Print Edition of The Observer for Wednesday, October 13, 2021

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Volume 56, Issue 22 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Founder’s Day Mass celebrates tradition University remembers Fr. John Zahm and Holy Cross sisters alongside founders

By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor

MAGGIE EASTLAND | The Observer

Students and members of the Notre Dame community filtered into the Basilica of the Sacred Heart as bells tolled in announcement of the 5:15 p.m. Mass celebrating the founders of Notre Dame.

Universit y President Fr. John Jenkins presided over the Mass and gave the homily, accompanied by a framed image of Fr. Edward Sorin, the French-born priest who founded Notre Dame in 1842.

“We learn who we are as the Notre Dame communit y by looking at those who went before us,” Jenkins said.

Founder’s Day activ ities w ill continue Wednesday w ith a series of lectures focusing on Fr. John Zahm, a Notre Dame alumnus and professor who sought to show that Catholicism was compatible w ith the scientific theor y of evolution.

The Universit y t y pically celebrates Founder’s Day on the Feast of St. Edward, Fr. Sorin’s namesake. The Feast of St. Edward falls on Wednesday this year, so Jenkins and those who attended the opening Founder’s Mass began the festiv ities a day earlier than usual.

Jenkins recognized Fr. Zahm’s achievements during the homily, and Sister Damien Marie Sav ino, dean of science and sustainabilit y at Aquinas College, offered a key note speech later Tuesday evening, speaking about the relationship between science and faith see FOUNDERS PAGE 3

Men’s Boxing Club begins season DIANE PARK | The Observer

The monstrous legends of the 1970s

By UYEN LE, CHRIS RUSSO, SPENCER KELLY AND CHRISTINA CEFALU From the Archives Researchers

As Halloween approaches, pumpkins are carved, costumes are crafted and ghost stories are circulated. October also always brings an opportunity to explore the tri-campus community’s haunted grounds, with the ghost of Washington Hall and the spirits of Saint Mary’s documented in past autumn editions.

This year, our team shifted to hunting monsters. And interestingly, so did Notre Dame in the 1970s. Our archives from the ‘70s are filled with sightings, lectures and theories of scary creatures that usually only exist in nightmares and under our beds. Enjoy

NEWS PAGE 3

this week’s spooky edition of From the Archives, as we detail the 1970s’ fascination with monsters and aliens.

UFOs sighted across the country and at Notre Dame

Oct. 17, 1973 | Kit Baron | Researched by Chris Russo During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an uptick in UFO sightings. A similar barrage of UFOs were sighted across the country in 1973, with one spotted in the South Bend region.

The Observer’s Kit Baron covered the local sightings, but the Oct. 17, 1973 edition also included reports from the United Press International (UPI).

The national sightings had varying degrees of consistency.

VIEWPOINT PAGE 8

Still, Dr. Allemn Hynek of Northwestern University did not question their presence.

“Where they are coming from and why they were here is a matter of conjecture,” Hynek said.

“But the fact that they were here on this planet is beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Many of the UFO sightings were coupled with reports of distorted radio signals, suspicious lights and strange creatures.

And on Notre Dame’s campus, three Breen-Phillips residents reportedly caught a glimpse of an “exceptionally fast-moving and brilliant “star” on the evening of Oct. 16, 1973. They said that the object traveled in a circular motion while shifting its see ARCHIVES PAGE 5

SCENE PAGE 9

BRIDGET DONNELLY | The Observer

Two fighters compete in the Danhke Ballroom of the Duncan Student Center in the annual Bengal Bouts Tournament in February 2020.

By KATHERINE ROSS News Writer

The Notre Dame Men’s Box ing Club had their first practice of the academic year this Monday, kicking off a new and more normal 2021-2022 season.

The team w ill train the rest of this fall and into the spring, finishing w ith the annual Bengal Bouts tournament in mid-Februar y.

WOMEN’S SOCCER PAGE 16

Club president, senior A lec Vasquez, said the club has t wo main goals.

“One is to have a boxer to become the best boxer they can be,” he said. “The second goal is to raise money for the Holy Cross missions in Bangladesh.”

The men’s box ing club has a long histor y on Notre Dame’s campus. The see BOXING PAGE 3

MEN’S BASKETBALL PAGE 16

2

TODAY

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

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What is the first thing you’ll eat on break?

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sophomore McGlinn Hall

first-year Stanford Hall

“Mother’s cooking. Bangladeshi dishes.”

“Lasagna.”

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“French fries and chocolate.”

“Mom’s cooking. Chicken parmesan.”

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“In-N-Out.”

“Apple pie.”

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GRACIE LEE | The Observer

Students study for midterms in Hesburgh Library before fall break begins Oct. 16. This will be the first time Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross have had a midterm break since 2019 after it was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The next Five days:

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Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Traditional Dance and Modern Music in Tanzania 334 Bond Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Free lecture.

Cocktail with a Curator Snite Museum of Art 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Must be 21 or older to attend.

How to Make a Book 247 Hesburgh Library 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Learn how to bind a book using various techniques.

The Big Draw: the Snite Sketches Snite Museum of Art 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Come sketch your favorite works of art.

Sunday Masses at the Basilica Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m., noon All are welcome.

Midterm Stress Relievers Dahnke Ballroom 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Sponsored by the Student Union Board.

“Rocky Horror Picture Show” Legends 9:30 p.m. - midnight Live “shadowcast” performance.

McWell Recess: Connection and Play North Quad 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Take a break with the McWell Senior Fellows.

“Another Round” Browning Cinema 7 p.m.

Danish film. Academy Award for Best International Feature.

Vespers Basilica of the Sacred Heart 7:15 p.m.

End the day with prayer and hymns.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | The Observer

Curling Club builds family

CAROLINE COLLINS| The Observer

The Notre Dame Curling Club practices at Compton Ice Arena, marking its fifth year on the ice. They are attempting to qualify for the club curling national tournament this spring in Fargo, North Dakota.

By CAROLINE COLLINS News Writer

Curling is traditionally known as an Olympic sport, but it is also a club sport offered to students at Notre Dame. The Notre Dame Curling Club was founded in 2016, and since then, it has grown under the coaching staff of Dean and Melanie Palmer.

The Palmers grew up in Canada and have been involved with the sport since they were young. They were members of the previous RecSports curling league before the creation of the curling club, and they wanted to be involved with the club in a teaching capacity to help it get up-and-running again.

“I love sharing my experiences and seeing people improve,” Dean Palmer said.

“It’s been really fun working with the students, they’ve been really excited to learn, so hopefully we can continue to grow the program over the next few years.”

Similar to shuff leboard, curling is a sport in which players slide a large circular rock, called a stone, across the ice. Other team members then “sweep” the stone to tr y and hit a target, senior Alexis Moskala explained.

Founders Continued from page 1

in light of Fr. Zahm’s work and more recent church doctrine.

Jenkins described Fr. Zahm as “undaunted by taking on the most challenging question of the day,” and said he believes Notre Dame’s scholars continue to display the same courage and pursuit of truth.

In his homily, Jenkins also shared the stor y of the four Holy Cross sisters who joined Sorin in 1843, the year after

The Notre Dame Curling Club attends tournaments hosted by other college curling clubs. At these tournaments, called bonspiels, clubs get points for participating in and winning matches.

These points are totaled, and the 16 teams with the most points are eligible to attend a national tournament. The Curling Club hopes to qualif y for nationals, which will be held in Fargo, North Dakota in March 2022, club president Quinn Bardwell said.

W hile some of the more experienced club members compete at bonspiels, newer members are encouraged to attend practices and learn the basics. Moskala joined the curling club this year after her friends on the team encouraged her to tr y it out.

“I decided to join because it wasn’t something that I could do outside of college, and this is my senior year so I wanted to get to know what curling is all about,” Moskala said.

Senior Matthew Misch is a third-year member and treasurer of the club. His favorite thing about curling is being able to meet different people from all around the countr y and bond with those on his team. ”It’s a ver y family-oriented sport and ever yone is really

he founded the Universit y, enduring a difficult voyage from France to North America and the tr y ing first years of Notre Dame.

Jenkins called the women, one of whom was only 19 years old, “integral to founding the Universit y.”

“Notre Dame could not have sur v ived w ithout them,” he added.

Jenkins also addressed “presentism,” or the tendency to critically interpret past events in terms of modern ideas and values. He said “presentism” is a threat to tradition and the Universit y

friendly and nice,” Misch said.

Team members agree that the sport creates a strong sense of community.

“Curling is a ver y social sport and we make a lot of good friends playing,” Dean Palmer said. “It’s something that’s a lifelong passion for a lot of people, and it’s a sport you can play from the time you’re ver y young until you’re in your 70s or 80s.”

Many people are open to joining the curling club because it is a fairly low commitment club that allows students to choose their own level of competition, Misch said.

“Our goal is to get the club in a spot where it can continue to grow and make sure that it doesn’t die out like some other clubs do,” he added.

The club practices once a week at Compton Ice Arena and is open to anyone who wants to learn about curling and get involved with the sport.

“We’re willing and able to teach anybody from scratch, and we encourage people if they’re interested to come out and give it a tr y,” Dean Palmer said.

Contact Caroline Collins at ccolli23@nd.edu

should honor its founders while acknowledging their mistakes.

“We recognize the limitations and mistakes of those who have gone before us, and we should not hesitate to acknowledge them, but we also learn about v irtue and action [through past leaders],” he said.

The Universit y’s founding values continue to permeate Notre Dame today, especially during the tr y ing times of the COV ID-19 pandemic, Jenkins said.

“I believe that courage and confidence is present in our

Boxing Continued from page 1

club was created in 1920 by the legendar y Notre Dame football coach K nute Rock ne a nd ga i ned a t r ue sense of pu r pose i n 1931 when it bega n f u ndra isi ng for t he Holy Cross Missions i n Ba ng ladesh, accord i ng to t he club’s website.

Ever si nce t he f i rst Benga l Bouts tou r na ment i n 1931, hu nd reds of boxers have competed. L a st yea r, t he COV ID-19 pa ndem ic d isr upted t he norma l f u nct ion i ng of t he club. T he tea m st i l l gat hered for ma sked workouts a nd t ra i ned t hei r techn ique toget her. However, boxers were not a l lowed to ma ke contact w it h one a not her, a nd t here wa s no tou r na ment at t he end of t he sea son.

T h is yea r, boxers a re ready to get back i n t he r i ng. Get t i ng ready for t he Febr ua r y tou r na ment requ i res bot h physica l a nd menta l prepa rat ion.

T he pract ices ta ke place f ive days a week a nd consist of a h ig h i ntensit y workout for t he f i rst hou r a nd tech n ique t ra i n i ng for second hou r.

“Ever yone who’s comi ng who is sta r t i ng t h is for t he f i rst t i me is steppi ng out of t hei r com for t zone,” Va squez sa id.

On t he menta l f ront, t he club promotes a ba la nce bet ween academ ics a nd ot her club com m it ments wh i le rem i nd i ng members t hey a re work i ng for a big ger pu r pose.

“We just wa nt to get a s ma ny Not re Da me a lu mn i, box i ng a lu m n i a nd box i ng fa ns out to t hat tou r na ment, because a l l t he proceeds t hat come f rom t hat tou r na ment go towa rds suppor t i ng t he cause t hat we’re ra isi ng money for,” Va squez sa id.

Despite t he pa ndem ic, t he club ra ised about $ 215,000 la st yea r. T h is yea r, t he club pla ns to keep up t he f u nd ra isi ng ef for ts.

scholars today,” Jenkins said.

“Perseverance was present in 1879 when the Great Fire happened. We know it was present also in the COV ID years of 2020 and 2021.”

Jenkins also said honoring the Universit y’s founders is part of Notre Dame’s Catholic character and adherence to tradition.

“In the Catholic Church, the good news of salvation and the Gospel of Jesus is intrinsic not only through scripture but also through the lived realit y of the Christian communit y,” Jenkins said.

3

“I set t he goa l for $ 200,000 t h is yea r, but rea l ist ica l ly, I’d l i ke to a i m for even $ 250,000 because I t h i n k t hat we ca n do it,” Va squez sa id.

T he club’s f u nd ra isi ng goes towa rds t he Holy Cross m issions t hat bu i ld pr i ma r y a nd tech n ica l schools a nd cl i n ics, wh ich educate h ig h school a nd col lege st udents i n Ba ng ladesh.

“T hose m issions ser ve to promote t he educat ion of t he Cat hol ic m i nor it y in Ba ng ladesh, wh ich ma kes up less t ha n 1 percent of t he popu lat ion.

A nd t hey depend on ou r resou rces heav i ly t h roug hout t he yea r,” Va squez sa id.

Si nce 2008, Not re Da me’s Inter nat iona l Su m mer Ser v ice L ea r n i ng Prog ra m ha s r u n a su m mer m ission t r ip to Ba ng ladesh for t wo to fou r boxers to cont r ibute to t he Holy Cross m issions, except for la st yea r, accord i ng to t he ISSL P website. T he club is excited to have t he oppor t un it y for t h is prog ra m aga i n t h is su m mer, Va squez sa id.

