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VOLUME 58, ISSUE 24 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Pompeo calls for ‘absolute destruction’ in Gaza The former Secretary of State affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself in a lecture at Notre Dame By LIAM KELLY Associate News Editor
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against recent terrorist attacks from Hamas and emphasized the need for the U.S. to display strength on the world stage during a Friday afternoon lecture at DeBartolo Hall. “The Israeli government has a responsibility to protect its people, to protect its sovereignty,” Pompeo said. Pompeo condemned the “barbarity” of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Saturday, killing hundreds of Israelis, wounding thousands more and taking dozens more
hostage. The Israeli death toll is now over 1,300. Pompeo described those who frame Israel as the aggressors in the conflict as “reprehensible.” Pompeo urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to carry out “the absolute annihilation of Hamas” and ensure that no other similar attack could happen again. “What Israel will do over the coming days and weeks will be difficult. It will at times appear ugly,” he said. “And it is necessary.” Pompeo, who served as the 70th secretary of state for the Trump administration, praised President Biden for pledging his support to Israel see POMPEO PAGE 4
LIAM KELLY | The Observer
Former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a lecture in DeBartolo Hall Oct. 13, supporting Israel in its operation in Gaza and urging for more American shows of strength on the world stage.
President Jenkins Saint Mary’s counseling to step down after adapts in light of struggle school year After a dramatic increase in anxiety and depression during the the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health counselors at Saint Mary’s are working to adapt to the increasing need for counseling. Saint Mary’s Health and Counseling Center, located inside Angela Wellness Complex, offers physical and mental health care to students. Kate Barron, a mental health counselor at the Health and Counseling Center since 2015, said shifting to virtual counseling during the pandemic was a difficult experience. “We thought ‘Oh, everyone will be back in a few weeks,’ and that was certainly not the case. We went online and we would do Google Meet meetings, which was tough,” Barron said. “We really scrambled to make sure people were tended to and had the connection they needed.” Vanessa Hawkins ‘22 said she felt the counseling she received for depression and anxiety
through the Center was useful at the time, but failed to address a deeper level of mental health. “I thought it was helpful, more as like a supportive resource. What I mean by that is they don’t get deep into your psychological health and everything,” she said. “In my experience, they just gave me tips and suggestions, how to navigate time management and how to deal with conflicts with peers.” Hawkins received her undergraduate degree in social work and currently interns at a behavioral therapy outpatient clinic. She said her experience has given her a unique perspective on what the Counseling Center could have done differently. “I’ve found that just cognitive behavioral therapy does not work for that many people. I found that EMDR [Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing] therapy has helped tremendously and I’ve made so much progress in six months than I did in years and years of cognitive behavioral
therapy,” she said. Though Hawkins critiqued her counseling, she also acknowledged how stressful of a time it was for counselors and was grateful for the treatment she received. “I know health care professionals with the pandemic were severely overwhelmed,” she said. “I did feel like the therapist was super professional. She listened well and knew what was going on with me. She was just a good quality therapist.” Barron said the Center was stressed to ensure they could maximize the amount of patients seen each day. “The stress mainly on our end as counselors was ‘Can we see enough students who want to be seen?’ Because our goal is to be helpful and to see as many students as possible,” she explained. “But then there’s only so many hours in a day. So we would work overtime, unpaid overtime. And it certainly affected all of us. We try and practice what we preach,
SCENE PAGE 7
HOCKEY PAGE 10
FOOTBALL PAGE 12
By KATELYN WALDSCHMIDT Associate News Editor
EMILY MCCONVILLE | The Observer
University President Fr. John Jenkins will step down from his position upon completion of his 19th year as Notre Dame ‘s president. Observer Staff Report
University President Fr. John Jenkins will step down from the presidency at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 academic year. Jenkins announced the decision at a meeting of the Board of Trustees Friday, according to an email sent to the Notre Dame community just after 10 a.m. “Serving as president of Notre Dame has been the unanticipated, undeserved, and wonderful privilege of my life,”
NEWS PAGE 4
Jenkins wrote. Notre Dame’s bylaws mandate that the University’s president be a Holy Cross priest, and trustees have worked over several years to prepare his successor, Jenkins wrote. Jenkins began his fourth five-year term as president on June 30, 2020. “I plan to return to teaching, to some writing,” Jenkins said. John Veihmeyer will also succeed John Brennan as chair of the Board of Trustees in June 2024, the University said.
VIEWPOINT PAGE 6
see COUNSELING PAGE 4
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Students, faculty and friends gathered in Notre Dame’s Dankhe Ballroom on Tuesday night to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Guests danced together to music provided by a DJ after attendees shared a South Asian style meal earlier that evening.
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Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
GSG Self Defense Class Stepan Center Area 5:15 p.m. - 7 p.m. Awareness and self defense class.
Farm Jam South Quad 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. South Bend Petting Zoo is coming. Enjoy free hot chocolate.
Oktoberfest Belle’s Patio and Alumnae Green 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Fall treats, activities and giveaways.
Medieval Swordsmithing with Cedarlore Forge West Lawn of McCourtney Hall 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tridentine Latin Mass Alumni Hall Chapel 10 a.m. Morning Mass offered in the Tridentine Latin.
Project Fresh Open Class Smith Center Active Studio 1 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Learn to dance.
Halloween Event LaFortune McNeil Room 116 7:15 p.m. - 11: 45 p.m. Costume contest and board games.
Sketch Show Washington Hall Main Stage 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Enjoy an improv performance.
ND vs. Pitt Football Game Notre Dame Stadium The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. Football Game.
Film: “Coco” (2017) Browning Cinema 1 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Watch the animated Disney film “Coco” in DPAC.
NEWS
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | THE OBSERVER
ND Anthropology Club makes comeback By AYNSLEE DELLACCA News Writer
The Anthropology Club at Notre Dame held their first meeting on Oct. 10 to kick off the club’s resurgence. After a period of relative inactivity after the COVID pandemic, the club’s new board is excited to bring the community and excitement for Anthropology back to life. Junior Alyssa Miulli serves as the current president of the Anthropology Club, with sophomore Katie Kirwin as vice president. Junior John Falger acts as treasurer, and junior Panos Ketonis acts as secretary. Kirwin led the club meeting, which was open to students of all majors. Junior Maggie Winter, a student who attended the club meeting, said she had been looking forward to the reformation of the club for about a year. She said she is most excited for the social opportunities the club will offer.
