Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, August 19, 2022

The independent

To uncover

newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

and holy cross

it accurately

Volume 57, Issue 1 | FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

University hosts Welcome Weekend for first-years More than 2,000 first-year students will descend upon campus to begin their Notre Dame experience this year. The class of 2026, heralded as the most diverse and selective cohort to date, will move into residence halls and acclimate to the campus community around them through Welcome Weekend.

Welcome Weekend, the University’s annual process of orienting first-years, will involve the typical introduction to hall staff and fellow hallmates, connecting with faculty and staff and accessing academic, spiritual and wellness resources. In the days preceding the class of 2026’s first classes,

student leaders and volunteers across campus will come together to embrace the new students.

Andrew Whittington, program director for first-year advising in the Center for University Advising, said the weekend serves as a gateway to many of the unique aspects of the Notre Dame experience.

“Our team of faculty, staff, and students seeks to share and invite students into the unique characteristics of our Catholic, Holy Cross undergraduate experience,” he wrote in an email.

Emily Orsini, program director for new student engagement and formation, said allowing new students to feel connected and build community were priorities.

“The most important part of

News PAGE 5

Viewpoint PAGE 6

By ISA SHEIKH Associate News Editor

welcoming the class of 2026 is to make sure every new student feels welcome,” Orsini wrote in an email. “We want to make sure we have diverse programming opportunities that students will be able to engage in. We want to create time and space throughout the weekend where new students can form connections with one another to start to build community.”

This year’s Welcome Weekend will feature reimagined aspects, including a scaled-back vision of the Moreau First-Year Experience class kickoff. Orsini said the University will also emphasize diversity, equity and inclusion see UNIVERSITY PAGE 3

Scene PAGE 9

College starts new tradition

By MEGHAN LANGE Saint Mary’s News Editor

As both new and returning students arrive on Saint Mar y’s campus this week, they w ill take part in several long-standing tri-campus traditions. Namely, the first walk dow n the Avenue, first-year mov ie night, the first-year BelleFest — which includes music, games and raff les — and DomerFest, where the first-years of the tri-campus meet and bond.

Starting this year, Saint Mar y’s students w ill also have another Welcome Weekend tradition. Over the summer, College

ND SPORTS A TO Z PAGE 13

President Katie Conboy sent an email to the Saint Mar y’s communit y introducing fall Convocation.

“This event is an opportunit y to cheer in (literally!) our new transfer and first year students and to pin each other w ith your ver y ow n class pin,” Conboy said in the email to students.

Fall Convocation w ill occur annually on the Sunday afternoon before classes begin. The ceremony w ill recognize award recipients and gather students together before the start of the semester. The event replaces the see TRADITION PAGE 3

FOOTBALL PAGE 14

2

NEWS

The observer | FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

University changes fight song ndsmcobserver.com P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey Managing Editor Aidan O’Malley Asst. Managing Editor: Mannion McGinley Asst. Managing Editor: Genevieve Coleman Asst. Managing Editor: Maggie Eastland Notre Dame News Editor: Ryan Peters Saint Mary’s News Editor: Meghan Lange Viewpoint Editor: Hannah Hebda Sports Editor: Aidan Thomas Scene Editor: Willoughby Thom Photo Editor: Ryan Vigilante Graphics Editor: Maggie Klaers Social Media Editor: Anna Hurt Advertising Manager: Emili Garcia Casas Ad Design Manager: Christina Sayut Systems Administrator: Rachel Johnson Office Manager & General Info

Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising

Observer Staff Report Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared online on June 3.

One of the most wellknow n collegiate fight songs has been fine tuned to honor women’s impact on the Universit y.

Copyrighted in 1908, the “Notre Dame Victor y March,” w ill now reference both “sons and daughters” of the Universit y in the penultimate line. Universit y President Father John Jenkins announced the

change Thursday during a gala celebration honoring the 50th anniversar y of women at Notre Dame.

The official shift mimics the grassroots lyrics fans have been substituting in the stands for several years.

The original version included the follow ing lines: Cheer, Cheer for old Notre Dame Wake up the echoes cheering her name.

Send a volley cheer on high.

Shake down the thunder from the sky.

What though the odds be great or small.

Old Notre Dame will win over all.

While her loyal sons are marching.

Onward to victory.

The last two lines of the new version will be sung: While her loyal sons and daughters.

March on to victory.

Fr. Jenkins also announced that the Universit y w ill re-imagine the iconic Main Circle entrance to commemorate the decision of former Universit y President

Father Ted Hesburgh to admit women and their impact on the Universit y.

“The success Notre Dame enjoys has been shaped by the extraordinar y leadership and contributions of the women who have been and are a part of this communit y, beginning w ith the four Holy Cross sisters who arrived in the w ilderness in 1843,” Jenkins said. “The re-imaging of the Main Circle w ill be a tribute at the heart of our campus to the ways in which these women have inspired, led and enriched us.”

(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com Editor-in-Chief

(574) 631-4542 aguffey@nd.edu Managing Editor

(574) 631-4542 aomalle2@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors

(574) 631-4541 mmcginl3@nd.edu, gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu, meastlan@nd.edu Business Office

(574) 631-5313 Notre Dame News Desk

(574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com Saint Mary’s News Desk

(574) 631-5323 smcnews@ndsmcobserver.com Viewpoint Desk

(574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om Sports Desk

(574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com Scene Desk

(574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com Photo Desk

(574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com Systems & Web Administrators

webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors.

Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged.

Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

As Alumni Hall undergoes a major renovation during the 2022-2023 school year, its residents will live in Zahm Hall for the year.

Alumni’s neighboring dorm, Dillon Hall, was renovated during the 2019-2020 school year. The dorm was originally built in 1931.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Alysa Guffey.

Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.

A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester.

The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

Today’s Staff News

Sports

Ryan Peters Meghan Lange

Aidan Thomas Mannion McGinley

Graphics

Scene

Maggie Klaers

Willoughby Thom

Photo

Viewpoint

Ryan Vigilante

Hannah Hebda

Corrections 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.

The next Five days:

Want your event included here?

Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Residential halls open campus-wide all day Undergraduate halls open for first-years.

DomerFest Duncan Student Center 10:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.

First-years and transfer students welcomed back event.

Convocation O’Laughlin Auditorium 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Community welcome ceremony and reception.

Saint Mary’s classes begin Saint Mary’s campus all day Students begin attending classes.

Notre Dame classes begin Notre Dame campus all day Students begin attending classes.

“Romeo and Juliet” DPAC 7:30pm-10:30pm ND Shakespeare festival presents “Romeo and Juliet.”

Move-In Campus-wide All Day Undergraduate halls open for upperclass students.

“All’s Well That Ends Well” Main Building Quad 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

NDSF Touring Company performance.

Opening of the Academic Year Mass Basilica 5:15 - 6:15 p.m.

Mass for students, faculty and staff.

Romeo and Juliet DPAC 7:30pm-10:30pm ND Shakespeare festival presents “Romeo and Juliet.”

News

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 | The Observer

Notre Dame enrolls most international students ever

By CLAIRE REID Associate News Editor

Two days before the rest of the class of 2026 arrived on campus for Welcome Weekend, about 200 new first-year international students moved in at Notre Dame.

According to director of the International Student and Scholar Affairs (ISSA) office Leah Zimmer, the students taking part in International Student Orientation include the largest first-year, degreeseeking international class in Notre Dame history.

Of the about 200 students taking part in orientation, about 145 are degree-seeking students, meaning they plan to stay at the University for four years and earn a degree.

In recent years, the number of new, degree-seeking international students has been about 130, Zimmer said.

The remaining 55 students taking part in orientation this year are largely non-degree-seeking students studying abroad at the University for a year or a semester.

According to former associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment Don Bishop, who retired in June, 8% of this year’s admitted students are international students, and 18.7% are international students, dual citizens or U.S. citizens living in another country. He added that 95 countries are represented among the admitted students.

The students took part in International Student Orientation on Wednesday and Thursday where they learned about life as a Notre Dame student and living in the United States. For many of these undergraduates, it is their first time spending

University Continued from page 1

they need or want during that time. Students will have options to attend programs that campus partners have organized, hang out in the hall, take a nap, unpack, etc. We know how busy this weekend can be and we hope this time will provide students with what they need whether that be rest or participating in an activity,” Orsini said.

Whittington emphasized that Welcome Weekend is only the beginning of a much longer experience and no student is able to garner a complete sense of belonging in just a few days.

“But, Welcome Weekend’s combination of residential, curricular, and co-curricular

a long period of time in the country, director of the International Student and Scholar Affairs (ISSA) office Leah Zimmer said.

Students will be introduced to international student ambassadors and ISSA staff and be connected with resources to help make their transition to the U.S. as smooth as possible.

“This year, like other years, our goal is that students feel welcome and are able to get settled,” Zimmer said. “They have a few extra days to get over jet lag and meet people, which is why [orientation] takes place a few days before Welcome Weekend starts.”

ISSA began preparing the international students for arrival before the students even left home. About a month ago, international student ambassadors and leaders held a pre-arrival information panel online to give new students an idea of what to expect when they arrive on campus.

