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Volume 56, Issue 29 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Panel discusses low-income backgrounds Students, alumni reflect on belonging and identity during First-Generation, Low-Income week panel By Valeria Ortiz News Writer
Notre Dame’s Office of Student Enrichment (OSE) hosted a panel Wednesday evening in Geddes Hall entitled “I Belong: Life During and After ND” featuring both current students and alumni. It is part of Notre Dame’s observance of First-Generation, Low-Income Week. The discussion delved into topics such as sense of belonging, identity and budgeting as a college student. The panelists were admissions counselor Eric Kim ’20, director of retail dining Sandra Garcia ’09, student body president senior Allan
Njomo and resident assistant Marilyn Zizumbo. The panelists shared anecdotes of their experiences throughout their years at Notre Dame and offered recommendations on how students can make the most of their undergraduate experience. When speaking about sense of belonging, the panelists mentioned struggles during their first few months on-campus and the challenges they faced before feeling a sense of belonging in the Notre Dame community. Zizumbo, a resident assistant at Johnson Family Hall, shared how she transferred resident halls during her sophomore
First Gen club hosts celebration By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Associate News Editor
In honor of First-Generation College Celebration Day on Nov. 8, Saint Mary’s First Gen Family club hosted the First Gen Celebration in Rice Commons on Thursday night. The celebration consisted of a presentation by professor Stacy Davis and concluded with a dinner for students to socialize with other firstgeneration students, faculty and staff. In her presentation, Davis, who is a professor of religious studies and gender and women’s studies, spoke about her experience as a first-generation college student at the University of Tulsa. “It is easy to look at firstgeneration college students, especially girls like myself who became paid professional geeks, as success stories,” Davis said. “I’m not here for that narrative. Instead, here’s the story of one broke student and her undergraduate career [filled with] new and exciting stress with illness and chronic sleep deprivation.” Davis detailed her
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undergraduate experience as a Black, young and first-generation college student at a predominantly white institution in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “The first time I realized that college was going to be tricky was the summer before I began,” Davis said. “I had been accepted into the University of Tulsa honors program … I had signed up for the only first-semester history class taught by a history professor. I got a letter from the professor informing me that I had to read the ‘Iliad,’ … and the letter included an order form for the University of North Carolina for us, and the book was $45.” Davis said the situation created a crisis in her household, as her family struggled to come up with the money to pay for the book. “My father, after being unemployed for the first yearand-a-half after retiring from the Air Force, was finally working for the United States Postal Service,” Davis said. “But during his probationary period, he was making a large see FIRST GEN PAGE 3
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year and how she managed to find support in the Latino community, with events such as the Latino First-Year Retreat. “I built a strong support system that also gave me life,” Zizumbo said. “... The important thing is to find a community where you can give but also receive back.” On the contrary, Njomo shared positive anecdotes about his residential life experience, such as being able to build a relationship with his rector even before arriving at Notre Dame. However, he said he did not feel much support when it came to the classroom. see DISCUSSION PAGE 3
VALERIA ORTIZ | The Observer
Students and alumni gathered in Geddes Hall to share their experiences as first-generation or low-income students at Notre Dame.
Senate continues Gateway housing discussions By HEAVEN CARTER News Writer
Follow ing the Nov. 3 senate meeting that was cut short due to an unexpected fire alarm, the Notre Dame student senate was able to return to their agenda on Wednesday evening. Student body v ice president Matthew Bisner opened
the meeting w ith a prayer to honor Veterans Day. On the schedule for the evening, the senate proposed a resolution regarding the controversial announcement that the 2021-2022 cohort of Gateway students would have to seek housing off campus for the next academic year. Additionally, t wo amendments were
presented — an order to amend the electoral code in respect to endorsements and to rev ise hall presidents council. Due to the evacuation during its last meeting, the student senate had been unable to pass the resolution regarding Gateway housing. see SENATE PAGE 3
Blantz, Malloy detail Notre Dame’s history By Simon Vogel News Writer
As part of the Notre Dame Book Festival, Notre Dame University Press hosted an informal question and answer session with Fr. Thomas Blantz and former University President Fr. Edward “Monk” Malloy in the Hesburgh Library Scholars Lounge Wednesday evening. Malloy’s memoir, titled “Monk’s Notre Dame,” was
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published in 2005 and recounts his relationship with Notre Dame in the form of anecdotes and stories. Blantz’s book, “Notre Dame: A History” was published in 2020 and offers a comprehensive history of the University.” The conversation began with a discussion of how the two priests compiled the evidence to use in their respective books, given that they were writing about times in which they lived.
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“When you’re talking about yourself and your history in an institution, what does objectivity look like?” Malloy asked. He added that he felt he reasonably fulfilled his goal of telling his experience at Notre Dame, but said objectivity is difficult. As the talk continued, it turned to a discussion of Fr. Ted Hesburgh and the conversation took on a lighter tone. see MALLOY PAGE 3
Baraka bouts PAGE 16
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TODAY
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“David Hasselhoff. He saved the day in ‘The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.’”
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The men of Dillon prepare for their “Golf Bros and Tennis Pros” SYR with a newly built tent in the middle of South Quad, adjacent to the Coleman-Morse Center. Construction on the tent began Thursday and will be finished in time for the dance Friday night.
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Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Caramel Craze Outside of O’Shaughnessy Hall 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Enjoy caramel apples with FLIP!
“The Secret Agency” DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 11 a.m. - noon Tickets and masks required.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. & noon Masks required. All are welcome.
“Capitalization of the Nation in 21st Century India” online noon - 1 p.m. Liu Institute lecture.
“Rhythms Across the Contemporary Hindi World” Bond Hall 334 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. All are welcome.
“American Horror Story” Trivia Legends 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. Test your knowledge and win themed prizes.
Auditions: “Proving Up” LaBar Performance Hall noon - 5 p.m. Contact Opera ND.
“Blue Collar” (1978) Browning Cinema 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Hosted by Higgins Labor Program. Registration required.
Workshop: “Surviving Winter” online 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Learn how to thrive in a South Bend winter.
“Solidarity and the Church’s Call to Action” Carey Auditorium 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Join Gloria Purvis.
News
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Discussion Continued from page 1
“I felt like I had to represent my identity as well as I could, and it was difficult to not feel confident enough to answer questions or even ask questions,” Njomo said. Panelists also had the opportunity of reflecting on the transition from being an undergraduate student to life after graduation. Kim shared that he felt it was an easy transition, even though he didn’t have the closure of an in-person graduation in May 2020 due to the pandemic. He said what he felt was most important was the support of his supervisors in his transition to becoming a Notre Dame employee. Garcia advised current students to do much self-exploration, such as taking classes geared toward their interests. She also said it is important to create genuinely deep, meaningful relationships that will last after graduation. “You are still going to end up where you have to be, but use this time to enhance those skills and do things that bring you joy,” Garcia said. The main challenges the panelists said they faced coming from low-income families was developing their budgeting skills. They spoke about finding a balance between spending on needs and spending on wants. Zizumbo gave advice about creating separate funds for different needs. “Invest in the wants, but do it intentionally, and set up a separate fund to save up for that dorm decoration that will help you have a comfortable place on campus,” Zizumbo said. Njomo emphasized being honest with one’s self and others. “Be honest about not being
able to afford things,” Njomo said. “... It is refreshing for people to hear those things and it changes the perspectives of people around you.” The panelists mentioned the importance of maximizing other opportunities through resources such as those offered by the Kellogg Institute, the Notre Dame International programs, the University Counseling Center and the Office of Student Enrichment. They also acknowledged the struggles of asking for things and applying for grants; however, they insisted that undergraduates take advantage of both University resources and alumni networks. “Educate yourself in the resources available and utilize the one that feels right for you,” Garcia said. The last piece of advice the panelists offered was to believe in yourself. “There’s no one else like you that has the experiences that you have and the perspectives that you have,” Zizumbo said. Contact Valeria Ortiz vortiz@nd.edu
Malloy Continued from page 1
Malloy talked about how he had “one significant fight” in his 18 years working with Hesburgh “and a thing with Father Jenkins” as well. Both disagreements were resolved quickly, Malloy said, and he took some time to consider the role former presidents play at Notre Dame. “I think there is a responsibility the former president has to be of service when asked, otherwise stay out of the way,” he said. The next question in the conversation was “Why Notre Dame?” since both men have
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First Gen
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sum of $5 per hour.” Davis said her family was able to “scrape up” enough money for the book and shipping and handling. She then detailed the difficulties she faced throughout the rest of her undergraduate experience that her nonfirst-generation peers might not have experienced. “The first two years of my college career [I was] in the back row for every class; course participation grades were a nightmare,” she said. “Every summer I was a college babysitter, research assistant, student desk worker and the last four semesters, I worked as a tutor for an introductory intermediate Spanish and English composition.” Davis repeated that her story is not a success story — it is the truth. “I told you this was not a success story and I stand by that. First-generation students do this every day. The
difference between 1996 — which is my graduating year — and 2021, however, is that now institutions know just how special you are,” Davis said. “I don’t wish you resilience because you don’t need it; you are already here. What I wish for you is a sense of belonging and community.” After the presentation from Davis, First Gen Family president and College junior Alok Agwick spoke about the importance of the celebration Thursday night and what being a first-generation student means to her. “It means a lot to me — it really does — and it has in a way shaped a lot of my experiences here at Saint Mary’s,” Agwick said. “I’m just really glad that we have this group to support each other and offices like the Office for Student Equity and [the Multicultural and International Student Services Office] … because I heavily depend on those offices in my time here.” Agwick said she has felt supported by the College,
offices and clubs since the beginning of her time at Saint Mary’s. “I started on with the Belles Connect program, and in that program, there were first-gen students and lower socioeconomic status students, and we were together getting resources together and learning our way,” Agwick said. “So I’ve always kind of felt like I got a lot of support from the school from the beginning.” Looking ahead to the rest of the year, Agwick said her goals for the club are to reach out to the whole Saint Mary’s community and continue to learn from first-generation students and allies. “There’s just a really big gap ... and I wish to really try to bridge that gap and try to create more programming — more consistent programming — and really just trying to make sure our first-gen students are taken care of as they go through their journey,” Agwick said.
spent a combined total of over 130 years attending or working for Notre Dame. Blantz said he came back to Notre Dame because Columbia University showed him the potential it had as a research university. “I got a Master’s degree at Notre Dame: straight, straight A’s,” Blantz said. “I went to Columbia, never got an A or Ain any class.” As Hesburgh was steering Notre Dame in establishing itself as a research university, Blantz said he decided to be a part of that movement and returned to campus to teach. For Malloy, Notre Dame was an easy choice. “From the moment I first arrived, I felt comfortable here,” he said. “The heart of what
Notre Dame was about appealed to me from the start.” The conversation then moved on to discuss the origin of Notre Dame’s national reputation, which many said came from the University’s commitment to a religion not defined by regional boundaries. Blantz explained that Fr. Edward Sorin, Notre Dame’s founder, did indeed have some national aspirations of Notre Dame being the figurehead of a network of Congregation of the Holy Cross schools. But he said it was actually the football team’s rejection from the Big 10, which forced them to play games around the country, that gave Notre Dame its national reputation. To conclude the talk, the audience was given the
opportunity to ask questions. An attendee asked the priests if they enjoyed living in residence halls. “The board of trustees thought I wouldn’t last more than 6 months in a residence hall,” Malloy said. “I’m now in my 42nd year living with teenagers.” For his part, Blantz reflected on living and teaching at Notre Dame. “It’s amazing they pay you to do it,” he said. “It keeps me young.” Both Malloy and Blantz’s books are available for sale at a discount in Hesburgh Library this week as the Notre Dame Book Festival continues.