“I want to meet more anthropology majors and be part of a larger community,” Winter said. Winter, an anthropology major, joined the club in hopes to further pursue her interests and to better understand current global issues from an anthropological lens. “I enjoy how many varied modern issues can be viewed through an anthropological lens,” Winter said. “My particular interest is in archaeology because learning more about humanity’s past not only reshapes our ideas of historical events but helps us to understand more about modern societies.” Their first event of the year, aside from the initial meeting, is set to take place in November and will be co-hosted by the department of anthropology and the Graduate Student Association. Professionals see CLUB PAGE 4
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Nobel Laureate receives Carrier Science Medal By REDMOND BERNHOLD News Writer
Dr. Thomas Südhof, the 2013 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, accepted the 2023 Rev. Joseph Carrier Science Medal, the most distinguished award given by the College of Science, on Monday night in Dahnke Ballroom. “The Reverend Carrier Medal ... represents the pinnacle of scientific excellence, achieved during years of a career dedicated to discerning the answers the universe has to offer,” University provost John McGreevy said. McGreevy explained that Südhof’s research involves the discovery of the machine regulating vesicle traffic, which is the major transport system in human cells As molecules move around in cells, they are grouped together in vesicles, which move the molecules within and outside PAID ADVERTISEMENT
the cell, McGreevy said. McGreevy awarded the Carrier Medal to Südhof, who discussed the cellular biology underlying Alzheimer’s Disease. “[The brain] is enormously complex,” Südhof said. “The abilities of the human brain — the kinds of calculations of memories of thoughts, of feelings, of actions are incredible.” Südhof noted the main symptoms begin as short-term memory loss and then progress into loss of all brain function. “Losing our memories is the worst thing that can happen to a person,” he said. Südhof pointed to the commonality of Alzheimer’s Disease in Americans over the age of 65 years old. Eleven percent of Americans above the age of 65 have the disease, and as the population grows older, the rate “dramatically” increases. Südhof noted that since women tend to live longer, there is a slightly higher rate of diagnosis due to a larger population compared to men. Discussing the biology of Alzheimer’s, Südhof said nerve
cells, or neurons, die, and as a result, the brain’s ventricles (fluid-containing cavities) enlarge. To further examine Alzheimer’s, Südhof explained that three physical commonalities in cases are neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaques and inflammatory reactions. Genetic mutations are the core of understanding Alzheimer’s, Südhof said. He discussed findings from both his lab at Stanford University and colleagues, which primarily analyzed mutations among several commonly mutated genes identified to be prevalent in Alzheimer’s symptoms. Südhof concluded that the field has a lot to explore, and current findings are crucial to the development of potential drugs that could be administered to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. increasing the visibility of the Center, hiring more staff and hiring a counselor who is fluent in Spanish. Contact Redmond Bernhold at rbernho2@nd.edu
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NEWS
THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
College students gather in prayer for peace By SALLY BRADSHAW and ALLISON BOWMAN News Writers
On October 11, in the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry office, Saint Mary’s College students gathered to pray for peace in the Holy Land. Ecumenical chaplain Carrie Badertscher, who organized the event, said the purpose of the prayer service was “to provide a space for people to gather in community to recognize the grief and pain that was being felt by not only them but by their sisters on campus who were directly impacted by what was taking place in Israel and Palestine.” The service was created to be inclusive to all faith backgrounds in order to acknowledge that the Holy Land is not exclusive to any singular religion. Composed of prayers from Rabbi Nico Sokolovsky, readings from the Old Testament, a prayer for peace found in the Sim Shalom and Lev Shalom and a prayer from Rev. Peter Colwell, the service took the
Counseling CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
but it’s easier said than done.” One thing Hawkins was happy about during her time in counseling at Saint Mary’s was the availability of counselors. “I felt like they were pretty available, I didn’t think there was anything of concern in those areas,” she said. Sarah Granger, director of the Health and Counseling Center since 2021, said the availability problem stemmed from staffing issues. “We did struggle with staffing on the mental health side. I think students were aware of that. And it wasn’t really any fault of our own, we just didn’t have the staff,” Granger said. “Now we’re at a much better spot
Pompeo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
after the attack. However, he also criticized Biden for pursuing a foreign policy which he said invited attack. “When the United States fails to lead, the bad actors in the world, people like the leaders of Islamic Republic of Iran, take note,” Pompeo said. “Timidity is provocative.” He specifically attacked a recent deal the Biden administration made with Iran to arrange the return of U.S. prisoners in exchange for freeing up $6 billion in funds to Iran. “The Iranians [through Hamas] are now holding twice as many Americans as before,”
There are also layers of complexity within each one of us,” Romkema said. Romkema said that the principal virtue peacemaking requires is hope. “As we look around our time of the world, living in a particular way this week we see violence, indiscriminate bombings, intrinsic evils, the killing of innocents,” he said. “It can make us reflect very negatively on our world and the human condition, what we’re capable of as humans ... Hope is the resilient and steadfast ability to see that the world now is not the way that the world will be.” Romkema also highlighted the virtue of humility. “The word humility means to below, it comes from the same word as earthiness or dirt. I think that is above all the virtue to acquire and to build upon if we were to be people of peace. Not just people who resist violence but people who actually build and foster and promote peace in our world,” Romkema said. To conclude his
form of a “communal lament.” “[The service] truly wasn’t a place to provide answers for what was going on and recognizing the complexity of seeking peace and good for all people, but truly just providing a place where we could come together and lament at the gravity of what was taking place,” Badertscher said. Badertscher acknowledged the difficulty of properly acknowledging each faith at an interfaith service. “I recognize that I don’t know all the things and interfaith services can be very difficult to fully honor every person that is in the room. I spent a good deal of time trying to gather prayers from rabbis specifically and from those of other faith groups and trying to understand how to honor each person in the room,” Badertscher said. She said that the service aimed to recognize a shared intent, regardless of faith, to seek the common good of all people. “I felt like as a community that we could each get behind that,” Badertscher said.
To conclude the prayer service, students tied pieces of yarn around one another’s wrists to remind themselves of the difficult circumstances but also to remind themselves that they are not alone in grief. “Be slow to speak and quick to listen, especially to our brothers and sisters who have been directly impacted by what’s taking place,” Badertscher said. “I think in a time that could be completely divisive, we recognize that to seek peace means to do that for people within arms reach for us first and that means offering dignity and good charity to those in front of us who may feel differently.” On Thursday morning, the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry held a votive mass presided by Fr. Karl Romkema, who began his homily by addressing the ideas and principles of peace. “To make peace is a very complex and dynamic work. We’re taking into account the interest and the feelings, the grudges, various peoples and there is just layers and layers of complexity.
staffing-wise. We have doubled our counseling staff from two to four.” Barron also noted the difficulty of scheduling appointments for all who needed them. “When we were back in fall of 2020, there was a lot to worry about. We only had two counselors at the time and it was very stressful for everyone, so we were really swamped,” Barron said. At the time, the College offered a 24/7 telehealth service through Timely Care to combat limited counselor availability; however, the service is no longer offered through Saint Mary’s. “We did that for a year and we would get the stats on how much it was used and it was hardly used at all. And it was very expensive, so we didn’t renew it,” Barron
said. Overall, Hawkins was generally satisfied with her time in counseling at Saint Mary’s but sees room for improvement. “Mental health is such an important thing, that’s why I got into this field myself. I just think that there needs to be a larger emphasis on living a balanced lifestyle in college and educating students about taking care of their mental well-being,” she said. Granger said the Center has taken a number of steps to improve its outreach, including increasing the visibility of the Center, hiring more staff and hiring a counselor who is fluent in Spanish. Contact Katelyn Waldschmidt at kwaldschmidt01@saintmarys.edu
and past graduate students from the anthropology department will be welcomed to network and connect with current tri-campus students in order for students to recognize and learn more about the various fields in which anthropologists work. After these announcements, Kirwin opened up the floor to the several students that attended and asked what events they would like to see in the future. Talk of museum trips to Chicago, tours of archaeological sites, study hang-outs, anthropological discussions and dining hall dinners were all brought up as potential ideas for students to become more involved. Kirwin also discussed hints
he said, citing a collaboration between Hamas and the Iranian government. Pompeo said America had been “played for a fool.” Pompeo contrasted Biden’s Middle East foreign policy with that of the Trump administration, arguing that Trump’s policy produced better results. “By the time we left we had virtually strangled the Iranian economy and the attacks on Americans. The threats on Americans globally around the world had moved almost to zero,” he said. Spreading religious liberty was a key priority during Pompeo’s tenure as secretary of state, he said.
“We were pretty serious in the Trump administration about advocating for religious freedom everywhere. It wasn’t just an afterthought,” he said. “We did it because it was noble and righteous.” On the topic of religion more generally, Pompeo described the role that religion plays in his life. While secretary, Pompeo kept a Bible on his desk and read it — almost — every day, he said. “As Secretary of State I kept an open Bible on my desk,” Pompeo said. “No matter what the media was doing, whatever the noise, I could return to these words that humbled me, encouraged me, guided me.” Pompeo said Christianity is under attack in the West
and the East and framed the geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and China as a moral battle against a secular, technocratic China. “The Chinese Communist Party in its essence is a repudiation of the value of one’s labor, as a manifestation of each person’s unique gift, and it is a rejection of God and His dominion over all creation,” he said. In order for the U.S. to remain dominant, Pompeo said, the nation must turn away from “unchecked materialism” and recommit itself to “a JudeoChristian set of principles.” Pompeo said if the U.S. can do this, it will be able to “be a beacon to the world”
Club CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
homily, Romkema offered words of encouragement. “Today we pray for the gift of hope and trust in humans and trust in ourselves and for the courage and the humility to build peace with resilience and steadfastness,” he said. “Then as we look forward to the world to come will actually begin to see it manifest itself and overflowing into our lives and into our hearts.” Nora Clark, a freshman at the College, commented on the votive mass, noting that it was “thought-provoking.” “I feel like I have a lot to reflect on and think about what it means to be a peacemaker,” Clark said. “Prayer is important and Fr. Karl reminded us that hoping and praying for the future is a good step when we are not in control of the problem and when we pray and hope for something in the future it may also overflow into the present.” Contact Sally Bradshaw at sbradshaw01@saintmarys.edu and Allison Bowman at abowman01@saintmarys.edu
of a possible spring formal next semester. Kirwin encourages anyone interested in anthropology to learn more about the major and to be open-minded to what the values in anthropological studies can teach them. “I think the main reason that more people aren’t anthropology majors is because they think they won’t be able to find a career after school or do anything with it, but that’s not true,” Kirwin said. “I think that the skills that anthropology teaches here are really invaluable. They not only shape your career, but they also shape the way you think about the world and interact with other people.” who is fluent in Spanish. Contact Aynslee Dellacca at adellacca01@saintmarys.edu
and “prosper for the next 250 years.” “We should know that the world is counting on us for that,” he said. Pompeo also expressed his gratitude to speak at Notre Dame. “To be on this campus where free speech is welcomed and to appear in front of people who won’t always agree is something that I know I’m privileged to do,” he said. Concluding his remarks, Pompeo urged the audience to pray for Israel, the region and innocents on both sides of the conflict. Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.edu
THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Down with presentism!
