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Volume 56, Issue 32 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Professors speak on COVID-19 booster shot University to “monitor federal, state and local guidelines,” yet to mandate boosters for community By CLAIRE REID News Writer
The COVID-19 booster vaccine is currently available to all fully-vaccinated Indiana residents over the age of 18. Individuals are eligible to receive the booster if they have completed the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna two-dose series over six months ago or if they received the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine over two months ago. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends that those over the age of 50, those over 18 who have underlying conditions or who are living or working in highrisk settings and those who originally received a Johnson & Johnson brand vaccine receive the booster. Although students,
faculty and staff were required to be fully vaccinated in order to return to campus this fall, the University does not currently require the booster dose for any member of the Notre Dame community. Director of media relations Sue Ryan said the administration is proud of the effect the original vaccine requirement has had on community health this semester. “Based on the University’s COVID case numbers this semester compared to a year ago, it is clear that the vaccine mandate made a significant positive impact on the health of the Notre Dame community and the ability for the University to conduct the semester like a more typical year,” she wrote in an email. “We are pleased CLAIRE REID | The Observer
see BOOSTER PAGE 4
All Indiana residents over the age of 18 are now eligible to recieve a COVID-19 vaccine booster. The Observer spoke to two Notre Dame professors about their experience recieving their booster shots.
SMC senior leads Author lectures on history workshop of civil rights in military Not re Da me’s K lau Center for Civ il a nd Huma n Rights hosted aut hor Raw n Ja mes Jr. on Friday to spea k on “The Milita r y a nd Civ il Rights.” Ja mes, who a lso current ly a senior civ ilia n attorney for t he Depa r t ment of t he Nav y, delved into t he U.S. milita r y’s histor y f rom a racia l lens, as well as its journey to deseg regat ion. The event is pa r t of t he “Building a n A nt i-Racist Vocabu la r y” week ly on line lecture series, which seeks to foster understa nding of racia l just ice for its audience. Dor y Mit ros Durha m, t he associate director of t he K lau Center for Civ il a nd Huma n Rights, moderated t he discussion w it h Ja mes. As Durha m g uided t he conversat ion, chronolog ica lly follow ing t he role of race in t he milita r y since its
incept ion, Ja mes st ressed t he role of “necessit y” w it h milita r y decisions rega rding race. “[In t imes of wa r,] necessit y ta kes over,” he sa id. “Necessit y dema nds prog ress.” The Revolut iona r y Wa r high lighted t hemes t hat wou ld per vade in t he new U.S. mi lita r y for centuries, he sa id. Ja mes expla ined how, a lt hough t he 1775 Cont inenta l Cong ress ba nned Black people f rom ser v ing in t he mi lita r y, t he Cont inenta l A rmy eventua lly cou ld no longer a f ford to exclude indiv idua ls as t he wa r dragged on. “Genera l George Washing ton needed men in his a rmy,” he sa id. “So, as casua lt ies bega n to mount, t he Cont inenta l A rmy bega n to a llow A f rica n A merica ns to f ight.” A f ter t he wa r, however, a not her t heme in mi lita r y
histor y a rose : t he progress in inclusion t hat Black soldiers ex perienced during wa r t ime was st ripped away as t he nat ion returned to peace. The issue, Ja mes sa id, was t hat t hose in power “t r u ly saw g reat da nger in teaching Black men how to f ight w it h a rms.” However, t he Nav y rema ined t he most integ rated force at t his t ime, Ja mes sa id. “Sa i ling was a prett y rough job t hat most fol ks — if t hey had a ny a lternat ive didn’t wa nt to do,” he sa id. “So, t he Nav y a l lowed Black sa i lors.” This integ rat ion, Ja mes noted, disappea red a lmost 150 yea rs later w it h t he adopt ion of t he stea m eng ine. At t his t ime, A f rica n A merica ns on ships ma in ly took ser v ice roles instead, such as cook ing or clea ning.
viewpoint PAGE 7
Football PAGE 12
HOckey PAGE 12
By LIAM PRICE News Writer
CRYSTAL RAMIREZ | The Observer
SMC senior Sophia Sanchez leads a transgender inclusivity workshop alongside TREES executive director Megan Buell on Friday. By CRYSTAL RAMIREZ Assosiate News Editor
Saint Mary’s senior Sophia Sanchez hosted a workshop on transgender inclusivity Friday afternoon, which was aimed at making the tricampus community a more welcoming place for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Executive director of Transgender Resources
News PAGE 3
Education and Enrichment Services (TREES) Megan Buell was in attendance to help answer questions and offer resources to participants. To begin the event, Sanchez introduced herself and talked brief ly about the work she does on campus, including being a student voice in the process of establishing the see WORKSHOP PAGE 4
scene PAGE 5
see CIVIL RIGHTS PAGE 3
2
TODAY
The observer | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
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What is your favorite food to eat on the Thanksgiving table?
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“I like the meat.”
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“Sweet potato casserole.”
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ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Tri-campus student government leaders, from left, Alix Basden, Allan Njomo, Elly Hanson, Adriana Salgado, Katie Cole and Emilee Skidgel pose for a photo after presenting the flag following the national anthem at Saturday’s football game against Georgia Tech.
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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Backpack-Making for Foster Children McNeill Room, LaFortune Center 4:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Snacks provided.
Campus Ministry: Confession W208 Duncan Student Center noon - 1:30 p.m. Weekly event.
Need to Talk? 113 Coleman-Morse 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Drop-in counseling with campus ministers.
Thanksgiving Day Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.
Basilica Mass Basilica of the Sacred Heart 11:30 a.m. Gather for mass inperson or online.
Max Kade Lecture: “What is Manipulation?” 128 Decio Hall 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free, public lecture.
Astrophysics Seminar 184 Nieuwland Hall 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Free lecture on x-ray and UV gratings.
Reduced Dinner Hours North Dining Hall 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Normal hours resume Nov. 29.
Thanksgiving Dinner North Dining Hall 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Traditional holiday feast for all students with meal plans.
South Bend: Howard Holiday Market Howard Park 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Explore over 50 local vendors off campus.
News
Civil Rights Continued from page 1
Ja mes ex pla ined t hat President Abra ha m Lincoln orig ina l ly did not wa nt to include A f rica n A merica n soldiers in t he Civ il Wa r because he worried about losing weapons to t he Confederates. But as it happened in t he Revolut iona r y Wa r, circumsta nces cha nged in t he Civ il Wa r. “Lincoln f inds himself in t he posit ion of needing young men to go a nd f ight on beha lf of t he Union,” he sa id. A f rica n A merica n leaders such as Frederick Douglas believed t hat in f ight ing t he wa r, Black men “wou ld prove t heir mett le, show t hat t hey ca n f ight a nd t hen f ina l ly receive t he rights of cit i zenship,” Ja mes sa id. Unfor tunately, as t he period of Reconst r uct ion gave way to sout hern states’ w ishes to enforce for t hemselves t he a mendments of t he post-Civ i l Wa r period, Jim Crow was established. “They were establishing Jim Crow t hrough sadist ic v iolence,” Ja mes sa id. “That is t he on ly way you ca n establish such a system.” In World Wa r I, “t he Black intel ligentsia,” such as act iv ist W.E.B. Dubois, aga in “ex hor ted Black men to do t heir dut y a nd sig n up,” Ja mes sa id. W hen t hey joined, however, it was intensely seg regated, Ja mes sa id, a nd “ma ny comma nders did not even ca ll Black A merica ns, ‘A merica ns’.” Ja mes ack nowledged t hat, despite serious inequa lit y, t here st i l l was a n educated “st ratosphere” of Black A merica ns. Ma ny Black students f rom t his g roup, such as t hose at Howa rd Universit y, played key roles in becoming t he f irst Black of f icers in t he A rmy during World Wa r I. For t hese of f icers, however, ser v ice of ten ended in disappoint ment. “They were commissioned of f icers, but t he A rmy did not require ot her soldiers or of f icers to t reat t hem as off icers,” Ja mes sa id. Ja mes a lso spoke about was t he Houston mut iny of 1917 at Ca mp Loga n, what he ca l led one of t he most t rag ic events of race relat ions in A merica n histor y. The incident bega n w it h a n A f rica n A merica n soldier being a rrested for inter fering in t he a rrest of a Black woma n. It esca lated f rom unfounded r umors t hat led to a mut inous mob of over 100 a rmed, Black soldiers k i l ling 11 civ i lia ns a nd f ive policemen in Houston. It was a mu lt i-pronged, horrif ic t ragedy, Ja mes expla ined. It was a n at rocit y on a massive sca le, but a lso a “pa inf u l incident in t he Black communit y,” he sa id,
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | The ObserveR
as it shook up a sense of self-image a nd pride. W hen World Wa r I ended a nd soldiers returned home, t he count r y t reated Black soldiers poorly. “It appea red t hat t he ent ire nat ion resented Black soldiers for hav ing ser ved in t he milita r y at a ll,” Ja mes sa id. “A f rica n A merica ns were collect ively shocked at t he t reat ment.” This shock, t his unrest, led to Ja mes’ t hesis t hat “what is now ca lled t he Civ il Rights Movement bega n as t he st r uggle to deseg regate A merica’s milita r y.” Much of t he ha rsh t reatment A f rica n A merica ns received was due to t he fact t hey had to ser ve in seg regated units in t he milita r y, Ja mes sa id. “By t he t ime World Wa r II is on t he hori zon, Fra n k lin Roosevelt rea lly has a problem w it h Black A merica ns telling him t hat t hey’re not going to ser ve in a seg regated milita r y aga in,” he sa id. This led to t he Double V ca mpa ig n of World Wa r II: t he push of A f rica n A merica ns for v ictor y in t he wa r abroad as well as v ictor y in t he f ight for rights at home. It spread t hroughout A f rica n A merica n societ y a nd sca red ma ny white A merica ns. “It was cont roversia l, but it was w idespread,” Ja mes sa id. Ja mes t hen moved a head to Ha rr y Tr uma n’s execut ive order to f ina lly desegregate t he milita r y in 1948. Tr uma n, a sout herner a nd a wa r vetera n, was at t he sa me t ime elected president w it h t he key suppor t of A f rica n A merica n communit y. Ja mes sa id Tr uma n’s execut ive order was mea nt “in pa r t to do right, to do somet hing good, a nd a lso to do somet hing t hat cou ld help him polit ica l ly.” The execut ive order didn’t ef fect ively desegregate t he milita r y, Ja mes ex pla ined. But w it h t he onset of t he Korea n Wa r in 1950 increasing t he milita r y’s need for t roops, it was impract ica l for t he milita r y to stay seg regated. “So, necessit y aga in brought t he f r uits of t he 1948 execut ive order to bea r,” Ja mes sa id. In its histor y, Ja mes sa id he believes t he milita r y has been a leader in t he prog ress of civ il rights. Much of t heir act ions, he ex pla ined, were “in pa r t because of necessit y, but for ot hers, it was somet hing t hey saw as t he being t he right t hing to do.” Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu
3
Gaelic Athletic Association offers traditional sport By MAGGIE EASTLAND Associate News Editor
Welcoming both seasoned players and complete newcomers, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GA A) brings a piece of Irish culture to campus through the sports of hurling and Irish football. The club began w ith a small group of students from Ireland in 2018 and has since grow n to around 30 consistent members who are mostly American. Notre Dame’s GA A hosted its first tournament Saturday. The co-ed team left the pitch v ictorious, beating Purdue Universit y, Universit y of Pittsburgh and other rivals. Senior GA A president Maureen Kenny said she was proud of the team for competing at a high level and w inning the tournament. “It’s a prett y full contact sport. Ever yone is coming out of this Saturday fully battered,” Kenny said, pointing to a bruise near her elbow. “It was a great day for us though. We won all our matches.” Notre Dame’s Irish roots run deeper than the Universit y’s mascot, and Kenny, who grew up in Ireland, said these sports are an integral part of Irish culture. “This isn’t just any sport we’re play ing. It’s a cultural gem,” she said. “This is something special, and it has a special place at ND, specifically as the Fighting Irish.” Followed by hurling, Kenny said Irish football is Ireland’s most popular sport, one that retains local communit y f lavor. “The beaut y of GA A is that it’s not played at the professional level,” Kenny said. “People really play for the love of the sport. You play for your count y. You play for your tow n. It’s a real hometow n feel.” Kenny remembers playing in Croke Park National Stadium in her grade school championships and watching her grandfather represent her hometow n play ing in that ver y same stadium. “That’s probably when I peaked in play ing honestly, I’ve never gotten better since,” Kenny said about her primar y school’s Irish football team championship appearance. She said these aspects of Irish sports complement Notre Dame’s emphasis on communit y and offer a casual introduction to Irish culture.
Courtesy of Moureen Kenny
The Notre Dame Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) team hosted their first tournament earlier this semester, winning against several teams.
Club members, including sophomore Grace Kane who had never played hurling or Irish football before joining GA A, testified to the communit y. “GA A is an escape from all my other classes,” Kane said. “It’s a way for me to have fun and meet new people who want to do such a unique thing.” The club also brings together a unique mix of Irish football and hurling fanatics and curious opportunists. “A few of our players are from Ireland,” Kane said. “There’s also some people who have nothing to do w ith it, and just saw it at the club fair and thought ‘This looks cool? W here else can I do this? ’ which seems like a common theme.” Kenny said she strives to welcome members of all skill and familiarit y levels w ith the sports. “There are some who have been play ing these sports since they were young,” Kenney said. “The hurl is just kind of like their third limb; they’re fabulous at it. There’s also a few less experienced on the team. “Ever yone feels really encouraged. We obv iously like to w in and take the sport seriously, but we also like the communit y of it.” In order to welcome new players at any point in the semester, Kenny makes an effort to rev iew the basics of hurling and Irish football t w ice a week during GA A practices. She calls hurling “the fastest sport on grass,” describing it as a combination of lacrosse, field hockey and rugby. Each player has a “hurler” they use to hit the “sliotar,” a hard ball shaped like a baseball. Irish football is more like a hybrid of basketball, rugby and soccer, Kenny said. With ever y four steps, players
must pass the volleyballlike ball to another team or solo bounce it back to themselves. In both sports, players can score one point by hitting the sliotar or tossing the ball above and through the opposite team’s H-shaped goal, or they can score three points by scoring a goal beneath the cross bar. “My big goal for the end of the year before I leave is to get jerseys, proper kit for our team,” Kenny said. “How we look as a team isn’t the most important thing, but I think it would really have us stand our part and set us up as a force to be reckoned w ith.” Kane, GA A’s apparel commissioner, feels similarly and is working on getting those uniforms, or “kits” from Ireland. “I was really intrigued when we played Purdue,” Kane said. “They came w ith these ver y intense uniforms. They were all decked out. We don’t even have jerseys or any thing, but we’re the Irish school, we’re Notre Dame.” Contact Maggie Eastland at meastlan@nd.edu
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NEWS
The observer | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Booster Continued from page 1
with respect to the low number of positive COVID cases this semester, and we continue to believe that a highly-vaccinated campus community is extremely important in the fight against this disease.” As far as booster vaccines are concerned, Ryan wrote that the University will continue to monitor federal, state and local guidelines while working with partners to determine the best next steps for the health and safety of the campus community. Associate professor of history John Deak specializes in modern German and European history. The bookshelves in his small office are lined wall-towall, floor-to-ceiling with books on topics ranging from Nazi Germany to Plato. He’s read most of them, but joked that the rest are there to make him “feel smart.” Deak recently received the Moderna booster vaccine because his research requires him to travel to Austria and Italy soon. “I have received a grant from the federal government that’s going to require me to travel and do research at archives in Europe, and I need to update my vaccinations in order to enter the European Union,” he explained. Deak and his wife Karen are also faculty members
Workshop Continued from page 1
new LGBTQ+ Center and interning for TREES. “I want to tell you a little bit about myself, just so you can understand why we’re here today sitting in a workshop about transgender inclusivity at an all-women’s Catholic college,” Sanchez said. “This semester I interned with [TREES] and Megan Buell, the executive director. I myself identify as a cisgender woman belonging to the LGBTQ community and have tried very hard to advocate for LGBTQ rights here at Saint Mary’s.” Sanchez said she doesn’t have all the answers — her goal is simply to advocate and educate. The workshop started with a discussion among guests. Sanchez gave attendees the chance to compile ground rules they would like to establish, then allowed guests to speak up as she listed the rules on a whiteboard. A student spoke up. “One voice at a time.” “Take the lesson, not the story,” Sanchez added to the ground rules — a reminder that stories shared during the workshop should remain in the space, but the lesson learned should stay with those gathered. Following the
in-residence living in Dunne Hall. “We live on campus with 220 undergraduates,” he added. “That’s another reason I got the vaccine. We want to keep them safe and keep me safe.” Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Deak consulted with his doctor before receiving the booster. Although CDC recommendations now allow individuals to “mix and match,” or receive a different brand of booster than their initial vaccine, Deak’s doctor recommended that — due to his underlying condition — he stick with Moderna. In comparison to the original two-dose Moderna vaccine series, he said the side effects of receiving the booster shot were more manageable. “[With] the original vaccine, I had lots of pain, like muscle pain, and kind of felt run over by a bus,” he recalled. “This time, I still had the muscle pain, but it wasn’t as bad. It was kind of like when you get the flu … when you feel very sick but you have no energy and no ability to focus. I had none of the sickness, but none of the focus.” After receiving the booster mid-day on a Thursday, he said these symptoms kicked in Friday and subsided by Saturday evening. Though he didn’t take a strong stance on the issue, Deak said he thinks it would be a good idea for the University to require the booster vaccine for
students, faculty and staff. “We’re seeing a lot of breakthrough infections because the vaccines have a waning effect,” he said. “It’s probably a very good idea to keep the student body, faculty and people like me who have comorbidities safe.” Tim O’Malley — a theology professor and faculty member at the McGrath Institute for Church Life — also received the booster vaccine. However, in contrast to Deak, he said he does not think the University should require it at the moment. “I don’t think we have the data to require anyone to receive a third vaccine,” O’Malley said. “There’s a reason that recommendations for the vaccine are for the few.” Even so, he said he decided it would be the wisest decision to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech booster — the same brand he initially received in February 2021 — in order to protect the 260 students in his popular Nuptial Mystery theology course. O’Malley said the booster vaccination process was easier than the initial two-dose series and that the side effects were less intense. “I had joint pain for a couple of days,” he said. “The whole thing took 35 seconds. I then wandered Walgreens looking at Christmas candy.”
establishment of these ground rules, Sanchez went over some vocabulary she said she felt would be helpful for the workshop, and she elaborated on the resources available for guests to refer to and take home after the workshop. She then introduced Buell, who spoke brief ly on her background and work with TREES. Sanchez then introduced an ice breaker so that guests at each table could engage with one another. The ice breakers dealt with different experiences transgender students face on college campuses. After the ice breaker, Sanchez played a video of a transgender student’s experience at James Madison University. She said she chose this video because she believes there are a lot of similarities with the College. “I found this video … and it’s a little video about transgender student experiences [at James Madison University]. I do want to say that Saint Mary’s does not have like this kind of resource available which is why I chose to outsource to a different college,” Sanchez said. “Also, … I chose this video because I think there’s a lot of parallels between JMU and Saint Mary’s.” Once the video ended, Sanchez spoke on the issues
and experiences students face on the college campus and how she evidences these issues occur at Saint Mary’s. “The student and video talks about a couple of different things that are happening on their campus that I see happening on our campus,” Sanchez said. “So, the first one is alienation or staring because of the way someone is dressed. I know that we have this campus culture and expectation of how students that go here dress and act and who they hang out with and where they’re going to parties.” Sanchez continued speaking about the issues transgender students face on university campuses, noting that everyone can work toward changing. Following the discussion of the video, Sanchez discussed issues impacting the Saint Mary’s campus, including pronouns on student identification cards, bathroom accessibility and diplomas. Sanchez also brought up the issue of misgendering, which can happen anywhere within a campus setting — in the classroom, among peers and with faculty or administration. “So, misgendering could be using the wrong pronouns when referring to a student,” she said. “I know that the
Contact Claire Reid at creid6@nd.edu
alum that I did speak with that was transgender talked about this happening quite often in class.” Sanchez highlighted some progress she said Saint Mary’s has made. She said she wants to reassure participants that “things won’t stay like this forever because we’re doing workshops like this and we have more resources now on campus.” In speaking about these accomplishments, Sanchez mentioned the recent opening of the LGBTQ+ Center and the newly established Office for Student Equity, as well as the creation of the first affinity group for LGBTQ+ alums. Sanchez also took a moment to acknowledge the discrimination occurring beyond the campus community. “I feel like I also have to speak to discrimination not just on campus, but in our American society,” Sanchez said. “I feel like it would be some type of erasure if I didn’t say anything about what’s going on right now.” Sanchez provided information to those in attendance, raising awareness on a lack of inclusivity in society and on the abundance of discrimination against the transgender community. “Transgender people experience unemployment at twice the rate of the general
population. With rates for people of color up to four times the national unemployment rate,” Sanchez said. “Ninety percent of transgender people report experiencing harassment, mistreatment or discrimination [in] their job. Forty-one percent of people surveyed reported attempting suicide, compared to 1.6% of the general population.” To conclude the workshop, Sanchez referred to the audience for suggestions and ways that the school can work to create a more inclusive community. Groups discussed among themselves, then came together as one big group to list takeaways everyone can apply once they leave the workshop to continue creating a welcoming and inclusive campus. “Today, we talked about a lot of things,” Sanchez said. “Take some of these things and maybe share them with someone, one fact or something that you learned today. Share it with someone who’s not here, maybe your roommate or someone you see in passing. Even if you feel so inclined or comfortable that you can maybe add your pronouns to the bottom of your email signature. I think that’s a great start.” Contact Crystal Ramirez at cramirez01@saintmarys.edu
5
The observer | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
By GRACIE SIMONCIC Scene Writer
Notre Dame’s newly acquired Emilio Sanchez pieces embody technical excellence while successfully connecting with audiences through soothing imagery and colors. Often, when we think of art, we envision subversion and complexity imbued with deep philosophical meaning. However, Sanchez’s work takes a more simplified, minimalistic approach characterized by a a geometric style and a depiction of everyday objects. Sanchez was a Cuban American artist who most famously worked with architectural subjects and produced lithographs, which are prints drawn onto flat stone. Sanchez is also known for being one of the few artists to have their work displayed on a United States Postal Service stamp. This honor speaks to his incredible talent and wide influence, as well as his status as a decorated artist with multiple awards and exhibitions. Recently, two Sanchez pieces have been
By LEXI KILCOIN Scene Writer
This past Thursday through Sunday, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center held an International Film Fest in conjunction with the Notre Dame International (NDI) Senior Fellows. The fest, which was intended to highlight Notre Dame’s International Education Week, featured four films: one from Iran, one from Guatemala, one from Ireland and one from India. Thursday’s showing was “There is No Evil” (made in Iran). Friday offered two features: “La Llorona,” and “The Commitments,” which first released in Guatemala and Ireland, respectively. One Sunday, festival-goers were treated to a film called “The Cloud-Capped Star,” which was made in India. I had the pleasure of viewing “La Llorona,” which was originally released in 2020 and directed by Jayro Bustamante. The movie takes place in Guatemala, and its characters speak Spanish, as well as Kaqchikel and other Mayan dialects. The story of “La Llorona” is based on a Latin American folk tale in which a mother drowns her children and then herself (upon realizing what she has done). After drowning herself, she is cursed to roam the Earth in search of her children’s souls. This story is told to children to promote good behavior so that La Llorona — the ghost of this mourning mother — won’t haunt them. The film “La Llorona” is a spin-off of this traditional story that changes its setting to Guatemala during the rule of a Guatemalan general. The general is essentially a dictator who intends to construct “one national identity” for his nation by approving the genocide of thousands of indigenous Mayan peoples. Once the general is proven guilty of genocide, peaceful
donated to Notre Dame’s Snite Museum of Art. Displayed in the Stairwell Exhibit, these pieces make up a small exhibit that accurately represents Sanchez’s creative style. Sanchez’s works — some of which are displayed on the USPS stamps — tend to follow a unified theme: They all look like “zoomed in” landscapes. For instance, one will focus on a door, another on a window or the side of a building. While the subject matter of these paintings might seem simple, the depth Sanchez is able to create still draws viewers in. “Ty’s Place” was one of the two pieces displayed at the Snite. A colorful lithograph on paper, this piece exemplifies Sanchez’s command of line work. The piece depicts the side of a soft, “sky blue” colored building. This building seems to be a home, as evinced by the white shutter hanging mostly open from the window. The window frame is marked by an eye-catching pop of chartreuse that creates a subtle contrast with the white and blue of the house itself. The house’s actual window, though, is completely black, obstructing our view of the interior. This void shows the
depth of color Sanchez can create, and its presence in the painting could mean multiple things; it might be intended for viewers to interpret what’s inside the house for themselves — or, possibly, for them to be able to see their own faces reflected in the window by the glass of the piece’s frame. Sanchez’s work is heavily inspired by his experience in architecture. This influence is made clear by the precision with which he approaches the depiction of windows and doors. There is very little abstraction in his work. Visually, it evokes a sense of being very “clean cut.” The artist’s work is very soothing, thanks to the color pallets he uses, as well as his focus on one or two specific objects. Upon seeing Sanchez’s work for the first time, I felt myself wanting to sit in the presence of his paintings and continue to observe them, lulled as I was by their simple beauty. Emilio Sanchez’s exhibit will be on display at the Snite Museum from Nov. 19 to Dec. 21.
protests begin occurring outside of his home each day. His entire house staff, with the exception of Valeriana, the head maid, quits because they are indigenous Mayan people. In their stead, Alma, another Mayan woman, begins to work for the General and his family, thereby entering the plot of the movie. “La Llorona” contains a substantial amount of symbolism tied to the story of La Llorona — that of water and souls. As I have mentioned, the traditional story of “La Llorona” involves a woman looking for the souls of her children. In the film, though, protestors are in search of their ancestors’ and relatives’ souls. We see these lost souls in the form of frogs that plague the general’s home and his pool. The general is also continually tormented by odd happenings within his house, ones that no one else in his family seems to notice. For instance, the general often hears the voice of a crying woman at night. This crying woman is a direct connection to the original story, but in the case of the film, it also represents all of the lost souls the general has killed. Water often symbolizes life in literature and films. However, in “La Llorona,” water represents death as well as life. When Alma arrives at the general’s house, the first thing we hear is counting. We later see Alma forcing the head of the general’s granddaughter under water in a sink and claiming that she is “teaching her how to hold her breath.” However, the fact that the granddaughter almost drowns herself later in the movie indicates that Alma was trying to protect her and teach her to fight against this death. Alma is also found crying as the bathroom is flooded with water from the overflowing bathtub in which she sits. From this and other pieces of evidence, it is clear that Alma is “La Llorona,” but this is never explicitly stated. The film is filled with symbolism besides water and souls. The general’s wife has nightmares of being attacked, and
pieces of paper depicting dead relatives appear around the home. While these symbols are not as prevalent, they still impact the story as a whole and truly make the viewer think about what the filmmakers are trying to suggest about genocide and race. “La Llorona” is not exactly a traditional horror film. There are suspenseful moments in the film, during which I peered through my fingers in hopes that I could see the screen without being scared. However, the movie’s real horror does not come from its cinematography or eerie music, but from its main message. There is a deep fear held by many of the story’s main characters, those that are being murdered and those that are involved with the murder. The true horror happens in the genocide that occurs to countless innocent humans, and the traditional story of “La Llorona” is a useful tool to look into this horrible dynamic. If you have a chance to see “La Llorona,” I highly recommend that you take some time out of your day to sit, watch and understand the horrors that take place within the film.
Contact Gracie Simoncic at gsimonci@nd.edu
Contact Lexi Kilcoin at akilcoin01@saintmarys.edu
“La Llorona” Starring: Maria Mercedes Coroy, Sabrina De La Hoz, Julio Diaz Director: Jayro Bustamante If you like: “Schindler’s List,” “The Conjuring” Watch it here: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
DOUGLAS ABELL| The Observer
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The observer | Monday, November 22 , 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
Inside Column
Chasing the Yorkie Evan McKenna Managing Editor
I’ve been running lately. If you follow me on Tw itter, you’d know that this is a big deal. I’m a recovering ex-runner, after all. Even just the smell of freshly cut grass is enough to put a pit in my stomach — it reminds me too much of high school cross countr y meets. They stressed me out beyond belief. But there were some parts I liked: namely, Panther Creek State Park, where our cross countr y teams had practice five times a week, running too many miles in the brisk autumn Tennessee air. The park is a dense, hilly forest sprink led w ith laby rinthian trails, many overlooking our beautiful (but strikingly brow n) Cherokee Lake. A ll the cool kids just called it “Panther.” It was just across tow n, and we were so luck y to have it so close. W hen I was a kid, I thought there was only one state park per state, and for years took immense pride in the fact that our tow n — w ith its meager population and abundance of cow fields — got the one spot for Tennessee. Eventually I learned that’s not how state parks work, but the gratitude remained. It’s the most beautiful place, perfect for clear-your-head runs, picnic table takeout dinners or high-speed hikes w ith your hy peractive Ausiedoodle named Clyde. So when I shipped off to school in f lat, ugly Indiana (sorr y, Hoosiers), I was left w ith a Panther-sized hole in my heart. It wasn’t until this fall, though, that I decided to do something about it. I booted up my maps app and began the search for a worthy trail. After just a few under whelming escapades, I stumbled upon Boot Lake Nature Preser ve. Boot Lake Nature Preser ve is not Panther Creek State Park, but that’s alright. It’s f lat and it’s marshy, spanning 300 miles but offering less than five miles of trails — but still, the limited routes traverse forest, field and farmland. The farmland smells intensely of manure. And it’s in Elk hart, Indiana, of all places, boasting a grueling 45-minute round-trip drive from campus. For the humans, there’s a small gazebo and a lowcapacit y parking lot that’s never full. But it’s not about the humans. Boot Lake Nature Preser ve only does what it needs to do: It preser ves nature. And I get to run there, too — as a treat. Just happy to be here, honestly. And even though it’s not about me, I appreciate Boot Lake because it reminds me of Panther — and by extension, it reminds me of home. Running these trails, lakeside and under an oak tree canopy, it all feels familiar. I’m back in Tennessee, in my dumb boring hometow n that I somehow still love, in our sprawling state park that we don’t deser ve, on a trail I could run w ith my eyes closed. It’s why I brave the 45-minute drive. So this is where our stor y begins: Boot Lake Nature Reser ve. It’s early October, about 7 p.m., and I’m sweating up a storm. I’m about half way through my four-mile run. I’ve never regretted any thing more. The trail leads me into a field, oval and surrounded by trees, w ith a w inding path cut into the tall grass. Running in w ide open spaces is
objectively the worst — you always see exactly where you’re going, and exactly how long you have left. The endless stretch ahead of you burns into your eyeballs. It taunts you. The reser ve technically closed at 6 p.m., and I’m parked illegally outside of its chained-up entrance — so I’m ner vous. I’m catastrophizing. My car could get towed. The sun could set, and I’d get lost w ithin the 300-acre landmass. At any second, an angr y park ranger could leap from the tall grass and piledrive me. So I’m ner vous and I’m sweat y and I’m dy ing. But at least no one else is here to see me in this state, right? Wrong. That’s when a microscopic brow n blip appears on the horizon ahead of me. It must be a quarter mile away, and it’s mov ing. I’m not here alone. And the blip grows legs. It’s hopping along the path, and it’s mov ing away from me. Overcome by curiosit y, I run faster. And suddenly, the blip takes shape: It’s a Yorkie. I rub my eyes. It’s still a Yorkie. A whole Yorkshire Terrier, in the f lesh, gallivanting across Boot Lake Nature Preser ve. It’s got a collar, but there’s not a human in sight. And before I can even think about it, I start chasing the Yorkie. I don’t know what it is — a kindhearted urge to save a creature in need, my inescapable impulse to pet ever y dog I see or just my brain activating its fight-or-f light response — but I’m after this Yorkie like it stole my wallet. And as soon as I start sprinting, the Yorkie stops in its tracks. It turns around. It sees me, its eyes filled w ith pure terror. And it starts running away from me, bounding dow n the path, even faster now. But I don’t care; I’m picking up speed and I feel powerful. I’m going to catch this Yorkie if it’s the last thing I do. Just a quick life lesson for you: Yorkies are fast. You could probably beat one in a fistfight, but don’t get too confident about a footrace. They don’t look like much, but somewhere inside those tiny bodies, they’re hiding jet engines. Turbo boosts. 300-horsepower motors. And to make matters worse, you have t wo legs — it has four. You do the math. After 30 seconds of intense pursuit, I’m barely hanging on. I’m cramping. I can’t breathe. My legs are ready to give out. I think this might be the end. But this Yorkie has never been better. He is an Oly mpian. He is Usain Bolt. He is the P90X instructor that’s somehow never out of breath even though he’s been talking the entire time. He is Rock y Balboa, running up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The pain becomes unbearable. The only thing keeping my body from collapsing is pure adrenaline, f low ing from the primal desire to catch this damn dog. But adrenaline can only last so long. So I wave my white f lag. I stop, gasping for air, hands on my knees. It’s October in South Bend and I’m wearing short shorts but I am drenched in sweat. I’m nearly dead. I’m fighting for my life on the Boot Lake Nature Preser ve. The Yorkie is running on its t wo hind legs now, I think, just to taunt me. He’s never been happier. He is reveling in my pain. He disappears behind a cur ve, and I never see him again. That day, I left Boot Lake Nature Preser ve less of a man than I was when I entered. That Yorkie
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took away my dignit y, and I’ll never get it back. He slammed me into the lockers, called me a nerd and took my lunch money. He plunged me back into the heart-pounding pressure of high school cross countr y meets — and for that, I’ll never forgive him. But I’m a good person. In the face of injustice, I rise above. That night, after I got home, I put in the work. I called the Humane Societ y of Elk hart Count y. They were closed. So I found the next best thing: a Facebook group called “Elk hart Count y Lost and Found Pets,” a v ibrant communit y of pet ow ners and allies uniting for the common good. I told them about the Yorkie — and t wo days later, he was reunited w ith his ow ner. May God bless her soul. This isn’t the first Inside Column I’ve w ritten about strange encounters w ith animals — three months ago, I w itnessed a goose collide w ith a car on the interstate and lived to tell the tale. I’m like Snow W hite, but more depressing. Definitely the Brothers Grimm version. Naturally, this second run-in with the animal kingdom led me to think about the significance of these events. Is there some meaning to all this? Let’s see if we can find an analog y here. In other words: Let’s make this about me. Maybe I’m the Yorkie: lost and afraid in an unfamiliar world; running away from the people tr y ing to save me; small; cute; incredibly athletic. Maybe I’m the Yorkie’s ow ner: losing an important aspect of myself but not sure where to find it; searching far and w ide for what’s missing; finding solace in my Facebook friends. Or maybe I’m … myself: confused but still trudging for ward; chasing after a goal but not sure what I’ll do when I catch it; ex hausted; sweat y. Tag yourself — I’m the Yorkie.
Photo of Clyde, courtesy of Evan McKenna
You can contact Evan at emckenn2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The observer | Monday, November 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Building our sanctuary, one student at a time As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we take the time to rest and reflect on core questions of sanctuary. What does it mean to feel safe and welcomed in a family? What does it mean to be home? On the grounds of its 2013 decision to admit undocumented first-year and transfer students and its firm foundations in Catholic Social Teaching, the University of Notre Dame is committed to preserving the common good and fostering a home for all members of its family, regardless of immigration status. The reality is that the United States has been inconsistent in providing stable legal protections for undocumented communities and families. A simple movement of a pen can radically change the life of nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants. This instability of immigration law and the pervasiveness of xenophobic discourse leaves many constantly questioning their statuses and anxious about whether they can safely navigate spaces in communities nationwide. This is significant, given the pronounced population of students from immigrant backgrounds in U.S. institutions of higher education. There are an estimated 5.3 million, and growing, college students who are either first or secondgeneration immigrants. And estimates suggest there are roughly 427,000 undocumented and DACA-eligible college students nationwide. Wherever we work, study, live or play — at Notre Dame and beyond — the chances are that we are walking alongside members of the undocumented student community. These members of our Notre Dame family come from various immigrant backgrounds and statuses. They are diverse in race, ethnicity, faiths, gender, sexuality, culture and national origin. Each has a unique story to tell. And each has a dream they are fighting to realize. Care for this common home requires that we honor the diversity and complexity of the immigrant student experience. We must fight to forge inclusive and welcoming spaces for all members of the Notre Dame family. We must educate
ourselves on the immigrant experience and seek honest answers amid a climate of harmful mistruths and political indifference. And we must speak truth: No student should have to fear being the target of xenophobic discrimination, and all students, regardless of their immigration status, have the equal right to safely live, learn and flourish at this University. In his statement on World Migrants Day in 2021, Pope Francis makes clear that the principles of Catholic Social Teaching extend to all immigrants. This is grounded in our understanding of God Himself. Christ “died and rose ‘so that they may all be one,’ (Jn 17:21),” calling us to see that salvation, as understood in the Catholic Church, begins and ends with “we” — in solidarity. The Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) explain and emphasize the importance of preserving human dignity and demonstrating compassion by caring for others, particularly, the vulnerable. At this University, we are called on to uphold these teachings and actionably do so by embracing and welcoming all members of our Notre Dame family, regardless of status. CST articulates that every “person is precious’’ and that “people are more important than things.” Solidarity and equity are foundational pillars of this Student Government administration’s platform. We have committed to taking bold action to foster an inclusive community to ensure the Notre Dame experience is equitable for everyone. We reiterate and affirm this campaign promise as we call for the Notre Dame Student Body to stand in solidarity and allyship with our undocumented student community on campus, their families and those within the surrounding community. As Fr. Jenkins often articulates, “Either we are all Notre Dame, or none of us are.” It is essential that we commit to take action in our daily lives, to uphold the value and common good in all members of our Notre Dame community. We understand that there will be students who will look
over this statement and feel as though they have no stake in the conversation. Instead, we hope that you read this and feel compelled to educate yourself and serve as an ally in situations where you are called to do so. Campus resources and organizations include Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy (SCIA) and Dream ND, both of which offer resources and programming for undocumented students and allies. If you are interested in engaging in allyship for undocumented immigrants in the greater community, the Student Policy Network offers the Indiana Driving Record Card Project, which pursues driving cards for undocumented residents in Indiana. We highlight a new on-campus resource to foster this inclusive community and call for students to engage with the incoming UndocuAlly Program. By educating ourselves, listening to our peers and engaging in honest dialogue, we can do our part to help ensure Notre Dame is a safe community for our undocumented students. Furthermore, we call on the Notre Dame administration to continue to iterate and demonstrate its commitment to standing in solidarity with our undocumented student community. So, as we take the time to celebrate the blessings of family and home this Thanksgiving, we strongly encourage you to have these important conversations even if you do not feel personally impacted. The support and inclusion of undocumented members of the Notre Dame community — the work of building our sanctuary — is something that every student can take part in, and it starts with all of us. Signed, Allan Njomo ’22 Student Body President Nov. 18 Members of the ND community can sign onto the statement and view a full list of signatories online.
Wishful thinking and reality Andrew Sveda Church and State
The idea that Christianity is simply wish-fulfillment is a common line of attack among skeptics. “It just seems too good to be true,” I could imagine someone saying. “Sure, we all want purpose and meaning in this life and a reason why things happen. But it’s just wishful thinking. We’re tricking ourselves. We need to face reality. A cold reality, but reality all the same. Not things we believe just to make us feel better.” When faced with such a challenge, we must not succumb to panic but first realize a crucial fact: This, and this type of “wishful thinking” argument in general, attempts to suggest Christianity is false by explaining why Christianity is false. In other words, it assumes Christianity is false from the very beginning. This is no argument at all; it fails before it gets started. One should also note that the skeptic is being inconsistent. While affirming there is no such thing as meaning or purpose, the skeptic is only telling you Christianity is wish-fulfillment because he believes truth is important, and we should follow reason and logic. But if the whole show, ourselves and everything about us included, is utterly meaningless and without true purpose, why do we have any obligation to believe what is true, let alone try to convince others to believe the truth and suggest they have an objective moral obligation to follow the evidence? In arguing against meaning, they assume and affirm meaning. And thus their argument — and atheism as a whole — collapses. I have written about this before, so I will not belabor the point. We have good grounds to dismiss the charge of wishful thinking already, but let’s go deeper. The skeptic assumes Christianity is immensely preferable to atheism, the latter of which provides them little reason to be biased in its favor. This is wrong-headed. When someone begins to wonder whether God exists, they often think that if they just knew God existed then all would be well and they would
immediately worship Him enthusiastically. But the nearer they get, the more that idea proves totally false. The intellectual doubts are done away with. They have no reason to deny Him now. But they will still not follow His commands. Why not? It’s simple: It runs up against their desires. This leads one to quite a shocking realization: Their opposition to Christianity was not so much about intellectual qualms as it is a desire to follow practically anything that’s not the Creator. It is one thing to believe in a god that gives you some vague feeling of meaning but is very much like you. It is quite another to believe in One who is not like you, who is holy and just and good — and therefore must punish your transgressions, rebellion and sin. All of them. That’s why we find Jesus’ words so frightening: “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3). It’s scary because we know we are not good. Even “our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). And so, we stand helplessly guilty before Him, having committed the most egregious crime imaginable: rebelling and spitting in the face of the Lord Almighty. Nothing we do, no great thing we could ever hope to accomplish, can pay for such an unspeakable crime. We are like Macbeth: “All great Neptune’s oceans [cannot] wash this blood clean from [our hands],” for the punishment for sins is not “x” hours of community service or good works but death and condemnation. This reality seems anything but wishful thinking. Indeed, atheism seems far more likely to be wishful thinking along this line of reasoning. Sure, we want a God that helps us when we want, but we don’t want Him telling us what to do (who does He think He is?). We want to do what we want, when we want and how we want. But more than that, we know our sins. We cannot bear the thought of having our friends and family (let alone God) see our thoughts and our search history or what we’ve said and done behind others’ backs. How much, then, would we love if there was
not a judgment, not a final reckoning, none to tell us what we’re doing is wrong and heinous and black? We want to define how we should live. We want to be our own god. So, when God says our hearts are evil and we love evil and we will face a judgment for it, we naturally desire to stifle this voice in our minds. The natural man loves sin, which God hates. That’s why he will not obey Him and desires to rid himself of any reminder of Him. But what of salvation? Is that not wishful thinking? It would be if the Christian were merely “[presuming] on the riches of [God’s] kindness” (Romans 2:4), thinking God will simply sweep our sins under the rug. It would be, too, if we said our works could save us. All attempts to save ourselves crumble into dust before God’s Throne. But we see the God-Man, Jesus, who “came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). We see His wounds, His body through which “he bore our sins... on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24) and once for all time (Hebrews 9:12) paid in full the sins of His people. His death, His resurrection and His ascension to “the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3) prove to all generations that the Christian’s salvation is not wishful thinking but reality. As one hymn puts it: Here we have a firm foundation, here the refuge of the lost; Christ’s the Rock of our salvation, his the name of which we boast. Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, sacrifice to cancel guilt! None shall ever be confounded who on him their hope have built. Andrew Sveda is a junior at Notre Dame from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in political science with a supplementary major in theology. In his free time, he enjoys writing (obviously), reading and playing the piano. He can be reached at asveda@nd.edu or @SvedaAndrew on Twitter. The views expressed in this column are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer.
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Sports
The observer | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
HOCKEY
Women’s Basketball
Irish hockey shifts Squad defeats ‘Cuse, Bryant, focus to BC Fordham for 5-0 win streak Observer Staff Report
There is seldom a better word to describe any overtime celebration in hockey than pandemonium. Scoring in sudden death is supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport, the greatest in-game individual achievement a skater can aspire towards. Yet, somehow, what Notre Dame achieved last weekend — consecutive overtime winners on the road against No. 1 Michigan from sophomore forward Ryder Rolston and junior forward Max Ellis — felt like something more. The pinnacle of a regular season usually only exists in hindsight. What the Irish did last weekend might be just that. But it will be far less meaningful if the Irish (10-3-0, 4-2-0-2-0 B10) don’t follow that up with another strong performance Friday against Boston College (7-5-2, 5-3-1) at Compton Family Ice Arena. After this rare one-game matchup, the Irish will play just two of their final 20 games against non-B10 opponents. It makes it easy to overlook the Eagles, but Notre Dame would be doing so at their own peril. Beating a team as good as Michigan once, let alone twice, creates a special type of momentum that the Irish should want to hang on to as long as possible. After winning the East Hockey Conference the last two years, Boston College is off to a slow start this year. They’ve alternated between wins and losses in their last six games. Their last game against Maine went down as a tie, though Maine earned the extra conference point in the shootout. There isn’t a clear pattern that emerges from their results, either. The Eagles have won a couple of low-scoring games and put up a few offensive outbursts. Just on Friday, they put up six goals to beat Maine. Only one of their losses came by more than two goals. They may be close to putting it all together, but the Irish will try to delay that effort another game. By contrast, Notre Dame enters this game red hot, as the winners of six straight and undefeated in November. The Irish have excelled with a balanced attack; only Ellis (18 points in 13 games) is currently averaging more than a point-per-game. Notre Dame’s second line of forwards junior Jesse Lansdell, junior Solag Bakich and Ellis is the most potent thus far. Bakich in particular is in the midst of a breakout season; he already has more points
this year (11) than he did in 28 games last season (7). The same goes for Ellis, who had 16 points in 24 contests a season ago. Despite their pedestrian record, the Eagles are still a talented team that can burn any opponent. Boston College’s roster includes six NHL Draft Picks, led by their first-line center senior Jack McBain. Not only is McBain the highest draft pick on the Eagles (63rd overall to Minnesota in 2018), he leads the team with nine goals and 19 points this season. McBain recorded a hat-trick Friday and leads an excellent Eagles center core that also includes senior captain Mark McLaughlin and sophomore Colby Ambrosio. That especially comes through on BC’s power-play. The team operates at a strong 25% success rate. The Eagles are a team that will truly fire the puck from any where, as their 471 shots lead Hockey East. Expect a high-scoring matchup this week with Notre Dame scoring eight goals against the No.1 ranked team in the country. Especially since Boston College has struggled a bit to keep the puck out of the net. Their penalty kill is thirdworst in their conference at 76.3% (much lower than Notre Dame’s stellar 93.9% PK). After losing former first round pick Spencer Knight to the Florida Panthers after last season, BC is leaning on graduate student Eric Dop between the pipes. He started 12 of the Eagles’ first 14 games but has only recorded a pedestrian .900 save percentage. That stands in stark contrast to the tremendous success Notre Dame graduate student goaltending Matthew Galajda has had; his .943 save percentage is tied for sixth in the NCA A for goalies with at least eight games played. These two teams were set to face off in the first round of the NCA A Tournament last spring before Notre Dame’s season was cut short due to COV ID-19. W hile both teams have changed since and the stakes aren’t quite as high as they would have been last March, Friday’s contest should still be a great one to watch. The puck drop for the Irish’s final game of November is 5 p.m. at Compton Family Ice Arena. You can watch the game on NBC Sports Chicago Plus and NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus, or stream it on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App.
By OLIVIA SCHATZ Sports Writer
In an early November ACC matchup, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Women’s Basketball team traveled to Sy racuse, New York, for a revenge game in the Carrier Dome. After a 21 straight w inning streak in the series, the Orange beat the Irish 74-63 in OT on Jan. 5, 2020, and then lost again 81-69 on Jan. 31, 2021. This year’s matchup did not disappoint. W hile the Irish had a slow start to the game, they came alive in the second half, defeating Sy racuse 82-56. Basketball w ill always be a game of runs, which was proven early on. After Sy racuse hit the first shot of the night, the Irish responded w ith a 13-0 run. Those dominant six minutes were led by sophomore for ward Maddy Westbeld, who had six of the 13 points. The Orange tightened up their defense and they went into the second quarter 17-10. “I’m always preaching, tr y ing to set the tone,” head coach Niele Ivey said about the start of the game and the early Irish lead. “I think the tone can be set either offensively or defensively. I’m a big proponent of running the transition and tr ying to push tempo, push pace, and hav ing a guard like Oliv ia Miles who can have the ball on a string helps me do that.” After the early set of runs, the Orange retaliated, and the t wo teams fought back and forth through second quarter. With only 3.33 remaining in the half, the Irish were up 28-26. Within the last minute, freshman guard Oliv ia Miles found junior for ward Sam Brunelle for a quick and easy lay up. This was followed by an interception and basket from freshman guard Sonia Citron, which brought the Irish lead to 3428 going into halftime. This wasn’t w ithout struggle, as this was the first time this year that the Irish starters were in foul trouble early on. “It was the first time that we’d been in a situation where our starters were in foul trouble, reeling, going
into our bench a lot earlier, “ Ivey said. “My bench was ready. Ever yone matters and ever yone can contribute.” It wasn’t until the second half, though, that the Irish really came together. With Westbeld in foul trouble, the rest of the team needed to step up to maintain their lead over the Orange. This they did. Early on in the second half, Brunelle and senior guard Dara Mabrey both scored, taking the Irish to a 10-point lead, which eventually fell to an eight-point one of 57-49 going into the fourth quarter. At the end of the quarter, Brunelle, Westbeld and Mabrey all hit double figures. W hile the Irish picked up the heat in the third, they excelled in the fourth. The game ended w ith a 21-0 run from the Irish, Westbeld hav ing a nine-point run by herself, catching up for lost time on the bench earlier in the game. “[The run] was so big,” Ivey said. “I rely on Maddy, tr y ing not to put too much pressure on her, but she’s just such an incredible player — her versatilit y, you know? She just does so much for our team.” Despite being benched for a good portion of the game, Westbeld was the highest scorer w ith 19 points to herself. During the fourth quarter, the Irish outscored the Orange 25-7, which led to a final score of 82-56. This momentum continued into their game against Fordham on Nov. 18 where the Irish won 71-56 at home. Even though the Irish ended w ith a substantial w in, it wasn’t always obv ious who was the better team. The Rams started the game off w ith the first points, Mabrey and Westbeld scored putting the Irish in the lead 7-2. This was just the beginning of a hot shooting streak from Mabrey, as she would go on to score 15 points in the first quarter alone. “I was just getting what (Fordham) was giv ing me, and my teammates were finding me,” Mabrey said. “We know teams are going to come at us, but we stayed poised and executed.”
By the end of the first quarter, the Irish were up 23-9. Starting the second quarter, Citron kicked off an 8-0 run for the Irish followed by a lay up by Westbeld. This, however, ended Irish scoring for the half and Fordham retaliated, making the final score of the half 42-28. This lull continued into the third quarter, w ith each team only hav ing 12 points. W hile the Rams came out hot in the second half, t wo free throws and a steal by Miles pushed the score back to 48-32. The Rams responded w ith a fast scoring of eight points in under a minute, closing the gap to only 54-40. During the fourth quarter, the Irish made it clear who would w in this game. W hile the Rams started the quarter w ith an early seven points, Westbeld stopped their momentum, quick ly putting up both a jumper and a three. Citron followed, which put the Irish up 64-48 w ith 4:19 left. The Rams returned w ith a little pressure, cutting the lead dow n to ten, before graduate-transfer for ward Maya Dodson, Mabrey, Miles and Westbeld all had their say on the line. In the end, the Irish won 71-56. This would be the first 4-0 for the Irish in three years. W hile Mabrey had the highest total points of 20, this game was surely a team effort. Westbeld put up 18 of her ow n, and Citron received her first doubledouble (12/10). In addition, Dodson has 11 rebounds w ith Citron not too far behind her w ith 10. This momentum proved to continue into the games on Sunday, as the Irish destroyed the Br yant Bulldogs 94-35. They hope to keep this energ y as they play the Universit y of Georgia on the road Friday. The Irish take on the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. as part of the Day tona Beach Inv itational at the Ocean Center. In the t woday tournament, the Irish w ill also face Oregon State on Saturday. Contact Olivia Schatz at oschatz@nd.edu
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ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | The Observer
Crossword | Will Shortz
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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Happy Birthday: Comfort and lowering stress levels will help you make better decisions, form good relationships and live a healthy lifestyle. Aim to get along with everyone, and make adjustments that give you the freedom to follow your heart and let your imagination take you to places that stimulate your mind and encourage positive results. Choose balance and equality over discord. Your numbers are 8, 13, 24, 29, 34, 42, 48. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Touch base with someone you find motivating. The enthusiasm you gain from a spirited conversation will help you take care of unfinished business and move on to exciting opportunities. A change will lead to a fresh start. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Distance yourself from situations that cause concern, and you’ll get a better glimpse of what’s happening. Look for a way to minimize spending that still enables you to get what you want. Do the work yourself, and you’ll get good results. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Step back and review what’s happening. Look at what’s trending, and consider how you can utilize your skills, knowledge and experience to get ahead. Stay focused on what’s viable and promising for you, and distance yourself from people pushing over-the-top behavior. CANCER ( June 21-July 22): Don’t be fooled by the hype. Ask questions, then filter through information that will help you make a good decision. Taking a risk with your health or your financial investments will cause undue stress. Plan something special with someone you love. LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22): Set high standards and don’t budge, regardless of what others do or say. Follow your heart, and do what’s best for you. Discipline will come in handy when dealing with temptation. Don’t fight the inevitable; focus on what you can achieve. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Put your emotions aside, and be realistic. A change in pace, living arrangements or the crowd you hang out with will help you get back on track. Don’t be fooled by someone using emotional manipulation to push you in the wrong direction. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Spend time with people who bring out the best in you. Activities that motivate you to adjust to your life and take care of yourself will give you a new lease on life. A healthy diet and exercise routine are encouraged. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Damage control will help you ward off a tense situation with a friend, relative or lover. Don’t overreact when kindness and understanding are what’s required. Affectionate gestures will set the stage for a helpful and informative discussion. Romance is favored. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Work with someone you love, and respect and positive adjustments to your living arrangements and expenses will unfold. Talks will be spirited, but the result will be a beneficial and welcome change that allows you to plan for future projects. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Consider how you earn and handle your cash and what you can do to improve your chance to excel or head in a direction that excites you. A change you make to your resume, qualifications or a networking function will pay off. AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your ideas will exceed your budget. Consider what’s important and how to satisfy what you want and stay within your means. Offering an incentive to someone who can help will close the gap between what you can and cannot afford. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Emotions will be difficult to control. If you want to get things done without conflicts or setbacks, stick to the truth and verify the information. Search for common ground when working with others, and you will find a path that satisfies everyone. Birthday Baby: You are pioneering, extraordinary and persistent. You are playful and dynamic.
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Sports
The observer | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
FB Wrap Continued from page 12
forcing a fumble — the play was ruled an incomplete pass after junior linebacker Jack Kiser scooped up the loose ball. However, Kiser got his revenge a few plays later. With Georgia Tech at midfield, sophomore vyper Isaiah Foskey brought pressure and quarterback Jordan Yates tried to throw it away. Kiser was there and had the easiest interception of his life, taking it back the other way for his second pick-six of the season. Foskey delivered a big hit to Yates as he released the ball — a big enough hit that he didn’t even realize the pass had been picked off. “I didn’t even know he caught it. I was just trying to wrap [Yates] up and heard the crowd go and realized something definitely happened,” Foskey said,. “That was a cool experience to see Jack Kiser running into the end zone. It’s fun to see that and to contribute to it.” After that, the defense allowed 16 yards on two Yellow Jacket drives before the Irish offense put two touchdowns on the board. A methodical 9-play, 65-yard drive did the trick, with a fourth-down conversion from just outside the red zone being the highlight of the drive. Williams polished it off with a nine-yard run, waltzing into the end zone untouched. The second scoring drive was a little flashier, as the Irish ran a tricky end around out of a power formation on third-and-1. This one went to Austin, which is the first time he’s gotten the ball on that play this year. Kelly commented on the different looks created by the end arounds. “We hadn’t shown Kevin as a guy that we run the handoff sweep too — he mostly has been blocking the safety,” Kelly said. “We’re trying to get out on the perimeter, get those tough yards and be creative to pick up one or two yards to keep the chains moving.” The end around set up a 52yard pass to Mayer, who was completely uncovered. That was enough for a comfortable 24-0 edge at the end of the first quarter.
Michigan Continued from page 12
less than 30 seconds later to bring the score to 2-1. Slaggert picked up a loose puck near the front of the net. He fired it past Portillo to get the Irish on the board. The Irish then tied the game just 1:29 into the second period. Junior forward Jesse Lansdell scored on a wide-open net. Junior forward Solag Bakich deflected a pass from the point right to Lansdell for the score. The Irish grabbed their first lead of the night at the 4:37 mark of the second period by forcing a Portillo turnover behind the net and then scoring off of a wraparound into an
“We have one of the best tight ends, if not the best tight end, in the country,” Kelly said, praising the sophomore after another big game. The rout rolled on into the second quarter, as the touchdown pushups continued in a furious frenzy across the Irish student section. Notre Dame poured on 21 points in the quarter. Chunk pass plays of 19 and 16 yards — plus a 12-yard gain on another reverse — motored Coan and co. into the red zone. This time, Diggs provided the finishing touches, with a powerful 5-yard run into the end zone. The running backs were further glorified as Notre Dame piled on the points. On the next Irish drive, Williams ripped off a 26-yard run on the edge to kickstart the drive. Three plays later, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees dialed up a fake screen that worked to perfection. Coan faked to Tyree on his left, turned right and dumped it to Diggs, who took it 20 yards to the house. Offensive lineman Josh Lugg delivered a thundering block to clear the way for Diggs. On their final scoring drive of the half, Notre Dame started on their own 11-yard line. Coan immediately hit Austin for a 52yard gain to jumpstart the possession. Williams and tight end George Takacs got some work in, taking short passes for 18- and 19-yard gains on the drive. From a yard out, Williams bulled his way in for touchdown number three. Notre Dame took a 45-0 lead to the locker room. “We’ve found our offensive identity,” Mayer said after the game, referencing a press conference from after the Cincinnati loss when he said the Irish were still searching for one. “It’s late in the year, but our offense is really coming together.” Although the second half was a formality, it was not devoid of highlights. Freshman quarterback Tyler Buchner sprinted 68 yards to spark a drive that resulted in a field goal for the Irish. Then, Foskey created another defensive touchdown with a strip-sack that was picked up by graduate defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa. The
268-pound senior glided — or rumbled — down the field for the scoop-and-score. Foskey and senior defensive lineman Jayson Ademilola had key blocks to help Tagovailoa-Amosa score in his final game at Notre Dame Stadium. “I was blocking the quarterback because I knew that was the guy that could maybe stop the whole play,” Foskey said of his block, before commenting on his sack on the play. “I tried to go for the tackle, went for the ball and got Myron a touchdown.” The Irish didn’t notch an offensive touchdown in the second half, but they certainly did not need it. They passed the eye test and then some, running out the clock en route to finish off the victory. The biggest storyline was keeping the shutout — the Irish had held their previous two opponents without a touchdown. “Defense always wants to pitch a shutout. Finally got the complete shutout today — no points on the board. So great to see that at the end of the year,” Foskey said. Notre Dame’s defense has given up 11.8 points per game over the past five contests since their bye. Excluding the North Carolina shootout, that number is 6.25 points in the four other games. Saturday’s victory was their first shutout over Power Five competition since 2014 when they beat Michigan 31-0. Notre Dame will likely move up at least one spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, after slotting in at No. 8 this past week. No. 7 Michigan State was blown out by Ohio State, allowing for another small jump for the Irish. The victory is a big one for the Irish, who have just one game left to impress the committee. Kelly offered a slight side comment that seemed aimed towards the Committee in his postgame remarks: “For those of you interested in style points ... I covered that one today.” The Irish play at Stanford next week — kickoff time has not been announced.
empty net. A few minutes later, though, Michigan answered and brought the score level at 3 apiece midway through the second period. The Irish grabbed the lead back at the end of the period. A power play allowed Max Ellis to net his second goal of the game bringing the score to 4-3 in favor of the Irish. At the 13:29 mark of the third period, Bordeleau scored off of a wrister from the face-off dot to tie the score at four. The score remained tied through the third period. That is, until Ellis found the net again at the 3:29 mark of the overtime period. With that, the Irish took a 5-4 victory and a series sweep of the Wolverines. Ellis scored by tipping in a feed from
graduate student defenseman Adam Karashik from just outside the goal crease. Saturday night was Ellis’ first hat trick of his Irish career. It was also the first for the Irish since Colin Theisen scored three against Wisconsin in November 2020. This was the second straight season the Irish have gone on the road to sweep the top-ranked team in the country. In January 2021, the Irish took down the top-ranked Minnesota Gophers. The Irish will return to action at the Compton Family Ice Arena Friday against the 19thranked Boston College Eagles. The puck will drop at 5 p.m. and will be televised on NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu
HOCKEY
Ranking Top-10 teams by uniform Erin Fennessy Senior Photographer
Let’s get this out of the way early: I’m not a fan of the four-team College Football Playoff model. Grow ing up in Madison, Wisconsin, I remember the days when going to the Rose Bowl after w inning the Big Ten championship was a big deal, and there was none of this “what The Committee likes to see” nonsense. I’m no expert on college football, but it doesn’t take an expert to know that since Michigan State beat Michigan, the Spartans should be ranked ahead of the Wolverines. With this in mind, it makes about as much sense to rank the top 10 based on how much one college senior likes each team’s home uniforms as it does to rank them based on whatever criteria The Committee has in mind. So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
No. 10 Georgia As my roommate put it: “That shade of red is heinous.” Not quite red, but almost orange, and in some lighting, verging on little-girl lipstick pink, the Bulldogs’ unoriginal redand-white palette is uninspired at best and gaudy at worst.
is a nice touch, A labama is at the center of the pack because there is nothing that makes them stand out good, bad or other w ise.
No. 6 Ohio State Another red-and-white combo, the Buckeyes are ranked just above the Crimson Tide because of their silver helmets and their commitment to proper, unequivocally bright red. I took points off for the Buckeye helmet stickers because they don’t make sense to me.
No. 5 Cincinnati Rounding out the bottom 5 is the Bearcats. Despite the fact that I don’t know what a Bearcat is, and I don’t know why someone would choose that as a school mascot, and that they beat us at home, their all-black home uniforms w ith muted red helmets are the best of the red-based color schemes.
No. 4 Oklahoma State I only like orange paired w ith all black, and the cowboys delivered on this front. No further comment.
No. 3 Michigan State Unlike Oregon, Michigan State isn’t afraid to commit to their classic green color scheme. The shades of light green on solid dark green modernize the traditional white-and-green, and I like it.
No. 9 Oregon W hile I actually do like several of the Duck’s home outfits, the fact that they have a new one ever y week is annoy ing. Pick one shade of green and stick w ith it! Plus, the highlighter yellow should be saved for special, monochrome occasions — it’s all or nothing for me.
No. 8 Michigan Notre Dame’s traditional rivals, the Wolverines boast a sharp color contrast for their gameday getups. The problem? That shade of yellow is garish. W hile they get points for their unconventional helmet design, I just can’t look past that harsh shade of fake gold.
No. 7 Alabama Simply put, the Crimson Tide has no “wow” factor. I feel absolutely under whelmed, looking at this white-and-not-quitered color scheme. W hile the simplicit y of the players’ numbers on their helmets
No. 2 Wake Forest I’m a big fan of gold-based color schemes done right. So, I enjoy the simplicit y of the Demon Deacons’ blackand-gold home uniforms, which are f lashy w ithout being over-the-top.
No. 1 Notre Dame We have the best uniforms in college football, hands dow n. W hile many tr y to imitate those brilliant gold helmets, all others lack the gorgeous sy mbolism of the Golden Dome. Combined w ith our simple nav y jerseys which erase the indiv idual in favor of the team, the fashion of the Fighting Irish is an unparalleled classic that deser ves a celebration. Contact Erin Fennessy at efenness@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Sports
ndsmcobserver.com | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | The Observer
FOOTBALL FEATURE
Men’s Soccer
Diggs emerges from Irish offense By J.J. POST Sports Writer
Slowly but steadily, Notre Dame’s offense put together perhaps its most complete performance in years against Georgia Tech this Saturday. In a performance perhaps emblematic of the unit’s performance this season as a whole, the Irish offense progressively grew more dominant as the game went on, stringing together chunk yardage plays and consistently converting key third downs. The showing, which was Notre Dame’s first 50+ point performance since early last season, was a marked improvement from some of the early turnouts in 2021 — most notably an early stretch against Toledo, Purdue, Wisconsin and Cincinnati where the Irish offense seemed to be stuck in first gear for large portions of games. A big part of that turnaround has been the emergence of Logan Diggs as a true no. 2 running back behind Kyren Williams, offering a different look for offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to throw at opposing defenses, as well as a chance for Williams to get the rest he needs as a bell cow who often sees 15+ carries in a game. Logan Diggs didn’t have his biggest game in terms of volume against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday (only receiving two carries and one target), but he certainly made the most of his chances, punching in a touchdown run from the 5-yard line in the second quarter and then three minutes later turning a clever screen pass into a 20yard touchdown reception. His touchdown run, which featured some solid power and a nice broken tackle, certainly deserves plaudits. However, Diggs’ reception really highlights why he looks like a future staple in the Irish lineup. The effort displayed both tangible, physical gifts with his speed, as well as patience beyond his years. After taking in Coan’s floated pass (a task easier said than done, which many more traditional running backs can attest to), the freshman out of Marrero, Louisiana looked upfield. Instead of immediately charging forward and trying to beat the defender in front of him down the sideline, Diggs waited for Josh Lugg to get in position to make the block. Once Lugg cleared the way, Diggs turned on the jets and eventually found the pylon for the score. It’s hard to not draw immediate comparisons to Kyren Williams when watching Diggs — both are crafty running backs who can provide both speed, shiftiness, power and patience
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to the backfield. And such similar traits have allowed for a natural partnership to emerge between the two backs, both on and off the field. When asked about how Williams has helped him improve, Diggs described just how big of an influence the junior has had on him. These effects can be traced back to the team’s fall camp, where the two were partnered together. “I would honestly say Kyren is the reason why I’m comfortable and why I’m doing what I’m doing,” Diggs said. “He just took me under his wing, all throughout camp. His habits have rubbed off on me.” He later elaborated how some of those practice habits picked up under Williams’ wing have played an important role in his development as a player, making sure that he was ready when his chance finally came in week six against Virginia Tech. “I think it’s about practice and reps — and that goes for anybody. The game slows down as you get reps and the coaches begin to trust you and you build your own confidence,” Diggs said. “My attention to detail, my mindset [have benefitted from working with Williams]. The way that [Williams] approaches the game is different than anyone I’ve ever seen. His mindset is very strong, and that rubs off on me and it rubs off on the whole team. We all have that mentality that that first man isn’t going to tackle me.” Diggs has also fostered strong relationships with team members beyond Williams — he also spoke on his bond with fellow freshman running back Audric Estime, who got his first carries of the season late in the game Saturday. “Watching him out there play tonight, after all the talks that me and him have had together, I know that he was really excited and really ready to go out and play,” Williams said of Estime. “He’s been ready and he proved that tonight. I’m proud of him.” Diggs’ mentality also stands out as a trait that sets him on the right track to be a future star for the Irish. Last week the freshman broke Twitter with an incredible hurdle in which he cleared 6-foot-1 Virginia defensive back Anthony Johnson with relative ease on what would prove to be a key drive for the Irish. But in the press conference this week, Diggs played it off as something in the past, making clear his focus is on his future with the team. “I’ll be honest; I’m tired of seeing it,” Diggs admitted. “But it’s all love, though. I appreciate it.” Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu
Irish head to Sweet 16 after 3-0 win over Villanova By AIDAN THOMAS Associate Sports Editor
Five postseason clashes and five clean sheets for the Notre Dame defense. It’s been a stretch as good as this program has seen in recent years, and it has the Irish dancing on and into the Sweet 16, after a Round of 32 victory over Villanova. The Irish dominated start to finish, with an 8-3 edge in shots on goal leading to a 3-0 final scoreline. Senior forward Jack Lynn, senior defender Ben Giacobello and sophomore defender Paddy Burns all found the back of the net. Burns and Giacobello were part of the sturdy backline that limited Villanova to three very saveable shots. “We’ve been very confident the entire year in our defensive play,” Giacobello said after the game. “We started the year 1-3-1. We took a long look and realized if we were going to do anything this year, we had to be elite defensively.”
An unexpected postseason battle If anyone predicted this second-round battle at the beginning of the season, kudos to them, because virtually no expert had this one penciled in. Both teams were picked to finish last in their respective conferences. Notre Dame completely flipped the script en route to winning the ACC title and earning the No. 4 national seed in the NCAA Tournament. Villanova put together a solid 12-7-1 campaign, made it to the Big East tournament semifinals. That was enough for an at-large bid, and the Wildcats pulled the minor upset over Vermont in the opening round of the tournament. It was their first NCAA tournament win in program history.
Irish start fast Villanova was a team known for their defense entering the Round of 32 clash, having not won a game when giving up more than two goals. The Irish took the fight to the Wildcats in the first 45, pressuring Villanova keeper Carson Williams with great frequency. Senior forward Jack Lynn was his normal dangerous self up top for the Irish, taking three shots in the first half. Ultimately, it was the senior notching his ninth goal of the season. While Lynn got the goal, it was the assist that was the true highlight; sophomore defender Paddy Burns delivered a dime of a crossfield long ball, leading Lynn perfectly. Notre Dame’s leading goal-scorer settled and finished through a defender into the bottom left corner. “I made a fading run, and me
and Paddy actually locked eyes — he put his head down and laced it to me,” Lynn said of the buildup to his opening tally. “I knew immediately the center back was going to misjudge the ball, so I just had to focus on my first touch.” The pressure continued, as Notre Dame was relentless in their offensive attack. They took 10 corner kicks in the first half and outshot the Wildcats 10-3. The second goal came in the final 10 minutes, and Burns was again at the center of the action. After some buildup, graduate transfer Dawson McCartney played a dangerous pass to Burns in the left side of the box. A strong strike from the sophomore was saved by a diving Williams. However, the rebound popped up, and a flurry of chances followed. Lynn got to the ball first and sent a header off the crossbar. By the time the ball came back down, Burns had gotten back into the mix and connected on a diving header into a mostly open net. Head coach Chad Riley praised Burns’ efforts after the game while adding in a slight jab at the voters of the All-ACC team. “He was one of the guys the ACC guys left off the list for some reason,” Riley said. “He’s an AllACC type of player, and I think he did it again tonight.”
Irish dominate defensively — again Burns wasn’t the only snub as the Irish saw just one player named to the All-ACC third team, despite allowing the least goals in conference play. Five straight shutouts in postseason play are quite the way to play with a chip on your shoulder. The streak came after a disappointing 3-1 loss to finish the regular season against UNC. However, Giacobello spread the credit for the defensive effort to more than just the backline. “UNC, we felt that was a game we didn’t really show up for. Went to the ACC tournament — it starts top to bottom — the backline gets credit, the goalie gets credit,” Giacobello noted. “But we have forwards that press really well, midfielders that press, wingers that get back and make our job really easy.” Villanova midfielder Lyam Mackinnon — the Wildcats’ leading scorer — was the only player that really generated any looks, with four shots, but only one got on target. The Irish closed rapidly on Villanova’s star, minimizing what he could and getting in front of his shots. “You know there’s gonna be a couple of guys that you really have to keep an eye on,” Riley said of preparing for Mackinnon. “I think the team did a great job.” The Irish came out of halftime
and remained firmly in control. Villanova threw everything they could at the Irish, but they were limited to a single shot on goal, a 25-yard effort saved with ease by sophomore keeper Bryan Dowd. “Two-nothing doesn’t mean a lot in soccer,” Riley said. “We started to deal with some of their set pieces, and then Ben Giacobello getting the third goal was everything we needed.” Giacobello’s game-sealing goal was a beauty, a half volley from 20 yards out that sliced into the near post for the 3-0 lead. It came with 5:08 remaining in the game and Villanova playing with 10 men due to a defender receiving his second yellow card of the game. Giacobello is a former midfielder and forward who has transitioned to outside back this season. “I’ve had shots from out there a lot — had one against NC State that was close,” Giacobello said. “There was no way I was passing that one up.”
Irish avenge 2019, look ahead to Wake Forest After Giacobello’s goal, the Irish closed out the victory comfortably, in front of a vocal crowd and student section. “This is one of the best NCAA games I’ve seen in terms of student attendance, and that just lifts the guys tremendously,” Riley said after the game. This game meant a lot for the Irish. Two years ago, Notre Dame hosted a first-round NCAA tournament game and was upset by Wright State, 3-2. Giacobello and Lynn were both sophomores on that team and played in the game. Giacobello referenced that as well as two nail-biting home tournament wins his freshman year as valuable experience. “It’s huge. Having a group of guys that have experienced that [the freshman year run] and the Wright State game, we don’t take anything for granted,” the senior defender noted. “We come out here, we fight.” Lynn added that the tournament is special. “Today I woke up, and I could sense something different in the air, because you know every game could be your last... it means everything to me,” Lynn said. “Sophomore year was a big disappointment — we knew we could have gone further.” Now, the Irish are going further. They will host another tournament game Sunday, with the starting time yet to be announced. Their opponent is Wake Forest, an ACC foe the Irish didn’t see in the regular season. The Demon Deacons upset No. 13 Florida International 3-2 in their second-round game to earn the trip to South Bend.” Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu
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The observer | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021 | ndsmcobserver.com
FOOTBALL | 55-0
Party like it’s 1996: Irish thrash Yellow Jackets for biggest win in 25 years By AIDAN THOMAS Associate Sports Editor
ALLISON THORNTON | The Observer
Irish defensive end Isaiah Foskey (right) lifts linebacker Jack Kiser after his pick-six against the Yellow Jackets. This was Notre Dame’s first touchdown in their 55-0 home win over Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Despite being 3-7, Georgia Tech had lost just one game by more than 11 points this season. Ahead of Saturday’s clash, head coach Geoff Collins noted that the Yellow Jackets had had chances to win in the final minutes of all but one game. Make that two. Notre Dame came out needing to dominate and pass the eye test. They did just that, scoring on all six of their first-half drives, notching a pick-six and absolutely thrashing Collins’ Yellow Jackets by a final score of 55-0, the biggest blowout in the Brian Kelly era. It was the biggest Notre Dame win since Nov. 23rd, 1996, when the Irish beat Rutgers 62-0. “It was a terrific day — what’s not to like about what happened today? Guys executed at a high level,” head coach Brian Kelly said. The Irish had plenty of standouts in the box score: Graduate transfer quarterback Jack Coan finished 15-20 for 285 yards and only played
one series of the second half. Eleven different receivers recorded receptions for the Irish. Junior running back Kyren Williams had two touchdowns and 87 allpurpose yards, nearly all of which were accumulated in the first half. Freshman running back Logan Diggs only touched the ball three times, but he gained 26 yards and notched a pair of touchdowns as well. Senior receiver Kevin Austin paced the Irish with 89 receiving yards on two catches, while sophomore tight end Michael Mayer caught three passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Chris Tyree started things off strong for the Irish with a 51-yard kickoff return. A 38-yard pass to Austin followed, but two sacks derailed the drive and limited Notre Dame to a field goal. The Irish defense set the tone early and often. On Georgia Tech’s first play from scrimmage, junior linebacker JD Bertrand brought the heat and was centimeters from see FB WRAP PAGE 10
HOCKEY | 3-2, 5-4
Irish secure pair of overtime victories to sweep top-ranked Wolverines Observer Staff Report
The 14th-ranked Irish (10-3-0, 4-2-0 B1G) continued their run of dominance at Yost Ice Arena on Friday and Saturday. They swept the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines (10-4-0, 5-3-0 B1G) by scores of 3-2 and 5-4. With the sweep, the Irish have now won their last seven games in Ann Arbor. In the series opener, the Irish erased a two-goal deficit to beat the Wolverines 3-2 in overtime. The Irish had the first good look of the night Friday with junior forward Max Ellis firing a shot on goal that was saved by Michigan goaltender Erik Portillo. Senior forward Cam Burke had another good look for the Irish with just over five minutes remaining in the first. But Portillo was able to save Burke’s attempt keeping the game scoreless at the end of the first period. Sophomore forward Grant Silianoff then got a good look for the Irish early on in the second period. It was during the first power play of the game, but
Portillo fought off Silianoff’s slapshot to once again deny the Irish. The Wolverines got a good look minutes later. Junior goaltender Ryan Bischel made a strong right-pad stop to deny the Wolverines. The Wolverines were able to get the scoring in this one going minutes later. Brandon Brisson tapped in a rebound up close to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead at the four-minute mark of the second period. Michigan then doubled their lead early in the third period to take control of the game with Matty Beniers making it a 2-0 game. The Irish were not going down without a fight. Freshman forward Hunter Strand put the Irish on the board just 36 seconds later. Silianoff earned the assist on the play for letting it off to Strand at the back post. Then, Strand snuck a low, quick wrister past Portillo. The Irish then tied the game at the 13:44 mark of the period with sophomore forward Ryder Rolston crashing the net to score off of a rebound.
Rolston finished the comeback for the Irish in overtime, scoring off of a one-timer from the slot to give the Irish a 3-2 victory in stunning fashion. The Irish won in overtime Saturday night as well by a score of 5-4 to secure the series sweep against the Wolverines. The Irish got the first powerplay opportunity of the game in this one just five minutes in. Silianoff and senior defenseman Nick Leivermann had chances before the advantage was negated because of a minor Irish penalty. The Wolverines found some success in the second half of the first period. They slipped two shots past Bischel in a span of three and a half minutes to take a 2-0 lead. The first goal came off of a rebound with Michael Pastujov finding the back of the net. It was Thomas Bordeleau who scored the second goal for the Wolverines, finishing off a 3-on1 chance. Senior forward Graham Slaggert answered for the Irish see MICHIGAN PAGE 10
ALEX CHILIKINA-BROWN | The Observer
Irish defenseman Spencer Statsney skates down the ice during Notre Dame’s win over LIU. The Irish won 5-2 in Compton Family Ice Arena.