing to watch, and the lack of clear answers engulfs you in a highly affecting malaise. The film incisively posits that the eventual endgame of our current polarization is vague chaos. Allies and enemies will become unclear as we become overly entrenched in our views. As a result, there’s no excitement or pride to be had in this war — just a deep sadness and confusion as a country plunges into darkness.

Beyond the political commentary, the film is a thoughtful meditation on the desensitization of violence and the mental toll of journalism. Lee is a legendary photojournalist who has captured international warfare her entire career. Her method of photography is to emotionally detach from her subjects completely. She believes this stoicism is required to maintain sanity and make the necessary sacrifices to get the best shots. But now, the war is at home, and the violence she used to abstract and approach objectively has become uncomfortably personal. We see her struggle to reconcile the suffering of our friends and citizens with her usual impassive approach to journalism. Simultaneously, we see her mentor the young photographer Jessie, who idolizes Lee. Jessie starts very sensitive but eventually becomes jaded and impersonal as she internalizes Lee’s advice of apathy to heart. Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny’s performances as Lee and Jessie, respectively, are superb and adeptly capture these characters’ inverse trajectories. Through these characters, Garland challenges the ideal of neutral journalism and the abandonment of humanity necessary to approach violence, death and war “objectively.”

“Civil War”’s filmmaking is impeccable and complements the dreadful atmosphere of the story. Garland and the cinematographer Rob Hardy beautifully capture the rural decay of a war-torn America; the vibrancy of the eastern seaboard powerfully juxtaposes with the abrasive violence the characters constantly run into. The sound design is also marvelous. I don’t think I’ve heard movie gunshots sound so commanding and punchy, and the utilization of silence to accentuate key moments is striking. The editing features frequent match cuts to the photographs characters take throughout the movie, which I thought was a smart way of highlighting how photography reduces reality to a single photo. And the final White House sequence is one of the most gripping action sequences I’ve seen in a while, with all the film’s formal elements firing on all cylinders. It displayed a scale I’m not used to seeing in A24 films and left me excited at the prospect of them giving more filmmakers larger budgets to work with.

“Civil War” does not want to fulfill your political revenge fantasy or pontificate about the validity of a specific ideology. Instead, it smartly disarms the audience through oblique chaos that leaves nobody happy and everybody scared. Its journalistic voyage through an America ravaged by violence and sorrow is haunting, and its excellent performances ground the film in war’s emotional ramifications. Alex Garland has created a film that is potentially too thoughtful for an America unwilling to engage in self-reflection.

Irish suffer sweep at North Carolina, remain winless in ACC road games

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

Notre Dame goes without a lead for 25 innings in lopsided series.

Notre Dame baseball’s bad only got worse over the weekend in Chapel Hill. The Irish went 0-3 at North Carolina, never leading in the series and twice conceding double-digit runs.

Now 15-18 overall and 2-16 in ACC play, the Irish have lost 10 consecutive conference games and are 0-12 in league games outside South Bend.

Even more concerning, Notre Dame now occupies dead last in the ACC, sitting two games behind Pittsburgh.

Friday: Notre Dame 0, North Carolina 13 (seven innings)

Though it’s a low bar to clear, senior righthander Matt Bedford has been one of Notre Dame’s most reliable pitchers this season. Showing up in the rotation nearly every weekend, Bedford entered the North Carolina series with a 4.65 earned run average over his previous four ACC starts. That’s not a great ERA, but it’s been enough to keep Notre Dame in ballgames.

But even he could control the Tar Heel onslaught this weekend. North Carolina pieced him up for seven runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, launching two home runs and striking out just once. The Tar Heels even more badly tore into sophomore right-hander David Lally Jr., scoring five runs off him in the sixth inning alone.

Right away, North Carolina seized momentum

on a decisive pitch in the first inning. With two outs and a Tar Heel on third, Parks Harber took a fullcount pitch from Bedford and crushed it out to left field. The two-run home run, Harber’s 12th this year, put North Carolina ahead immediately.

