Christopher Columbus is a very complicated historical figure. On one hand he is a symbol of exploration and spreading knowledge and religion. On the other hand he is symbolic of European oppression of other cultures and the negative aspects of the colonial legacy.
Obviously all sides of Columbus can be debated and there is merit to all aspects.
I found an article in a Catholic newspaper about this story. It was interesting to see the Catholic point of view on Columbus. He is after all very important in the Catholic Church.
People are free to think what they want about Columbus, but Notre Dame is a Catholic university and that complicates the story as well.
Here is the artwork from the Catholic newspaper:
