Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, April 28, 2025
Pulte Institute reforms after funding cuts
Notre Dame Keough School loses $20 million in federal grants as various research projects are paused
By ANNELISE DEMERS
Associate News Editor
Following the termination of nearly $20 million in federal grants, the University of Notre Dame’s Pulte Institute for Global Development has undergone major structural changes, reducing staff by two-thirds and pivoting its operations to ensure longterm sustainability.
“To date, over $25 million of direct federal grants have been terminated. $20 million of this, about 80%, has been at the Keough School, mostly through terminated grants at USAID or the Department of State,“ Mary Gallagher wrote in an email to The Observer. Gallagher is dean of the
Keough School of Global Affairs. She was appointed to this position in May 2024.
The Pulte Institute for Global Development works to address global poverty and inequality through research, policy and practice. As part of the Keough School of Global Affairs, the institute partners with governments, non-profits and the private sectors to develop sustainable solutions in areas such as health, education, entrepreneurship and humanitarian assistance.
The cuts stem from recent executive orders and a shift in U.S. foreign aid policy, which triggered stop-work orders on federal contracts primarily those issued by the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) and the Department of State.
“This has had a direct impact on the Pulte Institute for Global Development and the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM), a research and policy project at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies,” Gallagher wrote.
Before the stop-work orders, the Pulte Institute had 40 staff members and two teaching faculty. With grants terminated, Gallagher said the Institute had to restructure and reduce staff significantly.
“When federal funding that the institute relied on was pulled, (mainly through the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development), the Pulte
Students participate in annual Fisher Regatta
By SOPHIE HANAWALT and ANNELISE DEMERS
Notre Dame News Editor and Associate
Editor
Fisher Hall hosted the annual Fisher Regatta Saturday at Saint Mary’s Lake, during which student teams raced across the lake in boats they constructed. Fisher was well represented
with 12 teams, with the remaining boats drawing from a mix of dorms and clubs. Proceeds from the event go to Fisher’s longtime charity partner, St. Adalbert’s School.
The S.S. Boogie Woogie, sailed by students Ioane Tuaopepe, Frank Tran, Branden Browning and Kacper Szyller as well as Aiden Robertson ’24, was the
winning boat in this year’s edition of the regatta.
Last year, the future of the Regatta was in doubt, as Fisher was set to be demolished at the end of the school year. Despite Fisher’s former residents are living in Zahm Hall while their new residence hall is being built, the event has endured through the changes.
“This year’s Fisher Regatta means everything to the Fisher Community, as it is our last year under the name of Fisher,“ dorm president Aidan Sachs wrote. “Next year we will switch to be called Coyle, so this year was very important for celebrating our dorms long history and tradition.“
Meredith Kononchek, a mechanical engineering major, was one of many participants who built and raced boats made of cardboard, PVC pipes and trash bags in the longstanding campus tradition.
“I love building stuff, and I love a good competition,” Kononchek said. “I love a good challenge, so I was excited to do it.”
Institute had to pivot to an organizational structure that would continue to support the core mission of the institute and yet be financially sustainable,“ Gallagher wrote.
University and Keough School leadership worked to place affected employees in other positions across campus.
“Currently, most affected staff were either given new positions in the restructured Pulte Institute or have found new positions at other units at Notre Dame, including in the Keough School,“ Gallagher said.
Although research operations were directly affected, Gallagher noted that
academic programs for students remained intact.
“This change affected our research operations, but did not directly impact students’ academic programs or curriculum. Some students hired on affected grants did lose access to part-time hourly employment,” she wrote.
In a post on its website, the Pulte Institute addressed the ongoing impact of its work, writing, “Research in this field has shown strong returns–estimated at $17 in social value for every dollar invested, according to Nobel laureate Michael Kremer. And while the policy environment may be uncertain, our
New StuGov dept. supports athletes
By SOPHIE HANAWALT and HENRY JAGODZINSKI Notre Dame News Editor and Assistant Managing Editor
Notre Dame student government has created a new department of student athlete relations partially in response to an ongoing $2.8 billion lawsuit, House v. NCAA, that has the potential to upend college athletics.
The suit, which began over a dispute about name, image and likeness (NIL) revenue sharing, was granted class-action status in 2023. If approved, the lawsuit would provide billions of dollars in back-pay damages to former student athletes and also allow colleges to begin revenue-sharing programs enabling them to pay athletes directly. Previously, studentathletes could be awarded scholarships from colleges but were not paid directly.
Importantly, the settlement was also drafted to include limits on the number of athletes that schools could have on their rosters. These roster limits would replace the NCAA’s
current scholarship limits, which would force some colleges to cut student athletes.
However, on Wednesday, the judge overseeing the settlement, Claudia Wilken, ordered the two parties involved in suit to rewrite the section of the settlement dealing with roster-limits, stating that she would not approve the case if it would harm student-athletes who were part of the plaintiff’s class.
As the settlement was being negotiated, Notre Dame’s student government formed a new student athlete relations department, created by an omnibus senate bill that reshaped the executive cabinet. That bill, the first of the 2025-26 senate’s term, was passed April 2 with 32 affirmative votes, two negative votes, and four abstentions.
Student body president Jerry Vielhauer ran with the creation of this department as a part of his platform.
The director of the student athlete relations department, Robbie Wollan, who is also
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Several students paddle their homemade boat with a television attached to the front across Saint Mary’s Lake during the Regatta.
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QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Emma Slease sophomore Ryan Hall “Physics.”
Mia Chetalo sophomore Ryan Hall “Global housing crisis.”
Emmanuel Indiamaowei senior
Undergraduate community in Fischer Graduate Residences “U.S. Foreign Policy.”
Marie Sierra sophomore Breen-Phillips Hall
“Cognitive neuroscience.”
Katrina Fay sophomore Breen-Phillips Hall “Russian.”
Edgardo Rodriguez sophomore St. Edward’s Hall
“Accounting measurement and disclosure I.”
Notre Dame softball played against North Carolina on Sunday at noon at Melissa Cook Stadium. The Fighting Irish lost 3-1 to bring their overall record to 23-27-1. The Irish played two more games against North
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Belles tennis faces off against the Thunder.
Notre Dame vs. University of Oregon
Melissa Cook Stadium
5 p.m.
Irish softball plays against Oregon Ducks.
Tuesday
Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony
Jenkins and Nanovic Halls
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Livestreaming service.
Cybersecurity in the Age of AI
129 DeBartolo Hall
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Notre Dame Computer Club hosts speaker.
Wednesday
6 p.m.- 7:30 p.m.
The Sisterhood of Service holds event for local animal shelter.
Aubrey and Olivia Album Release
Remick Family Hall
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
75 minute concert to celebrate new album.
Thursday
Notre Dame vs. Bowling Green
Melissa Cook Stadium
5:30 p.m.
Irish softball faces off against the Falcons.
Spanish in Healthcare Event
123 Regina Hall
7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Spanish-speaking health specialists.
Regatta
Kononchek and her Howard Hall teammates designed a canoe-like boat with space for two people. Although they barely snuck around the inside of the buoy marking the halfway point of the race, they managed to stay dry and paddle across the lake without capsizing.
“We prepared for the worst,” Kononchek said. “We had bathing suits underneath our clothes, towels ready and extra layers to put on after we got out.
But surprisingly, we did not fall in.”
Participants used paddles and wore life jackets provided by event organizers. Although Kononchek’s boat didn’t finish first, she said the experience was memorable and she is already making plans to participate again next year.
“We’re thinking about making it entirely out of cardboard again and seeing if we can actually really make it still with only the $50,” she said.
Kononchek said the event had a strong turnout, with more students and spectators arriving later in the morning.
“I loved it,” she said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Cameron Thompson, a sophomore in Keenan Hall, shared that he and his teammates made a last minute decision to participate, joining the race the night before.
“It was 11:30 before the regatta and we said ’Hey, why not?’ We wanted to at least do the
race. I’ve never been in Saint Mary’s Lake, so that was probably part of it. I wanted to get a chance to swim in there once, and there was no Keenan team at this point,” Thompson said.
Thompson shared that his hall president then got in touch with Fisher’s vice president, who allowed them to register for the race. Thompson said that his team was very thankful for the chance to participate.
The Keenan team utilized cardboard from leftover delivery boxes from Zaland, the student-run dorm restaurant, for the structure of their boat.
They also made a late-night run to Target before it closed to purchase duct tape, Flex Seal and life vests. They also utilized water coolers from Keenan Koffee.
