Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, November 5, 2021

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MAGGIE KLAERS | PHOTO By Allison Thornton

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INSidER

The observer | Friday, November 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

HEAD-TO-HEAD

3:30 p.m. ET notre dame stadium on nbc

notre dame

NAVY

(Sr.) Braden

Lenzy

0

(Gr.) Avery

Davis

3

(Fr.) Lorenzo Styles Jr. 21

(Jr.) Lawrence Keys III

(Jr.) Kyren Williams 23 (So.) Chris Tyree 25

13

(Fr.) Micahel Carmody 68

RB

(So.) Tosh Baker 79

(Sr.) Zeke Correll 52 (Fr.) Rocco Spindler 50

(Gr.) Jack Coan

17

(So.) Drew Pyne 10

QB

(Sr.) Jarrett Patterson 55

(So.) Andrew Kristofic 73

(Gr.) Cain Madden 62 (Sr.) John Dirksen 56

(Gr.) Josh Lugg 75 (Sr.) Tosh Baker

79

(So.) Michael Mayer 87 (Fr.) George Takacs 85

(Gr.) Kevin

Austin Jr.

(So.) Clarence Lewis 6

(Sr.) TaRiq Bracy 28

(Jr.) Jack Kiser

24

(Gr.) Isaiah Pryor 10

(Sr.) Houston Griffith

3

(Jr.) KJ Wallace 16

SS

4

(Jr.) Joe Wilkins Jr. 18

WR WR LT LG C RG RT TE WR

(Jr.) NaNa Osafo-Mensah 31

(Jr.) Bo Bauer 52

(Jr.) DJ Brown 12 (Jr.)Isaiah Pryor 10

Mike

(So.) Riley Mills 99

(Gr.) Kurt Hinish 41 (Jr.) Howard Cross III 56

(Jr.) Isaiah Foskey 7

FS

(Sr.) Justin Ademilola 19

(Jr.) JD Bertrand

27

(Fr.) Prince Kollie 35

(So.) Ramon Henderson 11

(Jr.) Jay

Bramblett

(Sr.) Matt

Salerno

Notre Dame welcomes Navy to South Bend as the most respectful rivalry in college football returns after a COVID-induced hiatus. The Observer Sports Staff broke down the upcoming matchup.

Notre Dame Passing Jack Coan’s strongest trait has always been his arm. His first start for Notre Dame came with over 350 yards throwing and now with a solidified and celebrated offensive line, the Irish should be able to produce. The Navy secondary has no real explosive star.

So, with a strengthening receiving corps led by Kevin Austin Jr., Avery Davis and Braden Lenzy and compounded by a speedy Lorenzo Styles and a skilled tight end in Michael Mayer, the Irish will be able to find some connections. Coan’s new found ability to move and trust in the O-line reinforce this again.

EDGE: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Rushing After the two most recent Kyren Williams performances, how could you not grant the Irish an advantage in this department? The offensive line has looked much improved in three

19 29

PK P PR

9

Band

(Jr.) John Marshall 1

(Fr.) Tyler Fletcher 47

(Jr.) Johnny Hodges 57 (Fr.) Jianni Woodson-Brooks 46

(Sr.) Diego Fagot 54 (Fr.) Jianni Woodson-Brooks 46

BC

STR

(So.) Jacob Busic 95

Will Mike

(Jr.) Nicholas Straw 51

(So.) Donald Bernaid Jr. 90 (So) Clay Cromwell 97

(Sr.) J’arius Warren 94 (Sr.) Deondrae Willams 92

(Jr.) Nicholas Straw 51 (Sr.) John Kelly III 55

(Fr.) Rayuan Lane 18 (Jr.) Joshua Adams 14

FS

LE NG DT

Raid

(Sr.) Jamal Glenn 16 (Sr.) Michael McMorris 5

FC

(Jr.) Mark Walker 80 (So.) Jayden Umbarger 87

DE DT NG DE

(Jr.) Michael Vinson 65

Brian Newberry is entering his third season as Navy’s defensive coordinator, and the defense — to put it kindly — has not improved during his tenure.

They’ve had their moments, but after giving up 22 points a game in Newberry’s first season, the Midshipmen have given up 30 plus per contest in 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, Rees gets some recency bias to his credit, as he’s looked much better in adjusting to his personnel in the past two weeks, creating a game plan that

(Sr.) Tyger Goslin

25 2

(Sr.) Bryce Texeira 67

SB

(Sr.) Mattie Conlon 73

(So.) Joshua Pena 71 (Jr.) Lirion Murtezi 73

QB

1

Tai Lavatai (So.)

(So.) Darrellson Masaniai 69

7 Xavier Arline (So.)

(Sr.) Pierce Banbury 68

(Sr.) James Harris II (Sr.) Isaac Ruoss

29

37 32

FB

(Sr.) Pierce

Banbury

68

(Jr.) Lirion Murtezi 73

(Jr.) Kip Frankland 66

SB

CB

(So.) Chris Tyree 25

Notre Dame Offensive Coaching

Acie

(So.) Daniel Jones

(Jr.) Jay Bramblett 19

straight games, and Williams has responded with three of his top four rushing performances, including 138 and 199-yard efforts against USC and UNC. The latter was of course punctuated by one of the most remarkable touchdown runs you’ll ever see, a 91-yarder that started with a near tackle for loss and a stiff arm in the backfield. Navy is giving up 132 yards per game on the ground and they may be slightly more susceptible through the air, but picking against Kyren Williams doesn’t feel smart right now.

EDGE: Notre Dame

(Sr.) Carlinos

(Sr.) Chance Warren 0

Buck

(Jr.) Cam Hart 5

(Gr.) Jonathan Doerer 39

(Jr.) Taylor Robinson

(Fr.) Elias Larry 3

X-WR

Rover

(Sr.) Jayson Ademilola 95 (Sr.) Drew White

(So.) Eavan Gibbons 15

CB

(Gr.) Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa 95

40

(Sr.) Michael McMorris 5

(So.) Jamie Romo 61

(Sr.) Mychal

Cooper

3

(Jr.) Zachary Kuhlman 82

H KR LS

H KR LS

47

Daniel Davies (Jr.)

24

Maquel Haywood (Fr.)

92

Ethan Nguyen (Fr.)

maximizes the tools of quarterback Jack Coan. UNC and USC aren’t exactly frightening defenses, but neither is Navy, so expect Rees to hold an advantage here.

EDGE: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Offensive Special Teams With running backs Chris Tyree and Kyren Williams returning kickoffs and punt returns for the Irish, a big play is always on the table, especially against a team that has significantly less talent like Navy. Aside from the potential for big plays in the return game, the Irish also have Jonathan Doerer at kicker, who has proven to be clutch in big moments this year for the Irish, as he already has two game winning kicks.

EDGE: Notre Dame

Navy Passing With a triple-option attack, passing is never an important part of the offense, and that is the case with Navy this year. The Midshipmen have attempted only 72 passes this year, completing just 33 of them. Despite the holes in the Irish secondary with Kyle Hamilton out, the

Midshipmen would be foolish to think they can pass against a more talented, superior Irish defense that should have no problems defending against the pass in this one. If Navy is trying to pass the ball a lot in this game, it is probably because they have gotten in third and long situations, which simply will not work with a triple-option attack.

EDGE: Notre Dame

Navy Rushing Two words: Triple. Option.

Navy’s run game will be its strongest weapon. The Notre Dame defense against Virginia Tech’s run game, could easily take this Navy run game. However, after Sam Howell ran all over a Kyle Hamilton-less defense, that advantage is less sure. All Navy needs to have the edge here is to be able to get a handful of yards per play. Notre Dame’s defense might just allow that this weekend.

EDGE: Navy

Navy Offensive Coaching Current Irish defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman last faced the triple-option when he faced Navy while at Cincinnati.

That game ended in a 42-0

PK P PR

43

90

LT LG C RG RT Z-WR

Bijan Nichols (Jr.)

Riley Riethman (Fr.) 0

Chance Warren (Sr.)

Bearcats’ victory, so Freeman clearly isn’t too phased by the different look. Meanwhile, Navy’s Ivin Jasper was fired early in the season before being reinstated in a reduced role.

Navy has scored 18 points per game. Clear advantage here.

EDGE: Notre Dame

Navy Offensive Special Teams The Midshipmen have a couple of very solid special team contributors in kicker Bijan Nichols and kick returner Maquel Haywood.

Haywood is notching over 33 yards per kick return, shortening the field for Navy’s slowmoving offense. And Nichols helps put points up when those heavy ground attacks stall out — he’s 11-14 on field goals and perfect on PAT conversions.

That being said, Notre Dame is very good on their defensive special teams, routinely generating pressure on punts and field goals, and frequently stopping opposing kick returners short of their 25-yard-line.

It’s tough to gauge who has an advantage in a matchup of two quality units.

EDGE: Even

The independent

To uncover

newspaper serving

the truth

Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

and report

and holy cross

it accurately

Volume 56, Issue 26 | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND prepares for Navy weekend NROTC, campus honor traditions dating back 94 years in historic rivalry

By GABBY BEECHERT News Writer

Notre Dame faces off against Navy in Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday in the 94th edition of one of the most storied rivalries in college football. The schools met for the first time in 1927, and until last year, the matchup was the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the country. The teams were scheduled to meet in Dublin during the 2020 season, but the game was canceled because of the pandemic.

Notre Dame currently leads the series 79-13-1. Even though the Irish have historically dominated on the field, the two institutions hold each other in high regard after they established a deep-rooted respect for each other in the wake of World War II, according to a Notre Dame News article.

In 1942, Notre Dame was struggling financially, and with many students enlisted in the military, enrollment was very low, according to the article.

Navy was able to remedy

Notre Dame’s financial woes by turning the institution into a training center for V-12 candidates, according to the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC)website. Navy paid Notre Dame to use its facilities, providing a necessary financial boost, the article said.

In exchange for the aid from the Naval Academy, the Irish display their gratitude to the Midshipmen by continuing the rivalry, the article said.

Saturday marks the first time the teams are meeting since Nov. 2019. In honor of

the game, the NROTC members are participating in several traditions.

On the Friday before the game, NROTC members partake in the Navy Ball to celebrate the birthday of the Navy and Marine Corps, sophomore and MIDN 3/C Kevin Sembrot said. The ball is a ceremonial event between current Midshipmen, staff and a guest speaker.

Sembrot said this year’s guest of honor Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy. see NAVY PAGE 4

Senate meeting cut short by alarm

BELLA LAUFENBERG | The Observer

Senators and other students stood outside Lafortune for nearly half an hour during an unexpected evacuation caused by a fire alarm.

By BELLA LAUFENBERG Staff Writer

In their second meeting after fall break, the Notre Dame student senate was forced to cut this week’s meeting short after

an unexpected fire alarm caused the students to evacuate LaFortune student center.

On the agenda for the night, there were t wo resolutions to vote on: a resolution calling for divestment

from fossil fuels and a resolution to push for housing for the incoming class of Gateway students.

Due to lengthy debate over the merits of the resolution calling for the divestment of fossil fuels, the senators were only able to vote on that resolution—leav ing the Gateway students w ithout aid for yet another week.

Annika Barron, the Farley Hall senator, and Veronica Slev in, Pasquerilla West Hall senator, were the t wo lead names supporting the resolution and fielded most of the debate questions that came in over the course of the 50-minute time frame that the resolution was under examination.

One opponent of the resolution, the Knott Hall

senator Abraham Figueroa, lead the dissent against the resolution posing many harsh questions about the merits of the order.

Among his questions were points concerning the timeline of divestment, the financial impacts of divestment on the Universit y’s endow ment and the overall moralit y of the investment/ divestment debate.

Slev in explained to the senate that utilizing fossil fuels has a much larger effect than one might expect.

“Somewhere between 21-25% of deaths per year is attributed to fossil fuel usage worldw ide,” Slev in said. “And if we’re investing in companies that are see ALARM PAGE 5

College to keep policies Observer Staff Report

Current masking protocols on Saint Mary’s campus will remain the same through the end of the semester, the College announced in an email Thursday afternoon.

Mona Bowe, co-chair of the COVID-19 response team, wrote in the email that she was pleased to report a total of only 32 positive cases as of Nov. 4.

“That said, we feel strongly that we have been able to maintain a low number of positive cases by protecting each other through existing measures, including our current masking protocols,” Bowe wrote.

The protocols require all students regardless of vaccination status to wear masks in the classroom. Vaccinated faculty are allowed to remove masks if “pedagogically it is best to teach without a mask.”

In addition, individuals not fully vaccinated are required to wear masks in all indoor spaces, along with all visitors and guests, regardless of vaccination status.

The College encourages anyone to wear a mask when not required if they feel inclined.

“In situations when not required to mask, members of the community are encouraged to mask any time they prefer to do so,” the email read.

The update reminded students and faculty to complete the daily health survey and show up for screening testing when required to do so.

Notre Dame offers free tickets in vaccine effort W hen St. Joseph Count y deput y health officer Dr. Mark Fox and Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick periodically met during the late spring and into the fall, Swarbrick would frequently ask if there was any way Notre Dame

athletics could help w ith the local vaccination effort in St. Joseph Count y, Fox said.

Notre Dame has occasionally partnered w ith the St. Joseph Count y department of health in the past, but Fox said he was unaware of any close partnerships bet ween the department of health and Notre Dame athletic department — until Swarbrick

pitched an idea that gained traction.

Swarbrick asked if Notre Dame could help incentiv ize people to get the COVID-19 vaccine by offering complimentar y football tickets to those who receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Fox accepted the idea, assistant athletics director of strategic communications Aaron

Hor vath said.

The deal offers t wo free tickets to either of the final t wo home football games of the season against Nav y on Saturday or against Georgia Tech on Nov. 20 for those who receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the St. Joseph Count y department of health supported clinic in the South Bend Count y-Cit y building,

as long as tickets are available, according to Fox and a department of health press release. Fox said the offer is targeted at people who are in the “wait and see” categor y of approaching getting vaccinated. He said the incentive — along w ith the

News PAGE 4

viewpoint PAGE 8

scene PAGE 9

M Soccer PAGE 16

Football PAGE 16

By RYAN PETERS Associate News Editor

see TICKETS PAGE 4

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TODAY

The observer | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

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ANDREW MARCIANO| The Observer

Students gather to eat, chat and study on the first floor of the Duncan Student Center. Unlike last year, students can enjoy their meals, including those ordered from Campus Dining’s Modern Market and Hagerty Family Cafe concepts, inside the building.

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Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Lecture with Ruby Bridges Leighton Concert Hall and Zoom 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

“The First Brave Step”

Saturdays with the Saints Lecture Geddes Hall 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

To discuss Saint Juan Diego and conquest.

Piano Recital LaBar Recital Hall 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Featuring Gilbert Kalish and Christina Dahl.

Intercultural Communication Workshop Remmick Commons Noon - 1:15 p.m.

“Our Global Village”

Adoration and Confession Holy Cross Chapel 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Johnson’s Family Feud LaFortune Ballroom 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

New Johnson Family Hall signature event.

ND Home Football Game Notre Dame Stadium 3:30 p.m.

Notre Dame vs. Naval Academy.

ModernMedeival Voices Concert Basilica of the Sacred Heart 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

A capella program.

Gateway and Driscoll Major Fair Vincent Atrium 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Learn about Notre Dame majors.

Eating and Ethics Lecture Le Mans Hall 4 p.m.

Followed by a light vegan reception.

