Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, October 13, 2023

IRISHSOMETHING INSIDER TO PROVE

IRISH LOOK TO SPOIL TROJANS’ PLAYOFF HOPES

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA SAYUT | PHOTOS BY MARY VOTAVA

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INSIDER

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

With Playoff hopes dashed, Irish shift focus toward building young talent

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor

There is still a lot for Notre Dame to play for during the rest of the 2023-24 season.

It’s important for the mostly inexperienced Irish coaching staff to keep learning what it takes to win consistently.

Upperclassmen have NFL aspirations and draft stock at stake. The rivalry against USC will still be fierce when the top-10 Trojans run through the visiting tunnel at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night. And of course, a strong finish to the regular season could give Notre Dame a chance to win its first New Year’s Six bowl game since 1993.

But, for all intents and purposes, the biggest goal of this season for the Irish can no longer be fulfilled. Notre Dame’s 33-20 defeat at Louisville and agonizing 17-14 loss to Ohio State combine to take the Irish out of the College Football Playoff race. Even a New Year’s Six Bowl is looking unlikely. Notre Dame would likely have to run the table to have a shot, facing two very tricky matchups against the Trojans this weekend and at Clemson on Nov. 4. The Irish are probably looking at an 8-4 or 9-3 regular season, right in

Mills CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

quarterback Caleb Williams. Mills knows the threat in front of him.

“He’s a playmaker,” Mills said of Williams. “He won the Heisman, and he’s a really good athlete. So he’s definitely someone you want to take care of. You gotta make sure you’re on your A-game. As we go into practice we are tr ying to make sure we leave no stone unturned and keep executing.”

Mills has proven himself against powerful running teams such as Ohio State, where he garnered four tack les, w ith two being solo. Playing disciplined defense, just as the Irish did back in September, w ill be key against the latest undefeated and ranked opponent this weekend.

“We’ve definitely played some good running backs.

[Against] Ohio State, we had multiple challenges,” Mills said. “The biggest thing w ith that is executing and

line with where they were record-wise a season ago.

However, there’s plenty at stake for Notre Dame’s future in the present. As the season progresses, expect the Irish to phase in their young talent a bit more than they have already. Marcus Freeman has not been afraid to trust freshmen and underclassmen during his two years in South Bend. Now, more than ever, it’s important to get young players playing time to keep them from leaving in the transfer portal and identify potential needs the Irish may need to fill through the portal themselves. Here are a few who could have noteworthy ends to the season that could carry over to the next season when hope springs anew.

Rico Flores Jr. Flores’ season has played out a bit like sophomore cornerback Ben Morrison’s a year ago, albeit to a lesser extent.

The freshman wideout wasn’t the headliner of Notre Dame’s receiver class, not dissimilar to how Morrison was rated behind Jaden Mickey heading into last fall. However, Flores has quickly established a role for himself after a quiet first few weeks. It started with a 60-yard performance against Central Michigan, including

playing sound defense. Not to sound like a broken record, but we know our jobs and we know what to do.

I think the whole defense has really come around and makes sure we’re on it and we gotta fix things we need to fix. That’s why Tuesday practice[s] [are] so important. We gotta go out there and act like it’s a game today.”

W hen Notre Dame met the Trojans last year (and lost), Mills didn’t even appear in the box score. In 2021 against the Trojans, he only made two tackles. However, his breakout performances this season have created an expectation that he w ill make an impact on the powerful Trojan offense. Mills said he’s prepared to give his all.

“We[‘ve] gotta come out harder, we[‘ve] gotta attack, and we have to make sure we are executing,” Mills said. “Ultimately, it is beat USC this week, so we gotta give 100% to that.”

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

a career-long 42-yard reception. If the Irish defense had locked down the Buckeyes, Flores would’ve been the hero after putting the Irish on top with his first collegiate touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Flores’ numbers aren’t eyepopping, but he’s the only Irish receiver with multiple receptions in the last three games. Part of that is due to injuries in the receiver room around him, especially against Duke. But Flores has shown enough to be a consistent part of the passing game going forward.

a pretty quiet season for the sophomore. Sneed has notched six tackles total.

Despite starting in the season-opener, he has been pushed into a depth role, partly because of the experienced talent the Irish have at linebacker. At the same time, defensive coordinator Al Golden has played a lot of nickel this year. But the Irish need to find out what they have in Sneed.

Graduate student Jack Kiser has had his snaps drastically cut in some of Notre Dame’s recent games. Sneed should be picking more of those up than he currently is.

Jaylen Sneed Sneed was a very hyped recruit a year ago, the anticipated player to take the torch from a veteran Irish linebacker group. He played in four games last fall, including a five-tackle performance against Boston College. This season, he made an impressive pass breakup against Ohio State, staying with Buckeye quarterback Kyle McCord as he scrambled right on fourthand-goal. Sneed lunged back to get a piece of McCord’s end zone shot, a massive play in the moment that, like Flores’ touchdown, could have gone down in Notre Dame lore if the game ended differently.

Other than that, it’s been

Drayk Bowen Speaking of highly-touted linebackers, enter Bowen, a consensus four-star recruit as part of Freeman’s second class with the Irish this fall. Bowen has gotten playing time in every game this season except for Tennessee State. It hasn’t been much, but he’s proved capable of making an impact, forcing a fumble against NC State. Bowen is a freshman, so there’s no rush to force him into a situation if he isn’t ready. However, the Irish might have ample opportunities for linebackers in their bowl game if their trio of graduate students decides to sit out. Regardless, Bowen is

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The team committed 12 penalties against Duke. Offensive play calling came into question as Notre Dame converted only three of 15 third and fourth downs against Louisville, including converting zero of three third downs with less than four yards to go. You have no idea what to expect from the team right now.

After Louisville, the honeymoon is truly over. Luckily for Freeman, a visit from No. 10 USC is the perfect chance to start to regain trust. A loss to USC, and it could start to feel like the program is spiraling.

But beat the rival Trojans this weekend in South Bend, and people might start to believe again.

The 2023 title dream is over, but there’s still a lot to play for if you’re Notre Dame. There’s especially a lot to play for if you’re Marcus Freeman. The rest of 2023 is the time for him to prove that he belongs at Notre Dame and that he is the right man for the job.

Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu

someone the Irish should focus on building up into a consistent contributor for 2024.

Steve Angeli This one is more of a speculative pick that will almost certainly be reserved for a bowl game, if at all. The only way graduate student Sam Hartman isn’t taking a meaningful snap at quarterback for the Irish the rest of the season is injury or if he doesn’t play in the bowl game, too. But if either of those happens, don’t change the channel. As of now, Angeli is QB1 on Notre Dame’s 2024 depth chart. The presence of incoming freshman star C.J. Carr could change that. Maybe current freshman Kenny Minchey jumps him on the depth chart. Dipping into the transfer portal again is also an option.

But Angeli is the favorite for now. On paper, his numbers look great: 10-for-14 for 144 yards and two touchdowns. As expected, that’s mostly come in garbage time. And the eye test hasn’t always been as favorable. Maybe Angeli isn’t the guy for the Irish going forward. But maybe he is. Either way, the Irish should try to find out.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

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Luckily for Notre Dame, Spencer Shrader stepped up to post what may have been the greatest kicking performance in Irish program history. The graduate student tied his own school record with a 54yard field goal and added a 53-yarder. But even if Notre Dame could count on Shrader to always convert those difficult kicks, scoring in threes wasn’t enough to keep up with Louisville. And it likely won’t be against USC, either.

This has been a recurring issue for the Irish.

Going 3-for-15 on third down prevented Notre Dame from putting Duke away until the final minute last weekend. The Irish were also stopped short on a pair of crucial fourth-and-ones against Ohio State.

For Notre Dame to compete with the Trojans, it likely will need to put a stop to that trend by

consistently turning drives into seven points rather than settling for three. To Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, that will require finding more success with their rushing attack.

“We[‘ve] got to continue to find ways to establish the run, and we[‘ve] got to be more successful in those third and short-yard situations,” Freeman said Monday.

“The offensive staff and everybody included will continue to find ways to attack it and make sure that we’re more efficient in those areas.”

With a high-end offensive line and a strong running back room that includes junior Audric Estimé and freshman Jeremiyah Love, the Irish have all the tools necessary to be an elite thirddown offense. Against USC, they will need to be at their best in terms of both play-calling and execution to do so.

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

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Panel reflects on Israel-Hamas conflict ‘You have to stand with humanity’: ND experts advocate for civilians behind the front lines

By MEGHAN LANGE Saint Mary’s News Editor

Students and staff packed into the Hesburgh Center for International Studies Thursday afternoon to hear from a panel of experts on the IsraelPalestine conflict.

Professor Ebrahim Moosa opened the panel by describing how Palestinian guerrilla militants of Hamas “reeked tremendous havoc” in Gaza and Israel. He said the militants killed “many, many civilians.”

In the standing-room only auditorium, students lined the floor in front of the auditorium’s chairs and encroached on the stairs and the stage to hear from panelists.

Years ago, a lecture on the conflict between Israel and Palestine would have had limited attendees. Daniel Bannoura, a graduate student who grew up in a small town near Bethlehem said he was concerned about the turnout.

“Why are so many of you here and not in 2021 when we had a panel like this?” he asked the audience. “I think it’s because we don’t think that Palestinians are humans. They don’t have the same worth. And I’m kind of worried [that we] have a big showing here today because Israeli civilians were killed, not because Palestinians were killed.” see GAZA PAGE 2

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Panelists Daniel Bannoura, Mary Ellen O’Connell, Ebrahim Moosa and Atalia Omer discuss the IsraelPalestine escalation in the Hesburgh Center on Thursday, calling for sympathy with all civilians.

Senators Young, Coons to UCC schedules discuss bipartisanship 13K appointments Observer Staff Report

Senators Chris Coons and Todd Young will visit Notre Dame Oct. 27 for a conversation moderated by University President Fr. John Jenkins.

The event takes place at 2 p.m. in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

“Senators Coons and Young have modeled a way forward through their willingness,

PETER BREEN | The Observer

The third floor of St. Liam’s Hall houses the University Counseling Center (UCC). Last year, around 17% of students visted the center.

By PETER BREEN Interim Notre Dame News Editor

The four most common reasons students use the University Counseling Center (UCC) are anxiety, depression, relationship troubles and stress, according to UCC director Christine Conway.

The counseling center in St. Liam Hall saw about 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students last year for 13,137 appointments, Conway said. Nearly one-third of the graduating class of 2023 visited the counseling center at some point during

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their time at Notre Dame.

“People use us,” Conway said.

The UCC is one of four departments within the health and wellness unit of Student Affairs. The other three are University Health Services (UHS), the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being (McWell) and the Center for Student Support and Care. Conway said the Center for Student Support and Care is divided into two offices: Sara Bea Accessibility Services and the Care and Wellness Consultants. see UCC PAGE 3

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throughout their careers, to put the good of the nation ahead of partisan differences, to treat their colleagues across the aisle with respect, and to work together to find solutions,” Jenkins said.

Young was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 and represents Indiana’s ninth district.

“During my time in Congress, I have found that the most effective way to

deliver solutions for Hoosiers and the American people is to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” Young said.

Coons was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.

The event is the latest in this year’s Notre Dame Forum on “the future of democracy” which aims to foster discussion about the rising threats to democracy in America.

‘Laudato Deum’: Pope calls for climate action

By NOLAN HINES News Writer

On Oct. 4, 2023, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis released his sixth apostolic exhortation, “Laudate Deum,” as a followup and addendum to his previous encyclical “Laudato Si’,” released in 2015.

The exhortation, drawing both its title and opening

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paragraph from St. Francis’s command to “praise God for all his creatures,” deals with the state of climate change policy.

