Currently lit for the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team, the No. 1 sign was origninally created out of Christmas lights by residents of Grace Hall to celebrate when Notre Dame’s football team was ranked No. 1.
MUCHNICK I The Observer
The ND community can access the beach, located via trail, on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for swimming, sunbathing and more.
By ROSE ANDROWICH News Writer
By ANNELISE DEMERS Associate News Editor
Perched atop Grace Hall, Notre Dame’s iconic No. 1 sign lights up green, symbolizing more than just a numerical ranking. It represents a storied tradition of athletic achievement, campus pride and student initiative that has endured for decades.
Originally constructed by Grace Hall residents out of two-by-fours and Christmas lights, the No. 1 sign has become a familiar fixture on the Notre Dame campus skyline. According to Tim
O’Connor, brand program director for Notre Dame Athletics, the tradition dates back to either the late 1980s or early 1990s. Though the exact year is debated, its purpose is clear.
“The sign was originally put up by the residents to celebrate football being ranked number one nationally,” O’Connor said. “It wasn’t a planned thing by the university; it was [a] grassroots, student-driven initiative.”
Grace Hall, once a men’s dorm, became home to
By BRIGID IANNELLI News Writer
Veronica Ballinger, the assistant director of communications and engagements for RecSports, said safety is the priority for all beach and lake
see BEACH PAGE 4
The St. Joseph Beach opened their doors for a second year of swimming, sailing and sunbathing. The beach is located on the east side of Saint Joseph’s lake and has two trails leading directly to it. One of the trails is located near St. Liam lot with steps leading to a trail that connects directly to the beach and another trail located near St. Mary’s Road. The beach is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. with no weekend hours.
Notre Dame’s “What Would You Fight For?” series won a Sports Emmy for outstanding public service content in May. Each season, the series features six two-minute videos showcasing faculty and students’
research and achievements. The videos air during each home football game just before halftime.
Beth Grisoli, assistant vice president of strategic communications for the office of public affairs and communications, has overseen the series since 2009.
“The purpose of this
series is to highlight the academic and research endeavors of our students and faculty and to show how Notre Dame fulfills its mission to be a force for good in the world,” Grisoli said. Producing each video involves a multi-step
see EMMY PAGE 4
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Wednesday
Workshop: “Working with AI @ ND”
Carey Auditorium
3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Open to faculty, students and staff.
Pizza, Pop, and Politics
1030 Jenkins Nanovic
Halls
6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Talk on immigration.
Thursday
The Meaning of Being Human Webinar
Zoom
7 p.m.
Catholic theologians host roundtable.
HA Shortform Improv Show
Washington Hall Lab
Theater
8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Comedty show by HA.
Friday
Donuts and Cards for Children with Cancer
LaFortune Elevator Lobby
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sending cards to kids.
Condoleezza Rice DPAC
4 p.m.
Film: “Pacification” DPAC
By ELLA NOVAK News Writer
Saint Mary’s LGBTQ+ Center marked its third anniversary on Monday with a celebration that included charcuterie, vegetables, cupcakes, soda and music. Students and faculty came together to commemorate the milestone for the space dedicated to fostering inclusivity on campus.
Redgina Hill, vice president of equity and inclusion, played a role in the creation of the center,
which opened in 2021 as part of College President Katie Conboy’s inauguration.
“It was such a healing moment for our current students, faculty, and staff, as well as for those from the past,” Hill said. “We had alumni from across the state and surrounding areas return to see the space. Some cried, telling me and others in the department they never thought they’d see the day we had a space on campus.”
Hill emphasized the importance of the
center in providing a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals at Saint Mary’s.
“The center signals to students, faculty, and staff that we care for our LGBTQ students and queer community here, despite the challenges we may face,” Hill said. “We’re committed to supporting those students who are here now, looking to come, or those employees who work here.”
Senior Phoenix McClellan, who identifies as nonbinary, was present for the opening of the center
and expressed how impactful the space has been.
“They built the LGBTQ Center my freshman year, and it’s one of the safest spaces on campus,” McClellan said. “It feels good to be part of a bigger community, and Saint Mary’s does a lot to help ensure that [the] community thrives.”
The center recently welcomed a new assistant director, Eli Williams, who has plans to make the space an even more integral part of campus life.
“I want the center to be a place where students can be their full selves,” Williams said. “They can do their homework, socialize, have group meetings, or just
take a nap — whatever they need. The space belongs to everyone, not just LGBTQ+ students.”
Many students, including McClellan, are excited for the new direction under Williams.
“Eli could bring better, more applicable training,” McClellan said. “Having an actual queer person leading makes a difference, and I think whatever Eli does will help us move forward.”
The LGBTQ+ Center’s third anniversary highlights its role in building a stronger, more inclusive community for all at Saint Mary’s.
Contact Ella Novak at enovak01@saintmarys.edu
By ISABELLA GONZALES News Writer
The Future Business Leaders club held its second event of the school year on Monday, featuring Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO of the National Geographic Society. The virtual event, titled “Leading with Purpose: Innovation, Community, Impact, and the Role of Media in Driving Change,” provided attendees with insights into leadership and the power of media in fostering global change.
The event was held over Zoom. Tiefenthaler, a Saint Mary’s College alumna, began by reflecting on her time at the school.
“Saint Mary’s always holds a special place in my heart,” she said, sharing fond memories of her time on campus.
Tiefenthaler went on to discuss her leadership journey, which included roles at Duke University, Colorado College, and serving as provost at Wake Forest University. She noted that while her path to leadership wasn’t entirely planned, her approach has evolved through experiences in academia and beyond.
“How does an accidental leader become an effective leader?” she asked, before offering one answer: servant leadership. Tiefenthaler referenced Robert Greenleaf’s book, ‘The Servant as Leader,’
emphasizing the importance of leaders using their platforms to inspire others.
She later shared how her academic background prepared her for her role at the National Geographic Society.
“I found the skills I’d acquired throughout my time in academia were valuable and transferable,” she said. “The role was really complex, but also super interesting.”
Tiefenthaler highlighted National Geographic’s commitment to bold, transformative education and its mission to drive meaningful change, values she shares personally. She pointed out the organization’s long history of supporting explorers and mentioned
well-known figures such as Jane Goodall and Sylvia Earle.
“For 136 years, we’ve awarded grants to explorers around the world—more than 15,000 to date,” she said. “Today, we support 3,000 active explorers across 140 countries.”
Videos highlighting National Geographic’s global impact were featured throughout the presentation.
“...Our mission is to combine science, exploration, education, and unforgettable storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world,” Tiefenthaler said.
She also shared examples of National Geographic explorers making significant contributions to science and conservation, including David Gruber’s work on whale communication and Molly Burnham’s advocacy with Pope Francis on climate change.
Tiefenthaler emphasized that combining science with powerful storytelling is essential to achieving lasting change, referencing photographer Joel Sartori’s work with animals as an example.
“Every photo he takes ensures the eyes are captured, making each animal’s story equally important,” she said. After concluding her remarks, Tiefenthaler took questions from students before wrapping up the event.
Future Business Leaders president Sydney Skarbek reflected on the impact of having Tiefenthaler as a guest speaker.
“Hearing from her as an alumna added a unique perspective that really resonated with all of us,” Skarbek said. “Her insights about her journey and the impactful work she is doing motivated us to think about the possibilities in our own futures.”
Skarbek noted how Tiefenthaler’s talk aligned with the club’s mission to develop confident and visionary leaders.
“We look forward to inviting a varied range of speakers who can share their unique experiences and insights, helping to broaden our perspectives,” Skarbek said. Contact
this tradition as a symbol of student enthusiasm for Notre Dame athletics. For years the sign was exclusively lit for football accomplishments. But over time its purpose expanded. Now, the sign lights up whenever any Notre Dame varsity team is ranked number one in the nation or wins a national championship.
