Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, November 4, 2022

Maggie Klaers, Ryan Vigilante | The Observer

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INSidER

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

KEys to victory

Keys to victory versus Clemson

By NATE MOLLER Senior Spor ts Writer

After a conv incing w in against Sy racuse last week, the Irish have a lot of momentum heading into their biggest home matchup of the season against the fifthranked Clemson Tigers.

Marcus Freeman and the Irish w ill look to prove that they can play well at home and break some of their early season woes at Notre Dame Stadium. Clemson, who is coming off of a bye week, last played against Sy racuse as well, beating the Orange by a narrow 27-21 margin. The Irish w ill have their work cut out for them against the undefeated Tigers. Here are the Irish keys to v ictor y.

Take care of the football In Notre Dame’s stunning losses to Marshall and Stanford this season, it was ultimately turnovers that prevented the Irish from w inning. Against Marshall, it was sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner’s pick-six w ith just under five minutes to go. Against Stanford, sophomore running back Audric Estime’s fumble late in the fourth quarter sealed the Irish loss.

Facing a Clemson team that has more talent and experience on both sides of the

ball, the Irish simply can not afford to give up any possessions or give the Tigers good field position on Saturday.

The good news for the Irish is that the Clemson defense hasn’t exactly been racking up turnovers, as they only generated 12 turnovers this season. Despite this, the Irish w ill need to be disciplined at key moments of the game and not make costly mistakes like they have in a couple of games earlier this season.

One player to watch for the Irish is Audric Estime.

A lthough Estime has put up impressive numbers this season w ith over 500 rushing yards w ith an average of 5.6 yards per carr y, he has lost three fumbles.

The Irish relied heav ily on Estime against Sy racuse, and Estime took care of the ball and was ver y productive in the run game. The Irish w ill need the same from him on Saturday if they are going to compete w ith the Tigers.

Stop game

Clemson’s

run

Another key to Irish v ictor y on Saturday w ill be stopping the Clemson run game, which has averaged nearly 200 yards per game this season. The Tigers are led by sophomore running back Will Shipley, who has been

sensational for the Tigers this year and is averaging six yards per carr y. Shipley is also coming off his most impressive performance of the year. He rushed for 172 yards and t wo touchdow ns against Sy racuse t wo weeks ago.

If Shipley and the Clemson offensive line are able to have their way w ith Notre Dame’s front seven, this game could be a blowout. The Irish run defense is ranked 51st in college football, and they have been ver y streak y this season.

At times they have come up big in short-yardage situations, but they have also allowed nearly four yards per carr y this season. They have been susceptible to allowing big yardage plays on the ground. Shipley is arguably the best running back the Irish have faced this season.

Containing his production w ill be a challenge to say the least.

Even if they can contain Shipley, they have to worr y about Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who can punish defenses w ith his mobilit y.

Uiagalelei has 350 rushing yards this season, and his abilit y to be effective outside of the pocket could be an issue for the Irish. If the Irish are able to stop the run, however, they can potentially

expose Uiagalelei’s bigger weakness in the passing game. Uiagalelei ranks just 45th in the FBS in passer rating.

Find success in the passing game A lthough the Irish relied heav ily on the run game in last week’s v ictor y over Sy racuse, that is going to be much tougher to do against a Clemson run defense that is ranked 7th in FBS and allows an average of just 2.98 yards per carr y. It seems unlikely that the Irish w ill be able to lean on their run game to lead them to v ictor y.

For that reason, it is likely going to come dow n to junior quarterback Drew Py ne being able to make some plays, potentially in third and long situations. Since the BY U game, Py ne has completed just 48.6% of his passes, which isn’t going to cut it against Clemson.

In the w in against Sy racuse, Py ne attempted just 19 passes, but it is quite possible he needs to throw the ball t w ice as much this Saturday and do so successfully. If the Irish are going to get Py ne comfortable in the pass game, they need the offensive line to step up against a Clemson team that averages nearly three sacks per game. Since the Stanford

game, the offensive line has looked formidable, but they w ill face a difficult task against a talented Clemson front seven.

Aside from the offensive line, Py ne needs to have options available dow nfield other than junior tight end Michael Mayer. Assuming the Tigers do ever y thing in their power to take Mayer out of the game, the Irish need at least a couple of receivers to step up.

Sophomore Deion Colzie might be an option for the Irish, as he had a couple of catches in his return from injur y against Sy racuse. Freshman Tobias Merriweather and sophomore Jayden Thomas have also show n f lashes of greatness this season, and they could be options for deep dow nfield plays as well.

At the end of the day, though, it comes dow n to Py ne’s abilit y to find these open receivers. Too many times this season Py ne gets locked in on Mayer, and that has proved costly at times.

Py ne has the opportunit y of a lifetime on Saturday, and he has to be prepared to take advantage of his opportunit y if the Irish are going to find a v ictor y.

Contact Nate Moller at nmoller2@nd.edu

column

Coolican: Coaching staff must put their faith in Pyne this weekend

By LIAM COOLICAN Associate Sports Editor

Drew Pyne’s best performance of the year came on the road against North Carolina earlier this year. The junior quarterback completed 24 of 34 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns. I wrote after the game that it must serve as a turning pointfor the Irish offense.

For one game, it looked like it would -– Pyne had another outstanding performance against BYU in Las Vegas. But since then, highlighted by the dismal loss to Stanford, Pyne has regressed significantly. Yes, the Irish offense has scored 87 points in the last two games, but that was due to a dominant ground game. As Sports Editor Aidan Thomas wrote in his column after the win over Syracuse, it isn’t a sustainable approach.

The offensive distribution against Syracuse was particularly striking. Pyne attempted

19 passes against 56 rushing attempts for the Irish. Barely a quarter of Notre Dame’s offensive snaps were pass plays.

In the second half of the game against UNLV, Pyne threw just five passes.

Heading into this weekend’s game against Clemson, it is almost a guarantee that this same approach won’t work.

The Tigers’ front seven is, as usual, among the most dominant units in college football.

They are allowing opponents under 90 yards per game on the ground -– good for seventh in the nation and fourth among Power Five teams. If the Irish have any hope to pull off the upset, they will have to rely heavily on Pyne.

There is one small issue -– the coaching staff seems to have lost all faith in him. Pyne’s role has seemingly been limited to check downs and passes over the middle to junior tight end Michael Mayer in recent weeks.

The approach has been effective recently, but it’s also highly

predictable: “You know what you have to stop: the run game and the ball is going to No. 87 (Mayer),” Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin said, according to Irish Sports Daily.

This offensive predictability is not due to Pyne’s lack of ability. While he certainly isn’t going to challenge for the Heisman Trophy, his performances against North Carolina and BYU prove that he has all the physical and mental tools necessary to succeed at this level.

This recent lack of production rests squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff. Notre Dame currently ranks 65th in passing yards per completion with 12.08 which reflects a lack of big play capability. Pyne’s receivers certainly could help him out-he does not have a consistent secondary target behind Mayer. Yet, receivers like Lorenzo Styles, Braden Lenzy, and Tobias Merriweather have the tools necessary to be big-play threats and it is

inexplicable that Notre Dame hasn’t deployed them more often in such a role.

Pyne certainly isn’t a perfect quarterback, but he’s the best we have. He needs to improve and cannot be absolved of all blame. His performance against Stanford was one of the main reasons why the Irish scored just 14 points–yet the coaching staff must put him in a position to succeed.

This column isn’t to say Notre Dame should abandon the run and turn into an air-raid offense overnight. Running the ball is still the strength of this team and it is smart to play to this strength. The Irish looked impressive against Syracuse, there can be no doubt about that. But Clemson is a different quality of opponent.Running the ball can and should continue to be the focal point of the offense.

But when an offense does not possess even the slightest vertical threat, it becomes much easier for defenses to stop the run. On the flip side, if defenses

are forced to respect the quarterback’s passing ability, the offense is able to run the ball much more effectively.

In passing-down situations, opponents have discovered that Pyne is ineffective when they drop eight. More often than not, these situations happen when Notre Dame runs the ball on first and second down and suddenly Pyne is left with a third and long and no option but to throw the ball.

Finally, if the coaching staff shows they are willing to trust Pyne to take shots down the field in big situations, it would be a significant confidence booster for him and the whole team. If Pyne needs anything at this point in the season, its confidence. He’s shown that he can be an effective passer in the right situations. If the Irish are to pull off the upset this weekend, they will have to put full trust in their quarterback.

Contact Liam Coolican at lcoolica@nd.edu

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Volume 57, Issue 28 | friday, november 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Saint Mary’s celebrates Smick Day This year marks third annual celebration honoring women of the College

By CATHY DOHERTY News Writer

A s t he su n wa s set t i ng beh i nd t he L e Ma ns bel l tower Wed nesday even i ng, st udents gat hered for t he t h i rd a n nua l Sm ick Day hosted

by Sa i nt Ma r y ’s St udent G over n ment A ssociat ion (SGA) a nd orga n i zed by t he St udent L i fe com m it tee.

Josie Haa s, st udent body v ice president, ex pla i ned t he h istor y beh i nd Sm ick Day. “‘Sm ick’ wa s used a s a derogator y ter m, a nd for t hat rea son Sa i nt Ma r y ’s wa nted to recla i m a nd ta ke it back a s a n empower i ng ter m, rat her t ha n somet h i ng t hat puts ou r Sa i nt Ma r y ’s st udents dow n,” Haa s sa id.

Now, each yea r, st udent s f rom across t he t r i-ca mpus com mu n it y a re i nv ited to joi n Sa i nt Ma r y ’s i n celebrat i ng Sm ick s. But tons t hat sa id “proud Sm ick” a nd “Sm ick a l ly,” a long w it h f ree Sa i nt Ma r y ’s sh i r ts were bei ng pa ssed out. SGA prov ided Ra isi ng Ca ne’s ch icken, a bou nce house, bracelet-ma k i ng stat ions a nd a bla n k ca nva s for st udents to leave blue ha ndpr i nts on.

T h is event is pa r t of Suppor t a Bel le, L ove a Bel le week. A week f u l l of va r ious events a nd act iv it ies put on

by SGA to celebrate bei ng a Sa i nt Ma r y ’s st udent.

Di f ferent Sa i nt Ma r y ’s clubs had t he oppor t u n it y to promote t hemselves

ND reports drop in endowment

By ALYSA GUFFEY Editor-in-Chief

In t he f i rst i n-person sta f f tow n ha l ls si nce 2019, Un iversit y exec ut ive leadersh ip add ressed t he endow ment, long-ter m project s, d iversit y a nd i nclusion a nd concer ns over

a possible recession.

Endowment returns drop 6.9% Endow ment ret u r ns decrea sed 6.9 % for t he f isca l yea r end i ng Ju ne 30, 2022, exec ut ive v ice president see ENDOWMENT PAGE 3

Students discuss voting issues

By LIAM PRICE Associate News Editor

As election day draws nearer, non-local Notre Dame students are sending mailin ballots back home to cast their vote, many for the first time. The issues they care about are varied, though abortion, both for pro-choice and pro-life students, is a common concern among students.

VIEWPOINT PAGE 6

First-year Theo Austin, who sent his absentee ballot back to his home in Pittsburgh earlier this week, said he predominantly votes for pro-choice candidates. That meant that on his ballot, he voted for all Republicans.

“I view abortion as the murder of children and the fact that millions are see ELECTION PAGE 5

VIEWPOINT PAGE 8

at t h is event. Ca mpus Mi n ist r y, St udent Diversit y Boa rd (SDB) a nd Residence Ha l l A ssociat ion (RHA) had tables set up on L e Ma ns g reen where t hey ha nded out sh i r t s, st ickers, a nd va r ious cra f t s for st udent s to ta ke pa r t i n. T he Sa i nt Ma r y ’s Cheer Club ca me a nd per for med a few cheers i n f ront of t he crowd of st udent s, encou rag i ng t hem to “rock w it h t he wh ite a nd rol l w it h t he blue”.

Representat ives f rom t he new susta i nable fa r m had a table a nd broug ht f ive of t hei r ch ickens to ta ke pa r t i n t he celebrat ion.

St udent s were a l lowed to pet a nd hold t he ch ickens see SMICK DAY PAGE 3

CATHY DOHERTY | The Observer

Saint Mary’s students participate in the third annual Smick Day by jousting each other in a bounce house by Le Mans Hall.

Glee Club prepares for annual fall concert

By EMMA DUFFY News Writer

Not re Da me’s Glee Club has been a n i mpor ta nt pa r t of ca mpus for 107 yea rs. A nd a f ter a l l of t hese yea rs, t hey have some speci f ic t rad it ions t hat t hey cont i nue to ca r r y out. One of t hese t rad it ions is t hei r fa l l concer t, happen i ng Fr iday n ig ht at 8 p.m. i n DPAC. T he club has about 60 st udents, a l l of whom have been work i ng towa rd t hei r fa l l concer t for nea rly a f u l l semester.

Di rector of t he club Da n iel Stowe ex pla i ned t he a mou nt of t i me a nd energ y ex pected by each st udent t hat gets i nvolved i n t h is club. T hey must not perfect t hei r musica l ta lent but memor i ze t he music t hat t hey a re composi ng.

Hou rs of work a re put i nto pract ici ng, but t hat is not t he on ly t i me t he club spends toget her. St udents w it h i n t he Glee Club t ravel across t he cou nt r y a nd

SCENE PAGE 9

world to per for m t hei r acapel la music, resu lt i ng i n a lot of t i me spent toget her as a g roup.

“It’s a brot herhood you ca n’t rea l ly ma ke a ny where else, because i nstead of

just ha ng i ng out, we go on t hese tou rs a nd t hese t r ips a nd we’re spend i ng a l l t h is t i me toget her,” Mi ke Ha n isch, co-president of see GLEE CLUB PAGE 3

Courtesy of Daniel Stowe

The club performs at the Cathedral of Burgos in Spain when they did a tour walking the Camino de Santiago in 2013.

W SOccer PAGE 16

Football PAGE 16

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On this peaceful autumn night, campus has a serene feel. The Golden Dome stays shining in the moonlight, standing tall above the trees and lights around it. This Saturday, football fans will ascend on campus to see the Irish take on No. 5 Clemson.

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Football Fridays at Eck Center Eck Visitor Center 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Family-friendly ND celebration.