However, it differs from “Laudato Si’” in that it presents a more focused critique of those responsible for increased greenhouse emissions. Among those he faults for the exacerbation of climate change are gas and

oil companies, along with countries that place national interest above the common good, both of whose current course of action he calls “petty” and “suicidal.”

Though Pope Francis said he sees the poor as being those who will suffer most at the hands of changing ecosystems and rising

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Titled “Israel-Palestine Escalation: The Current Chapter of a Long History” and organized by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the panel discussion contextualized the headline violence in Gaza and pointed to human rights violations on both sides of the conflict.

Recognizing humanity Bannoura spoke about his personal experience and those he knows who live in Gaza, demonstrating the gravity of the conflict.

“I have a lot of friends who I haven’t heard from since Monday and I don’t know what to expect,” he said. “I’m hoping for the best, but [not] expecting it.”

He and other panelists tallied the deaths resulting from the conflict: 450 children and babies, 1,400 killed in Gaza and 151 Palestinians killed the day of the panel.

“Twenty-two families on the Gaza Strip are erased from the records,” Bannoura said. “They’re all gone, whole families gone.”

Throughout the panel, those who spoke asserted the human rights of every person ensnared in the conflict and sought to contextualize the current violence.

“It’s important to recognize the humanity of everyone involved,” said Atalia Omer, a professor of religion, conflict and peace studies.

“Recognize that the terrorist actions that happen by Hamas [...] but be consistent ethically across the board in terms of condemning acts of terrorism, including state terrorism.”

Panelists comment on Israel’s history Omer said Israel’s ability to “immediately cut off water, food, fuel and electricity” demonstrates the discrepancy of power between the two countries. “[Israel] had control over all of this, so what does that tell you?” she asked. “The one thing doesn’t justify the massacre of babies in the kibbutz in Israel, but it offers a context that is so important, especially in resisting the rhetoric of revenge, war and destruction.”

On Oct. 9, Israel imposed a total blockade around Gaza.

This resulted in medicine, water, electricity and other necessities being completely cut off from the civilians remaining in Gaza.

Omer said that the people of Gaza have been under siege by the Israelis for over 16 years. After the Battle of Gaza — also known as Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in June of 2007 — Israel made the blockade surrounding Gaza permanent, citing

security concerns. After the blockade was made permanent, Israel regularly launched airstrikes into Gaza killing thousands of Palestinians.

After Omer, Moosa once again took the microphone and said the trigger of the attack was not simply a U.S.-backed truce between Saudi Arabia and Israel, but a culmination of events, including the disenfranchisement and suffering of the Palestinian people.

Though he said this “does not at all justify” acts of terrorism, Moosa described Gaza as a place where 2.2 million Palestinians live in an “open-air prison.”

Fellow panelist Bannoura said the word prison implies too much guilt.

“I think the most apt description is it’s a concentration camp,” he said.

Moosa said people should condemn Hamas’ actions, not their resistance.

“Everybody has a right in international law to resistance, but some actions [are] not include[d in] that,” he said.

Bannoura added that if people are condemning Hamas, they should also be condemning the Israeli government.

“If you’re condemning Hamas, as you should, but still simultaneously you’re not condemning the Israeli government, the Israeli occupation forces, this long 75 years of violence, apartheid and oppression of the Palestinians,” he said. “If you’re not condemning at the same time, the unapologetic, unwavering, continuous American support for Israel, all of us here are participating in the killing of Palestinians. All of us, our tax money is going to support what’s happening in Gaza.”

He said failing to condemn both Hamas and Israel’s history opposing Palestine makes people “part of a narrative … where Palestinians are not human.”

Analyzing media coverage As an example of the narratives presented in American media, Moosa mentioned that after Hayim Katsman, one of Omer’s friends, was killed on Saturday, Katsman’s brother went on CNN to criticize Israel’s publication of this death.

“He says, ‘my government is cynically using the death of my brother … to kill other human beings,’” Moosa said, paraphrasing Katsman’s brother.

Moosa warned that U.S. media is “looking for an Iran connection, in order to start the greater conflagration.”

Bannoura explained to the audience you only hear from the Israeli point of view because “the media here,

the political reality, is an extremely white supremacist media.”

“Israelites are the white people and Palestinians are not white, Palestinians were not given the right to context,” Bannoura said. “This is a war between Israel and terrorism, there is no story to tell otherwise, right? There is no story of oppression and violence, there’s no story about the Palestinian continuous trauma and violent heart that has caused all of this to happen here.”

While Bannoura was speaking, he was interrupted by a student from the audience. However, Moosa was quick to jump in.

“I’m aware that many people in this audience are in pain and we recognize that just asking you to bear with us a little bit so that you can have the opportunity to speak,” Moosa said.

Moosa added to Bannoura’s comments about only hearing from one side.

“You have to stand with humanity. You shouldn’t be standing with only Israel.

There are people on the other side,” he said.

Moosa took this opportunity to implore the audience to use what power they had to make changes so that the United States is a broker for peace.

Moosa then passed the microphone to the final panelist, law professor Mary Ellen O’Connell.

O’Connell began by reminding the audience that all humans have common accomplishments, one being “a set of impartial, neutral binding and universal legal principles that reflect all of our greatest cultural wisdom, religious beliefs and systems of ethics.”

O’Connell implored the audience to make use of those universal legal principles.

“And to use it and to stop using the language of division and inhumanity and saying our grievance is worse than your grievance. There is so much grievance and there is a way forward if we will join together and use what past generations offered us,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell continued to explain the conflict through a legal perspective.

“Israel’s use of force also violates the principles of necessity… any use of force, armed conflict must comply with the four basic rules in the conduct of armed fighting: distinction, necessity, proportionality and humanity. All of these are being violated by Israel right now,” she said. “As Atalia [Omer] said there is never a right to cut off food, water, fuel and medicine to a civilian population. There is never a right to indiscriminately bomb civilians. The law demands that Hamas cease fire and

release detainees and that Israel end indiscriminate punitive measures.”

O’Connell said that Iran and the United States have no right to join this fight, adding that the U.S. has a responsibility to restore respect for international law.

After O’Connell spoke the panelists turned the floor over to the audience for questions.

One student speaker asked why the U.N. and the U.S. don’t just go into Gaza and free the Palestinian people from Hamas.

“I don’t want to be harsh but you’re not listening to what Palestinians are saying,” Bannoura answered.

“When we’re saying we want to free Palestine we’re not saying we want to free Palestine from Hamas but free Palestine from 75 years of oppression … Hamas is only one episode of a long journey.”

Omar underscored the importance of freedom as a motivating factor.

“This panel is not a kumbaya panel and it’s a real challenge, but never underestimate people’s desire for freedom,” Omar said.

The next student speaker voiced her concern for showing her support for Palestine without her Jewish and Israeli friends thinking she was anti-Semitic or offending them.

Another student stepped up to the microphone to share a story of her home back in Gaza.

“I just want to paint a picture of what’s happening from what I heard from my family and friends in Gaza. I just want to say that the house that I was born and raised in the first 18 years of my life was destroyed just two days ago,” she said.

This student pushed back against the suggestion that the U.S. and U.N. free Gaza from Hamas.

“Hamas is the only thing that’s keeping Israel from taking over Gaza and killing everyone so we need some form of resistance,” she said. “Israel has been committing war crimes and no one is recognizing it. The media has no coverage and they’ve been killing journalists.”

In the last minutes of the panel, Bannoura shared his final thoughts.

“This is the same demand for justice and for goodness and for human rights,” he said. “Israel versus Palestine is the same unified struggle for justice for both …. we have a shared history, shared suffering and a shared future — what I’m talking about here is a one state solution where Palestinian kids and Jewish kids can be friends.”

Contact Meghan Lange at mlange03@saintmarys.edu

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“There are so many resources at Notre Dame, and so it’s sort of hard to know where is the right place to go,” Conway said.

The UCC is tasked with providing treatment for mental health issues, Conway explained. It offers self-help resources and counseling services, including 24/7 crisis intervention, group counseling, psychiatric services, drop-in appointments and more.

Junior Kenna Bonde said she is familiar with the UCC because her friends often use it, and she visited it once during her freshman year.

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temperatures, he reminds his audience that these consequences will occur on a global scale and that climate change is in turn something that must be fixed on a global scale also.

Fr. Emmanuel Katongole, professor of theology and peace studies, said he approved of the strength of Pope Francis’s message.

“I believe the Pope’s hope is that this should lead to a number of conversations within the Catholic Church and the global stage, especially to those on the fence,” Katongole said. “That’s why he takes the time to address those who deny climate change or those who think the Pope has no role in commenting on secular affairs.

Yet this is an issue that pertains to the survival of all and it should be treated as such. … It’s for that explicit reason that he’s justified in interjecting himself into the conversation, especially on the policymaking level.”

The release of this exhortation is meant to coincide with the upcoming 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai this November, with Pope Francis specifically calling for those in attendance to be “strategists capable of considering the common good and the future of their children, more than the short-term interests of certain countries or businesses.”

As a result, “Laudate Deum” has drawn criticism from secularists feeling that the pope’s goal in attempting to inf luence global policy is inappropriate for someone of his position.

Pope Francis is no stranger to this particular comment, having released “Laudato Si’” in 2015 with the similar goal of inf luencing the upcoming COP21. During COP21, the Paris Agreement, an agreement meant to keep the increase of average global temperatures to under 2°C — with the concurrent aim of decreasing them to 1.5°C

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

The 2,000 Notre Dame graduate students and undergraduates who went to the UCC in the last year added up to around 17% of all students. Bonde said the percentage seemed small in her opinion.

Bonde added she didn’t think the University’s resources for students with mental health issues were effective because they had never helped her in any way.

“I feel like a lot of students here struggle with imposter syndrome, and their well-being is just really bad,” Bonde said. “So, I feel like [the resources] are not very effective.”

Anna Kierski, a junior, said the percentage of students in the graduating class of 2023 who used the UCC at least once while pursuing

— was reached.

“He absolutely has the moral authority to issue a statement,” Katongole said.

“This is not just the issue of a single nation. This is why the emphasis on multilateralism comes, to show what kind of political process and global dialogue is necessary for us to live in this world together, lest we all perish together.

He really hopes that this will become a major political priority, especially to the world’s leading countries.”

In delivering “Laudate Deum,” Dr. John Cavadini, a professor of theology and director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, said that Pope Francis hopes to transcend religious boundaries in his plea for the pursuit of global cooperation while also noting the special role Catholics are consequently granted.

“Those who wreak environmental havoc often seek to displace the blame from their own entrenched, vested interest onto the poor,” Cavadini noted. “This is something the Pope constantly beseeches us to act against as a collective. He specifically addresses all people of goodwill, regardless of religion. Yet he also reminds Catholics that this is all that we have. As Catholics, we have a special responsibility to exemplify stewardship for God’s creation.”

Katongole said that individual actions are at the heart of these causes.

“In this exhortation, the hope that he points out is in these burgeoning grassroots initiatives all over, ones already responding to the call at hand. It is my sincere hope that the change that is needed will occur through them in response to this call,” Katongole said.

COP28 will convene in Dubai on Nov. 30 before concluding on Dec. 12. The extent of the change Pope Francis advocated for in “Laudate Deum” remains to be seen until then.

Contact Nolan Hines at nhines@nd.edu

their degree seemed large because only two of her friends have ever mentioned going to the counseling center. The University’s sense of community helps combat the mental health issues that accompany a high-pressure academic environment, Kierski said.

“Compared to my friends back home who go to these big state schools like UNC or just other very prestigious colleges, I’d say I think we are doing a good job,” she said.

The UCC offers drop-in hours at its office on the third floor of St. Liam Hall from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays this semester.