“We really focused at that point on helping the students get here in time for classes because that … is still really complicated,” Zimmer said.

“The Department of State has made it difficult for students to get visas because they’re still understaffed.”

Zimmer said she knows many of the new students arrive from thousands of miles away by plane and are unable to bring most of their dorm essentials, so the first thing on the orientation agenda was a trip to Target by shuttle. This is followed by dinner on Eddy St. with student ambassadors.

The second day of orientation largely focused on connecting students with resources to ease their

engagement serves as an invitation, hopefully, an inspiring and dynamic invitation,” he wrote. “As far as my role goes, I’m in the business of communicating those first truths that each new student belongs here, can grow here, and can do good here.”

Orsini concurred that though the weekend is simply an introduction, it holds a lot of potential.

“I think it’s a time for students to start to familiarize themselves with the Notre Dame community as well as the resources and academic opportunities that are offered here,” she noted. “We hope Welcome Weekend is a time where students get excited about their time here from both the academic and social engagement perspectives.”

transition into life in the U.S. At the Thursday afternoon resource fair at the Eck Visitors Center, students will be able to set up an American bank account with Chase or First Source Bank, and they’ll be able to set up an American cell phone and phone number with AT&T or T-Mobile.

Zimmer said ISSA reached out to other banks and phone companies to take part in the resource fair, but they chose not to participate.

Students will also have the opportunity to learn about and connect with other campus offices including the Center for Career Development and University Health Services.

“In planning [the resource fair and orientation], we got a lot of feedback from international ambassadors about what would’ve been most helpful for them during their first days on campus,” Zimmer said. “We tend to send out an orientation feedback form about three weeks after.”

She said one of the main things past orientation participants asked for was more opportunities to meet fellow international students. This year, students spent part of Thursday separated into small groups of about 20 to eat lunch and socialize.

Orientation will also offer programs for parents, including lunch and a panel discussion. This will allow parents to connect with each other over the worries and experiences that come with dropping their child off to study in another country, Zimmer said.

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

As Welcome Weekend committees arrived in dorms across campus preparing to help move in the class of 2026, Whittington wrote that the weekend provided an opportunity to embrace the incoming class.

“These new students, your new classmates, had the choice of joining any number of impressive university communities. They chose us. We’re just so darn grateful for that decision and are honored to celebrate them, learn more about them, and invite them to take their place alongside us as members of the Notre Dame family,” he stated.

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu.

Tradition Continued from page 1

spring Convocation.

Executive director of retention strategies Mona Bowe noted the importance of gathering the Saint Mar y’s communit y at the beginning of the new academic year.

“The idea came from the opportunit y to have one single event where we could bring all of our students and our facult y and staff together before the academic year started,” Bowe said.

Bowe acknowledged that fall Convocation would also prov ide the opportunit y to connect new students w ith the rest of the campus.

“We do a lot of events to bring the first-year students and the transfers together, but we didn’t have a single event where we could bring the communit y together. So we’re building communit y and we’re welcoming the new class,” Bowe said.

The inaugural Convocation w ill take place Sunday in O’Laughlin Auditorium from 4:30 to 6 p.m. A ll are inv ited to join and cheer on their fellow Belles.

During the event, the recipients of the 2022 Saint Catherine Medal and the Spes Unica and Maria Pieta awards w ill be recognized.

The Saint Catherine Medal is awarded to a rising junior or senior who has demonstrated high standards of personal excellence in scholarship, leadership, faith and ser v ice — the values of

3

Kappa Gamma Pi, the national Catholic college graduate honor societ y that sponsors this award. Saint Catherine has long ser ved as an inspiration for indiv iduals who aspire to obtain knowledge and to stand their ground against the constraints placed upon them, thus inspiring the award.

The other t wo awards, the Spes Unica and Maria Pieta awards, both recognize Saint Mar y’s facult y members.

The Spes Unica Award recognizes a facult y member who has performed eminent ser v ice to the College.

Contributions can be in the area of teaching, scholarship, creative activ it y or serv ice in higher level courses.

The Maria Pieta Award was established in 1976 in honor of Sister Maria Pieta, who taught and ser ved as an administrator at Saint Mar y’s College. “The award recognizes the qualit y of teaching done in courses for freshman and sophomores”, Bowe said.

For the event, students are asked to wear a certain color based on their class year. Seniors and alumni are asked to wear the color blue, w ith juniors wearing yellow, sophomores wearing purple and first-years wearing red.

In addition, any facult y or staff attending Convocation are encouraged to wear Saint Mar y’s spirit wear.

As an added incentive to attend Convocation, all Saint Mar y’s students who participate w ill receive a voucher to exchange for an exclusive T-shirt at this year’s Belles Bash.

Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND class of 2026 sees increase in selectivity

By RYAN PETERS Notre Dame News Editor

About 2,053 first-years w ill arrive on campus this weekend and begin their time at Notre Dame. The class of 2026 followed recent trends, w ith applications, selectivit y and racial diversit y all increasing.

The incoming first-years were the first class to be able to have in-person tours and information classes since the pandemic.

Director of undergraduate admissions Christ y Pratt said this change led to an “explosion of interest” in information sessions and tours, which coincided w ith another record number of applications.

With 26,508 students apply ing in 2022 — almost 3,000 more than in 2021 — the acceptance rate continued to fall and the y ield rate stayed high. According to new v ice president for undergraduate

admission Micki Kidder, 3,412 were admitted for an acceptance rate of 12.9% and about 2,050 enrolled for a y ield rate of around 60% .

“The students and families were definitely hungr y to come back to Notre Dame and to be able to talk to our staff,” Pratt said.

Citing a recent report that 1.3 million students have disappeared from American colleges and universities since the start of the pandemic, Kidder said it is impressive that Notre Dame continues to see increases in applications.

Notre Dame is in its third year of test-optional applications. Kidder said 50% of applicants prov ided test scores. Sixt y-seven percent of admitted students in the class of 2026 had a test score rev iewed, according to admissions data obtained by The Obser ver.

Fift y states and 95

countries are represented in the class of 2026, according to the admissions website.

The Universit y also reported 159 members of the incoming class are international students, the highest number ever.

W hile domestic students were able to come to campus for information sessions, travel restrictions hindered international students’ abilit y to come to campus and forced most of their recruitment to take place v irtually.

“So I think that that speaks so much to this shared mission in ser v ice to something greater than ourselves that young leaders from all across the countr y and beyond are matriculating here for an excellent undergraduate education,” Kidder said.

The Universit y w ill see an inf lu x of 192 transfer students, w ith 95 of those coming from the Gateway program, in which students

spend their first year at Holy Cross. Kidder said 95 is a much higher number than usual for the Gateway program.

Kidder said 50% of the freshmen class has received some form of need-based aid. Additionally, 19% of the class are either first-generation college students or on a Pell grant and 19% of freshmen are legacy students, meaning one of their parents attended the Universit y.

Fort y percent of the class of 2026 are U.S. students of color or international students, according to Kidder, marking consecutive years of increased ethnic diversit y “[We’re] just really, really excited to welcome in a ver y inclusive way, the most diverse class that we’ve seen here at Notre Dame,” Kidder said.

As the incoming freshmen acclimate to campus, Pratt said it is important to note

that these are students who did not have a t y pical high school experience.

“These are also students that are similar to all of our other students in that they are going to engage in our communities and be excited to be here and be that force for good,” Pratt said.

Kidder added that she expects the first-year class to engage in the communit y in a lively manner.

“W hile they come in as this extraordinarily inclusive class, they’re contributing to the missioncentric conversation in a ver y lively, rigorous, empathetic, courageous manner, and we could not be more excited to see what they do in conjunction w ith the entire student body, so we’re thrilled to welcome them this week,” she said.

Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | The Observer

5

Residential life welcomes 12 new rectors

By BELLA LAUFENBERG Associate News Editor

The Universit y of Notre Dame is welcoming 12 rectors to new residence halls for the fall 2022 semester.

Of the 12 rectors, 11 are new and one is returning.

Elizabeth Clarke, who was the rector of Lyons Hall, w ill be returning this year as the rector of McGlinn Hall.

Clarke said she is excited to continue in her role as rector in a new communit y.

“I am grateful for the opportunit y to continue this mission of educating both the minds and hearts of students entrusted to our care.

I’m looking for ward to sharing life w ith the Shamrocks of McGlinn Hall !” Clarke said on the residential life website.

Associate v ice president for residential life Heather Rakoczy Russell said that although 12 incoming rectors is a relatively large

group, this situation is not uncommon.

“W hile it is somewhat at y pical for us to have 11 new rectors, it is not ver y different from some recent years.

For example, over the last 10 years, there have been t wo years in which we had nine new rectors. W hat made the turnover unusual this time was the reason for some of their departures,” Russell said in an email.

Russell explained that of the departing rectors, some were leav ing because of retirement and recent marriages.

“Usually our departing rectors are simply mov ing on to new roles whereas last spring included some unique factors,” Russell said.

