Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, March 31, 2025
ND pre-law offers resources to applicants
Career center provides assistance for prospective lawyers
By SOPHIA TRAN Associate News Editor
LSAT scores, recommendations, perfect grades – these are just a few of the factors prelaw students must consider as they apply to law programs across the country. With a variety of factors impacting admission, students must also face off other qualified candidates in the increasingly competitive applicant pool.
In recent years, Notre Dame’s Law School has had one of the most selective admission rates. With the class of 2027 admissions cycle, the Law School reviewed over 2000 applicants for less than 200 first-year seats.
At Notre Dame, there is no official pre-law concentration
or major, which is common at many other universities.
Ryan Patrick, a career counselor and assistant director for the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development, described how Notre Dame provides ample support to undergraduates interested in pursuing law school in a statement to The Observer.
“When it comes to your undergraduate classes, strong grades, challenging coursework and a passion for your subject typically matter more to law school admissions officers than the specific course of study you follow,” Patrick wrote. “The Pre-Law Student Board offers office hours and provides programming throughout the year to
students interested in attending law school. We host workshops, provide guidance on the application process and coordinate a mentorship program with the Law School, including a beginning of the year kick off and mid-year check in.”
In addition to the variety of available opportunities and advising resources available for Notre Dame students, Patrick advises undergraduates to consider pursuing service opportunities and exploring their interests in law through employment opportunities. Although pursuing specific career pathways in law may be subjective, Patrick emphasized the importance of exploration.
BAVO provides overview of Raise Your Voice event
By BERHAN HAGEZOM
Saint
Mary’s News Editor
At Saint Mary’s College, both Take Back the Night and Raise Your Voice will be held on Wednesday, April 9, and Monday, April 14, respectively, to educate and empower both survivors and allies. Liz Baumann, Saint Mary’s Title IX Officer, Alexa Zapata, Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) coordinator and Katelyn Sizemore, a student representative of the President’s Committee on Sexual Violence, discuss how these events fosters a culture free from all forms of violence.
Take Back the Night
BAVO began in 2009 as a space for students to receive confidential assistance on interpersonal violence. The office organizes Take Back the Night annually for students as part of its mission towards creating a safer campus.
“Take Back the Night is a moment for survivors of assault or just interpersonal violence to feel empowered. It’s being able to
just take back that sense of power and control that was robbed of them. Essentially, it’s working with the tri-campus to make sure that any student feels empowered, that they feel safe and that they know that they’re not alone,” Zapata said.
The kick-off event is provided by BAVO, while donations are by different clubs and departments across the tri-campus community. Prior to the march, students meet and gather to make posters and be able to come together to discuss a heavy topic.
The march to and around Notre Dame allows students the opportunity to shout the purpose and message of Take Back the Night to those who may not know about it.
“The march is actually, in my opinion, a really crucial part, because you walk around and say what the purpose is for Take Back the Night and it’s mostly students that are chanting and trying to get their voices heard. As much as we try to market it, the fact of the matter is, not everyone’s going to know what it is or what takes
Catholic relief hit by USAID cuts
By ROSE ANDROWICH News Writer
The storied partnership between Notre Dame and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) began 25 years ago, but the landscape has changed recently. CRS has lost 62% of their funding, according to an article from the National Catholic Reporter.
The loss of funding has impacted the organization in several ways, according to Michael Sweikar, the liaison between
CRS and Notre Dame. Sweikar is also the executive director for the Pulte Institute, formerly known as the Notre Dame Global Development Institute (NDIGD). The Institute was established with the goal to connect Notre Dame research and impact evaluation to organizations that were doing work out in the field, like CRS.
At the start, the partnership between Notre Dame and
Students brave Polar Plunge
place. Hopefully, with a march that kind of gets people’s attention, they can be like, ‘Oh, I wonder what that is’ and then stop by and learn something,” Zapata said.
Survivor Speak Out allows survivors to voice their experiences and stories without any mandatory reporters and only confidential staff, resources and organizations in attendance.
“It’s usually only confidential resources such as myself that’s allowed to be there,” Zapata said. “Counseling, people from Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame or Holy Cross and then different organizations like the Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County, the YWCA. It’s just a chance for students to be able to share their story ... that way they can get it off their chest and feel empowered in a space where they know that there’s other people that understand and believe them.”
The prayer vigil at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes occurs later
By AVABELLA MITRANO News Writer
Despite chilly temperatures, gray skies and steady rain on Saturday, Badin Hall held their signature dorm event, the Polar Plunge. The annual tradition is an effort to raise money for St. Margaret’s House, a day center for women in South Bend.
The event took place on March 29 on the beach at St. Joseph Lake, where students paid $5 to plunge. Participants had the opportunity to buy $8 t-shirts and $15 towels throughout the week to improve their swimming experience. Through their organization
Courtesy of Alice O’Brien
Badin Hall president Gracie Holroyd and vice president Alice O’Brien stand with Father Peter McCormick after the plunge.
In the 139.5 lb bracket Bengal Bouts championship, Edward “Pi Hard” Couri faced off against Ryan “Rango” Lally on Saturday evening at Purcell Pavilion. The match was decided by a split decision, with Couri taking home the belt as the final winner above.
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SAGE Stories Vander Vennet
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Performances of LGBTQ+ stories by faculty and students.
Public Concert
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei perform.
Tuesday
Saint Mary’s vs. Albion College Purcell Athletic Fields
6 p.m. Belles lacrosse against Britons.
Healthcare Speaker B036 Geddes Hall
8 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Dr. Marie Donahue speaks on maternal racial disparities.
Wednesday
Holy Cross vs. Marian University Pfeil Center
10 a.m.
Saints men’s tennis faces against Knights.
Belle to Belle SGA Student Lounge
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Survivor speaks on sexual violence and relationships.
Thursday
Talk Justice, Eat Tacos
216C Coleman Morse
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Discussion and prayer service for migrants.
An Evening With Kristin Kobes du Bez Carroll Auditorium
7 p.m.
Friday
Professor digs into prosecutorial misconduct
By MARIA CLARA LOPES CORONA Staff Writer
Notre Dame Law professor
Jennifer Mason McAward recently completed what is considered the largest-ever study on Brady violations—a failure by the government to disclose exculpatory evidence to a criminal defendant, as constitutionally required. Her landmark research sought to uncover a somewhat hidden, yet very persistent crisis within the U.S. justice system.
“It happens more than you’d think,” McAward said, summarizing the frequency with which the government either withheld or mismanaged evidence that could have exonerated individuals standing trial.
Brady violations were named after the 1963 Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, which established that suppression of such evidence violated due process, regardless of the prosecution’s intent. But intent, McAward found, mattered a lot in practice.
Through years of sifting through hundreds of judicial opinions and assembling patterns from scattered court records, McAward discovered two primary categories of violations, which she labeled bad faith and good faith cases.
BAVO
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
in the evening and ties in diverse religious perspectives within the tri-campus institutions. It then concludes with students floating lanterns on Lake Marian to process the night with a sense of community around them.
Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice is an annual symposium that began in 2022 following the release of an Observer article detailing the behavior of Zahm Hall as perpetuating rape culture, specifically towards Saint Mary’s students. President Katie Conboy then launched Raise Your Voice as an “annual sexual violence
“Bad faith was—you did this on purpose. You knew exactly what you were doing,” she said. “Good faith didn’t necessarily mean they acted well ... it was kind of the catch-all category for these non-intentional violations.”
In both scenarios, the consequences were troubling. McAward recounted cases where individuals were sentenced to death before it was revealed that critical exculpatory evidence had been hidden. While the public might have associated such misconduct with rare scandals, McAward’s study showed it to be a structural problem—one embedded in both human nature and institutional design.
Prosecutors were trained to believe in the cases they brought, which often skewed their perception of what counted as important evidence.
“You kind of viewed the evidence through the lens that you believed somebody was guilty,” she said. “Sometimes you just didn’t appreciate what evidence might actually show, other than the defendant’s own guilt.”
This, she argued, was not always malicious—it was sometimes just human. Prosecutors may have overlooked key details because they were under pressure to convict, and police departments may have failed to pass on evidence altogether.
prevention symposium” to empower survivors and the broader community.
The Title IX Office at Saint Mary’s is a space for students and staff to report on gender and sexual based harassment and discrimination. For the symposium, the Title IX office supports the event, alongside the President’s Committee on Sexual Violence established in 2015.
Sizemore discussed what the President’s Committee on Sexual Violence is and how it is set up with both administration and students. This includes uplifting student voices through a variety of subcommittees.
“The President’s Committee on Sexual Violence is kind of the overarching committee, and then the Raise Your Voice committee is
in the water, making sure that no one gets hurt,” O’Brien said.
“There was a good-sized chunk of cases where the police had the evidence and they didn’t even give it to the prosecutor,” she added, “and then [the prosecutor] didn’t give it to the defendant.”
That breakdown in communication—what McAward called an “information pipeline failure,” raised urgent questions about governance, training and institutional accountability.
Nevertheless, she said that “the majority of cases involved the government intentionally hiding evidence. So understanding that it was relevant, that it could show that somebody was innocent, and they deliberately hid it to get a conviction.”
Equally troubling, she found, was what happened after the violations were uncovered. One of the most disturbing findings of McAward’s research was how difficult it was for defendants to obtain justice after a Brady violation was discovered.
“It was very hard to hold the government accountable,” she said. “It was hard to get a new trial. It was hard to sue somebody for money damages. It was hard to get policy change.”
This frustration, in fact, was part of what motivated McAward to pursue the project in the first place. According to McAward, no one case held greater importance
a sub committee of it,” Sizemore said. “We look at Title IX policies on the college campus; we meet with Katie Conboy to discuss future plans and how to address sexual violence on our campus and in the tri campus.”
Sizemore discussed what was involved with the preparation process.
“The biggest thing was finding the keynote speaker and then figuring out the panels for the day,” she said. “This is the first year we’re showcasing student art and that’s a new addition.”