W hen a sked what he wa s look i ng for wa rd to t he most, Va squez poi nted to each boxer’s prog ress. “I’m excited to see t hose g uys t hat st ick w it h it a nd progress in ter ms of t hei r f it ness level, but a lso i n ter ms of t hei r k nowledge of box i ng,” he sa id. “It’s goi ng to be rea l ly rewa rdi ng seei ng t hem act ua l ly step i nto t he r i ng a nd put t hose sk i l ls to use.”

“Tr y it out for a few week s a nd most people fa l l i n love w it h it,” Va squez sa id.

“Because of t he f r iendsh ips t hat t hey ma ke, because of t he way t hat t hei r body feels a f ter becom i ng so in shape, a nd t hen a lso just k now i ng t hat t hey ’re suppor t i ng a cause big ger t ha n t hemselves.”

Contact Katherine Ross at kross7@nd.edu

Students, facult y and members of the Notre Dame communit y can discover their full calling and sense of identit y by study ing founders like Fr. Zahm and the four Holy Cross sisters, he said.

“We learn who we are as we look to the lives of those who have gone before us,” Jenkins said. “We should strive to present the same courage and confidence and dedication and perseverance that they showed.”

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

4

NEWS

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Cake Service surprises students

By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor

When students hear a knock on their dorm door, the last thing they expect is a personal cake hand-delivered by a fellow Notre Dame student.

Hidden away in the basement of LaFortune Student Center, ND Cake Service allows parents and loved ones to order a cake to be delivered to a Notre Dame student for any occasion — whether for a birthday or just as a reminder that someone is thinking of them.

Ellie Rey, a sophomore employee for ND Cake Service, works on the front lines, driving around in a cart filled with cakes and balloons that will soon surprise unsuspecting students.

“I love seeing the surprise on people’s faces when they receive cakes,” Rey said in an email. “For most of them, they don’t expect it to come and are delighted when they know someone they love is thinking about them.”

Rey began the job this August, and she has already seen some interesting things in just a few months: people answering the door in towels or thinking she’s the recipient’s girlfriend instead of a student employee.

Awkward encounters aside, Rey enjoys her shifts.

“Most people are surprised, a little confused, to see me, but it turns into joy when they see what sweets they’re getting,” she said.

Kimberly Miller, the Student Activities Service Coordinator who has helped University students run the sweet business for about a decade,

enjoys the job because of the connections it creates.

“I absolutely love working with the students, but the best part of [the] Cake Service is helping parents connect in some way with their students,” Miller said in an email.

Each delivery comes with a card and a private message, and parents can send cakes, brownies or cookies for all sorts of occasions — from birthdays to studying pick-me-ups, Miller said.

In her years working with ND Cake Service, Miller fondly remembers making celebrity deliveries to Fr. Ted Hesburgh in partnership with Irish Gardens, another student business.

Dan Gentile, a Notre Dame alumnus and the 1948 class secretary, called every year to send cookies, flowers, a thank-you note and a vintage Notre Dame religious bulletin to Fr. Hesburgh, Miller said.

Miller said she doesn’t know how long ND Cake Service has been in business, but customer stories suggest that two students started operating the service out of their dorm room, and deliveries likely date back to the 1960s, she said.

The business is still student-run, and employees like Rey enjoy the job, which involves carting around cakes for delivery and manning the phone to take orders.

Miller said, “One of the student employees told me, ‘Working for ND Cake Service is delivering happiness every day.’”

Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu

Office for the Common Good rebranded

By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ News Writer

This semester, the Office for the Common Good (OCG) of St. Mary’s College is back with community-based and civically engaging campus initiatives, but with a new name. The office, formally known as the Office for Social and Civic Engagement, is a unique resource center, which exists for the Saint Mary’s College community, including students faculty and staff.

OCG works specifically on service and advocacy both on campus and within the South Bend community. The office has led annual initiatives such as SMC Votes, which aims at increasing voter turnout and engaging young Americans.

OCG director Rebekah Go said this is not the first time the office has seen a name change. This is the fourth time the office has “rebranded,” she said.

The office was founded in 1991, and it was officially started as a student organization, with no professional staffing at all. Go noted that it was not until later that the office became staffed and officially made the Office for Social and Civic Engagement.

Now, 20 years later, the office is facing another change. Rebekah spoke to the purpose and meaning behind the name change in addition to what she hopes this rebranding will bring to the office.

“One of the major contributing ideas to sort of why we are

rebranding, is because of the lack of clarity of what our office does to both students and other campus partners, like faculty and staff and as well to the community,” Go said.

Go elaborated more on the lack of clarity between the office and those it serves in addition to the process of rebranding.

“People weren’t clear about what we did, and so Kris [assistant director of the Office for the Common Good] and myself met with our Interim VP Molly Gower starting in February of the spring 2021 to talk about clarifying our mission and vision,” Go said.

“And as a result of those conversations, we decided to rebrand the whole office. A lot of what we decided wasn’t changing actually the programming aspects of what we do, not a lot from the student [side] of things will change. It is just a name change, but it does help us to know where our primary focus is versus what other offices on campus are doing… through that clarification,” she said.

In further discussion of the name change, Go discussed the language behind the common good — how it is specifically Catholic but also how it is understood by people who are not Catholic.

“Know that what we do is [that] we are working towards promoting things that benefit all people… so it is kind of this idea of all ships rising, but that means that we are always working on things that will benefit all people… so we aren’t just doing it for some but it is

because we believe what is good in this world should be enjoyed by all in this world,” Go said.

The office rebranding has been in effect since the start of the fall semester, and Go said she has found the rebranding to be received well and has served the purpose she hoped it would.

While the office is undergoing a name change, their initiatives have not changed much, with a couple of new programs and initiatives kicking off this fall, one of which is the Faith in the Vaccine movement.

“We have lots of stuff going on,…

Faith in the Vaccine is a specific initiative [within] the community with faith leaders to promote vaccine access and encourage people who may be vaccine-hesitant to get the vaccine,” Go said.

“It actually started in the summer. We received a grant to run the program and we really quickly had to hire eight vaccine ambassadors.

So we were really fortunate to get a lot of applications for the ambassador positions… and we ended up being able to sort of narrow it down to Saint Mary’s students and one recent grad,” Go said.

The office is working on many more initiatives this semester.

Go said the OCG is hopeful this rebranding helps students better understand the mission of the office and engage with other office initiatives, programs, and opportunities.

Contact Crystal Ramirez at cramirez01@saintmarys.edu

Brittney Nystrom receives Kroc Institute Distinguished Alumni Award

By SIMON VOGEL News Writer

The Kroc Institute for Internationa l Peace Studies presented its Distinguished A lumni Award to Brittney Nystrom (’98) over Zoom on Friday. The award honors “Notre Dame graduates in peace studies whose careers and lives exemplif y the idea ls of internationa l peacebuilding,” according to its website.

In terms of Nystrom’s career and life, she has an extensive pedigree of human rights advocacy.

Follow ing her graduation from Notre Dame, Nystrom worked for A meriCorps, a nationa l ser v ice organization, as an employ ment counselor at a communit y center. Her exposure to the injustices of the crimina l justice system then led her to law school at Northwestern and subsequent work shaping immigration policy reform in D.C. A fter extensive work in the policy

sphere, she moved to Uta h, where she is currently the executive director of the ACLU of Uta h.

A fter accepting the award, Nystrom began her presentation titled, “Overcoming Intersections of Oppression: Immigrant and Racia l Justice in the U.S.” The presentation focused on exposing the barriers to equa l application of civ il rights for immigrants, refugees and BIPOC communities.

“We ta lk about newly arriving immigrants sailing past the Statue of Libert y and embark ing on this wonderful new life in A merica, and that’s part of our nationa l my tholog y,” Nystrom began. “The rea lit y is that there is a clear line in our histor y and in our laws of racism and xenophobia.”

She described the ways in which margina lized communities are “othered” or made socia lly distant from the rest of the population because

they are associated w ith fears related to disease, loya lt y, and crime.

“The latest hysteria around immigrants and contagious diseases is play ing out on the US-Mex ico border w ith Title 42,” she said.

Title 42 is a Trump-era immigration policy that bars people from entering the countr y during a hea lth crisis and is still active under the Biden administration. The policy denies immigrants lega l protections such as due process in the name of public hea lth. This, Nystrom argues, is senseless when there are vaccine cards and COV ID tests to verif y the hea lth of immigrants.

Nystrom cited Japanese internment and FBI sur veillance of Martin Luther King as examples of the othering of margina lized groups due to fears of disloya lt y, say ing that this continues today w ith the suppression of Black Lives Matter protesters.

The last way in which communities are othered, Nystrom explained, is through rhetoric portray ing these communities as v iolent and crimina l.

“We saw President Trump candidly refer to El Sa lvador, Haiti, and A frican nations as ‘s—hole countries’” she said.

As a result of the othering, these communities are separated from the population and stripped of constitutiona l rights. For instance, Nystrom pointed to undocumented immigrants who are unable to exercise their first amendment rights due to fear of deportation.

The presentation took on a more hopeful tone as Nystrom described the path to empowering these margina lized communities: inclusion, truth and intersectiona l campaigns.

“Institutions w ill need to be overhauled,” she said, in reference to a more inclusive system of education, hea lthcare

and government. The ACLU, Nystrom emphasized, focuses specifica lly on the governmenta l aspect, filing lawsuits and cha llenging discriminator y policies, including voting rights among others.

Nystrom emphasized the need to understand forms of oppression.

“We must ack nowledge the impact of centuries of segregation and exclusion in our institutions and our opportunities,” she said.

Nystrom argued that if a margina lized communit y was to be fully integrated, there must be a fundamenta l understanding of their histor y of oppression.

“Civ il rights die first at the margins of societ y,” Nystrom said. “We need to ma ke sure we’re liv ing up to what us A mericans say we’re a ll about in our founding documents — equa lit y and justice.”

Contact Simon Vogel at svogel3@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | The Observer

Archives Continued from page 1

light intensity. The students’ claim was corroborated by other reports across the region, including in LaGrange, Noble, Steuben and DeKalb Counties, each description also noting similar patterns of movement and color.

Local police officer Don Hayden confirmed that most reports described “it” to be white and yellow, remaining “stationary for a short period” and then changing location “with great speed.”

The Observer continued to release UPI reports of UFOs sighted across the country. Subsequent reports had been filed by police and civilians. The Georgia State Patrol dispelled rumors of contact with extraterrestrials after citing that a glowing green cylinder was merely a commonly-used automobile trouble flare.

Despite quelling rumors, reports of UFO sightings continued to pour in across the country. The human fascination with life on other planets has endured into this century, but we are still waiting for another UFO spotting in the tri-campus.

Nessie visits Notre Dame

Nov. 6, 1970 | Bob Schueler | Researched by Spencer Kelly The first unusual encounter at

Loch Ness dates back to 565 C.E. when Saint Columba reportedly scared off “a large, strange animal” that was swimming towards a man in the titular Scottish lake.

In the 1,400 years since, the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster, aka “Nessie,” has only grown.

In November of 1970, the legend of Nessie came to campus as the Notre Dame Memorial Library — now known as the Hesburgh Library — held an exhibit titled “Scotland’s ‘Raire Beastie,’ the Loch Ness Monster.”

Library staff member Paul Smyers was responsible for creating the exhibit. All the pictures and maps came from his personal collection of Loch Ness monster memorabilia, purchased the previous summer when Smyers visited the Loch Ness lake in northern Scotland.

The exhibit presented the proliferation of Loch Ness monster research conducted over the previous decade. In 1962, a group of British scientists formed the Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau to study the lake’s renowned resident. They also set up aerial reconnaissance cameras around the lake, positioned so that nearly the entire surface of Loch Ness was covered.

In 1966, the photos were studied by the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence

Centre of the Royal Air Force.

The joint force concluded that Loch Ness contained at least “two animate objects weighing about one and a half tons each.”

British Air Force minister Lord Shackleton — even as a self-proclaimed “disbeliever in monsters” — said the Air Force’s findings were intriguing.

“I find it very hard to discount the findings of the JARIC-RAF reports,” Shackleton said.

In 1963, a joint research team from the University of Chicago and the University of Birmingham in England began investigating the mystery. By 1968, UChicago biologist Ray Mackal reported the team captured multiple sonar sequences of objects rapidly ascending and descending in the Loch Ness waters.

“These actions resemble those one might anticipate from large, air-breathing aquatic animals when surfacing,” Mackal said.

Finally, the Loch Ness Bureau reported that the lake “contains a breeding herd of fifteen to fifty creatures.” While they were unsure of what species these creatures might be, the leading candidates were a giant eel, salamander, mollusk or sea slug.

Despite these valiant efforts, the Loch Ness monster mystery remains unsolved 31 years

later. But if the Zodiac Killer can be found, it seems like Nessie’s days of anonymity must be numbered.

The real Dracula in Washington Hall

March 11, 1975 | Valerie Zurblis | Researched by Christina Cefalu Professor Radu Floresco, a visiting faculty member from Boston College’s department of history, revealed the gory origins of the Count Dracula legend to a packed Washington Hall on the evening of March 10, 1975.

