Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, September 11, 2023
Student clubs react to Trump-Harris debate
College Democrats, College Republicans hosted simultaneous watch parties in Duncan Student Center
By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News Editor
Former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris met yesterday night for the first, and currently only, scheduled presidential debate between the two candidates. The debate, which was moderated by ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis, lasted for about 90 minutes, with both candidates clashing sharply on the issues and accusing each other of lying.
Throughout the debate, Harris attempted to tow the line between defending President Joe Biden’s
record and portraying herself as paving a “new path forward.” Trump, however, sought to tie Harris to Biden’s record, asking her why she had not implemented certain proposed policies in her three and a half years as vice president.
On campus, both the College Democrats and the College Republicans hosted debate watches on campus, both in different parts of Duncan Student Center.
In a statement to The Observer, College Democrats co-presidents Olivia Anderson and Trista Brantley praised Harris for
see DEBATE PAGE 3
University hosts inaugural events Fisher community adjusts after relocation to Zahm
By SOPHIE HANAWALT News Writer
From an academic procession from the steps of the Main Building to a concert by a Grammy Awardwinning musician and a dance of the field of Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame administration is preparing for a new chapter in its history
with the inauguration of University President Fr. Robert Dowd.
The events will begin Wednesday, Sept. 11 with the inauguration picnic on Library Lawn from 5-8 p.m. The picnic, open to students, faculty, staff and families, will feature free food and live music.
see DOWD PAGE 4
By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News Editor
A few weeks into their move across quads, Fisher Hall “Fishermen” living in Zahm Hall have begun to settle into their new home.
It has been almost a year since the Fisher
community was informed they would be moving to Zahm for two years. In an interview with The Observer, hall vice-president sophomore Tommie Phillips reflected on the disappointment he felt when he heard the news.
“There was an announcement that
someone from the Office of Student Affairs would be fully meeting with all the Fisher guys in the chapel, and [...] there was almost a sense of foreboding that we knew what was about to happen,” Phillips recounted. “[We
Duncan raises over $15,000 at ND110 memorial event
By DOMINIC SEMENTILLI News Writer
Repping red bandanas and an American flag, Duncan Hall residents set the tone for their annual ND110 event with a 24hour run. The run, which was divided into shifts, began Monday evening with Duncan men running around campus.
ND110 took place from
5-9 p.m. last night in Notre Dame Stadium. While only members of the Duncan Hall community participated in the 24-hour run, members of the entire Notre Dame community joined the ND110 stadium event, in which participants run up the stadium stairs, starting every 30 minutes. The event gets its name from the 110 flights that firefighters had to
climb in the Twin Towers. ND110 was established six years ago by two Duncan Hall residents who had personal connections to the 9/11 attacks. Every year since, Duncan Hall has continued to honor the first responders who responded to the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
see 9/11 PAGE 3
see FISHER PAGE 3
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
University President Fr. Robert Dowd sings the anthem on the field of Notre Dame Stadium before the game against Nothern Illinois University.
LIAM KELLY | The Observer
The Notre Dame College Democrats gather in the Duncan Student Center to watch the Trump-Harris debate. The 90-minute debate was broadcast on ABC and moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis.
John Bailey Tyler Reidy Scene Ayden Kowalski Viewpoint
Abby Hernan Wednesday 9/11 Memorial Mass
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.
Mass in memorial of those passed on 9/11.
Swing Club Practice Smith Center Studio 1
8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Weekly meeting for Swing Dance Club.
Thursday
SDB’s Annual Mosaic Alumnae Green
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Learn about different clubs on campus that uplift diverse voices.
Board Game Night
LaFortune McNeill Room 116
7:15 p.m. - 11:59 p.m. Come and enjoy board games. Friday
Games in the Galleries Raclin Murphy Museum of Art Noon - 1 p.m. Play games.
were] just in shock, a lot of uncertainties surrounding the situation, a lot of questions. But later on, that turned into an appreciation for the dorm itself.”
Another Fisher vicepresident, junior Brian Maron, said he felt differently about the announcement.
“My initial reaction honestly wasn’t too negative, because I was happy that our community was staying small and that we were staying together. One thing that I hold very close and very dear to my heart, is the community and the small size of it, I think allows us to have a very tight knit community. And I was happy we were able to keep that together,” Maron explained.
Now living in a new building with their old home having been razed, Phillips stressed that dorm
9/11
ND110 co-comissioner junior George LaVigne has participated in ND110 throughout his time at Notre Dame. Leading up to this year’s event, he shadowed other ND110 junior leaders. According to LaVigne, he decided to become more involved in the event because of its significance.
“I hope to emphasize how this event continues to foster a sense of unity and
events have been crucial in making this tight-knit Fisher community “better than ever.”
“We’ve been having great attendance at all the events, and even introduced new ones, such as grill outs, where we invite off campus seniors, and they all come,” he said. “I feel like we know that this is such a crucial time for our dorm community, because our whole community isn’t just the physical building.”
Maron said he thought the transition has been as smooth as possible.
“I think the community has adapted really well, and obviously the upperclassmen who have been in Fisher and understood the community that we had there are able to help ease that transition much better,” Maron said.
Phillips emphasized the physical building itself is an improvement from Fisher.
selflessness,” said LaVigne. “It symbolizes something bigger than ourselves. Both this campus and the broader country were built on something greater than ourselves.”
Funds raised from ND110 support Heart 9/11, an organization which aids people and communities impacted by 9/11. Additionally, Heart 9/11 serves those who have been devastated by natural disasters.
In his morning Introduction to Philosophy class, freshman Antonio
“I will say the water tastes better, and the showers are an upgrade,” he said.
Maron echoed Phillips’ evaluation of Zahm.
“The building itself is much nicer,” he said. “The facilities are great, much better gym, much better showers.”
Phillips also noted that the physical layout of Fisher and Zahm are similar, with long hallways that help create a social culture throughout the dorm, as opposed to just in specific sections. Maron’s only complaint was that the larger building made things feel more spread out.
Phillips and Maron both explained key dorm traditions such as the Fisher “car smash” and the Fisher Regatta will continue to be held this year and for the foreseeable future. Traditions for freshmen within the dorm community have continued as
Congelos made an announcement promoting the event to his classmates. After class, Congelos reiterated ND110’s importance to those within Duncan and those in communities outside Notre Dame.
“Duncan has raised plenty already, and I would love it if anyone else would participate,” Congelos said. “It’s from 5 to 9 p.m., and the event runs in 30-minute intervals. Be sure to scan it after the lecture, so we are not interrupting, thank you.”
well including the Fisher naming ceremony, where freshmen are given their Fisher nicknames, and the Fisher oar ceremony, where they are given oars with the signature “F” on them.
Junior Fisher resident Adam Akan emphasized how important these traditions are to the dorm.
“We’ve made sure to keep a lot of Fisher culture going and even renamed quads based on what they would have been called in Fisher. Obviously, it’s hard, especially with freshmen, but everyone who came over is making sure to emphasize we’re still Fisher and that a new building doesn’t change that … The freshmen are buying in, and that’s everything we could ask for.”
Maron also lauded the freshmen for embracing Fisher culture.
“I’ve just got to give credit to all the freshmen,” he said. “They’ve really
After participating in ND110 for the first time, Congelos maintained a similar level of excitement as in his morning philosophy class.
“[It] felt great being a part of it, especially because we’re such a strong community at Duncan,” Congelos said. “It felt good to see what Duncan was about, and people were really pushing themselves. It was lighthearted, but people were pushing themselves for the cause of it.”
At the conclusion of the
embraced the community and really have the Fisher pride, despite not being in the building. They’ve still come to embrace it really well, and that, I think, is really gonna help us hold the community together.”
In two years, Fisher residents will move into Coyle Hall, which is currently being constructed on the former site of Fisher. Phillips said although he will be living off-campus senior year, he is excited to visit friends in the new dorm.
“I feel like just having a building in general right there will be better than the current state,” he said. “It is definitely bittersweet. I went to the Rock the other day, and just seeing that empty patch where Fisher used to be was definitely a noteworthy site.”
Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu
event, LaVigne reported ND110 garnered over $15,000 in donations via PayPal and cash. LaVigne did not yet have information from credit card readers.
“[I feel] so blessed to be surrounded by a community that cares about our country and cares for our first responders, it’s truly such an honor to climb for such a great cause,” freshman Ella Smoker said.
