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VOLUME 59, ISSUE 59 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Mendoza begins construction projects The College of Business is constructing a new addition to its building along with two internal projects

By ZACK POHLMAN Staff Writer

Construction on a number of projects at the Mendoza College of Business began in February, including a new addition to the building. The north addition, which is set to be completed for the start of the 2026-27 academic year, will include new classrooms, collaborative areas and offices for staff and faculty.

Dean Martijn Cremers shared that construction was originally not supposed to begin until later, but the start was pushed up to align with the goal of opening in August 2026.

In addition to the expansion of the building, two projects are

ongoing inside the building. The Mendoza Behavioral Lab, located in the basement of the northwest wing, will be a dedicated space for research. The third project is a state-of-the-art trading room, set to occupy the northeast corner of the atrium.

The first floor of the north addition, which will completely fill in the north side of the building’s courtyard, will feature a new classroom space meant primarily for teaching foundations of business classes to large sections. Similar to the auditorium in the basement of Geddes Hall, which currently hosts some of the foundations classes, the new classroom will see MENDOZA PAGE 3

Humor Artists host improv at SMC

By BERHAN HAGEZOM Staff Writer

The Saint Mary’s Student Government Association (SGA) hosted a performance by The Humor Artists, a tri-campus comedy group, Monday night, which included four Saint Mary’s students.

Ashley Chaveriat, president of SGA and a performer with The Humor Artists, shared that the improv group’s work is divided into two categories: short-form work that’s done entirely on the spot and longer segments that take around a week to prepare.

“For short form, we prepare nothing. We just play games and we assign who’s going to be in the games, but what we say is completely up to the audience,” Chaveriat said.

Chaveriat added that the longform team is audition based.

Saint Mary’s students described what initially made them interested in joining The Humor Artists.

“I came to a Humor Artist show at Saint Mary’s when I was a sophomore and thought, ‘This is so funny and I want to be doing that,’” senior Caroline Dutton said. see IMPROV PAGE 4

ZACK POHLMAN | The Observer

Sidewalks and grass outside of the Mendoza College of Business are fenced off for excavation. The north addition of the building will occupy the current green space on the north end of the Jordan Auditorium.

StuGov cancels plans to merge departments Observer Staff Report

In an email Monday, Feb. 24, student body presidentelect Jerry Vielhauer sent an email to the student body detailing applications for his and vice president-elect Sonia Lumley’s executive cabinet.

Six members of the Humor Artists perform to a packed crowd in the Stapleton Lounge at Saint Mary’s College during Monday evening.

ASH WEDNESDAY NEWS PAGE 4

ALL

NIGHTER VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

The restructuring combined the department of first-generation, low-income (FGLI) student advocacy with the department of disability advocacy, forming a single entity.

The ticket also see STUGOV PAGE 3

Zach Bryan and Shane Gillis to perform Sep. 6 Observer Staff Report

BERHAN HAGEZOM | The Observer

Attached to the email was a list of policy goals and initiatives broken down by department. The platform detailed a proposed consolidation of certain student departments and the creation of two new departments: campus nutrition and student-athlete relations.

Experience Notre Dame, a branch of University Operations, Events and Safety, announced Tuesday morning that Grammyaward winning American country and rock singer-songwriter Zach Bryan will perform at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 6.

Bryan will perform alongside American stand-up comedian and podcaster Shane Gillis and Irish pop singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy.

ANIMATION AT THE OSCARS SCENE PAGE 7

Experience Notre Dame shared in emails to the tri-campus community that presale for tri-campus students, faculty and staff will be offered on Thursday, March 6 at 10 a.m. before ticket sales open to the public Friday, March 7. Each student will be allowed to purchase up to eight tickets during the presale event.

The email specified a link will be sent with further instructions in an email on Wednesday for the presale. All tickets will be purchased through Ticketmaster.

According to the Experience Notre Dame website, parking will open for audience members at noon, with the gates opening at 5 p.m. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. Further information on pricing, parking and a full schedule of events will be available in the coming days and closer to the date of the event.

Bryan’s appearance marks the fourth concert held at the Notre Dame Stadium, following two by Garth Brooks in 2018 and 2022 and one by Billy Joel in 2022.

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SPORTS PAGE 8

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Marcus Freeman is presented with the Bear Byrant Award, granted to one remarkable coach each college football season, at the Women’s basketball game on Sunday. Freeman joins Lou Houltz as the second Notre Dame football coach to receive this honor.

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Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Notre Dame vs.

Stanford Purcell Pavilion 9 p.m.

Men’s basketball takes on Stanford.

Poverty Studies Lecture Geddes Hall 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Pulitzer Prize journalist lectures on Poverty.

Ukraine Conference McKenna Conference Center All Day Join this Ukraine focused Conference.

Tosca Performance DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Get tickets for this Opera performance.

Notre Dame vs. UNC Eck Tennis Pavilion 12 p.m.

Notre Dame men’s tennis takes on the UNC Tar Heels.

Wellsprings Campus Discussion O’Shaughnessy Hall 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Discuss fears about social divisiveness.

Ukraine Lecture 215 McKenna Hall 5 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

Cambridge professor discusses cultivating hope in Ukraine.

Notre Dame vs. Duke Eck Tennis Pavilion 5 p.m.

Notre Dame Men’s tennis takes on the Duke Blue Devils.

Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Arlotta Stadium 2 p.m.

Men’s lacrosse takes on Ohio State.

Basillica Mass Basillica of the Sacred Heart 12 p.m.

Come attend Sunday mass at the Basillica.

NEWS

Mendoza CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

have a limited number of rows and a gentle elevation change from front to back.

“Students in the north auditorium are going to have a permanent desk with a chair they can move around, and they will have a lot more space,” Cremers said. “We designed the whole thing so that students will never be too far away from the professor.”

Surrounding the new classroom will be a large undergraduate student lounge featuring couches and collaboration spaces. Cremers shared that the lounge is part of a larger effort by the College to create a strong community within Mendoza by encouraging students to spend more time in the building.

“The idea is for it to be a space where we hope our undergraduates will be glad to spend time studying, hanging out, waiting before class and spending time in between classes,” Cremers said.

The second and third floors will be mostly offices, additionally including a few classrooms and conference rooms.

Cremers added that there will also be some sort of outdoor terrace that students can utilize in the warmer months.

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | THE OBSERVER

The projection system in Jordan auditorium is also set to be replaced during the construction process. The current screen will be replaced with an LED video wall.

The construction will impact the day to day operations of Mendoza as well as its students and faculty over the next 18 months. The entrances on the north side of the building, facing DeBartolo Hall, will be closing during the construction. According to Cremers, those two doors are likely the most used out of all the entrances to the building.

“We’re gonna change the normal flow for students and faculty and staff coming in and out of our building,” Cremers said. “It’s actually worse than that, because the eastern entrance, we would like to discourage people from using that unless you’re leaving campus.”

Trucks, materials and other heavy machinery will be going back and forth to the construction site via a path between Mendoza and Duncan Student Center. While the eastern entrance will remain open, it will primarily be used by people walking to the parking lot.

In addition to the new build, progress is underway on the two specialty spaces inside

the building. The trading room, set to open in the fall of 2025, will be a space for student collaboration and work.

The new space will include “wall-to-wall video boards and racetrack-style stock tickers around the outside glass walls and inside above the workstations, which will provide access to industry-leading platforms like FactSet, Bloomberg, and CapIQ,” Jason Reed, faculty director at the Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI), wrote in a comment to The Observer.

Reed shared that students will be able to study in the trading room, furthering the College’s goal of creating community.

“We expect students to utilize this space similarly to other computer and collaborative spaces on campus,” Reed wrote. “Aside from student collaboration and work, the college plans to host some lectures, presentations, and guests inside the new space.”

Official construction on the trading room space will not begin until April, since its eventual site is currently occupied by an office suite.

Cremers shared that a former lounge space is undergoing some changes in order to accommodate those offices for

the time being.

“We think of that as a temporary solution while we are figuring out a more permanent solution for the staff who are being permanently displaced,” Cremers said.

The least visible construction project, the Mendoza Behavioral Lab, is already underway in the basement of the northwest wing. 2,500 square feet of space, formerly occupied by Café Commons and a classroom, is set to be dedicated to research space.

“It’s going to be very important for our faculty in certain groups,” Cremers said. “Think about consumer behavior in marketing and organizational behavior in management and organization.”

Currently, researchers operate out of two classrooms in the Mendoza basement, which Cremers said limits the scope of possible research.

Most of the projects rely on students to be subjects in the behavioral studies.

“You can do much more if you have a permanent specialized setup so that you can do these studies anytime, especially during times that are much more convenient for students,” he said.

Contact Zack Pohlman at zpohlma2@nd.edu

StuGov CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

combined the department of gender relations: Title IX and women’s initiatives w ith the department of gender relations: LGBTQ+ advocacy into another single department.

The initial list also eliminated the department of national affairs and political engagement and the department of sustainabilit y, both of which had been in place under prev ious student governments.

In a second email sent Friday, Feb. 28, Vielhauer and Lumley reversed these changes, w ith the exception of establishing a committee for sustainabilit y rather than retaining the department of sustainabilit y.

“We have heard meaningful feedback regarding our policy and we appreciate all of your interest and insight. As we promised, we are constantly listening to you, and we are prepared to make the changes necessar y to ser ve the student body to the best of our abilit y,” Vielhauer w rote in the second email.

The incoming administration attached a feedback form to their second email, w riting, “as always, we want your thoughts ... we w ill read all of the responses and take them into consideration.”

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ND community prepares for Lent

By EMILY BARLETT News Writer

Notre Dame has a variety of events planned for the upcoming Lenten season, including Ash Wednesday masses and special dining hall menus.