They shaped the cardboard into a box, which was then sealed with duct tape and Flex Seal. Empty water coolers were added to the front and back, with the life vests on the bottom and the entire boat was then covered in garbage bags.
“I realized a little too late that the design was meant to float perfectly with the number of people we’re going to put in, so that the exact volume of the boat displaced enough water for us to float. That means that the water level has to rise up to the very lip of the boat. So if we rolled it, all water was going to get in, we were going to sink,”
Thompson said.
“I didn’t think to publicize that with the rest of the team, so we full sent it with five people, when two would probably have
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been perfect and very fast, but that wouldn’t have been fun, so we put all five in, which was great. We sank in about six seconds. But for those six seconds, it was glorious, and then we kind of just shamefully swam it around the buoy and got out,” he said.
Next year, Thompson said he hopes to compete again, although with a higher level of commitment.
“Hopefully we start more than 13 hours before the race next year, that would be big,” he said.
Maya Tello, a freshman in Johnson Family Hall, wrote in a statement to The Observer, “As a newly established dorm, JFAM was so excited to jump into the competition and use it as an opportunity to strengthen our community and show campus what the Valkyries are made of.”
The Johnson Family Hall team took second place, a win Tello attributed to the team’s captain, Sisy Chen, who handled the design and led the construction of their boat.
Tello shared that her favorite part of the event was “simply spending quality time with my team and friends and getting to be part of such a fun piece of our dorm culture—even though I was sick and definitely shouldn’t have been in that water.”
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu and Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu
2025 WINNER RESEARCH AWARD SOPHIE WHITE
Professor of American Studies
Award presentation and reception at 3:30 p.m. TUESDAY, MAY 6
ND athletes open up on NIL
By ISABEL TORRES Staff Writer
As the world of college athletics has become increasingly intertwined with partnerships and large brand collaborations, name, image and likeness (NIL) deals have become increasingly attractive to student-athletes that wish to increase their personal income streams or relationships with brands.
Since the NCAA legalized NIL in July 2021, athletic teams at the University of Notre Dame have become progressively more involved with NIL deals and brand partnerships. In the fall of 2024, the University helped to launch RALLY, a collective agency that seeks to elevate NIL opportunities for Notre Dame student-athletes.
Although there have been increasing strides towards largescale and team-oriented NIL initiatives, individual NIL deals are still extremely prominent and lucrative for athletes.
Esther Vyrlan, a freshman on the women’s tennis team, expressed that non-revenue sports have typically fallen below the radar when it comes to large partnerships.
“My personal experience with NIL hasn’t been as intense or glorified as sports like basketball or football since most of Notre Dame’s personal funds get poured out into the commercialized sports. Notre Dame does provide small NIL deals with Under Armor though, essentially making us ‘brand ambassadors,’” Vyrlan wrote.
Football and men’s basketball have traditionally accounted for the majority of revenue for athletic departments, with Notre Dame being no exception. The payout from last fall’s College Football Playoff run alone totaled $20 million. Smaller sports, including tennis, don’t get allocated as much NIL money as the big programs.
“As a tennis player at ND we need to find most of our NIL deals through third parties such as Postgame. As tennis and most olympic sports are not as profitable, so if student athletes want NIL deals they have to seek them or create a strong social media presence,” Vyrlan wrote.
Caitlyn Early, a freshman on the softball team, talked about her personal experiences working with brands for NIL deals.
“With softball in general, there are a lot of bigger players in the sport that have NIL with big companies and typically get sponsorships. That shows up in ads, for example, with Mizuno, or they partner with a brand and they make a glove together, or they make a certain piece of equipment,” Early said.
She expressed that larger deals and sponsorships are generally reserved for athletes that have a heavy social media presence
and that the brand itself can envision long-term relationships and product launches with the athlete, even beyond collegiate athletics.
“I’d say, within our team, we do a lot of team group deals.,” Early said. “Our whole team did something with Gorjana, so we all got a necklace, and then we all did something with Vuori, and we all got leggings and a hoodie.”
Depending on the sport, the structure of NIL deals can vary pretty broadly. Team sports are more likely to get team deals, while athletes that compete on their own are relatively independent. This creates a wide range of cultures from sport to sport.
“Everyone’s always trying to find their own deals, and there’s not as much collaboration in the whole process. Tennis as a whole isn’t super invested into the NIL culture, and has a much more laid back approach to making money through it,” Vyrlan wrote. “Most student athlete tennis players I know don’t even bother with dealing with NIL and all of its complexity.”
Early said that in her experience with the softball team, companies have a been willing to give apparel or other products to all of the athletes on the team as long as there is an associated social media post that showcases the items. Similar to Vyrlan, she said that individual NIL, while still providing good opportunities, is not forced on the athletes.
“There’s not a lot of pressure to have any NIL deals, or develop any sort of social media presence. It’s kind of just up to the individuals that want to do it,” Early said.
The recruiting process has especially been impacted by the evolving NIL landscape. Vyrlan said that she thinks recruiting for tennis is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the power of a check or brand sponsorships.
“Some programs, such as Oklahoma State, have deep pockets when it comes to offering players NIL funds on top of their full ride scholarships. So I would say the biggest way NIL affects tennis is during the recruiting process or with the transfer portal, since players want to go to schools that pay them extra,” Vyrlan wrote.
Early said she thinks that the ability to obtain NIL deals for student-athletes is relatively easy and highly beneficial for both parties.
“I think it’s a great option for people to get access to things that they normally wouldn’t, or just kind of motivate people to develop their online presence, because if you have a good social media, it’s pretty easy to get in contact with brands,” Early said. “I’d say moving forward, as social media just keeps growing, I think it’ll become more relevant.”
Contact Isabel Torres at itorres@nd.edu
Athletes
a walk-on member of Notre Dame’s football team, said there were a number of needs that prompted the creation of the department.
“There’s been a lot of press about athletes’ mental health over the past decade or so, but still a lot of people don’t know a lot about that … We have the sports psychologists, we have campus wellness centers, but there are a lot of challenges that student athletes face that are being brought up now, it’s not something that’s going to be in the future, we can change it right now,” he said.
Editor’s note: Vielhauer and Wollan were interviewed before judge Wilken ordered a modification of roster-limits.
Vielhauer was aware of the NCAA legislation when he went to create the new department, but his initial idea came while reviewing old student government administrations and centered more upon increasing representation for student athletes, noting that athletes make up roughly 10% of the student body.
“That is a very sizable portion of our student body, and for that group to not have any representation in student government was definitely, absolutely concerning to me … We have a lot of these diversity and inclusion departments to make sure that we are making every student feel like they’re part of the campus community, and I thought that we should not have student athletes not be included in that group,” Vielhauer said.
Wollan said that the department also has concerns over the House v. NCAA settlement.
“It will impact college athletes for the rest of college. The NCAA is making some really harsh decisions and not taking much feedback,” he said.
Wollan emphasized that if the roster-limits were adopted, the changes would mostly eliminate walk-ons, but noted that for many sports, scholarship athletes might also be cut. He added that Notre Dame is still waiting until the settlement is finalized before making roster cuts, but noted that some athletes have been told it would be in their best interest to enter the transfer portal.
Vielhauer hopes that athletes encouraged to enter the transfer portal won’t feel “forced to leave,” adding, “The detriment is this team limit cap. Our focus is going to be helping to take those athletes, who — they’ve been focusing on working so hard for this sport their entire life, and even after a couple years you’re on campus, to now be cut and told you’re no longer part of this team. What’s your friend group at that point? Where are your resources? Where do you want to feel welcome on campus?”
Wollan clarified that to
support students impacted by the NCAA settlement, they’ll be aiding with the transition in terms of shifting away from reliance on sports psychologists to campus mental health resources, assisting them in developing closer connections with their academic advisors after shifting away from academic services for student athletes, “providing them more opportunities as they make that transition to being a student here.”
“Student athletes base so much of their identity on their sport. And if it is just completely wiped out in a split second by something that is completely out of your control, that’s very mentally and emotionally damaging to somebody,” Wollan added.
Wollan added that athletics director Pete Bevacqua has been transparent with athletes regarding the ruling and Notre Dame’s approach.
“Much of it is out of Notre Dame’s control, and they’re trying to handle all these decisions in the best way possible with their athletes’ best interest in mind,” Wollan said.
In written statements sent to The Observer after Wilken ordered a modification of roster-limits, both Vielhauer and Wollan said they are continuing to track the progress of the settlement.
