Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022

Diversity Board celebrates Hispanic Heritage month

By LIAM PRICE a ssociate news e ditor

The student diversity board (sdb) at saint mary’s is ac knowledging hispanic heritage month for the third year from sept. 15 to oct. 15 by spotlight ing diverse l atin a merican countries once a week at tables in the saint mary’s student center.

for the first month of ta bling events, sdb handed out honduran caramel and mango candies to celebrate the coun try, senior and president of sdb crystal ramirez said,

The events have been “really successful, students are often intrigued by what we have there since it’s usually something you can eat or try,” she said. “it’s re ally informal. a nyone’s allowed to stop by and grab a treat for you and your friend.”

The month, ramirez said, celebrates the students at saint mary’s who identify as l atina in any way.

“in order for us to kind of cel ebrate that and foster that com munity here, this is something that we do that is simple but that’s fun and interactive,” she said.

sophomore and vice presi dent of sdb a nais Juliano said l atino-a mericans are ac tively contributing to growing a merican diversity and sdb hopes to take part in the na tional conversation of “uplift ing people who came from these l atino-a merican countries.”

The united states, Juliano said, is unique for fostering cel ebrations like hispanic heritage month.

“That’s something about the united states that i like, that we do that,” she said. but Juliano

Architects discuss NotreDame Cathedral rebuild

By KATIE MUCHNICK news writer

The f rench architects p hilippe v illeneuve and r émi f romont, who are in charge of rebuilding the c athédrale n otre- d ame de p arís following the fire that ravaged it in 2019, spoke about the reconstruction in the w alsh f amily h all of a rchitecture on Tuesday.

v illeneuve, a licensed ar chitect since 1989, has led the reconstruction since the 2019 fire. f romont, who graduated from the École de c haillot in 2014, conducted

a survey of the g othic frameworks of the n otred ame c athedral during his training which proved vital in the reconstruction.

m ichel p icaud, the presi dent of the f riends of n otred ame de p aris, translated for v illenueve. The f riends of n otre- d ame de p aris is the charity leading the fun draising efforts to rebuild and restore the cathedral.

The n otre- d ame c athedral caught fire on the evening of a pril 15, 2019. The fire destroyed the spire, the majority of the roof and a lattice of wooden

beams in the attic. The walls of the nave, choir and two transepts sustained se vere water damage from ef forts to put out the fire.

The stained glass win dows, bell towers and the famous grand organ avoid ed the fire, but the grand organ was in critical con dition because of dust collection and lead con tamination from the melt ing of the exterior.

“ e ven if the images of the fire were very scary, actu ally no part of the interior of the cathedral was really touched,” said v illenueve.

The rebuilding and resto ration of the cathedral are divided into three phases. The safety phase, which focused on ensuring the stability of the cathedral, lasted from a pril 2019 un til a ugust 2021. The re construction phase began in 2021 and will last until 2024, and the final resto ration phase will last from 2025 until the completion of the project.

a ccording to the f riends of n otre- d ame de p aris

By MATTHEW BRODER news writer

o n s eptember 16, Juul l abs, the company behind the Juul e-cigarette, agreed to pay a sum of nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investi gation launched by 33 states, including i ndiana. The in vestigation, launched in ear ly 2020, called into question the marketing and sales of the brand’s e-cigarette prod ucts, including whether the company targeted youths and made misleading claims about the nicotine content of

their devices. a ccording to a statement, the investigation found that Juul knowingly marketed its products to teenagers with launch par ties, product giveaways and ads and social media posts using young-looking models. The sum will be paid out over a period of six to ten years. since the technology was first brought to market in 2015, Juul has taken the world by storm. sleek and easily concealable, with fruity fla vors considered irresistible

Juul PAGE

heriTage PAGE 4 students discuss Juul settlement

Science-business major dropped

By EMMA DUFFY news writer

The science-business ma jor, an interdisciplinary program that included as pects of the curricula from both the m endoza c ollege of b usiness and the c ollege of s cience, will no longer be available to those who have not already declared the major beginning in fall

2023.

i nterdisciplinary majors are intended to allow stu dents to gain from study ing in more than one of n otre d ame’s six colleges. The science-business ma jor had been offered by the u niversity for around 40 years, allowing students to delve into the world of

Police investigate sexual assault

Observer Staff Report

The s t. Joseph c ounty p olice d epartment is inves tigating two instances of sexual assault reported last weekend, according to an email from the s aint m ary’s campus safety department.

p hil b ambenek, the c ollege’s director of the campus safety depart ment, said in the email the assaults appear to be

connected to at least one student party that occurred f riday night and s aturday morning at u niversity e dge a partments.

The email said one of the instances of sexual assault occurred when a student was coerced into a sexual act but then did not explic itly consent to any further activity.

KATIE MUCHNICK | The Observer

The gold rooster will replace the original that partially melted in the fire. The wings are meant to suggest the fire and the Holy Spirit.

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Question of the Day:

Where can you find the best food?

Monica Leon junior Walsh Hall “Garbanzo.”

Eleanor Devetski junior Breen-Phillips Hall “Barnabys.”

Joe Kiley junior Keenan Hall

“Yellow Cat Cafe.”

Corrections

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.

Ian Shuman senior off-campus “Au Bon Pain.”

t

Wednesday

Provost McGreevy Office Hours

Dooley Room, LaFortune

10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

No sign-up needed.

Hispanic Heritage Month Bake Sale

Ave Brew Cafe

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Celebrating customs, traditions and beliefs.

Thursday

Queen Talks

Spes, Room 134

7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

A safe space to play some games, vent and laugh.

Theology on Tap Saints Square

9 p.m. - 10 p.m.

A relaxed atmosphere for students to explore questions of faith.

Friday

“Flip Kitchen.”

Trey Natili sophomore Carroll Hall

“South Dining Hall.”

Want your event included

news@ndsmcobserver.com

Saturday

Images of Etel Adnan Zoom

12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Honoring the beloved Lebanese-American poet and visual artist.

Labor Cafe Geddes Hall

5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Discussing the labor question in America’s K-12 classrooms.

Seminar in American Religion

205-207 McKenna Hall

9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Free and open to all.

Cookies and Canvas Library Lawn

9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Register online to paint your very own ND inspired portrait.

Sunday

An Afternoon at Lukes

Holy Cross Hall

3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Gilmore Girls themed get together.

Performance by Fleur de Lys

Reyes Organ and Choral Hall

4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

A Baroque ensemble.

Sheikh

Collins

Breen Graphics

Gorecki

Photo Sopia CrimiVaroli

Sports

Schatz

Ryan Scene

Sophia CrimiVaroli | The Observer

The new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art is under construction next to the Walsh Family Hall of Architecture. Notre Dame hired Rob ert A.M. Stern Architects, a leading classical architecture firm with international recognition and expertise, to design the museum.

Joseph Hoover first-year Duncan Hall

Grant provides pre-college programming

By COLLEEN FARRELL news Writer

The n otre d ame office of pre-college program ming has received a grant from the Lilly e ndowment Inc, a private charitable organization based in Indianapolis. The funding provided by this grant will go towards providing precollege programming for teens from underserved high schools in Indiana.

The Lilly e ndowment has offered other grants in the tri-campus community, including one to promote mental health in n otre d ame residence halls called the ‘People With h ope to b ring Initiative.’

To be eligible for the grant, Paul m ueller explained that high schoolers must come from an underserved high school in Indiana.

m ueller, who is the director

Science

con TI nued from PaGe 1

business while also pre paring them for a career in healthcare.

The major intended to qualify the student to enter an mba program, as well as healthcare professional education such as medical school, dental school, public health or health care admin istration. The curriculum of the major was varied, allow ing students to get the full experience of an interdisci plinary study.

“The major serves a group of students who seek ca reers in s T em -aligned fields like consulting, the petrochemical and phar maceutical industries and healthcare administra tion. It also serves some preprofessional students who want to gain valuable expertise in the business of running their own prac tices once they finish medi cal or dental school,” said d an Gezelter, associate

of the office of pre-college programming, said his de partment determines which schools are considered un derserved using a variety of factors.

“We use professional judgment from our ad missions counselors that visit these high schools to flag schools that they thought might fit an un derserved criteria. In other cases, we use federal rules to determine whether a school was under served or under-resourced,” he said.

The grant will be used to reach out to high school students who otherwise might not have been think ing about college, m ueller said.

“ o ur traditional ‘ s ummer s cholars’ student has already been thinking about college. s o, this population that Lilly is funding is a little bit of an

dean for undergraduate studies, in an email. “ o ur science-business gradu ates have also gone on to law school, graduate school, the nonprofit sector, directly into careers in industry and have even built their own businesses.”

John n ash, a junior in the science-business major, said that the program served his interests in both areas.

“I really liked the major, I think it’s a really good com bination of two things that I really care about,” n ash said. “a nd I wanted to have an experience with both be cause I feel it’s always good to have a multidisciplinary course load.”

In its place, the c ollege of b usiness will offer a mi nor of five courses on the foundation of business, open to students in the c ollege of s cience. The mi nor will provide students a foundational education in business while allowing them to still pursue a career in healthcare.

outreach population to get their college search activat ed,” he explained.

b ecause of the addi tional funding from the endowment, m ueller said the pre-college office has grown its ‘ s ummer s cholars’ program to accommodate more students.

“We’re growing summer programs, probably by about 25 percent next year and another 25 percent the subsequent years as a result of this,” m ueller said.

The ‘ s ummer s cholars’ program brings students onto n otre d ame’s campus where they take a course taught by n otre d ame facul ty. Last year, there were 450 students in one session of the program, however, m ueller said that by next year it is expanding to two sessions with the total number of stu dents between 555 and 575.

o ne of the main changes

“The science-business ma jor provides an excellent ed ucation on the foundations of business, but restructur ing as a primary science ma jor plus the new minor will make this education more broadly available to students with a primary interest in one of the main scientific disciplines,” Gezelter said in an email.

n ash said he doesn’t be lieve the minor will foster the same sense of commu nity as the major.

“There isn’t a course for science-business kids. You take science classes and you take business classes, so I understand where they’re coming from,” n ash said. “I don’t necessarily think it would be too different, but it is nice to kind of meet other kids in the science-business program and know that we all kind of have similar in terests. s o I definitely think that kind of community would go away.”

Geltzer said that the change will resolve the ad ministrative challenges of a

brought on by the grant is that the program will now include a college fair as a way of connecting students to other Indiana schools, m ueller said.

“The biggest difference for the students will be that we’re adding a college fair, where we’re asking our other Indiana colleges to come up and talk about what they have to offer. It’s a recognition that espe cially from the Lillyfunded students, not all of them will be able to get into n otre d ame, so let’s give them the opportunity to ex plore what other options they might have in the state,” he said.

m uller explained that the goal is to help under served high school stu dents put themselves in college students’ shoes and begin to think about the possibility of attending

cross-college program.

“ r elying on two different colleges to provide the re quired classes for a major is always a challenge,” Gezelter said in an email. “The c ollege of b usiness wants to oversee their own academic pro grams and their own classes and wants to offer a distinct credential for n otre d ame students.”

Gezelter said that the pro gram’s interdisciplinary hir ing potential would not end with the major.

“The science-business name helped recruiters find students who had a broad interdisciplinary training in science as well as a firm foundation in business,” Gezelter said in an email.

“That recruiting edge may be missing for future classes, but the top-notch training in the sciences and in business will remain for students who combine one of the new mi nors with a primary major in science.”

n ash said he has been able to advance his career through his

Assault

college.

“The biggest benefit is to get them onto campus and get them projecting themselves at a four-year college, thinking about ‘this is possible. I can do this,’” he said.

n otre d ame students can get involved with precollege programming as resident counselors, m ueller said. The students are hired as staff in the dorms.

“[The summer staff] provide leadership. They show students the ropes, they get them to the din ing halls on time and into their classes on time. s o, it’s a terrific summer employment opportunity for people that are really inter ested in working with high school students,” m ueller said.

Contact Colleen Farrell at cfarre23@nd.edu

science-business major.

“I’m actually interning at d av ita healthcare next sum mer, which is a healthcare consulting firm that works in kidney care,” n ash said. “a nd they said that my ma jor, science-business, really stood out to them because it’s not something a lot of other universities offer and they thought it was super unique and really played into what their company is all about.”

The science-business ma jor as students once knew it is unlikely to return to n otre d ame, but Gezelter said there is hope for a new major with similar tenets.

“ o nce we have approval to sunset the major, it is not likely to come back,” Gezelter said in an email.

“The science dean’s office is currently looking at options for a new interdisciplinary science major that will share many of the strengths of the s cience- b usiness major.”

Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu

to target-demographic adults and teenagers alike, Juuls have become the bane of high school administrators across the country. a 2018 study placed usage at least three times a month among 15 to 17-year-olds at above 50%, making Juul by far the most popular nicotine product used by teenagers.

“ vaping contains nicotine, and nicotine is a stimulant,” sisy c hen said, director of health and wellbeing within the executive cabinet of the

student government. “s o, when you take a hit of a vape, you experience a short-term high, and it may make you feel relaxed or feel great in that mo ment, but over a long period of time, it can have really detri mental effects on your lungs. It can also cause increases in depression and anxiety, espe cially in college students.”

Juul’s catastrophic falling from grace has come about almost as quickly as its rise to fame. The beginning of the end came in 2019, when Juul agreed to make chang es to its youth advertising practices which included the

discontinuation of flavored pods, leaving only tobacco, mint and menthol flavors on shelves in the u s since 2019, over 2,300 class action cases have been filed against the company in federal court.

“ vaping has such an in stant reward,” sophomore b en mulenda said. he’s a smoker, but he only smokes cigarettes.

“nicotine used to be this fun thing to do after you finish your work. but now everyone just takes momentary hits and they don’t really reward them selves. a fter I get this paper

con TI nued from PaGe 1

The details of the sec ond reported assault are unclear but it appears to be connected to the same u niversity e dge student party, the email said.

b ambenek went on to give more information on what constitutes sexual as sault and the definition of consent.

“a nyone initiating any kind of sexual contact with another person must seek consent and not en gage in sexual contact

unless consent is given,” he wrote. “‘ c onsent’ means informed, freely given agreement, communicated by clearly understandable words or actions, to partic ipate in each form of sexual activity. c onsent cannot be inferred from silence, passivity, or lack of active resistance.’”

a person who is inca pacitated is unable to give consent, b ambenek added. The email requested any witnesses to contact the police department at (574) 235-9611 to assist in the investigation.

website, two major projects in the reconstruction phase are now complete — the re moval of the burnt scaffold ing and the removal of the grand organ for restoration.

v illenueve says that much of the work of the recon struction is in maintaining the stability of the cathedral.

The scaffolding, which was erected as a part of a roof res toration project that began in 2017, supported part of the spire when it collapsed dur ing the fire, v illenueve said. h owever, the melted and twisted scaffolding weighed about 200 tons and posed a threat to the cathedral until its removal last n ovember.

In addition to the scaf folding, the flying buttress es around the exterior of the cathedral were pushing on the walls of the build ing. To prevent a potential

Heritage

PAGe

added that the tri-campus, composed of predominantly white institutions (PWIs), has an added need for commu nity building among Latino students.

“We like doing this. I think it builds some more community where community has lacked over the years,” she said. “especially given that at saint mary’s, notre dame and holy cross, all PWIs, it can be a lit tle daunting coming to school knowing that you’re kind of all by yourself.”

ramirez said the celebration is a part of the board’s larger purpose on campus and is something they have begun to look forward to every year.

“I’ve definitely seen its im pact in the growth [the Latina] population has had here at saint mary’s,” ramirez said. “but we really just do it because it’s our mission as this student diversity board to celebrate, to advocate and to educate on our diverse student body.”

Juliano said the support is

collapse, a wooden frame work was erected that exact ly mimicked the structure of the buttresses within 5 centimeters.

“ c lassic architecture is a dynamic architecture,” v illenueve said. “If one ele ment falls, all the other ele ments [are in danger].”

In addition to the exterior and roof, the reconstruction team had to excavate within the cathedral. Part of this excavation was done with ro bots into the vaults because a combination of fire and water damage made entry too dangerous, v illenueve said.

Archaeologists also ex cavated underneath a small area of the floor to prepare for the construc tion of interior scaffolding. d uring the excavations, they found sculptures, a human-shaped sarcophagus and a rood screen that was constructed in 1230 to

effective.

“Knowing that there’s like a whole group of people that want to celebrate you, I think that is the best part of sdb and the best part of saint mary’s, that people want to applaud who you are,” she said.

A fun activity sdb is plan ning for the month, Juliano said, involves spin-cycle classes.

“We’re doing a hispanic heritage month spin-cycle class here at saint mary’s, where we put on LatinAmerican artists.”

ramirez said sdb is still planning with saint mary’s “Period Project” and other tricampus groups to host events before the end of the month.

An upcoming tri-campus event will be the month’s larg est, ramirez said. Working with notre dame’s Latino student Alliance, the event will help the tri-campus “to re ally come together, build com munity and celebrate all of our Latinx students across the tricampus,” she added.

Contact Liam Price at lprice3@ nd.edu

separate the choir from the congregation.

Fromont explained several key questions that are guid ing the restoration of the cathedral.

First, the architects have documentation explain ing which parts of the roof were added throughout the cathedral’s history. They must consider which “ver sion” of the roof to rebuild.

s econd, the architects had to decide whether or not to include the spire, which was added in the 19th cen tury by architect e ugène v iollet-le- d uc. Fromont said they decided to rebuild the 19th-century spire because it is central to the silhouette of the cathe dral and Paris.

Finally, many architects submitted designs that in cluded modern styles of architecture or different materials such as glass, con crete or steel — rather than

the original wood. The re construction of the n otred ame cathedral was part of an ongoing debate about whether or not to modernize the design in a restoration process.

Ultimately, Fromont said, they decided that they didn’t want “a new roof for an old building.”

“I think we have to be humble,” Fromont said. “If we build a new style of roof, would it be the Philippe v illeneuve roof or would it be the roof of the cathe dral? The perfection [of the original design] was enough for itself, for the cultural heritage.”

The only thing that will be updated in the restoration project is the rooster that once sat atop the spire. It fell onto the roof during the fire.

The rooster was badly melted, but it survived the fire and is on display in Paris. The rooster contains

three relics—a piece of the crown of thorns, which was supposedly put into the rooster by v iollet-le- d uc in 1860, a relic of s t. d enis and a relic of s t. Geneviève.

To replace the origi nal rooster, a new design that incorporates elements honoring the fire and the h oly s pirit was created.

d espite the tragedy of the fire, v illenueve and Fromont were grateful to the capa bilities of French architects and craftspeople to restore the cathedral to its original glory. France is one of the leading countries in restor ing monuments and other cultural relics, v illenueve said.

“In a way, wars or catastro phes like this [are] opportu nities to reinforce this type of craftspeople . . . for the fu ture,” v illeneuve said.

Contact Katie Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.edu

Panel discusses abortion

By CAROLINE COLLINS news Writer

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story appeared online on September 21.

The n otre d ame Gender s tudies Program hosted a teach-in and discussion featuring a panel of lo cal experts on Post- r oe America on Wednesday af ternoon. The panelists dis cussed the recent d obbs v. Jackson Women’s h ealth o rganization s upreme c ourt decision and Indiana’s new abortion law and its effects with an emphasis on margin alized groups.

The event was also spon sored by the Initiative on r ace and r esilience, in part nership with the Indiana University s outh b end (IU sb ) c ivil r ights h eritage c enter. The panelists includ ed n otre d ame professors Tamara Kay and c hristina Wolbrecht, IU sb professor April Lidinsky, post-doctor ate fellow Kate m c c abe, com munity activist c harlotte Pfeifer and d arryl h eller, the director of the IU sb c ivil r ights h eritage c enter.

The discussion revolved around the intersection of faith and support for abor tion rights.

Kay said people who sup port abortion are likely the majority, even at a c atholic school like n otre d ame.

“There are a lot of women of faith who support rights to reproductive freedom and justice,” Kay said. “It’s im portant for those of us who are willing to speak up to speak out. o therwise, it ap pears that there aren’t that many of us when we’re prob ably the majority.”

Lidinsky agreed, extrapo lating Kay’s point to the na tional level.

“The majority of people in the U. s . and in Indiana sup port access to the full range of reproductive health care that includes abortion,” Lindinsky said.

Kay said her faith and con science implore her to think about the repercussions of these policies that affect the people she cares for.

Kay said she believes her conscience is as legitimate as what the c hurch tells her. s he added that her “stance on [the abortion] issue comes from a profound sense of faith and the dignity of women.”

Pfeifer also discussed how her faith drives her beliefs in abortion rights.

“I want you to know that you can be a deep person of faith and you can be prochoice,” she said.

s everal panel members also agreed that anti-abor tion policies disproportion ately affect minorities and people of color.

Wolbrecht referenced Jim c row Laws in the first half of the 20th century as an exam ple of laws that constrained b lack people’s freedoms. h eller said anti-abortion laws are examples of some one else imposing their will and morality onto others.

“[Patriarchy and white su premacy] have been used to dominate other people, and this has shaped our country and the present,” h eller said.

Pfeifer said the U. s . was built on the backs of under represented people, many of whom didn’t have bodily autonomy.

“To me, choice means ev erything,” she said.

m c c abe said authorities can punish women for their behaviors while pregnant, which disproportionately af fects marginalized groups.

“c ulturally, we have inter nalized this narrative that some people’s reproduction is problematic,” m c c abe said.

s he said Indiana’s abortion law makes allows women to be be criminalized on either side of their pregnancy.

“You’d be criminalized for seeking an abortion, but you could also be criminalized for just remaining pregnant,” m c c abe said.

s he said this is problem atic because only focusing on access to abortion ignores conversations about system atic failures that were pres ent when r oe was in effect and continue to affect people post- r oe.

m c c abe said focusing just on abortion access can dis tract from broader conversa tions about marginalization during the era of r oe v. Wade.

“If we are focusing too nar rowly on legal abortion and access to legal abortion, we are missing out on important conversations around all of the ways that people have been marginalized already through their reproduction and reproductive behavior,” m c c abe said.

h eller said the reversal of r oe v. Wade is an example of history repeating itself.

“It is one of the ways history expands and con tracts and repeats itself,” h eller said. “There is a real attempt to try to narrow the range of rights that we all possess.”

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

Courtesy of Crystal Ramirez

From left, SDB Vice President Anas Juliano and Secretary Ana Baca table at SDB’s first week to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

done, and after i get another paper done, yeah, sure. i’ll go smoke a cigarette. People frown on that, but like, glorify vaping, which really annoys me.”

The biggest hit, though, came in June of this year when the F da moved to ban all Juul products from shelves in the U. s a federal court granted a temporary stay, allowing their products to stay on the mar ket, and the F da has since re opened its scientific review of the company’s technology.

since 2020, the minimum age to legally purchase and use e-cigarette products, in cluding vapes, in i ndiana has been 21.

“i n accordance with state law, smoking for anyone under 21 at the university is prohibit ed,” c hen said. but she is cog nizant of the fact that it still does happen on campus.

“obviously i don’t know exactly what goes on behind closed doors, but i will say that there is a portion of the student body that probably does vape, as with any other university across the United states,” she said.

s ome have a very optimistic view of the situation.

“i feel like personally, i haven’t seen [vaping] much here at nd,” senior c aroline Paige said. “i feel like many students i talk to here seem to understand the risks of vap ing and try to stay away from it. i actually transferred here from a big Ten school after my freshman year, and i felt like there was a bigger vaping cul ture there.”

Following the pseudo-ban this past summer, Juul has shifted to marketing its prod uct more as an alternative source of nicotine for older smokers. The company has agreed to halt a number of marketing practices as part of its recent settlement, in cluding not using cartoons or depicting people under 35 in ads, paying social media influencers or placing ads in any outlets unless 85% of their audience are adults. The set tlement also includes restric tions on where Juul products can be sold and age verifica tion on all sales.

“To anyone who is dealing with an addiction to vaping or nicotine, i recommend seek ing help and reaching out for support because it really is an addiction, and we must make sure that every student on campus is healthy,” c hen said.

“The university counseling services, they have support groups for those struggling with addiction, whether that’s individual or group counsel ing, where students that have gone through similar experi ences can come together and really support each other.”

students celebrate moon Festival

By CAROLINE COLLINS news Writer

The c hinese depart ment and the department of e ast a sian Languages and c ultures celebrated the m idautumn Festival, also known as the moon Festival, in the LaFortune ballroom sunday, s ept. 26. The celebration fea tured student performances, traditional decorations and c hinese food.

The m id-autumn Festival, is one of c hina’s biggest and most important festivals.

The festival is a celebration including family reunions, mooncakes, parades and lanterns.

The c hinese department’s annual festival is impor tant for students studying c hinese, according to profes sor Yongping Zhu.

he said the purpose of the event is “to allow our students who study c hinese to know c hinese culture by learning c hinese dance and [perform ing songs].”

a ccording to assistant teaching professor and event coorwdinator c ongcong ma, the festival celebrates the harvest season and usually falls on s ept. 15. however, she explained that the date of the celebration is based on the lu nar calendar, so the exact date varies from year to year.

