Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, March 28, 2025
SMC elects new student government leaders
Ivory Munoz and Kayli Zelinske-Mader discuss future goals and initiatives for their upcoming term
By BERHAN HAGEZOM
Saint Mary’s News Editor
On March 20, student body elections were held for Saint Mary’s College students to elect the 2025-26 president and vice president. On March 21, the results were announced in an email to students, stating that juniors Ivory Munoz and Kayli Zelinske-Mader will be the new president and vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA).
Zelinske-Mader, from Minnesota, is majoring in gender and women’s studies with minors in justice studies and political science. She is a student ambassador for the Office of Admission, secretary of the Residence Hall Association (RHA), director of internal affairs for SGA and vice president of College Democrats of Saint Mary’s College.
Munoz said that when she was considering running
Munoz, originally from Chicago, is a political science major with minors in justice studies and gender and women’s studies. She currently serves as the director of external affairs of SGA, vice president of Feminists United, and the Secretary of Belles Unite Borders.
see STUGOV PAGE 4
ND grads found clothing company
By EMMA BETZ News Writer
Since its launch in spring 2023, The Clothesline Company has sparked the interest of many Notre Dame students. Started by recent Notre Dame graduates, Lola Fernandez ‘24 and Callie Shaw ‘24, the small business is a platform which facilitates used clothing sales across the tri-campus community. Fernandez and Shaw began their project in the second semester of their senior year and have since continued this platform for current students.
During their final year at Notre Dame, Fernandez and Shaw observed the use of fast fashion amongst young women in college. They saw an opportunity to minimize environmental impact through sustainable shopping.
“We’re passionate about sustainability and limiting waste and excess,” Shaw said.
The first step in initiating the project was to gauge Notre Dame students’
interests in participating. In spring 2024, Fernandez and Shaw ran a clothing sale on campus where they sold their own clothes worn throughout their college years.
“Our first sale was a huge success. It was a tangible way for us to figure out what level of interest there was if we were to come up with a platform,” Fernandez said.
At the sale, the two surveyed those who had come to participate – inquiring what their fellow students’ experience had been with shopping for college. Many participants discussed the financial strain in shopping for Notre Dame events, while also mentioning the flaws within online shopping and fast fashion companies.
Respondents stated that shipping delays, privacy issues of buyers and excessive fees were all concerns among the general community of young, female shoppers.
The content Shaw and Fernandez obtained from these surveys became an
see CLOTHING PAGE 3
Harvard prof. speaks on the future of democracy
By SOLEDAD CASTELLANOS Staff Writer
On Thursday, Harvard professor Danielle Allen delivered the 31st Annual Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy as part of the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum “What Do We Owe Each Other?” Allen, director
of both the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation and the Democratic Knowledge Project, was invited to speak on her experiences as a prominent political philosophy professor and as a nonprofit leader. Allen previously visited campus in September 2023 to speak on her book “Justice
by Means of Democracy.” University President Fr. Robert Dowd kicked off the talk by acknowledging the work of former University President Fr. Theodore Hesburgh in shaping the Notre Dame that students
Advisers offer support for pre-med students
By ISABEL TORRES Staff Writer
Kathleen Kolberg, associate dean for the College of Science and assistant director of the Center for Health Sciences Advising, and Kristian Lax-Walker, associate advising professor for the Center for Health Sciences Advising, have expressed excitement at Notre Dame’s efforts to improve undergraduate preparation for medical school applications through
highly-involved advising.
Notre Dame says that “84% of Notre Dame pre-med graduates are admitted to medical school — that’s twice the national average.” While this number is high in comparison to other institutions, the Center for Health Sciences Advising is looking to further improve its involvement in the application process and transition to medical school for their undergraduate students.
Kolberg said that medical
school admissions counselors are looking increasingly away from the traditional GPA and into a holistic approach, like undergraduate institutions’ admissions processes.
“We are not downplaying the importance of the science, but when you get to the heart of why you do medicine, it’s the empathy, the compassion, the ‘I want to live a virtuous life’ and my gifts allow
BERHAN HAGEZOM | The Observer
Newly elected Saint Mary’s student government president and vice president Ivory Munoz (right) and Kayli Zelinske-Mader (left) pose in front of Le Mans Hall. The juniors were elected for the 2025-26 year.
How many floors in Hesburgh Library have you visited?
Zax Quirk sophomore Graham Family Hall “12.”
Liam Powell sophomore Siegfried Hall “Seven.”
Allys Hager senior off-campus “42.”
Rylee Taylor freshman McCandless Hall “Four.”
Leah McLaughlin freshman McCandless Hall “Four.”
Maggie Tromp sophomore Welsh Family Hall “Seven.”
Michael McDonald (left) plays Willard Hewitt and Victor Williams (right) plays Ren McCormack in the Pasquerilla East Musical Company’s production of “Footloose” the musical. “Footloose” will take to the stage on Friday and Saturday in Washington Hall.
Today’s Staff
News
Annelise Demers
Isabel Torres
Soledad Castellanos
Graphics
Meg Hammond
Photo
Mariella Taddonio Sports Noah Cahill Scene
Jayden Espinoza Viewpoint Kate Lariccia Friday
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.
Actors from The London Stage: “Hamlet” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
True Genius: The Mission of Women in Church and Culture Morris Inn
8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Conference.
Saturday
Screen-Free Shared Walk
St. Liam Hall
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Community walk with faculty and students.
Liberation: Songs of Harriet Tubman
Leighton Concert Hall
7:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. South Bend symphony concert. Sunday
Meet Your Museum Tour Raclin Murphy Museum of Art 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Tour galleries.
Women’s
Tragedies
Marcus Freeman speaks on life lessons
By AVABELLA MITRANO News Writer
The Notre Dame student government association held a student-only "Leadership, Family and Football" lecture with the University's Dick Corbett head football coach Marcus Freeman and James E. Rohr vice president and director of athletics Pete Bevacqua.
The event took place Wednesday evening in DeBartolo Hall, where Bevacqua asked Freeman a series of questions about his life to inform students on how to be successful. Bevacqua began with asking Freeman about the mentors in his life and how their impact allowed him to be where he is today.
Freeman mentioned that his family and former The Ohio State University coach impacted him heavily. He described how his mother's selfless behavior allowed him to always make decisions that were the best for the team.
Clothing
integral part in their vision for the company and branding strategy.
“The goal is to market clothes that are tailored to the Notre Dame experience. We can do this in a concentrated campus community where people trust each other,” Shaw said. In response to the lack of privacy associated with other online clothing sale platforms, such as Poshmark and Depop, the pair designed their mobile app, officially launched this Wednesday, so that a Notre Dame, Holy Cross or Saint Mary’s College email is required to sign up.
“The goal is to create a platform where students can
"You don't appreciate some of the people that are in your lives in the present, but as you get older, you look back and you're grateful for the many lessons that you observe," Freeman said.
Freeman stated that he originally never wanted to be a coach, but after finding out that his heart condition would prevent him from playing football, he learned to embrace the unpredictability of life.
He mentioned relying on relationships to get through challenges and developing a passion for the game of football, in which he realized that coaching was about helping other people have success.
"I can go on and on about the unpredictable moments that have happened in my life, but you're all gonna be okay. You put your head down, you go to work and then figure it out … you rely on your faith. You rely on the people you really value and trust that time heals everything," Freeman explained.
connect with one another, buy something and pick it up within 24 hours,” Fernandez said.
Shaw and Fernandez also applied their own professional experiences toward the project. Fernandez has marketing experience through her participation in marketing internships throughout college, while Shaw worked at a graphic design firm in the summers between their academic years. The two applied their previous experiences in their internship roles to develop their brand name and vision for the startup.
“Clothesline is about sharing life and sharing with each other. Sharing with the people you love is what makes life enjoyable and in turn, we try to make
Bevacqua then asked Freeman how a successful person like himself dealt with the losses, such as to Marshall University and Northern Illinois University (NIU).
Following Marshall University, Freeman said he realized that he didn't know how to win and promised himself that he would not lose another game.
"You have to fix your issues with urgency. You can't wait for it to get better. You have to attack it and figure it out," Freeman said.
After the NIU loss, Freeman mentioned how he drove back to Notre Dame that night and counted 40 days between the day they began practicing and the loss. He said that it took 40 days to know what it takes to win, but also 40 days to lose to a team that wasn't as good. This allowed him to realize that the problem was the team didn't know how to handle success.
From then on, Freeman reminded the team every week that they still lost to NIU and could not
the world a better palace,” Shaw stated.
Fernandez and Shaw view the project as a startup venture that they are committed to investing in and seeing its growth. In order to expand their platform, they intend to collaborate with other Instagram-based clothing brands and small businesses. Fernandez and Shaw will be hosting another clothing sale at Notre Dame’s campus on Sunday, April 27, and said they look forward to the opportunity to further expand their network and audience. They hope to involve more Notre Dame students in their brand that can offer additional skills and perspectives to the project.
Contact Emma Betz at ebetz@nd.edu
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underestimate their opponents.