In celebration of Fat Tuesday and the beginning of Lent, Notre Dame dining halls provided a Mardi Gras special dinner featuring beignets and a po’ boy station.

Academic director at the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy Timothy O’Malley explained that dining halls do not provide meat on Fridays during the Lent season.

“It’s a time of preparation to celebrate Easter, to undertake fasting, prayer and almsgiving for the sake of focusing on that which matters: our identity as the beloved sons and daughters of God,” O’Malley wrote in a statement to The Observer.

On Wednesday, Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart will host five masses celebrating Ash Wednesday, including one in Spanish. There will be time for confession from 9 a.m. through 7 p.m.

“The crowd at the Basilica evening mass will make you think it is Easter Sunday,” Fr. Nicholas Ayo, wrote in a statement to The Observer.

Detailing the significance of Ash Wednesday in beginning the Lenten season, rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart Fr. Brian Ching, wrote in a statement to The Observer: “The ashes we receive serve as a visible sign of our acknowledgment that we are not perfect and stained by sin. It is a significant practice since it reminds us of what we hope to work on during Lent, growing out of sin and deeper in holiness.”

Ching explained that Notre Dame strives to make Lent a special time by offering retreats, bible studies and small group discussions enabling community

Improv CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Freshman Genevieve Le Leux, who participated in improv as a kid, shared that she saw the opportunity to join the group advertised at the Saint Mary’s club fair.

Dutton shared that the group does improv shows around once a month in Washington Hall and also performs in dorms. She added that the group creates a show with pre-written and rehearsed sketches each spring and fall.

Monday’s performance consisted of a variety of skits, during which the artists developed scenarios individually or together, incorporating engagement from the audience. Audience members were frequently asked to choose the genre of the skits, which included romance and

members to grow in their faith.

He shared that Fr. Tim Gallagher is hosting a retreat March 29 called “Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement: A Path to Freedom in the Teaching of St. Ignatius of Loyola,” which will emphasize finding joy in spiritual lives. Additionally, there will be a mini silent retreat April 12 to inspire intentional thought and reflection.

“It is a wonder so many people come with, I think, an awareness that we are not in very good shape in our spiritual life, and we could use some discipline and self-giving,” Ayo wrote.

The Celtic Psalms will hold a concert March 21, which will be free to the public and feature traditional Irish and Scottish melodies.

Community members also have the opportunity to experience Mary’s perspective of the Stations of the Cross at the Stabat Mater: Magnificat Choir Palm Sunday Concert. This devotional concert will take place on Palm Sunday at at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, as well as April 16 at Our Lady of the Road in South Bend.

O’Malley explained that students are giving up a variety of things for Lent, but he has observed social media become increasingly more common to give up. “I think it’s essential for undergrads today to use this time to reflect on idolatrous use of such media,” O’Malley wrote.

In lieu of giving something up, Ching explained that many people choose to implement an additional spiritual practice into their routines, such as a daily saying of the Rosary or additional time dedicated to prayer.

“It does not have to be anything drastic or dramatic, but a little moment of self-denial to help us remember God’s goodness,” Ching wrote.

Contact Emily Barlett at ebarlett@nd.edu

drama.

Pick-up and break-up lines were also frequently incorporated into the skits, such as a healththemed line, “Hey girl, I think I’m sick. I need you to nurse me back to health,” delivered by Dutton.

Dutton shared that the group also performs games called “stand-then-delivers,” which she referred to as “STDs.” Topics for the games on Monday included history and video games centered around sometimes explicit themes such as “what is sex life?”

Describing these games further, Chaveriat said, “We played a bunch of different games today, scene painting, cut to that and four square are our notorious ones that we play often. Then we have another moderator after we play the ‘STDs.’” Four square includes a variety of prompts and scenarios done

Journalist speaks on Jewish identity after Gaza

By MARIA CLARA LOPES CORONA News Writer

Notre Peter Beinart spoke Monday on the ongoing war in Gaza and its implications for Jewish identity, sharing his personal and political reckoning with the narratives that have shaped Jewish thought on Zionism and Palestinian humanity.

The lecture was moderated by Atalia Omer, a professor of religion, conflict and peace studies at Notre Dame.

Beinart, a professor at the City of New York’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and frequent contributor to The New York Times and MSNBC, discussed the ideological transformations he has undergone, challenging deeply entrenched views on Israel and its treatment of Palestinians.

Beinart spoke about his recent book, “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza,” which explores what he describes as the necessity of unlearning a historical narrative that denies Palestinian political rights and humanity. In the book, he argues that for decades, the Jewish establishment has urged American Jews to compartmentalize their liberal values when it comes to Israel.

In his lecture, he noted the dehumanizing effects of this ideology and explained that young Jewish people are increasingly rejecting Zionism itself rather than compromising their commitment to universal human rights.

“Palestinians were always talked about, but never listened to,” he said. “They were treated as a faceless, threatening collective rather than as individual human beings.”

He described his own evolving awareness of the brutality of

with pairs in a group of four. Two performers are at the front and two in the back, sharing a common phrase with each other.

Performers interacted further with the audience via filler games, during which two audience members were picked to finish a phrase by each artist at random times. Audience members could also volunteer to have their text messages read and used to assist in the skits.

The last game played with all members was “freeze,” which entailed two different actions being picked by audiences for two initial artists to perform. Anytime a different artist wanted to participate, they would clap one of the two performing artists’ hands and replace them, creating a different scenario.

Saint Mary’s performers hoped that seeing improv shows

Israel’s policies in Gaza and the West Bank, acknowledging that he was unprepared for the extent of Palestinian suffering and the way he had internalized dismissive attitudes toward them.

Beinart addressed the events of Oct. 7, calling the attack “an act of horrifying violence” and condemning the targeting of civilians as profoundly immoral.

However, he emphasized the need for a deeper diagnosis of the conditions in Israel-Palestine that led to such violence.

“You erase Palestinian humanity and you turn Oct. 7 into just a story of antisemitic barbarism,” he said, “which then becomes the justification for the terrible, terrible violence that we’ve seen since and that indeed seems now prone to even escalate.”

He was particularly critical of the way discourse has been shaped to justify Israeli military actions. The claim that Hamas uses human shields, he noted, follows the same logic employed by many military forces responsible for civilian deaths.

“Every force that kills a lot of civilians uses the same argument,” he said, adding that Jewish civilians historically rejected such justifications when used against them. “I don’t really think these are arguments; they felt more like defense mechanisms, like callousness.”

One of the most charged aspects of Beinart’s argument was his critique of how antisemitism is invoked to shut down conversations about Palestinian rights.

He described the use of this accusation to justify oppression as a perversion of Jewish history.

“It is deeply upsetting to see the way in which the language of antisemitism is used to defend a system of human inequality,” he said. “To use antisemitism as a way to silence people struggling for human equality seems to be a terrible kind of inversion of

Jewish history.”

Beinart took aim at the claim that anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic. He noted that organizations like the AntiDefamation League define antiZionism as antisemitism.

“This definition is junk, it’s worthless,” he said. “It makes no sense as a definition of bigotry.”

He argued that this tactic is not meant to address actual antisemitism but to redirect the conversation.

“The move is always to turn the conversation away from what’s happening on the ground to the allegedly antisemitic motivation for the people who are leveling the criticism,” Beinart said.

He noted that Jewish organizations that claim to study antisemitism are often led by individuals with no expertise in the subject. He backed the evidence up, explaining the University of Pennsylvania’s head of an antisemitism task force is a dentist and at UCLA, it’s someone who studies real estate and finance.

“Jewish scholars who study antisemitism won’t fulfill the purpose of these task forces, which is to purposefully create a pretext for censoring and shutting down pro-Palestinian speech,” he said.

A core theme of Beinart’s talk was the way in which Palestinians are systematically dehumanized, both in discourse and in practice. He reflected on how, growing up, “Palestinians were also talked about, but never listened to.” He noted that within the dominant Jewish narrative, Palestinians exist only as a collective monster, “not as individual human beings.”

like these would encourage more students to get involved with the group.

“We only have people audition once a year. So, we have our activities fair here and the activities fair at Notre Dame … We want everyone to come up because either they can find out about our shows, and come watch them as an audience member or they can join … Anyone that’s hesitant to join, no matter what school you

go to, I would just say just do it,” Chaveriat said.

Le Leux shared her hopes that students in attendance were able to take a break from stress at these performances, saying, “I hope the people who came had fun and were able to have a laugh, relieve stress, and then learn about our group as well.”

Editor’s Note: A longer version of this story can be found online at ndsmcobserver.com.

Contact Maria Clara Lopes Corona at mcorona@nd.edu

Contact Berhan Hagezom at bhagezom01@saintmarys.edu

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Older not wiser Moira Quinn Working Title

And just like that, spring break is upon us, and may I be the first to say that I am happier than ever to have a staycation. W hile the idea of venturing to an exotic resort sounded quite tempting, I realized it’s best if I gave myself (and my wallet) some time to recalibrate at home. So Chicago suburbs, here I come !

The thing about my adventures home, is whether it be a weekend or a month, the trip will fail if I do not go in with a plan of action. My two siblings will be at school and my parents will be at work, meaning I have the entire week all to myself where I can do whatever I please. Thus, I have already begun crafting up an itinerar y in my notes app dedicated to such.

One of my goals this year has been to tap into things I used to enjoy when I was younger. This idea was ignited by an article I saw regarding adults struggling to find their passion, and how sometimes taking a glimpse at what you loved in childhood will often

lead you to what you were looking for. I found this message quite insightful to hear because adulthood has begun to feel more real than ever, and while I am excited about the joys life after college will bring in regards to my career, it’s equally important to tend to the other parts of myself, too, and I realized I have neglected a lot of these parts of myself. But fear not, I have just the cure, and am eager to channel my inner child over the course of my spring break and beyond.