The keynote speaker is Andrea L. Pino-Silva, a civil rights activist and co-founder of the national organization, End Rape on Campus, who was primarily featured in the 2015 documentary, “The Hunting Ground.” Pino-Silva will
or was particularly influential in shaping her insights.
“I read every court case where the defendant mentioned Brady v. Maryland, so it took a long time to get through all those cases to find the ones where the court actually agreed that it was violated. And so for me, it wasn’t that any one case was impactful.”
What struck her most was not a single landmark decision, but rather the sheer volume of cases in which defendants claimed to have been treated unfairly. The pattern of alleged Brady violations revealed a disturbing trend. It was the cumulative weight of these cases, rather than any one ruling, that shaped her understanding of the systemic nature of prosecutorial misconduct and the fragility of due process in practice.
To McAward, those trends told a powerful story—one that had the potential to reshape how prosecutors and judges thought about justice. This vision for reform also led her to examine existing and emerging efforts to reduce violations. She was especially struck by the role state courts played in enforcing Brady, often with limited tools.
“One of the things I hoped to do was share my findings with state court judges so they could understand the importance of what they were doing,” she said.
be providing a session for faculty in the morning as further education on sexual violence.
The first event will be the Lizzy Seeberg Memorial Garden at Riedinger House. Baumann mentioned Lizzy as “a very important part of our campus and our story, especially within this topic,” and that the community is “really grateful to be able to honor her specifically on this day.”
Events throughout the day includes the screening of “The Hunting Ground,” along with four workshops on accompanying survivors in clinical settings and an reintroduction to the app, Callisto, balancing advocacy with rest and the impact of sexual violence on the LGBTQ+ community. Additional events include a student research panel and the
One promising reform is open file discovery, a practice where prosecutors provided the defense with full access to their files. But even this came with trade-offs.
“Defense counsel were notoriously underfunded and overworked,” she warned. “It created a huge workload burden on the defendant … that you wouldn’t necessarily have if the prosecutor was able to flag what they thought was the Brady material.”
Even so, McAward believed it was a step in the right direction—and one that could be strengthened by procedural safeguards and better communication between law enforcement and legal teams.
Ultimately, McAward emphasized that none of this work would have been possible without a large team of Notre Dame research assistants, she expressed. She credited them not only with helping comb through thousands of cases but also with enriching the depth of the final report.
“There were plenty of opportunities to participate in faculty research,” she emphasized. “We, as faculty members, were really, really grateful that we had the added brainpower and skill of our student body.”
Contact Maria Clara Lopes Corona at mcorona@nd.edu
“What Were You Wearing.” The evening will conclude with the keynote address.
Baumann and Zapata both expressed that they hope survivors and allies can attend these events to see resources available to them. They discuss these events as addressing a larger issue for the whole community to be working towards.
“This event truly is for everyone, it’s not just for survivors or loved ones of survivors. We all play a part in preventing and responding to sexual violence in our community. We can’t just put that on the shoulders of survivors, it has to be all of us,” Baumann stated.
Contact Berhan Hagezom at bhagezom01@saintmarys.edu
efforts, there was music, polar bear cookies and hot chocolate. Father Peter McCormick and Leprechaun McKenna Englhardt also attended the event.
Badin Hall vice president Alice O’Brien said the event came back last year after a hiatus from the pandemic. Much of the planning involved goes into making sure the event is safe for swimmers.
“We make sure that there’s multiple lifeguards and multiple Notre Dame police officers
Badin Hall president Gracie Holroyd, who organized the event, wrote in a statement to The Observer that they have been planning the event since November primarily through advertising efforts. Advertising was displayed on the screens in Duncan Student Center and LaFortune Student Center for almost a month, and tabling for the event took place in South and North Dining Halls as well as Duncan Student Center.
Holroyd wrote that one of her main goals for her presidency was to increase involvement and fundraising in Badin Hall
with St. Margaret’s House, and this event was meant to be the biggest fundraising opportunity of the year.
“I hope to make St. Margaret’s House a greater known cause and to really show that even as a small dorm, Badin can really have an impact both on campus and beyond,” she wrote.
O’Brien said she was very happy with the promotion efforts in comparison to past years, especially after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
At the tables, Badin students sold merchandise and a separate QR code was displayed for those who wanted to donate directly instead of participating in
the plunge.
“We don’t usually table. We’re a pretty small dorm. So the fact that we were able to get enough girls to table three separate locations and three separate days is very big for us,” she said.
Badin Hall’s Instagram account was also used to advertise, where they posted past participant’s experiences, including O’Brien herself.
“Seeing it as a freshman and participating in it was very cool for me. And now to be on the other side, having done a lot of the planning for it, has been very rewarding, especially now that I volunteer there,” she said.
Freshmen Daniella Fonseca
and Kristen Ison, both residents of Badin Hall, said they both participated in the plunge primarily to support St. Margaret’s house.
Ison said the plunge itself was especially cold because of the rain, but it was a very fun experience. Both Fonseca and Ison said that they would definitely participate in the event next year.
“I know a lot of girls like to go over there and volunteer, so it’s nice to do this. It’s also fun, and you get to donate to a great cause,” Fonseca said.
Contact Avabella Mitrano at amitrano@nd.edu
CRS was mostly focused on guest speakers, but it has been transformed over the past decade.
“We started doing more rigorous research with them, and really being a strong university partner to them in their work with USAID,” Sweikar said.
He added that CRS does a tremendous amount of work with emergency responses, and that they address food security in countries around the world. Notre Dame provided evidence to help CRS determine which of these programs were most effective, making the large scale budget cuts challenging. According to the CRS website, their programs reach over 210 million people in 121 countries.
“One of the challenges with just dismantling USAID is cutting almost 90 percent of the grants,” Sweikar said. “It’s basically just taking a hatchet to global development funding, as opposed to saying ‘We’re actually pretty good at figuring out what’s working, so why don’t we fund what’s working and effective, as opposed to just cutting everything.’”
Organizations like CRS received stop work orders which place grants under review. Around 30 days after the stop work order, they likely received a termination letter for many grants. According to a report by The Associated Press, the Trump administration has cut 90% of USAID’s foreign aid contracts.
The cut to foreign aid contracts will impact foreign humanitarian aid heavily, and Sweikar said that global health organizations may be unable to administer second or third doses of vaccines.
“Part of the challenge for organizations like CRS is that there has been very little time to adapt for them … which makes it really hard when you’re actively trying to ship food to a country, and you get stop work orders as the ship’s going to that country,” he said.
The substantial cuts to USAID’s foreign aid contracts has disrupted CRS in several ways, impacting their international programs and their staff.
“Not only are the food aid and the programs that Catholic Relief Services are doing no longer being distributed,” he said. “It’s significantly reducing the staff size of CRS and its ability to partner with organizations that help them prove what is actually being used most effectively.”
Sweiker said the two organizations came together initially for a partnership because of their shared values. One of the shared values between Notre Dame and CRS is the idea of integral human development, which Sweikar says is about looking at the dignity of the whole person.
“When we’re doing work to help those in poverty or others around the world, not just looking at it in an economic lens, but also looking at it with this idea,” he said. “[That] if you want to help people, it’s really about looking at the dignity of the whole person, and not just sending materials or building schools.”
The percentage of the federal budget is smaller than people realize, and the budget cuts will impact U.S jobs.
“People often don’t realize that less than 1 percent of our federal budget goes to these programs, and people often feel that it’s a lot more,” Sweikar said. “It’s actually a very minor portion of the US government’s budget that provides food security for people, which helps lead to our long-term security as a country.”
The long-standing partnership between Notre Dame and CRS reached greater heights when the Pulte Institute became the official home of the CRS student ambassador program at Notre Dame.
Anne Kelly, who is one of the current leaders for the CRS ambassador program, said she was taught how the CRS program works in the broader South Bend community by Sweikar. Kelly said that while the current chapter is small, it’s a very tight knit group of people who are very passionate about the cause.
Sweikar said the partnership between Notre Dame and CRS will continue, but that it will be difficult since both groups have lost their funding from USAID. He said future funds will have to come from an alternative source, from the private sector or through individual donations.
“We had a $75 million grant that we were partnered on to do long term research on the impact and cost-effectiveness of programs that was completely cut,”
Sweikar said. “So we have very little funding and no funding from those grants to collaborate anymore.”
The student ambassador program consists of a few small fundraising events, including the CRS rice bowl fundraiser, which takes place every year during Lent.
“Most of what we’ve done from a fundraising perspective has been with the rice bowl,” Kelly said. “That’s the main way of outreach, and many people remember it from their childhood.”
The program has also participated in congressional meetings alongside other local CRS chapters.
The usual conversations surrounding funding for CRS programs have recently shifted, according to Kelly.
She noted that the CRS student ambassador program was not impacted by the budget cuts, since they mostly do fundraising.
“It used to be about raising the bar from where they were already funding,” Kelly said. “Now that everything’s been cut, what can we possibly salvage and who can we get on our side? It’s been a total shift in everyone that I’ve spoken to who works at CRS.”
She thinks that moving forward raising awareness about what CRS actually does will be really important, even if you can’t see the people it’s helping.
“Maybe there is government spending happening, but it’s government spending for a purpose, to this really inspiring organization that does life saving work,” Kelly said.
Contact Rose Androwich at randrowich01@saintmarys.edu
“For many students a year or two of service is a great way to spend their time. Law schools believe lawyers should be leaders in the community and are people who give back, and AmeriCorp, PeaceCorp, ACE, etc. provide great opportunities,” Patrick wrote. “If students are interested in specific areas of law, working in that setting will help them be more credible applicants in the future. Policy is just the other side of the legal coin and another great option for most students, but really, whatever they do - they will need to frame that experience as leading them to law school and ultimately becoming a lawyer.”
For students still exploring the field of law, Patrick advised a different pathway towards discernment.