The 10 other new rectors w ill ser ve in Cavanaugh Hall, Dillon Hall, Johnson Family Hall, Knott Hall, Lew is Hall, Lyons Hall, O’Neil Family Hall, Pasquerilla West Hall, Sorin College, Walsh Hall

and Welsh Family Hall.

The new rector of O’Neill Family Hall, Orlando León, is not new to the world of working w ith students, having worked in education for 17 years. León got his master’s degree in elementar y education but spent the majorit y of his career working w ith junior high students.

León said he thinks his experience as an educator w ill be advantageous to his new role.

“I think for me, it’s the building of relationships, building a foundation and understanding it’s about the whole, not necessarily myself,” León said.

Another new rector, Michael Semanek of Dillon Hall, is a graduate of Notre Dame himself. Semanek graduated in 2018 w ith a degree in applied and computational mathematics and statistics (ACMS).

During his time as an undergraduate, Semanek spent

t wo summers as a resident ia l assista nt a nd aga in ser ved as a n R A for Sieg f ried Ha ll.

Sema nek sa id he believes his prev ious ex perience in resident ia l life w i l l benef it him in his new posit ion. Sema nek a lso sa id he looks up to his old rector in Sieg f ried Ha l l as a g uide.

“The rector I had in Sieg f ried Ha l l was t here for 25 yea rs a nd was one of t he longest sta nding rectors at t he Universit y, a nd he was a priest,” Sema nek sa id.

“Coming to Di l lon now as a lay person, tota l ly new to t he role, it’s about t r y ing to f ind a ba la nce bet ween ta king t he t hings t hat he did rea lly wel l a nd using t hem but a lso being my ow n person a nd respect ing t he t radit ions of t he ha l l t hat a re a lready t here.”

Kate Pa l ko, t he new rector of Wa lsh Ha l l, is a lso ex periencing a f u l l circle moment.

As a student, Pa l ko sa id

she a lways wa nted to go to Not re Da me.

“I’ve a lways wa nted to go to Not re Da me, so t his is a rea l ly cool moment for me.

I applied t here during high school, a nd I didn’t get in, a nd I t hought t hat was li ke t he end of t he world,” Pa l ko sa id. “I applied [to be a rector] in t he spring of my f ina l yea r in g rad school, a nd when I got t he inter v iews, I was just f ly ing because it was such a n out-of-body ex perience.”

Pa l ko sa id she is ex t remely excited about her new role a nd has been prepa ring to go into t he ex perience w it h a n open mind.

“I’ve been pur posely sett ing my mind to be openminded because I ca n’t imag ine a l l of t he t hings t hat I’m not even awa re t hat I’m going to encounter yet,” she sa id.

Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb @nd.edu

Saint Mary’s enrolls 400 first-year students

By MEGHAN LANGE Saint Mary’s News Editor

This semester the Saint Mary’s community will welcome about 400 first-year and 18 transfer students to campus. When classes begin next week, the College will host a total of 1,308 undergraduate students and 105 graduate students.

There will be a 5% increase in first-year students from 2021, which had 380 students and 14 transfer students.

Saint Mary’s received a total of 2,254 first year applications, with nearly 7% applying as Early Decision.

Director of admission Sarah Gallagher Dvorak conveyed her pride for her alma mater.

“As an alumna of Saint Mary’s, I couldn’t be more proud to serve as the Director of Admission and to watch the exciting trajectory of the College,” Gallagher Dvorak

said.

Gallagher Dvorak also expressed excitement about the incoming first-year class.

“I am thrilled to welcome such a talented class to campus this fall and to watch them grow and develop these next four years,” she said. “There’s no better time for them to start their journeys at Saint Mary’s. Under the leadership of President Katie Conboy, we have established a Strategic Plan and have renewed our commitment to ‘meeting the needs of the times’ — expanding the boundaries of who we are and imagining in fresh ways who we can be. There is such tremendous momentum and growth at the College, and it’s exciting to be a part of it.”

The incoming first-year class possessed an average GPA of 3.85, which remains the same as last year’s class average.

The class of 2026 includes

students from 28 of 50 states, with 37% living in state and 63% living out of state. There are also four international students coming from Kenya, Canada, Nigeria and Tanzania.

“They come from as far away as Kenya and Nigeria, as far north as Canada, as far west as California, as far south as Texas, all up and down the east coast and all over the Midwest,” Gallagher Dvorak said.

In addition, Gallagher Dvorak discussed the range of talent of this year’s incoming class.

“They are made up of community volunteers, athletes, leaders, entrepreneurs and founders of their own businesses, creatives, artists and world travelers,” she said.

“We have someone ranked twenty-third in the world as an Irish dance soloist and another who is ranked seventh in the nation. We have a

junior firefighter and an accomplished ballet dancer.

Incredibly impressive!”

Overall, 66% of the class of 2026 were involved in some type of sport in high school and 27% were captains of their teams.

Additionally, 21% of the class are musicians, 15% were involved in theater, 8% are dancers and 7% were involved in art clubs in high school.

22% of the class of 2026 are students of color and 26% are first-generation college students. In addition, 29% of students have a legacy connection, meaning that at least one of their close family members went to Saint Mary’s College.

Gallagher Dvorak spoke on the importance of diversity in Saint Mary’s classrooms.

“All students benefit from the ability to learn from peers who may not think exactly the same and who come from different experiences, cultures

and backgrounds,” she said.

“Our classrooms are enriched by the diversity of thought our students bring into class discussions. Exposure to diversity is something that benefits all Saint Mary’s students as it forces them to expand their intellectual and personal understanding of the world.”

Gallagher Dvorak finished by discussing her hopes for the incoming class of first-years and transfer students.

“I wish for our incoming students that they enter this next chapter at Saint Mary’s with an open and curious mind, a willingness to venture outside their comfort zones and that nine months from now, they’ll be looking back on a year filled with personal and intellectual growth, new friends and experiences and lots of fun,” she said.

Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu

Construction begins on new men’s dorm is u nder way for a new re sea rch bu i ld i ng.

T he new dor m is pa r t of Editor’s Note: A version of this a 2017 pla n to st reng t hen story appeared online on June 3. ca mpus resident ia l comT he Un iversit y a n- mu n it ies, w h ich i ncluded nou nced Tuesday a new i ncrea si ng t he on-ca mpus men’s residence ha l l is residenc y requ i rement to c u r rent ly u nder const r uc- si x semesters, accord i ng to t ion, accord i ng to a press t he relea se.

T he relea se sa id t he fou rrelea se. T he new dor m is 79,0 00-squa re-foot located on Ea st Quad be- stor y, t ween Joh nson Fa m i ly dor m w i l l house approx iRYAN PETERS | The Observer Ha l l a nd McCou r t ney mately 260 st udent s a nd Construction has begun for a new men’s residence hall on East Quad.

Ha l l, w here const r uct ion ad here to t he ca mpus’s Observer Staff Report

got h ic a rch itect u re st yle.

T he new residence ha l l w i l l have a m i x of st udent room t y pes i nclud i ng si ng les, doubles, quads a nd si x-person rooms.

Set to open i n t he su mmer of 2024, t he residence ha l l w i l l feat u re a n a rched open i ng on t he f i rst f loor t hat a l low s pedest r ia ns to t ravel ea st-west v ia a n exist i ng sidewa l k .

Const r uct ion is a l ready u nder way on ca mpus.

6

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

This time is yours Alysa Guffey Editor-in-Chief

For 16 years, I’ve measured my life in school years.

Fall is an exciting fresh start, full of hope and promise. Winter is a halftime break. Spring is a time to w rap up and summer is a timeless in-between. It’s part of the reason I’ve always disliked spring. The trees and f lowers may start to bloom and the sun comes out behind its permacloud, but the season is more so a period of goodbyes, endings and change.

And sometimes, I don’t want to talk about the way that it was.

Freshman years are for learning names, sophomore years don’t matter all that much and when junior years roll around, there’s a feeling of superiorit y and independence that comes from being an upperclassman.

And then there’s senior year: the beginning of the end, the pinnacle of it all.

College is a place where ever yone here is in a different stage of their life, but also the same — learning more about the subjects that have always interested them, figuring out what they want to do in their life and taking leaps of faith toward the future.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how I’ll measure the passing of time once I’m done w ith college. W hen ever ything you’ve ever know n is different, what happens?

But the thing about your four years at college is that it’s so much more than school. It’s liv ing steps away from your best friends. It’s being no more than one degree of separation away from any student. It’s lay ing on the quad until 3 a.m. on a Monday night just talking.

For some people (read: me), it’s finishing up the newspaper at 4 a.m. so it can be distributed throughout the tri-campus. W hile The Obser ver is my college endeavor, ever yone devotes themselves to their ow n passion in their four years here.

I spent the past summer liv ing away from home for the first time. (Yeah, I’ve lived at Notre Dame for the past three years, but something about liv ing in a small dorm room w ith your best friend makes campus feel a lot like home.) Liv ing somewhere else made me realize that Notre Dame is an escape, for better and for worse.

Here, days are measured in class schedules, lunch breaks, study sessions, parties, extracurricular meetings, on-campus jobs and walks around the quads.

Weeks are measured by assignments, tests and time until mid-semester breaks. Then before you know it, fall turns to spring real quick.

