The independent
To uncover
newspaper serving
the truth
Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s
and report
and holy cross
it accurately
Volume 55, Issue 61 | monday, april 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Lou Somogyi dies at 58
Event explores health inequity Vanderbilt University professor analyzes the pandemic’s racial implications By LAUREN KESIC News Writer
LAUREN KESIC | The Observer
Jonathon Metzl, director of the Center for Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University, discussed racial tensions in health care.
Last Friday, Jonathan Metzl, Vanderbilt University professor of sociology and psychiatry, discussed the tension between racial prejudice and economic selfinterest as portrayed in his book “Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland.” Metzl’s discussion was
part of the “Building an Anti-Racist Vocabulary” weekly lecture series hosted by the Klau Center for Civil and Human Rights. At the beginning of the lecture, Metzl noted that a lot of his work examines questions of race and the ways race, racial tensions, politics and economics shape what we think about in terms of illness and health in the U.S.
Observer Staff Report
Lou Somogyi, longtime Notre Dame football beat reporter and senior editor for Blue & Gold Illustrated, died Saturday morning, the news site announced Sunday. He was 58. Blue & Gold said Somogyi had
see LECTURE PAGE 4
see SOMOGYI PAGE 3
SMC hosts first student vaccination clinic By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ Associate News Editor
Saint Mar y’s College held its first vaccination clinic Friday for students and community members to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The clinic had a significant turnout, with a large percent of the Saint Mary’s population receiving the vaccine after the school announced the decision
Former faculty dies Observer Staff Report
Jorge A. Bustamante, Eugene P. and Helen Conley Professor Emeritus of Sociology who studied international migration and the U.S.-Mexico border, died March 25, according to an article published by the Notre Dame department of Arts and Letters. He was 82. Bustamante was highly esteemed in his field. He received many awards and earned the respect of his contemporaries throughout his career. Luis Ricardo Fraga, Institute for Latino Studies director see BUSTAMANTE PAGE 4
NEWS PAGE 3
requiring students to be fully vaccinated for the 2021-2022 academic year. Friday’s clinic was the first of two. The second clinic is scheduled for May 7 to allow all those who participated Friday to come back and receive their second dose. The vaccines were provided by Meijer and administered by many health workers. The College also had several hundred vaccines left to offer the
campus community or anyone who wanted to stop by and get vaccinated.
Vice president of enrollment management Mona Bowe said the vaccine clinic planning process was very time-consuming. “It took a long time. It wasn’t a decision that was made overnight or that was made lightly because we understand there is anxiety about the vaccine,” Bowe said. “There’s a lot that
we don’t know yet. We feel comfortable with the science behind the vaccine and what we are seeing. We were looking for information before we made the decision from all different sources.” Bowe said she listened to community input from Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades and Pope Francis on what they said about the vaccine — to view it as the common good.
“We also listened to what the Bishop of Fort Wayne and South Bend Bishop Rhoades and also [what] Pope Francis said, talking about the vaccine and seeing it as part of the common good and how people who are getting vaccinated now are helping stop the pandemic around the world,” Bowe said. “So we see it almost as an see VACCINATION PAGE 3
Ten Years Hence lecture discusses misinformation in China By LUCIANA THOMAS News Writer
The Mendoza College of Business hosted Freedom House research director Sarah Cook for a lecture about disinformation in China Friday. This lecture was part of the Ten Years Hence webinar series that began in 2002 to explore issues and ideas that were likely to affect the world over the next decade. Cook’s lecture, “Disinformation, China, and Beijing’s Broader Global Media Influence” covered China’s increasingly authoritarian government, its role in citizens’ lives and the country’s influence abroad.
Cook began her lecture by tracing the openness of China in the last decade. Since 2010 China has become more authoritarian, especially in its political freedoms and civil liberties,
SCENE PAGE 5
Cook said. “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the ruler of China, has gotten more authoritarian. It’s gotten more repressive, the targets of repression have intensified, the tactics of repression have intensified,” Cook said. “What’s on the wrong side of the red line has expanded quite dramatically, especially since around 2008 but accelerated in 2012 particularly under the leadership of Xi Jinping.” In 2012, Freedom House, a non-profit organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights, rated China’s political rights and civil liberties a 17 out of 100 and labeled the country in the “notfree” category. Today, China receives a score of nine, almost
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
LUCIANA THOMAS | The Observer
Professor James O’Rourke and Sarah Cook met over Zoom to explore increasing misinformation in China on Friday, April 16.
half of what it was a decade ago. China state-linked actors increasingly engage in media propaganda by using fake accounts to spread disinformation, Cook said. She also said that
disinformation campaigns took off in China during the Taiwan election around 2017 and 2018. “There were examples
ND SWIMMING PAGE 10
ND VOLLEYBALL PAGE 12
see CHINA PAGE 4
2
TODAY
The observer | monday, april 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question of the Day: ndsmcobserver.com
Have a question you want answered? Email photo@ndsmcobserver.com
What is the spiciest food you have ever eaten?
P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Veronica Slevin
Trey Andrews
first-year Pasquerilla West Hall
senior Dillon Hall
“Korean stir fry.”
“Ghost pepper wings.”
Madaket Chiarieri
Izzy Hornung
first-year Lewis Hall
senior Pasquerilla West Hall
“Hot Cheetos.”
“Spicy yellow chicken curry level 5.”
(574) 631-6900 ads@ndsmcobserver.com
Anj Ohri
Sean McCann
Editor-in-Chief
senior McGlinn Hall
first-year Fisher Hall
“Hot ramen.”
“Hot chicken wings.”
Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez Managing Editor Evan McKenna Asst. Managing Editor: Isabella Volmert Asst. Managing Editor: Colin Capece Asst. Managing Editor: Nelisha Silva Notre Dame News Editor: Alysa Guffey Saint Mary’s News Editor: Genevieve Coleman Viewpoint Editor: Abby Patrick Sports Editor: Mannion McGinley Scene Editor: Aidan O’Malley Photo Editor: Allison Thornton Graphics Editor: Maggie Klaers Social Media Editor: Veronica Navarro Advertising Manager: Landry Kempf Ad Design Manager: Gabby Hong, Abby Meyer Systems Administrator: Stephen Hannon Talent & Inclusion Manager: Maria Luisa Paul Office Manager & General Info
Ph: (574) 631-7471 Fax: (574) 631-6927 Advertising
(574) 631-4542 aperez8@nd.edu Managing Editor
(574) 631-4542 emckenn2@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors
(574) 631-4541 ivolmert@nd.edu, ccapece@nd.edu, nsilva1@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 smc@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. Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Adriana Perez. 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
Maggie Eastland Maria Luisa Paul
Greg Mckenna Stephen Hannon
Graphics
Scene
Maggie Klaers
Nia Silva
Photo
Viewpoint
Erin Fennessy
Matthew Doktorczyk
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 (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
ERIN FENNESSY | The Observer
With ND Day taking place between April 18 and 19, technical adjustments were being made during a break in the live broadcast in Duncan Student Center’s Midfield Commons. During ND Day, members of the community raise money for different causes.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
“A Murder in Manchuria” virtual 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Lecture on justice in the Chinese tradition.
“Filming Controversy: Ireland, Germany, Brazil” virtual 10:40 a.m. - noon Panel discussion.
Mini Break Yoga with Steve Snite Museum of Art 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. Restoratitive yoga practive.
Earth Day with GROW O’Shaughnessy Hall 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day with reusable bags and lawn games.
“Historic Vietnam Veterans Protest” virtual 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Discussion on anti-war actions and veterans.
Prayer service for racial justice The Grotto 5 p.m. Service will also be livestreamed.
Senior Thesis Play Reading: “To Be Well” virtual 7:30 p.m. Project by senior Julia Goldschmidt.
“Heart’s Desire and Social Change” virtual 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Rev. Dan Groody interviews Lou Nanni.
AcoustiCafe Library Lawn 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Will also be streamed, and held virtually in event of bad weather.
The Shirt Unveiling Library Lawn 5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Design will be revealed with food trucks and performances.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | Monday, April 19, 2021| The ObserveR
3
Flaherty hosts interhall cake competition By CLAIRE REID News Writer
Friday evening, Flahert y Hall’s signature Flahert y Food Fights event turned the LaFortune Ballroom into the set of Notre Dame’s ver y ow n Food Network-st yle cake decorating competition. For the event, teams of two from each dorm were tasked w ith decorating a two-layer vanilla sheet cake in 30 minutes using two random colors of icing along w ith cake decorating tools prov ided by Campus Dining. Members of the Notre Dame communit y can vote for the w inning cake online until the end of the day Saturday by donating at a link sent out by their dorm president. Each $1 donation counts as one vote for the voter’s favorite cake, and all of the proceeds will be donated to Beacon Children’s Hospital in South Bend. The dorm whose cake receives the greatest number of votes will be named the Flaherty Food Fights Campus Grand Champion. Although Flaherty Food Fights is in its third year, this is the first time the women of Flaherty have hosted a cake decorating competition. Junior Dani Harold, one of Flaherty’s co-vice presidents, said that Flaherty Food Fights began in 2019 as a cooking competition modeled after the popular Food Network show “Chopped.” Last year, Harold explained, contestants took on the challenge of creating a dinner entree using ingredients found in either North or South Dining Hall — the venues
Somogyi Continued from page 1
posted to its site shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday and then went out to play tennis before suffering an apparent heart attack. Somogyi was a Notre Dame ’84 alumnus and wrote for The Observer from 1980-1983. While covering the football team was his main endeavor at the paper, Somogyi also covered gymnastics, basketball and baseball, among other sports. He also wrote a column entitled “Club Corner” where he covered club sports on campus. In their tribute, Blue & Gold publisher Stu Coman said Somogyi’s knowledge of Notre Dame sports was “unmatched” and his work ethic was “extraordinary.” “Also a special friend, Lou was unassuming, self-deprecating, kind and thoughtful — one of the nicest individuals I [have] ever known,” Coman wrote. “Like most that knew him, I loved and respected Lou.”