Continued from page 1
Senate Continued from page 1
Daniel Schermerhorn restated the resolution and the f loor was opened up for debate. Gateway first-years Liam Redmond and Robert Corrato shared their experience and accounts of discouragement with the housing decision. Redmond expressed a Paid Advertisement
frustration with Residential Life not working with alternative solutions. “We have proposed various solutions,” he said. “They didn’t say they looked at them and they didn’t say why they wouldn’t work. So, it’s just an issue to us that they’re not responding to our solutions.” Some of the solutions they proposed were using study spaces in the halls or allowing juniors to enter a lotter y to move off campus. According to both Redmond and Corrato, the lack of communication has not just been an issue for students but also for parents. Redmond said Residential Life will not listen to parents’ concerns, which leaves the issue in the hands of the students. Following the debate, the
Contact Valeria Oritz at vortiz2@nd.edu
Contact Simon Vogel at svogel3@nd.edu
f loor was opened for senators to vote on the resolution. The resolution was passed unanimously. Redmond and Corrato said they hope this step allows Gateways student voices to be heard. The student senate moved the discussion to general orders, and an order to amend the constitution of the undergraduate student body to revise hall presidents council was brought to the table. This amendment was in reference to changing the way that Hall of the Year is scored. To conclude the meeting, an order to amend the constitution and electoral code with respect to endorsements was brought up for discussion. This amendment was ultimately passed. Contact Heaven Carter at hcarter2@nd.edu
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BUSINESS
Professors, students discuss Meta rebranding By Ryan Peters Associate News Editor
Facebook is launching into the metaverse. On the Notre Dame campus, some are ready to board the virtual reality spaceship, but others are skeptical of the social media giant’s timing and intentions. Following Facebook, Inc.’s announcement on Oct. 28 that the company is renaming itself to Meta, University professors and students say they expect Facebook’s decision to focus on expanding into the “metaverse” to spark long-term growth for the company, though some questioned the timing of the renaming amid controversy sparked by reports about leaked documents published in the Wall Street Journal. The move, which shifts Facebook, Inc.’s brands such as Instagram, W hatsApp and Oculus under the new name Meta Platforms, Inc., places a focus on the company’s desire to move beyond social media and into the metaverse, a set of virtual spaces where people can interact with “other people who are not in the same physical space,” according to a Meta press release. “We believe the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet. We’ll be able to feel present — like we are right there with people — no matter how far apart we actually are,” chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg said at the 2021 Facebook Connect conference on Oct. 28. The renaming has not come without pushback, as Meta navigates the aftermath of whistleblower
Frances Haugen leaking a trove of internal documents. The Wall Street Journal began publishing reports on the documents, known as the “Facebook Files,” in September, detailing controversial practices. The files provided evidence that the site is exempting highprofile users from some of its community standards, downplaying findings that Instagram is harmful to teenage girls and struggling to locate and remove posts that violate its rules. ‘They can’t even get what they’re doing now correct’: Professor questions motives behind rebranding
Kirsten Martin, a professor of technolog y ethics at the University, called Facebook’s decision to rebrand during this period of intense scrutiny “tone-deaf,” citing a reported lack of credence by Facebook to critiques from regulators, scholars and advocates. Martin said the rebranding effort is likely a distraction to shift the conversation surrounding Facebook away from the Facebook Files. Companies are not unlimited in resources, so when they start to grow one area or department, that usually involves cutting back elsewhere, she said. Citing the MIT Technolog y Review podcast “I Was There W hen,” Martin said Facebook is often criticized for not adequately staffing and funding their integrity groups while their advertising departments always seem to be well-resourced. For this reason, she said she does not understand the company’s
decision to downplay its critics and expand. “They can’t even get what they’re doing now correct,” Martin said. “I don’t know why they want to grow into a new sphere that actually has fewer guidelines as to what to do.” Senior Isabella Camacho, president of the marketing club, questioned the timing of the rebranding, saying a company as large as Facebook does not make decisions this large at a critical time like this out of coincidence. “I think it’s not a coincidence that they’re doing it when they’re doing it,” Camacho said. Tim Weninger, an associate professor of engineering who specializes in machine learning and social media, said it is acceptable for a company as large as Meta to focus on multiple large tasks simultaneously. “I think that a company the size of Facebook, or Meta now, is fine to try to do lots of different things all at the same time,” Weninger said. “I don’t begrudge them that they’re always looking for new profit opportunities, especially with, for example, the new Windows 11 [rolling] out.” Zuckerberg acknowledged the problems his platform is dealing with and addressed the backlash he anticipated Meta would face during his keynote speech at Connect. “So for many people, I’m just not sure there ever will be a good time to focus on the future,” Zuckerberg said. “But I also know that there are a lot of you who feel the same way I do. We live for what we’re building, and while we
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make mistakes, we’ll keep learning and building and moving forward.” ‘This is an insane profit opportunity’: Professors, students say metaverse offers potential for big growth
Senior Munyen Loi has been covering Meta stock since the beginning of the semester as part of Notre Dame’s applied investment management course, where students manage a live equity portfolio worth more than $27 million, according to the course website. Despite the heav y criticisms Meta has been facing lately, Loi said he envisions the company will continue to grow and sees the metaverse as a potentially massive profit opportunity later in the decade. “They have a strong first mover advantage in AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality),” Loi said. “So Oculus is going to be the near-term focus, I think, and that will fundamentally change the landscape of social media and also how the company functions because, from a profit-making perspective, the metaverse is an insane idea.” Because the metaverse appears to be based around virtual and augmented reality, Martin said she expects the expansion to give Meta ownership of the hardware required to operate the programs and networks Meta will release as part of the metaverse, whereas currently Facebook, Instagram and W hatsApp can be downloaded and accessed on devices not owned by Meta. After the release of
Windows 11 by Microsoft, Weninger said he believes a lot of technolog y will be shifting toward augmented reality and a social cyber presence over the next two decades. And although he expects future offerings involving Oculus to offset potential decline from Facebook as a social media network, he anticipates nations to begin regulating the Facebook site in ways that could hinder its ability to grow and keep users. Where does Meta go from here?
Weninger said one of Meta’s most pressing issues is its failure to curb misinformation and hate speech in languages other than English. He said the struggles Meta’s artificial intelligence algorithms experience when trying to moderate non-English media result primarily from a lack of data. “So to learn, you have to give [the algorithm] thousands of examples of this hate speech in order for the algorithm to actually learn ‘Oh, I see, this is what hate speech actually is,’” Weninger said. “Just for English, and maybe Spanish and French, we have enough data to do that, but in the thousands of other languages, they just don’t have enough data.” As Facebook continues to navigate moderating misinformation and inf lammatory content, Martin said the company has an obligation to combat misinformation and hate speech on the site because they promote the content and make money off it. “The issue with this recommendation algorithm is that they’re purposely trying to profit from it,” Martin said. Martin likened Meta and the technolog y industry’s quest to curb misinformation to the car industry’s approach to improving the safety of cars in the 1970s and 1980s. “[Car companies] literally said, ‘It’s not our job to make [cars] safe because our job is just to make cars,’” she said. “Eventually they kind of realized, ‘Oh, actually, we’re the only ones that can put safety in the cars because we’re the only ones that know how to do it.’” As Meta faces numerous problems concerning the social media sector of the company, Martin said she fails to see who will believe the metaverse decision to be in good faith. “I don’t know who’s going to trust metaverse,” she said. Contact Ryan Peters at rpeters5@nd.edu
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Inside Column
Notre Dame needs to stop ripping off ‘Jump Around’ Ryan Peters Associate News Editor
When Notre Dame debuted the light show against USC, it not only caught the Notre Dame Stadium atmosphere up to modern times but it even started to distinguish it. With the “Hell’s Bells” intro and the light show at the end of the third quarter, the environment was not only electric relative to Notre Dame’s typical wine-and-cheese crowd, but it competed with some of the best atmospheres in the sport. Before we get too caught up commending the light show, we must address the playing of “Let Me Clear My Throat” at the end of the third quarter over the past three games. This is blatantly copying Wisconsin’s “Jump Around” tradition. Not only does it try to invite everyone to jump before the fourth quarter starts, but we started playing it after we witnessed the “Jump Around” spectacle for ourselves at Soldier Field. “Let Me Clear My Throat” needs to go. I wanted it to succeed, but whenever I try to jump to it during the game I feel like an unoriginal fraud. Florida has “I Won’t Back Down”; Duke basketball has “Everytime We Touch”; the Steelers have “Renegade.” The best sports atmospheres have songs they can draw on to electrify the crowd, and if Notre Dame wants to play with the big boys, they need to find “the song.” The kickoff with “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” is electric, but after juxtaposing the “1812 Overture” with “Jump Around” in Chicago, Notre Dame needs a song specifically to fire up the crowd before the fourth. “Let Me Clear My Throat” is a lazy attempt at finding one. I’m not looking for the next “Jump Around” or “Enter Sandman” here. We have to be honest with what we’re working with. If “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” can’t get everybody jumping, nothing will. All we need is a (somewhat terrible) song that most people recognize, is not overused at stadiums and lets everyone know it’s time to get rowdy. And you won’t see any Bon Jovi songs here because we’ve already tried that. Without further ado, here are my top ten songs to replace “Let Me Clear My Throat.” Honorable mentions: “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll),” “Like a Prayer,” “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” and “Marvins Room.”
10. “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)” — Limp Bizkit The biggest hit from the kings of nu metal would get everyone to throw their hands up and head bang. Unfortunately, not enough of the younger demographics in the crowd would be familiar with the stars of Woodstock ‘99.
9. “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” — DMX Instantly recognizable and catchy, but lacking the hype necessary to keep the crowd engaged and dancing.
8. “Shout, Pts. 1 & 2” — The Isley Brothers Has some great calls to action to get the crowd moving, but the song feels a little too wedding-esque and would feel out of place when the Irish are looking to close out a home win.
7. “Low” — Flo Rida (feat. T-Pain) One of the biggest hits of the aughts, “Low” would certainly get everyone in the stadium grooving. But with “My House” being a staple of the Notre Dame Stadium playlist, the last thing we need before the fourth quarter is more Flo Rida.
6. “Jump” — Van Halen The only way Notre Dame can outdo “Jump Around” is with a few synchronized mega-jumps that cause the bleachers to collapse.
5. “Let’s Get It Started” — Black Eyed Peas Fergie’s intro leading into the bass would let everyone know what’s about to come and get the crowd going. Everyone knows this song — enough time has passed that it’s now nostalgic and less cringeworthy and it builds suspense and hits the chorus quickly to keep the crowd engaged.
4. “Dynamite” — Taio Cruz This 2009 hit would get everyone to throw their hands in the air, sing along and dance. Strong contender, but it’s not quite as iconic as the top three.
3. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” — Whitney Houston This song made an appearance at the Navy game but underwhelmed. Catchy, everyone knows the lyrics and is easy to dance to. Just takes a little too long to get going.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
We LOVE us Four and a half years ago, I stepped onto Notre Dame’s campus for the first time. I was a closeted high school junior and the college application process was looming ahead of me. As my parents and I followed our tour guide around campus, I distinctly remember counting the pride flags I saw (three total) and thinking, “Wow. It’s safe here. Finally, I’m surrounded by the kind of Catholics who don’t tolerate hate. I could be out and proud in this environment.” At my high school, those flags would have been torn down. I assumed that the fact they were still flying meant that Notre Dame was a more open-minded community. In the fall of 2018, I filled out my precollege entrance demographic survey. When it came time to bubble in my sexual orientation, none of the options felt right, so I chose “questioning.” Notre Dame would be a good place to question, right? Wrong. Within months of being on campus, I hadn’t shared my identity with a single one of my friends. After we had been forced to flirt with our “brother dorms” during Welcome Weekend serenades, it felt weird to come out like, “Hey, you know that song we all sang about wanting to date the Keenan boys? Well, I’d actually rather date a Flaherty girl!” So, I didn’t. By my sophomore year, I had a better grasp on the campus climate. I learned that not only is there an entire student “newspaper” dedicated to preserving the same fundamentalist version of Catholicism that I wanted to escape, there’s also an entire student organization, Students for Child-Oriented Policy, founded to preserve “the truth of marriage.” Sure, there’s also a Gender Relations Center and an LGBTQ+ student organization and the people who run both are amazing. But this is a campus where rejecting the dignity of queer and trans people isn’t considered hate. It’s a “political or religious opinion,” and it’s protected by the University. It wasn’t until I left this place, which is supposed to be my “home,” that I came home to myself. During the quarantine period of 2020, I dedicated myself to my questioning and finally became comfortable with my identity. Since we returned to campus, I’ve been out and involved in the LGBTQ+ community. A few weeks ago, I joined a meeting between students and administrators about affirming housing policy for transgender and queer students. I listened as peers explained traumatic experiences of explicit homophobia and transphobia in their own living spaces. Over and over, students explained that the situation of living as the “other” at Notre Dame is isolating, painful and scarring. But, so many chose to stay because they want to support their fellow queer and trans students. In my sophomore “Faith and Feminism”
class, my professor brought in an advertisement from 49 years ago, from when Notre Dame first began admitting women as undergraduates. It was a bright yellow poster with a large image of “Notre Dame Men” in rugby shirts. After some text describing the pivot to coeducation, the last words on the poster read “Women will like it at Notre Dame. Men have.” I could imagine how this statement might be written today: “Queer students will like it here. Straight students have.” “Transgender students will like it here. Cisgender students have.” I could go on and on. I could also complain about the binary way of thinking that this sentence structure enforces, but I fear we don’t have time for that conversation now. The point I want to make is that this University has demonstrated countless times that, if you do not fit the mold of the stereotypical Notre Dame student — straight, white, wealthy, male, able-bodied and Catholic — then you must be your own advocate. You must be a martyr for your cause and stay in an environment that may not be safe for you, so that it will hopefully become safe for the future students who share that aspect of your identity. To close the meeting on housing policy, the facilitating administrator said “Consider us your allies.” Being an ally doesn’t just mean allowing our rainbow flags to fly. It’s not allyship to give us a platform to share our trauma, pat yourself on the back and proceed to do nothing. It’s not enough to keep doing the bare minimum. I can’t speak for the entire LGBTQ+ community at Notre Dame, but I know that a lot of us are tired of being martyrs for the cause and we’re weary from fighting for our right to not only survive but thrive here. A lot of us are angry, and rightfully so. But, perhaps the most radical and revolutionary thing we can do in this environment is to dissent with our joy. We’re not just angry all the time. While we’ve experienced some of our deepest pain here, we’ve also experienced some of our deepest joys in this place. We’ve fallen in love, with ourselves and each other. We’ve made lifelong friends and chosen our family. We’ve learned to live proudly and happily, without asking for permission. Some people here want us to hate ourselves and our queerness, but we refuse. We love us. Join us in celebrating our presence on this campus and in this community. Friday. Library Lawn. 3 p.m. Follow @ queerjoynd on Instagram for more details. Ashton Weber senior Nov. 10
2. “Get Low” — Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz (feat. Ying Yang Twins) This universally known banger gets everyone to go low and dance side to side and would send a message to the opposing sideline.
1. “Come On Eileen” — Dexys Midnight Runners Predicting what songs the crowd would sing along to is impossible, but I’m certain this one would work. And what the heck, we’re the Fighting Irish, and Eileen is about as Irish a name as they come. You can contact Ryan at rpeters5@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Submit a Letter to the Editor: viewpoint@ndsmcobserver.com
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The observer | Friday, November 12, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Pope Francis is right: It’s time for universal health care in America Jacob Sherer BridgeND
In July, Pope Francis implored the world to adopt universal health care, extolling its importance after undergoing intestinal surgery. Speaking from the hospital balcony, Pope Francis reflected on the quality health care he received, declaring that “A health service that is free and guarantees good service accessible to all ... should not be lost. It must be maintained and everyone should be committed to this. Because everyone needs it.” For virtually all of the industrialized world, universal health care is a reality, where one does not have to choose between paying for groceries or purchasing their medicine. Sadly, the United States is the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee health care for all its citizens, a decision that is not only morally reprehensible but economically costly. There has never been a better time for the United States to guarantee health care as a human right and join the other industrialized nations across the globe in providing affordable health care to all its citizens. Although the United States is the richest country on Earth, many Americans are forced to take on overwhelming amounts of debt if they get hospitalized. In a 2019 study, one in four cancer patients reportedly struggled to pay for their medical care and another recent study found that Americans owe more than $140 billion in medical debt. We have to ask ourselves as a nation whether or not we will tolerate a system where some people are forced into poverty because they are diagnosed with a serious illness. By guaranteeing affordable health care to all citizens, we can create a country where the only thing the sick have to worry about is getting better. In a world full of injustice and evil, Catholic Social Teaching reminds us of how to treat one another with respect, fight oppression and promote the common good. In particular, it calls us to value and protect the life and dignity of every human person because of our shared experience of being made in the image of God. With over 25 million Americans
uninsured — meaning they are at risk of incurring medical debt if they become seriously ill — is it safe to say that we are not living in a society where every life is valued? Ask yourself: Is having to ration medicine because you can’t afford it an example of living in dignity? Is refusing to call an ambulance during a medical emergency because you can’t afford it living in dignity? And is skipping a doctor’s appointment because the cost is too high something someone would do while living in dignity? Tragically, these are all tough decisions many Americans have to make every day to avoid going into debt. In the United States, the lack of affordable health care is one of the moral crises of our time, an issue that needs to be addressed immediately, and one that should cause outrage to anyone who believes that human life is sacred and must be respected. Many criticize proposals to implement universal health care in America by raising concerns about the cost, but they fail to realize that maintaining the current system is even more costly. Even though the United States does not guarantee health care to all its citizens, we still end up spending more money on health care than all other countries. Annually, the United States spends around $10,000 per person on health care, while other developed countries like Canada and the United Kingdom spend under $5,000 per person. One of the central reasons why our health care system is so expensive and inefficient is because of the outrageous prices of procedures, tests, prescriptions and the growing administrative costs. A universal health care proposal like Bernie Sanders’s Medicare for All plan curtails the ballooning costs of health care because it centralizes it, eliminating most administrative costs and allowing the government to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs and other procedures and tests. Medicare for All is a single-payer health care program where all residents receive Medicare from the federal government. Individuals can obtain health services from any provider, and Medicare coverage would be expanded to cover dental, hearing, vision and prescription drugs. Last year, a group of researchers at three University of California campuses
analyzed 22 studies on the projected cost of single-payer health insurance in the United States, concluding that all studies — regardless of ideological orientation — found that such a program would yield net savings over several years. Specifically, a recent study from Yale found that Medicare for All would save $450 billion annually, providing encouraging evidence that universal health care is economical as well as moral. Because a universal health care system will not only save money but allow more Americans to live with dignity, the United States must make the transition and join other industrialized nations in guaranteeing health care. Notre Dame is uniquely positioned as a leader in Catholic higher education to promote a policy that aligns strongly with Catholic Social Teaching, so we should listen to and act on Pope Francis’ call for universal health care. By using our voices to advocate for universal health care, we can live up to Father Sorin’s dream of Notre Dame being a powerful force for good. Jacob Sherer is a sophomore majoring in political science with a minor in philosophy, politics and economics. Originally from Wisconsin, Jacob lives in Duncan Hall on campus. He currently serves as the director of operations for BridgeND. Feel free to contact him by email at jsherer@nd.edu with any questions, comments or general inquiries. BridgeND is a student-led discussion club that is committed to bridging polarization in politics and educating on how to engage in respectful and productive discourse. BridgeND welcomes students of all backgrounds, viewpoints and experiences who want to strengthen their knowledge of current issues or educate others on an issue that is important to them. The club meets weekly on Mondays at 7 p.m. in the McNeill Room of LaFortune. Want to learn more? Contact bridgend@nd.edu or @bridge_ND on Twitter and Instagram. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Peeling back the moral layers Megumi Tamura Subject to Change
“The Good Place” is a show that I would recommend to almost anyone. It cleverly combines humor with a compelling storyline all underlined by deep moral and philosophical concepts and questions. In one episode, the show, like many other shows before it, recreates the infamous trolley problem: The hypothetical situation where there’s a runaway trolley speeding down the tracks and heading straight toward five people unable to move because they are tied down to the tracks. With the pull of a lever, however, the trolley will switch tracks — saving the lives of those five innocent people but hitting one person who’s tied down on a second path. This hypothetical problem has been driving people crazy since the 13th century with the moral dilemma that YOU have to choose whether to kill five people and save one (by doing nothing) or to save five people but kill one (an action, and a life, that you would be directly responsible for, since you were the one who pulled the lever and switched the tracks). In the show, Chidi, the moral philosophy professor whose fatal flaw is his inability to make decisions, is unable to make this horrible choice and ends up plowing into the five workers. In another simulation of the scenario, he chooses to pull the lever yet sees that the one person he chose to kill was his friend. The famous trolley problem demonstrated in “The Good Place” led me to look into the doctrine of double effect, which is what this moral dilemma supposedly exemplifies. The doctrine of double effect says that “if doing something morally good has a morally bad side-effect it’s ethically OK to do it providing the bad side-effect wasn’t intended” even
if “you foresaw that the bad effect would probably happen.” So, for the trolley problem, pulling the lever and killing the one person would be “ethically OK” because the original action was morally good (its purpose was to save five people) and the morally bad side-effects (killing one person as a result of switching the tracks), although horrible and foreseen, most likely wasn’t intended. The doctrine of double effect has also been applied to a lot of controversial topics like euthanasia and war. Euthanasia is often justified by the doctrine of double effect, since the doctor knows they are virtually ending their patient’s life (obviously morally bad), but they are doing so to relieve their patient’s pain and distress at the patient’s or their family’s request. In this scenario, the doctor isn’t aiming to kill the patient. They are aiming to end the patient’s pain. So, the doctor’s action can be justified as “ethically OK” (ending the patient’s suffering) even though it has a “bad side-effect” (ending the patient’s suffering involved ending his life). I’m not saying I necessarily agree with that, but that is how the doctrine of double effect would “justify” it. Another example can perhaps be found in some situations in war. If a terrorist base is bombed and a civilian living nearby is unintentionally killed alongside the terrorists, according to the doctrine of double effect, this can be seen as “ethically OK” because the death of the civilian, although foreseen, was an unintended morally bad side-effect. Again, I’m not sure if I agree with this kind of logic, but these are some examples where this doctrine of double effect could be applied. I’ll end this column by providing another example scenario which was brought up in “The Good Place,” not as an explicit example of this doctrine, but I think it can apply. It’s also an interesting example because it’s an action that everyone does: buying a tomato.
Obviously, buying a tomato is not explicitly an ethically bad thing to do. But, in the show, they explain how buying that tomato is also contributing to the carbon footprint of that tomato’s production, the unethical conditions and treatment of the tomato harvesters and the use of toxic pesticides used to grow that tomato. So, by making the decision to buy the tomato, the unintended consequences are “ethically bad.” This is an exaggerated example, but it still does apply in a way. The doctrine of double effect might seem like it makes moral dilemmas simpler, but I think it makes a complicated life even more complicated because “justifying” the bad consequence doesn’t make the consequence any better. If the consequential and moral layers of our every action — from political decisions to consumer and everyday choices — were peeled back in the way that the doctrine of double effect does, we would probably drive ourselves crazy.
