ELECTION 2024
University deems Grammarly generative AI
The honor code has been updated to classify AI-powered editing tools as generative
By HENRY JAGODZINSKI Staff Writer
In August, the Office of Academic Standards issued a policy update to the Undergraduate Academic Code of Honor that classified AI-powered editing tools, including Grammarly, as generative artificial intelligence.
According to the update, “This means that if your instructor prohibits the use of gen AI on an assignment or in a class, this prohibition includes the use of editing tools, unless explicitly stated otherwise.”
The clarification was first communicated to faculty on Aug. 22. However, according to the director of the Office of Academic Standards, Ardea Russo, no mass communication has been sent to students informing them of the policy.
“It needs to be communicated to students in a more official way,” she added.
Following an interview, Russo sent an email to The Observer stating an email would be sent to students in coordination with the Division of Student Affairs.
The policy, according to Russo, was formulated after
a spate of alleged honor code violations last finals season. Ten cases related to the use of Grammarly were handled in May 2024 alone, though they were all resolved as “educational outcomes,” meaning no disciplinary action was taken. However, students were cautioned to exercise care in future work and check with instructors before using such tools.
Russo said professors raised concerns when reviewing student writing that did not match the style of their earlier work. Editing tool use is often suspected when writing
seems “bland,” “formulaic,” “robotic” or “devoid of personality,” Russo said.
“The student would insist that it was their work and that they didn’t use AI, but then it would come up later in the conversation that they had run their paper through Grammarly or through a similar tool, and that’s what was catching the professor’s attention,” Russo said.
Russo strongly encourages students to ask instructors questions about specific usecases for AI-powered editing tools and also recommends professors be specific on
what features are and are not acceptable for their courses.
Part of the complexity around formulating a policy for Grammarly and other AI-powered editing tools is the wide range of features the tools offer. Grammarly, in addition to offering advanced spelling and grammar checking features, now also includes “full-paragraph writing,” “brainstorming” and “sentence rewriter” tools, according to their website. University Writing Program professors Damian Zurro and
Dillon, South win dorm Olympics SMC Library announces new academic repository
By MADYSON CASIANO News Writer
“Everyone at Notre Dame has some sort of competitive spirit,” sophomore Ryan Pilat said. Participation at Dorm Day Olympics on Saturday proved just that.
On Nov. 2, once-peers-turnedrivals competed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the coveted titles of “Best Quad” and “Best Dorm.”
The day began with the opening ceremony outside South Dining Hall. The ecstatic smiles
of student government members greeted competitors from North, South, East, West and Mod Quads prior to the itinerary of competitions to follow, including swimming, tug-of-war, dodgeball, checkers and more.
The 4x100 freestyle relay began at 9:45 a.m. Welsh Family, Howard, Lyons, Dillon, BreenPhillips and Stanford participated in the relay. Welsh, Lyons and Dillon each received three points toward their overall scores for
see OLYMPICS PAGE 6
By AYNSLEE DELLACCA Saint Mary’s News Editor
The Saint Mary’s CushwaLeighton Library hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday afternoon for the grand opening of its brandnew academic repository: an institutional archive meant to collect and preserve digital copies of the college’s scholarly outputs.
“The academic repository is
a way for us to gather things that we create as a campus community, whether it’s a professor’s article or student presentations, or even some kind of locally important documents such as syllabi,” Joseph Thomas, the director of the Cushwa-Leighton Library, said.
While introducing the new software, Thomas explained periodicals librarian Sue Wiegand was “the driving
force” since 2019 in working with the open-source repository system Hyku and the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana [PALNI] to establish such a program at Saint Mary’s.
Though still in its introductory phase, Wiegand used a collection of projects from the Doctor of Nursing Practice program to demonstrate
REPOSITORY PAGE 5
St. Joe County Public Library fosters community
By EMILY BARLETT News Writer
The St. Joe County Public Library is located on downtown South Bend’s Main Street, just a short trip away from Notre Dame’s campus.
The library was renamed and reopened in 2021 after major renovations. The St. Joe County Public Library features the Main Library, Community Learning Center, digital media studio
and local and family history department along with nine branch locations situated throughout the county.
The library strives to connect people in the community through resources such as meeting spaces, study rooms and public internet computers. In 2023, there were 708,289 visits to the St. Joe libraries and over 2,000,000 materials checked out.
LIBRARY PAGE 5 see GRAMMARLY PAGE 6
“The library has a strong community partnership with Notre Dame, which
Additionally, the St. Joe County Public Library collaborates with Notre Dame for a variety of different programs. Without having to step foot off campus, students and faculty can access resources from the St. Joe County Public Library, which is the closest public library to the University.
MADYSON CASIANO | The Observer
Students from Howard Hall perform a dance on South Quad. Despite considerable enthusiasm, Howard finished in fifth place on the day.
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Luke Godlewskey sophomore Duncan Hall
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“1:30-2:00.”
Grace Brofy junior Breen-Phillips Hall
“Late
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Kate Apelian junior Lyons Hall
“I wouldn’t stay up.”
Luke Brownell sophomore Keough Hall
“At my normal time.”
Team captain Riley Leonard hands the ball off to running back Jeremiyah Love in the defeat of the previously
Navy Midshipmen at MetLife stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. After a 51-13 win, the Irish climbed to No. 8 in the AP College
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10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Red Cross will collect blood donations.
Barbell Basics Workshop
Rockne Studio 109
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Learn how to start out in the weight room.
Tuesday
Election Night Watch
Jordan Hall - Atrium
6 p.m. - 11:45 p.m.
The College Democrats host a election watch party.
“Tommy Guns” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Film about Portuguese independence. Wednesday
Breakfast with Andrew Koppelman
Rohr’s, Morris Inn
9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Eat with a visiting professor.
Stonehill v Notre
Acousticafe
Hagerty Cafe, Duncan Student Center
8 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Music performed by students.
OCND Bonfire
Holy Cross Hill
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Bonfire with smores, snacks, and friends on Holy Cross Hill.
Friday
Ron DeSantis
Lecture
DeBartolo Hall 101
4 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Governor Ronald D. DeSantis lectures.
Baumer Hall, SUB host annual haunted house
AREZO KARIMI News Writer
On Thursday, Baumer Hall, in partnership with the Student Union Board (SUB), hosted the third annual Baumer Boo, raising over $1,000 for the South Bend Center for the Homeless.
“This tradition started our freshman year with our previous president and vice president, and we’ve tried to improve by one percent every year. This year, we went from the basement to the fourth floor, and it’s really cool to see more people getting involved,” Baumer president Phil Pollice said.
Baumer Hall was founded
in 2019, and the first Baumer Boo took place in 2022.
“The setup for Baumer Boo has always been stressful, but it always pays off,”
Baumer vice president
Shane Wall said. “I’m also a member of the senior board as a content creator, and we collaborated with SUB for this event. We provided volunteers for their event, and they helped us with publicity.”
From the basement of Baumer Hall to the fourth floor, including the elevator in between, the hall was decorated with different spooky themes and filled with actors hoping to scare guests.
“It’s always great to see Baumer residents get involved in these community events, whether it’s helping with setup or acting to scare people,” Wall said.
Similarly, Baumer junior George Henken spoke on the importance of the event.
“Turning Baumer into a haunted house... I didn’t really know what that meant when I first started here. But now, in my third year, I understand its value in building community,” Henken said. “The president and vice president have taken a big leap this year, but the contributions from our commissioners were also invaluable.”
The event welcomed more than 250 students, collecting donations for the South Bend Center for the Homeless.
“One of my favorite parts is that the proceeds go to charity, so we know this event isn’t just about making money for the dorm. It’s actually going to a good cause,” Henken said.
Baumer residents used different tricks to scare anyone daring to attend, like hiding in hard-to-see spots and acting creepy around guests.
“I’m here to get scared and hang out with my friends,” sophomore Justine Lam said.
While last year the event was held on Friday, Oct. 27, this year’s event was actually held on Halloween.
“It was impressive, the work they put into it, although a bit scary,” sophomore Anna Grace Hull said. She said she enjoyed how the scares caught her off guard and appreciated the dedication everyone showed in making visiting the haunted house a memorable experience.
“Living in a dorm sometimes feels like you just live and sleep there, but events like this change the atmosphere and make it feel more open to the campus community,” Henken said.
Contact Arezo Karimi at akarimi2@nd.edu
includes the University’s participation in library programs such as Science Alive,” assistant manager of Collection Development Amy Vicsik said.
The St. Joe County Public Library offers card registration at the Hesburgh Library, as well as provides access to their databases. Members of the tri-campus community can pick up St. Joe County Public Library cards at the circulation desk in the Hesburgh Library.
The St. Joe County Public Library also presents the Hesburgh Library as a material pickup location. Students and faculty can pick up books, CDs and other products there.