After back-to-back hits with nobody out set up a third Tar Heel run in the second, Casey Cook teed off on Bedford in the third. Punishing the pitcher for a leadoff walk, Cook homered to rightcenter, making it 5-0 with his 10th round-tripper of the season. North Carolina would add two more runs as Bedford departed in the fourth.

In the meantime, Tar Heel starting pitcher Jason DeCaro owned the Irish from the jump. The freshman right-hander tossed six shutout innings with three strikeouts for the best outing of his career, helping to hand Notre Dame its second shutout loss this year.

The North Carolina offense celebrated DeCaro’s work with six more runs against Lally and graduate right-hander Will Jacobsen in the sixth. After Harber singled to finish a fourRBI night, Luke Stevenson cranked a three-run shot to right field, hanging a baker’s dozen on the Irish.

Saturday: Notre Dame 2, North Carolina 7 North Carolina showed no signs of a hangover in game two, immediately attacking the Irish once again. Anthony Donofrio took the eighth pitch he saw from Jack Radel and pounded it to center for a leadoff home run. The

North Carolina right fielder would record three hits on the day, driving in two and stealing a base.

Radel and the Irish initially responded nicely to Donofrio’s dinger, though. The freshman right-hander punched out the next two hitters he faced, limiting the first-inning damage to a single run. Notre Dame then opened the second with consecutive singles from graduate third baseman Simon Baumgardt and senior first baseman Connor Hincks, moving the tying run to scoring position. But Tar Heel starter Shea Sprague punched out two with runners on second and third, killing the threat.

North Carolina then made the Irish pay for their poor execution with another leadoff blast in the bottom of the second. Alberto Osuna, after falling behind 0-2 in the count, cracked a solo shot to left field that doubled the home lead.

That lead would stretch to three in the fifth, as a Donofrio single sent Radel packing through 83 pitches. All things considered, the rookie did well to keep Notre Dame alive, conceding three runs in 4 2/3 innings. He also put his best stuff on display, punching out six Tar Heels.

After Radel’s exit, Notre Dame finally snapped its 12-inning scoreless streak with two outs in the sixth. Baumgardt singled to drive in senior center fielder T.J. Williams on a close play at the plate. He then scored on a single from Hincks, trimming the North Carolina lead to one and ending Sprague’s start.

But in the blink of an eye, the Tar Heels restored it to three. A walk loaded the bases against sophomore right-hander Caden Spivey for Alex Madera. He delivered the game’s biggest hit — a two-run single that put North Carolina ahead 5-2.

While Notre Dame went scoreless against Dalton Pence and Matthew Matthijs out of the Tar Heel bullpen, the North Carolina offense kept

adding on. Vance Honeycutt tagged a solo home run in the seventh. Then Madera scored after a leadoff triple in the eighth, bringing the game to its final score of 7-2.

Sunday: Notre Dame 3, North Carolina 10

In all but a mirror image of Friday’s game, North Carolina inflicted the knockout blow on an already reeling Notre Dame team in the series finale. The Tar Heels thrived against sophomore right-hander Rory Fox early, pinning eight hits and seven runs on him in less than four innings. Aidan Haugh also dealt another shutout start for North Carolina, punching out six across five clean innings.

For the third straight day, the Tar Heels opened fire with a home run in the first inning. Honeycutt delivered the shot, a two-run swing that put North Carolina ahead six pitches in. The Tar Heels would add additional runs on singles in the second and third, opening up a 4-0 lead.

However, the game really got away from Notre Dame in the fourth inning. With two outs and a run already home, graduate right-hander Tobey McDonough walked the first hitter he faced to load the bases. The Irish then unraveled, uncorking a wild pitch, committing an error in center field and conceding an RBI single to fall behind 9-0.

Notre Dame would make the score a bit more respectable later on, plating a run on senior designated hitter Brady Gumpf’s single in the sixth. Junior shortstop Jack Penney then went deep for the first time since March 3, cutting the margin to 9-3. After another wild pitch brought in a 10th Tar Heel run in the eighth, the game and series went final with a seven-run North Carolina win.