Courtesy of Flaherty Hall
Residence halls showed off their cake-decorating skills in the Flaherty Food Fights event. Cavanaugh’s cake, left, won the Campus Dining Favorite Award, while Dunne’s creation featured a Kobe Bryant theme.
where the event usually takes place — plus a secret ingredient: miso paste. The entrees were sampled and judged by Campus Dining staff members, and members of the campus community were encouraged to attend and cheer on their dorm’s contestants. But this year, COVID-19 safety restrictions required Flaherty’s event organizers to significantly adapt the event. “We kept the food theme, but otherwise this year’s event was pretty much completely different,” Harold said. “We went from a dinner meal to decorating cakes. It seemed to be much more doable with COVID restrictions … We thought cake decorating would be great because it’s still food-related, but no one would have to eat inside.” Although very different from the previous years’
events, Harold said that the cake decorating competition was a great success. “Participation was at least the same if not better this year,” Harold said. “People really enjoyed the theme, so maybe it’s something we’d even want to keep doing in the future.” Senior Steven Cascio and sophomore Michael Murakami represented Dunne Hall in the competition. This was the duo’s second consecutive Flahert y Food Fights appearance. “Last year, we made a risotto … but sadly lost to a team that made an acai bowl,” Murakami said. “We were ver y unhappy w ith losing, so this year we both were excited to tr y to finally w in it.” Murakami and Cascio were given purple and yellow icing
to decorate their pre-baked cake. As self-described “huge basketball fans,” they decided to go with a Los Angeles Lakers theme, adorning their cake with a Kobe Bryant jersey. Cascio said he hoped the cake’s theme would appeal to male voters and mirror their approach to the competition. “We felt like we were robbed not winning last year, so we wanted to have a storyline of having the ‘Mamba Mentality’ this year and putting our all into this cake,” Cascio explained, referencing Bryant’s famous mantra. Although Murakami and Cascio did not win the title of “Campus Dining Favorite” which was awarded directly following the competition to the judges’ favorite cake in each of the two divisions — one made up of participants from North Quad who
Vaccination
are vaccinated.” Bowe emphasized being able to provide the full Saint Mary’s experience. “So I think for us the decision to do this was to give you, the students, your experience back,” Bowe said. “We know the experience is based on relationships bet ween students, relationships w ith facult y, w ith other administrators in the college and that’s hard to do v irtually. So we want to go back to giv ing you the experience you deser ve and that you expected when you decided to come to Saint Mar y’s.” Many students at the clinic said they were getting the vaccine because the school had made it a requirement, but also in hopes of seeing a more normal semester in the fall. Senior Ashanti Leach was one of the many students at the vaccine clinic getting her first dose of the vaccine. As a senior, Leach is not
required to be fully vaccinated because she will not be retuning to campus for the 2021-2022 academic year. In a text message conversation she spoke on her decision to receive the vaccine. “I decided to get vaccinated after making an informative decision that it would be in the best interest of my personal health and the health of those around me,” Leach said. “I would also like our campus and the community to gain some level of normality.” Bowe also spoke on her hopes and goals for the campus following the vaccination clinic and decision to require students to be fully vaccinated for the upcoming academic year. “I would say just finish strong. We just have a couple of weeks, you are almost at the end of April and then you go right into finals — so just hang in there,” Bowe said. “It’s gonna be a few
Continued from page 1
obligation, for not just the Saint Mar y’s communit y, the tri-campus communit y and the Michiana communit y but globally.” As of last September, Bowe has been one of the two co-chairs of the COV ID response team. W hen asked what mass vaccination means to Saint Mar y’s, Bowe spoke of the school’s hopes to get back to a normal semester for the students, staff and campus communit y. “For a place like Saint Mar y’s, [mass vaccination] means getting a lot closer to a normal fall. We w ill be able to ease some of the restrictions,” Bowe said. “We still have to follow state and county mandates, but as for the restrictions in Saint Mary’s we will be able to ease some of them as we have more and more students who
competed at 5 p.m. and one made up of participants from South Quad who competed at 5:45 p.m. — Murakami said it was a lot of fun participating as neither he nor Cascio had decorated a cake before. In contrast, sophomore Amanda Abner — one half of the team representing Johnson Family Hall — said she signed up for the competition precisely because of her passion for cake decorating. “I always bake elaborate cakes for my sister’s and my mom’s birthdays,” Abner said. “So I thought this would be super fun!” Using blue and purple icing, Abner and her teammate created a f loral cake complete with decorative piping which Abner said was the most difficult element of their creation. W hile Abner’s team did not w in Campus Dining Favorite either, she said that the award w inners — Cavanaugh Hall in the North Quad div ision and Ryan Hall in the South Quad div ision — were more than deser ving. “I’ve gotta hand it to the first place w inner,” Abner said, referring to the team from Cavanaugh. “They had a full f lower bouquet on their cake. It was gorgeous !” The Grand Champion cake is still being determined as the online voting and donation period continues through the end of this week. Those interested in updates on the competition should follow the Flahert y Hall Instagram page @f lahert y_hall. Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu
more weeks of masks, a few more weeks of social distancing. Get your vaccine, enjoy the summer and then hopefully when we come back in the fall we w ill be able to lift some of those restrictions.” Contact Crystal Ramirez at cramirez01@saintmarys.edu
Follow us on social media: Facebook
fb.com/ndsmcobserver
@NDSMCObserver
4
NEWS
The observer | Monday, April 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Lecture Continued from page 1
“Certainly that question of health being political and polarizing is one that we’ve seen in technicolor over the course of this pandemic,” Metzl said. “When there were times for us to potentially come together or find a common cause, things like an election, for example, or something like that that we would think would be moments of kind of unification … instead what we see is that these become racializing and polarizing.” Metzl said polarization and racialization often go hand in hand. When the pandemic first hit last March, the United States came to terms with the fact that the coronavirus was going to pose medical and economic flaws, he said. There was a push to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a
logical next step to give health insurance to as many people as possible. However, Metzl said the pushback, particularly by many red state governors, against the expansion of the ACA signaled a first step toward the pandemic becoming polarized. “We live in a very polarized world, and that to me is really the wrong attitude when faced with something like the coronavirus,” he said. Metzl said polarization exists not only in the coronavirus pandemic but also in the pandemics of racial injustice, inequity, racism and violence. This polarization stems from a lack of social cohesion, which Metzl believes is what we should be striving for. Published in 2019, “Dying of Whiteness” ultimately asks how our country became so polarized. In his book, Metzl tracks half
the Institute for Latino Bustamante ofStudies. Continued from page 1
and political science professor, said, “For more than 40 years, Jorge Bustamante was the major scholar and public intellectual helping us understand migration from Mexico to the U.S. and migration around the world.” Among numerous other awards, Bustamante was nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his devotion to human and labor rights for immigrants. In addition, he won the American Sociological Association’s Cox-JohnsonFrazier Award, the Premio Nacional de Ciencias and the National Jurisprudence Award from the Mexican Bar Association. Bustamante also authored more than 200 scientific publications on migration between the U.S. and Mexico and international migration issues. Many major newspapers quoted him as an expert in the field, and many TV programs, including “Nightline” and “60 Minutes,” invited him to appear as a guest. Gilberto Cardenas, another professor emeritus of sociology, said Bustamante’s work was pivotal within migration and immigration studies. “Jorge’s contribution to migration and border studies has made a tremendous impact in the entire field of study since that time,” Cardenas said. Prior to these accomplishments, Bustamante received his law degree from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico in 1959 and earned his doctorate degree in sociology and anthropology at Notre Dame. While at the University, he also served as a faculty fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and served as associate director
Rev. Robert Dowd, Notre Dame’s assistant provost for internationalization, Kellogg faculty fellow and associate professor of political science praised Bustamante’s work. “Professor Bustamante’s scholarship was informed by the experiences of the vulnerable and pointed to ways of making society more welcoming, inclusive, and generative,” Dowd said. “At the heart of his work was the recognition of the inherent dignity of each and every human being, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion or immigration status.” Dowd also spoke to Bustamante’s personal character, saying, “He had a caring heart and a commanding intellect that together made him a powerful force for good.”
