Observer Staff Report
A women’s drink was spiked with a date rape drug in a men’s residence hall over the weekend, according to the Notre Dame Police Department (NDPD). NDPD received a report from the Title IX office about the drink spiking, which occurred in the night hours between Sept. 29 and Sept. 30, according to an email to the
The Center for Faith, Action and Ministry at Saint Mary’s blessed the chickens and pollinators that live on the campus sustainable farm in honor of St. Francis’ feast day Wednesday. The chickens are known on the College’s campus as the “smickens.”
Christopher Cobb, an associate English professor who oversees the farm, said the event — the second annual Francis Fest — was a good opportunity to reflect on the harvest.
“[It’s] a time when we celebrate the abundant harvest that we’ve received through the year, and we have a service in which we ask for blessing on the land and the creatures,” Cobb said.
The Notre Dame Neuroscience Club will conduct its eighth annual ALS Walk Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to noon at the Jordan Hall of Science reading room.
Former Trump administration official Michael Pompeo will speak in DeBartolo Hall on the Friday afternoon before fall break.
The University said in a news release Wednesday that Pompeo, who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency and then secretary of state under wformer President Donald Trump, will deliver a lecture on religious liberty, courage and the necessity of leadership Oct. 13.
Tickets to the event are now available to members of the
tri-campus community with valid identification cards at the LaFortune Box Office, and the talk will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Pompeo’s visit is sponsored by the International Security Center and the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.
Pompeo graduated first in his class from West Point in 1986 and became a cavalry officer, patrolling the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin Wall. He was elected to four terms as a U.S. representative from Kansas prior to joining the Trump administration.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that primarily causes the loss of voluntary muscle movement in the body, which in turn may lead to the inability to speak, eat, move or even breathe independently. There is no known cure.
Though the Neuroscience Club typically focuses on promoting its titular field and its accompanying advancements and breakthroughs, the club also has had a lengthy history of research advocacy, fundraising and spreading awareness for neurological disorders — all of which it hopes to achieve with the walk.
All donations received through the event will be given to the ALS Association in St. Joseph County. This money will go directly towards supporting victims of the disease and their caregivers.
The event will start off with a
small breakfast, with coffee, bagels and pastries available. During this time, several speakers will share with the audience the unique experiences and hardships they faced regarding the disease. Patrick “Murf” Murphy, a long-time bartender at Rohr’s, and Denis O’Leary will talk at length about their friend William “Bud” O’Toole, a former University pilot who recently passed away after a ten-year battle against ALS. John Roselle, an alumnus of the University, will speak on his wife Laurie, who was diagnosed with ALS two years ago. Following this, Fr. Gabe Griggs, alumnus and rector of Keough Hall, will commence this year’s Walk with a prayer before sending the participants off.
Participants will march throughout campus and around St. Mary’s Lake before stopping at the Grotto, where a group prayer and a reading of the names of those in the Notre Dame family struggling with ALS will be held. They will then reconvene at the Jordan Hall of Science for closing remarks.
To Neuroscience Club co-president and senior Joseph Deporre, the ALS Walk demonstrates the power of community.
“It’s quite striking in how we were
able to make such a widespread impact together,” Deporre said of last year’s walk. “We had people not even related to the Notre Dame family, but just from the St. Joseph County area, come in and walk with us. To get so many students, professors and community members together, behind such a hugely important cause … it speaks volumes.”
To expand that community, the Neuroscience Club has partnered with the Notre Club of St. Joseph County. Additionally, junior Mackenzie Kelleher, former co-president and current ALS Walk chair, has advertised the event across campus through newsletters and posters alike.
“It’s both sobering and inspiring,” Kelleher said. “It gives you a really profound insight into the lives of the patients and their families and friends, showing what they’re really going through. To join a cause spreading awareness like that really makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself.”
Senior Cade Whitsitt, who was secretary of the club during the time of the walk last year, also found the experience to be an impactful one.
see ALS PAGE 4
631-7471
Fax: (574) 631-6927
Advertising (574) 631-6900 advertising@ndsmcobserver.com
Editor-in-Chief (574) 631-4542 meastlan@nd.edu
Managing Editor (574) 631-4542 rpeters5@nd.edu
Assistant Managing Editors (574) 631-4541 gbeecher@nd.edu, hhebda@nd.edu, jsanch24@nd.edu
Business Office
(574) 631-5313
Notre Dame News Desk (574) 631-5323 news@ndsmcobserver.com
Saint Mary’s News Desk (574) 631-5323 smcnews@ndsmcobserver.com
Viewpoint Desk (574) 631-5303 viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.om
Sports Desk (574) 631-4543 sports@ndsmcobserver.com
Scene Desk (574) 631-4540 scene@ndsmcobserver.com
Photo Desk (574) 631-8767 photo@ndsmcobserver.com
Systems & Web Administrators webmaster@ndsmcobserver.com
Policies
The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of any institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information.
Questions regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Maggie Eastland. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods.
News Peter Breen Aynslee Dellacca
Keira Stenson
Graphics Maria Tobias
Photo Sofia CrimiVaroli
Corrections
Sports Andrew McGuinness
Scene
Christine Hilario
Viewpoint
Caitlin Brannigan
The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.
Friday
Signs of the Time Lecture
Geddes Hall noon - 1 p.m.
Talk by Mayor James Mueller.
Fall Concert: ND
Symphony Orchestra
Leighton Concert Hall
8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fall concert followed by reception.
Saturday
Visiting Concert LaBar Performance Hall
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Stephen Lancaster and Laure Colladant.
Paint and Sip LaFortune McNeill Room 4:30 p.m - 9 p.m. Spend some time painting.
Sunday
Kimberly Marshall Performance DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Organ performance.
SDB Movie Night LeMans Green 8:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Join the Student Diversity Board in watching “Selena.”
Monday
Vespers at the Loretto Church of Our
On Tuesday evening the residents of Fisher and Pangborn halls met with their hall staff and vice president for student affairs Fr. Gerry Olinger where they learned their dorms will be demolished at the end of the year, with residents of Pangborn moving to the new residence hall being constructed on East Quad and residents of Fisher moving to Zahm Hall for two years before returning to a new dorm on the current site of Fisher hall.
The decision was not entirely a surprise to some, as residents of both halls said they had heard rumors that their dorms would be torn down before the official announcement.
“I had previously heard the rumors of us moving to the new hall, so I wasn’t completely surprised
when I first heard about it,”
Stephen Holland, a freshman in Pangborn said.
Nevertheless, the news was still impactful to the residents. Adam Akan, a sophomore in Fisher, described the mood in Fisher after the news dropped.
“We’re overall pretty heartbroken,” Akan explained. “It was a really somber night last night, a really somber morning.”
Joseph Tunney, a sophomore in Fisher noted he won’t be able to show the dorm to his family in the future.
“So many ND grads will be able to go back and show their families where they lived when they were in college, and I won’t get that opportunity,” Tunney said.
Michael Schlueter, a sophomore in Pangborn expressed his appreciation for the hall despite its quirks.
“I will surely miss the place,”
Schlueter said. “It isn’t the nicest, but that’s how college dorms usually are. I’ll miss being in this area on South Quad.”
A common sentiment amongst residents of Fisher was dismay over the changing of the Fisher name to an, as of yet, undisclosed name for the new dorm on Fisher’s site.
“What is most frustrating is that the name of the new dorm will not be Fisher once it is built, meaning that the hall as we know it will be gone,” Tunney lamented.
Residents of both halls will have to acclimate to new living arrangements next year — a prospect that elicited both excitement and trepidation.
“I … was relieved that we were going to the new hall instead of Zahm Hall for the next two years,” Holland said. “Although it feels a little awkward moving out of the dorm after the first year, we have a
strong community here. A change in physical building and scenery isn’t going to change that, so I would say I feel comfortable with the move.”
Some residents are grateful for the opportunity to stay together in their dorm community, but recognize that a significant part of this culture will be missing.
“A big part of our culture is tied to our building and losing our building, even though it may be outdated and may not be up to the university standards anymore, is still really depressing,” Akan said.
Other residents are optimistic about the transition.
“We’re excited to move to Zahm and look to bring the Fisher traditions with us as well,” Ben Smith, a sophomore resident of Fisher said.
Overall, residents emphasized that the experience is a complicated one.
“While I am disappointed with
the decision on Fisher being demolished, I understand the rationale provided by the office of residential life,” Tunney said. “I am thankful that we will continue to have our own community, despite the building being demolished, that will hopefully continue the greatest aspects of Fisher culture. I truly believe that we have the tightest community of any dorm, and it isn’t because of the building.”
Michael Scannell, also a resident of Pangborn, expressed a similar sentiment.
Scannell said, “We recognize that the great traditions and lasting memories that have been created in this building we know as Pangborn, but we are also excited to start a new chapter in a different building with the same culture.”
Contact Liam Kelly at lkelly8@nd.eduEvery Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., students gather for “LifeDesign,” a global affairs elective centered around human flourishing and how to achieve a meaningful life as a Notre Dame student.
Steve Reifenberg, professor of international development at the Keough School of Global Affairs, first developed the course during the COVID-afflicted winter of 2021.
“There’s a lot of really good behavioral science around language like, ‘well-being,’ ‘flourishing,’ ‘happiness,’ ‘purpose’ and a lot of that we’ve learned about,” Reifenberg said. “And I think that it’s really valuable for students to have a space where they can think about the science, but in the context of their own lives, and really being very practical in practice.”
Reifenberg and the rest of the LifeDesign team attempt to structure the course to be highly
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
testing at the hospital confirmed the presence of the central nervous system depressant Rohypnol. NPDD added that the drugging was an aggravated battery as defined by Indiana law.
In addition to the on-
conducive to student flourishing.