Saturday with the Saints Andrews Auditorium 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Lecture on Saints of “Our Lady” University.

Volleyball Game Purcell Pavilion noon Notre Dame women’s volleyball will play NC state.

Webinar: Virtues and Vocations virtual noon - 1 p.m.

Learn about kindness in medicine.

Colloquium Debartolo 311 4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Talk on Betrand Russell’s Apocalyptic image.

Fall Majors Fair Vincent Atrium 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

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U.S. Army Concert DeBartolo Performing Arts Center 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Performance for story of America’s Army.

Presentation Bond Hall 334 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Dicussion of what life is like in Himalayan Foothills.

Conference :Furture of Church Property The University of Notre Dame all day Part of a series.

News

Glee Club Continued from page 1

t he Glee Club, sa id. “Nor is it l i ke nor ma l col lege st udents. We’re a lso i n t h is process of creat i ng rea l ly h ig h-qua l it y music a nd put t i ng on concer ts at i nsa ne venues. It’s a rea l ly u n ique relat ionsh ip w it h a l l t hese g uys t hat you ca n’t rea l ly f i nd a ny where else.”

St udents sta r t aud it ions ea rly i n t he yea r. Stowe has recog n i zed a n i ncreasi ng nu mber of st udents w it h past musica l ex per ience, however, t hat is not requ i red to be a pa r t of t he club. A f ter t hese aud it ions, t he st udents qu ick ly move i nto prepa r i ng for t hei r ma ny per for ma nces.

T he f i rst few week s, st udents focus on t he classics t hat t hey a lways per for m, such as t he Not re Da me Fig ht Song, t hen t hey move i nto more i nd iv idua l i zed pieces. T h is leaves st udents w it h a l it t le less t ha n t wo mont hs to get t hei r pieces to t he level t hey a re ex pected to per for m at.

“T hey pick it up pret t y fast a nd we wa nt to do ever y t h i ng f rom memor y, so t hat is a not her level of rehea rsa l com m it ment,” Stowe sa id.

Stowe ensu res t hat t he music is not si mple a nd easy for t he st udents of t he Glee Club. T hei r perfor ma nces consist of l iterat u re t hat spa ns across geog raph ic locat ions a nd t i me per iods. It is i ntent iona l t hat t hey work on d iverse musica l a r ra ngements, Stowe says.

“It’s as w ide a ra nge of music as we have ever done a nd t hey a re doi ng it beaut i f u l ly,” Stowe sa id.

“From Rena issa nce music, to St i ng a nd Ph i l Col l i ns, a nd t hey a re doi ng g reat. I t h i n k people w i l l be rea l ly i mpressed by t he ra nge of musica l ex per ience.”

T he st udents a re a lso able to recog n i ze t he d i ff icu lt y level of t he music t hey a re work i ng on.

Ha n isch ex pressed excitement about t he music t hey w i l l be play i ng t h is Fr iday, wh i le a lso ack nowledg i ng t hat t he work was not easy for t hem to pick up.

“It’s been t he most d i ff icu lt set I wou ld say t hat we’ve done si nce I’ve been here a nd it’s been a d i ff icu lt process a nd we’ve g row n so much a nd it’s just ver y excit i ng to be at a level now where it is ready to be per for med,” he sa id.

Consider i ng t he club’s i mpor ta nce on t ravel a nd bei ng toget her, t hese past few yea rs have not a lways been easy for t hem. Du r i ng COVID, t here were a lot of setback s for t he club.

Travel a nd t he t ig ht-k n it com mu n it y were i mpeded

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 4, 2022 | The Observer

on. T h is yea r, Stowe has not iced t hat a mong t he upperclassmen t here is more posit ive energ y as t hey celebrate t hei r t i me to t ravel a nd per for m, f ree of COVID protocols.

“T hey were f resh men when ever y t h i ng shut dow n du r i ng COVID, so t hey st i l l rea l i ze how precious t he ex per ience is,” he sa id. “T hey’re ver y good at conser v i ng t he exper ience a nd ma k i ng su re t hat it moves on.”

T h is obser vat ion is not just appa rent to Stowe.

T he upperclassmen t hemselves recog n i ze t hat t hey a re cher ish i ng ever y moment of t h is ex per ience, Ha n isch says.

“We rea l ly need to ma ke t he most of ever y concer t because we don’t k now when t h is cou ld be ta ken away aga i n,” Ha n isch sa id.

Ha n isch was able to pa rta ke i n a nor ma l yea r of Glee Club h is f i rst yea r.

He sa id t hat t he yea r has helped h i m have a g reater appreciat ion for t h is yea r.

“Now we’ve k i nd of rea l i zed ever y show is a pr iv i lege to be able to put on a nd I t h i n k t hat has cha nged t he v ibe for t h is yea r,” Ha n isch sa id.

Ha n isch added t hat he t h i n k s t he rest of t he st udent body ca n ta ke away just as much f rom t he concer t as club members.

“It’s rea l ly a way to connect w it h ot her members of t he st udent body a nd just rea l ly see what k i nd of ta lents people have to br i ng to t he table,” Ha n isch sa id. “A nd a lso, just to enjoy t he music i n itsel f. It’s rea l ly beaut i f u l music t hat we’re per for m i ng.”

Contact Emma Duffy at eduffy5@nd.edu

Smick Day Continued from page 1

who a re recent add it ions to t he ca mpus.

Bei ng a sm ick ca n mea n somet h i ng a l it t le d i f ferent to ever yone.

Shay Sch neider, SMC a lu m na a nd a ssociate dea n of st udent s, gave i nsig ht on what “Sm ick” mea ns to her.

“It’s a n ice, f u n, succi nct way to say who we a re a nd be proud of t hat,” Sch neider sa id. “We gave t hat word a lot of power a nd we gave ot her people

Endowment Continued from page 1

Sha n non Cu l l i na n repor ted. Nat iona l ly, colleges felt a steep d rop i n ret u r ns a f ter a recordbrea k i ng prev ious yea r, w it h a med ia n of a 7.8 % decrea se. Cu l l i na n cited t he Un iversit y ’s Invest ment Of f ice a nd f u nd ra isi ng tea ms for t he nu mbers.

“Compa red to benchma rk s t hat were dow n 13 to 15% , we d id rea l ly wel l,” Cu l l i na n sa id.

T he endow ment ser ves a s t he Un iversit y ’s la rgest revenue sou rce, Cu l l i na n sa id, ma k i ng up a rou nd 38 % of it s tota l budget t h roug h more t ha n 7,400 f u nds.

W hen a sked how t he possible recession m ig ht a ffect employ ment at Not re Da me, Cu l l i na n sa id t he Un iversit y enters it i n “a place of st reng t h” a nd wou ld com mu n icate often a nd clea rly on a ny effect s on posit ions, wages or f u rloug hs.

University leans into reputation as center for

power over t hat word, but when we were able to recla i m it, it gave us t he power to rea l ly ma ke it who we a re.”

Ra mona Mon roe, a ju n ior i n at tenda nce, a lso sha red her opi n ion on what bei ng a Sm ick mea ns.

“Sm ick mea ns to me embraci ng my educat ion a long w it h people who have t he sa me goa ls t hat I do a nd f i nd i ng a sense of com mun it y or sisterhood a long t he way,” she sa id.

A not her st udent i n attenda nce, L au ra G olubsk i, used one word to descr ibe Sm ick : “Sisterhood.”

research P rovost Joh n McGreev y repor ted t wo la rge-sca le, i nterd iscipl i na r y project s i n t he work s t hat t he Un iversit y hopes w i l l spu r cha nge i n t he nex t decade.

T he f i rst — a bioeng ineer i ng a nd l i fe science i n it iat ive — w i l l ta ke bioeng i neer i ng i n novat ions a nd consider how to ma ke t hem read i ly ava i lable for t he nex t generat ion of doctors. T he ot her project is a potent ia l cl i n ic i n Sout h Bend to prov ide menta l hea lt h ser v ices to bot h Not re Da me st udent s a nd t he cit y ’s resident s.

3

“It’s just g reat k now i ng t hat I have people t hat a re goi ng to back me up i n l i fe w it h ever y t h i ng t hat I do,” she sa id.

St udent body president A ngela Ma r t i nez Ca macho gave her idea of what bei ng a Sm ick is say i ng, “I ca n add my ow n ident it ies to t he word ‘Sm ick’. I a m a L at i na Sm ick, I a m a POC Sm ick, I a m a Tex a n Sm ick .

T here’s just a way t hat you ca n ma ke it u n ique to you rsel f but st i l l be a pa r t of t he SMC com mu n it y.”

Contact Cathy Doherty at cdoherty01@saintmarys.edu

responded by referenci ng t he recent h i re of t he T he Rev. Hug h Page a s t he f i rst v ice president for i nst it ut iona l t ra nsfor mat ion.

Cu r rent ly, Jen k i ns sa id t here a re 900 tota l ef for t s for d iversit y a nd i nclusion on ca mpus.

“W hat Hug h a nd h is tea m a re look i ng at now is ‘how ef fect ive a re t hose ? ’” Jen k i ns sa id. “A nd i f t here’s a most ef fect ive, let ’s put ou r energ y i nto t hat.”

Contact Alysa Guffey at aguffey@nd.edu

President’s Office reports over 900 diversity campaigns Un iversit y P resident Fr. Joh n Jen k i ns prev iously spoke to fac u lt y i n September to out l i ne st rateg ic goa ls i n messagi ng to sit uate Not re Da me a mong t he top-per for m i ng resea rch schools i n t he world.

In a presubm it ted quest ion, a fac u lt y member a sked about a n update to d iversit y a nd i nclusion effor t s on ca mpus. Jen k i ns

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Election Continued from page 1

murdered every year in our country legally is an atrocity,” Austin said. “W hile we can debate about economics, foreign policy, I don’t see any other issue having the effects directly on the lives of millions.”

Though she also aligns more with Republicans than Democrats, first-year Kerry O’Donoghue said her prochoice views are among her strongest opinions.

“I have a pretty strong view on abortion issues,” she said.

“I feel like forcing women to do something that they don’t necessarily want to do is probably not the best choice.

Someone with more of a prochoice perspective would appeal to me more.”

O’Donoghue, who is from Long Island, New York, said she will be “voting more for the person than the party.”

Sophomore Daniel Jung, who sent his absentee ballot back home to Tampa, Florida, held a similar view.

“I’m a pretty big Catholic, so definitely someone who espouses Catholic values is something that’s important to me,” Jung said.

Jung, a registered Independent, most strongly

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 4, 2022 | The Observer

supports pro-life candidates but said the issue isn’t as important to him for more local candidates. On his ballot for this election, he voted for both Republican and Democrat candidates.

“For bigger positions, I tend to lean right because the issues get magnified and candidates take on issues that have pretty big implications for what the state does and the next four years,” he said. “But for lower positions like soil conservation, I don’t care what your stance is on abortion. I’m going to vote for the best person for the job, in my opinion.”

Second-year graduate student Kyle Dillon, another Long Island, New York resident, voted for all Democrats.

Suffolk County, where he is from, is a predominantly Republican county and Dillon views his vote as important to show a Democrat presence in his local election.

“I vote Democratic knowing that my vote doesn’t really make an impact either way. It’s just showing the numbers that there still are people that are supporting a party whose voices still need to be heard,” Dillon said.

“W hen it comes to midterms I’m not really thinking the most about the issues.”

First-year Molly Sullivan, from Palo Alto, California, said she will be voting Democrat largely in opposition to former president Donald Trump and because her views on gun reform, human rights, and racial and LGBTQ issues align more with Democrats.

“I don’t agree with a lot of what [Trump] says, so that kind of makes me go to the other side,” she said.

Junior Hannah Schmitz will be voting all-Republican on her absentee ballot, which she’ll be sending back to her home in Ohio.

“A lot of the issues that matter most to me are the pro-life movement and my dad is a small business owner. So, whichever one he feels would help his business the most, and that’s usually Republican ideals, that’s who I tend to vote for,” she said.

But also there are many students who didn’t vote.

In junior and registered Independent Dennis Hutchison’s case, he didn’t vote because he didn’t think it would matter.

“I don’t really think that who I elect matters because things in the federal government don’t really change all that much from administration to administration,” Paid Advertisement

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An Ohio vote sticker on a student’s laptop shows their pride in taking part in their constitutional right to vote during this 2022 election.

Hutchison said. “I think that my vote locally matters more in terms of who my local politicians are because that more so directly impacts my life.”

Vicki Gillespie, a sophomore from Irving, Texas, didn’t vote because she was unaware of the process she had to go through to register to vote outside of her state. If she was able to vote like she had hoped, though, Gillespie said “education and making things better for marginalized people” were the most important issues to her.

Sophomore and Cleveland native Elizabeth Horwitz said she also would have liked to vote, but didn’t get around to obtaining her absentee ballot in time.

“I just didn’t put the time in,” she said. “I feel like, especially being at school, it’s a little more difficult to get the ballots and I never went through the process of getting it mailed. But I definitely would like to vote.”

Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu

6

The observer | fRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

The long train ride

‘Let’s go Brandon!’

Stephen Viz

Isabelle Kause

Poor Stephen’s Scrapbook

Simple Beauty

Like many other students in the tri-campus community, I am someone who is constantly thinking about what assignment I have to complete, what projects need to get done and what exams I need to start studying for. So, I think I speak for many when I say that having the opportunity to put academics on pause over fall break was very much appreciated. As sad as I was to say goodbye to South Bend for a week, I also looked forward to being reunited with my family. I especially looked forward to spending time with my golden retriever puppy, Bentley.

Months in advance, my mom and I made plans to travel to Boston to see my twin brother at Boston College. This was something that we did during my first year of fall break last year, and so in many ways, it felt like it was becoming a tradition. Last year, we flew to Boston and spent a few days with my brother as he showed us around campus. Then, we decided on a whim to take a ferry to Nantucket for the night because it’s my mom’s favorite place. We created so many long lasting, unforgettable memories on this trip, and I wanted the same thing to happen this year. Instead of spending the majority of our time in Boston, we decided to spend half of the trip in New York visiting our family friend in her apartment in the West Village.

After visiting my brother for a few days in Boston, my mom, my friend and I took the Amtrak train to New York. And because there isn’t much to do on train rides in order to pass the time, this forced us —for four hours at least — to take time to relax and reflect.