Conway said the service allows students to have quick access to the counseling center. Following a drop-in appointment, getting matched with an individual therapist or group program might take some time, she added.

“But there is a touch point. There is some discussion about what will help,” Conway said.

According to Conway, the counseling center will continue to provide more opportunities for group counseling because students say they’ve really benefited from the insight they’ve receive from peers in group. Conway explained group counseling is especially productive for students who approach the UCC because

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they don’t have many friends.

“I think sometimes people view group as a less-than compared with individual therapy, and that’s not what we’ve been finding,” she said.

Henry Garrity, a freshman, said he receives a fair number of emails about University mental health resources. Garrity has not yet visited the UCC, he added.

“I think if a student ever came to the point where they needed something, they would feel confident to know how to access information about those centers,” Garrity said.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen2@nd.edu

Historian discusses new book, ‘On Juneteenth’

By ELIZABETH BURT News Writer

Saint Mary’s College hosted noted Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Harvard professor Annette Gordon-Reed Thursday evening.

Gordon-Reed talked about her new book “On Juneteenth,” a history of Texas written through the history of the author and her family. She mentioned her previous ambivalence about writing a memoir and how this book only came about because she could write about herself and history. “[Juneteenth is] not the end of something,” Gordon-Reed said.

“It’s the beginning of something and it’s the beginning that we’re still on. It’s a journey.”

Gordon-Reed discussed how her book started during the pandemic.

“The impetus for it — sort of stepping outside of what would have been my comfort zone — was thinking about my parents who are no longer living and [how] I missed them,” Gordon-Reed said.

Gordon-Reed said she wondered what they would have made of the pandemic period. She mentioned walking around Central Park with her husband and seeing the overflow tents for hospital patients.

“You know, that sort of overlay of thinking about mortality was always there,” Gordon-Reed said.

Gordon-Reed said that when

thinking about Texas, the image people have is incomplete. She explained how Texas bravado and pride created a sense that Texans are “special” in her three years of Texas history.

The main topic of GordonReed’s other books is slavery.

“There’s something about the 1860s, the 1870s that are particularly poignant for me and sad for me because it was a time of great hope for people and to see that hope dashed,” she said.

During the Q&A with associate professor of history and gender and women’s studies, Jamie Wagman, at the end of her lecture, Gordon-Reed was asked about what tools Americans need to confront American history lessons.

“White people who are interested in change have to talk to other white people … Black people shouldn’t be put in the position of having to convince people that we’re people,” she said.

Wagman explained how she thinks “On Juneteenth” will impact conversations on race and history.

“Gordon-Reed’s scholarship always adds and changes national conversations about race and racism, widening readers’ understanding of Black history. She also debunks myths that endure about America,” Wagman said in an email.

Wagman added that she hoped students will learn about the “long road to Juneteenth,” the national holiday that marked the end of slavery. “They will be reminded that the fight for racial equality has not ended,” she said.

After the lecture, students and other attendees stood in line to buy a signed copy of Gordon-Reed’s book.

Saint Mary’s student Teresa Bean said her biggest takeaway from Gordon-Reed’s lecture was “[her] call upon white allies to … just be politically aware and be prepared to stand up for those you know.”

Wagman said that she wanted to bring Gordon-Reed to campus for many years, calling her “one of the leading scholars on race and history in the nation.”

Gordon-Reed is the author of several books and winner of more than sixteen awards, including the National Book Award for Nonfiction. She is also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a MacArthur Fellowship and the National Humanities Medal.

“By reading her work, students can learn so much about research, debunking myths and questioning narratives,” Wagman said.

Contact Elizabeth Burt at eburt01@saintmarys.edu

Alumni talk SAG-AFTRA strikes at labor cafe

By KEIRA STENSON News Writer

On Wednesday, the Center for Social Concerns hosted a special edition of their Labor Cafe called “Hollywood on Strike: Actors, Writers, Tech and the Future of Entertainment.” Alumni Liz Hynes ‘17 and Eric Ways ‘18, both in the entertainment industry, spoke at the event.

Hynes is a writer for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and member of the Writers Guild of

America, whose recent strike lasted from the beginning of May to late September.

Ways is an actor and member of the Screen Actors Guild, which is currently in the midst of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to resolve a strike lasting since mid-July.

The panel also included Daniel Graff, history professor and director of the Higgins Labor Program at the Center for Social Concerns, as well as Megan Levis, an

assistant professor of the practice at the Center for Social Concerns and the College of Engineering. It was moderated by Pam Wojcik, department chair and Andrew V. Tackes professor of Film, Television and Theatre.

Hynes, who is a council member for the Writers Guild of America and was one of their strike captains, spoke on the impact of new forms of technology, such as streaming and artificial see STRIKES PAGE 4

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NEWS

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Is the ‘drunk tank’ real?

By SAMANTHA GEBERT News Writer

Students call it the “drunk tank.”

Notre Dame prefers the term “Public Safety Office” to describe the place where it deposits intoxicated students and fans during home football games.

NDPD Chief of Police, Keri Kei Shibata, said Public Safety Office protocol depends on each particular situation.

“What we’re focused on is, first and foremost, everyone’s safety,” Shibata said. “If someone is intoxicated and a risk to themselves or others … typically, they ended up going through the Public Safety Office. We don’t refer to it as the ‘drunk tank.’ It is the Public Safety Office.”

When asked how frequently situations happen, Shibata said that the numbers depend on the game.

“One thing that really impacts this is weather,” she explained.

“When it’s a hot weather game, people tend to be more impacted medically, and so we’ll often end up seeing more people on those hot weather games.”

The number of visitors to the Public Safety Office can range from one or two to 15, Shibata said. She explained that most are released to sober companions.

For the upcoming game, Shibata

said that the cooler and rainy weather should help the office in a “positive direction.” “[The weather] may cause some people not to come out to the game or the tailgates or at least won’t exacerbate things with heat,” she said.

Shibata explained that anyone who is very intoxicated or exhibiting behaviors that are against stadium policies, not just students, will be escorted to the Public Safety Office.

At the Public Safety Office, the intoxicated or otherwise incapacitated person is evaluated for their medical health safety first.

If they are not in need of further medical attention, Shibata said her office asks them to find a sober companion.

A sober companion “has to be the same gender,” according to University spokesperson Sue Ryan.

The sober companion must “take responsibility for them and get them safely to their dorm or their home,” without just dropping the incapacitated person off, Ryan said. The Public Safety Office does not release to boyfriends or girlfriends, Ryan clarified.

“We also issue them what we call a ‘game day ban’ … which says you’re not allowed to come back into the stadium today,” Shibata said.

In the case of a student who visits the Public Safety Office, there is a conduct process.

“If it is a Notre Dame student who’s involved at the Public Safety Office … then the report would come to our office for review,” said Heather Ryan, director of the Community Standards.

At the Office of Community Standards (OCS), University staff will determine if there was a policy violation or not. In the case of Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross students, Ryan refers them to her colleagues at those institutions.

“Prior to 2008 there was a time when there was a lot more criminal enforcement that was happening,” Shibata said. “There were times when we might have 70 people arrested on a game day.”

However, after concern voiced by the community and students, changes were made, Shibata explained.

“In 2008 Fr. Jenkins put together a committee to review, led by a Board of Trustees member,” she said.

The committee looked at how other universities and professional sports teams handled public safety on game days. The Office of Game Day Management was established as a result, Shibata said.

Contact Samantha Gebert at sgerbert01@saintmarys.edu

Strikes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

intelligence, on the entertainment industry.

She explained the recent reduction in creative labor, the struggles writers have faced from smaller writers’ rooms and how writers have shorter terms of employment. In order to be on the union’s preferable health insurance plan, writers must work at least 13 weeks a year, which many were struggling to meet.

Hynes noted that the recent movement had been a long time coming. The technological change that accompanied the advent of streaming spurred companies to try and reduce labor costs in ways that negatively impacted workers. This reached a peak with a near-strike in 2017, but it was averted with a last-minute deal.

For actors, Ways explained their wages didn’t rise despite streaming services increasing the number of shows being produced, resulting in greater profits for the companies.

Individuals also didn’t earn residuals for their shows on streaming services, and increased auditions without pay forced them to take more time away from other jobs.

In addition to these issues, the Screen Actors Guild strike seeks to augment the number of

background actors on sets, ensure AI protection for its members and reduce the amount of working time required for insurance.

Ways spoke to the actors’ resilience when facing resistance from the studios, who believed the actors wouldn’t have the funds to maintain the strike.

“Artists have always struggled,” he said. “We’ve always been able to have side gigs … and we’ve always had that grind mentality.”

Levis spoke to the ways artificial intelligence has influenced the recent labor conflicts.

“AI is kind of introducing a new creative medium to this film and technology space,” she said.

She explained that generative AI is developed using large quantities of data, which requires significant labor to produce. This means it can affect writers in two ways, both in the use of writers’ work to enhance new AI functions and in its potential to replace writers in the industry.

For actors, the advancement of AI art revives old questions about the rights actors have to their likeness, as new programs can produce what is essentially their image from a photo of the individual, she said.

You can read the rest of this story online at ndsmcobserver.com.

Contact Keira Stenson at kstenson@nd.edu

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

By CLAIRE LYONS Viewpoint Editor

There is something so American about fall.

You may want to argue with me, cherry-picking examples of American nationalism like Fourth of July celebratory pool parties or monster trucks and Mountain Dew and mullets. You may even point at pickup trucks and blue jean shorts.

But despite the overwhelming prevalence of summer vibes in American aesthetics, the true season of the United States is fall.

For me, the foundation of the country was not Independence Day, but Thanksgiving — the day we all learn about in kindergarten through the story of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock. Although some of it is legend, I like to think the historical feast between the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims was the first instance of the great American melting pot in action.

Then take for example other great instances of American culture: back-to-school season (in the fall), American football (in the fall), apple pies and pastries (in the fall), harvests and hay bales (in the fall), Halloween (in the fall), etc.

This is how we set the lush autumn scene of Cartoon Network’s 2014 animated miniseries “Over the Garden

By ASHLEY HEDGE Scene Writer

Writer and director Chloe Domont is bringing back the erotic thriller, as her impassioned feature debut “Fair Play” takes Netflix’s No. 1 movie spot upon its release. The film, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival where it was purchased for $20 million by Netflix, stars Phoebe Dynevor (“Bridgerton”) and Alden Ehrenreich (“Solo: A Stars Wars Story”) as financial analysts at a Manhattan hedge fund.

What begins as a seductively playful relationship, as Emily (Dynevor) and Luke (Ehrenreich) are forced to hide their new engagement at their shared workplace, quickly devolves into interactions fraught with violent undertones and psychosexual implications.

The movie opens with Emily staring out into a calm ocean, solitary amongst the party of wedding guests stationed in the background, unaware of the chaos about to enter her life. When Luke proposes minutes later, driven by lust and alcohol, the stage is officially set. This budding excitement is only heightened when Emily overhears that Luke is slotted to be promoted to the hedge fund’s recently vacated portfolio manager position. Luke’s words that night, as he asks a smiling Emily, “How did I get

Wall.” Leaves fall in a forest of orange-hued trees. Two brothers wander around in vintage clothing — overalls and a cloak. Birds talk. Frogs sing on steamboats. A small town full of pumpkin-headed people never want you to leave. There are witches and an ominous undefined entity known as The Beast. The show constantly toes the line between creepy and comfortable. But that’s because you’re in the Unknown, where nothing is as it seems.

In the same way Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films are distinctively Japanese, the creators of “Over the Garden Wall” have managed to create a show that feels distinctively American. “Over the Garden Wall” is not only timeless in its setting but in its stunning 2D animation.