“We are continuing to monitor this situation and evaluate the best next steps given whatever the outcome may be … At the end of the day, we are just going to be trying to figure out how to best support every student on campus, including our student-athletes,” Vielhauer wrote.
Wollan expressed gratitude for Wilken’s decision.
“Athletes around the nation are extremely grateful for Judge Wilken’s push to create a phase-in plan for roster limits. We are monitoring the process carefully, but will have to wait until a final decision is made to ensure we can make the best choices possible to support our student athletes. I am confident we will be prepared to take on whatever lies ahead, regardless of what decision is made,” Wollan wrote.
The department’s concerns are not limited to the House v. NCAA settlement, however. Vielhauer emphasized the need for stronger integration of student-athletes into the broader campus community.
“It’s very important to us to make sure athletes feel a part of campus, of that community, and that beyond just that, we also help to create a bridge and a strong bond between student athletes and the student body in general,” Vielhauer said.
He attributed the need for this bridge to “a kind of divide starting to happen on campus with NIL, because there’s a sense of jealousy I think a lot of students naturally will feel toward athletes being paid to come here and play a sport.”
Vielhauer clarified that this divide can sometimes stem from the frequency of student athletes not living on-campus. The University’s website states that “Notre Dame students are required to live on-campus for six semesters.” However, a number of student athletes who have yet completed this on-campus residency requirement are assigned dorm rooms but do not occupy them, opting instead to live off-campus.
Wollan dismissed that concern. “That is not a special privilege, they just financially can get a spot off campus while maintaining that dorm eligibility,” Wollan said.
Elaborating on the divide, Vielhauer said, “There are obviously special resources that student athletes have for a number of reasons. When everyday students don’t have the same resources, it can be difficult to at the same time see those athletes as having their own separate, real challenges.”
Wollan hopes to address misconceptions about the department, noting that they’ve received feedback in which “people are saying you’re giving athletes more physical resources, more exclusive opportunities,” despite this not being the case.
“We are not giving athletes more things. We’re helping maximize what they already have,” he said. He added that initiatives will include assisting students in getting more involved with dorm life, especially coaching intramural
sports, as well as helping them to navigate opportunities to receive NIL funding and managing their responsibility to “represent Notre Dame at the highest level.”
“Notre Dame is always focused on leading. How do we get our student athletes, who have such an incredible platform, to lead Notre Dame to be one of the best universities in the world? Through college athletics, that’s a big opportunity to use that. I think a lot of schools aren’t making the most of that,” Wollan said.
Vielhauer shared that their team has been meeting with a lot of administrators regarding their platform, but they have not yet had time to discuss this with Notre Dame’s athletics department, and does not see this happening until the fall.
Vielhauer and Wollan are “leaning towards” having the department consist mostly of student athletes, providing them the biggest say in the matters the department addresses. Members of the department will be selected by the last day of classes and the department will begin to meet in the fall, consistent with other departments.
The Observer reached out to the athletics department for comment, but did not receive a response by deadline.
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu and Henry Jagodzinski at hjagodzi@nd.edu
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
responsibility to support vulnerable communities is not.“
The transition process included consultations with Pulte staff and affiliated faculty. Students, faculty and staff were kept informed throughout the changes. Gallagher added that in the case of the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM)—a project under the Kroc Institute— bridge funding was secured as the team anticipates a new grant submission.
The new structure of the Pulte Institute is already in place, and while some operations have scaled back, Gallagher emphasized that the institute continues to support global development work aligned with its mission.
In the same post, the Pulte Institute concluded its thoughts on the changes, writing, “The Pulte Institute is grateful for its home at the University of Notre Dame within the Keough School, where research to end poverty and ensure sustainability remains an institutional priority and where partners and benefactors share in this commitment. As the institute launches its new organizational model and cultivates new funding sources, we do so with focus, intention and a renewed sense of purpose.“
Contact Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu
LAURA KNOPPERS GRADUATE STUDENT MENTORSHIP AWARD
Praying for a pope against fascism
This past week, Pope Francis died, and with his passing, so too did our last line of defense against the growing politicization of Catholicism. When a family member spoke at town halls against Cleveland’s sanctuary status, I could always turn to Pope Francis’ letter to the Catholic bishops, reminding them that all of Jesus exists in everyone, including “the migrant and the refugee.” JD Vance’s increasingly cozy relationship with Catholic conservatism, where the gospel is rebranded as racist propaganda, has already begun to convince over 1 billion Catholics worldwide that violence and division define Jesus’ teachings, rather than His radical, sacrificial love. While I won’t explain why that manipulation is wrong, I will explain what realities I pray the new pope will contend with.
People today live in an atomized world where religion, the Church included, is just one more thing to juggle in a busy, productivity-driven life. Going to Church gives you the same satisfaction as crossing off “grocery store” on your to-do list. Of course, the Church has always struggled with getting people to act – not just believe –but now it feels especially palpable. Mass attendance among American Catholics has dropped 12 points in two decades, and less than a quarter of 18-26-yearolds attend weekly Mass. They just don’t go. And, for those that do, there is a growing sense of disconnect. Mckenna Kreton, a first-year student, describes homilies and liturgies as “repetitive” or “boring.” Even traditional Catholics like Sean Donahue, a junior who values the tradition in the liturgy, admit that “the Church doesn’t do enough to combat the perception that it is outdated.”
This perception persists because the Church has done little to meet people where they are. Just as Catholics once hoped the Pope would reach out to former communist communities or newly emerging nations, today the Pope must become a missionary to the people, frankly, on the internet, in their everyday lives. I’m not asking for a Pope who’s making TikToks or up on every passing trend. What I’m praying for is a Pope, and a Church bold enough to break free from the “habits which make us feel safe,” as Pope Francis urged. Maybe make a TikTok, but more than that, see the internet for what it is: a new
mission field, filled with people hungry for meaning. Reining in attempts to modernize evangelization is a hallmark of Catholic conservatism, but that prevents us from connecting with the communities who are in most desperate need.
Connecting with communities that are in desperate need of Christ’s love requires a critical look at who the Church has consistently left out. Sharon Hickey, a theology student, rightly pointed out that the Church has a “pattern of silencing women,” from the cloistered convents of the past to the current lack of women in parish leadership today. While Pope Francis has made strides— appointing the first female secretary-general of Vatican City—true inclusion remains elusive.
80% of Catholic women are dissatisfied with the ministry opportunities available to them, with 82% stating that women’s ministries aren’t equally valued as men’s. Of course, we don’t live in the world I pray for — where a woman could be a priest. But a Pope who’s not just working with women but actively elevating them, relying on them for leadership, would be one step forward. We need someone who is ready to learn from women, not just tolerate their existence.
Beyond the Church’s own walls, gender-based violence continues to define worldwide realities. In 2023 alone, 51,000 women died due to gender-based violence, according to the United Nations. That’s the number we know. As Pennington points out, an estimated 126 million women are “missing” worldwide, so that number is likely much, much more. A Church that perpetuates this pattern of exclusion cannot be expected to fully comprehend or engage with this violence. More importantly, this violence is often stratified along sexual and racial lines. In the United States, for example, transgender women of color are substantially more likely to be murdered than their cisgender peers, while Indigenous women are disproportionately likely to go missing. I don’t expect the Pope to show up at gay bars in the West Village or to spend more time on a reservation than in a Church (though that would give very much Jesus). But I do expect him to confront these issues head-on. The Cardinals, tucked away in their Churches and parishes, might not even know this reality.
But, I see it every day: when my friend tells me she’s been assaulted, or when my trans friend calls me in tears. Do any of the candidates for Pope truly understand the
gravity of this violence, the depth of this pain? I hope so—but if they remain committed to their own comfortable Catholic habits or traditions, blind to the suffering beyond them, they never will.
Perhaps even more pressing than these immediate concerns is the growing threat of fascism and xenophobia that has already chipped away at human dignity. JD Vance’s version of Catholic conservatism is not just about promoting antiquated religious dogma – it is a weapon in a broader war to align all faiths with nationalist movements seeking to strip away the rights of the ‘other,’ turning the Church into a tool for exclusion.
The rise of populist leaders and authoritarian regimes, driven by fear and division, is pushing societies to harden their borders and dehumanize migrants and refugees. Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s case exhibits this — criminalizing asylum-seekers has justified the erosion of not only constitutional guarantees but also the dignity inherent in life. The Church cannot afford to perpetuate this fascism by staying silent or being complicit; it must courageously stand against them. A Pope who remains passive in the face of these growing threats will only further entrench the divisions and hate that already plague the world. We need a leader who will confront the growing tide of fascism and reject any attempt to politicize the Gospel for the benefit of those in power, no matter how many walls they build.
