Print Edition for The Observer for Monday, November 18, 2024
Bhattacharya discusses response to pandemic Panel analyzes election results
By SOPHIA TRAN Staff Writer
On Nov. 15, the Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government held its last event of the semester, “The End of Free Speech is the End of Science.” Co-sponsored by the College of Science, the two-hour long event featured speaker Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of health policy at Stanford University. Bhattacharya previously conducted research on the epidemiology of COVID-19 and analyzed ensuing health policy responses. In the lecture, he examined the issues of COVID health policies and discussed the COVID pandemic’s applicability to future health policies.
To begin the lecture, Bhattacharya highlighted what he believed to be the most important mistake of the COVID outbreak: not allowing people to speak to each other. Having done much previous research on infectious disease policies, Bhattacharya hypothesized the COVID virus
was more widespread during the beginning of the outbreak than widely perceived by the public.
He referred to data collected from the Diamond Princess cruise ship and China that indicated the virus could spread easily, implying lockdowns and other measures undertaken to control the
outbreak would be ineffective. Aside from providing data to support the inevitability of a coronavirus outbreak, Bhattacharya also discussed how well-known groups such as the World Health Organization (WHO) instigated
see PANDEMIC PAGE 3
Moreau First-Year Experience redesigned
By HENRY JAGODZINSKI Staff Writer
The Moreau First-Year Experience, a one-credit class often billed as a formative introduction to the University, has been a fixture for Notre Dame students since 2015. While the program has seen small changes over the last nine years, this fall marks the first in which some freshmen are taking an entirely new version of the course. After an initiative to rethink the course, it has been rebranded as the Moreau FirstYear Seminar. This effort was backed by dozens of faculty and spanned three years.
William Mattison III is the faculty director of the Moreau Program, a position created in Oct. 2023. Thus, Mattison is the
only person to have had the role and has overseen much of the redesign and implementation process.
The initial version of Moreau was formed after the University eliminated its physical education requirement. According to Mattison, Moreau was a patchwork of curricular content, including alcohol education, cultural diversity training and mental health guidance.
“It was more of a conglomeration of important topics that never really had a coherence,” Mattison said.
The new Moreau program, by contrast, has a more unified design. This design is physically embodied by the program’s “commonplace book,” a blue, hard-cover volume containing selected readings and lined
pages for personal thought and reflection. The book was given to the 20% of freshmen enrolled in the pilot.
Fr. Kevin Grove, who served on the Moreau curricular committee and taught a section of the pilot, said the move to a physical book and away from digital resources on a learning platform like Canvas was an intentional one.
“What helped us to get to the commonplace book is that we wanted a classroom experience really focused on student discussion with one another in a seminar form, and so having the text in front of them was going to be important,” Grove said.
April García, an assistant teaching professor with
By SOPHIE HANAWALT Staff Writer
On Friday, Nov. 15, the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative hosted its first talk, with the goal of analyzing the results and implications, both domestic and international, of the election.
The panel, hosted in collaboration with the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy, drew a crowd large enough to fill both the Hesburgh Center auditorium and an overflow room located nearby.
Host and director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative David Campbell began the panel on a lighter note.
“We are here to discuss the recent election in which the polls suggested things would be close, but then one party ended up winning handily — of course, I’m referring to the recent election in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan,” he said.
Before commencing, Campbell invited University President Fr. Bob Dowd to speak on the panel’s connection to this year’s Notre Dame forum, titled “What do we owe each other?” In his remarks, Dowd suggested the forum’s question lies at the core of any democracy.
“No democracy will survive without norms of mutual respect, norms of compromise in order to get things done, norms that help us to focus on the common good,” Dowd said. “We know that in any democracy, basic freedoms and rights are incredibly important, but there also needs to be a sense of community. There needs to be something that brings us all together.”
Campbell then introduced panelists law professor Derek Muller, chair of the Department of Political Science Geoffrey Layman and assistant professor of democracy and global affairs Laura Gamboa.
Campbell began by asking Layman whether or not he believed Democrats ever had a chance of winning the election. Layman suggested the election closely resembled typical referendum elections, where due to
President Biden’s low approval ratings and a negative public perception of the economy, the result should not come as a surprise.
Layman added, though, the election was different in the sense that “the economy is doing great, inflation is way down, unemployment is low, and the Fed has good interest rates … what people think about the economy is really what’s going poorly.”
Additionally, he highlighted the unique nature of the winning candidate being someone who has been president before and “led an attack on the U.S. capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
“It’s unusual in the sense that it seems people are choosing the economy and treating it as a referendum election, despite the fact that there are big implications for democracy,” Layman said.
When the topic of the narratives surrounding the election’s uniqueness later resurfaced, Lehman added, “Trump has violated many of our regular democratic norms like conceding when you lose, and the majority of Americans still voted for him. I don’t know that that sends us down a path to autocracy, we’ll have to wait and see, but it does confirm what many political scientists have known, which is that these abstract principles of democracy are actually not all that important to the ordinary American voter.”
He added, upon examining the exit polls, people who said they are concerned about the state of democracy in the United States voted about evenly for Trump, suggesting some view the Democratic party as the threat.
“Donald Trump is a great vessel for anger. He is a candidate of grievance. He will fight for you,” Lehman said.
Muller noted the things people are concerned about — such as fair and free elections — are not necessarily at risk in the next four years.
“We have a very robust Supreme Court that acts as a check from the executive in ways that other nations don’t experience,” Muller said, in conjunction with citing
Sophia Tran | The Observer Epidemiologist Jay Bhattacharya spoke on Friday. He examined the successes and failures in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Pandemic
widespread fear over the virus.
“The impression that the world got was that 3 or 4 out of 100 people who got the disease were going to die from it. I knew that was not true,” Bhattacharya explained.
“We were spreading undue fear about the disease in the population by telling them a very misleading number.”
To test his hypothesis and collect more data on the rate of infection, Bhattacharya ran a study on 3,000 people examining how many people in Santa Clara county had antibodies to the virus. The results showed 3%, and the same study conducted in Los Angeles showed a similarly small value of 2%. From these studies, Bhattacharya concluded the virus could not be simply stopped by a lockdown.
“If it was 15%, the epidemic would be one-sixth of the way done. 3% means that it’s only one-thirty-third of the way done,” Bhattacharya said. “This is the kind of disease that you either stop at day zero when it leaves the lab, or else it goes to 100. We don’t have the technology to stop [the virus] in between.”
After explaining his hypothesis, Bhattacharya discussed the animosity and death threats he received in response to his research. A number of sources
made false allegations about the funding for Bhattacharya’s studies, and he thought he might lose his job at Stanford, despite knowing the claims were false. With these attacks on his credibility, Bhattacharya emphasized the importance of replicating his study to prove his results’ legitimacy.
“The way to judge whether someone is right in science is not by whether they are published in a fancy journal … what matters is whether this result is replicable,” Bhattacharya explained.
“Hundreds of other research teams around the world conducted very similar studies, and they found results that were almost identical to ours.”
One of these studies was conducted by John Ioannidis, a professor of medicine at Stanford and friend of Bhattacharya. Upon completing his study, Ioannidis noticed the infection fatality rate was not three out of 100 infected patients as stated by sources such as the WHO; it was actually two out of 1,000, which supported Bhattacharya’s hypothesis.
While still noting COVID’s harm to certain infected patients, Bhattacharya discussed how it is important to recognize the repercussions of instigating a lockdown when the situation did not require such measures. Specifically, he highlighted how it was not COVID, but rather the policymakers’ choice to lockdown that resulted
in the increased rates of poverty, thoughts of suicide and an overall decline in education for children.
“This colleague of mine at Stanford, Eric Hanushek, estimated that just the spring closures cost American school children 17 trillion dollars over the course of their lifetime,” Bhattacharya said. “If they are less well-educated, they will be less capable of earning.”
Additionally, Bhattacharya emphasized how the decline of education due to the lockdown demonstrated an even more considerable impact on students from minority and low-income groups.
As Bhattacharya discussed the predictable consequences of the lockdown, he also discussed better measures that could have been taken by policymakers to protect individuals from COVID while simultaneously allowing life to continue. Bhattacharya emphasized the age gradient that defined the COVID virus, as younger individuals had a significantly low fatality rate. He provided statistics showing the majority of fatalities were more elderly patients.
In terms of developing a solution, Bhattacharya explained how the statistics about the age gradient imply the best course of action is to let the younger population continue to live their lives while providing more resources to protect the elderly population. Bhattacharya discussed how
the models displaying the effectiveness of lockdowns were too mechanical to account for the real-life scenario.
“[These models] don’t have in them, ‘Do I need to go bury my dad when he dies?’ They don’t have in them, ‘Do I need to hug my daughter when she’s sick.’’’ Bhattacharya said. “[These models] have this mechanical idea that if we can just keep people apart, if we treat each other like biohazards, that we can keep each other healthy.”
Aside from discussing the mechanical nature of models, Bhattacharya also cautioned against using the impact of the COVID virus to warrant potentially harmful policies instigated to control the outbreak. Instead, Bhattacharya encouraged more open discussions to develop more effective solutions backed by credible data and research.
“I want the best quality evidence deployed when we decide what interventions to undertake, especially for things that make vulnerable people sicker,” Bhattacharya said. “I want great research that can treat these things better. That is what I want. I don’t want to pretend to know things I don’t know and, thereby, fool people into doing things that don’t actually protect them.”