The almost hand-drawn style of the show is reminiscent of early Walt Disney Studios with visual inspirations that range from American animator Max Fleischer (of “Popeye” and “Betty Boop”) to vintage Halloween postcards.

But what happens when a story that’s intended to preserve part of our culture gets lost?

Over the summer, Max announced the miniseries would be leaving the platform on Aug. 31, exactly two months before Halloween, its peak viewing period.

Although there are other ways to access the series online through Hulu or Amazon Prime, some fans took this as an attack on the cult classic. Cartoon Network has

notoriously treated their miniseries poorly, only showing reruns of “Over the Garden Wall” during October and relegating “Infinity Train,” another acclaimed animated miniseries, to obscurity.

Even one of the creators of the show, Patrick McHale, was concerned, claiming he “hope[s] somebody is out there ripping & saving all the stuff on all these streaming services because I’m pretty sure so much of it is gonna just disappear and become lost media.”

Elisa Guimarães of Collider argues that the preservation of cult classics requires streaming services to implement a curatorial component in their available selections or for more fans to invest in physical media. So far, these strategies haven’t been widely implemented.

One thing is for certain: the accessibility of “Over the Garden Wall” presents fans with an incredibly urgent question. In a modern and diverse vision of the modern United States, the American Dream looks different for everyone. So what exactly does folklore look like?

Is “Over the Garden Wall” a niche piece of lost media that harkens back to a homogenous and oversimplified American identity? Or does the miniseries preserve a nostalgic aspect of American culture that we keep deciding to forget?

so lucky?” while they share a steamy shower, perfectly encapsulates the masculine intonation of the film’s opening.

However, Luke’s world and the implied patriarchal hierarchy within the firm are turned upside down when Emily is instead promoted. Emily, now her fiance’s boss, must learn to circumvent the male dominance asserted in her new position both at work and within the couple’s shared apartment.

From that point on, the film is a building of inordinate erotic tensions as the couple spirals down and away from each other.

In a show of abrasive masculine pride, Luke capitalizes on any opportunity to tear down Emily. Littered with misogynistic comments and attitudes, he critiques the way she dresses and her business decisions while also insinuating Emily slept her way to the top. He says he only got the position because of optics, saying, “They just needed a f*cking woman to look good.”

Any empathy that might have been garnered from the audience for Luke is systematically deconstructed as details of his privileged background and general ineptitude for the job are gradually revealed. Emily, who attended an Ivy League on a scholarship and has an innate proficiency in the finance field, quickly becomes the star of the show.

In a film that raises questions of male fragility and feminine rage, Dynevor masterfully portrays all the dualistic qualities sought after in women in society. She is rigid when she needs to be but not unable to let loose.

She is fun and uptight. She is professional and personal.

She is confident yet persuaded by Luke to go against her instincts.

Using a striking control of body language and cues, Dynevor’s ability to express her character through the most minute details is an exemplary accentuation of the dichotomy of sexual stereotypes and gender roles in the film.

The psychosexual thriller culminates with a reclaiming of power by Dynevor’s character in a show of physical violence, reversing the earlier rape by Ehrenreich’s Luke. The perfunctory “I am done with you” ends the film in a conclusive way that somehow still leaves the audience on the edge of their seat. The web of tension was weaved so thoroughly throughout the performance that any resolution would have likely felt hasty.

Domont’s feminist-shaded vision unveils an erotic and manic representation of sexual and psychological relationships when the traditional masculine trappings of society are reversed.

Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu

Contact Ashley Hedge at ahedge@nd.edu TREY PAINE | The Observer

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

Put the ‘break’ back in fall break

INSIDE COLUMN

Hot or not Christina Sayut Graphics Editor

Claire Lyons Viewpoint Editor

Six months ago, I wrote my first “Hot or not” list. I felt like I was going through a rebrand — deciding what is best for me and how I wanted the rest of my year to look. I loved doing a deep dive into my subconscious and thinking about the people and things in my life that spark joy. In October, I have continued to ponder my list and have identified what is now in my current cycle of things that are hot and things that are not.

Personally, I choose to believe that this list is going to be my ride-or-die for the rest of the semester. I will catch you in the spring with an updated list, but for now enjoy my current thoughts and joys.

Hot List: 1. Hot coffee and tea: The weather is dropping and so are my domer dollars. Someone get a dirty chai in my hand ASAP. I’ve been counting down the days until I could stop holding a cold cup but instead hold something warm.

2. HALL STAFF KARAOKE ROUNDS! If you have any requests, send me an email. I love walking through the halls of Lyons with my bright pink karaoke mic, singing Taylor Swift at the top of my lungs.

3. Student journalism (and doing graphics for The Observer!) There is nothing I love more than spending hours in the basement of South Dining Hall, thinking about sports.

4. Saying “I love you.” If you have hung out with me at least once, the odds that I have said these words to you are so high. I will never regret saying “I love you” to someone.

5. Andrew. McGuinness. My favorite Sports Editor (sorry, Aidan Thomas). Who else would let me text him random thoughts at any hour of the day?

6. Celebrating half-birthdays. My half-birthday recently passed, and the only person who wished me a happy half-birthday was Andrew.

What is that about? It is the halfway point through your year! Tell your friends happy half-birthday!

7. Diet Coke. To be so completely honest, this never left. Every day I am grateful for the fact that I can drink Diet Coke. Something about that carbonated beautiful drink will never not make me smile.

8. Walking around in chilly air. As the temperatures continue to drop, I will not stop going outside for my silly little Hot (Cold?) Girl Walks.

9. Afternoon naps. Maybe it is because I have been sleeping less at night, but something about napping from the hours of 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. is so exciting.

10. Quietly playing guitar in a group of friends. The current craze of my friends includes something called “quiet guitar time with scheduling”, where I sit and play songs on the guitar while my friends go through their schedules. It makes overwhelming times feel a little more bearable.

Not List: 1. Feeling embarrassed. The world is too big to worry about what other people think! I have realized that I rarely think about what the people around me are doing, so why would they be doing that to me?

2. Not attending section social. Please hang out with your RAs. They are trying so hard. Eat their snacks, and do the silly little activities!

3. Being abroad for a semester. This is only because I am salty and I miss my friends (ISA COME HOME!) The semester has felt long and hard without some of my closest friends here.

4. Summer clothing. It is now time to transition into the muted colors and long sleeves. I am expecting to stop seeing shorts and instead start seeing flannels over hoodies. There is no reason to be wearing flip-flops in 40 degree weather.

5. Stressing about midterms. It is fall break, baby! Finally time to relax, go to Nashville, see some family members, do anything other than work. I know that personally I will not check my email until I get back to campus.

6. DH Grill Line. Does not matter which dining hall it is, I do not want to step foot in the grill line. We are past the season of cheeseburgers and hamburgers, it is time to be for real.

7. Forks. As I mentioned earlier, it is getting cold. Let’s not lie to ourselves and eat things that need a fork. We should be eating soups now.

Forks need to go.

8. Walking past The Observer Print Edition. If you see the paper, I am expecting you to pick it up. Countless hours go into making this paper a reality, and it is always worth the read.

See you guys on the flippity-flip, and have a fun and safe fall break!

You can contact Christina Sayut at csayut@nd.edu.

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

Friday marks the beginning of fall break.

Believe it or not, Notre Dame is one of few institutions to have a full week break in the middle of the fall semester. Many other schools only have a long weekend or plug away until Thanksgiving.

Fall break represents different things to different people. For some of us — and most of our editorial board — it may be one of the last breaks we get before we start our jobs. One thing is universal, though: this week will go by fast. Faster than you’d want it to, in all likelihood. That makes it even more important to maximize what you get out of this brief oasis before the semester picks back up again. When fall break concludes, summer will be a distant memory and Halloween will be knocking on the door.

Here are a few things to keep in mind over the next 12 days.

Sleep Do: Establish a sleep schedule.

Creating a consistent sleep schedule is often a New Year’s resolution or a resolution at the start of the school year. You tell yourself the importance of it in the days leading up to the start of the year, get eight hours the first few nights. And

then, before you know it you’re up at 4 a.m. more times than you can count.

The life of a college student is one full of late nights, early mornings and an endless supply of coffee and energy drinks. But sleep is a truly incredible thing. When done right, it improves physical and mental health, along with many other benefits, but you don’t fully appreciate them until you’re actually benefiting from them.

Yet, sleep isn’t just about quantity — quality matters too. Having a consistent sleep schedule allows the body to maintain its circadian rhythm, which has significant long-term benefits such as a lower chance of heart disease.

Whether you’re a night owl or an early riser, having a schedule and sticking to it can maximize your wellness, even if you’re not getting as much total sleep as you’d like.

Don’t: Cram all your sleep into one week.

Yes, you’re technically averaging eight hours of sleep if you sleep 12 hours every day of break and four hours the next week or two. No, that isn’t what you should be doing, nor is it effective!

It won’t prevent sleep deprivation when those short nights start to pile up. Instead, it will hurt your long-term memory and can build stress.

Sleep is a marathon, not a sprint, so make sure to treat it as such.

You can read the rest of this editorial at ndsmcobserver.com.

The gift of fall break Kat Regala The Absurd-ver

Next week is fall break. You may be driving home to watch movies and walk your dog at home. You may be jet-setting to an all-inclusive resort to sit on the beach and drink pina coladas.

You may be strapping on your boots for a service or religious discernment trip. You may be bunkering down here on campus to work on your thesis or enjoy your room all to yourself.

Regardless of where you are going and what you’re doing, we are all privileged with the same gift: the college break. For one week in the middle of the semester, we get to drop everything and enjoy a week doing whatever we want. In the narrow transition from one half to another, we are able to reflect on the highs and lows of our semester thus far, regroup and prepare for what is ahead.

During my fall and spring breaks thus far, I have gone home to Naples, Florida, to lie on the beach and relive my high school existence with my parents. I have traveled to Rome, where I got to enjoy a nearly empty Sistine Chapel thanks to the tourist off-season. I’ve hiked around Yosemite with my sister and mother. I have explored (and gotten very lost) around Cuba with limited Spanish and internet. That’s all to say: I have had very fortunate and unique experiences afforded to me by my privilege and the time afforded to me.

While I have had four idyllic weeks, that is not to say that break is always perfect. It can mean going home and navigating complex and taxing family dynamics that we are sheltered from during the semester. It can also be financially taxing as it presents new costs, like food and travel, that we don’t have to think about on campus. It can also be incredibly lonely and isolating, as we

have to do without our existing social structures and regular schedules.

For me, break beckons the mental challenge that persists throughout the semester: how can I separate the work and responsibilities of my Notre Dame existence from my personal life? Up until now, school and extracurriculars occupied their own separate spaces. I may have had homework or activities that crawled into my bedroom and weekends, but there were at least some delineations between my “student” and “free” time.

In my college experience, such delineations are nonexistent. During the semester, school never stops. There’s no clocking in and out of “school” time and “free” time. In this messy bubble, academic, extracurricular, social and personal are so deeply intertwined physically and temporally that I find it hard to disentangle one from another.

So, when a semester break rolls around, even as I am engaged with the luxury of something like a hike through nature or a meal with family and friends, I find it difficult to mentally separate myself from my life as a student. I feel myself reaching for the book I need to read for next week’s class or checking GroupMe to see what I have to do for my clubs.

You can read the rest of this column at ndsmcobserver.com.

Kat Regala is a junior studying the Program of Liberal Studies with minors in Computing and Digital Technology and Science, Technology and Values. She originally hails from Naples, Florida, but loves traveling. When not reading or writing, you can find her drinking coffee, practicing yoga or binge-watching reality television.

