Print Edition for The Observer for April 15, 2024

Students run Holy Half

Runners and spectators unite on Saturday morning

By GRACE TADAJWESKI

On Saturday, volunteers and spectators filled Notre Dame’s campus with cheers and excitement as they gathered to support the 1,700 runners racing in the Holy Half Marathon.

The Holy Half Marathon has occurred annually since 2004 and has been raising money for South Bend charities since 2011. This year, the marathon partnered with Cultivate Food Rescue and Girls on the Run

Michiana.

“It was just really nice seeing, one, the different age ranges that participated was really cool, and then seeing everybody so excited at packet pickup and then on race day,” Holy Half committee member Sofia de Lira said. “I feel like everybody that was a part of it was super excited to do so. It wasn’t a chore for anybody.”

“It was just kind of cool seeing how much effort people put into it,” de Lira said. “Especially like people that have no interest in running that just want to put it together.”

Holy Half committee members spent all of Friday preparing for the race and arrived at the starting site at 5:30 a.m. on

The fastest runners led off the race at 9 a.m., with two more waves of runners following behind them. The male overall winner was Atticus Stonestrom with a time of 1:14:16.2, and the female overall winner was Olivia Dietzel with a time of 1:19:34.7.

Office of sustainability seeks to increase recycling

By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News Editor

In the past year, Notre Dame students may have noticed the introduction of blue recycling toters across campus. These bins are a part of a larger effort to renew recycling efforts on campus, Austin Poyar, sustainability program manager and Geory Kurtzhals, senior director of sustainability said.

Recycling on campus decreased a few years ago due to a change in recycling practices which no longer allowed for the collection of recyclable materials in plastic

bags and the COVID-19 pandemic. Poyar and Kurtzhals explained the Notre Dame office of sustainability is now trying to “rebuild trust” in recycling and make it widespread across campus again.

This undertaking has been carried out on a building by building basis, Poyar said. So far 46 buildings now have recycling infrastructure, with 170 recycling toters spread out across campus. Rigid plastic, paper, metal and glass are collected in these toters, while cardboard is placed in separate containers. Roughly 4,000 tons of

recycling are collected every week from Notre Dame.

Kurtzhals explained the process of adding recycling infrastructure to all of campus takes time, as each building has its own unique needs.

“You can’t just change everything overnight,” Kurtzhals said.

Another element of the Office of Sustainability’s recycling initiative is to update signage in order to accurately convey what materials cannot be recycled. Contrary to what is

Sorin College hosts annual secession week

By ROSE ANDROWICH News Writer

Sorin College hosted their annual secession week, featuring events to celebrate the dorm’s proclaimed independence from the University in 1969.

Jack Burke, Sorin College vice president, explained that he and dorm president Ivan Turcios had campainged to find a balance

between keeping Sorin’s traditions while also bringing in new events.

“It’s trying to keep Sorin’s traditions as the oldest dorm on campus but also trying to bring in new things that we think everyone would like,” Burke said.

Philip Hicks, a historian, Sorin College alumni and professor at Saint Mary’s College, said that Sorin was opened in 1889. It was the

first facility declared a residence hall by University founder Fr. Edward Sorin.

“Before Sorin Hall, undergraduates lived in mass dormitories, with several people in a room in the Main Building and other places. This was the first building that had single rooms for the students, the first Catholic university in the United

Battery at court reported

Some students may be taking the annual Bookstore Basketball tournament — a Notre Dame tradition since 1972, billed as the largest fiveon-five outdoor basketball tournament in the world — a bit too seriously.

According to the Notre Dame Police Department, a battery was allegedly committed at the Bookstore Basketball court on April 8. The department’s crime

log reports that the incident took place between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The Observer reached out to the tournament for comment. It was unclear whether the alleged battery was committed by a person frustrated as a result of a development in a tournament game.

Before the pandemic, as many as 700 teams competed in Bookstore Basketball. About 250 teams signed up to play this year, according to IMLeagues.

Fisher holds ‘last’ Regatta

By ANNELISE DEMERS Associate News Editor

The sun came out this Saturday as students and spectators gathered around Saint Mary’s Lake to watch participants race makeshift floatation devices in hopes of winning the Fisher Regatta. As of mid-day Saturday, the event had already raised $15,000 for St. Adalbert Catholic School in South Bend.

Fisher Hall president Nick Biad, a commissioner for the event, spoke on how although the event has been referred to as “The Last Regatta,” he sees a

future where that is not exactly the case.

“We don’t know yet. There’s a very good chance that we have one next year while the community is living in Zahm. We are concerned that this is it, but we feel confident that there should be one next year,” Biad said.

The Fisher community will be living in Zahm Hall for the next two years as their current building is scheduled to be torn down this summer. When the community moves back into their new home it will be under a different name

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Students paddle to safety as a member of their team begins to go overboard during the annual Fisher Regatta held on April 13,2024.

The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.

Shannon Stover freshman Pasquerilla West Hall

“Kristin Lewis, lawful good.”

Stefany Gutierrez freshman Farley Hall

“Kerry Meyers, lawful

Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

‘The Shirt’ Unveiling Library Lawn 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Take part in a Notre Dame tradition and

to End Climate Change

SMC Sustainable Farm

5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Reflect and pray for the Earth.

Half

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Saturday to complete the final race-day preparations. De Lira volunteered at a Lyons Hall water station outside of the Rockne Memorial Gym during the race.

“Running out of water at the water station and getting to waterfall it into everyone’s mouth, that was definitely the highlight,” de Lira said. “But then another personal highlight is I went and found Mia and gave her her little applesauce, and so I was happy to be able to do that and help her push through her last miles.”

Mia Valli, De Lira’s roommate, had asked De Lira to hand her a packet of applesauce as she passed by the water station during their run. However, when Valli first passed the station, she forgot to take the applesauce. Realizing this, De Lira quickly located Valli, who was now four miles ahead, and hurried to catch up to her, ensuring she delivered the applesauce

before Valli went much further.

“I think it was excellent,” junior Katiebelle Thompson said. “The vibes were just full of energy and a lot of joy for the people who put in the work to run the marathon. I was very happy to be a part of cheering on my friends who were running the half.”