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | The Observer

3

Professor teaches course on ‘1619 Project’

By ISA SHEIKH News Writer

Over the past two years, The New York Times’ “1619 Project” has been the subject of much controversy. The long-form journalistic project spearheaded by Notre Dame alumna Nikole Hannah-Jones “aims to reframe the countr y’s histor y by placing the consequences of slaver y and the contributions of black Americans at the ver y center of our national narrative” through a series of essays.

It has been met w ith a w ide spectrum of reactions, including a response histor y project called “The 1776 Report” published by the Trump W hite House and criticisms from some historians who challenge the accuracy of some claims found in the series.

Professor John Duff y works in the English department at Notre Dame and teaches a Universit y seminar (USEM) called “Reading the 1619 Project.” Duff y said he chose to teach about the project because it “offers a historical narrative that examines race, and does so

from a decidedly Black perspective” at a moment of racial reckoning.

Duff y was also inspired by conser vative politicians who sought to restrict the teaching of the project in schools.

“That seems like a ver y good reason to teach [the 1619 project], when it is such a provocative topic that people want to make it illegal, which I think is a ver y dangerous thing, to tr y to legislate what we can and cannot teach,” Duff y said.

In the course — which Duff y w ill offer again in the spring — students engage w ith ever y essay in the project, as well as historical and political criticisms. For Duff y, historical criticism is useful to the project and worth listening to.

“There were some assertions made in the project that Hannah-Jones has now said she regrets, and I think that’s a good thing,” he said. “That’s how you improve things like this. So I think those criticisms, the criticisms by historians, are worth listening to.”

Students also read political criticisms of the project, which Duff y called

“hy perbolic and cy nically opportunistic.“ “They are throw ing gasoline onto the trash fires of the culture wars,” Duff y said.

Despite Duff y’s v iews, he said they consider all the materials seriously, allowing students to make up their ow n minds on the controversies. The students in the USEM have been working toward a final project where they explore a question of their choosing related to slaver y or Black histor y.

The project highlights slaver y as central to the American stor y, w ith the title ser v ing as a reminder of the year when slaves were brought to American shores.

The Times began publishing the essays on the 400th anniversar y of that event.

Duff y and his students said learning about the experiences of slaves has enriched their understanding of American histor y. The “1619 Project,“ Duff y said, “[asks] us to come to terms w ith historical injustices, and how those injustices continue to shape the experience of Black and white

Americans.”

Jamil A llan, a first-year student in Duff y’s USEM, said the class allows him to take things from the headlines and put them in perspective, particularly through conversations that confront topics directly.

“Topics that make people uncomfortable also build bridges,” A llan said.

First-year Morgan Blakey described the course as “transformative” to her perspective.

“Before coming in this class, I had a v iew point of looking at ever y thing from the perspective of a young Black woman in a predominantly white institution,“ she said. “Going through this class and then learning about other people’s ideas and what they believe has really helped me to shape how I look at things.”

First-year Madison Chambers had already studied the “1619 Project“ in high school and developed a critical attitude toward it.

“At the time I kind of resented it, just because I’m half Black,“ Chambers said.

“I was like ‘Half the people who w rote these articles are

white what are they talking about? ’” However, she said the USEM has drastically changed her perspective on the project.

“I’m learning it now, and I’m like, ‘This is so important,‘ just seeing how the perspectives of my classmates change, hearing their white perspectives, which you normally don’t hear... and hearing where they come from helped me understand some things,” Chambers said.

Chambers also saw the impact of the project on her peers, both at Notre Dame and in high school.

“Hearing [Black] perspectives expressed in the essays I think was really important to see how they can just become more aware,” she said.

“The most important part of the ‘1619 Project‘ is that it shows the ramifications of slaver y on Black people today through microaggressions, through blatant acts of racism, but it also shows the cause of systemic racism.”

Contact Isa Sheikh at isheikh@nd.edu

Research on fog improves forecast accuracy

By SIMON VOGEL News Writer

Notre Dame professor of engineering and geosciences Harindra Fernando spent the month of Sept. 2018 in New foundland and Nova Scotia, Canadian prov inces that are two of the foggiest places on Earth. There, Fernando led a $4 million research project called C-FOG w ith the goal of better understanding the formation and behav ior of coastal fog. The project resulted in an article published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Societ y and prov ides data on coastal fog formation that can be incorporated into weather prediction models for more accurate forecasts.

The implications of properly understanding fog behav ior, which at the time of the C-FOG was approx imately 50% predictable, are far-reaching, Fernando said.

“It has implications on safe ship nav igation and for low f ly ing aircraft taking off from aircraft carriers and marine rescue operations,” Fernando said. “Another important application is the use of laser-based defense systems, where strong laser beams are used to nullif y

incoming threats such as swarms of UAVs. Fog reduces the efficiency of such defense systems, and hence prediction of fog is of great importance.”

According to the C-FOG study, a problem w ith many predictive models of weather patterns involv ing fog is scale. Fog activ it y models often predict movement on a scale one billion times that of the actual fog formation. The research Fernando has done prov ides a better understanding of that microscale upon which a better predictive model of fog activ it y can be created.

Fernando’s research on fog w ill continue through 2021, hav ing secured a 5-year, $7.5 million study funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Multidisciplinar y Research Initiative.

The project, called Fog and Turbulence Interactions in the Marine Atmosphere (FATIM A), departs from the coast to study fog in the deeper ocean env ironment.

“The project involves measurements from a research ship as well as a remote Atlantic island called Sable Island and working on such different locations, platforms is ver y appealing,” Fernando said.

W here the C-FOG project

focused on measuring aerosols from wave breaks and nearby land, the marine atmosphere project involves aerosols that come from much greater distances, complicating the process.

The importance of the FATIM A project runs along the same lines as C-FOG, as a greater understanding of marine fog could improve predictive models of fog patterns beyond the coasts out into the ocean. U.S. aircraft carriers which nav igate the oceans and ocean-based defense systems especially

have a vested interest in the future of fog prediction models at sea.

Though improv ing predictabilit y is challenging, Fernando said working w ith fog is exciting for him.

“Fog encapulates processes w ith spatial scales from micrometers to hundreds of kilometers, and bringing these different scales together to improve predictabilit y is a difficult challenge,” Fernando said. ”Working w ith computer modelers and field observationalists to meld their

expertise to learn behav ior of atmospheric water vapor and droplets and their roles in fog and v isibilit y is indeed exciting.”

It takes the merging of many fields to begin to understand what Fernando calls, “one of the most complex phenomena that defies reliable predictabilit y,” but it is exactly this challenge and delta of scientific disciplines that motivates Fernando to continue his research.

Contact Simon Vogel at svogel3@nd.edu

Courtesy of Hirandra Fernando

Fog and Turbulence Interactions in the Marine Atmosphere (FATIMA) field research will be conducted aboard a ship and on Sable Island in the Atlantic Ocean as part of professor Harindra Fernando’s studies.

4

NEWS

The observer | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Metal foundry course offers unique art credit

By CLAIRE REID News Writer

If you are still scrolling through NOVO looking for a class to fulfill the University’s fine arts requirement, sophomore Graeme Marshall has a recommendation for you: Metal Foundry.

“The class is focused on making art pieces by pouring liquid metal into a mold, called a void, and then cooling it,” said chemical engineering major Graeme Marshall.

He was inspired to take the class because he enjoys creating 3D art and, in his free time, sculpts miniatures and dabbles in wax model making.

“I needed an art credit, and pouring molten aluminum and bronze sounded really awesome,” he said.

Marshall described the process of creating projects in Metal Foundry. First, students must carve a mold out of a material like cardboard or wax in the shape they eventually want their metal sculpture to take.

They then press this mold into a sticky, sand-like substance to create a void which the liquid metal will be poured into.

“Think of it like this. You’re on the beach and dug your name into the sand using your finger,” he said. “Then, you fill [the indents made by writing your name] back up with molten metal that will then cool. Once it’s cool, you

Navy Continued from page 1

The cake cutting ceremony is the biggest tradition at the Navy Ball, MIDN 3/C and sophomore Daniel McKenna said. The ceremony honors past and future members of the Navy by serving the first slice to the oldest sailor, who in the case of this year’s ball happens to be the guest of honor.

“The oldest sailor at the ball cuts the cake first and has the first slice to signify the respect for our predecessors,” McKenna, who is in charge of this year’s ball, said. “Then the youngest sailor receives the second slice of cake to signify the ushering in of younger generations and taking care to develop them into the Navy’s future leaders.”

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Two students work in the metal foundry in the Riley Hall of Art and Design during class. The course fulfills the University’s fine arts requirement and creates a unique atmosphere for the students to bond.

can pull it out of the sand and you’ve got letters made out of metal.”

He explained that it is necessary to use the sand rather than simply pouring the molten metal into the cardboard or wax mold because sand absorbs heat. It is a good insulator and does not burn which is crucial because the liquid metal is about 2000 degrees — around two times hotter than the average temperature of lava in a Hawaiian volcano.

“We have to wear all-natural fiber full-length pants, longsleeved shirts and steel-toed leather boots,” Marshall said.

“Then on top of that, we put on a leather smock, leather

After the ceremony, the freshmen from each of the three companies — Alpha, Bravo and Charlie — participate in a dance off.

Some NROTC members will participate in the halftime show with Navy. Donned in their service dress blue uniforms, NROTC members will display the flag on the field during the halftime show, sophomore Samantha Nagel said. They will also be on the field while servicemen and women are being honored.

After the cancellation of last year’s game, many students said they are excited to host the Midshipmen once again, recognizing that Notre Dame’s rivalry with Navy holds more significance than most football weekends. Both teams participate in the singing of the other team’s alma mater after the game, a tradition that has lasted many years.

“We at Notre Dame are instilled with service to our country with the phrase ‘God, Country, Notre Dame,‘“ junior Gabe Gelke said. “Our relationship with the Naval Academy and this game exemplify that.”

Contact Gabrielle Beechert at gbeecher@nd.edu

pants and spats — which go over your boots. This way, if some of the liquid metal gets on you, you have time to get it off before it burns through the rest of you. Even then, it’s still dangerous, and we’ve got to be careful.”

Because of the danger inherent to the craft, Notre Dame is one of a select few universities licensed to have a metal foundry. Marshall, a Kentucky native with family in Indiana, said all of the other schools he visited in both states did not have one.

“None of them could even have a class like this,” he said.

“So it’s a really unique opportunity even amongst elite

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federal vaccination mandate for large employers, which was issued Thursday — should help sway some who are hesitant to receive the vaccine.

“I don’t think anyone who’s kind of a dedicated either committed antiva x xer or who’s dead set against the COVID vaccine, I don’t think it’s going to sway them,” Fox said. “So if this is something that just nudges someone in that ‘wait and see’ categor y to

institutions.”

But despite this uniqueness, Marshall and his classmates insist that the class is quite accessible to any and all Notre Dame students. Not a single student in the class this semester is an art major — most are engineers or in the College of Science.

Gavin Ealey, a sophomore chemistry major, decided to take Metal Foundry because he likes woodworking and imagined metalwork would be a similar process.

He compares the relationships he and his 10 other Metal Foundry classmates have formed to that of workplace colleagues.

go ahead and get vaccinated now, that’s to their benefit and to the benefit of the county.”

52.3% of the total St. Joseph County population is fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, according to data from the South Bend government. Fox said this number is subject to a slight increase in the coming months as five to 11-year-old children start to receive the vaccine. He said the ticket incentive, which was announced Oct. 12, has also helped boost the vaccination rate slightly.

“It’s a lot of joking around,” he said. “There’s a lot of artistic input when people need it, but also weird conversations!”

Due to the intricacy and detail of metalworking projects, the students often spend late nights in Riley Hall of Art and Design touching up their creations in addition to ample class time.

“There’s only 11 of us, and we spend at least three hours together twice a week in class,” said sophomore Keelin Schlageter, another Metal Foundry student. “I don’t think any of us knew each other before this class, but [we’ve gotten] pretty close and are good friends now.”

Marshall agrees that the kinship formed among his classmates makes Metal Foundry even more fun.

“You’ve got to be ready to come in and work outside of class, but it doesn’t feel like work because you’re doing something fun, and you’re normally doing it with another couple [of ] people from class,” he said.

“So really, you’re hanging out while you’re doing it[, and] It’s not about how pretty your project is. It’s about how hard you tried and if you understand the principles behind it. As long as you’re willing to put in the work, this class is great and you can’t go wrong by taking it.”

Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu

“I think the response has been modest, but it has been noticed,” Fox said.

Fox said even five to 11 year-olds who come in to receive the vaccine while tickets are still available to the Nav y and Georgia Tech games are eligible to receive the free tickets. He added that people who were vaccinated prior to the offer who have been calling in to the health department asking for free tickets are not eligible.

Hor vath said the athletics department is constantly searching for ways to give back to the community through its “GLD Center.”

“W henever there’s an opportunity that we feel like Notre Dame athletics could help the greater community we want to tr y to find and ex haust all options,” Hor vath said. “And we thought this was a great way to potentially help the community raise vaccination rates while also giving some in the community the opportunity to come to a Notre Dame football game.”

Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu

News

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | The Observer

5

Saint Mary’s faculty present archive research

By GENEVIEVE COLEMAN Saint Mary’s News Editor

Members of the Saint Mary’s community gathered in Cushwa-Leighton Library to view the exhibition of The Displacement Project on Wednesday afternoon. Attendees were able to learn about the Sisters of the Holy Cross and their mission to help individuals displaced by conflicts in Cambodia, El Salvador, Lebanon and the United States through the Sisters’ archives. The project received funding from the Council for Independent Colleges and The Humanities Research for the Public Good Initiative.

The Displacement Project was led by humanistic studies professors Laura Williamson Ambrose and Jessalyn Bird, English professor Sarah Noonan, as well as student researchers Kaitlin Emmett ‘20 and Mary Coleman ‘20.

Ambrose opened the event by reminding the audience that the stories found in the archives are a valuable part of the Sisters’ history.

“I want to first acknowledge that these stories are part of a living history — one that is played out each day in the work that the Sisters do in dedicating their lives to the needs of the world,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose continued by discussing the mission of storytelling.

“Stories, I often tell my students, offer us far more than entertainment,” Ambrose said. “Any act of storytelling functions as an act of meaning-making, or in some cases, even a revolutionary act, particularly when one’s voice and experiences have been actively silenced, or passively lost to the silences of history.

Today, we seek to mobilize the power of storytelling to raise up voices to encourage reflection and as you’ll hear from my colleagues later, to call us to action.”

Bird then explained how the process of curating the archives unfolded.

“For seven months, we met on a bi-weekly basis in this room in Bertrand Hall, poring

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worldwide companies or national companies, that’s a global effect.”

She also mentioned how lowincome families are more likely to be impacted by the harmful effects of the usage of fossil fuels.

“There’s a substantial difference between the health of [lowincome citizens] in general and the health of people that live in wealthier cities and areas,”

over the materials related to the four key conflicts — the U.S. Civil War, the refugee crisis in Cambodia and the civil wars in Lebanon and El Salvador,” Bird said. “We read up on these conflicts, the violence and displacement that ensued. And we began to create a nuanced understanding of the individual women who were so instrumental in doing this work.”

Focusing specifically on displacement during the U.S. Civil War (1861-65), Bird introduced the many ways soldiers were displaced by the conflict.