Contact Sophia Tran at stran2@nd.edu
ways the Supreme Court kept Trump’s policies in check during the last administration.
However, he suggested democratic norms can be evaded even within this legal framework.
Gamboa noted the need for caution in a global context.
“Institutions are not immune just because they are strong or longstanding,” Gamboa said. “I think that Trump is a potential autocrat. I think he will disregard democratic institutions, understood as checks and balances, in order to achieve his goals.”
She noted the rise of a potential autocrat does not mean the end of democracy, as democratic backsliding takes a long time, so pro-democracy coalitions have time to figure out a plan.
Campbell asked Gamboa to put the result into international perspective, asking whether or not the result was reflective of an international pattern of incumbents losing altogether or losing voter share in national elections being held in democratic nations. Gamboa said she believes it follows the worldwide trend of anti-incumbent behavior, but she does not think the answer is that simple.
She suggested instead it also
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Priests showcase artistic talents
By ISABEL TORRES News Writer
On Wednesday the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art hosted a panel called “Vocation To Create: A Conversation with Fr. Austin Collins, C.S.C., and Fr. Martin Nguyen, C.S.C.”
The event took place in the central lobby of the museum and attracted roughly sixty spectators. The museum curator, Joe Becker, welcomed the audience. He spoke about his intention to provide the community with a distinct connection between art and religion.
Becker highlighted the expansive work of both speakers within the University of Notre Dame as professors and within the Holy Cross community.
“You are going to spend more waking hours in your profession, more even than with your spouse, so you should love what you do,” he said.
Collins expressed his artistic passions as a direct reflection of the beauty he found while studying art around the world. He tied these experiences directly to his aspiration to relay his passions to a broader platform.
“I think that art, at least for me, is an instinct that we need to trust,” Collins said.
Nguyen posed a different approach, which was to support the human necessity to explore art as a means to understand his own life-experiences.
As the priests talked about their
experiences intertwining with their religious devotion and artistic exploration, the audience was allowed to see the creations of both artists through a slideshow.
With a central focus on sustainability and repurposed materials from machinery, Collins’ artwork was geared at positioning structures amongst nature around the United States.
Nguyen had an alternate aesthetic and explored the dynamics of life and interactions with others.
Having grown up in Vietnam and fleeing the country later in life, Nguyen expressed his gratitude for the freedoms and opportunities granted to him, which he now expressed through art.
He talked about his distaste for the fast-paced lifestyle that social media promotes and curated an expansive panel which showcased the faces of hundreds of people from his Facebook. His intricate attention to detail audibly impressed the audience.
When asked to connect his work back to the materials used and inspiration, Nguyen reiterated the importance of reflecting on the graces and blessings of a life where freedom allows art to be explored.
“It is wonderful to live in this country, and on this campus, we are truly blessed to the highest. Because of that, I need to show free thinking through art and materials,” Nguyen said.
Contact Isabel Torres at itorres@nd.edu
Moreau
the Institute for Educational Initiatives, also taught a Moreau pilot class. Including the current semester, García has taught seven semesters of Moreau. She shared similar thoughts on the introduction of the commonplace book.
“I believe that the commonplace book lent itself to a techfree classroom in a way that supported student learning,” García said.
Contained within the commonplace books is a greater number of “enduring texts” compared to what the former curriculum featured, including excerpts from Aristotle, St. Francis of Assisi and Blaise Pascal.
“The commonplace book is meant to invite students into reflection on their lives, but in a manner that’s informed by tradition, voices who have gone before them, so they don’t begin it as a blank slate,” Mattison explained.
Mattison said he envisions Moreau as a place where students are “nourished by classic texts, in the company of peers” while reflecting on their lives and considering perennial questions.
Grove said he was edified by his teaching experience. This fall is his first semester teaching the course.
“I was delighted by how lively, engaged and thoughtful my Moreau students were, which gave me hope that these questions that this curriculum poses are worthwhile and the right ones, not only for them as
freshmen, but for humans generally,” Grove said.
Instructors in the pilot were not alone in teaching their classes of roughly 20 students; each was aided by a “peer leader,” a sophomore, junior or senior who shares personal experiences and reflections with students during class.
“Unlike a teaching assistant that has mainly like bureaucratic or administrative tasks like taking attendance or checking work, we wanted the peer leaders to actually have a role in teaching the course,” Mattison said.
García said she was supportive of the addition.
“Having a Moreau peer leader in the class was truly a gift, I believe, to the classroom community because it’s a person who students are more likely to resonate with, a person who is modeling the reality of what it means to be a Notre Dame student,” García said.
Also new to Moreau is the introduction of co-curricular experiences, a series of thematically related events for students outside of the classroom. Examples from the fall semester include poetry readings, a spiritual retreat, a day of community service and sessions on grateful attentiveness at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. Mattison said the co-curricular events complement and buttress classroom learning.
Another significant shift in Moreau is the program’s effort to recruit more faculty to teach the class. The class has historically included many staff members as instructors.
“At a university, the curriculum
is administered by the faculty,” Mattison said, explaining the rationale for the effort.
While Mattison said there is “not any official target” for a faculty to staff proportion, he said he would like there to be a majority. García believes the push to include more faculty signifies the Moreau program is important to the University.
“If we don’t signify as a University that this is important by inviting someone like the provost to teach this course, this course will continue to just be seen as a one-credit, something we all have to do, as opposed to a one-credit, formative experience that all Notre Dame students get to engage in,” García said.
While there are several weeks remaining in the fall semester, the pilot Moreau sections have already concluded. Classes were lengthened to 75 minutes instead of 50, so the duration of the course was shortened to maintain the same amount of instructional time as the previous Moreau program.
The second semester of the new Moreau program has yet to be designed, but it will be taken during students’ senior year instead of the second semester of their freshmen year. A limited number of freshmen who took the pilot will have the opportunity to provide feedback through a “lab” in the spring semester to shape the final design of the new curriculum. Instructors and students will also be surveyed on the course.
“We’re assessing the heck out of it,” Mattison said.
Contact Henry Jagodzinski at hjagodzi@nd.edu
reflects a broader crisis of representation, which is something she sees in Latin America, her area of study. Whether or not it is the fault of the executive branch, she noted, the economy does seem terrible for construction workers in her home state of Utah when there is no way to find an affordable house in their city.
“The GOP solves this kind of disconnect with a populist approach … I don’t think this is good for this country or for democracy,” she said.
Campbell then asked Muller about the ballot counting process, describing how, despite concerns regarding legal fights or violence around the counting of ballots in 2024, things seemed to have gone smoothly.
Drawing on proactive strategies, Muller noted counties and states in 2024 knew they had problems with processing an influx of absentee ballots and securing drop boxes in 2020, and they “did as much as possible to shore up their election infrastructure ahead of 2024, so that things could move more smoothly.”
He emphasized these efforts were important, because besides guardrail legislation, the federal government does not have much
control over elections. It is because of this lack of control that the states can make the decision as to whether they will have a fast election or count more ballots that come in for a more accurate tabulation.
“Does the nature of this election mean we’ve returned to what has been the norm of the widespread acceptance of free and fair elections in the US, or are other landmines yet to explode?”
Campbell asked.
“Both sides kind of realized that [conspiracy theories and bomb threats] are a real problem, so there was a lot more transparency for conversation around what was happening in the election process,” Muller said, adding the election’s decisive margins helped the process go smoothly.
Towards the conclusion of Muller’s answer, a man in the audience stood up and exited while mumbling “waste of time.”
Pointing to Lehman, Campbell asked if the gains among almost every demographic observed for Trump in the exit polls had implications for the Democratic Party’s coalition, suggesting a realignment.
“I won’t say we have a realignment. However, something really important is going on with regards to education and socioeconomic status as well as race,”
Lehman said.
In particular, after seeing a decrease votes from Latino men, “the Democratic Party is shaken to its core, because it has always assumed it’s the party of voters of color,” he said. Lehman suggested the Democratic Party is now “the party of college graduates and people with advanced degrees.”
“The big thing for Democrats is to decide if they really want to give up the working class and no longer be the party of the people, which I don’t think they want,” Lehman said, blaming the Democratic Party’s failure to help people recognize President Biden pursued policies to support the working class for the growing consensus that Trump has their back more.
On the impact of Trump’s election on America’s standing in the world, Gamboa spoke to the ways in which Trump “favors what will best serve him personally and domestically.”
“It’s hard to predict how he is going to behave, but he has shown no interest in helping Ukraine, no interest in helping Taiwan, who are both at the throats of authoritarian regimes, putting democracy at more risk than it is today,” Gamboa said. “I don’t think that Donald Trump will absolutely hurt democracy, but we cannot
count on the United States anymore to support it.”
Gamboa provided examples of deals Trump made with Guatemalan and El Salvadorian leaders to withdraw support for pro-democratic, anti-corruption initiatives in order to stop immigration.
Campbell asked whether Trump’s recent Cabinet picks could provide insight into the future for his administration, especially his decision to prioritize loyalists over conventional candidates.
The group of panelists were in consensus that while some of the picks, such as Marco Rubio and Suzie Wiles, reflected typical selections of experienced leaders, the rest were unconventional and suggested he would push the limits for Republicans by creating a loyalty test with his picks. The panelists also emphasized how Trump is looking to evade the typical appointment process, a further test for Senate Republicans.