"Some of the greatest lessons you learn is through failure. It stinks, it's embarrassing, you want to be by yourself and you don't want to see anybody, but you learn so many valuable lessons," Freeman said.
Freeman also discussed what it means to lead and the importance of having relationships with those you guide.
"Leadership is gray. Leadership is being adaptable and understanding what that person or this team that you're leading needs at that moment," he said.
When recruiting high school players, Freeman always reminds them that if they choose Notre Dame then they will not only participate in football, but also a premier education.
"What we have to do is get them to understand that there is life after football, and it's going to be hard … this is a challenging place, but the result of choosing hard is a lifetime of opportunities for success," he said.
Advisers
me to do this for people. There’s a lot beyond classwork. The classwork is actually pretty straightforward, yes: chem, orgo, bio, biochem, physics, English, psychology, right? So pretty straightforward. The part that’s less straightforward is knowledge of medicine,” Kolberg said.
Kolberg and Lax-Walker highlighted the increasing involvement of the Center for Health Sciences Advising, starting from the initial indication of “pre-med” or “pre-health” classifications for freshmen.
“We’ve started being more proactive in how we approach our first-year students. And as our [email list] has grown, we have to kind of shift it, because as they move out of first year into their sophomore years, they’re not going
Bevacqua asked Freeman to elaborate on how he balances being a coach, a husband and a father. Freeman responded that his family is very supportive of his job and that allows him to maintain a balanced life.
"It starts by having that support, that 'Hey, I understand you got a job to do. Do it right, do it to the best of your ability, but also, when you're home, be present right when you're home,'" Freeman stated.
Freeman concluded with a discussion about faith and the importance of it on the football field, even for those who are not Catholic.
"Through all those unpredictable moments, through all those losses, there's got to be a foundation that you always can rely on. That's always going to be consistent. For me, it's my faith," Freeman said.
Contact Avabella Mitrano at amitrano@nd.edu
to get the same communications,” Lax-Walker said.
The two emphasized the connections between the Notre Dame College of Science and medical schools across the United States. Lax-Walker said 28 undergraduate students recently attended a visit to Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine.
Increased visits to medical schools are a major goal of the advising team. Kolberg also encourages students to get clinical experience.
“We’re saying from the first time we meet with people that you have to get clinical experience in order to get into med school. In every college around the country, we’ll have people with outstanding grades and test scores that don’t get in, and feedback is often similar to, ‘well, we know they’re smart enough to finish med school, we don’t know if they want to be a doctor,’” Kolberg said.
The Center for Health Sciences Advising is also increasingly encouraging students to consider taking a gap year between graduating college and medical school to increase the number of hours of clinical experience that they have. Both Kolberg and Lax-Walker expressed that this will not negatively impact students, if used wisely.
“Another piece that people probably don’t often think about is that an extra year or maybe two, if they decide on two, is a growth year for them personally. There’s maturity that happens in that time frame that allows them to enter medical school with just a little bit more experience,” Kolberg said.
Luis Lopez, a sophomore in Morrissey Manor, studying neuroscience on the pre-med track, weighed in with his thoughts about pre-med advising.
“They tell us what to do and we do it,” Lopez said. “They tell us the options that are available, like volunteering and the research.”
Contact Isabel Torres at itorres@nd.edu
for office, being involved in student activities around campus early on helped her in making that decision. She said she felt encouraged to put herself out there in clubs that she was interested in.
“As a freshman, I was very exposed to the student activities portion of Saint Mary’s … my sister was a senior, and her best friend was the student body president at that time, so I’ve always had a little bit of a push to get involved,” Munoz said.
The duo mentioned how it
became progressively clearer throughout the years that they wanted to run for office.
“I feel like every single year, Ivy and I have increasingly gotten more and more involved. I think it is what led us to officially run as student body president, vice president and we both have just very different experiences as students at Saint Mary’s,” ZelinskeMader stated.
Munoz discussed how the election process presented them with a unique challenge because the two were in different states, one in Washington, D.C.
for a year and another at Saint Mary’s. Since both had full schedules, it required delegation and splitting between in-person and virtual campaigning.
“I think it was hard, but I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anybody else. I think that we ran the best campaign that we possibly could, given our circumstances of being away from each other and me being in a completely different state,” Munoz said.
The campaign’s platform focused on reinvigorating SGA’s role to the Saint Mary’s community and students,
Democracy
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
know today. He also introduced Dr. Asher Kaufman, the director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Kaufman expanded on the history of the Notre Dame Forum’s place on campus as he highlighted a list of notable past speakers. These included multiple Nobel Prize honorees and former President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos. In his closing remarks, Kaufman introduced Allen.
“[Allen] received the honor ... for internationally recognized scholarship in political theory and her commitment to improving democratic practice and civic education. Given the threat [to] democracy around the world, including here in the United States, the relevance of her work to meet challenges within this environment is both timely and critical,” Kaufman said.
The lecture was titled “Bringing Democracy Back from the Brink: A Strategic Vision and a Call to Action.” Allen’s presentation focused on the need for what she calls “democracy renovation.”
Allen attributed her interest in and dedication to the topic of democracy as a matter of family inheritance. She explained
that one of her grandfathers aided in founding the first National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter in 1940s northern Florida, and her other grandfather marched with suffragettes on Boston Common in 1917.
“Across generations, we in our family, my extended family, have taught about the importance of taking responsibility, not only for your own individual life or even for your family’s life, but also for the life of your community and expecting to play a role as a responsible participant in shaping with others the possibilities that we all have for healthy communities.
That has meant a lot to me my whole life,” Allen said.
Allen emphasized the challenges posed to democracy by rapid technological change.
“One of the things that we’re watching right now in the world is that autocratic systems, where we’re seeing an increasing number of those, are in some sense moving faster to master new technologies and to use them for their governing purposes. We’ve struggled in democracies to fully understand the full impact of technology and how to make sure our governing institutions can actually handle it,” Allen said.
enhancing the experience of students at Saint Mary’s and building a stronger community. As Munoz stated, they want to facilitate a campus environment where “you don’t have to be involved in order for your voice or recommendations to be heard.”
Zelinske-Mader also hopes that through their term, students will get excited about the programming and developments being done by SGA. They want to ensure students can see the benefits of making their voices heard and look forward to doing so.
“We are the Student
Government Association and we were voted in by the student body, so we want to make sure that the student body is excited to go to these programmings or getting excited to make their voices heard,” ZelinskeMader said.
The “Ivy x Kay” campaign was established on the motto “leading you today, leaving a legacy tomorrow.” They say they want to assist throughout a student’s journey in calling Saint Mary’s their home.
Contact Berhan Hagezom at bhagezom01@saintmarys.edu
Student senate ends term
By DAVID MURPHY Staff Writer
The Notre Dame student senate met on Wednesday in their final meeting before transitioning to the 2025-2026 senate class. On April 1, the 2024-2025 senate tenure will end, with the incoming body of newlyelected senators convening for the first time.
The meeting began with a prayer led by student body president Dawson Kiser.
Bringing up concerns such as the Trump administration’s flurry of executive orders on DEI and education as well as the integration of DOGE into the government, Allen argued that good administrative checks, balances and diplomacy faced an agenda of rapid uprooting and monarchical-based operations.
She also decried the rapid rise in polarization in American politics.
“One thing that I find moving and hard about teaching in college these days is that you guys have never seen anything other than this. It breaks my heart truly. In terms of the history of polarization, it really starts in the ’90s as the Republican Party polarized first and then the Democrats followed,” she said.
She added that the internet and social media have exacerbated polarization.
Throughout her lecture on political ideologies and the enaction of them within the government and citizens’ lives, Allen expressed the need for personal action and education. She closed by encouraging audience members to get involved in democracy, especially at the state level.
Contact Soledad Castellanos at scatellanos01@saintmarys.edu
Following the prayer, secretary Eileen Burger took roll call before moving into executive announcements. She highlighted several ongoing initiatives and events, including the Back the Bend and Taste of South Bend community events. Burger also took time to state the “Marcus Freeman: Leadership, Family, and Football” event would take place after the meeting. Kiser then gave his third and final state of the union address, which is set to be presented by the last senate meeting of the student body president’s term under the student government constitution. Kiser expressed gratitude to the senators in attendance.
“Thank you for your dedication to the student union. Thank you for the legislation and orders you all passed … in order to best serve students … This student union is only as strong as the people who make it up,” Kiser said.
Kiser continued his address by highlighting several projects undertaken by the major student union branches. This included work by the ethics council to improve the impeachment process, the department of national affairs and political engagement’s hosting of the Civic Engagement Series and the celebration
of Women's History Month by the Department of Title IX, among several other accomplishments.
“As you may have picked up, the student union has been hard at work this year to create the best Notre Dame student experience that we know ... Our terms are coming to an end, but the true spirit of Notre Dame pursuing greatness to glorify God and promote human flourishing must never falter within each of us. Know my prayers and support for you as we finish this semester,” Kiser said.
Following the speech, final legislation and nominations were passed and voted upon. SO 2425 34, legislation meant to reform senate voting procedure, was voted upon first, passing unanimously. The senate then continued preparing for the incoming senate body transition, voting to confirm their nominated candidates for the 20252026 executive board. After brief questioning, the new executive board was quickly confirmed.
