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Volume 56, Issue 17 | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Community remembers Karen Heisler FTT professor dies from cancer-related complications at 67; ‘Her whole goal was to make people better’
Karen Croake Heisler is remembered as a cornerstone in the development and success of the telev ision concentration in the Notre Dame department of film, telev ision and theatre. W hen she first started working at the Universit y, the department was still named communications and theatre. Shortly after, the department was transformed to include a telev ision major w ith heav y input from Heisler, associate telev ision professor Christine Becker said. “I relied a lot on her insights about what kinds of
Sieber ser ved as news director and Heisler as promotion manager. “She became sort of the second person from the T V
Retired FTT Professor
Notre Dame News Editor
things did students want, what kinds of things did students need and then, kind of from that, built out the telev ision major, so I was really grateful to her for her insights on those classes that continue to really be core classes in our major,” Becker said. Heisler died Sunday, Sept. 19 from cancer-related complications. She was 67 years old. Heisler began a long professional career at WNDU, the local NBC affiliate that was ow ned by the Universit y at the time. Former adjunct telev ision and journalism professor Gar y Sieber first met Heisler at WNDU, where
Karen Heisler
By ALYSA GUFFEY
station who was teaching classes through what was at the time communications and theater,” Sieber said. “We were ver y close and obv iously had a chance to see each other quite a bit and talk about a lot of different
things.” In her t went y-five years of teaching at Notre Dame, Heisler ser ved as an adjunct, meaning she was a professional in her field who taught courses on the side. Heisler taught classes on broadcasting and cable telev ision as well as sports and telev ision — a w ildly popular class among undergraduate students. As adjunct facult y members, Sieber said he and Heisler shared a “small space” that ser ved as an office for the t wo. Originally, they worked in the Decio facult y building before mov ing to a room in the basement of DeBartolo Performing A rts Center.
As an educator, Heisler was know n for her strict adherence to grammar. “I think the students appreciated that,” Becker said. “She would hold you accountable for things [and] she wouldn’t let people get away w ith things.” Sieber recalled how Heisler had a sign in her office that read, “I am silently correcting your grammar.” “She and I are ver y much like that,” Sieber said. “We’re kindred spirits in that we were always pointing out grammatical f laws, we were ver y tough on our students about word choices and great grammar and punctuation.” see HEISLER PAGE 4
ND Energy hosts presentation HCC ranks in on sustainability goals regional colleges By LIAM PRICE News Writer
After being ranked No. 34 in the 2021 Best Midwest Regional Colleges report by the U.S. News and World Report, Holy Cross College shot up to 23rd in the 2022 rankings. Additionally, the College achieved rankings of 13th for Top Performers on
SIMON VOGEL | The Observer
Assistant vice president for utilities and maintenance Paul Kempf spoke on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 28 about Notre Dame’s history with energy and the University’s goals for a more sustainable future. By SIMON VOGEL News Writer
As part of its 15th annual Notre Dame Energy Week Plus, ND Energy hosted assistant vice president for utilities and maintenance Paul Kempf for a presentation on Notre Dame’s sustainability goals Tuesday evening.
news PAGE 3
The presentation, titled “Decarbonization: Past, Present and Future,” began with Kempf providing a brief summary of Notre Dame’s history in relation to sustainability efforts starting in 2009. “A big part of what we’ve done is planning,” he said. “By understanding where we were and where we could go, that could
VIEWPOINT PAGE 8
inform the larger strategy.” That larger strategy became the University’s 2010 goal to reduce carbon emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by 2030 and 83% of 2005 levels by 2050. Additionally, in response to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’,’ which urged see ENERGY PAGE 4
SCENE PAGE 10
Social Mobility, 27th for Best Value Schools in the Midwest and first for Alumni Giving in the Midwest. The recent release of these rankings were a cause for celebration at Holy Cross College. And celebrate they did — following the release of the see RANKING PAGE 3
Jacqueline Woodson speaks By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Saint Mary’s News Editor
This year’s annual Christian Culture Lecture featured author Jacqueline Woodson, who spoke on the power literature has on children and participated in a question-and-answer session w ith College President
FOOTBALL PAGE 16
Katie Conboy. Conboy introduced Woodson, who as a child, was know n to w rite on places such as on walls and in books that would get her in trouble w ith adults. “But how luck y for all of us that she did not outgrow the see WOODSON PAGE 4
WOMEN’S SOCCER PAGE 16
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The Main Building stands over blades of grass poking through fallen leaves on God Quad, as the Notre Dame campus begins seeing trees change color and shed. September 22 marked the first official day of autumn which will continue through December 21.
The next Five days:
Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Hispanic Heritage Month Speaker Series 145 Spes Unica Hall 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Alumnae presentation.
Fred Hersch Trio DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Jazz trio performance. Tickets required.
Oktoberfest Library Green 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Pumpkin painting, cider, donuts and free T-shirt giveaway.
“Saints of the Black Death” Andrews Auditorium 10:30 a.m - 11:30 a.m. Saturdays with the Saints lecture.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. and noon Masks required. All are welcome.
Feminist Approaches in Afghanistan and the U.S. virtual 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Panel discussion.
Silent Disco Legends 9 p.m. - midnight Grab some headphones and show off your best moves.
Cookies and Canvas Library Lawn 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Painting and Insomnia cookies. Online registration required.
“The Middle Ages in an Object” Hesburgh West Lawn noon - 1:30 p.m. Hosted by Medieval Institute.
Film: “Flowers of Saint Francis” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 3 p.m - 5 p.m. Free but ticketed.
News
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | The Observer
Students start hiking club By CLAIRE REID News Writer
Whether it’s climbing an old fire tower to get a better view of the Appalachian Mountains with her cousins, hiking through Austria with her geology class while studying abroad or simply a weekend stroll with friends, senior Kenzie Looney has dabbled in hiking for at least a few years. Experiences like these inspired the psychology major from Clarkston, Michigan to help found Saint Mary’s new hiking club, Trail Belles, this past July. The club plans to offer local, biweekly weekend hiking opportunities for members of the tricampus community to socialize and enjoy the outdoors. “The purpose of the club is to get out and explore nature with other people who enjoy exploring nature and just appreciate the land that God has given us,” Looney said. “We have a really cool nature trail on campus, and people don’t know much about it.” Getting more hikers on the trails in the College’s 100-acre Nature Area is one of her main goals. Last Sunday, Trail Belles held their first event, a two-mile
“get to know you” hike through the Nature Area. “It went pretty well,” Looney said. “We had quite a few freshmen there who were really excited.” Along with continuing to explore the on-campus trails, the club hopes to offer a variety of local excursions at both state and city parks. “Lexi [the other co-president] and I have researched a lot of different hiking spots around campus and in the local area,” Looney explained. “Right now, our goal is to get numbers up and go to Potato Creek a few times. In the spring, our main goal is to have a hiking meeting at the Dunes and hike the trails there. Lexi also mentioned St. Patrick’s Park, so that’s a possibility as well.” Bridget Starner met Looney when she was a RA in Starner’s dorm last year. Starner — a junior psychology major from Hershey, Pennsylvania and the vice president of Trail Belles — added that South Bend’s Rum Village Park is another potential hiking destination for the club. Growing up in central Pennsylvania, Starner spent her teenage years hiking and admiring the waterfalls of the Northeast. Paid Advertisement
She got involved in Trail Belles to continue enjoying the outdoors while school is in session and to meet new people. “We started the club because we wanted people to get out and enjoy nature, especially with the pandemic going on,” she recalled. “We wanted them to be able to get a break from school work and be outside with others, who like me, have the same interest as them.” Being a new club, she added that the officers have been active on their personal Instagram pages, in an SMC Facebook group and at the College Involvement Fair earlier in the semester gauging the interest of potential members and their preferred hiking outings. “Anyone is welcome to join,” Starner said. “We just want to let people get outside and have a carefree time.” To learn more about Trail Belles and get involved, SMC students can check out the club’s Belle Tower portal. Members of the Notre Dame and Holy Cross communities should email copresident Kenzie Looney at mlooney01@saintmarys.edu for more information. Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu
Ranking Continued from page 1
report, the administration sent an email announcing free ice cream for all students. The U.S. News and World Report methodology for its rankings considers graduation and retention rates, faculty resources and alumni giving among other facts. In particular, retention rates are very influential to the U.S. News and World Report’s methodology. In prior years’ rankings, the College’s Gateway Program negatively impacted these rates. Each year at Holy Cross, the College hosts the Holy Cross-Notre Dame Gateway Program for firstyears. After completion of their first year at Holy Cross, as long as they maintain a 3.5 GPA and remain in good standing with both institutions, Gateway Scholars transfer to Notre Dame to continue their education. Previously, enrollment numbers in the Gateway Program counted against the College’s retention rate — seeing as Gateway Scholars enroll at Holy Cross but later transition to the University after their first year, these students were considered to be a failure in retention. With an total undergraduate population of only 455 students, and each Gateway cohort including around 75 students (though the fall 2020 and fall 2021 cohorts had 81 and 96 students, respectively), this penalty on Holy Cross was severe. Interim provost Dr. Michael Griffin explained to The Observer that he expressed his concerns about affected retention rates to those in charge of the rankings. “We went to them and said, basically, ‘This is crazy — we are succeeding when these students move on to Notre Dame,’” Griffin wrote in an email Wednesday. Also contributing to Holy Cross’s improvement are new faculty hires, Griffin noted. Notable additions in the past few years have been Dr. John Biddle, a physicist from Harvard, Dr. Anthony Monta from Notre Dame’s Nanovic Institute and Dr. Emily Ransom, an English professor hailing from the University of Wisconsin. Griffin praised the new faculty additions and their work in solidifying Holy Cross’s reputation. “These are some of the professors whose classes are now gaining
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traction in the tri-campus community and they are helping to put us on the map among our peers,” Griffin said. Holy Cross junior Gabriel Benito Ibarra said he is also excited about Holy Cross’s improved ranking. “I think it’s really cool that we’re rising in ranking,” Ibarra said. “I know that in the South BendMishawka area, we’re known as a pretty good school.” Ibarra said he believes Holy Cross has strength in its mission in part because of its small size and the individualized focus each student can receive. “Holy Cross follows the mission very well; you can really see how the students are shaped by it,” he said. Ibarra also expressed concern for the College being forgotten about among a tri-campus community with two bigger schools next door. “It’s encouraging to see that our school is getting the recognition it deserves, because I feel like we get underappreciated,” he said. “I always call us the ‘little brother school,’ and I want the little brother to be given a chance.” Ibarra, who worked as a Welcome Weekend Leader for incoming firstyears this year, said he has noticed a number of changes in the school’s priorities since his first year. “A lot of changes are happening,” he said. “They want to have a bigger emphasis on the traditional students — as opposed to mainly students planning on transferring to Notre Dame — which is not what I felt like when I first got here.” One important step in this process, Ibarra said, is teaching s tudents to take pride in their Holy Cross experience, instead of comparing themselves to students at the two neighboring campuses. “My first year, I was afraid of the Notre Dame kids,” Ibarra said. “I would love to see a better intercampus community at the school.” In a press release, College President Rev. David T. Tyson expressed a similar desire to grow the school’s image within the tri-campus community. “I can say, as a proud Triple Domer myself, that Notre Dame, Indiana is more interesting, more complete, more excellent, because Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross are here, too,” Tyson wrote. Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Energy Continued from page 1
Catholics to live more sustainably, Notre Dame made the decision to stop burning coal, the source of roughly 90% of Notre Dame’s energy at the time. Kempf recalled a brief back-and-forth with the board of trustees before the University eventually landed on an energy timeline. “We asked for seven years to get off coal and [the board of trustees] looked at us and said, ‘How about three?’ and we ended up settling on five and dropped coal in time for that plan.” Kempf said. Next, Kempf spoke on more recent changes in the University’s energy strategy, discussing the 2020 update to the sustainability plan. “Looking back, we were actually achieving our goals set in 2010, 10
Heisler Continued from page 1
Sieber noted that with every correction Heisler gave to students, she always did it with an eye toward improvement. “Her whole goal was to make people better — better writers, better people, better thinkers, critical thinkers and not just to accept things on their face,” Sieber said. Heisler attended Purdue University and was always a “Boilermaker at heart,” Sieber said, but she also grew fond of Notre Dame.
Woodson Continued from page 1
w riting instinct,” Conboy said. “Those tiny ta les and confident signatures inev itably gave birth to her prolific w riting career and when I say prolific, I mean she has produced a title ever y single year over the last three decades.” Conboy expanded on Woodson’s many accolades including the Nationa l Book Award, Newberr y Honor Meda l, Hans Christian A nderson Award and the MacA rthur Genius Award. Woodson began by reading from her picture book “Show Away,” which detailed her matrilinea l ancestr y. Think ing back to the time when she k new she wanted to become a w riter as a child, Woodson remembered the wonder she felt when she crafted literature. “I k new I wanted to be a w riter since I was seven years old and I just loved the way that words made me feel,” Woodson said. Woodson shared a teacher changed her perspective about w riting stories after Woodson became infamous for telling lies as a young person.
years ahead of time,” he said. “And so, it was time to decide, how do we update the plan?” As a result of the rapid progress between 2010 and 2020, the University committed to carbon neutrality by 2050. Kempf said he believed in the University’s ability to achieve neutrality by 2050, citing its strong commitment to large investments in sustainability and the emergence of new energy technologies. He particularly emphasized the role technological development had in the University’s ability to get so far ahead of its 2010 goal. “Things that you dreamed about 10 years ago actually came forward that were unexpected,” he said. “I don’t know what will come forward in the next 10 years, but I’m confident something will come forward.” Supplementing Notre Dame’s
own investments in energy, the University has bought carbon offsets from surrounding energy suppliers, such as Indiana Michigan Power. Buying energy from external sources allows Notre Dame to offset its domestic carbon footprint, but Kempf said that it cannot be at the center of Notre Dame’s strategy. He said wealthy schools “can solve every problem by throwing money at it.” That was not the goal we had from the beginning or going forward,” he added. Kempf then discussed some efforts Notre Dame has made to source sustainable energy locally in order to, if not reduce the University’s footprint, at least reduce the footprint of the local area. He mentioned the new St. Joseph solar farm located 6 miles off
campus, in which the University invested. The land, bought by Father Sorin in the 1800s, was once a farm that provided food for students at Notre Dame. It now provides energy for the school, which purchases 40% of its solar output. Looking toward the future, Kempf outlined the projection for the school’s path toward carbon neutrality, saying there was room for emerging technologies, but that the plan couldn’t depend on things that have not been invented yet. The presentation ended with a Q&A session in which a student asked what the barriers to carbon footprint reductions were, especially for organizations less economically fortunate than Notre Dame. Kempf mentioned climate change deniers and a general lack of education surrounding energy issues, among
other things, but emphasized that actions to combat climate change are on the uptick. “We’ve tried to build a roadmap and a foundation,” he said. “But someone’s gonna have to pick it up and keep going.” Energy Week Plus began Sept. 17 and runs through the end of the month. The annual event “offers various activities and discussions focused on the current energy landscape and future challenges and opportunities to create a clean and sustainable energy future for all.” Besides several energy-related presentations, guided tours of solar farms and a local hydroelectric plant are also included in the event’s extensive schedule.
“But she became a staunch supporter of Notre Dame, you know, through its programs and through its education,” Sieber said. When Heisler retired from Notre Dame in 2019, Becker was the one who proposed renaming the television studies award in her honor. Becker recalled how Heisler was “very f lattered and almost embarrassed” when Becker told her about the honor. “I had a lot of fun like trying to explain to her ‘no, you’re exactly who we want, you’re exactly the name we want our students to
carry forth when they put that award on their resume and they try to get a job,’” Becker said. While she was a professional at work, Heisler’s colleagues remember her as a woman with a real personality. “I appreciate a person who’s kind of a realist and can cut things down to size and things like that a nd sometimes people bristle at that kind of attitude … but especially coming into the office after a long day of teaching, she would say something funny or insightful or cynical and she was just
so refreshing,” Becker said. Heisler’s personality was not only appreciated by Becker and Sieber, as Becker remembered one colleague would always try to sit next to Heisler during “somewhat tedious” faculty meetings. “She was really funny and really fun to be around,” Becker said. Not only a great conversationalist, Sieber said Heisler was just as good a listener. “Every semester we had a lot of great conversations about just a wide variety of topics — we talked about politics, we
talked about sports, we talked about the media, we talked about our students, we just covered everything about our families,” Sieber said. “We had everything in common, you might say. And yet, we did still see certain things differently, but it never became an issue because I think both of us were willing to talk and listen, and I just had some of the most enjoyable conversations of my life when she was there.”
“I had a teacher who said, ‘Instead of ly ing, w rite it dow n because if you w rite it dow n, it’s not a lie anymore. It’s fiction,’” she said. “It was a greenlight into this world and the fact that this thing that I was doing, that one hand could be seen as so deeply mora lly w rong and on the other hand could be celebrated.” In addition, Woodson thought about “Show Away” as a stor y about resisting the odds found in oppressive systems. “It’s its ow n ta le of surv iva l,” she said. “The fact that I’m here because someone persevered and then someone else persevered and then someone else persevered — in the same way that I’m sure so many of you are here when you look back on the struggles of your ancestors … We’re here because someone had the w ill to do the work and push back against the systems that were tr y ing to erase us.” In regards to the concept of banned books, Woodson described the importance of remembering the difficult parts of histor y in order to create a better world. “W hen we look at the importance of k now ing histor y, I a lways think of that idea of if you k now where you come from, you’ll k now
where you’re going and if you k now what happened before, you won’t repeat it,” she said. “If we continue to tr y to erase the histor y that ma kes us uncomfortable in this countr y, we are destined to repeat the same mista kes.” Woodson made a clear distinction bet ween what she ca lled “navel ga zing” — or w riting superficia lly — and w riting about the greater good. She noted her w riting often stems from hav ing questions, not answers. Spea k ing directly to younger members of the audience, Woodson urged them to ta ke on work that feels purposeful to them. “If I don’t say any thing else to you tonight, let the work you choose to do be meaningful and let it bring you joy because if that happens, your joy is going to help change the world,” she said. Woodson then reca lled grow ing up and noted her mother’s skepticism about Woodson’s w riting career and how Woodson has had to accept her ow n daughter’s aspirations to become an actor. Because of her experience in both roles, Woodson gave both parents and young adults adv ice about not ma k ing choices they w ill later regret, especia lly in this
moment of the pandemic. “Parents, support the young people, even if they want to do sketch comedy,” she said. “Young people, think about what brings you joy and do it, as long as it’s lega l.” Before the pandemic, Woodson made school v isits where she noticed a distinct difference in the imaginative dreams of elementar y school students compared to the apathy of middle school students. “I wondered where the dream got broken — where they got the message what they wanted to do was not okay and it a lways saddened me,” she said. Woodson read an excerpt of her novel “A nother Brook ly n” and spoke about how she purposefully integrated traditions of griev ing from other cultures to counter the traditions in A merica, which do not a llow indiv idua ls adequate time to grieve after the death of a loved one, she said. Woodson concluded her lecture by reading selected poems from her book “Brow n Girl Dreaming” and ref lected on her family as she was grow ing up. Conboy then asked Woodson about her response to the intense changes that young people are currently
experiencing during the pandemic. “I think that’s it’s a rea lly hard time in this countr y in so many ways and as long as we do the little bit that we can do to ma ke it better for ourselves and others when we get to that other side, I promise that it’ll be worth the struggle,” Woodson said. Woodson then explained her idea generation process and wa lked the audience through reading like a w riter in order to grow as one. “It means reading slowly and deeply engaging w ith the text, so that when you get to a point and it ma kes you cr y, go back in the reading and find out exactly what words the author used to ma ke you feel that way,” she said. To conclude the evening, Woodson explained that by reading classic fair y ta les and fables as a child, she k new how she wanted to tell stories herself. “I wanted to tell stories that made me feel a certain way and a lot of times people ta lk about how you intend for your reader to feel and I’m not think ing about the reader,” she said. “I’m think ing about me and how I feel.”
Contact Simon Vogel at svogel3@nd.edu
Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu
Contact Genevieve Coleman at gcoleman01@smc.edu
News
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | The Observer
Tour highlights quad trees By Samantha Rush News Writer
As Notre Dame students and visitors know, two rows of maple trees perfectly frame the Golden Dome, an arboriculture formation credited to Rev. Edward Sorin. This was just one of the facts Barbara Hellenthal, a biology professor from the Notre Dame Museum of Biodiversity, shared during a tree tour Monday evening. Hellenthal led a guided tree tour of God Quad, beginning at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue and highlighting the different species of trees on the quad as well as the stories behind them. In total, there are 31 native and non-native species represented. Many of the trees on God Quad were planted in order to retain a historic feel and look, Hellenthal said. Around 100 years ago, people weren’t as concerned with whether a tree was native or nonnative to that part of the land. They were more focused on appearance, Hellenthal explained. In the present day, people better understand how native trees better support the insects, birds and entire ecosystem, better than
non-native trees, she said. Due to their aesthetic look, there’s a higher representation of unusual, non-native trees on God Quad. While walking around, Hellenthal kept the tour lively and interesting with unique facts about each species of tree. One tree species on campus, the Dawn redwood, was originally discovered in the fossil record in 1941 before living examples were found in China. Just in time for graduation, the Tricolor Beech trees’ leaves transform into a pink and white ringed pattern in the spring. The Amur Cork Tree has bark that feels exactly like cork with intricate designs carved throughout. If students are feeling hungry, the Korean dogwood has small, edible, red berries. Accentuating Notre Dame’s history, the large oak trees around God Quad are at least 100 years old. Then there’s two trees, Austrian pine and Scots pine, that can be told apart by whether their needles bend or break. To get students in the holiday mood, Scot pines are used as one of the typical Christmas trees, after quite a bit of pruning. Owing to its sloping, “weeping” shape, the Weeping beech
genetically does not have the ligament structures needed to allow it to stand up straight. White pine, another species found on campus, boasts soft needles and asymmetrical tree shapes due to weak limbs that easily fall off. One specific White pine on the Main Quad still has two handhewn rings pounded into the bark from the time when there was a post office next to it. When asked about why she thought that the tree tour is important, Hellenthal emphasized the individuality of Notre Dame’s trees. “People see the forest, but don’t actually realize the diversity or how interesting individual trees are,” she said. “I feel like it increases to a higher level, your appreciation for what’s there. When you’re driving around South Bend, you can, in the back of your mind, think about what’s planted where and whether that’s the right thing. It just gives you another level of appreciation.” The Office of Sustainability, which hosted the in-person tree tour, also offers the tour online at their website. Contact Samantha Rush at srush2@nd.edu Paid Advertisement
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Mendoza dean emeritus dies Observer Staff Report
Frank K. Reilly, the Martin J. Gillen dean emeritus and the Bernard J. Hank professor of finance in Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, died Thursday, according to a University press release. He was 85. Reilly graduated from Notre Dame in 1957. He then received an MBA from Northwestern University and a doctorate from the University of Chicago. He held the position of dean of the Mendoza College of Business from 1981-1987 and the Bernard J. Hank professor of finance title from 1987-2015. During his time at the University, Reilly specialized in research on security analysis and capital markets, wrote several books and received many teaching awards, including the Notre Dame Faculty Award in 1999, given in recognition of outstanding service to the University. He was also a fellow of the Financial Management Association in its inaugural group. Current Mendoza dean and Bernard J. Hank professor of
finance Martijn Cremers spoke of his admiration for Reilly. “Frank was an inspiration to me, personally and professionally,” he said. “He was devoted to research excellence, teaching innovation and helping students prepare for their careers by emphasizing their intellectual, social and moral formation. He remained active with scholarship and with engaging our students even up to a week ago. His commitment to Mendoza’s mission was unswerving.” Reilly worked to advance the College of Business through creating the accelerated one-year MBA program, the Executive MBA program, as well as codeveloping the signature Applied Investment Management (AIM) course with John AffleckGraves, former Notre Dame executive vice president and finance professor, and Scott Malpass, former chief investment officer and assistant finance professor. Reilly’s wife, Therese, died in 2015. He is survived by four children and many grandchildren. Arrangements for a memorial service are pending.
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The observer | Wednesday, September 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Reflections at the ‘Field of Dreams’ Elizabeth Prater Viewpoint Copy Editor
I am one of those crazy West Coast people that decided to drive to campus this fall. It was one of those decisions that in the moment, it sounded like it would be an adventure. My family discussed of all of the fun things that we would stop and see. There were mentions of national parks, the exposure to Midwest iconography of corn fields and the promise of good conversation as we bid our final goodbyes before both my brother and I left for college. I realized very quickly that it’s very difficult to plan 30+ hours of travel, and we found ourselves continually running behind. We arrived in South Dakota at night, reaching Mount Rushmore with 30 minutes until closing. I conveniently could not locate my glasses, to which I looked at the busts carved into the mountain and remarked, “They just look like rocks.” Safe to say, I came underprepared. One of our last stops as a family was the “Field of Dreams” movie site in Dyersville, Iowa. Growing up with a brother who played baseball his entire life, it was a must-see for our family. Even more so, it was almost a week after the Chicago White Sox played the New York Yankees in an MLB game at the adjacent field — the first time a Major League game was ever held at the movie site. The summary of the film doesn’t simply do it justice, and it might actually sound strange. The movie’s premise rests upon Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), a man who begins to listen to a voice in his cornfield and risks everything to follow its directions, including constructing a baseball field off of the repeated mantra, “If you build it, he will come.” I hadn’t seen the film since I was little, and in the haste of travelling, I had forgotten to rewatch it before I had arrived to the field itself. But the magic was still vibrant. People of every stage of life and background filled the field. A man with his cane made his way to the outfield with great swiftness, as though there was nothing prohibiting him from reaching the stalks of corn that comprise the perimeter of the field. Little kids ran the bases, fathers and sons played catch with one another, recreating some memorable scenes from the movie. My family and I sat on the grass and watched the sun dip beneath our view and marveled at the beauty in such a simple place. While we had planned to get there in the early morning, we barely arrived before it was supposed to close, and almost skipped it altogether. I’m glad we didn’t. When closing time was approaching, we were told the film was being shown as a tribute to one of the proprietors of the field who had recently passed. Denise Stillman had been pushing for many years to host an MLB game, but she unfortunately passed in 2018 due to a rare form of liver cancer and was never able to see the 2021 game happen. A screen was set up, and we were invited to stay with a few families, including Stillman’s family, to watch the film on the field. I now joke that I have to watch every sports film at its original location, as I already have watched “Rudy” at the Notre Dame Stadium. But there’s something special about witnessing the culmination of a creative project at its point of inception. One of the featured ball players in the film is Archibald Wright “Moonlight” Graham, depicted in the film by both Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley. He was a professional baseball player and a doctor but only played a single major league game for the New York Giants in 1905. In the film, he sacrifices his chances to relive his past dreams in order to provide medical help for Kinsella’s daughter. It reminds me of the impermanence of our own dreams, and the reality that some special moments seem to go in mere seconds. Graham remarks in the film, “We just don’t recognize life’s most significant moments while they’re happening. Back then I thought, ‘Well, there’ll be other days.’ I didn’t realize that was the only day.” In reality, we aren’t guaranteed anything. Time seems to slip by, especially as a college student. I’m constantly reminded of the ephemerality of my time here. But despite the existential dread that sometimes accompanies such reflections, I think there’s a certain kind of beauty in not quite knowing the future. No matter how many plans are made, things will always come across differently, and that’s okay. If you told me four years ago that I would be living in South Bend, Indiana, I wouldn’t have believed it. But I also wouldn’t believe that I, someone with limited athletic capability, would be dedicating my inside column for the semester to a discussion of baseball, a sport that I grew up despising because of my regular attendance to hundreds of games in the hopes of being a supportive sibling. As much as I like to plan my days, weeks and years with as much fervor as possible, there’s something ethereal about taking things the way they are. While my drive to campus was filled with unexpected stops and last-minute decisions, it all culminated in a beautiful night of watching “Field of Dreams” and spending my last moments with my family before returning back to campus. There are moments that can’t be planned, or even captured in mere words. In addition, there’s an art in trying to let moments speak for themselves, and realizing that both pictures and poetry fall short of living in the moment. It’s easier said than done, and it’s something I’m still working on. I used to never get why people got so excited about sports. Coming from a Notre Dame student, that may seem like a surprise. However, after seeing countless people light up as they entered that field in middle-of-nowhere Iowa, I realized that maybe I was too quick in my judgement. Perhaps we all are chasing that feeling when all the bases are loaded, and the underdog comes up to bat and hits a grand slam. The moment may expire, but that feeling is perpetual. Even after the batter rounds the bases, they seem to keep on running. You can contact Elizabeth at eprater@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Extending kindness beyond the casual Claire Miller Better Everyday
If you have used Yik Yak in the last two weeks or if you read The Observer, you have read, or at least heard about, the incredibly unkind and degrading messages towards the women who attend Saint Mary’s College. While nothing new, many of these messages were sparked over the fact that Saint Mary’s students were also included in the ticket lottery for the Shamrock Series game against Wisconsin last weekend, and thus scored tickets while some Notre Dame students did not. The statements made toward Saint Mary’s students were degrading, derogatory and downright disgusting. It is clear to me that the bitterness some people hold towards Saint Mary’s students and surfaces every so often goes beyond Saint Mary’s College and the University of Notre Dame. In my opinion, it is a microcosm for the willingness of women to tear down other women without a second thought. I am in no way trying to dismiss or ignore the statements and messages that were made towards Saint Mary’s students, and I do not want to downplay the hurt caused by these words. However, I believe there is hope that women in general, and the women of Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame and Holy Cross are much kinder to one another than what Yik Yak might make it seem. Last week, during a night out with a friend, I suddenly felt pretty sick. A group of girls I didn’t know stayed by my side and helped me feel better until I found the friend I came with. These girls did not ask me what school I went to because it didn’t matter. What mattered was that they could help me. In fact, I know that the kindness and camaraderie amongst (usually) drunk girls is a fairly common experience. Walk into a busy public restroom at a bar or party as a woman, and you will more than likely be greeted by three or four other women complimenting your outfit or hair and making small talk while you wait in line. Walk into any busy party or bar in South Bend, and I can promise you that this is occurring in every women’s restroom, without any reservation about whether you attend Notre Dame, Saint
Mary’s or Holy Cross. I think that, in those brief moments of interaction at a busy party or bar, there is a recognition of each other as human beings and the vulnerability of being a woman. Certainly, a college party or bar is not the safest environment to be a young woman. So, when there appears to be nothing but support and kindness in the female public restroom, why are women so quick to put each other down in almost any other atmosphere or circumstance? Whether it’s jealousy, insecurity or something else, is unclear to me. However, I cannot help but to think of a conversation I had with my mom over the summer. After I was told about one of my brother’s many accomplishments, I quickly chirped back with one of my own, before even congratulating my brother. Upon reflection, I realized that my reaction came from a place of insecurity within myself and did not accurately portray how proud I am of and how much I adore my younger brother, who is incredibly talented and accomplished in so many ways. My mom told me maturing is realizing that you can love someone so much that you can be purely happy for them and love them without consideration of your own accomplishments or lack thereof. The way I understood her words was that it is so important to be content in yourself so that, in every interaction, you can do the loving thing, which is to be happy for others with no reservations. My hope is that the wisdom of my mother, who is a Saint Mary’s alum, for the record, can resonate with anyone before expressing meanness towards another person. Ultimately, I think the world, and Yik Yak, would look more like a female public restroom if we could find solitude within ourselves to support one another with no reservations. Claire Miller is a junior majoring in political science, with a minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is a proud resident of Flaherty Hall and the state of Texas. She can be reached at cmille45@nd.edu over email. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Wednesday, September 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
A list of things I don’t know how to do as an adult Sydni Brooks Everything is Fine
In the midst of my existential crisis as a soon-tobe Notre Dame alumnus with no concrete plan regarding the rest of my life, I have decided to place myself in a state of more dread and anxiety by highlighting the skills that I have yet to master as an adult. Though I live with the comfort that many of my peers also lack some of the seemingly necessary developments of being functional members of society, I am constantly reminded that the time for me to master these skills is quickly approaching, and a comprehensive textbook for adulting does not exist. So, I present to you a list of the things I don’t know how to do but which are seemingly paramount to a successful life experience, put together by some pals and I. 1. File taxes While I understand the importance of paying taxes for the betterment of our community, the concept of paying them completely confuses me. Is there a form I can print, fill out and mail to the government? Apparently if you don’t fill it out properly, you have committed tax evasion, which you can go to prison for. Those scam calls I get from the IRS will become real calls, and I can’t imagine how aggressive they’ll be when they’ve actually reached a person who is actually committing a felony. Instead of making the process so tedious and confusing, why can’t they just email me how much I owe and I’ll Venmo them within a week? 2. Open a bank account My parents opened my bank account back in high school, and it was simply for saving the few dollars I earned working at my summer job and the birthday money I received from my relatives. A simple checking account will no longer suffice for my adulting needs; I’m going to need several different places to hold money so that I know what to pay when, and no one’s ever told me how I go about that task. Do I just call up Fifth Third and ask them to open up another manila folder under my name? How does compound interest work again, and why isn’t it making my bank account swell like the practice problems we did in Algebra 2? 3. Buy insurance The concept of insurance boggles my mind. There’s secret money at an organization that I can use if bad things happen, but then I have to pay for it anyway in the long run? God forbid something
tragic happens to me and I don’t have health insurance; am I simply left to suffer with my injuries if I can’t afford it? Finding out which policy is best for you can’t be as easy as the Progressive commercials make it seem; they don’t just come in boxes you can pull off the shelf and ring up at the counter with Flo. 4. Not get scammed by the auto repair people because I’m a woman and don’t know how to change my oil I can’t live the rest of my life standing outside the car dealership awkwardly calling my dad to ask if I really need new brake pads and an alternator during my regularly scheduled oil change. My dad intelligently did teach me how to change my own tires, but what happens when the car starts making funky noises and the dealership tells me I need a new engine when I really just need coolant? Does Hank Green have a crash course on car anatomy so I don’t get cheated out of thousands of dollars that I don’t have? 5. Send things to dry cleaning My laundry routine consists of throwing things in the washer, chucking some detergent in there and hoping nothing changes colors. What do they even do at “dry cleaning”? How do you stop sweaters from pilling and why do white things turn yellow when you bleach them? I didn’t tell it to do that; that’s the whole reason I put bleach in there: So it doesn’t change colors. 6. Find a good doctor We were all set up with pediatricians and various other specialists by our parents to look after our health, but now I have to find doctors on my own for my medical needs. Is there a doctors.com website I can sift through and find one that best suits me? As a Black woman, how do I ensure that my doctor will be intentional about my concerns, and won’t gaslight me into thinking my bodily pain is an over-exaggeration? Don’t even get me started on the horror stories I’ve heard about pregnant women and their concerns with medical staff. 7. Parallel parking The cone activity in the drivers test may have simulated this daunting task, but under the pressure of the parked, unnaturally close cars you’re supposed to squeeze between, parallel parking is an exceptional feat. The crippling embarrassment you feel as you repeatedly switch the car from drive to reverse and back again in order to not hit the vehicles in front of you, behind you and driving in the next lane almost hinders you from completing the task all together. Do you give up and park
a mile from your destination? Do you risk getting your side mirror clipped? Why does every adult activity commence in spaces with no parking lots? This list is completely and utterly not exhaustive; there are so many other activities, concrete and relative, that I will need to figure out within the next 8 months, yet my current, most pressing tasks involve writing papers and filling my resume. What buttons do I press in that mysterious grey box when one “blows a fuse”? Why do I need to rotate my tires? They’re tires … that’s their job. How do I keep my composure if I get in a car accident and someone tries to blame me for it? For now, the answers are I don’t know, but hopefully I’ll find a YouTube video on these subjects soon.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Sydni Brooks is a senior studying English and gender studies. She hopes to continue her work in writing and editing in her career while advocating for women’s health issues. She can be reached through her email sbrooks2@nd.edu or @sydnimaree22 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The silent sexism of Notre Dame women As a Notre Dame alumna, I was deeply disheartened to see the misogynistic and cruel Yik Yak posts that have been circulating on my social media and appreciated Helen Casey’s articulate response in Tuesday’s Viewpoint section, entitled “Thank you, men of Notre Dame,” addressing the Saint Mary’s shaming that takes place on Notre Dame’s campus and beyond. She rightfully calls out the men of Notre Dame for their sexism towards the women of Saint Mary’s, but she graciously leaves out a group of people who are guilty by compliance — Notre Dame women. From my first day at Notre Dame, there was an unspoken philosophy about Saint Mary’s girls (notice how we even refer to them as “Saint Mary’s girls,” as opposed to “the women of Notre Dame”). It is the understanding of many people at Notre Dame that a woman who attends Saint Mary’s is simply one who did not have the grades to get into
Notre Dame. Let alone the fact that maybe she didn’t want to pay the astronomical tuition Notre Dame requires, or even that she (could you imagine) simply did not want to go to Notre Dame. No matter how many Saint Mary’s women sat alongside us in class, going toe-to-toe academically with their Notre Dame colleagues, this elitist attitude still exists. The systemic bias against Saint Mary’s goes beyond academics, however. As Ms. Casey articulates, the axiom “Notre Dame to wed, Saint Mary’s to bed” permeated Notre Dame culture when I attended the University. As a woman of Notre Dame, I may not have actively taken part in this misogyny, but I certainly did nothing to stop it. After all, as much as this philosophy degrades the women of Saint Mary’s, it presents Notre Dame women as intelligent, classy and worthy of marriage to a Notre Dame man. Say nothing of the sexism Notre
Dame men exhibit towards Notre Dame women — we happily ignore this issue by attacking a common victim. If we want to see change in how the men of Notre Dame treat our sisters at Saint Mary’s, we have to also consider the fact that we are graduating women who are complicit in these types of behaviors. At a time when women’s rights are under attack, it is no accident that it is a Notre Dame woman who may be the final nail in the coffin for dismantling Roe vs. Wade. I implore the women of Notre Dame to consider their attitudes towards the women of Saint Mary’s and ask yourself: Are these sentiments rooted in truth, or in elitism, classism and internalized sexism? Annie Hollenbeck Notre Dame, class of 2007 Sept. 28
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The observer | Wednesday, September 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Count me in Krista Lourdes Akiki The Lifestyle Nomad
When I refreshed my inbox this morning, the first subject line that popped up was “We want to know what you think!” The email was asking me to fill out yet another survey. If you haven’t noticed by now, I am not a big fan of filling out surveys. I am convinced that the rewards you are promised for filling out the survey are just a myth. The questions are often repetitive and sometimes make absolutely no sense. Aside from that, I have on multiple occasions felt misrepresented in surveys. I am Lebanese and I identify as Middle Eastern. However, it is very rare to see “Middle Eastern and North African” (MENA) as an option under the question on race and ethnicity. In fact, almost all the Notre Dame related surveys I have filled out in the past three years did not include MENA among the possible answers. During my time at Notre Dame and in the U.S., people have frequently said to me “I would have never guessed you weren’t American.” Unless I tell people where I’m from, many jump to the assumption that I am white. That may be the story that my fair skin tells the world. However, I do not want the fact that I, along with 94% of Lebanese living in the US, check the box for “white” for lack of better options to reiterate that false assumption. Despite numerous promises, the 2020 U.S. Census did
not separate between “White” and “Middle Eastern”. Roughly 3 million people of Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern or North African descent live in the United States, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. But with the lack of representation in the 2020 census, it feels like we don’t exist. “We are our own community,” said Rashad Al-Dabbagh, executive director of the Arab American Civic Council to the Los Angeles Times reporters. “But it’s as if we don’t count.” Usama Shami, the president of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, recounted to Arizona’s Cronkite News that he has struggled to find the right way to identify himself on government forms since coming to the United States from Kuwait in the 1970s. In every survey he fills out, including the decennial census, Shami picks “White,” even though, to him, the choice has never felt right. For example, when he travels with white co-workers, Shami is almost always the only one who is pulled aside for a secondary screening by TSA employees. Even though he is considered a minority by most people he encounters, he believes that “when his ethnicity is lumped with ‘white’ in the census, it feels as though the U.S. government does not.” “I’ve been living here for 40 years, and when this experience does not bother others, to me, that’s a problem,” Shami said. “Because deep inside their minds, I feel that they really think that I deserve it. That they think that, yeah, it’s OK.”
There have been a few attempts at rectifying the issue by Arab American community organizations. One of the largest efforts is a partnership between the Arab American Institute and American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The campaign is called “Yalla, Count Me In” and the main goal is “making sure that everyone understands that the data that the Census Bureau is collecting is the most protected data that the government collects,” which is why an accurate count is critical. As these campaigns lobby for change, I hope that the next U.S. Census will finally deliver on the promise of including a separate category for us Middle Easterners and North Africans. I also hope that change will start small right here at Notre Dame. Can the next survey Notre Dame sends out actually include MENA as an ethnicity? Can the next Notre Dame survey I fill out count me in? Krista Akiki is a junior living in McGlinn Hall, majoring in business analytics and minoring in computing and digital technologies. She grew up in Beirut, Lebanon and moved back to the U.S. to pursue her undergraduate degree. She loves learning new languages, traveling and of course trying new foods. She craves adventure and new experiences and hopes to share these with readers through her writing. She can be reached at kakiki@nd.edu or @kristalourdesakiki via Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Murder, mayhem and moral dilemmas Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects
“We don’t think that murder is funny, we don’t think that people being killed is funny — we just think that we’re funny.” The very first podcast I ever listened to regularly was “My Favorite Murder,” a comedy podcast that falls into the popular and highly lucrative family of true crime podcasts. It is one of the most beloved members of that family — when you Google “true crime podcasts,” it comes up second. The mother of true crime podcasts, “Serial,” gets first billing. Five years later, “My Favorite Murder” is still one of the only podcasts I listen to regularly. I walk to class listening to the hosts tell each other questionably-researched but predominantly true stories about a host of horrible things — murders, kidnappings, cults. They’re former comics, so along the way they tell jokes. Not jokes about the victims or the violence, but jokes about the story. They’ll joke about a murderer’s mustache, or about their lack of understanding of how cyanide works — ultimately, they say jokes are their way of coping with the horrifying content. I had never really thought critically about my love of “My Favorite Murder,” or “Dateline,” or Netflix true crime documentaries, until this last year. While true crime has held a prominent position in entertainment for the past decade or so, it was only this last year that I started seeing real critiques of the genre bubble to the top of my Twitter feed. The criticisms I’ve seen posit that true crime is fundamentally exploitative, turning the traumatic events of real peoples’ lives into murder-mystery thrillers. Critics also argue that true crime sensationalizes violence, props up the police state and glorifies the perpetrators while ignoring the lives of the victims. However, most critics recognize that there’s a spectrum — there’s clearly a difference between investigative journalists ethically researching a local true crime case and Charles Manson fan pages. In the past week or so, true crime has found itself front and center on 24-hour news channels with the disappearance of 22-year-old Gabby Petito. You can find plenty of articles working through every detail of Petito’s case, and that’s not really the point of this column, so I won’t rehash it. Instead, I want to talk about how Petito’s case has turned into an inflection point for the true crime community, why that is, and what it means for consumers of true
crime, like myself. Gabby Petito’s disappearance captured the national spotlight for a lot of reasons — she was young, she had put a lot of her life on social media so she felt accessible, and her fiance, now a person of interest, has seemingly fled, adding an extra dramatic element. It’s obviously an extraordinarily tragic story, and it is incredible that the social media attention put pressure on authorities, leading to the discovery of her body after only a few weeks. Yet, something about the case, and specifically the way people were discussing the case, rubbed me the wrong way. True crime TikTokers, many of whom have been previously critiqued for their casual delivery of stories and tendency to spread misinformation have been heavily involved in the Petito case, with users posting hundreds of videos filled with updates and theories as the case developed. Regardless of the national prominence of the story, however, there are still very real people involved in this case who are actively mourning a very real person. And those involved are not OJ nor Sharon Tate — they were people who chose, other than a few YouTube videos, to keep a private life. I understand spreading the word for the sake of solving the case, but I couldn’t help but think about how, if I was the victim of a violent crime, I wouldn’t want my Instagram captions decoded by people on the internet. Ultimately, though, what is the difference between this and “My Favorite Murder?” There is the matter of distance — the podcast doesn’t really cover developing stories or even stories from the last ten years. But that doesn’t mean they don’t cover stories about people whose grandchildren are still alive, still healing from the trauma. There is also the matter of purpose — “My Favorite Murder” is a comedy podcast, and the hosts go to great lengths to emphasize most of their information is from Wikipedia. They are not inserting themselves into a tragedy like those discussing Petito’s case are, even if they are discussing cases from the same perspective. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with reporters following an unfolding criminal investigation. I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with people consuming true crime in ways that are less-than-traditional. I do think that consumers, including myself, need to demand more of some true crime creators. Whatever the format, creators need to do a better job of centering victims, talking with families, receiving approval to tell stories, choosing stories about more diverse victims and refraining from sensationalizing brutal violence. There is a responsibility that comes with telling stories
about real people, and while true crime is not new, the rapid ascendance of the genre combined with the accessibility of social media has made it possible for creators to obfuscate that responsibility. For what it’s worth, “My Favorite Murder” has been around for five and a half years, and has reconsidered its approach to storytelling several times in response to listener feedback. They still have a long way to go, but their evolution is proof that consumers have power. I still listen, and I still like true crime, but in the future I aim to do so in a more critical way, and I hope others take this conversation to heart and do the same.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Ellie Konfrst is a senior studying political science with a minor in the Hesburgh Program for Public Service. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, she’s excited people will once again be forced to listen to her extremely good takes. You can find her off campus trying to decide whether or not she’ll go to law school or bragging that Taylor Swift follows her on Tumblr. She can be reached at egloverk@nd.edu or @elliekonfrst13 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ANNA FALK Scene Writer
After receiving average ratings from critics and lessthan-satisfying box office sales, it’s clear why “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (2021) fails to reach its audience’s expectations. Directed by Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick,” “The Baxter”), this movie focuses on the rise and fall of televangelist Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain) and her preacher husband Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield). While the movie’s title begets the idea that the audience will be stepping into the shoes of the protagonist, it ends up doing the exact opposite. At many times throughout the film, I found myself confused as to what the film was focusing on. Despite being the eponymous character, Tammy Faye often got lost in the background of her husband’s rising industry and nefarious dealings. Because she placed so much importance on the well-being of others in her life, scenes where she could be at the forefront displayed her as a supporting role. However, while I find it to be quite a poor choice in storytelling, her presence in the background emphasizes the feelings of isolation she had in regards to the growing PTL (Praise The Lord) Club, her husband’s ministry and God’s plan for her in life as a whole. What saves this film is the quality of the acting
By MARCELLE COUTO Scene Writer
On Saturday, Sept. 25, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra gave an extraordinary performance at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Emerging from the heavy COVID-19 restrictions from the previous year, the orchestra rejuvenated its audience with the thrill of inaugurating a new season. The program featured composers old and new, starring unforgettable pieces led by the Grammy-nominated conductor Alastair Willis. The evening commenced with Jessie Montgomery’s “Starbust,” an adventurous piece that truly lives up to its title. You can easily imagine yourself traveling across galaxies, witnessing the birth of glorious stars as the quick, scattered melodies enclose upon you from various directions. The independence granted to different instruments is liberal and enhances the urgency and thrill of the piece. The work is short, however, and the journey abruptly comes to an end, but only after you have traversed the universe through its experience. The second piece, “Concerto for Piano & String Orchestra,” was particularly special. Joined by the composer himself as the soloist, the orchestra was pleased to welcome the virtuosic Adam Neiman to the piano. A renowned American pianist, Neiman enchanted the audience with a magical reverie. According to the director’s illustrious opinion, Adam “owns the piece — literally, because he composed it as well!” Although
and various aspects of the cinematography. Jessica Chastain — who acquired the rights to Tammy Faye Bakker’s life in 2012 — masters the various idiosyncrasies and quirks of Faye. There is a delicate balance between Tammy’s role as a grandiose performer and a sensitive woman who longs for the approval of her loved ones that Chastain matches well. Garfield’s performance as Jim Bakker is impressive but pales in comparison to his co-star. Another aspect of this movie to be praised is the caliber and versatility of the set design, costuming and directing. It doesn’t wow audiences outright, but the effort put into making the actors’ surroundings as accurate to their time periods as possible is clearly evident. Something that I wished had been touched on more throughout the movie is Tammy’s work following the collapse of the PTL Club. The movie ends with her performing again for a crowd after many years of staying away from the public eye. A montage following her performance mentions her work with the LGBTQ+ community around the end of her life, but it does not give her much credit where credit is due. One of the things that I personally found so fascinating about Tammy Faye’s story was her constant advocacy for people whom many Christians believed at the time to be sinful and unworthy of a place in the community. Tammy sought to love people as they were and uplift them to get them where they needed
to be. The film definitely touches on her care for various underrepresented groups, but I believe that the lack of emphasis on this big and important part of her story leaves the audience with the question of why we should care about this woman in the first place. Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker are two important figures in American history that many people my age have no understanding of. With the goal of teaching people about God’s love for humanity, they reached millions across the globe through their ministries and entrepreneurial endeavors. The empire they created extended into social and political spheres that grasped at the hearts and wallets of the masses. All in all, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” does a fantastic job at capturing this idea and illustrating their impact, but it fails to look through the lens of the famed woman who helped to make it all happen.
it may be cliché to draw a parallel between a classical piece and movie soundtracks, I could not help but imagine such ethereal music featured in an epic fantasy film. Once you start listening, you will immediately be transported. The balance between soloist and orchestra is exquisite, and Neiman makes an excellent use of all of the registers to convey his message. In the piece, a troubled, somber beginning is met with small dashes of hope, followed by mellow and passionate phrases. Next comes a rapid dance-like section, wherein the melody escapes triumphant as if from a slumber. It relishes in freedom and excitement, then slows down to a looming contemplation. A ref lective version of the theme takes the stage. Suddenly, you can detect approaching darkness and hesitation, followed by a moment of ecstasy and conf lict pinpointed by the orchestral solo. The piece gains rapidity and seamlessly transitions to the delightful “dance” once again. We are skipping and twirling with the melody until an explosive reiteration of the theme brings us to the conclusion. It was fitting to end the night with Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings,” since it is one of the director’s favorite pieces of all time. The “Serenade” contains four movements, all of which were beautifully interpreted by the conductor. Each phrase was handled with the grace and care that it deserved, emphasizing key features at exactly the right moments. To describe the musical language, it must first be pointed out that the scene is set with a pointed and
precise beginning. But the piece keeps slipping and sliding into blissful continuity. Suddenly, a playful theme begins, which contrasts with the languor of the beginning. The melody grows anxious and energetic, but with time, it hesitantly begins to sing again. The audience skips through a final set of stairs before the dramatic theme of the beginning ties the first movement to a close. The second movement is my personal favorite; it is a waltz that feels like waking up to the morning birds and slowly taking in the beauty of the earth around you. The third movement is the sunset to this long day. Contemplative and passionate, themes are thrown around the different instruments as they simultaneously work to develop it. Finally, the fourth movement evokes the images of an innocent sweet infant, driving through the countryside, a slightly chaotic march, hiking up and down a mountain and a combination of incredible countermelodies and reiterations of the melodic theme. Conductor Alastair Willis informed the public that pre-concert informative talks will be held digitally this season, “full of energy, life, and positivity.” He encouraged all to watch them, whether before or after the concerts. Even if you missed this event, be sure to listen to the featured pieces and indulge in their brilliance. And be on the lookout for the next amazing South Bend Symphony Orchestra performance!
Contact Anna Falk at afalk@nd.edu
‘‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’’ Starring: Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Vincent D’Onofrio Director: Michael Showalter If you like: “I, Tonya,” “Molly’s Game,” “Bombshell”
Contact Marcelle Couto at mcouto@nd.edu EMMA KIRNER | The Observer
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The observer | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ALYSA GUFFEY Notre Dame News Editor
Hundreds of teenage girls wore bright pants, glitter tops and feather boas. Two girls dressed up as two ghosts and another wore a banana costume. This was the scene at Harry Styles’ Love On Tour. Originally scheduled for the summer of 2020, the North American leg of his tour had to be pushed back twice due to coronavirus policies. Even now, all attendees were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the past 48 hours. Everyone was also required to wear a mask for the duration of the show, and let me tell you — if anyone can convince an arena full of people to wear a mask for three hours, it’s Harry Styles. When it was showtime, the lights in the arena turned off and images of multicolored bunnies flashed on the big screens, with a voiceover saying, “Style is the difference, a way of doing, a way of being done.” Sporting a bright pink dress shirt and blue, cotton candy, high-waisted sparkly pants, Harry emerged from the middle of the stage and sang the opening song: “Golden.” Right away, the arena was electric. With “Golden” serving as the opening track on his most recent “Fine Line” album, it was the perfect song to kick things off and allowed Styles to feed off the crowd’s initial energy. Styles played guitar and sang for the duration of “Golden” and “Carolina,” the
By MAGGIE KLAERS Graphics Editor
“An Evening with Matthew Morrison.” That’s all I knew, and it was enough to get me to the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) last Friday night. If you aren’t familiar with Matthew Morrison, he’s a Broadway star, turned Glee teacher, turned cyber-bullying victim. I only knew him from his star role as Mr. Scheuster on “Glee,” and when I got the email from DPAC back in June that Mr. Schuester would be taking the stage, visions of inappropriate dance numbers, uncomfortable raps and edg y comments appeared in my head. One burning question remained: W hat is involved in an evening with Matthew Morrison? The world has been cyber-bullying this man for the past few years, so much so that I knew this was an event I had to see. From his performance in the recent televised “The Grinch Musical!” to some questionable scenes in “Glee,” there are so many pop culture references involving this man. The event was such a fever dream of an evening. Let’s set the stage. Matthew Morrison: Act 1, Scene 1 The DPAC stage is dimly lit. A lone man sits down and plays a groovy beat on the bongos. A cream fedora rests on an unused mic stand. A ukulele case and a cup of tea rest on a stool. The audience
third track off his debut album. The tempo slowed down when sad boy hours arrived in the form of “Falling.” The simplicity of the set during “Falling” set it apart from the rest of the show, with Styles standing at the end of the stage with just a mic plus his guitarist Mitch and pianist Niji Adeleye. It matched the simplicity of the song itself as well. This song was Styles in his rawest form of the whole show, and it was beautiful. At one point during the show, a chant begun of fans screaming “To Be So Lonely” (TBSL) — the seventh track on Styles’ “Fine Line” album — to which Styles playfully replied with “We’re going to do ‘Canyon Moon.’” TBSL was the singular song off “Fine Line” that Styles did not play, to the crowd’s dismay. Following that, the band cued up “Treat People With Kindness” (TPWK) — the song named after Styles’ famous phrase. The screens in the arena flashed a variety of colors and featured different members of Harry’s band, who have strong vocals in TPWK. The only cover Styles sang during the concert was “What Makes You Beautiful,” the first single his former band One Direction released during their 5-year era. Even though it was technically a cover, there was not one person in the building who did not know the words, “baby you light up my world like nobody else.” Styles clearly has a great time making this song his own by changing up the original pop tempo to a more mellow rock sound. One couple close to the stage even got engaged during the song,
making Harry stop in his tracks and congratulate them. Phone flashlights lit up the arena as Styles sang his 6-minute “Fine Line” anthem, bringing a chorus of “we’ll be alright” to Detroit. For the encore performance, Styles sang his debut single “Sign of the Times,” featuring two giant disco balls that lit up the arena, and followed up with the feel-good vibe of “Watermelon Sugar.” “Kiwi” served as the real finale, with the lights flashing white and red and Styles bringing out his rockstar persona. Both Styles and the crowd gave 110% to this song to end the night on a high. One of the best parts of the night was when Harry stopped to talk to the audience in between songs and told everyone in the arena to be “whoever you want to be.” And I think that is what sets a Harry Styles concert apart. In the words of my dad, as we were leaving the arena and walking down the streets of Detroit: “I don’t think there is any better performer in music right now.”
buzzes with anticipation. Out of the darkness emerges a man with briar patch, margarine-soaked curly hair.
wishes were granted. After the show, my friends and I left the auditorium feeling different. Something about listening to young girls drool over a 42-year-old man with two kids for a couple hours changes a person. The atrium of DPAC was swarming with people chanting “WE WANT MATTHEW.” My friends and I were terrified by the sheer audacity of the crowd, and we made a quick escape. But then we began thinking, if we were Morrison, we would not dare walk through the insanity that awaited him in the atrium, and most of the time artists exit through a side door any ways. We decided it might be worth a shot to go wait outside to see if we could meet him. It worked! The legend that he is, he granted the request of a fan/budding journalist for an interview. My question for him was, “Is this your first time on the Notre Dame campus? ” His response, you ask? “It is not! You know what, it’s so funny. I actually dated two girls who went here. My high school sweetheart went here and then I dated another girl who went here as well. So I’ve been to this campus.” I went into the evening expecting to heckle and mock Will Schuester, but I left with a greater appreciation for Matthew Morrison. Not only was he an excellent performer, but he was also gracious and kind with his fans.
Matthew Morrison: “WHEN YOU’RE A JET, YOU’RE A JET ALL THE WAY…” A herd of hundreds of 18-year-old girls shriek. Brad the Piano Player sits down at the piano (no, I am not kidding). Turns out an evening with Matthew Morrison is essentially a concert with interspersed personal monologues. He blended many of the major roles in his career into a set list, providing background and personal stories about each song. I was entirely unfamiliar with his Broadway career, but one of my favorite performances from the evening came from his breakout role in “The Light in the Piazza.” The song, “Il Mondo Era Vuoto,” is an operatic ballad that left me with goosebumps. Another standout performance was his duet with sophomore Claire Ann Santos; they sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” against a backdrop of soft multicolor lights, their voices blending together beautifully. The crowd insatiably demanded he perform the Glee classic “Gold Digger,” and they did not take no for an answer. Eventually, Morrison admitted that he did not remember all of the words, but with the help of a brave audience member, the crowd’s
Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu
Harry Styles: “Love on Tour” Location: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan Date: Sept. 20, 2021 Favorite performance: “Treat People with Kindness”
Contact Maggie Klaers at mklaers@nd.edu MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer
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Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Plunge into opportunities without hesitation, and learn all you can as you strive to be at the top of your game. Impress those around you with your stamina and undying desire to make a difference to the causes you believe in and the people you love. Mark your destinations. Proceed with enthusiasm, an open mind and hope for a better future. Your numbers are 5, 19, 23, 28, 32, 36, 43. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Target what you want to accomplish, and don’t stop until you reach your destination. Falling short will lead to criticism or an emotional scene that will leave you feeling down. Don’t overreact; take the initiative, and set out to achieve your goal. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Get together with someone who boosts your morale and encourages you to follow your heart. A change of plans will play in your favor by allowing you to do something you’ve been putting off. Enjoy and live in the moment. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotional spending won’t make you feel better. Use your knowledge and intelligence to help you make better decisions that will encourage you to earn and save more. Be open to suggestions, but in the end, do what works best for you. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Say little, do a lot. What you accomplish will be what makes a difference. Change your outlook to help overcome any adversity you face or trouble someone causes. Anger will solve nothing, but actions will speak louder than words. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Minimize health risks. Avoid crowded events, groups or activities, regardless of who is attending. Spend more time with close friends and family who look out for your best interests. Refuse to let a job or domestic change disrupt your plans. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Make adjustments to how you deal with friends and relatives. Be ready to compromise if necessary, but don’t give in to emotional blackmail. Try to enforce equality and fair play, and you will come out on top. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t give up; see what you can do, push the envelope and make your dreams come true. Show passion in all that you do, and you will surpass your expectations and gain respect and support as you move forward. Avoid overspending. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Emotional spending will leave you without money. Generate a system that makes good sense and is financially smart. Knowing where your money is going will make you feel better about your future and eager to plan and set new goals. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take care of all the details yourself, and you will not be disappointed in the outcome. Speak up and position yourself for advancement. A diligent yet unique approach to how you earn your living will fetch the results you desire. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An emotional incident will make you look bad if you are insensitive. Take a moment to put yourself in someone’s shoes before you say something you regret. A positive attitude at home and work will get better results. Romance is favored. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Think twice before spending on something you don’t need. Organize your bills, and reconcile your bank account. Knowing exactly where you stand financially will bring you peace of mind and allow you to plan for the projects you want to pursue. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Follow your heart, do something creative and fix up your space. Do whatever it takes to ease stress. Make yourself comfortable, and set goals that encourage happiness and peace of mind. Commit to someone you love, and work as a team player. Birthday Baby: You are outgoing, entertaining and chatty. You are curious and adaptable.
Sudoku | The Mepham Group
Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek
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Sports Authority
Zwiller: Division champs to 1-2
McGuinness: What To Watch In MLB Final Week
Thomas Zwiller
Andrew McGuinness
Sports Writer
Sports Writer
They rank No. 1 in rushing touchdowns, No. 5 in touchdowns and redzone touchdowns and sixth in first downs. At the start of the season, had Theirmajorproblemisonoffense. you told me that the Jacksonville Jaguars would be 0-3, I would Lineups.com currently has them have believed you. I would not tied for 15th, which might be a little have believed you if you told high (they rank third and seventh me the Kansas City Chiefs went in pass attempts and completions). 1-2 in their first three games. One of their significant The Chiefs are not the only flaws is their lack of a run surprise of the season, of game. They rank 32nd in course. There are four division rushing yards, 31st in rushing championship teams from attempts and 25th in rushing last season who sit at 1-2: The touchdowns and touchdowns. Their second major problem is Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chiefs, the Washington Football Team and their redzone game. They rank the Seattle Seahawks now sit at 1-2. 25th in redzone attempts, 26th in Now,1-2isnotaproblematall.The redzonepercentageand,asabonus, 2018 New England Patriots went 26th in fourth-down percentage. Unlike with the Chiefs, I do 1-2, beating the Houston Texans and losing to the Jacksonville not feel confident in the Steelers. Jaguars and the Detroit Lions. The Steelers simply do not have The 2018 Patriots went on to win an offense, and I am skeptical their division and the Super Bowl. of it improving drastically. I However, these teams are believed they would miss the not the 2018 Patriots; some playoffs at the start of the season, will struggle to make the and the past few weeks have playoffs and win their division. only confirmed my suspicions. The
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Kansas
City
Chiefs
The Football
Washington Team
Six months have never gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday it was Opening Day with hope abounding for all 30 clubs. It never lasts, of course. As always, there have been over and underachievers, and a season that figured to be unpredictable as any coming off a shortened 60-game 2020 season has been just that. Five teams have already clinched berths in the 2021 Postseason; fifteen have already been eliminated. While fans of the other ten teams will be biting their nails non-stop for the next seven days (longer if they’re lucky), others may think it’s time to shift their focus to football, at least temporarily. But as Lee Corso would have said if you tried to pick Wisconsin on Saturday, “Not so fast, my friend.” Here are some storylines to keep your eye on before the regular season wraps up.
My level of concern for the The Football team feels like the Chiefs is the least, as I see their losses as the most surprising most confusing of these teams, Thrilling Races For NL and the least likely to repeat. for simply the reason WHY they East, AL Wild Card Spots Their first loss, of course, came are bad. Last season, the Football against the Ravens, in which Team was a Top-5 defense, and As mentioned above, there the Chiefs blew a late 11-point this season, Lineups.com has them are still ten teams alive in the lead. However, the Chiefs ranked as the 29th overall defense. postseason chase to varying They rank 31st in yards allowed, almost had the game in hand. degrees, with five spots still The Chiefs were driving the field, 29th in pass yards allowed and 25th up for grabs. That techniwith less than two minutes left in in rush yards allowed. Washington cally includes the NL Wild the game, and they had reached the is also are not performing Card and AL West, but closBaltimore 32 with little problem. well on third down; they rank ing those out is all but a forAnd then Clyde Edward 31st in 3rd down percentage. mality. First in the NL West Last season, the Football Team Helaire fumbled the ball, the is still up for grabs between Ravens recovered, and were ranked second in passing yards the Giants and Dodgers, able to run out the clock. allowed and 13th in rushing but both clinched postIn the next game, the Chiefs lost yards allowed. They ranked season berths a while ago. to the Chargers 30-24. The main third on first down last year and Far more compelling are problem with the Chiefs was their sixth in third down percentage. the NL East and AL Wild Card Why they have had such a four turnovers. While two were races. All eyes from Tuesday forced fumbles, the other two were dismal defensive performance through Thursday will be interceptions. I simply do not see is a column for another day, on Truist Park, where the Patrick Mahomes throwing two but the reason they won their Braves host the Phillies. At interceptions again this season or in division last year was their quality 2.5 games up, Atlanta has the the same game with two fumbles. defense. And with the Cowboys upper hand and could clinch So, I am not worried about looking like a complete team, as soon as Thursday with a the Chiefs; I legitimately think Washington will miss the playoffs sweep. However, the Phillies they can still win their division and fail to win their division. still control their destiny, and make the playoffs. However, and there’s potential for a The Seattle Seahawks they likely are indeed out for the Game 163 in Philadelphia race for the first seed in the AFC. should the teams finish the Coming into the season, I year deadlocked. The Braves The Pittsburgh Steelers expected the Seahawks to finish are probably the better team, third or fourth in their division, but with how crazy following The Steelers started their which is not slight to them. The NFC season with a solid win over the West has quickly become the most Bills (23-16) before losing their challenging division in the NFL. What is surprising to me is how next two games to the Raiders (26-17) and the Bengals (24-10). early they have fallen behind. After a solid 28-16 win against If I am a Steelers fan, what scares me is that the Bengals the Colts, the Seahawks lost and Raiders are essentially the in overtime to the Titans and same team. Both teams are solid were subsequently blown out on offense, but neither team is by the Minnesota Vikings. TUTOR: Local ND family needs Again, how the Seahawks good on defense; at best, average. strong tutor for our HS junior, up to 10 The Steelers are pretty good on lost to the Vikings and Titans is hrs/wk. Good rate. 574-299-3896 defense; Lineups.com ranks the Steelers the 12th best defensively. see Zwiller PAGE 13 Sometimes, all I think about
Wanted
the Phillies has been this season, I’ll let my bias guard down and pick Philly. It’s a great week to end a 3,600+ day postseason drought. If the NL East race is tense, the AL Wild Card battle is pure chaos. The Blue Jays started the month on absolute fire and are the closest ones out at one game back. The Mariners are an AL-best 8-2 in their last ten games; it would be incredible to see the Cinderella M’s end their 20-year Postseason drought. Oakland, my early September selection for this spot, is technically still in the mix, but at three games out things are looking bleak. But after the pandemic, the league is desperate for all the revenue it can get, so I’ll bet on the chalk picks of Boston and the Yankees here, in that order. MVP Madness: Vladdy, Ohtani, Harper And More It’s not just teams that are making headlines right now; there are plenty of individuals v ying for MVP and Cy Young Awards in both leagues. Oh, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has an outside shot at becoming just the second player to win the Triple Crown since Carl Yastremski in 1967 (Miguel Cabrera in 2012 was the other). Winning it would be a crazy feat; winning it and not winning MVP would be even crazier. Yet it feels like that’s the most likely outcome because of the unbelievable year Shohei Ohtani has had: 46 home runs and a .966 OPS at the plate, a 3.28 ERA with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings on the mound. There’s no beating that. If the Phillies reach the Postseason, Bryce Harper is a shoo-in for the NL Award. Since the All-Star break, Harper is hitting .347/.490/.735 with 19 home runs and 48 RBIs, carrying a battered team on his back more than once. Don’t overlook his former Nationals teammate Juan Soto. His post-ASG numbers are nearly as impressive:
a .371/.544/.690 slash line with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs. Fernando Tatís Jr. will receive votes as well, but the Padres’ September implosion won’t help his case. The Cy Young Are Nearly As
Races Close
The biggest swing of the MLB season occurred when the Dodgers beat the Padres to the punch in trading for Max Scherzer in July. In LA, Scherzer has been all but untouchable, posting a 1.43 ERA and 85 strikeouts in seven starts for the Dodgers. He’s probably the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award as a result, but Corbin Burnes and Zack Wheeler are close behind. A surprise name has emerged as the favorite in the AL: Toronto’s Robbie Ray. He leads the AL with a 2.68 ERA and is tied for first with a 1.04 WHIP with the other contender, Gerrit Cole. Cole struggled a bit after the sticky stuff crackdown midyear, but overall he’s delivered a strong year and is the bigger name. Toronto making it would certainly help Ray’s (and Vlad Jr.’s) case. Will Ever
The Cardinals Lose Again?
If you had asked this question on September 10, the answer would’ve been, “Yes, eventually.” I’m less convinced now. The Cardinals have won a franchise-record 16 consecutive games, ruining the NL Wild Card race with a run that makes their historic September 2011 run seem like a cakewalk. A resurgent offense and one of the oldest rotations in the sport has churned out the longest win streak since Cleveland won 22 straight in 2017. For any fans trying to justify their hope for a last-week miracle, here’s some evidence. What a run for the Redbirds. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@ nd.edu
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is you / Late nights in the middle of June / Heat waves been faking me out / Can’t make you happier now/ Sometimes, all I think about is you / Late nights in the middle of June / Heat waves been faking me out /
Can’t make you happier now/ Usually I put / Something on T V/ So we never think / About you and me / But today I see / Our reflections / Clearly in Hollywood / Laying on the screen
sports
Football Continued from page 16
head, he turned around almost immediately to step inside and make a beautiful interception on the same kind of play. He kept up the level of intensity and focus graduate student nose guard Kurt Hinish said would be necessary against Purdue and carried it through to this match-up with Wisconsin. That isn’t to say the offense and special teams didn’t meet this energy. Despite fumbling early, Pyne came back out onto the field and, off of the high that was Hart’s interception, sent senior wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. to the house off a 16-yard touchdown pass. Junior punter Jay Bramblett and sophomore running back Chris Tyree were successful on both sides of the ball for special teams. Consistently, week to week Notre Dame special teams have had the edge on their opponents. That has yet to be a concern (*she writes frantically, doing every superstitious protection she knows*). The question is, will all of this be enough against a Cincinnati offense that has run up the score in all three of their games so far this season? Three things have to happen for the Irish to come away with another win this weekend. The defense cannot have lulled themselves into complacency. The squad played at a new level against the Badgers. Nothing will change that. They need to be just as focused and on their game this weekend as they were against Wisconsin, though. If the pass interference call comes, remember the play and defend it better the second time as Hart did. Being
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | The Observer
that careful and that precise will make or break the game because Desmond Ritter is not Graham Mertz. Yes, they have the same number of interceptions on the season with six each. Ritter will not cave and start to throw the ball away unless he is really under pressure. He can make the long pass and he knows it. His guys know how to get open. His ability will be much closer to something like Plummer’s. The only difference? Ritter can take off on his own, so this will be tougher. Kelly cannot fall asleep to a lullaby of his history with Cincinnati, either. Yes, Kelly just beat Knute Rockne’s win record. You don’t reach an achievement like that if you aren’t a highly skilled coach. Despite that, he may feel he knows the Cincinnati program well enough to feel comfortable this game. That lens won’t work this weekend. If anything, facing a team Kelly practically built should light a fire under him. But the Irish cannot pretend they know them. Kelly may have built the program, but it has grown. Cincinnati is a new beast, not to be underestimated. They’ve made that very clear over the last two years. And no one has a concrete estimate for them yet. Most importantly, the offense has to step up. I’m looking at you, offensive line. Whether it be Coan, Pyne or Buchner in the pocket, they need time to do their job. They cannot worry about three, four, potentially five sacks coming down on them within one half of play. The defense has found their footing, but they really can only do so much. While they set the bar high for what ‘so much’ looks like, defense alone may not cut
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ERIN FENNESSY | The Observer
Irish graduate student linebacker Drew White tackles a Wisconsin offesnive player to the ground during Notre Dame Shamrock Series contest against Wisocnsin Sept. 25 at Soldier Field. The game resulted in a 41-13 victory for the Irish, leaving their record undefeated at 4-0.
it this weekend. All three quarterbacks have started to get their footing under them, but they can’t do so fully until the O-line well-establishes the stability in their stance. If they can do that, it will open a window (no pun
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intended) for the run game as well. After only three rushing yards this weekend, the Irish could afford to have that weapon back. Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu
Zwiller Continued from page 12
surprising. Last Season Seattle boasted a terrible passing defense, ranking 31st in passing yards, 32nd in passing attempts and 32nd in passing completions. In other words, Seattle was bad at defending the pass, and other teams knew it. This season, the problem seems to have flipped somewhat. Seattle ranks 30th in rushing yards, 31st in rushing attempts and 18th in rushing touchdowns. The Vikings and the Titans were incredibly good at running the ball last year; Tennessee and Minnesota ranked second and fifth in rushing yards, respectively. That ability to run the football appears to have translated over to this season for both squads. After some more games, Seattle could see their rushing defense have a return to the mean. But the problem remains for the Seahawks; they have the worst defense in the NFC West. They now have the worst record in the NFC West. And they now have the worst odds of making the playoffs in the NFC West. Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu
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Sports
The observer | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
W Soccer Continued from page 16
one more goal to their tally before the games end, however, as Sammi Fisher made it a brace on the day after latching onto a searching kick by sophomore goalkeeper Ashley Naylor. Fisher’s finish made it a three goal margin of victory for Notre Dame, their third consecutive conference game won by that margin. The win marks Notre Dame’s strongest start to a season in a long time — the Irish haven’t matched their current 9-1-1 clip since their 2015-16 campaign. And while their conference schedule is extremely backloaded (it’s possible all five of Notre Dame’s
final matches will be against ranked opponents, with three in the top ten), it’s looking more and more fair to say that this is the best Irish team in a long time. W hile it remains to be seen how they’ll stack up with the ACC’s elite, if they continue to keep pace in their final five matches, there’s no reason Notre Dame won’t find themselves in the top fifteen of national polls. And as of right now they’re doing exactly what they need to do: win emphatically against the teams in front of them. Moving onto a road trip to North Carolina State this midweek, there’s momentum in South
Bend previously unseen in Nate Norman’s tenure. North Carolina State is not an easy opponent. In their last two games, while they have not yet earned a point, the Wolfpack have forced both Clemson and Virginia (national quarterfinalists and semifinalists respectively last year) into games that went until the last kick (Clemson scored the winner in the 86th minute, and Virginia in the 90th). With home fans at their back, the Wolfpack should provide the Irish another major hurdle to clear. The match is slated for 7 p.m. Friday and will kick off at Raleigh’s Alumni Stadium. A broadcast can be found on the ACC Net work.
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OTG Continued from page 16
and drinking despite the early hour. From the parking lot, my friends and I walked to ESPN’s College GameDay on the north side of the stadium near the iconic Field Museum. After a short walk, we arrived at the acclaimed pre-kickoff show. It wasn’t too crowded initially, but there was plent y of energ y as Irish and Badgers fans alike held up their signs to get noticed on the show. At GameDay, there seemed to be more Irish fans than Badgers fans, and the crowd erupted ever y time the Irish were mentioned in any way. At 8 a.m. when the show started, people got even louder and more
energized when host Rece Dav is kicked off the show by addressing the crowd. We were standing only a couple of rows back from the front, and ever y time the show f lashed to the commentators, ever yone around us threw up their signs instantly. The show also had a “sk y cam” that f lew over the crowd ever y couple of minutes. There were a variet y of signs from both schools’ fans and some of the best signs I saw read, “Even Wisco’s QB picked ND,” “Jack Coan Hates Cheese Curds,” “Forgive me Father, for I have Wisconsinned,” among many others. We had to leave before the GameDay crew could make their game picks, but I can only imagine the energ y when Lee Corso put on the leprechaun suit to pick the Irish. After leav ing GameDay, my friends and I walked along the north side of the stadium past the Barstool pre-kickoff show and along the east side where Fox Big Noon had their kickoff show. There looked to be a lively group of fans at that show, but we didn’t have time to stop because we wanted to check out the tailgating scene closer to the start of the game. We headed back to the Waldron Deck where the scene was unique and energetic. This was my first experience at a truly neutral game tailgate, and it was fun to see a mix of Wisconsin and Notre Dame fans hav ing a good time w ith friends and family in advance of the big game. We wandered to another lot near the stadium, and there was a similar energ y there. At that point, it was time for me to leave my friends and head up to the press box about an hour before kickoff. As I made my way to the stadium, I had to meander my way through swarms of fans, and I walked right by the band of the Fighting Irish play ing the Notre Dame v ictor y march. The day that I had at Soldier Field on Saturday was a once in a lifetime experience. A fter a year of no fans and pre-game festiv ities, seeing the college football world converge on Chicago ahead of a top-20 matchup was healing for the soul. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu
sports
ndsmcobserver.com | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | The Observer
15
FANTASY CORNER
Observer Fantasy Corner Week Five: Strategizing lineups to win big By SAM OUHAJ, GEHRIG SMALSTIG, J. J. POST, JOHN KALEMKERIAN, JAMISON COOK and JUSTICE MORY Sports Writers
If this were last year, we would already have been a quarter of the way done w ith the NFL season. However, now w ith the extra game, that is obviously not the case. After another actionpacked week of the NFL, it is time to set your lineups and w in big! Sam Ouhaj Must Start: Ja’Marr Chase, W R, Cincinnati Bengals During the offseason, all anyone talked about was how much of a bust Ja’Marr Chase was going to be. W hile I was never one of the people, it makes my day to see the young rookie have a great start to his career. Through his first three games, he is averaging 18.9 points in PPR leagues and looks phenomenal. The Bengals w ill be facing the Jacksonville Jaguars who just traded their best cornerback, so Chase’s potential is through the roof for a big game. Must Sit: David Montgomer y, RB, Chicago Bears If Matt Nag y is not fired before the season ends, I would be surprised. The Chicago Bears look terrible and w ith the confusing play calling, the entire offense is suffering. David M o n t g o m e r y has always been more of a f lex player, this year was supposed to be the season where he could be a top running back. W hile he had 18.8 points during the first week, since then he is averaging 9.2 points per game. W hile this is a small sample size, Montgomer y going up against the Lions this week feels too good to be true. The Bears’ offense has looked lost these last two weeks and they are failing to move the ball. I do not trust it so stay away.
W ho To Pick Up: Tim Patrick, W R, Denver Broncos (Ow ned in 14% of leagues) John Kalemkerian Must Start: Brandin Cooks, W R, Houston Texans Despite having one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL, Cooks has managed to thrive over the first three weeks of the season, averaging double-digit targets and surpassing 100 receiving yards in two of three games. A lthough he faces a tough secondar y matchup at Buffalo this week, Cooks should continue to dominate Houston’s target share (no other Texans W R had more than one catch in last week’s loss to the Panthers) in a game where the Texans w ill likely be playing from behind. Must Sit: Robert Woods, W R, Los Angeles Rams Early-MV P candidate Matt Stafford has added new life to this Rams team, and after a conv incing w in over the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Rams have cemented themselves as legitimate contenders in the NFC. Despite all their early season success, Woods hasn’t show n the same chemistr y w ith S t a f f o r d that fellow pass-catchers Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee and DeSean Jackson have. Woods has always been reliant on a heav y target share to sustain fantasy value and w ith just 11 catches through three weeks, it’s clear that he’s become just another secondar y option in L A behind Kupp. Leave him on your bench this week. W ho To Pick Up: Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Atlanta Falcons (ow ned in 58% of leagues) Gehrig Smalstig Must Start: Odell Beck ham Jr., W R, Cleveland Brow ns Odell is still one of the most talented w ide
receivers in the league, and he’s on one of the best offenses in the league, so he’s in a great position to officially break back on to the scene after a solid performance this past week. Additionally, the Vikings secondar y has been torched through the air this year while their offense is averaging nearly 30 points per game. That should present an outstanding game script for any w ide receiver in this matchup, including OBJ. Must Sit: A llen Robinson II, W R, Chicago Bears It pains me to say this, but Robinson seems to be unplayable w ith Justin Fields at QB and Matt Nag y calling plays. I do believe that Andy Dalton should be able to supply him w ith sufficient targets to allow him to return to form, but it doesn’t seem that he w ill be back by next week. With that in mind, I think that Robinson w ill have to sit on the shelf for a while until the Bears’ offense shows some sort of life. W ho to Pick Up: Br yan Edwards, W R, Las Vegas Raiders J.J. Post Must Start: Mike Williams, W R, Los Angeles Chargers Williams has been off to an absolutely torrid start to the season. Through his previous four years in the league, Williams has never caught more than 50 passes in a season. Through just three games this year, he has 22. Last season he had five touchdow ns. This year he already has four. Tr ying to extrapolate from one or two weeks of production is usually a crapshootonce it’s been three weeks, it feels fair to start wondering if it’s a trend.
Must Sit: Anderson, W R, Panthers
Robby Carolina
Anderson is the opposite of Williams, and his fantasy prognosis is inverse as well. Through three games. Anderson has just five catches on a mere 11 targets. Of course, one of those catches was a touchdow n, but one third of his receptions being touchdow ns simply isn’t sustainable. Anderson isn’t a player you shouldn’t have on your roster, and he’s instead looking more and more like a lotter y ticket guy you plug in if one of your starting W Rs or FLEX has a bye week. W ho To Pick Up: Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers (ow ned in 11% of leagues) Jamison Cook Must Start: DK Metcalf, W R, Seattle Seahawks Davante Adams torched the 49ers secondar y w ith 12 catches for 132 yards and a touchdow n on Sunday Night Football, setting Metcalf up for a monster day this coming week. This past week DK also had more receiving yards and fantasy points than his teammate Tyler Lockett for the first time this season, an encouraging sign for Metcalf ow ners. After a shak y start this was his first 100-yard game of the 2021 season, so Metcalf is on the upward trend. He should continue this trend this week, so make sure the third-year w ideout is in your starting lineup. Must Sit: Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers After an encouraging first two weeks of the season, Fournette took a step back in Week 3 w ith only four carries for eight yards and three catches for 26 yards. With Tom Brady set to
make his return to New England this week only 68 yards away from the NFL passing yards record, the Bucs are sure to be throw ing the ball early and often. I don’t anticipate a big day for any of the Bucs running backs, so keep Lenny and any other Tampa Bay RBs on your bench this week. W ho to Pick Up: Hunter Renfrow, W R, Las Vegas Raiders (ow ned in 11% of leagues) Justice Mor y Must Start: Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Brow ns Kareem Hunt has become a steady and reliable part of the Brow ns’ offense, even as the team’s second running back. Through three games he has confirmed that he is a solid week ly f lex play and his double-digit carries in back-to-back weeks add a level of comfort as to his role and volume in this offense. Must Sit: Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins Gaskin was a popular sleeper heading into the season but has probably disappointed many so far this year. He is still worth a roster spot, averaging consistently above five yards per carr y in each of the first three games, but he is not currently seeing enough volume to trust in your lineups, especially against the Indianapolis Colts. W ho To Pick Up: Emmanuel Sanders, W R, Buffalo Bills (Ow ned in 23.3% of leagues) Contact Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@nd.edu, J. J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu, Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, Gehrig Smalstig at esmalsti@ nd.edu, John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu and Justice Mory at jmory@nd.edu
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The observer | Wednesday, sEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Women’s Soccer
FOOTBALL
Irish dominate Boston College Observer Sports Staff
Notre Dame women’s soccer notched their third straight ACC w in Sunday, taking dow n Boston College 4-1 at A lumni Stadium. Goals and penalt y kicks were aplent y in the annual rivalr y match, as Notre Dame earned two spot kicks and Boston College earned one. The Irish opened the scoring just five minutes in when Oliv ia Wingate was brought dow n in the box attempting a shot and earned a penalt y. Leading scorer graduate student midfielder Sammi Fisher made no mistakes from the spot, and the Irish took an early 1-0 start on home turf. After a scoreless final fort y minutes of the first half, the scoring took off in the second half. The Irish would double, and then triple their
Observer on the Ground: Shamrock Series By NATE MOLLER
advantage in the 65th minute and 70th minute v ia another penalt y, this time scored by junior midfielder Maddie Mercado after a Boston College handball in the box. Freshman defender Kaylie Ronan added a curled finish into the far bottom corner from close range — her first goal for the Fighting Irish. The Eagles would get one back w ith a penalt y kick of their ow n in the 75th minute, as an Irish handball in the box gave Boston College a prime chance to get on the board. Sophomore for ward Linda Boama stepped up for the Eagles and converted to pull the v isitors w ithin two goals, but that was all the Boston College attack could muster up in the final stages of the game. The Irish would add see W Soccer PAGE 14
Sports Writer
ERIN FENNESSY | The Observer
Irish junior cornerback Cam Hart celebrates a play during Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series matchup Sept. 25 at Soldier Field.
A college football game doesn’t get more hy ped up than t wo iconic football programs going head-to-head in Chicago, and that was ev ident this past Saturday morning at Soldier Field and the surrounding areas. I stayed at a friend’s house in a suburb roughly ten miles north of Soldier Field on Friday night, and we made sure to get up at 6 a.m. to drive dow n to the stadium and be there for the start of ESPN’s College GameDay at 8 a.m. W hen we arrived at the stadium, we were directed to our parking spot on top of the Waldron Deck adjacent to the stadium. At this point, it was only 7:30 a.m., but the tailgating was well under way. There seemed to be an even mix of Irish and Badgers fans out early, and fans were already grilling see OTG PAGE 14
Football Column
McGinley: The work is not yet done for the Irish By MANNION McGINLEY Sports Editor
For anyone who has said that defense doesn’t w in big games in reference to Notre Dame football: I give you the 2021 Shamrock Series. This current defense could run circles around the Irish defense from week one. I mean, tw ice now we’ve seen the Irish head into a game that should’ve been the closest game yet and come out more and more significantly on top. Both times, the credit goes directly to defense-heav y fourth quarters that put the game on ice. Against Purdue, the Irish defense allowed the offense to work and simply kept the Purdue offense at bay. But in the Shamrock Series, that seemed to take a turn for the worse after Jack Coan left the
game injured, Wisconsin took the lead and Drew Pyne had the ball stripped early in his appearance. The Irish defense turned it around and placed the game in the middle of a mile-w ide glacier. In my game prediction, I said the Irish needed to shut dow n the run game, something they hadn’t proven themselves at yet, and they did just that. The Wisconsin running back corps had 352 yards in their w in against Eastern Michigan and 174 yards despite falling to Penn State the week before that. The Irish limited them to only 74 yards on the day, though. Junior linebackers JD Bertrand and Jack Kiser lead the tack les w ith 7.5 and 6, respectively. Backed by senior brothers linebacker and defensive lineman Justin and Jayson Ademilola, who helped
to hold the line w ith four tack les each, these four, w ith Hart’s lead, maintained a tight defense. The passing defense was even better than in the Purdue game as well. Without a successful run option to turn to, the passing answers grew slim, too, for the Badgers as quarterback Mertz was put to the test. Two late interceptions by junior safety Kyle Hamilton and senior safety DJ Brow n against Purdue became four interceptions against Wisconsin, two of which were pick-sixes as Mertz threw away the game, quite literally. The Irish defense was the definition of grit as they took advantage of that fact. Irish junior cornerback Cam Hart got a pass interference call. Instead of getting in his see FOOTBALL PAGE 13
ERIN FENNESSY | The Observer
Irish senior wide receiver Kevin Austin, Jr. runs after a successful catch during Notre Dame’s Wisconsin matchup Sept. 25 at Soldier Field.