Count Dracula, usually known as the bloodthirsty vampire who terrorized the citizens of Transylvania, was popularized in Bram Stoker’s 1987 novel “Dracula.” As a Transylvanian native, however, Floresco only knew Count Dracula as the “George Washington” of Romania, who defended the country against a Turkish invasion in the 15th century.

Fascinated by the stark contrast between Stoker’s “Dracula” and his own knowledge of the Romanian historical figure, Floresco began to research the origins of the novel’s tale. Interestingly, the name Dracula evolved from the Romanian word “dracul,” which means “son of the Devil.” In other findings, Floresco theorized

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Stoker’s fictional character drew inspiration from Vlad Tepes, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler, who was a murderous medieval ruler. During his six-year reign, he gruesomely killed 100,000 of the then-500,000 people he ruled.

The basic themes and scenes recorded of Vlad Tepes — such as his fixation on the impaling of human entrails with stakes — align with Stoker’s narrative in “Dracula.” Floresco befriended Boston College professor Raymond McNally, who discovered medieval Russian documents with stories also revolving around impalement and other gruesome horrors. The two traveled to Transylvania, where Stoker’s influence was noted, as many people there had conflated the heroic Count Dracula with Stoker’s monstrous one and the folklore of vampires persists.

Floresco noted that the President of Romania at the time had banned Stoker’s book and all adaptations of that classic novel to prevent the “defacing of the national hero.”

Count Dracula is a prime example of how the myths of legend and the facts of history are not always so easily separated.

Contact Uyen Le at hle2@nd.edu, Chris Russo at crusso2@nd.edu, Spencer Kelly at skelly25@nd.edu and Christina Cefalu at ccefalu@nd.edu

Robinson Community Learning Center relocates, continues serving community

Courtesy of Fritz Schemel | The Observer

Students participate in Back the Bend last year, painting murals at the old Robinson Community Learning Center. The center is partnering with Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns to get students involved.

By DAGNY BRAND News Writer

After 20 years serving the South Bend community, the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC) moved into a new location with state-of-theart facilities, ready to provide for the community for many years to come.

“There are things that people in our community would never have the opportunity to do. That’s why we are here. To give them those

opportunities,” RCLC Adult Program Coordinator Lu Ella Webster said.

Since 2001, RCLC has served as an educational center for people in the South Bend community and beyond, offering a wide range of programs for ages 0-96 years old.

These include after-school tutoring for kids of all ages, Take Ten conflictresolution classes, a Shakespeare program, Lego Robotics, licensed preschool and child care, as well as computer programs and a book club for seniors.

They offer “a variety of different things to enhance the enrichment of the students and the seniors that come to our center,” mentioned Webster.

In June, RCLC relocated to a brand new facility located near the new Trader Joe’s on Eddy Street.

“TheUniversitypromisedthecommunity that there would always be an RCLC, and 20 years later, they kept their promise and built a new facility,” Webster said. “We don’t just have more space; we

have a bigger and better facility.

We have state-of-the-art computer equipment. We have a maker space where children and adults can create things.”

Webster went on to discuss RCLC’s new black box theatre for their Shakespeare program and industrial kitchen, which theywillusetocookmealsforchildren once permitted by the pandemic.

Thepreschoolerswhoplayedinaparking lot in the old building now have access to their own playground area where they can get some fresh air.

The move was long overdue for RCLC, and small things like windows and a gathering space have made all the difference.

“It’s the little things that make you feel good,” Webster said.

Webster said the RCLC encourages students at Notre Dame and others in the local community to reach out and get involved in the center.

“There’s a lot you can do for the community just by calling and saying, ‘Hey, how can I be a part of RCLC?’” she said. “Volunteers are always welcome, no matter what your age is.”

Anyone who wants to get involved can call 574-631-8759 and speak to manager Jennifer Knapp Beudert, assistant manager Andy Kostielney or Webster to learn more.

RCLC recently partnered with the Boys and Girls Club in St. Joseph County to extend their reach.

Their Shakespeare program has taken children to Europe, and

their robotics team has gone to Germany.

Now, with this new location, RCLC will be able to do even more.

Webster expressed her excitement for the future, saying “this building is truly a blessing to the community, and we hope to continue to grow and reach out into the community.”

Curling said.

Contact Dagny Brand at dbrand@nd.edu

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The observer | Wednesday, October 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Parents ask for housing for Gateway students Editor’s Note: This piece has been shortened for print. The full version can be found online.

Dear Fr. John Jenkins, Fr. Gerard Olinger and Mr. Louis Nanni: We are writing to you as more than 100 parents of the Holy Cross-Notre Dame Gateway 9.0 program to plead with you respectfully that the University find on-campus housing for these rising sophomores for the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

We trust that there are creative solutions that can be realized by using outside-the-box thinking in accommodating these extremely committed students, who are working hard to earn their place and counting the days until they are part of the Notre Dame campus community.

We are surprised and somewhat bewildered that the University, with its longstanding commitment to students living in residential hall communities for six semesters in order to form strong intentional communities, would be okay at the prospect of 90, 19-year-old sophomores living off-campus during their very first semester as Notre Dame students. This makes no sense and seems misguided in our view.

All of the Notre Dame-Gateway students committed to the program knowing that they were not guaranteed oncampus housing upon transfer to Notre Dame, yet your practice for eight consecutive Gateway cohorts indicated otherwise.

Many of our children did their due diligence in talking with former Gateway students about the program and then took a leap of faith, trusting that their dream of attending Notre Dame and living in a close-knit dorm community in a year’s time would be actualized. A few parents spoke with senior Notre Dame administrators, whom they said made it clear that while not guaranteed, the “housing math” seemed likely to add up favorably as it always had.

Other parents were given a consistent narrative from Notre Dame and Holy Cross staff that “nearly every Gateway who has wanted housing has gotten it;” this was a familiar refrain during the recruiting process.

These Gateway students are now tasked with securing off-campus housing just six weeks into their college experiences during a cycle of approaching midterms. They are needing to find housing and put down money before their transfers are even official — and in an environment where the majority of adjacent-to-campus housing has already been reserved by current sophomores and juniors for their senior years!

It is important for you to remember that this class of students experienced a global pandemic over nearly one-third of their high school careers, including their senior years.

They also applied to college during a year that included record-level applicants and limited availability due to students a year older taking gap years. Yes, they are highly privileged students compared to most young people their age, however, we feel strongly that upcoming displacement and disorientation need not continue if at all possible.

We remain concerned that our Gateway students are not being given the priority they deserve. We are unclear why they are being given less priority than seniors being paid to stay and live on campus, or some juniors and athletes who truly live off-campus but have official on-campus room assignments because they are required to have them.

No doubt, there are juniors who, given the option, would choose to live off-campus after two years of the residential hall experience. In our view, sophomores should take precedence over juniors and seniors for on-campus housing, and Gateway students should be considered equals in a holistic consideration of housing priorities for all Notre Dame students.

A few of the ideas we have bandied about include: Offering 96 rising juniors a reprieve from the six-semester on-campus rule, allowing them eligibility for off-campus living via a lottery.

Using Zahm Hall if it is freed up and Sorin students are returned post-renovation.

Using Fischer Graduate Residence.

Turning one study lounge in each of the 32 dorms into

a triple room. (Some of us experienced the use of study lounges as housing while students at Notre Dame.)

Revisiting strategies that created 1,000 on-campus living spaces for COVID quarantine this last academic year.

Since the fallout from COVID-19 is still profoundly showing its effects on campus (and may continue for several years), exempting juniors from the six-semester housing policy would seem the strongest, most straightforward idea to implement, freeing up dorm space for Gateway students.

We can envision and respect how complicated your housing jigsaw puzzle must be, yet we trust that you have multiple levers still available to work with this early in the academic year, including a yet-to-be-determined incoming first-year class, study abroad decisions to be finalized and the possibility of offering more flexible housing options to upperclass students that could free up space.

We believe this situation can be rectified if the University really wants to prioritize this transition for the Gateways.

These students are currently paying their dues, maintaining strong academic performances to ensure transfer and making every effort to integrate themselves into the Notre Dame campus community in their own creative ways. These are some of the most deeply committed, humble, loyal young women and men that you will encounter at Our Lady’s University; they were selected for this program due to their connection to this beloved place, as well as their personal resilience to navigate a delayed beginning at Notre Dame.

In the winter 2020 edition of Notre Dame Magazine, Erin Camillieri, the director of transfer enrollment, described why young people are selected for the Gateway program: “We’re looking for students who we feel are going to make Notre Dame a better place.” If this is so, why would the University keep them off campus when they clearly have identified students that will enrich and enhance dorm life for everyone? Please do not create a further barrier hampering their welcome and integration.

A number of us Gateway parents are also Notre Dame alumni. We have reflected upon the fact that the very first question asked of us when meeting a fellow alum is: “What dorm did you live in?” As you know well, the residential hall is the primary vehicle for growing and rooting into the Notre Dame culture. It is the connection point to so many vital ingredients that comprise the Notre Dame experience, including dorm Masses, making lifelong friends, volunteering, community service projects, fundraisers, intramural sports, SYR dances and participating in meaningful activities beyond partying.

The University boasts on its website that “Residential hall communities have long been central to an undergraduate education. These communities are designed to be inclusive of all members; dedicated to the intellectual, moral and spiritual development of each individual; and characterized by a collective sense of care and concern for the common good and service to others.”

Some of us are already seeing our first-year children engaged in off-campus socialization the majority of the time, and we are concerned about the long-term impacts of this relative to the “heart and mind-centered” mission of the Notre Dame experience in which we have such confidence. A subsequent semester off-campus after a full year of waiting for transfer could compromise realization of the above-mentioned shared goal for our children.

We are also concerned that some of the current Gateway students will consider transferring as a result of this changed housing approach, signaling the decline of this program that Gateway students and alumni are proud to participate in. We anticipate issues recruiting future Gateway cohorts. And for some of us, it would be challenging to recommend participation to others, knowing that on-campus housing is an impossibility from the get-go.

Some of us have students who declined generous scholarship opportunities at other prestigious colleges and universities because they made a strong case to us that Notre Dame and its unique dorm-centered environments were their destined home.

It’s also important to emphasize that we as parents

have yet to receive any formal communication from Notre Dame or Holy Cross administrators about this latest development related to such a critical issue as next year’s housing; as we move forward, we would respectfully ask for your transparency and clear communication to parents as progress is made.

We believe there are creative solutions here, and we are insisting that you do everything in your power to help these young leaders thrive by providing on-campus housing for them upon transfer from Holy Cross. They are watching us, and we are responsible for setting a strong pathway for their future success.

We would appreciate a swift response, so we may discuss potential options with our extremely stressed students.

Generous thanks for hearing our concerns; we remain grateful for all of your efforts.

Yours in Our Lady, Marybeth Christie Redmond ’85 & Mark Redmond Matt Kornmeier ’84 & Julie Kornmeier Bob Kelly ’86 & Gretel Kelly John Darrow ’87 & Jodi Darrow Maureen Fitzgerald ’87, ’91 Stephen Smetana ’89 & Bobbie Smetana Kristina Jodis ’89 & Jon McClintock Joe Capko ’89 Kevin Brenan ’90 & Kathleen Brenan Tim Sullivan ’91 & Ellen Healey Sullivan ’91 Molly Schmidt ’92 SMC & David Schmidt Michael D. Brennan ’92 & Mia S. Brennan Jennifer (Halbach) Toole ’94 & Tom Toole ’94 Kate Pastore Kayastha ’94 & Sanjiv Kayastha Chris Werling ’95 & Jane (Oesterle) Werling ’95 Bridget (O’Connell) Collins ’97 & James Collins ’97 Dan Ferry ’98 & Megan Ferry Philip & Joan Casper Rob & Donna Corrato Clarence & Sara Darrow Paul & Joan Donahue Chris & Teresa Farls Rick & Ann Garrison Franklin & Ethel Go Tim & Sheela Graney Edward Gutierrez Lisa & Bret Hrivnak Javier & Lisa Idrovo Michael & Irene Kazimour James & Carrie Kuipers Jeanne Limoges Lang & Robert Lang Paul & Tracy Liebezeit Judith and Charles Machion Michael J. & Catherine A. Manning Michael & Shannon Martin Mary P. McArthur Steven McArthur Frank & Anna Maria McKenna Michael & Monica McKenzie Rob & Shannon Melinauskas Kerry & John Miklus Margot & Joe O’Connor Ryan & Blythe O’Donnell Josephina O’Sullivan Linda Pierpoint Nick & Julie Pietrosante Brad & Maggy Pugh Bob & Alessa Quane Nick & Shanda Reifschneider Terry & Lindsay Rooney Anne & Sean Ryan Jim & Monica Schafer Alejandro Septien & Andrea Quintana Wade & Agnes Shannon Jeff & Jenny Spielmann Michele & Tom Sundstrom Paul & Michelle Tobias Georgiana & Carlos A. Unanue Michael & Kimberley Van Dyke Todd & Danielle Vitale Oct. 3

The observer | Wednesday, October 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

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Women are in the lead Krista Akiki The Lifestyle Nomad

Last month, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled “A Generation of American Men Give Up on College” and according to the findings reported by Douglas Belkin, the education gender gap is widening across the US. For years now, men have dominated the top positions in tech, finance, politics and entertainment while their female counterparts struggled to break the glass ceiling.

For years now, men have appeared to always be a step (or more) ahead of women. Not this time around though. You see, the college education gap is indeed increasing but this time women are coming out ahead. Women are in the lead. Over the coming years, two women will earn a college degree for every man who does. American colleges and universities now enroll roughly six women for every four men. According to Common Application, a nonprofit that transmits applications to more than 900 schools, women even increased their lead over men in college applications for the 2021-22 school year — 3,805,978 to 2,815,810 — by nearly a percentage point compared with the previous academic year.

In his piece for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson argues that “the imbalance reveals a genuine shift in how men participate in education, the economy and society. The world has changed dramatically, but the ideology of masculinity isn’t changing fast enough to keep up.”

“For decades, guys have been less likely to graduate from high school, less likely to enroll in college immediately and less likely to finish college and earn a diploma,” says Richard Reeves, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who is writing a book about men and boys in the economy. “There is a linear educational trajectory for girls and women. Boys and men tend to zigzag their way through adolescence. I’m

struck by the fact that nobody seems to understand why this is happening.”

There have been several attempts to explain and justify this widening college education gap. Many seem to point to biological factors claiming that long before female students outnumbered men on university campuses, they outperformed boys in high school. The Wall Street Journal report delved into the striking differences between boys and girls at a young age. “Girls in elementary school spend more time studying than boys, are less likely to misbehave than boys, and get better grades than boys across all major subjects.”

Prominent psychologists, including Angela Duckworth, have found that, while girls and boys have similar IQ scores, girls consistently get better grades in part because of their superior self-control and ability to delay gratification.

In light of this issue, some colleges have been tipping the scales in favor of male applicants to avoid having their schools become 70% female. But Thomas Mortenson, a senior scholar at the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, thinks “It’s a mistake to exclusively see the female-male gender gap as a college problem. If we wait until college to intervene, it’s too late.

The pivot point is in adolescence, and the foundation is laid in the early grades.”

Since the mid-1980s, women in the United States have earned more bachelor’s degrees than men mainly because they have been told that more education will lead to better wages, according to a 2018 Georgetown University study.

The problem of the widening college gap has become so extreme that some colleges have started discriminating against female entrants and instead are admitting less qualified men, to maintain a more balanced female-male ratio on campus. However, the issue hasn’t made breaking news in the last 40 years because, the fact is, no college wants to tackle the issue under the glare of gender politics. Although women’s representation among the

college-educated workforce is expanding, they are still underrepresented in the workforce and are still earning less than men for performing the same jobs. On average, a man with a bachelor’s degree out-earns an equally credentialed woman by about $26,000 per year. I believe this has fueled the conventional view on campuses that men make more money and hold higher positions. Why should we give them a shove from high school to college? Why should they get special treatment from college admission councils?

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

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.

Missing appointments and making a change Ellie Konfrst Butterfly Effects

I missed my therapy appointment last week. It was completely my fault: I thought the appointment was at a different time, but the hour I was actually scheduled was during one of my classes. I shouldn’t have been that upset — I had been laying in bed for the half hour before my appointment thinking about how I didn’t really have anything to talk about and I could really use this time to do homework. But my therapist tends to be booked tight, and when I knew I wouldn’t be able to see her for another week, it threw my whole day off. I felt more anxious, irritable and overwhelmed, and am honestly still waiting to shake that off. It couldn’t have been more ironic timing, either — I missed therapy right smack dab in the middle of Mental Illness Awareness Week.

Of course, Mental Illness Awareness Week doesn’t really mean anything to me, nor do the myriad other days, weeks and months throughout the year designed to advocate for mental health care (see: Mental Health Awareness Month, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, International Stress Awareness Day, etc.) But it’s always an interesting exercise to see how people talk about mental health and mental illness when they have an excuse to post about it. Looking through the #MIAW tag on Instagram, you can see a rainbow of carefullydesigned graphics proclaiming “Having Anxiety Can Be Exhausting,” “You Are Not Alone” and “Mental Illness Doesn’t Define You.” It’s nice — the good intentions are obviously there — but it’s never felt like it’s for me.

When I was in middle school, I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and I’ve been in therapy for it on-and-off ever since then. In the last ten years, I’ve come to learn that OCD is probably one of the most misunderstood and underdiagnosed mental illnesses out there. Of course it’s misunderstood on a basic level (haven’t you heard? OCD isn’t just being clean), but these misunderstandings about what it actually looks like

leads to OCD being chronically underdiagnosed. I’m not a professional, of course, but I’ve met plenty of people in real life who describe to me storms inside their head that sound just like mine and write them off as general anxiety or depression. If you’re not someone who struggles with OCD, or any mental illness, it’s hard to emphasize what a travesty that is.

I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that therapy saved my life. My OCD has yet to be so severe it is actually life-threatening, but I know I would’ve spent my adolescence in much more pain if I hadn’t been able to name and treat my mental illness. I wouldn’t have become the person I am today, attending a college I am proud to name, without therapy.

Therapy has always worked for me, but lots of people treat their OCD with just psychiatric care, or combine the two approaches. However, even just the ability to identify and understand part of what’s happening inside my head has been life-changing for me. I can’t speak for other kinds of mental illness, but one of the most sinister things about OCD is that it convinces you that all of your intrusive thoughts are true, and that you are the only person who has ever thought them. It is an awfully alienating experience, and the shame and guilt associated with OCD thoughts keeps a lot of people from speaking up at all. Once I knew I had OCD, however, I could scour the Internet (shoutout International OCD Foundation) for other people who had similar experiences, read about how they recovered and understand that I was never really alone. It has never been easy to quiet my mind, but having being able to name what’s happening gives me a lot of power back, and it gives me the ability to find others who struggle in kind.

I sometimes feel so lost and alone struggling with mental illness, even when I have a diagnosis, active and successful treatment and an incredibly sturdy support system. I can’t imagine how lonely and confusing it feels to have OCD, or any mental illness, and have none of that.

This is why those Instagram posts always strike me as funny. If you’re struggling with a clinical mental illness,

the assurance that you are not alone is not really enough to make you feel not alone. This isn’t to say support systems aren’t important — they’re absolutely vital — but mental illnesses persist despite great friends and family.

I needed (and still need) professional help to live with OCD, and it’s okay to recognize that your mental illness can’t be fixed by platitudes served up on a candy-colored Instagram grid.

Awareness is a massive part of mental health advocacy, and a big reason why illnesses like OCD are still so chronically underdiagnosed is because of a lack of awareness.

But awareness means nothing if not paired with professional mental health care, whether that means diagnostic testing, talk therapy, or psychiatric medicine. This kind of care is just as vital to our health systems as any other, and it must be treated as such. There needs to be more government support for mental health care to reduce the costs of therapy, businesses and universities (I’m looking at you, UCC) need to avoid taking a one-size-fits-all approach, and we all need to work to reduce the stigma around both having mental illnesses and receiving mental health care.

I am so extraordinarily grateful that I have had such a supportive and wonderful experience treating my mental illness, and it is one of my most ardent beliefs that everyone deserves an experience like mine. It is a lifelong battle, there’s no doubt about it, but everyone deserves to live that life feeling truly not alone. I hope we can work together to build a world where that’s possible. In the meantime, I’ll try not to miss any more appointments.

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, October 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Can we read something else, please Sydni Brooks Everything is Fine

As an English major, I have frequently but quietly expressed my grievances on the types of literature I am challenged with analyzing in my classes. With the ability to choose the genre of authorship I would like to study, much unlike our high school days when the old, white, male works were forcibly fed down our throats, I thought I would have a fantastic time exploring works from a plethora of people coming from unique backgrounds. As I passed the prerequisite phase of class taking, I was unpleasantly surprised by the range of topics I was able to partake in: They consisted of the same few topics with a handful of different flavors. I am mostly interested in the arts and works of Black creators and other authors of color, and while I didn’t expect all of the authors that I would study to fall under this category, considering our school is quite heavily made up of white students, faculty and staff, as the semesters continued, I became more frustrated in the lack of variety of this genre in our English department. Almost all of the works available that were made by Black creators are entirely about Black trauma, racism, discrimination and civil rights, and there are very few, if any, works highlighting the positivity of Black creativity or Black life beyond the history of this nation.

In my first year at Notre Dame, I was so excited to finally have the opportunity to choose the subjects I wanted to study, and while the full, truthful history of Black people was deeply important to me, I wanted to study the works of Black individuals simply as they are — creative people. Every class I have taken regarding Black authorship has involved the enslavement and torture of Black citizens, their personal narratives detailing their incessant and awful abuse, and civil rights works by the renowned but arguably over-read

W.E.B DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. In my personal opinion, there are other Black activists that have important things to say too; these three men were not the only Black figure heads during the Civil Rights Movement.

White authors documenting the experiences of Black people through fictional novels or nonfiction articles were even worse, as I am forced to read and reread in other classes the degrading nature in which white people viewed, treated and carelessly murdered my ancestors taking place between the character development of a white damsel in distress. This is not just the syllabus of one class either; these are the token pieces of Black authorship placed neatly in the curriculum of most of my classes so that professors can claim students aren’t only reading works from all white men.

I know I am slightly complaining about an issue I set myself up for. With the first generation of Black students graduating from Notre Dame in the late 1940s and the Department of Africana Studies only being granted departmental status in 2005, the importance of Black studies is a bit late to the game at this University. Perhaps professors and department heads feel that understanding the excruciating history of Black people in this country is the most important topic for students to receive, or maybe they believe that any inclusion of Black studies is inclusion enough, and I should be grateful that my history is even acknowledged in the curriculum of my classes. But I’m tired of reading semester after semester of the fictional trivialities of Black characters being lynched, and the analysis being chopped up to “the time period we are studying.” I’m tired of reading white authors’ points of view of the aloofness of Black characters because they only add social context to the real point of the story. I’m tired of everyone looking at me when the N-word is quickly approaching in a group read, as if I’m supposed to have some sort of say in how to make this scenario less awkward, when we could have just picked a book that doesn’t use such a degrading slur so frequently. I’m

tired of reading “Letter From Birmingham Jail” every other semester because it seems to be the only example of argumentative literature worth inspecting. I’m tired of reading the continued trauma of Black people because that seems to be the only authorship worth reading in class.

Rarely have we ever talked about Black authorship outside of the lens of race in my English classes because we never have any authorship exemplifying these sentiments. Will we ever study works where Black people simply operate as characters with desires and complex identities that don’t stem around trauma? Will we ever read works based on Black life as simply life through the lens of a Black person, or will it always have to be sculpted through their racial background?

I refuse to blame one specific group of people for their choices of curriculum because I do understand how embedded into the Black experience oppression and Black trauma is. The lives of Black people, regardless of social or gender constructions, are riddled with the consequences of systemic racism, and it encompasses a huge part of all of our lives. However, if we can abundantly praise the other avenues of art created by Black people that don’t refer to their racial trauma, such as Black music, food, clothing and many other ideals, we can surely do the same for their authorship. If we can read the love stories of white women in “Jane Eyre” or the coming of age story of a white child in “Great Expectations,” we can do the same with other races, and we can analyze their importance to literature alongside the “classics.”

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.

The writing on the wall (of Hesburgh Library) Claire Miller Better Everyday

If the last few weeks have taught me anything about Notre Dame culture and student life, it is that anonymous speech readily embraced by the student body. In particular, much discussion has revolved around the use, and misuse, of Yik Yak, the anonymous social media platform. Then just last week, there were “free speech boards” in both North and South Dining Halls where students could write whatever they wanted with a Sharpie on a big white poster board no bigger than 15 square feet.

I understand the excitement and buzz around such opportunities for anonymous speech, but I think that the best mode of anonymous speech at Notre Dame is also the original one: the carved-out messages on the wooden desks and on the walls of Hesburgh Library. If you have ever studied at a desk above the second floor of the library, you know exactly what I am referring to. Initials, quotes, dates and more are written in black Sharpie or carved into the wooden desks.

I tend to circulate between about five different desks that tend to be my favorites, and I am always curious to see what has been added or edited since my last visit. But for the past week, I decided to venture out of my “comfort zone” and discover new messages left on other walls and desks. In order to do so, I adopted a “game” for every time I get into the elevator. Rather than choosing what floor to go to myself, I go to whatever floor the accompanying student in the elevator has chosen to go to. (Interestingly, most students choose to go to the eighth, 10th or 11th floors).

One elevator trip took me to the 13th floor, leading me to accidentally interrupting a private tour of Father Hesburgh’s office. The tour group embraced me with open arms and invited me to join. For the next hour, I walked around his office, took pictures and heard stories about Father Hesburgh from one of his personal friends.

On other ventures, I was led to several different floors and desks, and decided to start writing down and taking pictures of what I discovered. One wooden desk tucked in

the corner of the eighth floor bears the message “Build your brand as you perfect your craft.” Nearby, someone has written their to-do list: an ethics paper, an accounting project, a finance exam, a stats exam and about five other papers and exams. (Unfortunately, only the first three assignments were checked off as completed.) Etched into another desk on the same floor is “The wolf on top of the hill is never as hungry as the wolf climbing up the hill.” Another desk bears the message: “I understand indecision, but I don’t care if I get behind. People living in competition. All I want is to have my peace of mind.” (I liked the rhyming here and soon discovered that this wasn’t an original poem and rather was correctly identified by someone else as a line from the song “Peace/peace of mind” by the American rock band Boston.)

Nearly every desk bears some variations of initials or two sets of initials written together with a heart around them.

Every so often, I found a pair of initials in which one set was crossed out and replaced with another, which made me a little sad.

What I have found to be particularly interesting about these writings is that there is rarely a message or note that is left alone. Most of the scribbles seem to spark a reaction, varying from a follow up note to a complete scribble over it. I also quickly came to realize that I enjoy finding these messages more than I enjoy scrolling through posts on Yik Yak. I would even go as far as to say that I think the messages on the desks are even more valuable. Leaving a message at Hesburgh Library, particularly one that is physically carved into a desk, requires a significant amount of effort and determination. Posts on Yik Yak, on the other hand, require no more physical effort than to type and submit. I think it is fair to say that you must feel very strongly that your message is worth sharing if you are willing to take the effort and time to carve out a message on a wooden desk.

You may dismiss my perspective as naïve and gawk at my willingness to romanticize what may be nothing more than college students procrastinating their work and trying to find an outlet for their stress. (Not to mention that these carvings into these wooden desks are vandalism and property damage, but that is beside the point.)

There is some truth to that, but I tend to believe that there is a deeper message that these carvings, or lack thereof, reveal. With the exception of the newer desks on the 10th floor, Father Hesburgh’s desk was the only desk I found that lacked the carvings of a college student. I did not need to see any messages on his desk, however, to know that there was something special about that desk and the person that sat there.

I believe that in the spirit of Father Hesburgh himself, every Notre Dame student knows that they have words worth sharing and an education worth studying for, because they have something good to contribute to not only this University, but to the world. If nothing else, the writing on the desks of Hesburgh Library is a testament to that.

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

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, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ISABELLA VOLMERT Assistant Managing Editor

Though I lack the experience or talent, I consider myself a baking expert at this point all thanks to my quarantine favorite, “The Great British Baking Show.”

After watching the entire series multiple times in 2020, I know how to prove different types of dough, don’t even attempt a chocolate collar and you should never use artificial extracts. Now that three out of 10 episodes of the new season are out on Netflix and three bakers are eliminated, here are my way-too-early predictions for the remaining contestants.

Freya: The Young’un, always a strong character. With creativity and finesse, Freya has shown a steady hand and phenomenal technical skill to create not only delicious cakes, biscuits, and bread, but vegan versions. She hasn’t had a bad bake yet, and I predict she will be one of the three finalists with at least one Star Baker by the end.

Plus, I adore her Gen Z style and humor.

Giuseppe: The season always has a Foreign Baker and out of the several nationalities repping this year, Giuseppe is the classic Italian baker. He knows how to appeal to the judges, and with style, substance and the enormous title of Star Baker of bread week, I predict he will join Freya in the final.

Maggie: She’s Grandmother, the lovable old school baker who dazzles with experience and love-infused

By NELISHA SILVA Assistant Managing Editor

Who’s to blame when a marriage ends?

In her latest album, “star-crossed,” Kacey Musgraves takes listeners through her journey trying to answer this question for her own marriage, reflecting on the same relationship that produced the joyful record “Golden Hour” just three short years ago. Described as a “tragedy in three parts” by Musgraves herself, “star-crossed” traverses the messy depths of her marriage, from its initial infatuation to its quiet, whispered demise.

This album wasn’t just a departure from Musgraves’ previous album, which focused on the experience of falling in love with her now ex-husband, but also a departure from the classic trappings of Musgraves’ native genre of country music.

For “star-crossed,” Musgraves worked with the same writers and producers from “Golden Hour,” but used different influences, featuring everything from Latin music to electronic synths in her songs. While some can see these new influences as Musgraves challenging the boundaries of what country music can sound like, others might feel that this album moves out of the genre altogether. Recently, the Grammy’s genre screening committee went as far as to exclude it from the country album categories. However, even amidst arguments about genre and influence, Musgraves still delivers the story of her marriage with the same sincerity and lyricism that catapulted her previous album to the top of the charts.

Musgraves lays out the road map for her album with the opening track “star-crossed” detailing the larger story of her marriage and subsequent divorce from country singer Ruston Kelly. Musgraves sings of the pain of realizing the marriage wasn’t working and the despair of the divorce, but also reflects on her feelings of doubt and panic after signing divorce papers, realizing she’s on her own now.

bakes. However, the grandmother figure usually falters in the later, more difficult half of the season. While I would normally have the Grandmother making it to episode six, she struggled during both biscuit and bread week.

I believe Maggie’s fate is entirely dependent on the next two themes.

Jurgen: The Science Baker of the season. He excelled and earned two consecutive star bakers before falling short in bread week. I personally don’t think he deserved the two accolades, since his bakes lacked the finesse of Freya, Giuseppe and Crystelle. But he’s a planner, good with flavors, and as we saw in bread week, can make a comeback. I predict he will join Freya and Giuseppe in the final.

Chigs: My favorite baker, the bestie of everyone in the tent. He’s only been baking since quarantine, and it appeared at first he was just here for the vibes.

However, he pulled out a phenomenal standing biscuit show-stopper and amazing flavors throughout the competition thus far. I have him going out in the quarter finals, when his inexperience finally and tragically will catch up to him.

Crystelle: I’m obsessed with her. I think she was snubbed star baker in episode one for her stunning and delectable chocolate flower bouquet cake. She can deliver beautiful bakes (think the gingerbread vanity) with substance to back them up. I predict she will clasp Star Baker at least once but fall painfully short in the semi finals.

Amanda: The Mom-down-the-block type. I was HOLLERING when she made her biscuit rocking horse out of sugar cookie dough?! Although she has made up for it and her recent red octopus bread wowed, I’m not sure if she has what it takes to go much further than episode four or five.

George: The Nervous Baker who is really good when they pull it together. He’s managed to impress the last four bakes and he has shown real talent with flavors and creativity. Unfortunately, time is not his friend. It’s episode five or six for him, but I desperately want him to go further.

Lizzie: Quirky, bright in style and not easily knocked down by bad bakes, she’s a dark horse for me, ironically. I don’t think she can execute as well as some other bakers in the signatures and showstoppers, which I think will ultimately be her downfall. She’s a wildcard, but I don’t see her making it to the quarter finals.

Finally, my predictions for the winner takes all. It’s going to be close, but I’m giving my way-too-early cake stand trophy to Giuseppe. He’s experienced, calm under pressure, good with flavors and artistic — all needed to excel at the most difficult challenges.

I adore the constancy and simultaneous twists and turns of the bake off. It’s a good season, folks. Watch Fridays to satisfy your sweet tooth.

From there, Musgraves takes us back to the beginning of her marriage for the first part of this tragedy. She delves into all of her feelings surrounding her marriage and its issues, with the desperate self-doubt in “good wife” starkly contrasting against the sweet metaphors in “cherry blossom.” But by the end of this first third, even the bright spots of her marriage can’t outshine the darkness, as she says, “If this was a movie, love would be enough … But this isn’t a movie.” “If this was a movie” grieves the end of any semblance of a happy marriage, wishing for the simplicity that movie romances offer to audiences.

The second act of Musgraves’ tragedy begins with the sharply cutting, deeply hurting “justified.” Describing the time immediately after a breakup, she sings of her pain in simple yet painful lyrics, embracing her pain in with an upbeat and synthy backing track. The middle third of her album alternates between feelings of self-blame in “angel” and a resigned sense of 20/20 hindsight in “breadwinner.” One of the most relatable tracks on the entire album, “camera roll,” replays the inevitable scroll through happy pictures that happens after the end of any relationship, relating universal feelings of regret, panic and loss.

However, this middle portion is where the album begins to lose sight of itself as a narrative, with conflicting messages competing for attention with every other track. Musgraves can’t decide whether to look back on her marriage with regret that she didn’t try harder or whether it was an inevitable tragedy waiting to happen. The lack of clear delineation between the “three parts” of her tragedy paints messy boundaries throughout the middle section of the tracklist, but manages to find itself by the time the third act comes around.

The last five tracks take on a more retrospective tone with sadly motivating anthems like “what doesn’t kill me” and “keep lookin’ up.” At this point in the album, Musgraves has enough perspective to recognize the good parts of her

relationship and offers a soft detour from the overarching narrative with “hookup scene,” advising couples to realize what they have with each other. The last two tracks offer Musgraves’ closing remarks on her story as she looks toward the future with hope, glancing back at her marriage as just a chapter of her life that offered her both joy and pain. Her closing track, “gracias a la vida,” is a cover of Chilean singer Violeta Parra’s iconic song, entirely sung in its original Spanish. This muffled cover is at once antique and timeless, and fades away to silence, leaving listeners with the messy emotions that make up this album.

Attempting to narrate the downfall of your marriage isn’t easy, and Musgraves manages to tell this deeply personal story without the typical anger and bitterness that comes with a divorce album. This isn’t a story of a single guilty party ruining a good relationship, but instead the story of two people who loved each other and, despite their best efforts, just couldn’t make it work. The messy overlapping themes in the album speak to the fact that healing isn’t linear and that human relationships can be painful and upsetting, while still having moments of joy and love. While “Golden Hour” gave us a shiny and wide-eyed look at marriage, “star-crossed” gives us a darker retrospective of the same story, offering up Musgraves’ banged-up heart in 15 tracks.

Contact Isabella Volmert at ivolmert@nd.edu

Contact Nelisha Silva at nsilva1@nd.edu

“star-crossed” Artist: Kacey Musgraves Label: MCA Nashville and Interscope Records Favorite Tracks: “breadwinner,” “justified” If you like: “folklore” by Taylor Swift

MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer

10

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By AIDAN O’MALLEY Scene Editor

This year will mark the 57th edition of the Chicago International Film Festival, the longest-running festival of its kind in North America. It will also mark my seventh year in attendance — and my first with press credentials.

As evidenced by this tweet when I first heard the news (shameless self-promotion, and it won’t be the last!), I’m extremely excited to cover, in an official capacity, an event that has quickly become my October tradition. Call it … “film bro autumn.”

While this might be my most comprehensive CIFF coverage, it won’t be my first time writing about the fest for The Observer. In 2019, we ran a measly 600 words on my experience at the 12-day event. But listen to what I saw: “Marriage Story” with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” and more. The films I saw racked up 24 Oscar nominations in 2020 — two even took home gold. And that’s without mentioning the films I couldn’t catch, like Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” “Harriet” with Cynthia Erivo, “Just Mercy” with Michael B. Jordan and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” the ultimate winner of the fest’s top prize, the Gold Hugo.

All of which is to say, CIFF is a fantastic opportunity to engage not only with independent, foreign and arthouse films, but with mainstream movies that are sure to make a splash.

Next week, I hope to cover it all, which reminds me: The festival runs from Oct. 13 to Oct. 24, which is almost the exact span of Notre Dame’s fall break. For those of us from the suburbs of Chicago (and honestly, who isn’t from the suburbs of Chicago?) and to those sticking it out in South Bend, CIFF

By JUSTIN GEORGE Scene Writer

Halloween Essentials is a weekly column in the month of October by Scene Writer (and Resident Spooky Boi) Justin George. Celebrate the season with his horror movie recs.

We’re another week closer to Halloween, which means seven more film recommendations! This week’s theme is monsters, which includes mad scientists’ creations, blood-sucking freaks and unnatural creatures. “What about Godzilla???” Nope.

Not a Halloween movie. “Why are these all from the ‘70s and ‘80s?” I like that era of horror the most.

“Zombies?” Not this week.

“Frankenstein”- 1931 How could I possibly talk about monsters without mentioning the single greatest monster ever.

James Whale’s classic adaption of Mary Shelley’s novel is a terrible adaptation, but that doesn’t stop it from being the best version of “Frankenstein” put to celluloid. While Colin Clive is great as Victor Frankenstein, the real star is Boris Karloff as the Monster, in what would become his signature performance. Running 71 minutes, this is a tightly paced, expertly shot and brilliantly acted piece of Pre-Code horror.

“Nosferatu the Vampyre”- 1979 Werner Herzog’s retelling of the Dracula story is framed as a remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 film “Nosferatu.” Herzog’s version, however, is my

represents more than just the chance to catch cool movies before anyone else. It’s also a way to participate in art, to participate in the city and to participate in community.

CIFF’s 2020 edition, like nearly everything in that godforsaken year, unfolded in an online-only setting, with some exceptions. For example, the Closing Night film, a special presentation of eventual Best Picture winner “Nomadland,” was shown at the ChiTown Movies drive-in in Pilsen.

But this year, the festival welcomes the return of in-person screenings with new health and safety guidelines that reflect the persistence of the pandemic. Guests must provide either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend any event, and masks must be worn at all times during screenings, except while eating or drinking.

Furthermore, CIFF has expanded the locations of its screenings beyond its usual venue, the AMC River East. In addition to ChiTown Movies, select festival offerings will play at the historic Music Box Theater and the Gene Siskel Film Center. All CIFF theaters will operate at 80% capacity to accommodate social distancing, and many films will still be offered online.

“But Aidan,” you plead, “What are the films?” I’m glad you asked!

Opening Night is Wes Anderson’s hotly-anticipated “The French Dispatch,” the eclectic auteur’s love letter to journalism; concurrently, Todd Haynes’ “The Velvet Underground” will open the ChiTown drive-in, while “Halloween Kills” will launch the After Dark program right after. Closing Night is “King Richard,” the story of Serena and Venus Williams told from the perspective of their father and coach, played by Will Smith.

The Centerpiece of the fest is Mike Mills’ “C’mon C’mon,”

a black-and-white dramedy starring Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix. Gala Presentations include blockbuster “Dune” and Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” at which the acclaimed (and knighted) thespian will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Special Presentations include Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel,” “Spencer” with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana and “Passing,” the directorial debut of Rebecca Hall, for which she will be presented an Artistic Achievement Award.

The International Competition will screen 13 films whose productions spanned 21 countries, including “Petite Maman” by Céline Sciamma, back after “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” 27 documentaries will play, including “Mayor Pete” about South Bend’s own Pete Buttigieg. Additional programs include Black Perspectives, Women in Cinema, Shorts, City & State and the OutLook Competition for LGBTQ+ films.

Other screenings include, but are not limited to: Andrea Arnold’s first documentary, “Cow”; “Encounter” starring Riz Ahmed; “Happening,” the winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival; “The Harder They Fall” with Idris Elba and Regina King; Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Memoria,” starring Tilda Swinton; “Parallel Mothers” by Pedro Almodóvar; Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” with Benedict Cumberbatch; Cannes breakout “The Worst Person in the World”; and somehow, even more.

Now, if that doesn’t peak your interest, I don’t know what will. Be sure to check The Observer website throughout fall break for reviews and write-ups from Chicago, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for coverage from the frontlines of the fest.

I’ll see you at the movies!

favorite version of the Dracula story thanks to Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein’s stunning cinematography, Klaus Kinski’s incredible performance as Count Dracula and Herzog’s impeccable direction. Often overlooked in the horror canon, this is a film that every horror fan worth their salt should see.

“The Thing”- 1982 John Carpenter’s “The Thing” is everything a creature feature should be. It is the standard by which all monster films are measured. Alien invasion, survival horror and body horror are mixed together to create the perfect horror film. In case you haven’t guessed, I absolutely adore this film. It’s f lawless. If you haven’t seen this absolute gem, go do yourself a favor and watch it immediately.

“Re-Animator”- 1985 Stuart Gordon’s “Re-Animator” is schlock of the highest regard. Blood, guts and an unspecified neon green liquid abound in this splatter masterpiece.

Loosely following the plot of H.P. Lovecraft’s novella “Herbert West: Re-Animator,” this film follows two medical students who discover the secret to reanimation and carry out a number of experiments on cadavers as they begin to unlock the secrets of life and death. Jeffrey Combs became a horror icon thanks to his performance as Herbert West.

B-horror, comedy and expert gore effects combine to create an unforgettable viewing experience.

“An American Werewolf in London”- 1981 A black comedy with brilliant practical effects?

Who would have guessed that I would love this film?

This John Landis film won the very first Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling thanks to FX and monster makeup master Rick Baker. The transformation scene alone is worth the price of admission. Come for the gore, stay for the compelling story and gallows humor.

“The Fly”- 1986 No list of monster movies would be complete without David Cronenberg’s magnum opus. This remake of the 1958 classic of the same name follows a scientist whose DNA gets mixed up with a f ly’s DNA while testing a teleportation device. “The Fly” is one of the grossest movies I’ve ever seen and is a showcase of Chris Walas’s special effects expertise, which earned him an Oscar for Best Makeup. Who would have thought seeing Jeff Goldblum turn into a f ly would be such a fun thing to watch?

“Possession”- 1981 Here’s my absolutely bonkers outside pick. Part divorce drama, part art film, part psychological thriller, part Cold War commentary, part alien invasion and part monster movie, “Possession” is the perfect storm of insanity. Written and directed by Andrzej Zuławski in the wake of a messy divorce, this film is both emotionally devastating and viscerally disturbing. If you can track it down, I highly recommend giving “Possession” a watch. You won’t be disappointed (just make sure you watch the unedited director’s cut).

Contact Aidan O’Malley at aomalle@nd.edu

Contact Justin George at jgeorge@nd.edu EMMA KIRNER | The Observer

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

11

Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Take time to evaluate what’s going on around you before you make a move this year. You have options, and with preparation, you can reach what you desire. The world is your oyster; all you need to do is stop procrastinating and start taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. Engage in life, love and exploration, and happiness will prevail. Your numbers are 5, 13, 23, 30, 37, 41, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Avoid letting anyone distract you or make decisions for you. Look at the pros and cons, and draw a conclusion based on what you want to achieve long-term. A disciplined approach and positive attitude will get you where you want to go.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Bring on the changes you’ve been eager to make. Stop procrastinating, and start doing what makes you happy. Keep your life simple and doable, and you’ll be pleased with the results you get. A change will be a learning experience.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Learn from experience that it’s better to research than rely on someone. Refuse to let anyone dominate or push you into something that doesn’t feel right. Speak up, and carry on with what works best for you. Love is favored.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be careful what you say and do regarding relationships, shared expenses and the changes you want to make. Being upfront will ease your mind and allow you to deal with pitfalls before you start down an exciting new path.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Keep your emotions under control when dealing with friends and relatives. Be a good listener, and you’ll gain the confidence of others.

The information you receive will help you sort out a pending problem. Personal improvement will boost your morale.

VVIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Reach out to someone doing something that interests you, and get the lowdown on the steps you need to take to follow suit. Once you start something new, it will give you the push you require to assess and progress.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Keep your emotions in check and anger under control.

Setting a path to victory means balance, integrity and staying focused on what’s important. Don’t give in to pressure when doing what’s best for you is your ticket to success.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Reach out to a friend or relative, and you’ll be offered insight into something unique. Be secretive about the changes you want to incorporate into your life. Once you establish a routine that works, you’ll get support and gain confidence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sort through personal matters and goals, and discuss your thoughts with someone you want to include in your future. An exciting proposal will offer benefits that will entice you to make a move. Love and romance will improve your personal life.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be a good listener, and you’ll gain perspective.

Criticizing someone will not create a friendly atmosphere. Change is inevitable, but how you go about it will determine your success. Empathy and compassion will lead to better results. Maintain a positive attitude.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Hang on to your cash. A joint venture will result in emotional disagreements. Keep an open mind, but don’t be afraid to do your own thing. Keep your money and passwords in a safe place. Personal improvement is favored.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The connections you make will encourage and help you bring about change. Heading in a different direction will lift your spirits and prompt you to approach life with renewed faith and enthusiasm. Tidy up loose ends.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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12

Sports Authority

Sports Authority

NBA season predictions John Kalemkerian Sports Writer

Fans ever y where love to disagree on the smallest things, but one opinion that is all but universally shared is this: October is the best month of the year for sports. Football is in full sw ing. High-stakes playoff baseball is on ever y day. And last but not least, the NHL and NBA are both starting back up. With less than two weeks until the Nets and Bucks tip-off the 2021-22 NBA season, it’s as good of a time as any to look ahead to what the standings w ill look like by the time the playoffs roll around.

Eastern 1.

Bucks under

Classifieds

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Conference Milwaukee ( Vegas over/ 54.5 wins)

The reigning NBA champs didn’t see much roster turnover, returning their top six scorers from last year’s run.

With Mike Budenholtzer at the helm and Giannis Antetokoumpo poised to have another strong MV P-caliber season, the Bucks are the safe bet to remain atop the East. Besides the championship hangover, the only thing that may hold the Bucks back is resting players dow n the stretch to stay healthy for the playoffs.

2. Brooklyn Nets ( Vegas over/under 56.5 wins) Between the strong possibility of Kyrie Ir ving missing home games due to his vaccination status and the constant turmoil of having three alpha players on the roster, the Nets certainly won’t be short on drama this season.

Their talent is undeniable and I see Brook lyn as potential Finals favorites if their Big 3 are healthy, come playoff time, but due to the number of games likely to be missed by their stars during the regular season grind, I have them finishing behind Milwaukee.

3. Miami Heat ( Vegas over/under 48.5 wins) Miami needed to make a change after being swept by the Bucks in Round One of the playoffs last season, so they went out and signed

Overreacting to NFL’s Week Five

long-time Raptor point guard Kyle Low r y in free agency. Low r y should mesh well w ith Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and once Victor Oladipo returns from injur y rehab, the Heat have as much star power as anyone in the East outside of Milwaukee and Brook lyn.

They figure to roll through the regular season.

4. Atlanta Hawks ( Vegas over/under 46.5 wins) With all due respect to Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson, Trae Young may be the most exciting young player in the league.

The sharpshooting, lobthrow ing 23-year-old is the clear leader of this young Hawks team and, after reaching the Conference Finals last season, expectations w ill be high in 2021-22. They’ll play well enough to host a first-round series for the first time since 2016.

5.

Philadelphia 76ers ( Vegas over/ under 50.5 wins) Vegas is high on the Sixers.

I’m not. Much of the Sixers hopes this season rest on Ben Simmons, who has been mysteriously out of contact w ith the entire organization since the end of the playoffs, leading to some unpleasant tweets by frustrated teammates.

If Philadelphia can keep Embiid relatively healthy, Simmons’ absence shouldn’t matter too much but even so, I don’t see them coming any where near repeating as the one seed.

6. Chicago Bulls ( Vegas over/under 42.5 wins) The Bulls were one of the most active teams in free agency, bringing in both DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball. The front office has made quite a few w innow moves in the past calendar year, including trading two first-round picks and other players for A ll-Star center Nikola Vucevic. High expectations for new-look teams often don’t turn out well, but the Bulls should easily make their way into the playoffs in the weaker East.

7. Boston Celtics ( Vegas over/under

46.5

wins)

see NBA PAGE 13

Thomas Zwiller Sports Writer

Let’s NFL

overreact to Week Five…

Carolina Panthers Claim: Sam Darnold is broken. He looked like a new quarterback through the first three weeks of the season, prompting David Newton to write an article called “Carolina Panthers successfully exorcising Sam Darnold’s ghosts from NY Jets.” However, in weeks four and five, Darnold threw a combined six interceptions, looking like the Sam of old.

Conclusion: This is an overreaction, as the Panthers’ offensive line is what’s broken.

Against the Cowboys in week four, Darnold was pressured 30% of the time, a season-high resulting in a bad throw percentage of 25.6%; he was also sacked five times. Against the Eagles, Darnold was sacked three times. Darnold can play well, I believe that much to be accurate. He simply needs more support from his offensive line. The Panthers’ Pass Block Win Rate (an ESPN statistic) ranks 30th in the NFL at 44%. Their Rush Block Win Rate ranks 27th in the NFL at 67%. For Sam to play well, the offensive line cannot be one of the worst units in the NFL. Seattle Seahawks Claim: Seattle will miss the playoffs. The Seahawks were 2-2 and looked like they could keep pace with the Rams in their Week 5 Thursday Night Football game. Then, Russell Wilson hurt his middle finger. Wilson is expected to miss anywhere from 4-6 weeks post-surgery, and with Seattle 2-3 in the NFL’s most competitive division, it may be time to call the race.

Conclusion: This is not an overreaction. If Wilson’s finger takes the optimistic four weeks, that would place him back in the lineup by Week 10. During that stretch, the Seahawks travel to Pittsburgh, play host to the Saints and the Jaguars before having a bye. I would put that record at 1-2, making Seattle 3-5. Yikes. If Wilson goes down for the entire six weeks, Seattle will play Green Bay and the Cardinals

without their star quarterback.

That will likely put them at 3-7.

Again, yikes. Maybe that record could win you the NFC East last season, but that record is not going to allow Seattle to sniff even third in the NFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs Claim: The Chiefs have problems offensively and defensively. Coming into the season, I had the Chiefs winning the AFC, with the Chargers a close second, but even I thought I drank too much of the Herbert punch. However, here we are, Week 6, and the Chiefs are 2-3, the Chargers are 4-1 and in control of the AFC West.

So, what is the problem with the Chiefs? How did they go from making the Super Bowl to being last in their division?

The answer: their defense.

Conclusion: This is not an overreaction. The Chiefs have allowed 30+ points in every game (except for the Browns, who scored 29). Coming into the season, I thought the Chiefs’ defense would be bad, but not this bad. They give up 5.2 rushing yards per attempt, and 141 yards per game, stats I had expected.

What I did not expect was the Chiefs to yield 9.3 passing yards per attempt and 296 yards per game.

All four of those figures are better than the Chiefs’ offense.

The Chiefs’ defense does not need to be the best in the league, but they cannot be the worst.

Buffalo Bills Claim: The Bills are the best team in the AFC. After watching the Steelers beat the Bills in Week One using their defense, I wondered if Josh Allen was going to regress from last season.

Then the Bills beat the Dolphins, the Washington Football Team and the Texans by absurd margins. I stopped worrying. But I was still skeptical of the Bills when ESPN ranked them number one in their power rankings. Last night I thought the Chiefs would bring them back to reality, but man was I wrong.

Conclusion: This is not an overreaction. Who else should go here? Nobody else in the AFC East, nor anyone from the AFC South. I think the Chargers have a strong case, but they seem to be worse

defensively than the Bills. The Browns and Ravens maybe, but I think the Bills are better defensively than the Browns and offensively better than the Ravens. With a win against the Chiefs out of the way, the Bills have a very winnable schedule until December, when they play the Buccaneers. The Bills have five games against the AFC East which likely turn into five wins (they also have the second-easiest remaining schedule). It will not surprise me at all if they get on a roll and claim the top seed in the AFC and earn the extra bye week.

Pittsburgh Steelers Claim: The Steelers’ offense is fixed. The Steelers won their first game since Week One, beating the Denver Broncos 27-19, which felt like a shocking result. The Steelers’ offense has been one of the worst in the league, and the Broncos’ defense has been one of the better defenses. Big Ben got sacked once, passed for 253 yards and had two touchdowns. The Steelers had their best rushing performance of the season with 147 yards.

Conclusion: This is an overreaction. I am inclined to say that the Steelers got lucky with this one. Big Ben had his first good game this season, yet he came close to turning it over three times. Just one interception could have made this a very different game. I also think that this result says more about the Broncos’ defense than it does the Steelers’ offense. The Ravens were able to rush for 102 yards last week, and the Steelers almost made it past the 150 mark. There is also something to cornerback Ronald Darby missing the game due to injury. His replacement Kyle Fuller allowed the Steelers to score two touchdowns: one by Diontae Johnson for 50 yards and another one by committing a PI penalty setting up the Steelers on the one yard-line. I think the Steelers are improving on offense, and I think they should perform well against Seattle, but I still anticipate they will struggle for the duration of the season.

Contact Thomas Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

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I’m in the room, it’s a typical Tuesday night / I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like / And she’ll never know your story like I do / But she wears short skirts / I wear T-shirts / She’s Cheer Captain,

and I’m on the bleachers / Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find / That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time / If you could see that I’m the one / Who understands you

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | The Observer

NBA Continued from page 12

8.

Indiana Pacers ( Vegas over/ under 42.5 wins) 9.

New York Knicks ( Vegas over/ under 41.5 wins) 10.

Charlotte Hornets ( Vegas over/ under 38.5 win) Western

Conference

1. Utah Jazz ( Vegas over/under 51.5 wins) Last season, Utah came out of nowhere to finish first in the West. The duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert leading the high-octane offense and suffocating defense, respectively, should be more than enough to repeat as regular-season Western Conference champs. The real test for this team w ill come in the postseason, where this Quin Snyderled squad has failed to advance to the conference finals in five straight playoff appearances.

4. Phoenix Suns ( Vegas over/under 51.5 wins) Mont y Williams coached the Suns to new heights last season and even though they ended up falling short of a ring, this team had a lot to be proud of after ending a 10-year playoff drought.

Chris Paul and Dev in Booker now have experience play ing together, and w ith one of the deepest rosters in the league, Phoenix should have no trouble securing a high seed again this season.

5. Dallas Mavericks ( Vegas over/ under 48.5 wins)

So much of the Mavs success w ill rest on the 22-year-old shoulders of Luka Doncic, who is a frontrunner for MV P this season.

A phenomenal creator and scorer, Doncic w ill need help from co-star Kristaps Porzingis to keep a weak Dallas roster alive in the West. The Mavericks would be smart 2.

Los Angeles to get Doncic some help Lakers ( Vegas over/ before the trade deadline, even if it means dealing under 52.5 wins) out future first-round Health, and more picks to stay in contention. precisely load management, 6.

Denver Nuggets w ill be key for the Lakers, over/ who have the oldest team in ( Vegas 47.5 wins) the NBA this season. Vets under Russell Westbrook, Kent Another MV P Ba zemore and Carmelo operating Anthony join LeBron frontrunner James and as the hub of Denver’s Nikola Jokic Anthony Dav is on a quest for offense, a ring, coming through the w ill be in a similar as Doncic regular season position relatively unscathed and Paul George. With w ill be v ital to their star point guard Jamal out rehabbing championship aspirations. Murray ACL injur y, Jokic This team w ill only go an be counted on as far as LeBron can lead w ill them, and I don’t see him more than ever to lead a regressing much even if young Nuggets team to The defense he w ill be 36 this season. success. w ill be a problem 3.

Los Angeles for Denver, as it won’t how many Clippers ( Vegas over/ matter Jokic under 45.5 wins) triple-doubles can rack up if they stop anyone at Perhaps the most can’t disappointing team the other end. I expect in basketball, the Denver to stay safely of the play-in Clippers finally broke out through to the picture, but any time conference finals missed by Jokic w ill be to tank for the first time enough playoff hopes. in their 51 years their of ex istence … only 7.

Golden State to lose 4-2 to a Suns team that entered as Warriors ( Vegas over/ 47.5 wins) a moderately heav y under 8.

Memphis underdog.

Kawhi Leonard’s absence while Grizzlies ( Vegas over/ 41.5 wins) rehabbing a torn ACL under 9.

Portland Trail w ill be key, but their ( Vegas over/ roster is deep enough Blazers 44.5 wins) to stay near the top of under 10.

New Orleans the standings, even in a tough conference. Pelicans ( Vegas over/ 39.5 wins) Paul George returning under to the MV P discussion w ill be imperative to Contact John Kalemkerian success for the Clippers. at jkalemke@nd.edu

W Soccer Continued from page 16

foot, and were rewarded when Ha l Hershfelt powered home a header off of a corner k ick in the 52nd minute. A fter the equa lizer, the match proved a relatively even affair. Both teams had their fair share of chances (Notre Dame’s best coming when junior Maddie Mercado managed to unleash a shot of her ow n off the post in the 79th minute), but come 90 minutes both teams had labored to extra time w ithout pushing a head.

Come extra time, Notre Dame found their second w ind. Van Zanten got a f lurr y of Irish attacks started w ith another shot that bounced off the woodwork, before Gaetino fired home the golden goa l w ith just 3 minutes remaining w ith a perfectly timed div ing header. Gaetino said the wa lk-off w inner, which was her first goa l of the season, left her speechless.

“I honestly don’t even k now what happened — I’m prett y sure I blacked out during it,” she said. “I’m just super, super happy w ith how the team did.”

Coach Nate Norman said he was impressed by both the goa l and the w in that it sea led. “[Clemson is] a rea lly good team, a physica l, athletic team that we’ve had trouble w ith in the past,” he said.

“So, I think for us overcoming that was rea lly big and the resilience that we showed to keep going. We hit the post a few times, but to keep that belief that we would get it

Starling Continued from page 16

The Irish had been considered the favorites in the race to land Starling since last month, in part — potentially — thanks to a high-profile Labor Day Weekend visit that included Brey driving the fourstar prospect from La Lumiere’s g ym to Notre Dame’s campus in a cherr y red Ferrari.

It’s not hard to see why Brey went all out for the crow n jewel of an Indiana prospect crop that’s always top notch.

Scouts rave about his scoring capacity, and his tape backs the praise up.

One quick watch through of any camp highlight compilation of Starling shows a clear ability to put the ball in the net in a variety of ways, be it driving to the rim for a contested lay up, slamming in an open dunk, or knocking dow n a three pointer.

Scouts have been impressed by the

was rea lly good to see.”

Notre Dame w ill now prepare to hit the road for what’s set to be a massive next t wo weeks of road games against Virginia and Duke. The Irish sit atop conference standings w ith a perfect 6-0-0 record, but the next three games (they’ll face North Carolina after Duke) w ill force them to test their undefeated standing against three College Cup contenders. Norman’s side w ill likely be the underdog in a ll three matches, but if the Irish can find results in any of them it would go a long way to prov ing Notre Dame’s legitimacy among the upper echelons of the conference.

Virginia and Duke w ill both welcome the Irish to their respective stadiums w ith ta lent aplent y. The Hoosiers boast Diana Ordonez up front, whose 10 goa ls put her right beside Irish for ward Sammi Fisher near the top of the nationa l leaderboard, as well as Lia Godfrey, w idely considered to be one of the best sophomores in the countr y. The Blue Dev ils w ill have more than a few weapons for Ashley Naylor and the Irish defense to contend w ith as well. Firstyear Michelle Cooper, 2020 N WSL draftee Tess Boade and senior Mackenzie Pluck have combined for a whopping 44 points, and w ithout a doubt w ill be looking to add to that tota l Oct. 21.

Notre Dame women’s soccer resumes play in Charlottesv ille against Virginia Sunday.

Baldw insville, New York, native’s continuous development as well.

In his most recent report, 247sports’ Eric Bossi noted that “Starling seems to get a little taller, a little stronger and a little better each time we see him.”

W hile it’s never easy to determine the extent a prospect w ill play early on when they haven’t even practiced w ith the team yet, it’s hard to imagine Starling’s sheer amount of talent won’t quick ly find him a place in Brey’s rotation, and he’ll only be helped by his versatility. A combo guard by nature, it’s possible Starling starts out as a shooting guard and is slowly coa xed into a point guard role as his time in South Bend goes on and he further hones his skillset as a creator as well as a scorer.

Starling’s commitment represents a major w in for Brey, who has struggled in recent years to keep Notre Dame in

13

Bethel Continued from page 16

Kylie

Callison from Michigan-Dearborn, senior Riley Swope finished for 42 points. Within 15 seconds, she was followed by first-year Elizabeth Bollinger for 49 points with a time of 21:07:00.

The second pair, junior Anna DeMars (21:27.30) and sophomore Haley Green (21:39.71) finished with 59 and 63 points.

They were followed by junior Alexa Zeese (21:51.60) who scored the last of the points, 66, and first-year Susanna Bernovich who finished at 21:57.80.

Julia Bobosky, Brigid Hull, Julia Crowley, Claudia Stiglitz, Emily Blank, Anne Scheck, Charley Lustig, Abby Season and Brigid Conmy all also ran for the Belles and remained tight in their pack.

Bauters said she hopes as they move forward, her team can use this race and build up to the postseason in October, “where the meets mean more.”

The Belles take to the course again Saturday, Oct. 16, to represent Saint Mary’s at the Oberlin InterRegional Rumble.

The race begins at 10:30 a.m. ET in Oberlin, Ohio.

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu and Nate Moller at nmoller2@ nd.edu

the national tournament conversation. The Irish haven’t made it to March Madness since the 2016-17 season, meaning no current Notre Dame undergraduate has ever seen the team play an NCA A tournament game.

And prior to last year, Brey had been struggling to bring in the talent required to get the team back in the Big Dance; according to 247, before the commitment of 2021 shooting guard Blake Wesley, the Irish hadn’t signed a four-star recruit since the 2018 class.

But w ith Wesley now on the roster, and Starling joining fellow four-star Dom Campbell (ranked 92nd nationally by 247sports) in the 2022 class, Brey is starting to once again assemble the requisite pieces for a Notre Dame team that can both play and compete come March.

14

Sports

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

FANTASY CORNER

Observer Fantasy Corner Week Seven: heroic performances and grueling injuries

By SAM OUHAJ, GEHRIG SM ALSTIG, J. J. POST, JOHN K ALEMKERIAN and JAMISON COOK Spor ts Writers

Week 5 is in the books and Week 6 is here.

After some heroic performances from Justin Herbert and Josh A llen, and serious injuries that occurred to players such as Russell Wilson and JuJu Smith-Schuster, there is plenty of discussion surrounding who should start and who should sit this week.

Sam Ouhaj W ho To Start: Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills Dawson Knox has come to life over the last three weeks, and I am all for it. Knox has found the end zone four times in the three weeks, and against the Chiefs, he recorded three receptions for 117 yards and a touchdow n.

As the weeks continue, I am confident that Knox w ill improve his connection w ith Josh A llen, who is playing like an MV P candidate.

Dawson is currently ow ned in 70.3% of leagues, and if you’re looking for a top 10 tight end and someone you can rely on in fantasy right now, Knox is your guy.

W ho To Sit: Tyler Lockett, W R, Seattle Seahawks W hat a brutal blow that occurred to the Seattle Seahawks last Thursday. Russell Wilson is set to miss at least a month w ith a ruptured middle finger leaving Geno Smith as the QB1 in Seattle.

Smith is not necessarily a bad quarterback, but he is not Wilson and this entire team w ill suffer, especially Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.