“We have a very full bright moon on that day and that represents the family reunion. it’s a good chance to bring all of our students together, to have the opportunity to meet people from different [grade] levels, like a family reunion,” ma said.

Zhu also described the

family-oriented celebration. he said on the day of the fes tival, the moon is rounded and this is interpreted as a metaphor for family members coming together.

Junior Linh oliver said the festival is based on the myth of the moon Goddess c hang’e.

“The moon is said to sym bolize a lot of things that are crucial in c hinese culture: family and togetherness, har mony, longevity and pros perity,” oliver said. “e ven in modern times, this holiday serves as a time for reflection, recentering of self and spend ing quality time with those you hold dear.”

e ach level c hinese class prepared a performance for the event. First, second and third-year students per formed in larger groups while fourth-year students had

Paid a dverT isemen T

individual performances, ac cording to oliver.

“There were a lot of super talented solo performers who got to showcase their pas sions, and then there were group performances from all the different classes,” oliver said.

a fter the performances, students and families were invited to enjoy c hinese food and mooncakes.

The event was sponsored by the department of east a sian languages & cultures, the Liu i nstitute for a sia and a sian studies and the center for the study of languages & cultures.

The c hinese department also hosts an annual celebra tion in February to mark the 15 days of c hinese new Year.

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

A not-so-secret history: prestige and elitism in academia

Elizabeth Prater spark nd buckle your seatbelts, it’s time to study abroad

Sophia Michetti scene Writer

I had a lot of expectations about how my study abroad was going to go, and none of them came to fruition the way I thought they would. now, this isn’t to say I didn’t have the best time of my life — I definitely did. That being said, my study abroad experience taught me one of the most important lessons I’ve gotten out of my time at notre dame: Just go with it.

When I found out I was accepted into the rome Undergraduate Program in January 2021, I immediately let my Lizzie mcGuire dreams run wild. I would stare at maps of europe, read about rome and prac tice my Italian whenever I could. I had never been abroad before, so my parents and I were anxiously looking into airline tickets and what was the right luggage to take. Given that the only flight I had ever taken was to orlando with the band for the camping World bowl Game in december 2019, I was nervous about flying across the Atlantic by my self. however, by the time the end of fall semester 2021 rolled around, I felt ready to go to europe that next month. As fate would have it, though, everything went to the dumpster fire. my journey to Italy consisted of a bickering-filled car ride with my mother, who was even more stressed with dropping me off alone due to my dad’s recent cov Id-19 diagnosis, a very strange interaction with the German customs agent who made me show him my wallet at 6:15 a.m. and over an hour-long wait for my ride in the Fiumicino Airport parking lot. I should have known then that I’d be in for a wild ride. my time in europe was filled with crazy adventures to different cit ies, countries and places within rome. I met so many great friends in the rUP program, and I strengthened my previous friendships from campus by visiting people in other programs. reflecting on all of those happy memories, I can’t help but remember how much those bonds grew with the pressure of traveling. I’ll give you a fan favorite among my friends.

Imagine this: it’s the end of your spring break and you’re in Paris. The weather has been gorgeous all weekend, you’ve seen so many beautiful pieces of art and your eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store when the eiffel Tower started sparkling at night. You’re feeling pretty good when it’s time for you and your friends to head back to rome, where you also know your parents have just landed to visit you. That’s when the chaos hits. ryanair’s airport is an hour and a half outside of the city, and the only feasible option to get there is to take the bus they recommend getting on two-and-a-half hours before your flight. You and your friends were already late getting to your storage locker, so you’re sitting in the back of an Uber with stuff piled on your laps up to your necks. There’s about two minutes until your bus is about to leave, so your friends push you out of the side door when the car stops, and you frantically run to the French driver yelling in english to hold the bus. Turns out, there’s a very long line of people that you still had to wait through, so you end up missing the next two buses, too.

We ended up making it onto the plane by the grace of God. We had to run from the bus to the gate, but luckily, they ended up holding the plane for us thanks to two of our friends who had left earlier. I’ll never forget the look of the Italian man in the plane seat next to me who looked very concerned when I showed up panting with all of my friends. I’m telling you this story as an example of what I most valued out of my personal journey during study abroad. I learned to just deal with things.

A person can learn a lot from immersing themselves in another cul ture. When a language is being spoken around you that you don’t fully understand, you become so much more self-aware and notice more about what exactly makes up a culture by noticing the differences from your own. It’s a scary thing to do at first, but anybody would come out of an experience like that feeling more mature and capable of taking on any situation. In my case, I never felt more like an adult than I did when I was living in rome. I may not have met a Paolo and sang in the colosseum like Lizzie mcGuire, but I did grow a whole lot more into myself.

You can contact Sophia at smichett@nd.edu. The views expressed in this Inside column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

september 12 — an annual article is pub lished by U.s news & World report: “best national University rankings.” There’s a buzz on notre dame’s campus.

“can you believe it,” a student whispers to a friend, as they scroll on their phone down to the bottom of the T20. “notre dame is tied with columbia.”

For the next couple of days, I would overhear conversations in the dining hall and classes, in which students discussed the scandal that surrounded columbia University’s former misrepresentation of its statistics which were factored into its ranking decision. columbia math professor michael Thaddeus challenged the school’s data submission and claimed it was “dubious or highly misleading.” While columbia was initially ranked no. 2 by U.s news & World report, it dropped to no. 18 after further inves tigation — landing a tie with the University of notre dame.

This isn’t the first time that inaccuracies in the ranking have occurred — both undiscovered and exposed inaccuracies. but given columbia’s academic prestige among the Ivy League titans, as well as being on notre dame’s campus during this ranking publication, it seemed like this was a much larger deal than past whistleblowing and auditing of university reports.

I found myself disappointed by the general fervor of excitement that occurred after this incident. While not indicative of the entire notre dame campus, I did hear rhetoric that seemed to commend notre dame’s stature and declara tion of equivalence to columbia during the revi sion of the rankings this year.

We wear our tied ranking like a badge of hon or, yet do we want to celebrate being considered the same caliber as an institute that got caught fudging the numbers? columbia is not alone; it is just the canary in a coal mine; a buzz-worthy casualty that exposes the fault lines of higher education in the United states.

however, I would be lying if I completely de nied that prestige and rankings were at least a part of my college decision process. They pro vided some tangible way for me to compare the offerings and opportunities at numerous differ ent universities — many of which I did not get the chance to visit in person due to cov Id-19.

As much as I want to cast aside these evalu ations made by third parties and declare them to be a mere trifle, most candidates for admis sion at notre dame and other “top institutions” are often enticed to apply based on these very appraisals. The reality is many students rely on these ideals and reports — hoping that ac ceptance to an institution of high caliber will somehow reflect credibility and worthiness onto themselves.

Prestige and elitism within higher education are no strangers to the world of literature either. There’s an entire genre dedicated to this everincreasing concept, mostly attributed to donna Tartt’s novel “The secret history.” Published in 1992, “The secret history” follows an ensemble of college students at a renowned liberal arts college in new england whose intellectual pursuits get muddled with the hubris of adoles cence and emulation of the classical world. This

novel is claimed to beget the “dark academia” genre.

While dark academia is ill-defined, most de scribe the genre as novels that take place in pri vate institutions and elite universities — many featuring liberal arts disciplines. In addition, there is usually a darker element at play, such as betrayal and even murder. The competitive strife that these characters experience, while exaggerated for dramatic effect, is still encour aged in the real world by the ranking and clas sification system of universities.

To suggest abolishing the ranking system is not my aim in identifying these issues or com menting on the way we perceive higher educa tion. however, perhaps we should reframe our mindset to remind ourselves that the fickleness of such systems should reduce our reliance on them. rankings are commonly used as a sound ing board for our intrinsic principles and value. but when rankings can drastically change and are contingent upon the candor and validity of their unaudited reporters, why are we basing our sense of worth on these transient elements?

When I think of the allure of the dark aca demia genre, I think of the pull toward the aestheticism of higher education. Peacoats, spires and wire-rimmed glasses all make the cut for the visual imagery I conjure in this realm. however, to claim that aestheticism and the appeal of appearances don’t exist to the same degree in actuality is false. The rankings with which we concern ourselves, the crests we asso ciate with certain elite institutions — these are all charms that divert our attention from the big picture.

What does it mean to think and to reason? how do the interpersonal connections and relationships we form in college influence the people we become? These are the things that can’t be addressed in a simple ranking or a sta tistical report.

chapter one of “The secret history” begins with richard Papen’s retrospective reflection of his character’s downfall. It commences with the inquiry, “does such a thing as “the fatal flaw,” that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn’t. now I think it does. And I think mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs.”

When I consider the best national University rankings, I think about the strive for the pic turesque — an unrealistic ideal that we believe will transcend our current circumstances. but at what point does this become a “morbid long ing?” At what cost will we listen to the rankings and prestige above our own necessities and judgments?

Elizabeth Prater is a junior at Notre Dame double majoring in marketing and the pro gram of liberal studies (great books). She is interested in the cultural implications of ana lyzing classics & literature under a contem porary lens. When she isn’t writing, she loves playing the violin, hiking in the PNW, going to concerts with friends and offering unsolicited book recommendations. Elizabeth always ap preciates hearing from readers, so feel free to reach out eprater@nd.edu or @elizabethlianap on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Fall is here, but I swear, summer is forever

Kate Casper o utsider Instincts

Perhaps the start of fall isn’t marked by last Thursday’s Autumnal equinox at 9:04 p.m. eastern Time — maybe it’s the August 30 return of the Pumpkin spiced Latte to starbucks, or the day the box fans start to disappear from dorm room windows. maybe it’s the first chill of fall you feel on an overcast day on campus or the slow, painful retirement of your flip-flops. however you define this shift, it’s happen ing, and everyone’s feeling it.

Although I want nothing more than to embrace the turn of the new season, I find myself holding on for dear life to the summertime. on chilly late-night Grotto trips and sweatshirt-clad walks to debart, I’m thinking about legendary nights with hometown friends and summer romances. I’m thinking about saturated sunsets and mountain air and feet-dan gling-out-of-car-windows. but whenever I feel this sense of loss, I remind myself that summer can be bottled. I’ve found my summer during this seasonal transition in a few songs.

The first song is “bIK e no more” by brotherkenzie, which can best be described as a haunting, unfinished love letter. The dark piano melody coupled with the eerie vocals creates an otherworldly feeling. The lyrics are distant and vague like those lingering moments from summer: “don’t you think I know you best / When you’re fast asleep on my chest? / I’ve still got so much to say.” despite its lack of specificity lyrically, the song is made more vivid in its repetition and sonic mood. It feels like stomping through frozen flower beds, moody and satisfying.

“sweet disposition” by The Temper Trap, an anthe mic song popularized by 500 days of summer, opens with a glittery, tangy guitar riff that builds gradually to an epic pre-chorus. The pre-chorus is a series of snap shots that encapsulate youth and recklessness: “A mo ment, a love, a dream, aloud / A kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs.” The song invites listeners to plug in their own kisses, cries and mistakes — it’s a montage of our youth. It’s frantic and desperate, but also slow, mes merizing and complex.

The most gut-wrenching song is “Wish on an eyelash” by mallrat. The song is less than a minute long but creates a mood of longing that survives the track. singer Grace Kathleen e lizabeth shaw delivers crisp, angelic vocals detailing her pining: “I made a wish on an eyelash / made a wish on elevens / made a wish on my birthday / Talk about you to heaven.” The song is ethereal and somber, reminiscent of summers spent full of yearning, blowing on dandelions and hoping for things seemingly out of reach.

“september” by roy blair is the most obvious tran sitional song for this time of year. It chronicles the end of a relationship, but with a glimmer of hope for the future. blair contextualizes the narrative, singing, “I haven’t seen your face in about three months now.” he includes concrete images of a drunk walk home and his former lover’s honda Accord, with commentary and reflection. he pleads, “Wish that we still talked / even if the talk was small.” The song is as much in the now as it is in the past; it is one foot in and one foot out. but, above all, the song is about acceptance that all good things must end, whether that be a season or a relationship.

surf curse’s “Lost honor” is an upbeat grunge rock song that is full of anticipation and excitement.

Guitarist Jacob rubeck told Flood magazine, “This song is about fighting for love that feels right.” From new Year’s memories and hands on hips, frontman nick rattigan details and discerns precious moments, but asserts that “A final kiss never dies.” When I hear this song, I feel so sure that nothing ever dies. nothing ever goes away.