of a century of undermined trust in public institutions and infrastructures. His argument is that divisions are often blamed and obscured by racial tensions that are in relationship to “whiteness.” “Particularly, this kind of anti-immigrant, anti-government, pro-gun kind of politics that is standing up for making America great again, the way things used to be, this kind of nostalgia that in a way makes this division about whiteness even seemingly more impossible to address,” Metzl said. About three months into the ACA, the “disinformation machine,” as Metzl calls it, took over, conveying the message that the government was going to intrude on personal liberties and that Black people were going to cut in line and take resources. This changed the ACA narrative, Metzl said, and people previously excited for the ACA were
now protesting free health care for fear that minority groups not paying taxes would reap its benefits. He said real racial divisions took place when Black men were asked who benefits from the health care reform versus when white men were asked. Black men believed society benefited from the health care reform, but white believed it did not, Metzl argued. “Really sick white men would say they reject the Affordable Care Act because Black people go to two or three doctors and use the heck out of it,” Metzl said. He said it was that narrative of whiteness that played into the racialization and the polarization of the ACA, which ultimately caused the program to fall apart. “This idea of making America great again is based on this fantasy that you need to have a good social program for me but
not the other guy, which is one of the risks of this pandemic” Metzl said. “Part of why that’s hard is because a lot of issues like healthcare, guns, education, have become identities. It’s not talking about policy anymore; it’s like what it means to be white.” When thinking about the coronavirus, Metzl said the illness highlights the inequity in our nation. It provides an opportunity to make important decisions about how societies come out of the pandemic. “If we are dying, let’s not just develop vaccines. Let’s also declare war on structural inequity. Let’s make our world more accessible, more equitable, more fair because building better equity will bring us together in a common cause,” Metlz said. “It will be like our lunar landing.”
China
“What’s been amazing in terms of the response is the greater awareness of this,” Cook said. “So much of the information and the examples I was able to give you was because technology companies, civil society groups, cyber security networks and research institutions are detecting this activity, downloading all this data and analyzing it in a way that helps shed light on what’s going on.” Cook said that there has been an awakening by governments and by civil society to the dangerous threat disinformation campaigns pose not only to media freedom and media regulation but also to national sovereignty and legal issues. At the end of the lecture, Mendoza professor James O’Rourke asked about the goal of China’s disinformation. Cook replied that the disinformation comes from internal nervousness about the external
perceptions of China. “The goal fundamentally does still relate to the CCP’s concerns over its own political survival. The overarching goal is to make the world safe for the Chinese Communist Party,” Cook said. “I think one [reason] is to make the regime look benign and to make China look positive. The second is to suppress criticism and suppress investigative reporting about what is happening internally in China but also in terms of the darker side of their external engagement: corruption, labor rights abuses, censorship.” This lecture, part of the Ten Years Hence series, was the second to last in the program. The series wraps up April 30 with legal scholar Danielle Citron’s lecture “The End of Privacy: How Intimacy Became Data, and How to Stop It.”
Continued from page 1
related to U.S. elections,” Cook said of China’s misinformation campaigns. “There have been examples of [disinformation] campaigns related to the Philippines. There was another effort surrounding the January elections in Taiwan, but the Taiwanese government and civil society and technology companies were much better prepared to respond this time so they were actually able to deflect it and it had very little impact on the election itself.” Cook also said China’s media propaganda is shifting from trying to make the CCP look good to sowing divisiveness in other countries and societies. In response, other countries are spreading awareness about the disinformation social media campaigns, she said.
Paid Advertisement
Contact Lauren Kesic at lkesic@nd.edu
Contact Luciana Thomas at lthoma22@nd.edu
5
The observer | Monday, April 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By DESSI GOMEZ Scene Writer
By now, I hope you have heard the news that Taylor Swift released her rerecorded version of album “Fearless” on Friday April 9. In yet another “power move,” she has capitalized on nostalgia while simultaneously claiming ownership of one of six albums that she plans to rerecord now that they have been sold by her former manager, Scooter Braun of Big Machine Records, to another company. For the most part, the rerecordings on “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” sound very similar— if not almost identical— to their 2008 versions. Upon first listen, I noticed that “You Belong with Me (Taylor’s Version)” kicks off with some subtle added sounds. Swift’s breathy delivery of the name “Romeo” in “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” recalls the sass and emotion characteristic of some other 2008 versions such as “Forever and Always,” “Tell Me Why” or “The Way I Loved You.” The overall tone I picked up from listening to two
By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer
With the reboot of “Mortal Kombat” around the corner, it seems fitting to look back at the video game series that inspired the newest film and its cinematic predecessors. This famous video game franchise is infamous for shocking audiences and gamers around the world with its graphic violence and disputed oversexualization of women. “Mortal Kombat” is the brainchild of video game designers Ed Boon and John Tobias, who began developing the first game in 1991. The creators’ original idea was to create a fighting game starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (as inspired by his film “Bloodsport”). However, the licensing for the movie fell through, and Boon and Tobias ended up making a fantasy-themed fighting game called “Mortal Kombat.” The game — which was released in 1992, hitting arcades around the world — showcased graphic ways to kill off characters. These virtual “kills,” in fact, were so graphic that they resulted in the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Regardless of the game’s rating (it was deemed “mature” by the newly-created ESRB), the game became a huge success, prompting the development of a sequel just a year later. This second entry, aptly named “Mortal Kombat II,” was another success. The whole video game series centers around a fictional universe containing eighteen “realms.” Residents of these realms must participate in an inter-realm tournament in order to determine the fates of their homes. The
versions of “Fearless” side by side (which I did courtesy of a “Fearless: Then and Now” playlist on Spotify) was one of reminiscence. On her new versions of these classics, Taylor’s light and airy voice conjures the image of her 31-year-old self looking back on her late teen years, layering newfound maturity and wisdom over the songs of her youth — the same songs that set her on the path to where she is today. Song lyrics that take on new meaning in Swift’s new recordings range from “I didn’t know who I was supposed to be” in “Fifteen,” calling to mind how much she has had to grow up in the spotlight, to the whole chorus of “Change,” which rings even truer now that Swift has won this smaller battle in a larger war for rights to her music. The true highlights of “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” though, are the album’s six songs from “The Vault.” These tracks were written around the same time as the album, but have never before put out into the world — until now. When listening, it is easy to connect some “Vault” songs to Taylor’s later work: “You All Over Me” featuring Maren Morris, for instance, plants the seed for 1989’s “Clean.” My
favorite of these songs might be “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” even as petty and grudging as it may sound to us today, because Ms. Swift did not hold back in this one. In the words of Joe Jonas’ now-wife Sophie Turner, “it’s not NOT a bop.” The fresh anger of “Mr. Perfectly Fine” simmers down into retrospective sadness in “We Were Happy,” this sadness then tempered by the lighter, more accepting “That’s When” (featuring Keith Urban). I couldn’t exactly follow the narrative in “That’s When,” but I love the way it sounds with the pairing of two country voices. I could also do without “Bye Bye Baby.” Just for some context, “Taylor’s Version” of “Fearless” means more to me — as someone who became a fan of hers after her “Speak Now” tour became my first ever concert — because I hadn’t listened to 2008’s “Fearless” in depth. I can’t wait to see how she does the next five albums, particularly “Red,” because that is when I truly started to listen to her albums beyond their radio singles.
game’s main character, Liu Kang, becomes the champion of Earthrealm at the end of the first “Mortal Kombat;” each subsequent game includes some iteration of this original premise (that is, the “Mortal Kombat” tournament), but later plots also feature an invasion storyline involving Earthrealm and Outworld, another of the game’s six main realms. The games feature a colorful roster of characters that are very memorable even to this day. Standouts include Johnny Cage — whose character was inspired by Jean-Claude Van Damme — US Special Forces officer Sonya Blade, warlock Shang Tsung, Scorpion, an undead ninja specter, and Sub-Zero, a cryomancer. As Warner Bros. releases more and more sequels (Midway Games originally owned the franchise but sold it to Warner Bros. in 2009), new characters are constantly being created, all of whom are unique and exciting. The first canonical “Mortal Kombat” game to feature downloadable guest characters from other franchises was the 2011 reboot of the series’ first three games. This game — conveniently named “Mortal Kombat” — features horror icon Freddy Krueger from “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and Kratos from action-adventure video game “God of War.” The games’ main combat features take after a martial arts style moveset, the term moveset referring to the set of actions which a character can perform. This makes sense, given that the majority of the characters are ninjas and martial artists. However, some characters do have very interesting powers. For example, as an undead ninja specter, Scorpion has the powers
of the Netherrealm and fire, and Sub-Zero can conjure ice and manipulate freezing cold temperatures as a cryomancer. However, the one feature that is a staple in “Mortal Kombat” — and the very feature that forced the creation of the ESRB — is the Fatality feature, i.e. the presence of brutal “finishers” that often show gore and blood. As the series gained a reputation in the video game industry, filmmakers saw a way to take this violent masterpiece and translate it to the big screen. In 1995, New Line Cinema, along with Paul Anderson, brought “Mortal Kombat” to the silver screen. Despite mixed reviews from critics — which can probably be explained by the film’s PG-13 rating, a definite misstep for an adaptation of a game that built its reputation on graphic gore — “Mortal Kombat” became a financial success. The film’s sequel, “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” was no more of a critical success than its predecessor, most likely due to shallow characters, the PG-13 rating and mindless fight scenes. The films and television series based on the “Mortal Kombat” games do not include the violent Fatality “finishers” for which the games are so well known. However, Warner Bros., which announced a reboot for “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” in 2010, has a chance to right this wrong. The reboot is scheduled to be released this coming Friday on HBOMax. Hopefully, the film will have an R-rating and will feature the kind of graphic violence present in the original games.
