The Unsung Heroes of Notre Dame
Amidst all the turbulence and all the disappointments of the pandemic, it would be easy to overlook the good.
Issues
Notre Dame Baseball has Found its Missing Link
The Irish finished up 2020 at 11-2 and on a seven-game win streak, providing the momentum to propel the team forward into Jarrett’s first full year at the helm.
Undercover at the Squash Club
One student, who I’ll call Jack, opened my eyes to an underground squash ring that flew in the face of university pandemic policies. He also consented to me using his quotes in this article under the condition of anonymity.
The Rector Behind DJ DuLac
Nhat Nguyen, the rector of Duncan Hall, is far from your typical Notre Dame rector. For starters, he is famously known as DJ DuLac, the iconic DJ who provides the soundtracks for various events, including SYRs and — most importantly — Domerfest.
Working for the White House from Home
At about 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Rachel Palermo can be found beelining from the Notre Dame Law School to her parking spot in order to join a very important phone call.
A COVID-Safe South Bend Bucket List
As a senior, I have many regrets. One of the biggest ones is not having explored more of South Bend when I had the chance. Now that I’m about to graduate, there’s nothing I love more than getting out of the classroom, off of Zoom and away from campus with my friends. I’ve compiled a list of all things worth doing and checking out around town that comply with CDC and school standards. So take a beat from burying your nose in the books and peel your eyeballs away from that screen for an afternoon or night on the town.
The Meet, Greet, and Eat Initiative
You grab your boxed dinner from North Dining Hall and tote it back to the dorm. You forgot to bring a bag again so your bare fingers are stiff and numb around the container by the time you enter your room. You shut the door behind you and go to your desk where you’ll sit facing a wall, eating another meal alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You could jump onto a Zoom call instead to share stimulating conversation and make new friends — all from the comfort of your own room.
Supporting South Bend Restaurants During the Pandemic
Dreams for a bigger kitchen and redecorated interior dining space still exist but have been put on the back burner. People comment on the work the restaurant needs, and Dont’e Shaw simply takes it in stride. He’s aware of the necessary renovations, he even had them planned out, but when you open your restaurant in the middle of a global pandemic, most plans have to be changed. Pandemic living has made so many things impossible and other things so anxiety-ridden that other alternatives have to be sought out instead.
Was the Mini-Break Really a Break?
When campus isn’t filled with students over winter and summer break sessions, the library echoes with a unique quiet and has an eerily empty feel, like an airport at 2:00 a.m. or the grocery store late at night. Chairs sit uninhabited and a sense of restfulness hums in the air. It’s no surprise Hesburgh Library didn’t look or feel quite that empty Tuesday, March 2. Amidst the advice to slow down and take a moment for yourself, Notre Dame students still populated this well-loved study spot. At 8:50 p.m. in the evening, the library seemed just as full as it always is on the university’s scheduled “mini-break” day.
Trying to Stay GreeND
It’s no secret that one year ago campus looked a lot different. You could recognize your friends and passers-by since no one was wearing masks. There weren’t as many hand sanitizer stations let alone any “HERE” signs or posters indicating the full force of the pandemic we now find ourselves in. The only texts you’d get from Notre Dame were Weather and Emergency Alerts.
Freshmen Highs and Lows: Excerpts from Freshman Across Campus
My freshman year experience looked a lot different than what freshmen are experiencing today. Everyone in the Class of 2021 arrived to campus the same weekend. We were always allowed in each other’s rooms and in other dorms. Classes were held in person. The dining halls were a place for friends to sit, dine and catch up for hours on end. Brother and sister dorms often commingled. And we weren’t trying to navigate our first year at Notre Dame in the midst of a pandemic.
The Office of Student Enrichment is Helping Students Take Part in the Notre Dame Experience
The Notre Dame experience is all anyone hears or talks about during their time here. But just like tuition, participating in those experiences isn’t always the cheapest. The office of student enrichment enables students to maximize their Notre Dame experience to ensure no one is excluded for personal or financial limitations.
‘WandaVision’ is Engaging and Mysterious
While it’s difficult to make a horror TV show that genuinely scares the audience, it has always been more difficult to make a show that truly unnerves the viewer. Somehow, the new Disney+ original “WandaVision” manages to perfectly nail the atmosphere of “something’s not quite right.”
Return to ND has Students Flushing About
Upon returning to campus after a two-month sabbatical, the worry of contracting COVID-19 has been replaced by an even more pressing threat to physical health: Notre Dame students have lost their investment in the university’s toilet tissue issue. Not only is the excitement of returning to campus disrupted by the gaping holes between stalls which permit the awkward locking of eyes with fellow Domers, students are also forced to endure ultra-rough and not-so-quilted TP across campus.
Saliva Kingpin Taken Down
After watching the award-winning documentary “Icarus” on Netflix over winter break, Nick Salivatti had an idea. Inspired by the elaborate blood swapping scheme that allowed Russian athletes to test negative for use of performance-enhancing drugs, Salivatti realized he could run a similar racket based on campus’s hottest commodity: COVID-free spit.
(South) Lodge a Complaint
Controversy erupted on South Quad this past weekend as a ragtag group of extreme outdoorsmen showed up to newly established South Lodge expecting to find an actual hiking lodge.
Featured Performer: Alex Steeves
As the Notre Dame hockey season starts winding down, it is time to highlight one of the team’s best players: Alex Steeves. The Irish currently boast a record of 10-12-2, which has them tied for third place in the Big Ten standings, and Steeves is a major reason for that.
Steeves has played in all 24 games and has 26 points, which leads all Irish skaters. Steeves also leads the team in goals with 13, including two against Wisconsin on Feb. 20, which was a come-from-behind shootout win for the Irish.
By The Numbers
4 — The number of third-period goals scored by the Irish on Feb. 20 in a game on the road against Wisconsin. The Irish entered the third-period trailing 3-1 and staged a major comeback that ended in a shootout victory for the Irish.
A New Journey With Head Coach Niele Ivey
Under the guidance of new head coach Niele Ivey, who took on the role after the retirement of legendary head coach Muffet McGraw, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team has been hard at work.
Hockey Season Update
The Notre Dame hockey team soared in its recent games against Ohio State. The series against the Buckeyes marked a bright spot on the schedule after the Irish dropped a series to Michigan and split a series with Penn State. The team won its second game against Penn State after a close loss the night before, despite 34 saves from goalie Dylan St. Cyr.