At this critical moment, the Church must once again be a force of radical love, one that stands in defiance of division, exclusion, and hatred. It is not enough to hold onto tradition for the sake of comfort; we need a Pope who will take bold steps, challenge the systems of oppression, and reach out to those on the margins. The stakes have never been higher. The world needs a Church that is as radical as Christ’s love—a Church that fights for justice, dignity, and the liberation of all people, no matter their background, identity, or status. We need a pope that fights against fascism.
Connor Marrott is a senior from Cleveland. His writing has appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He serves on the board of SolidarityND and is always eager to discuss any and all ideas. You can contact Connor at cmarrott@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Not a pause, but an absence. Not ceasement, but remembrance. Forgotten—your silence.
I believe we have forgotten how to live in silence. Its pressing presence is preferred at a distance, as an abstract happenstance. Yet it is the most natural and evident of states. And for some, there is no more terrifying fact than that.
When I speak of silence, I do not mean a literal kind. A literal silence can be most loud. I suppose, I speak of a genuine kind. A silence that penetrates beyond the veil of thoughts that blind and bind your mind. For you see, every day, I hear and live the tales of humanity’s paralysis at silence. I witness, first and second-hand alike, people unable to have a meal alone in silence. Always, there are phones at hand, homework assignments displayed in devices and notes, or an unbearable urge to travel elsewhere. Every day, I find people incapable of going for a walk without music or company. I am told of those who cannot fall asleep without white noise, or YouTube videos, or being held close to another’s heart. Of those who cannot drive without their podcast on, those who simply cannot sit still nor live alone, those who make excuses for their every behavior, those who are asphyxiated by thin air. I listen to the whispers betwixt the leaves of those who claim to be divorced from their thoughts
entirely, opting for the disharmonious bloviation of all external.
Before we proceed, a note must be made. To merely blame the advancement of technology or social media as culprits is shortsighted, to say the least. Indeed, they are festering wounds that worsen the issue at hand, but they are far from the cause of this illness. This sickness is an existential threat to the integrity of our consciousness: people cannot tolerate silence. Horrified, they huddle at the cacophony of life, throwing themselves into whichever medium is the loudest. People commit themselves to careers, hobbies and relationships in pursuit of anything that could satisfy their void. People enter religions, form groups, create families, permit fanaticism to override their senses, embrace nationalism or patriotism or racism to bring a perpetual hum into their lives. People go through extremes to find others before they can bear the thought of finding themselves. We, as people, are intimately afraid; afraid of that which lies in the silence.
Again, many would claim their thoughts to be the source of their horror at silence. That in silence the compressed ideas and worries and emotions we carry within will all spring into the light. But, this is impossible. Why, thoughts are noise too. Thoughts traverse through us, but are not us. In silence, there are no thoughts. Silence is that which lies beyond all these hidden, suppressed, shamed thoughts. In silence, there is you.
What does that mean? It is different for everyone,
I suppose. I am unsure of what you will find, if you genuinely search. It will not be emotions, it will not be duties nor names nor titles nor hopes. It will be something new, maybe. Or, perhaps, something old, ancient and dormant. Something true.
Morbidly, we sprout joy out of pushing truth away. We encounter pride in marching on, in the ignorance of the raw rage that is generated by our contradictory state of affairs. We commend our efforts of violating our selfhood, and applaud the fruit of our evil deeds. We have created a society that venerates cacophony, and silence is nowhere to be found.
But, silence is what you are.
Therefore, I ask you one thing. When was the last time you sat outside on a bench, in silence, for five minutes? Not checking texts, replying to emails, or crossing out mental items. Not thinking, not feeling, just being. Alone, with the one person you will forever be with: you.
When was the last time you stopped chasing away the silence?
When was the last time you were you?
Carlos A. Basurto is a junior at Notre Dame studying philosophy, computer science and German. He’s president of the video game club and will convince you to join, regardless of your degree of interest. Now, with the power to channel his least insane ideas, feel free to talk about them further at cbasurto@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Connor Marrott Lefty with a Laugh
Carlos Basurto Eudaemonic Banter
LETTER EDITOR
Pope Francis is the reason I’m Catholic
For the past 18 months, my mornings have been consumed by headlines about the brutal treatment of Gaza’s people and the ongoing abuse of migrants and refugees in the United States. Upon receiving the news of Pope Francis’s passing on Monday morning, however, tears, accompanied by deep fears of the future of the Roman Catholic Church, overwhelmed me. Grieving his death has stirred memories of a faith journey shaped by his commitment to the marginalized. Through his bold diplomacy with Cuba, compassionate stance on migration, nuanced approach to homosexuality, and unwavering solidarity with Gaza, Francis embodied a Catholicism rooted in mercy, justice, and the dignity of every person. When His Holiness was elected, I joined Latines worldwide in a common feeling—the Pope was finally one of us. More importantly for me, he helped negotiate a landmark agreement to restore diplomatic ties between the United States and my homeland of Cuba, ending decades of Cold War tensions. Francis’s actions drew me to a Church that could live out the gospel for the marginalized and downtrodden. The summer before my senior year of undergrad, I enrolled in the local Catholic Church’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) to receive my first communion and become confirmed. This process brought much joy into a life that had been consumed by despair about the world.
We were assigned readings from the Catechism or videos central to Catholic formation each week. I was probably the only catechumen who treated OCIA like a grad seminar—completing every assignment and even doing the theological equivalent of extra credit by reading Laudato Si’. I found the writing poetic and even more uplifting than the Catechism. I fell in love with Francis’s acknowledgment of the tragic increase in environmental migrants and his call for global action to address the issue. Francis added complexity to migration by linking the issues of climate change, poverty and migration, writing, “There has been a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation.” I longed to discuss these issues with my peers growing in the faith, but other doctrinal matters were prioritized. I was considering the medical profession at the time, but Francis’s
insistence that caring for our common home required a new way of thinking, policies and spirituality that resisted the technocratic paradigm pushed me elsewhere. So I went to divinity school.
While on my spiritual journey through Catholicism, I began to heal from recent tragedies that had robbed me of my sense of purpose. I saw Christ in Pope Francis’s words. I saw a recognition of my own traumas of displacement as an immigrant and a vocational call to peace and theology when I read Francis confess, in Evangelii Gaudium, how “Migrants present a particular challenge for me, since I am the pastor of a Church without frontiers, a Church which considers herself mother to all,” and urge countries to embrace a “generous openness” that would create diverse societies. Amid the heartless anti-immigration laws and the deprivation of human rights within our borders in this country, I was comforted by Francis. He inspired my pursuit of a theological degree and activism.
About a month before the Easter Vigil, and after months of being moved by Francis’s emphasis on the marginalized, I encountered the most challenging day of my faith formation—the instruction on the sacrament of marriage. Though I had grown up around Catholics and been exposed to Church doctrine, I never paid much attention to its hurtful teaching on homosexuality. According to the Catechism, “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law.” My usual smile at our weekly discussions turned into a sorrowful visage. As I thought of gay family members and the marginalization they experienced from loved ones and society, I realized how the Church’s teaching predominantly fueled that marginalization. For weeks, I asked God why an institution founded on passion would prevent people from loving each other. Why would God even create LGBTQ+ people only to deny their love? Are we not all made in God’s image?
As I struggled in my faith, I replayed countless times news clips from July of 2013 of Francis responding, “Who am I to judge?” to a question about a purportedly gay priest. After weeks of discernment, I decided to go through with receiving the sacraments on Easter. It was, in great part, my admiration and love for Francis, who
introduced me to a God deeply connected with the marginalized and disadvantaged, that inspired me to reenter the Catholic Church.
My Catholic faith has never divorced prayer from action because of the mandate of love that Pope Francis followed, reflected in his constant advocacy for the dehumanized people of Gaza. During the final 18 months of his life, he maintained a ritual: each evening at 7 p.m., he called a priest at Holy Family Church—the only Catholic parish in Gaza—to receive updates on the nearly 600 people taking refuge there amid ongoing war. In his final public appearance, he renewed his plea for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In his Easter message, Francis voiced solidarity with those suffering, expressing closeness to “the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people,” especially those in Gaza.
In his final address, he urged: “I appeal to the warring parties: Call on a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of starving people who long for a future of peace.” Throughout the war, Francis became more outspoken in condemning the Israeli military’s tactics. A month into the conflict, he called for an investigation into whether Israel’s actions could constitute genocide. In December, he lamented, “the cruelty, the machinegunning of children, the bombing of schools and hospitals … How much cruelty.” By January, he described the humanitarian catastrophe as “very serious and shameful.”
