THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS ESTABLISHED 1966
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2026 | VOL. LX, NO. 50
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Prayer service concludes week of protest planning By Mara Hall and Henry Jagodzinski
News Writer and Assistant Managing Editor
Around 150 students, alumni and community members gathered on South Quad Friday evening for a prayer service in support of Notre Dame’s Catholic mission. The event was initially billed a “March on the Dome” demonstration, protesting professor Susan Ostermann’s appointment to director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, but was altered after Ostermann declined the appointment. The promotion had drawn backlash as a result of Ostermann’s abortion-rights advocacy. The prayer service began with remarks from organizer and sophomore Luke Woodyard. “We gather here no longer in protest, but rather to give gratitude to God. What started as an event addressing the appointment of Susan Ostermann as head of the Liu
JONATHAN KARR| The Observer
About 150 people gathered at the Grotto to pray in thanksgiving for the Catholic mission of the University of Notre Dame prevailing in the wake of Susan Ostermann declining the directorship of the Liu Institute.
Students go to prison for “Inside-Out” class
By Jessica Mayor and Andrew Poulton
Institute has become a gathering of thanksgiving and hope for the future in light of Ostermann’s recent withdrawal,” he said in a speech. The event started at the South Quad flagpole before processing to the Grotto, where the Militia of the Immaculata led a rosary. The standard 6:45 p.m. Grotto rosary group joined those attending the prayer service. Staff from the Student Activities Office and the Office of Public Affairs and Communications were present to monitor the event. Organizer and junior Gabriel Ortner said in an interview with The Observer he was satisfied with the turnout and said it showed how much students care about the University’s Catholic identity. Woodyard, in an interview, said the turnout met his expectations and he assumed attendance would be lower after see “Grotto” on page 3
Snite to reopen after art exodus By Chloe Hanford
Once every week, Notre Dame students go to prison. They haven’t committed any crime; rather, they are there to learn alongside men incarcerated in the Westville Correctional Facility. Professor Connie Mick teaches a class called “Poverty & Justice: Inside-Out.” The three-credithour class meets once a week, but Notre Dame students — the “outside students” — attend class at the prison 12 times throughout the semester. There they learn alongside incarcerated men — the “inside students” — and a few corrections officers, new additions to the class this year. The class was first offered in 2012 by the Center for Social Concerns, now known as the Institute for Social Concerns. Mick, teaching the inside-out class for her third consecutive spring, reported that demand is high for seats both inside and out. Every semester, students apply to be one of 12 participants, with 12 corresponding classmates coming from Westville. Holding class in prison comes
with its fair share of logistical difficulties. Outside students go through standard security protocol before each class, adhering to a long list of rules about permitted clothing and items. No technology is allowed inside of the prison, meaning all papers are handwritten. With Westville a 50-minute drive from campus, students dedicate several hours each Friday to attend class. Mick wants her students to leave with a clearer understanding of the production of poverty and the perpetuation of poverty in the United States. She also hopes that her students will gain a greater understanding of the connection between poverty and justice. Lastly, she wishes to provide her students with a sense of hope and confidence that they have the ability to effect change. Each class starts with a meditation to “transition into the experience together,” Mick wrote in a statement to The Observer. Given the security constraints, the class covers fewer texts, meaning students delve deeper into the materials provided. Mick also describes the writing process as “more deliberate,” given everything is written by hand.
While the secure environment can initially make the classroom environment tense, Mick wrote that the level of conversation in class is often “deeper and higher than what happens on campus.” “Every student in that room is grateful to be there and they show up fully prepared to participate every week,” she wrote. “It’s a privilege for all of us and it shows in the quality of thinking we achieve together.” Inside and outside students sit in alternate seats to promote shared dialogue, with classes almost entirely discussion-based. Mick wrote that this experience had “an impact on my ability to see the full humanity of people and to appreciate the gifts people develop and share even in difficult places.” Junior Alayna Lawley chose to apply to the course because of her interest in poverty, inequality and the justice system. “I think it’s important because it breaks down distance. It’s easy to talk about ‘the prison system’ or ‘incarcerated people’ in broad terms. It’s much harder, and much more meaningful,
NEWS | PAGE 4
OPINION | PAGE 6
SCENE | PAGE 8
SPORTS | PAGE 12
SPORTS | PAGE 12
Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students reacted to the death of Iran’s supreme leader.
Columnist Oliver Ortega reflects on building his faith as a graduate student at Notre Dame.
In its 50th year, Keenan Hall’s annual comedy and music show still deliver the goods.
Notre Dame took down the Maryland Terrapins 11-8 on the road in a ranked showdown.
Notre Dame earns its fourth ACC at victory in a stunning comeback against NC State.
News Writers
Iran reactions
Finding my faith
see “Inside-out” on page 4
Keenan Revue
News Writer
Students at the University of Notre Dame entering O’Shaughnessy Hall might wonder what is occurring in the building next door — formerly the Snite Museum of Art. The building has been closed to the public since spring 2023, when it transitioned to a new role and name as the Snite Research Center in the Visual Arts. However, the building remains a bustling space for some behindthe-scenes work for the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. Now, the majority of students who have not yet explored the research center will have the opportunity to see the building next fall, when it will open for public hours and classroom use. The former Snite Museum of Art opened in November 1980 after four years of construction thanks to a $2 million gift from Fredrick Snite Sr. During the museum’s time, it held the University’s growing art collections and was home to the former Meštrović Sculpture Studio, where renowned Croatian artist-in-residence Ivan Meštrović worked from 1955 to 1962, as well as the existing O’Shaughnessy Art Gallery.
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The museum closed to the public in spring 2023 to prepare for the opening of the Raclin Murphy Museum that same fall, transitioning to a new name — the Snite Research Center in the Visual Arts. Joseph Becherer, director and curator of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, said the building was “designed to be very forward-facing.” “It puts us right at the entrance to campus, so that we can be here for everybody on campus but also everybody who wants to visit campus,” he said. The Snite Research Center in the Visual Arts supports this forward-facing element behind the scenes as well. “Right now, more than half of the staff still works there,” Becherer said. “There is about 85% of the permanent collection which is in some level of research or storage, which is there. And our photography studios are there and almost all of our files.” He explained that though it might seem a bit deserted to students in the meanwhile, there is a lot of work happening on the backend. see “Snite” on page 3
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