KERRY SCHNEEMAN | The Observer
Megumi Tamura is a sophomore from New Jersey currently living in McGlinn Hall. She enjoys reading books, going to museums and eating Jersey bagels. She can be reached at mtamura@nd.edu or @megtamura on Twitter. 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 12, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
A call to improve life for Jews at Notre Dame Blake Ziegler News with Zig
In my last column, I described my experience attending Notre Dame as a Jewish student. It appears that some interpreted the piece as an endorsement of Notre Dame’s attitude towards its Jewish community without reservation. That’s not my view. My intended message was that a Jewish student can make it through Notre Dame, but a number of elements make it significantly difficult to be Jewish when it doesn’t have to be that way. My hope in this column is to convey that point further and recommend routes to a Notre Dame that better celebrates its religious diversity. My advocacy is not a condemnation of the university, especially the people I’ve worked with in Campus Ministry, student government and other campus organizations while on the Jewish Club’s executive board. We’ve been able to make great strides towards a more inclusive Notre Dame for Jewish students. My suggestions are purely recommendations to cement that inclusivity more broadly, but it’s not a denial of Notre Dame’s commitment to Jewish students. My suggestions are also not meant to be comprehensive. Each issue requires greater complexity and nuance in implementation, but my purpose here is to begin that discussion. Improving Jewish life on campus is essential to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity. As stated in “Nostra Aetate,” the Church takes its relationship with Jews seriously, recognizing G-d “holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their Fathers; He does not repent of the gifts He makes or of the calls He issues.” Recognizing the spiritual connection between Catholicism and Judaism is necessary “to foster and recommend that mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies as well as of fraternal dialogues.” A commitment to developing a close relationship with the Jewish community is a necessary component to the Church’s mission. If Notre Dame strives to adhere to that identity, part of its plan must involve fostering a connection with the Jewish members on campus.
Kosher food Kosher refers to the strict dietary laws outlined in Jewish
law. Some notable rules include not being able to eat pork or shellfish, as well as not being able to eat meat and dairy together. For Jews who keep Kosher, it can become difficult to adhere to these laws in the dining hall, but especially at catered events. I don’t follow each Kosher law, but I’ve heard stories from Jewish students and faculty expressing their difficulty keeping Kosher through Notre Dame’s dining options. Greater effort from Campus Dining to offer options in accordance with different religious traditions would resolve this problem.
Antisemitism awareness in the Moreau First-Year Experience curriculum I’ve written before on the importance of addressing antisemitism, especially on college campuses. In fact, the Jewish Club hosted an entire week of events dedicated to the topic. Antisemitism is complex and requires broad awareness that a classroom setting can easily provide. Since the Moreau First-Year Experience is already aimed at assisting first-year students in the transition to life at Notre Dame, including antisemitism education would benefit our effort greatly. There are a number of great resources to draw from, including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the AntiDefamation League. This issue falls squarely within Church doctrine. “Nostra Aetate” continues with the notion that the Church “decries hatred, persecutions, displays of [antisemitism], directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.” As antisemitism is an ever-increasing threat to Jewish students on college campuses, a commitment from the university to protect its Jewish students is more important now than ever.
Highlighting Jewish students in undergraduate admissions As indicated in my last column, a big worry for prospective Jewish students is “fitting in” at Notre Dame. Admissions highlighting the Jewish experience at Notre Dame would demonstrate to prospective Jews that you can be Jewish and thrive at this university. This would likely encourage more Jews to apply, which would assist in increasing Notre Dame’s low Jewish population. There’s no excuse for the minimal number of Jews in the undergraduate student body when peer Catholic
institutions like Georgetown University and Boston College host a Jewish constituency of hundreds.
Jewish Studies Program Notre Dame doesn’t have some form of Jewish Studies, unlike peer institutions. Such a program is essential to not only understanding the Catholic-Jewish relationship, but also further establishing Notre Dame’s prominence in academic theology. We have phenomenal faculty that specialize on Jewish topics and establishing a Jewish Studies program would only further their fantastic efforts.
An official definition of antisemitism Last semester, the student senate unanimously approved a measure pushing Notre Dame to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. Defining antisemitism is a key part in the fight against Jew-hatred, as it provides a basis to identify antisemitism and educate the community about the issue. I implore the administration to officially adopt this definition to demonstrate solidarity with the Jewish community. Now, I’m not suggesting Notre Dame remove crosses or reject its Catholic identity. Rather, I’m proposing these recommendations as avenues for Notre Dame to uphold the Church’s mission of fostering a better relationship between Catholics and Jews. It’s perfectly fine and laudable that Notre Dame is proud of its Catholic mission. However, if Notre Dame is willing to accept non-Catholic students, it must be willing to accommodate those students so they can fully participate in our wonderful community. I’m confident that we can accomplish this goal and still retain Notre Dame’s eminent focus on Catholicism. Blake Ziegler is a junior at Notre Dame from New Orleans, Louisiana, with double majors in political science and philosophy. He enjoys writing about politics, Judaism and the occasional philosophical rant. For inquiries, he can be reached at bziegler@nd.edu or followed at @NewsWithZig on Twitter if you want to see more of his opinions. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
It takes a village Sydni Brooks Everything is Fine
As I continue ending my college career during my senior year, I have found myself reminiscing on the moments, decisions, opportunities and memories that have led up to this final chapter. Most importantly, I have been reflecting on the many people who have guided me along this journey and have helped prepare me for these future endeavors. The friends, family members, acquaintances, strangers and relationships of the past have all contributed to the life that is Sydni Brooks, and they all take part in my journey of success, failure and everything in between. At times college and even life itself might feel isolating, and especially with the past year we’ve had, independence and self-sufficiency have been vital traits to survive through these times. As independent as I would like to think I am, all of the people that have influenced my life have made it far from lonely or without support. It truly does take a village to raise a child, and I am forever blessed and grateful for the village that has raised me. I like to think of the people in my life as branches to a tree, and they all work together, whether they know it or not, to lift up and nurture me. I have been blessed with three sets of grandparents, countless aunts and uncles, even more cousins, family friends, friends you think are blood related but you find out years later simply knew your family for a long time and the greatest mom, dad and sister a girl could ask for. The support my parents had in raising their two girls was incredible, and it continues to influence how I interact with people every day. From attending my exorbitant amount of sporting events, talent shows and leadership presentations, to
demanding academic excellence from me in the classroom, to reminding me to always remain my truest self, especially in times of discourse or confusion, the people have created a healthy branch in the tree of my life have guided me to be a compassionate, determined and genuine person full of serving with humility and patience. I was and still am a busybody with too many responsibilities and events to take part in, but someone was always there reminding me that I didn’t have to hold the weight of the anxiety or the excitement alone. All of the parents who drove me to and from practices and games when my own had to work, the families who hosted me for dinner just because they could, the referees we eventually knew by name after playing on their courts for so long, the opponents from different schools who I only know on the court of field but made a difference in how I played the game and all of the friends, teammates and siblings who supported me along the way influence every way I lead my life with kindness and compassion. Many of these people were not connected to me through blood or through the closest of friendships, but they gave their time, energy and even more, their hearts to help me succeed. In college, I continued to meet more people that began to grow branches on this tree, and villagers in my tribe. Professors slowly became mentors who equally taught me about life and academics, much like some of my teachers in high school. I’ve built long-lasting friendships with students here, mostly based on the commonality that none of us really know what is going on in our lives, and none of us have a definite answer on what to do about it. Less thought about, though, are the people who have been sprinkled into my college experience that have also sculpted my existence. The immediate friendships I’ve made with caffeine-wired students who are also studying for organic
chemistry in the library 3 a.m., the random dining hall lunches I’ve had with friends of friends, the students I only know through our silent but smiling waves as we pass each other on the way to class and the countless other interactions I’ve had on this campus constantly remind me of how lucky I am be so interconnected with community. My favorite and most important relationships have been with my parents and sister. I am completely aware of how blessed I am to have such overly supportive (and sometimes overly protective) parents. My greatest joy is utilizing all of the hard work and dedication my parents have done to provide for me in order to make them proud. Besides inspiring me to always be the best version of myself in every facet, my parents and sister have motivated me to appreciate my uniqueness and never let life and its tribulations deplete my spirit. They encourage me to stay creative, vulnerable, selfless and fun, and to use these attributes to light the lives I enter. There are so many branches in the tree of Sydni Brooks which signify the many villagers who have helped raise me. Just as an insurmountable amount of people have shaped my outlook on life, and I have also created branches in the lives of the people around me, big, small and even no longer there. Though it might seem like the people walking in and out of our lives are random, how we imprint ourselves in their lives are forever remembered. Sydni Brooks is a senior studying English and gender studies. She hopes to continue her work in writing and editing in her career advocating for women’s health issues. She can be reached through her email sbrooks2@nd.edu or @sydnimaree22 on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By CLAIRE LYONS Scene Writer
Notre Dame’s Department of film, television and theatre debuted “THIS IS MODERN ART” on Wednesday. The play was prefaced by a lecture from Dr. Nicole L. Woods, assistant professor in Notre Dame’s Department of art, art history & design, who discussed the origins of graffiti in American art. The play, originally directed by Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval, was inspired by anonymous graffiti group Made U Look, who illegally spray-painted a 50-foot mural on the side of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. The main characters in “THIS IS MODERN ART” pull off the same stunt: graffiti-bombing Chicago’s famous art museum. Main character Seven, played by Eric Ways (’18), is a young man who is addicted to art. His compulsive need to create leads him to convince his ragtag group of friends (dubbed Look Over Here) to help him get away with the “crime.” The play is mostly delivered in monologues that break the fourth wall. Seven and his crew romantically rant to the audience about the importance of graffiti culture in a performance reminiscent of Matthew Lillard in “SLC Punk!” Seven tells his friends he wishes street art was not “boxed into the ghetto.” However, he believes the art museums don’t represent “the real artists, right now!” His emotional challenges reflect the tensions between graffiti as anti-institutional artwork and as a legitimately recognized practice. He advocates for the accessibility of art, screaming at the audience: “Who is this art for?!”
By KYLIE HENRY Scene Writer
Warning: This review contains spoilers. The existence of Black cowboys was a concept I honestly hadn’t given much thought until the release of the film “Concrete Cowboy.” It wasn’t that I was unaware of the brutal labor Black slaves were subject to, laboring as farmers or ranchers — I had simply settled with the thought that, regardless of the work done by slaves being the same as white frontier men, they couldn’t be cowboys. Black people weren’t cowboys. This was the narrative portrayed through decades of cinema, a narrative that Jeymes Samuel challenges in the film “The Harder They Fall.” Jeymes Samuel crafts a glorious cast of Black actors, placing some widely familiar faces in the leading roles: Jonathan Majors as Nat Love, Idris Elba as Rufus Buck, Regina King as Trudy Smith, and LaKeith Stanfield as Cherokee Bill. Historically, Rufus Buck was a mixed-race Black and Creek Indian, who led a prominent gang in Arkansas and was hanged for his crimes at the age of 18 in 1896. Nat Love was a skilled cowboy and ex-slave from Oklahoma during the late 19th century who died in 1920. Cherokee Bill was Black, Mexican, Sioux, Cherokee, white and an experienced cowboy and criminal, hanged for his crimes in 1896 at the age of 20. These are just a few of the real-life figures who inspired
The performances from the starring cast were phenomenal. Ways comes off as authentic and natural as Seven, passionately delivering monologues to the audience about street art and effortlessly joking around with the other characters. The emotional range displayed by Ways and his costar Timothy Merkle (who plays a Latinx artist JC) was impressive. Dose (Lamont Marino) is a great vessel for comedic relief and had the audience rolling in their seats. Seven’s girlfriend, Selena (Lyric Medeiros), is equally hilarious as the witty, street-art equivalent of Elle Woods. Although the romance subplot drags attention away from the true meaning of the play, the ensemble has palpable chemistry. Director Zuri Eshun (‘14) does an excellent job of bringing the play to stage at DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The set design by Marcus Stephens and lighting by Kevin Dreyer seamlessly worked together to create an immersive atmosphere, given the constraints of live theater. Art projections from Karla Guerra and the use of prop aerosol cans added dimension by contextualizing and performing art. The costume designer, Naya Tadavarthy, leans into the creativity of the play’s characters with JC’s hand-painted denim jacket and the crew’s black coveralls, night-vision goggles and balaclavas for sneaking around. In her pre-show lecture, Woods said graffiti has been around since the birth of writing itself. From cave paintings and hieroglyphics to tags on CTA trains and buildings, graffiti manifests our innate desire to be remembered. She said works of graffiti “are connected to the very process of writing [the] self into history.” Street artists have been consistently marginalized and
forgotten by both the public and the art world. By policing and criminalizing graffiti in urban areas, legislators conflated the criminal activity of gangs with provocative works of political activism from street artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Academies and museums tend to exclude graffiti from the contemporary canon, which subsequently deplatforms artists’ messages of protest. “THIS IS MODERN ART” isn’t just about graffiti. It is graffiti. It embodies the deliberate practice and memorization of graffiti artists through the cast’s dedicated performance, but also leaves room for spontaneous improvisation. It is temporary. Yet, it leaves an indelible mark upon the audience by giving marginalized art a voice and history. You can still catch a performance of this production at DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
this work of fiction, one that reveals that the wild, wild west wasn’t exclusively white. In the film, Nat Love seeks revenge against Buck for murdering his parents. Buck ventures to Redwood City, along with the sheriff and the rest of his gang to go head-to-head with the notorious convict. Rufus Buck’s gang, which consists of Trudy Smith, Cherokee Bill and others begin their quest by rescuing Buck from his prison transport. My favorite scene in the film was when Smith is confronted by the white conductor of the train that she and the Rufus Buck gang has halted to collect Buck — she cuts through the conductor’s hate speech with a bullet. Cherokee Bill suggests that the conductor could have been calling them “nincompoops,” and Trudy responds with, “We ain’t no nincompoop. If they say something that even starts with an ‘N,’ they gonna meet the same fate.” While director Jeymes Samuel’s decision to not use racial expletives directed towards his Black characters wasn’t one that I initially noticed, this refusal to accept degradation and disrespect from the white characters of the film — and Trudy’s display of authority in this particular scene over the conductor — was something I appreciated. One thing I felt went overlooked in the film is that Rufus Buck aims to turn Redwood City into a safe haven for the Black community. Although a violent man, upon his release Buck doesn’t seek out trouble — it comes to him in
the form of Nat Love. The two gangs meet in a duel of firearms through the town. The event virtually consumes the second hour of the film. When Rufus Buck and Nat Love finally meet face-to-face, Buck reveals a chilling secret that causes Love to pause before shooting Buck a total of six times, then gracefully adjusting Buck’s blazer to cover his blood-stained shirt. A small part of me hoped that the two would become allies following Buck’s reveal, but the realist in me knew this wasn’t going to happen with five minutes left of the film and the tendency for action movies to be more gore than plot. Overall, the film was excellently cast, action-packed and should leave a much-needed mark on the Western film genre.