For one, I want to read an entire book. My goal for 2025 is to read one book per month, which I am having a difficult time doing, but I bought a reading light so hopefully that will give me the motivation I need to play catch up. I learned to read ver y early on and was sifting through Harr y Potter by first grade.

I have since fallen off the bookworm train and am tr ying to hop back on.

Another thing I used to do a lot is arts and crafts.

From rainbow loom bracelets to duct tape f lower pens, I was creating something new ever yday after school. I recently made a cake for my roommate’s birthday (well I didn’t bake the cake but I did decorate it), and it was the first time in a long time that I

had an artistic idea and executed it. I want to do that a lot more often. One of my friends loves crafting and is ver y good at tending to it often, as she always has some ty pe of project going on. She got me a watercolor set for my birthday last year, and it has not been touched, so maybe I will tr y to break that spell. Or I will begin the college scrapbook I have been wanting to make for the last four years.

Now that we are nearing the transitional season of spring, I encourage you to shake off the dark winter cloud that has been looming over us the last however many months and embrace the second half of the semester by indulging in something you used to love.

That young childlike wonder is still inside all ever y one of us, you just have to dig deep and find it again.

Moira Quinn is a senior at Saint Mary’s College studying communication. When she isn’t writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound. You can contact Moira at mquinn02@saintmarys.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

How to write an anti-Trump viewpoint article Jonah Tran Amate et Odite Deo

We have entered into the golden age of view point articles at The Obser ver. If you haven’t been keeping up with the news, you probably missed that Donald Trump was elected as our 47th President.

And thanks to the articles in the view point section — we are informed of this. Since his election, columnists and non-columnists have f locked in hordes to Google Docs in order to contribute 750 words to the ongoing political dialogue at Notre Dame. I enjoy all view point articles, but I especially enjoy the anti-Trump ones. I also enjoy trends, so I am adding my 750 words. Today, I will lay before you a manual on how to write an anti-Trump view point article. It is my great hope that I will inspire the heart of at least one of you, my audience, to rise up and write an article based on my instructions.

1. Hyperbolic language is your friend. In my personal experience, I have found tremendous success with phrases like “threat to democracy,” “clear and present danger” and “wannabe dictator.” And if you’re feeling bold, you can go with “Nazi.” The good thing about hyperbolic language is its effect in drawing immediate attention to itself. It is provocative — and for a good reason! As we learned in high school English class, the best way to start your essay is with the so-called “hook.” This is no different.

2. Blame the billionaires too. The primar y target of criticism should, obviously, be Elon Musk.

But, you can seriously bolster your argument by referencing other billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, who all of a sudden

switched teams. It goes without saying that there is a proportional relationship between someone’s wealth level and their evilness.

3. Use the Catholic faith and Catholic social teaching as further support for why Trump is an evil Nazi. The key points to hit here are immigration policy and DEI policy, but, in my opinion, the line of reasoning is to use Catholic social teaching to argue for protecting and preser ving a woman’s right to choose.

4. Frame your article with a view to the histor y of the world. Point four and point one work really well together, since you can frame Trump as a wannabe dictator akin to the most despicable men of histor y, like Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, etc. In this way, you can ally yourself with the side of heroism and virtue in histor y. Just as courageous individuals hid and sheltered Jews in their homes in an act of defiance against evil, so too do we courageous ones write oped articles for a college newspaper in an act of defiance against evil. Moreover, this is the most momentous time in American histor y, and it will be the most momentous time in American histor y again in 2028 — and again in 2032. Think about the histor y of your own family, for the current actions undertaken by the American people are basically a metaphorical spitting in the face of your future great-grandson.

5. Emotional appeals are strongly encouraged. It is a good idea to paint a vivid mental picture of the hypothetical marginalized individual, against whom your opponent is transgressing. Better yet, a personal anecdote would add a more distinct tone to your writing in order

to differentiate it from the other anti-Trump view point articles that come out during the same week. I will provide you with my own personal anecdote. It was a gloomy Nov. 6 afternoon. I was walking through the basement of LaFortune Student Center, when — out of nowhere — I overheard someone in Taco Bell say something about lowering corporate ta x rates. It pains me to write this, but at that moment, I vomited in my mouth and immediately had to redirect my route to St. Liam’s Hall.

6. End with a call to action. Just like I am inspiring you, you too need to inspire. Encourage your readers to take to the Google Docs to write their own 750 words. Ever y small act of defiance matters. And, after all, histor y is watching — and so is your great-grandson who doesn’t want spit in his face. And 50-plus years from now, when you are sitting down to have ChatGPT write an autobiography or memoir, you can confidently tell it the trials and tribulations of this present time. You can tell of how you vigorously heralded your Instagram “close friends” list of the clear and present danger facing the countr y. But most importantly, you can tell of your 750 word treatise, forever archived in the digital back rooms of ndsmcobser ver.com. And with that, you can draw your final breath with the solace that you were, in fact, on the right side of histor y.

Jonah Tran is a junior at Notre Dame studying finance and classics. He prides himself on sarcasm and never surrendering.

You can file complaints to Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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

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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

From Mar-a-Lago with love Olemo Gordon Brian The Double-Giraffe View

Dear comrade, When we were younger, we often played soccer barefoot in the dusty compounds. The way the spoiled ball-owners wielded their power over us mirrors perfectly what we’ve witnessed so far in this White House. Those kids might have been the worst players on the pitch, but you had to be watchful how you dribbled past them. One wrong move and they would just pick up the ball and it’s game-over. Privilege does have the uncanny ability of purchasing audacity. Volodymyr Zelensky overlooked this lesson when he visited the White House recently.

It was a pitiful sight evoking yet another memory at a previous institution — a student paid his destitute peer UGX 500 (less than a dollar), so he could lash him. What wealth will make you do! Later attempts to gaslight the public about what really transpired reinforces an important lesson: one must be careful who one gets into bed with.

If any serious change seeking agents were under any illusions about the world as it is, not necessarily as it ought to be, one month of this administration should have cleared the fog. Trump two has served the useful purpose of once again highlighting for the 4th generation of progressive leaders worldwide the nature of (U.S.) imperialism. If there were any mistaken notions that the wolves and sheep could now lie together peacefully, this administration has quickly dispelled such fantasies.

It has always been general policy to shy away from commenting on trending topics which in most cases are empirical manifestations of larger structural phenomena but these are extraordinary times. We can permit ourselves a cheat-column considering four “issues:”

1. The concerted activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 2. “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid” 3. The scuffles between the U.S. and Colombia, South Africa and Ukraine 4. DEI

On Ukraine Reading the classic postcolonial theorists quickly impresses upon the mind the true nature of imperialism, particularly its neo-colonial expression. If you find this opening unsettling, think about the recent interest in and sense of entitlement to Ukraine’s mineral wealth seemingly as payment for war aid.

The writing was always on the wall. By accepting U.S. military aid from day one, Zelensky, it appears, had already mortgaged his country. The lack of subtlety in the present administration

has served to unmask U.S. imperialism in just a month. If you have been keenly following Mr. Merz in Germany, even Europeans are now talking of “real independence” from the U.S. — a conversation Africans began during the fight for political independence. Zelensky would have adopted this language long ago had it not been for the precarious position in which he finds himself. Ukraine, it turns out, is no Israel after all.

On South Africa Zelensky can be forgiven for not grasping the politics of the dusty playground but not the South Africans. They assumed they could formulate their own national policies without the stamp of the U.S. president and his South African buddy. This was after they pointed out the emperor’s nakedness at the International Court of Justice. They were fortunate it was under another administration. They knew better that such misdeeds never go unpunished. This should address why the aid was pulled and some progressive actors, such as the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have been threatened with personal sanctions.

The politics of the playground helps us understand the behavior of capitalists (in the proper sense). What else, but a childish sense of entitlement, could explain the intrusive interest in the democratic politics of South Africa. The administration has sought to protect the interest of capital everywhere based on its success at home. The advocacy for white monopoly capital in South Africa and attempts to stymie the redress of historical injustices is now understandable. For a more incisive diagnosis of this system, lend an ear to the esteemed senator of Vermont. He has so much more substance than so many young people posing with fancy degrees from elite institutions today. That such an old man is that lucid in his perspective should be an indictment on us the young. Biology, of course, should not be confused for ideology, as President Museveni has always maintained.

On Colombia The Trump administration has highlighted a few of the same old lessons that we already knew about the architecture of our world. They are mundane points, but they deserve repetition lest we forget them. Repetition, after all, is the key to mastery. The simple one from the skirmish with Colombia and all the adolescent excitement over “tariffs” is that free trade is a myth — it always has been and always will be as long as some have gunboats and printing presses that they can use to extract concessions and others don’t.

The benevolence of the powerful, it has been demonstrated, cannot be relied upon. The Chinese learnt this the hard way and said in praxis — “not again.” In 2013, Yash Tandon published “Trade is War.” He noted correctly that in this war,

the West’s chosen instruments of domination are aid, trade, investment and technology. A few examples should immediately suffice: the Obama administration’s aid cuts to Uganda in 2013 (following an anti-homosexuality act that was later rescinded), the recent World Bank loan freeze following a similar law passed by a sovereign parliament and the suspension of Uganda, Gabon, Niger and the Central African Republic from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. The President’s suspension of USAID, born of a similar consciousness of the power to manipulate and advance interests through aid and Colombia’s capitulation, like Uganda in 2013, all demonstrate the effectiveness of these tools.

On DEI It was inevitable that once affirmative action and DEI came under attack here, aid abroad would follow. They have the same philosophical underpinnings. Aid through institutions like USAID is like DEI — affirmative action for those who have been systemically and structurally deprived. We will not rehash here the arguments of “development by permission.” We assume you are well aware of it. Where narrow and aggressive nationalism is concerned, these initiatives were always bound to be the first victims.