Wishful thinking: Masochistic tendency Carlos Basurto Eudaemonic Banter
There seems to be a trend that governs the human psyche, which, as with all other human matters, behaves in a rather contradictory way. Though I have heard it be defined and redefined throughout human history in a variety of manners, the rule can be surmised as follows: the amount one suffers is proportional to the distance between one’s ideals and reality. Of course, this sounds rather intuitive. Obviously, the more reality does not match what one desires, the more one will suffer. The more I want something without having it, the worse I fair, no? While many may agree with its initial logic, it is in the conclusions to be derived from it that I find a most fascinating conundrum. Mainly, knowing this fact about yourself, then, how should you act? If one is to take a pseudo-stoic position, then the logical step is to attempt the hardest to reduce the distance via absolute acceptance of reality. That is, if you can accept everything around you, especially all the most terrible things and the feelings they entail, then you shall suffer no more. This does not mean one is deprived of emotion, but rather that they and any misfortunes of existence are ultimately accepted. This way, all flows without resistance: you accept it all, so you have nothing to suffer for. Still, this does not seem entirely appropriate in practice. When one comes to terms with all calamities regardless of their size, why would one ever attempt to change or better their circumstances? Through absolute acceptance, whatever is happening in their surroundings becomes irrelevant. In this method, it is not that ideals and reality match; instead, one ceases to have ideals altogether. There is no point in aspiring anymore because if you are truly at peace with everything, even if your world were to change, your contentment would neither increase nor decrease. Nevertheless, one cannot reasonably seek the other extreme either — that of reducing the distance between one’s ideals and reality via changing reality into what one desires. One will never be in full control of existence so as to perpetually force it into their ideal circumstances. If anything, the search for absolute dominance of the universe will inevitably lead to ruin and further suffering. It also goes without saying that everyone has a different perfect world, so an impossible degree of compromise would be required to avoid a tremendous ideological clash. So then, what is the answer? Somewhere in between these two extremes? Acquire both a degree of tranquil acceptance and of idealistic discomfort? It seems like a good start. Yet, there is a key component missing, and it can perhaps be found in the misguided approach we are taking regarding this rule. Thus far, we have only attempted to neutralize suffering altogether, though, is that what we should aim for? Think, perhaps, of what would happen if either of the previously discussed options were viable. Even if one were capable of attaining such solutions, of claiming an absolute and ultimate acceptance of the universe or of conquering and enslaving entropy for oneself, we then run into a separate issue – one entrenched with our very humanity. As hinted at before, if one were to be completely
devoid of the most minute of troubles, then there would be naught to do. Naught to fight for, naught to seek after, naught to dream. Certainly, abundant pain drowns us, yet pain in measure forces us to swim. If not for the instinctual ache of lack of oxygen, dragging us back up to breathe, what stops us from sinking? Thus, I would argue that there is something inhuman about being deprived of some degree of suffering. Naturally, there are many caveats; for one, parameters must be considered: to compare the pain derived from the loss of a family member to that which emerges following a mediocre grade in an exam is ridiculous. Additionally, the aches of life are relative in the end — the struggles of some are completely unfamiliar to others. And yet, the conclusion is the same. Still, pain is pain. Still, hurt people are simply … people. It is not an undiscussed subject that absolute “bliss” — referring to a complete lack of suffering — can only result in an absolute, somewhat contradictory boredom. Thinking back to our stated law, what shall we then do about it? How does one suffer without really suffering? Because simply embracing any and all suffering is by no means a solution. One cannot simply “accept the pain” as is; such ideas belong only to those extremely privileged who have never encountered genuine, despairing misery. So, pain but not to the extent of immobilizing you. So, relief but not to the point of drenching you in lethargy. Perhaps the takeaway from our duel with our inherent human torment is that it need not be a struggle but rather a dance. The frail balance may be found somewhere in the acceptance of agony to its most fulfilling degree: how much pain do you need to impulse you? To inspire you? To change you? We need not serve suffering itself, for we can make agony work for us. Many of us already have and do on a daily basis. The key to this puzzle is one we already possess: this thing we call hope. Hope, when done right, can become the willful weaponization of the distance between this reality and your ideals, for you knowingly increase the distance so as to suffer with a goal. Compounded with action, it pushes us forward, unlike anything else. It surpasses logic; it suppresses hesitation; it separates the swimmers and the drowned. And above all else, it hurts. It hurts like all hell. But it hurts good. Thus, hope. It may very well lead to failure, but that perhaps is the point. Hope hurts so much, but where would you be without it? I think wishful thinking is inherently masochistic, but it seems in some way also necessary. Why, we are masochistic creatures. Carlos A. Basurto is a sophomore at Notre Dame ready to delve into his philosophy major with the hopes of adding the burden of a Computer Science major on top of that. When not busy you can find him consuming yet another 3+ hour-long analysis video of a show he has yet to watch or masochistically completing every achievement from a variety of video games. Now, with the power to channel his least insane ideas, feel free to talk about them via email at cbasurto@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
5
Olemo Gordon Brian To the Vanguard
Dear comrade, When engaging with American media, one ought to proceed with caution. If one is not prearmed with the correct ideological tools to make sense of a situation as well as knowledge of its prior development and context (historical, geo-political, etc.), media (TV, radio, print, now social media) can be thoroughly misleading, even dangerous. To exercise caution is to cultivate an understanding both of the ideological orientation as well as the embedded biases of America’s polarized and polarizing media houses and personalities. This aids our endeavor of attaining a clear and accurate view of the status quo — if truth is the goal. Otherwise, one risks being misinformed in their pursuit of education. A consistent posture of healthy skepticism about what one consumes in these times is therefore advisable. This situation, though epitomized by American media, is not unique to it. Recent mainstream commentary on the egregious latest episode in the protracted struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination and the long evasive search for peace in that part of the world inspired these thoughts on the phenomenon of “presentism.” We have Lwazi Lushaba of the University of Cape Town to thank for this term. At a summer public lecture at the University of Limpopo, Lushaba problematized “the uninspiring figure of the political analyst” — a creation of the bourgeois press. We all know political analysts. They are people who pose as experts on any and all issues of politics, have or are in the process of acquiring celebrity status for it and have thus secured invitations to media houses to help the public make sense of the status quo whenever anything is amiss. This challenge has not been helped by the democratization of technology and the internet which has rendered everyone an authority on every issue — a political analyst. But the political analyst is anything but an analyst since his default is as Dr. Lushaba shows presentism: a fixation on proffering seemingly objective rational explanations of current manifestations of much larger structural/historical problems. On top of mistaking “journalistic commentary or reportage for thought,” Lushaba shows that the political analyst “has no conception of society as a complex whole wherein always exists an articulation of concrete constellation of contradictions existing in a historically determined way.” Not only do they fail to grasp and articulate the conjuncture (contradictions inherent in society and the historical situation they give rise to), but they also fail entirely to reflect the historical development of the empirical manifestations they recite. This caste has a high propensity for sensationalism. They may be fast-talking, with impeccable diction and a taste for expensive English but nonetheless spew nonsense. Today’s media house functions like a fast food joint catering to a dedicated audience. This curtails any motivation for self-improvement and allows the wholesale transfer of the attendant pressures of press life and the perverse incentives they offer to their so-called analysts who are readily available to serve their constituency with their lazy thinking often devoid of nuance and/or understanding of history and power. The questions the political analyst glaringly fails to answer are “How did we get here?” and “Why are we here?” It’s a sine qua non for understanding how to move forward. They evade the “why” precisely because it eases the task and serves to obscure uncomfortable truths that may hold them, their audience or their state culpable for the political development in question. The challenge as you might have already guessed is that fundamental change will always be elusive when the “why” is not properly addressed. If you