Contact Dessi at dgomez5@nd.edu
Contact Nicole at nbilyak@nd.edu MAGGIE KLAERS | The Observer
6
The observer | monday, April 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
God save the Queen: Ketchup does not belong on hot dogs Ryan Peters Associate News Editor
I’ve been wrong about a lot of things during my 18 years on this planet. Looking at a microwave does not give you cancer. Jim Boylen did not lead the Chicago Bulls to an NBA title. Gum does not sit in your stomach for seven years if you swallow it. COVID-19 did not result in just an extra week of spring break. I could go on, but instead I’m going to tell you one thing I’m right about: ketchup does not belong on hot dogs. You can argue with me all you want or harass me on Twitter, but just know that I don’t care what you have to say because I know I’m right. If you ask a Chicagoan who passionately attacks the horrific condiment — chances are it’s a guy who has a gut that droops over his belt and sounds like a train whistle when pronouncing vowels — why ketchup does not belong on a hot dog, they may give you an answer mentioning how the sweetness of the condiment doesn’t complement the frank or talk about some guy named Jimmy and his Red Hots. These answers are wrong and the person telling you it knows that’s not why they don’t put ketchup on a wiener. There is only one reason why putting ketchup on a hot dog is the most egregious sin one can commit. You don’t put ketchup on a hot dog because you don’t put ketchup on a hot dog. And, yes, I know I’m not actually from Chicago. You’re not insulting me when you point that fact out. Being from the suburbs provides me with all the benefits of the city being just a train ride away without constantly dealing with the nightmarish traffic and endless white noise of a city. Snobby, I know. But after I order off a menu with changeable letters and sit at a table covered in a red and white plaid tablecloth with a napkin dispenser that shreds the razor-thin napkins as you pull them out, it means something when my number is called and I go and grab my cafeteria-style tray with a glorious Chicago-style hot dog on it — not a hot dog with some horrid red paste on it. Dragged through the garden to be topped with mustard, chopped white onion, neon green relish, a dill pickle, tomato wedges, sport peppers and, the granddaddy of all toppings, celery salt, the Chicago dog is one of the greatest institutions known to man. Chicago dogs belong in the same conversation as Notre Dame football, the British monarchy, the Nick Castellanos copypasta, the Grateful Dead, the ending to The Sopranos and the Illinois governorship-to-jail pipeline as traditions that no matter how much they falter are too storied to ever fade out of history. Putting ketchup on a hot dog is an attack on tradition. It’s like marrying into the British royal family and then leaving it to step out of the limelight — a seemingly understandable thing to do. But then after you leave, you decide to do an interview with Oprah on broadcast television and sign deals with Netflix and Spotify. Checks out. Many of you might be so repulsed by the sight of a hot dog that putting ketchup on it isn’t even a concern. Those of you who put ketchup on your hot dogs probably think I’m a lunatic who’s willing to stay up into the wee hours of the night writing about hot dogs. So why does it matter that people put ketchup on their hot dogs? Because life is more fun when you stand for something. It’s easy to become a reactionary and try to tear down everything you see. There’s a time and a place for fixing things and there are a lot of issues that need fixing. Go save the world, that’s great. But it’s important to have principles. Defending things, even arbitrarily, adds meaning to my life. Whether it’s about something actually important or if it’s defending the notion that Jimmy Buffett is one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time, withstanding those who want to bring you down is a valuable, defining and thrilling experience. Standing behind an opinion tests the boundaries of how comfortable you are in your own skin and more often than not results in you feeling like a moron. But, never fear, feeling like a moron is a crucial, humbling experience that motivates one to craft an argument so compelling that a scalding hot take will show no mercy and destroy all that stands in its way. It’s the best way to grow. I’m not saying people shouldn’t change their minds when they’re wrong about something. There are wrong and evil stances that have no place in our society. For example, some people think it’s OK to put ketchup on a hot dog. Contact Ryan at rpeters5@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Systemic bias against the Black NFL QB Justice Mory In the Interest of Justice
Sports can be seen as a microcosm of American society, a way we can observe a reflection of larger societal issues, such as race and fairness. As the 2021 NFL Draft approaches, media analysts begin to construct and relay narratives about NFL draft hopefuls. Unfortunately, it is unsurprising to see certain racial stereotypes and coded criticisms again emerge, especially in regard to Black college quarterbacks (QBs). Identifying this has become a little more complex. Blatant or conscious racism tends not to be the most prominent way in which conclusions based on race originate from. Instead, subconscious or unconscious bias seems to be the underlying source of this tired pattern of analysis that seems to result in lazy stereotypes, propped up by coded language and double standards. Warren Moon, the only Black quarterback in the NFL Hall of Fame, said: “the quarterback position was the position that a lot of people didn’t think we could play for different reasons, whether it was the leadership, whether it was being able to think, be able to make critical decisions at critical times. You know, be the face of a franchise, all those different things that go along with being a franchise quarterback.” Historically, there has been the belief by some surrounding or within the league that quarterback is not a position suitable for non-White players, usually due to unfounded assumptions about intangible qualities. Over time, explicit racial discrimination has become less prominent in the NFL, yet stereotypes remain. In the words of the Washington Post, “a white quarterback prospect is more likely to be discussed in terms of intangible internal qualities for which he himself is responsible … a minority quarterback prospect is more likely to be discussed in terms of physical characteristics, to be judged erratic and unpredictable, and to have his successes and failures ascribed to outside forces.” The disparity in the words and characteristics that are used to describe QBs is striking and equally problematic in terms of the implications such disparities in evaluation have. Mel Kiper Jr., an NFL Draft “expert,” had this to say about Black quarterback Lamar Jackson entering the 2018 NFL Draft: “It’s the accuracy throwing the football. Finished career around 57 percent.” But in the same draft coverage cycle said this about white quarterback Josh Allen’s 56.2% completion percentage, “Stats are for losers in my opinion. The guy won.” Is this a fair and equal standard these players are being held to? Why the difference? Lamar Jackson, who put together arguably far more impressive stats and wins against tougher competition at Louisville than Wyoming’s Josh Allen, was told he would have to switch positions in the NFL to have any success, something that seems only to be proposed when the quarterback in question is Black. Bill Polian, former Colts general manager, said this about Jackson: “Short and a little bit slight … clearly not the thrower that the other guys are. The accuracy isn’t there …. I think wide receiver. Exceptional athlete …” At best, this was a bad take. Likely, however, this is an example of even industry “experts” falling back on certain racial beliefs held about Black players playing quarterback in the NFL, that quarterback was not a position Jackson could handle. His accuracy was not in reality worse than most other quarterback prospects, so where did this narrative come from? Why did being an exceptional athlete mean he had to switch positions? Why was 6’2 labeled short when that height is just about league average? A study found that “we estimate that for a white prospect at the average weight of 223 lbs, there is a 6 percent chance that his report will use the word ‘weight.’ For a minority prospect weighing 223
lbs, the chance is much higher: 27 percent. Minority prospects, it would seem, are being evaluated by different criteria than white prospects are.” This shows that not all prospects are being evaluated consistently, and physical characteristics tend to be an issue when the prospect is Black. This is especially interesting in this specific analyst’s view on Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson, who is 6’2 and 212 lbs, was seen by Bill Polian as too undersized to be a quarterback in the NFL. Quarterback Andy Dalton is 6’2 215 lbs (and white), and Bill Polian reportedly wished he drafted Dalton in the 2011 NFL Draft. What is the difference? This double standard is both unfair and telling in the way NFL analysts fixate on the physical aspects of Black QBs and seems to have different criteria in evaluating them versus their white peers. Ultimately, Josh Allen would go on to be drafted 7th overall, while Heisman-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson would be the 5th quarterback taken, the 32nd overall pick. Despite many analysts betting against him, Jackson would win unanimous NFL MVP in 2019, at quarterback, leading the NFL in passing touchdowns. 2018 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes said, “In my first year, what annoyed me more than anything is that people thought it was just my arm… Everybody just talked about my arm instead of talking about how I was making the right decisions, going to the right place.” Discussing Lamar Jackson, Mahomes said, “He threw for over 30 touchdowns, but everybody just wanted to talk about the runs.” He followed with a confirmation that he thinks race has something to do with this. A study of media commentary reported that “the findings of this study indicate that despite recent improvements, a racial bias remains in NFL commentary. Black players are described primarily in terms of their physical characteristics, with less emphasis on their cognitive and personal characteristics than their white peers.” The evidence, from people directly involved to statistically significant academic research, seem to give credibility to the claim that Black QBs are treated and referred to noticeably different, especially in ways that are harmful and rooted in unconsciously racist beliefs that Black people cannot handle the responsibilities of being an NFL quarterback, and succeed only due to some raw or innate physical talent. Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson and many others have faced similar judgments entering the NFL. Unfortunately, the difference in the treatment of Black QBs does not end after the draft. Another study found that “[when] controlling for injury, age, experience, performance, team investment, backup quality, and bye weeks, Black QBs are found to be 1.98–2.46 times more likely to be benched.” All this is to say, that when a claim is made such as systemic bias against Black QBsin the NFL and by the media, there does seem to be not only a pattern but pretty substantial evidence that points to this being true. This bias may not even be a conscious one, but regardless it has harmful consequences in terms of fairness and justice. The power people have to form narratives, and the influence these narratives can have, should not be understated. Double standards and stereotypes are some things that everyone needs to make a more conscious effort to avoid, in order to better not just sports, but society at large. Justice Mory is majoring in business analytics and is part of the John W. Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy. He is from Southern California and now lives in Duncan Hall. His main goal is to keep learning and to continue to become more informed. He can be reached at jmory@nd.edu or @JmoryND on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
77