Notre Dame begins ninegame homestand with two midweeks

For just the second time this season, Notre Dame will play two midweek games to start the second half of April. The

Irish will face Valparaiso at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Purdue Fort Wayne at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday before hosting Boston College for an ACC series this weekend. The upcoming homestand wraps up with a series against No. 12 Wake Forest next weekend.

Last season, Notre Dame met Valparaiso twice and swept the Beacons with a pair of four-run wins at Frank Eck Stadium. Valparaiso owns an 11-22 overall record this year and holds a 3-9 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Beacons have lost six of their last seven games and also pitched poorly over the weekend, allowing 33 runs in their series loss to Belmont.

Valparaiso’s numbers as a team, beginning with its .249 batting average and 7.22 ERA, don’t look great. Kyle Schmack does most of the damage at the plate, leading the team with 11 home runs, 24 RBI, 22 walks and a .297 batting average. Jake Jakubowski, the team’s best pitcher, holds a 3.31 ERA in 16 1/3 innings of relief this season.

Meanwhile, the Horizon League-based Mastodons are 13-22 with a 7-8 record in conference play. They have made more noise than the Beacons this season, defeating Butler and Indiana while splitting a four-game series at Missouri in March. Purdue Fort Wayne enters South Bend coming off a series loss at Oakland over the weekend.

While the Mastodons offer more complete hitting, their pitching has been quite the adventure in 2024, evidenced by an 8.62 ERA. But fortunately for the Mastodons, two of their best pitchers have appeared the most, with Kevin Fee (3.86 ERA) and Carter Sabol (4.40 ERA) combining for 82 innings. On offense, Justin Osterhouse paces the team with nine home runs, 34 RBI, 11 steals and a .390 batting average. Two other hitters — Jacob Walker and Grant Thoroman — also wield .300-plus batting averages.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

Preparation is the key to keeping the peace and getting things done.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Call on your resources, and you’ll get the advice you require to decide your next move. You have plenty of options, and as long as you remain calm and focus on the result, you will parlay your way past any challenges you encounter. Trust your instincts.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Listen carefully and fact-check before passing information along. Get involved in activities that require physical attributes or encourage you to learn something new and exciting. Keeping a secret will be difficult, but the outcome regarding your love life will be worth the effort.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t let anyone lure you into doing something that doesn’t sit right with you. Choose to put your time and energy into creative endeavors that can help you further your dreams. Attending an event that interests you will help you expand your circle of friends.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Embrace a physical challenge and be proud of your accomplishment. A chance to discuss and explore ideas or partnerships will plant a seed for what’s to come. Imagine what you can do if you put your time, effort, and money to work for you. Dream, believe, achieve.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t feel you have to spend to impress someone. Concentrate on kindness, courtesy, and honesty; you’ll make points and build a strong bond with someone who brings light and love into your sphere. What you put out, you will get in return.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be careful not to share sensitive information. Be a good listener; you will gain far more than if you do all the talking. A gettogether with someone will spark your interest and encourage you to make domestic changes that will free up time and cash.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Pay attention to what’s happening around you. A lifestyle change will fix a problem that’s plaguing you. You’ll miss an opportunity if you are too slow to decide or too busy to notice. Fulfill your dreams, and happiness will be yours.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be good to yourself. Relax, revisit your goals and aspirations, and consider what makes you happy. Don’t think everyone has more or a better life than you. What matters most is making choices that feed your soul and make you feel grateful.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Handle with care. Dealing with people who don’t share your beliefs or opinions will lead to discord. Don’t waste your energy or time trying to change others. Look inward, put your effort into being and doing your best, and you’ll have no regrets.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Pay attention to expenditures, keep your skills and qualifications current, and be true to yourself. Stop worrying about the choices others make and decide what’s best for you. A fresh look at an old plan will spark new ideas. Personal growth will lead to opportunity.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Share memories with someone special. Participate in an event encouraging revisiting dreams, old hangouts, and friends. Changing your routine will help you recognize the possibilities and guide you in a direction that makes you aware of what’s possible. Put your energy into what makes you happy.