I would advise sitting Lockett for the next month or playing him at the f lex if he has a favorable matchup; other w ise, it w ill be tough to watch Geno

Smith and offense.

this

Seattle

W ho To Pick Up: Kadarius Toney, W R, New York Giants (Ow ned in 12.2% of leagues) John Kalemkerian W ho To Start: Hunter Henr y, TE, New England Patriots A notoriously shallow position that seems to be getting shallower by the year, quality tight ends are difficult to come by.

In addition to Dawson Knox, who Sam highlighted, Henr y deser ves a long look from fantasy managers looking to sw itch it up or fill in for players on bye.

The former Charger has a touchdow n in each of the past two games, and his targets have steadily been increasing as rookie Mac Jones has gotten more comfortable running the Patriots’ offense.

Dallas’ secondar y has been solid through five weeks, leaving Henr y the opportunity to rack up yards against their suspect linebacker corps.

W ho To Bench: A llen Robinson II, W R, Chicago Bears Robinson has f low n under the radar as one of the biggest disappointments of the season relative to his draft position. Failing to score double-digit PPR points in all but one game so far, Robinson has continued to suffer from the poor quarterback play that has plagued him for his entire tenure in Chicago.

Robinson facing the Packers w ithout Jaire A lexander should be a good matchup on paper, but it’s difficult to trust him, especially w ith so many better options that are emerging to start at receiver. Leave Robinson on the bench this week.

W ho To Pick Up: Kadarius Toney, W R, New York Giants (Ow ned in 12.2% of leagues) J.J. Post W ho To Start: Kadarius Toney, W R, New York Giants Sam and John said to pick

up Toney, I’ll take it a step further: start him. I picked him up last week, and he repaid me in spades this week.

Toney w ill likely go back to being a bench player as the season rolls on and the Giants completely depleted receiver core slowly returns to health.

Right now though, the rookie is seeing all sorts of volume w ith Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slay ton all injured. It helps that Toney himself has talent in spades.

His shiftiness and speed was giving the Cowboys secondar y fits on Sunday, and his breakout performance (10 catches, 189 yards) w ill likely give the Giants plenty of cause to design more plays that fit his impressive route running and ank le breaking abilities.

W ho To Bench: Odell Beck ham Jr., W R, Cleveland Brow ns Was anyone starting Beck ham? Frank ly, I’m not sure. He’s a tempting option for managers like myself ever y year to bring in as a lotter y ticket.

And there are plenty of reasons for doing so: ever yone knows Beck ham has the raw talent. He was, at one point in time, the league’s most electrif ying receiver, and he’s still far from old at only 28.

In the first few weeks, there were signs that bringing in the former star as a late round f lier would be a shrewd movehe notched nine and seven targets in his first two games of the season - indicating his role was perhaps starting to grow.

But the Brow ns’ Sunday shootout against the Chargers proved those first two performances might have been a false daw n for the ever-awaited OBJ resurgence. Sunday was set to be an ideal game for OBJ to shine, w ith Cleveland throw ing 32 passes (one away from a season high total)- but he only put up two catches for 20 yards on three targets.

It’s unlikely w ith the Brow ns’ stellar backfield tandem of Nick Chubb and

Kareem Hunt that they are ever going to really air it out more than they did against the Chargers.

Beck ham’s volume might only decrease from here as the Brow ns keep the ball on the ground in lower scoring games.

W ho To Pick Up: Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears (Ow ned in 4.7% of leagues) Gehrig Smalstig W ho To Start: Leonard Fournette, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fournette has only seen his role grow as the year has gone on, and, w ith the exception of a week three bust performance, has hit double digits in PPR ever y week. The Buccaneers’ passing attack is lethal and certainly should be the focus of opposing defenses. Recently, that has opened up running lanes for Fournette to take advantage of.

Most notable is the fact that Lenny is now the obvious RB1 when it looked like he could still be the understudy to Ronald Jones.

Best of all this week is the matchup w ith the Eagles, who have limited fantasy scoring through the air while being aw fully soft on the ground. Start Fournette and expect a productive week w ith a big touchdow n upside.

W ho To Sit: Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos This is probably the last time that you’ll see Gordon’s name on these lists, barring an injur y to Broncos rookie RB Javonte Williams.

Williams has been leading in attempts from the jump and it’s only getting worse for Gordon’s sake. Gordon has lost a step in the last few years and w ill likely assume a backup role for the rest of the time that he is in the league.

He did have a couple of homerun touchdow ns in the early weeks, but he lacks the explosiveness of a back that could keep that reputation for a whole year.

W ho To Pick Up: Darrel Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs Jamison Cook W ho

To

Start:

Ja’Marr

Chase, W R, Bengals

Cincinnati

Chase is developing into a must-start ever y week no matter the matchup, but this week’s upcoming contest w ith the Lions makes him an absolute lock in all leagues. The rookie receiver out of LSU had a whopping 10 targets last week, six of which he caught for 159 yards and a touchdow n.

It was his fifth touchdow n of the season, and he has firmly established himself as one of Joe Burrow’s top targets alongside Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.

Vikings’ WR Justin Jefferson tore up the Detroit secondar y for 124 yards on seven catches a week ago, and I expect a similar performance from Chase this upcoming week.

W ho to Sit: Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles Sanders has been dow nright disappointing this season in ever y aspect.

He has not had more than 15 carries in any game this season and the carries have been declining ever y week.

He does not have a single rushing or receiving touchdow n through five weeks and has only scored double-digit fantasy points tw ice.

After scoring 17.3 fantasy points in Week 1, Sanders has only managed 33.2 fantasy points in total since. Heralded for his receiving abilities, Sanders has caught just 16 passes in five weeks, never totaling more than 39 receiving yards. A tough matchup against Tampa Bay does not provide any hope of improvement this week.

W ho To Pick Up: Tim Patrick, W R, Denver Broncos (Ow ned in 29.7% 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 and John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu

sports

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | The Observer

15

SMC Volleyball | SMC 3-0

Belles best Scots in Breast Cancer Awareness match to keep postseason hopes alive

By ERIN FENNESSY Sports Writer

In an MIAA conference women’s volleyball match up on Sunday afternoon at the Angela Athletic and Wellness Complex, the Saint Mar y’s College Belles triumphed over the A lma College Scots in three sets (3-0; 25-22, 25-19, 25-22).

The Belles’ w in kept their hopes of making the MIAA postseason alive.

The match was also the Belles’ annual Dig Pink match for breast cancer awareness, where the team sought donations for each dig and kill made during the match. A ll donations w ill go to United Health Ser vices of St. Joseph County.

The Dig Pink w in was especially meaningful for Saint Mar y’s coach Denise Van De Walle, whose sister-in-law died of breast cancer in 2016. “I’m sure this aw ful disease has touched nearly ever yone you know in some way…a neighbor, a friend, a sister, a mother, a grandmother,” she said. “Having a pink game ever y year and

seeking donations for the local sur vivors is something I love being involved in.”

The Belles came out strong in the first set, driven by two kills from senior Megan Collantes to bring their early lead to 4-1. W hile the Scots sideline remained rowdy, few attacks found their mark early on. Midway through the set, the Scots and the Belles exchanged a few intense rallies that placed the Scots w ithin striking distance, 12-11.

During one particularly long point, the Belles remained calm and kept the A lma line on their toes until senior A llison Thornton found an opening for a kill to bring the score to 17-14.

The next three points, however, were claimed by the Scots; tied 17-17, A lma College appeared to be building momentum until their next ser ve landed out of bounds. The Belles quick ly sealed the first set 25-22 w ith confident defending and two kills each from sophomore Colleen McCarthy and senior Hannah Stacy.

Editor’s note: Thornton is the Photo Editor for The Observer.

The second set opened w ith a long exchange between the Belles and the Scots, w ith both teams struggling to find an offensive groove; the first point was claimed by the home side after an attack error by their opponents. The Belles relinquished a set lead for the first time after an A lma ace, making the score 1-2. The score remained tight through the middle of the set, w ith six ties and three lead changes, until the Belles broke away w ith an 8-1 run to bring the score to 21-14.

A kill by McCarthy, along w ith a kill and a solo block from sophomore Molly Pooler, rounded out Saint Mar y’s claim to the second set, which ended 25-19.

In the third set, the Belles answered a significant scoring run by the Scots to emerge victorious, 25-22.

After claiming an 11-7 lead early on, the Belles slipped to a 13-13 tie, followed by eight unanswered points

by the Scots. With the score now 13-21, the visiting squad was poised to force a fourth set. The Belles, however remained calm on defense while McCarthy logged four kills and McKenzie Smith landed an ace. The end of the set was marked by scrappy defense on both sides. The home team ultimately claimed the set and the match after a 12-2 run to bring the score to 25-22.

McCarthy led both teams in kills w ith 16 in addition to logging seven digs, while Stacy claimed a season-high 10 kills to complement her six digs; the pair combined for 26 of Saint Mar y’s 39 kills.

Collantes collected seven kills and 11 digs, while Thornton, Pooler and McCarthy recorded two blocks each.

Senior Courtney Pelletier recorded a team-high 15 digs, while her co-captain Claire Hennessy snagged 25 assists, nine digs along w ith one block.

The key to Sunday’s w in, Van De Walle said, was staying

aggressive and attacking at the net.

She also praised her team’s focus in the third set. “That was a big deal. I didn’t want to go four sets. I didn’t want to give A lma any hope that they had a chance to w in the match,” Van De Walle explained. “Their defense was ver y good today, and it could’ve changed the third set if we wouldn’t have continued to keep sw inging and change our shots.”

Looking ahead, Van De Walle wants to see better ser ve-receive from her players. “We’re going to continue working on our blocking and defense,” she said.

With the w in against A lma, the Belles (6-10, 2-3 MIAA) remain eligible for post-season play in the MIAA conference.

Their next match w ill take place on Saturday, October 16, on the road in Manchester, where they w ill play a pair of non-conference matches against Rose-Hulman and Manchester.

Contact Erin Fennessy at efenness@nd.edu

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Email Mannion McGinley at mmcginl@nd.edu

16

The observer | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

WoMen’s Soccer | ND 2, Clemson 1

Team downs Clemson Tigers in overtime victory, looks ahead to road stretch Observer Sports Staff

SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI | The Observer

Graduate student midfielder Sammi Fisher prepares to launch a shot on goal in Notre Dame’s match against Syracuse on Oct. 4, 2019 at Alumni Stadium. Notre Dame won that game with a shut out performance, the final score being 3-0 in favor of the Irish.

ND Men’s Basketball

Observer Sports Staff

see Starling PAGE 13

see W SOCCER PAGE 13

SMC Cross Country

J.J. Starling commits as highest-rated ND recruit This afternoon La Lumiere School guard J.J. Starling, the number one recruit in Indiana and number 33 recruit nation-w ide (per 247sports), announced his verbal commitment to Notre Dame.

Starling, who became the highest-ranked commitment in Irish histor y since 247 started ranking recruits, was generally considered to be head coach Mike Brey’s highest-priority target in the class of 2022.

The 6-foot-5 combo guard chose Notre Dame over a host of schools notable for both academic and basketball prowess, including Duke, Mar yland, Northwestern, Stanford and Syracuse.

Notre Dame women’s soccer took home a thriller Sunday, defeating Clemson 2-1 on the back of a last-gasp winner from sophomore Eva Gaetino.

The performance was a tale of two halves for the Irish, who opened the scoring in just the 12th minute by way of a Clemson own goal. Graduate student Sammi Fisher sent in a speculative cross across the face of the goal, but before her pass could find the foot of an Irish attacker, it struck the leg of a Clemson defender and careened into the net. With the lead in hand, Notre Dame continued to press their advantage for the rest of the half. On several occasions, it looked like the Irish would expand their lead, most notably when junior Kiki Van Zanten lined up a shot from the edge of the box in the 35th minute, but her effort struck the crossbar and Notre Dame settled for a 1-0 halftime lead.

And after the break, the momentum would swing. Clemson opened the second half on the front

Belles take seventh at Bethel

By MANNION McGINLEY and NATE MOLLER Spor ts Editor, Spor ts Writer

RACHEL PINCUS | The Observer

Irish senior guard Dane Goodwin goes up for a jump shot in Notre Dame’s game against Kentucky on Dec. 12, 2020 at Rupp Arena.

The Saint Mar y’s cross countr y team returned to action at the Bethel Invitational at St. Joseph’s County Park on Friday, just a few miles north of campus. The team ultimately came in seventh out of 16 teams w ith 194 points.This race was the Belles’ first cross countr y race in a couple of weeks, and simultaneously the last 5K of the season for head coach Jackie Bauters’s team.

“We have a really great group of women this year who have brought great energ y all season and are pushing each other in practice,” Bauters said, adding that she was excited to see the team get back to competing.

Bauters was specifically keeping an eye on the packs in the race.

“They have been strong in training and I wanted to see that carr y over on race day,” Bauters said.

First-year Ava Gillis was the first of the Saint Mar y’s competitors to cross the finish line.

As she did so, she took home 15 points w ith a time of 19:39.50. Only 46 seconds later, her teammate sophomore Amanda Tracy followed her across the line at 20 :25.20, taking home 29 points.

Behind Tracy, the rest of the scoring athletes for the Belles were practically paired off.

At 20 :54:40, a halfsecond before

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