Student body vice president Maeve Miller urged incoming senators to attend an upcoming senate workshop to prepare them for their terms in office. Miller concluded with her own gracious remarks, describing her time as vice president as “the highlight of my nerdy experience.”
Several senators spoke as the meeting wrapped up, providing information on upcoming events and achievements.
The new student senate will meet under the leadership of president and vice president-elect Jerry Vielhauer and Sonia Lumley.
Contact David Murphy at dmurph23@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO| The Observer
Professor Danielle Allen delivers the 31st annual Hesburgh Lecture in Ethics and Public Policy. Allen emphaszied the challenges to democracy posed by technology and rising polarization in the United States.
Biden fell first, now the nation
Declan Burke American DOMEland
Everyone has sent a text message to the wrong person at some point. I once thought I was sending a “Happy Birthday” text to someone I was close friends with, but it went instead to someone I hadn’t seen in years. Needless to say, it was not that person’s birthday, and the text kind of sat there for a little while. There was another time when I accidentally posted an Instagram story that I didn’t mean to, and I had to research how to take it down before people saw it. Mistakes happen, especially when it comes to technology. There was even that time when I picked up my phone, made a group chat with a few friends and sent out classified military documents detailing the bombing of Houthi targets in Yemen. Without even thinking, I unwittingly added a journalist from The Atlantic. Oh sorry, that last one wasn’t me; It was the Trump administration.
News broke Tuesday, March 25, that Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a group chat with White House senior advisors discussing the bombing of Houthi targets in Yemen. Goldberg claims he was added to a group chat on March 15 by United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, using the Signal messaging service. This reflects a significant breach of national security stemming from the seemingly frivolous actions of upperlevel administrators in the Trump administration. However, in a press conference, Trump maintained that “national security is now stronger than it’s ever
been.” Yes, because when classified war plans are being discussed over a messaging app with unintended parties receiving those plans, national security is at its strongest.
The Trump administration claims that a staffer by the name of Michael Waltz made the mistake and that Waltz has learned an important lesson. If a breach of national security had happened like this before the first Trump presidency, it would have been headline news. However, it seems that a national security breach is just another headline on page three of a newspaper. The frequent and continual dysfunction of the Trump administration has lowered the bar and image of a presidential administration so much that a simple national security breach has become the bar. The standards of the American people are so unbelievably low that the leaking of classified information is no longer a serious cause for concern. Ultimately, this national security breach just cements the defining narrative of the Trump presidency, the fall of the United States on the world stage.
A significant point in this administration’s fall can be seen in the recent meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump and Zelenskyy met at the White House on February 28, 2025. The meeting was intended to discuss the future of American support in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War; however, things turned sour over the course of the meeting. Things started from a mutual place of respect and diplomacy, answering questions in an oval office press conference. However, the tone of the meeting began
to shift when topics turned to how the United States planned to support Ukraine, given Donald Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At one point, a reporter attacked Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit to the oval office, claiming it was disrespectful, to which Zelenskyy replied that he would wear a suit when the war was over. The meeting worsened when Vice President JD Vance interjected that Zelenskyy seemed ungrateful for the United States’ support. This led to a shift in Trump’s formerly respectful attitude, leading to an unprecedented heated exchange in front of the media. The discussion got so heated that the mineral rights deal the two presidents had intended to sign was taken off the table.
In the aftermath of the meeting, the international consensus was firmly against the United States and President Trump. Never before has such an apparent disregard for the presidency and the nature of diplomacy been shown. Repeated actions like this have led the American people to believe that they are relatively isolated from international relations, and they settle for a president who only allows “minor” national security breaches to occur. That is what the Trump administration has done for the United States: taking it from a global force of diplomacy and mediation to being the butt of the joke.
Declan is a surviving biochemistry major at the University of Notre Dame. He is usually trying to figure out how to work the printer. Contact at dburke7@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
When Notre Dame speaks my mother tongue
For a long time, I watched Malayalam movies buried under the blankets in my dorm room. Not because I was ashamed, but because I believed that I could not afford to share this world of familiar voices and familiar words with the Americans. Alone, I watched my favorite comedy movies because I wanted to remember what it felt like to laugh out loud, with the people that I belonged to. I allowed myself to rewatch these movies, but I was always prepared to press my hand to my mouth, to smother the laughter before it reached the ears of my American roommate.
In those days, I also hunted down the latest Malayalam movies. I convinced myself to get Netflix and Hulu subscriptions and followed all my favorite Indian film critics with zeal. I even went so far as to write my first paper on the Malayalam film “Hridayam.” Every weekend, I searched for new pieces of home, and when I found them, I proudly exhibited them in the empty spaces of my heart, knowing that I would be the only admirer.
In my sophomore year, I graduated to a more confident version of myself, and as a result, I started watching Malayalam films at my desk in my dorm room. My new roommate and I were still getting to know each other. Our conversations were good and long but eventually, we would walk away into our own silences.
“Hannah, any fun plans for tonight?”
“I’m just going to watch a movie.”
“What movie?”
“It’s an Indian movie that you probably haven’t heard about.”
I never told her the names of the titles or the actors. Why would she care to learn words that sounded strange on her tongue? We belonged to two worlds after all.
But one night she chose to step into mine.
I was procrastinating work and watching “Chithha,” a survival thriller about a young man who is looking for his kidnapped niece. After three short hours of experiencing too many emotions, I put down my headphones, stretched and remembered wistfully that there was no one to share such a beautiful film with.
“Hannah, is the girl safe? I really need to know.”
I turned to Ruthanne, and we laughed together. She confided that she had casually looked over towards my computer screen and had been hooked by the story. Of course, she had missed most of it–the dialogue, the music and the incredible acting. But the film had reached out to her in its own way. I promised her with a smile that the girl was safe with her uncle. In our shared smiles was a thread connecting our two worlds.
As our friendship grew, this thread became a bridge. Ruthanne, determined to give me the full American experience, came up with a comprehensive list of Gen-Z movies that we had to watch before we graduated. Her willingness to invite me into her world gave me the courage to welcome her into mine.
One of the first Malayalam movies we watched together was “Forensic,” a horror thriller. Even though Ruthanne claims that the blood and gore scarred her for life, I am so grateful that she gifted me with her willingness to immerse herself in the unfamiliar. The second time, I watched a Malayalam movie with her entire family. They asked me questions about the Malayalam phrases that the English subtitles did not do justice to, the customs and traditions of the community that the film focused on and the social realities that the film emphasized. Curled up on my roommate’s couch with a blanket wrapped around me, I silently watched my American friends as they received and engaged with a product of my culture.
This was the moment when I finally stood on the bridge between the two worlds I inhabited. When my American friends invited me to share with them the most beautiful pieces of my faraway home, I finally experienced a wonderful sense of belonging in this new place I had chosen for myself. Their desire to wholeheartedly receive and engage with the gift of my culture told me that here, with these people, I would always be seen and known.
The sense of belonging I experienced in that moment has strengthened as I gradually found my place at Notre Dame. Last fall, I felt so proud when the University announced its decision to become need-blind for international students. Could there be a grander gesture of welcome, a more sincere way of telling someone from a different culture that they, too, are important? That they, too, are needed?
I experienced a similar, smaller moment of pride this Sunday when I read the Weekly Digest email and realized that Notre Dame would be screening a film in my mother tongue.
“All We Imagine As Light,” the Cannes Grand Prixwinning directorial by Payal Kapadia, will be screened in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
In the months after the film’s release, as I listened avidly to the many Youtube reviews that celebrated the way the visuals capture the melancholic beauty of Mumbai and the way the music leads the audience into deeper layers of the story, I wished and hoped for a chance to encounter this film in a theatre alongside others who also appreciate the beautiful.
This Saturday, I will get to watch this movie with my Indian friends at the American university that we have come to call our own. In this place where we were once strangers and longed desperately for our familiar worlds, we are given the opportunity to celebrate and share with the larger Notre Dame community the pieces of home that we hold onto.
Perhaps this screening is simply Notre Dame’s way of paying respect to a spectacular film that gained international acclaim. But to me it’s much more. To the Malayali Indian girl in me, the screening of this film is an invitation to share the most beautiful parts of my identity with my university.
This Saturday, I will listen to the familiar words flow from the mouths of the actors and travel back home to my country, to Mumbai and Kerala, knowing that I am held and that I belong here at Notre Dame.
Hannah Alice Simon was born and raised in Kerala, India, and moved to the U.S. for college with the dream of thriving in an intellectual environment that celebrates people with disabilities. On campus, you will mostly see her taking the longest routes to classrooms with her loyal cane, Riptide, by her side. She studies psychology and English with minors in musical theatre and theology. You can contact Hannah at hsimon2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Hannah Alice Simon Views without Vision
LETTER EDITOR
Kudos for increasing plant-based options
As a registered dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, I was pleased to read about the University of Notre Dame’s innovative addition of mushroom-based meat alternatives to its dining halls. Kudos! This step not only significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also introduces students to sustainable eating habits in a thoughtful, approachable way.