“We also offer a browsing collection of primarily adult and children’s fiction titles at Hesburgh Library,” Vicsik said.
Students within the tricampus community also help with the Tax Assistance Program.
“Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s economics and accounting students assist patrons with tax assistance each year at the Main Library,” customer service manager Kris Springer said.
Additionally, many opportunities between Notre Dame and the St. Joe County Public Library involve educational programming.
“Examples include Our Universe Revealed, in partnership with the College of Science and IUSB, and youth programs in partnership with the Notre Dame Rocketry Club,” education and programming manager Melody Lutz said.
These programs offer members of the South Bend community intentional learning opportunities.
The St. Joe County Public
Library has also significantly benefited the greater South Bend Community. In 2023, a community freezer was implemented in the library and has provided over 3,000 free meals. In collaboration with the City of South Bend’s Energy Assistance Solar Savings Initiative, the library was able to add over 100 solar panels.
With the core values of collaboration and respect, the library strives to recognize the contribution of all members of the community. Furthermore, the library’s staff aim to foster a positive environment welcoming to all community members.
“We’re here to serve our community and connect them with resources, services, other community organizations and with each other,” Springer said.
Contact Emily Barlett at ebarlett@nd.edu
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Repository
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
how the repository works. Wiegand explained any student or faculty member would be able to search and access various projects and published pieces sorted by type, department or collection.
Only a few collections are currently available on the website. However, Thomas hopes for the software to be fully operable and useful to students within the next six months to a year.
“The idea is that every department will provide their scholarship, whether student or faculty, [and] make their own collection,” Thomas said.
Other collections the repository currently has available to students include a collection of Dante and an emerging digitized collection of recently-donated Dickens novels. Wiegand mentioned
the software can also host video and audio in their archives.
Wiegand focused on relaying the archives are for academic purposes.
“We have open educational resources I’ll be putting in there. I’m hoping to get the SMC symposium put in there, and I’m hoping for podcasts, things like that too. But I think the thing we were looking at is that it should be more scholarly or academic. It’s not like records of the College, recordings of a meeting or something like that,” Wiegand said.
In addition to research, the repository will also become the home to course syllabi for students to access when choosing classes or for applying to graduate programs. Rather than students requesting copies of syllabi from the registrar’s office, they would be able to access them on their own, cutting out the middle person and hopefully making the process easier for both the administration and students. The permission to access the syllabi can be changed by the library or the faculty member based on preference of access.
Wiegand believes this new project for the library will encourage undergraduate research, “turning students into student scholars” instead of consuming commercial research.
“We [are trying] to take what we are doing with our scholarship and send it out into the world [and] distribute it, rather than just consuming what the commercial people would give us in the way of databases and things like that. We are actually turning students into student scholars, as I like to put it. They’re going from consumers to creators of knowledge,” Wiegand said.
Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
Nathaniel Myers worry the policy update does not sufficiently capture this nuance.
“I’m concerned that this policy is starting to paint a bright line that puts Grammarly on the wrong side of that line,” Zurro said.
Myers and Zurro both raised concerns about newer, more generative features Grammarly introduced as Chat-GPT and similar tools became available, but they said Grammarly’s more traditional features can have valuable use-cases.
Specifically, Zurro said Grammarly can help create access for inexperienced writers to write in professional rhetorical contexts, such as formal research papers.
“I have a concern that students are going to be producing papers that faculty will now go back to spending a lot of time penalizing students for not conforming to certain grammar standards,” Zurro said. “Grammarly can mitigate that and allow the student to converse with their professor on a higher level of ideas and content of the paper.”
The University Writing Program, which comprises both the Writing Center and the Writing and Rhetoric courses, has provided input on Notre Dame’s approach to AI. Myers said the program has spoken to faculty and created resources for them, yet he wishes the program could do more.
“It would help the University for us to have more outreach,” Myers said. He specifically suggested the addition of a “writing across the curriculum” [WAC] faculty member whose sole focus would be to work with other programs and departments about writing assessment, assignment design and integration of AI.
“We do not currently have [a WAC faculty member] … but I do genuinely think that is something we wish we could do more of,” Myers said.
Zurro also said there is more to be done.
“It feels like everything has changed, and nothing has changed,” Zurro said.
“Everything has changed in that now, since Chat-GPT emerged, every single class has an AI policy that you can find in the syllabus,” Zurro said. “But nothing has changed in the sense that professors are largely, and there are some notable exceptions, but largely lumping [all AI tools] together … and essentially not doing a lot to change their assignments.”
Zurro said he hopes to see a move beyond blanket-bans
on AI use.
“It ends up just becoming this kind of prohibition that’s not nuanced, that doesn’t show any curiosity,” Zurro said.
However, Myers and Zurro did point to areas where they believed the policy accomplished important goals.
“I think the general intention of [the policy] is simply to protect students,” Myers said.
Zurro pointed out the policy’s mention of the importance of proper attribution when using AI as a promising sign.
“My hope is that we get to a place where transparency and open citation of all resources just become the guiding principle,” Zurro said.
Yet, some professors say even more traditional Grammarly features, available years before the new boom in AI technology, go too far.
Patrick Griffin is the Madden-Hannebery Family professor of history and teaches a university seminar called “The Irish in New York.” He worries using Grammarly allows students to “go on autopilot when it comes to writing.”
“It’s very important, I think, that students struggle a little bit,” Griffin said. “If you take the struggle away, the student ultimately learns nothing.”
Griffin also said he does not want to constantly police students.
“Trust has to be at the heart of any kind of intellectual community,” Griffin said.
Gerard Powers, a professor of the practice at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, who teaches a university seminar called “Catholics, Conflict and Peace,” also takes a hard line against use of generative AI in his classes, including the use of AI-powered editing tools.
“If Grammarly is editing it for you, then that’s a misuse of AI. It’s plagiarism, period,” Powers said.
Powers also emphasized the importance of not relying on technology for writing skills.
“If you don’t learn the difference between good and poor grammar … then you’re not going to be a good writer. You just can’t. You’ve got to learn it yourself,” Powers said.
He also noted AI-powered editing tools can make errors students might notice.
“You can’t trust the algorithms to get it right,” Powers said. “I just think there’s no substitute for doing work from start to finish. That includes copy editing.”
Contact Henry Jagodzinski at hjagodzi@nd.edu
Olympics
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
winning their races.
Across campus, Midfield Commons in Duncan Family Student Center held a series of checkers games thick with participants’ intense deliberation. A recurring pattern of ties prompted prolonged game-time with the final ending in a draw. Needing a winner, Keough and BreenPhillips flipped a checkers chip, resulting in a Keough three-point win.
A high stakes “Name that Lyric” game took place next door to the checkers matches. Laughter could be heard from across the room as Welsh Family guessed their way into another three points.
Meanwhile, teams competed in a Midwestern classic game, cornhole, on South Quad. Keough earned another three-point victory to add to their checkers mastery.
By noon, Stanford and Lewis had gained three points each in the Rockne Memorial “3v3” basketball games while Welsh Family pickleball-ers delivered 6 points to their hall for both singles and doubles matches.
To close out the morning festivities, Dillon Hall hopped their way to lunch and to their second three-point victory in the sack race. Competitors and passersby enjoyed free Cute as a Cupcake cupcakes provided by student government for a nutritious “Olympic” style lunch break.
Much-anticipated dodgeball games followed the break.
Howard Hall, embracing the competitive spirit, began the tournament with an eager mindset but a reminder to “stay humble,” which was voiced during their huddle chant.
“I think we [Howard] are killing it,” junior Howard president Olivia Murrin said.
Howard went on to defeat their rivals and take three points in women’s dodgeball. A fire of dodgeballs soared through the air as Dillon kept up their pace in men’s dodgeball and received a likewise point addition upon victory.
Both Howard and Dillon returned with three points each for their show of speed and agility in the three-legged race. Knott made their first three-point appearance next door on South Quad in Spikeball.
Competition returned to
Partisan
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
campaign, and I think that they would close that gap a bit more if they had a bit more time.”
Both College Democrats and College Republicans will be hosting watch parties on election night. College Democrats will host a formal dinner in the atrium of the Jordan Hall of Science at 6 p.m. College Republicans will host the first part of their watch party in Debartolo Hall from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., before moving to
Duncan Family Student Center as another intense battle of wits transpired in Hagerty Family Cafe: the spelling bee. Pasquerilla West took first place in the individual competition, receiving their first and only three-point value.
In the second to last competition of the day, Carroll made their first and only point earnings, receiving three points for a firstplace win in the 40-yard dash.
Finally, by 3:30 p.m., the events concluded with a battle of strength. Men’s tug of war allowed Stanford to take three points home.
Three women’s teams competed in tug of war with Howard coming in first for three points, Lyons coming in second for two points and Welsh Family coming in third. Howard celebrated their win with line dancing to Boney M.’s “Rasputin.” They proceeded to dance for another twenty minutes in assumed victory while judges calculated the results.