The sign is currently lit for the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team, who won a national championship last year.
“It will stay on all season, as is the tradition whenever one of our teams wins a national title,” O’Connor explained. “It’s a visible reminder of their achievement, and
it’ll stay lit until the team’s next season begins in the spring.”
One of the key moments that marked this shift was in 2000, when the Notre Dame women’s basketball team defeated UConn in a pivotal game, earning a number one national ranking.
“That was a huge win for the team, and I think it was around that time that people realized the sign could celebrate other sports, too,” O’Connor said.
While the No. 1 sign may symbolize great achievement, its operation is low-tech.
“There’s a point of contact in athletics who knows when it’s supposed to be lit,” said O’Connor.
“They make the request, and then someone from the Grace Hall staff plugs it in. It’s
although she doesn’t think a lot of students know about it.
“RecSports conducts weekly water tests for the water at St. Joseph Beach,” Ballinger said. “However, St. Joseph Beach is not subject to typical hazardous beach conditions such as undertow, high surf, wind currents, or dangerous marine life.”
McKenna Powers, a sophomore at Saint Mary’s College and a member of Notre Dame’s sailing team, said there’s always a lifeguard present when the team is practicing.
Powers was excited to learn about sailing team since she didn’t know that the opportunity to sail would be available.
“The call out meeting was really fun, and they made it super welcoming,” Powers said. “They made it seem okay if you didn’t know what you were doing.”
Sailing club meets Monday-Thursday and according to Powers, there’s flexibility in how often you come to the practices. She added that the practices meet for around two hours every day. Once the boats are rigged, the team goes out on the water for an hour and a half. She said having the boathouse right near the beach makes moving the boats easier.
Notre Dame sophomore Catherine Tuohy said she learned about the beach this year. She previously worked for RecSports and decided to become a lifeguard at the beach.
pretty simple.”
While the sign may have been upgraded slightly over the years, it remains largely unchanged since its creation.
“It’s definitely not some complex, high-tech system,” O’Connor said. “It’s a little bit old-school, but that’s part of its charm.”
As with any long-standing tradition, keeping the No. 1 sign relevant and meaningful is key to its longevity.
O’Connor believed that traditions only last as long as the current generation cares about them and that preserving the story behind the sign is essential.
“I feel like in the beginning of the year when it was warmer there were a lot more people, but it kind of gets a little cold now,” Tuohy said.
The beach reopened last year to members of the Notre Dame community and remained open during the summer.
“Reopening St. Joseph Beach after COVID was a priority for RecSports to continue increasing opportunities for recreation on campus,” Ballinger said.
While Powers enjoys being out on the water during the school year she said the St. Joseph Lake is on a different scale than the one where she lives. She considers the on-campus lake to be more like a pond.
“I like being out on the water, and just kind of doing something that’s not super stressful and school related for two hours out of my day,” Powers said.
Ballinger said the beach sees a drop in nonsailing beach-goers in the middle of September.
She added that the sailing team usually stops their practice before Thanksgiving Break depending on their schedule.
“It’s really relaxed and a lot of people just kind of show up when they want,” Ballinger said. “Whether it’s once a week or once every other week.”
He also emphasized the need for students to take ownership of traditions, and for those traditions to adapt to changing times.
“Traditions are about more than just doing the same thing over and over,” O’Connor said. “They’re about doing something repeatedly because it means something to you. Every generation of students needs to create their own culture, too. Twenty years from now, there might be something completely different that students care about as much as this.”
While O’Connor is confident that the No. 1 sign will remain a part of Notre Dame’s athletic identity,
“Culture is funny,” he said. “Traditions like this only last if people understand and care about them. If enough students forget what the number one sign means, or if it’s not explained properly to new generations, it could easily fade away.”
this spring.
process. Mike Cloonan, senior producer for the series and an NBC employee, explained that the team first conducts interviews with faculty, students and other relevant individuals. Next, they draft a script, which must be approved by Notre Dame and NBC.
Filming can take days, sometimes in remote locations.
“We’ve traveled to places like the Taj Mahal, the Roman Forum, and South Africa,” Cloonan said.
After filming, the NBC team edits the footage, and the final product undergoes several rounds of review before being shown to the featured individuals for approval.
The work continues even after football season ends, according to Tara McMullen, assistant producer and a Notre Dame alum.
“As soon as the last home game ends, we start looking for next year’s stories,” McMullen said, noting that some stories take years to fully develop.
Although the videos are just two minutes long, the production process generates much more footage than what appears on the stadium jumbotron. Cloonan explained that the unused footage serves Notre Dame’s development and marketing efforts, with some clips edited into shorter versions for social media or promotional events.
he’s open to the idea that new symbols may emerge over time.
“There’s no reason the number one sign needs to stop being a thing,” he said. “But as time goes on, students might find new ways to express their pride and traditions. That’s what makes campus culture so interesting — it evolves with every generation.”
For now the sign remains an emblem of Notre Dame’s athletic excellence. Whether it’s celebrating a football national championship or honoring the top-ranked lacrosse team, the number one sign continues to light the way for the Fighting Irish.
Contact Annelise Demers at ademers@nd.edu
“This year, we’re really expanding and amplifying these phenomenal stories we feel just deserve wider audiences,” Grisoli said.
Contact Brigid Iannelli at biannell@nd.edu activities.
Grisoli and her team take pride in telling these stories, despite the challenges of production.
“To be able to be a part of sharing such good news is just a privilege,” Grisoli said.
Cloonan and McMullen echoed this sentiment, praising the opportunity to meet inspiring faculty and students.
“We all appreciate the chance to learn how Notre Dame is trying to make the world a better place,” Cloonan said.
The team was pleasantly surprised when they learned that the series had won the Emmy. Grisoli said the nomination came from NBC without her team’s knowledge.
“I was surprised because our colleagues at NBC entered it,” she said.
McMullen, who was traveling when she received the news, initially thought it was a joke. Cloonan happened to be on the football field when his phone “blew up” with messages.
The trio emphasized that the Emmy win was a collaborative achievement made possible through the combined efforts of Notre Dame, NBC and the University’s dedicated faculty, staff and students.
She said she enjoys working at the beach
Contact Rose Androwich at randrowi@nd.edu
The team is also planning spin-off series titled “Still Fighting” and “Why I Fight,” set to launch
“I wish we could give [an Emmy] to everyone who has been in one of these stories,” McMullen said.
Noah Cahill Sports writer
I am a little over a month into my first semester as a sophomore, and I already miss Fisher Hall. Ever since the “Cadillac of dorms” was tragically torn to the ground, the men of Fisher were shipped off to Zahm Hall, where we will reside for the next two years. For all my Fr. Kevin students, we are what Walker Percy would call castaways. Walking to class at Bond Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays is the closest contact I make every week to the wreckage site that was once my home. This past weekend, however, my quad mates and I were feeling nostalgic. With North Dining Hall only a few strides away from Zahm, the allure of convenience had kept us from our former place of fellowship for too long. On Friday evening, we decided it was time to make a return to the table positioned second closest to the wall opposite the entrance, the Fisher table. Forced to sprint ahead of the entire population of Keough Hall dressed in togas for whatever reason, we grabbed our food and claimed the territory that was once ours. Seated in creaky wooden chairs with bowls of personally curated pasta dishes, an SDH special, we took in the scene. The familiar unnamed faces, the revolving dish trays, the Hogwarts-esque constructions. Inevitably, a blue plastic cup was dropped and
clattered on the ground. You can imagine what followed. Applause and cheers echoed through the packed dining hall. We felt at home again.
I don’t think a day went by during my freshman year when I was not complaining about the condition of Fisher’s building. The absence of air conditioning to relieve the blistering heat. The metal aftertaste of the drinking fountain. Even the occasional rodent roaming through the halls and within the ceiling tiles. Yes, we had mice.
But despite all of its imperfections, it was OUR dorm.
Sharing in the suffering, we banded together. In air-conditioned study rooms, finding momentary relief from the heat and solidarity in the day-today grind (while completing many levels of slither.io). In the basement sharing sandwiches from Ellie’s Deli, our late-night bistro ran on a microwave and a couple of toaster ovens. In the tightly packed gym with a speaker on full blast, the bench press spotters ducking their heads under pipes hanging overhead. When it all was destroyed, what emerged from the ruins was the best dorm community at Notre Dame. I stand by that.
When we emerged from the dimly lit dining hall, it was to the embrace of a warm South Quad sunset. What made Fisher so special was not just what was inside, but also on the way out. The walk back began in silence, a silence that was soon broken by the murmuring of lyrics from Carly Rae Jepsen’s
“Call Me Maybe,” “I missed you so, so bad.” We all couldn’t believe it, but we did. We really missed that place. It was a cathartic walk, a purging of emotions held in for too long. Soon, we would be back in our North Quad bubble, never to return there again. I’m being dramatic, but whether or not we find ourselves on that side of campus or not, walking through South Quad will never be the same. It’s not our home anymore, but it will always live in our hearts.
To get philosophical for a second, I think my journey back spoke to the relativity of happiness. Living in Fisher Hall, I couldn’t help but think how much better my quality of life may have been if I were randomly placed in a different dorm, perhaps one with air conditioning. And yet, walking past what remained of it only a few months later, I couldn’t help but be romantic about the place and what it meant to both me and everyone else who lived there. I viewed my cognitive dissonance as a lesson in appreciating the present moment. As I now turn the page to my next chapter in the slightly better building that is Zahm, I hope to live with a newfound gratitude for all the blessings. They, like Fisher Hall, could be gone before I realize how special they are.
You can contact Noah at ncahill2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
intuition — you are, at the end of the day, the one making your bed and the one who must lie in it.
I have always struggled to see the forest for the trees. This has never been more true since starting college, where it feels like life becomes a series of increasingly important decisions and somewhere along the way, I lost my “How to Do Life” instruction manual. As a freshman, I fretted over picking a major. Sophomore year brought decisions about career paths, study abroad and senior housing. Now, as a junior, it is all about employers, internships and post-grad plans. It can feel overwhelming, especially when you realize that life after graduation is just a continuous series of more decisions, each with increasingly long-term consequences.
Yet, if college has taught me anything else, it is that you do not have to make these decisions alone. There are also people put on this planet to act as your pseudo-instruction manual. And if I could, I would highly encourage my past self to lean on those around her more.
At the first sign of a stressful decision, my instinct used to be to hole up and hope that an answer magically came to me in my sleep. I would internalize my stress, turning it over in my head and bearing the load of my own overthinking alone.
I have since learned how helpful it can be to share that load, to unflinchingly hold the issue up to the light and allow others examine it. This is not to say that you need to seek out external validation or should ever compromise your own
But sometimes the answer you have been praying for is just waiting to be revealed by those who know you best. And by “know you best,” I mean people that make you feel seen. It is weirdly validating to hear someone else’s perception of you — what they notice about your personality, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses and passions. I find that these people often confirm things I already knew deep down, but had not yet articulated. “Why did you choose that major?” and “you are definitely a people person” and “you seem excited by that idea” can transform. The smallest act of confirming someone’s inner thoughts is powerful, potentially giving them greater confidence to make a leap they already wanted to take.
So once you find these people, hold them close. I once received the advice to build my own “personal board of directors,” a group of people that could serve as a sounding board whenever I needed advice. Your “BOD” can be made up of anyone — parents, siblings, roommates, academic advisors, coaches — as long as they know you on a personal level. In fact, it is helpful to have a variety of people at varying stages of life, and who know you in different capacities. I keep a running note on my phone called “Personal BOD,” and on it, the people whose advice I would turn to in certain situations. My best friend from home, my mom, my old academic advisor, my roommate and many others have found a special spot in my notes app.
I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky to have
found these people in my life. The best thing about them, and mentors in general, is that they are completely oblivious to the way in which they alter your trajectory. What is eye-opening advice is usually “no big deal” to them, just a passing comment delivered with unwavering confidence in you.
So hold them close, and let your gratitude be known. There is never a good time to thank your BOD — when Facetiming a friend, going on a coffee date with an advisor or getting groceries with your dad, it can be hard to interject: “Yeah, Notre Dame’s strength of schedule sucks this year. Anyway, you know all those times you said it would all work out? That time I was freaking out and you just smiled? Thank you for that. And thanks for answering my midnight calls while I was lying on the couch, stumbling over my words trying to explain the situation. Or that time I came into your office feeling like the world was ending, but I walked out feeling hopeful for the first time in weeks instead. Or that time I was in my head about what I said, and you told me that it would be okay. You were right, and I listened.”
Currently challenging myself to pay this forward. We would all be lucky to serve on someone else’s BOD one day.
Allison Elshoff is a junior studying Business Analytics with minors in the Hesburgh Program of Public Service and Impact Consulting. Originally from Valencia, California and currently living in Badin Hall, you can find her unsubscribing from email lists or hammocking by the lakes.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Hannah Alice Simon Views without Vision
It is on a quiet walk back to Ryan on a Sunday evening that I hear it: the sound of little feet, running. I smile, and my mind invites me into a memory.
I am a ninth grader coming home after a busy day at school. I hear the sound of little feet running towards me.
“Hannah!”
A trill and two little hands rap around my knees. I kneel down and gather my two-year-old brother into my arms.
The memory folds into itself and vanishes, leaving a tiny ache.
“Daniel, I wish you were here,” my heart murmurs. For a moment, I long for something that is far away. Then the familiar “Sunday scaries” hits hard, and the longing fades into oblivion.
I’ve almost never been homesick in college. At least that is what I like to tell myself. On the Monday my parents left to go back to India, I allowed myself to cry for five precious minutes, and then resolutely turned my mind to the then-scary Moreau QQC and the theology assignment that was due before my first class. Throughout that semester and the last two years, I have teared up, sobbed, cried oceans because of my statistics class, for the friends that I believed I did not have, for my broken relationship with Jesus, because I felt lonely, tired, angry. But I have almost never cried for my home.
I tell myself that I have never been homesick, but suddenly I am not sure anymore.
I remember the day I discovered hot sauce in the dining hall. That evening I ate fried rice and potstickers drenched in Cholula. I relished its slightly painful sting. I remember biting down on jalapeños, discovering Flaming Hot Doritos and popcorn. As the spices filled my mouth and enflamed my tongue, I
remembered home. I longed for every flavor I couldn’t taste. Is this homesickness?
I remember my first fall break at Notre Dame. Everyone I knew had gone home. It was just me, alone in a world of space and silence.
I opened my computer and played all the Indian songs that my mother had compiled into a goodbye present for me. The silence filled with familiar music, songs that Amma had forced us all to listen to as she cooked in the kitchen, songs that we had hummed under our breaths in the car. As my ears filled with sound, my throat opened and I began to sing. I sang, I proclaimed to the silence: “This is who I am, who I belong to, what I love, what I long for. Hear me!”
My eyes were dry, but I knew both joy and pain. I hope this is not what homesickness feels like.
I remember that time when my friends and I drove to get ice cream. It was one of those moments when I knew with absolute certainty that I belonged, that I was seen and loved. I rested my cheek against the window, staring out into the dark sky and the orange streetlights that flitted past. But that joy made me long for more, and the longing became a familiar ache.
My family loved going on night drives. All five of us: Amma and Appa arguing over how loud the music should be in the car, Hanok, with his thousand questions, all three of us kids fighting for no reason that adults could comprehend.
We always drove to the same place, the walkway that bordered the Arabian Sea. We always got ice cream from one of the tiny ice cream vans and sat down on benches facing the sea. Sometimes we talked between bites, sometimes we just huddled together in silence.
As my friends and I drove back from Dairy Queen with giant ice cream cones, I asked myself: “Am I happy?” I knew I was. “If this is not happiness, then what is?”
Yet that ache persisted. Surrounded by the love of
my friends, I longed for home.
I remember that Saturday morning when I heard Hanok’s voice break over the phone, and longed to take him in my arms. I remember struggling to find words to tell Amma that I was lonely. I remember the numbness that came over me when Amma told me that she was sending me hugs from home. I remember coughing a night away during spring break, and longing for Appa’s cool hand on my forehead, for the cup of hot water that he would curl my fingers around. I remember fearing my first visit back home. What if I had changed too much? I remember being wrapped in my parents’ embrace and realizing that everything, almost everything, was the same. I remember longing for Notre Dame while I was at home. I remember longing for a world in which I wouldn’t have to choose between my family and my friends, between my two homes that are separated by oceans.
Is this homesickness? No, I don’t like to think so. Homesickness, to me, is a disease that steals my joy in the present, my certainty that Notre Dame is mine and I belong here. But if this is not homesickness, then what is it?
I think I will call these memories, these longings, saudade or hiraeth. They are Portuguese and Welsh words that I just discovered and want to hold close, two words from two different tongues that capture the same feeling: a longing for something beautiful that is now gone, or too far away.
Hannah Alice Simon was born and raised in Kerala, India, and moved to the U.S. for college with the dream of thriving in an intellectual environment that celebrates people with disabilities. On campus, you will mostly see her taking the longest routes to classrooms with her loyal cane, Riptide, by her side. She studies psychology and English with minors in musical theatre and theology. You can contact Hannah at hsimon2@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Declan Burke American DOMEland
Last weekend, I went on a school trip to Canada. Traveling by bus, I sat and looked out the window at the sights of South Bend and the greater Michigan area.
I saw corn, cows, farms and corn. Apart from the surroundings that I expected, one item came up more than I anticipated: campaign posters, specifically Trump-Vance 2024 campaign posters. In fact, I did not see a single home advertising their support for the Harris-Walz ticket on the entire 363 mile drive. The only mention of Harris came in the form of derogatory messages and cliché Trump bumper stickers that I saw alongside a “Talk Tuah” podcast sticker. Advertising and promoting a political presidential campaign is nothing new, but the seeming deluge of hatred and fearmongering against the opposing candidate is.
Fearsome political party allegiance has fundamentally broken the American political system. In George Washington’s farewell address, he warned against forming political parties, and here we are now voting not by issues but by party lines. People no longer vote for issues they believe in if they fall outside the realm of their party’s associations. They have closed their minds to the idea that perspectives can change and that if one person is correct, the other must be wrong.
Since Donald Trump entered the political sphere, there has been a steady and progressive unraveling of decorum and open-mindedness in politics
and America itself. I believe there have been three distinct phases of American political party allegiance. The first phase was when Americans voted according to their political belief within their parties but still put their country above all else. The second phase occurred when voters began to prioritize their loyalty to their party over their country. And the third phase, which we are in now, puts loyalty in a single figure over both party and country.
The third phase is so immensely idiotic that it sounds insane to even mention it, yet it is progressively increasing within the country. Donald Trump has become, to some, a savior of the country, a seemingly messianic figure who will “save them” from the evils of opposing viewpoints. Trump is so intertwined with the Republican Party’s voting base that he has hijacked the party itself. This loyalty to a single politician became so strong that people left their homes, states and families to revolt against the government on January 6th.
However, it is crucial to note that the American political system itself has a hand to play in the immense and growing divide between the political aisle. The two-party system cannot and will not ever work. No one’s beliefs fit flawlessly and neatly into a single box, yet that is what the political system encourages voters to do. A two-party system allows politicians to act like entitled children begging for candy at a store — they can get more political gain by protesting and complaining than by working for compromise. This system is conducive to decisiveness within the country simply because people are forced to be with or against others, and when these sides become increasingly polarized,
so does the whole political system.
I understand that not all conservatives wake up each morning and pledge allegiance to Donald Trump. I also understand that there are liberals who idolize Kamala Harris as the savior of the nation. The radicalization and polarization of politics in both political parties is immensely concerning, but it just appears to be more prevalent and outspoken within the Republican Party. Donald Trump is no longer just a person — he is an idea. Donald Trump is the Republican Party, and anyone who tries to challenge that idea is expelled from the party itself.
The American political system is broken, but it doesn’t have to be.
The recent debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz demonstrates a possible return to respectful political interactions. The vice presidential debate completely juxtaposed the inflammatory nature of the Trump-Harris debate, reflecting a possible hope for the future of political interactions between parties. Following this example of decorum, politicians must work across party lines to foster a new era of mutual respect and decency. For the survival of American politics, both elected officials and the electorate need to work together in compromise instead of intransigence. American politics shouldn’t be built on a basis of hatred but on a foundation of unity that aids in leading to a better future for all people.
Declan is a surviving biochemistry major at the University of Notre Dame. He is usually trying to figure out how to work the printer. Contact at dburke7@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
By CLAIRE WATSON Scene Writer
You know those posters you always see growing up about local haunted houses? I saw them but never actually went to one, despite my love for “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (yes, it is a Halloween movie), “The Addams Family,” “Coraline” and one of my favorite Broadway musicals “Beetlejuice.” I was excited to attend Notre Dame’s Themed Entertainment Association’s (TEA) “Roots of Destruction” haunted house. I am a singer, so one of my favorite parts of the house was the music, capturing my attention while I was still waiting in line to enter. Composed entirely by senior Ayden Kowalski, many different instrumental sounds brought a low, ominous and electro side to the haunted house. Some instruments I noticed included piano, violin, viola, cello, trombones and bass clarinet. With the attention to detail, correct timing and the way the instruments blended together, it was beautiful and complimented the scenery of the haunted house and its theme.
Editor’s Note: Ayden Kowalski is a Scene copyeditor. While I listened to the fantastic music, I tried preparing myself for the unknown spooks that awaited me. Sydney Hank, a
senior double majoring in industrial design and theatre, has been a part of TEA for the past three years and commented about choosing the theme and how they designed the house. “We did it ourselves, and everything was built by our team. Our process is we think about a bunch of locations that we think would work. Last year, it was swamp, so we thought it would be a good transition to this year,” she said. Even with that, I still had no idea what to expect.
Walking through, I particularly enjoyed the amount of scenery and props they used to emphasize a nature and forest vibe. There was an almost wilted rose on a stand with a poster of the theme above it, and throughout the house, vines and bushes swayed to emulate wind. Another part I enjoyed about the set was the different walkways we went through. At points, I walked through a doorway with some leaves and vines attached to it, which really contributed to the ominous forest feeling.
I have always loved LED lights and strobe lights (I have LED lights hanging all over my dorm), and they also played an important part in selling the “Roots of Destruction” theme. The lights changing colors from blue, green, white and occasionally purple effectively portrayed a forest optical illusion; the accompanying fog machines further enhanced the aura. The
lights reflecting the fog and changing appearances strongly evoked forest life, which I enjoyed.
Finally, I want to give a massive shout-out to the scare actors who spent hours working on their costumes, hair and makeup. Sophomore and junior TEA manager Noah Janchar, who has been a part of the program for two years, comments, “Last year, I worked on some of the costumes, and I am now doing costumes as well as seeing the bigger picture.” They did a magnificent job with costumes and the jump scares. At the end, an actor was lying on the ground, which terrified me. While I did not say it out loud, the thought that went through my head was, “What if the guy just waved at us?”