On Musk People are sometimes unsettled hearing “Marxist” critiques of capitalism. That insecurity does not take away the man’s canonical contribution to our understanding of the nature of the capitalist state and those in its ranks. Those who thought, including workers, that class politics was dead, need to think again. A $400 million contract to Tesla after a $250 million campaign investment that needed to pay dividends at some point should be enough to clarify any lingering doubts. The question of course needs to be asked whether all the retrenchment in the federal government, cuts in government spending and external aid as well as increased tariffs will result in any serious if any redistribution.

The challenge of course with trying to run the whole world through the sort of aid diplomacy we have observed thus far is the same challenge that central planners face(d) everywhere — limited information. The folly is in not acknowledging the lacuna. We will pick up from here in the next column with a perspective on how we can extract ourselves from this muddle. Enjoy your spring break.

Olemo Gordon Brian is a senior at Notre Dame studying political economy. He is deeply interested in Africa’s development and the emancipation of man. You can contact Olemo at bolemo@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The all-nighter advice Sophia Anderson Transfer Tales

As I sit here writing this article, the clock on my phone reads 5:37 a.m. I am pulling an all-nighter for the fifth time this semester (not because of this article — I am only writing this paragraph tonight as a method of procrastination).

Ever since I got to Notre Dame, what was a rarity for me at my old school has become an almost weekly occurrence; I have become as familiar with the Hesburgh early morning vending options as I am with the NDH salad bar (not really that familiar, but more than I ever would’ve expected to be).

I’m not sure if my need for near-constant all-nighters is the result of my own lack of time-management ability, the increase in my workload since I transferred here, an imbalance between my schoolwork and my extracurriculars or all three. What I do know is that participating in my back-toback Tuesday and Thursday classes on no sleep, four Alani Nu energy drinks and the sensation of my eyes actually vibrating in my head has become an invaluable life skill and one that most (if not all) Notre Dame students need in their repertoire.

In honor of midterms, I’ve decided to share my vast allnighter knowledge with you, my dedicated readers. Whether

you’re studying for an exam or writing a paper (or whatever STEM majors do), here are some all-nighter best practices based on my extensive personal experience.

For one, if faced with the choice between one to two hours of sleep and no sleep at all, try to go straight through; the physical pain of waking up after one hour of sleep is much worse than any amount of lingering exhaustion throughout the day. The feeling of being bone-tired but facing no remaining work is far superior to the almost identical brain fog of two hours of sleep and a stack of assignments you have to finish on an exhausted brain. Stay awake for the long haul.

In my humble opinion, food is more important than caffeine throughout the night. One well-timed energy drink, combined with a late-night Taco Bell run (or GrubHub robot delivery, for the truly dedicated) will get you much further than multiple Monsters on an empty stomach. Follow it up with a coffee right before your first morning class, and you won’t even notice how tired you are until the early afternoon.

When making the ultimate sacrifice and staying up all night, there are many obstacles that can and will threaten your mission. Always remember that at this school every hour counts; you can’t afford to lose any of this newfound time to meaningless distraction. Be on the lookout for: the temptation to use your phone (hours wasted on a phone are devastating to the student in pursuit of a full night’s worth

of work), an ever-yapping “study buddy” (if they’re still chatting past eleven o’clock, it’s time to cut them off) and/ or any too-comfortable seating arrangement (including the Hesburgh couches — the man my friends and I found upside down and snoring in the library basement at 4:30 a.m. two weeks ago would warn you not to take any chances).

The most important aspect of pulling off a successful allnighter is the adrenaline that comes from the necessity and rarity of the act. Already, as I feel the all-nighter becoming a more common part of my routine, I sense its efficiency wearing off. An all-nighter should shock your system; it’s your job to keep it that way. If you’re going to stay up all night, make sure that you really have to and that you give yourself adequate time to forget your last all-nighter before you try to execute another one.

My final piece of advice is new, and I learned it just last month: never, ever, under any circumstance, attempt to pull a double all-nighter. Happy all-nighting, Notre Dame; I hope to see you all in the library one morning this week.

Sophia Anderson is a sophomore transfer at Notre Dame studying political science and planning to go to law school. You can contact her at sander38@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

ANIMATION AT THE OSCARS, A DIARY

By SHEILA-MARIE MANYARA Scene Writer

Every year when the Oscars rolls around, the categories and films that get the most attention are for live action works, so this year, I decided to focus on the animated categories, writing down my thoughts as I watched each film.

Friday, Feb. 28: I went to DeBartolo Performing Arts Center to watch all the Oscar-nominated animated shorts.

My favourites are “In the Shadow of the Cypress” for its beautiful art style and amazing wordless storytelling and “Magic Candies” for its overall story and lighthearted but heartwarming tone. While I think “In the Shadow of the Cypress” is a strong candidate to win, “Wander to Wonder” is quite complex, strange and striking, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it won in this category.

Saturday, March 1: For the feature films, “Inside Out 2” and “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” are the least likely contenders to win in my opinion. “Wallace & Gromit” was fun and comedic, especially with the character Feathers McGraw, but I don’t think it did enough with its story or animation to win. “Inside Out 2” is more likely to win but because of the other three really strong films, I don’t think it will. “Flow” has been a standout. It is the only dialogue-less film nominated and had an extremely low budget. Its creation showed how much animation

can achieve with such little resources, so its nomination is well-deserved. With all this said, I think the film was somewhat weakened by its story. My favorites in this category are “Memoir of a Snail” and “The Wild Robot.” Both these films were animated beautifully, destroyed me emotionally and featured so many characters that felt wellrounded, relatable and truly human — even if they were not actually humans.

“The Wild Robot” is also up for best original score and best sound, and “Flow” is up for best international film. I always count it as a win when animated movies get more than one nomination. While I want either “The Wild Robot” or “Memoir of a Snail” to triumph, I suspect the Academy will decide on “Flow”.

Sunday, March 2, 2025: I hate being right. Best Animated Feature Film went to “Flow,” which marks the first win for Latvia, and “In the Shadow of the Cypress” won Best Animated Short Film. Looking at reviews from critics online, it’s hard to separate if they feel that “Flow” is good because it’s a low-budget independent project or because it is a good film in and of itself. In either case, “Memoir of a Snail” also had a relatively small budget. “Flow” has been commended for winning against big studios like Pixar and DreamWorks, but DreamWorks has not actually won since 2005 and has only won three Oscars since 1998 despite regularly producing visually stunning stories.

The studio can be hit or miss with its movies but the best of DreamWorks rivals even larger animation studios like Disney. Maybe this is my bias towards DreamWorks showing, but I still think that other films within this category were stronger, especially in terms of their story, but I will make peace with this win.

Unfortunately, “The Wild Robot” took home no Oscars despite it being nominated in two other categories, and “Flow” did not win the International film category. It’s one thing to be nominated outside of the animated category; it’s another thing to win.

Instead of just looking up the winners and watching highlights on YouTube, I watched this year’s Oscars for the first time — well, I watched most of it; Hulu crashed right before the last two winners were announced. I still have hope that animation will continue to garner respect and recognition not only in award shows but also in the public eye. The medium has given birth to some of the most spectacular forms of cinema and it will continue to do so whether people notice or not.

But you should still pay attention. And who knows?

Maybe someday an animated feature will win Best Picture. Or maybe I’m just delusional.

Contact Sheila-Marie Manyara at smanyara01@saintmarys.edu

ON THE

By HARRY PENNE Scene Writer

Do you know what stage show boasts the most performances in American theatre history? The answer might surprise you. You can’t watch it in New York (well, not anymore) or catch a show on tour. It doesn’t even feature any human actors. If you want to see this production, celebrating its 50th anniversary in its current venue, you must travel to Tomorrowland. “Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress,” located in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, surprisingly is the most performed, continuously running stage show in American theatre. I would like to look at the progression of this classic attraction, beginning at the start in 1964 New York.

There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow …

“The Carousel of Progress,” originally titled “Progressland,” premiered on April 22, 1964 at the New York World’s Fair in the General Electric Pavilion. It was one of several attractions created by Disney for the fair. It was a hit with guests and later transferred to Disneyland in 1967, remaining there until 1973 when GE, not Disney, wanted the show to be relocated to the Magic Kingdom in Florida. Motivating this switch was the worry that the show was not gaining new viewers; it had grown old in California, but Florida was a fresh audience. So, on

January 15, 1975, the “Carousel of Progress” gave its first show of what would become a over 50-year run. Shining at the end of every day …

The “Carousel” itself is a rotating animatronic musical theatre show. A technical marvel, the audience sits in an auditorium that changes scenes by spinning, counterclockwise, around the stage. The show has four acts, going through the turn of the twentieth century, 1920s and 1940s before ending in the 21st century. It was incredibly innovative when it premiered in the 1960s, using audioanimatronics technology. Its six-stage design, each simultaneously running a scene, has helped it earn the most performances of a show in American theatre. Assuming continuous operation, it gives over 200 plays daily!

The show tells the story of an American family and how technological progress has changed their everyday lives. Originally designed to highlight the evolution of GE products, it now depicts the maturation of technology at large. The animatronic cast includes narrator and father John, mother Sarah, daughter Patricia, son James and dog Rover. In addition to the recurring cast, a classic Disney song ties the decades together. “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” written by the Sherman Brothers (who also penned “It’s A Small World” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”), has been a show staple. Sung by the animatronics, and often the audience too, it is an upbeat number

about progress and man’s ability to fulfil his dreams. The brothers have stated that, while written for the show, it was really Walt’s theme song, mirroring his own optimism for the future. There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow …

Like the world at its center, the “Carousel” has also progressed over its half-decade spinning. When it opened in Walt Disney World, it didn’t feature “Beautiful Tomorrow.”