LifeDesign favors a course website, rather than a Canvas page, on which students can find assignments, readings and other resources.
Reifenberg explained that much of the website resources were cultivated by students for students. A plethora of resources, including podcasts, TED talks and scientific articles, that sparked student interest are all gathered on this website.
“We tried to then put it in organized categories that track with a lot of the themes and so there’s a whole part of the website that’s not like the syllabus. It’s called ‘Big Ideas.’”
So what does a class in LifeDesign look like? According to the course website, LifeDesign aims at exposing students to concepts in psychology, neuroscience and behavioral science, as well as providing a space for practice through mindsets, skillsets and habits.
Tia Mittle, a sophomore student facilitator in LifeDesign, said the
campus drugging, the Title IX office recently received three separate reports of suspected drink spiking at Finnies Next Door in downtown South Bend, the email said. One of the alleged druggings took place in June of this year and two occurred in early September.
“In the early September incidents, the suspect was described as an older non-college aged white male with balding hair,” according to the email.
“There is no indication that the incidents at Finnies Next Door are connected to the incident on campus.”
NDPD has been in contact with the South Bend Police Department about the suspected drink spikings, police added.
course has had a lasting impact on her far beyond the classroom.
“It emphasizes human relationships, flourishing, happiness and all these other concepts that are so so so valuable and fundamentally necessary in our lives, but aren’t emphasized,” Mittle said.
Mittle said there has been an immense difference that she has observed in her life over the course of her first year as a result of enrolling in this course and learning new practices. For Mittle, the three words she would use to describe LifeDesign are “community,” “student-oriented” and “comfort.” A typical class usually begins with 10 minutes of meditation, followed by time for journaling exercises and small group discussions on the day’s readings and/or videos.
A foundational theme in LifeDesign is intentionality. Reifenberg explained understanding the “why” is the first step towards enhancing the educational practices seen today.
“I always ask them the question:
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
This year, the fest took place at the end of the farm’s first growing season, Cobb added.
“It’s not a very old tradition, but it’s not a very old farm,” he said.
Cobb said those involved in the farm came up with the idea for Francis Fest because they wanted to mark the feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of nature.
In addition to reminding Saint Mary’s students that the farm is available to them on campus, Cobb said he hoped the students who participated in the fest would walk away knowing the farm is a place for spiritual enrichment.
“The farm is a place for spiritual enrichment, as well as for food and for care for the soil,” he said. “Those activities are spiritually as well as materially important.”
‘How many of you in your classes for grades are you being asked to work on teams?’ Every hand goes up. Second question. ‘How many of you does your heart flutter, or you’re really happy when they say you’re going to work on a team?’ Like, four hands go up, in a class of 25,” Reifenberg said.
Reifenberg also asks questions regarding how professors facilitate teamwork.
“And then the last question: ‘How many of you have had professors that really explain why you’re working on teams or help you think about how to make that team work better?’ Very few times do we do that.”
Reifenberg said that LifeDesign attempts to bridge that “gap” in intentionality behind working and sharing in groups, as well as increasing intentionality behind everything that goes into the course. To support this, students are given flexibility in assignments, such as choosing between three books to focus on for a report.
He added that the College’s farm is a place where the life of earth, spirit, mind and heart can all grown in tandem.
Cobb started off the service by guiding students and guests to the chicken coup for the liturgy portion of the fest. Student leaders provided the musical accompaniment, and attendees joined in the singing of “Canticle of the Sun.”
There was a reading from the first chapter of Colossians, in which St. Paul the Apostle talks about the glory of creation and humanity’s place in it. After a his reflection on the scripture passage, Fr. Aquinas Beale blessed the farm and the animals.
Those in attendance then raised their hands in blessing.
Students finished off the final verse of “Canticle of the Sun,” and then College President Katie Conboy gave a welcomwing speech.
“This is not just our care at Saint Mary’s. This is something that
“People get to go more deeply into whichever of the approaches that they want. And part of it is ways of exploring their own motivating questions,” Reifenberg said. “And so a big part is centered around the agency of the students to chart the path for their own learning that’s going to be useful to them.”
Students like Mittle expressed gratitude for this approach, which recognizes there is no one right answer to how to flourish and live a purposeful life. This type of learning can be applied to other subject matter as well, Mittle said. Because of its versatility, Mittle believes it is a highly important class. Mittle said, “I would do anything but miss LifeDesign — I would make time for it. Even if I have like three exams, I’m coming here. It’s like this source of happiness and joy, the vibes are just different. I’m always learning more about myself.”
Contact Kelsey Quint at kquint@nd.edu
infuses the Catholic Church and infuses people,” Conboy said.
She added that farm was established because people like Cobb advocated for the need of such a space.
“I know how much commitment there is to the farm,” Conboy said. “I know how much it adds to the lives of our students, so I just want to thank everyone who is involved.”
Following the blessing of the land and the creature, Francis Fest attendees enjoyed apple cider and donuts as well as time for socializing and games.
Junior Abbie Kawalec, a student involved in planning the fest, encouraged students who want to get involved in the sustainable farm to email the Center for Faith, Action and Ministry.
“We’re always here, and there’s always ways you can get involved,” Kawalec said.
Contact Sally Bradshaw at sbradshaw01@saintmarys.edu
Saint Mary’s campus safety held its third annual safety walkthrough Wednesday night, highlighting improvements to campus safety and areas for improvement.
Phil Bambenek, director of campus safety, said his department has seen very little disturbances lately.
“Not a lot of things happened on the campus. We like it that way,” he said. “One way to keep it that way is to stay vigilant about safety issues.”
Each year, campus safety invites a group of students who “see campus in a different way” — usually athletes and representatives from student government — to join them on the walk-through, according to associate dean of students Shay Schneider.
Along the walk, Bambenek pointed out various safety
improvements to campus and asked the students which areas they feel uncomfortable walking through, especially at night. Though campus safety has a “multi-year plan” in place, Bambenek said his team factors in what students bring up on these walks in their decision making.
Currently in the works is a pedestrian loop to get runners and walkers off the road-way between Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame.
“[The loop] will give them a dedicated pathway,” executive director of facilities Ben Bowman said. “It will be an almost two-mile loop, once completed … and we’re gonna try and light it all.”
Though there is not a target completion date, Bowman said part of the current strategic plan is to raise money for the pathway. It will run along the riverbank by Holy Cross College and the athletic fields, he said.
Bambenek also highlighted the
installation of new lighting on the center of campus, an upgrade of the existing lighting to brighter and more long-lasting LED bulbs, as well as moving some bushes away from the edge of sidewalks as other recent improvements to campus safety. Blinkie, the shuttle that runs between Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame, also has a new tracking feature, available on the BusWhere app.
Bambenek said escorts from the parking lot are the number one safety request he hears from students. Blinkie stops by the parking lots every 15 to 20 minutes, but if students just miss Blinkie, they can end up waiting around.
“If you just missed Blinkie and you’re pulling back into the parking lot … he can loop back around,” Bambenek said. “They do need to stay on a bit of a schedule, but … it’s more question of communicating with us than lack of availability of services sometimes.”
Campus safety continues to maintain the emergency blue light phones, though Bambenek said he can count the number of times a student has actually used them.
“People still like having [the blue light phones] there, so one of the things we’re looking at doing with those is coming here and changing those over to video phones. We can monitor the areas with cameras because they’re in good locations for cameras and that as well,” Bambenek said. The entrances to residence halls already have cameras to monitor campus, he added.
In addition to installing cameras, Bambenek said that campus safety is considering lighting “the island” and partnering with First Source Bank to provide clip-on reflector lights to students.
Student Government Association (SGA) president Scarlet Peters said her biggest safety concern is walking on a road where cars drive, but that the new
pathway would provide a great running route.
The SGA suggestion box is open, but Peters said that they haven’t heard any suggestions from students about campus safety.
“As of right now, since it’s still pretty early, we haven’t heard anything, but you know, now that it’s starting to get darker earlier and staying darker later, so it could change,” Peters said.
Bambenek said that it’s his job to be a little “paranoid” and consider the worst thing that could happen.
“One of the things that we bring into this conversation is the idea of being responsive to student needs with an understanding maybe that everything can’t happen immediately,” Bambenek said. “But you know if it’s a serious safety concern, it can happen pretty quick.”
Contact Kathryn Muchnick at kmuchnic@nd.eduWednesday night, Saint Mary’s welcomed back Diane Fox, former director of the Office for Student Success, to present her lecture, “The Desire to be Happy & the Need to be Unhappy.”
“If you want to be happier, what are you going to do about it?” was the question Fox posed to her audience.
Fox’s lecture was an exploration of happiness and the emotional ups and downs of college. Fox’s anecdotes and personality brought joy to an otherwise taboo topic. Fox cited the Hallmark channel original movie, “The Blessing Bracelet” for a metaphor on gratitude.
“I watch Hallmark. If I wanted a tragedy, I’d watch the news” Fox jokingly said.
Fox based her lecture
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“Spreading awareness of increasingly prevalent diseases like ALS in a way that combines both religion and research advocacy really fits in with what a member of the Notre Dame family should strive to do,” Whitsitt said.
John Roselle, a speaker at the Walk and an active member of the Notre Dame club in Indianapolis, got involved with the cause after his wife’s diagnosis, which lead the couple to the Live Like Lou Foundation, an ALS nonprofit founded from the famous first baseman’s former fraternity. Through the group, they held their first annual “All in for Laurie” trivia night last year, raising more than $37,000 in support
on the novel “The Art of Science and Getting Happier: Build the Life You Want” by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey. Fox, like Brooks and Winfrey, embraces happiness and unhappiness as two things that coexist.
“Because I think it’s necessary and people want to avoid [unhappiness]. It’s a relatively new concept to embrace. You know, we avoid it,” said Fox.
