Print Edition for Friday, April 24, 2026

McCourtney Hall East awarded LEED Platinum

McCourtney Hall East has been awarded the Platinum level of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is the 27th building at the University of Notre Dame to receive a LEED certification and the first to be classified at the council’s highest standard — Platinum.

Dymek: Freeman faces new pressures heading into year five

For decades, South Bend has built a reputation as the home of one of the greatest football programs in the country: Notre Dame. A place that set the standard for football across the country showed that success isn’t just something a program earns, but is tried and tested. For head coaches that came before Marcus Freeman, many found success by this mantra, earning national championship titles or undefeated regular seasons; although Freeman hasn’t found that success, he’s found something greater: resilience.

Jeremiyah Love selected third overall by Arizona Cardinals

Notre Dame standout running back Jeremiyah Love was selected with the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals Thursday night. Flanked by his family and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman in the Steel City of Pittsburgh, Penn., Love became just the third running back selected in the top-3 over the past 20 years.

A look into historical Saint Mary’s student publications

The Mystical Rose, debuting on Feb. 1, 1859, was a literary publication at Saint Mary’s College — the first of many papers to come. Handwritten in loopy cursive, The Mystical Rose was not distributed to a large student body, but printed in a single volume that was read out to the whole school.

Coachella 1999 v. 2026: What has changed?

Picture this: October skies, desert heat, Levi’s 550 cutoff shorts and rock. This was the first-ever Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Today, the festival has shifted slightly, from down-to-earth rock ‘n’ roll to a glitz-and-glam fashion runway. The massive annual music and arts festival is held over a two-week period in April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It is immensely popular for hosting high-profile artists from diverse genres, attracting music-lovers from all over the country and stressing them out with the intense pressure of not knowing what to wear. But what we know of the event today has a story of origin, a place where baby tees and Adidas Gazelles were trending.

Taking a look at Notre Dame’s 2026 football schedule ahead of Blue and Gold

With its high title odds, Heisman Trophy-contending players and elite playmakers entering the NFL Draft, Notre Dame has been one of the topics of conversation this college football offseason. The Irish were recently ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s preseason top 25. While Notre Dame has been heavily criticized for what many deem as a weak or lackluster schedule ahead of the 2026 season, taking a deeper look at each game, Marcus Freeman’s team will still be tested in a plethora of ways in its revenge season.

The unquantifiable: What NIL can’t explain in college football recruiting

For many high school football recruits, there is one aspect of the recruiting process that flies under the radar. There is a certain pride in being able to represent a community that helped make you into the person you are today. Many don’t need many words to express that feeling. For example, Asa Burch, a highly touted class of 2028 edge rusher, spoke to The Observer this week about his recruiting process.

Notre Dame v. academic freedom

When one believes to know the truth, it becomes burdensome; it makes you feel responsible for its dissemination and prompts you to discourage falsities. A Catholic university proclaims to know one thing from which everything flows: Jesus resurrected. With this comes a certain morality, certain obligations and binding customs, which have been developed through millennia. This baggage imposes itself on the Church’s institutions — like Notre Dame. One of the most notable tensions between the Catholic mission and modern ideals lies in the preservation of academic freedom — the tolerance, discourse and investigation of diverse ideas. The Church actively advocates for its form of morality and worldview, and its institutions are expected to do the same. How can an institution that presumes certain truths meet the neutral and objective standard our modern world has for universities — especially when the discourse contradicts its own principles? I argue that a Catholic university can not meet the objective neutrality expected of a university in our age. I also argue most schools possess an illusory neutrality; at least Catholic institutions are transparent about the foundational axioms that define the marketplace of discourse.

ND Day accrues $4.6 million for causes, clubs and residence halls

Notre Dame Day, the University’s annual day of fundraising, brought in $4.6 million from 37,677 donors for 916 causes, an increase of over $150,000 from last year.

From Special Forces to rector of Morrissey Manor: David Diamond reflects on his journey to Notre Dame

David Diamond is not an ordinary rector. Now in charge of Morrissey Manor, Diamond is a military veteran and assisted 20 victims during the Boston Marathon bombing.

Chemical spill reported at Stepan Hall

At 5:52 p.m. on Wednesday, the University of Notre Dame received reports of a chemical spill in a lab in Stepan Chemistry Hall. 

Notre Dame baseball wins close one against Michigan State on the road

Notre Dame baseball beat Michigan State in East Lansing by a score of 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon. The Irish victory evened the season series between the two teams at 1-1, as Michigan State beat Notre Dame last month 7-4 in South Bend. Following the win, the Irish improved to 18-18 on the year, while the Spartans fell to 14-23 overall. 

Student senate passes resolution on counseling services

Senate met Wednesday to consider nominations, conduct elections and vote on a resolution addressing counseling services for survivors of sexual assault.

AI doesn’t lower my cortisol

This week, undergraduate students received an email from a fellow student advertising his new AI startup. Before the email was promptly deleted by “the powers that be,” many students had seen freshman Caden Chuang offer to “lower our cortisol levels,” begging the question: Does AI lower our cortisol?

Collins: My one-and-only NFL mock draft, Notre Dame edition

At this point, every one of us is tired of reading Mel Kiper and other draft “experts” in their 317th mock draft edition. So here are my only draft predictions, focusing solely on the beloved Irish. The potential draftees are listed in reverse order of when I think their names will be called.

Where do we belong?

Last weekend, I had lunch with my mom during her last campus visit before the final two weeks of class. She asked me the typical questions you ask a college kid: How are your classes? How are your friends? Have you found your people yet? This question of finding “my people” always puzzled me. Are we expected to have one set community, and if so, what would that look like?

Blue-Gold game: Three players to watch out for

Marcus Freeman’s quest to bring Notre Dame its first national championship since 1988 begins Saturday at the Blue-Gold game.

Mishawaka fire 5 miles from Notre Dame causes smoke smell on campus

This evening, fire crews were called to attend to a warehouse fire in Mishawaka. 

Saint Mary’s nursing program debuts new VR and disaster simulation experience

The Saint Mary’s Department of Nursing Science welcomed over 130 participants to its second annual Senior Nursing Simulation Day Tuesday. From 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the basement of Regina Hall, students, volunteers and professors came together to simulate a campus disaster not experienced in everyday lectures or hospital rooms.