Rather, GE executives wanted a song that focused on the present. The result was a new Sherman Brothers song, “The Best Time of Your Life,” about the wonders of the now.

(The original “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” has since regained its place on the “Carousel.”) Additionally, over the years, the technology in the final scene has been updated, currently featuring VR videogames and voiceactivated appliances. In our rapidly changing technological generation, I am excited to see what the show will be like in the coming decades — just a dream away!

“Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress” is a Tomorrowland gem and an American theatrical landmark. Noteworthy for its historic and technical significance, it has become a fan favorite. The epitome of Walt’s positive view of progress and the future, its optimistic message is one we all need to hear: even when the present seems dark, tomorrow is just a dream away.

Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu ISABELLE RUTLAND | The Observer

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SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

BASEBALL

Irish sweep Belmont in Nashville, move to 8-1

By HENRY LYTLE Sports Writer

With conference play beginning this week on March 7, Notre Dame went 3-0 against Belmont, winning 12-8 on Friday, Feb. 28, 2-1 on Saturday, March 1 and 6-2 on Sunday, March 2.

The Irish began the series in a high-scoring affair but prevailed 12-8. In the first inning, freshman designated hitter Bino Watters doubled to left field to open the game. Two batters later, sophomore catcher Carson Tinney launched a home run out of E.S. Rose Park to give the Irish their first lead of the game at 2-0. Belmont was quick to respond in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run left, and the game was tied at 2-2.

Notre Dame had no problem breaking the tie as it quick ly got into the top part of the batting order again.

Junior shortstop Estevan Moreno hit a sacrifice f ly that allowed senior outfielder DM Jefferson to score to make it 3-2. This was the first of three runs scored for the Irish as Tinney hit another single that scored graduate outfielder Jared Zimbardo to make it 4-2.

Finally, freshman infielder Parker Brzustewicz hit another single that notched an RBI, scoring Bino Watters to make it 5-2.

Belmont had a groundrule double in the bottom of

the third to get a run on the scoreboard, but graduate right-hander Dylan Heine calmly retired the next two batters for the Bruins to prevent any more scoring opportunities. Jefferson led the Irish hitting off with a walk, and Watters drove a double off the wall and scored him. Tinney walked and Brzustewicz was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Graduate infielder Connor Hincks stepped up to the plate to launch a grand slam and stretch the Irish lead to 10-3. This was the graduate student’s second home run of the season, matching Tinney’s two to lead the Irish. Next, senior infielder Nick DeMarco hit his first home run to make it back-to-back home runs for the Irish and extend the lead out to 11-3 in the fourth inning.

The Bruins were not done fighting as Wyatt Fooks hit a two-run homer for Belmont in the bottom of the fourth to make it 11-5. Heine on the mound allowed five runs total but also had five strikeouts. The Bruins continued to inch closer with another home run in the eighth inning that drove in an additional runner. However, freshman right-hander Chase Van Ameyde came in for the ninth inning to get the save for the Irish, striking out three hitters and getting his first official save of the season. The Irish finished

the game 12-8 and won the first game of the series.

The game on Saturday was a completely different scoring affair with only three runs total, but a career day from Davis Johnson propelled Notre Dame to the 2-1 victor y. The sophomore catcher’s first home run accompanied by graduate starting pitcher Jackson Dennies allowing one run helped lead the Irish past the Bruins.

In the bottom of the second, Belmont hit a triple and scored off of a sacrifice f ly to take the lead 1-0. The Irish found a way to break through in the fifth inning as Johnson hit a single. Johnson finished the day 3 for 4 with his first home run of the season and was responsible for both of the runs scored throughout the contest. After Johnson’s hit, Belmont walked on four consecutive batters and tied the contest at 1-1.

In the sixth inning, Johnson hit the first home run of his career on a solo bomb to right field that gave the Irish the lead they would need for the rest of the day. The Irish had runners on first and third after DeMarco was hit by a pitch and Watters drew a walk, but they were unable to add anything extra. Dennies closed out his time on the mound with two strikeouts and finished the game with eight strikeouts through six innings. Matching his

career best w ith 6.1 innings, Dennies was credited w ith the w in. Graduate righthander Tobey McDonough finished things up on the mound for the Irish to earn his third save of the season, allow ing only one hit and striking out two batters.

The Irish finished the series on Sunday w ith another w in to completely sweep the Bruins. Senior captain Brady Gumpf’s three-run homer in the eighth inning helped the Irish prevail 6-2.

Belmont scored the first run of the game on an unearned run in the bottom of the third. Brzustew icz led off the Irish batting order in the fourth w ith a leadoff walk, then Bino Watters calmly hit a single to put runners at first and third. The Irish stranded these runners on base w ith a f ly out that was not deep enough for Brzustew icz at third to tag up. The Bruins double-played the Irish runners and retired the inning still in front 1-0.

Junior Irish starter Ror y Fox pitched masterfully, earning his eighth strikeout in the fifth inning.

Sophomore right-hander DJ Helw ig came in to relieve Fox and closed out the fifth inning w ithout any more damage. Finally, in the seventh inning, the Irish found a path through the pitching of Belmont. Hincks hit a crucial two-out single in the top of the seventh. Freshman

outfielder Jayce Lee followed w ith a first-pitch double into right-center that scored freshman infielder Noah Coy pinch-running for Hincks. Helw ig continued to hold the Bruins scoreless on the other end, and things were all even to enter the eighth inning.

The Irish continued the prev ious momentum as Watters was walked w ith one out and Carson Tinney was hit by a pitch. Gumpf stepped into the batter’s box to pinch hit for Notre Dame, and the captain hit a 3-2 fastball over right field to break the game open for Notre Dame at 4-1. Gumpf’s first home run was timely and critical for the Irish.

Belmont fought back to bring the game to 4-2, but Notre Dame continued the scoring in the ninth off of a groundout from Watters driv ing in Jefferson and a single from Tinney to score Brzustew icz.

Notre Dame held on to the 6-2 lead and completed the sweep against the Belmont Bruins. Helw ig earned the w in for the Irish w ith 4.1 innings in relief from the bump and earned his career high in strikeouts w ith four.

Next, the Irish host Eastern Michigan in their home opener at 4:30 p.m. on March 5, looking to build on their 8-1 start before ACC play begins.

Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu

BASEBALL

Irish set for home opener against E. Michigan

By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer

Coming off three wins over Belmont this past week, the Notre Dame baseball team is now gearing up to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles for its home opener on Wednesday, March 5. The last time the two teams met was on Feb. 21 and 22, 2019, when Notre Dame took the first game in an 11-3 win, but lost 2-4 in the second game.

Notre Dame The Irish have started off the season successfully, winning eight of their first nine and maintaining a six-game win streak, with their single loss coming against North Florida. The defense has led the team to victory as the top four pitchers have held their opponents at bay.

Leading the Irish on the mound is graduate righthander Jackson Dennies, along with graduate righthander Dylan Heine, senior

right-hander Ricky Reeth and sophomore right-hander Jack Radel, all of whom are contributing heavily to the team’s success.

Originally from New Orleans, Dennies leads the team with a total of 15.2 innings on the mound. In addition to this, Dennies has totaled 19 strikeouts so far on the season, with only three walks. Heine, in two starts and one relief appearance, has pitched 9.1 innings.

The graduate student from Haddonfield, New Jersey, has a total of 11 strikeouts on the season and only two walks.

Hailing from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Radel has pitched nine innings this season. The sophomore has a total of nine strikeouts with only two walks. Last but not least, Reeth has stepped up on the mound to throw nine innings so far. The senior from Windermere, Florida has a total of 10 strikeouts and two walks.

Meanwhile, newcomers

continue to lead the way for the Irish at the plate.

Freshman infielders Parker Brzustewicz and Bino Watters are each hitting .375 or better, with an on-base plus slugging (OPS) above 1.000. The two have combined to make 17 starts, total seven extrabase hits, drive in 16 runs and score 19 more. Watters has notably taken 12 walks in nine games, showing tremendous patience and composure for a young hitter. Graduate outfielder Jared Zimbardo, a Quinnipiac transfer, has made an impact as well by hitting .333 with four stolen bases.

Notre Dame’s returning bats have made contributions in key moments as well.

Sophomore catcher Carson Tinney leads the team with 11 RBI and is tied for home run leader with graduate infielder

Connor Hincks. Graduate outfielder Brady Gumpf was cold to start until he hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of Sunday’s win. The Irish are still waiting on junior shortstop Estevan Moreno to return to last year’s form, though, as he’s hitting .108 with minimal productivity beyond his opening-weekend grand slam.

Eastern Michigan Currently 4-6 on the season, the Eagles head into this game coming off of two losses and two wins in their series against Presbyterian.

On the mound, the Eagles have four pitchers that stand out. Drew Beckner, a senior from Ohio, leads the team with a total of 17.1 innings pitched. Additionally, Beckner has a total of 17 strikeouts and nine walks. Out of the

bullpen, juniors Nick Keane and Ethan Davis and sophomore Niko Kreuzer have each posted earned run averages below 3.70 while working at least five innings. Keane leads all Eagles relievers with 11 strikeouts but has also walked 11 batters.

Offensively, junior Devan Zirwas leads the team with a batting average of .389, while junior Bruce Jellison is hitting .385 with an on base percentage of .468. Graduate catcher Harrison Travis has been the team’s top power bat with four home runs on the season, while senior outfielder Logan Hugo leads the Eagles in RBI (13) and OPS (1.181) Notre Dame will face the Eagles at Frank Eck Stadium on March 5 at 4:30 p.m.

Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu

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

DAILY

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CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

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HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST Happy Birthday: Call on your intuition to guide you in saying and doing what’s right.