The beauty of these songs is in their breadth, but mostly in their ability to capture this indescribable feeling that we call summer. The songs are full of longing and anger and mourning and freedom. The songs sound like those invaluable fast food runs with hometown friends and culver’s runs in south bend with school friends. The songs sound like curling up in a ball in your childhood bedroom and sobbing salty tears at the Grotto. The songs transcend time and place. They are not summer songs — they are forever songs. because surely our falls will be full of longing; surely our winters will be full of joy; surely our springs will be full of “rights” and “wrongs.” because every season brings so much new and so much of the same.

As we trade our t-shirts and shorts for sweatshirts and jeans, I hope we all call upon those moments of bliss from the summertime with the knowledge that bliss will return in time. maybe we won’t find it in hesburgh Library at 2 a.m. cramming for a midterm, but we will find it somewhere in notre dame, Indiana, perhaps when we least expect it.

Kate Casper (aka, Casper, Underdog or Jasmine) is from Northern Virginia, currently residing in BreenPhillips Hall. She strives to be the best waste of your time. You can contact her at kcasper@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The helping paradox

Carlos Basurto eudaemonic banter

We, as human beings, have had the fortune (or mis fortune, for some) to interact with one another in mat ters of the mind and the heart since the beginning of time. As social creatures, we must rely on one another to share this spinning ball of flaming rock and coop erate to a certain degree to survive. however, not all cooperation is created equal, and I would like to pro pose rethinking the manner in which one cooperates. At times, helping is not helpful. not simply because of the possible ineffectiveness of the action, but be cause the very concept of helping is not helpful. even those with the best intentions can and do commit the repeated mistake of falling victim to the helping Paradox.

In human relationships where one party is per ceived as lacking in an area with respect to another and a more equitable system is wished to be estab lished, absent any additional parties, there are three possible options.

The first is for the favored party to fix the other, to forcibly change and manufacture its ideal version of its colleague, violating their autonomy. It dictates by definition that there is something deeply wrong with the unfavored party and they cannot possibly better themselves without intervention. This happens most often with those marginalized from society, those whose voice simply does not fit the norm. As their very viewpoint is considered inappropriate, they must surely be broken, no? Perhaps they do not compre hend the help one offers, but it is for their own good. Thus, it is only logical that it must be done, is it not? Where does one draw the line?

It is apparent that fixing a person might, then, be a violently dehumanizing process. many comprehend that forcibly changing someone is not the best method with which to provide support. Yet, what about uncon sciously changing someone with the same objective?

The second option of support is for the favored party to help the other. Though better, for it does not alienate the unfavored party from its sovereignty, it establishes the helping party as indisputably superior. Those that receive help are only raised up to the stan dards that befit the perspective of the first party. That is to say, what we call helping is one-sided. regardless of the willingness or lack thereof of the unfavorable party, the final word about what they should be come is given to the one in a position of supremacy. Ultimately, the unfavorable have no control beyond accepting or refusing the help, and it is not tailored for them but for the favorable party that knows what they want them to become. At times, this might co incide with the desires of the unfavorable party, but we must recognize that they lack genuine freedom conventionally. many help others without taking this into account, and this is the origin of the aforemen tioned paradox. At times, the more one wishes to help another, the less helpful they actually become. This is because helping, in praxis, is not equitative. There is a correct way, the way of the helper, and the incorrect way, the way of the helped. Thus, we run into the same conundrum: is their way truly inappropriate? Is this coercion genuinely adequate if we believe it benefits them?

Though there is a reasonable argument to be made in certain situations, note that I am speaking of the act in itself across our fundamental human experi ence. This is not a matter of a specific discipline, but of sharing opinions, comparing reasonings and address ing problems. It is a matter of being human with one another, and what that means is simple in theory but so nuanced in practice. For perhaps not all coopera tion is created equal, but humans certainly are, no? If we believe all human beings are of equal value, then there should be no place for a favored party to even exist in its traditional meaning. one cannot build stairs to a place of equal altitude.

This leads us to the final option of support, one that is very rarely explored: for the parties to serve one

another. That is, to recognize the validity and value of each and to actively teach to and learn from one another. This option recognizes the world does not fit a linear spectrum and that in order to engage with one another genuinely it is required to grow with one another. There is no objective better or worse, only humans traveling the river that is the passage of time, each with their own distinct and powerful objectives, but none that would befit a lack of modesty. When one serves there is no favored or unfavored party, there is only the teacher-student and the student-teacher. In the most humble method of cooperation; both par ties realize they can learn from one another and there is no need for hierarchy. They are both human after all, no? equal in value, equal when born, equal when dead.

Thus, is it not logical to realize this? The wisest, most educated scholar can always learn from the cu riosity of a child. cooperation is not a binary, cyclical process. It is messy, it is not unidirectional, and, most importantly, it is profoundly human.

Then, dear reader, next time you come across some one that could use a bit of cooperation, why don’t you take the time to learn something from them too in the process? True growth will always derive from unthought-of ideas. There is naught to regret and in finity to learn.

Carlos A. Basurto is a first-year at Notre Dame ready to delve into his philosophy major with the hopes of adding the burden of a computer science major on top of that. When not busy you can find him consuming yet another 3+ hour-long analysis video of a show he has yet to watch or masochistically completing every achievement from a variety of video games. Now with the power to channel his least insane ideas, feel free to talk about them via email at cbasurto@nd.edu (he is, tragically, very fond of speaking further about anything at all).

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Things that don’t bring joy

Reyna Lim The o vershare

We’ve all seen marie Kondo and her organization wizardry on netflix, preaching her secret key to not being a hot mess: if the object doesn’t “spark joy,” throw it away. I am a hot (arguable) mess, and I hold onto things that spark sadness, frustration, nostalgia and humiliation.

For years, I’ve obsessively preserved souvenirs from defining mo ments and memories, not in the form of postcards and magnets but random trinkets that I would declare as “sentimental” according to my arbitrary, melodramatic discretion.

Up to this point, I view my decisively uneventful timeline in a series of peaks and valleys, and the valleys somehow seem so much more monumental than the peaks — and so, sorry, marie, but I’ll be holding on to the things that remind me of all my existential crises and crying sessions to Frank ocean.

If, hypothetically, all of my possessions were to be in one place, and that one place was to catch on fire, I would want all of the below objects to be salvaged. not just the things that sparked joy.

The orange dreamcatcher my middle school friend made for me when I was moving away. I haven’t spoken to her in years, and I’m sure she has no idea that it’s dangled from the window in every single bed room I’ve slept in since.

The one pair of wired headphones I keep in my backpack even when I have fully charged AirPods. The same headphones that drowned out seoul subway announcements and new York city traffic.

my diary from my junior year of high school, pages filled with what in retrospect read like an extensive neurotic breakdown. This was my most unapologetic, uninhibited version and she was someone I would love to find again.

The battered, pink golf glove I still have in my stand bag from when I took lessons with matching pink kiddie clubs.

The copy of “The sun Also rises” that I like to bring on flights, recom mended to me years ago by a boy who I no longer speak to. The un derlines and folded page corners still remain from when I first read it, scouring for insightful comments I could make to impress him.

The empty Kodak film canister that I turned into a keychain, dan gling from my car keys, now a hollowed shell that reminds me of the best summer I ever had and the photos that were developed to tell the tale.

my grandmother’s gold ring that I haven’t taken off my right ring fin ger in years, somehow enwrapping my skin perfectly like lock and key.

All my nametags and placards from high school model Un confer ences, back when my favorite hobby was dressing up in heels and de bating world issues with little to no idea what I was really talking about.

The recording microphone I have from the one week I was convinced that I was meant to be a songwriter. Quick abandonment came after re alizing that my limited vocal range and knowledge of five guitar chords equated to a blatant lack of talent.

The plane ticket from Frankfurt to seoul the morning after I graduat ed high school. I sat in my window seat and watched as my city turned into a tiny speck, distorted by the clouds, and I waited until the cabin crew was gone to let myself sob.

The sweatshirt from my dream university that I kept even after the pure devastation of that rejection email because it is as much a token of my teenage ambitions and efforts as it is of my redirection.

The generic-looking teddy bear I’ve had since I was five years old, with a green harrods ribbon that my aunt tied around it as a necktie.

The hotel keycards from my favorite school trips: Paris, The hague, singapore. remembering the stifled laughter behind those doors and how we snuck out the fire escape and had to prop up a water bottle to keep it open for when we’d return at dawn.

In her consulting program, marie shares that “to put your things in order means to put your past in order, too.” I choose to keep my past a part of my present, in convoluted disarray of the objects I arguably have no use for anymore. These are the tactile reminders of my past twenty years, and I love nothing more than shuffling through them whenever I’m home on break. my cabinets may be overflowing, but there is plenty of room for decades more of clutter to come.

Reyna Lim is a sophomore studying finance with a minor in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. She enjoys writing about her unsolicited opinions, assessing celebrity homes in Architectural Digest videos and collecting lip gloss. Reach out with coffee bean recommendations and ‘80s playlists at slim6@nd.edu. The best waste of your time.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

regulate cryptocurrency, now

Ainsley Hillman bridgend

It’d be incorrect to say that we don’t know much about cryptocurrency. It’d be a blatant lie to claim that what we do know about cryptocurrency is good. realistically, our knowledge of the innovation’s im pact is disheartening.

The first form of cryptocurrency, bitcoin, was cir culated in 2009. Initially, bitcoin, and other digital coinage, appeared promising, intended to limit gov ernment power, eliminate middlemen and provide equal opportunity for profit.

however, it’s proven to be quite different. over the past decade, we have watched cryptocurrency’s volatility disrupt the flow of economy, its anonym ity enable criminal activity and the extortionate energy requirements of its “mining” process take a toll on the environment. It’s time to regulate cryptocurrency.

demand for cryptocurrencies has skyrocketed, reaching a market cap of over $3 trillion. This is a striking value — roughly equal to the GdP of britain or India. What is most striking, however, is that it was reached without having any traditional monetary backing.

cryptocurrencies are “decentralized autonomous organizations,” or dAos, meaning that one-on-one transactions are unrestricted and effectively anony mous. The creation and exchange of cryptocur rencies are wholly unregulated and unbacked by financial institutions or governments.

decentralization triggers damaging economic effects. In september 2019, the bank of canada es timated that the overproduction and underuse of bitcoin in 2015 produced a welfare loss about 500 times as large as a cash economy with two percent inflation. This massive loss signals a clear market inefficiency. moreover, the nature of the crypto currency market is such that double-spending, or stealing cryptocurrencies, is not only possible, but present. double-spending puts honest individuals in competition with criminals, threatening the average users’ investments and generating market volatility. The lack of centralized regulation over cryptocur rency allows for market inefficiencies and volatility that may soon have dire economic consequences.

Further, the anonymity of cryptocurrencies as dAos enables untraceable crime. many of the ad vantages provided by cryptocurrencies — efficient payment, low transaction costs, simple exchange — are commonly used to conduct illegal business. cryptocurrency critics recognize that this creates a prime environment to purchase drugs, launder money, avoid capital controls and engage in vari ous criminal activities. In 2019, the FbI seized over $4 million worth of bitcoin from the first darknet market called the “silk road,” which sold everything from stolen credit card information to murders-forhire. studies of bitcoin exchange patterns uncovered that nearly half of all transactions are associated with illegal activity... and that’s just bitcoin.

The most damaging impact of cryptocurrencies results from its mining process and extortionate energy requirements. cryptocurrencies were crafted so anyone with a computer could own, trade and “mine” them. “mining” is the process of winning cryptocurrency by solving mathematical puzzles. during mining, thousands of individuals race to solve these problems. Those who solve them first are granted cryptocurrency. however, the system was designed such that, as competition grows, so does the puzzle’s complexity.

While at first these puzzles could be solved using a traditional personal computer (Pc), the evolving complexity of each puzzle now demands that com petitive miners use more powerful technologies that require exorbitant energy to operate. These miners

rely on specialized computers called Applicationspecific Integrated circuits (“AsIcs”) that are more efficient at mining than a traditional Pc but also consume much more energy. AsIc use has shattered the intended equality of cryptocurrency and created devastating environmental effects.

considering the massive market, with thousands of people mining the same coin, the energy costs of AsIc operation have become excessive. researchers estimate that mining and exchanging just one bitcoin consumes 2100 kilowatt hours — the average American household consumption in 2.5 months. According to a 2021 study, a year of bitcoin mining consumes 121.36 terawatt hours — more energy than used in the global consumption of Google, Apple, Facebook and microsoft combined. Unfortunately, most of the energy used in cryptocurrency mining comes from nonrenewable resources. Thus, crypto currencies leave massive carbon footprints. scientists warn that carbon emissions from bitcoin mining alone could push global warming beyond 2 degrees celsius, taking a hefty toll on the environment.

To protect our earth, national security, economy and ultimately the future of humanity, we must regu late cryptocurrency and its mining processes.

This regulation should not criminalize crypto currency. many critics of extreme cryptocurrency regulation argue the importance of technology neutrality and the impossibility of prosecuting over 46 million American cryptocurrency users were the coinage to be made illegal. It would be imprudent to ban cryptocurrency simply because it can be abused. If that logic was applied to other financial instru ments, we would have to ban cash, which can just as easily facilitate anonymous or illegal transactions. nonetheless, it is clear that cryptocurrency requires some regulation. A middle ground — protecting in novation and promoting freedom while addressing the economic, civil and environmental implications of cryptocurrency — should be the goal.

Given modern technological advances and the importance of maintaining freedom of choice, there is no easy answer. Potential solutions lie in AsIc regulation — placing a carbon-tax on users, imple menting a pollution cap or even banning the use of mining-specific technology altogether. AsIc regula tion could reduce the environmental repercussions of cryptocurrency while maintaining technological neutrality. by disincentivizing the use of AsIcs and returning miners to traditional Pc usage, govern ments could more easily track criminal activity and double-spending.

Leaders have taken small steps towards regulation, as seen in the President’s recent executive order and bills like the responsible Financial Innovation Act. These are merely initial steps on the path toward effective regulation. We must continue to educate ourselves on the growth and impacts of cryptocur rency. With that knowledge, we must vote for leaders willing to address the negative impacts of cryptocur rency through measured regulation.

Ainsley Hillman, a sophomore living in Johnson Family Hall, is studying Business Analytics and Political Science. She currently serves as assistant director of operations within BridgeND. Some of her research interests include U.S. foreign policy and the intersection of envi ronmental and social justice.

BridgeND is a multi-partisan political club committed to bridging the partisan divide through respectful and productive discourse. It meets on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in Duncan Student Center W246 to learn about and discuss current political issues and can be reached at bridgend@nd.edu or on Twitter @bridge_ND.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

By CAITLIN BRANNIGAN scene Writer

my summer project was reading Frank herbert’s “dune.”

The 1965 science fiction epic immersed me in its semi-supernatural world of complex space politics, family ties and religion. It focuses on Paul Atreides and his family who oversee a planet much like earth but are soon forced by the interplanetary e mperor to move to the desert planet of Arrakis. They face several obstacles on this planet because of it formerly being “ruled” by their rival family, the harkonnens. Though it has a slow start, the book soon becomes suspense ful and exciting as its protagonists navigate layers of intricate schemes devised by both their enemies and their allies.

The 2021 film adaptation of the first half of the novel is... different. It’s good, but viewers should not watch the movie expecting it to be the same as the book. The movie focuses on its cinematic elements, at which, obviously, it excels. The soundtrack, composed by hans Zimmer, is beautiful; it creates suspense, sets the mood and captures the intensity of many scenes. The costume choices and the casting were on point, and the visuals, especially the vast landscapes, are

stunning. The film completely immerses the viewer. I would recommend seeing it, especially in a theatre, because it truly is a work of art. however, unlike the book, I would never recommend it for the plot.

The film leaves out a lot of important details that make the novel a science fiction classic. Adapting “dune” is hard for a number of reasons. After a string of bad adaptations, it was considered a novel nearly impossible to create for a long time. The 2021 adapta tion is by far the best but suffers from some of the same problems as its predecessors.

because of the novel’s length and interweaving sub plots, it’s very difficult to form a cohesive plot for a film. splitting it into a two part movie instead of adapting it all at once is a smart choice — especially considering the first half of the novel, in both its plot and its char acters, feels vastly different from the second half due to a jump in time.

The most glaring issue with the movie is that it fails to create a sense of the conflict between the harkonnens and the Atreides. much of this is conveyed in the nov el through complex internal monologues, which are understandably difficult to adapt. many of the tense conversations between characters that pertain to this conflict would seem tame if the reader wasn’t in formed of the characters’ machinations through the

omniscient narrator. Just adding this dialogue to the movie does not help viewers understand the veiled messages and hidden meanings that characters in the novel deciphered in their internal monologues from a few words of conversation.

The central conflict between the harkonnens and the Atreides expands to include larger organizations in the second half of the novel. It is possible that the conflict was kept vague because of this shift, however, it leaves the movie feeling slow. The plot was moving at random without being driven by a central element.

The complex politics also felt glossed over. For ex ample, the bene Gesserit is a pseudo-religious political organization key to the novel’s plot. Its schemes have been drawn out for hundreds of years and have sig nificant influence on every aspect of politics and Paul Atreides’ development, as he may or may not be critical to their end goal of finding a prophet-like figure. most of what makes them important is barely mentioned in the movie. They come off as more of a shady cult than a powerful organization.

You should see “dune” for its carefully crafted cin ematic experience, however, don’t expect much from the plot.

Contact Caitlin Brannigan at cbrannig@nd.edu

By MARCELLE COUTO s cene Writer

This past weekend, the s outh b end s ymphony o rchestra opened its 90th season with two stellar performances of “ mozart y m ambo” at the d e b artalo Performing Arts c enter. c onductor Alastair Willis was greeted on stage with the presence of his sister, s arah Willis, a member of the b erlin Philharmonic and French horn player.

The s ymphony began its birthday celebrations with a diverse and animated program, as all of the pieces selected were exciting or compelling in some manner. The opening number, s travinsky’s “Pulcinella s uite,” reflects the humorous nature of the Italian “comedia dell’arte,” the play which in spired s travinsky to compose his ballet. The piece is divided into eight movements, all of which con vey particular happenings or emotions of a scene through different musical styles which quickly and effortlessly blend into each other (for exam ple, a rapidly moving “scherzo” contrasts with a melodious “serenata”). The subject of the music, Pulcinella’s dashing escape from the envious boy friends of the girls he woos, is colorful and lively; it even features an intriguing battle between instru ments, designed to portray the struggles of wres tling characters on stage.

With s travinsky completed, the orchestra wel comed the horn soloist s arah Willis for a per formance of mozart’s horn c oncerto no. 3. The composition was what could be usually expected of mozart: divine, happy and full of light, with musical

phrases that are simply “meant-to-be.” h owever, the piece was brought to its full potential by its in terpreters, Alastair Willis as conductor and s arah Willis as soloist. s arah, for her part, performed with great skill and playfulness, teasing her brother at times in a typical sisterly fashion; she even added such humor to the music of her “cadenza,” or im provisational solo. n ow, Alastair Willis’ personal touch and his prowess may be observed in all of the performances he conducts. I personally felt this was evident in the second movement of the horn concerto, the r omance. The lyrical, melo dious character of the music was fully brought to light by Willis. Under the m aestro’s guidance, the orchestra almost seemed to visually swell un der the soaring phrases and carefully executed crescendos.

Then, s arah Willis graced us with a work of her own design. s he first related her experience of encountering c uban music for the first time and being utterly enthralled by its beauty and power. d eciding to bring together composers for a bold and ambitious project, Willis transposed a num ber of m ozart’s pieces to the m ambo genre. b eyond this, her version of m ambo featured the addition of a full orchestra, traces of additional sources like the b razilian samba and forró, bursts into song and solos for the horn, an instrument which she was told was too crass and cumbersome to be in volved with m ambo. Indeed, she merged it all ex ceptionally. her “ r ondo a la m ambo,” inspired by the third movement of the horn concerto we had all just heard, was the most vivacious and unique

moment in the program. As an encore, Willis later repeated the same piece and invited the audience to sing and clap along to the music. s he also later shared a moving and elegant orchestration of a tra ditional c uban song, “d os gardenias.”

The evening progressed with a rendition of b ologne’s o verture to the opera “L’Amant Anonyme,” or The Anonymous Lover. This piece was a repose from the previous excitement, as its slow, beautiful, and passionate movements led the audi ence to bliss. It was a brilliant decision to incorpo rate Joseph de b ologne into the repertoire, who was not as widely known but has been recognized as the first great classical composer of African descent.

Lastly, the performance concluded with yet an other unique and humorous piece, “Le boeuf sur le toit,” or “The o x on the r oof” by m ilhaud. In keeping with the style of the rest of the program, m ilhaud’s music provided unceasing surprises, un expected turns and playful melodic choices. When introducing the piece, conductor Alastair Willis called his audience to imagine or conjure up the wildest scenarios, for that was the intent of this in tensively creative music.

I highly recommend you listen to these wonderful pieces, especially s arah Willis’ “ mozart y m ambo” album, which may be found on s potify. If you are in terested, you may also stay attuned to the rest of the s outh b end s ymphony’s season program. Their fea ture in the s outh b end c ivic Theatre’s production of West s ide s tory will doubtless prove unmissable.

“Don’t Worry Darling”

Director: Olivia Wilde

Starring: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine

If you like: “The Stepford Wives,” “Severance”

ROGER FEDERER COMPLETES 24 YEAR TENNIS CAREER

By CLAIRE McKENNA s cene Writer

After more than two decades of play, r oger Federer has finished his legendary tennis career. Announced on s eptember 15, through Twitter, Federer said that he must listen to his body as it tells him that his time as a competitive player is over. Federer played his final match last Friday: a doubles match with friend and rival r afael n adal at the Laver c up.

As a child, Federer began his story with tennis as a ball boy in his hometown of b asel, s witzerland. Though he was talented in many sports, he chose tennis after working with Australian player Peter c arter. At age 14, Federer moved to e cublens from b asel to train at the n ational s wiss Tennis c enter. h is first breakthrough would come at age 19 when he beat four-time defending champion, Pete s ampras, at Wimbledon. h is first major single title, however, would come two years later at the 2003 Wimbledon.

Federer would go on to win seven more times at Wimbledon, six times at the Australian o pen, five times at the U s o pen and one time at the French o pen for a total of 20 major singles titles, the third

most men’s major singles titles overall. h e has spent a total of 310 weeks at number one, 237 of those consecutively, and became the oldest player to reach number one at age 36. Federer holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive ma jor singles semifinals reached at 23 and has an overall singles record of 1251-275 (82%). Finally, he has never had to halt a match due to injury –a surprising fact given he’s played 1,526 singles matches and 224 doubles matches.

For his numerous wins, Federer has won over $130 million in prize money, but most of his income has been made off the court. Known for his vast number of brand sponsorships, Federer became the first active tennis player to earn more than $1 billion – one of only six athletes to do so. e ven in the past three years, when injuries and surgeries have kept him largely out of play, he remained the highest-paid tennis player and was even the high est-paid athlete in 2020, according to Forbes.

For a lot of people, though, when Federer is brought up, two other names come up in the conversation: n ovak d jokovic and r afael n adal. These three men are often referred to as the “big three” of men’s tennis, and together they have dominated the past 19 years of play. b etween the

three of them, they have won 63 of the past 77 ma jor men’s singles titles, and their matches are in credibly memorable.

Federer and n adal’s Wimbledon final in 2008 is largely considered one of the best matches in ten nis history, and it is hard to forget the image of n adal comforting a crying Federer after their 2009 Australian o pen final. Likewise, d jokovic’s 2019 win over Federer at Wimbledon took almost five hours and is still seared into the brains of many of their fans. With Federer retiring, this “big three” era of tennis is finally over. While his career on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour is done, Federer has said that he would still like to play exhibition games in the future. It seems that he will also continue to be a part of the sport in other capacities as well. The Laver c up itself is run in part through Federer’s management company T e A m8, and Federer has used a lot of his influence to put it on the ATP tour schedule. he has even confirmed that he will attend next year’s Laver c up in vancouver. s o, although Federer has retired, tennis fans should all breathe a sigh of relief, secure in the knowledge that he is not stepping away from the game completely.

Contact Claire McKenna at cmckenn4@nd.edu

Happy Birthday: Play to win. Put a strategy in place that will help you turn something you aren’t happy with into something that brings you joy. Take responsibility for your happiness, and throw your time and effort into selfimprovement and satisfaction. loving who you are and what you can do will lead to a positive attitude and a year of progress. your numbers are 4, 19, 26, 27, 34, 43, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Agreeing to something for the wrong reason will create inner turmoil. Ponder over offers, suggestions and consequences before you get involved in something that’s asking too much of you. rethink your goal and change your course if necessary.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Put your heart and soul into professional responsibilities, and be the one to make a positive change or difference to the outcome of an urgent situation. Share your ideas, and take charge of getting things done on time. Personal gain looks promising.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): underlying anger can ruin your day and plans. Channeling your angst into something concrete will alleviate stress. give others a chance to fix a mistake before you say something derogatory. Take a positive, helpful approach and avoid turmoil.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pursue your dreams, speak up, follow through and finish what you start. It’s up to you to put your plans in motion. Don’t wait around for someone to pick up the slack. you’ll find it difficult to dodge controversy.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Surf the internet for answers, suggestions, and old friends and colleagues. reconnecting with someone like-minded will lead to something new and exciting. find out all you can, and you will find a positive way to use this information.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Initiate a change that makes you feel good and encourages you to do more for others. Stay focused on what’s important, and don’t lose sight of what’s happening in your personal life. Be inquisitive and ask questions instead of getting angry.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take the high road. let your conscience lead you down a path that offers solitude and peace of mind. Put muscle behind your concerns, and be the one to make a difference. Clear a space conducive to putting in long hours.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put your energy into accumulating what’s important to you. Building a secure home base and getting your finances in order will give you peace of mind and the confidence to discuss your intentions. A unique proposal will lead to a helpful contribution.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a rain check if you don’t like a proposal. research will uncover information that will help you tilt a current situation in your favor. Mingle and align yourself with people who can help improve your connections and prospects.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Think matters through and pay attention to where the money is going. An adjustment is overdue and can change how or where you live. Trust your instincts and follow your heart. romance is on the rise.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): you have the right idea regarding investments and money management, but your timing is off. hesitation is the culprit that’s getting in your way. Ask questions, verify facts and do what you must to thrive. Make your next move count.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Add something visual to an idea, and you will capture someone’s interest. Connect with supportive people, and you’ll get honest feedback to help you build a solid and viable proposal. Play it safe, and avoid injury or illness.

Birthday Baby: you are perceptive, engaging and secretive. you are disciplined and detailed.

Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross communities. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the three campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.

Jumble | DAvID hOyT AND JEff kNurEk

sudoku | ThE MEPhAM grOuP

Ar EA

Five College Football games to watch in Week 5

Joseph Tunney sports Writer

even though the Irish have a bye this week, there is still a ton of entertaining college football to watch. conference play is beginning to heat up, so there are a lot of matchups that could play huge roles in determining the rest of the college football season. In my opinion, it’s the best top five any weekend has had all year. With that being said, let’s get into the games.

5. No. 4 Michigan @ iowa, Noon, FoX, (Michigan -10.5)

michigan is 4-0 and a big Ten and college Football play off contender. They are ex tremely deep at receiver and running back, with multiple key playmakers. running back donovan edwards did not play against maryland last week, but thankfully the other star in the Wolverine’s backfield, blake corum, picked up the slack with 243 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. After playing three of the worst teams in division 1 to open the year, michigan is coming off of a 34-27 win over maryland that offered areas to improve upon. michigan fans will be look ing for an improved pass rush and more accurate throws from quarterback J.J. mccarthy. however, offense may be tough to come by against the Iowa hawkeyes. The hawkeyes have the best scoring defense in the country, but if they want to compete with the likes of michigan they will need more from their offense. Iowa quar terback spencer Petras has been derided by hawkeye fans as he passed for just 524 yards and one touchdown over four games. Iowa has the benefit of home-field advantage and michigan hasn’t won at Iowa since 2005. can the Wolverines exorcise their past demons? do the hawkeyes have another upset in them?

4. No. 2 Alabama @ No. 20 Arkansas, 3:30 p.m., CBS, (Alabama -16.5)

After being taken to the brink against Texas in the second week of the season, Alabama has reasserted it self in blowout wins over UL monroe and vanderbilt. however, questions still re main about how the Tide will look against another qual ity opponent. Quarterback bryce Young looked on point versus vanderbilt with 385 yards and four touchdowns. running back Jahmyr Gibbs transitioned into a receiving role last week, ceding running back duties to Jase mcclellan.

both mcclellan and Gibbs ended up scoring a touchdown, so the versatility of these play ers will provide another head ache to the Arkansas defense. Arkansas is coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Texas A& m last week, where a fumble and a missed field goal doomed them. They are also feeling the loss of all sec safe ty Jalen catalon being out for the season. however, Arkansas still has a lot of offensive talent that should make nick saban sweat, and they have the ben efit of the game being played on their turf.

3. No. 7 Kentucky @ 14 ole Miss, Noon, ESPN ( ole Miss -6.5)

Kentucky is 4-0 and sev enth in the country, their highest ranking since 1977. Quarterback Will Levis and head coach mark stoops have helped turn what has always been considered a “basketball school” into a dark horse sec contender. Levis has passed for nearly 1200 yards and 10 touchdowns through just four games, showing that he could reach historic marks for a pro gram that is usually an sec bottom-dweller.

Kentucky welcomes the re turn of running back chris rodriguez, as they hope that he will spark a running game that has been struggling. They head down to oxford, miss for the first time since 2001. After airing it out with quarterback matt corral last season, the rebels seem content to have a more balanced attack this sea son. Quarterback Jaxson dart has managed games well, but hasn’t been a transcendent piece. ole m iss will look to control the line of scrimmage against Kentucky, aiming to dominate a porous Wildcat o-line (allowing four sacks a game). both teams have strug gled with consistency, with ole miss sleepwalking to a win over Tulsa last week while Kentucky faced early struggles with northern Illinois. both teams need this win badly to prove that they are a legit sec contender.

2. No. 9 oklahoma State @ No. 16 Baylor, 3:30 p.m., FoX, (Baylor -2.5)

A rematch of last year’s big 12 championship game could end up being one of the biggest regular-season games in the following season. baylor has been great ever since the start of last season, getting back on track after a double-overtime loss to bYU with a tough win on the road against Iowa state. The bears may possess the best rushing defense in college football, allowing a paltry 79.5 yards per contest. Quarterback

blake shapen had a much bet ter day than he did against bYU, committing no turn overs in a game that probably served as a confidence builder. dominating the line of scrim mage without committing turnovers usually results in success, so it’s no surprise that this baylor team is a tough-out. oklahoma state, on the other hand, has looked like an offensive juggernaut through three games. In their first three games, quarterback spencer sanders has thrown for over 300 yards per game and 10 touchdowns, compared to just one pick. head coach mike Gundy seems to have an other team that will contend for the big 12 crown. Last year, the game went down to the fi nal play with oklahoma state coming up a yard short. could we see a similar legendary fin ish on saturday?

1. No. 10 NC State @ No. 5 Clemson, 7:30 PM, ABC, (Clemson -6.5)

The only matchup between two top-10 schools is a clash between two Acc heavy weights. clemson hung on in a double-overtime shootout over ranked Wake Forest last weekend that saw an amazing performance from quarter back dJ Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei and the clemson offense were able to keep pace and out last sam hartman and the demon deacons, with the former throwing for 375 yards and five touchdowns. seeing the offense produce like that is a welcome sign for clemson fans, but the defense has to lock it back down against an other quality opponent in nc state. hyped as a dark horse Acc contender to start the sea son, the Wolfpack have largely looked up to the task. After going on the road to eastern carolina and escaping with a one-point win, nc state won their next three games rather comfortably, including a 27-14 win over Texas Tech. clemson will undoubtedly serve as nc state’s biggest test. college Gameday is on-site for the game, which may serve as an omen for a clemson victory: the Tigers are 6-1 when host ing the show. can nc state show they’re a legitimate con tender? can clemson continue its journey back to the college Football Playoff?

Contact Joseph Tunney at jtunney@nd.edu

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Week 4: CFB

Takeways

Matthew Crow sports Writer

The Big 12 is officially up for grabs

Through four weeks of the col lege football season, we are at the stage where conference hierar chies typically begin to emerge and pecking orders come into focus. At the very least, it should now be clear which teams are legitimate conference champi onship contenders and which are not. even that cannot be said for this year’s big 12, which feels more wide open than ever after saturday’s results.

The presumptive favorite in the conference had previously been no. 6 oklahoma, winners of six of the last seven big 12 champion ships. That presumption came crashing down on saturday, as the sooners were upset by Kansas state in norman, oklahoma be hind a dominant five-touchdown performance from Wildcats quarterback Taylor martinez, a nebraska transfer. Likewise, no. 22 Texas had a strong start to the season with a near-victory against Alabama, but it was ulti mately defeated in overtime by ri val Texas Tech. suddenly, Kansas state and Texas Tech are both 1-0 in big 12 play with head-to-head advantages over oklahoma and Texas, respectively, leaving the sooners and Longhorns with a significant amount of ground to make up.

no. 9 oklahoma state and no. 16 baylor are likely the current big 12 favorites, but they face off next saturday, and a baylor loss would saddle them with an 0-2 conference record while teams like Kansas (who can usually be penciled in for last place prior to the start of the season) and TcU remain undefeated. The con ference’s “worst” teams may be Iowa state and West virginia, yet it would be no great shock to see either string together a few wins and find themselves in the hunt for a big 12 title. Iowa state’s resume includes a win over a solid Iowa team, and the cyclones’ only loss was by onepossession against baylor. West virginia started 0-2 with close losses against a ranked Pitt team and a should-be-ranked Kansas team. The mountaineers have since turned their season around with a pair of victories that in cludes Thursday’s 33-10 win over virginia Tech in blacksburg.

All of this is to say that it is any one’s guess who will win the big 12. maybe december’s champi onship game will pit oklahoma against oklahoma state, or baylor against Kansas state, or Kansas against TcU. There is

certainly an element of excite ment that comes from confer ences having one or two clear favorites. The season-long build up to a single game that could alter the entire playoff race, like Alabama-Georgia or ohio statemichigan, creates a special sense of heightened drama unique to a sport in which the regular season carries so much weight. If chaos is what you seek, though, look no further than the big 12, which is sure to deliver it in abundance throughout the rest of the season.

Mixed bag for ‘basketball schools’

one of the off-season’s strang est stories was the feud between two Kentucky head coaches, men’s basketball’s John calipari and football’s mark stoops, that arose after calipari referred to Kentucky as a “basketball school.” While the comment was not without validity, given the school’s illustrious history on the hardwood and compara tively dismal track record on the gridiron, taking a jab at another program within the Kentucky athletics umbrella felt unneces sary and in poor taste. stoops quickly came to his team’s de fense, noting that the football program is on the rise while its basketball counterpart has strug gled as of late. notably, Kentucky football has won ten games twice in four seasons after last doing so in 1977, while the two most recent men’s basketball sea sons ended with a missed ncAA Tournament and a first-round tournament loss to saint Peter’s.

Kentucky has taken care of business through the early stages of the football season, currently sitting at 4-0 and ranked no. 7 as stoops has made good on his word. Ironically, given the un usually high amount of discourse about what qualifies as a basket ball school, the six schools widely considered to be college basket ball’s “blue bloods” all entered week four with a 3-0 record. While some, like Kentucky, stayed hot, others saw their perfect start to the season come crashing down.

The Wildcats played host to northern Illinois on saturday and used 17 consecutive sec ond-half points to break open a game that was tied at halftime.

Kentucky star quarterback Will Levis threw four touchdown passes in a 31-23 win that did not earn any style points but kept the Wildcats in lockstep with a redhot Tennessee team in the battle to be Georgia’s biggest sec east challenger.

Further west, a pair of 2022 Final Four participants squared

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SPoRTS

Young Belles squad looks to make mark in MIAA

By SAMMIE McCARTHY sports Writer

s aint m ary’s c ollege soc cer begins its conference play Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Trine. The team will play eight regularseason conference games, and up to three m ichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association ( m IAA) tour nament games, should it qualify.

The season got off to a rocky start, as the b elles went 0-5-3 in non-con ference play. h ead coach Farkhod Kurbonov de scribes one major source of the team’s struggles so far.

“We’re young, and our preseason is so short at the d ivision III level, that it took us some time to get used to each other and un derstand our roles on the team,” Kurbonov said.

With nine freshmen, three transfers and Kurbonov brand new to the program himself, the team is in the process of rebuilding.

Kurbonov, who previously coached at the club, junior college, n AIA and d II lev els, is tasked in his first season with laying a strong

foundation to build upon in the future. Kurbonov de scribes his young team as excited and ambitious, say ing, “I believe in the future it’s a very exciting team, but for right now we’re young and hungry.”

After a slow start this sea son, the b elles are viewing the beginning of m IAA play as the start of a whole new season.

n on-conference play has given the players the oppor tunity to get on the same page, adjust to the team cul ture, and for the nine fresh men, get used to the pace and intensity of college soc cer. Kurbonov spoke on the progress the team has made in this area.

“ s omething I think we’re good at is discipline as a team and the organization al part of it… my players are starting to respond the way I would like them to re spond,” Kurbonov said.

This season, Kurbonov and the b elles are looking to improve upon last season’s performance, when the team went 1-7 and missed the playoffs. Kurbonov said this year the team’s goal is to make the playoffs and

the year of the football school.

Top teams show signs of vulnerability

build from there.

“Long term is complete for the title and make nationals and so on, but for this sea son, we want to start mak ing small steps, having a strong conference season and making the playoffs,” Kurbonov said.

The current freshmen will be very important to both the b elles’ short-term and long-term goals.

The team’s success in conference play this year will largely depend upon whether or not the fresh men, especially those in the starting lineup, can quickly adjust to the demands of college athletics. In the fu ture, they will be respon sible for building a new team culture under c oach Kurbonov.

With some experience un der their belts, the fresh men and the team as a whole are now ready to take on the second half of their schedule. They hope that non-conference play pre pared the team to play up to their potential in the games where it really counts.

Contact Sammie McCarthy at smccart9@nd.edu

Irish look to rebound

By SAMMIE McCARTHY sports Writer

notre dame women’s soccer takes on boston college Thursday for its third Acc conference game of the season. The Irish are seek ing to balance their Acc record after a loss to Pitt at home left them 1-2 in Acc play. After going 7-0 in non-conference play, the Irish have faced more difficulty against Acc teams. The game against boston college is a chance for the team to redeem its record after the disap pointing 3-1 loss to Pitt last sunday.

At its best, the women’s soccer team is certainly capable of com peting with the nation’s best tal ent; just last week the Irish beat the University of virginia, at the time the second-ranked team in the country. however, the team has struggled to keep up this quality of play against other high-level op ponents. The Irish have performed inconsistently in Acc play thus far, losing to clemson in their first conference game of the season in addition to the recent loss against Pitt. notre dame head coach nate norman acknowledged this in consistency when he said, “some days are not your best and you fig ure out ways to grind it out.”

The game against boston college should provide notre dame with an opportunity to score a confer ence win. boston college is cur rently 4-4-3, and have lost all three of their Acc games so far. And, notre dame will be their fourth ranked opponent in a row. The Irish will try to take advantage of the eagle’s exhaustion after their recent tough schedule to pick up another conference win. boston college does have the home ad vantage, but so far they haven’t had much luck on their own pitch. The eagles are currently 2-2-2 at home, including a dramatic 0-6 loss to Florida state. conversely, notre dame has yet to lose an away game against an unranked opponent.

off as Kansas hosted duke in front of a sold-out crowd in Lawrence. The Jayhawks continued their surprising re surgence in a 35-27 victory as quarterback Jalon daniels con tinued to build his heisman case, compiling over 400 yards and five touchdowns. even fur ther west, UcLA remained per fect with a dominant 45-17 win on the road against colorado.

The bruins have benefited from a forgiving non-conference schedule and will have their first true test when they host no. 15 Washington in a critical Pac-12 battle next Friday.

Indiana and north carolina joined duke in suffering their first losses of the season, both of which could be primarily attributed to defensive strug gles. Indiana surrendered 38 first-half points on the way to a 45-24 loss on the road against cincinnati.

The Tar heels hosted notre dame in chapel hill and al lowed a previously struggling Irish offense to gain 576 yards as they coasted to a 45-32 win. As the season kicks into high gear, the next few weeks will reveal if the rise of the blue bloods in football is just a flash in the pan, or if this really is, to the dismay of coach calipari,

A common critique of col lege football is that it lacks parity, that the same hand ful of teams compete for the national championship every year. This notion mostly holds true, and this season, teams like Georgia, Alabama and ohio state already appear to be closing in on playoff lock status. beyond that trio, how ever, the next tier of contenders has provided more questions than answers, and several topten teams were put to the test in week four

no. 4 michigan began its season with three consecutive blowout wins, though the legit imacy of their dominance was questioned due to an extreme ly weak nonconference slate. There now appears to be some truth to those concerns after the Wolverines were played tight by maryland in a 34-27 win in their conference open er. similarly, no. 5 clemson faced its toughest opponent to date in no. 21 Wake Forest and required two overtimes to escape Winston-salem with a 51-45 win. clemson’s first few games established its offense as a relative weakness, but it was the defense that struggled against Wake, as deacon quar terback sam hartman torched

the Tigers to the tune of 337 yards and six touchdowns. clemson showed encouraging signs of offensive improvement but will need to sort its defen sive issues out in a hurry as they prepare to face no. 10 nc state this week.

e lsewhere, no. 7 Usc fea tured one of the nation’s best offenses during the season’s first three weeks but struggled to move the ball against a sub par defense as they clawed out a 17-14 win over oregon state. Kentucky also picked up their fourth win, using a second-half surge to beat northern Illinois, but oklahoma, and no. 10 Arkansas, were not as lucky. The sooners fell at the hands of Kansas state while a poten tial game-winning razorback field goal that bounced off the top of the goalpost before fall ing short proved costly in a 2321 loss to no. 23 Texas A& m

It is difficult to say that col lege football is moving toward greater parity when another Georgia-Alabama champion ship matchup looms; but this season promises a great deal of shakeups near the top as the race for the elusive fourth play off spot continues.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Acc is arguably the best conference in women’s soccer, boasting seven teams ranked in the top twenty-five by esPn. As a result, conference play will not get any easier for notre dame. The Irish need to figure out how to con sistently compete at a high level as they start to face tougher op ponents if they want to maintain their spot in the national rankings.

however, notre dame may be at a disadvantage this Thursday depending on the injury status of junior center back eva Gaetino. Gaetino missed the second half of the game against Pitt due to a head injury, and it is unclear when she will return to play. norman said after the game that he doesn’t have a timeline of her recovery yet. Losing Gaetino mid-game hurt notre dame’s performance in the second half against Pitt. norman stated that losing Gaetino forced him to “really shuffle things around.” The Irish were unable to hit their stride again after she un expectedly exited the game.

The Irish travel to boston for the game, which starts Thursday at 6 p.m. esT. It will be broadcasted on the Acc network.

Contact Sammie McCarthy at smccart9@nd.edu

MAX PETROSKY

Senior midfielder Erin Hohnstein fighting for the ball against UVA on Sept. 22. The Irish went 7-0 in preseason before losing to Clemson 2-0.

c onal Fagan.

b ut even with Fagan’s guidance, b urns knew his decision to head to campus was a bold one.

“ i heard of n otre d ame through another i rish guy, who was a junior at the time, c onal Fagan, and he was the Leprechaun,” b urns said. “ h e was outstanding helping me through the ap plication process and tell ing me about n otre d ame.

b ut with covid , i couldn’t

COLUMN

fly out here… it was a leap of faith, honestly, i stepped off that plane in o ’ h are airport in c hicago and didn’t know what i was get ting into.”

b urns had no contact with the i rish coaching staff pri or to being accepted into the University through the standard admissions pro cess. b ut seeing his acco lades in n orthern i reland, the coaching staff couldn’t say no to the unconvention al new recruit.

“Thankfully, i got in and got accepted to this mag nificent place,” b urns said.

“a nd when i got in, i emailed the coaches and they sort of took a chance on me and said they could take me onto the team. i ’m just trying to repay the faith that they’ve shown in me. They put a lot of trust in me, taking me onto this team.”

b urns knew that his leap of faith wasn’t without risk. m oving across an ocean to an a merican University 3,500 miles away came with an understandable fear of homesickness.

b ut the junior credits the program’s culture for making his transition as

seamless as possible.

“ m y time here wouldn’t be as great if it wasn’t for this soccer program… the family atmosphere here is just out standing,” he said. “ i ’m so happy i ’ve come here. o ne of the best decisions i ’ve ever made.”

a nd last week, af ter two and a half years, b urns’ actual family was able to witness his i rish soccer family.

h is parents made the trip to s outh b end to witness him play in person for the i rish for the first time, and the junior didn’t disappoint.

Win over UNC must serve as turning point for Irish offense

b urns notched a brace for the first time in his colle giate career.

“ i wanted to do really well for them, and my younger brother who’s also a fresh man at n otre d ame was watching, so that was just an added incentive. i was glad to get the two goals, but it was just a brilliant team performance,” b urns said. “ h aving my parents here was truly special, and i ’m looking forward to catching up to them.”

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

a ssociate sports e ditor

b efore kick-off s aturday in c hapel h ill, i noted that if d rew Pyne and the i rish offense were unable to get it going against the north c arolina defense, i wasn’t sure they would be able to do so against anybody. The Tar heels came into the contest allowing opponents an aver age of 468 yards per game, so it was the perfect opportunity for the i rish to turn things around offensively.

d rew Pyne c o. did that, and then some. a fter two un successful drives, the i rish offense was absolutely domi nant for the remainder of the game. The i rish rattled off six consecutive scoring drives and only punted once. it was an offensive masterclass in every facet of the game. The i rish rushed for 287 yards and passed for 289.

north c arolina does have one of the worst defenses in college football, and that was on full display s aturday after noon. b ut that shouldn’t take away from what the i rish were able to do offensively.

“it’s what you hope notre d ame football is going to be about,” head coach m arcus Freeman said after the game. “That you’re going to have an o -line that can run the ball... to be able to run the ball at will for four or five yards, that’s something that you have to be able to do.”

notre d ame certainly showed what they are about on s aturday. The talented trio of running backs, junior c hris Tyree and sophomores a udric e stime and Logan d iggs, each had more than 100 total yards.

a fter a shaky first drive, ju nior quarterback d rew Pyne looked increasingly confi dent as the game progressed. he played largely mistakefree football and consistently

found open receivers down field. e stablishing the run early allowed for the offense to open up a vertical dimen sion that the i rish hadn’t shown previously.

The play calling has been much maligned to start the season, and until s aturday, it appeared notre d ame would be extremely limited offen sively with Pyne under center.

“i try to tell the team all the time. When things go bad, it’s bad play-calling. When things go well, it’s great play-calling. That’s the reality of things,” Freeman said. “i believe in the game Tommy r ees has called from o hio s tate to m arshall to c al to now. We were able to execute better.”

Pyne agreed with this confi dence and sang the offensive coordinator’s praises in the post-game press conference.

“i think c oach r ees called an unbelievable game. he puts me in a position to go out there and just succeed and

do my job and execute,” Pyne said. “i can’t tell you how many times i ran over to the phone and said, ‘c oach r ees, that was all you.’”

a ll of this is well and good, but only if this game serves as a turning point for the i rish offense. notre d ame must be able to build on this momen tum as they approach the midway point of the season, with many of their toughest opponents still to come.

The game was clearly an inflection point for notre d ame; either they would drop to 1-3 and begin to cast doubts about whether the team would even be bowl eli gible, or they would win their second game in a row heading into a bye week and the up coming showdown with b YU.

The i rish went out there and responded to this pressure in a big way. When this sea son is over, however, the win over U nc won’t be the first game that comes to mind. it

will be the battles with b YU, c lemson, Usc , and, unfor tunately, the upset loss to m arshall. The i rish have to carry this momentum forward into these big showdowns.

notre d ame is clearly get ting better each week, but that will have to continue. What was most impressive about the win s aturday wasn’t the play-calling, the performance of the running backs or the offensive line, or Pyne’s play. it was the consistency.

north c arolina quickly took a 7-0 lead on their first posses sion and then forced a threeand-out. b ased on the first three weeks of the season, one might have expected the i rish offense to be completely de moralized, but instead, they bounced right back and put themselves in scoring posi tion for every single drive for the rest of the game.

a missed 44-yard field goal on their second drive of the game preceded six consecu tive scoring drives, five of which were touchdowns. The i rish failed to convert on a 4th and 1 from the U nc 25 before another touchdown, and fi nally a fumble into the end zone. For those keeping track, that is 10 consecutive drives that finished inside the U nc 26 yard line. The i rish were moving the ball at will down the field practically all game.

notre d ame will certainly hope this game serves as a turning point for an offense that was at times painful to watch through the first three games of the season. north c arolina didn’t offer much in the way of resistance, but it was undoubtedly the best the i rish have looked all season. however, they’ll still need to prove it against better defen sive opponents, and b YU is the perfect place to do so.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Paid a dverT isemen T

Liam Coolican

Saints honor seniors

By TOM ZWILLER s ports Writer

This weekend, both the men’s and the wom en’s h oly c ross soccer teams faced down ccac foe s aint Xavier in an important conference play matchup.

m atchday also took place on h oly c ross’s a lumni d ay, and the matchup served as a senior day for both teams.

The h oly c ross women’s team began by honoring seniors Kathleen m ing and o livia s haw.

m ing, a forward, played in 18 games in 2019 and started in 14, scoring four goals and assisting on two.

m ing has played eight games for the s aints this season and has started four but has not scored or assisted yet.

s haw, a midfielder, also played in 18 games, start ing 17 and was incred ibly productive, scoring 12 goals with three assists. s haw has scored one goal in the four starts she has gotten this season.

The s aints and c ougars played it even in the first half with neither team scoring, with the shot to tal at 5-4 in favor of s aint Xavier.

h oly c ross opened up their shooting in the sec ond half, taking ten shots to Xavier’s five (for a total of 14-10, s aints).