Race participants had the option to complete a 2-lap 13.1mile race or a 1-lap 10k. The race started and ended at the Stepan Center, and the course led participants all around campus with water stations near St. Joesph’s lake, Rockne Memorial Gym, McGlinn Fields and Notre Dame Stadium.

“The best aspect of the race was really the end,” freshman Ted Schroder said. “It was really phenomenal. This was my first actual race, so it was nice to be able to run through that finish line, give it your all at the end, to see the end in sight rather than ‘oh I hit my time.’”

Schroder began the race with a group and split off from them

around mile four. Schroder commented that while the race was difficult around miles eight and 10.

“I didn’t start running until this fall actually,” Schroder said. “The most I had ever run in my life was four miles, and then through army ROTC and the other people inside ROTC, I was just sort of motivated to get into running.”

This time around was sophomore Mary Jordan’s second time completing the race. Jordan ran with two friends, which all wore matching, homemade shirts to race in.

“I’m not gonna be here next spring, and I’m super bummed that I’m missing it just because I played sports all through high school, so I kind of lacked some sense of purpose since I’m not on the teams here or anything,” Jordan said. “I think it’s really cool to see how many people I knew that did it and succeeded no matter where they were in the race.”

Last year, Jordan dedicated

each mile in the race to someone. This year, however, Jordan dedicated the entire race to one person.

“My aunt passed a couple years ago, so I dedicated it to her which is special because my cousin ran a marathon, actually today, and it’s her mom who passed,” Jordan said. “So that was definitely a high for me.”

Freshman Michael Gawkins ran the race with three senior friends who are a part of army ROTC with him. Together, the four shared the same pace and listened to music together on a speaker.

“Highs were views of the lakes for sure, enjoying the splendor of creation and listening to one of my friend’s playlist,” Gawkins said. “When we turned on the song WAM towards the end of the race, it really added to our speed and overall experience.”

While Gawkins enjoyed the views of running around the lakes, he noted that one of the low points of his race was running on the lakes’ confined

gravel paths.

“We all got bananas during the race from some faithful North Quad race watchers,” Gawkins said. “We all took a banana while we were running, which was a really good call.”

On his course journey, Gawkins enjoyed seeing others cheering the runners on. His favorite spectator signs said “speed boost” and “worst parade I’ve ever been to.”

Before the race, Gawkins gathered with other army ROTC members to take a picture, stretch, divide into groups, discuss race strategy and eat energy chews. Following the race, Gawkins enjoyed the food provided by the Holy Half Marathon.

“I’d always heard that it was like a cool Notre Dame tradition, and it sounded like it’d be fun,” Gawkin said. “A lot of my friends were doing it. Just being with my friends was the best part.”

Contact Grace Tadajweski at gtadajwe@nd.edu

Dunne dance film festival showcases student creativity and achivement

The Dunnedance Film Festival is a yearly film fest held by Dunne Hall. Dunne puts on the film festival as a social event for students to get together with one another and offers the festival as a way for Dunne residents to make memories and be creative.

Colin Farrell, a sophomore at Notre Dame, distinguished himself at the event by receiving multiple awards, including Best Short Film. Not only did Farrell participate, but he also served as one of the key organizers of this year’s event.

When asked about his reaction to winning the “Best Short Film Award,” Colin Farrell redirected the accolades to his dorm mates, emphasizing their support and contribution to his success.

“This is my love letter to the guys here. I’m just as talented and just as humble as them and they brought me up to be a member of this community. I love these guys,” Farrell said. From a young age, Colin Farrell developed a passion for filmmaking, which led him to create short films with friends and family. These projects became a way for him to showcase the skills and knowledge he

Sorin

States that had single rooms for its students,” Hicks said.

Burke noted how Sorin College does not have section culture because the emphasis is on everyone together regardless of where you live in the building.

“We don’t have sections which means our real emphasis is on everyone together,” Burke said. “It’s not where you live or what floor you’re on that matters. What’s really important to us is that you’re a part of something and that you want to be a part of it,” he said.

Kick-It for Kevin, an annual event during Sorin’s secession week is a fundraiser held in memory of Kevin Healey, then a sophomore in Sorin who passed away in 2009 from cancer. Kick-It for Kevin raised $1,550 for research on pediatric, adolescent and young adult cancers.

“I would say that secession week is a big thing,” Burke said. “It’s not about seceding from the University, necessarily, but it’s about being in Sorin. It’s about being with people who you wouldn’t necessarily always be with on a day to day basis… but making it a point of emphasis to be together in community and really just embrace who we are.”

Hicks said one of the traditions when he lived in Sorin was having a ‘Bachelor Don’ live in the building.

“That tradition of the socalled Bachelor Don or these unmarried men living in the dorms, was quickly dying out in the 1950s to the point that there were just four left,” Hicks said. “My friend Paul Fenlon was one of these four…He was the last one of this tradition that goes all the way back to the beginning of the school of these laymen living with the students.”

Hicks said when he arrived at Sorin in 1976 there wasn’t an oral tradition about Sorin’s secession from the University.

“I arrived in August of 1976. So that was about seven or eight years after the secession took place,” Hicks said. “There was no oral tradition that Sorinites were very proud of having seceded from the university.”

He added that the Sorin College sign was there when he arrived but said it was a novelty that wasn’t given much thought at the time.

Sorin seceded from the University in protest of the Vietnam War. During this time, Sorin named itself a separate college, however, during Hicks time in Sorin, the building was not referred to as Sorin College.

Contact Rose Androwich at randrowi@nd.edu

Recycling

commonly thought, paper napkins and containers with a lot of food on them cannot be recycled, Poyar said.

Kurtzhals noted the importance of spreading awareness about recycling at Notre Dame in order for change to actually come to fruition.

“We want the community to know about the positive progress we’re making and become a part of it,” Kurtzhals said.

Also central to making recycling a reality at Notre Dame are the custodians who gather the recycling and put the toters out to be collected. Kurtzhals described them as the “unsung heroes” of the recycling program.

Once the recycling is put outside of buildings in toters, it is collected by Recycling Works, an independent, forprofit recycling business located in Elkhart. Here, paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum and steel are separated, bundled by category and then sold on the open market to businesses within the United States.

Daniel Zelaya, the plant manager at Recycling Works in Elkhart, said the facility receives over 400 tons of material per day and more than 800,000 tons per month. Recycling Works then sells roughly 250 tons of this material per month to buyers in the United States at $1500 per ton. The majority of this material is used to produce toilet paper and tissues.