When I did not see the gospel reflected in our own Catholic university, I saw it in the actions of our pope, actions that ultimately got me arrested for peacefully calling for peace in Gaza. In Pope Francis’s pontificate, I found a faithful follower of Christ and pastor to all who aspire to follow Christ’s command to love the least of these, the marginalized of society. Pope Francis’s loving leadership of a broken Church in a broken world is the reason I’m still Catholic today. May he rest in peace, and may his soul guide our Church to continued healing and conversion toward the oppressed.
Joryán Hernández Doctoral student in peace studies and theology Apr. 24
Spring allergies and resurrected life
As the new life of spring blossoms, my body flares into protest, trying to reject, one sneeze at a time, any trace of these beautiful flowers. This has led me to reflect on the following: It is natural to run from the things that cause us pain. But what if these things that cause us pain are beautiful? Do we never marvel at the clouds in the sky because the sun is so bright it hurts our eyes? No, and when there is a solar eclipse, we must be warned not to willingly stare into the sun. Do we drop classes that are difficult but extremely interesting? No, and when we try to take more classes, the Registrar must restrict us to eighteen credits. Do we turn our backs from the people in our life who give us trouble? No, and when they give us too much trouble, it is others who must advise us to back up. Do we resent the Christ of Easter because he is first the Christ of
Good Friday? No, and during Lent we must be reminded to remain joyful and not to dwell always in gloom.
It is natural to run from the things that cause us pain, but we humans do not run from the beautiful things that cause us pain, because we humans are not only natural, but spiritual as well. I have never known a dog that would risk going blind to behold a solar eclipse—much less one who endures penitential liturgical seasons. I find it curious whenever naturalists presume the burden of proof lies on supernaturalists to indicate instances of the supernatural. As if the rational-spiritual dimension of humanity is not on full display all around us. Or are we to explain away our love of beauty with a shallow behaviorism or an abstruse epiphenomenalism? That won’t do. I’m afraid (no, pleased) that I’m preaching to the choir—not only to you faithful of Notre Dame, but also to the 92% of Americans who believe in some spiritual reality. Naïve materialism has run its course, and for good reason.
In our willingness to experience pain in order to experience beauty, our rational-spiritual dimension is on full display. We are evidently not concerned with our mere self-preservation, but with truth, beauty and goodness. So when our love for these transcendentals brings us thorns in our flesh, we simply remove the thorns and patch the wounds while unpausing the symphony. “For love is better than life” (Ps. 63:4)—that is, biological life, or bios. And love itself is constitutive of resurrected life, or zoe. Our restlessness for a zoe beyond bios is, again, apparent in everyday life. And so while I walk in the spring air sneezing, I stop to smell the flowers and thank God for all this new life.
Richard Taylor is a junior from St. Louis living in Keenan Hall. He studies physics and theology. He encourages all readers to send reactions, reflections or refutations to rtaylo23@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Richard Taylor
Just Glad to Be Here
By HARRY PENNE Scene Writer
OK Go is back in full force with “And the Adjacent Possible,” their first album in over a decade. The Grammywinning American rock band, founded in 1998, has released five studio albums. Their style encompasses rock, alternative, indie and pop. Beyond their music, OK Go is known for their incredible music videos, and it is highly likely that you watched one back in middle school science class. In their videos, the band has collaborated with Notre Dame’s Band of the Fighting Irish, built a Rube Goldberg machine, floated around in a zero-gravity plane and danced on treadmills. Even more impressive, most were accomplished in one shot. Always pushing the boundaries of imagination, they have given a TED Talk on the topic. The band’s lineup includes Damian Kulash (lead vocals and guitar), Dan Konopka (percussion), Tim Nordwind (bass and vocals) and Andy Ross (guitar, keyboards and vocals).
“And the Adjacent Possible,” released on April 11, is a fantastic album from start to finish. Featuring classic OK Go motifs and themes, the album contains a mix of upbeat, optimistic, slower, faster and heartfelt songs. With the pulsating and exciting opening track “Impulse Purchase,” listeners know: OK Go is ready to rock. Two new music videos were released with the album, including “Love” which utilizes countless mirrors to create in-camera optical illusions and kaleidoscopes, and “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill” which makes elaborate video mosaics on 64 iPhones. Some
of my other favorite tracks from the album include “Once More with Feeling,” “Better than This,” “A Good, Good Day at Last” and “Take me With You.”
OK Go’s first international tour in several years — the “And the Adjacent Possible” Tour — launched in South Bend, IN at the Morris Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, April 23.
“It’s wonderful to be back on tour. This is the first show we’ve played in a very long time. So wonderful to see you,” Kulash told the audience. Joined by opening act L.A. Exes, the night was brilliant from start to finish. Following a roughly 40-minute set from L.A. Exes featuring excellent harmonies and upbeat vibes, OK Go began with “This Too Shall Pass.” (The music video features the Notre Dame marching band.) From the first notes, the atmosphere was electric and never slowed — the concert felt like a party. Their set decoration consisted of both LED screens that added color and movement to the music and frequently used confetti cannons. The positive energy of the night was infectious as audience members sang and danced along. Even during the slower songs, the energy didn’t dissipate; rather, the audience respected these emotional moments and returned to rowdiness when the tempo and volume increased.
OK Go is always full of surprises, and this concert was no exception. Rolling out a table full of handbells, they proceeded to play “Shooting the Moon” entirely on bells, showcasing their musical versatility. The handbells were unexpected but nevertheless mesmerizing to hear and watch, easily a highlight of the night.
While changing instruments, Kulash hosted some audience Q&A, generating some of the funniest moments of the show. One of the best interactions was when a very young fan asked, “If you weren’t in a band, what will you be when you grow up?” The answer: a LEGO set designer. When asked about their videos, the band noted “Love” as their favorite. One of the best audience interactions came not as a question, but in a statement of gratitude: “Thank you for teaching physics in the form of your videos.”
Given OK Go’s Notre Dame connection, it wasn’t surprising that the first audience question concerned the “This Too Shall Pass” video. Kulash explained that, after hearing the ND Band cover “Here It Goes Again,” he wanted to collaborate. The video was filmed in October 2009 on land owned by Jesuit priests outside of South Bend. OK Go could film there under one stipulation: that they would promise never to not bring glory to God with their music.
Standout songs from the night included “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill,” “Take Me with You,” “Love,” “Here it Goes Again,” “Obsession” and “I Won’t Let You Down.” The encore consisted of three songs: “A Good, Good Day at Last,” “Upside Down & Inside Out” (the song accompanying the infamous plane video) and “The One Moment.”
I urge you to check out OK Go’s “And the Adjacent Possible” album and concurrent concert schedule this summer. If they will be near you, go and hear them. It’s an incredible live act and the show will surely be a summer highlight.
Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu
By AYDEN KOWALSKI Scene Copyeditor
Lorde is back in the spotlight and her element, and deservedly so. “Melodrama” is a magnum opus that transcends the pop classification; its coming-of-age story is immortal, reaching emotional depths that pure pop never does. She is also far too reclusive in public and exclusive with her musical appearances to be a “pop star.” But she knows how to make an anthemic, pulsating elegy to lost love. And while she’s used an upbeat breakup song as her comeback before — see 2017’s incredible “Green Light” — her newest single, “What Was That,” is not a retread but a return to her lane, with a stronger sense of voice and storytelling than her previous high-water mark. The narrative success more than makes up for the production, which doesn’t build a moving musical landscape to accompany the story world.
The verses on this song are lyrical achievements, with Lorde fully inhabiting her character to amazing effect. Instead of turning to the breakup immediately, she first describes a small apartment, with the mirrors obscured because, as she sings quietly, confessionally, “I can’t see
myself yet.” There is an entire album’s story in that line, another coming-of-age opus, and a poignant, easily recognizable hope in that “yet.” The nondescript friends who “talk current affairs” in the second verse feel real with even a skeletal description, which is both funny (in reducing the turbulence of the times to “current affairs”) and sad (in demonstrating how the breakup has consumed her entire attention, marginalizing all the chaos of the world). The only point where the songwriting falters is the chorus, where there are scarcely any words: almost empty space with a little metallic synthesizer skulking around the stereo, no instrument rising to carry the great momentum of the song to a climax.