“Populists don’t usually like to have competent people around them in part because it threatens their own power,” Gamboa said.
“I hope that this incompetence hinders the ability of the administration to damage democracy.”
Still, she expressed worry that other things — like Medicare or
homeland security — will not be protected because of his incompetence. “These things rely on a normal functioning of these offices,” she said.
To conclude, Campbell asked the panelists to consider the forum question and offer insight into whether the nation is destined to remain polarized.
“We can reach out and figure out ways to have conversations across the political divide in time for Thanksgiving, because polarization only happens when the two camps are willing to engage in it,” Gamboa said.
Lehman added he sees hope because the Democratic Party realizes it lost and sees they need to work with the Republicans on things that are going to help working Americans.
“Log off sometimes and find human beings who disagree with you. Have those conversations, but not in an effort to persuade. Listen to and hear where they are … but remember that there are things greater in our lives than just thinking about politics,” suggested Muller.
“We are better off as a nation when we can agree upon the very principles that define us as a nation,” Campbell concluded.
Contact Sophie Hanawalt at shanawal@nd.edu
The Democratic Party failed immigrants
It is the morning of November 6, 2024, and Donald Trump seems to have won the recent U.S. presidential election. In many ways, his victory is not surprising. His opponent, Kamala Harris, was part of an unpopular administration that oversaw widespread inflation and increases in the cost of living for all U.S. citizens. Economics is often the best predictor of election outcomes, and if you focus on grocery store prices, Trump becoming the 47th president should not shock you.
But when Harris became the presidential candidate, it seemed like she could defeat that conventional wisdom. Polls reflected how excited people were to have someone new, a change from business as usual, who would enact new policies for the people. From that moment, the Harris campaign took every chance to remind her base that she would not be different. She promised to be a strong supporter of Israel, she rarely criticized Joe Biden’s handling of the economy and, most importantly, she did not speak to the fears of immigrants in the United States.
The most appalling feature of Trump’s continued political career is his constant and vile dehumanization of immigrants. This election cycle saw the worst of what the former and future president had to offer when it came to the DREAMers — somehow outdoing his hateful rhetoric from his 2016 run. His comments were often so ridiculously hateful that they were widely mocked and parodied in mainstream media, and now he is going to be president again. In a more respectable country, Donald Trump’s political career would have ended on that debate stage after claiming that Haitian immigrants were eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs and promising mass deportations.
So why did he win? Why did he win a larger share of the Hispanic vote this election than in 2016 or 2020, even though he continues to label Hispanic immigrants as rapists and murderers?
It is because the Harris campaign and the administration she is a part of did as little as possible for immigrants. She did not call out Trump or his comments for what they represented — a threat of governmentsponsored violence towards any immigrant in the country, especially non-white immigrants. She did not forward policies that would help people entering the United States escape poverty or violence. Instead, for many recent immigrants from Palestine and Lebanon, she promised to continue the policies that helped destroy their homes. Instead of explaining how she would help the poor and huddled masses, and how immigration is not a threat to the United States in any way, Harris was courting the endorsement of Dick and Liz Cheney.
It is possible that Harris still would have lost the election if she had taken the time to represent immigrants? Candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren tried to offer something new and failed to convince the Democratic Party that they were worth a shot compared to lifelong politicians like Joe Biden. But if Harris had taken the time to fight for immigrants when they needed it most, she could have helped Democrats keep control of the House of Representatives, which would hopefully backstop any promised mass deportation or unjust imprisonment of immigrants.
The Harris campaign has left the Democratic Party in shambles, full of lifelong politicians who have repeatedly failed to protect immigrants or any member of their base from a right-wing mission to undermine basic dignity, freedoms and economic security. I only hope that the party learns something from this embarrassing defeat and that if there is another election, a new candidate is willing to speak up for immigrants without reservation.
Colton Barta second-year law student
Notre Dame extends flawed invitation
Notre Dame is at the forefront of exciting, groundbreaking research that has the potential to change lives for the better. Last year, our university joined the Association of American Universities, a consortium of the nation’s premier research institutions, and this year, we have submitted over a billion dollars worth of research proposals on topics ranging from semiconductors to rare diseases. It was this positive trajectory that led me to be shocked when I heard Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is speaking Friday on campus.
Bhattacharya and several colleagues became well known in 2020 for their publication of the “Great Barrington Declaration,” a document suggesting that, even during COVID-19’s peak, Americans should go about their daily lives with no restrictions. The declaration, sponsored by a think tank that denies the existence of climate change, was condemned by 14 leading public health organizations, including the American Public Health Association, as a “political statement” that would endanger the most vulnerable of Americans.
Today, research shows that behavioral changes prevented about 68% of Americans from being infected before vaccines became available, a population of individuals that may have been four times more likely to die if no changes were made.
While there is no doubt that lockdowns were correlated with inequalities in educational outcomes and increased loneliness, and the appropriate length of lockdowns can be fairly debated, they were a necessary public health measure at the time.
Bhattacharya also contributes to misleading narratives by intertwining his libertarian ideology
with unsupported science, including recommending against COVID vaccines for young men.
The Stanford professor grabbed headlines for his controversial, questionable publications, and now has turned towards fighting culture wars.
Claiming his freedom of speech was suppressed on social media after he spread misleading information, Bhattacharya sought relief from the Supreme Court in Murthy v. Missouri. Writing for a 6-3 majority, Notre Dame alumna Justice Amy Coney Barrett found his arguments “unpersuasive.” His First Amendment rights had not been violated. Despite being told he misinterpreted the sacrosanct right to freedom of speech by the nation’s highest jurists and being critiqued by top scientists, Bhattacharya is being welcomed by the Center for Constitutional Government and the College of Science to give a lecture on “free speech” and the “end of science.”
I personally support groups on campus bringing in speakers on a wide variety of topics and opinions in favor of academic freedom, but one must question the choice of offering Bhattacharya a microphone in an era where anti-vaxxers like RFK Jr. spread misinformation and may have top roles in the next administration. As a constitutional studies minor, I enjoy the rigorous debate of constitutional issues, and as a Notre Dame student, I am proud of the research of our College of Science. But perhaps we can bring speakers to campus who have actually won in the Supreme Court and have been lauded, not lambasted, by the scientific community.
Alex Young junior
Allison Abplanalp Under Further Scrutiny
The serial double daters
Have you heard whispers and rumors of two serial double daters on campus this semester? Each week a new double date, each double date a new set of guys. Always capturing hearts, never falling for one person. Those who have been hit by the double daters can only speak of them with awe and longing, for they know that the serial nature of the double daters means they will never get another date. Those yet to be graced with a double date are left with wonder and fear.
I wish I could reveal that I was one half of the serial double daters, but I cannot. They do not exist. They are only a concept once dreamt up by two naive college sophomores. Perhaps if they existed, words people would have used to describe them would be dazing, avant-garde, witty, elusive, ahead of their time, alluring and brilliant. Observer articles may have run, referring to them as “daring originals.” But those words, in the words of Natasha Bedingfield, will be left “Unwritten.” To understand why, we must examine the beginnings of the serial double daters — or at least the idea of them.
In April 2024, two visionaries (being one of them myself) signed a contract committing them to double dating in the serial nature during the Fall 2024 semester. Before this point, there had been whispers and “what ifs” surrounding the idea of serial double dating, but neither of us believed it could be a reality. We didn’t think the world was ready. But greatness can’t wait for others.
Surely no one was ready when Otto Frederick Rohwedder took a knife to bread in 1928, but once he sliced the first loaf, he never looked back. Our metaphorical knife was our double dating contract, complete with fourteen clauses and signed by both parties, a witness and a notary. The idea was simple: go on as many double dates with as many different people as possible for one semester. Significantly, all these
dates were to take place at Applebee’s, a welldeserved company to reap the financial rewards of our double dating escapades. All summer we eagerly anticipated our semester of double dates. I even made a vision board. We thought we were ready. We had the heart and the passion, but our mission was harder than anticipated.
The serial double daters faced many setbacks. Our main obstacle was finding people to ask on a double date. I can attribute this to the fact that the serial double daters have such awesome friends that they rarely feel the need to meet new people. Although the defeat of the serial double daters may seem depressing, in truth, it is a testament to the strength of our existing friendships. So, admittedly, some portion of the serial double daters’ letdown is our own fault. But this is only half the story, and I would be remiss if I didn’t blame other people for my failures.
There just aren’t enough cool people on this campus willing to double date. Of those we did ask to double date (and some that we begged), none seemed D.T.S.D.D. (down to serial double date). Around half of them cited not having a friend to bring on a double date — which would be sad if I didn’t think it was an excuse.
The main issue is a lack of excitement about serial double dating in general. No matter how many times I emphasize the serial nature, people don’t seem to understand the concept. I firmly believe the ideal serial double date is with two people who believe in the awesomeness of the serial double dating model. With no one who understands serial double dating, who are we to double date? The lack of willingness to serial double date makes me scared about the dangerously low levels of whimsy at this university.
Finally, these supposed “friends” I previously claimed to have were absolutely no help in securing us a double date. Rather than double dates, this semester was filled with promises emptier than a
looted treasure chest. The only lesson I learned from this failed serial double dating experience is that we’re on our own out here, and don’t let anyone comfort you into thinking otherwise. And so, with all this considered, looking back, it is not surprising that we have failed to secure even one double date.