This material begins its journey at the “tip floor” where the recycling, which comes from 14 counties in Michigan and Indiana, is dumped. Workers then push the material onto a conveyor belt.

Following this, the presort

step of the process begins, where workers manually remove non-recyclable materials such as plastic film, electronics and certain types of metal. The remaining material then goes through a machine which pushes lighter items, such as cardboard, to the top of the pile, where it can then be separated.

Zelaya said while his preference is always to hire people to sort the recycling, automated systems are becoming more efficient and necessary for the recycling process. Automated systems in the plant include a robotic arm which picks up pieces of plastic film, an optical sorter which separates different types of plastic based on their translucency and a magnet system which separates metals.

The final step of the process is for the separated material to go to the “postindustrial plant” where it is gathered and bundled to be sold. Zelaya pointed out that 500 acres of land per year in Indiana are used for landfill and stressed the importance of recycling in combating poor land use.

Kurtzhals emphasized the office of sustainability’s main priority is to get students to trust and participate in the recycling process.

“This is important work,” she said. “People need to trust that it’s actually going to be recycled.”

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

Fisher

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

and could possibly not continue the signature event.

“For the community, it’s the only time everybody participates in one big

and it is a very genuine way that our community comes together to raise money for St. Adalbert. The weather today is incredible. Yeah, it was awesome to get down here and on the lake,” Biad said.

Between both the men’s and women’s division, there were just around 45 boats entered. The winning team of the women’s division received a basketball signed by Niele Ivy, head coach of the women’s basketball team, while the men’s division received one signed by Micah Shrewsberry, head coach of the men’s basketball team.

Brad and Shea Springfield returned to watch this event for the third time to cheer on their son.

“It’s all about community building. I mean, this is the one thing on campus that everybody can be invited to. It’s a great fundraiser, and he’s always had a great time. Whether he’s in the water freezing or swimming his way to the finish,” Shea Springfield said. Ethan Springfield, their son, is a senior in Fisher Hall and recently ran an ironman to fundraise for the regatta.

“Well to me, like she said, it is about the community and St. Adalbert is such a great place. Ethan had a moment earlier today with Fr. Ryan, who was the pastor at St. Adalbert, and you know, the community supports each other, and they support St. Adalbert. ‘All people are welcome in this place’ is the motto of Fisher and it really has been true,” Brad Springfield said.

Teams must construct some aspect of the boat. Some teams added onto inflatable boats and oversized unicorn floats while others made boats out of pool noodles, cardboard and duct tape. There were even a couple of boats made out of wood that teams nailed together.

“I think we spent, between

getting materials and putting it together, about 45 minutes,” Dillon freshman Will Hurd said. “On supplies, we spent around $35, so we’ll get reimbursed hopefully.”

Hurd and his team’s boat did not make it the length of the course and instead the team swam to the finish line.

Contact Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu

Dunne

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

acquired over the years. Thanks to his friend “Mega,” who is a charismatic actor, Farrell made sure to feature him prominently in the film.

Farrell generated excitement for the event by producing a short trailer about Dunnedance and sharing it with friends and residents of Dunne Hall. The trailer quickly gained traction across the campus.

His decision to host a film festival, rather than other social activities, was a deliberate move to foster a unique and engaging experience.

“It gives people an opportunity to look back on and reminisce on the memories made after college,” Farrell said.

The Dunne Film Festival, created by Brian Joseph, has grown significantly in popularity. This year, with Joseph’s assistance, the festival was held at the Debartolo Performing Arts Center.

Contact Monica Schafer at mschafer01@saintmarys.edu

Hope in the midst of despair: Lessons from Kroc speaker Sa’ed Atshan

On April 12 and 13, the 2024 Notre Dame Student Peace Conference sponsored by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies grappled with the theme “Peace by Piece: Disrupting Dualities in Peacebuilding.” This year’s keynote speaker, the anthropologist Sa’ed Atshan, delivered an inspiring presentation titled “On Faith, Peace, and Justice: Reflections from a Queer Palestinian Quaker” that drew on his personal experiences to offer ways to remain hopeful during times of despair.

While calling to de-exceptionalize the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict, Atshan shined a light on the specific issues within Israel/Palestine and cast it out to illuminate how many of the issues within this conflict exist in the context of the global processes we see throughout the world. From the military-industrial complex to settler colonialism, these issues of injustice are prevalent all around us. In the conversation surrounding his personal experiences of injustice in Palestine, Dr. Atshan beautifully articulated what it means to be a queer Palestinian that has intrinsically wrestled with survivor’s guilt while also wanting to be a force for change. He describes moments where he questioned:

“Why do I get to be alive? Why do I get to be free? Why do I get to have a voice when so many are voiceless?”

In the same breath, he explained how he has coped with these feelings by striving for inner peace so he can enact meaningful change in the world. To create this change, we must remain hopeful that it will occur. Atshan shared a Cornel West quote, saying, “Hope is not the same as optimism. [...] Hope enacts the stance of the participant who actively struggles against [oppression]. [...] To live is to wrestle with despair yet never to allow despair to have the last word.” By tracing his personal experience through themes of sanctuaries, spirituality and ancestors, Atshan critically analyzed how these spaces, both physical and intrinsic, can cultivate hope.

Atshan described how people have always found ways to survive in apocalyptic conditions. While this is true in the literal physical sense, it is also true in the preservation of the mind and soul. One of these sanctuaries in Palestine is the Ramallah Friends School, a Quaker school that has existed in Palestine for more than 100 years. As a former student there, Atshan follows the

importance of education in cultivating the mind and instilling hope throughout his academic journey. He has received a BA at Swarthmore College, a master’s in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School, a joint Ph.D. in anthropology and middle eastern studies and an MA in social anthropology from Harvard University. He then went on in his professional career as a postdoctoral fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University, an associate professor of anthropology at Emory University and returned to Swarthmore College where he is currently an associate professor of peace and conflict studies and anthropology. Additionally, Atshan was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College. Spiritually, Atshan found hope through his faith. Atshan emphasizes how he did not choose to be Palestinian, but he did choose to be Quaker. With the core values of pacifism and equality, Atshan found a community that emphasized peace amid chaos. He described moments when he could hear sounds of war during the First Intifada all around him while being in the deeply spiritual place of a Quaker church.