Contact Dominic Sementilli at dsementi@nd.edu
presenting an “optimistic” vision for the country.
“Harris showed us that our best times are ahead and within every American’s reach. Creating an opportunity economy with tax cuts for the middle class, maintaining the rest of the world’s respect through defending democracy alongside our allies, and dedication to being President for Democrats and Republicans alike illustrate Harris’ plan for a brighter future,” they wrote.
Anderson and Brantley also sharply condemned Trump’s performance.
“Trump’s incoherence, inability to produce solid policy initiatives, preoccupation with being off-topic, lack of patriotism and faith in our country, and blatant disregard for facts underscore the legitimate dangers of another four years of a Trump presidency,” they wrote.
College Republicans director of political affairs, Shri Thakur, highlighted what he saw as Trump’s command of the issues, while criticizing both Harris and perceived media bias from ABC.
“Trump was strong on substance, emphasizing Harris’ failures on immigration and the economy, but was unfortunately weighed down by the novel debate format of three vs. one against him by Harris and the moderators,” Thakur wrote. “Polls will say she performed better, but the American people will see through the empty rhetoric and meaningless platitudes of the Harris campaign.”
In a statement to The Observer, the non-partisan club BridgeND, which is devoted to improving political discourse, lamented the lack of sufficient policy discussion in the debate.
“In last night’s debate, there were attempts to break through party lines and address the issues
that are top of mind for the American people. We would’ve liked to see more discussion on specific policy issues,” the statement read. “We hope that the next President of the United States is open to constructive dialogue.”
The debate began with a discussion of the economy in which Harris pledged to create an “opportunity economy” and critiqued Trump’s plan to raise tariffs on imports, while avoiding discussion of the inflation. Trump, on the other hand, focused his attacks on the inflation of the Biden-Harris era and portrayed Harris’ green energy policies as stifling growth.
Immigration was to be a central topic in the debate, with President Trump frequently returning to it, even during seemingly unrelated questions, and condemning Harris and Biden for “destroying our country” by not bringing down illegal immigration. Trump promised to conduct the
largest deportation operation in American history.
The debate became especially heated when the topic of abortion was raised.
Trump said he was proud to bring the issue of abortion back to the states and emphasized his opposition to late-term abortion. Harris, however, criticized strict abortion laws in certain states, labeling them “Trump abortion bans,” and stating her opposition to government involvement in the matter. Harris did not say whether she would oppose late-term abortions, while Trump, although saying he did not think it would pass, did not commit to vetoing a national abortion ban.
The temperature remained high when it came to discussion of Trump’s criminal charges and his actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Harris portrayed Trump as a “threat to democracy” for arguing the 2020 election was stolen, a claim he repeated during the debate, and brought up the fact
that he was recently convicted of felony crimes in New York City.
Trump, however, argued he was not responsible for the violence at the United States Capitol. He called the legal charges and rhetoric against him “election interference” and “a threat to democracy,” arguing it incited the assassination attempt on him in July. When it came to foreign policy, Trump painted the Biden-Harris position as projecting a sense of weakness through its withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which he said encouraged aggression from Russia and Iran. Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours.
Harris criticized Trump for criticizing U.S. allies and argued he was cozying up to foreign dictators. She highlighted the Biden administration’s aid to Israel and Ukraine.
Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu
BAVO hosts event honoring late SMC student
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA and SOLEDAD CASTELLANOS
Saint Mary’s News Editor and News Writer
The Belles Against Violence Office (BAVO) of Saint Mary’s College held the first educational memorial service in honor of the late Elizabeth “Lizzy” Seeberg, a 2010 freshman who, after being sexually assaulted by a Notre Dame football player, committed suicide.
On Tuesday evening in the south lounge of Holy Cross Hall, BAVO’s student advisory committee hosted a group watch of the 2015 documentary “The Hunting Ground,” which details institutional cover-ups of sexual assault and violence that
have happened on college campuses across the country. During the documentary watch, students created posters of support for victims of interpersonal violence as a way to display BAVO’s vow against violence.
BAVO’s student employees and mental health counselor Lauren Cooper attended the event to provide students with confidential sources to talk to in light of the documentary’s topic.
Director of campus safety
Phil Bambenek and college president Katie Conboy were also in attendance.
Junior Allyson Krause spearheaded the memorial alongside sophomore Daniela Rivera. The pair expressed their desire to share BAVO’s message and resources with
the community.
“I think we kind of hear a lot of misinformation about what happened to Lizzy Seeberg,” Krause said. “It kind of became a campus myth, like lore, which is something we are trying to avoid because this is only fourteen years past her death, and people who knew her and went to school with her still work here.”
Krause and Rivera said they aimed to educate about Seeburg’s story and reflect on the history that propels the work of BAVO.
“[The purpose of showing this documentary is to] raise awareness, especially in these topics that are hard pills to swallow and hard to have conversations about,” Rivera said. “This
documentary makes you more aware of the things going on around us, her story and how we can use that in our lives.”
Freshmen Lilly Lessard shared her takeaway from both BAVO’s mission and Seeberg’s story.
“I feel like there needs to be more awareness of the story and all stories,” Lessard said. “I think that everyone should be able to speak up in a good way to make everyone on campus aware of the things that can happen.”
Towards the end of the event, Krause, Rivera and their student associates led the group to the memorial site for Seeberg, a small section of the garden located next to Riedinger House. There, a moment of silence
was held to honor Seeburg as students were given the opportunity to individually reflect on Seeberg’s life. The memorial event dedicated to Seeberg demonstrated how the conversation regarding students who are victims of sexual assault has continued since her death and the release of the documentary, which highlights Notre Dame and Seeberg’s story. Shortly after the release of “The Hunting Ground,” Saint Mary’s College hosted key figures from the documentary and appointed a task force for investigating sexual assault.
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacc@nd.edu and Soledad Castellanos at scastellanos01 @saintmarys.edu
Because of the picnic, both dining halls will be closed for late lunch (2-4:30 p.m.) and dinner.
Junior class president Molly Swartz is serving on the student planning committee for the inauguration. Swartz said the picnic is reflective of the student planning committee’s goals.
“[The picnic aims to make] all students feel welcome and proud of this big event for the University,” she said.
The majority of the planning for inauguration week was handled by the University administration, but the student planning committee, consisting of class presidents, the student body president, the student body vice president, the chief of the Student Union Board and two members of the Hall Presidents Council, was tasked with assisting to plan the student inaugural ball and other student engagement opportunities, Swartz said.
In an interview with The Observer, Dowd’s chief of staff, Ann Firth, declined to say how much the festivities would cost but emphasized the historic nature of Dowd’s inauguration.
“This is the first inauguration that we’ve had in 19 years,” Firth said, noting that other institutions have far more frequent turnover at the top. “I think that this is, in some ways, a historic celebration for us. It’s only the third time, as I’m sure you
know, that Notre Dame has inaugurated a president. So I think it’s a historic milestone. I think this is not about necessarily making it grand, but rather making it reflect the values of the place, in terms of the breadth of Notre Dame’s impact, the breadth of the depth of our values, the importance of community.”
Firth noted that preparations for the event began basically as soon as Dowd was named Notre Dame’s 18th president last December.
Swartz said that a key example of the committee’s contributions was the inclusion of a diverse array of food trucks at Wednesday’s picnic.
According to the inauguration website, these offerings include a taco tent, smoke house barbecue, a global foods tent, a dessert station and many local food trucks.
The committee also created a playlist for the inauguration events that accommodates a wide range of musical preferences.
The Notre Dame Forum’s inauguration speaker series will take place Thursday, Sept. 12. The forum will consist of four conversations between different global leaders, each centered around the Notre Dame Forum 202425 question, “What do we owe each other?”
Dowd will participate in the final conversation at 3:15 p.m., titled “Advancing Peace in a Fractured World,” with Joe Donnelly, former U.S. senator and former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, and admiral Christopher W. Grady, vice chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Donnelly is teaching a course at Notre Dame this semester.
Friday’s events will begin with the inauguration mass at 10 a.m. Seating inside of the Basilica is reserved, but a covered seating area on Bond Quad will be available for those who would like to attend. The service will also be livestreamed.
At 1 p.m., students are invited to gather on DeBartolo Quad for a student rally featuring ice cream, lemonade and guest DJ Fr. Pete McCormick.
Students will proceed to Purcell Pavilion at 2:15 p.m. for the inauguration. The academic procession will begin at 2:20 p.m., following a reading of letters written by University founder, Fr. Edward Sorin, on the Main Building steps at 2:15 p.m. The convocation and inauguration ceremony will start at 2:45 p.m.
After the ceremony, Grammy award winning artist Jon Batiste will perform at Purcell Pavilion at 8 p.m. Free tickets for the concert were made available to members of the Notre Dame community in early August and have since been digitally distributed.
The Student Inaugural Ball will take place inside of Notre Dame Stadium from 9:30-11 p.m. and is open to all students.
“[The ball] is such a cool event because [the inauguration] is mostly catered towards the politics of the University, which means ensuring that the Board of
Trustees feels included in the weekend, with national leaders flying in and church leaders from across the globe coming, but I think it’s really important that they remember that students are a big part of this too,” Swartz said. “Even though students aren’t invited to most of the actual inauguration events, this is a great way to include them.”
Notre Dame faculty and staff will assist with the inauguration’s service aspect — a Habitat for Humanity build in St. Joseph county — during the week of Sept. 16.
The Notre Dame chapter of Habitat for Humanity invited students to sign studs in Duncan Student Center from Monday, Sept. 9 to Wednesday, Sept. 11. These studs will be turned into walls during the oncampus staff wall build and go into the homes during the week, shared chapter co-president Billy Bonnist.
Bonnist said the signatures were a great way to visualize the student body’s support for Dowd and the recipients of the Habitat for Humanity homes, who will see the walls as they help with construction.
“[Students were] really excited about the idea of their signatures living in St. Joseph County forever and proud that they made a small effort to contribute to our community here in the larger Notre Dame area,” Bonnist said.
Isa Sheikh contributed to this reporting.
Embrace the extra(ordinary)
Allison Elshoff Asking For a Friend
The panel in front of me looked straight out of a J. Crew photoshoot. Third from the right, a man in a navy suit shifted in his seat before clearing his throat.
“If you can remember one thing, it’s what my friend told me before I left home: don’t let the extraordinary become ordinary.”
The man speaking was a White House Fellow, also known as a very accomplished adult who was chosen to take a mid-career break and work in the White House for a year instead. Just an intern in D.C. myself, I nonetheless found myself nodding along to what he was saying. It was the beginning of June, back when I was still pinching myself every time I passed the White House and the city remained largely undiscovered to me.
But when I talked to people who had lived in D.C. for a while, I saw how easily the city’s rich history could fade into the background of their day-to-day routine. An once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the inside of the White House was now navy-suitman’s everyday commute.
He wanted to make a point to not take extraordinary experiences for granted, but I think this advice also applies to everyday life. David Foster Wallace argued a similar thing in his famous commencement speech, “This is Water”:
“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says ‘Morning,
boys. How’s the water?’ And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes ‘What the hell is water?’”
Wallace’s lesson is about simple awareness. He believes that there are two ways to live: either constantly making the effort to pay attention to the world around you, or slipping into the “default setting” – a rat race where you become numb to being alive. It takes discipline to stay conscious and alive, as he says, day in and day out; but if we manage to reject our default settings, it can breathe new life into the everyday banalities we dread.
Navy-suit-man and Wallace’s advice does not seem groundbreaking. It may even sound a little morbid. But us college students about to settle into 9-5 jobs or graduate school run the risk of letting classes, work and routine dull the shine of how remarkable it is to be alive. Random things will kindly remind me of this, like when someone’s laugh punctuates a quiet room or when I can hear my heartbeat at night or when I think too hard about how FaceTime works.
But, as I have also struggled with, it’s very easy to just go through the motions of everyday life — to function on autopilot rather than to keep a sense of wonder and actively practice gratitude. The dome becomes just another thing you pass on your way to class, Mary from Econ just another person you sit next to every Monday/Wednesday, the dining hall just another place you say hi to (and avoid) people. Instead, I challenge you to combat this with a seemingly trivial tactic: pretend your life is just beginning. That’s how most movies usually work
— you enter during the middle of the character’s life and are forced to piece together the story through exposition. It’s a concept called “in medias res” or “in the middle of things,” where the viewer is dropped in the midst of action with no prior context. There’s an abundance of curiosity when you “begin in the middle” as you observe the character’s work, relationships, struggles and hopes. While it’s just the character’s everyday life, to the viewer, it’s like a playground of life experiences to explore.
The cool thing is, as humans with our own storyline, we get to “begin in the middle” everyday. We have the ability to treat every day as a brand new proposition, our life an eccentric privilege that we’re just now taking advantage of.
So, I challenge you to take a step back, observe your life from an outsider’s perspective and recognize the extraordinary aspects of your life that you currently find ordinary. I don’t care if this means pretending you’re drinking coffee for the first time in your life or blasting your favorite song like you’ve never heard it before. This is your life. This is water.
If you’re walking around bored, you’re not paying attention.
Allison Elshoff is a junior studying Business Analytics with minors in the Hesburgh Program of Public Service and Impact Consulting. Originally from Valencia, California and currently living in Badin Hall, you can find her unsubscribing from email lists or hammocking by the lakes.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The popular politics of (dis)honesty
Olemo Gordon Brian The Double-Giraffe View
Dear Comrade,
Most of our political leaders are not helping the stereotype that they are pathological liars. Honesty seems to be an even rarer commodity in America here, where a high premium seems to be placed on rhetoric. Lots of bombastic language and carefully crafted images of a future that will ever only truly be approximated. I often watch the speeches in admiration, not of the content but the form. A scene is often evoked in my mind. That of president Museveni’s prologue in the 2016 Presidential Debate. “Now I am here to talk about Uganda, not about fiction. If you want fiction and a Nobel Prize for literature and composition, then you can talk the way you want to talk.” His own politics and political history aside, the concept is useful. Fiction – misdiagnosis of society’s challenges that inevitably results in maltreatment. We’ve said before in this column that leaders ought to be solution providers – managers and doctors of society. They owe the people a vision and a direction where their countries ought to go. There’s a fine line between painting that vision and the audacious lies we sometimes hear. These lies are sometimes conscious. One particular American politician does it so effortlessly it’s awe-inspiring. Most times, however, lies are a product of ignorance. Those who peddle them are driven by a justified frustration with the status quo. Frustration and righteous anger are not excuses to not interrogate issues well. They can’t herald socioeconomic transformation because they are not programs.
In the economy, these populists end up promising manna from heaven. I recall a student election in 2014. A chap walked into our classroom during night
prep and promised that if we voted for him, he would change the only pit latrine we had in the school to a waterborne toilet. He very obviously didn’t have any regard for our intellect. But folks cheered and he waxed bolder about how he would increase the thickness of the chapatis sold in the school canteen. There was an uproar in the class. I stood there – stupefied. I was a newcomer, oblivious of the political dynamics of the school – how much power the prefect orate (student government) had vis-a-vis the school administration. I would later find out when I got the privilege to serve as Assistant Head Prefect then Head Prefect. A few questions for this chap: How exactly was he going to get these things done? What power and leverage did he possess to effect any of these changes? He lost the election because he was indisciplined. The fellow was a populist proper. He could lie however because even if we elected him, we wouldn’t have held him accountable owing to the power dynamics between students in my alma mater. He was our senior, period.
In 2022, someone who could be held accountable ran for president. The man had been part of the system before as VP and instead of honesty – he chose half-truths. Populists have a thing for outsiderism. The strategy is to blame the guy in office and paint them as the sole hindrance to the country’s progress. The challenge with this is obvious. It is the classic problem of laughing at the old and frail. It is foolish because you will – hopefully – get there someday. Our man sided with the downtrodden and hardworking – ‘the hustlers’. “Kazi ni Kazi” (work is work). He inherited (scratch that) – changed roles in a country characteristic of most in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aid-dependent, neocolonial, a political class hemorrhaging the state, much of the meager government revenue going towards debt servicing – in short, a wealthy but poor country. He failed to
acknowledge this fact and instead chose to sell disney fantasies to his electorate who stayed true and got him in. When it was time to do the accounting – the money has to come from somewhere – the chickens came home to roost. If your public debt is already 78% of your GDP, the people – whom you promised heaven on earth as long as you are at the helm – now have to pay the price to enter the pearly gates of economic prosperity. If you are actively fighting the historical deficiencies of the American education system in teaching other geographies and histories, through self-education, you’ve probably seen the demonstrations in Kenya.