Although applauded for their high energy throughout the day by sophomore student life codirector Mason McCart, Howard was disappointed by the final standings. Dillon claimed first with 18 points, Welsh Family came in second with 17 points and Stanford received third with 15 points. Howard came in fifth with 12 points behind Knott.
Following an exchange of words about the validity of the standings, McCart explained the nature of the scoring. The top teams had participated in the most events and received the highest scores for them. Howard scored in only five events while Dillon earned higher point values in seven.
In light of the difference in
Howard’s expectations, the hall took the loss in stride and returned home having only one victory on their shoulders: South Quad’s “Best Quad” title.
Because of the newness of the Dorm Day Olympics and low campus-wide knowledge, there were no-shows, uneven teams and underwhelming support from North Quad, yet members of student government and participants maintained uplifted, competitive spirits.
As the participants left, the student government crew assisting with the event reflected on their seven-hour Dorm Day.
Student body president and campus life chairperson Dawson Kiser alluded to his excitement that Dorm Day Olympics is a time for “all different dorms to come together and collaborate … and foster that North versus South rivalry.”
The crew later iterated the importance of the essence of “camaraderie” within the Dorm Day Olympics in addition to competitiveness.
“We thought it would be a great idea to have everyone in one shared space, [in] one great event to collaborate and have a great time together,” McCart said.
“That’s where you see a lot of the teamwork actually occur, you know, just coming together to beat common evil dorms,” Kiser added.
Keeping this uplifted tone, McCart relayed hopes for the start of an annual continuity of the Dorm Day Olympics.
“We’re hoping to make it an enduring tradition,” he said.
Contact Madyson Casiano at mcasiano01@saintmarys.edu
the second floor of Duncan Student Center from 10 p.m. until midnight.
Olivia Anderson expressed a sense of optimism at Harris’ chances on the eve of the election.
“We’re feeling pretty good. We are riding this wave of momentum that is happening all across the country for Democrats and the Democratic Party, not just the top of the ticket,” she said. “We were feeling that we will be not particularly surprised if/when Kamala Harris is our presidential elect sometime by the end of this week.”
Elliot Anderson, on the other hand, emphasized the club’s confidence that Trump will win the election.
“We’re confident that Trump is going to win, and I think especially he’ll carry Indiana and some of the swing states around it,” he said. “I think it’ll be a happy event for the silent majority on campus, and I think most people will be pleased that Trump is victorious.”
Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu
Courtesy of Sarah Burton
Two students face off in checkers at Duncan Student Center. Dorm Day included athletic competition as well as games of strategy.
Election 2024
Closing Pitch
College Republicans: Trump’s final battle?
College Democrats: Go Irish, vote blue!
In the last stretch of the 2024 Election, President Trump’s sentimentality has emerged from his usually tough exterior. At a Michigan rally on Oct. 26, he said: “We’ve been doing this together for nine years, and in eleven days, we won’t be doing this any longer … It’s a little bit sad … This spirit, I don’t know if it’s ever going to be replicated, but I just want to tell you I love you all. I love you all.” The crowd instantly erupted with cheer, and the rally came to a close.
As the final campaign in the life of Donald Trump concludes, Americans are at a crossroads. We stand at a remarkable point in history. Should the president win re-election on Tuesday and serve out his second term, he will have been at the center of politics for almost fourteen years. The man has endured more than almost anyone thought possible.
In 2015, the Republican establishment sought his destruction, but Trump won. In 2016, the odds were completely stacked against him, yet he won again. After a tumultuous first term thwarted by the deep state, he was overthrown in a fraudulent election. On Jan. 6, countless “allies” betrayed him, and Big Tech quickly orchestrated his removal from social media. We were told “the adults are back in charge,” and this was all supposed to be merely an embarrassing phase in American history. Trumpism was supposed to end, but it raged on.
Those who planned Trump’s downfall had actually ensured his return. The FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago, the four phony indictments, the show trial in New York, the assassination
attempts — Trump has survived it all. His legacy and freedom itself hangs on the outcome of this election. The former president has declared “This is the final battle … We will liberate America from these villains once and for all.”
So, what will happen? There are only hours until the world forever changes. After Biden dropped out, Harris quickly rose to be the favorite for victory. In early October, Americans finally remembered her historic unpopularity, and Trump regained his lead. However, the election has once again tightened. Ann Selzer, the most accurate pollster in recent times, showed that Harris is up by a shocking three points in “safe red” Iowa. If true, this is a major blow to the Trump campaign. On the flip side, AtlasIntel, the most accurate pollster of 2020, has Trump winning all seven swing states. No matter what, it will come down to the wire.
Are young Americans truly ready for life without Trump? There is an entire generation of Americans who do not know politics without him. Being only eleven years old in 2016, I am among that generation. Whatever happens on Tuesday, I am totally grateful for Donald Trump. With all his flaws, he is America’s greatest living hero. A real life superman, he has inspired countless young Americans to strive for truth, justice and the American way. He has cast a shadow over the nation that will stand for decades.
To quote Odysseus, “Men rise and fall like the winter wheat,” but this name will never die. If they ever tell my story, let them say that I lived in the time of Trump.
You can reach out to the College Republicans at creps@nd.edu.
From 6:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening on Tuesday, Americans across the country will be crafting our new future. The 2024 election cycle voter engagement has already shot through the roof, with around 75 million people casting their ballots through early voting. People have waited in longer lines than ever before. Even at Notre Dame, a campus where most students have already voted at home or by mail, the enthusiasm at the chance of experiencing history is palpable.
For many Americans, Tuesday will begin the long journey on the road to normalcy. We can, once again, have political discourse that does not split families down the middle, alienate our allies abroad or promote bigotry and hatred across the country. We can once again have leaders who respect the peaceful transfer of power and do not threaten to incite another riot to get their way. Vice President Harris has been able to unite Republicans who put country above party, who are as desperate as Democrats to escape the terrifying reign that another four years of a Trump presidency would entail. A win for Kamala Harris on Tuesday would finally start to end the Trumpian nightmare of polarization, violence and vile hatred.
However, we do want to note that the status quo of the pre-2016 years was nowhere near perfect. Racism was an extremely common response to Barack Obama’s two terms. The Great Recession damaged our economy and made swaths of Americans feel like the American dream was unattainable. Overall, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were not the reality for the majority of the population. In electing Kamala Harris, we have a duty to not
just return to normal but to ascend to something greater. The American people deserve a better, more just future. If elected, Vice President Harris will be a leader and partner in making that happen.
Just over a century ago, women gained the right to vote. A few decades later, Shirley Chisholm was the first African American woman to campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1972 — the same year that Notre Dame opened its doors to women undergraduates. Despite these monumental gains, misogyny is still deeply embedded in American structures and psyches, prohibiting Hillary Clinton from breaking that most difficult glass ceiling in 2016.
This week, Americans have the opportunity to write a different story. The 2024 election cycle will finally shatter the glass ceiling that has prevented women from becoming the most powerful leaders in the world. Kamala Harris will bring hope to millions of young girls who will see that there is no hindrance to achieving their highest dreams. As two highly political women leading College Democrats of Notre Dame who love our country and all its people, seeing a woman in the Oval Office means absolutely everything.
Tuesday night, countless Americans will gather in their living rooms on pins and needles, hoping this decade-long saga of hate, prejudice and division will come to an end. College Democrats of Notre Dame feel so incredibly privileged to have been even a small part of this historic undertaking. Both Tuesday and after, we will remain committed to making the American dream a reality for everyone. As always — go Irish, elect Democrats.
You can reach out to the College Democrats at cdems@nd.edu.
Olivia Anderson and Trista Brantley College Democrats of Notre Dame
Jack Docherty College Republicans of Notre Dame
The College Republicans of Notre Dame and the College Democrats of Notre Dame have agreed to write bi-weekly debate columns in The Observer’s Viewpoint section. These are their concluding remarks. The views expressed in these columns are those of the authors and their groups, and not necessarily those of The Observer.
ND students for Fr. Kevin Grove as president
Joe Rudolph Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino
As the upcoming election approaches, tensions have been growing across the country. Some families are struggling to have a polite discussion about political differences around the dinner table. People are unable to convey their beliefs to their friends without creating division. One presidential candidate has been unfairly called every name in the book. The other has been shot at by the CIA.
The political division at Notre Dame, however, has not lived up to the hype. People are rather tame when discussing politics here. Being an agent of chaos, I found this no fun. So I decided to return to my investigative work.
Last week, I conducted a poll asking Notre Dame students who they intended to support in this upcoming presidential election. 3000 likely voters at Notre Dame were polled between October 21 and October 24. The survey was sent to students in every dorm as well as both partisan and nonpartisan clubs. No polling fraud was committed, yet still, the results were glorious.
