Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, September 20, 2023

‘Freakonomics’ co-author speaks at ND

By KELSEY QUINT news writer

Tax fraud, terrorists’ checking accounts and prostitution were just a few of the topics covered in a guest lecture f riday by award-winning economist and author s teven l evitt. The talk — entitled “ f reakonomics: a r ogue

e conomist e xplores the h idden s ide of e verything” — was part of the annual Thomas h . Quinn l ecture series.

m endoza c ollege of b usiness dean m artijn

c remers introduced l evitt, an economist and co-author

of “ f reakonomics.” The book spent more than eight years on the n ew york Times bestseller list in the u s and sold over 7 million copies worldwide. c urrently, l evitt is a u niversity of c hicago economics professor. Throughout the lecture, l evitt shared anecdotes from his career as a researcher.

Prostitute guest lectures to college economics class

o ne such story was about what l evitt said was the one case where somebody actually took his economic advice.

w hile conducting research on prostitution in c hicago, l evitt received an email from an escort in the area that wanted to offer data towards the study. l evitt accepted, thankful for the step forward.

“ s o i had the problem, i had to go to my wife and say, ‘a ctually, okay, i ’m going to go have lunch with a prostitute, but i swear to g od, she called me and not vice versa,’” l evitt said. “ i went and i met her, fascinating woman. s he had a college degree. s he had been a computer programmer … she used her computer programming skills to build a

webpage and within a few months she was making two to three times as much, working about 15 hours a week.”

d uring lunch, l evitt decided to ask about pricing.

r ealizing her status as a local monopoly, l evitt joked and advised that — economically speaking — she should raise her price.

l ater that year at the u niversity of c hicago, l evitt decided to add a lecture on his prostitution research to an economics course he was teaching.

“ s o, i had this idea. w hy don’t i invite my new prostitute friend to come guest

lecture in my class?” l evitt said. “ e conomists and prostitutes have a lot in common … for the right price we’ll do anything. s o i said to her, ‘ w hat if i paid you your hourly wage?’”

a t the end of the lecture, students asked questions, including a question about pricing. i n response, l evitt’s friend replied that she charged $400 per hour — an increase from the previous $300 per hour price.

“ i was so angry, because in our negotiations, i said i ’d pay her hourly wage, which i knew would be $300

see lecTure PAGE 4

belles’ book nook club hosts picnic read-in farley hall rector departs

Observer Staff Report

farley hall rector Tricia mc c arthy will not return from temporary leave, according to a s ept. 15 email to the farley community by breyan Tornifolio, director of residential l ife for residential education.

The announcement included a note from mc c arthy.

“l ife in farley has taught

By AMELIA BOSTETTER news writer

The belles’ book nook club hosted a picnic style “read-in” event at the island on lake marian at saint mary’s on monday afternoon.

madison suseland, the club’s vice president, described the club as an english, reading and writing club. she explained that the event was organized to give students the opportunity to relax while enjoying literature.

“we came up with this

idea at one of our meetings,” suseland. “it had been done by the previous belles’ book nook board last year, so we thought it would be a really good idea to just come out to the island on a nice day and have a picnic style ‘read-in,’ so we could just lounge and enjoy the sun.”

The “read-in” was club’s first event of the school year. belles’ book nook secretary leeanna silkworth said she appreciated how inclusive the club was of students with different majors, varying

academic schedules and extracurricular commitments.

“i’m here because i just really like reading and writing, and while that may not be one of my majors specifically, i do just really enjoy doing that,” silkworth said. “i thought book nook was the perfect opportunity for me to pursue some of the paths that i don’t necessarily do in school.” suseland also explained what drew her to the belles’ book nook.

me to always be prepared for the unexpected — a late night hallway chat, a chapel leak, processing to pop’s grave by candlelight or the best bagel flavor being there on a Thursday morning,” mc c arthy wrote. “it is with sadness and gratitude that i share that i will not be returning to farley as i take time to care for some unexpected

see farley PAGE

“Economists and prostitutes have a lot in common … for the right price we’ll do anything.”

Katelyn Waldschmidt | The Observer

The Belles’ BookNook club hosted their first club event Monday at Lake Marian, featuring a picnic style “read-in.” Participants read works from U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, who will speak at Saint Mary’s.

see booKnooK PAGE 3

4

Peter Breen | The Observer

Carol Latronica, a former Welsh Family Hall rector, will join Farley Hall staff as interim rector after the departure of Tricia McCarthy.

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Wednesday AI and the Very Old World Order

105 Jordan Hall

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Talk on AI by journalist Karen Hao.

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Stayer Commons 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

A trip through Latin American culture.

Thursday Evening With PLOTUS Ada Limón

O’Laughlin Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

Talk given by PLOTUS Ada Limón.

“Invest Like a Champion Today” Jordan Auditorium 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Speaker series on investing.

Friday

Justice Kagan Visit DeBartolo Performing Arts Center

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Conversation with Law

Dean G. Marcus Cole.

Farmers Market

SMC Soccer Field

2:00 p.m. - 3:00

“i’ve been really passionate about reading and writing since i was 4-years-old,” suseland said. “a nd i am a n english major, so this is perfectly in line with what i love to do.”

she also highlighted how book nook appeals to students of all stripes.

“i just really like that book nook creates a space for anyone from any major to come together and share this love for reading and writing … you don’t have to be an english major. You don’t have to be a writing major,” suseland explained. “We just wanted a space where we could explore our passions, and that’s kind of why i’m here.”

silkworth noted that the low time commitment allows students to easily attend events.

“especially because it’s not time consuming, it’s easy for other people if they do have other majors or other engagements,” she said. “They can all just come hang out when we have fun little events.”

Contact Amelia Bostetter at abostetter01@saintmarys.edu

student nonprofit fights predatory loans targeting south bend residents

By ETHAN CHIANG news Writer

o perating in its 12th year, the student-run Jubilee i nitiative for f inancial i nclusion (J iffi ) offers s outh b end residents an alternative to predatory lending.

h elenna Xu, a senior who serves as the nonprofit’s co-chief executive officer, said the microfinance organization provides small loans to those with an emergent need for funds.

“ f or example, if someone’s car broke down and they need a couple hundred dollars to fix it, they can come to us to get a loan,” Xu said.

a ccording to Xu, J iffi ’s unique offering is that they provide the lowest interest rate the state of i ndiana allows.

“[ s outh b end residents] don’t have to turn to predatory loan lenders, who have interest rates like 40-50%.

i f they come to us, they have

a better chance of financing and we give them the opportunity to be financially stable,” Xu said.

Xu said exploitative lending practices extend beyond exorbitant interest rates.

“They would target really vulnerable populations who don’t really have other options,” she said. “They have the advertising that says ‘cash available immediately’ or targeting that you can get a job right away.”

Xu noted these lenders also prey on the lack of financial illiteracy within the community, as “a lot of clients are unfamiliar with the terminology or just how a loan is structured and then they will get tricked and trapped into repaying for a very long time.”

i n describing J iffi ’s loan process, Xu said the usual amount is $500, but in some cases, they cautiously offer greater

conditional loans.

“We have a credit team that is dedicated to talking to the clients and reviewing their financial status,” she said. “We evaluate their whole financial situation to make sure they have a good reason to get a loan.”

i n order to finance these loans, J iffi relies heavily on fundraising initiatives. “We have done b laze [Pizza] fundraisers, c hipotle fundraisers—where 20-25% of the proceeds go to our organization. We have also done g o f und m e,” Xu said.

To complement their lending efforts, J iffi also offers a f inancial e mpowerment Program ( fe P) to cultivate responsible financial habits.

“ i n the past for fe P, we’ve gone to local high schools and other community centers like the c enter for the h omeless. We would have a class on financial literacy on basically how to open a bank account and how to

finance responsibly,” Xu said.

s peaking on the organization’s founding over ten years ago, Xu said Peter Woo ‘14 was interested in putting his financial knowledge to practical use. “With the help of [Professor c arl] a ckermann, the first advisor of J iffi , they founded a nonprofit organization that makes an impact on the s outh b end community,” she said.

Xu, a Program of Liberal s tudies and political science double major, said her academic focus did not prevent her from joining the organization. “[ m y majors] were irrelevant to finance, but it [did] not matter because J iffi has a lot of divisions,” she said.

Last year, J iffi helped over 20 s outh b end residents with their financial needs. They are currently accepting applications for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Contact Ethan Chiang at echiang@nd.edu

Farley

conTInUed From PAGe 1

things in my own life.”

A colorado native, mccarthy attended Loras college in Iowa and later earned her master’s degree in theology through notre dame’s echo Graduate service Program. she previously served as director of campus ministry at butler University.

on Aug. 15, Tornifolio wrote to the Farley community about mccarthy’s temporary leave. Tornifolio said she expected mccarthy to be gone “a month or so.” In mccarthy’s absence, carol Latronica, a former rector in Welsh Family hall, supervised Farley hall’s staff, although she did not move into the building.

According to Tornifolio’s sept. 15 message, Latronica has formally agreed to be Farley hall’s interim rector. Tornifolio added that residential Life will commence the hiring process for a permanent Farley rector in the coming weeks.

Lecture

conTInUed From PAGe 1

per hour. s he was there for two and a half hours, so I had $750, very crisp bills. I had written a nice note. I had put them in an envelope,” Levitt said. “And now I’ve got to come up with an extra $250. I’m furious because it’s not like I can go to the n ational s cience Foundation and say, ‘I’m too lazy to teach my own class so I hired a prostitute.’”

Levitt remembers another student raised their hand and asked how exactly she decided on a price to charge.

“And she turned to me with a big smile on her face, and she beamed at me,” Levitt said. “And she said, ‘Well, the very first time that I was with professor Levitt… he convinced me that my services were far more valuable.’”

To catch a terrorist

Levitt shared another story which he said came after people came to him, encouraging him to apply his work to catching terrorists after 9/11.

Levitt determined that the best way to go about the task of crime-catching was through big data — specifically, retail banking data. After numerous failed attempts to pitch the project to banks in the United s tates, Levitt struck an agreement with a private bank in e ngland.

“I convinced a b ritish man, well more exactly, I convinced one guy at a b ritish bank to give me the data,” Levitt said.

With his team, Levitt said

career crossings office to host first in-person career fair since pandemic

By SARAH CATE WHITE news Writer

saint mary’s will welcome employers from various fields to meet with students and discuss professional life after their time at saint mary’s during its career fair Wednesday. The fair is part of Future Fest, a multi-day event that concludes with the career fair Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in haggar college center.

stacie Jeffirs, director of the career crossings office at saint mary’s, said Future Fest is a helpful resource not only for students, but also for employers. she said career fairs are valuable because of the accessibility it grants students and employers to interact with one another.

Jeffirs said the career crossings office is excited for students to explore job and

he spent more than a year in trial and error mode, attempting to construct an algorithm which could identify suspected terrorists with accuracy. After a breakthrough, Levitt delivered his findings to m I5, the intelligence and security service of the United Kingdom. The final product was an algorithm that predicted suspected terrorists based on AT m withdrawal locations.

After the m I5 neglected to act on the intelligence, Levitt and his co-author s tephen d ubner decided to include the study in their second book, “ s uperFreakonomics.” The subtitle of the book was, “Why suicide bombers should buy life insurance.”

Levitt explained that any algorithm designed to trace these terrorists would naturally exclude bank accounts in which the individual had life insurance.

d uring their book tour in the United Kingdom, Levitt and d ubner were scolded by the public. Levitt recalls tabloid titles such as “Freakonomics authors turned traitors.”

“People would talk about how awful it was that we would give away the secrets of catching terrorists,” Levitt said. b ut, there was more to the story.

“After 9/11, I had two ideas. o ne is maybe I could catch the terrorists with banking data, but I knew how hard a problem it was. s o I had another idea. I said, ‘ s omehow or another, I’ve got to get the opportunity to get the terrorists to raise their hands and say that they’re

internship opportunities at Future Fest.

“career fairs are a great way to network and connect, both from the student’s and employer’s perspective,” she said. because the career fair is the first taste of the professional world for many students, saint mary’s hopes to encourage students to make connections that will help guide their career decisions in the future, Jeffirs said. she added that Future Fest is a valuable opportunity for students to interact with working professionals and practice skills they can use in interviews down the road.

“The purpose of the event is to connect students with employers for internship, job and other post-grad opportunities,” Jeffirs said.

Professionals from various fields will attend the fair.

”students will have the

terrorists,’” Levitt said. That, Levitt explained, was the entire idea behind the publication of the study.

“Let me ask you a question. h ow many of you people bought life insurance from your bank? e xactly, none,” Levitt said. “We didn’t have life insurance in our algorithm — we completely and totally lied to the world … all we really wanted to do was to wait two months and see what happened. We went back to the bank and said, ‘ h ey, did anyone buy life insurance?’”

e ventually, the scheme unfolded and 13 individuals matching additional qualifications did in fact purchase life insurance from the bank.

“I can say, we probably succeeded in catching the 13 dumbest terrorists on the entire planet by virtue of that ploy,” Levitt said.

An American ‘patriot’ and the power of an idea

Levitt also shared the story of a former I rs employee named John. Although he was not seemingly special, Levitt said, John showed up on time to the same organization every day for 25 or 30 years.

“John had one idea. And that doesn’t seem like that much — one idea — but if it’s a good enough idea, it is enough,” Levitt said. “ h e sat in the basement of some building outside of Washington, d c and he went over people’s tax returns. h e was a tax auditor.”

Levitt explained that John’s single idea, in his estimation, saved the U. s

opportunity to connect with employers from a variety of industries and build connections with recruiters that will help them in applying to roles and landing interviews,” she said. over 30 employers will attend the career fair, ranging from major international firms to service-oriented organizations. Jeffirs listed some notable companies that will be in attendance.

“We have eli Lilly, KPmG International, orr Fellowship, nFA (national Futures Association), Ace Teaching Fellows, Great hearts Academies and more will be attending the career fair,” Jeffirs said.

due to the pandemic, saint mary’s has not hosted a full, inperson career fair since 2019. because of this, Jeffirs said there may be anxiety among the student body about talking to people in the professional world.

government $20 billion.

“It absolutely drove John crazy when people gave ridiculous names to their children,” Levitt said. “The was one that put him over the edge — he was looking at a tax return — and someone had named their daughter ‘Fluffy.’ h e couldn’t take it anymore.”

According to Levitt, John wondered why the tax service didn’t ask for the social security number of the dependents.

Levitt said the effects of that single idea were unbelievable.

“And it turned out that on April 16, 1986 something really incredible happened. It turned out that overnight, in America, 7 million children had vanished. They weren’t ever seen again,” Levitt said. “Was it terrorism [or] aliens? n o, it was John because it turned out … that 7 million children were created, manufactured, made up by the parents in order to get what, at that time, was a $250 deduction.”

For Levitt, the two takeaways of this story are: the power of incentives and the even greater power of an idea.

“Anyone could see that if you don’t ask for the social security number, you don’t have a way of teaching people to not cheat. b ut, the thing is, nobody did it,” Levitt said. “Those are the ideas that I love. Those that are so obvious everyone should see them, but for some reason, no one can except for that one guy.”

Studying the unstudied d iscussing his career

“We have hosted in-person career fairs in the past, but this is our first one since cov Id. It’s a traditional career fair in the sense that we’ll have employer booths and students will engage with employers, exchange resumes and contact information, etc. however, we want to emphasize that career fairs are not scary,” Jeffirs said.

saint mary’s is also participating in a virtual career fair hosted with 10 other all-women’s colleges and universities.

“We also host an all-women’s colleges and universities virtual career fair that will be held on oct. 3 from 3-6 p.m. on handshake,” Jeffirs said. “We collaborate with 10 institutions for this fair and will have over 85 employers that participate.”

Contact Sarah Cate White at swhite01@saintmarys.edu

path, Levitt recalled listening to his father, a medical researcher, tell a story behind his own studies.

“This guy, d r. e ngelton, sat my dad down in his office and he said, ‘Levitt, I’m sorry to say this, but you have no talent for medical research.’ That was obviously horrifying,” Levitt said. “ b ut the guy continued, ‘There is one area of medicine that is so devoid of knowledge that even someone with severe limitations might be able to make a contribution … intestinal gas.”

Levitt’s father went on to become the world’s foremost expert on intestinal gas. Levitt explained that GQ m agazine once referred to his father as “The King of Farts.”

“ s o, my dad said, ‘I have to tell you, since I have no talent, you have no talent. If you ever want to succeed in a profession for which you have no talent, the only hope you have is to take on a set of topics that are so embarrassing to the degree that no one with self-respect would work on. It worked for me, maybe it can work for you,’” Levitt said.

Levitt did just that. h e studied crime, cheating, sumo wrestling, real estate — anything that sparked his interest. h e soon discovered that these types of topics were not just exciting to study. It turned out they also excited the millions of people that read his books, “Freakonomics” and “ s uperFreakonomics.”

Contact Kelsey Quint at kquint@nd.edu

I want to know you right this second

I pitched my new water bottle, which is small and flat and kind of looks like a flask, and we went around the table, taking swigs of cheap vino rosso, arguing if we were “in” or “out.”

find only in the first nights of a new experience, when every forkful of penne alla vodka (sans vodka) tastes like hope and every swig of cheap vino rosso tastes … well, cheap.

c all it my cute, American ignorance, but I really believed Italian grocery stores would accommodate my need for ready-made vodka sauce. I really believed I could walk into Fantasia on v ia di s Giovanni and purchase a jar of that heavenly mix of onion, basil, tomato, garlic, parmesan and — you guessed it — vodka.

As it turns out, Italian grocery stores do not carry ready-made vodka sauce, and as it turns out, Amelia and I would have to make some ourselves (sans vodka) … It’s not that we have anything against vodka, it’s just that hard liquor isn’t allowed in the villa.

s o, that first sunday night in rome, we made penne alla vodka (sans vodka). Al dente pasta coated in an orangey sauce full of chunks of my poorlycut onion. And everyone in the kitchen was chatting about God-knows-what, maybe talking about how s cholars Irish Pub is so overrated or commenting on the wonders of three-euro wine from c arrefour.

I liked to think perhaps we’d been doing this for years, cooking meals in large kitchens where the sinks don’t have disposals (Italy doesn’t do that), eating alongside people who feel like old friends but are more-or-less strangers. And even though I have this notion in notre d ame, Indiana, that “everyone knows everyone,” sometimes it feels like no one knows anyone at all.

naturally, that night, we sat around a long table, a group of 8 of us — some architecture, some engineering and one e nglish major (me). And we played shark Tank.

“I’m in, but only if you turn the water bottle into a crossbody and add a phone pocket,” somebody said.

“I’m out because it’s totally impractical — you’d have to refill that thing every five seconds,” another said.

“I’m in only if we just make it an actual flask,” one said.

It’s weird doing things like you’ve done them before. Playing shark Tank, eating penne alla vodka (sans vodka) with a group of people you know or sorta-kinda know or really really want-to-know (right this second).

And dear God, to want-to-know someone, to wantto-know many people, is my favorite feeling in the world. It’s the feeling I got that first night of freshman year when I met my friend from poetry class at the Grotto after a spectacularly mediocre dorm party (in d unne, naturally), and we shared that sacred space together while we held the peace in our hands, and I thought maybe this was the beginning of the rest of my life. It’s the feeling I get now, often in the basement of the villa at 2 a.m. ( rome time), when everyone’s asleep, except me and four random people I just met and we’re talking about all the loves we’ve ever had. It’s the feeling I get every time I talk to the La Follia waitress when she asks for my star sign and crinkles her nose playfully when I tell her, “Gemini.” It’s the feeling I get when I pass those really well-dressed John c abot students, the girls who smoke cigarettes for breakfast and wear low-waisted jeans with Adidas Gazelles.

d on’t we call this magic? The kind of magic you

d on’t we call this truth? The way we unravel after a couple glasses of rosè, making ourselves more unafraid, more unapologetic. The way we somehow have this chance to more boldly confess who we are to these people who might hurt us or love us (might kiss us or cry with us or talk crap about us on the morning coffee run).

And, of course, perhaps we always had this chance, even back in notre d ame, Indiana, to be more free, to be more us. b etween those days we felt trapped — compelled to believe this was all we’d ever be — we were still people who deserved to be known (right this second).

We deserve to be known for our style, our intellect and our humor (which doesn’t always land). We deserve to be known for that dorm we live in or that apartment we’ve adorned with digital photos and fairy lights and alcohol. We deserve to be known for that PowerPoint presentation we spent weeks on (which might very well have shaved 10 years off our lives). We deserve to be known for our embarrassing attempts at speaking Italian, the way our voice wavers when we say “posso avere una pizza margherita.” We deserve to be known for our homemade penne alla vodka (sans vodka) and those friends we made that first sunday night in rome.

Kate Casper (aka, Casper, Underdog or Jasmine) is from Northern Virginia, currently residing in Rome. 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.

Who will be Notre Dame’s ‘College GameDay’ guest picker?

tweeted that he will be attending the game this weekend and having him as the guest picker would be “Awesome, b aby!”

inside look at Te’o’s experience in college.

“c ollege Game d ay” is coming back to where it started in s outh b end this s aturday. As the Fighting Irish face off against the o hio s tate b uckeyes, “Game d ay’s” panel of experts, featuring Lee c orso, d esmond h oward, Pat mcAfee, Kirk herbstreit and a guest picker will grace notre d ame with their presence.

The last time es P n ’s “c ollege Game d ay” was in s outh b end was the c lemson vs. n otre d ame game in n ovember of 2020 when the Irish took down the Tigers in a 47-40 win. however, the last time o hio s tate hosted es P n ’s “c ollege Game d ay” was last year’s n otre d ame vs. o hio s tate game in which the Irish fell to o hio s tate 21-10.

The upcoming game day weekend is on everybody’s mind and so is one important question: Who will be “c ollege Game d ay’s” celebrity picker at n otre d ame?

Last week’s “c ollege Game d ay” at the c olorado s tate vs. c olorado game saw a large showing by celebrity fans. While Lil Wayne might not be leading the Irish out of the locker room this weekend, a guest picker will certainly grace the “c ollege Game d ay” stage for the Irish. here are some possibilities:

Dick Vitale: Legendary es P n basketball broadcaster, d ickie v, is known to be an avid Fighting Irish fan and would certainly be welcomed by n otre d ame fans as the guest picker. v itale has

Vince Vaughn: h ollywood actor, v ince vaughn, was featured in the 1993 film “ r udy” and is a native of the c hicago area. vaughn is a long-time fan of the Irish and could be back in the b end this weekend.

Taylor Swift: Taylor s wift is perhaps the least likely and most hoped for possible guest picker. s wift’s brother, Austin s wift ‘15, attended n otre d ame and s wift has been spotted at a n otre d ame game in the past. Additionally, some believe s wift’s “c hampagne Problems” to be about a n otre d ame couple. Though it is highly unlikely s wift will be in s outh b end this weekend, the guest picker remains a “ b lank s pace” at the moment and n otre d ame students are happy to write s wift’s name in.

Last time “c ollege Game d ay” was in s outh b end in 2020, Fighting Irish alum and then Pittsburgh s teeler wide receiver c hase c laypool was the guest picker. Former Fighting Irish players are highly likely to be chosen as the guest picker for this s aturday’s match-up as well.

Manti Te’o: b eloved n otre d ame All-American m anti Te’o could be the guest picker on s aturday. Te’o received a standing ovation last s eptember when he returned to n otre d ame s tadium before the notre d ame- c al game. In July of 2022, the n etflix documentary “Untold: The Girlfriend Who d idn’t e xist” premiered and Irish fans got an

Jerome Bettis: Jerome “the b us” b ettis is a probable guess for the guest picker this weekend. b ettis left n otre d ame in his senior year to enter the 1993 n FL d raft but later returned to campus to study where he received his degree with the c lass of 2022.

“This is education related and you can never take away the education. That’s the message that I’m sending my children, but also the message that I want everybody to know,” b ettis said about returning to n otre d ame.

The s uper b owl winner, h all of Famer and sixtime pro bowler would be a solid choice for es P n ’s “Game d ay” picker.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list and n otre d ame can boast a host of celebrity fans who might appear on the Game d ay panel this s aturday. In 2018, when “c ollege Game d ay” came to s outh b end for the m ichigan vs. n otre d ame game, country music star Luke b ryan was the guest picker and another dark horse could be chosen as the guest picker this weekend.

Erin Drumm is a senior at Notre Dame studying American Studies, journalism and history. She is from Philadelphia and spends her summers (and every weekend possible) at the shore in Cape May County, New Jersey. Outside of The Observer, Erin can be found cheering on the Fighting Irish and the Phillies, reading and talking about pop culture and history. She can be reached at edrumm@nd.edu.

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

Kate Casper

Erin Drumm drummer’s circle

Don’t lose compassion

Emma Duffy social media editor

According to the s outh b end Police d epartment, there have been nearly 200 incidents of larceny in the past month. Larceny accounts for instances of theft and shoplifting. All of these people suffered a loss that could have been avoided.

I recently had my wallet stolen.

This was, of course, completely concerning. There was a lot of important stuff in my wallet — my room key, my license and other identifying cards, my Target card (okay maybe this one is not necessarily that important, but it is to me), my credit card and cash. If I did not properly handle the situation, losing my wallet could’ve led to losing the money in my bank account or losing my identity. e ven the unimportant stuff I had was a hassle to lose, including the crystal I had bought from a shop back home that was supposed to be good for finances.

n eedless to say, I was very upset. To be quite candid and more specific, I was feeling angry. There was someone out there who felt the need to take all of my valuable items (granted, they ended up leaving behind my license), when they could have simply handed it in to the police. In my mind, that is what a good person would do and anything besides that would make someone abominable.

s tudies have even been done to show that people are even more likely to return a wallet if they found cash in it. A n ew York Times article described a situation where 40 percent of people returned a cashless wallet and 72 percent of people returned it when they saw a substantial amount of money in it. Why should I be in the 28 percent of unlucky people? I felt like I had every right to be mad at someone taking advantage of my bad luck. h ow could this person be redeemable if 72 percent of people would act in the “proper” manner and they refused to?

After the first few hours of the incident passed, I realized maybe I was overreacting. I cannot truly be mad at whoever took it.

I am still upset that I had lost all of my stuff, but realistically, there is someone out there that may have desperately needed the contents of my wallet. I was fortunate enough to have those contents in my possession in the first place and I am privileged enough to say that this situation did not completely wreck my life. To me, it may have been some cash. To whoever took my wallet, it may have been an opportunity to pay off some of their debt or buy some dinner. Why would they need to take a crystal? I am not sure, but maybe someone’s daughter had always had that on their wish list and they finally had the opportunity to make them happy. For those who are cautious enough to not get their wallet stolen, I hope there is still a lesson to be learned. It is always better to look at a situation with empathy and compassion.

d epending on the situation, it cannot always be easy. In fact, there are certain heinous crimes where it does not even seem possible to apply this concept. h owever, it is still good practice for our daily lives, little annoyances and petty drama.

n ot only does it help us become a better and more understanding person, it can also help us come to terms with the things that have happened to us. You never know what someone is going through and sometimes the best thing to do in a situation is to be sympathetic. n o matter what your immediate reaction to a situation is, remember to always try to take a step back and evaluate the situation with compassion.

You can contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu

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

Carlos Basurto eudaemonic banter

The Tampico man

I could not have been older than 13 at the time yet, to this day, beyond seven years afar, I cannot forget the Tampico man.

m y family and I were bound for the golden m exican beach of Tampico. o n a gentle s eptember evening, the temperature would begin to subside in a matter of weeks — we would be fools not to ensure a brief visit to the waves. As we walked, free and boundless water to the right of us and monotone, mindless traffic to the left, I spotted him.

I halted my stride. m y family continued without a glance back, leaving me to imprint the memory.

h e sat alone on a bench. The beams of the sun hit him face-front, yet he welcomed them with an open set of saggy arms and legs. s hirtless, his blemished skin proudly displayed a belly that had been victim of one too many beers. h is receding hairline exposed his years, an effect worsened by a handful of rebellious gray streaks that dug into his skull. h is pants were stained and torn with use and were accompanied by shoes of similar condition.

h e stared off into the horizon. n othing, nothing at all, he did.

There was no music to listen to, no device in hand to entertain himself, no person to distract him away from his thoughts and the world before him. h is gaze was too acute and movements too subtle and distinct for him to be intoxicated. If anything, he was painstakingly aware yet void of the agony that tends to ensue. h ours later, when my family began to embark homeward, we would find him in that exact same position. n ot one thing had changed. o ne would think he was to be bored out of his mind.

s till, for some indescribable yet unwavering reason, I could not shake the feeling that this man was immeasurably happy. I knew nothing about his life or the condition regarding his frame of mind, but joy radiated unabashedly. It was in the way his eyes shone, the motion his head imitated of his swinging feet, tap-tapping away at the beat of his internal song. h is crooked, yellow teeth peeked through his lips to give the slightest of smiles — a genuine one. The kind you use not to smile at others but at yourself. Without doing one thing, he was pleased.

There was wisdom in that. A wisdom that I may never achieve.

Throughout my life, I have repeatedly been taught the lesson that to do nothing is, above all else, an ultimate waste of time. A failure. e very day shall be a stepping stone for the next, a perpetual search for the sharpening of skills or acquiring experience to display at a later time. A never-ending struggle to achieve something because to achieve nothing is the worst that could happen to you.

Yet, is it? I wonder, how come we

have turned time itself into a contest? Why is it that the phrase “time is money” has been distorted from an appreciation of time to a glorification of mind-numbing, maximized productivity?

s ince we are young, we must commit because if we do not, someone else will. s omeone else will claim your spot in your dream school or your perfect job. All action taken in a different direction is reduced to nothing but foolish distraction.

We all play these games and climb these ladders for what? m oney? Fame? m ost of us can rationalize a secondary or tertiary goal so as to justify it, yet more often than not, it boils down to mere bloviating.

We have forgotten that there is no shame in the lack of achievement. We certainly would enjoy its presence, but if alas, it is not there … is that truly immoral? Are you bad for stopping the climb, taking a seat where you are and being okay with it? Is this truly a “wasted opportunity” as opposed to those who never stop the climb, who die halfway through their next step before even once appreciating how high they have come?

I am not arguing for a hedonistic approach to life whatsoever that, too, misses the point of the human experience. n or am I saying one should renounce their life goals. I simply feel as if we routinely tense ourselves and sharpen our every instinct toward a direction that was never supposed to be. The society we have constructed is not inherent to you. You cannot be surmised in one sheet of paper, and you cannot be contained to a pristine corporate job. You are so much more.

And what is this “more”? I absolutely believe in it, I can feel it in every conversation, in every touch, yet in the end, I am not sure I can say. n evertheless, if anyone has an idea, I think it would be the Tampico m an.

In that perfect memory, forever frozen in time, it seemed as if he did not care whether he was the master of his skill or the greatest earner of his industry. h e minded not what others thought of him or whether he had achieved his societal maximum. h e did not live in the biggest house in the greatest city or have the highest income or the best body for everyone to crave. h e was simply glad to exist, and that was enough.

I feel like the Tampico m an was more human in that one moment than I have been in longer than I can remember.

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.

By LUCIA AGUZZI scene Writer

The success of “bottoms” as a comedy can be defined by the open-mouthed laughter of the middleaged man in the theater I visited on Thursday night. I personally had also not laughed that hard inside a theater in a long time, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I went into the movie with expectations of a somewhat cringey portrayal of Gen-Z and teenage girls, and while that is exactly what I got, it was much more artful and real than I thought mGm could achieve. Props to the writers of the movie because, as I told my friend with me that night, the dialogue at times felt like reading an X (formerly known as Twitter) thread full of trolls (in the best way).

For the most part, the characters themselves were well-developed where they needed to be. As a teenage girl watching the movie, I appreciated the thoughtfulness towards explaining the feelings and thought processes of the girls specifically, something that a lot of movies lack. Leaving the theater, I wanted a bit more from the male characters in the movie, whose actions were so comically unexplained it added to the plot. despite the humorous element, I realized the

exclusion failed to live up to the film’s purpose. This is a film about women for all audiences, and I truly think anyone watching this movie would appreciate understanding the unhinged behavior the teens carry out. one of the most captivating aspects of the film was the feel of the actual shots themselves. It reminded me a lot of the 2001 film “not Another Teen movie” starring chyler Leigh and chris evans. It was reminiscent of many 2000s movies, which I personally love. It dropped us right into the middle of the story and developed the crazy plot of a teenage girl fight club quickly, making the focus not exactly the actions of the characters, but their feelings and motivations.

obviously, this movie cannot be talked about without mentioning the queer casting and characters in it. A movie specifically about lesbian teenagers might not have ever been this successful at the box office, or even on streaming services. our media has a serious lack of attention and support for female queer media than it does for queer men and relationships, so I genuinely love the way this movie has had its attention both as a comedy and as a representation of queer teen girls.

Ayo edebiri (Josie) and rachel sennott (PJ) do a phenomenal job of playing the typical high school best

friends who after years of friendship finally disagree on something. It is much too common for movies to misrepresent that, or not know how to properly portray or resolve that sort of conflict. The two main best friends of the movie having their moment was both unavoidable and perfectly played out. While PJ was truly making me angry at times, I understood her, and Josie was one of my favorite characters in the film. overall, “bottoms” was the refreshing cinematic experience I needed after not revisiting a movie theater since sitting through the three-hour-long confusion that was “oppenheimer” (I should have watched “barbie” after, not before). The self-deprecating humor and the utter rid iculousness from most of the characters made for one of my favorite movies of 2023 so far. If none of this has made you want to go watch the film this weekend, I leave you with my favorite scene: The group of teen girls stares out at the football field, and in a devastated voice one of them says “We’re gonna have to run”, prompting a slow-mo sequence of girls with exasperated and terrified faces sprinting across a field to tackle some football players.

Contact Lucia Aguzzi at laguzzi@nd.edu

CELEBRATING THE SEASON: A GUIDE TO AUTUMN IN MICHIANA

By ANNA FALK scene editor

As the leaves turn red and the air begins to chill, all I can think about is the arrival of autumn. It is my favorite season of the year, a time of festivals, family, football and friends.

Though notre dame has football covered, what else is there to do in the michiana area to celebrate the turning of the seasons?

Go apple picking

Picking fresh fruit and vegetables from a local farm is one of my favorite things to do in the fall. It‘s perfect for when the sun is shining, but it’s not too hot. You can do it with multiple friends at once and you get to forage for delicious food that you get to keep in the end. It makes me feel like a hunter-gatherer. Lehman’s orchard in niles, michigan is well-known by many notre dame students and it is always a beautiful and calming place to explore. Apples, tomatoes, blueberries, blackberries and more are available for picking this season.

Visit a farm

visiting a farm during the autumn season is a must, especially for everyone from the midwest. A trip to a local farm is the epitome of what fall is for — the harvest.

Thistleberry Farm in south bend is a great place to indulge in your favorite farm activities like picking pumpkins, solving corn mazes, going on wagon rides and greeting animals, to name a few. For an extra charge, Thistleberry Farm also offers pony rides and a chance to operate their apple cannon. during september, they are open on the weekends during early afternoon and early evening hours. They expect their sunflower field to be in full bloom at the end of the month, so make sure to check it out.

Go to a harvest festival

As I’ve emphasized already, fall is a perfect time for indulging in your favorite fresh produce. If you’re a fan of apples, the Four Flags Apple Festival in niles has you covered. running from sept. 28 to oct. 1, this festival will host a variety of events, including a scarecrow contest and a competition for the biggest apple. There are plenty of rides, games, parades, live entertainment and, of course, all the apple you could want.

Visit a horror attraction

halloween and the celebration of all things creepy and spooky are inextricably linked to the fall season in the U.s. While a large proportion of people do not prefer spending a few hours in constant fight-or-flight mode, some of us do. If you’re one of these people, you just

might like the niles scream Park. The park, which just recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, operates every weekend until early november. There are several different attractions to enjoy along with games, food and professional entertainers.

Go on a haunted history tour

Personally, I’m not a fan of being scared out of my wits, but I do love to learn about all things spooky and ghoulish. something like a haunted history tour is more my speed. In the past, notre dame has done tours of all the haunted buildings on campus including Washington hall, main building and the basilica. These kinds of tours are fascinating ways to learn more about the intricate history of the places we inhabit and the people who have been here before us. While it can be frightening to learn that a building you frequent is haunted, for me, it is refreshing to know the weird chill I get when I enter hayes-healy isn’t just my imagination.

There are plenty more opportunities to get into the autumn feeling around the michiana area — all you have to d o is look for them. It’s the perfect time to enjoy the season and experience the wonderful things our area has to offer.

Contact Anna Falk at afalk@nd.edu

Top 2025 Qb target commits to nd

Observer Sports Staff

When marcus Freeman took over as notre dame’s head football coach in 2021, one of his biggest priorities was improving recruiting. Irish classes were typically good but not great under brian Kelly, hovering around the outskirts of the top 10 nationally. Freeman believed that the Irish coaching staff had the ability to bring more talent to south bend — they just had to put in the work.

recruiting under Freeman hasn’t been perfect so far. The Irish lost the top two commitments of their 2023 class in defensive end Keon Keeley (Alabama) and Peyton bowen (oklahoma). but there have been signs of progress. Another came monday morning when 2025 quarterback deuce Knight announced his commitment to the Irish.

The Lucedale, mississippi, native is currently ranked by rivals as the top-rated dual-threat quarterback of his class. Knight had offers from a boatload of sec schools, including

HCC SOCCER

belles golf, cross country post mixed results over the weekend

Alabama, Tennessee, ole miss and Auburn. Last year, Knight threw for 1,929 yards at a 61.7% completion rate for 11 touchdowns against four interceptions. he also picked up 488 rushing yards on 58 carries, scoring 12 touchdowns with his legs. suddenly, the Irish have perhaps the best problem to have: too much talent in their future quarterback room. The current roster includes former four-star recruits steve Angeli and Kenny minchey. next year, another four-star will join them in cJ carr. Angeli and minchey have seen limited playing time this year as graduate student sam hartman continues to lead the Irish passing game.

Knight is notre dame’s third commitment for the 2025 class. he joins four-star running back Justin Thurman and three-star defensive lineman davion dixon. That puts the Irish class at no. 7 in the country for 2025, according to 247sports. The Irish sit at no. 13 in 2024, with carr listed as their topranked recruit.

saints defeat Governors state

By TYLER REIDY Associate sports editor

The holy cross saints soccer teams each picked up their first conference win of 2023 on saturday afternoon against Governors state. both games came down to a one-goal difference, as the women’s team topped the Jaguars 4-3 before the men triumphed 2-1. With the season’s midway point approaching, the holy cross teams hold respective records of 3-4-0 and 3-4-1. entering saturday, neither saints team had won in september. having lost three consecutive games, the women’s side quickly went to work on a turnaround victory. exactly one minute into the match, senior midfielder nicole cook scored her first of two goals on the afternoon. Just five minutes later, senior defender Ashley mcdonald potted her first collegiate goal in her 41st career game.

After cook deposited her second goal in the 24th minute to extend the saints’ lead to 3-0, Governors state drew within one before halftime. bruna Krushewsky put the Jaguars on the board in the 28th minute, while morgan bean added another from the penalty spot in the 33rd. but junior goalkeeper Taylor Primack made four saves within the half’s final 22 minutes to uphold the saints’ slim lead.

Though holy cross ratcheted

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

over the weekend, the saint mary’s golf and cross country teams posted some strong individual results. however, their overall team scores left room for improvement. The golf team tied for 10th in the Illinois Wesleyan Fall classic at Ironwood Golf course in normal, Illinois. meanwhile, the cross country team finished 11th in the Gil dodds Invitational at st. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville, Illinois.

Golf

After winning the first of four mIAA Jamborees of the season at Albion on sept. 14, the belles were unable to keep the momentum going on a quick turnaround. That didn’t stop sophomore Julia Lizak from delivering an excellent outing, one that earned her mIAA Athlete of the Week honors for the second time in her collegiate career. Lizak shot 78-76 in the two-round competition, leading the belles and finishing tied for 24th overall. she displayed

excellent consistency in her second round, making 11 pars and never scoring worse than a bogie.

Freshman colleen hand finished not too far behind Lizak in the best performance of her young collegiate career. she took just one more stroke than Lizak, placing 33rd while leading saint mary’s with 22 pars on the weekend. senior haley Angel matched Lizak’s secondround 76 while converting four birdies. That effort was enough to make her the third belle to finish inside of the top 40.

saint mary’s did show improvement as the tournament progressed. After shooting a 315 in the first round, the belles improved by four strokes, finishing tied for seventh in the second round. They will return to action this weekend for the benedictine midwest region classic in Kansasville, Wisconsin.

Cross Country

This weekend marked the first scored competition of the season for the belles, and it certainly wasn’t an easy one. The

19-team meet included several nationally and regionally ranked teams for saint mary’s to compete against. Although saint mary’s finished 11th, there was a very clear gap between them and the teams below them. The belles finished with 278 points, just 23 back of 10th place elmhurst but 123 ahead of 12th place Trinity christian. senior Amanda Tracey led the belles and set a personal record at 23:05.4, improving on her ncAA regional time from last fall by 21 seconds. senior haley Greene and freshman savannah Paulson also came in under 25 minutes, with freshman cecilia conrad finishing just five seconds past that mark. Freshman Jordan siminski, junior susannah bernovich and sophomore Isabelle Auch also contributed to the team’s top seven.

The belles’ next competition is the Knight Invite on sept. 29 at south christian high school in Grand rapids, michigan.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

up the pressure with 13 secondhalf shots, Governors state scored a third consecutive goal. It came in the 68th minute on another penalty kick from bean, leveling the score at three.

With under seven minutes remaining, the saints regained the lead for good. Junior forward Jennifer requeno tallied the winner, her first goal of the season, on senior midfielder olivia shaw’s second assist of the match.

In terms of gameplay, the men’s victory unfolded in the opposite fashion. A fairly even first half gave way to a Jaguar-dominated final 45 as the saints played a man down for 27 minutes to end the match.

Junior forward Isaac Filippo struck twice for holy cross in the first half. his first two goals of the season came in the 16th and 37th minutes, propelling the saints to a 2-0 lead at the break.

After the Jaguars’ simon blaesdahl halved the deficit in the 51st minute, holy cross lost a man. Junior midfielder Isa sayeed received a red card, opening up Governors state for a gameending onslaught. despite firing 19 shots in the second half, the Jaguars failed to equalize. saints junior goalkeeper Armin mahmutovic made five saves overall, including three after halftime.

saint mary’s hangs decisive 4-0 victory over Lake Forest

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

saint mary’s soccer

notched a decisive 4-0 away victory against Lake Forest on Friday, sept. 15. The belles set the tone for the game early with a few shots by freshman midfielder margaret slove. They got things moving in the 22nd minute. senior defender holly skrip found senior midfielder Kaitlyn day as she blew past Lake Forest’s back line to score the first goal of the game — day’s first of the season. The belles picked up right where they left off in the second half, as slove broke through and converted a cutback shot in the box for a goal in the 51st minute. Less than 10 minutes later, junior midfielder Grace barresi’s shot skidded off the goalkeeper’s hands and into the net to make the lead 3-0. barresi almost found the back of the net again

in the 71st minute, but the attempt was saved by Lake Forest.

In the 81st minute, slove tapped in her second goal of the game to extend saint mary’s advantage to 4-0. For the duration of the game, the belles defense consistently held back Lake Forest, leaving them without a shot on goal for most of the second half. The game ended in a 4-0

victory for the belles.

With the win, saint mary’s is now 2-3. The belles are headed back home for a three-match stretch beginning on Wednesday, sept. 20, when they will host huntington. The matchup is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Contact Andrew

McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

SMC SOCCER

sofia crimivaroli | The observer Saint Mary’s defeated Lake Forest College 4-0 in Lake Forest, Ill., on Friday. The win moved the Belles back up to 2-3 on the season.

name

happy birthday: discipline will help you achieve things, but don’t let it stifle your creativity. emotions will brew, and although keeping your secrets safe and sound is favored, sharing essential information with those close to you is necessary. keep the conversation flowing. having a willingness to adopt change that keeps you updated is vital to your success. stick to the truth and complete your mission. your numbers are 9, 17, 26, 32, 38, 44, 49.

ArIes (march 21-April 19): emotional matters will cost you if you lack realism. sidestep joint ventures and proceed alone to maintain control. being able to do things your way will give you limitless energy and enthusiasm to outmaneuver anyone who tries to get in your way.

TAurus (April 20-may 20): you’ll gravitate toward serious people pursuing a similar mission. don’t get consumed in someone else’s dream; work alongside people who empower you to do your own thing. be open about what you want and turn your plans into something tangible.

gemInI (may 21-June 20): go about your business, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the results. A personal challenge will help you hone your skills and push you to reach your potential. Personal growth requires time, energy and imagination.

cAncer (June 21-July 22): Participate and see what happens. someone you meet will spark your imagination and encourage you to believe in yourself. A partnership looks promising but will require input if you want to maintain equality. make changes based on your needs and reap the rewards.

leo (July 23-Aug. 22): contain your enthusiasm to jump in and take over. you’ll bite off more than you can chew if you are too eager to show off. gauge your time and test the waters before you plunge into something that causes emotional or physical setbacks.

vIrgo (Aug. 23-sept. 22): make your move. stop procrastinating or waiting for the perfect moment. start heading in a direction that suits your needs and lifestyle. change can be frightening, but regret will haunt you. life lessons lead to wisdom, success and personal satisfaction.

lIbrA (sept. 23-oct. 22): Poor judgment will cost you. don’t get involved with someone for the wrong reason. focus on self-improvement, sustainability and security. you can help others, but not at the expense of stifling your progress. Put your energy where it brings the highest return.

scorPIo (oct. 23-nov. 21): keep the momentum flowing. conversations will lead to concrete results and positive change. look for a unique way to present what you want to pursue, and the interest in your plan will mount. A personal change will lead to an unexpected opportunity.

sAgITTArIus (nov. 22-dec. 21): Pay attention to your health. overindulgence will induce problems that you least expect. be honest with yourself and others, and honor any promises you make. Protect your secrets from someone eager to hurt your reputation. hard work will pay off and ward off trouble.

cAPrIcorn (dec. 22-Jan. 19): you are in a better position than you realize. stay focused on what you are trying to achieve, and put everything into getting the results that will increase your profile. refuse to let personal matters disrupt your concentration. finish what you start.

AQuArIus (Jan. 20-feb. 18): Poor behavior will make you vulnerable. Protect yourself from those luring you into something you shouldn’t pursue. build your strength and improve your image in order to stifle negative outside influences. make romance a priority.

PIsces (feb. 19-march 20): Put the brakes on any far-fetched or overpriced suggestion. stick to what’s realistic and fits your budget and lifestyle. surround yourself with solid people who aren’t afraid to tell you the truth. make decisions based on facts.

birthday baby: you are intuitive, compassionate and demonstrative. you are entertaining and ambitious.

‘The bachelor’ (new York Jets edition): Who gets the rose, who leaves in tears, does anyone win?

By ANNIKA HERKO sports Writer

on A bc’s “The bachelor,” a group of women compete to win the heart of a young, attractive bachelor and a wedding ring the size of my fist. The Jets had so much fun starring in hbo’s “hard Knocks” this summer that they’ve decided to take the lead in an all new reality sports show. however, the Jets have decided to go in a slightly different direction than the widely popular reality dating show: one franchise woos any quarterback who will pick up the phone.

current “starter” Zach Wilson is in his third season with the Jets after several tumultuous turns about the depth chart rankings. he started as a rookie in 2021, got injured a few times, got demoted a few times due to poor performances

and now is back at the helm of the new York offense. he came into the week one game against the bills when Aaron rodgers went down and came away with the win because Josh Allen made more mistakes than he did.

That week, rumors about who could be coming to new York began flying around the nfL as the Jets began talking to anyone who would pick up the phone. veterans like ben roethlisberger, matt ryan, Joe f lacco, philip r ivers and even Tom brady were in the news but so far no one wanted anything to do with this team. other back-ups and free agents like carson Wentz, ryan Tannehill and Jameis Winston had been in the media conversation as well. The Jets organization has been very tightlipped and continued to give Wilson the vote of confidence.

Irish struggle at fossum Invitational

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

After a solid start to their 2023-24 season, the notre dame women’s golf team suffered a bit of regression last weekend. The Irish shot 39 over par at the mary fossum Invitational at forest Akers West Golf course in east Lansing, michigan.

four of the five Irish golfers recorded at least one round scoring 73 or lower. senior chloe schiavone and graduate student Lauren beaudreau led the Irish, each finishing inside the top 25. both finished with a score of 76 or lower in each round, including second-round 72s for both. Junior montgomery ferreira was right there with them in the first two rounds before finishing on a sour note with an 80 in the third round.

While the Irish golfers were steady on the whole, they only tallied 24 birdies, the thirdfewest of any team in the 15-school field. notre dame also ranked near the back of the pack in their performance on par fours (+49, 11th) and fives.

notre dame was better on

so Wilson trotted out onto the field at AT&T stadium sunday and met up with the dallas cowboys defensive line. As he was last week with another new York quarterback, m icah parsons was very happy to see him (he probably would’ve told the Jets to give him a rose). Wilson did not have a fairy tale ending in week two. Granted, the dallas defense is pretty darn good and they’ve been generating a lot of turnovers, but it’s hard to imagine that a game like that wouldn’t shake a guy’s confidence. 12/27 for only 170 yards, one touchdown, three picks and three sacks is not worth writing home about.

despite that, Wilson received another vote of confidence going into next week from his head coach robert saleh saying that he wasn’t aware

Defense

conTInued from pAGe 12

par threes, with schiavone leading the way. she was one of just nine golfers to finish under par on par threes during the event. beaudreau was also top twenty in par-four performance, as was schiavone on par fives. The duo recorded 39 and 38 pars putting them tied for fifth and seventh out of 84 golfers, respectively.

schiavone came in tied for 19th, shooting 221 (five over par). beaudreau came in one stroke behind in a tie for 23rd. ferreira placed in a tie for 43rd at 12 over. freshmen

Alexsandra Lapple and Anna heck rounded out the field for notre dame. Lapple came in tied for 67th at 18 over par, highlighted by a 73 in the final round. heck came in 80th at 26 over.

The Irish return to competition early next week for the Glass city Invitational. The tournament is held at the Inverness club in Toledo, ohio from sept. 25-26.Inverness club in Toledo, ohio from sept. 25-26.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

bigger role. missed tackles were an unfortunate recurring theme, especially in the first half. This unit deserves its fair share of blame for the chippewas’ success on the ground last week, although they made some big plays as well. The big three of bertrand, Kiser and Liufau can shoulder enough of the load against ohio state. but at some point this season, the Irish will need someone else to step up.

Weekly Grade: B-; Season

Grade: A-

Secondary

other than one bust in coverage that resulted in a 31-yard strike, the Irish defensive backs weren’t seriously challenged for the third time in four games. That isn’t to say they didn’t make some big plays, though. Graduate student safety Thomas harper made the play of the game with a bone-jarring, fumbleforcing sack. sophomore cornerback benjamin morrison’s athletic pass

of anyone coming in and that Wilson’s development was progressing.

“I think anyone who watches football, and you look at it from a global standpoint, will see that he’s so much improved in the pocket, his presence in the pocket. I thought he delivered a lot of really good passes,” saleh said during media availability monday.

I mean yeah sure, he’s progressed from “Good grief, why did they put that guy on the field” to “that’s just your average bad nfL quarterback.” A win is a win, I guess.

Anyway, despite what saleh says it’s hard to imagine the Jets aren’t looking for other options. In an ideal world, this season ends with a ring on their finger and not a sad, group trip to paradise, right?

realistically, people like Tyler huntley, m itch Trubisky and

breakup on a third down end zone shot prevented the chippewas offense from gaining any momentum in the second half.

The Irish held chippewas backup Jase bauer to 10 of 20 passing for just 137 yards. Kyle mccord and his all-star cast of receivers will be a tougher task, though. The Irish secondary should get a boost with senior safety dJ brown expected back from a hamstring injury. notre dame’s secondary may be the team’s deepest spot with five safeties and three or four corners the Irish can trust to hold their own. They’re capable of rising to the moment against marvin harrison Jr. and company.

Weekly Grade: A; Season

Grade: A-

Special Teams

If there’s a dark horse difference-maker against the buckeyes, it’s graduate student kicker spencer shrader. After drilling a 54-yard field goal against nc state and

cooper rush should be on their radar. huntley went to the p ro bowl last year and is still on the ravens’ bench. Trubisky is no Aaron rodgers but he has played a few good games and rush is 5-1 as a starter and played in dallas, which has a similar structure to new York —a really good defense and speedy receivers.

Whoever they get, Zach Wilson (or Tim boyle, the quarterback they promoted from the practice squad) is not ready to deliver the big plays that the Jets expected from rodgers this year. Whatever direction the Jets go in, they’ll probably end up disappointed. They just have to decide how disappointed they want to be (much like most of the contestants on the bachelor).

Contact Annika Herko at aherko@nd.edu

drilling a 56-yarder off the upright, shrader connected from 50 yards out to give notre dame a three-score lead for good. he did come up short from 59 as well, although his 56-yard try last week had more than enough leg. Last year, the Irish didn’t even attempt a field goal from 50+ yards. They’ve already tried four this year, which could be a game-changing development.

otherwise, it was a standard low-event game for Irish special teams. The hype of last year’s punt-blocking prowess has fully died down at this point. ohio state’s kick return performance has been historically mediocre in recent years — the team hasn’t returned a kick for a touchdown in over a decade. It dates back to 2014 for punts. Weekly Grade: B+; Season Grade: A-

Contact Andrew

McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

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Week 4 notre dame football grades: offense continues to shine under hartman’s leadership

By JON-DAVID REGIS sports Writer

They started the game with a four-play, 94-yard touchdown drive and that ended with a 75-yard touchdown from graduate student s am h artman to sophomore Tobias m erriweather. That was just the beginning for the n otre d ame offense against c entral m ichigan.

A big priority in football is consistency. You have to be able to show up every week and execute and deliver at your best. Well, this Irish offense has been showing a lot of consistency lately. c oming off a hard-fought win against nc s tate and the wins against T s U and n avy, this Irish offense has found its groove and its players. c oach m arcus Freeman has established so much trust in s am h artman leading this team and his supporting cast has been there every step of the way. This offensive unit is coming into every week hungry and ready to take on their opponent, not caring who or what is in front of them. h ere is a breakdown of how each offensive position group performed during the 41-17 win over c entral m ichigan at home.

Quarterbacks

Graduate student s am h artman has this Irish offense shining week in and week out. h e is continuing to play at an elite level with composure and he’s getting all of his guys involved out on the field.

h artman opened the game with the aforementioned 75-yard score to m erriweather. It was one of four deep passes that h artman completed this game, truly showing his astute vision and arm talent. h artman finished with 330 yards, three touchdowns through the air and one on the ground.

h e also spread the ball, connecting with eight different receivers throughout the game. h is veteran presence was obvious, showing poise in the pocket, directing receivers and exhibiting his impressive arm.

h artman has shown that he believes in his guys and trusts them to go make a play. That is what you are looking for in not only a starting quarterback but a leader. h artman has this Irish offense headed in the right direction.

Weekly Grade: A+; Season Grade:

Running Backs

n otre d ame offense has one of the deepest and best running back rooms in the country. e ach week these running backs come out the gate rushing with force and power, adding another dangerous element to this Irish offense.

The leader of the pack is junior Audric e stime. h e had 20 carries with 176 yards and one touchdown against the c hippewas. e stime continues to prove why is not only one of the best running backs in the nation but a great power back. h is ability to power through defenders and switch gears is special.

s ophomores Jadarian

Price and Gi’ b ran Payne also contributed to this dynamic run game, providing electric speed and quickness to this high-flying offense. This game showed this running back group won’t slow down for anyone and that they can carry momentum week to week.

Weekly Grade: A; Season Grade: A-

Wide Receivers

This wide receiver group has started to turn heads and they established themselves in this game. s o far

throughout the season, these receivers were quietly creeping up showing a glimpses of what they can do. Well, this game showed what they were made of and it got the offense jumping.

Things started off great in the offense with m erriweather’s long score. h e finished the game with 91 yards. s enior c hris Tyree, who switched from running back to wide receiver, also added a significant contribution, finishing the game with 88 yards and a touchdown.

Junior Jayden Thomas continued to show why he is the team’s leading receiver with four catches and 63 yards. Freshman r ico Flores Jr. caught three passes for 60 yards, adding to a promising freshman campaign.

s imilar to the running back, this wide receiver room is deep and many of these receivers have stepped up and showed out. This group has somewhat been overlooked, but they seem to thrive on it. e ach week they look like they are trying to outperform expectation and prove people wrong. As the season goes on, these receivers have started to find their niche and click together as a group. With s am h artman in the backfield and a room full of hungry receivers ready to take on anything, the Irish are looking to dominate and keep scoring.

Weekly Grade: A-; Season Grade: A-

Tight Ends

After having a career-game last week, sophomore h olden s taes was named the starting tight end against c entral m ichigan. h is performance against c entral m ichigan was mostly quiet other than a four yard pass for a touchdown. h is performance this game may not

live up to last week’s against nc s tate but his presence was definitely felt. At 242 pounds, s taes is a physical tight end who was out there on the line blocking and creating space for his running backs to work. o nce they got to the red zone he showed why he is a threat with his size, quickness and ability to catch everything. s o this week may not have been the group’s best week but they were still present and have established that they are okay with playing a more complimentary role.

Weekly Grade: B+; Season Grade: B+

Offensive Line

o nce again the big boys in the front held it down for the Irish offense. The offensive line allowed zero sacks, continuing to bolster the school’s distinguished reputation for developing linemen. Together they opened the holes, allowing e stime to use his power and run through defenders with ease. They also gave h artman ample time to read the defense and find the right man. This offensive line has become dominant and they have an identity. They are physical men ready to sit you down at any moment and not let you get close to their quarterback. Without them this Irish offense wouldn’t be what it is. e ach and every offensive lineman on the field showed complete control over c entral m ichigan, allowing for the offense to flow. You could not be more satisfied with this unit and what they have done so far.

Weekly Grade: A+; Season Grade: A

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history of the matchup: notre dame looks to beat ohio state for first time since 1936

By RYAN EASTLAND sports Writer

notre dame and ohio state are undoubtedly two historic football programs.

The buckeyes boast a total of eight national championships, with their most recent coming in the 2014-15 season. This was a team which had dominant players like running back ezekiel elliott and quarterback cardale Jones.

The Fighting Irish have won 11 national championships, but their most recent title was back in 1988, under legendary head coach Lou holtz.

Although the programs are historic, both teams are current national powerhouses. both teams have made the college Football Playoff. however, ohio state has had much more recent success than the Irish, who have yet to win a playoff game. despite this, the Irish and buckeyes are both more than relevant this year. notre dame and osU are both in the AP Poll top ten for the upcoming

DEFENSE GRADES

matchup. notre dame has finally found their missing piece — a quarterback — and ohio state has continued their consistent play under ryan day.

despite being there being less than a five hour drive and less than 300 miles between south bend and columbus, the teams have only met a total of seven times, two of which were bowl games. The Irish do not have a good track record against the buckeyes. They have only won twice, while ohio state has won all five of the last meetings.

The two sides met in an entertaining game last year in week one. It was ryan day and marcus Freeman’s first meeting. The horseshoe had an amazing atmosphere which proved difficult for the Irish.

The stagnant Irish offense and the buckeyes’ firepower was too much for notre dame to overcome in the second half. notre dame went on to lose 10-21.

The previous matchup before that saw brian Kelly and Urban meyer square up in the

Fiesta bowl. notre dame was riddled with injuries that game, including Jaylon smith’s costly leg injury from an unnecessary push after J.T. barrett was already down. The Irish dropped that game 28-44.

The last time the Irish beat the buckeyes in 1936, before World War II and at the tail end of the Great depression. Franklin d roosevelt was the president. Lou holtz wasn’t even born yet.

This saturday at 7:30 p.m. in notre dame stadium, marcus Freeman has a chance to do what no Irish coach has done since 1936 — beat ohio state. If history tells us anything, it’s that the buckeyes have a leg up. but maybe the Irish are due. sam hartman has looked great this year and Audric estime leads all rushers in college football with 521 total yards. If the Irish are ever going to beat ohio state, this saturday could be it.

Contact Ryan Eastland at reastlan@nd.edu

Week 4 notre dame football grades: defense has work to do up front

By ANDREW McGUINNESS sports editor

The first quarter of the 2023 season really couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the notre dame defense. The Irish allowed a combined six points in their first two games, then picked off 2021 Acc passing leader brennan Armstrong three times and allowed just seven second-half points to their first Power Five opponent of the year.

but last week’s ohio state primer offered some concerning signs. The Irish did clean things up mid-game, allowing only a field goal in the final two quarters, but games against lesser foes like central michigan are more about the process than the result. While getting to 4-0 is what matters, what happened on that journey will help shape this weekend’s highly-anticipated clash with ohio state.

Defensive Line

The Irish have been able to generate pressure at a good rate this season, although they haven’t necessarily gotten the results to show for it. Graduate student Javontae Jean-baptiste continues to be an impact player ahead of a matchup with his former team. he led the Irish with three quarterback hurries, one of which forced a third-down incompletion.

however, the two sacks and forced fumbles the Irish produced didn’t come from their defensive line. notre dame has also failed to recover any of the seven fumbles they’ve forced all season. sophomore

Joshua burnham also took a roughing the passer penalty that accounted for the second-longest play of central michigan’s opening touchdown drive. senior rylie mills

took another that would’ve cost the Irish points if not for a missed 36-yard field goal.

The chippewas finished with 3.9 yards per carry, a higher figure than the Irish would have liked. With a strong ohio state ground game coming into town, the Irish will need to take a step forward next week.

Weekly Grade: C; Overall Grade: C+

Linebackers

The absence of graduate student Jd bertrand due to a concussion was certainly noticeable. Fellow graduate students Jack Kiser and marist Liufau stepped up in his absence, with Kiser leading the defense with 10 tackles and forcing a fumble. however, sophomore Jaylen sneed failed to make an impact in a

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer Junior running back Audric Estime scores a touchdown against the NC State defense during Notre Dame’s win in Raleigh on Sept. 9.

ND-OSU HiSTORY

ARIANNA DENNING | The Observer

Irish graduate student linebacker Marist Liufau takes down NC State quarterback Brennan Armstrong during the Irish’s 45-24 away win.