“Imagine the young men and boys who enlisted and were drafted to armies on both sides,” she said. “Particularly in the border and Confederate states, many individuals lost their possessions and property or were forced to flee when neighbors turned hostile, or armed forces overran their area. America to itself was a country of immigrants.

Many of the recent ones be served with distinction, and soldiers, officers and nurses.

It’s estimated that as many as one in four Union soldiers was a recent immigrant to this country.”

Bird also described the longterm displacement of enslaved Black individuals.

“African American enslaved individuals in the South had been experiencing displacement for centuries,” she said.

“Torn from their home cultures, many were severed from their families and friends on multiple occasions by being sent out to work or worse yet sold. Some risked flight to free states, utilizing contacts on the Underground Railroad are striking out on their own.”

The Sisters themselves came to America to aid in the war effort as nurses, but were forced to travel with their patients as the conflict encroached on their hospitals, Bird noted.

“Many of the Sisters of the Holy Cross who volunteered as nurses were themselves recent immigrants from France, Italy, Germany and Ireland,” Bird said. “Even the hospitals themselves were subject to displacement. The wounded and ill were moved in hospital boats from battlefield to tent

or stationary hospitals, were battles, fires and floods sometimes meant quick evacuations of patients to safer areas.

The nurses and patients alike suffer artillery attacks and were caught in the crossfire.”

Additionally, Bird stated the Congregation worked with free Black individuals whose stories are often difficult to find in records.

“The Sisters also collaborated with free Black men and women seeking to assist the war effort by then working as nurses and orderlies,” Bird said. “They’re often difficult to track down in existing records.

Susie Katie Taylor pictured here is an exception. She wrote a memoir of her experiences as a nurse and educator.”

Noonan concentrated on the Cambodian refugee crisis (1979-80) and retold the story of Sister Olivia Marie who realized that the Sisters needed to have a hands on approach to their aid.

“In the late twentieth century, the suffering unfolding in Cambodia drew the attention of Sister Olivia Marie, the Mother Superior of the Sisters of the Holy Cross,” Noonan said. “The Sisters had previously shown their support for the Cambodian refugees to financial means, but after witnessing the turmoil Cambodia was facing in the late 1970s.

Mother Superior came to understand on site assistance was needed for the hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to flee Cambodia in search of safety from Pol Pot regime.”

Noonan stated that the sisters sent to Cambodia later served in other countries.

“This decision laid the foundation for what would come to be known as emergency services overseas,” she said. “A core group of sisters referred to in this article pictured here as a ‘refugee SWAT team’ would go on to serve in Thailand, Lebanon and El Salvador over the coming years.”

Ambrose spoke on the danger that Sisters faced when they worked with the people of Lebanon.

“In our research on Lebanon, we focused on two sisters, Madeleine Trace, and

Slevin said. Fossil fuels “disproportionately affect people of lower-income because they typically live-in areas with worse infrastructure and less actions to fix.”

Other senators also raised issues regarding the wording of the resolution and what next steps the senate can take to put the resolution into action.

After all the lengthy questioning and debate, the resolution passed in a closed-ballot vote 14-10 with 5 senators abstaining.

Before the senators were able

to move on to the resolution concerning Gateway student housing, an unexpected fire alarm rang through LaFortune student center and caused the rushed evacuation of all those inside.

The senators and others in LaFortune huddled outside of the building for close to 30 minutes waiting for the all-clear from the firemen that it was safe to enter again.

When the senate was able to reconvene, enough senators had left for other commitments that

GENEVIEVE COLEMAN | The Observer

Saint Mary’s professors addressed audience members Wednesday in the Cushwa-Leighton Library regarding their new archival research.

Maureen Grady,” Ambrose said. “Their letters and photographs brought into relief how very dangerous this particular mission was. Bombs, death threats, blackout and shellings were an everyday part of their experience as they worked to elevate the medical and educational needs of the people who have been displaced by war.”

Focusing on El Salvador, Ambrose profiled Sister Marianne O’Neill, a sister who traveled to the country three separate times, even after the murder of Archbishop Romero and four churchwomen earlier that decade. “[Sister Marianne’s] account mentioned to reticence to be sent there because she was well aware of the murders that had taken place in 1980,” Ambrose said. “She also mentioned it is this very fact of the murders, which convinces the bishop that she would be safer, as though there would be less likelihood of a second strike to work. Sister Marianne was involved in everything from basic literacy classes for adults, which she recalls with great affection to project grant writing and supply distribution.”

Noonan emphasized the distinct nature of each archive piece that survived into the present day.

“Most importantly, we recognize that each item in an archive tells a different story,” Noonan said. “Each has a unique origin, and circulation history, and our

understanding of the past is necessarily shaped by accidents of survival, and the privileging of some objects and stories over others.”

Noonan’s History of the Book and Digital Humanities Lab courses got the unique experience of working with the Sisters’ archives during the fall 2019 and spring 2020 semesters respectively, Noonan said.

She concluded by praising the Sisters’ empathetic work.

“But the Sisters responded to this displacement with compassion,” Noonan said.

“They provided moments of refuge and stability for those who needed a place of safety.

Even if only for a short time, they acknowledge the humanity of those they encountered on their journey and this provide us with a vibrant example for how to provide hospitality and care to those whose lives have been upended by forces outside of their control.”

The audience had a chance to interact with the artifacts pulled from the archives in groups led by a facilitator and watch a video of student testimonials as they assisted with the research.

Ambrose closed by thanking The Displacement Project’s sponsors and by announcing the creation of the College’s new digital and public humanities minor based on the work done by previous students.

the senate did not have enough voting members to pass the resolution.

Instead, the senate heard testimony from two Gateway students—Liam Redmond and Robert Corrato.

Corrato told the senate about the chaos that ensued after the Gateway students were notified about the housing situation.

“There has been a 100% placement rate of Gateway students transferred over into on-campus housing for the past eight years. So, when we got this

email, Friday morning, half of us had exams,” Corrato said.

“Everything went completely crazy at Holy Cross. So, we had all 96 gateways and we’re talking about on the phone with our parents, stepping out of class and it really just completely hit a spiral.”

After the testimony, the senate resolved to hear debate and vote on the bill during its next meeting.

Contact Geneveive Coleman at gcoleman01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Bella Laufenberg at ilaufenb@nd.edu

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The observer | Friday, November 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

Inside Column

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

November is underrated Mannion McGinley Sports Editor

It’s Halloween night in my junior year of high school. My sister gets home from trick or treating, drops her bag full of candy on the counter and sprints up the stairs to her room.

About an hour later, I get a call from her to come upstairs. I open the door and the entire room is Christmas-themed. Lights, a small pine plant in the corner and an adorable holiday box frame sitting on her dresser. She’s already in Christmas pajamas and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is playing, immediately followed by Judy Garland’s version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” As excited as I was to walk into her room and dance and sing with her that night, and as sad as I was to miss her changeover night this year…I love November. There’s something to be said for the eleventh month and how much fun it really is.

Here are some of my favorite November moments that are easily overlooked in the jump from Halloween to Christmas: November Afternoons.

Think about walking to and from class on campus, or walking through your neighborhood at home. The way the sun shines so warmly but every moment in the shade makes your lungs prickle when you take a breath. The way it smells like snow for the entire month but the sky won’t break until at least November 13th.

How about the way the leaves fall and progress through their colors the way humans progress through ages? There’s nothing better than a November afternoon walk around the quad, tossing a football, or sitting with a hot tea outside. These afternoons were my favorite as a kid and I wouldn’t trade them for the world now.

Gilmore Girls binges.

Fall TV is always good: the Halloween episodes of the Resident and the Office, the Thanksgiving episodes of Friends. But nothing, I repeat, nothing lives up to the Gilmore Girls fall episodes. This November, I will be curled up under a blanket with hot cider or hot chocolate and a plethora of takeout — as is customary for the Gilmore Girls — while I watch each of these episodes. You should watch them too. Watch “Kiss and Tell” if you’re hoping to see Rory’s first kiss, her first shoplift (although not her biggest) and Dean in his good years; all encompassed in the most November-oriented episode of any show I’ve ever watched. Rory’s birthdays are great for some good-hearted Stars Hollow content, and motherly love if you’re missing home. Watch the Yale-Harvard game, if you want to see Emily implode and “Emily Says Hello” if you’d like to see Richard implode. “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” is the Gilmore Girls at their finest: squeezing four different Thanksgiving meals in one day and eating even more food afterwards. For Logan fans, there are plenty of wonderful fall episodes and while I can’t name them all, “You Jump, I Jump, Jack,” “But Not as Cute as Pushkin,” “Hay Bale Maze,” and “Gilmore Girls, AYITL: Fall” are fantastic Logan snippets so, enjoy! I would, however, advise away from Luke and Lorelai episodes. The pair somehow tend to have their fights — or at least their awkward moments — in the fall.

Canned. Cranberry sauce.

Now, I know Thanksgiving is an obvious one, and even the most eager of Christmas hoppers stop to celebrate the time with family, eat great food and reflect. Or at least they stop to go Black Friday shopping at midnight. The turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy are always delicious. I’d especially recommend allowing them to bleed together on a plate or squishing them on a rye bread sandwich.There is one dish though that everyone always pushes to the edge of the table. I wish, instead, the whole thing would be pushed in front of me and that’s canned cranberry sauce. The tart, slightly bitter but addictively sweet jello doesn’t change how full you feel but tastes so good. This is not to knock homemade cranberry sauce either. Those flavors are delicious, but there is nothing like canned cranberry sauce. I will die on this hill and I am so excited for it this November.

So, if you are jumping from Halloween to Christmas, good for you! I’m excited too. But let’s all slow down and take in November in all its glory. When Christmas is over, Winter will be dark and cold. We’ll be glad to remember how fall came to a close.

You can contact Mannion at mmcginley@nd.edu.

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

The bare minimum Applying for college is tough.

There are just too many things to consider in finding your “perfect” match. As a student of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I had more to consider. I wanted a place where I would be welcomed, loved and accepted on top of a place where I could get a good education. Given that Notre Dame is a Catholic school and given the Catholic church’s past with the LGBTQ+ community, ND was not my immediate first choice.

Coming from Catholic schools in Kansas, I have seen first hand how people manipulate and twist the words of the Bible to justif y hatred and scorn toward me and the people like me. A lthough, after reading about how the University boasts inclusion and diversity and that there were actual LGBTQ+ clubs at Notre Dame like PrismND, I was, at the ver y least, hopeful of the nature of inclusion at ND. Nonetheless, I was willing to give Notre Dame a chance.

And I was not disappointed at all. As I drove up with my mother to Stanford Hall I was greeted with open arms by my new brothers. I was also greeted with the welcome sight of ally pins and all the like.

The promise of community and inclusion that I had read about was true, from what I could see.

This of course being spearheaded by my hall president, Patrick Lee, and R A’s like Martin Kennedy and Matthew Kerins, among others. It only took a matter of days before Stanford Hall became my home and the men of Stanford my brothers. To say the least I fell in love with my home and with my new school.

Not long after arriving at school, Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. became a staple in my schedule because that is the night that I watch Sur vivor with my friends. However, this particular Wednesday night, Oct. 14, I was told about a certain Irish Rover article called, “No Man Can Ser ve Two Masters” by Mar y Frances Myler. As I read the article, I could only think of the first day I arrived and how I felt immediately welcomed by my new brothers of Stanford. I was appalled, not only by the content of the article itself but what came after. Or in this case what didn’t come after.

W hat I had expected to happen in the wake of the article were two things. One, I expected a back lash from the student body, which to no

Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com

surprise happened to a certain degree. Two, I expected the Student Government to rebuke the content of the article and speak out against it saying how love will win out and that hatred and scorn have no place at Notre Dame. Something along those lines is what I generally thought would happen.

However, I found that there was nothing more than one post on the Student Government Instagram page.

I couldn’t help but think, “W here is our student government? ”.

W here was our executive council?

W here were our class councils?

The Council of Hall Presidents or the Senate? W here were our elected officials when their constituents were being attacked?

W here were our executives who have a pride f lag on the Student Government website? From what I could see, nothing to be found.

This act of almost utter silence spoke volumes to me on how our government handles these situations.

W hen someone decides to stir up controversy at the expense of a marginalized group, it is imperative that we shut down any kind of hatred and scorn. Unfortunately, we live in a world where LGBTQ+ peoples are still being assaulted and killed for their sexuality and their ver y ex istence both domestically and abroad. So, I would call on our Student Government, in the future, to condemn any thing that seeks to marginalize and spread hatred towards any group.

To which it is unfortunate that it must be said in the first place, because what I am asking for is the bare minimum. I am not asking for something major, but literally just calling for support of the LGBTQ+ community when we are attacked.

Just speak up more is all.

If we are to live up to what this University boasts about inclusion and acceptance, then we need not only the students, but also the student government to stand up in the face of hatred and adversity. This can be the only way for us to move for ward and the only way for us to build a community of love and compassion. In the future, I hope our current and the next student leaders will heed this and will at least do our community the bare minimum.

Pablo Oropeza freshman Nov. 2

The observer | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

An old adage Mary Ellen Woods MEWsings

When I initially pitched the idea of this column, a bi-weekly piece that would run in the Viewpoint section of The Observer, I proposed a “then and now” retrospective as an alum of a certain age. I promised that I would not be “that alum.” You know the person well: “In my time at Notre Dame, things were so much better. They were more rigorous. We worked harder.”

One can almost envision a grandparent who walked five miles each way to school. And both treks were up-hill.

I promised, however, that I would focus a positive lens on my comparison. And, so I propose to do that in today’s piece. We have all recently returned from fall break which marks the half-way point of the semester and the quarter mark for my ILI program.

Just before break, the undergraduate students were engaged in mid-terms, papers and a variety of group endeavors. Spared some of those rigors, I nonetheless embarked on “my MBA class,” a course entitled “Judgement,” one often considered among the most rigorous in that program. As I reflected on my classroom experience to date, I revisited an old adage that says something like “Education is wasted on the youth.” (To digress a moment, apparently, Oscar Wilde actually said: “Youth is wasted on the young.”)

I am struck that today’s ND students give lie to that assertion. In my experience as an ILI Fellow, current ND students are engaged, thoughtful, curious and, in

a measure beyond their peers, kind.

Nearly everything is different in the classroom now from my experience a million years ago. Let me count the ways: The ND undergraduate student body is comprised of young women and men in almost equal measure. My three non-ILI faculty are all women and each has mentioned her children in class. Racial representation is sadly stalled, likely at percentages not much better than my era, though ND is working on it. In no case are we lectured to for a full seventy-five minutes; in fact, discussion and debate are expected and often required. Gone are the days of reading five whole books per week (one for each course) replaced by online chapters and articles. Podcasts, videos and recordings supplement our study. In one course, panels of students debated the pros and cons of various policy questions. In another, both sides of strategic business decisions.

But I said that this would be about the students.

Without being sentimental, my sense of the students is that they are well-prepared to study at the highest levels. They challenge themselves from day one through every day that they are under the Dome including generally at least one excursion abroad or, as I learned at Saturday’s tailgate, multiple trips. It seems that most students have multiple majors, engage in one or more sports and spend their breaks either in service or another immersive learning experience.

All participate in the classroom, even the introverts among us for whom this may well be a challenge.

ND is a highly selective university, and so we expect

students to be talented and prepared, but what stands out about the vast majority of the students I have met, both this year on campus and others I have known in other venues, is that they are truly motivated to bring their talents and skills to be a force for good in the world. I cannot think of one student that I know or have met who is selfish to a fault.