The observer | monday, April 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To my fellow Smicks “We want to echo the sentiments of other Saint Mary’s organizations and say we are incredibly proud to be Smicks. Our sisterhood and bond is just as powerful as each and every student at this institution. We will not stand for the slander and disgusting language used against Saint Mary’s students. Smicks are strong, they are smart and they are here because they can (and will) change the world.” This was a statement I wrote late the night of April 15th after reaching a boiling point in frustration regarding the recent Observer article. As president of Feminists United here on campus, I knew I owed our members a response, but was struggling to collect the sheer number of reactions I had into a cohesive statement. As sad as it is, when I was first hearing whispers about a new article that featured Notre Dame students speaking ill of Belles, I was less than surprised. Having attended Saint Mary’s for four years, I have experienced my fair share of side comments about me “settling” for a Saint Mary’s education, how this must have been my safety school, how soon enough I would wish
to transfer to Notre Dame, how I needed to spend these four years finding a husband, the list goes on and on. This is not a unique experience, I have yet to meet a Saint Mary’s student who has not endured some kind of derogatory remark based on their choice to attend this school. Being a Smick is something that I have treasured, it is an honor achieved not only by me but by my mother, my sisters and a few other extended family members. Saint Mary’s has been my second home long before I got to exist on this campus as a student. I was raised in the values of Saint Mary’s — to be a strong and unapologetic force of nature, to own my identity as a woman and to never let someone speak ill of me or talk down to me because of who I am. Each and every Saint Mary’s student has the power to change the world, and I am confident we all will in some way or another. We are so much more than the abhorrent language used to describe us by those Notre Dame students. Smicks are a force to be reckoned with, they are a myriad of identities and experiences who come together
to forge this incredible and eternal sisterhood. I did not come to Saint Mary’s to find a husband or because I wasn’t “good enough” to cut it at Notre Dame. In my time here I have met incredible people who have become my sisters, I have learned about the world and my place in it, I have been given the tools to grow as an individual and a student, but most importantly I have relished every moment I have spent with my fellow Smicks. Each and every one of you is an inspiration, you are wonderful and talented individuals who make this world a better place and who have pushed me to be a better version of myself each and every day. I am, and always will be, incredibly proud to be a Smick, being here has changed my life and I know I will forever cherish my four years on this campus. Remember — Smicks are strong as hell, you all have the power to change the world, and do not ever let anyone make you feel any less than you are. Grace Maher president of Feminists United, senior April 16
Technology in a Zoom world Andrew Sveda Church and State
Have you ever watched a movie that was pretty bad but for some reason is stuck in your memory? One of those movies for me is “The Net,” starring Sandra Bullock. The plot is all over the place and the acting is nothing to call home about, but there is one aspect of the movie that is not just salvageable but eerily relevant to today: the lifestyle of Bullock’s character. Everything she did was on the computer. It was her life. She carried a computer everywhere she went. Most of her interactions with other people took place over Reddit-like chat rooms. She had so few face-toface relationships that when her identity was stolen, she was hard-pressed to find a handful of friends to vouch that she was who she claimed to be. She lived, effectively, in another world, in a reality of ones and zeros, and with a few clicks on the keyboard, everything she had done had been completely wiped from that reality. Minus the part about the handful of friends, and you have a life that would be considered pretty normal today. If you switch a few details, you may even see yourself in that description. And yes, the pandemic has certainly changed things, but we know that this was also true before the pandemic — and probably will get only worse. By now you may already be chalking me up with all those people who wag their finger and say you need to get away from electronics altogether. Not so fast. I’m not saying that the internet and technology are inherently evil. We all know what a spectacular gift the internet is and can be. But too often I find myself hiding behind this to justify internet usage that is nothing less than a waste of time. Don’t just look at your total screen time; look at your browser history or how long you’ve been mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. How much can you really say was edifying? How
much can you say actually made you happy (I’m not talking about laughs or a quickly fading feeling)? How much can you even remember? When it comes to technology, we also know it’s not just about what we are doing but what it is doing to us. From personal experience, I know that our use of technology has reduced attention spans and critical thinking skills. Normal-sized news articles are becoming too long for us. We just need the “fast facts” or the “tl;dr” section at the bottom of the screen. Even when a page takes a few seconds longer to load than usual, it’s easy for us to become impatient. That’s a problem. But my main critique, while intrinsically related to what has been said, is much deeper. It is the problem that “The Net” illustrated for us earlier. We are strangely captivated and addicted to that which isn’t even real, to a world of endless games and memes, to a reality created by pictures and jokes and often unfruitful words. It doesn’t take long to find that it is quite an empty world. But it is ours. It’s a world that will conform to your every desire. It is a world that offers us whatever we want when we want it. And so it consumes the supposedly independent and unaffected viewer. It distorts our understanding of the real world. It can even make us feel like the “reality” we see on the screen is more real than reality itself, making us plunge all the more into our personal digital bubble. When we find it more natural to talk over text and Zoom than in person (as I admittedly find myself feeling sometimes), that’s probably not a good thing. I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been impacted by the “you-centered” world of the internet because people naturally like that idea and easily buy into that trap. Much of our time on the internet only fuels this false picture of reality, and it will produce worse and worse consequences. Some may tell you that people will be more caring and compassionate after the pandemic. This is one of the reasons why they will not. Much of how we use technology puffs up the ego, and the spread
of instant, well, everything is not going to make us somehow more patient or thoughtful but more impatient, demanding, and entitled. Technology, if abused, is a drug, one that puts us at the center of “reality.” If man naturally loves this concept (he does), then why do you think that offering him more opportunities to enjoy the drug of self-centeredness will result in him leaving it forever? Is there not a way that we can enjoy the benefits of technology while reducing its harmful effects? Certainly. It cannot, however, start with the total denunciation of technology or the idolization of “wholesome” activities. This is because the central issue has existed long before the birth of the iPhone or the first desktop. The main issue is the man-centered thinking you and I (I need to hear this as much as you!) bring to issues like technology. We do not get to create our own reality, our own meaning or our own sense of right and wrong. There is an objective purpose we are called to fulfill, one that finds its source in a Creator. Indeed, that is the only way we could have a purpose at all. This all suggests that we are not the center and source of our reality and meaning but God is. Any right view on anything must take this into account, and all other beliefs, being false at their core, must and will fail in the end. This way of thinking requires no small change. Indeed, it means that I need to completely rethink how I even approach technology, and maybe you do too! While we have a long way to go, at least this is a step in the right direction. And that’s a lot further than much of our time on the internet has gotten us. Andrew Sveda is a sophomore at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in political science. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverViewpnt
8
DAILY
The observer | Monday, April 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Crossword | WILl shortz
Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Rethink how you want to live and what makes you happy. Envision the lifestyle that suits your situation, skills, qualifications and knowledge. Embrace change that will help eliminate what’s hindering your ability to move forward. Step into the limelight and take charge of your life and future. Revisit your dreams, hopes and wishes. Your numbers are 4, 18, 21, 28, 32, 35, 49. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make adjustments at home that make you feel comfortable and at ease. A blend of old with new will encourage personal growth and better relationships with the people close to you. Choose peace and love over discord. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do what’s necessary to eliminate stress. Focus on life, love and happiness. Gather your thoughts. Set goals that will give you a chance to spend time with the people who bring out the best in you. A minimalist lifestyle looks inviting. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be secretive regarding your next move. Take precautions where investments, contracts and expenses are concerned. Don’t take someone’s word as truth. Verify facts before you pass the information along. Use common sense to avoid disruption, discord and interference. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Embrace change and enjoy life. Don’t fight the inevitable; if you make the most of whatever comes your way, you will discover opportunities and new beginnings. Express your feelings and intentions, and you’ll enhance your love life. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Listen carefully, and you’ll gain perspective on a situation that is unstable. Once you know all the facts, you’ll find a way to turn any negative you face into a positive. An unexpected opportunity will initiate a smart move. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Make a physical or personal change that will lift your spirits. Make fitness and health priorities. Look for a way to socialize safely. Virtual parties and networking events will lead to interesting connections. Romance is in the stars. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your curiosity will lead to all sorts of exciting ideas. Live and learn through experience, educational pursuits and exploring new endeavors. A partnership that offers mental stimulation will encourage you to use your skills in new and exciting ways. Invest in yourself. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Choose to do what makes you happy. Assess your situation, lower your overhead and put a plan in place that will help you reach your goal. Examine limitations and the alternatives you can implement to eliminate disappointment. Romance is favored. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Information you receive will be false. Before you decide to make a move or respond to what’s going on around you, make sure you have your facts straight. Go directly to the source and present your findings in accurate detail. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t argue with someone who doesn’t share your beliefs. Bypass controversy and concentrate on personal growth, meaningful relationships and positive change. Be honest with yourself and your loved ones regarding how you feel and what you plan to do. Romance is favored. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take better care of your health and your financial well-being. Keep your purchases and donations to a minimum. Avoid risky situations that can lead to illness. Stick close to home, and focus on making your place convenient and comfortable. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Patience, understanding and compassion will help you avoid a misunderstanding. Take comfort in spending time with someone you love and sharing the lifestyle changes you want to initiate. Personal improvement will pay off, and romance will enhance your life. Birthday Baby: You are compassionate, entertaining and supportive. You are creative and reserved.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
Work Area
Make checks payable to and mail to:
The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556
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.