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

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

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These are my Roman Empires Meg Tamura Subject to Change

If you’re on TikTok, or even if you’re not, you might be familiar with the Roman Empire trend. Women ask the men in their lives — whether that be a boyfriend, husband, dad, brother or friend — how often they think about the Roman Empire. The seemingly random question took off into a trend as the men in these videos casually explained that they think about the ancient empire quite often — from every day to multiple times a week to a few times a month — to the surprise and confusion of many. I think it’s a harmless and fun trend that reveals how pretty random things that might not have obvious ties to our everyday lives can take up a significant part of our minds. It’s an interesting insight into our individual and collective internal worlds and the thoughts that fill them. So, after watching a few of these videos, it got me thinking about what my Roman Empires are. What are some of the specific and random things that I find myself thinking about every few days, weeks, months or simply more often than necessary?

1. The Titanic Ever since I watched the movie years ago and learned more about this infamous historical event, the story and tragedy of the Titanic have taken up a weirdly significant amount of space in my brain.

Maybe it’s the natural human tendency to be curious about tragedy and drama, but the sinking of the famous ship and the countless stories of its victims and survivors are simultaneously devastating and fascinating. I think it’s not just a sad story about a ship that sunk. It’s a real-life revelation of how people will make choices — both selfish and self less — in the midst of panic while being forced to face their mortality. It reveals how socio-economic class can literally correlate with chances of survival, the cost

of human hubris, how no amount of industrial progress and advanced technology is above failure and so much more. It’s no wonder that the Titanic has captivated the world and inspired films, books and even more tragedy.

2. Chicago’s Alleyways Maybe I don’t think about this too often when I’m in South Bend, but this was something I found myself thinking about most days when I was living in Chicago this summer and subsequently whenever I find myself in a big city. One of the first things I notice when I’m in Chicago is how clean the city is when compared to other places like New York City.

After doing a little research into why, I learned that the city’s many alleyways — narrowly tucked into most neighborhoods and appearing everywhere within the maze of Chicago’s dense urban structure — are the reason. Alleys often go unnoticed or are seen as dirty and dangerous. However, they serve important roles in cities for sanitary, communal and even environmental reasons. Someone even called alleys the “capillaries of [a] city’s circulation system,” and I just think that’s beautiful. We don’t think they’re important if we think about them at all, but they impact life in cities tremendously. This Roman Empire might have more to do with my interest in the design of cities and in urbanism in general, but I still find it fascinating and something I think about weirdly often.

3. Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show This one shouldn’t need too much explaining. I just think everything Rihanna does — from her music to her businesses to her style — is insanely cool, and her halftime show is honestly the only thing I remember from the Super Bowl. I’m literally listening to Rihanna as I write this column.

4. The Concept of Time Obviously, we all think about time everyday. It

governs when we wake up, when we go to class, when we meet up with friends, when we go (or try to go) to sleep and basically every other detail of our everyday lives. But I often find myself questioning time and the power we all give it. When did time “begin,” and when did people start recording it? Who decided a minute is 60 seconds and an hour is 60 minutes?

Is time a real, scientific “thing” or is it more like a philosophical concept? Is there anything else in the world that every single person alive uniformly follows and is governed by in the same way? Does time f low continuously, or is it broken down into seconds, milliseconds and even smaller? On one level, time is just what we blindly follow and obey (not that that’s a bad thing, it’s just how the world is), but on another level it’s almost like a big, existential question mark. I try not to think about it too much on this second level because only headaches and existential crises lie that way.

These are a few of my Roman Empires. Evidently, they’re mostly extremely unrelated to my daily life and also are very impractical and unnecessary things to be thinking about as often as I do. Maybe it’s a waste of time and I should be dedicating this brain space to more “productive” ventures, but I think it’s important to have these random things that interest us enough to take up space and time in our minds. The world, our lives and their pasts, presents and futures are vast and filled with so many compelling periods, events and people. I think it’s worth dedicating some of our time to dwell on it all. We spend so much time in our own heads that we might as well allow them to be interesting places.

Meg is a senior majoring in political science and minoring in data science and business economics. Besides writing, she enjoys spending time with the people she loves, riding on public transportation and listening to good music.

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

In defense of the fangirl Moira Quinn Working Title

When the news broke that Zayn Malik left One Direction, I was in the middle of dance class. During a water break, everybody was chatting with one another and checking for missed text notifications when suddenly two girls audibly gasped in sync with one another. They ran to the bathroom and did not return for upwards of 20 minutes, leaving the rest of us utterly confused. The girls eventually made their way back and announced the gut-wrenching news to the group as tears streamed down their faces. It was at this very moment that I realized I wasn’t the boy band’s number one fan after all.

The dictionary definition of a fangirl is a girl or woman who is an extremely or overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something. It’s a tale as old as time, dating back to the era of indomitable celebrities such as the Beatles and Elvis Presley. Icons from a variety of entertainment genres continue to get swarmed by the female population’s love and admiration, proving themselves to be the backbone of their success. Women of all ages pride themselves on their commitment to the parasocial relationships they have formed with these artists, going long lengths to defend and support them throughout their careers. And by the looks of it, there is simply no end in sight.

Fangirls are powerful, there’s no doubt about it.

Without them, stars in the limelight would most likely not be able to pursue their artistic dreams and inf luence our world like they do today. These are the people crashing Ticketmaster, aiding world

tours to get sold out. They are the ones going to see a movie not because of the plot, but because Timothée Chalamet is in it. They are the viewers spiking the streaming numbers of Chiefs games because Taylor Swift might just be in the box. They are the buyers of movie and band posters that wind up covering every inch of teenage bedroom walls. In other words, fangirls make the world go round.

I myself am a self-proclaimed fangirl and love gushing about my favorite people and things in pop culture. When I was younger, I idolized Selena Gomez so much that I cut my own hair in hopes to replicate her hairdo in “Wizards of Waverly Place.”

After rewatching “Dawson’s Creek” for the third time, I still stand by my decision to be Team Pacey over Team Dawson. There is even a Miles Teller poster carefully taped on the wall in my dorm by me and my roommates. I genuinely think Gracie Abrams and I would make good friends, and refer to Patrick Dempsey as my boyfriend even though he does not know of my existence and seems to be happily married. The culture of being a fan allows for community building and an outlet to express our identities in fun, lighthearted ways.

While I believe fangirls are a rather positive inf luence on our society, others seem to disagree. Urban Dictionary defines the word as a female fan, obsessed with something or someone to a frightening or sickening degree. The demeaning idea that fangirls are off the charts annoying is inaccurate, as it expresses the idea that if you are a woman, your opinions on certain topics are invalid. Sure, there are levels to fandoms, and some people are far more invested than others, but who is one to judge the way something means towards a complete stranger?

Why is it that women are described in this manner while there are men hyperfixating on their own interests but no one makes a peep? How is a woman’s love for their favorite musician or actor different from a man’s love for fantasy football?

My intention is not to undermine men or their passions, as they are entitled to fanboying just as much as I am to fangirling; however, I do believe there is a double standard. Being a fan is an inevitable part of the human experience, especially in the era of the internet and all things hyper digital. I do not think fangirls are vapid or insane, but rather incredibly admirable, as they have a deep passion for art and the people who create it. They understand the impact these people have provided for their respective communities and the way they try to unify others through their works. Being an artist means speaking to the world in unique ways. Fangirls know how to celebrate this, whether it be through fan pages, edits, wearing merch and many other mediums. I think everybody can learn from them as they are not afraid to share their excitement to the world.

So to all the Swifties, Harries, Beliebers, Arianators and all other fandom members with or without a catchy group name, never underestimate the power you have as a fan. You are the unsung heroes of the biggest pop culture inf luences. Be proud of that!

Moira Quinn is a junior at Saint Mary’s College studying communication. When she isn’t writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound.

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

8

SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

SPORTS COLUMN

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Miller: Would rain help Irish?

Jake Miller Senior Sports Writer

This summer, I lived right next to USC. When people ask me about my feelings towards southern California, the first thing I bring up is the beautiful weather.

During my three months in Los Angeles, it never rained.

While it got brutally hot at times, it was nice to know that the weather wouldn’t serve as a major impediment to my plans.

USC has the great benefit of being able to practice outside nearly every day. In the rare case when there is poor weather, USC has limited options. The Trojans have a very small 30-yard turf field that barely extends past the hash. It’s mainly used for walkthroughs. Kickers and punters can’t practice, and many passes would hit the facilities’ ceiling. Bottom line: USC doesn’t have the benefit of being fully ready for poor weather.

Notre Dame has a much nicer indoor facility, but the Irish also have the benefit of being able to practice in poor conditions. This past week, South Bend has seen temperatures in the mid-50s.

Los Angeles still has highs in the 80s. Practicing in the cold and rain isn’t luxurious, but if a team is able to do it, it gives them a stark advantage during the game — one that Lincoln Riley’s team isn’t used to. Saturday night’s forecast looks damp, with temperatures in the low 50s following a rainy 24 hours.

USC’s running game This week, Riley has been simulating rain at practice.

Coaches are using water gun-like devices to spray returners when they receive punts. Riley’s offense will have to adapt its pass-heavy scheme. However, running back MarShawn Lloyd has actually been just as effective as Caleb Williams. I calculated effective average yards per play, which factors quarterback incompletions into their stat line. Caleb Williams averages about 7.3 yards per play. Lloyd averages about 7.7 yards per play.

Obviously, this conclusion has its limits, as a team can only run the ball so much before the defense can predict its every move. However, Notre Dame’s run defense hasn’t been stellar this year, currently sitting at 59th among FBS teams, allowing 132.9 yards per game.

The Irish have seen poor play at the defensive end position, and they have had to heavily rely on three graduate students, defensive tackle Howard Cross and linebackers Marist Liufau and JD Bertrand.

All three play nearly every snap. If Saturday night is rainy, the defense will rotate more, forcing Al Golden to send out players with less experience and less physicality.

Evaluating USC’s passing game Additionally, in the passing game, USC has relied on long passes this year.

Top wide receiver Tahj Washington averages 21.7 yards per reception; his colleague Brenden Rice averages 20.7 yards per reception. Notre Dame wants opposing teams to pass.

Top corners Benjamin Morrison and Cam Hart match up well against most FBS wide receivers. The weather takes this opportunity away. Obviously, USC’s passing game is one of the country’s best, but it’s simultaneously an area where Notre Dame tends to perform well.

Caleb Williams hasn’t utilized the QB keeper much this year, running for 124 yards so far — although he also has six rushing touchdowns. Surely, we’ll see Williams keep the ball more frequently tomorrow night.

Ultimately, USC doesn’t have experience practicing or playing in poor conditions. However, USC’s offensive scheme may work well in a stormy environment. In coming years, USC will have to be sure it can adapt to the cold as it joins the Big Ten. But until then, Saturday’s matchup in South Bend will serve as a sneak peek at what is to come.

Contact Jake Miller at jmille89@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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Neri: Best ‘bad’ college football game of the week Danny Neri Senior Sports Writer

There has been no shortage of non-Power-5 football to watch so far this week, and there won’t be any time soon. We are currently in a stretch of 50 straight days of professional and college football action, which means there will be lots of mediocre matchups to follow in the coming weeks. But fear not, because I am here to help you sift through them and decide which of these is the best ‘bad’ game of the week.

Last week, I picked Liberty vs. Sam Houston State as the most interesting midweek matchup, and it did not disappoint. The now 0-5 Sam Houston Bearkats continued to show that they are better than their record indicates. The Liberty Flames, meanwhile, stayed perfect by showcasing their top-tier talent on both sides of the ball. While it was not the shootout I had predicted, there was plenty of highquality action throughout.

The Bearkats battled back from a 21-10 halftime deficit to find themselves down 21-16 with a fourth and goal from inside the 5-yard line.

However, a questionable play call led to a 50-50 ball in the back corner of the endzone, which was batted away, as the Flames managed to hang on in dramatic fashion.