Uncharacteristically for Lorde, the production on the song disappoints. Moving on from super-producer Jack Antonoff, who built “Melodrama” and “Solar Power” with her, she teams with Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro here, and while they draw on the “Melodrama” sound, they lack that record’s spark. The clattering drums are the highlight, yet are sometimes drowned in the mix, and the synthesizer soundscape misses the character of “Melodrama.” The swell between the second verse and pre-chorus is a nice twist on the typical pop structure, building on the song’s
story. Lorde says her heartbreak “might not let me go,” which leads into a great open space of only swelling instrumentation. Perhaps it is her protagonist’s mind wandering within the grief or visualizing a space beyond it. This elaborates and, with its multiple interpretations, contemplates the narrative world. And while an instrumental palette with more character would have created an even more impactful moment, here the production team succeeds.
The story of self-discovery unfolding just beneath the surface of the song’s breakup is amazingly appropriate for the season at Notre Dame, as we seniors wait to graduate. The woman, subsumed in the city, still unknown to herself in a tiny apartment, seems like a vision of many of us. I know there have been times this year when I have tried to decipher who I want to become and realized that “I can’t see myself yet.” But I, like Lorde’s protagonist and song, have held to the hope of that “yet.” I believe I will part the curtains and meet myself. Everyone is a little lost and alienated from themselves, but since that’s hard to admit, we have Lorde to sing it for us.
Contact Ayden Kowalski at akowals2@nd.edu
Irish secure second ACC sweep against Cal
By TYLER REIDY Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame baseball seems to have flipped a switch. Just three weeks ago, the Irish came limping home from Boston College at 16-17 overall and 4-14 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. They had lost all six ACC series played and were pretty widely considered the worst team in the conference.
They’ve looked like an entirely different squad since that moment. After sweeping Stanford last weekend and taking care of the accompanying midweek games, Notre Dame stayed hot this past weekend, breaking out the brooms against Cal at home. The Irish have now won eight consecutive games, a feat never before accomplished in the three-year Shawn Stiffler era. They now stand at 24-17 overall and are roaring back toward .500 within conference play at 10-14 against ACC foes.
Friday: Cal 1, Notre Dame
8
Perhaps no development has driven Notre Dame’s recent success more than the turnaround of Friday starter Jack Radel. The sophomore righthander struggled badly in March but has looked like one of the conference’s best arms since the calendar turned to April. With this past Friday’s masterpiece, which included seven innings of one-run baseball with a career-best 12 strikeouts, Radel has delivered four consecutive quality starts.
Both Radel and the Irish
offense overpowered Cal in the series opener, as Notre Dame blasted three home runs to lead the game from wire to wire. Sophomore catcher Davis Johnson started the scoring in the first inning, launching a two-run shot to right field. A few innings later, after Cal pulled a run back on Carl Schmidt’s leadoff home run in the fourth, the Irish struck back with another extra-base hit. With two outs, senior center fielder DM Jefferson lofted a ground-rule double that stretched Notre Dame’s lead back to two.
Golden Bear starting pitcher Austin Turkington pitched well enough to keep Cal in the game, striking out seven across 5.1 innings of threerun baseball. However, the combination of Radel’s dominance and the poor performance of Cal’s bullpen left him with the loss, as Notre Dame pulled away in the late innings. In the sixth, junior shortstop Estevan Moreno tagged a two-run home run. One frame later, Johnson walloped his second long ball of the night, a three-run big fly that brought the game to its final score of 8-1. The backstop finished with five RBIs on the night, accounting for over 60% of Notre Dame’s runs.
Saturday: Cal 0, Notre Dame 10
While Radel has only recently heated up, junior righthander Rory Fox has been Notre Dame’s consistent arm all season. He turned in another dandy of a start on Saturday afternoon, shutting out the Golden Bears across
six innings on two hits while striking out six. Including last week’s shutdown of Stanford, Fox has totaled 13 innings with zero runs conceded across his last two starts, punching out 12 and walking only one during that stretch.
Notre Dame gave him all the run support he needed within the first two innings, hanging eight runs on Cal starter Oliver de la Torre. The action began with two outs in the first, when freshman outfielder Bino Watters singled and freshman first baseman Parker Brzustewicz doubled him home. The Irish then blew it all open with a seven-run second inning, which freshman right fielder Jayce Lee opened with a solo home run. Sophomore catcher Carson Tinney, the reigning ACC Player of the Week, followed a few hitters later with a three-run blast. The hit parade continued with graduate second baseman Connor Hincks and Moreno, who respectively singled and doubled to plate a combined three additional runs.
In a game shortened to seven innings by the run rule, Notre Dame applied the finishing touches with runs in the fifth and sixth frames. Watters and Johnson each collected an RBI, bringing the Irish to 10 runs on 12 hits.
Every Notre Dame starter reached base at least once, with all but one man recording a hit.
Sunday: Cal 5, Notre Dame
6 Cal finally stayed in a game for the long haul on Sunday, scoring first on Notre Dame graduate right-hander Jackson Dennies. The Golden Bears opened up a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a Kalen Applefield long ball, forcing Dennies out of the contest with six innings to play. Notre Dame’s bullpen would need a big day to earn a sweep, getting help from the Irish offense via an immediate response in the bottom of the third.
Right after Cal went up 2-0, Notre Dame surged back into a 5-2 lead it would not relinquish. The Irish loaded the bases without swinging the bat against Cal starter Cole Tremain, who left the game after plunking a man to pack the bags. Brzustewicz rudely greeted the new reliever with a game-tying double down the line in left, neutralizing the two opening runs Cal pushed across. A throwing error on the Golden Bear infield then moved the Irish into a 4-2 lead before senior third baseman Nick DeMarco singled to complete the five-run frame.
Senior right-hander Ricky Reeth began the long day at work for the Irish bullpen, covering three innings with only a single run allowed. He took over for Dennies in the fourth, inheriting two runners on with nobody out and allowing neither man to score. Cal would finally get to Reeth
with a Dominic Smaldino RBI double in the sixth, but he still finished out the inning.
Freshman righty Oisin Lee took over for the seventh, allowing a run that brought Cal within one. However, the Irish got out of trouble with a double play and immediately drew that run back on a Hincks RBI triple in the bottom of the inning. Notre Dame turned to graduate closer Tobey McDonough for the game’s final two innings, and he recorded his sixth save of the season, but not without a little drama. First, Cal closed back within a run on Applefield’s single in the eighth. Then, in the ninth, a HBP and wild pitch helped the tying run get to third base with two outs. However, Schmidt, the man who drove in Cal’s first run of the series, made his team’s final out on a groundout to Moreno.
Now up to 12th in the ACC standings and within only a few games of NCAA Tournament contenders Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Virginia, the Irish will travel to Purdue for a midweek game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. After that, they’ll have their hot streak put to the test with a Thursday-FridaySaturday home series against No. 19 Louisville, a team that swept Notre Dame last May.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
KEIRA JONES | The Observer
Notre Dame baseball swept the University of California Berkeley at home at Frank Eck Stadium this weekend. The Irish won 8-1 on Friday, 10-0 on Saturday and 6-5 on Sunday in a dominant weekend. The team is 24-17 on the season and 10-14 in ACC play. They stand at 12th place in the conference, as they prepare to travel to Purde at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Happy Birthday: Change can be painful. Truth hurts, but putting up with situations that lead to stress is more harmful than being honest with yourself and others. Start replacing what’s no longer working for you with something that will. With each step, you will gain confidence, respect, and the right of passage to the place you want to be. It’s time to update and become the person you want to be. Your numbers are 7, 10, 18, 24, 32, 36, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take the path that excites you most. It’s okay to be different and to stretch your boundaries and skills to find peace and happiness. Take the plunge and do your part to promote positive change in sectors that concern you. Be the force behind making your environment less toxic and more productive.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Refuse to succumb to anger when it’s best to spend your energy being productive. Alter your surroundings to make your life more efficient and comfortable. Don’t argue or get involved in a no-win situation when using your ingenuity to propagate an enriched lifestyle, which will improve your outlook and direction.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Spontaneity can be exciting but not always fruitful. Take a moment to map out the best way forward. Too much of anything will impact your expectations and results adversely. Look for alternative options that are within budget and easy to implement. Evaluate your relationships, nourish positive influence, and eliminate toxic connections.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay attention to how you look, feel, and use your skills and assets. Simplify your lifestyle and make your life easier. Refuse to let temptation undermine you or put you in harm’s way. Surround yourself with reliable people, not the takers and those looking for a free ride. Protect your reputation.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Power up and get things done. Don’t give anyone the chance to complain or criticize. Put your chores behind you and move on to something that boosts your morale and makes you happy. An unusual event will be an eyeopener into what’s possible. Diversify, challenge yourself mentally, and stay calm in emotional situations.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): An open mind will lead to positive feedback and an interesting suggestion regarding using your skills, experience, and goals. Don’t underestimate your value when being specific, and be on time. These are the tools that will get you where you want to go. Commit from the heart and follow through.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Preparation is everything. Leave nothing to chance or let yourself fall short when trying to make an impression. Let your charm lead the way, but your talent be your selling feature. If you love what you do, you’ll send a strong positive message that you can deliver what you promise.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Sit tight, be observant, and refuse to let anyone bait you into an argument. Look at what you’ve achieved and what’s still on your bucket list, and you’ll feel optimistic about your prospects. Discipline, diet, and fitness will help you achieve the look you want to host and attract positive feedback.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Let your intellect lead the way. Choosing brawn over using your brain will give someone the impression they can take advantage of you. Put emotions aside and be frank regarding your needs, intentions, and feelings. Don’t lead someone on or try to buy love. Just be honest and be yourself.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Play fairly but without fear. Organization and preparation will be your ticket to the winner’s circle. Trust your instincts, implement your strengths and courage, and let no one outmaneuver you. Carry yourself with dignity, show your leadership abilities, and attract followers. Romance is on the rise.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Try something new and exciting. Expand your mind and initiate lifestyle changes that will lead to better health. Refuse to let stress and discord weaken you when rest and rejuvenation are necessary to do your best and reach your aspirations. Do things uniquely and with personal gratitude, and you’ll excel.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do your fair share, but don’t let anyone compromise or take advantage of you. Know when to decline and revert to taking better care of yourself. Say no to temptation and situations that can cost you. Tie up loose ends and take care of institutional obligations. An environmental change will be uplifting. Birthday Baby: You are thoughtful, helpful, and passionate. You are proactive and cautious.