Fox describes unhappiness as something to be thankful for. Fox explains in her lecture that happiness helps us to achieve enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose, which are the components of happiness she lists.
“You’re gonna struggle. You’re not gonna like, you know, it’s not gonna always be easy, but I think it’s doable,” Fox said.
During her time at Saint Mary’s, Fox was constantly
of ALS victims and research. Reaching out to Notre Dame, they then enabled an endowment with the Live Like Lou Foundation to fund undergraduate neurodegenerative disease research.
“It was only natural that our thoughts would go to Notre Dame,” Roselle said. “We knew that if we were going to have a research grant, we wanted it to be somewhere where it could make a difference, where we would be proud of it.”
When asked on his wishes for the ALS Walk, Roselle was adamant in his response.
“First off, I hope to help them better understand, to share some of our experiences and help them understand more about what ALS tragically does, both to patients as well as to families and to caregivers.
fielding questions about career, major and future success. She believes many of these worries from students are the fear of being unhappy in disguise.
“I think the students want to be happy. They think something’s wrong with them. When they’re not happy, it adds to their stress. I don’t think they realize they have the power to be happy,” Fox said.
Fox reflected on her time at Saint Mary’s and how just as she watched students grow in intellect and maturity, she also saw them grow in happiness.
“Saint Mary’s empowers women. I used to love teaching first years because they cry once a week. Sophomore year they get stronger. Junior year they hit their stride. And senior year they cry because they have to leave,” Fox remarked.
Fox discussed why the topic of happiness worked
Second, I hope to send a message that — as insidious a disease as it is — there is still hope out there. We’ve seen a lot of medical advances over the years, but the emerging research taking place gives me faith that the youth of today will be among the leaders that find an answer to this. I’m hoping to see a lot of Notre Dame students out there this Sunday.”
Registration and donations for the event are currently available on the Neuroscience Club’s page on Student Shop ND, with an optional entry for a random drawing for an Apple watch to be held at check-in the day of the event. All participants will receive a free ALS T-shirt while supplies last.
Contact Nolan Hines at nhines@nd.edu
so well when addressing an audience of all women. Traditionally, women are taught to put other happiness in front of their own. Fox is here to combat that.
“I think women are givers. We’re used to so often sacrificing ourselves for others. But I think it’s important to realize too, that it’s not selfish,” Fox said.
Furthering the dialogue around womens happiness and unhappiness, Fox does not shy away from how relationships play into the upkeep of happiness.
“And it’s something that especially sometimes with college aged girls, they’re looking for a mate that will bring them happiness. You don’t need somebody else. They can be happy all by
themselves,” Fox said. Fox wants to enforce that happiness is not a destination, but a direction. Fox told the audience we should never aim to be happy, instead happier.
Fox said, “So I just think it’s important to understand the concept [of happiness] so that they can apply and realize they can be very responsible for it. life’s gonna be hard, bad things are gonna happen.”
And the book talks about how people have illnesses and tragedies, but every day there’s something you can do just a little bit to make you happier and happier, happier, happier.”
Contact Sarah Cate White at swhite01@saintmarys.eduA great storyteller’s presence should be felt in their stories. Netflix’s four new short films — “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” “Poison,” “The Rat Catcher” and “The Swan” — have the distinct fingerprints of not one artist, but rather two. Adapting the short fiction of legendary author Roald Dahl, director and screenwriter Wes Anderson crafts four separate and distinct shorts. Anderson’s selection of stories create a fulfilling experience when viewed as an anthology or watched individually.
“The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”
The longest of the four short films at 39 minutes, this short boasts many famous actors among its cast. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the eponymous gambler, while Dev Patel and Ben Kingsley interject as narrators of their own stories. The standout star of the piece is without a doubt Ralph Fiennes as Roald Dahl himself. Fiennes is the only actor to star in all four shorts. Cumberbatch plays the titular character skillfully, making himself believable as both arrogant and generous throughout the character’s development.
The narrative of the short is like a nestling doll: the audience first sees Roald Dahl, the film’s primary narrator, as he begins to tell the story of Henry Sugar, who himself finds an intriguing book and begins to read it. The book’s author interviews a man with odd talents who goes on to tell the story of how he got these abilities.
That is four distinct, separate layers, all with their own narrators.
The narration remains the collection’s most intriguing element, with the screenplays feeling as if they were lifted directly off of Dahl’s pages. Dialogue is delivered by the narrator, or characters will declare “I said” after making a statement. This stylistic choice is the most consistent aspect among all four shorts.
“Poison”
This short is an entertaining story about rising tensions as three men navigate a dangerous situation. The short is a perfect demonstration of Anderson’s iconic directorial style — until it isn’t. At the story’s boiling point, Anderson’s meticulous cinematography is abandoned, with the camera at angles slightly askew and shaking. It’s not until the tension is dispelled that Anderson’s uniform style returns. This short features Cumberbatch, Patel and Kingsley.
“The Rat Catcher”
In 2013, “Saturday Night Live” produced a parody short titled “Wes Anderson Horror Trailer.” A decade later, Anderson developed his first project that could arguably be labeled as a horror film. Tension is built by what we cannot see. Props and details are not physically there, despite the narration saying otherwise. The performers pantomiming as if these items are present can be unsettling for the audience. However, being able to see what they’re referencing can be even worse.
The moment the Rat Catcher pulls a rat out of his pocket
— visible to the audience this time — the short’s tone goes from dark to disturbing. This unease is furthered by the Rat Catcher speaking off-screen while the Rat’s mouth moves in time. Later in the short, Anderson uses his signature elaborate set design to craft a twist more reminiscent of Poe than Dahl. Without a doubt, this will be the short that sticks with me the most. This short stars Ralph Fiennes as the Rat Catcher, in his only appearance in the collection not as Dahl, alongside Richard Ayoade and Rupert Friend.
“The Swan”
Perhaps the most dour note to end the collection on, I finished my watch-through of the anthology with this story. A truly intimate story, “The Swan” features only one main actor apart from Fiennes’ Dahl. Rupert Friend takes on roles as the narrator and multiple other characters. Where “The Rat Catcher” induces terror through the disturbing, “The Swan” elicits dread through its realism. Delivered more like a dramatic monologue than a narrative, the story touches on themes of transformation, escape and ambiguous narrators, emphasizing the importance of Dahl in the stories being told. Although it’s the most heartbreaking of the four, watching it last made me appreciate the collection as a whole. It is a devastating way to end the experience, but if you watch all four shorts back-to-back, I would be remiss not to recommend you end with “The Swan.”
All four short films can be streamed on Netflix. Contact Andy Ottone at aottone@nd.edu
By ALLISON ELSHOFF Scene Writer
Two weeks ago, I received a text from my grandpa as I was walking back to my dorm. I opened it expecting a picture of my cousin’s homecoming dress or a clip from SportsCenter Top 10. Instead, attached was a 25 second video of my grandpa filming his TV. The text read: “Looks like the rumors are true!”
Suddenly, I knew exactly what it would be. My friends and I huddled around the screen, oohing and aahing and “no WAY”-ing as we watched the video. It was a slow-motion shot of Taylor Swift jumping up and down in a VIP box, clad in a number “13” Chiefs jersey and her iconic red lipstick.
If you’re confused, Grammy-winning pop star Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are rumored to be dating (also, where have you been?). The story started in July when Kelce mentioned that he attended a Swift concert and tried to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to meet Swift — but that didn’t stop the media from running with the story.
For weeks, sports broadcasters, magazines and Kelce’s brother himself poked fun at the potential couple — that was, until Swift was finally spotted with Kelce’s mom at a Chiefs game in Arrowhead Stadium
two weeks ago. Since then, the two have been spotted at a rented-out restaurant, and just this past Sunday she brought a star-studded lineup of friends to the Chiefs vs. New York Jets game.
A month ago, I wrote an article about Swift’s “Era’s Tour” that detailed her grip on the public — selling out stadiums, boosting cities’ economies and flooding headlines. I had assumed that Swift had reached her final form — but I was so, so wrong.
Only Swift could upstage her own headlines with, well, more of her own headlines. But this is different. This is much more than a “who’s dating who” story. It’s about the unification of two seemingly opposite ends of the universe: the Swiftie community and football America.
According to CNBC, sales of Kelce’s jersey spiked 400% after Swift was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium. Stubhub also reported a threefold increase in Chiefs ticket searches. Thousands of Swifties are pranking their boyfriends on TikTok by claiming Swift “put Kelce on the map.” The NFL’s official TikTok account changed their bio to “9/24/23. Taylor was here.” Even Patriots coach Bill Belichick quipped that “Travis Kelce’s had a lot of big catches in his career. This would be the biggest.”
It feels like the final piece of Swift’s ascendency is falling into place: the pop girlies are infiltrating this
untapped audience to unlock a new level of world domination. The fact that I learned of Swift’s attendance at the Chief’s game from my grandpa, who was just watching his usual Sunday football, perfectly epitomizes the situation — and is frankly hilarious. Could this be the cure to our ails, a solution to our fragmented country? Could a humble singer songwriter and football player bring the unimaginable idea of a unified America to fruition?
Jokes aside, watching this story unfold feels great. I’m normally wary of our society’s obsession with celebrities (I’m aware of the irony), but something about this feels strangely wholesome. Commentator Ian Eagle using “Blank Space” puns in his broadcast and Swifties tailgating in “Travis Kelce is hot” shirts is refreshingly lighthearted. This story creates a rare opportunity for two of the most dedicated and passionate fan bases, who usually don’t overlap, to unite. I think everyone involved — not just the fans, but Swift and Kelce themselves — are amusingly enjoying all of the buzz.
Maybe one day I’ll write an article about something other than Swift. But, with Swift’s current momentum, that day seems far, far off.