Distance yourself from extremism, excess, and entitlement. Embrace who you are and what you want with enthusiasm, dignity, and the intent to turn your thoughts into something tangible. Put your energy where it counts, and it will bring the highest return to you and what matters most. Speak from the heart and follow through. Your numbers are 3, 14, 24, 27, 32, 41, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Refuse to let anger set in when positive action is necessary if you want to get things done. Simplify your life, take care of unfinished business, and declutter and organize your space to ensure you can optimize your time and talents to the fullest.

Personal growth will pay off.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Hesitation will work against you. When in doubt, take a pass and focus on what you feel comfortable doing. Put time and effort into adapting your surroundings to suit your needs and to ensure you can sustain your lifestyle and plans. Be cognizant of situations that might jeopardize your health or well-being.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Pay attention, take notes, learn, and protect your interests.

Refuse to pay or buy into someone else’s poor choices. Resist persuasive offers and fast talkers. Offer insight, not time or cash. Choose quality over quantity to ensure you satisfy your expectations. Make love, romance, and self-improvement a priority.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Efficiency is the way forward. How others perceive you will depend on what you achieve. Put your best foot forward and make a lasting impression.

Express your thoughts and ideas with confidence, clarity, and creativity; the support you need to carry on will be yours. Steer clear of volatile situations.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Remain in your comfort zone. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something questionable. Don’t feel you have to impress anyone. Concentrate on expanding your mind and learning something that will contribute to surpassing your expectations, and you’ll feel good about the prospects that surface. A new look will boost your confidence.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take a moment to evaluate your position and prospects. Try not to make comparisons between yourself and others. Set your goals and standards to suit who you are and the lifestyle you want to aspire to, and you’ll find the happiness you desire.

Positive change begins with you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An open mind will lead to new beginnings and a new version of yourself. Trust your instincts and adjust what no longer suits your needs. Move on; taking advantage of something you encounter will help you gain ground. Follow your heart, rely on your intelligence, and avoid procrastinating.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get out, strut your stuff, and leave a lasting impression. It’s time to take a leadership position, believe in yourself and your attributes, and shift your thinking to pursuing what you love to do most without taking on debt, carrying old baggage, or letting anyone take advantage of you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Revise your to-do list and eliminate tasks and requests that don’t fit your schedule or help you get where you want to go. Be true to yourself and forgo being the one everyone relies on to get things done. It’s time to put yourself first. Be friendly but not a pushover.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Do what you got to do, and don’t look back. It’s up to you to make the moves that will satisfy your needs. Take a step toward pleasing yourself and stop worrying about who doesn’t like your choices. You can’t please everyone, so make a point to please yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sit tight, wait, watch, and assess situations. Timing will make a difference regarding personal and domestic issues and finances. Set yourself up for success with a budget, a solid plan, and the people who count in your life by your side. Smart moves take planning, precision, and patience.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Check out every avenue before deciding your next move.

Patience will help you zigzag your way to a better place. Put your energy into selfimprovement, and you’ll gain awareness of what’s best for you. Let go of what and who lowers your morale or puts you at risk physically or emotionally.

Birthday Baby: You are unbiased, energetic, and proactive. You are insightful and spontaneous.

SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP

JUMBLE | DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK

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SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

ND SOFTBALL

Irish go 2-3 at challenging Judi Garman Classic

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

In its final weekend ahead of ACC play, Notre Dame softball competed at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California.

There, the Irish defeated Cal State Fullerton and No. 23 San Diego State to go 2-3 and move to 10-10 on the year. Notre Dame also faced No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 LSU and No. 10 Arizona, taking losses but gaining quality experience against numerous Women’s College World Series contenders.

Notre Dame 2, UCLA 7 The Irish held a 2-1 lead at the midway point of their weekend opener on Thursday, as sophomore infielder Addison Amaral cranked a two-run home run in the third inning and sophomore right-hander Kami Kamzik was pitching fairly well though three. However, UCLA opened the floodgates with a five-run fourth inning, chasing Kamzik and taking control of the game.

Kaitlyn Terry singled to bring home two runs, Jessica Clements homered to plate two more and Jordan Woolery tripled to drive in another one.

While Bruin reliever Addisen Fisher shut the Irish out across the game’s final 4.2 innings, Megan Grant added an insurance for UCLA with a solo shot in the sixth inning.

Notre Dame 5, Cal State Fullerton 2 Notre Dame responded in its Thursday finale, never trailing against the hosting Titans.

Though both teams scored a run within the first two frames, the Irish pulled away on Amaral’s three-run blast to center in the third. Sophomore utility player Sydny Poeck followed up with her first collegiate home run, a solo job, to make it 5-1 in the fourth.

Meanwhile, junior righthander Micaela Kastor made the hoke runs stand up with her second complete game of

the season. The California native struck out seven and navigated 10 baserunners to make it through all seven frames.

Leadoff-hitting senior outfielder Emily Tran also helped the Irish out throughout the game, going 3 for 3 with a wall and two runs scored.

LSU 10, Notre Dame 0 The Tigers took Notre Dame right out of Friday’s Irish opener, plating eight runs before making an out. After graduate starting pitcher Alexis Laudenslager departed, McKaela Walker dealt the exclamation points with a three-run home run off Kamzik.

Freshman left-hander Brianne Weiss settled the game down and finished it for the Irish, although Tori Edwards took her deep for another two runs in the fifth.

Sydney Berzon pitched a shortened complete game for LSU, punching out seven and allowing only two hits in her five innings.

San Diego State 4, Notre Dame 5 Irish pitching returned to form in Friday’s second game, as Kastor shut out the Aztecs in each of her first six innings as the starter. Notre Dame’s offense took the lead in the second on sophomore infielder Olivia Levitt’s single. The Irish added on with two runs in the fifth on singles from Amaral and senior outfielder Mickey Winchell, then another two runs in the sixth on senior catcher Rachel Allen’s round-tripper.

Down 5-0 entering the seventh, San Diego State nearly came all the way back to tie the game. The Aztecs scored four runs, sending Kastor to the dugout an out away from another complete game as Shannon Cunningham homered to make it 5-4. On came senior right-hander Shannon Becker with two outs and the tying run, Quinn Waiki, at the dish. Inducing a flyout, she got Notre Dame’s second ranked

win of the season to the finish line.

Notre Dame 1, Arizona 7 Like LSU, Arizona put the Irish in a hole early on Saturday, hanging five runs on Becker in the first two innings. Weiss entered for the final 4.2 innings and limited the Wildcats to two runs but conceded eight hits as Arizona produced 14 base knocks in total.

Arizona starting pitcher Miranda Stoddard turned in four shutout frames on the other side. Notre Dame scored its only run of the ballgame after her exit on a sixth-inning long ball from junior utility player Paige Cowley.

Next weekend, the Irish will begin ACC play with a road series at Louisville. First pitches are set for 6 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

ND MEN’S TENNIS

Irish swept in first road trip of conference play

By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor

The Notre Dame men’s tennis team opened up ACC play with a road trip to No. 54 Georgia Tech and No. 33 Clemson over the weekend.

Despite the best efforts of junior Sebastian Dominko, who won both of his doubles matches alongside fellow junior Noah Becker and earned a pair of ranked wins at No. 1 singles, the Irish fell in both contests, 4-1 and 4-2 respectively. The losses dropped their record to 10-4 on the season and 0-2 to begin conference play in 2025.

Georgia Tech The Friday evening matchup

with the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta was the first outdoor match of the season for Notre Dame. Dominko and Becker finished the first doubles match on court three, with a comfortable 6-3 victory. The Georgia Tech pairings on courts one and two, part of the No. 19-ranked doubles unit in the country, both overcame early breaks to secure the doubles point, with the senior duo of Jamie Corsillo and Yu Zhang surrendering a 5-2 advantage on court two in the deciding match.

The No. 39-ranked Dominko was first off the court with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over No. 104-ranked Nate Bonetto at No. 1 singles, prevailing in seven

different deuce games to even the match score at 1-1. Georgia Tech, however, would take three consecutive straight-set wins in the bottom half of the singles lineup to secure the 4-1 victory. This left Zhang’s roaring comeback attempt on court three unfinished in the third set, and stopped sophomore Chase Thompson as he served to stay alive in a 4-5 second set on court two.

Clemson The Irish would make their way to Clemson, South Carolina, two days later, returning indoors to face the Tigers at the Duckworth Family Tennis Facility. After Clemson jumped out to an

early doubles lead on court one, Dominko/Becker responded with their second win of the weekend, leaving the doubles point in the hands of freshmen Luis Llorens Saracho and Peter Nad on court three.

After a failed opportunity to serve out the match at 5-4, the young duo fell behind for the first time in the match at 6-5.

They would respond, however, as Saracho held serve to force a tiebreak which they won 7-5 on an unforced error from the home team.

Facing the No. 47 player in the country, Dominko put on another outstanding display to take a 6-1, 6-4 win, losing only one point on his serve the entire match. The bottom

half of the singles lineup started to mount a comeback for Clemson, as straight set victories on courts five and six evened the match score at 2-2.

Viktor Markov took down Nad in a three-set war on court three before No. 90-ranked Wissam Abderrahman scraped past Zhang in a pair of hard-fought sets to close it out. Corsillo was left stranded up 3-2 in the third set at No. 4 singles.

Notre Dame will return to South Bend for another pair of ACC contests against Duke on Friday, March 7, and North Carolina on Sunday, March 9.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

ND WOMEN’S TENNIS

Irish split ACC matches at Eck Tennis Pavilion

By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor

The No. 24-ranked Notre Dame women’s tennis split over the weekend at the Eck Tennis Pavilion, mounting an epic comeback to defeat No. 29 Wake Forest 4-3 on Friday before dropping a hard-fought 4-2 battle with No. 15 NC State two days later.