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, loyal, and giving. You are cautious and astute.

The outlook: On the note of established depth charts, no position has perhaps as firm of a top two as the interior of the defensive line, where running mates

Howard Cross and Rylie Mills are running things back for another year. Cross and Mills were cornerstones of Notre Dame’s defensive success in 2023 and will be relied on even more next fall. Further down the depth chart, however, intrigue abounds. Gabriel Rubio’s absence this spring (though Freeman has stated that he expects Rubio back for the summer) means Jason Onye is the only active member of the Irish defensive tackle reserves with more than 10 career tackles.

The key question: Who makes a name for themselves behind Cross and Mills?

Cross and Mills will lead the way in defensive reps next fall, but Al Golden will need bodies behind them. Jason Onye is a program veteran who worked his way into a spot role last year. Will anybody else emerge in the same way that Onye frequently flashed to the media in open practices last spring? If Rubio doesn’t return, the answer to this question could become paramount.

If you watch one player it

should be: Donovan Hinish

1-5 Intrigue Level: The indication presently is that Rubio is expected to be back, which in turn lowers the importance of any jockeying lower on the depth chart. Two.

Linebackers Scholarship players: Jack Kiser, Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry, Drayk Bowen, Kahanu Kia, Preston Zinter, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

The outlook: Gone is Notre Dame’s army of experience at the linebacker position, replaced by a largely youthful room. Jack Kiser is the staple, preparing to enter his sixth year of college football. Past Kiser though, the room will rely on tapping the potential of players who spent last year learning behind the 2023 trio of graduate students. The most likely candidates to pop Saturday include Jaylen Sneed, bringing tremendous athleticism, and Drayk Bowen and Jaiden Ausberry, both of whom have shown out in practices open to the media.

The key question: What does the starting alignment look like?

It’s a simple question, but a crucial one. The Irish lose two starters at linebackers, and a pair of every-snap staples at that. Who steps into their shoes in the middle of Al Golden’s defense? Kiser is all but

a guarantee. Bowen and Ausberry figure to be battling it out for the other starting spot in the nickel base (though Bowen has consistently held down the first-team slot in practices open to the media). Sneed is the wild card, with his speed having established him an intriguing package player — but can he be more than that? If a freshman breaks through to win more than a rotational role it would be an upset, but Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa brings a remarkable track record in prep ball.

If you watch one player it should be: Drayk Bowen

1-5 Intrigue Level: This should be fun. A lot of talent competing and a premium starting gig available for the taking. Four.

Cornerbacks

Scholarship players:

Jordan Clark, Chance Tucker, Jaden Mickey, Benjamin Morrison, Micah Bell, Christian Gray

The outlook: Two more starting spots are open for the taking here, with Cam Hart and Thomas Harper both graduating. Benjamin Morrison’s injury means there’s only more reps to go around this spring for the vying competitors.

Jordan Clark looks to be an immediate replacement for Harper at the nickel corner. Hart’s spot, however, seems to be up for grabs between Jaden Mickey and

Christian Gray.

The key question: Who comes out on top between Gray and Mickey?

Assuming Morrison is back in action by Week One, and the nickel role indeed goes to Clark, there’s only one starting slot to fill. Gray and Mickey certainly feel like the most natural fits for the role, as both performed well in their assorted duties backing up Hart and Morrison last fall. But only one of them will be elevated to starter on August 31. Mickey has a one-year experience edge, but that’s the only thing separating the pair in terms of on-field resume. Who wins the gig?

If you watch one player it should be: Christian Gray

1-5 Intrigue Level: Another good one. Morrison’s injury means both of the top two competitors will be leading the defensive back units for their respective teams as well. Four.