To stay grounded, Atshan describes how he rests on the shoulders of his ancestors. Figures from civil rights activists like Bayard Rustin to the German Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt influenced Atshan’s views on human rights and the value of social theory. The ancestor he holds closest is his grandfather, who he described as a critical thinker who understood Palestine as a pluralistic place. Unfortunately, his grandfather lost his carefully cultivated personal library in the Nakba, or “the catastrophe.” Atshan describes how his love of literature and academia has served as a way to stay close to his grandfather.

Currently, Gaza is suffering from a “scholasticide”: the utter destruction of all universities, the murder of many deans and professors and the destruction of historical archives and libraries. Additionally, the complete erasure of academic spaces, scholars, and intellectual resources means there is not one person who is enrolled in school. In the United States, academia is under threat in a different way. With ongoing gun violence, “Don’t Say Gay” bills and freedom of speech related to Palestine under threat, we are witnessing a moment where the sacred sanctuaries of academia are being exploited and erased. To cope with this reality, Atshan poses ten ways we can remain hopeful in the midst of all the destruction erupting around us:

1. Be true to ourselves and our values while maintaining more consistency in our values surrounding peace and justice.

2. Lead a life of meaning and purpose.

3. Count your blessings: do not take anything for granted.

4. Refusing to look away and bearing witness to suffering.

5. Praxis in being action oriented in the world: If you see injustice you must change it with your hands, if you cannot you must change it with your tongue, if not then with your heart.

6. Seek out our chosen and given families while cultivating community support.

7. Build sanctuaries

8. Cultivate spiritual practice.

9. Connect with your ancestors.

10. Give yourself permission to dance.

Atshan’s authenticity and generosity in sharing his personal experiences to emphasize the importance of sanctuaries, spirituality and ancestry was one of the most impactful things I have had the privilege of witnessing. We must remain critical of how the world operates around us while cultivating hope that change is possible. While change takes time, Atshan reminds us to cultivate a practice of patience in the gradual generation of global change. By using physical and intrinsic sacred spaces to support our endeavors, we can develop the ability to recognize the pain and suffering in the world and actively fight against injustice all while remaining hopeful that change will occur. Atshan shared the wise words of the Lebanese poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran: “The deeper sorrow carves into your being the more joy you can contain.” He concluded his presentation by stating how we must feel the deep pain and anguish that permeates our world while holding onto faith that this cavity can be filled with joy. For there is a reason hope is the bedrock of human existence, it is what keeps us alive.

Check out Dr. Atshan’s book, “Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique.”

Grace Sullivan is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying global affairs with minors in gender and peace studies. In her column, I.M.P.A.C.T. (Intersectionality Makes Political Activist Change Transpire), she is passionate about looking at global social justice issues through an intersectional feminist lens. Outside of The Observer, she enjoys hiking, painting and being a plant mom. She can be reached at gsulli22@nd.edu.

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

Grace Sullivan I. M. P. A. C. T.

Embracing the unexpected

Tyler Reidy Sports Editor

People frequently ask me what I want to do with my life and career in the long run. It’s a question that I (and we all) should probably have an answer to, but, to be honest, I hate answering it.

If you’re unfamiliar with me — and I don’t blame you one bit if you are — being the new sports editor at The Observer fits in as just one piece in the puzzle of my experience here at Notre Dame. I have two majors — one in business analytics and another in film, television and theatre — along with a minor in sport, media and culture. I also contribute regularly to Notre Dame Television, broadcast as many as five games in a week at Fighting Irish Media and will soon take over as a sports director at WVFI Radio.

Do I have a precise idea of who I am or what I want to do for the rest of my life yet? No. Do I really want to have an answer for either of those questions right now? Also, no.

If that sounds somewhat unreasonable, well, it probably is. Many of my friends will probably make more than me right out of college. Most will certainly lead a more predictable and reliable lifestyle than the one that sports media offers to 22-year-olds.

So why would I, in making the jump to the sports editor role, continue to chase that future? That question has occupied my mind frequently over the last two months. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that I don’t have to look too far beyond myself for the answer. It’s why I love sports and the media landscape around it to begin with.

When I first got into sports broadcasting and journalism in late 2019, my first role involved providing playby-play commentary for live streams of my high school’s football and basketball games. The first basketball game I covered went to overtime on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The third ended on the same type of shot, one that defeated the top-ranked team in the state. Then, after a long summer of 2020, the second football game I did featured a 26-point comeback in the fourth quarter.

I quickly realized that those chaotic moment, where everything I thought I knew went flying out the window, meant a whole lot more to me than nights when I showed up to the arena and everything went exactly as planned. The beauty behind the madness kept me coming back, and now it has me here.

Upon arriving at Notre Dame in 2022 as the son of an alumna, I brought in plenty of expectations. I expected to cry while singing my first post-football game Alma Mater (Marshall, as we all know, had other plans). I expected

to love everything about the campus and my experience with it, too.

And while many of those expectations have translated into the reality of my first two years here, many have not. I have a moment at least once a month where I want to write a hit piece on the washing machines of Keough Hall, for example. The picturesque fall Saturdays I soaked in as a child issued to me no warning of the impending permacloud.

Looking back, the outcome of the expected has had nothing to do with shaping my experience as a college student. Instead, I reflect most fondly on the moments I never thought possible two Augusts ago. Like the goofy editorial board arguments that arise in the late hours of an Observer production shift. Or the boundless anticipation of Friday and Saturday mornings before covering Notre Dame hockey games.

But sometimes embracing the unexpected isn’t as easy. When I signed off on becoming the next sports editor here in the middle of February, my expectations of the position were, well, daunting to say the least. I understood how endlessly my good friend Andrew McGuinness had worked before me to run a well-functioning sports department, and I had my doubts about whether I could to the same. Time after time, I asked myself, “How do I think this will go?”

At some point, I drowned that question in Saint Mary’s Lake, and my entire perspective changed. No longer did I take an approach of pretending to know despite having never tried. No more did I allow ideas of how things should be block the possibilities of what they could be.