Enclosed is $130 for one academic year Enclosed is $75 for one semester Name Address City State Zip
SPORTS
ndsmcobserver.com | Monday, April 19, 2021 | The Observer
Sports Authority
Sports Authority
Let the players rest Liam Coolican Sports Writer
LeBron James. Kevin Durant. Anthony Davis. Jamal Murray. Joel Embiid. Shai GilgeousAlexander. D’Angelo Russell. What do these players have in common, apart from being NBA superstars? They have all missed significant time due to injury this year. They aren’t the only ones, either. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry and James Harden have missed games due to minor injuries as well. According to the NBA, injuries are down from last season, and “within the normal rate” of the last five years. However, we’ve seen star players getting injured left and right this year. The shortened offseason may be partly to blame; players whose team made a deep run in the playoff bubble last July barely had an offseason before training camp started up again. The number of back-to-backs in the schedule may be a culprit as well, but it is impossible to speculate what the reason might be. Some injuries, such as James’ ankle injury, caused by an opponent falling on his foot, may merely be freak accidents. Others may be caused by overuse. We’ll never know for sure, but the league must take it upon itself to protect its players. Fans and pundits alike love to criticize players who sit out for “load management.” For a time, I was one of them. I figured they’re getting paid millions of dollars to play a game, the least they can do is lace ‘em up every night. The NBA implemented a new policy for the 2021-22 season, prohibiting teams from resting players for high profile, nationally televised games and also has rules against resting players on the road, although these rules are seemingly easy to circumvent by claiming the player in question is injured. The league recently fined the San Antonio Spurs $25,000 for violating these rules in a road game against the Suns. The Toronto Raptors were hit with a similar fine. It is understandable why the league wants to do this. Its ratings are down, and revenues have fallen substantially due to the pandemic, and nationally televised games become a lot less appealing when you find out the star player is not playing at the last minute. However, these rules do a disservice to the players. When the Raptors made their famous championship run in 2019, it was in large part due to the incredible play of Kawhi
9
Leonard. Why was Leonard so good in the playoffs? Because he was rested for large portions of the season due to his previous quad injury. Players perform their best in the playoffs when they are not exhausted, especially older, high-usage players like Lebron James. Does it really make sense for James to play in the second half of a February back-to-back that will have little consequence on the playoff race? Yes, they are paid for the full season, but at the same time, their ultimate job is to help their team win a championship. Resting not only prevents injuries, it also allows them to not burn themselves out physically before the playoffs even start. Additionally, much of the “load management” that is so heavily criticized is really due to ongoing injury maintenance. We’ve all seen what happened to Durant when he rushed back from injury in the 2019 Finals. Understandably, he’s being cautious this year. It is senseless to risk re-injury if the game is inconsequential. Of course, there are limits to this. A team like the Brooklyn Nets, who in addition to Durant employ the services of Harden and Kyrie Irving, would almost certainly make the playoffs even if Durant didn’t play a single minute of regular season basketball. Is this reasonable? No, of course not. There does need to be a line drawn. However, I firmly believe we have no right to criticize players who take every fourth or fifth game off simply to manage their workload. I write this as a basketball fan — when I buy tickets to a game, I hope to see the best of the best and I would be disappointed if a star player didn’t play. In past years, I was on the league’s side. However, this year, in addition to the shortened season, the Olympics are coming up this summer. For aging stars like James and Curry, it might be their last chance to represent their country. That will lead to a shortened offseason yet again, and the phenomenon will only repeat itself. The league needs to recognize the strains its players are under and relax the rules about resting, at least for this year. If we want to see peak Durant, James, Leonard and Davis in the playoffs, we have no right to complain when they take a little longer to recover from their injury or simply take a night off. Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Maxing rivalries with NFL division restructuring Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer
I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of tired of hearing who the 49ers are picking third. So I thought it could be fun to talk about changing the NFL Divisions. Here’s what I came up with:
AFC The AFC North gets to stay almost exactly as is. The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals is an excellent state of Ohio rivalry. The Pittsburgh Steelers stick around, too; they’re relatively close to the other teams. The team that had to go was the Baltimore Ravens; they don’t make sense as a north team. Instead, I’d like to swap them for the Lions. They are physically closer to the Bengals, Steelers and Browns than the Ravens, and of course, are farther north. The AFC East doesn’t see much of a change either. I love the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets being in-state rivals, but I think the battle for New York can get that much better. I want to add the New York Giants in and swap out the Miami Dolphins. The New England Patriots get to stick around, so Jets fans won’t get a reprieve from Bill Belichick. The AFC West is the weirdest looking division on a map. It has the San Francisco 49ers and then the Seattle Seahawks, which both make geographical sense. The division stops making sense when the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs are added in. The Chiefs are always going to be a weird addition, because well, they aren’t fit for the South or the North but are too central for the East or West. The Broncos also have a similar problem, so I think it makes sense to add them to the Seahawks and 49ers. The AFC South is personally my favorite division. Having all three Florida teams play each other twice a year would be truly incredible. The Dolphins and Buccaneers are good right now, so those games would be a must-watch. Hopefully, the Jaguars will be good, and having Tua take on Lawrence would be a fun rivalry that could hopefully last for a decade. The last team would be the Falcons, which really could be in either South division.
NFC The NFC North is an excellent division, and I almost kept
it the same as it currently is, but the Colts need a home and so the Lions are out. The Colts are closer to the Bears than the Lions are, and it offers a closer rivalry. The NFC East is going to change dramatically. The Eagles will stay put, as will the Washington Football Team, so that rivalry gets to stay. The Panthers get moved from the South over to the East because I’ve felt for a long time, they don’t make a whole lot of sense in the South when they could easily be in the East. The NFC West is the most fun for me. I loved the in-state Los Angeles rivalry, but those two teams aren’t all that good right now. The Rams will be dynamite this season, and I think the Chargers have so much potential and can be a sneaky good wildcard team. The battle for LA would indeed be two of the best games of the season. But don’t sleep on the Arizona Cardinals, nor the Las Vegas Raiders, who are two genuinely good teams. The NFC South will be, I think, the weirdest division as the only original team is going to be the New Orleans Saints. The Cowboys move here because they don’t make any sense at all as an East team. That, and they now get to play the Texans twice a season, which could be a great series. I had briefly considered putting the Falcons here, but it just didn’t make sense with the Tennessee Titans still being on the board. So, the Titans went to the NFC, and the Falcons went to the AFC.
Overall After looking at the map that I had made, I asked myself: if this was how the NFL looked last season, who would’ve won the title? So, using NFLGameSim. com I simulated all the in-division games to see who would win each division. It resulted in a lot of 6-0, 4-2, 2-4, 0-6 records because I picked the team that won the majority of the simulations, not just one trial. In the playoffs, I seeded tiebreakers based on the teams’ in-season success, i.e. record and how far they went in the playoffs.
AFC season AFC West: Seattle was the favorite at 6-0 but their games with the 4-2 Chiefs were close ones. The 49ers are 2-4 and the Broncos went 0-6. AFC North: The Steelers swept the division at 6-0 and the Browns went 4-2. The Lions went 2-4 and the Bengals went
0-6, which was the opposite of what I expected. AFC East: The Bills went 6-0 (which they did in real life) and the Patriots were in second at 4-2. The Giants finished at third with a 2-4 record and the Jets finished at a predictable 0-6. AFC South: The Buccaneers went 6-0, which was expected, but the Falcons going 4-2 was not. Nor was Jacksonville going 2-4 and the Dolphins going an odd 0-6.