The loss marked Notre Dame’s second of the season and first in nearly a month.

Wake Forest In their second ACC contest of the season, the Irish overcame the Demon Deacons after surrendering a 3-0 lead early. Wake

Forest earned the doubles point after taking two 6-3 wins on courts two and three. The senior pairing of Carrie Beckman and Olivia Castedo did secure a ranked win on the first court, taking down No. 75-ranked Makayla Mills and Krystal Blanch for some consolation.

Straight set wins at No. 6 and No. 3 singles would give the Demon Deacons a commanding 3-0 lead, but the Irish responded immediately. Freshman Bianca Molnar handled Whitney Pate in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, to get the Irish on the board. On court two, junior Bojana Pozder’s win over the No. 95-ranked Blanch brought Notre Dame within one

with two matches yet to finish.

Senior Nibi Ghosh continued the momentum, tying the match at 3-3 with her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Kady Tannebaum. That left the match in No. 109 Akari Matsuno’s hands on court one. The junior’s seventh singles win of the spring came at a critical time. She ground out a 7-5 win in the first set before cruising to a 6-2 second and completing the comeback for the Irish. The win improved Notre Dame’s conference record to 2-0 ahead of its next conference matchup with NC State two days later.

NC State Sunday’s contest was hotly

contested, with Notre Dame ultimately falling short and suffering its first conference loss of the season against a formidable NC State squad. Matsuno continued her great form with a statement 6-1, 6-0 victory over No. 30 Michaela Laki at No. 1 singles. Anna Zyryanova and No. 73-ranked Gabia Paskauskas would respond with their own straight set victories on courts two and six respectively. Ghosh’s 7-6, 6-4 victory at No. 5 singles kept it close, but between its hard-fought doubles point and three-set victory at No. 4 singles, NC State took the match.

Points were traded on doubles courts two and three with junior Rylie Hanford and Matsuno

avenging Pozder and Molnar’s 6-3 loss. On court one, Beckman and Castedo pushed the No. 2-ranked Gabriella Broadfoot and Maddy Zampardo pairing hard, but fell just short to lose out on the doubles point. Beckman’s three-set defeat to Broadfoot ended the match, leaving the three-set thriller between Molnar and No. 100-ranked Zampardo unfinished.

The Irish take the upcoming weekend off before a weekend trip to Florida where they will face Miami on March 14 at 1 p.m. and Florida State on March 16 at noon.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

SPORTS

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | THE OBSERVER

11

ND WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Irish go 1-1 in North Carolina at Duke and Elon

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

Over the weekend, Notre Dame women’s lacrosse hit the road for two games in North Carolina against Duke and Elon. Though the Irish fell to the Blue Devils by an 11-9 score on Friday, they responded with an 8-4 defeat of the Phoenix on Sunday. Now at 3-3 on the season overall, the Irish have dropped each of their first two ACC games.

Notre Dame 9, Duke 11 Friday’s game in Durham was close throughout, as the Irish struck first on a goal from graduate midfielder Kristen Shanahan 130 seconds in. The Blue Devils countered with three consecutive goals across the next five minutes, holding their lead at 3-1 until Shanahan found twine again with 1:41 to play in the first quarter. Entering the second, Duke led by a 3-2 margin.

The Blue Devils moved into their largest lead of the night to start quarter two, as Maddie MacDonald scored her second goal of the game to help build a 5-2 advantage. Shanahan completed her hat trick in the player-up situation moments later, bringing the Irish back within a 5-3 score. Each team buried a shot one more time within the final five minutes of the first half, keeping Duke in a 6-4 lead at halftime.

Sophomore midfielder Kathryn Morrissey scored her second consecutive goal to start the second half, trimming Duke’s edge to 6-5.

The Irish eventually captured the lead with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter on three straight goals from freshman midfielder Madison Rassas, junior attacker Emma Murphy and sophomore midfielder Angie Conley. Callie Hem tied the game back up at 8 for Duke, setting up a decisive fourth quarter.

Duke controlled the final 15 minutes with its success in the draw circle, as the Blue Devils outscored the Irish 3-1 and captured all five of the available draws. Hem pushed Duke into a 9-8 lead hardly more than a minute into the final quarter, and Mattie Shearer made it 10-8 only 37 seconds later. Rassas provided Notre Dame’s only goal in the quarter with six minutes left in the game, but the Blue Devils answered on Bella Goodwin’s freeposition shot with 4:31 remaining.

They’d wrap up the 11-9 win from there, improving to 3-2 before sweeping the weekend against Xavier on Sunday.

Shanahan led the Irish with three goals and an assist, while Goodwin paced the Blue Devils with four points on two goals and two assists. Senior goalkeeper Isabel Pithie took the loss in goal with six saves, while winning netminder Kennedy Everson made nine, including five in the third

quarter, on the other side.

Notre Dame 8, Elon 4 Despite continued success from its opponents in the draw circle, Notre Dame got back on track on Sunday. The Irish defense overcame a 12-4 deficit in draw controls to earn a low-scoring victory over Elon.

Both teams scored just once in the first quarter, with Rassas getting Notre Dame on the board to tie the game with 4:48 to play. The Irish once again did not find twine in the first 10 minutes of the second quarter, allowing Elon to take a 2-1 lead. However, a late-half surge led to goals from junior attacker Fran Frieri and Morrissey, springing the Irish into a 3-2 halftime advantage.

Notre Dame’s momentum stretched into the early part of the second half, as the Irish scored twice in the first four minutes after halftime. Freshman attacker Katie Mallaber recorded her first

collegiate goal ahead of Rassas’ second of the game, which put the Irish up 5-2. Elon would hang around despite a Shanahan goal down the stretch in the third quarter, as the Irish entered the fourth with a 6-4 lead.

The Irish put the game away by shutting Elon out in the fourth quarter. Morrissey and sophomore attacker Kate Timarky added two more goals for good measure, sealing an 8-4 Notre Dame victory.

Pithie put together a strong day in goal for the Irish, making 10 saves, while Morrissey and Shanahan each posted three points.

Now ranked 22nd nationally, the Irish have a tough test waiting back in South Bend this week. Notre Dame will oppose No. 1 Boston College at 11 a.m. on Saturday, looking to upset the Eagles for a second consecutive season.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

ND TRACK AND FIELD

Irish compete at ACC Indoor Championships

By CHRIS DAILEY Sports Writer

The Notre Dame track and field teams wrapped up three hardfought days at the ACC Indoor Championships this past Monday.

The women’s team earned a seventh place finish while the men finished ninth, two points short of the seventh place mark.

The meet was highlighted by the excellence of graduate Jadin O’Brien on day one. O’Brien smashed her own Notre Dame personal record in the pentathlon en route to a four-peat of the ACC pentathlon title. Her overall score of 4580 was both an Irish and ACC all-time record. She finished first

in the 60m hurdles (8.17), high jump (1.70), shot put (14.45), 800m (2:13.50) and tied for first in the long jump (6.15). O’Brien’s first place finish in the 60m hurdles was a healthy quarter of a second faster than second place finisher, fellow graduate Alaina Brady.

Brady finished third overall in the event with 4092 points. Fellow Irish graduate, Addison Berry, finished second with 4157. O’Brien, Berry and Brady all finished with First Team All-ACC honors.

Sophomore Ellis Weekley and junior Reese Sanders rounded out the team with 12th and 16thplaced performances respectively. As it stands, Notre Dame is currently number one in the

country for the event.

O’Brien has consistently been a standout athlete since arriving on campus from Pewaukee, Wisconsin five years ago. A twotime Olympic Trials Qualifier, O’Brien’s pedigree is unmatched at the collegiate level. She is currently in the hunt for her thirdstraight national pentathlon title and no signs are appearing that she will be stopped.

Notre Dame’s other notable performances on day one came from the women’s distance medley relay (DMR) team and junior Ethan Coleman in the 5000m.

Seeded sixth coming into the event, the DMR team consisting of senior Siona Chisholm,

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sophomore Jordyn Borsch, sophomore Gretchen Farley and senior Sophie Novak exceeded expectations as they soared to a third place finish thanks to a time of 10:53.13, less than six-tenths of a second behind the champions, NC State. The Irish sat towards the middle of the pack through the first two legs, but a fiery kick courtesy of a 2:05.82 800m from Farley and a 4:27.80 1600m from Novak pushed the team towards the front of the pack. Both marks were the best overall splits in their respective legs.

Day two saw more school records shattered. Maya Collins broke the 60m dash record, clocking in at 7:35. Only a freshman,

Collins has recorded one of the best first-year seasons in Notre Dame history. The 2024 Florida State Champion finished seventh overall in the event after dropping slightly down to a 7:41 in the final on Monday.

Meanwhile, graduate student Madison Schmidt and junior Daelen Ackley also produced bigtime results for the Irish. Schmidt tied the school record in high jump, placing second overall with a 1.86m performance. Then, later in the day, Ackley dropped a sub four minute mile — his blazing 3:59.10 was inspired by a sub two minute 800m to close. Graduate Michael Danzi finished third with a time of 4:00.06.

Ackley went on to show no signs of major lactic-acid buildup as he cruised to a 4:02.11 in the men’s mile final on Monday. The junior’s final 400m kick of 54:44 separated was not to be touched as he came to the finish line alone. The result also helped the team score out tremendously. Notre Dame was bottom of the barrel prior to Ackley’s heroics.

In men’s shot put, freshman Luke Himes threw 18.75m, narrowly placing him in second place behind North Carolina’s Thomas Kitchell. Himes was the top-finishing freshman by 2.08m. Fellow Irish athletes graduate Yoosang Kim and sophomore Zach Petko finished in eighth and ninth place respectively. To wrap up day three, Novak finished fourth in the women’s 3000m finals with a personal best of 8:51.94.