Read more online at ndsmcobserver.com
Contact Allison Elshoff at aelshoff@nd.edu
INSIDE COLUMN
ask him if he remembered his father.
They were nothing more than figures in the framed photo kept in my mother’s bedside drawer. She looked angelic in the delicate sari she had worn, her skin glowing from what I would later learn was the photography studio’s skin-lightening. His hair was luxuriously oiled and combed, with a brown jacket and skinny tie that made him look like a sportscaster from the 1960s.
My mother’s parents may have been captured in that picture in some form, but I could never know them: the sound of their laughter, the calluses on their hands or the love they might have had for their grandchildren. On the other side of my family, the grandparents were impossibly distant, and not just in the quantifiable 8,158 miles.
I have mourned my grandparents my entire life, listening to stories of their grace and love, their mistakes and sacrifices. I stood on their shoulders, in the shining city on the hill simply because they gave up their home. But I did not know them.
And by extension, I didn’t spend a ton of time around old people. In my early childhood, I begrudged them. It’s not the hardest thing to do. Why were they so cranky? They were an assault on the senses, and always ready to scold or preach. They talked so much, seemingly unaware of how little their audience received their lessons.
As I rapidly acquired the wealth of age myself, I tried to actually listen. It didn’t take much work because once you see that we live in a self-imposed bubble of youth, one realizes that shockingly enough, the elderly walk among us.
“It’s like a maze getting here,” he said, then took off his coat in the seat next to me for “War and Peace in Modern Europe, 1900-Present.” I asked him where he was from after he discerned I was one of the invasive pests (Americans) on campus. “Dundee, Scotland,” he told me, confirming my suspicion about his accent, “which I like to call the arsehole of nowhere.”
He was one of the many older classmates I’ve met in class at Trinity College, Dublin. Here, there are “mature students” in nearly every class, and for every horde of Gen-Z students in Doc Martens walking out of class buildings, there are a few older pupils with suit jackets or leggings lagging slightly behind them.
There were still 10 minutes to the beginning of the lecture, and our professor was playing a song about World War I. After referencing the old line about how Americans during the war were “oversexed, overpaid and over here,” he told me that a relation of his had died in the Great War, and his father had died in WWII. He quipped that for a moment, “I thought Mr. Kennedy was going to get me killed in World War III.”
I nodded and laughed, as old people tend to appreciate. But then, I silenced my upbringing and manners — the American sensibility that one should never pry or ask private questions — to
His father died when he was threeand-a-half. Still, he remembered one occasion where he joined his mother on a visit to his father’s base. It has been 80 some years since then, and though I’m sure such a past still brings some pain, he seemed more than happy to tell his stories. As lecture proceeded, he leaned over many times, offering me anecdotes about the Europe of his youth; wrapping rationed sugar in a piece of paper as a treat during the war, sounding the alarms during air bombings.
The week before, I had walked another of my classmates from one class to another. Claire was a 60-something romantic who wrote love poetry and short stories, and had come back to university at this age because of her writing. She had grown up with a poster of Maud Gonne in her bedroom. She told me the story of how her grandmother, a Catholic, had an affair with a Protestant. The two were in love and got engaged, but her fiance’s family took issue and refused to let the wedding occur. In the midst of this engagement, however, the bride-to-be became pregnant. She took her lover to court, and won, though I’m not quite sure what.
I walked her to her class again today, as she gleefully recounted the racy content of a myth we read for class. “And then he jacked off!” she exclaimed, perhaps too loudly for the crowd of students we were entering. “I loved it though, it was the only part I feckin’ understood.”
“Things are a lot more difficult when you’re young, “ she said as we passed the library, seemingly unprompted. “When you’re older, your problems are less devastating.” Through anecdotes, we were sharing in friendship, but it was hard not to intercept her wisdom.
And that wisdom comes every day. The Turkish man by the River Liffey who sang me a Bollywood song when he realized I was Indian, the smile a woman gave me on the London bus when I asked what brought her to the city (and complimented her yellow end-of-summer ensemble) or baking cookies at my freshly septuagenarian friend Rick’s house.
I feel bad about the usage of the word “old” in this piece, but euphemisms do not remove the fact that we, as a society, view aging as humiliating. When we speak to the old, we do not realize that they have lived life as we know it several times over. My friend in the war lecture has lived the 20 years I know more than four times over.
We’re often taught to think of the elderly as needy, as people who are neglected and require our support. All of that might be well and true, but we tend to forget that we need them too, and desperately. Our living thread to the past gets shorter each day. It’s not hard to grab onto it. In every corner of the world, an old person is dying to tell their stories. It’s worth opening your ears.
You can contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
There are a lot of ways to gain fame, but how do you know when you’ve really made it? For some, it’s when strangers begin to recognize them on the street. For others, it’s based on Instagram followers or magazine covers. Or maybe it’s when a musician can singlehandedly boost the economy with their tour. But there is one metric of fame I admire above all others: when a celebrity becomes more famous than the noun they share their name with.
My understanding of this criterion for fame began in fourth grade when I was making a science presentation about the states of water. I needed a picture of water in its solid form, so I typed “ice cube” into Google, but the images that popped up were not of frozen water in the cubical form. They weren’t of water at all. Instead, they were of American rapper, producer and actor O’Shea Jackson Sr., better known as Ice Cube. As a fourth grader straight outta Ohio, I wasn’t big into the 90s rap scene, and I didn’t know who this man was or why he was posing as a cube of ice. At first, I was mildly annoyed at Ice Cube since I had to scroll past 54 pictures of him until I found one of an actual ice cube, but since then, I have developed the utmost respect for Ice Cube. How can you not? Water sustains life on earth, yet Google decided that this man is more important than its frozen version. This, I quickly decided, was true fame.
This method of measuring fame only works for some celebrities since the majority do not share their names with a noun. But for those who do, it can be a useful measure of how high and mighty they really are. Searching “Lady” will produce the many poker faces of Lady Gaga, illustrating her true dominance. Pictures of the rapper Future flood the screen when you search the word, making him more famous than time itself. Politics aside, President George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush deserve our utmost respect for becoming more prominent than shrubs with moderately long limbs — a feat neither President Wilson nor Ford could achieve, both remaining less popular than sporting goods and F-150s respectively. Even when not pluralized, the word “Beatle” will present images of the great English rock band. Meanwhile, Brittany Spears is only more popular than the plural of “spear,” meaning ancient warriors can quickly find images of their favorite weapon as long as they’re okay with only viewing one at a time.
On the other hand, some celebrities have a long way to go. In an episode of James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke, Chris Martin admitted, “If you say ‘the cold,’ no one is thinking Coldplay, so we’ve got a ways to go.” To confirm this statement, I typed “cold” into my search bar and watched as Google generated thousands of images, none of them being a group of four average-looking white dudes. Instead, I scrolled through images of snow, sick people and, coincidentally, the same image of an ice cube I found 54 pictures into my search for an image of solid water. While Coldplay may have played the Super Bowl and won seven Grammys, they still have a long way to go before they’re truly famous.
But Coldplay isn’t alone. The direction opposite of east which many actual gold diggers in the U.S. headed in during the 1840s still remains more prominent than Kanye West himself, whose image only appears after 51 photos of compasses and canyons. Additionally, the planet Elon Musk is trying to colonize is still more popular than American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and the color black still has the upper hand over Kodak Black and Jack Black. However, Kodak Black’s picture popped up after only 14 images while it took Jack Black 121 images to make an appearance. Other notable mentions of celebrities who, as it turns out, aren’t that famous include Emma Stone, Tiger Woods, Maroon 5 and Shirley Temple.
Truth be told, this is not actually a very efficient method for measuring fame. But even if this metric doesn’t replace the Q score as the generally accepted measure of fame, it still provided me with an hour of entertainment from googling celebrities’ names. All in all, I still have a strong respect for celebrities who have become “more famous” than the nouns they share their names with, and I hope someday Chris Martin and the rest of Coldplay can earn my respect too.
Allison Abplanalp is a Sophomore Finance and Accounting major. If she could change one thing about the English language, she would make “a lot” one word. Her least favorite month is March because every year she is devastated when she fails to pick the perfect March Madness bracket.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Before leaving for college, I spent a lot of time working and volunteering in assisted living. The main facility that I worked at had a large hospice program, and it took in a lot of residents with late-stage Alzheimer’s. When I tell people about my experience working with elderly folks, I am usually commended for the nobility of the job. Often, they ask if it is sad or depressing being in an environment with people who cannot take care of themselves anymore; they believe it must be sad to be around people who I know are in their final years.
Honestly, it is sad to interact with people for months or years while watching them deteriorate. Since it was never a full-time job, I was not as emotionally attached to the residents as the caregivers and staff, but I still felt heavy when I heard that a resident who I interacted with a lot passed away.
More than anything, the deaths of the residents I spent time with made me think about geriatric care and the complications of elderly life. Every day, thousands of seniors reach the point where they cannot live a safe, independent life, and their closest relatives have to consider a difficult question: how do we best take care of them in their final years?
Throughout history, the answer has been simple: families must structure themselves around taking care of their eldest. In fact, this was not even a question that people would ask. When the elderly would lose their independence, their families automatically adjusted their lives to accommodate them. Today, our values
around elderly people are so skewed that it has made the question too complex to prescribe an answer. Onesize-fits-all geriatric care is an ancient thought, and no two families will respond to the call in the same way. So what happened? The first step that we took to disrupt long-standing values around the elderly was making assisted living available. When it was introduced in the West, many thought: “Wow! How convenient is it that I can send my parent(s) to live in a nice community and not have to worry about taking care of them every day?” It would be awesome if senior living was like Alumni Hall. You arrive with all of your belongings, and 20 old folks are outside barking and celebrating your arrival. Then, every day, you go out and enjoy the sun and play spike ball. Unfortunately, the spike ball days have passed for these folks. Many of them want a peaceful, private life. Instead, we take people who are already confused from memory loss and move them into a dormitory-like building with a bunch of strangers. Would you believe that most of the folks there would actually rather live in their houses with family? Why is it acceptable to just funnel money into assisted living in order to get rid of the burden of caregiving?