Returning to the present, I bring that same outlook to my role at The Observer. As much as I would like to think that just one year in a newspaper’s 58-year history won’t move the needle much, who am I kidding? Notre Dame lacrosse is barreling into the postseason with two of the best teams we’ve ever seen. Saint Mary’s golf has somehow picked up a 32-year Division I head coach by mere coincidence. And of course, the College Football Playoff may visit South Bend for the first time ever in just eight short months.

With all of that in mind, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. That can be a scary thought, especially for college students like us. But once you learn to love it, you’ll find there’s so much more to life than whatever you hope for or expect to happen.

So stay with us on the journey, and keep looking forward to the next page, the next day and the next big moment. Together, let’s embrace the unexpected.

You can contact Tyler at treidy3@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 views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Jonah Tran Saturae et Sapientia

By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer

If you’re active in online gaming spheres, you’ve most likely heard of “Balatro.” Mixing the strategy of poker with the repetitive gameplay featured in past-hits such as “Hades” or “Enter the Gungeon,” the game itself features no gambling elements, just the iconography and vibes of real poker. That doesn’t make it any less addictive.

As someone who has played video games my whole life, I feel confident in saying a primary appeal of games with a points system is simply “make your number become bigger.” “Balatro” is no different. The game presents the player with goals that gradually increase in point value, rewarding you with in-game currency with which you can purchase items that modify your inventory in

such a way that allows you to make even better plays. Essentially, you beat a level, you earn cash, you spend that cash to get higher points and the next level has a higher point threshold.

The pleasure of the game doesn’t lie in beating the levels — it comes from absolutely demolishing the point totals. The designer independent game developer LocalThunk understands the appeal of getting a number so high it makes the intended goal look pathetic. If you score a particularly high point total, anything in a single move higher than the intended goal, your point counter sets on fire. So how do you get these large numbers?

I am not particularly good at math. I can do it. I can understand it. But it never has spoken to me. I try to avoid doing it as much as I can in everyday life. All of that being said, this game has me running calculations in my head at every single turn.

The in-game upgrades let you either increase your “chips” or “multipliers,” which, to make a long explanation short, simply means your cards are worth more than they were when you started. You can buy “joker” cards that modify your entire playstyle, incentivizing playing cards with only the suit of hearts, or even numbered cards, or a card that will give you a ridiculous amount of points with a one in four chance it’ll self-destruct at the end of the turn. This deepens my fascination with “Balatro.” True, there is no real money involved, and you aren’t playing against anyone besides the computer, but, that doesn’t mean you won’t try and run the situations like you would a normal hand of poker. You have to think it through even more.

By JAYDEN ESPINOZA Scene Writer

Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest artists alive. His work surpasses genre, and in every sense of the word, this artist is a poet. Nearly six years ago today, the 36-year-old rapper won a Pulitzer prize for his 2017 album, “DAMN.,” becoming the first artist to win the award outside of classical or jazz.

But what is it about Lamar‘s music that has changed the landscape of music for rap’s recognition in literature and pop culture?

Each piece of media released by Kendrick Lamar serves as a part of an overarching Kendrick Lamar project, sampling the seasons of the Comptonborn artist’s life. In the albums leading up to “DAMN.,” Lamar critically analyzes the world he’s been subjected to as a Black American. 2011’s “Section.80” brings the cries of Black Americans during the 1980s and the War on Drugs as they live in Section 8 housing. 2012’s “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” is semi-autobiographical, centered around the rapper’s Compton upbringing and the temptation that exists in under-resourced areas. He asks the listener to think of “the kid that’s trying to escape that influence, trying his best to escape

that influence, has always been pulled back in because of circumstances that be,” according to a 2012 interview.

The theme of Compton as a space of peace and danger is prevalent in subsequent Lamar projects, with 2015’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” critically interrogating American institutions for “pimping” out its “butterflies”: Black children. Each of these album’s bring us to “DAMN.,” a cacophony of the life he’s lived and the battles he continues to fight, even after being able to distance himself from the systemic issues laid bare in his home city.

“DAMN.” also asks a question rarely asked in popular culture and media at the time: Why should Black Americans have faith in the world they occupy? Much of the album centers around religion and how historically, God has served a symbol as either the ultimate savior or the reason for Lamar’s and many individuals’ damnation. Lamar continually fights battles with his faith, struggling to understand how an all-powerful God would allow him to exist in a world that hates him. He then takes a step further, asking if God may not be the person to offer safety, then who will? Certainly not the police or other governing bodies who continue to perpetrate violence

against people of color, and he might not even be strong enough to fight.

If Lamar’s life’s purpose is to fight, then does he have a purpose if he isn’t “Strong Kendrick”? Who might he become as he battles religion and oppression in modern America? Is he “Wicked Kenny,” a vengeful man whose frustrations play out in songs “DNA.”, “ELEMENT.,” “HUMBLE.” and “LOVE.” and responds to his frustrations by soaking himself in life’s luxuries? Or is he “Weak Kenny,” who feels hollow as a result of God’s abandonment in songs like “YAH.” and “PRIDE.”?

At the end of the album, listeners receive an important message. Regardless of who or what powers lay at be, it’s Lamar’s and others’ inability to escape their circumstances that makes him unable to sleep at night. At the end of “DAMN.,” in the song “DUCKWORTH.,” Lamar encourages listeners to “put it in reverse,“ allowing them to hear another side of the “Weak” and “Wicked” Kenny fight while simultaneously highlighting that his greatest fear is a life, an existence, where the only battle he is able to fight is the one where it’s “me versus me.” Contact

Irish softball takes a hit with three-straight losses against the Florida State Seminoles

By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer

After a 3-2 win over Western Michigan last week, the Notre Dame softball team took three losses against Florida State. The Irish lost the first game 6-2, dropped the second game 7-3 and lost the third game 10-2 in six innings. The Irish are now 23-17 overall and 7-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Game One

Notre Dame jumped ahead in the first inning, putting up two runs right away. Florida State responded by putting up a run of its own in the bottom of the first inning. Neither team scored in the second and third inning, but Florida State powered through in the bottom of the fourth, putting up five more runs to make the score 6-2. With the Irish unable to respond in the next three

ND TENNIS

innings, the Seminoles took the 6-2 win.

Offensively, the Irish managed five hits in this game.