I also caught Joe Rudolph’s recent Viewpoint pieces on the matter. First things first: as someone who spent years living in Boston, I thoroughly enjoyed the decision to deliver your points in your Feb. 21, 2025, editorial, “Notre Dame Dining Hall Mushroom Meat Faces Opposition” in that wickedgood Bostonian accent, Joe. That said, I’d love to offer a bit of clarity and reassurance on a few points mentioned in your March 19, 2025, editorial, “ND Dining Weaponizes Lent with Fake Meat.”
When it comes to soy foods — such as tofu or tempeh — there’s a wealth of positive research worth highlighting. Studies consistently show that soy consumption supports good health, including a reduced risk of prostate cancer in men. For example, a meta-analysis revealed that soy protein and isoflavones have no negative impact on testosterone levels. In fact, they’re a smart dietary addition for anyone aiming for long-term health. So, Joe, rest assured: your gym gains are safe with soy on the plate!
As for seed oils, the conversation online has been loud — but not always accurate. Claims that they’re inherently inflammatory or “toxic” don’t reflect
what many well-conducted human studies have shown. Research suggests that oils like canola or sunflower have either no impact on inflammation — or may even be protective when used in place of fats from animal sources. So, while I’m not recommending guzzling seed oil or going out of your way to include it for health purposes, modest amounts in thoughtfully prepared food can absolutely be part of a health-promoting dietary pattern.
As for the processing of plant-based meats, the key is to focus on what they’re replacing. Foods like a mushroom-blended meatloaf or a soy-based steak alternative often displace foods that not only tend to have a greater environmental footprint, but are also higher in saturated fat, contain unnecessary dietary cholesterol and include carcinogenic compounds found in processed meats like sausage or bacon.
You raised enlightening points about Notre Dame’s sustainability efforts beyond dining, Joe. Addressing the environmental impact of building construction and energy use certainly seems like an essential piece of the larger sustainability puzzle. But this raises an important question: why not both? Promoting sustainable dining and improving infrastructure aren’t mutually exclusive — they complement each other.
Campus dining initiatives like Notre Dame’s mushroom-meat program might start on the plates in dining halls, but their impact extends far beyond them. They spark meaningful conversations and empower students to make healthier, more
informed choices that ripple outward — shaping what they cook in their apartments, influencing how they talk about food with friends and family, and even informing the decisions they make as future leaders, voters and parents. That’s why these kinds of changes matter — they help build a culture of awareness, action and long-term impact, one meal at a time.
The Physicians Committee has proudly partnered with Notre Dame in the past through our Universal Meals program — a free initiative offering institutions like universities, hospitals and hotels over 100 plant-based recipes designed to accommodate a wide range of dietary preferences and common allergens. During our 2021 visit for Notre Dame’s Vegan Awareness Day, students and staff enjoyed dishes like our Red Lentil Soup with Spicy Gremolata.
As a Physicians Committee representative, I’d love for our teams to collaborate again — whether that means sharing more recipes, offering educational resources or simply continuing the conversation with curious diners. Who knows — maybe whatever meals come out of such a collaboration will win you over, Joe!
Keep the thought-provoking conversations coming, Notre Dame — and keep those mushrooms coming, as well.
Xavier Toledo
Registered Dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Mar. 24
Digital cameras and overconsumption
believe this.
For Emma Chamberlain, it all started with her Canon camera. Or at least, that’s what she said in an advertisement in a 2023 partnership with Canon USA. Although she said it in a sponsored TikTok, it’s undeniably true.
Her early YouTube videos — recorded on Canon point-and-shoot cameras — in San Francisco showcased her becoming, lifestyle and interests in fashion and coffee. She documented her all-girls high school experience, car trips with her father and relocation to Los Angeles in 2018 as a 17-year-old.
As she filmed and edited her videos, her audience clasped to her sharp jump cuts and relatability in humor. She knew her humor was a breath of fresh air for a homogenous internet landscape. With time, viewership grew and solidified her prominence in social media. Chamberlain and other viral creators’ videos from the 2018 era were what many of my peers consider to be the peak of YouTube. We simply couldn’t get enough. She has since slowed her vlogging, or “video logging,” tendencies and is the co-founder of Chamberlain Coffee and host of podcast Anything Goes. Because of this, young consumers have reverberated her online footprint. Specifically on TikTok and Instagram, users have romanticized their digital cameras, just like Chamberlain has for years. I, like many, have fallen to
Specifically, one model is at the epicenter of the internet fad, the Canon PowerShot G7 X. The G7 X has been praised for its specs, compact design and images that are often distinguished from smartphone pictures. To understand its full capability, you likely need intermediate camera knowledge, which many online seem to not have (and neither do I).
It can both build the perfect social media feed and establish someone as a member of an in-group, largely the “it girl/it boy” aesthetic. This image usually promotes fashion, popularity, traditional social appeal and larger societal expectations. However, there’s another image to this trendy camera that’s more concerning. I see the G7 X as a marker of overconsumption, or an emblem of the internet’s tendency to purchase goods in excessive quantities. These goods are often sold not only for their logistics and their intended use, but with the influencer image catalyzing most to shell out hundreds of dollars.
Today, influencers and other online users who endorse the G7 X often promote dozens, or even hundreds, of goods in other videos. Some of these goods are sold with the same image: to curate one’s social media feed and seemingly perfect off screen life.
One of the main reinforcing factors in this market is TikTok Shop, a feature on the app that permits stores and business accounts to sell products in the app rather than on traditional websites or retail apps, like Amazon or Target. If a user explores the “Shop”
feature, they will find a haze of discounts, viral snacks and sketchy deals on name-brand goods. The algorithm pushes these products as needed in videos, too. Because popular influencers can earn commission from TikTok Shop, it seems that TikTok has contributed the greatest to the greater overconsumption culture.
Cheaper digital cameras are sold on TikTok Shop, but the push and desire for digital cameras remains a pricey, symbolic torch used to illuminate our understanding of social image. We all want to look better, but is it coming with a price even greater than hundreds of dollars: our reliance on materialism and excessive consumerism?
Because of these images fostered by the greater online community, the G7 X market has grown exponentially. In 2020, the G7 X was priced at $500 and found on the shelves of nearly every camera store and major retailer. Now, it’s nearly $800 and sold out. Other point-and-shoot cameras, like the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS and Sony RX100 are also sold out.
Redmond (Reddy) Bernhold is a junior studying biochemistry and journalism. He originally hails from Minster, OH but calls Siegfried Hall his home on campus. When not writing, he explores South Bend coffee shops and thrift stores. You can contact Reddy at rbernho2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Redmond Bernhold Born Reddy
By CHRISTOPHER COPE
Scene Writer
Recently, I had the pleasure of watching the Pasquerilla East Musical Company’s (PEMCo) dress rehearsal of “Footloose” in Washington Hall with a friend. The production stood out as a vibrant, high-energy musical with several impressive standout performances.
Ren McCormack (Victor Williams) arrives in small-town Bomont and quickly learns, after performing a number in front of his classmates, that the Reverend (Bryce Bustamante) has banned dancing. With the help and support of the Reverend’s daughter, Ariel Moore (Josy Pitaro), and his friend Willard Hewitt (Michael McDonald), Ren makes it his mission to figure out how to get Bomont to dance again.
To make one pedantic criticism before getting into all I enjoyed — I thought there were several loose ends concerning the writing that never got sufficiently resolved. I understand that the duration of the PEMCo production needs to be shorter than the actual musical, and that several scenes needed to be shortened for brevity, but the musical would have benefited from a structure that gave greater value to the plot as was given to the
individual scenes and numbers.
That being said, the musical numbers were undoubtedly the highlight of the production, bringing energy and vibrancy to the stage. The pit orchestra delivered an almost flawless performance, providing a rich and dynamic accompaniment to the action.
The choreography was seamless, with every dancer moving in perfect sync. Among the many standout moments, a few musical numbers left a particularly strong impression:
“Holding out for a Hero”
Aside from it being the most well-known song of the musical, it was sung with the most energy and vocal consistency out of the rest of the numbers. Moreover, the choreography matched the intensity of music. It was truly an exceedingly lively and animated number.
“I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man)”
Powerfully delivered by the Reverend, the number provided an emotionally charged and triumphant conclusion to the first act. The singing captured the character’s inner turmoil and transformation, blending desperation with newfound resolve.
“Mama Says (You Can’t Back Down)”
Willard’s performance was colorful and
endearing throughout the play, and his number just solidified that characterization. It was not a sacred, careful recitation of a number performed hundreds of times before, but felt fresh and dependent on Willard. His semi-cartoonish authenticity gave the entire musical a layer of charm and, I felt, was the key that transformed the musical “Footloose,” as most people know it, into a musical that is unique to PEMCo.
With regard to acting, Reverend Moore, Vi Moore (Maddie Bendzick) and Willard stood out the most. The Reverend, aside from not missing any notes in his solos, gave a uniquely mature and refined performance in the non-music interludes that I haven’t seen much of in undergraduate theater. Vi Moore, although a secondary role, performed the sweet tender mother with care and precision, whose attention to thoughtfulness and selflessness was palpable. Again, Willard’s performance was fantastic.