Several Notre Dame athletes with qualifying-standard times will be headed to the NCAA Championships March 14-15 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu

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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2025 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AND HOCKEY

Irish enter ACC, Big Ten Tournaments on Friday

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

This weekend, the Notre Dame hockey and women’s basketball teams will begin their Big Ten and ACC Tournaments, respectively. Both teams will begin play on Friday, with the Irish women competing as the No. 2 seed in Greensboro, North Carolina, and the icers headed to the University of Minnesota as the No. 7 seed.

Women’s basketball Two weeks ago, Notre Dame appeared a lock for the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. However, consecutive losses to NC State on Feb. 23 and Florida State on Feb. 27 bumped head coach Niele Ivey and the Irish down to the second seed. Nevertheless, they returned to form in Sunday’s 72-59 defeat of Louisville, capturing a share of the ACC regular season title with NC State and finishing 25-4 overall with a 16-2 record in conference play.

Last season, Notre Dame entered the ACC Tournament as the No. 4 seed – the last team to earn a double bye straight to the quarterfinals – and won the whole thing to earn a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Along the way, the Irish knocked off two teams that had previously beaten them, Louisville and NC State, in addition to overall No. 1 seed Virginia Tech. The backcourt duo of Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron, respectively a freshman and junior at the time, led the Irish by each averaging 19 points per game.

This year’s top four seeds are NC State at No. 1, Notre Dame at No. 2, Duke at No. 3 and Florida State at No. 4. Notre Dame may have gained an easier path as the second seed by drawing a Duke team

on its side of the bracket which it already beat handily and potentially forcing its two losses, NC State and Florida State to face one another ahead of the championship game.

The ACC’s expansion to 18 teams ahead of this season means three squads now miss the 15-team bracket, and those programs this season are SMU, Wake Forest and Miami.

As the No. 2 seed, Notre Dame will begin play at 5 p.m. on Friday against either No. 7 Cal, No. 10 Virginia or No. 15 Pittsburgh. The Irish have blown out all three, defeating the Golden Bears 91-52 on Feb. 9, the Cavaliers 95-54 on Dec. 29 and the Panthers 88-57 on Feb. 13. Interestingly, Cal has gone 2-0 against the two teams that beat the Irish in the regular season, but the Golden Bears don’t have a ranked win since defeating NC State on Jan. 9. They did, however, take down a spiraling Georgia Tech team that was ranked for most of the second half of the season last Thursday to win five of their last six games.

Despite their recent losses, the Irish still enter the ACC Tournament leading the conference in field goal percentage (49.2), opponent field goal percentage (35.9), 3-point percentage (40.3), rebounding margin (9.6), steals (11.3) and blocked shots (5.6).

Hidalgo (24.2 points per game) and graduate guard Olivia Miles (16.5 per game) still each rank within the top 10 for scoring, with Hidalgo pacing the league in steals (3.8 per game) and Miles doing the same in assists (5.9). Graduate forward Liatu King ranks second in rebounding (10.9 boards per game).

Notre Dame will know its first opponent when Cal faces the winner of Virginia and Pitt’s

Wednesday game at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Based on head-to-head results during the regular season, the Golden Bears are the favorite to take on the Irish. Should the Irish advance, they’d play in the second ACC semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and the championship game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Given their current position at No. 6 in the AP Poll and No. 4 in the NET rankings, Notre Dame may need another ACC crown to claim a coveted No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Hockey Notre Dame’s opponent for the best-of-three Big Ten quarterfinal is already set, as the Irish will face the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. The Irish enter the tournament with the No. 7 seed out of seven teams for the first time since joining the Big Ten in 2017, as they were swept on home ice by Michigan State last weekend to finish the regular season at 10-23-1 overall and 4-19-1 within league play. They’re hoping to become the second No. 7 seed in Big Ten Tournament history to upset a No. 2 seed after Ohio State shocked Wisconsin in Madison last year. In each of the other five opportunities, the No. 2 seed did not win a single game in the series.

Advancing will also require the Irish to win two out of three Big Ten road games, something they haven’t done all season. They went 1-3 against Minnesota in the regular season, losing 6-3 and 5-3 on home ice in November before splitting with the Gophers in their house in January. Though Minnesota ambushed the Irish with a five-goal first period on Friday night of that series, Notre Dame answered with a 4-3 overtime win on Saturday. Graduate

winger Blake Biondi scored the game-winning goal after the Irish held on to the puck for nearly all of the overtime period’s first three minutes and 46 seconds.

Senior winger Justin Janicke, who was named the Irish captain ahead of the January series at Minnesota, enters the postseason on the hottest hot streak of his career. The native of Maple Grove, Minnesota, has a goal in five straight games – including a power-play goal in four straight – and is now one of eight Big Ten skaters with 15 goals and 33 points on the season. One of the other seven, sophomore Irish forward Cole Knuble ranks fourth in the conference with 37 points on 11 goals and a league-high 26 assists. Janicke and Biondi each rank within the Big Ten’s top six for power-play goals with 8 and 7, respectively. In net, junior Owen Say should get the Friday nod, as he ranks third in the Big Ten with 685 saves and sixth with a .913 save percentage.

He was terrific at Minnesota in January, stopping all 22 shots he faced off the bench in game one before starting Saturday’s win, in which he made 30 saves.

Minnesota comes in ranked third in the nation after finishing the regular season at 24-8-4 overall and 15-6-3 within Big Ten play. The Golden Gophers earned a share of the Big Ten regular season title with Michigan State by beating Penn State on the road this past Saturday. The Golden Gophers are looking for their 17th conference tournament championship, which would be their second in the Big Ten after claiming the title in 2021.

A dominant team at home, Minnesota has lost just two games all season inside 3M Arena at Mariucci – one to conference No.

1 seed Michigan State and the other to Notre Dame. The Golden Gophers lead college hockey in scoring offense and put more than 35 shots on goal per game. Junior forwards Jimmy Snuggerud (45), Connor Kurth (36) and Matthew Wood (35) each rank top-10 in the Big Ten for points, with Snuggerud perhaps the best wrist shot in the country. Chicago Blackhawks first-rounders Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel, a defenseman, have contributed a combined 57 points.

Despite their high ranking and offensive prowess, the Golden Gophers are beatable in a few areas. Most notably, their success rate of 75% on the penalty kill ranks inside the nation’s bottom 15, while the Irish power-play percentage of 23.8 occupies the top 15. Minnesota also struggles at the faceoff dot while Notre Dame typically performs well, a big reason for the Irish overtime win in January. Finally, top Gopher netminder Liam Souliere has been terrific statistically with a .922 save percentage and a 2.18 goals against average, but he’s still only a year removed from a dreadful Penn State year sitting at .874 and 3.38 in those two categories. Souliere also has a subpar record of 2-5-1 in his career against the Irish.

In this year’s tournament, Notre Dame will be looking for its first postseason title since 2019 and one more win for its head coach, Jeff Jackson. The 20-year Irish bench boss currently sits at 599 wins in his final season with one more chance to break the 600 mark. Notre Dame and Minnesota will drop the puck at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday (if necessary).

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

ND MEN’S BASKETBALL

Irish end regular season against Stanford, Cal

By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor

This week, the Notre Dame men’s basketball team will play its final two games of the regular season at Purcell Pavilion. The Irish will host two of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s newest members, Stanford and Cal, on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.

At 12-17 overall and 6-12 within ACC play, Notre Dame went 0-2 during last week’s road trip to Clemson and Wake Forest.

In Saturday’s loss to the Demon Deacons, the Irish led for about 30 of the game’s 40 minutes but ended up falling by a 74-71 score. They missed three opportunties to tie the game on 3-point shots within

the final 12 seconds.

Sophomore guard Markus Burton yet again led the Irish in scoring, dropping 29 points. He’s now up to 21.1 points and 3.1 assists per game, continuing to duel with Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg for the ACC lead in scoring average within conference games only.

Stanford seeking fourth straight win Four tiers have emerged within the ACC season. There are the teams bound for the NCAA Tournament: Duke, Louisville and Clemson. The second tier includes the five teams that will miss the big dance but finish above .500 in ACC play. The third tier is a jumbled

mess of squads with losing ACC records, and then there’s Miami.

Stanford sits at the bottom of that second tier, having gone 1910 overall and 11-7 in ACC play thus far. Though a poor start to February tanked their March Madness hopes, the Cardinal have responded with three consecutive wins, including a 73-68 Saturday defeat of bubble team SMU in Palo Alto.

As usual, French forward and double-double machine Maxime Raynaud led the way in that game, totaling a game-high 26 points.

He averages more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Cardinal were also 11 of 24 from deep against SMU, with sixth man Benny Gealer providing 17 points

on five made 3-pointers off the bench.

Wins hard to come by lately for Cal Given the state of the Golden Bears, the Irish should have a good chance to end their regular season on a high note come Saturday.

Cal has lost seven of its last nine games, beating only basementdwellers NC State on Feb. 5 and Boston College this past Saturday.

As a result, they enter this week at 13-16 (6-12 ACC) and will pay a visit to No. 14 Louisville on Wednesday before heading north to South Bend.

In Saturday’s 82-71 takedown of the Eagles in Berkeley, the Golden Bears received only five bench

points but got balanced contributions from its starters. Though leading scorers Andrej Stojakovic, a Stanford transfer, and freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson scored slightly below their averages, Mady Sissoko and Jovan Blacksher Jr. combined to outpace their season averages by 21 points. Sissoko, a Michigan State transfer, exploded for a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Blacksher, a sixthyear player from Grand Canyon, tallied 18 points.

Notre Dame will host Stanford at 9 p.m. on Wednesday before battling Cal at 4 p.m. on Saturday inside Purcell Pavilion.

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu