Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, Sept. 25, 2023

ONE MAN SHORT

Irish hearts shattered on last-second Buckeyes score

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor

They stood in scattered, stunned silence, green the appropriate color to describe the feeling shared by more than 80,000 draped in green on another storied Saturday. This Notre Dame football program has seen just about everything before — but the somber feelings were as fresh as ever.

There’s no quantitative way to measure pain. Maybe the Bush Push hurt worse than this. Perhaps the Boston College loss in 1993 one week after beating No. 1 Florida State in the game of the century. Or Notre Dame’s overturned near-walk-off touchdown in 2014 against that same Seminoles team in enemy territory.

It didn’t matter to Notre Dame, who suffered a torturous 17-14 defeat to Ohio State when the Buckeyes beat the gun on Chip Trayanum’s one-yard stretch into the end zone. Every cut hurt the Irish more and more and more until Notre Dame bled out at the cruelest moment, with victory not just within their reach, but their grasp.

“Obviously, as I just told

the team, it’s disappointing,” said Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. “[We] had a lot of opportunities to win that game and then we didn’t. Credit to [Ohio State] for continuing to battle back and be resilient when we went up. And, you know, we got to finish that game. [It’s] tough.”

Ask the capacity crowd at Notre Dame Stadium what the worst of those small cuts was, and you might hear a different answer from each of them. Two unsuccessful fourth-and-one attempts, one of which needed a replay review to keep the sticks still. A missed 47-yard field goal from graduate student Spencer Shrader. The botched first-down handoff on what could’ve been a game-sealing set of downs late in the fourth quarter. The ensuing incomplete screen that it caused, leaving valuable time on the clock for the Buckeyes. Graduate student safety DJ Brown’s neargame-sealing pick, not to mention the ensuing 3rd-and-19 conversion that happened just moments later. And of course, the lack of an eleventh player on the field for what, for all intents and purposes, were the last two meaningful plays of the night.

“We were trying to get a fourth

D-lineman on the field and I told him just stay off because we can’t afford a penalty. I didn’t have any time-outs,” Freeman said.

“We can’t be down [in that spot],” said graduate student safety Thomas Harper. “We’ve got to be better players, and coaches.”

And yet, there the Irish were, three seconds away from jubilation of the highest degree. After an everything-but-thefinish first half of offense, Notre Dame offered signs of life after the Buckeyes pushed their backs against the wall with a 61-yard sprint to the end zone by TreVeyon Henderson on Ohio State’s first play from scrimmage of the second half.

That challenge sparked a pair of impressive, lengthy response drives from the Notre Dame offense. Marches down the field of 13 plays in 7:39 and 11 plays in 6:28, respectively.

Neither featured a play that went for more than 30 yards; the longest in either drive was a 28-yard strike to freshman wide receiver Jaden Greathouse to pull the Irish from the shadow of their own goal line. That play

McGuinness: Tough questions

Andrew McGuinness Sports Editor

This one was supposed to be different.

Yeah, fans of long downtrodden sports teams say that a lot. Basically every time a chance to change their team’s perception arises. Saturday night was certainly one of those opportunities for Notre Dame football. Notre Dame was no longer missing the elite quarterback.

The Irish didn’t have an inexperienced head coach this time around. Their young players contributed on several occasions.

Yet when the dust settled, the Irish found themselves in the same spot as they have in too many of these moments over the last 30 years. They were close to beating No. 6 Ohio State. Really close. Oneyard, one-play close. They didn’t do it. They lost. Again.

Those who are new to campus, whether as freshmen without prior

Notre Dame connections or visitors willing to pay the necessary arm and leg to see what turned out to be a college football classic, left Saturday’s game humbled.

They slumped their shoulders and shrugged at friends with an awkward, half-hearted smile. They made self-deprecating jokes, looked ahead to the rest of the schedule and tried to figure out the odds of the Irish still making the College Football Playoff.

It was easy to tell them apart from the die-hards because you could actually make eye contact with them. Those who have been here before, and before and before and before, aren’t the ones who explode. They reached that step in the five stages of grief a while ago. They’ve cycled through it numerous times during the however many decades they’ve been following Irish football, whether they can remember the 1988 national championship or the 1993 Cotton

MARY VOTAVA | The Observer

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame football team on their way off the field following the 14-17 loss against Ohio State on Saturday Sept. 23 in South Bend. The Irish led the Buckeyes until the final seconds of the game when the Buckeyes scored a one-yard rushing touchdown to claim the victory and devastate the home fans and the team.

Irish capitalize on set pieces, beat Virginia 3-1

By NOAH CAHILL Sports Writer

In the midst of the season, as the number of matches and minutes start piling up, every win in conference play is pivotal. After a demanding road trip, the Notre Dame men’s soccer team found one. Fueled by a home crowd of over 1,700 fans, the Irish defeated ACC opponent Virginia 3-1. While the performance wasn’t always the prettiest, a resilient Irish squad once again ground out a good result.

The match opened with fireworks as junior forward Matthew Roou headed in a goal off of a short corner routine in the fourth minute. His re-direction pinballed off Virginia keeper Holden Brown,

the bar and the right post before drifting over the goal line. The early strike continued a brilliant run of scoring form for Roou, who now has six goals in nine matches this season to lead the team.

When asked about what has gone into his recent success, Roou spoke about “the drive and desire to score goals every game and, even more importantly, win the games”. His early goal broke a run of slow starts for the Irish and helped build early momentum in the match. It was immediately followed by an impressive one-on-one denial by senior goalkeeper Bryan Dowd. Overall, Dowd performed at a high level again, making five saves and coming out decisively throughout the match to keep the Cavalier attack at bay.

Virginia grew into the match, taking more

possession and creating chances, particularly through Reese Miller down the left side. As the left midfielder in Virginia’s 3-5-2, he created overloads down the left side, running at defenders and providing dangerous crosses. However, the Irish delivered a deflating blow from another set piece with 30 seconds left in the first half.

After an inviting service from sophomore midfielder KK Baffour, the ball found its way to the feet of sophomore midfielder Wyatt Lewis behind the play. His left-footed shot tipped off a defender in the goalmouth, beating Brown for a 2-0 Irish lead.

“We haven’t capitalized on [set pieces] enough this year, but this game was massive,” Roou said.

Notre Dame volleyball downs Boston College and Syracuse, extends winning streak to six

By J.J. Post

Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame volleyball extended its winning streak to six over the weekend, dispatching ACC opponents Boston College and Syracuse.

The two wins came in contests of varying stress for the Irish. Against the Eagles, Notre Dame had to fight tooth and nail to earn a five-set victory. The Irish faced a 2-1 deficit on sets midway through the game but won the fourth set by a decisive 25-15 scoreline to force a deciding fifth. Notre Dame then carried the momentum over into the final set, winning 15-6.

Freshman outside hitter Ava Lange led the way for the Irish against Boston College, registering 17 kills on 47 attacks. It marked just the second time all season a player not named Sydney Palazzolo (had 15 kills of her own in the contest) led Notre Dame in kills in a given game.

The win was an important one for Notre Dame, who’s looking to improve on last year’s finish

near the bottom of the ACC standings. The Eagles were a middle-of-the-pack squad in conference play last year but had started out 2023 hot. Boston College entered South Bend having not lost a set in eight matches.

Against Syracuse victory came considerably easier. The Irish did have some trouble in the first set, requiring an extra point to earn a 26-24 victory. After that initial struggle though, Notre Dame found its stride and took control. The Irish won the second set 25-9, closing matters out with a 10-0 run. Four of the points in that run came off aces from junior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo.

Palazzolo and Notre Dame kept things rolling in the third set, winning 25-18 to close out a sweep victory. Junior setter Phyona Schrader notched four kills in the final set to help pace the Irish.

The victories give Notre Dame a solid foundation to build upon for its biggest test yet on Wednesday. The Irish will play host to Louisville, one of the best teams in college volleyball. The Cardinals are 11-1 and currently No. 5 in the

country. While pulling an upset might be a little ambitious, merely winning a set would constitute improvement from 2022 when the Irish won none of their six total sets against Louisville and only came within four points of the Cardinals in two of those.

A win, though unlikely, would be a major statement for a Notre Dame squad that is yet to catch the attention of polls despite a strong 8-2 record. A large part of that lack of attention is the Irish’s strength of schedule. Notre Dame still hasn’t played a team that ranks inside the national top 25. Wednesday should give a good indication of whether the team’s record is the sign of an NCAA tournament team or simply one that’s been better than weak opposition.

Notre Dame volleyball will be back in action on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at Purcell Pavilion against No. 5 Louisville. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and the contest will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

ROMINA LLANOS | The Observer

Irish sophomore midfielder KK Baffour sprints down the field controlling the ball as Michigan State defenders swarm. Notre Dame men’s soccer fell 0-1 to the Spartans on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Alumni Stadium. The Irish tied their next two matchups against UNC and No. 4 Akron and won their most recent home match 3-1 against their ACC opponent Virgina. see

ND VOLLEYBALL

Badin steps in her shoes

Bullfrogs

By ROSE ANDROWICH News Writer

Badin Hall organized its first event of the school year Friday: the first annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.” The high heels relay race, which took place in the afternoon on South Quad, raised money for St. Margaret’s House, a local day center for women.

Caroline Potts, Badin Hall president, said an annual St. Margaret’s House event was the inspiration for “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.”

“It’s something that St. Margaret’s House does, to prevent, to raise money for awareness to sexual violence,” Potts said. “So

usually it’s a mile-long race, and men donate to ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,’ but we wanted to take it to the whole campus community, and so that’s where the inspiration came.”

St. Margaret’s House served 1,200 women and 400 children last year, according to marketing director Cathy Hall.

Badin Hall vice president Devon Creelman said she wanted the event to raise awareness about women’s shelters.

“I hope that it just brings on more awareness to women’s shelters and organizations like St. Margaret’s House, [which] are supporting women in not just the

Notre Dame community, but the outside South Bend community as well,” Creelman said.

Potts added that Badin Hall has been trying to do service with St. Margaret’s House for a while.

“I hope [the race] raises awareness for the women who suffer from domestic violence and the women who visit St. Margaret’s House — a day center in South Bend — which they do a fantastic job, and we wanted to do service with them for a long time,” she said.

Sydney Szklarek, a freshman who lives in Badin Hall, said her dorm community would like to

Office for Student Success hires new director

By SALLY BRADSHAW

News Writer

Aaron Bremyer returned to Saint Mary’s this academic year as director of the Office for Student Success.

During a prior stint in South Bend about a decade ago, Bremyer directed the writing center, instructed English and taught in the “W Program” at Saint Mary’s. Most recently, Bremyer instructed literature and firstyear writing at the University of West Georgia for three years.

Bremyer’s family returned to South Bend when his wife got a job at Notre Dame in 2020.

“[I enjoyed working with] some wonderful teachers and scholars, and [I] was very, very happy,” Bremyer said. “But [the position at Saint Mary’s] sort of opened up, and I got thinking about different ways that I might be able to offer something in this position given that I’ve done lots of teaching [and] lots of student service, such as writing centers.”

In his new role as Office

Freshmen adjust to college life across tri-campus

By AYNSLEE DELLACCA News Writer

It’s been just over a month since move-in day for over 2,000 tri-campus students. During this time, classes have started, friendships have formed and passions discovered.

However, the first month of any new experience can be difficult. Many students

find relating to others important.

During her first month, freshman Kaila Bryant faced many of the obstacles freshman, or any college students, experience.

“Definitely adjusting to having a different schedule every day has been one thing,” Bryant said. “Just like being more

for Student Success director, Bremyer said he wants to make the College more accessible.

“[I will be] helping every single student on campus who wants to make use of our resources, our space — who wants to have a conversation with me about perhaps things that they are struggling with but also what works well for them,” Bremyer said.

Bremyer said his goals for this year include instituting a new program for

Campus dining rolls out late lunch, Street Fare

By JANE MILLER News Writer

Campus Dining is making changes this semester, adding a late lunch from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the dining halls and continuing to offer late night pizza from Gipper’s on its Grubhub menu. Following a resolution

from the student senate, Campus Dining also plans to reinstate personal quesadillas.

Last year, Campus Dining launched robot delivery through Grubhub. After a year of meals on wheels, students are divided about the robots. But they’re using them frequently.

Irish Gardens greets vistors before game

By KELSEY QUINT News Writer

This past year, only two colleges in the country ordered more robot deliveries than the University of Notre Dame, according to Grubhub. The two schools that beat Notre Dame, the University of Arizona and Ohio State University, have

As campus flooded with Irish alumni and Buckeye visitors, student-run, on-campus flower shop Irish Gardens put on one of their monthly pop-up events at Fieldhouse Mall on Friday afternoon.

The student employees of Irish Gardens say they take great pride in fulfilling the smell-enhancing, gift-giving and dorm decor needs of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s students and faculty. The shop offers personal delivery to addresses on both campuses and orders can

be placed online or in-person at the shop in the basement of LaFortune Student Center.

Eva Gorzkiewicz, a senior working at Irish Gardens, explained that, beyond online orders and walk-in sales, Irish Gardens also serves the needs of any group in need of floral arrangements or balloons.

“We also do arrangements for a lot of on-campus events,” Gorzkiewicz said. “A lot of clubs will buy centerpieces and stuff like that.”

Shannon Kelly, a senior who

KELSEY QUINT | The Observer

Student employees of Irish Gardens sold flower arrangments to campus vistors Friday afternoon at a pop-up event on Fieldhouse Mall.

Advertising (574) 631-6900 advertising@ndsmcobserver.com

Editor-in-Chief (574) 631-4542 meastlan@nd.edu

Managing Editor (574) 631-4542 rpeters5@nd.edu

Assistant Managing Editors (574) 631-4541 gbeecher@nd.edu, hhebda@nd.edu, jsanch24@nd.edu

Business Office (574) 631-5313

Notre Dame News Desk (574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com

Saint Mary’s News Desk (574) 631-5323 smcnews@ndsmcobserver.com

Viewpoint Desk (574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om

Sports Desk (574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com

Scene Desk (574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com

Photo Desk (574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com

Systems & Web Administrators webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com

Policies

The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content.

The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.

Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Maggie Eastland.

Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.

A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester.

The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779

Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077

Fans swarmed the Stadium and Joyce parking lots Saturday afternoon to tailgate before the matchup between No.9 Notre Dame and No.6 Ohio State. After a heartbreaking 14-17 home loss, Notre Dame football is now ranked No. 11 in this week’s

Friday SMC Mid-Autumn Festival SMC Student Center 2 - 4 p.m.

Shoes

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

begin volunteering at St. Margaret’s House weekly.

“We’re trying to start a thing where once a week, we go and we volunteer at St. Margaret’s,” Szklarek said. “It’s a great starter to get that message out that we’d like to see more of them, and yes, we want the broader community to support them as well because it is a local organization.”

Freshman Alice O’Brien said has found a home at Notre Dame living in her single-sex dorm.

“Notre Dame is really special where you get to live with all women, if you’re a woman, because those girls would become your family here. They call it home under the Dome for a reason,” O’Brien said. “There’s a reason that everybody feels so welcomed here.”

Potts explained that St. Margaret’s House strives to cultivate the unique gifts of all women.

“St. Margaret’s House really strives to cultivate the unique gifts of all the women who live there, and that’s something that we do in Badin too,” Potts said. “We really want to find a place for each person to shine … and St. Margaret’s House is also very into connecting people to create an idea or help someone.”

Potts added that the women who live in Badin Hall are passionate about anything and everything.

“They’re so electric they are passionate about anything and everything,” Potts said. “They’re so willing to get behind any idea, and so the support for this event with the girls in the dorm has just been outstanding.”

Cathy Hall said St. Margaret’s House breaks down barriers and forges connections.

“So it’s a place where you break down a lot of barriers and realize that we all have our different brokenness … we all are here to take care of each other and share our lives together a little bit,” Hall said.

When women come into St. Margaret’s House, the center wants to honor who these women are. The house has women who visit sign their name on a door which contains the names of every woman who walked through St. Margaret’s House during its first 25 years.

“When they come here, we see them as a human being that God loves, and … we want to honor who they are and this beautiful person that they are, and the gifted and talented person that they are,” Hall said. “But maybe, they’ve never been told, ‘I’m proud of you, or you’re really good at that,’ and that’s what we try to do here.”

Creelman said “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” is a new event and that Badin Hall is planning to bring back its signature event, a polar plunge, this winter.

“It’s actually a new event. Our main signature event that we’re hoping to bring back is the polar plunge,” Creelman said. “We do [the polar plunge] in the winter, but we’re hoping to do another big major event during the fall … we chose a super fun event that is supporting women so we’re pumped.”

Contact Rose Androwich at randrowich01@saintmarys.edu

Saint Mary’s reads banned books

By AMELIA BOSTETTER News Writer

The Saint Mary’s campus will celebrate expression and the freedom to read with Banned Books Week from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7.

Terri Suico, an education professor who helped plan the weeklong observance, said the slate of events for Banned Books Week has expanded in recent years.

“Saint Mary’s has had events for Banned Books Week in the past, including read-ins, panels and giveaways,” Suico said. “For several years, it was sponsored by the Cushwa-Leighton Library and the education department. Now, we’ve expanded to include different departments and offices on campus. In addition to the library and education department, this year’s events are sponsored by the gender and women’s studies department, the English department, the Spark Lab and the Center for Academic Innovation.”

The first event of the week will be a read-in of challenged and banned books at the CushwaLeighton Library on Monday, Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. The read-in, which will take place on the library’s third floor, will be open to any member of the campus community for listening or

Dining

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

student populations over 40,000 students.

“They’re very convenient,” sophomore Emma Newman said about the robots, “especially when you’re in a good flow of work, and the weather sucks.”

Despite their popularity, the Grubhub robots have not evaded criticism from students.

“Just because something is convenient or easy does not mean it is good,” law student Olivia Lyons said. “Notre Dame claims to care about community, but the robots are a prime example of choosing convenience over community. Notre Dame should be encouraging its students to walk around outside and interact with others. I am honestly so saddened when it is a beautiful day outside, and I see robots driving around.”

According to Campus Dining executive director Luigi Alberganti, Grubhub’s

Success

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

accountability and integrating healthy study habits for students.

So far this year, Bremyer said he has enjoyed his experience at Saint Mary’s.

“I am excited every day to continue defining this position for myself,” Bremyer said.

While working as director

active participation.

On Oct. 5, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Spark Lab is providing an opportunity for people to show their support for the fight against censorship by making custom buttons. The final event of the week is a talkback event Oct. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Madeleva Hall 254A. Suico and Stacy Davis, a religious studies and theology professor, are hosting the talkback.

“There will also be ways for people to participate throughout the week, such as an interactive display at the library and a checklist of suggested activities that people can do to be entered in a drawing for prizes,” Suico said.

Suico explained that the event is more important than ever this year because book bannings have been in the national spotlight.

“[Banned Book Week] is an annual event that calls attention to book challenges and bans and emphasizes the importance of the freedom to read and access to information. It was started in 1982 because there had been an uptick in the number of books that were being banned and challenged,” she said. “This year, it is more important than ever, with record numbers of books being banned and challenged in 2022 and during [this] school year. We

statistics on the popularity of the robots were compiled before Gipper’s Late Night Kitchen was added to the 16 on-campus restaurants.

“The idea [of Gipper’s] is to provide a late night delivery so that people can order food, and stay in the dorm,” Alberganti said.

The restaurant offers “high quality Detroit style pizza” in addition to wings, gelato and freshly baked cookies. It is operated out of South Dining hall, almost acting as a “ghost kitchen” — the only service offered is delivery.

Another new addition to the on-campus restaurant scene is Street Fare.

“We’ve heard really, really good comments [about Street Fare],” Alberganti said. “Our chefs actually did a lot of research on trendy cuisines coming out of Asia and Latin America.“

Alberganti also said that Street Fare would see some changes after fall break. Students can expect a redone seating area and will be able to

of the Office for Student Success, Bremyer also teaches three classes at the College, including two sections of an education class called “Strategies for Academic Success.”

Bremyer explained that he enjoys the students at Saint Mary’s as much as he has enjoyed students anywhere.

“The physical space of being in the library … it’s a fantastic place to house what are called Learning

are seeing challenges to books all over the country from organized groups that are coordinating censorship efforts.”

Talks of banning books have even come to South Bend lately, according to Suico.

“While Florida and Texas are often the ones we hear about in the news, these groups are popping up everywhere. Recently, there have been attempts to remove and reshelve books at the St. Joseph County Public Library,” Suico said. “It’s important to note that the majority of Americans oppose book bans, so while the people who are trying to censor books are the minority, they are also a very vocal minority. Additionally, some politicians have taken on book challenges and bans as part of their platform.”

Lisa Karle, a circulation and fulfillment manager at CushwaLeighton Library who was involved in organizing Banned Books Week, said attempts to ban her favorite banned book — the original 1987 edition of “Where’s Waldo?” — showed how unnecessary book bans can be. According to Karle, the children’s book was challenged due to a sunbather being topless in the book’s crazy beach scene.

“I just think censoring a puzzle

order at the counter.

Students have mixed reviews on Street Fare. Not all are fans of the sushi, but the tacos were well-received by sophomore Emma Prestage.

“The authentic chicken taco is probably one of my favorite meals at LaFun,” Prestage said.

The dining hall saw two major changes this year, as well. For the first time since before 2019, the dining hall is leaving its doors open for late lunch.

“We started seeing a rush at 2 o’clock in the afternoon” said Alberganti. “I thought leaving the dining hall open was the best way to alleviate a little bit from the typical 11-1 pressure.”

This decision has been hugely popular among students who have class during prime lunch hours.

“It’s nice to know that when I get out of class after 2 that I can still go to the dining hall,” sophomore Olivia Schmitt said. “It’s only sandwich stuff, but at least I don’t have to depend on the grab-n-go or

Commons now,” Bremyer said.

Bremyer said that having the writing and tutoring center — which is located in rooms 308 to 310 on the third floor of the Cushwa-Leighton Library — so close to the Office for Student Success and in the same building as the Accessibility Resources Office makes sense.

According to Bremyer, students at Saint Mary’s should make use of campus

book over a drawing you practically need a magnifying glass to see is ridiculous,” Karle said. “It’s important to draw attention to censorship — perhaps this year more than ever — as it’s getting worse nationally. We are celebrating [Banned Books Week] at Saint Mary’s because we believe in and support everyone having the freedom to read what they choose.”

Suico added that reading banned and challenged books is vital at an institution of higher learning.

“Learning about different ideas and diverse perspectives can help expand our perspectives, improve our understanding of the world around us and develop our critical thinking skills,” Suico said. “LeVar Burton, who is this year’s honorary chair of Banned Books Week, has said books bring us together. They teach us about the world and each other. The ability to read and access books is a fundamental right and a necessity for lifelong success … public advocacy campaigns like Banned Books Week are essential to helping people understand the scope of book censorship and what they can do to fight it.”

Contact Amelia Bostetter at abostetter01@saintmarys.edu

spend flex points if I don’t want to.”

Students have also noticed the absence of the personalized quesadillas this semester.

“The reason why I got an off-campus dining plan was because I’d always get the southwest salad and the quesadillas,” off-campus senior Johnny Wang said. “I remember going there on the first day and seeing that the kiosk wasn’t open. I was like, what’s going on here?”

Alberganti said the personalized quesadillas will be returning to the dining hall soon.

While the dining hall does now offer premade quesadillas on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the response from the student community has caused Alberganti and his team to begin the process of reinstating personalized quesadillas.

“I can’t tell you exactly what week it will be, but it will be soon,” Alberganti said.

Contact Jane Miller at jmille95@nd.edu

resources to supplement their academic habits and ultimately help them succeed. Bremyer added that he is “very open” about his own struggles and intends not to normalize failure but to “destigmatize” it.

“With small shifts and small changes, we can begin to change our behaviors and our habits,” he said.

Contact Sally Bradshaw at sbradshaw01@saintmarys.edu

Students throw cards in Duncan

worked Friday’s Irish Gardens pop-up event, said holidays can get extremely busy for the flower shop. Valentine’s Day, in particular, brings in waves of shoppers to the LaFortune basement, so Kelly suggested buyers place those orders in advance.

Kelly added that her favorite part of the job is getting to assist the buyers that do not know much in the way of floral arrangements.

“I love when boyfriends come in … they kind of just shuffle and they’re like, ‘Oh, what do I get her?’ or like, ‘What do I do?’” Kelly said. “They always go for the red roses. They shouldn’t because that’s coming on too strong … it’s just so fun to help people pick something out for a special occasion.”

On top of the arrangement making, Irish Gardens student workers said the shop takes special care to create a strong bond between the 20 or so employees who are students. Gorzkiewicz said this sense of community is precisely what drew her to apply.

“Originally, one of my friends worked at Irish Gardens and she would talk about how much fun it was. I would like to hear from her about the different events they would do. They just sounded super close,” Gorzkiewicz said. “I don’t want to say it’s necessarily a chill job, but [it is] a really fun job — especially compared to a lot of other jobs on-campus. And the social aspect, particularly, it’s really unique.”

Kelly agreed that the Irish Gardens community is the defining aspect of the flower shop.

“Managers just made it really clear from the beginning that you’re supposed to be social because it’s a very social job because you have to help people with all their social occasions,” Kelly said. “And then we try to be friendly with each other too because why not be nice to your coworkers?”

The group said they often get together outside of the basement of LaFortune for various socials and events such as a Friendsgiving. Student employees oversee all of the Irish Gardens operations including its social media communications. Gorzkiewicz said that, although washing vases can get tedious, she is grateful for her time spent as a member of the Irish Gardens team.

“I definitely think everyone would agree that making flowers itself is the best part of the job … meeting all the customers, getting to know some of them too and all their special occasions,” Gorzkiewicz said.

Contact Kelsey Quint at kquint@nd.edu

By LIAM KELLY Associate News Editor

Students from across campus flocked to the second floor of Duncan Student Center Thursday evening for a night of chance and excitement at the Notre Dame Ace of Spades Poker Club. The club was founded in 2021. Club president Carson Goldrick and vice president Connor McIlvain, both sophomores, now lead the club.

Goldrick explained that the club gives students the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of playing poker without any of the downsides.

“Notre Dame doesn’t allow us to host at-stakes poker night, so the way we do it is we have no stakes and the winner of every table just gets an Amazon gift card that they can spend,” Goldrick said.

Club members aren’t allowed to bet real money. However, they can win a

Adjustment

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

accountable for [things like] making myself have time to eat, because sometimes time gets away from me and I’ll realize I haven’t had lunch, prioritizing stuff that I used to do back home … But it’s been great meeting new people. It’s definitely just a very big change.”

Many students find homesickness one of the most difficult adjustments to overcome.

Saint Mary’s freshman Hannah Polite wrestled with homesickness during her first few weeks on campus. She said reaching out to new and old connections helped her feel better.

“I tried to make new friends, but I did talk to my family a lot. I called my sister almost every day and called my mom a few days a week, same thing with my dad,” Polite said. “I also called my cousin who went here, just to see how she adjusted too.”

Freshman Nathan Miller has made sure to dedicate time to take a break from classes and homework in order to stay in touch with friends and family. This time helps him with homesickness and maintaining those relationships, he said.

“I still keep in contact with a lot of my friends back home.

Like I specifically carve out like an hour, hour and a half, sometimes even two hours, depending on how much homework I have, specifically for just texting my friends back home,” Miller said.

Bryant experiences homesickness for her home in Los

$5 Amazon gift card for their first win and a $10 gift card for every subsequent victory.

“The reason we do $5 for the first time is we don’t want people coming in just one night. We want people to come back after. If they were to just come in and win ten bucks on their first night it wouldn’t be as fun just because the club wouldn’t have as many people,” Goldrick said.

McIlvain said that club members aren’t allowed to pay dues as it is prohibited by the University, but the lack of a financial barrier makes it easier to attend a poker night.

The club hosted its second meeting of the year Thursday for a game of Texas hold ‘em which had a turnout of over 25 people. Goldrick said he was generally encouraged by the attendance numbers.

“Last year, the first couple of nights we had 40 [people], we couldn’t allow

Angeles, but in a more passive way.

“I haven’t been feeling as homesick as I expected when coming here. There hasn’t been any time (to be). It’s more of just seeing what my family is doing back home,” Bryant said.

Bryant said he video calls his little brother, who shows him his dog back home.

Saint Mary’s senior Jennifer Utterback remembers her first year at college as incredibly difficult for her, but she also remembers receiving help from the Health and Counseling Center, which offers free counseling sessions and other resources for Saint Mary’s College students.

“I definitely was very much in denial about [homesickness], and it kind of honestly hit me my second semester. I had really poor mental health and so I started thinking to myself, ‘I want to go home, I can’t deal [with this]’ … [so] I set up a counseling appointment,” Utterback said.

Although she was nervous for the appointment, she said she found a useful outlet there.

Counselor Alexa Zapata Fernandez works with Saint Mary’s students by talking them through adjusting to college life. She wants to provide a safe space for anyone needing someone to talk to or understand what they’re feeling.

“We’re here to just provide support wherever the students are, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be that you’re going through a breakup or some huge thing in your life. It could very well

more than 40 in so we actually had to kick people out the first couple of nights,” Goldrick noted. “We’re hoping to have the same amount throughout the semester.”

McIlvain said that one of the club’s goals this year is to maintain consistent attendance levels.

The club held four games with tables for both beginners and more advanced players at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Some students were eager to ride a lucky streak and try their hand at both games, while others found themselves out of the game early and turned in early.

Despite this, McIlvain emphasized the many opportunities for students to win.

“We have two games a night and multiple tables, so there are a lot of winners. It’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Freshman Taylor Weeks said that he found out about Ace of Spades at the club fair and decided to try it out

just be like, ‘Hey, I just want to check in just get this off my chest,’” Fernandez said.

Freshman Donovan Ligier is a part of the Transformational Leaders Program, which offers additional resources to him.

“Just when I felt like I needed something, my scholarship advisors have been the first people I go to because they can always point me in the direction of something that I could use,” Ligier said.

Many freshmen also struggle to choose their intended major. Officially, students cannot declare a major until their sophomore year, but most students take introductory courses in their potential field of study to acquaint themselves with their major.

Utterback decided to change her major during her sophomore year, a decision which caused some criticism from other students.

“At the end of my first semester of sophomore year, I started doing managerial accounting … And I kind of had a little bit of a crisis. I didn’t really know who I was, and I really didn’t want to do accounting, but I wanted to make other people happy.”

Although she said some people questioned whether she would keep the same job opportunities, she is happy about the switch.

“I was just really scared of changing everything,“ Utterback said. “It was really hard for me for a while. But the opportunities I also got from switching my major [were] a lot better.”

Polite also recently decided to change her major from biology to chemistry

even though he had never played poker before. Weeks said despite this fact, he enjoyed the sense of camaraderie in the club.

“I didn’t win anything, but I liked it, I had fun,” he explained.

Goldrick stressed that while he always enjoys playing poker, the reason he is invested in the club is the community that exists there.

“The reason I volunteered to take over as president is just because I love the environment here. There’s no stakes, so no one’s invested in the game to the point where they’re not cordial or nice,” Goldrick said.

McIlvain urged new players to give the club a try.

“It’s a great environment, no stakes, and you can win a little bit of spending cash, so there’s literally no downside to coming to poker club,” he said.

Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu

to prepare herself for medical school. She said talking with different faculty members and academic advisors and using them as a resource greatly helped her decisionmaking process.

“They helped me a lot to see what the different senior compositions would look like,” Polite said.

Miller, currently planning to be an aerospace engineering major, looks forward to upcoming “exploration days” in his introductory engineering class to help his decision making.

“I’m considering the switch to civil engineering just because aerospace doesn’t as directly benefit people as [much as] civil engineering, and that’s something that I’m interested in doing,” Miller said. “Also, there’s a lot of infrastructure stuff with civil engineering, like, especially traffic management. That just sounds really interesting,” Miller said.

From homesickness and changing a major to finding on-campus resources and making new friends, students can relate to one another during their first month of college.

“I guess don’t be afraid to reach out,” Ligier said. “I think a lot of people aren’t as successful in the beginning of college … because they don’t know when, they don’t know how, or might be too afraid to reach out. But the thing is, everybody needs something. And there’s always somebody here for something you need.”

Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu

By CLAIRE LYONS Viewpoint Editor

The first music video broadcast on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star.”

The catchy song details the rapidly changing music industry of the 1980s. With the advent of music videos and the marketing push to create pop idols, musicians faced an increasing amount of pressure to look the part. The video kills the radio star.

But what happens when video is dying?

MTV isn’t as relevant and many people can’t remember the last time somebody dropped a fire music video. Seriously, what could match the hype of “Gangnam Style” or “Anaconda?”

For the longest time, music videos seemed like a dying breed of art, but with the viral video release of Troye Sivan’s recent singles, maybe the genre can be revived — by dance.

Earlier this summer, Sivan released “Rush” in anticipation of his newest album “Something to Give Each Other.” The single was well-received, mostly due to the music video’s beautiful contemporary hip-hop choreography.

“Rush” clearly takes after the clubbing opulence and effervescence of the late 90s and early 2000s with lots of dancing and near-nudity.

The video features a mesmerizing Slavic-inspired line dance similar to choreography by Igor Moiseyev in the famous Russian ballet “Day on the Ship.” The stiffness of the dance is inspired by the chanting in the song’s chorus: “I feel the rush / Addicted to your touch.” The dancers almost

embody soldier-like automatons, linking arms and stomping in sync like a demonstration of an elaborate military drill, performing with great precision, coordination and timing. The geometric lines and forms made with their bodies make the dancing feel masculine and powerful — a demonstration of queer brotherhood. Yet, like the song, their dancing is never entirely rigid. All of their movements somehow feel fluid, natural and connected.

Choreographed by Brazilian-born Sergio Reis and Mauro van de Kerkhof, the dance’s unique use of big, expressive movements attracted a lot of attention on TikTok and led people to Sivan’s music.

Similarly, Reis and van de Kerkhof were the masterminds behind the bold dance moves in Sivan’s newest release “Got Me Started” on Sept. 20. In this video, the dance is more sensual, somehow finding the perfect balance between fluidity and rigidity. The backup dancers flow into geometric positions like an electric current is coursing through their body. The camera cuts seamlessly between different takes of Sivan and backup dancers busting moves in different locations, switching between elegant rooftops, sparsely decorated reception halls and a sophisticated urban courtyard. The combination of choreography and Sivan’s confidence somehow makes pulling up some comically baggy cargo pants look effortlessly sexy rather than embarrassing.

I can only guess that the popularity of this choreography is going to give Sivan’s music videos more attention and generate more hype for his new album.

Despite the excitement, the singer faced a significant amount of backlash on X, formerly Twitter, most of which was from Rolling Stone reporter Tomás Mier, who claimed “Rush” lacked body diversity: “I adore Troye Sivan, but this “Rush” video is making me feel some type of way. It seems like a case study on how white gays choose to view queer people as a whole. There’s not a single fat person in the entire video. Just white twinks and chiseled bodies.”

In the release of “Got Me Started,” Sivan’s music video was intentionally cast for body diversity, but none of the dancers were larger-bodied; people on X are unsure of whether or not they’re happy with that. User River Page wrote, “Obsessed with the prominently placed, stoic fat people in the background, a quiet but resounding ‘Are you happy now?’”

Another popular music video experiencing its viral dance moment is “Back On 74” by Jungle. The impressive music video is filmed in a one long take with changes in lighting and set design. Like Reis’s choreography, the dance is super contemporary with elements of funk and hip-hop. The dance is not technically advanced, but the difficulty lies in the dancer being fully expressive with their body.

Clearly, dance in music videos is having its moment. All three videos went viral on Tiktok and the musicians are doing better because of it. In fact, dance might single-handedly be saving music videos.

Readmoreonlineatndsmcobserver.com

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

By LUKE FOLEY Scene Writer

Despite being only 20 years old, “Oldboy” has already cemented itself as a classic. Park Chan-wook’s film dazzled audiences with its stunning deconstruction of the revenge genre and propelled South Korean cinema to global attention and acclaim. I recently watched the 20th-anniversary re-release of “Oldboy” at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and my knowledge of it beforehand was minimal. I knew about the iconic one-shot hallway scene and the awful 2013 American remake being the epitome of Hollywood banality, but that was it. I am glad for my ignorance, for few films have left me as shocked, disturbed and engrossed as “Oldboy.”

“Oldboy” immediately hooks you with its mysterious, enthralling premise. Protagonist Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years in a small apartment room for seemingly no reason. We get a brief glimpse of what his life was like during those 15 years: meals delivered through a slot at the bottom of the door, a small TV that is his only connection to the outside world, prolific diary entries and training himself to fight. During this time, his captors murdered his wife and framed him for it, leading to his daughter being adopted by another family. It’s all very bleak and brutal to watch. Choi Minsik’s performance as Dae-su perfectly expresses the deep anguish the character feels during this time. Then, one day, he’s finally released, starting his journey of revenge on his captors, but the way the story transforms from here is astonishing.

The film initially presents itself as Dae-su’s revenge journey,

as we see him slowly put together clues about who held him captive and why. He meets a young chef named Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), who helps him in his quest for revenge. Their relationship quickly becomes romantic and sexual. His sleuthing leads to him back to the building he was held captive in. Here is where the aforementioned hallway fight takes place and it definitely warrants its veneration. The thrilling, complex fight choreography filmed in a one-shot perfectly captures Oh Dae-su’s exhaustion and brutality as he swings and punches through a cumbersome amount of goons.

Afterwards, Oh Dae-su finally meets his captor, Lee Woo-jin (Yoo Ji-tae). Lee Woo-jin is one of the most fascinating, disturbing villains I’ve seen in a movie. He’s a mix of Patrick Bateman and the Joker: suave, eccentric, calculating and petty. At first, he’s kind of a comedic villain because his inexplicable, obsessive hatred of Dae-su is darkly humorous. Woo-jin saying to Dae-su, “Me? I’m sort of a scholar. And my major is you,” is hilariously corny. However, when his motivations are fully revealed, you feel nothing but disgust and disdain for him. During their first meeting, Lee presents Dae-su with an ultimatum: if, in the next five days, he figures out why Woo-jin imprisoned him, Woo-jin will kill himself; if not, Woo-jin will kill his new lover, Mi-do.

The second half of the film insidiously reveals the intense evil at the core of this story, and I will stop discussing specific plot details now, for the value and power of this movie come from the surprise of the plot developments. The film ventures into some sinister, disturbing territory that will exhaust you. Overall, the film — in a very extreme manner — deals with the

theme of revenge and its danger and futility. It also explores how indulging in bitterness and hate only perpetuates more pain and impedes the ability to process the trauma that leads to the desire for revenge in the first place. We see two deeply hurt men, Oh Dae-su and Lee Woo-jin, fully embrace their resentment toward one another and they’re both left broken by the end. It’s not a revelatory message, but it is executed with such intensity and horror that you’re left deeply moved by the end.

The filmmaking and performances throughout are impeccable. Park Chan-wook’s direction is incredibly stylish and expressive, for he is always doing something engaging with the camera, whether that be split diopters, one-takes or point-ofview shots. The editing is equally full of flair, adeptly presenting the film’s montages and surreal, abstract moments. As mentioned before, Min-sik gives an incredible performance as Dae-su, effectively depicting a man experiencing unfathomable horrors. Yoo Ji-tae gives an impressively dynamic performance as Woo-jin, which fantastically captures his pompous qualities and the deep pain at the root of his character.

“Oldboy” is an arduous journey where you’re appalled and exhausted by the end. The film reveals the deep evil humanity is capable of and the infinite depths our pain and trauma can go. This riveting story is paired with some gorgeous filmmaking that’s overflowing with style and expertise. By the end, its audacity and disturbing nature will leave you thinking about it for a long time. That’s a sign of incredible art.

Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu

Notre Dame’s apartheid: Race as faux pas

Helina Kassa Newsletter Editor

As the clock struck at 8:55 p.m., I would scramble to my parent’s room with a Pillow Pet in my left hand and my favorite blanket in the other. I would patiently wait for 20/20 with Barber Walters, or sometimes Diane Sawyer, to stream on ABC. 20/20 was a weekly news program dedicated to in-depth stories and interviews. It was investigative journalism covering things from celebrities Michael Jackson, Malala Yousafzai and Monica Lewinsky to issues like the Jonestown massacre.

Initially, my parents were not too fond of me staying up past my bedtime, but they came around to letting their 7-year-old watch the news with them. Watching 20/20 on ABC was my first genuine exposure to major political and social issues during my formative years. When I was not watching ABC, I was probably watching Al Jazeera in the morning with my parents before school or even ”Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” reruns on CNN. The constant news reel of CNN, Al Jazeera and ABC around me as a child caused me to be mesmerized by international politics and news. Exposure to media like this at a young age made me globally-minded and open-minded early on.

As I grew up, learning about other cultures continued. In my leisure time, I watched Ethiopian comedies, Mike Wines eat ”The MOST INSANE Street Food in Thailand!” or lurked around Embassy Row in Washington D.C. for Passport DC with trips to different embassies.

On campus today, you can find me at Russian Tea parties, representing U.K. Parliament members at Model UN conferences, or Egyptian Shadow Theater. (I like to keep everyone guessing!)

As a student who grew up in Maryland, I was fortunate enough to go to a high school that was highly diverse. I grew up in the phenomenon known as the DMV (formally known as the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area), with one of the largest Ethiopian populations.

I will always cherish my high school days filled with my encounters with driven students of color who were extremely racially conscious. Since I lived so close to Washington D.C. — around 8 miles from the White House — many of my classmates got to go to protests, lobby on the hill and participate in activism at a young age.

Justice Elena Kagan and cancel culture

On Sept. 22, U.S. Supreme Court

Entering college, my reality drastically shifted.

During my time here, I have learned that Notre Dame is housed with an abundance of knowledge and racism.

As a student who has been here for three years, I find myself hearing students say things in some of my classes that would make Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis seem moderate. The blunt privileged mannerisms, entitlement and racially homogeneous narrative spewed by my classmates are terrifying. In lecture, I found that my white classmates’ voices were objectively louder, but not necessarily smarter. It feels comfortable for them to be in a classroom, whereas I do not.

It doesn’t end in the classroom. While walking around campus, whether it be the dining hall, student center or library, it is easy to see how a self-segregated campus is. Students on campus congregate into racially homogeneous factions per racial identities and communities. There are very few racially diverse spaces with actual representation. It tells a lot about students’ friendships, government, leadership and clubs. We exist in a campus with little to no racial integration, and that looks like apartheid.

I have endured seeing classmates who have “Black Lives Matter” plastered on social media and their water bottles, turn around to say racial slurs after hours, respond with “stop making this a race issue” or even believe race is too taboo to talk about.

But it doesn’t end there.

At Notre Dame, I simultaneously find myself in hell and heaven. I am attending a school with renowned academics and a wealth of opportunities. Yet, the need for more diversity in thought and practice is one I am burdened with. Blame does not go entirely to administration, but possibly extends to the pre-conditions of teaching social factors to encapsulate structural racism.

Race shouldn’t be ”faux pas” at Notre Dame, and I hope that changes someday. Being at Notre Dame has taught me to understand racism in a way I could have never imagined. In the coming years, I hope no student has to experience what I’ve had to. I hope Notre Dame can prosper.

You can contact Helina Kassa at hkassa@nd.edu.

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

Justice Elena Kagan visited Notre Dame to kick off the 2023-24 Notre Dame Forum on “The Future of Democracy.”

In conversation with the Notre Dame Law School Dean G. Marcus Cole, Justice Kagan discussed a variety of topics, ranging from the way she interprets the Constitution to how she separates religion from her role as a judge. Justice Kagan’s wisdom, passion and integrity shone through the conversation to create an engaging commentary on the state of our country today.

As our country continues to function less and less as a true democracy, it is important to consider the aspects that are keeping our country from upholding the individual rights and freedoms of all people. One important component that contributes to political polarization and undermines democracy is the rise of cancel culture. Justice Kagan offered some important insights on this issue and suggested it is making our country even more divided.

As defined by Merriam-Webster, cancel culture refers to ”the mass withdrawal of support from public figures or celebrities who have done things that aren’t socially accepted today.” The term ”socially accepted” is relative due to the variety of viewpoints that are held within our society, meaning individuals can get canceled for anything that differs from a given person’s personal opinion.

While there is a spectrum on the scale of cancellation, generally, the more common cancellations seem to stem from a difference in political opinion. Justice Kagan described how cancel culture exists on both sides of the political spectrum, which contributes to an increase in political polarization and limits the potential for productive conversation. With controversial topics, people typically tend to engage with people who have opposing beliefs only to explain why the other person is wrong, why they are right and why they should change their beliefs. Not only does this limit the discourse on these topics, but it prevents people from considering why their opinions differ.

As Justice Kagan eloquently stated, ”This nation can’t work unless people can talk with each other, try to understand each other and learn with each other to work together across various disagreements for the greater good.”

To uphold a democracy, we must respect everyone’s freedom of speech. When someone holds a belief that we may disagree with, it is essential that people engage in conversation with the intention of hearing the other person’s perspective instead of criticizing, judging and attempting to change their beliefs. When people engage in respectful conversation, individuals are more likely to learn from each other creating the potential for people to expand their perspectives.

The presence of cancel culture has become more saturated in the U.S. as a difference in political opinion has transformed into policy that attempts to censor discourse on certain topics. Some examples include the ”Don’t Say Gay” law in Florida, the censorship of American history in textbooks and book banning in school libraries. These complicated issues reflect the growing political polarization in our country and the restrictions of free speech that undermine U.S. democracy.

A common theme among these three examples is that they all exist within education systems. While there are other forms of policy that limit free speech, a majority of these policies are aimed at educational institutions. This strategy used by lawmakers attempts to control the narrative and discourse in the U.S. to reflect the politics, opinions and beliefs of certain politicians. Not only does this help politicians maintain a like-minded following that will keep them in office, but it also directly contradicts a core tenet of democracy: freedom of speech.

Justice Kagan talked about how educational institutions should be about learning about all sorts of ideas, even the ones you don’t like. In a democracy, people should be given the right to have access to all sorts of information. Otherwise, the censorship of information emulates the tactics used by an autocracy which directly threatens the legitimacy of U.S. democracy.

Freedom of speech was meant to function as the basis for U.S. democracy. Instead, we have seen how “cancel culture” has contributed to limiting and censoring certain kinds of political discourse. To uphold our democracy, it is essential that people attempt to engage in dynamic conversations with the goal of listening to different perspectives, not criticizing them.

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and it is important that people are provided with all of the information available in order to form an authentic belief that reflects who they are as a person. Political diversity is important and it is possible to maintain diversity in a respectful manner by holding the humanity of a person at the center of difficult conversations that challenge people’s beliefs.

The restoration of our democracy is possible, but it can only be achieved if every citizen actively listens to others and broadens their perspective to foster a society that upholds the rights and freedoms of every individual.

Grace Sullivan is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying global affairs with minors in gender and peace studies. In her column I.M.P.A.C.T. (Intersectionality Makes Political Activist Change Transpire), she is passionate about looking at global social justice issues through an intersectional feminist lens. Outside of The Observer, she enjoys hiking, painting and being a plant mom. She can be reached at gsulli22@ nd.edu.

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

Grace Sullivan I.M.P.A.C.T.

Why Hasan Minhaj’s lying is unacceptable

entirely different issue.

I’m Joy Agwu.

I would like to use my platform to tell you guys a story about harassment.

On Sept. 23, 2023, my friends and I rushed into the Notre Dame Stadium as soon as the gates opened to grab prime seats for the Notre Dame v. Ohio State match-up. We rightfully earned spots in the first few rows of the senior section. The ten of us grabbed seats, and some of us spread out to save space for four friends who were running late. After less than 10 minutes, a drunken male student came up behind me and started leering.

“A pretty little thing like you doesn’t need this much space … Are you saving a seat for your boyfriend? Because I can fill that role right now,” he jeered.

My friends and I repeatedly told him to go away and texted our friends to come quickly. Whenever we told him to stop, he would leave, booing at us as he walked. Then, after a few moments, he would return. It wasn’t long before he grabbed me and forcibly tried to move me out of the way so he could claim “his” seat. Fortunately, an usher stopped him before things could get too far, but we were shaken up for the rest of the hour while we waited for the game to start.

Drunken harassment is a disgustingly rampant issue at sporting events and not just at college football games. From publicly screaming in the face of the opposing NFL football team fan to rape threats for expressing an opinion on a UK Football match, the unsettling behavior of drunken fans at sports games is a serious issue and needs to be addressed.

So, that leaves the question, how do we fix this? A full cultural facelift? Having more ushers in the stands? There are several proposed solutions out there. We just need to get to work, and demand change. That being said, if you stop reading right now, your response to this story could be one of the first steps to calling attention to this issue affecting many college campuses.

But if you continue to the rest of this column, you’ll probably find yourself responding to an

I am not Hasan Minhaj, the Indian-American, political-landscape comedian who was recently exposed for lying in his comedy specials.

If I were Hasan Minhaj, I might feel more comfortable ending this column with a call for action. I might even feel somewhat heroic by encouraging you to contact the Notre Dame administration to do something, so no one has to experience drunken harassment in the stands ever again. The story would serve a good cause, and I will have used my role as an Observer Viewpoint columnist to stir you to action based on the lessons garnered from the story. My work would have been done, if that story was not disturbingly exaggerated.

Here’s what really happened. My friends and I went to the game early, got great seats in the senior section and saved space for our missing friends. A drunken student did come up from behind me to try to claim the seat I was holding, but he made no vulgar comments to me. We shooed him off. Then, he came back and grabbed my friend’s legs to move them from the seats that she was covering. Eventually, we stopped fighting and let him sit where he wanted to. Within 10 minutes, he moved again and sat with his friends further behind us, rendering our whole interaction fruitless.

He was a drunk jerk, and one could argue that his behavior was harassment, but it certainly was not as extreme as I first led you to believe.

At the beginning of this article, I told you I was sharing “a story about harassment.” By construing this as a story from the beginning, I allowed myself to be a storyteller and embellish.

do, and it’s not just comedians. We engage with various pieces of media knowing that it’s unlikely that the content is 100% true, but we do it because we appreciate the entertainment.

Hasan Minhaj’s actions stray from the acceptable norms of storytelling because Minhaj framed himself as a victim, so his comedy would be entertaining as well as politically informative. His stories illustrated how pervasive racism can be, affecting even the key experiences of youth, like attending a high school prom or being involved in one’s community or mosque. For years, thousands have praised Minhaj for being incredibly talented while he repackaged his victimhood into comedic lessons for the many. All the while, he was never a victim — at least, never to the degree he claimed to be. That’s what makes this different.

It is already hard enough for victims to get the proper attention when they’ve experienced harassment or abuse. Even when they get the proper attention, there is no guarantee that they’ll be believed. People like Minhaj, who abuse their platform by falsely claiming victimhood, make it all harder for those who try to tell the truth. While Minhaj brought a substantial amount of attention to problematic behaviors of the American government and within American culture, the ends do not and cannot justify the means here. There is a line where fair play embellishment crosses into harmful deceit, and Minhaj crossed it. We can only hope that his actions do not undermine our ability to believe others when they share their lived experiences of harassment, assault and abuse.

Everyone knows that comedy shows are a little embellished — partially because no one’s everyday life is really that interesting, but also because storytellers embellish. It’s what they

Joy Agwu is a senior at Pasquerilla West, originally from Bowie, Maryland. She is pursuing a degree in philosophy with a minor in constitutional studies. In her free time, she finds great pleasure in consuming media and reflecting on the deeper meanings behind the content she encounters. Whether you have recommendations for TV shows, movies, podcasts or any other form of media, or if would like to further discuss an idea presented in a column, feel free to reach out to her on Instagram @JoyfulJoyousss.

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

“That’s what we do. We tell stories, and then we embellish them.”

Whoopi Goldberg in response to the Hasan Minhaj scandal on “The View”

Happy Birthday: Having structure, planning and keeping busy will be your tickets to success this year. Put a time frame and budget in place, and don’t let anyone get in your way. Following through instead of waiting for someone else to do the dirty work will be more rewarding than you imagined. Challenge yourself to revamp your life and implement a healthier, practical and less demanding lifestyle. Pick up the pace. Your numbers are 9, 13, 26, 28, 33, 43, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Raise your awareness, recognize what’s essential and put your energy where it counts. How you reach out to others will determine whether someone takes you for granted or appreciates you for what you offer. Set ground rules and boundaries, and do your part.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Simplify your life and pay attention to whatever will benefit you most. You’ll fall short of your expectations if you spread yourself too thin. It’s up to you to adjust your life to fit your goal. Don’t postpone; act now and enjoy the aftermath.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Experience what life has to offer. Engage in learning something new, connect with people heading down a similar path, and find the place or space that makes you happy. Choose your destiny and plan your actions. Peace, love and happiness will be yours.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep a low profile. Refuse to let anyone coerce you into an argument or a challenge you don’t want to pursue. Pay attention to what interests you and what stimulates your mind to create the space or pastime that brings you peace, love and joy.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A change will offer mental stimulation and the desire to find a new look, image or lifestyle. Put a budget in place, say no to temptation and turn your thoughts into reality using ingenuity and physical labor to reach your goal.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Consider everything before you act. Don’t let emotions cloud your objective or ruin your chance to succeed. Courage, grace and knowledge will put you in the driver’s seat. Personal management will open doors to new beginnings.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Rethink your work ethic and life strategy. Look for an original way to use your skills, knowledge and experience to attract positive attention. Don’t stand on the sideline when challenging yourself and acting is what’s necessary if you want to achieve success.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Change what you don’t like and move forward. Keep your emotions out of the equation and do what’s necessary. Refuse to get caught up in a no-win situation. Stay focused on what you want, and do whatever it takes to finish what you start.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Think outside the box, but funnel your energy into something concrete. You’ll appeal to people who share your sentiments and have something beneficial to contribute. Don’t fight change; make it work. Adapt and embrace what comes your way with a positive attitude.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Fix up your digs; convenience is everything and will make a difference to your attitude. An innovative approach to your life and what’s important to you will change how you move forward and the people you bring into your circle. Leave nothing to chance.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t share too much information or give others a glimpse of what’s to come. Surprise is favored when dealing with partnerships, money and legal matters. Update your image, keep what’s important to you close and prioritize romance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Embrace life, participate in events and causes you find gratifying, and make yourself heard. Share details, paint an enticing picture and grow a foundation to house what you want to achieve. Be realistic, plan each move meticulously and enjoy the outcome.

Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, intuitive and speculative. You are proud and easygoing.

| WILL SHORTZ HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST

JUMBLE | DAVID HOYT AND JEFF KNUREK

SUDOKU | THE MEPHAM GROUP

came after a wildcat touchdown from sophomore running back Gi’Bran Payne broke the four-plus quarters of defensive suffocation from Ohio State that dated back to last September.

“I think it was just being patient, trying to as much as we can,” said graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman. “It was a quick game, fast game it seemed like. But, yeah, I think we started running the ball well, so they started maybe loading the box a little bit. But, again, nothing really paid off in the end when you lose.”

The Irish came into the game hoping to prove they could truly go for punch-for-punch with

M. Soccer

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

“Getting two in the first half to take a lead was amazing.”

Those well-timed goals did not deter the Cavaliers, though.

They opened up the half by creating massive chances largely from the play of Mouhameth Thiam and Stephen Annor Gyamfi. Virginia snatched a goal in the 50th minute after a quick combination between the two prompted a cross from Miller.

The delivery forced a miscue from graduate student defender Mo Williams, whose attempted clearance ended up in the back of the net.

The pace of Thiam and Annor on the counterattack posed major problems for the Irish defense. Their pressure culminated in a golden opportunity to level the score, one which Annor squandered.

With Dowd chased out of position after a 59th-minute save, Kome Ubogu’s rebound cross found the freshman all alone at the back post. In

Ohio State after a 21-10 loss a year ago that didn’t reflect the gap between the two teams. This year’s margin of defeat did that — it just wasn’t the message Notre Dame hoped it would send.

There was no shortage of contributors to Notre Dame’s efforts. The Irish knew it would take a top-to-bottom performance to knock off the Buckeyes for the first time since 1936. From graduate student defensive end (and former Buckeye) Javontae Jean-Baptiste (eight tackles, one quarterback hurry) to freshman running back Jeremiyah Love (57 yards on eight carries, many coming in the third quarter when the Irish offense was in its biggest need of a boost), there’s no one player or even moment to blame.

The margins could not have been smaller.

That’s what amplifies the pain to the magnitude it crescendoed to as Buckeyes exchanged hugs and handshakes 160 feet away from Irish agony. Somehow, Notre Dame did both everything it needed to win and everything it needed to lose.

The young talent at running back and wide receiver shined, with freshman Rico Flores Jr.’s fourth-quarter touchdown snag nearly standing as the game-winner. But the deep ball was never there for Hartman and company. The Irish offensive line delivered its best pass protection of the season, especially given the talent on the other side. But establishing a ground game, Notre Dame’s

Questions

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Bowl or reaching No. 1 in 2012. There’s nothing you can say to them to make Saturday’s loss hurt less. Anything you say will just make it worse. It’s not you, it’s us — we promise.

I know this, of course, because I am one. One is also the age I was the first time I attended a Notre Dame football game (I do not remember it). I was at the 2012 Michigan game, the 2017 Georgia game and the 2018 Playoff game. I announced the UNLV game last year for WVFI, Notre Dame’s student radio network, on an hour of sleep after rushing to catch a Saturday morning red-eye back from fall break.Why didn’t I just fly home Friday night? Well, you see, I’m not just a die-hard Irish fan. Allow me to share a personal anecdote for a moment, I promise it comes back to Saturday’s game.

bread and butter, proved tricky all night. Marvin Harrison Jr. was held to just 32 receiving yards, his third-lowest total in the last two seasons. But Emeka Egbuka and Cade Stover still gave Kyle McCord ample support.

In the end, the mistakes proved to be just a hair too much for the Irish to overcome.

The issues with Notre Dame’s performance would have been there whether Trayanum fell short or not.

But history is written by the victors, and it will be the poised McCord, the timely defensive stands and the humbling final play the Buckeyes served the home crowd that will define this night.

“It’s a long season. You know,

realize I’m in too deep to ever back away from them, that I’d be back for Opening Day 2023 whether they won the World Series or didn’t win another game. It just might not have been quite the same if I still had no joyful memories to cling to.

Three days later, the Phillies popped champagne as I skipped to the Grotto to light a celebratory candle as 4,014 days’ worth of clouds finally lifted. The Phillies would wind up reaching the World Series, but that, although amazing, was never the point. To me, it was always just proving the heartbreak they had become known for wasn’t permanent.

Here’s the thing, though -- for some teams, it is. Or at the very least, it’s long enough to feel that way. The Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox may have kissed their 108 and 86-year title droughts goodbye. Yet there were many people who lived good, long lives cheering for these teams and never saw them clear the final hurdle.

that hurts. Close game. You know, big fan — big crowd. It’s tough,” said Hartman. “It’s about bouncing back and that’s all we can do.”

As the lights turned off and the LED wristbands darkened, the Irish signal-caller spoke like someone who’s been here before to a fanbase that’s been here before.

Because they both have, and that amplifies anything and everything around Notre Dame football — for better, or, tonight, for worse.

“I’m sure later in the week we can find something,” he said, “But right now, it’s pretty low, pretty dark.”.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Dame students and alumni who aren’t heartbroken right now. They wish the Irish would’ve won, but only for their friends and family. They have their own sources of joy and heartbreak, but they don’t rely on a college football team they have no control over to determine that.

Putting it in words makes the whole concept seem illogical. But then you get a moment like the Clemson upsets of the last few years, the adrenaline rushes back and the gears of hypothetical success begin to turn. And then the rubber meets the road sooner than hoped and the process begins again.

front of a gaping goal, Annor mishandled his footwork, one-timing the ball wide from four yards away.

After a strong period for Virginia, the Irish scored a much-needed insurance goal in the 74th minute. Junior forward Eno Nto broke through on goal, shooting into the bottom corner as he fell to make it 3-1.

From there, the Irish comfortably held on to their lead and earned another conference win.

Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley said his team “performed pretty well” against “one of the top teams in the country year in and year out.”

“At this time of year you want to keep trying to perform well. But the fatigue starts to build,” Riley said.

“I’m really proud of the guys’ toughness and then the whole squad really contributed tonight.”

The Irish earn some deserved rest this week before a road trip next Sunday to face NC State in Raleigh.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

I’m the same way for Notre Dame football as I am for the Philadelphia Phillies. I’ve got a deep childhood connection with them, too — the Phillies won the 2008 World Series on my seventh birthday. Much like those childhood trips to campus, it drew me in to an extent you have to live to fully understand.

Then, for 10 straight years, the Phillies missed the postseason. From fifth grade through my sophomore year of high school, the Phillies achieved nothing. Worse, I was too young during the team’s preceding run of success to savor what it all felt like. Every year, the season ended and I felt no joy. Between Sept. 18, 2011 and Oct. 2, 2022, every other Major League Baseball team clinched a postseason berth. I watched on with a hand covering the frown forcing its way across my face and (unsuccessfully) tried to conjure what meaningful happiness from my baseball team would feel like.

Last year, on Sept. 30, I remember walking through North Dining Hall and clearly thinking, “If they miss the postseason again, I need to have a hard conversation with myself about whether this is worth it.” The Phillies were collapsing to the league-worst Nationals, about to lose for the 11th time in 15 games and inch closer to the precipice of the most epic collapse I’d seen yet. I’m (barely) self-aware enough to

The Miami Marlins haven’t played a postseason game in front of fans since I was a year old. My mom was younger than I was the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs reached the Stanley Cup Final. I complain about only having seen two championships to my Boston fan friends. But if I was a Minnesota sports fan instead of a Philadelphia one, I’d still never have seen one in my lifetime.

Which brings us back to the Irish.

It’s been 35 years since Notre Dame last won a title. It’s been 30 since it last won a major Bowl game. The Irish have only played for a championship once in the interval and the way that game ended made many fans feel worse than the years when they didn’t even come close. Every time it feels like the Irish have a chance to erase the negative stereotypes surrounding the program for good, old habits die hard.The connection with college sports teams is often more intimate than with professional teams. I live close to the Phillies ballpark, but not the stone’s throw away Siegfried Hall is from Notre Dame Stadium.

People make meaningful friends and fulfill achievements during college in such a way that is impossible for many to disassociate from the University as a whole — athletics included.

Yet there are plenty of Notre

The Ohio State game was supposed to be different. Maybe it actually is — just not the way anticipated. This loss, on top of everything that has happened to Notre Dame football and college football as a whole over the last few years, has a chance to be the breaking point. Many are not thrilled with the direction the sport is heading in and that’s before considering the focus on name, image and likeness (NIL) and social media doesn’t exactly play to Notre Dame’s strengths. The Irish are trying — Saturday was as raucous as Notre Dame Stadium has been in a long time. The green out largely kept Buckeye fans out, at least relative to the Georgia debacle of a few years ago. Everyone has a breaking point. Maybe this loss is to Irish fans what that aforementioned lateSeptember Phillies defeat last year was for me — the final disappointment before a long overdue breakthrough. Right now, it’s hard to think of that though. The Notre Dame fanbase, for its own wellness or weakness, will remain strong on the whole. For some individuals, though, things will never be the same. The Irish lost a devastating football game on Saturday.

But it pales in comparison to the goodwill of this once hopeful but now downtrodden fanbase that just keeps slipping further and further away.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

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

MARY VOTAVA | The Observer

Irish offense celebrates freshman wide receiver Rico Flores Jr.’s fourth quarter touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday.

How has the Notre Dame football team bounced back from post-loss agony before?

By ANDREW MCGUINNESS Sports Editor

There’s no sugarcoating the heartbreak of Notre Dame’s last-second, season if not program-shaking loss to Ohio State Saturday. To many, this Notre Dame felt different as they entered to the pulsating green bracelet lights at Notre Dame Stadium. A few hours later, the team emerged under a big, black sky with all-too-familiar emotions.

It’s hardly the first time the Irish have agonized in a big game, amplifying the angst and frustration among the Irish faithful. But for everything Notre Dame lost Saturday, they still have a chance to gain it back — and more.

“And at the end of the day, [we’ve] still got to do our job. We can’t get too high or get too low,” said graduate student safety Thomas Harper. “So, like I said — like I keep saying, I just think we can learn from this. We can still accomplish all the things that we hope to.”

Doing so will take impressive resilience, especially with another top-20 matchup coming this weekend at Duke. Unfortunately for Notre Dame fans, the Irish have suffered their fair share of heartbreaking defeats in recent years meaning they have a track record for this. With over half a season to go, it’s worth revisiting some of the most crushing Notre Dame losses of the 21st century to see how likely the Irish are of achieving that bounce back.

2019

The Loss: Stop if you’ve heard this before, but the Irish dropped the second half of a two-season home-and-home with a high-powered blueblood in brutal, one-score style. On this occasion, it was a 23-17 defeat at No. 3 Georgia, with the Irish squandering a halftime lead due to penalty trouble and two Ian Book interceptions.

The Week After: Once again, the Irish had to turn around and face an upstart ACC foe in No. 18 Virginia. It wasn’t pretty, with the Cavaliers taking a 17-14 lead into the locker room at half. But eight Irish sacks, including a scoop-and-score by Ade Ogundeji, led the team to a fairly comfortable 35-20 win.

The Rest of the Year: Don’t read ahead if you have high hopes for the USC game. The Irish got throttled 45-14 at No. 19 Michigan a month later. But that was the team’s only other blemish, as the Irish finished 11-2 with a Camping World Bowl win over Iowa State. The Irish are hoping for more this season, of course, but a repeat of this would be a pretty good outcome all things considered.

2017

The Loss: Yeah, the first half of those marquee

home-and-homes don’t seem to go much better, do they?

The Irish lost a back-and-forth, one-point affair with No. 15 Georgia that featured some weird missed opportunities (remember that near kick-return touchdown?) after Brandon Wimbush fumbled on a potential game-winning drive.

The Week After: A road clash with a Boston College team that would finish a respectable 7-6. After a low-scoring first half, the Irish run game carried them, as Notre Dame scored seven rushing touchdowns on the day. Five came after halftime, including a 65-yard dash by Wimbush that gave Notre Dame a double-digit lead that would never significantly shrink.

The Rest of the Year: Really don’t read ahead if you have high hopes for the USC game. The one-loss Irish rose all the way to No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings before No. 7 Miami beat the brakes off of them in one of the ugliest losses in program history.

Like 2019, the Irish were good the rest of the season, highlighted by a much more encouraging 49-14 beatdown of the No. 11 Trojans.

2016

The Loss: Texas is back, baby. The Longhorns won this season-opener, which stumbled through every twist and turn like a student coming back from a night out. Two quarterbacks? Blocked extra point safety return? An actual flip by Equanimeous St. Brown? A 50-43 final in double overtime? Yes to all of the above; no to an Irish victory.

The Week After: Notre Dame returned home for a “choose your score” 39-10 victory over an overmatched Nevada team. That was the beginning of a three-game homestand that would continue with a meeting against No. 12 Michigan State and Duke that would define Notre Dame’s season.

The Rest of the Year: Oh, it defined it alright. The Irish were sloppy as could be in a game the Spartans won by eight not because they deserved to but simply because someone had to. A 38-35 defeat the next week to a Duke team which would go 4-8 proved the Irish defense was broken, as the group sputtered to its worst season since 2007.

2014

The Loss: The last-minute game-winning, top-five-teambeating touchdown that wasn’t. The Irish went pound-forpound with the reigning champion, Jameis Winston-led Seminoles.

Down four, Corey Robinson’s score with 13 seconds left was wiped off the board due to offensive pass interference, setting up an unsuccessful fourth-down heave.

The Week After: Notre Dame took advantage of a

mismatched Navy team the next week, but showed some concerning signs. The Irish defense, stellar through the first five weeks, allowed 30-plus points for the third straight contest.

The Rest of the Year: First-year defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s unit fell apart down the stretch. The week after that Navy game, Notre Dame lost a bonkers 5531 shootout to No. 9 Arizona State, with a late comeback effort falling short (but closer than you’d guess based on the score) to end the Irish’s CFP hopes. The team never recovered as a whole, yielding 43, 31 and 49 points to three unranked foes, all of which beat the Irish before Notre Dame offered a glimmer of hope with a walk-off field goal to beat LSU in the Music City Bowl.

2005

The Loss: Basically a higher-stakes version of Saturday. The defending, defending national champion Trojans also stood at the edge of the Notre Dame end zone with seven seconds left. Like Ohio State, they found a way to break through —barely — with a then-illegal push from star running back Reggie Bush propelling quarterback Matt Leinart over the goal line to hand Notre Dame its second loss of the season.

The Week After: Against a mediocre BYU squad (albeit one that would rattle off four straight double-digit win seasons starting the year after), the Irish used a big second quarter and 357 receiving yards between Maurice Stovall and Jeff Samardzija to outrun the Cougars 49-23.

The Rest of the Year: The Irish only played 11 games in that regular season and other than this USC game and a Week 3 overtime loss to Michigan State, Notre Dame won them all. The same can’t be said of a Fiesta Bowl showdown with the Buckeyes, who beat Notre Dame 34-20.

What We Learned

If recent history is any indicator, expect a slow-starting Irish victory next weekend against Duke (the 2016 Duke game would be more comparable to Notre Dame’s 2023 matchup with Louisville). But it’s hard to flip the switch against elite competition if it isn’t in place the first time around, even when the team enters that game still in Playoff contention. The past says this USC game will be the next 2019 Michigan, 2017 Georgia or 2014 Arizona State. It’s up to the Irish to do whatever it takes to bring the fuzzy feelings that were buried underneath the gleeful red that graced Notre Dame Stadium back to the surface.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

Notre Dame football sways in arm-in-arm during the alma mater, a traditon among the team and fans after every game. The Irish stood together after a devastating last-second 14-17 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Notre Dame Stadium. ESPN’s College Gameday traveled to South Bend for this primetime, top ten matchup.