NFC season NFC West: the Rams and Raiders split their series, both going 5-1, so I gave the Rams the tiebreaker based on real-life success. The Chargers went 2-4 and the Cardinals rounded out the bottom at 0-6. NFC North: The Packers won the division at 6-0, but the Vikings went a surprising 4-2. I had thought the Bears would go 4-2, but they went 0-6, with the Colts going 2-4. NFC East: The Ravens went 6-0, no surprise there. The surprise was the Panthers going 4-2 and the WFT going 2-4. The Eagles going 0-6 wasn’t all that surprising. NFC South: The Saints swept the division at 6-0, with the Titans going 4-2, the Cowboys going 2-4, with the Texans going 0-6.
The playoffs The playoffs were incredibly surprising in the NFC. The Rams beat the Vikings in round 1, the Saints beat the Titans and the Ravens beat the Raiders. The Packers (who had the bye) lost to the Ravens and the Saints upset the Rams. The Saints played the Ravens for the NFC title, which the Ravens won! The Buccaneers ended their run in the first round, the Bills were second, the Seahawks third and the Steelers fourth. The wildcard teams were the Chiefs, the Browns and the Patriots. The Bills beat the Patriots, the Seahawks beat the Browns and the Chiefs upset the Steelers. In the next round, the Chiefs beat Tampa and Seattle beat the Bills. Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl by defeating the Chiefs. The Seahawks and Ravens played in the Super Bowl, with the Ravens taking the crown! Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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.
10
Sports
The observer | Friday, april 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd swimming & diving
11 Irish make All-ACC Academic Team sophomore Coleen Gillilan, junior Madeline LaPorte, junior Bayley Stewart, junior Luciana Thomas, junior Josh Bottelberghe, sophomore Alec DeLong, senior Sadler McKeen, freshman Liam Smith and sophomore Cason Wilburn. On the diving side, senior Kelly Straub and junior Annie Wiese were selected. The 11 selections tie Notre Dame for fourth overall in the ACC. With a focus on
academic rigor, Notre Dame strives to have its studentathletes succeed as much in the classroom as in the competition pool. With that being said, Coach Mike Litzinger’s Team has seven repeat winners and four first-time AllACC Academic selections. Second-time winners are Gillilan, Stewart, Thomas, Straub, Wiese, Bottelberghe and McKeen. The selection for the AllACC Academic Team comes
from a combination of GPA and athletic achievement. The academic achievements can stem from an All-American selection, selection to All-ACC, being chosen as ACC Swimmer or Diver of the Week, or competing in the A-Final of the ACC Championship. The range of academics interests is diverse on the team. Gillilan and Bottelberghe are studying computer science. LaPorte and Stewart are
majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior. Straub is on the Science Pre-Professional track. Thomas and Wiese are both studying political science. DeLong, Mckeen and Smith are taking courses in finance. Lastly, Wilburn is enrolled in the College of Engineering, focusing on environmental engineering. Notre Dame swimming and diving will look to continue their excellence both in and out of the pool next year.
Football
Key Returnees:
Continued from page 12
Michael Mayer
season on the scout team with Tremble, Takacs saw action in six games his sophomore year and upped that to ten appearances his junior season, only missing the Louisville game and the ACC Championship. He scored his first touchdown during his sophomore year against Duke. While Takacs only had three receptions for the 2020 season — one more than the previous year — he has experience and can offer a level of leadership in 2021 while surrounded by such a young group.
four games this season, he could start to have some extended success with the Irish.
case for time on the field as the whole team gets used to a new quarterback at the helm.
Key Additions:
Mitchell Evans
Observer Staff Report
This week, 11 members of the Notre Dame Swimming and Diving Team earned the honor of joining the 202021 All-ACC Academic Team. With the women’s team placing 29th at the NCAA Championship and the men’s team placing 24th, the wins keep piling up for the Irish swim program. The 11 swimmers honored were as follows:
f lying under the radar for the Irish offense since he arrived as the No. 1 TE in his class. In his four years on the field, Wright saw action in 48 games and started in 12 of them, eight in his final season on the Irish roster. Contributing on both offense and special teams, Wright had his first career touchdown reception in the 2018 56-27 win over Wake Forest and recovered the onside kick to seal Notre Dame’s 30-27 victory over USC in 2019. His longest reception went for 40 yards in the 52-0 win over Bowling Green. One of the biggest things the Irish offense will miss from Wright after his 2020 season is his ability to run block. With three tight ends lined up, running backs Chris Tyree and Kyren Williams were able to take off. Losing Wright means losing that extra tier of strength in creating holes for the run game.
The Irish expected a lot from the No. 2 tight end and five-star recruit in the 2020 class, and “Baby Gronk” delivered. Playing in all twelve games this year as a true freshman and contributing in all of them, Mayer’s place as the go-to tight end will be solidified this season. He recorded 73 receiving yards and a touchdown in the 45-3 win over Pittsburgh, which were both the highest marks among true freshmen and tied for the most by a tight end in the ACC that week. All five of those receptions were for first downs. Mayer made a career high seven receptions in the CFP Semifinals against Alabama for 62 yards. Personally ending his season on such a high note bodes well in terms of his contributions in the coming season. If he can maintain this momentum, Irish fans can maintain their high expectations for him.
Tommy Tremble
George Takacs
After spending his freshman year on the scout team, Tremble had a breakout sophomore season. He played in all 13 games, starting seven, and was fourth on the team in receptions with 16 catches for 183 yards and four touchdown receptions. In last year’s breakdown, the question was if Tremble would bring that energy back. That success did bleed into this season, as he started 10 of the twelve games and saw action in all of them. Tremble posted five receptions for 43 yards in the 2020 season opener against Duke and followed up that performance against the Blue Devils by leading the Irish with 61 receiving yards on three catches in the 52-0 rout of South Florida. Tremble also proved he was a versatile player, and his departure is going to be a big loss for the Notre Dame offense. Along with Wright, he was essential to the run game this season and also got a few plays in at full back during the victory over South Florida.
After spending his freshman
Kevin Bauman As a four-star recruit and the No. 5 ranked tight end in his class, Bauman also saw the field this year as a true freshman. He made his first career start and first career catch for five yards in the win over South Florida. He saw action in three games after that. With two tight ends leaving and Mayer by his side for a little friendly competition, Bauman can make a move this offseason to see a lot more of the field than he did in 2021. Having only played
Cane Berrong As a four-star recruit the No. 1 ranked tight end nationally, according to ESPN, Berrong should be a powerful addition to the Irish roster. At 6’3” and 215 pounds, he had a stellar high school junior season in 2019 with 43 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Despite having his senior season impacted by COVID-19, he recreated similar numbers — 26 catches for 305 yards and again, four touchdowns. He should also have a decent amount of room to make his
Evans is a three-star recruit and the No. 12 tight end in the country, according to ESPN. He had 19 catches for 306 yards and seven touchdowns, along with three rushes for 61 yards and a touchdown in 2019 at Ohio’s Wadsworth high school. In 2020, he proved just how versatile a player he is by stepping into the quarterback position, throwing for 2132 throwing yards and 23 touchdowns. Evans’ versatility can make him a standout recruit as the Irish coaching staff irons out their “go-to” roster for the 2021 season.
Follow us on Twitter. @ObserverSports
Paid Advertisement
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | Monday, April 19, 2021 | The Observer
M Tennis
Volleyball
Continued from page 12
Continued from page 12
back to within one with a win at six singles after William Howells defeated freshman Alexander Kiefer 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, but the Cavaliers sealed the match victory on court five when William Woodall clinched the victory in a third set against Connor Fu 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Against Virginia Tech, the Irish quickly claimed the doubles point. McCormick and Nefve defeated sophomore Jordan Chrysostom and freshman Ryan Fishback 6-3 before Ancona and Howells sealed the point with a victory over graduate students Mitch Harper and Alex Ribeiro 6-2. In singles, Nefve put the Irish up 2-0 with a win over Harper 6-2, 6-4 at one singles. At the two singles position, Ciamarra widened the Irish lead to 3-0 with a win over sophomore Matthis Ross 6-2, 7-5. McCormick sealed the victory for the Irish at the three singles position with a win over Ribeiro 7-6, 6-3. After the conclusion of the match, the Irish took time to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of this year’s graduating class. Matt Gamble, Brandon Ancona, Paul Gota, William Howells, Tristan McCormick and Richard Ciamarra were all recognized. The Irish will next travel to Rome, Georgia, for the ACC Championships, which will take place April 21-25th.