And a lot of the time, you get too caught up to think about it.

As I spent most of the summer tr y ing to decide what I wanted to say in this column, my mind kept going back to what I learned from a magazine w riting class last semester taught by Kerr y Temple.

He talked about the importance of thinking time: time to mull over ideas and thoughts and time to figure out what you actually want to w rite, not what you w rite in the rush of the moment. He said he gets that most college students don’t have time to do this.

It hit me that he was right — I didn’t feel like I had the time to let thoughts, ideas and feelings simmer in my mind.

And that’s the adv ice I have for first-years.

Give yourself time to stop and think. College is fun, but it’s more bittersweet and f leeting than you first realize. Measure it by the number of nights spent w ith friends, hours spent in a meeting for your favorite extracurricular and minutes of a home football game. The time is yours.

Contact Alysa at aguffey@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTERs TO THE EDITOR

A warm welcome Dear students, I extend a warm welcome to each of you.

W hether you are arriv ing on campus for the first time or returning after a summer away, we are ver y glad you are part of the Notre Dame communit y.

Notre Dame’s mission is distinctive. We offer an undergraduate education that is second to none, committed to educating the whole person. We cultivate scholarly excellence, and we advance human understanding through top-tier research and post-baccalaureate programs. In all that we do, we ensure that Notre Dame’s Catholic identit y informs our efforts.

As you know, the Universit y has a rich histor y. Generations of Notre Dame graduates have been shaped by their experiences here, and they, in turn, have left their mark on the Universit y. We inv ite you to do the same, to be part of Notre Dame’s present as well as its future. Indiv idually and collectively, you have tremendous talents and gifts to share.

At a time when the world’s need for compassionate and creative leaders has never

been greater, I hope you w ill take ever y day, ever y place on this campus, and ever y conversation w ith those you encounter here as an opportunit y to engage, learn, and grow. Take time to listen to and engage w ith those whose perspectives and background might be different from your ow n, and be an active participant in building a communit y where ever y person experiences a true sense of belonging. You are Notre Dame, and we are better because you are here.

As we mark the beginning of a new academic year, I inv ite you to attend the Opening Mass on Tuesday, August 23 at 5:15 p.m. in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Please join me on this important occasion as we come together to ask for God’s blessing on our endeavors in the coming year.

Once again, welcome. I w ish you ever y grace and blessing, and my prayers are w ith you.

In Notre Dame, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. president, Notre Dame Aug. 11

Welcome Saints Dear Holy Cross College Saints, Congratulations on enrolling at Holy Cross College ! We spea k on beha lf of the entire student body when we say we are ver y excited to have you join our family here at Holy Cross.

Your time in college is a period of grow th and your journey at Holy Cross w ill be multi-dimensiona l. You w ill grow as a student in the classroom as well as a citizen in the loca l and globa l communities. Holy Cross offers a holistic, experience-based education that w ill encourage and enable you to develop into a well-rounded indiv idua l.

Your decision to become a Saint is a lready ma k ing a difference to unite our whole communit y. We are positive that your time at Holy Cross w ill be nothing short of ama zing. We want you to k now that we are pray ing for you and your abilit y to use your strengths in promoting the common good in a ll your endeavors.

W hen you arrive on campus, we encourage you to ta ke up an active role in a ll that

we have to offer here. Your college experience w ill be what you ma ke it. There are endless opportunities for you to f lourish and ma ke an impact here, so ta ke advantage of them. You w ill be a part of our creative and ta lented student body, and we are sure you w ill fit right in and feel at home at Holy Cross College.

Once again, welcome to Holy Cross, and we are excited about seeing you a ll on campus in August!

Go Saints !

Sincerely,

Paid Advertisement

Dion Payne-Miller student body president, Holy Cross sophomore Oscar Jarmon student body vice president, Holy Cross sophomore Aug. 15

7

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTERs TO THE EDITOR

Ave Cruz, Spes Unica Dear Holy Cross family, first-year students at Saint Mary’s College, Holy Cross College and the University of Notre Dame, Welcome to Notre Dame, Indiana, the seat of the sisters, priests and brothers of Holy Cross and the three extraordinary Catholic higher education institutions who continue their legacy. It is my honor to welcome you as I too am beginning my first year as the president of Holy Cross College.

While we may be three distinct institutions of Catholic higher education here in the greater Notre Dame-South Bend area, we share a common history and heritage that dates to early 19th-century France when Blessed Basil Moreau founded the Congregation of Holy Cross. At a time of intense division and despair, Fr. Moreau and the young brothers, sisters and priests embarked on this educational enterprise to change the world, as disciples with hope to bring.

Sister Madeleva Wolff, C.S.C., the president at Saint Mary’s College from 1934 to 1961 welcomed her first-year students by reminding them that what they were embarking on was not just preparation for a career and life, but what they were embarking on was “soul sized.” For Sister Madeleva, just as it was for Fr. Moreau, and continues to this day at our three respective colleges and universities as well as the other 120 schools, colleges and universities that bear the name of the family of Holy Cross, is that a Holy Cross education is meant to bring young people to “completeness.” For the Christian, this means to be more like Christ.

We know that today the soul is in dire need of stewardship and protection from negativity. The best defense against it is vigorous, intelligent, sincere hope. The kind of hope bolstered by the ability to think critically, that is clear-headed in identifying what is lacking, in ourselves and the world, but then envisions ways to create it and endeavors to make it better. They have developed the competence to see and the courage to act.

You have such exciting times ahead of you. On behalf of my colleagues at Saint Mary’s, Holy Cross and Notre Dame, I pray that in the years ahead you will learn the value of productive solitude, mindful ref lection and restful excellence. That all great reading is an act of reverence that enlarges the soul. That you become architects of your time.

That you learn the importance of maintaining an attitude of gratitude; the life-giving mystery of grace; and the virtues of modesty, humility and authenticity. I also pray that you will cultivate the character of your soul and learn to live life fully, animated for a cause larger than yourselves and for the common good. I also ask that you pray for me and one another as together we embark on this exciting journey. Let us collectively be disciples with hope to bring, just as the brothers, priests and sisters have been doing for the past 200 years.

Ave Crux, Spes Unica, Marco J. Clark, Ed.D. president, Holy Cross College Aug. 1

Welcome home Belles Dea r Sa int Ma r y’s St udents, On beha lf of t he facu lt y a nd sta f f at Sa int Ma r y’s Col lege, I a m t h r i l led to welcome t he st udents of t he class of 2026, t ra nsfer st udents, ret u r n ing st udents a nd g raduate st udents ! A f ter a busy su m mer, we a re ready for you to a n imate t he ca mpus w it h you r energ y a nd intel lect ua l cu r iosit y — to ma ke ou r com mu n it y a n inv igorat ing hub of act iv it y! Sa int Ma r y’s believes in cha l leng ing you as you ta ke you r col lege jou r ney. But I t h in k you’l l f ind ever yone ready to help you meet t he cha l lenge.

A sk quest ions !

A sk for help !

Be open to cha nge !

At SMC, we encou rage self-d iscover y a nd promote a n open-hea r ted a nd inclusive com mu n it y. You have so ma ny oppor t u n it ies here. Ever y semester of fers a n occasion to d iscover new ideas a nd forge new possibi lit ies, bot h inside a nd outside t he classroom. Check out t he co-cu r r icu la r act iv it ies t he t r i-ca mpus com mu n it y of fers.

E x plore you r fa it h. Engage w it h people who have d if ferent backg rou nds, ex per iences, beliefs or opin ions. Approach t hem w it h a spir it of cu r iosit y a nd be open to lea r n ing w it h t hem a nd f rom t hem. Th is spir it w i l l ma ke ou r com mu n it y a nd ou r world a better place.

We’ve become more act ive a nd used t he outdoors in new ways t hese past few yea rs.

Com m it to en ha ncing you r hea lt h t h roug h a n act ive life — t here’s lots of room to ex plore in t he t r i-ca mpus. W h i le you a re at it, ex plore t he cu r r icu lu m a nd t r y some t h ings you’re not a lready good at. Become broader. Become deeper. Consider what t he world needs, a nd t hen solve a problem — or ta ke a sta nd on somet h ing you believe in a nd work for cha nge. If you do t h is, t hen you, too, w i l l have ex per ienced t he spir it of Sa int Ma r y’s, t he Sa int Ma r y’s t hat more t ha n 23,000 a lu m nae a rou nd t he world ex per ienced du r ing t heir t ime here.

A s a sponsored m in ist r y of t he Sisters of t he Holy Cross, Sa int Ma r y’s proud ly educates st udents to ma ke a d if ference in t he world — a nd we’ve done t hat for a lmost 180 yea rs. You a re pa r t of t h is t rad it ion. It is you r t u r n to ma ke h istor y here. So, prepa re for leadersh ip, bot h on ca mpus a nd in a world t hat needs you. I look for wa rd to accompa ny ing you on t h is excit ing jou r ney.

Best rega rds,

Irish by a million During the election and the early days of our term, we were confronted with the question, “What does Student Government actually do?” Since that day, we’ve been focused on letting people know who we are – a team focused on making tangible improvements to the Notre Dame community through concrete action. Our mission is to translate our passion for our beloved University into definitive and substantial solutions to problems that students face.