Many African leaders are yet to make peace with the fact that they have come of age at the wrong time – in the age of mediocrity. History has consigned them to being ‘mediocre’ leaders at best. Their aspirations seem circumscribed by the fact that they are presiding over poor countries in an economically hostile ocean full of sharks hell bent on keeping it that way. It’s not an excuse for bad performance but it should tame the rhetoric. We can’t blame these men for the circumstances of their birth. We can however hold them culpable for the promises they make. At all points, one must choose honesty. Cabral said, “Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories.” But I don’t expect they have read him. How could they? Some are yet to be treated for bibliophobia.
Olemo Gordon Brian is a senior at Notre Dame studying Economics and Political Science. He hails from Apac, Uganda with deep interest in Africa’s development and the emancipation of man. You can contact Olemo at bolemo@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
VIEWPOINT SPOTLIGHT: JONAH TRAN
Hate like a champion today
Jonah Tran Amate et Odite Deo
There’s a lot of commotion about the question, “What do we owe each other?” The university has a forum dedicated to this question, a forum that is situated within a three-day holiday for the second most important person on this campus behind Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Dowd Victory Fund paid several international leaders in global development, philanthropy and the future of technology. That is, our tuition paid billion-millionaires who have no interest in Catholic Social Teaching to come speak to us about their concerted efforts to live out Catholic Social Teaching through their work.
I have a valuable contribution to the dialogue about what we owe each other, the University and the world. Can hate make the world a better place? Can hate be a force for good? Should we all hate more? Yes. Yes. And yes.
Many of us, and by extension, much of the world suffers from apathetic ignorance — we choose to remain impartial or unknowledgeable because we do not care enough to pick a side or learn. It is the same disposition that fuels the wildfire of injustice and mass human rights violations, phenomena we probably should care about. We permit suffering, death, genocide simply because we do not care enough to do anything about it. But hate, fortunately, is a major part of the solution. It is something that anyone and everyone can and should do. Let us say that your god, to whom you supposedly place
great devotion, was profaned and blasphemed on a massive scale, perhaps an international scale. Surely, you would have a negative perspective, maybe even a strong sense of opposition. However, your sentiments would neither be negative nor strong enough to take action, so you do nothing and remain on the side of apathetic ignorance. Worse yet, you would probably accept a contrived excuse that the attack was, in fact, not at all offensive or directed toward your god, even though deep down you know that simply is not not true.
There are two dimensions here. The first is hate, which is to be understood as radical enmity against or repulsion from something. If you truly love something, then it follows that you should hate anything that opposes it. If you love the good, then you should hate evil. If you love the truth, then you should hate lies. If you love your god, then you should hate anything that opposes it. Hate is only suitable against ideas, concepts and actions that oppose that which you love; hate should never be directed toward a person, ever. Hate in this sense is ultimately a corollary to one’s love, that is, one’s profound conviction in desiring and willing the good of another thing or person. The second dimension is righteous anger, which informs the actions as a result of our enmity. Righteous anger stems from repulsion to injustice, not personal insult. It manifests rightly in actions like protests so long as they do not beget evil or more injustice. One cannot right an evil with evil.
In the case of your god being mocked, the two dimensions hold true. For one, if you truly cared or loved your god, you would take offense to anything that attacks or offends it. Moreover, your repulsion would manifest in something that
would amount to a protest: a boycott, a stern letter of disapproval to those who brought about the offense or even physically standing outside with signs — anything to prove to yourself and to the world that you care.
Of course, this example is relevant only to a specific demographic or community of people, but the method behind hate holds true for every single person and every single organization of people. Hate is a metric of one’s integrity, in a way. If one truly identifies and believes in a cause, then they would not only bear strong feelings for it but also take action to defend it. If they do not exhibit these attributes, then I seriously question their allegiance or integrity with regard to their association. I firmly believe that the world would be a better place if people had more conviction in their personal beliefs such that they would feel strongly for them and also protect them. Of course, everyone has their own set of principles and beliefs as to what they think is right and best for themselves, and in that case, great! Live by them, passionately.
I take no sides, political or not, in this article. My argument serves all people in all capacities. Indeed, it is love that underpins all of what I have said. But that love must be fervent enough that we are willing and able to defend it. Love and hate for what you believe in. Hate like a champion today.
Jonah Tran is a junior at Notre Dame studying finance and classics. He prides himself on sarcasm and never surrendering. You can file complaints to Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Brainrot at Notre Dame
There are many types of ‘brainrot’ at Notre Dame. I will explore a few of these. First, there is the most severe form that is found in joking individuals who ironically or unironically use TikTok slang terms and phrases. For instance, one might say, “What the sigma! Skibidi toilet sigma male Andrew Tate looksmaxxing mewing rizzing Livvy Dunne gyatt.” The translation into English is “Oh my goodness! I just saw a human head sticking out of a toilet in a bathroom, and in the same timeframe, a traditionally masculine, attractive man with a sharpened jawline, whose behavior and characteristics mirror those of Andrew Tate, the media personality, businessman and former professional kickboxer, successfully courted Livvy Dunne, a social media influencer and LSU gymnast, whose physical attractiveness is enhanced by her rump.” At one point, the English language was once used to write beautiful Shakespearean sonnets, but now it is incumbent upon me to translate social media slang terms so lowbrow and nonsensical that the greater population designates these terms with the mark of acute cognitive degeneration. And if you do not believe me that every single one of these terms is real, search them up for yourself.
Second, there is a milder form of brainrot, in my estimation. Last Saturday was an uncharacteristically chilly and windy first game day. In years past, the first game day was marked by sweltering heat, body odor, and black-out drunkenness. This year, it was cold. There was hardly any sweat to stink up the place and everyone sobered up before halftime, which really makes you wonder how much your alcohol tolerance is attributed to your alleged skill rather than the environment. Nevertheless, there is brain rot as manifested through clothing. You certainly would have seen many variations of “The
Shirt.” You could have seen crop tops, long-sleeves, tank tops, cold shoulders tops, tube tops and even dresses, expertly and creatively fashioned from the original piece. Despite the frigid weather, many people elected to shred their clothing in order to have a more attractive outfit and deliberately be uncomfortable and also to expose as much skin as legally permissible. I commend the craftsmanship of refashioning the shirt, and probably by many metrics, it is a more attractive version of the shirt However, I seriously question the motivations and influences that caused one to cut up his or her clothes. This person actively forsook their common sense and human survival instinct for fleeting validation both from their peers as well as those on the internet. It’s not up to me to decide whether or not a cold, a few Instagram likes and a piece of tattered cloth that can’t be worn again is worth it, but I seriously question your cognitive ability if you choose thus. Third, I identify another subtler variant of brainrot in a specific demographic. You might find these people in class sporting nondescript t-shirts depicting a US national park with 5.5” Lululemon or Birddogs shorts and ragged white sneakers about six feet below a backwards hat. You would probably find these people dressing surprisingly nicer out at a bar or tailgate, donning a striped, polyester polo shirt. Whatever the outfit, the main thing to consider is the topics and manner of conversation. Common topics include and are probably limited to talking about girls, politics and sports. It must be noted that the technical knowledge of their professional field as well as excessive alcohol and nicotine consumption has diminished their cognitive ability such that they often fail to remember that women and minorities are human beings too.
Despite the extremeness of my examples, there is a common thread uniting the three archetypes: many people at Notre Dame actively decide not to use their creativity, talents and blessings derived from being unique individuals
made in the image and likeness of God. There is something that only you can contribute to this world that no one else can — it is, in fact, your obligation as a living human being to effect this contribution. We are not here just to get by, to sneak an education away from this institution and not make a big splash in the world. I see too that people’s ambition and competency, quite frankly, peaks in high school — they just did enough to get into Notre Dame and will ride the wave to mediocrity henceforth.
To refer back to our examples, the first person using TikTok brainrot chooses to engage in behaviors that practically makes him or her stupid. This person does not engage in behaviors or consume media that lifts his or her mind to higher principles. This person chooses to immerse themselves in a platform that begets and promotes uniformity — an infinite cycle of imitating TikTok trend ad nauseam. The second person chooses to use his or her gift of human beauty as a vehicle of vice to increase pride. The trading of something so little and shallow for something so infinite and beautiful should startle all of us. Finally, the third person simply lacks respect for oneself and projects that lack onto others. The person’s intellectual skill is used for self-gain rather than in service of a greater purpose. This archetype is more common and pervasive than we think.
Whichever type of brain rot you might find yourself engaging in, there is still hope for us all. Make the necessary changes today. We can always do more. Live better. Live more fulfilling and dedicated lives.
Jonah Tran is a junior at Notre Dame studying finance and classics. He prides himself on sarcasm and never surrendering. You can file complaints to Jonah by email at jtran5@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Jonah Tran
Amate et Odite Deo
By ANDY OTTONE Scene Writer
In this piece, I lightly spoil the Amazon-MGM Studios film “The Idea of You.” To editorialize this spoiler warning, I don’t think what I say detracts much from the viewing experience, because the film is so predictable you could probably see the minor spoiler coming fifteen minutes before due to heavy-handed foreshadowing from the script.
I don’t know much about Harry Styles. I like some of his music, mostly his solo work post-One Direction, but I’m far from a fan. But something I do know a lot about is how the internet views Harry Styles, and more specifically, the types of fanfiction written about Harry Styles and his former bandmates. They run the gamut, from “One Direction bought a human being (illegal)” to “Harry Styles is dating Barack Obama (not illegal, and should happen),” and even “Harry Styles is the brother of Thanos from the ‘Avengers‘ movies.” I’m just kidding about that last one; that was an actual casting decision made by Marvel Studios.
The point is: Harry Styles has fan fiction, and sometimes fan fiction gets published into books. Sometimes books get turned into movies. Sometimes fan fiction becomes a book that gets turned into a streaming-exclusive movie, and sometimes that fan fiction is about Harry Styles. Sometimes this happens twice. The notorious Netflix original film franchise “After” has had yearly
entries since the first film’s debut in 2019, and it has become widely accepted based on comments by the author that the main character Hardin is actually Harry … Styles. Not a different one. There are five of these movies. I considered watching them for this piece, but that’s not the movie I’m even talking about, and I value my time and mental health.
“I value my time and mental health,” he said, ignoring that he watched Amazon Prime’s “The Idea of You,” which is very explicitly based on One Direction fan fiction. I had to google if the film used their music (it didn’t). The first blow was a reminder that Amazon bought the historic Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer movie studio, because I just keep forgetting that that was a thing that happened recently. Then, they gave Anne Hathaway a bad haircut, likely to make her look ‘more normal,’ since the film will not stop reminding you that she is a ‘normal’ mom (despite having a great job as an art dealer, affording her lastminute cross-country flights, VIP tickets to Coachella and a ridiculously nice house). I should note that while Miss Hathaway’s character has a name (Solene), I refuse to use it and will only refer to her from now on as Anne Hathaway, as I’m certain anyone else who watched this movie also did.
After barging in on a private trailer, mistaking it for a VIP bathroom (a moment that my friend and I talked about extensively; those would look nothing alike), Anne Hathaway meets Hayes Campbell, played by Nicholas Galitzine (“Bottoms,” “Red, White & Royal Blue”).
The film was hilarious, and that was its greatest strength. I just don’t know if the filmmakers were aware of that when they were producing it. Directed by “Wet Hot American Summer” co-creator Michael Showalter, and written by him and Jennifer Westfeldt (a Tony-nominated Actress for 2004’s “Wonderful Town” revival), the film wasn’t the most innovative in plot or directing style, but it was redeemed by the fact that it could be wildly entertaining to predict what would happen next. Multiple times, my friend and I would call out plot points jokingly, only for them to actually happen, causing us to laugh even harder. The one time that this phenomenon didn’t happen was when I predicted a tracking shot across the house would demonstrate time passing from night to day, but instead the camera stopped tracking and focused on a painting on a wall instead for an oddly long time. Then the screen cut to black, and a five-year time skip occurred. I think it’s weird to make fan fiction based on real people, even celebrities. I believe that simply being famous does not entitle the world access to your personal lives, and celebrities such as pop star Chappell Roan have recently brought this concern to light. But, if it gets us movies so laughably bizarre as “The Idea of You,” maybe Harry Styles can be the exception. I do not think this movie was good, but the night I spent watching with my best friend mocking it is an experience I wouldn’t give up for the world.
Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu
By CLAIRE WATSON Scene Writer
I’d be lying if I said I’ve watched the show “Young Royals” just once. I honestly have probably binged it two or three times through as I am in love with the action and drama of this Swedish teenage romance. Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg), and the Prince of Sweden, Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding), are a perfect example of two main characters with incredible love and support for each other despite their vastly different upbringings. Simon, along with his sister Sara (Frida Argento), hails from the small Swedish town of Bjärstad where they are raised by their single mother with both Latin American and Swedish roots. In contrast, Prince Wilhelm comes from royalty. The two men meet at a boarding school in Sweden called Hillerska, and their connection blossoms into a secret romance. While these two come from different backgrounds, they never fail to communicate with each other. Another core theme of the show is the value of family, which resonates with me as a family-oriented
person. “Young Royals” highlights the importance of family and the necessity to protect it. During season three, as Simon and Wilhelm are in a secret relationship, they face problems resulting from photos posted of the two together at a school event on social media. This causes distress to Prince Wilhelm and the Royal Family as the media begins to question the relationship. On the other hand, Simon is struggling to see the issue and is doubting the relationship because he does not want their love to be a secret.
We also see characters’ relationships with extended family members. At Hillerska, all of the students are required to join a club or sports team — the two most talked about being horseback riding and rowing. Early on in the show, Prince Wilhelm joins the rowing team at Hillerska due to the influence of his distant cousin August (Malte Gårdinger). Simon joins the rowing team shortly after, making his relationship with Wilhelm that much stronger.
I personally am not a rower. The last time I attempted to row, I flipped the boat. But as a collegiate athlete (I play softball), sports are a big part of my life, and
weaving sports into this show really drew me to it.
“Young Royals” also portrays the importance of friendship, mainly through Simon and Wilhelm’s interactions with Felice Ehrencrona (Nikita Uggla). Felice and Wilhem often sit on the lawn of Hillerska talking about relationships, both platonic and romantic. We also see scenes of Simon and Felice talking about similar subjects regarding relationships, which is an important inclusion in the story to me.
As a huge music nerd, I commend their music choice in the show. The show’s soundtrack features rap, retro and contemporary pop and Swedish classical music. The musical variety in the show appeals to many different audiences, which I believe is crucial for television. It takes into account that viewers won’t share the same taste in music and offers something for everyone. With this Swedish romance-drama’s focus on friendship, familial bonds and cross-cultural communication, it’s easy to see why this show has resonated with viewers around the world.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
Irish enter ACC play with six straight shutouts
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Since joining the ACC in 2013, Notre Dame’s women’s soccer has never entered conference play with a better goal differential than the one it has right now. Since joining the ACC in 2013, the Irish have never opened conference play with a longer shutout streak than the one they have right now. Those statements sum up the current state of the 6-1 Irish, who head into a Thursday match at Boston College on a tear.
Notre Dame finished nonconference action with a lofty goal differential of +21. Since dropping their season opener to Michigan State, the Irish have not allowed a goal while posting four different games with at least four goals scored. Most recently, they steamrolled Northern Illinois and Marquette in a two-game weekend at home, outscoring the Huskies and Golden Eagles by a 9-0 margin. The tests will only grow tougher inside the expanded and intensified ACC, but Notre Dame could not be in a much better position to step onto the battlefield.
What to expect in conference play
Over the last three seasons, Notre Dame has thrived against ACC competition, posting a record of 21-6-3. Last year, the Irish went 7-1-2 in conference play, ranking second in the ACC standings for their best finish of head coach Nate Norman’s tenure. A fast start fueled Notre Dame’s in-league success, as the Irish opened ACC play at 5-0-1 with a critical win at Duke early on. The Irish also handled business at Alumni Stadium, winning all five of their home ACC matches by multiple goals.
This year, however, it might be more difficult than ever for the Irish to rank highly in the conference standings. As of Sept. 1, each of the top four teams in the United Soccer Coaches poll belonged to the ACC. Notre Dame will face two of them — Stanford and Virginia. The Irish also won’t have the luxury of easing into conference play at home. Four of Notre Dame’s first five ACC matches are away from home, including a potential top-10 showdown at Virginia on Sept. 21. Nevertheless, the Irish will end the year with four home games in two weeks and have a chance to secure important points when hosting contenders such as Stanford, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh.
Finding the right Engle
While you could write a book about the start Notre Dame’s massive freshman class is off to this year, one first-year continues to jump off the page. Forward Izzy Engle, who collected her fourth multi-goal game of the season, has scored 10 times in seven games. Not just any seven games — the first seven games of her college career.
With those numbers, Engle currently leads the entire country with 1.43 goals per game. Her goal count ranks behind only that of Cal’s Karlie Lema, who has scored 11 times in eight contests. In the points department, Engle ranks third with 21. While her ridiculous pace is unlikely to continue as better opponents collect more film on her, Engle’s full-season projections deserve a look at this point in the season.
With seven games down and 10 to go, Engle is on pace to score 24 goals in the regular season alone. That mark would position her fourth on
Notre Dame’s all-time singleseason scoring list. Throw in four postseason matches at her current pace, and Engle would break Kerri Hanks’ record. On the single-season points leaderboard, her threepoints-per-game pace would crack the program’s top 10 with just two added games in the postseason.
Breaking down Boston College
Given their preseason projection of 14th in the ACC, the Eagles are off a respectable start. While they haven’t faced any significant competition, they carry a record of 7-1 and a goal differential of +14. Boston College’s front-loaded conference schedule features — in addition to Notre Dame — SMU, Virginia Tech, NC State, Clemson and defending national champion Florida State
before mid-October. Unlike the Irish, the Eagles have struggled dramatically in conference play, winning no more than one ACC game in any season since 2019. Last year, they went winless within league play while going 3-9-6 overall. Through eight games this season, a former four-year Notre Dame forward has set the pace for Boston College on offense. Paige Peltier, who transferred away from the Irish as a graduate student this season, is tied atop the Eagle leaderboard in goals (four) and points (10). Alongside Peltier is Sydney Segalla, a junior who has stepped up after scoring only one goal in her first two seasons. Beyond those two, Aislin Streicek and Ella Richards — the only two Eagles with double-digit points last year — have pitched in with a combined 13 points this
year. In goal, German product Wiebke Willebrandt has held the starting role since her arrival as a freshman and has 62 starts under her belt.
Historically, the Irish have dominated the Eagles to the tune of a 16-1-1 all-time record. Boston College has not beaten Notre Dame since 2003, as the Irish have won five consecutive matchups. In fact, that 2003 Big East semifinal match marked the only game in which Boston College scored multiple goals against the Irish. Last October, Notre Dame dispatched the Eagles in South Bend with a 3-1 defeat.
Notre Dame’s match at Boston College is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday at Newton Campus Lacrosse & Soccer Field.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Belles welcome new head basketball coach
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
The Saint Mary’s College sports department has undergone significant changes, including the arrival of several new coaches. Rob Hoffman has joined as the new head coach of the Belles basketball team. Hoffman coached at Trine University for nine years before joining Saint Mary’s.
The Observer sat down with Hoffman to learn more about his experience within the game of basketball.
Q: Do you have any past experience with basketball?
Q: You mentioned being a swimmer, what pushed you to come back and start coaching basketball?
A: “My sophomore year of college, I became a student assistant for basketball and rode it out ever since.”
Q: Have you coached college basketball before and
A: “I grew up playing it, it started back in 3rd or 4th grade. You know I think my first goal was to be in the NBA and that obviously did not happen. You know I grew up playing every year until my senior year of high school and I actually stopped playing and I became a swimmer.”
if so did you mainly coach JV or Varsity? Or both?
A: “Yes, [I] definitely have. Yeah, I have done a bit of JV at the college level but majority at the varsity level in college mostly. I think I did one year of JV.”
Q: How are you liking Saint Mary’s so far? Do you feel like it is a good fit?
A: “There [are] some things, it’s so new, trying to catch up is hard. I do like it a lot, it is just hard. Like how do you do this, or where is
that, [it’s] kind of like being a freshman ... like being thrown into the fire.”
Q: Are there any challenges that you or the team are facing with having a new coach, while getting ready for the season?
A: “No, I don’t think so at all, for one it is super exciting, they are so eager to learn and are ready. As exciting as it is for them, it is all new. The only challenge is that it’s all new and [it will be] harder now then it will
be in two years once everyone gets the reps. But at the end of the day basketball is basketball and it is exciting.”
Under the leadership of new head coach Rob Hoffman, the Belles basketball team will continue to prepare for their season with their first game of the 202425 season and home opener scheduled for November 8 against North Central at 6 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
SOFIA CRMIVAROLI | The Observer
Junior midfielder Laney Matriano dribbles with the ball during Notre Dame’s match against Butler at Alumni Stadum on Aug. 24, 2023. Matriano has started all seven games for the Irish midfield in 2024.
Happy
or
or
and consistency are your ticket to success. Take your time, keep your life simple, and your overhead within your means. Your numbers are 8, 14, 22, 27, 30, 36, 48.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Create opportunities, discuss your plans, and don’t wait for others to make the first move. Be direct, diligent, and disciplined; you will discover something you want to pursue passionately. Don’t lose sight of the rules, regulations, and red tape issues necessary to move forward. Self-improvement is favored.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Mingle, share thoughts and intentions, and listen to suggestions. Uncertainty means you require more insight, research, and proof that you are heading down the right path. Use your charm, not your money, to get the information you need to make the best choice. Personal growth is the objective.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Uncertainty, questioning, and reevaluating your life, position, and subsequent move motivate you to shoot for the stars and follow your dreams. Before you cast your fate to the wind, consider the consequences and the emotional fallout. Be wise and make choices based on facts, not feelings.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Structure your energy wisely. Refrain from fussing over something you cannot change. Focus on talking to experts and those you can count on for honesty and integrity. Address your pastimes and what you can do to live healthier. Rely on facts, not emotions.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Notice what’s happening around you. Get involved in events that grab your interest and encourage you to think before you spend. Generosity can make you feel good about yourself, but it can also lead to stress if you don’t take care of yourself first.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Prioritize detail and research. An offer may sound good, but it needs more substance to lead to success. Question everything and everyone before you agree to something that has costly overtures. Be realistic and forthright, ask questions, and make adjustments that benefit you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Research is necessary to avoid mistakes. Don’t act in haste regarding professional decisions, words, or actions that can hurt your reputation. Take your time, consider your options, and only make a move if it’s lucrative or beneficial to your health, lifestyle, and happiness.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t be tempted by someone pressuring you to get involved in a joint venture or to spend on something they want more than you. Focus on your long-term plans, stability, and making sure you can fend for yourself regardless of what others do. Avoid emotional spending.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll be playing with fire if you let someone infiltrate and disrupt your plans. Stick to what you know and do best, and forgo pleasing someone looking out for their interests. Opportunity begins with doing what’s best for you. Put your time into personal benefits.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Size up what’s entailed in your plans emotionally, physically, and financially before you begin the change process. Question who and how others play a role in your success and the incentives you can offer to ensure smooth sailing. Use your strength and courage to reach your goal.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Pay attention to health, fitness, and socializing with people who can enrich your life. Don’t let uncertainty set in or cause a lack of selfconfidence. When in doubt, gather facts, assess situations, and make choices that improve your life. It’s up to you to create personal contentment.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Excess and indulgence will set you back. Rethink your day, keep your schedule manageable, and leave enough time to do things right the first time. Use your energy wisely and your mind acutely. It’s up to you to set the pace, boundaries, and cost of whatever you pursue.
Birthday Baby: You are changeable, curious, and sensitive. You are persistent and imaginative.
Recapping Marcus Freeman’s weekly presser
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
On Monday afternoon, Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman opened up Purdue week with his weekly press conference. Here’s what he had to say after a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois and a 1-1 start for the Irish.
On Saturday’s loss to Northern Illinois
“When you evaluate the film, here’s some of the key factors that led to the outcome. Turnover margin — we lost two to zero. Explosive gains — they had six for 186 yards. We had five for 94. Time of possession — they had 35-plus minutes. We had 24. Rushing yards — they had 190 and we had 123. And then they won the third-down battle. So no matter who your opponent is, if you lose all those key areas, you’re not gonna win the game.
The question in the past 48 hours, the challenge for everybody in our program is to figure out why those things happened … We’ve got to improve. We have to ensure we’re putting our guys in the right positions to do what they do best but also to be able to execute in the game exactly what we want. But to me, the biggest thing I’ve been reflecting on in the past 48 hours is … we have to learn how to handle success … This is the first time in my three years as the head coach that we have won the big game early in the season, right? Two losses to Ohio State, and then all of a sudden we win, and everybody says, ‘Hey, you’re going to the playoffs. You’ve got an easy schedule.’ We all hear it, and I think we started to believe that.
There is a physical approach to preparing for a game, and I think physically we prepared the right way, but there’s also a mental approach and a mindset that you have to have every single week, and I think that’s where we failed. And so we’ve got to challenge ourselves to make sure no matter who our opponent is, that physically and mentally our approach to the game is the same way … No matter what people say, no matter what you hear, as much as you can you’ve got to try to tune out the noise, right? It’s easy to listen to the good things. Nobody wants to hear the bad things people say, but neither of them should matter. Your approach should be your approach. Your routine should be your routine.
That’s the challenge we have as a football program is how do we handle success and make sure each week we’re approaching the opponent the right way. The reality is that we have the talent. We have the coaching staff to be a great football team — much better than we displayed on Saturday. But we have a lot of work to do to ensure that we perform that way [in] each opportunity we get.”
On the availabilities of sophomore wide receiver
Jordan Faison, graduate offensive lineman Tosh Baker and junior defensive lineman Joshua Burnham
“Faison will be back. [I’m] expecting him to practice on Tuesday and expect him to be back for the [Purdue] game. Tosh Baker will be out this week, but hopefully we can get him back here as soon as we can. And then Burnham is questionable. He went out [on] I think the very last play with an ankle sprain, but he’s made a lot of progress in the past 48 hours, so he’s questionable right now in terms of if he’ll be available to play.”
On Purdue
“It’s a team, as you watch film that really from last year to this year, has continuously improved under [head] coach [Ryan] Walters. They’ve won three of their last four games. On offense, I have a lot of respect for [quarterback] Hudson Card. I think he’s a really good player. [He] runs their offense well. [Offensive coordinator] Graham Harrell’s a guy I know that was the coordinator at USC when I was a defensive coordinator here and have a lot of respect for how he runs an offense. They do a really good job at running the football. They led the Big Ten in rushing last year in conference games, and I think they’ve rushed for 250-plus [yards] in the past three of the last four games. And so we’ve got to make sure we’re prepared to stop the run … It’s a unique defense that you don’t see every week in terms of their scheme. They’re gonna stack the box, and they’re going to make you have to try to throw it on them. They take pride in stopping the run [and] play a lot of man coverage. And so to have success, we’re gonna have to be able to beat man coverage … We’ve got a great challenge for us. Our guys will be ready, and we’re gonna have a great week of preparation
mentally and physically and then get back at it on Saturday.”
On Notre Dame’s downfield passing struggles
“There’s opportunities to throw the ball down the field. We’ve gotta do it. We’ve gotta make the decision to throw it there. And we tried to create some opportunities to push the ball down the field, and for whatever reason, for that play, maybe we didn’t do it. A couple of plays we did push down the field, and we’ve got to make the play … Maybe one time we dropped it and one time we got it picked off and a couple of times we scrambled. And so there’s a lot of different things that go into the passing game that we have to improve on. But what we’ve got to do is make sure that we’re doing things that we feel like our guys can execute on gameday. There’s one thing [to] execute in practice and to feel like, ‘Hey, we have the answers. If we see this look, this is where we want to go with the ball.’ But it’s another thing to actually do it on gameday. And so as coaches and players, we have to be aligned on, ‘Hey, this is exactly what we want you to do.’ And then we’ve got to go out and do it on Saturday.
On Notre Dame’s inability to defend NIU’s rushing attack
“We gave up way too many rushing yards. We know that, and I don’t think it was because of our play at the tackle. I think it’s more so [Northern Illinois] did a good job of forcing us to be lateral, and that’s not who we are. We are [an] aggressive, attacking defense that plays on the other side [of the] line of scrimmage. But when all of a sudden you get all these motions and color in front of your face and you get outside running plays … it made our guys almost play ‘fitball’ instead of football. And that’s a challenge that we’ve had for our defense this week. We have to be aggressive no matter what type of offense we’re seeing. We still have to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage, and that’s going to be a point of emphasis this week.”
On Notre Dame’s loss of the run game late against NIU
“When you have back-toback three-and-out, and then you — I think the one interception drive, we had four plays – that’s going to affect the amount of carries
that we can give our running backs. And so we’ve got to be more efficient on first down — and more efficient on first and second down, really — so we can create more plays, right? That’s part of that time of possession. [Northern Illinois] did a good job of — even though we held them to field goals — moving the chains, and we’ve got to do a better job of that because three-and-outs or four plays and the interception, it limits your opportunities for anybody to drop back or to run the ball for any offensive play.”
On considerations of using junior quarterback Steve Angeli
“There was no consideration of that [in the fourth quarter against NIU]. We had a lot of belief in [senior quarterback] Riley [Leonard] and him running our offense. And we’ve got a lot of belief in Steve, too, right? That’s not a shot at Steve. We got a lot of faith in Steve, too … Again, the quarterback is just like the head coach, right? He is going to — and rightfully so — get the blame and he’s going to get the praise. There are times that he has to throw the ball better. He knows that, and his fundamentals have to be better. His decision-making has to be better.
But we also have to be better around him. And that’s [on the] coaches, right? What we’re asking to do and what we’re asking to read and that’s players-wise to like — we’ve got to catch the ball when he throws it. We’ve got to be better in contested — they made some contested catches, right, and we didn’t when we needed to make as many contested catches as we’re supposed to.
And so the finger’s at everybody. We’re pointing [the] finger at everybody. It starts with the coaches. It’s always us. And we’ve got to make sure we have a plan that our players can execute — like, you can love your plan, but you better love what your players can execute. And, I’ve got a lot of faith and belief that we’ll
make sure we do that.”
On Notre Dame having a hard time sustaining success during his tenure “That’s the game of football, man. If I had the perfect answer, I guess we would win every game we played, but that’s the challenge. That’s the ultimate challenge. And I think every year presents a different challenge. I think I said this after the game — we’ve been here before. But it was different obviously in the loss to Marshall, right? We hadn’t won a game. I hadn’t won a game. And so that’s a lot different than where we’re at now. And that’s why it took me a little bit of time to look back and say, ‘Okay, what do we have? What do we have to learn from this game?’
Yeah, [there are] schematic things we’ve got to fix. But here’s what’s different about this one is that we’ve got to handle success the right way, and that’s [on] every individual including me, all the way down to our players. How do we handle success in terms of our mental approach to the game? And so I’m focused on making sure we’re ready to go this week, and that’s more important than worrying about a season-long of sustained success. Let’s get better this week and take care of business this week.”
On what he wants to see from the team’s identity this week
“Nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us. I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for us. Let’s go. I’m a competitor. I’m surrounded by competitors. Let’s get back to work and let’s challenge each other . .. Nobody needs sympathy, man. Let’s just get back to work and do the things it takes to have success on Saturday, right? Do whatever it is within our routine better than we’ve done it to make sure we can have success on Saturday. And I’m confident that we’ll have an entire program with that mindset.”
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Stock up, stock down: Purdue week
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
A week ago, Notre Dame football’s stock experienced a widespread rise from a major win at Texas A&M. This week, it’s just the opposite. After losing as 28-point favorites to Northern Illinois at home, the Irish have taken a nosedive across the board. Writing something like “stock down: the entire program” would probably suffice for this week, but certain areas of the team fell from much higher places than others. We’ll focus on them along with a few upward-trending individuals in our second edition of Stock Up, Stock Down.
Stock up: The number four
Perhaps if Notre Dame’s entire team had worn number four jerseys on Saturday, the game might have gone better. The two men that did balled out and brought the energy among a largely lifeless Irish squad. On offense, sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love made the best of the meager 11 carries he received, piling up 79 rushing yards.
Early in the second half, when the Irish desperately needed a spark having not scored in nearly half an hour of game time, Love broke off another special touchdown run. Using a full-on hurdle and acceleration to boot, he scored from 34 yards out on the ground to become Notre Dame’s first player to two touchdowns this season.
Across the line of scrimmage, Notre Dame’s young linebackers — who did plenty of good at Texas A&M — largely struggled against NIU. Blown coverages, missed tackles late and poor eye discipline throughout made for a rough day from the core of the Irish defense. However, don’t let those collective knocks take away from the performance of sophomore Jaiden Ausberry. Just look at what he did with Notre Dame up 14-13 to start the fourth quarter. On a Northern Illinois series inside the Irish 40, Ausberry made a first-down tackle, a third-down stop and a fourth-and-two pass breakup that kept the lead intact. Overall, the young linebacker finished the afternoon with five tackles.
Stock down: The downfield passing game
Coming out of College Station, it wouldn’t have made much sense at the time to scream about Notre Dame’s pedestrian passing numbers. Offensive
coordinator Mike Denbrock and senior quarterback
Riley Leonard had no choice but to work around a vulnerable offensive line and hostile environment through short passing, and they did so very well. The Irish even hit a pair of chain-moving passing plays on their gamewinning drive.
But another week has passed, and Notre Dame’s offense — specifically its passing — is under attack for good reason.
The Irish could not complete a pass of 20 yards or more against a mid-major defense on Saturday. They still have zero passing touchdowns on the season and rank last among Power Four teams in passing efficiency.
Leonard threw two deep balls against NIU — one went through the hands of sophomore wideout Jaden Greathouse, while the other turned into a horrifically underthrown interception that supplied the Huskies with a nail to drive into the Irish coffin. Notre Dame’s unwillingness to run the ball exacerbated the problem, as the Irish attempted only 28 runs despite gaining well over four yards per carry.
Stock down: Timely offense
Do you remember last November’s Notre Dame loss to Clemson? In that game, the Irish fell behind by a 31-23 score about midway through the second half. Down a score, Notre Dame’s defense stopped the Tigers repeatedly, handing the Irish offense what felt like a gazillion opportunities to score and tie the game. But the offense seemingly forgot how to gain 10 yards and convert a first down, resulting in an aggravating Clemson win.
On Saturday, something similar played out, but in even more aggravating fashion. Given three opportunities to close out a game at home in the second half, Notre Dame’s offense froze up. Just look at the overall numbers. When starting a drive tied or trailing, a category in which the entire first half plus Notre Dame’s opening and closing drives of the second half fit, the Irish averaged 30.9 yards per drive. They didn’t usually score, but at least they somewhat moved the ball. On the other hand, when Notre Dame began a drive in the lead, as it did for most of the second half, it averaged just 11 yards per possession. As a result, Notre Dame’s second-half possession time
amounted to less than eight minutes, giving NIU ample time to steal a win.
Stock down: Defensive consistency
Entering the season, everybody knew Notre Dame would have a chance to win every game because of its defense. Well, on Saturday, that same Irish defense kept Northern Illinois in the game throughout the first half. Right after Notre Dame marched down the field for an opening-drive touchdown, the Irish handed those seven points right back on a mix-up in coverage that left running back Antario Brown free for an 83-yard receiving touchdown.
Remember how Notre Dame struggled to unleash big plays? Northern Illinois would notch two additional plays of 25 or longer in the first quarter alone to build up a 13-7 lead.
Zooming out to the big picture, Notre Dame’s defense didn’t do two things it always seems to take care of: create turnovers and outlast its adversary. While the Irish offense gave the ball away twice on interceptions, their defense failed to produce a
takeaway. It also never managed a sack against quarterback Ethan Hampton.
That trend, along with the Huskies’ ability to ram the run game down Notre Dame’s throat, helped NIU remain ahead of the change. Northern Illinois ran the football 45 times for 190 yards and completely controlled the clock. Even with Brown on the backfield, that should never happen from a mid-major against an Al Golden defense.
Stock down: Notre Dame’s preparation
From the sounds of head coach Marcus Freeman’s press conferences since the NIU game went final, Notre Dame was clearly illprepared to handle the success of the Texas A&M win.
According to Freeman, the team heard the chatter of 1-0 Notre Dame’s playoff chances growing significantly easier and paid too much mind to it.
A head coach whose program is on the national stage every single week should never allow that, let alone a third-year head coach. Freeman also spoke of Notre Dame having recently lost to
inferior programs at home as a reason for hope that the Irish will respond. You would think that “having been there before” would have angered the Irish to the point of never going back again, yet here we are.
On a more “x’s and o’s” level, one NIU player stood out as a focal point entering Saturday’s game: Antario Brown, a 2023 All-MAC First Team selection. You can sleep a whole lot easier if you allow his teammates to burn you than if you allow Brown himself to burn you. The Irish had to rein him in. They didn’t. Brown ripped off chunk play after chunk play in the first half, going for 223 scrimmage yards. That total likely would’ve risen much higher if not for a second-half injury. Freeman and the Irish spent much of the past week discussing the proper preparation they would have, were having and had going into the NIU game. That level of preparation clearly wasn’t enough, and now — like many other facets — it must improve ahead of Purdue.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love runs with the football during Notre Dame’s 23-13 defeat of Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Aug. 31, 2024. Love has 170 rushing yards after two games.
The tradition of home disadvantage continues
By EMMA DUFFY Social Media Editor
On the first home game day every year, all of the students and fans put “The Shirt” onto their back to show their pride in the team. This year, the shirt reads “the tradition continues.” What is the tradition? So many answers come to mind: touchdown push ups, the Notre Dame Fight Song, the Alma Mater sung at the end. But, is “the tradition” really just losing to bad teams at home?
Winning against Texas A&M had inflated the team’s egos. They walked into the NIU game thinking that the game was won for them before they even laced up their shoes. Because of this, we have suffered a loss that makes us the laughing stock of all college football.
The sad part — this is nothing new for the University.
Notre Dame has dealt with a whole slew of shame in the time since our last national championship in 1988. Many people thought that this year
would be our rise back into a place of glory, but it is ending all the same.
Since Marcus Freeman has started as head coach in 2022, Notre Dame has suffered nine losses. Not all of the losses can be accredited to unknown and unranked teams. Two of those losses were at the hands of Ohio State. The loss to Ohio State last year went up until the last second, with the people in the stands biting their nails until their fingers bled. Yes, the loss was a result of a mistake by Freeman, but the quality of the team made it difficult to hold it against him.
The same can not be said for our losses against teams like Marshall, Stanford and NIU. To make matters worse, all of these games were lost at home. Two of which were the home openers. For a place that is enshrined in tradition and mystique, it seems pretty easy for teams to come in and beat us.
The team held the Aggies to a total of 246 yards, but
let the Huskies get 388 yards on our own turf. Our offense was able to get 356 yards against Texas A&M, but fell to a mere 286 yards against this unranked team. It was not that NIU had the game of their life, it was that (once again) we played down to another team’s level instead of performing our best.
Getting booed off of your own field, by your own fans at halftime should be evidence enough that it is your own fault.
To be fair, Notre Dame is a school of tradition. So naturally, this is not exclusive to Freeman. The tradition goes back to losses such as Brian Kelly’s humiliation against Tulsa in 2010. Kelly then went on to lose the 2011 home opener to South Florida. Even when Kelly gained more experience at Notre Dame, it was the same story. In 2016, Notre Dame fans packed the stadium to watch him lead us to a loss against Duke.
Before Kelly and Freeman there was Charlie Weiss in 2009. He followed tradition
and ended his career at home with an embarrassing loss to UConn.
Or even further back to Lou Holtz’s final season, when he suffered a loss to Air Force at home in 1996. These are not even the only embarrassing losses that can be listed.
Many people believe that this loss, and many others, belong to head coach Marcus Freeman. Even though I don’t believe that he holds this burden on his own, I would be remiss to disagree. If you are better known for your appearance rather than for your success as a coach, you should step foot in a modeling studio and get out of the football stadium.
The problem may not be Freeman, but a pervasive problem in Notre Dame football.
Notre Dame Football is able to win at Texas A&M, the most hostile environment in college football, but can not seal the deal against a mid-major team at home. A loss like this should be unacceptable, and it should be an
astounding upset. But nobody, including Notre Dame fans, are actually surprised by this outcome because we are used to losing at home.
People like Stephen A. Smith claim that Notre Dame should now be considered irrelevant in college football because they never compete when they are expected to. It has become a sort of toxic relationship that I can not leave and I can not help but defend. Trying to find some sort of way to say that even though we have embarrassing losses, we are still the best. But, it is hard to find an argument when we lost to a team that has never beaten a top 10 team in it’s programs history. Notre Dame football, I love you and I have defended you against these accusations, but I am done (that is, at least until our next win).
Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
FOOTBALL COLUMN
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Graduate wide receiver Jayden Harrison prepares to return the opening kickoff during Notre Dame’s 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 7, 2024. The Irish are now 1-1 for the season and have lost four home games during Marcus Freeman’s three-year head coaching tenure after falling short on Saturday against the Huskies.