In third place, Kamala Harris received exactly 0.67% percent of the vote, which equates to 20 of the 3000 likely voters. Not much better was Donald Trump, who received only one percent of responses (30 votes). Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fared much better with 5% — 150 votes — and our dear friend Jill Stein killed it with 5.3% — 160 votes. This left 2640 responses for a candidate everyone expected.
Receiving 88% of the vote was Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C. I thought this had to be a joke. I assumed this was a coordinated assault, perhaps a social media trend among ND students which created such an unexpected result. But then I remembered what comedian George Carlin said about the existence of the deep state and how they try to control the behavior of innocent civilians: “You don’t need a formal conspiracy when interests converge.” In other words, there was
no organized assault. The converging interest of the Notre Dame student body — and hopefully the entire country — is that Fr. Kevin Grove assumes the presidency of the United States.
I reached out to Grove’s campaign, sharing the results of the poll with a flurry of questions. A spokesperson was able to comment: “Yeah, duhhh. And if you look at our — and no one else’s — internal polling that we’ve done across the nation, it’s gonna show the exact same thing. Both sides are too busy worshiping the owl gods in Bohemian Grove to genuinely care about the American people. I mean, while they both say to the other, ‘You’re a threat to democracy,’ or ‘You spew word salad,’ Fr. Kevin goes out there and says, ‘Hey yo, Christ’s peace be with all of you.’ And people just eat that UUUUPPPP.”
I asked both the College Republicans and the College Democrats what to make of this result. Both clubs, who have more than sixty members, received the poll and were asked to participate, meaning that at least half of their members wrote in Fr. Grove. “We hate Trump,” a college Democrat said in anonymity. “But if I had it my way, Fr. Grove would mandate that St. Augustine’s Confessions be taught in all American Schools. I don’t care what religion you are.”
“Fr. Kevin is based,” said a college Republican. I spoke to several independent voters as well. When asked why they support Fr. Grove, one immediately responded by quoting “Economic Warfare” and not answering the question at all, saying, “For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible. To conclude, Fr. Grove is a dawg certified.”
The other was crazed. “There is no question in my mind that Fr. Grove would eradicate government and corporate corruption,” I said. “I mean, democracy is founded on the proposition that the citizens of a country own that country. And yet, Blackrock exists! Are you kidding me? Targeting widows and orphans with rent control? Growing the bad in business? Exploiting the poor? This is all they do! They control what news we consume, the food we eat, where we sleep, and how much money we have. And both political parties are
okay with that? Blackrock wants to control us, and they buy off politicians to increase their influence so they can continue corrupting the youth. Anyway, Fr. Grove would bankrupt them. I bet if he just sprinkled some holy water on their headquarters located in Mount Doom, the whole thing would probably just dissolve.”
Still questioning the poll results, I ventured to an official Grove Rally held in Debart 101 on a Monday evening last Spring. There were over 450 students packed in the massive venue, and it was a riot. Fr. Grove couldn’t get through a sentence of what I assumed was the presentation of his U.S. presidential policy outline before you would hear chants like these erupt from the crowd:
“Jesus is Based! Jesus is Based!”
“Eradication of Self! Eradication of Self!”
“God-shaped hole! In the soul!”
“Our hearts are restless Lord! Until they rest with thee! Yippee!”
After following up to the Grove Campaign, I was able to obtain a brief policy outline of what a Grove presidency would look like:
Annex Canada.
Reward people for practicing the Sacraments by giving them a gazillion trillion dollars.
Make Joe Rudolph a Cabinet Member so he can defraud Blackrock.
No wonder why 88% percent of people want him in power! I know that as a reporter, I’m supposed to write without bias. But I cannot help but encourage all of you to vote for what is true, what is good and what is beautiful. That may mean different things to different people. But for me, it means putting a priest in charge of the most powerful country on Earth and giving him the nuclear codes. #GROVE2024!
To file a complaint, reach out at jrudolp3@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Red mountains, blue cities
How will a geographically polarized country vote tomorrow?
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a bizarre mix of old-timey, southern General Stores, gimmicky fried-food chains and bizarre amusement parks, all plopped down next to the most beautiful place on Earth. In late October, the trees dotting the Great Smoky Mountains were in full autumnal form. The crimsons, purples, burnt yellows and oranges of the leaves looked so scenic, I was almost convinced I was inside of a painting.
On our winding drives through Tennessee, my friends and I spotted not one, not two, but five Trump Superstores. What can you find at a Trump Superstore, you may ask? I think the better question would probably be: “What can’t you find at a Trump Superstore?” Among the dozens of collectibles are Trump can coolers, Trump rubber ducks, custom Joe Biden toilet paper, “M.I.L.F.” hats (“Man I Love Firearms”), Trump socks (with fuzzy orange hair attached) and the newly released, American-made “I’m voting FELON 2024” t-shirt. In the Smoky Mountains, I found myself unable to imagine a future in which Trump would not win the election. The sheer volume and magnitude of Trump’s presence surrounding us was impossible to ignore. In Gatlinburg, two women window shopping next to me toted “Sleepy Joe” hats. In Nashville, a man ordering Prince’s Hot Chicken sported a t-shirt depicting Trump holding up both middle fingers — the caption “YOU MISSED” stamped just below. My friends and I departed from Tennessee on Saturday, after five days in the Smokies and three nights in Nashville (as is tradition for Notre Dame seniors). Our heads were still cloudy from moonshine and overpriced cocktails. We drove back through quiet Kentucky, blooming with a kaleidoscope of colors, the fall foliage the most beautiful of backdrops. We listened to Fleet Foxes, John Denver and the Charlie Brown
soundtrack.
To break up the drive, we stopped halfway in Cincinnati, whose hilly neighborhoods were crammed with houses all dressed up for Halloween, and whose yards were littered with a multitudinous number of signs. These signs either read “Kamala/Walz” or “Yes on 1, Ban Gerrymandering in Ohio.” The heaps of signs I saw — plastered in restaurant windows or stuck on the back of cars — changed my mind. I was now convinced that there was no way on earth Trump could possibly win the election.
Cincinnati reminded me of my summer spent in Washington D.C., my favorite city in the world, bursting with history and culture. D.C., unsurprisingly, is extremely politically charged. The thought of anyone ever voting red was laughable, an inconceivable punchline to a sick joke. The rhetoric on Capital Hill and on the streets of Georgetown was a general sense of disbelief: “How could anyone be so stupid as to actually cast their ballot for Trump?”
This is the nature of politics in America in 2024. Red mountains, blue cities — we can have our pick. But once we’re there, we’ve committed ourselves. We’ve sold our soul away to the collective sentiment of whatever our neighbors believe. Our nation has become so geographically polarized that millions of people think voting is a waste of time. “My vote won’t even count anyways,” is a phrase I’ve heard so often that I’ve begun to believe it myself. But, if our votes don’t count, whose do?
The current political state should come as no surprise. In fact, if we go back to our country’s very inception, our first president accurately predicted what modern politics might look like. In his farewell address, George Washington forecasted the future by expressing a deep concern about political parties. He was worried that the “domination” of one political party would lead to “a frightful despotism” and that, natural to this system, was “the spirit of revenge.” Furthermore, Washington prophesied that if a two-party system emerged, America would be riddled with “ill-founded jealousies and false alarms” which could “[kindle] with
the animosity of one part against another,” leading to “riot and insurrection.” In 1792, the father of our country saw the truth: the radical polarization between the Democratic and Republican party leads to a divided, violent and veiled country. Red mountains, blue cities.
Notre Dame’s campus might just be the most “purple” place I’ve ever been to. In my opinion, the student body is pretty equally divided between the two major parties, with a staff that perhaps skews a little more liberal and with a conservative administration. As the product of random roommates and dorm placements, friend groups are comprised of many different political beliefs. In politically extreme places such as D.C. and Pigeon Forge, I think the idea of the “other” can become nasty and aggressive. People may cut off entire relationships simply because another person disagrees with them on a certain subject. There is minimal room for discussion, since the only discussions that are really happening in these areas are about opinions that each person knows that the other already agrees with. In these echo chambers, it is impossible to imagine the opposite political party as truly humane or intelligent. This can result in a degradation of opposing party members (think of Joe Biden toilet paper or some D.C. native’s opinion that “all Trumpies are stupid”).
Tomorrow, we will see who this nation — comprised of red mountains and blue cities — will select. Here on campus, I can imagine a future in which either candidate could win. No matter what the polls say, I hope and pray for a future in which we open ourselves up towards more extensive, open-minded conversations. The kind of conversations that scale mountains.
Gracie Eppler is a senior Business Analytics and English major from St. Louis, MO. Her top three things ever to exist are ‘70’s music, Nutella and Smith Studio 3, where she can be found dancing. You can reach her at geppler@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Gracie Eppler
The Soapbox
By JAYDEN ESPINOZA Scene Copyeditor
I was hesitant to listen to Tyler the Creator’s newest album, “CHROMAKOPIA” — not only because he broke his two year album cycle to release it as a surprise, but also because stans were quick to publish their theories about the artists and sounds rumored to be on his eighth studio album. As I read the online discourse, I found myself uninspired and questioning why there wasn’t more to include in the conversation about Tyler the Creator’s music than potential features from other artists. Naturally, I waited to press play on the opening track, “St. Chroma,” and wondered, “What side of Tyler the Creator have we not seen yet?”
Not only was a new side of his work revealed, but the album felt as if a veil was being ripped away from my understanding of his character — he suddenly became three-dimensional.
The project operates as a conversation between Tyler the Creator and Tyler Okonma. Even in early tracks like “NOID” and “DARLING, I,” it feels as if Tyler is sitting in front of a mirror and talking to himself, having an honest conversation about the man he sees in the mirror, not the one that faces crowds in person and online. “NOID” is especially interesting in this regard — currently, it is the only song with an accompanying visual, showing a crazed fan (played by Ayo Edebiri) waving what flashes between a phone camera and a gun. As a masked Tyler runs into the assumed privacy
of his home, he takes off his mask only to again be confronted by a figure armed with a phone and a gun. In this song and much of the album’s nearly hourlong runtime, Okonma seems to be trying to create a boundary between the person he is and the character he must perform for the world, with this divide getting increasingly blurred as the track list runs by. Intrusive thoughts (personified by his mother, Bonita Smith) also begin to crop up in songs like “Hey Jane.” Okonma experiences a pregnancy scare with his unnamed partner, calling into question his braggadocious and larger-than-life lyrics while grounding him in the reality of being raised by a single mother himself. These insecurities about not knowing the full details of his origin feel like a portent of potential self-destruction, leading into track six, “I Killed You.” He raps, “Feel ashamed, so we straightened you out. / Without a doubt, b***h, I killed you.” But this cutthroat mentality is clearly only an internal process, as he outlines in the album’s next song, “Judge Judy.” He refuses to judge an unnamed woman for her past, also referencing 2021’s “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.”
This first half of the project sets up the listener for a beautifully chaotic — or “Sticky”— second half, with Okonma attempting to rebel against himself. In “Sticky,” which opens with a declaration against gender conventions, he raps that he doesn’t “give a f**k ‘bout pronouns.” Until “Take Your Mask Off,” mantras like “I hope you find yourself” and “I hope you take your mask off” are the only breaks listeners receive
from the stressors of Okonma’s life.
But no revelation hits as hard as “Like Him,” which finds Tyler back in the space the album began with. He’s pleading with any force that hears him, trying to answer a question: Does he look like his father? These pleas shift from cries to screams as the song continues, and its message shifts from the reason he doesn’t know his father to the reason his father abandoned him. And just as it seems he’s given up, a voice steps in to answer his question, declaring that she was the reason his father was absent from his life. As his mother’s voice cracks, and as the identity of the woman he’s been unable to name comes together — the real ghost in the corner of the room — he realizes the origin he was unable to trace this whole time has been his mother.
Even as the final track — “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” — plays, and as he attempts to rap over it, there’s a vulnerability in the way he breathes, as if he’s shedding the skin of the person he’s pretended to be and accepting the fact that Tyler the Creator and Tyler Okonma are not a venn diagram — they’re a circle.
To say I was shocked when listening to this album would be an underscore. What I didn’t anticipate was the way he simultaneously held a mirror up to himself and the listeners, declaring “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” not only as the key to his freedom but as an opportunity for you to get the same.
Contact Jayden Espinoza at jespino4@nd.edu
By CLAIRE WATSON Scene Writer
I am more than willing to admit that I am a huge Harry Potter fan — I am a Hufflepuff in case anyone was wondering. I have read all of the books at least four or five times and seen the movies more times than I can count. With that, over fall break, I had the opportunity to go and experience the South Bend Symphony Orchestra’s “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert” at South Bend’s very own Morris Theater in which they performed the original score composed by John Williams. In addition to this, there were extra scenes from the movie which were mentioned in the book but not in the original movie. I have seen all of the movies and memorized the music, so I knew when the instruments were supposed to come in, and I can say this with confidence: The symphony did not disappoint.
Upon arriving at the historic theater, I spent
most of the time before the show looking up at all of the beautiful scenery and artwork that made up the theater’s ceiling. In addition to this, I had the honor of listening to the symphony warm up. It was so amazing to me to see all of these super talented musicians live in concert under the direction of the conductor Ron Spigelman as the movie played, the symphony filling in the role of the soundtrack. At some points, you could almost forget that this wasn’t the actual recording.
I was easily able to differentiate between the different instruments that were playing. One of the things that I enjoyed most was listening to the different timbres and how they blended together perfectly. Listening to the percussion mix with the brass and wind instruments, it was (no pun intended) music to my ears.
I know from playing some of John Williams’s music before that it is not an easy task. Music Director Alastair Willis commented on his appreciation for the symphony’s performance: “It is hard. You know, in a studio you can record it
1,000 times or whenever the director is happy. In concert, you only have one shot, and Ron Spigelman did a good job making our orchestra sound great.”
Spigelman also commented, saying, “The most difficult part is to make sure it all syncs to the film the way the original soundtrack does, and with nearly 90 musicians and only two rehearsals, it can be challenging simply because it is live, and there is no room for error. I have to be very clear and concise in the way I conduct, which is why I try to memorize it so I can look at the screen and the orchestra to make any adjustments to the tempo we need to sync it to the film.”
While it was disappointing that I did not get my acceptance letter into Hogwarts at 11 years old, this was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had, and it truly will never be forgotten.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
Members of the Notre Dame hockey team celebrate a power-play goal by senior forward Hunter Strand (middle) during a 5-2 loss to Long Island at Compton Family Ice Arena on Oct. 26, 2024. The Irish are 5-3-0 overall and 1-1-0 in Big Ten play after splitting against Wisconsin with a 3-2 Friday win in overtime and a 2-1 Saturday loss this past weekend.
HOCKEY
Saturday slump stings the Irish again in split
By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer
The Saturday slump continues for Notre Dame hockey.
With Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers, the Irish are now winless in their last three Saturday games. Their third straight series split concludes a three-week homestand that saw the Irish enter every series finale with a chance to sweep. Each time against Alaska, Long Island and Wisconsin, Notre Dame failed to do so.
This weekend provided more questions than answers for the Irish. To start, graduate defenseman Zach Plucinski’s elbowing penalty with 21 seconds remaining in a 2-2 tie put Notre Dame’s usually solid Friday performance in jeopardy entering overtime. It took an undisciplined Wisconsin penalty and a goal by red-hot sophomore forward Cole Knuble to salvage two points in a 3-2 overtime win.
Credit the Badgers for responding well. They did not want to leave the ice after Knuble scored the winner, believing the officials had missed an interference call against Irish sophomore forward Danny Nelson that allowed the goal to go in. The loss dropped Wisconsin to 1-6, but they picked themselves up off the mat Saturday. The Badgers
sought vengeance in the most effective way, beating Notre Dame to every puck, stifling the Irish breakout and frustrating Notre Dame’s special teams units. Unlike Friday, when they got off to a poor start, the Badgers were the better team from start to finish Saturday night.
But that’s becoming a familiar story for Notre Dame. Notre Dame has now spent three weeks at home winning ugly on Friday and struggling to find a rhythm on Saturday. Veteran Irish head coach Jeff Jackson even decided to go to his hottest goaltender, junior Owen Say, on back-toback nights for the first time all season in hopes of changing the Saturday night mojo. With a .960 save percentage through five games, Say has been one of the hottest goaltenders in the country to start the season, but he could not help the Irish to buck the trend.
“I know we can be better,” Jackson said. “This is going to be a little bit of a process for us. We are going through some growing pains with some of the guys that we have.”
Notre Dame will now have to find itself on the road. Next week, the Irish will begin a two-week road swing that includes stops at No. 11 Michigan and No. 3 Michigan State.
The Wolverines this past
weekend swept No. 5 Boston University at Agganis Arena, and are finding their stride in a 5-2-1 start. The Spartans were not in action, but are 5-1 to begin the year. The road ahead does not get easier. With Big Ten conference play just beginning, only time will tell for Notre Dame.
Friday: Notre Dame 3, Wisconsin 2 (OT)
Notre Dame got off on the right foot to start the series. Its strong start resulted in sophomore defenseman Henry Nelson’s goal, assisted by his brother Danny (and graduate forward Blake Biondi, 7:38 into the first period). Wisconsin improved as the period wore on, and continued to play better into the second period with nothing to show for it. That all changed after an interference call against Notre Dame. On the power play, freshman forward Ryan Botterill deflected a point shot into the net for his first career goal, tying the game (assists to Logan Hensler and Tyson Dyck at 15:02 of the second period). Wisconsin was at its best in the minutes following Botterill’s goal. Graduate forward Owen Lindmark thought he had
given the Badgers the lead when he snuck a goal line shot past Say (assist to Ben Dexheimer and Kyle Kukkonen at 18:16 of the second), but sophomore forward Brennan Ali scored 31 seconds later to tie the game (assists to junior defenseman Axel Kumlin and senior defenseman Ryan Helliwell at 18:47 of period two). Notre Dame escaped the second period with a tie despite a 21-7 shot margin against it.