In return for a culture of scholarship, generosity and hard work, the ND family is rewarded with a lifetime of friendship, collaboration and, in my opinion, love.

A love that will transcend time and place, that will be a force for good and will sustain alums once they leave Our Lady’s gaze and care.

Am I being sentimental? Perhaps. Is there privilege here at ND? Undoubtedly, yes. Is there an equal measure of self-awareness that forms the basis of being a force for good; yes, it is there, and it seems to be hard at work on self-improvement. Is there room for improvement? No doubt. Would I want to study, learn and engage anywhere else? Absolutely not. Love thee, Notre Dame.

Mary Ellen Woods is a graduate of the Notre Dame class of 1980. She has returned to campus as a Fellow in the Inspired Leadership Initiative (ILI). As an undergraduate, she lived in Breen-Phillips and now lives off campus. Her columns appear every other Thursday.

A longtime resident of Chicago, she can be reached at mewoods80@nd.edu or @MEWsmuses on Twitter.

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

Unlearning school David Henry Corrupting the Youth

When I returned home for fall break, I found campaign material for my local school board election sitting on my counter. I decided to research the candidates and found that the main dividing line between the incumbents and the challengers were masks and “critical race theory.” The incumbents supported requiring masks in school and supported a recently passed policy focused on eliminating systemic disparities between racial groups. The challengers supported a mask-optional policy and argued that the incumbents were too obsessed with race and were implementing critical race theory in the district. Part of the argument from the challengers was that schools should be non-partisan and just focus on preparing students to be productive members of society. I suspect that the incumbents would agree with this view, although they would disagree about who is and who isn’t politicizing the schools.

And yet, I think that there is a fundamental assumption — a wrong one — that is being made in this view. More specifically, the assumption is that if schools just focus on preparing students for the “real world,” then they would somehow be apolitical.

In reality, education is an inherently political activity. Of course, masks and critical race theory (or the lack thereof) are clearly political in that Republicans and Democrats tend to disagree over them, but once you take these issues off the table, education is still political. The purpose of education, broadly speaking, is to prepare youth for their lives as members of society. Every society must, therefore, decide what it means to be a member of that society and how to pass down that identity. What the youth believe about who they are will affect how they believe society should function once they become adults. Aside from just the ideology that the youth adopt, education will also determine what kinds of characteristics and habits students will have. Education affects the political future of a society, so it is inescapably political.

The political task that our schooling system accomplishes in the U.S. today is to maintain the status quo by generating obedient citizens. One need only look into a school today to see this idea in action. Students have a rigid schedule, where

they are directed from one class to the next by a bell, just as if they were in a factory. In each of these classes, they learn a set and standardized curriculum from a teacher that stands at the front of the room lecturing, while they passively receive instruction. The teacher is the ultimate authority — not just on the subject being taught, but in how the whole classroom is run. The teacher can grant or withhold permission for students to go to the bathroom and remove students that fail to passively sit in class. The policing of behavior is constant, and students must remain sufficiently docile for the entirety of their at least seven-hour-long stay at school. The school is in many ways just like a prison — students are required to be there and must do as they are told.

When they finally get to leave school at the end of the day, students are expected to complete even more work as homework or study for any number of examinations. The constant use of graded assessments slowly shifts motivation away from learning and towards getting good grades. At every point, failure to comply results in some punishment or penalty, be it detention or a bad grade. And the system is hard to escape: Not only is academic success necessary for access to high paying jobs, education is compulsory until students are almost adults. Over time, students slowly are made to be obedient. As psychologist Bruce Levine writes, schools teach students “to be passive; to be directed by others; to take seriously the rewards and punishments of authority; to pretend to care about things that they do not care about; and that one is impotent to change one’s dissatisfying situation.”

The worst part is that this outcome is not a flaw of our education system, but a primary feature. The U.S. public school system was originally modeled off of the Prussian school system, which instituted compulsory education in order to create an effective, educated and obedient army.

The Prussian system, just like the US.. system, also increased literacy among the poor classes of society and provided them with technical skills — the system is not entirely bad. Yet, we can still take that point to be supportive of the status quo. We currently live in an increasingly technological society. Thus, education must be enough for citizens to be able to perform essential economic functions, without being so educated as to start to ask too many questions. It is certainly the case that education allows for some level of economic mobility, but we must not confuse this with any kind of liberation. A Starbucks barista and a computer

engineer are both cogs in the machine, even if one has a more comfortable life. Either way, the point remains that the goal of creating citizens and workers supportive of the current power structure is deeply ingrained in the school system.

In light of this function of schooling, debates over masks and policies about race and education are a little less meaningful. They still are important questions that must be settled, yet they also distract from the more insidious — and highly political — function of our school system. A function that, as far as I can tell, is at odds with what we would otherwise profess about equality and democracy. It makes no sense to think that an education fitting for a citizen of a democracy should be about learning to respect authority.

Of course, authority can never be fully absent from education, as teachers will know more than their students, but this fact is not enough to justify the authoritarian nature of schooling today. Ironically, our inability as a society to question this system on more than a superficial level is one of the effects of this system, leaving me pessimistic about the possibility of recognizing the real issues. Regardless, I believe it’s time that we unlearn school and start to rethink what our education system should look like.

KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer

David Henry is a sophomore majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies with a supplementary major in ACMS and a minor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Originally from Minnesota, David lives in Baumer Hall on campus. He can be reached at dhenry3@nd.edu over email.

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

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The observer | Friday, November 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Thinking critically about COVID-19 vaccines The case for COVID-19 vaccine mandates rests on the assertion that vaccination is not just a private benefit for the recipient, but a public one necessary to prevent transmission onto others. As more data emerges on the shots’ waning efficacy, leakiness and safety problems, it is becoming clear that the primary benefit of vaccination is the reduction of severe illness and that recipients face a nontrivial risk of side effects. The scientific and moral case for vaccine mandates continues to fall apart.

A trio of Israeli preprints demonstrates significant declines in vaccine efficacy over time. A time-from-vaccine preprint analysis of 1.3 million fully vaccinated Israeli adults enrolled in an Israeli HMO determined, “Individuals who were vaccinated in January 2021 had a 2.26-fold increased risk for breakthrough infection compared to individuals who were vaccinated in April 2021.” Another study looked at infection rates among time-stratified cohorts and found “a strong effect of waning immunity in all age groups after six months.” And a third analysis found significantly higher rates of infection among those who received their second dose at least 146 days before their PCR test.

Because of the waning nature of immunity, estimates of vaccine efficacy largely depend on the study period. A paper published in The NEJM showing 88% efficacy for Pfizer against symptomatic COVID-19 among US health care personnel had a study period of fewer than four months that ended in May. A study by Israeli government researchers published in The Lancet demonstrating 95% efficacy against infection had an analysis period ending April 3.

A widely-touted UK paper showing 88% efficacy against symptomatic Delta infection only analyzed data going through May, before the UK experienced a summer surge.

The randomized, placebo-controlled trial that was instrumental in gaining approval for the Pfizer shot had a cutoff date of March 13, 2021 and was almost entirely unblinded by six months.

Papers analyzing more recent data show lower vaccine efficacy. A preprint study of individuals in the Mayo Clinic Health system in Minnesota found that the efficacy of the Pfizer shot dropped to 75% against hospitalization and 42% against infection by July. A Pfizer-funded retrospective cohort study published in the Lancet found that vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization remained at a high 93% up to 6 months, but protection against infection declined from 88% to 47% after 5 months. A follow-up on the aforementioned Israeli government Lancet research shows that vaccine efficacy dropped to 41% against symptomatic infection while keeping a high 88% against hospitalization. Research from the Imperial College London found vaccine efficacy against infection of 64% between May 20 and June 7, and 49% between June 24 and July 12. A study of Qatari residents published in The NEJM that extended into September 2021 found the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine

declined to 20% after five to seven months.

Not only can vaccinated individuals be quite easily infected, but they can easily transmit the virus as well. A technical briefing published by Public Health England found similar mean lowest Cycle Threshold (Ct) values for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected with the Delta Variant, indicating that once vaccinated individuals are infected, there is “limited difference in infectiousness.” A preprint paper from Oxford and UK government researchers found that vaccinated individuals become similarly infectious to unvaccinated individuals after three months. Concern over the infectiousness of breakthrough cases prompted the CDC to renege on its mask-wearing recommendations for vaccinated individuals.

Real-world evidence demonstrates the inability of the vaccine to serve as a strong bulwark against infection and transmission, undermining the justification provided for vaccine mandates. A study led by S. V. Subramanian of the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the European Journal of Epidemiology found “no discernible relationship” between a country’s vaccination rate and new COVID-19 cases in the last seven days. Recent surveillance reports published by the UK show higher rates of infection for vaccinated individuals than in unvaccinated individuals for every age group over 30 (see page 13). Responding to this data, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of the Stanford School of Medicine succinctly stated the case against vaccine mandates: “There is a lot to learn from this graph, but most obviously, the COVID-19 vax does not stop infection. The vax provides a private benefit (protection vs. severe disease), but limited public benefit (protection vs. disease spread).

So what is the argument for mandates?”

With approximately 40% of the country having already been infected with SARS-CoV-2, natural immunity is the elephant in the room of vaccine mandates. Reams of data have demonstrated that natural immunity is at least as robust and long-lasting as vaccine-induced immunity. This includes a preprint analysis of employees of the Cleveland Clinic that found no reinfection among unvaccinated, previously-infected individuals, and a preprint Israeli study that found 13-fold increased risk of vaccine breakthrough infection over reinfection. Researcher Paul Alexander has compiled a list of over 70 papers demonstrating the efficacy of natural immunity. Any potential benefit of vaccination for the already infected, especially those that are young and healthy, would involve an absolute risk reduction so small as to make the intervention pointless.

There are numerous safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 vaccines. Passive surveillance systems like VAERS cannot demonstrate the cause-effect relationship, and adverse events are underreported, so their use should be limited to determining patterns and safety signals.

There has been a dramatic uptick in reports to VAERS for a

wide array of conditions. Of particular concern for collegeaged men: myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. An analysis of VAERS reports presented at the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices June 23 meeting found an incidence of myocarditis far higher than expected background rates in the days following a second dose. A supposed “risk-benefit” discussion presented later that day purports to demonstrate that the benefits of vaccination for young men far outweigh the costs, by dishonestly comparing all negative COVID-19 outcomes to one vaccine side effect (myocarditis), assuming estimates of vaccine efficacy that no longer apply (as shown above), and relying on adverse event rates from VAERS, which does not capture the full incidence of side effects. In its letter to BioNTech approving its Comirnaty vaccine, the FDA acknowledged that “the pharmacovigilance system that FDA is required to maintain … is not sufficient to assess these serious risks [of myocarditis and pericarditis].” It is truly bizarre that an agency that stresses the limitations of VAERS would then attempt a detailed risk-benefit analysis using VAERS data.

A review of two million vaccine recipients published in JAMA Network found a trend of post-vaccine myocarditis, particularly among young men, “at higher incidence [than the CDC VAERS analysis], suggesting vaccine adverse event underreporting.” A large retrospective analysis of data from Israel’s Clalit Health Services published in The NEJM found the “risk was substantially higher … in the vaccinated group than in the unvaccinated group for myocarditis.”

In the study, COVID-19 infection was associated with an even higher risk of myocarditis, though importantly, postvaccine myocarditis was particularly concentrated among young men (91% male, median age 25). Moreover, as the researchers note, “When a person decides to become vaccinated, this choice results in a probability of 100% for the vaccination, whereas the alternative of contracting SARSCoV-2 infection is an event with uncertain probability.”

This observation is particularly pertinent when considering vaccination of the prior infected: Why force a nontrivial risk of a vaccine-induced adverse event on individuals already possessing robust, long-lasting immunity?

It is difficult to overstate the magnitude of the fight over the COVID-19 vaccines. Millions of Americans are being forced to undergo a medical intervention that for many of them is completely unnecessary and will cause more harm than good. With the FDA advisory panel’s illogical and immoral approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as 5 years old, it is time to finally draw the line. If we don’t win this fight, we will no longer have a country worth fighting for.

Adam Morys Oct. 27

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A concerned response to the Oct. 29 Letter to the Editor The October 29th Letter to the Editor, “An open letter to the Editor-in-Chief of the Irish Rover” by Sara Ferraro, responded to Mary Frances’ Irish Rover article questioning Notre Dame’s stances on Catholicism and the LGBTQ+ community. However, in trying to refute Frances’ claims, Ferraro made some conflicting statements that concerned me deeply.

The open letter interpreted Frances’ rhetoric as evidence she believes she has “a greater grasp on the ‘capital T’ truth of life”. The interpretation leads Ferraro to make a scathing remark: “If you already know the truth in its entirety, why do you remain a student at this or any university? What do you have left to learn?”.

Reading this for the first time, I was taken aback by the statement’s sheer bitterness and insulting nature.

I have read Frances’ article, and while its rhetoric includes bold questions, I never received the impression

that its author believed herself to be the pinnacle of truth. The article is a controversial argument, but it is not an act of superiority. I believe the Irish Rover article is a genuinely inquisitive, albeit extreme, look into Notre Dame’s Catholic identity. Frances does not claim to be all-knowing, and as readers, we should not assume she is trying to be.

The open letter continues its focus on Frances’ moral character by asking, “Why are you so afraid of learning and coexisting with people who think differently from you?” This, too, seemed to me an unnecessarily bitter response to her article. While the article is understandably hurtful to the LGBT community, to personally insult Frances with the claim she is “afraid” to “learn” and “coexist” is extreme. The open letter’s boldest claim is near the conclusion: “I refuse to respond to your hate with further hate.” I

found this statement significantly egregious; the letter already questioned why Frances bothers to attend Notre Dame, then asked why she is “afraid”. How are these bitter statements not “further hate”? The open letter concerns me because I come from a place where the LGBTQ+ community is often viewed as being selfrighteous and condescending, and I fear the letter may inadvertently contribute to the stereotype. Ferraro raises good points in the open letter, but they may become lost in the bitter tone. My hope is that further discussions on LGBTQ+ topics may be held without bitterness, and we can appreciate each other in the fullness of our humanity.

Abigail Tobias senior Oct. 29

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The observer | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By ROSE ANDROWICH Scene Writer

The Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company — after much anticipation from the audience and hard work from everyone involved in the production — brought to us a wonderful performance of “Macbeth.”

From the excellently choregraphed fight scenes to the actors’ clear understanding of the material, the play was an exceptional one to watch. Watching the actors bring the text to a whole new level was amazing, especially as a self-proclaimed Shakespeare fan. The costumes were true to the time period, and the props elevated the viewing experience by immersing us in the world.

However, as I was watching the play one thing came to mind: The beautiful simplicity of the production. The actors made you feel as though they were speaking directly to you in the audience. The iambic pentameter was exceptional — the play felt perfectly performed. There is something beautiful, I think, in this simplicity that is often not seen anymore. The director, Cate Cappelmann, understood that the material is perfect as it is; it doesn’t need to have gimmicks to keep people’s attention. That’s because, in every scene, there was a moment of beauty, a moment that the audience felt as if the actors actually became their characters.

In a play like “Macbeth,” the importance of showing the downfall of Macbeth is an important detail, and it was something at which Harrison Larkins did an exceptional

By JUSTIN GEORGE Scene Writer

Do you ever feel like you’ve been cheated?

As the crowd streamed out of my local cinema after the 6 p.m. showing of “Halloween Kills,” I began to ponder where David Gordon Green and company went wrong.

Green seemed to have the “Halloween” franchise under control with the release of 2018’s “Halloween,” which was by far the most promising sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 masterpiece of the same name. I had high hopes going into “Halloween Kills,” but my hopes were dashed in the ensuing 106 minutes.

“Halloween Kills” picks up where 2018’s “Halloween” left off. After locking Michael Myers in the basement of her home and burning it down, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) arrive at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital to get their wounds treated. Meanwhile, Michael escapes the burning house and makes his way to Haddonfield to continue his killing spree.

Word of Michael’s arrival spreads through the town like wildfire. Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall), the child Laurie babysat in 1978’s “Halloween,” leads a mob of Haddonfield residents hellbent on extrajudicially killing Michael Myers before the police can apprehend him.

Now, for the airing of grievances.

job. The delivery of the soliloquies gave a feeling of pity, as you peer into these characters’ deepest struggles.

These struggles escalate throughout the play. Lady Macbeth, for example, is the calm one in Act One as she struggles to come to terms with what she has done. The way Lady Macbeth was acted out by Christina Randazzo showed a deep understanding of the character and a beautiful portrayal of change. With the theme of change seeming to be the only thing that’s constant throughout the story of “Macbeth” (except for bloodshed), the cast did an exceptional job wearing many different hats. To truly understand a stoic character is an admirable feat, but to be able to grasp a character at all times is true craft.

The play was a reflection of Shakespeare’s body of work as well as a reflection of the classic play. The crew also managed to shine throughout the night, creating light effects to perfectly match each scene. It was exceptional to see the stage go dark, only to be illuminated all over again. The aforementioned props also added to the scenes, especially in the fight between Macbeth and Macduff predicted by the witches. The witches — played

by Mariko Jurcsak, Savannah Miracle and Nandini Sadagopan — were exceptional. Talk about a fitting production for the week after Halloween! The witches’ made spooky season all the more enjoyable, and the ominous effect of the voiceover bode well for a Scene writer who’s already missing October days after it ended.

“Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s best plays, with a wide range of his ideas performed. There was the tragedy

of all of the death, especially King Duncan (played by Tony Perez), since you find yourself wishing that the event never happened due to the heartbreak of his children. The portrayal of Malcolm by John Donnarumma was deeply intriguing throughout the play, especially as he comes to terms with what was happened and opts for justice against the tyrannical Macbeth. Donnarumma showcases Malcolm’s true feelings very well, something that continues throughout the play.

Watching the Not-So-Royal Shakespeare Company perform the works of the Bard is something worth seeing, and watching the hard work of the student actors come to life is breathtaking. Because of the amazing work of everyone involved in the production, I choose to give my second-ever five shamrocks to this production!

I think my largest gripe with this film is how it handles Michael Myers. Michael is treated like Jason Voorhees, meaning he is an unstoppable, inhuman killing machine that racks up a body count of 27 by the end of the film. The mystique found in both the 1978 original and the 2018 sequel is gone, as the film tries to psychoanalyze a character that the audience is not meant to understand. The reason Michael kills has never mattered; the lack of motivation is what makes him so terrifying in the first place. It is best to let him be “The Shape” — the faceless, motiveless killer he was in the original film.

“Halloween Kills” is utterly devoid of tension. All good horror films are predicated upon suspense, and the 1978 “Halloween” is a masterclass in that. A high body count (the highest in the franchise) and intense gore effects do not make a film suspenseful. The movie wastes a multitude of opportunities to add depth to interesting characters, instead opting to use nearly every character as fodder for Michael.

It is infuriating when filmmakers confuse shock with suspense, a blunder that never fails to yield a film that is devoid of either element. That’s the case with “Halloween Kills.”

This lack of suspense or shock can also be attributed to the announcement that “Halloween Kills” is only the second film in a trilogy that will conclude with “Halloween Ends” in 2022. If the audience knows that the story won’t end in this film — and that Michael Myers cannot die in this film — what is the point of “Halloween Kills?” As far as I can tell,

there is none. By the end of the film, nothing has changed.

There is also the issue of pacing; “Halloween Kills” drags.

Just when things start to pick up and you start to perk up a bit, the film comes to a screeching halt. “Halloween Kills” features flashbacks, an egregious amount of time spent in a hospital and throwaway callbacks, all of which disrupt the film’s narrative rhythm. This, compounded with the lack of suspense, makes “Halloween Kills” feel lifeless.

It’s a shame to see a movie that is hollow. The entirety of “Halloween Kills” is meaningless filler — full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. If you want a slash ‘em up, go for it. For those of you looking for an exciting new entry in the “Halloween” canon, this is not that film. Instead, “Halloween Kills” is just another disappointing sequel.

Contact Rose at randrowich01@saintmarys.edu

“Macbeth” Director: Cate Cappelmann Starring: Harrison Larkins as Macbeth, Christina Randazzo as Lady Macbeth If you like: “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet”

Contact Justin George at jgeorge3@nd.edu

“Halloween Kills” Director: David Gordon Green Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Anthony Michael Hall If you liked: “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th”

CLAIRE REID | The Observer

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The observer | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

By JOYCE FU Scene Writer

“The Last Duel” by Ridley Scott starring Adam Driver, Matt Damon and Jodie Comer is a recalibration of our romanticized constructions of medieval knighthood. In this iteration, battles are fought for predetermined payments, women are subjugated for petty desires, and religious fealty is a pretext for hypocrisy and barbarity.

With Eric Jager’s novel as inspiration, Scott creates a three part narrative of the last government sanctioned duel in France from the perspectives of knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), favored squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Marguerite (Jodie Comer), wife of Carrouges, whose accusation of rape against Le Gris (of course, vehemently denied) lies at the center of the trial.

This battle to the death between two once-friends and its central question of guilt titillated the Parisian crowds of the 14th century and continues to be a subject of historical debate. But Scott, in an era-realistic decision, leaves zero ambiguity as to the occurrence of rape and instead re-centers the intrigue around decoding the overlapping and competing narratives of the tripartite structure (first, the “truth according to Jean de Carrouges”, then “the truth according to Jacques le

By ANNA FALK Scene Writer

Released on Oct. 29, 2021, “Moral Panic (The Complete Edition)” was a surprise for fans of the British alt-rock band Nothing But Thieves. The group had released an LP and an EP of the same name within the past year, and the combination of the two has produced remarkable results.

The LP, titled “Moral Panic,” was released on Oct. 23, 2020. It received generally positive reviews from critics and fans, and made it to No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. Then, on Jul. 23, 2021, the band released “Moral Panic II,” a five-song EP that allowed the band to “explore some avenues [they] felt the album may have missed.”

The release of this compilation album seemed to me, at first, like it was quite pointless. If their fans knew the two were supposed to go together, then why should it matter whether they are combined or not?

However, listening to it made me change my mind.

Nothing But Thieves had intricately incorporated the five songs from the EP into the LP track list and rearranged it to flow together better. With this new arrangement, I believe the themes of the album flow together better, the sound is more diversified and the album is more well-rounded.

I have been heavily invested in Nothing But Thieves since the release of their sophomore studio album,

Gris” and finally “the truth according to Marguerite”).

The question then becomes not what happened, but how it is remembered.

The production’s sparing use of CGI for physical sets with muted colors casts a gritty, bleak tone upon every interaction. Apparently, there is not a single good man, friend or ruler in medieval France.

Instead, the attention is turned towards the characters themselves and the solid acting of an experienced cast. In particular, the choice to speak an Old Englishinspired accent that isn’t British, isn’t contemporary American, and definitely isn’t French, turned out to be a discerning one. Accessible to the audience but far-removed enough to be believable, the film sidesteps the unconvincingly embarrassing attempts made by previous productions. In this, “The Last Duel” illustrates that neither language nor accents need to be barriers to telling stories.

Through the smallest details, the cast creates entirely different retellings of each truth. From nobly aggrieved to incompetent and finally critical and standoffish, Damon’s acting range is brought once again, to the forefront in Carrouges. In turn, Driver’s natural charisma is allowed to shine through Jaques, romanticizing his predatory behavior in his own iteration, and creating a contemptible, self-pitying opportunist who truly believes that Marguerite’s thrashing

is the “customary protest” of a lady. And Marguerite, poor Marguerite, changes from a two-dimensional object of the male gaze into, what is clearly, a human being with thoughts and desires. What Carrouges saw as saving a beautiful woman from the disgrace of her father turns, in her perspective, into egocentric bickering over her dowry. And what Jacques saw as a tantalizing removal of her shoes, changes horrifyingly into the product of panicked fleeing.

By virtue of its perhaps somewhat heavy handed message and presentation, “The Last Duel” will not be winning any awards. But it is an important and visually-pleasing reminder of the importance of perception in the entertaining context of a low-stakes reality.

“Broken Machine.” While it remains my favorite piece of their work, the complete edition has made “Moral Panic” rise higher in my rankings of their work. When “Moral Panic” was first released, I had mixed opinions. Their singles “Unperson,” “Impossible” and “Is Everybody Going Crazy?” had me hopeful for the full LP, but “Real Love Song” lacked in the band’s usual complexity of lyrics. I found that “Phobia” also lacked sonically and lyrically; the song didn’t have any sort of excitement until it had almost finished, and the lyrics were arduously repetitive of the album’s themes regarding the corruption of society, technology and human connection.

Despite my apprehensions, the album turned out well and I found instant favorites in “This Feels Like the End” and “Free If We Want It.” Nothing But Thieves never fails to impress me with their technical abilities and the beauty of frontman Conor Mason’s vocals. If nothing else in my review makes you want to listen to their music, Conor Mason’s vocal ability and range are worth it. While every member of the band is welltrained and extraordinarily talented, Mason’s voice is extremely unique and expertly controlled. He is one of my favorite vocalists of all-time.

The skills of Nothing But Thieves and their willingness to fine-tune their sound are seen in the EP. This collection features songs that have a greater influence of hip-hop and R&B sounds. The song “Ce n’est Rien” is their most hardcore addition yet, and “Your Blood”

dazzles with heart-breaking lyrics well-combined with the themes of “Moral Panic.”

As a huge fan of Nothing But Thieves, I believe that they deserve a higher place in the mainstream of altrock music. They’ve been getting bigger with every release, but they haven’t quite found the right time or place to explode (at least in the United States). Their work shows a solid progression of the band’s abilities and musical influences, they put out pieces that are quality and consistent, and their music encompasses a wide range of topics and ideas that can connect to a multitude of listeners. I can’t wait until they get the attention they deserve in the United States (though a part of me will always be protective of them).

Contact Joyce Fu at jfu3@nd.edu

“The Last Duel” Director: Ridley Scott Starring: Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Matt Damon If you like: “Gladiator,” “Kingdom of Heaven”

Contact Anna Falk at afalk@nd.edu

“Moral Panic (The Complete Edition)” Nothing But Thieves Label: Sony UK Favorite tracks: “Your Blood,” “Free If We Want It” If you liked: Sam Fender, Catfish and the Bottlemen

CLAIRE KIRNER | The Observer

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Unpack emotional baggage, and tidy up loose ends. Make your intentions clear, and follow through with plans and promises. Look for a unique way to let go of the past while filling the void with new aspirations. Take responsibility for your shortcomings, and be proud in your achievements. Acquiring balance and maintaining what you’ve built will encourage stability and success. Your numbers are 3, 12, 20, 29, 32, 35, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Set your sights on what you can do to better yourself.

Don’t be afraid to try something new or sign up for something that interests you.

Expand your horizons, and you’ll discover something or someone who has an impact on your life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll face confusion if you let someone dictate what you can do. Trust in your instincts, follow your heart and use your charm to outmaneuver anyone who stands in your way. A positive attitude will spawn good results.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Look at what you can do to get ahead, and prepare to take on a challenge. Don’t limit what you can do because of someone’s negativity.

Check every angle, and you’ll come up with a plan that will help you excel.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Find a unique way to pass the hours. Participate in something interesting, and you’ll gain perspective regarding how to spend your time. Your attitude and what you can do to contribute to a healthy lifestyle will push you in a positive direction.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Nothing will be as it appears. Slow down, verify information and question anyone who is being pushy or manipulative. Look for better alternatives before you make a move that is just satisfactory. Do your best, and you’ll reap the rewards.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Busy yourself with problems you need to resolve. Dealing with other people’s affairs may be burdensome but beneficial. Your dedication, response and persistence will bring about the changes that make your life easier and help someone in need.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Moderation will help you avoid anxiety and frustration.

Altering how you structure your spending or manage your investments or accounts will ease stress and encourage you to make further lifestyle changes. A social event will encourage exciting conversations and friendships.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take stock and eliminate what you don’t need.

Minimizing your overhead, clutter and emotional weight will liberate and clear the passage for what’s to come. Consider what makes you happy, and include the people and pastimes that lift your spirits.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider who you are dealing with before sharing information. Complications will surface if you aren’t specific or you take on something that is emotionally unsound. Stick to the truth, and question anything that sounds too good to be true.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Discipline and fair play are mandatory if you expect to reach your goal. Abide by the rules, set high standards and don’t deviate from a plan if it might cost you financially. Avoid places that present a health risk. Work from home.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Emotional matters will set you off and send you down an unpredictable path. Take a step back and rethink your position before you share your thoughts. You are better off understating a situation than exaggerating if you want to resolve issues.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Count your blessings. It’s up to you to bring about the changes that will give you a financial edge and connect you to people who share your sentiments and general direction. Don’t fight a battle single-handedly. Join forces.

Birthday Baby: You are dependable, charismatic and unique. You are flexible and idealistic.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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Sports Authority

Sports Authority

Back to basketball Kiara Schmidt Sports Writer

With the start of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Season, fans celebrate being able to watch their favorite stars like Lebron James and Stephen Curry back in action.

However, with recent rule changes made by the league ahead of the 2021-22 season, this year’s competition looks a little different.

The NBA has evolved tremendously throughout the years, and what used to be a heav y two-point shooting game and scoring in the paint has transformed into a league dominated by new talented young blood running the stat lines with their impressive three-point shooting and ability to draw fouls on mismatches. Players are always looking for point-scoring opportunities, which has led to more three-point attempts, layups, and free throws than ever before. Heck, you’ll find some big guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dwight Howard pulling up from beyond the arc every now and then. However, some players, like James Harden, the “poster boy” as Steve Nash references, for some of the new rules, and Trae Young have been called out for what some describe as “foul-hunting.” With the new rules that the league decided on, referees are slower to blow their whistles for offensive players looking to force a trip to the free-throw line by hurling their bodies into defenders with “overt, abrupt or abnormal basketball moves.”

Instead, this season you’ll see officials ignoring or even calling offensive fouls on plays that would’ve traditionally been in favor of the offensive player looking to draw a foul by any means.

W hat has this resulted in so far? Well, these new rules have slowed down some of the league’s top offensive threats and given defenders the freedom to make more stops without the fear of drawing a foul by taking a shooter’s bait. As with every new rule or change, you’re going to have those who approve and those who

Please recycle The Observer.

do not, but surprisingly these changes have almost been met with universal approval by players, coaches, broadcasters, and fans alike. Players like Draymond Green and Steph Curry (who has been a “foul-hunter” himself before) expressed in interviews how much more enjoyable the game has been, both in terms of viewing and in their participation, without all the f lailing and f lopping and players cheating the game.

I think most fans would have to agree as well. As a fan myself, it has been refreshing to see basketball being played the way it should be with dynamic offense and defense and without using outrageous tactics to get an advantage over the other. It makes the game better. Offensively, players can spend more time developing a consistent shot without devoting so much attention to creatively designing a way to be granted free throws without authentic contact.

Defensively, players can play with more freedom and physicality, knowing that the refs will no longer blow the whistle for fouls orchestrated by offensive players overtly extending portions of their bodies into defenders or abruptly leaning into defenders at abnormal angles anymore. They will be given a chance to guard and do their job. As Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors Head Coach, puts it, “We’ll get away from players manipulating refs and back to basketball.”

Back to basketball. W hile the game looks drastically different than it did back in the 1950s at the league’s beginning, it is still the same ball game at the end of the day. Players and coaches will always search for ways to score and win, but the league has and always will have a duty and responsibility to preserve the integrity and heart of the game for everyone, no matter who approves.

Contact Kiara Schmidt at kschmi22@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Evaluating the NHL’s biggest early suprises Andrew McGuiness Sports Writer

We’ve reached November, which means t wo things are true in the NHL landscape.

It is still way too early to care about the standings, but it is no longer too early to ignore them. And if you fire up the NHL app and scroll over to them, boy, you’ll find some shockers.

Seven teams that made the playoffs last year, including three of the final four clubs standing, aren’t currently in a playoff spot. The standings are supposed to be a quick snapshot of where each team is generally at, but they look more or less like the results of a random number generator right now.

Things are obv iously going to change bet ween now and the end of the season; they always do. Avalanche and Golden Knights fans shouldn’t be fretting that they’ll go from the league’s t wo best regular-season teams last year to playoff spectators, which is where they currently sit. But today, let’s celebrate some of the clubs that have gotten off to fast starts that maybe we weren’t expecting to.

Some of them w ill inev itably fade out of contention before long. But you never know where the next 201718 Dev ils and Avalanche or 2018-19 Islanders, teams that had almost no expectations that started the regular season play ing well and just never really stopped, are lurking. Here are the five most surprising teams that currently sit in a playoff spot (a group that combined for exactly as many playoff w ins as you and I last year), and what their odds are of still being there at the end of April.

Buffalo Sabres: 5-3-1, 4th in Atlantic Maybe we shouldn’t be as surprised to see the Sabres here as we are. The only true contenders they’ve faced so far are Boston and Tampa Bay, and six of their first eight games have been at home. Plus, there’s histor y here. In the last 82 game season (2019-20), the Sabres jumped out of the gates to a 9-2-2 record, only to fall off the face of the Earth by

March. The year before, Buffalo won ten straight in late November, sitting atop the entire league.

These Sabres, however, are a whole different level of surprising. Victor Olofsson, their only remaining topsix for ward from the start of last year, is carr y ing the offensive load w ith a teamleading five goals and nine points. But the real heroes of Buffalo’s excellent October are their goaltenders. 40year old Craig Anderson is sixth in the league w ith a .921 SV% (min. 3 games played).

Journey man Dustin Tokarski, who spent most of last year in the AHL, is eighth w ith a .936 mark.

Their underly ing numbers are surprisingly solid; the Sabres have generated more expected goals than they’ve allowed at five-on-five, although they’ve been trending in the w rong direction over the last few contests.

The Verdict: This is almost certainly nothing more than a hot start for a team destined for the basement. But considering how much Sabres fans have had to deal w ith over the last decade, there’s no shame in just embracing this positive stretch, however long it lasts.

Detroit Red Wings: 4-4-2, 5th in Atlantic A ll the Red Wings are hoping for this year is progress, and their first-month results certainly show some.

Rookies Lucas Ray mond and Moritz Seider look legit already, combining for seventeen points right out of the chute. Dylan Larkin seems rejuvenated as well.

Starting this season w ith a fairly tough schedule adds to Detroit’s credibilit y.

Teams full of young guns like Detroit are always difficult to evaluate. If they keep this up, it won’t be long before comparisons to the 2016-17 Maple Leafs, a team w ith six rookie 20goal scorers that reached the playoffs, start popping up.

The Verdict: Perhaps the scariest thing about Detroit is they’re play ing well w ith some obv ious room for improvement. Jakub Vrána looked awesome in the Motorcit y in the second half last season, but he’s out for a few months w ith shoulder

surger y. 2021 Calder finalist A lex Nedejlkov ic hasn’t been any thing special yet in the net either. It’s still ver y much an uphill battle for the Red Wings. But w ith teams like Toronto and Tampa Bay looking a bit more v ulnerable than they did a few weeks ago, the path for the Red Wings to at least play meaningful games in April looks a lot clearer.

Philadelphia Flyers: 5-21, 4th in Metropolitan (1st Wild Card in East) It felt like a lot of people were eager to w rite the Flyers off as any thing resembling contenders follow ing a nightmare 2020-21 season, leav ing the prior year’s success in the dust.

Yet for ever y thing that went w rong last year, the Flyers still finished 19th in a league where 16 teams make the playoffs despite historically bad goaltending. So far, Carter Hart looks sharp, Martin Jones is back to 2016 v intage form, and wouldn’t you know, the Flyers look solid. Their fiveon-five play is a bit underwhelming, so maybe there’s some regression due. But getting the injured Ryan Ellis and Kev in Hayes back in the lineup sometime this month could offset that.

The Verdict: Philadelphia’s biggest obstacle is its div ision. Carolina hasn’t lost a beat, the Penguins and Capitals still appear to be w inning their fights against father time, the Islanders seem due to improv ing, and I easily could’ve picked the Rangers instead of the Flyers for this segment.

Unless the red f lag that is their second defensive pair becomes a t wo-ton anchor, there’s a prett y solid shot the Flyers keep their streak of alternating and missing the playoffs alive for an eleventh straight year (and like the San Francisco Giants, even years are good for their fortunes).

St. Louis Blues: 6-1-0, 1st in Central A Blues team that seemed to be in turmoil throughout V ladimir Tarasenko’s summer trade request saga and identit y-less to start the year is back to shocking see NHL PAGE 13

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13

Observer Roundtable

NCAA Observer Roundtable: Week 10 Sam Ouhaj, Tom Zwiller, Jamison Cook and John Stolmeier Sports Writers

The release of the CFP rankings by the committee has left many fans confused and angry, including us at the Roundtable. However, these rankings are bound to change as we enter the 10th week of college football and were definitely done intentionally. Regardless of what we may think, it is time to break down this week’s most exciting matchups.

NCAA Games of the Week: Liberty @ No. 16 Ole Miss, LSU @ No. 2 Alabama, No. 9 Wake Forest @ UNC Sam OuhajIf you’re a Lions, WFT, or Texans fan, this is the game for you. Malik Willis vs.

Matt Corral is sure to be an exciting matchup between two quarterbacks who are not only Heisman finalists, but also potential top-three picks. Ole Miss, on paper, is a better team than Liberty and is deserving of their No.16 ranking. However, Liberty has been better on the defensive side of the ball, though that is not saying much as their biggest game this season before this Saturday was against Syracuse. This game will be a high-scoring shootout similar to the BYU vs. Virginia game. I can see each team putting up over 40 points each.

I am conflicted on who to side with, but I will give it to Corral and the Rebels, who have faced more challenging competition.

Liberty 42 – Ole Miss 56 Two years ago, LSU had finally done it; they beat Alabama.

In a historic season led by Joe Burrow and company, the Tigers pushed Bama out of the playoffs and went on to win it all. However, we are looking at a different story, and it is going to be a massacre in Tuscaloosa.

Bryce Young is currently the favorite to win the Heisman, and while this offense is not what we saw last year, they are pretty darn good. LSU is

NHL Continued from page 12

us all, just like they did in the second half of 201819. Yes, they’ve been heavily out-chanced so far at five-on-five. But Tarasenko looks much more like the elite goal scorer he was preshoulder injur y, and Jordan Binnington is doing well when he isn’t tr y ing to fight other players.

The Verdict: St. Louis is a ver y deep team up front, and

allowing over four hundred yards of offense, and that is a big red flag if you’re hoping for an upset. Who knows though, we saw the Crimson Tide go down earlier this year but getting the lighting to strike twice in the same spot is almost impossible.

LSU

14

–

Alabama

49

No one would have ever expected the Demon Deacons to be ranked No.9 in the country, but here we are. Wake Forest has been led by Quarterback Sam Hartman, who has almost 3000 yards of passing offense and the third-best QBR in the country. While one Sam has had success, the other Sam [Howell] has seen his team go from being ranked in the top ten in the preseason to an average team in the middle of the pack.

UNC is currently the favorite, which is absurd to think about.

Howell was a favorite to win the Heisman at the start of the season and, in his recent games, is starting to return to his old style of play. However, the Demon Deacons are legit this season, and after UNC’s FSU loss, I will never pick them again for the rest of the year.

Wake Forest 35 – UNC 24 Tom

Zwiller-

The total is set to 67.5, and I am inclined to take the over here. The two squads average over 37 points per game.

Liberty averages 444 yards per game, and Ole Miss averages 531. Neither team is excellent defensively; Liberty allows 300 yards against per game while Ole Miss allows almost 430. So while I want to give Ole Miss an advantage because of their offense, I think Liberty can keep this one close thanks to their defense. The more exciting story is between the two Heisman caliber quarterbacks: Malik Willis and Matt Corral. Oddswise, Matt Corral is currently second, but Willis could catch up with a big Liberty win.

Liberty 31 – Ole Miss 38 I do not see a path for LSU to win against Alabama. Maybe if the game were at Death Valley, I could see it, but this one is at Bryant-Denny. LSU has

they’ve proved capable of riding their depth to a championship in recent memor y. Their defense is weaker than it was in 2019, which probably kills their chances of making a really deep playoff run. I had them on the w rong side of the playoff bubble in a deep Central Div ision at the start of the year; I’m prett y close to pushing them over the hump now.

San Jose Sharks: 6-3-0, 3rd in Pacific

an excellent passing attack, averaging 270 yards through the air, but Alabama only allows 220, so they should be able to control the Tigers offensively.

On the flip side, the Tigers allow nearly 410 yards against, 250 of those coming through the air, whereas the Tide have one of the best passing attacks in the nation. However, with the spread at 28.5, I am inclined to take LSU to cover.

LSU 28 – Alabama 49 When I first checked the spread for this one and saw that UNC was favored by 2.5, I refreshed the browser to make sure. This one feels a bit unexpected, and my only explanation is that UNC is at home. But a top-10 undefeated team being an underdog against a .500 team feels a bit absurd. I expect Wake to get this win on the road; they have a top-15 passing attack and a Heisman potential QB in Sam Hartman.

UNC and Sam Howell are good, and I expect this game to be a shootout, but Wake gets the win.

Wake Forest 42 – UNC 35 Jamison

Cook-

Liberty QB Malik Willis was recently ranked the No. 6 prospect in Todd McShay’s Top 32 2022 NFL Draft prospects. He will get a chance to showcase his talent on the national stage against another highly ranked QB: Matt Corral of Ole Miss, who McShay had at No. 21. This matchup of two great quarterbacks is sure to provide some fireworks, and I expect a lot of points in this one. But Liberty is not just a one-man team. The Flames boast the seventh-best passing defense in the nation, and they will make life more difficult than expected for Corral. Ole Miss suffered a disappointing loss at the hands of Auburn last week that saw Corral leave the game briefly with an ankle injury before coming back out on the field. It will be interesting to see if he is 100% heading into the weekend. All of these factors put Ole Miss on upset watch, but I believe Corral and the Rebels are too talented to stumble two weeks in a row.

LSU is sitting at 4-4 with the knowledge that their head coach is on his way out at the end of the season. It is a forgettable season for the Tigers. Alabama is also in a bit of an unfamiliar situation, fighting for their playoff lives down the stretch of the season.

One could argue that Alabama needs to win the SEC to make the CFP. Beating Georgia in the SEC Championship will be a challenge for the Crimson Tide, but beating LSU this week won’t be a challenge at all. The spread is set at Alabama -28.5 points, and I would be surprised if Saban and Co. don’t cover at home. The Coach O situation goes from bad to worse.

Alabama

45

–

LSU

14

Wake Forest and UNC represent two of the biggest surprises of the college football season. Wake has been a great story, starting the season 8-0 and jumping to No. 9 in the CFP Rankings, the first time the Demon Deacons have cracked the Top 10 in a major poll in school history. UNC, on the other hand, has been a massive disappointment. Ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP Poll, the Tar Heels have fallen flat and now sit at 4-4 and unranked.

Regardless, Wake has not played any big games yet, and UNC is actually favored at home in this matchup. A big part of the reason UNC has not lived up to expectations has been the play of QB Sam Howell, who has not remotely approached the level of play expected from the preseason Heisman contender. Conversely, Wake QB Sam Hartman has blown expectations out of the water, throwing for 2,475 yards and 22 touchdowns with only three interceptions. This is the week that Wake Forest finally earns the respect of the nation and solidifies their spot in the Top

Wake Forest 37 – UNC 31 John

Stolmeier-

Ole Miss 34 – Liberty 30

Liberty’s defense has held up pretty well throughout the season so far, but I don’t expect that to continue throughout this week’s matchup with Ole Miss. Matt Corral and the

Just like w ith the Sabres, maybe we shouldn’t be quite as shocked to see the Sharks here, at least this early on.

This is a core w ith a lot of pride and success on their resumés; of course, they aren’t going dow n w ithout a fight. Timo Meier and Logan Couture are back in 2018-19 form, combining for t went y points in the early going. James Reimer and Adin Hill have f lipped the script on their goaltending, which was some of the league’s worst last year w ith

Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk mainly splitting the load. Maybe the Sharks just needed a little bit of stabilit y here and a little bit of avoiding Evander Kane’s reportedly cancerous effect on the locker room there to at least return to respectabilit y.

The Verdict: Unfortunately, they might need a lot more to sustain their success. The Sharks have the fifth-worst expected goals percentage in the league, and they’ve lost three of their last five games after starting

Ole Miss offense have been explosive this year, putting up well over 500 yards and 39 points a game. While Liberty might seem to have the defensive edge in this matchup, I believe it’s closer than the stats suggest. Ole Miss has taken on better opponents and largely overcome them, and I don’t think Malik Willis and his Liberty squad will be in the game for long.

Ole Miss 45 – Liberty 21 The Crimson Tide is favored by 28.5 in this matchup, coming in with -10000 odds for the money line. I’m not sure if Alabama is that much better than LSU, but the drama surrounding head coach Ed Orgeron and the Tiger’s program definitely won’t help. Bryce Young is still leading the Heisman race with an extremely talented supporting cast around him.

The Tide almost certainly has an advantage on both sides of the ball; at home, this game should never be in question. I don’t know if Alabama will cover, but they’ll almost certainly win.

Alabama 52 – LSU 27 Wake Forest jumped into the top 10 last week after handily beating Duke but are still considered underdogs on the road against UNC. The Tar Heels should be Wake’s hardest game so far and it’ll hit them on the road in Chapel Hill. I can’t shake the feeling that Sam Howell will outperform Sam Hartman and the Wake Forest offense this weekend at home, but this game really is a toss up. Wake Forest has a lot to lose, while the Tar Heels gave up on a 10 win season weeks ago. That being said, UNC at home in a nail biter.

UNC 35 – Wake Forest 31 Contact Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@nd.edu, Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu, Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, John Stolmeier at jstolemei@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

4-0-0. Maybe they could hang around late into the season if ever y thing goes right. But I think they’ll likely still be better off trading Tomas Hertl at the deadline and starting a new chapter, finally leaving the success of their once great core firmly in the past.

Contact Andrew McGuiness at amcguinn@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

14

Sports

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M Soccer Continued from page 16

the tempo of the match.

Unsurprisingly, few can keep up with the fast-paced Tigers.

Three more teams who all could piece together a run also stand out as possible threats for the trophy: Duke, Louisville, and Wake Forest (we’ll get to Notre Dame later on). Duke’s resume is both a blessing and a curse. While they’ve only lost an impressive two ACC games (tied for the fewest with Notre Dame and Pittsburgh), those two losses both came to the powerhouses mentioned above.

Louisville led the race for the No.1 seed until the final day of the season, when they were promptly destroyed 5-1 in a tour de force by Clemson.

Wake Forest is an enigma. In the No. 6 spot, their record is filled with impressive wins (taking down both Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech by 3-1 score lines) and baff ling losses (falling to eventual No. 9 seed Boston College 3-2 and dropping a 1-0 out of conference battle with Liberty at home).

Bobby Muuss’ squad has as much talent as just about any team in the conference, and they could be primed for a dark horse run.

So where do the Irish fit into all this? Notre Dame has one of the most interesting resumes of all. They’re the only team in the conference to have beaten both Clemson and Pittsburgh. They were one loss to North Carolina (the overall No. 7 seed) on the final day of the season away from having the No. 1 seed, but because of that loss ended up with the No. 5 seed.

And that North Carolina loss wasn’t their only blip against a team below them in the standings. The Irish also lost to No. 8 seed Virginia Tech and tied Boston College. In

short, the Notre Dame men’s soccer team is the complete opposite of the women’s soccer team. While the women’s team have established themselves as a side that without fail beats any team below them in the standings but persistently struggles against the conferences’ elite, the men’s squad have developed a habit of playing both up to nationally ranked competition as well as down to teams they should be beating.

So, really, they could do just about anything this tournament, but they are off to a good start already. On Wednesday night the Irish took down the No. 12 seed North Carolina State Wolfpack 1-0 under the lights at Alumni Stadium. It took a Dawson McCartney penalty kick to separate the two teams, as the graduate student midfielder fired home Notre Dame’s best chance of the day after senior striker Tyler Shea was taken down inside the box.

The foul was generated after a clever run by Shea, who f licked the ball past his man about 15 yards out from goal, forcing the Wolfpack defender into getting in his way and tripping him down. With the lead safely in hand, the Irish defense that finished the regular season as the best in the conference finished out the match strong. There was a late scare when a corner kick in the final seconds by North Carolina State possibly was headed onto the hand of Notre Dame senior midfielder Mohamed Omar, but despite appeals from virtually every Wolfpack player on the field the referee declined to give a penalty kick, and the Irish safely cleared the ball away.

With the win, Notre Dame earned a trip to Louisville on Sunday to face the No. 4 seed Cardinals in the tournament quarterfinals.

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish freshman defender Josh Ramsey dribbles the ball downfield during Notre Dame’s dominating 13-0 win over Trine University on Sept. 28 at Alumni Stadium. Ramsay played for 63 minutes of the contest.

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Navy Continued from page 16

road in Houston to lose 28-20.

After managing to seal a 3430 win over UCF back on their home turf, Nav y would turn to host No. 24 ranked (in the AP Poll) SMU in Annapolis, where they would lose again by just a touchdown 24-31.

This is probably when a lot of the drowsiness and weariness that is evidenced in Niumatalolo’s words and actions this week began to cultivate. His team would then go on to lose two more to Memphis and No. 6 – by the CFP rankings – Cincinnati.

His squad was able to hang in there with one of the nation’s best in the Bearcats but was over whelmed by Memphis.

The Midshipmen were able to snag a win at Tulsa 20-17 but have mostly been beaten down in morale as a team and a unit.

W hen asked about his team’s performance up to this point in the season and how big it is for the psyche of the team to begin heading into South Bend with a fresh win in recent memor y, Niumatalolo’s response got some chuck les.

“You know you want to see the fruits of your labor. You wanna go plant some stuff, you don’t want to see your fruits come out and they’re burned or anything or they die, you know what I mean? ” Niumatalolo said. “To see that all the hard work and all the planning and all the harvesting came out. So happy for our players, they’ve been awesome. Just the resolve of this team to continue to work. I’ve been super impressed with them starting with our seniors and our captains.

Niumatalolo also discussed the importance of the timing of the win ahead

of taking on the road battle against a top-10 ranked opponent.

“We need any momentum we can get. We need all of it,” he said. “It doesn’t do anything but help us so that win will definitely give us some momentum going in to play a really, really good Notre Dame team as they always are. But we definitely needed it.”

As Nav y heads into Notre Dame Stadium, they will plan to get the job done on the ground, utilizing their classic triple option attack.

Run defense is where Notre Dame has looked the weakest in past weeks, and with senior safety Kyle Hamilton still sidelined with a knee injur y, the Midshipmen will certainly aim to attack Notre Dame in any area where they might see any v ulnerability.

Contact Jimmy Ward at wward@hcc-nd.edu

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15

Small Feature

Notre Dame defense readies for triple-option

By NATE MOLLER Sports Writer

After facing two offenses that are reliant on the pass, the Irish defense w ill face a different kind of test on Saturday when they go up against the triple-option attack of the Nav y Midshipmen.

The preparation has looked different, but senior defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola and junior linebacker J.D. Bertrand are confident that the Irish w ill be prepared for the different and challenging Nav y offense.

Ademilola stressed the importance of the Irish paying attention to details this week and staying focused in practice.

“We’re still learning it and the preparation just started,” Ademilola said.

“We are just tr ying to be on the details this week.”

Ademilola also expressed the need for ever yone to stick to their assigned jobs against the triple-option attack.

“Doing and know ing what you have to do on ever y play is important,” Ademilola said.

“Ever ybody has a different

Predictions Continued from page 16

Midshipmen. In last week’s win against UNC, the Irish struggled mightily at times to tackle, and that won’t fly against a triple-option attack that can survive off of fouryard gains every play. I think the Irish will win this one easily when all is said and done, but I do expect the Midshipmen to have some big plays off of missed tackles that will keep them in the game for a while.

On the other side of the ball, the Irish should be able to dominate the Midshipmen with their improved offensive line and running back Kyren Williams. The up-tempo offense the Irish have developed around quarterback Jack Coan should also pay off against a Navy team that is going to take up a lot of clock running the football.

While I do expect the Irish to miss some tackles, the defensive line is good enough to get some tackles for loss that should derail some Midshipmen drives.

Notre Dame 34, Navy 14

Mannion McGinley Sports Editor

–

The Irish climbed all the way up, out of the midseason stress. Fans can breathe again (but calmly and unassumingly so as not to disrupt anything going forward). After the win over UNC, I am not concerned with the offense’s ability to produce so long as the offensive line can make the space to do so. With the game ball in their pocket, they should be able to find that capability again this weekend. The one space the Irish need to watch is their tackling.

job, and ever ybody has to know their job and make sure that you are tack ling the right way. Ever y thing is just simplified to the details.”

Ademilola talked about the change of pace that he expects against Nav y in comparison to the USC and UNC offenses that the Irish faced the last two weeks.

“It kind of slows you down because it’s a different offense that we are going against,” Ademilola said.

Despite playing Nav y two years ago, Ademilola admitted that there is a lot of learning happening in practice right now.

“I feel like with the experience in the past, I have played them twice before, but I think it was two years ago we played them so ever yone is a bit rusty,” Ademilola said. “We are really just watching film and going back to the details and know ing what your job is.”

J.D. Bertrand discussed the physicality and speed of the Midshipmen offense that he expects on Saturday.

“The biggest thing is being able to be more physical and to find the ball. At the end of the day, that is all that it’s

about,” Bertrand said. “I have played a triple offense team before. It’s a little different tr ying to adjust to the speed that Nav y plays with and how well and efficiently they do it. Being able to find the ball and knowing it’s going to be a physical game is going to be the key to success.”

Bertrand acknowledged that the defense will have to change ahead of the Nav y game.

“It’s definitely a change.

We know that we are going to have to be able to adjust to the speed of the game,” Bertrand said. “We aren’t going to exactly get that look and exact speed in practice.

Through extra practicing and using things like walkthroughs is where we will pick up on that speed.”

Sophomore running back Chase Ketterer has operated as the scout team quarterback, and he has worked to prepare the Irish defensive line for the triple option attack that they will face on Saturday.

Ademilola praised Ketterer for helping the defense prepare for Saturday.

“Chase ran this offense in high school, and he’s super

On paper, the Irish should run away with this game. The offense is producing and doing so quickly but as for the defense, the Midshipmen need to be downed on the first touch. There cannot be a second or even third touch. That was the biggest issue this weekend and heading into a Saturday that is solely characterized by a triple option, the Irish cannot be lulled to sleep by a 2-6 record. Notre Dame will win but it will not be the blowout it should be if the tackling is not there. The score is closer than it could be, additionally, because the Irish tend to play to the level of their opponent.

Notre Dame 42, Navy 24

the kinks in the tackling department; they can’t get away with giving the Midshipmen five-plus yards on every play. Do this, and Notre Dame should walk away with another home win in their pockets.

Notre Dame 45, Navy 20

Emily DeFazio – Associate Sports Editor The midseason nail-biting has passed, and though the Irish emerged from the fray with a loss, I would call it a win that there was only one to record. Notre Dame pulled off a rather impressive victory against the Tar Heels; never in my wildest dreams had I thought I would witness a Jack Coan rushing touchdown, and who can ignore that 91-yard run from Kyren Williams.

I expect team morale to be high heading into this weekend’s matchup against the Midshipmen, and it should be a pretty solid win for the Irish.

Especially with the new rhythm on offense, Notre Dame should definitely be the stronger team on that field. But that doesn’t mean they should get too comfortable; that is where mistakes can come in. Navy is 2-6, but that doesn’t mean they are not talented. Notre Dame’s defense needs to iron out

athletic and super tough and we were hitting him today. He’s super physical,” Ademilola said. “He’s getting up there and running the offense and he loves it. He’s one of the guys that makes me happy to be out there on that practice field.”

Ketterer has been a part of a triple option offense from a young age, and he discussed the importance of the defense executing their game plan against Nav y.

“I have been running triple option since I was in fifth grade, so I kind of know it like the back of my hand a little bit,” Ketterer said. “The defensive line is really going to have to get on top of the line and get through blocks.”

The Midshipmen are coming off of one of their best offensive performances of the season where they rushed for over 300 yards in a 20-17 win over Tulsa last week. The Irish defense, on the other hand, is coming off one of their worst games of the season, surrendering 34 points, over 200 rushing yards, and over 550 total yards in last Saturday’s win against UNC. Despite this recent struggle,

Ademilola is confident that the Irish are continuing to improve in practice.

“As a whole, each day ever yone is learning, and ever yone is striving to be the best version of themselves.

Ever ybody is tr ying to be great,” Ademilola said. “We are still learning, and we are getting better each and ever y week.

We have a bunch of guys who love each other and it means a lot to us, so we are going to go out there and strive for greatness each and ever y day on the field.”

Saturday will mark the 94th meeting between the Irish and Midshipmen, and Bertrand, a junior who didn’t see the field against Nav y his freshman year, is ver y excited to play in this historic rivalr y matchup for his first time.

“I think it will be really fun. It seems like a really fun game, especially at my position as a linebacker,” Bertrand said.

“The tradition part is always a cool part of it. Bringing the two teams together is an exciting opportunity.”

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

Jimmy Ward – Associate Sports Editor Yeah yeah, I get mutual respect and all, but this one is easy. Irish by a zillion.

Notre Dame 45, Navy 3

Colin Capece – Assistant Managing Editor This is one of my favorite games of the year because what it represents transcends college football, and the mutual respect between these two teams is more than apparent. Like Jimmy said though, I have to take the Irish by a long shot in this one. Navy has played hard all year long and hold a one-possession loss against a Cincinnati team currently ranked No. 6 in the CFP poll that outplayed Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium in early October.

They also beat, in my opinion, an underrated and well-coached UCF team the same early-October weekend the Bearcats beat the Irish. Navy always has this game circled on their schedule and will no doubt come into South Bend with some juice, but they just don’t throw effectively enough to challenge this Irish defense, even with Kyle Hamilton out for the second straight week.

The Irish will have to adjust early on from the pin the ears back and demolish the

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish graduate student running back Avery Davis runs with the ball during Notre Dame’s 44-34 win over UNC on Saturday at home.

ballcarrier style of play they’ve had under defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman so far to a more contain-focused approach, but the triple option will run out of steam by the second quarter. With junior running back Kyren Williams rolling the way he is right now, combined with Navy’s atrocious tackling that

was on full display against Tulsa last week, the Irish will flip the script on the Midshipmen and control the clock from start to finish. Notre Dame finally makes a statement win against an inferior team, which will be huge for New Year’s Six bowl consideration at the end of the season.

Notre Dame 38, Navy 3

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ND Men’s Soccer

Irish topple Wolfpack in first round of ACC tournament, advance to game in Louisville Observer Sports Staff

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish senior midfielder Mohamed Omar dribbles the ball during Notre Dame’s 13-0 win over Trine on Sept.

28 at Alumni Stadium. Omar played for 38 minutes of the match and recorded 2 fouls and a shot.

Football

Notre Dame men’s soccer opened up ACC tournament play Wednesday w ith a 1-0 w in at home over North Carolina State. The gauntlet they would face in order to run the table is daunting, but there’s ver y little this Irish team hasn’t already seen in conference play.

The No. 1 seed is Pittsburgh, against whom Notre Dame made waves in the conference w ith an upset 1-0 w in in double overtime in South Bend in October. The Panthers are a squad that have steadily risen from the bottom of the ACC standings to a serious national championship contender over the last several years. This year was another step in that direction, as they captured their second straight top overall seed (meaning they collected the highest amount of total points over the course of the season) for the conference tournament.

They are, however, still looking for their first ACC Tournament title under head coach Jay Vidov ich, as the Panthers fell last year in the final to Clemson 2-1.

Speaking of Clemson, the Tigers are the No. 2 seed in this year’s tournament and another main competitor for the crow n. Much like Pittsburgh, they also suffered an upset defeat to Notre Dame, though their loss came on home turf in South Carolina. W hile some of Clemson’s most v ital players from their ACC Tournament w inning team last season, such as midfield dy namo Phillip Mayaka and 2020 Tournament MV P Kimarni Smith, have since departed in the MLS Superdraft, the Tigers are still primed for another run this year. Head Coach Mike Noonan prefers a high-octane pressing st yle that looks to force errors out of the opposition and push see M SOCCER PAGE 14

Staff Predictions

Navy ready for second top10 game in as many weeks

By JIMMY WARD

By COLIN CAPECE, MANNION McGINLEY, JIMMY WARD, EMILY DeFAZIO, AIDAN THOMAS and NATE MOLLER

Associate Sports Editor

Nav y head coach Ken Niumatalolo appeared a bit tired as he started his press conference on Monday, fumbling his words and swiping away stray eyelashes as he began to describe his upcoming opponent in Notre Dame. It was hard not to look at the somewhat comical first few moments of the interview as an analogy for the Midshipmen’s season up to this point. Nav y football hasn’t been stellar in recent history, but the Midshipmen’s 2-6 record does not really tell the full story of this team.