We’re working toward the radical goal of complete transparency and full accountability. While this message might be too short to detail our 85 plus initiatives, any student can check our Progress Tracker at any time to see what we’ve accomplished, what we’re working on and what we’ll do next. Our Instagram page, too, will be overhauled — now full of exciting events and succinct updates to keep students informed at a glance. If you’d rather come and see the action for yourself, we’ll be offering Coffee Chats with directors and administrators in our office on the second floor of LaFun… make sure to check (you guessed it!) the Instagram @ndstugov for updates on dates, times and special guests.

Over the summer, our directors have already made extraordinary strides. Check your dorm’s bulletin board for updates on Safety After Parietals, make sure to attend the Health and Well-Being Resources Fair on Sept. 2 and stop by Notre Dame Stadium for Student Government’s annual showing of “Rudy” at “Flick on the Field” on Friday, Aug. 26. These are just a few examples of the engaging events, incredible speakers, helpful resources and policy improvements with which we hope to fill our term.

To us, transparency and accountability aren’t buzzwords — they’re a creed. They’re guiding principles for us to deliver on our promises and be the administration that this student body deserves.

By the end of our term, we hope to have improved the life of every single student. Whether that’s through large scale programming like Race Relations Week or incremental efforts to a healthier dining hall, it doesn’t matter. We know that you elected us to make whatever improvements we can, and we’ll spend every day of our term giving everything we have to better this community.

It is our honor to serve Notre Dame. If you have any question or suggestion, director don’t hesitate to contact Patrick, Sofie, Nicole or any director personally by email or simply stopping by the office.

Here’s to a great year! Irish by a million.

Katie Conboy, Ph.D. president Saint Mar y’s College Aug. 12

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

Patrick Lee student body president, Notre Dame senior Sofie Stitt student body vice president, Notre Dame junior Nicole Baumann student body chief of staff, Notre Dame junior Aug. 11

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

8 INSIDE COLUMN

Why write for The Observer?

Olivia Schatz Associate Sports Editor

W hen I walked onto campus as a first year in 2019, I had this belief that I was going to do ever y thing. I had w ritten for my high school newspaper and had my eyes set on w riting for the Obser ver. I was an intense lacrosse player my entire life and planned on tr y ing out for Notre Dame’s club lacrosse team. I was ready for what college had to offer, and I was planning on taking advantage of ever y single opportunit y that was presented to me. But a week went by and then a month. By the end of fall semester I had done nothing more than put my name on a few club email lists.

W hen spring semester rolled around, I was excited to finally start up again. Now that I knew the ropes of campus and had at least a few friends, I was excited to tr y new things. But just like the fall, I let time slip away. “I’ll join clubs when I’m a sophomore, and I am no longer the youngest member,” I kept telling myself. March 2020 changed my plans. With just a duff le bag of clothes, I f lew home for spring break not to return for 5 months.

If I were in your shoes, what would I do differently ?

I would join the Obser ver right away (I mean this column is at least a little bit of a plug for the universit y’s best newspaper).

I’m only half kidding. In all honest y, I would actually have joined the clubs that I kept telling myself I was going to join.

Looking back now, the fact that I was too embarrassed to go dow n the dark stairs to the South Dining hall basement to find a group of people who I would love is absurd. But I was 18 and I cared too much about what other people thought about me.

W hat they don’t warn you about college is that fall semester of freshman year is lonely, so lonely. You make friends just as quick ly as you lose them, but I promise you, ever yone else is going through the same thing as you. Yes, the upperclassmen might seem scar y at first, but I promise you, they are more than excited to take the first years under their w ing (plus many of them have cars which w ill quick ly become a hot commodit y for you).

So, join The Obser ver. If journalism doesn’t f loat your boat, maybe our photography div ision w ill. If you have any interest at all in w riting, we have a spot for you. W hile at the start of this article my byline w ill be tagged w ith Associate Sports Editor, I didn’t start in that role. I found the wonders of student journalism through a friend who texted me on a whim needing a column. I never w rote a sports piece before, but after one favor, I did another, and quick ly I was w riting a few articles and columns a semester. Then, I started editing for her (originally as a favor again). A ll of this was because I was too chicken to do anything on my ow n.

Don’t be like me.

First-years, what you w ill quick ly learn is that whatever plan you have for college now w ill not last. If you asked me four years ago if I would be w riting sports articles over opinion pieces or news, I would laugh in your face. But here I am, w ith a fancy tag to my name ! My roommate of two years had planned on going to medical school for her entire life. This was up until the end of junior year where she entirely sw itched life paths. I took Arabic on a whim as well, and three years later it’s my second major.

If you’re reading this now, w rite dow n your goals for college, and what you expect to be like when you graduate. Then, tuck it somewhere you won’t look until your senior year. I hope you w ill be able to open it one day and appreciate both what you had planned and how different ever y thing turned out.

I promise you these four years w ill pass right by you if you let them. It’s cheesy, I know, but the first year w ill go by in a blink of an eye. The next two years are even faster. Find your place on campus, whether it be south quad, the bouldering wall in Duncan student center, or the messy basement of South Dining Hall where we w ill be waiting to welcome you to our 57-year tradition of independent student journalism.

Contact Olivia at oschatz@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Welcome Smicks Dea r student body of Sa int Ma r y’s College, For t hose who a re joining our wonder f u l ca mpus for t he f irst t ime ever, welcome to your new home. For t hose who a re returning students, welcome back for a not her g reat yea r. SMC has been wa it ing for a ll of us !

Josie a nd I a re excited to be back on ca mpus to better ser ve you a nd a ll your needs. We have worked extensively over t he summer to beg in prog ra mming our ca ref u lly t hought out init iat ives. Ever y step of t he process involves t he well being of each student t hat is luck y enough to ca l l t hemselves a Belle. The ent ire Student Government Associat ion tea m ca nnot wa it to present to you t heir events a nd ideas as well. Hopef u lly, a l l of our ha rd work a nd dedicat ion to you a l l w ill resu lt in a n a ma zing t ime whi le at SMC.

It is a g reat honor to ser ve a l l of you t his yea r. We hope to leave a posit ive impact on you a nd our ca mpus communit y. Please never hesitate to reach out to us w it h a ny quest ions, comments or concerns. We a re here for you !

We w ish you a l l t he best as we sta r t t his new yea r!

Your Smicks, Angela Camacho Martinez student government association president, Saint Mary’s senior Josie Haas student government association vice president, Saint Mary’s senior Aug. 17

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

9

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

10

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

11

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Focus on what you can do, and stop worrying about the setbacks you encounter. Aim for perfection and please yourself instead of trying to impress others. Choose to take better care of your health. Put some effort into presenting yourself with dignity and class. How others perceive you will make or break how well you do this year.

Your numbers are 8, 11, 21, 26, 34, 37, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Plan something special for yourself or someone you love. Take an interest in how you look and present yourself to others.

Updating your image or paying closer attention to your health and physical fitness will pay off.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Gravitate toward people who make you think, and you will find it easier to get things done. A change will be energizing and encourage you to expand what you have to offer. Avoid an emotional feud with someone close to you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep your thoughts to yourself. Sharing too much too soon with someone you don’t know that well will have drawbacks.

Instead, collect information that will help you understand what others want. An exciting proposal will flatter you.

CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Take a different approach to how you run your household or handle responsibilities at work. Reduce the time it takes by implementing efficient tactics to speed things up. Say no to tempting offers if extravagance is involved.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Words matter, and you’ll gain support by conveying what you want others to know with compassion and understanding. A change someone makes will be upsetting, but in the end, you’ll be the one to benefit. Be kind to yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Network and converse with people who can offer a different opinion and help you put your strategy in place. An ambitious attitude coupled with a desire for change and personal growth will give you the edge in a competitive situation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Invest time and money in obtaining information and utilizing your skills to adapt to trends and marketing tactics. Explore what’s available and how you can take advantage of situations and offers that tie into something you want to pursue.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Be willing to listen, and take the time to sort through differences. How you handle emotional matters will determine how well you get along with someone you love. Take nothing for granted, and use your intelligence to gain acceptance and support.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you want the lowdown, get firsthand information. Someone will be eager to mislead you if given a chance.

Charm, determination and dedication will clear the path to a new beginning. Romance is in the stars.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Evaluate your lifestyle and adjust your situation to make life easier. Home improvements and investing time and money in you and your surroundings will help you reach a new goal. Attending a reunion will reconnect you to someone special.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Confusion will occur if you or someone else isn’t straightforward regarding feelings and personal goals. Don’t leave anything to chance if you want to maintain a healthy financial and physical life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll gravitate toward unusual people and professions. Connect with people already heading in a direction that interests you, then get the lowdown. Refuse to let a personal matter stand between you and what you want to pursue.

Birthday Baby: You are impulsive, intelligent and persistent. You are innovative and proactive.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

Support student journalism.