SOFTBALL
Irish swept by North Carolina at home
By HENRY LYTLE Associate Sports Editor
Taking on the North Carolina Tar Heels, who were 15-9 in conference play, the Irish softball team was up for a tall task to steal a game at home this past weekend. Junior Micaela Kastor pitched 19 strikeouts in two games for the Irish to build on her 100th strikeout of the season the previous week, but it wasn’t enough as the Irish offense never gained a lead in three games. The 23-29 Irish were swept by the Tar Heels 9-1, 2-1, and 3-1.
Game one
In their first matchup, Notre Dame started strong on defense. Kastor took the circle once more for the Irish, and she pitched a solid 5.1 innings. The junior struck out nine hitters and allowed three runs through the first four innings.
Trailing 3-0, the Irish needed to find some offense. It began with freshman infielder Avery Houlihan reaching the bases on a Tar Heel error. Then freshman infielder Kaia Cortes followed with a single to advance Houlihan. Senior outfielder Emily Tran reached the bases on a fielder’s choice that scored Houlihan, but got Cortes out at second. After only one run, the Irish were held empty in large part by Kenna Raye Dark, who threw the complete game with six strikeouts.
On the fielding side, Notre Dame began to unravel. Kastor began the sixth but allowed two more runners as she broke 100 pitches overall. This prompted freshman Brianne Weiss to throw in relief, but she allowed four more runs that ballooned the lead to 9-1 in favor of North Carolina. Held scoreless through the rest of the game, the Irish fell 9-1.
Game two
Hoping to get the offense back on track in round two on Saturday, the Irish had some work to do from both sides of the ball to turn the series around. Pitching Shannon Becker, Notre Dame started strong on defense once again. The question was whether it could be maintained. Through three innings, Becker only allowed four hits and a run. The run came in the top of the third.
On the offensive side, the Irish could not find the scoreboard until the sixth inning. Senior catcher Rachel Allen singled to right-center. Senior utility
player Jane Kronenberger then reached the bases on an error. Senior infielder Anna Holloway bunted to advance the runners, and Cortes brought Allen in with a single to make the game 1-1. With runners on the bases, consecutive batters struck out at the plate as North Carolina once again threw one pitcher throughout the entire game. That pitcher, Britton Rogers, earned six critical strikeouts, more than half of which came when runners were on base.
In the top of the seventh, North Carolina scored on a flyout to take a 2-1 lead. The Irish put three balls into play on the other side, but all three runners were out at first as the Irish dropped a second game in a row to the Tar Heels, 2-1.
Game three
With a chance to squeeze one win out of a mostly forgettable series, the Irish pitched Kastor once more in the circle. The junior recorded her career high with 10 strikeouts in a single game as she pitched the whole contest with 112 pitches.
North Carolina broke the 0-0 mark in the fourth inning off a single, steal, bunt and RBI single to lead 1-0. The Irish defense stood strong to prevent an even bigger lead, but they trailed heading into the bottom of the fourth. Tran began the hitting for Notre Dame as she notched a single through the right side of the infield. Sophomore infielder Addison Amaral followed Tran with another single. Allen grounded into a double play next, but Tran moved on to third base. Finally, Holloway singled to right to bring in Tran to even the score at 1-1.
The Tar Heels scored another run in the seventh off an RBI double to take a 2-1 lead. On the hitting side in the bottom of the seventh, Kronenberger reached after being hit by a pitch, but sophomore infielder Olivia Levitt grounded out to end the game at 2-1.
Through three games, the Irish scored a collective three runs off of 14 hits, which is far below their season average and the total needed in conference play. Despite the disappointing offense, Kastor has hit her stride in the circle, throwing 19 strikeouts in two games on Friday and Sunday. Notre Dame will take on No. 5 Oregon next on Monday, April 28, at 5 p.m. in Melissa Cook Stadium.
Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
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KEIRA JONES | The Observer
Notre Dame softball lost 3-1 against North Carolina at Melissa Cook Stadium Sunday afternoon. After being swept by the Tar Heels this weekend, the Irish fell to 23-29-1 overall and 7-17 in conference play with two games left to play.
Irish beat Penn for a third post-season win
By NOAH CAHILL Sports Editor
The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team used another massive second half to earn a 10-8 comeback win over Penn in its regular season finale. The victory brought the Irish to 8-3 overall and on a threegame win streak as they head into postseason play. With North Carolina’s win against Syracuse over the weekend, they also secured the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament, setting up a rematch in the semifinals with the No. 4 seeded Orange on Friday in Charlotte.
In a packed Arlotta Stadium, the Irish lacked the energy to match in the first frame, falling behind 3-1 after 15 minutes. The Quakers opened the scoring early before senior
attacker Chris Kavanagh came up with an answer during an extra-man opportunity with a little under five minutes remaining in the first. Two goals in the span of 30 seconds from Griffin Scane to finish the quarter put Penn back ahead by two. After a cagey start to the second quarter, the visitors rattled off three consecutive goals to extend their commanding 6-1 lead. Penn’s Casey Mulligan and Ryan McLaughlin found the back of the net while Scane completed his first-half hat trick during the run. With 13 seconds left in the half, graduate midfielder Devon McLane cut the lead to four with a much-needed tally for the Irish.
That goal would be the start of a 5-0 run, as Kavanagh and McLane took over coming out of the break. Kavanagh began the scoring with his second of the day before McLane made the next three, evening the score at 6-6. Davis Provost momentarily stopped the bleeding for Penn before the Irish rounded out the quarter with three more goals in a row. Senior midfielder Fisher Finley evened the score at 7-7 before junior attacker Will Maheras gave Notre Dame its first lead of the game. Graduate attacker Jake Taylor would extend the lead only seconds later, taking the Irish into the final frame with a two-goal advantage. The Quakers wouldn’t go away, though, scoring within the opening 30 seconds of the fourth to cut the deficit to one. From there, the Irish defense shut the door, not allowing another goal for the remainder of the contest. Kavanagh completed his hat trick in the final three minutes of play to give Notre Dame some breathing room as it closed out the 10-8 victory.
During the three-game win streak, the Irish attack has exploded in each second half, outscoring opponents by a combined 28-8 in the final 30 minutes of play. They have kept opposing attacks in single digits during the streak, as well as in five of the last six contests. The stellar play of netminder Thomas Ricciardelli has played a big role in Notre Dame’s lockdown defense. The junior tallied seven saves on Saturday while forcing two turnovers and securing four ground balls. Senior draw specialist Will Lynch also dominated at the dot, winning 13 of his 19 faceoff attempts and adding six ground balls in the win. While they may not be the undisputed favorites as they were last season, Notre Dame enters the postseason looking as dangerous as ever in 2025.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
KEIRA JONES | The Observer
Notre Dame men’s lacrosse defeated the University of Pennsylvania 10-8 in a comeback victory this weekend in a packed Arlotta Stadium. Notre Dame improved to 8-3 on the season, securing the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament.