Senior Cassidy Grimm led in the box with a 2-for-3 effort. Grimm had two hits and scored once herself with the help of a fielder’s choice hit from senior first baseman Karina Gaskins. Freshman second baseman Addison Amaral added a 2-for-4 effort in the box, driving in the first run for the Irish with a single to left field.

Junior right-hander Shannon Becker started in the circle for the Irish. Becker threw 3 1/3 innings for the Irish while allowing seven hits and four earned runs in suffering the loss.

Freshman right-hander Kami Kamzik came on in relief for the Irish, throwing a third of an inning. Kamzik allowed three hits and two earned runs. Graduate righthander Alexis Laudenslager finished out the game for

the Irish in the circle, only allowing one hit with a total of two strikeouts.

Game Two

Neither team scored in the first inning or fourth inning, but the Seminoles put up seven runs in the second inning. Notre Dame started to respond by putting up two runs of their own in the third inning, making the score 7-2. The Irish added on another run in the top of the fifth, making the score 7-3. The Irish defense was able to hold the Seminoles at seven but offensively could not make a full comeback in the sixth and seventh inning, making the final score 7-3. Offensively, the Irish had a combined total of 10 hits.

Senior catcher Carlli Kloss led in the box with a 3-for3 effort, adding on a triple and a run with the help of a sacrifice fly from Amaral. Grimm added on a 2-for-4 effort scoring a run while

Gaskins went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk and added on her seventh home run of the year. Junior designated player Rachel Allen added two hits while driving in a run, and junior left fielder Emily Tran also added on a hit for the Irish.

Sophomore right-hander

Micaela Kastor started in the circle for the Irish in the second game. Kastor threw an inning and a third, allowing seven hits, six earned runs and ultimately taking the loss. Laudenslager came into the game in relief, throwing 4 2/3 innings. Laudenslager allowed six hits and one earned run but was able to strike out three batters.

Game Three

The Seminoles jumped ahead in the first inning and second inning, scoring two runs in both. With the Irish unable to respond, the score became 4-0. Neither team scored in the third

inning, but Florida State put up three more runs in the fourth, making the score 7-0. The Irish then put their first runs onto the board, adding one in the fifth and one in the sixth to make the score 7-2. Florida State did not let that stop it, as the Seminoles drove in three more runs to extend their lead to 10-2, ending the game in the sixth inning.

Becker started on the mound for the Irish, pitching two innings while allowing five hits and four earned runs. Kastor came on in relief, finishing out the game for the Irish. Kastor pitched 3 1/3 innings while totaling eight hits and six earned runs allowed with one strikeout.

The Irish now look ahead to play Indiana University on the road this Tuesday, April 16th at 6 p.m. Contact Claire Watson

Irish men’s and women’s tennis teams go 2-1 in final regular-season weekend

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

The Notre Dame tennis teams finished their respective regular seasons over the weekend, gearing up for the upcoming ACC Tournament. The Irish men’s team swept Boston College on the road to finish 13-13 overall and 4-8 in ACC play, while the women split at home with Duke and North Carolina to end the season at 16-8 overall and 7-6 in conference action.

Irish men ground Eagles in lopsided sweep

Notre Dame’s second consecutive sweep win left minimal doubt on Friday at Boston College. The Irish ended their regular season with a 7-0 takedown that followed a Wednesday blanking of Louisville at home. With the road win, Notre Dame returned to .500 with an overall record of 13-13 and a conference mark of 4-8.

Notre Dame opened the match by taking every set played in doubles action. No. 2 doubles wrapped up first, with graduate student Nil Giraldez and freshman Chase Thompson rolling to a 6-0 win. Soon after, the 12th-ranked combination

of sophomore Sebastian Dominko and senior JeanMarc Malkowski closed out No. 1 doubles with a 6-3 win. They did so against another top-20 doubles team, 18thranked Juan Jose Bianchi and Jake Vassel of Boston College. Sophomore Evan Lee and junior Yu Zhang earned a 6-1 win in No. 3 doubles, closing out a successful start to the day.

In singles play, Notre Dame and Boston College finished out all six matches, all of which belonged to the Irish. The No. 1 matchup wrapped up first, with the 39th-ranked Dominko handling Bianchi in two sets (62, 6-4). Wins from Zhang and junior Brian Bilsey in No. 5 and 6 singles then helped Notre Dame reach the day’s clinching point.

With the overall match in hand, Notre Dame claimed three more victories in singles play, including two-set wins from Thompson and junior Jameson Corsillo. Only in No. 2 singles did Boston College offer any significant pushback against the Irish. There, Giraldez and Mai Gao split their first two tightly contested sets before Giraldez claimed a 1-0 (10-2) third-set triumph that finalized Notre Dame’s dominant 7-0 shutout of the

Boston College Eagles.

Irish women split challenging weekend at home

On the women’s side, Notre Dame started its final weekend of the regular season with a major win at home.

The Irish, previously 0-6 against top-25 opponents, overcame No. 21 Duke on home court for a 4-2 win.

The takedown marked Notre Dame’s fourth consecutive victory, three of which have come against ACC teams ranked inside the top 60 nationally.

In what lined up as a competitive match between the 21st-ranked Blue Devils and the 32nd-ranked Irish, Duke made the day’s first move. Its No. 2 doubles team of Emma Jackson and Shavit Kimchi downed junior Carrie Beckman and sophomore Akari Matsuno by a 6-1 score.

But Notre Dame, with its back against the wall, swung right back. Senior Yashna Yellayi and junior Nibi Ghosh earned a 6-4 win in No. 3 doubles, setting the fate of the doubles point on the No.

1 matchup. There, graduate student Page Freeman and senior Julia Andreach edged out Duke’s top team by a 7-6 (7-5) score, putting the Irish ahead 1-0.

Singles play opened with both teams taking a two-set victory. Duke briefly leveled the score with a 6-3, 6-3 win in No. 6 singles, but Notre Dame regained the lead with a defeat by the same count in No. 5 singles. The Irish then went ahead 3-1 on a 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) victory from sophomore Bojana Pozder in the No. 3 matchup.

Though Duke pulled back within a point with a tiebreaker victory in No. 2 singles, Notre Dame slammed the door shut in a top-100 matchup in No. 1 singles. Andreach, the 28th-ranked singles player in the country, took a pair of 7-5 set victories from the 87th-ranked Jackson, sealing the 4-2 Irish win.