Obviously, there are benefits that assisted living provides to society. I worked at one — I believe it! With rising costs of living, families often depend on two incomes and cannot afford to leave their jobs to become unpaid caregivers. Parents cannot rely on their kids to take care of their grandparents either because they have to attend school and pursue their own livelihoods. Moreover, most families cannot afford private caregivers, so residents who need round-the-clock nursing are afforded discounted security. The bottom
line is this: assisted living is healthy if it is used with the right intentions.
The fact of the matter is that people send their parents and grandparents to assisted living because they do not want to deal with them. I have talked to residents whose children visit several times a week, and I have talked to others who might get a visit on a good year. The holidays are the toughest times of year for the lonely residents, as they see the family traffic pick up and are reminded of when they could spend the holidays with their families. It breaks my heart to interact with residents whose families used assisted living to send them away.
Assisted living is being abused. As time progresses, the average person is being stretched thinner and thinner by the increasing demands in our country. People are working later in their lives, keeping up with the ever-rising cost of living. The standard of education is rising, demanding more time and commitment from children and young adults. Every year, it becomes more difficult to personally take care of our loved ones. Money has become a replacement for love and care. As a country, we have become so concerned with growth and output that we are losing sight of the fundamental values that have brought us here. Consider how you want to be cared for in your later years. What can we do in the next 50 years to get there?
Matt Baird, proud native of Danville, California, is a sophomore majoring in English and Finance. He enjoys walking, listening to music and humming.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Editor’s Note: The following story includes mentions of suicide. Mental health resources can be found on the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross websites. Reach the suicide and crisis line by calling or texting 988.
September was Suicide Prevention Month. Though the calendars may have turned a page, our commitment to suicide prevention should not. Caring for those dealing with mental health obstacles extends far beyond a single month. Human lives — friends, sisters, sons, daughters, brothers, students — are at stake year-round.
Ask for help
As the tri-campus student newspaper, The Observer strives to remind every single person that you matter. Your life is precious. You are more important than your grades or your job or your resume. You are more important than whatever challenges you might be facing. There is infinite good inside you, even if you can’t see it right now.
If you are in a dark place, you might believe your suicidal thoughts won’t subside. But they can and will with the right supportive resources in place.
If you’re in pain, don’t wait to reach out. Even though it can be difficult to ask for help, bottling up your fears and worries only creates pressure and amplifies your negative feelings. Discussing suicidal thoughts can give you relief. It’s never too early or too late to get help. It can feel scary, but it’s OK to share how you feel and lean on others for support. Asking for help is always a sign of strength, not weakness.
Everyone should do their part. Make sure your friends and loved ones know you’re always willing to talk about mental health. You will never regret checking in on someone or initiating a conversation about mental health. Listen, reach out and be present.
You might think suicides happen without warning.
But 80% of them include a warning sign.
There are certain behaviors you can look out for among both loved ones and strangers. Evidence-based signs indicating a need for support or intervention include: behaving recklessly, withdrawing or isolating, increasing use of drugs or alcohol, talking about being a burden to others, a lack of personal hygiene, giving away belongings, mood swings and other behavioral changes.
These can be hard to read. It hurts to imagine someone enduring that kind of pain. Although it’s difficult to think about, we should know these warning signs. If someone isn’t acting like themselves, even a little bit, it never hurts to check in.
Knowing the signs of suicide is not enough. Every member of the tri-campus community should understand the evidence-based steps for intervention.
While asking a peer showing signs of suicidal behavior about their mental health can be daunting, it’s generally the right thing to do. This can make a person who is in pain will be relieved that someone cared enough to ask.
Initiating a conversation could be as simple as: “I noticed you haven’t been yourself lately, how are you?”
If someone suggests that they are thinking of suicide or self-harm, it’s important to calmly listen, offer compassion and get them help. Listening and validating someone’s feelings is the first step, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. When someone is hurting, they need compassion.
Make sure the person knows you love and care for them, pose questions kindly and determine whether suicide is on their mind.
If the conversation reaches this point, it’s time to reach out for more help. Therapists, trusted family members, tri-campus resources and the national 988 suicide hotline should be contacted by anyone who is worried for an acquaintance, friend or loved one. Encourage the person to reach out to a mental health professional and offer to stay beside them as they do. If someone is in
danger, don’t leave the situation or conversation without ensuring the person is safe and in the care of mental health professionals, even if that means you have to make the call for them.
Getting help for yourself or for someone else in such a situation can be an intimidating task. Fortunately, there are numerous resources across the tri-campus and beyond to help.
At Notre Dame, students can visit the University Counseling Center on the third floor of Saint Liam Hall and get immediate help by indicating they or someone they are with is in a crisis. The UCC also has a crisis call line — 574-631-7336 — with an on-call counselor that is available 24/7 every week of the year except while the University is closed for one week during winter break. Non-crisis counseling and psychiatric services are also available in person and over the phone through the UCC. Psychiatric services can also evaluate students for potential medications that can be prescribed at the University Health Services (UHS). All of the UCC’s resources are confidential and free.
At Saint Mary’s, students are encouraged to reach out to the College’s Health and Counseling Center by phone at 574-284-4805. If a student is in immediate danger, students are directed to reach out to Campus Safety at 574-284-5000.
Don’t hesitate to use these numbers, but also, don’t neglect opportunities for prevention.
There are several on-campus events, including Active Minds’ Irish State of MiND week in October, to help break the stigmas surrounding mental health. Notre Dame has partnered with the PENN Resilience Program, a training course designed to give participants the tools to navigate stressful situations. It has also proven to decrease depression and anxiety. Program sessions are running every Friday in Room 307 at Saint Liam’s Hall from 10-11:30 a.m. now until Nov. 3 (with the exception of Oct. 20, which is during fall break).
Whether it’s for yourself or someone else, don’t be afraid to reach out. It’s always better to get help than shoulder a burden by yourself.
September has ended, but suicide prevention is still more important than ever.
More than a month
Associate
Sports EditorNotre Dame is six games into its 2023 campaign. Against Louisville, they’ll officially surpass the halfway point of their season (weird to think about, given it’s only the first week of October, I know). Those first six games have included blowouts (Navy), thrilling victories (Duke) and agonizing defeats (Ohio State) alike. Here are some midseason awards for an Irish team
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
Nashville Predators draft picks.
The Golden Knights do return their two leading scorers from last season, junior Ayrton Martino and graduate student Mathieu Gosselin. Martino was named preseason first-team All-ECAC by the league’s coaches, as was senior defenseman Noah Beck. Beck, a 2020 St. Louis Blues draft pick, is expected to lead the D-corps. Providence College transfer Austin Roden will battle it out for time between the pipes with freshman Emmett Croteau (a Montreal Canadiens draftee) and last year’s backup Brady Parker.
More than anything, Clarkson will pose a physical challenge right out of the gate for Notre Dame this weekend. Weighing in at an average of 191.3 pounds, the Golden Knights are the country’s secondheaviest team and could wreak havoc if they force the issue against the Irish.
“Their team is going to put a lot of pressure on us,” Jackson said. “They’re a puck pressure team, they come at you. So, we are going to be forced to make puck decisions.”
Making those puck decisions wisely may just be the biggest key for the Irish to come away from this opening weekend successfully.
“It’s going to be about us doing a better job of managing the puck, and then transitioning on defense when we have to,” Jackson said. “And if we manage the puck well, we transition on defense less. So that’s the best thing we can do, is try to make sure we don’t give the puck up too easily. We have to work to possess it.”
The puck drops on the season Saturday night at 6 p.m at Compton Family Ice Arena. Game two is Sunday at 5 p.m.
Clarkson and Notre Dame have only met four times in their history and have never played a two-game regular season series. All-time, the Irish and the Golden Knights are 2-2-0 against each other, with three of the four meetings played at neutral sites.
The latest meeting between the two teams came in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament
that’s enjoyed a strong, if dramatic, start to the year.
No surprises or hot takes here.
Hartman hasn’t been perfect through half of his first (and only) season in blue and gold, but he has been quite close. He ranks in (at least) the national top 20 in just about every major passing stat. He’s one of just four qualified quarterbacks to have not thrown an interception in 2023. And most importantly,
Northeast Regional in Manchester, New Hampshire. Cam Morrison scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give Notre Dame the win, though the Irish would go on to lose to Cale Makar and the national championship game-bound UMass Minutemen in round two.
Irish recruiting notebook
The Irish picked up a verbal commitment from 2003-born defenseman Jimmy Jurcev last week. The Palos Heights, Illinois, native spent last season with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars after two years with the NAHL’s New Mexico Ice Wolves. At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, Jurcev had seven points in 39 regular season games last year.
when Notre Dame found itself up against the wall with a fourth and 16 against Duke, it was the graduate student’s gritty run that willed the Irish to a fresh set of downs. Hartman isn’t the only factor in the Irish’s strong start to the season, but he’s all but certainly been the most vital. He’ll only be called upon more moving forward.
Evans
There might be some recency
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
South Bend after a successful career with the US National Team Development Program. Both will slot in at critical center roles this year.
“I think Cole Knuble is going to be a guy that’s going to contribute right away, and we’re going to need him to,” Jackson said. “Him and Nelson both are gonna have to step in and play key roles for us, and we’ll have to grow with them because they’re freshmen, and they’re going to make their mistakes occasionally.”
bias in this award, given that Evans’ performance in Notre Dame’s past two games surpasses his efforts in the first four by a considerable margin. But it’s impossible not to marvel at just how significant Evans’ recent emergence has been. Without his six receptions and 134 yards against Duke, Notre Dame does not defeat the Blue Devils. The junior was never going to be a likefor-like replacement for the incomparable Michael Mayer, but he’s made a lot of Mayer-esque
playing over 100 games.
With so much young blood on the roster, the Irish coaching staff prioritized adding a few more veterans to supplement its returners. Defenseman Ryan Siedem and forward Patrick Moynihan will provide a breadth of experience and fill key roles for the Irish this season, allowing young talent to develop.
contributions over the last two weeks. If Evans’ performances against Duke and Ohio State are indicative of the rest of his year, he all but certainly will emerge as Hartman’s favorite target.
Most Underrated Transfer Portal Pickup: Thomas Harper
Notre Dame joined the growing trend of teams bolstering their roster through the transfer
see AWARDS PAGE 11
Clarkson.
Unlike last year’s even homeaway split, the Irish will play nine of their 10 non-conference games at home. After visiting RIT next Saturday, Notre Dame welcomes preseason No. 1 Boston University to South Bend before finishing October against Mercyhurst.
“We’re gonna have our hands full in this first month even though they’re at home,” Jackson said. “It’s better to be at home to get acclimated to college hockey because we’re gonna have seven, potentially eight freshmen in the lineup.”
On Tuesday evening, another Lincoln Star announced he would be committing to Notre Dame.
2005-born forward Dashel
Oliver was previously committed to Nebraska-Omaha but flipped his commitment to the Irish. A Bloomington, Indiana native, Oliver will stay in state for college hockey. The 5-foot-9, 181-pound Oliver spent all of last season with Lincoln, recording seven goals and six assists.
Jurcev and Oliver will skate with the Stars again this year, suiting up with fellow Irish commit Jack Larrigan. According to a press release by the Stars organization, both Jurcev and Oliver were on Notre Dame’s campus this past weekend to meet the coaching staff and tour facilities.Notre Dame. 2005-born forward Dashel
Oliver was previously committed to the Nebraska-Omaha, but flipped his commitment to the Irish. A Bloomington, Indiana native, Oliver will stay in state for college hockey. The 5’9, 186-lb spent all of last season with Lincoln, recording 7 goals and 6 assists.
Oliver and Jurcev will skate with the Stars again this year, suiting up with fellow Irish commit Jack Larrigan. According to a press releasebytheStarsorganization,both Jurcev and Oliver were on campus this past weekend to meet the coaching staff and tour facilities.
Oliver announced his verbal commitment Tuesday evening. whenever the opportunity presents itself. Because of this, there seems to be this symbiotic
Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu
Jackson sees puck management and decision-making as early lessons for the Irish and their young centers but also knows that his recruits bring immense talent to the table.
“It’s easy to teach those types of [lessons],” he said. “You can’t teach some of the things they do have, like their hockey sense and compete level.”
Another draftee, Detroit Red Wings 2022 seventh-round pick Brennan Ali, will also challenge for ice time at center. Ali has spent time developing at the Avon Old Farms School and the USNTDP and spent last year with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. Jackson sees Ali as someone who can help with the team’s speed.
Rochester, Minnesota, native Maddox Fleming also spent last season in the USHL, registering 47 points as an assistant captain with Sioux Falls. Rounding out the forwards are Green Bay Gamblers product Jayden Davis and familiar name Carter Slaggert, the third Slaggert brother to play for the Irish. Carter will suit up alongside older brother Landon this season.
The freshman class also features two defensemen who will contribute right away. River Forest, Illinois, native Paul Fischer was drafted in the fifth round by the St. Louis Blues this summer after starring with the NTDP the past two seasons. Henry Nelson, brother of fellow freshman Danny, spent the last two seasons with Lincoln,
Siedem spent three of the last four seasons on a talented Harvard team, playing in 99 games and registering 45 points from the back end. Last year, Siedem was a top-pair defenseman for the Crimson, playing alongside San Jose Sharks prospect Henry Thrun.
“Siedem is going to have a lot of puck poise,” Jackson said. “He’s going to help us get out of our zone a little bit more consistently, which is one of the reasons we brought him in.”
Moynihan comes to Notre Dame after four seasons at Providence. A 2019 New Jersey Devils draft pick, Moynihan has shown goal-scoring ability throughout his career, topping out at 25 points two seasons ago. A reinvigoration of Moynihan’s scoring touch could go a long way for the Irish this year.
The new faces in the locker room have added to what captain Landon Slaggert called a “youthful energy” around the team to start the season.
“I think this is the closest that a team here at Notre Dame has been in a long time, I really do believe that,” Slaggert said. “I think we’ve got the right recipe of guys that really want to play for each other and really want to be around each other, so it definitely makes it easy to come to the rink, easy to play for one another, so I’m excited to see how that translates on the ice.”
With the exception of the pandemic-affected 2020-21 season, Notre Dame has started every year since 2010 with an exhibition game. That won’t be the case this season as the Irish head straight into official gameplay with
Black Friday brings No. 6 Boston College to South Bend, while the calendar year wraps up with Division I newcomer Augustana.
Then, of course, there’s the ever-daunting Big Ten slate. Recall that four different teams scored eight or more goals in an NCAA Tournament game last season. They all play in Notre Dame’s conference.
Including the Irish, six of the Big Ten’s seven teams are ranked in the USCHO preseason poll. The one that isn’t, Wisconsin, should take a sizable step forward under head coach Mike Hastings after a dismal 2022-23.
To start league play, the Irish will head east to face No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 4-5. A week later, No. 13 Ohio State brings Big Ten action to Compton Family Ice Arena for the first time.
The biggest names on the conference ledger, No. 3 Minnesota and No. 5 Michigan, will close out Notre Dame’s regular season. Those two powerhouses also bookend the Boston College game for the Irish earlier in the season.
“It’s been difficult since we’ve been in the [Big Ten], but it’s going to be worse,” Jackson said. “In this league, if a team’s down for a couple of years, they get a new coach, and all of a sudden they go back in the right direction. So the teams that have been at the bottom in recent years are climbing now.”
Contact
Tyler Reidy and Ryan Murphy at treidy3@nd.edu and rmurph22@nd.eduHappy Birthday: Take whatever comes your way in stride, and you’ll find a way to turn it into something you can use to your advantage. Let your charm and sensitivity toward others help you gain trust. If you reach out and help others, you’ll find a way to parlay what you do into something beneficial. Be true to yourself and include others; you’ll gain the respect, input and help you need. Your numbers are 5, 11, 22, 24, 31, 35, 46.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stay calm, relax and refuse to get all worked up over nothing. Concentrate on what you want, and use your skills and talents well. Let what you accomplish turn into your calling card, not what you say you are going to pursue.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Organize everything and present your best offer. Communicate with people who can offer sound advice or participate in your venture. Don’t take risks that can jeopardize your health, investments or friendships. Focus on adjustments that are within your means.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Follow your intuition and do what makes you happy. Engage in events conducive to networking, and find a way to win over a crowd. Honesty is critical. If you hide your identity or agenda, your effort will be in vain.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Question every move you make before you proceed. How others respond will be indicative of what’s to come. Emotions will surface if you disappoint those close to you. Search for something that makes a difference or helps a cause that concerns you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t feel pressured to act if you aren’t prepared. Do your research, talk to experts and set a budget to help you reach your goal on time. A physical challenge will boost your confidence and prepare you for new beginnings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Open your mind to new information, then determine what’s useable. Take charge of your life, and structure your move forward based on your needs. A change will motivate you to incorporate the things you enjoy doing most into your everyday routine.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Emotions will surface. Get what you want to share out in the open. Express your concerns and desires to those you think can help you make a difference. Anger isn’t the answer, but a well-thought-out plan will attract sufficient backup.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take better care of your reputation and health. Set boundaries and take the initiative to control any changes you face. It’s up to you to point yourself in a suitable direction. Prepare to let go of what is no longer working for you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep your emotions out of life decisions that could influence educational pursuits and job prospects. You’ll be given false information or led astray by a master of manipulation. Be smart; don’t let anyone take advantage of you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make changes at home that will help you avoid turmoil. Someone is likely to use emotional manipulation to upset your world. Look for a unique way to stabilize your life and position and prevent interference. Say no to over-the-top suggestions.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stop, think and assess what others expect of you. Address what you aren’t willing to put up with and focus on what helps you get ahead and save money. Someone will push emotional buttons; don’t take the bait. Put your energy where it counts.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Change how you handle your money, job prospects and domestic affairs. An aggressive move on your part will unnerve someone who likes to interfere. Make your position clear, then follow through with your plans. Health and fitness will ease anxiety and stress.
Birthday Baby: You are intelligent, emotional and active. You are resourceful and extraordinary.
A quick turnaround is in order for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team. Both the Irish and this weekend’s opponent, the Clarkson Golden Knights, come into their season-opening series without a full week of practice under their belts.
“It’s really challenging in college hockey when our first official day is the day we play our first game,” longtime Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said in a press conference Tuesday. “We’ve been operating on eight-hour weeks, and we can only go on the ice for four hours a week during that period of time, and we can’t spend our whole preseason working on systems.”
Instead, the Irish have put an emphasis on skill development in the month or so of ice-time they’ve had leading up to the season. Jackson noted that the team has only really begun to focus on tactical play in the last two weeks.
This is nothing out of the ordinary for college hockey teams who are restricted to eight hours of team-oriented activity a week up until the first official day of the season on Oct. 7. Nonetheless, the constraints pose a challenge in a season where every game is important.
“You know, it’d be nice to have a few weeks where we could actually practice a normal week, where we’re going four days, five days a week in practice, and going for an hour and a half, an hour and 15 minutes on a daily basis, but Clarkson’s in the same boat,” Jackson said. “We’re all in the same boat as far as the amount of time we have.”
With shortened ice time and a young team — at an average age
of 21 years and seven months, the Irish are the eighth-youngest squad in the nation according to College Hockey News — an important key to this weekend’s series may simply be overcoming nerves.
“The biggest challenge is going to be getting the jitters out,” Jackson said. “In general, early on it’s a lot of turnovers, guys trying to make plays that aren’t there. It probably will be exciting for the fans, but it won’t be for the coaching staff.”
The Golden Knights come to South Bend with the same challenge. Clarkson will have to deal with some first-game jitters of their own, especially for the 12 newcomers to the team who comprise almost half of the 28-man roster.
The roster turnover comes after a lackluster 2022-23 season for Clarkson, who finished with a losing record (16-17-4) for only the fourth time in head coach Casey Jones’ 12-year tenure. Clarkson was unable to garner any sort of momentum throughout the season. The Golden Knights bowed out of the ECAC Tournament quarterfinals in two games against Cornell and failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
Coming into 2023, Clarkson placed fourth in the preseason ECAC coaches poll. Up front, they will have to deal with the loss of Alex Campbell, who tied for the team lead in goals last season with 14 and transferred to Northeastern during the offseason. The Golden Knights also have a question to answer in net, as two-year starting netminder Ethan Haider transferred to UConn for his senior season.
Both Campbell and Haider were
Notre Dame hockey begins a new season this weekend. Ranked No. 20 in the nation, the Irish will host Clarkson on Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (5 p.m.). Seeking a return to the NCAA Tournament, head coach Jeff Jackson’s group joins a promising set of new faces with an experienced group of holdovers.
Leadership set to return Notre Dame’s returning players have plenty of reason to enter this season with added motivation. Last year, the middling Irish made an improbable February run to secure home ice advantage for the Big Ten quarterfinals. But, after moving within a win of the semifinals, Notre Dame lost back-to-back games against Michigan State, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years.
At the helm of a potential postseason return will be the captains, which the Irish named Monday afternoon. Senior forward Landon Slaggert will wear the “C,” while graduate student forward Trevor Janicke, graduate student goaltender Ryan Bischel and senior defenseman Jake Boltmann will serve as the alternate captains.
“Those guys are all mature, they all care and they’re good team guys,” Jackson said. “And that’s a good combination for veteran guys that are hopefully going to have great years for us.”
Up front, Notre Dame must replace three 15-point players in Chayse Primeau, Ryder Rolston and Jesse Lansdell. And from a personnel standpoint, the Irish lost their top two centermen.
The positionally flexible Janicke
can fill both voids if needed. As Notre Dame’s top returning scorer, the Anaheim Ducks draft pick brings 143 games of experience and back-to-back 20-point seasons to the table. Trevor’s brother, junior Justin Janicke, gained topline experience and tallied 14 points last year. Two third-liners, senior Grant Silianoff and junior Hunter Strand, also return and can pitch in.
But to avoid having the Big Ten’s worst offense for a second consecutive season, Notre Dame needs a bounce-back year from its leader. Slaggert, who amassed 48 points between his first two seasons, contributed only 13 last year. And though he flashed with a fivepoint February, the former thirdround NHL draft pick fell silent in the postseason. As a preseason All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, Slaggert has a clear focus for 2023-24.
“Being around the net and trying to score more goals,” Slaggert said. “I had a lot of chances last year, and it was obviously a struggle for me to produce offensively. But I do think that the chances were there and it’s more of just finishing off those plays.”
The Irish defensive group lends itself to similar questions. Notre Dame graduated three of its eight blueliners last season, including captain and 19-point-scorer Nick Leivermann. Among the returners, Jackson mentioned a need for players like Boltmann and Zach Plucinski to step up in their senior seasons.
To help defensive matters, the two players that willed Notre Dame to home ice return. Senior defenseman Drew Bavaro scored two goals, including the clinching winner in overtime, at Michigan to end last season. As a preseason All-Big Ten second-teamer, Bavaro
comes off a season in which he also posted 19 points.
And then there’s Bischel, the crown jewel of Notre Dame’s returning group. Unsurprisingly, the 2023 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year enters the year on the conference’s preseason first team. Prior to last season, Bischel’s first as the full-time Irish goalie, Jackson worked to instill “swagger” in him. Now, with opponents having plenty of film on him, Bischel must carry that swagger over from a brilliant senior campaign.
“He does things the right way. He’s very diligent in his approach to playing the game,” Jackson said. “He’s going to have to be at his very best for us to have success here in this first month until we get our system fully understood and get our special teams up to full speed.”
Finally, Notre Dame needs more from its special teams. Last year’s Irish power play held a sub15% success rate into January, while the penalty kill ranked dead last in the Big Ten.
The Irish added 10 newcomers to the program this season: eight freshmen and two graduate transfers. The freshman class, Notre Dame’s largest since the 2019-20 season, will play an especially important role in determining the team’s success this year.
Three NHL draft picks headline the new forwards, a group of dynamic skaters. After going undrafted in his first year of eligibility, Philadelphia Flyers fourthround pick Cole Knuble struck for 30 goals and 66 points last season with the USHL’s Fargo Force. New York Islanders second-round selection Danny Nelson comes to
portal this offseason, bringing seven new players to South Bend.
Hartman was obviously the pick of the bunch, and his signing was met with considerable fanfare among both Irish fans and national media.
But Notre Dame made another portal addition, just one day later, that has had a sizable effect on the team’s play in 2023.
Thomas Harper has proven an asset in the secondary as a versatile nickel who can perform in a number of different
roles for Al Golden’s defense. He’s been useful in containing the run and has been a reliable option in coverage. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy has been the perfect supplement to stalwart returning starting cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Cam Hart.
The Shaquille O’Neal “I owe you an apology, I wasn’t familiar with your game” Memorial Award: Gi’Bran Payne For whatever reason — be it his relatively low recruiting ranking, or tweener class status between established starter
with 58,187. Saturday’s game will likely match or exceed that total.
To win this game, Notre Dame will have to figure out how to communicate in a loud, hostile road environment. It would be very difficult to overcome so many penalties again, and one can be sure that Freeman and the staff are hoping the number of flags will be nearly zero in Louisville.
This point is two-fold. On one hand, the Irish defensive line needs to play well and limit the opportunities for Louisville’s standout running back Jawhar Jordan. The junior led the Cardinals a year ago, and his 2023 campaign is off to a flying start. Through five games, Jordan is 13th in the country with 510 yards on the ground. He is averaging 7.7 yards per carry and has six
Audric Estimé and electrifying freshman Jeremiyah Love — Gi’Bran Payne entered 2023 as the consensus odd one out in Notre Dame’s running back room, at least among fans. Through six games, though, it’s Payne who’s established perhaps the second most defined role in a crowded (and still not fully decided) backfield. Often entering the game on third downs and short-yardage situations, Payne has shown a remarkable knack for churning out tough yardage. His efforts doing the “dirty work” were rewarded
rushing touchdowns.
Notre Dame’s defensive line will have to find a way to limit Jordan’s impact. The likeliest path is through interior disruption.
If Rylie Mills and last week’s standout Howard Cross III can impact the run game by plugging the lanes inside, that will go a long way toward containing Jordan and the Cardinals’ potent rushing attack.
A good game from the defensive line will also mean more pressure on Jack Plummer. Notre Dame is facing Louisville’s quarterback for the third consecutive season and with a third different school. Plummer has been unspectacular in his two previous appearances against the Irish. He has compiled a 56.2% completion percentage and just two touchdowns. Even so, he was at the helm of a Cal team that nearly beat Notre Dame last season.
Notre Dame’s defensive line needs to get pressure on Plummer and force
against Ohio State when he fought his way into the end zone for his first touchdown in an Irish uniform.
Coach of the Year: Al Golden Golden entered the year as Notre Dame’s only returning coordinator following the departure of Tommy Rees to Alabama and 2022 Coach of the Year (in this writer’s eyes) Brian Mason to the NFL. He entered with some pressure on his shoulders as well. The Irish defense was good in 2022, but it wasn’t great. Improvement was expected in a group that
him to make mistakes. Unfortunately for Louisville fans, he has thrown six interceptions in just five games. Now he has to deal with one of the best secondaries in the country. If Notre Dame can take the ball away from Plummer, they will be well on their way to another road win over a ranked opponent.
After four straight games with more than 40 points, it seemed like this offense might be one of the best in recent memory for Notre Dame. However, that momentum was halted by two difficult games against ranked opponents. Ohio State held Notre Dame to just 14 points. Duke allowed just 21 in a loss, with the only two Irish touchdowns coming on their first and last offensive possessions.
It is imperative for Notre Dame’s offense to get back on track this weekend against Louisville. This Cardinals defense has given
returned a lot of starters. Needless to say, improvement has come. Notre Dame has yet to allow more than 24 points in a game, and has allowed more than 20 just once. The Irish red zone defense, a source of continual headaches last fall, has enjoyed a complete turnaround. Golden’s toughest task still likely lies t wo weeks ahead when his unit does battle with reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, but his work so far has been excellent.
Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu
up some big scoring outputs this year. Two subpar offenses in Georgia Tech and Boston College scored 34 and 28 points against them, respectively.
The returns of two of the Irish’s biggest outside weapons in wide receivers
Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse will be big. Without them, Notre Dame’s wide receivers struggled against a staunch Duke secondary. Their return will hopefully bring back some of the explosive plays that characterized the Irish offense early this year.
If Sam Hartman and the offense can put together a consistent performance, they will give Notre Dame a great chance to pick up a victory against the Cardinals this week. Any offensive momentum they can build will also come in handy during what will likely be a high-scoring affair against USC next week.