Donate to The Observer. ndsmcobserver.com/donate

Square Comic | XXX

Work Area

Make checks payable to and mail to:

Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross communities. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the three campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556

Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip

12

SPORTS

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

TTK

Sports Authority

Continued from page 15

scoring and rebounds per game last year, so she’ll be back on the court this w inter. Saint Mar y’s finished seventh in a tough MI A A w ith national powers Hope and Trine. With most of their talent returning, the Belles are eyeing a jump in the standings.

Lacrosse The Belles enter this year looking for a third straight conference title and NCA A Tournament berth. Saint Mar y’s graduated a lot of talent, but senior Erin Dotson returns after a 43-goal junior season. Underclassmen Julia Gorski and Christiana Singler w ill look to step up to help fill some of the scoring void, as Saint Mar y’s looks to continue the best stretch in program histor y.

Softball The Belles return most of the production from last year’s young 7-9 team, and they’re looking to jump up to that next level. The Belles went 0-8 against the top four teams in the MI A A but 7-1 against all other conference foes. A few w ins against those top squads, and the Belles could challenge for a tournament berth. Sophomore A lex is Rauch leads the charge after hitting .379 w ith 23 RBI as a freshman.

Tennis The Belles return four members of last year’s singles lineup, with three seniors making for an experienced starting core this year.

Senior Lucy Chamberlin and sophomore Alayna Campbell return at the top two singles spots. They’ll also return as the Belles’ best doubles tandem and look to boost Saint Mary’s back into the conference tournament.

Golf Saint

Mar y’s

golf

dominated MI A A action last spring, setting several conference records en route to a championship. They finished 22nd at the NCA As and after losing just one contributor, they look to improve on that finish and make the top-15 cut at the NC A A Tournament this spring.

Holy Cross Men’s Soccer Holy Cross came up mere inches shy of a conference tournament berth, as their 6-5-2 conference record saw them fall a single point short of the requisite 21 points to nab the eighth seed. After coming ever so close, the Saints return a lot of production, headlined by leading goal scorer and junior Gabe Nyenka (10 goals, 7 assists in 2021).

Women’s Soccer The Saints return Oliv ia Shaw, the program’s alltime leading goal scorer, for her senior season. Last year, the Saints went 8-41 in CCAC play, falling in penalt y kicks in the conference quarterfinals. Thenfreshman Taylor Primack shone in that postseason defeat, recording 16 saves and anchoring the defense. The pair w ill lead this season as the Saints look to take a step for ward.

Men’s Basketball Despite an 8-14 conference record in 2021-22, Holy Cross has some intriguing prospects on the court this year. They return a pair of sophomores that made the CCAC A ll-Freshman Team in Justin O’Neal and Nash Hostetler. The CCAC features three teams that finished ranked last season, so it’s a tough climb but a manageable one for a young Saints squad.

Women’s Basketball A 10-12 conference record was enough for the Saints to nab the 7th seed in the CCAC Tournament last year. A ll three players who garnered postseason-

honors return, including the conference Freshman of the Year in Jordy n Smith.

Senior Jayda Miller returns as the leading scorer and one of seven 1000-point scorers in Holy Cross histor y.

Men’s Golf W hile the Saints hunt a team berth into the NAI A National Tournament, they return Colin Todora, a senior who qualified as an indiv idual last year. With the 2022 CCAC conference champion anchoring the lineup, Holy Cross looks to compete for a conference title in the spring.

Women’s Golf With a roster of just five players, Holy Cross still competed throughout the spring and boasts a returning A ll-Conference golfer in Annika Johnson. The junior w ill lead the Saints roster, now up to seven players, back into action this season w ith three freshmen and t wo sophomores making up most of the roster.

Men’s Tennis Holy Cross tennis courts w ill host one of the top players in the NAI A this spring, w ith sophomore Perr y Gregg returning to action. After going 11-0 at No. 1 singles and 9-1 at No. 1 doubles, Gregg finished the year ranked 6th in the countr y. He led the Saints into the Top-25 and to a conference championship berth. They’ll be seeking to take the next step this spring.

Women’s Tennis Helga Lopez returns as the defending CCAC player of the year, alongside CCAC freshman of the year Bente Burgersdijk.

They’re joined by fellow all-CCAC selection Anna Beer, as that trio looks to improve on their 3-3 conference record and fourth-place finish from last spring.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

Contact XXXX at XXXX@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

MAGGIE KLAERS |The Observer

Do you need to sell something?

Does a friend have a bir thday coming up? Did another friend just get into graduate school?

Buy them a classified ad to say congratulations, happy bir thday, or just to tell someone you miss them ! Our classified ads section is always located on page twelve of the spor ts section and in order to purchase one, email ads @ ndsmcobser ver.com.

The different types of ads are listed below to the right in the format they would be presented in. The classified ads are a great way to get a message out.

Send any questions to ads @ ndsmcobser ver.com or e d i to r @ n d s m c o b s e r ve r. c o m .

Happy sharing !

For Sale The Observer is selling classified ads.

Classified ads are available to anyone, anywhere.

Wanted The Observer wants YOU to buy a classified ad!

Personal

Buy one for a friend today!

For Rent Rent a space in the Observer for your message!

Birthday, Congratulations, Anniversary and many other personal messages can be shared through classified ads.

Get yours today!

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | The Observer

13

TRI-cAMPUS SPORTS

Notre Dame Sports A-to-Z

By AIDAN THOM AS Spor ts Editor

Across 20 programs, Notre Dame boasts A ll-Americans, national champions and a host of other elite athletes.

It’s impossible to get to know them all, but here’s a quick A-to-Z of Irish athletes (and coaches) to know this year.

Marcus Freeman has. The #FreemanEra is in full sw ing in South Bend, and if he leads the Irish to an upset in Columbus, the buzz around this football program w ill reach a massive high.

G is for Gaskins

Madison A hern enters her senior year for the women’s lacrosse program. She led the team in points last year w ith 77. Her 57 goals and 20 assists each indiv idually ranked second on the squad. She looks to lead the Irish back to the NCA A Tournament.

Notre Dame softball only loses a couple of players, but they are key ones, w ith topof-the-order stalwarts Abby Sweet and Emma Clark departing. That puts even more pressure on the 2022 ACC Player of the Year Karina Gaskins. But luck y for Irish fans, they get at least t wo more years to watch one of the countr y’s best power hitters hit bombs at Melissa Cook Stadium.

B is for Bryan Dowd

H is for Hsieh

If you weren’t on campus last fall, you missed the making of a Notre Dame postseason soccer legend.

Goalkeeper Br yan Dowd secured six straight shutouts over the ACC and NCA A Tournaments. In a pair of penalt y kick shootouts, Dowd saved five of seven shots, as the Irish made a run to the College Cup.

Notre Dame is a fencing school, and Kaylin Hsieh is one of the best in the world. After a runner-up finish her freshman season, Hsieh dominated the collegiate stage in 2022. She punctuated the year w ith a 23-2 performance at the NCA A national championships, helping the Irish w in a second straight national championship.

A is for Ahern

C is for Chloe Schiavone Chloe Schiavone was a standout for the women’s golf team last spring as a sophomore, qualif y ing as an indiv idual for the NCA A Tournament. She placed w ithin the top 20, w ith her T-19th finish representing the seventh best in program histor y. She returns for her junior year this season.

D is for Dara and Dane It’s a 2-for-1 deal, as we look at a pair of returning fifth-years on the hardwood.

Dara Mabrey and Dane Goodw in were both instrumental in their team’s NCA A Tournament runs last year, and both Irish basketball teams harbor high hopes for the season. Both are among the best three-point threats in the conference. Enjoy the final season of these lethal shooters.

I is for Isaiah Foskey A lthough you may argue differently, v y per Isaiah Foskey’s future does lie on the gridiron, not in Holly wood, despite his role in Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series uniform reveal. The electrif y ing defensive end w ill be a force to watch, and Irish fans get to watch a potential first round edge rusher work his magic all season long.

J is for JJ Starling Worried about the loss of Blake Wesley? Enter JJ Starling, the higher-ranked freshman prospect who projects as a day-one starter. He’s an adept shot creator who should help the Irish shoot for a return to the NCA A Tournament, and maybe even a deeper run than in 2022.

K is for Korbin Albert E is for Ebo Stay ing on the hardwood, 6’4” transfer Lauren Ebo is another women’s basketball name to know. She’s the only true center on the Irish roster and w ill attempt to replace Maya Dodson. An A ll-Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2022, Ebo’s play is possibly the biggest deal clincher for this Irish team w ith legitimate Final Four hopes.

Korbin A lbert is simply one of the best athletes on Notre Dame’s campus. She tore it up as a freshman, and made the USA Women’s U-20 World Cup roster. Once she returns from her international escapades, she’ll entrench herself as a starter on an Irish women’s soccer squad eyeing a College Cup berth. Do yourself a favor and go watch Korbin and what could be a really special team this fall.

F is for Freeman It is hard to ask for a coach to generate more hy pe than

L is for Lep Legion We w ill take a quick break

from our athletes to point you to the official student section of the Fighting Irish.

Lep Legion became more active last year, organizing watch parties and events and helping drum up huge crowds at basketball games.