With any luck, this week’s matchup will contain equal or better intensity in the late moments of the game.

WSOC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

made great saves throughout the game.

The match ended 4-1, w ith Florida State taking sole possession of first place in the ACC. Notre Dame is three points behind the Seminoles w ith 16 points in the conference.

Despite the loss, this game was particularly special for graduate student midfielder Kiki Van Zanten.

She was able to face off against her younger sister Mimi Van Zanten follow ing a substitution late in the first half.

Notre Dame has another difficult ACC matchup coming up against No. 3 North Carolina at 8 p.m. next Thursday.

Contact Nicolas Morles at nmorles@nd.edu

Memphis and Tulane are both mainstays in the American Conference. You may have seen their names f loating around in the lower end of the Top 25 rankings in the past few years. However, you may not know that both of these teams have recently made their way to the national stage by way of their respective New Year’s Six bowl games. Memphis saw their trip come in 2019, as they were ranked 15th in the Cotton Bowl against No. 13 Penn State, which they lost 53-39. Tulane, on the other hand, did them one better just last year, when they shocked No. 8 USC in the same contest.

Now, they both sit at 4-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play, looking to reassert their dominance over the A AC. On top of this, they both still have the potential to play their way to another New Year’s Six Bowl, which the top-ranked conference winner from the Group of 5 is guaranteed. What this means is that when these two conference rivals face each other Friday night, there will be both conference and national implications on the line.

Not only does the game itself have significant meaning, but the talent on both sides of the ball is more than worth the watch. This matchup will showcase talented running backs facing off against each other, as Makhi Hughes is coming off a 123-yard rushing game for the Tulane Green Wave,

averaging over five yards per carry on the season. Blake Watson secured his own 100+ yard rushing effort in the Memphis Tigers’ last matchup and is averaging nearly yards per carry himself.

The real separator in this clash, however, will likely come at the quarterback position. Tigers qaurterback Seth Henigan — a solid QB who enters into the game having thrown for 1,300-plus yards and 10 touchdowns — will match up against the Green Wave’s Michael Pratt, who is currently ranked as Mel Kiper’s No. 9 quarterback for the upcoming NFL Draft. Pratt has loads of arm talent and is currently completing 75% of his passes on the year. However, he is coming off of an injury and did not look sharp for most of his most recent game against UAB. All of these factors add up to what I believe should be an exciting Friday night matchup. There will be talent all over the field. A future NFLer at the quarterback position for Tulane. And, most importantly, a lot to play for between these two teams. If you’re looking for a college football appetizer before the main course Saturday, go ahead and throw this one on the TV. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Contact Danny Neri at dneri@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

9

HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA LAST*** LAST Happy Birthday: Make yourself heard. Say what’s on your mind and command attention precisely, calmly and quietly, and you will find your way to victory. Make decisiveness and mastering the art of communication your priorities. Getting along is half the battle. Know who you are dealing with, what you want and what you are willing to give in return, and everything will fall into place. Your numbers are 7, 18, 23, 25, 36, 39, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Speak the truth, do your own thing and don’t make waves. Sticking to your game plan and finishing what you start will help you alleviate interference. Update your skills to avoid falling behind or missing out on a chance to advance.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be receptive to what others are doing and decide on your version. Your insight will give you the edge to build worthwhile connections.

Your discipline and initiative will help you build a better life for yourself and those around you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Refuse to let anyone sidetrack you. Consider what you enjoy doing most, and polish your skills to fit the path that grabs your attention.

Refuse to let the past limit you or stand in your way. Embrace new beginnings and let go of regrets.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Slow down, examine what’s happening around you and consider your options. Don’t feel you have to bend or be a follower. Consider what excites you, and take the path that looks most promising. Let creativity guide you and discipline help you reach your destination.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Figure out what you want. An abrupt move will be costly.

Set boundaries with people who ask for too much. Use your knowledge and apply logic to every situation you face. Be a good listener and protect your reputation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Take more “me” time. Update your image, get fit and pay attention to your health and emotional well-being. Learn and apply new techniques to help you master the art of living a balanced lifestyle that builds strength of character, body, mind and soul.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Put your energy where it counts and pitch in and help a cause or someone in need. Use your insight and experience to guide you where personal matters concern you. Refuse to let anyone bait you into an argument or take advantage of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s up to you to make things happen. Shift into high gear and turn your dream into a reality. Focus on reputation, popularization, futuristic ideas and producing a statement of what’s to come. Pioneer your thoughts.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t give up when promoting what you offer is critical. Stand up for your rights, make yourself heard and put your skills to good use. Refuse to let someone else’s vision throw you off guard or disrupt your plans.

Trust in your ability.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Pay attention to what’s going on in your community. Staying on top of matters concerning family, finances and emotional well-being will make a difference when dealing with colleagues, friends and relatives. Don’t skip a beat when it comes time to say no.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Find out what’s available before participating in something unfamiliar. Staying on top of what’s new and exciting will help you keep your finger on the pulse. Do your homework and leave nothing to chance. Be smart when dealing with health, investments and legal matters.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Consider what’s expected of you before you get involved in a partnership of magnitude. Distance yourself from anyone who may put your reputation in jeopardy. High standards are necessary if you want to bring about positive change.

Birthday Baby: You are insightful, understanding and sensitive. You are methodical and responsive.

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10

SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

HISTORY OF THE MATCHUP

History of the Matchup: Notre Dame vs. USC

By CARL ALEXANDER Sports Writer

On Saturday, No. 21 Notre Dame looks to redeem itself at home against No. 10 USC after a tough road loss against Louisv ille.

The Irish and Trojans have been battling against each other for almost a centur y now. And it has now become one of the most iconic cross-coast rivalries in sports. Here’s a look at some of the more notable matchups from their 93-matchup histor y.

2005: USC 34, Notre Dame 31 Out of all of the matchups bet ween USC and Notre Dame, the legendar y “Bush Push” game is arguably the most iconic of them all. Coming into the game, USC was blazing hot w ith a 27-game w in streak. After a disappointing 6-6 season from the Irish the year prior, which resulted in the firing of head coach Ty rone Willingham, fans were just hoping for a competitive matchup.

This game would deliver that and then some.

Led by former Heismanw inning running back Reggie Bush, USC knocked off the Irish in controversial fashion. Bush had

Holt CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

success with a firm foundation in place. I am excited to continue the work and bring home championships in the years to come.”

Holt began her collegiate coaching career all the way back in 1990 at the Purdue University. She arrived in South Bend almost 20 years ago after a 13-year stint as head coach at South Florida. Holt achieved several impressive accomplishments coaching the Irish, culminating in the program’s first NCAA Finals appearance in 2011. The Irish won three Big East titles and 17 tournament championships during Holt’s time at the helm. She also helped individuals thrive on and off the course, which Holt says is the driving factor for returning from retirement.

“These women play for the love of the game and that is enough for them,” Holt said in the press release. “This is what has drawn me back into coaching collegiate golf. It is relationship-based, not transactional. My passion is teaching and these students have a strong desire to learn and have the work ethic to get better.”

a monster, 160-yard and three-touchdow n performance. On the other side, the Irish were led by quarterback Brady Quinn and w ide receiver Jeff Samardzija who delivered heroic performances in their ow n right. The Irish came w ithin inches taking dow n the nation’s number one team.

After the Trojans converted on a crucial fourth-andnine play, USC quarterback Matt Leinart rushed toward the goal line and fumbled out of bounds. Leinart fumbled the ball at the four-yard line and was w rongfully rewarded w ith a spot at the one-yard line.

This would lead to the controversial “Bush Push,” where Reggie Bush pushed his quarterback into the end zone on a sneak. At that time, pushing the ball carrier was against the rules.

However, USC would take advantage of the missed call and keep their massive w in streak alive.

2010: Notre Dame 20, USC 16 USC was an almost unbeatable powerhouse in the 2000s. The Irish had not been able to knock off the Trojans dating all the way back to 2001. However, w ith the departure of legendar y USC

head coach Pete Carroll and the addition of Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, both teams were shifting into new eras. With Carroll, who only lost to the Irish in his first season as head coach, gone, the Irish were hoping to finally take out their crosscoast rival.

Dow n 16-13 late in the 4th quarter, the Irish needed a big drive to finally get over the hump against their kr y ptonite. On a 77-yard, physical touchdow n drive led by quarterback Tommy Rees and running back Robert Hughes, the Irish delivered.

But Notre Dame still needed one more stop to seal the game. Irish safet y Harrison Smith would come up w ith a clutch interception and help Notre Dame secure their first w in against USC since 2001. This moment marked the beginning of a new era in South Bend.

2012: Notre Dame 22, USC 13 With an Irish trip to the BCS National Championship on the line, the Trojans looked to be spoilers. Led by star quarterback Everett Golson and linebacker Manti Te’o, the Irish were in position to play for the national title for the first time since 1988. In order to get there, they had to knock off their

rivals USC in a tough env ironment on the road.

Led by kicker Kyle Brindza’s stellar, five-field goal performance and a dominant defensive effort, the Irish secured their spot in the national title game.

And w ith another strong show ing, Te’o solidified himself as a Heisman finalist. The championship game may have not gone in the Irish’s favor, but it still does not take away from how monumental of a game their 2012 battle against the Trojans was.

2017: Notre Dame 49, USC 14 Outside of a close loss to college football powerhouse Georgia, the Irish had been prett y sharp leading up to their battle against 11th-ranked USC. Going up against a USC team led by star quarterback Sam Darnold, college football fans had high expectations for this matchup and expected a competitive battle.

However, it would end up being the most lopsided Irish w in in series histor y, a 49-14 v ictor y.

Notre Dame was ignited by linebacker Te’von Coney’s strip sack of Darnold. From then on, the game would turn into an absolute blowout w ith a 191-yard, threetouchdow n performance

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from star Irish running back Josh Adams. This game left Irish fans ecstatic about what was in store for the Irish throughout the rest of the season.

2022: USC 38, ND 27 In a dow n year for Irish standards, Notre Dame headed into the Coliseum as a major underdog. Going against a USC team led by Heisman candidate quarterback Caleb Williams, Notre Dame was in for a tough game. As expected, Williams would have his way against the Irish. A lthough Irish quarterback Drew Py ne had the best performance of his career, it was just simply not enough.

With a stellar 232-yard passing yard and threerushing touchdow n performance, Williams would firmly submit himself as the top Heisman candidate after the conclusion of the regular season. Williams would then go on to hold the trophy up in New York. The Irish finished the regular season w ith an 8-4 record and went on to defeat South Carolina in the Gator Bowl, ending the season on a high note coming into the 2023 season.

Contact Carl Alexander at calexan2@nd.edu

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Picks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Cardinals, a top-25 opponent — not to mention a rival — is one of the worst-case scenarios for the demoralized Irish. However, it seems that sometimes, when the moment calls for it, Notre Dame somehow pulls off a win while projected as a solid underdog. Expect Estimé to have his name in the spotlight again paired with some statement catches from Mitchell Evans to give the offense some momentum against the weaker Trojans defense, maybe in the form of an early first-quarter touchdown. If the Irish can rally and shut down quarterback Caleb Williams as much as possible — using the weather and crowd to their advantage while defeating their second enemy on the field (unnecessary penalties) — the Irish may just pull off a nailbiting, rebound win to set them up for the back half of the season.

Notre Dame 31, USC 28

Madeline Ladd, Associate Sports Editor This is a tough one. The Irish were embarrassed last week by Louisville, coming out flat, uninspired and unprepared. An ineffective offense and an abysmal performance by Sam Hartman contributed to the chaos of the game. Despite a solid effort from the defense, they were unable to keep the Louisville dam from bursting in the second half. Notre Dame’s exhaustion from its grueling schedule was

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

evident last weekend, but there is no break just yet. With playoff dreams crushed, the best the Irish can do this weekend is play spoiler to No. 10 USC and win back the Jeweled Shillelagh.

