Print Edition for The Observer for Friday, November 1, 2024
Professor named CNN contributor BridgeND encourages election dialogue
By BRIGID IANNELLI News Writer
Professor Derek Muller, an instructor on election law at Notre Dame Law School, was recently named a contributor for CNN’s coverage of Tuesday’s presidential election. He was tasked with following ongoing legal disputes that could impact the outcome of the election.
Muller’s contributions to CNN will help the network provide its journalists and
its viewers with concrete answers about the nuances of election law, particularly on lawsuits filed before the election and after polling concludes. This includes assessing how likely a court case is to succeed and the implications of these cases.
“Every election cycle, it seems like there’s more litigation,” Muller said.
In his research into election law, Muller focuses on
Initiative hires first director
Observer Staff Report
Arun Agrawal, a professor of governance and sustainability at the University of Michigan, will lead the new Notre Dame Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative, according to a University press release. Agrawal received his Ph.D. in political science from Duke University and his MBA from the Indian Institute of
Management.
The Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative seeks to foster research and engagement efforts across all colleges and schools at Notre Dame.
“The accelerating challenges posed by climate change and its impact on food security, energy, water systems and the built environment threaten the
By SOPHIE HANAWALT Staff Writer
On Oct. 7, BridgeND held the kickoff for their signature event, ConvergeND. BridgeND is the Notre Dame branch of BridgeUSA, a student-led organization focused on bridging the political divide and encouraging spectrum-crossing conversations. ConvergeND participants are matched with a discussion partner who has opposite political views after taking a survey,
then given the opportunity to attend a kickoff event and meet for a conversation with their match.
According to senior Olivia Hrivnak, BridgeND’s codirector for campus and student engagement, the club has been hosting ConvergeND for the past seven years, beginning with 10 or 15 participants and growing to over 60 this year.
Hrivnak’s job is to encourage students to participate in the event. Because of this, she works to ensure the
board is creating the most collaborative and inclusive environment possible.
“I do think that it’s a daunting thing to talk to someone that you’ve never met about your opposing view,” she said.
Freshman Caoilinn Flinn decided to participate in ConvergeND after getting involved with BridgeND.
“I just really love the mission of multi-partisan cooperation and
‘Good morning’: Huddle Mart manager retires
By LIAM PRICE Viewpoint Editor
Lead Huddle Mart manager Tyrone Diment will be hanging up his jester’s hat when he goes home after his Halloween night shift, a fitting costume for his last day of an 11-year tenure working at Notre Dame. When dealing with
students, Diment is always smiling.
His signature jest is telling students “good morning” after midnight. He also says “see you tomorrow” to students as they leave LaFortune Student Center for the night, whether or not they’re everyday customers.
“I love it,” Diment said
of his job. “Saying good morning and getting some shock reaction, I love that. Especially today, I’m getting people looking at me then looking away. They don’t want to talk to me with this hat on. It’s Halloween. Come on! It never was a regular day.”
see HUDDLE PAGE 3
Courtesy of Casey Patrick
Notre Dame Law School professor Derek Muller was recently named a contributor for CNN’s coverage of Tuesday’s presidential election.
LIAM PRICE | The Observer
Lead Huddle Mart manager Tyrone Diment wears a jester’s hat in celebration of Halloween during his final shift before retirement. Diment worked at Huddle Mart for 11 years, and was beloved by students.
A lone jack-o’-lantern sits on a picnic table outside of Regina Hall at Saint Mary’s. Pumpkin carving and painting stations were available to students in the dining halls at Notre Dame and through club and hall events such as the Keenan Hall Great Pumpkin.
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Dia de los Muertos
Celebration
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10 p.m. - 2 p.m. Football intramural competitions.
ND vs Louisville Purcell Pavilion
7 p.m.
Women’s volleyball team takes on Louisville.
Sunday
Film: “Coco” (201 7) DPAC
1 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Screening of Coco to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.
Concert: Trio Azura DPAC
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Ensemble perform in Presenting Series Debut.
Monday
Webinar: “Generosity Medicine” Zoom
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Discuss essays on healthcare.
Holy Cross Research Seminar
Pfeil Boardroom
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Prof. Kate Barrett gives lecture.
Tuesday
Saint Mary’s Neuropsychiatry Info
Zoom
6 p.m.
Virtual info presentation and Q&A.
Talk: “Bangladesh 2024” Hesburgh Room C103
12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Professors discuss July 2024 uprising.
Student employees at the Huddle interrupted Diment’s interview with The Observer to give Diment a hug.
“We’re not going to ‘see you tomorrow,’” one of the students said jokingly in reference to his own line.
Despite believing strongly in the value of the Huddle for the lives of Notre Dame students, Diment’s job as lead manager had significant challenges.
“It’s a very essential business. We need more, better products. I’m just having
CNN
how states administer federal elections and the complexities that come along with this process.
“There’s always this interaction between what the state laws require, which can be unique from state to state, [and] what the federal overlay is, whether it’s federal statutes or the federal constitution,” he said.
He cited many instances leading up to the 2024
problems with the people who give us our products, our purveyors.” Diment said. “We’re too small peanuts. (The purveyors) do all the grocery stores.”
He would shrug his shoulders when students asked if the Huddle sells lighters. According to Diment, they are no longer sold in the market due to problems with purveyor services, but he often would suggest other places on campus where students with unlit cigarettes could locate a flame.
Diment said finds the work “entertaining.” His job entails interacting with countless
election in which state administration of federal elections have already come into question, such as how Virginia recently purged 1600 people from its voter rolls and how absentee ballots are being handled in states like Nevada, Mississippi and Pennsylvania.
While Muller believes there is plenty of uncertainty regarding the outcomes of these suits, he did not predict anything too serious. “I don’t anticipate very much in the way of significant litigation after
“inebriated students” on weekend nights along with hordes of freshmen and sophomores who populate the student center each night.
“There’s the partiers. There’s the ones who are doing well in school. There’s ones that have a lot of manners. There’s a few ‘rich-ies,” Diment said. “There’s all different types, and that’s great. I love that, and that’s why I fit in here so well.”
Diment is a South Bend native, but has also lived in California and Florida, having visited at least 38 states and three countries.
the election,” Muller said.
He mentioned that unless Vice President Harris or former President Trump wins by a very small margin — that is, by hundreds of votes in a single state — it would be very difficult to contest the results.
Nevertheless, Muller is keeping a close eye on legal issues ranging from Elon Musk’s PAC lottery in Pennsylvania to Nevada’s Supreme Court allowing late ballots.
“People want to talk about everything,” he said.
Muller has gained national
After a 23-year stint working for Quality Dining, Diment’s arrival at Notre Dame came after taking a two-hour community course in South Bend on job applications and resumé creation, where a now-retired Notre Dame ethics professor was teaching at the time.
“He said business ethics and ethics are the same thing, and I go, ‘no, they’re not,” Diment said.
The “friendly argument” was friendly enough to prompt the professor into encouraging Diment to come look for work at Notre Dame. After attending a job
recognition for his work and insight. He has been referenced by CNN in election articles multiple times before being named a contributor and he has written opinion columns for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
“I’ve had a lot of journalists with a lot of thoughtful questions over the years that I’ve been able to address, and I’m very honored that they keep coming back to me and are interested in what I have to say,” Muller said.
fair in Grace Hall, he secured an internship in food services at Notre Dame, taking on lead manager positions at the former Smashburger and Subway locations in LaFortune Student Center before entering his current role at the Huddle.
As he enters retirement, Diment will devote more time working on his Ebay business along with “organizing my life a little better.”
What else did Diment have to say about his time working at Notre Dame?
“I miss Quarter Dogs.”
Contact Liam Price at lprice3@nd.edu
Muller also regularly writes for the Election Law Blog and The Conversation, and he is a member of the American Law Institute.
While Muller views his primary responsibilities to be teaching and doing research, he said he feels proud to be able to represent Notre Dame in the media. “I largely view [my contributions] as a service to the University,” he said.
Contact Brigid Iannelli at biannell@nd.edu
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Saint Mary’s hosts panel of LGBTQ+ alumnae
By ELLA NOVAK News Writer
This Wednesday Saint Mary’s hosted a panel on LGBTQ+ history on campus.
Four LGBTQ+ alums from different graduating classes led the discussion, ranging from 1974 to last year. The speakers were Jacqueline Leskovec, Kelli Harrison, Lety Stanton-Verduzco and Mads Hornack.
Jacqueline Leskovec, the earliest graduate on the panel, described the LGBTQ+ community at the College 50 years ago, or the lack thereof.
“When I first came out, I was a student here at Saint Mary’s, and at that time, there was absolutely no community to speak of,” Leskovec said. “I did not know of anyone else who might be queer, there was no discussion. There were no students walking hand in hand out in the hallways. None of that existed.”
Leskovec was one of the founding members of the Pride SMC affinity group and now serves on the board of trustees at Saint Mary’s.
Harrison, who graduated in 1998, recalled the diverse reactions to emerging LGBTQ+ groups in the tricampus community.
BridgeND
communication,” Flinn said. “I love the idea of talking about politics in a way that’s actually constructive and considers lots of perspectives.”
Back home, Flinn said she never saw open, non-argumentative dialogue.
“I have experience[d] being around people with different beliefs, but I have never been in a circumstance where this kind of dialogue was available,” she added.
Freshman Grace Fuchs signed up for ConvergeND right after the vice presidential debate.
“I thought it would be cool to meet someone from the other side. Coming from St.
“Notre Dame tried to start an LGBTQ club on Notre Dame’s campus, and so both campuses were abuzz,” she said. Harrison shared that some people questioned whether LGBTQ advocacy has a place at a Catholic school, with some even suggesting that students should transfer or leave campus entirely.
Harrison also met her current wife while attending
Louis, which is relatively liberal, and then being at Notre Dame … I knew it would be interesting to have an opportunity to hear the different perspectives,” said Fuchs.
Fuchs noted that Notre Dame’s political landscape lends itself well to this event.
“The hyper-polarization is not as stark, it’s not like you have two camps. Everyone’s willing to talk to everyone, even if there are very different viewpoints which exist on this campus, they’re taken with a lens of respect,” she said.
At the kickoff event, ConvergeND participants listened to speeches by political science professor and director of the Notre Dame democracy initiative David Campbell and former ambassador Joe
Saint Mary’s and explained how their openness on campus led to verbal abuse and other mistreatment.
“I remember one time walking by McCandless Hall and somebody threw an open window, yelled, ‘dykes!’ which I thought the only way to handle that was to kiss my girlfriend, right there. So that’s what we did,” Harrison said.
Stanton-Verduzco of the
Donnelly. They also played a game in which they moved to different areas of the room along a scale based on their feelings towards an issue.
“Going to the event and being in that space is a great way to break the ice and begin talking about these things,” Hrivnak said.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it, I did a lot more listening than talking because people had such good points and they were very articulate. I learned a lot from them,” Flinn said, happy to have attended the event.
Hrivnak said it’s rare for the club to receive enough sign-ups with views across the political spectrum for everyone’s match to have views completely opposite than theirs. Rather, most partners agree on certain things and disagree on others.
“My partner and I actually ended up having a lot more agreements than disagreements. We are both very Catholic, and we draw on that a lot for our political views,” Flinn said.
She and her partner discussed how the different approaches they had taken with their beliefs resulted in their differing opinions.
“We also talked a lot about how we hate the lack of nuance in politics and how divisive it is. We also discussed the effect of third parties on
LGBTQ+ community at the College and described how they helped sustain that community.
“I was asked to be on a task force to help implement policy for transgender and non-binary individuals to come to Saint Mary’s. I was the only student on the task force, so I was the voice of the student body,” they said.
They spoke about unwanted media attention and backlash they faced in their role.
“There were hate crimes,” Hornack said. “They put up sticky notes denouncing our identity. They were tearing down our posters trying to form unity within the community.”
class of 2004 brought to light to what she claimed was a disparity between Saint Mary’s students and faculty on accepting the LGBTQ+ presence on campus.
“I always found very supportive staff and faculty at Saint Mary’s when I didn’t find supportive students on campus,” she said.
Hornack, who graduated just last year, was able to comment on the present
elections, and how we navigate separation of church and state while using religion to inform our political beliefs,” said Flinn.
Fuchs said her conversation went well, emphasizing her and her partner’s efforts to listen to each other and map out their reasoning.
“If you understand their background and framing, but you still disagree, then you can form your judgment,” said Fuchs.
Fuchs’ biggest takeaway from the event was that “opposite sides of the political spectrum can still have healthy conversations and respect one another, even in a very hyperpolarized world,” something she hopes to help others understand.
For Flinn, the experience reaffirmed her commitment to asking questions. She finds it fulfilling to “start to talk to people and ask them why they think the way they think. It’s usually a personal experience, so asking is a very educational and really fun experience.”
BridgeND is in the process of sending out a survey for this year’s participants, but, according to Hrivnak, the club always receives overwhelmingly positive feedback.
“People are always kind of surprised by how less scary it is than it might seem. A lot of us are used to talking to
Nonetheless, Hornack highlighted the strong support they received from friends and fellow club members.
“I was lucky enough to have a good, solid friend group as well as a good board for SAGE. We really relied on one another, and we kind of had each other’s back with everything, like we weren’t going through this alone. We truly did have solidarity,” they said.
Contact Ella Novak at enovak01@saintmarys.edu
people that we agree with, and with ConvergeND, there are so many opportunities to learn something, grow, and move forward rather than staying in the same space,” said Hrivnak.
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu
ability of people around the world to live lives of dignity,” Provost John McGreevy, said of the initiative. “As a leading global Catholic research university, Notre Dame has an opportunity and an obligation to marshal our expertise across the disciplines to advance sustainability solutions that will not leave behind the most vulnerable.”
Agrawal expressed his excitement for the position.
“The opportunity Notre Dame presents — to me and to higher education institutions in sustainability — is special,” he said. “The Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative represents the perfect integrative design for the triptych of research, curriculum and engagement that real-world impact by any university requires.”
Agrawal is set to assume his position on Jan. 1, 2025.
ELLA NOVAK | The Observer
The event’s LGBTQ+ panel of alumnae (from left to right) Jacqueline “Jacq” Leskovec ‘74, Kelli Harrison ‘98, Lety Stanton-Verduzco ‘04 and Mads Hornack ‘24 shared their stories in relation to Saint Mary’s history.
SOPHIE HANAWALT | The Observer BridgeND hosted their signature event, ConvergeND, to encourage students to discuss politics with others outside of their political affiliation.
The first day of Nashville
like your life depends on it and say hi to every unassuming group of people on Broadway. You will feel like the mayor.
A letter on Music City, U.S.A.
What no one tells you about the senior fall break to Nashville is that a lot of your time will be spent on the rooftop of the Jason Aldean bar dancing with people you already see every weekend in South Bend. The Jason Aldean bar will feel a lot like Newf’s, only if Newf’s were towering over Broadway and vodka sodas went for $13 each, not $5 (so basically not like Newf’s at all). I guess the one Newf’s-y element is that everyone will be there, and the lights will be flashing different colors.
No one tells you that when you get a bunch of Notre Dame kids together and give them the opportunity to drink for days on end without being judged (for the most part), they will only rise to the occasion. This will, inevitably, result in blackouts, barcodes and bad decisions for many seniors, so keep an eye on your friends.
No one tells you that there’s a bar called Robert’s and you should ask for the recession special. It’s $6 for a fried baloney sandwich, a moonpie and a bag of chips, and even though you will not go to Robert’s nor order the recession special, you will be glad to know this information.
No one tells you that you will bump into some of your friends from middle school and high school. The guys from middle school will be the first people you see in Nashville, and you’ll be somewhat surprised that they exist in a place that isn’t Alexandria, VA. And you’ll remember, in one moment of sparkling beauty, that this world is so profoundly small (or maybe just that everyone goes to Nashville for fall break).
No one tells you that the Duncan guys will absolutely colonize the far left elevated surface at Aldean’s multiple nights in a row, and you will seriously wonder why they feel the need to be there when most of them are not even dancing (no hatred, Duncan is a great dorm).
No one tells you that all your vices will follow you to Nashville. Say, for example, hypothetically, your affinity for drunk cigarettes will indeed be satisfied by some O’Neill men who will offer you (and your friends), hypothetically, a drunk cigarette.
No one tells you that the pedal bar will be the most transcendent experience of your 20’s so far. You will pedal
No one tells you that the guy who fell off the stage at Olf’s will, inevitably, be at risk of falling off the stage at a Nashville rooftop bar, too (you’ll see him onstage and wonder if it’s appropriate to say, “Don’t fall like last time!” or if maybe you should keep that one to yourself).
No one tells you that when the lead singer at the honky-tonk asks your group, “Where are you guys from?” you will reply “Indiana” with your full chest (even though only one of you is actually from Indiana). He will sing “Sweet Home Alabama,” but replace Alabama with Indiana, and you will wonder if anything more romantic has ever happened to you in your entire life.
No one tells you that you will spend $13 on a vodka soda and have a heartto-heart with the bathroom attendant in Nudie’s (her Venmo is @Nashboss, by the way) and also wear chelsea boots all weekend (since you left your vintage cowboy boots at home — tragic).
No one tells you that the senior fall break trip is awesome, but completely and totally missable.
It’s missable because a lot of people won’t remember half of it, and you probably won’t meet anyone new, and you probably won’t engage much with Nashville outside of a honky-tonk.
But, no one tells you that, even though it’s completely and totally missable, you’re glad you went. You’re glad you went because live music is the one thing that reaches your soul and breaks the curse, and your group got Bingo five times on the absolutely heinous Nashville Group Bingo card you created the first night. Of course, you have the rest of your life to go against the grain — to make your own fun in your own city, to be a stranger in a crowd — but for the first and last time in your life, Broadway felt like it was only yours.
Kate Casper is a senior at Notre Dame studying English with minors in digital marketing and Italian. She strives to be the best waste of your time. You can contact her at kcasper@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
“Evil comes from a failure to think.”
My advice to all those who will one day be seniors at this great university,
Hear these words I speak and take great care to heed the message they proclaim, for to do otherwise would be the gravest of oversights.
You must go to Nashville during fall break. If you choose to do otherwise, you will miss out on the experience of a lifetime. When in Nashville, you will spend multiple days parading gaily through spirited city streets; dancing your way in and out of bars, nightclubs and concerts — and a week-long stay in Valhalla, abridged only by the human body’s regrettable need for sleep.
But wait, there’s more!
You will also have the privilege of both receiving and giving out overly-enthused hugs to semi-distant acquaintances exclaiming, “Oh my gosh, it’s so good to see you, girly!” or dropping a cool “What up bro — you chillin’, or what?” upon crossing paths with the quiet, backward-hat-wearing guy in the corner of your economics class who now finds himself utterly plastered and brimming with overt masculine confidence.
A lot of you are probably thinking: what if I don’t want to visit Nashville? This is not an option. For one, choosing to partake in something that deviates from the will of the majority is to commit the sin of pride, because who are you to differentiate yourself from the mass of humanity that dictates the direction of the social tide and swallows up all those who try to swim against it?
But then you might say: I can’t afford to spend hundreds — maybe even thousands – on a trip to Nashville, and everything this trip would entail — flights, hotels, food, alcohol, concerts, more alcohol, cover fees, more alcohol (because to spend fall break in Nashville and not be actively drinking for at least half that time would be ______).
Here’s what I have to say: if you can’t pay, either smooth talk your parents into subsidizing the trip, especially if they reside in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, vacation regularly thanks to dad’s cushy accounting job, and would never deny their precious child the requisite funds to live life to the fullest. Or, make sure to land a summer finance internship that pays well, ignoring the side effects that come with it — mainly, that day-to-day life will feel like a painstaking chore.
Still not convinced? Let me put it this way: you only have two options, buckaroo. One: go to Nashville. Two: spend fall break utterly alone, clenching your fists in helpless fury whilst your soul cries out for the
nourishment that a drunken, dazed, pleasure-filled excursion to Nashville would’ve surely provided. Don’t look so despairing — after all, Nashville is fun! And if you find yourself inclined to think that “fun!” doesn’t sit atop the pyramid of human flourishing, then you, my dear friend, are an idiot.
*queue smooth sax solo, let it play for ten to twelve minutes, then continue reading*
Welcome back. At this point, you might be thinking that I — this wretched author — am employing the most facetious form of humor: sarcasm. To that, I echo the words of a theologically-inclined former gangster named Jules: “Correct-a-Mundo!” I have one goal in utilizing this devilish sarcasm of mine: to seize the throne of righteousness and place you all the innocent Nashville-goers — beneath me and my perpetually virtuous disposition.
There is no denying the wickedness of this act. In fact, I wish nothing else than for the whole of the Nashville cohort to mobilize in wrathful defiance of both this letter and its God-forsaken author. I foresee the masses parading about in collective fury, decrying my once-good name, calling for my immediate censorship and chanting in hypnotic unison: “Long live Nashville! Long live Nashville! Long live Nashville!” Then, as you all march me to the scaffold, carry out my execution-via-guillotine with impeccable precision and mount my nowsevered head atop a spike — calling to mind those dauntless Parisian revolutionaries from two centuries prior — all I ask is that you ponder the following:
Did you go to Nashville because you truly wanted to be there, or did you go to Nashville because spending fall break in the Music City is “just what people do?” This question isn’t meant to be rhetorical; answer it however you please. That said, if something other than your own irrevocable freedom of choice led you to Nashville this past week, I suggest that you… …well, who am I to suggest anything? All I can do is refer you back to the very beginning of this letter — make of that what you wish.
With shy vengeance and docile anger, T.W.
Jackson is an aspiring philosopher and nomadic free-spirit. He is currently wandering through an alpine meadow somewhere in Kashmir, pondering the meaning of life. If you would like to contact him, please send a carrier pigeon with a hand-written note, addressed to “The Abyss.” He won’t respond. (Editor’s Note: you can contact Jackson at jlang2@nd.edu) The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Jackson Lang Letters from the Wanderer
Kate Casper Outsider Instincts
NASHVILLE HOT TAKES
‘I refused to believe it’
Editor’s note: This story includes mentions of sexual assault. A list of sexual assault reporting options and oncampus resources can be found on the Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross websites.
When I got sexually assaulted, it was so obvious I refused to believe it.
When I woke up the morning after, I had never felt more alone in my life. My roommate was gone that weekend, and even though I swore we hated each other at the time, I wished she was there, turning the AC down.
Everything felt upside-down. I was parched from all the drinking the night before and a bit shaken up from what I figured was a purely consensual encounter.
Nothing felt right, but I told myself maybe it was just a “bad night.”
But the truth is, it was such a good night before it became a “bad night” — when we met at the party and flirted and talked; when we walked back to his dorm, kicking an empty can of White Claw down the sidewalk; when we sat in the 2-4, and he introduced me to all his friends, gazing into my eyes and stroking my hair (I secretly wondered if this was how all good love stories began, gazing up into the eyes of some guy you just met … or maybe I was just drunk).
I remember feeling cool, knowing this association with a boy was like cultural currency, knowing kissing boys after dorm parties meant something to people around here. It meant you were cool. It meant you were worthy. It meant you were pretty.
I didn’t know if I believed those things about myself on my own. I was 18.
The truth is, the boy before my room was great. He was great when we played 20 questions on the long walk back to my dorm.
Question 1: Where are you from?
Question 2: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Question 3: What sport did you play in high school?
He was great when he kissed me for the first time. He was great when he broke my fall when I slipped on black ice. He was great when he showed me off to all his friends and kicked that White Claw down the sidewalk.
“At first, I liked it,” was something I told a friend days after the encounter.
It’s true. At first, I did like it.
When we got to my hall, I remember whispering to him that my roommate was away, so we went to my room.
The thing is, the boy in my room was not the boy I had met at that party, nor the boy who kissed me an hour prior. The boy in my room was aggressive and mean. He
repeated over and over again what he wanted, until I did it; he said hurtful things about what he thought I could and couldn’t handle; he threw clothes at me.
I remember I kept coaching myself through the experience, telling myself it was just a bad hook-up, that we were just drunk, and he didn’t mean it.
Before he left my room, I remember him grabbing my phone, putting his number in, and texting himself, “Hey babe.”
I remember this felt like a violation. I would never text someone I just met, “Hey babe.” That wasn’t me.
It felt strange that he felt entitled to touch my phone, command me to put my password in, and then send himself something I would never ever say. It gave me the creeps. I figure now, it was yet another thing he did without asking.
I didn’t want to think anything bad happened, but the whole thing felt wrong — the way he handled me and talked to me and touched me. I didn’t want to believe it was wrong. It didn’t fit with my narrative. I wanted to tell all my friends about my fun night kissing a cute boy.
I didn’t want to tell them what actually happened because then they might be worried.
Besides, maybe I was just inexperienced. Maybe I was just drunk. Maybe he’s a nice guy sober, and this was a fluke accident.
The worst part is, there was a point when I tried to convince myself this was normal. I figured this is just how single people get to know each other these days.
I resisted all my strange, sinking, pit-of-my-stomach feelings and woke up the next day convincing myself I was a winner — a boy had chosen me and wanted me in that way. I was a winner when I couldn’t will myself to go to the dining hall that morning for breakfast or that afternoon for lunch. I was a winner when I stared at myself blankly in the mirror and wondered what he saw in me and also why I felt so horrible about it.
I wondered why I felt so dirty. Why the memory of his touch gave me the shivers. Why, when I eventually saw him in public a couple weeks after, I felt like I wanted to throw up.
When I told my friends the good parts, they seemed happy for me. When I showed them pictures of the boy, they said he was cute (everyone said he was so cute).
The day after the incident, I felt a strange sense of urgency to text him. I desperately wanted a do-over, wanted to make things right. I figured I must have been the one who made the good night bad. I figured if we saw each other again, maybe things would be different. Maybe it would
cancel out what happened the first time.
So I texted him, “Want to play 20 questions?”
I figured 20 questions was the last thing we did before things got weird.
Question 4: So, do you like your dorm?
For a while, I blamed myself for texting him asking to play 20 questions. I wondered why I would seek out another encounter with a guy who had made me feel so awful. I wondered if somehow this invalidated my story — that I reached out to the guy again and never got a response.
But it makes sense to me now: I didn’t want to believe it had happened to me. I wanted to believe that if I saw him again, it wouldn’t be any worse than the first time. I wanted to believe that if I saw him again, it would be better and I would make myself forget.
I was 18. I was as young as my best friend’s little sister. I didn’t think sexual assault was something that happened because no one was talking about it. I didn’t think my experience would be taken seriously because “at first, I liked it.”
This boy was one of three I had ever kissed in my life at that point — he was 33% of what I knew “hooking up” to be. I thought all this weirdness and pain and angst I felt was normal.
It was only through conversations with my close girlfriends that I came to the conclusion that what happened wasn’t a “hook-up” at all.
It took 6 months for me to call it coercion, and 2 years for me to call it assault.
It isn’t always so easy to call it like it is.
It isn’t always so easy to say “no.”
Now, at 21, I sometimes feel he took something from me — because I might weep or cry if someone I like touches me in the wrong place or says the wrong thing, and it reminds me of that night. Because I can’t go to Brother’s without a friend telling me, “don’t turn around” because he’s in the back booth. Because I wasn’t overreacting when I said what happened that night was a violation. Because I know I’m not the only one who’s had a “bad night” with him. Because I can’t go to sports games without seeing him because he’s so tall and so conventionally attractive and so clearly at fault. Because we have mutual friends, and I don’t want them to figure out it was him. Because a small, sad part of me still believes I didn’t meet his standards and that the night was all my fault. Because “it was good and then it wasn’t” is often code for “it was bad. It was wrong. It was assault.”
Anonymous Oct. 30
CReps: Addressing ‘American garbage’
seeking to dehumanize their opposition and make violence, namely two assassination attempts, commonplace and acceptable.
Harris’ own rhetoric towards Trump and his followers is further evidence of this.
and put Trump in his bullseye, shooting him in the ear and killing an innocent bystander, Pennsylvania firefighter and father of two Corey Comperatore.
On Tuesday, President Biden showed his true colors. While on a video call with a Latino voter group campaigning for Kamala Harris, he took advantage of a prime opportunity to express his feelings about Donald Trump, his predecessor, saying “the only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.”
Trump’s response to this was to embrace it entirely, driving to his Madison, WI rally in a campaign-labeled garbage truck wearing a safety vest, taking questions from reporters in the process (which Kamala rarely manages to do). Biden was addressing a joke from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who while speaking before Trump at a rally in Madison Square Garden had likened Puerto Rico to the Pacific garbage patch, a remark heavily challenged by Trump in subsequent days. Biden’s clear disgust towards Trump supporters speaks volumes on the validity of the purported unity touted by the Harris-Walz campaign, and shows what it is truly made of: nothing. Democrats have waged a systematic campaign of slander, character assassination and hate against both Trump and Republicans in general over the past four years,
In an Oct. 23 CNN town hall, Harris affirmed her view that Trump is a fascist. Forget finding valid policy differences or citing past political experience, Kamala’s campaign has devolved into just calling Trump a fascist and praying voters buy into her name-calling. This fundamentally fails to be the kind of “unity” campaign she purports to have.
Past Democrats during the Clinton and Biden campaigns used the same playbook. Hillary famously called Trump supporters a “basket of deplorables.” Barack Obama accused him of using rhetoric to help ISIS. Less than a month before that election in 2016, then-Vice President Biden said he would like to physically beat Trump “behind the gym”, adding two years later in 2018 that if they had been in high school together, he would have “beat the hell” out of him.
More recently, in July, President Biden had to walk back his comment that Trump was “an existential threat” that “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.” Shortly after that remark, Thomas Matthew Crooks followed Biden’s recommendation
Harris’ “closing remarks” on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. show more of this, baiting voters to embrace Democrats not because of policy or Kamala’s personal strengths, but because Trump must be seen as some kind of Nazi threat to democracy.
In short, Democrats’ dual attempts to both advertise themselves as a party of unity while also leveling wildly violent and antagonistic rhetoric against Trump directly contradict their own interests, alienating voters in the process. Trump’s cheerful and defiant response to Biden’s ‘garbage’ remark is in keeping with the likely will of the voters, to reject the failed Democrat smear campaign of hate and violence, and cast their vote for change, a vote for Trump.
The College Republicans of Notre Dame have agreed, along with the College Democrats of Notre Dame, to write a bi-weekly debate column in The Observer’s Viewpoint section in the name of free, civil discourse in the 2024 election cycle. You can reach out to the College Republicans at creps@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Sam Marchand College Republicans of Notre Dame
A REVIEW OF SMALLVILLE
By MADYSON CASIANO Scene Writer
Oct. 16 marked the 23rd anniversary of the premier of “Smallville” and 23 years of industry and subliminal impact. The birth of “Smallville” and the revival of the Superman mantra swayed the industry, reached the needs of the American public and unexpectedly impacted my personal life.
Woe is the simpleton who starts a new show in the midst of exams. I am that simpleton, happily. As I surveyed the outskirts of Disney+ during midterm season, a dusty, buried jewel appeared. There it rested, the beauty I have come to adore effortlessly, “Smallville.”
My first encounter with the show was some Friday night in 2015. Ten years old, I descended the lightly carpeted basement staircase in search of a film for movie night. Past the collection of “Back to the Future” and the ten movie “Barbie Princess Classic Collection,” a large set of ten cardboard cases lay neatly reading: “Smallville.”“What is that?” I asked my dad. “A great show.” He wiped a tear from his eye. To his disappointment, I opted for “Barbie: Princess Charm School.”
And there it rested, until the craze of midterms.
For those who did not have a DC obsessed father, “Smallville” is a 2001 show about the life of Clark Kent (Tom Welling) before the Superman mantra. Strictly adhering to the “no flight, no tights” rule, the story follows Clark in his hometown of Smallville from his extraterrestrial arrival as a young tot to his early adult life.
The opening season, Clark is a freshman in high school alongside his friends, Pete Ross (Sam Jones III), Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk). In a “Scooby-Doo” manner, the crew must solve the travesties, murders and supernatural occurrences defaulting from the kryptonite-infected meteor collisions of twelve years prior. Through interaction with the extraterrestrial properties of the meteor fragments left behind, characters expel antagonizing powers and evil intentions, threatening the young Superman’s friends and family — including his future nemesis, Lex Luthor.
The worldwide popularity of “Smallville” allowed the entertainment industry to accept that superhero mediums could be successful. The 2012 launch of the CW’s “Arrowverse” preceded the cancellation of “Smallville” in 2011 with audience appreciation, allowing “Arrow,” “Supergirl” and “The Flash” to run for years. Other movies and shows produced by both the MCU and the DCEU following the cancellation received major success, such as “Avengers” and “Man of Steel” grossing $1.5 billion and $670 million respectively.But beyond the surface level impact of “Smallville” was the underground emotional impact that presumably spread across households. I believe the need for an encouraging outlet like “Smallville” was imperative in America at its premier. In 2001, fear spiraled across the nation: economic damage, the brink of war, conspiracy theorists stretching facts, familial loss and cross-cultural hatred. To live beyond the troubles of the day, people turned to entertainment. Behold “Smallville.” A vulnerable kid with the capabilities of greatness in the eye of
defeat was the vision of America the public most ardently sought. Clark’s trials barrelled relatability and his victories became shared amongst viewers. His undefeated pillar ethics and parental guidance brought peace to those without. Clark became a signal of hope once again, and so did the show.
As for the impact of “Smallville” in my life, a similar spark is evident in my father and myself. There are many traits I have inherited from my father: my extraversion, the dark of my hair, my stubbornness, stoic independence, unparalleled quad genetics … etc. But most importantly, I inherited his geeky taste for movies and television.
“Smallville” tempted this affinity.
Two weeks ago when I was supposed to study for my midterms, I instead binged the show and called my father to update him on my thoughts. In doing so we have grown closer and found to share more than just my inherited traits. We bonded with geekiness over the show and favoritism toward Lex Luthor — though, we differ in reasons. Let’s just say, I may have a thing for bald, rich men. Looking at you, Bezos.
All jokes aside, the love for “Smallville” bridged a generational gap between us. My father, like his peers, needed this show in the early 2000s to comfort and uplift as I do in the storm of problematic midterms grades and the troubles of tomorrow.
Happy belated birthday “Smallville,” and thanks for 23 years of impact.
Contact Madyson Casiano at mcasiano@nd.edu
By PETER MIKULSKI Scene Editor
In “Annie Hall,” Woody Allen retells the following classic joke: “Two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of them says, ‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’ The other says, ‘Yeah, I know — and such small portions.’” That’s how I feel about a lot of comedy, especially TV comedy, these days. Firstly, it’s terrible. Whenever I go back and watch a movie by the Marx Brothers, an installment of “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In” or an episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (even something as recent as “30 Rock” or “Community”), I’m wowed not just by the quality of the jokes but by the sheer quantity of them. Every minute is jam-packed with thought and care — these shows have a density to them. An old comedy was a testament to the skill of the writers who came up with its jokes and to the actors who managed to sell them, but it’s also an indictment of the current status quo.
So much of what airs today is diffuse by comparison, either because rapid-fire comedy isn’t hip anymore, or because writers’ rooms have forgotten how to do it. Everything is vaguely humorous, sure, but where — pray tell — are the jokes?
Secondly, the portions are too small. A season of television used to mean half a year’s worth of episodes — read: 26 of them! I think that every time a network orders a “miniseries,” as they increasingly do, an angel loses its wings.
Enter “English Teacher,” Brian Jordan Alvarez’s debut comedy series which aired on FX in September and streams on Hulu. It’s wonderful. The writing is smart, managing to pack comedy into every nook and cranny. It’s joke after joke after joke, one often setting up the next. Still, unlike the worst sitcoms, the comedic timing never feels formulaic or repetitive.
The writers are to thank for avoiding this pitfall, of course, but so is the genius cast. Their deliveries feel fresh, and their linereads are tantalizingly unpredictable. Alvarez and Stephanie Koenig lead the cast as a dynamic pair of best friends/coworkers at a Texas high school.
Koenig previously appeared in Alvarez’s 2016 webseries “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo,” another unique comedy with a great ensemble cast. I had seen “Caleb Gallo” prior to “English Teacher” and was nervous that Alvarez wouldn’t be able to recreate the webseries’s lightning-in-a-bottle energy in the sitcom format, but I how wrong I was! Alvarez and Koenig’s chemistry is just as perfect in “English Teacher” as it was in “Caleb Gallo.”
The other teachers are also well written and well acted — they form a tight-knit unit, running like a well-oiled machine. Still, it was the cast of students that won my heart. I don’t think any screenwriter could ever manage a 100% verite depiction of the idiosyncratic way high schoolers actually speak, so even though “English Teacher” only gets 90% of the way there, it’s still an impressive feat. Guest stars Romy Mars (the beloved third-generation Coppola nepo baby) and Ivy Wolk (the once starlet of TikTok,
the now starlet of Twitter) really nail their bit-roles as Alvarez’s students.
A lot of the ground the show covers is political, taking aim at the culture war battles going on in our classrooms and school boards. Its premise (gay English teacher at a school in the Republican south) could lend itself to the cheap “comedy” of dogmatic liberalism, but Alvarez manages to paint a more nuanced picture. Unlike “Parks and Recreation” (which derives its comedy from the conflict between virtuous, technocratic civil servants like Leslie Knope and cartoonishly stupid and manipulative conservative elites like Bobby Newport), “English Teacher” manages to write charming characters on both sides of the aisle. Still, it has its own perspective — i.e. it doesn’t indulge in cheap both sides–ism. The end result is a splendid little time capsule of our political and cultural moment. I can imagine an AP United States History class in 2124 watching clips from “English Teacher” as a primary source about life in the Trump era. Ultimately, my only problem with “English Teacher” has to do with that joke, specifically to the second part of it — “and such small portions”! FX only bankrolled a paltry eight episodes! If their executives are as “fearless” as their tagline suggests (or even just business savvy, seeing as Twitter gives the impression “English Teacher” is generating a lot of buzz), they’ll order a second season with something in the neighborhood of 20 episodes.
Contact Peter Mikulski at pmikulsk@nd.edu
ND HOCKEY
Irish to host Wisconsin in first Big Ten series
By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer
Forgive the cliché. But something’s got to give.
Yes, something’s got to give this weekend at Compton Family Ice Arena. Two Big Ten conference wins are up for the taking on Friday and Saturday night, and only Notre Dame or Wisconsin can take them. Both teams are struggling, but one way or another someone’s walking away a winner.
Perhaps this is an unfair assessment of the hockey affairs in South Bend and Madison at the moment. After all, both the Fighting Irish (4-2-0) and the Badgers (1-5-0) are receiving votes in this week’s USCHO poll, and Notre Dame is ranked No. 19.
But it would be difficult for even the most optimistic observer to characterize this weekend’s matchup as one between two teams playing their best hockey. Notre Dame limps into its Big Ten opener with two losses in its last three games, including a pair of losses at home to beatable squads in Alaska and Long Island.
The Badgers have fared no better. Ranked 10th in USCHO’s preseason poll, Wisconsin split its season-opening series with
ND
VOLLEYBALL
Lindenwood — a program in its third season with a 15-44-1 record all-time. It’s widely accepted that anyone can beat anyone in college hockey. But the Badgers have since dropped out of the poll altogether after four straight losses and were swept last weekend at defending national champion Denver.
Wisconsin will arrive in South Bend desperate to rectify its start to the season. Despite holding a better record, Notre Dame is insistent that they are no more comfortable with their own situation.
“We need to be a desperate hockey club too, right?” 20-year Irish head coach Jeff Jackson said. “We just came off losing to Alaska and LIU at home in the last two weekends, and if we don’t have that kind of level of desperation in our game, then it doesn’t matter who you play in the Big Ten, you’re gonna get beaten.”
With a week of practice under both teams’ belts, six points are on the line between Friday and Saturday. Something’s got to give, right?
Crease questions
Both squads enter the weekend with questions about the goaltending
position, though the content of those questions are different for each side.
After rotating junior Owen Say and freshman Nicholas Kempf for the first three weeks of the season, Notre Dame has to be pleasantly surprised. Say currently leads the nation with a .969 save percentage through three games played, and Kempf isn’t too far behind with his .927 posting. Notre Dame’s team save percentage is .944, third-best nationally. Both goaltenders have fared well.
But there’s a catch — Notre Dame is undefeated with Say between the pipes, and with Kempf, they’re 1-2. More factors are at play in that dynamic than just goaltending, but Kempf also struggled for the first time this season in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to LIU. With more competitive Big Ten play beginning this weekend, will Jackson give Say a greater share of the net?
“I think Owen’s kinda moved ahead for this point in time,” Jackson said. “But it’s still gonna depend on how he performs on the weekend [to] determine if we’re gonna play him back-to-back. I have not made that decision yet, that’s gonna be determined by his play, and obviously Nick’s play as well.”
Wisconsin has not had the same good fortune with netminders. After the graduation of 2024 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year Kyle McClellan, the Badgers attempted to reload in a similar way to Notre Dame. They brought in a veteran transfer from Atlantic Hockey, RIT’s Tommy Scarfone, to supplement a promising young player in William Gramme. Employing the same sort of rotation between the two, Wisconsin has had opposite results: the senior Scarfone has posted a career-worst .864 save percentage, and Gramme lags even further behind with an .851 mark. Combined, Wisconsin has the worst team save percentage in the country.
Sadder Saturdays?
Another theme Notre Dame fans will have their eye on this weekend will be the team’s performance on Saturday. The Irish are a perfect 3-0 on Friday night this season, with all their losses having come on the second night of the weekend.
Jackson has largely attributed this phenomenon to mental factors such as the team’s maturity, experience, and respect for their opponent.
“The last two Saturdays, I
felt like we beat ourselves,” he said.
Whether the trend continues against Big Ten opponents remains a question. The Irish were a middling 6-9-1 in the second game of a weekend series last season.
History at play
Wisconsin swept all four games between these two teams last season. This weekend marks their first meeting since last February’s penalty-ridden series in Madison, where the teams combined for 75 penalty minutes over two games. Notre Dame was whistled for 61 of those minutes, including three game misconduct penalties.
While that ill-fated series is perhaps the most dramatic example, a certain feistiness has characterized most meetings between the Badgers and Irish dating back to their first round series in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament. Notre Dame won that series, and three out of four games during the 2022-2023 season, before getting swept last year.
The puck drops at Compton Family Ice Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday night. A 6 p.m. start follows on Saturday.
Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu
Irish fall to Louisville in final game of October
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
In the first of two consecutive games against No. 4 Louisville, Notre Dame volleyball took a 3-0 loss on the road.
The first set went back and forth with the two teams tying the score three different times. Notre Dame came out strong, scoring the first two points of the night thanks to the help of senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo and her two service aces. Freshman middle blocker Anna Bjork and freshman outside hitter Morgan Gaerte also contributed with a block to help the Irish gain the second point of the night. After an error from the Irish, Louisville managed to get its first point of the night. Notre Dame then went on a 5-1 run lead to make the score 8-2.
The Cardinals closed the gap with a 5-0 run, tying the score at 9-9. Senior setter Phyona Schrader responded with a kill to put the Irish back in the lead at 10-9. Louisville quickly answered with a kill of their own,
leveling the score at 10-10, but Schrader’s next kill put the Irish ahead once more, 11-10. The Cardinals tied it again at 11-11, then took two of the following three points, edging the score to 13-12. Junior outside hitter Lucy Trump added her first kill to bring the Irish level at 13. Palazzolo followed up with another service ace, pushing the Irish ahead, 1413. However, a 3-1 run from Louisville put them in the lead, 16-14, until Gaerte’s kill tightened the score to 16-15. Finally, Louisville closed out the first set with a decisive 9-2 run, securing a 25-17 win.
The second set of the match looked similar as the two teams went back and forth throughout the set. Louisville led off during the second set, putting up the first point. Bjork added on a kill for the Irish to tie the score at one. Notre Dame took the lead as it scored a second point, but Louisville came right back to tie the score again at two. A set from Schrader and an attack from Gaerte made the score 3-2. Louisville then went on
a 3-0 run to make the score 5-3, but graduate libero Hattie Monson and a set by Gaerte helped close the gap at 5-4. A dig from graduate setter Ella Sandt then helped tie the score at five. The teams continued to go back and forth, constantly tying the score as they battled for the lead. A 4-2 run from Louisville made the score 18-13. Another 3-1 run from Louisville brought the score to 21-14. A kill from Schrader added another point for the Irish, but the Cardinals added two more points for themselves to make the score 23-15. After Louisville claimed two of the ensuing
four points, the final score was 25-17.
The final set of the night went back and forth between the Cardinals and the Irish. Louisville started out the set strong as it scored the first two points, but after going back and forth, a dig from Monson, a set from Schrader and an attack from Palazzolo helped the Irish gain their first point. A 2-0 run from Louisville made the score 4-1, but the Irish added a 2-0 run of their own to make the score 4-3. A 15-4 run from Louisville made the score 19-7 over the Irish, but the Irish fought back in an 11-3 run to close the gap
to a score of 22-18. But as the Cardinals slowed down the Irish and reached the finish line, the final score of the match-clinching set was 25-21.
Gaerte led the Irish on the court with a total of nine kills on the night and Palazzolo led with two aces. Schrader also shined on the court with 10 assists, while Monson contributed 10 digs for the Irish.
The Irish will now head home to face off against the Cardinals again on Nov. 2 starting at 3 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Happy Birthday: Keep the momentum going. Refuse to let anger set in when what you achieve is the best revenge. It’s time to shake things up, make your move, and own the path you take. Change your philosophy to ensure you meet your expectations. Take ownership of your happiness, and you’ll be free to choose what you want. An open mind will lead to a rewarding future. Put yourself first. Your numbers are 8, 13, 32, 27, 32, 41, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t limit what you can accomplish because you aren’t diligent about going through the proper channels. Do your research and be thorough. Evaluate your lifestyle and rethink the habits you implement into your everyday routine. A change is overdue. Hit the reset button and revise your goals.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Set a path that suits your budget and intrigues you, and start your journey. Don’t limit or take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. A change will help you recognize what matters and what you must learn and experience to make your dreams come true.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Simplicity and moderation are the keys to achieving your goals. If you overload your plate, you’ll have no room for dessert. Monitor your progress and designate your time and money to avoid falling short. Refrain from scattering your time and energy when organization is necessary.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): No shortcuts allowed if you want to be happy with the results. Focus on personal growth, self-improvement, and positioning yourself for success. Network, learn from the best, and creatively use your skills and knowledge. It’s time to put your energy to work for you; shift into high gear.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Proceed with caution when dealing with domestic matters, personal finances, and making promises. Your generous nature can lead to trouble if you enrich your qualifications to make an impression. A lifestyle change may be necessary if you aren’t honest with yourself or someone else. Do what’s right.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Follow through. Stand by your word and act accordingly. Positive action will buy you a seat at the table and allow you to negotiate what you want. Refuse to let ego stand between you and long-term prospects. Uncertainty is your signal to decline, restructure, and revisit your objective.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let your actions speak for you, and your mind take you on a journey that enhances your chance to advance, but be cognizant of what it will cost before you take on something that can shut you down before you start. Be versatile but sensible.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Discover the ins and outs of getting what you want or need. A positive attitude and creative mind will encourage success if you refuse to let anyone intervene. Trust your instincts and stick to your budget and plans. Your hard work will lead to precious moments.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sit tight, wait, watch, and decipher what and how to use the information you receive. Someone will exaggerate a situation or feeling to grab your attention or lead you astray. Don’t jump on someone’s bandwagon. Put your time, effort, and cash into doing your own thing.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep your feelings out of the mix at work or when dealing with financial matters. Embracing change will tempt you, but get the lowdown on returns first. There are options available, but speed, intuition, and versatility will be necessary to ward off emotional mistakes.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stop before you make a mistake. Assess what’s happening around you and make an honest judgment call before you share your intentions. Your strength is your ability to assess, revive, and reset your vision to meet your demands. Don’t change or try to fix what’s not broken.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be versatile and challenge yourself to figure things out as you go. Altering your surroundings will spark your imagination and encourage you to adjust your lifestyle to save for something you want to pursue. Sign up for a course, adventure, or trip that expands your options.
Birthday Baby: You are disciplined, engaging, and intuitive. You are ambitious and entertaining.
ND MEN’S BASKETBALL
Irish seek continued growth in 2024-25 season
By HENRY LYTLE Sports Writer
Following a 13-20 2023-24 season in head coach Micah Shrewsberry’s first year, Notre Dame men’s basketball looks forward to the 2024 season with promise. The Irish finished 12th in ACC play with a record of 7-13 in and fell to Wake Forest in the second round of the conference tournament. Building on the success of freshman standouts, the Irish hope for an improved 2024-25 campaign.
Lacking it a season ago, only returning 1.5% of scoring, the Irish stressed continuity in the offseason. Notre Dame lost only two players to the transfer portal: senior forward Matt Zona and freshman forward Carey Booth, both important bench pieces for the Irish, but not essential weapons. Giving incoming freshmen guards the opportunity to grow in their place could make a world of a difference this season.
With the return of ACC Rookie of the Year Markus Burton and freshman sharpshooter Braeden Shrewsberry, the Irish look to build a core of scoring around the now sophomore centerpieces. Burton averaged 17.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.9 steals for the Irish at point guard last season, and scored 20 points in 11
games. ESPN ranked Burton as the 40th best player in college basketball, and he will look to improve on a remarkable freshman campaign. Forced to be the lone offensive engine last year, Burton will certainly have more help this time around.
The Irish reloaded at the guard position in the offseason with big-time recruits and transfers to take the pressure off.
Fellow freshman and coach’s son Braeden Shrewsberry averaged 10.2 points and 2.5 rebounds on 37 percent from three-point range. However, at 39.8 percent from the field, he will have to improve his two-point efficiency and find a rhythm early on for this offense to be successful.
The Irish also retain junior forward Tae Davis, who averaged 9.2 points along with 5.1 rebounds. Often tasked with defending the opposing team’s best player in 2023, Davis will certainly be in for a challenge this season, facing elite players like Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis and Rutgers’s Dylan Harper, all projected lottery picks in this year’s NBA draft.
Returning players in the starting lineup also include junior forward Kebba Njie and senior forward J.R. Konieczny, who will look to improve on their 2023-24 seasons. Senior
guard Julian Roper also returns as a defensive specialist who helped the Irish pester opposing guards throughout 2023 en route to the third best scoring defense in the ACC and top 50 in the country.
The addition of Matt Allocco, a graduate transfer guard from Princeton, will certainly add some much needed shooting for the Irish. Averaging 12.7 points shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from 3-point range last season, Allocco will bring the ability to create off the dribble to a team in need of scoring outside of its primary guards. Allocco was part of a Princeton team that finished first in the Ivy League and will bolster the winning mentality in South Bend. Burke Chebuhar, a senior forward from Lehigh who averaged 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds also transferred in to provide the Irish with forward depth. He will also bring additional size at 6’8 230 pounds and a versatile ability to defend the paint. Both transfers add experience, a winning mentality and situation scoring to a young and still unproven Irish team.
Incoming freshmen guards Cole Certa and Sir Mohammed will look to make an immediate impact as well. While the Irish relied heavily on freshman ball handling and scoring last
season with limited returners, this class will get more time for an adjustment to the speed of the college game. Mohammed, who was ranked 47th in the class of 2024 on 24/7 Sports, comes in as a 6’5 shooting guard who can be an impactful defender right away. The young prospects will need to work to carve out playing time from the jump, but should expect a more limited role early on with the returning experience.
The Irish landed their first five-star in program history for the class of 2025 in combo guard Jalen Haralson and currently sit third in the 24/7 recruiting rankings in recruits to start of this season.
Notre Dame will open up the season in Purcell Pavilion with a non-conference matchup against Stonehill on November 6th then face Buffalo and Georgetown the following week. They head to Las Vegas to take on preseason No. 25-ranked Rutgers on November 26th and No. 4-ranked Houston, an Elite Eight team in 2023, on the 28th. After going 6-7 in nonconference play last season, the Irish will hope to find an earlyseason rhythm with this year’s tests outside the ACC. Notre Dame begins conference play on December 7th with an ACC home opener against Syracuse. Their next
test comes on Christmas Eve at Georgia Tech before they take on No. 9-ranked North Carolina in Purcell for the Green Series game on January 4th. They play at NC State and No. 7-ranked Duke the following week. This Irish team will be quickly tested by the most prolific offenses in college basketball and face experienced teams who went on tournament runs last year. The ACC had four teams in the Sweet 16 and is one of the deepest conferences in college basketball. Amid recent conference realignment, the Irish will only play Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh twice, which is a lucky draw for scheduling.
With the transfer portal shifting the landscape of college basketball, the Irish rely on continuity with all five starters returning for the 2024 campaign. Projected to finish 10th out of 15 in the ACC preseason media vote, Notre Dame will have to challenge the conference’s top teams if they want a chance to make the NCAA tournament in Shrewsberry’s second season.
The Irish will take on Stonehill on November 6th in the Purcell Pavilion for their season opener. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. with ACC Network providing the broadcast.
Contact Henry Lytle at hlytle@nd.edu
GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer
Sophomore guard Logan Imes (2) drives on a defender with the basketball during Notre Dame’s 70-65 defeat of Wake Forest at Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 27, 2024. The Irish went 1320 overall and 7-13 in ACC play last season and this season are projected to finish 10th in the conference by the ACC Preseason Poll. They’ll open play on Nov. 6 against Stonehill.
FOOTBALL
Stock up, stock down: Second bye week
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
On Saturday, Notre Dame ran rival Navy off the field in a 51-14 rout of the No. 24-ranked Midshipmen. It was only the third time since 1957 that both teams were ranked in the AP Poll, the last time in 2019, which was another dominant Irish win (52-20). After starting the season 6-0, Navy entered the game with real hopes of competing, hopes that were quickly crushed after a nightmare first quarter consisting of two fumbles placed it in an early 14-0 hole. From that point onward, the game was only ever in the balance between Navy’s first touchdown and sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love’s 64-yard answer only one minute and five seconds later. From there, Notre Dame did not look back, allowing only one
more touchdown while scoring 30 more points en route to a comfortable victory. Now improving to 7-1 on the season and jumping up to No. 8 in the AP Poll, the Irish remain firmly in College Football Playoff contention. Here are some of the team’s active strengths and weaknesses in this week’s edition of Stock Up, Stock Down.
Stock up: Riley Leonard and the passing attack
It feels like every single week, senior quarterback Riley Leonard is taking another step forward. Making quicker reads and layering throws downfield, all while continuing to utilize the threat of his legs, Leonard is finally running the kind of offense Mike Denbrock wanted to run at the start of this season. The Duke transfer went 13 for 21 throwing for 178 yards and two touchdown
passes while adding another 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground. His 11 rushing touchdowns are tied for third in the country and sit only one behind Alabama’s Jalen Milroe in second place. After throwing only one in his first four games, Leonard now has seven touchdown passes in his past four with only one interception. He has led a much more balanced Irish offense, spreading the ball around to multiple different receivers. Against Navy, nine different receivers caught passes to combine for 201 yards through the air. If the group can continue this upward trend, the ceiling for this Notre Dame team will rise by the week.
Stock up: Jeremiyah Love and the running back room
For as much improvement as
the passing attack has shown, the heart of this offense remains in the run game, particularly when the ball is in No. 4’s hands. The sophomore star has scored a rushing touchdown in every single game this season and showcased his breakaway speed on a 64-yard scamper to the end zone against the Midshipmen. The future of the room looks bright, as freshman Aneyas Williams continues to contribute to the offense, being preferred to graduate student Devyn Ford for pass protection on obvious throwing downs. The story coming out of the Navy game, however, was the display of fellow freshman Kedren Young, who carried the ball 10 times for 52 yards and a touchdown in garbage time. The four-star prospect’s talent is evident and should prove to be a welcome addition to a deep room next season with Love’s return and the likely return of junior Jadarian Price.
Stock up: Playmaking on defense
Against a Navy offense that had averaged well over 400 yards of offense per game, the Irish defense continued to dominate. Despite allowing 310 yards of total offense and surrendering several chunk plays on the ground against the triple-option rushing attack, Notre Dame got the job done with big plays. While many of these were the result of self-inflicted errors, the Irish turned Navy over a whopping six times, setting up short fields and scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery from Junior Tuihalamaka in the end zone. They held the Navy offense to 14 points on the day, continuing a consistent trend of holding teams to two touchdowns or fewer. The only game they failed to do so was against Louisville, where the Cardinals put together two scoring
drives that required a combined 33 yards as a result of Notre Dame turnovers. Despite the many injuries to key players, Al Golden’s group continues to reliably produce week in and week out.
Stock up: Mindset of the team handling success
The response of this Notre Dame team following the catastrophic loss to Northern Illinois was unsurprising from a Marcus Freeman-coached team that has proven to handle adversity well throughout his tenure. The question was always whether or not the team could handle success and sustain it across an entire season. Coming into the matchup with a strong Navy team, Notre Dame had rattled off five straight victories. The previous two had come in routine-like fashion. Considering the massive talent disparity, despite Navy’s impressive start to the season, a sign of growth for Freeman’s team would mean making this game look the same as the last two. That’s exactly what it did, and exactly what it will have to continue doing to close out the season.
Stock down: Kicking
While it is hard to find a group whose stock is lowering after this week, backup kicker Zac Yoakam’s continued shakiness could be the one nit to pick. Standing in for injured graduate transfer Mitch Jeter, the junior has gone 2 for 4 with a miss from 42 yards last week and 32 this week against Navy. The combination of inexperience and early woes is a concern, but with Jeter declared available for the Navy game, the Irish should hope to have their starter back in the games ahead.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Irish wrap up the regular season at No. 5 Duke
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The ACC’s regular season comes to an end Friday, and the middle part of the conference standings are an absolute mess. Only two points separate third place from 10th place, with Notre Dame in a five-way tie for sixth with 11 points.
Having already clinched an ACC Tournament berth, Notre Dame can secure a home match in the postseason with a win at No. 5 Duke on Friday. With 15 teams qualifying for the dance, the top eight teams get to host their first matches, while the top seed receives a first-round bye. Duke enters Friday in a similar position to the Irish, tied for fourth with 12 points but with numerous teams on its tracks.
At 7-3-5 overall and 3-2-2 in ACC play, the Irish head into
November having finally exorcised their shutout demons with two consecutive clean sheets.
After back-to-back 1-1 draws at home against North Carolina and Boston College, Notre Dame won for the first time in three weeks last Tuesday against UIC. It followed up that 5-0 win with its first ACC win in exactly a month, a 2-0 defeat at Cal on Sunday.
Part of Notre Dame’s defensive improvement has involved the change to graduate student Collin Travasos in goal. The former Cal Golden Bear and North Carolina Tar Heel has taken the mantle from freshman Blake Kelly and run with it, making five saves in his last two matches with no goals allowed. Should Notre Dame stick with him, Travasos will face a former rival school for his toughest test yet on Friday at Duke.
On the other side, the Blue Devils have a real chance this
season to snap their 20-year College Cup drought. Duke has reached the NCAA Tournament 12 times since that 2004 season, struggling to reach the other side of the Sweet 16. Last year, the Blue Devils went 11-4-3, bowing out to Western Michigan (a team that Notre Dame beat) in their first NCAA Tournament match.
Duke comes into Friday’s tilt at 9-2-4 overall and 3-1-3 within conference action. Though they currently rank inside the nation’s top five, the Blue Devils weren’t thought of as an elite side early on. They started the year ranked 20th in the country and quickly fell out of the top 25 with a home loss to Grand Canyon. Duke later lost at home again to North Carolina on Sept. 13, reaching a low point at 3-2-1 to start the season.
The Blue Devils haven’t lost a match since. They returned to the top 25 by tying No. 1 Stanford on
the road and defeating NC State in Raleigh in late September. Duke has only continued its rise throughout October, claiming a point against SMU and Wake Forest while securing road victories at Elon and Virginia Tech.
The Blue Devils have outscored their last four opponents by a 20-1 margin and carry a nine-match unbeaten streak into Friday’s contest.
The overall numbers will tell you Duke wields far and away the best scoring offense in the ACC, but a 14-0 defeat of Averett and a 10-0 drubbing of Howard have that average of 3.4 goals per game a bit inflated. Looking only at ACC play, Duke’s offensive output ranks near the average at seventh in the conference.
Friday’s matchup will put two of the ACC’s premier strikers against one another. Notre Dame senior Matthew Roou leads the ACC
with 13 goals and 29 points. Blue Devil sophomore Ulfur Bjornsson is just off his pace with 11 and 25, continuing Duke’s string of excellent Icelandic players. Bjornsson has only one goal in ACC play, so look for Adam Luckhurst, a graduate transfer from South Carolina, to leave his mark on the match. Luckhurst ranks third in the ACC with 10 goals, having scored five of them within conference play. Last year, Notre Dame held Duke off for a 1-0 win at Alumni Stadium in early October. The Irish have won 11 of 18 all-time matchups against the Blue Devils and could benefit massively in terms of NCAA Tournament outlook with a win in Durham this season.
Friday’s match kicks off at 7 p.m. in Koskinen Stadium.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
ND MEN’S SOCCER
INDIA DOERR | The Observer
Junior running back Jadarian Price seeks a path to the end zone during Notre Dame’s 51-14 defeat of Navy at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. Price and the Irish rushed for 265 yards against the Midshipmen.
ND WOMEN’S SOCCER
Irish defeat Pitt 3-2, head to ACC Tournament
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
Hoping to avoid the Halloween scaries following Sunday’s home defeat to Virginia Tech, the No. 13-ranked Notre Dame women’s soccer team welcomed the Pittsburgh Panthers to Alumni Stadium for the 2024 regularseason finale.
With the postseason on the horizon, Thursday night’s contest held high stakes for both parties involved. The 10-2-4 Irish entered the match clinging to the sixth and final spot in next week’s ACC Tournament, tied with Stanford at 16 points apiece. The Cardinal would play host to Cal later on in the evening, but thanks to the Irish’s 3-0 head-to-head victory over Stanford on Oct. 20, it was a win-and-in situation for Notre Dame.
On the opposing bench, the Pitt Panthers came to Alumni Stadium looking to collect their 10th win of the season and improve their resume for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. With just 11 points,
the Panthers were mathematically eliminated from conference tournament contention, but a strong RPI and unusually deep ACC meant Pittsburgh still had all to play for on the eve of November. A top-15 road win would all but guarantee a third consecutive tournament trip and a chance to improve on last year’s miraculous Elite Eight run.
Irish apply pressure early
Prior to first touch, Notre Dame athletics and head coach Nate Norman celebrated Senior Night by recognizing midfielder Sophia Fisher and defender KJ Ronan, who have combined to record 122 appearances and eight goals over their four-year careers in South Bend.
As was the story most of the campaign, it was first-year Irish who ignited the offense early on in the evening. A familiar face got things started though, as the Irish opened the scoring in the 17th minute on the second of consecutive corner kicks taken by junior midfielder Leah Klenke. Her
inswinging service deflected off a Pitt defender near the front post, allowing Notre Dame to take the lead prior to recording a shot on goal.
The freshmen then got involved, as forward Izzy Engle doubled the advantage four minutes later with her teamleading 14th goal of the season, making no mistake on a composed through ball from fellow freshman Grace Restovich. It was the St. Louis native’s teamhigh 10th assist this season in the midfield.
Despite the Irish dominating possession throughout the opening half hour, the offensive-filled first half continued with Pitt cutting the deficit in half through Sarah Schupansky. The senior forward leads the nation with 15 assists, but she tallied her seventh goal this season with an unstoppable strike from 40 yards out.
Pitt levels early, Engle responds Pittsburgh equalized just 56 seconds after the intermission as graduate midfielder
Ellie Ospeck fouled a Panther retreating out of the 18-yardbox. Despite an Irish argument the penalty stood, and senior midfielder Ellie Coffield calmly slotted home the spot kick.
Engle recorded the brace and goal number 15 quickly thereafter, as Ospeck amended her earlier mistake with a tactical service that the Minnesota native powered past Pitt junior goalkeeper Ellie Breech in the 49th minute.
The Irish had numerous chances to extend the lead throughout the remainder of what would become a chippy second half, but the match would finish 3-2, and Notre Dame headed to the ACC Tournament for the sixth straight season.
Irish into the postseason
The 3-2 victory locked up the sixth seed for Notre Dame, and it will now travel to Tallahassee to do battle with third-seeded Florida State on Sunday, Nov. 3. Despite back-to-back conference losses to begin October, No. 6 Florida State finished the season strong with four
consecutive wins, including a pivotal 4-2 win over No. 8 North Carolina last week. Elsewhere in the ACC, No. 1 Duke clinched the outright regular season championship last Thursday with its 3-3 home draw against Notre Dame. The Blue Devils were able to play spoiler in the finale as their second win over archrival North Carolina knocked the Tar Heels out of a first-round bye and into the fourth seed. North Carolina will now host No. 12 Virginia Tech in the other quarterfinal. The Tar Heels’ loss allowed No. 13 Wake Forest to move up into the second seed, securing the final bye.
If Notre Dame can advance past FSU, it would travel to Cary, North Carolina, to play the Demon Deacons for the first time this year. Sunday’s quarterfinal between Notre Dame and Florida State is set to kick off at either 6 p.m. or 8 p.m., nationally broadcast on ACC Network.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Freshman forward Izzy Engle (3) runs alongside sophomore midfielder Morgan Roy (23) during Notre Dame’s 3-2 defeat of Pittsburgh at Alumni Stadium on Oct. 31, 2024. Engle’s two-goal performance Thursday against the Panthers helped the Irish end the regular season with a home win and clinch a spot in the ACC Tournament for a sixth straight season.