Contact Claire Lyons at clyons3@nd.edu
“THIS IS MODERN ART” Director: Zuri Eshun (‘14) Starring: Eric Ways, Timothy Merkle, Lamont Marino Where: DeBartolo Performing Arts Center When: Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Kylie Henry at khenry01@saintmarys.edu
“The Harder They Fall” Director: Jeymes Samuel Starring: Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Major, LaKeith Stanfield If you liked: “Concrete Cowboy,” “Django Unchained”
DOUG ABELL | The Observer
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The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By ANNA FALK Scene Writer
Warning: This review contains spoilers and mentions of sexual assault. Taking an hour or so to sit with a newly-watched movie is one of my favorite things to do; it lets me soak in the film as a whole while I try to process what I’ve just witnessed. However, doing this with “Last Night in Soho” has left me even more confused than when the credits began to roll. “Last Night in Soho” is a story about Eloise “Ellie” Turner (Thomasin McKenzie), a fashion student obsessed with the 1960s who has moved to school in London from a small town in Cornwall. After some terrible experiences with her roommate, she moves into a bedsit of an old woman’s apartment in Soho. On her first night, she is teleported to the 1960s in her dreams and lives through an aspiring performer named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). Every night, Ellie dreams of Sandie’s life, and eventually, Sandie’s life starts coming into her reality. In her dreams of becoming a performer, Sandie’s boyfriend and manager, Jack (Matt Smith), begins pimping her out to men, telling her that it’s the only way to become a big star. Ellie lives through Sandie’s abuse and actively tries to protect her from the men who prey on her every night (all to no avail). In her waking moments, Ellie has visions of these men and eventually sees Sandie being murdered by Jack in her own bed. Haunted by the ghosts of Sandie and of the men (Jack included), Ellie begins to spiral out of control as she
By MARCELLE COUTO Scene Writer
It is often said that young people have lost the habit of reading. But after all, do they really read less? According to Kelly Jensen, writer for the “Book Riot” editorial, “Americans age 15 and older increased their daily reading average from 17 minutes per day in 2019 to 20 minutes per day in the same time frame in 2020. Two demographics, those between the ages of 20 and 34 and those over age 65, increased their daily reading average the most. Those older than 75 had the largest time increases in reading last year, clocking in at an average of 57 minutes a day.” It is no surprise that more time at home led many to enjoy such fruitful activities. Last year also featured a sales increase in all literary categories. Juvenile fiction and nonfiction underwent an 11% and 23.1% increase respectively, while adult fiction and nonfiction gained a 6% and 8% increase. However, young adult fiction and nonfiction experienced the largest change, amounting to respective increases of 21.4% and 38.3%. To complete our statistical overview — albeit with a layer of nuance from an unpromising fact — a survey conducted by Pew Research Center through January 2021 revealed 23% of American adults claim to not have read a single book for the past year. However, it is worth noting that a basic evaluation of the United States suggests an unfavorable educational setting, with 21% of adults falling into the illiterate or functionally illiterate category per the National Center for
tries to warn the police about Sandie’s murder (give or take 60 years posthumously), and she accuses an old man who hangs around the bar she works at to be Jack. In the end, it turns out to be that the old woman she lives with, Ms. Collins, is Sandie. She confesses to Ellie that she killed Jack and all the other men who abused her, hiding their bodies in the structures of her home. A great struggle occurs between the women, the apartment catches fire and Ms. Collins eventually resigns herself to die in the flames for what she has done. Ellie comes out of this (seemingly) mentally healthy, free of visions of Sandie and successful in fashion school. Even though I am a big fan of Edgar Wright’s work, I found that there were so many places where things went wrong. The story itself was good and the twist at the end was thrilling and unexpected, but I have problems with the twist itself. For the entirety of the movie, Wright builds a relationship between Ellie and Sandie, showing a parallel between their mutual struggles with misogyny and sexual harassment. Ellie constantly tries to protect Sandie from the men who hunt her, and Ellie (at the beginning) even tries to model herself after Sandie’s style and fashion. Despite this, Wright’s twist destroys what he had so tirelessly built up in the majority of the movie. This movie details an unfortunately true narrative regarding the nature of violence against women pervading throughout the centuries... until it doesn’t. Ms. Collins’ confession destroys the bond between Ellie and Sandie and makes the plot more sinister. It displayed less of a revenge-type, “good-for-her”
type motivation like in Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” (2020), and more of a lust for violence motivated by abuse. I have many other questions concerning Ellie’s mental well-being, her unexplained visions of ghosts even before coming to London and her latter boyfriend John’s dedication to taking care of her and keeping her safe (which is laudable but a bit concerning), but those might take a bit too long to unpack. Regardless, the movie did not lack in its cinematography, score and casting (though I found that Wright did not employ humor in the movie as much as he usually does). I enjoyed it, and as a person who doesn’t watch horror or thriller movies often, I found it to be quite engaging and entertaining. This movie was a bit of a step out of Edgar Wright’s typical style, but I am still debating whether this leap was worth it.
Educational Statistics. But how many, among the individuals who were taught how to read, actually take advantage of their privilege? In one sense, young people read increasingly more as they possess ready access to streams of content and information. However, the quality of this content may be dubious. Short texts and bite-sized articles from unofficial sources slowly replace classic literature, virtually eliminating aspects of cognitive development associated with reading such as higher vocabulary and concentration. As such, we must promote the inclusion of mediators in the reading process. Whether they be teachers, librarians or caregivers, catering quality literature is their duty. Although the pleasure in reading may have slightly increased, it is still necessary to further encourage this habit which so profoundly changes and improves lives. To name a few of its many benefits, reading develops concentration, selective focus and imagination and preserves the health of the brain. It also enhances memory, helps prevent Alzheimer’s and remains the best way to deeply understand any subject. Additionally, reading stimulates the ability to solve problems, as stories bring up obstacles similarly encountered in life. Avid readers can speak and write with greater eloquence and fluidity, making their thoughts easy for others to follow. Further, numerous books contain the power to humanize souls, nurture feelings, develop empathy and motivate readers to pursue their dreams and goals. Treating an otherwise pleasurable activity as an obligation can drive away young children and adolescents.
Allowing teenagers to discover their literary identity is critical since certain authors or themes may entirely captivate their interest. While parents may worry about content variety, restricting options merely increases enmity; instead, recognizing what enables the most satisfaction in young readers is the first step to expanding their repertoire. A passion for reading need not begin with strictly literary works; it may start to flourish through comic books, magazines and illustrated books. E-books, books that address relevant topics, comic book versions of classics and a myriad of other accessible tools contribute to the democratization of reading. Encouraging this habit is essential, from “storytime” in childhood to the development of welcoming spaces for reading adept to the changing times. Readers, no matter their age, must be enchanted by the magic of the act itself as well as their personal identification with the stories they encounter. Most importantly, sharing experiences is crucial to the collective growth of a habit. Older leaders must share their personal literary journey with younger generations, and if they do not have one, it is the perfect opportunity to exemplify the conduct they would like to observe. As for young adults themselves, perhaps reading — beyond all of its aforementioned benefits — is a form of expression like no other, calming the mind from the extremeness of this world by allowing us to forsake our own egos, if only for a few moments.
Contact Anna Falk at afalk@nd.edu
“Last Night in Soho” Director: Edgar Wright Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith If you liked: “Baby Driver,” “Malignant,” “The Handmaiden”
Contact Marcelle Couto at mcouto@nd.edu CLAIRE KIRNER | The Observer
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Simplicity, moderation and unabashed truth will help you find your way from start to finish. Be concise, and leave nothing to chance. Do whatever it takes to keep your life free and clear of unnecessary complications, abundance and regret. Take the high road, and you’ll discover all kinds of unique opportunities that will contribute to your life and well-being. Your numbers are 8, 19, 24, 29, 33, 37, 45. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Dig in and get things done. Your performance will be what makes a difference to onlookers. Move forward with confidence, and do what you do best. Don’t overspend or exaggerate if you want to maintain a stellar reputation. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Size down, look for bargains and avoid promising more than you can deliver. Too much of anything will lead to unnecessary stress. Uncertainty or inconsistency will not help you win support or favors. Preparation is essential if you want success to follow. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): An intellectual approach to whatever you do, hard work and a positive attitude will help you excel. The research you do and the information you offer will boost your reputation and build your confidence. Don’t let jealousy become a problem. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Participate in a cause that concerns you. You will face opposition but, in the end, it will give you a sense of satisfaction that you did something to stand up for your beliefs. A romantic gesture will be well-received. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A change at home results from your professional goals and the people you deal with daily. Don’t exaggerate or procrastinate. It’s essential to keep everyone updated to balance both personal and professional objectives. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Make positive changes. Don’t get involved in someone’s lofty scheme. Look out for your interests, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Discard what is no longer of use to you, and step away from people who drag you down instead of propping you up. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You need to destress. Having downtime, getting back to basics and letting go of things you cannot change will help you rethink your strategy moving forward. Go over your budget, and tighten up your lifestyle to fit your financial goals. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Research will pay off. Diversity is the spice of life and will help you stay balanced and informed. Be an observer and a reluctant spender. Listen to experts, but let your gut decide your fate. Embrace what makes you feel passionate. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t get ahead of yourself. Take a moment to look over the logistics and expenses of your plans. Evaluate the pros and cons, and revamp your project before you commit to something that can tax you financially. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Pay attention to how you feel, look and handle emotional matters. Adjust your time, and focus your energy on what makes the most sense. How you manage work ethics and keeping up with responsibilities and personal chores will influence your emotional well-being AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep a tight rein on money matters. Having an unrealistic view of what’s possible will leave you falling short. Stick to basics, and you’ll manage to get what’s necessary out of the way without losing ground. Physical activity will ease stress.
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Roundtable: Week 11 By Sam Ouhaj, J.J. Post, Tom Zwiller, Jamison Cook and Matt Smith Spor ts Writers
John Kalemkerian Sports Writer
Although it seems like the first nine weeks have flown by, we have indeed reached that point: 136 of the 272 total regular season games have been played, meaning we have exactly half of the season to go. We’ve had some teams surprise us with their struggles (looking at you, Kansas City) and we’ve had some teams come out and do exactly what we expected them to (sorry, Lions). But perhaps the best thing about the longer season is this: Every team gets an extra opportunity to add another W in the win column, and that’s just what these top10 teams will be looking to do during the back half of the season.
1. Arizona Cardinals (8-1, 1st in the NFC West) Were it not for a narrow threepoint loss at the hands of Green Bay, the Cardinals would sport an undefeated record at the halfway point. As it is, Arizona has taken massive strides on both sides of the ball since last season. If Kyler Murray and the passing offense continues to thrive, there’s nothing standing in the way of the Cardinals and the coveted firstround bye (remember, there’s only one per conference this year).
up a division crown. However, Tennessee also currently sits atop the AFC and a first-round bye would be massive towards letting their star running back heal up. To keep winning without Henry, the defense will have to continue to dominate down the stretch.
5. Green Bay Packers (7-2, 1st in NFC North) The Packers will need to do two things to keep churning out wins. First, they need to tune out all the off-the-field controversy surrounding Aaron Rodgers. Second, they desperately need to get Rodgers’ weapons back on the field. Putting up a mere seven points against a weak Chiefs team was a major disappointment, but not surprising given the receiving corps was led by Randall Cobb. It’s not 2014 anymore.
6. Baltimore Ravens (6-2, 1st in AFC North) Sitting atop the most competitive division in football (the AFC West is a close second), the Ravens have managed to overcome many key injuries with an admirable “next man up” mentality. At this point, their method for success is pretty simple: Keep Lamar Jackson on the field, and wins will follow. Also, go check out the season Justin Tucker is having. Can kickers win MVP?
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2, 1st in the NFC South)
7. Buffalo Bills (5-3, 1st in AFC East)
Tom Brady’s Buccaneers will be the stiffest competition for Arizona. While the two teams won’t meet in the regular season, any slip up could prove fatal for Arizona as the Bucs have a cupcake second-half schedule, playing just two teams currently over .500. Getting Antonio Brown back from his ankle injury will only make beating up on subpar competition even easier.
Buffalo’s loss against Jacksonville was the most shocking upset of the season. Despite the fun that the Josh Allen vs. Josh Allen matchup brought, the concerns are real for the Bills. It’s possible, even likely, that they overlooked the lowly Jags, but scoring just six points against a bottom-five defense is never a good sign. I expect them to rebound, especially given their upcoming schedule (Jets, Colts, Saints, Patriots).
3. Los Angeles Rams (7-2, 2nd in the NFC West) Last week’s loss to the Titans was certainly disappointing and it exposed MVP frontrunner Matt Stafford as a mortal, but in the long run it should be no more than a bump in the road for Sean McVay’s crew. The Rams will get another crack at the Cardinals in Week 14, which will go a long way towards deciding their playoff fate. Anything short of a Super Bowl appearance would be a disappointment for an LA team so obviously in win-now mode.
8. Cleveland Browns (5-4, 3rd in AFC North)
4. Tennessee Titans (7-2, 1st in AFC South)
Are the division-leading Cowboys or Chargers more deserving of this eighth spot? Maybe, but I have a good feeling about the Brown. Also, Browns fans deserve some love after the years, even decades, of pain they’ve had to endure. Losing OBJ didn’t slow down the offense at all as they steamrolled their rival Bengals last week. Cleveland should collect two more wins before heading into a massive SNF showdown with the Ravens in Week 12.
With Derrick Henry not coming back until the playoffs (at the earliest), the Titans will need other players to step up if they hope to maintain early-season success. Benefitting from a weak division, they’re nearly certain to lock
Contact John Kalemkerian at jkalemke@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
After a week of close games, the College Football Championship is up for almost anyone, granted you’re not on the committees’ bad side. Despite the jokes that have been circulating online, we are in for a fantastic week of games this weekend with a few match ups that can once again alter the rankings. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest match ups during Week 11. NCAA Games of the Week No. 8 Oklahoma @ No.13 Baylor No. 6 Michigan @ Penn State No. 19 Purdue @ No. 4 Ohio State
Sam Ouhaj Oklahoma vs. Baylor is one of my favorite match ups every college football season. These teams always play close. Last year’s matchup saw the Sooners beat the Bears 27-14, and the year prior, both of their match ups were within a touchdown. Caleb Williams has been the spark the Sooners’ offense needed, and they are on fire. Coming off a bye week, Oklahoma should be well-rested to put this game away. However, Baylor is not a team to sleep on, and despite Quarterback Gerry Bohanon having four interceptions over his last two games, the Bears have been putting up almost thirty points a game. The Sooners’ defense is iffy, but I believe they get the job done this weekend. Oklahoma 35 Baylor 31 This week, Michigan being ahead of Michigan State is a joke, but that’s another story for another day. On the other hand, Penn State has fallen from grace, and after starting 4-0, they now sit at a record of 6-3 and are unranked. As J.J. said, if this matchup were three weeks ago, it would be one of the best match ups of the weekend. Anyway, Sean Clifford has been meh at best since his injury and has regressed to last year. Michigan should win this game, but Penn State’s defense is among the best units in the country and could keep the Wolverines’ offense in check. I believe that Penn State will get overwhelmed by Michigan’s defense by the half, which in turn will force the Nittany Lions’ defense to be on the field longer than they would like and put this game out of reach. Michigan 35 Penn State 21 Purdue has been the heartbreaker of the season. After convincing wins over Michigan State and Iowa, Purdue is not the ideal team Ohio State wants
to face, especially after almost losing to Nebraska. Do I personally think the Buckeyes will fail? No, but the Boilermakers have played dominant football all season long and can pull off the upset. CJ Stroud has adjusted the college level and is putting up impressive numbers despite the turnovers, and the Buckeyes defense has been improving. Despite playing Michigan State next week, Purdue will be Ohio State’s toughest matchup since they lost to Oregon, even after playing Penn State. Can the Boilermakers continue to break college football fans’ hearts? We will have to tune in Saturday for an afternoon classic. Purdue 30 Ohio State 38
college football world once again come to gaze on Purdue and their insatiable appetite for causing destruction in the top ten. Make no mistake, Purdue isn’t some fluke squad that lucked into two wins. They’re a quality team with one of the nations’ best receivers in David Bell, as well as a coach in Jeff Brohm who always seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve for big games. That being said, Ohio State at home is about as tall of an order as you’ll find in the sport. The Buckeyes have looked very vincible in recent weeks, but I suspect Ryan Day will do just enough to survive another week in the top five. Ohio State 37 Purdue 34
Tom Zwiller J.J. Post I want to believe. I really do. I would love nothing more than for the Chaos Gods of college football to reach down and strike back Oklahoma for their weeks of playing weak but survivable games against bad opponents. But I’m just not seeing it this week. For better or worse for Notre Dame’s playoff hopes, the Sooners have looked distinctly better since Caleb Williams took over at quarterback, and Baylor is coming off a rough loss to a TCU team playing their first game without Gary Patterson at the helm since the turn of the century. Being back on home territory should help the Bears, and I suspect they’ll keep it close, but I’m not sure it will be enough to overcome a Sooners offense that might finally be finding their top gear. Oklahoma 44, Baylor 38 This game looked a lot more fun about three weeks ago. But then Penn State lost to Illinois at home in one of the most hilariously bad games in recent college football history, and the Nittany Lions haven’t looked the same since. Make no mistake, James Franklin’s squad has plenty of talent. They kept Ohio State within arms’ length in Columbus on Halloweekend, which is no easy feat. But Michigan is once again building momentum of their own after rivals Michigan State fell to Purdue, which sadly enough for the rest of the country once again opens up Michigan’s path to the playoffs. Happy Valley awaits and will be bringing the heat, but if Harbaugh and co. keep their eyes in front of them and not on their rivalry week showdown with Ohio State, they should be able to see this one out. Michigan 31, Penn State 24 Hail to the Spoilermakers, the unstoppable force that has sent the playoff runs of Iowa and Michigan State off the rails over the last few weeks. And now, once again, the hopeful eyes of the
Like history, this season’s Oklahoma team can be categorized into two time periods; Before Caleb Williams (BC) and After Caleb Williams (AC). Against FBS teams with Spencer Rattler, the Sooners’ average margin of victory was 5.25. With Williams? Well, it jumped to 17.75, not a small change by any means. And while the Baylor Bears are a sound squad, they have the weaker offense of the two teams. So while the Sooners may be 4-5 against the spread, I like them to win by at least a touchdown. And even with a total of 62.5, I would personally take the over. On principle, you have to with two Big 12 teams, right? Oklahoma 49 Baylor 42 Expect this one to be a defensive battle (unlike the shootout above), where both offenses struggle to move the ball, and turnovers will be the difference. These two teams both allow 16 and 16.7 points per game. You may want to take the under (48.5) on this one, and I think the spread (even) is perfect for this one. Michigan has a much better offense and gives up fewer yards per game than the Nittany Lions, but of course, this game takes place in Happy Valley. The last time I picked a tight game with the Wolverines, I picked against them, and MSU ended up proving me right. If it is not broken, why fix it? Michigan 21 Penn State 24 Of the three games, Purdue against Ohio State has to be my favorite matchup. The No. 19 Spoilermakers come into the matchup having toppled Iowa and Michigan State and set their sights on a CFP caliber team in Ohio State. The Buckeyes need to be worried; they lost to Oregon, and becoming a two-loss team at the hands of Purdue would end any CFP ambitions. Luckily for the Buckeyes, I have them coming out on top. Purdue beat Iowa for lack of offense and MSU
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sports for lack of defense against explosive plays. The Buckeyes (45 PPG and 19 PPGA) boast both. Purdue 24 Ohio State 35
Jamison Cook Oklahoma was ranked eighth in the first round of College Football Playoff rankings, lower than most would have thought for an undefeated leader of the Big 12. The Sooners must win convincingly down the stretch if they want to make a playoff push, and this week’s game against Baylor presents an opportunity to do just that. The Bears faltered at TCU last week, falling to the 4-5 Horned Frogs 30-28. Baylor can score with anyone, but unfortunately for them, so can Oklahoma. Freshman QB Caleb Williams is a special talent for the Sooners, and they should roll in this one, even if it is in Waco. This should be a classic Big 12 affair, meaning lots of points and horrible tackling. Oklahoma 40 Baylor 27 Michigan and Penn State. Two of my least favorite teams in the
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country. Can they both lose this game? Anyway, Michigan looked better last week in their win over Indiana in which they held the Hoosiers to only seven points. Michigan RB Hassan Haskins dominated, rushing for 168 yards and a touchdown. The Wolverines gave up just 195 yards of total offense, and they should be able to similarly limit the Nittany Lions in this matchup. Penn State QB Sean Clifford looked healthier last week against Maryland, and WR Jahan Dotson torched the Terrapins for 242 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions. I don’t think either of these teams are great, but I think Michigan is healthier overall and they have a better defense. Should be a good one in Happy Valley. Michigan 27, Penn State 23
over 1,000 yards, helped by his 11-catch, 217-yard performance last week. The Boilermakers will need a similar effort to pull this upset off. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Cinderella story will continue this week. That is because I guess I never thought Iowa or Michigan State were very good, but Ohio State is the real deal. Buckeyes QB CJ Stroud has found his stride, and he has already passed for 2,675 yards and 25 touchdowns with just five picks. RB Treveyon Henderson will also most likely go over 1,000 yards on the season in this game. If this game was at Purdue, it might be a different story, but I am going to have to take the Buckeyes, even though they won’t cover the 20-point spread. Ohio State 38, Purdue 27
Matt Smith Can Purdue play spoiler once again? The Boilermakers have beaten No. 2 Iowa and No. 3 Michigan State this year, and they now have an opportunity to do it again. Purdue WR David Bell has been elite this season with already
Baylor had a tough loss last weekend at TCU, and they will have a difficult time bouncing back against an Oklahoma squad coming off a bye week. The Bears have one of the top running backs in the country in Abram
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Smith, who has 11 touchdowns on the year, but the Sooners have one of the top rushing defenses in the country. They have only given up eight rushing touchdowns all season, and Baylor will struggle to break through. Quarterback Caleb Williams has recently emerged as a Heisman contender as well, and Oklahoma should get the win in Waco. Oklahoma 38, Baylor 28 Michigan recovered nicely from its loss to Michigan State with a thumping of Indiana, and I think they will keep the momentum rolling this weekend against Penn State. Nittany Lions wide receiver Jahan Dotson is an absolute stud, but I think the Wolverines pass rush won’t give Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford enough time to find him. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker David Ojabo have a combined 14 sacks this season, and they have forced five fumbles as well. They will be a constant presence in the Penn State backfield and help lead the Wolverines to victory.