To say I enjoyed PEMCo’s production of “Footloose” would be an understatement, and I encourage you to enjoy it too. Productions of the musical occur at 7 p.m. from March 27 to 29 in Washington Hall.
Contact Christopher Cope at ccope@nd.edu
GRAY
The ensemble dances to “Still Rockin’” while visiting a dance hall in a neighboring town. Here, they listen to and dance to a live country band and attempt to dance with one another.
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Actresses Nicole Lysick (left) and Charlotte Schaub (right), playing Rusty and Urleen respectvely, perform “Somebody’s Eyes,” warns McCormick of the consequences of refusing to lie low.
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer Ariel, played by Josy Pitaro, decides to meet up up with town bad-boy Chuck, played by Nick Anderson, and meet his friends during “The Girl Gets Around.”
BASEBALL
Irish prepare to face FSU after midweek win
BY TYLER REIDY
Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame baseball returned to the win column and moved to 4-0 in midweek games with Tuesday evening’s 9-6 defeat of Michigan State at Frank Eck Stadium. The Irish, at 13-9 overall and 1-8 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, will host No. 4 Florida State this weekend.
The Irish scored all of their runs in Tuesday’s game during the bottom of the second inning. Each of Notre Dame’s first nine batters reached safely in the eight-hit frame, with six different players recording a run-producing hit. Graduate outfielder Brady Gumpf opened the scoring with a double before senior third baseman Nick DeMarco and freshman outfielder Jayce Lee followed with RBI singles. Freshman infielders Parker Brzustewicz and Bino Watters then went back-to-back RBI doubles, the former’s clearing out a bases-loaded situation.
DeMarco finished the lengthy half-inning with a two-run single, his second RBI hit of the inning.
Notre Dame’s offense did very little outside of that second inning, recording only one additional hit and scoring no more runs. That allowed Michigan State to climb back in the game after Irish graduate starting pitcher Dylan Heine departed with two hitless innings under his belt. The Spartans plated one run in the third, then two more in the sixth to make it 9-3. Notre Dame’s effective middle relievers kept the game right there, though, as graduate right-hander Sammy
ND SOFTBALL
Cooper and freshman righthander Oisin Lee combined to strike out five in two scoreless innings.
Notre Dame would need three pitchers, including graduate closer Tobey McDonough, to get through a testy ninth inning. Michigan State loaded the bases without swinging the bat and eventually brought all three runners home, as pinch hitter Sam Busch sent a two-run single to center field. However, with the score 9-6 and the tying run at the plate, McDonough locked in and struck out Spartan cleanup man Will Shannon, sealing his fourth save of the year and an Irish victory.
Eight of Notre Dame’s nine starting position players recorded a hit in the game. DeMarco led the way from the eight spot in the lineup, going 2-for-3 with three runs batted. Brzustewicz also drove in three while Watters reached base five times — once on his double and four times on free passes.
Florida State eyeing Omaha again
This is a very different Florida State team than the one that came to South Bend in 2023, when the Irish took two out of three games in late April. That was current Seminole head coach Link Jarrett’s first season in Tallahassee after taking the Irish to the 2022 College World Series and Notre Dame head coach Shawn Stiffler’s maiden voyage at Notre Dame. Florida State wasn’t all put together and subsequently missed the NCAA Tournament that year.
The Seminoles are very well put together now. In Jarrett’s
third season, Florida State is back to its traditional status as a program with 24 College World Series appearances. The Seminoles started 19-0 last season and returned to Omaha for the first time since 2019, but they couldn’t get past eventual champion Tennessee, blowing a large lead to the Volunteers in the Opening Round. This year, the Seminoles jumped out to a 15-0 start and, if they can stay healthy, will have as good a shot as ever at their first national title.
Florida State comes in at 21-3 overall and 5-1 in ACC play after being picked to finish second to struggling Virginia in the conference’s preseason poll. At No. 4 nationally, the Seminoles check in as the highest-ranked ACC team in the land. They’ve taken conference series from Boston College and Miami and come off a storybook, 8-4 defeat of rival Florida in Jacksonville on Tuesday. Junior shortstop ended the game by hitting a walk-off grand slam … that completed his cycle. More on him in a few paragraphs. You have to start on the mound when discussing 2025 Florida State. Last year, the Seminoles could hit with the best but struggled to stay healthy on the mound, keeping them short of championship weekend in Omaha. Not only are they now swinging the bat marginally better, but their 2.99 earned run average ranks among the nation’s best. Jarrett has used the transfer portal masterfully to craft a strong bullpen, as Peyton Prescott (Jacksonville), Maison Martinez (VCU), Chris Knier (Indian River State College)
and Evan Chrest (Jacksonville) all have pitched 14-plus innings, own an ERA below 3.00 and began their careers elsewhere.
Its bullpen is terrific, but Florida State’s weekend rotation is ridiculous. Junior lefty Jamie Arnold, a projected top pick in this summer’s MLB Draft, should get the ball on Friday. An All-American last season, Arnold has 34 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA in 24.2 innings this season but didn’t have his best stuff last weekend at Miami, conceding six earned runs on seven hits in four innings while walking three and striking out only two.
Projected Saturday guy Joey Volini was a different story in Coral Gables. The redshirt junior lefty, a transfer from South Florida, twirled a complete game, punching out nine in seven innings as Florida State claimed a run-rule victory. The burly southpaw, whom Jarrett compared to former Irish ace John Michael Bertrand, has a 0.99 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. It’s March 28, and Volini has more games started than earned runs allowed. That’s a real sentence.
Expect the Seminoles to throw sophomore left-hander Wes Mendes on Sunday. Like Arnold, Ole Miss transfer wasn’t great against Miami, giving up six runs on six hits and four walks in four innings. However, his overall numbers remain excellent, beginning with 49 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA. Perhaps most remarkably, none of Florida State’s three weekend arms have walked more than seven batters while each working at least
24 innings.
Florida State’s offense begins with a core trio you’ll see atop the lineup every day. Junior Gage Harrelson will always hit leadoff and play right field, Alex Lodise will bat second and man shortstop and junior Max Williams will hit third and handle center field. Harrelson, a Texas Tech transfer, knows how to get on base (.386 batting average) and cause problems on the basepaths (eight stolen bases). Lodise, a secondyear Seminole after starting at North Florida, leads college baseball with a .475 batting average and has totaled eight home runs and a team-leading 30 RBIs. Williams, an Alabama transfer two offseasons ago, leads the Seminoles with 10 home runs and has five of them in his last six games.
Outside of the big three, Jarrett has given junior second baseman Drew Faurot and freshman first baseman Myles Bailey more middle-of-theorder opportunities recently. The streaky Faurot, who began his career at UCF, has a .308 average and seven home runs. Bailey, who is in his first year as a first baseman, also owns seven long balls and ranks second to Lodise in slugging percentage (.671) and OPS (1.112). If recent weekends are any indication, Notre Dame will start sophomore right-hander Jack Radel (1-3, 7.65 ERA) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, graduate righthander Jackson Dennies (2-3, 6.41 ERA) at 2 p.m. on Saturday and junior right-hander Rory Fox (0-1, 3.66 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale at 1 p.m.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish play second home ACC series of season
By CHARLIE MORRIS Sports Writer
The Notre Dame softball team concludes a nine-game homestand this weekend, hosting the No. 22 Virginia Cavaliers on Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon. The Irish won their last contest 2-1 over UIC to break a streak of six losses in seven games, including a series sweep last weekend against No. 16 Stanford. The Irish enter the weekend 2-7 in conference play with wins over NC State and Louisville, both on the road. They have two ranked wins, against Missouri and San Diego State, who were ranked No. 15 and No. 23, respectively, at the time of playing.
The Irish will look to get the offense going against a strong Virginia pitching staff. Notre
Dame has scored three runs or fewer in 13 of their last 14 games, going 4-10 during that stretch. Prior to that, the team was 7-4 in a stretch of far more consistent offense.
Sophomore utility player Sydny Poeck enters the weekend batting .325 and has an active 13-game on-base streak, the longest by any Notre Dame player this year. She has reached base in more than half of her plate appearances at Melissa Cook Stadium so far in 2025 as she continues to serve as the offensive leader in the absence of junior outfielder Mickey Winchell.
Shortstop Addison Amaral is also a key cog in the lineup for the Irish, with a team-best .367 batting average in nine ACC games, including three doubles and a home run. Overall on the season, the versatile sophomore has 11
extra-base hits and 26 RBIs, both of which lead the Irish comfortably.
In the circle, Brianne Weiss picked up her first career save against UIC on Tuesday, striking out all three Flames hitters she faced. The freshman left-hander has a team-best 2.85 earned-run average (ERA) against ACC opponents, including a 0.64 mark (one earned run in 11 innings pitched) in two starts against conference foes. She helped the Irish eclipse the 200-strikeout mark as a team in the spring — only Virginia Tech in the ACC has done the same. Junior righty Micaela Kastor leads the Irish with 67 punch-outs, which ranks
eighth in the conference.
