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The one where February pretended to be April

The month in photos, February 2024

By University of Notre Dame

March 5^th, 2024

So much happened in February that it needed an extra day. A papal audience, Black History Month, Lunar New Year, Rare Disease Day, record-setting weather . . . and more!

February 1: Pope Francis departs the audience with Notre Dame leadership. (Photo by Vatican Media)

An audience with His Holiness

Pope Francis met with a delegation of University leaders including President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., and President-elect Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C., at the Vatican on February 1.

February 1: St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 1: Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell celebrated Mass with the University of Notre Dame at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., and President-elect Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C., were concelebrants.

February 1: A member of the Swiss Guard stands in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

Black History Month

February 14: Academy Award-nominated actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor performs in the role of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in the short film “Fannie,” shown in the McCartan Courtroom at the Notre Dame Law School. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 14: Film and television director Christine Swanson ’94, left, answers questions with Scott Barton, assistant professor of Africana studies, following a screening of Swanson’s short film “Fannie.” (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 26: A Black Faculty and Staff Association panel discussion showcased Black senior leaders at the University of Notre Dame. (Photo by Barbara Johnston)

February 26: A Black Faculty and Staff Association panel discussion showcased Black senior leaders at the University of Notre Dame. (Photo by Barbara Johnston)

February 20: The Initiative on Race and Resilience’s second annual Sojourner Truth Keynote Address was given by Martha Biondi, professor of African American studies and history at Northwestern University. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 16: The Black Student Association hosted a Talent and Cultural Showcase in Washington Hall. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 16: The Black Student Association hosted a Talent and Cultural Showcase in Washington Hall. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 16: The Black Student Association hosted a Talent and Cultural Showcase in Washington Hall. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

Lunar New Year

February 10: The Vietnamese Student Association held its annual culture show, “Notre Dame by Night.” (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

February 8: Mendoza College of Business graduate students hold a Lunar New Year celebration. (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

February 10: The Chinese Scholars and Students Association hosted a Lunar New Year Celebration in Carey Auditorium. (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

And about that weather . . . !

February 12: Sun sets on St. Mary’s Lake on a warm February day. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 27: Peter Coors ’25 reads on South Quad on a day that set a record high temperature for the date. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 27: Physics professor Philippe Collon teaches the course The Physics of Civilization near the Clarke Memorial Fountain on a day that set a record high temperature for the date. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 26: Students relax in their hammocks on a warm afternoon in February. (Photo by Barbara Johnston)

. . . But we’re still not done with all the stuff that happened indoors!

February 8: Bryon Roesselet, from Conrad Schmitt Studios, identifies the paint color code to match a color found in the original mural on the walls of Washington Hall. (Photo by Barbara Johnston)

February 8: Students perform at Acousticafe in Duncan Student Center. (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

February 17: Employees set tables in the north dome of the Joyce Center for the Junior Parents Weekend dinner. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 24: Bengal Bouts 2024 (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

February 24: Rev. Tom Eckert, C.S.C., blesses two boxers before their Bengal Bouts final match. (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

February 15: Members of the K-pop dance club ASCEND! perform at the World Music and Dance Festival. (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

February 24: Gravity Fest 2024, a bouldering wall competition at the Duncan Student Center climbing and bouldering wall. (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

February 21: Social scientist Robert Putnam, center, engages in a conversation with Notre Dame professors David Campbell and Jaimie Bleck following a screening of the film “Join or Die.” (Photo by Matt Cashore)

February 24: Priest, speaker, author, and podcaster Fr. Mike Schmitz speaks to a standing-room-only audience in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. (Photo by Mary Kate McGuirk)

Rare Disease Day

The College of Science observed Rare Disease Day with a prayer service and a lighting of the Hesburgh Library mural and Jordan Hall of Science in symbolic colors. Rare Disease Day is an observance held on the last day of February to raise awareness for rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation for individuals with rare diseases and their families.

The one where February pretended to be April

The one where February pretended to be April

And once or twice, February was . . . well . . . February.

February 24: Corby statue on a snowy morning. (Photo by Matt Cashore)

© 2026 University of Notre Dame

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