During this train ride, I thought a lot about my time at Notre Dame so far. Even though I have only been here for a few months, I am already filled with an enormous amount of gratitude for the things I have experienced, for the people I’ve met and for where I am today. When applying to Notre Dame, current students, alumni and anyone affiliated with the University all seem to emulate a similar idea: the close-knit, welcoming community you find at Notre Dame is unlike any other community on any other college campus.

This idea that Notre Dame’s community is unlike any other was something I always believed and knew to be true, but I realized this was something I didn’t fully understand until becoming a Notre Dame student myself. From the moment I stepped foot on campus, I finally realized why Notre Dame’s community was something that was heavily emphasized by both current and former students.

From going to Mass at the Basilica, watching Rudy on the football field, cheering on the Irish on game days, walking to the Grotto, going on late night trips to LaFun or simply just watching a good romcom in your friend’s dorm room, being a Notre Dame student provides you the opportunity to create lifelong memories, share what you are passionate about, and grow as an individual.

Yes, I know these were some pretty deep thoughts for a four hour train ride, but I couldn’t help but look back with an immense amount of gratitude for the time I have spent in South Bend thus far.

Once the train ride was over, my mom, my friend and I all piled in a taxi to head to my friend’s apartment. While in the taxi, I looked through the car window and admired the big city that surrounded me, filled with excitement to finally be in New York, appreciation for the last few months and also hope for the future and the remainder of my college years.

Just like last year, this trip was filled with unforgettable memories. I’ll never forget staying up with my friend and my mom to wait for the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, “Midnights,” strolling through Central Park with my mom and dining at my family’s favorite Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End. As sad as I was once fall break had ended and as much as I longed for a few extra days of relaxation, I was excited to return to Notre Dame, my new second home.

Isabelle Kause is a sophomore at Notre Dame studying sociology and minoring in journalism. When she’s not busy, you can find her listening to country music or Taylor Swift or trying out new makeup/skincare products. She can be reached at ikause@nd.edu The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

If you are about to email my editor demanding that I be terminated from The Observer staff because I’m a fascist bigot, just hear me out before you do so. But I hope that your first thoughts are more so of intrigue regarding my clickbait title, and as fortune favors the bold, let me explain my position. I honestly had several thoughts on what this piece should be titled before finalizing my decision. “A Slice of South Dining Deli Ham Focused Grouped to be more Presidential than Joe Biden” and “Laura Ingraham; Says the Commentator Who Was Just Called a Piece of Domesticated Feta by The Atlantic” were examples of titles that swarmed my brain during the creative writing process. But a writing goal I have is to be more succinct, and nothing speaks more concisely to the hysteria of contemporary American politics than “Let’s Go Brandon.”

It is midterm election season after all, and this hysteria is all the craze. There is a great scene from the “Game of Thrones” prequel, “House of the Dragon,” that highlights my current frustration with politics. At a royal hunt thrown for the birthday of his son, King Viserys is presented with proposals from suitors to wed his oldest daughter, Rhaenyra. After he asked to consider another ridiculous proposal for his daughter’s hand, King Viserys simply retorts, “I have come here to hunt, not to be suffocated by all this f***ing politicking!” Same brother, same. My contempt for politics is similar to the King’s and can probably be attributed to my exposure to media and civil discourse at a very age. Growing up in suburban Cook County certainly placed me in an ideological “No Man’s Land.” Liberal agendas in Chicago proper continuously struck blows with the conservative ideologies that resided in the rest of Illinois.

Beginning in the fourth grade, I would always beg my dad to bring home a copy of the Chicago SunTimes after work, to which he would always oblige.

Of course, the sports section was my singular preference for several years, but as I began to read more, that content began to dry up. So, I turned to the sections of the newspaper not made for the faint of heart, business and politics. And I was shocked at the headlines that would creep across the pages as I started to retain information, and in turn, think for myself. Rod Blagojevich’s imprisonment, the assassination attempt on Gabby Giffords’ life, the 2012 presidential election, and so many more headlines frustrated me. Why politics was so violent, corrupt and self-aggrandizing was something I just couldn’t understand. Unbeknownst to me, this would only get worse. Much worse.

So, let’s fast forward to 2020, one of the most discouraging years in recent memory. The 2020 general elections were a buildup of economic, social and, of course, COVID-19 issues that ravaged our national landscape, and it brought out the worst in social justice warriors and proud boys alike. Social media was a battleground for “Gotcha Journalism” and political interest, and the general election came center stage that November, a stage for all to see. And to me, it highlighted how damaging politics can be. So damaging in fact that it impacts the very fibers of our human spirit. While Joe Biden lamented on webinars, “If you don’t vote for me, then you’re not Black,” Donald Trump made verbal attacks on the character of Biden’s son Hunter, while belittling his deceased son Beau. Later, the events of Jan. 6 solidified that our American political culture is plagued with one of the worst culture wars our society has ever seen. And while memes can attempt to rectify the situation (these are so funny), there are no signs this culture war will be slowing down anytime soon.

Now let’s fast forward to the present, November 2022. Two years into Biden’s term as the 46th president of the United States, the Right continues to have

a field day as “Let’s Go Brandon” chants consistently flood our stadiums. The left hopes to hold some ground in congress with elections next week, but if history has anything to say about it, conservatives are going to have a field day next week. Yes, I could write that the damage is seen in the way we address things as Right and Left, but the factors that have irritated me the most in this political season are the ways both sides of the aisle view their politicians.

This isn’t about who wins and who loses, or who even will be president in 2024. This is much bigger than that. Politicians no longer view themselves as public servants, and in turn, their supporters don’t either. There is a perception that our politicians are “free-thinking champions of conservative or liberal ideologies.” But the reality is, that the majority of our supposed “public servants” are limousine liberals or country club conservatives. So, the question must be asked, when and why did public service become a political aspiration? Some might disagree with Plato in his opinion that philosophers make the best leaders, but he is not wrong in stating that political leadership is a duty, not a career preference or an avenue for the pursuit of power and self-interest. The best leaders are chosen for their positions, not by their own advocacy, but through the support of others who see that they have the right qualities to lead.

Are there obvious flaws in the very pillars of our American Constitution and democracy? You bet. Are there socioeconomic inequities that exist between classes and races in our country that have been made worse by political self-interest? Yes sir buddy, yes sir. Are there tangible solutions that will help our society move forward and heal? I don’t know. And I am not going to pretend that I know the path forward to find politicians that will stand for office out of public service. But I do know two things that must be eradicated to have any hope to achieve societal goals in a partisan fashion. First, the “me” focused attitude of our politicians in office must be adjusted.

Far too often we see politicians fixate talking points around “When I was in office, inflation did this, unemployment rates went down, and my bills passed did this blah blah blah blah blah.” Political rhetoric has always been a problem for politicians, but maybe if they at least pretended to be public servants then this conversation would be different. But they don’t.

It’s not about you. It’s about the country and the people you represent who voted you into office. But what do I know?

Secondly, political theater and stunts must be stopped at all costs. Looking at you Martha’s Vineyard and all parties involved. The September stunt, which saw dozens of migrants from Latin America be flown into the haven for the super-rich denied these migrants a chance at finding basic human dignity through the ability to work. Democrat party leaders such as Joe Biden call it a stunt but were criticized for inaction. Republican officials such as Florida governor Ron DeSantis called it a motion to prove the hypocrisy of the left but were seen as being cruel and intolerant. And this is only a recent stunt that has made headlines, as political theater is nothing new to our democracy. Public service, not political agendas, might be able to dissuade that.

As Saint Mother Teresa always used to pray “The Fruit of Service is Peace,” and maybe, just maybe if our leader’s pursued servitude, then we might be able to find peace as a nation. Or maybe at the least, they wouldn’t be the punchline of jokes like “Let’s Go Brandon.”

Stephen Viz is a one-year MBA candidate and graduate of Holy Cross College. Hailing from Orland Park, Illinois, his columns are all trains of thoughts, and he can be found at either Decio Cafe or in Mendoza. He can be reached at sviz@nd.edu or on Twitter at @StephenViz. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The observer | Friday, November 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

7

Inside Column

Way beyond too late Gracie Eppler News Writer

‘Shooter in custody. I am okay.’

10/24/22. 11:22 a.m.

Tita Marites’ Facebook features snippets of her colorf ul life: verdant green vegetables, a red rooster, the bright smiling faces of her sons.

A nd then, last Monday, a shooter broke into her school.

I have fa llen prey to the v icious and deceptive mind trap of believ ing that I am safe from the school shootings that plague the media. I see the tabloids in the news and browse through photos of tearf ul children. A nd while I ack nowledge their pain, mourn for their loss and ca ll for some action, I am g uilt y of follow ing the crowd as we collectively move on. It’s a lways too far away, too removed from my circle. I found myself think ing, “That’s aw ful, but it’ll never happen to me.”

The shooting last Monday at Centra l Visua l and Performing A rts High School (CV PA) back in St. Louis jarred me as I rea lized that no one is the exception to these terrible crimes. We never rea lly k now who is going to be next or when it w ill happen, because for the students and staff at CV PA, it rea lly did begin as just another Monday morning.

Tita, or “Aunt,” Marites is k now n to her beloved students as “Ms. O” and to the St. Louis arts communit y as Maria Ojascastro. She was at CV PA when the intruder broke in. The shooter invaded the classroom right next to hers and shot and k illed a teacher. That teacher was Jean Kuczka. She taught my older sisters PE when they were in elementar y school.

My sister Mia doesn’t remember much about Mrs. Kuczka, but she does remember the way Mrs. Kuzcka made her feel: safe.

Mrs. Kuzcka died shielding her students, placing herself bet ween the bullet and her k ids. She died ma k ing sure they were safe.

‘I’m home now. In shock…I ate and drank a lot of water. Tending to my garden and spirit now.’

10/24/22. 3:41 pm.

In her back yard, my Tita Marites squats amongst f uschia hyacinths, sma ll popping corn and towers of lettuce. She puts her pa lms in the dirt just to feel it bet ween her fingers. It’s therapeutic, to return back to the ground.

She f irst started gardening over 20 years ago when one of her sons was diagnosed w ith cancer. Digging t hrough the soil is remedia l.

Designing the plants by texture and color gives her tota l control over a space made by her and for her.

There have been a couple of freezes in St. Louis a lready this autumn, but her f lowers

endure. For Tita Marites, Maria, these plants sy mbolize hope — that life can persist through trauma. Sometimes she becomes frozen w ith grief and fear, wondering what might have happened if the shooter invaded her room instead of Mrs. Kuczka’s. But crouching there, w ith her hands in the dirt, look ing at a ll that grow th reminds Maria that she is still ver y much a live and that there is beaut y a ll around her.

Maria wants her entire front yard covered w ith w inter and spring bulbs. Her friends and family w ill come from a ll over to plant them, and when they bloom, they w ill be a v isible reminder that love and joy w ill conquer trauma and pain.

On her Facebook, Maria asked her friends to plant these bulbs, to donate snacks and materia ls to her classroom and to fundraise money to care for CV PA’s students’ and a lumni’s sma ll needs: specia l art materia ls, gas cards for returning a lumnae, snacks for the k ids ta k ing a shutt le to the funera l, tissues for a runny nose, lotion for dr y hands and sweet tea to sip after class.

“Teachers use their ow n money for sma ll things that the district doesn’t cover,” she said.

“Ever y thing we buy for them we give w ith love.

They need more love than ever now.”

But what she asks for most is this: to put joy and love out there ever yday.

‘I fina lly got to hug a couple students today and I didn’t k now how much I needed that. CV PA Strong.’

10/28/22 5:42 p.m.

A rt, for Maria Ojascastro, is a hea ling process. She hones her creative teaching sk ills through a Well-Being practice at PALM hea lth, as well as through her collaboration w ith Prison Performing A rts and the Cancer Support Communit y, teaching incarcerated men and cancer sur v ivors to express themselves creatively. “A rt puts on paper what you can’t say in words,” she said.

A fter graduating from St. Mar y’s in 1987 a year behind my mom, Maria got her Masters of Fine A rts degree from Washington Universit y in St. Louis. She sees her work as a way to bring menta l hea lth through the arts to those who are often forgotten. Ta k ing care of ourselves and of those around us is her motto.

The shooter who intruded the building last Monday had severe menta l illness. His family noticed his declining menta l state in the weeks prior to the shooting and had gone to the police ask ing them to ta ke his g un away. But he still managed to get his hands on the gun he used at CV PA because of the ready accessibilit y of firearms in A merica, a shock ing rea lit y that haunts Maria.

“We can’t have one more menta lly ill person who the laws a llow to buy a gun w ithout any

sort of paper trail. That has got to change. It is way beyond too late,” my Tita Marites said. “You young people need to have the people in power ma ke the change. Now.” Maria believes that the change is up to us — the youth of A merica. “You can ma ke a lot more noise than I can,” she said. “A nyone that can vote, vote. A nyone that can protest, protest loudly.”

W hat happened at CPVA in St. Louis last Monday was far from an isolated incident and one that was met w ith more “thoughts and prayers” before being discarded as another tragic incident. But we must ask ourselves how we can keep operating in a societ y where children cannot feel safe enough to go to school, where teachers must shield their students from bullets and where parents cannot trust that their son or daughter w ill come home after sending them off to the school bus in the morning.

Instead of politicians ta k ing action to improve gun safet y laws and to enforce stricter procedures for buy ing and selling guns, there is a different t y pe of change happening: schools like CV PA are creating manua ls to help teachers educate traumatized students.

Maria just f inished Week 1 of this manua l. It is terrif y ing to think that situations like these are so frequent that there are w ritten guides on how to act in the aftermath. A nd w ith the way our countr y is headed, these shootings and these manua ls w ill become increasingly common, while stricter gun laws w ill not.

How much longer must we endure these calamities? We cannot wait until tragedy strikes a communit y close to us. We must act, and we must act now.

“Have your voices heard,” Maria said. “There are adults that are cheering you on. Have hope. Spread it beyond just your communit y.

Encourage good menta l hea lth. A nd ma ke the world beautif ul.”

My Tita Marites recognizes that the rea lit y we live in is frightening. But she has faith in our generation. Our voices are a hyacinth blooming in the morning frost — a sy mbol of hope.

She ma kes little changes ever yday w ith her watermelon seeds. Now it’s time we start to ma ke the big ones.

Link to Donate: https://w w w.gof undme.com/f/ hea ling-through-art-support-cv pa-studentsstaff ?utm_campaign = p_cp+share-sheet&utm_ medium = copy_link _a ll&utm_source = customer Link to Ga ller y/Info on Maria Ojascastro: https://w w w.bextraordinaire.com/ojascastroga ller y.html You can contact Gracie at geppler@nd.edu.

The views expressed in this Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

8

The observer | fRIDAY, November 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

A Catholic response to voter registration Zachary Geiger Write to Vote

In the 2020 Introductory U.S. Bishops Letter, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the bishops call upon “everyone living in this country . . . to participate in public life and contribute to the common good.” The U.S. bishops stress that everyone has to partake in political life in our country. The simplest and most universal way in which all people can play a part in public life is by voting. Regrettably, two years ago, then-President Donald Trump began a campaign to suppress Americans’ right to vote and to undermine political representation in our country.

In the late hours of election night 2020, on Wednesday, Nov. 4, Trump held a press conference at 2 a.m. in the White House . His speech quickly divulged into a grievance-laced attack on the integrity of the 2020 election. With a row of American flags draped behind him, Trump defiantly proclaimed, “We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.”

Of course, at the time, millions of ballots had yet to be counted and half a dozen battleground states had yet to declare a winner. Trump had absolutely no way of knowing whether or not he had won the election, but he unapologetically claimed that he did for his own political gain.

As a consequence of his false assertion, Trump dealt a serious blow to American democracy.

In the past two years, under the guise of maintaining election integrity, multiple Republican-controlled states bought into Trump’s Big Lie and enacted laws that make it more difficult for individuals to vote.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-profit public policy institute, as of October 2021, 19 states have passed and enacted 33 voter suppression laws that, among other provisions, limit the number of early voting days, shorten the amount of time to apply for a mail ballot and impose harsher voter ID requirements.

In the face of the emergence of a multitude of voter suppression laws, the question is: how should Catholics respond?

The Susan B. Anthony List, a Catholic non-profit organization that seeks to end abortion in the U.S., believes that these voter suppression laws are justifiable and even praise-worthy. After Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp signed a voter suppression bill into law in March 2021 under the banner of “election integrity,” the Susan B. Anthony List claimed that Kemp’s “leadership has helped galvanize an election integrity movement surging toward restored trust and confidence in elections where it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat.”

However, there was no substantial evidence of voter fraud in the state of Georgia in the 2020 election. Moreover, the law that Kemp signed does not address this imaginary threat. Instead, it only makes it disproportionately more difficult for minority voters in Georgia to cast their ballot.

Contrary to the statement released by the Susan B. Anthony List, Georgia’s new

voter suppression law, and similar laws being passed around the country, should not be hailed as protecting our democracy.

Instead, they should be called out for what they are: completely un-American and vehemently anti-Catholic.

As previously mentioned, U.S. bishops have emphasized that all Americans must actively take part in our political process. We have an obligation to work in pursuit of our country’s common good, so Americans must, therefore, remain politically engaged. Voting should be the simplest way for individuals to have a role in our political process.

This call for Catholics to support all individuals’ right to vote and to vote themselves is not a new ideal of Catholicism.

In fact, Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World that was issued at the end of the Second Vatican Council in 1965, implores “all citizens” to “be mindful of the right and also the duty to use their free vote to further the common good.”

Just as the U.S. bishops’ letter makes clear that “everyone” has an obligation to take part in the public sphere, Gaudium et Spes furthers this sentiment when it instructs “all citizens” to exercise their solemn right to vote. Catholic teaching emphasizes the importance of voting for all individuals. In having the vast majority of Americans participate in the voting process, the common good can be effectively pursued in the U.S. The new voting laws that have been enacted throughout the country directly oppose the goals espoused by Catholic documents. These laws do not seek to incorporate as many people in the democratic process as possible. They strive to exclude racial minorities from voting, thereby suppressing their political influence in various states. They are based entirely on sentiments of oppression and are, therefore, completely antithetical to Catholic values.

Catholics are called to stand up to injustice in all ways that it manifests itself.

Proverbs 31:8 tells us to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” It is our job, as Catholics, to unequivocally denounce these voter suppression laws that deny individuals the full dignity that they are entitled to as children of God. We need to make clear that these laws in no way promote the ideals of Catholicism, and Catholics must work to elect officials who share our same values and desire to uphold the intrinsic dignity of all people by protecting their right to vote.

Zachary Geiger (‘25) is majoring in Political Science and Theology. He is a member of ND’s Write to Vote chapter.

W2V is the Notre Dame chapter of the national Write to Vote Project, a non-partisan, pro-democracy initiative. Its goal is to support democracy, encourage civic engagement and advance voting rights in the U.S. and around the world. You can contact NDW2V at ndw2v@nd.edu.

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

God, Country, Class Registration With course registration looming, The Observer Editorial Board compiled a list of each member’s favorite class that will be offered next semester. This handy list is perfect for those who put off picking their classes until the last possible moment and want to pick engaging classes with as little research as possible. And for those who already know what classes you want to take, well, hopefully this will make you reconsider.

Stochastic Modeling with Daniele Schiavazzi: ACMS students often feel that they don’t get enough hands-on coding experience in their classes. There are a lot of ACMS classes at Notre Dame that don’t have any in-class instruction on programming but still assign homework expecting you to know these skills. Stochastic modeling isn’t anything like these classes. In this class, you’ll find yourself running simulations of real-world scenarios to investigate statistics and probabilities. The class is challenging at times, but never feels like it has unfair expectations of its students, and you come out of the class actually feeling like you’ve learned applicable skills.

Sexualities and Moralities: Any Arts and Letters students who may dread the required College Seminar (CSEM) should consider taking Professor Gail Bederman’s Sexualities and Moralities class.

Through a mix of short reading assignments and movies, Bederman makes in-class discussion about the intersection of the two topics engaging.

So, if you’re stuck deciding which CSEM you want to take, this one won’t be boring!

Beginning Logic: If you’re reading the student newspaper, you probably work for the student newspaper. And if you work for the student newspaper, chances are you’re majoring in the liberal arts and are starved for some puzzles and problemsolving. For an easy class that’ll knock out the quantitative reasoning requirement and scratch your brain, Beginning Logic does the trick.

Witnessing the Sixties: Witnessing the Sixties is taught by Professor Pete Cajka and will be one of the most exciting, engaging and fast-paced experiences of your life. The sixties were a whirlwind and so was this class. From thinkers like Betty Friedan to Timothy O’Leary and music by artists like Jimi Hendrix, Lesley Gore and the Beatles, this class doesn’t leave a single stone unturned. The mini essays throughout the course allow you to engage with the material in several different ways. Both Cajka and this course will blow the rest of your collegiate career out of the water. (For the undecided political science, history or American Studies major, this class is a great opportunity to discern if postWorld War II courses are where you want to focus your collegiate career. Plus, the midterm paper may or may not be a dinner conversation between historical intellectuals.))

Literature and Medicine with Julia Dauer: You can’t go wrong with this introductory literature course at Saint Mary’s. Open to all students who have completed their W, Professor Dauer’s class gives a historical overview of the American healthcare system, while also reflecting on a variety of issues like illness, mortality and accessibility. At the end of the semester, you walk away with a better understanding of the medical field and the ways society functions in it.

Sports Marketing with Brian Pracht. For all the marketing majors out there, this is a must-take class as you fill out your major requirements. Between engaging guest speakers, relevant real-world examples and projects and a professor that continues to work in the industry today, this class has a lot of applicable skills without being one of the more

challenging Mendoza classes.

Intro to Comparative Politics with A. James McAdams: This class is a great introduction to a lot of famous Western thinkers like John Stuart Mill, Max Weber and Francis Fukuyama.

But it also did so much more: through readings like ‘America the Unusual’, we learned about the backstory of ideologies in the country that have become the norm. There’s also a weekly discussion section to help you relate real-world examples to the theory you’ll be reading.

Narrative in Fiction and Film with Barry McCrea: Narrative in Fiction and Film is an engaging and fun introductory English and writing intensive course. The syllabus for this course includes readings such as “A Thousand and One Nights,” the plays of Sophocles, and “Sherlock Holmes” and films such as Jason Bourne, “Arrival,” and “Rear Window.” Along with studying the different narrative devices at play in these works, Professor McCrea also promotes your creative development and gives you a chance to find your own narrative voice.

History of Famous Women with Professor Philip Hicks: History of Famous women is a Humanistic studies elective course that checks off multiple sophia requirements and is open to all students. Throughout the class you analyze the lives of history’s exceptional women from Joan of Arc and Queen Elizabeth I to Abigail Adams and Rosa Parks. The course discusses all their triumphs as well as their faults and gives you a well rounded history of who each woman was and how they affected the world we live in. Professor Hicks has a way of making their stories come alive with the help of his in-class reenactments and lively mock trials of women such as Mary Queen of Scots. He is also not afraid to jump into the debates alongside you at times, which gives you the idea that he finds your arguments strong enough to take on himself.

Lincoln, Slavery, & Civil War with Professor Jake Lundberg: This class is crosslisted under the History, Constitutional Studies and Peace Studies departments. Formerly taught as a University Seminar, the class examines a wide range of primary and secondary sources relating to one of the most important events in U.S. history. You might think you know everything about Lincoln, slavery and the Civil War. You don’t.

Through class discussions and writing assignments, Lundberg will guide you to think deeper than you have before about causation, agency, legacy and history itself.

Topics in Contemporary Art with Professor Elyse Speaks: This art history course investigates the development of three artistic trends of the 1990s — slackers, critics, and makers — and the ways in which they shape our understanding of art politically, socially, and institutionally. Students will learn about artists such as Mike Kelley, Cady Noland, David Hammons and Andrea Fraser and engage in active discourse surrounding their methodology and practice. Speaks specializes in modern and contemporary art, with an interest in contemporary sculpture, installation, gender studies and the politics of value.

VCD 1: Fundamentals of Design: For all those looking to fulfil their fine arts requirement, VCD 1: Fundamentals of Design is a great way to expand your expertise and check off that box. Design is a great skill, regardless of your major or future career plans. Knowing how to communicate effectively visually can elevate your presentations, make your resume look spiffier or even just inspire you to create more designs for fun. In the course, you will complete a series of projects that make great portfolio pieces and give you a better understanding of how to use compositional, typographic and color choices to create good designs.

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The observer | friday, november 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By MATHEUS HERNDL Scene Writer

There have been few disasters in entertainment history comparable to the final season of “Game of Thrones” back in 2019. In only six episodes, the once worldwide phenomenon that drew in millions of viewers collapsed, ridiculed for outright bad writing, ruining even its previous seasons in the eyes of many fans. When the “Game of Thrones” prequel show, “House of the Dragon” was announced shortly after, many were skeptical that it could succeed, considering how audiences had soured on the series. So, does “House of the Dragon” stumble as Thrones did, or does it soar?

Based on George R.R. Martin’s novel “Fire and Blood,” the series takes place about 180 years before the events of the main show. “House of the Dragon” (HOTD) chronicles the reign of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), a time of peace and prosperity for the seven kingdoms. In the first episode, Viserys names his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) his heir, making her the first woman ever to be in line for the throne. This causes immense controversy and conflict, especially after the birth of Viserys’ son Aegon (Ty Tennant/Tom Glynn-Carney), whom many consider to be the rightful heir.

HOTD follows after the early seasons of Thrones by featuring a story rife with family drama and political scheming that takes its time to develop the characters and their relationships. The showrunners do an amazing job of

By JAMES THOMPSON Scene Writer

On the coasts of Italy, among the beautiful beaches, gauche restaurants and tastefully nude GrecoRoman statues, crime is afoot. Yet another “White Lotus” location is the scene of a grisly crime, but now the stakes are much higher. There are five bodies that have shown up f loating in the crystal-clear waters of the resort. The show f lips the onus onto the audience to figure out the culprit and the victims as they get to know the messy characters of the resort.

Jennifer Coodlige as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt is ​ the most notable returning character. The grieving heiress always brings a levity to the show. She comes to the resort as a valued member with her new husband that she met in the previous season on a couples retreat.

The new season introduces a host of new characters as well. In this first episode, we get to know a family’s three generations of men as they strive to reconnect with their distant connection to Sicily: a soft-spoken adolescent (played by Adam DiMarco, as seen in “Radio Rebel”), his adulterous Holly wood

building up the stakes and the tension from one episode to the next while at the same time exploring very interesting themes of gender, power and politics. Although the writing is solid, the show occasionally jumps the shark when it favors spectacle over logic. Most instances of this are gratuitously violent scenes that feel thrown in to keep viewers awake as the characters argue endlessly about inheritance law and succession.

The acting is another highlight of the series. Be it from newcomers like Emily Carey (young Alicent Hightower) and Milly Alcock or industry veterans like Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen) and Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), “House of the Dragon” features some of the best performances on television right now. Of special note, however, is Paddy Considine with an Emmy-worthy performance as King Viserys. Simultaneously tragic and endearing, one can’t help but sympathize with him, even as he makes the worst possible decisions to stop his family from falling apart.

Considine’s performance is so incredible, in fact, that even George R.R Martin admitted, “Your Viserys was better than my Viserys.”

The show’s pacing is simultaneously its greatest strength and weakness. While every episode feels action-packed and thin on filler, the fact that the story takes place over more than 20 years means the writers are frequently forced to put huge time skips between episodes. Characters are born, die and get married, and there is even a war entirely off-screen.

The viewer is left to piece together what happened off the air

through contextual clues, which may leave many puzzled.

This is not helped by the frequent and questionable recasting to age up many of the younger characters, and although the acting remains strong, it is still jarring.

In all honesty, I was one of the countless disillusioned “Game of Thrones” fans who thought “House of the Dragon” was going to be a dumpster fire, but I am glad to say that it has far surpassed any expectations that I had. The showrunners successfully emulate what made Thrones great in the first place in a way that still feels unique to HOTD. Even with severe pacing problems, the show is still consistently great, and season two promises to be even better, with more fire and blood.

bigshot father, and the old-fashioned grandfather who seems to make a pass at nearly every woman he meets. We meet two couples, on a trip to aid the husbands who attended college together, and who also could not be more different. Also introduced to us are Tanya’s deeply anxious Gen-Z assistant, a strict and sassy hotel manager and two prostitutes with big dreams for fame. ​A t least one and probably many of these characters will, naturally, end up dead. ​“ The White Lotus” does not stray away from its original whodunnit nature. Its characters’ strenuous relationships constantly lead the audience to question what the breaking point will be that finally pushes someone over the edge. The franchise sticking to its familiar story arc may be enticing to some, but leave other viewers who wanted a stronger sense of continuity grasping for more. This season echoes the previous: groups of white, privileged and deeply troubled people in a beautiful location, fighting until one of them reaches their ultimate demise at the hands of another.

I initially wanted another storyline in this season, possibly a continuation of the characters’ lives that we grew so close to in the first season or a shift

into gaining justice for Armando, the slain hotel manager in the previous season. However, I realize that this wouldn’t truly capture the essence of what gripped global audiences. Audiences want the family drama. They are entranced by the lifestyle of the uber-rich and thrilled that one of these characters they know so well will die. Human beings are nosy!

And that’s exactly why “The White Lotus” works. ​I n true HBO fashion, they will keep us waiting for the rest of the season, denying the world the opportunity for a good binge. So, from now on, at 9 p.m. on Sunday, you’ll know exactly where I’ll be.

Contact Matheus Herndl at mherndl@nd.edu

“House of the Dragon” Starring: Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy Favorite episodes: “The Lord of Tides,” “The Green Council,” “The Black Queen” If you like: “Game of Thrones,” “The Crown,” “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Where to watch: HBO Max

Contact James Thompson at jthomp33@nd.edu

“The White Lotus” Starring: Jennifer Coolidge, Adam DiMarco, F. Murray Abraham If you like: “How to Get Away With Murder,” “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window,” “Knives Out” Where to watch: HBO Max

MAKAYLA HERNANDEZ | The Observer

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The observer | friday, november 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

By NICOLE BILYAK Scene Writer

Since its final airing in 2011, Walt Disney Studios’ preschool channel Playhouse Disney has been all but radio silent for years. But a little thing called Disney+ came along, and the streaming service began to gain several well-known Playhouse Disney shows such as “Rolie Polie Olie” and “Out of the Box.” For years, fans of Playhouse Disney have wanted “Bear in the Big Blue House” to join Disney+. Finally, on Oct. 19, 2022, Disney+ finally put all four seasons of “Bear in the Big Blue House” as well as all three seasons of “PB&J Otter” on the platform. With these two shows appearing on Disney+, it seems reasonable to look back on both shows, see why they were so lovable back then and understand why they resurfaced now in 2022.

“Bear in the Big Blue House” aired in 1997 and starred Noel MacNeal as the titular Bear who lives in a big blue house. The show utilized problem-solving, sharing, cooperation and developing life skills. The show was a massive success for kids who were preschool age, and it was a larger success for those who were on the autism spectrum disorder. This comes

By ANNIE BROWN Scene Writer

“We wanted to see how far we could take a single idea.”

The words that introduced King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 23rd studio album are some of frontman Stu Mackenzie’s most profound and, arguably, self-exposing.

The concept of distance surrounds so much of the band’s work; their prolificacy is only one facet of it. Their first two albums circled the genres of surf and garage rock but took a sharp turn with the far more psychedelic, spoken-word involved third album, “Eyes Like the Sky.” For the next several years, it would expand its sound, trying its hand at various genres, specifically jazz fusion, rock and folk.

What would become the defining experiment for King Gizzard, however, would not arrive until 2017. They promised to release five studio albums that year, a feat almost unheard of for the average band, and held fast to its word. After that challenge, the band became most known for their constant output: two albums in 2019, one in 2020, two in 2021 and now five already in 2022.

The newest release, therefore, does not exist as an island, even one of astroturf. I felt some of the psychedelics of previous albums reverberating through “Changes.”

Still, compared to those previous albums and the plethora of others this will no doubt be compared to

from the fact that Bear has a caring attitude and was considered gentle, especially with the gag of Bear sticking his nose into the camera and “sniffing” the viewers.

In an interview with Insider, MacNeal stated that there was never a show quite like “Bear in the Big Blue House.” The show, as stated earlier, ran for only four seasons, and there was a three-year hiatus after the third season due to the fact that Lynne Thigpen, who voiced Luna the Moon, suddenly passed away in 2003. Later, Tara Mooney, who voiced Shadow, claimed the crew’s hearts weren’t in the show anymore. So, the show concluded with its fourth season in 2006.

On the flip side, “PB&J Otter” was another very popular show that aired on Playhouse Disney.

Premiering on Mar. 15, 1998, the show was about the Otter family, particularly the three children: Peanut, Baby Butter and Jelly (all named after a peanut butter and jelly sandwich). The show’s structure introduced the idea of something called the “Noodle Dance” where Peanut, Baby Butter and Jelly would have to think of something and to get the creative juices flowing. The three children would dance and would eventually find an idea that may or may not

work. The show only aired for three seasons, concluding on Oct. 15, 2000.

I remembered watching both of these shows as well as the other two shows mentioned above when I was younger. But I remembered “Bear in the Big Blue House” the most because it was one of the more relaxing shows that really stood out to me. As an autistic, I never really noticed that Bear was really gentle for those who were autistic. But now that I look back on the show, I can really see it. I totally side with MacNeal saying the show was relaxing in that Bear had that sweet and endearing attitude toward any viewer of the show. With “PB&J Otter,” I hardly remember the show, but from what I can remember, the show was quite wacky but still very cute. Since I watched the show when I was much younger, I understood it more in my five-year-old mind, but now, as a college student, I still don’t understand why the show was even that innovative.

Overall, it is very nice to see that Disney+ is now bringing back all of the Playhouse Disney shows from the late ‘90s, and now, the younger generation can watch these shows anytime they want on Disney+.

— “Nonagon Infinity” and “Flying Microtonal Banana,” certainly — something about “Changes” seems unusually toned down.

To begin with the opener, the nearly titular “Change” packs relatively few punches. No stranger to the long song, the band here opts to stretch “Change” to a robust 13:03. Even within the song, various genres are explored at length, and the melody teases tastes of styles to come.

“Change” operates as the starting loop to the whole album, oscillating abruptly as if to say that “Changes” will not be one thing; there is that all-important “s” that conveys a plurality of form for every piece.

The second track of the album is also its lead single: “Hate Dancin’.” It is significantly catchier than “Change” from the get-go, adding drums and lyrics to the synth opener within a minute. The chorus claims something about the singer “hating dancin’,” an ironic claim considering the very danceable nature of the song. By the end, the band “feels like dancin’,” and so does the listener, enveloped in the carefully crafted yet carefree synth beats that pepper the song with the most upbeat of elements.

Though the whole album was professed by the band to exchange simply between the keys D and F# major, “Astroturf” remained distinctly different in sound from the other five songs. I was delighted to hear an amazing instrumental emphasis in the song that was lost to me on most of the others. Saxophones break up dissonant

sound, lending warmth and depth to equally compelling lyrics. During the jazz flute solo following the lyric, “Six butterflies fluttered by, looking horrified,” the flute too flutters forth, those flutters and trills forming a captivating extended technique.

If “Changes” stands out in any way as a 23rd album, it’s the maturity of the idea that King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard stretched to its limits. On a modern psychedelic rock (at times) album, the band finds a consistent and thoughtful sound that refuses to conform while still remaining accessible. Among its siblings, “Changes” isn’t anything over-the-top, but it still performs with the reverence and experimentation that listeners of King Gizzard look for. Even if the idea leads here, to an understated and largely unoriginal album, it’s still as beautiful as everything the band has done.

Contact Nicole Bilyak at nbilyak01@saintmarys.edu

Contact Annie Brown at abrown38@nd.edu

“Changes” Artist: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Label: Flightless Records Favorite tracks: “I Hate Dancin’”, “Astroturf” If you like: Neutral Milk Hotel, Mild High Club

MEG HAMMOND | The Observer

Classifieds

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 4, 2022 | The Observer

Crossword | Will Shortz

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Horoscope | Eugenia Last Birthday Baby: You are imaginative, empathetic and passionate. You are intuitive and supportive.

Happy Birthday: Invest time and money in your space. Adding comfort and convenience to your living arrangements will ease stress and give you something to look forward to at the end of each day. Trying something new and exciting will encourage you to do what makes you happy. Map out your course and refuse to let anyone interfere or control your life. Your numbers are 7, 13, 24, 29, 32, 38, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take a back seat and observe. What you discover will be who is on your side and who isn’t. Doing something physical will ease stress and encourage you to revisit old ideas better suited to how things are trending in today’s market.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Recognize your capabilities and how to use what you know to get ahead. Choose your course of action based on your needs, not because someone is trying to push you in a direction that offers them more benefits than you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can’t please everyone, so aim to do what makes you happy. Question what others ask you to do, shared information or an incident that can change how you feel about someone you know. Go directly to the source.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your ideas will be spot-on. Speak up and work alongside those who are equally as enthusiastic. Turn whatever you do into something enjoyable for you and everyone who cares to help. Spending time with someone you love will lead to long-term plans.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Do whatever it takes to keep the peace. Be a good listener, offer suggestions and put your energy where it will do the most good. Don’t let the decisions others make stress you out. Go about your business and finish what you start.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get together with friends, colleagues or relatives and discuss plans and differences you have. You’ll come up with a way to please everyone while still handling your prime concerns. Pay attention to the way you look and present yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Spend more time learning, teaching and working as a team player. Express your feelings, what you are trying to achieve and what you need others to do to help you reach your goal. Give your all, and you’ll get high returns.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get involved in something unique. Try applying your skills and experiences to something that makes you feel good about your contribution. Doing your best to make a difference will motivate others to look up to you and pitch in and help.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a breather and revisit your options. Choose to listen to an expert, not someone using emotional tactics to take advantage of you. Put your energy into learning, living in the moment, and addressing and getting your emotions under control.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take the road less traveled and see where it goes.

Those you encounter will enrich your life and outlook. Expand your mind and interests and offer your expertise to a cause you want to conquer. Romance will enhance your personal life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep moving forward, regardless of what others do or say. Don’t let outside influences interfere with your plans. Pay attention to what’s important to you, and you will overcome any obstacle you encounter.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Leave nothing to chance regarding your financial status. Put your papers in order and map out an investment plan to help you lower debt. A promise you make to someone you love will bring you closer together.

Sudoku | The Mepham Group

Jumble | David Hoyt and Jeff knurek

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The observer | friday, november 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Sports Authority

Zwiller: ZeLO’s CFP rankings, Week 10 picks Tom Zwiller Sports Writer

If you are a diehard college football fan like I am, then the CFP Rankings announcement show is appointment telev ision. So, like many of you, I tuned into ESPN at 7 p.m. and saw the top 25 announced.

And the results were somewhat controversial. Hav ing Georgia in third place while Tennessee took first was undoubtedly a strong take.

And TCU sitting in seventh despite being undefeated, behind one-loss A labama, while not surprising, certainly feels disrespectful.

Prestige rankings value Vols

de-

So I turned to ZeLO to look at the prestige rankings, a metric I dev ised to take the ZeLO rankings along w ith some external factors to project the CFP. Last week, when I w rote about the prestige rankings, I gave out ZeLO’s ten teams most likely to make the CFP (Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, TCU, Oregon, Tennessee, Michigan, A labama, Ok lahoma State, Penn State and USC) This week when I looked at the Prestige Top-10, the only significant change was that Penn State fell to 19th, w ith Illinois mov ing into ninth.

W hile I like that ZeLO is a consistent and predictable model, ZeLO had the No. 1 team in the countr y (Tennessee) behind TCU and Oregon.

That is a problem, as the Volunteers now possess one of the best routes to the CFP. They need only beat the

WSoccer Continued from Page 16

The t ie score wou ldn’t last unt i l t he end of t he ha lf t hough. Ony i Echeg ini cont rol led a high ba ll played into t he box, but was t ripped by junior defender Eva Gaet ino when she turned to face goa l. Florida State received a pena lt y k ick, which Heat her Pay ne dispatched clea n ly to g ive t he Seminoles a 2-1 lead heading into t he brea k.

Albert stuns Seminoles with two quick goals.

A lbert would quick ly erase that deficit in the second half. Flicking the ball around a defender, the sophomore unleashed an excellent

No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs this weekend and then either beat the Tide or keep it close, ensuring they are a one-loss team whose loss is a split to the SEC Champion.

W hat? I said it was the best route, not the easiest.

The problem was genuinely concerning. I wanted the Prestige rankings to predict how the CFP would rank teams accurately. Not having the No. 1 team in the top 5 is a significant miss.

The solution was fairly straightfor ward, however.

Part of the Prestige rankings was considering the future projections ZeLO has made, so projected w in-loss records, remaining SOS and conference champions.

ZeLO has Tennessee losing to Georgia, making them a one-loss team that does not make their conference championship, which explains why they are on the outside looking in. Ever yone ahead of the Volunteers is projected to w in their conference championship, by ZeLO, at least.

So, I removed the future projections component of the prestige rankings, and here is what ZeLO gave me.

ZeLO’s CFP Rankings In a not-at-all-shocking tw ist, had Ohio State (95.46) in first, and nothing I did would change that.

Tennessee did move up to second, while Georgia fell into third, so the committee got one of its hottest takes correct (despite my vehement disagreement).

Clemson’s ranking fourth did not at all surprise me.

W hat did surprise me was Clemson (87.45) hav ing a nearly identical rating compared to Georgia (87.85),

looping strike in the 57th minute to tie the game up once again.And it would be less than a minute after her equalizer that the sophomore would strike again.

Once again ta k ing a im f rom long shot ra nge, A lber t once aga in found t he top corner.

Florida State goa lkeeper Crist ina Roque didn’t even move for t his t hird st rike.

But t he A lber t-inspired lead wou ldn’t hold. Florida State wou ld f ind a n equa li zer of t heir ow n in t he 73rd minute, t ha n ks to Emma Bissell. Macken zie Wood was able to get a punch to a da ngerous Seminole cross, but her ef for t fell to Bissell, who easily tapped a f inish into a now-empt y net.

But a f ter Bissell’s equa li zer, t he goa ls wou ld dr y

which I suppose says a lot about the t wo teams’ dominance over some (respectfully) meh teams.

That w ill change for both this weekend as Georgia plays Tennessee and Clemson faces an Irish team hellbent on repeating their 2020 upset v ictor y.

In fifth and sixth are Michigan (86.88) and A labama (86.51). The difference bet ween these t wo schools is their record, though Michigan’s SOS prevents it from making the top 4 over Clemson. >The rest of the Top 10 is where ZeLO starts to disagree w ith the CFP rankings.

In seventh lies USC (85.22).

Oregon (84.93) sits eighth, TCU (84.03) ranks ninth and UCL A (82.81) rounds out the top ten Considering ZeLO had the right teams, just jumbling the order makes me feel prett y good about the model’s job predicting the rankings.

That ZeLO swapped out LSU (10th by the CFP) for UCL A (12th) seems logical. At best, putting LSU in 10th feels like giv ing the A labama-LSU game some additional stakes.

It also has the bonus of giv ing A labama a resume booster, so when the committee tries to sneak a 2-loss Crimson Tide team in at four at the end of the season, they can point to this matchup.

Last week ZeLO had one of its best weeks of the season, going 37-11 (77.1%) and beating FPI, who went 34-14 (70.8%). FPI still has a 14game lead, but ZeLO has a 3-game lead since Week 4.

I w ill get to another analysis piece on why I think ZeLO has outperformed FPI,

up for bot h sides. Plent y of cha nces ca me bot h Florida State a nd Not re Da me’s way over t he f ina l f if teen minutes a nd ensuing 20 minutes of over t ime. However, neit her side cou ld f ind t he f inishing touch. A nd for t he second t ime in as ma ny ga mes for t he Irish, t heir ACC tourna ment fate wou ld be decided by pena lt y k icks.

Naylor’s save enough as Irish shootout

not lose

This time, Notre Dame found themselves on the losing end. Ashley Naylor, who subbed in for Mackenzie

but because of the CFP, I had to delay it another week.

Now, onto the picks.

No. 6 Alabama @ No. 15 LSU This is the most critical A labama-LSU game since the 2019 meeting between the t wo squads when No. 2 LSU traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on the No. 3 Tide.

That game acted as an elimination game, w ith both squads being undefeated and tied for first place in the div ision.

LSU would go on to w in the game, deny ing A labama a chance to w in the SEC championship, ultimately preventing them from making the CFP. This time, the stakes are different. LSU is most likely out of the CFP as they have t wo losses (Florida State and Tennessee), but the Tigers can play spoiler to the Tide.

The Tide does have a chance to make it to the Playoff, although they would need to w in out, w inning the SEC. LSU could deny them that chance and make it to the SEC title game themselves.

ZeLO thinks the Tide w ill w in the game and keep their playoff ambitions alive, giving A lamaba a 59.3% chance of w inning

No. 2 Tennessee @ No. 1 Georgia It is hard to think that a top-3 matchup bet ween t wo div isional foes is less important than A labama and LSU but hear me out. The loser of this game w ill, in all likelihood, finish the season as a one-loss team to the potential conference champion. A team w ith that resume could still easily make the CFP. ZeLO currently favors

Wood like she did against Pittsburgh, got the Irish off to a st rong sta r t as she saved Florida State’s opening attempt. But Roque immediately saved Maddie Mercado’s ef for t.

Tied at zero t hrough one round, t he tea ms t hen t raded a pa ir of ma kes. The Irish goa ls ca me of f t he boots of A lber t a nd senior forwa rd K i k i Va n Za nten. But in t he four t h round, a f ter a ma ke f rom Florida State’s Ra n Iwa i, senior defender Wa niya Hudson misf ired for t he Irish. Wit h t he adva ntage now f irm ly sitt ing w it h t he Seminoles, midf ielder

Georgia to w in the game and the conference, but Tennessee fans should still be optimistic about the game and the season.

As we learned on Tuesday, a w in against A labama is something this Committee highly values. A one-loss Volunteers’ squad should still make the CFP.

No. 5 Clemson @ Notre Dame This result shocked me when I first saw it, but ZeLO is giv ing the Irish a 39.1% chance of knocking off Clemson. That might not sound like a lot, but those odds have dramatically improved since Notre Dame dropped their game against Stanford.

Two reasons drive the change. One, Notre Dame has looked competent again, handling their business against UNLV and then making Sy racuse look like UNLV the follow ing week. Those numbers have helped the Irish move up ZeLO’s power rankings.

The second reason is that Clemson has looked, well, mortal. They have narrow w ins against Sy racuse, Florida State and Wake Forest. Those results have not helped Clemson’s stats, and in the eyes of ZeLO, Clemson is not the same team they were projected to be. The Tigers may look great on paper, but they may be a paper-tiger.This might still be a Clemson w in, but it should be close.

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Jenna Nighswonger f ired home to clinch v ictor y.

Not re Da me w i l l now wa it unt i l Sunday to discover t heir seeding for t he upcoming NC A A tourna ment.

Current bracket ca lcu lus wou ld ma ke it seem t he Irish a re dest ined for a nat iona l t wo seed, w it h t heir pat h to t he Col lege Cup li kely going t hrough a ny of Ta l la hassee (Florida State), Chapel Hill (North Carolina), Los Angeles (UCL A) or Tuscaloosa (A labama).

Contact J.J. Post at jpost2@nd.edu

The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.

sports

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13

HCC Men’s BASKETBALL

Saints battle, drop tight game to Pilots

By TOM Z W ILLER Spor ts Writer

After the Holy Cross women’s basketball team earned their first w in against Huntington University, 6461, the Saints lost 68-99 to Grace College.

Grace had a much better time moving the ball, and they had 28 assists to Holy Cross’s 13 and scored 25 points on the fast break (Holy Cross only had three). Grace also offensively dominated the Saints in the paint, scoring 64 points dow n low.

So, w ith a blowout loss leaving a sour taste in the Saint’s mouth, the squad turned its attention to its home opener against hometow n rival Bethel.

Head coach Tom Robbins said that the combination of playing a rival and the blowout loss motivated the team “We did not play the kind of basketball that we wanted to play against Grace, so two days later, it is a chance

to redeem yourself. That is the mentality we want our players to have,” he said.

Saints start fast The Pilots have ow ned the series in the last five meetings, boasting a fourgame w inning streak, w ith the Saints not having won since 2017. Holy Cross got off to a fast start and stayed w ith the Pilots all game, but they couldn’t quite get over the hump, falling 76-70.

The Saints came out aggressively in the first quarter, going 10 of 20 from two-point range to take a 20-14 lead over the Pilots at the end of the first quarter.

A strong Bethel shooting performance from behind the arc got the Pilots back into the game, but the Saints led 32-31 at the half.

Robbins said the team was unsatisfied w ith how they let Bethel play toward the end of the half.

“We were up ten at one point,” he said. “And we felt like we let them come

back in that game to finish out the second quarter.

W hat we wanted to do was reestablish ourselves from what we had done earlier in the game.”

Bethel squeaks by in back-and-forth second half The Saints reestablished themselves by taking a 4843 lead w ith just under two minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. However, Bethel hit some key shots, including a three to tie the game at 48 apiece. Ultimately, it was a one-point game at the break.

Coming into the fourth quarter Holy Cross took a 53-50 lead thanks to a jump shot from sophomore for ward Grace Adams.

Unfortunately for the Saints, the Pilots got hot from behind the arc, hitting three unanswered shots from dow ntow n as Bethel went on an 11-point run.

As the game crossed the five-minute mark, Paid Advertisement

sophomore guard Jordyn Smith got hot, hitting a jump shot and a clutch three to tie the game at 63 w ith just four minutes to go. Senior guard Jayda Miller was then able to hit another three a minute later to give the Saints a 66-63 lead.

However, Bethel’s Ellia Foster went on a run of her ow n and scored the game’s next seven points, and w ith 33 seconds left, gave the Pilots a four-point lead.

Though the Saints cut the lead to 71-68, Bethel did just enough to hold onto the w in.

Rebounding and 3-point defense woes doom Saints The Saints were outrebounded by a margin of 47-28, which allowed the Pilots to score 22 secondchance points. Holy Cross only scored five off of rebounds.

It is a trend that, if it continues, could prove a significant difficulty for the

Saints.

The Saints allowed Bethel to shoot 10 of 17 from deep, including four shots in the fourth quarter. That means the Saints allowed Bethel to shoot 58.8% beyond the arc, canceling out the 27 points that the Saints got off turnovers. Robbins emphasized that the girls have some work to do on guarding the perimeter.

“I told the girls just because you are standing in front of them does not mean you are guarding them,” he said. “You have to get your hand over the ball. You have to make them take the ball out of their shooting pocket. If they are standing there w ith the ball in their shooting pocket, they are comfortable, and they have to be uncomfortable.”

The Saints next turn their attention to the Goshen College Maple Leafs when they play again in McKenna Arena, on Nov. 5, at 1 p.m.

Contact Tom Zwiller at tzwiller@hcc-nd.edu

14

Sports

The observer | friday, november 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

HCC Men’s BASKETBALL

Bethel overwhelms HCC with attack

By TYLER REIDY Sports Writer

Holy Cross men’s basketball made the crosstown trip to Bethel Wednesday night and promptly ran into an avalanche.

The Pilots sunk the Saints 80-55 in Mishawaka behind a staggering 14-for-31 mark from threepoint range. With the loss, Holy Cross fell to 1-1 on the young season and is now 1-16 in its last 17 meetings with Bethel.

The Pilots could not have started the game any better, opening on a 20-2 run in the first five minutes. During that time frame, senior guard Drew Lutz buried four three-pointers, and freshman guard Chikara

Picks Continued from page 16

can’t happen. It will require strong tackling, immediate responses to slight breakaways and — when the Irish can force a turnover — capitalizing on it without This brings me to the offense.

Drew Pyne has to find a way to successfully get the ball moving through the air and not to Michael Mayer. The Clemson line won’t give him a lot of time though so Tommy Rees is going to have to find some plays Pyne can pull off quickly and successfully to compliment the running backs. I wouldn’t mind a deep ball akin to the one Javon McKinley reeled in during the 2020 matchup.

But regardless of how they do it if the defense can create 10 or 14 points of its own (a big ask yes, but optimistically, doable), the Irish offense will need to find a way to stay on the field for a good long while.

The less time Shipley has to work with, the better for the Irish and the more points Notre Dame can bolster a win with. A low-scoring win will go to the Tigers. However, the Irish will use defensive pressure to help their offense find the endzone and get just enough of a passing game to get their run game going.

Notre Dame 28, Clemson 24 Nate Moller – Senior Sports Writer Prior to last week’s convincing victory against Syracuse, I would have picked the Tigers to win this one in a landslide, but the Irish showed some fight last week, and I think they can hang around in this one for a while. The biggest concern, however, is quarterback Drew Pyne. Against the Orange, the Irish were able to successfully run the ball and prevent Pyne from passing for most of the game. That likely won’t be the case, however, against an elite

Tanaka connected on two. The Holy Cross deficit stretched as wide as 26 points before the Pilots took a 48-26 lead into halftime. The Saints struggled mightily to keep up with the Bethel onslaught. At the break, Holy Cross had shot just 35.7% from the field with two threepointers made, while the Pilots had poured in 12 triples at a 53.3 field goal percentage. The Saints’ leading scorer, senior forward Mick Sullivan, contributed seven points in the first half.

However, three Pilots totaled seven points or more, with Lutz amassing 23 points in the first 20 minutes.

Bethel cooled off from distance to open the second half,

while freshman forward Tommy Snyder made some noise for the Saints. He picked up eight points in the first 4:07 of the period, but the Pilots maintained a healthy lead. The margin eventually ballooned to 79-42, as the Saints failed to score for nearly four minutes midway through the second half. Holy Cross ended the game on a 13-1 run. A buzzer-beating three from freshman guard Drew Adzia ended the game, but it was all for naught.

Bethel’s laser-focused offensive buildup was insurmountable, as the Pilots secured a 25-point home victory.

The Pilots’ recipe for success was simple, yet highly effective.

They shot the lights out of the

basketball. By making 14 trifectas and limiting Holy Cross to three of them, Bethel commanded the action from the start.

While the Saints executed passably from the field (38.6 FG%) and equaled the Pilots with 36 rebounds, their 18 turnovers factored into 26 Bethel points.

For the Saints, Mick Sullivan reeled in 13 points in just 19 minutes, while Tommy Snyder flirted with a double-double (11 points, 9 rebounds). Their two highest scorers still fell short of Bethel’s second-highest scorer alone.

Chikara Tanaka and Drew Lutz torched Holy Cross for 25 and 28 points, respectively, nearly outscoring the visitors themselves.

The two also combined for nine

assists, and Lutz drained eight three-pointers on eleven attempts. Four Pilots hauled down at least five rebounds, backing up the two offensive juggernauts with a consistent, widespread team effort. ell on the one-sided defeat.

They will head to IU-South Bend for the CrossroadsChicagoland Challenge against the Goshen Maple Leafs. Holy Cross has taken each of the last two in-state matchups with Goshen. That game will be played at 6:00 p.m, immediately followed by Bethel and IU-South Bend at 8:00 p.m.

Clemson run defense that allows an average of under 3 yards per carry.

Clemson’s weakness on defense is their passing game, and Pyne will have to make some plays if the Irish are going to have a chance. While I anticipate Michael Mayer having a big game, Pyne will need to find other receivers and not limit himself to just Mayer. On the other side of the ball, the Irish will have the challenge of stopping a prolific Clemson run game that is led by Will Shipley and mobile quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. At the end of the day, I think the Irish hang around for three quarters, but the Tigers are just too explosive for the Irish to keep pace offensively once the fourth quarter comes around. The Irish play well when I don’t pick them too, so of course, I’m picking the Tigers.

weather this weekend may limit passing on both sides and help the Irish lock into the run game.

The offensive line is a major strength for the Irish, and they can handle Clemson.

Notre Dame has improved in all assets of the game (especially special teams) in the past few weeks. For the Irish to come out with a win, this improvement must continue and be maintained for the entire game. But Drew Pyne is the key. If he plays well, Notre Dame wins. Call it optimistic, controversial or even crazy, but I am taking the Irish this weekend. Though not by much, I think a win is possible if Pyne and the rest of the offense come together, and the defense works its magic. Maybe even a punt block or two by the special teams. If not, it could all crumble. But I do love a good underdog story.

compared to just 19 pass attempts. The Irish’s success will more than likely depend on Pyne, and the coaching staff does not seem to have a great deal of faith in him.

I haven’t seen anything from Pyne (or, frankly, any receiver other than Mayer) to suggest that the passing game will be more effective against Clemson.

I do foresee the Irish defense making life tough for Uiagalelei and the Tigers’ offense, but it won’t be enough to overcome the offensive shortcomings.

COVID. This year, undefeated Clemson’s then-backup quarterback will take the field again, this time as an experienced starter. I think Notre Dame has been too sporadic this season to be able to completely predict what will go down. The Irish have lost to unranked teams that were supposed to be an easy win on their home schedule but dominated top-20 units while away. Pyne has gotten some traction as starter, but the offense’s passing game (sans Mayer) has not been developed enough. The run game will not be able to carry the team as it did at Syracuse.

However, that match against the Orange is a large contributor to my glimmer of hope. The Tigers trailed the Orange until late in the fourth a few weekends ago, and the Irish just notched a decisive victory in the Dome. If Syracuse is a measurable factor, the Irish should be able to give Clemson a run for their money. Time will tell if it will be enough. The Irish have had scattered moments of excellence. I can only hope that same magic that took over the stadium in 2020 makes a reappearance Saturday night.

Clemson 35, Notre Dame 24 Maddie Ladd – Associate Sports Editor This is a prediction I have been thinking about all season, and it is hard to believe it is finally here. No. 5 Clemson has performed well this season, though they have played a soft schedule. Nevertheless, the Tigers will be the best team to come to South Bend this year, and the Irish must play up on Saturday as they have in the past. Think Clemson 2020.

Put simply, Drew Pyne is key for this game. He played great on the road until last weekend at Syracuse where he only completed 9-19 passes and badly missed open receivers. Pyne must play like he did against UNC and BYU and complete the easy passes while shifting focus from solely Michael Mayer.

Wide receivers must also step up and catch the ball. Making the easy catches will be key to open up the game for the running backs to do their thing and find holes against the powerful Clemson defense. Finally, a well-established run game is essential. The colder, rainy

Notre Dame 28, Clemson 24 Liam Coolican – Associate Sports Editor Everything had to go right for Notre Dame to knock off Clemson on that fateful night in South Bend in 2020, and they still needed double overtime.

This year’s edition of the Irish is nowhere near as good as they were two years ago when they made the Playoff.

I don’t believe Clemson is at the same level as the other undefeated teams at the top of the rankings such as Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee, but what they have shown is an impressive ability to close out tight games. They have won three one-score games, whereas Notre Dame is 2-2 in such contests.

Clemson also boasts one of the nation’s top run defenses, limiting opponents to under 90 rushing yards per game. That doesn’t bode well for Notre Dame, who has relied more and more on the running game over the past several weeks. In the win against Syracuse, the Irish carried the ball 54 times

Clemson 20, Notre Dame 10 Emily DeFazio – Associate Sports Editor This is the game where the blind optimism that can come with being a Notre Dame fan starts to come into question.

Do I want the Irish to win?

Absolutely. Do I think they will?

Blind optimism would say we’ve got a fighting chance. Reality, not so much.

While Notre Dame came out on top against the Tigers in 2020, they used every minute of play allowed to do so and had some pretty miraculous plays in the process. Not to mention, star quarterback Trevor Lawrence was out for the count with

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@ nd.edu

Notre Dame 29, Clemson 28

sports

Exhibition Continued from page 16

aggressively, and Goodwin made all eight of his free throw attempts. Notre Dame struggled to shoot from distance (the Irish finished 7-26 from threepoint range) but having two of their best shooters looking to get to the rim and draw fouls gives them a reliable safety valve when their shots are not falling.

Rebounding effort leaves room for improvement While the Irish outplayed Xavier in most facets, struggles on the defensive glass allowed the Gold Rush to hang around for most of the game. In total, Xavier outrebounded Notre Dame 46-33 and had a 22-11 advantage in terms of offensive rebounding. Entering the season, rebounding was widely expected to be a point of weakness for the Irish, who have only two big men likely to play on a consistent basis, but it was a surprise to see a decisive loss in the rebounding battle against an opponent with considerably less size at their disposal.

After the game, Brey noted that the Irish “have to [rebound] as a group,” but praised several players’ individual performances on the boards, including graduate student guard Marcus Hammond and Goodwin. Hammond finished with seven rebounds, which Brey called “encouraging” but not surprising, given that he has rebounded well during practice. The team’s standout performance on the glass, though, came from Goodwin.

He was notably aggressive on the boards defensively and even more so on offense, where his effort plays created several second-chance point opportunities. Goodwin spoke about the emphasis that he put on rebounding in preparation for the season.

“I realize that [rebounding] has to be a big priority for me this year. We’re playing a little smaller, so I have to get in there and grab some boards,” Goodwin said. “There’s definitely a mindset about it. You just have to be aggressive. Just like scoring, you’ve got to be aggressive going to the boards, hitting guys, whatever it is to go and get that ball.”

Pulse Continued from page 3 of INSIDER

production rests squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff. Notre Dame currently ranks 65th in passing yards per completion with 12.08 which ref lects a lack of big play capability.

Pyne’s receivers certainly could help him out-he does not have a consistent secondar y target behind Mayer.

Yet, receivers like Lorenzo Styles, Braden Lenzy, and Tobias Merriweather have the tools necessar y to be

ndsmcobserver.com | friday, november 4, 2022 | The Observer

The Irish will frequently be undersized during ACC play and will rely on the entire team to attack the glass with the same effort that Goodwin gave on Wednesday.

Newcomers fill key roles in tight rotation Last year, Notre Dame rarely went beyond seven-deep with its rotation. If the exhibition was any indication, this season will be similar, as only seven Irish players saw the floor for significant minutes. Out went Prentiss Hubb, Paul Atkinson Jr. and Blake Wesley and in came Hammond (a Niagara transfer), freshmen JJ Starling and VenAllen Lubin to replace them.

Marcus Hammond facilitates offense In their first appearance for the Irish, the trio showed glimpses of what they will bring to the table for Notre Dame.

Hammond, who scored over 18 points per game last season, took on point guard responsibilities and initiated the Irish offense nearly every possession when on the floor. After scoring nine points on three three-pointers and adding two assists, Hammond spoke about how a productive preseason of practices paid dividends in game situations.

“I was very comfortable,” Hammond said. “In practice, we get a lot of reps in, five on five. We get a lot of chances to play with each other. I’m real comfortable just moving the ball, knocking down the open shot when I get it and competing on the defensive end.”

JJ looks inconsistent in anticipated debut Starling delivered an up-anddown effort in an anticipated effort, given his status as a consensus five-star recruit. While he did not shoot particularly well, finishing just 1-7 and 0-5 from three, Starling’s performance in other areas pleased Brey.

“JJ made some good decisions. When he was double teamed, I thought he was really good,” Brey said. “He had open looks, I thought he took really good shots. He does pass it and find people, and he’s able to get in [the paint] with strength like nobody else we have.”

The primary way in which

big-play threats and it is inexplicable that Notre Dame hasn’t deployed them more often in such a role.

Pyne certainly isn’t a perfect quarterback, but he’s the best we have. He needs to improve and cannot be absolved of all blame.

His performance against Stanford was one of the main reasons why the Irish scored just 14 points–yet the coaching staff must put him in a position to succeed.

This column isn’t to say Notre Dame should abandon the run and turn into an

Brey looks for Starling, as well as any young player, to grow, is by not letting shooting struggles prevent him from impacting the game in its less glamorous aspects.

“When you’re not making shots, and maybe your offense isn’t as smooth, there’s the great maturity and growth [process] of, ‘can I go back and defend and rebound and work my way into it,’” Brey said. He noted that this is especially important for a player with as much athleticism and defensive potential as Starling has.

Lubin earns three blocks in gritty effort A face mask hampered Lubin after he suffered a nose injury during practice earlier in the week, but that did not stop him from tallying four points and three blocks while putting his athleticism on constant display.

In the first half, he used impressive focus to score in the paint while being fouled. Later, he maneuvered past his defender off the catch and converted at the rim, showing a unique combination of agility and strength for a 6’8” player. Defensively, Lubin’s length and defensive instincts allowed him to disrupt several shots at the basket without fouling. Brey spoke highly of Lubin’s defense. He said that the coaching staff has to “keep making him feel comfortable” as he gets accustomed to Notre Dame’s offensive scheme and recovers from injury.

Notre Dame’s new players make up nearly half of the seven that are likely to soak up most of the team’s minutes, and they will have many opportunities to improve over the course of the season and prepare for big games in January, February and (the Irish hope) March. At this early stage in the season, all three appear ready to step into key roles and make an immediate impact.

“It’s a learning process,” Goodwin said about the development of Notre Dame’s young players. “They’re going to have their ups and downs, but I think they all contributed today and had bright spots. So that’s definitely something to build off of.”

Contact Matthew Crow at mcrow@nd.edu

air-raid offense overnight.

Running the ball is still the strength of this team and it is smart to play to this strength.

The Irish looked impressive against Syracuse, there can be no doubt about that.

But Clemson is a different quality of opponent.Running the ball can and should continue to be the focal point of the offense. But when an offense does not possess even the slightest vertical threat, it becomes much easier for defenses to stop the run.

On the f lip side, if defenses

Hockey Continued from page 16

without a point in the first weekend series, Snuggerud scored a hat trick in his third career game for Minnesota and has been on a tear ever since. He currently leads the team in goals with six and is averaging just over a point per game. Snuggerud was a first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues back in June.

Cooley, 2022 third overall pick of the Arizona Coyotes, has centered Snuggerud’s line so far this year and is also among the team leaders in points with seven.

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies and Montreal Canadiens draftee Rhett Pitlick are two more forwards to keep an eye on.

Despite the depth up front, Minnesota’s points leader so far this year is a defenseman, senior Jackson LaCombe. LaCombe is a true veteran standout, as he is a fourth-year senior and has led all Gophers defensemen in scoring each of the last two seasons. LaCombe, who the Anaheim Ducks drafted 39th overall back in 2019, has three goals and seven assists so far and is well on his way to matching his 30-point season last year.

In goal, senior Justen Close has carried the load. He has played in 7 of 8 games so far this season and has posted a 2.28 goals against average with a .900 save percentage.

It’s a fair assumption that he will start both games this weekend.

Like most top-tier programs, Minnesota’s early season schedule has been a rather difficult one.

After sweeping Lindenwood to start the season, the Gophers faced top-15 opponents on each of the last three weekends and will face off against their fourth straight top-15 team when the Irish come to town.

Minnesota has earned a split in each of those last three series, playing against instate rival No. 6/7 Minnesota State, historic rival No. 10/11 North Dakota and red-hot No. 9 Ohio State. They enter this weekend with a 5-3-0 overall record.

are forced to respect the quarterback’s passing ability, the offense is able to run the ball much more effectively.

In passing-down situations, opponents have discovered that Pyne is ineffective when they drop eight.

More often than not, these situations happen when Notre Dame runs the ball on first and second down and suddenly Pyne is left with a third and long and no option but to throw the ball.

Finally, if the coaching staff shows they are willing

15

Scouting the Irish The veteran Irish come into this weekend with a 4-2-2 record but have struggled to find consistency to start the season.

“I think we are a work in progress, frankly. I don’t think we are on all cylinders yet,” Head coach Jeff Jackson said this week, discussing his team’s start to the season.

Last weekend, Notre Dame opened conference play against Michigan State with a 5-0 win and looked dominant from puck drop to game’s end.

The Irish got goals from 5 different scorers in that one, including one from junior Ryder Rolston, who leads the team in goals (4) and points (9). On the following night, though, the Irish offense that f lowed so freely the night before was unable to break through.

Notre Dame settled for a 1-1 tie. It was just another example that the Irish are still striving for consistency.

“We still need to find that consistency in our game, because right now, from game to game, I’m not really sure what we’re going to see,” said Jackson.

Looking ahead to this weekend, Notre Dame will certainly rely on the efforts of senior goaltender Ryan Bischel.

Bischel has put together a string of strong outings recently. The Minnesota native had a stout performance against Michigan State, during which he stopped 71 of 72 shots across the two-game slate. Bischel has started all of Notre Dame’s games so far, and all indications show that will more or less continue throughout the year.

Notre Dame will also look to six native Minnesotans this weekend to pitch in while playing in their home state, including graduate student defenseman Ben Brinkman, who spent the previous four seasons playing for the Gophers. Brinkman played 140 games in his Minnesota career, registering 23 points.

Brinkman did not play last weekend against Michigan State.

Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu

to trust Pyne to take shots down the field in big situations, it would be a significant confidence booster for him and the whole team.

If Pyne needs anything at this point in the season, its confidence.

He’s shown that he can be an effective passer in the right situations. If the Irish are to pull off the upset this weekend, they will have to put full trust in their quarterback.

Contact Aidan Thomas at athoma28@nd.edu

16

The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

ND Women’s soccer

ND MEN’s basketball

Irish prepare for semifinals vs. NC State

MAX PETROSKY | The Observer

Irish sophomore midfielder Korbin Albert gets the ball moving.

Albert was a star player for the Irish in their matchup last night.

ND HOCKEY

The No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s ice hockey team travels to Minneapolis this weekend to take on the No. 3 Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday and Saturday night. It is the second Big Ten Conference series of the season for both sides, and key points in the standings are up for grabs.

on Landon Slaggert’s overtime winner.

What Notre Dame is trying to do this weekend — sweep Minnesota on the road — has proven to be incredibly challenging. The last time Notre Dame swept the Gophers on the road was during the COVID-19-shortened 202021 season. Prior to that, the Irish had not swept a series in Minneapolis since the 1971-72 season.

Series History

Scouting the Gophers

Overall, Minnesota leads the series 35-24-5 over 64 games played. The Gophers also lead the series on their home ice 20-13-3. Of late, Minnesota has won seven of the last 10 games between the two teams. Last season they won three of four, including a late-October sweep in Minneapolis.

Notre Dame did win the final meeting of the season, though, collecting a 3-2 win

This Minnesota team is — as usual — loaded with talent, and they’ve restocked again this year. With 14 NHL draft picks on the roster, there is no shortage of big names to watch this weekend.

The duo of freshmen Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley particularly stand out. After being held

Sports Writer

By J.J. POST

By MATTHEW CROW

Spor ts Writer

Sports Writer

Thursday night Notre Dame fell to Florida State in the ACC tournament semifinals, losing 4-2 on penalt y kicks after a 3-3 draw.

The game got off to an action-packed start, w ith t wo goals coming in the first fifteen minutes. It was the Seminoles who opened the scoring, w ith Clara Robbins powering a header past graduate student keeper Mackenzie Wood in the 13th minute.

But just moments later the Irish would find an equalizer. Sophomore midfielder Korbin A lbert picked up the ball and raced into space before unleashing an ambitious effort from nearly thirt y yards out from goal. But the distance proved to be well w ithin the ACC Midfielder of the Year’s range. A lbert found the side of the net to tie the game back up at one.

Notre Dame men’s basketball made their final regular season preparations on Wednesday night in an exhibition matchup against NAIA opponent Xavier University of Louisiana. The game’s outcome remained in question for longer than expected, but the Irish pulled away late to earn a 67-52 win.

With the preseason now in the rearview mirror, here are three takeaways from the victory as the Irish turn their attention to next Thursday’s season opener against Radford.

see WSOCCER PAGE 12

Goodwin, Laszewski ready to lead the way Just as was so often the case last season, graduate students Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin were at the forefront of Notre Dame’s offensive attack.

Laszewski did most of his work early, scoring 9 of Notre Dame’s first 18 points on his way to 12 in the game. He then handed the reigns to Goodwin, who recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, six of

them offensive.

Laszewski seemed focused on attacking the rim, using his reputation as a sharpshooter to attract overaggressive closeouts that allowed him to consistently get past his defender. In the paint, he showed improved patience, frequently using shot fakes to get Xavier defenders off balance and draw fouls, which led to an 8-9 performance from the free throw line. Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey discussed Laszewski’s expanded offensive arsenal after the game.

“I thought Nate kind of got us started by drawing fouls and driving,” Brey said. “He’s become a little better off the dribble and making plays, passing and finding people when [Xavier was] doubling and he made his free throws.”

Goodwin spent the game hunting mismatches that allowed him to back down smaller defenders and either finish at the rim or shoot his patented turnaround jumper. As with Laszewski, good things happen for the Irish when he plays see EXHIBITION PAGE 15

OBSERVER SPORTS STAFF PICKS

Irish travel for Big Ten series

By RYAN MURPHY

MBB exhibition takeaways

see HOCKEY PAGE 15

Observer Sports Staff predicts ND vs. Clemson Observer Sports Staff

Aidan Thomas – Sports Editor To be an optimist or to not be an optimist. That’s my dilemma with this pick. I won’t say it’s not realistic to pick Notre Dame.

By the CFP rankings, the Irish have two convincing wins over top-20 teams. To say they’ve obliterated those two teams at their own place would be a fair assessment. So it’s a conflict of whether the Irish will step up against a big opponent, as they’ve done all year, or struggle at home, which they’ve also done all year.

When Clemson visited Notre Dame in 2020, the Irish scored two offensive touchdowns. Both were sparked by explosive plays — a 65-yard touchdown run and a 53-yard pass. Notre Dame’s longest offensive play this year is 54 yards, so they’re going to have to find a way to be more explosive. In that 2020 game, the Irish also kicked four

field goals — two for 40+ yards — which has been a struggle for current kicker Blake Grupe. Can the Irish run the ball against one of the nation’s best run defenses? Can they take advantage of Clemson’s slow-starting defense despite their own slowstarting offense? I think this game shapes up as a low-scoring duel in which Clemson has the slightly better passing game to challenge the opposing defense with a more multidimensional attack.

Clemson 24, Notre Dame 20 Mannion McGinley – Assistant Managing Editor The last time Clemson entered Notre Dame stadium, it was a top-five matchup with the No. 4 Irish the underdog to No. 1 Clemson. Double overtime. The Irish score, stop the Tigers and storm the field. We all remember this That pregame energy is back this week but the unranked

Irish taking on a No. 5 Clemson feels like an even larger task.

Irish fans want the win but it may not be as easy to will it to fruition this time around. The glimmer of hope for Irish fans comes in the form of slight quarterback uncertainty. DJ Uiagalelei threw two interceptions against Syracuse two weeks ago before he was pulled from the game and replaced by Cade Klubnik. The Tigers pulled out the win there, but it forced them into a significantly more one-dimensional structure.

The Irish defense has to capitalize either on a junior quarterback trying to reestablish his good name or a young quarterback who has barely had a chance. The real test for the defense will be taking Will Shipley out of the mix. The running back averages six yards a carry and if the Irish want to see a third home victory, that see PICKS PAGE 14

insider

Foskey Continued from page 4

the red zone this week if they are going to beat Clemson.

“It’s very exciting to face a top-five team, especially Clemson,” Foskey said. “This is my third time playing Clemson so this is a great atmosphere to play them in, at Notre Dame Stadium.”

The first time Foskey played Clemson was back in 2020.

That’s when the Irish knocked

Liufau Continued from page 4

course. The second Liufau came off the field he said he was thanking Cross “I don’t think I would’ve gotten it without the batted ball,” he said Liufau also said he knew how important any interception could be so it was exciting to be the one to reel one in.

“It’s a big change of momentum really. It gets everyone going, gets everyone’s hopes high and gives everyone energy,” he said.

The Irish are looking to carry that energy into this weekend as they prepare to take on Clemson this Saturday.

“It was a great feeling to win away but we know this week is a new week,” Liufau said. “We emphasized that early on and we know that we have to earn a win on Saturday by our hard work

ndsmcobserver.com | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022 | The Observer

off the No. 1 Tigers in double-overtime at Notre Dame Stadium. That led to Irish fans, which at the time consisted of only students and some players’ parents, storming the field.

This week, the Irish will look to pull off a similar feat, with Clemson entering ranked No. 4 and unbeaten.

As the season continues, Foskey has the Notre Dame career sack record in his sights. He is only two sacks behind former Notre Dame and New York Giant defensive

end Justin Tuck who currently holds the record of 24.5 set in 2004.

If Foskey can continue to be a destructive force on opposing quarterbacks, he has a very good chance of breaking the record and cementing his legendary status.

And he may even end Clemson’s unbeaten season for the second time in three years.

in practice this week.”

In terms of taking on the higher-ranked opponent though, Liufau says the preparation remains the same.

“It’s always attack everything full speed and work our game plan,” he said. “Every opponent we respect. We prepare the same way for everyone.

There’s always a high urgency around here every week.”

Liufau says he’s excited to play in a physical game like this on Saturday. Echoing sentiments from Freeman earlier in the week, he said “this is what you come to Notre Dame for” — to play in games like this one.

That being said, he also acknowledged the tall order that is the Clemson Tigers.

“They’re a very good offense,” he said. “They have a great quarterback, good running back, and threats at wide receiver as well.

They’ve just got a lot of

weapons all around.”

The linebacker said he isn’t too worried though, he trusts the defense to step up to the plate behind one mantra: “Relentless. We like to pride ourselves on being relentless and attacking without stopping,” he said.

“I think we’ve improved a lot since the beginning of the season and I’m really proud of the way we work every day.”

As much as he is leading that relentless charge, Liufau said he is learning from the rest of the linebacker corps as well and relying on their continued communication both in game and at practice “Going out there and doing what you’ve got to do even when you don’t feel like it is the main thing they’ve taught me,” he said. “[We’re] just working hard every day.

Contact Madeline Ladd at mladd2@nd.edu

Contact Mannion McGinley at mmcginl3@nd.edu

PULSE OF THE FANBASE

How fans feel eight games into Freeman Era

By AIDAN THOM AS Spor ts Editor

Drew Py ne’s best performance of the year came on the road against North Carolina earlier this year.

The junior quarterback completed 24 of 34 passes for 289 yards and three touchdow ns.

I w rote after the game that it must ser ve as a turning pointfor the Irish offense.

For one game, it looked like it would -– Py ne had another outstanding performance against BY U in Las Vegas. But since then, highlighted by the dismal loss to Stanford, Py ne has regressed significantly. Yes, the Irish offense has scored 87 points in the last two games, but that was due to a dominant ground game. As Sports Editor Aidan Thomas w rote in his column after the w in over Sy racuse, it isn’t a sustainable approach.

The offensive distribution against Sy racuse was particularly striking. Py ne attempted 19 passes against 56 rushing attempts for the Irish. Barely a quarter of Notre Dame’s offensive snaps were pass plays. In the second half of the game against UNLV, Py ne threw just five passes.

Heading into this weekend’s game against Clemson, it is almost a guarantee that this same approach won’t work. The Tigers’ front seven is, as usual, among the most dominant units in college football. They are allow ing opponents under 90 yards per game on the ground -– good for seventh in the nation and fourth among Power Five teams. If the Irish have any hope to pull off the upset, they w ill have to rely heav ily on Py ne.

There is one small issue -– the coaching staff seems

to have lost all faith in him.

Py ne’s role has seemingly been limited to check dow ns and passes over the middle to junior tight end Michael Mayer in recent weeks. The approach has been effective recently, but it’s also highly predictable: “You know what you have to stop: the run game and the ball is going to No. 87 (Mayer),” Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodw in said, according to Irish Sports Daily.

This offensive predictabilit y is not due to Py ne’s lack of abilit y. W hile he certainly isn’t going to challenge for the Heisman Trophy, his performances against North Carolina and BY U prove that he has all the physical and mental tools necessar y to succeed at this level.

This recent lack of see PULSE PAGE 15

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The observer | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2022 | ndsmcobserver.com

Liufau feature

‘This is what you come to Notre Dame for’: Liufau ready to take on Clemson

By MANNION McGINLEY Assistant Managing Editor

RYAN VIGILANTE | The Observer

Irish senior linebacker Marist Liufau celebrates a successful tackle during ND’s 44-21 victory against UNLV at Notre Dame Stadium.

In summer of 2021, no one could get enough of then junior linebacker Marist Liufau. He had flashes of of success in camp, became the talk of the town and was seemingly unblockable.

Then, his season ended before it could start. Liufau suffered a broken ankle midway through camp, ultimately keeping him from a season’s worth of play.

“I missed running around with my teammates,” he said. “I missed being out there with them. I felt not as involved because I couldn’t practice and play but I missed the people too.”

Now a senior, Liufau is back in full swing and racking up tackles left and right while stepping up as a leader for the defense.

To start the season, Liufau eased back into

football. He took about half the reps for each appearance but slowly worked his way back up through camp. In his time off the field, Liufau said he began to study the game a lot more and it put things back into perspective for him.

“Things can be taken away from you in an instant so being out here every day — I am just grateful to be out here every day I can,” Liufau said.

Out on the field now, Liufau has reclaimed what would have been his starting opportunity last year within the linebacker corps. He has been instrumental to the success of the Irish defense recording 32 tackles on the season, 12 of them alone and three for loss. Additionally, he’s assumed a role as an extra pass rusher. During Notre Dame’s confrontation with UNC, he brought

enough pressure to force a sack. For the first time on Saturday though, Liufau broke into the top tier of defensive statistics.

Against Syracuse, the Irish defense dominated and Liufau played a major role. With three tackles on the day, the crowning jewel in his Saturday afternoon came during the third quarter when he snagged an interception.

“It was awesome,” Liufau said. “It was my first one so it was really exciting and it was a good point in the game as well.

Anything that helps your team makes you feel good.”

The pass from Syracuse backup quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson was tipped by junior defensive lineman Howard Cross. Liufau dove forward to make the catch once the ball was off see LIUFAU PAGE 3

FOSKEY feature

Foskey sets sights on Clemson and sack record with season improvements

By MADELINE LADD Associate Sports Editor

Since bypassing the NFL draft and returning for his senior season as captain, defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey has elevated all facets of his game in the past few weeks. The 6’5 California native has continued to be a destructive force on the defense.

Following the team’s unexpected rocky start to the season and with the New Year’s Six bowl games and playoffs firmly out of reach, Foskey and the rest of the team look to finish the season strong and perhaps play spoiler to Clemson’s title hopes.

The Irish have won five of six since that 0-2 start. Foskey and the defense have turned it up as of late, including last weekend’s two-turnover effort in Notre Dame’s 41-24 win over No. 16 Syracuse. Foskey has been a force on both defense and special teams after a slow start to the season by the senior’s standards.

Dedication and focus in

practice were what Foskey credited most to his improvement.

“I feel like it was just my mindset and working after practice,” Foskey said. “Not just working on the run game part of it but working on pass rush. Going into the season everyone was knocking me off for my run defending so I was really working on run defending throughout the season.

Once I finally worked on pass rush, that’s when it started clicking.”

he owes his success to his teammates.

“I know it wasn’t me who made that play or made that ‘perfect move,’ it was pressure going up the middle,” Foskey said. “That’s why I give a lot of props to my teammates.”

On one play against Syracuse last week, Foskey even covered the Orange’s running back Sean Tucker 35 yards down the field. This is unusual for a defensive lineman and demonstrates Foskey’s rare blend of size, speed and strength.

Foskey surging as Irish get hot

Clemson poses challenge for Foskey, defense

Increased intentionality has benefited Foskey as he amassed three sacks against UNLV and one versus Syracuse last week giving him a total of seven on the season.  Foskey was also responsible for two pivotal blocked punts against UNLV. Special teams play requires study, extra effort and drive — all of which Foskey has demonstrated.

Though responsible for big plays of the game, Foskey says

The Clemson offensive line will be one of the best Foskey will face this season and Saturday night’s prime-time matchup will be a key opportunity for him to demonstrate his domination.

The Tigers’ star QB DJ Uiagalelei will be difficult to contain at his 6’4, 235-pound stature. Foskey and the defense must be more effective in

SAM GODINEZ | The Observer

see FOSKEY PAGE 3

Irish senior defensive lineman and captain Isaiah Foskey plays strong defense against Syracuse in Notre Dame’s 41-24 on the road victory.