My only regret is that I haven’t gone to Applebees once this semester. With TGI Fridays filing for bankruptcy and Dine Brands (Applebee’s parent company) missing its Q3 revenue expectations, I worry about the outlook of the casual restaurant chain industry — an issue for which I bear a heavy responsibility. When I think about the waitresses left untipped and the Notre Dame men wasting another semester without dining at Applebee’s, I can’t help but feel the weight of our failed ambitions sitting heavy on my conscience.
I just finished my final midterm and my roommates are (prematurely) putting up Christmas decorations, which means the semester is coming to a close. I have watched many weekends come and go without a double date, and I have lost most confidence that I will ever order an entrée from my favorite franchise. Maybe we can rally a comeback in the final stretch — anyone who wants to serial double date please contact me (I say in the least desperate way possible). But in the end, I have come to terms with being a failed serial double dater. Despite not going on any double dates, I still have the friendship of my fellow failed serial double dater. So perhaps the real serial double dates were the friends we made along the way.
Allison Abplanalp is a junior finance and accounting major. If she could change one thing about the English language, she would make “a lot” one word. Her least favorite month is March because every year she is devastated when she fails to pick the perfect March Madness bracket. You can contact Allison at aabplana@nd.edu.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Rendered speechless
From a very young age, I have always been told that my use and knowledge of words was one of my greatest gifts. While I struggled pretty heavily in more STEM-based subjects like calculus and chemistry, I found that my talent with words was unparalleled.
I never thought that I would have to one day confront what life would be like without this particular gift until the morning of October 30, 2023.
The morning started out very normal: I woke up in my single dorm room and made myself my usual breakfast, as well as a full glass mug of iced coffee to keep myself running for the rest of the day. Despite some minor health setbacks that I had faced as a result of my worsening Lupus, including an ER visit two days before my 21st birthday a couple of months before, I was feeling better. Almost normal.
After I had finished eating my breakfast, I began to get dressed for my internship Zoom meeting and decided to partake in another one of my morning rituals: my annual rewatch of “Glee.” At this point in my life, I had seen every episode of the show so many times that I could recite almost all of them by memory alone. As I hummed to a performance of the Glee club singing “Some Nights”
by fun., I looked down at my phone only to realize that I was met with a screen full of words that I did not understand. Do you know that feeling of confusion when you say a word so many times that it begins to lose any and all meaning in your mind? It was like that, but with every word on my screen.
Knowing that something was seriously and unavoidably wrong, I attempted to read along with the captions of the show I knew to the point of memory, only to be met with a series of weird groans and grunts. In a state of disbelief and panic, I sent my mom a text that read “Idk I think I might have a stroke know” (thank God for muscle memory because I have no idea how I managed to send something with even a fraction of coherence) and she begged me to call an ambulance. An ambulance seemed too embarrassing and expensive, so my rector was kind enough to take me to the hospital. I spent the next three days in Beacon Memorial Hospital as the “youngest patient in the stroke ward” (at least according to my nurses) being succumbed to various tortures like getting my blood drawn in the middle of the night, having to do memory exercises and receiving more testing than I ever knew existed. Have you ever heard of a cerebral angiogram? Yeah, me neither. It’s not fun.
At the end of this hellish stay, it was determined that what I had most likely experienced was a
transient ischemic attack, more commonly known as a TIA or a “mini-stroke.” I can’t lie and say that I didn’t feel a little beam of pride for being somewhat correct in my diagnosis.
What still stands as (arguably) the most traumatizing thing that has ever happened to me additionally strikes me as almost deliciously ironic: the English major who usually always had something to say was rendered completely and utterly speechless.
I can’t say that I am at all grateful for this particular experience for drastically changing my perspective on life, or making me do any kind of 180 from the way that I was living. But I can say that it certainly made me realize that I had been taking my precious gift for granted. Ever since then, I made myself a promise to write well and with intent as a form of gratitude for having this gift returned to me, rather than permanently taken away.
So, tri-campus, I implore you to consider my message when you’re burnt out and exhausted by even the mere thought of working even one more second on whatever assignment you have to complete in the pursuit of your gifts: what would you do if that gift was taken away?
You can contact Maria at mtobias@nd.edu. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
INSIDE COLUMN
Maria Tobias Graphic Designer
By MADYSON CASIANO Scene Writer
“This is the end of every song that we sing, The fire burned out to ash, and the stars grown dim with tears, Cold and afraid, the ghosts of all that we’ve been.”
“Alone,” The Cure
There’s nothing like existential crises on Saturday morning: waking up to find oneself in the bedding of future dread and past transgressions, comforted solely by the sound of a new album from a forgotten favorite. The Cure had been on my favorite bands lists since the dawn of my punk-rock phase in early high school. Not much has stuck with me from that time, but what did was either insatiably catchy or simply great. Weezer, for instance, barely survived.
The Cure, however, never strayed. “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Friday I’m in Love” and “A Letter to Elise” were hypnotic. At the time, the band was merely an upbeat set of classics to be played on relatively casual afternoons. My parents knew them, Target’s overhead speakers knew them, and I loved them. Though their lyrics were thematically dark, the melodic happiness hid the angsty
undertones, and I was content in my punk-rock era.
This preference for The Cure’s upbeat melodrama diminished when I listened to the entirety of “Songs for Lost World” that Saturday morning. I found myself engrossed in the existential commentary and the heart of the lyrics. Unapologetically dark and dreadful, the album pierced an unknown fear of hurt, age and regret in my soul.
“Alone” opens the album. The song reaches nearly seven minutes and is full of dark instrumentals and breathtaking lyrics: “But it all stops / and we close our eyes to sleep, / to dream a boy and girl / who dream the world is nothing but a dream.” To open an album with a message as heavy as “ends are imminent, so what do we value?” is a potent move. The lyricism allows the listener to appreciate the narrator’s discovery of what is and is not important at the end of his life, career, or what have you.
By “Warsong,” the album’s fourth song, the toil of life overcomes the narrator. The lyrics are aggressive and the delivery is blunt: “For bitter ends we tear the night in two, / I want your death, you want my life.” Later the lyrics continue, “All we will ever know is bitter ends / for we were born to war.” It appears the narrator believes there is not much else to do but fight. There is not much humanity is capable of other than to war with one another. Do we exist to conflict with one another and to conflict with ourselves?
I hate to spoil it, but this is not a story wrapped in a happy ending. The album is real. In some of the final lyrics of “Endsong” — “No, I don’t belong here, / it’s all
gone, it’s all gone, / I will lose myself in time, / it won’t be long” — the narrator seems to have lost the will to live. What value there once was in life no longer exists. Here we find that the question prompted by “Alone” has been answered — love mattered but no longer can love be found. Therefore, if love no longer exists neither should the fight continue.
Saturday morning, “Songs of a Lost World” made me cry.
What dampened my dawn? It was not nostalgia for my earlier years of punk-rock angst, nor was I caught off guard by any means. The album touched a vulnerable aspect of humanity that I deeply enjoy worrying about. Though not at the end of my life, I fear the end. I fear loneliness and purposelessness. I fear “Endsong.” Although heartbreaking, the album emits hope — the hope that love always exists here. We just have to keep fighting for it. And I will keep fighting. I will keep fighting to escape an aimless end amidst a lovely reality hidden by a dreadfully dark world.
“Endsong” is not reality nor can it ever be reality. Love does not simply diminish over time. It exists despite time. I still love The Cure after 16 years album-less and 16 years worth of growth since my angsty punkrock era. I still love the memory of my parents singing to “Friday I’m in Love.” I love this album. I think and I hope that all things I love will exist with me until finally, I am aged.
Contact Madyson Casiano at mcasiano01@saintmarys.edu
By CLAIRE WATSON Scene Writer
Almost exactly two years ago, I saw the viral news surrounding a new show that was released on Netflix known as “Wednesday.” The moment I saw it I was intrigued by its concept and watched every episode the day it aired. As someone who has watched previous Tim Burton movies like “Beetlejuice” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” I was not surprised that this show was beyond fantastic from the twisting plotline, the relationships between characters and most notably, Wednesday Addams’ (Jenna Ortega) self-choreographed dance to 1981 song “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps.
One of the things I enjoyed most was how the show paid homage to the original “The Addams Family” while still having its own meaning for the storyline. The show focuses on, as the title suggests, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she gets expelled from school before transferring to a new school of her parents’
choice, Nevermore Academy. While not entirely joyful about the situation, the unenthusiastic teenager finds “friends” (or companions, however you wish to describe the relationship) such as her new roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) and Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White), among others. Something I especially enjoy about this television show is the dynamic between the characters. For example, Wednesday, an emo and stoic character, is particularly sarcastic toward her brother Pugsley Addams (Isaac Ordonez) but you can see how much she cares about him. I love this because while she avoids showing emotion, she expresses in her own way her loyalty to her family. This is also evident when she arrives at Nevermore and meets Enid and her soon-to-be friends. She starts off hating them before showing she is starting to trust and accept them.
If, like me, you attended a private school, you would know the tragedy of uniforms. One thing that is very interesting about this show is its choice of clothing for the Nevermore uniform. All students are required to wear
blue and black striped uniforms except for Wednesday, who has an all-black uniform. Strong fashion choices are consistent throughout “Wednesday” even outside of school. While Wednesday sticks to her regular allblack, many characters wear a mixture of colors and styles that normally would not work together but emphasizes their character traits.