Be on the lookout for Lep Legion events, as it’s a great way to catch the Irish in action.

M is for Michael Mayer Foskey’s acting partner, Michael Mayer may end this season as arguably the best tight end in Notre Dame histor y. Given the Irish’s prolific histor y in producing tight ends, that’s absurdly impressive. One more season of Baby Gronk — appreciate the greatness.

N is for Nick Leivermann Graduate student defenseman Nick Leivermann returns to the ice for the Irish this w inter. Despite NHL options, one of Notre Dame’s most impactful players w ill be skating for the blue and gold once more. He missed six games last season but still finished tied for second on the team w ith 27 points.

He notched six goals and 21 assists and looks for more this year.

O is for Olivia Miles Notre Dame women’s basketball made its return to the NCA A Tournament last year, reaching the Sweet 16. They return now-sophomore Olivia Miles who is the point guard for the foreseeable future in South Bend. She notched a pair of triple-doubles last year and averaged almost 14 points per game. She’s a passing specialist, notching over 7 assists per contest, and also scored 20+ points on six occasions. She’ll be one of the top point guards in the nation this year.

P is for Palmer Jackson Palmer Jackson is back for his junior season, looking to lift the Irish golf squad to the NCA A Championships.

Twent y eight of his 36 tournament rounds checked in at under par last season. His 71.25 stroke average is the best in Notre Dame program histor y, and he’ll be back on the course this year.

Q is for Quinn McMahon Despite being co-ACC champs and ranked top-10 in several major polls, Notre Dame was not granted a NCA A Tournament spot in 2022. How ready are they to be back? Refer to Quinn McCahon on Tw itter: “It’s a vengeance tour next year for @NDLacrosse. We w ill

be back even better than before. It’s going to be a scar y sight and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

R is for Ryder Rolston Rolston is a Chicago Black hawks prospect and notched the most points of any returning player. He scored 10 goals and added 17 assists last season, highlighted by a hat trick in a rivalr y w in over Boston College. He w ill be a major piece in this year’s hockey squad w ith Frozen Four aspirations.

S is for Shoaf Michael Shoaf returns, looking to further etch his name in the Notre Dame record books. A top-20 finisher at last year’s NCA A Championships, Shoaf holds the Irish program record in shot put and w ill look to improve upon his ow n numbers this season.

T is for Tidd Pay ton Tidd returns as a fifth-year pitcher for the Irish softball squad.

A longside sophomore Shannon Becker, she forms a dy namic 1-2 punch in the pitcher’s circle. Tidd won 15 games last year w ith a 2.79 ER A, and she w ill look to boost the Irish into the Super Regional for the first time in program histor y.

U is for Uttley Lu ke Ut t ley is one of t he top f reest yle sw i m mers for t he Ir ish sw i m tea m a nd wa s a key member of t wo NC A A-qua l i f y i ng relays.

He’l l look to get back to t he NC A A Tou r na ment on bot h t he relay squads a nd a s a n i nd iv idua l, i n h is ju n ior sea son.

V is for Victoria Gevauden Victoria Gevauden is a key member and part of the strong senior class for the Irish row ing squad.

Gevauden is a linchpin of

the Varsit y Eight, row ing in the bow seat at ever y race last spring. She returns as the Irish look to jump into the upper echelon of the ACC Standings.

W is for Winkler SMU transfer Kayly n Wink ler slots into a key role for the Irish volleyball team. Losing Charley Niego to transfer, the Irish brought in Wink ler, who led the A AC w ith a .384 hit percentage last year. She also led the Mustangs w ith 114 blocks, w ith her 1.09 blocks per set ranking fourth in the conference.

X is for Xavier Watts Xav ier Watts has already appeared at three different positions for the Irish in his t wo-year career, and he might add to that total in 2022. Converted to defense after starting as a w ide receiver, Watts has recently practiced w ith the offense.

He could be a potential quick fix to the Irish’s depth issues for the receiver position. He could be an impact player on both sides of the ball this fall.

Y is for Yashna Yellayi Yellay i returns for the Irish women’s tennis squad that fell just short of a NCA A Tournament appearance.

She held dow n the No. 3 singles role and competed mainly at No. 2 doubles. She returns in a similarly prominent role this spring.

Z is for Zyska After a huge breakout season as a senior, Jack Zyska returns for a fifth year. He hit .294 and led the squad in home runs (13) and slugging percentage (.694). He comes back to tr y and get the Irish back to Omaha for a second straight year.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

Write Sports.

Email Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

14

Sports

The observer | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

FOOTBALL

Irish freshmen to watch on the gridiron this season

By J.J. POST Sports Writer

Ever y year a couple freshmen break through the ranks of underclassmen to make an impact on the season early in their career.

Just last year Blake Fisher won a spot as the anchor of the offensive line at left tack le in his debut.

Logan Diggs got a chance to shine against Nav y and wasted no time earning himself a spot in the running back rotation for the rest of the year.

Here are some 2022 freshmen that could prove to be immediate contributors in their rookie season.

Tobias Merriweather If the Irish could ensure only one freshman would be up and running right away as a contributor Merriweather would be the pick.

There’s no way around the depth problems Notre Dame currently faces at w ide receiver.

Aver y Dav is’ ACL tear leaves the Irish w ith just six scholarship w ideouts currently available.

Of those six, just two (Braden Lenzy and Lorenzo St yles) were major contributors last year and another two (Joe Wilkins and Deion Colzie) are nursing injuries.

The math is inescapable — Notre Dame needs a breakout at w ide receiver if they want their aerial attack led by new starting quarterback Tyler Buchner to cause opponents serious concerns. Merriweather seems a prime pick for that breakout.

Listed at 6’4 and 198 pounds, the Camas, Wa. native seems an easy fit for the boundar y spot “X” receiver spot, which would be a welcome development for Lenzy and St yles, who are more natural fits for slot roles.

The buzz from fall camp has been that Merriweather has made a name for himself quick ly — w ith one v ideo show ing him fighting off coverage to haul in a deep ball for a touchdow n.

And in an all hands on deck situation for Chansi Stuckey and Notre Dame, these f lashes could translate into important

reps week one against Ohio State.

offense.

Gi’Bran Payne Jaden Mickey If you followed Not re Da me footba ll t hroughout t he spring workout period, you likely not iced Mickey’s na me kept popping up.

The ea rly enrollee made plent y of waves in his f irst weeks in Sout h Bend, bot h for his st rong play a nd his renow ned t rash ta lk.

Swagger won’t be a n issue for Mickey, who has ea rned pra ise in t he Gug for never being a f ra id to voca li ze his conf idence.

Despite a returning t rio of Ca m Ha r t, Cla rence Lew is a nd TaRiq Bracy, t he collapse of t he Irish defense aga inst Ok la homa State in t he second ha lf of t he Fiesta Bowl on Ja n. 1 of t his yea r in Scottsda le, A z. hinted at t here being reps for t he ta k ing in t he seconda r y heading into 2022.

Mickey, w it h his coverage ra nge, tack ling abilit y, a nd inta ng ible conf idence, sta nds out as a natura l pick to slide into t he rotat ion.

The final addition to Notre Dame’s 2022 class, Pay ne didn’t sign w ith the Irish until April, when he f lipped from his commitment to Indiana to follow new running backs coach Deland McCullough.

It was initially assumed that fellow 2022 running back Jadarian Price would be the freshman back to make early waves in their first season.

But when Price suffered a long-term injur y in summer practice, Pay ne jumped from lu xur y depth to a ver y real option on the week one depth chart.

With Logan Diggs’

availabilit y still in question, just Chris Ty ree (who’s battled injuries in the past and has rushed 10 or more times in a game just three times in his career) and Audric Estime (7 total carries in 2021) stand bet ween Pay ne and hearing his name called against Ohio State.

Jordan Tuihalamaka Another player whose competition at his playing group would at first glance seem to eliminate him from contention for play ing time, Tuihalamaka drew praise from the coaching staff for his college readiness over the course of spring camp.

Unlike many elite

high school prospects, Tuihalamaka wasn’t played all over the field, and was able to zero in on training at the inside linebacker position he excels at.

Standing 6’2, 240, his physical presence certainly won’t have him out of place on a college field either.

The Irish linebacker core is one of the deepest in the nation, but if injuries ravage the unit and force rotation like they did last year early on you can expect Tuihalamaka to be one of the first names dow n the depth chart.

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

Eli Raridon With Michael Mayer returning as a presumptive first round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, one would think there wouldn’t be many snaps up for grabs in the Notre Dame tight end room.

The buzz around Raridon so far from fall camp indicates that might not be the right assumption.

Standing nearly 6’7 and weighing in at 245 pounds, Raridon offers a unique profile for Tommy Rees and the Irish offense to tr y and utilize.

With Notre Dame’s aforementioned injur y woes at w ide receiver, it’s possible Rees turns to a heav ier emphasis on t wo tight end sets.

Perhaps Raridon, who has earned praise for his quickness despite his size, could see some minutes on the boundar y as a receiver himself.