don’t know why you are failing a class, very rarely will you start to do better. If you have no appreciation of why you are fighting with a significant other, tensions will forever remain high. If you don’t know why there’s conflict in the Middle East, you are bound to mislead us in suggesting a solution. Ignoring historical developments leaves us at the mercy of accidents that cannot be relied upon as agents of fundamental change. As “politician-analysts” in this country have proved in the recent episode in Palestine-Israel, there is also a tinge to outright dishonesty. Many of these people, with presidential candidates in their ranks, neither have an interest in the truth nor in lasting solutions. But presentism is a facade. It’s a pretense. The very attempt to obscure history is an attempt to retell it and control a narrative. Why? Controlling the narrative helps the political class secure public support, sleep well at night and justify historical misdeeds. Presentism serves the existing power structure. It helps perpetrators justify atrocities and violence the likes of which we are bearing witness. Presentism masks the fact that society is a motion picture, not a still photograph. It eliminates nuance and questions of justice. What is justice, if stories are selectively told? As you follow what is happening in Palestine-Israel, be a conscious consumer. Beware of the imposing portrait of the political analyst and politician-analyst. Beware of reductionisms, oversimplifications, lies and bloodthirsty vampires who are not interested in lasting solutions. Beware, too, of armchair quarterbacks. They have extreme views with very little to no skin in the game. Watch out for bullies who like to cry victim. Watch out for the immoral — those who back identity-based hatred of any flavor. Beware of those who try to justify violence of whatever kind, who are enthusiastic for continued human suffering to prove a point. Watch out for those who make obvious solutions appear impossible to implement, particularly when they have the power to make it happen. Beware of those who try to convince you that some lives are more sacred than others. Determine at once not to be like them. Watch for selective application and convenient interpretations of rules that would otherwise seem universal. Watch out for presentism! As Mao exhorted: No investigation, no right to speak. You must investigate. You must not talk nonsense! Presentism, a bas! Olemo Gordon Brian is a junior from Apac, Uganda, studying Economics and Political Science. In his free time, he enjoys reading political economy, playing badminton and watching Manchester United play. He can be reached at bolemo@nd.edu or @oneolemo on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
It’s Red October Erin Drumm Drummer’s Circle
Anybody who says they wouldn’t want to live in Philadelphia hasn’t been to Citizens Bank Park during a Red October. The air is cool, the kind of weather that reminds you of soccer practice as a kid. And you feel like a kid, antsy and excited and so full of hope, standing in front of a seat you won’t touch for nine innings. You eat an overpriced ballpark frank, talk to the random people in front of you (your new best friends) and prepare to yell for your team and at the other. It is a practically religious experience, one I recently got to experience at the second game of the National League Championship Series in Philadelphia. Everywhere I went on fall break, people were talking about the Phillies. At my favorite restaurant, Chickie’s & Pete’s, home of the crab fry, they wished me a happy Red October. At the hairdressers, they talked about Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm’s strikingly beautiful locks. WIP, Philadelphia’s sports talk station, was full of phone calls about the team: overconfident predictions, outlandish stories, general musings and joyful anticipation. Even “The Big Piece,” legendary former Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard, weighed in with his opinion. When the Phillies thrive, the city thrives. People practically beam with pride, as if they know the players personally. Being a loyal fan can be difficult, even painful on occasion. Your team might make decisions that drive you crazy or go years without making a playoff run. After all, the Phillies are
generally acknowledged to be the losingest team in the history of all professional sports. But I’d bet most people would say that being a fan is fun. Lately, being a Philly sports fan is about as fun as it gets. Philly sports fans often get a bad rep, known to be tough and gritty and have a general attitude of “no-one likes us, we don’t care.” But, I would say we’re the best fans in the business. Now, as a Philadelphian, I am inclined to believe that the Phillies and their fanbase are special. However, I don’t expect you to hold my same belief that the Phillies are special given my City of Brotherly Love pedigree and admitted bias. Take it from “Time” writer Sean Gregory who recently pointed out that plenty of teams have fans who love their players, but not many teams have players who love their city. And the Phillies love their city. Gregory, a New York Mets fan, said, “We could all use somebody who loves us as much as Bryce Harper seems to love Philadelphia.” Take it from the ticket prices in Philadelphia compared with those in Arizona, home of their opponent, the Diamondbacks. Standing-room-only tickets for Phillies home games in the NLCS were going for $283, while those in Arizona were priced as low as $10. Take it from the Phillies organization itself, whose hype video will make you want to put on the red pinstripe and play a few innings yourself. Take it from Phillies shortstop, Trea Turner. Earlier this season, when Turner was in the middle of a hitting slump, Phillies fans gave him a standing ovation each time he came up to bat. The show of support worked wonders and his
LETTER
slump was broken. Turner put up billboards that thanked the fans throughout Philadelphia. Talent-wise, the Phillies are exceptionally strong. They have four Gold Glove finalists, including J.T. Realmuto, who many believe to be the best catcher in baseball. Add twotime National League MVP, Bryce Harper, to the mix, plus two pitching aces and half a dozen players capable of “going yard” at any at bat. The result is baseball magic. But oftentimes teams are compelling because of the stories that surround them rather than statistics. Great teams tend to have traditions that add to their motivation, team bonding and fanfare. The Phillies have adopted Calum Scott’s “Dancing On My Own (Tiesto Remix)” as their victory song. The song’s refrain goes: “I’m in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh / I’m right over here, why can’t you see me? Oh / And I’m giving it my all / I’m not the guy you’re taking home, ooh / I keep dancing on my own.” Despite the fact that most people might hear these heartbreak ballad lyrics and think about well, heartbreak, the song means victory to Philadelphia. Win or lose, Red October is a sight to behold and Phillies fans are a force to be reckoned with. Erin Drumm is a senior at Notre Dame studying American Studies, journalism and history. She is from Philadelphia and spends her summers (and every weekend possible) at the shore in Cape May County, New Jersey. Outside of The Observer, Erin can be found cheering on the Fighting Irish and the Phillies, reading and talking about pop culture and history. She can be reached at edrumm@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
EDITOR
Drag at Notre Dame: Did we regild her only to ridicule her? In the weeks following the completion of the regilding of the dome and Our Lady, promotional posters appeared throughout campus advertising a drag show on Nov. 3. Months were spent regilding Notre Dame’s Virgin Mary statue, accentuating the beauty and truth of her feminine form in imago dei — a feminine form that is warped and mocked in the burlesque-styled form of entertainment that is drag. We cannot help but question how witnessing such a performance prepares students to be forces for good and truth in the world. The departments of film, television, and theatre; music and American studies; the College of Arts and Letters Initiative on Race and Resilience, the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts and the Gender Studies Program are all sponsoring this event. And it’s being tolerated under the guise of academic freedom. In an email to vice president of student affairs Fr. Gerry Olinger, several students expressed concern that University funding will be paying drag artists to come to Notre Dame, dress as women, defile femininity and most importantly, promote the disordered ideology that gender and sexuality are fluid — in direct contradiction to the Catholic Church’s teaching. His response cited University President Fr. John Jenkins’ February statement on freedom of expression: “Because Notre Dame is a university committed to the pursuit of truth through teaching, learning, inquiry and dialogue, we are committed fully to the academic freedom of scholars to research and publish the results of their research and to teach in accord with their obligations and training.” Olinger continued: “This freedom in academic contexts is critical, and the University protects this freedom even when the content of the presentation is objectionable to some or even many. Because the event you reference is part of a onecredit course in Film, Television and Theater on the History
of Drag, the principle of academic freedom does apply in this instance.” The course Olinger references is professor Pamela Wojcik’s one-credit class “What a Drag: Drag on Screen — Variations and Meanings,” offered through the film, television, and theatre program. The drag performance posters, however, make no mention of this course and its supposed relation to the event. While the University once again attempts to hide its attack of truth under the veil of academic freedom, the same statement cited by Olinger also states that “The right of free expression does not, of course, extend to speech that threatens violence or constitutes harassment against an individual or a group. Such expressions violate University policies and will not be tolerated.” A drag show absolutely constitutes the harassment of women. In drag across the country, biological males dress in provocative women’s clothing and portray sexual violence for the sake of entertainment. Nowhere else in our nation do we accept misogynistic sexual stereotyping and objectification as something to be celebrated. This event is not for the sake of study or dialogue. It is not the result of a faculty or students’ research. It is not for the sake of academic inquiry. Three male artists are being paid to parade around in provocative women’s clothing under the guise of self-expression and bodily autonomy. If this is academic freedom, then the phrase is meaningless. Academic freedom should not be used as a weapon of opinionated activism. Notre Dame, Our Lady, the Mother of God: She is the essence of the spirituality, femininity and motherhood that women of faith aspire to. And yet, the University refuses to protect such an image. To hide under the veil of academic freedom is no better than lying in wait within the garden doors to leer upon Susanna. Who is to protect women from such lustful gazes? To refuse to
protect the beauty, sanctity and dignity of the women of this University is to refuse to protect the woman who sits upon our dome. Women have been at Notre Dame now for fifty years. The leaps made in the opportunities available to us are immense. Yet, we’re told to remain silent while femininity is publicly degraded by men who believe that womanhood can be reduced to exaggerated makeup, provocative clothing and erotic dance. Women are harassed, objectified and mocked through events at a University that claims to be dedicated to the pursuit of truth and protection of human dignity. The line has been crossed. Enough is enough. Our very identity is being ridiculed under Mary’s watchful eye. The University’s moral obligation to the truth and protection of her students absolutely overrides a shallow notion of academic freedom masking activist falsehoods. We cannot stand for the normalization of disordered ideology. We cannot stand for the pursuit of false ideas of the human person. And we certainly cannot stand for the persistent ridicule of women and violation of our dignity. Prejudice against the truth of the human body should have no place here, especially at a University under the patronage of Mary, Mother of God. Students, faculty, alumni and parents must speak out. To send an email to a University administrator, do so through nodragnd.org. Madelyn Stout senior Merlot Fogarty senior Oct. 18 The views expressed in this Letter to the Editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
By LUKE FOLEY Scene Writer
Despite being 50 years into his illustrious career, Martin Scorsese has recently entered his imperial phase, directing some of his very best films: 2013’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a debauched, exhilarating time; 2016’s “Silence” — one of my favorites of all time — is a potent meditation on faith and religion; and 2019’s “The Irishman” is a depressing exploration of the sanctity of bromances. It’s awe-inspiring that Scorsese still has so much passion and talent for filmmaking this late in his career. His most recent film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” arrived in theaters this past weekend, and it assuredly continues his hot streak. “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a harrowing and powerful epic about America’s history of evil bolstered by superb filmmaking and acting. The film is based on the true story of the Osage murders in 1920s Oklahoma. The Osage Nation, a Native American tribe, became incredibly wealthy due to oil being found on their reservations. Their newfound wealth angered and scared the white community in Oklahoma, culminating in Ernest Burkhart, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his uncle William Hale, played by Robert De Niro, killing dozens of Osage members to steal their wealth. At the center of their nefarious scheme is Ernest marrying an Osage woman named Mollie,
By JOSE SANCHEZ CORDOVA Assistant Managing Editor
Trap Bunny is back. After shaving his head as a nod to his early days and teasing fans about new music on his Instagram stories, Bad Bunny came through and released the trap album his fans were clamoring for. Following in the footsteps of his last album “Un Verano Sin Ti,” “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” (“nadie sabe”) has more than 20 songs that play for well over an hour. However, that’s largely where the similarities stop. “nadie sabe” is unapologetically a trap album, and the album’s second song “MONACO” lets you know what’s coming right away: “trap de galeria” (art gallery trap). “MONACO” is worth discussing because it is, in my opinion, one of the album’s standout tracks. It opens with a classy violin sample of Charles Aznavour’s 1964 song “Hier encore” before a punchy beat comes in to drive you through the song while violins loop throughout the track. It’s a supremely catchy beat, and the Aznavour sample comes back around with some vocal interludes which separate different sections of the song. “MONACO” has a braggadocious tone that’s indicative of the whole experience with “nadie sabe.” Bad Bunny spends
played by Lily Gladstone. Ernest marries Mollie to claim her family’s inheritance once he and William finish killing them. “Killers of the Flower Moon” is an adaptation of the nonfiction book of the same name, but it strongly deviates from the source material. The book presents the story as a mystery whodunnit, and it’s mainly told through the perspective of the FBI trying to unravel the conspiracy behind the murders. Conversely, the film reveals the conspiracy from the beginning and primarily focuses on Ernest’s marriage to Mollie. In a sense, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a romance film, but the love presented is incredibly perverted and wicked. But it’s from this different framing that the movie’s brilliance emerges, for Ernest’s relationship with Mollie is a microcosm of America’s history of genocide and oppression. Ernest, like many other white men in the film, marries an Osage woman like Mollie so that he can inherit her oil money. He uses interracial marriage as a form of neo-colonialism that reclaims dominance and control over the Osage. The worst of America is reflected in Ernest; he’s ignorant, greedy and detached from the acts of violence he commits. He represents more than just the banality of evil; he genuinely believes he loves Mollie while assisting in the murder of her and her family. This cognitive dissonance is emblematic of American society, where people perpetuate hate, bigotry and violence while claiming they’re righteous
and loving. With this film, Scorsese is asking the audience, “What good is your love, allyship and prayers if you’re still ultimately enabling the people and institutions that are slaughtering and hurting oppressed communities?” The themes and messages of the film are compelling and vital, and they’re supported by equally rich filmmaking and acting. Scorsese’s directing is impeccable; every shot is beautifully framed and constructed. Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing is excellent and does a great job maintaining pace throughout the long three-and-a-halfhour runtime. The set design and costumes are magnificent, effectively establishing a strong sense of realism and authenticity of the period and setting. Furthermore, the performances are something to behold. Gladstone steals the show and gives an outstanding performance, capturing Mollie’s reserved but powerful nature and hauntingly portraying her psychological and physical suffering. De Niro gives a terrifying performance as William, a demon pretending to be a jolly old man. But though DiCaprio is good, I wish his performance had a little more subtlety, which the very complex, disturbing character of Ernest demanded. Shoutout to Brendan Fraser, who gives a hilarious performance as William’s lawyer. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be so funny, but I enjoyed it. Read more online at ndsmcobserver.com.
most of this album in a boastful mood, and “MONACO” is his thesis statement. If you don’t like a rapper bragging about how much money he makes, how many records he sells, how much of a gangster he is and how many women he’s been with, this definitely isn’t for you. Despite the thematic repetition, Bad Bunny’s trap music pedigree shines through on this album. This album lacks a lot of the versatility Bad Bunny has shown on his previous projects, especially the insanely popular “Un Verano Sin Ti.” It doesn’t have any of the sad reggaeton songs featured on many of his past records, but that’s not what he’s trying to do on this album. He isn’t trying to experiment and make a merengue song or a house track — he’s talking his talk and making music that is going to be blasted at parties and getting people dancing in clubs. There’s no denying he does that expertly on “nadie sabe.” Another strength of this project comes with the feature list. Some names were throwbacks to Bad Bunny’s rise to fame when he was a regular feature on songs with artists like Bryant Myers and Arcangel. Verses from some more recent reggaeton standouts like Young Miko, YOVNGCHIMI and Feid on the album made for more great appearances. However, Luar La L’s verse on “TELEFONO NUEVO” stands out as one of the best features on the album. He comes in with a quick flow that forcefully contrasts the
slow start to the song, perfectly matching the thumping beat. It’s the kind of verse which makes me want to memorize it so I can rap along. Eladio Carrión’s appearance on “THUNDER Y LIGHTNING” shows the welcome return of the successful duo with hits like “Kemba Walker” and “Coco Chanel.” Again, the song starts slow before a U.K. drill-style beat kicks in, and Bunny and Carrión start skillfully trading quick verses all the way to the end of the song. Bad Bunny went back to the trap roots which made him famous all the way back in 2016. His fans were asking for it, and he delivered in style with “nadie sabe.”
Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu
Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu
“nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” Label: Rimas Favorite songs: “MONACO,” “PERRO NEGRO,” “TELEFONO NUEVO” More like this: Eladio Carrión, Young Miko, Myke Towers
ANNA FALK, ETHAN CHIANG | The Observer
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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Preview CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
hitting 25 homers and swiping 54 bags in the regular season. He stumbled in the NLCS but was a key cog in Arizona’s road to that round. Power-hitting and deft-fielding first baseman Christian Walker is following a similar narrative. Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. delivered a bounce-back regular season and is a power threat as well. Arizona’s offense can beat teams in several ways, which makes it all the more difficult to shut down. Even if you can, the 1-2 punch of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly can almost win games on their own. Gallen did have a tough go in the NLCS but his track record over the last two years more than speaks for itself. Kelly faltered a bit in Game 2 but gave Arizona five innings of one-run ball with their backs against the wall in Game 6. If highly touted rookie Brandon Pfaadt keeps his postseason brilliance going, Arizona is that much scarier, even if they will likely go win another bullpen game in Game 4. That bullpen has three outstanding right-handers — closer Paul Sewald, setup man Kevin Ginkel and
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both ended 3-3 and have gone to a shootout. Mercyhurst is led in scoring by senior Philip Waugh, who has scored twice with points in all three games this season. Sophomore Owen Say has performed strongly in goal for the Lakers so far. He has started a ll t hree games and boasts a .920 save percentage. He made over 40 saves in each of t he f irst t wo games against Ohio State and RMU. Despite t he fact t hat Mercyhurst has yet to w in a game in reg ulation, t heir t wo shootout w ins a lready stand as improvement from last year’s start to t he season. The La kers got of f on t he w rong foot in 2022, starting t heir year 1-10-2 en route to an eight h-place f inish in t he 10-team At lantic Hockey Association. This year, t hey’ve a lready got four conference points in t he books. Mercyhurst has not won t he A H A reg ular season tit le since 2018 and has not qua lif ied for t he NC A A tournament since 2005.
Series Histor y Notre Dame is 4-0-1 a lltime against Mercyhurst. The Irish were actua lly one of Mercyhurst’s f irst opponents in t heir inaug ura l 1987-88 season. The t wo teams met in Erie, and Notre Dame won 7-3.
the funky arm slot of Ryan Thompson. Thompson can and will pitch multiple innings at a time which makes life easier for manager Torey Lov ullo. Southpaws Andrew Saalfrank and Joe Mantiply have had their good and bad moments so far in October. How they handle Seager and Lowe could decide the series.
The Verdict This is a really hard series to handicap. Both teams are very well-rounded but not necessarily elite at one thing. They have one player destroying everything thrown at them (García for Texas, Marte for Arizona), a couple of others doing a lot of damage and some other big names that need to get going. Their first two starters are outstanding, but everything that comes after them is more questionable. Ultimately, the Rangers just have too much depth for me to pick against them. The bottom of their lineup is more potent, their bullpen runs a bit deeper and picking against even a rusty Scherzer in the World Series feels like a bad idea. It’s incredible that these 2021 cellar dwellers are here. Ultimately, though, the Rangers reign supreme. Rangers in six. Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.edu The Irish were competing as a non-scholarship Div ision I independent at t he time in t heir f irst season under Ric Shafer and t heir fourt h season back after t he Universit y announced it would not sponsor hockey in 1983. Mercyhurst was play ing its f irst season of hockey, doing so at t he Div ision III level. The last time t hese t wo Cat holic schools matched up was a 6-6 tie in 2018, played at t he Erie Insurance A rena on night one of t he Ice Brea ker Tournament. Notre Dame beat Prov idence on t he follow ing night, while Mercyhurst lost to Miami. The last time Mercyhurst journeyed to Sout h Bend was 1990, a t wogame sweep (7-3, 7-6) by t he Irish at t he Joyce Center. In an odd t w ist of fate, in t he t wo most recent seasons Notre Dame has played Mercyhurst (2008 and 2018), t he Irish have made it a ll t he way to t he nationa l championship game at t he Frozen Four. It is important to remember t hat correlation does not a lways imply causation… On bot h Thursday and Friday, t he puck w ill drop inside Compton Family Ice A rena at 7:30 p.m. Peacock w ill prov ide coverage of t he t wo games.. Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurphy@nd.edu
ND MEN’S SOCCER
Irish seek top ACC seed in regular season finale By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer
A f ter clinching t he ACC Coasta l Div ision t it le at Wa ke Forest last week, t he f if t h-ra n ked Not re Da me men’s soccer ends its reg u la r season t his Friday at home. The No. 20 Pittsburgh Pa nt hers (6-4-4, 2-2-3 ACC) w i l l v isit, seek ing t heir f irst road v ictor y of t he season. Wit h a top-t wo seed in t he conference tournament locked up, t he Irish (10-1-4, 5-0-2 ACC) eye t heir f irst unbeaten r un t hrough ACC play. Not re Da me ca n a lso secure its f irst 11-w in reg u la r season since 2015.
Picturing the postseason For t he ACC tournament, Not re Da me a lready has pract ica l ly ever y t hing it needs w it h a top-t wo seed. Each of t he top t wo receive a week long bye a nd home-f ield adva ntage t hrough t he semif ina ls, so t he number one seed doesn’t ca rr y much of a n edge. St i l l, t he Irish ca n cla im t he top spot w it h a w in or draw on Friday. Shou ld t hey lose, Wa ke Forest ca n w in at Louisv i l le to t ie Not re Da me’s 17 points atop t he sta ndings. However, t he Irish current ly have a n adva ntage of four over t he Demon Deacons in t he goa l dif ferent ia l t iebrea ker. Pitt, on t he ot her ha nd, has more conference implicat ions to play for. Holding nine points in
t he ACC sta ndings, t he Pa nt hers cou ld f inish a nywhere f rom 5t h to 10t h overa l l. However, based on matchups a round t he conference a nd Pitt’s ow nership of t he goa l dif ferent ia l t iebrea ker aga inst Nor t h Ca rolina, t he Pa nt hers w i l l most li kely f inish sevent h a nd face Louisv i l le nex t Wednesday. In terms of t he nat iona l tourna ment, t he Irish appea r dest ined to ea rn a number one seed. Defeat ing Pittsburgh wou ld on ly bolster Not re Da me’s case as t he Rat ing Percentage Index’s top-ra n ked tea m. Current ly rated 20t h, Pitt hopes to snatch a f irst-round bye v ia a top-four seed by stacking w ins late.
Struggling Steel City
outside
the
W hi le Not re Da me has draw n w it h t hree top-11 tea ms away f rom home, Pitt hasn’t come up w it h simi la r resu lts on t he road. The Pa nt hers a re 0-3-1 outside A mbrose Urba nic Field t his season. Li ke t he Irish, Pitt has v isited t hree ra n ked opponents in Georgetow n, Sy racuse a nd Virg inia. But un li ke Not re Da me, t he Pa nt hers lost a l l t hree by a combined score of 9-4. In its ot her away match, Pitt drew w it h Boston Col lege, t he on ly ACC tea m w it hout a conference w in. St i l l, Pitt w i l l present
yet a not her major cha llenge in Sout h Bend. Under eight h-yea r head coach Jay Vidov ich, t he Pa nt hers t y pica l ly f ind t heir best form late in t he season. Pitt has made each of t he last four NC A A tourna ments, reaching t he Col lege Cup in 2020 a nd 2022. In 2021, on ly Elite Eight pena lt y k icks w it h Not re Da me ba rred t he Pa nt hers f rom a not her t rip to Ca r y.
Goalkeeping matchup Once aga in, Not re Da me w i l l ta ke t he pitch w it h a si zable ex perience adva ntage bet ween t he posts. Irish senior keeper Br ya n Dowd, who shou ld ma ke his 56t h ca reer sta r t Friday, ra n ks f if t h in t he count r y w it h a n .860 save percentage t his season. Opposite him, Pitt’s Cabra l Ca r ter has sta r ted ever y Pa nt her match t his season. However, he entered t he season w it hout a minute of in-ga me col leg iate seasoning. Cabra l st i l l ow ns a respectable .729 save percentage a nd w i l l face Not re Da me w it h added conf idence. The sophomore enters w it h back-to-back clea n sheets a nd si x tota l for t he season. Not re Da me a nd Pittsburgh w i l l meet on t he A lumni Stadium stage at 7 p.m. Friday. ACC Net work Ex t ra will broadcast t he match. Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurphy@nd.edu
DEVINA RUSSELL
The Notre Dame men’s soccer team sings the Alma Mater after a 3-2 defeat of Clemson on Sep. 9. The Irish face the Pitt Panthers (2-2-3 ACC ) this Friday at 7 p.m.in an important ACC matchup at Alumni Satdium.
DAILY
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | THE OBSERVER
CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ
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HOROSCOPE | EUGENIA 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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SPORTS
THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Updates CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
Irish, clinching three individual wins in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle. Sophomore Tommy Janton saw victory in the 100 backstroke, with graduate student Cason Wilburn taking first in the 100 butterfly. All four men’s relays dominated their opponents, which bodes well for the team’s future season performance. Graduate student Carlo
Lopez Hernandez also showed up on the diving board with career-high second and fourth-place finishes. For the women, junior Maggie Graves had a breakout meet winning both the 500 and 1000 freestyle. Graduate student Ellie Jew also won both breaststroke events with season bests. Sophomore Grace Courtney posted her best meet of the year, standing out with two wins on
the diving board. Up next, the Irish are poised to face No. 12 (men)/No. 3 (women) Louisville — head coach Chris Lindauer’s alma mater — away on November 3rd. The Irish men are currently ranked No. 17 in the country by the NCAA, with the women unranked. Contact J.J. Post at jpost@nd.edu, Tyler Reid at treid@nd.edu and Madeline Ladd at mladd@nd.edu
SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI| The Observer
Irish senior forward Daniel Russo (11) controls the ball during Notre Dame’s 1-1 draw against Indiana at Alumni Stadium on Aug. 24. This victory against the hoosiers put them in position to win the ACC .
NOTRE DAME HOCKEY
Notre Dame hosts Mercyhurst this week By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team has a quick turnaround following its split with No. 9 Boston University last weekend. The Irish are back in action as they host Mercyhurst University for two games beginning Thursday night.
Scouting the Fighting Irish Notre Dame has its sights set on a rebound after being drubbed by Boston University, 8-2, on Saturday night. It was a rollercoaster weekend for the Irish who played their best game of the season on Friday night, beating the highly touted Terriers 4-1 before the night two blowout. After such a contrast of highs and lows, the key for Notre Dame this weekend may just be to have a short memory. “I’m just going to try and wash [that game] from my system,” Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said post-game Saturday. Whether or not the Irish can embrace Ted Lasso’s “goldfish” mindset remains to be seen. Regardless, injuries will challenge Notre Dame’s attempt at a bounce-back this weekend. The Irish defense corps are particularly banged up: freshman defenseman Paul Fischer did not play at all last weekend but was back to full practice this week; sophomore Michael Mastrodomenico played Friday’s
game but did not play Saturday night, and is day-to-day. So is senior Jake Boltmann, who exited Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury. By the end of Saturday’s game, Notre Dame was playing with only four defensemen due to a combination of injuries and penalties. Freshman forward Danny Nelson, who has experience playing defense, even had to take a few shifts on the back end late in the game. That will likely not be the case this weekend when the Lakers come to town, with Fischer likely to return. The Irish will need Danny Nelson back at center on the top line with captain Landon Slaggert and graduate student Patrick Moynihan on his wings. The new trio was a bright spot in Friday’s win. Slaggert leads the team in goals with three (all on home ice), while Nelson is not far behind with two. Another bright spot so far this season for the Irish has been the penalty kill. The unit is quietly among the early leaders nationally, killing penalties at a 90% clip through five games. Notre Dame only allowed Boston University to score once in 11 power-play opportunitiesoverthepastweekend.The success comes off the heels of a tactical change, headmanned by new Irish associate head coach Brock Sheahan. “We changed our tactical
approach to killing penalties,” Jackson said last week. “Because we changed our approach to more of a push-down style as opposed to a fronting style, it’s an adjustment for some of these guys. Overall, I’ve been pretty pleased, and again we have a number of freshmen who are killing penalties, not only up front but on the back end. It’s just going to be a matter of getting experience doing it at this point.” The adjustment, which allows opponents to shoot from the flanks and emphasizes protecting the middle of the ice instead, seems to be working so far. After leading the country in penalty-kill percentage in 2022, the Irish were fourth to last last season. A return to form this season, even if it isn’t a national best, would be a boon for Notre Dame.
Scouting the Lakers Mercyhurst arrives in South Bend without a regulation win to start the 2023-24 campaign. Oddly, this weekend will be the Lakers’ first set of back-to-back games this year. They have played a single contest on each of the last three Saturday nights, opening their season with a 4-3 loss to No. 16 Ohio State before stringing together shootout wins over Robert Morris and Niagara. The Lakers have been nothing if not consistent on paper — their last two games have
SPORTS AUTHORITY
Horton: Brian Kelly would have lost that one By JACK HORTON Sports Columnist
Following the disappointing loss to Louisville, I hopped on the phone with my dad to vent. Like many Notre Dame fans after the game, we expressed our frustrations with the lack of explosive plays and the offensive line struggles. By the end of the call, we fell back on the saddening truth: Brian Kelly wouldn’t have lost that game. W hile he’s certainly not a popular name on the Notre Dame campus today, Brian Kelly stacked 92 official wins and 21 vacated wins during his time coaching the Irish. He built Notre Dame into a team of consistency that won between eight and 12 wins in ever y year except 2016. His teams consistently defeated lower-ranked opponents but often lost primetime matchups in heartbreaking fashion. Just think about the offensive pass interference against No. 2 Florida State in 2014. The failed two-point attempt against No. 12 Clemson in 2015. And if they didn’t lose close, they lost big, like in the 2012 BCS National Championship and the 2015 Fiesta Bowl. As many Notre Dame fans likely recognize, Kelly beat up on inferior opponents but failed to win the big games throughout his time in South Bend. W hile Kelly struggled in high-ranked matchups, Marcus Freeman does not seem to have the same problem early in his head coaching career. After the dominant performance over USC, now is not the time to focus on the previous coach’s struggles. It’s time to examine the Freeman era with optimism.
Dominant gameplan
defensive
In both of his wins over top-10 teams, one word defines the Notre Dame defense: dominant. Against Clemson and USC, the defense created a bunch of turnovers that helped give the offense short fields and create an early lead. Notre Dame focused on keeping Caleb Williams in the pocket on Saturday, forcing the top draft
prospect to make errant passes that senior safety Xavier Watts and sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison could pounce on. Even during the loss to Ohio State earlier in the year, the Notre Dame defense displayed its strength throughout much of the contest. Marcus Freeman and defensive coordinator A l Golden deser ve a tremendous amount of credit for their ability to recognize the holes in top-ranked offenses and how to exploit them for takeaways.
Players’ coach Notre Dame players clearly love competing for Freeman. This was evident from the second he was named head coach when the players celebrated with him in the locker room. Because of this support, Freeman has staked his coaching reputation on his ability to recruit. He sells top recruits on the opportunity to reach the next level and the value of a Notre Dame education. Freeman has already landed highly touted quarterbacks CJ Carr and Deuce Knight during his short time as head coach. Much of the winning in college football today is done before the season even starts. Look at the Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby Smart. People think of Smart as a great recruiter first and as a coach second. He is not viewed as an innovative mind or a superb in-game decision-maker. Because of his impact as a players’ coach, Freeman can get recruits to buy into his culture. That gives the Irish an edge before these primetime games even start. Notre Dame may be out of playoff contention for this season. But the commanding performance over rival USC put the rest of the college football landscape on notice. As Freeman continues to gain in-game experience, the ceiling for the Irish under his watch will only go higher. 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.
SPORTS
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | THE OBSERVER
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MLB
2023 World Series Preview By ANDREW McGUINESS Sports Editor
Major League Baseball’s postseason has been all over the map this year. There have been a surprising amount of blowouts, questionable managerial moves and upsets galore. Whether you agree with the still relatively new postseason format or not, this October has undoubtedly been chaotic, which usually makes for an entertaining product. Now, though, is the ultimate showdown. The World Series has rarely disappointed in recent years and figures an intriguing matchup of teams that aren’t exactly used to winning on this stage. For one, that legacy will continue. True joy, and a championship pennant that will fly forever, await the other.
Texas Rangers: 90-72, No. 2 AL West, No. 2 AL Wild Card AL Wild Card Series: Beat Tampa Bay 2-0, ALDS: Beat Baltimore 3-0, ALCS: Beat Houston 4-3 What a weird season it’s been for the Texas Rangers.
They started the season as hot as anyone, then lost ace Jacob deGrom for the season. They mostly kept winning, then replaced deGrom with another New York Met in Max Scherzer ... who promptly went down with an injury. The losses started piling up in the dog days of summer, and it looked like they might miss the postseason outright. They stabilized late to avoid that fate but missed a golden opportunity by ceding control of the division to the Houston Astros on the last day of the regular season. Yet that seems to have galvanized the Rangers. They won their first seven games of the postseason, knocking out the top two teams in the American League in the first two rounds. After being left for dead following three straight home losses in the American League Championship Series, the Rangers scored 20 runs over the final two games to reach their first Fall Classic since 2011. As that last sentence indicates, the Rangers can score runs with the best of them. The Rangers offense is led by a three-headed monster of ALCS
MVP Adolis García, 2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager and 2021 AL MVP finalist Marcus Semien. Semien has struggled so far in the postseason, but García has homered in four straight games and Seager is so fearsome the Orioles all but refused to pitch to him in the Division Series. All launched at least 29 home runs and drove in at least 96 runs in the regular season. There’s plenty of depth in the lineup behind them, though. Josh Jung also hit 23 round-trippers in the regular season and has been a consistent force in October. Rookie Evan Carter has picked up right where he left off from an excellent September debut, hitting .308 through the first three rounds. Minnesota Twins cast-off Mitch Garver has honed his power stroke and has more RBIs in the postseason than any Ranger except for García. Nathaniel Lowe and Jonah Heim are capable of producing big swings as well. Center fielder Leody Taveras and Semien headline an outstanding defense as well. Texas indeed sured up its starting rotation at the PAID ADVERTISEMENT
deadline. But even though Scherzer returned in the ALCS, he hasn’t been the most impactful addition. That honor belongs to Jordan Montgomery, sporting a 2.16 ERA in four stellar postseason starts. Nathan Eovaldi once again owns October, pitching to a nearly identical mark with gaudy strikeout numbers. Like most teams, their depth is a bit sketchy, especially in the bullpen once you get past flame-throwing righties Jose Leclerc and Josh Sborz. But with the steady hand of Bruce Bochy guiding them, the Rangers have gone from 102 losses two years ago to the cusp of their first championship in their 63 seasons of baseball. Arizona Diamondbacks: 8478, No. 2 NL West, No. 3 NL Wild Card If it’s surprising to see the Rangers on this stage, it’s downright stunning that they’re meeting the Arizona Diamondbacks. In fairness, Arizona did follow a very similar path as Texas. The Diamondbacks dominated the NL West at the start of the season, just barely found themselves on the right side
of a Wild Card dog fight, swept their first two postseason series and won Games 6 and 7 on the road against the reigning league champion. It’s also been a minute since they’ve been here — a minute that’s lasted 22 years, to be exact. The Diamondbacks are a bit of a tricky team to evaluate. Arizona took advantage of the new rules in baseball this year for most of the regular season, building an athletic team full of speed that played tremendous defense. In the postseason, though, they’ve run less and crushed dingers more. Ketel Marte is establishing himself as an elite postseason player, breaking the all-time record by hitting in his first 16 career postseason games. Youngsters Gabriel Moreno and Alek Thomas are doing the same. They and Marte are the only three Diamondbacks with an OPS above .800 and have delivered in clutch moments as well. There’s plenty more to Arizona’s lineup as well. Corbin Carroll should run away with the NL Rookie of the Year Award after see PREVIEW PAGE 8
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THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2023 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
FOOTBALL
History of the Matchup: Notre Dame vs. Pitt By RYAN EASTLAND Sports Writer
The year was 2012, and the location was Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish, with an 8-0 record, found themselves in double overtime, dangerously close to an upset by unranked Pittsburgh. The game was deadlocked at 23-23. As the Pitt kicker, Kevin Harper, stepped up to take a 33-yard field goal, the outcome hung in the balance. If he successfully sent it through the uprights, the game would conclude with Pitt handing the Irish their first loss of the season. However, fate had other plans. The snap was a bit high, but the hold was good. Unfortunately for Pitt, Harper’s kick narrowly missed wide to the right. Notre Dame would go on to win the game in triple overtime. But the roles were reversed just one year later when Pitt emerged victorious and the Irish suffered a 28-21 defeat. These moments are just a glimpse of the gut-wrenching experiences in the Notre Dame-Pitt rivalry. Overall, the rivalry between the Irish and Panthers is lopsided. The Irish currently lead the series 50 to 21 with one tie. Notre Dame has also
secured three consecutive wins in the matchup, with the most recent victory occurring in 2020. The last time Pitt emerged victorious was at Heinz Field during the 2013 game. This weekend, Marcus Freeman and the Irish will host Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers at Notre Dame Stadium. It marks the 73rd meeting between the two teams. The Notre Dame squad is coming off a bye week, while the Panthers are recovering from a loss to Wake Forest. The Irish aim to build on their recent win against USC, while Pitt, determined to upset the Irish, seeks its third win to maintain hopes of bowl eligibility. Historically, the Irish have the upper hand, but one should never underestimate Pitt’s potential to impact the game. The 2012 game demonstrated this to Irish fans. Additionally, earlier in the season, Pitt upset 18th-ranked Louisville, the same Louisville team that convincingly defeated NotreDamethepreviousweek.NotreDame remains the heavy favorite in this matchup, but Pitt could potentially play the spoiler if the Irish let their guard down. SOFIA CRIMIVAROLI| The Observer
Contact Ryan Eastland at ryaneastland@nd.edu
Cheerleader Lily Nevin leads the students in the “Go Irish” chant during the third quarter of Notre Dame’s 48-20 victory over USC on Oct. 14 in Notre Dame Stadium.
ND SPORTS UPDATES
State of the Irish: How Notre Dame athletics fared over fall break By J.J. POST, TYLER REID AND MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editors
Here’s a quick rundown of where various Irish sports stand as they enter the home stretch of their respective seasons.
Women’s Soccer Women’s soccer only had one game over the fall break period, but it was perhaps their most important of the season. Coming off an ugly 4-1 defeat on the road against national No. 1 Florida State, the Irish were offered a chance for redemption against No. 3 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Another loss could have sent the season into a spiral. But a positive result would further legitimize the Irish as a team that can compete with the nation’s best. Notre Dame faced an avalanche of Tar Heel chances but held on for a 1-1 draw that could go a long way in boosting the team’s resume with the NCAA tournament on the
horizon. The Irish then continued their momentum over the weekend, picking up a 1-0 win over NC State. Notre Dame will have one more game in the regular season, a home test against national No. 8 Clemson, before playing in the ACC Tournament.
Men’s Soccer Men’s soccer kept on rolling during fall break, extending their unbeaten streak to nine matches. A 3-0 win over Michigan on the road was impressive, but a chaotic 1-1 draw with Wake Forest in Winston-Salem was more important. In a match with heavy ACC title implications, Notre Dame conceded a late Demon Deacon goal, only to equalize minutes later thanks to senior forward Daniel Russo. Russo received a red card in the subsequent celebration, but the 10-men Irish hung on for the final five minutes. With the draw, Notre Dame now controls its own destiny
heading into their final regular season matchup against Pitt after clinching the Coastal Division title with the Wake draw. With a win or draw against the Panthers on Friday, the Irish will win the ACC regular season title outright. The Irish have not clinched an outright regular season title since 2014.
Volleyball Notre Dame volleyball has seen a dip in form as of late after a strong start to the season. The Irish have lost three consecutive games since the start of fall break, including a five-set heartbreaker on Friday against Virginia Tech. Junior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo continues to be a force for the Irish. Her 283 kills rank first in the ACC and she’s second in service aces. Secondary support has proven to be a struggle, though, with no other Notre Dame player currently within 100 kills of Palazzolo. The road doesn’t get any easier now for the Irish either, who
have a pair of home matches this week against Miami and Florida State, both of which are within the top five in the ACC standings.
Hockey After a season-opening split with Clarkson, the skating Irish played three games during fall break. On Oct. 14, the Irish lost 3-0 at RIT despite outshooting the Tigers 36-23. Notre Dame then returned home this past weekend and split with then-No. 6 Boston University. In their 4-1 victory on Friday, the Irish scored four times in the first period and killed off all six Terrier power plays on the night. Senior forward Landon Slaggert scored the game-winning goal, his team-high third of the season. However, on Saturday, BU exploded for an 8-2 beatdown. Scoring all eight goals in the game’s first half, the Terriers chased senior goaltender Ryan Bischel after just 20 minutes and five goals allowed. With a 2-3-0 record and a shorter
week ahead, the Irish will host Mercyhurst for a ThursdayFriday series to end October.
Swim & Dive The Irish opened their regular season on Oct. 6 with an away dual meet against Wisconsin. The team split the weekend, with the men capturing a big win against the Badgers as the women fell short. The following week the Irish hosted Purdue and split their home opener the same way, the men claiming a decisive victory and the women just narrowly missing the mark against the Boilermakers. Over the break, the Irish hosted a tri-meet last Friday and Saturday with Pitt and Penn State. Both the men’s and women’s sides swept their opponents. Pitt proved a worthy opponent, as the Irish men only won by a margin of two points. Junior Chris Guiliano continued to impress for the see UPDATE PAGE 10