best since joining the ACC in 2013. After the loss to Oregon, Irish head coach Mike Johnson exuded praise for his squad. “I give our kids credit. I thought we competed hard … It’s not how we wanted it to end of course, but I can’t say enough about our players, about the people that they are, about the sacrifices they’ve made. I just have the greatest love and appreciation for them.” Freshman Aubrey Hamilton and junior Charley Niego paced the Irish offensively with nine and eight kills, respectively. Niego also tied for a team-high 12 digs with junior setter Zoe Nunez. Defensively, senior Hannah Thompson put up four blocks herself, which tied for the total number of blocks Oregon had as a team. Thompson and fellow senior Monroe Olsen are the two players graduating off Notre Dame’s roster. “They entered this team at a time when we weren’t in the second round of the tournament, and to their credit, it has never come easy to them but they’ve always worked. They’ve grown as people, they’ve grown as players and they’re gonna leave here as graduates of the University of Notre Dame,” Johnson remarked. “I know there are greater
Softball Continued from page 12
the rally, and Shelby Grimm entered to pinch-run. Abby Sweet then grinded out a 14
pitch at-bat that featured 9 foul balls until she found the pitch she wanted and singled. Grimm showcased her speed and beat the throw to third, allowing Sweet to advance to second. Both would end
Paid Advertisement
days ahead for this program and when they come, I know that Monroe and Hannah are a part of it.” Notre Dame advanced to the Round of 32 after pulling out a four-set victory over Army, a game in which the Irish were firing on all cylinders. The team put up a seasonhigh 10 service aces, three of which came via serves from Nunez, who also racked up 30 assists and 12 digs. Niego’s had a team-high 12 kills and added 11 digs to mark her ninth double-double of the season. Out of 11 spring matches, Niego collected eight double-doubles. Defensively, Notre Dame was stellar, limiting Army to a paltry .006 hitting percentage for the match. Thompson and junior Lauren Wenzel each put up eight blocks, and sophomore Caroline Meuth added five of her own as well. The 10 service aces and 17 total blocks were good enough for second and third-most, respectively, in the NCAA tournament in program history. After Army won five of the final six points of the first set to win the set 25-23, Notre Dame locked in and handily took the following three for the victory. “I thought early on we didn’t quite play to the standards and the level that we’re capable of, but I also thought that this team has really had kind of an identity that we can find a way. I thought that when it got
up scoring after an Emma Clark single and walk-off wild pitch, clinching the series in dramatic fashion by a score of 3-2. Payton Tidd was again dominant, pitching a complete game and allowing just five hits, moving to 11-5 on the year. While Virginia jumped out to an early lead in the final game on Sunday, the Irish ensured similar drama did not ensue. Freshman Karina Gaskins hit a two-run home run to give the Irish the lead in the third inning, and the Irish took control from there. Taking the game by a score of 5-1, Notre Dame swept the Cavaliers and improved to 14-0 at home. Holloway earned her 10th win of the season, allowing just two hits in the complete game effort. The Irish will look to ride the high of what was one of their most complete weekends of the year into a busy and tough week of games. They will try to extend their home winning streak when they face the DePaul Blue Demons (19-9, 10-1 Big East) on April 21st before traveling to Blacksburg, Virginia on the 23rd for a four-game weekend series against the Virginia Tech Hokies (28-7, 19-7 ACC).
11
CONNERY McFADDEN | The Observer
Irish junior outside hitter Charley Niego hits the ball over the net during a 3-1 Notre Dame home win over Wake Forest on Oct. 6, 2018.
tough, we found a way, we locked in, and we really started to play with joy and look like we were having fun out there,” Johnson noted after the first-round game. Looking ahead, Johnson is excited about the future and the growth to come. “I think we can play better. I think there’s more out there for us,” he said. “This was a
team that had three freshmen on the f loor all year, we lose two really great seniors, but for me, I’m always motivated … For us, we’re going to learn from this. We’re going to improve. We’re going to be back and we’re going to be better.” Contact Grannt DelVecchio at gdelvecc@nd.edu
ARI DENNING | The Observer
Irish junior pitcher Payton Tidd winds up for a pitch during Notre Dame’s 6-5 victory over NC State on Mar. 26 at Melissa Cook Stadium.
12
The observer | Monday, April 19, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
nd softball | nd 7, uva 1; nd 6-3; nd 3-2; nd 5-1
Squad wins 4 against Cavaliers Observer Staff Report
Heading into this weekend, it was safe to say that Notre Dame (22-12, 13-10 ACC) didn’t know what to expect. They were confident at home, where they boasted a 10-0 record, and were facing a lesser conference opponent in the Virginia Cavaliers (13-25, 9-20 ACC). But the Irish knew they had to bounce back after being swept in their last ACC series and coming off five consecutive cancellations due to positive COVID-19 tests within the program. On Friday, playing in their first game in over a week, the Irish opened the series with a dominant win. Notre Dame took the lead early and closed the door with a scoring surge in the fifth inning. Junior Payton Tidd was a force in the circle, getting her 10th win of the season by a score of 7-1. She tallied five strikeouts, gave up only three hits and did not allow an earned run. Senior center-fielder Abby
nd volleyball | oregon 3, nd 0
Irish fall to Ducks in 2nd round of NCAA Tourney
Sweet and graduate student second-baseman Katie Marino were an extremely productive duo at the plate. Sweet tallied three hits and three runs, with Marino driving her in each time. In the Saturday doubleheader, the Irish needed to rally in both games. Heading into the bottom of the fourth inning in the first game, Notre Dame trailed 2-0. Sparked by a leadoff solo homerun from Katie Marino, the Irish scored four in the frame and weathered the storm to win 6-3. Senior Alexis Holloway pitched a complete game and struck out six along the way to improve to 10-6 on the year. The Irish comeback appeared much later in the second game, as the Irish trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. A ground out and a f ly out left them with two outs and nobody on. Junior Quinn Biggio connected for a single to start see SOFTBALL PAGE 11
By GRANT DelVECCHIO Sports Writer
CONNERY McFADDEN | The Observer
Irish junior setter Zoe Nunez sets the ball during Notre Dame’s 3-1 victory against Wake Forest on Oct. 6, 2018, at Purcell Pavilion.
The curtain closed on Notre Dame volleyball’s 2020-2021 season Thursday night in Omaha, as the No. 22 ranked Irish lost in straight sets in the Round of 32 of the NCA A tournament (17-25, 2225, 13-25) to No. 10 Oregon. Notre Dame completes the never-before combined falland-spring season with an overall record of 15-4. The trip to Omaha marked the program’s twenty-first trip to the NCA A tournament overall, and third in the past four seasons. It was the twelfth time the team advanced to the Round of 32. The Irish finished 13-3 in the ACC, missing out on the regular-season conference championship by one game to Louisville (who they beat in the two team’s lone matchup of the season). The second-place finish in the conference is Notre Dame’s see VOLLEYBALL PAGE 11
nd men’s tennis | virginia 4, nd 2; nd 4, virginia tech 0
football
Fall season position previews: tight end
ND splits last pair of regular season
Observer Staff Report
Observer Staff Report
Any Notre Dame fan who has watched the Irish over the last few years knows a discussion about the offense is not complete before conducting a thorough examination of the tight end position. There will be a new starting QB under center for the Irish in 2021, but who will he be able to rely on to make key receptions and pave the way for the run game? Without further ado, here is The Observer’s tight end breakdown for 2021. Position Group: Tight End 2021 Depth Chart: senior George Takacs; sophomores Michael Mayer and Kevin Bauman; incoming freshmen Cane Berrong and Mitchell Evans
Last weekend, the 35thranked Notre Dame men’s tennis team hosted two ACC matches to finish off the regular season, losing 2-4 to No. 5 Virginia (18-2, 12-0 ACC) Friday and coming away with a victory 4-0 against No. 29 Virginia Tech (11-8, 6-6 ACC) Sunday. At the season’s conclusion, the Irish (14-9, 7-5 ACC) now sit in 5th place for the upcoming ACC Championships. The match versus the Cavaliers proved to be a tightly contested one, as the doubles point would be decided in a final tiebreaking match and four of the six singles matches went to a deciding third set. The Irish picked up the first match of the day at three doubles, with the pairing of sophomore Matthew Che and senior Richard Ciamarra winning 6-2 over junior Ryan Goetz and senior Matthew Lord.
Key Departures: Brock Wright Wright has been a force see FOOTBALL PAGE 10
Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics
Irish senior tight end George Takacs falls to the ground during Notre Dame’s 31-17 win over North Carolina on Nov. 27, 2020.
Despite Notre Dame’s quick start, the Cavaliers stormed back, taking the two doubles position with freshman Jeffrey Von Der Schulenburg and freshman Inaki Montes winning 6-4 over senior William Howells and graduate student Brandon Ancona. Virginia sealed the doubles point with a victory at the ones doubles position as junior Axel Nefve and senior Tristan McCormick fell to junior William Woodall and freshman Chris Rodesch 7-6. In singles, senior Gianni Ross defeated Che on court four 6-2, 6-2 to give Virginia a 2-0 lead. Notre Dame closed the gap with a win at one singles as the 35th-ranked Nefve dispatched 24th-ranked Von Der Schulenburg 6-3, 7-6. The Cavaliers widened their lead again to 3-1 as 49th-ranked Montes defeated Ciamarra 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 at two singles. The Irish brought the match see M TENNIS PAGE 11