Contact José Sánchez Córdova at jsanch24@nd.edu
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
The final minutes seemed tailor-made for Notre Dame to rewrite nearly every wrong from the Ohio State game. Or to fall short again in equally painful fashion.
The Irish failed time and time again to get the Buckeyes off the field during their game-winning 15-play drive. On Saturday, Duke had a third and four in Notre Dame territory with just over two minutes remaining. They led by one and needed just a single first down to ice the clock. Senior safety Xavier Watts and graduate student defensive lineman Nana Osafo-Mensah not only stopped the Blue Devils short, but blew up the run play for a two-yard loss. That could have caused Duke’s decision to punt rather than go for it.
Against Ohio State, Hartman was twice stopped short on fourth and one. He had it much harder on Saturday when he needed 16 yards on fourth down to keep the Irish alive. But he moved the chains with a seasonsaving 17-yard pickup. And when junior running back Audric Estimé broke through the line for a 30-yard game-clinching touchdown run on the very next play, it felt like the Irish had truly exorcised their demons from the previous week.
Some teams seem to have the innate ability to pull through in every close game. But the Irish haven’t been fortunate enough to be that type of “team of destiny.” Instead, they’re a top-10 team who has fully earned that spot. A team that battled an elite opponent for 60 minutes and fell just short. A team that then got right up off the mat to do the same in a hostile environment and delivered a clutch win, succeeding in all the ways they previously hadn’t.
When you leave consecutive games against top-20 opponents to the final seconds, it’s tough to expect to win both. Yes, the Irish could have made that final stop and defeated Ohio State. But maybe they would have then fallen short against Duke, a result that likely would have been equally demoralizing.
Notre Dame played their last two games almost evenly and went 1-1. It’s obviously not the result they would have hoped for. But it doesn’t put any of their goals for this season out of reach. And by responding from the loss with a cathartic win, they carry forward momentum and a sense of self-belief that they can overcome any obstacle.
The Irish still have everything left to play for as they prepare to face Louisville on the road this weekend and move into their final six games.
Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Humans have a tendency to remember the lows. Some people are more optimistic and forgiving than others, but in general, the negatives tend to stick out. And when they’re glaring, or when they come in a first impression, that tendency only grows.
So it’s understandable why Al Golden isn’t beloved by the Notre Dame fanbase. His first game as the Irish defensive coordinator was marred by an ill-fated double safety blitz that Ohio State easily picked apart for a game-winning touchdown last year. And despite last week’s triumphant bounce back against Duke, there’s no doubt what the biggest moment of Notre Dame’s season is so far: the final play of the Ohio State rematch. Giving up a one-yard touchdown is understandable, but having 10 men on the field is not. Maybe the simple counting game wasn’t strictly Golden’s responsibility. But at the very least, he failed to save the day.
Notre Dame has dealt with quite a bit of disappointment over the last few years. The Marshall loss … where the defense allowed
FOOTBALL COLUMN
just 19 points (Tyler Buchner also threw a pick-six). The Stanford loss … where the defense allowed just 16 points (three of which were the direct result of a fumble recovery). Those two Ohio State games … where the defense allowed 38 combined points to an Ohio State offense averaging 35 points per game this year and 44 a season ago.
Last year, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams and Navy’s triple-option were the only ones to put up more than 24 on offense. Through six games this season, the Irish have only allowed more than 17 points once, and that threshold wasn’t crossed until garbage time against NC State. That in itself isn’t necessarily a sign of improvement. After all, three of Notre Dame’s opponents didn’t pose much of a threat (although one of them was the same Navy team that previously gave the Irish fits). But Golden sees growth on his side of the ball.
“I think we’re getting better. I think we have a collective mentality,” Golden said. “Do I think we’re better? I think we’re better.”
How is that improvement measured? There are countless statistics and ways to evaluate every area of a defense. But as Golden
pointed out, some statistics are more important than others. It’s no good if you’re gaining something in one aspect of play by sacrificing another that’s just as important.
In some of the areas Golden pointed out as mattering the most, the Irish are thriving. They rank sixth in red zone defense, 11th in total defense and tied for 14th in scoring defense. They may not be getting many sacks, but the Irish are a top-10 unit in applying pressure on quarterbacks with an excellent success rate when blitzing. That’s despite taking on two top-25 teams averaging over 32 points each. Notre Dame held them to 31 combined, which also shows some growth from a year ago.
“We’ve definitely made some changes internally,” Golden said when asked about the team’s improvement in the red zone. “I think guys know it was unacceptable [last year] and I think they’ve responded to the challenge. I think they’re doing a really good job of taking the gameplan to the field.”
It’s also important, of course, to develop players as individuals. The Irish have seen new additions
Notre Dame’s loss to Ohio State was not an easy one to get over. Everything about it, from the pregame hype to the high stakes to the countless moments when the Irish seemed to have the win secured, combined to form a defeat about as painful as they come.
Everyone spent the next several days grappling with lingering thoughts about how the result could have so easily flipped — and how the Irish could have placed themselves in prime position for a College Football Playoff berth. The team was so close to shrugging off the stigma about the program’s inability to win big games.
Saturday’s matchup with Duke didn’t put an end to all those feelings. That fateful night at Notre Dame Stadium will be tough to forget. But Notre Dame’s win – and the way they won – helped put that loss in the rearview mirror far quicker than expected.
It’s not difficult to notice the striking similarities between Notre Dame’s last two games. The home team had College Gameday in town and, playing as underdogs, looked to secure one of the program’s biggest wins in recent memory. After being shut out in the first half, the home team took their first lead midway through the fourth quarter. But they would lose it in heartbreaking fashion in the final minute.
The distraught faces seen on Blue Devil fans after graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman’s miraculous fourth and 16 conversion were nearly identical to the ones at Notre Dame Stadium after the Buckeyes’ Kyle McCord connected with Emeka Egbuka for a first down on third and 19.
Winning in the same way that they had previously lost provided the perfect reset for Notre Dame. It gave them the chance to put Ohio State in the past and be at their best entering the second half of the season.
For most of the game in Durham, though, it didn’t look
like the Irish that kind of turnaround in them. Whether because of Duke not being known as a football powerhouse or Notre Dame’s 29-game regular season win streak against ACC opponents, the common narrative leading up to Saturday seemed to be that the Irish’s only chance to get back on track was to comprehensively dominate the Blue Devils on both sides of the ball.
That’s certainly not what happened, but it may have been for the best. We wouldn’t have learned much about the Irish if they had simply outclassed Duke from start to finish. Instead, the Blue Devils offered a true test of Notre Dame’s mettle.
After scoring a touchdown on their first possession, the Irish managed just a single field goal in each of the next two quarters. Meanwhile, Duke recovered from a slow start to string together a pair of long touchdown drives in the second half. The latter of second gave them a late 14-13 advantage.
to the program in recent years, such as sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison and graduate student defensive lineman Javontae Jean-Baptiste play big roles right from the get-go. Their individual talents and position coaches deserve credit, of course. But their echoing of Golden’s emphasis on the details shows that his overall approach is hitting its mark.
“Sometimes you can get caught up in the big things, but it’s truly, when you think about the game in football, it’s the little things,” said Jean-Baptiste, who had a career-high eight tackles against the Buckeyes.
The low point totals are certainly important, but context matters, too. Making big plays in the fourth quarter is more critical — and more challenging. The Irish showed they had that in them against Duke, not just in the game-sealing strip-sack of Riley Leonard, but in forcing the Blue Devils to punt the ball back with time left on the clock. Though not perfect, Golden was pleased with how the defense executed.
“There’s a lot of ebbs and flows in games and if you get too high or get too low, it’s hard to be
KEYS TO VICTORY
consistent,” said Golden. “If he could beat us in every facet, it was gonna be a long night. I think the guys did a really good job of eliminating [Riley Leonard’s] rhythm throws and the quarterback draw.”
Some of the doubt around Golden comes from his past, and that’s understandable. He struggled as a head coach in fiveyear stints at Temple and Miami, exceeding eight wins just twice. And tougher tasks lie ahead, especially a rematch with Williams and the Trojans immediately after a Louisville game the Irish would be wise not to overlook. But the confidence the Irish have in their defense, and Golden, is high. It’s backed up by the numbers, and there’s evidence it won’t always disappear in the big moments.
Golden and company have work to do to put those scars in the past. His and the team’s growth hasn’t been linear. But it’s there, and it showed last Saturday night when Notre Dame’s season depended on it. It may not be rewarded with a Ferrari, but a payoff could be coming.
Contact Andrew McGuinness at amcguinn@nd.eduIt’s hard to believe that Notre Dame football is already halfway through the season, but at 5-1, it only gets harder from here. It’s easy to look ahead to No. 9 USC next week and the eventual road trip to Clemson, but first, the No. 25 Louisville Cardinals.
Louisville is in their first season under head coach Jeff Brohm, a former Cardinals starting quarterback. His hiring has seen the Cardinals get off to a 5-0 start, albeit against underwhelming competition. Their best win of the year came last week in a gritty 13-10 victory over NC State, a team Notre Dame blew out 45-24. This was all enough to see Louisville rise into the final slot in this week’s AP Poll ahead of their huge matchup against the Irish.
Penalties were a large part of the story during Notre Dame’s last-second 21-14 win over Duke. Twelve penalties, including nine before the snap, were the most by an Irish team since 2019. In Monday’s press conference, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman attributed the penalties to communication issues caused by the raucous road environment. Last week’s game saw Duke’s largest home crowd since 1989.
This week will likely bring more of the same. Louisville announced that the Notre Dame game was a sellout last week, and a primetime matchup always brings more energy in the stands. It’s also worth mentioning that Notre Dame’s last visit to Louisville in 2019 set the stadium’s attendance record