“For students who are not 100 percent sure they want to be a lawyer, the most common advice is to encourage them to seek full-time employment first,” Patrick wrote. “Law school is too big of an investment of time and treasure to pursue with uncertainty.”
Aside from helping students who already have a background in law, Notre Dame simultaneously provides support for students interested in law school that come from less directly related fields. Tonia Murphy, a teaching professor at the Mendoza College
of Business, provides one-onone counseling to Mendoza students who are interested in pursuing law school.
In a written statement, Murphy discussed how the law school community welcomes students from a plethora of different backgrounds, including STEM, liberal arts and business. More importantly, Murphy emphasized the focus on showing personal qualities in the law school application.
“Law schools do expect students to come with critical thinking, problem-solving, and writing skills that will equip them to undertake the study of law,” Murphy wrote. “In whatever course of study they pursue at Notre Dame, our students must develop these skills and so are well-prepared to tackle law school. Law schools recognize the rigor and quality of a Notre Dame undergraduate education, whatever the field of study.”
Both Patrick and Murphy agreed that the admissions cycle for law school can be stressful and even unpredictable. Especially with this year’s increase in applications, both noted some differences in the process, including a more delayed and slower overall process.
“Though there has been a large increase in applicants, for most of the students I have worked with this year has been fairly standard from an admissions acceptance rate
and invitations to enroll in top-rated law schools,” Patrick wrote. “This is true especially of students who applied early in the cycle before it became apparent this year was an outlier with nearly 1,100 more applicants than last year. For students who applied in November and later, they have had to wait a bit longer to hear about acceptances, and scholarships. We have also had to navigate ‘holds’ or ‘reserve’ application status more often.”
As more students seek out ways to stand out amongst the sea of applicants, Patrick and Murphy encouraged students to provide, alongside their academic achievements and pursuits, their personal stories to showcase their drive to becoming a lawyer.
“Show that apart from your GPA and LSAT score, you are a person who has interests and has pursued them deeply during your time at Notre Dame,” Murphy wrote. “That can involve any sort of activity. You’ve been a Bengal Bouts captain. You’ve sung and toured with the Liturgical Choir. You’ve tutored at the Robinson Center. You’ve done an Student International Business Council (SIBC) project. Through these activities, whatever they are, how have they caused you to develop the sorts of skills important for a law career?”
Contact Sophia Tran at stran2@nd.edu
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How globalization can be a bridge
Globalization is often seen as a force that erodes local cultures, blending everything into a single, uniform global identity. But what if globalization, instead of being a cultural bulldozer, could actually amplify local traditions and aesthetics? As someone who has lived in both the East and the West, I’ve often found myself contemplating how cultures influence each other and whether global brands can genuinely respect and reflect local heritage.
Living in a world where global and local identities are constantly interweaving, I sometimes wonder whether cultural fusion is a form of cultural loss or an opportunity for growth. The intersection of cultures in global markets is fascinating because it challenges both sides to rethink their identities. It’s like looking into a mirror where your reflection is shaped by the world around you. One of the most compelling examples of this phenomenon is the way Western luxury brands are increasingly incorporating Chinese cultural elements into their products to connect with Chinese consumers. I remember the first time I saw a Gucci collection inspired by Chinese zodiac motifs when I went to the mall with my friends. It struck me as both intriguing and thoughtful, a rare instance where luxury fashion seemed to genuinely honor the culture rather than superficially exploit it. As a Chinese student studying abroad, I have often felt caught between two cultural worlds. Seeing global brands like Gucci embrace Chinese aesthetics made me feel that my cultural heritage was being acknowledged on a global stage. In fact, Western luxury brands have increasingly embraced Chinese cultural motifs and heritage as a way to appeal to the vast and rapidly growing consumer market in China. This trend is evident in the fashion, cosmetics and lifestyle sectors, where global brands incorporate traditional Chinese symbols, colors and themes into their product designs and marketing strategies.
One notable example is Gucci’s 2024 Lunar New Year collection, which featured the Chinese zodiac animal of the year in elaborate embroidery and vibrant patterns inspired by Chinese folklore. Similarly, Louis Vuitton collaborated with renowned Chinese artists to create limited-edition pieces that blend traditional calligraphy with modern luxury fashion. When I saw those pieces, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. It was as if my culture was being displayed, not just as a marketing tool, but as an integral part of high fashion.
Another instance of this cultural fusion is Burberry’s Chinese New Year campaign, where the brand’s iconic trench coat was reimagined with red and gold accents, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune in Chinese culture. Additionally, the brand launched a series of short films starring Chinese celebrities, emphasizing themes of family reunion and heritage. As someone who has spent Lunar New Year away from home, these campaigns gave me a comforting sense of connection to my roots, even when I was thousands of miles away.
Moreover, the beauty industry is also adapting to this trend. Estee Lauder, for instance, released a special edition of their advanced night repair serum with packaging featuring red and golden peonies, both representing wealth and honor.
Despite the benefits, integrating cultural elements is not without challenges. Brands must carefully navigate the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. A lack of sensitivity can lead to backlash and damage brand reputation, as seen when some brands were accused of trivializing Chinese traditions. For instance, Dolce & Gabbana faced criticism for a campaign that portrayed Chinese culture in a stereotypical and insensitive way, leading to a boycott and reputational damage. To avoid such pitfalls, brands should collaborate with local artists and cultural experts to ensure authenticity and respect. Real respect means understanding the cultural context, not just using symbols because they look exotic.
Beyond commercial success, this trend highlights the importance of cultural exchange in today’s
interconnected world. When global brands embrace local cultures, they contribute to a more nuanced understanding of global diversity. This exchange benefits both the brand and the local culture by fostering dialogue and mutual appreciation.
Moreover, it showcases how globalization does not have to result in cultural homogenization. Instead, it can promote a richer, more diverse marketplace where multiple cultures coexist and influence each other positively. This is particularly significant for me as someone who constantly navigates between cultures. The integration of Chinese cultural elements by Western luxury brands underscores a dynamic aspect of globalization: the blending of global and local identities. Through thoughtful and respectful integration, brands not only appeal to local markets but also foster a deeper understanding of diverse cultural practices. As globalization continues to shape consumer behaviors, brands that embrace cultural diversity with sensitivity and authenticity will likely thrive in the modern market.
In this light, cultural exchange becomes a tool for both economic success and social cohesion, bridging the gap between different traditions while celebrating their uniqueness. As brands continue to evolve in their global strategies, cultural integration will undoubtedly remain a key factor in building lasting customer relationships.
Editor’s Note: This is an abbreviated version of the column. The full version can be found on The Observer’s website.
Molly Wu is a sophomore studying political science and economics. While she was originally from Beijing, she went to a boarding school in New Jersey since high school. Growing in an environment that stresses the importance of diversity, she enjoys absorbing and sharing different perspectives. You can contact Molly at lwu5@ nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
A city, not a checklist
My face was upturned, warm from laying in the sun. “Let’s just stay here forever,” one of my friends said, and I murmured in agreement. We had spent the past two days in Barcelona visiting museums and checking things off our itinerary. But with some free time that day, our group found a big park to wander around. We spent the afternoon strolling its paths, sitting by the pond and watching struggling tourists canoe around in circles. That’s how we eventually ended up laying in a random patch of grass for twenty minutes, letting our legs rest and soaking up the sun.
“I should perhaps do the reader a service by telling him just how a week at Perugia may be spent. His first care must be to ignore the very dream of haste, walking everywhere very slowly and very much at random, and to impute an esoteric sense to almost anything his eye may happen to encounter.”
This advice was given to visitors of Italy by author Henry James. James was a self-described flâneur, or idle stroller, who loved to let “accident” be his guide when visiting cities. “It served me to perfection,” he wrote in his book “Italian Hours,” “and introduced me to the best things.”
“Flâneur” derives from the Old Norse verb “flana”: “to wander with no purpose.” The term was popularized in 19th French literature to describe a certain type of urban, gentleman stroller. Artists and writers added their own associations to the word: poet Charles Baudelaire described the flâneur as a “botanist of the sidewalk” and Walter Benjamin described them as a pedestrian with “a detective’s
nose.” The flâneur had the ability to wander society while also being detached from it, his one and only purpose to observe his surroundings.
Although an outdated and privileged archetype, the romance of the flâneur is understandably alluring to travelers, myself included. When I look back at Barcelona, our afternoon wandering the park stands out as one of my favorite memories. I certainly enjoy seeing the highlights of places I go, but while abroad, I’ve realized that there are two very different ways to travel.
The first is like the tourist. This is the person who spends half their time almost afraid of the city: clutching Google Maps in an effort to not get lost or frantically looking up museum hours, fearful of missing a top sight. They plow through a city in a half-unconscious state, checking off TripAdvisor attractions in an effort to maximize their time.
The flâneur, on the other hand, embraces the city. They take the pressure off of curating a perfect experience, instead slowing down and making room to appreciate the rhythm city life surrounding them. I was reminded of this when I visited my friend studying abroad in Copenhagen, where some of my favorite memories were walking the streets while she was in class, wandering into a tea shop and baking banana bread in her friend’s dorm room. I loved the canal tours and castles, too — but found that seeing the everyday, slower side to life there made me leave with an even greater love for the city.
To me, “flâneuring” is less about wandering aimlessly and more about curiosity. It’s being aware that as a newcomer, you’re barely scratching the surface of a place, a place that someone else calls home. While the right way to travel is probably somewhere
in between the “flâneur” and “tourist” (it would be dumb to visit Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower), the point is not that you can’t make any plans: it’s about experiencing a city rather than consuming it.
Now that I’m back in Ireland, I realize how much it would be a disservice to reduce Dublin to just the Guinness Storehouse or Trinity’s campus.