As I have mentioned before, I am not a dancer at all (again, I have tried). Another highlight is the selfchoreographed dance by Jenna Ortega to the Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck” during the annual school dance. This is a great moment because it shows dance moves that you wouldn’t normally see in 2022, including stiff arm movements and arm flailing. I really like this because it mixes an older music vibe into a modern show.
The recent announcement of season two of “Wednesday” truly excites me, and I am looking forward to seeing what plot twists and elements they add in the second season.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu
Irish handle Georgetown in first road challenge
By TYLER REIDY Sports Editor
The Notre Dame men’s basketball team opened plenty of its eyes in Saturday’s 84-63 win at Georgetown. The Irish showed their resolve, winning their first road game of the season. They had only claimed three true road games in the previous two seasons. Notre Dame also displayed growth, beating by 21 a Georgetown team it lost to in overtime at home last December.
Head coach Micah Shrewsberry mentioned that he and the Irish went into the game fully aware of Georgetown’s capabilities, turning that preparation into a strong effort on both ends.
“You prepare out of fear, and I’m always realistic with our guys. I think they were really locked in defensively,” Shrewsberry said after the game. “I think we’re a really good offensive team. They were really locked in defensively, and I think that’s where you see us kind of push ahead.”
In terms of shooting effectiveness, the Irish built up a distinct advantage throughout the afternoon. Notre Dame shot 59.3% from the field,
FOOTBALL
42.9% from three-point range and 91.7% from the free-throw line. Georgetown, on the other hand, posted a 31.4-25.0-68.8 line across those three areas of offense.
“[We wanted to] make them make tough contested shots, and I thought we did that,” Shrewsberry said. “... Last year, all of our time was spent on becoming a good defensive team, because I thought that was the only way we could hang in games – make it a game in the mud… As we’ve gotten better offensively, our defense hasn’t shifted at all.”
As the Irish head coach described it, Notre Dame played to score 60 points and hold teams to 60 points in order to win games. That put the Irish in position to score gritty victories over teams like Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Clemson. The formula didn’t always succeed, with Notre Dame losing a handful of close, low-scoring games in the middle part of the season.
The Irish needed an offense to put them over the top. They feel they have one now. Instead of taking the “score 60, allow 60” approach, Shrewsberry now believes his team can
score 80 points on the offensive end – they’ve done it in all three games to start this season – while remaining in form defensively.
Score 80, still hold to 60. That’s exactly what Notre Dame did on Saturday afternoon.
Notre Dame’s defense set the tone early, cornering Georgetown into an 0-for-14 shooting run after the Hoyas made two of their first three shots. Meanwhile, graduate guard Matt Allocco stepped into a heater on the other end of the floor. En route to scoring a game-high 17 points, the Princeton transfer tallied 15 on 4-for-5 shooting from the deep in the first half alone. He would also finish the day with seven assists and five rebounds.
Junior forward Tae Davis navigated early foul trouble to start strong as well. Following up a 27-point performance in Monday’s defeat of Buffalo, the Irish big man scored nine points in the first half, finishing the afternoon with 13 to go with eight boards.
At halftime, Notre Dame led Georgetown by a 44-29 score.
“We just kind of played pretty free-flowing offensively,” Shrewsberry said. “... Tae Davis is now getting more and more
comfortable… Allocco is just a gamer. When the lights come on the brightest, he’s at his best.”
With Notre Dame’s depth the best it’s been in several years, the Irish took advantage and kept their foot on the gas in Washington. According to Shrewsberry, two graduate guards played a central role in building up Notre Dame’s lead off the bench. Burke Chebuhar, who did not play on Monday, returned to the rotation with nine points on 3-for-3 beyond-the-arc shooting. Nikita Konstantynovskyi added eight points and tied for the team lead with eight rebounds.
“I thought when those guys got in, they really settled us, because we use our bigs as ballhandlers, as passers, everything else,” Shrewsberry said. “To have two fifth-year seniors come in – they weren’t shook by the pressure – and that’s when we really started taking the lead out in the first half.”
Sophomore guard Markus Burton would jump in to keep the offense rolling to start the second half. The reigning ACC Freshman of the Year scored eight of Notre Dame’s 18 points at one stage, ending the day with 16 points on eight perfect
free throws, five assists and six fouls drawn. Sophomore guard Braeden Shrewsberry also got going, registering the majority of his nine points after halftime.
Malik Mack (16 points, six rebounds and five assists), Jayden Epps (13 points) and Thomas Sorber (12 points, four assists) paced Georgetown’s play but couldn’t keep the Hoyas close. The Irish left Capital One Arena at 3-0 and with a happy flight home to South Bend.
“Road wins are gold, man. Everybody’s trying to get wins on the road. It doesn’t matter who you beat,” Shrewsberry explained. “Right now, we’ve talked about the ACC and how we help each other. We’ve gotta be good in non-conference – all of us… We’re just doing our part so we can get more [ACC] teams in the NCAA Tournament, hoping that the Fighting Irish is one of those teams.”
Notre Dame will look to keep its unbeaten start alive with back-to-back home games this week. The Irish will face North Dakota at 7 p.m. on Tuesday before hosting Elon at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu
Five key moments from Notre Dame’s ninth win
By NOAH CAHILL Associate Sports Editor
Notre Dame football honored its senior class in its final home game of the regular season, hoping to take another step closer to a potential return to the stadium in the postseason.
The 29 seniors celebrated with a 35-14 victory over Virginia to help the Irish improve to 9-1 and extend their win streak to eight.
Former Irish transfer
Chris Tyree fumbles the opening kickoff
After winning the coin toss, Notre Dame elected to defer and let its defense set the tone. But after former Irish wide receiver Chris Tyree muffed the opening kickoff into the hands of graduate cornerback Max Hurleman, it was the Irish offense that saw the field first. Since Tyree called a fair catch, rendering the fumble unreturnable, the ball was placed at the Virginia 25-yard line. From there, Jeremiyah Love and the Notre Dame offense wasted no time capitalizing on the early opportunity. After Love gained a first down, a roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive, setting up the sophomore running back to punch in his 11th rushing touchdown of the season, extending his streak of
scoring in every game.
Fumble stifles Virginia’s best offensive opportunity of the half
After a cagey defensive first half marked by several three-and-outs on both sides, Hurleman found himself on the other end of a special teams miscue, muffing a punt to set up the Cavalier offense on Notre Dame’s 42-yard line. After a 15-yard first-down rush from Xavier Brown, his backfield partner Kobe Pace looked to have broken out another chunk run putting Virginia in the red zone for the first time all game. However, a big hit delivered by graduate safety Rod Heard II at the end of the play dislodged the ball, which was secured by graduate safety Xavier Watts. The crushing turnover provided much-needed momentum for the Irish, as they put together nine plays for 88 yards and a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Before that score, the group had sputtered out the gate, keeping the game at 7-0 for the entire first quarter after the opening-drive touchdown.
Irish defense overwhelms Virginia, leading to instant offense
Notre Dame’s defense dominated the first half, with Al Golden’s unit holding the
Cavaliers to a mere 153 yards of total offense while keeping them scoreless. The forced turnovers headlined the performance, however. The Irish managed to pick off starting quarterback Anthony Colandrea three times, two of which led directly to Irish touchdowns. Sophomore safety Adon Shuler grabbed the first and returned it to the 1-yard line. From there, it took one play, a play-action toss to sophomore tight end Cooper Flanagan, to make it 21-0 Notre Dame. On the following drive, freshman cornerback Leonard Moore made an impressive adjustment to intercept Colandrea for the second time. Notre Dame started on the Virginia 32-yard line, where it needed three plays to punch it in, senior quarterback Riley Leonard connecting with senior tight end Mitchell Evans, who leapt over a defender en route to the end zone. Watts would make it three in a row on the next drive, getting his second takeaway of the game. With under 30 seconds remaining in the half, the Irish were unable to capitalize as sophomore kicker Marcello Diomede misfired on a 54-yard
field-goal attempt. The turnovers ignited Notre Dame’s offense, allowing the team to seize control of the game. After the score sat at 7-0 for the whole first quarter, the Irish finished the second with a commanding 28-0 lead, all three touchdowns coming off of turnovers created by the defense.
Love shoots out of a cannon for his second touchdown of the day
After extending his streak of scoring a touchdown in every game on the opening drive, Jeremiyah Love found the end zone for a second time after exploding for a 76-yard touchdown run. The score removed any lingering doubts early in the second half, increasing the Irish advantage to 35-0. Love finished the day with 137 rushing yards on 16 attempts to go with the pair of touchdowns and showcased his gamebreaking speed. On his long dash to the end zone, he only needed a sliver of space to break the Cavalier defense open. The sophomore star continues to be a dangerous weapon for this Irish offense, instilling fear in opposing defenses with his
game-breaking ability.
Leonard spreads the love as the offense finds its footing
While quarterback Riley Leonard and the offense were far from perfect on Saturday, the senior transfer continued to spread the ball to his full selection of receiving options all game. Leonard finished 22 for 33 for 214 yards and three touchdowns, earning himself a 145.1 QB rating. In the process, 11 different Irish players caught passes. His interception was a rare mistake, it only being his second since the two-interception performance against Northern Illinois. He also strung together nine completions in a row after the slow first-quarter start. Leonard’s steady improvement and growing chemistry with receivers and tight ends have driven consistent team success. Performances like this showcase both the team’s high ceiling and its reliable foundation — hallmarks of a postseason contender.
Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu
Happy Birthday: Plan to have some fun this year. Don’t hold yourself back or put too much onus on things that don’t matter. This year is about enjoying life, not enduring it. Use your imagination, be creative, and take the road less traveled. If you stick to a budget and don’t go into debt trying to appease yourself or someone else, you’ll discover the happiness you desire and deserve. Your numbers are 6, 14, 17, 25, 34, 41, 44.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Speak up, share your opinion, and prepare to defend your concepts and decisions. Refuse to let physical confrontation step in when words can suffice. Put your energy into fitness or a physical outlet that tires you out and makes you feel good about yourself. Put health and well-being first.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be careful handling domestic situations. You’ll meet with opposition if you assume everyone is in cahoots with you. Do your research, ask direct questions, and formulate an enticing plan that captures the imagination of everyone involved. Love, romance, and self-improvement are in the stars.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep life simple. Refuse to make mountains out of molehills. Stick to the truth, keep your life simple, and dedicate your time to selfpreservation, learning, and staying out of other people’s business. Dodge a bullet and pare your reputation; when others go low, you go high.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Explore the possibilities and consider what you enjoy doing most. Wrap your head around using your skills, attributes, and experience to get the job or initiate a pastime that stimulates your body, mind, or soul. Making others happy depends on making yourself happy first. Romance is in the stars.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Apply pressure where necessary. A high-energy approach to life, love, and happiness will help you achieve your goal and give way to making a difference to others. Learn to incorporate anyone who may stand in your way into your plans to avoid interference. Words matter; use them wisely.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Too much of anything will slow you down. Think before you act or jump into something you don’t fully understand. The information you receive will be opposite to what transpires. Protect yourself by sticking to what you know and trust. Don’t give anyone the right to decide for you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your ability to absorb and disperse information appropriately will help you leap forward. Get into discussions that will encourage positive change and help you reflect and revise what’s no longer working in your favor. A change of scenery will offer clarity and permission to move forward with your plans.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A change is encouraged. Put your energy into figuring out the best way to achieve your goal and executing your willpower and physical attributes to your success. A healthy regime will help you run a top-notch operation at home dedicated to your happiness. Romance is in the stars.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): ARefuse to let anyone bully you into doing something you don’t want. Use your intelligence and outsmart anyone who gets in your way. Be blunt, make choices that encourage you to put your energy where it counts, and budget and make financial improvements that ease stress.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Pay attention to detail; the results will outshine your expectations. Self-improvement will boost your confidence and encourage you to commit to someone or something you want to pursue. Put your energy into freeing your mind from the need to please others when pleasing yourself offers better results.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sign up for something exhilarating. Stretch your mind and devise a plan that allows you to make a difference to something or someone you care about. A networking or social event will be enticing but also put you in jeopardy of receiving false information or encountering financial loss.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Be careful what you wish for. What you see and what you get will differ. Focus on learning, researching, and recognizing when someone is trying to manipulate or take advantage of you. Trust instincts over words, and don’t commit to anything until you get what you want in writing.
Birthday Baby: You are expressive, helpful, and persistent. You are disciplined and compassionate.
Irish score five, win NCAA Tournament opener
By BEN HICKS Sports Writer
The No. 4 seeded Notre Dame women’s soccer team welcomed the Milwaukee Panthers to Alumni Stadium on Friday evening for a first-round contest to open the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
This marked the fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, excluding the 2020 COVID season, for Notre Dame under head coach Nate Norman. The Irish have never lost a first-round match under Norman’s leadership, advancing as far as the Elite Eight in 2022. Additionally, Notre Dame has qualified for 30 of the past 32 NCAA Tournaments, dating back to the 1993 season.
The Irish own a 51-4-1 record all-time in NCAA Tournament matches played in South Bend.
Across the sideline, the 2024 Horizon League Championship win over Northern Kentucky represented the seventh consecutive postseason berth for the Panthers. Milwaukee has qualified for 18 NCAA Tournaments all-time, with its first appearance coming at the end of the 1997 campaign. The Black and Gold have won three NCAA Tournament matches, while also advancing past the first round two additional times via penalty kicks. A 2021 1-0 road victory over No. 14 Xavier was Milwaukee’s most recent postseason victory.
Background and history
The Panthers had been in imperious form recently, as they held the nation’s second-longest winning streak with eight consecutive victories, while also remaining unbeaten in their last 13 matches following a 4-2 home defeat to Harvard all the way back on Sept. 13.
Star power was all over the pitch at Alumni Stadium, as head coach Kevin Boyd’s
ND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Milwaukee squad was led by the Horizon League Player of the Year in Kayla Rollins. The senior midfielder from Ann Arbor, Michigan, ranked second nationally with 18 goals on the campaign. She scored five goals in two matches of the Horizon League Tournament, en route to collecting Tournament MVP honors.
The Irish have been led all season long by an impressive collection of freshmen, most notably Izzy Engle from Edina, Minnesota. The ACC Freshman of the Year led the conference in goals with 16, which placed seventh nationally. The forward wasn’t the only Irish rookie to earn ACC honors, as both Annabelle Chukwu and Lily Joseph were selected to the AllACC Third Team.
Friday night was the 10th meeting between the two Midwestern women’s soccer powerhouses, with the Irish leading the series 7-1-1. The previous meeting occurred in the 2023 season opener, when a Panther goal with just 32 seconds remaining earned Milwaukee the 2-2 draw and their fourth ranked result in program history.
Irish take early advantage through unexpected goal-scorer
Joseph, starting up top for the Irish, had the first chance of the night only a minute after first touch, as a volley left the Connecticut native unmarked from six yards out, but Milwaukee senior goalkeeper Parker Donahugh went down for a nice kick save to deny the Irish the early advantage.
It was a wide-open, back-andforth first half for the opening 30 minutes, as the two sides combined for 16 shots, with the Irish holding the advantage 12-4 after the foremost half hour. The Panthers backline held strong, with Donahugh
collecting five early saves while also surviving a right-footed strike from freshman midfielder Grace Restovich that clanged off the crossbar.
The next Irish chance came with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the frame, as Joseph did well to sneak a throughball to the spot for Ellie Hodsden, but Donahugh aggressively dove forward to deflect the freshman forward’s attempt.
Notre Dame was finally able to break the ice in the 38th minute as Hodsden was turned away again by the Milwaukee netminder, but graduate transfer Reagan Pauwels was left unmarked on the back post, easily cleaning up Donahugh’s eight save of the evening into the top netting. The goal was Pauwel’s first with the Irish after transferring over from Cornell, where she captured SecondTeam All-Ivy League honors in 2022.
Speaking postgame about the goal, Pauwels said, “We practice these situations day in and day out. It was my first touch of the game and I wasn’t really thinking about scoring. I was just where I was supposed to be and I feel like you score most of your goals when you aren’t really thinking.” Continuing on, she said, “Everyone was screaming at me and hugging me, it was a surreal moment. I’ll never forget it.” Pauwels concluded by saying, “Moments like these are what you dream about when you transfer to Notre Dame.”
Milwaukee answers, but Irish pull away
The Irish would take that 1-0 edge into the intermission, while also holding a 17-4 shot advantage, with nine on goal. Joseph led the way for Notre Dame with six shots total and four on net in the first half.
The Irish doubled their advantage quickly coming out of the locker room, as Restovich
scored her fourth career goal in the 54th minute, coming off a nice feed from sophomore Morgan Roy. It was the sixth assist of the season for the midfielder from Commerce, Michigan.
Milwaukee answered back in the 59th minute, as the third of three consecutive corner kicks from Senya Meurer bounced around at the doorstep of the goal before Jenni Andjelic’s left-footed strike flew by Notre Dame freshman goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica, pulling the Panthers back within one. It was Meurer’s sixth assist of the year, and Andjelic’s third goal.
Shortly thereafter, Engle finally left her imprint on the match, as a cheeky backheel finish stunned the Panther backline, returning the Irish advantage to two. Engle’s 17th goal was aided by the assist of graduate senior Ellie Ospeck, her seventh assist.
The Irish would continue to press, adding a fourth just a few minutes later. This time it was senior defender KJ Ronan scoring her second career goal, and her first since Sept. 26, 2021, as a freshman against Boston College. After being credited with an assist on the opening Irish goal, Hodsden collected her second of the evening on the converted corner kick.
After a line change for the Irish, sophomore forward Paige Buchner headed home her first career goal in the 88th minute off double assists from freshman midfielder Riley DeMartino and junior midfielder Berkley Mensik. Despite the 5-1 scoreline, Donahugh stood on her head with 13 saves, good for sixth-most in Milwaukee program history.
Head coach Nate Norman complimented Milwaukee, and also expressed pleasure with his team’s execution, proclaiming postgame, “I knew it was going to be a difficult game.
They’re a great program, all they do is win. It can be hard to beat teams that have that belief. I thought we settled from range in the first half, but we were much better in the final third to create dangerous chances in the second half. I’m happy for our players because they worked hard to deserve this.”
Commenting on the freshmen class, Pauwels stated, “We have a special group of freshmen. They are some of the most talented players I’ve ever played with. They bring a young energy, and our job as upperclassmen is just to teach them their way, but I think they have enough experience to fit right in. They don’t act like freshmen, they already are leaders.”
Moving on
Notre Dame will now travel to Starkville, Mississippi, for the second and potentially third rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Mississippi State Bulldogs earned hosting rights after being given the No. 1 seed in the bottom-right quadrant and downing Southern in the first round. The Irish will take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the Round of 32, after the SEC program earned the No. 5 seed in its return to the postseason following a decade-long absence. The Wildcats were able to sneak by West Virginia in penalty kicks in their first round match.
Previewing the next steps for his team, Norman stated, “We’re just keeping focus and figuring out what we need to do to combat our opponent. We’ll recover over the weekend, get prepared, and then head down there to give it our best effort.”
Notre Dame and Kentucky will battle on Friday, Nov. 22, with a first-touch time yet to be determined.
Contact Ben Hicks at bhicks2@nd.edu
Irish move to 4-0 with lopsided win at Lafayette
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
Now 4-0 on the season, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team continues to shine on the court, as it took a 91-55 win over the Lafayette Leopards on Sunday in Easton, Pennsylvania. The first quarter looked strong for the Irish, as senior guard Sonia Citron scored the first two points of the night with a layup. Sophomore guard Cassandre Prosper shortly after added on a three-pointer to bring the lead to 5-0, but the Leopards responded by adding on a three-pointer of their own to make it a two-point game. A jump shot from Citron and a layup from graduate guard
Olivia Miles made the game 9-5, but the Leopards responded after adding on a three-pointer of their own to make the score 9-8. Seven points from sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo, six points from Miles, three points from sophomore guard Emma Risch, two points from freshman forward Kate Koval and a free throw from Prosper gave the Irish a big, 2810 lead over the Leopards. While Lafayette managed to add on three more points for itself, the Irish finished on top at the end of the first quarter, 28-13. Risch and Hidalgo started off the second quarter strong for the Irish, as both put up three-point shots to make the score 34-17 after the Leopards put up points of
their own. Miles added on five more points of her own alongside three more points from Hidalgo to make the score 42-17. After four points from the Leopards, the Irish did not hesitate as Koval added on two points, Hidalgo added on five points and Prosper added on three to bring the score to 52-21. As the teams went back and forth, Lafayette went on a 7-2 run to make the score 53-28, but a free throw from Koval at the end of the second quarter kept the Irish ahead 54-28.
With 26-point lead over the Leopards, a combined effort of two points from Citron, three points from Hidalgo and two points from Prosper brought the score to 61-28. After a 7-2 run from
Lafayette, Koval responded as she put up two points alongside two points scored by Hidalgo, three from Risch, two from Miles and two from Citron to close out the third quarter at 74-39. Heading into the fourth quarter, Miles added two points for the Irish in the first 10 seconds of the quarter to make the score 7639. After a 9-0 run from Lafayette, Hidalgo put up a three-pointer and a layup, Koval added on two layups and Citron added on a layup to make the score 87-53. While the Leopards added on two more points for themselves, the Irish kept the ball rolling as Risch added on a three-pointer and Hidalgo made a free throw to end the fourth quarter and make the
final score 91-55.
Power duo Miles and Hidalgo led on the court for the Irish, as Hidalgo finished with 29 points and Miles finished with 20 points. Koval led the team on defense as she grabbed 19 rebounds for the Irish as well as Miles who tallied 11 rebounds on the day. In total, the team shot 34 for 73 from the field, 15 for 33 from the three-point line and 8 for 13 from the free-throw line.
The Notre Dame women’s basketball team now travels to Los Angeles to face off against Southern California on Nov. 23 starting at 4 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Irish split against North Carolina and Duke
By CLAIRE WATSON Sports Writer
This past weekend, the Notre Dame volleyball team faced off against the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Irish took a 3-1 loss against North Carolina but responded with a 3-1 win against Duke.
North Carolina
As the Irish celebrated Senior Night, they fell to the Tar Heels after playing four sets.
The two teams went back and forth throughout the first set as they stayed within a point of each other throughout the set. Nearing the end of the set, Notre Dame called a timeout as they were trailing 19-16. Junior outside hitter Avery Ross broke the silence as she added on a kill to close the set score to 19-18, but the Tar Heels battled back as they went on a 6-0 run against the Irish to make the final set score 25-18 and take the first overall point of the night.
The Irish came back in the second set as they started off strong with a 9-7 run against North Carolina. A 5-0 run from the Irish and two kills from senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo kept the Irish ahead with a 17-11, lead but North Carolina made a comeback, fighting to make the score 2018. The Irish responded as they scored two more points to take a 22-18 lead, but the Tar Heels wasted no time in adding their own four points to tie up the score. A service ace and a kill
HOCKEY
from Palazzolo and a kill from senior setter Phyona Schrader helped the Irish round out the second set and take their first overall point of the night to tie up the score.
North Carolina came out strong heading into the third set as it started out with an 8-3 run against the Irish. While the Tar Heels were able to score three more points for themselves, service aces from Schrader helped the Irish make a comeback to make the score 11-8. North Carolina managed to put on two more points, but the Irish kept on moving as they added on five more points to tie the score at 13. Both teams then continued to fight for the lead as both added on six points for themselves to tie the score at 19 points, but North Carolina pushed ahead with a 6-1 run to make the final set score 25-20.
The fourth and final set of the night started with a kill from Palazzolo, who helped the Irish start out strong with a 6-5 run over the Tar Heels, although North Carolina wasted no time in going on a 5-0 run of its own to make the score 106. While Notre Dame added on four more points to tie the score at 10 points, North Carolina wasted no time in going on a 7-0 run to make the score 1710 over the Irish. As the two teams continued to battle back and forth, the power duo of freshman middle blocker Anna Bjork and Ross sparked a run for the Irish as they both added on a kill for themselves and
performed a block to bring the score difference to two at 21-19. While the Irish continued to fight, North Carolina finished the match 25-19 and took the final win of the night, making the final overall score 3-1.
Palazzolo led on the court for the Irish as she set a career high of 25 kills in a match. Ross and freshman middle blocker Mallory Bohl both added on seven kills of their own for the Irish, graduate setter Ella Sandt put up 22 assists, Schrader added on 19 assists and graduate libero Hattie Monson added on a team best of 13 digs.
Duke
Going up against Duke, the Irish battled back and forth, tying multiple times and playing a total of four sets before taking the 3-1 win.
Duke scored the first point, but a service error from Duke tied the score at one, although Monson forced an error on Duke with a service ace to give the Irish their second point of the day. As the two teams continued to fight back and forth for the lead, the Blue Devils pulled ahead, holding up to a seven-point lead. But, with the help of Bjork and three kills from freshman middle blocker Grace Langer, the Irish made a comeback to 18-15. While still trailing, two kills from Palazzolo and a kill from Ross kept the set at a three-point difference with a score of 21-18. Two more kills from Schrader, a kill from Ross, a kill from
Bjork and a kill from Langer helped the Irish pull ahead late in the set to make the score 2423. As the score was tied at 25, two kills from Palazzolo and a kill from Schrader made the final set score 29-27 for the Irish. A kill from Schrader and two kills from Ross started off the second set strong for the Irish as they battled with Duke for the lead. The Blue Devils then responded as they went on a 3-1 run over the Irish to make the score 6-4, but the Irish responded, going on a 5-1 run of their own to tie up the score at seven. As the Irish continued to battle with the Blue Devils, tying seven more times throughout the set, a kill from Langer closed the score gap to 19-18. After a 6-2 run from the Blue Devils, the final score of the second set was 25-20 in favor of Duke, which tied up the overall score at one.
Palazzolo scored the first point of the third set with a kill, but the Blue Devils responded by forcing an error on the Irish. The Irish went on a 12-4 run against the Blue Devils to make the score 13-6 thanks to multiple kills from Palazzolo, Ross and Bjork. After two points scored by Duke, the Irish wasted no time in responding as Palazzolo added a kill as well as a block performed by Palazzolo and Bohl to stay ahead at 15-8. Duke made an attempt to comeback as it forced errors on the Irish to make the score 20-15, but an attack error from Palazzolo, a kill from Bohl, a kill from
Schrader and a kill from Ross gave Notre Dame its second set win of 25-20 to make the overall score 2-1.
The fourth and final set of the night went back and forth between the two teams as they tied multiple times throughout the set. Duke scored the first two points in the fourth set, but with a kill from Palazzolo and a forced attack error from Bjork, the two teams were tied at two points. The two teams continued to stay within a one-point score difference until Duke went on a 4-1 run, making the score 12-8. Langer responded for the Irish with a kill, joining two service aces from Bjork, a kill from Schrader and two forced errors on the Blue Devils to regain the 15-13 lead. As Duke responded to bring the score within one, Notre Dame did not hesitate as it went on a 10-7 run to finish the final set with a score of 25-20 and take the final 3-1 win over the Blue Devils.
Palazzolo led on the court for the Irish as she rounded out the day with a total of 18 kills. Ross followed closely behind as she contributed a total of 15 kills alongside Schrader, who added on 11.
Now 10-15 on the season and 3-13 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, the Irish prepare to head out on the road and face off against Virginia Tech on Nov. 22, starting at 6 p.m.
Contact Claire Watson at cwatson01@saintmarys.edu
Munn Ice Arena unkind to the Irish once again
By RYAN MURPHY Sports Writer
Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson’s final road trip to his alma mater did not go according to plan. His Irish extended their losing streak to five games this weekend with a winless excursion to East Lansing, Michigan. The Irish dropped 8-3 and 4-3 decisions to No. 4 Michigan State, bringing their record to 5-7-0. With the sweep, the Spartans stand alone in first place of the Big Ten conference. The Spartans, winners of seven games straight, are a perfect 4-0-0 in conference play.
Friday: Michigan State 8, Notre Dame 3
For the sixth straight Friday, Notre Dame grabbed the first goal of the series. Sophomore forward Danny Nelson gave the Irish a lead just 1:09 into the contest with a netfront tip on junior defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico’s point shot. The Spartans settled in anyway, and junior forward Tiernan
Shoudy tied the game with 13:45 gone in the first.
What came next would be a harbinger of bad things to come for Notre Dame. Just 1:04 later, senior forward Red Savage squeaked a short-handed goal through Notre Dame junior goaltender Owen Say’s fivehole to put the Spartans ahead. Savage’s was the first of five total goals within 90 seconds or less of a previous goal the Spartans would score over the course of the series, repeatedly deflating Notre Dame’s momentum.
When Nelson again scored to tie the game for the Irish early in the second period, Spartan junior forward Joey Larson scored 55 seconds later to make it 3-2.
When Mastrodomenico tied the game at three, Michigan State junior forward Charlie Stramel answered off a face-off within 12 seconds. Then, 90 seconds later, junior forward Karsen Dorwart doubled the lead.
Ahead 5-3 entering the third, Michigan State had stumped Notre Dame’s momentum. It did not help the Irish that, for
the first time this season, Say was vividly mortal. He would go on to allow two more goals — including another by Dorwart and freshman forward Mikey DeAngelo’s first career goal — before being pulled with 10:26 remaining in the game.
Junior goaltender Jack Williams played out the remainder of the game, allowing one final garbage-time goal to senior defenseman David Gucciardi. Williams made eight saves on nine shots. Say made 25 saves on 32 shots. Neither goaltender was helped by the fact the Notre Dame defense allowed 40-plus shots for the fourth time in their last six games up to that point.
Saturday: Michigan State 4, Notre Dame 3 Jackson made a goaltender switch Saturday, giving freshman Nicholas Kempf the start for the first time since a 5-2 loss to Long Island on Oct. 26. Jackson had been intending to give Kempf some playing time entering the series, but had his decision confirmed Friday
night. Despite the shakeup in the crease, Notre Dame couldn’t buck the trend.
Freshman forward Shane Vansaghi gave Michigan State a 1-0 at 11:45 of the first, but Notre Dame worked to get back into the game. Graduate forward Blake Biondi capitalized by tipping home a point shot from sophomore forward Paul Fischer to tie the game with 21.5 seconds remaining in the first.
But Michigan State continued to haunt Notre Dame’s hopes for momentum. The Spartans struck again 20.9 seconds after Biondi’s goal. Junior defenseman Matt Basgall beat Kempf and the clock to put the Spartans up 2-1 with just six tenths of a second remaining in the first. On the other side of the intermission, Michigan State scored in quick succession again, as Gavin O’Connell doubled the Spartan lead 1:14 into the second.
Graduate forward Ian Murphy notched his second of the year to pull the Irish back to within one at 7:08, and the Irish built
momentum over the last half of the second period in an attempt to tie the game. But junior forward Daniel Russell’s goal with less than two minutes remaining in the frame again gave the Spartans cushion. It would eventually stand up as the game winner. Notre Dame junior defenseman Axel Kumlin scored with 90 seconds left in the game and the extra attacker on, but Notre Dame could not register any more opportunities. Of Notre Dame’s six goals in the series, four came off netfront deflections. Perhaps that is a starting point for Notre Dame’s offense, which is currently scoring at a 2.67 goals per game pace, short of their target three goals per.
The Irish return home after a winless two weeks in Michigan to face No. 3 Minnesota this weekend. The puck drops at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday at Compton Family Ice Arena.
Contact Ryan Murphy at rmurph22@nd.edu
FOOTBALL
Irish turn takeaways into 35-14 Senior Day win
By CHRIS DAILEY Sports Writer
The Notre Dame football team had one goal and one goal only coming into Saturday’s Senior Day clash against Virginia: win convincingly.
It’s the same motto the Irish have had all year long following a shocking, 16-14 loss against Northern Illinois during the home opener. Since that day, the Irish have outscored their opponents 343-85, soared back into the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings and have performed at an elite level.
This Saturday was no outlier. The Irish comfortably steamrolled past the Cavaliers, 35-14.
“The first postgame press conference was a lot different than this one,” said head coach Marcus Freeman in Saturday’s postgame press conference.
“It’s just a testament to the work this group put in. The outcome of that game made us feel a certain way in terms of what we have to do to improve, but we’ve got to continue to look at the whys and what happened, and that’s what this group has been doing.”
After winning the coin toss, the Irish elected to defer. Notre Dame needed only four seconds to regain possession after Cavalier kick returner and former Irish player Chris Tyree muffed the reception, allowing graduate cornerback Max Hurleman to scoop up the ball and return it to the end zone. The play evoked an eruption at Notre Dame Stadium, which was quickly drained out as the touchdown was called back, forcing the Irish to begin their opening drive deep in Virginia territory.
The ruling didn’t affect the end result. The Irish swiftly marched inside the 10-yard line, inspired by a sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love first down and a roughing the passer penalty. Love then finished the drive by bouncing to the right of his linemen and powering forward to score the first touchdown of the game.
The Irish’s first seven points came only 111 seconds into the game. It took another 21 and a half minutes for the Irish to find the back of the end zone again.
The scoreless stretch of the game featured a series of rapid three-and-outs from both offenses. Meanwhile, the defenses were stingy throughout.
Graduate linebacker Jack Kiser, in his record-breaking 63rd game played for Notre Dame, dictated the Irish’s physicality while Virginia’s safety, Jonas Sanker, was a constant pest for
the Irish offense.
Then, with just under seven minutes of action left in the first half, graduate safety Rod Heard II forced a fumble that was recovered by graduate safety Xavier Watts. The Notre Dame offense came onto the field with something to prove and did just that, marching 88 yards down the field for a touchdown. Senior quarterback Riley Leonard’s touchdown pass, an 8-yard bullet over the middle, was reeled in by graduate wide receiver Jayden Harrison. From that moment onwards, the Irish never looked back.
Notre Dame produced two more touchdowns in the half, both stemming from interceptions. Sophomore safety Adon Shuler and freshman cornerback Leonard Moore were the difference makers on the defensive side of the ball for the Irish. Tight ends sophomore Cooper Flanagan and senior Mitchell Evans — in hurdling fashion — put the nail in the coffin offensively.
Throughout this time, the Irish also had a clever
fake-punt play that led to a 73yard touchdown for sophomore wide receiver Jordan Faison, called back due to illegal formation. Marcus Freeman was visibly frustrated on the sideline, mirroring the disappointment of the 77,622 Irish faithful packed into Notre Dame Stadium.
“It was definitely an awesome play. It was super fun to do,” Faison stated. “We’ve had it installed since the last bowl game, so we’ve been practicing it a lot. Just to execute it very well out there on the field, it was amazing. Like Jack [Kiser] said, we didn’t know the call. You score, you see a flag, and it’s like, ‘What happened,’ but you can’t control any of it so just bounce back and make the extra play.”
A rock-and-roll concert later courtesy of the band Chicago and the Band of the Fighting Irish, Notre Dame came out of the tunnel pumped up for the second half.
The offensive line fed off the energy, dominating in the trenches, catapulting Love’s
explosive, 76-yard rushing touchdown five minutes into the half.
“I just trusted my o-line that they would get the job done. Once I saw a hole, I hit it. I got breakaway speed, so it was a track meet after that,” said Love in his postgame press conference.
Virginia responded on the next drive with a touchdown of its own as backup quarterback Tony Muskett led the Cavaliers downfield before rushing it in himself.
Other than its lone scoring drive, the Cavaliers offense had trouble producing much.
Notre Dame outgained Virginia 210-70 in the third quarter and held the ball for 11:58, a far cry from Virginia’s 2:55 time of possession.
The fourth quarter was much of the same. Although Notre Dame didn’t hold the ball for as long, the Irish defense did what it needed to do and saw out a 35-14 win, with Virginia picking up one more touchdown in the dying embers on another quarterback keeper.
Currently standing at No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Notre Dame firmly puts itself in the driver’s seat to control its destiny with two games remaining. Picking up two wins will most likely place Notre Dame in a home-field advantage position for the first round of the Playoff.
When asked if he believes Notre Dame will host a playoff game come December, Coach Freeman chuckled, “What I think doesn’t really matter.”
Coach Freeman’s assessment is inherently true. The College Football Playoff Committee has many big decisions to make, and with yet another big win at home, Notre Dame has only strengthened its case to play in the postseason. For now, the Irish’s attention will be on carrying their momentum forward in pursuit of picking up their fourth ranked win of the year as they tango with No. 16 Army next Saturday at the historic Yankee Stadium.
Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu
MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer
Sophomore safety Adon Shuler jumps toward the pylon at the end of an interception return during Notre Dame’s 35-14 defeat of Virginia at Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 16, 2024. Shuler’s second-quarter pick registered as one of five Irish takeaways during the Senior Day victory.