The Midshipmen would not taste victory until October as they were routed by Marshall, Air Force and Houston in succession by a total margin of 30-100. Nav y was dominated

by Marshall and Air Force but gave up the lead late on the see NAVY PAGE 14

Staff predicts big Irish victory The Irish have built up a threegame winning streak following their first regular-season defeat in nearly two years, and they’ll look to run it up to four by beating Navy in the reinstatement of the historic series. Members of the Observer Staff give their predictions.

Aidan Thomas – Associate Sports Editor

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish junior running back Kyren Willams runs the ball downfield during Notre Dame’s 31-16 win over USC on Oct. 23 at home.

The Irish have finally made it through that midseason gauntlet, escaping a pretty brutal five-game stretch with a 4-1 record. They sit at 7-1 overall, with the No. 8 ranking in the AP Poll and No. 10 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings.

The road to 11-1 is pretty straightforward from here on out, as the Irish should be favorites in each of their remaining four games. That starts with a 2-6 Navy team, that is a touch better than their record, but certainly an exceptionally winnable game.

The Midshipmen have stayed within a possession of Cincinnati – ranked No.6 in the CFP poll – but suffered blowouts in three other losses. They also have an upset win over UCF. So Notre Dame needs to put this one away early, and thankfully, they should be able to key in on the run, as Navy averages four pass completions per game. The Irish have struggled against versatile offenses but dominated against more one-dimensional attacks.

While the result shouldn’t be in question, it’s important for Notre Dame’s postseason hopes to come out and dominate an inferior opponent at home.

Notre Dame 48, Navy 14

Nate Moller – Sports writer The Navy game always makes me nervous, and despite Navy’s atrocious 2-6 record, this year is no different. The Midshipmen will surely come into Notre Dame Stadium with an upset on their minds, and the Irish better be careful not to underestimate the see PREDICTIONS PAGE 15

insider

ndsmcobserver.com | Friday, November 5, 2021 | The Observer

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SMALL FEATURE

Capece: Lorenzo Styles is Notre Dame’s most important player down-the-stretch

By COLIN CAPECE Assitant Managing Editor

The righting of the ship by Notre Dame’s offensive line and the reemergence of Kyren Williams are stories that have grabbed the headlines for the Irish the past couple of weeks, but there’s another offensive playmaker that people should be paying more attention to.

Lorenzo Styles, the freshman wide receiver out of Pickerington, Ohio, is slowly making a name for himself in this Notre Dame offense. With three receptions each against USC and UNC, his numbers don’t necessarily jump out, but his speed and route-running ability sure do. When Jack Coan threw the ball his way, Styles looked like a four-year veteran with poise and confidence. His contributions down the stretch could prove to be a turning point for Brian Kelly’s offensive philosophy if the Irish head coach recognizes he’s looking at a player that can be a game-changer.

For years now, justifiably or not, Irish fans have used Alabama’s Nick Saban as the measuring stick for their own head coach.

To be the best, of course, you first have to copy the best, and that’s

exactly what Kelly has tried to do since he met the certified future Hall-of-Famer in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.

However, the maybe future hallof-famer has yet to sniff another title contest, as the Irish have gotten run out of the building in two College Football Playoff appearances. Kelly has failed to mold his team into the kind of squad that owns title-town Tuscaloosa, but not for the reason you might think.

Way back in September I wrote that, newsflash Mr. Kelly, it’s not 2013 anymore. Alabama today doesn’t run out the here’s the rock Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacydare you to stop the run offense it did when it obliterated Notre Dame in Miami. Instead, Saban’s staff focused its recruiting prowess and elite talent development on turning the Crimson Tide offense into the air-raid system of the future. And boy has it worked.

I’d peg the start of the track-meet era at Alabama to be 2014, and since then, the Tide have claimed three national titles. Besides picking up the nation’s best dualthreat quarterbacks, Alabama has also recruited a plethora of explosive playmakers on the outside. Players like Jaylen Waddle,

DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Calvin Ridley were all first-round draft choices coming out of Tuscaloosa.

Brian Kelly has recruited his fair share of talented wideouts in his 11 years at the helm, but the difference between him and Saban is that the latter has focused on developing them, while the former has been set in his ways as a run-first coach. All of the aforementioned former Crimson Tide wide receivers played a major role in the offense as true freshmen because Saban recognized their potential as impact players. Despite their inexperience, those Alabama players were the most talented guys on the field, and the guy who’s owned college football for the last decade wasn’t afraid to give them significant playing time. Kelly, on the other hand, hasn’t provided his freshmen wideouts with a chance to contribute in a long time. The last true freshman receiver to have a consequential supporting role in the offense was Will Fuller in 2013, who became a first-round pick in 2016. Players like Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool didn’t become household names until their junior seasons.

Styles could change all of that

if he keeps playing the way he has, and the Irish will be better off for it. He’s showing Irish fans that a Notre Dame true freshman receiver can be trusted to make big plays, and there’s no doubt in my mind he can eventually become the primary option on the outside. Kelly needs to recognize the games remaining on Notre Dame’s schedule are more than winnable if the Notre Dame offensive line protects the way it has been, which means that he and Tommy Rees can experiment with different players and concepts. Throwing your best receiver the ball more than three times a game is not a hard concept to understand.

Styles can help the Irish win games right now with more targets, but his involvement is also pivotal for Brian Kelly if he wants to take his team from one that can’t win the big game to a national title contender. It’s clear this offense needs to be redesigned to get to the promised land. At this point in time, Notre Dame can’t win high-scoring games against elite programs. Once the Irish fall behind by two scores, they’re forced to abandon their run-first identity, but they also don’t have the speed or explosiveness to get

themselves back in the game.

This is the primary reason we’ve seen blowouts against Clemson and Alabama on the big stage in two of the last three seasons.

Kyren Williams running behind a revamped offensive line has been a godsend for this team, but Styles and players like him are the future for this Notre Dame offense. High school prospects probably don’t remember Fuller wearing a gold helmet, but Lorenzo Styles is someone many of them are paying close attention to right now.

Notre Dame needs more talent like Styles to match the offensive firepower that Alabama has amassed. As Styles gains more of a role in this offense and finds success, Kelly and his staff can make a different kind of recruiting pitch to elite wide receiver recruits than they have in the past: you will develop into an NFL talent if you come to South Bend because you will play right away.

Contact Colin Capece at ccapece@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Recruiting Column

Three must land recruits for ND’s 2022 class

By AIDAN THOMAS Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame recently hauled in a commitment from Drayk Bowen, a five-star linebacker recruit from the Class of 2023. He joined Brenan Vernon (2023 DL) and Jaylen Sneed (2022 LB) as the third five-star commitment for Notre Dame since defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman joined the ranks of the Irish coaching staff. Freeman has Notre Dame in line for one of their best-ever classes, currently sitting fifth in the 2022 rankings.

And it’s not just Freeman putting in the work. Despite recent struggles to retain wide receivers on their roster, the Irish still have a couple of premium recruits coming in at the position.

C.J. Williams, out of high school football powerhouse Mater Dei, and Tobias Merriweather, are Notre Dame’s top two offensive recruits, ranking 10th and 18th overall at wide receiver.

The recruiting is borderline elite. With some better player development, The Irish seem to be a step away from being a serious national championship challenger in the coming years.

With that being said, here are three players the Irish could

land in this highly ranked 2022 class to really push them over the edge.

Xavier Nwankpa, Safety If I’m the Irish coaching staff, this is my absolute top priority right now. The secondary is a clear question mark in the 2022 class. Jaden Mickey, a four-star prospect, serves as the top recruit at cornerback, but the Irish could use more. At safety, Notre Dame is currently getting a taste of life without Kyle Hamilton.

The first challenge did not go particularly well, giving up 34 points, albeit against a dangerous quarterback in Sam Howell of UNC. Hamilton is off to the NFL Draft (as close to a certainty as any player could get), and the Irish’s depth chart at the position after Hamilton is questionable. Seniors Houston Griffith and D.J. Brown are the next two options, and they’re not locks for the 2022 roster at this point. One does not simply replace Kyle Hamilton, but upgrades and depth are needed at the safety position, and quickly.

Nwankpa is the type of prospect Notre Dame could sorely use to really elevate their 2022 class. At 6’2, 190 pounds, Nwankpa’s close to an ideal

build for safeties at the collegiate level. He’s one of the top players at the position in the class, and adding a five-star to a depleted secondary would be massive for the Irish. However, it’s an uphill battle to land him.

As of now, Iowa and Ohio State look to be ahead of the Irish in recruiting. Never say never though, as Notre Dame has a little over a month left to swing Nwankpa. If they can surge past the Buckeyes and his homestate Hawkeyes, this would be as big a win as any Notre Dame has scored in recent years.

Schrauth is from Wisconsin, and the Fighting Irish will have to fend off the Badgers in his recruitment, but they’ve put themselves in a good position.

Notre Dame is the Crystal Ball favorite, with Wisconsin also receiving a few predictions (Ohio State has also been a factor in the recruiting process). Schrauth stands at 6’5” and is currently 285 pounds. Pack on another 20 pounds in Notre Dame’s superb strength and conditioning program, and Schrauth looks like a mainstay in the middle of the offensive line. Landing Schrauth is offensive priority No. 1.

Billy Schrauth, Offensive Line

Anthony Lucas, Edge

Notre Dame could honestly use their sudden offensive line improvement as a huge recruiting chip in the coming year.

They took a struggling line, adjusted the playbook to help them succeed, and inserted the correct players when needed.

All of this, while overcoming several injuries, has ultimately produced a high-performing unit. The Irish have a few solid tackles in their incoming class, but they’ve got their eyes set on more, with interior offensive lineman Billy Schrauth being a potential key addition.

Lucas is Notre Dame’s best chance at an upgrade at the defensive end position. The Arizona prospect is a fringe five-star prospect with no current Crystal Ball prediction. At 6’6”, 220 pounds, Lucas is a terror for opposing blockers and quarterbacks. Quite frankly, Notre Dame hasn’t really had the same kind of edge pressure as 2020 following the departure of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Much of the quarterback pressure generated by the Irish has come from blitzing safeties and linebackers up the middle.

It has also featured a strong effort from interior linemen like Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa.

To land Lucas, the Irish are going to have to beat out some strong SEC competition. Rivals currently projects Lucas to go to Texas A&M, where he visited twice this fall. Lucas did visit Notre Dame this summer, but he also saw Alabama and Miami as well. Those four schools, plus USC, Oregon, and LSU made Lucas’s top 7 list, released in August. The Irish also did get Lucas out to South Bend for a game day, hosting the priority prospect during the USC night game, an atmosphere that Lucas looked impressed with.

However, this one is a tough battle, and Notre Dame is going to need to pull out all the stops to secure a commitment from Lucas. If they do, this 2022 class could go down as something special.

Maybe even, say a 1988 type of special?

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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The observer | Friday, November 5, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com

BIG FEATURE

Freshman WR Styles emerges into playmaker EMILY DeFAZIO Associate Sports Editor

Notre Dame freshman w ide receiver Lorenzo St yles has emerged as a mature and versatile play maker for the Irish during his rookie season. Joining the ranks of Braden Lenzy, Kev in Austin, and Aver y Dav is in the position group–w ith Dav is especially posting a strong start to the season–St yles was immediately throw n into the machinations of the Notre Dame offense, w ith some of its most talented players as his mentors.

St yles started out as a steady force for the Irish, doing his job w ith little publicit y, for good or bad.

In each of the afternoon match ups against Toledo and Cincinnati, St yles recorded one reception on the day for two and 14 yards, respectively.

However, his quiet game shifted under the lights of Notre Dame stadium. This change in atmosphere translated to a change in St yles,

w ith the receiver emerging as a dy namic play maker, more than a simple cog in the wheel of Tommy Rees’s offensive scheme. In the rivalr y contest against the Trojans, St yles made three receptions for 57 yards, averaging 19 yards each time he touched the ball. Against UNC, he upped his stats, making three catches for a total of 74 yards, averaging 24.7 yards per play. This brings his total so far this season to eight catches for 147 yards, putting him just behind Lenzy in team stats for receiv ing yards. With this jump, he is on his way to establishing himself as a prominent member of the Irish roster.

St yles said that it is his mentors that help pave the way for him and his teammates. He said that this year, the senior receivers carr y a lot of responsibilit y on their shoulders, and his goal is to do his part to help out and help them have an enjoyable senior season.

However, it is not only the

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish freshman wide recevier Lorenzo Styles is shoved out of bounds during Notre Dame’s 44-34 win over the University of North Carolina on Saurday at Notre Dame Stadium. Styles recorded three receptions.

ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer

Irish freshmam wide reciever Lorenzo Styles darts downfield during Notre Dame’s 31-16 win over USC on Oct. 23 at Notre Dame Stadium.

upperclassmen that have aided St yles in cultivating a mentalit y of maturit y.

Despite his upward trajector y in stats, St yles still had an important missed catch against the Tar Heels. Both the highs and the lows of that night left St yles unaffected, though, and he continued to move for ward “During the game, I tr y to refocus, tr y to run back and get ready for the next play,” St yles said on the missed opportunit y. “You always want to be better, always want to do better. So yeah, I’ve been thinking about that and just working on not letting it happen again.”

He said that this is his “next play” mindset. W hen he was told by head coach Brian Kelly that he would get another opportunit y to play that night, St yles was ready to take full advantage, starting fresh. Know ing his coach believed in him, paired w ith years of keeping his mind on the next play, allowed him to move for ward. His parents, he said, helped him adopt this mentalit y.

“My parents always demand a lot from me,” he said.

“They always put that pressure on me. But the thing is, I always put that pressure

on myself, too, so when you have both of those t wo things together, it goes well.”

An added pressure came when St yles came to campus in the spring to train w ith the team. The biggest adjustment for St yles, he said, comes in the transition from a high school offense to a college offense.

“I did not know a lot about w ide receiver coming in, so I feel like enrolling early, that really helped me a lot,” he said. “There was just a bunch of technical things. I always had athletic abilit y, but it was just all the technical, defined details that I really had to work on when I first came.”

Because of this, St yles had to adjust his mentalit y to fit the st yle of play he would encounter in college, rather than keep the mindset he had in high school. As the game picked up, his skills had to sharpen.

“I feel like in high school I was always just tr y ing to go super fast,” St yles said. “I never really thought about the game. [At Notre Dame] I really had to break the game dow n, and the game really slowed dow n for me. I was just looking at coverages, schemes, all those different

t y pes.”

His teammates and coaches held him accountable for doing so, as well as adjusting to the longer and more physically demanding seasons that college play brings.

Seeing as the season is extended, the focus on player health becomes all the more pressing.

“We all hold each other accountable just to go get that extra rehab, do the extra things we need to for our body just so we can be ready to perform,” he said.

Players that need to be ready to perform at all times include a significant portion of St yles’ class. Several freshmen have seen the field this year, and St yles said this fact says a lot about the level of play he and his teammates bring to the team.

“We have a bunch of talented guys and I feel like the thing is ever yone wants to work, ever yone wants to be the best, ever yone’s hungr y,” he said. “I feel like that’s all you could ask for the young guys, just being hungr y, wanting more and just wanting to get better ever y single day.”

Contact Emily DeFazio at edefazio@nd.edu