Dublin is also the smell of fresh rain and the feeling of uneven cobblestone under your feet. It’s the ring of the crosswalk turning green exactly when you get to the curb, or almost getting hit by a bus when you jaywalk instead. It’s eavesdropping on two women gossiping about their neighbor in SuperValu and the “cheers” exchanged at the checkout counter. It’s the walk over to pre-drinks at someone’s kitchen, the discovery of a new pub that all the Irish students go to, and the kindness of the bouncer who lets you in for free, just because. Dublin is the late night Centra runs and sleepy ride home on the 39A just as much as its Top 50 TripAdvisor attractions.
Every city is its own place, not a checklist. Attempt to incorporate some flâneuring into your life — whether it’s by slowing down when you travel or paying more attention to the world as you go about your daily business. You might not have a specific destination in mind, but arrive somewhere nonetheless.
Allison Elshoff is a junior studying business analytics with minors in the Hesburgh Program of Public Service and impact consulting. Originally from Valencia, California and currently living in Badin Hall, you can find her unsubscribing from email lists or hammocking by the lakes. You can contact Allison at aelshoff@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Allison Elshoff Asking for a Friend
Molly Wu Bro Meets World
When the brass shows up
When sailors get word that “the brass is coming,” everything changes. Decks get an extra scrub, uniforms are pressed to perfection and even the saltiest chief petty officers stand a little straighter. In Navy parlance, “brass” has long referred to the highest-ranking officers, dating back to when sleeve rank insignias were crafted from brass material. When Adm. Christopher Grady takes the podium at that May commencement, we’ll welcome not just any brass, but a member of the Notre Dame family familiar with the view from the very pinnacle of our nation’s military leadership.
The scope of Adm. Grady’s responsibility as acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is staggering: overseeing a joint force of nearly 1.4 million active-duty service members across all branches, serving as principal military advisor on an annual defense budget of over $886 billion and guiding strategic decisions affecting military operations and readiness across the globe. When you include National Guard and Reserve components under his purview, the number of personnel rises to over 2.1 million. Simply put, it is the most significant military leadership position in our nation.
As a former Naval officer whose own pathway to service ran through the NROTC unit at Notre Dame, I understand the profound significance of America’s highest-ranking military officer address our graduating class. While he won’t be the first JCS chair to address a Notre Dame commencement — that honor was reserved for Army General Martin Dempsey in 2016 — Grady’s appearance is akin to having the CEO of America’s entire military — the principal military advisor to the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council — offer a horizon scan for our newest alumni as they embark on their own voyages.
His ascendance to this vital role marks an extraordinary milestone for our University. Think about it: from freshman ROTC drills to the Pentagon’s highest office, from captaining the Irish fencing team to commanding the nation’s entire military operation — Adm. Grady’s journey reflects the remarkable heights a Notre Dame education can help one achieve. When the military’s highest brass wears a Notre Dame ring, it speaks volumes about our University’s role in developing principled leaders.
I’m confident his message will resonate far beyond those planning military service. Whether our 2025 graduates are bound for boardrooms, operating rooms or remote African villages, they’ll benefit from his insights on leadership, decision-making and maintaining one’s ethical bearing in challenging times.
As someone who once stood watch on a destroyer’s bridge as we launched Tomahawk missiles at military targets in Iraq, I appreciate the profound significance of the nation’s highest-ranking military officer calling Notre Dame his home port. Admiral Grady’s distinguished record of national service is further proof that our University produces leaders with the wisdom, work ethic and moral fiber necessary to be a force for good in the world.
Fair winds and following seas are bringing one of our finest back home. Like so many of my fellow members of the Notre Dame family, I look forward to hearing the wisdom he’s gathered along the way.
Andrew Barlow class of 1988 March 27
President Conboy responds to ‘pushback’ on speaker
Dear Observer,
On Wednesday, March 26, The Observer published both an article (“Saint Mary’s 2025 commencement speaker choice receives pushback”) and a letter regarding the Saint Mary’s commencement speaker from a campus group. I am always proud of our students for using their voices and advocating for what matters most to them. We are a learning organization, and I am grateful for opportunities for all of us to learn. In that spirit, I have to point out that both the article and the letter relied on limited research and also circulated misinformation — and that Saint Mary’s was not contacted for comment.
I would like to share these facts with our community before further disinformation is spread:
Mary McAleese served two terms as President of Ireland (1997-2011). She grew up a Catholic in the North, and she remains a staunch Catholic today.
She has, across her entire life, had an unwavering commitment to the rights of the unborn, as well as to the rights of a pregnant mother. She is not pro-abortion.
She voted for the Eighth Amendment (1983) to the Irish Constitution before she was president and introduced no legislation to change it while she was in office. The Eighth Amendment was a constitutional amendment that recognized the equal right to life of the unborn and the pregnant mother.
She later came to believe, through actual cases, that the Eighth Amendment had failed to protect the life of the pregnant mother.
She has acknowledged how she personally voted on the Referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment (2018), which did not involve voting for expanding abortion access, but rather involved voting yes to the statement: “Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.” In other words, she voted to give Parliament the authority to consider and legislate on this issue, not on any actual proposed version of that legislation.
She took no part in the referendum campaign, nor in the subsequent debate on the kind of abortion law that might apply once the constitutional provision was gone. I would add, moreover, that her commitment to and respect for life extends beyond the abortion discussion. Observing that no child harmed in the clerical sex abuse crisis had benefited from canon law, she used her time after the presidency to earn both her licentiate and her Doctor of Canon Law degrees from Pontifical Gregorian University, focusing her thesis on children’s rights and obligations in canon law. That thesis won one of the Catholic world’s most prestigious prizes in 2019, the Alfons Auer Ethics Award from Tübingen University in Germany.
Finally, the Church’s positions on the rights of LGBTQ+ people and on women’s ordination are matters that Dr. McAleese has spoken about since the 1980s, before she was President. I do not believe these are
matters the Church forbids its membership to discuss. Indeed, Church teaching continues to evolve: while the Catholic Church clearly forbids same-sex marriages, Pope Francis has voiced his support for civil unions since 2020, and in a document released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Dec. 18, 2023 (Fiducia supplicans), he formally approved “spontaneous blessings” by priests and deacons for same-sex civil unions. The Synod on Synodality made room for discussion of a women’s diaconate, and Pope Francis created a commission to study it. It is not a closed topic.
On May 17, Dr. McAleese will be welcomed to campus, and she will deliver our commencement address. She has told me that she will focus on the heart of her life story: how, confronted with violent sectarianism on her doorstep, she committed to the great commandment to love one another—and to mean it. That was the source of her presidency’s theme of “building bridges.” As she put it, her talk will consider “the pursuit of peace among warring neighbours, which was and remains the mission Christ confronted me with when I was born in Belfast.” She will also receive an honorary doctor of laws, which we will be proud to confer.
Sincerely,
Katie Conboy, Ph. D
Saint Mary’s College President March 28
Editor’s note: It is the policy of The Observer to edit letters to the editor only for factual and grammatical errors and to welcome letters to the editor from all members of the tricampus community who wish to contribute to dialogue on campus with good intent. In last week’s letter to the editor from Belles for Life criticizing the choice of Mary McAleese as commencement speaker, no factual errors were apparent. The letter criticized McAleese for advocating for the repeal of the eighth amendment of the Irish constitution, which had codified the right to life of unborn children. Belles for Life characterized McAleese’s stance on the eighth amendment as advocating for the legalization of abortion. The Observer felt that this characterization was a particular interpretation of McAleese’s position, not a factual error, and as such did not deem it appropriate to change it. Others, such as president Katie Conboy, may of course disagree with this interpretation, but we view this as a difference of opinion, not a factual error. Similarly, a news article published last week discussing the debate over McAleese as commencement speaker referred to Belles for Life’s criticism of McAleese for her stance on the eighth amendment. This mention was meant to portray Belles for Life’s position on the issue and not to take a stance on it. The Observer disagrees with the contention that misinformation was spread in either piece. Although strict deadlines and time constraints sometimes make it difficult, The Observer regrets not reaching out to the College for comment on the story.
Liam Kelly Editor-in-Chief
By ANGELA MATHEW Scene Writer
Monsoon dripping, trains rattling, “kaali-peeli” cabs making a black and yellow bumblebee blur on the street; throngs of people heading to the beach collectively hoisting a huge icon of an elephant-headed god; nighttime roadside shopping for kebabs and kurtis and weaving through traffic on faded zebra crossings; slums in the shadow of glassy skyscrapers and flyovers.
Watching these realistic scenes of Mumbai, my hometown, in “All We Imagine As Light” on the big screen at the Browning Cinema this weekend felt uncanny — as if India were palpable and all around me in the theater. Even watching it three months ago in a theatre in Mumbai, the film touched me deeply. It reflected the city in a way I’d never seen in Bollywood, maximalist musical numbers traded for moody blue frames and a twinkling piano theme written by an Ethiopian nun. Unlike most Bollywood heroines, the protagonists aren’t light-skinned or written exclusively as love interests. And they actually sweat in Mumbai’s humidity.
“All We Imagine As Light,” which won the second highest award at the Cannes Film Festival last year, starts with a roving shot inside the city’s economic engine. The ladies’ compartment of the local train is a microcosm for the whole
of Mumbai — sari-clad housewives sit alongside college students with red-streaked hair. Bori Muslims in colorfully patterned “ridas” chat with women chopping vegetables on makeshift cutting boards. And Anu, a young nurse on the way home from work, takes a nap.
Anu and her older roommate Prabha, both nurses originally from the South Indian state of Kerala who’ve come to work in Mumbai, are at the center of “All We Imagine As Light.” Anu has a care free exterior but struggles to make rent each month and worries that her Hindu parents won’t accept her Muslim boyfriend. Prabha is the strong silent type — she had an arranged marriage but her husband, a factory worker in Germany, hasn’t contacted her in over a year. The third protagonist is Parvaty, a widowed cook who works in the hospital with the nurses, who’s being evicted by developers building a high-rise on the site of her apartment building. Over the course of the film, the three women help each other to cope with life in the big city.