The increase in shooting led to an unassisted n icole c ook goal in the 71st min ute, which gave the s aints a 1-0 lead.

With just 44 seconds left in the match, Xavier would earn a penalty kick and n eida o campo converted the opportunity, snatch ing a tie from the jaws of defeat.

b y tying s aint Xavier, the women’s team record is 2-2-6 on the year with a 1-2-2 (.400) record in con ference play.

The s aints now have 5 points and rank 10th in conference play, trailing i U n orthwest by one and lead ing Trinity i nternational by two.

The women turn their attention to i ndiana University- s outh b end, on s ept. 28, at 2:00 p.m. at s aints Field.

i U sb is currently 0-8 on the season with a-60 goal differential, having not scored a goal on the year and conceding on average 7.5 goals per game.

The game should provide a much-needed win for the

s aints. The only time the two have met, h oly c ross scored five goals in the first half and won 11-0.

The i U sb program is still incredibly young, as it be gan just in the 2019-2020 season.

The men’s team began their game by honoring its three seniors, Kamoy c reary, e lmin e jup and Jeffrey h arper.

c reary, a defensive an chor for h oly c ross, made eight starts last season and played fourteen total games. c reary has made six starts in six games and continues to be a defensive cornerstone.

a s outh b end local, e jup, started in three match es last season but played eighteen and scored once. This season e jup has al ready doubled his produc tion, playing and starting in seven games and scor ing twice with an assist.

h arper, a midfielder out of s an d iego, played 12 matches, starting in six and earned a goal and as sist for the s aints. h arper has already scored a goal in his first eight games this season.

The first half featured a defensive battle and nei ther team could make much offensive progress with shots totaling seven (four for hcc ) and the score 0-0.

m uch like the women’s team, the s aints increased shooting in the second half and outshot the c ougars 13-6 total.

With the increased shooting came a goal in the 76th minute by senior a xel valenzuela, assisted by ju nior Gabe n yenka.

The win for h oly c ross snaps a three-game losing streak against s aint Xavier, dating back to 2019. With the win, h oly c ross is now 5-3-1 on the season, with a 3-1-1 (.700) record in con ference play.

The win also increases h oly c ross’ win streak to three games and marks the first home win in confer ence play.

The win vaults the men’s team into second place in the ccac table, with the team now having 10 points. First place Trinity i nternational currently has 12 points.

h oly c ross will look to continue its winning ways when they play c alvin c ollege on s ept. 27, at 3:00 p.m. at s aint Field.

contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

Holy Cross drops soccer match 3-1 to Calvin

By TOM ZWILLER sports Writer

The c alvin c ollege Knights are a formidable soccer team. Under head coach r yan s ouders, the team is a com bined 185-25-10 and has an inconference record of 105-4-2. s ouders was first hired in 2012, when he went 16-4-1 and 12-1-1 in miaa play, finish ing in the ncaa playoffs. it would serve as a tone setter for s ouders’ tenure at c alvin given that c alvin has finished first in miaa play for ten consecu tive seasons since 2012. c alvin has boasted numerous ncaa tournament runs, including a finals run in 2016.

a s of s ept. 27, c alvin was ranked 11th in the diii rank ings. s o, when c alvin called holy c ross c ollege men’s head soccer coach o mar Gallo look ing for a potential match, it would be understandable if Gallo declined. i nstead, he ea gerly took on the challenge.

“When they called us look ing for a game, we could have turned it down… We looked at this game we had on the sched ule as an opportunity that if we were on a winning streak, can we continue to play well and if we were on a losing streak, po tentially a game where we can bounce back,” Gallo said.

he game started fairly even, with the s aints playing in the wind. c alvin, however, gained an advantage because of its disciplined passing attack and scored in the 16th minute.

The goal came off a corner kick, which crossed to the far side of the field, centered at the top of the 18. s enior midfielder c hris s chau, who received the

HCC Coach

con T in U ed F rom PaGe 16

tournament. Throughout his ten years, mannen has had aca demic success with his players as well, coaching 30 golfers to the ccac a ll-academic team. coach mannen’s unexpected departure certainly complicates his legacy at holy cross.

nevertheless, as hard as it will be to forget his abrupt departure, it will be just as hard to forget the accomplishments of both him and his players, and even though he may be gone, the program is primed for success both in the short term and the long term.

robbins said it simply: “his tenure here is another legacy; the amount of years that he was here. sometimes at the college level you get more turnover, and the fact that he was here for a decade [is his legacy].”

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

kick, put the ball up in the air and crossed it to the far side once again, where senior de fender c olin iverson scored a header.

The goal was allowed by freshman goalie i saias rubio, who got the start over sopho more c laudio Fuentealba. benching Fuentealba was a tactical decision, according to Gallo.

“We felt like it was a game where we had to give some guys a rest, and you never know when your other goal keeper is going to get called upon,” he said.

rubio struggled to commu nicate with the backline which helped c alvin to generate some of its chances. it is some thing he will need to continue to work on in the future, as Gallo plans to continue to play rubio.

“[You] just got to understand regardless of if you are a fresh man, we want you speaking up as that last line of defense there,” Gallo said.

The second c alvin chance came off a throw-in late in the 26th minute, with junior midfielder Zach Flowerday receiving a through ball from freshman midfielder Jacob r yu.

holy c ross was not without its opportunities, however, as in the 37th minute, holy c ross earned a corner that was kicked short.

The ball was then crossed, with c alvin clearing it out of the 18, where it fell to fresh man forward Gabe nyenka, who just missed on a bending shot.

Just a few minutes later, in the 42nd minute, c alvin scored

off a corner, with freshman TJ mcvey crossing the ball to a guma muhumuza, who used his head to guide the ball to the back of the net.

With holy c ross trailing 0-3, c laudio Fuentealba would come into the net for holy c ross. Fuentealba would earn the clean sheet with two shots and two saves.

o n a routine goal kick in the 55th minute, c alvin soph omore goalkeeper Kaelen matascastillo passed the ball forward to muhumuza. The defender lazily caught the pass, and a xel valenzuela would steal the ball, pok ing it forward where he beat matascastillo one-on-one.

The goal would make it 3-1, which would be the final score for the s aints.

While the loss snaps the three-game win streak the s aints were riding, the loss should not negatively impact the team’s mentality when they resume conference play, “What we said to the guys: there is nothing to be disap pointed about… We made three mental errors, and over all we played very well… if anything, it is going to contin ue to give us confidence,” Gallo said.

The loss drops the s aints to an overall record of 5-4-1, but their conference record of 2-1-1 will remain the same.

The s aints will resume ac tion s aturday when they face off against st. a mbrose University in davenport, iowa. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. esT.

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

Paid a dverT isemen T

Holy Cross head coach T.J. Mannen resigns, shocks players and administration

By TOM ZWILLER sports Writer

Quietly this weekend, holy cross college golf head coach T.J. mannen resigned on saturday. The news shocked ad ministration and players alike as both the men’s and women’s teams played this weekend at the battle at blackthorn tournament.

According to holy cross dean and vice president of student life Andrew Polaniecki, the resigna tion was utterly unexpected. “We became aware of the resignation of our golf coach on saturday. And yeah… was not expecting it, [I] was surprised by it,” he said.

holy cross athletic director Tom robbins confirmed the sur prise of the resignation and ad dressed that the reason mannen decided to step away from the head coaching job, a position he has held for a decade, was due to family. Though the school did not take immediate action sunday, there was a player meeting for both teams monday at 8 p.m. Those in attendance included

Polaniecki, robbins and the as sistant golf coaches. The meet ing lasted nearly 50 minutes as the college administration tried to address the player’s concerns and fielded various questions.

According to robbins, the school’s first move was to put in place assistant coach Aaron martinez as the interim head coach to ensure the stability of the rest of the season. Though martinez will serve as the in terim, the school expects to begin a coaching search at the season’s conclusion. “There will be a formal process for nam ing a new coach, and certainly a search for a new coach, and then a complete interview pro cess with multiple levels to it,” robbins said. The school’s next step was to ensure that the play ers were completely supported. Polaniecki emphasized that the college’s goal was to ensure the golf team felt supported through out the ordeal, both on and off the greens. “That was the most important thing for the last 48 hours,” Polaniecki said, “how do

we continue to support the team so that they can continue to golf and compete without disrupting the season.” Though the school was quick to act and take steps to limit the impact of mannen’s departure, both teams have been hit incredibly hard by the loss. The two teams were active ly competing in the st. Francis Invite monday but decided not to play in the second round, which took place Tuesday, in light of the news. both teams were incred ibly close with mannen, with the senior class being the most heav ily impacted.

“There is obviously some dis appointment from the players,” Polaniecki said, “Particularly some of the ones that have known coach T.J. for four and some of them for five years right, because of the cov Id year.”

The third step for the school was to address any questions the players had about mannen’s exit, predominantly pertain ing to their athletic futures at the college. robbins was quick to reassure the teams that he

would work with them to fulfill any promises mannen had made during recruiting and the season.

“We are committed to a golf team, we are committed to hav ing a good program, we are com mitted to numbers of years of future success and that they will obviously be a big part of that and anything coach mannen prom ised the players in terms of their recruiting process, those will be fulfilled,” robbins said. In addi tion to renewing its commitment to the golf team, robbins added that the college would also try to strengthen its women’s team.

“We only have four [female] golfers currently. Four golfers.” said robbins. “We need to get eight golfers next year, and I talked about how I will be help ing interim coach martinez and assistant coach brian matthews with anything they need to help do that.”

mannen has unquestionably left big shoes to fill with his un expected departure. he was an assistant coach for two years be fore becoming the head coach of

Junior fullback Paddy Burns: ‘A leader on and off the field’

showdown with Pitt.

By J.J. POST s ports Writer

Looking at Paddy b urns’ re sume through two and a half years of collegiate soccer, you’d be excused for think ing he was one of the most coveted recruits around be fore his enrollment.

n ow a junior, b urns has played nearly every minute he’s been available for each of the last two seasons.

A leader on and off the field, b urns’ composure was a key reason why he was the only underclassman to take a penalty kick in the Irish’ three postseason shootouts in 2021.

h e tied for the team lead in assists last season, the only defender on the roster to lead the team in any offensive category.

d isplaying a knack for com ing up in big games when he was needed the most, the left back totaled a pair of goals as well as an assist in n otre d ame’s c ollege c up run, including the Irish’s equal izer in their quarterfinal

h is strong form carried over into 2022. h e currently leads the Irish in goals de spite exclusively playing as a fullback in n otre d ame’s back four.

h e’s been defensively sound, a mark of consistency on an Irish backline that’s steadily improved.

With such a stacked resume in such a short career, it’s no hard feat to imagine him be ing a prized recruit who the Irish had to battle hard to win. b ut that couldn’t be less of the case.

In fact, b urns wasn’t re cruited at all.

h ailing from n orthern Ireland, b urns’ exposure to coaches and scouts in the American collegiate system was nonexistent.

h e racked up a wealth of on-pitch experience and accolades in his na tive c rumlin, captaining n orthern Ireland’s U18 squad on multiple occasions and captaining his school’s team for seven years from 2012 to 2019.

b ut without a colle giate scouting network in n orthern Ireland, when he decided collegiate ball would be the best option for him, it was a shot in the dark.

b urns only applied to only one college through the reg ular student admission pro cess: n otre d ame.

“It was just n otre d ame, I honestly didn’t really know of any other colleges in America,” b urns said.

“ o ne of my best mates went to d uke, Lewis m cGarvey who plays for their soccer team, so I knew of them. b ut my knowledge of the col lege system, college soccer and college sport in gen eral, was pretty limited. I just knew this place had such an outstanding repu tation, and then as a proud Irish c atholic, the mission of n otre d ame appeals greatly to me.”

Thankfully, b urns had perhaps the most on-brand guide to life at n otre d ame possible: then-Leprechaun

the saints, a position he would hold for ten years. beyond de veloping exceptional relation ships with his players, mannen brought much-needed stability to the program. mannen earned his PGA certification in 2005. during his time at the college, coach mannen would coach the men’s Golf team to three nAIA national Tournament appear ances in 2012, 2018 and 2019. The latter two years were a dominant stretch for holy cross, with the saints winning the men’s con ference championship. mannen was rewarded with cc Ac coach ing honors for both teams in 2018 and the men’s team in 2019. In addition to strong team show ings, mannen had incredible success at the individual level. In his ten years, mannen coached twelve golfers on both teams to the cc Ac All-conference team. A highlight was when all-star golfer natalia campbell quali fied for an individual bid for the 2018 nAIA women’s national

RYAN VIGILANTE

Observer

Junior fullback Paddy Burns kicks the ball Sept. 24 against UNC. The Irish lost the game 1-0. Burns had two shots but failed to score.