Head coach Kris Ganeff is off to a 14-19 start in her first year at the helm. The longtime assistant to the legendary Deanna Gumpf is still looking for her first series victory in ACC play after close series losses to NC State and Louisville and an 0-3 sweep against the Cardinals last weekend.
Virginia enters the weekend with a 24-8 record and a 6-3 mark in ACC play. They are only 1-4 when on the road this spring and have lost their only road conference series against No. 12 Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers boast a 2.76 ERA (sixth in the ACC) and have hit the most triples in the conference (20). Junior Jade Hylton
leads them with five threebaggers, seven home runs and a .737 slugging percentage. All five of their rostered pitchers have at least 24 innings pitched and an ERA at or below 3.39. Virginia is led by bench boss Joanna Hardin in her ninth year with the program. Hardin is just six wins shy of the 30mark for the third consecutive season.
First pitch of game one is set for 6 p.m. on Friday with afternoon start times on Saturday and Sunday for the final two games of Notre Dame’s second of three consecutive home ACC weekend series.
Contact Charlie Morris at cmorri27@nd.edu
secrets or intentions. Work quietly and make progress; what you achieve will speak volumes about who you are, what you stand for, and what you can do. Your numbers are 9, 15, 22, 29, 33, 44, 47.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Refuse to give in to someone or something that isn’t in your best interest. Make the effort and advocate on your behalf. It’s up to you to take control to achieve what’s in your heart and essential to your emotional well-being and prospects. Choose to be efficient and live life your way.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take nothing and no one for granted. Look inward for answers and discover purpose and peace of mind. Trust your instincts and set standards that encourage the outcome you want to achieve. Make your home a place of peace, comfort, and rejuvenation. Build your life on solid ground based on realistic expectations.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Only accept proposals and invites that align with your mental and emotional well-being and whether you have the time to fulfill your promises. Your perspective and choices will change, sending easily misinterpreted signals. Be direct, and you’ll spare yourself a lot of grief. Your power will come from doing what’s right.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do whatever is necessary without complaint, and you’ll outshine any opposition you face. Pay attention to the visual appeal; it will help you gain momentum over anyone trying to outdo you. Last-minute changes will impress someone who can influence the outcome of a decision that influences how you progress.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Ask questions and participate in conversations or events encouraging growth and understanding to reach your goal. When the time comes to take the next step, doing so privately is favored to allow for tiny but necessary adjustments. Education pursuits and travel will offer insight into successful marketing opportunities.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Exercise your rights and negotiate on your behalf to ensure you don’t go over budget or get in over your head regarding what you suggest you can do. It’s best to undersell your skills and overproduce when it’s time to present. A change of scenery will boost your imagination and creativity.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take in what’s happening in your neighborhood or workplace. Observation will offer insight into what’s possible and how to maneuver your way into a position that will benefit you personally or professionally. Put your energy into doing things differently, and you’ll capture the attention of someone who can help you advance.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mix business with pleasure. Attend reunions, tradeshows, or anything that brings you in contact with people who specialize in something you want to explore or add to your roster will lead to new possibilities and success. A unique approach to life, love, and promoting yourself and your skills will pay off.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put more effort into your surroundings. Let comfort and convenience precede how you handle others and your lifestyle choices. Think big, but don’t underestimate the cost of whatever you plan to do. An enthusiastic performance will capture positive attention that can shape the future. Romance is on the rise.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take in what others say and do and rearrange your plans and the information you share to ensure you maintain the upper hand when negotiating or determining what you want to do and who you want to work alongside. A wrong move can cause tension between you and someone you love.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your options will mount, allowing you to dream big, but before you follow through, take inventory and decide what you need and want to spend. A change is only good if it doesn’t compromise your life in other areas. Weigh the pros and cons and take the path that keeps stress levels low.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep your thoughts to yourself. Gather information and consider what’s necessary. Sticking to familiarities will put you in your comfort zone, helping you make doable decisions and a positive difference. Make a physical change, update your look, and do your best to get in shape and up to speed with trends.
Birthday Baby: You are informative, thoughtful, and energetic. You are innovative and curious.
ND WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Irish host No. 2 North Carolina in ACC clash
By CHRIS DAILEY Sports Writer
After a heartbreaking 12-11 loss on the road to Syracuse, the Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team will return to Arlotta Stadium for an ACC matchup against the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday at 3 p.m. Sitting at 1-4 in conference play, Notre Dame is currently ninth in the standings. A win would be vital for the young Irish program, as only 10 teams qualify for the tournament and the Irish are currently on level terms with Pitt and Louisville, only holding the edge via a tiebreaker.
Defeating the 9-0 Tar Heels will be a steep hill to climb for Notre Dame. However, head coach Christine Halfpenny’s team is hungry for a victory
SMC LACROSSE
after her team’s loss against Syracuse. Against the Orange, Notre Dame went down 4-1 in the first quarter but showed no signs of quitting. They responded with three unanswered goals to open the second quarter. Led by graduate midfielder Kristen Shannahan’s fivegoal performance, Notre Dame eventually took a 7-6 lead early in the third. Both squads continued to exchange goals back and forth, but in the end, the experienced Syracuse squad prevailed to see out a win.
Notre Dame’s season has been defined thus far by narrow losses. The Syracuse loss was the third of their four conference defeats that have come by two goals or fewer. Their only greater loss came against reigning national champions
and national No. 1 Boston College. Freshman midfielder Madison Rassas leads the way for the Irish attack. Her 29 goals on the year have kept Notre Dame in many of these tightly-contested games. Before facing Syracuse, Rassas had notched hat tricks in three straight games, including a four-goal performance against No. 24 Harvard. Notre Dame will also seek to keep feeding Shannahan. Her five-goal performance against Syracuse put her at 21 on the year, which she’s complemented with 10 assists. The Irish have four players with doubledigit goals in 2025: sophomore midfielder Kathryn Morrissey, junior attacker Emma Murphy, sophomore attacker Kate Timarky and
sophomore Angie Conley. North Carolina owns the second-best scoring offense in the country, outscoring their opponents 165-49. Defensively, the Tar Heels are no less dominant. Goalkeeper Betty Nelson is the frontrunner for the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Goalkeeper of the Year award — and deservingly so. Nelson’s 6.21 goals-against average ranks her at the top of the country by a healthy margin. Collectively, the three North Carolina goalkeepers who have recorded minutes this season combine for an NCAA-leading .585 save percentage. Notre Dame’s attack will likely need a near-perfect game to get by a Tar Heels team that has been a thorn in the side of
every opposition they have faced thus far.
North Carolina have beaten common opponents Syracuse and Clemson — two teams the Irish lost to — and are scheduled for a non-conference game against No. 3 Northwestern, who Notre Dame fell to in their season opener, on Thursday night. Aside from No. 1 Boston College, the Tar Heels may very well be the best team Notre Dame faces all year.
While North Carolina seeks to keep its undefeated season alive, Notre Dame aims to pull off an upset on Sunday afternoon. The game will air on the ACC Network with face-off in Arlotta Stadium set for 3 p.m.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
Belles lacrosse falls short in home opener
By CLAIRE WATSON
Associate Sports Editor
Following a resounding 17-5 win against Anderson, Saint Mary’s women’s lacrosse faced off against North Central Illinois in their home opener Wednesday but took the close 13-9 loss.
The Cardinals started off the first quarter with three goals in the first three minutes, two from Annelise Oster and one from Abby MacKenzie. The Belles closed the scoring gap to 3-1 as sophomore attacker Rachel Speckhard found the back of the net.
After 11 scoreless minutes concluded the first quarter, North Central made it 4-1 early in the second thanks to a goal from Zoe Palm. Sophomore attacker Cate Krema responded with her first goal of the night to make the score 4-2. North Central came right back with a goal of their own before
Krema and sophomore attacker Kathryn Kalinowski combined for the next three goals to tie the score 5-5. Crema grabbed two of them to secure a first-half hat trick. The Cardinals kept their offensive momentum, though, scoring the next two goals to retake a 7-5 lead. The Belles battled back once again, as sophomore attacker Lana Skibins and junior midfielder Mary Grace Heekin each scored their first of the day to knot the score at 7-7 going into the half.
In a lower-scoring third quarter, North Central added on a goal from Rachel Lawrence approaching the nine minute mark. After six scoreless minutes, North Central picked the pace back up as Palm scored and Lawrence scored again to keep North Central ahead 10-7. In the final minute of the quarter, Speckhard added on a goal for the Belles to cut the deficit to two entering the final frame.
The fourth quarter looked similar to the third, as it was also low scoring. North Central added on the first goal of the quarter to bring the score to 11-8, but a quick response from the Belles through Speckhard’s third goal of the day made the score 11-9. The Belles
comeback attempt would fall short, as North Central added some insur ance with just under five remaining, before scoring one more with zeroes on the clock, making the final score 13-9.
Speckhard and Krema led the Belles, both finishing the game with hat tricks. As Saint Mary’s falls to 2-5 on the season, they now turn their focus to WisconsinStevens Point on March 29 for senior night.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
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MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer Sophomore attacker Rachel Speckhard sprints away in the Belles’ 13-9 home opening loss to North Central College on March 26, 2025.
ND MEN’S TENNIS
Irish men’s tennis continue ACC gauntlet
By NOAH CAHILL Sports Editor
After going 1-2 in a packed weekend, the Notre Dame men’s tennis team will stay busy with another upcoming trio of matches in South Bend. They continue conference play with a Friday matchup against No. 5 Virginia, the front end of their Sunday doubleheader against No. 73 Virginia Tech and finishing the weekend with Southern Indiana on Sunday evening. A part of the daunting Atlantic Coast Conference, the Irish have started conference play 0-8. However, they pushed No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 6 NC State to the brink last weekend in matches that both eclipsed three hours, all before finishing on a high note with a 7-0 sweep of St. Bonaventure. The win got the Irish back on track, snapping the eight-match losing skid. The competition does not get any easier with Virginia and Virginia Tech, though, meaning Notre Dame will need its best tennis to earn their first conference win.
Sebastian Dominko was named the ACC Player of the Week on Tuesday, for the third time in his career. After taking down the 6th and 26th-ranked players in the nation from Wake Forest and NC State, respectively, at No. 1 singles over the weekend, the junior from Maribor, Slovenia improved to 16-2 in singles this spring. He’s won
ND WOMEN’S TENNIS
nine matches in a row, dropping only a single set during that span, and has started 7-0 against ACC opponents. Teaming up at No. 1 doubles with sophomore Chase Thompson, he has posted a 16-3 doubles record this season, including wins in four of his last five matches. The pairing defeated 40th-ranked Charlie Robertson/DK Suresh Ekambaram from No. 1 Wake Forest, 6-3 on Friday. The freshman pairing of Peter Nad, former ACC Freshman of the Year, and Luis Llorens Saracho complimented the top court well, managing a 3-0 record over the weekend. After a hard-fought loss against Wake Forest, senior Yu Zhang bounced back with straight-sets victories against NC State and St. Bonaventure. Sophomore Kyran Magimay also enters the weekend with positive momentum after an impressive comeback win against NC State and a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 victory over St. Bonaventure.
Virginia
The Cavaliers under head coach Andres Pedroso posted a 25-6 record in 2024 en route to a regular season ACC title and NCAA Quarterfinal appearance. They entered the spring season having won 50 straight conference matches, a streak dating back to January 18, 2020. After losing five seniors from last year’s squad, they haven’t been as dominant in ACC play this season, sitting at 4-4 with
losses to No. 13 Duke, No. 6 NC State, No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 10 California dating back to Feb. 28. Nonetheless, they have reloaded with 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year Dylan Dietrich, junior Måns Dahlberg and graduate student James Hopper. They have also received contributions from their five freshman additions, particularly Keegan Rice and Rafael Jódar. Rice features alongside Hopper on Virginia’s No. 28-ranked doubles pairing and has contributed in the middle of the singles lineup where he holds a 14-8 record. Jódar has been a revelation for the Cavaliers, already emerging as the team’s best player on the No. 1 singles court, where he holds a 10-0 record and 7-0 mark in conference play. The freshman phenom ranks 10th in the nation for singles and also boasts an 8-4 record across multiple doubles pairings, his partnership with Hopper ranking 70th in the nation. He will prove to be one of Dominko’s toughest tests of the season on Friday. Despite the talent turnover, Virginia still sits at No. 5 in the nation with a 12-6 record overall. After their Friday loss against Cal, they finished last weekend with a 4-2 victory against No. 9 Stanford.
Virginia Tech
Head Jim Thompson’s Hokies went 10-11 last season, posting a 3-9 mark in the ACC before their season ended with a 4-1 defeat in the ACC Tournament Second
Round to Florida State. They have struggled out of the gate in 2025 conference play, their only win coming against Boston College on March 16. They have lost their other seven ACC matches, six of which by sweeps. After graduating four seniors from last year’s squad, including No. 1 singles and doubles player Ryan Fishback, Virginia Tech has leaned on several incoming freshmen to fill the gaps in the lineup. Eyal Shumilov, Victor Kimpel and Patrik Jurina have all contributed across the singles lineup, recording 7-5, 8-6 and 4-6 records, respectively. Kimpel and Shumilov have also joined various teammates on the doubles courts, both going 5-3 across multiple partnerships. Seniors Matt Harper and Alberto Orso have led Virginia Tech’s doubles unit, ranking 65th in the country as a pairing. Maxime St. Hilaire and Ilyas Fahim have shared the No. 1 singles court, with St. Hilaire competing on the top court during last weekend’s pair of home matches against No. 9 Stanford and No. 14 California. The Hokies dropped both and enter the upcoming weekend having lost seven of their last eight matches. They will make a trip to Kentucky to face Louisville before heading to South Bend for Sunday’s clash with the Irish.
Southern Indiana
Head coach Chris Crawford enters his 15th season at the
helm for Southern Indiana. His squad posted a disappointing 5-14 overall record while going 0-5 in the Horizon League in 2024. However, the Eagles are already off to a stronger start in 2025, as their 4-7 record puts them well on pace to improve on last year’s total. They are also coming off their first conference win of the season, a 4-3 victory over Eastern Illinois on Wednesday. Junior standout Mathys Bove returns to the squad after posting a team-best singles record of 12-5 last season, and takes the No. 1 court for Southern Indiana. The senior is coming off a straight-sets win against his Eastern Illinois opponent. Junior Axel Sabourin is joined by freshman Jy Hibbert on the top doubles court for the Eagles, and both players contribute throughout the singles lineup. Their Sunday matchup with Notre Dame will be their third of four power conference tests on the schedule, having already been swept by Vanderbilt and Louisville in the first two. They will see an Irish team on the second leg of a Sunday doubleheader.
Notre Dame will take to the courts at Eck Tennis Pavilion on Friday at 5 p.m. to face Virginia before taking on Virginia Tech on Sunday at noon and Southern Indiana a few hours later at 4 p.m.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Irish prepare for Virginia and Virginia Tech
By NOAH CAHILL Sports Editor
The No. 33-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis team took a resounding 4-0 sweep last weekend against Louisville. The win improved its record to 14-3 and 4-2 in ACC play. This weekend, the Irish will make a trip to Virginia for a pair of ACC clashes with No. 57 Virginia Tech on Friday in Blacksburg and No. 5 Virginia on Sunday in Charlottesville.
Virginia Tech
Head coach Terry Ann Zawacki-Holdren’s squad posted a 9-13 record in 2024, going 3-10 in ACC play. The Hokies overcame Louisville 4-2 in round one before ending their season with a loss to Miami in the ACC Tournament second round.
After advancing to the Round of 16 at last season’s NCAA Singles Championship and becoming the program’s first-ever All-American, junior Özlem
Uslu leads the Hokies on the No. 1 singles court. With a 7-5 record on the top court in 2025, Uslu ranks 30th in the nation in singles and also partners with Charlotte Cartledge to form the No. 83 doubles pairing. The duo has gone 8-4 at the No. 1 spot. Virginia Tech has mixed up its No. 3 pairing, but Arina Gamretkaia and Tara Gorinsek have cemented themselves on court two for the Hokies, going 6-1 on the season. Gorinsek also slots into the No. 2 court for singles competitions, where she holds a 5-5 record. Semra Aksu started the year in that spot, but has recently bumped down to court three where she has posted a 5-7 mark. Gamretkaia, Laima Frosch and Mila Mulready round out the bottom half of the singles lineup, contributing to 7-7, 10-6 and 10-5 records at courts four, five and six, respectively.
The Hokies enter the weekend coming off a pair of home losses against ACC foes No. 28 Stanford and No. 17 California last time out. They fell 5-2 to the Irish in South Bend last season.
Virginia Head coach Sara O’Leary’s No. 5-ranked Cavaliers ended 2024 with a 25-5 record, finishing as ACC regular season co-champions and reaching the NCAA Quarterfinals. They returned several key contributors from last year’s squad including senior Elaine Chervinsky, who at No. 18 in the nation is the highest-ranked singles player on the team. She boasts a 23-7 overall record and a 7-1 mark in dual matches. She has shared the top-three singles courts with two more important returners, Sara Ziodato and Annabelle Xu. The No. 24-ranked Ziodato paces the team with a 10-3 record in dual matches while Xu is second on the team in overall wins with her 20-9 overall mark, earning her a No. 28 ranking in the nation. Freshman Isabelle Lacy rounds out the ranked singles players in the Cavalier lineup, coming in at No. 114 behind a 4-3 record.
In addition to her stellar singles play, Chervinsky has joined Melódie Collard to
form the best doubles team in the nation. They boast a 25-2 overall record, going 8-1 in dual matches and 7-1 against nationally ranked opponents. Another freshman addition Martina Genis Salas has partnered with Xu at No. 2 doubles, posting a 10-4 record in dual matches, including a 5-1 mark in ACC play. Their performance has earned them the No. 28 ranking in the country. Ziodato and junior Meggie Navarro round out an elite doubles lineup for Virginia, the pairing coming in at No. 40 and recording a 5-3 record in dual matches. The Cavaliers split a pair of matches at home last weekend, losing 4-1 to No. 17 California before bouncing back with a 4-0 sweep of No. 28 Stanford. They will host Louisville on Friday before seeing the Irish on Sunday. Notre Dame faces Virginia Tech on Friday at 3 p.m. and Virginia on Sunday at noon as it look to improve on its 4-2 conference record.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish rematch with No. 2 seed TCU in Sweet 16
By TYLER REIDY Associate Sports Editor
In her five seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame, Niele Ivey hasn’t yet gotten over the hump. You can always count on her Irish to qualify for the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, but advancing from there has been no guarantee.
In 2022, the underdog Irish destroyed Oklahoma in Norman before losing a close one in Connecticut to ACC foe NC State. A year later, they limped into Greenville with injuries piling up and lost big to Maryland after sneaking past Mississippi State at home. Last season, they couldn’t get through Oregon State in Albany after winning the ACC Tournament.
Given Ivey’s experience and the combination of her team’s talent and depth, Notre Dame (28-5, 16-2 ACC) now has its best chance at reaching the Elite Eight since the Final Four years of 2018 and 2019. All that stands in the way down in Birmingham, Alabama, is an up-and-coming team that beat the Irish earlier this season in a Cayman Islands event most fans wrote off.
It’s Notre Dame and TCU in the Sweet 16.
Vintage Irish showing up in the NCAA Tournament
Just about everyone in South
ND MEN’S LACROSSE
Bend and around the nation wondered which Notre Dame women’s basketball team would show up in this year’s NCAA Tournament. For the final two weeks of pre-tournament play, it was a team that appeared disconnected and out of rhythm, one that lost three out of five games and missed out on both an outright ACC regular-season title and a tournament championship.
That team must have missed the flight back from Greensboro after losing to Duke on March 8. The ultra-dominant Irish of December and early February have come to play instead, battering both No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin and No. 6 seed Michigan in last weekend’s first two rounds of the big dance.
In the First Round against the Ladyjacks, the Irish hit 100 points in an NCAA Tournament game for just the second time in program history, winning 10654. They shot 56.3% from the field and forced 28 turnovers, scoring at least 20 points in all four quarters. Senior guard Sonia Citron and sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo each poured in 24 points, while graduate forward Liza Karlen contributed her first double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Two days later, on Sunday, the Irish set their sights on the Wolverines and took them out of the game almost
immediately. Notre Dame outscored Michigan 32-12 in the first quarter en route to a 7655 win, making 12 field goals in the opening 10 minutes and again finishing with an overall field goal percentage north of 50.9. Hidalgo led the way with 21 points, Citron totaled 16 and graduate forward Liatu King played Notre Dame’s best allaround game with 18 points (on a 7-for-7 shooting clip), 15 rebounds and two steals.
TCU’s tremendous turnaround
It’s hard to overestimate the work head coach Mark Campbell has done to build TCU back up in his first two seasons. The Horned Frogs made nine of the 10 NCAA Tournaments held between 2001 and 2010 but did not return for more than a decade. After still consistently finishing above .500 throughout the 2010s, they tanked after the pandemic, going 24-60 with a 7-47 conference record between the 2020-2021 and 20222023 seasons. TCU then hired Campbell from Sacramento State, and he went 19-9 last year before getting the Frogs back into the dance this season.
TCU enters the Sweet 16 at 33-3 overall and 16-2 within Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs swept the Big 12 regular season and conference titles for the first time in program history. The Big 12 did only produce one
other Sweet 16 team, Kansas State, but the Horned Frogs have beaten NC State and Notre Dame, so they are a threat to just about any team remaining in the tournament.
As a team, TCU is above average in essentially every category and profiles especially well on the interior, leading the Big 12 on a per-game basis in rebounding margin (7.8) and blocked shots (5.8). AllAmerican finalists Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince comprise TCU’s two-headed monster, as each average between 17 and 18 points per game. Notre Dame is familiar with Van Lith going back to her three years at Louisville. The graduate guard transferred to LSU last year and joined what was supposed to be a “superteam” in Baton Rouge, but the pieces didn’t come together, and now she’s in much better shape in Fort Worth. Van Lith leads the team in assists and steals in addition to scoring.
Prince, a graduate center who began her career at Oregon, is the main reason for TCU’s success on the inside. In addition to her 17.5 points per game, she’s averaging 9.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per contest. Prince also scores the ball efficiently with a 58.8 field goal percentage. TCU’s third double-digit scorer is senior guard Madison Conner, a sharpshooter at 45.5% from deep. She’s
averaged 14.6 points and 3.7 assists per game, complementing Van Lith nicely.
TCU heads to Birmingham on a 12-game win streak after defeating Fairleigh Dickinson (73-51) and Louisville (85-70). Conner starred in the tournament opener with 23 points, while TCU’s lesser-known starters stepped up to overcome 41 Jayda Curry points against the Cardinals. Graduate guard Agnes Emma-Nnopu and sophomore guard Donovyn Hunter, who each average around six points per game, combined for 41 points of their own, while Van Lith contributed 10 assists as part of a double-double.
When TCU defeated Notre Dame 76-68 in November, Sedona Prince and the fourth quarter were huge issues for the Irish, who blew a 14-point lead. Prince exploded for 20 points, 20 rebounds, eight blocks, four assists and three steals, leading a 31-point fourth quarter for TCU. On the other side, Hidalgo paced the Irish with 27 points, adding nine rebounds. It’s worth noting that Notre Dame did not have Karlen nor graduate forward Maddy Westbeld available at the time of that game.
Notre Dame and TCU will tip off at 1 p.m. on Saturday from Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
No. 7 Irish begin conference play against Duke
By NOAH CAHILL Sports Editor
The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team surrendered their chokehold on the No. 1 ranking for the first time since the middle of the 2024 season after suffering a pair of heartbreaking one-goal losses to No. 2 Maryland and No. 3 Ohio State. Their most recent trip to Ann Arbor got the Irish back on track, however, as head coach Kevin Corrigan’s squad defeated the No. 19-ranked Wolverines 19-7 in a wireto-wire domination. After taking last weekend off, they prepare to take on No. 11 Duke in South Bend on Saturday. The rematch of the 2023 NCAA Championship matchup, which saw Notre Dame exorcise some demons against the Blue Devils and secure the program’s first
title, will open up ACC play for both teams. The conference is shaping up to be as competitive as ever with four teams in the top 20, three of which cracking the top 10.
The loss of generational superstar and 2023 Tewaaraton winner Brennan O’Neill headlines a significant talent turnover for the Blue Devils, who came into the season at No. 7 in the nation following a 13-6 2024 campaign that ended in a quarterfinal loss to runnerups Maryland. Along with O’Neill, Duke lost the rest of their starting attack and 70% of their offensive production, headlined by the departures of Dyson Williams and Josh Zawada. On the other side of the ball, two-thirds of their starting defense is out the door, including five-year stalwart Kenny Brower and 2024 Premier
Lacrosse League Long Stick Midfielder (PLL LSM) of the Year Tyler Carpenter. Duke rarely fails to reload, though, and has done so again in 2025. Graduate transfers Eric Malever from Maryland and Luke Grayum from Richmond power the new-look Duke attack, and have hit the ground running in their new colors. Malever has posted 22 goals and the same number of assists for a total of 44 points in 10 games, all team-highs. Grayum slots in behind him in goal production with 19 on the year. Highly touted freshman Liam Kershis, who was the MVP at the New Balance Senior All-America Game, has helped round out the group, tallying seven goals and three assists.
The one area of the field where Duke maintained continuity was in the midfield, where the Blue Devils boast
one of the deepest units in the country. The trio of Max Sloat, Andrew McAdorey and Benn Johnston are all offensive threats, and have each eclipsed the 20-point mark already in 2025, the only players to do so other than Grayum and Malever. Defensively, Aidan Maguire and Jack Gray anchor a standout rope unit alongside Henry Bard, who bumped up from defense to long-stick midfield. Sophomore net minder Patrick Jameison, after becoming the first true freshman to start in goal for Duke since 2010 in 2024, has had a solid start to the season, allowing only 8.5 goals per game while posting a .503 save percentage.
The Blue Devils enter Saturday’s matchup coming off their worst performance of the season in a 13-6 throttling at the hands of No. 20
Denver. Like the Irish, they have been tested early in nonconference competition, and sit at 8-2 overall. They claim a pair of ranked wins over No. 19 Michigan in overtime and No. 10 Richmond in 2OT, but fell just short in a 14-15 heartbreaker to No. 4 Princeton. Notre Dame has a storied history with Duke, going 16-12 in the all-time series but losing to the Blue Devils in both of their first two national title appearances in 2010 and 2014 before finally getting some revenge in 2023.
Both teams will look to begin their ACC campaigns in winning ways on Saturday, with the face-off at Arlotta Family Lacrosse Stadium set for noon and ESPNU providing the broadcast.