Something I love about huge cities like Mumbai is the comfort of being anonymous. But Parvaty’s storyline illustrates that anonymity can be a nightmare for others. Although she is entitled to a new apartment from the developer, she is unable to claim it because she doesn’t have documentation proving that she has lived there for 23 years. She grapples with the idea that her lack of documents erases years of hard work, as if not having papers means you’re not
a real person. At the end of the film, Prabha and Anu help Parvaty to move back to the village she’s originally from because she reasoned that no one could kick her out of her home there. Watching the film in the US now made me think of immigrant communities facing ICE raids and immigrants choosing to “self-deport.”
I love how the film fluidly moves between different languages. The intimacy of Anu gossiping to her boyfriend in Malayalam knowing people on the bus won’t understand them and Parvaty and Prabha bridging their cultural divide by speaking Hindi — though it’s a second language for both of them — felt authentic. There’s also documentarystyle shots of life in Mumbai accompanied by narrators in different Indian languages (Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Tamil and Bengali) reflecting on both the opportunities and the disillusionment they experienced in the city. The mixing of languages added to the realistic portrayal of Mumbai. Some of those narrators call Mumbai a “mayanagari” — a city of dreams or, more cynically, a city of illusions. Like a lot of art films, “All We Imagine As Light” ends ambiguously with a scene that could be interpreted as a dream sequence. But despite the unclear ending, its realistic shots, sounds and themes reflect the spirit of this city of illusions with great clarity.
Contact Angela Mathew at amathew3@nd.edu
By HARRY PENNE Scene Writer
Last year, the top artist on my Spotify Wrapped was Rush (I’m a top 0.5% listener). If you aren’t familiar with Rush’s music, I urge you to give them a listen. Founded in 1968, Rush was a Canadian prog rock power trio comprised of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. In 2025, the band celebrates the 50th anniversary of Peart’s arrival and establishment of the legendary lineup with a 50-track anthology album, “Rush 50.” As a fan, I’m thrilled about this release. While many tracks featured on the album have been released prior, there are a few new songs. It’s exciting to have new content, given that Rush was disbanded several years ago.
While Neil Peart is Rush’s most famous drummer, when the group was founded, John Rutsey was on drums and recorded for the band’s debut album, “Rush.” However, due to health complications, Rutsey was unable to tour and left the band. After an audition process, Lee and Lifeson hired Peart, and he debuted on their first North American tour and stayed until his passing in 2020.
Peart’s addition brought lyrical and stylistic changes. Lee and Lifeson weren’t too interested in writing lyrics, passing that responsibility to the well-read and poetic Peart. Rush is known for their epic progressive (prog) rock
tracks.
In total, Rush has released 19 studio albums and 11 live concert albums. Their early albums, beginning with their self-titled debut, were heavily influenced by British blues and rock. With Peart, the group divulged from this style and began experimenting with prog motifs and sounds. “Fly by Night” is an interesting album as it bridges two styles, featuring the band’s first story song, “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” but also the hard rock anthem “Fly by Night.” The prog rock era is best seen in albums from the 1970s like “A Farewell to Kings,” “Caress of Steel” and, my personal favorite, “Hemispheres.” The dawn of the 1980s brought new instruments to experiment with: synthesizers. 1981’s “Moving Pictures” is one of Rush’s most famous albums, featuring “YYZ” — named for their hometown Toronto’s airport and rhythmically built on its morse code — and “Tom Sawyer.” “Moving Pictures” presents a good blend of prog rock, synthesizer and guitar. The follow-up, “Signals,” indicates the stark shift to heavy synth immediately with its opening track “Subdivisions.” It wasn’t until the 1990s that Rush would return to their guitar and hard rock roots with albums like “Roll the Bones” and “Test for Echo.” However, in their final album “Clockwork Angels,” Rush reintroduced their iconic prog rock touch. With their studio albums, Rush toured many times. One of their signatures was putting humorous set pieces, like
washing machines, on stage. Their 40th anniversary tour, “R40,” saw Rush work backward in time through their music. As the decades rolled back, so did the set decorating and technology used on stage. At the show’s end, the stage resembled a high school gym, calling back to their roots. Unfortunately, Peart passed away from glioblastoma in January 2020. Lee and Lifeson decided, out of respect, not to tour under the Rush name again.
I was exposed to Rush at an early age, thanks to my dad. I remember, back in the age of CDs, asking him lots of questions about the songs and the CD cover art. Suffice to say, their music has been constant in my life. It wasn’t until last year, however, that I truly began to appreciate their work from a musical standpoint. Rush doesn’t have a bad album — they excel in every genre they attempt, and Peart’s lyrics are poetry that could stand even without the music. If you want to get into the band’s discography, the new “Rush 50” album is a perfect opportunity as it offers a survey of their work through the years. With the ease of the age of streaming, I highly recommend you give Rush a listen!
This is an abridged version of the piece — visit ndsmcobserver.com to read it in full.
Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu
BENGAL BOUTS
Saturday night’s Bengal Bouts finals results
By CHARLIE MORRIS Sports Writer
On Saturday, March 29, 13 boxers at 13 different weight classes etched their names in the Bengal Bouts history books as champions in the 95th annual edition of the tournament.
Edward “Pi Hard” Couri
def. Ryan “Rango” Lally
The first fight of the night saw junior Ryan Lally take on sophomore Edward Couri. Couri attacked early in round one against the southpaw, putting him on the ropes multiple times. Round two saw a more even bout, with Couri looking slightly fatigued and content to let the clock tick. In round three, both fighters landed punches, but Couri managed a few hard hits and two clenches. This would be enough for him to clinch the split-decision victory.
Emiliano “Sleeping Brute”
Gomez def. Will “Socal”
Brady
In the second fight, two veterans, graduate student Emiliano Gomez and senior Will Brady, squared off in the ring. Brady connected with an early right to knock Gomez down as both gentlemen threw haymakers. Brady needed maintenance on his right glove before the round ended, while Gomez went for repairs on his face. The tide began to shift in round two as the graduate maintained his aggressiveness. Despite being knocked down just 10 seconds in, Gomez won by a referee stoppage resulting from Brady’s bloodshed.
Brooks “BMC” McConnell def. Richie “The Don” Mistichelli
The 158-pound weight class featured junior Richie Mistichelli and senior Brooks McConnell. The first round was methodical and evenly matched. Mistichelli
SMC LACROSSE
put McConnell on the ropes frequently at the beginning of round two and dominated the middle frame. McConnell took advantage of his technical superiority and landed a series of successful punches in the third round, doing just enough to earn a very close split-decision win.
Erick “Wutang Warrior” Valdez def. Charles “Pride of the Palisades” Collins
The fourth bout saw senior Erick Valdez face off against sophomore Charles Collins. A high-energy first round ended with Valdez landing some critical punches in the dying seconds. It did not take long for Collins to land some socks in round two, but both fighters looked fatigued in the last 1:30 of the frame. The third round resembled the latter 75% of the second, but it was the veteran Valdez out of the blue corner who came out on top via unanimous decision.
Michael “Crispy Chicken” Rauch def. Zachary ”Obi” Egan
In the 165-pound weight division, senior Michael Rauch and sophomore Zachary Egan squared off. Rauch came out flying with a series of quick body shots, controlling the pace of the first two minutes. There were fewer fireworks in round two, although Egan found himself on the ropes a couple of times. The sophomore rallied for a strong third round, but it was not enough. Rauch became the fifth champion of the night by a split decision.
Jackson “Amo” Amorosa def. Kyle “The Sheriff” Mackey
The sixth fight of the night saw sophomores Jackson Amorosa and Kyle Mackey battle it out in the ring for six minutes. A reigning champion, Amorosa started
strong and continued that momentum throughout the opening frame. Amorosa kept his foot on the gas in the middle period with isolated jabs and combination sequences. Mackey forced Amorosa to nearly fall between the ropes early in the final round, but “Amo” knocked his foe down quickly after to put any doubt to rest. Amorosa won by unanimous decision to go back-to-back.
Owen Serkes and Brendan McGinn matched up in the 170-pound weight class, as both seniors looked to graduate as Bengal Bout champions. Both men paced themselves in an even first round. Serkes showed some life offensively towards the end of round two to swing the judges in his favor. The bout closed with another even round. In one of the most even contests of the evening, Serkes took home the championship on a split decision.
Apollo “Creed” Leathers def. Henry “Goldilocks” Phillips
The eighth fight featured 172-pound boxers senior Creed Leathers and sophomore Henry Phillips. The contestants threw plenty of punches to open the fight. Leathers stayed aggressive in the second round, but Phillips hung tough against his more experienced opponent. Both fighters landed several punches in the third round before the final bell sounded. In the end, Bengal Bouts president Creed Leathers took home the jacket by split decision.
Matthew “Two Cup” Turzai def. Tommy “T-Rex” Santarelli
Both freshman Tommy
Santarelli and senior Matthew Turzai entered the final round off unanimous decision victories in the semi-finals. Turzai controlled the pace out of the gate as Santarelli struggled to generate many punches. Before the first round ended, Turzai grounded the freshman with a right hook. “T-Rex” responded with a strong sequence at the midway point of the second frame and took that momentum into a strong third. However, thanks to his strong start, the judges ruled Turzai the victor by unanimous decision to mark his third championship.
Jake “Your Friendly Neighborhood” Loughran def. Michael “Deagle” Nilsen
Junior Michael Nilsen and sophomore Jake Loughran met in the finals for the 184-pound weight division. The first round ended with little separation between the two fighters. The second paused with 41 seconds left for blood cleanup, but saw both competitors connect with several jabs to set up a crucial final period. Loughran cornered Nilsen a few times in the final two minutes, including with just twelve seconds to go, which is where the match ended. That was enough for Loughran to honor his late grandfather and become the 10th champion of the night.