Safeties Scholarship players: Xavier Watts, Devyn Ford, Ben Minich, Adon Shuler, Luke Talich, Kennedy Urlacher

The outlook: Watts’ breakout 2023 campaign gives this unit star power heading into the summer, but the departure of veterans DJ Brown and Ramon Henderson opens up the room for competition

heading into the summer. Northwestern grad transfer Rod Heard II figures to start next to Watts come fall, but he’s not on campus yet. With Heard not in the picture yet, a host of younger options will be scrapping for first team reps in that second safety spot.

The key question: What can we learn about Notre Dame’s safeties for 2025?

Watts looks to be on an NFL trajectory, and Heard II was about as reliable as could be for the Wildcats before he transferred. Those two will probably account for the vast majority of snaps the Notre Dame safety room plays in their base defense next year. But what does the position’s future look like once that pairing is gone? And will anyone prove themselves worthy of earning a role akin to Henderson’s — who wasn’t a nominal starter but logged over 300 snaps — last fall? Adon Shuler, Luke Talich and Ben Minich will all get a valuable chance to prove themselves as the future of the room Saturday.

If you watch one player it should be: Adon Shuler 1-5 Intrigue Level: As with the defensive ends, check back in on this one next year. For now, it’s a one.

Losing Streak continues for ND Softball

By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer

The Irish who are now 23-18 overall on the season and 7-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, took a close, 5-3 loss Tuesday night against Indiana.

After neither team scored in the first inning, Notre Dame junior Rachel Allen got the ball rolling in the second inning, hitting her third home run of the season. In the top of the third, senior Karina Gaskins hit her eighth home run of the season and pulled a fly-ball to left field to drive in another run to make the score 3-0. Junior Anna Holloway and senior Cassidy Grimm also all added hits to the contest.

However, the Hoosiers were quick to respond, scoring one run of their own in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 3-1. No one scored in the fourth, fifth or sixth inning, but after a fielder’s choice error and two errors from the Irish defense in the seventh

inning, Indiana had three runners on base. Finally, with a walk-off home run, the Hoosiers extended the lead and ended the game with a final score of 5-3.

Graduate student Alexis Laudenslager started on the mound for the Irish. Laudenslager threw 6.1 innings for the Irish and striking out six batters. She allowed two hits and four runs (three of which were earned) but ultimately took the loss for the Irish. Junior Shannon Becker came as relief and closed out the game for the Irish. Becker allowed one home run at the end of the seventh inning.

The Irish are now looking ahead to play the Clemson Tigers who are 29-14 overall and 11-7 in the Atlantic Coast conference. Game one is set to start Friday at 5 p.m., game two is set to start Saturday at 1 p.m. and game three is set to start Sunday at 6 p.m. Contact Claire Watson at

This lecture is sponsored by the student-led Political Science Society

PETER SONSKI

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024 | 7 P.M.

DRISCOLL AUDITORIUM

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Holy Cross College neither supports nor opposes candidates for public o ce. The purpose of this event is to educate, to promote civic dialogue and engagement.

Previewing Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Game offense

By J.J. POST Senior Sports Writer

Quarterbacks

Scholarship players:

Riley Leonard, Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr

The outlook: This is likely the most healthy — in makeup if not physical health — Notre Dame’s quarterback room has been in years. Transfer Riley Leonard leads the way, arriving from Duke with an impressive pedigree. The Irish got Leonard from the portal because they think he can elevate the first team offense’s ceiling, not because they needed a body to fill out the room. Steve Angeli represents Leonard’s incumbent challenger for the starting job, fresh off a strong showing in his first career start at the Sun Bowl.

Young guns Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr respectively are competing to be the longterm future of the room, even though it’s highly

FOOTBALL FOOTBALL

By J.J. POST Senior Sports Writer

Defensive Line — End Scholarship players: RJ Oben, Jordan Botelho, Joshua Burnham, Aiden Gobaira, Junior Tuihalamaka, Boubacar Traore, Brenan Vernon, Bryce Young, Cole Mullins, Loghan Thomas

The outlook: There’s not a lot to keep an eye on here. RJ Oben and Jordan Botelho look to be an established top two. Joshua Burnham, Junior Tuihalamaka and Boubacar Traore have all shown flashes of potential on either defense or special teams duty but figure to be deputies, at least at present.