The only criticism I have is on timing. What I mean by this is that I anticipated that the scare was coming because I saw actors popping out of the walls or jumping out at the people ahead of me. While I know the team built the set entirely, which is highly impressive in its own right, hiding the actors better would have made the horror more intense.
Overall, for my first haunted house, it was absolutely amazing; the design was wonderful, the music was well-composed and the actors did a fantastic job.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
By LUKE FOLEY Scene Writer
“Joker” is a film that broke most people’s brains when it released in 2019. The media labeled the film as dangerous and predicted it would cause mass shootings. Critics found it to be a pompous puddle masquerading as a profound film. And audiences absolutely adored it and helped it become the first R-rated movie to gross over $1 billion at the box office. Between the audience and critical divide, I hold a brave third position: it’s a pretty good film. Cinephiles can smugly complain about the film being a rip-off of “The King of Comedy” all they want; it’s still a powerful character study of a man driven insane by a relentlessly cruel, unempathetic world, anchored by a mesmerizing central performance and superb cinematography.
And now, its sequel, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” finally released this past weekend to a brutal panning that crossed all partisan divides; everyone hates this film. But what if I told you that everyone is wrong? “Joker: Folie à Deux” is one of the most brilliantly provocative films I’ve ever seen. It’s a bold deconstruction of its predecessor and its real-world reception that denies audiences voyeuristic satisfaction and instead challenges them to meaningfully grapple with the circumstances that both created and enabled the Joker.
Taking place two years after the first film, “Joker: Folie à Deux” is essentially a critique of the first film, as the story is all about the fallout from the events of “Joker” and Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) heading to trial for the murders he committed. Before his trial, he meets fellow inmate Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga). Lee is a fantastic take on Harley Quinn; she’s portrayed as a rich upperwest-sider who admitted herself into Arkham Asylum to meet Arthur because she is obsessed with the Joker after seeing a television movie about him (this film is incredibly meta). The Joker
and the anarchy he represents is an exotic thrill for her; she has no real connection to the suffering that shaped Arthur, yet she acts like she is fighting the same injustices as him. Lee smartly typifies the phenomenon of activist tourism, and the false love she feeds the woefully lonely Arthur to manipulate him into reigniting the Joker persona for the trial is heartbreaking to watch. Like everyone else in the movie, she vies to define who Arthur is on his behalf, but none genuinely cares about who he is or what’s best for him. Arthur no longer has any control over the Joker; his entire identity has been co-opted by self-serving parties who only see him as a means for their goals. Sound familiar?
Clearly, director Todd Phillips took issue with how some viewers received the first film. Mainly, those who excessively romanticized the Joker’s actions and used the movie to appease their murderous resentment towards society. As such, the criticisms of Joker’s fans in the film also feel like thinly veiled jabs toward real-life fans of the first movie. Rarely do you see a franchise hate its own fans so much, but you can’t really fault Todd Phillips for his discontent with the maladjusted individuals “Joker” attracted. Joker is not someone to idolize; he’s just the delusions of a deeply disturbed and traumatized man who needs healing. Yet, in “Joker: Folie à Deux”, Lee and Joker’s demagogic fans encourage Arthur to keep the villainous act going and further retreat into the Joker persona instead of taking accountability for what he did. This retreat into fantasy is demonstrated through the film’s many musical sequences, where Arthur can imagine an idyllic world in which he and the Joker are fully integrated into one being and happily in love with Lee. These scenes have proven very controversial due to the widespread bigotry towards musicals, but I loved them. The renditions of popular standards sounded great, the surreal sets looked beautiful and every sequence effectively accentuated the film’s current storybeat.
During the trial, Arthur initially capitulates to Lee and his
fans’ desires: he fires his defense attorney, wears the Joker makeup during the trial and resumes his iconic Joker shenanigans. However, he snaps out of it when Gary Puddles, the short-person from the first movie for whom Arthur had a soft spot, takes the stand during the trial. Having been traumatized by Arthur’s murders in the first movie and further mocked by him during the trial, Gary says he feels betrayed by Arthur’s transformation into the vicious Joker because Arthur was the only one who was ever nice to him. Here, Arthur finally realizes that his Joker persona is just as cruel as all those people who hurt him; in other words, he has become what he sought to destroy. What follows is Arthur fully disavowing the Joker, claiming it was never real and taking full responsibility for all the people he murdered. It’s a powerful, subversive moment that feels like a blow to many fans of the first movie, but it really just makes both films all the more compelling of a character study. Here, Arthur fully denounces the sensationalism and idolatry surrounding him and reemphasizes that what he did in the first movie was not the work of a brave rebel but a damaged, delusional man. It doesn’t invalidate the pain felt by Arthur due to a cruel society and broken institutions; instead, the film asserts that the solution to his pain is not to beget more pain that distracts from the actual issues at hand.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” is too challenging and intelligent of a film for those looking for another revenge fantasy similar to the first movie. It’s a relentlessly bleak and sad film, one that fully acknowledges that not only do we live in a society that creates monsters, but also that we live in a society that encourages monsters. I can already see the think-pieces years from now declaring this film to be a misunderstood masterpiece; but let the record show this Scene correspondent understood it right from the start.
Contact Luke Foley at lfoley2@nd.edu
ND VOLLEYBALL
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Can Notre Dame volleyball perform well on the road?
That’s the next question facing Salima Rockwell and the upshot, 9-4 Irish this weekend, which will take them to No. 21 Florida State and Miami (Florida).
Notre Dame has not yet played an ACC road game this season after going 1-9 in away matches within the conference last year. The 2023 Irish took a set in less than half of those losses, struggling to compete away from Purcell Pavilion.
But this year’s team has already shown it might be on a new level. Since ACC play began, the Irish have taken a set from volleyball elite Stanford, taken ranked Georgia Tech within three points of an upset and cleaned out a Clemson team rated similarly to them in the preseason. Notre Dame is also 2-0 in straight road games and 4-0 if you consider Santa Clara and Mississippi State hosting
their own tournaments playing at home.
None of those four wins, however, came against a team currently ranked or receiving votes. Both squads the Irish will face in the Sunshine State this weekend carry one of those two designations. At 2-2 in conference play thus far, Notre Dame comes in with quite the opportunity to prove itself.
Notre Dame will begin the weekend at 7 p.m. on Friday against Miami, a team that went to South Bend and handed the Irish a 3-1 loss last year. This year, the Hurricanes have been all over the place.
In game five of their season, they upset No. 1 Texas in Austin, following that performance up with a 3-0 loss to unranked Ohio State. Miami would bounce back with impressive home sweeps of No. 25 Arkansas and Texas Tech and a competitive, 3-2 loss at Florida State. However, the Hurricanes most recently took a bad, 3-0 sweep at the hands of Virginia, a team projected nine spots below
them in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Through all of that, Miami carries a 10-5 overall record and a 1-3 ACC mark into this weekend’s action. Despite the Virginia loss, the AVCA Rankings are still awarding the Hurricanes five votes for the top 25. They’ll take on Louisville on Sunday, so getting back on track against the Irish is imperative for the Hurricanes.
When the Hurricanes are at their best, they are clicking on offense. Miami doesn’t offer a ton defensively but ranks fourth in the ACC for assists per set (12.7), fifth for hitting percentage (.259) and kills per set (13.6) and sixth for service aces per set (1.7). Flormarie Heredia Colon, a major contributor since arriving at Miami as a freshman in 2022, is one of the conference’s top scorers with 241.5 points on the season. The Dominican
outside hitter ranks third in the ACC with 4.06 kills per set, sitting behind only the outstanding Pittsburgh duo of Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock.
Florida State, meanwhile, is building off one of its best seasons in recent memory.
Last year, the Seminoles won the ACC Championship for the first time since 2012, sharing the title with Pitt. They also won 23 games for the first time in seven years.
This season, the Seminoles are 11-3 with a 3-1 ACC victory that includes two defeats of Miami. Florida State, however, also suffered a sweep loss at Virginia last weekend before rebounding to sweep Virginia Tech on the road.
Statistically, the Seminoles line up similarly to Miami on offense, ranking top-five in the ACC for hitting percentage (.284), assists per set (12.5) and kills per set (13.7).
They do carry a bit more strength on defense, ranking fifth in the conference with 2.6 blocks per set.
Florida State’s top two players from the 2023 season have continued to lead the way in 2024. Audrey Koenig, the reigning ACC Co-Player of the Year, leads the team with 198 points and ranks top-10 in the conference on a per-set basis. Khori Louis has also maintained her improvement after becoming a First Team AllACC selection last year. She ranked fourth in the nation with a .432 hitting percentage then and now leads the ACC at .480 and ranks ninth in the conference with 1.18 blocks per set.
The Irish and Seminoles will square off at 1 p.m. on Sunday after Florida State hosts Louisville on Friday.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Happy Birthday: A passionate approach can be
each
and
if your words are
using your skills, gifts,
and uplifting.
and you’ll have a
Follow your plans; there is no room for procrastination this year. It’s time to present, promote, and turn your dreams into a reality. What you reap, you will sow. Take advantage of the opportunities around you. Your numbers are 4, 10, 18, 21, 26, 37, 42.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Be open, but formulate your plans to suit your needs. Set your plans in motion and pay attention to detail. Leave nothing to chance; stick to the rules and regulations to avoid setbacks. A change of heart or health will have a positive ending if you act fast.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Live up to your promises, and the returns will be higher than anticipated. Embrace new beginnings and let your mind and body carry you to places encouraging personal growth and opportunity. Don’t share too much information or interference and arguments will develop. Love and romance are favored.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stretch your mind, use your knowledge, and articulate thoughts to reinforce your plans and ensure you finish what you start. Refuse to let outside interference disrupt your plans or lead you astray. Stay focused on what you want, and you’ll attract interest from someone like-minded with something to contribute.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Stick to what you do best, and refrain from participating in heated discussions. Your mission is to complete what you set out to do and to gravitate toward people who have your back, not those looking to take you down. Personal and physical improvements will boost your morale.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Participate, and you’ll discover people and possibilities who can motivate and help you thrive. Use your voice to articulate what you want others to know and understand, and you’ll get constructive feedback, support, and help. Avoid making physical changes to your environment or appearance.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Expand your interests, visit new places, and explore what’s available. New surroundings will change your perspective and offer a vision of what’s possible. A curious, not fearful of change will find a path that excites, motivates, and leads to interesting people, places, and pastimes.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Put your heart and soul into what makes you happy and share your plans with someone who can be instrumental in achieving your goal. Trust your instincts, remain calm, and make the most of every situation to ensure you come out on top. Personal gain is within reach.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Explore the possibilities of turning something you love doing into an additional income. Think outside the box, be innovative, and pick up certification to pursue one of your passions. Travel, educational pursuits, and talking to an expert will help narrow the gap between dreaming and doing.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Emotions will surface if you let someone bait you into a disruptive discussion or lead you to believe a false narrative. The best opportunities will require dedication and gathering accurate information. Make communication, getting what you want in writing, and your health a priority.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): LYou may want to be in charge, but if you are pushy or assume a leadership role prematurely, you will meet with opposition. Take every opportunity to enhance your knowledge, gather facts, and find innovative solutions that dazzle anyone skeptical of your intentions or qualifications.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Share your thoughts with people heading down a similar path, and you’ll discover shortcuts that save time and money. Refrain from letting persuasive offers stunt your desire to follow your dreams and build your own future. Avoid taking a risk or making a hasty decision.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Take time out to nurture yourself. Maintaining your health, fitness, and overall well-being will help you avoid temptation and poor choices. Choose minimalism over excess; it will ease stress and make you feel good about your choices and prospects. Turn security and stabilization into your priority.
Birthday Baby: You are ambitious, persistent, and aggressive. You are sophisticated and charming.
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
Five games down, seven to go. With Notre Dame football near its midway point of the regular season and ranked No. 11 in the country, it’s time to take a holistic look at the team’s strengths and weaknesses. Here’s how each Irish position group grades out a month and a half into the year.
Why not start with the team’s most frequently debated aspect? It’s been a tumultuous year for Notre Dame’s quarterback position, beginning with senior signal-caller Riley Leonard. The Duke transfer has struggled significantly as a passer, a total departure from Sam Hartman’s first impression from a year ago.
Outside of a few clutch throws at Texas A&M and deep-ball touchdowns against Miami (Ohio) and Louisville, Leonard hasn’t done anything of note with his arm. His brutal, fourth-quarter interception against Northern Illinois set the Irish up to lose, and he didn’t throw a touchdown pass until Week Four. Leonard’s air game puts him in the red to start with.
However, his evaluation rebounds nicely with his rushing attack. As a downhill runner, Leonard has been a machine and at times a total gamechanger. He already has seven scores on the ground and has eclipsed 100 rushing yards two times. It’s also impossible to deny that Notre Dame’s reliance on Leonard’s legs has banged him up a bit and diminished his effectiveness as a passer. Yes, Notre Dame will need more from Leonard as a true dualthreat player to beat the nation’s best, but he’s got the Irish in a pretty good spot eight now.
Aside from the starter, junior backup Steve Angeli has remained flawless in his limited blowout action this year.
Sophomore Kenny Minchey and freshman CJ Carr also looked good in their drives against Purdue, bumping up the overall grade just a bit.
Position Grade: C+
Running backs
I’m not sure anyone expected Jeremiyah Love to become what he has five games into his sophomore year. The explosive back has found the end zone in every game, ripping off a handful of long touchdown runs in critical moments. Junior Jadarian Price has given Notre Dame much of the same, hitting home runs at Texas A&M and Purdue with world-class shiftiness. It remains to be seen just how much those two can help out Leonard in the passing game, but you have to be thrilled about the way Love and Price have taken the reins with Audric Estimé on to the pros.
The one lingering question I have about the Irish backfield is what it will look like on third downs and other obvious passing situations. To start the year, Notre Dame most often turned to graduate student Devyn Ford, but he entered the doghouse after an opening-play fumble against Louisville. Freshman Aneyas Williams, who has not yet caught a collegiate pass, took Ford’s snaps the rest of the way. Will Ford return to the fold this week? Is Williams the guy now? Most importantly, can either bring some real value to Notre Dame’s third running back option?
Position Grade: A-
Unsurprisingly, with Leonard’s slow start has come a slow start for Notre Dame’s pass catchers. The wide receiver room, per usual, doesn’t have much of an identity. Graduate transfer Beaux Collins and sophomore Jaden Greathouse have emerged as the top two wideouts but lack consistency. Kris Mitchell, a graduate transfer, has not yet unleashed what made him so dominant at FIU. Sophomore Jordan Faison hasn’t been healthy enough to make a regular impact in his first full season.
Notre Dame’s tight ends are in a similar boat. Recovering senior tight end Mitchell Evans, projected as one of the nation’s best at his position, has a season-high of 27 yards. Junior Eli Raridon and sophomore Cooper Flanagan have stepped up here and there but still have combined for less than 100 yards.
All in all, Notre Dame’s passcatching group is a jumbled mess of targets. The Irish are going to need some leaders to emerge for Leonard to lean on in the second half.
Position Grade: C-
This group has been through a lot. It entered the year needing to replace terrific tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher. Then left tackle Charles Jagusah, a projected starter with a lot of upside, went down for the season in August. In stepped true freshman left tackle Anthonie Knapp, who joined several others with inexperience, for the season opener at deafening Kyle Field. The group held up far better than most anticipated.
Two weeks later, junior center Ashton Craig and junior right guard Billy Schrauth encountered long-term injuries at Purdue. Senior Pat Coogan and graduate student Rocco Spindler, two veterans previously passed up on the depth chart, have since stepped in and fared well. Overall, given the circumstances, this unit has performed well. Notre Dame’s rushing attack, even when it’s
most expected, has moved the ball, especially near the goal line. And with seven rushing touchdowns of 20 yards or longer on the season, the Irish offensive line has clearly opened up some lanes.
Position Grade: B+
Defensive line
Here’s another group that has experienced some injury-related change, as graduate student vyper Jordan Botelho is done for the year and junior defensive end Joshua Burnham hasn’t been available. Sophomore vyper Boubacar Traore, the backup to Botelho, also just lost his season to a knee injury. The real grade on the defensive line likely won’t emerge until we see how Notre Dame navigates those personnel shifts.
Overall, the defensive line has been up and down to start. Young players such as Traore and freshman defensive end Bryce Young have captured attention, but the graduate students have taken a while to get going. Defensive end RJ Oben hasn’t been much of a factor since arriving in the portal from Duke. Veteran defensive tackles Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III have had their moments but haven’t been consistent game-wreckers. Right now, the defensive line’s grade sits close to average with plenty of room for volatility in either direction.
Position Grade: C+
Linebackers
This position group has remained fairly quiet throughout the early part of the
season, and that’s not a bad thing. Linebackers typically are the unsung heroes of an elite defense. The heart of Notre Dame’s defense this year presents a unique dynamic, consisting of graduate student linebacker Drayk Bowen and a collection of players without much starting experience.
Next to the always-consistent Kiser, junior Jaylen Sneed and sophomores Bowen and Jaiden Ausberry have displayed their full abilities in spurts. They are all, however, still learning the intricacies of anchoring a defense, especially one with the complexity of Notre Dame’s. The linebackers do deserve some extra credit for keeping such high availability in a season already packed with injuries in the trenches.
Position Grade: B+
Defensive backs
The Irish secondary sure makes for a fun breakdown. The unit’s safeties and nickelbacks have been on a roll, beginning with graduate student Xavier Watts remaining one of the nation’s best ballhawks. Arizona State graduate transfer Jordan Clark might be Notre Dame’s most underrated defensive player. Sophomore Adon Shuler can make the same argument in his first year as a starter. Aside from a couple of disciplinary mistakes in recent weeks, those three have been awesome.
An even more interesting conversation emerges with the cornerbacks. Junior Benjamin Morrison will be a first-round NFL Draft selection and
sophomore Christian Gray is also very good, but their play hasn’t been perfect. Morrison had a rough day against Louisville. Gray has kept everything in front of him, but some lapses in tackling on short throws have hurt him. The real potential of Notre Dame’s secondary may reside with freshman cornerbacks Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs after Jaden Mickey’s departure to the transfer portal.
Anyway, at this point, there isn’t much to dislike.
Position Grade: A-
It’s hard to be more satisfied with the people who kick the ball in blue and gold. Graduate kicker Mitch Jeter has made everything — field goals and extra points — that have cleared the line. Graduate punter James Rendell has been working through some kinks in his delivery, but you can’t argue with how often he puts the ball inside the 20-yard line.
Elsewhere, it hasn’t been pretty. The Irish have fumbled on special teams in back-toback games before ever getting their offense on the field. Notre Dame’s field-goal operation hasn’t been clean, resulting in two blocked kicks against Northern Illinois and a botched snap against Miami. For a program that put on a special teams clinic during Marcus Freeman’s first two seasons, the execution has to improve.
Position Grade: C
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
HOCKEY
By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer
To open its season, Irish hockey hosted the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP), a team of the best under-18 aged players in the country, for an exhibition game Friday night. You can’t draw too many conclusions from preseason exhibition game, but here are 10 takeaways on the Notre Dame’s 5-2 victory, in partially-chronological order:
1. Notre Dame will need to see improvement on the power-play as well as a few individual breakout seasons in order to reach their goal of averaging 3 goals per game. It was therefore encouraging to see graduate student transfer Blake Biondi pot two goals on the power-play in this one. A MinnesotaDuluth transplant, Biondi brings a natural scoring touch that could make a difference this season for the Irish, especially if he can put together a season like his 17-goal sophomore year at Duluth. Hampered by injuries in the last two seasons, Biondi looked very comfortable on the top line with sophomores Brennan Ali and Danny Nelson. On the
ND MEN’S GOLF
power-play, Biondi looked like a bona-fide netfront presence, winning crease battles on point shots from sophomore defenseman Paul Fischer to score both his goals. Last year, Notre Dame averaged 19.1% on the power-play, a middling 36th nationally. Biondi’s force could help change that. He seems to be fitting in just fine, too. When talking postgame about the Notre Dame experience so far, he referenced Lou Holtz’s famous quote — “For those who know Notre Dame, no explanation’s necessary. For those who don’t, no explanation will suffice.”
2. If Notre Dame’s powerplay units looked strange tonight, it’s because there was a notable absence.
Sophomore forward Cole Knuble was held out of tonight’s game due to precautionary reasons — he suffered an injury late in the week.
3. Notre Dame ran into more injury trouble in the second period when another sophomore centerman, Jayden Davis, was taken out of the game with a lower body injury. Davis did not return, which led to plenty of line shuffling for Notre Dame.
4. The shuffling only got worse when senior forward Tyler Carpenter, who had been filling Davis’ centerrole, was thrown out of the game for a knee-on-knee check in the neutral zone that injured the NTDP’s LJ Mooney. The hit was ill-timed at open-ice, and Mooney did not return. Notre Dame also found themselves down three centers: “It was like all the work we did in the first five weeks kind of went out the window because the power play and penalty kill, everything changed,” Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said postgame. The good news for Notre Dame is that, because this was only an exhibition, Carpenter’s major penalty won’t keep him out of next weekend’s season opener at St. Lawrence.
5. Trailing 1-0 on Biondi’s first period power-play goal, the NTDP was galvanized by Carpenter’s 5-minute major. They outshot Notre Dame 14-2 over the first 11 minutes of the 3rd period, and scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. On that five-minute major, Notre Dame’s penalty-kill certainly looked like the “work in progress” Jackson described it to be. They were a touch out of
place on both Will Moore and Jacob Kvasnicka’s goals.
6. For how often Notre Dame discussed their team resiliency last season, tonight showed a positive step in that regard as well. Trailing 2-1 with less than 9 minutes to play, the Irish dominated the last half of the third, outshooting the NTDP 13-0 down the stretch and scoring no less than four times. “I thought they were good on the bench,” Jackson said. “They were talking to each other about responding to adversity in the first [period] a little bit, but more so when we had the major and then they took the lead [with] two power play goals. The guys responded positively, and I thought they did a good job in both situations.” For this scribe, the comeback effort was maybe the one thing that felt the most different compared to last season. Notre Dame was 1-12-1 when trailing entering the third period last year.
7. Notre Dame played all three goalies in this one: freshman Nick Kempf started against his former team, while returning backup Jack Williams got the second. Junior transfer Owen Say played the third, and was
the only goaltender to allow a goal (two, actually), but he also made the most saves (12). All three looked strong, only furthering the competition in goal.
8. It’s worth reiterating that Ali and Danny Nelson were no slouches tonight. Both utilized their speed and physicality well. Nelson finished with 8 shots on goal and Ali looked strong on puck battles all night.