On Sunday, Notre Dame dealt with an even tougher adversary in a top-five North Carolina team. The Tar Heels got the better of the Irish in the regular-season finale, winning 5-2 at Eck Tennis

Pavilion.

Each of North Carolina’s top two doubles teams rank inside the top 50 nationally, and they showed the Irish why on Sunday. The 13th-ranked combination of Fiona Crawley and Carson Tanguilig triumphed 6-1 in No. 1 doubled, while the 47th-ranked duo of Elizabeth Scotty and Anika Yarlagadda won 6-2.

With the doubled point in hand, the Tar Heels secured additional points in No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 7 singles. Given that all six active North Carolina singles players rank inside the top 70 nationally, Notre Dame impressed just by taking two points. Yellayi claimed one against the 27th-ranked Yarlagadda by winning 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), and Freeman earned the other with a 6-3, 3-6, 4-0, retired defeat of the 34th-ranked Scotty.

The women’s team begins its ACC Tournament on Tuesday, while the men start postseason play on Wednesday in Cary, North Carolina.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

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

SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP

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.

JUMBLE | DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK

WORK AREA

The

Irish push win streak to eight at Virginia Tech

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

The memorable days just keep piling up for Notre Dame women’s lacrosse in the home stretch of its season. Saturday at Virginia Tech joined the list, as the Irish rolled into Blacksburg

and comfortably claimed a 20-9 win over Virginia Tech that handed head coach Christine Halfpenny her 150th victory with the Irish.

Notre Dame, who improved to 13-2 overall and 6-2 within the ACC, also set a program record for goals scored against

Virginia Tech. The team’s offensive output remained consistent across the game, as the Irish potted at least four goals in every quarter -- the third of which saw Notre Dame score seven times and shut the Hokies out.

In extending its win streak

to eight games, Notre Dame jumped out to a fast start at Thompson Field. The Irish controlled each of the game’s first four draws, fueling a 5-1 scoring advantage within the contest’s opening 12 minutes. Graduate attacker and draw specialist Arden Tierney spearheaded

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

the early push, tallying each of Notre Dame’s first two goals before assisting on the team’s fourth. Her spinning finish in tight opened the scoring for the Irish just 73 seconds into the game.

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.

Irish midfield looks to go coast to coast after playing stout defense against the Duke Blue Devils on April 6, 2024. Saturday’s victory over Virginia Tech gives Notre Dame a 13-2 overall record and a 6-2 record in the ACC this season. The Irish will travel to UofL Lacrosse Stadium for their regular-season finale against 7-9 Louisville at noon on Thursday.

ND WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Starting pitching success guides

Belles to home sweep of Kalamazoo

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

After a 2-12 start to the season, Saint Mary’s softball has flipped a switch over the past week. The Belles have now won six consecutive games for the first time in six years, most recently sweeping Kalamazoo with 2-0 and 5-4 home wins on Saturday.

As those final scores indicate, pitching sits at the forefront of the Belles’ newfound success. Allowing just two runs per game during the win streak, Saint Mary’s has pitched two shutouts and twice conceded only one run.

The trend of strong pitching peaked on Saturday, with senior starting pitchers Libby Bierbaum and Caitlin Traxler each throwing complete games against Kalamazoo. But they were more than just complete games. Bierbaum and Traxler gave up just one total earned run on the day, giving the Belles a great chance to win, and win they did.

In game one’s 2-0 win, Bierbaum shut out the Hornets across seven innings, allowing six hits and striking out one. But her day could have played out very differently with some of Kalamazoo’s chances early

on. In the second inning, the Hornets failed to bring home a leadoff double, stranding two runners on base. A frame later, they came up empty with the bases loaded and one out. Kalamazoo then left another runner in scoring position in the fourth inning.

A score that easily could have opened up to 4-0 Kalamazoo remained 0-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning. That’s when Saint Mary’s made the Hornets pay for their inability to execute. With two runners aboard and two outs, sophomore designated player Sam Mikitka singled home senior first baseman McKenna Myers for what would stand as the game-winning run.

Two innings later, after Bierbaum again stranded two Hornets in scoring position in the fifth, the Belles doubled their lead. With a runner on second and two away once again, a throwing error by Kalamazoo second baseman Brynna Garden plated sophomore outfielder Leah Zimmerman.

Working with a two-run lead for the first time, Bierbaum used her only strikeout on the day to work a scoreless, game-ending seventh inning in the circle. In doing so, she picked up her team-leading sixth complete game of the season, improving her record to 4-6.

In game two, a one-run Saint Mary’s victory, the Belles offense stepped forward as a difference-maker. That started on the third pitch of the game, which freshman shortstop Mary Charniak belted over the left-field fence. The home run, the Belles’ first of the season and the first of Charniak’s

career, handed Saint Mary’s an immediate lead.

But Kalamazoo would storm right back with four runs across its first two offensive innings. In both the first and second, Saint Mary’s made an error on defense, helping the Hornets to a 4-1 advantage with three unearned runs. The Belles answered with a run in the third, as Traxler helped herself out in the circle with a run-scoring sacrifice fly.

In the fifth, Saint Mary’s tied the game with a pair of runs. With two outs, senior second baseman Rylee Hershberger and Myers clubbed back-toback doubles, bringing the score to 4-4. Traxler then worked around leadoff singles in both the sixth and seventh frames, pushing the game to extra innings.

To start extras, Bierbaum continued her heroic day with a leadoff single, her fourth hit of the game. An error then moved her to third before a groundout by freshman right fielder Madi Ingolia scored her as the goahead run.

In the bottom of the eighth, Traxler issued a leadoff walk, but a lineout double play quickly erased the baserunner. Traxler then induced a groundout to second that ended the game, securing a Saint Mary’s sweep.

Now 8-12 overall and 4-2 in MIAA play, the Belles will hit the road this week for doubleheaders at Trine on Wednesday and Manchester on Thursday. Both doubleheaders will have first pitch times of 3 and 5 p.m.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

The second quarter saw Virginia Tech push back within a goal on back-to-back strikes from Paige Tyson.

But Tierney and graduate attacker Madison Ahern each scored hat-trick goals in the seven minutes before halftime, restoring a three-goal Notre Dame lead and keeping momentum squarely with the Irish.