Despite Mayer’s master y of the tight end role, Raridon’s frame and athletic abilities makes it impossible to ignore him as an option in the Irish

ANYA RUFFINO |The Observer

Irish freshman cornerback Jaden Mickey heading back to set again during Notre Dame’s Blue and Gold Game on April 23. Mickey joins Clarence Lewis, TaRiq Bracy and Cam Hart in the cornerback room.

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, AUGUST 19, 2022 | The Observer

15

TRI-cAMPUS SPORTS

One thing to know about each tri-campus team

By AIDAN THOMAS Sports Editor

Notre Dame Baseball There’s a new sheriff on the diamond. Former VCU head coach Shaw n Stiff ler replaces Link Jarrett, who brought the Irish back to national relevancy over the past three years. This team went to the College World Series last year and returns four fifth-year starters to their lineup. They add two transfers, Blake Hely and Carter Busch, and a top-100 prospect, Dav id Lally, on the mound.

Men’s Basketball The Irish lost three of their top seven players from last year’s NCA A Tournament team, but early signs say this could be another special season for the Irish. Dane Goodw in, Nate Laszewski and Cormac Ryan return w ith postseason experience.

Top-20 recruit JJ Starling is ready to electrif y Purcell Pav ilion in his first (and only?) collegiate season, and Mike Brey is back to lead the squad — and fire up a few student sections along the way.

Women’s Basketball This is a national championship caliber team.

They’ll get tested early at home against Mar yland and UConn, so we’ll see if those hopes are realistic.

But Oliv ia Miles and Sonia Citron are truly dy namic talents, and fifth-year Dara Mabrey returns as well.

Niele Ivey added three transfers — Jenna Brow n, Kylee Watson and Lauren Ebo – to complement highly touted freshman KK Bransford.

Cross Country Senior Oliv ia Markezich returns after an A ll-ACC season. Junior Joshua Menther and senior Jake Renfree highlight the A ll-ACC returners for the men. Both squads w ill look to return to the NCA A championships, while the men w ill aim for a third-straight ACC title.

Fencing Speaking of three-peats, the Irish fencing squad is looking for one of their ow n, on the national level. The t wo-time defending national champs are back at it. On the women’s side, junior epeeist Kaylin Hsieh looks to defend her indiv idual title. Junior

saber Atara Greenbaum and senior foilist Amita Berthier were national runners-up in their events last year. For the men, junior saber Luke Linder and senior foilist Hunter Candreva return after top-8 indiv idual finishes last year.

Football The Freeman Era gets under way in Columbus, Ohio against the Buckeyes. Enjoy the final season of Michael Mayer, possibly the greatest tight end in Notre Dame histor y. Enjoy watching one of the best pass rushers in the countr y in Isaiah Foskey.

And let’s see if Marcus Freeman’s first season can match what has been an incredible first summer.

to be a part of it.”

After ending the year redhot and being snubbed from the NCA A Tournament, the Irish return a whole bunch of talent and are ready for that vengeance tour.

Women’s Lacrosse The Irish women got hot at the right time last year, w inning four of their final five regular season games and upsetting Duke in the ACC quarterfinals to crash the NCA A Tournament field.

Now that team that gelled returns their trio of junior stars. Madison A hern, Jackie Wolak and Kasey Choma combined for 156 goals and 59 assists in 2021. They’re all back and looking to advance further into the postseason.

Men’s Golf Taichi K ho and Palmer Jackson are two of the best three golfers by stroke average in program histor y. They return to lead the squad this year, as the Irish look to break their NCA A regional curse after falling short again last season.

Women’s Golf W hile the women’s team didn’t qualif y for the NCA A Tournament, rising junior Chloe Schiavone did in 2022. She finished 19th at the event and returns to lead the squad this season.

She posted four top-ten finishes last spring. The Irish also get back senior Lauren Beaudreau after her season ended after just four events last year.

Rowing This senior class of the Irish row ing squad has been through tough times. A deep and talented class saw their development halted by the COV ID-19 pandemic, but they returned to action last year.

It’s a class of 22 rowers.

Aidan McInt y re and Taylor Robinson headline the first varsit y four, while coxswain Katie Greed works alongside classmates Adelaide Lammers, Erin Maron, Morgan Gantt, Maddie Means, Elizabeth May and Victoria Gevaudan in the first varsit y eight. With plent y of returning talent, the Irish w ill look for improved results this spring.

Men’s Soccer Hockey On ice, Notre Dame returned to the Elite Eight last season, and they should be knocking on the door of the Frozen Four again in 2022-23. Ryder Rolston, Landon Slaggert and Nick Leivermann lead the squad, w ith Ryan Bischel ready to backstop the squad bet ween the pipes. Notre Dame added four transfers, including a pair of for wards that combined for 21 goals last season to compensate for losing leading scorer Ma x Ellis.

Men’s Lacrosse The thing to know is what graduate student midfielder Quinn McCahon t weeted.

“It’s a vengeance tour next year for @NDlacrosse.

We w ill be back even better than before. That all stems from the people in the locker room and the relationships we made. It’s going to be a scar y sight and I can’t wait

The Irish tasted the College Cup stage last year, reaching the Final Four. They fell in penalt y kicks to the eventual national champion, Clemson but now, they’re back w ith a core of young contributors.

A lthough replacing their top-t wo goal-scorers, Notre Dame returns sophomores Matthew Roou and Eno Nto, who combined for 12 goals.

Jack-of-all-trades junior defender Paddy Burns makes his return to the Irish alongside fellow defenders Mo Williams and Josh Ramsey.

Junior keeper Br yan Dowd returns after posting ten shutouts last season, and Notre Dame is eyeing the ultimate prize this year.

Women’s Soccer Midfielder Korbin A lbert might be the best sophomore in the countr y. Additionally, senior midfielder Maddie Mercado and graduate student for ward Oliv ia Wingate

return, giv ing the Irish three of their top-four goal-scorers from last year’s Sweet 16 squad. With t wo established keepers rostered, Ashley Naylor and Northwestern transfer Mackenzie Wood, A long the back line, the Irish have three defenders that combined for 65 starts in 2021, plus they added Nebraska transfer Ashley Zugay. This team is hunting a College Cup appearance.

Softball The long hunt for a Super Regional continues, as the Irish have made ever y NCA A Tournament since 1999.

However, they’re yet to advance out of the regional round. This year, they return t wo of their three pitchers in Pay ton Tidd and Shannon Becker, along w ith ACC player of the year Karina Gaskins.

Notre Dame must replace Abby Sweet and Emma Clark in the outfield and at the top of their order, but other w ise, they return most of their ever yday lineup and have another shot at breaking their drought in 2023.

Swimming & Diving After competing much of last season w ithout a coach, the Irish have a new staff in place, hoping to bring this roster to new heights. The men finished 33rd at last year’s NCA A Championships, while the women finished 31st.

Sophomore diver Caroline Brady leads the women’s squad after qualif y ing for the NCA A Tournament last year.

The men return the entiret y of their NCA A-qualif y ing 200 and 400-yard freest yle relay teams among six returning NCA A qualifiers.

Men’s Tennis The Irish lost in the first round of the NCA A Tournament last season, but they return about half of their main singles lineup.

Seniors Matthew Che and Connor Fu are likely to take over the top singles f lights after spending most of last year at #3 and #4.

The duo combined for a 12-6 record in ACC play.

Senior Braeden Ho may see an increased role after playing four ACC singles matchups last year, and senior Matthew Halpin returns after being a staple in the doubles lineup last season.

NCAA Tournament berth. Last year, the Irish entered the ACC Tournament ranked 42nd and on the bubble, so they’ll look to take the next step this year with a veteran lineup.

Track & Field An Irish record-holder in the shot put, junior Michael Shoaf returns to throw for the Irish this year. He highlights the men’s top returners after a top-20 national finish last year. Senior Oliv ia Markezich leads the woman’s program back into action after a top-10 NCA A finish in the steeplechase last spring.

Volleyball Noter Dame debuts a brand-new coaching staff, and they’ve added some new talent to help w ith some roster losses. They sit in 4th in the preseason ACC poll and should be competing for a NCA A Tournament berth.

Saint Mary’s Soccer Senior for ward Jill Bowen looks to step up as the team’s top offensive threat after posting four goals and an assist last fall. The Belles struggled offensively in conference play and look to rectif y that and move up the standings in 2022.

Sophomore Kara Stacey posted five shutouts as a freshman last year and aims to anchor the defense.

Volleyball Junior Colleen McCarthy paced the Belles a year ago as they tied for sixth in the conference. She returns after leading the team in both kills and digs, and she’ll be a force on the court. Behind her production, Saint Mar y’s w ill aim to close the threegame gap bet ween their record last year and a conference tournament berth.

Cross Country Saint Mar y’s returns six of their seven scoring runners from the NCA A Regionals last year and should be competitive in a loaded conference.

Juniors Haley Greene and Amanda Tracy finished last season’s efforts w ith personal-bests at the NCA A Regionals, and they’ll lead the way once more.

Basketball Women’s Tennis The Irish return basically their entire lineup this year and should be looking for a

Sophomore for ward Julia Schutz led the Belles in see TTK PAGE 12

16

The observer | Friday, August 19, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com