The key question: Can any of the young guns do enough to make the graduates uncomfortable?

The top of the Irish depth chart seems set in stone at defensive end. Botelho is an incumbent starter and Oben arrives as a graduate

unlikely either sees serious gametime in 2023.

The key question: What does the quarterback competition look like once the game finishes?

Marcus Freeman spent a good portion of last spring attempting to underline that Sam Hartman and Tyler Buchner would be competing for the starting quarterback job. Hartman’s impressive Blue-Gold game performance all but ended any battle that had occurred. Buchner entered the portal days later. The spring before that Irish fans left Notre Dame Stadium feeling uncertain about the state of the quarterback competition following an uneven performance by Drew Pyne, playing for both teams after an injury to Buchner. The Blue-Gold game is just another data point in a spring and summer of competition between Leonard and Angeli, but it’s a data point

nonetheless. A strong outing from Angeli will be further evidence that he’s firmly in the battle for the starting gig, but a weaker one could help default the job to the more experienced Leonard.

If you watch one player it should be: Steve Angeli

1-5 Intrigue Level: Had Leonard been expected to play, this would be a 4. Since we’re likely only seeing Angeli, it’s a 3.

Running backs

Scholarship players:

Jadarian Price, Gi’Bran Payne, Jeremiyah Love, Aneyas Williams, Kedren

Young

The outlook: The Irish have a glut of talent at running back, but no clear bellcow with 2023 star Audric Estime off to the NFL. Deland McCullough is a major proponent of having a number of specific responsibilities available for his charges to compete for, and

this year should be no different. Price, Payne and Love all carved out varying roles for themselves last fall, and all three should be in line for increased work without Estime in the picture.

The key question: Does anyone assert themselves as the 1A option in the room?

Conventional wisdom is Notre Dame are going to roll with a committee approach to their running back room this fall. Price seems to be the most well-rounded, Love the fastest and Payne a short-yardage specialist. It makes sense to spread the wealth around. But there inevitably will still be a hierarchy in any committee that emerges. Touches will be available for everyone, but somebody will still need to get the most. Price and Love have both previously flashed game-changing ability, and a big day by one of them — or anyone else in the room — could potentially move them

Dissecting Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Game defense

transfer with a sizable list of accolades under his belt. Botelho has been in college for four seasons, Oben for five. Notre Dame doesn’t have a reason to move away from those two players — unless a younger player forces their name into the conversation. Can Burnham, Tuihalamaka, Traore — or a freshman, namely the highly-touted Bryce Young — make a move?

If you watch one player it should be: Boubacar Traore 1-5

Intrigue Level: Watch this spot for next year’s game. This year, though, fireworks aren’t likely to abound. Two.

Defensive Line — Tackle Scholarship players: Howard Cross, Rylie Mills, Jason Onye, Donovan Hinish, Tyson Ford, Devan Houstan, Armel Mukam, Sean Sevillano Jr.

into pole position to lead the group in 2024.

If you watch one player it should be: Jadarian Price

1-5 Intrigue Level: Notre Dame is in a good spot here no matter what occurs. It’s a healthy 2.

Wide receivers

Scholarship players: Kris Mitchell, Jayden Harrison, Deion Colzie, Jayden Thomas, Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, KK Smith, Micah Gilbert and Cam Williams

The outlook: It’s a newlook room for the Irish, fresh off a change in position coach at the end of the 2023 campaign. An eclectic mix of program veterans (Thomas, Colzie), rising sophomore standouts (Faison, Greathouse) and graduate transfers (Mitchell, Harrison) are all jockeying for depth chart positions see

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Irish blue team defensive play against their gold opponents during last season’s Blue-Gold loss at Notre Dame Stadium when the gold defeated the blue in a three touchdown 24-0 shutout on April 22, 2023.