What little doubt remained about Notre Dame’s chances to win quickly washed away during a one-sided third quarter. Graduate attacker Jackie Wolak finished off a hat trick of her own by scoring three and a half minutes out of halftime. Then, graduate midfielder Kasey Choma, who surprisingly went without a goal in the first half, deposited four in an 11-minute stretch. The third came with another superb, behind-the-back finish, contributing to a decisive third quarter in which the Irish outscored Virginia Tech by a 7-0 count.

With the game well under control, Notre Dame cruised to an 11-goal victory in the final period. Ahern, the team’s leading scorer on the day with a season-high five goals and two assists, added one more goal with 5:42 to play. Wolak and Choma ended the day right behind her with four goals, while Tierney finished with three. Senior midfielder and draw specialist Kelly Denes, as usual, engineered a successful showing in the draw circle for Notre Dame, controlling eight draws as part of an 18-13 Irish advantage in the circle. Across the board, Notre Dame took advantage of opportunities as well, going 8-for-8 on free position shots while the Hokies scored only twice in such situations.

In the Irish cage, senior goalie Lilly Callahan performed sharply once again, limiting her fifth consecutive opponent to single-digit goals. She allowed just eight in 55 minutes of action, making seven saves before giving way to junior backup Isabel Pithie.

As the regular season nears its end, only 7-9 Louisville stands between Notre Dame and a perfect season away from home. The Cardinals have lost four consecutive games within the ACC, most recently dropping a close contest at Duke on Friday.

Notre Dame and Louisville will meet at UofL Lacrosse Stadium at noon on Thursday For both teams, the game will serve as the regular-season finale with the ACC Tournament set to follow a week later. Last season, Notre Dame once again met Louisville on the final day of the regular season, defeating the Cardinals 15-9 at home.

Ramsey’s late goal sends Irish to dramatic, 1817 win over No. 10 Cornell

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

Oftentimes, the sign of a truly great lacrosse team isn’t one that pulverizes every opponent in its path. Notre Dame men’s lacrosse did plenty of that during the season’s first month, dominating Marquette on the road and playing impeccable defense against top-25 adversaries in Maryland and Michigan in March.

Instead, the best teams typically find different ways to win and, in any situation, can make the plays necessary to achieve the desired result. The Irish have been that over the last few weeks, prevailing late in top-three wins over Syracuse at home and Duke on the road.

But neither of those games required a true game-winning play. Sunday’s 18-17 defeat of No. 8 Cornell did.

With the outcome hanging in the balance late, Ben Ramsey and the Irish met the moment. The junior midfielder broke a 17-17 tie with six

seconds remaining in regulation, willing Notre Dame to a sixth consecutive win and an 8-1 record.

Long before Ramsey’s heroic goal tingled the twine, Notre Dame set a special day in motion early on Long Island. Graduate goalie Liam Entenmann made program history with his first save of the day, setting the alltime Irish record at 634 stops and ending the day at 644.

Moments later, graduate attacker Pat Kavanagh hit a milestone of his own, tying the game at one with his 100th career goal. Kavanagh joined the 100-goal club as the ninth player in Notre Dame men’s lacrosse history to hit the century mark.

As the first quarter unfolded, the Irish would open up a 6-2 lead on three straight goals in a 90-second span.

Senior midfielder Eric Dobson struck twice in the period, beginning his march to a hat trick. Kavanagh, who assisted on the first of Dobson’s two tallies, recorded three points within the game’s first 10

minutes.

Even as leading Big Red scorer CJ Kirst pulled Cornell within two goals early in the second quarter, Notre Dame kept its foot firmly on the gas. After Kirst completed a hat trick with five minutes until halftime, the Irish posted two key goals in just 16 seconds. Sophomore long-stick midfielder Will Donovan tallied the second for the first goal of his career, surging Notre Dame’s lead to 11-7 at the break.

Though the Irish had led for 21 of the game’s first 30 minutes, the game played out too evenly to remain one-sided. Notre Dame and Cornell each controlled 19 faceoffs on the day and played within five units of each other in both the ground ball and shot categories.

Cornell picked the third quarter to come storming back, outscoring the Irish by a 6-3 margin with 14 ground balls to Notre Dame’s seven.

Inside the period’s final five minutes, Ryan Goldstein posted back-to-back goals,

giving Cornell a 13-12 lead — its first lead since 1-0. But Notre Dame’s stars fired right back in the third quarter’s waning moments. Graduate attacker Jake Taylor scored the second of his three goals to tie the game before Kavanagh put the Irish back in front with 21 seconds to play.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better 15 minutes of college lacrosse than Notre Dame and Cornell played in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Just 41 seconds in, Hugh Kelleher leveled the score at 14. Notre Dame then reclaimed the lead on a Dobson goal, but Willem Firth quickly tied the game back up with another Big Red goal. The two teams then went a long five minutes without scoring while deadlocked at 15-15. With hardly more than five minutes remaining in the game, Cornell broke the stalemate on a Michael Long goal. But Notre Dame responded immediately on Taylor’s third goal with four minutes to go. Kelleher scored another

goal for Cornell, giving the Big Red a brief lead. However, just 16 seconds later, junior attacker Chris Kavanagh scored, tying the game at 17-17.

Within the final minute, Notre Dame’s defense — which Cornell had its way with in the second half — made a game-changing play. Freshman midfielder Jordan Faison caused a turnover with a massive wrap check at midfield, denying the Big Red a chance to take the final shot. Fifty seconds later, Chris Kavanagh possessed a ground ball and located Ramsey, whose 15-yard bounce shot won the game for Notre Dame.

Now 4-0 against top-10 opponents and on a three-game win streak against them, the Irish will get a respite next weekend against unranked North Carolina. The game, set for 11:30 a.m. next Saturday at Arlotta Stadium, marks the final regular-season home contest for Notre Dame.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

INDIA DOERR | THE OBSERVER

Senior midfielder Michael Lynch cradles the ball in Notre Dame’s 25-3 rout of Cleveland State on February 14, 2024. The Irish extend their win streak to six with Sunday’s victory over the Cornell Big Red, now standing at 8-1 on the season and 2-0 in the ACC. No. 28 North Carolina travels to South Bend to take on the Irish at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.