Max “Soyster” Soyster Heinz def. Michael “Honey Badger” Heffernan
The 11th matchup of the evening featured sophomore May Sosyter Heinz and freshman Michael Heffernan. The fighters came out with electrifying energy, but it was Soyster Heinz who was able to pin Heffernan to the ropes before the opening frame ended. The sophomore continued to outpunch his opponent throughout round two as both athletes tired. Blood was shed in
the third round as fatigue took over. After the final bell sounded, the judges chose Soyster Heinz as their unanimous winner.
Ijeh “The Golden Child” Nwaezeapu def. William “B.O.A.” Johnson
The penultimate match at Purcell Pavilion saw Ijeh Nwaezeapu face off against William Johnson in the 195-pound weight class. Nwaezeapu, a past finalist and champion, set the tone early and forced Johnson to the ropes. He continued to dominate the early stages of the middle period as he wore Johnson out. The flurries did not stop until the final bell. Ijeh won his second championship via a unanimous decision in an impressive show of power and stamina.
“Suga” Sean O’Gara def. Ryan “The Gentleman” Davey
The final showdown featured heavyweights senior Sean “Suga” O’Gara and sophomore Ryan “The Gentleman” Davey. O’Gara lost his mouthpiece in round one amidst a relatively even round. The second frame was very similar, as O’Gara offered some lefts and Davey countered with rights. “Suga” landed an uppercut at the start of the third round, causing “The Gentleman” to start leaking blood in the final minute. That was enough to convince the judges. O’Gara took home the 13th and final jacket via unanimous decision to cap off a thrilling evening of bouts.
Baraka Bouts captain Anna Prest became the first female to officiate a Bengal Bouts fight in its 95-year history, and threetime champion Matt Turzai took home the Larry Ash Award as the best boxer for 2025.
Contact Cahrlie Morris at cmorris27@nd.edu
Belles defeat UW-Stevens Point on Senior Day
By CLAIRE WATSON Associate Sports Editor
This past Saturday, the Saint Mary’s lacrosse team earned a 16-6 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point while celebrating their seniors, including midfielder Paige Lyons, midfielder Valentina Rubio and goalie Emma Zmudzinski.
The Belles took a 3-1 lead in the first quarter as sophomore attacker Lana Skibins opened the scoring with sophomore attacker Kathryn Kalinowski assisting her. Rubio added a goal for the Belles off another assist from Kalinowski before setting up Skibins’ second. That brought the score to
3-0, where it stayed until the Pointers converted a free position shot with two minutes remaining to make it 3-1.
Starting off the second, Rubio scored an unassisted goal to extend the lead back to three. The Pointers responded, however, with two goals of their own to bringing the score to 4-3. Approaching the eight minute mark, Rubio got her hat-trick on another unassisted goal to put the Belles back in front by two.
After several scoreless minutes, Rubio’s free position shot extended the Belles lead to 6-3 to end the quarter. Sophomore attacker Cate Krema added on her first goal of the day to begin a high-scoring third quarter.
The Pointers responded with a goal of their own to make the score 7-4. The Belles came right back with sophomore attacker Rachel Speckhard putting in a goal at the 10-minute mark followed by another from Rubio to give the Belles their largest lead of the game. WisconsinStevens Point continued to battle, finding the back of the net twice to make the score 9-6. But a quick response from freshman midfielder Annabelle Spruill and Lyons, who both scored free position shots, kept the Belles
ahead 11-6. Rubio continued her massive day, adding the final goal of the quarter on an assist from Skibins. With a commanding 12-6 lead, the Belles could go afford to go on cruise control entering the final frame. They decided to keep their foot on the gas, though, scoring the last four goals of the game in the fourth quarter. Krema tallied an unassisted goal two minutes in followed by Speckhard’s goal two minutes later. Kalinowski was assisted by Skibins to make it 15-6 before junior midfielder
Mary Grace Heekin got in on the action for the final goal of the game, making the final score 16-6 in favor of the Belles. Rubio led the team on the field with seven points on a whopping six goals and an assist. The Belles improved to 3-5 on the season with the win. They now prepare to open up conference play with a home matchup against Albion on Tuesday with faceoff set for 6 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Happy Birthday: Organize, prepare, and only launch or share what you are up to when you feel satisfied with what you have to offer. This year requires precision, detail, and undivided attention to maximize your time, money, and skills. Stick to the rules and regulations and take note of anything that is out of date or needs a facelift to compete and complete your goals. Invest in keeping up and setting high standards. Your numbers are 6, 17, 24, 29, 31, 33, 40. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Socialize, observe, and refresh your memory regarding your likes and dislikes. Reach out to someone you lost contact with, and it will encourage you to revisit some of your old dreams, hopes, and wishes. Don’t be too eager to share your feelings. Your outlook will change as you listen and learn.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Engage in life, challenge yourself, and put your energy into something that excites you or prompts you to follow your heart. Don’t deny yourself a chance to experience something different. It’s time to embrace change and embark on experiences that help you let go of the past and discover what’s next.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Explore your options but only pursue what’s inviting. You’ll gain the most if you pick away at the changes that have the most meaning for you and offer passage into places that contribute to achieving what you set out to do. Refuse to let anyone lead you astray or waste your time.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Let your intuition guide you regarding professional matters. Protect your reputation and ideas from those eager to step in and take credit for what you contribute. Put your efforts into developing something revolutionary, and you’ll gain respect and the attention and recognition you deserve. Self-improvements are favored.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Press forward on your own steam. Question red tape issues or government or institutional policies. Be the one to suggest change or enforce new agendas to help you maintain the lifestyle you are accustomed to or want. Learn as you go and be fearless in approaching those trying to take advantage of you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A serious attitude and an energetic approach will make a difference. Believe in yourself, and get your point across. Join forces with those who share your dreams, and you’ll discover how to bring about much-needed change. Put your heart on the line in affairs of the heart and explore romantic possibilities.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Hold tight and shoot for the stars. You have more options than you realize, and taking your place at the podium will prove your worth to those you need and want on your team. Take any opportunity to converse, participate, or form a partnership with someone as complex and eager as you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Let your creative imagination lead the way. Get involved in projects you feel strongly about, and you will make a difference. Your charm, dedication, and desire to bring about change will help you gain recognition. Mix business with pleasure and let your knowledge, experience, and charm enchant those you encounter.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a step back. Someone will offer misleading information to get you to invest your time or money in something that does more for them than you. Put your cash in a safe place and refrain from making professional moves based on pretenses. Stick to what you know and do best.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Networking events will offer the platform to promote and market what you want others to buy into. Hide your ego and emotions and let your confidence and knowledge win over those you want on your team. Travel, communication, and making others aware of the possibilities will bring good results. Personal growth is favored.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be careful, patient, and thrifty. Handling your finances will take restraint from making unnecessary purchases. Say no to impulsive actions and trying too hard to be a people pleaser. Simplify your life and your rhetoric, and you’ll save yourself time, money, and reputation. Put your energy into positive change and a healthy lifestyle.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Avoid overdoing it and save yourself a bundle. Take time to go over your expenditures and see where you can cut back. A change of attitude that sends you down a positive path regarding health, fitness, money management, and doing more for yourself than you do for others will pay off.
Birthday Baby: You are secretive, engaging, and insightful. You are emotional and helpful.
Irish take series from No. 22 Virginia at home
By TYLER REIDY Associate Sports Editor
A week removed from a rough, 0-3 series at home against thenranked No. 22 Stanford, Notre Dame softball had better things in store for No. 22 Virginia this weekend. The Irish took two out of three games from the Cavaliers at Melissa Cook Stadium, winning on Friday and Saturday before coming up short in extra innings on Sunday. They now stand at 16-20 overall and 4-8 within Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Friday: Virginia 3, Notre Dame 4
While 13 home runs flew out of the ballpark next door at Frank Eck Stadium, the Irish and Cavaliers played a much more offensively capped game to open the series. Virginia got the scoring started with a run in the second, then two in the third on a Bella Cabral single and Mary Eaton double. On the latter hit, sophomore shortstop Addison Amaral made a strong relay throw home to cut down a potential fourth Virginia run at home plate. The extra-base hit still chased freshman lefthander Brianne Weiss from the Irish starter’s circle and brought an end to Virginia’s offensive production for the night, even though it finished with 11 hits.
After junior right-hander Micaela Kastor stranded two runners on base to end the top of the third, Notre Dame went to work against Virginia starter Julia Cuozzo, tying the game
BASEBALL
before the fourth inning arrived. Junior designated hitter Paige Cowley knocked a single up the middle, bringing in two runs to put the Irish on the board. Senior catcher Rachel Allen followed with a double to the right-center gap, scoring Cowley to level the score in a flash.
The Irish then nosed in front in the fourth as Virginia turned to Eden Bigham out of the bullpen. A walk and bunt single set up sophomore left fielder Sydny Poeck to drive in what would stand as the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly. Notre Dame left the bases loaded in the fourth and stranded two more runners in scoring position in the fifth, but it didn’t matter due to Kastor’s performance. Despite conceding five hits and walking two, the junior held Virginia scoreless in 3.1 innings, wiggling out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out spot in the fifth.
After striking out four, Kastor handed the ball off to sophomore right-hander Kami Kamzik for the seventh. Virginia threatened her immediately, using a single, walk and steal to put the tying run at third and the go-ahead run on second with nobody out. Kamzik punched out Eaton and moved on to face Virginia designated hitter Sarah Coon, who had already recorded three hits in the game. She made contact again, the ball going right to third baseman Caroline O’Brien. The freshman tagged Kelly Ayer leaning off the bag and threw a dart to first that ended the game
on a replay-confirmed double play.
Saturday: Virginia 2,
Notre Dame 7
Given Sunday’s forecast for severe weather, Virginia and Notre Dame were supposed to play a Saturday doubleheader in the afternoon. However, they only got one game in due to continuous rainfall and had to push game three back to its original Sunday spot.
Regardless, the Irish clinched their series victory on a soggy Saturday in South Bend, scoring all seven of their runs in the game’s first four innings. Virginia did strike first against senior right-hander Shannon Becker, as Eaton ripped an RBI single in the first inning. Notre Dame answered right back with three runs in the second against Savanah Henley, as O’Brien delivered an encore to her double play by driving in two on a triple.