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Michigan 27, Penn State 13 I would love to pick Purdue to take down the Buckeyes at The Shoe, but I think it’s too unrealistic for the Boilermakers to beat their third AP top-5 opponent of the year on Saturday. Purdue just won’t be able to match Ohio State’s explosive offense. The Buckeyes are averaging 44.9 points per game, which is good for second in the country. Quarterback C.J. Stroud continues to improve, and it seems as if he’ll have another elite weapon to lean on after wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s huge game at Nebraska. I’ll take the Buckeyes in a close one. Ohio State 34, Purdue 31 Contact Sam Ouhaj at souhaj@nd.edu; J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu; Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu; Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu and Matt Smith at msmtih88@ nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
W Bball Continued from page 16
encouraging takeaway of the night for Notre Dame has to be the emergence of their young players. Freshman guard Olivia Miles had a career-best 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with six assists, and she looked extremely comfortable running the offense all night. Miles was aggressive driving into the paint throughout the game, and her impressive vision led to some flashy assists from underneath the basket. “I knew she was going to make an immediate impact, just the caliber player that she is. She’s very confident, has a lot of swag,” Ivey said. “She’s always the person that wants to make everybody better, and I thought today she just looked for her shot a little bit more, which I thought was really great and what we needed.” Sophomore guard and reigning ACC Rookie of the Year Maddy Westbeld also dazzled and showed why she was nominated for the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List. Her presence was felt all over the floor, as Western Illinois was unable to contain her imposing 6-foot 3-inch frame. Westbeld had 15 points, three assists, and a Purcell Pavilion record-tying 18 rebounds on the night. “It’s really humbling,” Westbeld said regarding the rebounding record. “I had no idea until my teammates were telling me in the fourth quarter. Just knowing the legends that have played here before, even being mentioned in that same sentence as them is really humbling and really awesome to say that.” Next up, Notre Dame will kick off ACC play on Sunday, Nov. 14, against the Syracuse Orange. Tipoff is scheduled for noon ET at the Carrier Dome, and the game will be broadcast on ACC Network. Contact Matt Smith at msmith88@nd.edu
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The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Bouts Continued from page 16
Amelia “Meals on Wheels” Love Both boxers flew out of their corners, coming out on the offensive in this one and trading punch for punch. Both fighters settled in, but Alvarez threw some strong punches to force Love to the ground at the end of the first round. In the second round, Alvarez came out swinging again, throwing some quick 1-2s at Love. Both fighters showed lots of heart at the end of the second round, going punch for punch to make it a very intriguing fight heading into the third round. In the final round, it was Love that came out strong, landing a big punch on Alvarez to throw her to the ground. Love used her big final round to prevail by split decision.
Cam “Can’t Touch This” Dowd vs. Lily “Lightning” Whitman Dowd and Whitman were able to land some big punches on each other early on in this one, going toe to toe in the ring. After coming out aggressively, both fighters tired out a bit towards the end of the round, setting up an exciting bout going forward. Dowd came out firing in the second round, but Whitman was able to counter her offensive and land some big punches of her own. Dowd finished the round on a high note, landing some big right hands against Whitman. In the third round, Dowd came out swinging yet again, but Whitman stood her ground to land some strong punches of her own. Both fighters were noticeably fatigued at the end, but Dowd was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
Sabrina “Golden Stinger” Curran vs. Shannon “The Sharon” Steines Steines came out firing in this one, forcing Curran to the corner, but Curran was able to get out of it and go toe to toe with her opponent. Steines was able to land some more big punches against Curran at the end of round one to carry some momentum into the second round. In the second round, Steines came out of the gates on the offensive again, but Curran successfully settled in and landed some strong body punches against Steines to make this one an intriguing bout down the stretch. In the third round, Curran successfully evaded Steines’ early attack, but both boxers looked noticeably fatigued by the end of the fight, struggling to throw strong punches against each other. In the end, Curran proved to be the better fighter, winning the fight by unanimous decision.
Sophie “Mighty Mouse” Kressler vs. Dani “Mighty Muffin” Harold Both fighters flew out of the gate, but Kressler was able to settle in early and land some strong punches against Harold. Harold did a good job of coming back, though, and landing some strong punches of her
own at the end of the first round. In the second round, it was Harold who carried over her momentum from the first round to land some big punches early, but Kressler was able to land a big 1-2 punch against Harold to get her up against the ropes. In the third round, Harold flew out of the gates, but Kressler found a way to slip one of Harold’s punches and land some strong punches of her own. Down the stretch, both fighters threw some strong jabs against each other, but Kressler proved to be the winner by unanimous decision.
Nicole “I ain’t calling you a truther” Lies of vs. Carly “The Wall” Hall In this one, both fighters flew out of their corner, landing some strong 1-2s against each other. Hall was then able to find a groove at the end of the first round and throw some strong punches against Lies. Both fighters went toe to toe in the second round, but Lies was able to evade some punches and land some strong jabs at Hall to set up a highly contested bout in the third and final round. Out of the gates in the third round, both fighters flew out of their corners to throw some strong jabs at each other in the middle of the ring. Towards the end of the round, both Lies and Hall appeared very burned out, but both fighters fought to the end, throwing some strong punches against one another. Hall fought better overall, though, winning this one by unanimous decision.
Kelly “Wardog” Ward vs. Erin “The Swimmer” Jackson threw the first couple of punches, but Ward responded quickly to throw lots of fast, quick jabs at Jackson. Ward then threw a big 1-2 punch that threw Jackson against the rail, forcing the referee to pause the fight briefly. After resuming, Ward continued to dominate and force Jackson against the ropes. In the second round, Jackson threw some punches early, but Ward continued to punish Jackson with her 1-2 punches to force her against the ropes. The referee had to stop this one early, securing a dominating victory for Ward.
Emily “Bookhook” Wilborn of vs. Avery “Hurricane” Both boxers came out of the gates firing in this one, but Wilborn was able to land some big punches against Garrity early on. Garrity fought back strong, though, to set up a highly contested bout for the next two rounds. Wilborn continued to dominate in the second round, landing some big 1-2 punches against Garrity throughout the round. Garrity did a good job of slipping some of these punches, however, and throwing some body punches at Wilborn to keep it interesting. In the third round, Wilborn tried to get Garrity on the ropes, but Garrity successfully evaded some of Wilborn’s punches to get back to the middle of the ring. Moments later, though, Wilborn landed a big
punch to send Garrity to the ground. Wilborn was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
headshots on Mendoza, and the fight was over moments later. Roccato was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
Ring B Mia “Mayhem” Lecinski vs. Deirdre “Dirty D” Lagore
Kiera “Red Lightning” Judd vs. Erin “Waterworks” Fennessy
The first bout of the night in Ring B opened with a flurry of punches from both fighters. Lecinski landed a few jabs early in the first round before both fighters began to pace themselves, backing off slightly and circling the ring. Both fighters landed a few solid body shots before the end of the round, but neither fighter seemed dazed by the contact or the furious pace of fighting that resumed just before the bell. Lagore came out swinging to start the second round, and her aggressive style seemed to catch Lecinski off guard, as Lagore continued to land punches on her opponent’s head and body. Lecinski fought back towards the end of the round, and the fighters traded a series of blows as the second round came to a close. Lecinski, trying to take control of the fight, came back out with a vengeance in the third round, landing some early jabs between the defense of Lagore. Lecinski’s confidence seemed to grow as the round progressed, and she continued to dominate the final round, earning an intervention from the referee as he checked up on Lagore following a few good combinations from Lecinski. The referee’s count ultimately ran out the clock in the third and final round. Lecinski was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
The third bout of the night in Ring B featured club president Erin Fennessy, and her advantage in experience over the sophomore was evident from the beginning. She came out hot and pushed the pace, dictating where the fighting went from the first bell. Judd fought back in the middle of the round and landed a few punches, but Fennessy took the fighting to the body as the round progressed. The volume of punches thrown by Fennessy became apparent towards the end of the round, and Judd was forced to play defense for the majority of the first round. Round two opened with an offensive outburst from both fighters, but Fennessy soon regained control with multiple jabs to the head of Judd. The left hand of Fennessy was devastating in the second, as she landed jab after jab, keeping Judd off balance. To her credit, Judd weathered the storm extremely well, but despite her good defense, there was not much time between punches to launch an attack on Fennessy. The captain, who refused to sit between rounds, came with more of the same in the third round. While Judd was able to land a few blows in the final frame of boxing, it was once again Fennessy who dictated the pace of the fight. Time was called midway through the third to fix Judd’s headgear, and after the break Fennessy came back with more, backing Judd against the ropes multiple times. “Waterworks” won by unanimous decision.
Veronica “Tasmanian Devil” Mendoza vs. Mags “Little Bull” Roccato The grad students turned out in force to support Mendoza, and their energy spurred Mendoza to an early flurry of punches. Roccato seemed to be the more composed fighter, as she used her height and reach to her advantage. Both fighters took a breath midway through the first round and began to pace slowly around the ring, but Mendoza was able to land two headshots just before the bell. Roccato started the second round strong, landing a few shots before backing off to survey her opponent. The fighters traded blow after blow in the middle of the round, and the crowd responded raucously. Roccato hit Mendoza with multiple hooks in the waning seconds of the second round, and the fight seemed relatively even heading into the third and final round. Roccato came out swinging again to start the last round, and she began to chase Mendoza around the ring before the two fighters backed off and began circling the ring. Roccato’s reach began to play a huge factor down the stretch of the third round, and as both fighters tired, she was able to land some punches from a distance that seemed to ultimately make the difference in the bout. The referee intervened after Rocatto landed a few
JJ Jorgensen vs. Megan “Mamba” Voigt Experience was once again the deciding factor in this fight, as the more experienced senior Voigt came out swinging early and often on her way to dominating the first round. Voigt backed Jorgensen into the ropes a few times with a series of headshots, but then took the fight to the body when she did get Jorgensen to the ropes. The first round was over in a flash, with both fighters barely stopping to breathe or survey their opponent for even a second. Voigt had landed many more punches, however, and her constant offensive style had kept Jorgensen almost completely on the defensive. Voigt came out fast again in the second round, but this time with a focus on the body. She then landed a flurry of headshots that earned a count from the referee, and Jorgensen used the entirety of the count before time was called to fix her bloody nose. Voigt spent the break surveying from the far corner, and she didn’t have to throw another punch, as the fight was called on account of Jorgensen’s bloody nose. “Mamba” won by unanimous decision.