Neither team scored in the third period, but Wisconsin dictated the play. Plucinski’s penalty gave Wisconsin a 4-on-3 power play entering overtime, but the Irish were able to kill it. Wisconsin then made a discipline error of its own, as freshman forward Gavin Morrissey was whistled for tripping. On the ensuing power play, Knuble waltzed across the blue line and snapped the game-winning goal.
Saturday: Wisconsin 2, Notre Dame 1
Wisconsin came ready to play in game two, outshooting the Irish 16-7 over the course of the opening frame. It nearly got the opening goal, too, when Dyck’s slot shot dribbled through the
arm of Say and sat on the goal line. The officials signaled goal, but after a lengthy review determined the puck had not crossed the line.
Not discouraged, the Badgers continued to press until Lindmark opened the scoring early in the second with his second goal in as many nights (assists to Kukkonen and Weston Knox at 5:34 of the second period). Notre Dame’s forwards could not muster a response, but Helliwell did. He beat senior netminder Tommy Scarfone on a line rush to tie the score (assists to Knuble and Kumlin at 12:26 of the second). The stalemate would last until the waning moments of the period, when junior forward Simon Tassy struck on the power play to give Wisconsin the lead for good (assists to Christian Fitzgerald and Dexheimer at 19:25 of the second).
Notre Dame had a handful of chances in the third, including Knuble ringing one off the iron. Still, Scarfone only had to make six saves to clinch the win for Wisconsin.
Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu
JONATHAN KARR | The Observer
Happy Birthday: Set goals, press play, and continue until you get the desired results. A positive spin, creativity, and accumulating information will encourage confidence and success. Sign up for lectures that offer insight into your options, and you will develop a unique plan and path forward. Don’t limit what you can achieve or let anyone deter you from following your dream. Dig in and flourish. Your numbers are 4, 12, 23, 39, 32, 38, 46.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Tune in to what’s happening around you. Observation and conversation will turn into an opportunity that can change your life forever. Refrain from putting off what you can do now; the momentum you create will lead to success. Physical and emotional changes will boost your morale.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keep tabs on your expenditures. Impress people with your wisdom, ability to transition from one thing to another, and hands-on approach to getting things done on time. Solidify your position, join forces with someone you admire, and commit wholeheartedly to whatever you believe.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Only agree to the changes that benefit you. Distance yourself from anyone putting pressure on you to do something that can compromise your position, budget, or reputation. Open a dialogue that encourages addressing issues that can come back to haunt you. Clear the air, breathe easy, and follow through.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Embrace freedom and use your ingenuity to recognize what’s available and works best for you. Be open about what you want and how to make your dreams come true. Enjoy the ride and execute the foundation that best supports your talents, budget, and time frame.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Put your energy behind your ideas. Go where the action is and step into the spotlight. An aggressive and colorful display will draw attention and encourage positive contributions from people eager to help you reach your goals. Networking events will open doors, and personal gain looks promising.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep your thoughts to yourself. Someone will be eager to use what you reveal against you. Dig in and work behind the scenes, perfecting your goals. Dedication and loyalty will bring the highest returns. A meeting, business trip, or conference will help decipher your next move.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Stop procrastinating and start the ball rolling. If you hesitate, you’ll miss an opportunity or lose the right to decide. Embrace life, offer your insight, and let your charm, insight, and connections carry you forward. Be proactive; weakness will attract scammers, liars, and cheaters.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A positive transformation will attract attention. Revamping your approach to life, updating your style and appearance, or using your insight to achieve financial gains are all doable if you focus on what you want. Rely on intuition when dealing with negative influences or people trying to derail your progress.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Invest time, talent, and money in you and what you want to pursue. Take your time; display your skills, reach out to people who show interest or have something to contribute, and explore the possibilities of a partnership. Go through the proper channels, and choose a signature over a handshake.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Size up situations and make changes that follow the path that leads to peace of mind. Distance yourself from anyone who doesn’t give back or tries to take advantage of you. Truth and trust matter; stick to those you feel comfortable dealing with, but refrain from sharing secrets.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): An open mind will become the portal to something exciting. Get involved in events offering insight into something that encourages you to figure out how to turn your findings into something unique to you, your situation, and your prospects. The possibilities are endless, and love is on the rise.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take a step back, adjust your position, and rethink your path. Let go of what’s draining you and embrace what offers peace of mind. Distance yourself from poor influences, indulgent behavior, and anyone using emotional manipulation to take advantage of you. Choose to put yourself first.
Birthday Baby: You are entertaining, generous, and opportunistic. You are artistic and persuasive.
ND MEN’S SOCCER
Irish enter the postseason on 4-0 loss to Duke
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The Notre Dame men’s soccer team finished its regular season with a rough result on Friday at No. 5 Duke. The Blue Devils toppled the Fighting Irish by a 4-0 score at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, sending the Irish on the road to start the ACC Tournament. Seeded 10th in the conference, Notre Dame (7-4-5, 3-3-2 ACC) will visit seventh-seeded Stanford at 9 p.m. on Wednesday. Duke, meanwhile, has the third seed and will host Virginia Tech two hours earlier.
Friday’s match kept Notre Dame without a clear solution between the posts. The Irish entered the night with back-to-back shutout wins after switching to graduate goalie Colin Travasos a week and a half earlier. Duke presented a much stiffer challenge than UIC and Cal and put four goals in behind Travasos on 16 total shots.
The first Blue Devil goal arrived in the 13th minute on a screamer of a shot
from Colton Pleasants. The graduate midfielder stepped up to the right corner of the 18-yard box, smashing a right-footed shot toward the far post. With Travasos diving out to his right, the ball struck the confluence of the left post and the crossbar, dropping into the goal for a 1-0 Duke lead.
Moments later, Duke rang the crossbar again with a distant blast from Kenan Hot, but this one struck the top and stayed out. Soon after, Drew Kerr put a curling left-footed strike just wide from the top of the 18.
As the first half whittled away, Notre Dame began to even out the action. In the 36th minute, Adam Luckhurst followed a couple of light Irish chances with a centralized header from nine yards out. The redirection angled toward the left post, forcing a sprawling save from Travasos, his best of the night. Three minutes later, Notre Dame found its best look of the night. Junior midfielder KK Baffour made a cutback to his left foot inside the 18, ripping a shot
right at Duke goalkeeper Wessel Speel. Reaching to his right, Speel cut down the high-velocity strike, and his teammates neutralized the rebound.
At halftime, Duke led 1-0 with a 7-5 advantage in shots.
Just over five minutes into the second half, Duke doubled its lead, overwhelming the Irish backline with quick ball movement. Kerr centered the ball from the right side of the 18 toward the top of the 6-yard box, where top Blue Devil scorer Ulfur Bjornsson one-timed the service past Travasos. The Icelandic striker’s 12th goal of the season had Duke ahead 2-0 in the 51st minute.
Duke nearly struck again 65 seconds after the Bjornsson goal, but Pleasants sent a missile of a 22-yard half-volley just past the left post. Notre Dame would eventually come back with a couple of looks in the attacking third, but the Irish struggled to control the ball and generate shots in scoring areas. Their best chance of the sequence stemmed
from a quickly taken free kick in the 73rd minute.
Junior midfielder Sebastian Green ran behind the Duke defense, flagging the ball down but sending it wide of the far post.
Notre Dame would keep the pressure on into the 79th minute, when another set piece nearly put the Irish on the board. Senior midfielder Bryce Boneau headed a free kick that deflected its way on goal, forcing a diving, one-handed save from Speel.
With a 10th-place finish in the ACC standings, the Irish will head to Stanford for the ACC Tournament’s first round. Notre Dame squared off with the Cardinal at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 14, with Stanford holding on to a 1-0 win despite playing with 10 men for virtually the entire second half. The Cardinal are now ranked 22nd in the country after finishing the regular season 8-4-4 overall and 3-2-3 in ACC play. Stanford did not finish the campaign well, going 0-3-3 after the calendar flipped from September to October.
Notre Dame hasn’t won a conference tournament match since 2021, the year it captured the ACC Championship en route to an appearance in the College Cup. The Irish fell to Clemson when they went on the road in 2022 and took an upset loss at home to Louisville last year.
After that point, the wheels fell off for Notre Dame. An 83rd-minute challenge from Travasos sent Duke to the penalty spot, where Luckhurst slotted home the third Blue Devil goal of the match. Forty seconds later, Baffour went in for a hard challenge that resulted in his second yellow card in a seven-minute span. With the Irish down to 10 men on the red card, Duke closed out the match with Jack Zugay’s first goal of the season. The 88th-minute strike from 20 yards out beat Travsasos inside the left post, bringing the match to its final score of 4-0.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Irish take a second straight loss to Louisville
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
After taking the first 3-0 loss against the fourthranked Louisville Cardinals on the road Wednesday night, the Irish traveled back home but took a second consecutive sweep loss against the Cardinals on Saturday. The Irish have now dropped to 9-12 overall on the season and 2-10 in ACC play.
The two teams battled back and forth during the first set of the afternoon, as the teams stayed within a point of each other early on. Senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo added a kill to bring the Irish ahead and make the score 7-6. The Cardinals did not let that rattle them as they went on a 9-1 run to make the score then 16-8. As the Irish attempted to push back, the Cardinals went on a 9-4 march to make the final score of the first set 25-12 in their favor.
The second set looked similar to the first at the start as the two teams battled back and forth for the lead. The Cardinals then went on a run to make the score 16-8, but a block made by senior setter Phyona Schrader and freshman middle blocker Mallory Bohl helped the Irish make the score closer as they went on a 5-0 run making the score 16-13. The Cardinals made a comeback, scoring two more points for themselves to make the score 18-13, but blocks from Schrader and freshman middle blocker Anna Bjork forced errors on the Cardinals to make the score 18-14. The Irish then brought the score back to a two-point difference of 1816, but the Cardinals pulled
HCC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
away, going on a 7-0 run over the Irish to finish the set 2516 and make the score now 2-0 in their favor.
In the final set of the afternoon, the Cardinals took a quick start as they went on a 6-0 run against the Irish. The Irish managed to add a point for themselves to make the score 6-1, but the Cardinals kept forcing errors. Eventually, the Cardinals finished out the day with a 25-12 win over
the Irish to make the overall score 3-0.
Schrader led on the court for the Irish as she had a total of six kills, seven digs, 13 assists and two blocks. Alongside her, Palazzolo added on five kills for herself, Bjork added four kills, Bohl tacked on three kills, junior outside hitter Lucy Trump put up two kills for herself and freshman outside hitter Mia Radeff added on one of her own for
the Irish. Bjork and Bohl also added on a block for themselves throughout the match. Trump added on two service aces for herself alongside Palazzolo, who also contributed one for herself.
With this result, the Irish are now going back on the road heading to Massachusetts as they prepare to face off against the Boston College Eagles. The game is set for Nov. 8, and
the match is set to begin at 7 p.m.
Boston College is currently 11-13 on the season so far and 4-8 in conference play. Halle Schroder leads the Eagles on the court as she has a total of 285 kills on the season so far. Right behind her is Audrey Ross, who has a total of 246 kills on the season to this point.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Saints secure their first victory of the season
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
Now 1-1 on the young season so far, the Holy Cross Saints took on the Mount Vernon Nazarene Cougars and took the 80-65 win on Friday.
While the Cougars made the first points of the night, a defensive rebound from senior forward Grace Adams helped senior guard Jordyn Smith make her first jumpshot of the night to tie the score. As the two teams continued to battle back and forth, freshman forward Allie Caldwell closed out the first quarter with a three-point shot to take the
14-12 lead.
With this lead, the Saints managed to round out the second quarter tied with Mount Vernon Nazarene at 25. Power duo Smith and Adams worked together on the court to provide defensive rebounds and points for the Saints. Junior guard Audrey Tallent and sophomore Lilly Toppen both added their first points of the night nearing the end of the second quarter. The Cougars tied up the score with a jumpshot at the end of the first half.
Heading into the third quarter tied, Adams continued to show her dominance on the court by contributing
the first four points of the quarter to make the score 29-28. After a comeback from the Cougars, senior guard Kayliana Hammel added on her first points of the night with two free throws to tie the score at 31. Toppen would add on five more points for herself to bring the score to 38-33. Freshman forward Kaiden Hanley tied the game at 45 with her first two points of the night.
With the game still tied and the two teams going back and forth, Hammel made a three-point shot to make the score 61-54 Saints nearing the middle of the quarter. The teams
continued to battle until Hammel and Caldwell added two free throws each to make the score 65-54.
While the Cougars added two jumpshots, Caldwell contributed a three-point shot, Smith added a jumpshot and Hammel added two free throws to make the score 72-58. The Cougars would add on four more free throws, but the Saints responded with a jumpshot plus two free throws from Adams as well as a Hanley make that brought the score to 78-62. Toppen put the finishing touches on the game for the Saints, sinking two free throws to make the final score 80-65 in favor of
Holy Cross. Adams led on the court for the Saints as she finished the night with a total of 24 points followed by Caldwell, who had a total of 14 points. Hammel contributed heavily on defense as she finished the game with a total of five steals. With this win, the Saints now travel south to Kokomo to face off against the Indiana University Kokomo Cougars at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The Cougars are 0-1 with a 100-52 loss at No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University on Oct. 26
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
MOLLY DRINAN | The Observer
Junior outside hitter Lucy Trump takes a swing during Notre Dame’s 3-0 defeat of Clemson inside Purcell Pavilion on Oct. 6, 2024. The Irish have not won since the match against Clemson, dropping eight consecutive games, including four in a row against ranked ACC opposition.
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish open 2024-25 season against Mercyhurst
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
After defeating Davenport by a 101-41 score in Wednesday’s exhibition, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team prepares to face off against the Mercyhurst Lakers in the season opener on Monday. Last year, the Mercyhurst Lakers finished 18-11 overall and 14-8 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play. With the new season, the team has also lost key players from last year, including then-graduate student guard Julia Buchman, then-senior guard Paige Woodford, senior forward Kate Deutsch and senior guard Lauren Klare.
Buchman, Klare and Woodford were near the top of the leaderboard for the Lakers, as Buchman finished last season with 229 points, Klare finished with 170 and Woodford finished with 141. Woodford was also key for the Lakers with a total of 32 steals for the season.
The Lakers welcome back a number of players this season including sophomore guard
Sophia Kelly, senior guard Singo Lekeuneu, senior guard Allyson Ross, junior guard Jenna Van Schaik, senior guard Maria McConnell, senior guard Ava Waid, graduate student guard Grace Clary and junior forward Bailey Kuhns.
Kuhns was a key player on offense for the Lakers as she led the team with a total of 414 points alongside Clary who finished with 124 points. Van Shaik contributed 67 rebounds at the end of last season, 14 of them offensively and 53 defensively. Clary was right behind her with a total of 65 rebounds, eight on offense and 57 on defense.
The team also welcomes six freshmen and a transfer onto the team this year, including freshman guard Cici Hernandez, freshman guard Alena Fusetti, freshman guard Grace Strickland, freshman guard Quinn Borroni, freshman forward Erica Hall and freshman guard Ella Cupka. The transfer for the Lakers is junior forward Lauryn Stover. Stover managed 13.5 points a game last year at Purdue Fort Wayne before
transferring to Mercyhurst.
The Irish finished their season last year strong, going 28-7 overall and 13-5 in ACC play. The Irish prepare to face off against the Lakers with an updated roster.
Heading into this year, the Irish lost former graduate students guard Jenna Brown, forward Becky Obinma and guard Anna DeWolfe. The Irish also lost former senior forward Natalija Marshall.
Obinma finished the 2023-24 season with a total of 43 points, DeWolfe finished the season with 306 and Marshall finished with 169. DeWolfe was a key player on the court as she had a total of 36 steals in this past season to help the Irish, with Marshall right behind her having a total of 34 steals
to round out the year.
This year, the Irish welcome back sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo who made her college debut last year and led the team in points with a total of 790. Graduate guard Olivia Miles, who is making a comeback after an ACL tear, returns with guard Sonia Citron, back for her senior year. Graduate guard Sarah Cernugel and graduate forward Maddy Westbeld, who has averaged a total of 12.9 points per game over the past four years at Notre Dame, are back as well.
Notre Dame also has two transfer students, including graduate forward Liza Karlen, who is transferring from Marquette. Karlen averaged 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game during the 2023-24
season at Marquette. The other is graduate forward Liatu King, who is transferring from Pittsburgh. King finished her senior year at Pittsburgh averaging 18.7 points per game, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. The team also welcomes one freshman onto the team, forward Kate Koval. Koval was ranked inside the top five of the overall recruit list by ESPN Hoopgurlz and made the ACC Newcomer Watch List.
The Irish prepare to face off against Mercyhurst for the first time in history on Monday with tip-off at 5 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Members of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team celebrate a basket by graduate student forward Maddy Westbeld (21) just before the halftime buzzer during a 71-56 defeat of Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 at Purcell Pavilion on March 25, 2024. The Irish won the ACC Championship and reached the Sweet 16 during the 2023-24 season.
Students vote early, evaluate political climate
By SOPHIE HANAWALT Staff Writer
For most Notre Dame students, the upcoming election this Tuesday, Nov. 5 will be the first presidential election they are eligible to vote in.
Johnson Family Hall freshman Maisy Adams expressed her excitement to be a voter. She registered online this past April, voted for the first time in the primaries at her local polling place this summer and voted early in the general election when she was home in Ohio for fall break.
Flaherty freshman Grace Fuchs also registered this past spring.
“They had a person come and give us cards at school, and then they sent us our registration months later. It was a bit confusing since there was no confirmation they received anything until I got the voter ID card. Plus, some of my friends had the cards come with misspelled names and had to reapply,” she said.
Overall, however, Fuchs believes preregistration and early voting are easily accessible and important processes. Like Adams,
she voted in the primaries and in person for the general election over break.
For students from swing states — Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin being the most notable in this election — voting comes with a heightened sense of importance as the election will most likely come down to close margins in their states.
“I feel like my vote is super important … every vote obviously counts, but when you’re voting in a swing state your vote really has the potential to make a big difference in the election,” Sarah Ramsden, a Pasquerilla West freshman from Beloit, Wisconsin, said.
Jack Regan, a Keough freshman from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Iyabo Ojulari, a Welsh Family Hall sophomore from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, echoed this statement. Fuchs, who is from St. Louis, Missouri, offered a different perspective.
“I think my vote will likely not count. I voted mostly blue in a very red state, but you cannot always predict how people will vote,” Fuchs said. “Even if my vote may not matter, by choosing not to vote
I potentially give more power to a vote I disagree with and enable it to make up a larger amount of the percentage of voting.”
Fuchs continued on voting’s importance.
“It’s important to always vote to see what happens and at least know you did your civic duty. If you choose to not vote and then complain about the outcome or politics, I think you did it to yourself, and you have no place to stand,” Fuchs said.
None of those voting in the swing states had an idea as to what the election results would be in their state. Instead, they pointed to the diversity of messages they received in their areas.
Ramsden explained the bigger cities in Wisconsin lean left, but other areas lean right.
“Especially where I’m from, there’s a mix. You drive around Beloit, and you see Trump signs in one yard and Harris signs in the next yard,” Ramsden said.
Ojulari noted, in Philadelphia, she has noticed more affluent areas have more yard signs for Republicans while in the other parts, there are generally more
SMC poll shows Belles favor Harris-Walz ticket
By THOMAS DOBBS and KATHRYN MUCHNICK Assistant Managing Editor and Managing Editor
Saint Mary’s students also back Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, a separate poll conducted by The Observer at Saint Mary’s College finds. According to the poll, 64.5% of Saint Mary’s students favor Harris and Tim Walz, compared to 31% for Trump and JD Vance. The results fall outside of the 6.9% margin of error at a 95% confidence interval.
The vast majority of respondents are registered to vote — only 7% indicate they are not registered to vote. Harris slightly expanded her advantage over Trump among registered voters, capturing 65.6% support to Trump’s 30.1%. Zero respondents indicated they planned to vote third party, while 4.5% of respondents said they planned not to vote or were still undecided.
Despite Notre Dame women supporting Harris (68.8%) slightly more strongly than Saint Mary’s women (64.5%), Saint Mary’s more strongly backs Harris (64.5%) than Notre Dame at large (54.2%). This finding adds to the growing evidence of a political gender gap that could become the largest in U.S. history.
Unaffiliated voters at Saint Mary’s overwhelmingly backed Harris, with 72.2% support compared to Trump’s 14.8%.
The Observer’s election poll surveyed 200 students between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Respondents submitted anonymous ballots in person via Google Forms, conducted outside of Noble Family Dining Hall. Email addresses were collected separately to prevent individuals from voting twice and verify students were actual Saint Mary’s students.
Although the margin of error is larger than in the Notre Dame poll, Harris’ substantial lead indicates the poll accurately identifies the presidential preference of the Saint Mary’s student body.
Abortion and the economy emerged as the top issues for Saint Mary’s students, each receiving 25.5% of the vote share. At Notre Dame, the economy was the leading issue, capturing 32.5% of the vote, with abortion following at 18.8%.
Paralleling a trend most recently identified by the final NBC election poll, Saint Mary’s voters support Trump on the economy, but Harris on abortion. Saint Mary’s students who ranked abortion as their top issue overwhelmingly support Harris (82.4% to 17.6%),
signs for Democrats. Regan shared his area of Michigan is very liberal.
“Basically everyone has a Harris sign outside their house, and if you are Republican, people aren’t really loud about it,” Regan said.
He did, however, notice a lot more political ads for both candidates when he went back to Michigan for fall break.
“If you live in a swing state, you get bombarded by ads from both sides. Our television ads are heavily targeted — every ad is for the right or the left, they’re all over the place,” Ojulari said. “The mail you get is from both sides, and people show up at your door a lot, because it could go either way.”
As for the key issues in her state, Ojulari believes rural voters on the Appalachian side of Pennsylvania are most motivated by concerns over the coal industry. This makes them more likely to vote for Republicans as their policies lean towards letting businesses operate despite environmental concerns.
Near Philadelphia, she believes voters are more motivated by social issues such as homelessness and poverty, leading them towards Democratic candidates.
Ramsden has noticed the economy, abortion and foreign policy influence the people she is surrounded by in Wisconsin.
Voters consider the issues important to them in different ways, approaching voting differently when they hit the ballot box. Adams elected to vote primarily straightticket as she found the candidates from one particular party took the right stances on the issues she cares about most.
Fuchs decided to approach the election person-by-person. She used resources from the League of Women Voters and Ballotpedia, as well as examined politicians’ voting records and policy history, to make her decisions. For judges, she looked at their evaluations.
“No one seems to fully like either outcome, which is very disappointing to see,” Fuchs said. “It seems that neither candidate represents America to the fullest, and it is sad that our politics has made it hard to have two candidates that are the best America has to offer.”
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu
Partisan groups prep for election
a trend shared by Notre Dame’s female students, albeit by a narrower margin (70.6% to 27.3%).
The economy paints a different picture — Saint Mary’s students who identified the economy as their top issue strongly backed Trump over Harris (68.6% to 25.5%). Among Notre Dame females who prioritize the economy as the top issue, support is nearly evenly divided, with a slight edge for Trump at 48.4% over Harris’ 45.2%.
12.5% of respondents indicated health care is the most important issue to them this election. 6% of respondents said immigration is the most important issue, and another 6% prioritized foreign policy.
Saint Mary’s students are even less optimistic than Notre Dame students about the direction of the country, with only 7.5% of respondents (15 votes) indicating they think the United States is headed in the right direction. Meanwhile, 52.5% of Saint Mary’s students think the United States is headed in the wrong direction, slightly higher than the 48.4% of Notre Dame students who feel the same.
Contact Thomas Dobbs at tdobbs@nd.edu and Kathryn Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu
By LIAM KELLY Notre Dame News Editor
As the nation prepares to go to the polls tomorrow, both College Republicans and College Democrats have been busy preparing for election night on campus.
In an interview with The Observer, Olivia Anderson, copresident of Notre Dame College Democrats explained her club has had three focuses in increasing political engagement among Democrats on campus this election season: education, excitement and empowerment.
This program has included hosting watch parties for the presidential and vice-presidential debates, trying to educate club members on key issues, inviting guest speakers such as former women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw and trying to get students to register to vote.
Olivia Anderson emphasized this last effort has been particularly successful.
“Notre Dame actually has really good rates of voter registration. A lot of people on campus are registered. This is through efforts with College Democrats, but also ND Votes, student government; everybody and their mother is getting out on campus, registering people to vote,” she said.
Olivia Anderson said College Democrats has also focused on encouraging students to send in their mail-in ballots.
Elliot Anderson, co-president of College Republicans, said his club has focused on public events to increase political engagement on
campus.
“We’ve definitely had a bunch of speakers come to talk to us, a couple people linked in with the previous Trump administration,” he said.
These speakers have included Jon Feere, former senior adviser to the director of ICE, and James Bacon, a former assistant to Trump’s director of operations, John McEntee.
Elliot Anderson said one of the key issues he has noticed as being important on campus this election season is the issue of abortion.
“I would say that the Right to Life crowd specifically has a large interest in abortion, and I think the opposite is true of reproductive rights,” he said.
Elliot Anderson additionally noted the economy would also be a key issue for many voters, especially those in the Mendoza College of Business.
Olivia Anderson pointed to both the economy and “democracy” as some of the most important issues for College Democrats members. Despite polls, including The Observer’s election poll, showing those who prioritize the economy as their most important issue favoring Trump, Olivia Anderson argued in favor of Harris’ policies on the subject.
“There is this lack of information generally across the country about Vice President Harris’s policy surrounding the economy,” she said. “It’s a messaging thing …