The glimmer of hope for this weekend is the Trojans’ weak defense, ranked 109th in the nation.

This is also truly the USC’s first test of the season against a top opponent. If Marcus Freeman can get his team’s mindset right and make smarter in-game decisions while the Irish get the offense going, avoid penalties and keep Caleb Wiliams under control, they have a chance.

Following true Notre Dame fashion of taking us on a roller coaster ride of a season, I think they fight to win the game and make the students’ fall break more enjoyable.

Notre Dame 38, USC 31

Matthew Crow, Associate Sports Editor The lead-up to Saturday feels a lot like it did for last year’s Clemson game, when the Irish surprisingly dominated the Tigers at home after having squandered most of their preseason hype. Notre Dame has the potential to turn its season around in the same way against USC. The Trojans’ lackluster defense provides the Irish offense with a clear opportunity to snap out of their three-game haze.

And USC’s Caleb Williams-led offense, while certainly impressive, has not matched up with a unit anywhere near as skilled as Notre Dame’s. USC has a clear PAID ADVERTISEMENT

edge if the game turns into a shootout. But with the crowd — and the forecasts for rain — on their side, the Irish will grind out a narrow win and regain a lot of positive energy for a program that has lacked it since the Louisville game.

Notre Dame 27, USC 24

Tom Zwiller, Senior Sports Writer Last week I wrote, “And this Louisville team should not be ranked.” That sentence is one I want back as Louisville made Notre Dame (and myself) look completely foolish for 30 minutes last week.

A 5-3 start heading into the bye would absolutely be a disappointment. Whether you are looking at it from the start of the season, or with 2:46 left in the Ohio State game.

Notre Dame still has a narrow path to victory, and this game might be the one that saves its season.

The USC defense obviously is poor. The six previous writers should have hit that point home already. I do think defensive lineman Bear Alexander can limit a lot of what the Irish want to do.

But if you can’t score against this defense, who are you going to score against?

Notre Dame’s defense has its work cut out for it. I think that it can limit Williams temporarily, but he will break through. The awful weather should help the Irish defense.

Call it blind optimism, call it trusting Vegas. Give me the Irish.

Notre Dame 31, USC 28

11

ND VOLLEYBALL

Irish hit road for next ACC games

By ANDREW McGUINNESS Sports Editor

The Notre Dame volleyball team was looking to establish a new identity at the start of this fall in the second year of the Salima Rockwell era. The best way to do that, of course, is to win. And the Irish did a lot of that early in the year, jumping out to an 8-2 start complete with a six-match winning streak.

Since then, the Irish have faced some more adversity.

They suffered their first losing streak of the year, dropping three straight matches before rallying from two sets down last Sunday to end the skid at North Carolina. Now, the Irish return home, where they’re 5-1 this season, and they still have to take on the Virginia Cavaliers and Pitt Panthers.

Virginia and Pitt enter this weekend with two very different seasons going. The Cavaliers, who the Irish face first Friday, have struggled.

They come into South Bend with a respectable 8-8 record but are just 1-5 in ACC play.

Virginia does have a strong block, ranking fourth in the conference with 243 blocks this season. Abby Tadder and Veresia Yon rank eighth and ninth, respectively, in the ACC in the block department. Milan Gomillion is seventh with 3.84 digs per set. Virginia also enters this match on a three-game losing streak that the Irish will look to push to four.

Pitt, on the other hand, has lost just two times all season.

The Panthers have been the bridesmaid to Louisville in the ACC the last two years, finishing as regular season runner-up both times.

They’re currently one of just two undefeated teams in conference play, tied with Florida State at 6-0. Pitt is outstanding defensively, leading the conference in opponent hitting percentage, assists, digs and kills, while also pacing the conference in blocks.

On an individual basis, Emma Monks is among the best Pitt, and the ACC as a whole, has to offer. Monks is second in the conference in hitting percentage and blocks, only trailing behind teammate Chiamaka Nwokolo in the latter department. Olivia Babcock is also second in the ACC in points per set, and she is currently one of just five players in the conference with an average above four. She’ll have some stiff competition from Irish junior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo, who leads the ACC by a wide margin. The gap between Palazzolo and Babcock is more than twice the difference between Babcock and 10th place Anna DeBeer of Louisville.

The Irish take on Virginia on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and No. 8 Pitt on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Both matches are available to watch in person at Purcell Pavilion and can also be viewed on ACC Network Extra.

Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu

SMC GOLF

Belles hire former Irish coach Holt

By Observer Sports Staff

Earlier this week, the Saint Mary’s golf team was dealt a surprise when head coach Jordan Koehler stepped down.

Koehler had been with the Belles since Feb. 2021, leading the Belles to 15 18-hole round victories during her tenure.

Saint Mary’s earned back-toback MIAA NCAA Tournament Automatic Qualifying bids in 2021 and 2022, reaching the Division III championship both times. However, Koehler left the program to accept an assistant coaching position at the University of Denver.

Her replacement is hardly

someone unfamiliar to women’s college golf in the South Bend area. Susan Holt served as head coach of the Notre Dame women’s golf team from 20062022, achieving plenty of success. Now, she’s coming out of retirement with hopes of leading the Belles to new heights.

“I want to thank Director of Athletics Julie Schroeder-Biek for this wonderful opportunity,” Holt said in a press release issued by Saint Mary’s on Thursday. “Saint Mary’s golf has a tradition of excellence and Coach Jordan Koehler has positioned this team for see HOLT PAGE 10

12

THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS

The Observer predicts Notre Dame vs. USC

By Observer Sports Staff

José Sánchez Córdova, Assistant Managing Editor As much as I want to be a student and a fan and say that Notre Dame will regain its early season form this weekend and beat rival USC, I can’t really bring myself to do it. There is a world where the Irish offense finally clicks again with a fully healthy Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse thriving against a subpar USC defense. It’s also possible the Irish defense rises to the occasion like it did for 59 minutes against Ohio State and contains Heisman winner Caleb Williams. But the harsh reality is that not much is going well for the Irish right now. They are one incredible Sam Hartman scramble away from three consecutive losses after a 4-0 start to the year. This weekend will be their eighth consecutive Saturday with a game, and fatigue already proved to be a factor against Louisville. Notre Dame’s anemic offense will need to put a lot of points to beat USC. I don’t think it happens. It’ll mostly be close, but a late USC score will put the game out of reach.

USC 38, Notre Dame 24 Andrew McGuinness, Sports Editor This seems like the worst

possible matchup for Notre Dame right now. A solid Irish defense is seemingly bound to be picked apart by Caleb Williams because that’s what he does to everybody.

The sluggish offense seems illequipped to take advantage of a sketchy USC secondary. Expect the Irish to re-establish the ground game, both to mask its lack of dependable receivers and to keep the ball away from Williams. This should be a big game for junior running back Audric Estimé and company regardless of how everything else plays out. If not, something terrible has gone wrong.

Notre Dame will hang around for most of the night, but the team simply doesn’t have the necessary firepower to take down the Trojans.

USC 35, Notre Dame 28

happens when a stoppable force meets a movable object? Notre Dame’s offense has been anemic the past three weeks, averaging just under 20 points a game. Alex Grinch’s USC defense, though, remains equally porous. Caleb Williams will all but certainly get his. Will Notre Dame’s offense be able to dig deep after three straight weeks of primetime struggles and match pace?

The pessimist in me says no, but rain in the forecast for Saturday makes me think the ground game could be a factor. The Irish ran all over Clemson en route to a massive spoiler win under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium last year.

I trust Vegas’ vision that a similar victory could be in the cards this week.

Notre Dame 38, USC 35

J.J. Post, Associate Sports Editor Third-century Chinese legalist philosophy book Han Feizi tells the story of a man who claims to sell both a spear that can pierce anything and a shield that can be pierced by nothing. It’s one of the earliest known pieces of literature proposing the well-known paradox of what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

Saturday’s game presents a new twist on the classic paradox. What

Emily DeFazio, Associate Sports Editor Any stock I put in my predictions died with the hope of a oneloss season last week in Louisville.

This team was supposed to enter this week with their heads held high. It put up a good show against Ohio State despite the loss and should have notched two consecutive road wins in enemy territory. Now, coming off of a depressing loss against the see PICKS PAGE 11

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish graduate student linebacker JD Bertrand readies for a play in Notre Dame’s 38-27 loss to USC at the LA Coliseum on Nov. 26, 2022.

ND WOMEN’S SOCCER

Seminoles pull away from Irish for 4-1 win, claim sole possession of first in ACC

By NICOLAS MORLES Sports Writer

In a marquee ACC matchup on Thursday, Irish women’s soccer traveled to Tallahassee to play the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles. For the Irish, this match followed a dominant 7-2 w in against Miami earlier in the week.

Despite its prev iously excellent show ing, Notre Dame had to be elite in order to earn a result from this match. Entering this game, the Seminoles had a perfect record of 27-0-0 at home when ranked number one all-time.

Early in the irst half, it was clear that the match would be hard-fought for the Irish. Despite a strong press from Notre Dame that

forced interceptions, the Seminoles struck first in the match. In the eighth minute, a strong run through traffic from for ward Jordynn Dudley set up midfielder Onyi Echegini for a goal inside the box. Moments later, Dudley had an opportunit y to raise Florida State’s lead to two. But she was denied by freshman goalkeeper Atlee Olofson’s clean save.

After the opening goal, Notre Dame maintained a more defensive shape, dropping back and allow ing the Seminoles to have the majorit y share of possession. However, the Irish were still dangerous on the counterattack. A def lected shot from freshman for ward Meg Mrow icki created trouble for Cristina Roque, the

Florida State goalkeeper. But nothing came of it and the Seminole lead held.

Olofson was tested again after a perfectly weighted through ball left Dudley open in the box.

The young keeper reacted perfectly, div ing to her right to collect the ball.

This save set up the Irish for a play on the other end of the ball as well.

Excellent dribbling from sophomore midfielder Leah K lenke preceded a cur ved shot that went just w ide of the post.

Notre Dame continued to show fight despite pressure from the Seminoles and got an equalizer in the 29th minute. K lenke’s run dow n the w ing opened her up for a cross into the box, which was met w ith a header by graduate student

midfielder Kristina Lynch.

Lynch, a former Seminole, beat her defender to put the ball in the corner of the box w ith ease.

This goal marked the end of a three-game shutout streak for Florida State.

After the equalizer, the momentum began to shift in favor of Notre Dame.

The Irish had opportunities to take the lead on shots from freshman for ward Charlie Codd and freshman midfielder Morgan Roy that forced saves from Roque.

The match continued its intensit y for the rest of the first half, w ith both teams creating potential goalscoring opportunities. Florida State was able to convert on its chance, however, w ith a shot outside the box by

Echegini ending up inside the near post.

Notre Dame reverted to its defensive form at the start of the second half, entering the last 45 minutes dow n 2-1. Florida State maintained a strong press throughout the second, keeping Notre Dame on the back foot for most of the half. The Irish kept their cool defensively until a back heel from Jody Brow n ended up in the back of the net.

Notre Dame was unable to generate much on offense and Florida State continued to press the Irish defense. Leilanni Nesbeth extended the Florida State lead to 4-1 w ith a strong shot outside the box late in the match. Despite conceding four goals, Atlee Olofson see WSOC PAGE 8

INSIDER

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | THE OBSERVER

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FREEMAN COLUMN

Sánchez Córdova: Freeman’s honeymoon period is now over

By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assistant Managing Editor

When Notre Dame hired Marcus Freeman as head football coach in December 2021, it seemed like a slam-dunk appointment. As an Irish fan, it was hard to watch that video of the players going crazy at the announcement of his promotion from defensive coordinator and feel anything but excitement.

In many ways, the momentum of that hire kept Notre Dame football going for a while. Fans love Freeman, and he’s the kind of coach that is easy to root for. At the time, he felt like the right man to lead Notre Dame back to the top echelon of college football.

Freeman came with a great background, learning under Luke Fickell at Cincinnati and building a top-tier defense for the Bearcats. In 2020, He was a finalist for the Broyles Award given to the best assistant coach in college football. In his first year in South Bend, the Irish defense ranked 15th in the country in points allowed per game. Brian Kelly did a lot of good for Notre Dame, but Freeman made Irish fans excited for the future.

In Freeman’s first game

in charge, Notre Dame lost the Fiesta Bowl to Oklahoma State. It was a big blown lead, but who could blame him?

He’d only been in charge for a few weeks at that point. The Freeman hype train rolled into the offseason unhalted.

The following 2022 season started with sky-high expectations. Notre Dame played a top-five matchup against Ohio State to open the season. At the time, a lot of the focus was on Freeman’s first season and a game against his alma mater.

Despite the loss in that game, Notre Dame looked decent, leading the Buckeyes at the half and giving Irish fans a lot of reason to believe.

The 2022 season didn’t end up panning out as well as many had hoped after Ohio State.

Tyler Buchner’s injury and the loss to Marshall the next week derailed the season, but the dismantling of Clemson kept people on board with Freeman.

After all, he was still only a first-year coach and he had lost his starting quarterback.

This year there are no such excuses. This team was built to win this year. Graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman coming in for his final season of eligibility was supposed to be the missing piece the Irish

needed. Instead, by the first weekend of October, Notre Dame has already fallen short of expectations again.

In some ways, there has been progress from year one under Freeman. The Irish have comfortably beat all the unranked teams on their schedule. A year ago, you couldn’t really say that. They were the better team for the majority of the Ohio State game. They faced an elite program and after 60 minutes, it felt like the Irish had wasted a major opportunity rather than having simply been beaten by a better team.

Then they played terribly against Duke and somehow managed to sneak out of Durham with a win. Last week’s loss against Louisville was the kind of performance that makes fans question everything. It puts all the pressure on Marcus Freeman and his staff to prove that they belong at the helm of a program with national championship aspirations.

This is especially true after a season where coaching has been a point of discussion for Notre Dame. The staff only had 10 men on the field for the final play of the Ohio State game.

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

see FREEMAN PAGE 2

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman walks off the field after Notre Dame’s 21-14 win over Duke on Sept. 30 at Wallace Wade Stadium.

KEYS TO VICTORY

Keys to Victory: Notre Dame vs. USC

By MATTHEW CROW Associate Sports Editor

There’s no rest for the weary as Notre Dame football prepares for a primetime matchup against rival USC one week after its demoralizing loss at the hands of Louisville. The Irish will have their hands full with the No. 10 Trojans, who have ridden the nation’s top-scoring offense to a 6-0 record. But USC showed vulnerability while surviving a surprising scare against Arizona last week.

Here are Notre Dame’s keys to victory and reclamation of the Jeweled Shillelagh.

Hit the ground running offensively Notre Dame’s offense has received a significant amount of criticism over the past week, with everything from the play calling to the offensive line performance to the running back rotation being scrutinized by fans and media. After starting the season with four straight games of more than 40 points, the

Irish’s offensive production fell off a cliff upon entering the gauntlet of four consecutive ranked and undefeated opponents. The Irish have averaged less than 19 points in three straight games, scoring 17 total first-half points during that stretch.

Conversely, USC — led by reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams — has averaged 51.8 points per game.

That’s more than any other team in the country. So it’s not hard to imagine the game getting out of hand quickly if the Irish can’t move the ball effectively right out of the gate.

Notre Dame bouncing back on offense is certainly not out of the question, though.

For as much heat as the Irish offense has taken, USC’s defense has been criticized just as much. One week after ceding 41 points to Colorado, the Trojans did so again last weekend, needing three overtimes to escape with a 43-41 win over Arizona.

But it will be Notre Dame’s opening drives that set the

tone on Saturday and indicate whether the offense can regain its early-season form.

Graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman threw an interception on just the fourth play from scrimmage against Louisville. As a result, the Irish fell in a 7-0 hole by the time they regained possession.

Notre Dame would be forced to punt on their next two possessions and would not score in the first quarter.

If Hartman and the Irish offense can f lip the script on Saturday and start the game with a crisp scoring drive or two, it will allow the unit to build confidence in its ability to support the defense and keep up with USC for 60 minutes.

Create pressure with the pass rush Notre Dame’s biggest challenge on Saturday, and the biggest challenge for any team facing USC, will be trying to slow down Williams.

The junior quarterback can make nearly any throw, is

completely comfortable working outside of the pocket and has the ability to scramble effectively when needed.

But he’s nearly unstoppable when his offensive line provides him with all the time in the world to pick apart an opposing secondary with a towering deep ball.

The Irish have one of the nation’s best shutdown cornerback tandems in sophomore Benjamin Morrison and graduate student Cam Hart.

With graduate student safety Thomas Harper expected to return to action after missing the Louisville game due to a concussion, Notre Dame’s defensive backs are as well-equipped to handle the Trojans’ passing attack as any opponent USC will face.

Therefore, Notre Dame’s defensive performance will largely hinge on whether their front seven can find ways to consistently apply pressure on Williams.

The pass rush has not been a strength for Notre Dame to this point in the season.

The Irish have recorded just

11 sacks, and their 1.57 per game puts them at No. 108 nationally. That’s not likely to change much on Saturday, as Williams generally does a good job of evading pressure and staying on his feet. But even if Notre Dame isn’t getting sacks, it will need to have pass rushers in Williams’ face on as many plays as possible. Otherwise, he’s likely to dominate in the same way he has all season.

Keep the kicking unit off the field If you had to pick the biggest reason why Notre Dame lost to Louisville, it would likely be its performance on third down. The Irish converted just three of 13 thirddown attempts — and came up short on fourth down twice — despite several short-yardage opportunities.

That not only forced them to punt frequently, but it also cut short several potential scoring drives in Cardinal territory. see KEYS PAGE 2

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THE OBSERVER | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

MILLS FEATURE

Mills’ breakout bodes well for Irish ahead of big test against Trojans

By M ADELINE L ADD Associate Spor ts Editor

A lthough he stands out in a crowd at 6-foot-5, senior defensive tack le Rylie Mills has consistently worked behind the scenes to help drive the Irish defense since his arrival in 2020.

Eye-catching stats don’t come easy for an interior lineman focused on creating opportunities for others to gain the glor y of tack les and sacks. However, Mills has set a career-high for tack les already this season w ith 27. His improvement shined at Duke, where he amassed seven tack les and earned East-West Shrine Bowl Breakout Defensive Player of the Week.

Last year, Mills rotated between defensive end and tack le, weighing in around 275 to 290 pounds.

Changes to his diet and

weightlifting regimen bulked him up in the offseason to focus fully on defensive tack le this year at 306 pounds. Despite his gains in size, he hasn’t lost any quickness. He contributed heav ily to the Irish defense’s respectable fight against Louisv ille w ith five total tack les. Aside from the brutal loss, Mills had praise for the defensive line.

“Obv iously there’s some plays you want to execute better and some plays you want back. For the most part, I think we played really sound football,” Mills said. “In terms of [the] D-line, we had guys executing. It’s great to see. We got depth in the D-line and we got playmakers. It’s just a big deal to have people come out there when their name is called and make a play.”

Though Mills mentioned the team takes Sunday and Monday to recover and ref lect, he emphasized getting out of the “rear v iew mirror” when Tuesday practice rolls around.

Instead of dwelling on the what-ifs, the Irish focus on improvements for the next matchup.

“I just think about the next game and what can I do better, what can I improve on,” Mills said. “If you start thinking about bowls and playoffs and get caught up w ith the future, you miss what’s ahead. For me, I think about what I can do better each game and what I can focus on.”

The Lake Forest, Illinois, native w ill be needed this week to slow dow n the powerful USC offense led by Heisman-w inning

MEGHAN LANGE | The Observer

see MILLS PAGE 2

Irish senior defensive lineman Rylie Mills makes a tackle in Notre Dame’s 21-14 win over Duke on at Wallace Wace Stadium on Sept. 30.

FAISON FEATURE

Now under scholarship, two-sport star Faison looks for bigger role in Irish offense

By J.J. POST Associate Spor ts Editor

There weren’t many positives for Notre Dame on the road against Louisv ille last weekend. In fact, there was probably only one: The emergence of walk-on freshman w ide receiver Jordan Faison.

Last Saturday, Faison made a pair of catches and scored one of the Irish’s two touchdow ns.

His breakout performance shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After all, he was ranked as a consensus top-50 recruit.

But that was in lacrosse, not football.

Faison is a member of a dw indling class, the twosport collegiate athlete.

Originally enrolled at Notre Dame w ith a scholarship to play for the University’s defending national champion lacrosse program, he’ll now spend the remainder of his time in South Bend on

football scholarship.

Though he joined the football team as a preferred walk-on, it was clear early on at Irish training camp they had a potential contributor in the rookie from Fort Lauderdale. Faison’s topnotch speed, which helped him develop such a strong ranking as a lacrosse recruit, stood out on the football field as well.

“He’s a baller,” said junior tight end Mitchell Evans at Tuesday’s media availability. “We knew that.

There [were] times at practice in fall ball when he would shake some dudes up and just run by them and all that stuff. He’s a great player.”

For all his early f lashes, Faison’s rise hasn’t been purely due to meritocracy.

Notre Dame’s w ide receiver room has endured a tumultuous start to the year, w ith an already thin position

group thinning out further due to injur y. Jayden Thomas, Jaden Greathouse, Matt Salerno and Deion Colzie, all of whom saw reps against Nav y, have missed time.

The Irish coaching staff knew that after a narrow w in against Duke (in which only three scholarship receivers saw snaps), more depth needed to be found. If Faison represented a “break glass in case of emergency” option, that emergency had come.

“Faison has deser ved and earned the right for us to trust him and put him out there,” offensive coordinator Gerad Parker said.

“No one second guessed that.

Ever ybody knew that he would go out and perform at a high level. So he did that in a ver y short dosage. Now we’ve got to put him out and give him opportunities to continue that and play at a high level w ith more reps.”

In between turning heads

in July and making his debut against Louisv ille, Faison cut his teeth on the scout team. Testing himself against the firstteam Irish defense — and w ith it the likes of star cornerbacks sophomore Benjamin Morrison and graduate student Cam Hart — Faison honed his craft both on the field and in the film room.

“I would say [the] scout team definitely helped me a lot,” Faison said.

“Going against the ones, we’re still running the same plays that we have on the offensive side …

And then getting into the film room during game week. It’s definitely a little different to scout, but it definitely helps when we’re going over the defenses.”

W hat’s next for Faison remains an unknow n.

Notre Dame continues to inch back to full strength at w ide receiver as junior Jayden Thomas and freshman Jaden Greathouse

return from injur y. But it’s difficult to see the Irish coaching staff closing dow n their newest weapon. Faison’s speed, matched by few on the Notre Dame roster, w ill all but certainly work its way into the game plan as the Irish look to match a high-powered USC offense.

To Faison’s credit though, he won’t be approaching this week any differently than the last.

The two-sport star remains focused on simply getting better ever y day in his new role.

“My parents definitely taught me all the time, starting when I was young, to always keep my head dow n and work hard no matter what,” Faison said.

“Staying humble. And now it’s just like, you’ve got to act like you’ve kinda been there before.”

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