FOOTBALL
Six Notre Dame players picked in NFL draft
Observer Staff Report
The final six rounds of the 2025 NFL draft played out on Friday and Saturday in Detroit. Six former Irish players found their professional homes through selections, extending their college football lead to 538 all-time draft picks. Additionally, three more signed as undrafted free agents.
Xavier Watts, Safety - Atlanta Falcons
Late in the third round on Friday night, the Falcons selected Watts with the 96th overall pick. Atlanta traded up to take Watts, moving up from 101st and acquiring the pick from the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite falling from his anticipated selection slot, Watts joined Benjamin Morrison as the second Irish defensive back called upon within the first two nights of the draft. The two Irish teammates will oppose one another twice yearly going forward within the NFC South division.
Executives in Atlanta have raved about the pure instincts, versatility and ballhawking skills of Watts, a two-year starter at Notre Dame. Watts began his Notre Dame career as a wide receiver out of Omaha, Nebraska; later cycling through linebacker before sticking as a top option at safety early in the 2023 season. He broke out and then some during that campaign, recording seven interceptions — including two against 2024’s No. 1 pick Caleb Williams — and 52 tackles. Watts finished the year by taking home the Bronko Nagurski Award, which annually honors the top defensive player in college football.
A household name in South Bend from start to finish in 2024, Watts lived up to his lofty graduate year expectations with another excellent season. Starting all 16 games of Notre Dame’s run to the
national championship game, he intercepted six more footballs and made 82 tackles. On the final day of the regular season, he broke a Notre Dame record with a 100yard interception return touchdown against USC. Fittingly, he played two games — including his last with the Irish — in his new professional home of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Heading down to Georgia may give Watts the opportunity to create a turnover machine with seventh-year safety Jessie Bates III. Bates, who began his professional career with the Cincinnati Bengals, has done nothing but take the ball away in his two Atlanta seasons. While Watts picked off a total of 13 passes to lead all of college football across the past two season, Bates has intercepted 10 against NFL quarterbacks during that stretch.
Last year, upon adding veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to the offense, the Falcons didn’t miss the playoffs by much at 8-9. Their offense finished sixth in the league in terms of yardage, but their defense lagged behind at 23rd in both points and yards allowed. If Watts can make good on his labeling as a massive third-round steal, Atlanta’s defense might just improve enough to make an NFC South division title possible.
Jack Kiser, LinebackerJacksonville Jaguars
After compiling a Notre Dame record 69 games played throughout his illustrious six-year career in South Bend, Kiser will move to Jacksonville to bolster the Jaguars linebacker room. Kiser boasts a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 91.1 since 2023, the second-highest amongst linebackers. Although he will enter the NFL at a relatively older age as a 25-year-old rookie, Kiser’s leadership ability and field awareness make him a strong
pickup for the Jaguars.
Kiser will learn behind Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, both of whom have carved out consistent roles in Jacksonville. However, with the duo being near contract years, the Jaguars’ choice of Kiser makes perfect sense. Kiser became beloved by Notre Dame fans for always making the right decision, and he was a vocal leader of Notre Dame’s elite defense that led the Irish to a National Championship appearance. He should slot in as a day-one rotational piece for the Jaguars with the potential to work his way up to a starting role.
Kiser follows JD Bertrand as the second consecutive Notre Dame linebacker to be drafted in the middle rounds. Bertrand was drafted in the fifth round by the Falcons in 2024. The Jaguars selected Kiser in the fourth round, 107th overall. A former quarterback and linebacker at Royal Center, Indiana, this will mark the first time the 2018 Mr. Indiana Football plays for a team outside the Hoosier state.
Rylie Mills, Defensive Tackle - Seattle Seahawks
After earning Second Team AllAmerican honors during his senior season in South Bend, defensive tackle Rylie Mills will head out west to bolster a Seahawks team in need of physicality in the trenches. With the fourth pick of the fifth round (142nd overall), Seattle made Mills the 20th interior defensive lineman chosen in the draft, filling the team’s main defensive need after selecting offensive players with three of the first four picks.
Playing alongside Howard Cross III as the anchors of the nation’s No. 1 defense in 2024, Mills led the Irish in sacks with 7.5, including a career-high three against Florida State. Although he is currently working his way back from an ACL tear suffered in the First Round of the College Football Playoff, Mills is
in a good position to be a week one starter for the Seahawks.
Seattle currently has just two other interior linemen on the roster who can slot into the nose tackle position of head coach Mike Macdonald’s 3-4 defensive front. Both Brandon Pili and Quinton Bohanna were signed late last season as the Seahawks made a playoff push, but the pair combined for just one tackle in their appearances. If his recovery continues, Mills will provide strength and toughness for a Seattle defensive line that looks to make a push in the wideopen NFC West.
Mitchell Evans, Tight EndCarolina Panthers
Following his promising end to 2024, Panthers franchise quarterback Bryce Young was equipped with numerous new offensive weapons through the draft, including tight end Mitchell Evans. Despite battling injuries throughout his career, Evans became Notre Dame’s starting tight end for his senior season, turning in 43 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
After snagging a highly-touted receiver and running back in the earlier rounds, the Panthers got high value when selecting Evans with the 27th pick of the fifth round (163rd overall). Evans was the eighth tight end to come off the board as 2025 was a stacked year for the position group, including first-round picks Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren.
The Panthers deploy just one tight end in 72% of their offensive snaps, meaning Evans will have to battle with 2024 fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders for time as the backup tight end. The projected starter in Carolina is also a Notre Dame product, as Tommy Tremble signed a two-year, $16 million contract following a career year last fall. All told, Evans should provide depth to a Carolina offense looking to take the next steps in year three of the Bryce Young era.
Riley Leonard, QuarterbackIndianapolis Colts
A transfer from Duke University and an Alabama native, former Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard finds his way back to Indiana to join the Indianapolis Colts. Leonard joined in the sixth round of the draft and was the 189th pick overall.
In his first three years at Duke, Leonard played a total of 27 games, including seven in his freshman year, 13 in his sophomore and seven in his junior year before transferring to Notre Dame.
In his senior year with the Irish, Leonard, one of the team captains, debuted in 16 games throughout the season, becoming a 2024 Comeback Player of the Year Award
Semifinalist, landing in the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Top 25, earning a Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week and joining the 2024 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award Watch List. Leonard finished the 2024 season averaging 56.6 rushing yards per game, averaging 178.8 passing yards per contest and finishing with a total of 17 rushing touchdowns to finish the season.
Leonard was the sixth Notre Dame player to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft as the Colts welcome him to Indianapolis. Leonard will join the quarterback room with returning Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones.
Cross headlines post-draft signings
A three-year starter, Cross played 66 career games at Notre Dame, the second-most in program history. He was selected as a Second Team All-American in 2023 and 2024; seasons in which he combined for 12.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Standing at 6-foot-1, 283 pounds, he makes up for a lack of size with short-area burst and active hands. He will look to earn a place in the rotation of a Bengals interior defensive line that struggled last season.
Despite not hearing his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft, nickel back Jordan Clark quickly found a landing spot in the pros when he inked a free agent deal with the New York Jets on Saturday night. The son of ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, the veteran ballhawk played his sixth collegiate season in South Bend after an illustrious five-year tenure at Arizona State.
Clark’s experience made him an immediate leader for the strong Fighting Irish defense, but he also produced on-field results with 37 tackles and an interception. The New York secondary was one of the few bright spots for the middling Jets a year ago, ranking top 10 in passing defense. They did struggle to take the ball away, however, finishing with the fourth-fewest interceptions in the NFL. That could provide Clark an opportunity to break through, as the Notre Dame defense excelled on that front last year.
In Beaux Collins’ sole season at Notre Dame, the graduate transfer from Clemson recorded 41 receptions for 490 yards and three touchdowns. Collins wasn’t always consistent throughout the 2024 season but flashed some high-end separation tools and contested catch ability, the timely back-shoulder grab on the game-winning drive against Texas A&M a prime example. He will look to break into a Giants wide receiver corps in desperate need of playmakers to support their new first-round quarterback selection, Jaxson Dart.
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Safety Xavier Watts stands near midfield during the National Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Jan. 20. Watts was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the 96th pick in the draft.