Though Virginia plated another run in the top of the third, Notre Dame kept rolling on offense to expand its lead from 3-2 to 7-2. Cowley singled to bring Amaral home in the third, preceding a three-run fourth inning. Allen delivered the big hit of that frame, singling to send in two runners and bring the game to its final score.
Kastor was dominant in the circle yet again for the Irish, relieving Becker after her three frames as the starter. Notre Dame’s No. 7 matched the number on her jersey with seven strikeouts and four hitless
innings, carrying Notre Dame to another ranked win.
Sunday: Virginia 6, Notre Dame 4 (10 innings)
Notre Dame’s pitching success carried into Sunday’s 11 a.m. contest, with Kamzik dealing five innings of one-run softball to start the game. However, the Irish couldn’t muster much after Allen took Virginia starter Ava Hodges deep in the second, as Bigham came on in relief and wound up pitching the game’s final 8.1 innings on 126 pitches. With Coon singling to bring home a two-out run in the sixth, the game entered the seventh in a 1-1 tie.
The Cavaliers had a chance to take the lead in that seventh inning, getting a runner to second with one down. However, Kastor struck out Reece Holbrook and got a lineout from Ayer, ultimately sending the game to extra innings.
With Kastor still in the circle, Virginia took the lead on an Eaton solo shot to center in the top of the eighth. However, Amaral immediately answered as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the inning, pushing a tying long ball over the rightfield fence. The Irish then put the potential winning run on third with only one out, but neither Allen nor senior second baseman Anna Holloway could bring freshman infielder Avery Houlihan home to secure the sweep.
Virginia made the Irish pay for the missed opportunity in the top of the ninth, scoring twice
to claim a 4-2 lead. Ayer and Eaton provided the run-producing hits, putting the Irish in an even tougher spot entering the bottom of the ninth. However, Notre Dame still found a way to extend the game, as freshman first baseman Kaia Cortes smacked a game-tying single with two outs and the bases juiced. Although home plate umpire Charles McManus initially called Notre Dame’s tying runner out a home plate to end the game in a Virginia win, a review reversed the call and kept the game going.
In the 10th, Virginia finally stuck the Irish in a deficit they could not overcome, scoring two more runs on a Jade Hylton home run. Notre Dame went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, ending the game nearly three and a half hours after it started.
With Strikeout Cancer Weekend on the horizon for the first weekend of April, the Irish will head to Northwestern for a midweek game at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Evanston, Illinois. The Wildcats are 18-11 overall with a 7-0 record inside of Big Ten play, and they come off a road sweep of Minnesota. Bridget Donahey (six home runs), Kelsey Nader (.481 on-base percentage) and Kaylie Avvisato (.404 batting average, 20 RBIs, 13 stolen bases) lead the Northwestern offense, while Lauren Boyd (2.78 ERA in 58 innings) has been the team’s most effective hurler.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Irish drop home series with No. 4 Florida State
By BEN HICKS
Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame baseball continued its 14-game homestand over the weekend by welcoming Florida State to South Bend for the second ACC home series of the season. Despite entering the weekend at just 1-8 in conference play, nationally the Irish ranked in the top-15 of the RPI with big wins at No. 5 Clemson, as well as over Big Ten foes Iowa and Michigan State.
The No. 4 Seminoles came to Frank Eck Stadium with a 21-3 overall record, but had yet to play a game outside of the Sunshine State. The Garnet and Gold are led by Seminole alum and third-year head coach Link Jarrett, who guided the Irish to the Super Regionals in 2021 and the College World Series in 2022 during his three-year tenure at Notre Dame.
Home run-happy opener
The ‘Noles got good pitching
from southpaw Jamie Arnold, which alongside a trio of home runs, gave FSU a 3-0 edge after the top of the fourth.
Sophomore catcher Carson Tinney got the Irish attack going in the bottom half of the frame, as he launched his third four-bagger of the year to get one back for Notre Dame.
After sophomore righthander Jack Radel turned in a strong 5.2 inning outing, the Irish put up a five-spot in the sixth to claim their first lead at 7-4. South Bend native freshman outfielder Jayce Lee notched his first collegiate home run to tie the game at four, before junior infielder Estevan Moreno delivered his 100th career hit with a clutch two-out, three-run blast into the left field screen.
The Seminoles showed resolve by plating three in the top half of the seventh to level matters, but South Bend native and graduate outfielder Brady Gumpf belted a go-ahead home run to straightaway center to reclaim
the lead for Notre Dame just after. Florida State matched again with a run in the eighth, but the frenzied Irish offense would score eight in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead to 16-8.
Graduate outfielder Jared Zimbardo had a solo shot in the lead off spot, Tinney cleared the bases with a line drive double and senior infielder Nick DeMarco launched a three-run shot in the inning before senior outfielder DM Jefferson capped off the 16-9 win with a pinch hit home run.
A Sunday doubleheader
After storms cancelled Saturday’s planned doubleheader, the teams squared off in games two and three of the series on Sunday. More impending weather pushed the start time up to a 10 a.m. matinee, and both teams’ bats seemed to still be asleep for the early start.
In the bottom of the second, Lee hit his second home run
of the weekend to give Notre Dame a 2-1 advantage, but Seminole starter Joey Volini would hold the Irish to just two more hits for the remainder of the game. FSU took a 3-2 lead in the top half of the fifth, and added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to claim the shortened game 4-2.
A redshirt junior who transferred to Florida State from South Florida, Volini allowed just four hits and two earned runs with only two walks in the complete game effort to move to a perfect 7-0 on the year. Despite suffering the loss, junior right-hander Rory Fox turned in his best start of the year, striking out five while allowing just one hit in his six innings of work.
The offensive display in the rubber match was closer to that of Friday night’s series opener, as the Seminoles’ bats terrorized Irish pitching en route to a 14-0 advantage midway through the third. All told, Florida State belted five round-trippers to claim
the 17-9 victory and take the weekend series over Notre Dame. The Irish did record 12 hits in the losing effort, headlined by Watters’ sixth home run of the season and a triple from Lee.
Western Michigan on tap
The Irish will get their twogame midweek slate going on Tuesday by hosting the Western Michigan Broncos. Out of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), Western Michigan sits at 6-19 overall, but has recently compiled consecutive midweek wins against the Power 4 by besting Michigan and Northwestern, respectively.
Sophomore infielder Tanner Mally leads the Bronco attack with a batting average above the elusive .400 mark and an OPS of nearly 1.000. Tuesday’s game at Frank Eck Stadium is set for a 5 p.m. with first pitch streaming on ACCNX.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
MEN’S LACROSSE
Irish dominate No. 11 Duke, open ACC play 1-0
By NOAH CAHILL Sports Editor
The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team opened up ACC play on Saturday in Arlotta Stadium with No. 11 Duke in a 2023 title game rematch. Like last year, the Irish were in control from start to finish against the Blue Devils, earning an impressive 14-7 victory.
Duke’s only lead would come a minute into the game, as Eric Malever set up Luke Grayum on
a cut from behind the goal to open scoring. Sophomore midfielder Jordan Faison and freshman midfielder Matt Jeffery rattled off the next two for the Irish, showcasing their explosiveness getting downhill before dispatching into the back of the net. After six scoreless minutes, junior midfielder Max Sloat would even the score for the Blue Devils, leaving it knotted at 2-2 after one.
In the second quarter, Notre Dame showed everyone they
still belong in the inner circle of title contenders. In their best 15 minutes of the season, the Irish scored six and allowed none to take a commanding 8-2 lead into the halftime break. The run began with graduate forward Jake Taylor’s man-up goal from a tight angle left of the net. Taylor, who tallied 41 goals for Notre Dame in 2024, feasted on a historically great man-up unit that converted 67% of its opportunities last season. While that number is
down at the start of 2025, Taylor remains one of the greatest threats in the country in front of goal, particularly when his team has the extra man. Senior midfielder Jalen Seymour got in on the action next after unleashing a righty cannon from the left wing. Continuing to find success down the left, graduate midfielder Devon McLane converted on an assist from senior attack Chris Kavanagh to make it 5-2. Senior midfielder Fisher Finley continued the run, the southpaw beating his man and scoring yet another goal from that favored left side of the field. At this point, the Irish were starting to feel themselves taking over. Kavanagh found a cutting Taylor who casually converted with style behind the back for his second of the day. Kavanagh would make it a hat trick of assists before the half, connecting with senior midfielder Will Angrick for Notre Dame’s sixth goal of the quarter.
The Irish kept Duke at arm’s length the rest of the game, snuffing out any semblance of an attempted run. The two teams played an even, defensive quarter in the third, splitting two goals apiece. Andrew McAdorey scored the first for the Blue Devils before Taylor responded minutes later to secure his hat trick, once again on the receiving end of a Kavanagh pass. Benn Johnston answered for Duke before senior man-up specialist Jeffery Ricciardelli scored with a minute remaining in the third, retaining the sixgoal advantage for Notre Dame heading into the final frame. McAdorey’s second of the game cut the deficit to five before the Irish shut the door with four consecutive goals in under three minutes. Taylor added style points yet again on his behind-the-back assist to Ricciardelli, who put away Notre Dame’s third goal of the day in the man advantage. Taylor finished on the doorstep just over a minute later before Kavanagh finally got in on the goal-scoring party to make it 13-5. Taylor would swipe a rebound from the Blue Devils’ netminder to cap off his fivegoal performance, giving Notre Dame its largest lead of the day. Grayum and Johnston would do some window-dressing before the game finished 14-7.
The Kavanagh-Taylor duo was unstoppable all game, combining for 12 points across six goals and six assists. After holding the Blue Devils to seven goals, the Irish defense has allowed more than 10 on only one of seven occasions. Thomas Ricciardelli is a big reason why, as the junior goalkeeper recorded 10 saves with a .588 save percentage against Duke. He’s managed a double-digit save total in four of his last five, finishing with a .500 save percentage or better in six of seven contests. At the face-off dot, senior draw specialist Will Lynch went 12 for 19 to help the Irish control possession for much of the game. Head coach Kevin Corrigan’s squad will hit the road next for another ACC matchup against No. 8 Syracuse in the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, April 5, with face-off set for 2 p.m. with ACC Network providing the broadcast.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
DECLAN LEE | The Observer
Senior midfielder Jalen Seymour fires off a shot during Notre Dame’s 14-7 defeat of Duke at Arlotta Stadium on March 29, 2025. Seymour scored a goal on one of his two shots during Notre Dame’s victory on Saturday, helping the No. 6 Irish pull away from the No. 11 Blue Devils at home.
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish end season in Sweet 16 with loss to TCU
By NOAH CAHILL Sports Editor
The Notre Dame women’s basketball team came into Saturday’s Sweet 16 matchup looking for their first Elite 8 appearance since 2019. Now in her fifth season at the helm, head coach Niele Ivey’s Irish teams have made three Sweet 16 appearances, failing to advance in each one. Led by a backcourt of graduate Olivia Miles, senior Sonia Citron and sophomore Hannah Hidalgo, this year’s group appeared to have the best chance to change that. Standing in their way, however, was a No. 2 seed TCU team in the midst of a historic season. In year two under Naismith Coach of the Year finalist Mark Campbell, the Horned Frogs finished 2025 as both Big 12 regular season and tournament champions with a program record 33 wins. Key transfers headlined by Big 12 Player of the Year Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince were the catalyst for this TCU turnaround. They are part of a starting lineup that plays nearly the entire game, one that also features elite 3-point marksman Madison Conner and Agnes Emma-Nnopu, who came off of a 23-point outing against Louisville in the Second Round. The regular season rematch, which TCU won 76-68 in the Cayman Islands, had everything on the line for two veteran teams with several All-Americans playing in their final collegiate seasons.
Early in the first quarter, TCU got whatever they wanted on the offensive end. The Horned Frogs jumped out to a 16-9 start with all five starters tallying points. But coming out of Ivey’s timeout, Notre Dame upped the intensity.
ND WOMEN’S LACROSSE
After a 7-8 start, the Irish forced TCU to go 2-6 to finish the quarter. They forced five Horned Frog turnovers leading directly to eight points, accentuated by a Citron steal and run-out layup to cut the deficit to one heading into the second quarter. A Citron layup and step-back three from Miles extended an 11-0 Notre Dame run to start the second and gave the Irish their first lead since back at 4-2. The Irish continued to capitalize in transition throughout the quarter, winning the fast-break point battle 7-2 and scoring 13 points off of eight TCU turnovers for the half. However, their 2-11 mark from three kept the Horned Frogs in the game. They were made to settle for tough looks beyond the arc, particularly Hidalgo, who was held to 1-8 from the field through the first 20 minutes. The big three of Prince, Van Lith and Conner led the way for TCU on offense, combining for 26 of the team’s 33 points.
The Irish went on a 9-0 run early in the third quarter behind strong defensive plays by senior forward Maddy Westbeld. She stood her ground against the 6-foot-7 Prince in the post, drawing a charge to go with a steal and a block leading to more Notre Dame transition points. In the post-game press conference, she described her approach to guarding and how it was impacted by battling foul trouble.
“Definitely the game plan was to be as physical as possible with her,” Westbeld said. On the topic of managing the fouls, she added the importance of “Staying present, not focusing on it, and just trying to play as aggressive as possible but as clean as possible.”
After a strong start from the Irish, TCU would respond with
an 8-0 run of their own. Prince drew a third foul on Westbeld and, set up in the two-man game by Van Lith, got to the line at will. The teams traded buckets down the final stretch of the quarter, which ended with Miles setting up graduate forward Liatu King for the go-ahead layup before the buzzer. The Irish would take a 52-51 lead into the final frame despite their continued shooting struggles. King’s brilliant performance was the biggest reason why. Averaging a double-double on the season, she continued to impact the game on the glass, finishing the game with 10 rebounds, five of them offensive. She added a team-high 17 points on 8-9 shooting to keep Notre Dame in the game all afternoon.
However, the fourth quarter belonged to Van Lith and the Horned Frogs. Her layup and three led a 7-0 TCU run that set the tone for the remainder of the game. Reflecting on the game, Ivey referenced the team’s struggles down the stretch.
“Unfortunately, tables turned, we couldn’t make the shots we normally make, couldn’t get the stops, and just didn’t finish the game the way we wanted to,” Ivey said.
Van Lith continued to take over, hitting a mid-range jumper and canning another clutch three to extend the lead to seven at 65-57 with a little over four minutes remaining. At that point, TCU had outscored the Irish 14-5 in the quarter. She would later drop in a left-handed layup to put the exclamation mark on a 71-62 victory.
Van Lith finished the fourth with 12 points and scored 18 of her game-high 26 in the second half. She and the TCU big three tallied a whopping 60 of the team’s 71
points, with Conner and Prince adding 13 and 21, respectively.
The best 3-point shooting team in women’s college basketball chose a bad day for their worst shooting performance of the season, going 3-15 from behind the long line. Entering the day, it had been a 5-15 mark against none other than TCU back on November 29, 2024. While the defense played a role, Miles emphasized the self-inflicted nature of her team’s shooting slump.
“We literally were just missing shots that we normally make, and that’s going to happen at times,” Miles said. “Shots that we should make that are on us at the end of the day.”
Hidalgo headlined Notre Dame’s struggles in one of her worst games of the season, the ACC Player of the Year finishing with 15 points on 3-19 shooting.
The Horned Frogs corralled the rest of the Irish backcourt as well, holding Miles and Citron to a combined 19 points on 7-25 from the field.
Despite a season of extremely high highs, 2025 ultimately ended as another disappointing year for Ivey’s Irish. After bowing out in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season, Notre Dame has yet to recapture the magic of the Muffet McGraw era and will have to continue their wait for a return to the Elite 8 and beyond. When asked about what it might take to overcome the hurdle, Ivey cited the importance of “Having the sustainability on this type of stage … knowing that you have to sustain that for 40 minutes because of this stage and how big this stage is.”
The game is the last for Citron and Westbeld in a Notre Dame jersey. Though she has yet to declare for the draft, it very well
could be the last for Miles as well.
Speaking about her departing seniors, Ivey expressed her appreciation for their contributions.
“I’m just really grateful for what they have done for me and what they’ve done for our program,” Ivey said. “They’ve left it better than what they came in with.”
The trio, Miles, Citron and Westbeld, who played together for their entire collegiate careers, spoke to the closeness of the group and what they hoped to leave behind. Fighting back tears, Westbeld said, “There’s truly no place on earth, there’s no people that I would want to play with, other than these two, other than play for Coach Niele, other than play for this university.”
“I love all my teammates in that locker room,” Miles added. “We’ve grown so much through this entire season, so just very proud of the work we’ve done.” Citron reinforced the messages of her teammates, and concluded by saying, “We’re just so blessed to be able to play the sport that we love with the people that we love, for the coaches and a university that we love … we are all truly blessed.”
Losing those three along with King and graduate forward Liza Karlen, Ivey will have several questions to answer in the offseason. Her cornerstone of Hidalgo coming back should ensure that the Irish will remain competitive, but there are plenty of gaps to fill elsewhere on the roster. In the end, despite losing to the higher seed in TCU, the season will feel like a missed opportunity for Notre Dame. Nonetheless, the legacy left behind by this group will live on.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Irish outmatched by No. 2 North Carolina
By BEN HICKS Associate Sports Editor
The 20th-ranked Notre Dame women’s lacrosse team returned to Arlotta Stadium on Sunday afternoon to take on No. 2 North Carolina. This would be the seventh top 25 matchup and second consecutive top 10 matchup for head coach Christine Halfpenny’s young Irish squad following last weekend’s heartbreaking 1211 defeat in upstate New York to No. 9 Syracuse. Despite their challenging schedule, the 6-5 Irish have battled top-tier opponents
close this year, including a season-opening 13-10 loss at No. 3 Northwestern and a 15-9 loss against No. 1 Boston College. Sunday, however, was much different. The undefeated Tar Heels entered the tilt with six ranked victories on the year, and also ranked second nationally in both goals and assists, only trailing the Golden Eagles. It was a back-and-forth opening five minutes as both sides connected on their first two shots, before Carolina scored three unanswered goals to end the first quarter with a 5-2 lead. Freshman attacker Katie Mallaber found
graduate midfielder Kristen Shanahan for the first Irish goal, before Mallaber found the back of the net herself for the second.
The Irish weathered the initial Tar Heel storm when sophomore midfielder Kathryn Morrissey found fellow sophomore midfielder Meghan O’Hare on a nice feed to trim the lead to 6-3. The defense would unravel from there, however, as the Tar Heels scored the final three goals of the half and outscored Notre Dame 5-0 throughout the third quarter.
Just a minute into the fourth quarter with the score
now sitting at 14-3, severe weather forced the game into a delay. Attempts to resume play were aborted as hail, lightning and 70 mph gusts of wind battered Arlotta Stadium throughout the remainder of the afternoon.
The loss dropped Notre Dame to 6-6 and just 1-5 in ACC play. The Irish currently sit in ninth place, just above the cutline to qualify for the 2025 ACC Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Carolina will continue their quest for the school’s fourth national championship next Saturday in Chapel Hill, as the No. 1 Boston
College Eagles come to town for the most anticipated matchup of the ACC and NCAA regular season thus far. The road doesn’t get any smoother for Notre Dame moving forward, as No. 6 Stanford travels to South Bend next Saturday. The Cardinal are currently 10-3, but have lost two of their last three games. Next Saturday’s Senior Day showdown from Arlotta Stadium is set for a 1 p.m. face-off with streaming on ACCNX.