Rachel
“Same
Hat”
Salamone vs. Capes” Caplice
Molly
“M
The two juniors got a long talk from the referee before the bout began, but that was about the only slow part of the early stages of the fight. The taller Caplice was able to use her reach to her advantage in the first round, but Salamone responded well to being backed against the ropes early on. The fighters did stop briefly to catch their breath midway through the first round, but the break was short-lived. Caplice backed Salamone into a corner late in the round, and the bell interrupted a series of blows that Caplice landed on Salamone. Caplice came out swinging in the second round, but Salamone fought off the storm with a few strong headshots, one of which seemed to daze Caplice. The two boxers traded a variety of headshots as the second round continued, with Caplice landing a couple of big blows in the last few seconds of the round to take control of the fight. The crowd really got into it as the third round began, and the fighters responded to the energy by bringing the fight early. Salamone, sensing the need to claw back into the fight, was aggressive in targeting the head of Caplice. Both fighters looked tired, and both struggled to keep their hands up to defend themselves. Salamone landed a few headshots late, and it was very unclear who would come out on top at the final bell. Caplice was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
Cece “Ginger Spice” Giarman vs. Francesca “Frank the Tank” Masciopinto Giarman’s quick right jab was on display from the beginning, and she dodged in and out of the longer reach of Masciopinto. Giarman also completely controlled the pace of the bout, circling Masciopinto on the outside of the ring. This fight featured much more patience and much less contact than the first four, which is exactly how it seemed Giarman wanted it to go. Supporters of both the fighters were loud during the first break, and the energy spurred the fighters onto a much more combative second round. Masciopinto’s reach became a factor in the second round, but Giarman was able to land punches in between the long swings of her opponent. Masciopinto landed multiple jabs down the stretch of the second round, giving her the momentum heading into the final frame. Perhaps sensing this, Giarman threw a flurry of punches to open the third, backing her opponent into the ropes twice and forcing the referee to intervene on behalf of Masciopinto. The fight resumed with action from both fighters, but Giarman was able to dip, dodge, and dive enough to maintain her advantage. What had been a very close fight going into the final round did not seem so close at the end, as Giarman took control with a dominant third round that featured some
sports serious punching power on her behalf. “Ginger Spice” was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
Gabrielle “The Dirty” Diedrich vs. Maggie “Luxembux” Farrell Coaches from both corners told their fighters to stay “under control” in the early stages of this fight, and for good reason. Both boxers came out swinging, but neither seemed bothered by the fast-paced action. Farrell landed a few jabs midway through the first round, causing Diederich to back off momentarily, but the grad student came back with a few shots of her own to end the first round. The up-tempo pace of the fight kept up through the early first round. But Farrell took control with multiple headshots in the middle of the ring. Diederich fought back once again, and the two fighters finally paused to catch their breath in the latter stages of the second round. The round concluded with the two fighters surveying each other in the middle of the ring, searching for a weakness to exploit. The bout seemed to be up for grabs heading into the third and final round, but Farrell did appear less tired on the stool than Diederch between rounds. A furious exchange of blows resulted in a timeout to fix Farrell’s headgear, but she came out of the break fighting hard. The two fighters exchanged a multitude of blows as the fight came to a
ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | The Observer
close, and both were exhausted at the sound of the final bell. Both boxers had landed a ton of punches, and this one seemed close. The winner, by split decision, was Gabrielle “The Dirty” Diederich.
Sydney Herczeg vs. Sarah Nowak The fight started with high intensity, as both Herczeg and Nowak landed early solid blows before slowly settling into a more defensive contest. The fighters took their time in the first round, surveying each other as they moved around the ring, content to wait for an exposed weakness. The second round started with the same aggressive tempo, with both fighters swinging hard, a sequence capped off by Herczeg managing to knock Nowak to the canvas. It was the spark Herczeg needed. From there she took control, landing several powerful hooks, though Nowak did manage to get in some blows of her own. Nowak was able to fight back to the point that her knockdown was almost forgotten, and the fight seemed close heading into the third round. Both fighters brought the heat in the final round in search of a victory, with punches being exchanged constantly over the final 90 seconds. Ultimately, Herczeg put together a final flurry of hooks and body blows that blew the fight wide open towards the end. Herczeg was declared the winner by split decision. Paid Advertisement
Samantha “Twinkle Toes” Manfreda vs. Abby Leone Leone started the fight strong, continually pushing Manfreda around the ring with her long reach and persistent jabs. Manfreda did not resign herself to just playing defense, however, and managed to force in some solid jabs of her own towards the end of the first round. In the second round Leone came out flying, getting in several quick jabs before Manfreda could work her way into her own offensive groove. Once Manfreda did get some blows in, the round evened out, with both fighters making solid connections as the contest moved around the ring in close quarters, with Manfreda staying on the offensive for the majority of the round. The third round was the best the fight had to offer. Both Leone and Manfreda went on the offensive early on, and the pair both landed solid connections in the first stage of the round, laying it all on the line for the win. The exciting third round made for a very close call by the judges, and it was unclear who would come out on top when the final bell sounded. But in the end, the winner, by split decision, was Samantha “Twinkle Toes” Manfreda. Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu, Jamison Cook at jcook22@nd.edu, J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu
Opponent Continued from page 16
quarterback is,” Mendenhall said. “Collectively I don’t plan to address it. I don’t think it helps our football team at all in its preparation. It helps us most to let Brennan recover and get ready to play on Saturday.” Armstrong’s availabilit y is by far the biggest stor yline as kickoff approaches. The Cavaliers simply won’t have the same explosiveness on offense if they’re missing their starter, who averages 395 passing yards per game (second-best in the nation) and set a single-game school record w ith 554 passing yards on the road against North Carolina earlier this season. Against a depleted secondar y, Armstrong would have a clear opportunit y to pad his stats if the Irish failed to consistently get pressure on the quarterback. One thing Mendenhall did seem to hint at was that the Cavaliers would not run out a t wo-quarterback system if A rmstrong is not 100% . He’s hopeful his star w ill be ready to play under the lights at Scott Stadium and could not hide his praise for a player he believes is one of the best at his position in the countr y. “You tr y not to prepare multiple options [at quarterback]. Even off of a bye week, for any team, once you start designing t wo different plans you run out of practice time,” Mendenhall said. “In my opinion there’s no quarterback doing more for his team and impacting his team than Brennan is for us. I’m not exactly sure of the criteria for those awards, but if it has any thing to do w ith value to his team it should go to Brennan.” Virginia’s defense has been completely gashed in its last t wo games, surrendering 570 yards of total offense against Georgia Tech and 734 yards against BY U. There certainly hasn’t been a particular area of concern for the Cavaliers that they could have addressed during their recent bye week. U VA has struggled to stop anybody and anyone in their most recent stretch, and Mendenhall knows his team needs to play better on the defensive side of the ball against a rejuvenated offense like Notre Dame’s. “Ultimately players need to make plays when they’re in position,” Mendenhall said. “After watching that
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BY U game there were about seven plays that kept me up at night. Defensively we gave up way too many big plays.” Mendenhall said his defense w ill be gameplanning for Notre Dame’s t wo-quarterback attack that includes graduate student Jack Coan and true freshman Tyler Buchner. In recent weeks, the Irish have become predictable, using Buchner as a change of pace on the ground. The Cavaliers defense seems like it w ill be stuffing the box and pinning its ears back when the California kid trots onto the field. “There’s t wo distinct st yles and they’re becoming more and more specific as to when they’re using each quarterback,” Mendenhall said. “You’re preparing more for the situational usage of each offensive player. We just tr y to use our personnel the best we can, and that’s what Notre Dame’s doing too.” Mendenhall w rapped up his press conference by discussing the progress he’s seen in terms of generating interest in the football program w ith a school dripping w ith esteemed basketball tradition. He suggested that a prime-time matchup against the Fighting Irish w ill only help grow the excitement for the sport in Charlottesv ille. “We’re tr y ing hard to have elite football and have it inv igorate the communit y at U VA,” Mendenhall said. “Right now attendance is a little more conditional on opponent than we’d like it to be. I’ve also noticed that game time certainly matters. The later we play, the more people come.” The U VA head coach did emphasize that w inning, and w inning the right way, w ill ultimately be what takes his program to another level and helps it car ve out a place atop a Power 5 conference. “It’s not only what we do, though, but it’s how we do it. I hope that there’s an acknowledgement that we’re tr y ing to do this w ith really good students and really good people,” he said. “I think there’s a beginning of what this thing could be. I have to do my job in beating some of the countr y’s best teams, and maybe people who are wondering if they should come to games w ill come.” Contact Colin Capece at ccapece@nd.edu
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The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
BARAKA BOUTS
Baraka Bouts closes semifinals with exciting action, boxers preparing for finals By NATE MOLLER, JAMISON COOK, J.J. POST Sports Writers
The semifinals of the 19th annual Baraka Bouts Boxing Tournament were held on Thursday night at the Dahnke Ballroom of the Duncan Student Center.
Ring A Elizabeth “Lights Out” Kerner vs. Mia “The Menace” Bellafante Both
RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer
Sophomore fighter Nicole Lies fights back against her opponent, senior Dania Abdul Rahman during the Baraka Bouts quarterfinals on Monday night in the Dahnke ballroom. Lies was winner by split-decsion.
Football
boxers came out on the offensive, but Kerner was able to land some big punches on Bellafante early on. Kerner appeared to tire out slightly towards the end of the first round, however, and Bellafante was able to land some punches of her own to stay in contention in the fight. In the second round, it was Kerner who came out firing again, but this time Bellafante stood her ground better and was able to land some body punches as well. Kerner came out strong in the third round, though, with some huge punches, knocking Bellafante to the
Gabi “Texan Perfection” Cano vs. Ellie “The Hammer” Hammerschmitt Both boxers came out swinging, but Hammerschmitt threw a big jab, getting Cano on the ground quickly. After getting up, Cano would throw some big punches, but Hammerschmitt once again threw some large punches, forcing her to the floor two more times. In the second round, Cano put up a fight, but Hammerschmitt proved to be the better fighter yet again, landing some more big punches. In the third round, Cano showed some heart and came out firing, but Hammerschmitt proved to be the better fighter, winning this one by split decision.
Karen “Can I Speak to Your Manager” Alvarez vs. see BOUTS PAGE 14
Women’s Basketball | nD 76, WIU 50
Mendenhall hopes defense can show up
Team defeats Leathernecks
By COLIN CAPECE
By MATT SMITH
Assistant Managing Editor
Sports Writer
Both No. 9 Notre Dame and Virginia are, on paper, dow n a key player at the moment. The Irish lost starting safet y and presumptive top-10 NFL draft pick Kyle Hamilton to a knee injur y in the first quarter of the USC game, and Cavaliers starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong suffered an apparent rib injur y in the team’s 66-49 loss to BY U two weeks ago. W hile Hamilton’s status for Saturday’s tilt in Charlottesv ille seems doubtful, U VA head coach Bronco Mendenhall was close to the vest regarding Armstrong in his week ly press conference Monday. “I don’t have an update on Brennan, and I won’t have an update until the ball is kicked off and I look out there and see who our
Led by their underclassmen stars, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team defeated the Western Illinois Leathernecks 7650 to sweep their two-game homestand to start the season. “I’m very encouraged by getting so many people opportunities to play and getting so much contribution from the entire team,” Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said. “This is going to be a group that we’re going to continue to grow and learn each night, so just really happy to be home and to get this win.” The Irish (2-0) jumped out to a quick start in the first quarter, and they were sparked by their suffocating defense. Communication was key for Notre Dame, as Ivey’s voice reverberated throughout Purcell Pavilion from the bench. The Irish were able to contest nearly every shot from the Leathernecks (0-1), blocking four while holding them to just 10 points during the period. Notre Dame cooled off during
see OPPONENT PAGE 15
ground. Bellafante would put up a valiant fight, but Kerner was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer
Irish junior running back Kyren Williams flips over a defender during Notre Dame’s 34-6 victory over Navy on Saturday at home.
the second quarter, but their dominance on the glass prevented Western Illinois from closing the gap. Sophomore guard Maddy Westbeld led the way for the Irish and grabbed 13 total rebounds in the first half. The team as a whole had 14 offensive rebounds, giving them a significant edge in the paint and a 37-26 advantage over the Leathernecks at the break. Western Illinois senior guard Danni Nichols worked to keep the Leathernecks in the game, finishing with 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting. However, a dominant and efficient third quarter for the Irish put the game out of reach. Notre Dame went on a 14-2 run over a four-minute stretch, led by graduate student forward Maya Dodson and senior guard Dara Mabrey. Dodson continued to impress in her second career game for the Irish, pouring in 14 points along with eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Mabrey finished with nine points. The upperclassmen led the way in the third quarter, but the most see W BBALL PAGE 13