9. One thing that stood out tonight was Notre Dame’s size. It isn’t across the board, but the Irish have some tall dudes on the roster, especially the freshman defense pair of Jaedon Kerr and Jimmy Jurcev. Kerr is 6’4 and Jurcev is a lanky 6’5. What’s more, Irish commit Will Belle — who was playing right wing tonight for the NTDP—is also 6’4. There’s some size in Notre Dame’s future.
10. The opening night of the season didn’t go so smoothly for everyone— No. 7 Michigan dropped a 5-2 decision at home to Minnesota State to start their year. Unlike Notre Dame’s victory, that one counts. Tough luck, Fielding Yost.
Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
Playing at Warren Golf Course, the Notre Dame men’s golf team took its first win at home since 2019 in the annual Fighting Irish Classic. The Irish finished as the only team under par, posting a three-round team score of 835 (-5) to beat out second-place Purdue and third-place Louisville. Notre Dame posted a combined
SMC GOLF
score of 12 under par across the tournament’s final two rounds.
Individually, sophomore Rocco Salvitti led on the course for the Irish, finishing third place by carding an overall score of 207 (-3). Salvitti finished day one of the competition hitting par in round one and finishing round two with a score of 69 (-1). Salvitti then went into round three carding a score of 68 (-2) to bump him up to
third place overall.
Junior Nate Stevens rounded out the top five for the Irish as he took fifth place, finishing with an overall score of 208 (-2). Stevens finished round one shooting a 72 (+1) but came back during round two and finished with a score of 70. In round three, Stevens recorded the lowest score out of all the competitors at the tournament, shooting a 66 (-4) and adding on six birdies for
himself.
Sophomore Jacob Modleski finished in the top 15 as he shot 210 which put him in 11th place. Modleski finished day one carding a 71 (+1) score and a 69 (-1) in round two. Heading into round three, Modleski finished the day with five birdies to help him gain the 11th spot.
Sophomore Chris Bagnall took 43rd place with an overall score of 219 (+9), and
freshman Mike Qiu placed 64th with a final score of 225 (+15).
With this win, the Notre Dame men’s golf team has a break before it rounds out the fall season at the Williams Cup in Wilmington, North Carolina. The University of North Carolina-hosted tournament will last from Oct. 20-22.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
This past week, the Saint Mary’s golf team finished first in their second and third Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Jamboree competitions. With three jamboree victories, the Belles are on the inside track to top postseason seeding.
MIAA Jamboree #2
Hosted locally at the Elbel
Golf Course in South Bend, the Belles took their first win of the week in the MIAA Jamboree #2 competition. Freshman Melanie Maier led on the course for the Belles as she shot 75 (+3) and finished tied for second while also adding a birdie on the sixth hole. Junior Breana Harrington finished in fifth place after shooting a 76 (+4), senior Katelyn Tokarz finished her day in sixth place after shooting a 80 (+8) and sophomore Colleen
Hand finished the top 10 for the Belles as she carded an 81 (+9).
Senior Georgie Kersman and freshman Ella Notaro finished out in the top 30, placing 28th as they each carded an 87 (+15).
MIAA Jamboree #3
Keeping their momentum going heading into Jamboree #3, the Belles continued to win, taking home a third Jamboree victory.
Maier continued to lead the
Belles as she took first place in the competition, shooting a 73 (+1) that included three birdies throughout the course. Hand took second place for the Belles as she shot a 74 (+2), had two birdies and eagled at the eighth hole. Junior Julia Lizak finished inside the top five for the Belles as she took fifth place after carding a 78 (+6) and having three birdies of her own.
Harrington and Tokarz followed in the top 20 as they
both finished in 15th place after carding 83’s (+11). Notaro was the last competitor for the Belles, finishing in 45th place after having a final score of 90 (+18).
The Belles will finish out their fall season as they head to Angola, Indiana for their fourth and final Jamboree competition hosted by Trine University this Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Sophomore forward Jack Flanagan swings
on
to
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
Following a 2-1 defeat in Upstate New York at the hands of Syracuse last Saturday, the Notre Dame men’s soccer team returned home to Alumni Stadium to play host to the Michigan Wolverines for their annual rivalry tilt. The Irish have dominated the Wolverines historically, holding a 16-3-4 edge in the series, including a 3-0 win in Ann Arbor a year ago. Saturday’s loss to Syracuse dropped the Irish to 5-3-3 on the campaign, while the Wolverines entered Tuesday’s match sitting at 5-1-4. Michigan’s first loss of the season came last Friday night when No. 2 Ohio State put six in the back of the net en route to a dominating victory. With the NCAA Tournament rapidly approaching and in need of a resume-building victory, the Irish looked for their fourth consecutive triumph over their bitter rivals.
first 45 minutes of
Tuesday night’s fixture came and went without many chances from either side. Notre Dame held a 7-4 shot advantage in the opening frame, including three shots that required saves from Michigan senior goalkeeper Hayden Evans. The best opportunity for the Irish arose in the 36th minute when a miscommunication in the Wolverine backline led to a failed clearance. Junior midfielder KK Baffour was gifted a golden opportunity from roughly 8 yards out, but Evans did well to turn away the right-footed strike.
In an interview with the ACC Network broadcast crew before heading to the halftime locker room, Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley addressed the steady improvement of his side throughout the first half, saying, “I thought we got better as the half went on, and we became more dangerous offensively.”
Riley did express his displeasure with his squad’s discipline offensively however, noting, “We need to have more composure in the attacking third in order to finish off some of these runs.”
Michigan finds the back of the net
The Wolverines struck early to begin the second half, as a 48th-minute push was capitalized when graduate student Beto Soto’s pass found fellow fifth-year senior Bryce Blevins, whose shot took a wicked deflection before arcing over freshman goalkeeper Blake Kelly’s head and into the right corner of the net. It was Blevins’ fourth goal of the season, and it also gave Soto his ninth assist, good for the second-most in the country.
The Irish nearly leveled a minute later, but a miraculous full-extension save from Evans denied sophomore forward Jack Flanagan the equalizer. The Irish continued to press the Wolverine defense in the following minutes, but after the embarrassing defensive performance last Friday, Michigan held strong.
Evans continued to stand on his head in the 60th minute, as he turned away a twirling shot from midfielder Will Schroeder, denying the freshman of his
first collegiate goal by pushing the volley above the crossbar.
The Irish continued to dominate possession in the final half hour of the match, but they failed to test Evans prior to a flurry of chances in the closing moments. First, it was Flanagan who was rejected by Evans, marking his eighth and final save, before two successive Irish corner kicks were also cleared out by the Wolverine backline. Michigan then took possession to the corner to close out the impressive 1-0 road rivalry victory.
Despite a 16-10 shot advantage and 6-1 edge in corner kicks, the Irish have now dropped consecutive matches for the first time this season as they have sunk to 5-4-3 overall. Tuesday night also marked Notre Dame’s first loss to Michigan since 2019, another 1-0 loss at Alumni Stadium.
The defeat also saw the end of forward Matthew Rouu’s goal streak. The senior had scored 10 goals in the last five outings, catapulting him into the national lead.
The Irish will be back in action on Friday night as No. 7 North Carolina comes to South Bend for Notre Dame’s second match against a top-10 team at Alumni Stadium in as many weeks. The 7-1-3 Tar Heels make the journey to South Bend following a convincing 3-0 home victory over Charleston.
Summarizing Tuesday’s loss and looking ahead to Friday, Riley said postgame, “When their keeper makes eight saves, it means you’re keeping things on frame, so we need to continue to do that. The big thing is staying calm, and not playing in a rush, and trusting that goals will go in moving forward.”
Currently sitting at eighth in the ACC table, Notre Dame will need a strong finish in the concluding four conference matches to secure a top-eight spot and a first-round home match in the ACC Tournament. Friday night’s contest is set for a 7 p.m. first touch and can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu